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Dawn - 21:44 Apr 12, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the two-week ceasefire with the US, and warned that it would be dealt with harshly and decisively. “The strait is under the control and smart management of Iran’s Navy,” the Guards said in a statement reported by Iranian state media, adding it is “open for the safe passage of non-military vessels in accordance with specific regulations”. The IRGC has also warned that enemies would be trapped in its “deadly vortex” in case of any miscalculation. “All traffic … is under the full control of the armed forces,” the Guards naval command said in a Persian language post on X. “The enemy will become trapped in a deadly vortex in the strait if it makes the wrong move,” it added, posting a video showing vessels in crosshairs. The IRGC’s warning came after US President Donald Trump, in a surprise announcement, said the United States Navy would begin the p... -
Dawn - 21:31 Apr 12, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the United States and Iran to remain committed to a ceasefire after both countries ended historic face-to-face talks without an agreement on Sunday. “It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire,” Dar said in a press conference following the conclusion of the 21-hour marathon talks. Dar expressed Pakistan’s readiness to continue to play its role to “facilitate engagement and dialogue” between the US and Iran. He hoped that both sides would “continue with the positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond”. The foreign minister also thanked Iran and the US for following through on the ceasefire call by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and accepting the invitation for the Islamabad Talks. Dar stated that he, along with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, “helped mediate several rounds of intense and constructive negotiations between... -
Dawn - 20:23 Apr 12, 2026
Nationalist Viktor Orban, who has ruled Hungary for 16 years, on Sunday conceded defeat to conservative Peter Magyar in parliamentary elections. With votes in almost 67 per cent of precincts counted, Magyar’s party stood to have gained 137 seats, or more than two-thirds of all 199 parliamentary seats, according to official election results. The vote on Sunday was being closely watched across Europe and in the United States, with US President Donald Trump endorsing Orban, a self-described “thorn” in the European Union’s side and a defender of “illiberal democracy” who is also close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous,” Orban, 62, told reporters. “We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party,” he said. Magyar, 45, a political newcomer and former government insider, posed on social media that Orban “just called to congratulate us ... -
Dawn - 19:48 Apr 12, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to continue supporting diplomatic efforts for sustaining dialogue and promoting peace. His remarks came during telephonic conversations with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye after the conclusion of US-Iran talks in Islamabad on early Sunday morning. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar had spoken with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Bin Farhaan, today and shared developments regarding the Islamabad Talks. During the phone call, Dar “stressed the importance of all parties adhering to their ceasefire commitments,” the FO stated. Underscoring Pakistan’s role in facilitating the dialogue, Dar reaffirmed the “resolve to continue supporting all diplomatic efforts and sustain dialogue to promote peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the FO said. In his conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Dar briefed him on the Islamabad Talks and Pakistan’s contin... -
Dawn - 19:01 Apr 12, 2026
The Global Sumud Flotilla left Barcelona symbolically for Gaza on Sunday, but delayed its departure into international waters due to adverse weather conditions, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition coordinator, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported. “Due to weather conditions, our mission will sail from this port today, but will not be sailing to international waters because we cannot make this journey safely today,” said Thiago Avila. He added that the mission would proceed towards Gaza in phases, with possible delays depending on weather conditions along the route. “We are leaving here, going to Gaza in different steps, maybe sometimes having to stop a little bit to wait for the weather,” he said. He stressed that the convoy would remain flexible, adding that safety and technical requirements would determine movements at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla was created to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, and draw international attention to the situation in the enclave. The miss... -
Dawn - 18:41 Apr 12, 2026
A historic meeting, 21 hours of negotiations, and one “final” offer. Yet, the high-level ‘Islamabad Talks’ between the United States and Iran ended inconclusively early Sunday morning. Although commentators and analysts say the dialogue was unlikely to end any other way, the heart wants what it wants, and the entire world sat on the edge of their seats, hoping for nothing short of a miracle. After a day and an entire night of talks, US Vice President JD Vance finally addressed journalists at a press briefing at 6:30am, where he announced the “bad news”. “We have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” he said, elaborating that Iran had chosen “not to accept our terms”. “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance added. Shortly after, he flew back to the US. On the other hand, Iran’s Parl... -
Dawn - 18:12 Apr 12, 2026
Italy’s Jannik Sinner dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5) 6-3 in Sunday’s Monte Carlo final to claim his first Masters title on clay and snatch back the world number one ranking from the Spaniard. The victory capped a remarkable run for Sinner, who became just the second player to win the Sunshine Double and Monte Carlo in the same season — a feat previously achieved only by Novak Djokovic in 2015. It marked Sinner’s fourth consecutive Masters 1000 crown following triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami, and his eighth Masters title overall. “We came here just trying to get as many matches as possible before other big tournaments coming up. Today was a very high level from both of us,” Sinner said in an on-court interview. “It was a bit windy, breezy — completely different conditions the tournament has brought until today. “The result is amazing, getting back to number one means a lot to me. At the same time, as I always say, the ranking is secondary. I’m very happy to win at least one... -
