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			<title>Iran’s president says war with US should end while Tehran is in position of ‘power, dignity’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624985/us-says-it-will-impose-toughest-sanctions-in-history-on-iran</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624985/us-says-it-will-impose-toughest-sanctions-in-history-on-iran#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 05:33:01 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Iranian chief of staff vows 'devastating' response to any new US threats after Washington pledges financial penalties]]>
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				<![CDATA[Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that the war with the United States should be brought to an end while Iran is in a position of &ldquo;power and dignity,&rdquo; as he defended Tehran&rsquo;s recent agreement with Washington.

Speaking at an event, Pezeshkian said the outcome of the negotiations was a &ldquo;major achievement&rdquo; approved by Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.

&ldquo;What was achieved during the negotiations was a major accomplishment,&rdquo; he said, adding that members of the council who were directly involved had firmly defended it.

Pezeshkian described the recent agreement as &ldquo;honourable and valuable,&rdquo; rejecting criticism that Tehran had made concessions. &ldquo;They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that indicates surrender; all the commitments are related to the other side,&rdquo; he said.

The Iranian president stressed, however, that the agreement did not mean Tehran would submit in the event of another attack. &ldquo;We will under no circumstances bow to bullying,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We will stand against them until our last breath and give them a crushing response.&rdquo;

Pezeshkian said the war should come to an end at some point, arguing that the current circumstances offered an appropriate opportunity. &ldquo;It is better to end the war today, when we are in a position of power and dignity,&rdquo; he said, arguing that the US had violated international rules by attacking Iranian schools, hospitals and infrastructure.

He said Iran&rsquo;s military commanders and armed forces remain fully prepared to defend the country, while stressing the importance of maintaining domestic unity.

Iranian major general vows &#39;devastating&#39; response to US sanctions

Iran said on Friday that its response to any new US threats would be &quot;devastating&quot; after Washington pledged to impose the toughest financial penalties in history with the aim of toppling the Iranian leadership.

The Chief of Staff of Iran&#39;s Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said the Islamic Republic&#39;s reaction would be broad and decisive.

&quot;With preparedness across land, sea, air, air defence and cyberspace, Iran&#39;s armed forces will respond to the enemy&#39;s new threats with crushing, punishing and devastating responses,&quot; Abdollahi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

Earlier,&nbsp;Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran must plan to overcome &quot;unjust sanctions&quot;, a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced what he described as the toughest sanctions ever imposed on Iran.

Bessent said the measures would be detailed on Monday, suggesting they could lessen the need for further major military operations.

Ghalibaf, one of Iran&#39;s most influential political figures and Tehran&#39;s top negotiator in talks with the US, said economic development and security were closely linked. He accused the US and Israel of waging economic and &quot;cognitive&quot; warfare after concluding they could not prevail in a direct military confrontation with Iran and Iraq.

&quot;If you look at the resources and raw materials of Muslim countries, you will realise that our enemies come to plunder them,&quot; Ghalibaf told Iranian and Iraqi business representatives in Baghdad, according to his Telegram channel. &quot;Therefore, we must make plans to deal with the unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them.&quot;

He also called for stronger economic ties between Baghdad and Tehran and said the two countries could use their national currencies in trade to reduce reliance on the US&nbsp;dollar.

Bessent&#39;s comments on Thursday followed President Donald Trump&#39;s threat a day earlier of &quot;Economic Warfare&quot; and warning of economic consequences against any country that provided &quot;any type of lifeline to Iran.&quot; Bessent promised details next week.

&quot;I&#39;m not sure why oil has popped up on this,&quot; Bessent told CNBC. &quot;If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart,&quot; he said, using a term referring to military force.

A day earlier, Ghalibaf stated that Iran and Iraq had rejected attempts by US-led Western powers to determine their fate, urging the neighbours to turn their longstanding political and security cooperation into concrete economic development and shared prosperity, Iran&#39;s Press TV had&nbsp;reported.



Iran, Iraq will not allow foreign powers to determine their fate: Qalibafhttps://t.co/GKgvoOTEtu
&mdash; Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) August 21, 2026



&#39;Sanctions and pressure&#39; on Iran not a solution, says China

China said that US &quot;sanctions and pressure&quot; would not resolve the Middle East conflict, after Washington urged governments including Beijing to join efforts to isolate the Iranian economy.

&quot;Sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters at a news briefing, calling on &quot;all relevant parties to take responsible measures and resolve the problem through political and diplomatic means&quot;.



MFA Spokesperson&rsquo;s response to President Trump&rsquo;s planned &ldquo;Economic D-Day&rdquo; against Iran:

Sanctions and pressure tactics are not the solution. China calls on parties to act responsibly and stick to the political and diplomatic approach. pic.twitter.com/kzQQXxbixI
&mdash; CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) August 20, 2026



Sanctions detail to come

Iran has weathered near-continuous, punishing economic sanctions for nearly 50 years, since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Before Bessent spoke, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said it condemned US economic and trade sanctions, calling them &quot;economic terrorism&quot; that would not &quot;create even the slightest hesitation in Iranians&rsquo; determination to safeguard Iran&rsquo;s independence, dignity and national sovereignty.&quot;

Bessent told CNBC he would share more details on the latest package and &quot;talk about exactly what we&#39;re going to do&quot; on Iran at a press conference on Monday.

&quot;It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade (on Iran), and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history,&quot; he added, referring to a US naval blockade imposed on Iran in April and paused for a month in mid-June. &quot;It is going to work in Iran and we are going to collapse this regime. It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision,&quot; he said.

Read: Iran labels California its &#39;new territory&#39; after Trump&#39;s Hormuz claim

China buys more than 80% of Iran&#39;s shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, but engaging in further economic warfare with China, a major exporter to the US including vital rare-earth minerals, risks retaliation against Washington.

When asked if the US could target China for doing business with Iran, Bessent said many conversations were best to have in private. &quot;Keep in mind that the Chinese get 50% (of their) energy...from the Gulf. So it would do them a big service to get with the program,&quot; he said.

China&#39;s embassy in Washington said &quot;sanctions and pressure do not help resolve the problem.&quot; &quot;China calls on the relevant parties to take responsible actions and resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means,&quot; according to an embassy spokesperson.

&#39;Tremendous economic consequences&#39;

In a social media message on Wednesday, Trump promised &quot;Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.&quot; He did not say what specific steps the US would take or name any country, though the warning would appear to extend to US allies that have helped mediate peace talks.

&quot;ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,&quot; Trump wrote.

Trump, however, is under pressure at home to end the unpopular war, with high fuel prices dragging down his approval ratings and potentially threatening his party&#39;s control of Congress in midterm elections in November.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Trump&#39;s comments an attempt to divert American public opinion from domestic financial problems, including record debt and rising interest rates.

He said Washington&#39;s insistence on policies he described as failed would bring further failures and alienate Iranians.

Trump&#39;s social media threats and announcements are not always implemented as written.

Oil prices rose to more than a three-week high on Thursday following those US threats of financial penalties aimed at forcing an end to a nearly six-month-old war that has stranded millions of barrels of Middle Eastern oil.

Thousands have been killed in the conflict, which drew in Gulf nations and shocked markets as Iran flexed its ability to curb shipping through the Strait of Hormuz &mdash; a waterway that carried about a fifth of all traded oil before February.

The US and Iran have twice announced ceasefire deals, in April and June, aiming to restore the free flow of shipping through Hormuz on a path towards ending the conflict, but both quickly crumbled.]]>
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			<title>Russia is ready for new ideas on Ukraine peace, but with conditions, senior diplomat says</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625045/russia-is-ready-for-new-ideas-on-ukraine-peace-but-with-conditions-senior-diplomat-says</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625045/russia-is-ready-for-new-ideas-on-ukraine-peace-but-with-conditions-senior-diplomat-says#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 06:23:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Moscow says will hear proposals but doubts Washington's sway over Kyiv, European sponsors]]>
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				<![CDATA[Russia&nbsp;is open to listening to&nbsp;new&nbsp;proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a&nbsp;senior&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;diplomat&nbsp;said, but any proposals should reflect the &quot;realities on the ground&quot;.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with media outlet&nbsp;News.ru published on Friday that the United States&nbsp;demonstrated a readiness for &quot;constructive dialogue&quot; and an &quot;understanding of&nbsp;Russia&#39;s position&quot;.

&quot;At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who still dream of a &#39;strategic defeat&#39; of&nbsp;Russia,&quot; he told the outlet.

