Dawn
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Dawn - 15:01 Jul 30, 2026
Standing on the roof of a war-damaged building overlooking the ruins of Gaza City, beekeeper Ibrahim al-Dabba gently lifts a honeycomb frame as bees buzz around him. “Bees require trees, we are raising bees amongst rubble,” he says. For Gaza’s beekeepers, the struggle to rebuild their livelihoods after more than two years of war is about much more than honey. It is also about preserving one of nature’s most important pollinators in a territory where farmland has been devastated and access to orchards near the border with Israel has been cut off. Before the war, the beekeepers kept around 30,000 hives, according to agricultural engineer and beekeeper Rateb Sammour. Honey production had already been declining from some 400 metric tonnes annually several years ago to roughly half that amount as climate change affected the flowering seasons. Honey production hit The conflict dealt a far greater blow, however. Sammour, a well-known Gaza beekeeper and honey producer, estimates around 700 hives remain, with beekeepe... -
Dawn - 14:05 Jul 30, 2026
Twenty-five cats stuck inside a shopping mall in Japan gutted in an explosion after a major earthquake have been rescued, the operator said on Thursday, triggering huge relief on social media. Momo, Kohaku, Tango, Shandy — a fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat — and the others were in Cat Cafe MOFF on the ground floor of the Aeon mall in Kashima when the deadly 7.1-magnitude quake hit on Tuesday. The mall was evacuated and employees returned to retrieve the cats when a huge explosion — likely caused by gas — ripped through the building, and staff “hurriedly evacuated”, the cafe said. At least 34 people died in the quake, according to authorities in the southwestern Kumamoto region. On Wednesday, with permission from the fire service, the police and the mall operator, MOFF’s manager entered the building and safely rescued all 25 cats, which were unharmed. Around 10pm (6pm PKT) the same day, the animals arrived safely in the city of Hiroshima in western Japan, where the company has another cat cafe, it said. View this ... -
Dawn - 13:54 Jul 30, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted two resolutions on the recent unrest in Rawalakot and other parts of the region, with one condemning statements by federal ministers on the crisis and the other endorsing the establishment of an independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe the violence and pave the way for a negotiated settlement. This development emerged amid polls in AJK, which are being held in three phases over security concerns, with the first set of polls held in Mirpur division on Monday. Scuffles, violence and allegations of rigging marred the polling process, with the PML-N and PPP accusing each other of electoral malpractice. The assembly met under the chairmanship of panel member Nabeela Ayoub, but only nine members were in attendance — seven from the ruling PPP and one each from the opposition PML-N and PTI. The first resolution was tabled by former AJK president Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan on Wednesday, while the second... -
Dawn - 12:52 Jul 30, 2026
Pakistani Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem cleared the qualifying round in the men’s javelin throw on Monday, the seventh day of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with a seasonal best score. The 29-year-old Arshad, who won the javelin throw gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a record throw of 90.18 metres, is participating in the 2026 Games being held in Scotland from July 23-Aug 2. The qualifying round, which was held earlier today, saw Arshad throw his season’s best of 78.63 metres, securing his spot in the final event in seventh place. The men’s javelin throw final will be held tomorrow (Friday) from 6:30pm to 10:15pm local time (10:30pm to 2:15am PKT). Last year, Arshad was named the Global Breakthrough Athlete at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sports Awards during the World Sports Summit in December. However, he made an underwhelming return to competition earlier this month ahead of the Glasgow games, finishing ninth in the javelin throw at the Spitzen Leichtath... -
Dawn - 12:18 Jul 30, 2026
A webpage impersonating Dawn was online and accessible on Thursday. The page shared fake news and disinformation while pretending to be part of the Dawn Media Group. The website is not part of, associated with or has any connection to the Dawn Media Group. The webpage, operating from a URL not associated with the Dawn.com web domain, has shared a ‘news report’ on business tycoon Arif Habib supposedly launching an AI platform called BTC+700 Lurot, luring readers into investing in it to earn money. The webpage is not hosted on Dawn.com’s website. The story falsely claims that the so-called BTC +700 Lurot project was “created within the framework” of the Pakistan Digital 2030 vision, with the support of the government and “leading Pakistani enterprises”. No information on any such development could be found through a web search. A visual on the webpage falsely claims that Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and a made-up “Pakistan Telecom AI” were among the project’s “key partners”. The we... -
