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Oil jumps 4% as new military strikes threaten Hormuz shipments
SINGAPORE/PERTH, July 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices surged over 4% on Monday as energy shipments via the Strait of Hormuz remained under threat, with the U.S. and Iran announcing renewed military strikes.
Brent crude futures climbed $3.10, or 4.08%, to $79.11 by 0325 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.95, or 4.11%, to $74.36 a barrel.
U.S. forces completed another wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday, hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions, the Central Command said. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday they attacked U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial traffic, although Iran declared earlier that it closed the strait after a vessel traveled on an unapproved route and was struck.
Some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transited the strait before the war began at the end of February.
Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks.
The escalating attacks cast further doubt on the future of an interim U.S.-Iranian agreement signed last month that aimed to reopen the strait and end the war after a further 60 days of negotiations.
Following the agreement, global oil supply rose by 4.1 million barrels per day in June, but remained 9.4 million bpd below pre-war levels, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly report on Friday.
Lindsey Graham, pivotal US Republican senator, dies suddenly at 71
July 12 (Reuters): U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Republican who went from a vocal critic of Donald Trump to one of his most loyal allies on Capitol Hill after Trump became president, has died at age 71.
The South Carolina lawmaker died after a "brief and sudden illness," his office posted on X early on Sunday. NBC News said emergency personnel had responded to a call for cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home on Saturday night.
Later, after becoming a staunch supporter, Graham publicly disagreed with Trump's early 2025 decision to pardon about 1,500 of the president's supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, saying it could lead to more violence.
A defense hawk, Graham "consistently pushed for outcomes in the War on Terror that protect our long-term national security interests," his website said.
Graham, a former Republican presidential candidate, was a prominent supporter of Israel and Ukraine and opponent of Iran.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X that he was deeply saddened by the death of Graham, "who stood with Israel at its most difficult moments."
On Friday, Graham said China could play a decisive role in pressuring Russia towards peace talks, helping end its war in Ukraine. Graham, a frequent visitor to Ukraine, met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv. They discussed Ukraine's air defense needs and a Russian sanctions bill, Zelenskiy said.
Graham said bolstering Ukraine's military capabilities and aligning sanctions with a
diplomatic push could force Moscow into talks.
The road to ending this war, the road to peace, passes through Beijing more than it does (through) Washington, Kyiv, or Moscow," Graham told reporters at Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square. "China has an oversized influence. I'd like them to use their influence for the good of the world."
"I don't believe (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is there yet, but it wouldn't take much to get him there."
Graham recently served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. Before that, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district, according to his website.
He was not married and lived in Seneca, South Carolina.
Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74
DUBAI, July 12 (Reuters): Qatar's former emir, who revolutionised Qatar out of its Bedouin background to a regional powerhouse, has died at the age of 74, the nation's Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf country.
"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and nation," the Diwan said.
Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar's global profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as well as its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.
The U.S.-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, a global investment powerhouse and heavy hitter in Middle East diplomacy and international media.
Sheikh Hamad handed power to his son, the then crown prince, in June 2013 in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler, to try to ensure a smooth succession. He himself had overthrown his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.
US, Iran exchange fresh strikes as Tehran targets Gulf states, shuts Hormuz
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN, July 12: The United States and Iran exchanged heavy missile and drone strikes on Sunday, with Tehran targeting US military facilities across the Gulf and declaring the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed, in a major escalation of the conflict.
The latest exchange came after US President Donald Trump declared an end to a ceasefire intended to halt fighting that the United States and Israel launched against Iran on Feb 28, while saying negotiations could still continue.
The escalation followed a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf. Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after a warning shot struck a vessel travelling on an "unapproved route" and claimed it had disabled another ship on Sunday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the waterway would remain closed until "the end of US interference in this region".
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), however, said commercial shipping was continuing through the strait, which before the conflict carried around one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
CENTCOM said US forces struck 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, bringing the total to more than 300 targets hit over three nights of operations. It said the strikes were intended to weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several port cities following the US attacks.
