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			<title>Iran halts strikes on Gulf states, US interests in region after two nights without American attacks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620379/irgc-threatens-uk-over-support-for-us-attacks-on-iran</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620379/irgc-threatens-uk-over-support-for-us-attacks-on-iran#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 26 05:16:22 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Yemen's Houthis shoot down Turkish-made drone near Saudi Arabia, say it was 'carrying out hostile operations']]>
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				<![CDATA[Iran said on Sunday that it would halt strikes on Gulf states and United States&#39; interests in the region after a pause on attacks by Washington on the Islamic Republic.

According to Al Jazeera, citing AFP, Tehran&#39;s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said, &ldquo;Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.&quot;

This follows a near two-week resumption in fighting between Iran and the US, centred on control of the Strait of Hormuz.

There have been no attacks so far on Sunday by Tehran on Gulf states, while the US has also not targeted Iran for two nights in a row after daily strikes.

Houthis claim downing of Saudi-linked drone

Yemen&#39;s Houthis reportedly shot down a Turkish-made reconnaissance drone in northwest al-Jawf governorate.

Yahya Saree, the Houthis&#39; military spokesperson, claimed that they downed a drone belonging to &quot;&ldquo;the Saudi enemy while it was carrying out hostile operations,&quot; according to Al Jazeera.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia FM&#39;s discuss regional developments

The foreign ministers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia held a telephonic conversation regarding regional developments.

According to Qatar&#39;s Foreign Ministry, FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.



Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ Receives Phone Call from Saudi Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan

Doha | July 26, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Sunday a phone&hellip; pic.twitter.com/zpcSO5MzMP
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) July 26, 2026


The ministers &quot;reviewed bilateral cooperation and ways to support and strengthen it,&quot; Qatar&#39;s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

It added, &quot;They also discussed the latest regional developments, particularly ongoing diplomatic efforts and joint coordination to de-escalate tensions and enhance security and stability in the region.&quot;

&#39;We fear the expansion of war zone in region&#39;: Syrian president 

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera that his country had no intention of interfering in Lebanon.

&ldquo;We fear the expansion of the war zone in the region,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We do not intend any military intervention in Lebanon,&quot; the president added, according to Al Jazeera.

Further, al-Sharaa stated, &ldquo;We support the Lebanese state&rsquo;s monopoly on weapons and the decision on war and peace. Any chaos in Lebanon will directly reflect on Syria.&rdquo;

Earlier, the Iranian army warned that the Middle East war would widen if the US chose to press ahead with attacks on Tehran, AFP reported.

&ldquo;I believe that if the Americans once again fall for the Zionists&rsquo; deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through air strikes, geographically this will expand further,&rdquo; army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told Iranian state TV.

Akraminia added that the war had already expanded to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, referencing the military flare-up between Yemen&rsquo;s Houthis and Saudi Arabia. &ldquo;The scope of our operations now encompasses the entire region, from US bases in Jordan to the countries along the Persian Gulf,&rdquo; he said.

According to the army spokesman, the situation in the Middle East for the US was &ldquo;difficult and unsettled.&quot;

He predicted that Washington was now looking &ldquo;for a new strategy,&quot; saying, &ldquo;We are prepared for each of the options and scenarios that appear likely.&quot;

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that Israel wanted to keep the US in the region by &quot;provoking&quot; President Donald Trump and providing false information, Tasnim news agency reported.



📹 اگر اسرائیل دوباره به جنگ برگردد بلای بزرگی بر سرش می&zwnj;آوریم

سخنگوی سپاه:

اسرائیل با تحریک رئیس جمهور آمریکا و دادن اطلاعات غلط می&zwnj;خواهد آمریکا را در منطقه نگه دارد و اهدافش را با استفاده از توان آمریکا پیش ببرد pic.twitter.com/bcS5lJK7f7
&mdash; خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 26, 2026


&ldquo;If Israel goes back to war against Iran, we will put the regime into a disaster,&rdquo; an IRGC spokesman warned.

IRGC fires warning shots

The IRGC also fired warning shots at six ships over the past 24 hours as the vessels tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Iranian state TV cited by Al Jazeera, the ships were stopped from continuing their journey, as the path they were taking was reportedly &ldquo;outside the designated route&rdquo; set by Tehran.



Iran&rsquo;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has fired warning shots at six ships over the past 24 hours as they tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz &ldquo;outside the designated route&rdquo; set by Tehran, reports Iranian state media.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/LKbcWc2eWB pic.twitter.com/gdLMRbybU1
&mdash; Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 26, 2026


Qatar resumes maritime navigation activities

Earlier, it was reported that Qatar would fully resume maritime navigation activities for all types of vessels starting on Sunday, ending a two-week suspension imposed amid heightened security tensions in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The transport ministry announced the decision on Saturday in a brief statement posted on X, calling on all entities and individuals to comply with applicable maritime regulations and instructions to ensure the highest levels of safety and security for all sea voyages.



Maritime navigation activities can now resume fully for all types of maritime vessels and ships, as of Sunday, July 26, 2026. The MOT urges everyone to abide by the maritime regulations &amp; instructions in effect, to ensure highest levels of safety &amp; security for all trips. pic.twitter.com/pt8Jr9INs4
&mdash; Ministry of Transport 🇶🇦 وزارة المواصلات (@MOTQatar) July 26, 2026


The ministry did not provide further details about the regulations or explain the reason for resuming maritime traffic in full.

The ministry suspended all maritime navigation activities on July 12 amid continuing regional tensions. It had previously halted maritime traffic on June 29 before partially restoring operations on July 5.

During the latest military confrontation between the US and Iran, several shipping companies instructed some vessels to remain outside the Strait of Hormuz because of security concerns linked to the regional escalation.

Iran says progress made in talks with Oman on Hormuz shipping mechanisms

Iran said on Sunday it made progress in talks with Oman on operational mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, stressing there has been no change in maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said several rounds of talks were held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday between Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers.

&ldquo;The two sides exchanged views on common principles and operational mechanisms for the safe passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz,&rdquo; Baqaei said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

He described the talks as &ldquo;productive,&rdquo; saying progress had been made during the discussions.

Baqaei said the Omani delegation left Tehran on Saturday evening, and that technical and political consultations between the two countries remain ongoing.

Iranian army says situation &quot;chaotic and undesirable&quot; for US

General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesperson for Iran&#39;s army, has said the US has failed to achieve its goals &ldquo;in the Strait of Hormuz and in weakening Iran,&rdquo; Al Jazeera reported.

&ldquo;The situation is chaotic and undesirable for America,&rdquo; he said in remarks quoted by Iranian state TV.

Shekarchi added that the US was looking for a &ldquo;new strategy&rdquo; and that the possibility of Washington withdrawing from the war was &ldquo;conditional on the Zionists&rsquo; permission&rdquo;, in an apparent reference to Israel.

Kuwait condemns Houthi Red Sea attacks, backs Saudi response

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its &ldquo;condemnation and strong denunciation&rdquo; of the Houthi attacks against ships in the Red Sea, Al Jazeera reported.

In a statement, the ministry described the attack on the Saudi vessel NCC MASA in the Red Sea on Saturday as a &ldquo;flagrant violation of international law and a direct threat to the security and freedom of maritime navigation and the safety of international trade&rdquo;.

The ministry affirmed its &ldquo;full solidarity&rdquo; with Saudi Arabia and said it supports &ldquo;all measures taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its security and interests&rdquo;.

The attacks followed the Houthis&#39; declaration of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia last week, after an attack on Sanaa International Airport.

Riyadh responded by launching strikes on the Houthi-held city of Hodeidah, after which the Yemeni group claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

IRGC threatens UK over support for US attacks on Iran

An IRGC spokesperson has told Iran&#39;s state broadcaster IRIB that &quot;any country, whether the UK, the Gulf Coast countries, or others&quot; would become a &quot;legitimate target&quot; if they support the US in its attacks on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

The unnamed spokesperson pointed to the UK&#39;s role, claiming that American B-1 bombers used British airports to carry out recent attacks.

&quot;If they cooperate with the US, they will be our definite and legitimate target,&quot; the spokesperson said.

Iran says US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain targeted in retaliatory action

Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Akraminia has said Tehran &ldquo;took action to assert its rights&rdquo; over the Strait of Hormuz after the &ldquo;US violated its commitments and tried to create a fake and illegal route in the Strait of Hormuz&rdquo; against the MoU signed in June.

&ldquo;In these operations, the Islamic Republic of Iran&rsquo;s army placed US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain &ndash; which are considered among the most important bases of this country in the region &ndash; at the centre of its operations,&rdquo; he said in remarks quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

Kuwait denies involvement in US attacks on Iran

Kuwait&#39;s ambassador to the US has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the Gulf state sent fighter jets to attack Iran, Al Jazeera reported

Ambassador Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah wrote to the newspaper&#39;s editorial board to reject the report, calling it &ldquo;utterly and completely baseless&rdquo;, according to the official Kuwait News Agency.

&ldquo;She affirmed that Kuwait has not participated in any military operations against Iran and has not allowed the use of its territory, airspace, or territorial waters to launch offensive operations,&rdquo; it said.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Kuwait and Bahrain sent fighter jets to strike sites inside Iran after Tehran launched missile and drone attacks on what it described as US military assets in the Gulf countries. Iran said the attacks were in retaliation for the US&#39;s strikes on its cities.

Trump reportedly pauses further US strikes on Iran after 13 days

US President Trump has reportedly decided to pause plans for further strikes on Iran following 13 consecutive days of attacks, The New York Times and Axios reported, according to the Al Jazeera.

The New York Times, citing Trump administration officials, said the decision was driven by concerns that an escalation could &quot;dangerously drain the Pentagon&#39;s already diminished stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East&quot;. The report said the decision followed a meeting between Trump, his senior advisers and cabinet members on Friday.

Axios, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reported that it remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or marks a broader halt to US strikes. The outlet said the decision &quot;reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that &mdash; short of a return to major combat operations &mdash; the current level of US strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness&quot;.

According to Axios, the US military is also preparing contingency plans for a possible return to major combat operations.

US says naval blockade against Iran remains in effect

A US naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect, the US military&rsquo;s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.

As of July 25, US forces had redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabled two that failed to comply and boarded two others to verify compliance, CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

US forces completed a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea earlier Saturday, after which the vessel continued its journey, according to the command.



The U.S. naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect. As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 2 that didn&#39;t comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance.

Earlier today, U.S. forces completed a verification&hellip; pic.twitter.com/eyp1N2B9sO
&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 25, 2026


CENTCOM also said US forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on Friday after its crew repeatedly attempted to violate the blockade and ignored multiple warnings.

The vessel is no longer heading toward Iran, it added.

Iranian army claims &quot;almost all&quot; US infrastructure in Iraq&rsquo;s Erbil destroyed

The Iranian army claimed on Saturday that &ldquo;almost all&rdquo; US military infrastructure in Iraq&rsquo;s Erbil had been destroyed during the recent conflict and said Tehran was now deploying attack drones more advanced than the Arash-2.

Speaking to Iranian state television, army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Akraminia claimed Iran had inflicted serious damage on US military bases across the region, saying many of them had lost much of their operational capability.

He claimed that &ldquo;almost all&rdquo; US infrastructure in Erbil had been destroyed and that anti-Iran groups operating there were no longer capable of carrying out operations.

Akraminia said the US possessed extensive military capabilities, equipment and bases across the region, as well as in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, and was attempting to replace its losses.

He warned that Iran was prepared to continue military operations if the conflict resumed &ldquo;until the Americans realise they cannot impose their will on the Iranian nation through aggression.&rdquo;

The spokesman also claimed that while the Iranian military used Arash-2 drones during the 40-day war, it is now deploying newer drones with greater destructive power, accuracy and range. He said details of the new drones have not yet been made public.]]>
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			<title>Israeli strike kills Gaza security chief; nine more Palestinians killed in attacks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620396/israeli-strike-kills-gaza-security-chief-nine-more-palestinians-killed-in-attacks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620396/israeli-strike-kills-gaza-security-chief-nine-more-palestinians-killed-in-attacks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 26 12:14:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2620396</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The health ministry says the death toll since October 2023 has reached 73,326]]>
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				<![CDATA[An Israeli airstrike killed Gaza&#39;s internal security chief in central Gaza on Sunday, while nine more Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the territory over the past 24 hours.

According to the territory&rsquo;s interior ministry, the Israeli army killed the head of the Internal Security Directorate in central Gaza and another officer in an airstrike targeting their vehicle in Deir al-Balah, .

