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Dawn - 18:36 Dec 10, 2025
The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will provide more “seamless integ... -
Dawn - 17:45 Dec 10, 2025
The PPP accused the PML-N of “colluding” with the PTI during National Assembly proceedings on Wednesday, after the speaker ended the session early when PTI’s Iqbal Afridi pointed out a “lack of quorum” ahead of an agenda item regarding the renaming of Islamabad International Airport. The last item on the day’s agenda was a calling-attention notice from First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and other PPP lawmakers, intended to draw the defence minister’s attention to the delay in naming the New Islamabad International Airport after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in recognition of her services to democracy and the country. However, as the day’s proceedings continued, presiding officer Ali Zahid, who belongs to the PML-N, ended the session abruptly during the question hour while PPP MNA Abdul Qadir Patel was speaking. PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi pointed out the lack of quorum while Patel spoke, prompting the speaker to have the members counted. “63 members are present, the house is not in order,” Zahid said, ending t... -
Dawn - 17:32 Dec 10, 2025
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday warned that a political party, in an apparent reference to the PTI, risks being banned due to its deliberate targeting of state institutions on social media, and urged it to “abandon such politics.” A day earlier, the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution to ban the incarcerated PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his party for being “anti-state”, following remarks by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who assailed Imran for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric and stated that such narratives were now beyond politics and had become a “national security threat”. Speaking to the media after visiting the residence of a late senior party worker in Lahore’s Baghbanpura neighbourhood, Bilawal said that the PTI is “targeting” the military leadership through social media and “concocting political conspiracies”. “They attack institutions when Pakistan is passing through a critical phase,” he sa... -
Dawn - 16:17 Dec 10, 2025
Wolves are returning across Europe — but not to the UK and Ireland, where public support is lukewarm at best. Ecologists point out their benefits, while farmers worry about their livestock. But another influence on public opinion is rarely discussed: Hollywood’s obsession with the wolf as a monster. This is a particular issue in places where wolves are native yet have been extinct for centuries. Though wolves once roamed across Britain and Ireland, for most people there today, they exist only in stories or on screen. The tropes we absorb through entertainment can carry far more weight than scientific facts and have an outsized impact on how we think and feel about these animals. Think of the Big Bad Wolf or Little Red Riding Hood. Nearly every child in the English-speaking world is introduced to the villainous wolf from a young age. They’re cunning, cruel and ravenous. However, we don’t leave that imagery behind us in childhood. Horror cinema keeps our nightmares full of wolves, drawing on familiar — and oft... -
Dawn - 15:59 Dec 10, 2025
The PTI announced on Wednesday that it would hold a “national conference” later this month, where a “national agenda” would be presented. The development comes days after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry assailed Imran Khan for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric, stating that such narratives were now out of the realm of politics and had become a “national security threat”. Since then, a war of words continued between the leaders of the ruling PML-N and PTI over the presser, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying Imran had used “harsh language” in the past for members of the opposition. He insisted that the party had no right to object to the comments by the military’s spokesman, while the opposition party emphatically deplored “ridiculous” remarks by the military spokesperson against ex-premier Imran Khan, saying he was “not a security threat”. The PTI has also faced restrictions in meeting the party’s incarcerated founder, with authorities us... -
Dawn - 15:49 Dec 10, 2025
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced harsh penalties for residents sheltering or employing “infiltrators”, as the presence of unidentified or unregistered individuals can lead to security threats, UAE-based Gulf News reported. The paper reported that harbouring or employing undocumented and illegal migrants carries significant risks, as “infiltrators may engage in illegal activities that threaten public security or help circumvent regulatory authorities”. “Federal Law No 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners imposes strict penalties for this crime, setting fines starting from Dh100,000 and reaching up to Dh5 million in cases involving multiple offenders or organised networks, in addition to a minimum imprisonment term of two months,” Gulf News reported. It added that legal liability extends to those who offer work, accommodation or support of any kind that enables them to stay in the country illegally. Per the publication, Emirati law emphasises the importance of complying with the purp... -
Dawn - 15:31 Dec 10, 2025
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticised by major technology companies and free-speech advocates. Starting at midnight (1300 GMT on Tuesday), 10 of the largest platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook were ordered to block children or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law, which is being closely watched by regulators worldwide. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “a proud day” for families and cast the law as proof that policymakers can curb online harms that have outpaced traditional safeguards. “This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced,” Albanese told a news conference on Wednesday. “It’s a profound reform which will continue to reverberate around the world.” Read a book instead, PM tells youngsters In a video message, Alban... -
Dawn - 15:15 Dec 10, 2025
