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Dawn - 19:03 Jul 18, 2025
Reverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith. Thai police this week arrested a woman accused of bedding at least 11 monks in violation of their vows of celibacy, before blackmailing them with thousands of secretly taken photos of their trysts. The monks are said to have paid nearly $12 million, funnelled out of their monasteries, funded by donations from laypeople hoping to increase their merit and prospects for reincarnation. The scandal provoked outrage over hypocrisy in the monkhood, concern that their status shields them from scrutiny, and soul-searching across society about the role of religion. This aerial photo taken on July 18 shows the giant Buddha statue at the Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen Buddhist temple complex in Bangkok, Thailand. — AFP “I’m not involved in the religion like I used to be,” 33-year-old motorbike taxi driver Mongkol Sudathip told AFP. “I don’t have ... -
Dawn - 18:44 Jul 18, 2025
The United States has rejected an agreement adopted by members of the World Health Organisation to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to Covid-19, the American government said on Friday. The State Department and Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement they had transmitted on Friday the official US rejection of the legally binding pact, which was adopted in Geneva in May after three years of negotiations. The pact aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20 per cent of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access. US negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the US, by far the WHO’s largest financial backer, from the agency when he took office in January. Its exit means the US would not ... -
Dawn - 18:19 Jul 18, 2025
Flooding at Punjab’s Kalabagh and Chashma on the Indus river reached a “medium” level on Friday, prompting the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to issue a high-level flood warning for the two points, as water flows surged due to heavy monsoon rains. Rescue operations continued in Punjab after recent deadly rains wreaked havoc and claimed at least 63 lives across the province. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has forecasted that five more such spells of rain are expected in the coming days, leading to rising water levels, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The next spell is expected to begin from July 21 and last till July 28, while the fifth is expected in the first week of August, the sixth in the second week of August and the seventh in its third week. “The flow of water in rivers is increasing due to monsoon rains and glacial melting,” a statement issued by the PDMA spokesperson said. According to the data released by the Met Office’s Flood Forecasting Division at 6p... -
Dawn - 18:10 Jul 18, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday met with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer in an effort to strengthen trade ties, according to a statement from the finance ministry. Pakistan and the US concluded a critical round of trade negotiations earlier this month, reaching an understanding on a deal that could shape the future of the country’s key export sectors. While both sides reached an understanding, a formal announcement is expected only after the US concludes similar ongoing negotiations with other trade partners. According to the finance ministry, Aurangzeb had a “productive meeting” with Lutnick and Greer in Washington DC, with both sides satisfied with progress made in enhancing trade ties. “They (Pakistan and the US) reaffirmed their commitment to exploring opportunities to strengthen these ties in all possible areas of mutual benefit,” the statement read. “Finance Minister Aurangzeb emphasised that the US remains Pakistan’s... -
Dawn - 17:32 Jul 18, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Quetta on Friday handed Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other organisers of the group into police custody for 15 days, marking yet another extension of their detention. In March, Mahrang and other BYC members were arrested for “attacking” the Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”, a day after the group faced a police crackdown while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018. Mahrang has been held at the Hudda District Prison in Quetta under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) — a law that empowers authorities to arrest and detain individuals suspected of posing a threat to public order. On July 8, a Quetta ATC handed Mahrang and other activists into police custody for 10 days, extending their three-month detention. The other activists were Gulzadi, Bebow Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji, Ghaffar Baloch and Beberg Baloch. Today... -
Dawn - 17:03 Jul 18, 2025
A group of right-wingers in India forcibly closed an outlet of the fast food chain KFC to close, demanding a ban on the sale of non-vegetarian food during the Hindu month of Sawan, according to reports by Indian media outlets on Friday. Sawan, also known as Shravana, is considered a holy month in the Hindu calendar where many observe fasts and refrain from consuming meat, alcohol and even onions and garlic, according to Indian daily The Hindu. The Hindu reported that a group of demonstrators stormed the outlet in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and confronted the staff, demanding that the restaurant’s operations be stopped. “Visuals of the incident circulated widely on social media showed members of the outfit carrying saffron flags and chanting slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’, while forcibly pulling down the shutter of the KFC outlet,” the newspaper added. According to The Times of India, Pinky Chaudhary, the chief of the group, said, “Our message is clear: we are asking that all non-vegetarian... -
Dawn - 15:55 Jul 18, 2025
A Karachi University laboratory on basis of samples sent from actor Humaira Asghar’s body came to the conclusion that there were no traces of sedative or toxic substance in it, raising a strong possibility that the medico-legal section will likely to declare it as a “natural death”, it emerged on Friday according to a report and police officials. A police investigative report released on Wednesday found that the evidence so far indicated that the actor’s death — whose body was discovered in a Karachi apartment on July 8 — was accidental or due to natural causes. “No traces of any sedative, psychiatric, narcotics or any poisonous substances are found,” according to the contents of the report prepared by experts associated with the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences of Karachi University (KU) and obtained by Dawn.com. The Gizri police had sent the samples of the 42-year-old actor’s hair, lung and liver collected by Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Doctor Bakhtawar Khan on July 8.... -
