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detained women protesters after enduring 26 hours of alleged humiliation, harassment, and torture on the 28th day of the movement against the Baloch Genocide. The Baloch Yakjahti Committee took to social media to share the distressing experience faced by the detained women while urging the Baloch nation to persist in their protests against the treatment of protesters in Islamabad.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Pakistan has stepped up to play a useful role in mediating between the United States and Iran in attempting to bring the latest West Asian war to an end. It should not surprise us that the Pakistani establishment, which has a culture of geopolitical risk-taking, has turned adversity into an opportunity.Not only does the continuation of the war mean economic disaster, there is a real chance that Pakistani armed forces can be summoned to a war that they do not want to fight.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The sudden twists in West Asia peace talks underscore just how fluid the situation is. On Friday, Iran showed some keenness to engage with the US as it declared the Strait of Hormuz open, but only to slam it shut again the next day.Since then, Tehran has professed itself unready to hold truce talks with the US. Not only was America making excessive and shifting demands, it argued, its blockade of Iranian ports was a violation of the ceasefire due to expire only on 22 April.To make matters between the two adversaries worse, this week began with armed US action against an Iranian commercial vessel.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BE GRATEFUL FOR small mercies. The ceasefire between America and Iran holds. Talks that began in Islamabad last weekend may soon resume.

FPIs, amid a two-week shaky truce between Iran and the US announced last week, fuelled the market's first gain in six weeks through last Friday.A breakthrough in the Islamabad talks could have spurred further closure of bearish bets, while the failure to reach an agreement could result in initiation of fresh shorts, analysts said.Last week, the Nifty recovered almost 8.5% from its 52-week low of 22,182.55 on 2 April through Friday's close of 24,050.6, as oil plunged 13% to $95.2 a barrel following President Donald Trump's announcement of a two-week ceasefire to resolve the conflict in West Asia.With talks in Islamabad having failed, uncertainty rises again over volatile oil prices, although a collapse in Nifty to the 52-week low is unlikely unless the fighting resumes, per G Chokkalingam, founder of research firm Equinomics. “If the truce still holds we may see a tempered fall rather than an oversized one , followed by a period of consolidation.”While FPIs net sold shares worth ₹18,274.6 crore last week, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net purchased shares worth ₹21,602.32 crore, according data from the National Securities Depository Ltd.However, in addition to the net institutional inflow of ₹3,328 crore, according to depository data, FPIs closed out or covered ₹9,775 crore of cumulative short index futures–Nifty and Bank Nifty–positions last week, which accounted for much of last week's rally."Last week's rally was led by FPI short-covering," said Rohit Srivastava, founder of analytics firm IndiaCharts.

For at least a decade, developing countries across Asia and Africa have worried about growing dependent on the People’s Republic of China. They’re concerned about debt traps, coercive policies and hidden costs that might push their economies toward crisis.Crisis has come, and that logic has been turned on its head. After six weeks of the US and Israel’s war on Iran and its ensuing counter-attacks, it is the countries that bet on Chinese supply chains that are faring better than the ones that had trusted Pax Americana.

Even as the US-Israel war on Iran has put the world on edge, another flare-up closer home is threatening regional stability. As Kabul has reported, at least 400 people were killed in an airstrike by Pakistan that struck a hospital in Afghanistan.

There’s a full fledged war going on between once-close neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two have been trading deadly shelling and mortar fire across their border, with Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif saying on Friday that his country’s patience had “run out” and declaring “open war” on its neighbour.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Humankind has shown broad acceptance of three different kinds of currencies: widely-acceptable fiat currency (like the dollar or Indian rupee), extinct commodity-based currency (gold and silver coins, or even wheat bushels) and an emerging class of digital currency (such as stablecoins or central bank digital currencies or CBDCs). A fourth class of currency is being minted and popularized by US President Donald Trump: influence.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolled by, Mint's reporters and columnists looked around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected]: The past 12 months have likely been the most challenging yet for the chief executive officers (CEOs) of India’s two largest airlines, IndiGo and Air India, which together control about 91% of the country’s aviation market.In September 2022, Tata Sons appointed Campbell Wilson as CEO of Air India to revive the debt-laden carrier it had acquired from the government earlier that year, under a five-year phased transformation plan.