Dawn - 12:09 Jul 30, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Vlogger and journalist Asad Ali Toor on Thursday challenged the notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Yesterday, the NCCIA issued a notice to Toor for an inquiry into “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information” by him. The journalist was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31. The petition, filed through Advocate Attaullah Kundi, names the interior secretary, the NCCIA and other relevant authorities as respondents. The petition requested the court to declare the notice issued by the NCCIA null and void and added that Toor reports on various matters, including judicial affairs. “It has been contended that the NCCIA failed to fulfil the legal requirements while issuing the notice and did not provide details of the allegations against him,” it stated. According to the petition, the NCCIA had summoned Toor for July 31. The petitioner f... -
Dawn - 12:07 Jul 30, 2026
KARACHI: The Sindh government announced on Thursday that classes would be held six days a week at schools and colleges in the province from August 1 until further notice. The decision was announced in two separate notifications issued by the Sindh Education and Literacy Department and the College Education Department. In its notification, seen by Dawn and dated July 29, the Education and Literacy Department said: “In supercession of this department’s notification of even number dated March 31, 2026, it is hereby notified that all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the School and Literacy Education Department, Government of Sindh, shall observe a six-day working week (Monday to Saturday) with effect from August 1, 2026 till further orders.” Similarly, the notification issued by the College Education Department, issued on July 30 and seen by Dawn, stated: “In supercession of this department’s notification of even number dated March 31, 2026, it is hereby notified tha... -
Dawn - 11:56 Jul 30, 2026
KARACHI: The Sindh government announced on Thursday that schools and colleges in the province would have six-day work weeks from August 1 until further notice. The decision was announced in two separate notifications issued by the Sindh Education and Literacy Department and the College Education Department. In its notification, seen by Dawn and dated July 29, the Education and Literacy Department said: “In supercession of this department’s notification of even number dated March 31, 2026, it is hereby notified that all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the School and Literacy Education Department, Government of Sindh, shall observe a six-day working week (Monday to Saturday) with effect from August 1, 2026 till further orders.” Similarly, the notification issued by the College Education Department, issued on July 30 and seen by Dawn, stated: “In supercession of this department’s notification of even number dated March 31, 2026, it is hereby notified that all publi... -
Dawn - 11:37 Jul 30, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted interim protective bail to Noreen Niazi, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The NCCIA case alleges that Niazi made derogatory and inflammatory remarks against state institutions during a podcast interview and in subsequent clips shared on X. Earlier, Niazi appeared before the court along with her counsel, Barrister Shahryar Riaz. The counsel submitted that the petitioner was a permanent resident of Lahore, while the case had been registered in Islamabad. He said the petitioner feared arbitrary arrest before she could approach the relevant court in Islamabad. The barrister also argued that the allegations in the case were politically motivated and part of an attempt to harass her. The counsel requested that the court grant interim protective bail to the petitioner, allowing her to appear safely before the relevant court in Islamabad. After hearing the arguments,... -
Dawn - 10:36 Jul 30, 2026
LAHORE: Eleven people were killed and six injured after a three-storey house collapsed in Lahore’s Harbanspura late on Wednesday, according to authorities. Spokesperson for the Lahore deputy commissioner Harris Ali confirmed to Dawn that the death toll of the incident had risen to 11 after rescue workers pulled out the body of a minor girl. The rescue operation ended following the recovery of the girl’s body, he said. The spokesperson said three brothers and their families were residing in the building, and they were joined by their sister and her children for a birthday celebration on Wednesday night, following which the structure collapsed. “The building collapsed floor by floor from the top down,” he said. The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, for which Lahore DC retired Capt Muhammad Ali Ijaz has ordered an inquiry, a statement issued by his office said. The statement said he supervised the rescue operation, adding that Rescue 1122 teams, assisted by district administration officials, carried... -
