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Punjab’s planned PIVOT

Every Punjab budget in recent years has followed the same script: bigger numbers and the same line items inflated to keep pace with political optics. Education gets more, health gets more, the development programme gets a headline figure, and a finance minister stands up in the assembly to call it historic. This year’s Rs5.9 trillion budget does more or less the same. But buried in it is something the province’s budgets have not really attempted before: an actual strategy for what Punjab’s economy is supposed to become. The strategy called PIVOT — or Punjab Innovation for Value, Opportunity and Transformation — is the one part that makes this budget more than a routine fiscal housekeeping exercise. PIVOT is structured as a three-year plan through FY29 worth close to Rs2tr, split between roughly Rs1.1tr in public investment and upward of Rs905 billion the government expects to leverage from the private sector. Within that, Rs193bn has been set aside as subsidised financing for specif...
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Iran frustrate star-studded Belgium to steal another World Cup point

Belgium were held to a scoreless draw by Iran in a frustrating encounter Sunday that saw the Red Devils reduced to 10 men and facing the possibility of group-stage elimination for a second straight World Cup. A star-studded though ageing lineup including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku was if anything fortunate to leave Los Angeles with a point, controlling possession yet ceding the game’s best chances to a resolute Iran team. Iran’s Mehdi Taremi had the ball in the net from a well-worked first-half free kick that was overturned for offside by VAR, while Nathan Ngoy was sent off after the break for hauling down the striker after a badly mis-hit backpass. The result means all three games so far in Group G have ended in draws. Stuck on two points, Belgium at least have the comfort of playing the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, New Zealand, in their final group game. Iran will also need at least a point against Egypt next Friday. Having been frustrated by visa issues as they trav...
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Several reported injured after 'technical accident' causes explosion at Qatar factory

Qatar’s interior ministry said an explosion resulting from a “technical accident” occurred on Sunday at a factory in Ras Laffan, an industrial city north of the capital Doha and site of the country’s core LNG processing operations. It said several injuries were reported but no leak that “threatens safety”. The ministry did not give the exact location of the explosion. But, QatarEnergy confirmed that the operational incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, saying it resulted in an explosion at its Barzan gas supply facility. QatarEnergy said fire at the factory was under control after the deployment of emergency response teams to contain the blaze. From 20 kilometres south of Ras Laffan on Qatar’s north coast, an AFP journalist saw flames illuminating the night sky and a plume of smoke rising from the area, home to the world’s largest liquefied natural g...
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Journalist among 11 killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza

GAZA CITY: Gaza health officials said Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least 11 people, including four members of the same family, in the latest violence to rock the Palestinian territory despite a ceasefire. Hamas accuses Israel of daily truce violations and the Gaza Strip continues to suffer severe bloodshed, with efforts to permanently halt the destructive assault on the enclave still at a standstill. An overnight Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed four members of the Al-Safadi family, including the husband, wife and their two daughters, according to the civil defence agency, a rescue service that operates under Hamas authority. It said the strike also injured 12 others. Apartment bombing leaves four family members dead Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of four members of the Safadi family, including two children. “Around 2 o’clock, my cousins were asleep when a missile struck them. They h...
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Climate action takes a backseat in federal budget FY27

• Allocations in all climate heads face cuts, except for disaster management • Experts call for transparency in climate spending, structural reforms ISLAMABAD: Climate allocations in the next fiscal year’s federal budget again fall short of putting Pakistan on a path towards a climate-smart future and inclusive growth despite the immediate risks it poses to the country. Except for disaster management finance, allocations in almost all climate categories have decreased compared to the outgoing financial year. The mitigation funds have been reduced from Rs603 billion to Rs124 billion, while adaptation money has been slashed from Rs85bn to Rs70bn. The “green component” of subsidies also experienced budget cuts, with the energy sector’s allocation declining to Rs423 billion from Rs529 billion. Similarly, the food, industry, transport, and agriculture sectors also faced cuts in the proposed budget presented by the government on June 12. Giovanni Maurice Pradipta, who is a policy advis...
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Europe swelters under heatwave, France restricts alcohol consumption

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A punishing heatwave sweeping across much of Europe prompted a partial alcohol ban in France, nationwide warnings in Germany and the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain, as temperatures climbed towards record levels. France was expecting 35 of its 96 departments or regions to declare red heatwave alerts on Sunday, with temperatures of 39 to 40 degrees Celsius expected from the southwest through the Paris region into Burgundy, with some areas possibly reaching 41°C. After a crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption on Sunday at the annual Fete de la Musique festivals and other public events to be held in those 35 regions on Sunday. Authorities in Paris ordered parks to remain open around the clock, however. A woman protects herself from the sun under an umbrella on the Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower as temperatures rise in Paris during a second heatwave affecting a large part of France, June 20, 2026. — R...
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Pakistan’s moment

THOUGH uncertainty may surround the fate of the US-Iran MoU , throughout this episode — from the start of the war on Feb 28 to the electronic signing of the document this week — Pakistan has played a crucial role in securing a diplomatic off-ramp. Other states, such as Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye etc. have also played a significant part, but it is Pakistan that has secured top billing in this geopolitical drama. This country’s efforts, both public and those behind closed doors, have helped prevent the war from metastasising into an even more brutal conflict. Nations across the world have appreciated Islamabad’s proactive diplomacy. The US president has often expressed his fondness for this country’s political and military leadership, while the Iranian president has warmly recognised Pakistan’s role in securing the MoU. The fact is that despite its limitations, Pakistan has been punching above its weight for decades, bringing together disparate powers in a bid to ease global tensions. An of...
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