Negotiations between&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and the US&nbsp;to bring about an end to the conflict in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;have largely stalled amid the war in Iran.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that it had no information yet on a possible next visit to Moscow by US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who have led negotiations with&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;in the past.

Read:&nbsp;EU plans most far-reaching sanctions against Russia

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that Washington was committed to helping end the war, following a meeting in Manila with&nbsp;Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

But Rubio cautioned there was no quick deal ahead and the US&nbsp;was trying to &quot;find a middle ground&quot;.

Ryabkov said&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;was&nbsp;ready&nbsp;to listen to Rubio&#39;s&nbsp;new&nbsp;ideas&nbsp;and continue dialogue with Washington. &quot;The&nbsp;Russian Federation is&nbsp;ready&nbsp;to listen to any reasonable proposals and&nbsp;ideas&nbsp;that are in line with the goals set by the&nbsp;Russian president and meet the &#39;realities on the ground&#39;,&quot; he said.

After almost four-and-a-half years of war,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;holds around a fifth of&nbsp;Ukraine&#39;s internationally recognised territory. Moscow has repeatedly said it is open to talks, but that these must recognise the &quot;new&nbsp;realities on the ground&quot;.

Nuclear talks

In the interview, Ryabkov also suggested&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;was keen to maintain discussions with the US&nbsp;on nuclear weapons. The New START nuclear treaty expired in February, leaving the world&#39;s two biggest nuclear-armed powers with no binding constraints on their strategic arsenals for the first time in more than half a century.

Moscow has said it will keep observing&nbsp;the treaty&#39;s missile and warhead limits as long as Washington does the same.

&quot;We remain open in the future to find political and&nbsp;diplomatic ways to stabilise this area,&quot; Ryabkov said.]]>
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			<title>China, Indonesia ministers meet to discuss security and economic issues</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625052/china-indonesia-ministers-meet-to-discuss-security-and-economic-issues</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625052/china-indonesia-ministers-meet-to-discuss-security-and-economic-issues#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 06:39:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Security, politics, economic issues set to dominate talks as Jakarta tries to balance ties with Beijing, Washington]]>
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				<![CDATA[China&#39;s defence&nbsp;and&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;ministers&nbsp;met their&nbsp;Indonesian counterparts on Friday, with&nbsp;security, politics&nbsp;and&nbsp;economic&nbsp;issues&nbsp;set to dominate talks, as Jakarta tries to balance ties with both Beijing&nbsp;and&nbsp;Washington amid trade battles&nbsp;and&nbsp;tensions in the South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea.

China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, visiting Jakarta for the first time in two years, met&nbsp;Indonesian counterpart Sugiono&nbsp;and&nbsp;was due to participate later in a &quot;2+2&quot;&nbsp;meeting with the two countries&#39; defence&nbsp;ministers.

Wang in introductory remarks said that amid complex global challenges, it was timely they were&nbsp;meeting under the new dialogue mechanism&nbsp;and&nbsp;both countries should &quot;seize the moment&quot;.

&quot;Unilateralism&nbsp;and&nbsp;hegemonic acts bring serious impact on global cooperation&nbsp;and&nbsp;stability,&quot; he said. &quot;China&nbsp;actively aims to build&nbsp;China-Indonesia&nbsp;cooperation at a high level.&quot;

The foreign&nbsp;ministers&nbsp;were expected to focus on&nbsp;economic&nbsp;issues&nbsp;as well as political relations, Jakarta has said, while&nbsp;China&#39;s foreign ministry this week said political and&nbsp;security&nbsp;issues, defence cooperation,&nbsp;and&nbsp;international&nbsp;and&nbsp;regional&nbsp;issues&nbsp;would be&nbsp;discussed.

Higher-value cooperation

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun was greeted by a military honour guard as he arrived at&nbsp;Indonesia&#39;s defence ministry on Friday, where he said both countries&#39; militaries had scope to work together to boost their ability to protect their national interests&nbsp;and&nbsp;thwart external threats.

&quot;The prospects for cooperation between the two militaries are broad,&nbsp;and&nbsp;that such cooperation is becoming higher in quality&nbsp;and&nbsp;more effective,&quot; Dong said.

Read:&nbsp;Philippines says ship hit by Chinese water cannon at disputed reef

Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said there would be increased defence activities between their militaries, including joint exercises&nbsp;and&nbsp;officer exchanges, plus partnerships in the defence industry.

&quot;This is a progressive step taken in the era of building&nbsp;Indonesia&#39;s defence power at this moment&nbsp;and&nbsp;in the future,&quot; Sjafrie said.

Valuable lesson

Last week, Taiwan, which&nbsp;China&nbsp;claims as its own territory, was angered by a rare joint military exercise between the Chinese&nbsp;and&nbsp;Indonesian navies that took place east of Taiwan.

Indonesia&#39;s navy said a vessel conducted routine exercises, not only with&nbsp;China, but also with Japan&nbsp;and&nbsp;the United States.

Defence analyst Curie Maharani said that while&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;saw the exercise as routine, the location enabled&nbsp;China&nbsp;to signal a different political message. &quot;Indonesia&nbsp;learned a valuable lesson about how great powers use defence diplomacy more as an instrument of influence projection,&quot; she said.

Read More:&nbsp;China patrols waters east of Taiwan

Indonesia&nbsp;also has its own disagreements with&nbsp;China&nbsp;over developments in the South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. Jakarta has been measured in its remarks, however,&nbsp;and&nbsp;sees itself as not being party to wider territorial disputes involving&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Philippines, Malaysia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vietnam.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly said he maintains&nbsp;Indonesia&#39;s &quot;free&nbsp;and&nbsp;active&quot; foreign policy of non-alignment, vowing to befriend all countries including&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;the United States.

Trade and investment

China&nbsp;is a major investor in&nbsp;Indonesia, contributing $3.9 billion of foreign direct investment in the first half of 2026, according to&nbsp;Indonesian figures. But regulations around some of that investment have been a source of friction.

In May, Chinese companies operating in&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;urged the government to adopt more business-friendly policies, saying higher taxes&nbsp;and&nbsp;a new nickel pricing formula were driving up costs&nbsp;and&nbsp;threatening investment.

In a letter&nbsp;seen by Reuters, the&nbsp;China&nbsp;Chamber ​of Commerce in&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;said Chinese firms faced &quot;excessively stringent regulation, over-enforcement&quot;,&nbsp;and&nbsp;⁠alleged corruption&nbsp;and&nbsp;extortion by authorities.

Key investors include the world&#39;s biggest EV battery maker, Contemporary Amperex Technology&nbsp;300750.SZ,&nbsp;and&nbsp;steelmaker Tsingshan Group, which has smelters in&nbsp;Indonesia, home to the world&#39;s largest nickel reserves.]]>
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			<title>Europe's hottest town says climate change is reshaping daily life</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625053/europes-hottest-town-says-climate-change-is-reshaping-daily-life</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625053/europes-hottest-town-says-climate-change-is-reshaping-daily-life#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 06:46:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Floridia residents compare heat to new form of lockdown as streets, piazzas deserted]]>
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				<![CDATA[Five years after Floridia registered&nbsp;Europe&#39;s&nbsp;highest-ever temperature, residents say extreme heat is no longer measured by records but by its impact on&nbsp;daily&nbsp;life, keeping people indoors, reducing social interaction and threatening livelihoods.

The August 2021 record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) turned the Sicilian&nbsp;town&nbsp;into a symbol of&nbsp;Europe&#39;s&nbsp;warming&nbsp;climate&nbsp;as the continent emerged from COVID-19 restrictions.

Today, increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves are driving people indoors, leaving streets and piazzas deserted and prompting some residents to compare the extreme heat to a new form of lockdown.

The shift is visible across the&nbsp;town&nbsp;of 20,000 on the outskirts of Syracuse, the ancient Greek city on Sicily&#39;s southeastern coast. Piazza del Popolo, long Floridia&#39;s social hub and lined with cafes, palm trees and municipal buildings, is nearly empty for much of the day.

Read:&nbsp;Climate change is driving record heat in Europe&#39;s seas, scientists say

The heat lingers well into the evening, disrupting a cherished local tradition known as &#39;pigghiari u frescu&#39;, when families pull kitchen chairs outside their homes to catch the breeze and socialise.

&quot;It&#39;s awful because many people end up shut indoors. In a way, we are all experiencing another kind of lockdown,&quot; Floridia&#39;s culture councillor Serena Spada told Reuters.

