TUNIS: At least 23 African migrants were missing and four died on Saturday after their two boats sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said, amidst a sharp rise in migrant boats from the North African country.
The coast guard rescued 53 others off the southern city of Sfax, two of whom are in critical condition, Sfax court Judge Faouzi Masmoudi said.
He added that four bodies were recovered.
In recent weeks, dozens have gone missing and died in repeated drowning accidents off the Tunisian coast.
Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. Crackdowns on human trafficking in Libya have made Tunisia a more accessible option.
The National Guard said on Friday that more than 14,000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were intercepted or rescued in the first three months of the year while trying to cross into Europe, five times more than figures recorded in the same period last year.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded.
Meloni called on the IMF and other countries to help Tunisia quickly to avoid its collapse.
Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said last week the country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.
At least 23 missing, four die in migrant shipwrecks off Tunisia
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At least 23 missing, four die in migrant shipwrecks off Tunisia
- In recent weeks, dozens of migrants have gone missing and died in repeated drowning accidents off the Tunisian coast
Putin and Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes in phone call, Kremlin says
- Kremlin: ‘Both men ‘strongly condemn Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and other norms of international law’
Both men “strongly condemn Israel’s actions, which violate the UN Charter and other norms of international law,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
“Both Moscow and Beijing fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.
“This solution must be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means,” said Ushakov.
Russia has warned of catastrophe should the Israel-Iran conflict, now in its seventh day, escalate further, and has urged the US not to join Israel’s bombardment.
Putin has been in touch with US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in recent days and has repeatedly said
Russia stands ready to mediate between the warring sides.
Thus far, no one has taken up Russia’s offer.
On Thursday, Putin reiterated that proposition in his phone call with Xi, a close ally.
The Chinese leader expressed support for the idea, Ushakov said, “as he believes it could serve to de-escalate the current acute situation.”
The two men agreed to keep in close contact in the coming days.
Pakistan’s second Congo virus death for 2025 confirmed in Karachi
- 25-year-old fisherman butchered animals for two days during Eid Al-Adha, developed fever, muscle pain and bleeding complications
- 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Malir district died on June 17, marking Pakistan’s first confirmed fatality from tick-borne virus in 2025
KARACHI: A 25-year-old fisherman has died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Karachi, health authorities confirmed on Thursday, marking Pakistan’s second fatality from the tick-borne virus this year.
The patient, Mohammad Zubair, a resident of Qur’angi Creek in Bin Qasim Town, butchered animals for two days during Eid Al-Adha earlier this month and developed high-grade fever, muscle pain and bleeding complications days later, according to a report by the District Health Officer (DHO) Malir.
“Active search of case was done surrounding that area, no any other case was found,” the official notification said, adding that Zubair’s family members were stable and showing no symptoms of the disease.
This comes just days after a 42-year-old man, also from Karachi’s Malir district, died of CCHF on June 17. According to the Sindh Health Department, his test report came back positive a day earlier, making him the province’s first confirmed fatality from the virus this year.
The Congo virus, which has a fatality rate ranging between 10 to 40 percent depending on timely treatment and the patient’s condition, is endemic in parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. In Pakistan, infections often spike around Eid Al-Adha, when millions of animals are bought, transported and slaughtered, increasing human exposure to infected ticks and animal blood.
Local health teams have carried out community awareness sessions in Karachi’s affected areas and advised residents to use protective clothing and follow hygiene measures when handling livestock.
There is currently no approved vaccine for the Congo virus, though experimental trials are underway in Europe.
Pakistan reported its first case of CCHF in 1976 and continues to see sporadic outbreaks, particularly in rural areas and provinces like Balochistan, which recorded 23 cases and five deaths last year.
Industrial cities in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region hit 77% occupancy rate, official reveals
RIYADH: Industrial cities in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region are performing at occupancy rates of up to 77 percent, with 158 factories currently in operation, reflecting strong growth and a supportive business environment, according to a top official.
During a meeting organized by the the area’s chamber of commerce, the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs Khalil Ibrahim bin Salamah explained that the value of industrial investments in the region during the first quarter of 2025 reached SR700 million ($186 million), with the city of Buraydah accounting for the largest share, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
This reflects the Kingdom’s National Industrial Strategy, introduced in October 2022, which aims to increase the number of factories in the Kingdom to approximately 36,000 by 2035. This approach is designed to attract investment, scale up local production, and strengthen non-oil exports.
The SPA statement said: “The meeting aimed to introduce the most prominent ministerial services and programs and discuss the sector’s aspirations to achieve continued growth in development and investment.”
It added: “The meeting addressed several topics related to the industrial sector, including standard incentives for the industrial sector, which enhance the competitive sustainability of the industrial sector in the Kingdom.”
The statement further revealed that the assembly addressed the environmental impact of industrial facilities and presented solutions to help improve efficiency and quality.
