Simran Siraj

KARACHI: Infectious disease experts at Aga Khan University Hospital have reassured the public that the Nipah virus poses no immediate threat to Pakistan, despite renewed regional concern following reports from parts of South Asia. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital during a media roundtable earlier this week, specialists emphasized that while Nipah is a highly lethal virus, its current transmission patterns and geographical concentration make the risk to Pakistan exceptionally low. Public anxiety has largely centered on fruit bats in Pakistan, which are known to be natural reservoirs of the virus. Addressing these concerns, Dr Nosheen Nasir, the section head of Infectious Diseases at AKUH, said the virus does not spread merely because bats are present. &ldquo;We want to clarify that simply having bats in the area does not mean an outbreak is imminent,&rdquo; Dr Nasir told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The virus isn&rsquo;t transmitted through casual exposure, like a bat flying nearby.&rdquo; &ldquo;The real risk lies in spillover events, such as consuming food or raw tree sap contaminated by an infected animal. For the average citizen, basic food hygiene is the most powerful tool we have.&rdquo; Dr Nasir added that recent Nipah clusters remain confined to eastern India and Bangladesh, with no reported cases in regions bordering Pakistan. Preparedness over panicExperts acknowledged the virus&rsquo;s high fatality rate but stressed that Nipah is far less contagious than respiratory viruses such as COVID-19. Dr Faisal Mahmood, professor of Infectious Diseases and associate chief medical officer at AKUH, said the focus should remain on healthcare preparedness rather than public alarm. &ldquo;Nipah is a serious infection, but it is not a current domestic emergency,&rdquo; Dr Mahmood said. &ldquo;Our healthcare resources are better spent addressing immediate challenges, such as the rise in measles cases. That said, vigilance is critical.&rdquo; He explained that clinicians have been advised to closely monitor patients presenting with severe fever and neurological symptoms. &ldquo;Early isolation and specialized protocols are already mapped out to prevent any potential spread,&rdquo; he noted, describing this as a key part of managing the patient journey. The roundtable also highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing screening of travelers at international entry points as an important preventive measure.&nbsp; Drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the experts underscored that long-term health security depends on early coordination, clinician awareness, and informed communities. The medical community&rsquo;s message to the public remains clear: maintain high standards of food hygiene, avoid consuming raw date palm sap, and rely on verified medical guidance rather than unverified information circulating on social media.

Nipah virus antibody test. Identifying antibodies to the Nipah virus indicating exposure to the virus, and specifically, the type of antibody (IgM or IgG) provides clues about the timing of exposure. (AFP)

Health

Infectious disease experts at Aga Khan University Hospital say the virus poses no immediate risk to Pakistan, urging preparedness over panic, emphasizing food hygiene, surveillance, clinician vigilance, and public awareness.

Nipah virus poses no immediate threat to Pakistan: Health experts

KARACHI: In many South Asian households, confrontation is often replaced by quiet endurance. Emotional restraint is learned early, folded into a cultural ideal that venerates the &ldquo;sacrificial mother.&rdquo; A figure so consumed by caregiving and stability that the woman behind the role slowly disappears.&nbsp;The Mother, running until January 18 at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi, ruptures this long-held myth.&nbsp;Originally written by Oscar-winning French playwright Florian Zeller, the Urdu adaptation, translated and directed by Usama Khan, marks a rare and significant moment for Karachi&rsquo;s theatre scene. Structured as a &ldquo;farce tragedy,&rdquo; the play is both sharply witty and emotionally devastating, confronting the unspoken fractures families often learn to live with.&nbsp;Starring Nimra Bucha, Sonil Shanker, Ashmal Lalwany, and Eshah Shakeel, the production centers on a woman&rsquo;s isolation, drawing audiences into the psychological debris of her inner world. At its core is the stark reality of Empty Nest Syndrome. The moment a mother confronts the fact that her life&rsquo;s work has been to raise people who must, inevitably, leave.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Bucha described the play as a rejection of sentimental portrayals of motherhood. She reflected on how a mother&rsquo;s existence is frequently reduced to &ldquo;perpetually feeding and clothing&rdquo; her family, only to culminate in a profound sense of erasure.&nbsp;&ldquo;It talks about how a woman who is a mother just loses all sense of self&hellip; and also how age makes people invisible,&rdquo; Bucha said. &ldquo;How slowly it diminishes, diminishes, diminishes to the point where you can&rsquo;t hear.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I ever listened, I didn&rsquo;t hear my mom. It was as if she was just talking.&rdquo;&nbsp;While the tragedy is universal, it resonates acutely with a generation suspended between tradition and individual agency. The play asks an uncomfortable question: can personal freedom ever be achieved without being underwritten by someone else&rsquo;s sustained sacrifice?&nbsp;That tension crystallizes in the relationship between mother and son. Lalwany, who plays the son, told Pakistan TV Digital that the guilt associated with leaving home is deeply ingrained from childhood.&nbsp;&ldquo;There&rsquo;s this guilt attached to walking away. It&rsquo;s never easy, even though it&rsquo;s the only option you have,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The amount of guilt you go through when you even raise your voice a little&hellip; you want to find out who you are and what you want to be, but children are never sure about their relationship because there are such different demands and expectations from both sides.&rdquo;&nbsp;The production has also drawn international attention. Zeller himself shared the play&rsquo;s poster on Instagram and now follows members of the cast, an endorsement that underscores the adaptation&rsquo;s fidelity and impact.&nbsp;Khan, the director, said he was intent on resisting moral absolutes. Explaining his approach to Pakistan TV Digital, he noted why the story transcends its French origins.&nbsp;&ldquo;Emotion, every person everywhere feels the same, especially in a mother&rsquo;s relationship to her family,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;The story is very simple, but the way it&rsquo;s written is quite complicated. He hasn&rsquo;t shown a &lsquo;helpless&rsquo; mother or son; every character exists in a complete grey area.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Mother is deliberately unsettling, abstract, disorienting, and emotionally dense, mirroring the fractured consciousness of its protagonist. It asks audiences to sit with silence, to examine what goes unsaid at family tables, and to recognize the quiet disappearances that occur within familiar walls.&nbsp;If you have ever felt the weight of an empty room or the tension beneath a shared meal, The Mother speaks directly to that experience.&nbsp;

Culture

The Mother is an Urdu adaptation by Usama Khan, portraying a woman’s emotional erosion through time, distance, and relationships, capturing the universal pain of Empty Nest Syndrome.

