TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s president questioned whether the Middle East conflict is really putting &quot;America First,&quot; criticizing the US for war crimes and being influenced by Israel ahead of a highly-anticipated speech by Donald Trump.&nbsp;Sparked by a US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on Feb. 28, the war has rippled across the Middle East, creating global economic turmoil.&nbsp;More than a month in, US President Trump claimed Wednesday that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was seeking a ceasefire, a claim Tehran has denied.&nbsp;&quot;Attacking Iran&#39;s vital infrastructure -- including energy and industrial facilities -- directly targets the Iranian people,&quot; Pezeshkian said in an open letter, published to his website Wednesday.&nbsp;&quot;Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran&#39;s borders.&quot;&nbsp;They sow &quot;instability, increase human and economic costs,&quot; and plant &quot;seeds of resentment that will endure for years,&quot; he continued.&nbsp;&quot;Exactly which of the American people&#39;s interests are truly being served by this war?&quot;&nbsp;Casting the conflict as costly for both sides, Pezeshkian asked if there had been &quot;any objective threat from Iran to justify such behavior.&quot;&nbsp;He also questioned whether Washington entered the war &quot;as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Is &#39;America First&#39; truly among the priorities of the US government today?&quot; Pezeshkian asked.&nbsp;He also said ordinary Americans were not Iran&#39;s enemy, &quot;even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures.&quot;&nbsp;His letter came ahead of US President Donald Trump&#39;s prime-time address to Americans on the Iran war in the face of plunging approval rates, economic jitters and spiraling diplomatic fallout.&nbsp;Trump on Wednesday said he would consider a ceasefire only when the Strait of Hormuz was reopened, with Tehran&#39;s effective closure of the vital oil corridor sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Middle East

Masoud Pezeshkian says the US is committing war crimes and claims Washington is influenced by Israel. Tehran denies seeking a ceasefire and says attacks on Iran’s infrastructure are harming civilians and global stability.

Iran President says ordinary Americans not our enemies

MADRID: A Spanish court has ordered the tax authority to refund Colombian pop star Shakira more than 55 million euros ($64 million) improperly collected in a dispute over her 2011 taxes, according to a ruling seen Monday. The National Audience said tax authorities had failed to prove that the &quot;Hips Don&#39;t Lie&quot; singer spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011, the legal threshold requiring residents to pay personal income tax in the country. &quot;On the contrary, the court found that Shakira spent 163 days in Spain and that the tax authorities had therefore failed to prove that the singer had the centre of her economic interests in Spain,&quot; according to the ruling issued last month which was seen by AFP on Monday. The court ordered &quot;the reimbursement of the sums paid, together with legal interest&quot;, cancelling the tax assessments and multi-million-euro fines imposed by the tax authorities, which had considered the singer a tax resident in Spain in 2011. The ruling comes as Shakira is set to wrap up her record-breaking &quot;Women Don&#39;t Cry Anymore&quot; world tour with a concert residency in Madrid starting in September.

Entertainment

A Spanish court ordered tax authorities to refund Shakira more than €55 million after ruling she was not a Spanish tax resident in 2011.

Spanish court orders 55 million euro tax refund to Shakira 

India

An anthropologist who visited North Sentinel Island says limited contact with the isolated Sentinelese tribe may become necessary to protect them from increasing threats posed by outsiders, poachers and social media attention.

