Talankin had been forced to check the award into hold luggage before boarding a flight from John F ​Kennedy International Airport to Frankfurt, according to a post by his co-director David Borenstein on ​Instagram.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents told Talankin that the 8.5 lb (3.8 kg) statuette posed a ⁠potential security threat, Borenstein said, adding that the award then went missing.

“We can confirm that the Oscar statue has ​now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt. We are in direct contact ​with the guest to arrange its personal return as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for Lufthansa said.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and have apologised to the owner. The careful and secure handling of our guests’ belongings is ​of the utmost importance to us. An internal review of the circumstances is ongoing.”

The ​TSA did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

“At the airport, a TSA agent stopped him and ‌said ⁠the Oscar could be used as a weapon,” Borenstein said on Instagram about Talankin.

“Pavel didn’t have a bag to check it in, so the TSA put the Oscar in a box and sent it to the bottom of the plane,” he said, posting a series of pictures, including of ​the box.

Speaking to ​the online magazine Deadline ⁠after arriving in Germany on Thursday, Talankin said it was “completely baffling how they consider an Oscar a weapon”.

On previous flights on various airlines, ​he had flown with it “in the cabin, and there never was any ​kind of ⁠problem,” he told the outlet.

Talankin and Borenstein’s documentary used two years of footage that Talankin had recorded at a school where he worked in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region to show how students were exposed to messaging in favour ⁠of ​President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

The 35-year-old Talankin, who fled Russia ​in 2024, has defended the film as a record for posterity to show how “an entire generation became angry and aggressive”.

The library’s management posted an appeal for funds on Tuesday, announcing that they would be shutting down as a hike in rent had made running the venue unaffordable and that they needed Rs500,000 for relocation.

On Friday, three days after the appeal went live, they announced they had met their funding goal in under an hour after people, believing in the citizen-run initiative’s vision, rallied to its cause.

“Karachi… you did it,” the announcement read, “We posted the first call for funds in the midst of planning our sabbatical, but you guys stopped us in our tracks. We met the fundraising goal in 53 MINUTES, and in three days, you TRIPLED it.”

The management said donations came through across multiple local channels as well as foreign contributions on Venmo and Zelle. Individual contributions ranged from Rs500 to $1,350 (over Rs370,000).

Their current premises appear to also have been saved by the intervention of an unnamed supporter and negotiations are underway to keep Kitab Ghar operating at its present location for another 11 months.

The library’s administration said they intend to relocate to a more affordable and sustainable venue, but this will allow for a smoother transition with minimal disruptions.

Kitab Ghar will be hosting celebratory events which will “help keep the lights on”, and organisers have asked the community to stay tuned for further announcements on their social media accounts.

For now though, this story has a happy ending and the library’s team is grateful to the community behind it. “Thank you for saving Kitab Ghar,” their announcement read. “It’s an honour to serve every one of you.”

The resignations come days after the jury announced they would not consider artists for countries whose leaders are facing charges at the International Criminal Court — an apparent reference to Russia and Israel — for the prestigious Golden and Silver Lion trophies.

Jury members included president Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi.

After the jury’s abrupt resignation, the festival announced emergency measures, including the establishment of two Visitors’ Lions which will be awarded based on votes cast by eligible ticket holders. The awards themselves have also been postponed till November 22.

A press release from the Biennale read, “All National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, are eligible for the Visitors’ Lion for the Best National Participation, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all participants,” implying that Russian and Israeli artists are back in the running.

Organisers said this was “consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale,” which is “based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship”.

The decision to let Russia participate, even as the country continues to wage war on neighbouring Ukraine, drew sharp rebukes from the Italian government of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who said it was “a decision not shared by the government,” but added that the Biennale was autonomous and its president “very capable”.

Her cultural minister took an even harder line, saying he would not attend the festival’s previews or its opening day on May 9 if Russia is allowed to take part. He also had a phone call with Israeli artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, where the minister “confirmed the Italian government’s commitment against every form of discrimination and antisemitism in Italian cultural institutions,” according to a statement from his office.

Fainaru had accused the jury of discrimination and threatened to take legal action.

The strongest response, however, came from the European Union (EU), which is looking to terminate a two million euro grant to the Biennale as a response to Russia taking part in the event. The Italian Ministry of Culture also sent a delegation to the Biennale on Wednesday to investigate Russian inclusion at the EU’s request.

Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has refused to back down, saying the festival was “a space of coexistence for the whole planet” without censorship.

Cover photo: AFP

The appeal filed through Advocate Saqib Jilani argues that the trial court erred both in law and on facts while adjudicating the dispute.

A main contention raised in the appeal is that the trial court proceeded to decide the defamation suit despite the underlying sexual harassment allegations remaining unresolved on merits.

The appellant pointed out that her complaint was still pending before the Supreme Court, which had granted leave in January 2021. She maintained that earlier proceedings before the ombudsperson, the governor and the high court were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, not on factual determination.

The appeal further argues that her complaint constituted a lawful exercise of legal recourse and was protected under the doctrine of qualified privilege, thereby negating liability for defamation.

It contends that the trial court failed to properly evaluate evidence and overlooked the standard of “preponderance of probabilities”, which, according to the appellant, supported the credibility of her allegations.

Challenging the interpretation of law, the appeal asserted that the respondent (Ali Zafar) had failed to meet the threshold under Section 3 of the Defamation Ordinance 2002, which requires proof that the impugned statements were false.

The appeal argues that an “unproven” allegation cannot automatically be treated as “false,” citing established jurisprudence.

The appeal also criticised the trial court for disregarding settled legal principles regarding testimony in sexual harassment cases, including the recognition that a victim’s statement can be sufficient if found credible.

It argues that the trial court relied on stereotypical assumptions about how a victim is expected to behave, thereby misreading the evidence.

Additionally, the appeal disputes the inference drawn from continued social and professional interactions between the parties, arguing that such a conduct does not negate the possibility of harassment, particularly in cases involving subtle or discreet behaviour.

