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Showing posts from July, 2025

Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...

China congratulates Pakistan on remote sensing satellite launch

China has extended warm congratulations to Pakistan on the successful launch of its new remote sensing satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, reaffirming their close bilateral cooperation in science and technology. In a statement issued Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad commended Pakistan’s achievement following a tweet from Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who celebrated the milestone. "May this satellite further strengthen our iron brother’s capabilities in land resource survey and disaster prevention and alleviation," the embassy said in response. Warmly congratulate the successful launch of a new remote sensing satellite for Pakistan from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China! May this satellite further strengthen our iron brother’s capabilities in land resource survey and disaster prevention and alleviation. https://t.co/1N7VzOUJEI — Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) July 31, 2025 The launch is seen as a continuation of deepen...

M23 rebels kill 169 civilians in eastern Congo, says UN

An M23 rebel attack on farmers and other civilians in east Democratic Republic of Congo killed 169 people earlier this month, a UN body told Reuters, in what would be one of the deadliest incidents since the Rwanda-backed group's resurgence. M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters it would investigate but the report could be a "smear campaign". The UN rights body's account has not been previously reported and emerged as US President Donald Trump's administration pushes for peace between Congo and Rwanda that it hopes will unlock billions in mineral investments. Reuters has not been able to independently confirm the killings but a local activist cited witnesses as describing M23 combatants using guns and machetes to kill scores of civilians. The M23 and Congolese government have pledged to work towards peace by August 18 after the rebels this year seized more territory than ever before in fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more....

Sadhvi Pragya, six others acquitted in deadly 2008 Malegaon bombing

An Indian court on Thursday acquitted Hindu nationalist figure and former BJP lawmaker Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, along with six others, of charges related to a 2008 bombing near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, that killed six people and injured over 100. The accused had faced terrorism and criminal conspiracy charges over the blast, which was caused by a bomb planted on a motorcycle. The high-profile trial, involving allegations of right-wing extremism, stretched on for years before concluding with Thursday’s verdict. The prosecution claimed Thakur's motorbike was used to carry the explosives used in the attack, and that she took part in a key planning meeting before it was staged. However, Judge AK Lahoti ruled on Thursday that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence against Thakur and the six others. "Judgements cannot be based on morals and public perception," Lahoti said, according to Indian legal website Live Law. Defence lawyer Ranjit Nair said the judg...

No YouTube for under-16s as Australia broadens social media ban

Australia said on Wednesday it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge. The decision came after the internet regulator urged the government last month to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported harmful content on the site, the worst showing for a social media platform. "I'm calling time on it," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement highlighting that Australian children were being negatively affected by online platforms, and reminding social media of their social responsibility. "I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs." Also Read: Trump says US to impose 25% tariff on India from Aug 1 The decision broadens the ban set to take effect in December. YouTube says it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 1...

Trump says US to impose 25% tariff on India from Aug 1

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from India starting on August 1. Trump said India will also face an unspecified penalty on August 1, but he did elaborate on the amount or what it was for. "While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE - ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!" India's commerce ministry, which is leading the trade negotiations with the US, did not immediately respond to a request for the comment. Read More: Trump to India: Trade deal by Aug 1 ...

At least 16 Palestinians, including 13 aid seekers, killed in Israeli attacks

At least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza since dawn, including 13 aid seekers who were shot by Israeli forces near aid centres, according to medical sources. Israel has allowed 109 aid trucks into Gaza, but according to the Gaza media office, most of the supplies were looted amidst the escalating security chaos. Palestinians bring back aid parcels they managed to procure as they walk on a coastal path west of Beit Lahia on July 29, 2025, after aid trucks entered the Israel-besieged Gaza Strip from the northern Zikim border crossing. — AFP The office also reported that four out of six airdrops intended to deliver critical supplies fell into areas under Israeli military control or in neighbourhoods where civilians had already been ordered to evacuate. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children.         View this post on Instagram       ...

Trump to India: Trade deal by Aug 1 or face tariffs

US President Donald Trump said a trade deal with India has yet to be finalised and warned of possible higher tariffs ahead of an August 1 deadline to seal an agreement. His comments followed a Reuters report that India was preparing to accept higher tariffs of 20%-25% on its exports to the US in the absence of a trade deal, as it holds off on offering fresh concessions ahead of Friday's deadline. "India has been a good friend, but India has charged more tariffs, almost more than any other country," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, adding that it would come to an end. Asked about the Reuters report, Trump said a trade deal had not been finalised and India could face steeper tariffs. India plans to resume broader trade talks with the US in mid-August when a US delegation is due to visit, hoping to seal a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement by October, Indian officials said. "Talks are progressing well," an official said, adding Trump could...

