ISTANBUL: T&uuml;rkiye on Wednesday detained scores of people suspected of affiliation with Islamic State (ISIS) group during nationwide raids, the interior minister announced on X. &quot;We captured 125 Daesh suspects in simultaneous operations carried out in 25 provinces this morning,&quot; Ali Yerlikaya said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. More to follow...

Europe

"We captured 125 Daesh suspects in simultaneous operations carried out in 25 provinces this morning," Turkish interior minister said.

Türkiye detains 125 ISIS suspects in nationwide sweep: minister

GAZA CITY: As 2025 draws to a close, Palestinians in Gaza are marking the new year not with celebration, but with exhaustion, grief and a fragile hope that their &quot;endless nightmare&quot; might finally end.&nbsp;For residents of the battered territory, daily life is a struggle for survival.&nbsp;Much of Gaza&#39;s infrastructure lies in ruins, electricity remains scarce and hundreds of thousands of people live in makeshift tents after being repeatedly displaced by the two years of fighting that began with Hamas&#39;s attack on Israel in October 2023.&nbsp;&quot;We in the Gaza Strip are living in an endless nightmare,&quot; said Hanaa Abu Amra, a displaced woman in her thirties living in Gaza City.&nbsp;&quot;We hope that this nightmare will end in 2026 ...The least we can ask for is a normal life-- to see electricity restored, the streets return to normal and to walk without tents lining the roads,&quot; she said.&nbsp;Across Gaza, a territory of more than two million people, scenes of hardship are commonplace.&nbsp;Children queue with plastic containers to collect water, while rows of tents stretch across streets and open spaces, sheltering families who have lost their homes.&nbsp;What were once bustling neighbourhoods now bear the scars of bombardment, with daily activity reduced to the bare essentials.&nbsp;For many, the end of the year is a moment to mourn as much as to hope.&nbsp;In Gaza City, a teenager painted &quot;2026&quot; on his tent, while an AFP journalist observed a local artist sculpting the same in sand in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza.&nbsp;The outgoing year brought relentless loss and fear, said Shireen Al-Kayali.&nbsp;&quot;We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;We lost a lot of people and our possessions. We lived a difficult and harsh life, displaced from one city to another, under bombardment and in terror.&quot;&nbsp;Hope for 2026&nbsp;Her experience reflects that of countless Gazans who have been forced to flee repeatedly, often with little warning, taking with them only what they could carry.&nbsp;Entire families have been uprooted, livelihoods destroyed, and communities fragmented as the war dragged on for two years.&nbsp;Despite the devastation, some residents cling to the belief that the new year might bring an end to the fighting and a chance to rebuild.&nbsp;For many Gazans, hope has become an act of resilience, particularly after the truce that came into effect on October 10 and has largely halted the fighting.&nbsp;&quot;We still hope for a better life in the new year, and I call on the free world to help our oppressed people so we can regain our lives,&quot; said Khaled Abdel Majid, 50, who lives in a tent in Jabalia camp.&nbsp;Faten al-Hindawi hoped the truce would finally end the war.&nbsp;&quot;We will bid farewell to 2025, leaving behind its pain, and we hope that 2026 will be a year of hope, prayer, determination and success stories.&quot;&nbsp;Such hopes are shared widely across Gaza, even as conditions on the ground remain dire.&nbsp;Humanitarian agencies have warned that shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies persist, while winter conditions are worsening life in overcrowded displacement camps.&nbsp;Amid the rubble and the tents, many Gazans say their aspirations are modest: safety, stability and dignity.&nbsp;&quot;I hope the reconstruction of Gaza begins in 2026. Gaza was beautiful, and we hope it returns to being beautiful again.&quot;

Middle East

As 2025 ends, Gazans face exhaustion and loss after years of war, displacement and destruction, but many hold onto fragile hope that 2026 will bring peace, basic services, rebuilding and a chance to live normal lives again.

