Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 12392 news
-
Dawn - 18:39 Jul 22, 2026
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb a day earlier and welcomed Pakistan’s progress in implementing economic reforms and laying the groundwork for a return to international capital markets, the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday. According to a statement, Bessent emphasised the “importance of Pakistan’s work to continue its reforms, become more economically self-reliant, boost growth and strengthen its economic resilience”. “Secretary Bessent welcomed the progress Pakistan has made in restoring macroeconomic stability and advancing fiscal consolidation, recognising the government’s efforts to implement significant economic reforms,” Treasury said. The statement added that Bessent also expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to build greater economic self-reliance and commended the government’s commitment to creating the conditions for a successful return to international capital markets. The statement, however, did not address Pakistan’s request for a $10 billion... -
Dawn - 18:16 Jul 22, 2026
The government on Wednesday increased the price of petrol by Rs6.39 and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.83 per litre to pass on the impact of fluctuating global prices following renewed regional hostilities in the Persian Gulf. Following the changes, the price of petrol stands at Rs327.12 per litre and that of HSD at Rs375.04. The Petroleum Division’s notification said the new prices would be applicable on July 23 (Thursday). Earlier today, the All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) deferred its nationwide strike call for two weeks after negotiations with the petroleum minister. A day earlier, the association announced a nationwide strike after negotiations with the government over daily petroleum pricing failed. The diesel price has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28. The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in ... -
Dawn - 16:58 Jul 22, 2026
South Korean technology giant Samsung unveiled new, sleeker smartphone models on Wednesday, priced more than previous models as artificial intelligence raises component costs. One of the models resembles a miniature tablet when unfolded. Samsung, which launched the high-end products in London, aims to reaffirm its dominance in the foldable smartphone market, where it has operated since 2019, ahead of a potential move by US rival Apple this year. “By setting a new standard for foldables, we are once again advancing the premium mobile experience,” said TM Roh, head of Samsung’s mobile division. The most innovative device unveiled Wednesday is the Galaxy Z Fold8. Measuring 4.5 millimetres thick when unfolded, it features a 7.6-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio screen optimised for video viewing. Its starting price is set at $1,900. “Galaxy Z Fold8 is the clear star of the show,” said Paolo Pescatore, a technology analyst for PP Foresight. “It underscores Samsung’s dominance of the foldable category and its determination to... -
Dawn - 16:52 Jul 22, 2026
The All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) on Wednesday deferred its nationwide strike call for two weeks after negotiations with the petroleum minister. A day earlier, the association announced a nationwide strike from Wednesday night after negotiations with the government over daily petroleum pricing failed. Addressing the media, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said that after another round of negotiations with the APPPOA, it was decided to defer the strike call after the government assured stakeholders that their grievances would be addressed within the next two weeks. “From February 28 till today, the government has used around Rs100 billion to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices and initiated a subsidy scheme for the most vulnerable section of the society,” said Malik while referring to the actions taken by the government following the outbreak of the Iran-US war. “The clouds of war are again building in the region and fuel prices are rising,” said Malik, adding that he discus... -
Dawn - 16:46 Jul 22, 2026
Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will vote on Friday on whether to fire chief prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged sexual misconduct in a case that has damaged the tribunal’s credibility at a time when the US has ramped up its attacks on the court. Khan, 56, denies any wrongdoing. The vote on his fate comes just a week after Washington announced a renewed diplomatic campaign to dismantle the ICC, which it says is a threat to US sovereignty. “The court is already in a precarious state,” Mark Ellis, the executive director of the International Bar Association and a longtime ICC observer, told Reuters. “The Khan situation is a separate but very significant part of the overall perception of the court’s credibility,” he added. The US has said no diplomatic options are off the table in its campaign against the ICC, which has already seen 11 of the ICC’s top officials facing sanctions. Accuser points to power disparity, Khan denies wrongdoing The Khan vote also lays bare internal divisions amon... -
Dawn - 16:43 Jul 22, 2026
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will sell Anthropic tens of billions of dollars’ worth of AI servers and invest as much as $5bn in the Claude maker, in a deal that would strengthen its foothold in a market dominated by rival Nvidia. The announcement on Wednesday marks the latest so-called circular deal in the AI industry, where chipmakers invest in AI firms that are among their biggest customers. Nvidia has been in talks to invest $30bn in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Buying AMD chips would secure Anthropic much-needed AI computing capacity. The startup has emerged as one of the leaders in Silicon Valley’s artificial intelligence race, thanks to strong adoption of its enterprise tools such as Claude Code. Anthropic will buy up to two gigawatts of AMD’s latest-generation Instinct MI450 chips, starting in the first half of 2027, the companies said. AMD’s investment in Anthropic will be tied achieving certain deployment milestones. AMD executives have said 1 gigawatt of computing power, enough to power roughly 750,000 U... -
Dawn - 16:09 Jul 22, 2026