Urdu adaptation of ‘The Mother’ confronts motherhood, loneliness, empty nests

KARACHI: As the red double-decker bus pulls away from popular Zainab Market, Sakina Attaria climbs the narrow stairs to the upper deck, claiming a window seat just as Karachi opens itself below her.&nbsp;From the top, the city looks different.&nbsp;Painted bright red and wrapped in illustrations of Karachi&rsquo;s landmarks, Mazar-e-Quaid, Frere Hall, and the old Empress Market, the bus moves steadily along Shahrah-e-Faisal, the city&rsquo;s main commercial artery. Below, banks, corporate headquarters, and advertising agencies rush past, marking the daily grind of Pakistan&rsquo;s financial hub.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is my first day on the double-decker, and the experience is fantastic,&rdquo; Sakina says, smiling as the wind presses against the sealed glass. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been using public transport since April. This is good, affordable, and it&rsquo;s quite pretty too.&rdquo;&nbsp;After a gap of nearly 65 years, double-decker buses have returned to Karachi, a city of more than 23 million people struggling with traffic congestion and a chronic shortage of reliable public transport.&nbsp;The Sindh government officially launched the service on December 31 last year, with Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon inaugurating the fleet. Operations for the public began on New Year&rsquo;s Day.&nbsp;The initial rollout includes five Chinese-made diesel buses running a 22-kilometre route from Model Colony in Malir to Zainab Market in Saddar. The journey begins near residential neighborhoods, cuts through downtown Karachi&rsquo;s business district, continues toward Jinnah International Airport, and then reconnects via the highway that marks both the city&rsquo;s exit and its gateway.&nbsp;Each bus can carry up to 120 passengers and is fully air-conditioned, with an adjustable roof designed for Karachi&rsquo;s extreme and unpredictable weather. Fares range from Rs80 [$0.28] to Rs120 [$0.42], depending on distance.&nbsp;For Sakina, who commutes regularly across the city, affordability matters as much as comfort. &ldquo;For students like us, transport costs add up quickly,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This makes a big difference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Other commuters share her enthusiasm. Nida, a schoolteacher travelling on the first day, calls the service overdue. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great experience for students, working professionals, and especially ladies,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;We need more of these in Karachi. All cities should get such buses.&rdquo;&nbsp;The novelty of the upper deck, a rarity in Pakistan&rsquo;s urban transport, has drawn young riders eager for a new perspective. &ldquo;The top-deck view makes the daily commute feel different,&rdquo; says Urooj Kaifulwara, a university student. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very excited and hope there are more initiatives like this.&rdquo;&nbsp;But the buses are not only about the future. For some passengers, they are a moving archive of the past.&nbsp;Friends Muhammad Danish and Ahmed Khan boarded the bus to relive memories from decades ago. &ldquo;Last I saw this was in the 1960s,&rdquo; Danish recalls. &ldquo;What memories. We just came to see it again.&rdquo;&nbsp;The transport minister says the service is part of a broader effort to revive public transport in Karachi, including electric buses and expanded routes. He has announced plans to increase the fleet through 2026, with the goal of deploying double-deckers on all major roads across the city.&nbsp;For now, as the red bus glides past office towers, airport roads, and highways leading out of Karachi, Sakina watches the city move beneath her, a commuter suspended between nostalgia and necessity.&nbsp;&ldquo;It feels like Karachi is finally moving forward,&rdquo; she says, as the bus heads toward the city&rsquo;s edge.

Climate & Environment

Karachi’s iconic double-decker buses return after 65 years, offering affordable, air-conditioned travel, nostalgic city views, and hope for improved public transport as commuters welcome the Sindh government’s new service across Pakistan’s largest and busiest metropolis.

