Zelenskyy hits out as Russia strikes kill five pre-truce
KYIV, May 5: Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s power grid killed at least five people and injured 39 overnight, Ukrainian authorities said, just before planned ceasefire announcements by both Kyiv and Moscow. The attacks included 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones, with most intercepted but several hitting energy and infrastructure targets.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as “utter cynicism,” noting they came ahead of Russia’s proposed unilateral truce tied to World War II Victory Day. He said Ukraine would also observe a ceasefire and respond in kind, though no clear end date was set.
Ukraine reported continued targeting of energy facilities, gas infrastructure, and transport networks, while also carrying out long-range strikes inside Russia, including oil and industrial sites. Moscow said it intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones across multiple regions.
Both sides continue exchanging strikes despite ceasefire declarations, with deep mistrust persisting more than four years into the war. Ukraine’s officials said Russian ceasefire proposals have not been matched by real action on the ground. (AP)
Prominent cleric shot dead in NW Pakistan
PESHAWAR, May 5: A prominent cleric, Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Tuesday. The attackers on motorcycles ambushed his vehicle in Charsadda district as he was heading to deliver a lecture, critically injuring two security guards who were with him. Idrees later died in hospital.
Police said initial investigations suggest it was a targeted killing carried out by four militants, with surveillance footage obtained to identify the suspects. A search operation is underway, and authorities have launched a manhunt. No group has claimed responsibility.
The killing sparked protests, with locals blocking roads and demanding swift arrests. Senior officials, including the provincial police chief, ordered urgent action and condemned the attack.
Idrees was a senior religious scholar and district leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F). Political leaders, including Pakistan’s president and prime minister, condemned the murder and expressed condolences, calling for justice and stronger action against rising militancy in the region. (PTI)
13 arrested for ‘anti-state’ activities in Pak’s Punjab
LAHORE, May 5: Thirteen people have been arrested in Pakistan’s Punjab province for allegedly engaging in “anti-state” social media activity, an official said. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency said some suspects are linked to Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and were involved in online campaigns against the army and the PML-N government. They have been charged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act for spreading content seen as harmful to state institutions and public order. (PTI)
