Updated July 20 with further color details for more upcoming iPhones.
With less than two months until the release of the next iPhones (read full details of the exact date expected here), there’s a lot that has been reported by now. But now it looks like the colors of the iPhones are coming into focus. The latest data has information about the regular iPhone 17, too. Plus, there’s some surprising information about the fourth model, the so-called iPhone 17 Air — if accurate it’s unprecedented in Apple’s iPhone design changes.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: what colors will come to the iPhone 17 Pro?
AFP via Getty Images
A new report from Macworld claims that the colors have been confirmed in what it describes as the “definitive lineup thanks to our sources.”
ForbesApple iPhone 17 Release Date: New Leak Reveals Latest Key DataBy David Phelan
Why are colors so important? Well, for a start they’re a way to show everyone that you have the new model if you pick this year’s hero color. And in a less shallow reason, it’s a way to express yourself, especially if you’re one of those brave (foolhardy) people who don’t clad their expensive phone in a case.
As the report says, recently a reputable leaker, Sonny Dickson, has said that the iPhone 17 Pro range will include two colors not in the iPhone 16 Pro range: dark blue and copper.
“ Independent sources who requested anonymity told Macworld that we can indeed expect these new colors for the iPhone 17 lineup. The same source independently verified the Desert Titanium color for the iPhone 16 Pro before last year’s launch,” the report says.
Although the publication says that its list is definitive, it’s worth noting that there is still some uncertainty about the exact color list. Macworld says there are two colors which will be the same as the iPhone 16 Pro, black and white. Let me stop you there: Apple almost always tweaks its colors from generation to generations so don’t be surprised if even black and white turn out to be different this year, especially if rumors of different case materials prove to be true.
But for sure, versions of black and white are likely to be present.
A new report from leaker Majin Bu says that these four will be the iPhone 17 Pro range, disagreeing with Macworld which says there’ll be a gray option, too.
It’s worth noting that four is the number of colors that Apple has stuck to for its Pro models for years. The only recent exception was the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, when the initial September 2021 range of four colors had a handsome alpine green hue added six months later. And, to add, whatever colors the iPhone 17 Pro will have, the Pro Max will exactly mirror it.
Majin Bu claims the copper will be “a bold new orange”. Pro shades are invariably muted, so this would be a big departure. Personally, I think copper is more likely.
Even so, these four shades look like being the iPhone 17 Pro color range.
So, how about the regular iPhone 17? Macworld claims six colors are coming — again, this is one more than is usual and the only time there have been six was also 2022 when the iPhone 13 series added a green version. Which means it’s possible that one of these colors will be missing in September, to be added later.
The current range is one of the best in recent years, I’d say, with black and white supplemented by pink and the two standouts: teal and aquamarine.
Macworld says white and black, will stay (which seems very likely) while the rest of the range will be steel gray, green, purple and light blue. How they will compare to the iPhone 16 shades in terms of vividness remains to be seen.
Finally, what about the fourth phone of the series, the super- slim version that’s expected, possibly called the iPhone 17 Air? According to Macworld, something is coming that has never happened before: the fourth iPhone will have its own range of colors rather than aping the regular iPhone.
The fourth model first appeared in 2020, when the iPhone 12 was matched with a smaller sibling, the iPhone 12 mini. Both it and the 2021 iPhone 13 mini offered a form factor similar to the iPhone SE, but with a much bigger display thanks to its all-screen front. However, in terms of colors, it exactly matched the larger base iPhone.
Then in 2022 Apple ditched the smaller model and replaced it with a bigger one, called the iPhone 14 Plus, similarly sized to the iPhone 14 Pro Max but with fewer cameras and components that weren’t quite so cutting-edge. The same thing happened with the iPhone 15 Plus and the current iPhone 16 Plus.
Again, in terms of color, the bigger phone matched the regular iPhone.
So, it’s a sign of how different Apple is hoping the iPhone 17 Air will be, as it will have its own color palette. Macworld claims there will be four colors (though again it’s possible that one of them might be held back for a mid-cycle addition).