Red double-deckers roll Karachi forward, reviving memories and mobility

KARACHI: Zoha Malik, a Pakistani-American home baker, reached the finals of Gordon Ramsay&#39;s &quot;Next Level Baker&quot;, an international food show, showcasing Pakistani food to a global audience. During the holiday-themed competition watched by millions, she showcased fusion dishes like chicken tandoori naan buns and an Eid-themed cake, which received high praise from the judges. Zoha Malik, who shares her culinary journey on her popular platform &quot;@bakewithzoha,&quot; took to Instagram to reflect on the experience. Though she didn&#39;t win the top prize, she expressed a deep sense of achievement. &quot;I know it sounds cheesy, but I still feel like a winner,&quot; Malik told her followers. &quot;My main goal on the show was to make it till the end... I got to compete in every single challenge, had an absolute blast, and was proud of every single bake I presented.&quot; <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSdQlm_EvF8/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=675&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F3006#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1288504.8999999762%2C%22ls%22%3A862.8999999761581%2C%22le%22%3A977.6999999880791%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="1527" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe></div>Staying true to her rootsThroughout the series, Malik remained authentic and refused to compromise her cultural identity. In a heartfelt post-finale message, she emphasized the importance of representation. &quot;I want you to know you don&#39;t have to thank me. I wasn&#39;t trying to represent, I was just being myself, and that&#39;s the biggest takeaway from this entire experience,&quot; she said. &quot;It is an HONOR to be able to show who I am and where I come from on a platform like this.&quot; Growing up in Wah Cantt, Pakistan, Malik developed her skills by observing her mother and grandmother, learning early that food is a powerful way to connect with others. From engineering to bakingHer path to professional baking was unconventional. Malik moved to the United States in 2013 to pursue a STEM career, earning a biomedical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and working as a consultant at McKinsey &amp; Company. However, she rediscovered her passion for baking during the pandemic, launching &quot;Bake With Zoha&quot; in 2020.&nbsp; What began as a digital hobby became a full-time career by 2023. Today, she balances her culinary pursuits with motherhood to her young son. Mastering the competitionDuring &ldquo;Next Level Baker,&rdquo; Malik consistently blended traditional Pakistani flavors with advanced Western baking techniques. Her standout creations included Chicken Tandoori Naan Buns, an Eid Finale Cake, and Chai Tiramisu. For the final challenge, she created an Eid celebration cake featuring festive colors and a crescent moon that impressed judges with its storytelling and technical execution. Though outside her comfort zone, Malik said she felt &quot;seen and appreciated.&quot; Malik&#39;s impact resonated deeply with the Pakistani diaspora, proving that traditional flavors can shine on the most competitive international stages. What&#39;s nextLooking ahead, Malik plans to expand her digital presence and share the recipes that defined her journey on the show, including her celebrated tandoori bread that Gordon Ramsay called &quot;delicious.&quot;&nbsp; Her path from a home kitchen in Pakistan to a Gordon Ramsay finale stands as an inspiring story of cultural authenticity through food. &quot;I&#39;m so proud of myself for doing something so out of my comfort zone... hindsight is 20/20, but it&#39;s all rooted in inspiration, not disappointment,&quot; she reflected on Instagram.

Zoha Malik (Photo @bakewithzoha/Instagram)

Zoha Malik presented Pakistani culture on the global stage with her chicken tandoori naan buns and Eid-themed cake, earning high praise from the judges for her fusion of flavors.

Pakistani-American home baker showcases Pakistani food on global show

MATIARI: Climate change has become a serious threat, especially in a country like Pakistan that is highly vulnerable to its effects. Experts and field reports show a clear connection between rising temperatures and adverse outcomes for mothers and newborns.&nbsp;Research from the Aga Khan University&rsquo;s Institute of Global Health Development examined how heat stress affects pregnant women and children under five in the Matiari district of Sindh. They modeled interventions that incorporate indigenous knowledge to improve climate-resilient infrastructure and raise awareness of heat&rsquo;s harmful effects within the health system.&nbsp;Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development, speaking with Pakistan TV Digital, emphasized that urgent action and systemic changes are essential to protect women and children from this growing threat. &lsquo;Surprisingly, we are not even the ones responsible for climate change, and yet it affects our women and children,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Dr Jai Das, the institute&#39;s associate director, highlighted the alarming link between rising temperatures and pregnancy complications. He said that existing research shows every pregnant woman exposed to higher temperatures &mdash; such as a 1-degree increase &mdash; has a 10-15% higher chance of experiencing pre-term birth, low birth weight, or of newborns being small for their gestational age.&nbsp;This finding aligns with broader studies indicating that heat exposure triggers physiological responses that lead to similar complications.&nbsp;Beyond pregnancy, heat stress also disrupts women&#39;s reproductive health, especially for those in rural areas who often engage in strenuous physical labor.&nbsp;Gulshad, a senior research associate at AKU Matiari Research and Training Center, said that many women face severe heat-related problems.&nbsp;&ldquo;Their menstrual periods last longer and occur more frequently. Moreover, many women lack knowledge about sanitary protection,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;She noted that some women&#39;s cycles became &ldquo;very irregular,&rdquo; while others did not have periods at all.&nbsp;&ldquo;The health of pregnant women is also affected, and the likelihood of miscarriages increases significantly because they work in the fields and do household chores,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;These testimonies show how high temperatures, combined with physical labor and limited access to hygiene products and healthcare, cause serious menstrual irregularities.&nbsp;Tackling this complex crisis requires a dual approach focusing on community awareness and healthcare system reforms.&nbsp;Dr Bhutta calls for public protection and system improvements. He suggests raising public awareness, especially in rural areas, to help safeguard women, particularly pregnant women, from the heat. He also stresses the importance of providing care to quickly identify and reduce harmful effects.&nbsp;He said there is a need to improve the healthcare environment, especially during the summer, as current conditions are overcrowded. This highlights the urgent need for heat-resilient infrastructure and better-trained staff to handle heat-related maternal emergencies.&nbsp;The situation in provinces like Sindh is especially dire, with climate threats endangering the lives of every mother and child. Localized research is vital for developing community-informed interventions, such as heat adaptation strategies, enhanced nutritional support, and strengthened rural health systems, that can be scaled nationwide.&nbsp;Addressing this climate-induced heat stress crisis requires coordinated efforts from policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities to reduce risks, improve health infrastructure, and ensure that climate change does not condemn future generations to poor health.

There is a need to develop community-informed interventions, such as heat adaptation strategies, enhanced nutritional support, and strengthened rural health systems.