Two four-storey buildings collapsed in the Moroccan city of Fez, killing at least 19 people, according to a provisional toll reported by the country’s official news agency on Wednesday. “Sixteen other people were wounded, with varying degrees of severity,” the Maghreb Arabe Press (MAP) agency reported, adding that search operations were still ongoing to “save other people who may be buried under the rubble”. The two adjacent structures, which housed eight families, collapsed overnight in the major northern city’s Al-Moustakbal neighbourhood, in the Al-Massira area, according to MAP. Images from the pre-dawn scene showed first responders carrying a corpse in a grey body bag to waiting emergency vehicles, as residents gathered to watch the rescue efforts. Other workers, using jackhammers and pickaxes, tried to dig through the rubble, occasionally assisted by mechanical excavators. Local authorities have indicated that the toll could rise in the coming hours. MAP reported that safety officials had conducted “nec... -
Dawn - 15:10 Dec 10, 2025
The war of words between members of the PTI and ruling coalition continued on Wednesday, with Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan saying that “things have reached a point of no return”, while PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali stressed that “common sense should prevail”. The tensions have particularly intensified in recent days after the spokesperson for the armed forces held a hard-hitting press conference on December 6, in response to Imran’s latest outburst against the military leadership. Politicians from various parties have rallied behind the armed forces since, chastising the PTI. Yesterday, the Punjab Assembly also adopted a resolution calling for a ban on Imran and his party, terming them “anti-state”. ‘Things have reached a point of no return’ Earlier today, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that “things have reached a point of no return”. Addressing a press conference, Wa... -
Dawn - 14:15 Dec 10, 2025
Senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was discharged from hospital - where he was admitted for a surgery - and transferred back to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat prison, his lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer said on Wednesday. Qureshi was hospitalised last month at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute for gallbladder stone complications, where he underwent a successful procedure to remove the stone. Umer said he was discharged from the hospital after his condition improved, while tests were conducted, and their reports would be released in 15 days. The PTI leader has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023, riots and has remained behind bars since August 2023. In July 2024, the PTI leader was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station. The same month, he was transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Kot Lakhpat on a police request. It had stated that frequent transportation... -
Dawn - 13:24 Dec 10, 2025
The Supreme Court (SC) will take up on Thursday (December 11) the application of lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, seeking an early hearing of her plea for a stay in the trial of the controversial social media post case. On December 4, Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatha, were facing trial before the additional sessions judge and Peca (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016) special judge in the controversial tweets case. On December 1, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) denied the couple ad-interim relief of staying the trial. They appealed the IHC order before the SC through their counsel, Faisal Siddiqi. In their subsequent application from December 4, the petitioners pleaded that the criminal trial against them was at its concluding stage and therefore, extreme urgency in the matter was required. The application also pleaded that the petitioners filed a criminal revision before the IHC to question the trial proceedings in view of violations of due process as prescribed under CrPC, particularly the reco... -
Dawn - 12:46 Dec 10, 2025
Japan has scrambled jets to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces conducting joint patrols around the country, the Japanese defence ministry said late Tuesday, amid rising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable strategic bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea to rendezvous with two Chinese H-6 bombers, and performed a “long-distance joint flight” in the Pacific, the ministry said. Four Chinese J-16 fighter jets joined the bombers as they made a round-trip flight between Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands, it added. The Miyako Strait between the two islands is classified as international waters. Japan also detected simultaneous Russian air force activity in the Sea of Japan, consisting of one early-warning aircraft A-50 and two Su-30 fighters, the ministry said. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in a post on X on Wednesday that the Russian and Chinese joint operations were “clearly intended as a show of force against our nation, which is a ser... -
Dawn - 12:01 Dec 10, 2025
Growing up in Karachi in the 1990s, it was unthinkable for most of us to have access to fresh strawberries. All one came across were artificial strawberry flavours and essence, which were generously used in chocolates, biscuits, ice creams, desserts, jams, jellies and custard, to name a few convenience products. Pushcart fruit vendors selling strawberries were unheard of and only a lucky few would find fresh strawberries at any of the handful of supermarkets that existed in the city in those days. To our family’s delight, my father would sometimes purchase a can of strawberries from the then-renowned chor bazaar, a flea market where smuggled items were also available. The only fresh strawberries that we were exposed to in those times were the ones we saw being consumed on television. It is no surprise, then, that these factors added to our eagerness to not only consume fresh strawberries, but also to grow them. Fast forward to the 2020s and, during its fruiting seasons, different sizes and varieties of strawb... -
Dawn - 11:24 Dec 10, 2025
A three-day Basant festival would kick off in Lahore from February 6, 2026, following the Punjab government’s decision to lift a ban on the historic event of celebration, colours, and kite-flying after 18 years, with strict regulations. The festival was banned in 2007 because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. “The Basant festival will be held in Lahore from Feb 6 to 8, 2026,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told Dawn on Wednesday. The festival would be “completely safe, regulated, and strictly monitored,” she added. In a post on X, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz has approved the revival of our beloved Heritage Basant Festival on February 6th, 7th and 8th, celebrated across Lahore after 25 years, a tradition rooted in history and admired worldwide.“ On CM Punjab’s directions, a city-wide campaign to install safety antennas on all mo... -
