Saima Ayub

A child stands in the middle of the room. Arms folded. Lips pressed tight. Eyes burning with a quiet storm.&nbsp;You say, &ldquo;Pick up your bag.&rdquo;&nbsp;The child says, &ldquo;No.&rdquo;&nbsp;And just like that, the air changes.&nbsp;We call it stubbornness. A difficult nature. A bad habit. A strong will gone wrong.&nbsp;But after years of watching children in classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, and parent meetings, I&nbsp;have learned something unsettling and honest: stubbornness is rarely about defiance. It is usually about&nbsp;distress.&nbsp;A child is not born stubborn. A child becomes stubborn when they feel unheard, unseen, or overpowered.&nbsp;In school, I have seen the quiet child suddenly refuse to write. The cheerful one who refuses to share. The&nbsp;obedient student who one day simply says, &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t.&rdquo; Parents are shocked. &ldquo;He was never like this.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;She&nbsp;used to listen.&rdquo;&nbsp;Yes. Because something has shifted inside.&nbsp;Children live in a world where almost everything is decided for them, what to wear, when to wake up,&nbsp;what to eat, when to study, how to sit, and how to speak.&nbsp;Their lives are structured by bells and instructions.&nbsp;And while structure is necessary, control without voice breeds resistance.&nbsp;Stubbornness is often a child&rsquo;s small, trembling attempt to say, &ldquo;I want some control too.&rdquo;&nbsp;Psychologists speak of autonomy as a basic human need. Even a four-year-old wants to feel capable. When&nbsp;that need is repeatedly dismissed.&nbsp; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t argue.&rdquo; &nbsp;&ldquo;Just do as I say.&rdquo; &ldquo;Because I said so.&rdquo;&nbsp; The child&nbsp;learns that the only way to be heard is to resist.&nbsp;And resistance becomes a habit.&nbsp;There is another truth we rarely admit. Sometimes children become stubborn because we are.&nbsp;A rushed parent. A tired teacher. A command given without eye contact. An instruction repeated louder&nbsp;each time. The child mirrors what they see. Stiffness creates stiffness.&nbsp;I remember a boy in my school who refused to participate in group work. Every day, the same battle. His&nbsp;teacher insisted. He resisted. Voices rose. Tears followed.&nbsp;One afternoon, instead of insisting, the teacher sat beside him and asked softly, &ldquo;What worries you about&nbsp;group work?&rdquo;&nbsp;He whispered, &ldquo;They laugh at my English.&rdquo;&nbsp;That was the stubbornness. Not rebellion, fear.&nbsp;Once we understood that, everything changed.&nbsp;A graceful response does not mean permissiveness. It means firmness with dignity. Boundaries without&nbsp;humiliation. Authority without anger. When a child refuses, pause before reacting. Ask yourself: Is this about power, fear, tiredness, or simply a&nbsp;need to be noticed?&nbsp;Offer limited choices. &ldquo;You can start with math or English. Which one first?&rdquo; Choice restores dignity.&nbsp;Acknowledge feelings without surrendering rules. &ldquo;I know you&rsquo;re upset. The homework still needs to be&nbsp;done.&rdquo;&nbsp;Stay calmA calm adult regulates a storming child. A shouting adult creates a hurricane.&nbsp;And sometimes, let natural consequences teach. If a child refuses to pack their bag, allow them to face the&nbsp;discomfort of forgetting a notebook, without rescuing them immediately. Responsibility grows when we&nbsp;step back.&nbsp;Above all, protect the relationship. No lesson is more important than trust.&nbsp;Children who feel safe do not need to fight for control. They learn cooperation because they feel&nbsp;respected.&nbsp;In my years as an educationist, I have seen stubborn children grow into strong leaders, once their will&nbsp;was guided, not crushed. The same firmness that says &ldquo;No&rdquo; at five can say &ldquo;I stand for what is right&rdquo; at&nbsp;twenty.&nbsp;Stubbornness is raw strength. Mishandled, it becomes rebellion. Understood, it becomes resilience.&nbsp;So the next time a child folds their arms and says &ldquo;No,&rdquo; do not see an enemy.&nbsp;See a small human being, struggling to find their voice in a world that often speaks over them.&nbsp;And respond, not with force, but with steady grace.

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Children’s stubbornness is rarely defiance; it signals distress, fear, or a need for autonomy. Control without voice breeds resistance. Calm authority, limited choices, natural consequences, and preserved trust transform defiance into resilience, guiding strong will into future leadership.

Why children become stubborn, and how to respond gracefully

As parents and guardians we think of lying as a moral crack in the wall. But when it comes to children, truth is usually softer, and sadder.&nbsp;Children lie because of fear.&nbsp;They are not afraid of prison or police rather our faces. They are afraid of our silence. Afraid of disappointing the people whose approval feels like everything.&nbsp;A child who breaks a glass does not first think about right or wrong. He thinks about what will happen next. Will there be shouting? Will love feel distant? In that quick, anxious moment, a lie becomes a small shield. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t me.&rdquo; It is not wickedness speaking. It is fear trying to survive.&nbsp;If we are honest with ourselves, we may remember doing the same.&nbsp;There is also imagination, a bright and restless force in childhood. A five-year-old may&nbsp;insist the cat opened the cupboard or the wind pushed the vase. To us it sounds like&nbsp;deliberate deception. But in a young mind, imagination and reality often sit side by side.&nbsp;The child is not carefully constructing fraud. He is escaping guilt the only way he knows how, through story.&nbsp;As children grow older, their lies change shape.&nbsp;An older child may hide poor marks. A teenager may lie about where she was. These lies&nbsp;are not about spilled milk anymore. They are about identity. About wanting to be seen as&nbsp;capable, responsible, mature.&nbsp;Children care deeply about how we see them. Sometimes more than we realize.&nbsp;When expectations are high and mistakes feel unbearable, truth begins to look dangerous. There is also another quiet reason: children are learningsome point. At some point a child discovers that thoughts are private. That adults cannot see inside&nbsp;their minds. It is a startling discovery. With it comes experimentation. &ldquo;If I say this, will they believe me?&rdquo; It is less a plan to deceive and more a test of the world.&nbsp;None of this means lying should be ignored. Trust, once damaged, is difficult to rebuild. But punishment alone rarely builds honesty. It often builds better liars.&nbsp;If every confession is met with anger, the child learns to hide more carefully next time.&nbsp;What then helps?Calmness helps.&nbsp;When a child admits, &ldquo;Yes, I broke it,&rdquo; and hears, &ldquo;Thank you for telling me,&rdquo; something important happens. The mistake still matters. The consequence may still follow. But the&nbsp;child learns that truth does not cancel love.&nbsp;That lesson stays.&nbsp;We must also look at ourselves. Children notice the small things. When we say on the&nbsp;phone, &ldquo;Tell them I&rsquo;m not home,&rdquo; they are listening. When we exaggerate stories or twist&nbsp;facts, they are watching. We cannot demand honesty in a language we do not speak.&nbsp;A lying child is not a lost child.More often, it is a worried child. Or an ashamed child. Or simply a growing child trying to&nbsp;manage feelings too large for his small hands.&nbsp;If we want honesty, we must make it safe. Safe to fail. Safe to confess. Safe to be imperfect.&nbsp;The real question is not, &ldquo;Why is my child lying?&rdquo;&nbsp;Perhaps it is, &ldquo;What is my child afraid of losing if they tell the truth?&rdquo;&nbsp;When we answer that gently &mdash; not with authority alone, but with understanding, we&nbsp;may find that the lies grow fewer, and the conversations grow deeper.&nbsp;And that is where trust truly begins.

