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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb a day earlier and welcomed Pakistan’s progress in implementing economic reforms and laying the groundwork for a return to international capital markets, the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday. According to a statement, Bessent emphasised the “importance of Pakistan’s work to continue its reforms, become more economically self-reliant, boost growth and strengthen its economic resilience”. “Secretary Bessent welcomed the progress Pakistan has made in restoring macroeconomic stability and advancing fiscal consolidation, recognising the government’s efforts to implement significant economic reforms,” Treasury said. The statement added that Bessent also expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to build greater economic self-reliance and commended the government’s commitment to creating the conditions for a successful return to international capital markets. The statement, however, did not address Pakista...

WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced legislation aimed at criminalising efforts by foreign governments to intimidate political opponents and activists living in the United States, amid growing concern in Washington over alleged cases of transnational repression involving India. The Stop Transnational Repression Act of 2026 , sponsored by Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Senator John Curtis, would make transnational repression a specific federal crime for the first time. It would expand the Justice Department and FBI’s authority to investigate and prosecute foreign efforts to suppress dissent on American soil. Under the proposed legislation, individuals convicted of transnational repression could face an additional prison sentence of up to 10 years and fines of up to $100,000, alongside penalties for any underlying offences. The bill would also strengthen the role of the US Justice Department’s National Security Division and the Assistant Attorney ...

France’s parliament on Tuesday was set to approve a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok. President Emmanuel Macron has championed the ban as a flagship reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September. The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Tuesday, with 243 votes in favour and two against. The draft law was expected to be adopted by the National Assembly on Tuesday evening, barring surprises. A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children. “France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a digital age limit to better protect our children online,” French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff said on X. The ban would be rolled out in two stages, with under-15s blocked from creating new accou...

THE preparation of the Strategic Trade Policy (STP) for 2026-31 is an opportunity not merely to set fresh export targets but also rethink our export strategy in the light of lessons of the past decade. Any new policy’s credibility depends on fixing structural weaknesses that have repeatedly undermined implementation. First, policies alone don’t produce results. Pakistan has prepared numerous strategies over the past three decade, but most have fallen short because governance has been weak and institutions ineffective. Good governance is the foundation on which sound economic policies rest. It improves resource allocation, boosts competitiveness, raises productivity, reduces transaction costs and enables efficient functioning of markets. Unless accompanied by governance reforms, the new STP is unlikely to deliver outcomes different from its predecessors. The new policy should begin with an honest assessment of the previous two STPs. STP 2015-20 envisage...

LAHORE: The water level in the Chenab River is likely to surge significantly over the next couple of days following ongoing rains in catchment areas of Indian-occupied Kashmir and fresh spells of heavy rain in parts of Punjab. “At the moment, the Chenab River is flowing in medium flood. Its flow may surge and enter the high-flood category following forecasts of heavy rain over the next three to four days in both held Kashmir and Punjab,” a senior official of the Punjab Irrigation Department told Dawn on Monday. “The situation may turn critical if there are heavy rains, as predicted, in the catchment areas of held Kashmir and Punjab,” he added. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) issued a forecast of high flood levels in major rivers, including the Chenab, and nullahs due to heavy rains expected until July 24. According to the FFD’s Monday flood bulletin, the flows of all major rivers were likely to increase significantly by July 24 d...

There was a time when Spain’s football was defined by fury. Today, it is defined by control. The old La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) was built on passion, aggression and flashes of individual brilliance. The Spain of today is something more complete: technically immaculate, tactically sophisticated and capable of turning possession into sudden, devastating attacks. As Spain prepare to face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium tonight, they do so unbeaten in 37 matches and as reigning European champions. Their remarkable resurgence is not the product of one golden generation or one exceptional manager — it is the result of a footballing system developed over decades, refined through success and failure, and constantly adapted to the demands of the modern game. For much of its history, Spain failed to translate the strength of its domestic football into international success. The 1964 European Championship remained its only major title for decades. The transformatio...

