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			<title>Iran warns any new US attack will trigger ‘much heavier’ response</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626855/iran-warns-any-new-us-attack-will-trigger-much-heavier-response</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626855/iran-warns-any-new-us-attack-will-trigger-much-heavier-response#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 26 05:23:29 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626855</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[US weighs limited strikes on Iran to curb missile, radar rebuild in Hormuz]]>
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				<![CDATA[Iran will immediately reciprocate if the US&nbsp;returns to its commitments under an interim deal signed in June, Iranian President Masoud&nbsp;Pezeshkian&nbsp;said on Tuesday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, the Iranian Student News Agency reported.

His statements come as earlier Iran warned on Monday that any site used to launch US attacks on its territory would be targeted, accusing Washington of continuing to use the territory, airspace, and facilities of regional countries to launch strikes on Iran.

Iran&rsquo;s Armed Forces General Staff and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued the warning in a joint statement, saying the US had continued such operations despite previous warnings and assurances from some countries in the region.

The two military bodies said Tehran respects the sovereignty of neighbouring states but &ldquo;will never tolerate aggression,&rdquo; warning that any further attack would draw a &ldquo;much heavier&rdquo; response.

They pointed to attacks carried out overnight by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army as an example of that response.

&ldquo;The US has no choice but to leave the region,&rdquo; the statement said.

Read:&nbsp;US to respond to Iranian attacks on forces in Middle East: Trump

It also warned those facilitating US military action that the IRGC and Iranian army would jointly strike the source of any attack with &ldquo;overwhelming force.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Do not test&rdquo; the resolve of Iran&rsquo;s armed forces again, the statement added.

US weighs limited strikes on Iran to curb missile, radar rebuild in Hormuz: report

The US is weighing limited military strikes in the Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran from rebuilding radar and missile systems used to threaten shipping, Axios reported on Monday.

Citing three American officials, Axios reported that US Central Command drafted the plan over the past week and that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth backed it.

The plan had not received presidential approval before this weekend&#39;s exchange of fire with Iran, but officials said that could change following the latest escalation, according to the report.

One official said the objective was to reduce the risk of Iranian attacks on oil tankers, US Navy ships and Air Force aircraft, describing the approach as an effort &quot;to mow the lawn.&quot;

&quot;The President retains all options at his disposal. The Iranians want to make a deal, but they are always a day late and a dollar short,&quot; a White House official told Axios.

Officials cited a recent incident in which an Iranian anti-aircraft missile was fired toward a US F-35 escorting ships in the strait as raising concerns over Iran&#39;s military capacity.

Read more:&nbsp;Iran war depletes US military stockpiles, limiting global deterrence: report

They said Sunday&#39;s Iranian missile attacks on US bases in Jordan, following a US strike on Iranian troops, could affect US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision.

Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News that the US would &quot;hit them hard&quot; in response.

Trump says Strait of Hormuz in &#39;extremely good shape,&#39; touts &#39;30 ships a night&#39; passing through

Trump said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is in &quot;extremely good shape,&quot; claiming US naval assistance has helped an average of 30 ships pass through each night.

&quot;We have the Strait of Hormuz in extremely good shape. You know, we&#39;re taking over,&quot; Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.

&quot;Many, many ships got through last night. As you know, with the Navy&#39;s assistance, and we&#39;ve been averaging 30 ships a night. That&#39;s a lot, and a lot of oil coming out. That&#39;s why you haven&#39;t seen the price of oil go like they thought it might have to go,&quot; he said.

Trump also described Iran as a &quot;failed nation,&quot; citing what he said was 350% inflation, the lack of a functioning currency and difficulties paying Iranian soldiers.

&quot;They&#39;re a failed nation. They&#39;ve got 350% inflation. They have no currency. They&#39;re not paying their soldiers. Their leaders are largely dead. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their surveillance equipment is almost entirely gone,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;That doesn&#39;t mean we won&#39;t smack them. We&#39;ll see what happens.&quot;

He said that Iran&#39;s leadership structure was unclear. &quot;I don&#39;t really think they know who their leader is.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Nepal rescuers reach remote areas, electricity restored nearly a week after devastating floods</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626861/nepal-rescuers-reach-remote-areas-electricity-restored-nearly-a-week-after-devastating-floods</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626861/nepal-rescuers-reach-remote-areas-electricity-restored-nearly-a-week-after-devastating-floods#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 26 06:35:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[At least 939 killed, about 600 trapped in hydropower stations as rescue teams restore road networks]]>
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				<![CDATA[Nepali&nbsp;rescuers&nbsp;built temporary bridges to&nbsp;reach&nbsp;remote&nbsp;areas&nbsp;and dug through the ruins of hydropower projects in the Himalayas to rescue close to 300 trapped workers,&nbsp;nearly&nbsp;a&nbsp;week&nbsp;after&nbsp;devastating&nbsp;floods&nbsp;left a trail of destruction across the country&#39;s towns and valleys.

About 600 people remain stuck in several devastated hydropower stations that have become the focus of rescue efforts, while Prime Minister Balendra Shah said over 11,000 people have been rescued across the affected region and power and communication lines had been&nbsp;restored&nbsp;in some&nbsp;areas.

At least 939 people have been killed in the destruction, Shah said in a late-night social media post.

&quot;Thousands of citizens have lost their homes, families, loved ones and property,&quot; he said. &quot;The government understands the immense pain they are enduring. The path ahead is to support them through this suffering and help them return to normal life through rehabilitation.&quot;

Rescue teams had managed to restore road networks to Nuwakot, one of the worst-affected districts, facilitating rescue operations and distribution of relief material,&nbsp;Shah said.

Read:&nbsp;Factbox: Nations with tourists missing in Nepal flood

A glacier collapse&nbsp;triggered a deluge of ice, rock and mud which swept through the impoverished nation&#39;s border region with China, posing a massive challenge for&nbsp;Nepal&#39;s six-month old government.

Police official Bipin Regmi said a search team recovered 24 bodies from a house in Betrabati village in Nuwakot district. &quot;We are&nbsp;reaching new&nbsp;areas&nbsp;and recovering bodies,&quot; Regmi told Reuters.

Aid worth more than $42 million had poured into the country&nbsp;after&nbsp;the disaster, Shah said, and the government expected the contributions to increase.

Neighbours India and China, between whom&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;is wedged, were helping with rescue efforts, including building bailey bridges to&nbsp;reach&nbsp;remote&nbsp;affected&nbsp;areas.

Rescue efforts focus on hydropower stations

Shah said 279 workers had been rescued from hydropower projects so far where authorities estimated that close to 1,000 people were trapped.

Pictures and videos shared by rescue teams showed earth-moving equipment digging and shovelling mud and rocks under lights in the dark of the night as workers watched. Soldiers used torchlight in a big pit they had created to look for space to get into one tunnel.

Read More:&nbsp;Five dead as landslide buries houses in western Nepal

There has been a boom in hydropower projects in&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;since the turn of the century as the mountainous country sought to take advantage of its Himalayan water resources to address chronic domestic power shortages and exploit prospects for selling&nbsp;electricity&nbsp;to southern neighbour India.

Hydropower projects in&nbsp;Nepal&#39;s mountains need tunnels to carry water through the steep terrain, allowing developers to exploit the sharp elevation drop between Himalayan rivers and powerhouses to generate&nbsp;electricity.

China blames global warming

Shah said the catastrophic event signalled the growing risks that the Himalayan region faces.

&quot;The region must therefore remain vigilant. The time has come for us to strongly raise before the international community the disasters we are experiencing as a consequence of climate change,&quot; Shah said in his post.

Last&nbsp;week&#39;s flood was &quot;caused by glacier instability under the long-term effects of global warming&quot;, China&#39;s state broadcaster said on Monday.]]>
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			<title>Officials: US firm to take over some Venezuela oilfields previously run by Chinese, Russian firms</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626863/officials-us-firm-to-take-over-some-venezuela-oilfields-previously-run-by-chinese-russian-firms</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626863/officials-us-firm-to-take-over-some-venezuela-oilfields-previously-run-by-chinese-russian-firms#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 26 06:51:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626863</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Washington secures board veto power, 35% stake under Trump's newly announced production deal]]>
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				<![CDATA[United States&nbsp;oil company North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) will&nbsp;take&nbsp;over&nbsp;some&nbsp;oilfields&nbsp;previously controlled by several&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;companies and a Russian&nbsp;firm, two US officials told Reuters on Monday.

The&nbsp;takeover&nbsp;will be part of a sweeping oil production agreement that President Donald Trump announced with&nbsp;Venezuela, they said.

The projects were among 14 contracts newly granted to US-backed North American Blue Energy Partners, according to the officials. NABEP was previously owned by US&nbsp;oil tycoon Harry Sargeant and is now controlled by&nbsp;Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt.

&quot;Venezuela&nbsp;is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, hardworking people and untapped potential,&rdquo; Betancourt said in a statement, confirming the deal. &ldquo;This transaction will unleash that potential to the great benefit of both&nbsp;Venezuelans and Americans.&quot;

NABEP said it will have operating control of the business and the US government will have holding rights to a 35% stake&nbsp;in the company, alongside &quot;preferential access&quot; to 20% of the company&rsquo;s production at cost.

Read:&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s interim president says US energy deal will last 25 years

The White House said NABEP has also granted the US Department of State the right of first refusal to purchase the remaining 80% of its production.

Last week, Trump announced&nbsp;that the US had secured access to&nbsp;some&nbsp;64 billion barrels of&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s proven oil reserves through a partnership with private business.

The arrangement gives US&nbsp;companies a foothold in&nbsp;some&nbsp;of&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s strategically important oil assets while displacing&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;and Russian interests that have long played a major role in the country&#39;s energy sector. It also gives Washington a direct role in determining who produces and sells&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s oil, as the Trump administration seeks to reshape the country&#39;s oil industry and bring its vast reserves closer to US&nbsp;economic and geopolitical interests.

The US will also have veto power&nbsp;over&nbsp;NABEP&#39;s board and directors and has stipulated that a majority of the board must be American citizens, the White House added.

NABEP is expected to control a total of 17 projects in&nbsp;Venezuela&nbsp;that it plans to develop and ultimately&nbsp;use to supply oil to the US. 14 of those projects will be newly granted by the&nbsp;Venezuelan government, the officials said.

Five of the 14 fields have been operated by&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;companies under a model promoted by then-President Nicolas Maduro, while one was previously operated by a Russian company, the officials said.