It's the latest phase of a nationwide crackdown launched in October 2023 to expel foreigners living in Pakistan illegally, mostly Afghans. The campaign has drawn fire from rights groups, the Taliban government, and the U.N. Arrests and deportations were due to begin April 1 but were pushed back to April 10 because of the Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, according to government documents seen by The Associated Press. About 845,000 Afghans have left Pakistan over the past 18 months, figures from the International Organization for Migration show. Pakistan says 3 million Afghans remain. Of these, 1,344,584 hold Proof of Registration cards, while 807,402 have Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further 1 million Afghans who are in the country illegally because they have no paperwork.

Islamist militants along the country's western border with Afghanistan, a statement said on Sunday. It said border troops killed all the militants in an exchange of fire during the night between March 22 and 23 in North Waziristan district. «Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,» the army statement said. Islamabad says that Islamist militants who attack inside Pakistan, and against the army have safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denies. The incident took place as Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan is on a two-day official visit to Kabul to talk about bilateral and economic issues, a statement from Pakistan's embassy in Kabul said.

Hangor-class submarine to Pakistan, strengthening their long-standing military alliance. The submarine, launched in Wuhan, China, is part of a $5 billion deal for eight such vessels, aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s naval prowess in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Armed with cutting-edge weaponry and sensor technology, the Hangor-class submarines signify a shift in regional maritime security dynamics. This naval cooperation aligns with China’s expanding strategic influence, particularly around Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan, a linchpin of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Beijing’s support to Islamabad extends beyond submarines—Pakistan has also received advanced naval frigates, reconnaissance drones, and fighter jets from its closest ally.

Nobel laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai has returned to her hometown of Barkana in Swat’s Shangla district for the first time in thirteen years. This visit carried deep significance, marking her first trip since she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012. Accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, and her husband, Asser Malik, Malala arrived in Barkana Shahpur by helicopter for a brief but meaningful visit. Her journey was not just personal but also a reaffirmation of her commitment to education and advocacy.

Bangladesh army general has met the Pakistan army chief in Islamabad.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed flights to Paris on 10 January 2025, marking the end of a four-year ban imposed by the European Union over safety concerns. The airline, which faced severe scrutiny following several crashes and a pilot licensing scandal, now operates flights twice weekly, on Fridays and Sundays. However, its celebratory advertisement announcing the resumption has ignited widespread criticism online.

anti-terrorism court in Pakistan granted bail to at least 153 workers of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, more than a month after they were arrested during a protest. During a hearing, presided over by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, petitions of 177 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were heard. Subsequently, bail was granted to 153 of them while the court rejected the pleas of 24 on Friday, Dawn newspaper reported. Khan, 72, had on November 13 issued a «final call» for nationwide protests on November 26, demanding the restoration of the PTI's electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th constitutional amendment.

State-run Pakistan International Airlines has resumed direct flights to Europe following a decision by the European Union’s aviation safety agency to lift a four-year ban over safety standards

Haqqani Network in Pakistan. The certification also needs to say that Pakistan has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to prevent the Haqqani Network from using Pakistan as a safe haven and that Islamabad actively coordinates with the Afghan government to restrict the movement of militants such as the Haqqani Network, along the Afghan-Pak border.

India-Pakistan relations, responding to remarks made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. The controversy followed Dar’s use of the phrase “It takes two to tango” in reference to the normalisation of ties between the two countries. Jaiswal, speaking during a briefing on Friday, highlighted that the core issue was «terrorism,» not the metaphorical «tango» as used by Dar.