In a statement, the ministry said Col Wael Mousa al-Ladawi, 44, and Maj Ramez Tawfiq Abu Zureiq, 49, were killed in the strike.

The ministry said the two police officers were travelling in a vehicle in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza when it was hit by an Israeli aircraft.

The attack came despite a ceasefire agreement in effect in Gaza since Oct 10, 2025.



وزارة الداخلية في #غزة تعلن اغتيال مدير جهاز الأمن الداخلي في المحافظة الوسطى ومرافقه، إثر غارة إسرائيلية استهدفت مركبتهما، وتُظهر مشاهد متداولة قصف الاحتلال المركبة للمرة الثانية، خلال محاولة مواطنين تفقدها وانتشال الشهداء والمصابين.#تفاعل ليصل إليك كل جديد pic.twitter.com/8LjbGbvCgm
&mdash; TRT عربي (@TRTArabi) July 26, 2026


Meanwhile, the health ministry said that nine more Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll since October 2023 to 73,326.

A ministry statement said that hospitals across Gaza received the bodies of nine victims, including seven newly killed Palestinians and two who died of wounds sustained in previous Israeli attacks.

It added that 36 injured people were admitted to hospitals during the same period, pushing the number of injuries to 173,997 people.



The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that in the last 24 hours, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 9 people and left 36 injured.

These new casualties bring the overall death count since October 7, 2023, to 73,326, while the total number of wounded now stands at 173,997. pic.twitter.com/bbG78V8RiF
&mdash; IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) July 26, 2026


Many remain trapped under the rubble and on roads while ambulances and civil defence crews are unable to reach them because of ongoing Israeli attacks.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct 10, 2025, the Israeli army has continued its daily attacks, killing at least 1,200 Palestinians and injuring 3,888 others, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry.

​​​​​​​The Israeli war since October 2023 has left the Palestinian enclave in ruins amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions for the territory&rsquo;s 2.4 million population.]]>
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			<title>Mediators intensify US-Iran diplomacy after Trump orders 'pause' in strikes: sources</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620389/mediators-intensify-us-iran-diplomacy-after-trump-orders-pause-in-strikes-sources</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620389/mediators-intensify-us-iran-diplomacy-after-trump-orders-pause-in-strikes-sources#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 26 09:30:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2620389</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pause in strikes from both sides raises hopes for resumption of stalled talks]]>
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				<![CDATA[Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have intensified the exchange of messages between the US and Iran after the two warring sides communicated their responses to a joint formula to end their months-long war, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Sunday.

The development came after US President Donald Trump ordered a &quot;pause&quot; in the latest bombing campaign on Iran after two weeks of consecutive nights of strikes, the sources added.

Earlier this week, Islamabad and Doha proposed a joint de-escalation formula, urging the US and Iran to return to their pre-July 9 positions &quot;as a first step&quot; to resume stalled talks to permanently end the conflict, according to an official familiar with the matter.

Although the sources did not elaborate on details of the responses, they said both sides have communicated their consent for dialogue and diplomacy to end the latest hostilities and return to negotiations.

The sources said the pause in strikes from both sides has raised hopes for resumption of the stalled talks.

A source, however, cautioned that the pause was fragile with a &quot;strong&quot; possibility of violations or another flare-up of hostilities in the near-closed Strait of Hormuz. &quot;Mediators are in constant contact with the two warring sides to consolidate the &#39;pause, which is their first priority to clear the way for next rounds of their de-escalation formula.&quot;

Read:&nbsp;Iran says progress made in talks with Oman on Hormuz shipping mechanisms

A diplomatic source separately told Anadolu that mediators are particularly concerned about &quot;hawks&quot; from both sides, who could reignite the hostilities.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump has paused plans to escalate military operations against Iran for now amid concerns over dwindling American air defence missile stocks.

The decision followed a meeting on Friday with senior advisers and Cabinet officials.

De-escalation&#39; proposal

The de-escalation proposal, jointly drafted by Islamabad and Doha after consulting regional partners, called on both sides to return to the positions they held before the beginning of fresh hostilities.

Iran confirmed it received proposals from mediators aimed at de-escalating tensions and is reviewing them, while reaffirming its commitment to diplomacy amid an exchange of fire.

Pakistan, which mediated a ceasefire in April, also helped the US and Iran reach a memorandum of understanding last month to end their conflict and reach a lasting peace agreement.

Tensions, however, escalated earlier this month again over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Read more:&nbsp;Trump directs US military to temporarily halt strikes on Iran: report

According to the proposal, the sources added, Iran will immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, whereas the US will end the resumed blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil.

The sources added that the formula also proposes a two-week ceasefire.

The sources said Washington and Tehran, if they agree, will resume the talks right away, and implementation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon will also be at the top of the agenda.]]>
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			<title>Vehicle mows down crowd at Berlin Pride festival, killing one</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620378/vehicle-mows-down-crowd-at-berlin-pride-festival-killing-one</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620378/vehicle-mows-down-crowd-at-berlin-pride-festival-killing-one#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 26 05:07:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Three victims critical as police identify suspect with alleged links to Islamist scene, manhunt continues]]>
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				<![CDATA[One person has been killed and 17 injured, ​with some in life-threatening condition, after a vehicle mowed down a crowd near Berlin&#39;s Pride celebrations on Saturday evening, setting off a &zwnj;manhunt for those responsible, the police said.

Hours after the apparent attack, many details remained unclear, but police said the vehicle struck multiple people after charging into the city&#39;s central Tiergarten park close to the Brandenburg Gate. They later said they had identified an Islamist as a suspect and were seeking his arrest.

&quot;According to our latest information, the vehicle drove ... into the ​Tiergarten around 10pm (2000 GMT), injuring several people in the process, and then came to a standstill after hitting a tree here in ​the Tiergarten,&quot; a police spokesperson at the scene said.

&quot;It was empty, which is why we are currently working intensively to ⁠track down the perpetrator or perpetrators.&quot;

Eight seriously injured

Among the injured, eight had serious injuries and of those, three were in life-threatening condition, a fire brigade spokesperson ​said.

&quot;We have now identified a suspected perpetrator. Measures against this suspected perpetrator, who has not yet been arrested, are underway. However, this suspected perpetrator is known ​to the police as a member of the Islamist scene here in Berlin,&quot; the police spokesperson told reporters.

Berlin&nbsp;police published a picture of a 21-year-old Islamist man suspected of carrying out&nbsp;the attack.

Read: US immigration agents involved in another fatal shooting

In an online post, police urged members of the public to help them find the man identified as Abdul B, adding that it was not clear whether he acted alone. They said more than one person may have got out of the vehicle after it came to a halt close to the city&#39;s Brandenburg Gate.

While the police described the white vehicle only vaguely as possibly a car or minivan or minibus, tabloid newspaper Bild said it was a white Citroen Space Tourer delivery vehicle that Abdul B rented himself. The police are also searching for a second suspected attacker, Bild reported.

Three of the 16 people who were injured in the attack were in a life-threatening condition, and some of the injuries included stab wounds, police and emergency services said.

Suspected perpetrator

Police described the wanted man as slim, around 1.90 metres (6 foot 2) tall, with black hair, and last seen wearing a black hooded top and white trousers. They said he was part of the &quot;Islamist spectrum&quot;.

&quot;Who can share anything about his current whereabouts?&quot; the statement said.

Several key details about the incident remained unclear.

Hundreds of thousands of people ​had gathered peacefully in the German capital for the annual Christopher Street Day celebrations, one of Europe&#39;s largest LGBTQ events, before the apparent attack brought ​it to an abrupt end.

&quot;It&#39;s one of the worst days for the queer community, and a day I personally hoped &zwnj;I&#39;d never ⁠have to experience... I&#39;m shocked,&quot; said Julian Miethig, who attended the event.

Christopher Street Day draws hundreds of thousands of people to the German capital each year. The event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York and combines a parade with political demands for equality, inclusion and protection against discrimination.

Series of car attacks

First held in West Berlin in 1979, the CSD has grown from a small demonstration into a major fixture of the city&#39;s cultural and political calendar. The parade ​is the centrepiece of the CSD, ​but it is accompanied by a ⁠range of political, cultural and party events held across the city.

Germany has in recent years suffered a series of incidents in which a car has charged into a crowd, causing deaths.

In May, a man believed to have mental health issues drove his car into a central pedestrian zone of the eastern German city of Leipzig, killing two people and seriously ​injuring three.

Last year, two ⁠people were killed in the western city of Mannheim when a 40-year-old man whom authorities described as psychologically unwell drove a car into a group of pedestrians. Weeks before that, an Afghan national suspected by prosecutors of having carried out a similar attack on a trade union demonstration in Munich, killing two and injuring more than ⁠40, including ​children.

In December 2024, several people were killed in a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in ​the eastern city of Magdeburg. The suspected perpetrator was a psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric who had lived in Germany for almost two decades.]]>
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			<title>Trump directs US military to temporarily halt strikes on Iran: report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620179/trump-says-netanyahu-to-visit-us-next-tuesday</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620179/trump-says-netanyahu-to-visit-us-next-tuesday#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 05:48:10 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Iran vows strikes will continue until enemies are defeated and pledges revenge for war and slain school children]]>
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				<![CDATA[President Donald Trump directed the US military not to launch new strikes on Iran on Friday, ending nearly two weeks of daily attacks, Axios reported Saturday, citing sources familiar with the decision.

After approving daily strikes for the previous 13 days, Trump declined to authorize Friday&#39;s plan. It remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or marks a broader shift.

The decision suggests Trump wants to allow more room for diplomacy and believes the current level of US strikes has reached its practical limit without expanding into major combat, according to the report.

Although the US military continues preparing for a possible escalation, Trump has not ordered such a move, the report said.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he could continue or intensify the strikes, including &quot;knocking out everything they have.&quot; However, he said the &quot;smarter strategy&quot; is to &quot;make a deal&quot; with Iran.

&quot;We&#39;re talking to (the Iranians) right now. I think they&#39;re getting more and more serious as the days go by. We&#39;re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we&#39;re talking to them,&quot; Trump said.

Later, at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, Trump said he did not believe Iran was ready to reach an agreement, &quot;but I&#39;m willing to listen.&quot;

Read More:&nbsp;Pakistan, Saudi Arabia reaffirm &#39;brotherly ties&#39; as Mideast tensions heat up with Houthi involvement

Trump&#39;s order came hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran for talks on a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Two regional sources said the negotiations have progressed and that Oman and Iran could reach an agreement over the weekend, after which Trump would decide whether to accept the proposed deal.

Iran defends Hormuz clause, Araghchi 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of violating the Strait of Hormuz provisions of the post-war memorandum of understanding, saying Washington sought to undermine Tehran&rsquo;s authority over the strategic waterway by opening an alternative shipping corridor.

In an interview published Saturday by the state-run Iran newspaper, Araghchi rejected criticism that Article 5 of the memorandum was ambiguous, insisting that the provision clearly assigns Iran responsibility for restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi said Article 5 stipulates that Iran will take the necessary measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within one month, including determining shipping routes and carrying out mine-clearing operations.

He said the agreement also provides for navigation-related services to be offered free of charge for 60 days, after which Iran and Oman are to negotiate a long-term framework for managing the strategic waterway and related maritime services.

&ldquo;The article is completely clear from our perspective,&rdquo; he said.

&lsquo;US violated the agreement&rsquo;

Araghchi accused Washington of violating the memorandum by opening a separate southern shipping corridor before the one-month implementation period had expired.

&ldquo;When Article 5 says Iran will make the arrangements, it means Iran determines the route and the necessary mechanism,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If the Americans believed another corridor should be added or removed, they should have consulted Iran.&rdquo;

He said the route designated by Tehran had been selected based on security and navigational safety considerations because mine-clearing operations were still underway.

According to Araghchi, the alternative route was introduced about 10 days after the strait was reopened, despite two weeks remaining before the agreed implementation deadline.

He said Tehran repeatedly warned Washington through the direct communication line established following talks in Switzerland, as well as through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.

&ldquo;I personally conveyed these messages both directly and through the Qatari and Pakistani mediators,&rdquo; he said, adding that Iran urged Washington to wait until the implementation period expired before judging Tehran&rsquo;s compliance.

&ldquo;We saw no goodwill in America&rsquo;s behavior,&rdquo; Araghchi said. &ldquo;It appeared they were determined either to create tensions or to weaken Iran&rsquo;s sovereignty and management over the Strait of Hormuz.&rdquo;

He also claimed maritime communications showed ships were encouraged to avoid the route designated by Iran in favor of the southern corridor, even though, according to Tehran, it was slower and posed greater navigational risks.

