• President urges global community to enforce UNSC resolutions.
• PM Shehbaz slams India for imposing draconian laws in IIOJK.
•  Says Pakistan stands resolutely beside people of Kashmir.
  

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in their struggle for the right to self-determination.

Every year on October 27, Pakistanis and Kashmiri people around the world mark Black Day to remember and protest the entry of Indian military forces into Jammu and Kashmir in 1947.

In their separate messages issued on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day, both leaders called on the international community to take tangible steps toward the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

President Zardari called on the United Nations, global human rights bodies, and the international community to hold India accountable for grave and systematic human rights violations in IIOJK.

He emphasised that lasting peace and stability in South Asia depend on a just and durable settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, urging renewed international attention to the issue.

“On its part, Pakistan will continue its unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support to the people of IIOJK who continue to endure oppression on daily basis. We stand united with our Kashmiri brethren in their struggle for justice, peace and self-determination,” President Secretariat Press Wing, in a press release, quoted the president as saying.

On this day in 1947, he said, Indian forces entered Srinagar in blatant violation of international law, moral principles, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Since then, generations of innocent men, women, and children in IIOJK had endured unimaginable suffering under occupation, marked by violence, repression, and denial of their fundamental rights, he added.

“Every year, we observe this day as Kashmir Black Day to honour the valiant struggle and sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who continue to resist tyranny in their pursuit of the inalienable right to self-determination. Despite decades of Indian brutality, the spirit of resistance among the Kashmiri people remains unbroken,” the president reiterated.

After August 5,  2019, President Zardari further said this brutal campaign had only intensified, adding India had unilaterally revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status, imposing a military siege, destroying properties of Kashmiris to inflict ‘collective punishment’ and enforcing draconian laws that strip the Kashmiri people of their fundamental freedoms.

Echoing similar views, PM Shehbaz emphasised that lasting peace and stability in South Asia would remain elusive without a just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.

“Every year, Oct 27 marks the darkest day in the history of Kashmir… Ever since that fateful day, India has continued to deny the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”

“Every year, Oct 27 marks the darkest day in the history of Kashmir… Ever since that fateful day, India has continued to deny the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”

The prime minister added: “Since August 5, 2019, India has further intensified its illegal and unilateral actions, aimed at altering the demography and political status of IIOJK. In addition to human rights abuses, massive curbs have been imposed on freedom of movement and expression.”

“By imposing such draconian laws, India has unleashed a systematic campaign of violence and brutality to silence the legitimate political voices and crush the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The unlawful and unjustified incarceration of several prominent Kashmiri leaders and activists, as well as media personalities, is an ugly manifestation of this Indian extremist agenda. Their continued imprisonment, under fabricated charges, is in blatant violation of international human rights norms,” he noted.

“As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have always highlighted the plight of my Kashmiri brothers and sisters before the international community and echoed their calls for freedom from Indian occupation.

“We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and will never relent in our commitment to the Kashmir cause, until justice is done and the promise of self-determination, pledged by the international community, is finally fulfilled. Inshallah, that day is not far,” the statement concluded.

Hurricane Melissa now labelled as “Category 4” is now intensifying into “Category 5” storm, prompting urgent warnings from U.S. forecasters that it could be “potentially catastrophic” for Jamaica as it endangers to become one of the strongest storms to ever strike the island.

Under these threatening circumstances, officials urge residents to evacuate low-lying areas as the hurricane is estimated to release an “unprecedented” rain.

As confirmed by authorities, Melissa can prompt around 30 inches or more rainfall in isolated areas in coming days.

As of now, Hurricane Melissa was located about 124 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. With winds of intensity 145 mph and moving west at just 5 mph, the storm is expected to strengthen further and could become a Category 5 hurricane.

Director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Jamie Rhome, warned that the region’s forecast has become “increasingly dire.”

Emphasizing on the intensity of the storm, he warned that Melissa’s combination of the storm’s slow movement and extreme rainfall will “create catastrophic events” for Jamaica.

“Be wherever you are going to be and be ready to ride this out for several days,” Rhome urged residents in eastern Jamaica.

He also warned about widespread power outages, disrupted communications, and impassable roads.

The storm’s projected path suggests the center of Melissa will move very close to or directly over Jamaica through Tuesday, October 28, possibly making landfall as an “upper-end” Category 4 hurricane.

If it happens, it would be only the second Category 4 storm to hit Jamaica in recorded history, following the devastating Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

The emerging threat has prompted extensive preparations across the Caribbean:

Jamaica

Airports have been closed, and the government has issued evacuation orders for high-risk communities. Residents are stocking up on supplies, making supermarkets and gas stations crowded, creating a “level of panic” as reported by Norman Scott, the mayor of Spanish Town.

Haiti and Dominican Republic

There is catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in the region. Authorities in Haiti reported at least three storm-related deaths, with at least one death was reported in the Dominican Republic.

Cuba

A hurricane watch was upgraded to a warning for the eastern part of the country. The U.S. Navy has begun evacuating hundreds of non-essential personnel and family members from the Guantánamo Bay naval base.

Bahamas

The storm is forecasted to hit the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday, October 29.

Melissa’s intensification has been explosive. With the storm expected to approach the island coast within 24 hours, officials are delivering a final and stark warning to residents to protect life.

Sydney Sweeney opened up about returning to Euphoria set for season 3.

During her recent appearance at the AFI Fest 2025 for the premiere of her new film Christy, the 28-year-old star shared that she will soon finish filming the HBO series.

“I wrap ‘Euphoria’ in two days,” she told Variety on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Gushing over her return to the set after three years, she said, “It’s mostly the same crew, so it feels like I’m going home to family.”

“I’ve grown up with them. I was 20 when I did the pilot, so being able to see a lot of the same people, it feels very comforting,” she added.

Moreover, during the night Sweeney revealed to People that she is excited for her upcoming biopic project Scandalous!, which chronicles the real-life love story of Hollywood legend Kim Novak to the late musician Sammy Davis Jr.

“Once I finish Euphoria, I switch into Scandalous! gear and I’m going to turn my brain into Kim,” Sweeney told the publisher. “I’m so excited. I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I’m going to meet Kim Novak.’”

“I’m incredibly honored to be bringing Kim to life. I mean, she is such an amazing actress,” she continued.

She further gushed over the story of the biopic noting, “I think her story is still very relevant today in that she dealt with Hollywood and scrutiny with her relationships and her own private life and the control of her image. And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways.”