First, there’ll be black — always the easiest shade to predict — and this will be the same as the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17. However, the second color, white, will not look the same as the iPhone 16 or this year’s base model. If you’re wondering how white can be different, the report says it’s brighter and/or colder in its design than the iPhone 16’s white option. Apple first introduced a white iPhone with the iPhone 3G and it was strikingly different from other phones on the market. This sounds like it could be similarly eye-catching.
The other two predicted colors are light blue and light gold. According to these reports, “the blue iPhone 17 Air will be slightly lighter than the base iPhone 17. Apple reportedly wants less saturated colors for the iPhone 17 Air to reinforce the lightness of the device,” Macworld says.
If correct, we now know the complete range of iPhone colors and, therefore, strong ideas of what this year’s models will look like.
ForbesApple iPhone 17 Pro Max: New Leak Confirms Major Design UpgradeBy David Phelan
Three earthquakes, one with a magnitude of 7.4, recorded near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, capital of Russia’s Kamchatka region.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) says there is no longer a danger of tsunami waves on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after three earthquakes – the larger with a magnitude of 7.4 – struck in the sea nearby.
The warning was issued earlier on Sunday after the quakes were recorded off the Pacific coast of Russia, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
(Al Jazeera)
The epicentres of a series of earthquakes – the others measuring 6.7 and 5 – on Sunday were about 140km (87 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, capital of Russia’s Kamchatka region, which has a population of more than 160,000.
According to the USGS, the quakes hit the same area off the coast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky within 32 minutes.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake was at a depth of 20km (12 miles). There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The PTWC initially said there was a danger of major tsunami waves but later downgraded its warning before finally saying the danger had passed.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry also issued a tsunami warning following the second quake, urging residents of coastal settlements to stay away from the shore.
A separate tsunami watch issued for the state of Hawaii was later lifted.
Germany’s GFZ monitor also confirmed that at least one magnitude 6.7 earthquake was recorded off the east of Kamchatka region on Sunday. GFZ later updated it to magnitude 7.4.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located in the Kamchatka region, facing the Pacific, northeast of Japan and west of the US state of Alaska, across the Bering Sea.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making it a seismic hot zone. Since 1900, seven major earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or higher have struck the area.
On November 4, 1952, a magnitude 9 earthquake in Kamchatka caused damage, but no deaths were reported despite setting off 9.1-metre (30-foot) waves in Hawaii.
Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:
Update Google Chrome to fix actively exploited zero-day (CVE-2025-6558) For the fifth time this year, Google has patched a Chrome zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-6558) exploited by attackers in the wild.
Exploits for unauthenticated FortiWeb RCE are public, so patch quickly! (CVE-2025-25257) With two proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits made public late last week, CVE-2025-25257 – a critical SQL command injection vulnerability in Fortinet’s FortiWeb web application firewall – is expected to be leveraged by attackers soon.
Experts unpack the biggest cybersecurity surprises of 2025 2025 has been a busy year for cybersecurity. From unexpected attacks to new tactics by threat groups, a lot has caught experts off guard. We asked cybersecurity leaders to share the biggest surprises they’ve seen so far this year and what those surprises might mean for the rest of us.
SonicWall SMA devices persistently infected with stealthy OVERSTEP backdoor and rootkit Unknown intruders are targeting fully patched end-of-life SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 100 series appliances and deploying a novel, persistent backdoor / rootkit, analysts with Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) have warned.
Making security and development co-owners of DevSecOps In this Help Net Security interview, Galal Ibrahim Maghola, former Head of Cybersecurity at G42 Company, discusses strategic approaches to implementing DevSecOps at scale.
Vulnerable firmware for Gigabyte motherboards could allow bootkit installation UEFI firmware running on 100+ Gigabyte motherboard models is affected by memory corruption vulnerabilities that may allow attackers to install persistent and difficult-to-detect bootkits (i.e., malware designed to infect the computer’s boot process).
What a mature OT security program looks like in practice In this Help Net Security interview, Cindy Segond von Banchet CC, Cybersecurity Lead at Yokogawa Europe, shares her insights on what defines a sustainable OT security program.
Why we must go beyond tooling and CVEs to illuminate security blind spots In April, the cybersecurity community held its breath as the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program was plunged into a moment of existential crisis. In the end, an eleventh-hour reprieve saved the day.