A steady stream of food delivery riders carrying meals, snacks and bottled water is helping sustain a youth-led protest movement that has sprung up in the heart of India’s capital. Motorcycles weave through traffic before pulling up beside clusters of volunteers, ferrying donations from supporters across India and abroad unable to join a rare display of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. “From Kerala to the USA, orders are coming from everywhere,” said rider Suraj Kumar, 25, sitting atop his motorcycle with a bag of kachoris, a popular deep-fried snack, as some volunteers climbed over police barricades to take delivery of the packages. A volunteer took the packet and passed it hand-to-hand towards the centre of the protest site a few hundred metres away around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar observatory, where hundreds of people gathered around a raised platform. There, leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that began as online satire in May, demanded the resignation of E... -
Dawn - 15:55 Jul 22, 2026
A US missile struck the Iranian island of Larak on Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency reported, in the latest attack to target the Islamic republic’s islands in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The islands have been hit multiple times as the two sides fight over the strategic waterway, which Iran has sealed following the collapse of a preliminary deal aimed at ending the war. Here AFP looks at the significance of the Iranian islands in the strait and the nearby Gulf: Larak This small island occupies a particularly strategic position at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route that Iran has choked shut. A site for Iranian oil exports since 1987, it also hosts a military base. It came to prominence recently as “Tehran’s tollbooth” — a stopping-off point for the handful of vessels that Iran approved to exit or enter the Gulf during its initial blockade earlier in the war. Ships that used this route had to pay a substantial fee, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligenc... -
Dawn - 15:24 Jul 22, 2026
Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the Houthis’ recent threats to Saudi Arabia and to trading with the kingdom via the Red Sea, warning that it had the right to self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. A map showing the locations of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal. — made using ArcGIS “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly c... -
Dawn - 14:10 Jul 22, 2026
Intermittent heavy rainfall lashed several cities in Punjab over the previous 24 hours, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Wednesday. According to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), 123 millimetres of rain was recorded in Lahore, a record 245mm in Gujranwala and 95mm in Gujrat. The PDMA said 139mm of rainfall was recorded in Sialkot, 138mm in Mandi Bahauddin, 117mm in Narowal, 85mm in Hafizabad, 70mm in Chakwal, 64mm in Okara, 35mm in Jhang, 33mm in Layyah and 32mm in Jhelum. The disaster management authority further said that since the start of the monsoon season in the province, at least 17 people have died in rain-related incidents. Of the reported deaths, 12 were caused by the collapse of buildings or other structures, two by lightning strikes and three by electrocution, the PDMA said. Meanwhile, CM Maryam also appealed to the public not to risk their lives by going near or bathing in canals, rivers and rainwater drains during the monsoon season and flood conditions. Resident... -
Dawn - 13:30 Jul 22, 2026
The owner of a South Korean Michelin-starred restaurant is facing one year in jail for garnishing a palate-cleansing sorbet with black ants “to add a sour taste”, local media said. Seoul prosecutors requested the prison term for the anonymous owner of the unnamed eatery at a Monday court hearing for violating food safety regulations, the reports said. Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption, including grasshoppers and brown mealworm larvae. But the restaurant, which holds two prized Michelin stars, is accused of serving the forbidden insects imported from Thailand and the US, a food safety ministry statement said. Local media said the ants were served atop a sorbet. Authorities launched their probe last year, according to a food ministry statement, claiming the chef topped the icy desserts with “three to five” ants “to add a sour taste”. He made around 12,000 sales worth 120 million won ($81,000) over nearly four years until January 2025, the statement said. One evide... -
Dawn - 13:20 Jul 22, 2026
A French modelling scout with close ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors and his lawyer said on Wednesday. Under investigation in France, Daniel Siad, 69, was one of several French men accused of aiding the convicted sex offender to traffic and abuse women. Siad had not yet been questioned by investigators, but had denied the allegations, saying he wanted to be heard and give his version of events. “An investigation to determine the cause of death was opened on Monday evening following the discovery”, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said. An autopsy will be carried out as part of the probe. French investigators had been investigating Siad over allegations including rape and human trafficking. Siad’s lawyer Menya Arab-Tigrine said her client had requested to give his side of the story before he died. “He is dead and he was innocent,” she told AFP. “If he died of a heart attack, the unbearable waiting, the pressure a... -
Dawn - 13:02 Jul 22, 2026
LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN/ MIRANSHAH: The death toll from rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon spell and flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has risen to 20. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the current rain spell, which began on July 19, is expected to last till July 23 in KP. The latest rain-related fatalities in the province were reported from North Waziristan, where two men drowned after being swept away by a flash flood in the Tochi River, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Noor Islam said in a statement. He said the drowned men’s bodies were recovered from the river after hours-long efforts. The spokesperson warned that the rains had resulted in “exceptionally” high water levels in the Tochi River, where flood-like conditions persisted. He urged area residents to stay at a distance from rivers, seasonal streams and water channels, stressing that water levels could rise within minutes due to flash floods. “Rescue 1122 emergency teams remain on high alert and are deployed at vario... -
