Dawn
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Dawn - 06:57 Jan 20, 2026
Australia’s lower house of parliament has passed new laws for a national gun buyback, tighter background checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate crimes, in response to the country’s worst mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival last month. Two bills for stricter gun control and anti-hate measures passed on Tuesday by the House of Representatives in a special parliament session will now go to the upper house Senate for debate. The gun control laws are expected to pass with the support of the Greens party despite opposition from the conservative Liberal-National coalition. The anti-hate laws are likely to pass with support from the Liberal party. Introducing the gun reforms, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said individuals with “hate in their hearts and guns in their hands”, carried out the December 14 attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. “The tragic events at Bondi demand a comprehensive response from government,” Burke added. “As a government, we must do everything we can to counter bot... -
Dawn - 04:54 Jan 20, 2026
CHITRAL: A snow leopard was found dead in the pastures of Wakht village of Garam Chashma valley here on Monday afternoon. The animal was spotted in the area about two months back after its long disappearance for more than 10 years. The deputy ranger of wildlife department, Shafiq Ahmed, and regional programme manager of Snow Leopard Foundation, Jamigh Sherazi, told Dawn that after receiving a report about spotting of the snow leopard carcass, they reached the spot along with a team. They said the carcass was frozen, which meant that the animal had died many hours before their arrival. They said the cause of death of the wild cat would be ascertained only after the postmortem was carried out in the veterinary hospital, where the body was being shifted. Earlier, the leopard was spotted in Wakht, Munoor and Beghusht villages, which attacked the goats of the local people. The people had also been voicing concern about their losses. The area has recently received snowfall forcing the animal to come to lower altitu... -
Dawn - 03:52 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Alarm bells were rung in the Senate on Monday over the recently launched military operation in the Tirah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber tribal district. Speaking on a point of public importance, ANP chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan accused the federal government of being in a “deep slumber” over the ongoing operation in KP, leaving the people helpless and clueless. He said such “processes” had been carried out in the past in KP with all stakeholders on board. “But this time, the Centre is sleeping, whereas the provincial government is unbothered about what is going on,” he added. “The federal government is behaving as if KP is out of its jurisdiction, and the provincial government is headed by one who is openly talking against the system and is not ready to accept any operation,” he contended. “Please leave aside day-to-day things and talk about this operation, as the KP government is not even bothered to arrange tents for the displaced people,” he said. Senator Palwasha asks for her privilege mo... -
Dawn - 03:32 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, in a poignant observation, has called out society for its apathy towards victims of domestic violence, noting that despite sustained maltreatment by their husbands and in-laws, women are still forced to return to the same abusive environments. “With a heavy heart we state that in similar cases, where daughters are subjected to sustained maltreatment by their husbands or in-laws, it is the sad state of our society, though with a few exceptions, that families still compel them to return to the same abusive environment,” observed Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim in a six-page judgement regarding domestic violence in an abusive marriage case. Headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, a three-judge SC bench had taken up a jail petition of Khursheed Ahmad against the Feb 1, 2022 rejection of his plea by the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench. The SC, however, upheld the conviction of the petitioner for the murder of his wife, Gulshan Bibi. Husband’s conviction upheld as no evidence of natural d... -
Dawn - 03:17 Jan 20, 2026
Chipurson Valley (Gilgit-Baltistan): Vehicles are buried under the rubble of a structure that collapsed during the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday.—Photo by the writer • Several homes and cattle sheds damaged or collapsed • Landslides block Karakoram Highway and several link roads GILGIT: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday, killing one person, injuring four others and damaging dozens of homes, cattle sheds, and public and private properties. The quake also triggered landslides that blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and several other roads. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake struck at 11:21am at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre located in northwestern Kashmir. Meanwhile, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which reports magnitude using the Moment Magnitude Scale, recorded the quake at a magnitude of 5.7 at a depth of 31 kilometres. The EMSC said the earthquake was recorded about 58 ki... -