Hoping for better year ahead, Gazans bid farewell to 2025 nightmare

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the country&#39;s economy is expected to have grown &ldquo;around five percent&rdquo; in 2025, despite &ldquo;pressure&rdquo; during a year he described as &ldquo;very unusual&rdquo;, state media said. The announcement came in a New Year&#39;s Eve speech by Xi to a top political consultative body, reported by state news agency Xinhua. Such an annual expansion would be in line with the official government target and on par with the five percent growth recorded in 2024. The world&#39;s second-largest economy has come under increasing pressure in recent years, with consumer sentiment having so far failed to recover from a pandemic-induced plunge. &lsquo;Faced challenges head-on&rsquo;A persistent debt crisis in the property sector, industrial overcapacity, and heightened trade conflict with Washington have also darkened the outlook. &ldquo;We faced challenges head-on and strived diligently, successfully achieving the main goals of economic and social development,&rdquo; Xi said in his remarks to the Chinese People&#39;s Political Consultative Conference, Xinhua reported. &ldquo;The growth rate is expected to reach around five percent,&rdquo; he said. He added that &ldquo;overall social stability was maintained&rdquo; and an anti-corruption drive was &ldquo;relentlessly pursued&rdquo;, according to the report. Gathering in early MarchExperts widely expect Beijing to announce a similar economic growth target for 2026 at a major annual political gathering in early March. Data released Wednesday offered a positive sign for policymakers, with factory activity in December inching into expansionary territory to snap an eight-month streak of contraction.

Asia

The Chinese president says, ‘We faced challenges head-on and strived diligently, successfully achieving the main goals of economic and social development’; experts widely expect Beijing to announce an economic growth target for 2026 at a major annual political gathering in early March.

President Xi says China to hit 2025 growth target of 'around 5%'

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker, in a post on Wednesday, said &ldquo;the future is bright&rdquo; for ties between the United States and Pakistan, reflecting on what she described as a year of expanded cooperation, investment, and people-to-people exchanges in 2025. In a video message released by the United States Embassy in Islamabad on X, the charg&eacute; reviewed key diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian developments over the past year.<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-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006236374291152996&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In the video, she called 2025 &ldquo;a year filled with so many memorable moments,&rdquo; describing them as &ldquo;building block[s] in the strong and enduring friendship between our two countries.&rdquo; Baker said American companies invested across sectors, including technology, energy, trade, textiles, agriculture, and critical minerals, and pointed to activity tied to the Reko Diq project and soybean exports, which she said supported American farmers while strengthening Pakistan&rsquo;s food security and poultry sector. The charg&eacute; said leaders from both countries worked closely during the year &ldquo;to advance peace, strengthen security, and ensure that diplomacy delivers meaningful results.&rdquo; On education and exchanges, Baker said bilateral programs continued to create life-changing opportunities and foster long-term friendships. She noted that Pakistan and the US marked 75 years of the Fulbright Program in Pakistan and opened a new building for the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan in Islamabad. Baker said US-funded training strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s justice sector and expanded law enforcement capacity.&nbsp; Referring to humanitarian cooperation, she said the US provided life-saving assistance when devastating floods struck Pakistan, helping thousands of families rebuild with dignity and hope. Looking ahead, the charg&eacute; d&rsquo;affaires said that as the US approaches its 250th anniversary, the shared goal remains to build &ldquo;a safer, stronger, and more prosperous future,&rdquo; adding that &ldquo;for the United States and Pakistan, the future is bright.&rdquo;

File Photo - Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker (US Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan)

Foreign Affairs

United States Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker says 'the future is bright' for ties between the US and Pakistan. In a post, she reflects on 2025 as a year of expanded cooperation, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