The scoreline said Spain had beaten Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The match said something far more emphatic. For much of the World Cup final in New Jersey, Spain did not merely outplay the defending champions. They controlled the game so completely that Argentina, despite the presence of Lionel Messi in what was expected to be his final World Cup match, were reduced to chasing shadows. The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title, but it was the manner of the triumph that made it particularly significant. Against a team that had built its tournament on resilience, late comebacks and the individual brilliance of Messi, Spain offered something altogether different: control without panic, possession without sterility and pressure without recklessness. Spain’s Lamine Yamal takes a free kick during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, the US on July 19, 2026. — Reuters ...

• Health minister says 16 contracts, 80 MoUs finalised • Agreements include 18 deals related to herbal medicines ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agreements with Chin­ese companies reached $850 million on the concluding day of the two-day Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference . During a media briefing on the second day of the event, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Saturday said 16 contracts and 80 memoranda of understanding had been finalised. He termed it a key economic milestone for cooperation between the two countries in the pharmaceutical sector. He said an environment had been created for local production of health equipment and investment in the country. Sharing details, Mr Kamal said contracts worth $600m and MoUs worth $250m had been signed. He said these included 18 agreements related to herbal medicines. He acknowledged growing business-to-business ties between Pakistani and Chinese firms and welcomed investment from Chinese companies...

Mourners shower rose petals on a vehicle carrying coffins of the martyred police personnel.—AFP • Thousands attend funeral prayers offered at Quetta’s Ayub Stadium amid strict security arrangements • Koila Phatak, police stations, educational institutions renamed after martyrs • Bugti reaffirms commitment to ensuring timely implementation of accord QUETTA: The pol­icemen who were martyred in the Ziarat terrorist attack were buried in their native towns on Saturday after their funeral prayers were offered at Ayub Stadium, Quetta, attended by thousands of people following the culmination of a 10-day-long sit-in by their relatives. The sit-in committee agreed to call off the protest after a Friday-night agreement with the provincial government, in which all of their demands, including the call for a judicial probe, were accepted. Besides other measures, the government also agreed to constitute a judicial commission to probe the attacks in Ziarat and Hanna ...

England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina. Both coaches made multiple changes for the match in the oppressive heat of Miami, with a host of stars on the bench at the start. England boss Thomas Tuchel left out Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from his starting line-up while Deschamps, stepping down after 14 years at the helm, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice put England ahead with a goal from distance in the third minute and Ezri Konsa headed home to make it 2-0. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were a threat as France searched for a way back into the game but they found England’s second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in top form. The game threatene...

• DHS limits stays to four years under new framework, citing ‘abuse of immigration system’ • Move likely to deter thousands of foreign students from applying to American universities WASHINGTON: Foreign students will now face stricter immigration requirements in the United States under a new rule that ends the decades-old “duration of status” system, which allowed them to remain in the country as long as they maintained their student status. The US Department of Home­land Security (DHS) announced the new regulation on Thursday, a move that could have a significant impact on thousands of students from countries such as India and Pakistan who travel to the US each year for higher education. The final rule replaces the existing arrangement, under which international students could remain in the US as long as they maintained their academic status, with a fixed period of admission for holders of F, J and I category visas. Under the new system, foreign students on F visas and exchange v...

Spanish elan meets Argentinian steel in a historic World Cup final on Sunday which sees the reigning champions of Europe and South America battle for football’s ultimate prize. Holders Argentina are bidding to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the title , in what is almost certainly the final World Cup match of captain Lionel Messi’s career. Spain are aiming to thwart those ambitions by clinching the country’s second World Cup crown following their maiden victory in 2010. US President Donald Trump will be among a star-studded crowd of just over 80,000 spectators at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax. World Cup officials have said they are “monitoring closely” air quality from Canadian wildfires affecting the region around the final, which kicks off at 12am PST. The final will also see an unprecedented 25-30 minute half-time interval for a Super Bowl-style concert featuring the likes of Madonna, Shak...

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assertion that agriculture and livestock hold the key to Pakistan’s quick economic revival is spot-on. The sector contributes almost a quarter of GDP, employs well over a third of the labour force and remains the largest source of livelihoods. Livestock alone accounts for more than 60pc of agriculture’s value addition, while Pakistan ranks among the world’s largest milk producers, and possesses considerable untapped potential in both milk and meat exports. Few sectors offer comparable opportunities to generate growth, reduce poverty, improve food security and earn foreign exchange simultaneously. But the PM’s declaration that the economy can be revived within a year through agriculture highlights the gap between ambition and policy execution. The agricultural crisis has never been about the absence of potential. It is the consequence of decades of policy neglect and inconsistency, institutional decay and distorted incentives. ...

