BTS Won’t Enter Music From Comeback Album for Grammy Awards
The group’s decision comes a month after the Recording Academy announced five new award categories, including one for Best Asian Pop Music Performance.
Wildlife official takes notice of wild boar sighting near Fateh Jang, urges caution
ATTOCK – Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Attock, Ms. Rizwana Aziz, has taken immediate notice of a viral social media video claiming a wild boar attack on women near Fateh Jang and urged citizens to remain cautious while visiting forested and water areas.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, claimed that wild boars had attacked women who had gone to fetch water near the Baba Mian Wala well on Tehsil Road near Fateh Jang city.
Taking prompt action, Ms. Rizwana Aziz visited the site and spoke with local residents to verify the facts.
During the inquiry, locals clarified that the wild boars had not attacked the women. According to residents, the women were startled after suddenly spotting the animals and became frightened, but no one was harmed. “Fortunately, the women are completely safe,” officials confirmed.
Speaking about the incident, Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Ms. Rizwana Aziz said that wild boars do not usually attack humans and are not animals that cause harm without reason.
“Wild boars generally avoid contact with people. However, if they are teased, or if a female with young feels threatened, she may show a defensive reaction,” she explained.She appealed to residents, especially women who come to fetch water, to take precautionary measures.
Ms. Rizwana Aziz advised citizens to visit water points after sunrise in the morning and before sunset in the evening.
“Visibility is better at that time, so people can stay alert. Wild animals also usually stay away from humans during daylight hours,” she said.
Wildlife officials have further requested citizens to refrain from sharing unverified information about wildlife incidents on social media and contact the relevant wildlife or district administration agencies in case of any emergency or wildlife sighting.
The Wildlife Department said it is committed to ensuring public safety while also protecting wildlife in the district. Officials emphasized that coexistence is possible through awareness and timely reporting. Replying to a question, she said that FIRs are registered against those individuals involved in illegal hunting and penalised as per the rules.
How does the US policy toward Taiwan affects Sino-US relations?
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, one of the significant dimensions in Sino-US relations has been the issue of Taiwan. For China, it is a matter of sovereignty and territorial integrity, while the US treats it as a geostrategic issue to counter China’s rise. This insight examines how US policy toward Taiwan influences Sino-US relations.
Historically, the Taiwan issue is rooted in the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949). After the civil war ended, the then-ruling party in China, the Kuomintang (KMT), fled to Taiwan following its defeat by the Communist Party of China (CPC). The KMT, under Chiang Kai-shek, established its government in Taiwan, forming the Republic of China (ROC). In contrast, the CPC, under Mao Zedong, established the communist government in Beijing. In 1971, the PRC was admitted to the UN, and Taiwan was expelled, but the US upheld Taiwan as the legitimate government until 1979. In 1979, the US formally recognised China but maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan under the KMT by potentially breaching the One-China policy agreed under the Three Joint Communiqués between China and the US.
China considers the long-standing Taiwan issue an internal political matter of sovereignty and an integral part of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” which cannot be achieved without the unification of Taiwan. China opposes defense, economic, political, and diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the rest of the world.
However, the US continues to maintain strong relations with Taiwan. Taiwan relies mostly on US security support and weapon supplies, even though there is no formal security treaty between them. The US is neither authorising military intervention nor clearly assuring China that military intervention will not occur in the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan.
Despite the 1982 US-China joint Communiqué to reduce US arms sales to Taiwan, Washington continues to increase arms sales, with $39.6 billion worth of weapons scheduled for 2026, and to increase the number of US trainers for Taiwanese forces from 500 to 1,000 in 2026.
The US arms sales to Taiwan are among the most controversial issues in US-China relations. Since 1990, US arms sales to Taiwan have grown at an average of $2.41 billion per year. As China considers Taiwan an internal matter, any arms sales are considered as an interference in China’s internal affairs.
Taiwan’s geostrategic location is of critical importance to both China and the US. Located along critical sea lines of communication in the Western Pacific, the island is central to regional security and global trade, and any military confrontation in the Taiwan Strait could severely disrupt international commerce and maritime traffic. Continued regional instability due to China-Taiwan tension benefits the ‘US Strategy of Disruption against China’.
Taiwan also plays a significant role in the US-China semiconductor rivalry. Taiwan produces 68.3% of the world’s semiconductors, of which 2% are exported directly to the US. In addition, in January 2026, the US and Taiwan signed a $500 billion Chips Deal that included plans to build semiconductor industrial parks in Arizona.
The US is also Taiwan’s largest trade partner, reaching a trade volume of $256 billion in 2025. The growing US-Taiwan trade increases Washington’s influence in Taipei, reduces economic dependence on China, and enhances Taiwan’s international legitimacy, complicating peaceful unification.
Reunification of Taiwan has always been central to Beijing’s long-standing goal of achieving national rejuvenation by 2049. To ensure peaceful reunification, China is using various political, economic, and diplomatic tools. In China’s strategic communication, there is also an increasing reference to specific historical documents, such as the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, which call for Chinese control over all territories that Japan seized during World War II.
