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Strengthening El Nino likely to 'rank among largest' on record: US agency

The El Nino weather pattern picked up strength over the past month and is highly likely to “rank among the largest” ever recorded when it peaks between October and December, US forecasters said Thursday. El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall patterns, and pushing warmer overall global temperatures. In its latest update, the US Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) said there is an 81 per cent chance of a “very strong” El Nino between October and December that would rank among the largest such events in the historic record going back to 1950. “Very strong” is defined as being 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above an index value. The CPC also put the odds at 97pc that the event will persist through early spring 2027. That adds to a prediction made by Tim Stockdale, an El Nino expert of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, who sa...
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Senate panel grills NCCIA over delay in cybercrime complaints

• Summons agency’s chief for briefing on online portal, enforcement timelines • Senators seek briefing on revised mechanism for registration of blasphemy FIRs ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights expressed concern over the delay in processing of complaints by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the technical issues with its online complaint portal. In its meeting chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the body reviewed the NCCIA performance, delays in cybercrime complaint redressal, the procedure being followed in blasphemy-related cases and progress in the murder case of Lahore resident Ahmed Javed. Senator Quratulain Marri informed the meeting that a sustained online campaign had been launched against her and her family on social media, and that no effective action had been taken despite the filing of a formal complaint through legal counsel. The NCCIA officials told the committee that technical and operational constraints had affected ...
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KP CM orders review of controversial law granting extended privileges to lawmakers

PESHAWAR: As lawmakers from across the aisle in the KP Assembly joined hands to defend the controversial law granting extended powers and privileges to members, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday ordered a review of its provisions following media outcry. It was reported yesterday that the KP government had recently approved the enactment of the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, which was passed on April 30 and signed by the governor on May 6. The law expands provincial assembly members’ powers and immunities, including the issuance of lifetime official passports to them and their spouses, blanket immunity from preventive detention, and entitlement to licences for up to eight non-prohibited-bore weapons. The law has faced severe criticism from media persons across Pakistan and the public in the province. “I hope that the amendments made to the Act will be reviewed. Any future steps will be taken in the public interest,” the chief ministe...
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Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties to reach FIFA World Cup quarter-finals

Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final with defending champions Argentina. The two teams cancelled each other out in the final game of the last 16 — the last match to be played at the 2026 tournament outside the United States. Both teams missed spot-kicks before Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel brilliantly saved Cucho Hernandez’s effort and Ruben Vargas scored the decisive penalty. Colombia, once again backed by thousands of passionate fans in Vancouver, had conceded just once in their four games before Tuesday’s match and the Swiss had also proved difficult to break down. The first action of note came in the 21st minute when Kobel was forced into a flying save to keep out Gustavo Puerta’s curling effort from the edge of the penalty area. The Swiss stepped up a gear immediately after the first hydration break, with Camilo Vargas beating away a shot from Fabian Rieder before denying Dan Ndoye. But the match was goal...
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Cargo plane disappears from radar over Arabian Sea off Karachi

RAWALPINDI: A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft en route from Sharjah to Karachi disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, on Tuesday. According to reports, the aircraft lost contact about 300 kilometres west of Karachi while approaching Pakistani airspace. The pilot reported a navigation problem during the flight and requested assistance from the area control centre. K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi. The carrier was established in May 2018 after being granted an airline charter licence by the government. There were five crew members on board the aircraft, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. The PAA said in a statement that a K2 Airways B737 Pakistan Cargo flight en route from Sharjah to Karachi reported a navigational system issue at 9:18pm and was promptly guided by the Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC). However, at 9:21pm, the aircraft was observed on radar rapidly descending and...
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Spain win it late to bid farewell to Ronaldo at FIFA World Cup

Substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner to put Spain in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Portugal and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career on Monday. The European champions will face Belgium on Friday in Los Angeles. In front of an expectant crowd of 70,649 at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys, a match that on paper promised so much failed to really deliver. Extra time looked certain, before fellow substitute Ferran Torres slipped in Merino to settle the contest in the first minute of injury time. It meant a sour final World Cup match for the 41-year-old Ronaldo, now playing in Saudi Arabia, having confirmed on the eve of the encounter that this would be his last dance on football’s biggest stage. The neighbours came into the contest both unbeaten, but while Portugal had not been entirely convincing, Spain had not even conceded a goal in the tournament. One of the pre-tournament favourites, they still haven’t. For all their pedigree, talent and hi...
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NASA rover takes a closer look at organic carbon on Mars

Using NASA’s Perseverance rover, scientists are getting a greater understanding of the nature of some of the organic carbon — the molecular backbone for all known ​living organisms — detected on Mars as they explore the question of whether Earth’s planetary neighbour ever harboured life. New research describes the structure of the organic carbon ‌found last year by the rover in sedimentary rock that contained a potential biosignature — a possible sign of past microbial life. This mudstone formed perhaps between 3.2 and 3.8 billion years ago beneath a now-vanished body of water in Jezero Crater in the Martian northern hemisphere. Organic carbon can be a clue as to whether Mars ever harboured life because it serves as the chemical underpinning for the molecules that build DNA, cells ​and proteins. But its presence is not proof of life because it also can arise in nonbiological processes such as chemical interaction between rock and water. The detection of ​organic carbon in two rocks...
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