PAK ARMY LT-GEN AMONG 3 SACKED OVER VIOLENCE BY IMRAN SUPPORTERS

Islamabad : The Pakistan army said on Monday it had taken action against several officers, including sacking three officers one of whom was a lieutenant-general, as part of the military’s “self-accountability process” regarding the events of May 9 when military installations were targeted by protesters following the arrest of former PM Imran Khan in an alleged graft case.

Addressing a press conference on the “facts” of May 9, the military’s spokesperson Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif, claimed the army had completed its process of “self-accountability”, saying that two comprehensive inquiries— led by major-generals — were conducted into the violent events at army garrisons on May 9.

“After a deliberate accountability process, keeping the requests of in-court of inquiries in view, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against those who failed to keep the security and honour of garrisons, military installations, Jinnah House (corps commander’s residence in Lahore)a nd General Headquarters (in Rawalpindi) intact,” Sharif, the director-general ofInter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media arm, said. “Three officers, including a lieutenant-general, have been removed from their jobs. Strict disciplinary proceedings against officers, including three major generals and seven brigadiers, have been completed,”the DG ISPR said.

As of now, Sharif said, a granddaughter of a retired four-star general, son-in-law of a retired four-star star general, wife of a retired three-star general, and wife and son-in-law of a retired two-star general are facing this process of accountability due to irrefutable evidence. Talking about trial under the Army Act for the May 9 violence, he said standing military courts were functioning in which “the trial of 102 miscreants is underway and this process will continue”.

'WE DIDN'T WANT TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENT' - PRIGOZHIN, IN FIRST COMMENTS SINCE MUTINY

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, stated that the recent one-day mutiny by his forces was not intended to overthrow the Russian government but to protest against its perceived failure in the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin claimed that Wagner was the most effective fighting force in Russia and the world, criticizing the units sent by Moscow to Ukraine in February 2022. He highlighted the group's successful seizure of Rostov-on-Don and their advance towards Moscow as evidence of their effectiveness.

Prigozhin alleged that the Russian military attacked a Wagner camp, resulting in the death of approximately 30 fighters, which served as the immediate trigger for the mutiny. He stated that Wagner halted their advance when they realized they would face Russian troops and sought to avoid bloodshed. Prigozhin expressed regret over the killing of Russian servicemen who attacked their convoy from helicopters but emphasized that Wagner did not shed blood during their northward march.

Prigozhin also voiced his dissatisfaction with a military order requiring all volunteer units, including Wagner, to sign an agreement placing themselves under the control of Russia's Defense Ministry. He revealed that less than 2% of Wagner's members had signed the order. Prigozhin stated that the aim of the mutiny was to protect the existence of Wagner.

In his audio message, Prigozhin did not address the details of the agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mutiny. The Kremlin had announced that the deal involved dropping a criminal case against Prigozhin and his relocation to Belarus. Prigozhin did not disclose his current whereabouts in the recording.

WAGNER MUTINY SHOWS RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE WAS A ‘STRATEGIC MISTAKE’: NATO CHIEF

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the recent mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia demonstrates that Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a "mistake." Stoltenberg referred to the events as another example of the strategic error made by Putin with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described Russia as an "unstable and unpredictable state" in light of the mutiny. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned of the splintering of Russian power and the risk of instability in the nuclear-armed country due to Wagner's mutiny, emphasizing that it is concerning to witness a nuclear power like Russia entering a phase of instability.

RUSSIA’S DEFENCE MIN SEEN IN 1ST VIDEO AMID OUSTER REPORTS

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster, inspecting troops in Ukraine in a video released on Monday aimed at projecting a sense of order. The defence ministry video of Shoigu came as Russian media speculated that he and other military leaders have lost Putin’s confidence and could be replaced. It was unclear when it was shot. General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov, also a target of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, has not appeared in public.

