Maryam Shah

ISLAMABAD: The official White House account this week posted an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump striding across a frozen landscape toward Greenland, hand-in-wing with a penguin carrying a US flag. The caption was brief and cryptic: &ldquo;Embrace the penguin.&rdquo; Shared on X, the post raced past 30 million views, igniting confusion, mockery, and rapid-fire debate across platforms. Trump&rsquo;s penguin post landed against the backdrop of renewed US interest in Greenland.&nbsp; Earlier this week, the president said there is a &ldquo;framework of a future deal&rdquo; involving the semi-autonomous Danish territory, arguing Greenland is critical to US security plans, including a proposed &ldquo;Golden Dome&rdquo; missile defense system, and to access strategic minerals essential for modern technology. But the problem, critics quickly noted, was zoological, not political.&nbsp; Penguins simply do not live in Greenland, the Arctic, or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Every penguin species exists exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, primarily in Antarctica. &ldquo;There are no penguins in Greenland,&rdquo; the account PatriotTakes wrote, adding: &ldquo;Perhaps you shouldn&rsquo;t have dismantled the Department of Education so quickly.&rdquo;<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" 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=2014835024999186902&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 942px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi offered a shorter correction: &ldquo;Wrong hemisphere.&rdquo;<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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014833837960786337&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 822px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Others went sharper. Conservative commentator Erick Erickson joked that the administration &ldquo;must be planning to invade Antarctica.&rdquo;<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014845138988634474&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> Danish MP Rasmus Jarlov delivered the harshest line: &ldquo;The message from the White House is clear: Trump belongs in Greenland as much as penguins do.&rdquo;<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-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2014871105450791309&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=ebfb1c7c4793dc4344a331bf075173eae200a796&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 846px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Some users interpreted the image as a nod to the &ldquo;nihilist penguin&rdquo; meme circulating online, inspired by Werner Herzog&rsquo;s 2007 documentary, &quot;Encounters at the End of the World.&quot; The film features an Ad&eacute;lie penguin walking alone toward the Antarctic mountains. A moment Herzog famously frames as a doomed, existential march. The White House did not immediately clarify the intent of the post. The Department of Homeland Security later shared a related image, reinforcing the impression that the symbolism was intentional rather than accidental. A familiar patternThe episode fits a broader pattern in Trump&rsquo;s online presence since returning to office. He remains one of the most prolific political figures on social media, regularly pushing out memes, AI-generated images and content engineered for virality alongside policy messaging. A recent Wired investigation reported that Trump personally types roughly 5% of his posts. The rest are produced by aides, including Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino, who convert the president&rsquo;s dictation into a steady stream of attention-grabbing content. &ldquo;The entire ethos and aesthetic of this administration is spectacle and subversion of norms,&rdquo; Dannagal Young, director of the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware, told CNN. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t do that through deliberation or argument, but through symbols.&rdquo; TikTok politics, penguin editionTrump&rsquo;s meme-forward strategy is widely seen as an attempt to connect with younger audiences. During the 2024 campaign, his TikTok account became one of the platform&rsquo;s fastest-growing, tapping into Gen Z&rsquo;s preference for visual, ironic and remixable content. The penguin post shows both the upside and downside of that approach. It captured massive attention, but lost narrative control almost instantly, as users reframed it through jokes, fact-checks and satire. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the strategy in a statement to CNN, saying: &ldquo;The success of the White House&rsquo;s social media pages speak for itself. Through engaging posts and banger memes, we are successfully communicating the President&rsquo;s extremely popular agenda.&rdquo; For the internet, though, the takeaway was simpler: if the White House wanted everyone talking, the penguin delivered, even if it waddled in from the wrong hemisphere.

Americas

A viral White House penguin meme sparks laughs online, but lands amid Trump’s renewed push for Greenland, blending Gen Z internet culture with real geopolitical ambition.

