ARLINGTON: Jude Bellingham was preferred to Morgan Rogers in the England number 10 role for their World Cup opener against Croatia in Texas on Wednesday.&nbsp;There had been uncertainty over who coach Thomas Tuchel would select to offer support to captain Harry Kane up front.&nbsp;The 22-year-old Real Madrid star Bellingham has been given the nod over Aston Villa&#39;s Rogers to start the Group L encounter, which will take place under a roof with air conditioning.&nbsp;On the wings Tuchel went with new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke, with Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka still managing a nagging Achilles issue.&nbsp;Bellingham has not always had the smoothest relationship with Tuchel.&nbsp;The German once called some of the midfielder&#39;s on-pitch behaviour &quot;repulsive&quot;. He later apologised.&nbsp;At the back for the clash in Arlington Tuchel named Villa&#39;s Ezri Konsa alongside John Stones, with Marc Guehi on the bench.

Football

England coach Thomas Tuchel selected Jude Bellingham ahead of Morgan Rogers in the No.10 role for the World Cup opener against Croatia. Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke started on the wings, while Ezri Konsa partnered John Stones in defence.

Bellingham starts for England against Croatia

HOUSTON: Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start as the Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first ever point at the finals, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their Group K match on Wednesday.&nbsp;Yoane Wissa&#39;s header cancelled out Joao Neves&#39;s early goal and the African side -- appearing in their first World Cup since 1974 when it was known as Zaire -- more than held their own.&nbsp;Ronaldo, 41, was largely a peripheral figure throughout the match -- failing to make the impact his great rival Lionel Messi had done on Tuesday in scoring a hat-trick against Algeria.&nbsp;The DRC&#39;s achievement was even greater given their preparations had been disrupted by the Ebola outbreak back in their country.&nbsp;Some Portugal players were wearing wrist bands, given to them by their Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, in tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash last year.&nbsp;Portugal got off to the perfect start, with Neves powering home a header from Pedro Neto&#39;s cross in the sixth minute.&nbsp;However, despite dominating possession they lacked a cutting edge and well into time added on in the first half their opponents made them pay.&nbsp;Wissa rose unmarked to head past Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal sparking wild celebrations on the pitch, the bench and among the Congolese fans in the stadium as the Newcastle forward registered his country&#39;s first ever goal at a World Cup.&nbsp;Former Portuguese defensive bulwark Pepe, watching from the VIP seats, did not look impressed.&nbsp;Bernardo Silva had started the day by joining Real Madrid on a free transfer but he ended it by watching from the bench after Martinez took him off at half-time.&nbsp;He was briefly off his feet celebrating when Joao Cancelo&#39;s overhead kick hit the back of the net -- only for it to be ruled out for offside.&nbsp;The Congolese were matching the Portuguese, though, and 35-year-old veteran striker Cedric Bakambu shrugged aside Bruno Fernandes, but his shot came back off the near post.&nbsp;Ronaldo finally had a chance to shine when presented with a chance by Francisco Conceicao&#39;s pass but he fluffed his lines sending it wide of the post.&nbsp;The same combination linked up again minutes later, Conceicao -- a far livelier presence than Silva had been -- teeing up Ronaldo but once again the result was the same, the ball went wide.&nbsp;Portugal thought they had at least got a corner but when it was not given Conceicao slammed the ball into the ground in frustration as his side failed to pick up three points in their opener.

Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth World Cup began with a disappointing 1-1 draw as Democratic Republic of the Congo earned its first-ever World Cup point. Yoane Wissa cancelled out Joao Neves's early goal, while Portugal missed chances to secure victory.

