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Pakistani agri workers in Italy - victims and killers

Monday, June 1, Amendolara, Southern Italy. Four agricultural workers – three Afghans and one Pakistani – were found dead in a charred minivan in the forecourt of a petrol pump. Footage from the security cameras of the petrol pump revealed what was effectively an execution. Five workers were seated in the rear of the van. Two men seated in the front got off, sprayed the passengers with petrol and set fire to them. The window handles of the van had been removed to stop the passengers from getting out. One man managed to get out by breaking a window. The other four were burnt to death. The two people identified by the authorities as possible killers were Pakistanis. They are in police custody and will likely be tried for premeditated murder. There are about half a million foreign workers employed in Italy's agriculture sector, constituting about a third of the total work force. Most of them are engaged in the hardest and most menial jobs. Work hours are long –...
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India froze approvals for Starlink to begin commercial operations due to security concerns: report

India has frozen approvals for Starlink to begin commercial operations due to security concerns, according to a Bloomberg report published on Tuesday. Security agencies under India's Ministry of Home Affairs have withheld the final clearances required for the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX to launch services, those familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The concerns stem from reports that Starlink terminals were used during the Middle East war despite the service not being licensed in Iran, it said. The incident has reportedly raised concerns in New Delhi about its ability to control a US-based operator during periods of geopolitical tension. Read More: Pakistan puts Starlink approval on hold Two Indian telecom companies, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, signed pacts in 2025 with SpaceX to bring Starlink internet services to the country. The situation has also delayed approval of satellite-spectrum pricing needed for commercial launches, including by Indi...
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The locker trap

Pakistan's real estate sector has long functioned as a macroeconomic graveyard where billions in dead capital go to hibernate. The mechanics of this structural trap are an open secret. The Federal Board of Revenue sets official property valuation rates that sit far below actual market values. When a transaction occurs, the formal documentation reflects this artificially low government rate, while the true premium changes hands in undocumented, untraceable cash. This money does not enter the productive economy. Instead, it moves directly from a buyer's briefcase into a seller's bank locker or home safe, completely detached from the formal financial system. For a country starved of domestic liquidity, forcing this idle cash into the banking channel is an absolute necessity. However, Pakistan is permanently tethered to the shadow of the Financial Action Task Force. Traditional tax amnesties, which historically offered a no-questions-asked white-washing of cash, are entir...
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Trump tells Iran, Israel to stop 'shooting' after first clash since truce

United States President Donald Trump on Monday told Iran and Israel to stop fighting after the two foes attacked each other's territory for the first time since a shaky ceasefire put five weeks of war on hold. Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel overnight and Israel responded by targeting military sites in the Islamic republic, sparking fears the escalation could usher in a new full-scale conflict after the April 8 truce. With Israel's response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently defied calls by his ally Trump for restraint, against the background of reports of an increasingly testy relationship between the two men. "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting'," the US leader wrote on his Truth Social network. https://ift.tt/4eqNcOl Minutes later, he added in a new post that "final negotiations" towards peace were proceeding "subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way". Tehran's strikes follow...
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AI's negative environmental footprint could rival major nations by 2030, UN study warns

A new study conducted by the UN think tank, the United Nations University (UNU), has warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence could place unprecedented pressure on global energy, water, and land resources, with impacts expected to be particularly significant for developing regions in Asia. 🎙️ Featured on UN News Today: UNU-INWEH’s latest report warns that by 2030, AI could consume as much water as 1.3 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa and require more electricity than Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria combined. #AI #WaterSecurity #UNUINWEH pic.twitter.com/UuEQaXjITI — UN University-INWEH (@UNUINWEH) June 8, 2026 The report titled The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints, published by the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health, found that AI's environmental footprint extends far beyond carbon emissions and is growing at a pace that could strain natural resources worldwide. According to t...
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Pakistan at the crossroads of a new mineral war

For decades, global power struggles were defined by oil - but a quieter, more complex contest is now unfolding, one that may prove even more consequential for the 21st century. The new battleground is rare earth minerals and critical resources that sit at the heart of modern technology, defence systems and the global digital economy. These minerals, ranging from lithium and graphite to rare earth elements, are essential inputs for electric vehicles, semiconductors, smartphones, satellites, missile systems and artificial intelligence infrastructure. They have almost become the invisible backbone of modern industrial and military power. That is precisely why Washington is increasingly sounding the alarm. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned lawmakers that China's dominance of global critical mineral supply chains represents a serious strategic vulnerability for the wider international system. He claims no single source should be relied on for nearly 90 per cent of mat...
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Iran's Ghalibaf threatens US, Israeli assets in ME as 'legitimate targets' after strikes in Beirut

The US naval blockade of Iran and ​its green light on Sunday ‌for Israel to escalate attacks in Lebanon make US bases ​and Israeli assets in ​the Middle East legitimate targets, ⁠Iran's top negotiator said in ​a post on X. The comments ​from Iran's Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, followed Israeli attacks on ​the southern suburbs of ​Lebanon's capital, a stronghold of Hezbollah. "They ⁠are neither committed to a ceasefire nor believe in dialogue, and through the naval ​blockade ​and violation ⁠of agreements regarding Lebanon, they showed that ​they only understand the ​language ⁠of power," Ghalibaf said in an apparent reference to ⁠the ​US and Israel. ۱/ نه به آتش‌بس پایبندند نه به گفتگو باور دارند، و با محاصرهٔ دریایی و نقض توافقات دربارهٔ لبنان نشان دادند که فقط زبان قدرت می‌فهمند. — محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) June 7, 2026 Israel struck the outskirts of Beirut on Sunday for the first time since the ...
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