Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani artists, architects, and filmmakers achieved unprecedented recognition on international platforms in 2025, marking a transformative period for the country&#39;s creative industries. Music and SoundTaurees Habib made history as the second Pakistani to win a Grammy Award, receiving the honor for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for his sound engineering work on Dune: Part Two. The Karachi-born engineer publicly announced his achievement in September 2025, generating widespread acclaim in Pakistan&#39;s entertainment sector.<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=1968368202494394668&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Streaming data also shaped the year&rsquo;s narrative. Rapper Talha Anjum&nbsp;maintained his position as Pakistan&#39;s most-streamed artist on Spotify for the second consecutive year, according to the platform&#39;s 2025 Wrapped data. His continued dominance reflects the growing influence of Pakistani hip-hop and rap culture on listeners.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 674px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1997192688064778403&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, Arooj Aftab&nbsp;sustained her international momentum with multiple Grammy nominations for 2025, including Best Alternative Jazz Album for Night Reign&nbsp;and Best Global Music Performance, solidifying her standing in the global jazz and fusion music community.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The year&#39;s most popular track domestically came from Maanu and Annural Khalid, whose collaboration &quot;Jhol&quot; became the most-streamed Pakistani song of 2025, according to streaming data, signaling a shift toward indie-pop in the local market.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 826px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=1819500250341822928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In classical music, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami was nominated for the Aga Khan Music Award 2025, drawing renewed attention to his mastery of the 49-note microtonal surti scale and the khayal genre.Film and DocumentaryPakistani cinema achieved notable international success across multiple festivals. Jawad Sharif&#39;s documentary &quot;Moklani &ndash; The Last Mohanas&quot; won the Global Voices Award at the Jackson Wild Media Awards in Wyoming, often referred to as the &quot;Oscars of nature filmmaking.&quot; The film documents the endangered boat-dwelling Mohana community of Lake Manchhar and represents the first Pakistani win at this event. <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-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 674px; 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=1974419808029733081&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival in China, &quot;Nayab,&quot; directed by Umair Nasir Ali and starring Yumna Zaidi, received the Special Jury Award. Zaidi&#39;s portrayal of a young woman breaking barriers in cricket demonstrated the international appeal of locally rooted narratives.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rafay Rashdi&#39;s psychological horror film &quot;Deemak&quot;&nbsp;won Best Editing at the same festival, marking significant recognition for Pakistani genre cinema.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Azerbaijan, Shehzad Rafique&#39;s &quot;Welcome to Punjab&quot;&nbsp;captured the Best Audience Award at the Baku Cinema Breeze Film Festival, showcasing the cross-cultural potential of Punjabi-centric Pakistani cinema.Architecture and DesignYasmeen Lari, Pakistan&#39;s first female architect, received the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2025 in Portugal. The international jury recognized her six-decade career and her &ldquo;zero-carbon&rdquo; humanitarian work rebuilding flood-resilient communities in Sindh. She became one of the few South Asian architects to receive this European honor. Talent that resonates across boundariesThe achievements of 2025 represent not only individual successes but also a collective elevation of Pakistan&#39;s creative sectors on the world stage. From Grammy stages to European architecture awards, Pakistani talent has demonstrated both artistic excellence and the ability to tell stories that resonate across cultural boundaries.

Culture

Pakistani artists, architects, and filmmakers achieved unprecedented recognition on international platforms, marking a transformative period for the country's creative industries.

Pakistani Creatives Who Made Headlines in 2025

ISLAMABAD: A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that this year&rsquo;s smog should be treated as a &ldquo;public health threat,&rdquo; urging households to adopt indoor air-filtration measures as part of a layered protection strategy. The National Institute of Health has cautioned that hazardous smog spells will continue across eastern Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan. Indoor filtration gains urgencyPakistan&rsquo;s recurring winter smog is driven by extreme concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5. Pollution particularly harmful to children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions. Health experts note that high-grade air purifiers equipped with True HEPA H13 or H14 filters can remove 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, effectively capturing the pollutants dominating the seasonal haze. Units with activated carbon filters also help absorb gases and volatile organic compounds emitted from traffic and industry. In its 2025 advisory, the NDMA recommended using air purifiers in frequently occupied rooms, sealing windows, avoiding non-essential travel, and wearing N95 or KN95 masks outdoors. For many families, the difference indoors is immediate. Ayesha Ali, a Lahore resident and asthma patient, said she relies on filtration technology to safeguard her household. &ldquo;I use Xiaomi, it&rsquo;s better than Philips in many ways because of the micro pollutants it absorbs,&rdquo; she told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The HEPA filter and price make it the best for a bedroom.&rdquo; She added that filter duration depends on use: &ldquo;Generally it is six months, but mine has stayed longer than that. I check it through my in-app status.&rdquo; The NDMA also suggested a low-cost alternative: natural air-purifying indoor plants, such as snake plants or spider plants, to improve indoor air quality. While not a replacement for HEPA filtration, they provide additional relief for families unable to afford high-end purifiers. Understanding HEPA complianceHEPA compliance requires a filter to meet a legally defined standard for high-efficiency particulate air filtration. A true HEPA filter must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns, the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS), considered the hardest for filters to trap. HEPA filters often perform even better at capturing particles both larger and smaller than this threshold due to diffusion and interception mechanisms. Cost pressures widen the market divideDespite growing demand, affordability remains a significant barrier. Effective HEPA H13 models often start at Rs45,000 ($159), putting them out of reach for many low-income families. Since a single purifier typically covers only one room, larger households face steep cumulative costs. Local manufacturers, including Royal Fans, GFC, Canon, and ZebSol, offer HEPA-compliant devices priced between Rs35,000 ($124) and Rs70,000 ($248). International brands such as Philips, Xiaomi, and Dyson range from Rs37,000 ($131) for basic units to Rs275,000 ($973) for high-end models. Maintenance adds another layer of cost. Most HEPA filters need replacement every six to twelve months, at Rs15,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($53&ndash;$106). Heavier pollution in cities like Lahore and Islamabad accelerates filter clogging, pushing annual upkeep to Rs12,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($42&ndash;$106). Umman Waseem, a Lahore resident, said performance concerns often steer buyers toward international brands. &ldquo;We had to save up and order a Dyson air purifier from my wife&rsquo;s friend who was travelling back from the UK because I wasn&rsquo;t satisfied with the local alternatives available,&rdquo; he said. Public awareness growsThe worsening smog has increased public attention on indoor air quality, particularly among parents and those with chronic respiratory illnesses. Government advisories emphasize indoor precautions, outdoor protective measures, and long-term initiatives such as emissions control, stronger air-quality monitoring, and seasonal preparedness. For many urban households, air purifiers have shifted from discretionary luxuries to essential equipment. A cost increasingly viewed as unavoidable during Pakistan&rsquo;s peak smog season.<figure class="fr-media"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic"> </figcaption></figure>

File Photo: Smog seen in Lahore (Associated Press of Pakistan)

Health

A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution.

