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Listen to article WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The world awaited Iran’s response on Sunday after President Donald Trump announced the US had “obliterated” Tehran’s key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the country since its 1979 revolution. Tehran has so far not followed through on its threats of retaliation against the United States – either by targeting US bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies – but that may not hold. Speaking in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his country would consider all possible responses. With the damage visible from space after 30,000-pound US bunker-buster bombs…

A satellite image shows the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran in this handout image dated June 14, 2025. Maxar Technologies | Via ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday disputed Iranian attempts to downplay the strikes on its nuclear facilities, stressing that “obliteration” was an accurate description, even though the full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear capabilities was not immediately clear.”Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and…

This photo taken on Oct. 7, 2024 shows a drone performance in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)Beyond the Nature Index, numerous global rankings have also highlighted Asia’s growing influence, particularly China’s significant contributions to worldwide scientific research.LONDON, June 22 (Xinhua) — China’s contribution to world-class science is advancing at a remarkable pace, further extending its lead in research output, according to calendar-year data for 2024 released in the latest Nature Index Research Leaders report.Beyond the Nature Index, numerous global rankings have also highlighted Asia’s growing influence, particularly China’s significant contributions to worldwide scientific research.Asian countries as a whole…

Listen to article Iran’s nuclear programme, which began in the 1950s with the help of the United States, is a tale of immense financial and human sacrifices. Ironically, the very country that helped Tehran launch it now appears determined to destroy it nearly 75 years later. During the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1970s, the programme expanded with the installation of nuclear power reactors. However, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the programme was halted, and the US imposed its first economic sanctions. In the 1990s, suspicions arose in the international community that Iran was secretly developing nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency…

President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua presides over the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)ASTANA, June 22 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum was held Sunday in Astana, Kazakhstan, featuring discussions on media cooperation and the adoption of a consensus.As one of the outcomes of the recently concluded second China-Central Asia Summit, the forum was initiated and hosted by Xinhua News Agency. It was attended by heads of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, Kazakhstan President’s TV and Radio Complex, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency…

Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the recent US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them a serious violation of international law. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday, Sharif conveyed Pakistan’s position during a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The US strikes followed eight days of what Pakistan termed as Israel’s “unprovoked and unjustified aggression.” “The Prime Minister expressed deep concern that the US attacks had targeted facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” the statement said. “These attacks constituted a serious violation of international law…

Listen to article At least six people have died and five others injured in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as heavy rains, storms, and lightning battered parts of the province since Friday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Sunday. The report said seven houses were damaged across the province. Of these, two were completely destroyed while five sustained partial damage. The incidents were reported from Mansehra, Buner, Lower and Upper Dir, Kohistan, and Malakand districts. PDMA has directed local district administrations to ensure immediate relief to affected families and provide quality medical care to the injured. “The emergency operation centre of PDMA is fully…

Arman Kyrykbayev, assistant to the Kazakh president, reads a congratulatory message from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the opening ceremony of the China-Central Asia Cooperation Development Forum and the Third Silk Road International Communication Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)ASTANA, June 22 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia Cooperation Development Forum and the Third Silk Road International Communication Forum were held on Sunday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.Around 240 representatives from media, think tanks, cultural institutions and business sectors across China and Central Asia engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including deepening Silk Road cooperation.At the opening…

Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and senior diplomat Sardar Masood Khan warned that the intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel could have severe consequences for Pakistan’s security, stability, and regional standing. In a series of interviews, He said that a prolonged war could prompt an influx of Iranian refugees into Pakistan, comparable to the fallout of the Afghan conflict. He cautioned that Pakistan’s already stretched resources would come under further strain if hostilities in the Middle East persist. If the war drags on, there is a strong possibility of a mass exodus of Iranian refugees towards Pakistan,” Khan…

Bitcoin fell to its lowest level since May over the weekend, as rising tensions in the Middle East and renewed inflation fears triggered a sharp selloff across digital assets.Bitcoin dropped below the $99,000 mark on Sunday — its lowest level in more than a month — while ether plunged over 10% at one point, as the digital asset market became the first to price in rising geopolitical risk. Solana, XRP, and dogecoin also posted steep losses, dragging the entire crypto complex sharply lower.By late Sunday, digital assets had started to recover. Bitcoin was trading just under $101,000, down just 1%…