ISLAMABAD – Four key suspects have been arrested in a gang that blackmailed innocent children, sexually abused them, made obscene videos of them and sold these in Pakistan and internationally. Indecent videos of 50 to 60 children were recovered from the suspects.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, NCCIA Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan said the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency had exposed an international gang during a countrywide crackdown on elements involved in child pornography, online financial fraud and cyber harassment. The suspects sold the children’s videos internationally.
Shoaib Khan said the agency arrested four members of the child pornography gang after investigating around 60 videos found on a child’s mobile phone. The suspects befriended children aged 6 to 14 on Instagram and other social media platforms, lured them with money, made indecent videos of them, and sold these through WhatsApp groups and internationally. Two Chinese nationals have previously been convicted in connection with this crime, he added.
The additional director said 473 foreign nationals, who posed as bank representatives to commit fraud in Malaysia, China and India, have been arrested in raids on call centres across the country. In the past week, 22 suspects in cyber harassment cases have also been taken into custody, and their entire inquiry and investigation has been assigned exclusively to women officers.
ISLAMABAD – Rotary International has reaffirmed its support for Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate wild poliovirus, calling for sustained political commitment, funding and community engagement ahead of World Polio Day today (October 24).
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where wild poliovirus is endemic, the organisation said in a statement.
Rotary International President Olayinka Hakeem Babalola said the organisation had contributed more than $3 billion towards polio eradication worldwide, including $1.3 million raised by Rotary members in Pakistan.
More than $500 million of its global contribution had supported efforts in Pakistan, alongside volunteer work to help protect over 45 million children against the disease, he said.
Babalola, who helped lead eradication efforts in Nigeria before Africa received wild poliovirus-free certification in 2020, said the continent’s experience demonstrated that Pakistan could achieve the same goal with coordinated support.
“Africa’s achievement demonstrates that with collaboration and political and financial support, ending polio in Pakistan and eradicating it globally is possible.”
Community trust remains central
Rotary said its members continued to advocate for government support and promote immunisation in Pakistan, where vaccine refusals remained an obstacle to reaching every child.
Aziz Memon, chair of Rotary’s Pakistan National PolioPlus Committee, said addressing wider community needs was essential to maintaining public trust in vaccination efforts.
He said the committee had helped establish water filtration plants, community resource centres and facilities for frontline vaccination workers. Permanent transit posts also helped vaccination teams reach children travelling between areas.
Sustained support urged
Rotary helped establish the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, when the disease affected an estimated 350,000 children annually across 125 countries.
According to the organisation, cases have since declined by more than 99.9 per cent, and eradication efforts have spared more than 20 million people from paralysis.
Rotary urged governments, donors and partner organisations to keep polio eradication a priority, saying the tools and expertise to eliminate the disease were available.
Observed annually on October 24, World Polio Day honours Jonas Salk, who developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine, and highlights efforts to end the disease.
LAHORE – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has urged women not to share their photographs under any circumstances, saying suspects use photos and videos to blackmail them.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Naqvi said he was at the NCCIA office to understand the public’s problems.
He appealed to mothers and sisters not to share their pictures with anyone, saying that suspects blackmail women using their photos and videos. He said the cybercrime wing receives the highest number of harassment cases involving girls, and that an awareness campaign for girls and the general public is about to be launched.
He also advised the public not to transfer money if someone asks for it online, including if a person poses as ill and seeks funds.
The interior minister said the NCCIA has only 61 personnel across Punjab, and efforts are under way to bring staffing up to strength so that complainants’ problems can be resolved. He said the NCCIA has arrested suspects in several important cases, and that the cyber police will be strengthened in every way. Whether a government employee or anyone else, anyone found involved in cybercrime will be arrested, he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday set the illustrative price for wheat at Rs4,500 per maund for 2027, raising the procurement price set last year by Rs1,000.
“In view of the increase in production costs, the price had been raised by Rs1,000 per maund compared to last year,” a statement by the PM’s Office (PMO) said.
It quoted the premier as saying that the decision was taken with the guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and in consultation with the chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh.
The PMO statement added that the prime minister’s decision was aimed at “promoting agriculture sector in the country, protecting farmers’ economic interests and increasing wheat production next year”.
Moreover, the statement quoted PM Shehbaz as saying that the government’s objective behind increasing the proposed wheat procurement price was to provide relief to farmers amid rising production and fuel costs, as well as inflation pressure.
“Providing farmers with an incentive to cultivate wheat is among the key objectives of the decision,” the prime minister said.
He expressed hope that the new proposed price would help farmers cover their production costs and earn profit.
“Over the past years, farmers have faced financial difficulties due to inflation and rising agricultural expenses while Pakistan has also had to import wheat in the last two years,” he said, adding that the decision to increase the illustrative price would prove to be an important step forward in “strengthening the country’s food security, encouraging local production, and bringing stability to the agriculture sector”.
