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A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer died on Saturday, a week after he was shot during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives.

Dozens of mourners dressed in black carried the body of Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan — a player for Al-Mughayyir Club and a member of the Palestinian national youth team — from the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to his village for burial.

The Palestine Football Association accused Israeli forces of shooting Nassan while settlers were attacking the village on July 11.

The young player was reportedly shot in the thigh during the attack. His leg was amputated, and he later died from his injuries, the association said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment Saturday.

“He loved football,” his father, Hamdallah Al-Nassan, told AFP.

“When the settlers attacked, he heard the screams of the girls and women,” he said. “He went to the scene of the attack and was killed.”

The teenager’s mother, Hanan al-Nassan, said her son was well-liked in the village.

“He was a good student, good in sports, and loved playing football.
Everyone loved him,” she said.

“May God accept him as a martyr.”

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa also reported that Nassan was wounded and his leg amputated, adding that two other residents were hit by rubber bullets fired by Israeli forces, while a 10-year-old boy was hit on the head by a stun grenade.

Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the United Nations has reported a sharp increase in violence attributed to Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,088 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.

Earlier this week, Israel’s security cabinet approved a budget of $434 million for establishing 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.

UN bodies, Palestinians and most countries view the settlements as illegal under international conventions and a primary obstacle to peace.

Smotrich , who has long opposed Palestinian statehood, is head of the Reli­gious Zionism party that draws much of its support from settlements and is running in the upcoming legislative election on Oct 27.

The planned settlements would bring the total established under his four-year tenure to 103.

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Spanish elan meets Argentinian steel in a historic World Cup final on Sunday which sees the reigning champions of Europe and South America battle for football’s ultimate prize.

Holders Argentina are bidding to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the title, in what is almost certainly the final World Cup match of captain Lionel Messi’s career.

Spain are aiming to thwart those ambitions by clinching the country’s second World Cup crown following their maiden victory in 2010.

US President Donald Trump will be among a star-studded crowd of just over 80,000 spectators at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax.

World Cup officials have said they are “monitoring closely” air quality from Canadian wildfires affecting the region around the final, which kicks off at 12am PST.

The final will also see an unprecedented 25-30 minute half-time interval for a Super Bowl-style concert featuring the likes of Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

But the real action will unfold on the pitch in a cross-continental clash of footballing titans that bristles with sub-plots.

At the centre of the drama will be Argentina’s Messi, the 39-year-old genius regarded by many as the greatest football player in history.

The veteran superstar will become only the second man ever to play in three World Cup finals, matching the achievement of Brazilian great Cafu in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

Messi has enjoyed a vintage World Cup campaign and is on course for the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals in Argentina’s journey to the final.

Repeated escape acts

More significantly, the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner has repeatedly rescued Argentina at moments when they appeared headed for the exit.

Messi was the driving force of an incredible comeback victory over Egypt in the last 16, when the South Americans trailed 2-0 with 11 minutes to go before eventually winning 3-2.

He then provided two assists in a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 defeat of England in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta.

That victory embodied Argentina’s dogged, never-say-die approach, a rugged resilience forged under head coach Lionel Scaloni.

Scaloni, who has led Argentina to back-to-back Copa America wins either side of a 2022 World Cup triumph, attributes his team’s success to fearlessness.

“This group is difficult to explain,” he said. “It is a show of the collectiveness, the brotherhood that we are in, the willingness to fight to the very end.

“I know the guys. They fear nothing.” Argentina’s astonishing fortitude is likely to face its most searching examination of the tournament in Sunday’s blockbuster.

Spain have gradually built momentum in the early rounds before arriving in the final with a magnificent performance to defeat favourites France 2-0 in the semi-finals.

That performance underscored the strengths of Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad, who neutralised France’s potent attacking arsenal with their trademark brand of skilful possession-based football.

Spain’s superb midfield led by captain Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo ran rings around France, biding their time before carving the openings which led to the decisive goals.

Ring of steel

Behind them, Spain’s defence has been the best in the tournament, conceding just one goal with six clean sheets in seven matches.

Victory and another clean sheet on Sunday would see Spain set a record for the fewest goals ever conceded by a World Cup-winning team.

In attack, Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal could well prove decisive.

The 19-year-old Barcelona winger who was the star of Spain’s European Championship-winning campaign in Germany two years ago has not been at his electrifying best in this tournament as he works his way back from a hamstring injury.

