Saqib Tanveer

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban have committed to taking &ldquo;clear, verifiable, and effective action&rdquo; against terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Pakistani sources told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;The announcement follows a five-day negotiation in Istanbul, where both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire.&nbsp;Official sources described the development as a key step toward regional peace and stability and an important milestone for international security.&nbsp;While the ceasefire will continue, Pakistani officials stressed that it is conditional on Afghanistan not being used as a launchpad for attacks against Pakistan.&nbsp;&ldquo;This outcome has been achieved through reasoned diplomacy, patience, and steadfast commitment to national interest, despite hurdles and accusations from adversaries,&rdquo; sources said.&nbsp;Afghanistan and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire during talks mediated by T&uuml;rkiye and Qatar, according to a joint statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The talks aimed to consolidate the truce originally agreed upon in Doha on Oct. 18-19, with a principal-level meeting scheduled for Nov. 6 to finalize further implementation details. <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" 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=1983980512046985585&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6652bdd701f220ebc8bad8fec5974eead6ae7a79&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 801px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The Qatar foreign ministry also confirmed the development in a post later on X. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; 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=1983996754577256826&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7c20b0e41c6bb8cfcc9ba92af1cf60b6569cb840&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The statement also confirmed that a joint monitoring and verification mechanism will be established to ensure compliance and impose penalties on violators. T&uuml;rkiye and Qatar, as mediators, praised the active participation of both sides and reaffirmed their readiness to continue supporting efforts for lasting peace and stability.&nbsp;Reaffirming the agreement, Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim government spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the talks concluded with an understanding that both sides will continue future meetings to review the remaining issues.&nbsp;Mujahid emphasized that Kabul seeks positive relations with Pakistan based on mutual respect, non-interference, and avoidance of actions that could threaten either side.&nbsp;Speaking to SAMAA TV, Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the outcome as a victory for Pakistan and thanked Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye for their mediation. He added that the responsibility now rests with the Afghan Taliban to take concrete action against terrorism.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s stance has been clear: support for terrorism must end. A mechanism for monitoring, verification, and enforcement in case of violations will also be implemented,&rdquo; he said.

Foreign Affairs

In a statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to continue their ceasefire, establish a joint monitoring mechanism, and finalize implementation details in a principal-level meeting on Nov. 6.

Afghanistan to take ‘clear, verifiable action’ against terrorists: sources

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has agreed to extend the ongoing dialogue process with Afghanistan in Istanbul following a request from the host country, T&uuml;rkiye, well-placed sources confirmed to Pakistan TV Digital on Thursday.&nbsp;The talks will resume at 2pm Pakistan Time, according to sources. &quot;It was decided to resume the dialogue process to give peace another chance,&quot; sources said. The talks will focus on Pakistan&rsquo;s central demand that Afghanistan take clear, verifiable and effective action against terrorists, the sources added. Pakistan has once again stressed that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism against it. The sources appreciated the constructive role of the hosts and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to pursuing a peaceful resolution through dialogue in good faith. BackgroundThe four-day high-level security talks between the two South Asian nations in Istanbul had ended on Tuesday without an agreement after the Afghan delegation &ldquo;declined to accept verifiable measures&rdquo; against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).&nbsp;&ldquo;The Afghan side did not sign the final draft despite multiple near-agreements,&rdquo; a senior security source added.&nbsp;Pakistan presented evidence and proposed enforcement steps to curb cross-border attacks, but Kabul &ldquo;avoided concrete commitments,&rdquo; another source said. Mediators from Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye facilitated the discussions. On Oct. 17, the two countries had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, and for a second round of talks in Istanbul.&nbsp; Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban leadership to act against the proscribed TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), saying both groups operate from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Officials note that commitments made under the Doha Agreement have not been fully implemented.&nbsp;Earlier, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said Pakistan joined the Doha and Istanbul rounds &ldquo;to give peace a chance&rdquo; at the request of Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye. However, he said, the Afghan side resorted to &ldquo;blame, deflection, and excuses,&rdquo; leaving the dialogue fruitless.

