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Dawn - 18:11 May 24, 2025
At least 13 civilians died and 92 others were injured as heavy rains lashed several parts of Punjab on Saturday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Earlier today, the PDMA urged citizens and provincial authorities to remain on high alert. PDMA Director General (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia directed deputy commissioners and rescue agencies across the province to remain alert amid reports of wind and rain in various districts of Punjab, a statement by the PDMA said. “Relevant departments to be on alert to deal with emergency situations,” the statement read, adding that the provincial control room and all district emergency operation centres have also been alerted. The situation was being monitored 24/7 in the PDMA control room, DG Kathia said. He added, “Citizens should be careful and stay away from electric poles and hanging wires. “Stay in safe places to avoid lightning. Never stay in open places during bad weather and lightning. Avoid unnecessary travel and drive slowly.” View this pos... -
Dawn - 17:05 May 24, 2025
President Donald Trump ripped into diversity and inclusion policies in the United States, knocked Nato and took credit for building up the military on Saturday in a campaign-style commencement speech at the prestigious West Point Military Academy in New York. Trump, wearing a suit and his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, mixed advice to “work hard” with a list of his top grievances about cultural and political issues while speaking to a stadium filled with cadets, family members and a largely supportive crowd. “The job of the US Armed Forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures,” Trump said. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime, in any place.” Since coming into office for the second time in January, Trump has rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the military and throughout the government as part of a larger effort to rescind policies enacted by his predecessor, Joe Biden. “We’ve liberated ... -
Dawn - 16:44 May 24, 2025
Services on social media platform X were restored on Saturday evening as users in Pakistan were able to access the site. According to real-time monitor Downdetector, fewer problem reports were submitted on Saturday evening, with a low of 40 complaints reported by 8:36pm. A graph showing outages on X in Pakistan. — Screengrab via Downdetector Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) noted that social media platform X was facing a mass global outage, including in Pakistan, but stated that the country’s internet services “remain fully functional”. According to a statement, the telecom body said that this disruption follows a similar one reported on Thursday, which was resolved by the platform itself. “PTA’s investigation into the matter has confirmed that there are no technical issues at Pakistan’s internet gateways,” the statement read. “All other internet services across the country remain fully functional.” The PTA added that global internet observatory NetBlocks also confirmed that the outage... -
Dawn - 15:38 May 24, 2025
The Sindh government on Saturday announced that it is launching a five-day polio vaccination campaign in the province from May 26 to inoculate over 10 million children in the province. Earlier this week, two new cases of polio were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts, taking the tally for the current year to 10. According to a press release, the campaign aims to immunise more than 10.6m children under the age of five across all 30 districts of Sindh. “The campaign is taking place from May 26 to June 1, 2025, and involves the efforts of over 80,000 trained polio workers going door-to-door with support from 25,539 law enforcement personnel to ensure that no child is missed,” the statement said. “Children between the ages of 6 and 59 months will also receive Vitamin A supplements to help boost their immunity.” View this post on Instagram According to the press release, this new campaign follows two previous drives in February and April. Earlier this week, Sindh Chief Minister Murad ... -
Dawn - 14:58 May 24, 2025
A German woman accused of a mass stabbing attack that wounded 18 people at a train station in Hamburg suffers from mental illness, police said on Saturday. The suspect, a 39-year-old woman, is accused of going on a stabbing spree on Friday at the main station in Hamburg, stunning the northern city in the middle of the evening rush hour. The woman has “very clear indications of a psychological illness”, police said in a statement, without giving further details on her condition. They added that there were no signs she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack, which left four victims seriously wounded. The woman was subdued by two passersby and law enforcement officers before being taken into custody at the scene without resisting arrest, police said. She was due to appear before a judge later on Saturday. Police say they have ruled out a “political motive” for the attack and believe the suspect acted alone. The victims range in age from 19 to 85. The four in serious condition were ... -
Dawn - 14:13 May 24, 2025
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has lauded the strategic foresight of the country’s political leadership during Marka-i-Haq that ensured the country’s success in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. Earlier this week, the government promoted Gen Munir to the rank of field marshal in recognition of his “strategic leadership and decisive role” in defeating India during the military confrontation between the two countries that ended with a US-mediated ceasefire. Field marshal is the highest rank in armies modelled after the British Army. In Pakistan, it was awarded only once before, to General Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1959. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally decorated the army chief with the rank of field marshal at a ceremony held at the Presidency earlier this week. According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), while hosting a dinner, the army chief expressed profound gratitude to... -
Dawn - 13:32 May 24, 2025
A key Bangladeshi party leader at the forefront of the revolt that ousted premier Sheikh Hasina warned on Saturday that an army-backed leadership could replace the interim government. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina’s 15-year iron-fisted rule last year, said he worried about an “anti-democratic” future. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the caretaker government until elections are held, has called for rival political parties jostling for power to give him their full support. Bangladesh has a long history of coups, and the army retains a powerful role. Islam, an ally of Yunus who previously served in his cabinet, told reporters on Saturday that he foresaw a situation similar to January 11, 2007, when a state of emergency was declared, resulting in a two-year-long military-backed government. “There are indications that a 1/11-style military-backed government could re-emerge — one that ... -