Two of the projects have been operated by China Concord Resources, which was sanctioned by the US in 2019 for Iran-related activity. Another project was operated by Sinopec and another by China National Petroleum Corp, the officials said.

&quot;Not only are we opening up new opportunities for the US&nbsp;government to benefit and for US operators to benefit, we are opening up the United States as the market for this oil which was previously being sent to China,&quot; the official said.

Two other projects were operated by affiliates of Alex Saab, a former close associate of ousted&nbsp;Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who is currently being held in US custody, the officials said. Another oilfield was linked to a nephew of Maduro&#39;s wife, Cilia Flores, the officials said.

Read More:&nbsp;US-backed Venezuela talks to begin without opposition leader Machado

Trump told reporters earlier on Monday that the US was taking out &quot;millions and millions of barrels of oil&quot; that is currently being shipped to refineries in Texas and Louisiana, among ​other locations. He is to meet oil and gas retailers and refineries on Tuesday.

The officials said talks between&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s interim authorities and representatives of the 2015 National Assembly are aimed at restoring a measure of constitutional order and addressing legal questions surrounding the country&#39;s transition.

The Trump administration views the 2015 assembly as the last&nbsp;Venezuelan legislative body elected and operating under the country&#39;s constitution, although it has no formal governing power.

One official said reaching an agreement with the 2015 assembly could provide a constitutional and legal basis for the broader transition, including economic decisions such as the revival of&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s oil industry.]]>
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			<title>US to respond to Iranian attacks on forces in Middle East: Trump</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626677/irans-pezeshkian-says-tehran-not-looking-for-war-after-us-attack-on-larak-island</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626677/irans-pezeshkian-says-tehran-not-looking-for-war-after-us-attack-on-larak-island#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 04:59:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626677</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Trump calls for war crimes trial of Iranian leadership over alleged protesters' deaths]]>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US&nbsp;would retaliate against Iran following missile and drone attacks on American forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

&ldquo;We&#39;re going to hit them hard. There will be a response,&rdquo; Trump told Fox News.

He noted that US air defence systems intercepted most of the incoming fire. One missile was identified as &quot;not going to hit anything significant,&quot; and US forces allowed it to pass through the airspace, Trump said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Monday it had struck the King Hussein and Azraq airbases in Jordan with ballistic missiles while also targeting Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE with explosive drones.

The IRGC said the operation was retaliation for a US strike on Larak Island on Sunday, which reportedly aimed to stop the placement of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point.

Trump also expressed scepticism regarding a diplomatic breakthrough, noting that while Tehran sought a meeting, current US sanctions were &quot;kicking in strongly.&quot;



BREAKING: President Trump tells @TreyYingst the U.S. will respond to Iran&rsquo;s overnight attack on American forces in Jordan, saying, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to hit them hard.&rdquo;

Trump said U.S. air defenses intercepted all but one Iranian missile, which was allowed to pass because it was not&hellip; pic.twitter.com/k6GZGEKdYy
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2026


Trump calls for war crimes trial of Iranian leadership over alleged protesters&#39; deaths

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Iranian leadership should face trial for crimes against humanity following allegations that it had killed over 100,000 protesters.

&ldquo;They must be tried for war crimes against humanity,&rdquo; Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

He characterised Iran as &quot;officially a failed nation&quot; with a leadership in &quot;total disarray.&quot;

&ldquo;They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency,&rdquo; the US president claimed.

&quot;It is dead,&quot; he said, noting that the only assets remaining for Tehran were &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; from the US and a &ldquo;willingness to kill their protesters,&rdquo; alleging a death toll of 100,000 demonstrators.

There had been no independent confirmation of the alleged 100,000 deaths.



UAE reserves &#39;right to respond&#39; to Iranian drone attack, calls it a &#39;dangerous escalation&#39;

The United Arab Emirates condemned an Iranian drone attack on Monday as a &quot;dangerous escalation&quot; and a flagrant violation of its sovereignty.

The UAE reserves the right to respond, its foreign ministry said on Monday.

The military&#39;s air defences intercepted the Iranian drone over UAE territorial waters, the foreign ministry added.

Earlier, the UAE defence ministry said its air force engaged a drone over its territorial waters that had come from Iran

It did not provide further details on the drone, including whether it was shot down or its intended target.

Iranian state TV reported that its army had attacked the United Arab Emirates&#39; Al Minhad Air Base in response to US strikes on Larak Island.

&ldquo;Since early this morning, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army has targeted locations housing US military helicopters and personnel at Al Minhad base in the UAE with dozens of explosive drones,&rdquo; the army said, according to Iranian news agencies.

It described Al Minhad as an important logistics and air transport hub for foreign forces and vowed further retaliation against US troops.

The army said the attack was carried out in retaliation for the killing of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and civilians in Sunday&rsquo;s US strike on Iran&rsquo;s Larak Island.

Jordan says it intercepted 8 missiles that breached its airspace as IRGC says it struck US bases

Jordan&rsquo;s army said early on Monday that it had intercepted eight missiles that breached the country&rsquo;s airspace.

The missiles were destroyed before posing any threat to civilians or property, the army said in a statement.

Earlier, Iran&rsquo;s IRGC said it had struck the King Hussein and Azraq US airbases in Jordan with ballistic missiles in retaliation for a US attack on Iran&rsquo;s Larak Island.

The IRGC said the attack involved missiles and drones targeting infrastructure and areas where fighter jets were stationed, claiming &ldquo;heavy damage.&rdquo;

Iran FM accuses &#39;serpent&#39; Netanyahu of tricking US into war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a &ldquo;serpent&rdquo;, accusing him of tricking Washington into going to war with the Islamic republic, AFP reported.

&ldquo;In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the US Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel. Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he &lsquo;influenced&rsquo; America through 1,000 hours of airtime on US networks,&rdquo; Araghchi said in a post on X.



In Hebrew, Netanyahu openly crows that he suckered the U.S. Administration into a war on Iran on behalf of Israel.

Netanyahu explicitly laughs about how he &quot;influenced&quot; America through 1,000 hours of airtime on U.S. networks.

In English, he praises POTUS&#39; leadership.

Serpent. https://t.co/O2hXExS91M
&mdash; Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) August 31, 2026


&ldquo;In English, he praises POTUS&rsquo; leadership. Serpent,&rdquo; he added.

Iran&rsquo;s Pezeshkian says Tehran &lsquo;not looking for war&rsquo; after US attack on Larak Island

Tehran &ldquo;is not looking for war&rdquo; but will also &ldquo;never sit still in the face of any aggression,&rdquo; Iran&rsquo;s president said on Monday in his first comments since the US&rsquo; weekend attack on Iran&rsquo;s Larak Island.

Speaking before departing for Kyrgyzstan for an international summit, Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would respond firmly to any further attacks, according to the Fars news agency.

Iran &ldquo;will give a decisive response to the aggressors&rdquo; if attacked, he said.

&ldquo;Instability and unrest in the region are not in the interest of any country and will challenge everyone,&rdquo; he added.

Pezeshkian arrived in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek to attend a summit of heads of state of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries.

Iran oil CEO calls Trump&#39;s Kharg Island post &#39;laughable&#39;

Conditions on Iran&#39;s energy hub Kharg Island are &quot;calm and appropriate,&quot; and oil operations have not stopped, Hamid Bovard, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company, said on Monday, according to Nournews.

Bovard denied that the key oil hub was being destroyed, as Trump&#39;s social media post had said.

&quot;Trump&#39;s tweets are laughable, and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate,&quot; Nournews cited him as saying.

It added that the island, from which 90% of Iranian oil exports originate, had been bombed repeatedly by US and Israeli forces in the past, but oil workers had not allowed operations to stop &quot;even for a moment&quot;.

Contractors are currently rebuilding and modernising storage tanks and jetties, he added.

Iran says it downed US drone over Strait of Hormuz

Iran&rsquo;s IRGC said on Monday that it had shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz, causing it to crash into the waters of the Gulf.

In a statement, the IRGC public relations office said the &quot;ever-watchful fighters of the IRGC&#39;s modern air defence&quot; hit the long-range US MQ-9 Reaper drone with missile fire early on Monday, causing it to fall into the Gulf, according to Iran&#39;s Mehr News Agency.

The statement also praised the Iranian people&#39;s continued presence in the field as the greatest support for the nation&#39;s fighters.

Trump shares AI-generated video imagining Iranian island &lsquo;being blown to smithereens&#39;

Iran&#39;s energy hub of Kharg Island is being &quot;blown to smithereens&quot;, US President Donald Trump ​said on Sunday in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video clip.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117187722429803464



There was no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub was under &zwnj;attack. The White House and the US Defence Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours.

There was no immediate response to Trump&#39;s post on Iranian media.

&quot;Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT,&quot; Trump said on social media, but gave no further details.

Reuters confirmed that an accompanying video clip showing dramatic explosions was most likely synthetically generated, using software that detects AI-manipulated imagery.

Attacking Kharg, which handled 90% ​of Iran&#39;s oil exports before the war launched by US and Israeli attacks on February 28, would severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its ​economy.

Iran responded to an earlier US attack on rocket launchers on its island of Larak, about 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg, with ⁠an assault on two US bases in Jordan, Iranian media said.

The return to hostilities followed weeks in which the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its ​business partners with costly economic sanctions, shifting away from military options.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday new secondary sanctions were likely to be unveiled weekly in the effort to pressure ​Iran, with an initial focus on banks.

&quot;We&#39;re starting with the banks, and we&#39;re telling the banks it&#39;s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime,&quot; Bessent said in an interview.

After imposing penalties on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt&#39;s Banque Misr on Friday over alleged financial links to Iran, Bessent said the next step may be cutting off an institution entirely from the dollar-based financial system.

&quot;You&#39;re ​going to see a lot more of these every week,&quot; Bessent told Reuters, ahead of a meeting of Group of 20 finance leaders.

First known military attacks in weeks

In describing the first ​known US military strikes since late July, a US official said forces attacked two Iranian launchers on Larak Island.

The small island in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas overlooks shipping &zwnj;lanes at ⁠the mouth of the Gulf, giving it a key role in tension over Iran, maritime security and global energy supplies.

&quot;Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,&quot; the source added.

In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Jordan, targeting two US bases. Jordan&#39;s armed forces had intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace, state television said.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said the attack killed and wounded several soldiers and citizens and vowed a &quot;response and punishment&quot; from Tehran, according to Iranian state media.