Ronaldo fails to shine as DR Congo earn historic World Cup point

JILJĪLĪYĀ: Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in two West Bank villages on Wednesday, their mayors said, with AFP journalists at one site seeing scorched walls and graffiti.&nbsp;The incident came during a period of increased attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.&nbsp;Osama Abdullah, head of the village council in Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, told AFP that &quot;settlers set fire to the ablution room, caused damage to the village&#39;s main mosque, and scrawled hostile slogans on the outer walls&quot;.&nbsp;AFP journalists who visited one mosque on Wednesday saw that the ceiling, walls and floors were blackened by smoke and flames.&nbsp;Graffiti had also been daubed on the walls in Hebrew. Some read &quot;vengeance&quot; and: &quot;Hi, from the Hilltop Youth&quot;.&nbsp;Molotov cocktailsThe Hilltop Youth are a group of Israelis in the West Bank who are regularly accused of violence towards Palestinians they seek to evict from areas they want to take over.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s military confirmed the arson and graffiti on the mosques, but did not identify the perpetrators.&nbsp;&quot;The forces searched the area for suspects and located two burned mosques, as well as graffiti on the walls. The suspects had fled prior to the arrival of the forces,&quot; it said in a statement.&nbsp;Mayor Abdullah said settlers arrived to burn down the mosque between 2am and 3am but found its door was locked, so instead set fire to a room dedicated to ablutions on a lower floor.&nbsp;He said Palestinian civil defence crews, along with young men from the village and neighbouring areas, extinguished the blaze.&nbsp;In the neighbouring village of Mazari an-Nubani, settlers came to torch another mosque overnight, the head of the village council, Saad Dagher, told AFP.&nbsp;Dagher said settlers arrived to attack one of the village&#39;s three mosques with Molotov cocktails around 3am, before running away while residents put out the fire.&nbsp;ImpunityThe Palestinian ministry of religious affairs condemned &quot;dangerous aggressions&quot; in a statement that also called on the international community to intervene.&nbsp;Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the territory -- excluding east Jerusalem, which has been annexed by Israel -- among some three million Palestinians.&nbsp;Settlements, which are illegal under international law, have sprouted all over the West Bank under the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which contains many pro-settlement ministers in its ranks.&nbsp;The United Nations recently warned that settler violence in the West Bank had reached record levels, with an average of six attacks daily causing casualties or damage.

Middle East

Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in two West Bank villages, damaging an ablution room and scrawling hostile graffiti. Residents and civil defence crews extinguished the blazes.​The Palestinian ministry of religious affairs condemned 'dangerous aggressions'.

Israeli settlers torch two West Bank mosques: Palestinian officials

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism, security, immigration and institutional capacity-building during talks between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Hamish Falconer in Islamabad. According to a statement issued by the Pakistan interior ministry, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments, with particular focus on expanding cooperation in counterterrorism, illegal immigration, institutional partnerships, and police training. The meeting comes as Pakistan continues efforts to strengthen border management, combat human trafficking networks, and enhance cooperation with international partners on security challenges. Naqvi highlighted progress achieved under the Upskill Project, saying the initiative had delivered encouraging results and significantly improved the capabilities of Pakistani institutions. &quot;The government is committed to strengthening professional standards and institutional capabilities through international partnerships,&quot; the minister said, according to the statement. The two sides also agreed to work closely on addressing the issue of fraudulent student visas, which both countries view as a growing concern. Naqvi said Pakistan was taking indiscriminate action against illegal immigration networks and human trafficking syndicates, emphasizing the government&#39;s resolve to dismantle criminal groups that exploit vulnerable people. On regional security, the interior minister said several terrorist organizations were operating from Afghan soil and stressed that Afghanistan must prevent its territory from being used to launch terrorist activities against Pakistan. He reaffirmed Islamabad&#39;s commitment to expanding cooperation with the United Kingdom, saying Pakistan values its longstanding partnership with London and seeks to further strengthen ties across multiple sectors. According to the ministry, Falconer appreciated Pakistan&#39;s role in facilitating understanding between the United States and Iran and said Islamabad&#39;s efforts to ease tensions had highlighted its contribution to regional and international peace. The British minister also commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in promoting peace and stability, the statement said.

