Wildfires rage across southern France

A French Civil Security’s aircraft flies over the area as firefighters work to contain a wildfire in Pouzols-Minervois near Narbonne, France. Photo: REUTERS LANCON, FRANCE: Firefighters battled several wind-driven wildfires across southern France on Thursday as the country grappled with parched conditions left by Europe’s recent heatwave, with more than 1,200 hectares burned in a…

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WhatsApp admins not liable for every post

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) held on Thursday that merely creating or administering a WhatsApp group did not make a person criminally liable for every message posted by its members, while mere membership of a group, passive receipt of content or failure to leave it also did not constitute a criminal offence. Justice Tariq…

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PM lauds FBR’s record tax haul

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif poses for a group photograph with a delegation of FBR officers in Islamabad. PHOTO: APP ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded senior officers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for surpassing the historic revenue collection target of Rs12.957 trillion during the last fiscal year, and described the achievement…

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Islamabad may host next Iran-US talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday reported what it described as “positive progress” in indirect talks held in Doha between Iran and the US, signaling Islamabad could be the venue for future rounds of negotiations. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, during his weekly news briefing, said Pakistan and Qatar had held separate meetings with the Iranian and…

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PTI announces AJK election boycott

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday announced that it will not participate in the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections under the prevailing circumstances. The party said the decision was not a political strategy but a principled expression of solidarity with the people of Kashmir amid the ongoing unrest. The decision…

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Spain power into World Cup last 16

INGLEWOOD: Spain coasted past Austria and into the World Cup last-16 on Thursday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header. The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defense in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars…

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PTA warns of intermittent internet issues after SMW5 cable fault

Regulator says some users may experience intermittent degradation in internet quality and connectivity The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Thursday that it was monitoring disruption to internet traffic caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system, warning that some users may experience intermittent degradation in internet services. In a…

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Politics steals spotlight at prison reform moot

Maryam, Afridi recount separate jail ordeals Four provinces back reform plan Supreme Court adopts Islamabad Decl Four provincial chief ministers sign Islamabad Declaration on Prison Reform in Islamabad. PHOTO: PPI ISLAMABAD: A conference intended to put Pakistan’s prison system under the microscope instead saw politics take centre stage on Thursday, as the chief ministers of…

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Girls’ school blown up, bridge targeted in twin attacks in K-P’s Bannu

Blast damages a girls’ school while security forces defuse explosives planted beneath a bridge Unidentified saboteurs carried out two major acts of terrorism in different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday night, targeting a Government Girls Middle School and a vital link bridge. However, timely action by security forces and the Bomb Disposal Unit prevented…

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