In a statement, the US ​Central Command said it took &quot;limited, precise&quot; action against ​minelaying forces of Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards that ⁠posed an &quot;imminent threat&quot; in the Strait of Hormuz. It gave no details.



🚫CLAIM: Iran&rsquo;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a recent statement that strikes by U.S. forces to prevent the IRGC from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz were an &ldquo;act of aggression.&rdquo; This claim is absolutely FALSE.

✅FACT: U.S. forces took limited,&hellip; pic.twitter.com/XLx8xNTHto
&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 31, 2026


Amid threats to shipping, the number of visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to ​five a day over the ⁠weekend, shipping data showed.

The actual number could be higher as some vessels have switched off automatic identification systems to evade attacks.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said all mines had been detonated or removed from the international waters of the strait and Iran had been warned that any vessel placing new mines would be destroyed.

While Trump has repeatedly said the Strait of Hormuz is open, Iran&#39;s ⁠Revolutionary Guards&#39; navy ​had called those statements &quot;an obvious lie&quot;, reiterating that it remained closed to ships without Iranian permission.

The waterway carried ​nearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before it was blockaded in the six-month-old Iran war.

Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Trump reiterates Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, describing the country&rsquo;s leadership as &ldquo;very violent, evil people.&rdquo;

&ldquo;You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, and they won&rsquo;t have a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; Trump told Fox News in an interview published on Sunday.

He argued that Tehran would have used a nuclear weapon had it acquired one, claiming that the Middle East &ldquo;would have essentially been gone&rdquo; and that Israel would have been destroyed, with the US or Europe possibly becoming the next targets.

&ldquo;If I weren&#39;t president, Israel would be gone. There would be no Israel. And there would probably be no Middle East,&rdquo; he added.

Trump also said the US is inflicting significant damage on Iran and praised what he described as an effective blockade on Iran.

&ldquo;We are doing a great job. The blockade has been unbelievable ... we are hitting them very hard. Nobody has ever been hit like this,&rdquo; he said.

Trump called Iran a &ldquo;failing nation&rdquo; and said he was surprised when Tehran began targeting Gulf countries at the start of the war.

&ldquo;Everybody was shocked. I was surprised,&rdquo; he said, adding that he believed the attacks caused Iran to lose support.

Trump also accused Democrats of wanting the US to lose its wars against Iran and Venezuela, adding that would not happen because the country is &ldquo;absolutely winning easily.&rdquo;

US strikes on Larak Island

Earlier on Sunday, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking the first strikes on Iranian territory since late July, a US official told Axios.

The operation targeted systems allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC said several fighters and civilians were killed and injured in the strike and vowed to respond.

Iran&rsquo;s Tasnim news agency said preliminary information suggested the attack was carried out by drones.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have remained high since the war began with strikes on Iran in late February. Although a framework deal was signed in June through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, in July the US began a two-week bombing campaign and reimposed a naval blockade after differences over navigation in the strait.]]>
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			<title>Far-right Israeli minister storms Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626770/far-right-israeli-minister-storms-al-aqsa-mosque-under-police-protection</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626770/far-right-israeli-minister-storms-al-aqsa-mosque-under-police-protection#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 19:12:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626770</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Al-Aqsa is Islam's third-holiest site; Jews call the area Temple Mount and link it to two ancient temples]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday under police protection, with circulating images showing him performing prayers inside.

Ben-Gvir entered the compound accompanied by police guards and several Israeli occupiers, an official from the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem told Anadolu on condition of anonymity.

Images circulated on social media showed the minister performing prayers in the eastern section of the mosque.

Ben-Gvir, the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, has stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound several times, drawing widespread Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international condemnation.

Read More: Israeli strike kills two people including a 3-year-old boy, Gaza medics say

Monday&rsquo;s incursion came nearly two months before Israel&rsquo;s general elections, scheduled for Oct. 27.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world&#39;s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Since 2003, Israeli police have allowed occupiers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound daily, except Fridays and Saturdays.

Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, citing international resolutions that do not recognize Israel&rsquo;s occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Israel signs $3.5b air defence deal with Greece</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626737/israel-signs-35b-air-defence-deal-with-greece</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626737/israel-signs-35b-air-defence-deal-with-greece#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 14:28:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626737</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Israel will supply Greece with David's Sling, SPYDER, BARAK MX and MMR air surveillance systems]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Israel and Greece &zwnj;signed a &euro;3 billion ($3.5 billion) defence deal on Monday under which Israel will build a multi-layered air defence system for Greece as Athens pushes ahead with a broader military modernisation programme.

Israel&#39;s ​defence ministry said it was Israel&#39;s largest-ever defence export deal with Greece ​and one of the biggest in the country&#39;s history. The agreement confirmed ⁠an earlier Reuters report.

Amir Baram, director general of Israel&#39;s defence ministry, said ​the so-called Achilles Shield deal reflected &quot;Israel&#39;s technological edge and the proven track record of ​our defence systems in the field.&quot;

Under the deal, Israel will supply Greece with the David&#39;s Sling and SPYDER systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the BARAK MX system made ​by Israel Aerospace Industries, as well as MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance, ​manufactured by IAI unit ELTA Systems.

Read More: Former Israeli premier says Israel associated with &lsquo;genocide&rsquo; among US students

David&#39;s Sling was used by Israel to intercept Iranian missiles &zwnj;during ⁠the war with Iran this year. Greece becomes the second customer for the system after Finland.

Greece spends nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defence, a higher proportion than many NATO allies due to its long-standing dispute with neighbouring Turkey.

Athens plans ​to spend about &euro;28 ​billion by 2036 ⁠to build the Achilles Shield multi-layer anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system, and to buy up to 40 F-35 fighter jets ​from the U.S. and frigates from France and Italy.

Under Monday&#39;s ​deal, Greece ⁠will also receive a new national command-and-control system, developed by Rafael, to integrate the country&#39;s air-defence capabilities.

A supplementary &euro;26 million agreement will see Israel supply Greece with Rafael&#39;s Drone ⁠Dome ​systems to protect strategic sites against drones and ​reinforce existing defences.

Israel will also expand defence-industrial cooperation with Greece, including transfers of technology and expertise to ​local industry.]]>
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			<title>Scottish government urged to fully implement sanctions against Israel</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626722/scottish-government-urged-to-fully-implement-sanctions-against-israel</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626722/scottish-government-urged-to-fully-implement-sanctions-against-israel#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 12:06:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626722</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA['The Scottish Government has already shown that it can act...Palestinians deserve no less,’ says Patrick Harvie]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Scottish Greens have called on Scotland&rsquo;s first minister to fully implement boycott and sanctions measures against Israel in his upcoming Programme for Government, according to media reports on Monday.

&ldquo;The Programme for Government must be the moment that changes. We need clear commitments and a plan to end Scotland&rsquo;s complicity in the systemic abuse of Palestinians,&rdquo; Scottish Greens MSP Patrick Harvie was quoted by Scottish daily The National as saying.

The call comes after the Scottish Greens repeatedly urged First Minister John Swinney to end contracts with companies identified by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk as being involved in Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

The Greens are also calling for local authorities to be given greater powers to support the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by repealing a Margaret Thatcher-era UK law that prevents procurement decisions from being based on geographical origin.

Harvie said the Scottish government had failed to turn its words into action, arguing that in most respects it had done the bare minimum and provided &ldquo;little evidence of meaningful change&rdquo; on the issue.

Read:&nbsp;Former Israeli premier says Israel associated with &lsquo;genocide&rsquo; among US students

&ldquo;If a company is profiting from apartheid and genocide, the Scottish Government must use every power it has to ensure it is not also profiting from public money here in Scotland,&rdquo; he said.

Recalling that ministers issued guidance to Scottish businesses following the start of Russia&rsquo;s war on Ukraine, Harvie said the government had made clear that the private sector had a responsibility to respond.

&ldquo;The Scottish Government has already shown that it can act when it chooses to ... Palestinians deserve no less,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We cannot have a boycott in name only. Parliament did not vote for empty gestures. One year on, the Scottish Government needs to deliver,&rdquo; Harvie added.

Meanwhile, a Scottish government spokesperson said: &ldquo;As one of the first governments to call for a ceasefire, the Scottish Government has been a clear and consistent advocate for peace, justice and human rights in Gaza.&rdquo;

The spokesperson added that the government had taken the &ldquo;most direct and effective action&rdquo; available within its powers to press for an immediate and lasting resolution and an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.]]>
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			<title>Putin says Russia ready to make visa-free travel with China permanent</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626735/putin-says-russia-ready-to-make-visa-free-travel-with-china-permanent</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626735/putin-says-russia-ready-to-make-visa-free-travel-with-china-permanent#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 13:55:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626735</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Russia allows Chinese citizens visa-free stays of up to 30 days under a reciprocal regime through Sept 14]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Russia is ready to work with China to make visa-free travel between the two countries permanent, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

&quot;We are ready to work together to make the visa-free regime permanent, if the Chinese side considers this possible and useful,&quot; Putin said during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.

Read More: Russia plans &#39;massive strikes&#39; on Ukraine

Russia introduced a reciprocal visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in December 2025, allowing them to stay in Russia for up to 30 days without a visa through September&nbsp;14, 2026. China had previously introduced a similar arrangement for Russian citizens.

The two countries subsequently agreed to extend visa-free travel for their citizens through the end of 2027.

Putin said the visa-free arrangement had helped boost travel between the two countries, with tourist trips rising 43% in the first half of 2026.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said earlier that Chinese tourism to Russia had increased by almost 50% in the first quarter of 2026 following the introduction of visa-free travel.

The push to make visa-free travel permanent comes as Moscow and Beijing seek to deepen people-to-people and economic ties, with tourism forming part of broader bilateral cooperation.]]>
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			<title>North Korea says hostile US policy unchanged, vows to strengthen nuclear force</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626721/north-korea-says-hostile-us-policy-unchanged-vows-to-strengthen-nuclear-force</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626721/north-korea-says-hostile-us-policy-unchanged-vows-to-strengthen-nuclear-force#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 26 11:52:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626721</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[North Korea's FM spokesperson says nukes an 'absolute guarantee for defending' country's sovereignty]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[North Korea said on Monday the United States&#39; hostile policy remained unchanged and vowed to continue strengthening its ​nuclear force, rejecting repeated US&nbsp;calls for its denuclearisation.

