VANCOUVER: Pakistan’s rising squash star Ashab Irfan captured his first-ever PSA World Tour title by winning the Vancouver Open Squash Championship.
In a commanding performance, Ashab defeated England’s Sam Todd in straight sets, 11-9, 11-1, 11-5, sealing victory in just 43 minutes.
The Vancouver Open carried a total prize purse of $31,250, marking a significant milestone in Ashab Irfan’s professional career and a proud moment for Pakistan squash.
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss in the second and final Test against South Africa at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Captain Shan Masood, after winning the toss, confirmed one change in the playing XI, with Asif Afridi coming into the side in place of Hasan Ali, who has been rested for the match.
Masood said the team aims to put up a strong total on the board and make the most of the batting conditions early in the game.
Asif Afridi will make his Test debut on behalf of Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi gave Test cap to Asif Afridi. Asif Afridi made his Test debut at the age of 39 years and 299 days.
South African captain Aiden Markram said that his side would also have opeted to bat first had they won the toss. He added that two changes have been made in the team for the Rawalpindi Test, with Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jensen have been included in the team.
Spin bowler Asif Afridi is set to make his Test debut for Pakistan in the second Test match against South Africa at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The players and support staff extended their best wishes to Asif Afridi for his debut match, wishing him a successful and memorable outing in Test cricket.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan leads the two-match Test series 1–0, after securing a 93-run victory over South Africa in the Lahore Test.
A recent study warns that artificial intelligence is increasingly being weaponised in India to produce and circulate Islamophobic images that reinforce hate and discrimination online.
A new report by the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) has revealed an alarming surge in the use of AI-generated imagery to spread Islamophobic narratives across India’s digital platforms.
Authored by Nabiya Khan, Aishik Saha, and Zenith Khan, the report examines how artificial intelligence tools are being exploited to craft and circulate visual hate content that targets Muslims, reinforcing stereotypes and deepening social divides.
While numerous studies have previously documented Islamophobia online, the authors note that AI-generated visuals specifically designed to dehumanise Muslims have received little scholarly or policy attention.
The study analysed 1,326 AI-generated Islamophobic posts shared between May 2023 and May 2025 from 297 public accounts on various social media platforms, each generating significant engagement.
According to the findings, the hateful imagery largely falls into four categories:
The sexualisation of Muslim women, exclusionary and dehumanising portrayals, conspiratorial narratives, and the aestheticisation of violence.
With an estimated 22 million AI users in India, the report warns that such tools have become powerful amplifiers of hate, targeting religious minorities and Dalit communities through digitally manipulated content.
Co-author Nabiya Khan noted that far-right media networks and online groups use these AI-generated visuals as “amplifiers” to flood social media with Islamophobic messages.
“These tools make old prejudices scalable — they’re faster, cheaper, and harder to trace. Current laws are insufficient to govern or regulate this type of content,” she told Maktoob Media.
The report cites examples such as the Assam BJP’s Islamophobic video depicting a dystopian future and viral WhatsApp forwards, illustrating how digital propaganda has become increasingly sophisticated.
One of its central conclusions is that AI is not creating new hate, but automating existing hate. The imagery frequently depicts Muslims as inherently violent, including disturbing portrayals such as snakes wearing skull caps — visuals that symbolically portray Muslims as “deceptive and dangerous.”
Other AI-generated images adopt anime or Ghibli-style aesthetics, or appear under humour-based hashtags, making them seem harmless and harder to identify as hate speech.
Particularly alarming are the sexualised depictions of Muslim women, which garnered 6.7 million interactions, reflecting how misogyny and anti-Muslim hate intertwine in online spaces. These visuals often dehumanise Muslim men as hypersexual predators and depict Muslim families as morally corrupt, the report adds.
The study also found widespread use of conspiratorial themes like “love jihad,” “population jihad,” and “rail jihad” — framing Muslims as threats to Hindu national identity. Such narratives, the authors warn, enable political actors to mobilise hate without accountability or fact-checking.
The report concludes with a call for greater digital literacy and critical engagement from the public.
“People must learn to question the intent behind such images and ask, who benefits from me believing this?” Khan emphasised.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a statement following Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) announcement that it will not participate in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20 Series scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November.
Earlier, the ACB confirmed in an official statement that Afghanistan will not take part in the series, which was set to feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
Responding to the development, a PCB spokesperson said that the Tri-Nation T20 Series will proceed as per schedule, adding that discussions are underway to invite a replacement team. “Arrangements are ongoing, and a final decision will be made soon,” the spokesperson added.
The Tri-Nation T20 Tournament is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from November 17 to 29, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka confirmed as participating teams.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources indicate that Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban administration have agreed to maintain the ceasefire, signaling a potential easing of tensions amid broader regional developments.