But Yamal provided flashes of his brilliance in the semi-final defeat of France, winning the penalty that gave La Roja a crucial lead and having what would have been a superb third goal ruled out after a fractional offside decision.

Spain’s charismatic manager de la Fuente meanwhile will be facing a personal duel against a former student in Argentine counterpart Scaloni.

De la Fuente, 65, who took over as Spain coach in 2022 after a successful stint as youth team manager, mentored Scaloni when the Argentina coach was studying for his professional licence in 2018.

Scaloni, 48, who has strong personal and professional ties to Spain, where he lives, says he will put his friendship with de la Fuente on pause for Sunday’s final.

“He was my mentor, and he taught me everything I know and now we are facing each other in a final,” Scaloni said of de la Fuente.

“Everyone knows I live in Spain and have Spanish family. And I’m very, very sorry, but on Sunday I’m going to try to beat him. “

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France said Friday it was blocking access to the online prediction market Polymarket, as punters continued to make bets despite a ban already in place.

The national gaming authority ANJ said that Polymarket’s webpage would be blocked on French territory, which adds to a November 2024 ban on financial transactions to the site.

Polymarket is one of a number of online prediction markets which allow people to bet on the outcome of future events.

The ANJ said the site’s continued availability — where betting odds on different events are updated in real time — constituted advertising.

“Advertising, by any means whatsoever, in favour of an unauthorised betting or gambling site is a criminal offence,” the ANJ said, and noted the fines could reach 100,000 euros ($114,000).

The regulator said that despite the ban on transactions from French accounts, visits from French internet addresses to Polymarket’s site have been rising, hitting 578,751 last month.

The betting markets have caused a number of problems.

France’s weather agency, Meteo-France, filed a complaint in April after one of its weather probes was hacked in order to fix bets on Polymarkets.

A US soldier is facing federal charges for using classified information to bet on online prediction markets related to the US operation in January to capture former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. He allegedly made more than $400,000.

The White House said Thursday a teleprompter operator had been suspended over allegations he placed bets with a prediction market on the content of US President Donald Trump’s speeches.

France is one of a number of European countries that restrict or block access to online prediction markets such as Germany, Italy and Spain, according to the ANJ.

France allows online sports betting.

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PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s assertion that agriculture and livestock hold the key to Pakistan’s quick economic revival is spot-on. The sector contributes almost a quarter of GDP, employs well over a third of the labour force and remains the largest source of livelihoods. Livestock alone accounts for more than 60pc of agriculture’s value addition, while Pakistan ranks among the world’s largest milk producers, and possesses considerable untapped potential in both milk and meat exports.

Few sectors offer comparable opportunities to generate growth, reduce poverty, improve food security and earn foreign exchange simultaneously. But the PM’s declaration that the economy can be revived within a year through agriculture highlights the gap between ambition and policy execution. The agricultural crisis has never been about the absence of potential. It is the consequence of decades of policy neglect and inconsistency, institutional decay and distorted incentives.

While successive governments have acknowledged the sector’s importance, budgetary allocations, research spending, extension services, water management, market reforms and investment priorities have not reflected that recognition. The current year’s federal and provincial budgets are no exception. Despite repeated references to economic transformation, agriculture barely figures in official priorities. This contradiction is becoming increasingly costly.

Pakistan now imports billions of dollars’ worth of food and raw materials for its textile and clothing industry, and its food exports have weakened over time. This is eroding precious foreign exchange at a time when the economy remains dependent on external financing. Rising production costs, unpredictable pricing, market manipulation, inadequate storage and weak value chains continue to undermine farmers’ incomes. Farmers are expected to increase production while bearing risks that neither markets nor public policy adequately mitigate.

Mr Sharif’s emphasis on technology, AI, disease control and value addition must be lauded. Yet technology cannot compensate for dysfunctional policy. Farmers will not invest simply because AI is introduced into agriculture if fertilisers remain expensive, energy costs continue to rise, water becomes increasingly scarce and markets fail to offer remunerative prices. With industry struggling and exports stagnating, agriculture remains one of the few sectors capable of driving inclusive growth.

But this demands actual reforms. It requires strengthening research, developing indigenous vaccines, improving traceability systems, correcting market distortions, expanding rural credit, investing in climate resilience, enhancing irrigation efficiency and creating incentives for private investment across agricultural value chains.

