A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco. The Saudi Press Agency , citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east. “The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.
A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of France’s deadliest light aircraft accidents. The crash killed five instructors, five students, and the pilot, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. “There were no bystanders among the victims,” he added, speaking at a press conference.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that any attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz routes agreed with the United States would “increase tensions” in the Middle East, as the countries traded attacks and accusations of violating a fragile ceasefire in the region. Araghchi’s warning came after the US military said it carried out new strikes on early Sunday on multiple targets in Iran, in response to a fresh attack on a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded by launching strikes against US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Bangladesh’s fugitive former leader Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to her country “this year”, according to an interview published on Sunday, months after she was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity. Hasina, 78, fled to neighbouring India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year, iron-fisted rule. She has not been seen in public since, except for a rare speech broadcast to a packed press club in New Delhi in January.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Saturday suspended with “immediate effect” Geo News ’ licence for 15 days over airing a special transmission that the body said was “liable to hurt the religious sentiments of viewers”. In an order addressed to the chief executive officer of Independent Media Corporation (IMC) on June 28, Pemra said the licence issued to IMC for “ Geo News was suspended for a period of 15 days with immediate effect from the issuance.” Issued under Section 30 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 , the order citing the authority’s monitoring wing said that the broadcast of Geo News ’ special transmission “constitutes a serious regulatory concern” due to religious, cultural and social sensitivities. Pemra noted in its order that the aired content was inconsistent with the obligations of a licensee under sections 20(b), (c), (d) and (f) of the Pemra Ordinance .
Google has put limits on Meta’s use of its Gemini AI models after the social media company sought more computing capacity than the rival tech group could provide, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Google, owned by Alphabet, told Meta around March it could not meet the full Gemini capacity the company had sought to purchase, the newspaper said, adding that the shortfall disrupted and delayed some of Meta’s internal AI projects. Several other Google clients have also been affected, though to a lesser extent, according to the report.
Tehran said on Sunday it carried out a third day of retaliatory strikes against US attacks on Iranian territory, as both accused the other of violating their fragile ceasefire, straining negotiations meant to end the Middle East war. The exchanges underscored the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered peace process aimed at ending a war launched by the United States and Israel in February, which disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global energy markets. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday they were taking measures to control traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz and that violating vessels would be dealt with more firmly than before.
GWADAR has long remained Pakistan’s geoeconomic dream. Whenever officialdom thinks of extracting economic advantage from geopolitics, Gwadar is the first image that comes to mind. Yet the port has not realised its promised potential, and the adjoining economic zone still awaits investors.
• Observes real estate agreements should be interpreted in light of economic realities • Rules buyer missing payment deadline cannot seek specific performance • Verdict upholds LHC decision dismissing purchaser’s suit ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has sounded a note of caution for lower courts while adjudicating property disputes, highlighting that unlike a bygone era when real estate values appreciated at a snail’s pace, the contemporary reality was one of rapid and often exponential escalation in property prices. Therefore, while dealing with property disputes, courts must interpret agreements concerning property in light of current economic realities, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb suggested in a judgement. The observation came while deciding a civil appeal and upholding the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) March 4, 2020, decision rejecting a suit for specific performance filed by a Sialkot-based purchaser, Amjad Javed, against property seller Maqsood Ahmad.
THE latest exchange of fire between the US and Iran reminds us once more that ceasefires are sustained not by signatures alone but also political restraint. The reported US strikes, following a dispute over Iran’s actions against a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, illustrate how quickly a single incident can place the broader peace process in jeopardy. While Washington described its response as limited and consistent with preserving the ceasefire, Tehran insisted that its own actions in the Strait of Hormuz were compatible with the MoU .
TEHRAN: Direct flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates will resume next week after aviation authorities in both countries approved the route, following a multi-month suspension of operations amid regional military escalations. Iranian and UAE aviation authorities had issued the necessary permits for flights to resume from July 1, Civil Aviation Organisation spokesman Majid Akhavan said. He said the route would initially be served by Iranian airlines, with other carriers expected to be added later following the necessary reviews.