Smog crisis drives indoor air purifier demand across Pakistan

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Indian media outlets have claimed that Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been placed on the Fourth Schedule of Pakistan&rsquo;s Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly making remarks about Balochistan during the Joy Forum 2025 in Riyadh. The reports allege that the Pakistani government labeled Khan an &ldquo;Azad Balochistan Facilitator&rdquo; in an &quot;official&quot; notification issued by the Balochistan Home Department dated Oct. 16, 2025.<h3 style="line-height: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 2pt 0pt 4pt;">The claim surfaced a week after Salman Khan, speaking at the Joy Forum 2025 in Riyadh, reportedly said, &ldquo;... people from our countries &mdash; people of Balochistan, people of Afghanistan, people of Pakistan,&rdquo; during a panel discussion with fellow Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan on the growing influence of Indian cinema in the Middle East. His comments were widely shared on social media but drew no formal response from Pakistani authorities. </h3><h3 style="line-height: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 2pt 0pt 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indian media&rsquo;s claim</h3><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indian outlets circulated what they described as a Pakistan government notification placing Salman Khan under the Fourth Schedule &mdash; a list typically reserved for individuals suspected of having links to terrorism. The document cited the reason as &ldquo;Azad Balochistan Facilitator,&rdquo; a term never used in official Pakistani communication.<h3 style="line-height: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 2pt 0pt 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But not the truth</h3><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before contacting officials, Pakistan TV Digital examined the document and identified major inconsistencies:<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;"><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The alleged notification bears the same issue number &mdash; No. SO (Judl: II)/8 (1)/2025/ATA/5995-6018 &mdash; as a verified Balochistan Home Department document shared on X by Shalee Baloch on Oct. 21. </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The date on the issuance of this notification is Oct. 16, but according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://joyforum.com/conference/" style="text-decoration: none; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joy Forum website</a>, Salman Khan took the stage with Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan on Oct. 17.&nbsp; <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/15d5709e-8bda-4121-a0ca-3b92b18184b9.png" style="width: 280px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Alleged&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/a0492d1e-de4d-4a54-9fc5-58d0e4588e5f.png" style="width: 275px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Original Shared on&nbsp;X </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The format, fonts, and alignment differ sharply from standard government notifications. </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The &ldquo;Parentage&rdquo; column does not follow the official &ldquo;s/o, w/o, d/o&rdquo; format used in Pakistani records. </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The document reads &ldquo;the following names&rdquo; but lists only one &mdash; Salman Khan. </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The spelling of &ldquo;Balochistan&rdquo; is wrong in the letterhead of the claimed document.</li></ul><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Salman Khan&rsquo;s alleged document:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/5a7873f1-7655-47a8-81d1-c37366453d45.png" style="width: 152px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Original document shared on X:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/0a813790-f586-4b1d-97a7-f3564a9898e7.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;"><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Salman Khan&rsquo;s alleged CNIC number does not match Pakistan&rsquo;s format (XXXXX-XXXXXXX-X). <span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000;" id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/3d069de2-dc4b-4c54-ab0a-3bd476984939.png" style="width: 92px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Crucially, Pakistani government documents have never referred to the term &ldquo;Azad Balochistan.&rdquo; </li><li style="list-style-type: disc; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The signature section is an exact duplicate of the one appearing on Shalee Baloch&rsquo;s notification, with clear evidence of digital distortion. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/e62289ab-9ef3-4a44-bc20-9407ce63ac92.png" style="width: 256px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Alleged&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;<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-size: 11.5pt; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;" id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/3bfc7090-ca5a-4c2f-b24e-5f6c038c8dd7.png" style="width: 231px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Original Shared on X &nbsp;</li></ul><h3 style="line-height: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Verified reality</h3>After verifying with intelligence sources, it is confirmed that no such document has been issued.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;Officials from the Home Department of Balochistan called it a &quot;fake letter&quot; and dismissed Indian media reports.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the frenzy settles, one takeaway remains clear: While fake news may rise faster than facts, Indian media and Bollywood content production teams need a 101 on using Photoshop.&nbsp;

FILE PHOTO - Salman Khan via official X account @BeingSalmanKhan

Asia

 Balochistan officials have dismissed as fake a viral notification claiming Bollywood actor Salman Khan was placed on the country’s terror watchlist. The alleged document, circulated by Indian media, has been digitally altered and duplicated from an unrelated government notice, officials confirmed.

Salman Khan not declared a terrorist: Pakistan Home Department

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Several cities of Punjab are likely to experience severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail and cloud-to-ground lightning <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">over the next 12 hours, Pakistan TV Digital learnt.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Pakistan Meteorological Department and Weatherwalay warn that Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Jhelum and surrounding areas will experience these intense weather events.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;There is a more than 70 percent probability of this weather advisory, which may persist until Tuesday afternoon,&quot; said <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">Danish Baig, head of the meteorology section at Weatherwalay.&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;The ongoing spell emanates from a cold westerly wave interacting with a warm front or cyclonic circulation over northeast Punjab,&rdquo; he said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wind speeds could reach up to 70 kilometers per hour, he added.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Irfan Virk, Director of Pakistan Meteorological Department, said the current weather phenomenon should not be confused with the monsoon season, which has already ended.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;These unstable conditions could continue for the next 24 hours,&quot; he added.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The department also noted that crops, particularly corn and millet, currently being harvested across Punjab, are vulnerable to damage from strong winds, which can break stems and reduce yields.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, rainfall has set new records in South Punjab. Multan Airport recorded 49.4 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 23.5 millimetres in October 1997. Bahawalpur City received 44.2 millimeters, breaking the earlier record of 30 millimeters from Oct. 4, 1997.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;These new figures highlight the intensity of the ongoing rain spell and mark a significant weather event for South Punjab after more than two decades,&rdquo; Weatherwalay reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Past storms&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A similar thunderstorm struck Lahore last week, disrupting flight operations.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heavy rain in Islamabad also forced the cancellation of several domestic and international flights.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A passenger bound to Lahore from Riyadh said the aircraft circled for about 30 minutes before being redirected to land in Multan due to poor visibility.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><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=1279312379004755968&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=453eef8a3da3e7dfc566cc6d21e4dcefaf71907f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 554px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;">&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Earlier in July, an intense hailstorm and heavy rainfall battered Pakistan&rsquo;s capital, Islamabad, and surrounding areas, damaging several vehicles and shattering house windows.&nbsp;Footage shared on social media showed hailstones pelting down across the city, with residents posting videos of smashed car windshields.

