Sharif said Pakistan remained in contact with Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who recently visited Islamabad before travelling to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The prime minister also warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz were putting pressure on global oil prices, forcing Pakistan to reassess domestic fuel costs.

The first round of U.S.-Iran talks ended without a breakthrough, while a planned second round has yet to take place. Tensions have remained high since joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered retaliatory attacks and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Roads form the most extensive system, stretching across continents in vast, intricate lines. According to the World Bank , road networks account for the majority of global transport infrastructure, carrying over 80% of passenger travel and a significant share of freight worldwide.

Railways, though less widespread, trace concentrated corridors across Europe, North America and parts of Asia. The International Energy Agency notes that rail remains one of the most efficient modes of land transport for moving bulk goods, particularly in industrial economies such as China, the United States and across the European Union.

Air travel, by contrast, appears as a constellation of points. Airports cluster around major cities, forming global hubs that connect distant regions in hours rather than weeks. Data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation shows that more than 4 billion passengers travel by air each year, making aviation a cornerstone of global mobility and trade.

At sea, the pattern shifts again. Seaports line coastlines and major shipping routes, reflecting the dominance of maritime trade. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), around 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea, linking production centres and consumer markets across continents.

Cities now emerge as the brightest nodes, dense clusters where infrastructure converges. The United Nations estimates that over 60% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, a figure projected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. These urban centres act as anchors for global connectivity, concentrating economic activity, transport and population.

What this really shows is not just infrastructure , but dependence. Each network supports the others. Roads feed into ports, railways connect industrial zones, and airports link global markets. Disruption in one part of the system can ripple across the entire network, as seen during supply chain shocks in recent years.

Data shows the U.S. leading with a 26% market share, generating approximately $8.9 billion, while China follows closely with 22% and $7.4 billion, underscoring a continued duopoly at the top of the global theatrical market.

Together, the two markets contributed roughly $16.3 billion, highlighting their outsized influence on global cinema performance, distribution strategies, and studio investment decisions.

Beyond the top two, the global box office landscape remains fragmented. Japan and India each captured 5% of the market, bringing in $1.8 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, reflecting consistent domestic demand and strong local film industries.

In Europe, the UK & Ireland and France posted 4% shares, generating $1.5 billion and $1.3 billion, while Germany accounted for 3% ($1.0 billion). These figures indicate a stable but comparatively smaller contribution from mature Western markets.

Mexico also recorded 3% of global revenue at $0.8 billion, continuing its role as a key Latin American market.

Further down the rankings, South Korea and Australia each held 2% market shares, with revenues of $0.7 billion apiece. While smaller in absolute terms, these markets are increasingly influential due to strong local production ecosystems and international content exports, particularly from South Korea.

The top 10 global markets collectively generated $25.6 billion, according to the data , reflecting a continued recovery trajectory for theatrical exhibition following pandemic-era disruptions.

Analysts at Gower Street note that while Hollywood and Chinese productions continue to anchor global revenues, regional content is playing an increasingly important role in driving local box office performance. Comscore data further indicates that audience preferences are becoming more localised, even as global franchises maintain cross-border appeal.

Strategic implications

The concentration of revenue in the U.S. and China reinforces their strategic importance for studios, particularly in release scheduling, co-productions, and regulatory navigation. At the same time, growth in markets like India and South Korea points to shifting dynamics, where regional industries are not just supporting but reshaping global cinema trends.

Fela Kuti, meanwhile, is receiving the Early Influence Award, a distinction reserved for pioneers whose sound and ideas laid the groundwork for entire genres and movements.

In short, Sade is recognised for her body of work as a recording artist, while Fela is honoured for creating a musical blueprint (Afrobeats) that others have built on.

The induction ceremony will take place on November 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, with global broadcasts on ABC and Disney+.

Alongside names like Phil Collins, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, and Luther Vandross, the inclusion of Sade and Fela signals a shift in perspective.

Sade Adu

Born Helen Folasade Adu in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1959, Sade’s life has always sat between worlds. She moved to the UK as a child, grew up in Essex, and later immersed herself in London’s creative scene. Fashion student, model, backup singer, but none of it quite fit until she formed Sade, the band that would carry her name and define a sound.

