Web Desk

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.<hr style="line-height: 2;">Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-live-june-25-2026#:~:text=of%20Israel%20directly.%22-,Iran%20deal%20won%27t%20undermine%20Gulf%20security%2C%20Rubio%20tells%20GCC,-Published%3A%20June%2025" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iran deal won&#39;t undermine Gulf security, Rubio tells GCC</a></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;"><a href="http://US%20Senate%20sides%20with%20Trump%20in%20fresh%20vote%20on%20Iran%20war%20powers" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">US Senate sides with Trump in fresh vote on Iran war powers</a></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-live-june-25-2026#:~:text=Iran%20accuses%20NATO%20of%20complicity%20in%20US%20and%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%98unlawful%20war%E2%80%99" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iran accuses NATO of complicity in US and Israel&rsquo;s &lsquo;unlawful war&rsquo;</a></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 2;"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-live-june-25-2026#:~:text=Trump%20says%20Washington%20%E2%80%98doing%20great%E2%80%99%20in%20negotiations%20with%20Iran" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trump says Washington &lsquo;doing great&rsquo; in negotiations with Iran</a></li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-live-june-25-2026#:~:text=Israeli%20blockade%20contributing%20to%20spread%20of%20insects%2C%20rodents%20in%20Gaza%2C%20rights%20group%20says" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israeli blockade contributing to spread of insects, rodents in Gaza</a></li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;">State Department official says Israel-Lebanon talks to continue on Friday Published: June 26, 2026 | 02:35 GMT | by Web Desk A US State Department official has said that Israeli and Lebanese delegations will resume their meetings on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. Officials from the two countries have been meeting for US-brokered talks in Washington, DC, aimed at reaching a deal to end fighting in Lebanon. The discussions were set to conclude on Thursday. <hr> Trump says unfrozen Iranian assets will be used to buy American wheat, soy beans, cornPublished: June 26, 2026 | 00:00 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump has said that the Iranian assets that will be unfrozen as per the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding would be used to buy American wheat, soy beans and corn. While referring to unfrozen Iranian assets, Trump said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to be taking some of their money.&rdquo; &ldquo;And we&rsquo;ll spend it, and we&rsquo;re going to be buying wheat, soy beans and corn &ndash; a lot of it. And that process is going to be starting pretty soon,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be pretty big, too,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no part of the US-Iran deal undermined the security and stability of US allies in the Gulf, stating that Washington was open for peace. He also said that Iran would not be allowed to charge a toll or fee for using the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, US Senate rejected a resolution to rein in President Donald Trump&#39;s handling of the Iran war &mdash; an apparent U-turn following pressure from the Republican leader. The move came just one day after the Senate voted 50-48 to pass a resolution calling for an end to the Iran war, delivering a rebuke to the White House as it seeks to negotiate a lasting deal with Tehran. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> For earlier developments, read our June 25 live blog <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-live-june-25-2026" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here</a>.

Americas

Middle East

Says process is going to be starting pretty soon; Rubio promises Gulf allies that Washington would protect their interests in talks with Iran, adds Iran cannot charge toll or fee for Hormuz; US Senate sides with Trump in fresh vote on Iran war powers.





Trump says unfrozen Iranian assets will be used to buy American wheat, soy beans, corn

