GUATEMALA: Clashes in the Guatemalan Indigenous town of Nahuala have left 13 dead, the mayor told AFP on Sunday, blaming the army for the incident. &quot;Thirteen people were brutally killed in an ambush carried out by the Guatemalan army and people from Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan,&quot; Manuel Garchaj said, contradicting the government&#39;s official toll of five dead. Located west of Guatemala City, Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan have fought for more than a century over a boundary between the two Maya communities, which has left several dead in recent years.

Americas

Clashes in Guatemala’s Indigenous town Nahuala left 13 dead, mayor says, accusing army involvement, disputing official toll, amid a century-old boundary dispute with neighboring Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan communities west region

13 dead in clashes in Guatemalan Indigenous region: mayor

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Dr. Nusrat Parveen, a newly appointed Unani doctor, was publicly assaulted by Indian Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who pulled down her hijab (veil), as seen in the viral video during an official government ceremony in Patna on Monday.&nbsp;The incident occurred at the Chief Minister&rsquo;s Secretariat, Samvad, where Kumar was distributing appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors, according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Parveen was among the doctors called on stage to receive her appointment letter directly from the Chief Minister.&nbsp;Who is Dr. Nusrat Parveen?Dr. Nusrat Parveen is a Unani medical practitioner, part of India&rsquo;s state-backed AYUSH system, which includes Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.&nbsp;She was appointed as a government medical officer under Bihar&rsquo;s health services in the latest recruitment drive, according to officials and Indian media reports.&nbsp;Parveen was one of 1,283 AYUSH doctors recruited by the Bihar government in 2025 to strengthen primary healthcare services across the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;The batch included 685 Ayurvedic doctors, 393 homeopathic doctors, and 205 Unani practitioners, officials said.&nbsp;Dr. Parveen is among the 205 Unani doctors selected in this recruitment cycle. Unani medicine is a traditional medical system with roots in Greco-Arabic medical science and is formally regulated and practiced under India&rsquo;s public healthcare framework.&nbsp;According to government recruitment details, AYUSH doctors are deployed in public health facilities, including primary and community health centers, to provide outpatient care and support national health programs, particularly in rural and underserved areas.&nbsp;The appointment ceremonyThe ceremony on Monday involved the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited doctors, most of whom received their letters digitally.&nbsp;A small group, including Dr. Parveen, was invited to receive letters in person from the chief minister, according to officials.&nbsp;She approached the stage wearing a hijab that partially covered her face. It was at this moment that the chief minister intervened, leading to the widely criticized incident.&nbsp;As of Tuesday, the chief minister&rsquo;s office has also not released an official explanation or apology regarding the incident, Indian media reported.&nbsp;The episode has reignited debate in India over women&rsquo;s dignity, religious freedom, and the conduct of public officials at state functions.

India

Dr Nusrat Parveen, government-appointed Unani doctor, was assaulted when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled down her hijab during a Patna appointment ceremony, sparking outrage over dignity and freedom nationwide



Who is the doctor assaulted by Bihar CM ?

