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ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistani authorities have taken into custody Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) figure, according to intelligence sources. He was arrested in May 2025 while attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan, the sources said. According to sources, Azzam was born in 1978 in the village of Olaswali Badi Kot in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. He is a graduate of Nangarhar University, where he studied Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqa Qanoon), completing his degree in 2005. He later worked with an FM radio station in Jalalabad. Sources said Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and went on to become a prominent member of the group&rsquo;s leadership council, or Shura. He is believed to have overseen media operations and headed ISKP&rsquo;s Al-Azaim media foundation outlet. Azzam has held the position of ISKP spokesperson since the group first established itself in Afghanistan in 2015, according to a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report. Building on his former experience as an &ldquo;Afghan journalist,&rdquo; his activities as the ISKP&rsquo;s spokesperson increased the group&rsquo;s &ldquo;visibility and influence&rdquo; among its followers, the report said. He recruited new members through his &ldquo;rousing radio speeches&rdquo; and built a sophisticated &ldquo;media empire&rdquo;, as per the report. &ldquo;His transformation from a popular local media professional to a ruthless jihadist propagandist &mdash; who even threatened his former colleagues &mdash; is synonymous with [ISKP&#39;s] success in Afghanistan,&rdquo; said the Jamestown Foundation.&nbsp;Azzam played an instrumental role in spreading the ISKP&#39;s &ldquo;violent jihadi ideology, glorifying and justifying terrorist acts,&rdquo; according to the UNSC.&nbsp;&ldquo;His numerous statements and other propaganda activities have encouraged the recruitment of new members and the perpetration of terrorist acts on behalf of the organization,&rdquo; the UNSC added.&nbsp;On August 26, 2021, Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of ISKP for the suicide attack near Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 United States service members, and injured 150 others.&nbsp;Following the attack, the United States designated Azzam as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in November 2021.&nbsp;According to the UNSC, Azzam was listed on April 26, 2023, pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of Resolution 2610 (2021), as being associated with parent group ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) or Al-Qaida for &ldquo;participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of&rdquo; and for &ldquo;recruiting for&rdquo; the ISKP.&nbsp;Overall, Azzam&rsquo;s propaganda activities supported ISKP in recruiting and inspiring its members to carry out high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, the report added.

Security

Pakistani authorities arrested Islamic State Khorasan Province media chief and spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azzam in May 2025 while crossing from Afghanistan, intelligence sources say, citing his key role in propaganda and recruitment.