Climate-induced heat stress serious threat to maternal, child health in Pakistan

KARACHI: The 4th European Film Festival (EUFF) 2025 successfully concluded its Karachi chapter last weekend at the Karachi Film School, celebrating international cinema and cultural dialogue.&nbsp; Hosted by the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan and curated by Olomopolo Media, the two-day event showcased 19 feature films and 10 short films from EU member states, emphasizing cinema&rsquo;s unique power to foster human connection and resilience. The festival now moves to Lahore after having offered audiences in Karachi and Islamabad a diverse program of comedies, dramas, and documentaries exploring universal themes, including identity, climate change, and human resilience.&nbsp; Among the films screened were &quot;Behind the Curtain of High Mountains&quot; (Czech Republic), &quot;Without Air&quot; (Hungary), &quot;That They May Face the Rising Sun&quot; (Ireland), and &quot;The Olive Tree&quot; (Spain).&nbsp; The short film lineup included &quot;HABĀ&quot;, &quot;White Ribbons&quot;, &quot;Diamond &amp; Narcissus&quot; (Austria), and &quot;A Sea of Trash&quot; (Portugal). The event drew a particularly strong youth demographic.&nbsp; University students from the media, arts, and communications departments attended the festival not just for the screenings but for an immersive, interactive classroom experience. A particular focus of the festival was bringing the big screen experience to those who rarely access it.&nbsp; Kanwal Khoosat, Executive Director of Olomopolo Media, reflected on the power of this access.&nbsp; &ldquo;It was the first time for so many. We have met people, students, young girls, adults, watching a film on a big screen for the first time in their lives,&rdquo; Khoosat shared, calling the moment of shared discovery the &ldquo;best part&rdquo; of her work. The exposure to global narratives proved invaluable for aspiring filmmakers.&nbsp; Shafia, a student from the Institute of Business Management in Karachi, said, &ldquo;As an aspiring photographer, this is a brilliant opportunity to be exposed to such storytelling and see how different cultures frame their narratives.&rdquo; Building community through filmLeading actors and filmmakers present at the festival highlighted its significance as a platform for genuine dialogue and artistic participation, setting it apart from other cultural activities. Pakistani actor and director Sania Saeed praised the communal experience, noting that cinema and theater provide a profound type of &ldquo;community building&rdquo; that sports cannot match. &nbsp;She argued that art is inherently collaborative.&nbsp; &ldquo;Arts are not competitive .&hellip; It&#39;s all about synchronizing,&rdquo; Saeed said.&nbsp; She added that the festival allowed young audiences to see quality filmmaking that looks &quot;very different from what they see on Netflix,&quot; creating a more valuable viewing experience. &quot;Joyland&quot; actor Ali Junejo agreed with Saeed and asserted the need for broader access: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very rare for us to have film festivals here in Pakistan broadly speaking .... I think more people need to watch films. More people need to participate in films.&rdquo; Bridging global crises: from floods to wildfiresRaimundas Karoblis, the European Union Ambassador to Pakistan, emphasized that films serve as a powerful tool for global solidarity, making universal issues relatable at the local level. Ambassador Karoblis, in an exclusive conversation with Pakistan TV Digital, said that the festival proves that &ldquo;Cinema is for everyone.&rdquo;&nbsp; He highlighted how the films actively confront global crises: &ldquo;While Pakistan battles climate change with floods, southern Europe has wildfires.&rdquo; He added that the festival provides essential context, showing that &ldquo;the human story and the resilience needed to face them are the same everywhere.&rdquo; EUFF 2025 will conclude its mission of connection and conversation in Lahore on November 22 and 23.

The 4th European Film Festival 2025 in Pakistan showcased 29 EU films, fostering cultural dialogue, youth engagement, and global solidarity through cinema across Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore.

European cinema sparks dialogue on resilience, identity and climate across Pakistan

KARACHI: Ahya Technologies, &ldquo;Ahya,&rdquo; a Pakistan-origin artificial intelligence startup headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has won the 2025 AI for Climate Action Innovation Award from the UN-led AI for Good Impact Initiative.&nbsp;The award was presented earlier this week in Bel&eacute;m, Brazil, recognizing Ahya&rsquo;s leadership in deploying AI for the net-zero transition.&nbsp;Ahya was selected from more than 300 global contenders working in carbon reduction, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity protection. Founder and CEO Salaal Hasan showcased the company&rsquo;s flagship platforms, AhyaOS and AhyaAI, during the ceremony.&nbsp;In an official statement, the company said the award highlighted Ahya&rsquo;s &ldquo;unique ability to overcome data limitations,&rdquo; a persistent obstacle for climate-vulnerable economies in the Global South.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Shehan Rayer, SVP Business, said Ahya tackles the region&rsquo;s most fundamental problem: fragmented, incomplete, and non-digital climate data.&nbsp;He explained that AhyaOS standardizes data from all sources, whether &ldquo;spreadsheets, ERPs, invoices, utility bills, or even handwritten notes.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Winning the AI for Climate Action Innovation Award from UN-ITU is both an honor and a responsibility,&rdquo; Hasan said in the press release.&nbsp;&ldquo;It reinforces our belief that artificial intelligence for data accuracy in emissions management is an economic need for transforming the Global South&rsquo;s climate ambitions into measurable growth.&rdquo; Rayer described the win as &ldquo;powerful global validation&rdquo; that net-zero pathways built on &ldquo;accuracy, transparency, and economic growth&rdquo; are both viable and necessary.&nbsp;He emphasized that the award proves sustainability is a &ldquo;competitive advantage, not just a compliance cost.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that the recognition brings an &ldquo;immediate responsibility&hellip; to ensure the equitable and ethical rollout of AI in the Global South,&rdquo; including advocacy for new governance frameworks in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).&nbsp;These, he said, are essential to ensuring AI mitigates, rather than deepens, inequality.&nbsp;Ahya&rsquo;s technology is designed to convert climate risk from a regulatory burden into a profit-driving opportunity, particularly for banks and development financial institutions. Rayer cited a practical example: AhyaOS enables lenders to calculate financed emissions (PCAF) with a verifiable data trail across entire portfolios.&nbsp;This transparency allows banks to identify climate risks early and support the creation of green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and Sukuks for clients demonstrating real emissions reductions.&nbsp;As an award recipient, Ahya will participate in the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva. Rayer said the company&rsquo;s core objective is &ldquo;policy integration and collaborative scaling.&rdquo; Ahya aims to position AhyaOS and its Tawazun platform as &ldquo;foundational digital infrastructure&rdquo; for national climate-action systems across the Global South.&nbsp;He added that these partnerships are crucial for unlocking developmental financing, including concessional funds, to scale localized climate solutions.

