Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a regulatory sandbox for artificial intelligence-driven payments and virtual asset services, marking a key step in its push to formalize digital finance and strengthen oversight in the fast-evolving virtual assets sector.&nbsp;The move was discussed during a meeting this week between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Minister of State and Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman Bilal Bin Saqib, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office.&nbsp;The development comes as Pakistan accelerates efforts to build a formal regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and digital assets, following recent high-level engagements with global industry leaders, including a 2025 visit by Richard Teng, chief executive of Binance, to Islamabad.&nbsp;The visit underscored Islamabad&rsquo;s growing focus on digital asset regulation, blockchain adoption and financial innovation as part of its broader economic modernization strategy.&nbsp;The sandbox, a controlled environment for testing financial technologies under regulatory supervision, is designed to support innovation in AI-driven payments and regulated virtual asset services while helping authorities develop policy frameworks for emerging technologies.&nbsp;PM Sharif directed officials to ensure that &ldquo;an effective and globally compliant regulatory system in the virtual assets sector&rdquo; is made fully operational at the earliest, saying the framework is essential to promote Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy and enhance investor confidence.&nbsp;He also stressed the need to equip young Pakistanis with future-ready skills, calling for special measures to provide training in &ldquo;modern technologies,&rdquo; particularly artificial intelligence and digital finance.&nbsp;Saqib briefed the prime minister on PVARA&rsquo;s transition into an operational regulator and outlined progress on the regulatory sandbox, saying innovations are being introduced in digital payments and virtual asset services.&nbsp;The PMO said work is underway to prepare national institutions, the workforce and the regulatory framework for the next phase of economic transformation, as Pakistan seeks to expand its footprint in emerging digital and financial technologies.

Artificial Intelligence

Pakistan launched a regulatory sandbox for AI-driven payments and virtual assets to formalize digital finance. PM Sharif urged a compliant framework, youth training, and faster rollout to boost innovation, oversight, and investor confidence.

Pakistan launches regulatory sandbox for AI-driven financial innovation

ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on Sunday pledged to spend $55 billion on new projects over the next two years, just days after the United Arab Emirates&#39; officially left the OPEC. The move to ditch OPEC and the expanded OPEC+ group will allow the UAE to produce as much or as little crude as at wishes after decades of following a quota system instituted by the group, potentially providing a windfall of cash to the country. &quot;ADNOC today confirmed it is accelerating growth and delivery of its strategy with AED 200 billion ($55 billion) in new project awards for 2026-2028,&quot; read a statement released by the company. The move comes as the Gulf has been rattled by the US and Israel&#39;s war with Iran. Abu Dhabi aims to expand its production capacity to five million barrels a day by 2027. &quot;The planned project awards span ADNOC&#39;s upstream and downstream operations and usher in a new phase of project delivery that will supercharge UAE&#39;s manufacturing capacity, strengthen industrial resilience, deepen the impact of the company&#39;s&quot; plans to boost spending and production in the UAE, ADNOC added. The UAE has been an OPEC member through the emirate of Abu Dhabi since 1967, four years before the former British protectorate became an independent country. It officially left the group on May 1. As ADNOC announced the new lavish spending plans, the seven OPEC+ members announced a hike in oil-production quotas during their first meeting since the UAE&#39;s departure.

Business

The move to ditch OPEC and the expanded OPEC+ group will allow the UAE to produce as much or as little crude as at wishes after decades of following a quota system instituted by the group, potentially providing a windfall of cash to the country.

