Angelina Duaa Hashir

This episode of Unladylike examines how colorism became one of the most deeply normalized forms of discrimination worldwide. It traces back the colonial roots of lighter skin bias, the rise of skin lightening products marketed as pathways to success, and the billion-dollar industries that profited by turning melanin into a defect. Drawing on global research and public health data, it shows how colourism continues to shape mental health, beauty standards, social mobility, and media representation today. From toxic products and disease mongering to the psychological costs of internalised bias, The Fairest of Them All reveals how a colonial standard survived political change and independence by simply adapting its language. The episode also highlights how these ideas are now being questioned, challenged, and unlearned by women reclaiming their skin and refusing to apologize for it. This is not a story about beauty. It is a story about power and how it is finally being unlearned.

Unladylike

From toxic products and disease mongering to the psychological costs of internalised bias, The Fairest of Them All reveals how a colonial standard survived political change and independence by simply adapting its language; episode highlights how these ideas are now being questioned, challenged, and unlearned by women reclaiming their skin and refusing to apologize for it.



The fairest of them all

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has reaffirmed Islamabad&rsquo;s intent to deepen bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh, focusing on railway development, technical exchange, rolling stock, and manufacturing collaboration. In a message issued during the visit of a Bangladeshi delegation to the Pakistan Railways Workshop Division on Saturday, Abbasi said closer railway-to-railway ties could deliver &ldquo;significant mutual benefits for both countries.&rdquo; The delegation was led by Farhad Islam, secretary for International Organizations and Consular Affairs and designated D-8 Commissioner of Bangladesh, along with Bangladesh&rsquo;s High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan. Senior Pakistan Railways officials received the visitors at the department&rsquo;s headquarters and workshop facilities. The visit underscores a renewed focus on institutional cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with railways emerging as a practical entry point for rebuilding technical and economic linkages through state-run infrastructure collaboration. Abbasi, in his message, emphasized the scope for expanding bilateral engagement, particularly through &ldquo;railway development, exchange of expertise, rolling stock, and manufacturing cooperation.&rdquo; He said enhanced collaboration between the two railway systems could strengthen long-term connectivity and capacity-building. During the visit, Chief Mechanical Engineer (Carriage &amp; Wagons) Muhammad Nasir Khalili briefed the delegation on the operational structure, technical capabilities, and ongoing development projects of Pakistan Railways&rsquo; workshops. A short documentary showcasing the workshops&rsquo; operational strength and working capacity was also presented. Addressing the gathering, Khalili said Pakistan and Bangladesh are &ldquo;brotherly countries with a shared history, culture, and heritage.&rdquo; He added that there is &ldquo;vast potential for bilateral cooperation in the railway sector, including technology sharing and joint initiatives.&rdquo; As part of the program, commemorative shields were exchanged between Pakistani and Bangladeshi officials as a gesture of goodwill. The delegation was later taken on a detailed tour of the Mughalpura Locomotive Workshop, where officials explained various stages of locomotive maintenance, rehabilitation, and manufacturing. The visiting dignitaries described the tour as &ldquo;highly informative, productive and encouraging,&rdquo; according to the statement, and praised the technical expertise and professional competence of Pakistan Railways staff. The engagement reflects Pakistan&rsquo;s broader push to expand functional cooperation with Bangladesh through sector-specific partnerships, as both sides explore avenues to strengthen institutional ties beyond diplomatic exchanges.

This screengrab shows Bangladesh’s Secretary for International Organizations, Farhad Islam, and High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain Khan visiting the Pakistan Railways Workshop Division in Lahore on February 7, 2026. (Pakistan Railways)

Foreign Affairs

The Pakistan Railways minister welcomed a Dhaka delegation, highlighting collaboration on infrastructure, manufacturing, and expertise exchange, as officials toured workshops, discussed capacity-building, and signaled renewed institutional engagement through cooperation across state-run transport sectors.

