Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Suspected insider trading linked to Iran war-related bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket generated nearly $2.4 million in profits with a 98%-win rate, according to a report by CBS News. The report raised concerns over the growing use of prediction markets for wagering on military conflicts and geopolitical events, with analysts warning that insiders with access to sensitive information may be exploiting the platforms for financial gain. Prediction markets such as Polymarket allow users to place bets on the outcome of world events using cryptocurrency. While all trades on the blockchain are publicly visible, users generally remain anonymous. In a statement to CBS News&rsquo; &ldquo;60 Minutes,&rdquo; Polymarket said it has built a &ldquo;comprehensive market integrity infrastructure&rdquo; using artificial intelligence-powered surveillance and blockchain forensics to detect suspicious activity. &ldquo;When our systems identify suspicious activity, we act &mdash; including through referrals to law enforcement and cooperation with investigations,&rdquo; the company said, adding that insider trading &ldquo;is not welcome on Polymarket.&rdquo; The report highlighted the case of US Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly used the platform to place bets related to a special operations mission targeting former Venezuelan leader Nicol&aacute;s Maduro. According to the US Justice Department, Van Dyke wagered roughly $34,000 on the operation, including several bets placed one day before the raid. Prosecutors allege he earned more than $400,000 before attempting to withdraw the funds and delete his account. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges. Investigators and analysts say military-related betting markets are particularly vulnerable to insider activity because many individuals involved in operations &mdash; including planners, intelligence officials and even family members &mdash; may gain access to sensitive information before it becomes public. A separate study by the Anti-Corruption Data Collective examined large &ldquo;long-shot&rdquo; wagers on military events placed on Polymarket and found evidence of &ldquo;systemic insider trading&rdquo; in conflict-related betting markets. The report also pointed to suspicious trading activity in traditional commodities markets linked to the Iran conflict. New York lawyer and former commodities trader David Kovel told &ldquo;60 Minutes&rdquo; that more than $800 million was suddenly placed on a decline in oil prices on March 23, shortly before US President Donald Trump announced &ldquo;productive&rdquo; talks with Iran on social media. Oil prices reportedly dropped more than 10% following the announcement, potentially generating tens of millions of dollars in profits for traders involved. Federal investigators are reportedly examining the trades, although no charges have been filed so far. The report also described threats against journalists whose reporting affected prediction market outcomes.

Business

The report highlights the case of US Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly used the platform to place bets related to a special operations mission targeting former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Suspected insider accounts win $2.4M on Polymarket Iran war bets: Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Sunday reaffirmed &ldquo;shared commitment to peace, dialogue and regional stability.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work closely together for peace and stability in the region and beyond,&rdquo; PM Sharif said in a post on X.&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-1" 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-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2056053546706178554&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=1b855a91e40b1b5899d3481d9d693d9813488c90&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Pakistan has remained diplomatically engaged with regional and international partners in recent weeks as efforts continue to preserve the ceasefire and support broader dialogue aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East. Similarly, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran during an official visit that also included meetings with senior Iranian officials. According to the post, the premier received a telephone call from his counterpart, where they &ldquo;exchanged views on the evolving regional and international situation and reaffirmed our shared commitment to peace, dialogue and regional stability.&rdquo; PM Sharif deeply appreciated Qatar&rsquo;s constructive diplomatic role and conveyed his gratitude to Qatar for their strong support for Pakistan-led peace efforts aimed at de-escalation.

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif receives telephone call from his counterpart where they exchange views on “evolving regional and international situation,” reaffirm shared commitment to “peace, dialogue and regional stability.”

Pakistan, Qatar to work together for regional stability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran during an official visit that also included meetings with senior Iranian officials, according to statements released through the minister&rsquo;s official WhatsApp channel.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 560px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 560px; height: 560px; 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=2056179676092260387&lang=en&maxWidth=560px&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=1b855a91e40b1b5899d3481d9d693d9813488c90&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2056179676092260387"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, discusses key matters,&rdquo; the statement issued late on Sunday said. Naqvi also met Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during the visit. The interior minister was received on arrival in Tehran by his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni, with the two sides discussing bilateral relations during their meeting, the statement said. The visit comes amid continued regional diplomatic activity following months of tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran, which disrupted shipping routes, energy markets, and regional stability before a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8. Pakistan has remained diplomatically engaged with regional and international partners in recent weeks as efforts continue to preserve the ceasefire and support broader dialogue aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East. Last week, Islamabad hosted a high-level Regional Envoys&rsquo; Conference bringing together Pakistani diplomats posted in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and other key regional capitals to review geopolitical developments, bilateral ties, and economic cooperation priorities. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held meetings in Islamabad with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur and other regional counterparts as part of ongoing diplomatic engagement linked to the Middle East crisis. Separately, earlier this week, Naqvi met a delegation from the Egyptian interior ministry, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation and promote collaboration, according to an official statement.

