KYIV, JUL 3: Ukraine hit two Russian airfields in Moscow-occupied Crimea, targeting at least seven jets and drone warehouses, Ukraine’s SBU security service said on Friday.
Hvardiyske and Saky airbases came under attack, with the latter being hit for the second time this week, the SBU added on the Telegram app.
The jets in Saky were “damaged or destroyed,” it said.
By: TZVI JASPER
Iran and Oman have come to an agreement regarding the regulation of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, based on Article V of the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced during a meeting with Chinese officials on Friday.
“The Israelis are undoubtedly seeking to disrupt the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding,” Ghalibaf added, “but the deterrent power of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region will prevent them from starting a war again.”
Ghalibaf also resolved that the United States would not be allowed to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Americans pursue a unilateral policy globally,” he explained, “and to reduce tensions and prevent their spread, close coordination in the political and economic arenas between Iran and China is of great importance.”
Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, He Wei, responded by committing to further strengthening ties between Iran and China.
“The friendship between China and Iran is a long-standing friendship, and we will further develop the relations between the two countries,” he pledged.
“This year marks the 55th anniversary of the official establishment of Iran-China relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries. We are ready to take this opportunity to further develop bilateral relations.”
ZHOB, JUL 3: At least 40 people, including women and children, were killed after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Zhob, Balochistan, following a suspected brake failure, officials said.
According to police, the accident occurred in the Danasar area of Zhob after the bus reportedly suffered brake failure. Several passengers were killed and injured, with the wounded, including women and children, shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for treatment.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser on Media Shahid Rind said authorities had received reports confirming 40 deaths, while eight others were injured in the crash. He added that the accident occurred in the border region between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rind said rescue operations were underway with teams from both the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments.
He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Health Department, Frontier Corps (FC) and other relevant agencies had been mobilised, thanking the KP government for its assistance in the immediate response.
According to preliminary information, the bus was carrying more passengers than its capacity. Rind said passengers from another bus that had broken down earlier were also travelling on the ill-fated vehicle.
He said the district administration and other relevant officials were conducting a detailed review to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Rind added that efforts were underway to identify those killed and ensure medical treatment for the injured. He said the Balochistan government shared the grief of the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
He said the facts surrounding the tragedy would be made public after the completion of a full investigation.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the passenger bus accident and prayed for the eternal peace of those who lost their lives.
The president directed the relevant authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment and all necessary healthcare facilities.
He said the entire nation stood in solidarity with the bereaved families and shared their grief over the tragic incident.
ISLAMABAD, JUL 3 /DNA/ – In a significant move towards strengthening sports diplomacy, a high-level delegation from the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) called on the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, at the Kazakh Embassy today.
The CFP delegation was led by its newly elected President, Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, and included senior office bearers: Mr. Anwar Saleem (Senior Vice President), Ms. Nadia Gillani (Honorary Vice President), and Raja Gauhar Iqbal (General Secretary).
The meeting centered on the mutual promotion of chess and the enhancement of bilateral cooperation between the two federations. During the discussion, Ambassador Kistafin extended his warm congratulations to the new CFP leadership on assuming their offices. Reaffirming Kazakhstan’s commitment to the growth of the sport in Pakistan, the Ambassador assured the delegation of full support from his country in key areas, including infrastructure development, coaching, and technical training.
A major outcome of the dialogue was the mutual agreement to facilitate the exchange of delegations between the Chess Federation of Pakistan and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. This initiative is expected to pave the way for knowledge sharing, joint training camps, and potential participation in international events hosted by both nations.
Expressing his gratitude, CFP President Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi thanked the Ambassador for his continued encouragement and unwavering support for Pakistani chess. He highlighted that such diplomatic engagements are vital for elevating the standard of the game in Pakistan and providing local players with international exposure.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides reiterating their commitment to leveraging sports as a bridge for stronger bilateral ties.
NAIROBI/ISLAMABAD, JUL 3 /DNA/ – In a landmark achievement for Pakistan-Kenya economic relations, bilateral trade has surpassed the US$1 billion mark for the first time in history, reaching US$1.023 billion, official figures confirmed today.
Pakistan’s exports to Kenya soared to an all-time high of US$434.7 million during the just-concluded fiscal year 2025/26—the highest ever recorded in the history of bilateral trade between the two nations.
This remarkable milestone underscores the growing strength of Pakistan-Kenya trade relations and reflects the unwavering efforts of the Commercial Section at the High Commission of Pakistan in Nairobi. The Commercial Counselor’s tireless engagement with Kenyan government institutions, Chambers of Commerce, trade organizations, and private sector stakeholders has continued to unlock new opportunities for Pakistani exporters.
