COLOMBO: Flash floods, mudslides and falling trees have killed at least 14 people in Sri Lanka as the island nation is battered by monsoon storms, the country’s disaster centre said on Sunday. Some drowned, including three members of the same family swept away near the capital Colombo on Sunday. Others were buried alive in mudslides, including an 11-year-old girl and …

SINGAPORE: China will not allow any country or force to create war or chaos in the Asia-Pacific, its defence minister said on Sunday, warning that there were “limits” to Beijing’s restraint on the South China Sea and over the deployment of ballistic missiles in the region. In a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, AFP quoted Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun as …

JERUSALEM: An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Tel Aviv had accepted a framework deal, advanced by US President Joe Biden to wind down the war, even as Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip on Sunday. With 60 deaths among Palestinians over the past 24 hours, the death toll climbed to 36,439, the health ministry in Gaza said. A statement …

India saw nearly 25,000 cases of suspected heat stroke and 56 people lost their lives after several heat wave days across the country from March-May, local media reported, citing government data. May has been a particularly bad month for the region, with temperature in capital Delhi and nearby state of Rajasthan touching 50 degrees Celsius. In a contrast, parts of …

Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico’s first woman president by a landslide Sunday, making history in a country plagued by rampant criminal and gender-based violence. Crowds of flag-waving supporters sang and danced to mariachi music in Mexico City’s main square celebrating the ruling party candidate’s victory. “I want to thank millions of Mexican women and men who decided to vote for …

GILGIT: The first-ever Gilgit-Baltistan Youth Policy 2024, recently approved by the cabinet, is aimed at employment generation, youth empowerment and prevention of suicide tendencies in the region. The policy has been prepared according to local dynamics, challenges faced by local youth to ensure equitable access to public resources, addressing disparities related to gender, geography, socio-economic status, and disabilities among youth, …

RAWALPINDI: Firefighters controlled fires that broke out in the forests of Kahuta and Kotli Sattian after hours-long efforts on Sunday. According to emergency services Rescue 1122 officials, bushfire broke out at different points in the jungle of Baigar Sharif of Kahuta at about 2:30pm and another erupted in a forest in Guzara tehsil of Kotli Sattian at about 3:30pm. According …

ISLAMABAD: Marking the highest optimism in last two years, 18pc Pakistanis believe that the country is heading in the right direction. It said males were twofold more optimistic than females. However, economic problems continued to top the list of worrying issues for Pakistanis. These were the crux of the “Consumer confidence index survey” conducted by a market research company, Ipsos, …

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allotted as many as 551 agro farms for paltry sums a few decades ago to make Islamabad self-sufficient in fresh and dairy produce, but instead of contributing towards their original purpose, a majority of these farms have been converted into luxury houses, right under the nose of the civic agency. The practice also …

MUZAFFARGARH: JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the powerful establishment for interfering in politics over the weekend, saying that parliament should have the people’s representatives, and not those of any other agency. Since the February 8 general elections, the JUI-F emir, who is otherwise known for his ability to keep friends and foes alike on an even keel, has been critical of …