In a statement carried by state ​media KCNA, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a confrontational ⁠stance through its commitment to the &quot;complete denuclearisation&quot; of North Korea, criticism of the country&#39;s human ​rights record and planned joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.

&quot;The Trump administration has thus ​fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK,&quot; the spokesperson said, using the initials of North Korea&#39;s official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of ​Korea.

The spokesperson said North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons were &quot;an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty&quot; and ​that its nuclear status would not be weakened by repeated U.S. denuclearisation demands.

The spokesperson also said expecting any &zwnj;easing ⁠of regional tensions was &quot;pointless&quot;.

Read:&nbsp;North Korea condemns US arms sale to South Korea, vows strong response

There is likewise &quot;no change&quot; in North Korea&#39;s policy toward the US, the official said.

The statement came after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump this month ordered a major scaling back of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises between the United States and South Korea.

Trump cited his &quot;very ​good relationship&quot; with North ​Korean leader Kim Jong ⁠Un and said the drills were costly and sent an unnecessarily hostile signal to Pyongyang.

Trump has been seeking a new summit with the ​North Korean leader. The two met three times in 2018 and ​2019.

Despite the ⁠drills reduction, Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader&#39;s sister,&nbsp;said&nbsp;this month the exercises remained provocative and aggressive even if their scale and duration were reduced.

Separately, the US, South Korea and Japan are ⁠due ​to hold the Freedom Edge&nbsp;exercise, which is intended to improve ​coordination against nuclear and missile threats, from September 7 to 11, according to Seoul&#39;s military. North Korea has repeatedly ​denounced the trilateral drill as a threat to regional security.]]>
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			<title>Xi, Modi, Putin to meet in Kyrgyzstan: what to watch at SCO summit</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626237/xi-modi-putin-to-meet-in-kyrgyzstan-what-to-watch-at-sco-summit</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626237/xi-modi-putin-to-meet-in-kyrgyzstan-what-to-watch-at-sco-summit#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 26 11:23:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626237</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 10-member bloc represents about 3.4 billion people, with China, Russia, India and Iran among its members]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Some of Eurasia&#39;s most powerful leaders will gather next week in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, bringing together a complicated mix of improving ties, longstanding rivalries and regional conflicts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among those attending the September&nbsp;1 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State summit, which marks the group&#39;s 25th anniversary.

The gathering comes amid a tentative thaw in China-India relations following years of border tensions, as India and Pakistan navigate the aftermath of their brief conflict last year.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will also attend as Tehran faces growing US economic pressure, while conflicts and instability stretching from the Middle East and Ukraine to Afghanistan are expected to feature in discussions.

The meeting also comes as SCO members seek to capitalise on shifting global economic and geopolitical dynamics by strengthening trade, transport links and economic cooperation across Eurasia.

What is the SCO?

The SCO traces its roots to the &quot;Shanghai Five,&quot; established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to reduce military tensions and address border disputes following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Uzbekistan joined when the SCO was formally established in 2001, and the grouping remained largely centred on China, Russia and Central Asia for much of its early history.

Its international profile grew significantly with its expansion. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

For Iran, membership marked a major diplomatic opening after years of geopolitical isolation, while Belarus&#39;s accession reflected its broader pivot toward non-Western partners

Today, the organisation has 10 members: Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian country outside the SCO, reflecting its longstanding policy of permanent neutrality. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status, while dialogue partners include T&uuml;rkiye, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia.

Together, SCO members have a population of around 3.4 billion, span a vast stretch of Eurasia and account for around 25% of global GDP.

Unlike NATO, the SCO is not a military alliance, nor is it an economic union like the EU. Instead, its consensus-based structure provides a forum for security cooperation, economic ties and diplomacy among countries that do not necessarily share the same interests.

Diplomacy to watch in Bishkek

One of the most closely watched encounters will be between Xi and Modi as Asia&#39;s two most populous countries seek to build on a tentative thaw after years of tensions over their disputed Himalayan border.

Senior Chinese and Indian officials held another round of boundary talks in Beijing on August&nbsp;25, agreeing to continue efforts toward a settlement and maintain stability along the frontier.

Relations deteriorated sharply after deadly border clashes in 2020, making the leaders&#39; interactions in Bishkek an opportunity to gauge how far the recent improvement in ties has progressed.

The interaction between Xi and Putin will also offer a window into the increasingly close relationship between China and Russia and how the two powers coordinate within the SCO.

The gathering will also put the leaders of India and Pakistan in the same room just more than a year after the two nuclear-armed neighbours fought a brief conflict.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is slated to attend, bringing him together with Modi as tensions persist between the two countries, primarily over Indian illegally occupied Jammu and&nbsp;Kashmir.

Another leader to watch will be Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines of the summit, according to Iran&#39;s official IRNA news agency.

His visit comes as the US threatens increased secondary sanctions against countries and entities that continue doing business with Tehran.

What&rsquo;s on the official agenda?

According to the SCO Secretariat, leaders are expected to discuss major regional and international security challenges, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the situation in Afghanistan and India&#39;s relations with China and Pakistan.

The organisation has taken a more visible collective position in 2026 on Iran and the broader Middle East, including the Palestinian issue, calling for restraint, dialogue and political and diplomatic solutions.

At a July meeting, SCO foreign ministers expressed particular concern over developments in the Middle East and around Iran, reiterating that international conflicts should be settled through political and diplomatic means in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

Afghanistan remains a longstanding regional priority, particularly because of concerns over terrorism, drug trafficking and cross-border security.

Ukraine is also expected to feature in discussions, though there has been no indication that the war will be a separate focus of the summit.

Relations between India and China and India and Pakistan are also expected to be discussed, bringing some of the SCO&#39;s own internal tensions onto the agenda.

Counterterrorism remains a core area of cooperation through the SCO&#39;s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, based in Tashkent. The summit is expected to approve its plans for the coming year, including possible joint exercises.

Economic connectivity will be another major focus, with transport infrastructure and a proposed SCO Development Bank among the projects under discussion.

One major transport project involving SCO members is the 7,200-kilometre (4,474-mile) International North-South Transport Corridor, which links St. Petersburg with Mumbai through Iran and ports on the Persian Gulf.

The organisation also agreed in 2025 to establish a network of Silk Road Stations to support international freight traffic across Eurasia.

Members are meanwhile continuing talks on establishing an SCO Development Bank. A fourth round of consultations was held in Shenzhen in June, though its structure and operating arrangements remain under negotiation.

What comes next?

The SCO enters its second quarter-century as economic activity shifts toward Asia, supply chains are reconfigured and countries seek new trade and diplomatic partnerships.

For some members, it offers a platform to strengthen regional security. For others, it provides opportunities to expand economic ties, develop transport links and coordinate positions on international issues.

The summit is expected to produce a Bishkek Declaration marking the SCO&#39;s 25th anniversary, alongside documents on the organization&#39;s development and regional and international issues.

It will also mark the end of Kyrgyzstan&#39;s chairmanship and the handover to Pakistan, which is set to lead the organisation for the next year and host the 2027 leaders&#39; summit.

The SCO lacks the binding commitments of a military alliance or economic union, but its scale has made it an increasingly significant forum for dialogue across Eurasia.

As leaders gather in Bishkek for its 25th anniversary, the summit underscores how an organisation founded to resolve border disputes has grown into a major multilateral grouping.

Its next challenge will be turning that scale into influence while maintaining consensus among an increasingly diverse membership.]]>
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			<title>Pro-Israel lobby spends big on US midterms as backlash grows</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626216/pro-israel-lobby-spends-big-on-us-midterms-as-backlash-grows</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626216/pro-israel-lobby-spends-big-on-us-midterms-as-backlash-grows#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 26 07:45:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626216</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[AIPAC pours $54m on congressional races as primaries demonstrate spending can't guarantee victory]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The most powerful pro-Israel lobby in the United States is spending more than any other outside group on the 2026 midterms - even as its once-coveted backing becomes an increasingly potent weapon for political opponents.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has poured tens of millions of dollars into races nationwide through its main election-spending vehicle, the United Democracy Project (UDP).

The so-called &quot;super PAC&quot; - a group allowed to lavish unlimited sums to influence elections, provided it operates independently of candidates -&nbsp;has spent $54 million on congressional races, according to campaign finance monitor OpenSecrets. That has made it the single largest outside spender of the cycle, OpenSecrets said, while the wider pro-Israel donor network spent $71 million - placing it second only to the cryptocurrency industry.

The extraordinary financial firepower underscores AIPAC&#39;s continued influence in Washington - but also a growing backlash over US policy toward Israel and the role of wealthy interest groups in American elections.

Read:&nbsp;Trump heads into midterms short on foreign policy wins

AIPAC has concentrated much of its spending on Democratic primaries, supporting candidates strongly committed to Israel and trying to defeat critics of unconditional US military aid.

It didn&#39;t respond to a request for comment, but it has rejected suggestions that its influence is collapsing, saying hundreds of candidates it backed have won their primaries.

Its money has indeed delivered victories this year, but also some expensive failures.

Money meets resistance

In Michigan, AIPAC and allied groups spent around $30 million in an unsuccessful effort to prevent progressive former health official Abdul El-Sayed from winning the Democratic Senate nomination over establishment-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Progressives have also defeated candidates supported by AIPAC-linked money in congressional contests in California, Illinois and New York, often turning the group&#39;s spending itself into a campaign issue.

Eli Clifton, of US foreign policy think tank the Quincy Institute, said UDP was the biggest spender in Michigan, although 97% of its large contributions came from outside the state - and its biggest donors are Republican billionaires. &quot;This is a special interest that participates outside of the partisan framework, and it&#39;s really all about advancing the interests of a foreign country,&quot; he told AFP.

Unease over the group is no longer confined to Democrats. Allies of Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, recently asked AIPAC not to run advertisements publicly on his behalf, US media reported, fearing its overt involvement would benefit El-Sayed in the Arab-American heartland.

Shifting opinion

The discomfort reflects a broader transformation in US attitudes toward Israel following years of war in Gaza and widening conflict across the Middle East.

A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48% of American voters believed Washington was too supportive of Israel, including 66% of Democrats - the highest overall figure in nine years of the survey.

The change has been clearest on the Democratic left, where candidates increasingly portray AIPAC as too closely aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emblematic of big-money interests overwhelming ordinary voters.

But criticism has spread to the populist right, where some &quot;America First&quot; conservatives have attacked Washington&#39;s support for Israel and blamed pro-Israel lobbying for drawing the US&nbsp;deeper into foreign conflicts.

