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Seven dead as rains, flash floods ravage Balochistan

• Embankment breach in Kachhi destroys over 100 houses; 400 acres of farmland submerged • Major roads, highways washed away; multiple internal roads blocked QUETTA / DERA MURAD JAMALI: Rains and flash floods have caused widespread devastation across Balochistan, leaving seven people dead, four injured, and hundr­e­­ds of homes, livestock, and crops destroyed, according to the Provincial Disa­ster Management Authority. The floods have severely affected districts, including Harnai, Kohlu, Turbat, Jaffarabad, Loralai, Kach­­hi, Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi, Dera Bugti, Sibi, and Bolan. The PDMA report indicated that an embankm­e­­nt breach in Balanari, Ka­­chhi, destroyed over 100 houses, killed more than 50 livestock, and submer­ged approximately 400 acres of agricultural land. In Harnai and Qila Abd­ullah, around 100 houses were damaged, while the Gandawah–Notal road in Jhal Magsi was blocked by flood surges. Lightning strikes claimed two lives in Loralai and Kachhi, while one person died...
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US blows up key Iranian bridge, steel plants

• Trump says more will follow after earlier threatening to bomb Iran back to ‘Stone Ages’, claims war nearly over • Tehran vows ‘crushing’ attacks on US after Trump threats • Iran launches missiles towards Israel; fire near Mashhad airport after projectile hits fuel tank • Dozens of countries discuss coalition to secure passage through Hormuz WASHINGTON / TEHRAN / BAGHDAD / PARIS: The US and Israel on Thursday stepped up attacks on Iran, targeting a century-old medical research centre in Tehran, a bridge near the capital and steel plants after President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran back to “the Stone Ages”. Hours later, Trump said the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed. He posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 35 kilometers southwest of Tehran and warned that there would be further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war. “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again ...
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War Diary Day 34: Trump’s speech deepens escalation pushing war into prolonged phase

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The 34th day of the US-Israel war against Iran unfolded in the immediate aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s speech , which, rather than opening any pathway to de-escalation, appeared to have hardened positions across the conflict spectrum. The remarks triggered swift Iranian retaliation, and reinforced a trajectory of sustained attrition with an increasingly central focus on economic pressure and maritime control. In his speech, Trump declared that US and Israeli objectives were nearing completion, while committing to another two to three weeks of intensified strikes and warning that Iran could be pushed “back to the Stone Age” if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s formulation looked to be a combination of coercive diplomacy and continued military escalation, even as it left ambiguity over the precise end state being sought. The immediate Iranian response underscored the limited deterrent effect of the speech as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched o...
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Mohmand’s unregulated marble industry raises environmental, safety concerns

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MARBLE factories are discharging untreated waste directly into natural waterways, obstructing their flow, in Mohmand district.—Dawn • Untreated slurry, wastewater blocking streams, silting dams • Experts say flood risks rise as irrigation, water storage undermined MOHMAND: The rapid expansion of Mohmand district’s marble industry, a key source of jobs and income, is increasingly turning into an environmental and safety concern, as unregulated operations threaten waterways, farmland and public infrastructure, resi­­dents and experts warn. Located in Khyber Pa­­khtunkhwa, Mohmand is rich in natural resou­r­ces, including marble, chromite and nephrite, which have significantly contributed to local livelihoods and the national economy. Over the years, the ma­­rble sector has emerged as a major source of employment, with around 200 processing units operating across the district and providing jobs to thousands of workers. However, the largely un­­regulated growth of the industry has...
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Trump says conflict nearing end, threatens wider attacks on Iran

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signalled that the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran could conclude within weeks, even as he warned of intensified strikes and issued sweeping claims about the scale of damage inflicted on Tehran. In a 19-minute prime-time address from the White House, Trump described the conflict as a “decisive, overwhelming victory” and said the United States was “getting very close” to finishing the “job” in Iran. “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We are going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong,” Trump said during the address from the White House. “In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.” While suggesting that the war may soon end, the president made clear that military operations would intensify before any resolution. He did not define the terms of the “deal” he is demanding from Tehran, nor did he outline a diplomatic framework. Trump claimed Iran’s military capacity had been seve...
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Read the full text of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s letter to the American public

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian has released an open letter, addressing the American people, calling on them to question the motives of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. Below is the full text of his letter. “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful “To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life: “Iran — by this very name, character, and identity — is one of the oldest continuous civilisations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers — and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbours — Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have att...
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Bilawal calls on Fazl at his residence, two leaders discuss political matters

ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, along with other leaders from his party, called on Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad on Wednesday, with statements by both parties saying that political matters were discussed during the meeting. Bilawal was accompanied by PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Nayyar Bukhari and Chaudhry Yasin while JUI-F’s Asad Mehmood was also present on the occasion. A source privy to the matter told Dawn the meeting focused primarily on political matters and elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both sides agreed to continue consultations on the matter, the source added. The meeting took place three days after the AJK Election Commission announced on Sunday that the schedule for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections was expected to be announced in May. Meanwhile, elections in GB are also expected to be held later this year after the GB chief election commissioner a...
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