Dawn
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Dawn - 13:35 Jul 22, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday warned of a heightened risk of glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as over 200 stranded tourists were rescued from GB’s Diamer district as heavy floods battered the region. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as cloudburst-induced floods wreaked havoc across the region. The flood-related death toll in the region rose to five today, after four lost their lives and 15 went missing yesterday in Diamer’s Babusar area. In its alert, the PMD warned that the prevailing weather conditions increased the risk of Glofs, flash floods and landslides in vulnerable glaciated regions of GB and KP. It forecast that the wet spell was likely to continue and could affect GB and KP in the current week, adding that scattered rain and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy falls, were expected in both regions. The death toll in GB since yesterday currently stands at five, according to Diamer Distric... -
Dawn - 13:13 Jul 22, 2025
Pakistan Airports Authority’s (PAA) landmark project — Quetta International Airport Runway Reconstruction — has received the Fidic Asia Pacific Award for Engineering Excellence, the authority has said. The Fidic Asia-Pacific Awards honour excellence in consulting engineering across the region, spotlighting outstanding projects, emerging leaders, and industry strength, according to its website. Winners are announced at the Asia Pacific Infrastructure Conference in three categories: Powerhouse Awards, Outstanding Project Awards, and Emerging Leaders Awards. The award to the Quetta International Airport Runway Reconstruction project was conferred at the Fidic Asia Pacific Conference 2025 held from July 15-17 in Islamabad, the PAA said on Sunday. “This distinguished accolade recognises the successful delivery of Pakistan’s longest and structurally largest rigid runway, executed in sectional phases on an operational joint-user airfield,” the PAA statement said. “Remarkably, the project was delivered with zero clai... -
Dawn - 12:20 Jul 22, 2025
The loud echo of hammering fills a wide, desolate compound littered with piles of debris, as labourers carefully demolish the remaining structure of a collapsed five-story building in a neglected neighbourhood of Karachi. Until recently, this building on a pothole-ridden street in Lyari town was home to multiple families, playing a central role in the neighbourhood’s daily life. But decades of neglect and structural deterioration led to a tragic collapse earlier this month, resulting in the deaths of 27 people and injuries to several others, leaving dozens homeless. Most of the victims belonged to the Hindu community. “It felt like a bomb exploded over my head. All I recall is being pulled out of the rubble by people, and there was a lot of screaming,” Rashid Ali, who miraculously survived a fall from the rooftop with a fractured right leg, told Anadolu. Another resident, Chaman Meshuri, described two distinct jolts that shook the building moments before it collapsed, allowing some residents to escape. “I was... -
Dawn - 12:04 Jul 22, 2025
The Pakistani and Saudi naval chiefs held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the regional maritime security situation and enhancing defence cooperation. The two countries conducted a bilateral training drill involving their special forces with a high-intensity final test exercise in Karachi in February. The bilateral training exercise was held between the Special Operations Forces (SOFs) of Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) and Special Service Group of Pakistan Navy (SSG-N). A statement issued today from the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) Director General Public Relations said RSNF Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Ghuraybi met Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad, on Tuesday. The Saudi naval chief was received by Admiral Ashraf and presented with a guard of honour. He was also introduced to the principal staff officers. “During meeting, both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security situation and avenues for enha... -
Dawn - 11:53 Jul 22, 2025
China has broken ground on what it says will be the world’s largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain. The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest, and Chinese construction and engineering stocks surged after Premier Li Qiang unveiled it on the weekend. For Beijing, the project promises clean power, jobs and a jolt of stimulus for a slowing economy. For neighbours downstream, it stirs old anxieties about water security: the Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, a lifeline for millions. What exactly did China approve? The plan involves five dams along a 50-kilometre stretch where the river plunges 2,000 metres off the Tibetan Plateau. First power is expected to be generated in the early-to-mid 2030s, but beyond that and the price tag, China has published little information about how it intends to build the project. Why are neighbours concerned That lack of information is compound... -
Dawn - 11:01 Jul 22, 2025
A young student was allegedly beaten to death by his madressah teachers on Monday evening in Swat’s Chaliyar village, according to the police. Swat District Police Spokesperson Moin Fayaz said in a statement that the victim, Farhan, had missed classes for a few days before the incident occurred. Police and eyewitnesses said that three teachers reportedly beat Farhan in front of fellow students. “He had just returned to school after being absent for some days,” said one of Farhan’s classmates, who chose not to be named. “Our teachers started hitting him hard. Later, they dragged him into a side room and kept beating him. I was called in to bring water. He drank a little, then put his head in my lap — and just went silent.” Farhan was rushed to the nearest hospital by students and teachers, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival, according to Fayaz. A first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, has been registered against all three suspects under Sections 302 (premeditated mu... -
Dawn - 10:10 Jul 22, 2025
At least five children lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district as torrential rains triggered flash floods in various parts of the region, rescue officials said on Tuesday. Monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 221 people have been killed and more than 500 others injured in rain-related incidents since June 26. According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shafiqa Gul, a woman and her two sons were attempting to cross a stream in the Sur Dherai area of Malam Jabba, when her children drowned. “The mother, holding her 10-month-old baby in her arms, was trying to guide her seven-year-old son across the stream when a flash flood struck. In the chaos, she lost control, and the child in her arms was swept away,” Gul said. The bodies of the two sons were recovered by rescue personnel after hours of coordinated effort, the official added. I... -
