• Planned protests abandoned amid fears of clash as armed patrols, checkpoints blanket city
• UN experts say Taliban fired on men, women and children

HERAT: Heavily armed security forces deployed across Herat on Friday, prompting residents to scrap planned protests following a crackdown where morality police arrested at least 30 women for alleged dress code violations and violently dispersed a subsequent rally, killing at least two people.

Independent experts noted that Taliban forces allegedly fired on men, women, and children on Tuesday, administering beatings to some. Among the two reported dead was a boy, and more than 20 others were injured.

Local police denied that any wea­pons were used during the demonstration and accused the protesters of seeking “to disturb public order.”

Taliban authorities rule according to their extreme interpretation of Islamic law. While the hijab or flowing abaya robe is common in many Muslim-majority countries, the Taliban mandate that women must be almost entirely covered when they leave home.

This includes a requirement to wear a body-cloaking burqa or chador with a face mask, an interpretation of face-covering that is widely considered extreme.

Following calls on social media for further demonstrations against the crackdown after Friday prayers, military vehicles and heavily armed security forces were stationed around the city.

Armed police officers patrol­­led on motorcycles, and extra checkpoints were manned by police and intelligence agents.

“People gave up on the demons­tration today to prevent more bloodshed,” said a 34-year-old teacher, whom the AFP did not name for safety reasons. “Even the movement of a small number of people from one area became difficult due to these security measures. The atmosphere is very bad.”

A 27-year-old resident described the heavy security presence as horrible.

“On every street there is a sus­­picious private car with (peo­­ple wearing) casual clothing, sitting in their cars and observing people,” the resident said.

The UN mission in Afghan­istan (Unama) documented the initial arrests of the women over the weekend. The women allegedly violated decrees that include a ban on perfume and the strict face-covering requirement.

Among those detained was a hospital worker employed by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) who the organisation said was held for two days.

Before her release, the medic, her husband, and relatives had to sign a written commitment to wear clothing mandated by the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice authorities. MSF said it was outraged by the detention.

The arrests have heightened fear and apprehension among women and girls across the country. UN Women, the world body’s gender equality agency, voiced grave concern over the profound and long-term impa­cts of arbitrary detentions.

“A woman’s detention in Afgha­nistan carries enormous stigma, which can put women at risk of further violence and isolation in their families and communities even after they are released,” said Geo­rgette Gagnon, the UN deputy special representative leading Unama.

UN Human Rights Council-appo­inted experts expressed deep concern over reports of excessive force.

On Wednesday, Herat’s Propaga­tion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice wing published a new list of rules for women. The notice included a ban on wearing makeup or having any hair visible, alongside an order to wear socks and face masks. Failure to comply may result in “detention and imprisonment,” the notice warned.

Across the country, women are already banned from a host of public places, including parks and gyms, while girls’ education is halted at age 12.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday captain Ben Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson are being investigated for breaking team rules in a nightclub incident after the first Test against New Zealand.

It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side was confronted with allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January.

“The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand,” the governing body said.

“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.

“We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

“The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”

Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a One-day International against New Zealand. As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff. The BBC, however, reported the curfew was still in place despite the first Test being over, and the investigation relates to more than a breach of the curfew.

England thrashed New Zealand by 115 runs before lunch on Sunday to go 1-0 up in a three-match series as they enjoyed a comprehensive victory in their first Test match since their humiliating Ashes defeat The second Test, across London at the Oval, starts on June 17.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

Mongolia has recovered a rare dinosaur skeleton and a trove of fossils illegally exported two decades ago, authorities said Wednesday, concluding years of efforts to return the palaeontological treasures.

The collection includes a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton, estimated to be more than 50 per cent intact, along with 28 groups of fossilised dinosaur remains originally found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, according to police.

The bones had been illegally taken from Mongolia in 2006 “with the aim of making a profit”, said D. Munkhkhuyag, head of the police public relations department.

French customs agencies confiscated the fossils between 2013 and 2015, and began returning them a year later to Mongolia under international conventions to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.

Following the lengthy process of returning the fossils, they arrived in the capital Ulaanbaatar on Thursday and will be housed in Mongolia’s new National Museum of Natural History, where they will be studied and eventually put on public display.

