ISLAMABAD: Clashes between anti-government protesters and police continued in major Pakistani cities on Wednesday as former prime minister Imran Khan set out to the capital for a demonstration he hopes will bring down the government and force early elections, denying reports of a deal with the administration and saying that he would rally until fresh polls were called.
Khan was removed from office in a vote of no-confidence last month after losing his majority in parliament. The former premier has alleged his ouster was part of a Washington-backed foreign conspiracy and refused to recognize the new government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The US has denied the allegations.
Since his ouster, Khan has held public rallies across Pakistan to demand early elections. Last Sunday he announced that he would lead a massive rally to the capital and hold a sit-in until the government announced a date for polls. The government on Tuesday said it would not let Khan’s march enter Islamabad on the grounds that it aimed to spread “chaos and anarchy” in the country.
After media reports that Khan’s party had reached an agreement with the government, Khan posted “absolutely not” on Twitter.
He said: “We are moving toward Islamabad and no question of any deal. We will remain in Islamabad until announcement of dates for the dissolution of assemblies and elections are given.
“God willing we have to reach D-Chowk Islamabad. No hurdle can stop us,” Khan said in an address to supporters in Swabi en route to the capital. He was referring to a famous town square in the capital that has been a common destination for protest marches.
On Wednesday morning and well into the afternoon, the D-Chowk area wore a deserted look, sealed off with containers and guarded by a large contingent of Punjab and Islamabad Police.
At one point, about 20 PTI supporters appeared and chanted in favor of Khan but were chased off by police, batons in hand.
After brief negotiations, the protesters dispersed and the police officers sat under some trees to eat lunch. Other officers were immersed in their cell phones, following the latest developments and asking media correspondents present for inputs.
One woman, a PTI supporter, walked up to a small group of officers and said that she would return in the evening to join the protest.
“You won’t fire at us, will you?” She asked jokingly. The police officers smiled and said no.
Videos circulating on social media and local TV channels showed police clashing with protesters in Lahore and Islamabad, with Punjab police using tear gas on demonstrators in Lahore and baton charging them in the capital.
PTI supporters and police also clashed in Gujranwala when the officers tried to stop protesters with barricades but marchers forced their way through the obstructions.
According to PTI’s Gujranwala General Secretary Tariq Gujjar, 150 people from the caravan had been taken into custody.
All major roads linking the Punjab province with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from where Khan started his march, were blocked with barricades. Police and district officials blocked the GT Road highway with shipping containers over the Attock Khurd Bridge, which marks the border between Punjab and KP. Media reported intense tear gas shelling on the bridge by anti-riot police in the afternoon on Wednesday.
The motorway M1 connecting the two provinces was also blocked off and other motorways traversing Punjab, including M2, were blocked at several points.
Section 144, which bans large public gatherings, was imposed on Tuesday in Lahore, the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and in Karachi, as well as other major cities in the country, while the Punjab government called in the paramilitary Rangers to keep law and order. Pakistani authorities also used dozens of shipping containers and trucks to block off major roads into the capital.
Former education minister Shafqat Mahmood from Khan’s PTI said on Twitter that police raided his house in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
“Police barged into my house without a warrant while I was not there. Do they really think these tactics would intimidate us?”
Meanwhile, PTI Sen. Ejaz Chaudhary was arrested after the Punjab government said that weapons were recovered from the vehicles of PTI’s Lahore office bearers.
An admin for Chaudhary’s account tweeted: “The place he was staying was stormed by over 100 policemen — the gate of the house broken — the family at that place harassed and phones taken. This will not dampen our spirit.”
A number of other PTI office bearers were also arrested.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is hearing on Wednesday a hurriedly moved petition seeking the removal of roadblocks and barricades, and the free movement of residents in the federal capital. The court asked Khan’s party and the government to agree on an alternate location to D-Chowk and inform the court. It has also ordered the government to remove all blockades and release arrested PTI supporters.
Pakistan’s ex-PM denies deal with govt, will rally in Islamabad until elections announced
https://arab.news/4tjra
Pakistan’s ex-PM denies deal with govt, will rally in Islamabad until elections announced
- Videos on social media, TV show police clashing with protesters
- Authorities use shipping containers, trucks to block major roads into capital
Swedish diplomat spy suspect has died, his lawyer says
“I heard the tragic news this morning and my thoughts go to his family,” his lawyer said
STOCKHOLM: A Swedish diplomat who was recently questioned by police on suspicion of espionage has died, the man’s lawyer said on Friday.
Sweden’s SAPO security service had detained the man on Sunday and kept him for questioning until Wednesday, when he was released, although he remained subject to investigation, the country’s prosecution service has said.
“I heard the tragic news this morning and my thoughts go to his family,” his lawyer, Anton Strand, told Reuters.
Strand declined to comment on the cause of the man’s death.
The man had denied any wrongdoing and had made a complaint against the police over the handling of the case, Strand said.