Saqib Tanveer

ISLAMABAD: India&#39;s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance sits at odds with 65 years of statements, court rulings and official positions. New Delhi itself has defended the treaty as a durable, successful and legally binding framework, according to a review of Indian government records, court rulings, and statements from Indian officials and policy analysts. India held the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after the May 2025 Pahalgam Attack and since then Pakistan has warned of dire consequences if India stops the water flow into Pakistan. However, a detailed review of India&rsquo;s past statements from the leaders, institutions and intelligentsia paint a picture of double standards and hypocrisy. India politicians and leaders:&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru signed the treaty in Karachi in 1960 and defended it as a tool for regional peace, according to news reports from that time. Not just Indian leaders but the US President Dwight Eisenhower back then called the deal a &quot;bright spot&quot; in world diplomacy, according to a historical document published by the State Department&#39;s Office of the Historian. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as foreign minister, signed the 1978 Salal Dam agreement, hailed in New Delhi as proof that the treaty builds trust. Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government, after the 2016 Uri attack, chose to maximise India&#39;s rights within the treaty rather than scrap it, according to an MP-IDSA analysis. In Jammu and Kashmir, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has defended the treaty, saying &quot;there have been so many wars, but IWT wasn&#39;t touched, because both countries benefited.&quot;&nbsp;She said this while addressing a press conference in Kashmir. Statements from institutionsIndia&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs told the Lok Sabha in 2014 that the treaty is a &quot;time tested framework,&quot; according to ministry records. It later told Parliament that India has &quot;always strictly adhered to both the letter and the spirit&quot; of the agreement, according to the same records. In 2017, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition seeking to declare the treaty unconstitutional, with Chief Justice J.S. Khehar ruling that &quot;this treaty has held good for more than half a century,&quot; according to NDTV. Following the 2025 abeyance, the ministry said it remained committed to the treaty&#39;s &quot;sanctity and integrity&quot; after a Neutral Expert affirmed jurisdiction over the Kishenganga and Ratle disputes, according to an MEA press release. Statements from expertsRamaswamy Iyer, a former Union water resources secretary, in his research paper titled &ldquo;Indus Waters Treaty: Reevaluation &amp; Hope&rdquo; called the treaty a rare success that survived multiple wars. Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People has said scrapping the treaty would bring India no military benefit and would damage its credibility with other neighbours, according to Times of India.

Foreign Affairs

New Delhi itself has defended the treaty as a durable, successful and legally binding framework, according to a review of Indian government records, court rulings, and statements from Indian officials and policy analysts.