Encroaching world threatens India's last 'uncontacted' tribe

KATHMANDU: Climber Mostafa Salameh is carrying a kite scribbled with dreams of Gaza&#39;s children to the summit of Mount Everest, seeking to raise awareness of the war&#39;s toll on its youngest victims. Tucked among his expedition gear is the kite in red, black, white, and green of the Palestinian flag, marked with handwritten messages from children in the battered Palestinian territory. Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023 has killed more than 72,000 people, according to the territory&#39;s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority. The simple wishes, shaped by loss, grief, and displacement, reflect hope for a future beyond conflict. Palestinian-Jordanian Salameh, 56, also wants to raise $10 million for the UK-based charity Al-Khair Foundation, which provides nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and psychological support to Gazans. &quot;We have all these dreams of the children of Gaza that&#39;s going to go up to the top of the world because they can&#39;t do anything now in Gaza,&quot; Salameh told AFP in a video interview. &quot;They don&#39;t have homes or education. Everything is being done in a tent. And they don&#39;t have access to clean water, proper food or proper medication,&quot; said the mountaineer, who met the children at the Rafah border after they crossed into Egypt. The war has displaced nearly Gaza&#39;s entire population and reduced swathes of the Palestinian territory to rubble. Hundreds of thousands of people are still living in tents, and conditions remain dire despite a ceasefire that took effect in October last year. For Salameh, the expedition hopes to shine a light on the plight of the children and amplify their voices. &quot;The whole world is closing their eyes when it comes to Palestine,&quot; said Salameh, who hopes to make the summit before the spring climbing season wraps up in the next few weeks. &quot;It&#39;s about awareness about what these children are going through, and at the same time to raise money.&quot; The messages inscribed on the kite reflect both ambition and grief, children hoping to become doctors or engineers to rebuild their shattered homes, alongside stark reminders of loss. One girl, Munira, asked Salameh to write the number 47 on the kite. &quot;I said, what is number 47? And she replied that it was the number of all her family members who have been killed,&quot; he said. &#39;A little change&#39;Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and raised in a refugee camp, Salameh&#39;s own journey has been shaped by struggle and determination. He was working at a hotel in Edinburgh in 2004, pursuing a career in hospitality, when a vivid dream changed his life. He saw that he was standing on the top of Everest, reciting the azan, the Islamic call to prayer. &quot;This is where the journey started. I had never climbed a mountain in my life before that,&quot; he said. He made his first attempt to scale the world&#39;s highest peak a year later at the age of 35. But he could only make it to the summit on his third attempt in 2008. Since then, he has completed the Explorer&#39;s Grand Slam, a challenge that involves climbing the highest peaks on each continent and skiing to both the North and South Poles. Many of his expeditions have been for a purpose, raising funds for Syria, blind children, and cancer patients. Although he had vowed not to return to the Everest, the war in Gaza became the motivation that he needed. &quot;I&#39;m a Jordanian originally, my family is from Palestine, and I relate to what these kids are going through,&quot; he said. After nine months of preparation, Salameh is hoping the climb will result in something both symbolic and tangible. &quot;When you have some cause that you really believe in, in your heart and soul and mind, I think it can push you to go and do it,&quot; he said. &quot;If we can make a little change, I would be happy.&quot; Beyond the summit, his ambitions remain rooted in a broader aspiration. &quot;My dream is to see Palestine free one day, and that we can go and visit.&quot;

Mountaineer Mostafa Salameh is carrying a kite bearing Gaza children's messages to Mount Everest, aiming to raise awareness and $10 million for humanitarian support amid the devastating war.

Palestinian-Jordanian climber carries Gaza children’s dreams to Everest summit

Web Desk

TOKYO: Two American nationals were arrested in Japan after a stunt in which one entered the monkey enclosure at a zoo where a baby macaque named <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/punch-the-baby-monkey-isnt-being-bullied-japan-zoo" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Punch </a>became a global internet sensation this year, police said Monday. One of the men, who identified himself as a 24-year-old college student, was arrested Sunday after climbing over a fence and dropping into a dry moat surrounding the monkey exhibit at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo. The other man, who was filming the act, identified himself as a 27-year-old singer. Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter. The men did not come close to the animals, and were quickly apprehended by zoo officials, said an official at Ichikawa Police who spoke with AFP on a traditional condition of anonymity. The two men face charges of forcible obstruction of business, which they refute, the police official said. The duo did not have formal identifications with them and initially tried to lie to police about their names, he added. The arrests follow a massive surge in domestic and international visitors to the zoo, driven by Punch&#39;s viral fame. The baby monkey became an internet star this year after the zoo posted photos of Punch clutching an IKEA plush orangutan for comfort after being rejected by his mother. Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year. Punch&#39;s predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch. An unprecedented number of tourists are flocking to Japan, but some residents have become fed up with unruly behavior. Last year, a Ukrainian YouTuber with more than 6.5 million subscribers was arrested after livestreaming himself trespassing in a house in the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone. And a US livestreamer known as Johnny Somali was arrested in 2023 for allegedly trespassing onto a construction site.