PARIS: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu narrowly escaped two no-confidence votes on Friday, as opposition efforts to unseat him fell short amid growing divisions and political turbulence in the National Assembly.
Both motions required 289 votes in favour to pass. The first, initiated by the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI), narrowly failed by just 18 votes, reflecting growing discontent within the National Assembly.
The second motion — backed by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) — was widely expected to fail, as most lawmakers avoided aligning with the far-right bloc.
While Lecornu remains in office for now, recent history shows how fragile his position could be. Last month, François Bayrou was forced to step down after calling a vote of no-confidence in himself, while Michel Barnier resigned in December 2024 after losing a similar vote.
The Prime Minister now faces the difficult task of steering a minority government through the upcoming 2026 budget negotiations and managing an increasingly fragmented National Assembly, where consensus is harder than ever to achieve.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said that ending the ongoing hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan would be “very easy” for him, asserting his ability to resolve conflicts and restore peace in the region.
Speaking to journalists, Trump referenced recent cross-border clashes and said he would consider brokering a ceasefire if needed, describing such an intervention as straightforward compared with other foreign-policy challenges he has tackled.
The US president also repeated remarks that Pakistan’s prime minister had told him he had helped avert a wider India–Pakistan conflict — a claim that Trump says saved “millions of lives.” Pakistani leaders have publicly praised US mediation at recent international meetings, comments that have drawn attention amid rising regional tensions.
Trump’s comments come as world leaders urge restraint and regional interlocutors explore avenues for de-escalation. Several governments and international organizations continue to call for immediate ceasefires and diplomatic talks to prevent further loss of life and wider instability.
It should be remembered that after dozens of deaths in Pakistan’s targeted operations on the hideouts of Taliban and Fitnah-ul-Khawarij in Afghanistan, a temporary ceasefire was decided for the next 48 hours from 6 pm on the request of Afghan Taliban.
A 48-hour ceasefire was initially held between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, but today it has been agreed to extend the ceasefire further.
In this regard, the international news agency said that the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been extended until the completion of negotiations in Doha.
In a new development in the royal family’s ongoing rift, Prince William is reportedly open to the possibility of reconciliation with his younger brother, Prince Harry — but only under strict conditions.
A source close to the royal household told Heat Magazine that William is not completely closed off to mending fences, especially given King Charles’ health concerns and the symbolic weight of the upcoming holiday season. Geo News
However, while the door may not be entirely shut, William is making it clear that peace talks would not be casual or unstructured. The source said that any meeting would have to be “a supervised discussion handled with total discretion,” rather than an informal or impromptu encounter. Geo News
This stance contrasts with the cautious optimism represented by Harry’s recent efforts to reconnect — including a private meeting with the King in September, which lasted nearly an hour and marked the first public father-son contact in about 18 months. International Business Times UK+1
Yet, some insiders remain skeptical about any rapprochement between William and Harry. According to Harper’s Bazaar, William has not forgiven Harry for publicly airing private family matters — particularly those revealed in Harry’s memoir Spare — and might only agree to a symbolic meeting to preserve appearances. Harper’s BAZAAR
Adding fuel to tension, Meghan Markle’s recent comments have been portrayed by royal sources as disrespectful toward royal traditions — remarks that could further strain the prospects of reconciliation. Geo News
For now, the situation stands in uneasy balance: a possible thawing of relations with the King on one side, and a brotherly reunion held hostage by conditions, trust issues, and public scrutiny on the other.
In a glimmer of hope for the fractured House of Windsor, insiders reveal Prince William is quietly warming to estranged brother Prince Harry, lauding his charitable endeavors while grappling with deep-seated pain from past betrayals.
The future king, sources say, views Harry as a “very vulnerable character who’s doing some good in the world” through high-impact initiatives like the Invictus Games for wounded veterans and Sentebale for AIDS-affected youth in Africa.
Yet, forgiveness remains elusive. William is “deeply hurt” by Harry’s explosive Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021 and revelations in his 2023 memoir Spare, which painted the royal family in unflattering light and strained ties with Meghan Markle. “He remembers the good times when they could knock back a few beers and enjoy sports games together, rambles, hunting trips, holidays away,” a close source told Heat Magazine, underscoring the loneliness of their rift. The absence stings further as their children—William and Kate’s Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis; Harry’s Archie and Lilibet—grow up as strangers, a “tragic” void insiders decry.
Influenced by wife Catherine’s “merciful, Christian attitude,” William acknowledges their late mother, Princess Diana, and grandmother Queen Elizabeth II “would never have wanted this feud to have dragged on for so long.” With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s 1997 death looming in 2027, the prince is “slowly softening,” pondering dialogue “in the interests of decency.”