Children often lie from fear, imagination, or growing identity, not malice. Honesty grows when adults respond calmly, model truth, and make mistakes safe, showing that truth never cancels love, trust, or belonging for children everywhere.

The psychology behind kids lying

Many adults believe that raising one&rsquo;s voice is a normal part of parenting, saying, &ldquo;Children don&rsquo;t listen otherwise.&rdquo; &nbsp;In homes and schools, shouting is often treated as a form of discipline. Yet shouting does not teach children to behave better; rather, it teaches them to be afraid, confused, or equally loud. As an educationist, I have seen this pattern repeated over the years and across classrooms. &nbsp; A raised voice may stop a child in the moment, but it never builds understanding.&nbsp; Silence after shouting is not obedience. It is an emotional shutdown.&nbsp; Research on child psychology and emotional regulation shows that children learn&nbsp;to manage their feelings by watching adults. When adults shout, children&rsquo;s stress hormones rise. The brain moves into survival mode, during which learning stops.&nbsp; The child may comply, but nothing is understood or remembered.&nbsp; Consider a common morning scene.&nbsp;A child is slow to get ready for school; his shoes are missing, and his breakfast is unfinished. Consequently, the parents&rsquo; voice rises with every minute. The child freezes, cries, or becomes stubborn, and by the time the child reaches school, he is already anxious.&nbsp; Teachers later complain that he is inattentive or aggressive, but the problem did not start in the classroom; it began at home, with raised voices.&nbsp; Neuroscience supports this observation. Research from Harvard&rsquo;s Center on the Developing Child shows that repeated exposure to stress &mdash; such as frequent shouting &mdash; can affect a child&rsquo;s developing brain, weakening the areas responsible for attention, memory, and emotional control.&nbsp; In simple words, shouting makes it harder for children to behave well in the future.&nbsp; Some people, however, argue that &ldquo;our parents shouted, and we turned out fine.&rdquo;&nbsp; This statement avoids an honest question: Did we truly turn out fine, or did we simply learn to hide fear and repeat the same behavior? Many adults admit they now struggle with anger, anxiety, or communication. These patterns often begin in childhood. In schools, the difference between loud authority and calm authority is clear.&nbsp; I recall a teacher who never raised her voice, even in a noisy classroom. She paused, stood still, and waited. Slowly, students noticed. Silence followed. Her calm was stronger than shouting. The children respected her not because they feared her, but because they trusted her.&nbsp; Another example comes from a parent who decided to change one habit: no shouting in the morning. Instead of repeated instructions, she created a simple routine chart with pictures. The first week was difficult. The second week was quieter. Within a month, her child became more independent.&nbsp; The parent did not lose control. She gained cooperation. Research on positive discipline confirms this.&nbsp; According to studies published in the Journal of Family Psychology, children raised with calm, consistent guidance show better self-control and fewer behavioral problems than those disciplined through yelling or threats. Calm discipline teaches responsibility, whereas loud discipline teaches fear.&nbsp; Raising your voice also damages the relationship between an adult and a child, as children may listen to a shouting adult but stop sharing their thoughts.&nbsp; They learn that mistakes bring anger, not guidance.&nbsp; Over time, this creates distance. Power should never be loud to be effective. True authority is quiet and steady. The same is true in parenting and teaching. A calm voice shows confidence. A raised voice shows loss of control. This does not mean children do not need boundaries. They do.&nbsp; But boundaries delivered calmly are clearer and stronger.&nbsp; &ldquo;We do not hit.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We finish our homework before play.&rdquo;&nbsp; Short sentences, firm tone, no shouting. Children understand this language.&nbsp; Never raising your voice does not mean being weak.&nbsp;It means being aware. It means choosing long-term growth over short-term silence.&nbsp; Children are not broken machines to be fixed with noise. They are learning humans. When adults lower their voices, children learn to regulate theirs. When adults stay calm, children feel safe enough to listen.&nbsp; In the end, the goal is not quiet children. The goal is confident, emotionally healthy adults. And that lesson begins with a calm voice today.

Children are not broken machines to be fixed with noise. They are learning humans. When adults lower their voices, children learn to regulate theirs. When adults stay calm, children feel safe enough to listen. 

Never raise your voice at your children

Every morning tells a story. Some mornings begin with light, routine, and quiet purpose. Others begin with shouting. In many homes, the day opens not with sunlight but with raised voices. &ldquo;Hurry up.&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re late again.&rdquo; &ldquo;How many times have I told you?&rdquo; These words are spoken quickly, often without cruelty, often with worry behind them. Yet their effect is deeper than we imagine. A child who begins his day with scolding does not leave those words at the doorstep. He carries them into the classroom, into his notebook, into his behavior, and into his sense of self. A child&rsquo;s mind in the morning is not prepared for battle. It is soft, just waking, trying to gather itself. When the first sound it hears is anger, the body reacts before the brain can reason. The heart beats faster. Muscles tighten. The mind shifts into defense. By the time the child reaches school, he is already tired. Teachers often notice this without knowing the cause. The child is distracted, restless, unusually quiet, or unusually aggressive. He forgets his books, avoids eye contact, or argues over small things. We label him careless, lazy, or illmannered. But often, he is simply recovering from his morning. Academics suffer quietly. A mind that is anxious cannot focus deeply. Reading requires calm attention. Writing requires confidence. Mathematics requires patience. A child who has been shouted at begins the day believing he is already wrong. When the teacher asks a question, he hesitates. When he makes a mistake, it confirms what he was told at home. Slowly, learning becomes a place of fear rather than curiosity. Behavior follows the same pattern. Some children withdraw. They sit silently, trying not to be noticed, afraid that attention will bring more criticism. Others do the opposite. They talk back, disturb the class, or pick fights. Both behaviors come from the same root: emotional imbalance. A shaken child will either shrink or shake others. Morning scolding shapes how a child thinks about himself for the rest of the day. Repeated often, it becomes a quiet belief: &ldquo;I am always late. I am always wrong. I always disappoint.&rdquo; Parents do not intend this. Morning is genuinely difficult. Time is short. Responsibilities are many. Yet discipline delivered in shouting loses its purpose. It may speed the child for a moment, but it slows him for the whole day. Parent&#39;s roleThere is another way, simpler but requiring effort. First, prepare the night before. School bags packed, uniforms laid out, shoes placed where they belong. A prepared morning needs fewer words. Second, wake children earlier than necessary. Rushing creates shouting. Time creates calm. Third, replace commands with reminders. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to wear your shoes&rdquo; works better than &ldquo;Why are you still sitting?&rdquo; Fourth, lower your voice intentionally. A calm voice demands attention more effectively than a loud one. Children mirror tone before they understand meaning. Fifth, offer one sentence of encouragement before they leave. &ldquo;Have a good day.&rdquo; &ldquo;I know you&rsquo;ll do well.&rdquo; These words travel with the child far longer than scolding ever will. Lastly, remember this: school tests knowledge, but mornings shape character. A child who leaves home feeling safe will face the world with confidence. A child who leaves home feeling small will spend the day trying to protect himself. We cannot control everything that happens to our children outside. But we control the first hour of their day. And often, that hour decides the rest. The morning does not need perfection. It needs peace.

