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Bus Falls into Ravine in Pakistan's Far North, Killing 20

Injured people transferred to an ambulance in Pakistan (AP archive)
Injured people transferred to an ambulance in Pakistan (AP archive)
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Bus Falls into Ravine in Pakistan's Far North, Killing 20

Injured people transferred to an ambulance in Pakistan (AP archive)
Injured people transferred to an ambulance in Pakistan (AP archive)

A bus veered into a ravine in Pakistan's far north early on Friday, a local government spokesman said, killing 20 passengers, while 21 injured were rescued and taken to hospital.
The bus was headed to the mountainous northern area of Gilgit-Baltistan from the garrison city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab, when the accident happened in the early hours.
"The bus was passing through Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan when it fell into a deep ravine," Faizullah Firaq, a spokesman for local government authorities in the area, told Reuters, adding that 21 people were injured.
The government immediately launched a rescue operation to evacuate all the injured, who were taken to hospital, he added.
Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads in many rural areas are in poor condition.
For decades Pakistan has done extensive work in carving roads through its dramatic rugged northern terrain, home to some of the world's highest mountain ranges, approached by narrow roads perched on sheer cliffs.
Militant attacks, including one in March nearby in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that killed six people, pose another risk to travelers in the area, targeting Chinese-backed dams and hydropower infrastructure projects.

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World

Iran Condemns Britain's Designation of Revolutionary Guards as Security Threat

British MPs called for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terrorist group. Reuters file photo
British MPs called for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terrorist group. Reuters file photo
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Iran Condemns Britain's Designation of Revolutionary Guards as Security Threat

British MPs called for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terrorist group. Reuters file photo
British MPs called for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a terrorist group. Reuters file photo

Iran's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned Britain's decision to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a security threat, calling the ‌move "unjustified" and "irresponsible".

The ‌ministry said ‌the ⁠IRGC was an ⁠official part of Iran's armed forces and accused Britain of violating international law by ⁠targeting a ‌state ‌institution, said Reuters.

Britain on Monday ‌banned support for ‌the IRGC and a linked group under new powers aimed ‌at preventing foreign states from using proxies ⁠for ⁠activities such as surveillance and sabotage.

Iran, which is at war with the United States and Israel, has previously denied using proxies.

World

India Protests to Iran Over Killing of Seafarer in Hormuz

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. (Reuters)
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India Protests to Iran Over Killing of Seafarer in Hormuz

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. (Reuters)

The Indian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it had lodged a strong protest with Iran after summoning its deputy ambassador over the killing of an Indian seafarer in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Indian national was among 46 crew members, including 30 Indians, on board two vessels – ‌MT Al ‌Bahiyah and MT Mombasa – that ‌were ⁠attacked while transiting ⁠the shipping lane, the ministry said.

Ten other Indian seafarers were wounded, of whom two are reported to be seriously injured, it said in a statement.

India is "deeply concerned" by the ⁠attacks, and the targeting of commercial ‌shipping and civilian ‌infrastructure in the region "must cease," it said.

US ‌President Donald Trump has reinstated a ‌blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this month and proposed charging a 20% fee to guard it.

Tehran says ‌the US has no role in determining the future of the ⁠waterway, ⁠which handled about a fifth of global oil and gas supplies before the conflict erupted on February 28.

Another Indian national has been missing after an attack on container ship GFS Galaxy in the strait on Sunday.

Iran said it had targeted the vessel after it tried to transit through an unauthorized route despite warnings.

World

France Showcases 500 Pro-Ukraine Troops at Bastille Day

President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) arrives aboard a Light Reconnaissance and Support Vehicle (VLRA), accompanied by French Republican Guards, on Champs-Elysees Avenue during the Bastille Day military parade, in Paris, France, 14 July 2026. (EPA)
President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) arrives aboard a Light Reconnaissance and Support Vehicle (VLRA), accompanied by French Republican Guards, on Champs-Elysees Avenue during the Bastille Day military parade, in Paris, France, 14 July 2026. (EPA)
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France Showcases 500 Pro-Ukraine Troops at Bastille Day

President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) arrives aboard a Light Reconnaissance and Support Vehicle (VLRA), accompanied by French Republican Guards, on Champs-Elysees Avenue during the Bastille Day military parade, in Paris, France, 14 July 2026. (EPA)
President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) arrives aboard a Light Reconnaissance and Support Vehicle (VLRA), accompanied by French Republican Guards, on Champs-Elysees Avenue during the Bastille Day military parade, in Paris, France, 14 July 2026. (EPA)

Some 500 soldiers from the "Coalition of the Willing" backing Ukraine marched down Paris' Champs-Elysees on Tuesday in the annual Bastille Day parade, in what France said would be a symbol of Europe's strategic awakening.

France's traditional national day military parade fell one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joined around 25 leaders ‌in Paris ‌for a summit of the coalition of ‌Western allies ⁠supporting Ukraine in ⁠its war against Russia.

The allies announced an air-defense coalition as Ukraine grapples with critical ammunition shortages and intensifying Russian strikes on its capital Kyiv and surrounding regions.

Zelenskiy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were among about 30 leaders invited by Emmanuel Macron to watch Tuesday's parade, the ⁠French president's last before he leaves office in ‌2027.

It featured around 25 Ukrainian ‌soldiers marching along the capital's most famous avenue.

The traditional fly-past brought ‌together French and allied European aircraft, including French Mirage fighter ‌jets that Macron's office said would be flown with Ukrainian co-pilots currently training on the aircraft.

"It will be a historic parade because of this international dimension, which will be a strong signal that ‌Europe is waking up and coming to terms with how dangerous the world has become," a ⁠French presidential ⁠adviser told reporters ahead of the event.

The Kremlin said it was closely monitoring Monday's Coalition of the Willing meeting, describing the countries taking part as "hostile".

In another sign of Europe's increasingly hard-edged security posture, Macron said on Monday that the continent was facing its gravest threats in decades and must be prepared to bear the costs of defending its values and security.

"The message we're sending to the world is the following: yes, peace is our goal, yes, we cherish freedom and the rule of law, and yes, we stand ready to fight to defend them, even at the cost of blood if necessary," Macron said.