Pakistan, Bangladesh push rail cooperation during delegation visit

NANO: At least 51 people have been kidnapped and three killed in attacks over the past three days in four different villages in Nigeria&#39;s northern Kaduna State, security forces said Saturday. The attacks were in the southern part of the state, which is majority Christian and where more than 180 people were seized in January during raids on churches. On Saturday, armed men abducted 11 people, including a priest, in the Kajuru Local Government Area, security sources told AFP. A nearby attack on Saturday left three people dead and 38 kidnapped, including a local imam and four members of his congregation. The day before, two people were kidnapped on the road to Maro, also in Kajuru. Assailants destroyed houses in Maro on Thursday, but the number of victims has not been released. No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks. A series of mass kidnappings in late 2025 drew attention to the alarming security situation in Africa&#39;s most populous country. In response, the Nigerian president declared a state of emergency and launched a recruitment drive for military and police personnel. The United States has criticized the West African country&#39;s failure to control the violence, US President Donald Trump denouncing what he said was the &quot;persecution&quot; of Christians -- a favorite rallying call of the American religious right. Most observers insist the killings and kidnappings committed by jihadist groups and criminal gangs have indiscriminately hit Christians and Muslims. Nigeria&#39;s kidnappings have become &quot;a structured and lucrative industry&quot; that generated some $1.7 million between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.

Aftermath of a Boko Haram suicide bomb attack last year in Maiduguri, capital of shattered Borno State (AFP/File)

Africa

Dozens were seized and several killed in coordinated attacks on villages in northern Nigeria, amid ongoing violence and weak security.

At least 51 kidnapped, 3 killed in Nigeria attacks

BEIJING: An explosion on Saturday at a biotech factory in northern China has left at least seven people dead, Chinese state media reported. One person was missing after the explosion at the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanxi province, Xinhua news agency said early Sunday, citing local authorities. The company is located in Shanyin County, about 400 kilometers west of Beijing. Xinhua said search and rescue operations were continuing at the site. The explosion occurred early Saturday morning, and its cause was under investigation. In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighboring province of Inner Mongolia left at least nine people dead.

In this file photo, taken on November 21, 2025, the local fire and rescue detachment is working to extinguish the fire in Anyang, Central China's Henan Province. (CCTV News/File)

China

The cause is under investigation, amid ongoing concerns over industrial accidents and safety standards. 

North China factory explosion kills 7: state media

The phrase &ldquo;biological clock&rdquo; is often treated as a medical fact. In reality, it entered popular culture through a 1978 newspaper article during a period of major social change, as <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-formally-allows-women-to-ride-motorcycles" style="color:#0073e6;">women</a> began entering universities and workplaces in greater numbers. This episode examines what science actually says about fertility: age-related decline exists, but it varies widely between individuals and is difficult to measure precisely due to ethical and methodological limits in research. Much of the evidence comes from observational and clinical cohorts rather than broad representative populations. At the same time, global data shows the age of first-time <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/urdu-adaptation-of-the-mother-confronts-motherhood-loneliness-empty-nests" style="color:#0073e6;">motherhood</a> rising across many countries, with more women choosing delayed parenthood or remaining child-free. The episode separates biology from cultural messaging &mdash; and shows how one became simplified into a single ticking deadline.

The 'biological clock' is a cultural idea, not a fixed medical deadline; fertility decline varies widely, evidence is limited, and delayed or child-free motherhood is increasingly common worldwide.

The biological clock myth | Unladylike

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to &quot;discuss with him the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-looks-to-more-nuclear-talks-but-warns-us" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations with Iran</a>&quot;, the premier&#39;s office said.&nbsp;Netanyahu &quot;believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis&quot;, his office said in a statement on Saturday, referring to Iran&#39;s allies in the region.&nbsp;Iran and the US held <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-us-talks-with-iran-very-good-more-negotiations-expected" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations in Oman</a> on Friday, and Trump later said the talks would resume early next week.