UAE oil giant ADNOC pledges $55B in new projects by 2028: Statement

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse bring war, famine, pestilence and death. Afghanistan in April had all four, recast as empty markets, flooded clinics, failed harvests, and a generation of women written permanently out of public life. No single agency report captured all four aspects together. Hunger In the fourth week of April, a casual laborer could work a full day and buy 10 kilograms of wheat flour with his wages. A year ago, he could buy nearly 12. According to the World Food Programme&#39;s (WFP) weekly market report published April 30, the real purchasing power of labor-dependent households has fallen 33% below last year&#39;s levels. Meanwhile, employment itself is scarcer, with workers finding jobs only 1.9 days per week, down 20% from 2025. The year-on-year price picture is severe across the board. Wheat grain costs 19% more than a year ago. High-quality rice has risen 44% while sugar is up 21%, per WFP. For the poorest households, the staples are worse: tomatoes cost 48% more than a year ago and potatoes 64% more. The external lifeline is shrinking simultaneously. Remittance inflows stood at 17.7% of Afghanistan&#39;s GDP in 2023 and are projected to fall to 12.9% in 2025, per the World Bank. A further decline in 2026 is described as &quot;highly likely.&quot; The WFP food basket stood at 6,055 afghani ($94.70) in the fourth week of April, against a transfer value last set at 5,800 afghani ($90.70) in May 2024. Pipeline breaks are expected starting in May due to funding shortfalls, per the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Floods While aid agencies stretched their capacity, floodwaters cut through the south. Heavy rains beginning March 25 affected Parwan, Paktia, Kandahar, Zabul, Helmand and Nangarhar provinces, killing hundreds and injuring more, according to OCHA flash updates. According to the EU&#39;s emergency coordination center,&nbsp;60,000 people have been confirmed to need assistance out of the 73,300 initially affected.&nbsp; Across five provinces, 61 health facilities were also impacted. The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations reported that a mere 42% of identified flood-affected people had received humanitarian support. Failed harvests The food crisis visible in April&#39;s market data is a lagging indicator. The forward-looking numbers are worse. Urea fertilizer, critical during planting season, costs 40% more than last year. DAP fertilizer is up 19%, per WFP. Farmers who cannot afford inputs now will produce less food later. Afghanistan&#39;s agriculture is largely rain-fed, and the La Ni&ntilde;a phenomenon in early 2025 had already reduced snowfall and rainfall while raising temperatures, severely disrupting growing conditions, per UNICEF&#39;s Innocenti. The harvest being planted in April is already compromised. The vanishing workforce In 2024, approximately 3.8 million girls aged 7 to 18 were out of school, including more than 2.6 million adolescent girls, according to the April UNICEF Innocenti issue brief. Nearly 8 out of 10 young Afghan women are currently not in education, employment or training. The UNICEF brief noted that this is one of the highest rates globally. Each year, an additional 250,000 girls are barred from progressing beyond primary education. By 2030, more than 2 million will have been directly affected. Teaching and healthcare, the two sectors in which women are currently permitted to work, are losing staff faster than they can be replaced. These sectors face a projected loss of up to 20,000 skilled female teachers and 5,400 skilled female health workers by 2030, roughly one quarter of the 2021 workforce, according to UNICEF. The economic cost stands at a minimum of 5.3 billion afghani ($84 million) annually, equivalent to 0.5% of Afghanistan&#39;s 2023 GDP, compounding each year, per UNICEF. Stunting among children under five has already risen from 44.7% to 45.6%, an increase of an estimated 10,000 additional children. This is a direct consequence of education restrictions, UNICEF reported. The scale Approximately 21.9 million people (about 45% of Afghanistan&#39;s population) are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, according to OCHA&#39;s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Of those, 17.4 million face acute food insecurity and an estimated 3.5 million children are acutely malnourished. Meanwhile, the International Rescue Committee reported that approximately 5 million people are at emergency hunger levels, one step from famine-like conditions.

An Afghan man carries food aid distributed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Kamdesh district in Nuristan province on April 22, 2026. (AFP)

Afghanistan

The country faces converging crises, with worsening food insecurity, damaged infrastructure, climate shocks and educational restrictions driving a deepening humanitarian emergency.

Afghanistan's four horsemen: Hunger, floods, failed harvests, vanishing women

ISLAMABAD: A recent sealing drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in Uttam Nagar has sparked controversy, with social media users and local voices calling the action a disproportionate targeting of Muslim-owned eateries and shops. According to India&#39;s Indo-Asian News Service, the MCD sealed more than 20 eateries and meat shops in Hastsal&rsquo;s JJ Colony for operating without a valid Health Trade License (HTL). However, the crackdown has drawn criticism online, with claims that the enforcement drive selectively impacted businesses run by members of the Muslim community. Posts circulating on social media platform X allege that several biryani outlets and small hotels, reportedly Muslim-owned, were sealed, while shops belonging to other communities in the same locality continued operations without facing similar action. <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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; 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=2050623413492895953&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=fc635a8504808655ab92ed5a3425d1dde4c21a31&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The action followed inspections conducted on April 17 and 18, during which 30 outlets were found to be in violation of licensing rules. Authorities said all establishments were issued notices, and some owners voluntarily shut down. Activists and users have questioned the apparent disparity, calling for transparency in enforcement and equal application of municipal laws. Some posts also claimed that even vacant shops in residential areas were sealed during the drive.<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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; 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=2050602111948460542&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=fc635a8504808655ab92ed5a3425d1dde4c21a31&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>MCD officials, however, maintain that the action was part of routine enforcement under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and aimed at ensuring compliance with public health and safety regulations. They have not responded directly to allegations of selective targeting. The development has added to ongoing concerns raised by rights groups and observers over alleged discrimination against minorities in India, particularly in administrative and law enforcement actions. No independent verification of the claims regarding selective targeting has been officially confirmed, but the issue continues to gain traction online, prompting calls for further scrutiny.