&ldquo;In the end, regardless of their intentions, it was the United States that violated the agreement and set developments on the course we are witnessing today,&rdquo; he said.

Regional tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire outlined in the Islamabad MoU was no longer in effect.

Since then, the US and Iran have exchanged strikes, with Washington targeting sites inside Iran, while Tehran says it has attacked US military facilities and equipment across several countries in the region.

Regional trust after the war

Asked about Iran&rsquo;s relations with Arab countries following the 40-day war, Araghchi acknowledged that tensions remained but said he believed there was growing regional willingness to rebuild trust.

He said Iran had maintained continuous contacts with neighboring countries to explain that its military actions were aimed at responding to attacks rather than targeting regional states.

Araghchi complained that US forces had used facilities in some regional countries during the conflict, saying Tehran believed such actions had occurred either with the countries&rsquo; knowledge or through misuse of their territory.

Read More:&nbsp;Naval blockade first step in &lsquo;blockade-for-blockade&rsquo; campaign: Houthi spokesperson

Despite those grievances, he said regional governments increasingly recognize that security and stability must be achieved collectively rather than through reliance on foreign military powers.

&ldquo;I see the will to rebuild trust,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are neighbors and will remain neighbors. We must live together in peace.&rdquo;

He argued that the recent conflict had demonstrated that hosting foreign military bases does not necessarily enhance security and, in some cases, can become a source of insecurity.

&lsquo;Yemen has no military solution&rsquo;

Commenting on developments in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Araghchi said the Yemen conflict should not be viewed through the prism of Iran but as a longstanding regional issue involving Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries.

He reiterated that there is no military solution to the crisis and urged dialogue between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as well as among Yemeni parties.

&ldquo;Iran is ready to play a constructive role if dialogue begins between Yemen and Saudi Arabia,&rdquo; he said.

Araghchi said Tehran has consistently encouraged diplomacy, expressing hope that current tensions would not further complicate the situation in Yemen.

&ldquo;The Yemen issue can be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is no need for further military confrontation.&rdquo;

Iran claims it destroyed 11 US warplanes

Iran claimed Saturday that its armed forces destroyed 11 US warplanes and helicopters on the ground during the recent 15-day conflict with the US.

Speaking to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said the attacks were carried out between July 8 and July 22.

Mohebbi claimed the destroyed equipment included 17 reconnaissance and operational drones, including eight that were &ldquo;brand-new,&rdquo; one F-15 fighter jet inside a hardened shelter, one P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, one C-17 military transport aircraft and eight aerial refueling aircraft.

He said the aircraft were destroyed while stationed on the ground at US military bases but did not specify their locations.

Iran security chief vows operations until enemy &#39;fully defeated&#39;

The Secretary of Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council said on Saturday that the ongoing strikes by Iranian forces would persist until the enemy is &quot;fully defeated&quot; and &quot;retribution is exacted for the innocent children of Minab and Lamerd and will continue beyond that point&quot;.

Read More: Houthis fire on Saudi oil sites; no US strike on Iran for first time in two weeks

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr also pledged retribution for the US-Israel war on Iran and the killing of schoolchildren, state news agency IRNA reported.



Secretary of Iran&#39;s Supreme National Security Council, declared that the ongoing and precision strikes by Iranian forces will persist until the enemy is fully defeated and retribution is exacted for the innocent children of Minab and Lamerd and will continue beyond that point. pic.twitter.com/lxESXDxzoW
&mdash; IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) July 25, 2026


The single largest casualty from an attack, according to Iranian authorities, was the attack on a girls&rsquo; school in the city of Minab, where 168 people were killed and 95 were wounded, most of them children.

Araghchi says &lsquo;no military solution&rsquo; to Yemen conflict

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday there was no military solution to the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen after both sides traded attacks.

&quot;We believe that there is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab, and other regional issues,&quot; said Araghchi in an interview published on Saturday by the state-run Iran Daily newspaper, calling for &quot;dialogue&quot;.

Iran&#39;s Baghaei accuses EU of hypocrisy over human rights concerns

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the European Union of hypocrisy, saying its stated human rights concerns about Iran cannot be reconciled with what he described as EU support for military attacks on the country.

Baghaei responded to remarks by the EU&rsquo;s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, about the bloc&rsquo;s human rights concerns regarding Iran in a post on X.



.@Kajakallas speaks of the European Union&rsquo;s &ldquo;human rights concerns&rdquo; regarding Iran. How can a professed commitment to human rights be so easily reconciled with providing logistical and technical support for lethal aggressions against the Iranian people &mdash; aggressions that&hellip;
&mdash; Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 25, 2026


Baghaei said the EU could not credibly profess a commitment to human rights while providing what he called logistical and technical support for &ldquo;lethal aggressions&rdquo; against Iranians that deliberately target civilians and critical national infrastructure.

He accused the bloc of refusing to condemn what he termed war crimes and of offering &quot;not a single word of sympathy for Iranian children slaughtered by American-Israeli bombs and missiles&quot;, which he said were enabled by the EU&rsquo;s &ldquo;logistical and technical support&rdquo;.

&quot;This is not merely a loss of credibility. It is the banality of evil &mdash; and the purest form of hypocrisy.&quot;

Iran reports no new US attacks as Gulf tensions remain high

Iran reported no strikes overnight into Saturday, an apparent break from nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of US attacks, as per Al Jazeera.

Also Read: Dar urges Iran, US to build on Islamabad MoU

The Iranian health ministry&rsquo;s spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said that &ldquo;Iran had a peaceful night&rdquo;. Unlike the previous 13 nights, US Central Command did not announce new strikes.

The war has so far killed more than 3,400 people in Iran, according to the ministry. Eighteen US service members, 24 civilians in Israel and smaller numbers of civilians have also been reported dead in countries across the region.

In Lebanon, more than 4,000 people have been killed, as well as 38 Israeli troops.

Egyptian foreign minister discusses regional de-escalation, maritime security with Iranian, Omani counterparts

Egypt&#39;s top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls on Saturday with his Iranian and Omani counterparts to discuss efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and safeguard freedom of navigation, the Foreign Ministry said.

According to a ministry statement, Abdelatty spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi as part of ongoing consultations on regional developments and efforts to restore security and stability.

The talks focused on advancing de-escalation efforts, with Abdelatty stressing the need for an immediate halt to all military actions and escalation and for prioritising political and diplomatic solutions to contain rising tensions and prevent the conflict from expanding.

He said such efforts would help strengthen regional security and stability while sparing the peoples of the region from further escalation and its consequences.

Abdelatty also underscored the importance of preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, describing it as a cornerstone of regional security and stability and essential to protecting international trade and global supply chains.

He stressed the need to avoid any measures that could threaten the security of maritime routes or endanger shipping, saying such steps are necessary to safeguard the interests of countries in the region and the global economy.

Iran rescues 28 Indian seafarers after vessel attacked

All 28 Indian crew members on board a Mozambique-flagged ship were rescued after coming under attack near Iran&rsquo;s territorial waters, according to Al Jazeera.

The tanker DISHA transmitted a distress signal after being targeted by &ldquo;hostile forces&rdquo; as it entered Iranian waters.

&ldquo;Upon the occurrence of the incident, the ship immediately transmitted a distress call to the Iranian coastguard,&rdquo; Mohammad Fathali, Iranian ambassador to India, told the ANI news agency.

&ldquo;In response, the relevant Iranian maritime and rescue authorities were deployed to the scene without delay and promptly initiated rescue operations. All crew members on board the vessel, including the 28 Indian nationals, were rescued safely and remain in good health.&rdquo;

Fathali cautioned against foreign naval involvement in the Strait of Hormuz.

&ldquo;Experience has repeatedly demonstrated that the presence and intervention of extra-regional military forces have not enhanced security in the region; rather, they have contributed to heightened tensions and greater instability.&rdquo;

Tanker &lsquo;incident&rsquo; reported in Gulf of Oman

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, according to Al Jazeera.

The agency advised vessels in the area to review the latest maritime security information and stay aware of what it called an &ldquo;evolving operational environment&rdquo;.

Authorities are investigating the situation, UKMTO said. It gave no further details on the tanker, its flag, or the military forces involved.

Trump says Netanyahu to visit US next Tuesday

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would visit the United States next week.

The two leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday as the US-Israeli war on Iran completes five months.

US missiles struck targets across Iran on Friday and President Donald Trump vowed &quot;major military punishment&quot; for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, though he once again left open the door to a diplomatic deal with Iran.

Two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, Iranian armed forces responded by firing at US bases in neighbouring Arab countries and warning that they could strike non-military buildings there used by US personnel.

Trump has threatened in recent days to widen targets to Iran&#39;s energy plants and bridges, send ground forces to seize its oil hub of Kharg Island, and bomb a deep-underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain.

Read: Iran rejects temporary ceasefire until Strait of Hormuz demands met

On Friday, he said he had not yet decided on new major strikes, however.

&quot;We are talking to them,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House. &quot;I think they&#39;re being serious. I think ... they are being by far the most serious that we&#39;ve seen them, but that doesn&#39;t mean we get there.&quot;

Asked what the exit strategy was for the Iran war, Trump said, &quot;There&#39;s a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it&#39;s knocking out everything they have. Or there&#39;s a smarter strategy that you make a deal.&quot;

But he added, &quot;We&#39;re locked and loaded. We&#39;re ready to go.&quot;

The key waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the Gulf, has so far been the focus of a war that has killed thousands in almost five months, stoked global inflation and fanned fears of an economic downturn.

The Houthis, who control northern and western Yemen, have also declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, which has diverted millions of barrels of oil by pipeline each day to the Red Sea to skirt Iran&#39;s near-total blockade of Hormuz.

After the Houthis said they had struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, Trump said he would hold Iran accountable for any further attacks by the fighters.

A Saudi vessel sustained minor hull damage from an attack in the Red Sea on Friday, state news agency SPA said.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it struck Houthi military sites there, saying they were used to threaten commercial shipping.

Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.

Iran threatens US forces

The US military launched air strikes on Iran late on Thursday and early on Friday, racking up 13 consecutive nights of attacks.

Read more: Dar urges Iran, US to build on Islamabad MoU

In a statement on X, the Iranian health ministry said 59 people had been killed and 666 wounded since the resumption of clashes with US forces in late June.

Iranian media cited the head of Iran&#39;s top joint military command as saying Iran would kill a member of the US forces for every Iranian killed.

The war has killed 18 US service members. The Pentagon has said 100 service members had been injured since July 7. Officials have told Reuters that more than 500 US troops have been injured so far.

Pakistan exploring path for talks, sources say

Brent futures stood down more than $4 at a little over $96 on Friday, after the previous day&#39;s attack on the Saudi tankers in the Red Sea&#39;s Bab el-Mandeb strait boosted oil prices 7% to $100 per barrel for the first time since May.

Sources said Pakistan was exploring a path towards resuming stalled talks between the US and Iran to end the war, after China initiated a push.

Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran&#39;s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week &mdash; his second in the last 10 days, three Pakistani sources said.

Tankers rerouting, shipping insurance rises

The Houthi attacks forced several other tankers to turn around and head north through the Suez Canal, which would be a much longer route to Asia, by sailing around Africa.

Still, half of the 18 ships exiting Bab el-Mandeb on Thursday were carrying crude oil, including two Chinese supertankers, while the number of tankers crossing through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just one, the lowest since May 7.

US warns citizens in MidEast to exercise caution

The Iranian army said it had attacked US military equipment depots at Al-Adiri, officially named Camp Buehring, in northern Kuwait, and the positions of US troops at Camp Arifjan and at Camp Doha, near Kuwait City.

In the early evening, Kuwait said its air defences were intercepting &quot;hostile&quot; targets launched from Iran.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said they had significantly damaged a surveillance tower used by the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan, Saudi Arabia reaffirm 'brotherly ties' as Mideast tensions heat up with Houthi involvement</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620233/pakistan-saudi-arabia-reaffirm-brotherly-ties-as-mideast-tensions-heat-up-with-houthi-involvement</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620233/pakistan-saudi-arabia-reaffirm-brotherly-ties-as-mideast-tensions-heat-up-with-houthi-involvement#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 17:04:05 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Dar and Prince Faisal underscore diplomacy and peace as regional tensions continue to rise]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Saturday reaffirmed their &quot;close and brotherly ties&quot; while underscoring the importance of diplomacy amid escalating tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Iran and Yemen&#39;s Houthi movement.