Climate

Ahya Technologies, a Pakistan-origin AI startup based in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, won the UN’s 2025 Climate Action Innovation Award for its data-focused platforms supporting net-zero goals and scalable climate solutions across the Global South.

Saudi Pakistani AI startup wins UN award for Climate Action Innovation

Three Pakistani films earned JIFF 2026 nominations, highlighting national cinematic talent, though diplomatic tensions and visa hurdles may prevent filmmakers from attending despite this major international milestone.

Pakistani cinema scores triple triumph at Jaipur festival amid uncertainty

KARACHI: In Pakistan&rsquo;s restless commercial capital, where thousands arrive each year to work, rebuild, and reinvent themselves, a centuries-old Sufi allegory found new breath and movement on stage.&nbsp;At the World Culture Festival this week, global theatre ensemble ANIKAYA performed &ldquo;Conference of the Birds,&rdquo; transforming the Arts Council of Pakistan into a living reflection of the city itself: searching, fragmented, striving, and endlessly becoming.&nbsp;Directed by American choreographer Wendy Jehlen, the multi-media movement performance reimagined Farid ud-Din Attar&rsquo;s 12th-century Persian epic, where a flock of birds journeys to find their divine king, the Simorgh, only to discover that the truth they seek lives within themselves.&nbsp;Karachi, home to migrants from every province, every language, every story, mirrored the allegory. Like Attar&rsquo;s birds, many here carry maps of places left behind, hopes folded into suitcases, and dreams stitched into survival.&nbsp;&ldquo;This journey began in 1991 when I was at Brown University,&rdquo; Jehlen told Pakistan TV Digital after the performance. &ldquo;It was when I first encountered Conference of the Birds and the poets and ideas that shaped my entire life.&rdquo;&nbsp;The production was performed by dancers from Benin, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa, Japan, Palestine, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States.&nbsp;Though drawn from different homelands, their bodies moved as one organism, separate rhythms, shared breath, evoking the poem&rsquo;s central revelation: unity is not sameness, but harmony across difference.&nbsp;Jehlen explained that the work evolves with each place it is performed.&nbsp;&ldquo;Everywhere we go, the story changes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The people, the air, the land, they shape how the birds fly.&rdquo;&nbsp;For Jehlen, movement itself is a philosophy.&nbsp;&ldquo;Movement is my language, but it&rsquo;s also a human and animal language, the most direct way to access empathy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Through physical theatre, you don&rsquo;t just understand a story, you feel it.&rdquo;&nbsp;The performance drew deeply from real experiences of refugees and migrants, echoing the emotional terrain of Karachi: longing, uprooting, resilience.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are on this journey together, whether we like it or not,&rdquo; Jehlen added.&nbsp;&ldquo;Each imperfect, each necessary. Unity exists only through difference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Bringing the performance to Pakistan, she noted, felt like returning the story to one of its spiritual homelands.&nbsp;&ldquo;I liked doing it here because people in Pakistan already know Conference of the Birds,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve studied it, they understand it.&rdquo;&nbsp;The show concluded to a standing ovation. Fluid, fierce, wordless storytelling that needed no translation.&nbsp;As the audience rose, one truth hovered softly, like a final wingbeat:&nbsp;Karachi, too, is a flock in motion, wandering, weary, hopeful, still searching for the Simorgh it carries within itself.

Global performers reimagined Conference of the Birds in Karachi, blending movement, mysticism, and migration narratives, reflecting the city’s journey of belonging and unity through shared human experience.

‘Conference of Birds’ reimagines mystic journey in Pakistan’s migrant metropolis Karachi

KARACHI: After years spent in confinement and loneliness, 24-year-old brown bear Rano has finally been relocated from the Karachi Zoo to a sanctuary in Islamabad, where she will receive medical care, rehabilitation, and the chance to live in a more natural environment. According to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Rano was flown to Islamabad aboard a Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft on Wednesday morning. The flight departed PAF Faisal Base at 8:30 a.m. and landed at Nur Khan Airbase a little after 11:30 a.m. A two-member veterinary team accompanied her throughout the journey to ensure her safety and well-being. Rano was transported from the zoo to the airbase in a wooden crate placed on a cargo truck. &ldquo;At just three calls, she walked from her enclosure into the crate,&rdquo; Sana Raja of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) told Pakistan TV Digital, noting that Rano remained calm and continued eating during the move, and did not require sedation. Sindh Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar said Rano was closely monitored throughout the flight and slept during most of the journey despite the aircraft noise. Upon arrival, she was taken directly to the IWMB&rsquo;s bear rehabilitation facility, where she was given food and placed under quarantine for medical observation. Rano will remain under supervision before being transferred to a permanent sanctuary space where she will be paired with another bear. &ldquo;Her stay here could last up to a month for examination and other protocols before she is shifted to a larger area,&rdquo; said Anees, an IWMB official. For years, Rano lived in difficult conditions at the Karachi Zoo, first in a Victorian-era concrete pit and later in a metal cage. She was frequently observed pacing restlessly, a common sign of stress and psychological distress in captive animals. Her situation prompted animal rights activists to petition the Sindh High Court, which last month ordered her relocation and formed a committee to ensure the transfer was carried out safely. Rano was brought to the Karachi Zoo in 2017 as part of an animal exchange program. She has lived in solitary confinement since 2020, following the death of the only other bear in the enclosure. Her arrival in Islamabad marks the beginning of what wildlife authorities hope will be her first experience of comfort, companionship, and peace in years.