Dar reaffirms Pakistan's support for independent Palestinian state

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for Palestine’s right to an independent state, emphasising the importance of the pre-1967 borders. Speaking at the United Nations High-Level International Conference on "The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution" in New York, Dar highlighted his nation's long-standing stance on the Palestinian issue. "For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have endured occupation, displacement, and the denial of their fundamental rights," said Dar, addressing the assembled diplomats and officials. Statement by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar* Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan *At the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution* (28 July 2025) *** Honourable… pic.twitter.com/TnSg7df9KV — Permanent Mission of Pa...

Despite legalisation, Morocco's black market cannabis trade still dominates

Beneath the blazing summer sun, Abderrahman Talbi surveyed the neat rows of flourishing cannabis blooms in compact fields, reflecting on how his life has changed since he joined Morocco's burgeoning legal cannabis industry two years ago. Like many farmers in the northern Rif mountains who have long grown the crop illegally, Talbi is relieved that raids and seizures by the authorities are no longer a worry. "I can now say I am a cannabis farmer without fear," Talbi told Reuters. "Peace of mind has no price." Abderrahman Talbi, a farmer, checks on cannabis plants at a field near the northern town of Bab Berred, Morocco July 11, 2025. REUTERS/Ahmed Eljechtimi Talbi's pivot to legal farming is an example of what Morocco, one of the world's biggest cannabis producers, hoped to achieve when it legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use, but not for recreational purposes, in 2022. Regulating cannabis farming brought with it hopes for fresh revenue and...

Extreme weather kills 30 in Beijing as year's rain falls in a week

Extreme weather killed at least 30 people in Beijing after a year's worth of rain fell in less than a week, forcing the relocation of more than 80,000 people, damaging roads and cutting off power and communications in more than 130 villages. Hundreds of flights and a number of train services were delayed or suspended as the storms peaked on Monday night, stretching the capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain "trap". Most of the rain had converged on Beijing's mountainous north near the Great Wall, with at least 28 deaths reported in the district of Miyun and two in Yanqing, Xinhua reported. The state-run news agency did not say when or how the deaths occurred. "The flood came in an instant, you just had no buffer," said Zhai, 33, who runs a grocery shop in Miyun, now a disaster zone amid collapsed bridges, mangled cars and shattered pipelines. She showed Reuters the marks left behind as the floodwater...

Muslim US lawmakers pledge to raise Gaza human rights abuses in Congress

A group of four Muslim members of the US Congress—Andre Carson, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Latifah Simon—along with non-Muslim lawmaker Summer Lee, pledged to bring the issue of grave human rights violations and the alleged genocide of unarmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza to the US Congressional Human Rights Commission. During a meeting at a local Oakland hotel with a delegation from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) over the weekend, the lawmakers assured they would push for formal congressional hearings on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and explore all possible avenues to facilitate the delivery of food and medical aid to besieged areas. The ICNA delegation, led by Dr Asim Asad, included members who traveled from across the United States—Florida, Dallas, Sacramento, and San Jose—to meet both individually and collectively with the lawmakers. The meeting was organised in coordination with the US American Muslim Political Action Committee, whose preside...

Thailand, Cambodia to enter unconditional ceasefire tonight

Thailand and Cambodia will enter into an unconditional ceasefire starting at midnight on Monday, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced. “Both Cambodia and Thailand reached a common understanding as follows: One, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from 24 hours local time, midnight on 28th July 2025, tonight,” Anwar said after mediation talks in Malaysia. Thailand and Cambodia began discussing a ceasefire in their festering border dispute on Monday, as the deadly skirmish dragged into a fifth day. More than 200,000 people fled the frontier as the two exchanged artillery, rockets and gunfire in the disputed area, which is home to a collection of ancient temples. A series of motorcades, including some sporting US and Chinese flags, arrived at Seri Perdana, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official residence, on Monday afternoon. A helicopter buzzed over the administrative capital as Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia’s ...