Penguins, memes and Greenland: Trump’s viral post breaks the internet

ISLAMABAD: As 2025 comes to a close, Pakistani women across sports, culture, exploration, and legal activism have made their mark on national and international stages. From cricket grounds and mountain summits to pageants and courtrooms, these trailblazers have expanded opportunities and challenged conventional boundaries. Sidra Amin&rsquo;s cricket milestones<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cf94c1a3-e5a6-4fec-8907-fc3f939f7423.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @sidraamin31 Opening batter Sidra Amin, 33, emerged as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most consistent performers during the 2025 ICC Women&rsquo;s ODI World Cup. The Lahore-born cricketer became the first Pakistani to score back-to-back ODI centuries, a landmark in Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket history. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back-to-back centuries for Sidra Amin as the batter continues her brilliant run with the willow 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">#PAKvSA</a> 📝: <a href="https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7</a> | 📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">@TheRealPCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/LMXPJ7cVzj" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pic.twitter.com/LMXPJ7cVzj</a>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1969093586667855973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote></div> According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official match report, Amin also recorded the fastest ODI century by a Pakistani woman, reaching 100 runs in just 97 balls. With more than 150 international appearances and 2,221 ODI runs, including six centuries, she remained a linchpin of Pakistan&rsquo;s batting line-up. Gaddafi Stadium has become her personal stronghold, where she has scored three centuries at an average exceeding 120. Since debuting in 2011, Amin has helped elevate women&rsquo;s cricket in Pakistan to new heights. Naila Kiani&rsquo;s unprecedented climbing record<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/611a7e42-2866-45d0-a73a-3855db9729f0.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Picture credits: Radio Pakistan Mountaineer Naila Kiani continued her extraordinary ascent in 2025, having summited 12 of the world&rsquo;s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. Imagine Nepal, the expedition organizer, confirmed that Kiani scaled Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the world&rsquo;s third-highest mountain, in May, staying on course to become the first Pakistani woman to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders. A former aerospace engineer and a mother of two, Kiani also became the fastest Pakistani to summit 11 eight-thousanders in under three years, Alpine Club of Pakistan reported. The Embassy of Pakistan in Turkiye also congratulated her on this achievement.&nbsp; <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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1787508031929962698&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2696e4393e4ed6d9d4f0ffa87d85e770d1536c72&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Beyond her personal achievements, she has championed reforms in Pakistan&rsquo;s mountaineering sector, helping reduce helicopter rescue costs and exposing exploitative commercial practices. According to Radio Pakistan, Naila Kiani remains the only female athlete to currently hold the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.&nbsp; Roma Riaz at Miss Universe<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6a61b8ec-3923-4895-a670-e3e057da2cd4.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @romariaz_official Roma Riaz, 25, a British-Pakistani from Lahore, represented Pakistan at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand after winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title earlier in the year. Her participation returned Pakistan to the global pageant stage and sparked conversations about beauty standards, colorism, and representation. Raised between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, Riaz is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and has worked in merchandising and international fashion. Her advocacy focuses on girls&rsquo; education and challenging narrow definitions of beauty. In response to criticism over her skin tone and background, she posted an Instagram reel condemning colorist and body-shaming remarks, asserting that diversity should be celebrated, not policed. Mahnoor Omer and discriminatory taxation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/aeb6f1e9-2e44-46f3-9f28-e37cedb48d66.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @learningwithmahnoor Lawyer and gender rights advocate Mahnoor Omer, 25, gained national and international attention in 2025 for challenging Pakistan&rsquo;s taxation of sanitary products. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Omer is pursuing postgraduate studies in Gender, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics. She has also served as a Gender Consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, co-authoring Pakistan&rsquo;s first UNODC Gender Equality Strategy. Her constitutional petition contends that menstrual hygiene products, essential for women&rsquo;s health, are unfairly taxed, violating constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.&nbsp; Natasha Noorani&rsquo;s cultural innovation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/e235b212-ad97-4260-bf42-9a6cd0616e0f.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @natashanoorani Emerging artist Natasha Noorani has established herself as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most innovative contemporary musicians. Her debut album Ronaq, released in 2023, continued to influence the country&rsquo;s music scene throughout 2025. Blending R&amp;B, pop, electronic music, and neo-soul, the album reflects both creativity and cultural depth. Noorani coined the term &ldquo;Lolly-Pop&rdquo; to describe her approach, which merges retro subcontinental sounds from the 1940s&ndash;1980s with modern electronic production. Produced by Talal Qureshi and Abdullah Siddiqui, Ronaq features tracks including &ldquo;Choro,&rdquo; &ldquo;Thandi,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Faltu Pyar,&rdquo; a collaboration with Hasan Raheem. Her work continues to bridge Pakistan&rsquo;s musical past with its contemporary soundscape. While their paths differed, a common thread ran through their stories, questioning long-standing norms and opening space for wider participation.&nbsp; As Pakistan moves into 2026, the impact of these women&rsquo;s work continues to shape public debate. It offers a broader understanding of what achievement and leadership look like for Pakistani women today.

Pakistani women who made headlines in 2025 (Pakistan TV Digital)

Entertainment

In 2025, Pakistani women made headlines across cricket, mountaineering, music, law, and global platforms, redefining representation and excellence while challenging social norms through record-breaking achievements, creative innovation, and rights-based advocacy at home and abroad. 

Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

ISLAMABAD: The catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,200 people across Southeast Asia in recent weeks are not a distant warning for South Asia but &ldquo;a mirror of what Pakistan has already experienced and will face again,&rdquo; according to climate scientists.&nbsp;Across Indonesia and Sri Lanka, rapid heatwaves followed by early monsoon onset and cloudburst-style rainfall, the same sequence that devastated Pakistan in 2022 and again in 2025, have displaced more than 1.5 million people since late November.&nbsp;&ldquo;South Asia has entered &lsquo;new operating conditions&rsquo; where traditional monsoon timelines no longer apply,&rdquo; said Dr. Zainab Naeem, an environmental sciences researcher at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, she added: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s happening in Southeast Asia right now mirrors exactly what we&#39;ve been experiencing in Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Parallel crises across regionIn Indonesia, the island of Sumatra recorded 604 deaths after a rare tropical storm triggered widespread flash floods and landslides. In Sri Lanka, Cyclone Ditwah killed at least 355 people and forced nearly 180,000 residents into emergency shelters. In both countries, prolonged dry spells were followed by sudden, moisture-laden systems that unleashed months&rsquo; worth of rainfall in a matter of days.&nbsp;Asia warming faster than global averageAccording to regional climate assessments, Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, leading to more frequent and more intense extreme weather events. In 2023 alone, the continent experienced 79 water-related disasters, the majority of them floods and storms.&nbsp;Pakistan has already felt the force of this shift. The 2022 floods submerged one-third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people, and caused damages and economic losses estimated at $30 billion, according to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment and World Bank figures.&nbsp;This year, unseasonably early monsoon systems again triggered deadly flooding across multiple provinces.&nbsp;Women face disproportionate impactsWomen remain at heightened risk during climate-driven disasters. During Pakistan&rsquo;s 2022 floods, the UN Population Fund estimated that 650,000 pregnant women were in affected areas, with around 73,000 expected to give birth without access to maternal health services.&nbsp;Protection systems frequently collapse in displacement camps, increasing incidents of gender-based violence. Women, who often work agricultural land without legally owning it, are also excluded from compensation schemes when crops are destroyed.&nbsp;Science&ndash;policy gap leaves countries exposedDespite growing scientific clarity, preparedness remains uneven across the region.&nbsp;&ldquo;The biggest problem is not the absence of policies, it&rsquo;s the disconnect between high-level frameworks and ground implementation,&rdquo; Dr. Naeem said. &ldquo;Technical expertise is missing in many departments. Without integrating scientific evidence into urban planning and governance, we simply cannot manage these impacts.&rdquo;&nbsp;Cities across South and Southeast Asia continue to expand into flood-prone zones, while drainage systems and protective infrastructure remain outdated or overstretched.&nbsp;Warning Pakistan cannot ignoreRescue operations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka are ongoing, with military aircraft airlifting patients from inundated hospitals and naval vessels delivering supplies to isolated districts. The events underscore a clear message for Pakistan: such disasters are no longer &ldquo;once in a generation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Regional environmental agencies stress the urgent need to strengthen early-warning systems, redesign land-use planning, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure. Without such measures, they warn, human and economic losses will accelerate.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s 2022 floods were described as unprecedented. Three years later, similarly devastating events have become routine across Asia. The question is no longer whether such disasters will strike again, but whether governments will be prepared when they do.

A woman carrying a child wades through a flooded street after heavy rainfall in Wellampitiya on the outskirts of Colombo on November 30, 2025, after a powerful cyclone. (AFP)

Climate

Natural Disaster

In regions across Asia, intensifying heatwaves, early monsoons and extreme floods are overwhelming communities, exposing weak infrastructure and highlighting urgent need for climate-resilient planning protection.

Southeast Asia’s deadly floods echo Pakistan’s escalating climate extremes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s independent film scene is making global headlines once again, with short films A Door to My Memory (Yaadan de Boohay) and Toxicity earning international acclaim.&nbsp;A Door to My Memory, a Punjabi sci-fi romantic drama directed by Sheryar Ali and produced by Suhail Ahmad, had its world premiere at the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle &mdash; the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian festival in the world.&nbsp;Following its success in the US, the film has been officially selected at multiple Indian festivals, including the Bollywood International Film Festival, the International Kolkata Short Film Festival, and the Global Taj International Film Festival, where it is currently a semi-finalist.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the filmmakers&rsquo; second project, Toxicity, which focuses on Pakistan&rsquo;s smog crisis, continues to gain international attention. Co-directed by Suhail Ahmad and Sheryar Ali, the short film recently premiered at the Festival Internazionale Nebrodi Cinema Doc in Sicily, Italy.&nbsp;Both films are a source of pride, but their success opens up a much larger conversation: What does it really take for Pakistani filmmakers to take their stories international?&nbsp;The struggle of independent filmmaking&nbsp;Independent filmmaking in Pakistan has always been an act of resilience. With limited resources, scattered infrastructure, and an audience still hesitant to embrace experimental cinema, even completing a short film is a major achievement.&nbsp;Then comes distribution, the real test. It can take years for local filmmakers to see their films on screen, if they ever do. Without the support of a major production house, getting a film in front of an audience is nearly impossible.&nbsp;By no means is this a critique of a broken system, but a look at what it takes to survive in it. Pakistan&rsquo;s film scene has seen its share of ups and downs. With Bollywood off local screens and Hollywood still not our main source of entertainment, the revival of local cinema remains slow and uncertain.&nbsp;Most film graduates today enter the industry without knowing how to position or distribute their work. Investors avoid taking risks on new talent, leaving independent filmmakers with scarce funds and no real marketing plan.&nbsp;To better understand this struggle, Pakistan TV Digital spoke with some of the most promising talent in indie filmmaking to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.&nbsp;What it really takes&nbsp;&ldquo;When people talk about hurdles, funding always comes up, and rightly so,&rdquo; says director Sheryar Ali.&nbsp;&ldquo;But for me, the real challenge was learning the distribution process itself. I had to travel abroad and talk to distributors and producers just to understand how it works, despite being a film school graduate who&rsquo;s been in the industry for years.&rdquo;&nbsp;It isn&rsquo;t about gatekeeping, he explains, but the lack of structure.&nbsp;&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have a stable industry. No one really knows the way forward. That can be very discouraging for young filmmakers. I hope people returning from festivals share their learnings more openly. I know I will.&rdquo;&nbsp;No roadmapAnother example of Pakistani cinema breaking through internationally is Jujji, a feature film recently acquired by the American distribution company Buffalo 8. Eifa Ahmad, the film&rsquo;s head of distribution, explained how it reached this milestone:&nbsp;&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no clear roadmap for taking an independent film international. You&rsquo;re mostly figuring it out as you go, who to reach out to, what materials are needed, how contracts work.&rdquo;&nbsp;Guidance within Pakistan is limited, leaving filmmakers to learn through trial and error. &ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t much local guidance for that process,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;She adds, &ldquo;When we were working on Jujji, every step was a mix of research, intuition, and persistence. Another big challenge is confidence; we underestimate the strength of our own stories.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ahmad emphasizes the uniqueness of Pakistani narratives. &ldquo;Our stories are rooted in experiences no one else can replicate. Once we start owning that instead of trying to fit external molds, things will shift.&rdquo;&nbsp;The way forwardDespite the hurdles, Pakistan&rsquo;s indie filmmakers are proving their stories can reach international audiences. Each success story helps pave the way for the next generation, gradually building a stronger presence for local cinema on the global stage.

