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Dawn - 11:57 Aug 26, 2025
India’s Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into a wildlife rescue centre run by the philanthropic arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s group, although it said the evidence did not support allegations of unlawful animal acquisitions and mistreatment. Vantara is a marquee project of the Reliance Foundation and the Ambani family. Located in western Gujarat state and led by the billionaire’s son, Anant Ambani, it has rescued and treated thousands of animals, and built the largest elephant hospital. It was also one of the venues for Anant’s pre-wedding celebrations last year, with the global celebrities who attended advised to don “jungle fever” outfits when visiting Vantara. The Supreme Court late on Monday ordered an inquiry as it ruled on public interest litigations that referred to complaints by non-profit and wildlife groups alleging mistreatment of animals at Vantara and questioning how the animals ended up at the rescue centre. They also alleged the Central Zoo Authority, the regulatory agency, failed... -
Dawn - 11:55 Aug 26, 2025
Posts from PTI supporters on multiple social media platforms since Sunday were sharing a video showing PTI founder Imran Khan with a beard. However, the video is doctored. Imran has remained incarcerated for over two years since August 2023 due to ongoing legal proceedings, despite several acquittals and suspended sentences. In January 2025, he was handed a 14-year prison sentence in a corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir University Project Trust. On Aug 23 this year, a TikTok user — who appeared to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts — shared a video showing Imran with a beard. The user did not provide any details about when or where the video was recorded. The video amassed over 21.3 million views and more than 2.3m likes. The same video was also shared by other PTI supporters on TikTok, here and here, where it gained 4.1m and 2.2m views, respectively. Other users also circulated the clip on various other platforms, which can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here. In addition, an image of I... -
Dawn - 11:52 Aug 26, 2025
Northern areas are reeling from devastating climate-induced flash floods that killed hundreds earlier this month, destroying homes, infrastructure and livelihoods in scenes many compared to the catastrophic 2022 deluges. Pakistan ranks among the world’s 10 most climate-vulnerable countries, despite contributing less than 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Experts warn that such floods and other calamities are no longer “rare disasters” and are becoming routine shocks in a country ill-prepared to withstand them. The focus, according to these experts, must now be on adaptation, not emissions cuts. “Floods are no longer rare disasters in Pakistan. They are becoming routine shocks that people brace for every monsoon. Calling them the ‘new normal’ is not an exaggeration,” said Karachi-based ecologist Rafi-ul-Haq. Since mid-August, torrential rains, flash floods and cloudbursts have killed more than 460 people across the country, including in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Khybe... -
Dawn - 10:54 Aug 26, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar vowed to strengthen Pakistan’s ties with the North African countries of Egypt and Algeria as he met their foreign ministers on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Dar arrived in Jeddah on a two-day visit yesterday, where he spoke on Israel’s ongoing Gaza onslaught during the 21st extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers. Today, on the sidelines of the OIC meeting, Dar met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Algeria’s FM Ahmed Attaf. Terming his discussion as a “meaningful interaction”, Dar said: “I reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening ties with our brotherly countries in North Africa, Algeria and Egypt, through enhanced connectivity and broader cooperation across diverse fields.” The foreign ministers discussed the “grave situation in Palestine”, Dar said on X. The trio stressed the “urgent need for humanitarian access, a ceasefire, and lasting peace, while underscoring the importance of unity w... -
Dawn - 09:20 Aug 26, 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping will gather more than 20 world leaders at a regional security forum in China next week in a powerful show of Global South solidarity in the age of Donald Trump while also helping sanctions-hit Russia pull off another diplomatic coup. Aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been invited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, to be held in the northern port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. The summit will feature Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to China in more than seven years as the two neighbours work on further defusing tensions roiled by deadly border clashes in 2020. Modi last shared the same stage with Xi and Putin at last year’s Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, even as Western leaders turned their backs on the Russian leader amid the war in Ukraine. Russian embassy officials in New Delhi last week said Moscow hopes trilateral talks with China and ... -