“The government expects that the determination of the proposed price will generate greater interest among farmers in wheat cultivation, resulting in ample sowing of wheat in the upcoming season and brighter prospects for increased national production.
“This step taken by the prime minister will prove to be an important milestone in the efforts to improve the economic well-being of farmers, stabilise the agricultural economy and make the country more self-reliant in meeting its nutritional needs. It is hoped that 2027 will bring positive results for Pakistan’s agricultural sector and its farmers,” the PMO statement said.
It added that the prime minister expressed gratitude to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her cooperation in the consultative process for the decision, as well as to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for his cooperation.
The proposed price of Rs4,500 is still Rs500 less than the price demanded by farmers.
Last month, the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad demanded a Rs5,000 per 40kg support price for wheat, warning that farmers may not sow wheat for the next season if the government delays announcing crop policies.
The association had maintained that the farmers were unable to afford balanced fertiliser use because they were not recovering production costs.
In early October, Sindh CM Murad had approved the release of government wheat at the rate of Rs12,500 per 100kg bag from Oct 15 in order to stabilise flour prices and ensure its availability in the province.
On Oct 13, PM Shehbaz chaired the first National Agricultural and Food Security Council meeting and reaffirmed that the government wanted farmers to get a fair price for wheat and consumers to have affordable wheat.
During the meeting, he declared that wheat was available in abundant quantities to meet domestic needs, and vowed no leniency for hoarders.
RAWALPINDI – Indian-sponsored terrorist attempt foiled at Gabd border crossing and in Gwadar city.
According to the ISPR, security forces killed 10 terrorists, including a female terrorist, in a clearance operation in Gwadar city and its surrounding areas.
The ISPR said one civilian was martyred in the terrorists’ attack and a few vehicles were damaged. There were no casualties among the security forces during the operations.
The ISPR said the terrorists’ aim was to obstruct Balochistan’s development and prosperity.
According to the ISPR, the attempt by the terrorists to challenge the writ of the state was foiled, and law and order and the writ of the state were restored after the operations in Gwadar were completed.
In a statement, the ISPR said that forcibly using a woman in the attack violates the sanctity of Baloch women, and that the terrorists are using Baloch women to spread propaganda and incite public sentiment. It added that the people of Balochistan have consistently rejected those who shed blood in their name.
The statement further said that the counter-terrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam will continue at full speed, and that the military is committed to eradicating foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
LAHORE – A CCD (Crime Control Department) police official in the Kahna area has been accused of raping a young woman and filming her in a state of undress. A case has been registered.
According to the FIR, the woman, a resident of Kot Lakhpat, went to Kahna Bazaar on October 1, where her mobile phone went missing from her purse. She went to Kahna police station to report the loss, where she met a CCD police official named Shabbir.
The case states that CCD official Muhammad Shabbir took her phone number and sent her away. He later called her, claiming her phone had been traced, and summoned her to Ahlu Road.
The FIR further states that when the woman reached Ahlu Road, Shabbir took her to the house of a woman named Humaira Bibi. There, he pulled out a weapon, raped her, and filmed her in a state of undress.
On October 10, Shabbir again summoned the woman to Humaira Bibi’s house on Ahlu Road. Fearing for her honor, she went, and Shabbir raped her again.
Meanwhile, the woman went to Kahna police station to file a case, but the police there stalled instead of registering it. She then appeared at the open court (khuli kachehri) of DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, where her grievance was heard.
Subsequently, a case was registered at Kahna police station on the woman’s complaint against CCD official Muhammad Shabbir, and an investigation has begun.
Russia's state-backed payment firm A7 took in at least 283 tons of cash rubles, worth more than $14 billion, between November 2024 and July 2025, and turned much of it into payments to China that hide where the money came from, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Russian investigative outlet Proekt reported on 21 October, citing leaked internal records.
Cut off from Western banks over its war against Ukraine, Russia now moves money the way drug gangs launder theirs: cash goes in, and clean-looking wire transfers come out abroad. The overlap is literal.
Last year, UK investigators found that a network laundering British drug gangs' cash had bought a Kyrgyz bank that was handling payments for Promsvyazbank, Russia's state defense bank. That same bank co-owns A7, which "is also likely to facilitate cash-based money laundering," anti-money-laundering expert George Voloshin told ICIJ. On 1 October, the US Treasury named A7 a "significant transnational criminal organization." Most of the market cash pays Chinese suppliers, and China supplies about 90% of the high-priority Western-restricted items Russia imports for its weapons. Drone makers working for the Russian army are among A7's clients, Proekt found in April.
From market stalls to a defense bank vault
Much of the cash came from Moscow's giant Sadovod market, where broker teams known as "departments" collect bags of rubles from traders, the records show. Vans take the numbered bags to an A7 office, where about 50 cashiers count the money before it is trucked to Promsvyazbank. The bank vaults it and credits A7. At its peak, A7 handled at least 58 tons of cash a month.