Interior minister greeted by Iranian counterpart; pair discuss bilateral relations during their meeting; also meets with Iran’s parliament speaker Ghalibaf during his trip. 

Pakistan interior minister meets Iranian president during official Tehran visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik on Sunday highlighted the connection between climate change, urban inequality, poverty, and housing injustice while delivering at the World Urban Forum (WUF13). The minister delivered Pakistan&rsquo;s National Ministerial Statement at the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme &ldquo;Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.&rdquo; Addressing the forum, he highlighted the deep connection between climate change, urban inequality, poverty, and housing injustice, stressing that vulnerable communities continue to bear the heaviest burden of climate disasters despite contributing the least to the crisis. He stated that it can take two generations for a family to escape poverty, yet climate disasters such as floods can wipe out decades of progress within days due to unsafe and unsustainable housing infrastructure. This forces families back into poverty once again, the minister said, remarking that the issue is not merely a housing crisis but fundamentally a crisis of justice. Malik emphasized the need to place justice and inclusion at the center of urban planning and housing policies.&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;We must put our voices together for the issue of justice so that the poor do not drown out, and their voices do not drown out. The people who die in floods, in heatwaves, and without access to health and education are not the ones designing cities. We are the ones designing them. They are victims of our policies and strategies.&rdquo; The minister noted that nearly 50% of Pakistan&rsquo;s population of approximately 240 million people now lives in urban areas, while nearly 55% of the urban population lives in informal settlements and slums.He remarked, &ldquo;Slums are not merely a policy category. Slums are a life category. Real people live in these slums.&rdquo; Referring to the growing impacts of climate change on cities, he highlighted the severe heatwave experienced in Karachi in 2024, where temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius. He stated that according to one estimate, nearly 560 people died within seven days due to the heatwave.&nbsp; He observed that the victims were predominantly poor and marginalized communities living in informal settlements without access to proper infrastructure, cooling systems, healthcare, or protection from extreme weather. The minister further stated, &ldquo;It is always the poor who bear the brunt of the crisis. The affluent living in air-conditioned homes and apartments are protected, while vulnerable communities continue to suffer the most.&rdquo; Further, highlighting the devastating impacts of floods in Pakistan, he added that around 6,000 people have lost their lives in the country&rsquo;s last four major floods, while nearly 20,000 people suffered injuries or disabilities, and approximately 40 million people were displaced.&nbsp; He remarked that the scale of destruction caused by climate disasters has exceeded the human toll of many conflicts and wars. He stressed that affordable housing must be treated as a basic right rather than merely a welfare intervention. He stated, &ldquo;We treat affordable housing as a welfare instrument and not as a right, and that must change.&rdquo; The minister emphasized that sustainable urban development should not remain limited to aesthetics, slogans, or investment opportunities. He said, &ldquo;Going green or sustainable should not become an aesthetic or jargon. We should not build housing for investors; we should build housing for people. We must hear the voices of the poor because their voices are not present here today.&rdquo; Concluding his address, \Malik called for the &ldquo;Baku Call for Action&rdquo; to focus on justice-centered urban solutions that prioritize vulnerable populations and discourage speculative housing practices. He stressed the need for global cooperation to ensure that cities become safe, inclusive, resilient, and equitable for all communities.