Film & TV

Pakistani indie filmmakers Sheryar Ali and Suhail Ahmad gain global recognition as their films A Door to My Memory and Toxicity make international festival rounds, highlighting both creativity and the challenges of distribution and funding.

Breaking the mold: how Pakistani filmmakers are going global

ISLAMABAD: Afghan officials recently&nbsp;raised objections to the&nbsp;use of the word &#39;border&#39; in&nbsp;a statement Qatar issued in the wake of a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Doha.&nbsp; The border has long been internationally recognized as Pakistan&rsquo;s western frontier, a position Islamabad has maintained and articulated consistently. The Durand AgreementThe Durand Agreement was&nbsp;signed on Nov. 12, 1893, between the British Indian government and Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Negotiated by a British diplomat, Sir Mortimer Durand, the treaty demarcated zones of influence between the British Empire and Afghanistan. Later, the agreement was reaffirmed three times between the British Indian government and Afghan leaders &mdash; in March 1905, August 1919, and November 1921 &mdash; leading to the recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Following Pakistan&rsquo;s creation in 1947, it inherited the line&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;which runs from the Chinese border in the north to the Iranian border&nbsp;in the south-west &mdash;&nbsp;as its international frontier with Afghanistan, a status it has upheld ever since. The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border. Afghanistan, however, has periodically disputed what it recognized earlier. During an online press briefing on Oct. 19, 2025, soon after the Doha agreement, Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said:&nbsp;&ldquo;We do not agree to the term &lsquo;border&rsquo;... the Durand Line is imaginary. Its future will be determined by the Afghan nation.&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &lsquo;A closed and settled issue&rsquo;In contrast, Pakistan &mdash; like countries around the world &mdash; has consistently maintained that the Durand Line is its western international border. In 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stated:&nbsp;&quot;The Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the internationally recognized border. It is a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; In a more recent statement on Jan. 2, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s position: &ldquo;The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is an internationally recognized border. Anybody&rsquo;s statement cannot change the legality of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. It is not up for any discussion.&rdquo; MoFA has repeatedly emphasized that Pakistan retains the sovereign right to regulate and defend its border, condemning what it describes as &ldquo;unprovoked aggression&rdquo; from Afghan territory. Chronology of Pakistan&rsquo;s stanceThe Foreign Office has reiterated this stance on multiple occasions over the years: <blockquote>2012: It described the Durand Line as &ldquo;a closed and settled issue.&rdquo; 2019: It rejected Afghan claims of non-recognition, calling them &ldquo;irresponsible and unwarranted.&rdquo; It reaffirmed that the border was defined under &ldquo;all relevant international laws and conventions.&rdquo; 2020: In response to Afghan objections to border fencing by Pakistan, MoFA said the activity was in line with international norms and aimed at addressing Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns without encroaching on Afghan territory. 2023: It asserted that any unauthorized construction by Afghanistan inside Pakistani territory was a violation of sovereignty. 2025: It reiterated that the border is &ldquo;not up for any discussion&rdquo; and rejected any challenges to its legitimacy.</blockquote> International recognitionWhile Afghanistan is the only country in the world that refuses to acknowledge the Durand Line, the international community recognizes it as Pakistan&rsquo;s legitimate western border. In October 2012, the US State Department formally endorsed the line. Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We see this [Durand Line] as the internationally recognized boundary.&rdquo;</blockquote> More recently, in February 2024, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said: <blockquote>&ldquo;We support the territorial integrity of both Afghanistan and Pakistan within their internationally recognized borders.&rdquo;</blockquote> Today, the United Nations and all countries of the world, except Afghanistan, recognize the Durand Line as the internationally recognized border of Afghanistan and Pakistan in official maps and bilateral dealings.

Foreign Affairs

The 1988 Geneva Accords included an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that underscored mutual recognition of the Durand Line as the international border

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan 

MOSCOW: Moscow is in no hurry to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested in comments to state media on Thursday.&nbsp;Negotiators from both countries were in Geneva on Thursday for separate talks with US officials, part of a fraught negotiation process being pushed by President Donald Trump in a bid to end the fighting.&nbsp;Several rounds of discussions have failed to clinch a deal, with Moscow insisting on hardline territorial and political demands that Kyiv has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation.&nbsp;Top officials in Russia on Thursday again <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ukraine-marks-four-years-since-russian-invasion" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">pushed back</a> on the idea a deal was close.&nbsp;&quot;Have you heard anything from us about deadlines? We have no deadlines, we have tasks. We are getting them done,&quot; state news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying.&nbsp;Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said it was too early to make &quot;forecasts&quot; or say at what stage the peace process was at.&nbsp;&quot;It would be a big mistake to try right now to define some kind of stage or make some kind of forecasts. I don&#39;t want to make those mistakes,&quot; he told state media.&nbsp;Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said a meeting with Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin is needed to agree on the key sticking points, like the fate of territory in eastern Ukraine that Russia is fighting to seize control of.&nbsp;Peskov repeated on Thursday that Russia will not agree to a summit until the very end of talks, and only to sign off on a deal thrashed out between the negotiating teams.