How service providers can turn cybersecurity into a scalable MRR engine Unlike traditional engagements that focus on short-term fixes, strategic cybersecurity programs are designed for resilience and continuity, embedding security into daily operations, supporting leadership decision-making, and ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Securing vehicles as they become platforms for code and data In this Help Net Security interview, Robert Knoblauch, CISO at Element Fleet Management, discusses how the rise of connected vehicles and digital operations is reshaping fleet management cybersecurity.
Why silent authentication is the smarter way to secure BYOD In this Help Net Security video, Andy Ulrich, CISO at Vonage, explains how silent authentication offers a smarter, seamless solution to the security and productivity challenges of BYOD.
Machine unlearning gets a practical privacy upgrade Machine learning models are everywhere now, from chatbots to credit scoring tools, and they carry traces of the data they were trained on. When someone asks to have their personal data erased under laws like the GDPR, their data also needs to be wiped from the machine learning models that learned from it.
FAPI 2.0: How the OpenID Foundation is enabling scalable interoperability in global healthcare In this Help Net Security interview, Gail Hodges, Executive Director at the OpenID Foundation, discusses how the Foundation ensures global consistency in FAPI 2.0 implementations and helps different industries, including healthcare, adopt secure and interoperable identity standards.
Most cybersecurity risk comes from just 10% of employees A new report from Living Security and the Cyentia Institute sheds light on the real human element behind cybersecurity threats, and it’s not what most organizations expect.
Inorganic DNA: How nanoparticles could be the future of anti-counterfeiting tech For decades, manufacturers and security professionals have been playing a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with counterfeiters. From holograms and QR codes to RFID tags and serial numbers, the industry’s toolkit has evolved, but so have the threats. Now, Italian startup Particular Materials is taking a radically different approach: tagging physical goods at the molecular level using engineered nanomaterials.
Ransomware drops, but don’t relax yet WatchGuard has released its latest Internet Security Report, covering malware, network, and endpoint threats spotted by its Threat Lab in the first quarter of 2025.
Stop settling for check-the-box cybersecurity policies After every breach, people ask: How did this happen if there were cybersecurity policies in place? The truth is, just having them doesn’t stop attacks. They only work if people know them and follow them when it matters.
AsyncRAT evolves as ESET tracks its most popular malware forks AsyncRAT is an open-source remote access trojan that first appeared on GitHub in 2019. It includes a range of typical RAT capabilities, such as keylogging, screen capture, credential theft, and more.
Real-world numbers for estimating security audit costs Each step in the audit process costs an organization time and money. In some cases, an organization can easily understand the direct costs, like how much an organization needs to pay the audit firm.
Falco: Open-source cloud-native runtime security tool for Linux Falco is an open-source runtime security tool for Linux systems, built for cloud-native environments.
pqcscan: Open-source post-quantum cryptography scanner pqcscan is an open-source tool that lets users scan SSH and TLS servers to see which Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms they claim to support.
Tired of gaps in your security? These open-source tools can help In this article, we’ll take a look at some popular open-source tools that help with everything from log management to network and host monitoring, and even incident response.
Cybersecurity jobs available right now: July 15, 2025 We’ve scoured the market to bring you a selection of roles that span various skill levels within the cybersecurity field. Check out this weekly selection of cybersecurity jobs available right now.
Review: Passwork 7.0, self-hosted password manager for business Passwork recently launched version 7.0 of its self-hosted password manager, designed for everything from small teams to large enterprises. As an on-premises solution, Passwork runs on your own server, giving your team the ability to create, edit, and share passwords while admins monitor activity and control access to locally stored, sensitive data.
Product showcase: Enzoic for Active Directory Enzoic for Active Directory is an easy-to-install plugin that integrates with Microsoft Active Directory (AD) to set, monitor, and remediate unsafe passwords and credentials.
Bitdefender PHASR: Proactive hardening demo overview Discover how Bitdefender PHASR enables organizations to identify and remediate security misconfigurations before attackers can exploit them.
New infosec products of the week: July 18, 2025 Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past week, featuring releases from At-Bay, Immersive, NETSCOUT, Socure, and Stellar Cyber.
