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World Desk

Future Soch World Desk covers international politics, conflicts, markets, diplomacy and global developments with context for Pakistani readers.

PCB confirms four-team ODI tournament ahead of 2027 World Cup

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PCB confirms

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed a four-team One-Day tournament next month as part of its preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

According to the PCB, the tournament will be held in August before the start of the domestic first-class season.

Director of the High Performance Centre Aqib Javed said Pakistan has around 18 months until the 2027 World Cup, making it the right time to begin building a strong pool of ODI players.

He said selectors and coaches jointly designed the four-team tournament, which will feature all of the country’s leading white-ball cricketers.

Aqib said the selectors and coaching staff will assemble playing XIs based on players’ specific roles, allowing them to evaluate performances and identify the best player pool for the future.

He added that all matches will be televised, providing transparency in player performances and making the selection process more effective.

Aqib also said Pakistan should be ranked among the top four ODI teams in the world, adding that anything lower would be unacceptable and expressing confidence that the team’s ranking would improve.

US approves sale of Tomahawk missiles to Germany

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US approves

BERLIN: The United States has approved the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, marking a significant step in strengthening Berlin’s long-range strike capabilities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a NATO summit in Ankara proved more productive than expected, revealing that Germany had reached an agreement with the United States to purchase Tomahawk missiles, which will be deployed in the country.

“We are closing a major strategic gap in our defense capabilities,” Merz said, adding that Germany is also continuing efforts to develop and deploy European-made long-range defense systems.

According to foreign media reports, German government sources said the United States signed a letter of intent on Tuesday assuring Germany that formal approval for the purchase of Tomahawk missiles and Typhon ground-based launchers would be granted in August.

The sources did not disclose how many missiles or launchers Germany intends to acquire, saying the details remain classified.

Trump warns Iran of more military strikes

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Trump warns

ANKARA:US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened fresh military strikes against Iran, saying the United States could launch another attack “tonight” while renewing his insistence that Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the United States had carried out heavy strikes against Iran the previous night and warned that additional military action remained possible.

Trump accused Iran of deception during nuclear talks, saying Tehran had repeatedly misled U.S. negotiators.

He also criticized the nuclear agreement reached under former President Barack Obama, calling it a bad deal and repeating his longstanding claim that it provided Iran with significant financial benefits.

The US president said Washington’s objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, adding that he believed progress had been made toward that goal.

Trump also accused Iranian leaders of making contradictory public statements after negotiations, alleging they denied discussions that had taken place.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump’s ‘Islamic Republic of Japan’ remark goes viral

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Trump

ANKARA: US President Donald Trump appeared to misspeak while discussing Iran on Wednesday, referring to the country as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” during remarks on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said the “Islamic Republic of Japan” had fired 111 missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln before appearing to continue his remarks about Iran, prompting widespread attention online.

Video of the comments quickly circulated on social media, where users pointed to the apparent verbal mix-up between Iran and Japan.

The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following recent US military strikes on Iranian targets.

Trump also said he was dissatisfied with Iran’s actions, accused Tehran of launching drone attacks on US naval assets and warned that the United States could carry out additional strikes as early as Wednesday night.

The White House did not immediately comment on the apparent misstatement.

Egypt asks FIFA to investigate referees after Argentina defeat

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Egypt asks

ZURICH:  Egypt’s football federation said it has filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the officiating in its World Cup round-of-16 loss to Argentina, alleging serious refereeing and video review errors that affected the outcome of the match.

The federation said it had asked FIFA to investigate French referee François Letexier and the video assistant referee (VAR) officials and requested that they be removed from the remainder of the tournament.

According to the federation, the match officials applied inconsistent standards, declined to review several key incidents and made clear errors that contributed to Egypt’s elimination. It called on FIFA to conduct a full investigation.

The complaint follows widespread criticism from Egyptian players, coaching staff and some supporters over several controversial decisions during the match, including the disallowing of an Egyptian goal after a VAR review and the decision not to award fouls or a penalty in incidents involving captain Mohamed Salah.

Head coach Hossam Hassan also protested several decisions during the game and was shown a yellow card by the referee.

Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2, securing a place in the World Cup quarterfinals.

FIFA had not publicly responded to the Egyptian federation’s complaint at the time of publication.

FIFA faces criticism over all-Argentine officials for World Cup quarterfinal

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FIFA faces

BOSTON:  FIFA’s decision to appoint an all-Argentine officiating team for the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal between Morocco and France has prompted criticism and speculation among some football fans on social media.

FIFA announced the match officials for Thursday’s quarterfinal in Boston, naming an Argentine referee, two assistant referees, a reserve assistant referee and a fourth official.