&quot;Even people with small children find themselves in this situation. Children cannot go to the park or play outside because, until late afternoon, temperatures are genuinely hostile.&quot;

A warning that did not go away

On August 11, 2021, Sicily&#39;s Agrometeorological Information Service (SIAS) measured a temperature of 48.8 C in Monasteri, a rural district about 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Floridia&#39;s centre. In 2024, the World Meteorological Organisation certified it as the highest temperature ever recorded in continental Europe, a mark that still stands.

&quot;As I walked, I began struggling to breathe and thought: &#39;I could die here in the street, with no one around to help me&#39;,&quot; said resident Ugo Tomasello.

Many residents assumed the record would prove an isolated event. Instead, hot summers became the norm. &quot;It turned out to be a very sad warning sign,&quot; Spada said.

While the temperature record drew international attention,&nbsp;climate&nbsp;scientists say individual extremes are less significant than the steady rise in average temperatures.

Read More:&nbsp;As Europe burns, a climate coverup continues

Reuters Climate Monitor&nbsp;data showed Floridia reached 33.3 C (92 F) on August 12, 2026, 4.1 C (7.4 F) above the average for the 1961-1990 historic norm.

&quot;It is really the increase in average temperatures that worries us,&quot; SIAS director Luigi Pasotti said. &quot;We are no longer talking about extreme temperature peaks lasting one or two days, as happened in 2021. We are talking about entire weeks, even months during which temperatures remain consistently high.&quot;

Night-time temperatures are climbing too, leaving little respite from the daytime heat. &quot;This year in particular, we are recording exceptionally high numbers of tropical nights in some parts of Sicily, as well as super-tropical nights,&quot; Pasotti said.

For beekeepers summer has become a season to dread

Across Europe,&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change&nbsp;has been linked to increasingly frequent and intense weather extremes, from drought and wildfires to torrential rainfall.

Sicily has emerged as one of&nbsp;Europe&#39;s&nbsp;climate&nbsp;frontlines.

In January, Cyclone Harry&nbsp;produced a record 16.66-metre (55-foot) wave between Sicily and Malta. Wildfires have taken a growing toll with the island accounting for roughly 70% of southern Italy&#39;s burned area between January and July, according to a Legambiente analysis based on EFFIS-Copernicus data.

Agriculture, a pillar of the island&#39;s economy, is increasingly vulnerable to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change.

In 2021, more than 3,000 beehives were lost in the area of Floridia and honey production plunged by 80%.

Also Read:&nbsp;European heatwave: survival tips from Asia

&quot;The decline in bee populations and the number of beekeepers, together with the loss of pollinators due to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change&nbsp;and the widespread use of pesticides, is leading to a reduction in biodiversity and lower quality and yields in agricultural production,&quot; agronomist Francesco Bellomi said.

For beekeepers in Floridia, summer has become a season of anxiety. &quot;There&#39;s much more concern about getting through the summer than there used to be,&quot; said beekeeper Francesco Pappalardo, 33, who began working with his father as a child.

&quot;The heat can cause individual colonies to collapse and sometimes entire apiaries can be lost, as happened to me in previous years.&quot;]]>
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			<title>‘You are either with us or against us’ on Iran economic isolation: US treasury secretary to allies</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624883/trump-warns-of-economic-consequences-for-any-country-that-supports-iran</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624883/trump-warns-of-economic-consequences-for-any-country-that-supports-iran#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 05:33:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Iran condemns new US sanctions as a violation of international law and an attempt to undermine its sovereignty]]>
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				<![CDATA[US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned Washington&rsquo;s allies that they must choose between supporting or opposing the United States&rsquo; efforts to economically isolate Iran, as President Donald Trump moves to intensify pressure on Tehran.

&ldquo;This is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world. And we are going to them and saying you are either with us or against us,&rdquo; Bessent told US broadcaster CNBC in an interview.

Asked whether Washington would pressure China to join the campaign, Bessent said &ldquo;many conversations are best to have in private&rdquo;, while urging Beijing &ldquo;to get with the programme&rdquo;.

Bessent said the administration&rsquo;s plan to sharply increase sanctions and economic pressure on Iran would ultimately lead to the collapse of the country&rsquo;s government.

&ldquo;It is going to work in Iran and we are going to collapse this regime,&rdquo; he said, reiterating that Washington&rsquo;s campaign would amount to an unprecedented level of coordinated economic isolation.

Bessent also said the expanded economic pressure could reduce the likelihood of the United States resuming large-scale military operations against Iran. &ldquo;If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart,&rdquo; he said.

Treasury secretary said he would hold a press conference on Monday to outline the administration&rsquo;s next steps on Iran. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to talk about exactly what we&rsquo;re going to do,&rdquo; Bessent said.

Iran condemns new US economic sanctions as &lsquo;hostile action&rsquo;

Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry has condemned a new round of US economic sanctions against the country, describing the measures as a violation of international law and an attempt to undermine Iran&rsquo;s sovereignty.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry said Washington had announced &ldquo;comprehensive economic sanctions&rdquo; against Iran despite repeatedly claiming that its sanctions were directed at the government rather than the Iranian people.



بیانی درباره تحریم&zwnj;های اقتصادی جدید آمریکا علیه ایران

تحریم و فشار اقتصادی روی دیگر سکه جنگ و تجاوز نظامی است..
اقدام آمریکا در اعلام پرطمطراق تحریم&zwnj;های جدید، در عین اینکه اعتراف صریح به ارتکاب جنایت علیه بشریت تلقی می&zwnj;شود، تداوم سیاستی است که پیشاپیش آزموده و شکست&zwnj;خورده است.. pic.twitter.com/hDcsPMfQTx
&mdash; وزارت امور خارجه (@IRIMFA) August 20, 2026


Tehran said there was no legal or economic justification for the measures, arguing that the sanctions violated the principles of international law and the sovereignty of states.

Iran described the sanctions as part of a broader US policy that threatened the international system and undermined established rules governing relations between states.

The ministry also condemned what it described as the explicit targeting of Iranian citizens and entities, saying the latest measures represented a continuation of Washington&rsquo;s hostile policies towards Tehran.

&ldquo;Economic sanctions and pressure are the other side of the coin of war and military aggression,&rdquo; the ministry said.

It also described Washington&rsquo;s announcement of the new sanctions as &ldquo;a continuation of a policy that has already been tested and failed&rdquo;, while accusing the US of actions it said amounted to violations of international law.

The foreign ministry said Iran would not submit to such pressure and would respond to what it called hostile US actions.

It reaffirmed that the Iranian government and people would continue to defend the country&rsquo;s sovereignty and national interests, stressing that Washington&rsquo;s sanctions would not force Tehran to abandon its position.

Egypt, Qatar stress coordination to reach &lsquo;final, sustainable agreement&rsquo;

Egypt and Qatar have stressed the need for continued close coordination to reach a &ldquo;final, sustainable agreement&rdquo; to end the Middle East war while addressing the concerns of Gulf states, according to a statement from Qatar&rsquo;s foreign ministry posted on X.

The two countries discussed the latest regional developments and diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions, containing conflicts and strengthening security and stability across the region.



انعقاد أعمال الدورة السابعة للجنة العليا المشتركة القطرية المصرية في العلمين

العلمين | 20 أغسطس 2026

عُقدت اليوم في مدينة العلمين، أعمال الدورة السابعة للجنة العليا المشتركة بين دولة قطر وجمهورية مصر العربية الشقيقة.

ترأس الجانب القطري في أعمال الدورة، معالي الشيخ محمد بن&hellip; pic.twitter.com/IppnTXHaiM
&mdash; الخارجية القطرية (@MofaQatar_AR) August 20, 2026


&ldquo;Discussions also covered the latest regional developments, and the diplomatic efforts exerted to de-escalate tensions, contain conflicts, and enhance security and stability in the region,&rdquo; the statement said.

Egypt and Qatar also underscored the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring the security, safety and freedom of maritime navigation.

They stressed that the uninterrupted flow of international trade through the key waterway was essential to regional and global economic stability.

Qatari FM says no party should &#39;blackmail&#39; others over Strait of Hormuz

Qatar&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said traffic in the Strait of Hormuz must go back to what it was prior to the US-Israeli war on Iran, with no party to the conflict &ldquo;blackmailing&rdquo; the other, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.

&ldquo;The consequences of this war were grave, not only on the Gulf region but elsewhere in the world,&rdquo; the FM told reporters at a press conference following high-level discussions in El Alamein, Egypt.