Public broadcaster SVT has reported that the diplomat had served at several Swedish embassies and that SAPO was investigating a potential connection to the resignation of the government’s national security adviser last week.
Sweden’s foreign ministry confirmed that one of its employees had died but declined to comment further.
“We can regrettably confirm that an employee of the foreign service has passed away,” the ministry said in a statement to Reuters. “Out of concern for the relatives we will refrain from giving further detail.”
Third pair of Filipino conjoined twins prepares for life-changing surgery in Riyadh
- Maurice Ann and Klea Misa are traveling to Saudi Arabia on Saturday
- They are fully supported by the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program
MANILA: When Maricel Misa saw a social media post about Filipino conjoined twins separated in Saudi Arabia last year, she congratulated them and said she hoped her daughters would also get that chance one day. Little did she know that a few months later, they would be flying to Riyadh for the same life-changing help.
Misa, who owns a small shop with her husband in Lubang, a municipality on the island of Mindoro, learned that her children were joined at the head in her sixth month of pregnancy. At first, they did not believe the ultrasound reading and hoped everything would still be fine.
When the girls were born, their parents’ world suddenly turned upside down, but they soon overcame the shock and organized themselves to give Maurice Ann and Klea all the support they could afford.
“My husband gave up his work so that someone could stay home to take care of our children as they grew up. We know that they are not like other children. They need constant care, someone to assist them when walking, bathing, and eating every single day,” Misa told Arab News.
“What we are going through right now is really very tough, especially when it comes to their schooling … One of them, I’m not even sure if she’s learning well, because she’s always facing sideways. But by God’s grace, they’re learning a lot and have made friends. And thankfully, they’re not getting bullied by their classmates.”
Like all parents, she and her husband have always hoped their daughters would one day live like other children and become independent. Misa knew it was possible after the separation of another pair of Filipino conjoined twins made headlines last year.
“We saw a post from Saudi Arabia about conjoined twins from the Philippines who had undergone surgery there, and I commented, saying I hope we can be helped too. Someone noticed my comment and reached out to me,” she said.
“Not long after that, the Saudi Embassy called me and told me that our trip to Saudi Arabia for a medical evaluation had been approved. Now, we’re just waiting a few more days before we travel. We are really thankful for the help of the Saudi government. This is a huge blessing for us. I truly want my children to have a normal life. We are so incredibly thankful that the Saudi government noticed us, even though we are not their own people.”
Maurice Ann and Klea will be traveling to Riyadh on Saturday. The Saudi Embassy in Manila announced this week that all the costs will be borne by the Kingdom under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program and that they will receive specialized medical care in King Abdulaziz Medical City.
“Their case will be overseen by the esteemed medical and surgical team led by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor-general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center,” the embassy said.
“This case marks the third instance of Filipino conjoined twins to be treated under this pioneering humanitarian program.”
Dr. Al-Rabeeah, who leads the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, is one of the world’s most renowned pediatric surgeons. Since the establishment of the program in 1990, he and his team have separated more than 140 children who were born sharing internal organs with their siblings.
Next week, as Maurice Ann and Klea start their treatment in Riyadh, they will observe their seventh birthday.
“I have no other wish but for them to live a normal life, to be like other children. I want them to finish their studies and achieve their dreams. Even if one day we are no longer around, we want to be at peace knowing that they can take care of themselves because they are living normal lives. That’s all I truly hope for,” their mother said.
“This upcoming surgery of our twins, if it becomes successful, will bring such a huge change in our lives … They’ll finally have the freedom to live their own lives, thanks to the support of the Saudi government. This is truly a life-changing help for us.”
Conjoined twins are a rare phenomenon, estimated to occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births.
The first pair of Filipino conjoined twins, Ann and Mae Manz, were separated by Dr. Al-Rabeeah and his team in March 2004. They were joined at the abdomen, pelvis, and perineum. The second pair, Akhizah and Ayeesha Yusoph, were joined at the lower chest and abdomen and shared one liver. They were successfully separated under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program in September 2024.
Zelensky urges ‘strong reaction’ against Moscow if talks fail
- “There needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions against Russia,” Zelensky said
TIRANA: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Friday for “strong” Western action against Moscow, including new sanctions, if peace talks taking place in Istanbul fail to produce a breakthrough.
“We had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war if only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkiye,” Zelensky told European leaders gathered in Tirana.
“If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can’t deliver any results today... there needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks,” he said.
Conflict and climate drive record global hunger in 2024, UN says
ROME: Acute food insecurity and child malnutrition rose for a sixth consecutive year in 2024, affecting more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories, according to a U.N. report released on Friday.
That marked a 5% increase on 2023 levels, with 22.6% of populations in worst-hit regions experiencing crisis-level hunger or worse.