BERLIN: US President Donald Trump said Monday that a deal to end Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine was closer than ever, as European leaders proposed a &quot;multinational force&quot; to enforce a potential peace accord. The upbeat remarks came as key powers met in Berlin with Ukraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelensky to push forward efforts to end the war -- although Russia had yet to react to the latest proposals. &quot;I think we&#39;re closer now than we have been ever,&quot; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he had &quot;very long and very good talks&quot; with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO. The European leaders in a joint statement at the Berlin talks proposed a force as part of US-backed &quot;robust security guarantees&quot; aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war, which started with Moscow&#39;s 2022 full-scale invasion. Zelensky said earlier that talks with Trump&#39;s envoys were &quot;not easy&quot; but brought &quot;progress&quot; on the question of security guarantees. He met for a second day with Trump&#39;s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner for talks aimed at ending the war, building on a proposal initially put forward by Trump. Zelensky hailed new security guarantees offered by Washington but also said differences remained on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia. &quot;There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,&quot; Zelensky told reporters. - US security guarantees -An upbeat German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the &quot;chance for a real peace process&quot; and praised the US for offering &quot;substantial&quot; security guarantees. The European statement -- whose signatories included the leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between the European leaders and US officials. Ukraine&#39;s military should continue receiving extensive support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops, it said. Peace would also be maintained by a &quot;US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism&quot; that would identify violations and &quot;provide early warning of any future attack&quot;. US officials warned Ukraine must accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees in line with NATO&#39;s Article Five -- which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all. &quot;The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees -- Article Five-like -- also a very, very strong deterrence&quot; in the size of Ukraine&#39;s military, a US official said on condition of anonymity. &quot;Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there&#39;s a conclusion that&#39;s reached in a good way,&quot; he said. Trump has previously ruled out a formal entry of Ukraine into NATO and sided with Russia in calling Kyiv&#39;s aspirations to the alliance a reason for the full-scale invasion by Moscow. Merz said &quot;substantial legal and material security guarantees&quot; from the United States were &quot;truly remarkable&quot; and &quot;a very important step forward&quot;. - &#39;Criminal attack&#39; -Zelensky said of the talks with the US side that &quot;these conversations are always not easy&quot; but that it had been &quot;a productive conversation&quot;. An official briefed on the US-Ukrainian talks earlier told AFP that US negotiators still want Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donbas -- made up of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Moscow controls almost all of Lugansk and about 80 percent of the Donetsk region, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War. Russian President Vladimir Putin &quot;wants territory&quot;, said the official, adding that the United States was demanding that Ukraine &quot;withdraw&quot; from the regions and that Kyiv was refusing. One of the US officials acknowledged that there was no agreement on territory. Trump has called it inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia, an outcome unacceptable to Zelensky. Russia, meanwhile, has signalled it will insist on its core demands, including on territory and on Ukraine never joining NATO. Moscow has previously objected to any European-led force in Ukraine to police a peace agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was expecting the United States to &quot;provide us with the concept that is being discussed in Berlin today&quot;.&nbsp;

Europe

US President Donald Trump said a Ukraine peace deal was closer than ever as European leaders proposed a multinational force and security guarantees, while Kyiv and Washington acknowledged progress but divisions over territory remained

Trump says Ukraine deal close, Europe proposes peace force

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing backlash after a video went viral showing him pulling down a Muslim woman&rsquo;s hijab (veil) at a government function in Bihar on Monday.&nbsp;The incident occurred at the Bihar Chief Minister&rsquo;s secretariat, known as Samvad, during a ceremony attended by newly appointed doctors.&nbsp;Among the 1,283 appointees were 685 Ayurvedic practitioners, 393 homeopathic doctors, and 205 Unani medicine specialists, Indian media reported.&nbsp;While most appointment letters were issued online, ten individuals, including Nusrat Parveen, received their letters directly from the Chief Minister, according to Indian media.&nbsp;As Nusrat Parveen approached the stage to receive her appointment letter, the Chief Minister appeared taken aback by her hijab, which partially covered her face.&nbsp;Indian media reports said he exclaimed, &ldquo;What is this?&rdquo; before reaching out and pulling the hijab aside.&nbsp;The video quickly went viral, triggering a wave of reactions on social media.&nbsp;The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongly criticized the chief minister, questioning his mental health and describing his condition as &ldquo;pitiable.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;What has happened to Nitish ji? Has his mental state reached a completely pitiable condition, or has Nitish Babu become 100 per cent Sanghi now?&rdquo; the party said in a post.&nbsp;&ldquo;The removal of the hijab from a Muslim woman&rsquo;s face clearly reflects the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government&rsquo;s attitude toward the Muslim community,&rdquo; Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed said on X.&nbsp;Public reactionFollowing the incident, a strong backlash erupted on social media, with users condemning the chief minister and accusing him of harboring hatred toward India&rsquo;s Muslim community.&nbsp;Ashok Swain, an academic and professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in Sweden, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s administration, calling the incident an example of misogyny and Islamophobia.&nbsp;&ldquo;Modi&rsquo;s key ally and Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, forcibly pulls down the veil of a Muslim lady doctor while giving her an appointment letter. In Modi&rsquo;s India, misogyny and Islamophobia have official sanction!&rdquo; he wrote on X.&nbsp;Samajwadi Party Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ravidas Mehrotra, speaking to the media, said the incident showed that the Bihar Chief Minister was not mentally stable.&nbsp;&ldquo;This incident clearly shows that the Chief Minister of Bihar is not mentally stable. After this incident, he has no moral right to remain in the post of Chief Minister even for a single day,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi also raised the issue on X, describing the incident as &ldquo;indefensible and deeply disturbing.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;He owes the woman and the public an unconditional apology. This erratic conduct is alarming and points to a man who no longer possesses the composure or mental clarity required for constitutional office. Seeking medical attention and stepping aside is necessary,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), also condemned the incident on its official X account, questioning the safety of women in Bihar and calling on the Chief Minister to resign.&nbsp;&ldquo;Look at his shamelessness&mdash;a female doctor had come to collect her appointment letter, and Nitish Kumar pulled off her hijab,&rdquo; the party said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Nitish Kumar should immediately resign for this disgusting behaviour. This vileness is unforgivable,&rdquo; it added.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces widespread backlash after a video showed him pulling down a Muslim woman’s hijab at a government ceremony, triggering political outrage and social media condemnation

