Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar

Pakistan&rsquo;s recent success in Marka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos is a golden chapter in our national history. These operations not only safeguarded our borders but also infused new energy and confidence into Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomacy. Today, the world sees Pakistan as a nation that, while resolutely defending its security, also champions peace, cooperation, and global justice with credibility. In the aftermath of Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan&rsquo;s positions are being heard with renewed seriousness at the international level. At forums such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and other regional platforms, Pakistan has articulated its narrative with greater confidence. The message has been clear: Pakistan is not only a military power but also an increasingly influential diplomatic player. A significant outcome of Marka-e-Haq has been the acknowledgment of Pakistan&rsquo;s narrative by major global powers. The United States, in particular, recognized Pakistan&rsquo;s sacrifices and success in defeating terrorism and maintaining regional stability. Continuous engagement at senior levels in Washington reaffirmed that Pakistan&rsquo;s voice is now being taken seriously in shaping regional security and counter-terrorism frameworks. This acknowledgment by great powers underscores the credibility Pakistan has earned through both military resilience and diplomatic outreach. Following this military success, Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic activity has remained intense and continues unabated. In July, Pakistan assumed the Presidency of the UN Security Council. During this tenure, Pakistan chaired three signature events: on multilateralism, UN-OIC cooperation, and a quarterly debate on Palestine. Under Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership, Resolution 2788 was unanimously adopted, further cementing our credibility on the global stage. On Palestine, Pakistan raised its voice not only for justice but also as a rallying force for the Islamic world and the Global South. From August 17-19, I undertook an official visit to the United Kingdom, where renewed connectivity through the announcement of the resumption of PIA flights, a reinvigorated UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue, and engagement with the 1.7 million-strong British-Pakistani community opened new avenues of partnership. On August 20, I traveled to Kabul for the Trilateral Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Meeting with Afghanistan and China. The talks addressed transit trade, the signing of the framework agreement of the joint feasibility study of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project, and counter-terrorism, areas crucial for regional peace and connectivity. The very next day, on August 21, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Islamabad. During this visit, both sides agreed to elevate cooperation under CPEC 2.0, expand collaboration in minerals, ICT, and agriculture, and reaffirmed strong mutual support, particularly on the issue of Jammu &amp; Kashmir. Shortly thereafter, I undertook a historic visit to Bangladesh (August 23-24), the first by a Pakistani Foreign Minister in thirteen years. The visit yielded six agreements, enhanced scholarships for Bangladeshi students, and a renewed commitment to people-to-people ties. From Dhaka, I proceeded directly to Jeddah (August 25) to lead Pakistan&rsquo;s delegation at the OIC Extraordinary Session on Palestine. The conference adopted a strong resolution condemning Israeli aggression, reflecting the united stance of the Muslim Ummah. Pakistan&rsquo;s role in building consensus and pushing for accountability was widely acknowledged. More recently, the Prime Minister and I attended the SCO Heads of State Summit in Tianjin and Beijing (August 31-September 1). This engagement provided Pakistan with an important opportunity to deepen cooperation with member states across critical areas, including connectivity, trade, energy, and regional security. The Summit reaffirmed that Pakistan&rsquo;s role within SCO is central to advancing the organisation&rsquo;s vision of regional peace and shared prosperity. Earlier this month, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan also visited Islamabad (August 8-9), engaging in constructive discussions. In addition, several trade, defense, and government delegations have been visiting Pakistan, which is clear evidence that the world is now paying closer attention to us. These developments underscore an important truth: Pakistan today is not merely a military power; it is emerging as a diplomatic force. Whether it is Kashmir or Palestine, CPEC&rsquo;s expansion or the trilateral railway project, closer ties with the West and East, or Pakistan&rsquo;s enhanced role in the SCO, Pakistan is playing a meaningful and visible role at every front. Most recently, I participated in the preparatory ministerial meeting of the Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha on September 14, ahead of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s participation the following day. Pakistan&rsquo;s position was clear and principled: we unequivocally condemned Israel&rsquo;s grave violations of sovereignty and international law, including the strikes against Qatar amid the ongoing onslaught in Palestine. We reaffirmed solidarity with Qatar, the Palestinian people, and all nations subjected to such unlawful aggression, while calling for enforceable measures to hold Israel accountable and for deterrent actions to prevent recurrence. Above all, we underlined that only a united and coordinated response by the Arab and Islamic world can ensure justice, safeguard peace, and uphold the collective security and sovereignty of the Ummah. Looking ahead, our responsibility is to translate this diplomatic strength into lasting national gains. That requires consolidating our economy, advancing the agenda of peace and cooperation in the region, and further strengthening Pakistan&rsquo;s global standing. Together, military success and diplomatic achievement are the twin pillars that will continue to uphold Pakistan as a respected and sovereign state in the international community. The writer is the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan.

