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Dawn - 17:23 Jun 25, 2025
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first exoplanet, astronomers said on Wednesday, capturing rare direct images of the relatively small world in the Earth’s galactic backyard. The telescope, which can see farther into the universe than anything before it, has turbocharged the search for planets beyond the Solar System since coming online in 2022. Until now, however, its deep gaze has mostly been used to probe already known exoplanets, to find out key information such as the atmospheric composition, rather than tracking down new worlds. The discovery of exoplanet TWA 7b, revealed in a study in the journal Nature, “represents a first for the telescope”, France’s CNRS research centre said in a statement. The large majority of the nearly 6,000 exoplanets found so far have been identified from the light they blot out when they pass in front of their star, rather than from direct images of the planet. Webb “has spent an enormous amount of time observing planets that have never been directly imaged”, ... -
Dawn - 15:59 Jun 25, 2025
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Wednesday slashed the base power tariff by Rs1.49 per unit for the next fiscal year. Nepra Spokesperson Safeer Hussain confirmed the development to Dawn.com and said the proposal had been sent to the federal government. Last month, against high hopes, the government sought revision in the base electricity tariff for the next fiscal year, proposing only 30 paise to a maximum of Rs2.25 per unit reduction in consumer rates under seven different scenarios. Only in one unlikely case of normal circumstances and a stable exchange rate at Rs280, the average base tariff would reduce by Rs2.25 per unit in fiscal year 2025-26 to Rs24.75 from the prevailing rate of about Rs27 per unit. In case of local currency depreciation to Rs300, the base tariff reduction would be around 30 paise per unit. The reduction mainly stems from lower capacity payments. The average Power Purchase Price (PPP) would be on top of about Rs8.16 to Rs9.52 per unit fuel cost, taking the to... -
Dawn - 15:13 Jun 25, 2025
Nato leaders on Wednesday backed a big increase in defence spending and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit tailor-made for United States President Donald Trump. In a short statement, Nato endorsed a higher defence spending goal of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035, a response to a demand by Trump and to Europeans’ fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article Five of the Washington Treaty that an attack on one is an attack on all,” the statement said, after Trump had sparked concern on Tuesday by saying there were “numerous definitions” of the clause. But just before the summit opened, Trump had said of fellow Nato members: “We’re with them all the way.” Trump lauded the “tremendous” summit in the Hague as leaders wrapped up a meeting that saw the alliance back his demand to ramp up defence spending. “I think the summit was fantastic. It w... -
Dawn - 14:53 Jun 25, 2025
A Belarusian man on Wednesday was arrested for allegedly picking up a one-year-old Afghan boy and throwing him to the ground in the arrivals hall at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, inflicting spinal and cranial injuries, Britain’s The Daily Mirror newspaper reported. According to the newspaper, 31-year-old construction worker Vladimir Vitkov was arrested and confessed to “trying to murder” the child, who had arrived in Russia with his family after fleeing Iran due to its 12-day war with Israel. “Yazdan, aged 18 months, is now fighting for his life with serious skull fractures and spinal injuries,” The Mirror read, adding that Vitkov was on board the same flight as the child and his mother. Both The Mirror and British newspaper The Daily Mail reported that the boy suffered skull fractures and spinal injuries, with the latter reporting that the boy was “in a coma”. Graphic CCTV showed Vitkov picking up the boy before “hurling him to the ground of Moscow airport’s arrivals hall”. “The attacker — described as a ‘m... -
Dawn - 14:33 Jun 25, 2025
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on mutual visa exemption during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), the Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday. The session was held following a hiatus of 13 years after it was scheduled in October 2024. The last session was held in Islamabad from November 6-7, 2013. The FO said in a statement that the session, held in Abu Dhabi a day ago, was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. “Prior to the formal proceedings, a working group meeting of the JMC was held under the leadership of Special Assistant to the PM Tariq Bajwa and Minister of State of the UAE Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, the statement said. “The JMC reviewed the full scope of bilateral relations and agreed on concrete measures to strengthen cooperation in trade, banking, culture, investment, aviation, railways, energy, food security, climate change, defe... -
Dawn - 13:54 Jun 25, 2025