M2 Motorway en route from Islamabad to Lahore. (Photo by Angelina Duaa Hashir / Third party)

Climate

Severe thunderstorms are forecast to hit within hours, bringing heavy rain, hail and lightning. Meteorologists warn of crop damage, record rainfall and possible flight disruptions across the region.

Several Pakistani cities to face thunderstorms, heavy rains after monsoon

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel is responsible for genocide in Gaza, urging the international community to stop the violence and prosecute those accountable.&nbsp;The report follows a two-year investigation into events since October 7, 2023, focusing on Israeli military operations that resulted in unprecedented civilian casualties, the deliberate starvation of the population, the collapse of health and education systems, and violations of the International Court of Justice&#39;s binding orders.&nbsp;Genocide Under Article II: Four Acts Identified&nbsp;The UN Commission outlined four of the five acts defined as genocide under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute:&nbsp;I. Killing members of groupWidespread and sustained killings of Palestinian civilians were documented, including strikes on homes, hospitals, and designated &quot;safe zones.&quot; Israel&rsquo;s use of heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas was found to be knowingly indiscriminate and lethal to civilians, including children. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3cb4a32a-e334-4ff2-8074-da7f35439261-2025-09-11T201435Z_1001427010_RC2AEGA5XC6G_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA-JOURNALISTS.JPG" alt=" site of an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital " style="max-width: 100%;" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Mariam Abu Dagga, who freelanced for the Associated Press, and journalist Moaz Abu Taha are seen at the site of an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital shortly before they were killed in a second strike that hit the same location where Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed in the first strike, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, in this still image taken from video by Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled, who was wounded shortly afterward while filming the site, August 25, 2025. (Reuters)</figcaption></figure> II. Causing serious bodily or mental harmThe Commission reported over 146,000 injuries, including thousands of amputations and incidents of torture, mistreatment, and sexual and gender-based violence. The trauma from ongoing displacement and deprivation has had particularly severe psychological impacts on children.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/35af6625-1dfa-4ead-8c7c-21766e855a23-2025-09-07T074002Z_874788905_RC2SMGAL2M3C_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA.JPG" alt="Gaza air strike on a school by Israel" style="max-width: 100%;" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Women hold a child with injuries as Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a school that was sheltering displaced people, in Gaza City, September 7, 2025. (REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)</figcaption></figure>III. Inflicting conditions of life intended to destroyThe siege on Gaza included widespread destruction of infrastructure, denial of food, water, fuel, and electricity, and the targeting of medical services. These conditions, affecting especially women and children, were found to be deliberately imposed to cause the physical destruction of Palestinians.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f3e3acfe-9b7d-491b-9ebf-c5e64a36bdd6-2025-08-28T120051Z_1751005476_RC29GGA7ZADB_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA-WFP.JPG" alt="Palestinians wait for food at a charity kitchen in Gaza City" style="max-width: 100%;" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Palestinians wait for food at a charity kitchen in Gaza City, Aug. 28, 2025, after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declared the area officially in famine, with conditions expected to worsen. (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)</figcaption></figure>IV. Measures to prevent birthsThe report documents reproductive violence through denial of maternal healthcare, attacks on pregnant women, and conditions causing miscarriages. These are viewed as part of a systematic effort to destroy Palestinian reproductive capacity. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/685f00d8-4669-405d-a86d-25c1dd84eb7c-2025-09-10T022726Z_939082202_RC2QOGAABW5D_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-SUMUD-FLOTILLA.JPG" alt="2025-09-10T022726Z_939082202_RC2QOGAABW5D_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-SUMUD-FLOTILLA.JPG" style="max-width: 100%;" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">A fire breaks out aboard Alma, a vessel in the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid, in Tunisian waters off the coast of Tunisia, Sept. 9, 2025, in this CCTV screengrab. (Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via Reuters)</figcaption></figure> V. Forcible transfer of children &ndash; not establishedThe Commission did not find sufficient evidence for the fifth act of genocide, forcible transfer of children, during the reviewed period.&nbsp;Genocidal intentChair Navi Pillay stated: &ldquo;The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.&rdquo;&nbsp;The UN report emphasized that both the actions on the ground and official statements by Israeli authorities demonstrate intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group, meeting the legal threshold for genocide.

Middle East

United Nations investigators find Israel committed genocide in Gaza, citing mass killings, starvation, and reproductive violence since October 2023.