Publicly, the brothers’ last joint appearance was the poignant 2021 unveiling of Diana’s statue, marred by awkwardness. Harry’s recent U.S. tours promoting mental health via Heads Together offshoots have caught William’s eye, hinting at shared values amid Harry’s independent path post-Megxit.
Royal watchers speculate a low-key outreach—perhaps a private call or neutral-ground meet—could mend fences before King Charles III’s reign advances. For now, the palace stays mum, but this whisper of reconciliation offers a rare uplift in the Windsors’ saga of loyalty, loss, and legacy.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has accused Pakistan of launching twin drone strikes on Kabul’s outskirts, killing at least 12 civilians and wounding dozens more in what they term a “cowardly act of aggression.”
The attacks, which struck a bustling marketplace and a residential compound in the Logar province border area, have plunged already frayed bilateral ties into crisis mode, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid vowing “severe repercussions” unless Islamabad apologizes and compensates victims.
Eyewitness accounts describe low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles—reminiscent of U.S. Predator drones used in past counter-terror ops—unleashing precision-guided missiles around dawn. “The sky lit up like fireworks from hell; children were playing outside,” recounted survivor Fatima Khan, whose home was reduced to rubble. Afghan state media aired footage of smoldering craters and grieving families, amplifying calls for an emergency UN Security Council session to condemn the “violation of sovereignty.” Mujahid, in a fiery address from the Arg Palace, linked the strikes to Pakistan’s hunt for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, claiming the targets were innocent Pashtun traders, not insurgents.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office swiftly rebutted the allegations, labeling them “baseless propaganda” orchestrated by the Taliban to deflect from their sheltering of TTP operatives. “Our forces operate solely within our borders against threats to national security,” a spokesperson insisted, referencing last week’s suicide bombing that claimed seven Pakistani soldiers. Yet, independent analysts, including the International Crisis Group, point to mounting evidence: Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies shows unusual drone activity near the Durand Line, corroborating Afghan radar logs.
This aerial incursion follows Pakistan’s ground incursions into Khost and Paktika, where TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud allegedly evaded capture. With the porous 2,640-km border a hotbed for smuggling and skirmishes, experts fear a tit-for-tat cycle could draw in regional powers. China, via its Kabul embassy, urged restraint to protect Belt and Road investments, while India watched warily, offering humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
As Taliban militias mobilize along the frontier and Pakistan deploys additional troops, diplomatic channels—mediated by Qatar—face their sternest test. The UN’s special envoy for Afghanistan warned of “humanitarian catastrophe” if escalation persists, echoing global jitters over South Asia’s nuclear-armed neighbors. In Kabul’s streets, anti-Pakistan graffiti proliferates, signaling a rift that parole offers from Imran Khan may struggle to mend.
In a brazen assault that has further inflamed Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, a suicide bomber backed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into a military compound in North Waziristan, near the volatile Afghan border, killing seven soldiers and injuring several others.
The attack, captured in a viral video showing a massive fireball engulfing the facility, marks a deadly escalation in cross-border militancy, with security forces now on high alert across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The strike comes just days after Pakistan’s alleged airstrikes on Taliban targets in Kabul, which Afghan officials claim killed civilians and targeted TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud—claims vehemently denied by Islamabad. Mehsud, the elusive TTP chief, surfaced in a defiant video message today, mocking reports of his death and vowing retaliation against Pakistani forces. “This is not the end; it’s the beginning of our fight,” he declared, as footage circulated widely on social media, fueling public outrage and speculation about intelligence failures .
Former Indian diplomat Amar Jit Singh issued a stark warning, labeling Pakistan’s incursions a “blunder of the century” that could unleash “disastrous consequences,” including full-scale war with the Taliban regime. “Poking the bear across the Durand Line invites chaos,” Singh told Hindustan Times, echoing fears of a regional spillover amid ongoing U.S.-Pakistan defense talks aimed at bolstering maritime security.
Domestically, the crisis intersects with brewing unrest from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests. Authorities sealed TLP offices and mosques in Islamabad, imposing Section 144 restrictions in Lahore to curb violent demonstrations over the alleged “Muridke massacre.” The TLP-led Ahl-e-Sunnat alliance issued an ultimatum for justice, threatening nationwide shutdowns if demands aren’t met by week’s end.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency National Security Council meeting, assuring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of federal support. Analysts warn that without diplomatic de-escalation, these flashpoints could destabilize South Asia further. As border patrols intensify and evacuation drills begin in frontier villages, Pakistan braces for what may be its most precarious autumn in years