Europe

Americas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss Iran talks, pushing missile limits and curbs on Tehran’s regional allies after US-Iran negotiations resume momentum this week

Netanyahu to discuss Iran talks with Trump in Washington Wednesday

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump&#39;s lead Iran negotiator Steve Witkoff on Saturday said he visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier currently in the Arabian Sea, with Washington and Tehran due to hold further talks soon.&nbsp;&quot;Today, Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Jared Kushner, and I met with the brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, her strike group, and Carrier Air Wing 9 who are keeping us safe and upholding President Trump&#39;s message of peace through strength,&quot; said Witkoff in a social media post.&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while reiterating Tehran&#39;s red lines and warning against any American attack.

Central Asia

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff visits USS Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea, projecting US military resolve as Washington and Tehran prepare further talks, with Iran signalling readiness to resume negotiations while warning against any American attack.

Top Trump Iran negotiator says visits US aircraft carrier in Middle East

DAMASCUS: Syria and Saudi Arabia signed deals Saturday that include a joint airline and a $1-billion project to develop telecommunications, officials said, as Syria seeks to rebuild after years of war. Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria&#39;s Islamist authorities, who took power after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The new authorities in Damascus have worked to attract investment and have signed major agreements with several companies and governments, including Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Syrian Investment Authority chief Talal al-Hilali announced a series of deals, including &quot;a low-cost Syrian-Saudi airline aimed at strengthening regional and international air links.&quot; The agreement also includes the development of a new international airport in the northern city of Aleppo with a capacity of 12 million passengers and the redevelopment of the existing facility, according to Governor Azzam al-Gharib. Hilali also announced an agreement for a project called SilkLink to develop Syria&#39;s &quot;telecommunications infrastructure and digital connectivity.&quot; Syrian Telecommunications Minister Abdulsalam Haykal told the signing ceremony that the project would be implemented &quot;with an investment of around $1 billion.&quot; For decades, Syria was unable to secure significant investments because of Assad-era sanctions. But the United States fully removed its remaining sanctions on Damascus late last year, paving the way for the full return of investments. &#39;Strategic partnership&#39;Syria and Saudi Arabia also inked an agreement on water desalination and development cooperation on Saturday. At the ceremony, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced the launch of an investment fund for &quot;major projects in Syria with the participation of the (Saudi) private sector.&quot;The deals are part of &quot;building a strategic partnership&quot; between the two countries, he said. An official at the Saudi Ministry of Investment told AFP that the investments announced on Saturday were &quot;a practical translation of the great interest and support that the Kingdom&#39;s leadership gives to Syria.&quot; Syria&#39;s Hilali said the agreements targeted &quot;vital sectors that impact people&#39;s lives and form essential pillars for rebuilding the Syrian economy&quot;. Syria has begun the mammoth task of trying to rebuild its shattered infrastructure and economy after over a decade of civil war. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack applauded the deals, saying, &quot;Strategic partnerships in aviation, infrastructure, and telecommunications will contribute meaningfully to Syria&#39;s reconstruction efforts.&quot; But Benjamin Feve, senior research analyst at Karam Shaar Advisory, was more cautious. &quot;In the short term, I&#39;d say that these deals matter far more as a political signal than as an economic game changer,&quot; he said. &quot;From a reconstruction perspective, these projects are not priorities, nor are they sufficient to rebuild the country.&quot; In July last year, Riyadh signed investment and partnership deals with Damascus valued at $6.4 billion to help rebuild the country&#39;s infrastructure, telecommunications, and other major sectors. A month later, Syria signed agreements worth more than $14 billion, including investments in Damascus airport and other transport and real estate projects. This week, Syria signed a preliminary deal with US energy giant Chevron and Qatari firm Power International to explore for oil and gas offshore.&nbsp;

Middle East

Syria and Saudi Arabia signed deals Saturday that include a joint airline and a $1-billion project to develop telecommunications, officials said, as Syria seeks to rebuild after years of war