Israel guilty of rape, torture, starvation: UN Investigators

ISLAMABAD: Nepal declared a citywide curfew in Kathmandu on Wednesday as soldiers patrolled the streets and armored vehicles guarded parliament following violent protests that left at least 22 dead and more than 600 injured. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced his resignation amid escalating youth-led protests triggered by the government&rsquo;s decision to block major social media platforms.&nbsp;&ldquo;In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,&rdquo; Oli wrote in a letter to President Ramchandra Paudel.&nbsp;Gen Z uprisingThe unrest began earlier this month as a Gen Z-driven online campaign targeting the extravagant lifestyles of political elites&rsquo; children&mdash;referred to locally as &ldquo;Nepo Kids.&rdquo; This movement gained traction amid Nepal&rsquo;s deep economic challenges, with over 20% of the population living in poverty and youth unemployment exceeding 22%, according to the World Bank. Transparency International ranks Nepal 107th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index.&nbsp;The protests spilled into the streets after authorities blocked social media platforms, including Facebook, citing concerns over the spread of fake news. Activists accused the government of attempting to silence an anti-corruption movement, Reuters reported.&nbsp;Street violenceThousands of students, some in school uniforms, took to the streets of Kathmandu and other cities. Demonstrators stormed the parliament complex, set fire to an ambulance, and caused damage to government buildings, including the President&rsquo;s Office.&nbsp;A Gen Z protester speaking to Pakistan TV insisted the demonstrations were peaceful, accusing &ldquo;third parties who are politically involved&rdquo; of instigating the destruction of public property. The protester added that older individuals, over 40 years of age, were seen in the footage damaging property despite being barred from the protest.&nbsp;Burning vehicles and plumes of smoke filled the streets as police deployed water cannons, batons, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.&nbsp;Meanwhile, authorities reported a mass escape of 900 inmates from two prisons in western Nepal amid the chaos.&nbsp;Army warnings and appeal for calmThe Nepali Army took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn that groups were engaging in looting and arson, vowing to remain &ldquo;steadfast&rdquo; in controlling the situation. Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel appealed for an end to violence and urged protesters to join dialogue efforts.&nbsp;&ldquo;Some groups are causing extensive damage, looting, and arson to civilians and public property,&rdquo; the army warned. &ldquo;All security agencies, including the Nepali Army, will remain steadfast in their primary responsibility to control the situation.&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=1965437953297277361&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=e9ef7ac3249b124ed6420d600ca9d2d288eeddef&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Airport disruptions and US responseKathmandu&rsquo;s Tribhuvan International Airport faced partial closure due to ongoing disruptions, the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed.&nbsp;The United States expressed its concern and called itself a &ldquo;steadfast partner of Nepal, committed to our shared interests in stability, prosperity, and democratic governance,&rdquo; according to a State Department spokesperson.&nbsp;Voices from the streetsSandip, a social media influencer from Lalitpur near Kathmandu, shared his surprise at the massive turnout. &ldquo;Every single citizen of Nepal was done with the corrupt government,&rdquo; he told Reuters.&nbsp;Gauruv Nepune, another protest supporter, added, &ldquo;The youth are against corruption but the government resorted to violence, trying to silence the movement.&rdquo;&nbsp;Chants and banners such as &ldquo;Youth against corruption&rdquo; and &ldquo;We pay, you flex&rdquo; became common sights in the protests. Local political opposition<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/5d588f17-2106-45c8-90cb-02353bedfd59.png" style="width: 458px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Following Oli&rsquo;s resignation, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, a former rapper, posted on social media: &ldquo;Dear Gen Z, your murderer has resigned. Now be patient!!&rdquo;

Blogs

Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigns amid deadly Gen Z-led protests over social media bans and corruption, as Kathmandu faces curfew and violence.

Nepal’s Oli steps down as Gen-Z-led revolt sparks curfew

<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Nepal enforced a citywide curfew in Kathmandu on Wednesday as soldiers patrolled streets and armored vehicles guarded parliament after protests left at least 22 people dead and more than 600 injured.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli stepped down after youth-led protests over a government move to block major social media platforms.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&ldquo;In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,&rdquo; Oli wrote in a letter to President Ramchandra Paudel.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The protests began in early September as a Gen Z-led online campaign targeting the lavish lifestyles of political elites&rsquo; children, known as &ldquo;Nepo Kids.&rdquo;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">This comes amid deep economic challenges in Nepal, with more than 20% of the population in poverty and youth unemployment exceeding 22%, according to the World Bank.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Transparency International ranks Nepal 107 out of 180 in its Corruption Perceptions Index.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The movement spilled into the streets after the government blocked platforms including Facebook, citing the spread of fake news.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Activists accused officials of attempting to silence an anti-corruption campaign, Reuters reported.<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Street violence</h3><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Crowds of students, some in school uniforms, joined demonstrations that spread across Kathmandu and other cities.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Protesters reportedly entered the parliament complex, set fire to an ambulance and damaged government buildings, including the President&rsquo;s Office.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A Gen Z protestor spoke to Pakistan TV to explain that they were protesting peacefully.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The protester claimed that &ldquo;some third party who are politically involved&rdquo; &nbsp;started &ldquo;destroying public property&rdquo;.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">They claimed that there is &ldquo;video footage where you can see people over 40+ age, they were not allowed in the protest.&rdquo;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Burnt vehicles and smoke filled the streets as authorities deployed water cannons, batons and rubber bullets to contain the crowds.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">BBC also reported that amid the turmoil, authorities reported that 900 inmates broke free from two prisons located in Nepal&rsquo;s western regions.<h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Army warnings and appeal for calm</h3><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Nepali Army warned on X that groups were committing looting and arson and said it would remain &ldquo;steadfast&rdquo; in controlling the situation.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel appealed to demonstrators to end the violence and join talks.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Nepali Army issued a statement on X warning of further intervention if violence continues: &ldquo;Some groups are causing extensive damage, looting, and arson to civilians and public property&hellip; all security agencies, including the Nepali Army, will remain steadfast in their primary responsibility to control the situation.&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-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=1965437953297277361&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=374227bbfb47cc7875cf1710ca27e8f36a375704&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> <h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Airport disruptions</h3><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Kathmandu&rsquo;s international airport was partially closed due to disruptions, the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed, based on local Nepal media outlets.&nbsp;<iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1965728467678564838&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=374227bbfb47cc7875cf1710ca27e8f36a375704&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 777px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><div class="fr-embed"> </div><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Voices from the streets</h3><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Sandip, a social media influencer who uses one name, said he had made several online appeals, some using virtual private networks to evade the ban, but didn&rsquo;t expect such a large turnout in Kathmandu..<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&quot;Every single citizen of Nepal was done with the corrupt government of Nepal,&quot; said the 31-year-old, based in the Lalitpur district near the capital, Reuters reported.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The protests included slogans and banners of &ldquo;Youth against corruption&rdquo; and &ldquo;We pay, you flex&rdquo;.&nbsp; Handmade protest placards in English and Nepali lie on the ground in Kathmandu during youth-led demonstrations, Sept. 9, 2025. Photo courtesy of a protester. <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Local political opposition&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/a8de291d-1dc7-432b-8c4a-467431496125.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Balendra Shah, the mayor of Kathmandu wrote after the resignation: &ldquo;Dear Gen Z, your murderer has resigned. Now be patient!!&rdquo;

Kathmandu under curfew after deadly youth-led protests; PM Oli resigns amid social-media-ban backlash, corruption anger, and economic strain.