In an explosive interview with India Today’s Geeta Mohan, former Pakistan Army officer and whistleblower Major (Retd) Adil Raja has accused the Pakistani military establishment, particularly the ISI, of weaponising the UK’s libel laws to silence dissent abroad. Raja, now living in exile in London, faces a high-stakes defamation trial starting on 21 July 2025, a case he describes as a “strategic lawsuit against public participation” (SLAPP) designed to undermine his journalism and intimidate critics of the Pakistani state.
The trial pits Raja against serving Pakistani military officer Brigadier Rashid Nasir, who claims defamation after Raja publicly accused him of political and judicial manipulation — allegations Raja insists are supported by evidence and widely shared in Pakistan. Cleared of terrorism charges by UK authorities following a 9-month enquiry in 2023, Raja states this civil lawsuit is the ISI’s new tactic in what he calls “lawfare”, the use of legal systems abroad to export censorship.
The former officer recounted shocking reprisals against his family in Pakistan, including his mother’s purported house arrest and passport cancellation, and the acid attack on a key witness, Shahzad Akbar, in the UK. Raja warns that a ruling against him could set a dangerous global precedent, emboldening authoritarian regimes to silence exiled journalists through foreign courts.
“This isn’t just my fight,” he said, “it’s about press freedom everywhere.”
Q: What happens when a man in Pakistan wants to speak truth to power? What happens when a man has to leave that country and live in exile? What happens when he has to leave his services and then follow what he thinks is right for Pakistan? Major Adil Raja is no longer in the army, but he has served in Pakistan and now lives in exile because he’s questioned the Pakistani army, and he continues to, now as a journalist in London, question what’s happening in Pakistan. And what does he get in return? He gets a defamation case. What is the case all about? Is this muzzling by the Pakistani ISI, and how is the Pakistani administration doing it today? To discuss all this and more, I’m being joined by Adil Raja himself. Thank you so much for doing this, Adil. It is a very tough one — you’ve had a tough few months, so to say. First, just break it down for us — what is this case that you’ve been fighting against the administration in London?
A: Well, you see, it’s not been a tough few months but tough few years, I would say. Because the defamation case started in August of 2022, and it is going to trial next week, starting Monday, the 21st of July, 2025. It is a strategic lawsuit against public participation — it is part of the lawfare launched against me by the Pakistani military establishment and its intelligence arm, the ISI, with whom I was once working, as a third-generation Pakistan Army officer. And this lawfare is making use of the UK’s relaxed libel laws, which favour the claimant — and that’s why the UK, and London in particular, is called the libel tourism capital of the world. And that’s not me or you saying it — that’s Geoffrey Robertson, the King’s Counsel, in his book Lawfare: How the Rich and the Government Try to Prevent Free Speech. He writes this, and it is a well-established fact that lawfare in the UK is launched by the rich and powerful. If you’ve got one to three million British pounds to spare, you can silence anyone in the UK — and that is why it’s called the libel tourism capital of the world. For the details, you’ll have to read the book Lawfare by Geoffrey Robertson — I’ve just quoted him. But I’ll give you a brief background: before this libel case, the Pakistani state — only because I was a whistleblower, exposing crimes against humanity in my country — targeted me. I was committing the cardinal sin: being a former army officer, a third-generation Pakistani army man, exposing the crimes of my institution — the regime change operations, controlling the government, political manipulation, judicial manipulation, and corruption. That is a cardinal sin. Because of that, they got me arrested here in the UK by the counterterrorism police, saying that—
Q: When were you arrested?
A: I was arrested in 2023 by the UK’s counterterrorism police for a few hours, but I was kept on bail for nine months. The Pakistani media reported it — it was the Pakistani state that got me arrested under the counterterrorism laws, saying my journalism was inciting violence in Pakistan. But the UK’s counterterrorism police conducted an inquiry for nine months and cleared me of all the charges. They didn’t even charge me — they cleared me of all allegations. But that didn’t stop my previous institution, which I served as a third-generation officer, they deciding to court-martial me in 2020.
Q: Charges — what were the specific charges?
A: The counterterrorism charges were that I was inciting violence abroad — they showed a few tweets and a livestream on YouTube. Because of this, they got my channels on YouTube terminated. They said the livestream was about five hours, which I did with Pakistan’s leading dissenting journalists — Dr. Moeed Pirzada, Shaheen Sahbai (who’s a witness in my case), Colonel Syed Akbar Hussain (another witness in my case), Wajahat S. Khan, Haider Mehdi — we were reporting on the events of May 9th, 2023, which were already public on social media. But they said that was incitement of violence, and reported it to the UK police.
