Category: English

An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern Strait of Hormuz while attempting to leave the strategic waterway, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday. The explosion hit the vessel’s engine room as it attempted to navigate what Tehran considers an unauthorised southern route, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing an IRGC Navy statement. According to the statement, the tanker had switched off its positioning and navigation systems from the beginning of its voyage and violated maritime regulations governing passage through…

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World leaders, diplomats and nature experts gather in Armenia this week to assess lagging efforts to halt biodiversity loss, with ​countries off track on most global targets and divisions over funding still unresolved. The 17th UN “Conference of the Parties”, dubbed COP17, is ‌the first major review of progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the landmark 2022 agreement that aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. The climate-focused COP31 begins on November 9 in Antalya, Turkey. While the world is likely to reach an estimated 27.5%…

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to draw the United States into another war with Iran to avoid imprisonment, warning Washington against renewed military action. “Netanyahu is driving America into another war to stay out of jail,” Araghchi wrote on X on Sunday, accusing the Israeli premier of disregarding the consequences for Israel and US President Donald Trump. “Last time you wanted to ‘finish the job,’ Iran emerged even stronger. Want to try your luck again? Be our guest. But be careful;…

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit next month with US ​President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an ‌end to the four-year-old Ukraine conflict that would favour Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions. The proposed summit comes amid warming ties between Trump and Putin, especially after the US President announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and signed an order on Friday waiving key sanctions on Moscow. Citing ⁠a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter,…

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At least four India-backed terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Jattakabad area of District Kalat in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Monday. Separately, a security officer was martyred in an IED attack during operations in Gwadar. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces are conducting operations in the general areas of Shadi Kaur, Tehsil Pasni, District Gwadar, and Jattakabad, District Kalat, after receiving intelligence reports about the presence of multiple hideouts of Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Hindustan. In the first incident, on…

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Egypt is ready to provide Saudi Arabia with the support it needs to defend ​its security and stability, the presidency said on Sunday, as Yemen’s ‌Houthis intensify their attacks on the world’s largest oil exporter. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested an urgent parliament session to authorise the military, one of the Arab world’s largest, to ​help defend Saudi Arabia if the kingdom requested its support. A parliamentary ​vote had been expected on authorising the request for military support ⁠on Sunday, but discussions were due to continue on Monday, two…

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US President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu as the longtime Israeli prime minister ​struggles for an edge in next week’s parliamentary election. Trump praised Netanyahu as a “great ‌warrior prime minister” and peace partner, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February. The conflict, in its seventh month, has disrupted energy markets globally and wreaked havoc across ​the Middle East, damaging critical infrastructure and destabilising regional economies. “Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, ​Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous…

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US diplomats visited a Christian Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday following attacks by militant Israeli settlers on European diplomats and an American photojournalist in the ​previous two days. Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, ‌Brian Burch, US ambassador to the Holy See, and a number of other diplomats visited the Latin Convent church and were expected to meet with members of the Christian community in Taybeh. Belgian, French and Polish diplomats, along with a ​French mayor and Palestinian civilians, had…

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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday said the opposition could help end the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by supporting the federal government’s efforts against terrorism. Addressing a gathering at the Martyrs’ Memorial in Karachi on Sunday to mark the 19th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy, Bilawal said non-functional KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was unwilling to confront terrorism. Whereas, he said, his party was ready to fight terrorists and also warned that the security situation may deteriorate further in the province. “If the opposition stands with…

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Five suspected interprovincial human smugglers were arrested in a joint operation by Pakistan Rangers Sindh and District West police in Karachi’s Surjani Town, officials said on Sunday. According to a Rangers spokesperson, the suspects were allegedly transporting illegal Afghan nationals to Karachi and charging up to Rs200,000 per family for the service. The arrested men were identified as Abdul Aziz Brohi, Muhammad Bakhsh Dashti, Ali Hassan Brohi, Nadeem Brohi and Jameel Brohi. They were reportedly transporting two Afghan nationals, identified as Yar Muhammad and Rasool Khan, to the city. Security…

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