Nepal's Oli steps down as Gen-Z-led revolt sparks curfew

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in Kathmandu on Monday after police opened fire on protesters storming Nepal&rsquo;s Federal Parliament in response to a controversial social media ban, Reuters reported.The unrest broke out outside the parliament building, where thousands of mostly young demonstrators had gathered. Witnesses said police fired live rounds, rubber bullets, and tear gas after some protesters breached barricades, set fire to an ambulance, and attempted to enter the compound.Others hurled stones at security forces and transported the wounded away on motorcycles.The protests were sparked by the government&rsquo;s decision to block major social media platforms that failed to meet new regulatory requirements. Under the new policy, platforms were ordered to register with Nepal&rsquo;s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, open local offices, and appoint official representatives by a September 3 deadline.Platforms that complied and those blockedOfficials said apps like TikTok, Viber, and WeTalk complied with the rules. However, Meta-owned Messenger and others were blocked.A government official told Reuters that the restrictions aim to curb fake accounts and rising cybercrime, which authorities claim threaten national unity.Popularity of Social Media ApplicationsThe ban has hit Nepal&rsquo;s diaspora community especially hard. Roughly 7.5% of Nepal&rsquo;s population lives abroad and relies on messaging apps to stay in touch with family.According to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority&rsquo;s 2021 report, over 90% of the country&rsquo;s 30 million people use the internet. Many have already shifted to platforms like Viber to maintain communication.&ldquo;The new generation in Nepal&rdquo;Protesters argue that the ban restricts free expression and blocks critical communication tools. Chants like &ldquo;Shut down corruption, not social media,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Youth against corruption,&rdquo; echoed through the crowd, reflecting wider dissatisfaction with government transparency and governance.The situation escalated rapidly, merging frustrations over corruption, censorship, and what many see as an authoritarian overreach into digital life.While the government has not declared a state of emergency, officials have warned of stricter crackdowns if the violence continues.The incident marks one of the deadliest outbreaks of civil unrest in Nepal in recent years and underscores a growing clash between the state&rsquo;s push for digital regulation and the demands of a young, connected population seeking free access to global platforms.

At least 14 killed in Kathmandu as protests against Nepal’s ban on 26 social media platforms escalate into violent clashes with police.

14 killed as Nepal protests erupt over social media ban

STOCKHOLM: Sweden will invest 15 billion kronor ($1.6 billion) on bolstering its air defenses, notably potential civilian targets, the government said Sunday, the latest European country to beef up military spending since Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;The money will go to ground-based aerial defense systems, the government said, as Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the United States&#39; increasingly strained ties with NATO allies under US President Donald Trump prompt a European rush to rearm.&nbsp;&quot;Experience from Ukraine demonstrates the importance of a robust air defence,&quot; the Swedish government said.&nbsp;The announcement follows similar moves by countries, including Germany, where parliament approved $59 billion in new defence spending in December.&nbsp;The initial purchases under Sweden&#39;s new plan will be made in the first quarter of 2026, the government said.&nbsp;&quot;With this broad investment in air defence, we are protecting the whole of society, from our military units to urban areas and critical infrastructure,&quot; Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;It is a matter of people&#39;s lives, our freedom, and our ability to withstand attacks in all parts of the country.&quot;&nbsp;Sweden had announced in November it was spending around $366 million on IRIS-T surface-to-air short-range missiles to protect itself against missiles, drones, and combat aircraft.

Europe

Sweden will spend 15 billion kronor to strengthen its air defences, focusing on protecting civilians, cities, and critical infrastructure, with ground-based systems to be bought starting in early 2026.

Sweden to spend $1.6B to bolster air defenses

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and other member states on the sidelines of the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to regional cooperation and strengthened bilateral relations, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday.&nbsp;The 22nd extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was convened in Jeddah to address developments concerning Israel&rsquo;s recognition of the Somaliland region and the situation in Palestine.&nbsp;The meeting adopted resolutions underscoring the importance of state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.&nbsp;Dar attended the session, condemning Israel&rsquo;s recognition of Somaliland as &ldquo;illegal and unlawful,&rdquo; reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s support for Somalia&rsquo;s sovereignty and for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, while also engaging counterparts from several OIC member states on the sidelines.&nbsp;According to an FO statement, Dar met Bangladesh&rsquo;s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain, with both sides expressing satisfaction over the &ldquo;robustness of Pakistan&ndash;Bangladesh relations.&rdquo;&nbsp;The leaders discussed cooperation across a range of areas, including high-level exchanges, trade, and educational collaboration, and also exchanged views on regional and global developments.&nbsp;On the sidelines of the Jeddah moot, Dar separately met Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji.&nbsp;The discussions focused on further strengthening the Pakistan&ndash;Saudi strategic partnership and reaffirmed close coordination within the OIC framework, with both sides emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation to promote &ldquo;peace, stability, and security in the region.&rdquo;&nbsp;With Azerbaijan, FM Dar met Deputy FM Yalchin Rafiyev, where both sides appreciated the frequent high-level exchanges, underscoring the commitment of the leadership of both countries to strengthening bilateral ties.&nbsp;&ldquo;Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, met with Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Maldives, on the sidelines of the 22nd OIC Extraordinary CFM in Jeddah,&rdquo; the FO said.&nbsp;Pakistan and the Maldives underscored their shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties, expressing satisfaction with the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.&nbsp;In another engagement, Dar met his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.&nbsp;&ldquo;On the sidelines of the 22nd Extraordinary OIC CFM in Jeddah, DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty,&rdquo; the FO statement said.&nbsp;During the meeting, Pakistan and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple domains and exchanged views on the situation in Gaza and broader regional developments, underscoring support for international law and the just cause of the Palestinian people, the FO added.

Foreign Affairs

On the sidelines of the 22nd OIC Extraordinary Session in Jeddah, Dar holds bilateral talks with Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Maldives, and Egypt, promoting regional cooperation.