India

Crackdown draws criticism online, with claims that the enforcement drive selectively impacted businesses run by members of the Muslim community.

Delhi administration accused of targeting Muslim-owned businesses

ISLAMABAD: Some 680,000 children in Gaza are living in displacement sites overrun by rats, mice, and insects, with families reporting they are too afraid to let their children sleep at night for fear of being bitten; an incident that has already occurred this year, according to Save the Children. According to the organization, an analysis of United Nations data shows that figure places roughly two in three of all children in Gaza inside the more than 1,600 displacement sites where rodents or pests have been openly sighted,&nbsp; Children, particularly infants under five and those weakened by malnutrition, are most vulnerable to the diseases spreading through these camps, according to the foundation. Skin infections and rashes have been reported in nearly two-thirds of assessed sites, lice in over 65% of sites, and bedbugs in more than half of sites, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Rodents are chewing through tents and contaminating food supplies, with few safe storage options available. Cases are expected to worsen as temperatures continue to rise. Waste buildup across rubble-strewn sites has driven the spread of scabies, pneumonia and diarrhea, &ldquo;illnesses that hit young and malnourished children hardest,&rdquo; the organization said.&nbsp; Gaza&#39;s healthcare, water and sanitation systems have been decimated by more than two years of war, turning overcrowded camps into breeding grounds for disease. An Israeli military blockade on aid and commercial goods has left families without access to pesticides, the non-profit reported. When such items do appear in local markets, the prices are unaffordable for most. Families have been reduced to attempting to catch rats with sticks and basic adhesive traps. Shurouq, a multimedia manager for Save the Children in Gaza, described raw sewage running through streets in the rain and being pumped into the sea.&nbsp; &quot;I struggle to find water and people have no choice but to fish and swim in the sea so they are putting themselves at risk,&quot; she said. Save the Children called on Israel to lift the siege immediately, open all border crossings and restore aid flows.&nbsp; &ldquo;Israel, as the occupying power, bears a legal obligation to ensure the humanitarian needs of the occupied population are met,&rdquo; it said, adding that the current ceasefire plan had failed on its humanitarian provisions.

Displaced Palestinians sit with their empty containers amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by the Israeli military, as they wait to collect food from a charity kitchen in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

680,000 children in Gaza live in displacement sites infested with rodents and insects, with nowhere to go and no means to protect themselves as temperatures climb.

Two in three Gaza children are rotting in plague-ridden camps

Coquelles, France: Two women died Sunday while trying to reach Britain from northern France in a small boat, officials said. The would-be <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/7900-people-died-disappeared-on-migration-routes-in-2025-un" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">migrants</a>&nbsp;were among 82 people packed on the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/at-least-three-dead-as-migrant-boat-capsizes-off-greek-island" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">boat</a> that &quot;ran aground&quot; on a beach at Neufchatel-Hardelot, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) south of the port of Boulogne, said Christophe Marx, a regional government official. At least eight people have now died this year on small boats trying to make the risky trip across the English Channel to the southern coast of the UK. At least 29 migrants died in the boats last year. Three-year deal Britain and France last month signed a new <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uk-france-agree-threeyear-deal-to-stop-migrant-crossings" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">three-year deal</a> on security operations to stop the crossings.&nbsp; France will increase the number of police and gendarmes patrolling the coast while the British government will increase its contribution to the cost, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British sources. According to French officials, the number of arrivals in Britain so far this year has been drastically cut from 2025.

Europe

The would-be migrants were among 82 people packed on the boat that "ran aground" on a beach at Neufchatel-Hardelot, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) south of the port of Boulogne, said Christophe Marx, a regional government official.