Q: But you’ve been cleared.
A: Cleared — after nine months, they could find nothing. They had to end the case with no further action. But they still went ahead and court-martialed me in absentia, sentenced me to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment under the Official Secrets Act.
Q: Back to Pakistan — your homeland.
A: Yeah, my home, where my mother is, who got abducted by them and is kept hostage in Pakistan, so I don’t go and see her. She’s practically under house arrest — her passports have been cancelled. She was abducted on her way to the airport once, alongside my uncle, who has passed away — he was a retired colonel. Now she’s not allowed to leave. My entire family’s passports have been blocked and cancelled — their nationalities too — just because I’m speaking up for the truth and the people of Pakistan. Then they came up with this SLAPP — strategic lawsuit against public participation — and started serving me notices. This is just one of the files — I have entire stacks of such files. They started this lawfare against me because they’ve got money to spare, influence — definitely they have influence in the UK. But they haven’t been able to get me under counterterrorism, so now they’re trying their luck in the courts in the UK, since the UK is the libel tourism capital of the world — as King’s Counsel Geoffrey Robertson says.
Q: Coming back to your family, is there any provision in Pakistani laws that family members’ passports can be rescinded, revoked, taken away, so that they can be kept in the country, not allowed to leave at all?
A: What law are you talking about, Geeta? There’s no law in Pakistan — except martial law. Once the army chief decides something, he’ll do it. He decided his buddy — my brother-in-law — should torture my sister, send her back home and snatch her son — they did it. I’m sorry for getting emotional — I’ve never—
Q: I understand — I know, I know it must be very difficult.
A: But they’ve done it, nobody can stop them. Might is right; that’s the rule of law in Pakistan. Pakistan is an authoritarian state, Amnesty International reports, and Human Rights Watch says partially free. I say it’s not free at all. If you can fly in and out, fine, but if you stay shut. You try to speak up, you end up in jail like Imran Khan. The military rules military doesn’t have a public mandate. So they create chaos if Imran Khan, who had the public mandate, tried to build bridges with India, the military created chaos instead. They plan attacks so that chaos keeps people distracted jingoism keeps people distracted from the real issues.
Q: How is the UK administration allowing this? How did the Pakistani High Commission take this forward to ensure there’s a defamation case against a dissenter living in London? Many advocates of media freedom say this trial could set a very wrong precedent.
A: Very pertinent. As far as the UK government is concerned, they cleared me after nine months. They kept me on strict bail, but my excellent legal team and my rights helped they drop the case. So justice did prevail, the UK establishment does believe in fair play, and wants to protect dissidents. But when it comes to lawfare, anyone with millions of pounds can come to the UK and exploit its libel laws. The burden of proof is on the defendant, not the claimant. That’s how the ISI is taking me to court here: the ISI’s senior officer — Brigadier Rashid Nasir, the Punjab sector commander — came to the UK while serving in 2022, claiming I defamed him by saying he’s involved in political manipulation, judicial manipulation, which even kids in Pakistan know.
Q: So he has to come to London every hearing?
A: Yes — he’s in London now, goes to court. But I don’t go because the UK police gave a witness statement that I’m under threat, so I appear via remote link.
Q: Is this a civil case, Adil, or a Pakistani crackdown on foreign soil?
A: It’s technically a civil case, but it’s a Pakistani crackdown on foreign soil. The National Union of Journalists here passed a motion saying I’m facing a SLAPP. They said this case represents a significant threat to press freedom and journalistic integrity — SLAPPs are designed to silence journalists through costly legal action. They resolved to fully support me, circulate my press release, encourage media coverage, and invite me to share details. They know what’s going on. The UK works on case law — if I lose, it’ll set a precedent for muzzling dissent globally. That’s why many British journalists are shifting to France — because the EU passed anti-SLAPP laws in 2024. My witnesses — Pakistan’s senior journalists like Shaheen Sahbai, Colonel Syed Akbar Hussain, Shahzad Akbar — their families are being threatened. Their social accounts hacked — propaganda campaigns run. The ISI is using all its power to silence this. They just don’t want any coverage, because it exposes their soft belly.
