Simran Siraj

KARACHI: An intense heatwave coupled with powerful dust storms has created a dangerous weather emergency across Sindh, causing deaths, damaging infrastructure, disrupting agriculture, and exposing Pakistan&#39;s growing climate vulnerabilities. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Dadu recorded a scorching 51.5 degrees Celsius on May 30, the highest temperature reported in the country this season and an all-time high for the district. While extreme heat gripped upper and central Sindh, strong winds and dust storms swept through areas including Nawabshah and Moro, uprooting trees, damaging homes, disrupting power supplies, and destroying commercial solar installations. Environmental and public health expert Dr Zafar Fatmi said the destructive weather pattern was driven by a combination of severe pre-monsoon heat, dry land conditions, and thunderstorm-generated winds.&nbsp;&ldquo;When temperatures remain exceptionally high, the atmosphere becomes unstable, and the arrival of cooler air masses or moisture can trigger intense wind events,&rdquo; Dr Fatmi told Pakistan TV Digital. He explained that vast stretches of land across Sindh undergo intense solar heating during May and June, creating low-pressure zones over the interior. As hot air rises rapidly, incoming cooler or more humid air can trigger violent wind bursts, dust storms, and localized thunderstorms. Authorities advise avoiding prolonged exposure to sunPMD heatwave alerts warned that temperatures in districts including Dadu, Jacobabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Ghotki, and Khairpur could range between 47 C and 50 C, remaining 4 C to 6 C above normal levels. Authorities have advised residents, particularly children, women, and the elderly, to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and stay hydrated. However, Dr Fatmi said the accompanying windstorms have transformed the heatwave into a broader public safety crisis. &ldquo;The loss of life in such events is often caused by collapsing roofs, falling trees, damaged structures, flying debris, road accidents, and electrocution from downed power lines rather than dust inhalation alone,&rdquo; he said. Beyond the immediate damage, the storms are also taking a toll on Sindh&#39;s agricultural sector by stripping away fertile topsoil, damaging standing crops, accelerating moisture loss, and affecting livestock health. Dr Fatmi warned that climate change, prolonged drought, land degradation, and vegetation loss are increasing the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events across the arid and semi-arid regions of Sindh, Balochistan, and southern Punjab. He added that when large dust clouds reach urban centers such as Karachi, they combine with existing air pollution, creating serious health risks for people suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Dr Fatmi stressed the need for stronger early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, improved land management practices, and greater community preparedness to reduce future economic losses and save lives.

Blogs

Record heat and deadly dust storms batter Sindh, with temperatures exceeding 51 degrees Celsius in Dadu, raising climate, health, and infrastructure concerns across Pakistan.

How extreme heat is fueling deadly dust storms in Sindh

Faraz Saeed

This guide explains key terms including GDP inflation fiscal deficit debt servicing and revenue targets helping readers better understand the government's fiscal priorities and policies.

Budget 2026: Understanding key terms shaping Pakistan’s economy

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: The news cycle out of the Middle East runs on a reliable rhythm: an Iranian threat, an American countermove, oil prices spike, markets shudder. Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, that cycle has repeated often enough to feel permanent. It is not. Beneath the escalatory optics &ndash; Iran&#39;s navy announcing the Strait of Hormuz &quot;completely closed,&quot; the US blockade forcing two dozen ships to turn back, ballistic missiles exchanged across four Gulf states &ndash; a parallel track has been running without interruption. Talks between Washington and Tehran have not stopped. The question shaping the next phase of this conflict is not whether a deal will be sought, but whether either government can sell one to its own people. The economics of quitting Iran&#39;s economy entered 2026 fractured. According to the International Monetary Fund&#39;s 2026 DataMapper projections, Iran&#39;s nominal GDP stands at $300.29 billion with per capita income of $3,410, masking severe conditions: the IMF projects a 6.1% real GDP contraction for 2026 with consumer price inflation at 68.9%. The World Bank reports a 2.7% GDP contraction in the 2025/2026 fiscal year and projects another 2.8% contraction for 2026, while the UN Development Programme notes that reimposed snapback sanctions on Iran&#39;s nuclear program have pushed larger segments of the population below upper-middle-income poverty thresholds. A government presiding over 68.9% inflation, a contracting economy, and a population priced out of basic goods does not have indefinite latitude to sustain a full military confrontation with the world&#39;s largest economy. The talks Trump says didn&#39;t stop On June 2, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: &quot;Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the USA, stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous. The conversations between us have been going on continuously.&quot; As reported by Reuters on May 29, Trump stated he would make a &quot;final determination&quot; on a proposal to extend the early-April ceasefire by 60 days, allowing negotiators to forge a permanent end to the war. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/09e1f7b8-39b5-4552-8d06-5aec026d496a.png" style="width: 595px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> A senior Iranian source told Reuters a potential agreement was &quot;close&quot; but not yet approved, and crucially, the deal under discussion does not include nuclear-related conditions contrary to Trump&#39;s public demands. That framing (fabricated victory) is essential context. Both governments communicate to two audiences simultaneously: a negotiating counterpart and a domestic constituency that must be managed. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate foreign relations committee hearing that Tehran had agreed to discuss nuclear program aspects previously refused, and confirmed that Iran&#39;s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive and &quot;increasingly engaging,&quot; as reported by The Guardian. His testimony opened diplomatic doors even as Iranian state media announced the opposite. What Iran&#39;s hardline statements actually signal Iran&#39;s public posture has been deliberately combative. The joint statement issued by Iran&#39;s Armed Forces declared that &quot;the American and Zionist enemies will have no option but surrender,&quot; as reported by Tasnim News Agency. This insulates the negotiating team from charges of capitulation, making any eventual deal easier to present as a position of strength. Iran&#39;s opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz has followed the same logic. As reported by Forbes on April 18, Iran&#39;s navy broadcast that the strait was &quot;completely closed again&quot; and blamed US government failure to fulfill negotiating commitments. Trump acknowledged &quot;very good conversations&quot; were continuing. Ship traffic has stayed far below prewar levels, a trickle instead of 100+ vessels daily. BBC&#39;s analysis captured the tension precisely: Iran &quot;wants the war to stop as quickly as possible, not at any price.&quot; The phrase &quot;not at any price&quot; is the constraint; &quot;as quickly as possible&quot; is the incentive. US domestic pressure According to Pew Research, 61% of Americans disapprove how the conflict was handled. YouGov/Economist polling found 58% of Americans oppose the war, with 70% across party lines saying the US should make a deal quickly. Global oil prices surged and crude oil futures leaping more than 7% on reports of escalation places additional pressure on the Trump administration to secure resolution ahead of congressional elections in November. Structure of a possible deal Negotiations have centered on a 60-day ceasefire extension, gradual removal of the US blockade on Iranian ports, and release of $12 billion in Iran&#39;s frozen assets, according to Reuters. Kazakhstan has signaled willingness to receive Tehran&#39;s enriched uranium stockpile as part of any deal, per IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. Iran&#39;s conditions include full sanctions relief, US force withdrawal from the region, and ending Israel&#39;s offensive in Lebanon. The gap between news and reality Military escalation and diplomatic progress are not mutually exclusive, they occur simultaneously, with each side using kinetic activity as leverage. When Iran fires on a tanker, oil prices move and coverage shifts to crisis framing, but the diplomatic channel does not stop. The war has killed thousands and pushed global energy prices to emergency levels, producing a US public majority across partisan lines demanding it end. The parties need an exit. The question is which version each government can defend to its own people. That answer is being decided in rooms that generate no news coverage.&nbsp; One thing is clear: the talks are continuing.

