WorldTanker hire rates in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz have risen sharply as shipping traffic begins to recover. Daily earnings for VLCCs on Gulf cargoes moving through Hormuz have reached record levels.
WorldKeir Starmer said he would support an orderly transition as Labour begins the process of choosing his successor. Andy Burnham is the frontrunner, though some MPs still want a contest rather than an uncontested handover.
BusinessThe State Bank of Pakistan has issued its FY27 calendar for Monetary Policy Committee meetings and announced measures to improve policy transparency. These include more frequent post-MPC press conferences, publication of staff presentations and a revised timeline for meeting minutes.
WorldThe UN Security Council has unanimously passed a Pakistan- and Denmark-sponsored resolution to strengthen accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. The measure drew a record 153 co-sponsors from UN member states.
NATIONALThe Lahore High Court has ruled that civil courts cannot directly decide citizenship disputes that fall under the Pakistan Citizenship Act and Nadra laws. The court allowed Nadra’s petition against lower court rulings that had declared two respondents to be Pakistani citizens.
BusinessPakistan Customs has identified around 150 rice exporters for allegedly misdeclaring shipment weights, raising concern over inflated subsidy claims. The issue was taken up with REAP as authorities weigh stricter enforcement.
NATIONALThe Pakistan Psychiatric Society has challenged the Federal Shariat Court’s ruling against the decriminalisation of suicide attempts. Its appeal says Islamic sources do not prescribe worldly punishment for a failed suicide attempt and argues for a public health-based approach.
WorldKim Jong Un said North Korea will equip its navy with nuclear weapons and build 10,000-tonne warships after commissioning the Choe Hyon. The announcement comes as Pyongyang presses ahead with military modernisation.
NATIONALSix suspected terrorists were killed in a joint CTD and police operation in Lower Dir, according to an official statement. Authorities said the slain men were linked to the Badwan Bridge checkpost attack in which a constable was martyred.
NATIONALInterior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni that Pakistan would continue efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East. The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and immigration.
WorldAhmed al Ahmed, hailed for helping disarm a gunman during the Bondi Beach mass shooting, has pleaded not guilty to assault and intimidation charges in Sydney. His next court hearing is scheduled for August 12.
NATIONALJustice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi took oath in Karachi as acting chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court. He will serve during the absence of Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, who is in Russia for an international legal conference.