Security

At the request of the host country, Türkiye, the talks will resume at 2pm Pakistan Time, sources said.

Pakistan agrees to extend dialogue process with Afghan Taliban in Istanbul: sources

ISLAMABAD: High-level security talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul ended without an agreement, sources told Pakistan TV Digital on Wednesday. According to the sources, the four-day negotiations concluded after the Afghan delegation &ldquo;declined to accept verifiable measures&rdquo; against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). &ldquo;The central issue was verifiable action to restrain the TTP and prevent cross-border attacks,&rdquo; a senior security source said. &ldquo;The Afghan side did not sign the final draft despite multiple near-agreements.&rdquo; Pakistan, the sources said, presented evidence and proposed enforcement steps, but the Afghan delegation &ldquo;kept avoiding concrete commitments.&rdquo; &ldquo;They acknowledged the concern but would not agree to mechanisms of verification. This affects peace and stability,&rdquo; another source said. Mediators from Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye facilitated the discussions. Pakistan thanked both host countries for their role. Patience ran its courseIn a detailed statement on X, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said Pakistan had engaged the Afghan Taliban leadership repeatedly after their takeover in Kabul to address &ldquo;persistent cross-border terrorism&rdquo; carried out by &ldquo;Indian-abetted TTP and the Indian proxy BLA [Balochistan Liberation Army].&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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 393px; 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=1983278941944107396&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=de3a52aa346e03965fbbca4d6dd1ec9b26cd3cee&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> &ldquo;Pakistan has time and again asked the Afghan Taliban regime to fulfil their written commitments under the Doha Agreement,&rdquo; Tarar said. He said Pakistani efforts had &ldquo;proved futile&rdquo; due to what he described as &ldquo;unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists&rdquo; inside Afghanistan. &ldquo;For four years, Pakistan has borne heavy losses in men and material. Pakistan&rsquo;s patience has run its course,&rdquo; he said. Tarar added that Pakistan attended the Doha and Istanbul rounds &ldquo;to give peace a chance&rdquo; at the request of Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye. &ldquo;Irrefutable evidence was shared and acknowledged by the Afghan side and the hosts,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But instead of taking responsibility, the Afghan Taliban resorted to blame, deflection, and excuses. The dialogue, therefore, failed to produce any workable outcome.&rdquo; He said Pakistan would continue to take &ldquo;all necessary measures to protect its people&rdquo; and &ldquo;eliminate terrorists, their sanctuaries, abettors and supporters.&rdquo;

After four days of talks in Türkiye, negotiations end without agreement as Afghanistan decline verifiable action against cross-border militants, prompting concern from mediators and leaving future dialogue prospects uncertain.

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban talks in Istanbul end without resolution