Iran responded by claiming it had destroyed a command-and-control centre and drone hangars in Jordan, targeted a US radar installation in Kuwait, attacked aircraft carrier support and refuelling platforms in Oman, and struck a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar.
Qatar said three people, including a child, were injured by falling shrapnel from the attack. The United Arab Emirates said its air defences intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, while warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and explosions were heard in the Qatari capital Doha.
The latest strikes marked a sharp expansion in the scale and scope of Iran's retaliation after it warned that any response to the recent shipping incidents would be met with a "severe response".
The attack on Qatar also threatened diplomatic efforts, with Doha playing a central role in attempts to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
The conflict has further destabilised the Gulf and fuelled concerns over global energy supplies, with Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz pushing oil prices sharply higher.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Washington of violating the ceasefire, saying there could only be "mutual compliance".
Meanwhile, Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X: "The era of one-sided deals is over. We told you: keep your word or pay the price."
The latest escalation followed Washington's decision earlier this week to revoke a licence permitting sales of Iranian crude after commercial tankers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia came under attack, triggering a new cycle of retaliatory strikes.
Although Iran has not claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks on commercial shipping, analysts say such actions have often been used by Tehran to gain leverage in negotiations.
Araqchi also met Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in Muscat to discuss arrangements for the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Oman's state news agency said the talks would continue at both political and technical levels.
In a written statement on Saturday, Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed revenge for the killing of his predecessor and father during the opening phase of the war.
"We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs," the statement said.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since the conflict began.
Breaking
Twelve killed, 23 missing in one of Spain's deadliest wildfires
LOS GALLARDOS, Spain, July 10 (Reuters): At least 12 people died attempting to flee a wildfire in southern Spain and 23 were missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters battled to bring one of the country's deadliest blazes on record under control.
One Spaniard was among the victims and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to shelter in place, said Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the Andalusia region.
The victims tried fleeing by car but were engulfed by flames that spread rapidly, fanned by wind, through a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, he said.
Four people, who appeared to be British because the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, he said. Eight others were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan. Many of the charred corpses still had to be identified through DNA testing, he said.
"The fire spread like gunpowder," Andalusia's regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno told reporters, calling the blaze "one of the quickest and most complex we've seen". Stronger winds were expected later on Friday, he added.
Some of those missing were probably hikers caught off guard in the woods, Moreno said. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.
The circumstances resemble those in neighbouring Portugal in June 2017, when a huge wildfire during a heatwave killed more than 60 people, with half of the victims burned to death in their cars.
A series of early summer heatwaves has left large parts of Spain parched and vulnerable to any spark, fuelling an early start to wildfire season.
So far this year, about 57,000 hectares have burned, about half the annual average for the past two decades and making up 40% of all the area burned in the European Union, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
"We usually don't see these fires until August. They’re starting earlier now because the vegetation dries out sooner," Roman Garcia, a forest firefighter from Salamanca, said on state broadcaster TVE.
A record heatwave last August provoked the worst wildfire season in three decades, charring 330,000 hectares, an area twice the size of London.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez acknowledged at the time that wildfire prevention had been "clearly insufficient" and forestry management inadequate, pledging to do "whatever it takes" to ensure fires on such a scale never happened again.
Sanchez on Friday offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said he felt "enormous sadness and devastation".
As authorities sought to identify the dead and track down the missing, anxious relatives from around the world posted messages on social media and local forums.
One Irish woman said her daughter, who was driving a red Ford Fiesta and had her dog with her, was missing. Another person from the United States said her brother had been among a group of 10 people who tried to escape through a valley next to a stream.
The fire was believed to have been sparked by a broken power cable that fell into a ditch next to a road. The blaze moved at a speed of 15 kilometres (9.32 miles) in two hours, Moreno said. A spokesperson for utility company Endesa contradicted that account, however, saying the cable carried no voltage.
In the village of Bedar, where almost half of the 1,009 residents were British in 2022, according to official data, police went door-to-door to persuade sometimes-reluctant residents to leave as the flames approached the houses the previous day.
“They are British, Belgian residents. I have even officiated some of their weddings. I feel sadness and profound pain,” Bedar Mayor Angel Collado said on TVE, pausing to compose himself.