Two women migrants die off French coast seeking to reach UK: Officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan marked World Press Freedom Day on Sunday with renewed official commitments to safeguarding journalists and strengthening responsible journalism, as the latest global press freedom rankings showed the country moving ahead of India in the annual index released by Reporters Without Borders. In its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranked Pakistan at 153rd out of 180 countries, placing it four spots ahead of neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-drops-to-157th-as-press-freedom-crisis-deepens" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>, which slipped to 157th, down six places from last year. The annual index evaluates media freedom across political, legal, economic, socio-cultural and safety indicators. The latest ranking comes as Pakistan observes World Press Freedom Day under the global theme, &ldquo;Shaping a Future at Peace,&rdquo; with the country&rsquo;s top leadership reaffirming constitutional protections for free expression and pledging stronger safeguards for media professionals. President Asif Ali Zardari said press freedom remains central to democratic governance and national stability, stressing that peace and truth are deeply interconnected. &ldquo;Peace cannot be built without truth and in the modern world, truth depends on those who have the courage and integrity to seek it, verify it and bring it to light,&rdquo; the president said in his message issued on World Press Freedom Day.<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" 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=2050651425542393981&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=691474fcacc5c602fd0b2390492c809d966e8b5c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 825px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2050651425542393981"></iframe></div></div>He acknowledged the growing pressures facing journalists globally, including misinformation, disinformation, economic coercion and physical threats, while warning that digital platforms and artificial intelligence have intensified challenges to factual reporting. &#39;Firmly committed&#39; The president said Pakistan remained &ldquo;firmly committed&rdquo; to press freedom as both a constitutional guarantee and democratic necessity, citing Article 19 and Article 19-A of the Constitution as legal foundations protecting freedom of expression and the public&rsquo;s right to information. &ldquo;A free, independent and diverse media is not a threat to a confident nation, rather a proof of one,&rdquo; he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his separate message, described journalists as &ldquo;custodians of professional standards&rdquo; and called for stronger resistance against propaganda and fake news in an increasingly fast-moving digital environment. &ldquo;Timely dissemination of accurate, impartial, and unbiased information remains the cornerstone of credible journalism,&rdquo; the prime minister said.<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" allowtransparency="true" 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=2050787838963089845&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=691474fcacc5c602fd0b2390492c809d966e8b5c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 945px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2050787838963089845"></iframe></div></div>He said responsible journalism remains essential for peacebuilding, informed public discourse and democratic accountability, adding that media professionals must be allowed to work in a secure and dignified environment. Both the president and prime minister also linked responsible journalism to Pakistan&rsquo;s national resilience, particularly during periods of conflict and disinformation campaigns. Countering misinformation Referring to the 2025 Pakistan-India military confrontation and &ldquo;Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,&rdquo; President Zardari said Pakistan&rsquo;s media had played a critical role in countering misinformation and preserving national cohesion. &ldquo;It responded not with force, but with facts. Not with noise, but with clarity,&rdquo; he said. PM Sharif similarly praised the national media&rsquo;s role during critical moments, including &ldquo;Marka-e-Haq&rdquo; and &ldquo;Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,&rdquo; saying journalists helped maintain public awareness and national unity. The RSF report noted that India&rsquo;s decline was linked to the &ldquo;increasing use of national security laws&rdquo; and growing legal pressure on journalists, creating a more difficult environment for media workers. While Pakistan&rsquo;s position remains in the lower tier of the global rankings, officials said the comparative improvement reflects continued progress in strengthening media freedoms while maintaining professional standards. Tribute to journalists&nbsp; Both leaders paid tribute to journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of truth, particularly in conflict zones, and called for stronger protections and ethical standards across the profession. &ldquo;Public trust, the most valuable asset of free press, must be earned, protected and never taken for granted,&rdquo; President Zardari said. PM Sharif reaffirmed that the government would continue to support media freedom and institutional reforms aimed at ensuring a safe, responsible and independent press. &ldquo;The government will continue to play its role in this regard, enabling the media to fulfil its responsibilities with truth and integrity,&rdquo; he said.

Culture

 In its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranks Pakistan 153rd out of 180 countries, four places ahead of India at 157th, as Pakistan’s leadership reaffirms commitment to press freedom and journalist protection.