UNRWA official says Gaza aid not enough, calls for expanded access

Israel’s recent steps to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza are not sufficient to reverse severe shortages, Gaza acting director of UNRWA affairs Sam Rose said. Rose added that while “we very much welcome these initial steps to increase the flow of aid,” he said it is “not enough”. “First of all, you [Israel] limit the supply of aid coming in, or you completely block it. Second, you criticise the organisations whose job it is to provide that aid, the UN organisations — whose job, of course, is made far more difficult by the controls that Israel imposes,” he said. “And then the next stage of this is to frame humanitarian aid itself as part of the problem,” he continued. “And that’s the dynamic we’ve been facing over the past few weeks in which countless children have died of malnutrition.” “This has clearly been part of an approach of manufactured starvation over several months,” Rose told Al Jazeera. UNRWA welcomes statements of humanitarian pauses and announcements that restrictions on ...

Six killed in Bangkok market after gunman opens fire

At least six people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a market in Thailand's capital Bangkok on Monday, Thai police said in a statement. The fatalities include the gunman who took his own life, Charin Gopatta, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told Reuters. "Police are investigating the identity of the person and the motive for the incident," Thai police said in a statement. The five people killed by the gunman were security guards at the market, it said. No tourists were killed or injured in the shooting incident, said Sanong Saengmani, a police official in Bangkok's Bang Sue district, where the market that mainly sells agricultural produce is located. #BREAKING 🇹🇭Thai police reported that a shooting at a food market in Bangkok left six people dead. The gunman opened fire at the A.T.K. market and later died by suicide. The motive remains unclear. Police are investigating whether the incident is linked to recent tensions near… pic.twitter...

US, China to resume tariff talks in effort to extend truce

Senior US and Chinese negotiators meet in Stockholm on Monday to tackle longstanding economic disputes at the centre of the countries' trade war, aiming to extend a truce keeping sharply higher tariffs at bay. China is facing an August 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with President Donald Trump's administration, after Beijing and Washington reached a preliminary deal in June to end weeks of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs. Without an agreement, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from duties exceeding 100%. The Stockholm talks, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, take place a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Trump at his golf course in Scotland to try to clinch a deal that would likely see a 15% baseline tariff on most EU goods. Also Read: Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin Trade analysts on both sides of the Pa...

Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin

Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world. Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight. Military activity will stop from 10 am to 8 pm (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official source said. Read More: Gaza bound aid ship intercepted as Israel announces partial humanitarian pause The official said the air drops w...

Six killed, scores injured in Indian temple stampede

At least six people were crushed to death at a popular Hindu temple in northern India's Uttarakhand state on Sunday, officials said, after a massive crowd surge. The stampede occurred on the stairway leading to the Mansa Devi temple in the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges river, and left many injured. "Six dead and more than 10 injured are admitted to the hospital," senior city police official Parmendra Dobhal told AFP. प्रदेश सरकार मनसा देवी मंदिर मार्ग पर हुए हृदय विदारक हादसे के घायलों और मृतकों के परिजनों के साथ खड़ी है। हादसे की मजिस्ट्रियल जांच के निर्देश दे दिए गए हैं। pic.twitter.com/lejkYfQg2x — Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) July 27, 2025 Uttarkhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said relief and rescue operations were underway. "I am constantly in touch with the local administration regarding this matter and continuous monitoring of the situation is being done," he said in a statement. Also Read: Drone debris disrupts tr...

Drone debris disrupts trains, suspends flights in Volgograd

Falling debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones disrupted railway power supply and train operations in part of the Volgograd region, the administration of the region in Russia's south said on Sunday. There were no injuries as a result of the attacks, the administration said on the Telegram messaging app, citing Governor Andrei Bocharov. Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that its air defence units had destroyed nine Ukrainian drones over the region. In total Russia downed 99 drones overnight over 12 Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea, the ministry said. Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram that it had suspended flights soon after midnight at the airport in the city of Volgograd, the administrative centre of the Volgograd region. The flights had not resumed on Sunday morning. Because of the attack, trains were delayed in parts of the region, RIA state news agency reported. The extent of the damage inflicted by the Ukrain...

Thousands rally in Malaysia to call for PM Anwar's resignation

Thousands of people rallied in the Malaysian capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as public discontent grows over rising living costs and allegations of failing to deliver promised reforms. Protesters - mostly wearing black t-shirts and bandannas carrying the slogan "Turun Anwar", or "Step Down Anwar" - marched through the heart of Kuala Lumpur, before converging in the city's Independence Square to hear speeches by top opposition leaders. Police estimated at least 18,000 were in attendance. Anwar, who campaigned on a reformist platform before taking office in November 2022, has faced criticism over measures aimed at boosting government revenue, including an expanded sales and services tax and subsidy adjustments that some fear could lead to a spike in consumer prices. The premier this week announced a cash handout, increased aid for poor households and a pledge to lower fuel prices, in a bid to quell worries over rising...

