TotalEnergies had initially bid $18.88 per mmBtu but later revised its offer downward to $18.4 following negotiations.

After internal consultations, the authorities rejected all other bids for the first half of May, anticipating the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Friday, PLL had received four bids at $17.997 to $18.88 per mmBtu for delivery between April 27 and May 8.

A total of four bids were received from three bidders, and three were declared the lowest.

Vitol Bahrain’s bid of $18.54 per mmBtu was declared the lowest for the May 1–7 delivery window, while OQ Trading was the lowest bidder at $17.997 per mmBtu for the May 8–14 period. However, both bids were rejected.

PLL had on Thursday floated urgent tenders for the import of three LNG cargoes for delivery between the aforementioned dates amid rising temperatures and power shortfall.

PLL had set April 24 as the deadline for bids, to be opened the same day, given the urgent need to meet power demand, which was short by more than 4,500MW at peak, resulting in six to seven hours of loadshedding.

The tender was issued following Qatar’s reluctance to dispatch LNG cargoes that were stranded in the Gulf due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar’s three LNG shipments meant for Pakistan had previously returned from the strait over security concerns.

With domestic charges and taxes included, the sale price of regasified LNG is expected to be around $23 per mmBtu, nearly double the rate recorded in March.

Last month, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) notified an increase of 19–22 per cent in the price of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to $12.50–$14 per mmBtu for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for March, based on an import price of about $7.6 per mmBtu.

The increase was mainly due to an increase in terminal charges amid lower import volumes and a slight rise in import price, data from the authority showed.

The basket RLNG price was based on only two cargoes in March, compared to eight cargoes each in February and March 2026, due to a force majeure declared by Qatar after its gas facilities came under attack and following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Both cargoes were imported under two LNG contracts between Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Qatar Gas at an average price of around $7.68 per mmBtu (DES price), compared to $7.45 per mmBtu last month, but still significantly lower than $8.9 per mmBtu recorded in March last year.

PLL had imported one cargo a couple of months ago after a gap of almost a year at the rate of $7.65 per mmBtu through its old contract with a private entity.

PLL, established nearly a decade ago to handle LNG imports, has become largely redundant and a financial burden on public funds, as it has not imported any energy over the past year despite its executives and board members continuing to receive substantial salaries, perks, and privileges.

The company last floated an LNG tender in December 2023 for delivery in January 2024, but the tender was later cancelled.

Facing criticism over loadshedding even before the beginning of summer, the Power Division had already placed an order with the Petroleum Division earlier last week to arrange around 400 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of LNG for power generation, amid hopes of the opening of international supply routes.

Summer peak demand typically rises above 28,000 MW, compared to the current 19,000–20,000 MW during peak hours and below 10,000 MW during daytime, partly due to increased reliance on solar power. While solar energy has helped reduce grid demand during the day, many consumers shift back to the grid after sunset.

Manipur has seen periodic clashes for nearly three years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community in which more than 250 people have been killed.

“In a heavy exchange of fire… three individuals sustained fatal bullet injuries,” Manipur police said in a statement late on Friday.

The clashes took place at Mullam village in Ukhrul district, and police did not specify which community the men came from.

“Security measures have been enhanced in the area to prevent further escalation of violence,” police said.

“Operations are still underway.”

Longstanding enmity between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolves around competition for land and public jobs.

Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.

Unrest erupted in 2023, when around 60,000 people were forced to flee their homes, according to government figures.

Trouble eased, but earlier this month four people, including two children, were killed during an attack by a Kuki group, and a Meitei mob later stormed a paramilitary camp.

On Thursday, 249 Indians from the northeastern states of Manipur and Mizoram — from the Bnei Menashe community who claim descent from one of the “lost tribes” of Israel — arrived in Tel Aviv.

They were the first group to arrive since the Israeli government decided in November to fund the immigration of around 6,000 members of the community.

Their oral history tells of a centuries-long exodus through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, all the while adhering to certain Jewish religious practices, such as circumcision.

In India, they were converted to Christianity by 19th-century missionaries.

Nearly 1.5 million people are registered to vote in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as 70,000 people in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission.

Polling stations opened at 7am (9am PKT).

AFP footage from Al-Bireh in the West Bank and Deir el-Balah in Gaza showed election officials in polling stations as Palestinians came to cast ballots.

Most electoral lists are aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas’s secular-nationalist Fatah party or feature candidates running as independents.

There are no lists affiliated with Fatah’s archrival Hamas, which controls nearly half of the Gaza Strip.

In most cities, Fatah-backed tickets will run against independent lists headed by candidates from factions such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (Marxist-Leninist).

“We must see change every four years through elections… We can’t change the situation but we hope to replace people… people who might be better and help develop the community,” said Khalid Eid, 55, after he voted in Al-Bireah.

Municipal councils are responsible for basic services such as water, sanitation and local infrastructure and do not enact legislation.

The Palestinian Authority faces widespread criticism over corruption, stagnation and declining legitimacy.

Western and regional donors have increasingly tied financial and diplomatic support to visible reforms, particularly at the local governance level, as national elections remain frozen.

With no presidential or legislative elections held since 2006, municipal councils have become one of the few functioning democratic institutions under PA administration.

UN coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov commended the election commission for organising a “credible process”.

“Saturday’s elections represent an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their democratic rights during an exceptionally challenging period,” Alakbarov said in a statement ahead of the polls.

Mahmud Bader, a businessman from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, where two adjacent refugee camps have been under Israeli military control for over a year, said he would vote despite having little hope for meaningful change.

“Whether candidates are independent or partisan, it has no effect and will have no effect or benefit for the city,” he told AFP on Friday.

“The [Israeli] occupation is the one that rules Tulkarem. It would only be an image shown to the international media — as if we have elections, a state or independence.”