“The dinosaur fossil is priceless and a unique piece of heritage,” Manchuk Nuramkhan, the museum’s director, told a news conference.

“We are delighted that children and young people will have the opportunity to see Mongolia’s dinosaur heritage firsthand and learn from it,” she said.

Tarbosaurus bataar, a close relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, lived around 70 million years ago, with evidence of its existence almost exclusively found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.

Manchuk said the return of the fossils was an important victory for efforts to recover cultural and scientific heritage taken from Mongolia and highlights growing international cooperation against the illegal trade in antiquities and fossils.

Mongolia has intensified efforts in recent years to recover dinosaur fossils smuggled abroad, as demand from private collectors and auction houses has fuelled an international black market in rare palaeontological specimens.

SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seong-sook to be his next prime minister on Sunday, making her only the second woman to hold the post if confirmed by parliament.

Han currently serves as minister for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Startups.

The nomination comes after Lee’s party dominated local elections on Wednesday, although the Democratic Party lost the high-profile Seoul mayoral race to the opposition.

The elections also sparked controversy over ballot shortages that affected 50 polling stations nationwide, prompting the head of the state election watchdog to resign.

Lee has “judged nominee Han to be the right person to take responsibility for growth and people’s livelihoods at a time when the country faces a major strategic transition driven by AI innovation and complex global crises”, Lee’s chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik told reporters at a news conference.

Han’s nomination requires parliamentary approval, but is expected to be confirmed as the ruling party holds a majority in the 300-member National Assembly, barring any major ethical concerns or scandals.

If confirmed, the 58-year-old will become only the second woman to serve as prime minister. The first was Han Myeong-sook, who held the post from 2006 to 2007.

Outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is widely expected to run for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026

North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme is “absolutely non-negotiable”, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said in a statement carried by state media on Sunday, ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pyongyang has long insisted on its right to a nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes although they are forbidden under the terms of UN Security Council sanctions. It enshrined its nuclear status in its constitution in 2023.

“Our status as a nuclear power is absolutely non-negotiable,” Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong said in a statement published by North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun, adding that the North “will not tolerate any threats”.

A key player in the country’s communications and foreign policy, Kim Yo Jong’s statement came on the eve of Xi’s visit to North Korea, scheduled to take place from Monday to Tuesday, according to state media.

Beijing is a vital source of political and economic support to North Korea, which is one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world and under heavy international sanctions.

Xi’s upcoming visit to Pyongyang would be his first in seven years, and comes after he hosted back-to-back summits with US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin last month.

Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state since Kim Jong Un’s 2019 summit with Trump collapsed over the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief.

North Korea’s leader has since been emboldened by the war in Ukraine, securing critical support from Moscow after sending thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces.

He inspected a major munitions factory at the weekend and called for it to boost production capacity, according to a separate report by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday.

This was “in order to supply enough quantity of missiles”, KCNA quoted him as saying.

False information

Kim Yo Jong, in her statement, went on to slam Washington over its comments that the goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation had been reaffirmed during last month’s summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The White House posted a fact sheet following the summit stating that “President Trump and President Xi confirmed their shared goal to denuclearise North Korea”, which Kim Yo Jong said was false.

“Some officials in the United States still have yet to awaken from their escapist and anachronistic dream,” she said.

“This is nothing more than Washington’s habitual dissemination of false information.”

She rejected Washington’s attempts to deny or challenge the North’s status as a nuclear power, saying it “carries no legal force”.

“The policy of continuously strengthening the country’s self-defensive nuclear deterrent, as set out by the nation’s leader, is an irreversible course that must be implemented without fail,” she added.

The statement underscores Pyongyang’s “sensitivity” to any suggestion of a US-China agreement on North Korean denuclearisation, Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.

“Kim’s core message was a categorical rejection of reports of US-China discussions on North Korean denuclearisation as ‘false information’”, he said.

It is possible that Pyongyang had “confirmed with Beijing” during the coordination process for the summit that such discussion had not taken place, Hong added.

Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington.

The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.

The development came despite continued cross-border attacks earlier in the day, with Hezbollah saying it targeted Israeli troops and Israeli strikes killing at least ten people in southern Lebanon.

Just hours after the agreement was announced, air raid alarms sounded in northern Israel with a “suspicious aerial target” identified without causing any casualties.