Head of ISKP media outlet in Pakistan custody: Sources 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not decided on participating in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in relation to the Gaza peace plan, according to the Foreign Office spokesperson.&nbsp; During a press briefing on Thursday, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, addressed ongoing discussions about the country&#39;s potential involvement in the ISF and recent diplomatic developments.&nbsp;On the question about the status of Pakistan&#39;s participation in the ISF vis-&agrave;-vis the Gaza peace plan, the FO spokesperson responded: &ldquo;I mentioned previously as well. We have not yet decided to participate in ISF. We will inform you about any development that takes place in this regard.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;Not to my knowledge&rsquo;&nbsp;In response to another question, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;The discussion on International Security Force is ongoing in certain capitals. I am not aware of any specific requests made to Pakistan on sending troops. As stated, we have not taken any decision on this subject, as yet.&rdquo; To another query regarding whether Pakistan has consulted any regional countries on ISF, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;Not to my knowledge.&rdquo; Andrabi further said: &ldquo;Broadly under the subject of Gaza and Palestine, ISF may have come under discussion during our various interactions. But if you ask whether this was a specific agenda item for a meeting or a telephone call, I do not think so.&rdquo;&nbsp; On Bondi Beach attackOn the Bondi Beach attack, Andrabi said that the vilification of Pakistan was extremely regrettable.&nbsp; He said Pakistan strongly condemns this attack. &ldquo;Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people and government of Australia,&rdquo; Andrabi said.&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations.&rdquo; About disinformation on the Bondi Beach attack, Andrabi said, &ldquo;Yes, the initial reports on the perpetrator&rsquo;s false identity were published by an Israeli newspaper.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;There were certain handlers on X and other social media from Afghanistan that were, indeed, involved.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;They do not have any credibility. It depicts that they want to stereotype Pakistan into a certain bracket through such false news.&rdquo;&nbsp; Indian media &lsquo;egg-faced&rsquo;&nbsp;About the blame game on Pakistan vis-&agrave;-vis the attack by the Indian media, he said this is not the first time that the Indian media has been egg-faced on being proved wrong.&nbsp; When asked about taking this matter to an international forum, he said that there are specific fora for reporting such developments.&nbsp; The ultimate price that the Indian media pays for such disinformation is the loss of its own credibility, which has been considerable in the past six months, particularly during Operation Bunyanul Marsoos, and now after this Bondi Beach terrorist incident.&nbsp; On Indus Waters TreatyThe Foreign Office spokesperson, on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), said: &ldquo;We have all options. Pakistan is fully committed to the various processes of dispute resolution under the IWT.&rdquo; &ldquo;On the interpretation and downstream working of the treaty, including Article 9, we have all options available that can be exercised,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; Field marshal&rsquo;s &#39;visit&#39; contradicted&nbsp;On the reported visit of the Chief of Army Staff/Chief of Defense Forces to the US, as reported by Reuters, Andrabi said: &ldquo;I can contradict the Reuters story in its essence that it seemed to suggest that the visit has been planned and there is a finality about it. So, I am contradicting that.&rdquo;&nbsp; UN report on Afghanistan&nbsp;Regarding the UN report on Afghanistan, Andrabi said, &ldquo;The Security Council report also elaborates on the configuration of various terrorist elements inside Afghanistan, particularly with reference to the TTP/Fitnah Al Khawarij.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;This reaffirms Pakistan&#39;s assertion on major impediments to developing bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan with respect to the lasting ceasefire, the closure of border gates, and the closure of trade.&rdquo;&nbsp; &quot;The findings of the report are in sync with Pakistan&#39;s official position, and this is heard loud and clear across international capitals,&quot; he said. Ceasefire with Afghanistan&nbsp;Regarding the ceasefire with Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;Pakistan, in good faith, had agreed to the ceasefire. This move by Pakistan has not been reciprocated with the same positivity from the Afghan Taliban regime.&rdquo;&nbsp; Aid to Afghanistan&nbsp;On the issue of aid to Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;From our side, there is no hindrance in the dispatch of humanitarian aid. I recall that medicines were included in the first and second batches of the aid convoy that was allowed to pass. Various UN agencies were also involved in the dispatch of that aid.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;If there are any impediments to the flow of humanitarian assistance from the Afghan side, I am not aware of them. There was a statement from the Afghan Taliban regime that they are not willing to receive anything,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; &#39;Good neighborly relations&#39;On official contact with Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;The diplomatic channels exist. I am not aware of any backchannel diplomacy. During the regional talks on Afghanistan hosted by Iran last week, the Afghan Taliban regime did not send a representative. Had they sent a representative to the meeting, some exchange might have taken place.&rdquo;&nbsp; He said: &ldquo;We stand by our foreign policy of good neighborly relations. Pakistan has not given up this objective.&rdquo;&nbsp; On Indian cabinet&rsquo;s decisionOn a question about the Indian Cabinet approving the opening up of nuclear insurance sectors for private investment, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;We monitor these developments very carefully, given India&#39;s troubling history of nuclear security lapses, including multiple incidents of radioactive material theft and unlawful sale of radioactive material reported since the 1990s.&rdquo;&nbsp; Andrabi added: &ldquo;The involvement of the private sector in handling sensitive nuclear material and knowledge could be a matter of concern; this may pose a challenge to the global efforts for countering access of private individuals to sensitive nuclear materials.&rdquo;&nbsp; Ban on airspace&nbsp;On a question about Pakistan extending its ban on the use of airspace by India till January 23, 2026, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;The status of Pakistan&rsquo;s airspace for India stays the same. It is reflective of the relations between the two countries, the threats that are brandished against Pakistan, including the statements being made by the senior Indian leadership about another wave of aggression against Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; On SAARC&nbsp;On a question concerning the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the spokesperson said: &ldquo;I would reiterate the response I gave to a similar query on SAARC last week, i.e., the blockade of SAARC is regrettable, and we would want it to be revived.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We welcome the statement from Dhaka on ways of alternate regional cooperation mechanisms.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to multilateralism,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office spokesperson says, ‘We have not taken a decision to participate in ISF as yet. We will inform you about any development that takes place in this regard.’