Morning scolding quietly shapes a child’s emotions, learning, and behavior. Anxious beginnings drain focus and confidence all day. Calm preparation, gentle reminders, time, and encouragement create mornings that help children learn, behave, and face school.

How mornings shape children’s behavior

In modern households and classrooms, a rising issue causing tension between generations is the hyperactive child. Found in every other classroom and home, these children are often loud and chaotic, and they tend to fidget or hit their siblings. While many parents and teachers respond with yelling and label these children as &quot;bad&quot; or &quot;disrespectful,&quot; experts argue that this behavior is entirely outside the child&#39;s conscious control. The &lsquo;internal bucket&rsquo; overflowHyperactive children act as emotional &quot;sponges,&quot; absorbing chaos, stress, and constant instructions from adults around them. Whether it&rsquo;s pressure about academic performance or household stress, these feelings build up until the child&rsquo;s &quot;internal bucket&quot; overflows. Since their small bodies can&rsquo;t hold all this emotional weight, they often release it through physical actions &mdash; leading to the loudness, running, and classroom disruptions that frustrated adults frequently observe. A search for connection in a busy worldThe increase in hyperactivity is also connected to a lack of connection in busier lives. As parents spend less one-on-one time with their children, hyperactive outbursts can be seen as a cry for attention, essentially telling the parent: &quot;I exist; see me, hear me.&quot;&nbsp; The science of overstimulationModern environmental factors are further &quot;boosting&quot; children&#39;s energy levels to levels that are uncontrollable. There can be several key triggers, such as: - Fast-paced cartoons and bright visual colors.- Constant noise and screen time.- High-sugar diets that provide an artificial energy spike. When a child&rsquo;s brain becomes overstimulated by these factors, it enters a &quot;high alert mode.&quot; In this physiological state, the child&rsquo;s heart beats faster and their breathing changes, making it nearly impossible for them to process instructions or stay still.&nbsp; A call for channelled energyInstead of relying on discipline and labels, adults should view these behaviors as reflections of the nervous system. The focus should move away from punishment and toward channeling the child&#39;s energy to support their physiological and emotional well-being.

The ‘Bad Child’ myth: Why hyperactivity is a physiological cry for help

Articles

Hyperactive children are frequently misunderstood and unfairly labelled as 'bad' or 'disrespectful' by parents and teachers. However, their behavior — such as being loud, fidgeting, or hitting — reflects their nervous system and is not something they can consciously control.

Walk into any classroom today and the effects of modern parenting are obvious. Some children sit rigidly, waiting for instructions; others move through the day as if limits are optional. After years of observing families and schools, one truth is clear: both strictness without explanation and freedom without structure fail to cultivate the character parents and teachers aim to build. We want to raise thoughtful, self-disciplined adults. Yet many homes swing between the iron fist and the open palm, between command and negotiation, producing not maturity but confusion. Neither extreme teaches children to govern themselves. The tyranny of fixed rules Strict parents value order and respect. Their homes run on directives delivered from on high, &quot;Do your homework now,&quot; with little warmth or explanation. The short-term results can be impressive: obedient children, polite manners, quiet households. But this discipline is rooted in fear, not understanding. Research shows that rules without reasoning create compliance that collapses once the authority figure disappears. Children raised under constant control often develop anxiety, resentment, or outright rebellion.&nbsp; They learn to obey, not to comprehend. And obedience without comprehension is easily abandoned the moment independence arrives. The chaos of unbounded love At the opposite end are permissive parents, warm, loving, and eager to avoid conflict. But in their quest to preserve peace, everything becomes negotiable: bedtimes, homework, even basic routines. Consequences feel &ldquo;too harsh,&rdquo; and boundaries soften into suggestions. This feels compassionate in the moment, yet it leaves children unprepared for life beyond the living room. Educators see the results daily: difficulty with limits, poor self-control, impulsivity, and lower academic performance.&nbsp; Freedom without responsibility may feel gentle, but it ultimately traps children in their own impulses. Love without limits is simply another form of chaos. The path to self-discipline Both extremes overlook the real goal: helping children develop an inner compass. The most effective approach, supported by research and common sense, is the balanced model psychologists call authoritative parenting: firm but warm, structured but respectful. This style replaces punishment with guidance. It means offering clear rules but explaining the reasoning behind them. It means granting autonomy within boundaries, &lsquo;Turn off the phone at nine so your brain can rest for school, or Do your homework before or after dinner&mdash;you choose&rsquo;. These small choices teach judgment and build confidence. Children raised this way learn not only what to do, but why. And once they grasp the &ldquo;why,&rdquo; they carry the rule with them even when no one is watching. Ultimately, every child needs three assurances: That they have a voice. That they are capable. That they are loved. A strict home creates brittle obedience. A permissive home breeds drifting freedom. The middle path, love with limits, creates adults who can steer themselves. Parenting, at its best, is neither dictatorship nor friendship. It is guidance: steady, warm, and firm, teaching children that life has rules, and those rules have reasons. Only then do they learn to watch themselves, not because someone demands it, but because they have learned to do so.

Strict parenting breeds fear and rebellion, while permissiveness creates chaos and poor self-control. A balanced, authoritative approach best develops children’s inner discipline by combining clear rules, explanations, and meaningful autonomy.