Russia's central bank has flagged the problem itself. Money of unknown origin comes "primarily" from Moscow's wholesale and retail markets and from illegal crypto exchanges, a senior Central Bank official said in September, as quoted by ICIJ.
Sadovod market in Moscow, where broker teams later collected cash for the A7 payment firm, Russia, 19 September 2023. Photo: Nikita Andreev/Wikimedia Commons
Clean money for Chinese factories
A7 then orders shell companies outside Russia to pay its clients' suppliers, mostly Chinese exporters. The money moves through Kyrgyzstan, largely via the state-owned Trading Company of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the wire transfers carry no trace of cash or of Russia. The records list accounts at ICBC, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, and China Construction Bank. One $287,000 transfer went through Standard Chartered's Hong Kong branch with "Sadovod" recorded as the client.
Chinese banks began refusing Russia-linked payments in December 2023 under the threat of US secondary sanctions. Stripping the funds of their origin makes them easier for Chinese banks to accept, illicit-finance expert Zachary Tvarozna told ICIJ. "The only company that sees everything is A7 itself," Voloshin said.
A7, Promsvyazbank, the Chinese banks, and Kyrgyzstan's economy ministry did not answer ICIJ's questions. A7 has publicly rejected the US accusations, saying it runs "a modern, multi-tiered compliance system."
Explore further
US Treasury cracks down on Russia-China-Kyrgyzstan payment network, expands sanctions
Sanctioned, but still moving
A7 launched in late 2024, co-owned by Promsvyazbank and led by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, a "sanctioned and convicted criminal fraudster," according to the US Treasury. Ukraine sanctioned its network in February, and the UK followed in May. A7 claimed to have moved more than 7.5 trillion rubles, about 13% of Russia's 2025 foreign trade transactions, and its network also helped Iran sell oil and buy weapons, the Treasury said.
Sanctions did hit A7's crypto side. Daily volume of its ruble token A7A5 fell 96% from its peak by June 2026, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic found. The cash channel is harder to touch: Western banks can see where A7's money lands, but not where it starts.
LASBELA – At least twelve people were killed when a van collided with a passenger coach in Lasbela.
According to police, the tragic incident occurred at Zero Point in Uthal, Lasbela, where the van and passenger coach collided.
Police said the ill-fated coach was travelling from Gwadar to Karachi. As soon as the incident was reported, police and rescue teams rushed to the scene and immediately shifted the bodies and injured to a hospital.
According to police, 12 people, including women, lost their lives in the accident.
KHUZDAR: At least 12 passengers were killed and around two dozen injured when a minibus and a passenger coach collided head-on near Zero Point in Uthal on the Quetta-Karachi Highway in Balochistan on Friday, police said.
According to police, the coach was travelling from Gwadar to Karachi, while the minibus was heading from Bela to Karachi.
“The tragic incident took place near Bela when the passenger coach hit the minibus,” the officials said, adding that seven passengers were killed on the spot, while five others succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
In-charge of the Edhi Centre in Bela Abdul Hakeem Lasi said around 22 injured passengers were shifted to hospital by Edhi workers before being taken to Karachi for treatment.
He said seven injured passengers were in serious condition. Most of the casualties occurred in the minibus, he added.
The accident occurred two days after 10 people were killed and 44 others injured when a passenger bus overturned after hitting a road divider in Rajanpur district’s Rojhan tehsil on the Indus Highway on Wednesday.
A similar accident occurred last month when two people were killed and 15 others injured in a head-on collision between a passenger coach and an LPG bowser near Balochistan’s Kharkhera Customs on the main National Highway in Winder.
In February, five people, including a local journalist, were killed in two separate road accidents in Winder and Khuzdar districts.
In January, four people were killed and several others injured in a road accident near Wadh in Khuzdar district on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway.
LAHORE – A petrol pump worker’s attempt to prevent possible accident allegedly triggered a violent confrontation in Lahore’s Jubilee Town, where a man travelling in a Prado reportedly assaulted him for asking him to stop smoking.
According to police, the worker was following safety protocols when he warned the SUV owner against smoking at the filling station. The suspect allegedly responded by beating the worker and issuing serious threats before fleeing.
سگریٹ کا دھواں روکا تو تشدد کی آگ بھڑک اٹھی، چوہنگ پولیس کی کارروائی، پٹرول پمپ ورکر پر تشدد اور سنگین دھمکیاں دینے والا ملزم گرفتار۔ حفاظتی ایس او پیز کے تحت سگریٹ نوشی سے منع کرنے پر ملزم نے ورکر کو تشدد کا نشانہ بنایا اور فرار ہو گیا۔ پولیس نے گاڑی کی مدد سے ملزم کا سراغ لگایا، دورانِ گرفتاری مزاحمت کرنے والے ملزم کے قبضے سے اسلحہ بھی برآمد ہوا۔ ملزم کے خلاف مقدمہ درج۔
After the incident was reported, Chuhng police traced the SUV. Investigators found that the vehicle had been rented, with its rental receipt providing the lead that helped identify the suspect as Idrees Bhatti. Police subsequently arrested Bhatti, who allegedly attempted to resist officers during his arrest.