Dawn - 08:29 Jul 22, 2025
The United States will soon require international visitors to pay a “visa integrity fee” of at least $250, a new addition to existing visa application costs, according to a provision in the Trump administration’s recently enacted domestic policy bill, CNN reported on Tuesday. In the fiscal year 2024, the US issued nearly 11 million non-immigrant visas according to the State Department. These encompass international students, many leisure and business travellers and other temporary visitors. The new fee will apply to all visitors requiring non-immigrant visas to enter the US. This does not include tourists and business travellers from countries that are included in the Visa Waiver Programme — including Australia and many European countries — that do not need visas for stays of 90 days or less. The fee is to be paid at the time visas are issued. Although there will be no fee waivers for the payment, the provision states that travellers who comply with the terms of their visa can have the fee reimbursed after th... -
Dawn - 08:04 Jul 22, 2025
Iran has no plans to abandon its nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment, despite “severe” damage to its facilities after US strikes last month, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday. For now, enrichment “is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe”, Araghchi told Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier”. “But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists,” he continued, calling it a source of “national pride”. He stressed that any future nuclear deal would have to contain the right to enrichment. When asked whether any enriched uranium had been saved from the strikes, Araghchi said he had “no detailed information”, but that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation is “trying to evaluate what has exactly happened to our nuclear material, to our enriched material”. Washington bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran on June 22 to support Israel’s 12-day military offensive, including the Fordow underground uranium enrichment site located south o... -
Dawn - 07:31 Jul 22, 2025
Pakistan on Monday signed a United Nations (UN) agreement aimed at conserving marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the Foreign Office (FO) said. In 2015, Pakistan’s seabed territory grew by about 50,000 square kilometres after a UN body accepted Islamabad’s claim for extension of sea limits. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the “Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” (BBNJ Agreement) at the UN Headquarters in New York. The BBNJ pact is the third implementing agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994. Pakistan signing the BBNJ agreement “reflects on its commitment to multilateral cooperation and protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction”, the FO noted in a statement. The BBNJ agreement was adopted on 19 June 2023 by an intergovernmental conference. “Paki... -
Dawn - 06:59 Jul 22, 2025
At least 25 children were among the 27 dead pulled from scorched buildings after a Bangladesh Air Force jet on a training mission crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials said on Tuesday, with 88 people being treated in hospital. The F-7 BGI aircraft crashed soon after it took off at 1:06pm (12:06pm PKT) on Monday from the airbase in Kurmitola in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure. Visuals showed rescue workers scouring the charred buildings for debris as distressed family members surrounded the site. Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, told reporters that 27 people had died and 88 were admitted to hospital with burn injuries. Those dead included 25 children, a teacher and the pilot. The government announced a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast and special prayers at all places of worship. The F-7 BGI is the final and most advanced variant in China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, acc... -
Dawn - 06:45 Jul 22, 2025
KARACHI: Nolberto Solano’s last managerial job might have not gone too well but the Newcastle United legend will look to turn a page on that when he takes over as the head coach of Pakistan’s senior and under-23 teams next month. Solano is the first major appointment by the freshly-elected Pakistan Football Federation leadership with president Mohsen Gilani telling Dawn on Monday that he expected the former Peru winger to help the national team reach new heights. “He will bring more zest and energy to the national team … especially in our style of play,” Mohsen added, noting Solano’s experience as the assistant coach of the Peruvian national team. During his seven-year stint as assistant to Ricardo Gareca, Solano helped his country qualify for their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 36 years as Peru made it to the 2018 tournament in Russia. Solano, who also helmed the under-23 side, stayed till 2022, leaving after Peru fell to Australia in an intercontinental playoff for the World Cup that year in Qatar. Sin... -
Dawn - 06:05 Jul 22, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday passed several private member bills, including one enhancing punishment for obscenity-related offences. The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, introduced by PPP Senator Shahadat Awan, seeks to amend Sections 292 to 294 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The bill has defined obscenity as per Article 37(g) of the Constitution, which states: “[The State shall:] prevent prostitution, gambling and taking of injurious drugs, printing, publication, circulation and display of obscene literature and advertisements”. Under the proposed changes, Section 292 would increase the penalty for publishing, producing, exhibiting, distributing, or selling obscene material from a three-month sentence and an unspecified fine to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000. A proviso clarifies the law does not apply to religious content or objects used for religious purposes. Section 293 would raise the punishment for selling obscene material to individuals under 20 years from six months’ impriso... -
Dawn - 05:58 Jul 22, 2025