Officials and analysts say mounting economic pressures and rising domestic opposition push Washington and Tehran toward settlement, while public military escalation masks the continuous diplomatic negotiations occurring behind the scenes.

Why US-Iran diplomatic channels remain open despite regional attacks

Maryam Shah

Muslims across the world are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, marked by the ritual sacrifice of animals in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim&rsquo;s devotion and obedience to Allah. According to Islamic tradition, Prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his son after receiving a command from Allah in a dream, before Allah replaced the sacrifice with a ram after testing his faith and submission. The event is referenced in the Holy Quran in Surah As-Saffat: &ldquo;And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.&rdquo;(Surah As-Saffat 37:107) Also known as the &ldquo;Festival of Sacrifice,&rdquo; Eid al-Adha is observed annually on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, following the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Millions of Muslims gather in mosques and open prayer grounds for special Eid prayers before carrying out Qurbani, or ritual animal sacrifice, a practice rooted in faith, charity and social responsibility. The sacrificeEach year, millions of animals are sacrificed globally during Eid al-Adha. In Pakistan alone, around 6.8 million animals were sacrificed during Eid al-Adha in 2024, according to data cited by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). The figure represented an increase from approximately 6.18 million animals sacrificed during Eid al-Adha in 2023. The total included about 2.86 million cows and bulls, 165,000 buffaloes, 3.3 million goats, 385,000 sheep and nearly 99,000 camels. Under Islamic tradition, the meat from the sacrifice is commonly divided into three portions: one for the family, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor and needy, reflecting Islam&rsquo;s emphasis on compassion, charity and care for the less fortunate. Beyond its religious significance, Eid al-Adha also generates major economic activity in Pakistan, particularly for livestock farmers, traders, transporters, tanners and small businesses linked to the seasonal cattle market economy. The rules of QurbaniThe practice of sacrifice is rooted in the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Narrated Anas bin Malik: &ldquo;The Prophet sacrificed two horned rams, black and white in colour. He slaughtered them with his own hands, mentioned Allah&rsquo;s name over them, said Takbir and placed his foot on their sides.&rdquo;(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sacrifice, Hadith 5558) Islamic scholars cite this Hadith as evidence for the method and significance of Qurbani, as well as the importance of offering the sacrifice after the Eid prayer. Islamic jurisprudence also prescribes detailed conditions for a valid sacrifice. The animal must belong to permitted categories, goat, sheep, cow, buffalo or camel, and meet minimum age requirements generally accepted by scholars: at least one year for goats and sheep, two years for cows and buffaloes, and five years for camels. The animal must also be free from major defects such as blindness, severe illness or lameness. A goat or sheep is considered sufficient for one household, while a cow, buffalo or camel may be shared by up to seven people. Managing Eid in PakistanAuthorities across Pakistan typically launch extensive cleanliness, waste disposal and security operations during Eid days to manage animal waste, traffic congestion and crowds in major urban centres. Municipal workers, volunteers and local administrations remain on high alert throughout the holiday period, particularly in large cities where temporary cattle markets and large-scale animal slaughter create additional logistical challenges. For Muslims, however, Eid al-Adha remains above all a spiritual occasion centred on sacrifice, obedience, gratitude and generosity, values deeply rooted in Islamic faith and tradition.

Children play with a bull ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Rawalpindi on May 23, 2026. (AFP)

Muslims gather for Eid al-Adha prayers and animal sacrifice celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion and emphasizing charity, compassion and community welfare during one of Islam’s most significant religious festivals.

How Eid al-Adha celebrations are rooted in faith and sacrifice

Aleena Zara Malik

For years, we were told it was a period problem. The acne. The weight that wouldn&#39;t move. The hair in places we were taught to be ashamed of. The cycles that arrived late, or early, or not at all. We were shamed for it, laughed at for it, and sent home with the same advice every time: lose weight, get married, have a baby, you&#39;ll be fine. &quot;Aap married hain?&quot; The question opens many appointments. As if a hormonal disorder only deserves treatment once a husband is involved. As if our bodies are filing cabinets for future pregnancies and nothing else. Say no, and the conversation often ends before it begins, because what is there to fix in a woman who isn&#39;t trying to make someone else? On May 12, a paper in The Lancet announced that polycystic ovary syndrome, the condition one in eight women live with, will no longer be called polycystic ovary syndrome. Its new name is polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. The change was led by Helena Teede, an endocrinologist at Monash University in Australia, and built on 14 years of work involving dozens of professional societies and more than 20,000 patients, doctors, and researchers across six continents. The term &quot;polycystic&quot; implied cysts on the ovaries. But the structures seen on ultrasounds are not ovarian cysts in the conventional medical sense; they are immature follicles. Researchers involved in the renaming effort argued that the old terminology misrepresented the condition and narrowed public understanding of it. Under evolving diagnostic guidelines, many women may no longer need ovarian ultrasounds for diagnosis if irregular cycles and excess androgen levels are already present. What the old name buried was the rest of the condition. PCOS is not, and never was, a disease of the ovaries with some side effects. It is an endocrine and metabolic disorder that involves the ovaries. Insulin resistance affects roughly 85% of women with the condition. The risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and anxiety are all elevated. Up to 70% of women with the condition are still estimated to be undiagnosed. If the old name harmed women globally, it harmed South Asian women specifically. Studies have found polycystic ovarian morphology in roughly 52% of women of South Asian origin, more than twice the rate reported in Caucasian populations. Pakistani studies, depending on hospital and diagnostic criteria, report prevalence anywhere from 18% to over 50% among reproductive-age women.&nbsp; South Asian women also tend to develop the condition earlier, present with more severe metabolic symptoms, and carry a higher baseline risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.&nbsp; A 2024 systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease found PCOS prevalence rising steadily across South Asia, with India carrying the highest burden in the region. But a name change in The Lancet does not automatically arrive in Lahore, Karachi, or Quetta. PMOS is expected to be formally integrated into international guidelines by 2028.&nbsp; In Pakistan, many women with the condition are not diagnosed by endocrinologists because there are relatively few specialists to go around.&nbsp; Much of the work falls to gynecologists, general practitioners, and increasingly to social-media wellness influencers promoting spearmint tea, inositol supplements, and hormonal &quot;healing&quot; plans online. The women walking into a gynecologist&#39;s office next month will not necessarily be greeted with a different question. It may still be &quot;aap married hain?&quot; The chart may eventually say PMOS instead of PCOS, once forms are reprinted, textbooks are updated, and the next cohort of medical students learns the new acronym.&nbsp; The condition behind both names will remain the same one many women have been told, for years, was either nothing or their own fault. The rename matters. Words in medicine shape which doctors get consulted, which research gets funded, and which symptoms get taken seriously. But some clinicians have also cautioned that changing terminology alone will not fix gaps in diagnosis, access, or care. After 14 years of advocacy and global consensus, though, the disease has finally been called something closer to what it is.

