Month: July 2026

Pakistan wants to increase its bilateral trade with the United States to $20 billion over the next five years. The country remains an important importer of US cotton, soybeans, and energy products, while its growing demand for advanced technology, machinery, and capital goods offers significant opportunities for American businesses.  

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed these views while addressing a delegation of US Congressmen Rep. Ryan Zinke (Montana) and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (Washington), along with American business leaders in Islamabad on Tuesday.

According to the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its strategic and economic partnership with the United States through enhanced trade, investment, and parliamentary engagement.  

The two congressmen recently held meetings with Pakistan's military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as Dar, to discuss regional security, defense cooperation, and ways to strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties.

Highlighting improving economic indicators and ongoing structural reforms, Dar presented Pakistan as an appealing investment destination with vast potential in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy, manufacturing, and defense.

"Trade between Pakistan and the US reached $9.4 billion in the last fiscal year," he said. "Although encouraging, we are confident that by capitalizing on the complementary strengths of our economies, we can double this trade to $20 billion in the next five years.

Welcoming the US business delegation, Dar said the presence of more than 80 American companies in Pakistan reflects confidence in the country's market and long-term economic prospects.

He invited US investors to explore opportunities in technology, critical minerals, energy, defense, manufacturing, agriculture, and information technology, noting that Pakistan's improving macroeconomic outlook, structural reforms, and investment facilitation mechanisms have created a more business-friendly environment.

He also appreciated the US EXIM Bank's $1.25 billion in financing for the Reko Diq project, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in Pakistan's economic future.

Dar said the Pakistan-US relationship continues to gain momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump, with frequent high-level engagements reinforcing mutual trust, respect, and cooperation. Dar’s remarks come as Pakistan actively seeks to deepen economic ties with the United States and attract much-needed foreign direct investment.  

Bolstered by emerging signs of macroeconomic stability following a crucial $7 billion bailout package secured from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year, Islamabad is seeking to shift its traditional relationship with Washington from a primarily security-focused one to a durable, trade-driven partnership.

By capitalizing on recent fiscal discipline, currency stabilization, and structural reforms mandated by the IMF program, Pakistani officials are eager to project the country as a viable, secure, and lucrative hub for American businesses in key sectors such as technology, energy, and mining.

Two members of Massive Attack were issued with stern warnings and barred from re-entering Singapore after the British band ended their performance on Wednesday with a display of the Palestinian flag, according to local media reports.

Authorities said the band were investigated for their “actions of support for a political cause and unfurling of a foreign flag,” during the band’s concert, reports said.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority also said it is investigating the possible breach of a number of license conditions and will take "necessary action" when investigations are completed, reports added.

Singapore does not allow the public display of foreign national emblems without a permit or exemption, and the Palestinian flag is especially sensitive given the war in Gaza and Singapore’s Muslim population.

In 2023, the home affairs ministry said: "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is an emotive issue. We would like to advise against the public display and wearing of articles in relation to the conflict, given the heightened sensitivities."

"The peace and harmony between different races and religions in Singapore should not be taken for granted, and we must not let events happening externally affect this peace and harmony we have in Singapore."

Singapore's resident population is 74% Chinese, 13.6% Malay, and 9% Indian, with 3.3% classified as others. Around 15% are Muslim.

Massive Attack, formed in Bristol in the west of England in 1988, are known for their outspoken political stances, with videos during their concert highlighting conflicts from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, to Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine.

Neither the concert organizer Lushington nor the band immediately responded to a request for comment.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Israel and India have maintained a long-standing military partnership against Pakistan, describing both countries as Islamabad’s enduring adversaries.

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He said their defense cooperation has evolved over several decades and should not be seen as a recent development.

Asif made the comments in an interview with the Urdu edition of the British publication The Independent, days after former Israeli Air Force officers publicly disclosed details of Israel’s military assistance to India during the 1999 Kargil War.

In an exclusive interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV on July 26, former Israeli Air Force officers Ami, a former program manager at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Shlomo, a former Mirage squadron commander, said Israel provided equipment and technical support to the Indian Air Force during Kargil War.

