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'Every year the heat is increasing': India learns to live with hotter summers

On India’s hot plains, scorching summers have become increasingly harder to endure, requiring adaptations and forcing life into the hours of dark before the sun turns punishing. “We try to adjust, but the traditional ways to combat heat are not working,” said 26-year-old herdsman Sawai Bhati Singh, who lives outside the desert city of Jaisalmer, in the western state of Rajasthan. “Every year the heat is increasing.” His home, made of thick stone blocks with few windows, helps keep some of the furnace-like heat out. But temperatures inside are still stifling. This photograph taken on May 29, 2026 shows herdsman Sawai Singh Bhati’s father, Khet Singh carrying his grandson at their house in Sanwata village on the outskirts of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer city. — AFP The South Asian country is no stranger to scorching summers, but years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense. Temperatu...
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Trump says Apple to partner with Intel on US chip design, production

US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday that Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture its chips in the United States. A partnership with Intel helps Apple diversify its manufacturing base as it seeks additional chip capacity. The iPhone maker relies heavily on TSMC, whose advanced production lines are in high demand from AI chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD. Intel reached a preliminary deal to make some chips for Apple after more than a year of discussions, the Wall Street Journal reported in May. Apple and Intel did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments outside regular business hours. An Apple contract gives Intel a steady demand from one of the world’s largest consumer electronics companies, boosting both its reputation and a manufacturing business that has lagged TSMC in recent years. Earlier this week, Intel said a new generation of its manufacturing tech 18A ...

Motorway police make fire extinguishers mandatory for all vehicles

The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) on Wednesday made it mandatory for all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, to carry a working fire extinguisher as it announced stricter fire safety rules for commuters. In a statement, an NHMP spokesperson said that all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, must carry a working fire extinguisher. “These special safety measures are being implemented to prevent fire hazards during accidents,” the spokesperson said. It said that after June 24, vehicles without an active extinguisher will face strict legal action. Entry of cargo and public service vehicles without a fire extinguisher will be banned at motorways and national highways, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that for the sake of public awareness, the motorway police were carrying out a nationwide fire safety campaign till June 24. Drivers were urged to make sure that the fire extinguisher the...

Pakistan, UK agree to expand cooperation on counterterrorism, illegal migration

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and human smuggling, institutional collaboration and police training. The understanding was reached as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the UN Hamish Falconer According to the interior ministry, Falconer appreciated Pakistan’s “positive and significant” role in facilitating the US-Iran peace deal. “Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played a historic role for peace,” it quoted Falconer as saying. “The US-Iran peace deal has projected Pakistan as a flag-bearer of global peace,” he added. According to the statement, the two leaders also agreed on “enhancing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including counterterrorism, combating illegal migration, institutional collaboration, and poli...

Scooty for the beti and EV for the biwi

Esha named her scooty Riri, after herself. It cost Rs420,000 and she hasn’t spent a rupee more since on transport. Every time the scooty hums to life—when the 22-year-old leaves for classes at the College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering—heads turn. “My friends think it’s cool,” she says. “Young women light up in public. They say it looks easy to handle.” Their reaction means everything to her. In a country where a woman’s movement is still being negotiated, the sight of a young woman riding an electric bike is its own argument. Esha has thought carefully about why that argument meets resistance. “One, the upfront cost. But honestly, why would a family invest in a scooty for their daughter when bhai is around as a free drop service?” she says. The second resistance comes from the feeble ‘ log kya kahenge ’ and ‘ kuch ho jayega road pe ’ fear. And lastly, Esha believes that women’s independence makes men uncomfortable. “The control only works when we’re dependent,” she adds....

'We do not accept govt's version of events,' says Aleema after Imran taken to hospital for 5th time for eye ailment

PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, said on Tuesday that the government’s version of events was unacceptable after the former premier was taken to the hospital for the fifth time for the treatment of his eye ailment. In a post on X, Aleema said, “We have received reports that Imran Khan was again taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in the early hours of 15 June. We found out through a tweet by Barrister Gohar on the morning of June 15.” “We reject any medical report generated by Pims regarding Imran’s condition. The same institution has previously made questionable claims, including the assertion that Imran had recovered 90 per cent of his eyesight. Imran himself rejected these claims when his lawyer later met him at Adiala jail,” she said. “A fundamental question remains unanswered: Why does Imran require a fifth injection?” she asked. “We do not accept the government’s version of events. We demand that I...

Indian wunderkind Sooryavanshi, 15, loses cool in on-field spat during Sri Lanka match

Fifteen-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blew his fuse in an India A game in Sri Lanka and pushed an opposition player after a heated on-field exchange. The spotlight has been on Sooryavanshi since his batting heroics in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) won him a place in India’s senior men’s team for their T20 tour of Ireland and England. But he made headlines for all the wrong reasons after he and a Sri Lanka A player confronted each other, following India’s narrow defeat in a Super Over in Dambulla on Monday. Sri Lanka’s Vishen Halambage exchanged words with departing Indian batters before Sooryavanshi responded and shoved him, according to Indian media and broadcast footage. Sri Lanka A wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella stepped in to calm tempers and separated the two players. The teams exchanged handshakes, but TV images showed Sooryavanshi visibly upset. The left-handed opener capped off a stunning IPL 2026...