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Dawn - 17:07 Nov 29, 2025
Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency on Saturday and appealed for international assistance as the death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 153, with another 191 people missing. The extreme weather system has destroyed more than 20,000 homes, sending 108,000 people to state-run temporary shelters, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported. A further 798,000 people required assistance after being temporarily displaced by the floods, DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili said. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake invoked emergency powers, granting him sweeping authority to manage the aftermath of the devastation caused by a week of torrential rain across the island. Kodippili confirmed that 153 people had been killed. Among them were 11 residents of an elder care home that was flooded in the north-central district of Kurunegala on Saturday afternoon, police said. Troops from the army, navy, and air force have been deployed alongside civilian workers and volunteers to assist with th... -
Dawn - 17:00 Nov 29, 2025
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Saturday completed the examination of prosecution witnesses in the controversial social media post case against lawyer and rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha. The case against Imaan and Hadi was registered on the accusations of attempts to incite divisions on linguistic grounds through social media posts and of creating the impression that the armed forces were engaged in terrorism within the country. During the previous hearing, Imaan and Chattha had objected after the apparent vanishing act of the court-appointed lawyer representing them in the case and the appointment of a new counsel. Two days prior, the counsel appointed by the court had refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him. The hearing today — held amid tense exchanges between police officials and lawyers — resumed with the state counsel continuing the witness examination process, where f... -
Dawn - 15:37 Nov 29, 2025
Pakistan International Airlines remained unaffected even as global airlines scrambled on Saturday to fix a software glitch on their Airbus A320 jets after a recall by the European planemaker temporarily grounded aircraft in Asia and Europe and threatened travel in the United States during the busiest weekend of the year. The recall of 6,000 planes, covering more than half of Airbus’ global A320-family fleet, is among the broadest in its 55-year history and is a blow for the planemaker weeks after the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered model. “PIA has confirmed that its entire A320 fleet is not affected by this Airbus alert. PIA’s Engineering and Maintenance department is closely monitoring their fleet’s airworthiness, ensuring safe operations,” said a statement by the airlines spokesperson issued today. Meanwhile, airlines worked through the night to make fixes after Airbus issued the emergency recall to 350 operators around the world, and global regulators directed carriers to remedy the soft... -
Dawn - 15:35 Nov 29, 2025
Finland has announced that it will be closing down its embassies in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, citing “operational and strategic reasons,” it emerged on Saturday. “The ministry for foreign affairs has decided to close the embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon in 2026,” said the Finnish foreign minister in a press release issued on Friday. “The embassies will be closed for operational and strategic reasons, which are linked to changes in the countries’ political situation and their limited commercial and economic relations with Finland,” the statement added. “Decisions on closures are made by a decree of the President of the Republic,” it said. The ministry stated that preparations to close the embassies in the three countries have “already started” and added the missions would be closed during 2026. The move comes as part of Finland’s “strategic review” of its network of missions. It takes into account Finland’s foreign and security policy interests and the needs of Finland’s export prom... -
Dawn - 15:29 Nov 29, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said Pakistan was ready to commit its troops to the Gaza peace force, but distanced the country from any role in disarming the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. A cornerstone of the United States-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement is the establishment of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries. According to officials close to the discussions, an announcement is expected soon from the federal government regarding the decision. Officials familiar with the deliberations, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said discussions within the government and military establishment were at an “advanced stage”. According to them, the tone of internal consultations suggests that Islamabad is inclined to take part in the mission. Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The ... -
Dawn - 15:02 Nov 29, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety”, but gave no further details as Washington ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. “To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers, please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. Venezuela’s communications ministry, which handles all press inquiries for the government, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump’s post. The US Defence Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. US strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean have been underway for months, along with a US military buildup in the region, and Trump has authorised covert operations by its Central Intelligence Agency in Venezuela. The president told military service members this week that the U.S. would “very soon” begin land operations to stop s... -
Dawn - 11:55 Nov 29, 2025
Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia’s health has deteriorated since being admitted to a hospital, prompting her family and party members to urge citizens to pray for her speedy recovery on Saturday. Zia, 80, was admitted to a hospital on November 23 with symptoms of a lung infection and is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit, members of her party said. Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir, from Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told reporters late on Friday that “doctors have told us that her condition is very critical”. Several senior BNP leaders and anxious supporters visited the hospital on Saturday to receive updates on her condition. English-language newspaper, The Daily Star, said Zia has “heart problems, liver and kidney issues, diabetes, lung problems, arthritis and eye-related illnesses”. She has a permanent pacemaker and previously underwent stenting for her heart, the publication reported. Zia’s eldest son, Tarique Rahman, who is based in London since 2008, requested the peo... -