From China’s perspective, the increasing political divisions within Taiwan over relations with the US present an opportunity to weaken domestic consensus and improve the chances for a political settlement on terms more favorable to Beijing. The current two main opposition political parties, the KMT since 2005 and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) since 2019, have adopted a pro-engagement stance with China and have become strong opponents of the pro-sovereignty ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The KMT and TPP oppose increasing the defense budget and blocked the US-Taiwan joint weapons development plan (2026-2034), labeling it as making the Taiwan Strait a “powder keg.” In the near future, the Taiwan issue is likely to remain one of the most important factors shaping Sino–US relations. The US may continue supporting Taiwan while maintaining its long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity. China, on the other hand, is most likely to use a mix of peaceful political means, economic incentives, along with long-term political, economic, and social pressures to ensure reunification.
Concurrently, the “One Country, Two Systems” formula continues to represent a potential framework through which China seeks to reconcile its objective of reunification. Looking ahead, the stability of the Taiwan Strait will depend on how effectively both powers manage their strategic competition and communication.
Situation in Middle East comes under discussion as DPM Dar meets Kuwait FM
The situation in the Middle East came under discussion as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday met Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who is on an official visit to the country.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), the two held a “warm and productive” tête-à-tête at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of Pakistan–Kuwait bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the longstanding brotherly partnership,” it said.
“They also held in-depth discussions on regional and international developments, with particular focus on the evolving situation in the Middle East,” it added.
The visiting dignitary arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday at the invitation of Deputy PM Dar. The FO said that upon arrival at the Islamabad International Airport, he was received by Zahid Hussain, additional secretary at the foreign ministry.
It added that the minister’s visit to Pakistan reflected the longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries, “anchored in shared history, mutual trust and close cooperation”.
Announcing the visit on Monday, the FO said Kuwait’s top diplomat was expected to pay a courtesy call on the leadership of Pakistan.
Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, the Reuters news agency reported earlier this month, citing five sources with knowledge of the talks.
Shift At Midnight: How to unlock the true ending
In Shift at Midnight, how you handle customers behind the register dictates who gets to see another night. Though surviving 13 shifts of doppelganger detection alone would be a challenge in itself, securing the coveted True Ending in the game is all about smart money management and critical story-based decision-making toward the end of the campaign.
Here’s what you need to do to unlock the True Ending in Shift at Midnight:
Prerequisites for the True Ending
To achieve the True Ending achievement, you need to have completed the following two conditions by the end of Shift 13:
* Keep Clyde alive.
* Have $250 ready to cover your pet’s surgery.
Failure to satisfy either condition will result in one of the game’s other bitter-sweet or tragic endings.
Step-by-Step Guide to Unlock the True Ending
1. Do NOT Call Clyde After Shift 12
After completing Shift 12, a pivotal story decision will present itself concerning Clyde.
The correct choice: Always select the option to Save Clyde (do NOT call Clyde). When you call him, it will result in him sacrificing himself to save your pet, which will trigger one of the game’s other endings. You will instead be shown the Grave Decision ending of the game.
A quick note on this: Be sure Clyde did not already die during some prior game mechanics or events. If he did prior, you will be unable to satisfy this criteria.
2. Save $250 for Pet Surgery by End of Shift 13
If you chose to save Clyde and refrain from calling him, you are the one responsible for your pet’s life-saving surgery. This surgery costs a total of $250, and you must have this amount accumulated in your bank by the time Shift 13 concludes.
If you were successful in saving Clyde but were unable to afford the surgery due to not having enough cash, your pet’s life will be lost, and you will be awarded the Empty Home ending for the game.
Fast Ways to Earn More Cash in Shift at Midnight
Earning $250 to afford the surgery without sacrificing equipment upgrades will likely prove difficult; utilize this money-making advice over the course of all 13 shifts to maximize your income stream:
* Perfect Customer Transactions: Always do careful checking of identifications, expiration dates, and any physical irregularities. Giving customers the right identification and doppelgangers their respective identification forms will ensure a stable shift reward.
* Waste Disposal & Floor Cleaning:
* Clean floor stains with your mop ($0.10 for each stain).
* Discard trash and severed limbs in the dumpster ($0.10 per item).
* Pest Control:
* Catch rats and dispose of them in the outside dumpster ($3.00 for each rat).
* Squash cockroaches with your mop ($0.10 for the kill, $0.10 for the stain it leaves behind).
* Wheel Spin (Gambling):
* Collect coins from around the store every night and use them on the prize wheel. Lucky spins can reward the player as much as $10 in in-game store credits. Once cosmetics are unlocked on the wheel (meaning any spins now only grant hats), they will instead be given as a token refund to be re-used or cashed out.
Key Fact-Check Summary
* Fact: You do not need to allow any doppelgangers to infiltrate through if you wish to unlock the True Ending for Shift at Midnight. It has been confirmed that you only need to keep Clyde alive and possess $250 when you conclude Shift 13 to fulfill this criteria.