Dawn - 09:13 Aug 26, 2025
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the country’s lenders to increase scrutiny over funds flowing indirectly from Pakistan, according to a letter seen by Reuters that cited a “high risk” of such money being used to buy arms. Direct flows of funds from Pakistan to India are largely prohibited, with every transaction requiring the central bank’s approval. The directive, dated August 6, follows investigations by Indian agencies after the two neighbouring countries engaged in a fierce military conflict in May, triggered by India blaming Pakistan, without evidence, for the April 22 Pehalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. The RBI named Pakistan a “high risk” jurisdiction from an arms financing perspective and cited Indian investigations into arms financing, but did not go into detail about their findings. According to a government source with direct knowledge of the matter, Indian investigative authorities found that some Pakistani nationals had sent funds to India via other countries. India’s banking channels a... -
Dawn - 08:54 Aug 26, 2025
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has purchased an initial 30,000 tonnes of white sugar in an international tender seeking around 200,000 tonnes, European traders said on Tuesday. On July 8, the government had approved plans to import 500,000 tonnes of sugar to help maintain price stability. Market analysts said that retail sugar prices in the country have risen sharply since January. The validity of other price offers submitted in the tender, which closed last week, has been extended until tomorrow, so more purchases are seen as possible, traders said. The initial 30,000-tonne purchase was believed to have been made from Al Khaleej Sugar for medium-grade sugar at an estimated $582.50 a ton, cost and freight (c&f) included, they said. Reports reflect assessments from traders, and further estimates of prices and volumes are still possible later. The tender sought sugar from worldwide origins, excluding India and Israel. The TCP is believed to have purchased about 55,000 tonnes of white sugar in a previ... -
Dawn - 08:14 Aug 26, 2025
Two human traffickers were arrested in Balochistan’s Gwadar for attempting to send citizens to Iran via illegal sea routes, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said in a statement on Tuesday. Human smuggling from Pakistan to Iran has been a persistent issue, with many migrants attempting to cross through perilous land and sea routes in search of better economic opportunities or to reach onward destinations in the Middle East and Europe, according to a report by the National Initiative against Organised Crime. Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan are frequently used as key transit points, where traffickers exploit vulnerable citizens by charging hefty sums for the dangerous journeys. Per the FIA’s statement, “major operations” were carried out by the agency’s Composite Circle Gwadar, through which the suspects were arrested from different areas of the district. “The arrested suspects are involved in sending citizens from Pakistan to Iran through illegal sea routes,” it said. “The suspect extorted Rs10,000 ... -
Dawn - 08:01 Aug 26, 2025
Two more poliovirus cases were confirmed in the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing Pakistan’s total count this year to 23, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Tuesday. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. A statement from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad’s NIH said the latest cases include a 16-month-old girl from Union Council Mullazai in Tank district and a 24-month-old girl from Union Council Miran Shah-3 in North Waziristan district. “With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 23, including 15 cases from KP, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the statement noted. “Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effecti... -
Dawn - 07:15 Aug 26, 2025
The absent Alexander Isak dominated the build-up to Newcastle United’s clash at home to Liverpool but the Swede was temporarily forgotten in a rip-roaring contest that ended 3-2 to the reigning champions thanks to a stoppage-time winner by teenaged Premier League debutant Rio Ngumoha. Isak’s desire to leave Newcastle, with Liverpool his destination of choice, guaranteed a boisterous St James’ Park atmosphere and it seemed Arne Slot’s visitors had buckled as they threw away a flattering 2-0 lead against a side reduced to 10 men by Anthony Gordon’s red card in first-half stoppage time. But 16-year-old Ngumoha broke Newcastle’s hearts shortly after coming off the bench, thrashing in the winner with a first-time right-foot shot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to become Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer and the fourth youngest in Premier League history. View this post on Instagram It was a sickening blow for Newcastle who were again without outcast striker Isak, but who began the game in superb fashion. Even wh... -
Dawn - 06:31 Aug 26, 2025
