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Dawn - 16:06 Mar 30, 2026
The war in the Middle East has caused serious disruption to the economies of frontline countries, and is dimming the outlook for many economies that had just started to recover from previous crises, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Monday. In a blog published by the global lender’s top economists, the IMF said the war started by US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28 was causing a global, but asymmetric shock and leading to tighter financial conditions. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to regional infrastructure had caused the largest disruption to the global oil market in history, according to the International Energy Agency. Much would depend on how long the war lasts, how far it spreads and how much damage it inflicts on infrastructure and supply chains. The IMF said low-income countries were at particular risk of food insecurity due to higher food and fertiliser prices and may need more external support, even as many advanced economies were scaling back their in... -
Dawn - 15:19 Mar 30, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the overall national security situation and key challenges facing the country, according to the President’s Secretariat. The meeting comes a day after the quadrilateral ministerial moot in Islamabad, involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, discussing possible ways to bring an “early and permanent end” to the war in the region. The foregin ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye had also called on PM Shehbaz after the meeting concluded. According to President’s Secretariat, the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. National Security Adviser and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Asim Malik also participated in the meeting. During the meeting, participants held a detailed discussion on the overall national security situation, reviewed the evolving... -
Dawn - 14:59 Mar 30, 2026
Multiple people and accounts shared a video on several social media platforms on March 29, allegedly showing a leaked clip of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel dancing. However, the video is old and shows an unidentified man. Iran-linked hackers named ‘Handala’ on March 27 claimed they had accessed Patel’s personal email inbox, publishing photographs of the director and other documents to the internet. A Justice Department official confirmed that Patel’s email had been breached and said the material published online appeared authentic. The development occurred amid the conflict that began on February 28 when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. The strikes marked a significant escalation in tensions between the countries, following a period of heightened regional instability and previous confrontations. On March 29, an Indian user shared a video on X with the f... -
Dawn - 14:23 Mar 30, 2026
Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he was reversing course and expressed sympathy for the Cuban people’s need for energy. The Anatoly Kolodkin was waiting to offload at the port of Matanzas, Russia’s transport ministry said. The Kremlin said it had raised the issue of the tanker during talks with the US but that Russia felt it had a duty to support “friends” in Cuba. “This issue was indeed raised in advance during contacts with our American partners,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Cuba has not received an oil tanker in three months, according to President Mi... -
Dawn - 13:59 Mar 30, 2026
Peter Steinberger’s artificial intelligence agent tool OpenClaw has taken the tech world by storm with its ability to execute real-life tasks such as checking him in for his flight to Tokyo. AI is not yet a ubiquitous personal assistant for ordinary people, but “you’ll see much more of that this year because this is the year of agents”, Steinberger told AFP in the Japanese capital on Monday. “There are still some things we need to do to make it better,” the Austrian programmer said. Demand is ramping up, however, with more developers now “making the future happen”, he added in an interview during a gathering for OpenClaw enthusiasts. When downloaded, OpenClaw can be connected to existing AI models and given simple instructions through instant messaging apps, as if to a friend or colleague. Jensen Huang, head of the world’s most valuable company Nvidia, this month hailed the tool — whose symbol is a bright red lobster — as “the next ChatGPT”. But all the buzz has raised concerns over the cybersecurity risks of... -
Dawn - 13:33 Mar 30, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 index plummeted by over 4,000 points during intraday trade on Monday. The KSE-100 index declined by 4864.54 points, or 3.21 per cent, to close at 146,842.97 from the previous close of 151,707.51. The index rose to an intraday high of 151,813.61 points at around 9:30am, shortly after trading began. However, it declined to an intraday low of 144,656.97 points at around 11:30am, before settling at 146,842.97. Topline Securities, in its daily market review, said, “the local bourse felt the heat today, as surging oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions rattled investor confidence”. It said that the investors also grew “wary over the government’s decision to keep fuel prices unchanged for a second consecutive week, raising concerns of fiscal strain”. The statement added that the “bears wasted no time seizing control, unleashing aggressive selling across the board”. “Relentless liquidation pushed the index to an intraday slide of 7,050 points — bringing t... -
Dawn - 13:10 Mar 30, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Kuwait has assured full facilitation in the supply of diesel and jet fuel to Pakistan, which has been stalled due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. The assurance for the revival of oil exports to Pakistan came after Tehran allowed 20 cargoes with Pakistani flags to pass the Strait of Hormuz, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday. Pakistan imports more than 60 per cent of its diesel from Kuwait under a long-term contract between state-run oil giants of the two countries — Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Pakistan State Oil. Alternative routes, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have resulted in additional freight costs for Pakistan. On Monday, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held a meeting with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nassar Abdulrahman Jasser Almutairi to discuss bilateral relations, energy cooperation, and regional developments. According to an official statement, Malik exp... -