* Fact: The cost of the surgery is exactly $250.
* Fact: The prompt where you decide whether or not to call Clyde is only presented after you have finished Shift 12, and the check whether or not you possess $250 occurs after Shift 13 has concluded.
Here’s the latest.
Here’s the latest.
South Asia’s Gen Z moment
INDIA’S Gen Z uprising may not have swept away the government as it did in Bangladesh and Nepal, but it has certainly challenged an increasingly repressive system. Led by students and disgruntled youth, the protests — triggered by widespread allegations of leaked exam papers — grew into a mass movement. Demanding justice for the millions of students affected and for the reportedly dozens of suicides linked to the scandal, the protests, unprecedented in their scale, began in New Delhi and quickly spread to many parts of the country.
It soon turned into a wider democracy movement, drawing support from other sections of society. It is the most serious challenge the Modi government has had to face in its 12-year rule and has ripped open a fault line in the hard-line Hindu nationalist administration that has steadily eroded the secular character of Indian democracy. The protests forced the federal education minister to resign — a humiliating blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strongman image. Although the protests have now been called off, they have nevertheless shaken an increasingly authoritarian regime.
The Gen Z movement has upended India’s political landscape. The youth have rallied around a new political formation — the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) — that sprang into existence only months ago in response to an insulting remark about the youth by the chief justice of India. Very soon, a platform pledging to fight injustice and defend the democratic rights of the people turned into a formidable opponent of the right-wing Hindu nationalist government.
Although the protests led by the CJP centred on exam paper leaks and a decadent educational system, it was other issues — unemployment and democratic freedom — that truly galvanised the youth. The movement further exposed India’s controlled mainstream media, a reflection of the shrinking freedom of expression in that country. The protests in India may have ended, but the Gen Z movement is not dead. Notably, social media platforms have served as major mobilising tools, allowing the youth to circumvent a controlled mainstream media often described as the ‘Godi’ (lapdog) media.
A ‘demographic dividend’ could turn into a demographic catastrophe.
India’s Gen Z movement may not share the same intensity, but in many ways it echoes the youth-led movements in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka that toppled autocratic and corrupt governments and pulled those countries back towards democracy.
The youth revolt in Bangladesh was triggered by unfair job quotas for the children of ruling-party members. It quickly broadened into a countrywide uprising against an authoritarian regime that had effectively established one-party rule. The Sheikh Hasina government’s use of force, which killed hundreds of protesters, further inflamed public anger. The uprising finally ended with Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country — the movement’s defining victory and the prelude to a freely elected government.
Similarly, the Gen Z movement in Nepal was triggered by a ban on social media platforms critical of the government. The action ignited deep-seated anger over elite capture, widespread corruption and growing youth unemployment. Mass protests erupted across the country. The government’s attempt to crush the protests with brute force aggravated the people’s ire. Dozens were killed in what is widely regarded as the worst civilian massacre in Nepal’s modern political history. Angry protesters torched the parliament building and several politicians’ homes. Within days, the prime minister stepped down and the army briefly intervened to restore order before an interim government was formed. Elections followed a few months later, with a young leader installed as prime minister. A social media ban had lit the fuse that blew apart the entire power structure.
Sri Lanka is another South Asian country where the youth protests brought down the government. Sri Lanka’s 2022 uprising — known as the ‘Aragalaya’ (the struggle) — was one of the most dramatic protest movements in the country’s modern history. Unlike in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where a single issue became the trigger for a wider movement, Sri Lanka’s case was somewhat different: it was not sparked by a single sudden event but by a slow-burning explosion. The crisis was no accident — it was the product of years of economic mismanagement by a family dynasty that had dominated the country’s politics. High inflation and unemployment exacerbated the situation.
What has unfolded in these four South Asian countries is a lesson for Pakistan, which not only has a large youth population but also suffers from political and economic problems. Pakistan’s Gen Z population (born between 1997 and 2012) is believed to number nearly 70 million. This has dire implications for a country where basic rights are in jeopardy, the media and free expression are restricted, and unemployment is rising. A ‘demographic dividend’ could turn into a demographic catastrophe, with Pakistan occupying practically the lowest rung on South Asia’s human development ladder. The legitimacy of the regime — which is losing its grip in several parts — is being questioned. The economy, meanwhile, is dependent on external assistance, which restricts financial autonomy. Public discontent — driven by inflation, unemployment and political repression — has created a volatile situation.
Whatever is unfolding in Balochistan, KP and Azad Kashmir reflects a pushback against an elite-dominated power structure. Hundreds of political and human rights activists are said to be behind bars. The judiciary itself is shackled, restricting avenues for those seeking justice. News from these areas may be kept off the mainstream media, but reality cannot be hidden in the age of social media. Curbing access to social media cannot work in the tech age. Given the tensions existing along Pakistan’s borders, more unrest could have far-reaching consequences beyond the frontiers, as the regional landscape is highly volatile. Pakistan must restore democratic rights before it is too late.
The writer is an author and journalist.
X: @hidhussain
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2026
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