Climate & Environment

Minister delivers Pakistan’s National Ministerial Statement at the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) being held in Baku, Azerbaijan under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”

Pakistan urges justice-led global climate action at World Urban Forum

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday welcomed the Supplemental Award issued by the Court of Arbitration in the Indus Waters Treaty proceedings, saying the ruling had firmly upheld Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing position that India&rsquo;s water-control capability on the Western Rivers remained subject to strict Treaty limitations.&nbsp;In an official statement issued after the Award dated May 15, 2026, the Government of Pakistan said the Court had affirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty imposed &ldquo;substantive limits on India&rsquo;s water-control capability on the Western Rivers,&rdquo; adding that such restrictions &ldquo;are not formalities.&rdquo;&nbsp;The government stated that the ruling established that pondage for a Run-of-River hydropower project &ldquo;must be justified by real project needs, actual expected operation, site hydrology, hydraulic conditions, power-system requirements, and the information and explanation required under the Treaty.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Supplemental Award concerns the long-running design disputes relating to India&rsquo;s Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.&nbsp;The ruling comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the 2025 Pahalgam incident, after which India announced suspension of water cooperation measures relating to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty framework.&nbsp;&nbsp;Islamabad has consistently maintained that the Treaty is an internationally binding agreement that cannot be unilaterally suspended or held in abeyance by either party.&nbsp;Pakistan said the Court&rsquo;s latest findings built upon the General Issues Award issued on August 8, 2025, and provided practical effect to the principle that &ldquo;installed capacity and anticipated load must be realistic, well-founded and defensible.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the statement, the Court held that installed capacity &ldquo;must correspond to actual expected operation, hydrologic and hydraulic data, and Treaty requirements,&rdquo; while anticipated load &ldquo;must correspond to actual expected operation and to the projected needs of the power system the plant is intended to serve.&rdquo;&nbsp;It described the findings as addressing &ldquo;a core Treaty concern,&rdquo; asserting that India could not justify expanded pondage through &ldquo;imagined capacity, artificial load curves, unrealistic peaking assumptions, or bare assertions of compliance with Paragraph 15 release limits.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Paragraph 15 remains an operational constraint, but it is not a substitute for an evidence-based justification of the water-control capacity sought,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The government further stated that the Award strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s review rights under the Treaty by placing responsibility on India to provide sufficient technical data and explanation to establish compliance.&nbsp;&ldquo;If India fails to do so, it fails to carry its burden of establishing that the proposed maximum Pondage satisfies Paragraph 8(c) of Annexure D,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;Pakistan also noted that the Court confirmed any applicable minimum-flow obligation must be considered while calculating pondage required for Firm Power generation, where such obligations exist and are not otherwise fulfilled.&nbsp;The government emphasized that the Court had earlier ruled that awards issued by the Court of Arbitration were &ldquo;final and binding on the Parties&rdquo; and carried &ldquo;controlling legal effect for subsequent Treaty bodies on relevant questions of Treaty interpretation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan said it would place these interpretations before the Neutral Expert process &ldquo;consistent with Treaty procedures and applicable confidentiality arrangements.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reaffirming commitment to the Indus Waters Treaty and peaceful dispute resolution, Pakistan said it would continue pursuing &ldquo;every lawful and diplomatic means&rdquo; to ensure hydroelectric projects on the Western Rivers were designed and operated &ldquo;strictly within Treaty limits.&rdquo;&nbsp;Calling the ruling a &ldquo;strategic consolidation&rdquo; of Pakistan&rsquo;s Treaty position, the statement said the Award established that &ldquo;maximum Pondage must be realistic, evidence-based, hydrologically grounded, power-system justified, Treaty-compliant, and incapable of inflation through artificial assumptions.&rdquo;

The Court of Arbitration holds that maximum pondage under the Indus Waters Treaty must be realistically justified through hydrological, operational and power-system evidence, rejecting inflated assumptions and requiring India to provide sufficient data establishing Treaty compliance.