• Israeli defence minister warns Iran against ‘undermining’ Lebanon agreement • Hezbollah rejects framework pact, says it should be replaced by Islamabad MoU JERUSALEM / WASHINGTON: Israeli forces carried out drone and air strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, a day after both countries signed a US-brokered trilateral framework for peace. According to the National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes hit an unidentified target in Nabatieh al-Fawqa at around 6:30pm (1530 GMT). The Lebanese health ministry said the strike killed at least one person and wounded two more.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition US passport to mark the country’s 250th anniversary of independence — featuring his stern-faced likeness. “The USA’s New Passport, which says, ‘Welcome, but be good!’” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform featuring the passport mock-up. The image features a glowering Trump leaning on his desk and his signature, with the text of the Declaration of Independence in the background.
• Rs56m arms licence receipts ‘not deposited’ in treasury • 399-page report exposes procedural violations across several ministries ISLAMABAD: A 399-page Auditor General of Pakistan report has identified serious financial irregularities, non-recoveries and procedural violations across several federal ministries and departments, with the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control recording the highest number of audit observations. According to the AGP report, the ministry accounted for 65 audit paras — the highest among all examined entities. It was followed by the Higher Education Commission (31), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (18), Ministry of National Food Security and Research (17), Ministry of Science and Technology (16), National Heritage and Culture Division (12), Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (12), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (12), Ministry of National Health Services (11) and Education Division (10).
MUZAFFARABAD: Traders and transporters in Muzaffarabad division announced on Saturday that markets and public transport would resume normal operations from Sunday after the administration assured them of security and uninterrupted fuel supplies, signalling the first major break in the shutdown observed during the ongoing agitation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). At a joint press conference at Central Press Club, representatives of traders’ bodies and the transporters’ union also distanced themselves from the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). They alleged that the movement, which they had initially backed over public issues such as subsidised electricity and flour, had deviated from its original objectives after June 9 and was now pursuing a political and constitutional agenda beyond the mandate of traders and transporters.
Heavy firing and an explosion were reported in Block 6 of Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Saturday, according to Dawn News . Police have arrived on the scene, the news channel added, but no information on injuries has been given. Rescue services have also been dispatched to the area, said Dawn News .
Iranians woke early on Saturday to watch the men’s national football team face Egypt, riding an emotional rollercoaster as Iran fought back to draw but missed the chance to directly qualify for the World Cup’s last 32. But all is not lost for Team Melli after the 1-1 draw . Depending on the results in other groups, the Iranians could still reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an alert for glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) for Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, predicting that soaring temperatures are likely to persist until the first week of July. “This significant warming will substantially accelerate snow and ice melt in the glaciated valleys of these regions,” the Met Office said in the alert issued late on Friday. It said that consequently, the water level in the river streams was likely to remain high, existing glacial lakes may rapidly expand with an increase in their water levels, and new glacial lakes were likely to form due to the high volume of melted water.
Germany and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe spread eastwards after temperatures broke records above 40 degrees Celsius. Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany have all experienced record heat in June, and the weather system could test more records as it rolls across Germany towards Poland. Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without man-made climate change, which has made this week’s night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been even two decades ago.
LAHORE: Police have arrested two suspects who allegedly buried a teenage boy alive after the latter informed his family about the sexual abuse inflicted on him by the former in Jhaal Chakian area of Sargodha, it emerged on Saturday. The harrowing crime was discovered when a passerby spotted the boy’s hand sticking up from the ground, prompting locals to gather at the scene. They then proceeded to dig up the soil, finding the teenager in critical condition.