PCOS gets renamed to PMOS after global medical consensus, reflecting its broader endocrine and metabolic impact, as experts say millions of women, especially in South Asia, remain underdiagnosed despite growing awareness and evolving treatment guidelines.

Why renaming PCOS to PMOS is more than semantics

Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Recent security developments have reinforced Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing assessment that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban operate as a mutually reinforcing nexus, where pressure on one group is met with retaliation by the other. The pattern was again visible this week after Pakistan launched <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Operation Ghazab lil Haq</a>&nbsp;in response to unprovoked cross-border attacks. As <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/why-pakistan-struck-afghanistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan struck Afghan Taliban targets</a> inside Afghanistan, TTP elements attempted to escalate violence inside Pakistan, including failed drone attacks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that TTP-linked terrorists attempted to launch drones in Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, but said Pakistan&rsquo;s anti-drone systems intercepted all of them, preventing any loss of life. &ldquo;These <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-responds-afghan-border-fire" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">incidents have again exposed direct linkages</a> between the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorism in Pakistan,&rdquo; Tarar said in a statement. Terrorist groups&#39; messaging, released the same day, removed any remaining ambiguity. A TTP faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, publicly issued directives to its terrorist operatives across Pakistan to escalate attacks on security forces, portraying the violence as retaliation for Pakistan&rsquo;s military action against Afghan Taliban targets. The message openly described attacks inside Pakistan as an act of &ldquo;solidarity&rdquo; with the Afghan Taliban. An earlier internal directive attributed to TTP leadership went further, declaring that the &ldquo;Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands with our mujahideen&rdquo; and ordering commanders to escalate attacks while amplifying propaganda through media channels. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistani officials</a> say this coordinated messaging reflects an operational reality that has persisted since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021: Afghan soil has increasingly been used as a safe haven for groups targeting Pakistan. Islamabad maintains that the return of the Taliban to power removed constraints on terrorist networks, enabling training, planning and cross-border attacks with impunity. Security sources argue the sequence is now predictable. When Pakistan confronts terrorist infrastructure inside Afghanistan, TTP cells activate inside Pakistan. When TTP strikes Pakistani targets, protection and facilitation trace back across the border. Pakistan says repeated diplomatic engagements have failed to alter this behavior and that the Afghan Taliban regime has neither acknowledged nor acted against the presence of anti-Pakistan terrorist groups on its territory. As military operations and militant reprisals continue in parallel, Pakistani authorities say the distinction between the Afghan Taliban and TTP is no longer theoretical but operational. A shared ecosystem in which an attack on one triggers a response from the other.

Pakistan says recent drone attempts, militant directives, and retaliatory strikes demonstrate a coordinated operational pattern, where pressure on the Afghan Taliban consistently triggers Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan attacks inside Pakistan, reinforcing concerns over cross-border safe havens.

TTP–Taliban nexus exposed as attacks and retaliation mirror each other

Saima Ayub

A child stands in the middle of the room. Arms folded. Lips pressed tight. Eyes burning with a quiet storm.&nbsp;You say, &ldquo;Pick up your bag.&rdquo;&nbsp;The child says, &ldquo;No.&rdquo;&nbsp;And just like that, the air changes.&nbsp;We call it stubbornness. A difficult nature. A bad habit. A strong will gone wrong.&nbsp;But after years of watching children in classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, and parent meetings, I&nbsp;have learned something unsettling and honest: stubbornness is rarely about defiance. It is usually about&nbsp;distress.&nbsp;A child is not born stubborn. A child becomes stubborn when they feel unheard, unseen, or overpowered.&nbsp;In school, I have seen the quiet child suddenly refuse to write. The cheerful one who refuses to share. The&nbsp;obedient student who one day simply says, &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t.&rdquo; Parents are shocked. &ldquo;He was never like this.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;She&nbsp;used to listen.&rdquo;&nbsp;Yes. Because something has shifted inside.&nbsp;Children live in a world where almost everything is decided for them, what to wear, when to wake up,&nbsp;what to eat, when to study, how to sit, and how to speak.&nbsp;Their lives are structured by bells and instructions.&nbsp;And while structure is necessary, control without voice breeds resistance.&nbsp;Stubbornness is often a child&rsquo;s small, trembling attempt to say, &ldquo;I want some control too.&rdquo;&nbsp;Psychologists speak of autonomy as a basic human need. Even a four-year-old wants to feel capable. When&nbsp;that need is repeatedly dismissed.&nbsp; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t argue.&rdquo; &nbsp;&ldquo;Just do as I say.&rdquo; &ldquo;Because I said so.&rdquo;&nbsp; The child&nbsp;learns that the only way to be heard is to resist.&nbsp;And resistance becomes a habit.&nbsp;There is another truth we rarely admit. Sometimes children become stubborn because we are.&nbsp;A rushed parent. A tired teacher. A command given without eye contact. An instruction repeated louder&nbsp;each time. The child mirrors what they see. Stiffness creates stiffness.&nbsp;I remember a boy in my school who refused to participate in group work. Every day, the same battle. His&nbsp;teacher insisted. He resisted. Voices rose. Tears followed.&nbsp;One afternoon, instead of insisting, the teacher sat beside him and asked softly, &ldquo;What worries you about&nbsp;group work?&rdquo;&nbsp;He whispered, &ldquo;They laugh at my English.&rdquo;&nbsp;That was the stubbornness. Not rebellion, fear.&nbsp;Once we understood that, everything changed.&nbsp;A graceful response does not mean permissiveness. It means firmness with dignity. Boundaries without&nbsp;humiliation. Authority without anger. When a child refuses, pause before reacting. Ask yourself: Is this about power, fear, tiredness, or simply a&nbsp;need to be noticed?&nbsp;Offer limited choices. &ldquo;You can start with math or English. Which one first?&rdquo; Choice restores dignity.&nbsp;Acknowledge feelings without surrendering rules. &ldquo;I know you&rsquo;re upset. The homework still needs to be&nbsp;done.&rdquo;&nbsp;Stay calmA calm adult regulates a storming child. A shouting adult creates a hurricane.&nbsp;And sometimes, let natural consequences teach. If a child refuses to pack their bag, allow them to face the&nbsp;discomfort of forgetting a notebook, without rescuing them immediately. Responsibility grows when we&nbsp;step back.&nbsp;Above all, protect the relationship. No lesson is more important than trust.&nbsp;Children who feel safe do not need to fight for control. They learn cooperation because they feel&nbsp;respected.&nbsp;In my years as an educationist, I have seen stubborn children grow into strong leaders, once their will&nbsp;was guided, not crushed. The same firmness that says &ldquo;No&rdquo; at five can say &ldquo;I stand for what is right&rdquo; at&nbsp;twenty.&nbsp;Stubbornness is raw strength. Mishandled, it becomes rebellion. Understood, it becomes resilience.&nbsp;So the next time a child folds their arms and says &ldquo;No,&rdquo; do not see an enemy.&nbsp;See a small human being, struggling to find their voice in a world that often speaks over them.&nbsp;And respond, not with force, but with steady grace.