The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon.

The meetings in Washington were the fourth round of direct talks by Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since fighting erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah renewed attacks against Israel in support of Iran.

Both sides will meet for more talks the week of June 22, the statement said, “with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement”.

Hostilities continue

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran.

Tehran, however, insists the conflicts are linked and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of war.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a “hostile aircraft” and two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday.

Hezbollah, for its part, said that “in response to the Israeli enemy army’s violation of the ceasefire”, its fighters targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a rocket barrage.

Early on Thursday, the group said it aimed a “salvo of rockets” at Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the southern Lebanon town of Al-Qantara, and also targeted an Israeli command position near the Chqif Castle with two drones.

A truce to halt the fighting in Lebanon was meant to take hold on April 17, but has never been observed, with both sides justifying their ongoing attacks by the other’s alleged violations.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati had told AFP on Tuesday that the group would “not accept a partial ceasefire”.

Paramedics

Among the Israeli strikes on Wednesday was one targeting a car on the main highway out of the capital, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said.

The NNA also reported strikes on more than 20 locations in the south, some after Israel’s military warned residents of several villages to evacuate.

The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli attack on Al-Hawsh near the city of Tyre killed four Syrians and two Palestinians.

The health ministry also said an Israeli strike elsewhere in the south targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scouts Association.

The ministry circulated images of a badly damaged ambulance, with medical masks spilling out of the vehicle and scattered on the road.

A third paramedic was later reported killed in an attack that the NNA said targeted an ambulance team affiliated with the Islamic Health Committee in the town of Zibdine.

At least 130 emergency and health workers have been killed since the fighting began.

Lebanon’s army said a soldier was also killed in an Israeli strike, while an officer and a soldier were wounded in a separate attack on a military vehicle.

The force denounced what it called Israel’s “deliberate targeting of army personnel, vehicles and positions”.

The ex-wife of a nephew of Dubai’s ruler has been arrested following a long-running custody battle, prosecutors in the UAE said on Friday.

Zeynab Javadli was detained after her former husband, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, accused her of abducting their three children.

“Dubai Public Prosecution confirms that Ms. Zeynab Javadli has been taken into custody, following a complaint filed by the father of her three children alleging that she abducted the children during a court-approved visitation session,” said a statement sent to AFP.

“The matter remains under investigation and is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.”

Since late 2025 Javadli, a former international gymnast from Azerbaijan, has posted several Instagram posts with her daughters, in which she pleads for help and accuses her ex-husband of taking them away.

But a lawyer for Sheikh Saeed, a nephew of Dubai’s ruler and United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said he was awarded custody of the three girls in 2022.

The decision was upheld on appeal and later confirmed by the Dubai Court of Cassation, Sheikh Saeed’s lawyer Mahmood Hussain said in a statement sent to AFP.

“Despite these rulings, Ms. Javadli abducted the three children during a court-approved temporary visitation session in 2025,” the statement said.

“She subsequently published a series of videos on social media containing defamatory allegations against the children’s father, which exposed the children to public scrutiny and emotional strain.

“Consequently, the father, my client, was compelled to file a legal complaint against Ms. Javadli for abducting the children.”

David Haigh, Javadli’s British-based human rights lawyer, said the children, the eldest of whom is nine, had lived with their mother “their entire lives”.

He said Sheikh Mohammed “personally intervened” in 2022 to give her full custody, without providing evidence. The alleged abduction took place in November, he added, questioning why she was only arrested months later.

“We call upon the UAE authorities to grant Zeynab immediate access to legal representation. We call upon the Azerbaijani government to secure immediate consular access,” Haigh said in a statement.

“Above all, we are calling on the UAE to release Zeynab immediately to her home in Dubai and to reunite her with her children,” he added.

According to reports, the couple divorced in 2019 and in 2022 Javadli appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council to intervene in the custody dispute.

Britain’s competition watchdog said on Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Irish carrier Ryanair over fees that parents must pay to sit with their children.

The no-frills airline requires at least one parent to sit with children aged two to 11 during a flight, but that means they must pay for what is called a “mandatory family seat”.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether the fee, typically around ₤8 ($11) per flight, is “unfair” under consumer law.

For other passengers, reserving a seat is optional.