Indian chief minister faces backlash over removing Muslim woman’s veil

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan&rsquo;s stock market extended its record-breaking run on Monday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing at an all-time high, as steady buying pushed prices deeper into uncharted territory. The index ended the session at 170,741 points, up 0.52%, after touching an intra-day peak above 171,000, the highest level ever recorded. Gains were sustained throughout the day, despite some profit-taking signalling confidence rather than a short-lived spike. The latest milestone adds to what has already been a remarkable year for Pakistani equities. The KSE-100 has risen nearly 36% in the current fiscal year and more than 48% so far this calendar year, placing the market among the strongest performers globally. Analysts say the rally reflects a combination of improving macroeconomic conditions and shifting investor preferences.&nbsp; &ldquo;The market is being supported by sustained investor confidence and a more favourable outlook,&rdquo; Topline Securities said, pointing to continued interest in energy stocks and expectations of monetary easing. Index heavyweights including Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Systems Limited, Maple Leaf Cement, National Bank of Pakistan and United Bank Limited were among the main contributors to the day&rsquo;s gains, together accounting for a significant portion of the advance. Sentiment was further buoyed by expectations of a policy rate cut, which later materialised when the State Bank of Pakistan&rsquo;s Monetary Policy Committee decided to reduce the policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5%. The move will further strengthen the appeal of equities at a time when returns on bank deposits have fallen sharply. The record close follows last week&rsquo;s strong performance, when the benchmark index also ended at an all-time high, gaining 1.7% on a weekly basis as economic indicators continued to improve. Pakistan&rsquo;s equity rally has also drawn international attention. Bloomberg in its report last week described the KSE-100 as one of the best-performing markets in the world, noting gains of over 47% this year, with valuations now approaching long-term averages and prospects improving for fresh equity offerings.

Economy

The Pakistan stock market hit a record high, with the KSE-100 Index closing at 170,741 points, up 0.52%. The 48% calendar year rally reflects sustained investor confidence, improving macroeconomic conditions, and anticipation of monetary easing, bolstering equities.

Pakistan stock market climbs to fresh all-time high

ISLAMABAD: Football fans around the world voiced sharp criticism of the management of Lionel Messi&rsquo;s tour in India, highlighting chaotic arrangements and the forward&rsquo;s apparent discomfort during public appearances. Fans reacted angrily on social media after video clips showed Messi being surrounded and hugged by a local Indian politician, leaving the superstar looking visibly uneasy.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 708px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999930651462824174&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Lionel Messi&#39;s tour, December 13-15,&nbsp;India kicked off chaotically as fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata&#39;s Salt Lake stadium. According to Reuters, Satadru Dutta, the event&#39;s chief organizer, has been detained by police, said Rajeev Kumar, director general of West Bengal police. Many fans around the world expressed disappointment, describing the event as poorly organized and &ldquo;chaotic,&rdquo; while the politician&rsquo;s presence and interference overshadowed Messi&rsquo;s engagement with the public.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 625px; 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=1999871162835427746&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>In the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis honored Bollywood actors Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff during the ceremony, while Messi and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul were seen standing to the side.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2000384977075306917&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The incident has sparked a wider debate among international football communities about event organization and fan experience, saying the tour failed to deliver a proper fan experience despite high expectations. Messi, however, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying: &ldquo;It was beautiful to receive all the love and support. I knew it was there, but to receive it first-hand was, well, amazing,&rdquo; adding that he will &ldquo;definitely be back.&rdquo;

Football

Football fans worldwide criticized the management of Lionel Messi’s India tour after chaotic scenes at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium and videos showing him uncomfortable, saying the event was poorly organized and failed to deliver a proper fan experience.