Wildlife

Sindh Wildlife conservator says Rano was closely monitored throughout the flight, slept during most of the journey despite the aircraft noise; the bear has been taken directly to the IWMB’s rehabilitation facility, where she was given food and placed under quarantine for medical observation.



Rano the Karachi zoo bear begins new life in Islamabad sanctuary

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has &quot;strongly condemned&quot; the &quot;unwarranted attacks&quot; against Iran on Saturday.&nbsp; A post shared by Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X on Saturday stated: &quot;DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call from FM of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. They reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region.&quot;<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-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2027698224249901202&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=c4adfe28f371d8383619bdeef82ca5026e275958&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&quot;DPM/FM strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan's DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call from FM of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi; they reviewed the evolving situation in Iran and the wider region, said a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan 'strongly condemns unwarranted attacks' against Iran 

Paris: Countries in the Middle East and around the world voiced fear of a regional conflagration after the United States and Israel carried out long-feared strikes on Iran on Saturday. Russia: Talks a &#39;cover&#39;&nbsp;Russia called on its citizens to leave Iran, with former president Dmitry Medvedev saying that talks with the United States had just been a &quot;cover&quot;. &quot;The peacekeeper is at it again,&quot; Medvedev, now the chair of Russia&#39;s security council, said in a post on X. &quot;The talks with Iran were just a cover. Everyone knew that. So who has more patience to wait for the enemy&#39;s sorry end now?&quot; he added. Qatar: &#39;secure&#39;&nbsp;Qatar, which hosts a US military base, initially said it was secure after the US and Israeli attacks on neighbouring Iran but was monitoring developments closely. An official later told AFP that Qatari defence systems had intercepted an Iranian missile, and the defence ministry said it had repelled &quot;a number of attacks&quot;. EU: &#39;perilous&#39;&nbsp;The European Union warned the situation in the region was &quot;perilous&quot; and called for civilians to be protected in any ensuing conflict. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, on X, urged &quot;all parties to exercise restraint&quot;, stressing it was &quot;critical&quot; to &quot;ensure nuclear safety&quot; after the US indicated Iran&#39;s nuclear sites were in its crosshairs. EU&#39;s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who said the situation was dangerous, announcing the withdrawal of the bloc&#39;s non-essential personnel from the region. UK: avoid &#39;wider conflict&#39;&nbsp;The UK government feared the strikes could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict, and urged its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to find shelter. &quot;We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,&quot; a government spokesperson said, adding that the UK&#39;s &quot;immediate priority&quot; was the safety of its citizens in the region. Shah&#39;s son: &#39;final victory&#39; near&nbsp;Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran&#39;s last shah and a leading critic of Tehran, said that &quot;we are very close to final victory&quot; following the strikes. &quot;I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,&quot; Pahlavi -- who lives in exile in the Washington area -- said in a message to Iranians. Jordan: protect skiesJordan&#39;s military said its air force was at work on Saturday to protect the kingdom and its people while the strikes were ongoing. A military official later said that two ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom&#39;s territory &quot;were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems&quot;. Ukraine: Iran at fault&nbsp;Ukraine argued that the Iranian government&#39;s &quot;violence against its own people and other countries&quot; had triggered the US and Israeli attacks against Tehran. &quot;The reason for the current events is precisely the violence and arbitrariness of the Iranian regime, in particular the murders and repressions against peaceful protesters, which have become particularly large-scale in recent months,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement. France: safety a priority&nbsp;France, which has several military bases in the Middle East, notably in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, said that Paris&#39;s priority was the safety of its citizens. &quot;Obviously our priority in these sort of cases is the protection of our nationals, the protection of our forces in the region and the monitoring of the situation in real time, which we are doing,&quot; Alice Rufo, a deputy defence minister, told France 2 television. African Union: stability at risk&nbsp;The African Union called &quot;for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue&quot; after the strikes, warning that conflict could risk harming people on the continent. &quot;Further escalation risks worsening global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience -- particularly in Africa, where conflict and economic pressures remain acute,&quot; said the pan-African body&#39;s head, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

Middle East

Countries across the World have voiced serious concerns over a regional conflict after US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran

World warns against Mideast war as US, Israel strike Iran

LONDON: The UK government expressed the fear Saturday that the military strikes pitting the United States and Israel against Iran could blow up into a broader Middle East conflict. &quot;We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,&quot; a government spokesperson said. They said that the UK&#39;s &quot;immediate priority&quot; was the safety of its citizens in the region. The spokesperson also said that the UK has &quot;a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.&quot; A government source noted, however, that Britain was not involved in the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was understood to be chairing an emergency meeting of his key cabinet ministers during the day. Separately, the British government, in a message on X, urged its citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to &quot;immediately shelter in place&quot; because of reported missile attacks on sites in those countries.

UK PM Keir Starmer said that Britain was not involved in the US-Israel attack on Iran and that it stands to protect its interests in the region.