Dawn - 16:54 Apr 12, 2026
KARACHI: East Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Farrukh Ali on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the reports of an armed robbery by several suspects on a bridge in Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony after a video purportedly showing the incident was widely shared on social media. In the video, a man is heard saying that 10-12 robbers are looting the commuters on the bridge late at night. The police statement said DIG Ali had directed Korangi and Malir’s senior superintendents of the police to conduct an inquiry into the incident and register a first information report. The statement further quoted DIG Ali as saying, “Shah Faisal Bridge is an important public thoroughfare”, and added that the official ordered the immediate additional deployment and patrolling of police at the spot to prevent such incidents in the future. “Protecting the life and property of the citizens and taking action against elements involved in breaching peace without any … is the police’s priority,” he was quoted as saying. On the other hand, Mal... -
Dawn - 15:06 Apr 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged public cooperation as the nationwide anti-polio campaign is set to begin from April 13. The week-long campaign aims to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five across all provinces and regions as part of the ongoing efforts to eradicate polio. In a statement released on Sunday, Aseefa called on families and communities across Pakistan to fully cooperate with the upcoming nationwide polio vaccination campaign to ensure that every child is protected from the crippling disease. Pakistan, she said, stood at a “critical juncture” in its fight against the virus. “Years of sustained effort have brought the country closer to eradication, with the coming phase representing the final stretch where reaching every child is essential,” she stated. “From April 13 to 19, frontline health workers will conduct door-to-door visits, covering urban centres as well as remote communities. “In addition to administering polio drops, children will also receive Vita... -
Dawn - 14:48 Apr 12, 2026
Wrapped in bloodied bandages, Aline Saeed, seven, barely survived the Israeli strike on her home in south Lebanon last week. She was there to bury her father as hopes of a truce spread across the region, but a new strike killed her infant sister and other relatives. The strike on the Saeed family home in the village of Srifa took place on Wednesday, the first day of a two-week US-Iran ceasefire that many in Lebanon hoped would apply to their country, too. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than 350 across Lebanon and left the Saeed family with four more relatives to bury. “They said it was a ceasefire. Like all these people, we went up to the village. We went to the casket to read the prayers and walk home … suddenly we felt like a storm was landing right on us,” said Nasser Saeed, Aline’s 64-year-old grandfather, who also survived. Relatives mourn over the bodies of four members of the Saeed family, Taleen (1.5 years old), Qassem (26), Khalil (60) and Fatima (39), killed in an Israeli strike in the village... -
Dawn - 12:28 Apr 12, 2026
China on Sunday unveiled 10 new incentive measures for Taiwan, including easing tourist curbs, allowing in “healthy” television dramas and facilitating food sales, following a visit by the island’s opposition leader. The move comes at the end of a trip to China by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s largest opposition party. She met Chinese President Xi Jinping and talked about the need for peace and reconciliation. The 10 measures, unveiled by the official Xinhua news agency, “explore” the establishment of a regular communication mechanism between the KMT and China’s Communist Party, the full resumption of flights between the two sides and permission for individuals from Shanghai and Fujian province to visit Taiwan. A mechanism will be established to ease inspection standards for food and fishery products, but that has to be on the political foundation of “opposing Taiwan independence,” Xinhua said. Taiwanese TV dramas, documentaries and animation will be allowed to be shown as... -
Dawn - 12:04 Apr 12, 2026
Direct talks between the United States and Iran were continuing into the early hours of Sunday in Islamabad, but within hours, delegations from both sides were heading home. In the morning, US Vice President JD Vance addressed a press conference, noting there had been “a number of substantive discussions”. However, he said the two sides did not reach an agreement. Dawn takes a look at scenes from the day of the noteworthy US-Iran talks concluding. Freshly printed newspapers featuring a headline about the US and Iran peace talks in Islamabad, are kept on a table at a printing press in Karachi on April 12, 2026. — Reuters Vice President JD Vance arrives for a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. — AFP US Vice President JD Vance and Jared Kushner arrive for a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, on April 12, 2026, in Islamabad. — Pool via Reuters Vice President JD Vance (R) speaks during a news conference a... -
Dawn - 11:25 Apr 12, 2026
After a marathon 21 hours of high-level talks, delegations from the United States and Iran departed from Islamabad on Sunday morning without reaching an agreement. The Islamabad Talks had the world, especially the Middle East, hoping that the 40-day US-Iran war would come to a permanent end. Both countries had agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier this week, with Pakistan playing a key diplomatic role. However, speaking to the media earlier today, US Vice President JD Vance said: “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.” “So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are.” He also cited shortcomings in the talks, saying that Tehran had chosen not to accept American terms, including the building of nuclear weapons. On the other hand, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said that “excessive” US demands had hindered an agreement. “... -
Dawn - 11:10 Apr 12, 2026
QUETTA: At least two people from the provincial capital’s Hazara community were killed and another three injured after unknown assailants opened fire on them on Sunday. Senior police officer Muhammad Khair Sumalani told Dawn that the men came under attack while they were travelling back to Hazara Town from the Hazarganji vegetable market. “Unidentified armed men riding motorcycles opened fire at their vehicle, killing two people on the spot and injuring three,” he said. The senior police official said that the incident appeared to be a “targeted killing”, adding that the police and Frontier Corps personnel rushed to the site soon after the incident. Civil Hospital Spokesperson Wasim Bag told Dawn that the hospital had received two bodies and three injured persons. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and police have launched a search operation. The Hazara community blocked the Western Bypass to protest the incident, disrupting traffic. Administration and police were negotiating with the pro... -