Pakistan yet to decide on joining international Gaza force: Foreign Office

NEW YORK: A man believed to be behind both a mass shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor has been found dead after a days-long manhunt, authorities said Thursday. The suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, was a 48-year-old Portuguese national who had once studied physics at Brown, officials announced at press conferences in Providence and Boston. There was no immediate indication of a motive in the twin shootings at two of the top universities in the United States, which rattled the elite New England campuses. The shooter&#39;s body was found at a storage unit in New Hampshire along with two firearms. He died by suicide, Providence police chief Oscar Perez said. Neves Valente, who had been a permanent US resident since 2017, is believed to have acted alone. &quot;Tonight, our Providence neighbors can finally breathe a little bit easier,&quot; Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters. On December 13, the shooter burst into a building at Brown, an Ivy League school in Rhode Island, where students were taking exams, and opened fire, killing two and wounding nine. The victims were Ella Cook, vice president of Brown&#39;s Republican Party association, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, originally from Uzbekistan, who had hoped to become a neurosurgeon. Six of the wounded were still in hospital in stable condition, and three have been released, university president Christina Paxson said in a statement late Thursday. Then on December 15, Nuno Loureiro -- a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- was fatally shot in his home in Brookline, in the greater Boston metro area. For days, investigators appeared to have little to go on, releasing images of a person of interest and an individual who was seen standing near that person in an effort to trace them. Officials had given daily media updates at which they voiced increasing frustration with the fruitless manhunt. But then the case blew open thanks to a trail of financial data and video surveillance footage gathered at both scenes. &#39;Hiding his tracks&#39;&quot;The groundwork that started in the city of Providence...led us to that connection,&quot; Perez said. In Boston, federal prosecutor Leah Foley, the US attorney for Massachusetts, explained how Neves Valente had been &quot;sophisticated in hiding his tracks.&quot; He switched the plates on his rental vehicle at one point and was using a phone that investigators had difficulty tracking, but eventually the pieces started falling into place. Authorities initially detained a different man in connection with the shooting but later released him. The university has faced questions, including from President Donald Trump, about its security arrangements after it emerged that none of its 1,200 security cameras were linked to the police&#39;s surveillance system. There have been more than 300 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot. Attempts to restrict access to firearms still face political deadlock. &quot;Nothing can fully bring closure to the lives that have been shattered by last weekend&rsquo;s gun violence,&quot; said Paxson, Brown&#39;s president. &quot;Now, however, our community has the opportunity to move forward and begin a path of repair, recovery and healing.&quot;

University Hall on the campus of Brown University, days after a December 13 mass shooting in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 15, 2025. (Photo by AFP/Bing Guan)

Americas

The man believed to be behind a mass shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and wounded several others has been found dead.

Brown University shooting suspect found dead

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;TikTok said Thursday it had signed a joint venture deal with investors that would allow the company to maintain operations in the United States and avoid a ban threat over its Chinese ownership, US media reported. According to an internal memo cited by Bloomberg and Axios, TikTok CEO Shou Chew told employees that the social media company as well as its Chinese owner ByteDance had agreed to the new entity, with Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX as major investors. The deal largely confirms a September announcement by the White House that said the new venture would meet the requirements of a 2024 law that threatened to ban the wildly popular app in the United States if ByteDance stayed majority owner.