An additional district and sessions judge on March 31, 2026, issued the impugned decree in favour of Ali Zafar, declaring that Meesha Shafi failed to produce sufficient, reliable and independent evidence to prove allegations of harassment.

Meesha took to X in 2018, alleging that Zafar had sexually harassed her.

In the same year, Zafar filed a defamation suit, contending that the allegations had seriously damaged his public reputation and caused distress to his family.

He requested the court to pass a decree in his favour and sought damages of Rs1 billion.

Originally published in Dawn, April 30th, 2026

She is one of thousands of Pakistani female doctors returning to practice through “telemedicine” after leaving the profession because of family obligations and workplace barriers to women in the conservative society.

Although women outnumber men in Pakistan’s medical registrations, many stop practicing after marriage, exacerbating the fast-growing nation’s shortage of doctors.

Jafri, a mother of three, gave up cardiology after marriage.

“I did not want to choose long working hours and be away from home for a long time,” she told AFP.

But an initiative by digital health firm Sehat Kahani helped her back into the workforce by providing a digital platform to connect home-based, mostly female doctors, with patients in underserved communities.

Private clients are also catered for.

The initiative has brought 7,500 doctors back into practice, its co-founder says, and aims to boost healthcare for disadvantaged areas in Pakistan that face a dearth of services — especially female patients who often feel more comfortable speaking with women medical staff about health issues.

Gallup surveys and doctor associations suggest more than a third of Pakistan’s female medical graduates never enter the profession — or leave it after marriage — due to lack of family support, poor childcare facilities, and harassment.

The situation is symptomatic of wider challenges for women in Pakistan who face significant economic and social disparities, with the World Economic Forum ranking the nation second-to-last for gender equality.

Doctor brides

Jafri now balances caring for her children and household chores with attending to patients online.

“I wanted to stay with my children,” the 43-year-old said of the flexible arrangement.

An overwhelming majority of the tens of thousands of aspirants who compete for places in government-run medical universities are women — a rare instance in Pakistan of female student admissions outnumbering men.

Yet working at hospitals and clinics is widely seen as incompatible with family life for women, especially those with young children.

“The lady doctor who advises mothers to exclusively breastfeed for six months does not have such a facility at her own workplace,” said Zakiya Aurangzeb, president of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association.

She said long hours and the risk of sexual harassment and mob violence from the families of patients who suffered poor outcomes also put off women and their families.

Seeing those challenges as well as Pakistan’s dismal healthcare access in poor communities, doctor Sara Saeed Khurram set up Sehat Kahani, a digital network that includes 80 clinics where patients visit for a remote consultation with a doctor, guided by an in-person nurse.

She hoped to realise the full benefits of the years of training and government subsidies for degrees that many families seek for their daughters due to the social status they confer in Pakistan society, where a “Dr” honorific is considered to improve marriage prospects for women.

“When that wedding card goes out that you’re marrying a doctor… it just raises the social stature of the entire family,” said Khurram.

“Once that purpose is done… then it becomes very difficult for you to challenge the societal norms that exist in that family to let her work.”

Khurram understands the situation first-hand.

“I also became what we call the doctor bride or the ‘doctor bahu’,” she said, using the Urdu term for “daughter-in-law”.

Though she remained in the workforce, Khurram watched her mostly-female medical school cohort drop out of work one by one, facing pressure from in-laws to focus on tending the home.

Healthcare gap

The lack of female doctors is deepening the strain on Pakistan’s healthcare, a mix of public and private systems with sharp disparities between cities and rural areas in the country of 250 million people and poor outcomes for urban working-class neighbourhoods.

Around 70,000 women — almost a fifth of the 370,000 total registered doctors — are listed in official registries but not practicing, according to medical associations.

Ushering female doctors back to the workforce online also provides better options for patients.

In an impoverished neighbourhood of Karachi, Muhammad Adil was able to take his eight-year-old son to a nearby Sehat Kahani–run health unit because it saves him time and money.

“When we come here, we are able to save our daily wage because it’s close,” he said, after a free consultation with Jafri on his son’s chickenpox. Digital healthcare improved flexibility and could help women back into the workforce, Jafri said, but cautioned that ultimately family backing was key.

“If a woman doctor receives support from her husband, parents, and in-laws, she can excel,” she said. “Those who get it go on to succeed, but many who don’t are forced to give up.”

In an Instagram post, the management of the venue in PECHS said recent gentrification of the area around the citizen-run public library had led to an increase in rent, which they could no longer afford to pay.

They said they knew what the place meant to their patrons and the community that had formed around it, and that they “do not deliver this news lightly”. They said they had provided the city with a place to “love”, “laugh”, “make art”, “congregate” and “be political” for 18 months and would have loved to continue doing so were they not “being forced to shut down”.

“If you need a Kitab Ghar near you, trust us when we tell you that we need you more,” the management said and that, while they planned to relocate to a new spot and continue serving the city, they couldn’t afford to do so yet.

To that end, they said they had set up a fundraiser with a goal of collecting Rs500,000 to be put towards finding and setting up the next Kitab Ghar Karachi. “We exist because you do,” the library’s team said. “Wherever you are, if you believe in the Kitab Ghar mission, please donate.”

Kitab Ghar is free for people to visit and use as a study and social space, with some events being ticketed. The bulk of their funding comes from monthly donation pledges and one-time contributions by patrons.

The management thanked their “comrades, patrons, and regulars” for “walking with us in our justaju [struggle] for something better”.

In a post on X on Sunday, the chief minister said the 50-acre space aims to bring “the glory of filmmaking back to Lahore and Punjab”.

Maryam said the project had been conceived almost two years ago and involved “continuous consultations with filmmakers, producers and actors.

Listing the facilities being built as part of the complex, she said it would have “world-class studios and sound stages” with “advanced VFX and post-production labs”. A purpose-built convention hall is planned to host events and an integrated trade hub will be built to facilitate business.

A film and music school will be established on-site to train new artists and musicians, along with a number of backlots and a central lake for filmmakers to use as sets. The facility will also have dedicated emergency response infrastructure.