Dawn - 15:33 Jul 18, 2025
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced that Pakistan recorded a current account surplus of $2.1 billion during the current fiscal year. Due to the widening trade gap and higher external debt servicing, the country posted a current account deficit of $103 million in May compared to a $47m surplus in the preceding month and $1.2bn in March. According to SBP data, the current account saw a surplus of $2.1bn, compared to a deficit of $2.1bn during the previous fiscal year. Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad highlighted the developments in a post on X, stating that the surplus was the highest in 22 years. “[The] country’s current account for June 2025 closes in $328m surplus, taking full-year surplus to over $2.1bn,” he wrote. Schehzad added that remittances surged by 27 per cent year-on-year to reach a “historic” $38bn. He added that in the current fiscal year, textile exports increased by 7.4pc year-on-year to $17.9bn, while IT (information technology) and IT-enabled services exports ... -
Dawn - 15:26 Jul 18, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance against terrorism, saying that the country has “effectively and comprehensively dismantled” terrorist outfits. The statement follows the US State Department’s decision on Thursday to designate a little-known group called The Resistance Front (TRF) — responsible for the Pahalgam attack — as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) group. The April 22 attack — which resulted in the deaths of 26 people — sparked a military confrontation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan as New Delhi blamed it on Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations while calling for a neutral investigation. According to a BBC News report in June, the group had initially said it was behind the attack, but later disowned it. The US State Department claimed that the little-known group was a “front and proxy” of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian securi... -
Dawn - 14:18 Jul 18, 2025
Around 13,000 to 15,000 Pakistani students go to the United Kingdom for permanent residence every year, a Foreign Office (FO) official told the Senate on Friday. “Every year, 13,000 to 15,000 Pakistani students go to the UK for permanent residence,” a FO representative told the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis in a meeting chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada. “Pakistani students prefer to settle in the UK rather than return to the country,” the official added. “These students are willing to work even for minimum wage.” According to the official, Pakistani students then become part of the UK labour market. The FO representative told the panel that there are currently 1.8 million Pakistanis living in the UK. “Pakistani citizens face difficulties [in the UK] due to lack of English proficiency,” the official added. Earlier in the week, UK’s government launched e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of an “enhanced” border and immigration system. The announcement came just a day after t... -
Dawn - 13:32 Jul 18, 2025
Pakistan on Friday beat India 3-0 in the Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship semi-final being held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. “Team Pakistan U-16 Men’s Volleyball continues its dream run at the 2nd Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship 2025 in Thailand by defeating arch-rivals India in the semi-final,” the Pakistan Volleyball Association announced in a post on Instagram. Pakistan beat India with a clean sweep by winning three straight sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-12). View this post on Instagram “Stellar performances from Junaid, Faizan, Irfan, and Talha powered the Green Shirts into the Final and one step closer to glory,” the association said. With this victory, Pakistan qualifies for the final, where they will face Iran on July 19 at 3:30pm PKT. On Wednesday, Pakistan secured a place in the semi-finals of the Asian U-16 Volleyball Championship and booked their berth in next year’s FIVB U-17 World Championship after defeating Indonesia in straight sets in the quarter-final. The national side had register... -
Dawn - 13:27 Jul 18, 2025
A Balochistan Constabulary acting deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a constable were martyred and two others suffered injuries on Friday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle on National Highway in the Mastung district, provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind said. There has been an increase in the frequency of attacks against security forces in Balochistan in recent times. In April, three policemen were martyred and at least 16 others were injured in a blast that targeted a vehicle of the Balochistan Constabulary on Mastung’s Dasht Road. According to Rind’s statement, “A police convoy coming from Kalat to Quetta was targeted by terrorists.” “Acting DSP Inspector Abdul Razzaq and Constable Raza Muhammad Jam were martyred in the attack, while Constable Taj Muhammad and Constable Khursheed Ahmed were injured,” he said. Rind further said that the dead bodies and injured personnel were transferred to Quetta by helicopter. He continued, “Terrorist incidents are a manifestation of the... -
Dawn - 13:16 Jul 18, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the first batch of 300 Pakistani agriculture graduates had completed their hands-on training in China’s Shaanxi province as part of a joint agriculture training initiative. Last July, it was announced that 1,000 students would travel to China for modern agricultural vocational training at the government’s expense. The first batch of students was sent to China at the beginning of the academic year 2024-25, while the next batch would be sent to Chinese agricultural universities after learning Chinese in Pakistan. In a post on X, the PM said it was “very heartening” to hear that the 300 students completed their training “in important areas of water saving irrigation, seed production, animal husbandry, agriculture production and prevention of post-harvest losses”. “My special thanks to the Chinese leadership, [the] Shaanxi Government and the two universities,” PM Shehbaz said, referring to North West Agriculture and Forestry University and Yangling Vocational... -
Dawn - 13:11 Jul 18, 2025