Children’s stubbornness is rarely defiance; it signals distress, fear, or a need for autonomy. Control without voice breeds resistance. Calm authority, limited choices, natural consequences, and preserved trust transform defiance into resilience, guiding strong will into future leadership.

Why children become stubborn, and how to respond gracefully

As parents and guardians we think of lying as a moral crack in the wall. But when it comes to children, truth is usually softer, and sadder.&nbsp;Children lie because of fear.&nbsp;They are not afraid of prison or police rather our faces. They are afraid of our silence. Afraid of disappointing the people whose approval feels like everything.&nbsp;A child who breaks a glass does not first think about right or wrong. He thinks about what will happen next. Will there be shouting? Will love feel distant? In that quick, anxious moment, a lie becomes a small shield. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t me.&rdquo; It is not wickedness speaking. It is fear trying to survive.&nbsp;If we are honest with ourselves, we may remember doing the same.&nbsp;There is also imagination, a bright and restless force in childhood. A five-year-old may&nbsp;insist the cat opened the cupboard or the wind pushed the vase. To us it sounds like&nbsp;deliberate deception. But in a young mind, imagination and reality often sit side by side.&nbsp;The child is not carefully constructing fraud. He is escaping guilt the only way he knows how, through story.&nbsp;As children grow older, their lies change shape.&nbsp;An older child may hide poor marks. A teenager may lie about where she was. These lies&nbsp;are not about spilled milk anymore. They are about identity. About wanting to be seen as&nbsp;capable, responsible, mature.&nbsp;Children care deeply about how we see them. Sometimes more than we realize.&nbsp;When expectations are high and mistakes feel unbearable, truth begins to look dangerous. There is also another quiet reason: children are learningsome point. At some point a child discovers that thoughts are private. That adults cannot see inside&nbsp;their minds. It is a startling discovery. With it comes experimentation. &ldquo;If I say this, will they believe me?&rdquo; It is less a plan to deceive and more a test of the world.&nbsp;None of this means lying should be ignored. Trust, once damaged, is difficult to rebuild. But punishment alone rarely builds honesty. It often builds better liars.&nbsp;If every confession is met with anger, the child learns to hide more carefully next time.&nbsp;What then helps?Calmness helps.&nbsp;When a child admits, &ldquo;Yes, I broke it,&rdquo; and hears, &ldquo;Thank you for telling me,&rdquo; something important happens. The mistake still matters. The consequence may still follow. But the&nbsp;child learns that truth does not cancel love.&nbsp;That lesson stays.&nbsp;We must also look at ourselves. Children notice the small things. When we say on the&nbsp;phone, &ldquo;Tell them I&rsquo;m not home,&rdquo; they are listening. When we exaggerate stories or twist&nbsp;facts, they are watching. We cannot demand honesty in a language we do not speak.&nbsp;A lying child is not a lost child.More often, it is a worried child. Or an ashamed child. Or simply a growing child trying to&nbsp;manage feelings too large for his small hands.&nbsp;If we want honesty, we must make it safe. Safe to fail. Safe to confess. Safe to be imperfect.&nbsp;The real question is not, &ldquo;Why is my child lying?&rdquo;&nbsp;Perhaps it is, &ldquo;What is my child afraid of losing if they tell the truth?&rdquo;&nbsp;When we answer that gently &mdash; not with authority alone, but with understanding, we&nbsp;may find that the lies grow fewer, and the conversations grow deeper.&nbsp;And that is where trust truly begins.

Children often lie from fear, imagination, or growing identity, not malice. Honesty grows when adults respond calmly, model truth, and make mistakes safe, showing that truth never cancels love, trust, or belonging for children everywhere.

The psychology behind kids lying

Many adults believe that raising one&rsquo;s voice is a normal part of parenting, saying, &ldquo;Children don&rsquo;t listen otherwise.&rdquo; &nbsp;In homes and schools, shouting is often treated as a form of discipline. Yet shouting does not teach children to behave better; rather, it teaches them to be afraid, confused, or equally loud. As an educationist, I have seen this pattern repeated over the years and across classrooms. &nbsp; A raised voice may stop a child in the moment, but it never builds understanding.&nbsp; Silence after shouting is not obedience. It is an emotional shutdown.&nbsp; Research on child psychology and emotional regulation shows that children learn&nbsp;to manage their feelings by watching adults. When adults shout, children&rsquo;s stress hormones rise. The brain moves into survival mode, during which learning stops.&nbsp; The child may comply, but nothing is understood or remembered.&nbsp; Consider a common morning scene.&nbsp;A child is slow to get ready for school; his shoes are missing, and his breakfast is unfinished. Consequently, the parents&rsquo; voice rises with every minute. The child freezes, cries, or becomes stubborn, and by the time the child reaches school, he is already anxious.&nbsp; Teachers later complain that he is inattentive or aggressive, but the problem did not start in the classroom; it began at home, with raised voices.&nbsp; Neuroscience supports this observation. Research from Harvard&rsquo;s Center on the Developing Child shows that repeated exposure to stress &mdash; such as frequent shouting &mdash; can affect a child&rsquo;s developing brain, weakening the areas responsible for attention, memory, and emotional control.&nbsp; In simple words, shouting makes it harder for children to behave well in the future.&nbsp; Some people, however, argue that &ldquo;our parents shouted, and we turned out fine.&rdquo;&nbsp; This statement avoids an honest question: Did we truly turn out fine, or did we simply learn to hide fear and repeat the same behavior? Many adults admit they now struggle with anger, anxiety, or communication. These patterns often begin in childhood. In schools, the difference between loud authority and calm authority is clear.&nbsp; I recall a teacher who never raised her voice, even in a noisy classroom. She paused, stood still, and waited. Slowly, students noticed. Silence followed. Her calm was stronger than shouting. The children respected her not because they feared her, but because they trusted her.&nbsp; Another example comes from a parent who decided to change one habit: no shouting in the morning. Instead of repeated instructions, she created a simple routine chart with pictures. The first week was difficult. The second week was quieter. Within a month, her child became more independent.&nbsp; The parent did not lose control. She gained cooperation. Research on positive discipline confirms this.&nbsp; According to studies published in the Journal of Family Psychology, children raised with calm, consistent guidance show better self-control and fewer behavioral problems than those disciplined through yelling or threats. Calm discipline teaches responsibility, whereas loud discipline teaches fear.&nbsp; Raising your voice also damages the relationship between an adult and a child, as children may listen to a shouting adult but stop sharing their thoughts.&nbsp; They learn that mistakes bring anger, not guidance.&nbsp; Over time, this creates distance. Power should never be loud to be effective. True authority is quiet and steady. The same is true in parenting and teaching. A calm voice shows confidence. A raised voice shows loss of control. This does not mean children do not need boundaries. They do.&nbsp; But boundaries delivered calmly are clearer and stronger.&nbsp; &ldquo;We do not hit.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We finish our homework before play.&rdquo;&nbsp; Short sentences, firm tone, no shouting. Children understand this language.&nbsp; Never raising your voice does not mean being weak.&nbsp;It means being aware. It means choosing long-term growth over short-term silence.&nbsp; Children are not broken machines to be fixed with noise. They are learning humans. When adults lower their voices, children learn to regulate theirs. When adults stay calm, children feel safe enough to listen.&nbsp; In the end, the goal is not quiet children. The goal is confident, emotionally healthy adults. And that lesson begins with a calm voice today.