Why both strict and lenient parents fail to build character

After years in classrooms, offices, and parent meetings, I have learned one truth: multitasking destroys children&rsquo;s focus. Their minds are delicate, like quiet rooms that need peace to stay bright. Yet today, those rooms are rarely quiet anymore. Almost every day, I hear the same concern from parents. They walk into their child&rsquo;s room and see a familiar scene: homework on the table, a YouTube video playing beside it, the phone buzzing every few minutes, a game notification flashing like a small firecracker. Sometimes the TV hums in the background. The child insists, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m studying.&rdquo; And in a way, they believe they are. This chaos has become normal. We adults call it multitasking, Children call it life, But the brain has its own opinion and it disagrees with both. What I Have Seen in ChildrenChildren today remind me of runners told to stop every few seconds. Start. Stop. Start again. No matter how strong the runner is, eventually they collapse. Their energy leaks away in little drops. One boy in Grade 6 once told me during a break, &ldquo;Ma&rsquo;am, I sit to study, but then my mind starts itching for my phone. I check one message and suddenly it is 40 minutes later.&rdquo; He said it with embarrassment, as if he were confessing a crime. But it wasn&rsquo;t a crime, it was a symptom. Inside the Mind: A Simple PictureImagine a chalkboard. You write on it, wipe it off. Some dust remains. You write again, erase again soon the board becomes smudged, unclear, hard to read. That is what happens to a child&rsquo;s mind when they switch from homework to notifications, from reading to reels, from solving to scrolling. The brain does not leap; it limps from one task to another, carrying the dust of the previous one. I have seen children stare at a single paragraph for ten minutes not because they don&rsquo;t understand, but because part of their mind is still sitting inside a TikTok video they watched two minutes earlier. Why Children Struggle More Than AdultsPeople say, &ldquo;This generation is smarter. They can handle screens.&rdquo; It sounds comfortable, but it is wrong. The part of the brain that controls focus the prefrontal cortex matures slowly. It doesn&rsquo;t fully grow until the mid-20s. Expecting a 12-year-old to &ldquo;just ignore the phone&rdquo; is like asking a bicycle to outrun a car. Children are more vulnerable to distraction. They fall faster, and they fall harder. A teenage girl once told me, &ldquo;Miss, I don&rsquo;t even enjoy scrolling anymore, but my brain doesn&rsquo;t let me stop.&rdquo; Her voice cracked not from wanting more, but from losing control. What This Looks Like at HomeParents often tell me, &ldquo;My child sits with books for hours but learns nothing.&rdquo; One mother described her son doing math homework with cartoons playing behind him. He kept saying, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not watching.&rdquo; But his eyes blinked every time the sound changed. His brain was listening. A task that should take one hour now takes three. In the end, the child feels slow, frustrated, and strangely exhausted. The Greater CostBeyond grades, something deeper is weakening the child&rsquo;s ability to sit with a thought. Children jump from idea to idea like stones skimming over a lake, never sinking long enough to see what lies beneath. This constant half-awareness is linked to anxiety, poor sleep, and a fading emotional connection with family. One father told me, &ldquo;My son sits with us, but he lives somewhere else inside his screen.&rdquo; What We Can DoProtecting single tasks is essential: short, 25-minute focus sessions can help rebuild a child&rsquo;s ability to sit still. This works best when the phone is removed entirely from the study area, because even a silent phone lying face down weakens focus.&nbsp; Just as important is showing children what real attention looks like when we scroll while they talk, they learn distraction, but when we listen fully, they learn presence. Some children say they need background noise. Soft instrumental music is fine. But screens, lyrics, and videos always take more than they give. Multitasking feels modern, but its cost is ancient:a child who cannot think deeply loses clarity, creativity, and confidence. If we protect their focus now, we return to them the one thing every growing mind needs a quiet inner room where ideas can bloom.

After years in classrooms, offices, and parent meetings, I have learned one truth: multitasking destroys children’s focus. Their minds are delicate, like quiet rooms that need peace to stay bright. Yet today, those rooms are rarely quiet anymore.


How multitasking is quietly harming children’s minds

Teenagers often see sleepovers as part of a &lsquo;normal&rsquo; childhood. Children talk about them with excitement: popcorn, late-night chatter, and whisper secrets under blankets. Many of us remember our own sleepovers with fondness, too, but are sleepovers really as harmless as they seem? The fun and the hidden risksThe moment children stay overnight at someone else&rsquo;s home, parents lose a great deal of agency. Every household has its own rules about food, bedtime, screen use, and discipline. For a child, less supervision often means late nights, poor sleep, exposure to inappropriate media, or even unhealthy peer pressure. What looks like &ldquo;harmless fun&rdquo; can sometimes leave behind worries or habits that show up much later. What research reminds usMany parents tell me something along the lines of, &quot;I went on sleepovers and turned out fine.&quot; I always remind parents that personal anecdotes cannot be the only metric for assessing risk. Times have also changed, and so have risks. Research shows that children rarely sleep well when away from home. Even losing two or three hours of good sleep can affect mood, immunity, and school performance. A 2020 report by Common Sense Media revealed something worrying: one in four children said their first experience of being bullied or humiliated happened during a sleepover. What some children remember as &ldquo;funny pranks,&rdquo; others carry as painful memories. Many young people report that they first came across explicit or disturbing material not at home, but during unsupervised group settings like sleepovers. Ergo, while the laughter is real, research shows that the hidden costs are real too. Do sleepovers build friendships?One common argument is that sleepovers help children bond. And it is true, spending extra time together strengthens friendships. But do they have to bond overnight? Child development studies tell us children build deep connections through teamwork, games, sports, creative clubs, and playdates. In Japan, overnight stays usually happen at schools under trained supervision. In Scandinavian countries, its nature camps with structured guidance. Friendship doesn&rsquo;t require risk. Children can bond just as well, and sometimes more meaningfully, through safe, supervised activities. Healthier alternativesSaying no to sleepovers doesn&rsquo;t mean saying no to fun. Parents can offer other options that give children the same joy without the risks: Late-night playdatesChildren can watch a movie, eat snacks, and play till 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., then head home for proper rest. Supervised group eventsCamping trips, movie nights, or school retreats allow for bonding in a safe, structured way. Family-based overnightsStaying with cousins or trusted relatives gives the same excitement but within familiar boundaries and values. As an educator, I believe traditions should be revisited regularly in light of children&rsquo;s well-being. Sleepovers are not categorically &ldquo;bad&rdquo; in themselves, but they carry risks that cannot be ignored. Tradition alone should not decide what is right for our children. Our choices should be guided by what protects them today and prepares them for a better and more secure tomorrow. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or editorial policy of Pakistan TV Digital. The writer, an educationist with over 26 years of experience, is the founder of P.E.A.K.S School, Islamabad.

Teenagers see sleepovers as childhood staples. Children talk about them eagerly. While many recall theirs fondly, are sleepovers truly harmless as they seem?

Why parents shouldn’t allow children ‘sleepovers'