Articles

We need to translate our diplomatic strength into lasting national gains to consolidate our economy, advance the agenda of peace and cooperation in the region, and further strengthen Pakistan’s global standing.

Pakistan’s diplomatic strength post-Marka-e-Haq

HONG KONG:&nbsp;Oil prices bounced higher on Thursday while Asian stocks mostly fell, as new US strikes on Iran marked the latest test of a shaky ceasefire in the Middle East war. The price jumps erased much of Wednesday&#39;s declines on the hopes of an imminent deal to end the conflict that has all but halted shipping through the crucial <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/asia-stocks-oil-prices-mixed-on-usiran-deal-uncertainty" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strait of Hormuz</a> for months. An American official said the military had shot down four Iranian drones and struck a control center in the southern city of Bandar Abbas. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, described the latest actions as &quot;measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire&quot;. Tehran&#39;s state media said Iranian forces had fired at four ships in the strait, while Kuwait said its air defenses were responding to missile and drone attacks. The developments came despite an Iranian official saying renewed hostilities with the United States were unlikely, and a threat from US President Donald Trump to &quot;finish the job&quot; if a peace deal was not reached.&nbsp;Mixed signals&nbsp;The mixed signals underscored the fragile state of talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, which has profoundly shaken <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/oil-falls-asian-stocks-climb-on-hopes-of-usiran-hormuz-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">global energy markets</a>. Brent North Sea crude, the main international benchmark, rose by 1.8% in Thursday morning trade to $95.95 a barrel, while the main US contract, WTI, increased by 1.7% to $90.17. Stock markets across Asia were mostly down, with Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng index dipping more than 1.5%. Seoul was down nearly one percent, while Shanghai ticked 0.3% lower. Taipei&#39;s main index gained more than one percent, while Tokyo was flat at the midday break. The declines came after a strong day for global stocks on Wednesday, as investors, bullish on artificial intelligence, looked past the conflicting headlines on Iran. In Asia, South Korean chipmaker SK hynix hit a $1 trillion market capitalization, placing it alongside regional tech heavyweights Samsung Electronics and TSMC, as well as US chipmaker Micron. The tech surge has coincided with a persistent spike in energy prices, which has threatened several major Asian economies that rely on oil shipments from the Middle East. Economists warn that central banks may have to raise interest rates if inflation worsens as a result of the war, increasing borrowing costs and potentially weighing on economic growth. On Wednesday, &quot;every headline pulled the market in a different direction, leaving traders with the same conclusion they have been wrestling with for weeks&quot;, said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. &quot;The Strait may eventually reopen fully, but until there is something more concrete than draft frameworks and political theatre, every barrel remains hostage to headline volatility, even if sub-$100,&quot; he said. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Key figures at around 0230 GMT&nbsp;</h2>Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.8% at $95.95 a barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.7% at $90.17 a barrel Tokyo - Nikkei 225: FLAT at 64,980.63 points Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.5% at&nbsp;24,943.99 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3% at&nbsp;4,082.86 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1614 from $1.1629 on Wednesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3405 from $1.3434 Dollar/yen: UP at 159.54 from 159.53 yen Euro/pound: UP at 86.64 from 86.59 pence New York - DOW: UP 0.4% at 50,644.28 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1% at 10,505.01 (close)

Business

The mixed signals underscored the fragile state of talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, which has profoundly shaken global energy markets.

Oil prices bounce higher after new US strikes on Iran   

Faraz Saeed

Pakistan TV Digital&#39;s Faraz Saeed marks Eid Al-Adha in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, offering prayers at the central mosque while covering the International Water Conference 2026.