Read More:&nbsp;Israel&#39;s decades-old US support risks losing Democrats

AIPAC&#39;s financial strength, meanwhile, continues to grow. OpenSecrets says the organisation itself has contributed $30 million to UDP. And its political power remains formidable, with US military aid to Israel continuing to attract broad support in Congress.

But the primaries have demonstrated that record spending cannot guarantee victory - and a once-prized endorsement can now, in some races, be something candidates would rather their opponents talked less about.

&quot;That&#39;s precisely why they never mention US foreign policy and Israel in their ads,&quot; Casey Kennedy, co-founder of the Track AIPAC advocacy platform, told AFP. &quot;AIPAC knows AIPAC is toxic, and the more they spend, the more toxic they become with voters across the political spectrum.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Factbox: Nations with tourists missing in Nepal flood</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626079/factbox-nations-with-tourists-missing-in-nepal-flood</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626079/factbox-nations-with-tourists-missing-in-nepal-flood#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 26 16:16:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626079</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[540 foreigners from 31 countries are among 667 tourists missing after floods hit Nepal and Tibet]]>
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				<![CDATA[As many as 540 foreigners from 31 countries are among the 667 tourists missing in Nepal after a catastrophic flood devastated the Himalayan nation and China&#39;s Tibet, tourism officials said on Thursday.

The tally of foreigners missing in Tibet&#39;s Gyirong county was 260 out of a total of 558, state broadcaster CCTV said, but nationality details were not immediately available.

Here are nations whose tourists are missing in Nepal:

India: Neighbouring India had the highest number of missing people after the flood, with at least 288 unaccounted for in Nepal and another 200 stranded in China, its foreign ministry said on Thursday.

China: Nearly 100 Chinese nationals were missing in Nepal in the area affected by a massive mudslide and flooding, China&#39;s foreign ministry said.

Read More: How a glacier collapse may have caused Nepal-Tibet disaster

United States: At least 65 US citizens are missing, the Nepal tourism board said.

Malaysia: At least 55 nationals reported to Malaysia&#39;s embassy in Kathmandu are uncontactable, its foreign ministry said on Thursday. Nepal&#39;s tourism board put the number of missing at 51.

Ukraine: 53 Ukrainians were missing in the flood, authorities said.

Britain: There were 33 British citizens missing after the disaster, the Nepalese tourism board said.

Australia: At least 25 Australians are missing after the flood, Nepal&#39;s tourism board said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong had earlier said that at least 34 of its citizens on pilgrimages and tours in Nepal were missing.

Canada: The missing include 25 Canadians, the board said.

Singapore: Nine Singapore citizens were missing, the board said.

South Korea: Nine South Koreans working in a hydropower plant were missing and 10 were stranded, South Korea&#39;s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Russia: At least eight Russians were also among those missing, the Nepal tourism board said.

Germany: At least eight Germans were among the missing, the board said.

Latvia: At least six Latvian nationals were among those missing, Nepal&#39;s tourism board said.

South Africa: Six South Africans were untraceable after the flood on Wednesday, authorities in Nepal said.

Japan: Japan&#39;s embassy in Nepal asked for a search to locate five citizens it was unable to contact, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X.

New Zealand: At least five tourists from New Zealand were among the missing, Nepal said.

Also missing since Wednesday are citizens of Belarus, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Sweden, Nepal&#39;s tourism board said in its statement.]]>
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			<title>Fact check: Viral video does not show Mojtaba Khamenei’s first appearance after becoming supreme leader; it’s old from 2020</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626088/fact-check-viral-video-does-not-show-mojtaba-first-appearance-after-becoming-supreme-leader</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626088/fact-check-viral-video-does-not-show-mojtaba-first-appearance-after-becoming-supreme-leader#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 26 17:30:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fact Check By iVerify]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2626088</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Reverse image search found a Fars News post dated Aug. 24, 2026, saying the footage predates his leadership]]>
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				<![CDATA[Multiple news outlets and users were sharing a clip across social media platforms since Monday, claiming it shows Mojtaba Khamenei&rsquo;s first appearance after becoming Iran&rsquo;s supreme leader, presiding over a religious academic study session. However, the video is old from September 2, 2020.

Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba&rsquo;s father, who previously served as Iran&rsquo;s supreme leader, was assassinated in Tehran in a series of Israeli airstrikes during the beginning of the Iran-US war in February 2026. After his assassination, Mojtaba rose to power as Iran&rsquo;s third supreme leader.

According to news reports, Mojtaba suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, and his face was disfigured in the attack that killed his father. Since the attack, there has been a lot of public speculation about his whereabouts and condition as well as his ability to rule. No photo, video, or audio recording has been published on official Iranian platforms since the attack.

How it started

On Monday, Russian state-controlled news network RT shared a video on X, allegedly showing Mojtaba making his first appearance after becoming supreme leader.

The caption of the post read: &ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in first-time-seen footage. Released publicly for the first time by Iranian media, footage shows him presiding over a religious academic study session.&rdquo;

The post gained 283,800 views.

Multiple Indian news outlets also shared the video in the same context, including The Financial Express, BDN News 24, and Times Now.

The same video was shared by Turkish news platform RTE Urdu with the following caption: &ldquo;Iranian media outlet Fars News Agency has released a video of a meeting in which Iran&rsquo;s current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, was present as the strategic overseer.&rdquo;

The post accumulated 26,800 views.

Similarly, Pakistani news channels 24 News HD and Dawn News also shared the same video with a similar claim.

Several other social media users also shared the same video on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, with similar captions, as seen here, here, here and here.

Methodology

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in Mojtaba&rsquo;s whereabouts.

A keyword search was conducted to assess whether any credible international news outlets or official Iranian platforms had shared the video with a similar context that it was recent. It led to a video shared by an Iranian news agency, Young Journalist&rsquo;s Club, which is affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) state broadcaster, dated September 2, 2020, with the following headline: &ldquo;A meeting where the revolutionary leader was the instructor. A picture of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei in the position of a supervisor has been published&rdquo;.

Another Iranian news agency, Mashregh News, shared the same video dated September 2, 2021, with the following headline: &ldquo;A meeting where the revolutionary leader was the instructor.&rdquo;

A reverse image search conducted on the video&rsquo;s keyframes yielded a post from an Iranian news outlet, Basij News, on the official website of Fars News Agency, dated August 24, 2026, with the following caption: &ldquo;A meeting where the leader of the revolution served as the academic supervisor. This footage dates back to the period prior to his assuming the leadership.&rdquo;

According to the post, the video was shared recently, but it was old, from when Mojtaba was not the supreme leader.

Moreover, the video shared by local and Indian news outlets had also featured the watermark of Fars News.

Fact-check status 

The claim that a viral video shows Mojtaba Khamenei&rsquo;s first appearance after becoming supreme leader is misleading.

The clip is old from September 2, 2020, and shows him in an academic setting.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan &mdash; a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.]]>
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			<title>Houthi missiles kill four civilians</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623984/houthi-missiles-kill-four-civilians</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623984/houthi-missiles-kill-four-civilians#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 26 21:27:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised government said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha on Friday, killing four civilians, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and its Saudi-backed opponents.

The escalation comes at a time of heightened regional tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, where the Houthis have emerged as a key front, raising the prospect of a return to large-scale conflict in Yemen.

The armed forces aligned with the Yemeni government said the attack targeted civilian infrastructure and national assets at the port. Initial reports said four civilians were killed and several fishing boats were set on fire.

The Houthis said they had attacked what they described as Saudi-backed military build-ups, weapons and warships belonging to Saudi-backed forces and &quot;mercenaries&quot; in Mocha with a large number of ballistic missiles, destroying boats and weapons. Reuters]]>
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			<title>Turkish president says Makkah Joint Defence Agreement targets no country, open to other friendly nations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622643/turkish-president-says-makkah-joint-defence-agreement-targets-no-country</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622643/turkish-president-says-makkah-joint-defence-agreement-targets-no-country#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 26 16:02:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2622643</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says the agreement reaffirms the right to self-defence as defined under Article 51 of the UN Charter]]>
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				<![CDATA[Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed earlier in the day between T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan targeted no country and remained open to the participation of other friendly nations seeking peace, prosperity and stability in the region.

In a post on the Turkish social platform NSosyal, Erdogan said the agreement, based on the principle of collective deterrence, would strengthen security and defence cooperation, support joint defence industry projects and contribute to counterterrorism efforts.

He said the agreement also reaffirms the right to self-defence as defined under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

&quot;The agreement does not target any country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries seeking peace, prosperity and stability in our region,&quot; Erdogan said.



Bug&uuml;n Suudi Arabistan Veliaht Prensi ve Başbakanı Muhammed bin Selman&rsquo;ın nazik davetine icabetle Mekke-i M&uuml;kerreme&rsquo;ye bir ziyaret ger&ccedil;ekleştirdik.

Ziyaretimde aziz kardeşlerim Suudi Arabistan Veliaht Prensi ve Başbakanı Muhammed bin Selman ve Pakistan Başbakanı Şahbaz Şerif&rsquo;le&hellip;
&mdash; Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) August 7, 2026


T&uuml;rkiye, he added, would firmly maintain its principled stance in favour of resolving conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy, based on respect for international law and in line with its vision of regional ownership.

Erdogan said he travelled to Makkah earlier Friday at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, where he met with the Saudi crown prince and PM Shehbaz Sharif.

&quot;On this occasion, as the three countries, we signed a Joint Defence Agreement,&quot; he said.

READ: What the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye defence pact is &mdash; and what it isn&#39;t

Erdogan expressed hope that the visit, consultations and agreement would benefit the entire region.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz also described the pact as a &ldquo;historic step&rdquo; that would strengthen the region&rsquo;s security architecture.

Yilmaz said it would reinforce cooperation in collective security, deterrence, the defence industry and regional stability, while advancing T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s peace-oriented foreign policy vision and multidimensional strategic partnerships.



Bug&uuml;n Mekke&rsquo;de, Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Suudi Arabistan Veliaht Prensi Sayın Muhammed bin Selman ile Pakistan Başbakanı Sayın Şahbaz Şerif tarafından Mekke Ortak Savunma Anlaşması imzalandı.

