Rooma News:State Bank holds rate at 11.5% AJK elections: PML-N leads with 9 seats Monsoon toll climbs above 100 Japan earthquake: 7.1 magnitude strikes Kumamoto US-Iran ceasefire holds — talks continue 7.1

 Est. 2026 · Islamabad, Pakistan

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 · Vol. I, No. 1

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Rooma News

Founded & Edited by Rooma Mehmood ·

Islamabad · World · Pakistan · Opinion

State Bank holds rate at 11.5%

AJK elections: PML-N leads with 9 seats

Monsoon toll climbs above 100

Japan earthquake: 7.1 magnitude strikes Kumamoto

US-Iran ceasefire holds — talks continue

7.1

Magnitude · Kumamoto Quake

107

Monsoon Deaths · Pakistan

11.5%

SBP Policy Rate · Unchanged

9–4

PML-N vs PPP · AJK Phase 1

World News

Breaking · Japan

Earth Shakes Kumamoto: Magnitude 7.1 Quake Rattles Kyushu

Tokyo — Tuesday, July 28, 2026 · 4:27 p.m. JST

Apowerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the JMA scale — 6.8 according to the United States Geological Survey — struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, shaking buildings, cutting power to tens of thousands of households and forcing authorities to issue a tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas.

The advisory was lifted within hours as no significant wave activity was detected. Rail services, including Shinkansen bullet-train operations in the region, were suspended as engineers inspected track damage. Nuclear facilities in the area reported no abnormalities.

The quake registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7 on Japan's scale in several localities — the same region devastated by a deadly earthquake sequence in 2016. Walls crumbled, roads cracked, and aftershocks continued through the evening, keeping residents on edge.

"Even the most advanced societies remain vulnerable to forces beyond human control — yet preparation is what saves lives."

— Rooma News Editorial Board

Emergency response teams were deployed across affected districts. Authorities urged residents in low-lying coastal zones to remain vigilant and to avoid damaged structures until structural assessments could be completed.

Diplomacy · Middle East

US-Iran Pause Holds — But Peace Remains Precarious

Washington / Tehran — July 28

A fragile lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran entered its third consecutive day on Tuesday, as mediators from Qatar and Pakistan worked to keep both parties at the table.

President Donald Trump said talks were going "very well" while simultaneously warning that military action could resume if diplomacy faltered. Iran mirrored the cautious tone, pledging restraint as long as Washington did the same.

Oil markets responded with relief, posting sharp price declines on the reduced threat to Strait of Hormuz traffic. Analysts, however, cautioned that underlying disputes — over Iran's nuclear programme and regional influence — remain entirely unresolved.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Trump in the coming days, a meeting that could complicate the delicate balance diplomats have spent weeks constructing.

Other Global Briefs

Ukraine

Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20 in overnight attacks.

Europe Wildfires

Severe fires raging across France and Spain have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

Australia

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan resigned; Ben Carroll was elected unopposed as the new Labor leader and Premier.

Iran

Authorities publicly executed two men convicted of violence linked to recent protest movements.

Pakistan

Disaster · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Monsoon Toll Passes 100 as Flood Warnings Mount

Peshawar / Islamabad — July 28

Pakistan's death toll from monsoon-related disasters has risen above 107 since late June, with the heaviest casualties recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where collapsing houses claimed most lives.

Federal and provincial authorities have been placed on high alert, with officials warning of conditions eerily similar to those that preceded the catastrophic 2022 floods — which submerged one third of the country and killed over 1,700 people.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an increase in strategic petroleum reserves this week and approved revisions to the oil refining policy, measures aimed at shoring up energy security against potential supply disruptions.

"Treat monsoon losses not as seasonal inevitability but as a governance challenge demanding sustained investment."

— Rooma News

Democracy · Azad Kashmir

PML-N Leads AJK Phase 1: 9 Seats to PPP's 4

Mirpur — July 28

Provisional results from the first phase of elections to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly — covering 13 constituencies across Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts — show PML-N winning nine seats against PPP's four, though official confirmation is still pending.

Polling was largely peaceful, though observers reported sporadic incidents of violence, allegations of vote-rigging, and one election-related death. Both major parties claimed procedural irregularities.

Election authorities said formal results would be announced once the counting and verification process was complete. Civil society groups called on all parties to honour the democratic process and to resolve disputes through legal channels rather than street protests.

Economy

SBP Holds Rate at 11.5%; Fuel Prices Adjusted

Karachi — July 28

The State Bank of Pakistan kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 11.5 per cent at its latest monetary policy committee meeting, signalling continued caution as inflation remains a concern even as growth pressures mount.

In a separate development, the government cut petrol prices by Rs 1 per litre while raising the price of diesel by approximately Rs 3.37 per litre — a divergence that reflects shifting subsidy priorities and refinery economics.

Diplomacy

Kuwait FM Arrives; Pakistan Backs Saudi Arabia

Kuwait's foreign minister arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for a two-day official visit. Pakistan also issued a formal condemnation of recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, reaffirming its commitment to the Kingdom's territorial integrity and security.

Pakistani mediators continue to play an active role in facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran, positioning the country as a key broker in the region's most volatile standoff.

Security Roundup

Security forces continue counter-militancy operations across multiple provinces. No major incidents reported in the past 24 hours.

Provincial governments have activated emergency monsoon response cells and pre-positioned relief supplies in at-risk districts.

Editorial

A Moment of Fragile Calm — Will Diplomacy Prevail?

By Rooma Mehmood · Editor, Rooma News · Islamabad

The world woke on July 28 to two stark reminders of nature's power and humanity's self-inflicted wounds. In Japan, the earth shook violently once again in Kumamoto — a region still haunted by memories of 2016. Buildings cracked, power grids failed, and a tsunami advisory briefly raised alarms. Japan's preparedness will almost certainly limit the human cost, yet the event is a sobering reminder that even the most advanced societies remain vulnerable to forces beyond their control.

Half a world away, a different kind of tremor — political and military — continues to unsettle the Middle East. The recent pause in US-Iran strikes offers a rare window of calm after weeks of escalation that threatened global energy supplies. Oil markets responded with relief, but the underlying issues remain unresolved. President Trump's optimism, paired with familiar threats of renewed military action, reflects the precarious nature of this lull.

Pakistan finds itself both affected by and engaged with these global currents. At home, monsoon rains have again exacted a heavy toll — over a hundred lives lost and persistent weaknesses in disaster infrastructure cruelly exposed. The first phase of Azad Kashmir elections unfolded with PML-N emerging ahead, though allegations of irregularities underline the need for transparent democratic processes. The common thread running through today's headlines is fragility. The opportunity of the current pause must not be squandered on rhetoric. Genuine diplomacy, mutual restraint, and a willingness to address root causes offer the only realistic path forward.