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Dawn - 15:35 Jul 23, 2026
Thousands of supporters of India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement have been protesting since June, demanding the education minister resign over exam paper leaks, in the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term. Activists say the leaks showed widespread corruption, a complaint which has brought crowds onto the streets for years. Following are details of major rallies, triggered by graft and other crimes and causes, over the past two decades. April 2011 Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare started the first of two hunger strikes in a bid to push the government to bring in anti-graft legislation. Hundreds of thousands rallied to his support across the country and he was briefly jailed by the then-Congress alliance government. India’s parliament eventually passed an anti-graft law, though Hazare said it watered down his demands. Some of his supporters went on to form the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012, now one of Modi’s opponents in parliament. December 2012 Public fury over the gang-rape of a... -
Dawn - 15:06 Jul 23, 2026
LAHORE: Heavy monsoon rains caused widespread water accumulation across Lahore on Thursday, disrupting routine life, slowing traffic and creating difficulties for commuters as rainwater remained stagnant on major roads, intersections and underpasses in several parts of the provincial capital. Despite claims by the district administration and the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Lahore that drainage operations were being carried out on an emergency basis, residents faced difficulties due to three to four feet of standing water on streets, roads and submerged underpasses, along with slow traffic movement. The city received 343 millimetres of rain over the past 48 hours, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), which warned of possible urban flooding during the second spell of monsoon rains. Rainwater accumulated at more than 130 locations across Lahore, affecting traffic movement in several areas. Low-lying localities, major roads and underpasses remained among the worst-affected poin... -
Dawn - 13:52 Jul 23, 2026
A group of killer whales have been documented blowing a sunfish to bits in an unusual underwater escapade offering never-before-seen insights into orca behaviour, according to research released on Thursday. Video released by the US-based NGO Beneath The Waves shows one orca holding the tail of a sunfish, with its fellow whale then charging with full force into the rotund mola, which explodes into pieces. The sunfish is already dead — this isn’t an elaborate murder ritual. Instead, it might be an attempt to turn the fish into smaller bite-sized chunks, researcher Kathryn Ayres said. “Or it could also just be for fun. Orcas are known for playing with their food,” she explained. “Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles.” The antics were documented on two occasions in 2024 and 2025 off the Gulf of California, according to the research published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers in Ethology. Mark Peter Simmonds, director of science at OceanCare, likened... -
Dawn - 13:42 Jul 23, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Korea South-East Power Co. Ltd (KOEN), a state-owned company of the Republic of Korea, has approached the prime minister over “unfair” treatment of its $1 billion investment plans in Pakistan, which were stonewalled during the regulatory approval process. In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Korean energy firm’s CEO Kim Min Young complained that the company — which operates thermal power stations, pumped-storage power plants, and combined cycle power plants — had been working on two hydropower projects for 10 years but had been blocked at the last stage. He said KOEN, a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), had been developing two run-of-the-river hydropower projects on the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2016, for a total generation of 467 megawatts. The 229MW Asrit Kedam project and the 238MW Kalam Asrit project totalled a combined investment of approximately $1bn, and the firm had already spent about $25m on the ground. “We write to you today with the greate... -
Dawn - 13:33 Jul 23, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday drew attention to key challenges threatening peaceful coexistence and stability across the world, listing the Kashmir dispute and India’s threats to Pakistan’s water share among them. He made the remarks at the 33rd ministerial meeting of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) held in Manila, the Philippines. Foreign ministers and delegates from 27 member states of ARF gathered for the summit, which comes amid a flare-up in the war between the United States and Iran. The conflict is a key concern for the 11-nation Asean, which has a combined gross domestic product of about $3.8 trillion heavily reliant on Middle East oil. Addressing the meeting, DPM Dar highlighted eight key challenges that he said “continue to threaten peaceful coexistence, stability and our livelihoods across the region and the world”. “Any delay in addressing these challenges will only undermine our collective efforts to achieve peace, stability and prosperity across our regions and ... -
Dawn - 13:06 Jul 23, 2026
Alphabet’s Google was fined a total of €890 million ($1 billion) on Thursday for flouting European Union rules aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech, the European Commission said. However, the US tech giant is likely to avoid fresh fines as EU regulators lauded good progress in its ongoing efforts to comply with the landmark legislation. The fines underscored Europe’s determination to prevent Big Tech companies from thwarting rivals, defying US criticism and retaliatory tariff threats. One fine of €460 million was handed out to Google by the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act for favouring its own services in shopping, hotels, transport and sports results in search results. A second fine of €430 million targeted Google’s restrictions on its app store Google Play, preventing app developers from steering users free of charge to cheaper offers on rival app stores or websites. Reuters was the first to report on both fines, which are the first for the US tech giant under the DMA but the fifth an... -
Dawn - 12:54 Jul 23, 2026
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to attack a site linked to Iran’s nuclear programme known as Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Tehran’s main nuclear sites. The threat reflects escalating tensions as Tehran and Washington trade fire in the Gulf, setting back efforts to end the conflict. Here is what we know about Pickaxe Mountain: What is Pickaxe Mountain? Pickaxe Mountain is located 220 kilometres (140 miles) south of Tehran and 2km (1.2 miles) from the Natanz nuclear complex. The Natanz site, where two of Iran’s uranium enrichment plants were located, was bombed during the war started by the United States and Israel on February 28, and during last year’s 12-day war. The tunnel facility under construction at Pickaxe Mountain was not targeted in either of those wars, according to the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based think-tank focused on nuclear non-proliferation. The peak rises to some 1,600 metres above sea lev... -