The appointments drew reactions online from users who questioned why officials from a country still competing in the tournament had been assigned to the match. Some posts alleged favoritism, while others criticized FIFA’s referee selection process without providing evidence.

Among those commenting was former West Indies cricket captain Carlos Brathwaite, who questioned the appointments in posts on X.

FIFA has not publicly responded to the criticism.

Under FIFA regulations, referees are generally prohibited from officiating matches involving their own national team, but officials from other participating nations may be assigned to games provided no conflict of interest exists.

Messi scores in Argentina’s 3-2 comeback win over Egypt

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Messi scores

ATLANTA: Defending champion Argentina came from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday, securing a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Egypt stunned Argentina with two first-half goals after Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring before Mostafa Ziko doubled the lead.

Argentina had an opportunity to equalize earlier in the match, but captain Lionel Messi failed to convert a penalty after Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shabir made a crucial save.

Ziko also had another goal ruled out for a foul before scoring Egypt’s second to give his side a commanding 2-0 advantage.

Argentina mounted a dramatic comeback in the closing stages of the second half. The South American side scored its first goal in the 80th minute before Messi leveled the match three minutes later.

Argentina completed the turnaround with a late winner to seal a 3-2 victory and advance to the quarterfinals.

The win keeps Argentina’s title defense alive, while Egypt’s World Cup campaign came to an end despite its strong first-half performance.

Storms, floods and landslides kill 15 in China, hundreds missing

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Storms

BEIJING: At least 15 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after torrential rain triggered floods, landslides and severe storms across central and southern China, state media reported Tuesday.

Authorities said widespread flooding has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as emergency crews continue rescue operations in the affected areas.

According to state media, at least 275 people remain missing following weather-related incidents across the region.

In Hubei province, a powerful tornado with winds reaching 260 kilometers per hour (162 mph) struck residential areas, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 331 others. The storm was so intense that it reportedly pulled one person from a 12th-floor apartment.

In the southern city of Nanning, heavy rainfall caused a large dam to breach, sending floodwaters into nearby communities. Officials said at least four people were killed and more than 62,000 residents were evacuated to safer areas.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered government agencies to accelerate search-and-rescue operations, provide immediate medical treatment to the injured and ensure assistance and rehabilitation for affected residents.

Emergency responders continued rescue efforts as authorities monitored weather conditions and warned of additional heavy rainfall in the coming days.

President Trump announces end to US sanctions on Turkey

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President Trump

ANKARA: US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will lift sanctions imposed on Turkey over its purchase of a Russian-made air defense system, signaling a major shift in Washington’s policy toward its NATO ally.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit, Trump said the United States was ending the sanctions and reaffirmed the importance of its relationship with Turkey.

“We are lifting the sanctions on Turkey,” Trump said.

The United States imposed sanctions on Turkey in 2020 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system.

The sanctions targeted Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), restricting U.S. export licenses and defense-related transfers.

They also included asset freezes and visa restrictions on then-SSB President Ismail Demir and other Turkish defense officials, as well as limits on certain loans and financial assistance from U.S. institutions.

Trump also indicated he was prepared to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, suggesting the two countries could soon make key decisions on defense cooperation.

He praised Turkey’s role in regional diplomacy, saying Ankara has a deep understanding of Iran and has played an important role in efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Israel has urged Washington to reconsider any decision to readmit Turkey into the F-35 fighter jet program, citing regional security concerns.

Iran’s parliament speaker says Tehran will not recognize Israel

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Iran's parliament

TEHRAN: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will never recognize Israel and pledged continued support for what he described as Muslim nations and resistance groups through military deterrence and political pressure.

Speaking during meetings in Tehran with Hamas leadership council chief Mohammad Darwish and other regional figures, Ghalibaf said implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding would be difficult but achievable.

He said Iran continues to have significant disagreements with the United States despite the agreement, adding that Tehran’s position toward Washington has not changed.

Ghalibaf said Iran would continue to support resistance groups in line with the directives of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei through its missile capabilities and political influence.

The Iranian parliament speaker also urged Muslim countries to play a greater role in regional affairs, arguing that recent developments have shown cooperation with the United States and Israel does not guarantee their security.

In a separate meeting with the vice chairman of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, Ghalibaf described the memorandum of understanding with the United States as a political and military success for Iran and the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”

He also met with senior Hezbollah official Mohammad Fneish, where he said lasting peace in Lebanon could not be achieved without Iran’s involvement and claimed Tehran had made a ceasefire in Lebanon a central element of negotiations with Washington.

The remarks reflect Iran’s official position and have not been independently verified. Neither the United States nor Israel immediately responded to Ghalibaf’s statements.