‘Future is bright’ for US-Pakistan ties, says US embassy

Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani artists, architects, and filmmakers achieved unprecedented recognition on international platforms in 2025, marking a transformative period for the country&#39;s creative industries. Music and SoundTaurees Habib made history as the second Pakistani to win a Grammy Award, receiving the honor for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for his sound engineering work on Dune: Part Two. The Karachi-born engineer publicly announced his achievement in September 2025, generating widespread acclaim in Pakistan&#39;s entertainment sector.<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1968368202494394668&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Streaming data also shaped the year&rsquo;s narrative. Rapper Talha Anjum&nbsp;maintained his position as Pakistan&#39;s most-streamed artist on Spotify for the second consecutive year, according to the platform&#39;s 2025 Wrapped data. His continued dominance reflects the growing influence of Pakistani hip-hop and rap culture on listeners.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 674px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1997192688064778403&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, Arooj Aftab&nbsp;sustained her international momentum with multiple Grammy nominations for 2025, including Best Alternative Jazz Album for Night Reign&nbsp;and Best Global Music Performance, solidifying her standing in the global jazz and fusion music community.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The year&#39;s most popular track domestically came from Maanu and Annural Khalid, whose collaboration &quot;Jhol&quot; became the most-streamed Pakistani song of 2025, according to streaming data, signaling a shift toward indie-pop in the local market.<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: 826px; 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=1819500250341822928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In classical music, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami was nominated for the Aga Khan Music Award 2025, drawing renewed attention to his mastery of the 49-note microtonal surti scale and the khayal genre.Film and DocumentaryPakistani cinema achieved notable international success across multiple festivals. Jawad Sharif&#39;s documentary &quot;Moklani &ndash; The Last Mohanas&quot; won the Global Voices Award at the Jackson Wild Media Awards in Wyoming, often referred to as the &quot;Oscars of nature filmmaking.&quot; The film documents the endangered boat-dwelling Mohana community of Lake Manchhar and represents the first Pakistani win at this event. <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: 674px; 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=1974419808029733081&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba9f54ced9e6a176a754d5c8500a74ca53fef762&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival in China, &quot;Nayab,&quot; directed by Umair Nasir Ali and starring Yumna Zaidi, received the Special Jury Award. Zaidi&#39;s portrayal of a young woman breaking barriers in cricket demonstrated the international appeal of locally rooted narratives.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rafay Rashdi&#39;s psychological horror film &quot;Deemak&quot;&nbsp;won Best Editing at the same festival, marking significant recognition for Pakistani genre cinema.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Azerbaijan, Shehzad Rafique&#39;s &quot;Welcome to Punjab&quot;&nbsp;captured the Best Audience Award at the Baku Cinema Breeze Film Festival, showcasing the cross-cultural potential of Punjabi-centric Pakistani cinema.Architecture and DesignYasmeen Lari, Pakistan&#39;s first female architect, received the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2025 in Portugal. The international jury recognized her six-decade career and her &ldquo;zero-carbon&rdquo; humanitarian work rebuilding flood-resilient communities in Sindh. She became one of the few South Asian architects to receive this European honor. Talent that resonates across boundariesThe achievements of 2025 represent not only individual successes but also a collective elevation of Pakistan&#39;s creative sectors on the world stage. From Grammy stages to European architecture awards, Pakistani talent has demonstrated both artistic excellence and the ability to tell stories that resonate across cultural boundaries.

Culture

Pakistani artists, architects, and filmmakers achieved unprecedented recognition on international platforms, marking a transformative period for the country's creative industries.