Prince Shah Rahim Aga Khan V recalls father's legacy as Porto Cervo honours Aga Khan IV
PORTO CERVO, Italy: Prince Shah Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, paid an emotional tribute to his late father, Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, on Thursday, recalling his hands-on role in developing Sardinia's Costa Smeralda and describing the island as a place he has always loved.
Speaking to reporters after receiving honorary citizenship of Arzachena, the municipality that includes Porto Cervo, Aga Khan V said returning to Sardinia brought back childhood memories of watching his father oversee the transformation of the once-remote coastline into an internationally renowned destination.
"I remember when I was very small, when they were dredging the marina," he said. "At the time, I didn't understand what this huge infrastructure project was. I remember the smell of the dredging and my father working."
He also recalled how Aga Khan IV personally joined efforts to extinguish wildfires that threatened the area.
"When there were fires, he would go himself to help put them out. He would come back covered in ash," he said with a smile. "It was a very real period for him because he was truly involved in the development of this place that he loved."
The ceremony also marked the official renaming of Porto Cervo's central square in honour of Aga Khan IV, who spearheaded the development of Costa Smeralda from the early 1960s.
Reflecting on his father's attachment to the island, Aga Khan V said Sardinia occupied much of his attention during the early years of his Imamat.
"I also said that in the first years of his Imamat, he only thought about Sardinia," he said.
Asked about his own connection to the island, Aga Khan V replied: "I love Sardinia. I lived about a quarter of my life here when I was young, so you could say I'm a quarter Sardinian."
When asked whether he had any future development projects planned for Sardinia, he joked that the question was "a difficult one" before explaining that his current priorities lie elsewhere.
"I am very focused on my children and on the community," he said. "Since I took on my role much later in life than my father and his predecessor, I feel I have around 20 or 30 years to devote to my main responsibilities. So I don't pursue peripheral projects."
Aga Khan V also described the day's events as deeply moving.
"It has been a very touching moment for me — a beautiful moment," he said.
Commenting on the decision to dedicate Porto Cervo's main square to his father, he said the tribute would help preserve Aga Khan IV's legacy for future generations.
"For all of us, it seemed a natural recognition because we know this history," he said. "But for the next generation, who may not know who had this vision or launched this project, it will be very important in the years to come."
The event honoured the lasting contribution of Aga Khan IV, who transformed Costa Smeralda into one of the Mediterranean's best-known luxury destinations while leaving a lasting imprint on Sardinia's economy and tourism industry.
The occasion also marked the official renaming of Porto Cervo's central square in honour of his predecessor, the 49th Imam, Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV.
@akdn @AKUGlobal @TheIsmaili
Mbappe and Dembele net as France beat Morocco to reach World Cup semifinal
BOSTON, July 10 (AFP): Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were on target as France surged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the World Cup semifinals.
Mbappe curled in his eighth goal of the tournament on 60 minutes on Thursday before Dembele doubled Les Bleus’ lead six minutes later to settle a clinical victory at the Gillette Stadium outside Boston.
The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
African champions Morocco had been tipped to pose a serious threat to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Morocco side who failed to register a single shot on goal until an 83rd-minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France, though, struggled to find a breakthrough, and missed the opportunity to take the lead on 28 minutes when Mbappe saw a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Mbappe had won the penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui but was forced to wait several minutes before being allowed to take the kick after a protracted VAR check.
Morocco managed to hold out to half-time, but it was always only a matter of time before France’s relentless pressure paid off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappe bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
France now await the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal in Los Angeles between European champions Spain and Belgium.
Ayatollah Khamenei laid to rest at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad
TEHRAN, July 10: Iran's assassinated supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried at the Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad early on Friday, state media reported, bringing to a close a week of funeral processions and mourning ceremonies held across Iran and Iraq.
The burial took place after large crowds gathered in Mashhad for the funeral of Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of the war launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28. A US-Iran ceasefire was agreed last month after four months of conflict.