ISLAMABAD: Talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban representatives are underway in Doha, focusing on recent border clashes between the two countries. Earlier,&nbsp;Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and ISI Director General and National Security Adviser Gen Asim Malik landed in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday ahead of talks scheduled with the Afghan delegation, security sources say. The delegations from both sides comprise the defense ministers and the intelligence chiefs, they said. The sources said Abdul Haq Wasiq, Head of Intelligence of Afghanistan, and Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, the defense minister, have also landed in Doha. The talks began at 2pm Pakistan Standard Time. &nbsp;&nbsp;Foreign ministry&#39;s statement&nbsp;A statement issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said: &ldquo;A high-level delegation from Pakistan, led by our Minister of Defence, will hold discussions with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; 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=1979475426478301661&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=2cc6de8cbe1833a3d11cfc7947ef4e8e7289f162&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;The talks will focus on immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.&rdquo; The statement further said: &ldquo;Pakistan does not seek escalation but urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan&rsquo;s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the FAK/TTP and FAH/BLA.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pakistan appreciates the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region,&rdquo; it added. Ceasefire and planned talks&nbsp;Earlier this week, Islamabad and Kabul agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire, following several days of intense cross-border fighting, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed. Security officials told Pakistan TV Digital that the upcoming Doha talks aim to &ldquo;defuse tensions and establish a mechanism to prevent future border incidents.&rdquo; Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said both sides are making &ldquo;sincere efforts&rdquo; to achieve a peaceful resolution. &ldquo;Pakistan believes in dialogue and remains committed to peace,&rdquo; Khan said at a weekly press briefing. &ldquo;Both countries are exploring constructive and sustainable solutions to these complex but solvable issues.&rdquo; Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim government also confirmed the continuation of discussions. Speaking to Ariana News, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the ceasefire has been extended until the conclusion of planned talks, according to a report by Reuters. Khan added that Islamabad continues to maintain diplomatic engagement with Kabul. &nbsp;&ldquo;There is no downgrade in relations,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But Pakistan will continue to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and people at all costs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Repatriation of Afghan nationalsMeanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all federal and provincial authorities to expedite the repatriation of Afghans residing illegally in Pakistan, citing mounting security concerns and recent attacks originating from Afghan territory. Chairing a high-level meeting attended by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, and provincial representatives, Sharif said: &ldquo;Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan in difficult times, but the involvement of Afghans in recent terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil is deeply concerning.&rdquo; Officials briefed the meeting that 1,477,592 Afghans have already been repatriated under the ongoing phased process. Only those holding valid Pakistani visas will be permitted to stay in the country, they added. Pakistan launched its Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP) in 2023, under which tens of thousands of Afghans who had fled decades of war and deprivation have since returned to Afghanistan.

Pakistan's delegation is represented by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and DG ISI Asim Malik; the Afghan side is represented by Abdul Haq Wasiq, Head of Afghan Intelligence, and Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, the defense minister.  

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban hold talks in Doha on border clashes

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;A suicide attack by khawarij (terrorists) aimed at security forces of Pakistan was foiled in Mir Ali, North Waziristan District, security sources said on Friday. According to the sources, a terrorist rammed an explosive‑laden vehicle into the wall of a security forces camp, which detonated. After that, three more terrorists tried to enter the camp, they said.&nbsp;As a result of timely and brave action, all three terrorists were killed outside the camp, while the security forces suffered no loss or damage. In just the past two days, 88 terrorists supported by the Afghan Taliban have been killed. &ldquo;God willing, under the National Action Plan (NAP), the Pakistan Armed Forces and the law‑enforcement agencies will remain steadfast in defending the country until the last terrorist is eliminated,&rdquo; the sources said. Vehicle laden with explosives seized&nbsp;Moreover, security forces seized a vehicle belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij that was laden with hundreds of kilograms of explosives, security sources said on Friday. According to reports, the terrrists had planned to drive the vehicle into a civilian settlement in Bajaur and detonate it, the sources said. Security forces destroyed the vehicle. There were no casualties or injuries among security forces or civilians, they said. The explosives were being brought from Afghanistan into Pakistan along with smuggled goods, the sources said. Pakistan, Afghanistan to hold talks Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to hold talks to defuse ongoing border tensions, security sources confirmed to Pakistan TV Digital on Thursday, following a week of deadly clashes and a temporary 48-hour ceasefire. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing his cabinet earlier in the day in Islamabad, said the &ldquo;ball is in the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s court&rdquo; to ensure a lasting truce and address Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns. &ldquo;If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,&rdquo; Sharif said, stressing that Afghan territory must not be used for attacks inside Pakistan. His remarks came as the Pakistan Army announced that more than 80 militants were killed in a series of counterterrorism operations along the frontier, even as the ceasefire remained in effect. Major infiltration attempt foiled According to the military&rsquo;s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces foiled a major infiltration attempt in the Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 45 militants linked to Fitna al-Khwarij, a term used by Islamabad for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The ISPR said the attackers had crossed from Afghanistan intending to strike targets inside Pakistan. &ldquo;Between 45 and 50 militants were killed, while several others were injured,&rdquo; the statement added. In earlier operations between October 13 and 15, the army targeted militant hideouts in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Bannu districts, killing 34 terrorists, including 18 in North Waziristan&rsquo;s Spinwam area, eight in South Waziristan, and another eight in Bannu, after intense exchanges of fire. The military described the operations as part of a broader campaign against groups backed by &ldquo;hostile intelligence networks.&rdquo; The clashes this week were among the most serious in months, leaving dozens of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides before the ceasefire took effect. The latest exchange comes after cross-border assaults on the night of October 11&ndash;12, when Afghan Taliban fighters and allied militants launched coordinated attacks along multiple sectors. Pakistani forces repelled the offensive, killing over 200 attackers, while 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom, according to the military&rsquo;s media wing ISPR. As both sides prepare for talks, Sharif&rsquo;s remarks signal Islamabad&rsquo;s firm stance: any enduring peace, officials say, will depend on Kabul&rsquo;s willingness to rein in militants operating from Afghan soil.