Indus Waters Treaty in India’s own words

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: As India expands its ambitions in the global arms market, New Delhi is positioning itself as a supplier of military technology rather than one of the world&rsquo;s largest weapons importers.&nbsp; Among the crown jewels of this export drive are the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and Akashteer, an automated air defense command-and-control system developed for the Indian military. Yet as India courts prospective buyers, a parallel conversation is unfolding beyond defense exhibitions and sales brochures. It is a conversation not about specifications, range, speed or radar integration, but about credibility, institutional reliability and the ability of a defense-industrial ecosystem to withstand scrutiny. For critics, the concerns begin with an incident that remains one of the most embarrassing episodes in India&#39;s recent military history. The missile that crossed the borderOn March 9, 2022, a BrahMos missile was accidentally launched from Indian territory and entered Pakistan before crashing. The incident immediately attracted international attention because it involved a strategic missile travelling across the border between two nuclear-armed neighbors. What followed became almost as controversial as the launch itself. Initially, India remained largely silent despite Pakistan publicly raising the matter and demanding answers.&nbsp; When New Delhi eventually responded, the explanation was that a &quot;technical malfunction&quot; during routine maintenance had led to the accidental firing of a missile. However, as more information emerged, the official narrative appeared to evolve. Subsequent explanations referred to an inadvertent release during inspection activity.&nbsp; Questions were raised about the circumstances surrounding the launch location and the nature of the activities being conducted at the time. For critics, the issue was not merely the accident itself but the succession of explanations that followed. The concern was that the incident appeared to move from being a technical malfunction, to an accidental firing, to a procedural failure attributed to personnel. Eventually, a Court of Inquiry was conducted and responsibility was assigned within the chain of command.&nbsp; Officers were removed from service over violations of standard operating procedures. But by then, critics argued, the reputational damage had already occurred. A live missile had crossed an international border during peacetime.&nbsp; The world had watched as explanations shifted over several days.&nbsp; For detractors of India&#39;s export ambitions, the episode became a case study in crisis management, command discipline and strategic accountability.&nbsp; Even India&rsquo;s own media highlighted the global embarrassment the country faced. The BrahMos missile survived the incident. Its reputation, they argue, did not emerge entirely unscathed. Production concerns emergeToday, as India seeks to market BrahMos to a growing list of foreign customers, another set of questions has emerged. Indian media reports have suggested that BrahMos Aerospace has experienced significant production disruptions. Some reports claim output has fallen dramatically compared with previous years. The reports attribute the decline to internal organizational decisions, including the transfer of employees from Hyderabad to other locations such as Lucknow and Pilani. These transfers reportedly generated dissatisfaction among staff and were followed by resignations. According to these reports, concerns have also been raised about delays in meeting future delivery commitments, including supplies intended for the Indian Navy. While detailed official disclosures confirming these figures have not been made public, the reports have nevertheless fueled debate about the resilience of India&#39;s defense manufacturing infrastructure. For potential customers, the question extends beyond the missile&#39;s technical performance. Can production remain stable? Can delivery schedules be maintained? Can an expanding export portfolio be supported while domestic military requirements continue to grow? These are not engineering questions. They are industrial ones. Yet they can be just as important when countries evaluate major weapons purchases. Akashteer and the governance questionThe debate surrounding Akashteer is different. Unlike BrahMos, the concerns raised by critics are not centered on a high-profile operational incident. Instead, they focus on the broader ecosystem responsible for developing and fielding such systems. Akashteer has been developed through India&#39;s defense-industrial structure, with Bharat Electronics playing a central role. Supporters present the system as evidence of India&#39;s progress in battlefield automation and network-centric warfare. Critics, however, point to longstanding concerns that have periodically surfaced within India&#39;s wider defense procurement and public-sector manufacturing environment.&nbsp; These include allegations of irregularities, corruption, procurement controversies, delays and bureaucratic inefficiencies that have accompanied various defense projects over the years. The issue is not necessarily whether Akashteer itself is technically deficient. Rather, critics argue that when governments purchase highly integrated command-and-control systems, they are not merely buying software or hardware.&nbsp; They are buying confidence in the institutions behind those systems. For them, governance and credibility become part of the product itself. Battlefield Shadow Over BrahMos and AkashteerThe latest incident of failure of Indian defense capabilities came from the battlefield surrounding recent India-Pakistan military tensions in May 2025. Pakistan&#39;s military, through the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), presented a detailed account of operations conducted under &quot;Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.&quot; According to the ISPR, Pakistani forces engaged 26 military targets across Indian territory and Indian-administered Kashmir despite the deployment of the Akashteer Air Defense System.&nbsp; The military&#39;s media wing said that strikes included&nbsp;multiple air force and aviation facilities, among them were Suratgarh, Sirsa, Nalia, Adampur, Bathinda, Barnala, Halwara, Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, Mamoon, Ambala and Pathankot. Pakistan destroyed BrahMos storage facilities at Beas and Nagrota and that India&#39;s S-400 air defense system at Adampur was also attacked. For critics of India&#39;s defense exports, the episode reinforces a broader argument: that systems being marketed internationally are simultaneously becoming subjects of competing real time battlefield tests, political messaging and strategic scrutiny.

India

As India expands its ambitions in the global arms market, New Delhi is increasingly positioning itself as a supplier of sophisticated military technology rather than merely one of the world’s largest weapons importers. 

From misfire to market: The uncomfortable questions behind India’s defense exports

SAN FRANCISCO:&nbsp;Apple said Thursday it was raising prices for its MacBook computers, iPad tablets and other products, citing spiraling memory and storage costs sparked by the rise of artificial intelligence. The price hikes -- the first concrete change stemming from outgoing CEO Tim Cook&#39;s repeated warnings about rising costs -- sent Apple shares plummeting more than 4.7 percent in morning trade. On its US website, price increases ranged from $30 to $300. The 14-inch MacBook Pro, which once sold for $1,700, now retails for $2,000, while the iPad Air increased from $600 to $750. The Apple TV streaming device rose from $130 to $200. For now, the price of the iPhone -- the company&#39;s main source of revenue -- remained unchanged. &quot;The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage,&quot; an Apple spokesperson said in a statement sent to multiple media outlets. &quot;We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.&quot; Apple did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant -- which notched an all-time revenue record of $416 billion in the last fiscal year -- insisted it had &quot;shielded our customers from these increases so far&quot; but could no longer do so. Last week, Cook set the stage when he told The Wall Street Journal that price increases were &quot;unavoidable.&quot; &quot;There&#39;s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases,&quot; Cook said, deeming the spike in prices a &quot;hundred-year flood.&quot; The rapid buildout of AI data centers has sent the cost of memory chips and RAM skyrocketing -- as the components are found in nearly all electronic devices -- with the chips undergoing quarterly price increases of at least 50 percent since late 2025. It will fall to John Ternus to handle the fallout at Apple -- he will succeed Cook as CEO on September 1, just days before the new generation of iPhones is unveiled.