Europe

Moscow signaled it is not rushing Ukraine deal, as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, while talks in Geneva with United States officials continue under Donald Trump’s push to end fighting.

Russian says 'no deadlines' to end Ukraine war

HANGZHOU: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ended his two-day visit to China on Thursday in the tech hub of Hangzhou, identifying &quot;challenges that we must overcome together&quot; after meeting President Xi Jinping and announcing an Airbus deal. Merz&#39;s first official visit to China came as Berlin and Beijing seek to build on decades-old economic ties to weather global uncertainty sparked by US President Donald Trump&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-hike-in-us-global-tariff-rate-from-10-to-15" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">tariff blitz</a>&nbsp;and erratic foreign policies. China, the world&#39;s number two economy, overtook the United States last year to become Germany&#39;s biggest trade partner. At the same time, Berlin regards the Asian country as a systemic rival to the West. The German leader was accompanied in China by a large delegation of business leaders, including executives of auto giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes. Merz visited a Mercedes plant in Beijing on Thursday morning, where he was shown a demonstration of self-driving vehicles. He then travelled to Hangzhou, where he visited the sites of Germany&#39;s Siemens Energy and Chinese&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/japan-introduces-ai-robot-monk-to-the-public" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">humanoid robot</a>-maker Unitree. The eastern city is home to several other major Chinese tech companies like AI unicorn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/inside-chinas-buzzing-ai-scene-year-after-deepseek-shock" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">DeepSeek</a>&nbsp;and e-commerce giant Alibaba. European business leaders, who broadly complain China is flooding the EU market with cheap goods, have urged Merz to keep a cavernous trade imbalance at the top of his agenda. Germany&#39;s trade deficit with China hit a record $105 billion last year. &quot;We have good cooperation in China. However, there are also some challenges that we must overcome together,&quot; Merz said Thursday, singling out &quot;issues relating to competition&quot; and &quot;high capacity in China&quot;. Merz said consultations between his government and Beijing &ndash; interrupted by political developments in Berlin and the pandemic &ndash; would take place &quot;at the beginning of next year at the latest, possibly even this year&quot;, with China as host. &#39;New levels&#39; Following talks with Xi and top Chinese leaders in the capital on Wednesday, Merz said that China had agreed to purchase up to 120 Airbus aircraft, adding that it &quot;demonstrates how worthwhile such trips can be&quot;. Other contracts were in the pipeline, Merz added. The two leaders stressed their commitment to developing closer strategic relations, with Xi telling Merz he was willing to take relations to &quot;new levels&quot;. Merz said he had also touched on the sensitive topic of Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its territory and which it has not ruled out the use of force to annex. Any &quot;reunification&quot; must be done peacefully, Merz said. He also discussed the Ukraine war with Xi, who, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, said diplomacy was &quot;key to the issue&quot;. Merz said he urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow, such as choking off the supply of items with potential military uses. &quot;I hope that in my talks I was able to foster a little understanding for the fact that the leadership of this country should also contribute to ending the war in Ukraine,&quot; Merz told reporters on Thursday before departing for Berlin. Merz was the latest in a string of Western leaders to court Beijing recently. He follows Britain&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/britains-starmer-hails-good-progress-after-meeting-chinas-xi" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keir Starmer</a>, France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron and Canada&#39;s Mark Carney, as they recoil from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-hike-in-us-global-tariff-rate-from-10-to-15" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">mercurial policies</a>&nbsp;of Trump, who is also expected to visit from March 31.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a statement at Siemens Energy plant in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province on February 26, 2026. (AFP)

Asia

Merz's first official visit to China comes as Berlin and Beijing seek to build on decades-old economic ties to weather global uncertainty sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz and erratic foreign policies.

Merz says Germany, China must overcome trade gaps 'together'

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Naqvi, announced that Pakistan, Italy, Spain, and Greece have agreed on a coordinated strategy to fight illegal migration, human smuggling, and drug trafficking, including a joint policy framework and a rapid-response mechanism. Naqvi, in a post on X on Thursday, wrote that he had a productive meeting in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-security-agencies-seize-over-135-million-in-nationwide-antismuggling-operations" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rome</a>&nbsp;with his counterparts from Italy, Spain, and Greece at the 4-nation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-navy-ship-seizes-drugs-worth-nearly-1-bn-in-arabian-sea" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">conference</a>&nbsp;on curbing illegal migration. <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" 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=2026935215914975708&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=359767f66ae58c6eb6812d51c17a3cb8284785ef&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 652px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Pakistan, Italy, Spain &amp; Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-customs-seizes-266000-worth-of-smuggled-goods-near-afghan-border" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">illegal migration</a>, human smuggling and narcotics, including a joint policy framework and rapid-response mechanism.&rdquo; &ldquo;European partners appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s strong actions, noting a 47% reduction in illegal migration, and agreed on enhanced EU-supported capacity building,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Consensus also reached on promoting legal pathways to effectively counter illegal migration, repatriation of criminals to face the law, and holding the next meeting in Pakistan later this year,&rdquo; he said.

Pakistani interior minister says ‘European partners appreciated Pakistan’s strong actions, noting a 47% reduction in illegal migration, and agreed on enhanced EU-supported capacity building.’