The United Nations has been clear, The last eight years have been the hottest on record globally. This staggering reality is not lost on our children. As an educator, I witness their subtle anxiety every day, expressed through questions like: &quot;Why is it so hot?&quot; and &quot;Why did the flood ruin my uncle&rsquo;s house?&quot; These are not casual questions. They are children grappling with the new, harsh reality of their lives. The time for debating climate change is over. We are living through it. Every summer seems to break the record of the last. Devastating floods, such as those that affected more than 33 million people in Pakistan this year, are now a seasonal expectation. At the same time, parts of Europe saw temperatures cross 40 degrees Celsius for the first time. This is not bad luck. It is accelerating climate change, driven by human activity: burning fossil fuels, deforestation and pollution. The issue isn&#39;t about distant glaciers. It is about our daily survival: the quality of the air we breathe, the stability of our food supply and the safety of our families. When floods wipe out crops, food prices jump. When heatwaves intensify, outdoor play becomes dangerous. Climate change is a local, public health and economic emergency. Currently, most schools only touch on climate change in Science or Geography classes. But this coverage is typically superficial. It stops at defining the problem and fails entirely to teach students what to do about it. This is a failure of responsibility. We need to move past defining the crisis and start actively preparing students to be critical thinkers and contributors to the solutions. We urgently need a formal, standalone curriculum for climate change built around action, not just memorization. Imagine a generation of students who graduate knowing:<ul type="disc"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How to conserve water and electricity to save resources and money.</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The local environmental impact of reducing plastic and household waste.</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The effective ways planting trees can cool their neighborhood and mitigate flood risk.</li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How their everyday choices about energy, finance and consumption are globally connected.</li></ul>This would not be another subject; it would be a manual for navigating the world they are about to inherit. By focusing on climate education now, we give the next generation the skills to adapt, innovate and lead. The students in our classrooms today are tomorrow&#39;s policymakers, business leaders and parents. The choices they make will determine whether society moves toward a sustainable future or further destruction. By prioritizing this education, we equip them to act responsibly. More importantly, we give them hope. We show them they don&#39;t have to be passive victims of the crisis; they can be powerful agents of change. Climate change is the great challenge of our time. Let&rsquo;s use it as an opportunity to teach responsibility, empathy and courage. I believe, unequivocally, that climate change must be formally integrated into our national school curriculum. We must stop limiting ourselves to raising awareness. We must give our students the tools and knowledge to act&mdash;to save water, reduce waste, plant trees and advocate for the planet. This is not an abstract debate. It is a fundamental choice about our children&rsquo;s survival, right here in Pakistan. If we act now, we can prepare them to build a cleaner, safer and healthier world. Let us, as parents and educators, support this critical curriculum change. Our children are ready to learn and act. It is our responsibility to give them the right education. Climate change is not just another subject; it is the fundamental reality of their future. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or editorial policy of Pakistan TV Digital. The writer, an educationist with over 26 years of experience, is the founder of P.E.A.K.S School Islamabad.&nbsp;

The United Nations confirms the past eight years as the hottest on record. Climate change now defines children’s lives, demanding urgent, action-based education in Pakistan’s schools to equip students with skills to adapt, act, and lead sustainably.

Why climate education should be part of our national curriculum

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan has ended an eight-year ban that kept cryptocurrency firms out of the banking system, allowing lenders to work with the sector under a tightly controlled framework. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a circular dated April 14 that banks can open accounts for virtual asset companies licensed by the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), a body set up under the Virtual Assets Act passed in March.&nbsp; The move marks the country&rsquo;s first formal step toward bringing crypto activity into the regulated financial system since restrictions imposed in 2018. Access is limited to firms approved by the regulator. Companies holding only a no-objection certificate can open restricted accounts, while full transaction services are allowed only after a license is granted.&nbsp; Banks must verify each firm&rsquo;s regulatory status before onboarding.The central bank kept strict limits on lenders&rsquo; role.&nbsp;Banks are not allowed to trade, invest in, or hold cryptocurrencies, either for themselves or on behalf of customers.&nbsp; Their function is limited to providing accounts and payment services.&nbsp;The rules also require crypto firms to keep customer funds separate from their own.&nbsp; Due diligenceThese balances must be held in non-interest accounts in Pakistani rupees and can only be used to settle approved transactions.&nbsp;Cash deposits and withdrawals are not permitted, and the funds cannot be used as collateral. Banks must carry out full due diligence on each client and monitor transactions on an ongoing basis.&nbsp;Suspicious activity must be reported under existing anti-money laundering laws, extending current financial controls to the crypto sector. The policy shift follows rapid growth in crypto use despite the earlier ban. Pakistan ranked among the top countries in Chainalysis&rsquo; 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, reflecting demand for remittances, access to dollar-linked assets and wider use of mobile financial services.&nbsp; Industry estimates cited by officials put the number of users at more than 40 million, with annual trading volumes approaching $300 billion, much of it outside formal oversight&nbsp;Landmark momentSpeaking to Pakistan TV Digital, the PVARA chairman said &ldquo;This is a landmark moment. For eight years, a blanket prohibition cut Pakistan off from a financial innovation that the rest of the world was building infrastructure around. What SBP has done today is not just lift a ban. It is a formal acknowledgment that virtual assets are a legitimate part of Pakistan&#39;s financial system. That acknowledgment carries institutional weight.&rdquo;&nbsp;The timing matters too, he noted adding that &ldquo;The Virtual Assets Act 2026 created the legal foundation; PVARA is the regulatory authority; and now the SBP has opened the banking system to PVARA licensed operators. These three pieces together mean Pakistan has moved from prohibition to a complete, functioning framework in a single legislative cycle. That is not a small thing.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;The most immediate impact is legitimacy. Exchanges operating in Pakistan have functioned in a grey zone, compliant with nothing because there was nothing to comply with. That changes now. A licensed VASP with a bank account is a regulated entity, subject to AML checks, transaction monitoring, and SBP oversight. That protects consumers and brings activity into the formal economy,&rdquo; he said, while highlighting the positive impact of the move.&nbsp;The second impact is remittances, Bilal added, noting that &ldquo;Pakistan receives over $38 billion annually from its diaspora. A meaningful share moves through informal channels because the formal ones are slow and expensive. Licensed exchanges with banking access can now offer a legal, fast, low-cost alternative. That is real money entering the documented economy.&rdquo;&nbsp;The third he mentioned is the investor confidence.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any serious crypto business evaluating Pakistan will look at banking access as a baseline requirement. We now meet that bar,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Authorities have moved in stages toward regulation.&nbsp;The government launched PVARA as an interim body in July 2025 before giving it statutory status through legislation this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Use of digital assetsThe regulator has already issued no-objection certificates to some exchanges as part of a phased licensing process.&nbsp;The banking decision comes alongside broader plans to expand the use of digital assets.&nbsp; The government has already moved to bring in global crypto players, signing a memorandum of understanding with Binance in December to ⁠explore tokenising up to $2 billion in assets and granting initial clearances to Binance and HTX to begin licensing. Pilot programs using dollar-backed stablecoins for remittances are under way, and work on a central bank digital currency is in progress.&nbsp; Officials have also outlined plans to direct surplus electricity to bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers. Crypto businesses in PakistanCrypto businesses in Pakistan too see this as a lifeline.&nbsp;Access to banking means they can operate more like normal companies.&nbsp; They can pay rent, hire staff with direct deposit, accept payments from customers without complicated workarounds.&nbsp;Investment could pick up.&nbsp; International crypto firms that avoided Pakistan because of the banking ban might reconsider. Local startups that struggled to raise money might find it easier to attract capital now that they can manage funds through legitimate bank accounts. But the impact won&rsquo;t be instant. Banks need time to build out their processes. VASPs need time to get their licenses in order.&nbsp; The whole ecosystem has to shake off years of operating in the shadows. Consumer trust is another factor. Pakistanis who wanted to buy crypto but felt nervous about unregulated exchanges might feel safer now.&nbsp; Banking integration adds a layer of legitimacy that was missing before. That could bring new users into the market. Infrastructure development will probably accelerate. With banking access, crypto companies can invest in better platforms, customer service, security systems.&nbsp; The ban forced them to run lean and scrappy. Now they can build something more robust. The latest move signals a shift from restriction to oversight, as authorities seek to bring a large, informal crypto market into the formal financial system without exposing banks directly to digital asset risks.

