Daily News Pakistan

Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions have agreed to a document setting out a plan for their disarmament in Gaza, in what United States President Donald Trump has called “a monumental step” towards peace and security in the Middle East. In a Truth Social post, Trump announced: “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.” Neither Israel nor the Palestinian group have confirmed the deal. Under the carefully phased framework of the Trump 20-Point Plan, the agreement envisions Hamas surrendering its heavy weapons and dismantling its vast tunnel network, followed by a gradual withdrawal of occupying Israeli forces. In their place, a new International Stabilization Force would partner with a new Palestinian police force to secure the territory, while a technocratic Palestinian government assumes civilian control. The White House cast...

Japanese emergency workers battled Thursday to rescue any remaining survivors from a devastated shopping mall, as the death toll from a major earthquake hit 28 and thousands sweltered in punishing heat. The government issued the new tally as Kumamoto officials said they have now extracted four bodies from the mass of rubble, steel and wires of the Aeon shopping mall after a suspected gas blast following Tuesday's quake. At the mall, "we have pulled out 10 people. Of them, four were confirmed dead. Another is without vital signs. Another five have suffered severe and minor injuries", an official from disaster management office in the southwestern region told AFP. Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude tremor caused widespread damage, flattening homes, damaging bridges, triggering fires and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power and water in temperatures forecast to hit 38C this weekend. Hundreds of elderly people — Japan has the world´s second oldest population — sl...

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a security advisory urging WhatsApp users to adopt essential safety measures to protect their accounts from hacking and cyber fraud. In a statement on Saturday, the authority warned that cybercriminals continue to target WhatsApp accounts through unauthorised access attempts and advised users to strengthen their account security. PTA recommended enabling Security Notifications by going to “Settings > Account > Security Notifications” and turning on the “Show Security Notifications” option. The feature alerts users whenever there is a change to their account’s security settings. The regulator also advised users to link a secure and active email address to their WhatsApp account, saying it can help with account recovery in case of hacking or other emergencies. In addition, PTA urged users to activate Two-Step Verification, describing it as an important layer of protection that helps prevent unauthorised access by hackers...

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have intensified the exchange of messages between the US and Iran after the two warring sides communicated their responses to a joint formula to end their months-long war, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Sunday. The development came after US President Donald Trump ordered a "pause" in the latest bombing campaign on Iran after two weeks of consecutive nights of strikes, the sources added. Earlier this week, Islamabad and Doha proposed a joint de-escalation formula, urging the US and Iran to return to their pre-July 9 positions "as a first step" to resume stalled talks to permanently end the conflict, according to an official familiar with the matter. Although the sources did not elaborate on details of the responses, they said both sides have communicated their consent for dialogue and diplomacy to end the latest hostilities and return to negotiations. The sources said the pause in strikes from both sides has raised hopes...

The Iran war broadened over the weekend despite a pause in US strikes, as Yemen's Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast and Iran accused Ukraine of targeting one of its vessels in the Caspian Sea. The US military said on Saturday its naval blockade against Iran "remains in full effect" but did not explain why it halted a streak of 13 nights of escalating strikes. There were also no weekend reports of attacks by Iran on neighbours, similar to its daily rejoinders to the US attacks. Asked about the pause, a senior official in President Donald Trump's administration said Trump "has always been clear that his preference is diplomacy, but he has shown Iran what will happen if they fail to come to the table in a serious way." Trump has decided, for now, to back away from plans to ramp up attacks on Iran, the New York Times said on Saturday, citing two people briefed on the discussion. The president and his advisers, the newspaper sa...

The Trump administration on Friday imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including Europe and China, over allegations of lax enforcement of forced labour bans, just as a temporary 10% global tariff expired. The move is the White House's latest effort to restore President Donald Trump's vision of a near-global tariff after the US Supreme Court in February struck down his "reciprocal" duties of 10% to 50% imposed under a national emergencies law to try to shrink the US trade deficit. New tariffs had been expected, but trade partners around the world joined in strongly disputing the justification for them. Some, however, noted they would make little difference to current levies. There was little early reaction on financial markets more focused on the Middle East conflict. The new tariffs, announced in a Federal Register notice, cover 99.4% of US imports, but include numerous product exemptions, such as oil and gas, fertiliser and cert...