Dar pushes ‘regional cooperation’ in talks with Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and others

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia suspended access to Elon Musk&#39;s chatbot Grok over AI-generated pornographic content, the country&#39;s tech regulator said on Sunday.&nbsp;The decision follows global backlash after it emerged that Grok&#39;s image creation feature allowed users to sexualize pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.&nbsp;On Saturday, Indonesia became the first country to deny all access to the tool, which has been restricted to paying subscribers elsewhere.&nbsp;The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said in a statement it had &quot;directed a temporary restriction on access to the Grok artificial intelligence for users in Malaysia&quot; with immediate effect.&nbsp;When an AFP reporter in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur fed Grok prompts on Sunday, there was no response.&nbsp;&quot;This action follows repeated misuse of Grok to generate obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive and non-consensual manipulated images,&quot; the regulator said.&nbsp;The statement cited &quot;content involving women and minors, despite prior regulatory engagement and formal notices&quot; issued to Musk&#39;s X Corp. and xAI startup which developed Grok.&nbsp;The AI tool is integrated into social media platform X.&nbsp;The Malaysian regulator said it deemed the platform&#39;s safeguards inadequate, adding that access would resume only after the required changes are verified.&nbsp;X Corp. had &quot;failed to address the inherent risks posed by the design and operation of the AI tool&quot;, relying &quot;primarily on user-initiated reporting mechanisms&quot;, the regulator said.&nbsp;European officials and tech campaigners on Friday slammed Grok after its controversial image creation feature was restricted to paying subscribers, saying the change failed to address concerns about sexualized deep fakes.&nbsp;Grok had appeared to deflect the criticism with a new monetization policy, posting on X on Thursday that image generation and editing were now &quot;limited to paying subscribers&quot;, alongside a link to a premium subscription.

Artificial Intelligence

Malaysia suspended access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok after it was misused to generate pornographic and sexualized images, including of women and minors, citing inadequate safeguards. The ban follows similar global backlash and Indonesia’s earlier move.

Malaysia suspends access to Musk's Grok AI: regulator

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to &quot;make a deal&quot; or face unspecified consequences, warning that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to Havana would now stop.&nbsp;&quot;There will be no more oil or money going to cuba - zero!&quot; Trump said on his Truth Social channel. &quot;I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late.&quot;&nbsp;His remarks come a week after US forces seized Venezuela&#39;s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in a nighttime operation in Caracas that killed dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security forces.&nbsp;Earlier on Sunday, Trump reposted a message suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio could become the president of now communist-ruled Cuba.&nbsp;Trump shared that post with the comment: &quot;Sounds good to me!&quot;&nbsp;In his own post soon afterwards, Trump said that &quot;Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided &#39;Security Services&#39; for the last two Venezuelan dictators, but not anymore!&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week&#39;s U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn&#39;t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.&quot;&nbsp;Under a US trade embargo, Havana since 2000 has increasingly relied on Venezuelan oil provided as part of a deal struck with Maduro&#39;s predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Americas

US President Donald Trump warned Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences, saying Venezuelan oil and money to Havana would stop following US actions against Venezuela’s leadership.

Trump tells Cuba to 'make a deal, before it is too late'

JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Sunday they detained a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspected of obstructing an investigation, with local media reporting that it was tied to leaks of military information during the Gaza war.&nbsp;Police did not name the individual, but Israeli media reported it was Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu&#39;s current chief of staff, who is designated to be Israel&#39;s next ambassador to the UK.&nbsp;&quot;This morning, a senior official in the prime minister&#39;s office was detained for questioning... on suspicion of obstructing an investigation,&quot; the police said.&nbsp;&quot;The suspect... is currently being questioned under caution.&quot;&nbsp;Former Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein recently alleged that Braverman tried to obstruct an investigation into a leak of sensitive military information to the foreign press during the war against Hamas in Gaza.&nbsp;In September 2024, Feldstein leaked a classified document from the Israeli military to the German tabloid Bild, for which he was later arrested and indicted.&nbsp;The document aimed to prove that Hamas was not interested in a ceasefire deal, and to support Netanyahu&#39;s claim that the hostages captured by Palestinian militants in their October 7, 2023 assault on Israel could only be released through military pressure instead of negotiations.&nbsp;In an interview with Israel&#39;s public broadcaster KAN, Feldstein said Braverman asked to meet with him soon after the leak.&nbsp;Braverman informed him that the army had launched a probe into the affair, and said he could &quot;shut down&quot; the investigation, according to Feldstein.&nbsp;In the same interview, Feldstein said Netanyahu was aware of the leak and was in favour of using the document to drum up public support for the war.&nbsp;Israeli media reported that police also searched Braverman&#39;s home on Sunday, and that Feldstein was expected to speak with police later in the day regarding Braverman&#39;s suspected involvement in the affair.&nbsp;Feldstein is also a suspect in the so-called &quot;Qatargate&quot; scandal, in which he and other close associates of Netanyahu are suspected of having been recruited by Qatar to promote the Gulf monarchy&#39;s image in Israel.&nbsp;Qatar hosts senior Hamas leaders and has played a mediating role between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement during the war in Gaza.&nbsp;An investigation is under way, and Feldstein, together with another Netanyahu aide, was taken into custody in late March.&nbsp;In response to Braverman&#39;s questioning by the police on Sunday, opposition leader Yair Lapid called to suspend his appointment as ambassador to the UK.&nbsp;&quot;In light of the new developments in the Qatargate affair, the appointment of Tzachi Braverman as ambassador to Britain must be immediately suspended,&quot; Lapid wrote on X.&nbsp;&quot;It is unacceptable that someone suspected of involvement in obstructing a serious security investigation should be the face of Israel in one of the most important countries in Europe.&quot;&nbsp;Braverman is not suspected of direct involvement in the Qatargate affair, according to Israeli media.

Israeli police detained Netanyahu aide Tzachi Braverman over alleged obstruction linked to Gaza war leaks. Opposition demands suspending his UK ambassador appointment as investigations continue.