Ami said a defense project launched in 1996 was transformed into an emergency mission after the conflict erupted, prompting Israel to expedite the integration of Litening Targeting Pods and other systems on India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

The two former officers said they were publicly discussing Israel's role in the conflict for the first time.

Responding to the revelations, Asif said they confirmed that cooperation between India and Israel against Pakistan was not a recent development.

He said the disclosures by the former Israeli officials demonstrated that the two countries had long shared a common hostility toward Pakistan. "It existed before Kargil, continued throughout the conflict, and remains in place today," he said.

He argued that "If you look at the international landscape today, both countries are isolated. India, too, is isolated and lacks direction on the global stage," Asif said. "It has lost whatever limited international standing it once had. Pakistan occupies an important position internationally today, and this reflects an extraordinary achievement by our leadership.”

Asif has stirred controversy over harsh criticism of Israel. He posted on X on April 10: “Israel is evil and a curse for humanity.” He added, “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land… burn in hell.” The post was later deleted; however, it was denounced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

Following the X post, Asif restated his stance in the Pakistani parliament, arguing that the Muslim world should recognize India and Israel as its "true and eternal enemies.”

During the brief conflict with India in May 2025, Pakistan also claimed that New Delhi had deployed Israeli-made drones.

In a statement issued at the time, the Pakistani military said India launched drone attacks on multiple Pakistani cities on May 8, 2025, using Harop loitering munitions. It said the drones were manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, an Israeli defense company.

Asif said Pakistan would need to remain mindful of the ongoing strategic cooperation between India and Israel, noting that the two countries were expected to continue coordinating on matters affecting Pakistan's interests.

Ukraine hopes a new push for ceasefire talks with Russia could halt the five-year war before a potentially brutal winter, but needs new anti-ballistic missiles now to defend against strikes by Moscow, the country's envoy to Washington said on Thursday.

Olha Stefanishyna told reporters that Ukraine was in discussions with the Pentagon about a license to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles itself, but that process could take 12 months to five years. Discussions were also underway about Ukraine agreeing to a long-term purchase of PAC-3 missiles, and then swapping positions in the production line with another buyer.

Officials from Patriot maker Raytheon Co had already been to Ukraine, and Lockheed Martin Corp, which builds the PAC-3 interceptors for the air defense system, was working to send a team of experts to the country as well, Stefanishyna told an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

"The devastating effect of every overnight attack right now is unbelievable," Stefanishyna said. "Last night and the night before, it was 30 to 40 ballistic missiles."

While Ukraine was able to defend against Iranian- and Russian-built drones, it had not yet developed an effective way to defend against ballistic missiles, whose production is being rapidly increased by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"He has an intention to destroy Ukraine, and that's why, you know, we're looking for different capabilities. We have been successful in everything, but so far, for this winter, we need the missiles."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to push for new air defenses against the escalating Russian attacks, and to jumpstart a new diplomatic effort to end the war.

That could include a potential visit by US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv, Stefanishyna said. No date had been set for Kushner and Witkoff's visit, but it could happen as early as next week or later, she said.

Zelensky repeated his offer to halt the fighting at the existing battle lines, and use that as a starting point for discussions, Stefanishyna said, while stressing the need to take action before the approaching winter.

Stefanishyna confirmed Ukrainian media reports that she had offered to resign from her post just a year after taking over as Ukraine's ambassador to the US, saying she would return to Ukraine to defend herself against corruption allegations involving some personal property declarations.

She said Zelensky had not asked for her resignation and did not want her to leave her post, but she felt it best for her and her family to "defend my case" in person.

Trump said he was "not sure" he would let Ukraine build Patriot missiles, The Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a phone call with him.

Trump also said his envoys Kushner and Witkoff would visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days, the FT said.

“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and we have to be a little bit careful of who we license to,” the president said in his comments to FT.

A secretive US court created 30 years ago to deport suspected terrorists convened for the first time on Thursday, opening a new front in the Trump administration’s effort to remove non-citizens accused of national security threats and expand the president’s immigration agenda.

The hearing, before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, was open to the public and centered on Nazira Haji Zada, a 47-year-old lawful permanent resident accused of supporting Islamic State and helping conceal a failed Election Day 2024 mass shooting plot. Prosecutors say much of the evidence against the Texas woman cannot be publicly disclosed.