&ldquo;We need the situation to go back to what it used to be before,&rdquo; he said, adding,&nbsp;&ldquo;We condemn any threats in this regard in any obstacles.&rdquo;

Saudi Arabia will be unable to contain Yemen&#39;s Houthis: IRGC

Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards have warned that Saudi Arabia will not be able to contain the Houthis in Yemen as the rebels ramp up attacks on the kingdom, AFP reported.

&ldquo;Saudi Arabia will certainly be unable to contain Yemen and Ansarullah or remain safe from their attacks,&rdquo; Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi told Defa Press, using another name for the Houthis.

&ldquo;As we have seen in recent days, the more Saudi Arabia attacks, the more it is hit in return.&rdquo;

Iran&#39;s Araghchi says Trump&#39;s threats a &#39;diversion&#39; from US debt, surging interest costs

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called US President Donald Trump&#39;s comments on economic consequences an attempt to divert American public opinion from domestic financial problems, including record debt and rising interest rates.

He said Washington&#39;s insistence on policies he described as failed would bring further failures and alienate Iranians.

&quot;America&#39;s economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world,&quot; he said on X.



The so-called &ldquo;Economic D-Day&rdquo; is a diversion from America&#39;s own crisis: unprecedented debt &amp; surging interest costs.

Doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat&mdash;and enmity of Iranians. US economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide pic.twitter.com/Qj5SzVBjvX
&mdash; Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) August 20, 2026


Trump&#39;s social media threats and announcements do not always get implemented as written, and he did not say what specific steps the US would take against such a country, which would appear to include US allies that have helped mediate peace talks, but he did not identify any.

Iranian Deputy FM says US heading towards &lsquo;next failure&rsquo; in war with Iran

Deputy Foreign Minister for legal and international affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said on Thursday that &quot;They claim Iran is on the brink of collapse and hanging by a thread, yet they beg all their allies to help them!&quot;

Referring to the US without taking its name, he said that the &quot;problem with wrong calculations&quot; was that to cover for them the US would be &quot;forced to create a bigger failure for themselves.&quot;



ادعا می کنند ایران در آستانه شکست است و به یک نخ بند است، اما به همه متحدانشان التماس می کنند که کمکشان کنند!
مشکل، محاسبات غلطی است که هر بار برای پوشاندنش، مجبور می&zwnj;شوند شکست بزرگ&zwnj;تری برای خودشان بسازند.
جنگ نظامی نتیجه نداد، حالا اسم شکست بعدی را &laquo;جنگ اقتصادی&raquo; گذاشته&zwnj;اند.
&mdash; Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) August 20, 2026


&quot;The military war didn&rsquo;t yield results, so now they&rsquo;ve named the next failure &#39;economic war&#39;&quot;, he added.

Ghalibaf blames US for regional conflicts, Gulf disruptions

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf met Faiq Zaidan, president of Iraq&rsquo;s Supreme Judicial Council, in Baghdad as part of his ongoing visit to the country, according to IRNA.

He blamed the United States for recent conflicts and instability in the region, including disruptions in Persian Gulf energy routes.

In meetings with Iraqi leaders, Ghalibaf highlighted opportunities in bilateral relations and said Iran and Iraq played an important regional role among Islamic and Arab countries.

Iran executes man over charges related to January protests, state media says

Iran &zwnj;executed a man on ​Thursday ​over charges related to ⁠January&#39;s ​nationwide protests, ​state media reported.

State media identified ​the person ​as Qaem Hosseini, &zwnj;a ⁠foreign national, who, it said, ​took ​part ⁠in events that ​led to ​the ⁠killing of security ⁠force ​members ​during the protests.

Trump warns of economic consequences for any country that supports Iran

​Trump warned of economic consequences against any country that provided &quot;any type of lifeline to Iran&quot; as the US &zwnj;looks to resolve a war it began alongside Israel nearly six months ago.

Thousands of people have been killed in the war, which quickly drew in countries across the Gulf, and global markets have been shocked as Iran flexed its ability to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which ​about a fifth of the world&#39;s traded oil passed before February.

The US and Iran have twice announced ceasefire agreements, in ​April and June, designed to restore the free flow of shipping through Hormuz to pre-war levels ⁠on the way towards ending the conflict, but both quickly crumbled even as Israel has largely withdrawn from the fighting, instead focusing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.

In a ​message posted on social media on Wednesday evening, Trump promised &quot;Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,&quot; although details were scant. Iran has ​weathered continuous punishing economic sanctions for nearly 50 years, since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Read: Trump says negotiations with Iran could resume &lsquo;maybe at some point&rsquo;

&quot;ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,&quot; Trump wrote.



https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117124650907675461



On ⁠Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a major US military base, announced it was suspending all trade activities, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice. The announcement came after the UAE defence ministry said it had detected two missiles launched from Iran that fell into the sea, a report Iran dismissed as baseless.

China buys more than 80% of Iran&#39;s shipped oil, according to ​2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, ​but for the US to ⁠engage in further economic warfare with China, a major exporter to the US of vital rare-earth minerals, risks retaliation.

Iran remains open to dialogue with the US but does not confuse negotiations with surrender, ​Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran&#39;s supreme leader, said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official ​Fars news agency. Mokhber ⁠said military pressure and sanctions would not break Iran&#39;s resolve.

On Tuesday, Trump said no talks were taking place with Iran. A day earlier, Jared Kushner, Trump&#39;s son-in-law and special envoy, struck an upbeat tone, saying talks with Iran were still underway and were &quot;probably more robust&quot; than ever.

Oil gains on Middle East supply concerns amid impasse in US-Iran war

Oil prices climbed on concerns the impasse in the US-Israeli war against Iran will continue to disrupt supply from the key Middle Eastern producing region and tighten global supplies.

Brent crude futures for October delivery rose 26 cents, or 0.28%, to $91.87 a barrel by 0939 PKT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September added 17 cents to $86 a barrel.

The more-active October WTI contract gained 12 cents, or 0.13%, to $89.91.

More than 750 US service members wounded since start of Iran war

The number of US service members wounded since the start of the Iran war has passed 750, according to the Defence Department&rsquo;s war casualty database, CNN reported.

The Pentagon updated the database on Wednesday, recording more than 50 additional wounded soldiers, as talks between Tehran and DC to end the conflict remain at an impasse.

When totals in The Defense Casualty Analysis System for &ldquo;Overseas Operations&rdquo; are combined with totals for Operation Epic Fury, 18 service members have died, and 757 have been wounded since the US launched the war against Iran on February 28.]]>
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			<title>Overloaded boat capsizes in Nigeria, at least 40 bodies recovered</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624951/overloaded-boat-capsizes-in-nigeria-at-least-40-bodies-recovered</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624951/overloaded-boat-capsizes-in-nigeria-at-least-40-bodies-recovered#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 15:56:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[The boat capsized near Gorau in Sokoto's Goronyo area, with rescue efforts continuing, an official said]]>
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				<![CDATA[At least 40 bodies, mostly of children, have been recovered after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria&#39;s northwest Sokoto state, local officials and residents said on Thursday.

The accident happened near Gorau in Goronyo local government area and rescue efforts are continuing, said Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority.

Yusuf said around 40 children&#39;s bodies had been found, while a lawmaker at the Sokoto state legislature from the area, Nasiru Adamu, said the death toll now stood at 43, with 16 rescued.

One local resident said the boat had been carrying farm owners and labourers hired to harvest rice and that more than 70 people had been onboard when it capsized. Another resident said there were 57 people on board.

Read More: 335 Pakistanis perish chasing Europe dream

Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the state&#39;s emergency management agency, said officials were heading to the scene and would provide further information later.

Deadly boat accidents are common in Nigeria, where overcrowding, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations often contribute to disasters on the country&#39;s rivers and waterways.

In January, at least 25 people died when a leaking boat capsized in Yobe State, northeast Nigeria.]]>
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			<title>Bangladesh elects BNP veteran Alamgir as president</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624940/bangladesh-elects-bnp-veteran-alamgir-as-president</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624940/bangladesh-elects-bnp-veteran-alamgir-as-president#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 13:44:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Bangladesh's presidency is largely ceremonial, with executive power resting with the prime minister and cabinet]]>
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				<![CDATA[Bangladeshi lawmakers elected veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country&#39;s new president on Thursday, making the longtime opposition figure head of state after his party came to power in a major political transition.

The presidency is largely ceremonial, with executive authority remaining with the prime minister and cabinet.

Alamgir, 78, defeated retired army Colonel Oli Ahmed in a parliamentary vote.