Dawn - 10:10 Apr 12, 2026
After their face-to-face talks yielded no agreement, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday said it was now time for the United States to decide whether it can “earn” Tehran’s trust. In a post on X, written in Persian, Ghalibaf said: “America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not?” Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation, recalled that before the negotiations, he “emphasised that we have the necessary good faith and will, but due to the experiences of the two previous wars, we have no trust in the opposing side”. “My colleagues on the Iranian delegation Minaab168 raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposing side ultimately failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations,” he added. The Iranian parliament speaker went on to state: “We certainly consider diplomacy of authority to be another method, alongside military struggle, for achieving the rights of the Iranian people, ... -
Dawn - 06:17 Apr 12, 2026
DHAKA: A self-proclaimed spiritual leader was beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh on Saturday, officials said, in the latest violence fuelled by religious tensions in the country. Muslim-majority Bangladesh has seen a sharp rise in religious intolerance and mob violence since the 2024 uprising that toppled the government of former premier Sheikh Hasina. Shamim Reza Jahangir, believed to be in his 60s, died from his injuries after hundreds of people stormed his residence in Kushtia district and thrashed him with sticks, chief administrative official Touhid bin Hasan said. The mob was angered after an old video of the man resurfaced online on Friday. He had uttered remarks against the Holy Quran. “Sensing that something might happen, police went to the spot, and the administration tried their best. But an angry mob of more than 200 people attacked his residence,” bin Hasan said. Jahangir was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police sources said that Jahangir had been briefly arres... -
Dawn - 05:38 Apr 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Jinnah Convention Centre (JCC) on Saturday became a hub of foreign and local media as journalists gathered to cover the historic US-Iran talks. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, said in a statement that more than 50 foreign journalists had come to Pakistan to cover the event. He said Pakistan had offered the facility of visa-on-arrival to foreign journalists. Earlier, foreign and local media persons were assembled at a local hotel, from where they were taken to the JCC in special buses arranged by the Information Ministry. The convention centre was turned into a large media centre where special booths were set up for private TV channels from which they conducted their talk shows. However, they had no direct access to the venue where the historic talks between the US and Iran were under way. Local media appeared to be more constrained in obtaining information about the talks and relied on updates received by American and Iranian journalists from t... -
Dawn - 05:14 Apr 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Ministers of finance and central bank governors of developing countries will launch the ‘Borrowers’ Platform’ to improve their debt management capacity in Washington on April 15, during the IMF-World Bank Spring meetings. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Egyptian Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouck will jointly preside over the launching of the platform, to be held at the United Nations Foundation. The launch comes amid rising debt pressures across developing countries. To mark this historic occasion, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the platform’s launch. The initiative is member-state-led, with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) serving as the secretariat. The platform addresses a gap in the international financial system, where developing countries remain under-represented while creditor coordination has expanded, UNCTAD says. Pakistan and Egypt lead Borrowers’ Platform launch The platform will open a new space for cooperation on debt. A key, lo... -
Dawn - 04:44 Apr 12, 2026
• Most cases linked to Korangi and Malir; study stresses immediate wound care and timely post-exposure treatment to prevent deaths • Findings point to substantial virus burden in stray dogs; experts call for scaling up vaccination and improved dog population management KARACHI: A study published in an international journal has found that the rabies virus — one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world — is widely circulating among the city’s dog population, highlighting a high risk of exposure to the virus and an urgent need for prevention, surveillance, and prompt treatment. In a first, researchers at the Indus Hospital detected rabies virus RNA in samples taken directly from fresh bite wounds, offering a breakthrough for surveillance. The study, titled Detection of rabies virus RNA in dog-bite wounds in a rabies-endemic area: evidence from an observational cohort study, is published in eBioMedicine, part of The Lancet Discovery Science. Under the study, a total of 100 patients with World Health Orga... -
Dawn - 04:34 Apr 12, 2026
GILGIT: The caretaker cabinet of Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday approved the renaming of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) as the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), and police recruitment for 600 newly created posts. It also decided to hand over as many as nine roads in GB, with a total length of 461km, to the National Highway Authority (NHA). The caretaker cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Yar Muhammad at CM Secretariat in Gilgit. Addressing a press conference at the CM Secretariat, GB Caretaker Information Minister Ghulam Abbas, accompanied by Caretaker Home Minister Sajid Ali Baig, Caretaker Finance and Planning and Development Minister Abrar Ismail, Caretaker Forest Minister Hafiz Sharafuddin, and spokesperson for the CM Shabbir Mir, briefed the media. He said the GB cabinet appreciated the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their role in bringing about a ceasefire between the US and Iran through sincer...
12427 items