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ISLAMABAD:  TikTok will host the second edition of its annual Ad Awards for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia region in Riyadh this December, the platform said on Monday. 

Launched last year, the awards celebrate leading advertising campaigns on TikTok and the brands and agencies behind them.

“After the incredible creativity we saw last year, we’re excited to bring the TikTok Ad Awards to Riyadh for 2025,” said Shadi Kandil, general manager of Global Business Solutions for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa, Central and South Asia at TikTok.

“These awards are about celebrating the work that goes beyond advertising to create cultural moments, inspire joy, and drive tangible business results.”

This year’s program features nine award categories, such as “It’s the Creative for Me” and “Sound On Please.” These categories celebrate creativity, with the former focusing on campaigns based on ideas unique to TikTok, and the latter recognizing audio-centric campaigns.

The “Community Core” category highlights campaigns driven by creator and community collaborations, while “Bougie on a Budget” honors campaigns that delivered results on modest budgets.

Focused on different stages of the marketing funnel, categories such as “Full Funnel Flex,” “Big Branding Energy,” and “Goal Digger” recognize campaigns that span the entire marketing funnel, build brand awareness, and drive conversions and sales, respectively.

The awards ceremony will feature a live-voting segment, giving audiences the chance to select “The People’s Choice” award for best campaign.

The top honor, “The Greatest Of All Time,” will go to the best overall campaign that combines creativity, media performance, and proven effectiveness.

The awards are open to brands and agencies based in ��������, the UAE, Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Submissions close on Oct. 31.

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab warned on Tuesday that several major rivers were in flood as relentless rains continued to batter the country where nearly 800 people have been killed since the monsoon season began in late June.

The most devastating spell of the monsoon began on Aug. 15 and has killed at least 485 people in just 10 days. Since the start of the season on June 26, official figures show 798 deaths, underscoring the scale of the disaster in a country ranked among the most climate-vulnerable in the world.

Officials say the ongoing monsoon spell is expected to last until at least September 10. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned the rains could rival the scale of the catastrophic floods of 2022, which killed more than 1,700 people and caused over $30 billion in damage.

“Due to rains, water levels in Punjab’s rivers are continuously rising,” Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said in a statement, noting flood levels in the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers.

“There is an extremely high flood at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River, where the inflow is 195,000 cusecs,” PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said, adding that Sulemanki on the Sutlej was at medium flood with an inflow of 104,000 cusecs and an outflow of 98,000 cusecs.

At Jassar on the Ravi, inflow had reached 90,000 cusecs, creating a medium-level flood, while Shahdara recorded a low-level flood with 40,000 cusecs, according to PDMA figures. At Balloki and Sidhnai barrages further downstream, inflows stood at 27,000 and 12,000 cusecs, respectively.

The PDMA said flood conditions were also present in major hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan, while flash flooding was reported in several nullahs.

“Citizens living in riverbeds should immediately move to safe places,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed urged. “Flood relief camps have been established in affected areas and all basic facilities and medicines will be provided.”

Javed also warned of landslides in Murree, Galiyat, and other northern hill areas, advising residents to avoid unnecessary travel. 

“People should refrain from recreational activities around rivers, canals and streams. Children must be kept away from rivers and nullahs,” he said.

Since the monsoon season started on June 26, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has reported 479 deaths, followed by Punjab with 165, Sindh 54, Gilgit-Baltistan 45, Balochistan 24, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 23 and the capital, Islamabad, eight, according to official figures.

Annual monsoon rains are crucial for Pakistan’s agriculture and water supply but in recent years have also unleashed devastation, intensified by shifting climate patterns.

Despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In recent years it has endured increasingly erratic weather, including droughts, heatwaves and record-breaking rains that have caused widespread loss of life and damage to property.

Experts warn that without urgent adaptation and mitigation measures, the human and economic toll of climate change in Pakistan will only deepen in the years ahead.