Dawn - 02:54 Jan 20, 2026
• Davos disinvites FM Araghchi over ‘tragic’ crackdown • UN condemns use of executions as ‘a tool of state intimidation’ TEHRAN: Internet access in Iran will “gradually” return to normal this week, a senior official said on Monday, as the government faces international fallout from an 11-day communications blackout imposed during deadly anti-government protests. The announcement came the same day organisers of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, confirmed the Iranian foreign minister would not attend the summit because it would not be “right” following the recent crackdown. Simultaneously, the United Nations issued a report condemning Tehran for using executions as a “tool of state intimidation”. “The internet will gradually return to normal operations this week,” Hossein Afshin, Iran’s vice president for science, technology and the knowledge economy, said on Monday on state television. The government imposed a nationwide communications blackout earlier this month amid huge demonstrations triggere... -
Dawn - 02:48 Jan 20, 2026
• Kazakh, Uzbek leaders ready to join; Moscow weighs ‘nuances’ • Starmer pledges UK support for Gaza reconstruction efforts • Israeli minister issues ‘us or them’ ultimatum to Netanyahu MOSCOW: The White House on Monday extended invitations to leaders from Russia, Poland and Israel to join a so-called “Board of Peace” which aims to address global conflicts and manage governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. While others weigh participation, Central Asian leaders moved quickly to accept. The press secretaries of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev confirmed their leaders’ readiness to join the board. Both leaders have been courted by Trump, who invited them to the G20 summit in Miami. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation to join the board, which would be chaired by Trump. “President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists... -
Dawn - 02:30 Jan 20, 2026
• Transmission system suffers from overloading, underutilisation • 116 of 192 transformers overloaded beyond 80pc capacity • Regulator urges fast-tracking projects, upgrading substations • Says up to 1,750MW of cheaper power frequently curtailed ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national transmission system, one of the largest in the world, suffers from a damaging mix of overloading and underutilisation, creating operational constraints that undermine merit-based power supply and impose an unquantifiable financial burden on consumers and the national economy, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has said. In a detailed review of the national grid system, the regulator pointed out that the backbone of the transmission network — 500kV and 220kV lines — remained “mostly overloaded” at the close of FY2024-25. It said the National Grid Company (NGC) faced critical overloading in several sections of its 500kV and 220kV network, particularly during summer peak demand. “Many grid stations and power transfo... -
Dawn - 02:29 Jan 20, 2026
BENGALURU: Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday, driven by a flight to safety after US President Donald Trump warned of extra tariffs on some European countries in a dispute over Greenland. Spot gold jumped 1.7 per cent to $4,672.49 an ounce by 12:05pm ET (1705 GMT), after scaling a record peak of $4,689.39. US gold futures for February delivery advanced 1.8pc to $4,677.70 an ounce. Trump threatened several European allies with a series of escalating tariffs on Saturday unless the US is allowed to buy Greenland, intensifying a dispute over Denmark’s vast Arctic island. Markets expect the Fed to leave rates on hold at its meeting over January 27-28 but are pricing in at least two cuts of 25 basis points this year. Elsewhere, spot silver climbed 5pc to $94.41 an ounce after hitting a record high of $94.61. Silver has risen more than 32pc since the start of the year. Analysts at Citi Research said they remain tactically bullish on precious metals, setting price targets of $5,000 an ounce for gold and $10... -
Dawn - 18:48 Jan 19, 2026
An explosion tore through a Chinese-run restaurant in a hotel in a heavily guarded part of Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, killing a Chinese national and six Afghans and injuring several others, including a child, officials said. The restaurant was in the commercial Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood of Kabul that includes office buildings, shopping complexes and embassies, police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said. The district is considered one of the safest in the city. The Chinese noodle restaurant was jointly run by a Chinese Muslim, Abdul Majid, his wife, and an Afghan partner, Abdul Jabbar Mahmood, and served the Chinese Muslim community, Zadran said. One Chinese national, identified as Ayub, and six Afghans were killed in the blast, which occurred near the kitchen, while several others were injured, Zadran added. Videos shared on social media showed debris scattered on the street outside and smoke spewing from a large hole torn into the front of the restaurant building. “So far, we have received 20 people at our... -
