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ISLAMABAD: The United States embassy in India on Tuesday warned Indians of &ldquo;significant criminal penalties&rdquo; for illegally immigrating to the US, according to a statement posted on its official X account. &ldquo;If you break U.S. law, you will be punished with significant criminal penalties,&rdquo; the statement said. The warning comes as part of the current US administration&rsquo;s commitment to ending illegal immigration and protecting national borders. According to estimates by the Pew Research Center and the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), around 700,000 Indian people were residing illegally in the US as of 2022, making them the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador. However, official data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggests that around 220,000 unauthorized Indians are based in the US. Whereas, this year in February, a US military aircraft carrying 104 deported Indians landed in Amritsar. US President Donald Trump has made the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals a key policy, with the North American&nbsp;country reportedly identifying about 18,000 Indian nationals it believes entered the country illegally, according to the BBC. Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India would take back its nationals who were in the US illegally and would also crack down on the &ldquo;human trafficking ecosystem.&rdquo; &ldquo;These are children of very ordinary families, and they are lured by big dreams and promises,&rdquo; he said during his visit to Washington. In recent times, relations between Washington and New Delhi have become strained. This is attributed to President Trump&rsquo;s sweeping 50% tariffs on Indian goods, according to Chatham House in August, and India&rsquo;s discomfort over US engagement with Pakistan following the May conflict between the two South Asian rivals. Regarding the recent statement, neither the US State Department nor US missions in Pakistan or other countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, or China, have issued similar warnings, Pakistani local media reported.&nbsp;

Asia

The US Embassy in India warned Indians of criminal penalties for illegal immigration, citing border enforcement priorities, amid strained US-India relations this year.