The development came as Yemen&#39;s Houthis launched attacks on Saudi oil installations at two Red Sea ports on Saturday, raising concerns that the conflict disrupting energy supplies from the Gulf could spread to another major shipping route and further intensify Yemen&#39;s long-running conflict.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.



Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud @FaisalbinFarhan.

The two leaders exchanged views on the latest regional developments and reaffirmed the&hellip; pic.twitter.com/MOSvnhktyl
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 25, 2026


&quot;The two leaders exchanged views on the latest regional developments and reaffirmed the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,&quot; the statement said.

It added that both leaders underscored the importance of continued diplomacy and shared their commitment to promoting constructive engagement, peace and stability in the region.

The Middle East crisis, which has continued for nearly six months, has affected regional stability and disrupted energy supplies, with concerns extending beyond the region.

Read: Iran&#39;s security chief vows to continue operations until enemy &#39;fully surrenders&#39;

The situation appeared to enter a different phase as the United States refrained from launching air strikes on Iran for the first night in two weeks. Washington did not immediately explain halting a series of escalating strikes after an interim deal to end hostilities collapsed following Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

After the relative calm in Iran, there were also no immediate reports on Saturday of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours, which had taken place daily in response to US strikes.

However, tensions remained high as Iran-aligned Houthis&nbsp;entered the conflict by targeting energy facilities in the Middle East.

Earlier today, the Houthis fired on Saudi oil installations at two Red Sea ports, while Saudi-backed forces carried out strikes against the Houthis, extending the Gulf conflict to another front.

In Yanbu, two ballistic missiles targeting oil installations were intercepted by a US-made Patriot battery operated in Saudi Arabia by the Greek military under an agreement with Riyadh, Greek security sources said.

Yanbu is Saudi Arabia&#39;s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels of oil are loaded daily and which has become an important route for Saudi exports avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran. Jizan, located on the Red Sea near the Yemeni border, is home to a refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition fighting the Houthis for more than a decade after the Iran-aligned group captured Yemen&#39;s capital Sanaa and large parts of the north and west, including the Red Sea coast.

The Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia over the past week, with Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi warning that all Saudi oil facilities would become targets if Riyadh escalated its involvement in the conflict.

Also Read: Houthis fire on Saudi oil sites; no US strike on Iran for first time in two weeks

The move threatens to widen disruptions to global oil supplies caused by the Iran conflict and has contributed to a sharp rise in global oil prices, with Brent crude rising above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

Amid the escalating tensions, US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed &quot;major military punishment&quot; for Tehran and the Houthis after the group claimed responsibility for striking two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday.

The Saudi-led coalition said it would continue taking necessary measures to protect its ships and Saudi Arabia&#39;s interests, warning it would respond &quot;uncompromisingly&quot; if the Houthis continued hostile actions.]]>
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			<title>Houthis fire on Saudi oil sites; no US strike on Iran for first time in two weeks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620227/houthis-fire-on-saudi-oil-sites-no-us-strike-on-iran-for-first-time-in-two-weeks</link>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 15:23:01 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Washington gave no immediate reason for halting 13 nights of strikes launched after the Iran-Hormuz truce collapsed]]>
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				<![CDATA[Yemen&#39;s&nbsp;Houthis fired on Saudi oil installations at two Red Sea ports on Saturday, but the United States refrained from launching air strikes on Iran itself for the first night in two weeks.

There was no immediate explanation from Washington as to why it had abruptly halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes after an interim deal to end hostilities collapsed, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

&quot;It seems that our dear Iran had a peaceful night last night,&quot; Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said on X.



🚨خوشبختانه شب گذشته حمله&zwnj;ای ثبت نشد و بنابراین آمار مصدومین جنگ تیرماه جز ترخیص تعدادی دیگر از مجروحین، تغییر محسوسی نداشت!
گویا ایران عزیز، دیشب شب آرامی داشت و جایی از بدنش مورد اصابت و ضربه قرار نگرفت.🤲
تن ایران درست
سر ایرانی سلامت #وزارت_بهداشت
&mdash; حسین کرمانپور Hossein.Kermanpour (@HKermanpour) July 25, 2026


After the quiet night in Iran, there were also no reports on Saturday of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours, which had also been taking place daily in response to the US attacks.

However, the strikes by Iran&#39;s Houthi allies on Saudi Arabia were a sign that the war disrupting energy supplies from the Gulf could be spreading to a second major shipping route and reigniting Yemen&#39;s own civil war.

War threatens to spread to Yemen 

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had successfully struck sites belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu. Video shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed a large column of smoke rising from the direction of the Aramco refinery in Jizan.

Two Asia-based trading sources said they had been informed of potential damage to fuel and oil storage sites at Jizan. Aramco did not respond to requests for comment.

In Yanbu, two ballistic missiles aimed at oil installations were intercepted by a US-made Patriot battery operated in Saudi Arabia by the Greek military under an agreement with Riyadh, Greek security sources said.

Yanbu is Saudi Arabia&#39;s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route for Saudi oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran. Jizan, on the Red Sea close to the Yemeni border, is the site of a refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.

In Yemen, the air force of the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government, which has opposed the Houthis for more than a decade, struck Houthi missile and drone launch sites and arms depots in the Marib and al-Jawf provinces, Yemeni officials said.

Earlier, the Saudi-led military alliance said it had bombed Houthi military positions on Friday in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

Read More: Iran&#39;s security chief vows to continue operations until enemy &#39;fully surrenders&#39;

The Yemeni officials said both sides in Yemen&#39;s civil war were mobilising forces along the front.

Saudi-Led coaltion strikes Hodeidah

Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition battling the Houthis for more than a decade since the Iran-aligned fighters captured Yemen&#39;s capital, Sanaa.

The Yemeni civil war, during which hundreds of thousands of people died from fighting and famine, has been paused under a ceasefire since 2022. But that truce broke down this month, with the Houthis effectively joining the wider war their Iranian allies have waged since being attacked by the US and Israel.

The Houthis have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia over the past week, and Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said all Saudi oil facilities could be targets.

The move has contributed in recent days to one of the sharpest rises in global oil prices during the war, with Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

US President Donald Trump on Friday vowed &quot;major military punishment&quot; for Tehran and the Houthis after the Houthis struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.

An interim truce intended to end the war effectively collapsed two weeks ago, with US forces striking targets in southern Iran in response to Iranian disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has threatened in recent days to widen the range of targets to include Iran&#39;s energy plants and bridges, send ground forces to seize its oil hub on Kharg Island, and bomb a deep underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain.

On Friday, however, Trump said he had not yet decided on new major strikes.

&quot;We are talking to them,&quot; he told reporters at the White House. &quot;I think they&#39;re being serious. I think ... they are being by far the most serious that we&#39;ve seen them, but that doesn&#39;t mean we get there.&quot;]]>
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			<title>US announces new visa restrictions targeting cybercrime, online scam networks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620195/us-announces-new-visa-restrictions-targeting-cybercrime-online-scam-networks</link>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 08:40:46 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Rubio says the new policy, introduced under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United States has announced a new global visa restriction policy targeting individuals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, including cyberscams and sextortion, according to a press statement issued by the US Department of State.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move follows President Donald Trump&#39;s Executive Order 14390 on Combatting Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens, under which the administration is taking action to counter an unprecedented threat from online investment scams.

According to the statement, scammers, often orchestrated by Chinese transnational criminal organisations, defrauded US citizens of at least $10 billion in 2024 alone while fuelling corruption, money laundering and human trafficking. It added that American children have also been specifically targeted by offenders operating overseas for sextortion scams.



President Trump has made clear that his administration will take action to counter cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes against Americans. Today I am announcing a new policy that will restrict visas to foreign nationals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and&hellip;
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 23, 2026


Rubio said the new policy, introduced under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, targets individuals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, including those involved in cyberscams and sextortion. Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such illicit activities may also be subject to visa restrictions.

The statement said the Trump administration would deploy sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them.

By restricting visa issuance to individuals responsible for or complicit in such criminal enterprises, the United States is sending a clear message that it will pursue those who prey on its citizens, Rubio said.]]>
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			<title>UN assembly approves mandate extension for rights chief, despite US warning</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620218/un-assembly-approves-mandate-extension-for-rights-chief-despite-us-warning</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620218/un-assembly-approves-mandate-extension-for-rights-chief-despite-us-warning#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 13:31:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[At least 144 states vote in favour, 10 against and 13 abstain]]>
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				<![CDATA[The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday voted overwhelmingly to extend the term of UN Human Rights Chief &zwnj;Volker Turk for four more years, despite opposition from Russia and Israel and a US threat to reassess its funding and engagement.

Turk, an outspoken critic of Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine and Israel&#39;s conduct in Gaza, who has also called for investigations into deaths in US immigration custody, had drawn strong opposition from all three ​countries over his willingness to challenge major powers.

The vote highlighted a deepening confrontation between the Trump administration and the UN. Washington has cut funding for UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of UN entities, and rights groups ⁠say the human rights post is more critical than ever as autocracies gain influence globally.

A large majority in the 193-member General Assembly earlier ​voted against a Russian counter-proposal to extend Turk&#39;s term by just over two months to the end of 2026.

Read: Pakistan tells UNSC Kashmir is &#39;not India&#39;s internal matter&#39;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has worked closely ​with Turk in the past and steps down in December, proposed the second four-year term for Turk when his existing term expires in October.

The assembly backed Guterres&#39; proposal with 144 states in favour, 10 votes against and 13 abstentions.

The post, created in 1993, plays a critical role in speaking out against the erosion ​of freedoms around the world.

Human Rights Watch UN Director Louis Charbonneau said, &quot;The attack on human rights around the world demands a ​UN high commissioner who will fearlessly resist efforts by powerful countries like China, Russia, and the US to undermine and defund UN bodies that protect &zwnj;human rights.&quot;

Turk, ⁠an Austrian lawyer who has worked for the United Nations for decades in major offices such as Geneva and field locations, including Kosovo, will be the first human rights chief to serve two four-year terms.

Dysfunctional

The US had called for a postponement of the vote until next week for consultations and warned against approving Guterres&#39; proposal.

&quot;A vote for Volker Turk&#39;s reappointment proves right the UN&#39;s fiercest critics that this body is ​dysfunctional,&quot; US Representative for ​UN Management and Reform&nbsp;Jeff Bartos&nbsp;told ⁠the assembly before the vote.

Also read: UN rights chief alarmed by &#39;fundamental shift&#39; in US direction

&quot;Make no mistake, if this assembly tolerates procedural overreach, backroom deals, and the misuse of UN posts, there will be consequences. The United States will immediately reassess our engagement, participation, and ​funding,&quot; he said.

The European Union gave its full backing to the four-year extension along with African ​and many Latin American ⁠states. China also voted in favour.

A US State Department spokesperson earlier called the move to reappoint Turk a &quot;process foul&quot; and said it &quot;is another example of the UN&#39;s inherent corruption and incompetence by rushing this vote and preventing adequate debate and oversight by member countries&quot;.

After the vote, Dmitry Chumakov, Russia&#39;s ⁠deputy ambassador ​to the United Nations, accused Turk of bias and making unfounded allegations against ​Russia and said Guterres had brought &quot;yet another apple of discord&quot; to the General Assembly rather than a unifying issue.

Read more: UN accuses Israel of West Bank &#39;apartheid&#39;

Israel&#39;s Foreign Ministry called Guterres&#39; proposal to retain Turk a &quot;moral failure&quot; ​on X and, like Russia, said the choice should be left to his successor.



UNSG Guterres&#39;s infamous legacy:

On the verge of his departure, in an unprecedented and highly controversial move, UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres granted @volker_turk, his former Policy Chief, an unprecedented second full term as High Commissioner for Human Rights - tying&hellip;
&mdash; Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 24, 2026


&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Africa facing $10-$20 billion economic hit from 'super' El Niño, AfDB climate chief warns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620385/africa-facing-10-20-billion-economic-hit-from-super-el-nino-afdb-climate-chief-warns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620385/africa-facing-10-20-billion-economic-hit-from-super-el-nino-afdb-climate-chief-warns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 26 08:18:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Severe drought, flooding could push countries toward mass migration]]>
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				<![CDATA[An impending &quot;super&quot;&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o is likely to inflict a combined $10&nbsp;billion&nbsp;to $20&nbsp;billion&nbsp;hit&nbsp;on affected&nbsp;African countries and trigger mass migration&nbsp;from&nbsp;hard-hit&nbsp;areas, the&nbsp;African Development Bank&#39;s top&nbsp;climate&nbsp;expert told Reuters.

Forecasters are warning that the&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o weather pattern &mdash; which often drives severe droughts, flooding and storms in&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;&mdash; could turn into one of the strongest ever seen if current Pacific Ocean warming trends continue.