DIG Operations said a weapon was also recovered from the suspect’s possession. Further legal proceedings are underway.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday that 10 India-sponsored terrorists were killed in separate engagements as security forces thwarted their attempts to “undermine the writ of the state” in Balochistan’s Gwadar district.
In a statement, the military’s media affairs wing said: “On Oct 22, Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna al Hindustan attempted to carry out terrorist activities in district Gwadar, in the general areas of the Gabd Border Crossing and Gwadar city.”
The state has designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.
“By targeting these locations, terrorists sought to harm the very people they claim to represent and wanted to obstruct the development and prosperity of Balochistan. To protect residents and clear the area, security forces launched clearance operations in and around Gwadar city,” ISPR said.
It said that in separate engagements, security forces foiled the terrorists’ designs and “their bid to undermine the writ of the state and spread their misconstrued agenda”.
“In the ensuing exchanges of fire, ten terrorists, including one female terrorist, were sent to hell. During the terrorist attacks one civilian embraced shahadat (martyrdom) and [a] few vehicles were damaged. Operations were concluded without any loss to security forces, restoring order and writ of the state,” it said.
The statement further said that the coercion of a Baloch woman into the attack was “a crime not only against the state but against the hurmat (respect) of Baloch women”.
“It exposes the terrorists’ cynical exploitation of Baloch women as an instrument of propaganda, intended to inflame public sentiment and lend false sanctity to their campaign. Such tactics are contrary to Baloch and Islamic traditions, which hold women in the highest honour. The people of Balochistan have consistently rejected those who shed blood in their name, and they will see through this deception as well,” it said.
The statement said that the counterterror campaign would continue at full pace.
“Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain resolute in eliminating foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” it said.
The ISPR statement comes a day after security sources said that security forces killed three terrorists and foiled an attack on an unoccupied construction company camp in Gwadar.
Balochistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities in recent years, prompting security forces to intensify counter-terrorism operations.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir said earlier on Friday the armed forces will continue the counterterrorism campaign against Indian-sponsored terrorist groups “to the fullest”, vowing to “hit them hard wherever they are”.
Earlier this week, ISPR said an army major was martyred and four terrorists were killed during intelligence-based operations in Balochistan.
The number of terrorist attacks in the province increased by seven per cent from 83 in July to 89 in August, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
As per the report, Balochistan was declared the province “most affected” by terrorism.
Following the latest operations by security forces in Gwadar, President Asif Ali Zardari commended the security forces for foiling the terrorists’ attempts.
“The president also expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of a citizen in a terrorism incident,” the statement issued by the Presidency said.
It further quoted President Zardari as saying that efforts to disrupt peace and stability in Balochistan could not shake the people’s resolve for development and prosperity in the province.
He stressed the importance of peace for the protection of the rights and interests of people of Balochistan and said that “using the honour of Baloch women for political interests is condemnable”.
ISLAMABAD: A state-appointed counsel on Friday cross-examined all prosecution witnesses in a security breach case against lawyers Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha.
Imaan and her husband, Hadi, are facing a jail trial in a 2024 case pertaining to the alleged disruption of an international cricket team’s security route and incitement to public unrest.
The couple, accused of removing barriers from the route, was indicted on Oct 7.
Anti-terrorism court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over the hearing held inside Adiala jail on Friday, during which state counsel Atif Mehmood cross-examined a prosecution witness.
On Saturday, the court will provide Imaan and Hadi with questionnaires under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to record their statements.
In a hearing on Thursday, the court appointed Mehmood as the state counsel to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses, replacing Taimoor Janjua, who was dismissed over his past conduct.
The court had ruled to appoint the state attorney after the defence counsel failed to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses.
During the last hearing, Imaan informed the court that she and Hadi did not need a state counsel as they already had their own lawyers.
Hadi explained that their lawyers were frequently occupied with other cases at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), while the trial court had scheduled daily hearings at Adiala, making it difficult for them to attend every proceeding.
The court had directed the prosecution witnesses to appear again on Friday, affirming that the cross-examination would proceed without further delay.
Imaan and Hadi’s rearrest
The lawyer couple has been in jail since their arrest on Jan 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
Just a day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in the controversial social media posts case.
On Sept 17, following months of litigation before the courts, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the case. The SC ordered their release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict on their appeals against the trial court’s decision.
However, the reprieve was short-lived as hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an ATC, which sent them to jail on judicial remand.