A view of the monkey enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan on March 21, 2026. (AFP)

Asia

The men allegedly tried to lie to the local police about their identities after entering the enclosure, fueling growing frustration in Japan over disruptive behavior by some foreign tourists.

Japan arrests Americans over stunt at baby monkey Punch's zoo

ISLAMABAD: Genocide Watch in a recent report warned that India was showing signs of entering the &ldquo;extermination&rdquo; stage in the organization&rsquo;s widely cited Ten Stages of Genocide framework.&nbsp; The report, titled &ldquo;Extermination in India: The Ninth Stage of Genocide,&rdquo; argues that anti-Muslim violence and dehumanizing rhetoric are intensifying across the country.&nbsp; Genocide Watch is an international organization focused on genocide prevention and mass atrocity monitoring.&nbsp; According to the report, perpetrators of genocide often stop viewing victims as fully human and portray them as threats that must be removed from society.&nbsp; Genocide mode The organization linked its warning to rising hate speech, communal violence and attacks targeting Muslims in India.&nbsp; The report referenced past episodes of mass violence, including the 2002 Gujarat riots, as examples of communal killings and impunity.&nbsp; Genocide Watch said genocides are not always sudden events and can develop gradually through stages such as discrimination, dehumanization, persecution and extermination.&nbsp; The Ten Stages of Genocide model was developed by Genocide Watch founder Gregory Stanton and is used internationally in genocide studies and early warning analysis.&nbsp; Ethnic violence in India The organization has previously issued alerts regarding communal tensions and ethnic violence in India, including in Manipur.&nbsp; Rights activists and minority groups have repeatedly expressed concern over mob lynching, anti-Muslim vigilante violence and inflammatory political rhetoric in recent years.&nbsp; The report also criticized the use of euphemisms such as &ldquo;ethnic cleansing,&rdquo; arguing that such language can minimize or obscure atrocities.&nbsp; India&rsquo;s government has previously rejected international criticism concerning minority rights and communal violence, describing some reports as biased or politically motivated. The Genocide Watch report adds to growing international debate over religious freedom, communal polarization and the protection of minority rights in India.

Genocide Watch has warned that anti-Muslim violence, hate speech and communal polarization in India are increasingly resembling the 'extermination' stage in its genocide risk framework.

International watchdog flags genocide concerns in India

ROTTERDAM (NETHERLANDS): The cruise ship that sparked global alarm after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus made its final approach to Rotterdam today (Monday), with the remaining skeleton crew facing weeks of quarantine. The MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Dutch port before midday (1000 GMT), according to officials, before disembarking the remaining 27 people on board, including 25 crew and two medical staff. AFP reporters on board a separate vessel caught sight of the ship as it steamed towards Rotterdam, Europe&#39;s biggest port, for final docking and disinfection. The ship, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, made headlines after three passengers died from hantavirus, a rare virus for which no vaccines nor specific treatments exist. The World Health Organization (WHO) has scrambled to reassure the world that the outbreak was not a repeat of the Covid pandemic, stressing that contagion was very rare. &quot;There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,&quot; WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on May 12. However, the virus has an incubation period of several weeks, meaning more cases from the ship&#39;s occupants could emerge in the future, Tedros warned. Hantavirus has been confirmed in seven patients, with one other probable case, according to an AFP tally from official sources. The most recent positive test came from Canada in a patient who was onboard the Hondius, officials said late Sunday. Andes strainThe people disembarking on Monday comprise 17 from the Philippines, four from the Netherlands (two crew and two medical staff), four from Ukraine, one from Russia, and one from Poland. Some of them will stay in quarantine facilities at the port, while others will self-isolate at home. Also on board is the body of a German woman who died during the voyage. After docking, the ship will undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures, according to the operator. The MV Hondius&#39;s voyage began on April 1 in Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in some remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before steaming north to Cape Verde. The trip was supposed to finish there, but the ship eventually sailed to Tenerife in the Canary Islands for the evacuations by plane. The MV Hondius presented diplomatic challenges as different countries negotiated over who would receive it and treat its passengers. Cape Verde refused to take the ship, which remained anchored offshore of the capital Praia as three people were evacuated to Europe by air. Spain allowed the vessel to anchor off its Canary Islands for the evacuation of passengers and crew, but the Atlantic archipelago&#39;s regional government fiercely opposed the measure. Hantavirus spreads from the urine, faeces, and saliva of infected rodents and is endemic in Argentina, where the voyage began. Those infected have the Andes virus, the only strain of hantavirus that can spread between people. Kiki Hirschfeldt, a spokeswoman for the operator, said it was too early to say what impact the outbreak could have on the appetite for cruises. &quot;I mean, for as far as we know right now, the virus was brought on board, and that can happen in a hotel, in an airplane, in a boat,&quot; she told AFP.

