تازہ ترین

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    Zelensky says Russia deploying North Korean missil…

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used North Korean missiles in overnight strikes on Zaporizhzhia that killed at least six people and injured 19 others, as both sides continued exchanging attacks across the front line. In a video address Monday evening, Zelensky said Russia has reached a point where it “cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea” for the first time. He warned that continued use of North Korean missiles and troops inside Ukraine and across Europe allows Pyongyang to identify and fix weaknesses in its weapons systems, calling this a growing danger that extends beyond the immediate conflict. Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov shared images of burning vehicles and damaged buildings, saying Russian forces struck the city with missiles and guided bombs. He said the attack damaged industrial sites, infrastructure and non residential buildings across the city, in addition to causing casualties. The strikes followed a separate wave of Ukrainian drone attacks that killed at least 13 people, including a child, in Russia’s republic of Tatarstan, located more than 1,100 kilometers, or roughly 680 miles, from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the strikes hit the city’s Tanevo oil refinery, and verified social media footage showed large plumes of smoke and daytime flames at the site as air raid sirens sounded nearby. Officials said at least 75 people were injured in that attack, which ranks among the deadliest single strikes on Russian territory since the full scale invasion began in 2022. Uzbekistan’s consulate in Tatarstan said seven of those killed held Uzbek citizenship. In Kyiv, air raid sirens sounded twice overnight and explosions struck the outskirts of the capital, sparking fires and injuring one person. A strike also damaged a hospital in the city, though officials said staff and patients had already moved to shelter. Separate strikes on power substations in Kherson and Kharkiv caused outages in both cities. In Sumy, a Russian drone strike injured two women, aged 52 and 66, according to Sergiy Kryvosheenko, head of the Sumy City Military Administration. He said both were treated at the scene and that the strike also damaged civilian vehicles, warehouse buildings and other infrastructure. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 120 drones overnight along with a mix of missile types, though for the first time authorities did not disclose how many missiles were fired or intercepted. The omission followed a statement from Ukraine’s Air Force on Monday asking media outlets to avoid sensationalized coverage or pessimistic framing regarding the country’s shortage of air defence interceptors. Ukraine also struck Russian territory overnight, hitting warehouses belonging to online retailer Wildberries in the Voronezh region in southern Russia. Wildberries, often described as Russia’s answer to Amazon, has faced repeated attacks on its facilities in recent weeks. The company has not confirmed the latest strike but said it evacuated facilities in the border region as a precaution. In July, Ukrainian drone strikes on several Wildberries warehouses disrupted operations for a large number of small and medium sized Russian businesses. Kyiv said at the time that it was targeting logistics hubs Russian buyers used to acquire military equipment, part of a broader effort to disrupt supply lines feeding the Russian military. In his Monday address, Zelensky also praised a separate strike on a Russian petrochemical plant in western Siberia, calling it a significant achievement for Ukraine’s military. He pledged additional long range Ukrainian strikes intended to convince Russia and the Russian public that peace remains necessary. This is not the first time Zelensky has raised alarm over North Korean military support for Russia. He said over the weekend that as many as 50,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to fight alongside Russian forces, part of a growing pattern of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang that Ukrainian officials say is reshaping the battlefield and raising broader security concerns well beyond the immediate conflict.

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    Demi Lovato gets nostalgic as ‘Camp Rock 3’ nears release

    Demi Lovato is taking a nostalgic trip back to where her career first began. Her tribute comes just days before “Camp Rock 3” premieres on August 13. The 33-year-old singer and actress famously played Mitchie in both “Camp Rock” and its sequel, “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.” On August 10, she took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post about the franchise. Lovato shared a mix of movie stills and behind-the-scenes photos from her time on the original films. She captioned the post simply, expressing that Mitchie will always hold a special place in her heart. Fans quickly flooded the comments section, sharing their own emotional reactions to the throwback. Many expressed how much the character and franchise meant to them growing up. One user wrote that Mitchie Torres would always remain a beloved character to them. Another said “Camp Rock” holds an irreplaceable spot in their heart, while a third called the photo a perfect snapshot of their childhood. This nostalgic post follows Lovato’s earlier confirmation that she will officially be reprising her role as Mitchie in the upcoming third film. She made the announcement on X, sharing a personal photo alongside the caption. In her message, Lovato playfully asked fans if they’d missed her, signing off in character as Mitchie herself. The announcement generated immediate excitement among longtime fans of the franchise. Her return marks a major milestone, arriving 18 years after the original “Camp Rock” first introduced her to audiences back in 2008. That film played a key role in launching her career as both an actress and singer. Lovato will not be returning alone either. She’ll be joined once again by the Jonas Brothers, who are reprising their roles as the band Connect 3. Joe Jonas returns as Shane Gray, Nick Jonas as Nate Gray, and Kevin Jonas as Jason Gray. Beyond acting, the brothers are also serving as executive producers on the new film, adding another layer of involvement to the long-awaited reunion.