The fresh case in which the two were arrested was registered at the federal capital’s Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.
Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads and were nominated by name in the FIR. However, at the time of registration of the case, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) had been added.
The FIR included sections 188 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the performance of official duties).
KARACHI – Savers looking for stronger returns gets relief, with the government increasing profit rates across several National Savings schemes. Special Savings Certificates recorded the largest increase among the listed products, while Behbood Savings Certificates now offer an annual rate of 12.96%.
The revisions cover range of savings options, including regular income products, Islamic accounts and short-term certificates, as the government seeks to encourage saving and attract funds into secure savings schemes.
Special Savings Certificates saw their profit rate climb by 110 basis points to 12%. Regular Income Certificates followed with a 96-basis-point increase, taking their rate to 12.12%.
Savings Scheme
Profit Rate
Increase
Special Savings Certificates
12.00%
110 basis points
Regular Income Certificates
12.12%
96 basis points
Behbood Savings Certificates
12.96%
36 basis points
Sarwa Islamic Account
11.84%
59 basis points
Short-Term Savings Certificates — 3 months
11.12%
26 basis points
Short-Term Savings Certificates — 6 months
11.50%
64 basis points
Short-Term Savings Certificates — 1 year
11.72%
44 basis points
For investors in Behbood Savings Certificates, the rate increased by 36 basis points to 12.96%. The Sarwa Islamic Account also received an upward revision, with a 59-basis-point rise bringing its profit rate to 11.84%.
Short-term savers will also receive higher returns. The three-month certificate rate rose by 26 basis points to 11.12%, while six-month certificates registered a 64-basis-point increase to 11.50%. The rate on one-year certificates increased by 44 basis points to 11.72%.
Across the products listed, the increases range from 26 to 110 basis points.
The revised rates could lift earnings for investors in the relevant schemes, although the amount they ultimately receive will depend on their investment, scheme conditions, taxes and other applicable deductions. Investors should confirm the latest rates, their effective date and eligibility requirements with National Savings before committing funds.
LAHORE – The Lahore district administration has announced March 12 to 14, 2027, as the dates for next year’s Basant festival, following approval from the Punjab government.
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain (retd) Ali Ijaz issued a new notification outlining the arrangements for the three-day event.
The latest schedule allows kite flying across Lahore’s district limits, except in areas specifically designated as prohibited. The activity will remain subject to conditions set by the government.
The notification also establishes requirements for kites and strings used during Basant, stating that only materials meeting officially prescribed standards may be used.
Kite and string manufacturing has been permitted for a specified period beginning September 5, 2026, and ending on March 14, 2027. Digital registration will be compulsory for manufacturers operating under the arrangement.
The district administration has directed those involved in the festival to comply with all applicable rules and restrictions. Kite flying and related activities will be permitted only in accordance with the government’s notified conditions.
But the headache hasn't deterred him from taking risks on projects that challenge the audience.
"It's not even about Trump anymore. We should be able to explore anything and everything that is uncomfortable," Stan told Business Insider. "We can't become so sensitive to the point where we're actually depriving ourselves of elevated thought about anyone or any matter. Certainly not in the hands of fear."
Stan's latest film, "Fjord," delivers on that promise, telling a subversive, provocative story about a conservative Romanian-Norwegian couple whose parenting methods are called into question after they move to a progressive Norwegian town.
For Stan, the film wasn't just an opportunity to play nuanced, thought-provoking material. As a Romanian-American who fled the country as a boy in the late 1980s, working with Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu ("4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days") was also a long-awaited homecoming.
Sebastian Stan plays a Romanian who moves to Norway in "Fjord."
Neon
Stan immersed himself fully in the role, sporting a shaved head with a massive bald spot and speaking most of his lines in Romanian. He and Renate Reinsve, who plays his wife, were so locked in during production that they would go out to dinner together, still dressed in the clothes they shot their scenes in that day. Stan said the experience brought him closer to his homeland.
"A lot of people go, 'Great, you want to come back to Romania, and you want to do movies, but you didn't grow up here, you don't know what our experience is. You were lucky you got away,' so I was a little apprehensive," Stan told Business Insider about working with Mungiu's Romanian-heavy crew. "But, honestly, on the last day of this movie, they wrapped the Romanian flag around me, and they were so proud to kind of take me back in a way and welcome me home."
For the latest interview in Business Insider's Role Play series, Stan talks about his failed "American Idol" audition, where he thinks Bucky Barnes fits in the current MCU, and realizing how "hypocritical" Hollywood is after playing Trump.
On sleeping on the street to audition for 'American Idol' and losing out on 'The O.C.'
Stan in 2006.
Chance Yeh/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Business Insider: What are your recollections of auditioning for "American Idol" back when you were 19?
Sebastian Stan: It was my friend Justin; we both went to Rutgers for the acting program, and he said, "I'm going to New York City to try out for this new show, 'American Idol,'" and he said, "Want to come?" And I was like, "Fuck it, why not."