Dost ve kardeş &uuml;lkeler Suudi Arabistan ile Pakistan arasında&hellip; pic.twitter.com/jRvsQNQYES
&mdash; Cevdet Yılmaz (@_cevdetyilmaz) August 7, 2026


He stressed that the agreement was &ldquo;not directed against any country&rdquo;.

Yilmaz also expressed hope that the strategic cooperation established in the security field would expand into economic areas.

&ldquo;We expect the spirit of strategic cooperation established in the field of security through this agreement to also accelerate economic cooperation, particularly in connectivity, trade, finance and investment,&rdquo; he said.

He said regional partnerships were becoming increasingly important at a time when global institutions and rules were weakening.

&ldquo;These forms of cooperation could also lay the groundwork for a fairer global order in the future,&rdquo; he added.

READ MORE: Pakistan-Saudi-Turkiye defence deal in pipeline, defence production minister says

Yilmaz said he hoped the agreement, built on a shared history, brotherhood and solidarity, would bring positive outcomes for the region, the Islamic world and global peace.

In addition, Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran described the agreement as &quot;a historic step&quot; that strengthened the countries&#39; shared history, deep-rooted fraternal ties and strong spirit of solidarity on a strategic basis.

Duran said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that T&uuml;rkiye, under the leadership of President Erdogan, remains committed to contributing to regional and global peace, security and stability through strategic cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries in an increasingly complex global security environment.

&quot;The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed between T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is a historic step in further strengthening our shared history, deep-rooted brotherly ties and strong spirit of solidarity on a strategic basis,&quot; he said.



Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan&rsquo;ın liderliğinde &uuml;lkemiz, değişen ve karmaşıklaşan k&uuml;resel g&uuml;venlik ortamında dost ve kardeş coğrafyalarla stratejik iş birliklerini g&uuml;&ccedil;lendirmeye, b&ouml;lgesel ve k&uuml;resel barış, g&uuml;venlik ve istikrara &ouml;nc&uuml;l&uuml;k etmeye kararlılıkla devam&hellip; pic.twitter.com/u1hDyeE0VJ
&mdash; Burhanettin Duran (@burhanduran) August 7, 2026


Duran said the agreement did not target any country and would strengthen the three nations&#39; common security and collective deterrence while advancing defence industry cooperation and military interoperability, contributing significantly to preserving peace and stability in the region.

He added that the agreement reflected the determination of the three countries to uphold their shared values and build the future security architecture through solidarity.

He further expressed hope that the agreement would bring benefits to the three brotherly countries and further strengthen the deep-rooted brotherhood and strategic cooperation among T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.]]>
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			<title>FM Dar calls for 'unity and resolve' among Islamic countries to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Israeli incursions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622179/dar-arrives-in-jordan-for-ministerial-talks-on-jerusalem</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622179/dar-arrives-in-jordan-for-ministerial-talks-on-jerusalem#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 26 05:17:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2622179</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Arab, Muslim FMs issue joint declaration, agree on mechanism to document Israeli violations in Jerusalem​​​​​​​]]>
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				<![CDATA[Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday called for &quot;unity and resolve&quot; among Arab and Islamic countries to collectively call for the protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Israeli incursions.

Dar is in Jordan for a ministerial meeting on the deteriorating situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where he has been holding a series of bilateral meetings with regional counterparts alongside discussions on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and broader regional developments.

Addressing the ministerial meeting, he noted that while the ceasefire and United States President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;comprehensive plan&quot; provided an opportunity &quot;to alleviate humanitarian suffering and advance an incredible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood&quot;, the current moment &quot;requires collective responsibility to preserve the opportunity for peace&quot;.

In light of this, he said, Arab and Islamic countries &quot;must act with unity, resolve and collective action&quot;. Dar called on nations to reaffirm the protection of Jerusalem and its holy sites, &quot;by demanding an immediate cessation of all violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, preservation of the historical and legal status quo, and unrestricted access to Jerusalem and the holy sites&quot;.

Beyond this call to action, the foreign minister added three others. The second, he said, was to &quot;reject all illegal Israeli settlement activities, annexation attempts, forced displacement and demographic changes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334&quot;.



Video of the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 at Ministerial Meeting on the Deteriorating Situation in Occupied East Jerusalem (Amman, 5 August 2026) pic.twitter.com/oh5jxOl2sr
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


The third, Dar said, was to support the &quot;full and faithful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza conflict and security council resolution 2803&quot;.

Noting that Pakistan welcomed developments under the Board of Peace towards implementation of the process of disarmament under the Gaza peace plan and appreciated the efforts of mediating countries, including the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, he stated, &quot;We hope that with these developments, concrete steps will be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza peace plan.&quot;

Further, Dar stated that the fourth call was for Arab and Islamic states to strengthen diplomatic efforts &quot;to ensure international protection for the Palestinian people, hold accountable those responsible for crimes and violations committed against civilians, and advance a political solution based on justice, lasting peace, and international legitimacy&quot;.

The foreign minister also noted deep concern over &quot;the continued expansion of illegal settlements, the establishment of new settlement outposts, escalating settler violence, and the continued oppression of the Palestinian people&quot;, particularly in the West Bank.

These policies, Dar said, &quot;violate international humanitarian law, defy the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and further entrench an unlawful occupation&quot;.

&quot;Impunity for these grave violations has emboldened the occupying power to persist with policies that undermine the viability of a Palestinian state, and threaten regional peace and security,&quot; Dar stated.



🔈 PR No. 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 at Ministerial Meeting on the Deteriorating Situation in Occupied East Jerusalem (Amman, 5 August 2026)

🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rAIjj0X0ME
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


Noting that the &quot;humanitarian situation in Gaza is extremely fragile&quot;, the foreign minister noted that the ceasefire and the implementation of elements of the peace plan had yielded some improvements.

However, he stated that 59% of the population still faced crisis-level food insecurity, 1,100 Palestinians had been killed and nearly two million remain confined to just 30% of Gazan territory &quot;enduring miserable conditions&quot;.

This, Dar said, &quot;calls into question the full and faithful implementation of the plan&quot;.

Earlier in his address, the foreign minister stated that the ministerial meeting convened &quot;with a shared sense of urgency&quot; as illegal Israeli actions &quot;continue to threaten the sanctity and historic character of the holy sites, undermine international law, disregard relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and further erode prospect for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace&quot;.

Dar expressed Pakistan&#39;s condemnation &quot;in the strongest possible terms&quot; of the continued Israeli incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by &quot;extremist Israeli settlers, encouraged by senior Israeli ministers, and carried out under the protection of the occupying forces&quot;.

He added that by &quot;deliberately undermining the religious and historical status of Jerusalem, Israel is provoking the sentiments of billions of Muslims around the globe&quot;.

&quot;This appears to be an attempt to not only undermine regional peace and stability but also to drag the followers of various religions into a wider conflict,&quot; Dar said. He added, &quot;We cannot and must not allow that.&quot;

&quot;Let there be no ambiguity,&quot; the foreign minister said, adding that &quot;Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.&quot;

All measures seeking to alter their character or status were &quot;null and void and without legal effect&quot;, Dar noted.

He reaffirmed the Palestinian people&#39;s &quot;inalienable right to self-determination and their right to establish an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous state of Palestine, based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital&quot;.

&quot;A just, comprehensive and lasting peace can only be achieved through respect for international law and realisation of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,&quot; FM Dar said.

Arab, Muslim ministers agree on mechanism to document Israeli violations in Jerusalem

The Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed to establish a permanent mechanism to document and expose Israeli violations in Jerusalem and at its Islamic and Christian holy sites, according to a joint declaration adopted after the ministerial meeting.

The declaration, issued after the meeting, said the mechanism would include a media platform to document Israeli violations against holy sites and worshippers and bring them to the attention of international organisations and the global public.



The Statement Adopted at the Ministerial Meeting in Support of Jerusalem and its Holy Sites pic.twitter.com/BYR5EVlbn4
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


The participants, including members of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Jerusalem and representatives of Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, also called for immediate international action to halt Israeli measures in Jerusalem and at its holy sites.

The declaration condemned Israeli policies and measures aimed at altering Jerusalem&rsquo;s Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, as well as its legal and demographic status, describing them as null and void and a violation of international law. It reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is part of the occupied Palestinian territory and that Israel has no sovereignty over it.

The declaration reiterated that East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine and said establishing a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967, borders, living alongside Israel under a two-state solution, remains the only path to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.

The ministers also condemned Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, including attempts to alter its historical and legal status quo and impose temporal and spatial divisions.

They also denounced increased incursions by extremist settlers and Israeli officials, restrictions on worshippers, interference in the work of the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, and continued excavations beneath and around the site.

The declaration reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunam (35.6-acre) Al-Aqsa Mosque, Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.

It said the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan&rsquo;s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, is the sole legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the compound.

The participants also condemned Israeli violations targeting Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, interference in church affairs, restrictions targeting church institutions and properties, and attacks on clergy, worshippers and religious symbols.

The ministers reaffirmed their support for Jordan&rsquo;s Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and pledged to continue supporting the resilience of Palestinians in the city.

They warned that Israeli attacks against Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem could inflame the sentiments of around two billion Muslims worldwide and fuel a religious conflict with repercussions extending beyond the region, threatening regional and international peace and security.

The declaration also rejected unilateral decisions affecting Jerusalem&rsquo;s legal status, including the establishment or relocation of diplomatic missions to the city.

It called for a joint ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States during the UN General Assembly&rsquo;s high-level week in New York in September to discuss developments in Jerusalem and at its holy sites.

FM Dar holds bilateral meetings

FM Dar also held a group meeting with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye in which they&nbsp;reiterated their &quot;unwavering support&quot; for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state.

&quot;They reaffirmed that a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue remains indispensable to achieving enduring peace and stability in the Middle East. The ministers also reviewed the evolving regional situation and reaffirmed the importance of continued consultation and close coordination among the four countries in advancing regional stability. They emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy remain essential to fostering stability and preventing further escalation in the region.&quot;



The Foreign Ministers of the R-4 Group, comprising the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of T&uuml;rkiye, met in Amman on 5 August 2026.

The Ministers reiterated their unwavering support for the legitimate rights&hellip; pic.twitter.com/UbhW0B4Anr
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026



Earlier, Dar and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across a range of sectors and coordinating closely on regional issues, including the deteriorating situation in the Occupied West Bank, during talks on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar met Jordan&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, as part of his engagements during the high-level ministerial meeting.