Dawn - 18:46 Jan 19, 2026
KARACHI: The death toll from the Gul Plaza blaze rose to at least 23 on Monday, with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab saying that 65 people remained missing. The fire had erupted on Saturday night. The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards. While the fire at the mall located on M.A Jinnah Road was said to be doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday as flames reignited from the smouldering debris. In the evening, Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that 23 bodies had been recovered from the debris. He added that the body parts of some of the victims had been recovered. In a statement, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr Abid Jalal said that while “more than 20 bodies have been recovered, the final number of dead cannot be stated at the moment”. “Some bodies have been recovered in the form of body parts from various locations,” he said... -
Dawn - 17:57 Jan 19, 2026
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died, his foundation said on Monday. The cause of death was not immediately known. Usually known only by his first name, Valentino was 93, and had retired in 2008. Founder of the eponymous brand, Valentino scaled the heights of haute couture, created a business empire and introduced a new colour to the fashion world, the so-called ‘Valentino Red’. “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” the foundation said on Instagram. The lying in state will be on Wednesday and Thursday, while the funeral will take place in Rome on Friday at 11am (3pm PKT), it added. View this post on Instagram ‘I love beauty’ Valentino was ranked alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as the last of the great designers from an era before fashion became a global, highly commercial industry run as much by accountants and marketing executives as the couturiers. Lagerfeld passed away in 2019, while Armani died in September. Scaling the hei... -
Dawn - 17:52 Jan 19, 2026
In his first speech after being appointed the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday vowed unconditional support for strengthening the lower house of Parliament. It is worth mentioning that several parts of Achakzai’s nearly 30-minute speech were muted in the NA’s livestream. At the outset of his address, Achakzai said: “The TTAP makes a promise to the whole country — if you wish to strengthen this house … you will receive our unconditional support. “Without this house, we are nothing,” he said, adding that the NA should be at the centre of Pakistan’s policies. “Mistakes happen in the world. Sit, think, sleep on it, as they say in English. What’s happened has happened but having animosity and hurling abuse at each other will not help us,” he said. Quoting the Holy Quran, Achakzai said that work which focused on welfare and aid must be supported. “Whenever you talk about the public’s welfare, our votes will be with you,” he asse... -
Dawn - 17:52 Jan 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought an amendment in the Elections Act, 2017 to ensure the timely conduct of local government elections across the country, it emerged on Monday. In a letter sent to the Parliamentary Affairs Division secretary, the commission has proposed an amendment in Section 219(1) of the Elections Act. Section 219(1) of the Elections Act in its original form reads: “The commission shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or Islamabad Capital Territory.” The proposed amendment by the ECP, however, states: “The commission shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law at the time of the expiry of term or dissolution of the local governments, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or Islamabad Capital Territory.” Explaining the rationale for the propo... -
Dawn - 17:15 Jan 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI Senator Ali Zafar said on Monday that Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani had communicated to him that Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas would be notified as the opposition leader in the upper house of Parliament by tomorrow (Tuesday). Speaking to Dawn, Zafar said he had submitted a letter to the Senate chairperson, seeking the appointment of Abbas. According to the PTI senator, Gilani had accepted the opposition’s demand of appointing Abbas to the vacant position and said that an announcement about his appointment would also be made in the House. In a post on X, Zafar said that he had a meeting with the Senate chairman regarding the appointment of the opposition leader. “[The] chairman informed me that he has approved the appointment and directed the secretariat to issue a formal notification,” Zafar said. He welcomed the decision, saying that the party would be able convey its perspective in the Senate more effectively. The opposition leader’s posts in the Senate an... -
Dawn - 17:05 Jan 19, 2026