It was a sultry summer morning. Mir Shah Mohammad Talpur was visiting his sprawling mango orchards, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, to inspect the year’s produce. However, the ruthless sun glaring on his back and mercury rising to 43.2 degrees Celsius were making things difficult for Mir. For the mangoes, though, these climatic conditions were in tandem with their harvest. Mir’s orchard is spread across 450 acres of land. “I have been looking after the bagh for six years … many trees here are around 50 years old,” he told Dawn.com. The 49-year-old wore a black sun cap along with a neck flap to avoid exposure to the intense heat. Like many in the area, Mir too sublets his mango orchard — a practice in vogue, by and large, in Sindh. Only a few growers, including those who believe in progressive farming, manage their own orchards. The province is known for its Sindhri mangoes, harvested in the first week of June. Two workers moving from one part of the orchard to other for picking of fruit. Despite other ... -
Dawn - 13:45 Jun 25, 2025
The Pakistan men’s team will travel to Bangladesh next month to play three Twenty20 internationals as part of the build-up to next year’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s tour will be a reciprocal one after they hosted Bangladesh for three T20Is over the last two months, all won by the home team and played in Lahore. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it has arranged various series to build for the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted in India and Sri Lanka next year. “Pakistan will arrive in Dhaka on 16 July before taking on the home side in the matches on July 20, 22 and 24 as part of the build-up for the World Cup,” the PCB said in a statement. All three T20Is will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. From Bangladesh, Pakistan will fly to the West Indies to play three T20Is and as many one-day internationals, the schedule of which will be announced later. -
Dawn - 12:50 Jun 25, 2025
Pakistan and the United States have decided to conclude trade talks focused on reciprocal tariffs next week after a virtual meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The negotiations are part of a broader push to reset economic ties at a time of shifting geopolitical alignments and Pakistan’s efforts to avoid steep US duties on exports. “Both sides showed satisfaction on the ongoing negotiations and resolved to conclude the trade negotiations next week,” the finance ministry said in a statement, adding that a longer-term strategic and investment partnership is also under discussion. “The discussion focused on meaningful engagement in trade, investment and deepening economic ties mutually beneficial to both sides, with technical-level trade-related discussions to be concluded next week,” it added. Pakistan faces a 29 per cent tariff on exports to the US under President Donald Trump’s measures to target countries with large trade surpluses with the US. Pakista... -
Dawn - 12:31 Jun 25, 2025
Posts from users on multiple social media platforms on Wednesday shared a video, claiming that it showed people in Qatar protesting against a United States air base. However, the video is from May, when people in Libya were protesting against their government. Today, Iran’s National Security Council confirmed that it carried out a retaliatory missile strike on the US military base at Al Udeid in Qatar. The attack came in response to American airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In its official statement, Iran emphasised that the number of missiles launched matched the number of bombs used by the US, framing it as a proportional response. The council also clarified that the strike did not pose any threat to Qatar, describing the Gulf nation as a “friendly and brotherly country”. A video was shared today on X by a pro-military account, based on its bio, past posts and profile picture, showing people protesting. The caption of the post said: “For the first time in history, the Qatari people are protesting, a... -
Dawn - 12:08 Jun 25, 2025
Life-saving childhood vaccination coverage has stalled in recent decades, leaving millions of children at risk for deadly diseases with Pakistan having the highest number of children with zero doses in South Asia after India, according to a new study by British medical journal Lancet. The Lancet is a 200-year-old peer-reviewed weekly medical journal from the United Kingdom. Since its launch, the journal has expanded into a family of more than 20 speciality journals and has set up several global Lancet Commissions on various important issues in medicine and healthcare. In a press release issued a day ago, the journal said that since its inception in 1974, the World Health Organisation’s Essential Programme on Immunisation (EPI) achieved “unprecedented progress”, averting the deaths of an estimated 154 million children worldwide through routine childhood vaccination. However, it said that as per a major new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study Vaccine Coverage Collaborators, “Despite the progress of... -