QUETTA: Police have arrested at least 14 suspects for their involvement in the killing of a man and a woman in the Quetta district, who were shot dead on the orders of a tribal jirga ahead of Eidul Azha for so-called honour. The horrific video of the incident went viral on Sunday, prompting a countrywide outcry. Balochistan Police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told Dawn the woman’s family and her tribe members were allegedly involved in the murder as they killed her and her partner for allegedly having a relationship out of wedlock. The man who shot and killed the woman was her brother, the IGP said. On Sunday, it was reported that the woman and the man had contracted a love marriage, and they were invited by their families on the pretext of a feast, where they were informed about the decision of the jirga. Separately, a court ordered the police to exhume the bodies and conduct an autopsy, while an anti-terrorism court granted physical remand of Sardar Sherbaz Satakzai to police for two days. Balochistan Hi... -
Dawn - 05:54 Jul 22, 2025
MUMBAI: An Indian court acquitted on Monday 12 men previously convicted for a series of bomb blasts that ripped through packed commuter trains in Mumbai in 2006 that killed 187 people. The men were convicted in 2015 of murder, conspiracy, and waging war against the country over the attacks during the evening rush hour of July 11, 2006 that also injured more than 800 people. Five were sentenced to death, while the other seven were given life imprisonment. But, 10 years later, the Bombay High Court set aside a lower court’s verdict and acquitted the 12 men. Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak said in their judgement, the prosecution had “utterly failed to establish the offence beyond the reasonable doubt against the accused on each count”. The men were ordered to be released from jail “if they are not required to be detained in any other case”. The prosecution can appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. A total of seven blasts ripped through the trains after the bombs, packed into pressure cookers, wer... -
Dawn - 05:47 Jul 22, 2025
LONDON: The defamation trial between Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer and UK-based former army officer Adil Farooq Raja opened today at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The proceedings, scheduled to continue until July 24, centre on a series of online allegations made by Mr Raja against the retired intelligence officer, which Brigadier Naseer claims are defamatory and untrue. Mr Raja, who runs a YouTube channel and has positioned himself as a whistleblower, is accused of making multiple defamatory statements on social media, including allegations of corruption, electoral interference, judicial manipulation, and human rights abuse, all of which Brigadier Naseer strongly denies. Brigadier Naseer appeared in person in the court, whereas Mr Raha appeared via video link. Mr Raja’s witness former accountability tsar Shehzad Akbar appeared in person, whereas Shaheen Sehbai and Syed Akbar Hussian appeared online from the US. Naseer told the UK High Court that he and his family had faced threats to their lives, ha... -
Dawn - 04:22 Jul 22, 2025
HONG KONG: China’s Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world’s largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said. Commencement of the hydropower project, China’s most ambitious since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday. Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river tumbles 2,000 metres in a span of 50km, offering huge hydropower potential. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, while NGOs warned of the risk to one of the richest and most diverse environments... -
Dawn - 19:00 Jul 21, 2025
Russia and Ukraine will hold new peace talks on Wednesday as a follow-up to two rounds in Istanbul that made little progress on ending their war, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. “Today, I discussed with [Ukrainian Security Council chief] Rustem Umerov the preparations for the exchange and another meeting in Turkey with the Russian side. Umerov reported that the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,” Zelensky said in his daily address on Monday. He added that more details would be released on Tuesday. The rival sides met in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 amid US pressure to agree on a ceasefire. Despite the urging of US President Donald Trump, no breakthrough was made. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have so far only agreed to hold prisoner exchanges. And Russia has since launched intense air attacks on Ukraine and seized more frontline territory. Russia has demanded that Ukraine give up four regions, on top of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine give up any idea of j... -
Dawn - 17:53 Jul 21, 2025
At least 20 people were killed and 171 injured as a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday after experiencing a technical problem shortly after take-off, according to a military statement. The F-7 BGI jet took off at 1:06pm (0706 GMT) from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola, Dhaka, as part of a routine training mission, but encountered a mechanical failure, said the spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury. “The pilot … made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the aircraft … crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College,” he said. The pilot was among those killed in the incident, the military said, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate its cause. The F-7 BGI is the final and most advanced variant in China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Janes Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract ... -
Dawn - 17:49 Jul 21, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday stated that Pakistan is targeting using 60 per cent renewable energy by 2030 during his address to the General Debate of the Ministerial Segment of the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO). Pakistan assumed the UNSC Presidency for the month of July 2025, making it the country’s eighth term on the Security Council as a non-permanent member. Islamabad began its current two-year term as a non-permanent member in January 2025 and will serve through the end of 2026. The presidency involves a focus on multilateralism, peaceful dispute resolution, and regional cooperation. According to the FO, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and outlined key policy measures driving growth, climate resilience and economic reform in his address. “The compounding effects of the pandemic, the food, fuel, and finance crises, as well as intensifying climate im...
5707 items