India signed a $3 billion deal on Monday to buy liquefied natural gas from the United Arab Emirates, making it the UAE’s top customer, as the leaders of both countries held talks to strengthen trade and defence ties. The agreement was signed during a very brief two-hour visit to India by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They pledged to double bilateral trade to $200bn in six years and form a strategic defence partnership. Abu Dhabi state firm ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tons of LNG a year to India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp for 10 years, the companies said. ADNOC Gas said the agreement brings the total value of its contracts with India to over $20bn. “India is now the UAE’s largest customer and a very important part of ADNOC Gas’ LNG strategy,” the company said. The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by a government delegation that included his defence and foreign ministers. The two ... -
Dawn - 15:23 Jan 19, 2026
The PTI has set up a three-member committee aimed at providing legal aid and welfare support to its members incarcerated in Punjab and their families. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has formally notified the committee, called the ‘PTI Punjab Legal and Welfare Committee’. Haider Majeed, Faiza Murad and Ali Ijaz Buttar have been named members of the committee. The notification states: “The PTI hereby announces the constitution of the PTI Punjab Legal and Welfare Committee for the support of party members who have been convicted or are currently incarcerated as well as for the welfare of their families. “All matters concerning the imprisonment, legal proceedings and welfare of PTI-affiliated prisoners and their families in the province of Punjab may be referred to any member of the committee,” it added. The committee will convene meetings as required and will remain in close coordination with the party leadership, it said. It further stated that it would keep the office of the secretary general fully in... -
Dawn - 15:05 Jan 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Saturday that the party’s future participation in meetings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) was conditional upon whether consultations would be allowed with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan. Neither Barrister Gohar nor Barrister Syed Ali Zafar — who represent PTI in JCP meetings — have attended recent sessions of the council during which, in separate meetings last week, the commission had recommended the confirmation of 31 additional judges as permanent judges. JCP is the key judicial body responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary Speaking to the media at the Supreme Court on Saturday, Gohar said, “The party will take a final decision whether or not to attend future meetings of the JCP after having consultation with the PTI founder”. When asked why PTI skipped meetings of the commission, Barrister Gohar explained that the status of the commission had changed after the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and th... -
Dawn - 14:56 Jan 19, 2026
The Gul Plaza inferno that erupted on Saturday night, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others, is one of the deadliest fires Karachi has witnessed in recent years. It is also the latest reminder of a grim and familiar pattern in a metropolis where fires routinely destroy homes, businesses and livelihoods. Across Pakistan, fires frequently break out in residential, commercial and industrial buildings due to a toxic mix of crumbling infrastructure, weak enforcement of safety regulations and widespread negligence. Many structures lack basic fire exits, alarms and emergency response protocols, while faulty wiring and overloaded power systems sharply increase the risk of electrical short circuits. City planners and engineers estimate that around 70 per cent of Karachi’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings do not have an adequate fire safety system. Despite the frequency and scale of such incidents, accountability has remained elusive. Investigations are rarely concluded, recommendations... -
Dawn - 14:25 Jan 19, 2026
Rescue workers on Monday combed through the rubble and debris of Karachi’s Gul Plaza in the aftermath of a deadly fire over the weekend. The fire started late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-storey complex. The blaze in Karachi’s historic centre raged for more than 24 hours before it was mostly extinguished. Videos showed flames ripping through the building as firefighters laboured through the night to put out the blaze. On Monday, they began cooling the structure and clearing twisted metal and debris strewn across the street, along with fallen air-conditioning units and shop signboards. A firefighter works next to the smoldering remains of Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 19, following a massive fire that broke out. — Reuters Police officers, rescue workers and shopkeepers gather at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 19 after a massive fire broke out. — Reuters Rescue workers search for victims on January 19, following a massive fire that broke out in Karac...
7368 items