Dawn - 13:08 May 24, 2025
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday held a meeting with a World Bank delegation to discuss the launch of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project and the ongoing flood relief housing efforts as well as other initiatives in the province. The meeting, which took place at the CM House in Karachi, included WB managing director Anna Bejarred, country director Naji Bin Hussein and other officials from the Bank, a statement by the CM House read. Both the Sindh government and WB sides agreed on the effective initiation of the WASH project aimed at improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene practices across the province, according to the statement. “The initiative targeted 3,200 flood-affected villages, providing essential facilities to enhance public health and living conditions,” it added. CM Murad highlighted that the WASH project was being launched with a total budget of $270 million, benefiting approximately 1.5m people, with breakdown includes $75m from the World Bank, $13... -
Dawn - 12:41 May 24, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said that Pakistan will raise its defence budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 keeping in view the recent escalation with India and New Delhi suspending a key river water-sharing treaty with Islamabad. Earlier this month, the minister had announced that the federal budget would be presented on June 2, however, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said yesterday that the budget would be presented on June 10, while the Pakistan Economic Survey would be released a day earlier. Meeting a delegation at the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) in Lahore, led by IEP Secretary General Engr Ameer Zameer, the planning minister told reporters that the budget had not been delayed due to any pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but because of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to friendly nations and the Eidul Azha holidays. “We had very good negotiations with the IMF,” Iqbal said. “As you’ve seen, they acknowledged our government’... -
Dawn - 11:54 May 24, 2025
Monsoon rains hit the coast of India’s southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a gruelling heatwave. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country’s $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70 per cent of the rain that India needs to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs. Nearly half of India’s farmland, without any irrigation cover, depends on the annual June-September rains to grow a number of crops. Summer rains usually begin to lash Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane. The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 24 is its earliest onset since May 23, 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. The monsoon has covered Kerala and parts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as parts of the northeastern state of Mizoram, ... -
Dawn - 11:14 May 24, 2025
Four tourists from Gujrat who went missing in Gilgit-Baltistan on May 16 were finally located on Saturday morning at the bank of Indus River near Istak village in Skardu’s Roundu valley. Family sources said Wasif Shahzad, 36, and Umar Ehsan, 20, both cousins from Kot Gakka near Mangowal; Salman Nasrullah Sandhu, 23, of Jassoki village; and Usman Dar, 23, of Saroki had arrived in Gilgit on May 13. Gilgit range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Raja Mirza Hassan said that according to police records, the four friends had started their travel from Hunza to Skardu on May 15. On the way they had stayed in a hotel near Karakoram at Danyor in Gilgit. The four friends had resumed their journey to Skardu on May 16 and since then their mobile phones could not be reached. Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmad today confirmed that the location of the missing tourists’ vehicle has been traced near Satak Nala. The vehicle had fallen into a deep gorge on the bank of the river below the Baltistan Highway after an accident. Resc... -
Dawn - 11:06 May 24, 2025
The National Accountability Bureau recovered and disbursed over Rs88 billion during the first quarter of 2025, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. This was announced during the 24th “DGs Conference” of the bureau, a three-day event that concluded at NAB headquarters in Islamabad. According to a press release, these recoveries included direct recoveries worth over Rs2bn and indirect recoveries amounting to Rs86bn. The recoveries were made from public and private lands associated with cases of illegal transfer and occupation, Radio Pakistan said, adding that the disbursed amounts were returned to the relevant affected entities. Regarding indirect recoveries, NAB Balochistan retrieved state land measuring 340 acres of Chiltan Park and 250 acres of forest department which translate into Ra6.45bn. NAB Lahore recovered Rs70.87bn in three mega cases including Employees Cooperative Housing Society, State Life Insurance Employees Cooperative Housing Society and Sarwar Omega Villas. NAB Multan recovered Rs13... -
Dawn - 10:14 May 24, 2025
PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan has supported the inclusion of all stakeholders, including the PTI, in the diplomatic delegation set to represent the country in important world capitals following the rise in hostilities with India. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to send a “high-level diplomatic delegation to important world capitals to expose Indian propaganda” in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with India. Speaking on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ on Friday night, when asked if PTI should also be included in the delegation, Khan said: “All stakeholders are welcome to get this country out of this crisis.” “We need to be on one page and fight the country’s case. Prime Minister [Shehbaz] sahib has made the right choice by choosing Bilawal [Bhutto-Zardari] sahib to continue fighting Pakistan’s case in international forums,” Khan added. The military confrontation between New Delhi and Islamabad came as tensions over last month’s Pahalgam attack continued to build up, as I... -