Pakistani creatives who made headlines in 2025

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration in recent months has latched onto news of a large-scale public benefit fraud scandal to carry out immigration raids and harsher policies targeting Minnesota&#39;s large Somali migrant community. Federal charges have been filed against 98 people accused of embezzlement of public funds and -- as Attorney General Pam Bondi stressed on Monday -- 85 of the defendants are &quot;of Somali descent.&quot; Fifty-seven people have already been convicted in the scheme to divert $300 million in public grants intended to distribute free meals to children -- but the meals never existed, prosecutors said.&ldquo;What&#39;s happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system,&rdquo; Vice President JD Vance posted on X. &quot;Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich. But it&#39;s a zero-sum game, and they&#39;re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans.&quot;<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 573px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005041100860354975&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005041100860354975">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><h2 style="line-height: 2;">80,000 members&nbsp;</h2>Republican elected officials and federal prosecutors accuse local Democratic authorities of turning a blind eye to numerous warnings because the fraud involved Minnesota&rsquo;s Somali community, the largest in the country, with around 80,000 members. &ldquo;When whistleblowers raised concerns, they were told that they shouldn&#39;t say anything out of fear of being called racist or Islamophobic, or because it was going to hurt political constituency of the governor and the ruling party, the Democrats here,&rdquo; state representative Kristin Robbins, a Republican who is running for governor, told AFP. Walz rejects accusation&nbsp;Democratic Governor Tim Walz -- former vice president Kamala Harris&#39;s unsuccessful running mate in 2024 -- rejects the accusation. While the case became public in 2022, prosecutors ramped it up again this year with hotly politicized revelations. Another Republican candidate for governor, state house speaker Lisa Demuth, told AFP the case is &ldquo;finally getting the attention that it&#39;s needed.&rdquo; Right-leaning YouTube content creator Nick Shirley reignited interest in the case over the holidays with a video that he claims shows daycare centers which are siphoning public money. The video -- which blew up on X with 127 million views and played repeatedly on Fox News -- resonated with Trump&#39;s &quot;Make America Great Again&quot; (MAGA) circles, who are opposed to what they deem to be overly generous social and immigration policies.<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-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004642794862961123&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2004642794862961123">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The Trump administration responded to the outcry immediately, with Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin telling Fox News that hundreds of investigators were targeting local businesses in Minneapolis. &ldquo;We believe that there is rampant fraud, whether it be daycare centers, health care centers, or other organizations,&rdquo; she said. As part of the crackdown, federal health officials announced a broad freeze of funding to Minnesota and across the country. &ldquo;We have frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota,&rdquo; Health and Human Services (HHS) deputy Jim O&#39;Neill wrote in an X post Tuesday.<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-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006136004294664464&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2006136004294664464"></iframe></div></div>HHS has broad spending oversight for programs for the underprivileged, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, early education of toddlers and foster care. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Calls to strip US citizenship&nbsp;</h2>Minnesota congressman Tom Emmer, a leading figure in the Republican majority of Congress, called for mass &ldquo;denaturalization and deportation of every Somali engaged in fraud in Minnesota,&rdquo; in an X post Monday. President Donald Trump preceded Emmer&#39;s call with similar sentiments at the end of November, when a conservative outlet claimed money embezzled in Minnesota was being used to fund Somalia&#39;s Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda linked Islamist militant group. That accusation has since been denied by the prosecutor in the case. But the US president was quick to accuse &ldquo;Somali gangs&rdquo; of &ldquo;terrorizing&rdquo; Minnesotans and ended their Temporary Protected Status, a program that exempted Somalis from deportation to their war-torn country. &#39;Trash&#39; A week later, Trump escalated the rhetoric, saying Somalia &ldquo;stinks&rdquo; and calling Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar -- who is of Somali origin &ndash; &ldquo;trash.&rdquo; A surge in immigration raids followed those comments, creating &ldquo;a dangerous atmosphere of chaos and instability that is making it harder for our police officers to keep Minneapolis safe,&rdquo; mayor Jacob Frey said at the time. Democratic lawmaker Zaynab Mohamed, whose family emigrated from Somalia when she was a child, decried the Trump administration&rsquo;s actions. &ldquo;Trump is scapegoating a tiny piece of the population,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp; &ldquo;This is not about crime. It&rsquo;s not about safety. This is about purging people like me from this country.&rdquo;

Americas

Federal charges have been filed against 98 people accused of embezzlement of public funds and -- as Attorney General Pam Bondi stressed on Monday -- 85 of the defendants are "of Somali descent."

Trump admin seizes on fraud case to target Somali immigrants

ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the incident of swords distribution against Muslims in a town in India&rsquo;s most populous state, opposition party Congress has asked India&rsquo;s top judge to take notice of the event before &ldquo;Muslims are butchered.&rdquo; Indian National Congress spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed, reacting to a post showing Hindu Raksha Dal members distributing swords in the Ghaziabad area of Uttar Pradesh, questioned on X whether the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, would take suo motu cognizance of the incident. Dr Mohamed posted on X on Tuesday: &ldquo;What is happening CJI Surya Kant! Are you waiting for Muslims to be butchered before you take Suo Moto cognizance!&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 698px; 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=2006017305419948322&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Hindu Raksha Dal is a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization that has gained notoriety for alleged involvement in communal provocations and law-and-order incidents. Swords distribution&nbsp; Alarm spread in Shalimar Garden colony, Ghaziabad, after members of the Hindu Raksha Dal were seen going door-to-door, distributing swords and raising pro-Hindu and anti-Muslim slogans, India media reported on Tuesday.&nbsp; Videos of the distribution circulated online, showing the group encouraging residents to arm themselves, citing alleged threats from Muslims and referring to the suspected condition of Hindus in Bangladesh.&nbsp; Meanwhile, local police confirmed that over two dozen swords were distributed during the procession and door-to-door campaign.&nbsp; In a video released by the group, Bhupendra Chowdhry, alias &lsquo;Pinki&rsquo;, the president of Hindu Raksha Dal, claimed that 250 weapons had been handed out to equip Hindus to defend themselves against alleged attacks on families and women.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; 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=2005297069729399239&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Following the incident, 10 members of the organization were arrested.&nbsp;More than two dozen other unidentified members of the group have been booked, according to the Indian media report.&nbsp; Police teams continue raids at hideouts linked to the group, keeping a close watch on law and order, particularly in areas near Muslim-majority localities like Shaheed Nagar and Pasonda village.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 626px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005676935284985897&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2d18d213b3a3c8271b0313a47e46fd445f84f063&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