The chief minister said the Punjab Film City will reduce reliance on foreign production services, and in doing so, it will “empower local talent, create thousands of jobs and position Pakistan as a global hub for creative excellence”.

She said her vision was to “transform Punjab into a global destination for technology, innovation, heritage and culture” and called the project “a gift to our youth and artists”.

Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari also shed light on the government’s initiatives to revive Punjab’s waning film industry on Sunday, detailing plans to disburse funds for film production.

She said 32 individuals had been selected to receive Rs30 million each for their projects, with half the amount released at script submission and the other half at their film’s completion. The filmmakers will be given a year for these projects.

Applications for a second batch of filmmakers will open in June and special funds have been set aside for five exceptionally talented young individuals.

Another project being undertaken by the government is the transition of cinemas to solar energy in an effort to reduce their operating costs and provide relief to cinema owners.

Bokhari emphasised these initiatives aim to promote creativity in Punjab and enable the local film industry to compete at the international level.

The five jury members who will select the winners of the Golden and Silver Lion awards among the 110 participants ​said they felt compelled to commit “to the defence of human rights” as part of their ​role at the event, which opens on May 9.

“This jury will refrain from ⁠the consideration of those countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by ​the International Criminal Court,” they said in a statement, without naming Russia and Israel.

The ICC has issued ​arrest warrants for sitting leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, for alleged war crimes committed against children in Ukraine, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza.

The ​Israeli and Russian embassies in Rome did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Recognition of Israeli crimes in Gaza is not new for Venice’s prestigious art circuit. Last year’s Venice International Film Festival, run by the Biennale, saw Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab win the Silver Lion award.

The film, which follows the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza by Israeli forces, received a 22-minute standing ovation — the longest in the festival’s history.

Criticism over Russian Pavilion

The International Art Exhibition has been criticised since organisers allowed Russia to reopen its pavilion at the event. After ‌Moscow’s ⁠invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian artists and institutions were excluded from major European events.

The Biennale’s decision sparked criticism from the Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — a staunch supporter of Ukraine — but also from the European Union.

On Thursday, the European Commission said it had sent a letter to the Biennale ​informing it of its ​intent to terminate or ⁠suspend a 2 million euro ($2.34m) grant after they allowed Moscow to rejoin.

“There is only one ongoing grant, this is of 2 million for the ​next three years and this is the one we aim to terminate ​or to ⁠suspend,” an EU Commission spokesperson told reporters.

The spokesperson said the Biennale had 30 days to respond to the EU’s letter.

In a separate statement, the Biennale said the jury operates with full autonomy and independence.

“This is ⁠a position ​that the members have decided to bring forward and ​make public. It is a natural expression of the freedom and autonomy that La Biennale guarantees,” the statement said.

Cover photo: Venice Biennale

Lorrayne Mavromatis, who joined Beast Industries in 2022 as the head of its Instagram, alleged harassment of female employees was “condoned” and complaints were not taken seriously at the business.

According to a report by the BBC, Mavromatis claimed she was removed from her role at the firm after “complaining about a workplace that suffered from a lack of basic employment protections”.

In her lawsuit, she alleged sexual harassment of female employees was “both condoned and/or perpetuated by their supervisors”, adding she was also “treated differently than her male counterpart”.

She said she had complained about the “hostile environment” faced by female employees to the company’s HR chief, but was told her claims were “unsubstantiated”.

In an example listed in court papers, Mavromatis claimed she had once asked Beast Industries’ CEO James Warren why MrBeast — whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — would not work with her on certain projects. She said Warren told her she was a “beautiful woman and her appearance had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy”.

Another example reported by Variety said the CEO would subject Mavromatis to “to sexual harassment (making her meet him in his home for one-on-one meetings while commenting on the way she looked in her clothes) and dismissed her complaint about a male client’s unwelcome advances toward her as nothing (telling her that she should be honoured that the client was hitting on her)”.

She said she was demoted and transferred to an obscure role and fired from the company less than three weeks after she returned from pregnancy-related leave.

Mavromatis said she suffered “mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment” and “damage to her emotional and psychological well-being” due to “MrBeast’s conduct and the adverse employment actions”. She is seeking “lost wages, lost benefits, reinstatement” and various forms of damages.

In a statement given to Variety, a company representative called Mavromatis’ allegations a “clout-chasing complaint” which is “built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements”. They said she was not fired based on performance, but was instead the result of a team reorganisation.

This isn’t the first time MrBeast has faced similar allegations. In September 2024, contestants on his show Beast Games filed a lawsuit claiming they were exploited during their time working on the show.

Papers filed as part of the suit said the contestants were not paid and did not receive meal breaks or appropriate time to rest. There were redacted mentions of sexual harassment allegations in the lawsuit as well.

The letter from the No Music for Genocide campaign calls the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) out for continuing to include Israel in the annual Eurovision Song Contest despite the state’s ongoing killings in Palestine.

Referring to Israel’s brutal 2023 invasion of Gaza, it says audiences at the event will “find Israel celebrated on stage despite its ongoing genocide in Gaza, while Russia remains banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine” for the “third year running”.

The letter rejects “Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalise Israel’s genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians” and commended broadcasters from Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands for refusing to participate in the competition unless Israeli broadcaster KAN was excluded.

Calling the EBU “hypocritical”, the letter said the organisation believed letting Russia participate after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine would bring “disrepute” to Eurovision, “Yet more than 30 months of genocide in Gaza… aren’t considered sufficient to apply the same policy to Israel.”

The artists said they refuse to be silent “when children in Israeli prisons endure beatings for humming a tune. When all that’s left of nearly every stage, studio, bookshop and university in Gaza is piles of rubble, under which slaughtered bodies still await recovery and proper burial.”

The No Music for Genocide campaign started as a group of over 400 musicians geo-blocking their music in Israel. The movement was inspired by a similar boycott of Israeli institutions by film workers including big names such as Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield and Mark Ruffalo.

Simultaneously, over 1,000 literary figures, including winners of the Booker, Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes for Literature, have pledged not to work with Israeli publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications “complicit in violating Palestinian rights”.