Q: How confident are you that the ruling will be in your favour? Or are you worried about what the ISI could influence in a London court?
A: It’s delicate — 50-50. There’s no jury — it’s all up to the judge. Why would a judge rule the ISI rigs elections? But everything I’ve said is proven. Still, considering UK-Pakistan relations, they may not go there. The harm claimed is absurd — I spoke the truth in public interest. It’s delicate, the ISI is spending millions, hiring top legal chambers — the same one Keir Starmer worked at. So it’s a big machine.
Q: Other than Brigadier Rashid Nasir, who do you blame in Pakistan?
A: The Army Chief, General Asim Munir, is directly involved. The DG ISI, Lieutenant General Asim Malik, is also directly involved. They know their chances aren’t bright, so they keep it low-key and muzzle coverage. The English media in Pakistan is controlled dependent on state advertising, so they only print what the establishment wants.
Q: Adil, you’ve been brave. But are you scared? The threat is real — we’ve seen leaders lose their lives. Benazir Bhutto is an example. Imran Khan says the same.
A: I’m not scared, but yes, I’m careful. There’s a thin line between foolishness and bravery. My family is scared that my pensions, assets, bank balances, and property are all gone. I live at a police-protected address, I’m in hiding, can’t move freely. One of my witnesses, Shahzad Akbar, suffered an acid attack at his home here in the UK. So yes, the threat is real, but I have to fight. I was groomed as a soldier. I took an oath to the people, not the generals. Pakistanis want democracy, their mandate respected, that’s what I’m fighting for.
Q: How do you see political stability coming? Imran Khan’s sons, Reham Khan’s new party — what do you make of this?
A: Imran Khan’s sons aren’t interested in politics, only in getting relief for their father. Reham Khan’s party I don’t take it seriously, maybe it’ll survive if the military supports it. The real plan is bigger, creating chaos, attacking India, using war jingoism to justify an emergency and more control. The plan is allegedly by the Army Chief, Asim Munir, putting his brother-in-law as PM, himself or another general as president, a Musharraf-style accountability push to claim they cleaned up Pakistan. That’s the plan; whether they succeed depends on whether they can provoke war.
Q: Final question, God forbid, if there’s an attempt on your life, who would you blame?
A: The Pakistani military establishment. The Army Chief Asim Munir. The DG ISI, Asim Malik. Major General Faisal Nasir. Brigadier Rashid Nasir. They are behind the threats, the same people threatening my witnesses. The only reason they haven’t got to me is because I’m careful, trained, and protected by British police. But yes, this fight is high stakes. I read Faslon ko Takalluf as a kid. My nation is my life. I’ll fight for it. Peace is the only way forward — peace can make South Asia the richest region again, like before colonisation.
In a historic gesture of recognition, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has announced a cash award of Rs 8.2 million for the victorious Pakistan Under-16 Volleyball Team, which recently clinched the championship title in a thrilling final against Iran.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, each player of the 12-member squad will receive Rs 600,000 as a reward for their remarkable performance and bringing glory to the nation.
The PSB spokesperson noted that according to policy, gold medallists in continental team events are entitled to 30% of the team prize as an individual share.
The coaching staff will also be rewarded, with 50% of the team cash award reserved for them, ensuring they receive their well-deserved recognition. Under this policy, the head coach will be granted Rs 1 million.
The PSB confirmed that the Rs 8.2 million total prize, encompassing both players and coaching staff, will be disbursed within the next few days.
Pakistan’s young volleyball stars remained undefeated throughout the tournament, capping their journey with a nail-biting 3-2 victory over Iran in the final—a performance hailed as a milestone in the country’s youth sports achievements.
The triumph has not only brought pride to the nation but also highlighted the rising standard of volleyball in Pakistan’s youth ranks.
In a significant political development, 25 lawmakers elected on reserved seats for women and minorities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly took their oaths at a ceremony held at the Governor House Peshawar on Sunday.
The swearing-in was administered by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, following a directive from the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that authorised him to conduct the ceremony after repeated disruptions in the provincial assembly stalled the constitutional process.