Khamenei's body was carried by truck through packed streets toward the shrine on Thursday, flanked by white-turbaned clerics as black-clad mourners followed behind, waving Iranian flags, carrying portraits of the late leader and holding placards bearing revolutionary slogans.
The funeral marked the culmination of days of state-organised mourning ceremonies, with Iran's clerical leadership urging supporters to turn out in large numbers.
Successor remains out of public view
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts in early March, has not appeared in public since the conflict began.
Although written statements attributed to him have been released, no photographs, videos or audio recordings have been made public.
Iranian media and senior officials have said Mojtaba was seriously injured in the strike that killed his father and is recovering from his wounds. Officials have also cited security concerns as a reason for limiting his public appearances.
Anti-US slogans at funeral
As mourners gathered in Mashhad, crowds chanted slogans calling for revenge against US President Donald Trump over Khamenei's killing.
Some demonstrators held placards reading "Kill Trump", while others chanted: "I swear by the blood of the supreme leader, Trump, we will kill you."
Inside the shrine complex, mourners chanted "Death to America" as funeral hymns played over loudspeakers.
A helicopter transported Khamenei's coffin over the dense crowd for the final stretch to the burial site within the shrine.
Khamenei's eldest son, Mostafa, led funeral prayers before mourners carried the coffin, draped in Iran's national flag, into the shrine. Video footage showed people holding candles, reaching toward the coffin and weeping.
State news agency IRNA reported that Khamenei and four members of his family, who were also killed in the attack, were buried early on Friday.
Before reaching Mashhad, Khamenei's remains were taken in funeral processions through Tehran, Qom and the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, where large crowds gathered to pay their respects.
South African protesters go door-to-door forcing immigrants from their homes
JOHANNESBURG, July 9 (Reuters) - Groups of anti-immigration South Africans seized foreigners from their homes in Johannesburg on Thursday and handed them to police in a hardening of protests that have sown fear in communities and strained ties with some countries.
In Johannesburg's Alexandra township, a Reuters reporter saw protesters breaking down doors and entering houses where they believed undocumented immigrants were hiding.
They escorted the people to police vans where they were taken away, including a woman and a small child from Malawi. Another man who was apprehended by the marchers told Reuters he was in the country legally.
"I am a ZEP holder," said the Zimbabwean national, Total Mhlanga, referring to the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit which allows tens of thousands of nationals to live and work in South Africa.
In Soweto, anti-immigrant protesters marched through town wielding sticks and flags, with plans to go search for undocumented immigrants. Several of the flyers for Thursday's protests advertised a "peaceful march" followed by "door to door". Another march took place in Durban on the east coast.
South Africa, where millions of people are unemployed, has seen a surge in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent months, culminating in nationwide protests on June 30, an informal deadline set for undocumented immigrants to leave the country.
The most prominent leader of the movement, former radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, said on that day that protests would take place every Thursday until demands were met.
Her group, March and March, has painted undocumented immigrants as the source of South Africa's economic problems and is demanding tighter border controls, mass deportation, and for schools and health centres to serve South Africans first.
We are walking around doing door to door removing foreigners," said a community leader, Bongani Msomi, at the march in Alexandra.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against scapegoating immigrants for deep-rooted problems, and his government has repeatedly told citizens that they do not have the right to take immigration enforcement upon themselves.
Police have stepped up arrests of undocumented migrants in response to the protests, and have also deployed officers during recent marches for safety. A spokesperson for Johannesburg police was not immediately available for comment on the actions of the protesters or the officers at the scene.
Malawi's government said on Thursday that over 38,000 of its citizens had returned from South Africa in recent weeks, as part of a massive repatriation effort due to safety concerns. Over 60,000 have also returned to neighbouring Zimbabwe.
@IranArmyMedia Iran has exhibited immaturity by firing missiles after the 60-day ceasefire. No one will will support you this time around. You have let down the mediators
Prime suspect gets double death sentence in journalist Murad Abbas murder case
KARACHI, July 9: A Karachi court on Thursday sentenced prime suspect Atif Zaman to death twice for the murder of television anchor Murad Abbas and his friend Khizar Hayat, nearly seven years after the high-profile killings.