Economy

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a circular dated April 14 that banks can open accounts for virtual asset companies licensed by the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), a body set up under the Virtual Assets Act passed in March. 

Pakistan ends crypto banking ban, opens door to regulated digital asset market

ANTALYA: Turkey hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan&#39;s powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum when it opens on Friday in the Mediterranean holiday resort of Antalya. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are to meet on the sidelines of the forum, with the war and the blockade of the crucial Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate. The timing of the meeting has not yet been announced. Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator in regional diplomacy having hosted rare talks between Iran and the United States last weekend, which ended inconclusively. &quot;We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations,&quot; Erdogan said in an address to his ruling AKP party in parliament this week. &quot;Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilised.&quot; The White House has said further talks with Iran would &quot;very likely&quot; be in Islamabad, where Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation in the last round of negotiations. - Push for peace -Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who met Qatar&#39;s ruler in Doha on Thursday as part of a regional tour, will also join the forum and meet Erdogan on its margins, as Islamabad pushes for a US-Iran second round. &quot;We will continue to provide all the support we can to ensure that the ongoing temporary ceasefire turns into a permanent one,&quot; a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday. &quot;We hope that this war -- whose effects are being felt increasingly not only regionally but also globally -- will come to an end as soon as possible, and that the parties will act constructively in the ongoing negotiation process,&quot; the source said. Turkey, while a vocal critic of Israel, has joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to help reach a ceasefire in the conflict. Ankara has said the Middle East ceasefire should include Lebanon which is facing Israeli attacks. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday also the strategic Strait of Hormuz should be reopened &quot;as soon as possible&quot; while warning that its status would remain a key point of contention. He described the waterway as an &quot;international free passage zone&quot;, adding that any disruption to freedom of navigation is not something parties want to see.&quot; More than 150 countries are expected to take part in the Antalya gathering, including more than 20 heads of state and government. Among the participants are Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Middle East

Turkey’s Antalya forum brings together key regional powers as Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt intensify diplomacy to secure a lasting ceasefire, reopen Hormuz, and advance renewed US-Iran talks.

Turkey hosts latest diplomatic push on Middle East war

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting with T&uuml;rkiye&#39;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ahead of Antalya Diplomacy Forum.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, stated this in a post on X on Friday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044982302770385219&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=36346b60701e05996574a6870e0976de02efb7e3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 699px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2044982302770385219"></iframe></div></div>He said, &quot;My brother, T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last night upon our arrival at Antalya.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;We had good conversations ahead of a busy day today at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum,&quot; Dar added. Meeting with Korean minister&nbsp;Meanwhile, Dar also met&nbsp;&quot;last evening with H.E. Jeong Yeondoo, Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.&quot;<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" allowtransparency="true" 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=2044995937240838517&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=36346b60701e05996574a6870e0976de02efb7e3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2044995937240838517"></iframe></div></div>&quot;They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and recent regional developments.&quot; &quot;Vice Minister Yeondoo appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s role in the sustained diplomatic efforts in pursuit of peace and stability in the region and beyond,&quot; said a post on X by Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Dar also met Jeong Yeondoo, Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Pakistan PM Sharif meets Turkish FM, Korean minister in Antalya 

LAS VEGAS: Disney showcased the first theatrical trailer of the new Marvel franchise film &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; on Thursday during the closing day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The clip -- played twice for the enthusiastic audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace -- offered the first look at Robert Downey Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom. It marks the actor&#39;s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the death of Iron Man in 2019&#39;s &quot;Avengers: Endgame.&quot; The footage also teased several dramatic moments from the movie, including a fight between Gambit and Shang-Chi -- played by Channing Tatum and Simu Liu, respectively -- and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as X-Men&#39;s Professor Xavier, warning: &quot;Something&#39;s coming, something we may not be able to deter.&quot; At the very end of the trailer, Chris Evans returns as his character Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, appearing before a surprised-looking Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as the Norse god&#39;s Mjolnir hammer flies into Rogers&#39; hands. Both Evans and Downey Jr. were on the stage at CinemaCon to present the trailer alongside the film&#39;s directors, brothers Joe and Anthony Russo. &quot;I said I would only come back if there was a real reason,&quot; Evans told the crowd. &quot;And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.&quot; &quot;Avengers: Doomsday&quot; follows the events of &quot;Avengers: Endgame,&quot; bringing together a host of Marvel characters new and old, including the X-Men, previously excluded from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie will have its US premiere on December 18, the same day as Denis Villeneuve&#39;s &quot;Dune: Part Three.&quot; Theater owners hope the double-whammy will be a box office bonanza, ending the year on a high note amid declining revenues. Sequels on the way&nbsp;Marvel&#39;s presentation was the grande finale of Disney&#39;s CinemaCon showcase. The annual convention allows movie studios to preview their upcoming slates to theater owners and the press. Tom Hanks, Dwayne &quot;The Rock&quot; Johnson and Queen Latifah were among the superstars to showcase footage from their upcoming Disney films. Director Jon Favreau introduced the opening scene of his new movie, the latest Star Wars flick &quot;The Mandalorian and Grogu,&quot; out next month. Disney also played clips from the upcoming sequel films &quot;The Devil Wears Prada 2&quot; with Meryl Streep reprising her role as icy fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, and &quot;Toy Story 5,&quot; the latest Pixar animated film with lifelike toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear coming together more than 30 years since the original released.

Film & TV

Disney closed CinemaCon with the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, revealing Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers return, and previews of major upcoming sequels and franchise films.

Marvel premieres first 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer at CinemaCon