Security forces have foiled an infiltration attempt by terrorists along the Pak-Afghan border and arrested five “alleged suicide bombers”, state-run PTV News reported on Friday. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. “Pakistani security forces have foiled an infiltration attempt by Khawarij along the Pak-Afghan border,” PTV News reported, citing security sources. Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to terrorists. PTV said, quoting security sources, that on July 17, at around 5pm, Khawarij tried to cross the border and enter Pakistan, but the forces, on receiving immediate information, set up checkpoints at various places and prevented them from proceeding ahead with their attempt. “The Khawarij advanced towards Azizkhel and Mandikhel, but due to the heavy presence of security forces, they were forced to take refuge in the mosque in Besikhel, where the forces immediat... -
Dawn - 12:18 Jul 18, 2025
The body of a police constable, who was carried away by flash floods during a rescue operation to evacuate stranded residents in Jhelum district, has been recovered after 24 hours and he was laid to rest with honour, the district police said on Friday. Punjab government declared a state of emergency and imposed section 144 in several districts as heavy rains triggered flooding across the province. Data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) showed 61 people were killed and 268 injured, while more rains are expected in the coming days. Dozens of villages were inundated in Jhelum district after unabated rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, and a rescue operation was launched by the district administration to evacuate residents stranded amid flash floods. During the rescue operation in Chotala area, six police constables were boarding a tractor trolley to evacuate local residents when the vehicle overturned due to raging floodwaters. Consequently, constable Haider Ali Hussain was swept away, whi... -
Dawn - 11:41 Jul 18, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and Libyan Armed Forces’ Commander in Chief Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar agreed on their countries’ collaboration in the defence industry, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. Lt Gen Haftar called on COAS Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi today, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release. “Both leaders agreed to undertake defence industrial collaboration and exchange of technical expertise to address contemporary security challenges,” the ISPR stated. It noted that the meeting “encompassed discussion on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional dynamics, security challenges and matters pertaining to defence cooperation”. Libyan Armed Forces’ Commander in Chief Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar calls on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi on July 18, 2025. — ISPR Upon his arrival at GHQ, the Libyan armed forces’ chief laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (martyrs’ monume... -
Dawn - 11:27 Jul 18, 2025
At least three wild elephants were found dead across Sri Lanka on Friday, officials said, a day after six young rescued elephants were returned to the jungle under a conservation drive. Wildlife officials said one elephant was run over by a passenger train in the island’s northeast, while two others were found shot dead in the central and eastern regions. Elephants are protected by law and considered sacred due to their significance in Buddhist culture, but farmers often kill them to protect their crops. Human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 elephants and 55 people so far this year. “We have launched investigations into the shootings of the two elephants, it looks like the work of local farmers,” a police spokesman in the capital Colombo said. The train accident occurred in Gallella, the same area where seven elephants were killed by a locomotive in February, the worst incident of its kind in Sri Lanka. It happened despite speed limits on trains passing through elephant... -
Dawn - 11:05 Jul 18, 2025
One billion Africans have to cook on open fires or with fuel that is hazardous to their health and the environment, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. The problem, which its report says can be easily solved, causes as much greenhouse gas emissions every year as the aviation industry. Two billion people across the world still cook on open fires or with rudimentary stoves fed by wood, charcoal, agricultural waste or manure, the IEA report found. “It is one of the greatest injustices of our time, especially in Africa,” IEA head Fatih Birol told AFP, where four out of five households rely on open fires and burning wood. These fuels pollute the air both indoors and outdoors with fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause multiple respiratory and cardiovascular problems, the report said. It also adds to the destruction of forests, natural sinks that trap carbon and help fight global warming. The IEA estimates that 815,000 premature deaths occur each year in Africa alone due to poor indoor air qu... -
Dawn - 10:36 Jul 18, 2025
Five private companies on Friday proposed routes for the newly announced ferry service from Gwadar to the Gulf region, according to the maritime ministry. On July 1, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipping lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pakistan with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The move is expected to provide an affordable, direct maritime link for passengers and cargo, particularly benefiting expatriate communities and cross-border traders. Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting on the ferry service today to review the “technical and financial aspects of ferry operations”, a statement by his ministry said. “Five private companies presented their proposals,” the statement added. “The interest of the private sector in ferry service has increased,” Chaudhry said, adding that various routes were under consideration. “The ferry service will promote ... -
Dawn - 09:59 Jul 18, 2025
Germany said on Friday it had deported 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes to their Taliban-controlled homeland, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government looks to signal a hard line on immigration. The interior ministry said a plane carrying the men took off Friday morning bound for Afghanistan, adding that all the deportees were under expulsion orders and were convicted by the criminal justice system. The government of Europe’s top economy was forging ahead with a “policy change”, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who was hosting several European counterparts for a migration meeting. “Deportations to Afghanistan must continue to be carried out safely in the future. There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country.” Berlin has had only indirect contact with the Taliban authorities through third parties with Friday’s operation executed with the help of Qatar, said the German interior ministry. Germany had stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following t...
5467 items