He is expected to be sworn in on Friday evening.

The BNP returned to power in February in the long wake of the fall of Sheikh Hasina&#39;s Awami League government in 2024.

While the presidency is largely ceremonial, Alamgir will serve as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Executive authority remains with the prime minister and cabinet in the South Asian nation of about 173 million people.

Alamgir defeated Oli Ahmed, a retired army colonel and chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, who was the candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance, in a parliamentary vote.

Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin declared Alamgir the winner after the 255-to-88 vote.

Read More: Donald warns Bangladesh that Australia will hit back hard

The BNP and its allies hold a two-thirds majority in parliament after winning the Feb. 12 general election, which returned the party to power after years in opposition and brought Tarique Rahman to the office of prime minister.

The resignation last month of Mohammed Shahabuddin on health grounds before the end of his five-year term triggered the presidential election. A former Awami League politician and close confidant of Hasina, Shahabuddin was elected president in 2023 when her party was at the height of its power.

Hasina has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh after a mass uprising ousted her government in August 2024. She has said she intends to return in December this year.

One of the BNP&#39;s longest-serving leaders, Alamgir served as the party&#39;s secretary-general from 2016 until his nomination for the presidency. During Hasina&#39;s rule, he became one of the opposition&#39;s most prominent voices and faced repeated arrests and a series of legal cases.

Alamgir began his career as a teacher after studying economics at the University of Dhaka. He joined the BNP in the early 1990s and rose steadily through the party ranks to become one of its best-known national leaders.

Over the course of his political career, he held several ministerial posts, most recently serving as local government minister before stepping down following his nomination for the presidency.

He is expected to be sworn in on Friday evening.]]>
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			<title>China urges South Korea not to take sides, blames US policy for Korea tensions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624917/china-urges-south-korea-not-to-take-sides-blames-us-policy-for-korea-tensions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624917/china-urges-south-korea-not-to-take-sides-blames-us-policy-for-korea-tensions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 10:39:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Remarks came after US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he plans to meet with ​North Korean leader Kim Jong Un]]>
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				<![CDATA[China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged South Korea not to take ​sides between Beijing and Washington, saying the US&nbsp;should abandon its &quot;hostile&quot; policy toward &zwnj;North Korea to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Wang made the remarks in a meeting with South Korea&#39;s National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac in Seoul on Thursday, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, where ​he also met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

&quot;The fundamental solution to the tensions on ​the Korean Peninsula lies in addressing the root causes of the problem ⁠and urging the United States to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea,&quot; Xinhua&nbsp;cited Wang as saying.

China hopes South Korea will &quot;achieve genuine strategic autonomy, refrain from bloc confrontation and ​taking sides, and develop relations with major powers including China and the United States in parallel and without contradiction,&quot; Wang said.

The remarks came after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he&nbsp;plans to meet&nbsp;with ​North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, adding that the Asian nation ​held 57 &quot;very powerful&quot; nuclear weapons.

Trump had also ordered Pentagon officials to cut short joint military exercises with South &zwnj;Korea, ⁠citing his &quot;very good relationship&quot; with Kim.

Read:&nbsp;China to tighten export controls on drone-related dual-use items to US for &lsquo;national security&rsquo;

The US&nbsp;has maintained its official stance demanding that North Korea denuclearise, which Pyongyang has consistently rejected.

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea on Thursday, Japan&#39;s government and coastguard said.

&quot;China would be glad to see the peninsula move ​toward peaceful coexistence between ​South Korea and ⁠North Korea,&quot; Wang told Wi, calling for a restart of dialogue and restoration of trust.

In separate talks with Lee, Wang urged Seoul to ​adhere to a friendly policy towards China, saying bilateral ties had &quot;fully ​recovered&quot; and ⁠made positive progress this year.

&quot;A rational, pragmatic, and positive policy towards China is entirely in line with South Korea&#39;s interests and the trend of the times,&quot; he said.

Wang also called for an ⁠early ​completion of second-stage talks with South Korea for a ​free trade agreement, saying the two countries should promote regional economic integration amid intensifying fragmentation in the global economy ​and rising trade protectionism, Xinhua reported.]]>
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			<title>Israel’s strike in Syria ‘provocative and dangerous,’ deepening rift with US: opposition leader</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624913/israels-strike-in-syria-provocative-and-dangerous-deepening-rift-with-us-opposition-leader</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624913/israels-strike-in-syria-provocative-and-dangerous-deepening-rift-with-us-opposition-leader#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 09:14:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Yair Golan accuses Netanyahu of using military force for political ends, eroding trust with Israel’s allies]]>
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				<![CDATA[Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan on Wednesday called Israel&rsquo;s latest strike in Syria a &ldquo;provocative and dangerous&rdquo; move, saying it was deepening a rift with the country&rsquo;s allies, particularly the US.

Golan, the leader of Israel&rsquo;s Democrats party, said the attack was bringing Israel closer to a confrontation with T&uuml;rkiye.

&ldquo;Military force is once again being used for political considerations, and once again Israel is paying the price in terms of its security,&rdquo; he said in a post on the US social media platform X.



התקיפה בסוריה היא מהלך מתריס ומסוכן, שמקרב אותנו לעימות עם טורקיה ומעמיק את הקרע עם בעלות הברית שלנו, ובראשן ארה״ב.

שוב כוח צבאי מופעל משיקולים פוליטיים ושוב ישראל משלמת בביטחון את המחיר.

נתניהו מוכיח שוב שהוא גורם קיצוני ולא אמין, שאי אפשר לסמוך עליו ובטח שלא לבנות איתו מהלך&hellip;
&mdash; Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) August 19, 2026


Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being an &ldquo;extremist and unreliable&rdquo; actor who could not be trusted to build a stable regional framework.

He said Netanyahu was eroding trust in Israel and driving away partners and allies. &ldquo;Israel needs leadership that knows how to use force to achieve security, not to create another war for political survival,&rdquo; Golan said.

His remarks came after Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes early on Tuesday targeting the runway of Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Syria&rsquo;s northwestern Idlib province, damaging its infrastructure.

Syria protested the attacks in letters to the UN and Security Council, saying continued Israeli strikes, incursions and abductions were obstructing stabilisation efforts and threatening further regional tensions.

Israeli warplanes launch overnight strikes on southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of overnight airstrikes on several areas in southern Lebanon, while artillery shelling continued until early Thursday, Lebanese state media reported.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli aircraft struck the Ali al-Taher heights and the vicinity of Al-Dabsha on the northern outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Dawhet Kfar Rumman.

The areas were also subjected to intermittent Israeli artillery shelling until dawn, the agency said.

Separately, Israeli forces carried out explosions overnight and early Thursday in the towns of Majdal Zoun and Al-Mansouri, accompanied by artillery shelling of both areas, according to NNA.

Also Read: Israeli airstrike kills 7, injures 3 in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

No information was immediately available on casualties or damage.

The latest attacks come amid continuing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon since Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Lebanon on March 2.

Israel and Lebanon have since been engaged in US-led negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and reaching security arrangements along the border.

The talks have focused on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and security arrangements, including areas where Hezbollah would have no armed presence, as the sides seek to prevent renewed cross-border fighting.

Lebanon has demanded an end to Israeli attacks and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory, while Israel has sought security guarantees concerning Hezbollah&rsquo;s military presence in southern Lebanon.]]>
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			<title>More than 1,500 ships stuck in Strait of Hormuz may trigger global biological invasions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625097/more-than-1500-ships-stuck-in-strait-of-hormuz-may-trigger-global-biological-invasions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625097/more-than-1500-ships-stuck-in-strait-of-hormuz-may-trigger-global-biological-invasions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 10:42:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2625097</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Biofouling, consisting of marine microorganisms, algae, invertebrates, can develop on hulls of stationary ships]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The marine organisms accumulating on the hulls of more than 1,500 ships stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions between the United States and Iran could be transported to different parts of the world once the vessels resume their voyages, potentially creating a global &ldquo;super-spreader&rdquo; effect for biological invasions.

A study published in the journal Biological Invasions found that biofouling, consisting of marine microorganisms, algae, and invertebrates, can rapidly develop on the hulls of ships that remain stationary for extended periods.

According to the study, more than 1,500 large commercial vessels have becomes stranded following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on February&nbsp;28.

The prolonged presence of these ships in the region allows local organisms to colonise their hulls, while also bringing together communities of organisms from different parts of the world on the same vessels.