‘Strategic consolidation’: Pakistan hails Hague backing on Treaty rights

ISLAMABAD: Narendra Modi faced angry protests from Sikh diaspora activists in The Hague on Friday and Gothenburg on Saturday, with demonstrators chanting &ldquo;Khalistan Zindabad&rdquo; and branding the Indian prime minister a &ldquo;killer&rdquo; outside venues linked to his European visit. Modi is currently on a multi-country European tour running from May 15&ndash;20, covering the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. Videos circulated online by journalist and activist Jagdeep Singh showed demonstrators waving Khalistan flags and shouting anti-Modi slogans late into the night outside Modi&rsquo;s hotel in The Hague.&nbsp; Another clip appeared to show Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval leaving the venue amid chants directed at the Indian delegation. According to Singh, Sikh activists are enraged over what they describe as India&rsquo;s expanding campaign against Sikh separatists abroad, including the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and alleged overseas targeting operations. &ldquo;We will not let that killer sleep. Modi killed our people,&rdquo; protesters could be heard chanting in one of the videos posted online. Another slogan directed at the Indian delegation said: &ldquo;We are waiting outside, tell Modi to come outside.&rdquo; Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent Sikh activist advocating for Khalistan, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in 2023.&nbsp; Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau later said Canadian intelligence agencies were pursuing &ldquo;credible allegations&rdquo; linking agents of the Government of India to the killing on Canadian soil. Canadian authorities subsequently stated that they had uncovered evidence suggesting Indian state-linked operatives were involved in activities posing a serious threat to public safety and national sovereignty. India has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them &ldquo;preposterous.&rdquo; The protests also reflected broader anger among sections of the Sikh diaspora over Modi government policies in Punjab.&nbsp; Singh said many demonstrators view New Delhi&rsquo;s agricultural and economic policies as an assault on Punjabi farmers and Sikh identity. He described the situation as an &ldquo;econocide,&rdquo; alleging that policies pushed under Modi are designed to transfer Punjab&rsquo;s agricultural wealth to politically connected business elites. The accusations reflect long-running criticism by activists of the close relationship between Modi&rsquo;s government and powerful Indian billionaires, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. The Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, continues to retain support among segments of the global Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. The demonstrations come amid growing international scrutiny of India&rsquo;s conduct abroad and increasing criticism of the shrinking space for dissent under Modi&rsquo;s government.

India

Sikh diaspora activists protested outside Narendra Modi’s venues in The Hague and Gothenburg, chanting “Khalistan Zindabad” and “killer,” as anger over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing and India’s alleged overseas operations followed the Indian premier’s European tour.

‘Killer’ chants follow India’s Modi as Sikh activists rally across Europe

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s military on Sunday strongly criticized recent remarks by Indian Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi, calling them &ldquo;provocative&rdquo; and warning that any attempt to push South Asia toward another conflict would have &ldquo;devastating&rdquo; consequences for the entire region.&nbsp;In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) responded to comments made by the Indian army chief during a recent interview in which he reportedly said Pakistan should decide whether it wanted to remain part of &ldquo;geography and history.&rdquo;&nbsp;Rejecting the remarks, the ISPR said Pakistan was &ldquo;already a country of consequence at the global level&rdquo;, describing it as a declared nuclear power and an &ldquo;indelible part&rdquo; of South Asia&rsquo;s geography and history.&nbsp;The military&rsquo;s media wing said the statement reflected India&rsquo;s inability to accept the existence of Pakistan even after more than seven decades since independence.&nbsp;According to the ISPR, such &ldquo;hubristic, jingoistic and myopic thinking&rdquo; had repeatedly pushed South Asia toward wars and crises in the past. It further said threatening a sovereign nuclear state with elimination from &ldquo;geography&rdquo; was not strategic signaling but reflected &ldquo;bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering.&rdquo;&nbsp;The statement warned that any such conflict would not remain limited in scope, adding that the consequences of any geographic obliteration would be &ldquo;mutual and comprehensive.&rdquo;&nbsp;The ISPR stressed that responsible nuclear powers should demonstrate restraint, maturity and strategic responsibility instead of using the language of &ldquo;civilizational supremacy or national erasure.&rdquo;&nbsp;The military urged the Indian leadership to avoid creating conditions that could trigger another regional crisis, saying any future war would have severe consequences not only for South Asia but beyond.&nbsp;It also called on India to accept Pakistan&rsquo;s regional importance and pursue peaceful coexistence.&nbsp;&ldquo;Otherwise, any attempt to target Pakistan can trigger consequences that shall neither be geographically confined nor strategically or politically palatable for India,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp;The ISPR also accused India of ignoring its own record in the region, alleging that New Delhi had been involved in sponsoring terrorism, destabilizing neighboring countries and running global disinformation campaigns. It added that India&rsquo;s aggressive rhetoric reflected frustration over its inability to undermine Pakistan, particularly after what it referred to as &ldquo;Marka-e-Haq,&rdquo; a reference to last year&rsquo;s military escalation between the two countries.

Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi speaks at a defense conference in New Delhi, India, on November 17, 2025. (File photo: X/@ANI)

Security

Urges the Indian leadership to avoid creating conditions that could trigger another regional crisis, saying any future war would have severe consequences not only for South Asia but beyond.