The recovery plan for war-battered Gaza, under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP), has been significantly scaled back and, instead of reconstructing the entire territory, now envisions a small pilot project in the south of the besieged territory, the British publication The Guardian reported on Thursday. The board was initially proposed in September 2025 and formally established in January. Under its charter, the US government serves as its official depository and Trump has designated the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as the Board’s headquarters. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November last year authorised the board, along with cooperating states, to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza following a ceasefire that began in October under a Trump-backed plan accepted by Israel and Hamas. According to the publication, the new pilot project now aims to construct a small temporary camp for a fraction of Gaza’s populat...

• Studies suggest memory, decision-making, critical thinking are most at risk • Experts say artificial intelligence removes ‘learning opportunities’ • Studies suggest AI boosts short-term gains, but weakens long-term learning • Long-term impact on human brain remains unclear PARIS: Generative AI chatbots capable of writing emails and computer code, translating, organising a trip or coming up with gift ideas are now readily available, prompting some to ask whether human brainpower could suffer for lack of use. A simple natural-language prompt is usually enough to draw a useable response from a service like ChatGPT or Claude, with the effects making themselves felt in schools and universities, workplaces from offices to courtrooms and our personal lives. Recent scientific studies suggest there could be harmful consequences to farming out cognitive tasks to AI. They highlight memory, decision-making and critical thinking as particularly at risk. One American-British study of 1,222 pe...

• FRLD board defers funding decisions till December, receives 176 requests from 119 states • Pakistan submits three proposals on agriculture, health, flash flood losses • Civil society concerned over ‘lack of transparency’, red tape ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and other climate-vulnerable countries will have to wait longer for disbursements from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) after its board decided to allow more time to assess an overwhelming number of funding proposals amid limited financial resources. The ninth meeting of the FRLD Board, held in Manila from July 8 to 10, ended without making any significant headway — a development that drew criticism from civil society groups, which said the Fund was failing vulnerable communities increasingly expo­sed to climate-related disasters. The Fund was established at COP27 in Egypt in 2022. A decision to operationalise it was taken at COP28 in Dubai, followed by its full operationalisation at COP29 in Azerb­aijan. With nearly...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis residing abroad who hold an invalid, expired or cancelled National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will no longer be allowed to board flights to Pakistan, official sources said on Wednesday. According to official sources, the government has issued immediate directives to all zonal directors of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to convey the decision to every airline operating inbound flights to Pakistan. A government official told Dawn that the practice of allowing travel on invalid NICOPs had been going on for a long time and that it had been decided to stop it with immediate effect. “Airlines should be instructed to verify the validity of NICOPs prior to boarding and refuse carriage to any passenger presenting an invalid, expired or cancelled NICOP,” the official said. He added that passengers travelling on a foreign passport with an expired or otherwise invalid NICOP would not be allowed to board flights to Pakistan unless they held a va...

Spain stunned tournament favourites France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final on Tuesday, producing a tactical masterpiece to shatter Les Bleus’ dreams of winning the title for the third time. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a 58th-minute Pedro Porro goal sealed an utterly clinical victory for the European champions at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey. France had entered the showdown as the overwhelming favourites for the tournament after a dazzling, goal-laden run to the semi-finals. But France’s vaunted front four of captain Kylian Mbappe, Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were snuffed out by a combination of Spanish poise and power. Spain, who had beaten France in their previous two competitive meetings, had vowed to go on the front foot in the pre-match build-up and they proved as good as their word. A commanding ...

US cases of an intestinal infection from the cyclospora parasite that causes diarrhoea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms have surged in recent days, with 34 states reporting infections, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Michigan, which reported its outbreak in May, recorded 3,309 cases on Tuesday. What is it? Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection that can be contracted by consuming food, typically raw fruits and vegetables, or water contaminated with faeces, that transmit the cyclospora parasite, according to the CDC. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, with children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems facing a higher risk of serious illness. A crate of iceberg lettuce. — Reuters/File While cyclosporiasis is rarely life-threatening, untreated infections can persist for weeks and may lead to hospitalisation, particularly because of dehydration. The US has had previous outbreaks of...