Polling stations in the West Bank will close at 7pm, while polls in Deir el-Balah will close at 5pm to facilitate counting in daylight due to the lack of electricity in the conflict-devastated strip, the elections commission told AFP.

Two years of Israeli bombardment that started in October 2023 have left swathes of Gaza destroyed and more than 72,000 people dead, with studies estimating the overall death toll to be much higher.

Public infrastructure, sanitation services and the health sector are struggling to function.

‘Strong determination’

Gaza is holding its first vote since the legislative elections of 2006.

The Palestinian Authority is holding elections only in Deir el-Balah “as an experiment (to test its own) success or failure, since there are no post-war opinion polls”, Jamal al-Fadi, a political scientist at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, told AFP.

Deir el-Balah was chosen as it was one of the only places in Gaza where “the population has remained largely in place and not been displaced” by more than two years of conflict between Hamas and Israel, Fadi said.

The election commission has recruited polling staff from civil society organisations and hired “a private security company to secure polling centres” for the Gaza vote, its spokesman Fareed Taamallah told AFP.

Mohammed al-Hasayna, 24, said after voting in Deir el-Balah that although the elections were largely symbolic, they served as a sign of people’s “will to live”.

“We are an educated people with strong determination, and we deserve to have our own state,” he told AFP.

“We want the world to help us overcome the catastrophe of war. Enough wars — it is time to work towards rebuilding Gaza.”

The doctor, Hassan Sherjil Khan, allegedly began contacting an 11-year-old girl online in 2007 or 2008 and continued communicating with her for several years, according to a statement issued by the department.

Prosecutors say the doctor coerced the minor into sending sexually explicit images and engaging in live video sexual activity. The conduct continued until around 2013.

The Justice Department further alleges that the accused travelled abroad to engage in sexual acts with the victim when she was 15.

Despite this, he applied for US citizenship in August 2012 without disclosing his involvement in the offences and was granted naturalisation in May 2013.

The victim later disclosed the abuse, after which the doctor was arrested in September 2015.

He was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child outside the United States, and receipt of child pornography.

In January 2016, he pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor under US federal law and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He remains incarcerated.

At the time of his arrest, he was working as a physician.

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said citizenship “will not protect sexual predators from the consequences of their horrific acts” and added that the government would revoke citizenship obtained through concealment of serious crimes.

The civil complaint argues that the physician was ineligible for naturalisation because he lacked “good moral character” at the time of citizenship and allegedly made false statements or concealed material facts during the process.

The case has been filed in the Southern District of New York and is being handled by the Justice Department’s immigration litigation unit along with the US Attorney’s Office.

Officials said the allegations in the complaint have not yet been adjudicated in court.

While denaturalisation remains a relatively rare legal remedy in the United States, the Justice Department has in recent years pursued a number of such cases, particularly involving allegations of immigration fraud, concealment of criminal conduct, or national security concerns.

Under initiatives such as “Operation Janus” and later “Operation Second Look,” US authorities have reviewed thousands of naturalisation files for inconsistencies in identity, prior deportation orders, or undisclosed criminal histories. These efforts have resulted in civil proceedings against naturalised citizens from a wide range of countries.

In publicly reported cases, denaturalisation actions have been brought against individuals originating from countries including Pakistan, India, Somalia, and several former Soviet republics, often linked to allegations of fraud in asylum or citizenship applications, or serious post-naturalisation criminal convictions.

Police and Rescue 1122 officials said on Saturday that the first incident occurred in the Lowi Sam area when assailants opened fire on a police mobile carrying policemen to the nearby Miagano post.

They said five policemen in the vehicle were injured in the attack, adding that the attackers managed to flee.

“The overnight attack on the police vehicle in the Lowi Sam area, considered among the peaceful areas of Khar tehsil, has left five policemen non-fatally wounded,” a spokesperson for the district police said.

The official said that after the incident, a team from the Lowi Sam police station immediately rushed to the scene and launched search efforts for the attackers.

The police spokesperson added that a Rescue 1122 ambulance was attacked by unknown assailants in Khar’s Rashakai area when it was en route to the Lowi Sam area to take the wounded cops to the Khar District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.

The official stated that the attack on the Rescue 1122 ambulance, which occurred about 20 minutes after the Lowi Sam incident, left three people wounded, including the vehicle driver and two residents.

A contingent of police personnel led by senior officials from the Police Lines quickly reached the locality and started a search operation against those involved in the ambush after cordoning off the site, he added.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, which spread fear in the said localities.

PTI MPA Dr Hamidur Rehman and Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Muhammad Nisar Baz Khan, among others, strongly condemned the attacks and termed them unacceptable.

In social media posts, both lawmakers expressed concern over the incidents and prayed for the early recovery of all the injured.

KP has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the past year. According to the Annual Security Report 2025 from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), KP recorded a significant surge in violence last year as “fatalities rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025”.

On Thursday night, terrorists blew up an abandoned police post in Lowi Mamund tehsil of Bajaur.

On Tuesday night, a mortar shell fired from the Afghan side hit a house in Lowi Mamund. However, no casualties were reported.

Last week, a policeman was injured after unidentified armed men attacked a police post in the War Mamund tehsil.

This was the Iranian foreign minister’s first working meeting after his arrival. He is also expected to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

The Pakistani side also included Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials.

The Iranian delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.

Araghchi arrives in Islamabad

Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late on Friday — carrying Tehran’s formal response to proposals conveyed earlier by the US through Pakistan — as renewed diplomatic activity gathered pace. He was received by Deputy PM Dar and CDF Munir.

Ahead of the visit, he had held separate telephone conversations with Dar and Field Marshal Munir, focusing on the cea­sefire and the diplomatic track.

