Countries in the Persian Gulf shut down their airspace, forcing some of the world’s biggest airlines to halt operations after Iran targeted US bases across the peninsula in retaliatory strikes.

The joint Israeli-US strikes on Iran on Saturday targeted the Islamic republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian, Israel's public broadcaster reported.

The massive US military presence in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets, and refueling aircraft, lays the foundation for a major campaign against Iran.

Iran has responded to a wave of US strikes by launching missile attacks on multiple countries hosting some of the tens of thousands of American troops deployed across the Middle East.

Israel has declared a nationwide state of emergency following what officials have described as a preemptive strike on Tehran, amid fears of retaliation.

 Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, struck more Afghan military installations deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, killing over 300 Afghan forces in dayslong border clashes, a government spokesman and officials said.

The U.S. and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The strike follows months of rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, renewed U.S.–Iran negotiations, and warnings of retaliation that could engulf the wider Middle East in another dangerous escalation.

In a historic and unprecedented moment, Prince Andrew became the first senior British royal in nearly 400 years to be arrested. The move signals a profound shift in accountability within the monarchy.

Each year, Ramadan in Pakistan arrives with promises of relief and billion-rupee subsidy packages. Yet for many citizens, the holy month brings soaring prices instead of ease. From weak market monitoring to ineffective implementation, the gap between announcements and ground realities exposes systemic flaws.

Pakistan has largely lost its traditional leverage over Afghanistan—refugees, militants, and border control—leaving it with limited and risky options like drone strikes or potential military action.

A critique of media influence and authoritarian tendencies that discourage critical thinking, suppress dissent, and keep citizens distracted rather than informed.

In Iran, subsidy reform is economically necessary but politically perilous because cheap essentials underpin daily survival amid inflation and low trust.

India is highly vulnerable to Gulf instability due to its heavy energy reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, exposing it to inflation, trade disruptions, and risks to its diaspora.

Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s shift from global jihadist to pragmatic power broker in Syria highlights how image management and governance shape political survival. The Taliban’s refusal to reform, by contrast, has deepened Afghanistan’s isolation and weakened its legitimacy.

The author argues that Pakistan’s military privilege is not merely institutional but civilizational—reshaping infrastructure, politics, faith, and daily life to normalize inequality, suppress dissent, and extract wealth at the expense of civilian society.