Gadgets

Apple raised prices of MacBook, iPad and other products due to rising memory and storage costs from AI demand. Prices increased $30–$300, with MacBook Pro reaching $2,000 and iPad Air $750, while iPhone prices remained unchanged.

Apple raises prices for MacBooks and iPads, as costs soar over AI

Pakistan TV Satellite

ZURICH: Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), Bilal Bin Saqib, said at the Point Zero Forum in Zurich, that the world is moving beyond the future of finance into an era where artificial intelligence and autonomous systems will increasingly make decisions, conduct transactions and shape the global balance of power. The Point Zero Forum 2026, held in Zurich, Switzerland, this week and is a leading global platform that brings together over 2000 participants including central bankers, regulators, policymakers, fintech innovators, and industry leaders to discuss the future of finance and financial technology.&nbsp; &ldquo;We are not just entering the future of finance. We are entering the future of agency. AI will decide. Software will transact. Machines will negotiate, settle and execute in real time,&rdquo; Chairman PVARA made it clear in his message at the forum.&nbsp; &ldquo;The real divide ahead will be between nations that shape autonomous intelligence, and nations that simply live inside systems built by others. This is not science fiction. It is being engineered now,&rdquo; he added. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070198323554959630&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8767e2360db3c19c24dcc765340338415091f489&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> Speaking at the global forum, Bilal Bin Saqib noted that for centuries machines remained tools operated by humans, but that paradigm is rapidly changing.&nbsp; He said finance is only the beginning, warning that autonomous systems are set to transform logistics, energy and security, with entire economies increasingly relying on machines making decisions in real time. &ldquo;The most valuable thing a country can have is not just capital. It is the talent to build these systems around autonomous agents and govern them,&rdquo; he said. Calling the technological shift a major opportunity, he said Pakistan has the potential to leapfrog traditional development models and emerge as a creator of next-generation technologies. &ldquo;For a country like Pakistan, we can leapfrog and be the generators, the creators of these systems,&rdquo; he added.

SAT News Desk

At the Point Zero Forum 2026 in Zurich, Bilal Bin Saqib said AI and autonomous systems will increasingly make decisions, conduct transactions and shape power. He stressed talent in autonomous intelligence and said Pakistan can leapfrog as a creator.