The FO said the two leaders welcomed the &quot;growing momentum in Pakistan-Jordan bilateral relations&quot; and reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing cooperation across &quot;political, defence, economic, educational, cultural and people-to-people domains&quot;.



Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, H.E. Mr. Ayman Safadi, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman.

The two leaders welcomed&hellip; pic.twitter.com/AQX7mCtmaD
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


They also exchanged views on regional developments, with particular focus on &quot;the deteriorating situation in the Occupied West Bank&quot;.

During the meeting, Dar appreciated Jordan&#39;s &quot;steadfast role in safeguarding the Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem&quot; and its continued support for the Palestinian people, the statement said.

The two foreign ministers also discussed wider regional developments, including recent developments involving Iran and the United States, and underscored &quot;the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for de-escalation&quot;.

According to the Foreign Office, they reaffirmed close coordination at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, including at the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to promote regional peace and stability.

Separately, Dar also met Somalia&#39;s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.



Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with H.E. Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman today.

The two leaders&hellip; pic.twitter.com/KOvZdS7Nng
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


The two leaders reviewed the &quot;longstanding fraternal ties&quot; between Pakistan and Somalia and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the political, economic, defence, education and capacity-building sectors, the Foreign Office said.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination at multilateral forums and exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and the deteriorating situation in East Jerusalem.

Dar is in Jordan to participate in the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem, where he has been holding a series of bilateral meetings with regional counterparts alongside discussions on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and broader regional developments.

The foreign minister also met his counterparts from Turkiye, Algeria and Egypt.



Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met H.E. Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of T&uuml;rkiye, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman today.

The two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of&hellip; pic.twitter.com/ys482N4WCF
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026




Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 met with H.E. Ahmad Attaf, Foreign Minister of Algeria, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman today.

The two leaders discussed Pakistan-Algeria bilateral relations and&hellip; pic.twitter.com/Kh7pBVEBge
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026




Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 had a cordial exchange with H.E. Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Foreign Minister of Egypt, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem in Amman today.

The two leaders discussed Pakistan-Egypt&hellip; pic.twitter.com/wTy90WhAq4
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026



Dar arrives in Jordan for meeting on Jerusalem

Dar arrived in Amman earlier today&nbsp;to participate in the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem, convened by Jordan, the FO said.

According to a post by the FO on X, Dar was received upon arrival by Jordan&#39;s Director of the Human Rights Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Saja Almajali, Pakistan&#39;s Ambassador to Jordan Major General (retd) Khurram Sarfraz Khan, and officials of the Pakistani embassy.

MoFA stated that Dar has &quot;a full programme of engagements&quot; during his visit, centred on discussions over the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and broader regional developments.



Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 arrived in Amman, Jordan, to participate in the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem, convened by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Upon arrival, the DPM/FM was received by H.E. Ms. Saja Almajali, Director&hellip; pic.twitter.com/K6vxawaGyy
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 5, 2026


The foreign minister&#39;s schedule includes participation in the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem, a call on Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah II, and a series of bilateral meetings with fellow foreign ministers.

The statement said these meetings will focus on &quot;the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest.&quot;

&quot;The meeting will bring together foreign ministers from the Arab League and a group of Islamic countries, including Pakistan, to formulate a unified position on the fast-deteriorating situation in occupied Jerusalem,&quot; MoFA had said earlier.

Read: Pakistan, Egypt condemn Israeli military actions in Gaza, occupied West Bank

It added that Dar would also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference with participating foreign ministers to exchange views on regional developments, including Palestine, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

Dar&#39;s participation, MoFA had said, was a &quot;manifestation of Pakistan&#39;s principled support for the Palestinian people&quot; and its &quot;unwavering commitment&quot; to the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Alongside Dar, senior officials from Turkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Somalia and Malaysia, as well as the secretary-general of the Arab League, were expected to attend.

Anadolu reported that participants were expected to discuss preserving the historical and legal status of Jerusalem&#39;s holy sites, developments in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israel&#39;s actions that are deemed contrary to international law, the Gaza ceasefire process, recent developments concerning the Palestinian issue and international efforts to implement a two-state solution.

Last week, 14 Arab and Palestinian institutions and organisations issued an urgent appeal calling for collective action to protect occupied Jerusalem amid what they described as escalating Israeli violations targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city&#39;s historic identity.

Read More: Pakistan, Turkiye express concern over Israeli actions in Gaza, Al-Aqsa Mosque violations

The appeal warned of an unprecedented Israeli escalation targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalemites, and the city&#39;s Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, saying the measures sought to create new realities on the ground and consolidate control by force.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world&#39;s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community.

The appeal said Jerusalem was facing one of the most critical periods in its modern history, citing increased incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli occupiers under the protection of Israeli forces, along with efforts to impose a temporal and spatial division of the mosque.]]>
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			<title>Senate minority leader criticizes Trump’s proposed 'Golden Fleet' battleships as costly ‘vanity’ project</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622459/senate-minority-leader-criticizes-trumps-proposed-golden-fleet-battleships-as-costly-vanity-project</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622459/senate-minority-leader-criticizes-trumps-proposed-golden-fleet-battleships-as-costly-vanity-project#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 26 17:38:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2622459</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Claims president is more interested in attaching his name to exp military programs than addressing domestic concerns]]>
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				<![CDATA[US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday criticised President Donald Trump&rsquo;s proposed new class of battleships, accusing him of prioritising a costly personal project over the economic struggles facing American families.

&quot;While American families can&#39;t even keep their heads above water, Donald Trump is spending his time building himself a &#39;Golden Fleet&#39; of battleships the Navy doesn&#39;t want,&quot; Schumer said on the Senate floor.

His remarks came after a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis estimated that Trump&rsquo;s proposed new class of battleships, intended to form the backbone of the Navy&rsquo;s &ldquo;Golden Fleet,&rdquo; could cost $275 billion.

The CBO report said the first vessel in the proposed class, the USS Defiant, is projected to cost $23.4 billion to construct, while each additional ship could cost $18 billion. The plan envisions 15 battleships.



Trump&rsquo;s latest waste of time and money:

$275 BILLION in taxpayer dollars for a &ldquo;golden fleet&rdquo; of Navy battleships with his name on them.

Not a single penny to lower costs for the American people.

Plenty to serve Trump&rsquo;s egomania and narcissism.https://t.co/gSg32UbLGT
&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 6, 2026


Schumer argued that the proposed fleet reflected what he called another example of Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;vanity projects,&rdquo; claiming the president was more interested in attaching his name to expensive military programs than addressing domestic concerns.

&ldquo;Having his name on a bunch of battleships, expensive battleships, is all he cares about,&rdquo; Schumer said, adding that Trump was seeking to build &ldquo;15 Trump-class battleships&rdquo; as part of the initiative.

Read: US Navy Secretary Phelan fired, sources say

The senator also questioned the cost of the plan, saying Trump was prioritising a massive defence expenditure while Americans faced rising costs.

&ldquo;He&rsquo;d rather feed his own ego than feed the American people by putting his name on a $275 billion 15-battleship outlay,&rdquo; he added.]]>
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			<title>UN experts urge Canada to protect threatened Sikh activist</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622082/un-experts-urge-canada-to-protect-threatened-sikh-activist</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622082/un-experts-urge-canada-to-protect-threatened-sikh-activist#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 26 16:50:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2622082</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[UN experts raised concerns over alleged foreign intimidation and reprisals against Canadian national Singh]]>
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				<![CDATA[United Nations rights experts have urged Canada to take all feasible measures to protect the Sikh activist Moninder Singh, who has been repeatedly warned by the Canadian authorities of credible threats to his life.

In a letter to the Canadian government dated June 3, and made public two months later, as per regular procedure, the five UN experts raised &quot;concerning allegations of foreign intimidation and reprisals&quot; against Singh, a Canadian national.

It recalled that since 2022, Singh has received four so-called &quot;duty to warn&quot; notices from the Canadian authorities about credible and imminent threats to his life.

It urged Canada to &quot;take all feasible measures at its disposal to protect Mr Moninder Singh and his family, as well as similarly-situated individuals on Canadian soil.

&quot;We also urge the authorities to accelerate the investigations into these allegations, hold perpetrators accountable, ensure adequate remedy to victims, and take all steps to prevent reoccurrence.&quot;

The letter was written by the special rapporteurs on protecting rights while countering terrorism; on freedom of peaceful assembly; on human rights defenders, and on freedom of religion; and the expert on promoting a democratic international order.

UN special rapporteurs and experts are independent figures appointed by the Human Rights Council to report their findings. They do not, therefore, speak for the United Nations itself. A copy of the letter was also sent to the Indian government.

Transnational repression

Singh visited the United Nations in Geneva earlier this year to appeal for international action against India&#39;s alleged targeting of Sikh activists abroad, and against so-called transnational repression more broadly.

Sikh activists accuse India of targeting members of their community around the world, including alleged killings using organised crime groups &mdash;&nbsp;charges India denies.

The best-known case was the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a friend of Singh&#39;s who was gunned down near the Sikh temple he led in a Vancouver suburb.

Read More: India&#39;s global crime network

Canada&#39;s then-prime minister, Justin Trudeau, publicly accused India of involvement in that assassination, a charge later repeated by Canadian intelligence.

India denied the allegations, which chilled ties between the two nations, and saw each expelling a string of diplomats in 2024.

Relations improved after Prime Minister Mark Carney took office last year, culminating with an India visit in March to sign a string of trade deals, and as Canadian authorities downplayed their previous threat assessment.

Khalistan campaign 

Like Nijjar, Singh, 44, is part of a fringe group advocating for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

The Khalistan campaign dates to India&#39;s 1947 independence and has been blamed for the assassination of a prime minister and the bombing of a passenger jet.

It has been a bitter issue between India and several Western nations with large Sikh populations.

In their letter, the experts said they were concerned that the threats against Singh &quot;fall within a broader pattern of transnational repression by Indian authorities against Sikh activists in different countries, including Canada&quot;.

Singh told AFP the letter was &quot;a stark reminder of how far the Indian state is willing to go to silence Sikh voices advocating for self-determination&quot;.

&quot;When a foreign state feels empowered to commit violence in Canada to silence dissent, it signals a profound failure to protect the rights and safety of targeted communities,&quot; he said.