Over the past two years, a series of strategic initiatives have laid the groundwork for this record performance:
Trade Delegations & Exhibitions: Pakistan organized merit-based delegations and facilitated participation in five major trade exhibitions in Pakistan—including FoodAg, HEMS, PATDC, TEXPO, and WHX—arranged by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). Kenyan importers signed deals worth millions of US dollars on the spot across these platforms.
Customs Valuation Breakthrough: The Trade Mission successfully lobbied the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for a reduction in customs valuation on Pakistani rice—from US$615 to US$450—significantly enhancing the competitiveness of Pakistani rice in the Kenyan market.
Pharmaceutical Sector Expansion: Over 35 Pakistani pharmaceutical companies have been inspected and registered by Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board, opening a major new avenue for healthcare exports.
Institutional Milestones: The second Pakistan-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was successfully convened—the first-ever physical JTC meeting—while negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the East African Community (EAC) remain actively in process.
Geographical Indication Progress: The ongoing Basmati rice geographical indication (GI) case continues to be a significant development, with Pakistani officials expressing optimism for a favorable outcome, InshaAllah.
With bilateral trade crossing the billion-dollar threshold and exports hitting historic highs, officials on both sides see immense potential for further growth. The Commercial Section of the High Commission of Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade ties, facilitating market access, and exploring new sectors for collaboration.
“This is not just a number—it is a reflection of the trust, partnership, and shared prosperity between Pakistan and Kenya,” a senior Pakistani trade official said. “We are confident that this momentum will continue to build in the years ahead.”
ISLAMABAD, JUL 3: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed from Islamabad on Friday for a one-day visit to Iran to attend the funeral of the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The prime minister is leading a high-level delegation comprising National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and others.
Khamenei was martyred on February 28 this year, the first day of Israeli and US strikes on Iran. His funeral began in Tehran on Friday, with burial scheduled for July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad, according to Iranian state media.
During his visit to Tehran, Shehbaz will participate in the funeral rites of Ali Khamenei, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“On behalf of the Pakistani people and government, the Prime Minister will express heartfelt condolences to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families and reaffirm Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the brotherly Iranian nation in this hour of grief,” it added.
Following the funeral ceremony, the prime minister will travel to Istanbul for a bilateral visit to Turkiye.
ISLAMABAD, JUL 3: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced boycotting the forthcoming elections for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly scheduled for July 27.
A spokesperson for the Imran Khan-founded party said in a statement that it will not be part of the electoral process “in the current circumstances”.
“This decision does not aim for any political gain or loss,” the party said, adding: “[…] but it is taken to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people and respect to the democracy.
The former ruling party is currently the major opposition party in the Centre.
Referring to the ongoing protests organised by the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the PTI spokesperson added that the party would not participate in the electoral process until the establishment of an independent, just and peaceful political environment.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the AJK government had imposed a ban on the JAAC on June 5 under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) after violent protests.
The ban was imposed days ahead of the banned outfit’s planned June 9 protest seeking the abolition of 12 seats in the AJK reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
It further stated that the AJK is facing a “crisis” as thousands of citizens were staging sit-ins in different parts of the region, including Rawalakot.
The PTI demanded “immediate resolution” of the Kashmiris’ issue to avoid increasing political instability in the region.
The party also alleged that food supplies to the region were “completely stopped” from Punjab, a claim rejected by the federal government and the AJK police chief a few days ago.
The PTI parliamentary board also suspended all recommendations regarding the issuance of tickets to the candidates, the spokesperson said, adding that no progress will be made at any level “till further orders”.
LAHORE, JUL 3: A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the Defence C Police Station against five suspects, including Muhammad Raza Dar, identified as the grandson of a high-profile political bigwig, for the alleged kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault of two foreign nationals.
The case was officially registered following a swift emergency rescue operation. According to the FIR, the two victims, one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela, were invited to Pakistan by Raza Dar, who had previously entered into a business partnership with them in Singapore in October 2025.
The victims arrived in Lahore on June 29, 2026, after Dar arranged their travel visas. The complainants stated that upon their arrival, they were forcibly taken to a residential location in Y-Block, Defence, where they were held at gunpoint.
The suspects aggressively assaulted the women, subjected them to severe physical abuse involving weapons, and demanded a hefty ransom of $1.5 million.
The perpetrators allegedly threatened to take their lives and sell their body parts if the demands were not met. The ordeal ended after one of the victims managed to contact her father in the Netherlands, who immediately alerted the Lahore Police via the 15 emergency helpline, leading to a rescue operation within two hours.
Following the high-profile arrests, a senior police source confirmed that the investigation is being conducted with complete transparency and entirely on merit.