Dawn - 12:34 Jul 23, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a landmark deal with Saudi Arabia that would establish a civilian nuclear programme in the Gulf country is contingent on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords and normalising ties with Israel. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deal only pertained to the civilian use of nuclear facilities “such as the ones that Iran and [the] UAE (and others) already have”. He added that the deal “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords”. The Abraham Accords are a set of agreements brokered under Trump in 2020 and govern the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and countries that have historically been hostile to it. They, however, remain unpopular among the public in many parts of the region, not least because they do not tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The move comes as the United States under President Donald Trump fights a war with Iran that began in large part over concerns wi... -
Dawn - 12:28 Jul 23, 2026
The three suspects arrested in connection with a young doctor’s killing during a robbery near Karachi’s Teen Talwar were killed in an exchange of fire on Thursday, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) claimed. The SIU statement claimed it conducted a raid in Ahmed Brohi Goth, near the metropolis’ Northern Bypass Toll Plaza, to arrest the three suspects’ accomplices. The suspects were taken to the location, within the jurisdiction of Gulshan-i-Memar police station, to identify their accomplices. However, the accomplices allegedly opened fire on the police party upon seeing the law enforcers. The police further claimed that the three suspects and a police official were injured in the exchange of fire and were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). However, the three suspects succumbed to their injuries en route to the hospital, according to the police. The police claimed they were searching for the absconding suspects, adding that further legal proceedings were underway. A judicial magistrate gra... -
Dawn - 09:59 Jul 23, 2026
QUETTA: District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his guard were gunned down on Thursday, while another judge was among two injured when they came under attack while heading to Mastung, officials said. Judge Kakar and Additional Sessions Judge Tariq Lashari were on their way to Mastung from Quetta when unknown armed men attacked the vehicles they were in, Balochistan Home Department’s aide Babar Yousafzai told Dawn. The armed men targeted Kakar and others at Wali Khan crossing, killing him and his guard on the spot, Yousafzai said. He added that the two injured, including Lashari, were taken to a hospital in Mastung. The incident comes a day after three people were killed and five others were injured in a gun attack on a Karachi-bound passenger bus and a bridge on the national highway was blown up in Mastung’s Khud Kocha area. Subsequently, authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in the Khud Kocha sub-tehsil from 9pm on Wednesday. Thursday’s attack also follows security forces killing three terroris... -
Dawn - 09:48 Jul 23, 2026
The Green Shirts are set to tour England in May 2027 for a five-match one-day international (ODI) series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday. In a press release, it said that the opening match is scheduled for May 15, 2027 in Southampton, with the series ending on May 26, 2027. The second ODI will be played in Manchester on May 19, while Leeds will host the third match on May 21. The fourth and fifth ODIs will be played in Chester-le-Street and Cardiff on May 23 and 26, respectively, the board said. Pakistan’s men team is currently touring the West Indies for a two-match Test series. Following the series, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-match Test series from August 19 to September 13, the PCB said. The PCB statement added that next year’s five-match ODI series with England will provide both sides an opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be held in October and November and hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pakistan are currently rank... -
Dawn - 08:57 Jul 23, 2026
LAHORE/LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday directed all federal, provincial and local authorities to intensify coordinated preparedness, rescue and relief measures in view of the ongoing monsoon rains as the death toll from rain-related incidents rose to 43 in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat, the president directed authorities to “intensify coordinated preparedness, rescue and relief measures as the country enters a critical phase of the monsoon season, with increasing rains raising the risk of flash floods, cloud bursts, glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, river flooding and urban flooding in vulnerable areas”. He also “expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and damage to homes, infrastructure and property caused by the recent rains and related incidents”. The president directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), and provinci... -
Dawn - 08:24 Jul 23, 2026
Pakistan on Thursday expressed “disappointment” with the European Union’s (EU) recent report that pointed out issues in Pakistan’s compliance with its commitments under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). The report was issued last week as part of the European Commission’s global assessment of the GSP during the 2023-2025 period. It said Pakistan had “regressed in a number of areas while positive change was limited”. Responding to a query during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi appreciated the report’s “acknowledgement of Pakistan’s legislative progress” and its continued compliance with 27 international conventions under the GSP+. “Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I do not express disappointment with the assessment, with the report’s overall narrative which does not present sufficiently balanced pictures of Pakistan’s performance,” Andrabi added. He said the EU report “understates the breadth of reforms undertaken since Pakistan joined GSP+ ... -
Dawn - 08:22 Jul 23, 2026
PM Shehbaz speaks to Saudi crown prince, condemns 'unacceptable' Houthi attack on vessels in Red Sea