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a civil nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia is conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, adding that there would be no enrichment of the material. The US and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on civil nuclear power, letting the kingdom enrich uranium and build nuclear reactors using US technology, without requiring the snap UN inspections that Washington has previously demanded from Iran. "The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)... pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, referring to normalising ties with Israel. "The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities," Trump said. Saudi Arabia's longstanding position has been that it wo...

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has destroyed multiple US military radar and communications facilities in the region, while the Army reports drone strikes on three US bases in Kuwait in ongoing retaliation for American violations. The announcements were made in a series of statements issued early Tuesday, describing the latest phases of the IRGC’s Operation Nasr- (Victory) 2 and the Army’s Operation Sa'eqeh (Lightning) in response to the United States' renewed aggression against the Islamic Republic. In its first statement, the IRGC said the second phase of wave 24 of Operation Nasr-2 targeted infrastructure supporting US military air defense operations in Kuwait. The Corps said the latest phase was staged “to clear the way by eliminating obstacles to large-scale air and missile operations” against American targets in the region. According to the statement, missiles and drones struck and destroyed a long-range radar site, a communications center, satellite...

Britain's King Charles III on Monday appointed Andy Burnham as prime minister after outgoing Keir Starmer officially tendered his resignation, the palace said. "Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister," Buckingham Palace said in a statement, adding the king had asked him to form the next government. Burnham vowed to put forward a 10-year plan for Britain, saying the country needed to make politics work. "Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again," Burnham said just after being appointed by King Charles III to take over from Keir Starmer. He pledged to "issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country" once he starts work. Promising Britons "some breathing space now", he said the government would set out some measures to tackle the high cost-of-living, and how it plans to fund them. Further out, he said: "We will help more...

Yemen's Houthis said on Monday they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, a move that opens a new front against the United States in its war on Iran and widens the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf. Iran had pressed the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea if the US continued to attack Iranian power infrastructure. There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia. The full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait would reduce global oil supply by 7% as it would leave most of Saudi oil exports unable to leave the region. The disruption would add to the massive cut to global oil flows from the war in the Gulf, which has already reduced shipments by 10% of global supply. Diplomatic push to restore ceasefire The Houthis' announcement followed signs from both Iran and the US that they wanted to resume diplomatic efforts to end an escalating cycle of attacks that has all but wrecked a fragile interim agreement signed last month...

The installation of an indoor 5G solution at Islamabad International Airport has officially commenced, marking the first comprehensive indoor 5G facility at any airport in Pakistan. A kick-off ceremony for the project was held under the supervision of the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), which said the initiative would enhance digital connectivity and improve passenger experience at the airport. The project involves Chinese investment of $5 million and, upon completion, is expected to generate a monthly revenue of Rs600,000 for the Pakistan Airports Authority. The indoor 5G solution will provide passengers with high-speed internet services within the terminal, ensuring faster and more reliable connectivity during their time at the airport.

In the third T20 of the five-match series in Karachi, South Africa Under-19 women's team defeated Pakistan Under-19 women's team by 52 runs tonight. Batting first, South Africa Under-19 women's team scored 158 runs for the loss of six wickets in allotted 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan Under-19 women's team were all out for 106 runs in 18 overs. South Africa lead the series 2-1.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says two vessels were involved in incidents after attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through an unsafe route, while two other ships abandoned the passage following warnings from Iranian authorities. In a statement, the IRGC Navy said four “violating vessels,” acting “with the mischief and support of American terrorists,” switched off their navigation systems and ignored warnings issued by the IRGC Navy’s Hormuz Strait control base. According to the statement, the vessels attempted to disrupt traffic and exit the strategic waterway through “an unsafe route.” “Two of them suffered accidents and stopped in place, and two others abandoned continuing on the route,” it said. The IRGC Navy reiterated that control of the Strait of Hormuz is “fully” in its hands and that the only safe transit corridor is the route officially designated and announced by Iranian authorities. It added that “not a single drop of oil, gas or chemical fertili...

Iran’s top military command unit has warned that it will strike every remaining infrastructure in the region if its infrastructure attacked. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Military Headquarters issued a strongly worded statement on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump threatened to expand terrorist American attacks against Iran next week to target civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges. "If the recent empty threats by the US president to have the American military target the infrastructure of the Islamic Republic are carried out, then everything that, due to Iran's restraint, has so far remained intact—that is, all infrastructure throughout the region—will be smashed under the iron blows of the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic, to such an extent that no trace of it will remain, as though it had never existed,” the military command’s spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said. He also slammed the criminal US regime for continu...

