https://ift.tt/QtdHB9Z

• Guterres pledges support for Syria’s reconstruction; backs Syria’s request for EU support; calls situation in Golan Heights ‘totally unacceptable’
• Damascus demands Israeli withdrawal from ‘buffer zone’

DAMASCUS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pledged help for Syrian reconstruction on Saturday during the first visit to Damascus by a serving United Nations chief since 2009, before the start of a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received Guterres at the presidential palace in Damascus, state news agency SANA said, without providing further details.

“No country emerges from a very severe conflict and rebuilds itself on its own,” Guterres said after the talks with Sharaa at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

“We must help Syria in its determination and resolve to do so,” Guterres added.

Shaibani reiterated Syria’s request for more support from the international community, especially the European Union.

He said Guterres’ talks with Sharaa which Shaibani also attended had focused on increasing UN support for reconstruction and a government plan to close displacement camps.

Guterres also said the situation around Syria’s Golan Heights was unacceptable, as the Syrian foreign minister urged Israeli forces to withdraw from a UN-patrolled buffer zone where they deployed in 2024.

“What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable,” Guterres added. Shaibani called for an “immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal” from the area where they had advanced.

Guterres’ visit is another milestone for Syria since rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, ending the war that began in 2011 and launching a transitional period.

At the time, Guterres described “the end of the Syrian dictatorship” under Assad as a sign of hope for the region. In a post on X on Saturday for what he described as a “visit of solidarity”, Guterres said: “The United Nations stands with Syria at this pivotal moment.” Guterres will also meet other government officials and representatives of Syrian civil society and is expected to address the country’s parliament on Monday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said earlier this week.

He will underline that the country has an opportunity “not only to recover from conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a future for Syria that will be more stable, more inclusive, and more prosperous for all Syrians”, Dujarric said.

Return to global stage

Guterres is expected to be in Damascus for several days, but the full schedule of his visit has not been released by his office. He is visiting just weeks after two bombs exploded near a hotel in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, overshadowing the first visit to Syria by a European Union head of state since Assad was toppled.

Sharaa’s government is seeking to rebuild Syria’s international ties and economy after nearly 14 years of war and decades of isolation under the Assad family’s rule.

Sharaa, who broke ties with al Qaeda in 2016, led an alliance of rebel factions that ousted Assad in a lightning offensive in December 2024. Since taking power, his government has sought to re-establish Syria’s diplomatic ties to expand beyond Assad’s longtime allies, Russia and Iran.

Last year, Sharaa became the first Syrian president since 1967 to take part in the UN General Assembly in New York. The US has lifted most sanctions on Syria and President Donald Trump informed Sharaa earlier this month that he intended to remove Syria from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Guterres is also expected during his trip to visit a UN peacekeeping force that has maintained a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces for decades, Dujarric said.

Israeli troops have occupied new areas in southern Syria after Assad was ousted. Dama­scus has demanded they withdraw and return to a 1974 disengagement agreement.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2026

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/3vpquPW

https://ift.tt/G2kRtz6

The government on Saturday kept the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel unchanged for July 26 and 27 due to the non-publication of “Platts prices on weekends”.

A day earlier, the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) were increased by Rs3.66 and Rs4.80 per litre, respectively.

The current price of petrol stands at Rs335.18 per litre, while HSD is priced at Rs383.46 per litre. The government is charging a total of Rs110 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs96 on diesel.

The Petroleum Division’s notification said the price increase announced for July 25 would also remain applicable on July 26 and 27.

The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28.

The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March.

Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The federal government in April also announced targeted relief measures to provide subsidised fuel.

The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on a daily basis based on international market trends.

The daily pricing decision was rejected by the All Pakistan Dealers Association, which said it would consider a protest plan this week.

Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.

Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.

Petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are the major revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes, compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/UlMObDt

https://ift.tt/h9ETcp0

Light to moderate rainfall accompanied by high winds was reported in multiple areas across Karachi on Saturday evening, marking the second consecutive day of rain in the current monsoon spell.

A brief but relatively heavy spell of rain was reported at 4K Chowrangi in Surjani Town and Lyari.

