Rooma News: 🌍 World A 7.4 earthquake hit Colombia killing 100+. Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery killing 13. Netanyahu rejected Trump's Gaza peace plan. Iran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz unless the U.S. meets its demands. Floods in India's Assam killed ~100. 🇵🇰 Pakistan Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye signed a joint defence pact in Makkah — described as defensive and peaceful. Security forces killed 15 militants in Balochistan. AJK elections faced boycotts. New high-court judges were approved after delays. ✍️ Editorial Pakistan's new defence pact is a positive step, but good governance at home — fixing floods, security, and economy — matters more than foreign alliances.

 

Islamabad Edition

Established for Rooma Mehmood

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

RN

Rooma News

Clarity · Depth · Truth — From Islamabad to the World

Vol. I · No. 1

✦ BREAKING: Earthquake · Colombia ✦ Pakistan–Saudi–Türkiye Pact ✦ Gaza Diplomacy Stalls ✦

Price: Priceless

Breaking

Disaster

Earthquake Devastates

Western Colombia;

Death Toll Passes 100

Rooma News World Desk | Aug 11, 2026

Apowerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake tore through Colombia's Chocó Department and surrounding areas on Monday, leaving a trail of collapsed buildings, overwhelmed rescue teams, and a death toll that climbed above 100 as night fell. Dozens more remain trapped beneath the rubble, with early estimates of the injured running into the hundreds.

Emergency responders from across the country were mobilised, while international aid organisations signalled readiness to deploy. The quake struck at a shallow depth, amplifying surface damage across remote communities where access by road proved difficult.

"Rescue operations continue around the clock as authorities race against time to find survivors."

Hospitals in nearby cities were placed on emergency footing, with field hospitals being established closer to the epicentre. The government declared a national disaster, unlocking emergency funding and military logistics support.

War

Russia–Ukraine

Ukrainian Drone Strike Hits Russian Tatarstan Refinery, Killing 13

World Desk | Aug 11, 2026

A Ukrainian long-range drone attack reached deep into Russia's Tatarstan region, striking the Nizhnekamsk oil refinery and surrounding industrial area. At least 13 people were killed, including a child, with dozens more injured in what analysts described as one of the most deadly strikes on Russian territory in recent years.

The attack underscored Ukraine's expanding capacity to target infrastructure far behind the front lines. Russian authorities confirmed the strike and initiated emergency response operations; industrial facilities in the area were evacuated.

Middle East

Netanyahu Rejects Trump's 15-Point Gaza Peace Plan

World Desk | Aug 11, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected a peace framework put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, centred on Hamas disarmament linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu insisted any deal must begin with full Hamas disarmament—a condition Hamas has consistently refused.

The public rupture between close partners sent a chill through diplomatic circles, with hopes for a ceasefire receding even as civilian conditions inside Gaza continued to worsen.

Also Today

Iran

Strait of Hormuz: Iran Ties Reopening to U.S. Concessions

Tehran continued to link any new Hormuz shipping arrangements to demands for American reparations, rattling oil markets. Washington described current talks as limited and cautious, with no breakthrough imminent.

India

Assam Floods Kill ~100, Displace Thousands

Severe monsoon flooding across India's Assam state has killed nearly 100 people and forced the displacement of tens of thousands. Relief camps were overwhelmed as rivers burst their banks across multiple districts.

Islamabad Today

August 11, 2026

First Edition · Morning Print

Pakistan & Region

Defence

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia & Türkiye Formalise Makkah Defence Pact

Islamabad Desk | Aug 11, 2026

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar joined their Saudi and Turkish counterparts in formalising the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, describing it as purely defensive, open to additional members—including Egypt—and not directed against any state.

Officials framed the pact as a natural extension of existing ties rather than a new alignment, though it drew immediate attention amid heightened regional tensions stretching from Gaza to the Strait of Hormuz.

Security

Security Forces Kill 15 Militants in Balochistan Operations

Bureau Report | Aug 11, 2026

Intelligence-based operations across Balochistan resulted in the killing of at least 15 militants, security officials confirmed. Separately, a commander of the proscribed "Fitna al-Hindustan" group was eliminated in a targeted operation.

Curfews were imposed in parts of the province as clearance operations continued. Authorities said the operations were ongoing and further intelligence-sharing with provincial police was underway.

Domestic

AJK Elections Continue Amid Boycott Calls; New Judges Approved

Islamabad Bureau | Aug 11, 2026

Azad Jammu & Kashmir elections progressed through additional phases despite calls for boycott linked to PTI and JAAC-aligned groups, as well as earlier postponements in some constituencies. Several individuals were placed on the Fourth Schedule over alleged militant affiliations.

On the judicial front, President Asif Ali Zardari approved a fresh batch of high-court judge appointments recommended by the Judicial Commission, ending a politically charged delay that had prompted legal challenges.

World Briefs

Colombia

Magnitude-7.4 quake in Chocó; over 100 dead, rescue operations ongoing across multiple collapsed districts.

Russia

Drone strike on Nizhnekamsk kills 13 including a child; one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil this year.

Gaza

Netanyahu rejects Trump's 15-point ceasefire proposal; insists on full Hamas disarmament as precondition.

India

Assam floods kill ~100; tens of thousands displaced as river levels remain critically high across the region.

Editorial

E

Rooma News

Editorial Board

Seeking Stability in a Fractured Region

The Board | August 11, 2026

The Makkah defence understanding between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye arrives at a moment when the Middle East and adjacent regions feel unusually brittle. Ukrainian drones reach deep into Russia, a major earthquake devastates Colombia, Gaza diplomacy stalls amid public disagreements between close partners, and the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint. In such an environment, any new security arrangement invites scrutiny—and rightly so.

Pakistan's leadership has been careful to stress that the pact is defensive in character, rooted in existing friendships, and open rather than exclusive. Collective defence among Muslim-majority states is not inherently provocative; history shows that power vacuums and unilateralism often produce worse outcomes.

Yet caution is warranted. New pacts succeed only when they reduce, rather than multiply, the incentives for escalation. They must be accompanied by active diplomacy, clear communication to neighbours, and a domestic focus on the issues that truly determine national strength: economic revival, internal security, institutional credibility, and the welfare of ordinary citizens.

Terrorist violence in Balochistan, the unfinished business of AJK politics, judicial delays, and the lingering human cost of floods remind us that external alignments cannot substitute for competent governance at home. Defensive cooperation, wisely managed, can serve peace. Misjudged posturing will not.

Rooma News · Founded by Rooma Mehmood · Islamabad, Pakistan · First Edition, August 11, 2026

All content compiled for editorial purposes. Reporting based on verified international and domestic sources.