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Trump likely to visit India early next year, Rubio says

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was seeking to arrange a visit to India by President Donald Trump early next year as the two countries work toward a bilateral trade deal, Indian news agency IANS reported on Saturday. Rubio told IANS he was likely to travel to India later this year to prepare for the president's visit, saying, "We're working towards sometime early next year to have the president come." Read More: Indian tech hub names road for Trump, drawing criticism from Modi's BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump last week on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France, where Trump said they had a "very good" conversation. India has been pressing the US for months for a Trump visit, potentially as part of a meeting involving Japan and Australia. India-US ties have been strained over the past year after Washington imposed high tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil and i...

Trump adviser-turned-critic John Bolton pleads guilty to mishandling classified documents

John Bolton, a ​former national security adviser for US President Donald Trump who has since become one of his fiercest critics, pleaded ‌guilty in federal court on Friday to mishandling classified information and faces up to five years in prison. “I’m sorry for it,” Bolton told US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang during the hearing. Reuters previously reported that Bolton would plead guilty under a deal with prosecutors that included a sentencing range from no prison time ​to as many as five years behind bars, with the final sentence to be determined by a judge. Read: Bolton to pay $2.25m in classified documents settlement As part of ​the agreement, Bolton agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine. Bolton, 77, must make half that payment within five ⁠days of sentencing and the full payment within 90 days of sentencing. He also committed to up to 100 hours of community service ​and to meet with intelligence and Justice Department officials for a debriefin...

UAE stresses Hormuz security in rare call with Iran after war tensions

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Friday stressed the need to protect maritime corridors ​and ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait ‌of Hormuz in a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi. The exchange, reported by state news agency WAM, marks a rare ​public contact between Abu Dhabi and Tehran following ​tensions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. It ⁠was the first announced conversation between the two ministers ​since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which ​were followed by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, including in the United Arab Emirates, where the US has military bases. عبدالله بن زايد يتلقى اتصالا هاتفيا من معالي عباس عراقجي، وزير خارجية الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية جرى خلاله بحث التطورات الإقليمية، وذلك في أعقاب التوصل إلى اتفاق حول مذكرة التفاهم بين الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وإيران وتوقيع البلدين عليها، وشدد سموه على أهمية الالتزام الكامل… pic.twitter.com/8jetiba0MG — OFM (@OFMUAE) June 26, 2026 Sheikh ...

Punjab govt invites foreign doctors

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a Diaspora Doctor Locum Programme (DDLP) under which overseas Pakistani and foreign specialist doctors will perform advanced surgeries and provide medical services in 12 public sector hospitals across the province. Chairing a meeting of the Punjab Specialised Healthcare Department, the chief minister approved the launch of the programme aimed at bringing highly qualified international medical professionals to the province. A dashboard and operational web portal will also be established for the programme. The participants were informed that the inauguration of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology, Sargodha, was expected on July 15, the NS Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research on July 31 and the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore on August 15. The chief minister received detailed briefings regarding the progress on the institutes besides healthcare service delivery in the province. Under the locum programme, ...

EU targets Amazon, Microsoft cloud units for Big Tech 'gatekeeper' rules

European Union antitrust regulators said Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud computing services should be designated as “gatekeepers” under landmark tech rules, ​a step that would subject them to strict obligations aimed at curbing market ‌power. The designation under the Digital Markets Act would impose a set of obligations and bans on the world's two largest cloud providers, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, including limits on self-preferencing and ​requirements to ensure interoperability and data portability. So far, EU regulators have targeted core ​platform services such as search, social media and app stores to rein ⁠in Big Tech. Extending the DMA to cloud infrastructure would mark a significant expansion ​into a sector seen as critical to AI. The preliminary findings follow a seven-month-long investigation. "Cloud ​services have become a cornerstone of Europe’s economy — and a prerequisite for AI — with over half of...

Review committee proposes overhaul of contentious telecom bill's provisions, upholds property rights

A committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the controversial Pakistan Telecommunication Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has proposed sweeping changes to the legislation, ruling out any access to or use of private property without the owner's consent and calling for clearer wording in several provisions to remove ambiguity. The development comes a week after the prime minister formed the committee following strong criticism from both government allies and opposition lawmakers, who demanded thorough scrutiny of the bill and amendments to its contentious clauses. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday, the committee reviewing the bill's Right of Way provisions submitted its interim report after conducting a detailed review of the proposed amendments and the existing legal framework governing Right of Way. Read More: PM forms committee to review contested telecom bill; directs proposals submission o...

Europe swelters under deadly 'Omega' heatwave, more records expected

Western Europe was in the grip of a heatwave on Wednesday that claimed ​dozens of lives, disrupted power supplies, shut schools and cultural landmarks, as forecasters warned the extreme temperatures could persist until the end of the week. Smashing previous records, Britain logged its ‌highest temperature for June, reaching 35.8 degrees Celsius (96.26 degrees Fahrenheit) in southern England as a heat dome hovered over much of Western Europe. Western Europe was in the grip of a heatwave on Wednesday that claimed ​dozens of lives, disrupted power supplies, shut schools and cultural landmarks, as forecasters warned the extreme temperatures could persist until the end of the week. A sign outside a pharmacy displays the 37-degree temperature in west London during a heatwave, in central London on June 24, 2026. Photo: AFP Smashing previous records, Britain logged its ‌highest temperature for June, reaching 35.8 degrees Celsius (96.26 degrees Fahrenheit...