White House seeks fines from Ivy League schools after Columbia deal

The White House is seeking fines from several universities it says failed to stop antisemitism on campus, including Harvard University, in exchange for restoring federal funding, a Trump administration official said on Friday. The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the source said, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration is close to striking deals with Northwestern and Brown and potentially Cornell. A deal with Harvard, the country's oldest and richest university, is a key target for the White House, the official added. Read: Trump slams Harvard as 'anti-Semitic far-left institution' amid funding battle A spokesperson for Cornell declined to comment. Other universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump and his team have undertaken a broad campaign to leverage federal funding to force change at US unive...

Australia, UK sign 50-year AUKUS deal on nuclear-powered submarines

Australia's government said on Saturday it signed a treaty with Britain to bolster cooperation over the next 50 years on the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership. The AUKUS pact, agreed upon by Australia, Britain and the US in 2021, aims to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the next decade to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. US President Donald Trump's administration announced a formal review of the pact this year. Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement that the bilateral treaty was signed with Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey on Saturday after a meeting in the city of Geelong, in Victoria state. "The Geelong Treaty will enable comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of our SSN-AUKUS submarines," the statement said. The treaty was a "commitment for the next 50 years of UK-Australian bilateral defence cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I", it said, ad...

At least 130,000 displaced as Thai-Cambodian clashes enter third day

Fighting on the Thai‑Cambodian border extended into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday as both sides sought diplomatic support, saying they had acted in self‑defence and calling on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations. At least 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. People rest inside a temporary shelter in Srisaket province, after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia's leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down, Thailand, July 26, 2025. Source: Reuters The Thai navy said there were clashes in the coastal province of Trat early on Saturday, a new front more than 100 km (60 miles) from other conflict points along the long‑contested border. The two countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldie...

Gunmen attack courthouse in Iran’s Baluchistan

An armed attack targeted a courthouse in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province on Saturday, according to Iranian media. The incident reportedly took place in Zahedan, the provincial capital, where gunmen stormed the judicial complex and opened fire, including in areas such as the judges’ chambers. Several people were injured, and relief and emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, Mehr News Agency reported. Read: Iran defends enrichment right Video from Zahedan where a group of gunmen attacked the judiciary building in the city and there are reports of casualties by Baluchi sources #Iran pic.twitter.com/vxOMoGYjEB — Fazel Hawramy (@FazelHawramy) July 26, 2025 After the gunfire erupted, security forces sealed off the area and encircled the courthouse. No further details have been released regarding the identities of the attackers or the condition of the injured.   from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/SNhoxOD

Thailand, Cambodia clashes intensify

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, killing at least 20 people and uprooting more than 138,000 villagers in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. Both sides have blamed each other for starting the conflict and on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric. Cambodia's prime minister said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down, while his Thai counterpart warned that clashes "could develop into war". Thailand accused Cambodia of deliberately attacking civilians and Cambodia condemned Thailand for using cluster munitions, controversial and widely condemned. Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said Cambodia had attacked on multiple fronts. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a social media post that he had agreed to a ceasefire proposed by his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the ASEAN regi...

European powers urge end to Gaza 'humanitarian catastrophe'

Britain, France and Germany on Friday urged an end to Gaza's "humanitarian catastrophe" as the UN food agency warned almost a third of people in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were not eating for days. Alarm has been mounting about the deepening crisis in Gaza, with aid groups saying that "mass starvation" is spreading after more than 21 months of conflict. In a joint statement, the leaders of the three European powers urged Israel "to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN" and NGOs to "take action against starvation". "The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay," they said. Also Read: Iran and Europeans hold 'frank' nuclear talks with UN sanctions looming "Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must uphold its obligations under internationa...

E3 envoys arrive in Istanbul for nuclear talks after June strikes

Delegations have arrived at Iran's Istanbul consulate on Friday morning for face-to-face talks between Iran and the so-called E3 group of France, Britain and Germany, Reuters witness said. Senior diplomats from the E3 group are set to hold talks with Iran's negotiating team for the first time since US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, aiming to gauge Tehran's appetite for a compromise to avert sanctions. Ahead of the talks, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran's position remained "firm and steadfast". "Our uranium enrichment will continue; we will not give up this right of the Iranian people," Araqchi said in a video carried by state media, adding that Friday's talks are "a continuation of previous discussions, and the world must understand that our position is clear and unchanged."   from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/jpiLg7H

Syria arms depot blasts kill 12, wounds more than 100: monitor

A series of explosions killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 at a weapons depot in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a monitor said. "Multiple blasts at a weapons and ammunition warehouse belonging to the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 in Maaret Misrin, in northern Idlib province," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Those killed included a woman and a child, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground. Also Read: International media organisations raise alarm as journalists in Gaza face starvation The TIP is a jihadist group active in the Idlib region made up of Uighur fighters who joined the Syrian civil war to fight against former president Bashar al-Assad. Syria's health ministry had reported four deaths and 116 wounded in the blasts, in a preliminary toll published by the official news agency SANA. Authorities did not immediately say what may have caused the...