The CMA said it would determine whether Ryanair’s seat reservation fees mean parents are being charged to meet “child safety and disability-related obligations as set out under aviation rules”.

“The CMA understands that Ryanair is the only major airline flying out of the UK to impose this charge,” the agency added.

It also noted that Ryanair does not apply the fee on flights to and from Italy following action by the Italian civil aviation authority.

In response, Ryanair said its family seating policy “fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations”.

“Adults travelling with children pay one reserved seat fee, but can select reserved seats beside them for up to 4 children on the same booking free of charge,” the company said in a statement.

“Ryanair looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims during this bogus investigation,” it added.

The CMA said it expected to provide an update on the investigation within six months.

Infringing on consumer protection laws can lead to fines of up to 10 per cent of a company’s global revenue.

Co-hosts Canada grabbed a second-half equaliser to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday in the first World Cup finals game ever played on Canadian soil.

Cyle Larin got Canada’s goal after Jovo Lukic put Bosnia ahead with a header in the 21st minute in Toronto. The result gave Canada its first point in World Cup history.

Canadian sides had a perfect record of futility at two previous tournament appearances in 1986 and 2022, with six losses.

Lukic’s goal from a corner sent the small but enthusiastic Bosnian contingent at the Toronto Stadium into a frenzy. Canada had the majority of play in the first half but failed to generate any real chances.

The stadium erupted in the 17th minute when forward Jonathan David had a clear shot on goal, but it was easily handled by Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj.

Canada’s Ismael Kone had a golden opportunity in the 30th minute, but sailed his strike well over the net, prompting groans from tens of thousands of Canadians who blanketed the stadium in a sea of red.

The second half began similarly, with Canada largely on the attack, but unable to find the net. Bosnia’s veteran defender Sead Kolasinac saved a certain goal when he diverted a strike from David onto the crossbar, extending Canada’s agony.

But Larin’s strike in the 78th minute marked a high point in Canada’s limited World Cup history, causing a mostly Canadian crowd of 43,000 to erupt.

Canada threatened to go ahead in the final minutes, narrowly missing a goal near the final whistle.

Canadian entertainment royalty attended the match at the home of the MLS’s Toronto FC, including film star Ryan Reynolds, from Vancouver, and Saturday Night Live and Austin Powers star Mike Myers, a Toronto native.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump appointed a loyalist with no national security experience as head of US intelligence on Tuesday — and said he would also retain his existing jobs overseeing federal housing and mortgage policies.

Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte — who is known for publicly attacking Trump’s political enemies — was named as the acting director of national intelligence (DNI), replacing Tulsi Gabbard.

Gabbard, herself a controversial pick for the job, resigned in late May, ending a tenure that saw her appear to be at odds with Trump over his war on Iran. The DNI — who heads the US intelligence community and serves as the president’s main advisor on intelligence issues — is legally required to have “extensive national security expertise”, which Pulte lacks.

Trump hailed Pulte in a social media post announcing the appointment, saying he “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets”.

The president added that Pulte, who also leads mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will continue to serve in his housing-related roles.

US media describes Bill Pulte as the president’s ‘attack dog’

Pulte, 38, has been described by some US media as the president’s “attack dog.” Pulte has accused Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying documents on mortgage applications.

The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to an internal complaint at Fannie Mae, Pulte had improperly accessed the mortgage records of James and other Democratic officials.

A federal grand jury indicted James in October, but the case was dismissed without prejudice — which leaves open the possibility of the charges being filed again — a month later by a federal judge.

‘Political retribution’

Pulte has also championed a mortgage fraud case against US Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, based on which Trump attempted to fire the monetary policy maker. That case is pending before the Supreme Court.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026

Indian engineers broke through the final rock section in the strategic Zojila tunnel through a Himalayan mountain on Tuesday, a milestone in providing all-weather access to the frontier Ladakh region with China.

India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.

Ties have thawed since a 2020 border clash, but their 3,500-kilometre frontier has been a perennial source of tension.

The tunnel forms part of a broader infrastructure push, creating a link with roads and railways that will allow trade, troops and supplies to move year-round from India’s sweltering lowland plains to the soaring icy border zones.