Europe

The MV Hondius docked in Rotterdam after a deadly hantavirus outbreak killed three passengers. Remaining crew entered quarantine as WHO reassured the public the rare virus posed no global threat.

Hantavirus-hit cruise ship to dock in Rotterdam at voyage end

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a targeted, week-long polio vaccination campaign across 79 high-risk districts, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced on Monday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-to-launch-polio-vaccination-campaign-in-highrisk-districts-from-may-18" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Running until May 24</a>, the drive aims to administer oral polio vaccine drops to nearly 19 million children under five and is being carried out simultaneously with a coordinated campaign in Afghanistan as part of regional eradication efforts.&nbsp;In Punjab, the campaign will reach about 6.19 million children across 10 districts, while Sindh will cover roughly 5.79 million children in 20 districts.&nbsp;Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plans to vaccinate about 4.61 million children in 23 districts, and Balochistan aims to reach approximately 1.99 million children in 25 districts. Around 450,000 children in Islamabad will also receive drops during the week.&nbsp;The NEOC urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams, provide access to vaccinators and ensure every eligible child receives the life-saving drops, stressing that protecting children from polio is a shared national responsibility.&nbsp;Pakistan has made substantial progress since launching its eradication program in 1994, when more than 20,000 cases were reported annually.&nbsp;Decades of sustained vaccination, improved surveillance, and coordinated public health action have dramatically reduced the burden of disease: 31 cases were recorded in 2025, and only three confirmed cases have been reported so far in 2026.&nbsp;Health officials cautioned, however, that the virus still circulates silently in some areas, making continued vaccination essential. &ldquo;While progress is encouraging, every missed child is an opportunity for the virus to persist and spread,&rdquo; the NEOC said.

Health

NEOC urges parents to cooperate with vaccination teams, provide access to vaccinators and ensure every eligible child receives the life-saving drops, stressing that protecting children from polio is a shared national responsibility.