UK fears US-Iran conflict spiralling into Mideast war

ISLAMABAD: Claims circulating on Afghan and Indian media platforms that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down over Afghanistan during Pakistan&rsquo;s retaliatory strikes have been rejected by Pakistani authorities and debunked by independent reporting. The claim, first attributed to officials of the Afghan Taliban government and amplified by Indian media outlets, alleged that Afghan forces downed a Pakistani jet in Nangarhar province and captured its pilot alive. Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry categorically denied the reports. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a false claim. Totally untrue,&rdquo; Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said, dismissing assertions of any aircraft loss or pilot capture. No Pakistani authority has reported the loss of an aircraft since the launch of Pakistan&rsquo;s retaliatory operation and no independent international media organization has verified the claim. Officials said the allegation relied entirely on statements from Afghan Taliban sources and unverified social media amplification. Critically, no physical evidence has emerged to support the narrative. No crash debris, wreckage site, or images of a captured pilot have been produced. Analysts note that in modern conflict environments, verified aircraft losses are typically documented quickly through satellite imagery, geolocated footage, or third-party confirmation. None of which exists in this case. Several videos circulated online as purported evidence of the jet&rsquo;s downing were also found to be misleading. Officials said the clips were either old, unrelated footage from Afghanistan or taken from entirely different incidents. An image shared by TOLO News showing a crashed aircraft was also flagged as false context. The image corresponds to a Russian aircraft incident in T&uuml;rkiye in 2021 and has no connection to Pakistan or the current conflict, according to officials familiar with the matter. Independent media outlets monitoring the escalation did not corroborate the Afghan claims. Reports citing journalists on the ground and defense observers found no evidence supporting the assertion of a Pakistani jet being downed. The absence of verification by organizations such as AFP further undercut the credibility of the claim. Pakistani officials described the episode as part of a broader, coordinated disinformation effort following Pakistan&rsquo;s retaliatory strikes inside Afghanistan. &ldquo;For the past two days, hundreds of fake or misleading videos and claims have circulated,&rdquo; an official said, adding that the jet narrative fits a recurring pattern of propaganda following battlefield setbacks. VerdictThe claim that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Nangarhar and its pilot captured is false. No aircraft loss has been confirmed, no physical or visual evidence exists and the material circulated online has been shown to be recycled or unrelated. AdvisoryOfficials urged the public to avoid sharing unverified battlefield claims and to rely on official statements and credible international reporting, warning that disinformation campaigns intensify during periods of conflict.

Security

Claims circulating on Afghan and Indian media platforms that a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down over Afghanistan during Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes have been rejected by Pakistani authorities and debunked by independent reporting.

Fact Check: Claims of Pakistani jet downed after retaliatory strikes false

LONDON: The US and Israeli strikes against Iran could severely disrupt the global supply of crude oil and send prices soaring to levels not seen in years. AFP looks at the risks. Major producer Iran remains just inside the world&#39;s top 10 oil producers even though its output has fallen sharply since the 1970s, hit in particular by rounds of US sanctions. &quot;In 1974, Iran was the third-biggest producer in the world after the US and Saudi Arabia, and ahead of Russia, producing some six million barrels per day,&quot; Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management, told AFP. Today, Iran produces about 3.1 million barrels per day, according to the oil-producing cartel OPEC, of which Iran is a member. This remains a significant amount, and the Islamic republic is believed to hold the world&#39;s third-largest crude reserves, cementing its strategic importance. Additionally, Iran&#39;s oil industry is in far better shape than that of Venezuela, another country hit by years of US sanctions. Strait of Hormuz The main risk to the oil market remains a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has frequently threatened to paralyse. This waterway is by far the main shipping route connecting the wealthy oil-producing countries of the Middle East to the rest of the world. Approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through it daily in 2024, equivalent to nearly 20 percent of global liquid oil consumption, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The strait is particularly vulnerable owing to its narrow width, around 50 kilometres (30 miles), and its shallow depth, which does not exceed 60 metres (200 feet). &quot;Even a doubt about security in the Strait would prompt many vessels, for insurance reasons, to face difficulties transiting, as premiums would rise sharply,&quot; said Rasmussen. According to Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, &quot;only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates possess meaningful bypass infrastructure&quot;. The route could transport a maximum of 2.6 million barrels daily, noted the EIA. Highly profitable oil Iranian crude is relatively easy and cheap to extract, with production costs as little as $10 per barrel, making it particularly profitable, Rasmussen said. Only Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates enjoy similarly low production costs. By comparison, major Western producers like Canada and the United States typically face costs of $40 to $60 per barrel. With such low costs, Iran gains disproportionately from high global prices, a crucial factor for an economy heavily reliant on oil revenues. US sanctions imposed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution have left Iran with few export options -- especially after Trump revived a &quot;maximum pressure&quot; policy on Tehran upon his return to the White House. Last year, Washington targeted Chinese &quot;teapot&quot; refineries, which operate independently of state-owned oil companies, accusing them of buying Iranian crude. China, however, continues to buy Iranian oil at below-market prices. Iran exports between 1.3 and 1.5 million barrels daily, with more than 80 percent of the total bound for Chinese refineries owing to US sanctions, according to Hansen. Impact on Iran neighbours Iran&#39;s neighbours, from Gulf states to Turkey and Pakistan, fear an Iranian response since their hosting of US military sites places them in the firing line. They &quot;know they are vulnerable because the Iranians have enough basic intermediate-range missiles that allow them to strike vital points&quot; in the worst-case scenario, noted Pierre Razoux, director of studies at the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies. At-risk infrastructure includes hydrocarbon hubs as well as electrical power and seawater desalination plants, he added. Soaring oil prices, meanwhile, risk a return to soaring inflation, hurting the global economy. Crude reaching $100 per barrel for the first time since the start of Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 could also hurt Trump in the midterm elections at the end of the year, especially as he has promised American voters cheap energy.

As the US and Israel launch "preventative" strikes on Iran, a major oil producer, oil markets will are set to receive shocks. 

How will US, Israeli strikes on Iran affect oil markets?