It also included a review and introduction to the Factories of the Future Program, as well as the process of converting these facilities to adopt modern manufacturing practices, automation, and digitization, which directly contribute to the development of the industrial sector in the Kingdom.
The gathering also saw a review of the Industrial Links Program, which connects manufacturers with major projects to achieve the goals of the national strategy for increasing local content.
The Qassim region experienced 25 percent growth in its business sector over the past seven years, reflecting increased economic activity and contributing to the Kingdom’s goal of balanced development, the Ministry of Commerce reported in a post on its official X account in May.
The number of commercial records in the central region rose from 68,000 in 2018 to 85,000 by the end of the first quarter of this year, the ministry said at the time.
In 2024, Qassim Municipality announced that the region had successfully concluded 711 investment contracts, with a total value exceeding SR740 million. The municipality also provided 1050 diverse investment opportunities aimed at supporting economic development and enhancing the quality of life in the region.
The increase comes as the Kingdom pushes ahead with its economic diversification strategy, aiming to increase the private sector’s share of the gross domestic product from 40 percent to 65 percent by 2030.
Three Pakistani schools among Top 10 finalists for World’s Best School Prizes 2025
- Finalists are Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust School, Nordic International School, Beaconhouse College Program Juniper Campus
- The winners and finalists of the global schools prizes will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15–16
ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani schools have this week been named among the Top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025, prestigious global awards founded by T4 Education to spotlight exceptional schools transforming education and communities.
T4 Education is a global digital platform and community founded to empower teachers and schools to share best practices and drive positive change in education worldwide. It launched the World’s Best School Prizes to spotlight schools making an exceptional impact beyond the classroom.
Winners of the five World’s Best School Prizes — for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives — will be announced in October following evaluation by an expert Judging Academy and a global public vote. Finalists and winners will share their insights at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi in November.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif commended the management, teachers and students of the three Pakistani schools: the Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School and Nordic International School, both in Lahore, and the Beaconhouse College Program Juniper Campus in Quetta.
“These schools have made a name for themselves in terms of modern curriculum, research, technology, environment, development of backward and rural areas,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
“These educational institutions have made the country’s name known all over the world.”
Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School in Lahore has been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity. The charity school, which began in an abandoned factory, now educates nearly 800 students from marginalized backgrounds through the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program. It is the first in Pakistan to offer this curriculum to underserved communities, empowering students with critical 21st-century skills and bridging socio-economic divides.
Beaconhouse College Program, Juniper Campus, Quetta, is a finalist for the Community Collaboration prize for its “Science Gaari” initiative — a student-led mobile science lab bringing hands-on STEM education to remote schools in Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s most underserved provinces. The project has reached over 150 schools, boosting science engagement and inspiring rural students to pursue careers in technology and research.
Nordic International School Lahore has also been named a finalist for Community Collaboration. The independent school emphasizes strong parental involvement and a culture of kindness to foster a supportive learning environment. Parents are engaged throughout students’ academic journeys via an interactive app, regular workshops, and celebrations of learning milestones.
“It is in schools like Sanjan Nagar, BCP Juniper Campus Quetta, and Nordic International School Lahore where we find the innovations and expertise that give us hope for a better future,” T4 Education Founder Vikas Pota said.
Israel strikes Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, other nuclear sites
- Israeli forces also struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan and Natanz, and continue to target additional facilities
DUBAI: Israel has attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state television said Thursday.
The report said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” and that the facility had already been evacuated before the attack.
Israel had warned earlier it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. The warning came in a social media post on X. It included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that preceded strikes.
The Israeli military said Thursday’s round of airstrikes targeted Tehran and other areas of Iran, without elaborating. It later said Iran fired a new salvo of missiles at Israel and told the public to take shelter.
A military spokesperson later said Israeli forces struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan and Natanz, and continue to target additional facilities. Bushehr is Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant, which sits on the Gulf coast.
Israel’s seventh day of airstrikes on Iran came a day after Iran’s supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage to them.” Israel also lifted some restrictions on daily life, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing.
Already, Israel’s campaign has targeted Iran’s enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists.
A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. Some have hit apartment buildings in central Israel, causing heavy damage.
The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran.
Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon.
Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.
In 2019, Iran started up the heavy water reactor’s secondary circuit, which at the time did not violate Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Britain at the time was helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, stepping in for the US, which had withdrawn from the project after President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from the nuclear deal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, has been urging Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14.
Due to restrictions Iran imposed on inspectors, the IAEA has said it lost “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran’s production and stockpile.
As part of negotiations around the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to sell off its heavy water to the West to remain in compliance with the accord’s terms. Even the US purchased some 32 tons of heavy water for over $8 million in one deal. That was one issue that drew criticism from opponents to the deal.