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a series of high-level meetings in Washington to project Pakistan&rsquo;s reform progress, strengthen ties with lenders and ratings agencies.&nbsp;Across engagements with the IMF, China&rsquo;s central bank, Moody&rsquo;s, JP Morgan, the OPEC Fund and IFAD, the emphasis remained on programme continuity, financial cooperation, development financing and investor confidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;IMF: Programme progress in focus &nbsp;Aurangzeb had a meeting with IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke. According to the official post, the minister briefed Clarke on Pakistan&rsquo;s external financing position, implementation of the IMF-supported programme and the broader external outlook, signalling Islamabad&rsquo;s effort to keep reform momentum aligned with macroeconomic stability.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044814357717250097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp; People&rsquo;s Bank of China: Financial cooperation and market access &nbsp;In his meeting with the Governor of the People&rsquo;s Bank of China, Aurangzeb discussed financial cooperation and market access, according to the Finance Ministry post. The engagement underlined the importance Pakistan attaches to China not only as a strategic partner, but also as a potentially important channel for deeper financial linkages and access to regional capital markets.<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=2044954399597088886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp; Moody&rsquo;s: Economic outlook and market re-entry &nbsp;Aurangzeb also met Moody&rsquo;s to discuss Pakistan&rsquo;s economic outlook and market re-entry strategy. A mirrored post snippet said the minister stressed improved economic fundamentals, and progress under the IMF programme, arguing that these factors had strengthened investor confidence as Pakistan eyes a return to external markets.&nbsp;&nbsp;J.P. Morgan: Pitch to global investors &nbsp;At a J.P. Morgan seminar, the finance minister engaged institutional investors on Pakistan&rsquo;s economic outlook. The official post said he highlighted positive economic momentum driven by sound macroeconomic management and improved fiscal and external-sector stability, before taking questions from investors.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><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=2044951347452334436&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=459175f3376a05d42cd3b385e09d99028e102825&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;OPEC Fund: Development financing expansion &nbsp;Aurangzeb&rsquo;s meeting with OPEC Fund CEO Abdulhamid Alkhalifa focused on expanded development financing cooperation. Public snippets indicate the discussion explored priority sectors and a stronger pipeline of projects, reflecting Pakistan&rsquo;s search for broader multilateral-backed development funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;IFAD: Agriculture and partnership &nbsp;The minister&rsquo;s meeting with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Alvaro Lario centred on agricultural transformation and future partnership. According to the official post, both sides agreed on the need for a more structured and scaled-up partnership, including the possible involvement of additional multilateral partners.&nbsp;

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a series of high-level meetings in Washington to project Pakistan’s reform progress, strengthen ties with lenders and ratings agencies.

Pakistan's finance minister steps up economic diplomacy with IMF, China and investors

WASHINGTON: The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, will leave his post at the agency charged with enforcing US President Donald Trump&#39;s anti-immigrant crackdown in May, the Homeland Security Secretary announced Thursday. Todd Lyons &quot;has been a great leader of ICE,&quot; said Markwayne Mullin in a statement, adding that his last day would be May 31 and wishing him luck in his &quot;next opportunity in the private sector.&quot; Lyons was appointed acting director of ICE by Trump in March 2025. He was a &quot;key player&quot; in the US president&#39;s anti-immigration drive, Mullin said. Mullin, who was appointed just a few weeks ago following the dismissal of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, did not give a reason for Lyon&#39;s departure or announce a replacement. Anti-immigrant raids The federal police has come under fire for carrying out anti-immigrant raids, with two US citizen protesters shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this year. Lyons&#39;s departure comes a month after Gregory Bovino, the face of Trump&#39;s immigration raids, resigned from the US Border Patrol after outcry over violent raids in Minneapolis. At a Department of Homeland Security oversight hearing in February, Lyons defended the law enforcement agency&#39;s work. &quot;The president tasked us with mass deportation, and we are fulfilling that mandate,&quot; he told Congress.

Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testifies in the Rayburn House Office Building on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. 

Americas

Todd Lyons, acting head of ICE, will step down on May 31 to move to the private sector amid controversy over aggressive immigration enforcement under Donald Trump.


US immigration agency interim head Todd Lyons to step down

LONDON: A top UK foreign ministry official will step down, local media reported late on Thursday, as the government faces fresh pressure over its past appointment of an associate of Jeffrey Epstein as US ambassador. The UK Foreign Office&#39;s Permanent Under-Secretary Olly Robbins will leave his role after losing the confidence of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, media including the Press Association (PA) news agency and BBC reported. Calls by opposition politicians for the prime minister himself to resign also intensified on Thursday as the government confirmed that its former Washington envoy Peter Mandelson had been appointed to his role after failing a background security check. Starmer has faced repeated questions about his judgment in selecting Mandelson, who was sacked last year only months into the post over his ties to the late convicted US sex offender Epstein. Opposition right-wing Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X that &quot;Starmer has betrayed our national security. He should go&quot;. The prime minister has accused Mandelson of lying about the extent of his ties to Epstein during the vetting process for his Washington posting. Against recommendation Following an investigation published by The Guardian newspaper, a government spokesperson confirmed that foreign ministry officials made the decision to allow Mandelson&#39;s appointment to proceed &quot;against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting&quot;. But the spokesperson said neither Starmer nor the foreign minister &quot;was aware&quot; of this &quot;until earlier this week&quot;. Starmer sacked Mandelson as ambassador after documents released by a US Congressional committee revealed new details about the depth of his ties to Epstein. Police have opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, who was arrested and bailed in February. He has not been charged and denies criminal wrongdoing. The force is investigating Mandelson over allegations he leaked sensitive documents to Epstein when he was a government minister, including during the 2008 financial crash.

Peter Mandelson - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

United Kingdom

UK PM Keir Starmer faces mounting political pressure as a senior official will resign and scrutiny deepens over the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

UK top official to step down over ex-envoy's failed vetting: Reports 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said that the if the &ldquo;military escalation and disruptions persists&rdquo; due to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, then the suffering will be prolonged and extended &ldquo;far beyond the region, translating into widespread economic hardship.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Return to peace on the other hand will benefit all,&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said.&nbsp; US President Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran could be within reach, indicating that the next round of negotiations may take place as early as this weekend, with Islamabad remaining a key venue in the diplomatic process. Meanwhile, Iran is &quot;cautiously optimistic&quot; about the outcome of negotiations with the United States to end the war, its ambassador to the United Nations said, while acknowledging deep mistrust toward Washington. While speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Iftikhar said the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;clear and unequivocal position&rdquo; on the situation was clear as, Pakistan remained &ldquo;deeply concerned at the developments over the past weeks in the region.&rdquo; The ambassador said that Pakistan prioritized de-escalation from the start and the Islamabad Talks were made possible because of the country&rsquo;s outreach efforts.&nbsp; &ldquo;Through the &lsquo;Islamabad Process,&rsquo; Pakistan is pursuing the objective of ending the war and ensuring long-term peace,&rdquo; the ambassador said. While calling for the security of ships and civilians passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador said that the situation was adversely impacting countries with consequences for regional and global economy becoming &ldquo;evidently harsh.&rdquo; &ldquo;If the military escalation and disruptions persist, the suffering will prolong and extend far beyond the region, translating into widespread economic hardship,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to continue playing its constructive role in promoting dialogue, fostering understanding, and supporting all efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Permanent Representative to UN says Pakistan remains committed to continuing to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue, fostering understanding, and supporting all efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region