The visit comes at a delicate moment in the US-Iran standoff, with a fragile, indefinitely extended ceasefire holding on paper, while core disputes over the naval blockade, nuclear restrictions and sequ­encing of concessions remain unresolved.

Pakistani officials said the Iranian minister’s trip was primarily aimed at conveying Tehran’s considered response after internal consultations.

“Purpose of my visits is to closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments. Our neighbours are our priority,” Araghchi said in a post on X before departing Tehran for his three-country tour, which also includes stops in Oman and Russia.

In his statement, Baqaei clarified, “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran’s observations would be conveyed to Pakistan.”

He said Araghchi would meet with Pakistani “high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression” and the restoration of peace in the region.

Witkoff, Kushner expected in Islamabad

Araghchi reached Islamabad shortly after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday for a second round of talks with Iran.

“I confirm special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be off to Pakistan again tomorrow morning to engage in talks — direct talks — intermediated by the Pakistanis, who have been incredible friends and mediators throughout this entire process, with representatives from the Iranian delegation,” she told Fox News.

“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” Leavitt said.

“The president, the vice president, the secretary of state, will be waiting here in the United States for updates, and the vice president, I understand, is on standby and will be willing to dispatch to Pakistan if we feel it’s a necessary use of his time,” she said.

“The Iranians reached out, as the president called on them to do, and asked for this in-person conversation,” she claimed.

“The president always wants to give diplomacy a chance. It’s always his first option, and he’s willing to do that here again,” Leavitt said.

She added that the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side in recent days and hoped more would be made in weekend talks.

The current phase of US-Iran negotiations follows the first round of direct talks held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which ended after more than 20 hours without agreement but kept the diplomatic channel open.

Since then, exchanges have continued indirectly through Pakistan, with both sides calibrating positions while avoiding a formal breakdown.

The ceasefire, originally brokered around April 7 and 8, has been extended without a defined timeline, creating space for diplomacy but also prolonging uncertainty.

Officials in Islamabad described the situation as fluid, with mediation efforts focused on bridging the sequencing gap between US demands and Iranian preconditions.

According to the FO, the president will travel to Changsha, Hunan province, from April 25 to 27, and to Sanya, Hainan province, from April 28 to May 1.

“During the visit, the president will hold meetings with provincial leadership to review the full spectrum of Pakistan–China ties, with particular focus on economic and trade cooperation as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” the statement added.

The FO added that the visit is part of the “longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and carries special significance as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year”.

It further said the trip reflects the “deep commitment” of both sides to further strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership.

Last year, President Asif Ali Zardari visited China on a 10-day official trip, during which he met the Chinese leadership and senior officials to further strengthen Pakistan–China relations, enhance cooperation in diverse fields, and advance shared objectives.

During the visit, six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Sindh government and business-to-business (B2B) partners in sectors such as agriculture, defence, energy, rail links, and farmer training. These initiatives were later planned to be extended to other provinces.

In a post on X, the PCB chairman said he had requested PM Shehbaz to allow spectators in the stadiums during the PSL 11 final.

“While he was also inclined to permit fans, he emphasised that austerity measures are currently in place across Pakistan, with efforts underway to minimise fuel consumption,” Naqvi said.

“However, on the request of franchise owners, he has graciously approved the presence of fans for the PSL 11 final.”

The PCB chairman thanked the premier for the decision to facilitate the fans.

This year’s PSL had initially been scheduled to be held across six venues — Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar, and Faisalabad.

However, last month, it was announced that the tournament would go ahead sans spectators while matches would be held only in Karachi and Lahore in line with the government’s austerity drive, which was launched in the wake of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel’s war on Iran.

Islamabad United sealed a playoff berth with a commanding eight-wicket win at the National Bank Stadium on Friday night. The defeat dealt a significant blow to the Hyderabad Kingsmen’s net run rate, which could prove decisive in the tightly packed race for fourth place.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi has stayed firmly at the top with eight wins in nine games. Karachi Kings, after suffering their fifth loss in eight outings, lie at the seventh spot in the eight-team league.

The final match is scheduled for May 3 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Democratic Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego introduced the Cuba War Powers Resolution last month. Under Senate rules, the Senate’s Republican leaders must allow it to come up for a vote.

“The president’s saber rattling toward Cuba makes clear where his sights are next,” Schiff said in a statement when the resolution was introduced.

Exact timing of the vote has not yet been announced, but aides said they expected it before May 1.

Under Trump, US forces have launched strikes on boats off Venezuela and gone into Caracas to seize President Nicolas Maduro, and, with Israel, waged war on Iran since February 28, all without authorisation from Congress.

Trump has since said “Cuba is next,” while touting US military action in Venezuela and Iran. He did not specify what he plans to do with the island nation, but has frequently said he believes its government is on the verge of collapse.

Democrats have tried, and failed repeatedly in both the Senate and House of Representatives, to force Trump to stop military action and obtain lawmakers’ authorisation before launching military operations.

Trump’s fellow Republicans, who hold a slim majority in both the Senate and House, have almost unanimously voted to block the resolutions that have come up to date and there has been no indication yet that any are shifting position.

Although the US Constitution says that Congress, not the president, can declare war, that restriction does not apply to short-term operations or to counter an immediate threat.

The White House says Trump’s actions are within his rights as commander-in-chief to protect the US by ordering limited military operations. Congressional Republicans accuse Democrats of filing the resolutions only to attack Trump.

These trends were discussed at a panel organised by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) at the UN headquarters in New York, where diplomats, security experts and academics examined emerging patterns in global terrorism.

According to the panelists, the shift has expanded the reach of extremist networks beyond traditional conflict zones, enabling remote recruitment, propaganda and financing through online ecosystems that operate across borders and often outside regulatory control.