Pakistan launches week-long polio drive in 79 high-risk districts

GENEVA: World Health Organization member states gather for their annual meeting in Geneva on Monday amid concern over deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals. While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attention is not officially on the agenda, it is expected to feature prominently in the discussions, as is the fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A diplomatic source, who asked not to be identified, said it would be interesting to see how such outbreaks are used by the WHO &quot;to promote other things&quot;, including &quot;to pressure (the United States and Argentina) not to go&quot;. The meeting of the WHO&#39;s annual decision-making assembly, which runs through Saturday, comes after a difficult year for the organization. It has been weakened by the announced US withdrawal and by funding cuts that have forced it to slash its budget and staff numbers. &quot;We are stable now and moving forward,&quot; WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted at the end of April. Diplomats and observers agreed. The situation is &quot;still fragile, but they&#39;ve been successful in mobilizing most of the funds&quot; required for the next two years, Surie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, told AFP. And the hantavirus crisis provided &quot;a clear illustration of why the world needs an effective, trusted, impartial, reliably-funded WHO&quot;, she added. UN, Argentina withdrawalsBut significant divisions persist. Continued disagreement between wealthy and developing nations has, for instance, blocked progress on the key missing piece of the WHO&#39;s landmark 2025 pandemic treaty, with negotiations now expected to be extended for another year. It also remains unclear what, if anything, would be decided on the US and Argentine announced withdrawals. US President Donald Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, handed the WHO his country&#39;s one-year withdrawal notice, with Argentina soon following suit. The WHO, whose constitution does not include a withdrawal clause, has not confirmed either withdrawal. The United States reserved the right to withdraw when it joined the WHO in 1948 -- on condition of giving one year&#39;s notice and meeting its financial obligations in full for that fiscal year. While the notice period has expired, Washington has still not paid its 2024 or 2025 dues, owing around $260 million. When the WHO&#39;s executive board met in January, Israel submitted a resolution to approve Argentina&#39;s withdrawal -- something countries are expected to discuss during the assembly -- but not a word was said about the US leaving. Diplomats and observers indicated there was broad agreement that it would be better to maintain a grey zone around whether the US was effectively out. &quot;We hope that it will go past quietly on the US,&quot; a European diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Election campaign&nbsp;The assembly will take place as the process towards next year&#39;s election of a new WHO chief heats up. No one has yet declared their candidacy, but announcements are possible this week ahead of the nomination deadline of September 24. A number of sensitive resolutions are also on the table, including on Ukraine, the Palestinian territories, and Iran, which could spark heated debate. Much of this week&#39;s discussions will centre on whether to launch a formal reform process for the so-called &quot;global health architecture&quot; -- a mishmash of organizations that do not always work together and often overlap. &quot;Among the issues to be explored are what is best done at the global and regional levels... and what is a national responsibility?&quot; Helen Clark, co-chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and a former New Zealand prime minister, told AFP. Canadian Health Minister Marjorie Michel told AFP that &quot;this current crisis, with the departure of key players, also allows ... the WHO to re-examine its strategy with its members&quot;. A key focus will be to ensure the process does not see &quot;controversial&quot; issues, such as climate and sexual and reproductive health rights, sacrificed in the context of dwindling international aid funding. &quot;The objective is to ensure better coordination among health actors, so that no activities or populations are left behind,&quot; said a diplomatic source, who asked not to be named. But Thiru Balasubramaniam of the Knowledge Ecology International NGO, told AFP the WHO had already &quot;scaled down some of their activities, including in terms of sexual and reproductive health&quot;.

Germany's Health Minister Nina Warken speaks to a journalist after a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Americas

WHO member states meet in Geneva amid global concern over hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks, funding strains following announced US and Argentine withdrawals, and renewed debate over reforming the global health system, pandemic preparedness, and coordination among international health actors.