The Additional District and Sessions Court found Atif Zaman guilty of murdering both victims and awarded him two death sentences.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs1 million, directing that the amount be divided equally between the heirs of the two victims. In case of non-payment, the convict will have to serve an additional prison term.
The court also upheld the perpetual arrest warrants issued for co-accused Adil Zaman, who has been declared a proclaimed offender after absconding when the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea.
The case remained under trial for several years, during which the prosecution presented forensic evidence, eyewitness testimonies and other material before the court.
The verdict was reserved after the completion of final arguments and announced on Wednesday.
Background
Murad Abbas and his friend Khizar Hayat were shot dead on July 9, 2019, in Karachi's Defence Phase VI, Bukhari Commercial area.
According to investigators, the killings stemmed from a dispute over business dealings and investment matters between Murad Abbas and Atif Zaman.
Prosecutors said Atif Zaman opened fire on both men before allegedly attempting to take his own life by shooting himself. He survived the suicide attempt and was later arrested and put on trial.
Mourners gather as plane carrying Khamenei's body arrives in Mashhad
TEHRAN, July 9: Iran is all set to bury Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei at the holy Shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Thursday, bringing to a close a week of funeral processions and mourning ceremonies attended by millions of people in Iran and Iraq.
Khamenei's body arrived in Mashhad earlier in the day for the final funeral procession before being laid to rest at the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam. Thousands of mourners from across Iran have gathered in the holy city to take part in the final farewell.
The funeral procession is scheduled to begin from Imam Reza Street after being delayed from its original timetable because of the massive turnout of mourners and extended farewell ceremonies held in Iraq.
Among the foreign dignitaries expected to attend the burial is Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, leader of Nigeria's Shia Muslim community.
The burial follows days of ceremonies held across Iran, including Tehran and the holy city of Qom, as well as the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, where millions of mourners paid tribute to the late leader.
Iranian officials said that nearly four million people attended the funeral processions in Iraq, where the body was taken from Najaf to Karbala after a mass gathering at the Shrine of Imam Ali (RA).
The nationwide mourning ceremonies began on July 3, with political representatives from more than 45 countries and religious scholars from over 90 countries attending memorial events in Tehran.
A state funeral was held in the Iranian capital on July 6, followed by additional mourning ceremonies at Jamkaran Mosque in Qom before the body was transferred to Iraq and later returned to Mashhad.
The burial is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Sajjad in the Islamic calendar.
Khamenei was killed in a joint strike carried out by Israel and the United States on February 28, according to Iranian authorities, triggering nationwide mourning and renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian authorities portrayed the funeral ceremonies as a demonstration of national unity and support for the Islamic Republic.
Mojtaba Khamenei yet to appear publicly
Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since the strike that killed his father.
Although he has issued written statements after being appointed supreme leader by Iran's Assembly of Experts, no photographs, video footage or audio recordings of him have been released.
According to senior Iranian sources, Mojtaba suffered serious injuries in the same attack, including facial and limb wounds, and remains under medical care while security agencies restrict his public appearances due to fears of further attacks.
Iran enters a new political chapter
The funeral marks the end of Ali Khamenei's 37-year tenure as Iran's supreme leader, a period during which political, military and economic authority became increasingly concentrated in the office of the supreme leader.
Appointed in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei oversaw the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is now regarded as one of the country's most powerful institutions.
His burial also comes as Iran faces mounting economic challenges, international sanctions and the aftermath of months of anti-government protests, which were met with a sweeping security crackdown.
Analysts say the country's leadership now faces the challenge of managing domestic pressures while navigating heightened regional tensions under the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Debris of missing K2 Airways cargo plane found in Arabian Sea
KARACHI, July8: In a major breakthrough, the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) have located the debris of a missing private cargo plane in the Arabian Sea following an intensive search operation lasting more than 12 hours.
The wreckage of the Boeing 737-400 freighter, operated by Pakistani carrier K2 Airways, was discovered approximately 53 nautical miles south of the coastal town of Ormara.