Foreign Affairs

Security

Reaffirms commitment to strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism, security, immigration and institutional capacity-building 

Pakistan, UK deepen counterterrorism, immigration cooperation during Islamabad meeting

SAN FRANCISCO: SpaceX shares surged again Tuesday, lifting <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/newly-minted-trillionaire-musk-under-fire-over-belfast-riots" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elon Musk</a>&#39;s rocket company into the world&#39;s top five in market value for most of the session as a record-breaking IPO gives way to a torrid buying frenzy. Shares of SpaceX, formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp, finished up nearly 5% at $201.80, giving it a market value of $2.64 trillion. That placed the company a hair below Amazon&#39;s $2.65 trillion at the end of Tuesday&#39;s session after leading the online shopping platform most of the day. SpaceX also briefly eclipsed <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/microsoft-openai-loosen-ties-as-rivalry-simmers" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microsoft</a>, which is fourth on the list. The latest rise came as SpaceX announced it will acquire <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/elon-musks-ai-tool-grok-was-used-in-strikes-against-iran-us-govt" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) coding startup Cursor for $60 billion, a deal designed to further cement the Texas-based company near the nexus of the AI boom. The SpaceX fever partly stems from enthusiasm over its growth potential, including AI. But at least as important are dynamics that have nothing to do with the company&#39;s operations or profit outlook. &quot;There is no valuation support for this market cap as it&#39;s all retail excitement meeting a very small float and no institutional sellers,&quot; said Eric Clark, a portfolio manager and chief investment officer at Accuvest Global Advisors. &quot;It&#39;s just a momentum trade and retail excitement plus active growth managers wanting exposure,&quot; Clark said in an email that described SpaceX&#39;s growth potential as a &quot;five-to-10-year game.&quot; Shares of SpaceX have soared more than a third in three sessions since last week&#39;s IPO, which raised a record-breaking $85.7 billion. &quot;There&#39;s a bit of a mania involving AI and anything that could be one of the beneficiaries of the spending on AI,&quot; said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. Co-founded by Musk in 2002, the rocket startup has expanded into a major satellite operator and has also folded in Musk&#39;s artificial intelligence company xAI, which includes social media platform X. Cursor SpaceX&#39;s acquisition of Cursor marks its latest big AI investment. Founded in 2022, San Francisco-based Cursor specializes in AI for software development, particularly for business uses. An acquisition had looked possible after the two companies had announced a partnership in April that included a clause for Cursor to be potentially bought by SpaceX for $60 billion. Cursor&#39;s emergence has coincided with the growth of &quot;vibe coding,&quot; whereby online users build applications with AI-generated code. At its last funding round in November, Cursor was valued at $29 billion. Tuesday&#39;s deal more than doubles that sum. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SpaceX said the all-stock deal was expected to close in the third quarter and that Cursor would become a wholly owned subsidiary. In May, SpaceX announced plans to invest $55 billion to build a &quot;Terafab&quot; semiconductor factory in Texas, producing chips for AI and robotics. Also last month, AI startup Anthropic announced a partnership with SpaceX under which it would pay for use of the compute capacity at SpaceX&#39;s Colossus 1 data center in Tennessee. Bubble? These ventures have cemented investor belief that SpaceX resides at the nexus of key AI developments. Investor consensus also continues to propel Musk, already the world&#39;s wealthiest person, whose role as Tesla CEO also brings exposure to new developments in autonomous driving and robotics. SpaceX&#39;s lofty ambitions for AI are expected to consume capital for at least the next few years. It reported a loss of $4.3 billion last year. The company&#39;s valuation puts it within striking range of Microsoft, currently worth $2.92 trillion, according to Yahoo Finance.&nbsp;<a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/nvidia-launches-windows-laptop-chip-in-consumer-pc-push" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;is first with nearly a $5.1 trillion valuation. But portfolio manager Clark expects SpaceX&#39;s &quot;bubbliscious&quot; valuation to ebb once additional shares hit the market. IPOs historically see &quot;big&quot; drawdowns during the first year, Clark said. &quot;That should happen when the float expands and people get a chance to match the fundamentals via the first quarterly report with the valuation and market cap.&quot; Clark said SpaceX may one day justify such a valuation but &quot;momentum, euphoria, and hype is a fickle beast, and this market is out of line across many stocks for now.&quot;

Business

Shares of SpaceX finished up nearly 5% at $201.80, giving it a market value of $2.64 trillion and placing the company a hair below Amazon's $2.65 trillion at the end of Tuesday's session.