US warns Indian nationals of ‘criminal penalties’ for illegal immigration

ISLAMABAD: In a huge reversal that contradicts mainstream political narratives across the Western world, 2025 has become the year of the greatest return migration in modern history, with approximately 9.8 million people returning to their countries of origin&mdash;nearly 170 times the recorded returns of 2024. While far-right groups from Germany&#39;s Alternative for Germany (AfD) to America First Legal frame immigration as an unstoppable &quot;invasion,&quot; data from international organizations and government agencies tells a starkly different story: one of unprecedented mass departures and people heading home in numbers that dwarf any previous migration reversal. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), assisted voluntary returns in 2024 totaled just 58,729 globally. By contrast, returns of forcibly displaced people to just seven countries in the first half of 2025 alone reached 6.48 million, according to UNHCR mid-year data. US drives largest single-nation exodus The US recorded the most dramatic single-country departure figures in modern immigration history. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than 2.5 million people left the country between January 20 and mid-December 2025. This exceeds the entire 2024 global assisted return total by more than 40 times. Of these departures, approximately 1.9 million people &quot;voluntarily self-deported,&quot; as per DHS figures, while over 622,000 were formally removed through deportation proceedings. The exodus was directly driven by comprehensive policy changes implemented starting January 20, 2025, according to official White House and DHS documents. The administration terminated Temporary Protected Status for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, and South Sudan, removing legal work authorization and deportation protections for hundreds of thousands. According to DHS policy memoranda, the government encouraged unauthorized migrants to use the CBP Home mobile app to register their departure, offering stipends increased to $3,000 by late 2025. The administration simultaneously expanded expedited removal authority to its &quot;statutory maximum&quot; on January 21, 2025, and terminated categorical parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans while reinstating the &quot;Remain in Mexico&quot; policy, as per executive order documentation. Fear and force drive majority of returns While Western political rhetoric often frames migration as voluntary movement toward prosperity, the 2025 return data reveals a reality driven primarily by coercion and fear. In the US, the 1.9 million who self-deported did so specifically to avoid potential arrest, prosecution, or formal removal, as per DHS analysis. Iran&#39;s large-scale deportation drives targeting undocumented Afghans resulted in over 2.2 million Afghan returns by October 2025, according to combined UNHCR and IOM reporting. This represents a massive increase from 2024, when only 86,800 Ethiopians were forcibly returned from Saudi Arabia, as per IOM tracking. The UNHCR warned that 95% of returns to crisis zones including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Myanmar in 2025 were &quot;adverse&quot;; meaning migrants returned to areas still experiencing insecurity and lacking basic services because they had no remaining options in host countries, according to UNHCR protection monitoring reports. Syria&#39;s regime change sparks massive return wave Syria experienced one of 2025&#39;s biggest return movements following a seismic political shift. According to UNHCR and IOM reporting, over 1.5 million Syrian refugees returned to their areas of origin in 2025. The primary catalyst was the fall of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government on December 8, 2024, which removed what international assessments identified as the primary barrier to return for millions, according to reports from the UK Home Office and European Union Agency for Asylum. The return wave was also driven by deteriorating conditions in host countries. Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq cited extreme poverty due to declining international donor funding, high living costs, and lack of livelihood opportunities as key factors in their decisions to return home, according to IOM surveys. A sharp increase in returns was recorded in June 2025, coinciding with the end of the school term as families moved after children finished exams, according to UNHCR flow monitoring data. Europe and UK tighten return policies European nations steadily increased return operations throughout 2025. According to Eurostat, 90,985 third-country nationals were effectively returned to countries outside the EU through the first three quarters of 2025, with the third quarter showing a 14.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The European Union designated seven countries including India, Morocco, and Egypt as &quot;safe&quot; to allow for fast-tracked rejections and returns of asylum seekers, according to EU policy directives. The United Kingdom recorded 286,000 non-EU nationals returning to their countries of origin for the year ending June 2025, according to UK Office for National Statistics; an increase from 2024&#39;s comparable emigration figures. Displaced populations return to conflict zones Returns of forcibly displaced people were heavily concentrated. Seven countries accounted for 95% of all such returns during the first half of 2025, according to UNHCR mid-year data: the Democratic Republic of Congo (1.9 million), Syria (1.5 million), Sudan (1.2 million), Afghanistan (874,900), Ethiopia (438,100), Ukraine (306,300), and Myanmar (261,500). According to IOM surveys, high levels of financial debt, inability to pay for housing, and lack of employment opportunities were cited as key secondary reasons for return alongside fear of arrest and policy coercion. Alt-right claims meet contradictory reality The 2025 return migration data directly contradicts narratives promoted by far-right organizations monitored by international watchdogs and civil rights groups. In the US, organizations identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center in its 2024-2025 reporting (including America First Legal and Turning Point USA added to the SPLC&#39;s &quot;hate and extremism&quot; list in 2025) have consistently framed immigration as an uncontrollable crisis. According to IOM reports on political narratives, these groups use &quot;invasion&quot; rhetoric to suggest nations are being overwhelmed by migrants. In Europe, the IOM and EU agencies have documented an increase in &quot;remigration&quot; narratives&mdash;advocating for the forced return of non-ethnic residents. Germany&#39;s AfD has openly advocated for closing borders and the &quot;remigration&quot; of millions, while the UK&#39;s Reform UK and Britain First have mobilized against asylum seeker accommodations, as documented by the Institute of Race Relations. France&#39;s National Rally frames immigration as &quot;security madness,&quot; while Austria&#39;s Freedom Party and Spain&#39;s Vox have called for mass deportations, according to platforms monitored by European civil society organizations. Yet the actual direction of human movement in 2025 has been overwhelmingly homeward&mdash;9.8 million returns compared to an estimated 304 million total international migrants globally as of mid-2024, according to UN migration data. A historic reversal The 2025 return migration represents not just a statistical anomaly but a fundamental shift in global movement patterns. The nearly 10 million returns dwarf the 58,729 IOM-assisted voluntary returns in all of 2024 and occur against a backdrop where dominant political narratives claim the opposite is happening. Whether driven by policy coercion, economic desperation, changing political circumstances in origin countries, or fear of arrest, the scale of return migration in 2025 challenges fundamental assumptions in Western political discourse about the nature and direction of contemporary global migration. For millions, 2025 was not the year of seeking refuge in the West, it was the year of going home, by choice or by force.

Americas

Europe

Africa

Mass departures challenge alt-right claims of uncontrolled migration as global return movement dwarfs previous year's totals.