Israeli police detain aide to Netanyahu

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban authorities arrested a woman journalist in northern Kunduz province on Tuesday and transferred her to an unknown location, the Afghan Media Support Organization said in a statement. According to a statement posted on the organization&rsquo;s Facebook page, Nazera Rashidi has been detained for four days without disclosed charges. <div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAfghanistanMSO%2Fposts%2Fpfbid04oKVLy9c2LmT5oG1TTyWJ5CziDA9qDqmDeVCfY3BBshUtEiCyPMFjF56vxB1HCcnl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="687" 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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> She is the sole guardian for her younger siblings in a household without an adult male, the organization said. The family told the Afghan Media Support Organization that Rashidi &quot;has not engaged in any illegal activities,&quot; according to the statement. The organization called for her immediate release and urged Taliban authorities to &quot;clearly state the legal reasons for her detention.&quot; The arrest adds to documented cases of journalist detentions since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Press freedom decline Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, scoring 17.88 out of 100. Within months of the Taliban takeover, 43% of media outlets disappeared, according to Reporters Without Borders. By late 2024, more than two-thirds of Afghanistan&#39;s 12,000 journalists had left the profession, the United Nations documented. Between August 2021 and September 2024, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 336 cases of human rights violations against media professionals, including 256 arbitrary arrests and 130 instances of torture or ill-treatment. Impact on women journalists More than 80% of women journalists have stopped working since 2021, according to a survey by Reporters Without Borders in collaboration with the Afghan Independent Journalists Association. In some provinces, women&#39;s voices are banned from broadcasts, according to Human Rights Watch. Those still working face workplace segregation requirements and must cover their faces on camera. Afghan officials refuse interviews with women journalists or exclude them from press events, Human Rights Watch reported. Recent restrictions The Taliban banned broadcasting images of living beings in several provinces, including Takhar, in 2024 and 2025, and restricted social media access on smartphones. As of late 2025, the Taliban began broadcasting forced &quot;confessions&quot; of journalists online after arrests for alleged &quot;anti-Taliban propaganda,&quot; Reporters Without Borders reported. The General Directorate of Intelligence conducts most arbitrary detentions, while the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice provides oversight, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the #KeepItOn coalition condemned nationwide internet shutdowns in late 2025 that Taliban authorities ordered to curb &quot;immorality.&quot; The Afghan Media Support Organization called on international institutions and human rights organizations to &quot;take practical measures to prevent the continued arrests and harassment of female journalists.&quot;

Afghanistan

The Afghan Media Support Organization called on international institutions and human rights organizations to "take practical measures to prevent the continued arrests and harassment of female journalists."

Taliban detain woman journalist in northern Afghanistan

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: The year 2026 has barely begun, yet the early signals for India&rsquo;s economy are already deeply unsettling.&nbsp; In the first week of January alone, India&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves suffered their sharpest weekly fall in 14 months, dropping by nearly 10 billion dollars to around $552 billion.&nbsp; The decline was not the result of a sudden external shock but of a conscious policy response: the Reserve Bank of India stepped in to sell dollars to defend a weakening rupee.&nbsp; That intervention itself is telling.&nbsp; It signals that currency pressures have intensified to the point that market forces alone are no longer trusted to maintain stability. The rupee&rsquo;s weakness is not new, but its persistence is increasingly problematic.&nbsp; Over the course of 2025, the currency depreciated by nearly 6%, making it Asia&rsquo;s worst-performing unit, according to Bloomberg and Reuters.&nbsp; The slide has continued into the opening days of 2026, with further losses driven by foreign capital outflows and uncertainty surrounding India&rsquo;s external economic relationships. Eroding external confidenceForecasts from major financial institutions suggest the Indian rupee could approach 92 to the dollar by March from the current value of 90.25, a level that would deepen imported inflation, strain corporate balance sheets, and tighten domestic financial conditions.&nbsp; In effect, currency weakness is becoming a mirror of eroding external confidence. Equity markets are reflecting the same anxiety.&nbsp; The new year opened with a sharp selloff that pushed both the Sensex and the Nifty lower, erasing between $140 billion and $166 billion in investor wealth in a matter of days.&nbsp; The immediate trigger was political, renewed warnings from Washington of higher tariffs on Indian goods, but the reaction revealed something more fundamental.&nbsp; Investors are increasingly uneasy about India&rsquo;s exposure to a world in which trade is becoming more politicized, alliances more conditional, and economic relationships more vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. Foreign investors, in particular, are voting with their feet.&nbsp; Largest annual outflow&nbsp;In 2025, foreign portfolio investors sold roughly $18 billion worth of Indian equities, the largest annual outflow on record.&nbsp; The trend has not reversed with the calendar.&nbsp; In the first nine days of 2026 alone, another $1.3 billion has already been pulled out of Indian markets.&nbsp; Capital that once flowed steadily into India&rsquo;s growth story is now retreating, not because growth has vanished, but because the risks surrounding that growth have become harder to price and harder to ignore. Trade tensions with the United States have emerged as one of the most destabilizing forces. Washington has already imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, partly linked to India&rsquo;s continued purchases of Russian oil.&nbsp; The situation has escalated further with political support in the US for even harsher measures, including proposals for tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries doing business with Russia.&nbsp; As the world&rsquo;s second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China, India finds itself uncomfortably exposed.&nbsp; Even if such extreme tariffs are never fully implemented, their mere possibility is enough to chill investment, disrupt planning, and inject uncertainty into trade and financial markets. What makes this moment particularly troubling is not any single indicator, but the convergence of pressures.&nbsp; Weakening currency&nbsp;A weakening currency is forcing the central bank to intervene. Falling reserves are signaling external vulnerability.&nbsp; Trade tensions are undermining investor confidence. Capital is flowing out, not in.&nbsp; Together, these forces form a feedback loop in which uncertainty feeds financial stress, and financial stress reinforces uncertainty. India is not facing a crisis in the classic sense.&nbsp; Growth has not collapsed, and the economy retains significant underlying strengths. But the narrative has shifted.&nbsp; For years, India was presented as the world&rsquo;s next great growth engine, stable, predictable, and increasingly central to global supply chains.&nbsp; In 2025, that narrative was replaced by a quieter, more cautious one: the economy is under strain. In 2026, it is only getting worse.

India

In 2025, foreign portfolio investors sold roughly $18 billion worth of Indian equities, the largest annual outflow on record; the trend has not reversed with the calendar. 