Dawn - 10:13 Jul 30, 2026
QUETTA: The bodies of six of seven labourers who were kidnapped earlier this week in the Turbat city of Balochistan’s Kech district were found with bullet wounds on Thursday, an official told Dawn. On Tuesday, unidentified armed men had blocked Turbat-Mand Road in the Kalatak area of Kech district and taken away the seven labourers, who were travelling in a vehicle. The kidnappers had killed one of the labourers the same day and dumped his body on a highway. On Thursday, the bodies of the remaining six labourers were also found, Balochistan Home Department spokesperson Babar Yousafzai told Dawn. He said the kidnappers had taken the labourers to an undisclosed location, where one of them was killed shortly after the abduction and his body was dumped on the highway. They later also killed the six remaining labourers, whose bodies were found in Turbat’s Nasirabad area, he added. Yousafzai said the bodies bore torture marks and bullet wounds, and it seemed that the labourers had been shot at close range. Accordin... -
Dawn - 08:23 Jul 30, 2026
New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters drew the ire of Beijing’s ambassador in Wellington on Thursday after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to “go back to your own country”. During a debate about New Zealand’s response to the Covid pandemic on Wednesday, populist NZ First leader Peters was asked by China-born Green Party member Lawrence Xu-Nan: “Are you vaccinated?” In response, Peters said the lawmaker, who was born in the Chinese city of Tianjin but grew up in Auckland, had “come here five minutes ago”. “Go back to your own country. That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here,” Peters said. “This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth.” The comments sparked a rare intervention from Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong. Wang said on X on Thursday that while he preferred to stay out of domestic politics, “suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything ... -
Dawn - 08:23 Jul 30, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that Pakistan was doing its “utmost” to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month. Addressing a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan noted with concern that the security situation in the Middle East “remains precarious despite the relative calm of the past few days, which had rekindled hopes that this positive development, this calm, would consolidate into a durable and fully respected ceasefire and pave the way for dialogue”. Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s support for dialogue and diplomacy, maintaining that it remained the “only viable path forward”. “We welcome all efforts aimed at sustaining cessation of hostilities and resumption of dialogue between Iran and the US,” he said, adding that Pakistan remained engaged and will continue to do so. “Let me add that the negotiations between parties are ongoing to normalise the situation, particularly th... -
Dawn - 07:00 Jul 30, 2026
The Pakistan Navy said on Thursday that it had successfully rescued 19 crew members aboard a fishing vessel stranded south of Gwadar due to engine failure. In a statement, the navy said that the fishing vessel Al Jalali was in distress about 120 nautical miles south of Gwadar. “A total of 19 crew members onboard the vessel, including 11 Pakistani and 8 Iranian nationals, were stranded at sea due to engine failure of the vessel,” the navy said. “The situation was further aggravated by deteriorating weather conditions in the North Arabian Sea during the ongoing monsoon, placing the lives of the crew in immediate danger,” it added. It said that upon receiving the distress call, the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre promptly coordinated with Pakistan Navy to initiate an immediate search and rescue operation. PNS Taimur was immediately tasked to undertake the rescue operation and provide assistance to the stranded fishing vessel, it said. “Owing to the swift and timely response, crew members of Al Ja... -
Dawn - 05:52 Jul 30, 2026
It happened on a hot July morning. With a group of researchers, I set out for a routine wildlife survey half an hour’s drive from Muzaffargarh, in the sprawling wetlands of South Punjab. The vital but fragile lowland ecosystem is made up of 18 interlinked saline and freshwater lakes, river floodplains, oxbow lakes, and seasonal marshes. Here, 45km west of Multan, the Indus River gets to catch its breath after cascading steep glaciers and alpine lakes. As its flow turns leisurely in the alluvial plains, the river turns into an indispensable sanctuary for foreign and local feathered friends like wintering waterfowls, waders, raptors, and divers. But on that hot July morning, this ecological treasure, the Rangla Wetland Complex, was chosen as the laboratory for a marvelous collusion of science and nature: the pink birds had returned after nearly half a century. And this time, they had brought their babies. It was a family affair. A flock of greater flamingos hang out by the lakes of Muzaffargarh. The 43-member f... -
Dawn - 05:51 Jul 30, 2026