I remember I had on leather pants; I don't know why I thought that was gonna make a difference. We got there and it was in Times Square, and I see this huge line around the block, and I'm like, "What's going on?" He's like, "No, no, the audition is tomorrow," but it was like 6 p.m., and he tells me we're going to sleep on the street.
So we went to a McDonald's in Times Square, slept barely in this line, and in the morning we got in to these auditions. And what they did was they took five or six of you at a time; they lined you up. I didn't meet any of the judges; it was just some guy. The five of us did 20 seconds of a capella; I think I sang the medley from "Moulin Rouge!," and they were like, "Next." So it didn't work out.
You start building credits, and then you go on this five-year run of playing the obnoxious jerk roles: "The Covenant," "The Education of Charlie Banks," "Rachel Getting Married," "Hot Tub Time Machine." Was there a point when you were worried about getting typecast as the 2000s-era jerk?
My mindset was, get a job. I was just trying to get a foot in the door. And by the way, I was getting close to a lot of other kinds of roles. At the time, there was that movie "Alpha Dog" — I tried out for that and didn't get it.
But in that era were the "American Pie" movies and "Not Another Teen Movie," which Chris Evans did; they were these movies that had the stereotypical jock asshole guy, and people would always take a look at me and go, "That's the guy." And in "Gossip Girl" I played that, too. But I was just trying to get a start. It wasn't who I felt I truly was.
I remember I tried out for "The O.C." and got very close. "Star Trek," didn't get that. "Green Lantern," "John Carter," "The Lone Ranger" — so I was going out for big stuff; I just wasn't getting it.
On why he believes Bucky Barnes needs to stay grounded and the 'education' Marvel gave him
Stan as Bucky Barnes in "Thunderbolts*."
Marvel Studios
Looking back, do you think your career could have went down a different path if being cast as Bucky Barnes didn't hit the way it did?
What's funny is you go to acting school, and you're being taught the craft, but then there's the learning that you do on set — having the experience of being on set with a camera, learning the lenses, what everyone does. So in some ways, Marvel was a real education in moviemaking and acting. It also allowed me to go back over and over and have some consistency in my life, which I didn't have. I grew up in that period. I got more focused. And it freed me.
The role, which I thought was complex, this character is very different now than when we started out. That character had PTSD, had gone through things; there was a lot to play there. So that box was checked.
Looking outside of that, it became: what were the things I could do that were so far away from that? I don't know if I would have pursued those things as aggressively if I didn't have this lane where I was getting to play more of the straight man.
Are there tweaks you've done to the Bucky character over the years that you're surprised fans haven't caught on to yet?
We've tried, and I make an emphasis on we because it's not just me. I have had to adjust to Marvel changing and evolving and becoming a bigger world. The Captain America franchise, when we started, they were very grounded. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is kind of a suspense thriller; "Civil War" had more personalities, but at the heart it was serious, so this character, at its core, is a very serious character.
Maybe people would argue differently, but things have gone more into an expansive, integrative place of how does everybody fit in, and I think humor is a big part of making that happen. We have, and I have, tried to adapt to those things. So the question then became, What's funny about this guy? What is there to play? Some of it has been explored, but not entirely.
It's trying different things. At this moment in time, the character adopted this sort of Clint Eastwood, crusty old man humor. Dry —been there, done that, Why are we fucking doing this again — that kind of thing. I don't know if the character will stay there, but it's not a character who can suddenly go big.
On realizing Hollywood is 'hypocritical' after playing Trump and collaborating with great directors
Stan as Donald Trump in "The Apprentice."
Briarcliff Entertainment
Going to acting school is one aspect of building a career, and you mentioned another is learning what it's like working on sets. But yet another is understanding the Hollywood game. What was the biggest thing you learned about Hollywood after playing Donald Trump in "The Apprentice"?
Um [Laughs.] It's quite hypocritical in a lot of ways. Everybody has good intentions, I think, about saying the right things, but they don't always do the right thing. I'm not saying it's gaslighting, but there's something to it, because there's often times you end up asking yourself if you're the one that's crazy.
There are many times — and I'm not saying it was just related to "The Apprentice" or Trump — there are other things even now where I've been in rooms and talking to people who will say things in private that they will never say publicly.
As it pertains to that movie, that was the experience, which was everybody loved the movie that I talked to; everybody wanted to support it, but yet nobody wanted to step up to the plate.
Now here we are today, where the trailer for the Elon Musk documentary is struggling to be shown online, so now this kind of thing is pretty normalized. Can you imagine that happening ten to 20 years ago?
Back in 2018, I spoke to you for "Destroyer." At that time, you hadn't landed lead roles yet. I asked what you were looking for when that happens, and you said, "Down the line I want to be remembered for being part of specific works and visions of directors rather than a group of characters."