Pakistani, European ministers agree on coordinated strategy to combat illegal migration

PARIS: The United Nations announced Thursday the approval of the first carbon credits under a global market aimed at reducing emissions, a mechanism that has faced scrutiny over greenwashing concerns. The UN-run market, established under the Paris climate accord, allows companies and countries to offset their excess emissions by financing projects that cut greenhouse gases in other nations. Critics fear that if set up poorly, such schemes can undermine the world&#39;s efforts to curb global warming by allowing countries or companies to greenwash &mdash; or overstate &mdash; their emissions reductions. The first credits issued under the new carbon market involve a project in Myanmar that distributes efficient wood-burning cook stoves that reduce harmful household air pollution and ease pressure on local forests, the UN&#39;s climate agency said. Implemented in partnership with a South Korean company, the project will generate credits that will count towards the climate targets of South Korea and Myanmar. The UN climate agency said the credited emissions reductions are 40%&nbsp;lower than under a previous scheme as more conservative calculations are applied under the new Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM). &quot;Our focus is on building confidence in this market from the outset, and this first issuance shows that the system is working as intended,&quot; Jacqui Ruesga, vice chair of the UN body supervising the PACM, said in a statement. More than two billion people around the world cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fueled by kerosene, coal or biomass such as wood, crop waste or dung, according to the World Health Organization. The resulting air pollution kills millions of people each year. The stoves in the Myanmar project burn woody biomass more efficiently, meaning it needs less fuel and spews far less smoke inside the home. But at current rates, only 78% of the population is expected to have access to clean cooking by 2030, the WHO said. &quot;Clean cooking protects health, saves forests, cuts emissions and helps empower women and girls, who are typically hardest hit by household air pollution,&quot; UN climate chief Simon Stiell said. &quot;The opportunities presented by this UN carbon market across all regions are vast, particularly now that strong environmental safeguards, robust standards, and a clear system for redress are in place to ensure integrity, inclusiveness and efficiency,&quot; he said. The 2015 Paris Agreement, which commits the world to limiting warming to well below 2C and ideally at 1.5C, also envisaged that countries could take part in cross-border trade of carbon reductions. New rules were agreed at the UN&#39;s COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan in 2024 for the carbon market mechanism. At the time, Greenpeace said the agreement left loopholes that would allow fossil fuel companies to continue polluting. But other environmentalists said that, while not perfect, it provided some clarity that was absent from global efforts to regulate carbon credits.

Smoke Stacks. (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs.)

The UN-run market, established under the Paris climate accord, allows companies and countries to offset their excess emissions by financing projects that cut greenhouse gases in other nations.

UN approves first carbon credits under Paris Agreement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will outline its stance on Israel&rsquo;s recent move to annex parts of the occupied West Bank at an upcoming ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), according to Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday. Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Andrabi said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will represent Pakistan at the OIC&#39;s Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 26-28. The meeting &ldquo;has been convened to consider the illegal decision by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed at expanding settlements, pursuing annexation, and attempting to impose Israel&#39;s sovereignty over the occupied West Bank,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. Dar will present Pakistan&rsquo;s case during the session. <div class="fr-embed"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1374272581405477%26set%3Da.251429287023151%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="748" style="border:none;overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> In a Facebook post, the Foreign Office said Dar will &ldquo;hold sideline meetings with counterparts from OIC&rdquo; member states. Andrabi said Israel&rsquo;s measures in the occupied West Bank have drawn condemnation from the OIC and other Muslim states, as well as &ldquo;European and other world countries,&rdquo; including Brazil, France, Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. &ldquo;In this statement, we described these changes as wide-ranging and amounting to reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israel state land, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration,&rdquo; he said. Restating Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing position on Israel&rsquo;s occupation of Palestinian lands, Andrabi said the country issued &ldquo;a joint statement&rdquo; with &ldquo;eight other countries&rdquo; condemning a statement by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states. He said Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, along with the OIC Secretariat and the League of Arab States, &ldquo;strongly condemned&rdquo; the remarks. The US envoy&rsquo;s comment was &ldquo;dangerous, inflammatory, and clear violation of international law and the UN Charter,&rdquo; Andrabi said. He added that it threatened regional security and stability. Separately, Andrabi addressed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s recent state visit to Qatar at the invitation of the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. PM Sharif met the Qatari emir and discussed enhancing cooperation in several areas, including economic ties. Both sides agreed on resolving international disputes peacefully through &ldquo;dialogue&rdquo; and &ldquo;diplomacy.&rdquo; Sheikh Tamim will &ldquo;visit Pakistan later this year,&rdquo; he added. During the visit, PM Sharif also met Qatar&rsquo;s defense minister, Sheikh Saud Al Thani, who expressed interest in expanding defense cooperation between the two countries and &ldquo;appreciated the professionalism and expertise of Pakistan&#39;s armed forces.&rdquo;

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, on February 26, 2026. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs/X)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will represent Pakistan at the Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session of the OIC.