Dawn - 11:38 Nov 29, 2025
The Supreme Court, in a case concerning the custodial death of a citizen, upheld that the state has a duty to protect the ‘right to life’ of citizens and to prevent custodial violence and killings, it emerged on Saturday. The case pertains to the custodial killing of Zaryab Khan, who was detained in 2020 in Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan, and later died in police custody. It was alleged that two officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) tortured the detainee and caused his custodial death. They were later acquitted by a criminal court but were dismissed from service over misconduct by the regional police officer. Subsequently, they filed an appeal with the SC, arguing that the dismissal is “baseless” if they have been acquitted in the case. In a seven-page judgment, authored by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, SC dismissed the petitions and upheld the earlier ruling. “The Constitution imposes a duty upon the State to protect the right to life of every citizen and to prevent custodial violence and killings.”... -
Dawn - 10:32 Nov 29, 2025
KHYBER Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other PTI workers huddled around a fire before ending an overnight sit-in outside Adiala jail against the repeated denial of meeting with Imran Khan.—X/PTIOfficial ISLAMABAD: Demanding that the government allow the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to meet his sisters and party leaders, the opposition alliance warned the authorities on Friday of countrywide protests if the government did not mend its ways. “We have stopped Sindhis, Baloch, Pashtuns, and Punjabis from taking to the streets against the government and its policies; otherwise, they would come out and create problems for the rulers,” said Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) President Mehmood Achakzai during a joint press conference with other opposition leaders outside Parliament House. He said the government had turned parliament into a rubber stamp and that National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was taking dictation from elsewhere. He said people were being killed i... -
Dawn - 10:28 Nov 29, 2025
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that Afghan forces open fire at Pakistani checkposts across the border to facilitate the infiltration of terrorists into the country. He made the comments during a briefing with journalists on November 25, a video of which was released by the ISPR on Friday evening. “Borders are always mutually guarded. Both countries [guard] them. Now, on the other side is such a country whose posts first engage your posts through fire, and an exchange begins. And then they have them (terrorists) pass through the gaps in between,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said. The DG ISPR said one would barely find any “administration” on the borders in terrorism-prone areas, except in “hardly five to 10 per cent” of the areas. “Go to Tirah, Khyber; you will not find any governance. Neither will you find any courts, nor any departments that deal with law enforcement and writ of the government.” The ISPR chief also pointed out that villages and populati... -
Dawn - 08:17 Nov 29, 2025
After paying a visit to the Islamabad airport on Saturday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that no passenger in possession of “genuine and complete documents” should be barred from travelling abroad. The development comes as over the past few months, numerous incidents have been reported of travellers being offloaded from flights at various airports, despite possessing valid travel documents. The actions came after a crack down on migrant smuggling after last year’s Greece boat tragedy that claimed several Pakistani lives. In a post on X, Naqvi said he visited Islamabad airport and met “passengers travelling abroad to hear their concerns directly”. “Ordered a strict crackdown against visa agents exploiting innocent people. Took serious notice of a passenger’s November 7, complaint about low staffing at immigration and directed an immediate inquiry with a review of CCTV footage,” he said. “No passenger with genuine and complete documents should ever be stopped from travelling but those attempting to travel... -
Dawn - 07:26 Nov 29, 2025
PAKISTAN captain Salman Ali Agha (L) and his Sri Lankan counterpart Dasun Shanaka pose with the T20 tri-nation series trophy ahead of the final on Friday.—Tanveer Shahzad/White Star RAWALPINDI: A confident Pakistan side take on Sri Lanka in the final of the T20 tri-nation series here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The Salman Ali Agha-led hosts, who won three out of the four round robin matches of the event that also featured Zimbabwe, will be looking to continue with their good show which was soured by a six-run loss to Sri Lanka on Thursday night at the same venue. Prior to the tri-series, Pakistan defeated South Africa 2-1 in a three-match home T20 series staged in Rawalpindi and Lahore. This series triumph showed some resurrection for the Green-shirts who lost the T20 Asia Cup decider to arch-rivals India in Dubai in September. Chasing 185 on Thursday under lights, Pakistan ended at 178-7 with number four batter Salman remaining unbeaten on 63 off 44 balls. Salman had useful partnerships wi... -
Dawn - 07:10 Nov 29, 2025
No loss of life was reported after two separate blasts targeted a police checkpoint and a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) vehicle on Quetta’s Qambrani Road. Police said the first blast occurred near a police checkpoint in the area around Qambrani Road, when unknown motorcyclists hurled a grenade at the post. A second blast, carried out using an improvised explosive device (IED), took place in the same area as miscreants targeted a CTD vehicle that was heading towards the scene of the first explosion. However, the vehicle escaped the IED blast and all CTD officials remained safe, police said. Police added that the IED was fixed to a motorcycle, adding that a remote was used to detonate it. The security situation in Balochistan has worsened in recent months, as terrorists have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Three e... -
Dawn - 06:29 Nov 29, 2025