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has thanked the Iranian and Iraqi people for their massive participation in the funeral and memorial ceremonies of the martyred Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The message of gratitude was delivered by Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mostafa Khamenei, the martyred Leader’s eldest son, during a memorial service in Tehran on Tuesday. Speaking at the event, Hojjatoleslam Khamenei offered condolences to the Islamic Ummah, the Iranian nation, and Imam Mahdi (AJ), describing the loss as a great tragedy requiring patience. Quoting the Quranic verse, “Give good news to the patient,” he said patience means enduring the tragedy while steadfastly continuing on the “clear path” until the final goal is achieved. He stressed that patience “is in no way incompatible with revenge and confronting the world’s evildoers who were involved in these great crimes.” People in the Iranian capital Tehran gathered at the city’s Mosalla Mosque to...

Iran's highest operational command unit says the Islamic Republic will never allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz following repeated warnings to Washington. The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari made the remarks on Monday following comments by US President Donald Trump that Washington could take control of the strategic waterway. "Following previous warnings, we will under no circumstances allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz," he said. He said the US “repeated adventurism and mischief” to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz have “seriously endangered regional security, international trade, and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels”. He criticized certain regional states for cooperating with the United States, warning that such collaboration "increased the danger of war spreading across the entire region." ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving disputes and ensuring lasting peace during a telephone conversation on Sunday. The two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. Dar urged all parties to pursue de-escalation and exercise restraint in line with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding agreed in June. US and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone strikes, with Tehran targeting US facilities in states across the Gulf on Sunday after saying it had again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump had earlier this week declared the end of a ceasefire meant to halt the fighting that the US and Israel began on February 28, though Trump has left the door open to continued negotiations. The escalation followed several attacks on commercial ships in the area. Ira...

The commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has vowed that Iran and the resistance front will continue the path of the martyred leader of the Ummah and pursue justice against those responsible for his assassination, while praising the mass funeral processions held in Iran and Iraq. In a Friday statement, the commander said the unprecedented week-long farewell ceremonies for martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei demonstrated the deep bond between the people and the leadership. “Wilayat al-Faqih [Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist] means that after 47 years of governance, you are bid farewell by an ocean of your nation's tears,” he said. The IRGC commander expressed gratitude to the Iranian nation, describing it as insightful, resilient and steadfast. He also thanked officials, organizers and all those involved in planning and managing the funeral ceremonies, praising their “wise management, sound planning and tirel...

The Iranian Army says it has carried out drone strikes against US military assembly points at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, widening the Islamic Republic's military response to American airstrikes on Iranian territory. In a statement on Wednesday, the Public Relations Office of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran said the operation was launched in response to “hostile US attacks” on military and civilian areas in southern Iran and the violation of the 14-point ceasefire agreement. "Following the hostile aggression of the American enemy against military and civilian areas in the south of the country and the violation of the 14-clause memorandum of understanding, the attack drones of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, from early this morning (Wednesday), targeted the assembly points of American hostile forces at 'Sheikh Isa Base' in Bahrain," the statement read. The Army warned that further violations would be met with expanded strikes, stating that "...

Millions of mourners have gathered in Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala for the funeral ceremonies of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with Iraqi authorities reporting attendance in the millions. The official funeral procession began at 6 a.m. local time Wednesday in Najaf after funeral prayers were held over Ayatollah Khamenei's body at the shrine of Imam Ali (AS). The procession moved from the shrine through Kufa Bridge and the Thawrat al-Ashreen intersection toward al-Sadreen Square before the body continued to Karbala. Hashd al-Shaabi, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, said more than 2.3 million people had taken part in the funeral procession in Najaf and that the number was continuing to increase as mourners arrived from across Iraq. Separately, Al Mayadeen television citing the Karbala governorate, reported that authorities had registered 7 million mourners in Karbala. From before dawn, mourners streamed into Najaf ...

Vast crowds gathered for the funeral procession of Iran's martyred supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday, with authorities estimating millions were on the streets in numbers that could rival those of his predecessor's farewell nearly four decades ago. Authorities have yet to give an official turnout figure but AFP images showed huge numbers stretching along major boulevards in the Iranian capital. The ceremonies offer Iran an opportunity to project resilience after five weeks of war with the United States and Israel, although attention remains focused on Khamenei's successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since taking power. After lying in state for two days at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, the body of Khamenei — who was killed on the first day of the Middle East war on February 28 — began its journey through the capital accompanied by massive crowds. Flower petals covered the coffin as it made its way along the stree...