Syria, Saudis sign joint airline and telecoms deals

PARIS: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while reiterating Tehran&#39;s red lines and warning against any American attack.&nbsp;According to excerpts published on his official Telegram channel during an interview with the Al Jazeera network, Araghchi said that Iran&#39;s missile programme was &quot;never negotiable&quot; in Friday&#39;s talks in Oman.&nbsp;He warned that Tehran would target US bases in the region if the US attacked Iranian territory.&nbsp;However, Araghchi also said that despite the talks in Muscat being indirect, &quot;an opportunity arose to shake hands with the American delegation&quot;.&nbsp;He called the talks &quot;a good start&quot;, but added that building trust would take time. He said the talks would resume &quot;soon&quot;.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Friday called the talks &quot;very good&quot;, and pledged another round of negotiations next week.&nbsp;Despite this, he signed an executive order effective from Saturday that called for the &quot;imposition of tariffs&quot; on countries still doing business with Iran.&nbsp;The United States also announced new sanctions against numerous shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran&#39;s oil exports.&nbsp;More than a quarter of Iran&#39;s trade is with China, with $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports in 2024, according to World Trade Organization data.&nbsp;Araghchi told Al Jazeera that nuclear enrichment was Iran&#39;s &quot;inalienable right and must continue&quot;.&nbsp;&#39;Defence issue&#39;&nbsp;&quot;We are ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;The Iranian nuclear case will only be resolved through negotiations.&quot;&nbsp;He also said Iran&#39;s missile programme was &quot;never negotiable&quot; because it relates to a &quot;defence issue&quot;.&nbsp;Washington has sought to address Iran&#39;s ballistic missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region -- issues which Israel has pushed to include in the talks, according to media reports.&nbsp;Tehran has repeatedly rejected expanding the scope of the negotiations beyond the nuclear issue.&nbsp;Friday&#39;s unprecedented talks between the two arch enemies came amid a major US military buildup in the region in the wake of Iran&#39;s crackdown on protests that began in late December, driven by economic grievances.&nbsp;Araghchi warned that Iran &quot;will attack their (US) bases in the region&quot; if Washington targets Iranian territory.&nbsp;The negotiations were the first since nuclear talks between Iran and the United States collapsed last year following Israel&#39;s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, which triggered a 12-day war.&nbsp;During the war US warplanes bombed Iranian nuclear sites.&nbsp;Araghchi&nbsp;told Al Jazeera that if attacked again, &quot;we will attack their bases in the region&quot;, referring to the United States.&nbsp;The authorities in Iran have acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed in the recent protests, publishing on Sunday a list of 2,986 names, most of whom they say were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders.&nbsp;International organisations have put the toll far higher.&nbsp;Protests toll&nbsp;The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has kept a running toll since the onset of the protests, says it has verified 6,872 deaths, mainly of protesters, and has another 11,280 cases under investigation. It has also counted more than 50,000 arrests.&nbsp;At Friday&#39;s talks in Oman the US delegation was led by Trump&#39;s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his influential son-in-law Jared Kushner.&nbsp;&quot;In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us,&quot; Araghchi told Iranian state TV after the talks, adding that the two sides had &quot;agreed to continue negotiations&quot;.&nbsp;Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, Araghchi expressed hope that Washington would refrain from &quot;threats and pressure&quot; so that &quot;the talks can continue&quot;.&nbsp;On Saturday, Araghchi&nbsp;criticised what he labelled a &quot;doctrine of domination&quot; that allows Israel to expand its military arsenal while pressuring other states in the region to disarm.&nbsp;He was speaking at the Al Jazeera Forum conference in Qatar, but in his speech made no reference to Friday&#39;s talks in Oman with the United States.

Asia

Iran’s foreign minister signals talks with Washington may soon resume, calling negotiations a start, but restates red lines on missiles and enrichment, warns of strikes on US bases, as Trump praises talks while imposing sanctions.