'Madness and warmongering': Pakistan military reacts to Indian army chief's provocative remarks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday reaffirmed the government&rsquo;s commitment to expanding digital connectivity and transforming Pakistan into a regional information technology hub as the country observed May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. In separate messages issued on the occasion, both leaders highlighted the role of digital infrastructure, broadband access and emerging technologies in economic growth, public services and national development. PM Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was moving toward a &ldquo;complete digital revolution&rdquo; through effective initiatives and was strengthening its position as a global information technology hub with the help of IT and software technology parks, improved infrastructure and a young, tech-savvy workforce. Referring to this year&rsquo;s theme, &ldquo;Digital Lifelines: Strengthening Resilience in a Connected World,&rdquo; the prime minister said it was fully aligned with Pakistan&rsquo;s vision of &ldquo;Digital Nation Pakistan,&rdquo; which focuses on digital economy, digital society and digital government. He described the National AI Policy 2025 as a &ldquo;revolutionary initiative&rdquo; aimed at developing Pakistan&rsquo;s artificial intelligence ecosystem and termed the successful 5G spectrum auction a major milestone toward Digital Pakistan. &ldquo;The government is committed to the full and accelerated implementation of 5G in the country, the completion of the national fiberization policy and the promotion of local device manufacturing,&rdquo; he said. The prime minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s digital infrastructure now included more than 234,000 kilometers of fiber-optic backbone, six submarine cables, 58,000 cellular towers, and over 20 modern data centers serving more than 205 million subscribers. He added that Pakistan was rapidly emerging as a regional digital hub in South and Central Asia and was actively participating in the development of the CAREC Digital Corridor. PM Sharif said the country&rsquo;s IT exports had reached $3.8 billion annually due to government policies, skill development initiatives and incubation programs. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari said the federal and provincial governments remained committed to policies to expand digital access and improve connectivity across the country. He said reliable and accessible digital networks had become essential for education, healthcare, commerce, banking and public services, particularly for people living in remote and underserved areas. In his message, the president said Pakistan&rsquo;s telecommunications sector attracted $838 million in investment during FY2024-25 and generated revenues of Rs1,075 billion. He noted that Pakistan has over 161 million broadband users, supported by expanding fiber-optic networks, submarine cable systems and nationwide mobile coverage. Referring to the IMT/5G spectrum auction in March, the president said the process secured $509.6 million for the national treasury and expanded spectrum availability for mobile operators, paving the way for faster and more reliable next-generation services. He also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and cellular mobile operators in strengthening the country&rsquo;s digital ecosystem. &ldquo;Reliable and affordable connectivity will remain essential for economic growth, public services and wider access to opportunity for all Pakistanis,&rdquo; the president said.

Education

In separate messages issued on the occasion, both leaders highlight the role of digital infrastructure, broadband access and emerging technologies in economic growth, public services and national development.


Pakistan PM, president reaffirm commitment to digital transformation on world telecom day