Asia

Pakistan TV Digital's Faraz Saeed marks Eid Al-Adha in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, offering prayers at the central mosque while covering the International Water Conference 2026.


Eid Al-Adha in Dushanbe: Pakistan TV Digital's Faraz Saeed joins prayers at landmark central mosque

Muhammad Usman Amin

As Eid Al-Adha is celebrated across Pakistan, markets stocked up on everything from sacrificial knives and cleavers to barbecue skewers, grills, and charcoal.&nbsp; Peshawar&#39;s Reti Bazar emerged as a key hub for sacrificial tools and barbecue gear, with ironmongers and wholesalers moving 1&ndash;2 tons of skewers per shop daily to meet the national demand.

Shorts

Peshawar's Reti Bazar emerged as a key hub for sacrificial tools and barbecue gear, with ironmongers and wholesalers moving 1–2 tons of skewers per shop daily to meet the national demand.



Peshawar's Reti Bazar braces for Eid rush as demand for sacrificial tools, barbecue gear surges

Asfandyar Yahya

Eid ul-Adha goes back 4,000 years to Prophet Ibrahim&#39;s test of devotion.&nbsp; Today in Pakistan alone, over six million animals are sacrificed across three days, with 1.8 billion dollars changing hands and one-third of all meat distributed directly to those who cannot afford it.

Tell Me Why

Today in Pakistan alone, over six million animals are sacrificed across three days, with 1.8 billion dollars changing hands and one-third of all meat distributed directly to those who cannot afford it.



Tell Me Why: We celebrate Eid al-Adha

Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.<hr style="line-height: 2;">Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Oil prices continue to slide as investors monitor US-Iran negotiations</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Hezbollah says it carried out 37 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Trump claims &lsquo;nobody&rsquo;s going to control&rsquo; the Strait of Hormuz</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Iran&#39;s president appreciates Pakistan&#39;s peace efforts</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Israel kills chief of Hamas armed wing in Gaza strike</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Pakistan, Saudi interior ministers discuss latest regional situation&nbsp;Published: May 28, 2026 | 04:45 GMT | by Web Desk Pakistan&#39;s Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had a meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, said a post by Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Interior on X on Thursday. A detailed exchange of views took place during the meeting regarding Pakistan-Saudi bilateral relations and internal security matters.<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=2059849863593095456&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=9cfb5131b4917d6a01888e54fe609d9c3fc3c6d8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 456px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2059849863593095456"></iframe></div></div>A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia&#39;s Ministry of Interior will soon visit Pakistan to enhance bilateral cooperation, the post said. Both interior ministers also discussed the latest situation in the region.&nbsp; Saudi Arabia&#39;s interior minister appreciated Pakistan&#39;s positive role in reducing tensions, the social media post added.&nbsp; <hr> Mideast war reshaping national energy strategies: IEAPublished: May 28, 2026 | 04:21 GMT | by AFP The Middle East war is pushing countries to open new supply routes and turn to domestic resources to tide over the world&#39;s biggest energy crisis, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. &quot;We are in the midst of the largest energy security crisis the world has ever faced &ndash;- and I believe this will reshape investment strategies globally, with parallels to the major changes the energy world witnessed after the oil shocks of the 1970s,&quot; said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. &quot;We are already seeing intensified efforts by both producer and consumer countries to diversify trade routes and energy sources -&ndash; such as advancing new pipelines and other supply infrastructure, on the one hand, and turning more to domestically available resources, on the other,&quot; he added in the World Energy Investment report by the energy agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The IEA estimates that global energy investment will reach $3.4 trillion in 2026, slightly higher than the previous year, with around $2.2 trillion devoted to power grids, storage, low-emission fuels, nuclear, renewables, energy efficiency and electrification. Alongside this, around $1.2 trillion is expected to be invested in oil, natural gas and coal. It nevertheless expects oil investment to decline for the third straight year in 2026, falling below $500 billion despite rising crude prices. <hr> Iran Guards say targeted US base in retaliation for strikes: State TVPublished: May 28, 2026 | 03:57 GMT | by AFP The Iranian Revolutionary Guards targeted an American base on Thursday in retaliation for US strikes on the country&#39;s south, Iran&#39;s state broadcaster IRIB reported. &quot;Following this morning&#39;s aggression by the invading US military against a location on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the American air base that served as the source of the attack was targeted at 4:50 am (0120 GMT),&quot; the Guards said, according to IRIB. It did not provide details of the location of the base, though Kuwait, said it was responding to missile and drone attacks on Thursday morning. <hr> Iran forces fired at 4 ships attempting to cross Hormuz: State broadcasterPublished: May 28, 2026 | 03:11GMT | by AFP Iranian forces fired at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday, the same day Washington carried out fresh strikes on southern Iran. &quot;Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,&quot; IRIB posted on Telegram, saying the incident took place at around 12:35 am local time (2105 GMT Wednesday) but without providing details on the ships. &quot;They were warned, but after they ignored the warning, warning shots were fired at them, forcing them to return,&quot; it added. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Kuwait army says air defenses responding to missile, drone attacksPublished: May 28, 2026| 02:41GMT | by AFP Kuwait&#39;s military said on Thursday it was responding to missile and drone attacks, after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iran and Tehran said it had fired at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. &quot;Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks,&quot; the Kuwaiti army posted on X. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> US Treasury sanctions Iran authorities overseeing Strait of HormuzPublished: May 28, 2026| 02:36GMT | by AFP The United States Treasury announced sanctions Wednesday against Iran&#39;s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Tehran&#39;s new agency that collects fees for traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. &quot;The Iranian military&#39;s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash,&quot; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, because they &quot;may be providing support to and receiving services from&quot; Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may &quot;be exposed to sanctions risk.&quot; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Israeli military issues evacuation order in Lebanon&#39;s southern city of TyrePublished: May 28, 2026 | 02:30GMT | by AFP Israel&#39;s military issued an evacuation warning for residents of the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Thursday, saying it would operate against the fighter group Hezbollah in the area. &quot;The IDF is compelled to take forceful action against it,&quot; the Israeli military&#39;s order said, in reference to Hezbollah. It added that residents of the zone around certain buildings should leave and travel north of the Zahrani River, and that remaining in the area &quot;places you at risk.&quot; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> US military conducts new strike in southern Iran: US mediaPublished: May 27, 2026 | 00:51 GMT | by AFP The US military shot down four drones launched from Iran and struck a control center in the port city of Bandar Abbas, US media reported Wednesday evening, citing unnamed officials. The strike in Bandar Abbas prevented a fifth drone from being launched, CNN and The New York Times reported, and follows what the US military described as &quot;self-defense&quot; attacks overnight Monday to Tuesday on Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. <hr>