Weinstein, a central figure of abuse allegations that spurred the MeToo movement, appeared at the New York City courtroom wheelchair-bound due to ill health. He is being retried on a count of third-degree rape against Mann that allegedly happened in 2013 in a Manhattan hotel room.

Last June, a judge declared a mistrial on the charge after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury-room feud. Weinstein, 74, is already imprisoned for other sex offences, so he will remain behind bars regardless of the retrial verdict.

“This case will come down to power, to control and manipulation,” said Assistant District Attorney Candace White. She told how Weinstein used his Hollywood clout to take advantage of Mann — then a 27-year-old “barely scraping by” — including by enticing her with a role in a movie that she had no chance of getting.

Originally published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2026

D4vd was charged with murder with special circumstances of lying ​in wait, committing a crime for financial gain and murdering a witness in an investigation. He faces ​a maximum prison sentence of life without parole. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman ⁠said prosecutors would decide later whether to seek the death penalty.

Attorneys for the singer entered the not-guilty plea on ​his behalf and asked for a preliminary hearing to be held as soon as possible for him to hear the ​evidence prosecutors say they have gathered.

“We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nor was he the cause of her death,” defense attorney Blair Berk said during the arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Judge Theresa McGonigle said no bail ​would be set for D4vd, who remains in custody.

Earlier on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Celeste’s ​decomposed and dismembered remains were found in September 2025 in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd. She had been ‌missing ⁠for nearly a year and a half when the remains were discovered in the car, separated into two bags, Hochman said.

The vehicle had been parked for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood before being towed to an impound lot, where workers reported a foul odor.

Hochman said an investigation revealed D4vd was involved in a sexual relationship with Celeste when ​he was an adult and ​she was a minor. ⁠In addition to murder, he was charged with continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating a body.

The district attorney said ​Celeste was killed in a “brutal and horrific” crime but that he would wait until ​a coroner’s ⁠report was made public before disclosing her cause of death.

Hochman said authorities believed Celeste went to D4vd’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and “was never heard from again.” Prosecutors allege the singer killed Celeste because she threatened to expose their relationship ⁠and pose ​harm to his career.

D4vd gained fame in 2022 after songs he recorded ​on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok, with the hit ‘Romantic Homicide’ helping him sign a deal with Interscope Records. He ​performed at the Coachella music festival in 2025.

Art and nature dominated his long career in equal measure, but it was that 1967 book, its sequels and his regular TV appearances that secured his reputation.

Subtitled A zoologist’s study of the human animal, the blurb in the first edition said it would show how our sex and social lives, gestures, emotions and habits all followed patterns “set down by … hunting-ape ancestors”.

Sales were boosted by the frisson of the title, the use of a nude man and woman in adverts, and a serialisation in the Sunday Mirror newspaper, which promised “one of the most controversial books written in our time”.

Some church and other public figures bolstered the publicity by expressing outrage over the book’s frank focus on mankind’s evolutionary makeup. As Morris pursued his career as a writer and scientific populariser, he also built up a reputation in the more rarefied world of British surrealism.

“I have always been two people,” Morris told artist and writer Melanie Coles in an interview for the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2016. “I am an objective scientist and then I go into my studio and my other hemisphere of my brain starts to work. I become an artist and am irrational in my surrealist work.”

Desmond Morris was born in the rural southwest English county of Wiltshire on January 24, 1928, the great-grandson of Victorian naturalist and newspaper owner William Morris.

At school through the 1940s, he developed his parallel fascinations in the natural world and new art movements.

Originally published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026

Cover via BBC

The list celebrates 100 artists, pioneers, titans, icons, leaders and innovators whom the magazine’s editors believe are the most influential people in the world.

The artists category featured Jennie, actor Keke Palmer, Noah Wyle of the show The Pitt, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, Benicio Del Toro and Kapoor, among others. The note accompanying Panahi’s name included a quote from him — “I’m going to go to prison for a year, and I’ll come out with a new script.” It also spoke of his decades of “turning censorship into cinematic resistance, using his craft to pull back the curtain on the realities of life in Iran”.

The list of pioneers included YouTube sensation MrBeast.

The list of titans included actors Ben Stiller and Zoe Saldana, model Anok Yai, designer Ralph Lauren, Google’s Sundar Pichai and co-chairs of the World Health Organisation’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body during the Covid pandemic, Precious Matsoso and Anne-Claire Amprou, among many others.

Hollywood star power was also on display in the icons list, with the inclusion of Kate Hudson, Hilary Duff and Ethan Hawke. Olympic figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu and Victoria Beckham were also on the list. Duff’s inclusion note, written by Nicole Richie, describes her as “the girl we danced with in our bedrooms then and the woman we all want to have dinner with now”.

The leaders list began with Pope Leo XIV and featured Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump, New York Mayor Mamdani, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Steve Witikoff, who was recently in Islamabad as part of the US’ negotiation team with Iran and Prime Minister of Nepal Balendra Shah.

The note accompanying Netanyahu’s name speaks of “Israel’s devastation of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, its crippling strikes alongside the US on Iran’s nuclear programme in the 12-Day War, and the eventual extraction of all remaining hostages from Gaza have boosted his standing with the Israeli public”.

It notes, however, that “this same legacy may also poison international attitudes toward his country”.

The list of innovators included Hilary Knight of the US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, chef Vikas Khanna and F1 driver Lando Norris, among others.

Rivas, who was from a suburb about 70 miles (110 km) southeast of Los Angeles, had been missing for nearly a year and a half when her decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025. The vehicle had been parked for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighbourhood before being towed to an impound lot, where workers reported a foul odour, police have said.

D4vd gained fame in 2022 after songs he recorded on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok, with the hit ‘Romantic Homicide’ helping him sign a deal with Darkroom/Interscope Records, a label associated with Billie Eilish.

The case drew attention following media reports that linked Burke to the vehicle shortly after the girl’s body was found. Police said at the time they were conducting an extensive investigation but declined to announce charges until now.

“Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery‑Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21‑year‑old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas,” Los Angeles police said in a statement on X.