Rain was reported in Scheme 33, Gulshan-i-Maymar and adjoining areas, while Hassan Square received light drizzle.

Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Airport, Sachal Goth, Mausamiyat and surrounding areas also received a brief spell of rain.

Saddar and adjoining areas received light rainfall, while Sea View and Defence Housing Authority (DHA) experienced only light drizzle.

Following the PMD’s forecast of rain in Karachi, Additional Inspector General Karachi Azad Khan placed the city police on alert, said a statement.

According to the statement, field commanders were directed to remain present in their respective areas, while traffic police were instructed to ensure smooth traffic flow and provide alternative routes in waterlogged areas.

In a meeting held today, the provincial chief secretary directed provincial and district authorities to activate the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and district control rooms immediately, while ordering the submission of 24-hour situation reports every morning throughout the monsoon season for continuous monitoring.

Chairing the meeting on monsoon preparedness, the chief secretary stressed that contingency plans must include the identification of relief camp sites, availability of rescue boats, dewatering pumps, water bowsers, generators and other emergency machinery.

He also called for resource mapping, arrangements for food and drinking water, and adequate stocks of medicines for the health and livestock departments.

The chief secretary instructed municipal authorities to remove bottlenecks, complete cleaning of storm-water drains and ensure uninterrupted drainage arrangements ahead of heavy rains.

The meeting was informed that, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), moderate to isolated heavy rainfall was expected until July 27 in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Matiari, Jamshoro and Shaheed Benazirabad.

Light to moderate rainfall was also forecast for several districts including Ghotki, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Kambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and Thatta, while Karachi was likely to experience mostly cloudy weather with chances of light rain and drizzle.

Yesterday, the metropolis received this season’s first spell of rain after multiple localities reported light to moderate rain.

Earlier this week, on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the PDMA placed district administrations across Sindh on high alert and directed all relevant departments to take precautionary and emergency response measures as strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea continue to affect the province.

The CM directed all deputy commissioners, district administrations, municipal authorities, irrigation officials, health services, rescue agencies and local government institutions to remain fully vigilant, ensure preparedness of emergency response teams, maintain drainage systems and take all necessary steps to protect lives and property.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/yaI40Gk

https://ift.tt/BKgvXU3

• Exploratory talks held during Iranian interior minister’s recent Islamabad visit
• Dar meets Araghchi at SCO summit; Qatar calls for implementing Islamabad MoU
• Beijing concerned as Red Sea closure would compound Hormuz woes
• Trump says Iran getting serious about talks; warns China, Russia against ‘getting involved’ in conflict
• Says US will punish Iran for attacks on ships by Houthi rebels
• Four die as US continues strikes on Iran

ISLAMABAD / DUBAI: Pakistan is said to be exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled US-Iran talks to end their nearly five-month-old war, following a push initiated by China.

The development came as US missiles struck targets across Iran on Friday after President Donald Trump vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint, the mouth of the Red Sea.

According to Reuters, exploratory discussions for the fresh push towards talks took place during a visit by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni to Islamabad this week, his second within the last 10 days.

Earlier this week, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels had declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, which signed a mutual defence treaty with Pakistan last year.

Beijing, which has consistently backed Pakistan’s mediation efforts, had dispatched its special envoy in March to lead a shuttle-diplomacy trip around the Middle East.

China’s interests are being harmed by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and disruptions to the Red Sea route would hit another key trade route Beijing relies on.

In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said “China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties.”

It added that China will continue to “play an active role in restoring peace and tranquility in the Middle East Gulf region as soon as possible.”

Separately, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani called on all parties to commit to dialogue and to implement the terms of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.

This includes “ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, to preserve regional security, safeguard the gains achieved, and enhance regional stability”, the Qatari foreign ministry said.

Sheikh Mohammed made the remarks in Doha during a meeting with the new British foreign secretary, Ed Miliband.

Implementing the memorandum was necessary to preserve regional security, safeguard the gains achieved and strengthen stability, Sheikh Mohammed said, reiterating Qatar’s full support for efforts to defuse tensions and reach a comprehensive agreement securing lasting peace in the region.