Dawn - 11:11 Jun 25, 2025
Top-ranked Pakistani duo Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman stormed into the men’s final of the 2nd Asian Doubles Squash Championship after beating hosts Malaysia 2-1 in the semi-finals on Wednesday. The Malaysian duo of Duncan Lee and Syafiq Kamal took the first set 11-10 at the Jalan Stadium in Sarawak. But Zaman and Iqbal made a strong comeback to win the next two sets 11-9 in a thrilling 69-minute game. The duo will face India in the finals tomorrow. In Tuesday’s quarter-final, Pakistan defeated Korea 2-1 in a quick 37-minute game. Earlier this month, Zaman and Iqbal were in Malaysia for the 23rd Asian Individual Squash Championships, where Iqbal outclassed Lai Cheuk Nam of Hong Kong to advance to the quarter-finals while Zaman lost to Joachim Chuah of Malaysia 3-2 in their pre-quarterfinal. Zaman was crowned men’s champion at the U23 World Squash Championships in April after a stellar comeback against Egypt’s Karim El Torkey. -
Dawn - 09:54 Jun 25, 2025
Nasa retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson was launched on the fifth flight to orbit of her career early on Wednesday, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary heading for their countries’ first visit to the International Space Station (ISS). The astronaut team lifted off from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at about 2:30am EDT (11:30am PKT), beginning the latest mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in partnership with Elon Musk’s rocket venture SpaceX. The four-member crew was carried aloft on a towering SpaceX launch vehicle consisting of a Crew Dragon capsule perched atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket. Live video showed the towering spacecraft streaking into the night sky over Florida’s Atlantic coast trailed by a brilliant yellowish plume of fiery exhaust. Cameras inside the crew compartment beamed footage of the four astronauts strapped into their pressurized cabin, seated calmly side by side in helmeted white-and-black flight suits as their spacec... -
Dawn - 08:42 Jun 25, 2025
Punjab is predicted to receive 25 per cent more monsoon rains this year, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said on Wednesday. Separately, Karachi is expected to receive rainfall on June 27 (Friday), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said — potentially ending an ongoing wave of extreme heat and humid weather. The PMD has already forecast monsoon rain across the country from Wednesday, June 25. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. Monsoon rains have commenced in Punjab and first spell will continue till July 1, the PDMA said in a statement, adding that rainfall with strong winds and thunderstorms are predicted in most districts of the province. Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabeel Javed has instructed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain alert. He said all relevant departments including Rescue 1122 and WASA are on al... -
Dawn - 07:43 Jun 25, 2025
ENGLAND opener Ben Duckett plays a shot during the first Test against India at Headingley on Tuesday.—Reuters LEEDS: A superb century from Ben Duckett helped steer England to a sensational five-wicket win in the first Test against India after a thrilling day five on Tuesday, the hosts reaching a target of 371 — the 10th highest successful run chase in Test history. Having turned the match on its head at Headingley after India had been 430-3 in their first innings, England appeared to be cruising to a dramatic win as openers Duckett and Zak Crawley eased their side to lunch on 117-0 in their second innings. Duckett continued his imperious form with another four through the covers to reach his sixth Test hundred, before Crawley fell for 65, their 188-run partnership the second-highest England opening fourth-innings stand in Tests. Two wickets in two balls — Duckett and Harry Brook — dragged India back into the enthralling contest and when Ben Stokes fell for 33 attempting an ambitious reverse sweep, England’s h... -
Dawn - 07:41 Jun 25, 2025
US airstrikes did not destroy Iran’s nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to a preliminary US intelligence assessment, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signaled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire he announced at 5am GMT (10am PKT). As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war — which the US joined with an attack on Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities — each sought to claim victory. Trump said over the weekend that the US deployment of 30,000-pound bombs had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme. But that claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial assessment by one of his administration’s intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the sources said Iran’s enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and the countr... -
Dawn - 06:51 Jun 25, 2025