AI era will redefine finance, economy and global power, says PVARA chairman

LONDON:&nbsp;Cryptocurrency exchange Binance said Thursday it will suspend services in several European countries from next week as it has been unable secure regulatory approval to operate in the European Union. Binance, the world&#39;s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, said it had applied for authorisation to operate under the EU&#39;s crypto assets regulation MiCA in Greece, but told clients that it has now withdrawn that application and would apply in another EU country. MiCA imposes a common framework in the EU in terms of investor protections and anti-money laundering measures regarding the trading of crypto assets in the bloc. It entered into force in 2024 but crypto exchanges had until June 30 to obtain approval from a regulator in an EU country, but most have not applied or received authorisation by the deadline. &quot;Binance France is no longer in a position to accept new clients and from July 1, 2026, will no longer crypto asset services in France,&quot; the company said in an email to clients on Wednesday. &quot;This is not specific to France, similar communications have been sent to affected users in other EU markets,&quot; the company said Thursday, adding it had until June 30 to obtain the necessary authorisations. &quot;Your assets remain safe and secure, and will remain accessible at all times,&quot; the company said in a mail to clients. Binance said it had decided to withdraw its Greek application &quot; after careful consideration of the status and the timeline of the process in Greece, with our users&rsquo; interests at the center.&quot; Binance said it had worked constructively and in good faith with Greek regulators. But with no formal decision as the end of the MiCA transition period that allowed it to operate approaches &quot;we have taken the prudent decision to move forward in a way that gives users more clarity and allows us to continue pursuing a compliant, long-term path in Europe.&quot; Contacted by AFP, Hellenic Capital Market Commission did not comment on Thursday evening. Created in 2017, Binance has cornered much of the crypto-trading market, turning its co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao into a billionaire. While Binance was founded in China, Zhao moved its operations to other locations internationally after a crackdown on the crypto sector by Beijing. Binance runs crypto exchanges and provides other services around the world, but it took a severe hit when crypto markets collapsed in 2022 and regulators began probing the legality of its business. The firm has been accused in several countries of allowing criminal organisations to launder funds through its platform. A probe is still underway in France.

Crypto

Binance says it suspends services in several European countries from July 1 after failing to obtain authorization under the EU’s MiCA regulation. The exchange withdraws its Greek application and says users’ assets remain safe and accessible.

Binance to suspend crypto services in several EU countries

GENEVA: The United Nations is &quot;fully mobilised&quot; to provide assistance in quake-hit Venezuela, the UN&#39;s aid chief said Thursday, stressing the response would require &quot;massive collective efforts&quot;. Venezuela&#39;s strongest earthquake since 1900 killed at least 164 people as it destroyed multiple buildings near the capital. &quot;We are fully mobilised to support the people of Venezuela,&quot; UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in a statement. He said he had spoken Thursday morning with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, and &quot;we are assessing urgently what is needed&quot;. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA was meanwhile &nbsp;&quot;coordinating the rapid deployment of urban search and rescue teams from across the international community&quot;, Fletcher said. &quot;I am surging a rapid response team to reinforce the OCHA team in country,&quot; he added. Fletcher welcomed the international outpouring of aid and assistance already on display. &quot;The coming days will require a massive collective effort to support the Government-led response and help communities,&quot; he said. The UN aid chief pointed out that even before the earthquakes hit west of the capital Caracas Wednesday evening, nearly eight million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support. &quot;This disaster risks deepening existing vulnerabilities,&quot; he warned.

The United Nations says it is fully mobilised to help Venezuela after a powerful earthquake kills at least 164 people, with the UN aid chief stressing that the response requires massive collective efforts.

Venezuela quake response requires 'massive collective effort': UN aid chief

ANKARA: More than 10,000 historic artefacts were seized at the Istanbul home of two people who have been placed under arrest, Turkish police said Thursday. &quot;An operation was carried out by our anti-smuggling directorate and two individuals were arrested. Our cultural heritage constitutes our country&#39;s collective memory and the universal heritage of humanity,&quot; said Istanbul police chief Selami Yildiz. Among the items seized are 3,366 coins, inscriptions and various historical artefacts reflecting the social life, beliefs and economic activities of the Hittite, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, according to the private Turkish news agency DHA. Turkish authorities aggressively crack down on illegal trading in the country&#39;s antiquities, and last year the country secured the return of 180 plundered artworks.

Asia

Turkish police arrests two suspects after seizing more than 10,000 historic artefacts, including coins and relics from multiple ancient civilizations, in a major anti-smuggling operation in Istanbul.