It's crazy to hear that quote. Back then, I think that was where I was starting to go because I had come off of "I, Tonya" and I'd learned the value of having a good director and how it influences your work and the performance. Karyn Kusama, who did "Destroyer," was someone I really respected.
And also, before that, you mentioned "Rachel Getting Married" — my whole plan back then was to just get one scene or a little part in a big director's movie. So that was Jonathan Demme. "The Martian," I got to work with Ridley Scott. I took those parts because this is a director's medium.
Since then, I've tried to stick to that, and these performances you've mentioned, to some extent, they've worked because of those collaborations where you need to have the captain of the ship. You need to have those directors who know how to communicate. I've found myself better when I am in trusted hands, when it's someone that I really allow myself to let go with.
Because if you can't trust a director, what happens is you start to be worried about what's happening on the other side of the camera, and you're then not involved in the experience of the role you're playing. I think that shows when that happens.
This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.
An insulin product used by patients with Type 1 diabetes is in short supply in Pakistan after its German manufacturer halted supplies while upgrading its products, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Nelson Azeem said on Friday.
Responding to a matter raised by MNA Syeda Amna Batool in the National Assembly, Azeem said there had been no shortage until June, with stocks available until September. However, supplies from Germany were disrupted in October, leading to the current shortage.
“The impact of the shortage is being felt not just here, but across Asia, as well as in Australia and Europe,” Azeem said. “The product will be available as soon as international supplies are restored.”
The secretary further said alternative insulin products with the same dosage and mode of action were readily available in Pakistan and that patients could switch to them on their doctors’ recommendation.
“The product is manufactured in Germany. It is an issue that we are trying to resolve,” he said.
However, Batool expressed concern about the difficulties patients could face in switching treatments. She said the alternatives were at least 20 per cent more expensive and that many patients did not have access to doctors.
“Currently, around 34.5 million people in Pakistan have Type 1 diabetes, including children,” she said. “Alternatives are not readily available. Has the health ministry or the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) ensured their easy availability?”
Azeem asserted the German manufacturer had previously supplied 3,500 kits, but supplies had now fallen to 1,000 kits and could decline further during the year-long upgrade process.
He said the health ministry had asked distributors importing the product to arrange supplies, but acknowledged that this would be difficult because the manufacturer had halted production.
On Tuesday, authorities had denied reports of a widespread insulin shortage in the country, saying that only one brand was unavailable.
“Insulin glulisine (Apidra, Sanofi) is currently unavailable due to international supply constraints. Alternate rapid-acting analogues within the same pharmacological class, specifically insulin aspart (NovoRapid, Novo Nordisk) and insulin lispro (Humalog, Eli Lilly), are readily available nationwide,” health ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah had said, adding that all other primary insulin classes remained fully accessible across Pakistan.
In August 2025, the Pakistan Medical Association raised alarm over “an unprecedented” and severe shortage of essential medicines across the country and warned that the crisis threatened the lives of millions of patients.
According to the association, at least 80 important medicines were unavailable, with 25 having no substitutes. These drugs included life-saving medications for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease and psychiatric disorders.
LAHORE – A case has been registered against a Crime Control Department (CCD) police official for allegedly raping a woman twice in Kahna area of Lahore, according to media reports.
The complainant, a resident of Kot Lakhpat, reportedly visited Kahna Bazaar on October 1, where her mobile phone went missing from her purse. She subsequently approached Kahna Police Station to report the loss.
According to the FIR, she met a CCD official identified as Muhammad Shabbir, who allegedly told her that her missing phone had been traced and asked her to come to Ahlu Road.
When the woman arrived at the designated location, Shabbir allegedly took her to the house of a woman identified as Humaira Bibi. The FIR stated that he pulled out a weapon, sexually assaulted the woman and recorded a video of the incident.
The complaint further stated that on October 10, Shabbir again summoned the woman to the same house on Ahlu Road. According to the FIR, she went there out of fear for her safety and reputation, where the official allegedly sexually assaulted her a second time.
A case has now been registered against the CCD official on the woman’s complaint in Kahna.
GWADAR – Security forces have killed seven terrorists during a clearance operation in Gwadar, Balochistan, following an attack on an unoccupied camp belonging to a construction company, according to security sources.
The operation was launched after militants attacked the vacant camp on Thursday. Security forces responded promptly and surrounded the attackers, the sources said.
The clearance operation remains underway, with personnel working to secure the surrounding area and eliminate the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised security forces for killing the seven militants and commended their professionalism and determination in thwarting the attack.
In his statement, Naqvi expressed pride in the security personnel who foiled the assault and took action against the attackers.
He said those attempting to obstruct Balochistan’s development would face serious consequences, while emphasising that the nation stood alongside security forces in the fight against terrorism.
