Maryam Shah

ISLAMABAD: As 2025 comes to a close, Pakistani women across sports, culture, exploration, and legal activism have made their mark on national and international stages. From cricket grounds and mountain summits to pageants and courtrooms, these trailblazers have expanded opportunities and challenged conventional boundaries. Sidra Amin&rsquo;s cricket milestones<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cf94c1a3-e5a6-4fec-8907-fc3f939f7423.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @sidraamin31 Opening batter Sidra Amin, 33, emerged as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most consistent performers during the 2025 ICC Women&rsquo;s ODI World Cup. The Lahore-born cricketer became the first Pakistani to score back-to-back ODI centuries, a landmark in Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket history. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back-to-back centuries for Sidra Amin as the batter continues her brilliant run with the willow 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">#PAKvSA</a> 📝: <a href="https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">https://t.co/fKEHXWL3l7</a> | 📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">@TheRealPCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/LMXPJ7cVzj" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pic.twitter.com/LMXPJ7cVzj</a>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1969093586667855973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote></div> According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official match report, Amin also recorded the fastest ODI century by a Pakistani woman, reaching 100 runs in just 97 balls. With more than 150 international appearances and 2,221 ODI runs, including six centuries, she remained a linchpin of Pakistan&rsquo;s batting line-up. Gaddafi Stadium has become her personal stronghold, where she has scored three centuries at an average exceeding 120. Since debuting in 2011, Amin has helped elevate women&rsquo;s cricket in Pakistan to new heights. Naila Kiani&rsquo;s unprecedented climbing record<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/611a7e42-2866-45d0-a73a-3855db9729f0.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Picture credits: Radio Pakistan Mountaineer Naila Kiani continued her extraordinary ascent in 2025, having summited 12 of the world&rsquo;s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. Imagine Nepal, the expedition organizer, confirmed that Kiani scaled Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the world&rsquo;s third-highest mountain, in May, staying on course to become the first Pakistani woman to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders. A former aerospace engineer and a mother of two, Kiani also became the fastest Pakistani to summit 11 eight-thousanders in under three years, Alpine Club of Pakistan reported. The Embassy of Pakistan in Turkiye also congratulated her on this achievement.&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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1787508031929962698&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2696e4393e4ed6d9d4f0ffa87d85e770d1536c72&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Beyond her personal achievements, she has championed reforms in Pakistan&rsquo;s mountaineering sector, helping reduce helicopter rescue costs and exposing exploitative commercial practices. According to Radio Pakistan, Naila Kiani remains the only female athlete to currently hold the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.&nbsp; Roma Riaz at Miss Universe<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6a61b8ec-3923-4895-a670-e3e057da2cd4.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @romariaz_official Roma Riaz, 25, a British-Pakistani from Lahore, represented Pakistan at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand after winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title earlier in the year. Her participation returned Pakistan to the global pageant stage and sparked conversations about beauty standards, colorism, and representation. Raised between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, Riaz is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and has worked in merchandising and international fashion. Her advocacy focuses on girls&rsquo; education and challenging narrow definitions of beauty. In response to criticism over her skin tone and background, she posted an Instagram reel condemning colorist and body-shaming remarks, asserting that diversity should be celebrated, not policed. Mahnoor Omer and discriminatory taxation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/aeb6f1e9-2e44-46f3-9f28-e37cedb48d66.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @learningwithmahnoor Lawyer and gender rights advocate Mahnoor Omer, 25, gained national and international attention in 2025 for challenging Pakistan&rsquo;s taxation of sanitary products. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Omer is pursuing postgraduate studies in Gender, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics. She has also served as a Gender Consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, co-authoring Pakistan&rsquo;s first UNODC Gender Equality Strategy. Her constitutional petition contends that menstrual hygiene products, essential for women&rsquo;s health, are unfairly taxed, violating constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.&nbsp; Natasha Noorani&rsquo;s cultural innovation<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/e235b212-ad97-4260-bf42-9a6cd0616e0f.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Official Instagram account/ @natashanoorani Emerging artist Natasha Noorani has established herself as one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most innovative contemporary musicians. Her debut album Ronaq, released in 2023, continued to influence the country&rsquo;s music scene throughout 2025. Blending R&amp;B, pop, electronic music, and neo-soul, the album reflects both creativity and cultural depth. Noorani coined the term &ldquo;Lolly-Pop&rdquo; to describe her approach, which merges retro subcontinental sounds from the 1940s&ndash;1980s with modern electronic production. Produced by Talal Qureshi and Abdullah Siddiqui, Ronaq features tracks including &ldquo;Choro,&rdquo; &ldquo;Thandi,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Faltu Pyar,&rdquo; a collaboration with Hasan Raheem. Her work continues to bridge Pakistan&rsquo;s musical past with its contemporary soundscape. While their paths differed, a common thread ran through their stories, questioning long-standing norms and opening space for wider participation.&nbsp; As Pakistan moves into 2026, the impact of these women&rsquo;s work continues to shape public debate. It offers a broader understanding of what achievement and leadership look like for Pakistani women today.