• National Telecommunication Company asked to hold further stakeholder consultations, shore up security of communication ecosystem • CDWP okays PakSat-2 launch, with its predecessor set to be retired later this year • Slew of IT-related projects among 15 development measures approved ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday decided to deploy a sovereign, secure and ‘below-internet’ mobile communication network for at least 10,000 government users to address gaps that are causing critical information leakages, as it cleared a total of 24 development projects worth Rs465.76bn. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), which also supported the launch of the Pakistan Communication Satellite–2 (PakSat-2) at an estimated cost of Rs37.192 billion, to replace PakSat-IR, which is set to complete its 15-year life later this year. Sources said the Planning Commission was not satisfied with the technical strengths of the Rs709 million ‘PAKAWAZ Secure Mobile Communication Ecosystem’, which aimed to put in place a secure communication mobile application which could support video & audio calls, voice & video messages, file & photo sharing and centrally managed contact lists and text & group messaging besides application servers, mobile handsets, kill switch controls and so on.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that India was increasingly resorting to “covert tactics and the use of proxies” in an attempt to undermine peace and stability in Pakistan. “Pakistan is navigating conflicts and multi-faceted security challenges, marked by a dangerous combination of international and internal threats. Our eastern neighbour, having suffered a humiliating defeat in the conflict in May last year, has increasingly resorted to covert tactics and the use of proxies in an attempt to undermine the hard-earned peace and stability in our country,” the premier said while addressing the passing out parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi during a one-day visit to the metropolis.
KARACHI: After nearly six months, police have still failed to submit the final charge sheet in the case of Gul Plaza inferno that claimed the lives of 72 individuals on the night of January 17, 2026. A source familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the police would fix the responsibility on four union officials — Tanveer Pasta, Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan and Muhammad Ameen — as well as the owner of an artificial flower shop and his teenage son, who were still at large. A month ago, the investigating officer of the case had attempted to submit the charge sheet but it was returned back to him as the prosecution had highlighted defects in the report.
A 23-YEAR-OLD British TikTok influencer is facing potential execution by firing squad in Dubai after being charged with the premeditated murder of her boyfriend, a human rights group told BBC . Brooke George, of Kent, England, claims she stabbed the man in self-defence during a violent domestic dispute. The advocacy organisation Detained in Dubai stated that George was arrested on June 22.
THEY fail when they exclude people from effectively participating in the political process — that is, when a powerful minority takes over the government and creates a system, including laws, for its own benefit and not for the people at large. The extension of this political exclusion is economic exclusion — in other words, when the powerful and rich minority create extractive economic institutions, whereby they shield and perpetuate their own economic interests by extracting wealth from the national resources and from the people at large. This is the central argument of an influential book Why Nations Fail: the Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty by Turkish-American economist Daron Acemoglu and British-American economist and political scientist James Robinson.
PAKISTAN’S commitment to the SDGs is routinely reaffirmed, but the gap between promises and progress continues to widen. A meeting between First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and the UN country team highlighted priorities such as public health, nutrition, education, climate resilience and women’s empowerment — areas where progress is urgently needed. Yet, with fewer than four years remaining until the 2030 deadline, Pakistan is off-track on many of the goals it pledged to achieve.
The government on Friday kept petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged at Rs299.50 per litre and Rs311.47 per litre respectively “till further orders”. The decision was announced in a notification issued by the Petroleum Division. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs74 reduction in petrol prices and a Rs67 cut in high-speed diesel (HSD) prices as the government passed on the benefit of declining international oil prices.
Ashura processions across the country concluded peacefully on Friday amid elaborate security arrangements as thousands of mourners participated in Muharram 10 processions. Yaum-i-Ashura is observed every year with mourning processions and religious gatherings to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. The central procession in Karachi departed from Nishtar Park at around 9:30am.
The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that devastated Venezuela earlier this week rose to 920 on Friday, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said. In a televised address, Rodriguez updated the death toll that had previously been at 589. He also announced military deployment to one of the worst-hit regions, the state of La Guaira.