‘Serious about talks’

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not decided on whether to launch major strikes on Iran as Tehran was now getting “very serious” in talks with Washington.

“Look, we’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason.”

Earlier, in a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said that he does not believe China or Russia are “participating” in the ongoing Iran conflict, but warned that if they did get inv­o­lved “it would be very bad for them”.

Trump also said that he would hold Iran accountable for any further attacks by Yemeni fighters, “and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves”.

Iranian media cited the head of Iran’s top joint military command as saying Iran would kill a member of the US forces for every Iranian killed.

On Friday, US missiles struck a Revolutionary Guards Navy headquarters in the Ziba Kenar area of the Caspian Sea province of Gilan, according to a security official in Gilan. Provincial authorities said US projectiles had also struck the port city of Bandar Anzali, according to the ILNA news agency.

Four people were killed and five injured in a US attack on the Iranian city of Ahvaz, the state broadcaster IRIB said.

Diplomatic contacts

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Ara­g­hchi, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the two top diplomats reviewed the ongoing regional situation and bilateral ties.

“DPM/FM expressed deep concern over recent regional tensions and underscored the importance of dialogue, restraint, de-escalation by all sides, and sustained diplomatic engagement to achieve lasting peace and stability,” the FO said in a post on X.

“He emphasised the need to build on the understandings reached und­er the Islamabad MoU of June 2026.”

“The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and regular consultations on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to working together for regional peace, stability and shared prosperity,” the statement concluded.

Separately, in his remarks at the SCO summit, Mr Dar said: “Pakistan firmly believes that dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect provide the only sustainable way forward to resolve conflicts and achieve durable peace and security.”

He added that this principle led to Pakistan hosting talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad in April, “enabling first high-level direct diplomatic contact between the two sides after 47 years”.

Mr Dar then urged the international community to seize the opportunity provided by the Islamabad MoU and US-Iran technical talks to push for lasting peace.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2026

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/4AUtG7N

https://ift.tt/8n7lNma

ISLAMABAD: Following the cancellation of the official accommodation allotted to Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Babar Sattar in Islamabad, the IHC registrar on Friday issued him a notice directing him to vacate the residence within 30 days.

On April 28, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan approved the transfer of Justice Sattar from the IHC to the PHC. Following his transfer, Justice Sattar had decided to continue residing in the federal capital during his tenure at the provincial high court instead of seeking a separate official residence in Peshawar.

According to the notice issued by the IHC registrar, the Estate Office cancelled the allotment of the official residence on July 3.

The notice stated that Justice Sattar had been transferred from the IHC to the PHC and, following the cancellation of the allotment, had been given one month to vacate the premises.

It further clarified that the 30-day period would be calculated from July 3, the date on which the Estate Office cancelled the allotment. Accordingly, the judge was required to vacate his Islamabad residence by Aug 3.

Sources said Justice Sattar had earlier conveyed to the IHC administration his intention to retain the accommodation in Islamabad.

The issue of official accommodation for superior court judges has long remained contentious.

In 2023, a judgment authored by Justice Sattar held that judges were entitled to official accommodation from the date of their appointment and throughout their service, with the entitlement flowing from the presidential order rather than the general accommodation rules applicable to federal government employees.

Sources further said officials visited Justice Sattar’s Islamabad residence on Wednesday but left shortly afterwards because the judge was on judicial leave and was not present at the residence at the time.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/9pgiuF1

https://ift.tt/FCUYpy2

Anthropic on Friday released Claude Opus 5, a new artificial intelligence model the company says approaches the performance of its most powerful system at half the price.

The San Francisco-based startup, a chief rival to OpenAI, said the model tops industry benchmarks for coding and knowledge work while consuming fewer computing resources than earlier versions.

The claim addressed the rising concerns of business customers who have baulked at the expense of running advanced AI systems.

Claude competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, and customers pay based on the amount of work performed, measured in units called tokens.

Opus 5 costs $5 per million input tokens and $25 per million output tokens, half the price of Fable 5, Anthropic’s most expensive publicly available offering.