The governor administered the oath under Articles 65 and 255(2) of the Constitution and Rule 6 of the KP Assembly’s Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988. The ceremony marked the end of a prolonged standoff that could further delay the upcoming Senate elections.
Seven women members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven women members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), four members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took oath against reserved seats for women in the KP Assembly, Radio Pakistan reported.
Khadija Sardar and Shahida Waheed of Awami National party (ANP) and Nadia Sher also took oath against seats reserved for women.
PHC bars elected MPAs on reserved seats from taking oath
In his address, Governor Kundi congratulated the newly sworn-in members and thanked the PHC chief justice for issuing the notification authorising him to carry out the oath-taking process. He called the court’s intervention vital for protecting constitutional rights and democratic functioning.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by prominent figures including Federal Minister for SAFFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam, and Leader of the Opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr. Ibadullah, along with other members of opposition parties.
Court steps in after PTI hinders swearing-in
The oath-taking took place after the PHC designated Governor Kundi to oversee the process, stepping in after a petition was filed by opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), following multiple failed attempts to convene a valid KP Assembly session.
Earlier on Sunday (today), the assembly session, scheduled for 9:00 a.m., began nearly two and a half hours late, was adjourned due to a lack of quorum, triggered by PTI MPA Sher Ali Afridi. KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced that the quorum was not complete and adjourned the house until July 24, upon which the opposition protested and chanted slogans.
Opposition parties accused PTI of deliberately manipulating the quorum to block the oath-taking and prevent their participation in the upcoming Senate polls, a move widely criticised as anti-democratic.
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính gives instructions at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang
HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has requested ministries and enterprises to further promote the development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to effectively serve the political system and reach this year’s growth target of between 8.3 and 8.5 per cent.
He made the request while chairing the conference of the Government’s Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation to review the work in the first six months and deploy tasks for the remainder of the year, which was organised on Sunday morning.
The PM acknowledged and commended the efforts and achievements of ministries and localities, the Steering Committee’s drastic direction, the consensus, support and active participation of people and businesses, and their important contributions to the breakthrough development of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, contributing to the overall results of the country’s socio-economic development.
But, the PM said, the results were still far from meeting the requirements, and urged ministries and enterprises to be faster and bolder, with higher determination and greater efforts, taking people as the centre, creating a foundation for double-digit growth in the following years.
Assessing the results achieved in recent times, the PM said that science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and digital economy had developed strongly.
Mobile internet speed has increased sharply, entering the top 20 in the world. The National Data Centre project has been vigorously conducted. Tax management and electronic invoices have been effectively used, with more than 109,000 enterprises registering to use 2.1 billion electronic invoices.
The export value of digital products is estimated at US$78.1 billion, up 20.5 per cent over the same period. The credit package of VNĐ500 trillion ($19.1 billion) for science and technology has been actively carried out.
E-commerce has grown strongly by about 22-25 per cent.
Many utilities serving economic and social development are being deployed widely, with nearly 100 platforms and applications.
Pushing up solutions
PM Chính pointed out shortcomings that need to be resolutely overcome, such as many tasks in the plans are behind schedule and have not had clear changes; the database is not correct, sufficient, connected, interconnected and smooth; mechanisms and policies to enhance science, technology, innovation and digital transformation have not been completed to keep up with practical requirements; detailed guidance documents are issued slowly; digital infrastructure development is not commensurate with the potential and economic growth rate.
Besides, human resources are limited, and cyber and information security in many places have not received due attention, he added, pointing out that online fraud, cyber attacks and personal information leaks can be complicated.
Analysing the causes of both achievements and shortcomings, the PM said that breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation would create golden opportunities to promote economic restructuring, market restructuring, production, exports and improve labour productivity as well as national competitiveness.
Science and technology, he said, must strongly innovate leadership, management and working style in a professional and modern direction.
PM Chính requested heads of ministries and localities to prioritise timely and adequate allocation of resources to complete tasks early, ensuring progress and quality.
Noting that science, technology and innovation is an important and key driving force of the economy, he assigned ministries and enterprises to develop strategic technology products, set up plans to rearrange science and technology organisations; deploy and exploit national key research centres and laboratories, at the same time have projects to promote talents.