Burke was being held without bail and his case will be presented to prosecutors on Monday, the statement said.

Blair Berk, the attorney representing David Burke, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Berk has largely declined public comment. Prior to Burke’s arrest, Berk said there was no publicly disclosed evidence linking her client to a crime and emphasised his rights during an active investigation.

The hearing was conducted by Special Judge Central Humayun Dilawar, where Dr Fazeela Abbasi appeared along with her counsel Naeem Bukhari. During the proceedings, the prosecution informed the court that a written response had been received from the accused, stating that she had not personally appeared before investigators.

At this point, Dr Fazeela Abbasi interjected, telling the court that she had appeared multiple times. However, her counsel immediately advised her to remain silent, reminding her that legal submissions should be made through her lawyer. “I am your lawyer here; do not address the judge directly,” Bukhari told his client in open court.

Bukhari further argued that the trial court had earlier dismissed the bail petition on the grounds of alleged misuse of concession, a finding that was later set aside by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). He maintained that the high court had clearly observed that there was no misuse of bail on the part of his client.

Responding to the arguments, Judge Dilawar remarked that the IHC had not made any observation regarding the merits of the case but had directed the trial court to decide the bail matter and ensure the accused joins the investigation. The judge also noted that the interim bail had already been in effect for nearly three months.

The court subsequently directed Dr Fazeela Abbasi to fully cooperate with the investigation process and extended her interim bail. The matter was adjourned until April 20 for further proceedings.

During the hearing, the accused also filed an application seeking the restoration of a joint bank account held with Hamza Ali Abbasi, which had been frozen by the FIA as part of its probe into alleged money laundering. The court took the application on record.

Meanwhile, the FIA submitted a challan in the money laundering case, marking a significant development in the investigation. According to officials, two separate cases have been registered against Dr Fazeela Abbasi — one related to alleged financial irregularities and the other concerning the operation of an illegal clinic.

The court is expected to take up both matters, including the bail confirmation and the request for restoration of the bank account, at the next hearing.

Originally published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026

A clip from the April 13 episode making the rounds on social media shows the host Fiza Ali being picked up by her husband Ejaz Khan — who was also a guest on the show — and briefly slung over his shoulder.

A day after the clip went viral, Ali maintained it was a “lighthearted spontaneous gesture that did not have any bad meaning behind it”, but the moment drew sharp criticism online, including from the chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority, Hina Parvez Butt.

Butt termed the incident as “regrettable”, adding that adults should “demonstrate good morals and decorum so that children and the younger generation can learn something better.”

Pemra took notice of the clip and issued a notice on Monday, saying that the episode included “highly inappropriate comments” and an “obnoxious gesture” by a guest that were “aired without any editorial oversight”.

The authority said the programme was in violation of Pemra rules and directed the network’s CEO to appear before the regulatory body in Islamabad on April 27 to submit a written reply as to why legal action should not be initiated.

Additionally, the CEO was ordered to “stop telecasting such inappropriate content”.

The notice added that ex-parte proceedings and legal action would be initiated in case of non-compliance under the relevant Pemra regulations.

With additional reporting by Kalbe Ali

Taking to her Instagram stories on Tuesday, she said it was just a “lighthearted spontaneous gesture that did not have any bad meaning behind it”.

She said she had always respected her work and her viewers and would continue that respect in her journey.

The “gesture” she referred to was broadcast on Monday’s episode of her show where her husband, Ejaz Khan, made a surprise appearance. Her daughter was also present.

During the show, Khan lifted Ali over his shoulder while their daughter giggled on.

The moment drew criticism online, including from chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority, Hina Parvez Butt, who took to X to call the incident “regrettable”.

“Adults should demonstrate good morals and decorum so that children and the younger generation can learn something better. Immoral, childish, and indecent actions have a negative impact on the minds of youngsters,” she wrote.

Cover via Fiza Ali/Instagram

Hosted by the Pakistan Student Association at the university’s Graduate School of Education, the initiative aimed to bring together prominent Pakistani and foreign voices to discuss the state of the country and the pressing issues facing it.

This year’s docket of speakers included designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, who had two sessions at the event. He said he was honoured to represent the country abroad, “carrying with me not just our craft, but our potential, our resilience, and the voices that shape the US and Pakistan”.

He said the conversations he had were about more than just textiles. They were about “entrepreneurship, craft, culture and heritage, about women’s empowerment, inclusion of people with disabilities, education, and the belief that Pakistan can and will rise through its people”.

He thanked the attendees for listening and Harvard students for embracing their identity for the conference.

Joining the designer for a discussion on Pakistan’s cultural depth were musician Faisal Kapadia and New York-based fashion designer Faraz Zaidi. The three got some great pictures with the panel’s moderator, Momina Mustehsan.

The conference did save the best for last, with actor, entrepreneur and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Mahira Khan delivering the conference’s concluding keynote address.

In an Instagram post after the event, she called the experience a dream.

She said it was an honour to be at the conference and thanked everyone who made the experience memorable. Khan was especially grateful to the students at Harvard, whose warmth she said made her forget how cold the weather was.

Alongside our celebrities, political and business elites were also present to brief attendees. Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, former national security advisor Moeed Yusuf and Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh spoke on diplomacy and geopolitics.

Former State Bank governor Reza Baqir joined a cohort of CEOs and economists for discussions on the economy and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the former senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, talked about judicial matters and rule of law.

Authors Zafar Masud and Shahbaz Taseer shared a panel on stories of survival in the face of adversity. Taseer was kidnapped from Lahore in 2011 and held in captivity before being rescued by security forces near Quetta in 2016. Masud on the other hand was one of two survivors of the 2020 crash of PIA flight PK-8303.

Azhar Abbas, managing director of Geo News and president of the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, shared the news on X.

“It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them. In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle’s stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did,” he said. “Yet, Pakistan’s electronic media regulator, Pemra, has chosen to restrict this.”

Bhosle, the legendary Indian singer, died on Sunday at the age of 92. One of the most recognisable voices to come out of the Subcontinent, Bhosle was admired by people in both India and Pakistan, with several Pakistani celebrities taking to social media since Sunday to pay tribute to her.