2025 becomes year of greatest migration return in history

ISLAMABAD: While much of the world tracked Pakistan&#39;s economic challenges in 2025, its scientists were quietly rewriting the country&#39;s technological narrative. Where a quantum physicist simulated radar systems that could detect hypersonic threats invisible to conventional technology, a teenager from Rawalpindi outcompeted students from 70 nations to claim biology&#39;s biggest prize. Moreover, twin satellites, launched from opposite sides of the world, began beaming back images to monitor everything from melting glaciers to ripening crops. The year 2025 also brought Pakistan&#39;s most significant scientific advances in decades, spanning quantum computing, space technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and human achievement on the global stage. Quantum leap in defense tech Dr. Zuhair Ahmed doesn&#39;t work in a laboratory with billion-dollar equipment. Instead, the chairman of the Centre of Excellence for Technology, Quantum, and AI Pakistan connects remotely to IBM&#39;s quantum processors to conduct cutting-edge research. In October, his team achieved 99.1% quantum fidelity using a technique called Quantum Time Reversal Interferometry on IBM&#39;s 133-qubit Torino processor. The breakthrough demonstrates error correction essential for making quantum computers reliable enough for complex calculations. However, Ahmed&#39;s November achievement grabbed more international attention: Simulating quantum radar capable of tracking stealth-coated hypersonic missiles. Using a three-qubit quantum circuit, the system locked onto simulated targets at 83.2 kilometers and calculated mid-air interception at roughly 40 kilometers altitude. Both studies, published through SSRN and Elsevier, position Pakistan in an elite group of nations exploring quantum applications for defense and computing. Eyes in orbit Pakistan now has four satellites providing real-time intelligence from space, including two launched in 2025 through partnerships with China and T&uuml;rkiye. The HS-1 hyperspectral satellite was launched on October 19 from China&#39;s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Managed by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, it captures hundreds of spectral bands invisible to the human eye, providing data crucial for predicting floods, monitoring glacial melt, and identifying geological risks along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The PAUSAT-1 CubeSat, a collaboration between Pakistan Air University and Istanbul Technical University, launched January 14 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Its multispectral imager achieves 1.5-meter ground resolution, sharp enough to distinguish individual vehicles in urban areas. Pakistan also launched its first domestically produced observation satellite, PRSC-EO1, in January and the KS-1 agricultural monitoring satellite in July. Rawalpindi student makes history Abdul Raffay Paracha had competed internationally before, but never won gold. That changed in July at the International Biology Olympiad in the Philippines. The Siddique Public School student became the first Pakistani to claim gold at the IBO since the country began participating in 2006. He competed against top students from more than 70 nations at the 35th edition of the competition. The win validates a decade of investment by the STEM Careers Programme, a partnership between the Higher Education Commission and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences that identifies and trains talented students. AI for farmers Mahroosh Umer&#39;s team didn&#39;t set out to win a United Nations competition. They wanted to solve a problem: how to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change without expensive consultants or technology. Their solution, AgriGuard.AI, uses artificial intelligence to deliver climate-smart agricultural advice. In August, it won first place at the AI 4 Good Incubator 2025 in Dubai, part of the UN&#39;s AI for Good Global Summit organized by the International Telecommunication Union. The team beat hundreds of global entries and received seed funding, mentorship and connections to scale the platform for farmers worldwide. What it means The 2025 achievements reflect both growing international partnerships and homegrown talent. The quantum research advances Pakistan&#39;s capabilities in cryptography and materials science. The satellites strengthen disaster preparedness. And the human achievements prove Pakistani students can compete at the highest levels.

Economy

From quantum computing milestones to space launches and an Olympiad gold, Pakistan marked its strongest year yet in science and technology. 

Pakistan's quantum, space and glory — all rolled in 2025 

LONDON: The foreign ministers of 10 nations on Tuesday expressed &quot;serious concerns&quot; about a &quot;renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation&quot; in Gaza, saying the situation was &quot;catastrophic&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;As winter draws in, civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping,&quot; the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said in a joint statement released by the UK&#39;s Foreign Office.&nbsp;&quot;1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support. More than half of health facilities are only partially functional and face shortages of essential medical equipment and supplies. The total collapse of sanitation infrastructure has left 740,000 people vulnerable to toxic flooding,&quot; the statement added.&nbsp;The ministers said they welcomed the progress that had been made to end the bloodshed in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages.&nbsp;&quot;However we will not lose focus on the plight of civilians in Gaza,&quot; they said, calling on the government of Israel to take a string of &quot;urgent and essential&quot; steps.&nbsp;These included ensuring that international NGOs could operate in Gaza in a &quot;sustained and predictable&quot; way.&nbsp;&quot;As 31 December approaches, many established international NGO partners are at risk of being deregistered because of the government of Israel&rsquo;s restrictive new requirements,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;It also called for the UN and its partners be able to continue their work in Gaza and for the lifting of &quot;unreasonable restricts on imports considered to have a dual use&quot;.&nbsp;This included medical and shelter equipment.&nbsp;The foreign ministers also called for the opening of crossings to boost the flows of humanitarian aid into Gaza.&nbsp;While welcoming the partial opening of the Allenby crossing, they said other corridors for moving goods remained closed or severely restricted for humanitarian aid including Rafah.&nbsp;&quot;Bureaucratic customs processes and extensive screenings are causing delays, while commercial cargo is being allowed in more freely,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;&quot;The target of 4,200 trucks per week, including an allocation of 250 UN trucks per day, should be a floor not a ceiling. These targets should be lifted so we can be sure the vital supplies are getting in at the vast scale needed,&quot; it added.