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    Aleema Khan predicts PTI supporters may take stree…

    Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has said that people may take to the streets before September 27 as political developments continue to unfold. Speaking to the media along with Imran Khan’s sisters at the Factory Check Post near Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Aleema said the situation was changing rapidly. She said she believed people could come out before the September 27 date. She also claimed that she had heard the date of a planned protest had been changed to August 14. Aleema also raised concerns about reports regarding Imran Khan’s health. She said various reports were circulating about his condition but the family had not been provided with sufficient information. She questioned reports suggesting that Imran Khan had a blood pressure problem. Aleema said no one in their family had such an issue and questioned how a double dose of medication could have been administered to someone who did not suffer from the condition. She said the family had never discussed politics after meeting Imran Khan. Aleema added that they agreed with remarks by Sohail Afridi that family members should be allowed to meet him without turning the meetings into political discussions. According to Aleema, Imran Khan is their brother and his message is important to the family. She said mentioning the name of a government official should not automatically be considered political activity. Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi also said that political matters should not be attached to the family’s meetings with him. She said the family would avoid naming officials during such meetings. Aleema said a three-member bench of the high court had already issued a decision regarding meetings with Imran Khan. She questioned why the family should submit a request to the jail superintendent when a court order was already in place. She also described PTI as a democratic political party. She said disagreements and differences within a political party were normal and should not necessarily be viewed as a major crisis. Family raises concerns over Imran Khan’s health Noreen Niazi said the September 27 date remained in place, while a separate call had been given for a gathering at D-Chowk on August 14. Aleema said she had no information about the alleged audio recording involving PTI leader Salman Akram Raja and Mashal Yousafzai. She said the decision to give a protest call was the responsibility of the party and that the party had issued the call. Aleema said the family had only one major demand regarding Imran Khan’s health. She called for him to be shifted to a hospital and treated by his personal doctor. Another sister, Uzma Khan, said the family was unable to confirm or deny reports about Imran Khan’s health because they did not have sufficient information about his condition.

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    Report details Trump’s covert aircraft switc…

    President Donald Trump quietly switched planes while departing a NATO summit in Turkey last month as part of an elaborate security maneuver designed to counter a possible Iranian threat, according to a US media report. The report said Trump boarded Air Force One in full public view before being discreetly transferred to a separate military aircraft with the help of a catering truck used to shield the movement from onlookers. Journalists and some White House staff traveling with the delegation reportedly had no idea at the time that Trump had already been moved off the plane. Officials said security teams had identified a credible Iranian threat involving a possible missile strike against the aircraft. During the Ankara summit, Trump had described Iran as the country’s top target. According to the report, Trump had traveled to Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 previously donated by Qatar, but chose to depart on the older Air Force One instead, saying at the time it was “for old time’s sake.” Footage released on July 9 showed Trump boarding the presidential aircraft at Ankara airport before being secretly transferred to a smaller C-32A military jet, a modified Boeing 757 typically used to transport the vice president. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A through a separate exterior entrance as part of the effort to keep the flight’s appearance routine. Journalists and staff who boarded Air Force One were told to lower their window shades during the departure. While in the air, Trump spoke with reporters on board and acknowledged concerns about threats from Iran, though he made no mention of the earlier switch between aircraft. Explaining why passengers had been asked to keep their windows lowered during the flight from Turkey, Trump said the flight carried added risk “because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.” A previous report had already raised questions about security risks tied to the Qatari donated jet, noting that the Secret Service had urged Trump to change planes during his return from the NATO summit. The United States has spent months upgrading the $400 million Boeing 747-8 to bring it up to presidential standards, while older Air Force One aircraft carry laser based countermeasures designed to disrupt the guidance systems of incoming missiles.