Every government promises to transform agriculture; few are willing to undertake the reforms needed to achieve that aim. Declarations that agriculture can revive the economy will remain aspirational so long as the authorities continue to avoid policy reforms.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2026

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The recovery plan for war-battered Gaza, under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP), has been significantly scaled back and, instead of reconstructing the entire territory, now envisions a small pilot project in the south of the besieged territory, the British publication The Guardian reported on Thursday.

The board was initially proposed in September 2025 and formally established in January. Under its charter, the US government serves as its official depository and Trump has designated the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as the Board’s headquarters.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November last year authorised the board, along with cooperating states, to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza following a ceasefire that began in October under a Trump-backed plan accepted by Israel and Hamas.

According to the publication, the new pilot project now aims to construct a small temporary camp for a fraction of Gaza’s population, with a Palestinian administration, police and a small contingent of the International Security Force (ISF).

The plan is not expected to take shape before the end of 2026.

However, some steps have been taken in recent weeks to initiate the process, the British publication said. It said some Moroccan and Kosovan officers had arrived in Israel to form the cadre of the ISF, which is intended to protect the pilot camp, while a logistics base is under construction near Kerem Shalom to house the force’s vehicles, equipment and other material.

Construction on the pilot camp, situated near Rafah, to house civilians has yet to begin. “Satellite images of the area show disturbed earth but no new structures. Substantial progress is not expected before Israel holds elections on 27 October, which could bring down Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government,” said The Guardian in its report.

An unnamed diplomat quoted in the report said that the BoP had “no choice but to make the most of very limited progress, as an admission of failure would open the way for extreme factions in the Israeli government with radically different plans for Gaza”.

“The aim is just to keep something going, keep the ball in play, because if you stop there are others with a more extreme agenda just waiting to jump in and take over, and they are talking about wholesale population transfer and colonisation,” the diplomat said.

There are growing concerns that Netanyahu, facing the prospect of electoral defeat, may launch another full-scale offensive in Gaza ahead of the October vote, the report added.

The publication’s report further added that Israeli officials have repeatedly suggested that a return to war is inevitable, citing Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Hamas, however, has said it is willing to lay down its weapons under certain conditions and participated in negotiations in Cairo over the weekend on possible disarmament mechanisms.

However, the Palestinian resistance group is unlikely to disarm as long as Israel keeps carrying out strikes in Gaza and continues to occupy large swathes of Gaza.

In January, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner pledged that aid access would be expanded and basic infrastructure, including water, sewage and electricity systems, hospitals and bakeries, would be restored across the Gaza Strip within 100 days.

The pilot camp outlined in the current blueprint would comprise portable cabins for tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza and would be established in the buffer zone along the ceasefire line near Rafah, said the publication’s report, adding that the camp would be overseen by the ISF and a specially trained Palestinian police force.

“Preference for settlement in the pilot camp would be given to former residents of the Rafah area, but it is not clear what other criteria would be used in vetting Palestinians wanting to move there,” added The Guardian.

The report also touched upon funds for the reconstruction of Gaza, stating that very little of the $17bn originally pledged for Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza has actually materialised.

Pakistan is among the 14 countries that signed the charter of the Board of Peace on January 22 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, becoming a founding member of the body.

The list of founding members also includes Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, spanning the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caucasus.

The board was originally conceived to oversee the ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza, but its charter expands its mandate to peace-building in all areas affected by or at risk of conflict.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s oil supply chain players appeared nervous as petrol stocks declined to a 14-day cover on Thursday, prompting the government to urgently address procedural issues and activate enforcement mechanisms to discourage hoarding for profiteering in the market.

The decline comes amid rising prices following renewed US-Iran hostilities.

Informed sources said the government may have to revert to the fuel conservation measures adopted over the past couple of months as it reviews the latest regional situation.

A session with the oil industry, urgently convened by the recently created National Coordination and Management Council (NCMC) — a civil-military body on energy supplies — “holistically” reviewed the availability of petroleum products across the country. Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema is the chairman, while Lt Gen Zafar Iqbal is the co-chairman of the NCMC’s executive committee.

Informed sources said petrol consumption had risen over the past three weeks following a substantial price cut.

In the first half of July, petrol consumption was almost 18-20 per cent higher year-on-year, while diesel demand was about 40pc higher than in July over the past five years. This was a clear indication of a reduction in smuggled inflows from Iran due to the narrower price gap.