MUMBAI: India is scrambling to salvage a sinking rupee as surging oil prices tied to the Middle East conflict threaten to disrupt the world&#39;s fastest-growing major economy. The currency has dropped more than 5% since the crisis erupted in February, extending losses from 2025 and making it Asia&#39;s worst-performing major currency in 2026 so far. It hit a record low of over 96 to the dollar on Friday, prompting officials to signal that halting further depreciation is a key macroeconomic priority. India&#39;s central bank has already poured billions of dollars to stabilize the currency, curbed speculative trading and offered a special credit line to oil importers to ease dollar demand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also urged voluntary austerity measures to rein in dollar-guzzling imports, including cutting down on gold buying and foreign travel for a year. But the pressure persists. &quot;The whole system has been disturbed,&quot; said Dilip Parmar of stockbroker HDFC Securities, citing heavy foreign investor outflows, weaker growth prospects and elevated crude prices. &quot;That is the basic problem which you&#39;re seeing replicated in the fall of the rupee,&quot; he said, noting that it was ultimately &quot;a function of demand and supply&quot; with dollar demand being higher. The rupee&#39;s slide comes as India faces a widening current account deficit driven by costly energy imports. The gap is likely to be over 2% of GDP this fiscal year, more than double last year&#39;s level and potentially the widest since 2012-13, according to Bank of America Securities estimates. Widening deficitAt the same time, foreign investors have dumped more than $20 billion in Indian stocks since the start of the Mideast conflict, at the fastest pace on record, while dollar inflows have slowed, opening the possibility of a balance-of-payments gap of $67-88 billion. The 2027 fiscal year &quot;will be our third year of a balance-of-payment deficit, which is certainly unusual,&quot; economist Dhiraj Nim of ANZ Research told AFP. This strain has weighed on the rupee, prompting the central bank to defend it by burning through foreign exchange reserves -- now at around $697 billion, down from over $720 billion before the Middle East war. While still covering about 11 months of imports, the decline underscores the strain. A weaker rupee is rippling through the domestic economy. Manufacturers and food processors, many of which are dependent on imported raw materials priced in dollars, are seeing costs surge. Smaller firms often cannot hedge currency risk. In Kerala&#39;s cashew industry, which mostly imports raw nuts from Africa, the impact has been acute. &quot;Imports have become far more expensive for the local market,&quot; said Rajmohan Pillai, who runs a cashew firm, adding buyers can now afford only about 90% of last year&#39;s volumes. He estimates more than 80% of processing units have shut in recent years, with rupee volatility a contributing factor. &#39;Last straw&#39;India&#39;s currency decline has also hit students looking to study abroad. Education consultants say studying in the United States now costs more than one million Indian rupees ($10,450) more than a year ago. &quot;This is the last straw,&quot; said Meghna Sen, a 17-year-old aspiring psychology student. &quot;Now we have to track (the rupee) movement to check how much we need for our grocery budgets.&quot; The depreciation has punctured India&#39;s ambition to become the world&#39;s third-largest economy. Modi, who once criticized his predecessors over currency weakness, has seen India&#39;s global economic ranking dented because GDP comparisons are measured in dollars. The country has slipped behind the United Kingdom to sixth place according to IMF data, largely due to the rupee&#39;s fall. Nomura analysts warn that more drastic measures may be on the anvil. These include possible fuel price hikes, tighter controls on overseas remittances and steps to attract dollar deposits from non-resident Indians -- a playbook used in past crises. Still, economists caution that intervention can only smooth volatility, not reverse underlying pressures. &quot;Fundamental factors&quot; remain unresolved, Nim said, adding, &quot;I would not even rule out an interest rate hike which squarely targets future inflation.&quot; The Reserve Bank of India knows what its options are, he said. &quot;All that remains is to see what it decides to choose.&quot;

The rupee's slide comes as India faces a widening current account deficit driven by costly energy imports.