PAK BANK RAISES INTEREST RATE BY 100 BPS TO 22%

Karachi : Pakistan’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points to 22% at an emergency meeting on Monday, a day after the country revised its budget for the fiscal year from July 1 in a bid to rescue an IMF programme that expires in days. Analysts said Monday’s decision was in line with the demands of the IMF to secure a stalled tranche of $1. 1 billion from the current bailout package, which expires on June 30.

The central bank has now raised its main rate by 12. 25 percentage points since April 2022, mainly to curb soaring inflation. “The MPC views this action as necessary to keep real interest rate firmly in positive territory on a forward-looking basis,” the central bank said. On June 12 the central bank had left its key rate unchanged. The bank said its monetary policy committee had noted “two important domestic developments since the last meeting that have slightly deteriorated inflation outlook and which could potentially increase pressure on the already stressed external account. ” These developments were certain upward revisions in taxesin the recently approved budget for fiscal 2023-24, and the central bank withdrawing on June 23 its general guidance for commercial banks on prioritisation of imports. “While the MPC views these measures as necessary in the context of completion of the IMF programme, they’ve increased the upside risks to the inflation outlook,” the bank said.

NEW IMAGES SHOW CHINESE SPY BALLOONS OVER ASIA

New evidence of China's spy balloon programme - including flights over Japan and Taiwan - has been uncovered by BBC Panorama.

Japan has confirmed balloons have flown over its territory and said it's prepared to shoot them down in future.

China has not directly addressed the evidence presented by the BBC.

US-China relations were thrown into turmoil earlier this year, when an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the US coast.

China claimed the balloon seen over north-western US in late January was a civilian airship, used for scientific research such as meteorology - and that it was an unintended and isolated event.

John Culver - a former East Asia analyst for the CIA - told Panorama that this "had been not just a one-off, but a continuing effort dating back at least five years." He said the Chinese balloons were "specially designed for these long-range missions" and some had "apparently circumnavigated the globe".

Working with Synthetaic, an artificial intelligence company which sifted through huge amounts of data captured by satellites, the BBC has found multiple images of balloons crossing East Asia.

The company's founder, Corey Jaskolski, found evidence of one balloon crossing northern Japan in early September 2021. These images have not been published before.

Mr Jaskolski also believes the evidence points to this balloon having been launched from deep inside China, south of Mongolia. The BBC has been unable to confirm this.

Japan is a close ally of the US and more American forces are stationed there than in any other foreign country.

Yuko Murakami, from the Japanese ministry of defence, told the BBC that the government was "taking all precautions to monitor the situation on a daily basis" and would even be willing to shoot down balloons to protect the "lives and property of people in the territory of Japan".

LABOUR LEADER DECLARES HE HAS ‘RESET PARTY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIA’

London : Opposition leader Keir Starmer delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of "modern India" to a Labour government if they were to win the next general election. Starmer acknowledged that Labour had a difficult relationship with India during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, particularly due to a motion on Kashmir passed at the 2019 Labour conference. However, Starmer expressed a desire to reset the relationship and mentioned plans to increase Indian representation within the party. He highlighted the changes within the Labour party and its recognition of India as an important and powerful country. Regarding his relationship with Prime Minister Modi, Starmer envisioned a respectful and open relationship focused on the future. Speaking at the India Global Forum's UK-India Week, he portrayed India as a modern, confident nation with the potential for being a major contributor to global growth and prosperity as the world's largest democracy.

NASA ACHIEVES 98% WATER RECYCLE RATE FROM URINE AND SWEAT ON ISS

Astronauts on board the International Space Station have attained a 98% water restoration rate using an advanced system that recycles astronauts’ urine and sweat into drinkable water. The development holds immense potential for future long interplanetary missions.

The breakthrough was made possible using the subsystems that are part of the Environment Control and Life Support Systems, aimed at recycling consumables such as food, air and water for further use in space. Life support systems ideally need to recover close to 98% of the water that crew members bring along, Nasa said. Each crew member aboard ISS needs around a gallon of water each day for drinking, food preparation and hygiene usage. “Before. . , our total water recovery was between 93% and 94% overall. We have now demonstrated that we can reach 98%,” said ECLSS water subsystems manager Jill Williamson.