Returning to peace ‘will benefit all’: Pakistan at UN 

SAN FRANCISCO: Netflix shares plummeted more than 9% on Thursday as the TV streaming titan&#39;s quarterly earnings failed to impress investors and co-founder Reed Hastings announced he is leaving. Hastings, who helped grow the revolutionary DVD-by-mail company into a global entertainment behemoth, will depart Netflix to &quot;focus on his philanthropy and other pursuits&quot; when his term as chairman of the board of directors ends in June. He ceded daily control of Netflix to co-chief executives Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos in early 2023. &quot;Netflix changed my life in so many ways,&quot; Hastings wrote in an earnings letter. &quot;My all‑time favorite memory was January 2016, when we enabled nearly the entire planet to enjoy our service.&quot; Netflix faces increasing competition from rival streaming services as well as short-form video platforms like TikTok that vie for consumers&#39; attention. The company based in Los Gatos, California, reported quarterly revenue of $12.25 billion, a result that slightly topped expectations. The share price slide came despite Netflix reporting profit of $5.28 billion, which was boosted by a fee received for the termination of a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. During the recently ended quarter, Netflix declined to sweeten its takeover offer of Warner Bros, effectively ceding the media giant to a rival bid from Paramount Skydance after deciding the deal was no longer financially attractive. Netflix logged a termination fee of $2.8 billion related to the nixed deal, according to its earnings report. By not following through on the arrangement, Netflix will likely see the storied Hollywood studio and a group of TV properties &mdash; which includes CNN &mdash; fall into the hands of Paramount, fundamentally reshaping US media. Paramount&#39;s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery is in a regulatory and shareholder approval phase. The bidding war had drawn White House attention, with President Donald Trump insisting he had a say in the outcome. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump ally, largely financed his son&#39;s takeover of Paramount and his subsequent bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. A victory by Paramount would see CNN &mdash; often the target of Trump&#39;s threats and criticism &mdash; pass to Ellison family control, amid backlash that a Paramount-owned CBS would see changes to the White House&#39;s liking. Netflix shares climbed after it stepped away from the Warner bidding, with analysts noting that money it saved could be invested in audience-drawing shows and its potentially lucrative advertising business. &quot;Netflix won with investors when it lost Warner Bros Discovery,&quot; said Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. &quot;Netflix&#39;s next challenge will be to truly diversify away from having subscriptions account for almost the entirety of its revenue.&quot; Baseball and ads The streamer&#39;s advertising platform continues to grow, and the company expects it to account for $3 billion in revenue this year, according to Peters. He added that Netflix sees opportunity in using artificial intelligence to make it easier for partners to customize ads. &quot;As the company enters a new era without Reed Hastings, advertising will play a bigger role,&quot; Benes said. Netflix is also pushing further into live sports, podcasts and games, executives said on an earnings call. The recently streamed World Baseball Classic was a hit on Netflix, according to co-chief executive Ted Sarandos. &quot;It was the most watched program we&#39;ve ever had in Japan,&quot; he said on the call. &quot;It was really exciting to see how this played out.&quot;

Hastings, who helped grow the revolutionary DVD-by-mail company into a global entertainment behemoth, will depart Netflix to "focus on his philanthropy and other pursuits" when his term as chairman of the board of directors ends in June.

Netflix shares dive as co-founder Reed Hastings steps away

Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows updates for Day 49 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 48, go <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-48" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here</a>.<hr style="line-height: 2;"><ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Donald Trump announces a 10-day Israel&ndash;Lebanon ceasefire, urging Hezbollah compliance</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">United Nations, global leaders welcome truce, emphasizing need for lasting peace</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">International Monetary Fund warns war may severely impact vulnerable economies beyond Middle East</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Iran supports ceasefire but doubts US intentions ahead of future negotiations</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;">Israel and Lebanon ceasefire begins amid tensions, uncertainty over long-term stability.</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> First South Korean tanker transits alternative Red Sea routePublished: April 17, 2026 | 08:01&nbsp;<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">GMT&nbsp;| By AFP A South Korean oil tanker has transited the Red Sea for the first time since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul&#39;s oceans ministry said on Friday. Import-dependent South Korea has taken steps to mitigate the risks to its energy supplies since US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to shut off access to the strait, now under a US blockade. Seoul has sought new sources of oil and said this month that it would send five Korean-flagged ships to the Saudi Arabian Red Sea port of Yanbu to establish alternative routes. The ministry announced on Friday the &quot;first case of crude oil being transported into the country via the Red Sea, a detour, since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz&quot;. President Lee Jae Myung called it &quot;a valuable achievement made by the relevant ministries moving as one team&quot;. &quot;I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who worked hard day and night despite difficult conditions, especially the sailors,&quot; he said on X.<hr> Trump characterizes Iran war as a &#39;little diversion&#39;Published: April 17, 2026 | 08:00&nbsp;<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk United States President Donald Trump said US had the &ldquo;best economy&rdquo; in the history of the country &ldquo;despite our little diversion to the lovely country of Iran&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Lovely place. But we had to do that, because otherwise bad things could happen. Really bad things,&rdquo; he said adding that they were &ldquo;going to see some incredible results.&rdquo; &quot;The economy is booming. Our economy is booming,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&#39;re going to have victory very shortly,&quot; he added. <hr> South Korea pledges $4.1bn stimulus amid global risks from US-Iran warPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:42<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk South Korea&rsquo;s Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol has announced that his government will &ldquo;proactively&rdquo; respond to the impact on livelihoods and supply chains due to the US-Israel war on Iran, South Korea&rsquo;s Yonhap news agency reports. &ldquo;Until the end of the war becomes clear, we will firmly maintain an emergency economic response system and actively address supply chain issues and difficulties in people&rsquo;s livelihoods,&rdquo; he said. <hr> US says 12 ships, 100 aircraft involved in blockade of Iranian portsPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:42<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">GMT&nbsp;| By Web Desk The US Central Command has said that it has deployed 12 ships, 100 aircraft and more than 10,000 troops to enforce its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports. As we reported earlier, CENTCOM claimed that 14 vessels have so far &ldquo;turned around to comply with the blockade&rdquo; since it took effect. CENTCOM also said that US forces are not blocking the Strait of Hormuz but only &ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s ports and coastline&rdquo;. <hr> Iran war &lsquo;should be ending pretty soon&rsquo;, says TrumpPublished: April 17, 2026 | 01:06GMT | By Web Desk US President Donald Trump spoke at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he said that the war in Iran is going &ldquo;swimmingly&rdquo; and that it &ldquo;should be ending pretty soon,&rdquo; Al Jazeera reported. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Trump says hopes Hezbollah &#39;acts nicely&#39; during Lebanon-Israel ceasefirePublished: April 16, 2026 | 23:46GMT | By Web Desk US President Donald Trump said he hopes the Hezbollah fighter group &quot;acts nicely and well&quot; during the 10-day ceasefire reached just hours earlier between Lebanon and Israel. &quot;I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he arrived for a speech in Las Vegas. &quot;It will be (a) GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!&quot; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> IMF warns of war&#39;s human impact far from Middle EastPublished: April 16, 2026 | 23:17GMT | By Web Desk IMF economists warned that the war in Iran could have &ldquo;very, certainly severe&rdquo; consequences far outside the region &mdash; especially for energy-importing countries. &quot;Oil-impacted importers, particularly non-resource-rich and fragile states, face deteriorating trade balances, rising living costs and limited buffers,&quot; warned Abebe Selassie, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director for Africa, at a press conference Thursday. &quot;The human consequences are almost certain to be severe,&quot; he added.

Hopes the fighter group "acts nicely and well" during the 10-day ceasefire reached between Lebanon and Israel; IMF economists say war in Iran could have “very, certainly severe” consequences far outside the region, especially for energy-importing countries.



Articles by Saima Ayub