The convergence of these tools with rising ideological extremism — including far-right movements in Western societies — has further complicated efforts to define and counter terrorism, as loosely organised groups operate without clear leadership or geographic limits.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the threat landscape was “fast evolving,” pointing to “xenophobia, racism and religious intolerance, as well as gaps in the global counter-terrorism architecture and sanctions regimes.”

He also highlighted challenges faced by governments in regulating social media platforms and ensuring accountability of technology companies operating across jurisdictions.

Acting Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT Alexander Zouev said terrorism had become “multipolar and sophisticated,” stressing the need for preventive action to address risks linked to artificial intelligence, encrypted services and digital assets.

Other speakers, including China’s Permanent Representative Fu Cong, UN sanctions monitoring coordinator Colin Smith and human rights expert Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, highlighted the growing misuse of information technologies, including social media, artificial intelligence tools and virtual assets, for propaganda, recruitment and financing.

Experts noted that while traditional financing methods remain dominant, terrorist groups are increasingly experimenting with cryptocurrencies and digital wallets. The use of encrypted messaging platforms and online networks for disinformation and coordination has also made detection more difficult.

Participants also drew attention to persistent threats from militant groups operating in Afghanistan and beyond, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K).
In Africa, groups such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) were identified as key actors driving instability in the Sahel region.

The discussion also highlighted the growing use of ungoverned spaces and fragile states as operational bases, combined with digital tools that allow global coordination without centralized command structures.
The urgency of regulating online spaces has increased since incidents such as the Christchurch mosque shootings, which demonstrated how attacks can be amplified worldwide in real time.

The meeting comes as the UN General Assembly reviews its Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, with member states under pressure to adapt policies to an increasingly complex and technology-driven threat environment.

Pakistan, currently serving on the UN Security Council for 2025–26, has identified counter-terrorism as a key priority and is advocating a comprehensive approach that combines security measures with efforts to address root causes of conflict and instability.

• Multi-agency report says over 9m Pakistanis face ‘crisis’ conditions; another 1.7 million in the more severe ‘emergency’ category
• Notes devastating monsoon rains, severe flooding wiped out crucial cropland, livelihoods
• Warns global hunger remains at critical levels amid conflict, drought, aid cuts; outlook for 2026 remains ‘bleak’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan remains one of the 10 fragile countries where global acute food insecurity is most concentrated, according to a UN-backed report released on Friday, as intensifying climate extremes and persistent economic challenges continue to strain the nation.

The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises names Pakistan alongside Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen as the primary centres of acute hunger.

According to the report, Pakistan was among the world’s 10 largest food crises in 2025, with about 11 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Of those affected in Pakistan, 9.3m people were classified in “crisis” conditions and 1.7m in “emergency”, the two most severe categories short of famine.

The classification system used in the report, known as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), defines a food crisis as a situation requiring urgent action to protect lives and livelihoods.

Acute food insecurity arises when access to food becomes so limited that it threatens survival.

Deeper crisis

The report highlights extreme weather as a continuing driver of food insecurity in Pakistan, pointing in particular to heavy rains and flooding that caused localised crop losses.

“In 2025, severe floods were recorded worldwide, affecting livelihoods and food security. In Pakistan, heavy monsoon rains and flash floods affected more than 6 million people, destroying cropland and infrastructure,” the report said.

Pakistan also appears in the rep­ort’s nutrition analysis, with Balo­chistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh identified as areas of concern.

However, the country lacks sufficient recent data to assign a formal severity classification for 2025, placing it among countries with “no severity data” for nutrition outcomes.

Even so, Pakistan is included in broader assessments of malnutrition risk pathways, reflecting vulnerabilities linked to diet, healthcare access, water and sanitation, and disease.

The report also points to Paki­stan’s role in regional displacement dynamics. It is listed among the countries hosting large numbers of refugees in food-crisis contexts, particularly Afghan refugees.

It also projects that Pakistan’s inflation will rise slightly to 6pc this year, adding further pressure on the system.

Despite the scale of the crisis, Pakistan recorded modest improvements in 2025.

The number of people in the most severe categories declined compared with the previous year, with about 400,000 fewer people in crisis (Phase 3) and more than 500,000 fewer in emergency (Phase 4).

But these gains remain fragile due to worsening climate and economic conditions.

According to the report, Pakistan’s inclusion in the top ten reflects both the severity of need and a broader expansion of data coverage.

The analysis was extended from 43 rural districts in 2024 to 68 districts in 2025, covering parts of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

As a result, the share of Pakistan’s population included in the analysis rose from 16pc to 21pc, adding more than 14m

people to the dataset.

Even so, the report cautions that trends must be interpreted carefully. Pakistan’s apparent increase in food insecurity over recent years is partly due to this expanded coverage, which rose from just 2pc of the population in 2020 to 21pc in 2025.

A global crisis

Globally, conflict, drought and shrinking humanitarian aid are expected to keep hunger at critical levels this year, with the overall outlook for 2026 described as bleak.

A third of people facing the crises were in Sudan, Nigeria, and the Congo alone, according to the 10th edition of the annual hunger monitor, published by development and humanitarian organisations.

Based on data from the United Nations, the European Union and humanitarian agencies, the report found that conflict remained the main driver of acute food insecurity worldwide.

However, with conflicts and climate extremes likely to sustain or worsen conditions in many countries, the ripple effects are being felt globally.

For the first time in the report’s 10-year history, famine was confir­med in two separate contexts in the same year: Gaza and parts of Sudan.

In total, 266m people across 47 countries and territories faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, nearly double the share recorded in 2016. Furthermore, 1.4m people faced catastrophic conditions in parts of Haiti, Mali, Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen. The toll on the youngest and most vulnerable populations has been particularly severe.