Children are not broken machines to be fixed with noise. They are learning humans. When adults lower their voices, children learn to regulate theirs. When adults stay calm, children feel safe enough to listen. 

Never raise your voice at your children

Every morning tells a story. Some mornings begin with light, routine, and quiet purpose. Others begin with shouting. In many homes, the day opens not with sunlight but with raised voices. &ldquo;Hurry up.&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re late again.&rdquo; &ldquo;How many times have I told you?&rdquo; These words are spoken quickly, often without cruelty, often with worry behind them. Yet their effect is deeper than we imagine. A child who begins his day with scolding does not leave those words at the doorstep. He carries them into the classroom, into his notebook, into his behavior, and into his sense of self. A child&rsquo;s mind in the morning is not prepared for battle. It is soft, just waking, trying to gather itself. When the first sound it hears is anger, the body reacts before the brain can reason. The heart beats faster. Muscles tighten. The mind shifts into defense. By the time the child reaches school, he is already tired. Teachers often notice this without knowing the cause. The child is distracted, restless, unusually quiet, or unusually aggressive. He forgets his books, avoids eye contact, or argues over small things. We label him careless, lazy, or illmannered. But often, he is simply recovering from his morning. Academics suffer quietly. A mind that is anxious cannot focus deeply. Reading requires calm attention. Writing requires confidence. Mathematics requires patience. A child who has been shouted at begins the day believing he is already wrong. When the teacher asks a question, he hesitates. When he makes a mistake, it confirms what he was told at home. Slowly, learning becomes a place of fear rather than curiosity. Behavior follows the same pattern. Some children withdraw. They sit silently, trying not to be noticed, afraid that attention will bring more criticism. Others do the opposite. They talk back, disturb the class, or pick fights. Both behaviors come from the same root: emotional imbalance. A shaken child will either shrink or shake others. Morning scolding shapes how a child thinks about himself for the rest of the day. Repeated often, it becomes a quiet belief: &ldquo;I am always late. I am always wrong. I always disappoint.&rdquo; Parents do not intend this. Morning is genuinely difficult. Time is short. Responsibilities are many. Yet discipline delivered in shouting loses its purpose. It may speed the child for a moment, but it slows him for the whole day. Parent&#39;s roleThere is another way, simpler but requiring effort. First, prepare the night before. School bags packed, uniforms laid out, shoes placed where they belong. A prepared morning needs fewer words. Second, wake children earlier than necessary. Rushing creates shouting. Time creates calm. Third, replace commands with reminders. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to wear your shoes&rdquo; works better than &ldquo;Why are you still sitting?&rdquo; Fourth, lower your voice intentionally. A calm voice demands attention more effectively than a loud one. Children mirror tone before they understand meaning. Fifth, offer one sentence of encouragement before they leave. &ldquo;Have a good day.&rdquo; &ldquo;I know you&rsquo;ll do well.&rdquo; These words travel with the child far longer than scolding ever will. Lastly, remember this: school tests knowledge, but mornings shape character. A child who leaves home feeling safe will face the world with confidence. A child who leaves home feeling small will spend the day trying to protect himself. We cannot control everything that happens to our children outside. But we control the first hour of their day. And often, that hour decides the rest. The morning does not need perfection. It needs peace.

Morning scolding quietly shapes a child’s emotions, learning, and behavior. Anxious beginnings drain focus and confidence all day. Calm preparation, gentle reminders, time, and encouragement create mornings that help children learn, behave, and face school.

How mornings shape children’s behavior

BUENOS AIRES: Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula have reached a record-breaking high of 15.4C for June, and ice is melting at abnormal rates during the current winter, climate scientists told AFP on Thursday. Esperanza Base, an Argentine research station located in the north of the peninsula, recorded the unprecedented figure on June 6. The previous highest temperature on record for that month -- 13.3C -- dates back to 1998. The current heat also significantly exceeds Esperanza&#39;s June average of -6.2C. Such a figure is &quot;very unusual for this time of year,&quot; Jose Luis Stella, a climatologist at Argentina&#39;s National Meteorological Service, told AFP. Argentine bases Marambio and San Martin also recorded unequalled temperatures between June 5 and 6. Marambio recorded 11.8C, surpassing a previous high of 9.2C and its June average of -10.7C. San Martin meanwhile saw 9.4C compared to its previous 7.8C record and June average of -5.6C. &#39;Confirms a trend&#39;The northern Antarctic heatwave is not an isolated event, University of Groningen professor Raul Cordero told AFP. &quot;It confirms a trend,&quot; he said, warning that &quot;these kinds of events will continue to occur with increasing frequency&quot; if global warming is not derailed. Thomas Caton Harrison, a polar climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, believes a combination of factors including climate change resulted in the current heat. &quot;There is credible evidence that climate change is playing a role, but the effect is complex in this region,&quot; he said. &quot;Because Antarctica sees such big swings in temperature, we have to collect lots of data over many years to build a picture of the underlying climate.&quot; Both specialists agree that regional temperatures have been rising for years and are already showing visible effects. &quot;A surprising amount of precipitation has been falling as rain rather than snow,&quot; Caton Harrison said. &quot;This has implications for polar ecosystems such as penguin colonies,&quot; he said, adding that &quot;it poses a challenge to my colleagues working on Antarctic bases because a lot of liquid rain has been falling and creating runoff and ice.&quot; Esperanza Base has been recording above-zero temperatures daily for three consecutive weeks. This trend has caused &quot;large areas in the far north of the white continent to remain free of snow,&quot; according to Cordero, who called it &quot;an unusual scene in the Antarctic landscape during winter.&quot;

Climate

Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula reach a record-breaking high of 15.4C for June, as ice melts at abnormal rates during the current winter.

Antarctic Peninsula sees record high June temperatures

MEXICO CITY: Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts&#39; bid for qualification from Group A got off to smooth start. South Africa meanwhile never looked like spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off. The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa&rsquo;s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams. A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups. South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity 80,824 crowd at the imposing concrete arena. But South Africa&rsquo;s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico&#39;s fans &nbsp;greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of &quot;Ole!&quot; in the opening minutes Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones&#39; opening goal. Sithole&#39;s miserable afternoon ended with a 49th minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico&rsquo;s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal. Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counter attack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod home at the far post. It got worse for South Africa in the 84th minute when Zwane was dismissed after a VAR review for flinging an arm into the face of Alvarado. There was still time for late drama when Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Khulisa Mudau on the edge of the penalty area.