According to security sources, a terrorist rammed an explosive‑laden vehicle into the wall of a security forces camp, which detonated; three more terrorists tried to enter the camp who were killed.

Suicide attack in Pakistan’s northwest foiled, four terrorists killed: security sources

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s top spy, Lt. General Asim Malik, will continue dispensing his duties, security sources confirmed to Pakistan TV Digital. He is also serving as the National Security Adviser (NSA). A decision has been made to extend his service, security officials confirmed.&nbsp; Lt. Gen. Asim Malik was appointed as Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in September 2024 for a one-year term.&nbsp;He had replaced Lt. General Nadeem Anjum. General Asim Malik is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and Fort Leavenworth in the United States. He&nbsp;has also served as Adjutant General at the GHQ. He commanded the 41st Infantry Division in Balochistan and an Infantry Brigade in Waziristan as well. He also has the prestigious Sword of Honor from the Pakistan Military Academy. He belongs to the 80th Long Course. He has served as an instructor at Pakistan&rsquo;s prestigious National Defence University and the Command and Staff College in Quetta. Lt. Gen. Asim Malik accompanied Field Marshal Asim Munir to the US in June 2025. During this visit, US President Donald Trump hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir, a meeting widely viewed as a turning point in relations between Pakistan and the US.

Pakistan’s top spy is to continue dispensing his duties, security sources confirmed to Pakistan TV Digital.

Lt. Gen. Asim Malik to continue as Pakistan's top spy: security sources

We are launching Pakistan TV Digital today as an English-language digital platform aimed at delivering an authoritative Pakistani voice to international audiences, addressing a void in global media coverage.&nbsp;We aim to bridge information gaps by sharing Pakistan&#39;s perspective on national and international developments, shifting from the text-only approach of existing English-language Pakistani outlets to a video-first strategy.&nbsp;Pakistan TV Digital operates under Pakistan Television Corporation with an independent editorial framework covering international events from a Pakistani lens.&nbsp;Currently, Pakistan lacks a dedicated English-language digital platform that consistently represents the country&#39;s perspective to international audiences. This gap often results in incomplete or externally shaped narratives about Pakistan&#39;s realities and significance.&nbsp;While presenting Pakistan&#39;s viewpoint remains central to the mission, we will also keep a strong focus on international news tailored for a global audience.&nbsp;Pakistan TV Digital will leverage a comprehensive content sourcing strategy that combines in-house reporting with international partnerships.&nbsp;Our digital-first approach will distribute content across multiple platforms, including our website, YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, with content optimized for each platform&#39;s specific needs.&nbsp;Who are we?We are a team of experienced journalists and content creators with a talent for storytelling and objective journalism. We combine youth and experience to deliver stories in an engaging way that connects with a diverse audience. We believe facts are important, but they lose their relevance if not presented in the proper context. That is what we aim to do here.&nbsp;&nbsp;We have established core reporting teams that are spread across Pakistan and major international capitals. Content partnerships with reputable international wire services will ensure real-time access to verified international news while maintaining editorial independence in presentation and analysis.&nbsp;Behind this launch is a team that has dedicated countless hours of creativity, research, and determination to turn this vision into reality. From reporters and editors to producers and designers, each person has contributed not just skill, but their heart, to the work.&nbsp;To our readers and viewers, welcome. We aim to bring you journalism that earns your trust day after day.&nbsp;Today, as we launch this platform, we commit to presenting facts with proper context and maintaining unwavering dedication to upholding the highest journalistic standards in all our coverage.&nbsp;Let the journey begin. Saqib Tanveer is the Editor-in-Chief/Managing Editor of Pakistan TV Digital.