India

Indian opposition urges the Chief Justice to take suo motu cognizance after Hindu Raksha Dal members in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, distributed swords to residents and raised anti-Muslim slogans.

Congress urges India's top judge to act before 'Muslims butchered' in UP 

SYDNEY: New Year&#39;s Eve revelers toasted the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce, and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine.&nbsp;It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa, and deadly rains across Southeast Asia.&nbsp;There was a somber tinge to party preparations in Australia&#39;s harbor city, Sydney, the self-proclaimed &quot;New Year&#39;s capital of the world.&quot;&nbsp;Barely two weeks have passed since a father and son allegedly opened fire on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in the nation&#39;s deadliest mass shooting for almost 30 years.&nbsp;Parties will pause for a minute of silence at 11 p.m. (1200 GMT) as the famed Sydney Harbour Bridge is bathed in white light to symbolize peace.&nbsp;&quot;It has been a difficult year for so many people,&quot; said Steph Grant, a 32-year-old Sydney resident.&nbsp;&quot;Here&#39;s hoping the world looks like a brighter place in 2026,&quot; said Grant, who works in advertising.&nbsp;Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line Sydney&#39;s foreshore as nine tonnes of fireworks explode on the stroke of midnight.&nbsp;Security will be tighter than usual, with squads of heavily armed police patrolling the crowds.&nbsp;Sydney kicks off a chain of celebrations stretching from glitzy New York to the Hogmanay festival on the chilly streets of Scotland.&nbsp;More than two million people are expected to pack Brazil&#39;s lively Copacabana Beach for what authorities have billed as the world&#39;s biggest New Year&#39;s Eve party.&nbsp;Truce and tariffsLabubu dolls became a worldwide craze in 2025, thieves plundered the Louvre in a daring heist, and K-pop heartthrobs BTS made their long-awaited return.&nbsp;The world lost pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, the Vatican chose a new pope, and the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk laid bare America&#39;s deep political divisions.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, launching a tariff blitz that sent global markets into meltdown.&nbsp;From palm-fringed islands in the South Pacific to the sprawling factories of Shanghai, few escaped the trade assault unscathed.&nbsp;Many expect the tough times to continue in 2026.&nbsp;&quot;The economic situation is also very dire, and I&#39;m afraid I&#39;ll be left without income,&quot; said Ines Rodriguez, 50, a merchant in Mexico City.&nbsp;&quot;All our colleagues are in the same situation: very little work and not very profitable,&quot; said Buenos Aires business owner Fernando Selvaggi, 61.&nbsp;After two years of war that left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins, US pressure helped land a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October.&nbsp;But with each side already accusing the other of flagrant violations, no one is sure how long the break in hostilities will hold.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s assault on Gaza has killed more than 70,000, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Palestinian territory, a figure the UN deems credible.&nbsp;The war in Ukraine &mdash; sparked by Russia&#39;s invasion in 2022 &mdash; meanwhile grinds towards its four-year anniversary in February.&nbsp;There were hopes a renewed burst of diplomacy might produce a breakthrough this year.&nbsp;But Russia shot down any notion of a temporary ceasefire in the final days of 2025.&nbsp;As envoys shuttle between Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv, one major obstacle remains: Ukraine is reluctant to give up land, and Russia is unwilling to give it back.&nbsp;Sports, space, and AIThe coming 12 months promise to be full of sports, space travel, and serious questions over artificial intelligence.&nbsp;More than 50 years after the last Apollo lunar mission, 2026 looks to be the year when mankind once again sets its sights on the moon.&nbsp;NASA&#39;s Artemis II mission, backed by Elon Musk, plans to launch a crewed spacecraft that will circle the moon during a 10-day test flight.&nbsp;After years of unbridled enthusiasm, artificial intelligence is facing mounting scrutiny.&nbsp;Nervous investors are already questioning whether the years-long AI boom might be starting to resemble a market bubble.&nbsp;Athletes will gather on Italy&#39;s famed Dolomites to hit the slopes for the Winter Olympics.&nbsp;And for a brief few weeks between June and July, nations will come together for the biggest football World Cup in history.&nbsp;For the first time, 48 teams will compete in the world&#39;s most-watched sports event, playing in venues across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.&nbsp;From the beaches of Brazil to the far-flung reaches of New Zealand, the tournament is expected to draw millions of fans.