Read:&nbsp;Hormuz shipping traffic capped amid competing claims from US and Iran

Professor Mario Tamburri of the University of Maryland, the study&rsquo;s lead author, told Anadolu that the current situation represents a &ldquo;worst-case scenario&rdquo; compared with previous instances of ships being forced to wait for extended periods.

Tamburri said the risk stems from several factors occurring simultaneously. &ldquo;First, the number and size of the ships that have remained stationary, and second, the fact that this coincides with spring and summer, when marine organisms are in their growth and reproductive season,&quot; he said.

Pointing out that marine organisms in the region are adapted to challenging environmental conditions, including high temperatures and salinity, Tamburri said these characteristics could increase the likelihood of such organisms becoming invasive when transported to other regions.

Tamburri also noted that options for safely and effectively managing biofouling on stationary vessels in the Gulf are limited. He noted that the risk could increase further once the ships leave the region and reach ports around the world.

&#39;The longer ships remain stationary, the more biofouling develops&#39;

Tamburri said the length of time a vessel remains stationary is critical in determining the amount and diversity of biofouling. &ldquo;The longer they remain stationary during periods of productive growth and reproduction, the more extensive and diverse the biofouling on the ships becomes,&rdquo; he said.

The study notes that biofouling on submerged ship surfaces can enter a phase of rapid growth within about 10 days. If ships remain stationary for 18 to 30 days, measures to manage the biofouling should be considered. Ships stationary for more than 30 days were strongly advised to take immediate action to clean the hull before starting their next voyage.

The study stresses that vessels in the Gulf have remained stationary far longer than normal port waiting periods, creating favorable conditions for invasive species to reproduce on their hulls and be transported to other regions.

Example of the Asian green mussel

Tamburri said it is difficult to predict with certainty which species will be spread by ships, as the risk depends on numerous variables involving both the species and the environmental conditions to which they are transported.

However, he pointed to species such as the Asian green mussel, which is native to the Gulf, as an example illustrating the scale of the potential risk. The species has been transported to Florida and the Caribbean, as well as Australia and South America.

Read More:&nbsp;War threatens Gulf&#39;s dugongs, turtles and birds

In some areas, Asian green mussels compete with native bivalve species and can clog piping systems at power plants and desalination facilities.

The study also notes that species transported through biofouling can affect not only ecosystems but also economic activities, while certain parasites and pathogens may threaten commercially important species.

Short-distance routes increase the risk

The study emphasises that the first ports visited by ships departing the Strait of Hormuz are particularly important for the establishment of invasive species. For this reason, the researchers warn that these vessels could function as &ldquo;super-spreaders&rdquo; of biological invasions, transporting invasive species to different parts of the world.

Tamburri attributed the high risk associated with ports such as Jeddah, Mumbai, Colombo, Singapore, Alexandria, Piraeus, Algeciras, and Rotterdam to the relatively short voyage times from the Gulf to these ports and the similarity of environmental conditions, particularly temperature and salinity.

The researchers therefore recommend implementing early-warning and rapid-response systems at the first ports visited by these vessels after they leave the Gulf.

The international maritime community is not sufficiently prepared

Tamburri said the international maritime community is not yet sufficiently prepared to address the biosecurity risks that could arise from prolonged and large-scale disruptions to shipping.

&ldquo;Regulations are being developed through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but it will take several years for them to be fully developed and approved. Very little attention has so far been paid to the biosecurity risks that could result from prolonged and large-scale disruptions to maritime transportation,&rdquo; Professor Tamburri said.

Also Read:&nbsp;Hormuz tensions rise as Iran warns Gulf

He explained that this was why the researchers felt the need to conduct the study, emphasising that reducing the risk will require a coordinated international effort bringing together the fields of biological invasion science, maritime logistics, and regulation.

The researchers recommend cleaning the biofouling from ships&rsquo; hulls before they leave the Gulf as the ideal solution. However, they note that applying this measure to every vessel would be difficult because the region has limited capacity for such operations and ships may need to leave quickly for security, logistical, and operational reasons.]]>
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			<title>Top India court orders new steps to protect threatened elephants</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625091/top-india-court-orders-new-steps-to-protect-threatened-elephants</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2625091/top-india-court-orders-new-steps-to-protect-threatened-elephants#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 26 09:46:33 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Supreme Court bans 'hulla parties' that use fire to drive herds away, orders survey on corridors used for movement]]>
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				<![CDATA[India&#39;s top court has ordered tough new steps to protect wild elephant herds as habitat loss and human-elephant conflict intensify, a move welcomed by campaigners on Friday.

The world&#39;s most populous nation is also home to the majority of Asian elephants, a species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and whose habitat is increasingly being sliced up by highways and railways or clawed up by mines.

The Supreme Court has directed states to prevent the blockage of elephant corridors -&nbsp;routes used by herds to move between rapidly shrinking habitats - and ordered a survey to identify obstructions along those routes.

That must include steps to end the use of any &quot;coercive measure to divert the natural movement of the elephants&quot;, it read. A ban on &quot;hulla parties&quot; - groups deployed to drive elephants away using &quot;fireballs&quot; and burning stakes - is required, it said.

Read:&nbsp;What makes a narwhal&#39;s tusk so special?

The court ruling, issued on Monday, said ministry guidelines were already in place to ensure &quot;unobstructed&quot; elephant corridors, but those routes have often been impeded.

Wildlife conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra, who led the pro bono public interest case, told AFP her petition had challenged state governments &quot;supporting horrifically cruel practices&quot;.

&quot;It becomes a mob situation with thousands of people chasing the elephants using burning spears,&quot; she said. &quot;That does nothing to resolve conflict; science shows it only exacerbates the conflict.&quot;

&#39;Intelligent, social animals&#39;

There are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund - most in India, with others in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Elephants are protected by law, are named as India&#39;s &quot;national heritage animal&quot;, and many followers of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh see the animals as sacred. But they face mounting pressure from habitat loss, fragmentation, and increasing human-elephant conflict.

Bindra, a former member of India&#39;s top governing body for wildlife conservation and policy, the National Board for Wildlife, said the court&#39;s order was needed to ensure the survival of elephants in one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

&quot;We know where elephant corridors and habitats are -&nbsp;and they are being destroyed and fragmented at an unprecedented pace,&quot; Bindra said. &quot;The will to protect and preserve is markedly absent. We hope with this Supreme Court order, this survey must lead to action.&quot;

Read More:&nbsp;Chinese zoo locked animals in cages to prevent escape as typhoon-related floodwaters rose

India&#39;s government elephant survey, released in October 2025, estimated 22,446 wild elephants nationwide -&nbsp;but also warned the herds were found in a &quot;mere fraction&quot; of their historical range, occupying only 3.5% of the area they once roamed.

In a separate order, the top court on Tuesday ordered tighter welfare safeguards for India&#39;s more than 2,600 captive elephants, including ensuring medical records for each animal and regular health checks.

Captive elephants, once used commonly for logging, are now used for tourism, entertainment, and religious ceremonies.

Animal rights campaign group PETA India said it welcomed measures to ease their suffering but maintained that &quot;no elephant belongs in captivity&quot;.

&quot;Whether captured from the wild or bred for a lifetime of confinement, these intelligent, social animals are denied their forest homes, separated from their mothers, stripped of autonomy, enslaved, and controlled through intimidation and weapons,&quot; PETA India director Poorva Joshipura told AFP.]]>
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			<title>From war to prison to presidency: Mirza Fakhrul, Bangladesh's new president</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624942/from-war-to-prison-to-presidency-mirza-fakhrul-bangladeshs-new-president</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624942/from-war-to-prison-to-presidency-mirza-fakhrul-bangladeshs-new-president#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 14:14:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2624942</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[War veteran and veteran leftist politician becomes Bangladesh's highest constitutional office holder]]>
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				<![CDATA[Days before Bangladesh&rsquo;s disputed 2018 general election, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir appeared in a campaign video urging voters to go to polling stations despite fears of intimidation.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general spoke about democracy, authoritarianism under then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the importance of voting. Then he mentioned something many Bangladeshis did not know: he had fought in the 1971 war with then-West Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Evoking the war, Fakhrul said he wanted Bangladeshis to fight again, this time through the ballot box to restore democracy.

He had rarely foregrounded his own role in some of Bangladesh&rsquo;s defining historical events.

On Thursday, eight years later, Fakhrul, 78, was elected Bangladesh&rsquo;s 23rd president, capping a political career spanning the 1971 war, government service, electoral politics, years of opposition politics, and imprisonment.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman&rsquo;s ruling BNP had nominated Fakhrul for the presidency, making his victory effectively assured even before lawmakers voted.