After three sessions, SpaceX already among world's most valuable companies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with his Egyptian counterpart on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. In a post on X (Twitter), the Foreign Office said Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the scheduled signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran in B&uuml;rgenstock, Switzerland, on Friday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2067148497368084554&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a91852a8fe2cf9319af25dc40bb5fa94f4d63943&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The two ministers also reviewed recent understandings reached between Washington and Tehran, which helped bring an end to the Middle East War. They further exchanged views on the Regional Four (R-4) Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Meeting, which is set to be held later this month. The Regional Four (R-4) is a high-level diplomatic forum comprising Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and T&uuml;rkiye. It was established to help address geopolitical tensions in the Middle East through dialogue and de-escalation efforts. Both ministers agreed to remain in close contact. Pakistan, Rwanda discuss trade, economic cooperation Pakistan&#39;s Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan&nbsp;met with Rwanda&#39;s High Commissioner Harerimana Fatou&nbsp;to discuss strengthening bilateral economic ties and exploring trade opportunities between the two countries, Press Information Department reported on Wednesday. According to an official statement, the discussions focused on&nbsp;enhancing bilateral trade and promoting business-to-business engagement. Rana Ihsaan&nbsp;Khan highlighted Pakistan&#39;s interest in expanding economic relations with Rwanda. He talked about&nbsp;the importance of strengthening institutional and commercial linkages between the two nations. Both sides discussed trade facilitation measures, including the exchange of information on banking channels and financial mechanisms to support commercial transactions. They also explored prospects for advancing economic cooperation with the East African Community, including progress on a potential agreement to facilitate trade and improve market access. The participants acknowledged significant potential for deeper economic engagement between Pakistan and the East African region. The meeting concluded with both sides committed to enhancing bilateral relations and promoting mutually beneficial economic cooperation.

The talks focused on regional stability, diplomatic engagement and efforts to strengthen coordination on issues of mutual interest.

 Pakistan, Egypt foreign ministers discuss US-Iran agreement, regional issues

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s technology exports have hit a historic milestone, crossing the $4 billion-mark for the first time during the first 11 months of the outgoing fiscal year. According to data reported by the State Bank of Pakistan and market analysts, IT and IT-enabled services exports reached $4.184 billion during July-May FY2025-26, compared with $3.475 billion in the same period last year.&nbsp; Adviser to the country&#39;s finance minister, Khurram Schehzad, in a post on X, confirmed a record increase in tech exports and shared the same numbers.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 899px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2067184752789258646&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ae699fc3ab56ad6e8273ed5e5544def4e34cfb25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The latest numbers show an increase of $709 million, or 20%, highlighting the growing role of software houses, IT firms, and freelancers in bringing foreign exchange into the country. In May 2026 alone, Pakistan recorded IT export receipts of $373 million.&nbsp; The figure was 13% higher than May last year, although it fell from $423 million in April.&nbsp; Analysts attributed the month-on-month decline to fewer working days due to the Eid holidays. Despite the monthly dip, the sector has remained one of Pakistan&rsquo;s strongest export performers at a time when traditional exports continue to face pressure from global demand, energy costs, and competitiveness challenges.&nbsp; Industry stakeholders say export-friendly policies, continuity of incentives, international marketing, and improved facilitation of foreign exchange inflows have helped maintain the growth momentum.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/8e824d8d-9407-4b3b-9779-98bb12774c4e.jpg" style="width: 704px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Officials expect the country&rsquo;s IT exports to close the fiscal year near $4.5 billion, setting a new annual record. The government has also linked the sector&rsquo;s expansion with its broader digital economy agenda, including higher-value services, startup growth, freelancing, connectivity, and foreign investment.&#39;&#39; However, experts say sustaining the pace will require stable internet access, smoother payment channels, skills development, and consistent taxation policies. Pakistan has set an ambitious long-term target of taking annual IT exports to $10 billion by FY2028-29, which would require much faster growth over the next three years. For now, the latest figures mark a confidence boost for Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy and its tech workforce overall.

Economy

Pakistan’s IT exports crossed the $4 billion mark for the first time, reaching $4.184 billion in 11 months of FY26, with May receipts standing at $373 million despite the Eid slowdown.