Established by Congress in 1996, the court allows the government to rely on classified evidence in deportation cases, a process Haji Zada's lawyer argued violates due process protections.

Haji Zada, who was in the Washington federal courtroom, has not been charged with any crimes, court documents show, but her son and son-in-law pleaded guilty to related charges last year.

“This entire scheme is in violation of due process and unconstitutional,” Matthew Farley, the defendant's attorney, said during the hearing. "This is a runaround to bringing a criminal case."

Farley quickly asked the court's chief judge, Joan Ericksen, to dismiss the case and immediately release his client. Ericksen, a federal district judge appointed to oversee the court, denied the request.

Created to handle deportation cases involving classified national security information, the court went unused until Justice Department officials sought Haji Zada's removal this month. The FBI arrested her at her Fort Worth home on Tuesday.

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement before the hearing.

Prosecutors have deemed much of the evidence classified and not safe for public release.

In a short unclassified summary of the case, the Justice Department alleged that Haji Zada had indoctrinated her children “with ISIS ideology” and had concealed the radicalization of her family and a planned move to ISIS territory from her husband.

"The underlying information is classified because disclosure would enable terrorists and terrorist organizations to avoid preventative or detection measures or would reveal FBI or other US Intelligence Community sources," the FBI wrote in a July 15 memo.

The court's lack of prior cases was evident as the judge, prosecutors and defense lawyers spent part of the proceeding resolving basic procedural questions, including how documents would be handled and who could access classified evidence.

It was unclear when the next hearing would take place.

Migrants broke through the fences into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday after overwhelming police at the city’s breakwater, Spain’s Guardia Civil said.

Video footage showed hundreds of migrants swimming over from the Moroccan side using inflatable inner tubes and other flotation devices, and others breaking through a gate in the fence and running into the city.

The scene was reminiscent of the crossing that occurred in May 2021, when some 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, many of them minors, entered the enclave of 85,000 people in days.

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said the migrants were "massively entering from the sea" through the Tarajal breakwater, but could not provide any estimates for the numbers.

State television TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm that report.

The White House on Thursday linked the migration crisis in Ceuta to policies pursued by the Spanish government, after thousands of people crossed irregularly from Morocco into Spanish territory through the border breakwater.

“President Trump has long warned Europe about the consequences of continuing to implement far-left globalist policies, such as enabling mass migration. Spain and other countries that have embraced this destructive philosophy should reverse course immediately or risk their own disappearance,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an email.

Many local shops were shuttered. Enrique Serrano, who runs a women’s clothing store in central Ceuta, told Reuters business owners were organizing themselves to protect their property and families in case of possible disturbances as they believed police resources would be insufficient.

"I'm not opening this afternoon because the situation is extremely tense … The first thing I have to do is protect my business and my family," he said, adding that when the fence was breached after midnight, hundreds of migrants rushed through in a matter of minutes.

Ceuta, together with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city located in North Africa, represents the European Union’s only land border with Africa. Both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.

Images showed some of the migrants shouting "Long live Spain" as they entered the territory.

Spain's Socialist government stands out in Europe for its pro-migrant stance, and has recently launched a program to provide legal status for some 500,000 undocumented migrants, creating an influx of applications double that number.

Right-wing parties criticized the drive, arguing it would attract more migrants to Spain, and were quick to blame Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for allowing the situation in Ceuta to reach crisis proportions.

Conservative opposition People's Party leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo said in a post on X: "The situation in Ceuta is desperate. The government cannot look the other way… because we are facing a national security crisis."

In a post on X, Sanchez said he had told the leader of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, that his government was "fully focused" on delivering an immediate response and preparing measures to restore normality as soon as possible, without providing further details.

Earlier on Thursday, Vivas had urged the national government to declare an emergency over the mass arrivals. The regional government wants Madrid to deploy the army to guarantee safety and close the border with Morocco.

Spain's Defense Ministry said there were no immediate plans to deploy the army.

Earlier this month, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned under the enclaves' special border-rejection regime.

"It has been a slow trickle since the Supreme Court's ruling, but today has been an explosion," the Guardia Civil spokesperson told Reuters.

The Interior Ministry said it was working closely with Morocco to address the surge in irregular arrivals, having prevented thousands of migrants from illegally entering Ceuta in recent days.

It vowed to immediately deport those entering illegally, blaming people-smuggling networks for exploiting the Supreme Court's ruling to encourage undocumented migration.

Morocco's Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Migrant rights activist Zakaria Zarroqui said people were still flocking to the Moroccan city of Fnideq in an attempt to cross into Ceuta and the situation was still out of control.

Mauricio Valiente, director of the Spanish Commission for Refugees, which has lawyers working in Ceuta, said the migrants crossing into the enclave were of Moroccan and sub-Saharan origin, including families with people of different ages.

While acknowledging that the situation was chaotic, he said it "can be perfectly addressed by the Spanish state," which has sufficient capacity to receive those who may be seeking asylum.

UEFA’s member associations have unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in protest at FIFA’s plan to sell stakes to external investors in a subsidiary that will run the global governing body’s tournaments, European soccer’s governing body said following a virtual meeting on Thursday.

World soccer’s ruling body said on Tuesday it plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events and will offer stakes of up to 20% in it to external investors.

“No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” UEFA said in a statement.

"The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent," UEFA added.

“No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”

A spokesperson for the English FA backed the decision, saying the organization "stands shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues."

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF also strongly criticized FIFA earlier, saying they were not consulted in the process.

The Women's World Cup is set to be held in Brazil next year. FIFA is set to stage its inaugural Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan in October.

An object that came down in eastern Poland overnight appears to be a Russian missile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday, after authorities found a crater and scattered debris in a field following reports of an explosion.

It was the latest in a series of airspace incursions in countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including Romania and the Baltic states, that have fueled fears of the war in Ukraine spilling over the alliance’s borders.

Poland scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace after Russian airstrikes killed at least eight people in neighboring Ukraine, in attacks that extended as far as the western city of Lviv.

“All the indications are that it was a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile, but we want to be 100% certain about the type of missile and who launched it,” Tusk told an emergency meeting.

"There was no direct threat because the missile landed in an uninhabited area; we were ready to shoot it down had it continued its flight," he added.

Tusk later visited the site where the object fell, near the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia, just over 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

"There is no reason to think the target was Poland," he said, adding that Ukrainian fighter pilots had attempted to shoot down missiles approaching the Polish border.

Tusk vowed to maintain support for Ukraine, saying his government would consider providing further aid, including additional Patriot systems. Bilateral relations have recently been strained by disputes over history.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier in a post on X that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland.

The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

A NATO spokesperson said Supreme Allied Commander General Alexus G. Grynkewich spoke with Poland's Chief of Defense General Wieslaw Kukulan on Thursday to discuss the response to the incident.

Grynkewich "underlined that NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory," the spokesperson said.

The object left a crater about 10 m (33 ft) wide, the interior ministry added on X. According to local authorities, it was located in farmland about 2 km from residential buildings.

Local resident Roman Bartoszek, who lives around four kilometers from where the object fell, said he had heard aircraft overhead and his windows had shaken.

The operational command of Poland's armed forces said an object had been detected in Polish airspace at 3:40 a.m. local time and disappeared from radars soon afterward.

An Mi-24 helicopter later went to the crash site. Police had received reports of a large bang and went to the site, where they found the crater.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the incident an "unacceptable violation" of the EU's airspace.

"To put an end to this, we are helping Ukraine win this war in every way we can. And we are building a robust European security architecture on land, at sea and in the air," she wrote on X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the "strike in Poland also testifies to Russian recklessness and willingness to escalate. We stand unswervingly at the side of our partners."

The US Department of Defense has signed one of the largest procurement contracts in its history with Lockheed Martin, agreeing to purchase Patriot interceptors in a deal worth $58.6 billion.

The contract is expected to dramatically increase the United States’ interceptor inventory, which has been depleted by the wars involving Iran and Ukraine, as well as preparations for a possible future conflict with China. 

The US has already delayed interceptor deliveries to Ukraine and postponed deliveries to Switzerland until 2032 in order to prioritize the protection of US forces in the Gulf and Gulf states that have purchased Patriot systems.