Articles

Operates under Pakistan Television Corporation with an independent editorial framework covering international events from a Pakistani lens

What is Pakistan TV Digital?

SYDNEY: Tech giant Meta urged Australia on Monday to rethink its world-first social media ban for under-16s, while reporting that it has blocked more than 544,000 accounts under the new law. Australia has required big platforms, including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, to stop underage users from holding accounts since the legislation came into force on December 10 last year. Companies face fines of Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) if they fail to take &quot;reasonable steps&quot; to comply. Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg&#39;s Meta said it had removed 331,000 underage accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook, and 40,000 from Threads in the week to December 11. The company said it was committed to complying with the law. &quot;That said, we call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward, such as incentivizing all of industry to raise the standard in providing safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate experiences online, instead of blanket bans,&quot; it said in a statement. Meta renewed an earlier call for app stores to be required to verify people&#39;s ages and get parental approval before under-16s can download an app. This was the only way to avoid a &quot;whack-a-mole&quot; race to stop teens migrating to new apps to avoid the ban, the company said. Meta said parents and experts were worried about the ban isolating young people from online communities, and driving some to less regulated apps and darker corners of the internet. Initial impacts of the legislation &quot;suggest it is not meeting its objectives of increasing the safety and well-being of young Australians,&quot; it argued. While raising concerns over the lack of an industry standard for determining age online, Meta said its compliance with the Australian law would be a &quot;multilayered process.&quot; Since the ban, the California-based firm said it had helped found the OpenAge Initiative, a non-profit group that has launched age-verification tools called AgeKeys to be used with participating platforms.

Australasia

Australia has required big platforms, including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, to stop underage users from holding accounts since the legislation came into force on December 10 last year; companies face fines of Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply.

Meta urges Australia to change teen social media ban

Asfandyar Yahya

It&rsquo;s not English. It&rsquo;s not nonsense. It&rsquo;s everywhere. Lorem Ipsum has outlived empires, printing presses, and software updates, and somehow ended up on your Canva template.In this episode, we explore the history behind the internet&rsquo;s favorite filler text.

Tell Me Why

Tell Me Why: Lorem Ipsum matters

SYDNEY: Australia&#39;s leading Adelaide Festival is battling a slew of artist withdrawals and board resignations after disinviting a Palestinian-Australian author citing &quot;cultural sensitivities&quot; raised by the Bondi Beach shooting. Scores of artists have reportedly torn up their invitations, several board members &mdash; including the festival chair &mdash; have quit, and the blocked author&#39;s lawyers have demanded an explanation. Australia&#39;s premier annual cultural event, which lures artists from around the world, unleashed the storm last week when it told Randa Abdel-Fattah it did not &quot;wish to proceed&quot; with her appearance at its Writers&#39; Week. &quot;Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements, we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi,&quot; it said in a statement. The festival board said it was &quot;shocked and saddened&quot; by the December 14 mass shooting at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people, and its decision to exclude Abdel-Fattah was not taken lightly. But the shunned author and academic said it was a &quot;blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism.&quot; It was a &quot;despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre,&quot; she said in a statement. Her legal representatives, Marque Lawyers, sent a letter to the festival on Sunday demanding that it identify statements by the author that justified excluding her. Marque Lawyers&#39; managing partner Michael Bradley said the festival had &quot;trampled&quot; on Abdel-Fattah&#39;s human rights, and the board would have to answer for it. Festival chair resigns Abdel-Fattah has faced criticism over some statements, including a post on X in October 2024 saying: &quot;The goal is decolonization and the end of this murderous Zionist colony.&quot; Local media said her exclusion had led more than 70 participants to withdraw from the festival, which runs from February 27 to March 15. They included author and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who posted a video on social media of himself tearing up his invitation. Three Adelaide Festival board members reportedly resigned their positions at an extraordinary meeting on Saturday. On Sunday, the festival chair, Tracey Whiting, announced she, too, had resigned with immediate effect. &quot;Recent decisions were bound by certain undertakings, and my resignation enables the Adelaide Festival, as an organization, to refresh its leadership and its approach to these circumstances,&quot; she said. South Australia&#39;s Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was legally prevented from directing the board&#39;s decisions. &quot;However, when asked for my opinion, I was happy to make it clear that the state government did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah on the Adelaide Writers&#39; Week program,&quot; he told local media. The Adelaide Festival said it had &quot;temporarily unpublished&quot; the list of participants and events in Writers&#39; Week while it works through changes to its website.