Despite finding the debris, officials confirmed that search was under way to find the five missing crew members and additional evidence.
The 27-year-old converted freighter was en route from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi on Tuesday night when tragedy struck.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the crew transmitted an emergency message at 9:18pm, reporting a critical technical malfunction in the aircraft's navigational systems.
Air traffic controllers in Karachi immediately attempted to guide the aircraft, but radar systems monitored a highly volatile and chaotic sequence in the flight's final minutes.
Data compiled from flight-monitoring services indicated that the plane initially plunged 5,000 feet in less than a minute, violently surged back up by 6,000 feet within 30 seconds, and then entered an uncontrolled, catastrophic dive from an altitude of 36,550 feet.
The final data point placed the aircraft just 1,100 feet above sea level, recording an extreme vertical descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute—amounting to roughly 400 kilometers per hour—before communication ceased entirely, roughly 155 nautical miles southwest of Karachi.
Mobilization of Naval and Air Assets
Following the abrupt loss of contact, both the Pakistan Navy and PMSA deployed specialised vessels and aviation assets to trace the path of the erratic radar signals, ultimately tracking the debris field closer to the coast of Ormara.
"Our naval and air assets remain heavily engaged in the search area," a maritime official stated.
"The primary focus remains the recovery of the crew and securing the wreckage for investigation."
In an official statement, K2 Airways confirmed it is working closely with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and rescue teams. "We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues," the airline stated.
The missing Boeing 737-400 is an older-generation classic airframe powered by CFM International engines. It originally entered service as a passenger airliner for Russia’s Aeroflot in 1999, before being converted into a dedicated cargo freighter in 2012.
K2 Airways acquired the airframe in 2024 as its sole operational aircraft. Aviation logs show the plane had been grounded since June 28 prior to Tuesday night's ill-fated flight.
Aerospace safety consultants have cautioned that while the erratic tracking and rapid descent point to a catastrophic structural or mechanical failure, definitive conclusions can only be drawn once the flight data recorders are recovered from the crash site.
@Ufaq_RM Don't share old stuff. Nothing such happened. Be responsible
Messi inspires Argentina in stunning late comeback to see off Egypt
ATLANTA, July 7 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a remarkable World Cup comeback as they came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic last-16 game on Tuesday.
The holders were 11 minutes from a shock defeat trailing 2-0, but goals from Cristian Romero, Messi and the winner two minutes into stoppage time from Enzo Fernandez kept them in the competition.
Egypt had been on the brink of one of the great World Cup upsets after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico. Messi had squandered an early penalty.
The Africans fell apart in the closing stages, however, as Argentina's captain inspired his side in a dramatic turnaround.
The 39-year-old, whose record World Cup goal haul is now up to 21, was again central to his country’s hopes and constantly probing for an opportunity but found his efforts stymied by determined defending until near the end of another thrilling match at the tournament.
Messi, who was in floods of tears at the end, provided the cross from which Romero headed home to start the comeback.
Four minutes later, Messi crashed home the equaliser after substitutes Lautaro Martinez and Gonzalo Montiel had both got touches to keep the ball away from Egyptian defenders.
COUNTER-ATTACK WINNER
The winner came from a counter-attack as Lautaro Martinez crossed from the right and Fernandez cushioned a back-post header past goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir, who had done much earlier to keep his team in the game.
Egypt felt they deserved a penalty before the breakaway and vociferously complained but to no avail.
The North Africans were surprisingly attacking in the early stages, bucking their recent tendency of sitting back and looking for counter-attack opportunities, and they opened the scoring after 15 minutes.
Emam Ashour attempted to tease his way past the Argentine defence on the right flank but, seeing no way through, passed back to Marwan Attia, who floated in a long cross that Ibrahim rose to easily head home.
The lead should have only lasted four minutes as Haissem Hassan caught overlapping Argentine fullback Nicolas Tagliafico with a late tackle to give away a penalty.
But it only served to mark the start of the goalkeeping heroics of Shoubir, whose dive to the left easily stopped a left-footed effort from Messi that was too close to the keeper.