Australasia

One of the warmest years on record as the stifling heat stoked wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa and deadly rains across Southeast Asia; more than two million people are expected to pack Brazil's lively Copacabana Beach for what authorities have billed as the world's biggest New Year's Eve party.

World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

ISLAMABAD: In 2025, esports in Pakistan moved beyond casual gaming, gradually becoming a formal career as young players entered the competitive scene by joining professional teams and earning income through tournaments, sponsorships, and digital platforms. Earnings extended beyond prize money, with many Pakistani players establishing full-time careers through streaming on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and TikTok.&nbsp; Sponsorships, brand partnerships, and professional team contracts created a more stable and sustainable financial framework, particularly for top-tier competitors. The gaming industry has become part of the country&rsquo;s professional and creative economy, as international achievements have helped place Pakistan firmly on the global map, inspiring players to view gaming as a long-term career. While speaking with Pakistan TV Digital, one of Pakistan&rsquo;s leading esports commentators, Mamoon Sabri, said, &ldquo;I was the first Pakistani to go full-time in esports, earning a full-time income from the industry.&rdquo;&nbsp; He added that many people were earning through the esports industry in Pakistan. He noted that top Tekken players in Pakistan were making good money through prize winnings, team signings, and player salaries, ranging from around $500 to several thousand dollars. &ldquo;People are turning esports into a full-time profession as earnings come through streaming, broadcasting, and platforms like YouTube, etc.,&rdquo; Sabri added. Government support and policy developmentEarlier in 2025, Pakistan drafted its first esports policy, establishing a national federation to support game developers and the Pakistani gaming community, Radio Pakistan reported. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Youth Program, announced a policy to support game developers and digital innovators, noting that around 60 million Pakistanis are directly involved in the sport. Khan said that the Pakistan government was taking &ldquo;concrete steps to create opportunities for youth&rdquo; in this regard. This year&#39;s Sindh E-Sports Championship saw an impressive turnout, with over 400 teams and more than 2,500 players participating, underscoring the fast-growing popularity of competitive gaming in the region. International recognitionPakistani gamers once again gained global recognition for their achievements, particularly in Tekken and PUBG Mobile. Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, secured his sixth and seventh Evolution Championship Series (EVO) titles, winning EVO Las Vegas 2025 in August and EVO France 2025 in October.&nbsp; Ash became the only player in history to win EVO championships across three continents: Asia, North America, and Europe. In addition, he won the Tekken 8 championship at the &lsquo;LVL UP EXPO 2025&rsquo; and earned a place at the Esports World Cup 2025 with his dominant performance at Combo Breaker 2025. Atif Butt, another top Tekken player, finished as runner-up to Ash in the all-Pakistani Grand Final at EVO Las Vegas 2025 and had previously won Tekken 8 tournaments at CEO 2024 and the FV Major 2024 in Kuala Lumpur. Domestic tournament winsIn 2025, Pakistan&rsquo;s esports scene thrived, with &lsquo;4Thrives&rsquo; winning the PUBG Mobile National Championship Pakistan Spring. Hotshot Esports emerged as the champions of the GameNow Free Fire World Series Pakistan 2025, defeating the country&rsquo;s top teams and securing a coveted spot at the FFWS Global Finals in Jakarta, Indonesia. The team &lsquo;Legion&rsquo; emerged victorious in the Sindh E-Sports Championship 2025, held in Karachi, featuring over 400 teams and 2,500 players.&nbsp; Organized leagues and mobile gamingOnce limited to gaming caf&eacute;s and informal competitions, esports expanded into organized leagues, online qualifiers, and professional teams in 2025.&nbsp; Popular games such as Tekken 7 and 8, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty (CoD), Counter-Strike 2, and Dota 2 dominated the competitive landscape, attracting players from across the country.&nbsp; Mobile esports saw rapid growth over the year as lowering entry barriers allowed players from smaller cities to compete nationally and internationally.