LAHORE: The Punjab government and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have been wrangling over “exorbitant spendings, chartered jet and private persons in the delegation” of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s Japan’s five-day tour. Ms Nawaz concluded her Japan visit on Monday and reached Thailand. Questions are also being raised on social media regarding CM Maryam’s ‘official visit’ to Japan, in which ‘private individuals’, including her family members, as also a part. It is being argued that even if such participants claim to bear their own expenses, the practice undermines the sanctity of official delegations and blurs the line between state affairs and personal interests. Questions are also being raised on social media platforms over the inclusion of private persons as part of her visit, causing a huge sum of money to the exchequer. Entourage comes under scrutiny; PTI’s Waqas claims bank borrowing spent on excursion; Azma says PTI will consume in its own frustration Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhar... -
Dawn - 05:40 Aug 26, 2025
Indian shares dropped in early trades on Tuesday and erased their gains for August after a US Homeland Security notification confirmed Washington will impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on all Indian-origin goods from Wednesday. The Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex were down about 0.7pc each at 24,787 and 81,028.63 points, respectively, as of 10:39am IST (10:09am PKT). The benchmarks traded little changed for the month, on top of a nearly 3pc drop in July. Fifteen of the 16 major sectors traded lower on the day. The broader mid-caps and small-caps declined about 1pc each. Indian exports will face US duties of up to 50pc — among the highest imposed by Washington — after President Donald Trump announced extra tariffs as a punishment for New Delhi’s increased purchases of Russian oil earlier in August. “While this is sentimentally negative for the market, we do not expect deeper correction from hereon as it is not shocking news,” said Pankaj Pandey, head of retail research at ICICI Securities. Reliance Industrie... -
Dawn - 18:49 Aug 25, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expects to visit China this year or shortly afterwards, noting that economic ties between the two countries have improved — even as he kept the door open to steeper tariffs. Speaking to reporters as he met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington, Trump pointed to recent talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping: “At some point, probably during this year or shortly thereafter, we’ll go to China. “We’re going to have a great relationship with China,” Trump vowed. The US leader added: “They have some cards. We have incredible cards, but I don’t want to play those cards. If I played those cards, that would destroy China.” Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have been simmering this year, but have significantly cooled since April, when both countries slapped escalating tariffs on each other’s exports. At one point, the tit-for-tat duties reached triple digits on both sides, snarling supply chains as many importers halted shipment... -
Dawn - 17:39 Aug 25, 2025
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Monday said he would request party founder Imran Khan tomorrow and step down from his party position in the wake of an undisclosed incident that occurred. In a post on X today, he said: “An incident has occurred today that now demands a decisive decision from me. My life is an open book. None of my actions contradicts any principle. I do not accept compromise on intellectual and economic integrity. Tomorrow I will resign from my position by requesting Khan sahib. My legal services will remain available without compensation.” Raja did not disclose what the incident was that compelled him to make the decision to step down. He added that he had already sent a request to Imran last week to allow him to focus on legal matters away from the post of the secretary general. However, he said Imran had not accepted his request, adding that he was grateful to the PTI founder for the trust reposed in him. “My entire legal and intellectual life has been governed by the principles ... -
Dawn - 16:43 Aug 25, 2025
France’s embattled Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Monday that his government would request a vote of confidence on September 8, seeking parliamentary backing for his battle against soaring public debt. Far-right National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella immediately said his party would not back Bayrou’s planned cuts, suggesting the minority government could face defeat in the vote. Bayrou told a news conference the National Assembly would be asked to “confirm the scale” of spending reductions, as the government seeks to save around €44 billion ($51bn) a year. “I have asked the president, who has agreed, to convene an extraordinary session of parliament on Monday, September 8,” Bayrou told reporters. Bayrou does not have a majority in parliament’s lower house, the National Assembly, and the upcoming vote underscores the fragility of his position. Bayrou said France was going through a “decisive moment”. “If you have a majority, the government is confirmed. If you do not have a majority, the government... -