OpenAI on Friday launched a US-only preview of its latest powerful AI model series to a limited group of partners at the request of the United States government, the company said. The release comes two weeks after the US government took Silicon Valley by surprise in ordering OpenAI’s rival Anthropic to ban all foreign nationals from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns. The release marks the debut of OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 series, which comprises three new models: Sol, OpenAI’s new flagship; Terra, a mid-range model for everyday work; and Luna, a fast, low-cost option.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said 22 Iranian crew members of a tanker earlier seized by the United States have arrived in Pakistan. On April 13, during the US-Iran war, Washington imposed a naval blockade and would target and board oil tankers and other vessels trying to enter or leave Iranian ports. One of these was the M/T Davina, which was seized during an overnight interdiction by American forces.
An aircraft about the size of a car crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, CITIC Tower, on Friday, two bystanders told Reuters , as police closed off roads around the skyscraper and stopped passersby from filming the scene. The building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, is a 108-storey skyscraper in Beijing’s central business district. It is the headquarters of the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group.
President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent on Friday to the Finance Bill, 2026, which outlines the budget for the upcoming fiscal year with an outlay of Rs18.8 trillion. “President Asif Ali Zardari has assented to the Finance Bill, 2026, relating to the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27,” a post on the Presidency’s X account said. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the FY2026-27 budget in the National Assembly (NA) on June 12, offering relief to higher-income salaried individuals and businesses by rationalising income tax, sales tax, and customs duties, while promoting documentation, digital compliance, and investment.
Foreign rescue teams and aid were arriving on Friday in Venezuela nearly two days after devastating twin earthquakes flattened areas in and around the capital Caracas, forcing residents to dig through rubble to save relatives, friends and neighbours. The government has estimated hundreds of people still trapped and missing on top of 589 confirmed fatalities and 2,980 injuries. A website set up to take reports of people still unaccounted for had 50,000 listed as of Friday morning.
Mourners participated in Muharram 10 processions across the country on Friday in observance of Ashura. Yaum-i-Ashura is observed every year with mourning processions and religious gatherings to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Processions took place amid tight security arrangements, with 20,000 police personnel deployed across Karachi, along with Army and Rangers units and thousands of police personnel in Rawalpindi.
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN LOWER: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has restored the affected generating units of the Gomal Zam Hydropower Station after eight years and successfully synchronised it with the national grid, bringing the facility back to its full generation capacity of 17.4 megawatts (MW). Officials said that both of the station’s generating units had ceased operations in October 2016 due to a major technical fault. One unit was repaired and brought back into service in June 2018, restoring half of the station’s installed capacity.
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Balochistan on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). In a press release, the PMD said the quake’s epicentre was 60 kilometres northeast of Kohlu and that it was felt in the Zhob, Barkhan and Rakhni areas. PMD further said that the quake occurred at 4:48pm at a depth of 17km.
Health authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany. From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the heatwave was the worst recorded for Europe, where the climate is changing faster than anywhere else.
Iran on Friday condemned a joint statement issued by the US secretary of state and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers, describing it as “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative.” In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry criticised positions outlined in the joint communique issued after the GCC-US ministerial meeting in Bahrain on Thursday and warned against what it called continued hostile and interventionist behaviour in the region. Tehran dismissed Washington’s stated “enduring commitment” to the security of GCC member states as “mere rhetoric” and a distortion of reality, arguing that the US military presence in the region has become a source of insecurity and division. The ministry said the recent use of military bases and facilities in regional countries during US and Israeli strikes on Iran demonstrated that Washington did not value the security of its regional partners.
Durga Devi finds no relief after a day working in New Delhi’s sweltering summer , because her poorly ventilated home radiates trapped heat, leaving her bedroom as hot as 45 degrees at night. Campaigners are now documenting conditions in this densely packed area of India’s capital, home to some of the country’s poorest people, hoping to push policymakers to better protect vulnerable communities. “I prefer staying outside after work, because inside the house there is no relief,” said 45-year-old Devi, who lives in the cramped lanes of Delhi’s Sundar Nagri district.