E-Sports

Earnings went beyond prize money, with many players building full-time careers through streaming on platforms like YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and TikTok; sponsorships, brand partnerships, and professional team contracts created a more stable and sustainable financial foundation, especially for top-tier competitors.

Esports in 2025 emerged as viable career for Pakistan with local players winning globally

DHAKA: Bangladesh bid farewell on Wednesday to former prime minister Khaleda Zia with a state funeral drawing vast crowds, mourning a towering leader whose career defined politics for decades.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Zia, the first woman to serve as prime minister in the South Asian nation of 170 million people, died on Tuesday aged 80.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Flags were flown at half-mast, and thousands of security officers lined roads as her body was carried through the streets of the capital, Dhaka, by a vehicle in the colours of the national flag.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">A sea of mourners gathered outside parliament and packed streets leading to it, many waving national flags as well as those of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), before prayers held over her coffin.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Retired government official Minhaz Uddin, 70, said he had never voted for Zia, but came to honour the three-time prime minister.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;I came here with my grandson, just to say goodbye to a veteran politician whose contributions will always be remembered,&quot; he said.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;Khaleda Zia has been an inspiration,&quot; mourner Sharmina Siraj told AFP, adding that &quot;it is difficult to imagine women in leadership positions anytime soon&quot;.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The 40-year-old mother of two said stipends introduced by Zia to support girls&#39; education &quot;had a huge impact on the lives of our girls&quot;.Foreign ministers from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bhutan were&nbsp;also in attendance, according to Bangladesh state media. Vowed to participate in February electionsDespite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia had vowed to campaign in elections set for February 12 &mdash; the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year. Zia&#39;s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as a frontrunner, and her son Tarique Rahman, 60, who returned only last week after 17 years in exile, is seen as a potential prime minister if they win a majority. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, declared three days of national mourning, with an elaborate state funeral beginning with prayers outside parliament around 2:00 pm (0800 GMT). Flags will be flown at half-mast, and a large deployment of security forces is expected across the capital, Dhaka. Yunus said Bangladesh had &quot;lost a great guardian.&quot; &quot;Through her uncompromising leadership, the nation was repeatedly freed from undemocratic conditions and inspired to regain liberty,&quot; he said in a statement. Zia&#39;s body will be interred alongside her late husband, Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981 during his time as president. &#39;Unbreakable&#39;Rahman said in a statement that &quot;the country mourns the loss of a guiding presence that shaped its democratic aspirations.&quot; His mother, he added, &quot;endured repeated arrests, denial of medical care, and relentless persecution,&quot; but &quot;never stopped sheltering her family with courage and compassion.&quot; &quot;Her resilience... was unbreakable.&quot; Suffering from a raft of health issues, Zia was rushed to the hospital in late November, where her condition had gradually deteriorated despite treatment. Nevertheless, hours before her death, party workers had on Monday submitted nomination papers on her behalf for three constituencies for next year&#39;s polls. Zia was &quot;an uncompromising leader for all the people,&quot; said activist ABM Abdul Fattah, who joined mourners on Tuesday outside the Dhaka hospital where the former leader died. &quot;She always wanted to restore democracy by staying in this country and by safeguarding the people,&quot; he told AFP. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped Zia&#39;s &quot;vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership,&quot; a warm message despite the strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka since Hasina&#39;s fall. Hasina, 78, sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity, remains in hiding in her old ally, India. Three-time prime minister Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina&#39;s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. Zia was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power. &quot;I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia&#39;s soul,&quot; Hasina said, in a statement shared on social media by her now-banned Awami League party.

An aerial view shows mourners gathered for the funeral ceremony of Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia at the Parliament House premises in Dhaka on December 31, 2025 a day after her death. Bangladesh bid farewell on December 31 to Zia, the firs

Bangladesh

Zia had vowed to campaign in elections set for February 12; her Bangladesh Nationalist Party is widely seen as a frontrunner.

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