Middle East

Americas

The US military shot down four drones launched from Iran and struck a control center in the port city of Bandar Abbas; Iranian forces fire at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz; Israel's military issues evacuation warning for residents of the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon.







US military conducts new strike in southern Iran: US media

Maryam Shah

ISLAMABAD: As Eid al-Adha approaches, millions of Muslims living in conflict zones and displacement camps continue to observe the festival despite circumstances shaped by war, hunger and displacement. In the besieged and bombarded territories of Palestine, famine-hit regions of Sudan, and camps scattered across Syria and Yemen, the rituals of Eid persist even where normal life has largely collapsed. According to the Elham Fund, Gaza resident Nahidh Abu Armaneh said his family woke up to the sound of Takbeer, wore their best clothes &ldquo;even if they weren&rsquo;t new,&rdquo; and gathered for Eid prayers. &ldquo;We started by greeting everyone we met, whether we knew them or not, because people especially need kindness and peace in these times,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;After that, we visited relatives to extend our Eid wishes, ate sweets and drank coffee, though the coffee tasted as bitter as our lives.&rdquo; Nahidh and millions of others across conflict zones, displacement camps and war-damaged cities continue observing Eid al-Adha each year under conditions that would ordinarily make celebration unimaginable. In peaceful societies, Eid al-Adha is built around abundance and sharing.&nbsp; To commemorate Prophet Ibrahim&rsquo;s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, Muslims slaughter livestock animals and traditionally divide the meat into three portions: one for the household, one for relatives and neighbors, and one for the poor. The ritual centers on generosity flowing outward from the family to the wider community. But in war zones where many families have lost homes, livelihoods and livestock, the practice increasingly depends on humanitarian aid. According to Islamic Relief Worldwide, Sudan is facing the world&rsquo;s largest displacement crisis, with nearly 14 million people uprooted by conflict and famine conditions reported in parts of Darfur. The organization said Eid al-Adha meat distributions had become the only source of meat for many displaced families, with its Qurbani program reaching 3.2 million people across 29 countries in 2025. &ldquo;Eid al-Adha means everything to me,&rdquo; displaced Sudanese resident Halima said in a statement released by the organization, adding that she did not expect to eat meat this year. In Syria and Yemen, where wars have stretched on for more than a decade, Eid al-Adha has become an annual confrontation with memory and loss. According to Al Jazeera, Umm Ghadi, a displaced Syrian mother living in an Idlib camp, gathered with neighbors to prepare sweets for children ahead of Eid despite harsh camp conditions. &ldquo;At the camp, there is no joy for the Eid, but we need to make the children happy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Eid al-Adha in the villages is nicer.&rdquo; In Yemen, Abdul-Raqeeb al-Samey traveled through front-line areas to return to his home village in Taiz after purchasing a traditional jambiya &mdash; a ceremonial dagger worn during Eid celebrations &mdash; in Sanaa, according to Al Jazeera. Meanwhile in Syria, former residents of the remote Rukban displacement camp returned home for Eid only to find destroyed houses and devastated neighborhoods. According to Al Jazeera, Yasmine al-Salah returned home during Eid al-Adha 2025 after spending nine years in the camp. &ldquo;Even though our house is destroyed, and we have no money, and we are hungry, still, it&rsquo;s a castle in my eyes,&rdquo; she said. Across these conflict zones, Eid functions not as denial of suffering but as an insistence that interrupted lives are not extinguished lives. What unfolds during Eid al-Adha in such places reflects something central to the story of Prophet Ibrahim: the ability to move through catastrophe while refusing to surrender hope entirely. This is not simple optimism. While optimism assumes improvement, people living through war often continue their traditions fully aware of destruction around them, choosing meaning despite devastation. For many trapped in conflict, the acts of washing, dressing, praying and sharing whatever food remains become assertions of dignity and humanity against conditions designed to strip both away. None of these moments erase the catastrophes surrounding them. Hunger, displacement and violence persist. Yet the prayers are still offered, sweets are still prepared and families still gather where they can. In places shaped by siege and loss, Eid al-Adha becomes more than a religious celebration.&nbsp; For many, it is also a quiet declaration that war has not succeeded in erasing faith, memory or the will to endure.

Across conflict zones and displacement camps, Muslims observe Eid al-Adha despite war and famine, turning sacrifice and shared traditions into acts of resilience, dignity and hope amid devastation and loss.


Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha across war zones despite devastation and displacement

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund&#39;s board on Wednesday approved two reviews of Sri Lanka&#39;s loan program, making $695 million in additional loans immediately available to the crisis-hit island nation. It is the latest tranche in the country&#39;s four-year $3 billion bailout, with the Fund warning of further risks due to the economic impact of the Iran war. Surging oil prices due to the war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, have heavily impacted many import-dependent Asian countries. &quot;Sri Lanka&#39;s strong implementation under the EFF arrangement has continued despite challenging circumstances,&quot; said Kenji Okamura, the IMF&#39;s Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair. &quot;Gains from the economic reform program helped preserve economic resilience and provided room to respond to cyclone Ditwah and the Middle East war. The latter, however, has significantly worsened Sri Lanka&#39;s economic outlook and tilted risks to the downside.&quot; The IMF projects 2026 growth to slow to 3%, with higher oil prices increasing inflation and weighing on the current account balance. The board&#39;s approval was contingent on Sri Lanka adjusting certain energy market subsidies issued in the wake of the war. Wednesday&#39;s statement said the Sri Lankan authorities had met the Fund&#39;s requirements on fuel and electricity prices, meeting cost-recovery criteria. Criteria on ensuring no new external debts and on not imposing or intensifying import restrictions &quot;were not observed,&quot; however.

Sri Lanka

It is the latest tranche in the country's four-year $3 billion bailout, with the Fund warning of further risks due to the economic impact of the Iran war.


