Bangladesh commanded proceedings on the first day, but Pakistan changed that around dramatically on the second, led by the youngest member of the team. Azan Awais,  making his debut, steered Pakistan into a position of relative comfort in a century partnership alongside Imam-ul-Haq  and then another solid stand with fellow debutant Abdullah Fazal.

By the end of the day, Awais had taken his side to 179 for the loss of just Imam’s wicket. Awais had contributed an unbeaten 85, nearing a debut hundred on the third morning. As a result, Pakistan were only another 234 runs behind with nine wickets standing after Bangladesh posted 413.

The confidence and poise he demonstrated across the last session was not immediately obvious when thrown in for an awkward ten overs before tea. The first ball Nahid Rana bowled to him was a wicked short delivery that reared up and hit him square on the badge of the helmet. With Awais visibly dazed, the physio was called and a concussion test began, one he looked in real danger of failing. Batting on, Awais briefly called for the physio again shortly after, but was allowed to stay on.

And once he did, there was no looking back. While Imam remained fidgety, Awais began to demonstrate why he has been the most prolific domestic run-scorer in Pakistan across the last two seasons. A delicious cover drive off Nahid showed his refusal to back down under the stern test. Awais’ ability to force Bangladesh to spread the field kept the hosts unsettled as he found boundaries through the covers, either side of the wicket, and straight down the ground.

Peter Magyar has been sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, almost a month after parliamentary elections that ended Viktor Orban’s 16 years in power.

Magyar, 45, who leads the centre-right Tisza party, was propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation under Orban, and strained ties with key allies, including the European Union.

On Saturday, Magyar invited Hungarians to “step through the gate of regime change”.

His party has a huge parliamentary majority, winning 141 of the 199 seats.

However, Magyar faces several challenges in his new role, including restoring Budapest’s relations with the EU, reviving the economy and tackling a budget deficit that reached almost three-quarters of its full-year target by April.

A ceremony was held inside Hungary’s neo-Gothic parliament building as Magyar was sworn in. The EU flag, removed under Orban, was displayed inside the chamber for the first time in 12 years.

The newly appointed parliamentary speaker, Agnes Forsthoffer, used her first decision in office to order the flag’s reinstatement, describing the move as “the first symbolic step on this path [back to Europe]”.

The new prime minister aims to strike a deal with the EU that would unlock around $20bn in frozen funding. The money was withheld over concerns about worsening human rights under Orban and a decline in the rule of law.

During Orban’s tenure, Hungary drifted further away from the EU as ties with Moscow deepened. The former prime minister used his veto in the European Council to oppose sanctions on Russia and block support for Ukraine.

Theofanis Exadaktylos, a professor of European politics at the University of Surrey, told Al Jazeera that Magyar will need to prove he is different from Orban while dealing with the bureaucracy left behind by his predecessor.

“The challenges for the new PM are primarily related to the extensive presence of the previous regime. Orban was in power for such a long time and he has managed to change Hungary substantially from an administrative point of view. To that end, uprooting the previous establishment will be a challenge,” he said.

“The second [challenge] will be to establish himself as different to the previous regime. Considering his background there will be sceptic voices, however let’s not forget that ideologically he belongs to the right,” he continued.

“Nonetheless, his election marks a turning point in Hungary showcasing that the previous regime had started to lose ground in its popular basis. The third challenge is the way he will reconnect Hungary to the European Union: to that end, he has a bit of work to do from a diplomatic point of view to create new allies within the Union.”

Magyar’s rise to prime minister is widely regarded as a remarkable feat. He was largely unknown in Hungarian politics until early 2024, when he became embroiled in a public dispute with Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, of which he had previously been a prominent member.

[Aljazeera]

A prominent Buddhist monk has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, in the highest-profile case involving a local religious leader.

Authorities took 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana into custody on Saturday from a private hospital in the capital, Colombo, where he had checked in for treatment as a criminal probe against him progressed.

Hemarathana is accused of committing the abuse in 2022 in a highly venerated temple in Anuradhapura, where he is the chief priest.

Authorities said the victim’s mother has also been arrested for aiding and abetting the monk.

“We will be guided by the magistrate on further action,” a police statement said Saturday.

Hemarathana, who had been subject to a foreign travel ban, was detained on the orders of the chief magistrate in Anuradhapura, after child protection authorities cited complaints of delays in his arrest, reported Sri Lanka’s Daily News. It said the court instructed police to arrest Hemarathana and bring him before the court “without delay”.

There have been several cases of clergy abusing children in Sri Lanka, but the latest arrest involves the most senior monk to be accused of such a crime.

Last month, 22 monks were arrested at Colombo’s international airport after 110kg (242lbs) of cannabis were found hidden in their bags, in what was the biggest drug smuggling discovery ever in the facility.

[Aljazeera]