Indian police have arrested eight people over allegations of theft and misappropriation of offerings at a temple that has been at the centre of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-first politics, authorities said. The Ram Mandir temple in northern Uttar Pradesh state, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before being torn down by Hindu zealots, was inaugurated in 2024 with great fanfare by Modi himself. Allegations regarding irregularities in the handling of donations led to a criminal case being registered on Thursday, with police arresting eight people, including temple employees, according to a government statement issued late on Thursday.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made countrywide today as scores of mourners take out Muharram 10 processions in observance of Yaum-i-Ashura. Yaum-i-Ashura is observed every year with mourning processions and religious gatherings to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. The central procession in Karachi departed from Nishtar Park at around 9:30am.
BANNU: Four bodies bearing bullet wounds were found inside an ambulance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Friday, police said. Police sources told Dawn that the ambulance was found at the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Circular Road and initial investigation showed that the four men, who appeared to be middle-aged, were killed after unidentified attackers opened fire on the ambulance. Officials estimate that the attack was carried out on Thursday night.
Australia booked their place in the World Cup’s round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that delighted pragmatic coach Tony Popovic but left the South Americans with a nervous wait to see if they will advance. In a physical, scrappy contest at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Paraguay pushed late after being dominated early but it ended with the Socceroos holding on to make the tournament’s knockout phase for a third time, four years after reaching the last 16 in Qatar. Popovic’s team sealed second place in Group D behind the United States and will head to Dallas to meet the second-placed team in Group G, which remains wide open before Egypt face Iran and Belgium meet New Zealand on Friday.
Desperate Venezuelans raced on Thursday to find and rescue loved ones trapped alive beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings after two major earthquakes that killed at least 235 people. Buildings cracked, crumbled, and tilted precariously after the quakes, which the United States Geological Survey measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit northern Venezuela within less than a minute of each other on Wednesday night. Powerful aftershocks could still be felt on Thursday, and Health Minister Carlos Alvarado reported the death toll had risen to at least 235, with around 4,300 people injured.
SARGODHA: An uncle of the minor girl, who was raped and murdered in Sargodha on June 23, as well as the family of suspect Arsalan, who was killed during an encounter, have separately alleged that the police have let some other suspects, including the owner of the shop where the crime was committed, off the hook during investigation. Sargodha city police had registered a case on the complaint of victim’s father Naeem who stated in the FIR that when his daughter, Mantaha Zahara (8), did not return home from the market, he and some others started searching her. During the search, they also went to the nearby grocery store, owned by one Hanif.
INDIA is fast-tracking at least four major hydro projects on the upper stretches of the Chenab, including Pakal Dul, Kiru, Kwar, Ratle and the massive Sawalkote project. Tenders have been issued. Several private consultants and contracting companies have entered the process, such as Afcon Infrastructure, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Andritz Hydro, Patel Engineering and others.
THERE is no shortage of gruesome wars across history initiated by tyrants and oppressors against the weak and the defenceless. The mayhem we have witnessed in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza is the latest in this long series of blood-soaked events. One of the most poignant and sorrowful episodes where absolute righteousness clashed with absolute evil is what millions across the world are commemorating today: the event of Ashura , where the family members of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were slaughtered or taken prisoner in the burning desert of Karbala in 61AH.
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench has directed the Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi to ensure that residents of a private housing society are not subjected to any adverse action or harassment merely for forming a welfare association. Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Adnan Saeed and other residents of University Town. The petitioners had challenged show-cause notices issued by the society’s administration regarding the formation of an association without prior approval or authorisation from the management.
A quiet crisis is unfolding in the heart of Rawalpindi. It rarely makes headlines, yet it affects the lives of thousands every day. It is not about roads, housing schemes or real estate development.