The latest operation highlights ongoing security efforts in Gwadar following the attack on the construction company’s camp. Authorities are continuing clearance activities to ensure the surrounding area is safe from potential explosive threats.
Lahore ranked as the world’s most polluted city on Friday, with its air quality classified as “hazardous”, according to air quality monitoring platform IQAir.
In the past few years, air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental crises facing Pakistan. Various cities of the country, most notably Lahore, deal with smog, especially in the winter months. The phenomenon is attributed mainly to industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, stubble burning and air movement.
Lahore topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities on Friday morning, with an air quality index (AQI) of 410, according to the IQAir live tracker. The reading fell under the ‘very unhealthy’ category. India’s New Delhi followed with an AQI of 203, while Senegal’s Dakar ranked third at 196.
Figure shows the top ranked polluted cities according to IQAir on Friday morning. — Screengrab via IQAir
The provincial capital was the only Pakistani city to rank among the 20 most polluted cities on Friday morning. Karachi was the only other Pakistani city on the 21-city list, with an AQI of 110.
According to IQAir, in Lahore, “PM2.5 concentration is currently 45.2 times the World Health Organisation annual PM2.5 guideline value”.
PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles, with diameters generally 2.5 micrometres and smaller. Of all air pollution measures, PM2.5 pollution poses the greatest health threat, according to IQAir.
According to the website, PM2.5 can enter the circulatory system and even the brain, causing serious health complications if long-term exposure occurs.
A view of the early morning in Lahore on Friday. Photo by Murtaza Ali
For those in Lahore, IQAir recommended avoiding outdoor exercise, keeping windows closed to prevent outdoor air from entering, wearing a mask outdoors and installing an air purifier indoors.
Lahore air quality map. —IQAir
The Punjab government’s air quality monitoring platform, meanwhile, recorded an AQI of 339 for Lahore at 11am on Thursday, classifying the air as ‘very unhealthy’. The reading was based on data from 10 monitoring stations across the city.
The difference between the readings on the two platforms may be due to variations in monitoring stations, averaging periods and methodologies. However, both indicated severe air pollution in the provincial capital.
Human rights activist Sheikh Saqib told Dawn that both his children were suffering from throat infections due to smog. He criticised the government for what he described as empty claims about measures to curb air pollution.
A view of the early morning in Lahore on Friday. Photo by Murtaza Ali
He said school attendance could drop by half as parents stopped sending their children to school amid deteriorating air quality.
Saqib also disputed the chief minister’s claims that smog had been controlled over the past three years, saying he continued to witness crop burning while travelling on motorways towards Islamabad and Karachi.
“Vehicles emitting smoke are still running on Lahore’s roads,” he said, questioning the effectiveness of the government’s measures to tackle air pollution.
On Oct 2, Lahore also topped IQAir’s list of the world’s most polluted cities, with an AQI of 167, classified as “unhealthy”. At the time, CM Maryam said the government was making efforts to address environmental issues.
Earlier this week, a new analysis released by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) ranked Lahore among cities whose ozone levels were “extremely poor”.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has said the armed forces will continue the counterterrorism campaign against Indian-sponsored terrorist groups “to the fullest”, vowing to “hit them hard wherever they are”, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
CDF Munir made the remarks during a visit to the Corps Headquarters in Peshawar, where he was briefed on the security situation, ongoing counterterrorism operations, border management measures and the operational preparedness of formations deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
Upon arrival at the headquarters, CDF Munir was received by the Peshawar Corps commander.
During his visit, he lauded the morale and professionalism of the armed forces and directed them to maintain “vigilance and the highest standards of operational readiness to effectively counter threats”.
ISPR added that CDF Munir vowed that the armed forces would “continue the campaign against Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits to the fullest and hit them hard wherever they are”.
He also paid tribute to the martyred security personnel, affirming that “with the support of the people, Pakistan will surely inflict total defeat on the terrorists and their perverted ideology”.
A day earlier, CDF Munir attended a meeting of KP apex committee held at the Governor House, where the province’s overall security situation was reviewed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who chaired the meeting, said that the federal government, which now runs KP under governor’s rule, would make every effort possible to “bring back” progress to the province.
According to a recent report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan recorded a sharp 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, reversing a declining trend reported in the first and second quarters as terrorism and counter-terrorism deaths surged nationwide.
Balochistan and KP remained the epicentres of violence, jointly accounting for 98pc of all fatalities during the period. Balochistan recorded 829 deaths, nearly 59pc of the national total, while KP reported 556 fatalities, accounting for more than 39pc. The increased terrorist activity has prompted security forces to intensify counter-terrorism operations.
A day earlier, four policemen, including two officials, were martyred and two terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire in KP’s Karak.
On October 19, an army major was martyred and four terrorists were killed during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan.
A day before that, security forces killed eight “India-sponsored” terrorists during IBOs conducted in the Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts of Balochistan.
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