Messi became the first player to miss two penalties at a World Cup after also failing from the spot against Austria in the group phase.
MIRACULOUS SAVES FROM EGYPT GOALKEEPER
Shoubir made a reflex stop to deny a point-blank header from Alexis Mac Allister in the 28th minute, and pulled off an even more extraordinary save six minutes from halftime to stop Julian Alvarez’s shot, stretching to turn the ball around the post.
In between, Messi crashed a free kick against the post.
Egypt had the ball in the net in the 62nd minute but Zico’s finish, after a sweeping move with Hassan’s trickery and Mohamed Salah’s pass, was chalked off after a VAR review found that Attia had fouled Lisandro Martinez in the build-up.
But five minutes later, they swept further into the lead in similar circumstances. Salah swept the ball forward on the counter, Hassan took it to the byline, and Zico came storming in to finish the cutback pass.
But once Egypt began to sit back, they invited Messi to perform his heroics and paid a heavy price.
Argentina advanced to a Saturday quarter-final in Kansas City against the winners of the later game on Tuesday between Colombia and Switzerland in Vancouver.
#messicosudafrica #Argentina
Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran dies aged 38
KABUL: Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran, a pioneer of the country's historic rise on the international cricket stage, has died at the age of 38 after a prolonged illness, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Tuesday.
Zadran passed away at a hospital in India, where he had been undergoing treatment for several months for a rare and life-threatening autoimmune disorder, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).
A tall, fiery left-arm pacer, Zadran was a foundational pillar of Afghan cricket's golden generation.
He represented the national side in 44 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 36 Twenty20 Internationals, playing an instrumental role in transitioning the war-torn country into a competitive cricketing nation.
"Shapoor Zadran was among the foundational figures of Afghanistan cricket," the ACB said in a condolence statement.
"Through his dedication, hard work, and unwavering determination, he played a prominent role in the promotion and development of the sport in our country."
Zadran made his international debut in 2009 and famously hit the winning runs against Scotland in 2015 to secure Afghanistan's historic first-ever victory at an ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
He formally announced his retirement from international cricket in January 2025 after more than two decades of service to the sport.
"He was an inspirational figure not only on the field for his performances but also off the field for young Afghan cricketers and fans worldwide," the ACB added.
Tributes have poured in from across the global cricketing community, with former teammates and fans mourning the loss of a player who paved the way for Afghanistan's modern cricket stars.
For all his records, Ronaldo could not crack the World Cup
Dallas, July 6 (Reuters): Cristiano Ronaldo spent more than two decades deciding matches, dragging teams through difficult moments and defying time itself to remain among soccer's elite even past his Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus prime.
Yet the one prize that always slipped through his grasp remained out of reach on Monday, as the 41-year-old bowed out of a sixth World Cup with tears in his eyes after Portugal's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the round of 16.
And I think it's I think it's terrible if they wouldn't allow, you know, a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best players on the team to play.
Portugal's hopes ended in painful fashion as Mikel Merino struck in the 91st minute to give Spain a 1-0 victory in Arlington, a day after a relaxed Ronaldo announced that this would be his last World Cup.
Leaving a press conference to applause from journalists on Sunday, he insisted he had no regrets about a career that has stretched the boundaries of longevity.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, said, "We will always be grateful for what he tried to do at this World Cup, because the dream was to win the World Cup and he tried with an incredible example of leadership as a captain."
"This is not the moment to look beyond what we're talking about: a soccer icon. There are not many Cristiano Ronaldos."
27 MATCHES, 11 GOALS
Ronaldo's World Cup record includes 27 appearances and 11 goals.
Fittingly, his only knockout-stage goal came last week to help Portugal eliminate Croatia, briefly keeping alive the dream that had accompanied him since his debut in 2006.
That first World Cup also produced his deepest run. At 21, Ronaldo was part of the Portugal side that reached the semi-finals before falling to France.
In the quarter-finals, he calmly converted the decisive penalty in a shootout victory over England, a moment that still lives in Portuguese memories and seemed at the time to foreshadow greater triumphs. They failed to arrive.