Australia's premier annual cultural event unleashes storm after telling Randa Abdel-Fattah it does not "wish to proceed" with her appearance at its Writers' Week; scores of artists have torn up invitations, several board members have quit, and the blocked author's lawyers have demanded an explanation; shunned author and academic says it is a "blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism."





Arts festival faces exodus after dropping Palestinian Australian author

COPENHAGEN: Denmark&#39;s prime minister on Sunday said her country faces a &quot;decisive moment&quot; in its diplomatic battle with the United States over Greenland, after President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the Arctic territory. Ahead of meetings in Washington from Monday on, the global scramble for key raw materials, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that &quot;there is a conflict over Greenland.&quot; &quot;This is a decisive moment&quot; with stakes that go beyond the immediate issue of Greenland&#39;s future, she added in a debate with other Danish political leaders. Frederiksen posted on Facebook that &quot;we are ready to defend our values &mdash; wherever it is necessary &nbsp;&mdash; also in the Arctic. We believe in international law and in people&#39;s right to self-determination.&quot; Germany and Sweden backed Denmark against Trump&#39;s latest claims to the self-governing Danish territory. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned US &quot;threatening rhetoric&quot; after Trump repeated that Washington was &quot;going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.&quot; &quot;Sweden, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, and several major European countries stand together with our Danish friends,&quot; he told a defense conference in Salen, where the US general in charge of NATO took part. Kristersson said a US takeover of mineral-rich Greenland would be &quot;a violation of international law and risks encouraging other countries to act in exactly the same way.&quot; No &#39;immediate threat&#39; Germany reiterated its support for Denmark and Greenland ahead of the Washington discussions. Before meeting US counterpart Marco Rubio on Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadehpul held talks in Iceland to address the &quot;strategic challenges of the Far North&quot;, according to a foreign ministry statement. &quot;Security in the Arctic is becoming more and more important,&quot; and &quot;is part of our common interest in NATO,&quot; he said at a joint news conference with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir. &quot;If the American president is looking at what threats might come from Russian or Chinese ships or submarines in the region, we can of course find answers to that together,&quot; he added. But &quot;the future of Greenland must be decided by the people of Greenland&quot; and Denmark, he said. Asked about a possible strengthening of NATO&#39;s commitment in the Arctic, Wadephul said Germany was &quot;ready to assume greater responsibilities.&quot; Earlier Sunday, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said: &quot;We are strengthening security in the Arctic together, as NATO allies, and not against one another.&quot; He was speaking ahead of an international meeting on critical raw materials in Washington. European nations have scrambled to coordinate a response after the White House said this week that Trump wanted to buy Greenland and refused to rule out military action. On Tuesday, leaders of seven European countries, including France, Britain, Germany, and Italy, signed a letter saying it is &quot;only&quot; for Denmark and Greenland to decide the territory&#39;s future. Trump says controlling the island is crucial for US national security because of the rising Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic. NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Alexus Grynkewich told the Swedish conference that alliance members were discussing Greenland&#39;s status. While there was &quot;no immediate threat&quot; to NATO territory, the Arctic&#39;s strategic importance was fast growing, the US general added. Grynkewich said he would not comment on &quot;the political dimensions of recent rhetoric,&quot; but talks on Greenland were being held at the North Atlantic Council. &quot;Those dialogues continue in Brussels. They have been healthy dialogues from what I&#39;ve heard,&quot; the general said. A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark. Polls indicate that Greenland&#39;s population strongly opposes a US takeover. &quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s an immediate threat to NATO territory right now,&quot; Grynkewich told the conference. But he said Russian and Chinese vessels had been seen patrolling together on Russia&#39;s northern coast and near Alaska and Canada, working together to get greater access to the Arctic as ice recedes due to global warming.