As well as the threat to food and water security, government finances and banking sectors could also be undermined if disasters damage infrastructure and leave cash-strapped countries struggling to repay the connected loans.

&quot;Just this event is going to reduce heavily affected countries&#39; GDP by 1% to 2% on average, which is about $10&nbsp;billion&nbsp;to $20&nbsp;billion&nbsp;across the continent,&quot; Anthony Nyong, the&nbsp;AfDB&#39;s director for&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change and green growth, said in an interview.

The&nbsp;AfDB&#39;s most recent forecasts in May predicted&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;as a whole would see 4.2%&nbsp;economic&nbsp;growth this year, rising to 4.4% in 2027 assuming the United States-Israeli war on Iran eases.

Read:&nbsp;&lsquo;Godzilla&rsquo; El Nino: scientific warning or media hype?

That, however, was before forecasts of a &quot;super&quot; or &quot;Godzilla&quot;&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o were made.

Nyong&#39;s estimate of the likely $10 to $20&nbsp;billion&nbsp;hit&nbsp;is the first given by a major multilateral development bank in relation to&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o. He did not provide a country-by-country breakdown of the estimate but warned it was unlikely to be a one-off either.

Drought conditions, which much of the Sahel&nbsp;region has been suffering&nbsp;from&nbsp;in recent years, may persist, while Mozambique&#39;s experiences after Cyclone Idai in 2019 show it can take years to recover&nbsp;from&nbsp;major storms.

Governments were also getting snared in what Nyong described as the &quot;climate&nbsp;finance trap&quot;, where they lack the resources to respond to crises and are forced to raid health, education or infrastructure budgets to meet the costs.

The 2023 to 2024&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o event caused severe drought in Southern&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;and heavy rains and flooding in East&nbsp;Africa. These conditions led to widespread crop failures, surging food prices, and record-breaking sea-level&nbsp;spikes along the continent&#39;s coastlines.

The&nbsp;AfDB&nbsp;has estimated&nbsp;Africa&#39;s farmers are already&nbsp;facing&nbsp;nearly $330 million in lost income this year, while fishing industries could be&nbsp;hit&nbsp;hard too due to rising sea temperatures and storms.

&quot;When these shocks happen, countries take two steps back,&quot; Nyong said. &quot;We don&#39;t want our countries to slide into poverty.&quot;

September seminar

The&nbsp;AfDB&#39;s response to&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o is set to ramp up with a bank-wide &quot;seminar&quot; in September as top staff assess the potential impact on both its planned and existing investments.

Nyong said it stood ready to restructure projects to help countries manage&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o&#39;s impacts and would work with them to tap additional multilateral support such as the Green&nbsp;Climate&nbsp;Fund, the world&#39;s largest dedicated&nbsp;climate&nbsp;fund.

Other possible help could come&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Adaptation Fund,&nbsp;Climate&nbsp;Investment Funds and newer loss-and-damage financing mechanisms, he added.

Read More:&nbsp;UN urges the world to ready for extreme heat risk from El Nino

An October report from the United Nations estimated that by 2035 developing countries will collectively need around $365&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in a year to tackle&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change, yet international public adaptation finance was just $26&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in 2023.

Nyong said&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;will now need as much as $100&nbsp;billion&nbsp;this year given the expected&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o strength. &quot;The (climate&nbsp;adaptation finance) need was already about $50&nbsp;billion,&quot; Nyong said, referring to the next 12 months. &quot;But this adds another $30&nbsp;billion&nbsp;to $50&nbsp;billion&nbsp;to that&quot;.

Mass migration

Humanitarian pressures would add to the problems, Nyong said, and the bank had identified Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Mali, Burundi and even Nigeria as countries that could face particularly severe impacts.

&quot;When this&nbsp;El&nbsp;Ni&ntilde;o comes there is going to be mass migration,&quot; he said, adding that the price of maize &mdash; a key food staple in many affected countries &mdash; was expected to double. &quot;You are not going to stay put, you are going to move,&quot; he said.

The resulting resource shortages and competition for grazing land and water could exacerbate existing fragility in vulnerable regions, Nyong said, with agricultural losses seen at around $327 million and fisheries productivity set to fall 1% to 4%.

All of which signal&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;will need more action to build up resilience before disasters strike, he added &mdash; a theme that is will be central to the next round of global&nbsp;climate&nbsp;talks, set to be held in Turkey in November.

&quot;It is cheaper to build a fence around a precipice than to pay for expensive ambulances to wait at the bottom for people to fall,&quot; he said. &quot;So let&#39;s build a fence&quot;.]]>
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			<title>India's Instagram Gen Z dents Modi's aura ahead of key state polls</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620231/indias-instagram-gen-z-dents-modis-aura-ahead-of-key-state-polls</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620231/indias-instagram-gen-z-dents-modis-aura-ahead-of-key-state-polls#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 16:13:54 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Modi's video failed to quell protests; the education minister quit, handing demonstrators a rare victory]]>
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				<![CDATA[Nearly five weeks after the leaders of India&#39;s youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)&nbsp;began their protest demanding the resignation of the education minister over exam paper leaks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 75, posted a rare selfie video saying he was pained by their suffering and promising remedial steps.

The video, posted late on Thursday on Instagram, where CJP amassed 22 million, mainly Gen Z, followers in a matter of days in May, was not enough to satisfy the thousands of protesters who had gathered in central Delhi, braved a massive police crackdown days earlier, and then inspired protests across the country. On Saturday, the education minister stepped down, meeting the protesters&#39; main demand in a rare such setback for Modi.

The resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hands a clear win to the CJP, whose young supporters have openly mocked Modi through raps, placards and graffiti, an almost unthinkable development only weeks earlier in a country whose politics has been almost entirely dominated by Modi since he came to power in 2014.



pic.twitter.com/VSArqS98OJ
&mdash; Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 25, 2026


&quot;A large number of people who were at the protest may actually be his supporters &mdash; and that&#39;s quite different from other kinds of protests in the past,&quot; said Sanjay Srivastava, anthropology professor at SOAS University of London.

&quot;What might be interpreted as a win is the fact that there is now a much wider cross-section of people questioning the government. A much wider cross-section has begun to question the idea that the ruling party is necessarily good for the country.&quot;

The protests were triggered by a leaked medical entrance exam, but there are other issues, mainly youth unemployment and fears among young people that AI could take their jobs in areas such as IT back offices, for which India is well known, analysts said.

&quot;The paper leak is a trigger point,&quot; political analyst Amitabh Tiwari said. &quot;It is largely a reflection of the anxiety, nervousness, discontent, frustration and anger among the youth.&quot;

Modi&#39;s senior ministerial colleague Rajnath Singh said the government&#39;s &quot;top priority remains to understand our students&#39; genuine concerns, address them promptly, and ensure that they know their voices are being heard&quot;.

Government out of touch with what Gen Z wants, analyst says 

Indians aged 18 to 40 are estimated to make up about 40% of the population but hold only about 10% of seats in the lower house of parliament, down from more than double that in the 1950s, Tiwari said. The cabinet&#39;s average age is more than 60.

Read More: Modi&#39;s education minister resigns in win for Indian youth protesters

Though the CJP is not a political party, all opposition parties have tried to capitalise on the rare opening they have seen in the protests against Modi by taking up the students&#39; cause.

The first tests of youth anger could come in elections next year in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, in Punjab and in Modi&#39;s home state of Gujarat. The BJP governs both Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

The bigger risk for Modi could lie in the 2029 national election if the CJP turns itself into a political party. Its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, has said no decision has so far been made on entering electoral politics.

Some analysts say young voters have hitherto largely cast ballots along religious or caste lines, benefitting Modi&#39;s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. But things may be changing.

An actor, running for his own party and allied with opposition parties, was recently elected chief minister of the prosperous southern state of Tamil Nadu, propelled by his Instagram-first Gen Z fanbase.

&quot;This has been a moment of reckoning for PM Modi &ndash; and it shows how they are completely out of touch with what Gen Z wants,&quot; said author Anurag Minus Verma.

&quot;For years, the BJP&#39;s digital political strategy was centred on platforms like X, where much of the political conversation took place. But that conversation has increasingly shifted to Instagram, particularly among younger users.&quot;

The BJP may rule most of India, and calls itself the world&#39;s largest political party, but it has managed just 10 million Instagram followers over several years, less than half what the CJP gained in days. The BJP has 23 million followers on X and 18 million on Facebook, though Modi&#39;s personal following across all three social media platforms is far larger, ranging from 60 million to 107 million.

&quot;You need a kind of authenticity for Instagram,&quot; said columnist Santosh Desai. &quot;Pre-laboured, carefully massaged messages won&#39;t work. This medium was created by this generation and has become what it is thanks to this generation. This generation has no reverence.&quot;

For a decade, Modi has governed as a strong, decisive figure who admits few mistakes, and his government has long resisted sacking ministers under pressure. Indian farmers had to protest for nearly a year before Modi repealed contentious farm laws in 2021.

&quot;From now on, a leader who listens is likely to do well,&quot; Tiwari said. &quot;And that is what Modi is trying to show.&quot;]]>
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			<title>'The fear killed her': How an exam scandal in India sparked a student uprising</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620220/the-fear-killed-her-how-an-exam-scandal-in-india-sparked-a-student-uprising</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620220/the-fear-killed-her-how-an-exam-scandal-in-india-sparked-a-student-uprising#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 26 13:45:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Her death and exam-related suicides fuelled mass protests demanding accountability from Modi's government]]>
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				<![CDATA[The prospect of retaking one of India&#39;s most competitive exams was so daunting for 19-year-old Sheikh Sana that a day before the test, the pressure became unbearable.

Instead of preparing again for the exam, she wrote &quot;I am sorry&quot; on a plain sheet of paper and took her own life, her family said.

Her death, along with the suicides of other aspiring students ​who sat medical college entrance exams only to face retakes after it emerged that test papers had been leaked, has become a focus for thousands of young protesters demanding accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government.

On Saturday, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over &zwnj;the protests.

About two months of protests have evolved from demands for action over the leaks into a broader expression of frustration over education, opportunity and accountability in a country where 65% of the population is under the age of 35.

More than two&nbsp;million students sat the pen-and-paper exam, known as the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), in May. After the leak came to light, the government launched an investigation into the test-selling scheme, cancelled the release of the results and ordered a retake in June, forcing candidates back into intense test preparation.

Read More: Modi&#39;s education minister resigns in win for Indian youth protesters

Sana&#39;s family, as well as the families of two other students who took their own lives, attributed their deaths to the voiding of the first exam and the uncertainty that followed.

&quot;The ​fear killed her. The fear of re-NEET,&quot; Sana&#39;s father, Sheikh Jaffar Hussain, told Reuters at New Delhi&#39;s Jantar Mantar protest site, where students have been demanding accountability over the government&#39;s handling of the affair.

The government has not commented on the deaths of the exam candidates. Police ​officials in Rajasthan, Telangana and Gujarat told Reuters they had registered as suicides the deaths of Sana and two other students whose parents Reuters interviewed, and that the cases were still under investigation. They did not comment ⁠on the reason for the deaths, which Reuters was unable to independently confirm.

In mid-May, India&#39;s federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced that teachers and agents at private tuition centres had leaked the exam paper, charging students large sums for access to the questions. The CBI has arrested 13 suspects, including ​a doctor and several teachers, over the leaks.

Modi said in a video message on Thursday that he was pained by the paper leaks and promised strict action against those responsible, including by trying them in fast-track courts.

&quot;I know that paper leaks are not an ordinary issue. And for millions of students and ​their guardians, this is painful,&quot; he said.

Surging protest movement 

This week, tens of thousands protested in central Delhi, and police used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Opposition lawmakers disrupted parliament as they echoed protesters&#39; calls for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress Party, told reporters that exam paper leaks had gone unpunished, and that there had been more than 150 leaks over the past decade. Pradhan and his ministry did not respond to a request for comment on past leaks.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Gen Z movement leading the protests in the capital, says 21 students died by suicide in cases it believes were linked to the exam fiasco. Reuters could not ​independently verify the CJP&#39;s numbers.

The offices of the prime minister, education minister, and the top government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters on the protests and the student deaths.

On Tuesday, Pradhan said the government was committed to discussing NEET and addressing youth concerns.

In a post on X ​on Saturday announcing his resignation, he said: &quot;I deeply respect the aspirations, feelings, and legitimate expectations of the country&#39;s youth.&quot;



pic.twitter.com/VSArqS98OJ
&mdash; Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 25, 2026


Some political analysts say the unrest, which has spread to other regions of India, presents a challenge for a government that has often described India&#39;s youthful population as one of the country&#39;s biggest strengths.

