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  • Shaza Fatima meets Google team, stresses govt’s focus on AI training in education, workforce
    Dawn - 08:42 Jul 12, 2025
    Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stressed the government’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI) training in education and the workforce, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. The interest shown by children in AI tools has doubled during the past year, according to a report, with businesses also employing them on a wide scale. However, experts have warned that AI’s development should not be guided by market forces alone and stressed its regulation. Khawaja met with Google’s Regional AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities team on Friday to explore strategic collaboration in advancing Pakistan’s AI landscape. In the policy discussion, the minister emphasised the government’s strategic focus on AI training across three critical domains: mainstream education from kindergarten to university; workforce development, including freelancers; and industrial innovation. According to Radio Pakistan, the minister also stressed the need for inclusive access to tools such as the AI Seekho programme, sandbo...
    Tags: Google
  • Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement
    Dawn - 08:19 Jul 12, 2025
    A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane’s engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff, according to the report on the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade released on Saturday by Indian accident investigators. The report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) about the June 12 crash raises fresh questions over the position of the critical engine fuel cutoff switches. Almost immediately after the plane lifted off the ground, closed-circuit TV footage showed a backup energy source called a ram air turbine had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines. In the flight’s final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot r...
    Tags: Air India
  • Over 270 students receive counselling on pursuing studies in US
    Dawn - 07:11 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Over 270 students gathered in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi this week in preparation to travel to the United States to begin bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes at US universities, a statement issued by organisers said. “EducationUSA at the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) hosted these annual pre-departure orientations (PDOs) to prepare students for the educational and cultural journey ahead. Discussion topics included classroom and campus life, resources for international students, and adapting to new cultural experiences,” the statement read. Parents, school counsellors and alumni of US institutions also joined the discussions to help ensure the students’ successful transition. According to the Institute of International Education’s 2024 Open Doors report, nearly 11,000 Pakistanis were enrolled at US institutions last year—an all-time high for Pakistan and an 8.1 per cent increase over the previous year. “Pakistan is home to thousands of alumni of US colleges and unive...
    Tags: Over
  • Lahore police avert mob attack on Ahmadi worship place
    Dawn - 07:06 Jul 12, 2025
    LAHORE: The police reportedly thwarted a mob attack on a worship place of the Ahmadi community in Samanabad here on Friday. A strong contingent of force from several police stations responded to the emergency 15 call from the community when local residents were about to march towards their (Ahmadi) worship place. “Six SHOs, a DSP, a divisional SP and an SSP rushed to the site along with armed policemen on the direction of Lahore Operations DIG Faisal Kamran to rescue members of the Ahmadi community at any cost,” a police officer told Dawn. He said some women and children were also among the worshippers. As the mob tried to surround the worship place, the police launched a major operation and rescued women, children and other worshippers, shifted them to a secured area and increased security of the worship place. Police high-ups also engaged known local figures, including religious leaders, to maintain peace. An Ahmadi worshipper told Dawn his community had built a worship place on Poonch Road and got it regis...
    Tags: Ahmadi
  • Massive Bara rally opposes military operation in Tirah Valley
    Dawn - 05:50 Jul 12, 2025
    KHYBER: Thousands of peace campaigners from the restive Tirah Valley and Bara tehsil of Khyber tribal district on Friday staged a rally, opposing an imminent military operation in Tirah and forcible displacement of the residents. Organised under the banner of Bara Siyasi Ittehad (BSI) at the Minara Jumaat Chowk, the peace rally, which later turned into an anti-military operation demonstration, was attended by thousands of people from all parts and corners of Bara and Tirah with parliamentarians, tribal elders, political parties’ representatives and civil society activists also in attendance. Amid vociferous sloganeering, the BSI president Hashim Khan Afridi declared that people of Tirah and Bara would not submit to any pressure regarding the start of a new military operation, forced displacement or formation of armed lashkars (peace committees). He called upon the government to reconsider its policy about Qabayal (residents of the seven merged districts) as it was a flawed policy and had thus failed. “The gov...