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    Japanese influencer dies by suicide amid online trolling

    A Japanese influencer living in South Korea reportedly died by suicide during a TikTok livestream, following intense online trolling and criticism. According to international media reports, Mina-chan was found dead at her residence in Seoul on August 5 after viewers alerted police during a livestream. Yongsan Police responded to the report and found her body at the scene. Mina-chan was a popular TikTok creator and a fan of K-pop group ENHYPEN. She had around 80,000 followers on the platform. Her younger sister later confirmed her death through a post on Instagram. Reports said Mina-chan had faced criticism on social media after an incident at an ENHYPEN concert in the United States last month. During the event, she reportedly asked the group’s member Sunoo to pass flowers she had brought to another Japanese member, Ni-ki. Following the incident, some fans accused her of crossing boundaries with the group members. She subsequently became the target of criticism and online trolling. On July 31, Mina-chan posted a lengthy apology on X. She said she believed she had taken advantage of Sunoo’s kindness and expressed regret over her actions. She also said that after attending several fan-sign events, she had mistakenly developed the impression that she was particularly close to the members of the group. Despite issuing an apology, reports said the online criticism and abusive comments against her continued.

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    China leans on AI forecasting tools as Typhoon Dol…

    China has ramped up investment in artificial intelligence powered weather forecasting as the country works to track a rising number of natural disasters and predict extreme weather events such as powerful typhoons, intense rainfall and prolonged heatwaves tied to climate change. The country has positioned itself as a leading force in data driven meteorology, increasingly running AI systems alongside traditional forecasting methods rather than replacing them outright. As meteorologists monitored Typhoon Dolphin’s approach toward China in recent days, a newer generation of AI weather models operated in parallel with conventional forecasting systems, underscoring China’s expanding role in the broader push to improve storm prediction. Unlike standard numerical weather models, which depend on powerful supercomputers to simulate the physics of the atmosphere, AI based systems instead learn from decades of historical weather data. That approach lets them generate forecasts within seconds or minutes while using only a small fraction of the computing power traditional methods require. According to a state affiliated newspaper, some of China’s most prominent AI forecasting tools include Fengwu, built by the Shanghai AI Laboratory, Huawei’s Pangu Weather system, and Fuxi, developed at Fudan University. These models are increasingly being put through real world testing during East Asia’s intense typhoon season, a period when even modest improvements in tracking a storm’s path can help authorities plan flood responses, coordinate evacuations and manage disruptions to transportation networks. Fengwu in particular has shown strong results in predicting storm trajectories, with researchers noting that AI based systems can produce forecasts far faster than conventional models while matching or, in some cases, surpassing them on certain accuracy measures. The rapid progress in AI driven weather forecasting has sparked growing competition among technology firms, research institutions and national meteorological agencies worldwide, with China establishing itself as one of the sector’s most active players. Even so, meteorologists caution that AI tools currently serve as a complement to physics based forecasting rather than a full replacement. These systems still struggle to accurately capture sudden shifts in storm intensity, and they remain largely untested when it comes to long term climate modeling. As a result, traditional forecasting methods are expected to remain a core part of weather prediction for the foreseeable future, even as AI tools continue to mature and take on a larger role alongside them. The push toward AI assisted forecasting fits into a broader global trend, as governments and research institutions increasingly explore machine learning as a tool for anticipating the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather linked to a changing climate.

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    Israeli raids, settlement plans deepen West Bank t…