&quot;I refuse to be intimidated into silence. My leadership and advocacy for Khalistan are rooted in international law, human rights principles, and most importantly the lived experiences of my community,&quot; Singh added.]]>
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			<title>US sanctions Dubai crypto exchange for aiding Iran's IRGC, following a Reuters report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622670/us-sanctions-dubai-crypto-exchange-for-aiding-irans-irgc-following-a-reuters-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622670/us-sanctions-dubai-crypto-exchange-for-aiding-irans-irgc-following-a-reuters-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 26 19:31:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[US Treasury sanctions Aban Tether for processing millions of dollars of transactions for sanctioned Iranian entities]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States on Friday sanctioned an unlicensed multi-state cryptocurrency exchange, alleging it processed millions of dollars of crypto for Iran&rsquo;s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other groups linked ​to the Iranian state.

The designation follows a Reuters investigation published on July 31 that identified the Dubai-based &zwnj;exchange, Shelbit, as the hub of a $4 billion Iranian sanctions evasion scheme. The investigation found that Shelbit moved crypto on behalf of Iran&rsquo;s central bank, one of the world&rsquo;s largest illegal online gambling networks, and to addresses linked by the Israeli government to the IRGC.

The ​US Treasury also sanctioned the expatriate Iranian who founded Shelbit and a network of other companies, Siavash ​Kayvanpour, for providing material support to the IRGC and Nobitex, Iran&rsquo;s biggest cryptocurrency exchange. The ⁠US sanctioned Nobitex on June 2 for enabling the Iranian government to circumvent Western sanctions, also after a Reuters investigation.

&ldquo;Treasury will ​hunt down and dismantle the illicit financial networks that keep the regime afloat,&rdquo; Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent ​said in a statement.

Also on Friday, the US Treasury announced it had sanctioned Aban Tether, an Iran-based crypto exchange, for processing millions of dollars of transactions for sanctioned Iranian entities including Nobitex.

Shelbit&rsquo;s website had been down for months, with no way for customers to carry ​out transactions, but the exchange continued to process money, even during the US and Israeli war against Iran. The ​site reactivated the day after the Reuters investigation was published.

&ldquo;Shelbit LLC categorically rejects any suggestion that the company knowingly participated in &zwnj;money laundering, ⁠terrorist financing, illegal gambling activity, sanctions evasion, or activity on behalf of any sanctioned, military, or governmental organisation,&rdquo; Shelbit said in a statement on its reactivated website on August 1. Shelbit also said it had ceased operations in January 2026.

Shelbit and Kayvanpour did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tens of millions of dollars of the crypto that ​passed through Shelbit came from ​a suspected Iranian bitcoin ⁠mining operation, which mints new digital coins. Many millions of dollars more were linked to the illegal gambling network operated by two high-profile Iranian social media influencers, Reuters reported.

&ldquo;The ​Iranian regime&rsquo;s willingness to allow this gambling network to operate highlights its hypocrisy and ​corruption,&rdquo; Treasury said ⁠in the statement published on its website.

The OFAC designation comes soon after Dubai&rsquo;s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, or VARA, issued a notice saying Shelbit violated money-laundering and terrorism financing laws.

&ldquo;The exposure identified by VARA extends beyond consumer protection ⁠to ​more egregious cross-border transactions with the propensity to impact the integrity of ​the UAE financial system,&rdquo; VARA said in a notice on its website on July 24, shortly after Reuters approached the authority for comment.

VARA did ​not respond to a request for comment.]]>
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			<title>Modi regime responsible for IIOJK terrorism; Kulgam attack a staged drama: ex-CM Farooq Abdullah</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2621861/modi-regime-responsible-for-iiojk-terrorism-kulgam-attack-a-staged-drama-ex-cm-farooq-abdullah</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2621861/modi-regime-responsible-for-iiojk-terrorism-kulgam-attack-a-staged-drama-ex-cm-farooq-abdullah#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 26 15:51:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Questions why violent incidents occur when the demand for the restoration of Kashmir’s statehood gains momentum]]>
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				<![CDATA[In a scathing critique of the Indian government, former&nbsp;Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday held the Modi regime directly responsible for the ongoing terrorism and security failures in the region following the killing of innocent labourers in Kulgam.

In an interview reported by Indian media, Abdullah rejected attempts by Indian media and officials to link the Kulgam incident to Pakistan, delivering a major blow to the Modi administration&rsquo;s security narrative.

Questioning the Indian government&rsquo;s claims of normalcy, Abdullah asked, &ldquo;If terrorism has ended, who killed these labourers? And if the entire border is strictly controlled, where are these killers coming from?&rdquo;



President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Farooq Abdullah blames Modi government for deteriorating security in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, rejects attempts to link Pakistan to the Kulgam attack, calls the killings part of a deep conspiracy and demands a&hellip; pic.twitter.com/IGqfuYCVJQ
&mdash; Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) August 3, 2026


He highlighted the suspicious timing of such events, questioning why mysterious and violent incidents always occur whenever the demand for the restoration of Kashmir&rsquo;s special identity and statehood gains momentum.

Abdullah described the attack on labourers in Kulgam, occurring immediately after vigorous protests for statehood at Jantar Mantar, as a deep-rooted conspiracy.

Demanding a genuine, honest, and unbiased investigation into the Kulgam killings rather than a biased cover-up, National Conference ministers further admitted that Indian intelligence agencies themselves engineer such staged dramas precisely to obstruct the restoration of statehood.

READ: Indian govt planning false flag operation using Pakistani prisoners: sources

Abdullah slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that it is ruining Kashmir solely for its own political interests and asked why statehood is still denied if conditions are truly normal.

Joining the calls for sanity, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq emphasised the urgent need for dialogue and negotiations to bring lasting peace to the region.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress party also rejected the BJP&rsquo;s rhetoric, refusing to endorse the narrative of a &ldquo;foreign hand&rdquo; behind the Kulgam incident.

Political experts have termed the Kulgam attack a continuation of New Delhi&rsquo;s fabricated security dramas, asserting that the Modi regime is intentionally spilling blood in IIOJK to divert public attention away from its worsening internal political and economic crises, as well as mounting public protests against the BJP.

Experts emphasised that levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan without evidence remains India&rsquo;s traditional tactic to cover up its severe intelligence failures.

They noted that during recent protests at Jantar Mantar, even the Indian public slammed the Modi government for reflexively blaming Pakistan for every failure.

Despite relentless efforts by the Indian &ldquo;Godi media&rdquo;, the Indian public itself is increasingly refusing to buy the narrative of Pakistani interference in IIOJK.

Political analysts have noted that New Delhi is artificially generating continuous crises in occupied Kashmir to maintain direct control over the territory and to construct a false justification for keeping a force of one million troops deployed in the region.]]>
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			<title>India confirms 16 nationals killed in Mideast since Iran war began</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2621191/india-confirms-16-nationals-killed-in-mideast-since-iran-war-began</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2621191/india-confirms-16-nationals-killed-in-mideast-since-iran-war-began#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 26 19:16:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2621191</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Twelve Indian nationals died in an unrelated accident at the Ras Laffan gas facility]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[India confirmed on Thursday that 16 nationals have died in the Middle East since the US-Iran war began in late February.

&ldquo;Since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East in 2026, 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have lost their lives,&rdquo; the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

It said 75 Indians were injured, with the highest, 32, in the United Arab Emirates.

The ministry also said in a separate accident &ldquo;not related to attacks&rdquo;, 12 Indian nationals were killed at the Ras Laffan gas facility in Qatar.

Read More: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, 12 other countries announce multinational maritime defence coalition

The US and Israel initiated the war and launched nearly 900 coordinated airstrikes across Iran, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defences.

More than 3,300 people were killed in Iran, while tens of thousands have been displaced inside the country. At least 12 US personnel were killed, while dozens were wounded.

The war has also affected citizens from several Asian and regional countries.]]>
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			<title>Timeline: Two decades of mass protests in India</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619854/timeline-two-decades-of-mass-protests-in-india</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619854/timeline-two-decades-of-mass-protests-in-india#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 26 16:05:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2619854</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The major rallies have been triggered by graft and other crimes and causes]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Thousands of supporters of India&#39;s youth-led &quot;cockroach&quot; movement have been protesting since June, demanding the education minister resign over exam paper leaks, in the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term.

Activists say the leaks showed widespread corruption, a complaint which has brought crowds onto the streets for years.

The following are details of major rallies, triggered by graft and other crimes and causes, over the past two decades.

April 2011

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare started the first of two hunger strikes in a bid to push the government to bring in anti-graft legislation.

Hundreds of thousands rallied to his support across the country and he was briefly jailed by the then-Congress alliance government.

India&#39;s parliament eventually passed an anti-graft law, though Hazare said it watered down his demands.

Some of his supporters went on to form the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012, now one of Modi&#39;s opponents in parliament.

December 2012

Public fury over the gang-rape of a young woman on a moving bus in New Delhi erupted into mass protests in the capital.

Crowds blockaded roads, broke through police lines in street confrontations and called for an overhaul of a system and a society they said had failed to tackle violence against women.

Many demanded that the culprits be executed.

Read More: What&#39;s behind India&#39;s &#39;cockroach&#39; youth protests?

The 23-year-old woman died in a Singapore hospital a few days after the attack. In response, India amended laws to expand the definition of sexual assault and set up fast-track courts to speed up trials in such cases.

December 2019

India&#39;s parliament passed a new citizenship law that brought hundreds of thousands of people to the streets in protests and triggered bouts of sectarian violence that killed at least 76 people.

The Citizenship Amendment Act aimed to fast-track citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Critics said the law, alongside a proposed national register of citizens, discriminated against Muslims and violated the spirit of India&#39;s secular constitution.

Some feared the government would remove the citizenship of Muslims without documents in some border states.

India implemented the law in March 2024.

September 2020

Thousands of farmers blocked roads and railway tracks in protests against new legislation that they said could pave the way for the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers.

Modi&#39;s government defended the bills, saying they would help rid India&#39;s vast agriculture sector of antiquated laws and allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big retailers.

The protests lasted more than a year before Modi repealed the laws.

June 2022

An overhaul of military recruitment, designed to bring in fitter, younger troops and reduce pension expenditure, triggered rail blockades and protests across the country.

Recruits, veterans and opposition leaders objected to the introduction of fixed four-year contracts, saying people would struggle to get other jobs once their service was over.

Modi&#39;s government refused to roll back the programme but offered instead to reserve 10% of state vacancies for those who had served for four years.

August 2024

Thousands of doctors took to the streets for months after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in a government hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.

Protesters demanded safer workplaces, a crackdown on violence against women and a swift investigation into the attack.]]>
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