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea in a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Such actions are unacceptable, violate international law, threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional peace and security,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on the social media platform X. Hostilities in the Middle East flared on Thursday as Yemen’s Houthis said that they attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation. A Saudi news agency confirmed one of the two vessels was ablaze after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea. In his post on X, PM Shehbaz said that he reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia during the call with the crown prince. The premier said he conveyed that he, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the nation “stand firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and the brotherly people of the kingdom at this critical time”. PM Shehbaz said ... -
Dawn - 07:54 Jul 23, 2026
The world is entering a period of rapid geopolitical realignment. The conflicts unfolding in the Middle East and along Russia’s borders with the West are not merely regional disputes; they are symptomatic of a deeper contest between two poles of global power — China and the United States — over the shape of the emerging world order. In this environment, smaller and middle powers risk being viewed simply as territory to be absorbed into one bloc or another. Russia and Iran are two states that deserve closer attention in this context. It would be a mistake to assume that their geopolitical weight can simply be written out of a new order defined by US-China rivalry. The outcome of that rivalry will, in fact, help shape the strategic and economic options available to other countries in the years ahead — Pakistan and Russia among them. Both nations share a concern for economic and technological sovereignty, and both have an interest in building new channels of cooperation. Before any deeper technological partnersh... -
Dawn - 07:35 Jul 23, 2026
Pakistan on Thursday rejected India’s attempt to “distort facts” about the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate, saying that New Delhi’s actions in the aftermath of the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama were “simply illegal”. At a UNSC debate on natural resource governance, Pakistan’s Permanent Representation to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad had highlighted India’s unilateral decision to hold the treaty in abeyance, saying that “no state should be permitted to abuse shared water resources as an instrument of coercion or political pressure, much less when it breaches solemn treaty obligations”. Subsequently, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni had accused Pakistan of “state-sponsored cross-border terrorism”, saying that it had “eroded the basis for bilateral cooperation on the treaty”, according to Indian news agency ANI. He had also asserted New Delhi’s claim on occupied Kashmir. In response, Pakistan’s First Secretary Ansar Sha... -
Dawn - 05:55 Jul 23, 2026
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday “stringent punishment” for those involved in exam fraud that has fuelled student anger, in his first direct comments tied to major protests challenging his government. The comments came after thousands of protesters, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, rallied in New Delhi on Wednesday, triggering fresh clashes with the police. “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” he said in a post on X, promising to set up fast-track courts to punish those involved in question paper leaks. “Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared,” he added. The protesters, mostly young students, have been demanding the resignation of the education minister over exam paper leaks since last month. Protests snowballed on Monday after police fired tear gas and baton-charged tens of thousands of demonstrators as they tried to march to parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. As tensions esc... -
Dawn - 05:45 Jul 23, 2026
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held meetings with the senior officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and reviewed Pakistan’s macroeconomic performance and progress under the Fund’s programme, the finance ministry said on Thursday. In a post on social media platform X, the finance ministry said that the minister held a series of meetings with the Fund’s senior management, including First Deputy Managing Director Dan Katz, Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour and Mission Chief for Pakistan Iva Petrova. “During the meetings, the finance minister reviewed Pakistan’s macroeconomic performance and progress under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), and the broader IMF-supported reform programme,” the ministry stated. He highlighted the country’s “improved fiscal and external balances, achievement of revenue targets, stronger foreign exchange reserves, record remittances and an improved cu... -
Dawn - 05:32 Jul 23, 2026
Hostilities in the Middle East flared on Thursday as the Yemen’s Houthis said that they attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in a military operation, while the United States carried out strikes in Iran for a 12th consecutive night. A Saudi news agency confirmed one of the two vessels was ablaze after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea. The Saudi Arabian state news agency SPA, citing an official source at the General Transport Authority, said an attack caused a fire on the bow of the tanker Encelia but all crew members were safe. SPA did not say who had targeted the vessel. Authorities have secured the vessel and its crew and taken measures to protect the marine environment, describing the attack as a violation of international law, SPA reported, citing the source. In their statement, the Houthis said they attacked two tankers, the Encelia and Layla, saying the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed by the group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. The Houthis said they targeted the tankers with a num... -
Dawn - 05:31 Jul 23, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday directed all federal, provincial and localauthorities to intensify coordinated preparedness, rescue and relief measures in view of the ongoing monsoon rains. According to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat, the president directed authorities to “intensify coordinated preparedness, rescue and relief measures as the country enters a critical phase of the monsoon season, with increasing rains raising the risk of flash floods, cloud bursts, glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, river flooding and urban flooding in vulnerable areas”. He also “expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives and damage to homes, infrastructure and property caused by the recent rains and related incidents”. The president directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), and provincial and local authorities “to maintain close coordination and ensure timely dissemination of early warnings”. He also calle...
12682 items