WHO kicks off annual assembly amid hantavirus, Ebola crises

ISLAMABAD: Protests and demonstrations have been lingering on in the Indian state of Bhopal, since a mob of Hindutva extremists beat a Muslim man accused of &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo; so mercilessly that he was left half dead. The concept of &quot;Love Jihad&quot; is an unproven conspiracy theory alleging a systemic plot by Muslim men to convert non-Muslim women through marriage. India&#39;s Supreme Court views it as a politically motivated narrative that targets consenting interfaith couples. Bhopal police said on Monday that men accused of the torture had no formal links to the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal, further fuelling communal tensions and protests that have gripped parts of the city following the assault, despite widespread allegations and social media claims, Indian media reported. The controversy erupted after videos circulated online allegedly showing a Muslim man being brutally beaten inside a hotel in Bhopal. According to reports by Maktoob Media and Muslim Mirror, the attackers accused the youth of &ldquo;love jihad,&rdquo; a term frequently used by Hindu nationalist groups against Muslim men allegedly involved with Hindu women. The videos allegedly showed the victim being assaulted, abused and forced to chant religious slogans while surrounded by a mob. Reports also alleged that blasphemous remarks were made during the attack, deepening outrage within the Muslim community. The incident triggered large protests across Bhopal, with demonstrators demanding arrests, action against Hindutva groups and protection from mob violence.<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" 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=2054528955462336782&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=e5f66d26aeb0fed0cf72edf57f29b4bc69704ff4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Community members accused police of initially failing to take swift action despite videos of the assault spreading widely online. According to Muslim Mirror, tensions escalated after police allegedly used force against Muslim protesters, including baton charges and firing in some areas. Several protesters claimed authorities focused more on controlling demonstrations than addressing the alleged anti-Muslim violence that triggered the unrest.<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" 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=2054528386643771672&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=e5f66d26aeb0fed0cf72edf57f29b4bc69704ff4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Police denied allegations of bias and said action had been taken against those involved in violence and disturbance. On Monday, The Indian Express reported that investigators said the accused individuals were not officially connected to Bajrang Dal or any right-wing organisation. The clarification drew criticism from activists and sections of the Muslim community, who alleged that extremist groups often operate informally without official membership records. Rights advocates said the assault reflected a broader pattern of anti-Muslim vigilantism and communal intimidation in parts of India. They also alleged that accusations linked to &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo; are increasingly used to justify harassment, public humiliation and violence against Muslims. Security remained tight in parts of Bhopal as authorities attempted to prevent further unrest amid continuing anger over the assault and the handling of protests.

Protesters say police played silent spectator as Bajrang Dal men beat up the man; police say the group accused of violence has no links to the beating.

'Blasphemy', Muslim youth assault spark protests in India’s Bhopal

ISLAMABAD: Suspected insider trading linked to Iran war-related bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket generated nearly $2.4 million in profits with a 98%-win rate, according to a report by CBS News. The report raised concerns over the growing use of prediction markets for wagering on military conflicts and geopolitical events, with analysts warning that insiders with access to sensitive information may be exploiting the platforms for financial gain. Prediction markets such as Polymarket allow users to place bets on the outcome of world events using cryptocurrency. While all trades on the blockchain are publicly visible, users generally remain anonymous. In a statement to CBS News&rsquo; &ldquo;60 Minutes,&rdquo; Polymarket said it has built a &ldquo;comprehensive market integrity infrastructure&rdquo; using artificial intelligence-powered surveillance and blockchain forensics to detect suspicious activity. &ldquo;When our systems identify suspicious activity, we act &mdash; including through referrals to law enforcement and cooperation with investigations,&rdquo; the company said, adding that insider trading &ldquo;is not welcome on Polymarket.&rdquo; The report highlighted the case of US Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly used the platform to place bets related to a special operations mission targeting former Venezuelan leader Nicol&aacute;s Maduro. According to the US Justice Department, Van Dyke wagered roughly $34,000 on the operation, including several bets placed one day before the raid. Prosecutors allege he earned more than $400,000 before attempting to withdraw the funds and delete his account. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges. Investigators and analysts say military-related betting markets are particularly vulnerable to insider activity because many individuals involved in operations &mdash; including planners, intelligence officials and even family members &mdash; may gain access to sensitive information before it becomes public. A separate study by the Anti-Corruption Data Collective examined large &ldquo;long-shot&rdquo; wagers on military events placed on Polymarket and found evidence of &ldquo;systemic insider trading&rdquo; in conflict-related betting markets. The report also pointed to suspicious trading activity in traditional commodities markets linked to the Iran conflict. New York lawyer and former commodities trader David Kovel told &ldquo;60 Minutes&rdquo; that more than $800 million was suddenly placed on a decline in oil prices on March 23, shortly before US President Donald Trump announced &ldquo;productive&rdquo; talks with Iran on social media. Oil prices reportedly dropped more than 10% following the announcement, potentially generating tens of millions of dollars in profits for traders involved. Federal investigators are reportedly examining the trades, although no charges have been filed so far. The report also described threats against journalists whose reporting affected prediction market outcomes.

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The report highlights the case of US Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly used the platform to place bets related to a special operations mission targeting former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.