Dawn - 16:21 Aug 25, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about a “Greater Israel” threatened regional peace and security. Earlier this month, AFP reported that Netanyahu was asked by i24NEWS interviewer Sharon Gal if he subscribed to a “vision” for a Greater Israel, to which he said “absolutely”, adding, “If you ask me what I think, we’re there.” These remarks drew widespread condemnation from the international community, including Pakistan. Last week, Israel’s defence minister approved a plan to conquer Gaza City, while Tel Aviv approved a controversial plan to build an Israeli settlement which would sever the occupied West Bank from East Jerusalem. Addressing an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM) in Jeddah, Dar said that in recent days, Israel exhibited its “characteristic sordid insensitivity to international norms” with highly provocative and unwarranted statements e... -
Dawn - 16:12 Aug 25, 2025
Elon Musk’s companies xAI and X filed a sweeping US antitrust lawsuit on Monday against Apple and OpenAI, alleging the tech giants formed an illegal partnership to stifle competition in artificial intelligence and smartphone markets. The 61-page complaint, filed in federal court in Texas, accuses Apple and OpenAI of entering an exclusive deal that makes OpenAI’s ChatGPT the only generative AI chatbot integrated into Apple’s iPhone operating system, while blocking rivals like xAI’s Grok. “This is a tale of two monopolists joining forces to ensure their continued dominance in a world rapidly driven by the most powerful technology humanity has ever created: artificial intelligence,” the lawsuit states. The plaintiffs claim Apple holds 65 per cent of the US smartphone market, while OpenAI controls at least 80pc of the generative AI chatbot market through ChatGPT. Apple and OpenAI announced their partnership in June 2024, making ChatGPT the exclusive AI assistant accessible through Apple’s Siri voice assistant and... -
Dawn - 16:08 Aug 25, 2025
A Faisalabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sentenced key PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and Zartaj Gul, along with 56 others, to 10 years in jail and acquitted 34 in the case of an attack on former interior minister Rana Sanaullah’s house during the May 9, 2023 riots. On May 9, 2023, military installations and state-owned buildings were vandalised as PTI supporters protested the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan, who was released later but has been imprisoned in various cases since August 2023. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including the party’s top leadership, were arrested. Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh presided over today’s hearing of the case registered at the Samanabad police on May 9, 2023. PTI legal team head Malik Khalid Shafiq confirmed the convictions to Dawn.com. He said that out of the total 109 accused, 59 were handed 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and 16 were given three years’ jail time. Ayub, Faraz and Gul, as well as Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, were recently disqualified fro... -
Dawn - 15:30 Aug 25, 2025
Constant rains and raging floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already destroyed a large chunk of infrastructure and agricultural lands, including hundreds of houses, roads, and bridges, and washed away livestock. The battered locals are now facing an even worse ordeal, the outbreak of waterborne and other diseases, in addition to psychological trauma. The expected outbreak has prompted government health authorities and non-governmental relief organisations to set up makeshift clinics and medical camps, mainly across KP, to cope with the massive outbreaks of several waterborne and skin diseases. Rains and flood-related accidents have already killed more than 400 people across the province since August 15, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). “Post-floods situation is even more dangerous as the lurking threat of outbreak can kill more people than floods did,” warned Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, the secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association. Speaking to Anadolu, Shoro called for... -
Dawn - 15:19 Aug 25, 2025
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday issued orders to evacuate the people living in areas around rivers and low-lying ones ahead of heavy rains and flood predictions across the province. Punjab is on high alert for floods before the arrival of a fresh monsoon spell as the provincial government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala, recording a dangerous flow of 129,866 cusecs. A statement by the chief minister’s office said that CM Maryam issued orders “to ensure timely evacuation of the stranded population in view of [the] arrival of flood torrents”. She ordered access to “all possible available resources” to prevent loss of life, relocation of population from around rivers and low-lying areas to safe places, and prompt measures for the timely relocation of livestock to safe places, it added. The chief minister directed authorities to “vigilantly monitor the flood situation of Sutlej River and other rivers”, mak...
7447 items