Pakistan’s IT exports hit $4B-mark for first time

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk&#39;s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in a legal briefing seen Tuesday by AFP. The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data center belonging to the trillionaire&#39;s company xAI, which are the target of an environmental lawsuit. In the brief, the US Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit &quot;threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War&#39;s military operations.&quot; To support the argument, federal prosecutors presented testimony from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley in which he states, under oath, that Grok is already in use within Project Maven, the US military&#39;s AI-assisted targeting program that was initially powered by Anthropic&#39;s Claude model. The project&#39;s Maven Smart Systems (MSS) &quot;enabled US forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury,&quot; Stanley&#39;s statement said. Stanley praised Musk&#39;s technology and &quot;the greatly increased operational efficiency made possible by the Grok Gov Model.&quot; The NAACP, a civil rights organization defending Black Americans&#39; rights, is suing xAI and accusing it of operating dozens of turbines without permits in violation of the Clean Air Act. The rights group says they pollute majority Black neighborhoods, but xAI says the turbines are temporary and mobile, and therefore not subject to regulation. At the end of February, the government terminated its contracts with Anthropic after it refused to allow its tools to be used for fully automated strikes or the mass surveillance of Americans. The Pentagon then turned to Anthropic&#39;s competitors, like Google, OpenAI and xAI, to continue its pursuit of AI. At Google, more than 600 employees demanded the company not provide AI to the military for classified operations. Others have raised broad concerns about AI&#39;s threats. The US military&#39;s transition to AI is taking time, and in March the government had to acknowledge that Claude was still being used for the war in Iran. A close ally of President Donald Trump, Musk folded xAI into his space exploration company SpaceX in February, which carried out the largest IPO in history on June 12

SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as he speaks during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on June 16, 2023. (File photo: AFP)

The US Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit "threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War's military operations."

Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran: US govt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals through the southern port city of Karachi in coordination with the Iranian, U.S., and British authorities, the country&rsquo;s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.&nbsp;In a statement on X, Dar said the group comprises eight Iranian fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, and 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, which was recently interdicted by U.S. authorities.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2067135632691089688&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0c0cbb969b7ce8dc8409c99981867c55bdeec4dc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Both groups are expected to transit through Karachi in the coming days before returning to Iran, the foreign minister said.&nbsp;He said Pakistan is working closely with the authorities of Iran, the United States and Britain to ensure the safe transit and early repatriation of the Iranian nationals.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to humanitarian cooperation and to extending every possible assistance to our Iranian brothers,&rdquo; he added.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefs the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, the Pakistan–India May 2025 conflict, on May 5, 2026. (Handout/MoFA/File)

Says Pakistan is working closely with the authorities of Iran, the United States and Britain to ensure the safe transit and early repatriation of the Iranian nationals.

Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals, says FM Dar

ISLAMABAD: Members of the Naga community held a candlelight vigil in Guwahati on Tuesday to honor six Naga civilians who were found dead in Manipur last week amid violence, as protesters demanded justice and stronger action to restore law and order in the troubled northeastern state. The victims, belonging to the Christian Naga community, are believed to be among those taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13, according to Manipur Police.&nbsp; Police said the bodies were recovered after more than 24 hours of search operations involving around 450 personnel, sniffer dogs, and forensic teams. At the vigil, participants lit candles, offered prayers, and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. They called on the authorities to ensure a transparent investigation and hold those responsible accountable.&nbsp; They also urged the government to take urgent steps to prevent further ethnic violence in Manipur, where tensions have remained high for more than three years. The latest killings have deepened fears of a further deterioration in the security situation.&nbsp; Manipur has been gripped by unrest since May 2023, when clashes erupted between the state&rsquo;s dominant, mostly Hindu Meitei community and the mainly Christian Kuki tribes over access to economic benefits, land rights, and government job quotas. The Naga community, Manipur&rsquo;s third major ethnic group, had largely remained outside the core of the Meitei-Kuki conflict.&nbsp; However, tensions involving Naga groups escalated earlier this year after a Naga man was allegedly assaulted by Kuki men, drawing the community into the wider unrest. Rights groups and local organizations have repeatedly urged authorities to protect civilians and pursue dialogue among the communities.&nbsp; Police said legal formalities were being completed and an investigation into the deaths was underway.&nbsp; However, media reports say that no group has been officially named by police as responsible for the killings.

Asia

Members of the community gather in Guwahati to mourn those killed, demanding justice, accountability, and stronger government action to urgently restore peace in the violence-hit state.

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