Iran FM looks to more nuclear talks, but warns US

SEOUL: A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange apologised on Saturday after mistakenly transferring more than $40 billion worth of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bitcoin-under-70000-for-first-time-since-trumps-election" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;to users, which briefly prompted a selloff on the platform.&nbsp;Bithumb said it accidentally sent 620,000 bitcoins, currently worth more than $40 billion, and blocked trading and withdrawals for the 695 affected users within 35 minutes after the error occurred on Friday.&nbsp;According to local reports, Bithumb was meant to send about 2,000 won ($1.37) to each customer as part of a promotion, but mistakenly transferred roughly 2,000 bitcoins per user.&nbsp;&quot;We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers due to the confusion that occurred during the distribution process of this (promotional) event,&quot; Bithumb said in a statement.&nbsp;The platform said it had recovered 99.7 percent of the mistakenly sent bitcoins, and that it would use its own assets to fully cover the amount that was lost in the incident.&nbsp;It admitted the error briefly caused &quot;sharp volatility&quot; in bitcoin prices on the platform as some recipients sold the tokens, adding that it brought the situation under control within five minutes.&nbsp;Its charts showed the token&#39;s prices briefly went down 17 percent to 81.1 million won on the platform late Friday.&nbsp;In a separate statement released later on Saturday, Bithumb said some trades were executed at unfavourable prices for users due to a price drop during the incident Friday, including &quot;panic selling&quot;.&nbsp;The platform said it would compensate affected customers, covering the full price difference as well as a 10-percent bonus.&nbsp;It estimated losses at about 1 billion won.&nbsp;The platform earlier stressed that the incident was &quot;unrelated to external hacking or security breaches&quot;.&nbsp;Bitcoin, the world&#39;s biggest cryptocurrency, sank this week, wiping out gains sparked by US President Donald Trump&#39;s presidential election victory in November 2024.

Business

Crypto

South Korea’s Bithumb apologised after accidentally transferring $40 billion in bitcoin to users during a promotion, triggering brief panic selling and price volatility before trading was halted, funds largely recovered, and compensation promised to customers.

Crypto firm accidentally sends $40 B in bitcoin to users

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani astronaut candidates have been shortlisted for Pakistan&rsquo;s Human Spaceflight Programme after completing the secondary phase of selection, which included comprehensive medical, psychological and aptitude assessments at China&rsquo;s Astronauts Centre (ACC), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.&nbsp;An ISPR press release stated: &ldquo;Pakistan Space &amp; Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-launches-first-homegrown-hyperspectral-satellite-prschs1-from-china" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUPARCO</a>) has achieved yet another significant milestone in Pakistan&rsquo;s Human Spaceflight Programme with the successful completion of the secondary phase of astronaut candidates&rsquo; selection.&rdquo; &ldquo;Following an initial screening process in Pakistan, two candidates have been shortlisted after undergoing comprehensive medical, psychological and aptitude assessments conducted at the Astronauts Centre of China (ACC), in accordance with international human spaceflight standards.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A6T4QW-80Mo" title="SUPARCO Reaches Major Milestone in Pakistan’s Human Spaceflight Programme.| ISPR" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>The statement said, &ldquo;The shortlisted candidates will undertake advanced astronaut training for six months at ACC.&rdquo; &lsquo;Astronaut Cooperation Agreement&rsquo;&ldquo;Upon completion of training, one candidate will be selected for a spaceflight mission aboard the Chinese Space Station (CSS) in October / November 2026,&rdquo; it added. This cooperation is anchored on the bilateral &ldquo;Astronaut Cooperation Agreement&rdquo;, signed in February 2025, under the leadership of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, whose vision and support were instrumental in enabling Pakistan&rsquo;s participation in human spaceflight, the statement said. The press release said, &ldquo;This landmark initiative also reflects the strong support of the Government of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, which selected Pakistan as the first foreign partner in its astronaut program.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Security

ISPR says ‘Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has achieved yet another significant milestone in Pakistan’s Human Spaceflight Programme with the successful completion of the secondary phase of astronaut candidates’ selection.’ 

The fairest of them all

Related Articles

Tell Me Why: We yawn — and it’s not about oxygen

Pretty little tradwives

Tell Me Why: Lorem Ipsum matters

Conspiracy Is Not a National Trait | Debunkistan

Latest News

Pakistan, Bangladesh push rail cooperation during delegation visit

At least 51 kidnapped, 3 killed in Nigeria attacks

North China factory explosion kills 7: state media

The biological clock myth | Unladylike

Netanyahu to discuss Iran talks with Trump in Washington Wednesday