The Pemra notice, which was issued on Sunday, highlighted Geo News’ broadcast of Indian songs and visuals from Indian films while airing news of Bhosle’s death, “wilful defiance [of] the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan… wherein airing of Indian content was prohibited”.

In 2018, the Supreme Court reinstated the ban on airing Indian content on TV channels in the country.

It said Geo’s broadcast was in violation of Section 20 (f) of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002 as amended by the Pemra (Amendment) Act 2023, which obligates channels to comply with the codes of programmes and advertisements approved by the Authority and appoint an in-house monitoring committee, under intimation to the Authority, to ensure compliance of the codes.

The regulator also said Geo violated Rule 15(1) of the Pemra Rules, 2009, Regulation 18 1 (g) of the Pemra (Television Broadcast Station Operations) Regulations 2012, and Clause 4(10), 5, 17, 20 and 24 of Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015.

The CEO of M/s Independent Media Corporation (Geo News) has been summoned on April 27 and directed to explain in writing within 14 days as to why legal action, including inter alia imposition of fine, suspension and revocation of licence under Section 26, Section 29A and other enabling provisions of PEMRA Ordinance, 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act, 2023 should not be initiated.

Senator Sherry Rehman was one of many people who reacted to the development on social media. “Please, let’s not lose all perspective here, Pemra and start policing cultural transitions,” she wrote on X.

With additional reporting by Kalbe Ali

In a series of Instagram stories, she called the moment one where “the world holds its breath” and said the Islamabad Talks serve as a reminder that “peace is not inevitable, it is a choice”.

Recalling a childhood lesson from her grandfather, the filmmaker said, “It’s easy to raise your fists. It’s much harder to open your hands and make peace.”

Referring to the historical animosity between the two warring states, Chinoy said it had shaped conflicts, economies and lives in the decades following 1979 when Iran’s Islamic Revolution overthrew the pro-US Mohammad Shah Reza Pahlavi.

Whole generations, she said, grew up under the shadow of the conflict, which is why the meeting was so crucial.

The filmmaker said today wasn’t just about diplomacy or strategy, “It’s about preventing escalation in a world already stretched thin.” She said Pakistan was owed due credit for bringing both sides to the table, demonstrating “not just leadership”, but “responsibility in action”.

Touching on the possible results of the mediation, Chinoy said, “A breakthrough here wouldn’t just be a win for two countries, it would be a win for humanity.” If, however, the talks broke down, she said the consequences would be dire, possibly plunging the world into the abyss of war once more.

So, she said, today millions across the world must come together in quiet prayer for peace to prevail.

Final preparations are underway in Pakistan’s capital to host the major diplomatic summit aimed at ending the month-long war between the US and Iran.

A high-powered Iranian delegation from Tehran, led by the speaker of the Iranian parliament, landed in Islamabad late on Friday night. Washington’s team, led by the US vice president, has also landed, with talks set to take place today (Saturday).

During the hearing, Abbasi appeared before the court along with her counsel Naeem Bukhari and filed a pre-arrest bail application. The court approved her interim bail against surety bonds worth Rs50,000 and ordered her to cooperate with investigators. The matter was adjourned till April 15 for further proceedings.

According to officials, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered two cases against Abbasi in connection with the alleged operation of an illegal clinic. She is also currently on bail in a separate money laundering case.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored Dr Abbasi’s interim bail in the money laundering case and directed her to approach the trial court for further proceedings.

The development followed the dismissal of her pre-arrest bail plea by the special judge central over non-appearance. In a written order, the judge observed that the petitioner had remained absent despite the case being fixed for hearing and rejected a request for exemption on medical grounds, terming it a misuse of the concession of pre-arrest bail.

Following the dismissal, Abbasi approached the IHC, which granted her interim relief and allowed her to seek remedy before the trial court.

Originally published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026

The rapper, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, is being closely monitored, according to his representative.

NBC reported that police in Hollywood, Florida released a statement that didn’t name the rapper but confirmed that an “incident” happened in the valet area outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. One person was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood with non-life-threatening injuries, the department said.

The publication reported that the situation was quickly contained, and that two people were detained by the police.

Offset, formerly a part of the three-man group Migos alongside Quavo and Takeoff, has three children with fellow rapper Cardi B. The couple married secretly in 2017 and had several public rough patches after Cardi B announced she had filed for divorce in 2024.

In November 2022, Takeoff was shot dead at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas. He was 28 years old.

The singer invited her to the inaugural episode of his new podcast on Sunday and the tough questions began flying almost instantly.

The first question, of course, was on Yousafzai being a ‘foreign agent’ — a ‘fact’ any Pakistani uncle will attest to. She said she wasn’t and told Roy dismissing good people as agents was an old habit for some. “We didn’t even spare Abdul Sattar Edhi,” she said

The next question was about how her activism was portraying Pakistan negatively, to which she said her goal was the exact opposite of that.

“Wherever I go, I tell people. the terrorists aren’t the true representation of Pakistan. It’s their victims, those who were martyred, who sacrificed themselves, the ones who raise their voice against terrorism, they are the true representation of Pakistan,” she told the singer.

She spoke up about claims that she grabbed the first possible opportunity to flee Pakistan, saying, “I didn’t choose to leave my country.” She remembered how, when she was airlifted to the UK after being shot by the Taliban in her hometown in Swat, she was unconscious. “I just woke up one day and there were doctors around me speaking in English”.

She recalled being 15, scared, missing her parents and constantly asking doctors where they were and telling hospital staff she couldn’t pay for her treatment. “I find it funny that people think I planned all this. How could I have?” she asked.

Roy compared the Nobel laureate to Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, asking why her activism isn’t as loud and visible as the young Swede’s. Yousafzai called Thunberg a friend and asked why there had to be one right way to fight for a cause.

She brought up the different ways people fought for their rights during the Subcontinent’s fight for independence from the British, contrasting the civil disobedience of the Indian National Congress to the All India Muslim League’s more systematic methods, especially Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s approach of fighting from within the system. “We use whatever tools we have, whatever best suits our causes,” she said.