IMF approves $695M for crisis-hit Sri Lanka

KAMPALA, Uganda: Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is complicating efforts to rein in a deadly Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization chief warned Wednesday, while Uganda announced it was shutting its border. The WHO has recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, out of more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases. Its chief fears insecurity in the eastern DRC, which has been plagued for three decades by conflict involving a litany of armed groups, is making it extremely difficult to contain the outbreak. &quot;Eastern DRC now faces a catastrophic collision of disease and conflict with the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province outpacing the response,&quot; the UN agency&#39;s head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. No vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the DRC&#39;s 17th recorded outbreak of the disease. State services in rural Ituri province, where it was first detected, have been largely absent for decades. In Rwampara, one of the epicentres of the outbreak, AFP saw a symptomatic woman being brought to hospital on a motorbike, squeezed between her sister and the driver. A health worker recorded a high fever and bleeding from her nose, a common symptom of Ebola, which causes a haemorrhagic fever. He rushed to spray chlorine on the bike and driver, who wore a surgical mask but little else to protect him against a virus that spreads through bodily fluids. With no ambulances available, &quot;people make do with motorbikes&quot;, the health worker, Dieudonne Sezabo, told AFP. The hospital has set up a temporary isolation centre but is still awaiting crucial equipment deliveries. Uganda shuts borderNeighbouring Uganda, which has recorded one death confirmed to be from Ebola and six additional cases, announced it was shutting its border with the DRC with immediate effect. It also said it was imposing a 21-day quarantine on anyone arriving from the DRC, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and district surveillance teams. The WHO said the case fatality rate was under 25 percent -- much lower than in other recent outbreaks. But experts suspect the virus was circulating under the radar for some time and the true extent of the health crisis has yet to be seen. The WHO chief lamented that clashes were &quot;driving mass displacement, pushing exposed contacts into overcrowded camps and severing critical containment corridors&quot;. &quot;Frontline workers are risking everything, while attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible,&quot; Tedros warned. &quot;We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling,&quot; Tedros said, urging &quot;all warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to contain this outbreak&quot;. The United States plans to open a quarantine centre in Kenya, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, primarily intended for Americans who need to leave the DRC quickly and quarantine. Kenya said it had screened some 55,000 people crossing the border from Uganda and had yet to confirm an Ebola case.

Response team members are helped to wear protective suits before burying a person suspected of having died from Ebola in Bunia, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on May 25, 2026. (AFP)

Africa

The World Health Organization chief warns that conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is complicating efforts to rein in a deadly Ebola outbreak, while Uganda shuts its border.

WHO warns of 'catastrophic collision' of Ebola and war in DR Congo

PARIS: YouTube will in the future automatically detect AI-generated content and flag the information to viewers on its platform, the Google-owned company said Wednesday. The move reverses a previous policy of relying on video creators to self-report if they had used generative AI tools. &quot;If a creator doesn&#39;t specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label,&quot; YouTube said in a blog post. The video platform&#39;s last steps on generative AI date back to 2024, when it requested that creators flag content where they had used the technology. Since then there have been major strides in producing photorealistic images and video, with widely available AI models including Google&#39;s Veo 3.1 and Seedance from Tiktok&#39;s parent company Bytedance. Creators will be able to challenge the new flags if they think their content has been unfairly labelled as AI, Youtube said. The platform added that the flags would have no impact on its algorithm for recommending videos to users. Other platforms and social networks to introduce automatic flagging of AI content recently include music streamer Spotify. Many online spaces are flooded with AI-generated images, video or audio, which is growing increasingly difficult to tell apart from human creations as the tools become more capable.

Artificial Intelligence

YouTube to automatically detect AI-generated content and flag the information to viewers on its platform, the Google-owned company says.

YouTube says will flag AI-generated content

Shizza Jasmin

Renowned vloggers&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Luke Damant</a>,&nbsp;associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Globie.io</a>,&nbsp;and Don Rob joined Chatroom with Shizza for a conversation about Pakistan&#39;s food, people and hospitality.&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Luke</a>&nbsp;explained what &#39;Burger&#39; means in Pakistani culture, showed off his Urdu skills, and reacted to a surprise cheese paratha. His verdict on Pakistan versus India on hospitality was direct and unfiltered.&nbsp;

Chatroom with Shizza

Renowned vloggers Luke Damant, associated with Globie.io, and Don Rob joined Chatroom with Shizza for a conversation about Pakistan's food, people and hospitality

Articles by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar