Pakistan to form new missile force after conflict with India
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the creation of a new military force to oversee Pakistan’s missile combat capabilities, aimed at matching those of neighbouring India. Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad on the eve of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day, Sharif said the force will be equipped with modern technology and strengthen the army’s combat readiness.
Trump seeks three-way meeting with Putin, Zelenskyy
US President Donald Trump has called for a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after the Alaska summit with Putin. He said it is aimed at ending the ongoing three-year war in Ukraine. The move comes as Trump faces difficulties in mediating the conflict, with Zelenskyy and European leaders pressing for a ceasefire.
US watchdog says Taliban diverting international aid
The Taliban are using force to redirect international aid, restricting access for minority communities and possibly colluding with UN officials, according to US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The watchdog’s findings are based on input from 90 current and former US and UN officials, as well as other sources.
Wildfires rage across Southern Europe
Wildfires, fuelled by a heatwave and strong winds, have destroyed homes across Southern Europe, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate. The EU Science Hub’s Joint Research Centre said about 440,000 hectares have burned in the eurozone so far this year — double the usual amount. In Greece, fires near Patras spread through olive groves and forests, disrupting traffic and damaging infrastructure.
North Korea dismisses South’s peace hopes as ‘pipedream’
Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has dismissed South Korea’s belief that Pyongyang might respond positively to its peace proposal as a “pipedream.” She denied claims that the North had dismantled propaganda loudspeakers and criticised the US for failing to influence joint military drill plans between Seoul and Washington.
Tariffs push China pharma firms turn to local reagent suppliers
Pharmaceutical R&D companies in China are increasingly sourcing reagents from domestic manufacturers to reduce costs and delivery times. Western suppliers such as US-based Thermo Fisher Scientific and Germany’s Merck have long dominated the market, but tariffs triggered by the US-China trade war have pushed Chinese firms towards local rivals like Shanghai Titan Scientific and Nanjing Vazyme Biotech.
Trump signs executive order easing commercial rocket launch rules
Trump has signed an executive order, “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry,” aimed at streamlining regulations for private rocket launches. The White House said the order instructs the US transportation secretary to speed up or remove environmental reviews for launch licences issued by the Federal Aviation Administration — a move that could benefit companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
WhatsApp says Russia is trying to block it
WhatsApp has accused Russia of attempting to block its service, saying the Meta-owned messaging app is committed to protecting users’ rights through encrypted communication. Russia has announced restrictions on voice calls via Telegram and WhatsApp to tighten internet controls, alleging the platforms refuse to share information with authorities in fraud and terrorism cases. The move could affect WhatsApp’s 96 million monthly users and Telegram’s 89 million users in the country, according to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope.
Neetu Sharma is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism and is currently interning with ThePrint.
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