The US military completed a “heavy wave of strikes” against Iran on Thursday in retaliation for Tehran targeting American bases in Jordan, as fighting intensified in the Middle East war after a nearly week-long pause. The reignited hostilities appear to have dashed hopes of a quick return to negotiations between the foes. US President Donald Trump had vowed to hit Iran “hard” after Tehran launched missiles at Jordan, its first regional strike in days. American forces “successfully completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran”, and struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard targets including military command centres, US Central Command (Centocom) said. “The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries,” it said. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported hits on several cities in the southwestern Khuzestan province, as well as on Qeshm island in the Gulf. Areas around the cities of Abadan, Shadegan, Arvandkenar a... -
Dawn - 04:28 Jul 30, 2026
PESHAWAR: Nine cops, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred and 28 others were injured after terrorists attacked the Khazina Banda checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district late on Wednesday. A statement issued by KP Inspector General (IG) Zulfiqar Hameed said that the checkpost was attacked by Fitna al Khawarij, a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while police personnel were present. He said that the police personnel responded bravely, while additional personnel were also dispatched. However, the terrorists ambushed the contingent, due to which an armoured personnel carrier was damaged. The IG said that despite these challenges, the personnel fought with bravery and professionalism. “Fifteen kharji were killed while multiple others were injured due to the police’s response,” he said. The IG added that during the intense and long exchange of fire, nine cops, including DSP Diyar Khan, were martyred while 28 others were ... -
Dawn - 04:19 Jul 30, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday evening shuffled senior bureaucrats after the federal government transferred Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Ahmad Raza Sarwar and posted him as interior and narcotics control division secretary. The Punjab government has posted retired Flt. Lt. Iftikhar Ali Sahoo as additional chief secretary. He was serving as secretary of the agriculture department and has been transferred. Punjab Industries, Commerce and Investment Department Secretary Muhammad Umar Masud has been transferred and posted as agriculture department secretary. S&GAD department Secretary (Services) Zaid Bin Maqsood has been transferred and posted as industries, commerce and investment department secretary. Secretary (Archives & Libraries Wing) S&GAD Muhammad Jahanzeb has been transferred and posted as secretary (Services) S&GAD department. He shall also hold the additional charge of the post of secretary (I&C), S&GAD, in addition to his own duties, till further orders. Secretary (I&C), S&GAD, Syed M... -
Dawn - 04:03 Jul 30, 2026
LAHORE: A sessions court on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to six police officials nominated in a case of raiding the residence of Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan. Additional District and Sessions Judge Zulfiqar Ahmed Naeem heard the bail petitions filed by Ijaz Haider and other police personnel. The judge allowed their bail till Aug 12 and restrained the police from arresting them. He directed each petitioner to furnish surety bonds of Rs50,000 and also ordered them to join the investigation. The police officials had approached the court apprehending their arrest in the case registered by the Sarwar Road police. According to the FIR, a police party led by Sarwar Road SHO entered the attorney general’s residence at around 6pm on July 27 after scaling the main gate. The cops allegedly harassed employees present in the house and damaged flower pots placed outside the residence during the operation. A total of 11 policemen were booked in the FIR. At the time of the police raid, the attorney g... -
Dawn - 03:08 Jul 30, 2026
THE floods are visiting us again. The death toll will be counted within days. The damage to roads, bridges and embankments will be tallied within weeks and translated into a dollar figure. Expect this assessment to dominate the coverage. It is legitimate but a wrong ledger regardless. The real casualty of this flood, and the one before it, and the one before that, is not standing in the rubble. It is sitting in a classroom that no longer exists, or should be sitting there and is not. Pakistan is a country where 40 per cent of the population is under 15, where 93 million children are of school age, where the state has for years spent less than one per cent of GDP on health and less than 2pc on education despite disasters. When the water recedes, the roads get rebuilt. The child who missed seven weeks of school, who was screened for severe acute malnutrition at a flood clinic, who caught malaria from a collapsed WASH system, does not get rebuilt on the same timeline. Evidence from the 2005 earthquake shows four...
12385 items