India scrambles to steady rupee as oil shock bites

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people as the country joined the international community in commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, describing the continued suffering of Palestinians as a grave challenge to justice, international law and human dignity. Observed annually on May 15, Nakba, Arabic for &ldquo;catastrophe,&rdquo; marks the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.&nbsp; More than 750,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homes and villages, an event that remains central to the Palestinian national identity and refugee crisis.&nbsp; For Palestinians and many countries supporting their cause, the Nakba is not viewed solely as a historical event, but as an ongoing reality shaped by occupation, displacement, statelessness and denial of fundamental rights. In separate messages issued on International Nakba Day, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan&rsquo;s longstanding position in support of Palestinian self-determination and statehood, while calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and renewed international efforts toward a just and lasting resolution of the Palestine issue. President Zardari said the Nakba represented &ldquo;the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and lands, leading to their prolonged suffering.&rdquo; &ldquo;For the Palestinian people, the Nakba is not a closed chapter of history. It remains a continuing reality marked by occupation, displacement, dispossession and denial of rights,&rdquo; the president said. He emphasized that Pakistan had &ldquo;consistently stood by the Palestinian people&rdquo; and continued to advocate for their &ldquo;legitimate and inalienable rights&rdquo; at the United Nations and other international forums. Pakistan&rsquo;s support for Palestine has remained a central pillar of its foreign policy since independence, rooted in its support for anti-colonial struggles and the principle of self-determination. Islamabad has consistently backed resolutions supporting Palestinian rights at the United Nations, opposed Israeli occupation policies, and called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. President Zardari urged the international community to ensure continued support for Palestinian refugees and uphold their Right of Return under United Nations Resolution 194. &ldquo;The Right of Return of Palestinian refugees, as affirmed in Resolution 194, remains unfulfilled and must be upheld,&rdquo; he said. The president also reiterated Pakistan&rsquo;s call for &ldquo;an immediate, unconditional and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza,&rdquo; unrestricted humanitarian access, and accountability for &ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s actions.&rdquo; &ldquo;The only viable path to a just and durable peace is the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous Palestinian State on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,&rdquo; he added. PM Sharif, in his message marking the occasion, said Pakistan stood in &ldquo;unwavering solidarity&rdquo; with Palestinians enduring decades of occupation and displacement. &ldquo;As our Palestinian brethren mark the 78th solemn anniversary of Nakba, we remember the enduring suffering and displacement of the Palestinians from their homeland since 1948,&rdquo; the prime minister said. &ldquo;Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters,&rdquo; he said. &quot;We demand an immediate end to the oppression, occupation, and violence being perpetrated by Israeli occupation authorities against Palestinians.&rdquo; At the United Nations, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the Nakba continued to define Palestinian reality nearly eight decades later. &ldquo;Seventy-eight years ago, more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced and uprooted from their homes. Entire cities that had flourished for centuries were emptied, occupied, and renamed. This tragedy came to be known as the Nakba &mdash; the catastrophe,&rdquo; he told a special meeting convened by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP). &ldquo;Tragically, for the Palestinians, the Nakba is not a closed chapter of history. It is a continuing reality marked by occupation, displacement, dispossession and denial of rights,&rdquo; he added. Referring to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Ambassador Ahmad said the territory had witnessed &ldquo;its most devastating contemporary manifestation&rdquo; of the Nakba. &ldquo;For two years, Gaza endured devastating Israeli attacks with over 70,000 Palestinians killed, majority of them women and children. The overwhelming majority of Gaza&rsquo;s population has been forcibly displaced multiple times, with nowhere safe to turn,&rdquo; he said. He also voiced concern over developments in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing &ldquo;illegal settlement expansion, settler violence, forced displacement, arbitrary restrictions and collective punishment.&rdquo; &ldquo;The condemnable storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque by Israeli extremists is the most recent manifestation of the policy, where illegality and nefarious objectives are evident to alter the demographic and geographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory,&rdquo; he said. Ahmad underscored the importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), calling it &ldquo;indispensable for millions of Palestinian refugees&rdquo; and urging sustained international political and financial support for the agency. &ldquo;On this solemn anniversary, remembrance alone is not enough. The Nakba must not be allowed to continue into another generation. It must end through justice, accountability, and vacation of occupation,&rdquo; he said. Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s position, the ambassador said: &ldquo;Support for Palestine is etched in Pakistan&rsquo;s own independence struggle. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine and their just struggle for self-determination, freedom, and dignity.&rdquo;

Pakistan reaffirms support for Palestinians on Nakba anniversary, calls for Gaza ceasefire and independent state based on pre-1967 borders

On Nakba anniversary, Pakistan reaffirms unwavering support for Palestinians

GENEVA: World Health Organization member states gather for their annual meeting in Geneva on Monday amid concern over deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals. While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attention is not officially on the agenda, it is expected to feature prominently in the discussions, as is the fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A diplomatic source, who asked not to be identified, said it would be interesting to see how such outbreaks are used by the WHO &quot;to promote other things&quot;, including &quot;to pressure (the United States and Argentina) not to go&quot;. The meeting of the WHO&#39;s annual decision-making assembly, which runs through Saturday, comes after a difficult year for the organization. It has been weakened by the announced US withdrawal and by funding cuts that have forced it to slash its budget and staff numbers. &quot;We are stable now and moving forward,&quot; WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted at the end of April. Diplomats and observers agreed. The situation is &quot;still fragile, but they&#39;ve been successful in mobilizing most of the funds&quot; required for the next two years, Surie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, told AFP. And the hantavirus crisis provided &quot;a clear illustration of why the world needs an effective, trusted, impartial, reliably-funded WHO&quot;, she added. UN, Argentina withdrawalsBut significant divisions persist. Continued disagreement between wealthy and developing nations has, for instance, blocked progress on the key missing piece of the WHO&#39;s landmark 2025 pandemic treaty, with negotiations now expected to be extended for another year. It also remains unclear what, if anything, would be decided on the US and Argentine announced withdrawals. US President Donald Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, handed the WHO his country&#39;s one-year withdrawal notice, with Argentina soon following suit. The WHO, whose constitution does not include a withdrawal clause, has not confirmed either withdrawal. The United States reserved the right to withdraw when it joined the WHO in 1948 -- on condition of giving one year&#39;s notice and meeting its financial obligations in full for that fiscal year. While the notice period has expired, Washington has still not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, owing around $260 million. When the WHO&#39;s executive board met in January, Israel submitted a resolution to approve Argentina&#39;s withdrawal -- something countries are expected to discuss during the assembly -- but not a word was said about the US leaving. Diplomats and observers indicated there was broad agreement that it would be better to maintain a grey zone around whether the US was effectively out. &quot;We hope that it will go past quietly on the US,&quot; a European diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Election campaign&nbsp;The assembly will take place as the process towards next year&#39;s election of a new WHO chief heats up. No one has yet declared their candidacy, but announcements are possible this week ahead of the nomination deadline of September 24. A number of sensitive resolutions are also on the table, including on Ukraine, the Palestinian territories, and Iran, which could spark heated debate. Much of this week&#39;s discussions will centre on whether to launch a formal reform process for the so-called &quot;global health architecture&quot; -- a mishmash of organizations that do not always work together and often overlap. &quot;Among the issues to be explored are what is best done at the global and regional levels... and what is a national responsibility?&quot; Helen Clark, co-chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and a former New Zealand prime minister, told AFP. Canadian Health Minister Marjorie Michel told AFP that &quot;this current crisis, with the departure of key players, also allows ... the WHO to re-examine its strategy with its members&quot;. A key focus will be to ensure the process does not see &quot;controversial&quot; issues, such as climate and sexual and reproductive health rights, sacrificed in the context of dwindling international aid funding. &quot;The objective is to ensure better coordination among health actors, so that no activities or populations are left behind,&quot; said a diplomatic source, who asked not to be named. But Thiru Balasubramaniam of the Knowledge Ecology International NGO, told AFP the WHO had already &quot;scaled down some of their activities, including in terms of sexual and reproductive health&quot;.