Dawn - 10:01 May 24, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said that the passports of the Pakistanis, who were returning to the country after being deported, will be cancelled and also face the registration of an first information report (FIR) against them. Saudi Arabia deported a total of 5,033 Pakistani beggars whereas another 369 individuals have been apprehended for begging in five other countries in the last 16 months. Last month, the interior minister had said that the government would block the passports of Pakistanis deported, and tighten the process of issuing new travel documents. Around 106 Pakistanis were also deported from European countries arrived in Islamabad last month. According to state-run PTV News, an important meeting, led by the interior minister, was held in Islamabad where it was decided that deportees who were coming back will have their passports cancelled and an FIR will also be registered against them. The names of the deportees will also be put on the passport control list for five years, PTV Ne... -
Dawn - 07:47 May 24, 2025
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday said it would continue discussions over the next fiscal year’s federal budget in the upcoming days as its mission concluded. Pakistan and the Fund had opened high-level policy talks in Islamabad on May 19 to discuss the FY2025-26 budget. As deliberations with the IMF remained inconclusive, the government has postponed the budget announcement till June 10. In a statement issued today, the IMF’s Pakistan mission chief Nathan Porter termed the recent discussions “constructive” and said: “We will continue discussions towards agreeing over the authorities’ FY26 budget over the coming days.” “Discussions focused on actions to enhance revenue — including by bolstering compliance and expanding the tax base — and prioritise expenditure,” Porter added. “We held constructive discussions with the authorities on their FY2026 budget proposals and broader economic policy, and reform agenda supported by the 2024 Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the 2025 Resilience and Sustain... -
Dawn - 07:25 May 24, 2025
Hong Kong has said it will open its universities to more international students, highlighting those affected by the US government’s move this week to block Harvard from enrolling foreign nationals. The sharp escalation in US President Donald Trump’s longstanding feud with the prestigious university came as tensions simmer between Washington and Beijing over trade and other issues. The Trump administration’s decision on Thursday — which was temporarily halted by a US judge after Harvard sued — has thrown the future of thousands of foreign students and the lucrative income stream they provide into doubt. On Friday, Hong Kong Education Secretary Christine Choi called on universities in the Chinese city to welcome “outstanding students from all over the world”. “For international students affected by the United States’ student admission policy, the Education Bureau (EDB) has appealed to all universities in Hong Kong to provide facilitation measures for eligible students,” Choi said in a statement, noting the ban ... -
Dawn - 07:05 May 24, 2025
The spending bill passed by the US House increases a tax the richest private universities pay on their endowment investment gains, a move proponents say reins in “woke” schools but that critics say will wind up hurting the poorest students the most. Tucked within US President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill the House narrowly passed on Thursday is a proposal to increase a tax that some universities pay on the investment returns of their endowments from 1.4 per cent to as high as 21pc for some of the most elite colleges in the country. The measure, part of the bill headed to the Republican-controlled Senate, is considered another front in Trump’s attack on elite colleges that he says are overrun by left-wing extremist thought and are cradles of anti-American and antisemitic movements. On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students, a move the university said was illegal. Representative Jason Smith, a Republican of Missouri and chairman of the ... -
Dawn - 06:38 May 24, 2025
KARACHI: A married woman was shot dead in Gulshan-i-Maymar on Friday, police said. Area SHO Abdul Ghaffar Korai said that Aqsa, 22, was killed in her home in Esa Goth. He said that the police questioned her husband, Ismail, about the incident and he told investigators that he was ‘cleaning’ his pistol when it went off accidently and a bullet hit his wife. She suffered critical bullet wounds and was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. The officer said the police were investigating the case to ascertain husband’s claim. Man kills wife in Mominabad In another incident, a woman was gunned down allegedly by her husband in Orangi Town on Friday. Mominabad police officer Mohammed Shoaib said that Rukhsana, 56, was shot and killed by her husband Gul Sher, 58, inside their home in Fareed Colony, Sector-10. The suspect managed to escape, he said, adding that the couple often quarrelled with each other over some family issues. He said that Gul Sher shot at and wounded hi... -
Dawn - 05:40 May 24, 2025
TAXILA: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, criticised the Indian government’s refusal to issue visas to Sikh pilgrims intending to perform religious rites in connection with two religious events next month in Pakistan. He was addressing a press conference at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal on Friday. Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Dr Muhammad Sajid Chauhan, Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar, Rawalpindi Zone Administrator Tanveer Hussain, Deputy Administrator Yasir Asghar Monga, and other leaders of the Sikh community were also present on this occasion. He strongly condemned the Indian government’s move to not allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to offer religious rituals in June on the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The minister stated that the Modi-led government is rattled by Pakistan’s diplomatic success and is now resorting to religious restrictions in clear violation of... -
Dawn - 05:04 May 24, 2025
RAWALPINDI: The investigating officer in the case of violent protests outside the General Headquarters on May 9, 2023, testified before an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday. Former prime minister Imran Khan is one of the accused in the case. The protests, triggered by Mr Khan’s arrest in a corruption case from the Islamabad High Court, turned violent as protesters torched and vandalised government buildings and military installations. Following the violence, the government launched a crackdown on PTI leaders and supporters, making several arrests. Mr Khan was indicted in the case on Dec 5, 2024. The PTI founder, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was arrested by the Rawalpindi police in the protest case in January 2024. He, however, filed an application seeking acquittal, which was also rejected by the ATC earlier this year. Special Prosecutor Raja Ikram Ameen Minhas produced the IO before the trial court. The investigating officer informed the court about the ...
5467 items