The multiyear contract governs an accelerated production schedule for the 2026-2032 period. Lockheed Martin currently manufactures about 600 interceptors annually, and the agreement is intended to raise production to 2,000 per year.

Achieving that target will require Lockheed Martin, along with suppliers of rocket motors, guidance systems, and warheads, to expand their production lines. The company has already announced plans to invest up to $9 billion in its manufacturing facilities in Alabama and Arkansas by 2030 and hire more than 1,000 additional employees.

Although the Pentagon did not disclose specific quantities in its announcement, the contract includes more than 10,000 interceptors and is also expected to reduce their high unit cost slightly, to at least $4 million each. By comparison, the comparable David’s Sling interceptor produced by Israel’s Rafael costs about $1 million per unit.

The pace of US defense production has declined significantly since the end of the Cold War, and the Pentagon has been pressing American defense companies to invest more heavily in expanding production capacity. The effort comes at the expense of share buyback programs designed to boost stock prices and generate stronger returns for investors, as well as executives whose compensation includes stock options.

Ukraine is already struggling to defend itself against Russian ballistic missile attacks after the United States halted deliveries of Patriot interceptors because of the need to support the war with Iran. In another effort to ease the shortage, the Pentagon recently ordered older PAC-2 Patriot interceptors from Raytheon, the first such purchase in 30 years.

The $441 million deal will supply interceptors that were not designed to counter missiles but can intercept aircraft and drones. These interceptors are less expensive and faster to produce, and returning them to US inventories will help preserve the more advanced PAC-3 interceptors for defending against ballistic missiles.

Protests during regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have turned deadly, with leaders of a banned Kashmiri group saying on Wednesday more than 30 people had been killed around one town in clashes with security forces ahead of the second round.

Pakistan's primary governing party, the PML-N, won nine out of the 13 seats that were up for election in the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber on Monday.

The election was originally scheduled to be held in one round on July 27, but was split into three separate votes by districts, with officials citing security concerns. The second and third rounds are scheduled for August 2 and August 10.

The party that won the elections in 2021, the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has boycotted the vote over electoral fraud concerns.

The region's primary protest movement, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), was banned by the regional government in June, prompting deadly protests last month.

Banking, roads and internet services have largely been disrupted since then, hindering the flow of information, meaning Reuters could not independently verify the figure of over 30 dead given by the JAAC about the clashes around Rawalakot.

Authorities said a member of the security personnel was killed and five more were injured in clashes on Monday.

Meanwhile, an official, who asked to speak on condition of anonymity, said he was aware of at least three fatalities among protesters in Mirpur this week.

Pakistani officials have justified the crackdown by alleging that armed and India-backed militants joined the Kashmiri protesters. India has rejected similar accusations in the past.

"The entire election was a fraud," said Fazal Mahmood Baig, a resident in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, on Wednesday.

“We want this issue to be resolved peacefully,” Sardar Mazhar said at a protest in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

Tensions in the self-governing and Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir have roots that are decades old, but have recently gained new momentum.

Supporters of greater regional autonomy have accused the national government in Islamabad of interference in their political affairs and of economic neglect.

Discontent has often erupted into protests over economic issues. In 2022, demonstrators rallied against high electricity prices in the region, which supplies other parts of Pakistan with cheap hydroelectric power.

The JAAC channeled that anger after it was founded in 2023, and focused on calls for electoral reform. Twelve of the 45 directly elected seats in the local legislative assembly are reserved for constituencies representing what the regional constitution defines as refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir.

But these seats have often been filled by people living outside the region, and the JAAC has accused Islamabad of using them to manipulate local politics – accusations Pakistani government officials have rejected.

To form a regional government, the PML-N would likely need the support of some of the 12 representatives, said Hasan Askari, a political analyst.

“But when their government is dependent on those 12 controversial seats, how would it be able to find a solution for this issue?” Askari said.

Even among the candidates that did not boycott the vote on Monday, the results were contested. Parties accused each other of ballot box stealing and vote rigging.

Government officials confirmed that one person died and several were injured in clashes between supporters of Pakistan's two main governing parties, the PML-N and PPP, in incidents that were separate from the JAAC's protests.