In 2025 alone, 35.5m children worldwide were acutely malnourished, including nearly 10m suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Looking ahead to this year, the report said severity levels remained critical. Only Haiti is expected to escape from the worst “catastrophic” band, thanks to a slight improvement in security and increased humanitarian aid.

Improvements in some countries, such as Bangladesh and Syria, were almost fully offset by notable deteriorations in Afghanistan, Congo, Myanmar and Zimbabwe.

“We are no longer seeing just temporary shocks, but persistent shocks over time,” said Alvaro Lario, head of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which helps draw up the annual report.

“The main message is that food insecurity is not an isolated issue anymore, but is putting pressure on global stability,” Lario said.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has added to the alarm, Lario said.

“Even if the conflict in the Middle East were to end right now, we know that a lot of the food price shocks and inflation will happen in the next six months,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

The IMF’s executive board is expected to approve in the first half of May the disbursement of more than $1.2 billion under two ongoing programmes.

As of April 23, diesel prices were estimated to go down by around Rs25 per litre and petrol by Rs6 per litre. However, the government partially restored the petroleum levy on diesel and increased petrol prices to meet overall fiscal targets.

Unlike the prime minister’s anno­uncements of price cuts, the increase this time was quietly announced by the petroleum division on the day Iran and the United States dispatched their negotiators to Islamabad for the second round of talks.

Petrol, diesel prices raised by Rs27 per litre

As such, the ex-depot price of high-speed diesel (HSD) was fixed at Rs380.19 against Rs353.42 per litre at present, up by 7.6pc or Rs26.77 per litre.

The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 on April 10 as the prime minister removed the petroleum levy for two weeks but then allowed partial recovery, sour­ces said. HSD is considered the most inflationary item due to its widesp­read use in freight transportation.

Likewise, the ex-depot rate of petrol was set at Rs393.35 per litre for the coming week, up from Rs366.58 per litre, an increase of Rs26.77 or 7.3pc.

With the latest revision, the government is now charging around Rs135 per litre in taxes on petrol and Rs65 per litre on diesel, including petroleum levy, customs duty and the climate support levy.

On Friday, the government increased the petroleum levy on petrol by about Rs27, raising it from Rs80 to Rs107.38 per litre, while the levy on high-speed diesel was kept at zero at the retail level under the latest notification.

In a written statement, Petro­leum Minister Ali Pervez Malik said oil prices were again rising due to regional tensions and the government had to take measures to pass on the additional burden to consumers in view of agreements with international stakeholders.

He said the government absor­bed the increase in international prices for as long as possible with its limited resources and provided “historic relief” to the people.

Petrol and diesel rates have gone up from Rs266 and Rs281 per litre, respectively, after the US-Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28, sending shockwaves to the global energy markets.

The two fuels remain the government’s key revenue generators, with combined monthly sales of around 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes compared to about 10,000 tonnes for kerosene.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

WASHINGTON / PARIS: Even as renewed engagement between Iran and Pakistan over dialogue with the US sent out positive signals, Europe and the rest of the world appears anxious for a swift, diplomatic end to the war that has ravaged the Middle East and crippled global shipping, causing a fuel crunch across the globe.

Separately, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has claimed that: “No one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy.”

Addressing reporters alongside US Gen Dan Caine, the US defence secretary said the US was “not anxious” for a deal with Iran, and repeated Trump’s previous comments of having “all the time in the world”.

“Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely … at the negotiating table. All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” he said.

According to Gen Caine, 34 ships had been turned around as of Friday morning, adding that the US military would continue to interdict Iranian vessels in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

“We’re enforcing the blockade across the board against any ship of any nationality that is transiting to or from an Iranian port or territory,” Caine said.

“We’re closely tracking vessels of interest headed towards Iran and those moving away from Iran that were outside the blockade area when this blockade was ord­ered and … we’re prepared and postured to intercept them,” he said.

However, shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Friday that one of its ships has crossed the Strait of Hormuz but did not have any information on the circumstances or timing.

Four out of initially six ships remain in the Gulf, after one ship’s charter agreement expired, meaning it no longer belongs to the Hapag-Lloyd fleet, a spokesperson added.

Scores of tankers and other vessels remain stuck in the Gulf as the United States is struggling to keep control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.

Europe worried

Meanwhile, leaders from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan as well as the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, were in Cyprus on Friday to meet their EU counterparts on the sidelines of a summit. The EU has largely remained on the sidelines in the Middle East war despite US President Donald Trump lashing out at what he says is Europe’s lack of support for Washington’s efforts to contain Iran.

“The current situation clearly underscores how closely Europe’s security is linked with that of the Middle East, and how vital our cooperation on security and defence has become,” European Council president Antonio Costa told a press conference after the talks.

“The Strait of Hormuz must immediately reopen without restrictions and without tolling, in full respect of international law and the principle of freedom of navigation. This is vital for the entire world,” Costa said.

“Diplomacy is the only sustainable way forwards, and European Union is ready to contribute to all ongoing efforts,” he added.

An extension of a shaky truce between Israel and Lebanon has also been agreed on – but European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said that was “not enough”, calling for a permanent settlement.

“You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the Gulf while Lebanon is in flames,” she said. “A temporary pause is not enough”.

The EU has largely remained on the sidelines in the Middle East war despite US President Donald Trump lashing out at what he says is Europe’s lack of support for Washington’s efforts to contain Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that “Europe must do even more” to help end the crisis.

“It is in everyone’s interest for stability to return as soon as possible and for the world’s economies to be reassured,” Macron said, in stark contrast to Trump, who recently said the US had “all the time in the world”.

‘Neutral’ Swiss set to reopen Tehran embassy

Meanwhile, Switzerland said Friday it had begun sending staff back to Tehran and would gradually reopen its embassy, enabling it to continue as a facilitator for diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran.