In Bangladesh&rsquo;s parliamentary system, the president is elected by members of parliament. The BNP and its allies command a two-thirds majority, while Article 70 of the Constitution prohibits lawmakers from voting against their party in parliament.

The opposition alliance nominated another veteran politician, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Oli Ahmed. But without the parliamentary numbers required to defeat the BNP candidate, his nomination was largely symbolic.

For Fakhrul, the election marks a transition from decades of partisan politics to a constitutional office intended to stand above party competition.

Fakhrul secured support of 255 lawmakers, while his opponent Ahmed received 88 votes.

From Liberation War to opposition politics

Born in the northern district of Thakurgaon in 1948, Fakhrul grew up in a politically active family. His father, Mirza Ruhul Amin, was a lawyer and politician who served in parliament, while his uncle Mirza Golam Hafiz later became parliament speaker and a Cabinet minister.

Fakhrul&rsquo;s own politics initially developed on the left.

While studying economics at Dhaka University in the nation&rsquo;s capital, he joined the East Pakistan Students Union, associated with the communist movement, and became president of its university unit during the 1969 mass uprising against the rule of Pakistan&#39;s Ayub Khan.

When war broke out in 1971, Fakhrul joined resistance activities in Thakurgaon.

In later interviews, he described getting weapons from a police arsenal, organizing local resistance, arranging weapons training, and helping dismantle a bridge to impede Pakistani troops. After local resistance collapsed, he crossed into India, where he helped organise young Bangladeshis being sent to training camps.

His wartime record remained surprisingly little known for decades in a political culture where participation in the Liberation War frequently became an important political credential.

After independence, Fakhrul taught economics at Dhaka College and entered government service. He served as secretary to Deputy Prime Minister S.A. Bari during BNP founder Ziaur Rahman&rsquo;s presidency before returning to teaching at Thakurgaon Government College.

He later resigned from government service and entered electoral politics, winning the chairmanship of the Thakurgaon municipality as an independent in 1988.

He joined the BNP around the anti-Ershad movement and became its Thakurgaon district chief in 1992. Fakhrul entered Parliament in 2001 and subsequently served as state minister for agriculture and later for civil aviation and tourism.

His national ascent, however, came after the BNP lost power.

He became senior joint secretary general in 2009, acting secretary general in 2011, and formally secretary general in 2016, placing him at the center of the party during its most difficult period.

Read More: Bangladesh elects BNP veteran Alamgir as president

With BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia imprisoned and Tarique Rahman living in exile in London, Fakhrul became the party&rsquo;s principal public voice during years of crackdowns by the Hasina government.

His restrained manner frequently contrasted with Bangladesh&rsquo;s combative political rhetoric.

Even Obaidul Quader, then-secretary general of the rival Awami League, described Fakhrul in 2019 as a &ldquo;gentleman&rdquo; and &ldquo;good man,&rdquo; saying he had never heard him use abusive language.

That reputation survived years of confrontational street politics, criminal cases, and imprisonment.

Following violence around a major BNP rally in Dhaka on Oct. 28, 2023, police detained Fakhrul at his home. He remained incarcerated as authorities launched a broad crackdown on BNP leaders and activists ahead of the January 2024 elections, which the party boycotted.

By then, Fakhrul was reportedly facing around 100 criminal cases.

One arrest came at a particularly difficult personal moment. In December 2022, police detained him around 3 am while his wife, Rahat Ara Begum, was preparing for surgery following a serious diagnosis.

&ldquo;While my wife was having her surgery, I was in jail,&rdquo; Fakhrul later wrote.

Liberal nationalist moves to presidency

Fakhrul describes himself as a liberal democrat, a position shaped partly by his journey from leftist student activism to the centre-right BNP.

&ldquo;I used to engage in leftist revolutionary politics,&rdquo; he told The Daily Star in 2024, saying that experience eventually persuaded him that progress has to come through democracy.

His politics have not always fitted comfortably within Bangladesh&rsquo;s familiar ideological divisions.

Fakhrul has consistently defended the centrality of the 1971 Liberation War to Bangladesh&rsquo;s national identity and periodically clashed with Jamaat-e-Islami, whose senior leaders opposed independence during the war.

In March 2025, he warned against attempts to diminish 1971 after the uprising that toppled Hasina the previous year, saying people who had assisted Pakistan&rsquo;s wartime campaign were again becoming vocal.

At the same time, he has adapted his liberal instincts to the politics of a Muslim-majority country.

During the 2026 election campaign, Fakhrul told Al Jazeera that secularism was not the BNP&rsquo;s objective, preferring instead to emphasise equal rights for followers of all religions.

His exchanges with Jamaat became sharper as the former tactical partners emerged as electoral competitors after Hasina&rsquo;s fall.

Fakhrul recently drew criticism after suggesting in Rangpur that the region remained underdeveloped because voters had repeatedly supported parties other than the BNP. Jamaat lawmakers protested, while supporters demanded he withdraw the remarks.

His election as president now removes him from daily partisan politics after more than a decade at the center of the BNP leadership. He resigned as secretary general after receiving the presidential nomination.

Bangladesh&rsquo;s presidency is largely ceremonial under its parliamentary system, but the office carries constitutional responsibilities and considerable symbolic weight, particularly during institutional or political crises.

For Fakhrul, Bangabhaban &ndash; the presidential office &ndash; is an unusual final destination for a politician whose career has crossed nearly every major political era of independent Bangladesh.

He participated in the 1969 uprising, fought in the 1971 war, entered electoral politics around the movement against Ershad, and spent the Hasina years moving among party headquarters, rallies, courtrooms, and prisons.

Through those decades, Fakhrul rarely used his wartime record as a political credential and largely avoided personal attacks even as Bangladesh&rsquo;s political language became increasingly bitter.

That restraint produced the description that has followed him for years: the &ldquo;gentleman of Bangladeshi politics.&rdquo;]]>
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			<title>Fact check: Modi did not say he warned Netanyahu about Makkah pact; viral video is doctored</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624752/fact-check-modi-did-not-say-he-warned-netanyahu-about-makkah-pact-viral-video-is-doctored</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624752/fact-check-modi-did-not-say-he-warned-netanyahu-about-makkah-pact-viral-video-is-doctored#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 26 11:25:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fact Check By iVerify]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2624752</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[In original footage, Modi is heard talking about India’s efforts to counter the weaponisation of technology]]>
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				<![CDATA[Multiple users, including Saudi-based accounts, have been sharing a video on social media platform X since August 15, 2026, showing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming he had warned Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu about the recently signed Makkah pact. However, the clip is doctored through AI.

On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in the holy city, aimed at strengthening the collective security of the three countries. The agreement provides for an attack against one member state to be treated as an attack against all.

How it started

On August 15, an X user based in Saudi Arabia, who had a history of sharing AI-generated content, posted a video of Modi speaking during India&rsquo;s 80th Independence Day celebrations.

The caption read: &ldquo;&lsquo;Breaking: Indian Prime Minister Modi says that he warned Netanyahu before the KSA-Turkey-Pakistan alliance.

&lsquo;I told Netanyahu that this alliance will be formed, but he did not believe me. Now this has become the biggest problem for Israel&rsquo;.&rdquo;

The post gained 2,100 views.

Even though several other users flagged the clip as being fake in the comments section, the video was shared by multiple accounts, creating the impression that the content was authentic.

Among the users who shared the clip was an account that appears to be pro-military. The post was accompanied by the same caption and gained about 50,000 views.

On Monday, another user based in Saudi Arabia shared the same video with the caption: &ldquo;A conspiracy to destroy the Gulf states has been uncovered by Israel by implicating them with Iran, but it backfired on them, and now they are extremely worried.

The destruction of the Gulf states is their goal; the new alliance has thrown them into disarray. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman has the shrewdness, cunning, and insight. The ally of the UAE warned and warned, but no one listened to him.&rdquo;

The post garnered 535,400 views.

The video was subsequently shared by several other users on X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Methodology

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the recently signed Makkah agreement.

A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any credible Indian or international media outlet had reported such remarks by PM Modi.

The results yielded a wide coverage of the Indian prime minister&rsquo;s Independence Day speech by mainstream media outlets, including NDTV, Hindustan Times, The Times of India and India Today. However, none of the reports carried the remarks attributed to Modi in the viral video.