“There is absolutely zero political interference in this case,” a Lahore police official stated. “Clear directives were issued by the Chief Minister of Punjab to ensure that the police act solely in accordance with the law and do not come under any pressure from political high-ups. Furthermore, much to the credit of the deputy prime minister, he did not interfere in the matter at all.”
The official highlighted that the police action was exceptionally prompt, resulting in the successful recovery of the victims and the immediate arrest of Raza Dar and his co-accused.
“The police fully facilitated both victims in recording their legal statements before the magistrate. Although their return flights were already booked, the police requested them to extend their stay for another day to properly facilitate the ongoing investigation. The expenses for this extension were fully paid out of the police budget to ensure the victims faced no further inconvenience,” the source added.
ISLAMABAD, JUL 3: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that internet services across the country are now running without interruption, after engineers completed repairs on the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) submarine cable system.
The regulator said the fault in the international undersea cable, which had earlier led to intermittent slowdowns and connectivity issues for users nationwide, has now been fully resolved. In a statement issued on Friday, the PTA confirmed that internet traffic has returned to normal following the restoration work.
Earlier, when the disruption came to light, the PTA revealed that a technical fault along the SMW5 route was affecting data traffic, with some users reporting degraded service quality.
In an earlier statement, the regulator said it was closely monitoring internet traffic disruption caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system.
The authority said that “some internet users may experience intermittent degradation in service quality and connectivity as a result of the fault.”
The authority further said Transworld Associates (TWA) is coordinating with the SMW5 Consortium to identify the root cause of the fault and determine the estimated time for restoration (ETTR).”
“In the meantime, internet traffic is being rerouted through alternate international links to minimise the impact and ensure service continuity to the greatest extent possible,” the PTA said.
“PTA remains in close coordination with the concerned stakeholders and will continue to monitor the situation to facilitate the earliest possible restoration of normal internet services across the country,” it added.
In May this year, the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, informed the National Assembly that prolonged and repeated power outages across the country were among the major causes of slow internet services and deterioration in telecom quality.
In written replies to the National Assembly, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said unreliable commercial electricity and dependence on solar systems, especially during shorter winter days, reduced backup resources and operational capacity at telecom sites.
Difficult terrain, harsh weather, security concerns, and access restrictions delayed maintenance, while fibre cuts, backhaul disruptions and theft of equipment further affected service continuity.
The minister said Pakistan’s international connectivity had improved with the landing of three submarine cables in recent years. She said fibre-optic connectivity had expanded significantly nationwide, while fibre-based home connections had increased from 1.9 million in 2024 to 5.1 million within two years.
TORONTO, JUL 3: Portugal and Spain booked their places in the Fifa World Cup last 16 with contrasting victories on Thursday, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s side survived late VAR drama to edge Croatia 2-1 while the European champions cruised to a commanding 3-0 win over Austria.
In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equaliser agonisingly ruled out for offside in Toronto.
Portugal’s 41-year-old superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic. Ronaldo became the oldest scorer in a World Cup knockout match.
Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced home a sensational header deep into injury time to give Portugal the lead.
But Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates were left stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equaliser in stoppage time.
Yet there was one final twist when the goal was chalked off for offside after a lengthy VAR review to the disbelief of Croatia’s players and their large contingent of fans at Toronto’s BMO Field.
After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the number 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a car crash almost a year to the day from Thursday’s win, on July 3 last year.
“We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo said afterwards of the tribute to Jota.
“I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”
The result ensures that Ronaldo’s incredible World Cup career will be extended for at least one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 in Dallas on Monday.
Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match.
Spain romp past Austria
Spain had advanced to that meeting with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their status as one of the favourites for the title.
Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round.
Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match.
Spain players celebrate scoring their second goal in Fifa World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Austria at Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, US, July 2, 2026. — Reuters
Spain players celebrate scoring their second goal in Fifa World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Austria at Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, US, July 2, 2026. — Reuters
With Spanish movie stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in the 70,492 crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Spain were always in control against a limited Austrian side who failed to register a shot on goal.
Oyarzabal fired Spain into the lead in the 36th minute, sweeping in a low finish to crown a slick passing move, and more deft inter-play set up Porro to head home the second in the 66th minute.
Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal grabbed his second as he coolly tucked away a low finish from Marc Cucurella’s pinpoint cross.
“We played a magnificent match. I am happy because, in every aspect, we came close to perfection,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
“Every match from now on will be more complicated. Every match will be a bit more demanding. We are moving into a more critical phase” of the World Cup, he added.
De la Fuente said his Spain side can still get better “in every area.”
“That is our spirit — the belief that we haven’t hit our ceiling yet. We need to improve naturally. We are ambitious,” he said.
