War fails to cripple Iran’s nuclear capability

WASHINGTON: US intelligence assessments indicate that the time Iran would need to build a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, when analysts estimated that a US-Israeli attack had pushed back the timeline to up to a year, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The assessments of Tehran’s nuclear program remain broadly…

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Shooting reported near White House complex

. HAMILTON: The US Secret Service confirmed Monday that its personnel are responding to an officer-involved shooting near the White House complex in Washington, DC. “US Secret Service personnel are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, DC,” said the Secret Service in a post on US…

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Ukraine and Russia declare separate truces

. MOSCOW/KYIV: Russia on Monday declared a unilateral ceasefire with Ukraine between May 8-9, when Moscow marks its annual World War II Victory Day commemorations, and threatened a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine violated it. Ukraine responded by declaring a truce of its own between May 5-6, saying it was “not serious” to…

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22 Iranian crew repatriated via Pakistan

US releases MV Touska crew as confidence-building measure; Pakistan facilitates transfer to Iran Crew members of an Iranian container vessel M/V Touska stand with their belongings after they were evacuated and handed over to Iranian authorities at the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing near Gwadar. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday facilitated the transfer of 22 Iranian…

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FCC disagrees with SC’s wedlock policy verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has taken exception to a recent Supreme Court judgment that directed all state departments to strictly comply with the Wedlock Policy to address difficulties faced by married government employees. In a 2-page judgment, FCC Justice Aamer Farooq noted that the court could not agree with a judgement authored by…

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Truce hangs by a thread as Hormuz heats up

• Iran, US exchange fire amid push to reopen Strait • Two oil tankers and UAE’s oil facility in Fujairah hit • US Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran. PHOTO: REUTERS DUBAI/WASHINGTON: An open confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday severely imperilled a fragile ceasefire in Gulf region, as…

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10 found dead as Karachi sizzles

KARACHI: At least 10 people, including a worshipper, were found dead across multiple areas of Karachi in incidents that authorities say may be linked to extreme heat and suspected drug overdoses, though the exact causes of death in several cases remain unconfirmed. Rescue officials reported that four of the victims were discovered in a deteriorating…

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IMF seeks removal of SWF powers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has given a commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to strip the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) of its legal powers to directly sell assets of state?owned enterprises (SOEs) to foreign nations and to retain revenues or take loans. According to these assurances, Pakistan will not make the SWF operational until parliament approves…

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AI revives Moliere in bold stage experiment

French scholars blend technology and theatre to imagine a lost play in the playwright’s signature satirical voice PARIS: In an ambitious fusion of art and technology, French scholars, researchers and artists have turned to artificial intelligence to recreate what they believe could be a lost play by Moliere, the towering figure of French comedy who…

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