Iran hails participation of representatives from more than 70 countries in funeral ceremonies held for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. “It pleases Iran to have received representatives from more than seventy countries who chose to participate in honoring our martyred Supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, among them our loyal Arab brothers,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in an Arabic-language post on X on Saturday. “This historic commemoration will remain an eternal memory in the course of our shared relations." The foreign minister’s message came as the second day of the week-long funeral ceremonies concluded at Tehran’s Grand Prayer Grounds, with millions of mourners and high-ranking foreign dignitaries paying respect to the martyred Leader. The ceremonies, which began on July 3 and will continue until July 9, have drawn heads of state, prime ministers, parliament speakers, foreign ministers, and special envoys from across Asi...

Millions of mourners from Iran and other countries performed funeral prayers for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on Sunday as Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani led the prayers at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla, attended by large crowds of people. As the interior of the prayer hall reached full capacity, all entrances to the complex were closed several hours prior to the prayer service held for the body of the martyred Leader. The streets and pathways surrounding the prayer hall are currently filled with a significant number of individuals who have gathered to pay their respects and offer prayers for martyred Ayatollah Khamenei. The funeral prayer was held in three stages. The first was offered for the martyred Leader. The second covered Martyr Seyyedeh Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, Martyr Mesbah al-Hoda Baqeri, and Martyr Zahra Haddad Adel, while the third will be offered for Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, the martyred Leader’s granddaughter. The farew...

Top Iranian officials, heads of state, foreign dignitaries, and high-ranking delegations from across the world have paid their respects to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. In a solemn and historic ceremony unfolded at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Friday, heads of the three branches of the Iranian government along with presidents, parliamentary speakers, special envoys, scholars, religious intellectuals, and thinkers from diverse backgrounds from across the globe paid their respects to the late Ayatollah Khamenei. Iranian officials and their families, representatives of religious minorities, families of martyrs of the resistance front and Arab tribal leaders also joined the solemn tribute. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje'i and Chairman of Expediency Council Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani were present in the ceremonies. The presence of dignitari...

The Islamic Republic of Iran is united in grief and determination following the martyrdom of its venerable Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as President Masoud Pezeshkian described the profound sorrow felt across the nation, the Islamic Ummah, and freedom-loving people worldwide. In a message on X on Thursday, President Pezeshkian paid tribute to the Leader’s enduring legacy of resistance, justice, and guidance for the oppressed. “This red ascension is not the end of the path, but the dawn of a new chapter of solidarity, steadfastness, and flourishing for a nation that has always emerged from the heart of the harshest trials more united, more resolute, and more hopeful as it strides toward tomorrow,” he stated. The president’s words resonate deeply with the Iranian people, who have long drawn strength from the Leader’s unwavering commitment to the principles of the Islamic Revolution. Under his guidance, Iran has stood firm against decades of imperial...

Iran has begun the first stage of funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with foreign dignitaries and religious figures paying their respects at Tehran's Grand Mosalla. The Leader's body, along with those of his companions, was transferred to Tehran's Grand Mosalla early Friday and placed in the main prayer hall ahead of a two-day public farewell ceremony. Religious scholars and cultural figures from Indonesia and Afghanistan were among the first foreign guests to pay tribute. Representatives of Iran's recognized religious minorities also attended the ceremony to honor the late Leader, who was assassinated in a cowardly US-Israeli strike on the opening day of the recent 40-day war on February 28 Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Friday that delegations from nearly 100 countries, along with public figures and civil society groups, would attend the farewell ceremony for the martyred Leader. ...

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says a massive public turnout at the funeral of late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei will serve as a "decisive" response to terrorism, violence and bullying, while demonstrating the Iranian nation's unity and determination to defend its independence and dignity. Pezeshkian made the remark in a message on Thursday addressed to the Iranian nation ahead of farewell and burial ceremonies for the late Ayatollah Khamenei, who was martyred on February 28, the first day of the US-Israel imposed war. "Your huge presence is a decisive response to terror, violence, and bullying, and a clear message to the world showing that the Iranian nation stands united and unanimous in defending their independence and dignity," he said. It will also demonstrate that “no incident will weaken the will of this nation to build a prosperous, free, powerful, and proud Iran", he added. He expressed confidence in the p...