Pakistan reaffirms press freedom commitment as global rankings improve

WASHINGTON: The battle for control of the US Congress entered its final six months on Sunday, as midterm elections in November could reshape President Donald Trump&#39;s second term and redefine the balance of power in Washington. As ever, the midterms will be a referendum on the president, with Democrats hoping to capitalize on economic discontent and Trump&#39;s sliding approval ratings to retake the House of Representatives and Senate -- while Republicans fight to defy political headwinds. At stake is not just legislative control but the trajectory of Trump&#39;s agenda, with a Democratic-run&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/congress-to-vote-on-trumps-war-powers-as-usisrael-strikes-on-iran-enter-fifth-day" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congress</a>&nbsp;able to launch investigations, block nominees and generally complicate the remainder of his presidency. Early indicators point to a challenging environment for Republicans, with Trump&#39;s approval rating around 40% and economic dissatisfaction -- particularly inflation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-lawmakers-say-no-evidence-iran-had-planned-first-strike-on-us" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-lawmakers-say-no-evidence-iran-had-planned-first-strike-on-us" target="_blank">war-related&nbsp;</a>costs&nbsp;-- eroding confidence.&nbsp;&lsquo;Structural headwinds&rsquo;Polling shows Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic ballot, while some surveys suggest voters now trust them more on the economy. A Republican-aligned group, AFP Action, warned the party&#39;s Senate majority was &quot;at risk,&quot; citing &quot;structural headwinds&quot; and disengaged voters. In midterm elections, Americans vote to fill all 435 House seats, about one-third of the 100-member Senate and most governorships. Democrats need to flip three House seats and four Senate seats to take control. &quot;The Senate is on the table here,&quot; Molly Murphy, of pollster Impact Research, told cable network MS NOW, pointing to Trump&#39;s waning popularity and strong Democratic turnout in recent elections. &quot;When the president&#39;s approval rating is at or below 40%, that is when you start to see these deeper pickups in much more Republican-heavy terrain.&quot; Still, the landscape remains fluid, with structural challenges for both parties.<h2 style="line-height: 2;">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Always tough&#39;&nbsp;</h2>Republicans benefit from a favorable Senate map, with Democrats needing to win in states Trump carried.&nbsp; And heavily gerrymandered districts -- as well as a shrinking number of competitive seats -- limit how far a national swing can translate into House gains. The campaign has been further complicated by a fierce redistricting battle, with states including Texas, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Utah and Virginia pursuing new mid-decade voting maps. The overall impact of the changes -- alongside a Supreme Court ruling limiting race-based redistricting -- remains unclear. Republicans are banking on financial advantages and voter concerns over immigration and national security, while Democrats are focusing on cost-of-living pressures and framing the election as a defense of democratic norms.&nbsp;&lsquo;Effort to rig the system&rsquo;Ahead of the six-month mark, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of undermining voting rights through pushes for overzealous election security and immigration enforcement initiatives. &quot;Let&#39;s call it what it is: an effort to rig the system,&quot; he said. For Republicans, the central challenge remains the president himself.&nbsp;Midterms typically punish the party in power, and Trump&#39;s weak approval ratings have heightened concerns. At the same time, even some of his supporters say his focus on foreign policy, particularly the war with Iran, has drawn attention away from domestic economic concerns that typically dominate midterm campaigns. Even so, Republicans insist the race is far from settled, noting that political conditions can shift rapidly ahead of an election. House Majority Leader&nbsp;Steve Scalise&nbsp;told CNBC that Republican prospects would depend on turnout and voters appreciating his party &quot;delivering what we&#39;ve delivered to finally start turning this mess around that we inherited a year and a half ago.&quot; &quot;Midterms are always tough for the incumbent party, but this is not your father&#39;s Democrat Party,&quot; Scalise said.

Americas

Polling shows Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic ballot, while some surveys suggest voters now trust them more on the economy.