Football

Mexico launches World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa at a packed Estadio Azteca, while the visitors finish with nine men after two red cards.

Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World Cup

NEW YORK: Taylor Swift on Thursday became the youngest woman ever inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame, another milestone in the 36-year-old US pop star&#39;s record-breaking career. The female record was previously held by Carole Bayer Sager, who was 43 when she joined in 1987. Stevie Wonder remains the youngest person ever admitted, at age 32 in 1983. Artists become eligible for the Hall of Fame 20 years after the release of their first commercial track. For Swift, that was &quot;Tim McGraw,&quot; released in June 2006. Her success since is undeniable: the American artist has recorded 12 albums spanning country, pop, and folk, earning her 14 Grammy Awards in the United States, including four Album of the Year trophies -- a record. &quot;Swift&#39;s ability to shapeshift as a songwriter, to inhabit different sonic landscapes and write as credibly in the world of one genre as she does another is part of her superpower as a songwriter,&quot; reads her bio on the Hall of Fame website. &quot;It also represents the boldness and bravery of her artistry: to explore new frontiers when the most practical next step would be to keep mining the material that has gotten you the success in the first place.&quot; Swift appeared on the red carpet in New York on Thursday wearing a strapless black dress with floral motifs ahead of the naming ceremony. &#39;Great honor&#39;Also inducted on Thursday were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, the band behind hits such as &quot;Rock and Roll All Nite&quot; and &quot;Detroit Rock City.&quot; &quot;It doesn&#39;t suck,&quot; Stanley told AFP when asked how it felt to join the prestigious songwriting ranks. &quot;It&#39;s really hard to digest the idea. I certainly don&#39;t consider myself in that rarified air of some of the writers, but if you wanna be in that club, I&#39;m there.&quot; Kenny Loggins, the hitmaker behind movie soundtrack classics like &quot;Footloose&quot; and &quot;Danger Zone&quot; from &quot;Top Gun,&quot; was inducted into the Hall of Fame as well. &quot;It&#39;s a great honor and I appreciate it,&quot; Loggins told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s the culmination of a lifetime writing, and that&#39;s exciting for me.&quot; Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, inescapable in the 1990s, and American record producer Walter Afanasieff were also among the total of nine songwriters joining the Hall of Fame this year. Estimates put Taylor Swift&#39;s worldwide sales at over 250 million album-equivalents. Her most recent tour in 2023 and 2024, titled &quot;The Eras Tour,&quot; brought in a record sum of around two billion dollars. She is also the female artist with the most songs ever to reach the top 10 list compiled by Billboard, the leading US music magazine. Swift is omnipresent in the media. After unveiling a country track for the soundtrack of the film &quot;Toy Story 5,&quot; she was at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for a game of the NBA Finals.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift becomes the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame, another milestone in the 36-year-old US pop star's record-breaking career.

Taylor Swift becomes youngest woman in Songwriters Hall of Fame

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>Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Iran has not made a final decision on the deal: FM spokesperson</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&lsquo;We&#39;ll probably have a signing in Europe,&rsquo; says Trump on Iran war</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Islamabad backs diplomacy, dialogue</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Three Indian sailors killed aboard ship hit by US off Oman</li><li style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Kremlin calls on US, Iran to &#39;return to negotiating table&#39;</li></ul><hr> Egypt urges US, Iran to seize &#39;available opportunity&#39; for deal after Trump cancels strikesPublished: June 12, 2026 | 03:49 GMT | by AFP Egypt urged the United States and Iran to seize what it called an &quot;available opportunity&quot; for a deal to end the war, after President Donald Trump withdrew his threat to carry out further strikes on Tehran. Cairo&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement late Thursday it hoped &quot;the available opportunity will be seized to reach a deal on the various outstanding issues and to prepare the atmosphere for reaching an end to the war and beginning a new phase of regional stability&quot;. <hr> Trump says &lsquo;we ended the war with Iran today&rsquo;Published: June 12, 2026 | 02:45 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump, during a tele-rally in support of Senate candidate Barry Moore, claimed that the war is now over, according to local media outlets. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today, and they have agreed never to have a nuclear weapon, something that we, we insisted on,&rdquo; Trump said in the audio clip. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Japan, S. Korea markets jump after Trump cancels Iran strikesPublished: June 12, 2026 | 01:59 GMT | by AFP Japan&#39;s Nikkei share index soared more than three percent Friday after US President Donald Trump withdrew his threat of further strikes against Iran and said a deal to end the war could be signed in coming days. At around 0015 GMT the Nikkei 225 was up 3.5 percent, while South Korea&#39;s benchmark Kospi index jumped 7.59 percent. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Iran&rsquo;s FM spokesman condemns US attacks on Indian vesselsPublished: June 11, 2026 | 23:40 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry Spokesman&nbsp;Esmaeil Baqaei&nbsp;condemned the US attacks on Indian commercial vessels, which killed at least three Indian nationals. In a post on X, he said that these attacks &quot;stand as clear evidence of America&rsquo;s ongoing policy of armed robbery and State piracy.&quot; <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Iran has not made a final decision on the deal: FM spokespersonPublished: June 11, 2026 | 21:55 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran has not made a final decision about a deal, according to Iran&rsquo;s official news agency&nbsp;IRNA. &quot;Once the relevant authorities reach a conclusion on the details of the draft text of an agreement, Iran&rsquo;s government will make a formal announcement,&quot; he said. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"> &lsquo;We&#39;ll probably have a signing in Europe,&rsquo; says Trump on Iran warPublished: June 11, 2026 | 20:05 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a deal to end the Middle East war was nearing completion, describing it as a &ldquo;great settlement&rdquo; and indicating that a formal signing could take place in Europe within days once the remaining documents are finalized. &ldquo;We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,&rdquo; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.&nbsp; &ldquo;Subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days, we&#39;ll probably have a signing, maybe in Europe.&rdquo;&nbsp; He added that the agreement would ensure &ldquo;Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; calling it the central objective of months of negotiations and conflict. Trump also said he believed Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the proposed arrangement.&nbsp; Asked whether Khamenei had personally given the green light, Trump replied: &ldquo;I understand the answer is yes.&rdquo; He described the agreement as &ldquo;a very strong memorandum of understanding.&rdquo; The US president said he had spoken with leaders from across the region, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, as diplomatic efforts intensified ahead of a possible signing ceremony.&nbsp; Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen once the agreement is finalized and argued that the deal had already boosted market confidence, pointing to rising stock markets and falling oil prices. Trump also singled out Pakistan for its role in the diplomatic process, praising both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan was fantastic,&rdquo; he said. Referring to Munir, Trump added: &ldquo;He&#39;s a great, great general. He&#39;s so great that he&#39;s actually a field marshal.&rdquo;&nbsp; Pakistan has played a central mediation role in recent months, hosting talks and maintaining engagement with Washington, Tehran and regional partners in support of a negotiated settlement. <hr style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 0px; overflow: visible; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Read our June 11 live blog for earlier developments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/middle-east-june-11-2026" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>

Middle East

Americas

Says a 'great settlement' with Iran has been reached and approved by Iran's Supreme Leader; Trump praises Pakistan for a 'fantastic role' in mediation, calling Field Marshal Asim Munir a 'great general'; Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson denies that any final decision on a deal with the US has been made.