    Tags: Tirah Valley
  • Govt inaction irks Islamabad High Court in Aafia Siddiqui case
    Dawn - 05:44 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has expr­essed dissatisfaction over the federal government’s failure to submit a report in the case concerning the release, health and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Dr Siddiqui, a neuroscientist, has been imprisoned in the United States since 2008 after being convicted on charges of attempted murder of US personnel in Afghanistan. When the petition filed by her sister Dr Fawzia Siddiqui came up for hearing, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan grilled Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez over the delay in submission of the government’s response to the case. The court noted that the government had been asked in June to submit a response but it did not file it till date. “If the federal government’s report is not presented in my court, I will summon the entire cabinet. Why not initiate contempt of court proceedings against all ministers in the federal cabinet, including the prime minister?” he remarked. However, the additional attorney general requested for five mor...
    Tags: Aafia Siddiqui
  • Punjab govt to give Rs350bn for railway track upgrade
    Dawn - 04:36 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi on Friday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways that the Punjab government had expressed willingness to finance Rs350 billion for the upgradation and dualisation of railway tracks in the province. Briefing the committee, Mr Abbasi said that during a recent meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, she showed interest in supporting the infrastructure initiative, which aligns with the broader goals of modernising Pakistan’s railway network. The Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a key part of this effort and aims to upgrade the country’s primary rail corridor from Karachi to Peshawar. With an estimated cost of $6.8bn, the project is expected to enhance transport efficiency, reduce travel time, and facilitate freight and passenger movement, particularly as part of Pakistan’s regional connectivity strategy with Central Asia. Meanwhile, Mr Abbasi announced that Pakista...
    Tags: Punjab
  • Multiple lapses led to River Swat tragedy, probe finds
    Dawn - 03:41 Jul 12, 2025
    • Advisories not heeded, warning systems malfunctioned • KP CM orders action against negligent officials PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has ordered action against officials of several government departments over their negligence, which led to the drowning of over a dozen people in a flooded river last month. On June 27, at least 14 people, including 10 from the same family, died after being swept away in a flash flood triggered by heavy rains in the Swat River. The committee, formed by CM Gandapur to fix responsibility, found negligence and shortcomings on the part of the district administration, irrigation and local government departments and Rescue 1122, which resulted in the tragedy. The relevant departments will initiate action against officers found responsible and complete disciplinary proceedings within 60 days, read an official statement issued by the CM secretariat. The 63-page report submitted by the Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) said weather advisories issued ...
  • Foreign Office slams Ajit Doval over ‘successful hits’ claims
    Dawn - 03:04 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected claims by Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that India had successfully hit all nine identified targets on May 7, calling the remarks “replete with distortions and misrepresentations”. Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing a weekly press briefing, said Doval’s statements reflected “a deliberate attempt to mislead the public” and violated “the norms of responsible statecraft”. “Boasting of military aggression against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law,” Mr Khan said. “Rather than resorting to fictitious narratives, India should accept the downing of six fighter jets and severe damages to other military targets.” Mr Khan also said it was public knowledge that the so-called terrorist targets attacked by India resulted in the deaths of civilians. To a question, Mr Khan said: “Indian involvement in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan is very clear, and the international comm...
    Tags: Foreign Office
  • 3 million Afghans could return this year: UN
    Dawn - 18:46 Jul 11, 2025
    Some three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a UN refugee official said on Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given 4m “illegal” Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. “What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganised and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal said during a video press conference from Kabul. “Of concern to us is this scale, the intensity and the manner in which returns are occurring.” Over 1.6m Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, the large majority from Iran, Jamal added. The figure already exceeds the UNHCR’s initial forecasts...