The cancellation of a couple of Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) planned import cargoes after they failed to secure clearance from the NCMC amid falling global prices ahead of the interim US-Iran peace agreement also contributed to this.

Subsequent tensions sent import premiums skyrocketing again. PSO’s two latest petrol cargoes attracted around $25 per barrel in premiums, compared to $12 about 10 days ago.

However, as of Thursday, petrol and diesel were estimated to be costlier by around Rs10-12 and Rs40-42 per litre, respectively, providing an incentive for dealers to seek greater supplies from oil marketing companies and for hoarders to profiteer.

While PSO remains the country’s fuel lifeline, smaller players are reluctant to burn their fingers, citing more than Rs66 billion in pending price differential claims against the government. Oil companies have also complained of challenges in customs clearance.

Diesel stocks now stand at a cover of around 21 days and local refining is keeping pace with requirements.

Petrol consumption currently stands at around 25,000 tonnes per day against stocks of 345,000 tonnes, while local refineries can supply no more than 9,000 tonnes per day. HSD stocks stand at around 465,000 tonnes against daily consumption of about 23,000 tonnes, with local refineries supplying around 16,000 tonnes per day.

It was against this background that the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) — an association of over three dozen refiners and OMCs — raised red flags by writing an urgent warning to the government about an ensuing supply chain challenge.

During the NCMC meeting, “the supply-side challenges highlighted by the representatives of the OCAC were discussed and addressed”, an official statement said.

The committee observed that the concerns raised by OCAC primarily stemmed from an abnormal increase in petroleum product sales during the first 15 days of July. An analysis presented by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) also indicated the possibility of hoarding in anticipation of a potential price increase, the statement added.

“The NCMC emphasised that Ogra’s enforcement mechanism should play a more proactive role, and urged provincial governments to ensure that there is no hoarding and that petroleum products remain readily available to the general public without any inconvenience,” the council said after the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik, representatives of oil marketing companies and refineries, as well as officials from the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Member Customs FBR, OGRA and other relevant stakeholders.

“The committee reaffirmed that petroleum product stocks in the country are sufficient and directed all relevant stakeholders to maintain uninterrupted supply across the country,” the statement concluded. Informed sources said the customs authorities promised to remove challenges at their end immediately.

A day earlier, the OCAC had updated the government about the challenges and demanded the immediate disbursement of about Rs67bn in Price Differential Claims (PDCs) to ensure smooth supplies. It had complained that a portion of existing stocks were unavailable for sale due to bottlenecks in the customs clearance process, effectively reducing immediately saleable inventory.

“Under the prevailing circumstances, any further delays in customs clearance could materially impact product availability and increase the likelihood of localised shortages, especially in upcountry locations”, the OCAC had said.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis residing abroad who hold an invalid, expired or cancelled National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will no longer be allowed to board flights to Pakistan, official sources said on Wednesday.

According to official sources, the government has issued immediate directives to all zonal directors of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to convey the decision to every airline operating inbound flights to Pakistan.

A government official told Dawn that the practice of allowing travel on invalid NICOPs had been going on for a long time and that it had been decided to stop it with immediate effect.

“Airlines should be instructed to verify the validity of NICOPs prior to boarding and refuse carriage to any passenger presenting an invalid, expired or cancelled NICOP,” the official said.

He added that passengers travelling on a foreign passport with an expired or otherwise invalid NICOP would not be allowed to board flights to Pakistan unless they held a valid Pakistani visa.

The official clarified that the decision was not country-specific and would apply to travellers arriving from all countries.

Meanwhile, a senior FIA official said the law regarding valid travel documents was already in place and the latest directive was aimed at strict enforcement.

He said the decision had also been conveyed to all immigration check-posts to ensure uniformity.

The official added that the move would bring travel regulations in line with other state services where an expired CNIC or NICOP leads to suspension of banking, SIM, and property rights.

“The FIA has been tasked with monitoring compliance at airports to ensure airlines implement the verification requirement before boarding,” he said.

While the move for stricter enforcement has generally been welcomed, many believe that the government should ensure faster renewal services at Pakistani missions abroad.

“Many Pakistanis only realise their NICOP has expired when they’re at the airport,” said Muhammad Riaz Chaudhary, a Pakistani settled in Heidelberg, Germany.

“The government should provide an emergency extension or expedited renewal to avoid genuine hardship,” he observed.

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