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Israel steps up Gaza bombardment ahead of White House talks on ceasefire

Palestinians in northern Gaza reported one of the worst nights of Israeli bombardment in weeks after the military issued mass evacuation orders on Monday, while Israeli officials were due in Washington for a new ceasefire push by the Trump administration. A day after US President Donald Trump urged an end to the 20-month-old conflict, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected at the White House for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran, and possible wider regional diplomatic deals. But on the ground in the Palestinian enclave, there was no sign of fighting letting up. “Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes,” said Salah, 60, a father of five children, from Gaza City. “In the news, we hear a ceasefire is near, on the ground, we see death, and we hear explosions.” Israeli tanks pushed into the eastern areas of the Zeitoun suburb in Gaza City and shelled several areas in the north, while aircraft bombed at least four schools a...
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Explosives sniffer dog ‘Deep’ retires after nearly a decade of loyal service with KP police

After years on the front lines of danger, a four-legged hero has taken his final bow. Deep, an 11-year-old British Labrador and one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police’s “most trusted” explosives sniffer dogs, retired last week after nearly a decade of sniffing out threats, saving lives, and earning the respect of his human colleagues. Trained in explosives detection, Deep was part of the KP Police’s elite K9 Unit, formed in 2014 to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts and support criminal investigations. Over the years, he worked alongside officers during high-stakes operations, security sweeps, and major public events, where his instincts often proved life-saving. During his nearly 10 years of service, Deep showed that he was more than just a service dog: he became a symbol of loyalty and bravery. To honour Deep’s outstanding contributions, the KP Police Special Branch K9 Unit held a modest but heartfelt retirement ceremony last Tuesday. The event was attended by unit officials and K9 h...

US must rule out more strikes before talks can resume: Iran

Diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran, its deputy foreign minister told the BBC late Sunday. Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster that the US had signalled it wants to return to the negotiating table, a week after it struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. “We have not agreed to any date, we have not agreed to the modality,” said Takht-Ravanchi. “Right now we are seeking an answer to this question. Are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?” The US needed to be “quite clear on this very important question”, he said. The two countries were in talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme when Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure earlier this month, with the US joining by bombing three nuclear sites — Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — on June 21. The deputy minister revealed to the BBC that the US had signalled it did “not want to e...

India plane crash probe looking at all angles: minister

An Indian aviation minister on Sunday said investigators were probing “all angles” behind the Air India crash earlier this month when asked by the media about possible sabotage. All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in the western city of Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground, but a police source told AFP after the crash that the toll was 38. India’s minister of state for civil aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said the investigation was looking at “all angles” when asked specifically about possible “sabotage”, in an interview with Indian news channel NDTV. “It has never happened before that both engines have shut off together,” Mohol said earlier in the interview, in reference to theories by some experts of possible dual-engine failure . The minister added that until the investigation report is published, it would be premature to comment on the cause. The team appointed to investiga...

President declares Justice Dogar senior-most IHC judge in revised seniority list

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared Justice Sarfaraz Dogar the “senior-most judge” of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), according to a fresh seniority list released by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The development followed the Supreme Court’s verdict on June 19, declaring the transfer of IHC judges constitutional and referring the matter of seniority determination to the president. Earlier this year, the law ministry’s transfer of three judges to the IHC had disrupted the seniority list. On Friday, however, five judges of the IHC challenged the SC’s decision to uphold the transfer of three judges — Justice Sardar Dogar from the Lahore High Court (LHC), Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro from the Sindh High Court (SHC), and Justice Muham­mad Asif from the Balochistan High Court (BHC). According to the latest seniority list, Justice Dogar was designated as the most senior judge of the IHC, while the two other judges, Justice Soomro and Justice Asif, were ranked 9th and 11th, ...

Immigrants scramble for clarity after US supreme court birthright ruling

The US Supreme Court’s ruling tied to birthright citizenship prompted confusion and phone calls to lawyers as people who could be affected tried to process a convoluted legal decision with major humanitarian implications. The court’s conservative majority on Friday granted President Donald Trump his request to curb federal judges’ power but did not decide the legality of his bid to restrict birthright citizenship. That outcome has raised more questions than answers about a right long understood to be guaranteed under the US Constitution: that anyone born in the United States is considered a citizen at birth, regardless of their parents’ citizenship or legal status. Lorena, a 24-year-old Colombian asylum seeker who lives in Houston and is due to give birth in September, pored over media reports on Friday morning. She was looking for details about how her baby might be affected, but said she was left confused and worried. “There are not many specifics,” said Lorena, who like others ...

France bans smoking on beaches, in parks and bus shelters

France will ban smoking on beaches and in parks, public gardens and bus shelters from Sunday, the government said. The decree, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, will also ban smoking outside libraries, swimming pools and schools, and is aimed at protecting children from passive smoking. The decree did not mention electronic cigarettes. Violators of the ban will face a fine of €135 (Rs44,849). “Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,” Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring “the right of children to breathe pure air”. Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban. Some 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France. According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people (62 per cent) favour a smoking ban in public places. from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/Yhb2C4m