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad&#39;s foreign ministry said on Saturday that claims by Afghan military and police of downing a Pakistani jet and capturing a pilot were &quot;totally untrue&quot;. &quot;That&#39;s a false claim. Totally untrue,&quot; ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi told AFP. Information Ministry rebuts fake newsMeanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday rebutted false reports claiming a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and its pilot captured.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 698px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2027651563183853750&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=c4adfe28f371d8383619bdeef82ca5026e275958&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The official Twitter handle of Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for exposing fake news released a statement on its X handle on Saturday, addressing false reports about a Pakistani fighter jet allegedly being shot down in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. According to the ministry, Afghan news agencies and certain Indian media outlets, including Khaleej Times, circulated claims that the Ministry of Defense of the so-called Islamic Emirate reported Afghan forces had downed a Pakistani jet and captured its pilot alive. No jet shot down&nbsp;The ministry provided official counter-facts, stating that no Pakistani jet was shot down and no aircraft loss has been reported by the Pakistan Armed Forces. Independent international media outlets and defense monitoring agencies have not verified the claims. It further noted that no visual proof, debris, wreckage, or evidence of a captured pilot has been presented. Coordinated disinformation campaign&nbsp;The viral videos circulated as &ldquo;evidence&rdquo; were either old or unrelated, and an image shared by TOLO News showing a fallen jet was actually from a Russian aircraft incident in Turkey in 2021. The ministry described the reports as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign linked to the India&ndash;Afghan propaganda ecosystem, emphasizing that no credible defense analysis supports the claim that Afghan forces have the operational capability suggested. The statement urged the public not to rely on unverified battlefield claims and to cross-check information with official Pakistani authorities and credible international agencies, while avoiding the sharing of recycled or misleading content.

Afghanistan

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rebuts false reports claiming a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.

Pakistan says Afghanistan jet crash claim 'totally untrue' 

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has issued a travel advisory urging its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran for their safety and security, said an advisory issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Pakistani citizens currently in Iran are advised to remain cautious, minimize non-essential movement, and stay in regular contact with Pakistani diplomatic missions.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 875px; 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=2027632681362854112&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=c4adfe28f371d8383619bdeef82ca5026e275958&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2027632681362854112"></iframe></div></div>The Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran and its consulates in Zahidan and Mashhad have provided landline and mobile contact numbers for assistance.

The Government of Pakistan has issued a travel advisory urging its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran for their safety and security, said an advisory issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

Pakistan advises nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran

Web Desk/AFP

The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, with Israel's public broadcaster reporting that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been targeted, as the Islamic Republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel.

US and Israel launch strikes on Iran, explosions reported across region

ISLAMABAD: Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will actively campaign worldwide in support of Bangladesh&rsquo;s candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his return from Saudi Arabia, Dr Rahman said Bangladesh has received &ldquo;full and unequivocal backing&rdquo; from OIC member states for its bid, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported. &ldquo;The candidate has been changed following the change in government. One of our key challenges is that Cyprus has been campaigning throughout the year, whereas we have barely three months, or even less, in hand,&rdquo; he said. Dr Rahman said extensive discussions were held with OIC partners to assess the overall situation and devise strategies to secure Bangladesh&rsquo;s victory in the election. &ldquo;We have received their full and unequivocal support,&rdquo; he said, adding that OIC countries assured not only their votes but also active campaigning in favour of Dhaka&rsquo;s candidature across the world. He noted that Palestine had withdrawn its candidature a few days ago as anticipated, clearing the way for Bangladesh to contest the 2026&ndash;2027 term against Cyprus. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir described the response from OIC countries as highly encouraging. &ldquo;We have received very positive feedback. We will conduct a detailed assessment at an appropriate stage, but the support so far has been strong. The visit was both fruitful and productive,&rdquo; he said. Earlier, the interim government had nominated former Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as Bangladesh&rsquo;s candidate. Following the change in government, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman nominated Dr Rahman for the position. The election for the president of the 81st session of the UNGA is scheduled to be held on June 2 at the UN Headquarters in New York in accordance with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure. Under the established regional rotation system, the president for the 81st session will be elected from the Asia-Pacific Group. The 81st session of the UNGA will open on Sept. 8, 2026, while the high-level General Debate will begin on Sept. 22. Bangladesh last held the position in 1986&ndash;87, when then foreign minister Humayun Rashid Chowdhury was elected President of the 41st General Assembly. On regional issues, the foreign minister expressed concern over escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying war would bring no benefit to anyone. Describing the situation between the two SAARC member states as &ldquo;very sad,&rdquo; he said Bangladesh is approaching the matter cautiously and refraining from making any public statement for now. &ldquo;We are trying, in our own way, to help our friends understand that such conflicts do not serve anyone&rsquo;s interests,&rdquo; he said. Dr Rahman also reiterated Bangladesh&rsquo;s firm and unchanged position on Palestine, stating that the country&rsquo;s stance on the Palestinian issue remains unequivocal. Leaders attending the recent OIC executive meeting expressed confidence that Bangladesh would achieve political stability and accelerated development under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, while reiterating their full support for Dhaka&rsquo;s UNGA candidature.

Bangladesh FM Dr Khalil ur Rahman (Photo: BSS)

Bangladesh

Speaking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport early Saturday upon his return from Saudi Arabia, Dr Rahman said Bangladesh has received 'full and unequivocal backing' from OIC member states for its bid.

OIC to campaign for Bangladesh's UNGA bid: FM Rahman 

TORONTO: Canada announced Friday that it is relocating non-essential diplomatic staff and their dependents from Tel Aviv, due to ongoing tensions in the region as the US weighs striking Iran.&nbsp; &ldquo;Global Affairs Canada has made the decision to temporarily relocate non-essential employees and dependents from Tel Aviv,&rdquo; the department said, noting that operations at Canada&rsquo;s embassy in Israel would continue uninterrupted. Canadian diplomatic staff and their families in Lebanon and Palestine will remain in place, according to the statement. &ldquo;Canadian staff and their dependents in Lebanon and Palestine remain in place, and our missions continue to operate normally,&rdquo; the government said. &ldquo;Canadians in Iran should leave now if they can do so safely,&rdquo; the statement added.

Americas

'Global Affairs Canada has made the decision to temporarily relocate non-essential employees and dependents from Tel Aviv,' the department said, noting that operations at Canada’s embassy in Israel would continue uninterrupted.

Articles by Simran Siraj