A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral video led to the original footage of Modi&rsquo;s speech. The video was shared by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office&rsquo;s official YouTube channel with the title, &ldquo;PM Modi addresses the nation on the 80th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort.&rdquo;



A comparison of the viral clip with the original footage showed that the visuals were taken from the same Independence Day address starting at the 32:45-minute mark.

However, a comparison of the two videos showed that the viral clip diverges from the original at the 32:58-minute mark, where an AI-generated segment was inserted. No corresponding remarks about Netanyahu or an alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan appear in the original footage.





In the original footage, Modi can be heard talking about India&rsquo;s efforts to counter the weaponisation of technology and other essential commodities.

A keyword search conducted for the full speech showed that the address was covered by Narendra Modi&rsquo;s official YouTube channel, Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s official YouTube channel, and several mainstream Indian media outlets, such as ANI News, Times Now, CNBC, NDTV Profit and Republic World, all of which showed the same results.





Fact-check status: False

The claim that a viral video shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about an alliance between Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye and Pakistan is false.

The video is doctored and dubbed over through AI.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan &mdash; a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.]]>
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			<title>Trump threatens to isolate Iran: Who are its trading partners?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624957/trump-threatens-to-isolate-iran-who-are-its-trading-partners</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624957/trump-threatens-to-isolate-iran-who-are-its-trading-partners#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 26 16:57:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2624957</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Trump's threat to isolate Iran could affect countries trading with Tehran, as he warned of economic consequences]]>
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				<![CDATA[A threat by US President Donald Trump to impose unprecedented economic warfare and isolation on Iran could have implications for countries that trade with it.

Trump warned of economic consequences for any country that supports Iran. Here are some of Iran&#39;s main trading partners in recent years:

China

China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, could face additional pressure from the US over its purchases if Trump follows through on his promise.

Over the past decade, China has created a ring-fenced system of refiners that process mainly Iranian oil and do not have much US exposure.

Iranian oil delivered to China has long been branded as Malaysian, and more recently Indonesian, and trades in a tight loop, is settled in Chinese currency and involves a chain of difficult-to-track intermediaries, say refinery sources and traders involved in the business.

The US Treasury in April imposed sanctions on a Chinese independent refinery for buying billions of dollars&#39; worth of Iranian oil and warned Chinese banks of secondary sanctions if they facilitated trade of Iranian oil.

&quot;Sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem. China calls on all parties concerned to take responsible measures to resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in a briefing.

Over 80% of Iran&#39;s shipped oil has been destined for China, as Chinese independent refiners take advantage of discounted US-sanctioned oil.

Kpler estimates that China bought an average of 1.38 million barrels per day of Iranian oil in 2025.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has historically been one of Iran&#39;s most critical economic lifelines, and Dubai&#39;s banks have long held substantial Iranian-linked deposits, much of them now immobilised under US&nbsp;sanctions.

The UAE was among Iran&#39;s largest trade partners before the war, providing 30% of its imports worth an overall $21 billion in 2024, according to the World Trade Organization&#39;s latest figures. It also accounted for 13% of Iran&#39;s exports in the same year, the data showed.

Non-oil foreign trade between the two countries totalled $6.6 billion in 2024, according to UAE economy ministry data, with the vast majority of trade represented by re-exports.

This week, the UAE suspended all financial and economic transactions with Iran until further notice, citing a military escalation by Tehran with a missile threat, refocusing the spotlight on fraught ties between the countries.

Turkey

Turkey and Iran maintain significant economic ties, with Turkey importing Iranian natural gas and exporting manufactured goods to Iran.

Turkey has not signalled any willingness to curtail commerce with Iran, with bilateral trade standing at around $5-6 billion annually, with Turkey exporting to Iran around $3 billion.

Turkey imports almost all its natural gas consumption and Iran is a notable source, providing 13% of all gas imports.

Iraq

Iraq&#39;s trade with Iran reached more than $10 billion in 2025, according to official Iraqi trade figures, with the relationship largely driven by Iranian exports of food, consumer goods and other products to the Iraqi market.

Read More: &lsquo;You are either with us or against us&rsquo; on Iran economic isolation: US treasury secretary to allies

Trade declined in 2026 after the Iran war started, which increased regional security risks and led to intermittent disruptions along key border crossings, as well as higher transport costs, said Mohammed Karim, an Iraqi trade ministry official with knowledge of trade activities with Iran.

These conditions, combined with broader supply chain disruptions affecting the movement of goods, reduced the volume and reliability of cross-border commerce although the countries remain important trading partners, said Karim.

Energy is a key part of the relationship. Iraq pays Iran around $4 billion to $5 billion a year for natural gas, according to Iraqi energy officials, with the gas used to generate electricity.

Two Iraqi energy officials said any new U.S. sanctions on Iraq could create significant challenges for Baghdad in maintaining payments for Iranian energy while avoiding exposure to US sanctions, particularly given existing restrictions that have forced Iraq to use restricted accounts to settle payments.

Oman

Oman has long maintained cordial ties with Iran, dating back to before the 1979 Islamic revolution, with Muscat often acting as a mediator between Iran and other countries, including the US.

The countries&#39; trade relationship has grown in recent years, with trade in goods totalling $1.5 billion in 2025 and $345 million in the first four months of this year, according to data from Oman&#39;s National Centre for Statistics &amp; Information.

Pakistan

For Pakistan, any US action against countries involved in trade or assistance to Iran could be a serious setback, analysts said, amid Pakistan-Iran commitments to expand bilateral trade to $10 billion.

Following past sanctions on Iran, formal trade between the two countries had come to a halt until recently. However, informal trade has taken exports and imports from both sides to approximately $4 billion, according to unofficial statistics.

After the Islamabad interim agreement was signed in June, efforts were quickly made to expand trade cooperation.

Pakistan and Iran have for years traded oil, wheat, rice, livestock and medicines through informal channels.

India

India&#39;s trade with Iran dropped sharply in 2020, when Washington pressed on with sanctions on Tehran.

Two-way trade was cut by more than two-thirds to nearly $4.8 billion in the fiscal year 2019-20, from $17 billion in the previous year.

Over the years, trade between India and Iran has fallen further, and stood at $1.63 billion in the fiscal year 2025/26, according to data from India&#39;s commerce ministry.

Indian exports worth $1.3 billion make up the bulk of this trade as New Delhi predominantly ships cereals, tea, coffee and spices to Iran.

Officials in New Delhi have previously maintained that such exports continue on humanitarian grounds and should remain outside the scope of any sanctions.

Armenia

Iran accounted for $768 million, or 3.6% of neighbouring Armenia&#39;s total trade turnover in 2025, according to official Armenian statistics.

Armenia&#39;s trade turnover with Iran reached $371.4 million in the first half of 2026, marking an 8.4% increase.

Exports were recorded at $42.8 million, a 6% decrease, while imports amounted to $336.9 million, a 12% increase.

Some 20% of Armenia&#39;s foreign trade passes through Iran.

Armenia and Iran have a &quot;gas for electricity&quot; swap agreement, where Armenia uses gas supplied by Iran to make electricity, which is then sent back to Iran as well as being used domestically in Armenia.

Azerbaijan

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran rose 4.5% in January-June 2026 compared with January-June 2025, to $312.6 million from $299.1 million, according to Azerbaijan&#39;s State Customs Committee.

Azerbaijan&#39;s imports from Iran increased 1.5% to $297 million from $292.7 million in the same period of 2025.

Azerbaijan&#39;s exports to Iran rose 2.4-fold to $15.6 million from $6.4 million in January-June 2025.

Iran accounted for 3.56% of Azerbaijan&#39;s total imports, up from 2.54% in January-June 2025.]]>
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			<title>Houthi missiles kill four civilians</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623984/houthi-missiles-kill-four-civilians</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623984/houthi-missiles-kill-four-civilians#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 26 21:27:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2623984</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised government said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha on Friday, killing four civilians, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and its Saudi-backed opponents.

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


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

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

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

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

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

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



🔈 PR No. 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FM Dar holds bilateral meetings

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

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



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

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



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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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



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

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




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

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




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

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



Dar arrives in Jordan for meeting on Jerusalem

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

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

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



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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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


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

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

Read: US Navy Secretary Phelan fired, sources say

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Transnational repression

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Khalistan campaign 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The war has also affected citizens from several Asian and regional countries.]]>
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			<title>Timeline: Two decades of mass protests in India</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619854/timeline-two-decades-of-mass-protests-in-india</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2619854/timeline-two-decades-of-mass-protests-in-india#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 26 16:05:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2619854</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The major rallies have been triggered by graft and other crimes and causes]]>
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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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