For decades, neutral Switzerland has played a central role in maintaining basic diplomatic contacts between Iran and the United States.

But the country temporarily closed its embassy on March 11 days after the Middle East war erupted with the first US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Swiss foreign ministry said four staff had returned and insisted the channel of communication between the US and Iran had been kept open even while the mission was shut.

“The decision to gradually reopen the embassy was taken after a risk analysis and in consultation with Iran and the United States, whose interests Switzerland represents under its protecting power mandate,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Switzerland “is prepared to provide its good offices if the parties so wish and supports all diplomatic initiatives that contribute to de-escalation and a lasting peace”.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran handles all consular affairs between the United States and Iran, including passport requests, altering civil status and consular protection for US citizens in Iran.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

Police officials said unidentified armed assailants riding motorcycles attacked the Dhadar police station, firing rockets and grenades. The police personnel deployed at the site took defensive positions and retaliated.

“A heavy exchange of fire continued for over an hour, resulting in the killing of an attacker,” a senior police officer said.

He also confirmed that a Balochistan Constabulary policeman embraced martyrdom, adding that three others suffered injuries.

The body and the injured were shifted to the district hospital. Two of the injured policemen were said to be in serious condition and being moved to either Sibi or Quetta for treatment.

The attackers also set ablaze several vehicles parked outside the police station, while the building suffered significant damage. Additional police contingents were dispatched to Dhadar after the attack.

“The firing has stopped and the attackers have fled,” the official said.

Meanwhile, officials said a group of several armed men also attacked a police station in the Mal area of Noshki district.

According to reports, the assailants used rockets and grenades. A police official said a heavy gun battle ensued that lasted for over an hour. He added that one policeman was injured in the exchange of fire.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Balochistan Emir Senator Maulana Abdul Wasay has announced a boycott of the Bugti-led coalition government’s functions, official meetings, and visits to the Chief Minister’s House, alleging that the provincial government has launched operations against madressas (seminaries) across the province and sealed many of them.

Speaking at a press conference on Fri­day, along with Senator Kamran Murtaza and other party leaders, he said that the decision to socially boycott the government was taken in response to actions against seminaries. He said the law under which these actions are being carried out has neither been approved by parliament nor by the provincial assembly.

He declared that seminaries are the party’s “red line” and warned that those taking action against them have “dug their own grave.” He rejected the government’s law against seminaries and said that if operations are not stopped and an apology is not issued by May 2, the party will convene a meeting of the Provincial Majlis-i-Shura and announce a movement against the government.

Maulana Wasay said that the JUI-F supported the 26th Constitutional Amendment on the condition that seminaries would be registered under the Societies Act, adding that an additional clause was later included allowing seminaries to register with the Education Department if they wished.

He alleged that universities have become hubs of drugs, while seminaries produce people who run the country and are now being targeted.

Senator Kamran Murtaza, speaking on the occasion, said that seminaries in Balochistan are being issued notices and sealed. He added that the US Deputy Chief of Mission had also told JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman during a meeting that actions against seminaries were not an American demand and that the government and establishment were unnecessarily creating pressure.

Madressah registration

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has decided to make the madressah registration process more organised and effective in view of reports regarding foreign funding and the presence of foreign individuals in some unregistered seminaries in the province.

Officials said that, according to available data, around 300 seminaries in Balochistan have been identified as operating without legal registration. In some of these institutions, reports of suspicious activities have also been received, which are currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.

Sources said that religious leaders — particularly the leadership of JUI-F — will be taken into confidence.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, and Unicef announced on Friday that the “Big Catch-Up” (BCU), a historic multi-year, multi-country effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the Covid-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged 1 to 5 across 36 countries.

More than 100 million doses of life-saving vaccines have been administered, helping to narrow critical immunity gaps. Pakistan has immensely benefited from the BCU.

The 36 participating BCU countries across Africa and Asia currently account for 60 per cent of all zero-dose children worldwide. Pandemic-related disruptions to immunisation programmes exacerbated this issue, adding millions more zero-dose children to those who already chronically missed out.

To address this, the BCU looked beyond infant immunisation and, for the first time, systematically leveraged routine immunisation systems to make significant progress in reaching older children aged 1 to 5. These children are considered “older” because they should have received critical routine vaccines before the age of one but remain vulnerable due to missed vaccinations, according to a UN press release.

Among the participating countries, 12 — Burkina Faso, North Korea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, So­­­malia, Togo, Tanzania, and Zambia — rep­orted reaching more than 60 per cent of zero-dose children under the age of five who had previously missed the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP1) vaccine.

While these 36 countries received Gavi funding and technical assistance from WHO and Unicef through the BCU, many other countries also implemented activities during this period to accelerate efforts to reach missed children and restore immunisation services following pandemic-related setbacks.

“As the largest-ever international effort to reach missed children with life-saving vaccines, the Big Catch-Up shows what is possible when governments, partners, and communities work together to protect the most vulnerable in society,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

“By protecting children who missed out on vaccinations because of disruptions to health services caused by Covid-19, the Big Catch-Up has helped undo one of the pandemic’s major negative consequences,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Vaccinations save lives,” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This initiative shows what is possible when countries have the resources, tools, and political will to reach children with life-saving vaccines. We’ve caught up with some of the children who missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic — but many more remain out of reach.”

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

The Services and General Adminis­tration Department (S&GAD) has written a letter to all BS-18 officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Provincial Management Service (PMS), saying that it was noted with “serious concern” that some officers had applied for Haj duty directly to the religious affairs ministry without obtaining prior permission or a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the competent authority.

The provincial government has directed all such officers to route their applications through the S&GAD for ex-post facto approval of the NOC.