Pakistani women who made headlines in 2025 (Pakistan TV Digital)

Entertainment

In 2025, Pakistani women made headlines across cricket, mountaineering, music, law, and global platforms, redefining representation and excellence while challenging social norms through record-breaking achievements, creative innovation, and rights-based advocacy at home and abroad. 

Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

Reuters

STOCKHOLM: Scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for &quot;the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit&quot;, the award-giving body said on Tuesday. The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and includes a prize sum totaling 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million) that is shared among the winners, if there are several, as is often the case.

Artificial Intelligence

 Scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Clarke, Devoret and Martinis win 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics

MADRID:&nbsp;Vin&iacute;cius J&uacute;nior struck twice and Kylian Mbapp&eacute; scored before going off injured as Real Madrid beat third-placed Villarreal 3-1 to move to the top of La Liga on Saturday. Moments after scoring in the 81st minute, Mbapp&eacute; sat down and clutched his right ankle. The France star then made a gesture with his hands to signal he could not continue. Following brief treatment, he walked off unassisted and went straight down the tunnel. The win moved Madrid two points ahead of defending champion Barcelona, which can reclaim the lead with a win at Sevilla on Sunday but is missing star winger Lamine Yamal due to a pubic injury. Vin&iacute;cius netted in the 47th when he cut in from the left and his low strike clipped the heel of Santi Comesa&ntilde;a before wrong-footing goalkeeper Arnau Tenas. Vin&iacute;cius scored from the penalty spot in the 69th after being barged over. Mbapp&eacute; is Madrid&#39;s usual penalty taker, but let him have it, and Vin&iacute;cius squeezed a tame shot under the body of Tenas as he guessed correctly. Villarreal winger Georges Mikautadze pulled a goal back with a fine shot past Courtois from 20 meters. But the hard work was undone when defender Santiago Mouri&ntilde;o was sent off four minutes later for a second yellow card following a foul on Vin&iacute;cius. Villarreal then lost the ball carelessly, and Mbapp&eacute; swapped passes with Brahim D&iacute;az before guiding in his 14th goal in 10 games. Girona wins to put Mallorca lastStruggling Girona picked up a much-needed win after holding on to beat Valencia 2-1 to move off the bottom. Girona midfielder Iv&aacute;n Mart&iacute;n was sent off in the 80th minute for a second yellow card, and his teammates kept out Valencia in 10 minutes of stoppage time. Ukrainian striker Vladyslav Vanat put Girona ahead from outside the penalty area. Diego L&oacute;pez equalized in the second half, but Girona regained the lead shortly after through Arnau Mart&iacute;nez following a set piece. Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao moved up to fifth place with a scrappy 2-1 win against Mallorca, which dropped to last. Striker I&ntilde;aki Williams drew the foul and converted a penalty for Bilbao early. After Sam&uacute; Costa equalized in the second half, midfielder Alejandro Rego&rsquo;s goal restored the lead five minutes later. Mallorca&#39;s Antonio S&aacute;nchez was sent off in the last minute. Levante cruises to victoryLevante scored in each half in a 2-0 win at Oviedo. Right winger Carlos &Aacute;lvarez pounced in the 30th minute with a shot into the top left corner from Manu S&aacute;nchez&rsquo;s cross. Oviedo brought on 40-year-old midfielder Santi Cazorla, the former Spain international, early in the second half. But Cameroonian striker Karl Etta Eyong doubled the lead from close range following a corner.

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, centre, celebrates with Vinicius Junior, left, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side's third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, S

Football

 Vinícius Júnior strikes twice; Kylian Mbappé scores before going off injured as his team beat third-placed Villarreal 3-1 to move to the top of La Liga.

