Iran’s FM says nuclear enrichment will continue, but open to talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran will not abandon its uranium enrichment programme, despite severe damage from recent US and Israeli airstrikes, calling it a matter of national pride.

In an interview with Fox News, Araghchi said Iran is open to indirect talks with the US and willing to take steps to prove its nuclear programme is peaceful. In return, he urged Washington to lift sanctions, stressing that a negotiated solution remains possible.

Landslide in northern Pakistan kills 3, 15 missing

At least three people were killed and fifteen are missing after a landslide, triggered by heavy monsoon rains, hit Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district on Monday, officials said.

Rescue teams recovered bodies and evacuated four injured, while efforts continue to locate the missing. Hundreds of stranded tourists were also brought to safety, Al Jazeera reported.

The monsoon has caused widespread damage across Pakistan, with 221 deaths reported since late June.

US Government worker barred from leaving China

US government employee has been barred from leaving China while visiting for personal reasons, the State Department confirmed. The staffer, from the US Patent and Trademark Office, is under an “exit ban,” and Washington is working with Chinese authorities to resolve the case.

Media reports say the Chinese-American employee was detained in Chengdu in April over alleged threats to national security. Beijing has not provided further details, according to Firstpost.

The incident follows a similar case involving a US banking executive also blocked from leaving China, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries over national security and espionage concerns.

At least 27 dead, mostly children, in Bangladesh air force jet crash

At least 25 children were among the 27 dead pulled from scorched buildings after a Bangladesh Air Force jet on a training mission crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials said on Tuesday, with 88 people being treated in hospital, Reuters reported.

The F-7 BGI aircraft crashed soon after it took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) on Monday from the airbase in Kurmitola in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.

Visuals showed rescue workers scouring the charred buildings for debris as distressed family members surrounded the site.

Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, told reporters that 27 people had died and 88 were admitted to hospital with burn injuries. Those dead included 25 children, a teacher and the pilot, according to Reuters.