&quot;When young people are on &zwnj;the streets of ⁠Delhi protesting against a malfunctioning education system, it acquires much larger significance,&quot; said Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, a political science professor at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata.

However, analysts also say it will be hard to dent Modi&#39;s popularity. In his 12 years in office, he has weathered a series of major protest movements, including over a new citizenship law and agricultural reforms, without lasting electoral damage.

Fierce competition for education 

For thousands of Indian families, the medical college entrance exam is seen as a gateway to financial security, social mobility and prestige in a country where competition to gain professional qualifications is fierce and opportunities can be scarce.

Also Read: Pakistan tells UNSC Kashmir is &#39;not India&#39;s internal matter&#39;

Despite rapid economic growth, India&#39;s official youth unemployment rate stood at 9.9% last year, far above the overall rate of 3.1%.

Only around 6% of candidates secure a place in medical college through the test, according to government data.

Families often spend years of savings or borrow heavily to fund tuition, accommodation and study materials, in the ​hope that a child will win admission to medical school.

In one such ​case, Rajesh Kumar, a farmer in Jhunjhunu district in the northwestern ⁠state of Rajasthan, said he sold land worth 2.8 million rupees ($29,000) and took a bank loan of 1.1 million rupees to support his son Pradeep Kumar&#39;s preparations.

The 22-year-old student had dreamed of becoming a doctor since childhood and moved to the coaching hub of Sikar to study for the exam, his father said. He died by suicide on May 15, days after the release of the exam results was cancelled.

Sitting on a red plastic chair outside his ​modest brick home, with a young calf tethered nearby, Kumar told Reuters the cancellation shattered his son.

&quot;We are farmers and hardly educated, but my son always wanted to become a doctor,&quot; he said.

Kumar said he blamed ​what he called a &quot;failure of the system&quot; ⁠for his son&#39;s death and that he would not immerse his son&#39;s ashes in the Ganges, part of Hindu last rites, until Education Minister Pradhan resigned.

The CJP and the Congress Party have demanded compensation for the families of students who took their own lives. The government hasn&#39;t offered any, but Kumar, like other relatives Reuters interviewed, said he was not seeking money. &quot;I want accountability,&quot; he said.

&lsquo;He wasn&rsquo;t able to fight more&rsquo;

Another student, 17-year-old Kahaan Patel, died in Gujarat, Modi&#39;s home state, days before the retake of the exam took place in June.

His father, Prashant Patel, said his son had hoped to study medicine and later go to the United States ⁠for higher education. He ​said that after the retest was announced, his son tried to prepare again, but could not cope with the uncertainty.

&quot;He wasn&#39;t able to fight more, so he ended it,&quot; Patel ​told Reuters.

Education activist Nandita Narain, a former president of the Delhi University Teachers&#39; Association, said the protests reflected concerns about the pressure on students competing for college places, and the growing role of often costly private coaching and commercial interests in education.

&quot;The youth of India have finally awakened to the seriousness of the problem,&quot; Narain said. &quot;The anger which was building up for some ​time has come to the surface.&quot;

Back at the Delhi protest site, two photographs of students who died by suicide were placed on the stage as protesters continued to chant slogans demanding answers.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan, Iran explore path towards new talks with US in a China-initiated push, sources say</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620052/pakistan-iran-explore-path-towards-new-talks-with-us-in-a-china-initiated-push-sources-say</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620052/pakistan-iran-explore-path-towards-new-talks-with-us-in-a-china-initiated-push-sources-say#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 26 17:41:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Chinese are unhappy because Iran's attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are hitting their ​interests]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled US-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, three Pakistani &zwnj;sources said, following a push initiated by China.

Exploratory discussions took place during a visit by Iran&#39;s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week &mdash; his second within the last 10 days, the sources said.

Momeni, who is considered close to Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard Corps, met with government leaders and Field Marshal Asim Munir this week, according to Pakistani government statements.

All three ​sources cautioned that the obstacles to any talks with the US remain high.

Strait of Hormuz closure hitting China

Pakistan has found itself in an increasingly ​complicated situation as a potential future mediator. Earlier this week, Yemen&#39;s Iran-backed Houthi movement declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, ⁠a close ally of Islamabad that signed a mutual defence treaty with Pakistan last year.

Pakistan relies on Saudi financial support, and Islamabad has firmly condemned recent ​Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Being seen as too receptive to Iranian arguments could risk frustrating Riyadh.

But Islamabad is similarly dependent on Beijing, which has also been ​a key financial backer of Islamabad, and which has economic interests in finding a diplomatic solution to reopening key Middle Eastern trade routes.

Foreign Minister&nbsp;Ishaq Dar also discussed the new Middle East effort with Chinese officials during his visit to China last week, all three Pakistani sources said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised ​to discuss the issue publicly.



It was a great pleasure to be received by H.E. President Xi Jinping and the First Lady, together with 6 world leaders, ahead of the banquet dinner, hosted by H. E. the President prior to the signing ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) by&hellip; pic.twitter.com/wVozrP94Ax
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) July 17, 2026


&quot;The Chinese are unhappy because Iran&#39;s attacks on other Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are hitting their ​interests,&quot; a Pakistani government official said. Disruptions in the Red Sea would hit another key trade route Beijing relies on.

In a statement, China&#39;s foreign ministry said: &quot;China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties.&quot;

It added that China will continue to &quot;play an active role in restoring peace and tranquillity in the Middle East Gulf region as soon as possible&quot;.

Halt in attacks needed, says official

Beijing is Iran&#39;s largest trading partner and primary buyer of its exported crude oil despite international sanctions on Tehran, benefitting from a steep discount on the energy source.

Over the years, China has also ​increased support for Iran&#39;s security through dual‐use ​components, chip equipment and satellite navigation ⁠systems, even though China has not overtly provided military aid to Iran since the war began.

Beijing has consistently backed Pakistan&#39;s mediation efforts and had in March dispatched its special envoy to lead a shuttle-diplomacy trip around the Middle East.

The ​US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June to move towards ending the war after mediation by ​Pakistan and Qatar. It ⁠was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement.

But indirect talks yielded no progress. Both sides blamed each other for violations, and the conflict resumed.

The Houthis said on Thursday that they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of their naval blockade, threatening to create a second chokepoint for global oil supplies ⁠alongside the ​near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation has raised both the stakes and the hurdles ​for Pakistan&#39;s latest diplomatic efforts.

A halt in attacks on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations would now be a &quot;pre-requisite for any talks to resume&quot;,&nbsp;said a Pakistani official.

It&#39;s a message that Pakistan has ​conveyed to Iran, the official added.]]>
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			<title>Who is Karim Khan, the barrister at the centre of the ICC's internal crisis?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620079/who-is-karim-khan-the-barrister-at-the-centre-of-the-iccs-internal-crisis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620079/who-is-karim-khan-the-barrister-at-the-centre-of-the-iccs-internal-crisis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 26 19:33:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2620079</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Khan announced arrest warrants in May 2024 for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza]]>
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				<![CDATA[Karim Khan became one of the best-known international prosecutors in May ​2024 when he announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, inserting the International Criminal Court into a confrontation with &zwnj;the United States.

ICC member states dismissed Khan on Friday over allegations of sexual misconduct, two diplomatic sources told Reuters, in a vote at United Nations headquarters in New York. He has long faced criticism and endured political wrangling.

His first turn in the international media limelight was as defence lawyer during the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

On the opening day of the trial in ​2007, Khan dramatically walked out of the courtroom against judges&#39; orders after announcing Taylor had fired him.

Born in Edinburgh to a Pakistani dermatologist and a ​British nurse, Khan, 56, studied law in London.

He spent his early career in the UK prosecution service before becoming a legal ⁠adviser for the Office of the Prosecutor for the United Nations ad hoc war crimes tribunals for both the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda between 1997 and 2001.

Khan ​subsequently worked on ICC cases on Kenya, Sudan and Libya. He won dismissal of the case against Kenya&#39;s President William Ruto for post-election violence.

While he was the head of ​a UN team investigating Islamic State crimes in Iraq, Khan applied to become ICC prosecutor. An outsider candidate who did not make the shortlist, he won the job in 2021 after a campaign marked by intense political lobbying by the UK and African states.

When he took office, he travelled frequently to countries where the ICC was investigating, including Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian ​territories.

In 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, which resulted in Khan being convicted in a 2025 in-absentia trial in Russia.

Khan, who is a ​member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, had made pursuing perpetrators of sexual crimes and defending the rights of children focal points in his time as ICC prosecutor.

In his speeches, Khan often &zwnj;stressed that ⁠he seeks to apply the law equally and fairly across all situations.



&quot;They THREATENED my family if I pursued ISRAEL.&quot;

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC says he, ICC judges, and UN officials faced threats after pursuing cases involving Israel, warning such pressure undermines the rule of law.@KarimKhanQC pic.twitter.com/sSb3lOnIZp
&mdash; Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 24, 2026



Backlash over Netanyahu Warrants

In May 2024, Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu.

&quot;No one can act with impunity,&quot; Khan said in a video announcing the warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The warrants, which ICC judges confirmed later that year, caused pushback not only from Israel and the United States but also from some ICC member states such as Italy and Hungary.

The US has since imposed sanctions on ​11 court officials, including Khan, and on ​several non-governmental organisations working with the ⁠court on the Gaza case.

Amid the pressure on the court and Khan over the decision to seek arrest warrants, news broke in October 2024 that a junior lawyer in Khan&#39;s office had alleged sexual misconduct by Khan.
&nbsp;



125 member states of the International Criminal Court have just entered a closed meeting.

Soon they will vote on whether to fire chief prosecutor Karim Khan over charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a junior employee.

You need to hear the victim&rsquo;s harrowing testimony: pic.twitter.com/QqaRaQQ1Za
&mdash; UN Watch (@UNWatch) July 24, 2026



Khan has denied the allegations but ​went on leave in May 2025 because he said media scrutiny made it hard to focus on his job.

On June ​8, the executive bureau ⁠of the ICC&#39;s governing body &mdash; made up of diplomats of member countries &mdash; issued a decision that found Khan had engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior lawyer and should be fired, documents seen by Reuters said.

In recent interviews, Khan and his lawyers have implied the misconduct allegations could be part of a political pressure campaign by Israel and its ⁠allies.

&quot;He sought ​to scapegoat Israel in an attempt to divert attention from his own misconduct,&quot; said Israel&#39;s ambassador to ​the UN, Danny Danon. &quot;The international community rejected that cynical attempt today.&quot;

UN investigators dismissed suggestions the victim was linked to foreign intelligence agencies, according to ICC documents seen by Reuters.

ICC member states voted on Friday ​to dismiss him, triggering an election for a new prosecutor.

France, the Netherlands and Norway have publicly said they supported his removal.]]>
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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]]>
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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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			<title>What's behind India's 'cockroach' youth protests?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619654/whats-behind-indias-cockroach-youth-protests</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619654/whats-behind-indias-cockroach-youth-protests#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 26 14:08:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2619654</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Opposition parties see protests as an opportunity to corner Modi over an issue that has ​massive public resonance]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Thousands of supporters of India&#39;s youth-led &quot;cockroach&quot; movement have been camping in the capital, New Delhi, to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in the biggest public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third ​term.

Here is a look at what sparked the protests and the situation now.

Why do protesters want Pradhan to quit?

The immediate trigger for the demonstrations was the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), India&#39;s undergraduate medical school entrance exam, after its question papers were found to have been leaked.

About two&nbsp;million students across India took the exam on May 3, but it was later scrapped, ​with about a dozen student suicides linked to its cancellation.

A re-test was held in June.

Why is NEET important?

The exam ​is the sole gateway to undergraduate medical courses across India, and millions of aspirants sit for ⁠it every year, competing for fewer than 150,000 seats, making it one of India&#39;s toughest entrance exams.

The situation is also symptomatic ​of broader strains on the country&#39;s higher education system, where grossly limited spots leave millions cramming for months, or even years, ​and high-stakes entrance exams leave many of them burnt out and in debt.

Have test papers been leaked before?

Exam question paper leaks are fairly common in India, and the NEET questions themselves were similarly leaked in some places in 2024, although a re-test was not ordered at the time.

Other examination ​papers have also been leaked in the South Asian nation of 1.4 billion people, including those for the recruitment of police constables ​and teachers.

Why is this leak different?

The exam leak this year coincided with the birth of the self-named Cockroach Janta Party satire movement, which appears &zwnj;to have ⁠channelled the frustration of the youth into the current protests.