Germany's Health Minister Nina Warken speaks to a journalist after a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Americas

Europe

WHO member states meet in Geneva amid global concern over hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks, funding strains following announced US and Argentine withdrawals, and renewed debate over reforming the global health system, pandemic preparedness, and coordination among international health actors.

WHO kicks off annual assembly amid hantavirus, Ebola crises

Muhammad Usman Amin

Built in 1634-1635 by Wazir Khan, the physician-turned-governor of Lahore, Masjid Wazir Khan was commissioned to be an ornament of perfection in an imperfect world.&nbsp; Nearly 400 years later, it still is. Step inside and the chaos of old Lahore vanishes, replaced by intricate frescoes, Persian calligraphy, and geometry that has absorbed the prayers of the faithful for centuries.

Culture

Nearly 400 years later, it still is. Step inside and the chaos of old Lahore vanishes, replaced by intricate frescoes, Persian calligraphy, and geometry that has absorbed the prayers of the faithful for centuries.



Frescoes, calligraphy, and four centuries of faith: Masjid Wazir Khan can be called the soul of Lahore

Ayesha Mir

In this episode of Dossier with Ayesha, we trace how Nixon&#39;s 1972 handshake with Mao Zedong ended 25 years of isolation and set off a chain reaction that has never really stopped, through decades of deepening trade, a bruising tariff war, COVID, a spy balloon, and now Trump and Xi in Beijing.&nbsp; The Strait of Hormuz is closed, Xi is warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, and both leaders have agreed that the strait must remain open.

Dossier with Ayesha

The Strait of Hormuz is closed, Xi is warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, and both leaders have agreed that the strait must remain open.

From Nixon to Trump: Why US-China is the most consequential relationship

Aleena Zara Malik

The internet has a lot to say about who lives in Pakistan, most of it wildly inaccurate.&nbsp; From the idea that non-Muslims can&#39;t even step foot in the country to the belief that Pakistan is one giant monolith, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest myths about religious minorities on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

Debunkistan

From the idea that non-Muslims can't even step foot in the country to the belief that Pakistan is one giant monolith, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest myths about religious minorities on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

Do non-Muslims live in Pakistan?

Asfandyar Yahya

In this episode of Tell Me Why, we uncover the shocking story behind that metal bar on the back of every truck around the world.&nbsp; How a deadly 1967 crash killed Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield, created a safety device that now bears her name, and left behind a three-year-old survivor who grew up to become a Hollywood star herself.

Tell Me Why

Tell me why trucks have these bars

Web Desk/AFP

Middle East

UAE says drone hit an electrical generator at nuclear power station; UN atomic watchdog expresses "grave concern" over drone strike, says radiation levels remain normal; Iran media says 'no tangible concessions' in US response to Iran proposal.





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