Middle East

Ten foreign ministers said Gaza’s humanitarian situation is catastrophic as winter arrives, with severe shortages of shelter, healthcare and sanitation. They urged Israel to allow NGOs and the UN to work freely, open crossings, and increase aid deliveries.

10 countries warn of 'catastrophic' Gaza situation

TEHRAN: The Iranian foreign ministry designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization on Tuesday in what it said was retaliation for Canada&#39;s 2024 blacklisting of Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards.&nbsp;In a statement, the ministry said that the move was in reaction to Ottawa declaring the Guards, the ideological arm of Iran&#39;s military, a terror group &quot;contrary to the fundamental principles of international law&quot;.&nbsp;Iran &quot;within the framework of reciprocity, identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization,&quot; the statement added, without specifying what ramifications if any the force will face.&nbsp;On June 19, 2024, Canada declared the IRGC a terror group. This bars its members from entering the country and Canadians from having any dealings with individual members or the group.&nbsp;Additionally, any assets the Guards or its members hold in Canada could also be seized.&nbsp;Canada accused the Guards of &quot;having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the international rules-based order.&quot;&nbsp;One of the reasons behind Ottawa&#39;s decision to designate the force as a terror group was the Flight PS752 incident.&nbsp;The flight was show down shortly after takeoff from Tehran in January 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents.&nbsp;The IRGC admitted its forces downed the jet, but claimed their controllers had mistaken it for a hostile target.&nbsp;Ottawa broke off diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2012, calling Iran &quot;the most significant threat to global peace&quot;.&nbsp;Iran&#39;s archenemy, the United States, listed the Guards as a foreign terrorist organization in April 2019 while Australia did the same last month, accusing the force of being behind attacks on Australian soil.

Iran has called the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist group in response to Canada labeling Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, citing human rights abuses and the 2020 downing of Flight PS752.

Iran designates Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization

ISLAMABAD: Turkish authorities arrested 357 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) group members in coordinated raids across 21 provinces Tuesday, T&uuml;rkiye Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. &quot;This morning, in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspected ISIS members in simultaneous operations conducted by our police,&quot; Yerlikaya said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). The operations were conducted by the national police&#39;s counterterrorism and intelligence departments in coordination with prosecutors&#39; offices, according to the statement. Raids took place in Adana, Ağrı, Ankara, Antalya, Bing&ouml;l, &Ccedil;orum, Denizli, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Giresun, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Kilis, Konya, Muğla, Niğde, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Yalova and Van. The announcement came a day after three police officers and six suspected militants were killed during an eight-hour standoff in the northwestern town of Yalova. Eight police officers and one security force member were wounded, local media reported. Last week, Turkish authorities arrested 115 suspects accused of planning attacks targeting non-Muslims during Christmas and New Year&#39;s celebrations, local media reported. Several detainees are suspected of collecting money under the guise of charity and funneling it to ISIS-linked networks in Syria, according to prosecutors, Al-Arabiya reported. &quot;Just as we have never given an opportunity to those who try to bring this country to its knees with terrorism, we will never give them an opportunity in the future either,&quot; Yerlikaya said. The ISIS has carried out multiple deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.

Türkiye said 357 suspects were apprehended across 21 provinces in coordinated raids as Ankara intensifies actions against ISIS.

Turkish police detain more than 350 suspects in raids against ISIS

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia declared a UAE-backed separatist advance in Yemen a threat to the kingdom&#39;s national security on Tuesday, while calling Abu Dhabi&#39;s actions &quot;highly dangerous,&quot; as the rivalry between the Gulf monarchies boiled into an open dispute. Earlier today (Tuesday),&nbsp;the leader of Yemen&#39;s presidential council declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized swathes of territory. The announcements by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, came after the Saudi-led coalition in divided Yemen said it struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatists. In a statement, the UAE &ldquo;expressed its deep regrets&rdquo; regarding the statement issued by Saudi Arabia and denied the assertion of fueling the conflict in Yemen. &ldquo;The United Arab Emirates affirms its unwavering commitment to the security and stability of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its full respect for its sovereignty and national security, and its rejection of any actions that threaten the security of the Kingdom or the region,&rdquo; said the statement. The foreign ministry statement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it had struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for separatist forces. &quot;The steps taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous,&quot; it said, adding &quot;the Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralise any such threat.&quot; In recent weeks, separatists reportedly backed by the UAE seeking to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen have made sweeping territorial gains in a lightning offensive. Experts say their successes have embarrassed Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight and the main backer of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. &quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of Al-Mukalla,&quot; the alliance said, according to the Saudi state news agency. AFP footage of the port showed dozens of parked military vehicles and pick-ups, several of which were burnt out and smouldering as workers hosed them down. After the strikes, the leader of Yemen&#39;s presidential council, which sits atop the Aden-based government, declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with Abu Dhabi after the forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized swaths of territory. The STC is also a key member of the government&mdash;a fractious patchwork of groups held together by its opposition to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control swaths of northern and western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. &#39;A red line&#39;Saudi Arabia and the UAE&mdash;traditionally close allies who joined forces in Yemen against the Houthis&mdash;have increasingly been at odds over the conflict on their doorstep, as well as the war in Sudan. &quot;The Kingdom expresses its disappointment by the actions taken by the brotherly United Arab Emirates, pressuring the Southern Transitional Council&#39;s forces to conduct military operations on the southern border of the Kingdom,&quot; the Saudi foreign ministry statement said. It called them &quot;a threat to the Kingdom&#39;s national security, as well as to security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and the region,&quot; it said. A source close to the Saudi military coalition told AFP on Tuesday after the strikes that a diplomatic solution remained on the table. &quot;The coalition was forced to do that. All diplomacy efforts met deaf ears,&quot; said the source. &quot;Diplomacy is still an option to stop any further escalation.&quot; 24-hour deadlineRiyadh also backed a demand from Yemen&#39;s presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours, and urged Abu Dhabi to cut off military and financial support for Yemeni groups. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, issued decrees on Tuesday announcing a 90-day state of emergency and annulling a security pact with the UAE over the separatists&#39; advance. The STC members of the council later rejected the decision, saying the move threatened to &quot;drag Yemen into new confrontations or target its regional allies&quot;. Following the strikes, broadcasters in Saudi Arabia aired segments showing surveillance footage of the alleged Emirati ships delivering the combat equipment to the port of Mukalla in southern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition said the ships had arrived from the UAE port of Fujairah, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and without causing collateral damage. An official at the port said a warning to evacuate was received at 4:00 am (0100 GMT) local time. &#39;Unacceptable to God&#39;Abdullah Bazuhair, whose home overlooks the port, showed AFP the damage to his property, with windows blasted clear out of the walls and glass strewn across the floor. The strikes were &quot;unacceptable to God&quot; he said, adding &quot;the children were terrified and the women frightened&quot;. The Saudi-led coalition had warned that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently seized territories in Hadramawt and Mahra governorates. Tuesday&#39;s strike came days after reported Saudi air raids on separatist positions in resource-rich Hadramawt last week. A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were massed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.

Saudi Arabia condemns UAE-backed separatists’ advance in Yemen as a security threat and bombed alleged Emirati arms shipments, while the UAE denies fueling the conflict, expressing regret amid escalating Gulf rivalry

Saudi Arabia condemns ‘dangerous’ UAE actions in Yemen as Abu Dhabi denies fuelling conflict 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reviewed &#39;the evolving regional situation and recent developments&#39; in a telephonic conversation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Saudi Foreign Minister reaffirmed Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening and deepening bilateral ties with Pakistan, highlighting the importance Riyadh attaches to its longstanding relationship with Islamabad, the statement said.&nbsp; Dar expressed satisfaction over the positive progress of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Riyadh, the statement added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005958717796417881&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0a4277fff51fc9779360cb27c73be39ad1b5ef70&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Dar also conveyed season&rsquo;s greetings and best wishes for the New Year to his counterpart, the statement said.&nbsp;Prince Faisal warmly reciprocated, the FO statement added.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister held a phone call to discuss regional developments, exchange new year greetings, express satisfaction over growing bilateral ties, and agree on further strengthening cooperation and long-standing relations.



Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review regional situation, reaffirm bilateral cooperation 

ISLAMABAD: In 2025, Israel launched an unprecedented series of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-bitter-relationship-between-israel-and-arab-states" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military attacks across six countries in the Middle East</a>, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).&nbsp; The data analysis group&rsquo;s report, &ldquo;Israel recalibrates its military campaigns in a region still on edge,&rdquo; highlights the growing scope and intensity of Israel&rsquo;s actions in the region. ACLED, an independent global conflict monitor, reported that Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year, marking the widest geographic reach of any military worldwide in 2025. &ldquo;In 2025, Israel launched attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen,&rdquo; ACLED states, noting that between January 1 and November 28 alone, Israel &ldquo;undertook more than 12,500 military actions across the Middle East.&rdquo; Deadliest zone: Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank)ACLED identified the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, as the deadliest theater of Israel&rsquo;s military activity in 2025. &ldquo;Gaza remained the deadliest arena; the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gaza-civil-defense-says-7-killed-in-israeli-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDF killed thousands</a>&nbsp;&mdash; the majority civilians &mdash; in strikes,&rdquo; the report details. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes reportedly killed over 16,100 Palestinians in Gaza. The report further stated that Israel broke a ceasefire in January and, by October, had &ldquo;confined Palestinians in Gaza to less than 25% of the enclave and was pushing to establish full control over Gaza City.&rdquo; In the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/14-countries-condemn-israels-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">West Bank</a>, ACLED documented intensified Israeli military operations: &ldquo;The IDF conducted its largest operations in decades, displacing tens of thousands from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams camps.&rdquo; Lebanon: ongoing air and artillery strikesDespite a ceasefire, ACLED recorded that Israel continued to carry out air and artillery strikes in Lebanon. &ldquo;The IDF conducted nearly 1,600 air- and artillery strikes, as well as shooting attacks, in Lebanon,&rdquo; the report said. Israeli forces withdrew ground troops in February but continued &ldquo;hundreds of near-daily strikes, mainly in the south but also in the Bekaa Valley and Beirut,&rdquo; killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, including nearly 25 commanders. Iran: strategic campaignACLED describes Israel&rsquo;s campaign in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-missile-programme-defensive-nonnegotiable" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;as the most strategically consequential foreign operation of 2025. &ldquo;Israel launched a 12-day military campaign consisting of over 350 airstrikes across 27 provinces, including in the capital Tehran,&rdquo; the report notes. Targets included missile sites, military bases, nuclear facilities, and government buildings, with assassinations of senior military leaders and nuclear scientists. Syria: expanded presence and strikesIsrael maintained and expanded its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/three-wounded-in-southern-syria-after-israeli-incursion-state-media" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military presence in Syria</a>, according to ACLED. &ldquo;In Syria, the IDF targeted Syrian military assets despite al-Assad&rsquo;s ouster,&rdquo; the report says, noting that Israel &ldquo;established six additional outposts in the demilitarized buffer zone, deploying up to 15 kilometers inside Syria.&rdquo; Yemen: targeted operations against HouthisIn Yemen, Israel escalated its military campaign against Houthi forces. &ldquo;The IDF conducted operations on 16 separate days in 2025, killing over 120 people,&rdquo; ACLED states, highlighting strikes that decimated the Houthi de facto government and killed the military chief of staff. Qatar: Rare but significant targetACLED points out Israel&rsquo;s rare&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/qatar-says-us-claims-of-warnings-prior-to-doha-attack-are-%E2%80%98baseless%E2%80%99" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">military action in Qatar</a>, related to its pursuit of Hamas leaders. &ldquo;From Palestine to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and even Qatar, the Israel Defense Forces projected military power across the region in 2025,&rdquo; the report says. The strike in Qatar marked a diplomatic turning point affecting regional relations later in the year. ACLED concludes that Israel&rsquo;s 2025 military posture shifted from a status quo power to a more revisionist one, noting: &ldquo;Israel established or expanded buffer zones and military outposts in three countries.&rdquo; This data underscores the complex and far-reaching nature of Israel&rsquo;s military campaigns in the Middle East throughout 2025, marking one of the most active and geographically expansive years in recent regional history.

ACLED says Israel launched military attacks in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, and Yemen throughout the year.