"The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises paints a staggering picture," said Rein Paulsen, Director of Emergencies and Resilience at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
"Conflict, weather extremes and economic shocks are the main drivers, and they often overlap," he added.
Looking ahead, the U.N. warned of worsening conditions this year, citing the steepest projected drop in humanitarian food funding since the report's inception -- put at anywhere between 10% to more than 45%.
U.S. President Donald Trump has led the way, largely shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides aid to the world's needy, cancelling more than 80% of its humanitarian programs.
"Millions of hungry people have lost, or will soon lose, the critical lifeline we provide," warned Cindy McCain, the head of the Rome-based World Food Programme.
Conflict was the leading cause of hunger, impacting nearly 140 million people across 20 countries in 2024, including areas facing "catastrophic" levels of food insecurity in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. Sudan has confirmed famine conditions.
Economic shocks, such as inflation and currency devaluation, helped push 59.4 million people into food crises in 15 countries -- nearly double the levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic -- including Syria and Yemen.
Extreme weather, particularly El Nino-induced droughts and floods, shunted 18 countries into crisis, affecting more than 96 million people, especially in Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa.
The number of people facing famine-like conditions more than doubled to 1.9 million -- the highest since monitoring for the global report began in 2016.
Malnutrition among children reached alarming levels, the report said. Nearly 38 million children under five were acutely malnourished across 26 nutrition crises, including in Sudan, Yemen, Mali and Gaza.
Forced displacement also exacerbated hunger. Nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people, including refugees and internally displaced persons, lived in countries facing food crises, such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia.
Despite the grim overall trend, 2024 saw some progress. In 15 countries, including Ukraine, Kenya and Guatemala, food insecurity eased due to humanitarian aid, improved harvests, easing inflation and a decline in conflict.
To break the cycle of hunger, the report called for investment in local food systems. "Evidence shows that supporting local agriculture can help the most people, with dignity, at lower cost," Paulsen said.
Health Rounds: Novel approach to HIV vaccine shows early promise
The first human clinical trials testing a new strategy to protect against HIV infections have yielded promising early results, according to two separate reports published on Thursday in Science.
The trials tested “germline targeting” HIV vaccines, which aim to activate immune system B cells in their naive, or germline, state, inducing them to become specialized cells that produce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs).
By delivering a variety of HIV immunogens – typically, viral protein fragments - germline vaccines train the B cells to produce antibodies that can recognize and block a broad range of different strains of HIV from infecting healthy cells.
Germline targeting requires an initial dose to prime the correct B cells, and subsequent doses to guide their maturation until they can produce effective bnAbs, the researchers reported.
"Across the participants we saw an immune response that indicates that we're on the right track,” Rogier Sanders of Amsterdam UMC, senior investigator on one of the trials, said in a statement.
“We saw that we can target the cells that we need to target with atomic precision. The next step is to further stimulate these cells to secrete broadly neutralizing antibodies," Sanders said.
In a separate paper, a different team of researchers reported on two early trials that used mRNA-encoded nanoparticles produced by Moderna to successfully prime the germline B cells, although a small proportion of patients had skin reactions to the vaccines.
The mRNA technology, similar to that used in Moderna's COVID-19 shots, would allow for faster vaccine development, the study authors said.
One of the trials was conducted in the United States and the other in Rwanda and South Africa. The majority of HIV patients live in Africa, but germline targeting has not previously been attempted there.
The researchers said the mRNA approach appeared to work with both North American and African populations, opening the door to further testing of germline-targeting vaccines for "African populations in most need of an HIV vaccine.”
EASING THERAPIES FOR SOME PROSTATE, CERVIX CANCERS
Two new studies suggest that patients with certain cancers might do just as well with a shorter course of radiation or a less extensive surgery as with standard treatments.
In JAMA Oncology, researchers reported that in men who require radiation after undergoing the most extensive type of surgery for prostate cancer, a form of high-dose radiation delivered in just five sessions known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) appears to be as safe as conventional treatment delivered daily for up to seven weeks.
SBRT is a well-established treatment for prostate cancer, but its use after a radical prostatectomy has been limited due to concerns about the shifting position of the prostate bed and nearby healthy tissues.
The researchers tracked 100 men treated with SBRT in the single-arm study. Two years after the treatment, outcomes and side effects were similar to what the researchers had seen in the past from patients who received the longer-course treatments.
If randomized studies and longer follow-up confirm the results, “this approach could remove a major barrier to post-surgery radiation therapy,” study leader Dr. Amar Kishan of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a statement.
In JAMA Network Open, a separate team of researchers reported that women with low-risk early-stage cancer of the cervix do as well after simple hysterectomy as after modified radical hysterectomy or radical hysterectomy.
Among 2,636 carefully selected patients treated for stage IA2 or IB1 cervical carcinoma at accredited cancer hospitals, there was no difference in survival rates at 3 years, 5 years, 7 years or 10, or in postoperative outcomes after the three types of surgery.