    Tags: Afghans
  • Policeman shot dead, Rangers man injured in scuffle over ‘personal grudge’ in Karachi: police
    Dawn - 18:42 Jul 11, 2025
    A policeman was shot dead while a Rangers man was shot at and hurt as they scuffled over a “personal grudge” in Karachi’s Site area on Friday, according to police. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said, “The police constable Waseem Ahmed Abro, 30, posted at Gulshan-i-Maymar police was shot dead allegedly by Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman, while he (Noman) was also shot in the foot by the deceased constable.” “Initially, the injured Rangers sepoy claimed that the policeman was engaged in a roadside robbery with a passerby, but later on, it transpired that the incident was an outcome of some ‘personal grudge’ between them,” he added. The DIG said during the initial probe, it transpired that both the deceased and the injured, dressed in civvies and riding separate motorcycles, reached the crime scene near Habib Bank Chowk in Site at around 10:45am. Quoting witnesses, the senior officer said that after an exchange of abusive language and a scuffle, they fired upon each other. As a result, policeman Was...
    Tags: Karachi Rangers
  • Saud Shakeel to lead Pakistan Shaheens squad for England tour
    Dawn - 18:19 Jul 11, 2025
    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that Saud Shakeel will lead an 18-member Pakistan Shaheens squad to tour England from July 17 to August 6 for two three-day and three 50-over matches. Pakistan Shaheens, the name for the men’s ‘A’ team, last featured in a match against the Bangladesh ‘A’ side in Dubai in February of this year. “Saud Shakeel is set to lead the team, while he will be joined by three other Test-capped players in Mir Hamza, Musa Khan and Sajid Khan,” the PCB said. The press release added that among other players, Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat, who finished as the leading run scorers, respectively, in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy 2024-25, have been selected. Other batters include Ali Zaryab, Haider Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir will perform the wicket-keeping duties. The pace arsenal consists of Mushtaq Ahmed, who bagged 77 wickets in the two most recent first-class competitions (QeA Trophy & President’s Trophy), Fata pacer Shahid Aziz and ...
    Tags: Saud Shakeel England Pakistan Shaheens
  • Bodies of slain passengers in Balochistan bus killing sent to Punjab hometowns: official
    Dawn - 17:45 Jul 11, 2025
    The bodies of nine bus passengers who were kidnapped and killed in Balochistan’s Sardhaka area last night were recovered and transported to their hometowns in Punjab on Friday morning, officials said. Last night, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in the Sur-Dakai area, situated on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind also confirmed the incident and said that Fitna-al-Hindu­stan — a term the government uses for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan — had carried out attacks at three different places — Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had killed the nine individuals after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. Assistant Comm­issioner (AC) Naveed Alam told Dawn.com today that the bodies of all nine passengers were h...
    Tags: Balochistan Punjab
  • Paris prosecutors ask police to join investigation of Musk’s X
    Dawn - 17:26 Jul 11, 2025
    A French probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X deepened on Friday, when the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had enlisted police to investigate suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by the company or its executives. The move adds to the pressure on Musk, a former ally of US President Donald Trump who has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has also voiced support for some of the region’s far-right parties. French police could conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an international arrest warrant. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary probe in January, after receiving complaints of alleged foreign interference by X from a lawmaker and a senior French official, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. On July 9, after preliminary findings provided by researchers and French public inst...
    Tags: Musk Paris
  • Judicial top brass forms body to devise ‘institutional response’ to enforced disappearances
    Dawn - 17:18 Jul 11, 2025
    The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) constituted a “dedicated committee” on Friday to devise an institutional response to the emotive and chronic issue of enforced disappearances in the country. The NJPMC was set up under an ordinance in 2002 to coordinate and harmonise judicial policy within the court system and in coordination with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP). The committee also makes recommendations for bringing about an improvement in the capacity and performance of the administration of justice, setting performance standards for judicial officers and persons associated with performance of judicial and quasi-judicial functions, improvement in the terms and conditions of service of judicial officers, court staff and to ensure skilled and efficient judiciary. A press release issued today from the Supreme Court said the committee’s 53rd meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and attended by the high court chief justices, ...