Pakistan to raise concerns over Israel actions in West Bank at OIC Ministerial: Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: The Bangladesh government will pilot the distribution of 500,000 Krishak Smart Cards to farmers in 15 upazilas (sub-districts) within 180 days as part of a 2023-28 development program.&nbsp; If successful, the initiative will expand nationwide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-signals-push-to-revitalize-saarc" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladeshi</a> media reported on Thursday. The program aims to register 22.7 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/govt-aims-to-launch-family-card-scheme-before-eid-bangladeshi-relief-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">farmers</a> nationwide by 2028.&nbsp;Digital card system&nbsp;A meeting chaired by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-vows-to-reform-policies-attract-foreign-investment-in-jute-sector" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Tarique Rahman</a> in Dhaka on Monday directed authorities to roll out the digital card system as part of a technology-driven support framework for farmers. Abul Kalam Azad, coordinator of the PARTNER programme, said the Food and Agriculture Organization is collecting data to prepare the beneficiary list.&nbsp; Once the FAO submits the data and the feasibility study is complete, the Department of Agricultural Extension will finalize the beneficiary list and select the upazilas.&nbsp;Financial, logistical incentives&nbsp;The card will initially register 500,000 farmers, including landless peasants, small and medium farmers, lessees, and landowners.&nbsp; Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services. If the pilot proves successful, nationwide registration will follow.&nbsp; The PARTNER project, launched in 2023, has a total budget of $1.343 billion, funded by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Bangladesh government.

Bangladesh

The program aims to register 22.7 million farmers across the country by 2028; a meeting chaired by PM Rahman in Dhaka directed authorities to roll out the digital card system for farmers. Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services.

Bangladesh to distribute 500,000 farmer cards in 180 days

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" id="isPasted">GENEVA: Iran and the United States began indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, a last-ditch bid to avert war following the biggest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades. The Oman-mediated discussions follow repeated threats from Donald Trump to strike Iran, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-presses-missile-issue-as-new-iran-talks-to-open-in-geneva" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US president</a>&nbsp;last Thursday giving Tehran 15 days to reach a deal. The US and Iranian delegations arrived at the venue at the Omani ambassador&#39;s residence amid tight security, following a protest by Iranian exiles at their talks last week who threw objects at the Iranian motorcade. Oman&#39;s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi later confirmed that discussions had begun, saying the two sides had expressed &quot;unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions&quot;. Iran&#39;s president insisted ahead of the talks that the Islamic republic was not &quot;at all&quot; seeking a nuclear weapon. &quot;Our Supreme Leader has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,&quot; President Masoud Pezeshkian said, in a reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. United Nations nuclear chief Rafael Grossi would likely also attend the discussions in Geneva, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman said. While Iran has insisted the talks focus solely on its nuclear program, the US wants Tehran&#39;s missile program and its &#39;support&#39; for groups in the region curtailed. As part of the dramatic US build-up, the USS Gerald R Ford, the world&#39;s largest aircraft carrier, sent to the Mediterranean this week, left a naval base in Crete on Thursday, an AFP photographer said. The developments follow massive protests in Iran. &#39;Sinister nuclear ambitions&#39;&nbsp;In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of &quot;pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions&quot;, though Tehran has always insisted its program is for civilian purposes. Trump also claimed Tehran had &quot;already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they&#39;re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America&quot;. The Iranian foreign ministry called these claims &quot;big lies&quot;. The maximum range of Iran&#39;s missiles is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) according to what Tehran has publicly disclosed. However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometers -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States. Trump&#39;s State of the Union accusations in Congress were delivered in the same forum in which then-president George W Bush laid out the case for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Ahead of Thursday&#39;s talks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran must also negotiate on its missile program, calling Tehran&#39;s refusal to discuss ballistic weapons &quot;a big, big problem.&quot; He followed up by saying, &quot;The president wants diplomatic solutions&quot;. But US Vice President JD Vance told Iran to take Trump&#39;s threats &quot;seriously,&quot; saying the US president had a &quot;right&quot; to use military action. &quot;You can&#39;t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons,&quot; Vance told &quot;America&#39;s Newsroom&quot; on Fox News. &#39;A historic opportunity&#39;&nbsp;Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation at the talks, had called them &quot;a historic opportunity,&quot; adding that a deal was &quot;within reach.&quot; The US will be represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka. The two countries held talks earlier this month in Oman, then gathered for a second round in Geneva last week. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. In Jan., Tehran launched a mass crackdown on nationwide protests. Protests have since resumed around Iranian universities.

Middle East

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterates that Tehran is not seeking nuclear weapons in line with the policy set by the country’s Supreme Leader; on Feb. 19, Trump said Iran had 15 days to make a deal.

Iran-US talks begin in push to avert war

ISLAMABAD: The US has levied a preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 126% on specific Indian solar products, citing unfair subsidies, according to an Indian media report.&nbsp;This move is expected to disrupt the growing momentum of solar exports from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/global-ai-summit-in-india-still-without-final-statement" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India&nbsp;</a>to the US and raise concerns about increasing domestic competition and regulatory uncertainty. On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/potholes-killed-over-9400-from-2020-to-2024-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>.&nbsp; The investigation also includes parallel anti-dumping probes into solar cells from these countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Final determination&nbsp;A final determination in the countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6. The new duties come at a time when the US already imposed a 10% across-the-board tariff under the Trump administration, further complicating trade relations. Despite the steep tariff, many leading Indian solar manufacturers have downplayed the immediate impact.&nbsp;&nbsp;Impact on market dynamics&nbsp;However, analysts warn that the duties could disrupt trade flows, put downward pressure on domestic prices, and affect overall profitability.&nbsp; Rating agency Icra highlighted that increased regulatory uncertainty could dampen export volumes, which stood at 3 GW in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Solar stocks&nbsp;Crisil Intelligence added that Indian modules could become at least 30% more expensive than US-made ones, potentially impacting market dynamics. Following the announcement, solar stocks in India dropped sharply, with Waaree Energies falling 10.47%, Premier Energies 6.27%, and Vikram Solar 5.45%, the Indian media report said.