Mbappé scores, suffers injury as Real Madrid defeats Villarreal

NEW YORK: The annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly this week will see more than 140 world leaders descend upon New York City in an effort to secure global peace and security despite growing divides on how to do that. Nearly 90 heads of state, 43 heads of government and one crown prince are among the dignitaries to appear on the UN stage beginning on Tuesday to make their case for how to bring an end to regional conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while addressing the growing climate crisis and the dangers posed by the rapid development and use of artificial intelligence. Looming over the weeklong summit is the internal financial turmoil plaguing the United Nations as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of its founding, which emerged from the rubble of World War II. Questions about the UN&rsquo;s relevancy and efficiency have sharpened from supporters and critics alike. Recent US cuts to foreign assistance and the reevaluation of humanitarian contributions by other countries have forced a reckoning for the world body. Here are five things to look out for this week: Outcome of the two-state solution conferenceThe week began with a high-profile meeting chaired by France and Saudi Arabia focused on garnering support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The hours-long conference ended late Monday with several countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco, announcing or confirming their recognition of a Palestinian state, a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal did. Germany, Italy and Japan took part in the conference but did not recognize such a state. The US and Israel boycotted the event, saying the international push for a Palestinian state rewards Hamas and makes it harder to reach a deal to halt the war and return the remaining hostages. It came as several US allies, including Canada and the United Kingdom, announced recognition of an independent Palestinian state over the weekend. The meeting and expanded recognition of Palestinian statehood will likely have little if any actual impact on the ground, where Israel is waging another major offensive in the Gaza Strip and expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long opposed Palestinian statehood, has threatened to take even further unilateral action in response. But proponents of the effort, including top UN officials, remain unpersuaded that recognition of Palestine is crucial at this stage of the conflict. As the US isolates, other world powers reaffirm climate pledgesMore than 110 world leaders will speak at a special UN climate summit on Wednesday, designed to get nations to strengthen their required but already late plans to wean themselves from coal, oil and natural gas that cause climate change. Dozens of business leaders are in New York networking in various conferences aimed at greener and cleaner energy. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t believe the doomsters and the gloomsters and the naysayers who say that somehow the world is moving away from climate action, clean energy,&rdquo; United Kingdom climate chief Ed Millibrand said. The nations of the world were all supposed to come up with new five-year plans for curbing carbon emissions by February, leading into the Brazil negotiations. But only 47 of the 195 nations &mdash; responsible for less than a quarter of global emissions &mdash; have done so. United Nations officials said they really need to be submitted by the end of this month so experts can calculate how the world is doing in its emission reduction efforts. The world&rsquo;s biggest emitter, China, and another top polluter, the European Union, are expected to announce their plans or rough sketches of their plans this week. The United Nations session this week is designed to cajole countries to do more. Trump returns to UN after retreating US from world stagePresident Donald Trump will be the second leader to speak when the General Assembly kicks off its debate Tuesday morning. Trump will be returning to the UN for the first time since beginning his second term in January. His speech will be among the most anticipated as America&rsquo;s allies and adversaries wait to see what the president will say about ongoing efforts to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. UN officials will be holding their breath to see if more funding cuts from the US &mdash; their largest donor &mdash; are on the horizon after Trump and his allies spent the first few months in office slashing international aid spending. He issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the US from the UN&rsquo;s World Health Organization. That was followed by ending US participation in the UN Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of United States membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his &ldquo;America First&rdquo; agenda. &ldquo;There are great hopes for it, but it&rsquo;s not being well run, to be honest,&rdquo; Trump told reporters last week as he prepared for his address to the General Assembly. Eyes on Syria and Iran&rsquo;s presidents at high-stakes momentFollowing Trump&rsquo;s remarks, the two other headline speakers come from the Middle East, where various conflicts have thrown the region into further tumult over the last several years. On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will appear on the UN stage at a moment of great magnitude for his country, as a 30-day window to stop the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran is closing at the end of this week. The clock started when France, Germany and the United Kingdom on Aug. 28 declared Iran wasn&rsquo;t complying with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. It also comes after a series of last-ditch diplomatic talks to avoid imposing UN sanctions appeared to break down in recent days, with European leaders accusing Iran of not being serious about the conditions outlined. Pezeshkian and his foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, have the next few days to meet with their European counterparts in New York to come to a resolution that would avoid the series of financial penalties that would push the already crippling Iranian economy into further disarray. A few hours later, Iran&rsquo;s once strategic ally, Syria, will debut its new leader, the first head of state to represent the war-torn country at the UN in nearly six decades. Ahmad al-Sharaa will officially represent the new Syria on the world stage for the first time since the ousting of then-President Bashar Assad in December by a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa has spent nine months seeking to restore ties with Arab countries and the West, where officials were initially wary of his past ties with the al-Qaida militant group. His speech on Wednesday will also be watched closely by the US, which previously designated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group al-Sharaa formerly led, as a terrorist group. All the meetings you won&rsquo;t seeSome of the most tantalizing and impactful diplomacy conducted during the UN General Assembly will likely happen behind the scenes during embassy receptions and at private dinners and drinks at some of Manhattan&rsquo;s most exclusive restaurants and clubs. The high-level week, noted by some UN watchers as the World Cup of diplomacy, is jam-packed with official and unofficial gatherings between heads of state and government, where complex trade deals, sensitive peace negotiations, and even normalization efforts between allies and adversaries alike could see breakthroughs. Officials state that more than 1,600 bilateral meetings are scheduled to take place inside the sprawling UN campus that oversees the East River.

Sphere Within Sphere outside the United Nations Headquarters on the first day of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly's High-Level week,

Americas

Over 140 world leaders convene in New York for the UN’s 80th General Assembly, tackling conflicts, climate pledges, AI risks, and financial strains. Key moments include Trump’s return, Palestine recognition, Iran’s sanctions deadline, Syria’s debut, and high-stakes backroom diplomacy.

Articles tagged with "2025"

Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

Clarke, Devoret and Martinis win 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics

Mbappé scores, suffers injury as Real Madrid defeats Villarreal

UN General Assembly 2025: What you’ll see and what you won’t