For much of his international career, Ronaldo appeared to carry the weight of Portugal's ambitions on his shoulders.
But the landscape changed as a new generation of talent emerged, and by this tournament, questions persisted over whether he should still be a guaranteed starter.
Against Spain, the veteran played the full 90 minutes and managed three attempts on goal, but was unable to create a decisive opening.
Opponents paid tribute to one of the game's greats who against Spain produced in 2018 what was probably his best World Cup display, a hat-trick in a 3-3 group-stage draw that included a brilliantly taken free kick in the 88th minute.
"I'm a great admirer of him, of his values, of what he stands for, of how he approaches the sport, and I think he's a role model for young people," Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said after the game.
"Whenever we have the chance to be together, we acknowledge our mutual admiration and the pride we feel at knowing him."
Ronaldo largely avoided questions throughout the tournament about comparisons with Lionel Messi. Still, as his World Cup story closes, the contrast is difficult to ignore. Their rivalry defined an era, but never fully extended to the World Cup stage.
Messi guided Argentina to the 2014 final and then achieved the ultimate glory by winning the title in 2022, while Ronaldo's runs repeatedly ended in frustration.
Had Portugal topped their group instead of finishing behind Colombia, and had both teams continued to advance, Ronaldo and Messi could have met in the quarter-finals.
"It would be top," Ronaldo said of the potential showdown after scoring twice in Portugal's 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan in the group stage, his best performance in the tournament in North America.
For a player who conquered nearly every other challenge the sport could offer, that sense of what might have been will accompany Ronaldo's World Cup farewell.
#Spain
Belgium end US World Cup dreams with 4-1 rout amid Balogun row
SEATTLE, July 6 (Reuters) - The United States' World Cup dreams came to a crashing halt in the last 16 against Belgium on Monday as Charles De Ketelaere scored twice in a 4-1 win overshadowed by FIFA's controversial decision to suspend U.S. forward Folarin Balogun's ban.
De Ketelaere gave Belgium the lead in the ninth minute with a simple tap-in, taking full advantage of a nervous start by the U.S. to quickly deflate the partisan crowd.
It’s a FIFA tournament,
Malik Tillman equalised in the 31st minute with a deflected free kick which wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois, but De Ketelaere restored Belgium's lead little more than a minute later with a back-post header.
The U.S. played with more authority after the break until a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed substitute Hans Vanaken to score in the 57th minute, irreversibly shifting the momentum in a stunned Seattle Stadium.
Romelu Lukaku then added a fourth in added time to send U.S. fans streaming for the exits and Belgium into the quarter-finals for the third time in the last four World Cups. They will play European champions Spain in Los Angeles on Friday.
BALOGUN LACKS IMPACT FOR U.S.
The build-up was dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump's unprecedented intervention before Balogun's one-match ban for a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina was suspended, but the 25-year-old could barely get into the game.
The U.S. struggled with Belgium's intensity from the start and, with the crowd still going through their first chant of "U-S-A!", Timothy Castagne forced Freese into a fingertip save.
Belgium should have been ahead after a brilliant run from Dodi Lukebakio – impressive in place of Jeremy Doku – produced a great chance for Youri Tielemans, who totally missed his shot.
The co-hosts did not learn their lesson, though, and a minute later De Ketelaere tapped home Nicolas Raskin's cross after the U.S. failed to clear their lines.
The U.S. looked stunned and were grateful for the hydration break, levelling shortly after the resumption when Balogun won a free kick in a dangerous position.
Tillman's effort took a wicked deflection off the forehead of Vanaken, an early substitute for the injured Amadou Onana, which gave Courtois no chance.
But the U.S. swiftly conceded another cheap goal, with Leandro Trossard standing up a simple cross for De Ketelaere to outmuscle Tim Ream and head home.
The U.S. looked more composed after the break, but any hopes of a comeback were shattered when Freese dawdled on the ball out of his goal and gave Vanaken a shot at an open goal.
And the game had long since petered out when Lukaku bagged his seventh career World Cup goal and 93rd for Belgium with a cool finish.
#FIFA #PortugalVsEspaña
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