Experts say the group, which amassed millions of Instagram followers within days of being created in mid-May, tapped into the concerns of under-30s, who make up more than half the country&#39;s population, including high youth unemployment and the latest exam paper leak.

How has the government responded?

Pradhan says the government is committed to addressing the concerns ​of the youth and promised exam ​reforms, while Modi himself ⁠has vowed to punish those behind the leaks.

Health Minister J.P. Nadda met the protesters on Monday and sought time to discuss their demands, which also include the release of fasting activist Sonam Wangchuk, ​who was taken to the hospital last week, and compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) each for the students ​who died by ⁠suicide after the exam leak.

What is the situation now?

Two days after tens of thousands of protesters attempting to march on parliament were met with tear gas and baton charges, thousands remain camped at the sit-in protest site in New Delhi, where the movement&#39;s leaders say they ⁠will remain ​until their demands are met.

Opposition groups, including the main opposition Congress party, have ​also vowed to raise their cause in and outside parliament, seeing it as a new opportunity to corner Modi and his party over an issue that has ​massive resonance and impacts Modi&#39;s youth vote base.]]>
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			<title>Five dead in apparent mass drowning in Ohio river</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619483/five-dead-in-apparent-mass-drowning-in-ohio-river</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619483/five-dead-in-apparent-mass-drowning-in-ohio-river#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 26 14:53:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2619483</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Group of seven was by Ohio river when swimmer struggled, triggering rescue attempts that killed five, sheriff says]]>
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				<![CDATA[Two women and three men were confirmed dead on Monday in an apparent mass drowning in Ohio after two people entered a river to help a struggling swimmer, followed by two more adults who made an ill-fated rescue attempt of their own, officials said.

According to the Delaware County Sheriff&#39;s Office, the tragedy unfolded on Sunday night along the Scioto River at the O&#39;Shaughnessy Reservoir, about 10 miles northwest of Columbus, Ohio, the state&#39;s capital and largest city.

A group of at least seven people &ndash; two sets of parents, an adult male friend and two children &ndash; were relaxing along the river&#39;s edge around sunset, some of them fishing, when one of the adults ventured into the river to swim, according to Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer.

As the swimmer began to struggle in the water, two other adults tried to assist him but began floundering themselves, leading two more adults to make rescue attempts before all five disappeared in the river, Balzer told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

Read More: 10 workers killed, several others trapped in northeast Indian tunnel collapse

&quot;It&#39;s not unusual, I think, for one person to be struggling in the water, and other people attempt to save him, yet they don&#39;t have the skills to do that, so we end up with multiple deaths,&quot; the sheriff said.

Authorities were alerted after one of the two children ran to a nearby road and flagged down a motorist, telling the driver &quot;his family was in the river,&quot; Balzer said.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, where they quickly found two women and pulled them from the water. The women were pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital, according to Balzer.

The bodies of the three missing men were recovered the next day, sheriff&#39;s office spokesperson Tracy Whited later told news media outlets.

The sheriff said the two children, both under the age of 10, had since been placed in the care of the local family services agency.]]>
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			<title>British premier backs calls for FIFA investigation over Argentina Falklands banner</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618602/british-premier-backs-calls-for-fifa-investigation-over-argentina-falklands-banner</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618602/british-premier-backs-calls-for-fifa-investigation-over-argentina-falklands-banner#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 26 14:39:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2618602</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[After Argentina's 2-1 win, players displayed a banner saying &quot;Las Malvinas son Argentinas&quot; in Atlanta]]>
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				<![CDATA[British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supports calls for FIFA to investigate Argentina players who displayed a banner asserting the country&#39;s claim to the Falkland Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory over England, his office said.

After Argentina&#39;s 2-1 win in the match in Atlanta, some players held up a banner which read: &quot;Las Malvinas son Argentinas&quot; using Argentina&#39;s term for the South Atlantic islands.

Starmer endorsed a call by Business Secretary Peter Kyle for FIFA to &quot;thoroughly&quot; investigate whether displaying the banner breached rules banning political messaging or slogans on the field of play.

Asked about the incident, the prime minister&#39;s spokesperson said: &quot;The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falklands definitely are. Our position is unchanged, and our commitment to the Falklanders is unwavering.&quot;

Read More: FIFA president under investigation

The spokesperson confirmed Starmer supported Kyle&#39;s call for FIFA to investigate the matter, adding that any subsequent action would be a matter for the governing body.

Asked who the prime minister would be supporting in Sunday&#39;s World Cup final, the spokesperson said: &quot;The PM wishes both teams well for the final - especially Spain.&quot;

The islands in the South Atlantic are known to the British as the Falklands, and the Argentinians as the Malvinas.

Argentina claims it inherited the islands from Spain after its independence in 1816 and that Britain took control in 1833 through an illegal colonial act.

They also fought a short conflict over the islands in 1982.

FIFA&rsquo;s Stadium Code of Conduct bans banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political or offensive nature inside stadiums.]]>
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			<title>Trump promoted companies on Truth Social days after buying their stocks: CNN report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618597/trump-promoted-companies-on-truth-social-days-after-buying-their-stocks-cnn-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618597/trump-promoted-companies-on-truth-social-days-after-buying-their-stocks-cnn-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 26 13:46:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2618597</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[White House spokesperson denies Trump has ever used public office for financial gain]]>
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				<![CDATA[US President Donald Trump promoted more than 20 companies on his Truth Social account days after buying stock in those firms, in addition to announcing government actions that could benefit the companies, according to a&nbsp;CNN report.



🚨𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: 🇺🇸 CNN reports that President Trump promoted more than 20 companies on Truth Social shortly after buying their stocks.

The White House denies any conflict of interest and says all trades are independently managed. pic.twitter.com/cDTiQt6Nv5
&mdash; DustyBC Crypto (@DustyBC) July 16, 2026


The report explained&nbsp;that CNN used artificial intelligence to compare a database of Trump&rsquo;s Truth Social posts with a full list of stock trades released in his annual financial disclosure, looking for cases when the posts mentioned firms in which he&rsquo;d recently bought or sold stock. Reporters then manually reviewed hundreds of flagged posts and confirmed whether each was relevant.

The analysis found that Trump made at least 44 stock purchases of 21 different companies within a week before he posted a complimentary Truth Social message about the firms, their executives or their products. Many of the posts include Trump&rsquo;s own commentary, while others quote company CEOs or link to favourable news articles.

It adds that Trump made other stock purchases shortly before sending more general messages highlighting policy changes that could benefit those companies, but without specifically naming them.

For example, Trump purchased between $200,000 and $500,000 of Nvidia&rsquo;s stock days before posting on&nbsp;Truth Social to share some &ldquo;very big and exciting news&rdquo; about the company&#39;s plans to build AI supercomputers in the United States.

Government watchdogs say Trump&rsquo;s social media posts and high-volume trading raise questions about whether the president has a conflict of interest &ndash; as Congress debates whether presidents and lawmakers should be allowed to trade stocks at all.

The report added that in recent months, members of Congress have been debating more limited bills that would only ban trading by lawmakers, and not the president.

Responding to the report, the White House strongly denied that Trump has ever used his office for financial gain and said his actions are aimed at benefiting the American public. All of the president&rsquo;s stock trades are conducted by outside financial managers, his administration said, and Trump and his family have zero control over which trades are made.

&ldquo;President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public, which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media. There are no conflicts of interest,&rdquo; stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.]]>
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			<title>Files relating to India’s largest nuclear power plant Kudankulam exposed in data breach</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618400/files-relating-to-indias-largest-nuclear-power-plant-kudankulam-exposed-in-data-breach</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618400/files-relating-to-indias-largest-nuclear-power-plant-kudankulam-exposed-in-data-breach#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 26 12:39:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2618400</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Leaked files could be exploited to map the plant's support systems and pinpoint weaknesses in the security chain]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Ransomware group World Leaks has posted on the dark web a huge cache of files related to India&#39;s largest nuclear plant, including purported blueprints of parts of its facilities and supplier details &mdash; information it ​labelled as coming from Reliance Group.

The Kudankulam nuclear power plant, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, is the largest of India&#39;s seven nuclear plants and central to Prime Minister &zwnj;Narendra Modi&#39;s ambitious plans to expand the country&#39;s atomic energy capacity.

Indian businessman Anil Ambani&#39;s Reliance Group, one of the plant&#39;s contractors, told Reuters in a statement that there had been a &quot;partial breach&quot; of its data on a server hosted by third-party Indian data centre service provider Yotta, and that the government has been informed about the incident.

Reliance did not disclose what data had been breached.

The data breach could pose a &quot;serious&quot; risk to the safety of the plant, says Nickolas Roth, a senior director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which ​advises governments and benchmarks countries&#39; preparedness on nuclear security. The breach also underscores how hacks have become more common in India, where many companies are ill-equipped to deal with such threats.

Reuters reviewed the documents, which ​were dated from 2016 to mid-2025, but could not verify their authenticity. In addition to some blueprints and supplier details, they purportedly show meeting and inspection records, equipment ⁠reviews and insurance policies.

The 19,000 files appeared to be the most sensitive of a total of 858,000 Reliance files on the World Leaks website.

One of the conglomerate&#39;s subsidiaries, Reliance Infrastructure, won a contract in 2018 to design and ​build infrastructure for the plant&#39;s Unit 3 and Unit 4. Both units, still under construction, are due to be operational by 2027 and are slated to provide a combined 2,000 megawatts of capacity.

World Leaks, a well-known ransomware group that ​has previously targeted Nike and India&#39;s Tata Group, did not respond to Reuters queries on the Reliance data breach. The group typically posts stolen corporate data on its website after companies decline to pay the ransom demanded. Its website can only be accessed with a specialised browser.

In June, World Leaks told Reuters it had sought $1.5 million in ransom for Tata Group files that contained confidential component designs of clients Apple and Tesla, adding that it posted the data after Tata &quot;ignored&quot; its demand.

Suspicious activity on server in May

The Nuclear Power Corporation of ​India, which commissions and operates the country&#39;s nuclear power plants, has been communicating with Reliance about the breach, and India&#39;s main cybersecurity agency &mdash; the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) &mdash; is looking into the incident, according to a source ​familiar with the matter. The source declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Nuclear Power Corporation Chairman Rajesh Veeraraghavan, CERT-In and the government&#39;s main press office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Yotta said in a statement that it &zwnj;had noted suspicious ⁠activity on May 29 on a server it hosts that belongs to Reliance Infrastructure. It said the activity was immediately terminated and that the suspected ransomware execution was prevented, but Reliance Infrastructure informed it at the end of June that there had been claims of a data breach made by &quot;external threat actors&quot;.

Yotta said it has not been able to verify the claims of the &quot;threat actor&quot;, but added that it has shared its detailed technical investigation with Reliance Infrastructure and supports an ongoing investigation.

India&#39;s Department of Atomic Energy declined to comment, while Modi&#39;s office did not respond to Reuters queries.

Blueprints and insurance policies

The documents posted on World Leaks do not appear to relate to the nuclear reactors&#39; core ​systems, which are supplied by Russia&#39;s state-owned Rosatom.

They did ​contain purported blueprints for the ventilation and cooling systems ⁠used in Unit 3 and Unit 4, as well as what appeared to be the complete floor layout of a &quot;common control room&quot;.

The files also included what appeared to be vendor proposals, a list of approved suppliers, and a record of a 2024 meeting about a joint inspection by the Nuclear Power Corporation and Reliance, with photos of equipment.

Another ​document purports to show that Reliance Infrastructure and the Nuclear Power Corporation had taken out an insurance policy that would entitle them to $112 million if either Unit ​3 or Unit 4 were ⁠to suffer an act of terrorism.

The files, in the hands of bad actors, could in theory be exploited to map the plant&#39;s support systems, identify its suppliers and pinpoint weaknesses in its security chain, according to researchers.

They could &quot;show an adversary not just who has access to the project but which systems that access reaches&quot;, said Nuclear Threat Initiative&#39;s Roth.

India ranks third among a list of countries suffering the most data breaches, with 28.9 million accounts compromised last year, lagging only the United ⁠States and France, ​according to cybersecurity company Surfshark.

A report last year by the Data Security Council of India and cybersecurity firm Seqrite said that of 204 ​organisations surveyed across India, some 73% were &quot;unaware if they have ever been attacked&quot; while 57% lack cyber hygiene practices.