Football fans slam India over Messi tour mismanagement

WASHINGTON: The United States said Monday it offered strong, NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine and voiced confidence that Russia would accept, in what Washington said would be a breakthrough in ending the war.&nbsp;US officials described hours of talks in Berlin with President Volodymyr Zelensky as positive and said President Donald Trump would call both the Ukrainian leader and Europeans later Monday to push forward the deal.&nbsp;The US officials warned Ukraine must also accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees in line with NATO&#39;s Article Five &ndash; which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all.&nbsp;&quot;The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees -- Article Five like -- also a very, very strong deterrence&quot; in the size of Ukraine&#39;s military, a US official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;&quot;Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there&#39;s a conclusion that&#39;s reached in a good way,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Trump has previously ruled out a formal entry of Ukraine into NATO and sided with Russia in calling Kyiv&#39;s aspirations to the alliance a reason for the 2022 invasion by Moscow.&nbsp;But another US official voiced confidence that Russia would back the deal.&nbsp;&quot;I think the Ukrainians would tell you, as would the Europeans, that this is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen. It is a very, very strong package,&quot; the second official said.&nbsp;&quot;I think hopefully the Russians are going to look at it and say to themselves, &#39;That&#39;s OK because we have no intention -- we&#39;re going to take them at their word -- we have no intention of violating,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;But violations are going to be addressed with the securities package.&quot;&nbsp;The first official acknowledged that there was no agreement on territory. Trump has called it inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia, an outcome anathema to Zelensky after his country&#39;s defense of nearly four years.&nbsp;The first US official said that the United States discussed with Zelensky the idea of an &quot;economic free zone&quot; in the area now contested by militaries.&nbsp;&quot;We spent a lot of time trying to define what that would mean, how it operates. And then ultimately, if we can get that defined, then it will really be up to the parties to work out the final issues of sovereignty,&quot; the official said.&nbsp;The talks in Berlin were led by Steve Witkoff, Trump&#39;s business friend and roving global negotiator, and Jared Kushner, Trump&#39;s son-in-law.

The US offered Ukraine strong, NATO Article Five-like security guarantees to end the war, expressing confidence Russia would accept the "robust" package. The deal, pushed by US officials after talks with Zelensky, does not yet resolve the contested issue of Ukrainian territory.