2026 starts rough for India: FX reserves drop, stocks lose over $140B

PARIS: Iran would strike US military and shipping targets in the event of a new attack by the United States during an ongoing wave of protests, the parliament speaker said on Sunday. &quot;In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,&quot; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told parliament in comments broadcast by state TV, apparently also referring to Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognize and considers occupied Palestinian territory. &#39;Significant&#39; arrestsMeanwhile, Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday. &quot;Last night (Saturday evening), significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,&quot; Ahmad-Reza Radan told state TV, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested. Iran&#39;s president to address nationMeanwhile, IRIB, Iran&#39;s state TV, said&nbsp;President Masoud Pezeshkian will address economic plans and &quot;people&#39;s demands&quot; in an interview on Sunday. It comes after two weeks of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living. &quot;In a conversation with the national media, the president laid out the status of the government&#39;s major economic plan to reform the subsidy system, and also discussed recent events and the government&#39;s approach to responding to the people&#39;s demands,&quot; IRIB state TV said, noting the interview would be broadcast later Sunday.

Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday.

Iran to target US military, shipping if attacked: Parliament speaker

KHAN YOUNIS: At a hospital in Gaza, wards are filled with patients fearing they will be left without care if Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is forced out under an Israeli ban due to take effect in March. Last month, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organizations, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to provide detailed information on their Palestinian staff. &quot;They stood by us throughout the war,&quot; said 10-year-old Adam Asfour, his left arm pinned with metal rods after he was wounded by shrapnel in a bombing in September. &quot;When I heard it was possible they would stop providing services, it made me very sad,&quot; he added from his bed at Gaza&#39;s Nasser Hospital. Israel&#39;s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, which oversees NGO registrations, has accused two MSF employees of links to Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, allegations MSF vehemently denies. The ministry&#39;s decision triggered international condemnation, with aid groups warning it would severely disrupt food and medical supplies to Gaza, where relief items are already scarce after more than two years of war. Inside the packed Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, one of the few medical facilities still functioning in the territory, MSF staff were still tending to children with burns, shrapnel wounds and chronic illnesses, an AFP journalist reported. But their presence may end soon. The prospect was unthinkable for Fayrouz Barhoum, whose grandson is being treated at the facility. &quot;Say bye to the lady, blow her a kiss,&quot; she told her 18-month-old grandson, Joud, as MSF official Claire Nicolet left the room. Joud&#39;s head was wrapped in bandages covering burns on his cheek after boiling water spilled on him when strong winds battered the family&#39;s makeshift shelter. &quot;At first his condition was very serious, but then it improved considerably,&quot; Barhoum said. &quot;The scarring on his face has largely diminished. We need continuity of care,&quot; she said. &#39;We will continue working&#39;&nbsp;AFP spoke with patients and relatives at Nasser Hospital, all of whom expressed the same fear: that without MSF, there would be nowhere left to turn. MSF says it currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in Gaza and operates around 20 health centres. In 2025 alone, it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations and over 10,000 deliveries. &quot;It&#39;s almost impossible to find an organisation that will come here and be able to replace all that we are doing currently in Gaza,&quot; Nicolet told AFP, noting that MSF not only provides medical care but also distributes drinking water to a population worn down by a prolonged war. &quot;So this is not really realistic.&quot; Since the start of the war in October 2023, triggered by Hamas&#39;s deadly attack on southern Israel, Israeli officials and the military have repeatedly accused Hamas of using Gaza&#39;s medical facilities as command centres. Many have been damaged by two years of bombardments or overcrowded by casualties, while electricity, water and fuel supplies remain unreliable. Aid groups warn that without international support, critical services such as emergency care, maternal health, and paediatric treatment could collapse entirely, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without basic medical care. Humanitarian sources say at least three international NGO employees whose files were rejected by Israeli authorities have already been prevented from entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. &quot;For now, we will continue working as long as we can,&quot; said Kelsie Meaden, an MSF logistics manager at Nasser Hospital, adding that constraints were already mounting. &quot;We can&#39;t have any more international staff enter into Gaza, as well as supplies... we will run into shortages.&quot;

A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (AFP)

Wards are filled with patients fearing they will be left without care if Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is forced out under an Israeli ban due to take effect in March.

Patients cling to medical organization in Gaza hospital as Israel orders it out

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman said differences of opinion should not escalate into conflict, stressing that dialogue and democratic practice are the only sustainable paths forward for the nation, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Saturday.&nbsp;Speaking at an exchange of views with editors and journalists from national-level media outlets in Dhaka, the son of former Bangladeshi prime minister late Khaleda Zia said, &ldquo;Even if there are differences of opinion, they must be reduced through discussion. Differences should not escalate to the level of conflict.&rdquo;&nbsp;Referring to recent history, Rahman said, &ldquo;The nation has seen the consequences of vengeance or retaliation on August 5, 2024,&rdquo; adding that violence, revenge, and division have brought despair but also lessons for the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We saw on August 5 what the consequences of violence, revenge, and vengeance can be &mdash; whether for an individual, a party, or the nation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Emphasizing unity, Rahman urged people of all political affiliations to resolve disagreements through discussion rather than confrontation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If we try, perhaps we can resolve many problems by keeping those differences as differences and solving them through discussions,&rdquo; he said. &#39;Must maintain the democratic process&#39;Highlighting the importance of democracy, the BNP chairman said, &ldquo;At any cost, we must maintain the democratic process,&rdquo; noting that elections must be held at all levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If the democratic process continues uninterrupted, solving the country&rsquo;s problems is possible,&rdquo; he added, expressing hope that the process would begin on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-prepares-for-february-12-elections-with-postal-voting-security-measures" style="color:#0073e6;">February 12</a>.&nbsp;Rahman said reforms must address constitutional and legal issues as well as people&rsquo;s daily lives.&nbsp;&ldquo;There have been some fundamental issues like people&rsquo;s daily lives, security, healthcare, employment, and children&rsquo;s education,&rdquo; he said, pledging that politics should not remain limited to seminars and symposiums. Women empowermentOutlining BNP&rsquo;s future plans, Rahman discussed initiatives including women&rsquo;s economic empowerment, a universal Family Card, a Krishak Card for farmers, grassroots healthcare workers, expatriate skill development, youth employment, and IT sector expansion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Half of the country&rsquo;s populations are women; development is impossible, leaving them behind,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The BNP chairman said, &quot;If we can form a government with the people&#39;s mandate in the upcoming elections, initiatives will be taken to make women economically self-reliant.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bangladesh

Speaking at an exchange of views with editors and journalists from national-level media outlets in Dhaka, the son of former Bangladeshi prime minister late Khaleda Zia said, 'Even if there are differences of opinion, they must be reduced through discussion. Differences should not escalate to the level of conflict.'

Articles by Romesa Umar