PM Chính directed the establishment of an interdisciplinary task force to support enterprises in searching for, negotiating and acquiring foreign technology companies with important intellectual property to promote ownership of core technology.
They will develop criteria, management regulations, working regimes and policies to attract human resources, talents in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation domestically and abroad, including special remuneration policies to attract at least 100 leading experts to work in the country.
Ensuring funding and workforce
PM Chính assigned relevant ministries and sectors to compile a detailed plan to deploy 116 national databases associated with population data, electronic identification and authentication; ensure that data is correct, sufficient and interconnected, along with building a smart urban project in six centrally-run cities, and proposing solutions to achieve a digital economy scale of 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of this year.
He asked for early completion of 40 out of 61 utilities on the VNeID platform to serve socio-economic development and social management, and simplify 324 administrative procedures.
The PM requested ministries and localities to propose tasks and projects on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation with specific and feasible goals, as well as improve digital transformation capacity for public employees and the people. — VNS
You now have just ten days before Microsoft starts deleting your passwords. Do not leave it too late and be sure to save your data. But before you do, there’s a new warning that might change your mind on what to do next.
First, as to what’s behind Microsoft’s new deletions. The company is on a mission to delete passwords for more than a billion users as the “password era is ending.” As part of that, it has already stoped autofilling passwords from its Authenticator app and in August those passwords will be deleted from its systems.
While Microsoft’s Authenticator will still continue to store passkeys, users are urged to use Edge instead as a password manager, and data will automatically move across. But Proton has now warned that “the direction is clear: core features are being consolidated inside a single ecosystem, with fewer options for users.”
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“This isn’t just about passwords,” Proton says, “it’s about control. When switching becomes harder, choice disappears.” The security firm has published a new blogpost in which it warns “Microsoft is pushing users deeper into its walled garden.”
Microsoft confirms that “from August 2025, your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator.” It has added a “Turn on Edge” button in Authenticator, and says “your saved passwords (but not your generated password history) and addresses are securely synced to your Microsoft account, and you can continue to access them and enjoy seamless autofill functionality with Microsoft Edge.”
According to Proton, “this means if you want to keep using Microsoft’s password management features, you’ll need to step further into Microsoft’s walled garden and submit to Edge’s data collection. And while this might look like a technical update, it reflects the inescapable logic of walled gardens: It’s a clear shift toward its own ecosystem that restricts choice under the guise of convenience or security.”
As for Authenticator itself. Proton says it “was a simple, dedicated tool that allowed users to store and autofill logins across platforms. Like most Microsoft products, Authenticator collected data, but wasn’t equipped to track across the internet.”
“You no longer decide how your information is handled or where it’s stored. That decision gets made for you,” Proton suggests. “Microsoft appears to be imitating Google’s playbook with Chrome(new window). It can now tie your accounts to your browsing history and track you much more effectively.”
There is a conflict here. Deleting passwords and replacing them with passkeys is the right answer. Passwords are not secure — even with two-factor authentication (2FA). But Proton says “behind the careful phrasing is a simple truth — features that once worked anywhere now only work wherever Microsoft wants you to be.”
This isn’t just about Microsoft, it’s “a broader pattern in Big Tech. Apple’s passkeys sync exclusively through iCloud. Google continues to tie identity and login services to its entire ecosystem. And now, Microsoft, after attempting to build its own walled gardens with Windows 365 and OpenAI, is limiting password management to Edge.”
So is this a genuine concern — that “gradually choice erodes, and systems that once worked broadly start to work best only when you’re locked inside one company’s walled garden.” To an extent, of course it is. That’s why Apple’s and Google’s walled gardens are under regulatory pressure in the U.S. and Europe. “Once you’re in the walled garden, these companies move swiftly to monetize you at every opportunity.”
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But the undeniable truth is that users are more secure within a walled garden ecosystem that makes it difficult if not impossible for attackers to break into a trusted device. That’s Apple’s longstanding mantra and others are catching up fast. Even Samsung is now doing the same with Knox Matrix. Passkeys are one element — the linkage of security to hardware clearly steers towards control by hardware and OS developers.
In the short term, you need to use what’s available and add passkeys to all your key accounts. You should also delete passwords which continue to provide access to your accounts. But you should also keep Proton’s warning in mind. This is about balance.