Entertainment

TikTok signed a joint venture with US and international investors, including Oracle, to comply with a 2024 law, maintain US operations, and avert a ban over Chinese ownership.

TikTok signs joint venture deal to end US ban threat: US media

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;President Donald Trump signed a sweeping defense policy bill into law Thursday that signaled strong bipartisan support for Europe and defied the US leader&#39;s increasingly hostile posture toward NATO and America&#39;s closest allies. The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one the few remaining rituals of cross-party cooperation in Congress even as divisions sharpen elsewhere in Washington, sets out the country&#39;s national security and foreign policy priority areas for the coming year, according to lawmakers. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump signed into law a measure which raises pay for US troops, codifies the country&#39;s &quot;PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH agenda,&quot; and &quot;funds the Golden Dome&quot; air and missile defense system backed by Trump. The NDAA, at some $900 billion, also &quot;removes woke priorities&quot; like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs opposed by many conservatives, and &quot;requires promotions based on merit, not DEI,&quot; Kelly added. The Senate easily passed the NDAA measure on Wednesday following the House&#39;s green light last week. The success comes amid unease in European capitals over Trump&#39;s rhetoric, especially after the recent White House national security strategy painted Europe as over-regulated, culturally adrift and insufficiently committed to its own defense. The strategy questioned the continent&#39;s strategic value and openly echoed themes championed by far-right parties, fueling fears of a widening transatlantic rift. By contrast, the NDAA reflects lawmakers&#39; determination to anchor the United States firmly in Europe. The bill bars US troop levels on the continent from falling below 76,000 for more than 45 days and restricts the removal of major military equipment, effectively tying the administration&#39;s hands on any rapid drawdown. It also boosts resources for frontline NATO states, particularly in the Baltic region, reinforcing the alliance&#39;s northeastern flank. The measure authorizes roughly $8 billion more than the administration requested, a signal of congressional assertiveness on defense priorities. Beyond Europe, the NDAA locks in $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine, aiming to preserve a baseline of support even as broader funding debates grind on, and places new limits on any reduction of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea. As ever, the NDAA drew fire from multiple directions -- from conservative critics of Ukraine aid to safety experts warning about aviation provisions rolling back critical air-safety requirements for military aircraft operating in Washington&#39;s restricted airspace. But none came close to derailing a package long seen as must-pass legislation.

Trump signed a $900 billion bipartisan defense bill boosting troop pay, funding missile defense, limiting NATO drawdowns, supporting Europe and Ukraine, removing DEI programs, and exceeding administration spending requests levels