US midterm race enters last six months with Congress at stake

VIENNA: Seven OPEC+ members are meeting Sunday to make their first decision on oil-production quotas since the United Arab Emirates&#39; departure from the cartel, which added to the soaring price pressure unleashed by the Mideast war.&nbsp;The UAE, one of the world&#39;s top producers, announced April 28 it was <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uae-exits-opec-signaling-a-new-era-for-oil-politics" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">withdrawing from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries </a>(OPEC) and the expanded OPEC+ group, after chafing at its production quotas. The withdrawal took effect on Friday.&nbsp;Neither group has reacted publicly so far &mdash; meaning there will be intense focus on the tone of the statement at the end of Sunday&#39;s online meeting by Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;The production decision itself is already priced in by markets. The seven countries are widely expected to increase their quotas by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management.&nbsp;That is similar to a 206,000-barrel daily increase announced in March and April, subtracting the portion allotted to the UAE.&nbsp;Quota question markBut raising the quota on paper may not have much impact on actual production, which is already short of the limit.&nbsp;Untapped OPEC+ reserves are mainly located in the Gulf region, and exports there are trapped by the blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz, imposed by Iran in response to the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on February 28.&nbsp;&quot;Total OPEC+ output with quota fell to 27.68 million bpd in March, against a monthly quota of 36.73 million bpd, a shortfall of approximately 9 million bpd driven almost entirely by war-related disruption rather than voluntary restraint,&quot; said Priya Walia, an analyst at Rystad Energy.&nbsp;The blockade is hitting Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The latter&#39;s production will no longer count towards OPEC quotas.&nbsp;Iran, whose exports are now the target of a retaliatory US blockade, is an OPEC+ member but is not subject to quotas.&nbsp;Russia, the group&#39;s second-biggest producer, has been the main beneficiary of the situation. But despite soaring energy prices, it appears to be struggling to produce at the level of its current quotas as its own war in Ukraine drags on.&nbsp;&#39;Big deal&#39;The UAE&#39;s exit is &quot;a big deal&quot; for OPEC, said Amena Bakr, an analyst at Kpler.&nbsp;Previous withdrawals from the group by Qatar in 2019 and Angola in 2023 were less significant by comparison, she told a video conference on the UAE withdrawal.&nbsp;Besides being the fourth-biggest OPEC+ producer by output, the UAE has major untapped production capacity, an important lever when the group needs to regulate the market.&nbsp;&quot;The UAE had brought up grievances over its quotas&quot;, going back to 2021, said Bakr.&nbsp;The UAE has invested massively in infrastructure in recent years, and state-owned oil company ADNOC plans to increase output by five million barrels a day by 2027 -- far above the country&#39;s last quota of around 3.5 million barrels.&nbsp;That makes the UAE a competitive player that can produce at low cost &mdash; potentially limiting the impact of efforts by Saudi Arabia and its allies to shape the market.&nbsp;There is also the risk for OPEC+ that other countries will leave, such as Iraq and Kazakhstan, which have faced repeated accusations of surpassing their quotas.

ADNOC refinery site in Ruwais, UAE. (File photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The meeting comes after the UAE, one of the world's top producers, announced on April 28 it was withdrawing from OPEC and the expanded OPEC+ group, after chafing at its production quotas. The withdrawal took effect on Friday.

OPEC+ to make first post-UAE production decision

Web Desk/AFP

In a brief interview with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, he declined to specify what could trigger new military action against the Islamic Republic; 'if they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we'll see,' he said.

Trump warns of strikes on Iran if it ‘misbehaves’

DAMASCUS: Syrian state TV reported Jordanian strikes on a drugs and weapons storage in the southern Druze-majority province of Sweida, of which many parts are outside the control of Damascus.&nbsp;State television quoted local sources saying the Jordanian army &quot;likely... targeted a headquarters containing weapons and drugs controlled by rebel groups in the village of Shahba in Sweida&quot;.&nbsp;Separately, the Jordanian army said it had &quot;carried out a Jordanian deterrent operation targeting several locations used by arms and drug traffickers along the Kingdom&#39;s northern border&quot;.&nbsp;The military added that it will &quot;continue to deal proactively, decisively, and deterrently with any threat to the security and sovereignty of the Kingdom, and will dedicate their capabilities and resources to confronting it with full force and determination&quot;.&nbsp;Local sources told an AFP correspondent that a series of airstrikes targeted at least five locations, including warehouses in the Syrian town of Arman.&nbsp;The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said one of the strikes hit near a local security forces branch.&nbsp;During Syria&#39;s protracted civil war before the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the drug captagon became the country&#39;s largest export, its trade serving as a key funding source for the ousted president&#39;s government.&nbsp;The synthetic drug has flooded the region, with neighbouring countries occasionally announcing seizures and asking Lebanon and Syria to ramp up efforts to combat the trade.&nbsp;Jordan has previously carried out strikes on southern Syria to target drug-trafficking networks.&nbsp;Ever since the new Islamist authorities took over in Syria after Assad&#39;s ouster, Damascus and Amman have committed to fighting drug smuggling on their border.&nbsp;Parts of the Sweida province, which borders Jordan, are controlled by Druze armed groups and escape the control of Damascus, including Sweida city.&nbsp;They include the areas targeted by Saturday&#39;s Jordanian strikes, according to the AFP correspondent.

Syrian state TV reports Jordan carries out strikes on drug and weapons sites in Sweida, Syria, as Bashar al-Assad’s fall shapes ongoing anti-smuggling efforts.