Next, the Nobel Peace Prize winner was asked about her silence on Palestine, to which she said she had been actively working on that issue since she was 16. She said she had donated the prize from one of her earlier advocacy awards — $50,000 for winning the World Children’s Prize — to schools in Palestine.

She said she condemned Israel’s genocide and reiterated the stance she has had since the brutal war on Gaza began — demanding a ceasefire, unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid and serious discussions about the future of the Palestinian people.

She denied taking a picture with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and insisted the two were not collaborating despite being executive producers of a musical. She said the show’s creators had asked her to lend her voice to their project, which is something she’s happy to do for projects that have a positive impact in the world.

She said she even wore a pro-Palestine pin to the premiere of the musical, “but I think nobody wants that to go viral”.

Roy moved the discussion to Pakistan, asking why Yousafzai wasn’t as vocal about issues in her own country as she was about other places. She responded saying her focus was on girls’ education everywhere, but that she does feel strongly about minority rights in Pakistan especially.

She said women’s rights and protection were also important to her, bringing up the issue of women being arrested for political protests. She said she was especially concerned at the state of Pakistan’s democracy. “You see, I’ve seen a small segment of Pakistan’s political history, but I have seen three prime ministers changed, sacked, jailed. It upsets me that Pakistan’s democracy isn’t strong and Imran Khan is in jail. So, when the people of Pakistan stand up for justice and try to strengthen democracy, I am with them in that struggle.”

She said her own fight was to educate girls, but that needed a strong, democratic society, stability and peace.

Yousafzai talked about how people leapt at the chance to deride her for being even a second late to talk about something on the internet when her focus was on doing actual work and bringing about tangible change. “It feels like I am responsible for all the problems and only I can solve them. If I could do it, if I could stop wars, I’d spend every second speaking out and tweeting,” the Nobel laureate said.

She also briefed Roy on the work of the Malala Fund, which she said had so far invested Rs5 billion in the country, given largely to local organisations working on the ground to educate young girls.

In the past year, she said, the fund had given Rs95 million to organisations in Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan, helping children study on flood-hit areas and covering costs such as transportation and school uniforms. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she said the Malala Fund was providing free transportation to students in 10 districts in collaboration with local partners.

She told the host there were 13 million girls out of school in Pakistan, “we dream of a day that number is zero”. She insisted that change wouldn’t “come overnight, but there is incremental change and we’re making that happen”.

We knew the world would not be the same. Some laughed, others cried, most were stunned into silence seeing the flavours: chaat, tandoori, pani puri and butter chicken.

Honestly, we’re glad we didn’t have any drinks — masala flavoured or otherwise — when we found out about the new Shan sodas, we definitely would’ve spit them out in disbelief.

There was even a video of people at their marketing agency in North America claiming to be the first to try these bizarre beverages.

For the next few days, people scurried about trying to make sense of a world where Tandoori was no longer just a type of boti, but also a refreshing drink to cool off after a summer day. There were rants; some said they had seen everything, while others appeared to be excited.

On April 1, as some people rightly suspected, Shan issued a much-needed clarification: they got us good. “Butter Chicken Masala Cola is not real and it cannot hurt you,” the apology read, sounding more like a subtle gloat.

The company said Masala Cola was not making it to shelves anytime soon, but something else was. They ended the message saying it wasn’t a joke this time.

The marketing firm, Let’s Snack, also issued a video statement showing the custom cans they had made for the prank. Apparently, one of the ingredients for the Pani Puri Soda was “the audacity”.

Fans took it in stride, although many said they wanted to try masala cola from Shan.

For now, as much of the culinary world breathes a sigh of relief and keeps a watchful eye on what the minds at Shan will cook up next, we can’t help but place this prank up there among the best we’ve seen yet from Pakistani brands. We’re also just glad it was a prank because if there’s one thing we do not want to see on Pakistani store shelves, it’s butter chicken masala soda.

Speaking to Haroon Rashid of the BBC Asian Network, the pair answered a question on how they felt about South Asians in the UK using the racially-charged term, to which Khan said, “For us, putting it as part of our vernacular, is something we’ve done for decades and decades.”

Ahmed added that there were two sides to that question. “On the one hand, definitely not in favour of people using it who’ve never been called it,” he said. “On the other hand, I myself have and sometimes do use that term, within our community, as a term of endearment.”

Khan recounted how he had recently told a non-Asian YouTuber to stop using the word in the guise of harmless banter, which prompted Ahmed to clarify, “This thing is ours, this is something we can do internally, but is not permitted outside and is a strange kind of bonding and reclamation around that.”

Both actors agreed the word had disappeared from common use, but it had returned as an insult, largely on online platforms like X, where Khan said, “that word is being used in capital letters and it comes with crazy connotations used as an insult”.

He said the show had addressed this with flashback scenes “that really reference why and how that word is so powerful in a negative way”.

Ahmed posed the question of whether using the term might be perpetuating an internalised sense of self-hate in the South Asian community, to which Khan said he wouldn’t pass judgement on younger members for reclaiming it if they find it empowering.

The term is a slur aimed initially at Pakistani and later at South Asian immigrants that has its roots in a period of racial tensions in the UK. The word holds memories of violence and persecution for South Asians, especially those who were in the UK between the 1960s and the 1980s.

The reclamation of the term by young people follows the African-American treatment of the ‘N word’, which carried racial connotations in the US associated with slavery.

While it was used commonly as a derogatory term for black people well into the 20th century, it has since been reclaimed and is used by young African-Americans as a term of endearment. It is also used widely in music, particularly hip-hop and rap, where the US scene has a strong black influence.

Cover via Riz Ahmed/Instagram

In this dark and lonely night, two heroes have emerged to make sure people don’t die alone: Hamza Ali Abbasi and Naimal Khawar.

Surprised? Shocked? Questioning reality? We were too, but let us explain. The husband-wife duo have resolved to work together and develop a matrimonial platform where users can find a match based on “Islamic values”.