Dawn - 11:11 Dec 10, 2025
Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado is safe and will be in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier, the organisers said the Venezuelan opposition leader, who lives in hiding, will not attend Wednesday’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and the award will be accepted by her daughter. Machado has only been seen once in public since going underground in August last year, amidst a tense showdown with President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela’s attorney general has said the 58-year-old would be considered a “fugitive” if she left the country to accept the award. It was not known in the hours before the ceremony whether Machado was in Norway for the event due to start at 1pm (5pm PKT). The Nobel Institute finally confirmed that she would not be there. “It will be her daughter Ana Corina Machado who will receive the prize in her mother’s name,” Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken told Norway’s NRK radio. “Her daughter will give the speech that Maria Corina herself wrote.” Harpvik... -
Dawn - 10:54 Dec 10, 2025
US President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency was only “a little bit successful”, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on a podcast on Tuesday, adding that he would not lead the project again. The billionaire, who is founder of electric car company Tesla, was a major donor to Trump’s presidential election campaign and became a close ally and adviser to his administration. Musk led the DOGE team in seeking to slash the federal government’s budget and workforce in the first five months of Trump’s second term. But the role and his political rhetoric sparked a backlash against him and Tesla, including vandalism of Tesla cars. “I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically worked on my companies. And they wouldn’t have been burning the cars,” Musk said on the podcast with former Trump administration official Katie Miller. “We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful. We stopped a lot of funding that really just made no sense, that was entirely wasteful,” Musk said. Asked if he would ... -
Dawn - 10:10 Dec 10, 2025
Pakistan’s population has crossed an estimated 257 million at midyear, placing it among the world’s most populous nations even as its fertility and growth rates continue to decline, according to a report released by the US Census Bureau on Tuesday. Demographic databases, including projections by the US Census Bureau and the United Nations, show Pakistan’s population density at 333 persons per square kilometre, underscoring the scale of pressure on land and public services. The data depict a country facing one of the most complex population transitions in South Asia — caught between rapid numerical expansion and slow human-development gains. Despite decades of policy debate, Pakistan is still adding millions of people each year. Its annual population growth rate stands at 1.82 per cent, lower than in previous decades but high enough to keep total numbers rising steeply for at least another generation, the report said, It added that the total fertility rate (TFR) — the average number of births per woman — has f... -
Dawn - 10:06 Dec 10, 2025
The PTI said early on Wednesday that authorities used water cannons to disperse protesters, including the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan, who were staging a sit-in outside Adiala jail after being denied a meeting with the ex-premier. In a post on X at 3:58am, the party said, “Pakistani authorities used water cannons to disperse Imran Khan’s sisters and peaceful PTI workers outside Adiala Jail, despite a court order allowing a meeting with the jailed former PM. “This brutal crackdown on a peaceful sit-in violates basic human rights and freedom of assembly in freezing weather!” the party said. It also shared a video of a water cannon being used as people, bundled up against the cold, fled the scene. In another post, the party said that Imran’s family was deliberately blocked from meeting him, which led to the sit-in. It said that the use of water cannons was “not only a shameless violation of Imran Khan’s prisoner rights but also an outright assault on the constitutional rights of people who gathered to prot... -
Dawn - 09:17 Dec 10, 2025
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Wednesday Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s petition seeking the postponement of local government elections in Quetta that were scheduled to be held on December 28. Bugti had filed the petition on Monday, and informed sources told Dawn that he cited the precarious law and order situation in the provincial capital and the suspension of internet services as reasons for postponing the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) elections. In its written order today, seen by Dawn, the ECP said the plea was being rejected for “being devoid of force” and that the electoral body had decided to hold local government elections in Quetta on the already scheduled date of Dec 28. However, in the majority decision, one of the six members of the commission that considered the plea was in favour of the postponement of local government elections. In its order, the ECP directed the Balochistan government to assist the commission and “all other functionaries who have bee... -
Dawn - 08:58 Dec 10, 2025
A man riding a motorcycle was killed on Wednesday morning after a water tanker collided with his vehicle in Karachi, prompting a mob to torch the tanker. According to a statement by Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police, the incident took place near 4k Chowrangi in North Karachi. The statement said the motorcyclist sustained severe injuries in the accident, following which he was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The tanker’s driver managed to escape, leaving his vehicle. The tanker was then set on fire by a mob, the statement added. Separately, a bus ran over a 45-year-old woman in the Baldia-8 area of Karachi on Wednesday morning, a statement by Saeedabad police said. The body was rushed to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, it said, adding that the driver and conductor of the bus managed to escape. Today’s incidents come two days after a dumper of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) carrying garbage struck and killed a motorcycle rider in the Nagan Chowrangi area of Ka...
5707 items