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with 200 others still unaccounted for days after the disaster. Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the city’s worst blaze in nearly 80 years as they investigate possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations at the Wang Fuk Court complex. Rescue operations at the site in the district of Tai Po, near the border with mainland China, concluded on Friday, though police say they may find more bodies as they search the burnt-out buildings as part of ongoing investigations. The fire started on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly engulfed seven of the eight 32-storey blocks at the complex, which were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh and layered with foam insulation for the renovations. Search for bodies continues Authorities have said the fire alarms at the estate, home to more than 4,600 people, had not been working proper... -
Dawn - 05:10 Nov 29, 2025
US President Donald Trump has announced that he is terminating all executive actions, proclamations, and directives issued during the presidency of his predecessor Joe Biden that were signed using a mechanical signature device known as an autopen. According to The Guardian, the autopen, which was patented in the US in 1803, is a robotic device that replicates signatures of a person using real ink. The decision comes amid a broader political offensive, including renewed attacks on immigration and personal criticism of Biden. Trump has often sought to drum up outrage over Biden’s alleged use of autopen to sign pardons, executive orders and other documents — accusing Biden of being too senile to govern while in power. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump wrote: “Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92 per cent of them, is hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.” “The Autopen is not allowed to be used if approval is not spe... -
Dawn - 04:52 Nov 29, 2025
LAHORE: The Punjab government has introduced 20 major reforms in the 60-year-old Traffic Act, aiming to bring about better traffic management in the province. Under the new reforms, if any vehicle is repeatedly fined for violations, it will be auctioned. “Government vehicles involved in the violation of traffic rules will face heavy penalties, as no one is above law,” Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said in a meeting here on Friday. A briefing was given on a modern traffic management system, road safety measures, and submission of challan reports regarding use of helmet, rooftop passengers, and other violations. A 30-day grace period was granted to eliminate one-way violations across Punjab. “U-turns will be redesigned to make roads safer and more organised. It was agreed that compensation (Diyat) must be provided immediately to the families of those who die in accidents.” Marriage halls will not be allowed to operate without proper parking arrangements, ensuring parking is mandatory. A decisive crackdown will be... -
Dawn - 03:47 Nov 29, 2025
A teary-eyed Rashina narrates her ordeal.—Fahim Siddiqi / White Star KARACHI: After going underground in Pakistan as an illegal alien for 18 years, a 65-year-old Sri Lankan woman, will now be able to return home to her children in Colombo, thanks to concerted efforts by Edhi Foundation, Saylani Welfare Trust and human rights advocate Zia Ahmed Awan. Speaking at a press conference at the Edhi headquarters at Meethadar on Friday, Rashina could not hold back her tears as she thanked all for coming to her aid. “I’m a poor woman. The government of Pakistan had imposed a 22 lac rupees fine on me for illegally overstaying in Pakistan. I didn’t even have money to pay for my return ticket to Sri Lanka, what to say of the heavy fine,” she said. “But God is great. God sent me help in all these people who made it possible for a destitute widow to reunite with her orphaned children,” she said. Sharing her story, Rashina said that she is a born Muslim from Sri Lanka, who found employment as a telephone operator at a travel... -
Dawn - 03:09 Nov 29, 2025
PARIS: Europe’s Airbus said on Friday it was ordering an immediate software change on a “significant number” of its best-selling A320 family of jets in a move that industry sources said would bring disruption to half the global fleet, or thousands of jets. The move must be carried out before the next routine flight, according to a separate bulletin to airlines, threatening cancellations or delays during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year in the United States and beyond. Airbus said in a statement a recent incident involving an A320-family aircraft had revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. “Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers,” it said. Industry sources said the incident that triggered the unexpected repair action involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on Oct 30, in which several passengers were hurt following a sharp loss of altitude... -
Dawn - 03:04 Nov 29, 2025
• Imran’s allies demand immediate access for family, doctors and lawyers • Warn of dire consequences amid unease among public • Minister accuses Afghan, Indian media of circulating ‘false’ reports about PTI leader ISLAMABAD: Amid a noisy protest in the Senate for a second day by PTI senators, the government on Friday assured the House that former prime minister Imran Khan was in good health with no threat to his life and blamed Afghan and Indian media for circulating “false” reports about Mr Khan’s health. The ruckus by PTI lawmakers, alarmed by social media reports about Mr Khan’s condition, dominated the day’s proceedings. They chanted slogans and hit their desks, demanding that family members, doctors and lawyers be allowed to meet with Mr Khan after what they called a “complete blackout for weeks”. Syed Ali Zafar, the PTI parliamentary leader in the Senate, sought an explanation from the government about the reports. “The tension level of the public has risen so high that there will be an explosion if the... -
Dawn - 02:31 Nov 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the Cybersecurity Act 2025 was essential for national security and reflected the government’s whole-of-nation approach to cybersecurity, marking a major reform initiative. She noted that the Act will establish the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) to lead nationwide incident response and threat intelligence, while expansion of the Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT), and the development of secure digital public infrastructure under the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (Deep) will further strengthen national cyber resilience. Ms Khawaja was addressing a gathering at FAST National University, Islamabad, on the theme ‘Securing Pakistan’s Digital Frontier: CyberShield, Policy & the Future’. The event was hosted by the FAST Public Policy and Research Society (FPPRS). She added that Pakistan’s long-term objective is to build a cyber-resilient, innovation-driven digital nation where secur...
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