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After the US-Iran MoU: Diplomacy’s unfinished business

Barely four weeks after the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) that brought an uneasy halt to one of the most dangerous confrontations between the two rivals in decades, missiles are once again crossing the Gulf, commercial shipping is retreating from the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices are again inching upwards. Over the past 24 hours, the confrontation has entered its most dangerous phase since hostilities resumed last week , with both sides sharply intensifying military operations. Overnight, the US carried out a fresh wave of precision strikes against military and petrochemical infrastructure across southern Iran, targeting facilities in the oil-producing Khuzestan province as well as sites around Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and Bushehr. It employed aircraft, naval assets and — for the first time in the campaign — sea drones to degrade Iran’s air defence, missile and coastal capabilities. Open-source imagery has corroborated damage to the Omidiyeh airbase and...
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US launches fresh strikes on Iran, Tehran targets American assets in Gulf states in flareup over Hormuz

The United States struck Iran on Monday for a second day running, drawing Tehran’s reprisals against US allies in the Gulf as the foes battle over the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The flare-up is the latest to undermine an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their war, which has caused global economic shockwaves since it began in late February. The latest salvo by US forces began at 2100 GMT on Sunday, Central Command (Centcom) said on X. The fresh strikes came less than 24 hours after a previous wave in which the US Centcom said 140 Iranian military targets were hit. In a subsequent post, Centcom said it had completed a new wave of “offensive strikes” against Iran, hitting “dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz”. “Centcom forces struck Iranian military air-de...
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A floating bridge into the heart of mangrove jungle

KARACHI: “It is ‘ Jungle Mein Mangal ’ [merriment in the wilderness],” said Managing Director, Sindh Tourism Development Corporation, Feyaz Ali Shah as visitors from various walks of life arrived at the Mangrove Biodiversity Park at Korangi Creek for an eco-tourism exploration trip organised by the Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department of the Government of Sindh on Saturday. “Of course ‘ Jungle Mein Morr Nacha Kis Ne Dekha? ’ [A peacock danced in the forest, but who saw it?]” He added. “That is why we brought you all here today, to appreciate the beauty of nature and marvel at the ecological significance of the mangroves and the biodiversity you see here,” he said. The Mangrove Biodiversity Park was built some two years ago and there are plans for expansion as it receives more funds. Currently, it has a 700 metres long floating wooden bridge, designed by architect and environmentalist Tariq Alexander Qaiser, which allows one a peek into the dense mangrove forest. The area, at f...
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Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74

Qatar’s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013. “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late — may God have mercy on him — His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” read a statement published by the emir’s office on social media. The former leader was seen as one of the key architects of modern Qatar and led the country during a period of rapid economic growth. Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad. He inherited a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers and transformed it into a major player on the regional and international stage. During his time in office, the international broadcaster Al Jazeera was launched in 1996, following a decree issued by the emir. I...
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Economic uncertainty looms over Venezuela quake zone

Economic woes have joined the long list of worries facing Venezuelans living in the coastal region that suffered unthinkable damage during twin tremors a fortnight ago. “What am I going to do? Where am I going to work? What am I going to achieve? Where am I going to get money?” Faisuris Alvarez, who runs a beachside fish stand, agonized aloud over these questions without answers. The coastal city of La Guaira is located just north of Caracas and usually serves as the perfect seaside getaway for residents of the capital. But the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes on June 24 decimated the city, with mountains of rubble replacing the high-rise buildings that once lined the coast. A person rides a motorcycle with a child along a damaged road following the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 10, 2026. — Reuters The disaster has claimed over 4,000 lives and injured almost 17,000 more people, and questions about the economic impact abound. The ...
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Hundreds of thousands evacuated as Typhoon Bavi barrels towards China

China evacuated more than 600,000 people on Saturday ahead of Typhoon Bavi hitting the major eastern city of Wenzhou after pummelling Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds and brushing past northern Taiwan. Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path over cooler seas, the typhoon is still a potent risk due to the sheer volume of moisture it holds within its rain bands, about the size of France from end to end. Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to some 10 million people, in the early hours of Sunday. State media said more than half a million people had been evacuated in Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located, and more than 100,000 in neighbouring Fujian province. People ride electric scooters in the rain as Typhoon Bavi approaches, in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China July 11, 2026. —Reuters “I’m a little worried, but I think it’ll be ok. We’ve been through typhoons bef...
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More wreckage of crashed cargo plane found, search for crew ongoing: PAA

The Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) said on Friday that the search for the crew of a cargo plane that crashed into the Arabian Sea was ongoing, adding that additional wreckage had been located. In a statement, the authority said the search and rescue missions by the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency in the deep sea were still in progress. “The search for the crew members is continuing with full vigour through the coordinated employment of aerial and sea-borne assets,” it said. “Additional parts and debris of the ill-fated aircraft have been located and retrieved for subsequent analysis by the investigation team,” it said, adding that updates would be shared as the search and rescue operations continued. On Tuesday night, a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft en route from Sharjah to Karachi had disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, while approaching Pakistani airsp...
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