Soviet-era passenger plane crashes in Russia's far east killing all 48 on board

An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying 48 people crashed in Russia's far east on Thursday as it was preparing to land, killing everyone on board in an incident that spotlighted the continued use of old, Soviet-era aircraft. The burning fuselage of the plane, which was made in 1976, was spotted by a search helicopter after it disappeared from radar screens. It had been attempting to land for a second time after failing to touch down on its first approach, the Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Operated by the privately owned Siberian regional airline Angara, it had been en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk near the Chinese border to Tynda, an important railway junction in the Amur region. It was carrying 42 passengers, including five children, and six crew. Also Read: Taliban committing 'rights violations' against Afghan returnees: UN The regional governor and federal investigators confirmed that everyone on board had been killed. Inve...

US to impose $250 visa fee for foreign nationals

The United States will soon require most foreign nationals applying for non-immigrant visas to pay a new “visa integrity fee” of at least $250, under a provision in the Trump administration’s newly passed domestic policy bill, according to a CNN report. The non-refundable upfront fee, which could be reimbursed only after visa holders prove compliance with immigration rules, is aimed at curbing overstays, strengthening border security, and funding enforcement efforts, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The new charge will apply to nearly all international visitors requiring a non-immigrant visa, including students, workers, and business travellers — but not tourists from Visa Waiver Programme countries such as the UK, Australia, or many EU nations. The policy’s rollout date remains unclear as DHS says the fee requires inter-agency coordination. The State Department confirmed it will publish details on its visa information page once implementation procedures are fina...

Pakistan, Bangladesh agree on visa-free entry for diplomats, officials

Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to grant visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, Radio Pakistan reported. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, in Dhaka on Wednesday. The two sides also discussed increasing cooperation in internal security, police training, anti-narcotics, and anti-human trafficking. In addition, they explored joint counter-terrorism measures and the possibility of exchange programmes between police academies of the two nations. ڈھاکہ۔وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کی بنگلہ دیش کے وزیر داخلہ لیفٹیننٹ جنرل(ر) جہانگیر عالم چودھری سے ملاقات وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کا وزارت داخلہ آمد پر بنگلہ دیشی ہم منصب نے پرتپاک خیرمقدم کیا وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کو گارڈ آف آنرز پیش کیا گیا pic.twitter.com/MAN9YLPV1K — Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) July 23, 2025 Upon his ar...

Starvation-related deaths in Gaza mount to 111

At least 10 Palestinians have died from forced starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza to 111, including at least 80 children, according to the territory’s health ministry. More than 100 international humanitarian organisations have issued an urgent appeal for governments to immediately open all land crossings into Gaza and restore access to essential supplies including food, clean water, medical aid, shelter materials and fuel. Almost 101 people died because of #starvation, including 80 children' Palestine Red Crescent Society Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh warns 'situation only getting worse' in #Gaza 'Unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe' pic.twitter.com/1aYeDKOMWt — PRCS (@PalestineRCS) July 22, 2025 The organisations, in a joint statement published by Wafa news agency on Wednesday, also called for a UN-led humanitarian mechanism and an immediate, lasting ceasefire. “Aid workers are now standing in food lines, ri...

TikTok removed nearly 25m Pakistani videos in early 2025

TikTok removed nearly 25 million videos in Pakistan during the first quarter of 2025, according to its Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which covers activity from January to March. According to the report, a total of 24,954,128 videos were taken down in Pakistan for violating the platform’s community guidelines. The proactive removal rate in the country remained exceptionally high at 99.4 percent, with 95.8 percent of the flagged videos removed within 24 hours of being posted. Globally, TikTok removed approximately 211 million videos during the same period, which accounts for about 0.9 percent of all content uploaded to the platform. Of those, over 184 million were detected and removed through automated systems, while more than 7.5 million were reinstated following a secondary review.The proactive removal rate stood at 99.0%, with 94.3% of the flagged content removed within 24 hours of posting. Read: Senate introduces bill to ban social media accounts for under 16s The ...