More than 10,000 historic artefacts seized at Turkish home

ISLAMABAD: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the Taliban&rsquo;s shutdown of Tamadon TV, one of Afghanistan&rsquo;s few remaining independent television stations, calling on the authorities to immediately allow the broadcaster to resume operations, according to *Amu TV*. Armed officials from the Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry of Justice raided Tamadon TV&rsquo;s headquarters in Kabul on Tuesday, forced the station off the air, insulted employees and sealed its offices, the report said. &ldquo;The closure of Tamadon TV and the degrading treatment of its staff mark an alarming escalation in the Taliban&rsquo;s assault on Afghanistan&rsquo;s independent media,&rdquo; said **Waliullah Rahmani**, CPJ&rsquo;s Afghanistan-Pakistan representative. &ldquo;Taliban authorities must immediately allow Tamadon TV to resume broadcasting without interference and stop silencing news outlets with force on the pretext of unproven allegations,&rdquo; Rahmani said. The shutdown comes amid growing concern over the shrinking space for independent journalism in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.&nbsp; Journalists and media rights advocates say independent outlets have faced mounting pressure through raids, licensing restrictions, detentions and administrative measures that have steadily eroded press freedom. Tamadon TV, which broadcasts news, current affairs and political programming, is among the few independent television stations still operating in Afghanistan. It is also one of the country&rsquo;s rare broadcasters airing Shia religious content. The raid took place during Muharram, one of the holiest periods in the Shia Muslim calendar, as concerns continue to grow over restrictions affecting Afghanistan&rsquo;s Shia community and religious activities. The closure follows years of pressure on the broadcaster. In June 2025, the Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry of Justice announced plans to shut down Tamadon TV, alleging that it was affiliated with Harakat-e-Islami, a political party banned by the Taliban, and that it operated from property authorities claimed had been unlawfully seized. The order, however, was not enforced at the time. Mohammad Jawad Mohseni, the station&rsquo;s director, rejected the allegations, saying Tamadon TV had no links to any political party and that the property housing its headquarters had been legally purchased through a private sale. Mohseni also said a special court had been reviewing the ownership documents for more than a year without issuing a ruling. The latest closure comes months after another intervention involving a broadcaster linked to Afghanistan&rsquo;s Shia and Hazara communities. In February, Taliban intelligence agents took control of Rah-e-Farda TV, a station owned by prominent Hazara politician Mohammad Mohaqiq. The broadcaster resumed operations this month after Taliban authorities approved a new broadcasting licence under different ownership. CPJ said the raid on Tamadon TV underscores growing fears for the future of independent journalism in Afghanistan, warning that the closure of one of the country&rsquo;s last independent broadcasters represents a significant escalation in the Taliban&rsquo;s campaign against independent media.

Afghanistan

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the closure of Tamadon TV, warning that shutting one of Afghanistan’s last independent broadcasters marks a significant escalation in Taliban efforts to silence independent media and restrict press freedom.

Taliban shut down independent broadcaster Tamadon TV amid escalating media crackdown

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed grief and solidarity with Venezuela following powerful earthquakes that caused widespread devastation and loss of life in the country.&nbsp; In a post on X, President Zardari conveyed his deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and extensive damage caused by the earthquakes. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressed sympathies to the government and people of Venezuela during the difficult period.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070018272280641902&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" spellcheck="false">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;The people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and share their grief,&quot; Zardari said in a statement. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength and resilience for all those affected by the disaster. The president expressed hope that the Venezuelan people would overcome the tragedy with courage and determination and that ongoing relief and rescue efforts would provide timely assistance to those in need. Prime Minister Sharif also expressed sadness over the devastation caused by the earthquakes, offering condolences on behalf of the Pakistani people. &quot;Deeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela,&quot; Sharif said. &quot;On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially the families of the victims.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070015998586163630&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The prime minister said Pakistan was praying for those injured and stood in solidarity with all those affected by the disaster. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also conveyed his sympathies, saying he was deeply grieved by the loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquakes.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2070045641351577728&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c00813f4511170a1a25f4f35628ee4c258b29fc8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 417px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;My deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. I also wish a speedy recovery to those injured,&quot; Dar said in a post on X. He reaffirmed Pakistan&#39;s support for Venezuela, saying the country stood in solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people during the challenging time.

Police and volunteers search for people in a damaged building following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, some 30km north-west of Caracas, early on June 25, 2026.

Pakistani leadership expresses hope that the Venezuelan people would overcome the tragedy with courage and determination and that ongoing relief and rescue efforts would provide timely assistance to those in need.

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