    RAMALLAH: Tensions across the occupied West Bank intensified on Monday as Israeli forces reportedly destroyed water pipelines, detained Palestinians and ordered families to leave their homes ahead of a planned demolition. While a new settlement plan near Jerusalem raised fresh concerns over the expansion of Israeli settlements. The latest developments have added to growing pressure on Palestinian communities already facing restrictions on movement, damage to agricultural land and disruptions to basic services. Palestinian human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh said Israeli forces destroyed water pipelines in the Atouf and Ras al-Ahmar areas of Tubas governorate. The areas, located in the northern Jordan Valley, have experienced repeated military operations in recent months. According to Daraghmeh, agricultural land has been cleared, water networks damaged and artesian wells filled in, causing significant losses for farmers who depend on the land and water supplies for their livelihoods. The destruction of water infrastructure has particular significance in the Jordan Valley, where Palestinian farming communities rely heavily on limited water resources. Brothers detained during raid In another operation in the northern Jordan Valley, Israeli forces detained two Palestinian brothers in the Ein al-Hilweh area, according to local sources cited by Anadolu. Meanwhile, Israeli troops raided the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus, and ordered residents to leave several homes ahead of the planned demolition of a house belonging to Palestinian Farouq Ramadan. Ramadan was killed on July 24 during an attack in the village, according to Palestinian sources. They said he had disarmed and killed one of the attackers before being shot dead. Three other members of his family were also killed and four Palestinians were injured during the incident, the sources said. Near Ramallah, agricultural land east of Jaljaliya village was also set on fire, Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported. Palestinian civil defence crews later brought the blaze under control. Village council head Osama Nazmi said an Israeli outpost had been established in the area about a year ago and that Palestinian homes belonging to residents from nearby Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya had subsequently been seized. New settlement plan raises alarm At the same time, Palestinian officials said Israel had advanced plans for a new settlement containing approximately 650 housing units south of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said Israel’s District Planning and Building Committee had deposited the plan for the proposed “Nofei Rachel” settlement. The project would cover approximately 27 dunams, or 6.7 acres, near Palestinian homes, according to the governorate. Palestinian authorities warned that the consequences would extend beyond the construction of the housing units, arguing that the development could affect Palestinian movement, urban growth and the ability of local communities to expand. They described the plan as part of a broader Israeli policy of expanding settlements and restricting Palestinian development. Israeli rights organisation Ir Amim separately said Israel had advanced three major settlement projects involving more than 3,400 housing units in East Jerusalem in recent weeks. The developments have renewed international concerns about settlement expansion. The United Nations and most countries regard Israeli settlements established in territory occupied since 1967 as illegal under international law. Critics say continued settlement construction threatens the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. West Bank caught in wider conflict The latest events come as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to reverberate across the region. According to figures cited by Palestinian authorities, violence in the West Bank has intensified alongside the wider war that began after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The situation has also drawn attention to the issue of Palestinian remains held by Israel. Report: Israel holds 1,700 Palestinian bodies Israel is holding the remains of around 1,700 Palestinians for possible use in future exchanges, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, citing two unnamed sources familiar with recent discussions within Israel’s security establishment. According to the report, Shin Bet chief David Zini supports retaining the bodies in case Israeli citizens are captured or disappear in the future. The Israeli military is also reportedly supportive of the position. Haaretz reported that most of the remains are believed to belong to Palestinians from Gaza who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel or subsequent fighting. However, the newspaper also reported that some of the bodies belong to Palestinians who were not involved in combat. The issue has raised legal questions inside Israel. Legal experts cited by Haaretz questioned whether authorities have the power to retain the remains of Palestinians who have not been proven to have taken part in fighting. The Palestinian National Campaign for the Retrieval of Martyrs’ Bodies and Disclosure of the Fate of the Missing said in October 2025 that Israel was holding around 1,500 bodies of Palestinians from Gaza at the Sde Teiman military facility in southern Israel. A crisis extending beyond borders The developments in the West Bank are unfolding against the backdrop of the devastating Gaza conflict. Palestinian health authorities say tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and injured since October 2023, while much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed or severely damaged. The reported destruction of water pipelines in the West Bank, the proposed settlement expansion and the continued disputes over Palestinian remains highlight how the conflict affects not only major political centres but also ordinary families, farmers and communities. For Palestinians living in areas such as Tubas, Nablus and the outskirts of Jerusalem, the immediate concerns are often deeply personal: access to water, the safety of their homes, the ability to farm their land and the uncertainty of what another military raid may bring. As settlement plans move forward and military operations continue, hopes for a reduction in tensions remain overshadowed by developments that are reshaping the landscape of the occupied West Bank.

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    Colombia’s death toll from earthquake climbs…

    Rescue crews continue combing through collapsed buildings across western Colombia after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the region on Monday, August 10, with officials confirming the death toll has risen to at least 164 people. Authorities said more than 880 people have sustained injuries, while over 3,200 remain unaccounted for as soldiers, emergency responders and local volunteers work through debris from dozens of collapsed structures. Thousands of residents have been forced from their homes since the quake struck, adding to the scale of the humanitarian response now underway. The earthquake flattened multi story buildings in cities including Pereira and Cali, and severely damaged one of the towers of a historic cathedral in Manizales. The tremor originated at an intermediate depth with its epicenter located near San José del Palmar in the western department of Chocó, causing widespread destruction across Pereira, Cali, Manizales and other communities in Colombia’s coffee growing region. Residential buildings, hospitals, schools and key infrastructure, including several regional airports, all suffered severe damage in the quake. At one city hospital, several upper floors, including sections dedicated to pediatric care, collapsed inward, trapping some patients inside and forcing hospital staff to treat roughly 600 additional patients outdoors on a street littered with debris, according to hospital director Irne Torres Castro, who spoke to a Colombian television network. That same city saw some of the earthquake’s most extensive destruction, with entire residential blocks reduced to piles of concrete and twisted metal. Video circulating online captured buildings shaking violently as residents fled into the streets, while separate footage showed a regional airport swaying dramatically during the quake as large sections of ceiling came down around people sheltering inside. Among the most widely shared images online is footage showing the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary shaking and partially collapsing. The cathedral, built in the 1920s, holds the distinction of being Colombia’s tallest cathedral and ranks among the highest neo Gothic churches anywhere in the Americas. The disaster struck just days after Abelardo De La Espriella was sworn in as Colombia’s president, immediately confronting his new administration with a major crisis. The earthquake also comes with memories still fresh of a pair of devastating earthquakes that struck neighboring Venezuela in June. Colombia’s national government has declared a state of emergency and mobilized the military, police and specialized rescue units to lead recovery operations, while accepting offers of international assistance as the search for survivors continues. The disaster adds to a string of major seismic events across the region in recent months, underscoring the ongoing vulnerability of Andean nations to powerful earthquakes and the strain such disasters place on emergency infrastructure even in areas with established disaster response systems.