To ensure discipline and administrative control in the future, all BS-18 officers have been directed to secure prior permission from the S&GAD before applying for Haj duty.

Provincial govt warns such requests to religious affairs ministry without NOC will be deemed as ‘misconduct’

The Punjab government has made it clear that if any officer applied directly to the federal ministry without prior permission from the competent authority, they would not be considered for ex-post facto approval of the NOC.

“Furthermore, applying for Haj duty without proper procedure and NOC will be considered as an act of misconduct. In such cases, disciplinary proceedings shall be initiated under the Peeda [Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipl­ine and Accountability] Act, 2006,” the provincial government warned.

Tevta COO transferred

Separately, the provincial government transferred Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) Chief Operating Officer Faisal Fareed and posted him as special secretary in the home department against a vacant post.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

Islamabad’s Deputy Com­­missioner Irfan Memon in a statement said the administration was in contact with distributors of food items, vegetables, fruits, the Drug Regu­latory Authority, pharmaceutical companies and petrol pump owners.

Memon said no vehicle carrying petroleum products, food items and medicines was being stopped in any way, adding that the entry of heavy transport into Islamabad would remain banned until further orders.

The district administration has also set up a control room to provide 24/7 service to the people who have been asked to contact on phone number 051-9108084, in case of any difficulty.

Meanwhile, the traffic police, in a separate statement anno­unced that the Red Zone and Extended Red Zone would remain completely closed for all types of traffic.

The residents of Islam­abad have been advised to follow the alternative traffic plan in case of road closures.

Islamabad Expressway from Koral to Zero Point will be closed for all types of traffic whereas traffic may also be stopped at different times on Srinagar Highway.

Residents of G-5, G-6, G-7, F-6, and F-7 traveling to Rawalpindi should use Margalla Road and 9th Avenue. Traffic coming from Faisal Avenue to Zero Point will be diverted towards 9th Avenue.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

“I wasn’t in politics before and I’m not going to be after,” Macron said on Thursday during a visit to a school in Cyprus.

He added that at this late stage in office, the “hardest thing” was to strike a balance between defending his record and acknowledging what “didn’t work out”.

France’s political and media world is already abuzz as the race for 2027 has “already begun”, said Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet, a communications expert at Sciences Po university.

For now, would-be candidates are playing up their softer sides, with far-right National Rally (RN) party chief Jordan Bardella showing off a romance with Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in glossy magazine Paris Match.

And Gabriel Attal, one of Macron’s string of former prime ministers, has offered personal revelations in a book as he shores up his bid to lead the centrist camp into the 2027 vote.

“Now is a good time for the president, who in any case won’t be in charge of much any more, to announce and lay the groundwork for his departure,” Moreau-Chevrolet said.

“He needs to tell an alternative story while leaving what’s next up to speculation.”

Rear-view mirror

Macron has sought in recent weeks to spruce up public perceptions of his legacy even as would-be successors in his own ranks try to distance themselves from a historically unpopular leader.

The 48-year-old may be hoping to mimic the trajectory of Jacques Chirac, president in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Once out of the cut and thrust of daily politics and with his various scandals fading, conservative Chirac’s public image recovered and many now look back on his era with nostalgia.

“At some point there’ll be a change in perspective, because he won’t be a political personality any longer,” a person close to Macron said.

“There’ll be a re-emergence of some of the key elements and consistency” in his policy, the person added, such as his push for “industrial and European independence in the face of crises”.

Macron remains highly visible outside France, standing up to US President Donald Trump over his threats to annex Greenland and criticising the war against Iran.

His long-vaunted White House relationship has cooled in recent months as Trump becomes a liability even for his supposed political allies in Europe’s far right.

“I didn’t speak to him in the last few hours because I didn’t see a need for it,” Macron said dismissively of Trump during a visit to Poland.

The president’s “true role has been on the international stage”, said Moreau-Chevrolet.

In January, Macron energised the World Economic Forum in Davos with a “defence of European democracies and Gaullist position” of technological and military emancipation from the United States.

Images raced around the internet of the French leader wearing aviator-style sunglasses to protect a broken blood vessel in his eye, as he called for Europe to stiffen its spine.

Macron in 2032?

Macron’s stated intent to leave active politics “doesn’t mean that he’ll be out of the picture altogether,” Moreau-Chevrolet said. The person close to Macron said that “he was talking about politics in the party-political sense”.

Some observers suggest he could seek a post heading an inter-governmental body such as the International Monetary Fund or European Commission.

One centrist leader predicted that “he’ll start up an outfit of his own after 2027. And there will be people calling for #Macron2032”, the next presidential election when he could stand again.

In the meantime, “he’s not taking leave of the questions he’s passionate about, reindustrialisation of France, AI, the defence industry, international affairs. He leaves the rest to the prime minister and doesn’t bother about it,” one sitting minister said.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

Despite an October ceasefire, Gaza remains gripped by daily violence as Israeli strikes continue and both the Israeli military and Hamas accuse one another of breaking the truce.

Five people were killed and several others injured when an Israeli air strike hit a police vehicle in the Al Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Yunis, said the civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas.

In a separate incident, two people — a woman and a child — were killed, and five others injured when Israeli artillery struck residential homes near Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza.

In a third attack, an Israeli aircraft struck another police patrol in Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, killing two people and injuring two others, it added.

The October truce has largely halted the Gaza conflict, which began on Oct 7, 2023.

But violence has persisted, with at least 792 Palestinians killed since the truce began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is under Ham.

The Israeli military has reported five soldiers killed in Gaza since the start of the truce.

Unexploded bombs

Gaza is heavily contaminated by unexploded ordnance, which frequently kill and maim people and could threaten recovery efforts far into the future, the UN said Friday.

Unexploded ordnance, ranging from undetonated bombs or grenades to simple bullets, has become a common sight in the Gaza Strip since the start of Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory, sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023.