Dawn - 12:27 Mar 30, 2026
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday forecast rainfall across the country, starting from April 1 (Wednesday). In a weather forecast, the PMD said that due to a “westerly wave” approaching the “southerwestern parts of Balochistan from April 1”, parts of the country will receive “widespread rain-wind/thunderstorm” in the coming days. It said that the westerly wave “is likely to persist” till April 4 (Saturday). Under the influence of the system, the PMD forecast rain-wind/thunderstorm (with isolated heavy falls/hailstorm) in parts of Balochistan from April 2 (evening) to April 4 with “occasional gaps”. These included Panjgur, Turbat, Kech, Awaran, Makran Coast (Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara), Lasbela, Khuzdar, Kharan, Chaghi, Dalbandin, Kalat, Sibi, Kohlu, Barkhan, Naseerabad, Quetta, Loralai, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Noshki, Harnai, Zhob, Kalat and Mastung. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PMD said that rain, thunderstorms, including snowfall over mountains, were expected in ... -
Dawn - 12:02 Mar 30, 2026
Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Monday that educational activities in the province would resume from April 1 (Wednesday), with classes taking place five days a week. He made the statement in a post on the social media platform X. Separately, in an official statement, the minister reiterated that schools in Punjab would reopen on April 1 and that classes would take place five days a week. He also said that the “hybrid system” would not work, adding that the classes would be in-person. “Students should come to school and study,” he said. On March 9, the provincial government had announced that educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, would remain closed from March 10 to March 31 amid the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. Meanwhile, the Punjab government on Monday also stated that a notification circulating on social media regarding classes four days a week was fake. In a post on X, the Punjab government shared a picture of ... -
Dawn - 11:16 Mar 30, 2026
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s entertainment venture JioStar has terminated its broadcast deals in Bangladesh for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, saying its local partner defaulted on payments, according to a document seen by Reuters. Bangladesh in January banned IPL broadcasts after one of its teams, Kolkata Knight Riders, dropped Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman at the Indian cricket board’s instruction, just as tensions rose between the two countries following the killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh. Though Bangladesh is reviewing the ban and had on Saturday said any further steps will depend on the opinion of its sports ministry, the termination by JioStar means there will be no local broadcaster for the IPL season, even if the country were to change its stance. “The agreement stands terminated with immediate effect,” JioStar said in a letter dated February 17 to Bangladesh broadcaster TSports, which had sublicensed the rights from JioStar for IPL seasons from 2023 to 2027. The ... -
Dawn - 11:10 Mar 30, 2026
HYDERABAD: The Model Criminal Court of Dadu on Monday acquitted all eight accused in the triple murder case of an ex-PPP UC chairman and his two sons in the district’s Mehar town. The ex-UC chairman, Raees Karamullah Chandio and two sons, Mukhtiar and Qabil, were gunned down in an armed attack on their residence in Ahmed Colony on Jan 17, 2018. The attack was blamed on their PPP colleagues, MPA and Chandio tribe chieftain Sardar Chandio and his brother Burhan Chandio. Both the accused were members of the Sindh Assembly at the time of the offence. Mukhtiar’s daughter Umm-i-Rabab Chandio, who is a lawyer, has been pursuing the case along with other counsel. During today’s hearing, an additional session judge, Hassan Ali Kalwar, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the case and acquitted the accused, extending them the benefit of the doubt. Other than the two MPAs, the accused included Sikandar Ali Chandio, Ali Gohar Chandio, Abdul Sattar Chandio, Zulfiqar alias Qadoo Chandio, Ghulam Murtaza Chandio, and A... -
Dawn - 10:21 Mar 30, 2026
The government is undertaking efforts to provide relief to the lower and middle classes amid a fuel price hike triggered by the global fuel crisis due to the Iran war, Prime Minister Shehbaz said on Monday. Over the past few weeks, the government has rolled out a series of austerity measures to minimise fuel consumption and announced significant cuts in development spending and restrictions on non-essential expenditures. In a meeting chaired by the premier to review the impact of the Middle East war on petroleum stocks in Pakistan and public relief measures being taken, he was informed that the government was working in collaboration with the provincial government to “finalise the process of registration for motorcycle and rickshaw owners so they could benefit from the government’s schemes,” a statement via the Prime Minister’s House (PMO) said. On March 17, the government announced it was planning a subsidised fuel scheme for motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers to cushion the impact of a massive hike in oil p... -
Dawn - 09:31 Mar 30, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will embark on an official visit to China on March 31 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on Monday. The FO said that Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, characterised by “close coordination and regular consultations” on regional development and international issues. “In this context, the upcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth discussions on regional developments, as well as bilateral and global issues of mutual interest,” said the FO statement. It added that “FM Dar’s decision to undertake the visit, despite medical advice to rest following a hairline shoulder fracture sustained yesterday, reflects the importance Pakistan attaches to its relationship with China”. Earlier on Friday, Dar held a telephone call with Wang Yi, during which they exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and broad... -
Dawn - 09:10 Mar 30, 2026
Security forces retaliate ‘vigorously’ after Afghan Taliban open fire in KP’s Bajaur sector: sources