US offers 'NATO-like' security to Ukraine, expects Russia to accept

PARIS: Thousands of glaciers will vanish each year in the coming decades, leaving only a fraction standing by the end of the century unless global warming is curbed, according to a study published on Monday.&nbsp;Government action on climate change could determine whether the world loses 2,000 or 4,000 glaciers annually by the middle of the century, according to the research.&nbsp;A few degrees could be the difference between preserving almost half of the world&#39;s glaciers in 2100 -- or fewer than 10%.&nbsp;&quot;Our results underscore the urgency of ambitious climate policy,&quot; said the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change and led by glaciologist Lander Van Tricht.&nbsp;Researchers usually focus on the loss of mass and area of the world&#39;s ice giants, but Van Tricht and his colleagues set out to determine how many individual glaciers could melt away annually in this century.&nbsp;While the melting of smaller individual glaciers may have less impact on sea-level rise than larger ones, their loss can significantly harm tourism or local culture, the scientists said.&nbsp;&quot;The disappearance of each single glacier can have major local impacts, even if its meltwater contribution is small,&quot; Van Tricht from ETH Zurich and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, told reporters.&nbsp;Co-author Matthias Huss, also a glaciologist at ETH Zurich, took part in a symbolic funeral for the Pizol glacier in the Swiss Alps in 2019.&nbsp;&quot;The loss of glaciers that we are speaking about here is more than just a scientific concern. It really touches our hearts,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&#39;Peak extinction&#39;The scientists examined satellite-derived outlines of 211,490 glaciers from a global database to determine the year in which the largest number will disappear &mdash; a concept they coined &quot;peak glacier extinction&quot;.&nbsp;They used glacier computer models under several different warming scenarios, ranging from a world in which temperatures rise by 1.5&deg;C from pre-industrial levels to one in which they climb by 4&deg;C.&nbsp;Today, the world is losing around 1,000 glaciers every year, but the study warned that the pace is set to accelerate.&nbsp;The number of glaciers disappearing annually will peak at 2,000 by 2041, even if warming is limited to 1.5&deg;C -- the threshold countries pledged to pursue under the Paris Agreement to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.&nbsp;At that pace, 95,957 glaciers would remain around the planet by 2100, or just under half.&nbsp;The United Nations, however, has warned that warming is on track to exceed 1.5&deg;C in the next few years.&nbsp;Using projections showing temperatures would rise 2.7&deg;C under government policies, around 3,000 glaciers would disappear every year between 2040 and 2060, the glaciologists said.&nbsp;By 2100, only one in five glaciers, or 43,852, would have survived in a 2.7&deg;C world.&nbsp;Under a worst-case scenario in which temperatures rise by 4&deg;C, as many as 4,000 glaciers could disappear each year by the mid-2050s.&nbsp;Only 9% of glaciers, or 18,288, would remain by the end of the century.&nbsp;Almost zeroThe timing of peak glacier disappearance varies between regions, depending on their size and location.&nbsp;In areas with predominantly smaller glaciers, such as the European Alps and subtropical Andes, half could be gone within two decades.&nbsp;In parts of the world with larger glaciers, such as Greenland and the Antarctic periphery, peak glacier disappearance will occur later in the century.&nbsp;The researchers stressed that while glacier disappearances will peak in every scenario, the pace of decline will only begin to slow because there are fewer glaciers left. The bigger ones take more time to melt away.&nbsp;For example, Van Tricht said, the loss rate in the Alps will fall to almost zero by the end of the century, &quot;just because there are almost no glaciers left.&quot;

Climate

Thousands of glaciers will vanish annually in the coming decades, a study shows. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C could preserve nearly half of the world's glaciers by 2100; a 4°C rise would leave fewer than 10%, underscoring the urgency of climate action.

Thousands of glaciers to melt each year by mid-century: Study

LA PAZ: At least 20 people were killed and dozens remain missing after a major river in eastern Bolivia burst its banks at the weekend following heavy rains, authorities said Monday.&nbsp;The Pirai river flows through Bolivia&#39;s most populous city, Santa Cruz, which is also the country&#39;s economic capital.&nbsp;The worst-affected areas were the districts of El Torno to the southwest of the city and Colpa Belgica in the northwest, deputy minister for civil defense Alfredo Troche told local radio.&nbsp;Families in El Torno climbed onto the roofs of their homes or trees to escape torrents of muddy water which poured through the streets, coating everything in mud.&nbsp;Helicopters were dispatched to rescue them.&nbsp;A bridge over the river collapsed in the floods.&nbsp;&quot;My son ended up sleeping on the roof and saved some people, including a man with a disabled leg,&quot; Elia Castro Suarez, a teacher in El Torno, told AFP on Sunday.&nbsp;Vice President Edmand Lara said some families had lost all the animals they use for agriculture, as well as their personal belongings.&nbsp;Over the weekend, President Rodrigo Paz convened a crisis meeting of key ministers and senior police and military officials to discuss the situation.&nbsp;He warned that Bolivia was experiencing a &quot;very complex moment&quot; due to the convergence of the La Nina and El Nino climate patterns.&nbsp;&quot;In these first few days of the rainy season, we have broken all the reported records of the last 100 years,&quot; Paz said.&nbsp;El Nino warms the sea surface in the Pacific Ocean, leading to hotter weather globally.&nbsp;La Nina has the opposite effect. It cools surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

At least 20 people were killed in eastern Bolivia after the Pirai River overflowed near Santa Cruz following heavy rains, collapsing a bridge, flooding neighbourhoods and leaving dozens missing, as authorities warned of climate-linked weather patterns.