The couple announced the launch of the app, named Marriage 4 Life, on Monday. What makes this one different, in Abbasi’s own words, “is on-ground offices in multiple countries, as of now we have offices in [the] UK, Norway, Paris. We have offices in Denmark…in Lahore.”

He said these offices weren’t just to help people find partners, but also offered pre and post marriage consultations. He said the network was set to expand to Karachi and multiple locations in North America and the Middle East.

The most important feature, as Abbasi put it, is the Wali function, which allows parents or guardians to monitor communications between two users vying for a match. This function comes with two modes, messages can be tracked in real time, or an AI bot can be tasked to flag any ‘indecent’ words in the messages exchanged and alert the parents.

The actor also said the app has the “most detailed bio-data system” with agents on the ground to review and confirm the information provided. He also said they have psychologists and therapists on staff to help with any problems arising before, during, or after the matchmaking process.

Abbasi called the app, which is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, an “all-in-one solution to all your marriage problems”.

While the concept is certainly novel and there is an ever-present need to get many Pakistani couples into therapy or counselling, we’re left wondering how different the messaging system is from the age-old practice of putting a girl and a boy together while the family watches and asking them to get to know each other on the spot.

Abbasi and Khawar said this was just an informal introduction and we can expect more detailed presentations in the coming days. We’ll be following those closely to see how this idea takes shape.

Fary, who assembles the unofficial gift bags independently of the Academy, says the goal is simple: make nominees feel celebrated, while giving small and emerging brands a global spotlight.

One ⁠of those small businesses is Rescue Spa, founded by Danuta Mieloch.

For Mieloch, participating ​in the Oscars gift bag is more than a marketing opportunity. “I think this is one ​of the most exciting moments,” she said. “Coming from Poland 30-something years ago and now being at the Oscars — it means a lot.”

Companies pay a fee to include their products, and Rescue Spa is ​contributing $450 worth of treatments and goods this year per bag. It’s the brand’s third ​time being featured, and Mieloch says the exposure is worth the investment.

“I feel like it positions us ‌in ⁠a better place. And it aligns with our philosophy. To be nominated requires diligence, a lot of work and excellence — and I feel like my products are aligned with that,” she added.

The gift haul ranges from inexpensive snacks to a home interior design ​package that could be ​anything from a six-figure ⁠full home rebuild to a more modest redo of a room because the nominee’s kids have gone off to college, Fary ​said.

This year’s gift bag — actually a small suitcase — also includes five ​vacations, whisking ⁠nominees from snow-covered villas in Finland to the beaches of Costa Rica.

While Fary doesn’t always hear directly from recipients, the social-media trail tells him all he needs to know.

“Whenever they ⁠take ​a trip and post pictures, or they go in ​and get the waitlisted Sculpt and Lift facial at Rescue Spa — which one of the nominees already does — ​that’s the best feedback of all,” he said.

Cover photo: Reuters

Punch, a seven-month-old baby macaque, was abandoned by his mother and shot to stardom after he began clinging to a plush orangutan toy from IKEA for comfort at Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo.

But after the zoo posted on X last month that Punch “had been scolded many times by other monkeys”, videos showing him being chased by members of the troop were spread online, alongside claims that he was being bullied.

“As a result, we have received many voices of concern from people both in Japan and overseas,” the zoo said in a statement Tuesday.

The zoo added that Punch was becoming less reliant on the stuffed orangutan toy because increasing numbers of monkeys were looking after or playing with him.

“While dominant individuals may show disciplining actions toward their subordinates, as macaques do naturally, these actions in the macaque society ‘differ from human abuses’,” it said.

“Punch spends most of the day peacefully,” the zoo added.

The zoo also warned that “Punch has become accustomed to living in this troop, so separating him now would create the risk that he would never be able to return to the group and would have to continue living that way for the rest of his life”.

Spurned by its mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year.

Punch’s predicament sparked huge interest online, spawning a devoted fanbase under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, as large crowds thronged the zoo, and sales of his IKEA orangutan toy boomed.

However, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Punch’s plight has highlighted the cruelty of zoos and called for his relocation to a “reputable sanctuary, where he could live in a more natural environment”.

Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid said she had approved regulations restricting the use of “high risk” applications YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X and Bigo Live for users under 16. The popular online game Roblox is also on the government’s hit list.

Deactivation of accounts held by minors is set to start from March 28 in a gradual transition process.

In a statement, she explained the rationale behind the move. “The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction.” The minister said “parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms” now that the government has entered the ring on their side.

Acknowledging the move might not be popular among those affected, Hafid said, “We realise that the implementation of this regulation may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children’s complaints.”

Parents, however, appeared happy with the measure. “As a working mum with two children, especially with a teenage son, I don’t have much time to constantly monitor what my son is doing in the digital world,” one mother, Amanda Kusumo, told the BBC in response to news of the ban.

“With government regulations like this, it really helps ease our worries as parents,” she said. “I’m confident that the government’s decision will ultimately bring positive benefits for both children and parents.”

Her 17-year-old son Matt Joseph was somewhat less thrilled, saying, “It’s true that children still can’t fully manage their own screen time or control themselves when using their phones. But if the government chooses to completely block all platforms considered ‘risky’ for them, I feel there might be a gentler, wiser way to approach it.”

He said the government would do well to provide alternative sources of entertainment for young people, like improving television programming in the country.

Harianto, a Jakarta resident, felt the ban didn’t go far enough, telling The Guardian, “As parents, we hope that online gambling and pornography websites can also be removed. So, in a sense, the government must also be fair. This is for the sake of the people themselves, for the children, and for the children’s growth and development.”

Indonesia follows Australia’s lead, where social media was banned for children under 16 last year. The ban took effect in December ahead of summer holidays in the country. There have been calls for gaming-related platforms like Roblox and Discord to be included in the ban.

Similar measures are under consideration in France and Turkiye, while Portugal has passed reforms to require parental consent for users under 16 to join social media platforms.

In Pakistan, the Lahore and Islamabad high courts received separate petitions requesting curbs on the use of social media by minors. Both cases cited Australia’s ban as an example of positive policymaking.