The company said the new model performs close to Fable 5 across many tasks despite the lower cost.

Cost has become a major issue after Anthropic and its archrival OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, both filed for stock market listings in June.

Wall Street is scrutinising their business performance more closely than ever ahead of their market debuts.

On cybersecurity, Anthropic said it deliberately avoided training Opus 5 on cyber tasks, and that the model remains behind Mythos 5 — its most capable and most tightly restricted system, available only to select partners — on both offensive cyber work and biological research capabilities that could be misused.

Mythos is Anthropic’s most advanced series of AI models, and its strength at finding weaknesses in computer systems — and at turning those weaknesses into working attacks — has caused controversy and pushed the company to build tight guardrails around them.

The company said Opus 5 finds software flaws about as well as Mythos 5 but lags far behind in turning those flaws into something that could be weaponised into an attack.

Citing the reduced risk, Anthropic said its automated safety filters will intervene roughly 85 per cent less often on Opus 5 than on Fable 5, the Mythos-class model it released last month.

Fable 5 and Mythos 5 were briefly pulled from public access in June after the US Commerce Department imposed export controls, which were lifted at the end of that month.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/unv7CkJ

https://ift.tt/wF9HRjI

• Flood Forecasting Division warns flows may rise further by July 25 amid new monsoon spell
• Urban flooding likely in parts of Punjab, KP and Balochistan

LAHORE: The Chenab River continued to remain in a high-flood state on Thursday as torrential rains lashed held Kashmir and several parts of Punjab.

“The water level in the Chenab River at Marala and Khanki has subsided to medium flood. However, the river is flowing in high flood at Qadirabad and Chiniot Bridge. It is expected to subside by the time it reaches Trimmu Headworks after passing Chiniot Bridge,” a senior irrigation department official told Dawn. “This is according to a fresh report issued on Thursday evening,” he added.

However, he warned of a possible rise in the river’s water level again at Marala if rains continued in held Kashmir.

“Rains are still continuing in parts of held Kashmir. We will receive Thurs­day’s report from held Kashmir on Friday (today). Let’s see what happens,” he added.

According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteo­rological Department, the Chenab River at Khanki and Qadirabad is in high flood, while it is in medium flood at Marala.

“The Indus River at Tarbela and Chashma, the Kabul River at Nowshera, the Chenab River at Chiniot bridge and the Ravi River at Balloki are in low flood. All other major rivers are flowing at normal levels at other gauging stations,” the FFD said in its daily report.

Warning

However, it stated that scattered to widespread rain, accompanied by wind and thunderstorms with isolated heavy to very heavy falls, was expected over the catchments of all major rivers due to a westerly weather system coupled with strong monsoon currents deflected from the Bay of Bengal.

“Consequently, river flows are likely to increase significantly up to July 25,” it warned.

The FFD also predicted flash flooding in the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, streams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan. It also warned of urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara and Sahiwal.

For the next 24 hours, the FFD forecast widespread rain, wind and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over the upper catchments of all major rivers, Islamabad and Kashmir.

It also predicted similar weather conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abb­o­ttabad, Bajaur, Bannu, Batagram, Buner, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Haripur, Karak, Khyber, Kohat, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Mansehra, Mardan, Moh­mand, Waziristan, Nowshera, Orakzai, Pe­­shawar, Shangla, Swabi, Swat, Tank and Dir.

The FFD also forecast similar weather conditions in Punjab’s Rawalpindi, Atto­­ck, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafiz­abad, Jhelum, Kasur, Lahore, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh and Vehari.

It added that similar weather conditions were likely in Sindh’s Badin, Mirpu­rkhas, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Umer­kot, and Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Musakhel, Sherani and Zhob.

Meanwhile, regarding water levels and live storage in major reservoirs, Wapda’s daily report said Tarbela Dam had a water level of 1,519.11 feet with live storage of 3.891 million acre feet (MAF).

Mangla Dam’s water level stood at 1,183.90 feet with live storage of 3.297 MAF, while Chashma Lake had a water level of 645.50 feet and live storage of 0.157 MAF on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/nY12BjM