At least 20 dead in eastern Bolivia floods

LAHORE: Pakistan&rsquo;s central bank on Monday cut the benchmark policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5%, marking a surprise shift after maintaining a status quo in the previous four monetary policy meetings. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the State Bank&rsquo;s decision, saying, &ldquo;By the grace and favor of Allah, the hard work of the government&#39;s economic team is bearing fruit,&rdquo; according to an official statement from his office. The prime minister added, &ldquo;Small and medium-sized businesses will benefit the most from the reduction in the interest rate and the availability of lower-cost loans.&rdquo; The decision by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) runs counter to market expectations. A Reuters poll of 12 analysts had projected no change, with most respondents expecting easing to be delayed to the later months of FY26 or beyond.&nbsp; The forecasts were revised after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cautioned that inflation risks remain elevated and monetary policy should stay appropriately tight. This latest cut follows the SBP&rsquo;s last easing of 100 basis points announced after the May 5 meeting, which brought the policy rate down to 11%. With Monday&rsquo;s move, cumulative easing since rates peaked at 22% in April 2024 now stands at 1,150 basis points. In its post-meeting statement, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said that headline inflation, on average, remained within the target range of 5-7% during July-November FY26. However, it noted that core inflation has remained relatively sticky, while headline inflation benefited from benign global commodity prices and anchored inflation expectations under a prudent monetary policy stance. Looking ahead, the MPC warned that inflation could rise above the target range toward the end of FY26 due to a low base effect from last year, before easing back into the target band in FY27. The committee said economic activity continues to gain traction, citing a robust improvement in key high-frequency indicators, including a higher-than-anticipated increase in large-scale manufacturing during the first quarter of FY26. &ldquo;In this backdrop, while ensuring ongoing price stability, the MPC noted the available space to reduce the policy rate to support sustainable economic growth,&rdquo; the statement said. At the same time, the MPC flagged persistent external challenges, particularly for exports, amid a fluid global environment marked by evolving tariff-related dynamics and tight financial conditions. The central bank highlighted several key developments since its last meeting. According to the Labour Force Survey 2024&ndash;25, the unemployment rate has increased compared to 2020&ndash;21, despite faster employment growth.&nbsp; Meanwhile, SBP&rsquo;s foreign exchange reserves continued to rise despite sizeable debt repayments, crossing $15.8 billion after the IMF disbursed $1.2 billion following the successful completion of reviews under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The MPC also noted an improvement in consumer confidence, as reflected in the latest SBP-IBA surveys, while business confidence remained positive but moderated slightly. On the fiscal front, sizable SBP profit transfers helped the overall and primary fiscal balances post surpluses in the first quarter of FY26. Assessing the broader outlook, the committee said the real policy rate remains adequately positive to stabilise inflation within the 5-7% target range over the medium term, while also supporting sustainable economic growth. The rate cut comes days after the release of the IMF&rsquo;s staff report, which reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s monetary policy should remain sufficiently tight and data-driven to keep inflation within the SBP&rsquo;s target range. The IMF noted that the central bank&rsquo;s cautious approach had helped manage inflation risks amid volatile conditions and temporary declines in headline inflation.

Banking

The central bank surprisingly cut the policy rate, breaking with market forecasts. The prime minister welcomed the decision, citing economic growth.

Pakistan’s central bank cuts policy rate by 50bps to 10.5% in surprise move

BAKU: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has proposed a mass amnesty that may affect more than 20,000 people, state media reported on Monday.&nbsp;Aliyev submitted a draft amnesty act to Azerbaijan&#39;s parliament, describing the initiative as a gesture of &quot;humanism and mercy&quot; following the 2023 recapture of the breakaway Karabakh region from Armenian forces, the Azertag state news agency said.&nbsp;According to the report, the proposal would free 5,000 inmates, and about 15,000 would see their sentences or penalties reduced or lifted.&nbsp;It is unclear whether the plan would affect political prisoners, whose number has risen to almost 400 in recent years, according to the European Parliament.&nbsp;The tightly-controlled oil-rich former Soviet republic has long faced criticism from rights groups for suppressing political dissent and muzzling independent media.&nbsp;In August, Armenia and its longtime arch-foe, Azerbaijan, committed to peace after decades of territorial conflict in a deal brokered by the White House.&nbsp;Aliyev has ruled the country since 2003, after succeeding his father, Heydar, a former communist leader and KGB general.

Central Asia

President Ilham Aliyev proposed a mass amnesty for over 20,000 people as a post-Karabakh '"humanism' gesture.