Trump signs $900B defense policy bill into law

DHAKA: Violence broke out in Bangladesh&#39;s capital early Friday after a youth leader of the country&#39;s 2024 pro-democracy uprising who was injured in an assassination attempt died in a hospital in Singapore. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was announced, to demand that his killers be arrested. Several buildings in the capital, including those housing the country&#39;s two leading newspapers, were set on fire, according to authorities, with staff trapped inside. Hadi was a key figure in last year&#39;s uprising that ended the autocratic rule of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and sent her fleeing to India. He was running for a parliament seat in the February 2026 national election. On December 12, Hadi was shot by masked assailants as he was leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. At least three cases of arson were reported in Dhaka after the news of his death spread, a spokesperson for the Fire Brigade and Civil Defence force told AFP, including a fire at the Daily Star building and another at a building housing the Prothom Alo newspaper. The two papers are the largest in the South Asian country, but protesters accused them of being aligned with neighbouring India, where Hasina has taken refuge. Zyma Islam, a reporter for the Daily Star said she was trapped inside the burning building. &quot;I can&#39;t breathe anymore. There&#39;s too much smoke. I am inside. You are killing me,&quot; she wrote on her Facebook page. The house of India&#39;s deputy ambassador to Bangladesh was also surrounded by hundreds of people who were trying to demonstrate in a sit-in, but police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, according to local news reports. In addition, protesters blocked a key highway connecting the capital with the central city of Mymensingh and attacked the residence of a former minister in Chittagong in the country&#39;s southeast, according to footage shown on local television. - Activist&#39;s death announced -Earlier Friday, Singaporean authorities announced that Hadi had died in a local hospital. &quot;Despite the best efforts of the doctors..., Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries,&quot; Singapore&#39;s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement, adding that it was assisting Bangladeshi authorities with repatriating his body. In Dhaka, the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus confirmed Hadi&#39;s death. &quot;His demise is an irreparable loss for the nation,&quot; Yunus said in a televised speech. &quot;The country&#39;s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed.&quot; The government also announced special prayers at mosques on Friday and a half-day of mourning on Saturday. Hadi, a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha, was an outspoken critic of India, where Hasina remains in self-imposed exile. - Manhunt for gunmen -Bangladeshi police meanwhile have launched a manhunt for Hadi&#39;s shooters, releasing photographs of two key suspects and offering a reward of five million taka (about $42,000) for information leading to their arrest. Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading Bangladesh until the February 12 vote, has called the shooting a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network aimed at derailing the election. Muslim-majority Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, will directly vote for 300 lawmakers for its parliament, with another 50 selected on a women&#39;s list. The last elections, held in January 2024, gave Hasina a fourth straight term and her Awami League 222 seats, but were decried by opposition parties as a sham. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by three-time former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is widely tipped to win the upcoming vote. Zia is in intensive care in Dhaka, and her son and political heir Tarique Rahman, is set to return from exile in Britain after 17 years on December 25.

Asia

Sharif Osman Hadi, a pro-democracy leader critical of India, died from gunshot wounds after an assassination attempt; protesters block highways and surround the residence of India’s deputy ambassador.

Violence erupts in Bangladesh after wounded youth leader dies

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was signing an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, in one of America&#39;s biggest shifts in drug policy for years. The move stops short of full federal legalization for recreational use across the United States but is aimed at encouraging medical research on the use of cannabis products. &quot;Today, I&#39;m pleased to announce that I will be signing an executive order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,&quot; Trump said in the Oval Office. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I substance -- in the same league as drugs like heroin and LSD. The US government considers these drugs to have high abuse potential without accepted use for medical treatment. Schedule III substances, which include ketamine and anabolic steroids, are considered to have medical value and less potential for abuse. Trump, who was surrounded by white-coated medical experts for the announcement, added that the order &quot;is not the legalization&quot; of marijuana &quot;and no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug.&quot; The teetotal 79-year-old added: &quot;I&#39;ve always told my children, don&#39;t take drugs, no drinking, no smoking, and just stay away from drugs.&quot; Dozens of US states already have legal medical marijuana programs, and many also have approved its recreational use. &quot;A lot of people want to see it, the reclassification, because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can&#39;t be done unless you reclassify, so we are looking at that very strongly,&quot; Trump said earlier this week. Easing federal restrictions could have ripple effects, including lowering barriers to pursue research, as authorizing clinical studies on Schedule I substances can require many layers of approval. It could also have major tax implications for companies that legally grow and sell cannabis. US presidents cannot unilaterally reclassify a drug but Republican Trump&#39;s order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the process. Democrat Joe Biden&#39;s administration had previously pursued reclassification, but efforts stalled and were not completed before Trump took office in early 2025. The US has a patchwork of state-level regulations regarding the commercial distribution, recreational possession and personal cultivation of cannabis. In small amounts it is already legal for recreational use in 24 states as well as the capital Washington.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing federal restrictions, encouraging medical research, while stopping short of nationwide recreational legalization