Dawn - 12:25 Jul 22, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday noted that Pakistan’s military advancements in indigenous defence capabilities were an “integral part” of its national defence. He made the remarks at the two-day Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Expo 2026 that opened today at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad. Addressing the event, PM Shehbaz noted that Pakistan has “made remarkable progress in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the field of defence and security under the dynamic leadership” of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. He recalled that during the conflict with India in May 2025, the “valiant armed forces resolutely guarded our physical and cyber frontiers through the highly effective use of advanced autonomous systems” led by the CDF and supported by the air and naval chiefs. PM Shehbaz declared that “these remarkable military advancements are an integral part of our national defence”. He said they would “strengthen o... -
Dawn - 11:58 Jul 22, 2026
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said the upcoming election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was perhaps the “most significant” in the region’s history, saying its future was tied to the outcome. He was addressing a public rally in Mirpur, AJK. More to follow -
Dawn - 11:55 Jul 22, 2026
Pakistan on Wednesday “unequivocally” condemned the recent threats issued by Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Foreign Office said. Islamabad’s statement comes after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, announced an immediate maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict. The naval blockade, if enforced, could cut off access to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed US-Iran fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unclear how the Houthis would enforce such a blockade. “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” the FO said in a statement on Wednesday, noting the “continued threats” by Houthis. Islamabad said it was “particularly concerned by reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade” with Saudi Arabia. “Such actions thre... -
Dawn - 11:54 Jul 22, 2026
GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister Amjad Hussain has selected 12 members to join his cabinet as ministers, it emerged on Wednesday, following the issuance of a notification for the cabinet members’ appointment. According to the notification, seen by Dawn, 12 individuals from Hussain’s own party, the PPP, and four from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) have been named as members of the new cabinet. The notification, issued by the Services and General Administration Department and Cabinet Department, stated that on the advice of the chief minister, the GB governor “has been pleased to appoint the following members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly as ministers to the government of Gilgit-Baltistan”. The notification then lists the members, who include: Zulfiqar Ali Murad (PPP) Syed Jalal Shah (PPP) Muhammad Ali Akhtar (PPP) Naiknam Karim (PPP) Iqbal Hassan (PPP) Raja Nasir Khan (PPP) Muhammad Naseem (PPP) Syed Tauqeer Mehdi (PPP) Aman Ali (IPP) Asad Shafiq (IPP) Anwar Ali (IPP) Muhammad D... -
Dawn - 11:52 Jul 22, 2026
S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday upgraded Pakistan’s long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘B’ from ‘B-’, citing an improving external position and gradual macroeconomic stabilisation, while assigning a stable outlook. The agency also affirmed the country’s short-term sovereign credit rating at ‘B’ and raised its transfer and convertibility assessment to ‘B’ from ‘B-’. In a statement, the credit rating agency said the change in rating was based on its belief that the country had strengthened its institutional capacity, allowing it to implement reforms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “Our upgrade on Pakistan is predicated on improved institutional stability that has helped to implement critical IMF programme reforms,” it said. “These reforms have quickened fiscal consolidation and rebuilt external buffers.” It noted that the institutional settings of Pakistan had strengthened over the last two years, in particular highlighting the passage of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) $7 billion programme i... -
Dawn - 11:10 Jul 22, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan has made “remarkable progress” in developing indigenous defence capabilities. He made the remarks at the Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Expo 2026 being held today and tomorrow at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad. Addressing the event, PM Shehbaz noted that Pakistan has “made remarkable progress in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the field of defence and security under the dynamic leadership” of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. “Our armed forces have adopted cutting-edge technologies, some of which I just witnessed on display outside this hall. Remarkable achievement,” the premier said. He added that he also took a look at simulators which were “100 per cent manufactured and assembled in Pakistan”. He noted that drones had achieved 60pc indigenisation and “many other important machines” have been made in Pakistan. The prime minister recalled that the “v... -
Dawn - 10:08 Jul 22, 2026
Security forces have killed 10 terrorists and apprehended two female suicide bombers, along with their facilitator, during operations carried out in Balochistan’s Surab and Mastung districts over the past 48 hours, the military’s media affairs wing said in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), seven terrorists were killed in Surab while three in Mastung, where the two suicide bombers and their facilitator were also apprehended. The ISPR statement said that the operations in these two districts were in continuation of actions against the “terrorist nexus of India-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and Fitna-al-Khawarij” in Balochistan to “weed out remnants of terrorists and their facilitators”. The state uses the term Fitna-al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and has designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The ISPR said that as p...
12392 items