Four people were killed and as many injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on Wednesday in the Pewar area of Parachinar in Upper Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. DPO Habibullah said police teams reached the site of the explosion in Sharamkhel, Pewar, and launched an investigation. He confirmed that four people were killed and four others were injured in the explosion. The medical superintendent of DHQ Parachinar Hospital Mir Hassan Jan identified the victims as Nawab Ali, Amir Hussain, Hidayat Hussain, and Manzar Ali. He added the injured namely, Muhammad Konain, Shafaat Hussain, and Hassan Ghulam were provided first aid and have been taken to Peshawar for further treatment. Speaking to media, an injured victim Hassan Ghulam said they were heading towards a hill to collect firewood when the explosion occurred on the roadside. “The incident is very unfortunate. The terrorists should be caught and punished,” he said. Besides his four companions, two horses were also killed in the expl... -
Dawn - 06:22 Jun 25, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that China can continue to purchase Iranian oil after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, a move that the White House clarified did not indicate a relaxation of US sanctions. “China can now continue to purchase oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the US, also,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, just days after he ordered US bombings of three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump was drawing attention to no attempts by Iran so far to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, as a closure would have been hard for China, the world’s top importer of Iranian oil, a senior White House official told Reuters. “The president continues to call on China and all countries to import our state-of-the-art oil rather than import Iranian oil in violation of US sanctions,” the official said. After the ceasefire announcement, Trump’s comments on China were another bearish signal for oil prices, which fell nearly 6 per cent on Tuesday. Any relaxation o... -
Dawn - 05:58 Jun 25, 2025
LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has issued directions for a crackdown on those involved in spreading hateful content on social media. Presiding over a meeting to review arrangements regarding Muharram here on Tuesday, the CM sought an emergency plan from the administration. “Those found involved in spreading hateful content on social media should be arrested forthwith,” the CM said and directed the authorities to ensure a complete ban on displaying banners, posters and wall-chalking throughout the province. She also directed to arrest of those violating the ban on flying drones during Muharram. She asked the ministers, commissioners, deputy commissioners, RPOs and DPOs to personally oversee the security arrangements for Muharram. The CM sought the strict implementation of the code of conduct and a zero-tolerance policy. She asked the officer to launch mock drills of security arrangements and install sabeels for processions and gatherings of Muharram. She also directed to provide refreshing drinks, lemon w... -
Dawn - 05:26 Jun 25, 2025
KARACHI: The Indian aggression against Pakistan has not hurt, strangely enough, the inflow of foreign investment into treasury bills, while outflows from the equity market has been much higher than inflows during the same period. The State Bank’s latest update for May shows that foreign inflows in T-bills during the month (up to May 23 of FY25) reached $73.6 million. This was strange since India attacked Pakistan on May 6. It is believed that foreign investment quickly leaves a country during an international crisis. The war did not hurt inflows in t-bills, but outflows from the equity market reflected its negative impact. The State Bank data for May shows that while inflows in T-bills were $73.5m, outflows amounted to $66m. The highest inflow of $50 million came from UAE, while Britain received the biggest outflow of $62m But figures for foreign investment in equity market show that during May, inflows were $38.7m and outflows totaled $64.6m. Although the situation has remained calm in Pakistan so far despit... -
Dawn - 05:02 Jun 25, 2025
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist, was poised on Tuesday to win New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary in a surprising upset over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In brief remarks to supporters, Cuomo, 67, who had been seeking a political comeback four years after resigning amid sexual harassment allegations, said he had called Mamdani to congratulate him. “Tonight is his night,” Cuomo said while conceding the race to Mamdani. Mamdani, who entered the campaign as a virtual unknown, was ahead of Cuomo 43.5 per cent to 36.4pc with nearly 95pc of ballot scanners reporting, according to the city’s elections board. Nine other Democratic candidates trailed far behind. The outcome will not be final until next week, due to New York’s ranked-choice system that allows citizens to pick up to five candidates in order of preference. But Mamdani’s lead in Tuesday’s preliminary results appeared too large for Cuomo, or any other candidate, to overcome, particularly...
5467 items