  • US State Department starts firing over 1,350 workers in Trump’s shake-up of diplomatic corps
    Dawn - 15:55 Jul 11, 2025
    The US State Department began firing more than 1,350 local employees on Friday as the administration of President Donald Trump presses ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps, a move critics say will undermine Washington’s ability to defend and promote its interests abroad. The layoffs will cover 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers based in the United States, according to an internal State Department notice sent to the workforce and seen by Reuters. “The department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the notice said. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found,” it added. The total reduction in the workforce will be around 3,000, including voluntary departures, out of the 18,000 employees based in the US, according to the notice and a senior State Department official. The move is the first step of a restructuri...
    Tags: State Department
  • Police conduct probe as unidentified attackers booked for ANP leader Maulana Khan Zeb’s murder
    Dawn - 15:27 Jul 11, 2025
    A first information report (FIR) was registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur area against unidentified attackers involved in the assassination of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Maulana Khan Zeb, it emerged on Friday. The ANP leader was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified assailants in KP’s Bajaur district, according to the police. Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq told Dawn.com that the politician was shot dead in Shindai Mor while campaigning for the July 13 peace parade, adding that a policeman was also killed and three other people were injured in the attack. According to a copy of the FIR — dated July 10 and seen by Dawn.com — the unidentified attackers were booked under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 (terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The FIR states that Khan Zeb was returning home from campaigning for the July 13 peace p...
    Tags: Maulana Khan Zeb
  • AFP news agency to reduce headcount, foreign network costs
    Dawn - 15:03 Jul 11, 2025
    The chairman of Agence France-Presse (AFP) outlined his plans on Friday to cut costs at the news agency with a retirement incentive scheme and a reduction in spending on expatriate journalists. Fabrice Fries warned last month that the group needed to save 12-14 million euros ($13.8-16.1m) by the end of 2026 due to a fall in revenues. Speaking to employee representatives on today, he said he hoped to save 4-5m euros a year with a retirement incentive plan in which 50-70 employees would leave and not be replaced. Costs linked to AFP’s foreign network of journalists would also be cut by around 3m euros a year, or around 10 per cent of the total, he said. This would be achieved by reducing the number of jobs with expatriate conditions, which typically include housing benefits and school fees. “AFP is committed to expatriation,” Fries said — but “not at any price”. An experienced journalist working in Germany on expatriate conditions costs the same as four locally employed early-career reporters, he added. Funding...
  • Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
    Dawn - 14:59 Jul 11, 2025
    Thousands of mourners on Friday commemorated in Srebrenica the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe’s worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims were laid to rest during the commemorations, which mark the bloodiest episode of Bosnia’s inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. They included those of Sejdalija Alic, one of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces after they captured the eastern town on July 11, 1995. His granddaughter Anela Alic, whose father was also killed in the massacre and was buried earlier, came to attend the funeral. “I never saw my father … and today, my grandfather is being buried, just some of his bones, next to his son. “It’s a deep sadness… I have no words to describe it,” the 32-year-old added, in tears. She was born in early 1994 after her pregnant mother was evacuated in a Red Cross convoy from the ill-fated town. The victims of Srebrenica, which was at the time a UN-protected enclave, were buried in mass grav...
    Tags: Bosnia Srebrenica
  • Rubio meets China’s Wang amid trade tensions, says good chance of Trump-Xi talks
    Dawn - 14:41 Jul 11, 2025
    United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that he had “positive and constructive” talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as the two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of tension over Washington’s tariff offensive. The top US diplomat was in Malaysia on his first Asia trip since taking office, seeking to stress US commitment to the region at the East Asia Summit and the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), where many countries were reeling from a raft of steep US tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump this week. Rubio had his first in-person talks with the Chinese foreign minister, which came after Beijing warned the US against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and threatened retaliation against nations that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains. Wang has sharply criticised Washington during talks with Asian counterparts in Malaysia, calling the US tariffs “typical unilateral bullying beh...
    Tags: China Wang Rubio

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