Trump signs order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous

WASHINGTON: US House Democrats on Thursday published a fresh batch of photographs from Jeffrey Epstein&#39;s estate, stepping up pressure on Donald Trump&#39;s administration on the eve of its deadline to release federal files on the late financier and convicted sex offender.&nbsp;The 68 images -- shared without added context -- are part of a much larger cache that Congress obtained from Epstein&#39;s estate and has been drip-feeding to the public in recent days, stoking political drama in Washington.&nbsp;Among the newly released photos are shots of passports and identity documents from multiple countries, most of the personal details redacted.&nbsp;Several documents are marked &quot;female,&quot; including passports from places such as Ukraine and Russia, and a number of faces in the images are obscured to protect identities.&nbsp;Other photographs include two images showing public intellectual Noam Chomsky seated with Epstein on what appears to be an aircraft, and pictures of Bill Gates posing beside a woman whose face is blurred.&nbsp;The cache also includes images of filmmaker Woody Allen and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon -- both of whom featured in an earlier photo release.&nbsp;The latest batch of photographs do not appear to depict any unlawful conduct by any of the subjects.&nbsp;But one screenshot shows a snippet of a text exchange in which an unknown sender appears to discuss recruiting young women.&nbsp;&quot;I have a friend scout she sent me some girls today. But she asks 1000$ per girl. I will send u girls now. Maybe someone will be good for J?&quot; the post says.&nbsp;The screenshot includes a partially redacted physical description and the line &quot;18 y old,&quot; but provides no names or clear indication of who is speaking.&nbsp;A separate image shows a woman&#39;s foot bearing a handwritten quote from Vladimir Nabokov&#39;s &quot;Lolita,&quot; a novel about a man&#39;s sexual obsession with a child -- another detail released without explanation.&nbsp;Democrats say they are publishing material as it arrives while redacting identifying information for victims and anyone who could be a victim. Republicans, who control the Oversight Committee that is tasked with ensuring government transparency and accountability, have accused Democrats of &quot;cherry-picking&quot; to shape a narrative.&nbsp;The Justice Department (DOJ) has remained silent on whether it will meet Friday&#39;s deadline, set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed last month with bipartisan support.&nbsp;The law requires the DOJ to publish the most comprehensive set of Epstein-related materials yet, while safeguarding victims&#39; identities.&nbsp;Epstein, a convicted sex offender with ties to global elites, died in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death -- ruled a suicide -- fueled conspiracy theories and demands for accountability.&nbsp;&quot;Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people,&quot; the committee&rsquo;s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, said, calling for the Justice Department to &quot;release the Epstein files now.&quot;

House Democrats released 68 new Epstein estate photos, intensifying pressure on the Trump administration to meet a DOJ deadline. Images show documents and prominent figures, spark political dispute, but depict no clear crimes so far.

New photo dump fuels Capitol Hill push on Epstein files release

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police arrested three men Thursday on charges of cruelty to animals after a viral video showed them setting a wild elephant on fire.&nbsp;Police said the suspects, aged between 42 and 50, were taken into custody in the north-central district of Anuradhapura, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Colombo.&nbsp;They were placed on remand until December 24 pending further investigations into the incident, which sparked widespread revulsion after the footage was shared on social media.&nbsp;Wildlife officials said the animal had first been shot and wounded before being set alight, and that veterinary surgeons&#39; attempts to save its life failed.&nbsp;Elephants are considered sacred in Sri Lanka and are protected by law, but farmers and residents in remote villages sometimes attack wild elephants that destroy crops.&nbsp;Elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law and poachers can face the death penalty for killing one. However, the country has not carried out an execution since 1976 and the death penalty is automatically commuted to life imprisonment.&nbsp;Escalating human&ndash;elephant conflict has claimed around 400 elephant and 200 human lives annually over the past five years.&nbsp;Sri Lanka has an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, regarded as a national treasure in part because of their importance in Buddhist culture.