It is also the second time that the Kudankulam plant has been linked to a cyber incident, with malware tied to a North Korean hacker group found on the ​plant&#39;s administrative network in 2019. At the time, the Nuclear Power Corporation said the matter was investigated immediately, and plant systems were not affected.]]>
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			<title>Warren Buffett stops Gates Foundation donations following Epstein revelations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618228/warren-buffett-stops-gates-foundation-donations-following-epstein-revelations</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618228/warren-buffett-stops-gates-foundation-donations-following-epstein-revelations#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 26 15:44:23 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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				<![CDATA[Decision ends a two-decade philanthropic partnership amounting to more than $47 billion in stock donations]]>
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				<![CDATA[Warren Buffett has stopped donating money to the Gates Foundation, ending a two-decade philanthropic partnership following revelations about interactions between the &zwnj;Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Buffett said on Tuesday he is donating about $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock, comprising 12 million Class B shares, in his annual mid-year donation to four family foundations overseen by his daughter Susie and sons Howard and Peter.

The announcement by the 95-year-old Berkshire chairman did not mention the Gates Foundation, which has received more than $47 billion of the conglomerate&#39;s stock since Buffett in 2006 made what ​he called an irrevocable pledge to donate shares throughout his lifetime. Buffett&#39;s donation was more than $4.5 billion last year.

&quot;Of course, mortality is unpredictable, but my remaining shares will be donated ​to the four foundations one way or the other by December 31, 2034,&quot; Buffett said in a statement.

The Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to ⁠requests for comment. Berkshire did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

Buffett has said that after his death, his children would oversee a charitable trust containing about 99.5% of his remaining ​wealth.

Gates regrets Epstein ties

Gates has seen his reputation tarnished following the US Department of Justice&#39;s release of files about Epstein in February.

These included photos of Gates posing with the financier and with women ​whose faces were redacted. Emails also showed communications between Epstein and the foundation&#39;s staff.

Last month, Gates told Congress he was introduced to Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution, and four years after Epstein reached a controversial non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors.

Gates said several subsequent meetings with Epstein focused on possible philanthropy but proved fruitless, and the relationship ended by December 2014.

He said he later discovered ​that Epstein learned of his marital infidelity, and Epstein tried using that knowledge to unsuccessfully blackmail him into reengaging.

Gates, 70, has not been accused of crimes. He has repeatedly expressed regret for having anything ​to do with Epstein, has denied spending time with victims of Epstein&#39;s sexual abuse, and has said he never witnessed criminal conduct by Epstein.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Buffett was awaiting the law &zwnj;firm WilmerHale&#39;s ⁠review of the Gates Foundation&#39;s ties with Epstein before deciding whether to continue his donations.

WilmerHale did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Donations to family charities

Buffett has donated well over half his Berkshire stock since he began giving away his fortune in 2006.

He owned close to 14% of Berkshire&#39;s stock before the latest donations, and was worth $147 billion according to Forbes magazine.

Buffett is donating nine million Class B shares of Berkshire to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and 1 million shares to each of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and NoVo Foundation.

He plans for the grants to increase annually, ​and for grants to the Susan Thompson Buffett ​Foundation to grow somewhat faster.

Susie Buffett leads ⁠the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which funds reproductive health. It is named for her mother, who was Warren Buffett&#39;s first wife.

The Sherwood Foundation supports Nebraska nonprofits and early childhood education. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation focuses on global hunger, combatting human trafficking and mitigating conflicts. The NoVo Foundation has initiatives ​focused on marginalised girls and women, and on indigenous communities.

Buffett distanced himself from Gates

Buffett and Gates had been longtime friends, often seen together at ​Berkshire&#39;s annual shareholder weekends ⁠in Omaha, Nebraska.

In 2020, Gates stepped down from Berkshire&#39;s board of directors after 16 years.

Buffett stepped down as a Gates Foundation trustee in 2021, soon after Bill and Melinda French Gates announced divorce plans, and in 2024 said his donations would end when he dies.

The New York Times said Buffett had grown concerned about the foundation&#39;s bloat and its reduced appetite for taking risks that could lead to more effective philanthropy.

Buffett ⁠told CNBC ​in March that he and Gates had not spoken since the Justice Department released the Epstein files.

Berkshire is an approximately $1.07 trillion ​conglomerate whose dozens of businesses include Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom, and stocks, including Apple, American Express and Google parent Alphabet.

Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, ​one month after being arrested on sex trafficking charges. New York City&#39;s medical examiner called the death a suicide.]]>
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			<title>Blaze near Paris burns on as heatwave tightens across Europe</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618219/blaze-near-paris-burns-on-as-heatwave-tightens-across-europe</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618219/blaze-near-paris-burns-on-as-heatwave-tightens-across-europe#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 26 14:24:35 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Waterbombing aircraft assists firefighters struggling to contain the inferno]]>
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				<![CDATA[Waterbombing aircraft skimmed the river Seine as firefighters struggled &zwnj;to contain a forest blaze south of Paris raging into its third day on Tuesday amid a spreading heatwave that has left swathes of Europe primed for more wildfires.

As France battled flames, the third bout of extreme heat this season that is also affecting Britain ​and Spain continued its progression into Italy, where authorities were bracing for temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius&nbsp;in Sardinia this week.

According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the average high temperature ⁠across Western Europe was 29.4&deg;C on Tuesday, 6.3&deg;C higher than the seasonal average high for July 14 recorded between ​1961 and 1990. The difference was most pronounced in Belgium and France, with seasonal highs deviating by as much ​as 9.4&deg;C and 9.1&deg;C.

Scientists say climate change is making such events more frequent and intense, leaving forests and scrubland across the continent primed to burn.

Tracking Western Europe&#39;s heatwave



Reuters Climate Monitor

Likely record year for French wildfires

More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe and Britain in the last ​two record-breaking heatwaves in May and late June, with scientists saying the only credible reason for the unusually high toll was ​heat-related.

In Spain, authorities continued work to identify victims of last week&#39;s deadly forest fire in the popular holiday area of Almeria, which &zwnj;killed ⁠at least 13 people, mostly foreign nationals, and left 10 missing.

Read: Europe recorded 10,000 excess deaths during late-June heatwave, data show

French firefighters battled through the night to tackle the blaze that tore through the historic forest of Fontainebleau, home to one of France&#39;s best-known royal palaces. At least two people were arrested on suspicion of having started the fire.

&quot;It is not under control,&quot; Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said late ​on Monday, adding that the ​main blaze in Fontainebleau ⁠and another one nearby that started on Monday afternoon had scorched 1,300 hectares (3,212 acres). He said 59 people had been arrested across France on suspicion of starting fires this ​season.



A firefighter sprays water to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest during a wildfire, in Le Vaudoue, during a heatwave affecting large parts of France, July 13, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/file

Nunez said the Fontainebleau blaze is contributing to what will likely be a record ​year for fires ⁠in France, with 32,000 hectares burned already this year, more than the total in 2025.

&quot;We expected this with this major drought,&quot; he added.

In Italy, a high-pressure system that has taken hold in Sardinia was anticipated to peak on Thursday and ⁠Friday, meteorologists ​said, with temperatures expected to reach 44&deg;C in inland Sardinia, ​39&deg;C in Florence, and 38&deg;C in Rome. The incoming heat is accompanied by fine sand billowing in from North Africa, they said.]]>
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			<title>Trump says US reinstates blockade of Iranian shipping in Strait of Hormuz after new clashes</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618031/trump-says-us-reinstates-blockade-of-iranian-shipping-in-strait-of-hormuz-after-new-clashes</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2618031/trump-says-us-reinstates-blockade-of-iranian-shipping-in-strait-of-hormuz-after-new-clashes#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 26 18:56:58 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2618031</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Reinstates Iran port blockade and imposes 20% charge on cargo passing through Hormuz]]>
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				<![CDATA[President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian ​shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open &mdash; for a fee &mdash; after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks.

The latest hostilities followed an announcement by Iran at the weekend &zwnj;that it was closing the strait, and cast further doubt on the viability of an interim deal to halt the war and drove oil prices higher.

&quot;The Hormuz Strait is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the Iranian blockade,&quot; Trump said on Truth Social.



The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran&rsquo;s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A.&hellip; pic.twitter.com/m81hb9Nl3p
&mdash; Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) July 13, 2026


&quot;The USA will be, from this point forward, known as &#39;The Guardian of the Hormuz Strait&#39;, but as such, and as a matter of fairness, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped.&quot;

Iran&#39;s top joint military command said the US had no role in determining the future of Hormuz and would not be ​allowed to intervene in the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X that Tehran was the guardian of the strait and would remain so &quot;forever&quot;, adding in response to Trump&#39;s comments that: &quot;20% is of course too much. We will be ​fair.&quot;

&nbsp;



POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.

Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER.

20% is of course too much. We will be fair
&mdash; Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 13, 2026



The UN&#39;s shipping agency pushed back against Trump&#39;s proposal, stating that it opposes any fees for straits used in international navigation and emphasising that there is no legal basis for introducing mandatory tolls on strait transits.

Trump has previously suggested the US could charge tolls on shipping through the strait, but it has so far not done so and it was unclear if it would follow through on Trump&#39;s declaration this time.

The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information ​Centre said the blockade would take effect at 2000 GMT on Tuesday and apply to all vessel traffic regardless of flag, covering the entire Iranian coastline, including ports and oil terminals.

It said the measure would not impede neutral transit passage through the strait to or ​from non-Iranian destinations, and that humanitarian shipments would be permitted subject to inspection.

Before the conflict began in February, around a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and gas traffic passed through Hormuz daily, delivering more than 15 million barrels of fuel to global markets worth at least $1.2 billion. If the US were to impose a 20% fee, it could generate around $250 million a day.

Iran has sought to establish a permanent fee and permit system of its own for vessels using the strait.

Both sides carry out more strikes

Thousands of people have been killed in the war, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.

The US Central ​Command said on Monday its forces struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran on Sunday using one-way attack drones. Iran&#39;s official news agency IRNA cited a local official on Monday as saying the US had attacked military sites in Qeshm, Bandar ​Abbas and Abadan in southern and southwestern Iran. It confirmed the deaths of two people in the Abadan attack.



Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea&hellip; pic.twitter.com/bOM2kmgRxz
&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026


Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman and hit fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan &zwnj;Air Base in ⁠Jordan in response to US strikes.

Bahrain said its air defence systems had intercepted several Iranian missile and drone attacks early on Monday.

The latest exchanges mark an escalation in both the pace and geographic reach of attacks over the past week, throwing into question an interim US-Iranian agreement signed last month to reopen the strait and halt hostilities.

Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to further talks.

&quot;We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We&#39;ve had 10 deals with these people, and so we&#39;re just going to hit them very hard,&quot; he said in a phone interview with Fox News on Monday.

Iran&#39;s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, struck a similarly forceful tone on X on Sunday: &quot;The era of one-sided deals ​is over. We told you: keep your word or pay ​the price.&quot;



The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking. pic.twitter.com/B97ogCYGaj
&mdash; محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) July 12, 2026



The war launched by the United States and Israel ⁠against Iran on February 28 has destabilised the Gulf and spread across the region, with Iran attacking US bases in multiple countries.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired at the country&#39;s south by Yemen&#39;s Houthi movement on Monday after the group accused Riyadh of striking an airport they control, testing a years-long truce in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group.

Oil prices jump

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become one of the main battlegrounds of the conflict. Iran&#39;s effective blockade of the strait has pushed up energy prices, and Tehran said on ​Monday it continued to control the ⁠channel.

Brent crude jumped by more than 5% after Trump&#39;s latest comments and on fears of further disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, although prices remained below peaks reached earlier in the conflict.



NEW: The price of oil jumps more than 5% after President Trump declares on social media that the U.S. would be resuming its blockade on Iran and would be &ldquo;reimbursed&rdquo; for helping ships transit the Strait of Hormuz. https://t.co/pRSbNGWYDJ
&mdash; NBC News (@NBCNews) July 13, 2026


Higher energy prices, particularly gasoline costs, are politically sensitive for Trump before the congressional elections in November.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on Monday that the only way to restore regular shipping traffic was to end US military interventions in the waterway.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was seeking to establish a joint mechanism with Oman to manage traffic through the strait, ⁠adding that US pressure ​on Oman had hindered discussions.

The US, which revoked a licence waiving sanctions on Iranian crude sales last week after earlier attacks on shipping, said its forces ​were positioned to safeguard freedom of navigation.

&quot;Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,&quot; it said.

US officials said around 20 vessels had been escorted through the strait in the previous 24 hours, although ship-tracking data showed little traffic moving. MarineTraffic said on Monday that vessel activity through the strait declined by about 52% over ​July 10 to 12 compared to the previous week.]]>
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