India

On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India; final determination in countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6.

US imposes 126% duty on Indian solar exports, raising trade concerns

HAVANA: Cuba said Wednesday it thwarted an attempted armed infiltration from the United States, after its coast guard opened fire on a Florida-registered speedboat near the island&rsquo;s northern coast, killing four people and wounding six. In a statement, Cuba&rsquo;s Interior Ministry said the vessel was intercepted about one nautical mile from Cayo Falcones island. As Cuban authorities approached, &ldquo;shots were fired from the illegal speedboat,&rdquo; injuring the commander of the Cuban patrol craft. &ldquo;As a result of the clash, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed and six others were wounded,&rdquo; the ministry said, adding that the injured were evacuated and provided medical assistance. The ministry said assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other military-style equipment were recovered from the vessel, registered in Florida under the number FL7726SH. The 10 occupants were identified as Cubans living in the United States. Those arrested after the exchange of gunfire claimed they &ldquo;intended to carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism,&rdquo; according to Cuban authorities. In a subsequent statement, the ministry released the names of seven of the individuals and said most had prior records in Cuba for &ldquo;criminal and violent activity.&rdquo; &nbsp;A man allegedly sent from the United States to participate in the operation was arrested on Cuban soil and confessed, it added. The incident marks a fresh source of tension between Havana and Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was seeking its own account of events and would &ldquo;respond accordingly.&rdquo; &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to base our conclusions on what they&rsquo;ve (Cuba) told us, and I&rsquo;m very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here,&rdquo; Rubio told reporters during a visit to St. Kitts and Nevis. &ldquo;As we gather more information, then we&rsquo;ll be prepared to respond accordingly.&rdquo; Florida&rsquo;s attorney general ordered an investigation into the killings. The state lies just 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Cuba across the Florida Straits and has long been a focal point for Cuban migration. Cuban authorities frequently report incursions by speedboats from the United States into their territorial waters. Such incidents are often linked to people-smuggling or drug trafficking and have at times involved chases and armed confrontations with border guards. The shootings come amid broader strains between the two countries. President Donald Trump in January imposed a sweeping oil blockade on Cuba following the US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a key ally of Havana. Before Maduro&rsquo;s removal on Jan. 3, Cuba relied on Venezuela for roughly half of its fuel needs. Facing pressure from Caribbean leaders concerned that severe fuel shortages could destabilize the island&rsquo;s economy, Washington later said it would allow limited shipments of Venezuelan oil for &ldquo;commercial and humanitarian use,&rdquo; provided they went through private entities rather than the Cuban government or military-controlled businesses. Cuba&rsquo;s economy, already weakened by decades of US trade restrictions dating back to the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, has been pushed to the brink in recent months. Chronic shortages of food and medicine and daily blackouts have fueled an exodus of Cubans, many heading to southern Florida. Mexico this week dispatched two military vessels carrying nearly 2,200 tons of aid to the island, its second shipment in under a month, while Canada announced Can$8 million ($5.8 million) in additional assistance on Wednesday.

Cuban coast guard ships docked at the port of Havana on February 25, 2026.(AFP)

Cuba says it killed four and wounded six people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat, describing it as armed and planning a terrorist infiltration after an exchange of gunfire near its northern coast, escalating tensions with the United States.

Cuba kills four on US-registered speedboat trying to 'infiltrate'

KYIV: US President Donald Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a fresh round of talks Thursday aimed at ending Russia&#39;s invasion, both sides said on Wednesday. A White House official gave AFP no further details about the call, which came a day before Ukrainian and US envoys were to meet, and ahead of new trilateral talks with Russia expected in early March. But Zelensky wrote on social media that he had spoken with Trump, and that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were on the call. &quot;Our teams work intensively and I thanked them for all their work and for their active involvement in the negotiations and the efforts to end the war,&quot; he added. According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, the conversation &quot;lasted about 30 minutes.&quot; Ukraine&#39;s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday, Kyiv announced. Russian state news agency Tass later said that the Kremlin&#39;s economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city. &quot;Dmitriev plans to arrive in Geneva on Thursday to pursue negotiations with the Americans on economic issues,&quot; it cited an unnamed source as saying. The meetings are the latest round of negotiations spearheaded by Trump that so far have failed to make meaningful progress on ending Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II. Washington is pushing to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, which has left hundreds of thousands of dead and destroyed swathes of territory, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. Preparatory talks&nbsp;Zelensky said his call with Trump &quot;discussed the issues that our representatives will address tomorrow in Geneva during the bilateral meeting, as well as preparations for the next meeting of the full negotiating teams in a trilateral format at the very beginning of March.&quot; &quot;We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders&#39; level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,&quot; he added. The Ukrainian leader has already said that a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, should take place to resolve the most difficult issues in the talks. The talks, based on an American plan unveiled at the end of last year, are deadlocked primarily on the fate of the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has been the epicenter of the fighting. Russia is pushing for full control of Ukraine&#39;s eastern Donetsk region, and has threatened to take it by force if Kyiv does not cave at the negotiating table. But Ukraine has rejected the demand and signaled it would not sign a deal without security guarantees that deter Russia from invading again.

Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday; Russian state news agency says Kremlin's economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city.

Articles by Maryam Shah