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    Pakistan shooters bag 13 medals at British Open

    LONDON: Pakistan’s national shooting team delivered an impressive performance at the F-Class British Open 2026, winning 13 medals, including seven gold medals. The team was led by Lieutenant General Ahsan Gulrez. Pakistan competed with a relatively small contingent compared with several other participating countries but still produced strong results. The F-Class British Open was held from August 3 to 8 in Bisley, United Kingdom. Around 185 elite shooters from 24 countries took part in the prestigious international competition. Pakistan participated with a 12-member shooting team. Despite the limited size of the contingent, Pakistani shooters produced notable results in both individual and aggregate events. The team secured a total of 13 medals. These included seven gold, two silver and four bronze medals. The performance highlighted the consistency and competitive ability of Pakistani shooters against some of the world’s experienced F-Class rifle competitors. The British Open was also considered an important preparation event for the 7th F-Class World Championship. The world championship is being held in Bisley from August 10 to 16. Following their strong showing at the British Open, Pakistani shooters are now competing at the world championship. They are facing some of the leading teams and top shooters from around the world. Officials associated with the team said the results at the British Open demonstrated Pakistan’s growing strength in long-range competitive rifle shooting. They said Pakistani shooters have shown that they can compete successfully at the highest international level. The national team, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Ahsan Gulrez, will now aim to build on its medal-winning performance at the F-Class World Championship.

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    AJK orders re-polling at 23 stations in Bagh

    MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission has ordered re-polling at 23 polling stations in two constituencies of Bagh district following disruptions during the third phase of the AJK elections. Re-polling will take place on August 15. It will cover nine polling stations in LA-15 Bagh Central and 14 polling stations in LA-16 Bagh East. The decision was taken after voting at several polling stations either failed to start on time or was disrupted and later cancelled. The four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli went to the polls on August 10. Elections in other parts of Poonch Division had earlier been delayed because of law and order concerns. In LA-15, PPP candidate Sardar Ziaul Qamar was leading according to unofficial results. He had secured 16,637 votes. PML-N candidate Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas was in second place with 15,015 votes. Jamaat-i-Islami candidate Brigadier (retd) Dr Mohammad Khan had received 12,259 votes. The nine polling stations scheduled for re-polling have more than 5,000 registered voters. Their votes could have a significant impact on the final result. Former AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who contested the constituency on the PTI ticket in the 2021 election, appeared to have fallen out of contention. A close contest was also reported in LA-16 Bagh East. PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar was leading with 19,515 votes. PPP candidate Sardar Qamaruz Zaman had secured 16,290 votes. The 14 polling stations where re-polling has been ordered reportedly account for around 7,200 votes. Meanwhile, the Election Commission announced the preliminary result for LA-14 Dhirkot. Sajid Iqbal Abbasi of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu Party defeated Muslim Conference president Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan. Abbasi secured 40,522 votes, while Attique received 19,637 votes. The result marked a major setback for the Muslim Conference, which has historically been one of the region’s prominent political parties. The result of LA-17 Haveli also became controversial. PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz demanded a recount and alleged irregularities in election documents. Aziz claimed that Form-24 documents from different polling stations had been altered. Election officials began examining the complaint. Ballot papers and other election material were also reportedly moved under security to Muzaffarabad for further counting and verification. Aziz called on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to support a recount. He claimed that results signed by presiding officers showed him leading by around 8,600 votes. However, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, citing the Election Commission, reported that PPP candidate and AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore had won the LA-17 seat. The AJK elections are being held in three phases. The polls have taken place amid political tensions and law and order concerns in several parts of the region. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has so far secured 24 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party has won 10 constituencies, according to the available results. The first two phases also witnessed allegations of electoral irregularities, clashes and political disputes. Both major parties have traded accusations over the conduct of the elections. The third phase was originally planned across all 11 constituencies of Poonch Division. However, voting was allowed only in Bagh and Haveli because of security concerns.