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire in the Bajaur sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, said security sources. They added that Pakistan’s security forces “retaliated vigorously” after Afghan Taliban fighters opened fire with “small and large weapons” along different areas of the border district. Security sources further said retaliatory fire by Pakistani forces silenced the enemy’s guns and “Afghan posts from which Pakistan was being fired at were also destroyed”. According to local security officials, Pakistan “did not target any civilian population, but only targeted those posts from which continuous firing was being done”. The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that the temporary pause in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban over Eidul Fitr had concluded, and the operation will continue “until its objectives are achieved”. FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made these remarks while responding to questions during his weekly press briefing regarding whether the pause had been extended.... -
Dawn - 08:17 Mar 30, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his gratitude towards the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt after a quadrilateral meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East, appreciating their confidence in Pakistan’s efforts for peace. The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, brought together foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt as part of a coordinated regional push to de-escalate the conflict between the United States and Iran that has now completed its first month, raising fears of wider spillover and disruption to global energy supplies. “It was a pleasure to receive His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan this evening,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X early on Monday morning. According to the statement, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity” with the Kingdom and appreciated Saudi Arabia’s “remarkable restraint in these challenging times”. He recognised Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in the Muslim Ummah ... -
Dawn - 08:12 Mar 30, 2026
Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering in Sunday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. The incident occurred in the final over with Karachi needing 14 runs to win. Fakhar, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf were involved in a brief discussion, during which Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball between them. The umpire then approached Rauf and asked to see the ball. Following consultations with the square-leg umpire, the officials awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and ordered the ball to be changed. The penalty proved costly as Karachi went on to chase down a target of 129 with three balls to spare, Abbas Afridi hitting a four and a six to seal a four-wicket victory. “Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the match referee Roshan Mahanama,” the PCB said. “Another hearing is set to take place within the next 48 hours after which the match r... -
Dawn - 07:08 Mar 30, 2026
Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity’s holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation. Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites. After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get “full and immediate access”. Members of the clergy attend a prayer service in the Church of All Nations held by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem on March 29, 2026. —AFP The Latin Patriarchate said in a statement that Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, were travelling privately without a ceremonial procession when officers at the... -
Dawn - 05:41 Mar 30, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar suffered a “hairline fracture” in his shoulder after slipping and falling while welcoming Egypt’s foreign minister in Islamabad, his son Ali Dar said late on Sunday. In a post on X, Ali Dar said his father continued to fulfill his “official duties” despite the injury. “Ishaq Dar sahib, despite sustaining an injury during the reception of the Egyptian Foreign Minister today, completed all highly important meetings throughout the day on painkillers, Alhamdulillah, in the best possible manner,” he wrote. He added that around 9pm, following the conclusion of official engagements, a medical examination was carried out at the family’s insistence. “His X-rays are overall fine. There is a hairline fracture in the shoulder. In the coming few days, his pain will be managed through medications and other precautionary measures. Thank you all for your messages, prayers, and kind wishes,” Ali Dar said. The incident occurred on Sunday, during a four-country meeting focuse... -
Dawn - 04:48 Mar 30, 2026
Australia will halve a fuel tax to help motorists experiencing soaring petrol prices due to war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday. Albanese announced the step after meeting with the leaders of Australia’s states and territories on Monday, agreeing a plan to tackle fuel shortages as the war in the Middle East continues. Australia charges a sales tax of 52 cents on each litre of petrol sold at the pump, which will be halved for three months. The measure will cost the government $1.75 billion (Aus$2.55 billion), officials said. “We are making fuel cheaper today because we understand that Australians are under serious pressure,” Albanese said. Albanese’s government has sought to reassure motorists that shipments of fuel continue to arrive in Australia, and petrol shortages in rural towns stem from panic buying and distribution bottlenecks. Victoria and Tasmania states have made travel on public transport free, and Albanese urged motorists nationally to do what they can to conserve pe... -
Dawn - 22:09 Mar 29, 2026
Lahore Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations) Muhammad Faisal brought to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) chief executive officer’s notice on Sunday the alleged breach of security protocols involving Lahore Qalandar players Sikandar Raza and Shaheen Shah Afridi and urged necessary action to prevent the recurrence of such violations. Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar is among several overseas players who arrived in Lahore to join their franchises for the 11th edition of the PSL. In his letter, the Lahore DIG said, “As per the contents of the report of the superintendent of police (operations), Civil Lines Division, Lahore, a serious breach of established security protocols occurred on March 28, 2026 at the PC hotel where all PSL participant teams are currently residing under strict security arrangements.” The letter said that at approximately 10:35pm, the Lahore Qalandars liaison officer approached Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Security and Anti-Corruption Manager Lt Col (retd) Akhtar Hussain, seeking his p...
10732 items