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said it had data suggesting that since the start of the conflict, more than 1,000 people had been killed in Gaza due to “indirect conflict”, from the remnants of war.

Julius Van der Walt, UNMAS chief in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stressed that that number was certainly a severe under-estimate.

Half of the known casualties were children, he told reporters in Geneva.

Speaking along side him at a press conference on mine action work worldwide, Narmina Strishenets of Save the Children UK, also highlighted the heavy toll on youngsters.

A report by the organisation published last year found that in 2024, the use of explosive weapons in Gaza left an average of 475 children each month with potentially lifelong disabilities, including amputations.

Today, Strishenets said, Gaza has “the largest cohort of child amputees” in the world.

Van der Walt said UNMAS had so far been unable to conduct an extensive survey of the full scope of the problem, but “the evidence already suggests a high density of explosive ordnance contamination across the Gaza Strip”.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Under President Donald Trump, “the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims”, Blanche said in a statement.

The Republican president ended a 17-year pause in federal executions in 2020, during his first term in office.

There were 13 executions by lethal injection during Trump’s final six months in power, more than under any US leader in 120 years.

Before leaving the White House in January last year, Democratic president Joe Biden, an opponent of the death penalty, commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row.

Trump, on his first day in the White House for his second term, called for an expansion of the use of the death penalty “for the vilest crimes”. The death penalty is normally carried out at the state level in the United States, but the federal government can also seek execution for a limited set of crimes.

Five US states currently authorise the firing squad for executions, but only one — South Carolina — has used the method in recent years.

Nine states allow electrocution, but this method has not been used since 2020.

Two states have executed inmates recently by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

Last month, YouTube introduced its likeness protection tool, which helps identify content in which a person’s face appears altered or generated using AI technology, to government officials, journalists, and political candidates.

The platform is now extending access to entertainers including actors and musicians, who face a heightened risk of having their likeness misused – potentially harming their careers and distorting shared realities.

“We’re expanding our likeness detection technology to the entertainment industry: talent agencies, management companies, and the celebrities they represent,” YouTube said earlier this week.

Likeness detection “looks for AI-generated content with a participant’s likeness, like a deepfake of their face, and gives them the power to find it and request removal.”

The video giant added that celebrities and entertainers were eligible to access the tool regardless of whether they have a YouTube channel.

“YouTube opening its deepfake detection capabilities to public figures reflects a turning point in how platforms approach identity protection in the age of generative AI,” Alon Yamin, chief executive and co-founder of AI content detection platform Copyleaks, said.

“The technology to replicate a person’s face, voice, and mannerisms has advanced faster than the safeguards around it, creating a gap that bad actors are already exploiting.”

High stakes

The move comes after hyper-realistic AI videos of dead celebrities – created with apps such as OpenAI’s easy-to-use Sora – rapidly spread online, prompting debate over the control of deceased people’s likenesses.

OpenAI’s app also unleashed a flood of videos of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.

Last month, OpenAI said it was shutting down its Sora app.

In February, Irish director Ruair Robinson created a stunningly realistic clip featuring Brad Pitt fighting Tom Cruise on a rooftop using a two-sentence prompt.

The widely circulated clip, which sparked alarm across Hollywood, was generated with Seedance 2.0, an AI video generation tool owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance.

Robinson also created other videos depicting Pitt battling a sword-wielding “zombie ninja,” and another showing him teaming up with Cruise to fight a robot.

Charles Rivkin, the chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association, called on ByteDance to “immediately cease its infringing activity,” accusing it of disregarding copyright law that protects creators and underpins millions of jobs.

YouTube said it was working with leading talent agencies to refine how likeness detection can protect entertainers.

The video giant is “doing the right thing by providing these tools at no cost to the talent, so they can protect their real estate,” Jason Newman of the management and production firm Untitled Entertainment told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Their real estate is their face. Their real estate is their body. Their real estate is who they are, what they do, how they say it.”

The expansion of the detection tool follows complaints from high-profile Americans about YouTube’s cumbersome process for flagging and removing deepfakes from the platform — especially as AI accelerates the creation of fabricated content.

“For celebrities, executives, and other high-profile individuals, the stakes are especially high as deepfakes can be used to spread misinformation, manipulate markets, damage reputations, or falsely imply endorsement. Robust detection is no longer optional,” said Yamin.

“Detection systems must be highly accurate, continuously updated, and paired with clear policies and swift takedown processes to be effective.

“This won’t eliminate deepfakes entirely, but it can significantly reduce their reach and impact by making it harder for manipulated content to go undetected or unchallenged,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026

Several teams from Swabi and other districts are participating in the tournament being held in Chota Lahor.

Rescue officials said that a contest was going on between Dodher and Chota Lahor’s teams when a clash erupted over a point.

The referee tried to calm down the situation, but the players became emotional and started shouting at one another, trading fists.

Luqman Khan, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Swabi said that on receiving information, their medical team immediately reached the spot and provided first aid to the injured.

One injured person as identified as Zahoor Khan, while his two colleagues were also injured.

The organisers of the tournament said that the match was abandoned.

Power supply disconnected: Electric supply to the Government Higher Secondary School, Kotha, here was disconnected by the public utility over non-payment of bills, officials said.

Officials of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) told Dawn that they were mulling cutting off power supply to more public sector institutions in the next few days for not paying electricity bills.

They said the school administration had failed to clear the dues despite repeated reminders.

The residents expressed concern over the development and asked the provincial government to provide funds to the schools to clear electricity bills.

They said that the summer had set in, so it would be difficult for students to concentrate on studies amid the rising temperatures.

The residents said the students would be unable to study, adding that the teachers would also face problems due to the power suspension.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026