Trump says Iran deal nearing signing, praises Pakistan's role

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected any attempt to draw a &ldquo;false equivalence&rdquo; between the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and matters relating to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), while also raising concerns over India&rsquo;s expanding strategic capabilities. Speaking at the weekly media briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan was addressing issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir within a &ldquo;democratic and constitutional framework&rdquo; and rejected recent remarks by the Indian leadership and its foreign affairs office. &ldquo;Any attempt to conflate the two is misleading and does not withstand objective scrutiny,&rdquo; Andrabi said. Responding to questions regarding Indian statements on AJK, the spokesperson said Pakistan rejected India&#39;s remarks &ldquo;in their entirety.&rdquo; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s untenable for a state like India, which has consistently denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination, to claim concerns over the rights of Kashmiris,&rdquo; he said. The remarks come amid continued tensions between Pakistan and India over the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region, a longstanding issue between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.&nbsp; Pakistan maintains that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir should be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The spokesperson said India&rsquo;s statements appeared aimed at diverting attention from the &ldquo;unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir&rdquo; and what he described as its &ldquo;abysmal record&rdquo; in IIOJK. &ldquo;We also reject any insinuation of a false equivalence between the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and matters relating to Azad Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; Andrabi said. &ldquo;Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an illegally annexed, internationally recognized disputed territory whose people have suffered systemic abuses under draconian laws and have been denied their rights, including the right to self-determination, as affirmed by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and as promised by the Indian founding fathers to the Kashmiri people,&rdquo; he added. Concerns over India&#39;s strategic capabilitiesThe Foreign Office also commented on a recent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report suggesting India may have altered aspects of its traditional nuclear posture by reportedly deploying nuclear warheads during peacetime alongside developments in missile systems. Andrabi said Pakistan did not wish to endorse SIPRI&rsquo;s methodology but noted that the findings were &ldquo;not surprising.&rdquo; &ldquo;We do not wish to endorse or lend credence to SIPRI&rsquo;s methodology. Its findings, nevertheless, are &lsquo;not surprising,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan had consistently raised concerns regarding India&rsquo;s continued &ldquo;vertical proliferation.&rdquo; The spokesperson said open-source assessments might not fully reflect the actual scale of India&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal. &ldquo;We also believe that open-source estimates, such as SIPRI&rsquo;s, may not fully reflect the actual scale of India&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal, which may actually be higher than the existing estimates,&rdquo; he said. According to Andrabi, Pakistan remained &ldquo;cognizant of developments in India&rsquo;s strategic capabilities,&rdquo; including the canisterization of missile systems, the expansion of sea-based nuclear-capable submarines and the pursuit of longer-range missile systems extending beyond India&rsquo;s immediate region. &ldquo;These developments enhance operational readiness, complicate crisis stability, and carry implications that extend beyond South Asia, with grave consequences for international peace and security,&rdquo; he said. Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s position, Andrabi said the country did not seek an arms race. &ldquo;Pakistan does not seek an arms race and matching warheads or arms and ammunition by number. However, we remain mindful of the evolving security environment. We will continue to take measures essential for preserving strategic stability and deterring India&rsquo;s aggression,&rdquo; he said. The spokesperson urged the international community to closely monitor developments related to India&rsquo;s strategic capabilities and their potential impact on regional and global security. He also called on countries supplying advanced technologies to India to consider the wider implications of emerging capabilities being incorporated into India&rsquo;s strategic posture. &ldquo;These developments threaten consequences far beyond South Asia into the wider world,&rdquo; Andrabi said.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan also voices concern over India's evolving strategic capabilities, saying recent assessments reinforce longstanding fears about regional stability and urging the international community to closely monitor developments with wider security implications.

‘False equivalence’: Pakistan rejects Indian remarks on Kashmir

PARIS: A leather bag made from Tyrannosaurus rex cells failed to sell on Thursday, the Paris auction house Drouot said, commenting that bids were well below expected. Auctioneers Giquello had touted the &quot;one-of-a-kind&quot; piece to sell for more than $500,000 but bids barely broke the $150,000 mark, said the Drouot house where the sale took place. Unveiled in the spring in Amsterdam, the bag was created from traces of collagen from the femur of a T‑Rex found in the US state of Montana 25 years ago. &quot;In recent years, we&#39;ve developed techniques -- biotechnologies that allow us to instruct a cell culture to produce, so to speak, genuine T‑Rex skin in the laboratory,&quot; Iacopo Briano, a palaeontology expert associated with the sale, recently told AFP. He noted the material differs from vegan leather, which is mostly made from plastic. &quot;In this case, it&#39;s derived from a cell culture, so it&#39;s 100 percent skin. And at the same time, it comes from an animal that went extinct 67 million years ago!&quot; he said. With no precedent to go on, Alexandre Giquello, whose auction house is organising the sale, explained they had to &quot;come up with a price&quot; that would reflect both the amount of investment required to create the bag and its rarity. Giquello estimated the value at between 300,000 and 500,000 euros ($346,000 to $576,000).

Wildlife

A handbag created from lab-grown material derived from Tyrannosaurus rex collagen fails to sell at auction, attracting bids far below expectations despite its rarity and estimated value of up to $576,000.

First leather bag made from T-Rex cells fails to sell at Paris auction

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday held funeral prayers for military personnel martyred in an army helicopter crash near Muzaffarabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior civilian and military leaders attending the ceremony, according to the military&#39;s media wing. The funeral prayer was offered at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi for the martyrs of the Mi-17 helicopter crash, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. PM Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, senior civil and military officials, relatives of the martyrs, and members of the public attended the service. The crash occurred Wednesday near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, during takeoff.&nbsp; The military said the helicopter went down because of a technical fault, and all personnel on board were martyred. A board of inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact cause of the accident. Earlier in the day, a separate funeral service for two Christian soldiers martyred in the crash was held at Christ Church in Rawalpindi and attended by political and military leaders. The ceremonies highlighted the participation of Pakistan&#39;s diverse communities in national service and remembrance. Addressing the gathering, PM Sharif said the martyrs&#39; &quot;devotion to duty, professionalism, and commitment to safeguarding the motherland will remain a source of inspiration for future generations.&quot; He said the sacrifices made by Pakistan&#39;s armed forces for &quot;peace, security, and national sovereignty can never be forgotten,&quot; and reaffirmed the nation&#39;s support for the families of the martyrs. The ISPR said the martyrs would be laid to rest in their respective hometowns with full military honors. Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Sharif expressed grief over the crash and offered condolences to the families of the martyrs. &quot;The entire nation pays tribute to the great sacrifice of the martyrs and shares the grief of the families,&quot; Zardari said in a statement. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed condolences, extending sympathies to the families of the personnel martyred in the accident. The military leadership, including Field Marshal Munir and all ranks of the Pakistan Army, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.