Wildlife

Sri Lankan police arrested three men for fatally shooting and burning a wild elephant. The viral video sparked national outrage, highlighting the escalating human-wildlife conflict involving the country’s legally protected national treasure.

Sri Lanka arrests three men for burning elephant alive

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Syeda Amna Batool has made history by becoming the first Pakistani to be appointed to the FIFA Institutional Reforms Committee, a key body within world football&rsquo;s global governance structure.&nbsp;The appointment marks a significant step in Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing efforts to re-establish itself in the international football arena.&nbsp;Batool, a member of Pakistan&rsquo;s National Assembly, participated in the committee&rsquo;s plenary sessions and meetings this week in Qatar. According to an official statement, Batool is currently the only Pakistani serving on a FIFA committee, underscoring the importance of this achievement.&nbsp;The FIFA Institutional Reforms Committee is tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to governance frameworks, transparency standards, and institutional practices within global football. As part of the committee, Batool&rsquo;s role will involve evaluating existing policies and driving reforms that ensure greater accountability and inclusivity across the sport.&nbsp;In a statement, Batool expressed her commitment to working within the committee to strengthen FIFA&rsquo;s reform mechanisms.&nbsp;&quot;My goal is to bring credible, transparent, and sustainable change to global football governance,&quot; she said. &quot;This is a significant opportunity for Pakistan to contribute to shaping the future of football worldwide.&quot;&nbsp;Batool&rsquo;s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Pakistan&rsquo;s football scene, which has been marred by years of political and administrative instability. Pakistan&rsquo;s football administration has faced a long period of disarray, with internal disputes and external challenges tarnishing its reputation on the international stage.&nbsp;However, with Batool&rsquo;s inclusion in FIFA&#39;s reform efforts, Pakistan is beginning to rebuild its standing. This move is seen as part of a broader strategy by the government to reassert its position in global football.&nbsp;Officials noted that the government, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is keen to stabilize football governance in the country and align with global standards.&nbsp;&quot;Football is not only a sport in Pakistan; it&rsquo;s a tool for youth engagement and social development,&quot; said a government source close to the matter. &quot;With over 60% of Pakistan&rsquo;s population under the age of 30, football has the potential to unite and empower our young people.&quot;&nbsp;In recent months, PM Sharif has engaged with senior officials from regional and international football bodies, including AFC President and FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.&nbsp;Sharif has emphasized Pakistan&#39;s commitment to an autonomous and merit-based football system, an essential step in restoring credibility to the national federation.&nbsp;Batool&#39;s appointment reflects these ongoing efforts to position Pakistan as a constructive partner in the global football community. As one of the few women from South Asia in the FIFA structure, her role is also seen as an important representation of gender inclusion in football governance.&nbsp;In parallel, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), under President Syed Mohsin Gilani, has been pursuing both local and international initiatives aimed at reviving the federation after a prolonged period of leadership challenges. Gilani has highlighted the importance of stabilizing the federation&rsquo;s operations and ensuring Pakistan&#39;s compliance with international football standards.&nbsp;Batool, reflecting on her responsibility, said, &ldquo;This is an opportunity not just to contribute to FIFA&rsquo;s reforms, but to ensure that Pakistan becomes a credible and constructive member of the global football family.&rdquo;&nbsp;With sustained efforts on both the governmental and football federation fronts, Batool&rsquo;s appointment signals a hopeful chapter for Pakistan&rsquo;s football future. While much work remains, officials are optimistic that the reform-driven momentum will contribute to Pakistan&rsquo;s successful reintegration into the global football ecosystem.

Football

Pakistan's Syeda Amna Batool makes history as the first Pakistani appointed to FIFA's Institutional Reforms Committee, advancing the nation's role in global football governance. 

Head of ISKP media outlet in Pakistan custody: Sources

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