“This is not just a tunnel but a lifeline,” said India’s minister of roads, Nitin Gadkari, during a breakthrough ceremony on Tuesday at the high-altitude tunnel, which is part of a route designed to rapidly improve connectivity between Srinagar, the main city in Indian occupied Kashmir, and Leh, Ladakh’s key city.

At present, road travel between the cities is blocked during winter due to heavy snowfall, which can often rise higher than a truck.

Diggers cut through the final stretch of rock in a milestone in the creation of the 13.14-kilometre Zojila tunnel, which will connect two sides otherwise cut off by snow during the bitter winters.

More than 3,000 workers have been involved since 2020 in excavating the tunnel, which passes beneath the 3,528-metre Zojila Pass.

Gadkari pressed a button to remotely trigger the final blast, connecting tunnels dug from both sides and creating what will be India’s longest road tunnel.

“We have worked for this tunnel day and night in challenging weather conditions, and completed it without any accident,” project engineer Manmohan Singh told AFP.

The project is part of a broader network of four major tunnels, including the 6.5-kilometre Sonamarg tunnel, a $712-million initiative expected to be fully operational by 2028.

India has also developed a $3.9-billion railway line connecting the lowland plains with occupied Kashmir, including the construction of the Chenab Rail Bridge, currently the highest of its kind in the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the railway route in June 2025.

The 272-kilometre railway begins in the garrison city of Udhampur, headquarters of the army’s northern command, and runs through Srinagar.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim the Himalayan territory in full.

Doctors treated patients in tents set up under a scorching Philippine sun on Tuesday — including helping a young mother give birth — as the death toll from a major earthquake that collapsed buildings and sparked tsunami warnings topped 40.

Thousands remained displaced and more than 450 injured following the magnitude-7.8 quake that struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday, according to national and local disaster agencies, though only four people were now believed missing.

In the hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter and fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told reporters at a Tuesday briefing.

“There are still aftershocks, so the rescuers are very cautious in their approach. That’s a challenge,” said regional civil defence chief Rodrigo Sosmena.

A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, while hundreds of tiny quakes followed.

Infrastructure damage, meanwhile, means some communities will be cut off for at least a week because of the damage to roads and the collapse of a bridge.

At a hospital just outside General Santos, the region’s largest city, AFP reporters heard cries of “push” then an infant’s cries as a mother gave birth outdoors behind a makeshift screen.

In Glan municipality, where at least 13 people were buried in their homes by a landslide, staff at another hospital told AFP more than 60 patients were on beds outside the facility due to fears for the building’s structural integrity.

“The hospital sustained a lot of damage,” she said.

“The municipal engineer decided we could not use the building.”

As of Tuesday morning, the death toll from provincial sources contacted by AFP stood at 41.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said he was “deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines, which has resulted in the tragic loss of precious lives and caused widespread damage”.

Extending condolences to the bereaved families and praying for the swift recovery of the injured, Dar expressed Pakistan’s “full solidarity” with the government and the people of the Philippines.

Recovery

Outside a collapsed grocery store in General Santos, rescuers resumed efforts after an overnight break to recover two store employees who were inside when the building crumpled.

AFP journalists watched as rescue dogs and their handlers scoured the pile of broken concrete and jagged metal bars.

A local rescuer told reporters the effort was now one of recovery rather than rescue, though a more senior official later insisted that decision had yet to be formally made.

At a nearby beach resort, a high-speed Coast Guard vessel plied the waters for two people who went missing while swimming in waters that churned violently as the quake struck.

Videos posted to social media and verified by AFP on Monday showed the catastrophic collapse of a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant in General Santos, while an unoccupied school building crumpled in another.

In another video verified by AFP, young schoolchildren could be seen screaming in the arms of their teachers as the quake violently swayed them back and forth on the ground.

A flimsy metal structure could be seen toppling in the background as the video uploaded to the school’s official Facebook page ends. An accompanying caption said no one was under the structure when it fell.

The earthquake saw thousands ordered to evacuate in coastal areas of the southern Philippines and neighbouring Indonesia as tsunami warnings were issued by multiple countries and a regional tsunami warning centre.

But by midday, the threat had passed and the alerts were cancelled.

Waves that did reach the Pacific coast of Japan, where authorities had issued a tsunami advisory, were reported to be no higher than 20 centimetres.

Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude in October that killed at least eight people.