Security

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior military commanders and government officials attended funeral prayers in Rawalpindi for army aviation personnel lost in the Mi-17 accident, while separate services were held for two Christian soldiers before burial with full military honors.

Pakistan honors helicopter crash martyrs at Rawalpindi funeral service

NEW YORK: Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX on Thursday confirmed it will begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange Friday in the biggest initial public offering in history, a blockbuster market debut that could propel the entrepreneur to trillionaire status. In a filing with the US markets regulator, the company priced more than 555 million shares at $135 each, placing SpaceX among Wall Street&#39;s most elite companies with a valuation of just under $1.8 trillion. The offering will raise a record $75 billion, easily outranking Saudi Aramco&#39;s $29.4 billion debut in 2019, until now the biggest ever. Underwriters hold an option to buy nearly 83 million additional shares, which would push the total above $86 billion if exercised in full. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America led a syndicate of more than 20 banks on the deal. The space and rocket company, co-founded by Musk in 2002, will trade under the ticker symbol &quot;SPCX,&quot; with a parallel listing on Nasdaq Texas. All eyes will be on how Wall Street absorbs the offering, which could send tremors across global markets. As is traditional for high-profile debuts, executives are expected to ring the opening bell on Friday to mark the start of the session -- in this case at New York&#39;s Times Square, home of the Nasdaq. SpaceX will be the first out of the gates among the tech and AI giants eyeing public markets, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow -- both having recently filed with regulators for their own market debuts. The IPO is Musk&#39;s biggest financial gamble yet, with his xAI company and the X social media platform (formerly Twitter) also included in the offering after the multi-billionaire folded them into the company earlier this year. The offering was more than four times oversubscribed by major banks and financial institutions, according to Bloomberg, with interest from everyday investors reported to also be high. More than 20 percent of the shares will be reserved for these retail investors, a far greater proportion than is typically allocated in IPOs, giving Musk&#39;s legions of fans a chance to buy a slice of the company. Data centers in spaceThe success of the IPO rests squarely on investors&#39; faith in Musk as a visionary entrepreneur. The tech multi-billionaire will serve as chief executive, chief technology officer and board chairman of the newly traded company. The IPO is expected to mint thousands of new millionaires and many billionaires, with former and current employees -- and a long list of investors -- from the company&#39;s near quarter-century history looking to cash in. The financials of the company are giving some on Wall Street pause, as the valuation largely depends on Musk delivering on promises worthy of science fiction, including putting data centers in space as well as people on Mars using as yet unproven technology. While the company is growing fast -- revenue hit $18.7 billion in 2025 -- it is also losing money, producing a net loss of $4.9 billion. In an extraordinary prediction, SpaceX&#39;s filing claims it can pull in over $28.5 trillion in revenue from its various markets. Musk&#39;s fortune on Thursday stood at $782 billion according to the Forbes list of the world&#39;s richest people, nearing three times the wealth of number two, Google co-founder Larry Page. A successful IPO could make him the first trillionaire in history on Friday.

Artificial Intelligence

SpaceX confirms a record $75 billion IPO, valuing the company at nearly $1.8 trillion, as investors back Elon Musk’s space, AI and long-term technology ambitions worldwide for growth.

SpaceX to make historic IPO that could make Musk a trillionaire

LONDON: British Defense Secretary John Healey sensationally quit on Thursday, accusing beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry of failing to commit enough money to protect the country. His shock resignation weakens Starmer&#39;s authority further at a precarious moment for the embattled Labour leader, a week before a by-election that could prompt a bid to replace him. In stinging criticism, Healey warned that Starmer&#39;s long-awaited Defense Investment Plan (DIP) for funding over the next decade&mdash;which the premier has yet to publish&mdash;risked making Britain &quot;less safe.&quot; &quot;You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,&quot; Healey wrote in a resignation letter to Starmer posted on his X account. &quot;After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our Forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation.&quot; Healey&#39;s sudden departure comes after months of delays to the defense plan, which Starmer has insisted he will publish before a NATO summit in Turkey beginning on July 7. Starmer&#39;s centre-left government, elected in July 2024 following 14 years of Conservative rule, has pledged to ramp up defense spending, with priority given to NATO commitments. The rise comes amid threats from Russia and as US President Donald Trump repeatedly urges NATO allies to spend more and become less reliant on Washington for security. &#39;Grave moment&#39;Starmer has vowed to raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product from next year, increasing to three percent if Labour wins the next general election, expected in 2029, before reaching 3.5 percent in 2035. British media has for weeks been reporting on behind-the-scenes battles within the government over the DIP settlement. In his resignation letter, Healey said he was first given full sight of DIP on Monday, and it sees defense spending rise to only 2.68 percent of GDP in 2030. A source close to the former defense secretary told AFP the deal offered by the Treasury did not put a date on the three percent commitment. The plan &quot;falls well short of what is required for defense and the country at this dangerous time,&quot; Healey wrote. &quot;Without a DIP that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe.&quot; Tan Dhesi, chair of parliament&#39;s defence committee, said the government must take Healey&#39;s warning &quot;with the utmost seriousness&quot;. &quot;That a defence secretary of his integrity and commitment has felt compelled to resign in response to the inadequacy of the proposed defence settlement is a grave moment,&quot; the Labour MP said in a statement. Starmer faces political peril in next Thursday&#39;s contest when Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham stands for the Makerfield parliamentary seat. Both men have said they would participate in any Labour leadership race, although none has yet been triggered. Wes Streeting quit as health secretary last month following disastrous local and regional election results for Labour and has also said he would run in any future contest. Healey, 66, has been previously talked about as another potential contender, but there was no immediate suggestion that his resignation is linked to the leadership speculation. It &quot;underlines that Starmer has become a lame duck prime minister who cannot get decisions through his own government,&quot; Patrick Diamond, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP. The investment plan, originally due to be published in late 2025, has repeatedly been pushed back, to the frustration of industry and others. Healey&#39;s resignation &quot;creates a sequence of political headaches in terms of a replacement, and trying to get the defence investment plan published,&quot; said Ed Arnold, senior associate fellow at the RUSI think-tank. A government source insisted that Starmer had made Britain &quot;safer,&quot; adding the defense spending proposals &quot;will deliver the capability our armed forces need.&quot;

Europe

British Defense Secretary John Healey sensationally quit on Thursday, accusing beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry of failing to commit enough money to protect the country

UK defense minister quits with stinging rebuke of PM Starmer

JERUSALEM: Radio France Internationale (RFI) condemned Thursday Israel&#39;s entry ban on French reporter Alice Froussard, who freelances for the station and other outlets, as &quot;an obstacle to press freedom&quot;. &quot;Israeli authorities have not provided any justification to RFI for this decision,&quot; the broadcaster said in a statement. &quot;RFI&#39;s management offers its full support to Alice Froussard and protests against this expulsion, which constitutes an obstacle to press freedom and comes at a time when journalists are facing increasing difficulties in covering current events in the region,&quot; it added.

Calls it an as "an obstacle to press freedom"