Europe

PM Frederiksen says “we are ready to defend our values — wherever it is necessary  — also in the Arctic. We believe in international law and in peoples' right to self-determination"; Swedish PM condemns US "threatening rhetoric" after Trump repeats that Washington was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not."

Danish PM says Greenland showdown at 'decisive moment' after new Trump threats

LONDON: Demonstrators rallied in London, Paris and Istanbul on Sunday in support of protests in Iran that have been countered with a deadly crackdown by the country&#39;s security forces. London demonstrations, initially in front of the Iranian embassy and later in front of the British prime minister&#39;s residence, grew to several thousand as the day progressed. &quot;We want revolution, change the regime,&quot; Afsi, a 38-year-old Iranian, who declined to give her last name, told AFP at the rally in front of Downing Street. Afsi has lived in London for seven years, and has not been able to contact her family in Iran because of an internet blackout imposed by authorities since Thursday. &ldquo;It&#39;s so frustrating, but it&#39;s not the first time,&quot; he said. &quot;This time, we have hope ... we feel like we can do it (overthrow the government) this time.&quot; In Paris, more than 2,000 people waving Iran&#39;s flag from before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 demonstrated, to chants of &quot;No to the terrorist Islamic Republic.&quot; Police did not allow them to approach the Iranian embassy. &quot;Close the mullahs&#39; embassy, the terrorist factory,&quot; some demonstrators yelled. A 20-year-old Iranian student living in Paris, who gave his first name as Arya, said: &quot;In Iran, the people are rising up in the streets, and we Iranians outside Iran are here to show we are with them, and they are not alone.&quot; He said he was waiting to hear what the son of Iran&#39;s last shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, &quot;will tell us to do.&quot; Pahlavi has emerged as a potential figurehead for government opponents. The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have lasted two weeks and become a movement against the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution. Iranian authorities have called the protesters &quot;rioters&quot; who are backed by the United States and Israel. In Istanbul, demonstrators voicing support for the Iranian protesters gathered in steady rain. Police cordoned off the area outside the Iranian consulate and the crowd was kept away from the mission. &quot;It&#39;s been 72 hours since we had any news from the country, from our families. No internet or television, we can&#39;t reach Iran anymore,&quot; said Nina, a young Iranian living in Turkey who had the Iranian flag and red tears painted on her face. &quot;The regime kills at random &mdash; whether families are on foot or in a car, whether there are children. It spares no one,&quot; she added. The crackdown by Iran&#39;s authorities has resulted in at least 192 deaths, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights. The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received &quot;credible&quot; accounts of &quot;hundreds of protesters&quot; killed across Iran since the internet clampdown started. The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany on Friday condemned the &quot;killing of protestors&quot; in Iran, while US President Donald Trump said Saturday his country stood &quot;ready to help&quot; as Iranians protest. One of the demonstrators in London, Fahimeh Moradi, 52, said she was taking part &quot;to support the Iranian people who are killed and murdered by the Iran regime &mdash; we don&#39;t want the Islamic Republic of Iran, we hate them!&quot; She added, &quot;My son is there, and I don&#39;t know if he&#39;s alive or not. We just want this murderous regime to leave Iran, that&#39;s it!&quot;

Middle East

The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have lasted two weeks and become a movement against the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution; Iranian authorities have called the protesters "rioters" who are backed by the United States and Israel.

Demonstrators in London, Paris, Istanbul back Iran protests 

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.

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.

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.

Articles by Saqib Tanveer