What sets her apart is control. Her voice doesn’t reach for drama; it pulls you in quietly. That restraint became her signature.

Her debut album, Diamond Life (1984), introduced a new kind of pop sophistication. Smooth Operator and Your Love Is King weren’t loud statements but were precise, polished, and emotionally contained. Follow-up projects like Promise , Stronger Than Pride and The Sweetest Taboo doubled down on that formula, blending jazz, soul, and minimalism into her own touch.

As a Grammy-winning artist with global sales in the tens of millions, Sade’s influence runs deep.

Her induction in the Performer Category recognises a career built not on volume, but precision, by refining how emotion is delivered in sound.

Fela Kuti

Where Sade is measured, Fela Kuti was uncompromising.

Born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, into a politically active family, Fela inherited a strong sense of resistance early on. His mother was a leading anti-colonial activist, and that spirit carried directly into his work.

After studying music in London and later encountering the Black Power movement in the US, Fela returned to Nigeria with a clear direction. The result was Afrobeat, a genre he didn’t just pioneer, but fully engineered.

Afrobeat fused jazz, funk, highlife, and traditional West African rhythms into long, groove-driven compositions layered with horns, percussion, and politically charged lyrics. Songs like Zombie and Sorrow , Tears and Blood weren’t just records, but confrontations with authority.

He built the Kalakuta Republic , a commune that doubled as a creative and political base. The Nigerian government responded with force. Raids, arrests, violence, yet Fela absorbed it all and kept recording.

His music wasn’t escapism. It was resistance.

Receiving the Early Influence Award, Fela’s impact is now formally acknowledged at a global level. His legacy runs through modern African stars like Wizkid and Burna Boy.

Recent data compiled from international migration estimates and policy analyses shows that more than 50 million immigrants live in the United States, far exceeding any other country, according to figures cited by immigration platform CitizenPath and global data aggregators.

Germany follows with 15.8 million immigrants, while Saudi Arabia (13.5 million), Russia (11.6 million) and the United Kingdom (9.4 million) round out the top five.

Analysts at Intelpoint note that advanced economies continue to attract the largest absolute migrant populations due to stronger labour markets and institutional stability, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, construction and technology.

CitizenPath data also highlights that immigration remains central to U.S. population growth, with migrants accounting for a significant share of workforce expansion in recent years.

While Western nations dominate in total numbers, Gulf countries lead when measured by proportion of immigrants within their populations.

These figures reflect a fundamentally different migration structure, where foreign workers make up the majority of the labour force under temporary or sponsorship-based systems.

According to regional analyses cited by Intelpoint, Gulf economies rely heavily on migrant labour across construction, domestic work and service industries, with limited pathways to permanent residency or citizenship.

The data reveals some surprising global trends, with Uzbekistan leading the world at 773 ng/dl, followed closely by Croatia (752 ng/dl) and Cameroon (731 ng/dl).

Other countries in the top tier include Azerbaijan (694 ng/dl), Mongolia (693 ng/dl), and several African nations such as Ethiopia (671 ng/dl), D.R. Congo (668 ng/dl), and Nigeria (625 ng/dl).

The list also features Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uganda , as well as European nations like the Netherlands, Serbia, Denmark, and Croatia, indicating that high testosterone levels are not confined to one region or continent.

According to the World Population Review , testosterone levels naturally vary across populations due to a mix of genetics, lifestyle, diet, climate, and overall health. Regions with higher physical activity levels, lower obesity rates, and diets rich in proteins and healthy fats often show stronger average testosterone profiles.

However, researchers note a worrying pattern: testosterone levels are declining globally. Studies summarised by Testosterone Decline Research show that average testosterone concentrations in men have dropped significantly over the past 30 years.

Factors like environmental toxins, stress, poor sleep, sedentary lifestyles, and processed diets are contributing to this decline.

This topic arrives amid global debates about men’s health, fertility, and ageing. As societies face longer work hours, increased digital stress, and declining physical activity, hormone health has become a key public health issue.

In countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, for instance, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) prescriptions have surged, prompting both medical interest and ethical questions around hormone optimisation.

Meanwhile, some African and Central Asian nations that top the testosterone rankings are also experiencing rapid urbanisation and dietary change, factors that may alter these rankings in the future.