Israel attacked six Muslim countries in 2025: Report

NOTTINGHAM, UK: A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw women into motorsports and maybe even race to the top in male-dominated Formula 1. A special test day in October in Nottingham aimed to address a major gender gap in F1, one of the flashiest of sports. Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to compete in an F1 Grand Prix in 1976, and the absence of women on the circuit is linked to young girls&#39; limited exposure to motorsports, according to gender parity organisations. More Than Equal, a non-profit that supports women drivers, said girls start karting on average two years later than boys. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, for example, got into the format aged just eight. &quot;These are the first steps that a girl could take,&quot; Cameron Biggs, coaching and academy pathway manager at Motorsport UK, told AFP. &quot;We&#39;re really trying to join the dots between grassroots and elite.&quot; The enthusiasm was palpable among the youngsters, who were mostly new to karting. Some attended the taster day, supported by makeup company Charlotte Tilbury, after watching F1, while others were encouraged by their parents. None seemed put off by F1&#39;s breakneck speed, the thrumming engines and the prospect of driving a vehicle years before they are old enough to have a driver&#39;s licence. &quot;On the second time, I came first and I&#39;m very proud,&quot; beamed 11-year-old Megan. &quot;I watch Formula 1 quite often, and so I kind of know how to get around the track,&quot; said Erin, also 11. F1 paradoxF1&#39;s official website boasts a global fanbase of 827 million people -- a 63 percent increase since 2018. But there is a paradox: F1 is one of the world&#39;s few non-gender-segregated sports yet one of the most male-dominated. &quot;We know that the pathway for female drivers hasn&#39;t successfully got a woman into Formula One competitively in the last 50 years,&quot; More Than Equal&#39;s head of driver development Lauren Forrow told AFP. That means that girls are &quot;not thriving within&quot; the current system, she said. The organisation has pledged to &quot;make history&quot; by training a woman not just to compete but to win. &quot;We know that this is a real challenge and that it&#39;s never been done before,&quot; CEO Tom Stanton told AFP. More Than Equal lists limited access to motorsports at an early age, cultural and structural biases, sponsorship gaps and a lack of role models at the top as barriers obstructing women&#39;s entry into F1. Forrow said the organisation&#39;s unique Driver Development Programme &quot;acknowledges the physiological, psychological and technical differences&quot; women face, such as the impact of menstruation on athletic abilities and daily life. These realities &quot;inform what the kind of right recipe is for supporting female athletes in this space&quot;, she said, of the programme created for young female racing drivers. &#39;Nobody to look up to&#39;Fifteen-year-old Skye Parker, from Trelogan, North Wales, told AFP she is determined to become &quot;Formula 1 world champion&quot;, having started karting aged six and now loving the &quot;feeling of excitement&quot; she gets on the track. On a wet December day, the assured teenager did laps in a Formula 4 car on Spain&#39;s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It has a challenging layout and is used by More Than Equal to hone female drivers&#39; skills. F4, for junior drivers, is an essential stepping stone for drivers on their way to the top. Parker&#39;s personalised pink-and-green helmet distinguished her from other drivers as she drove for 45-minute stretches, concluding each session with a technical debrief. Parker told AFP there are more women than before, but noted &quot;boys definitely outnumber us&quot;. &quot;It is quite sad that there is nobody to look up to female-wise in Formula One,&quot; she said. On top of obstacles unique to women, F1 is an &quot;incredibly expensive&quot; sport to pursue, Forrow said. In Nottingham, Marcus McKenzie stood on the sidelines, using a headpiece to instruct his eight-year-old daughter Georgia as she rocketed around the karting track -- at 25 miles (40 kilometres) per hour, somewhat slower than the average speeds of 220 miles per hour characteristic of a Grand Prix. The single father conceded that the cost of the sport made things difficult, but he is hoping to secure sponsorship for Georgia and her 11-year-old brother, who is also passionate about F1. But money was far from the minds of the youngsters, who were exhilarated as they stepped off the track. &quot;Don&#39;t be shy to do it. Just be brave and have fun,&quot; was eight-year-old Thea&#39;s message to other girls her age.

This photo taken on November 15, 2025 shows 15-year-old Skye Parker posing during a day out at the Shenington Kart Racing Club track in Shenington, central England. A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw 

Racing

F1 is one of the world's few non-gender-segregated sports yet one of the most male-dominated. There has been no woman in Formula One competitively in the last 50 years.

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