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Dawn - 17:03 Jul 12, 2026
Pakistan expresses 'deep concern' over Middle East escalation, urges all sides to exercise restraint
Pakistan on Sunday expressed its “deep concern” over the ongoing escalation in the Middle East and urged all sides to exercise restraint after the United States and Iran traded fresh strikes, with Gulf countries also coming under attack. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said Pakistan was “following with deep concern the recent incidents that are further escalating the regional tensions”. “Pakistan reiterates its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region, and urges all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation, and uphold respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),” the statement read. “On its part, Pakistan remains committed to providing all support towards achieving lasting peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” it affirmed. The FO statement comes in the backdrop of fresh US strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship, while Tehran said it... -
Dawn - 15:49 Jul 12, 2026
Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people in Bangladesh in the past week, officials said on Sunday, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes. Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation criss-crossed by rivers, is highly vulnerable to floods and landslides during the monsoon season, but scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. For the last few days, army and border guard personnel have been ferrying food, drinking water and other essential supplies by boat to communities cut off because of heavy flooding in the country’s southeastern districts. As many as 50 people have died in the worst-affected Chattogram district in the past week, including 29 who were buried by landslides, divisional commissioner Mohammed Ziauddin told AFP by phone. “Two individuals are still missing,” he said. Some 35,000 people have been forced to seek shelter in government-run centres, he added. Among those caught up in the disaster ... -
Dawn - 15:41 Jul 12, 2026
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship on Sunday, while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf. The strikes were the latest in a cycle of attacks and counter-attacks as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the strait. However, the latest barrage marked a sharp escalation in pace and range. The attacks extended to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had not been targeted since early May, and Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks that had not come under attack since April. Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on an “unauthorised route”. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”. Iran later said it had disabled a second vessel. India said one of its nationals was missing after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman earlier on Sunday. Oman said 23 c... -
Dawn - 14:53 Jul 12, 2026
Armed men gunned down five workers hailing from Punjab in the Mashkail town of Balochistan’s Washuk district on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Majeed Sarparah said. The incident occurred amid ongoing Operation Shaban and other counterterrorism operations in the province, in which the security forces have eliminated 109 terrorists since July 5. “The incident took place in Mashkail town close to the Pakistan-Iran border area, when armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on shops where the labourers from Punjab were working,” DC Sarparah told the media. Police officials said the five individuals suffered multiple bullet injuries and succumbed to their wounds on the spot. They added that after firing, the assailants escaped from the site. The officials said police and other security personnel rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the incident and shifted the bodies to the government health facility in Mashkail. After completing legal formalities, arrangements will be made to dispatch the w... -
Dawn - 14:26 Jul 12, 2026
Security forces killed another seven terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 71, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Operation Shaban is being jointly carried out across the province by the army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist July 7 attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which 27 police personnel were martyred. Citing security sources, Radio Pakistan said a total of 109 “khawarij terrorists” have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since July 5. The outlet had earlier reported that three terrorists were killed, and later said another four were eliminated in the Saran Tangi area. Security sources said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the possession of the killed terrorists. The recovered weapons include M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment. Security sources reaffirm... -
Dawn - 12:52 Jul 12, 2026
Politicians, journalists and experts have taken to social media to criticise Friday’s approval by a Senate panel of a bill allowing blue passports for ex-legislators’ children under the age of 28. If it becomes law, the legislation would bring ex-members of parliament in line with the existing entitlement available to dependent children of retired Grade-22 government officers. State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry denied that he supported the bill, saying he opposed it when it was introduced in the Senate. He further asserted that he had told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, which passed the legislation, that the matter should first be discussed with the federal cabinet and relevant stakeholders. “Despite my reservations, the Senate & Standing Committee on Interior proceeded with its decision to pass the bill,” he said. Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique condemned the bill, comparing it to the KP assembly’s recently approved bill that allowed additional privileges f... -
Dawn - 12:13 Jul 12, 2026
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will visit Washington on Monday to deepen strategic ties with the United States, with oil and gas deals expected to be signed as part of a broader push for economic, trade and investment cooperation. Iraq has been seeking to balance its ties with neighbouring Iran and the US as military escalation between the two rivals continues. “The agreements to be signed will include several memorandums of understanding in the oil and gas sector as Iraq prepares to bring in various US companies that will provide momentum to increase oil production capacity,” government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said. Iraq’s state news agency, citing al-Aboudi, said the planned oil and gas agreements would also seek to create alternative export outlets to reduce Iraq’s exposure to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq, like other Gulf oil producers, has suffered a drop in oil revenue due to the effective closure of the vital shipping route during the US-Iran war. Al-Aboudi said strengthening Iraq... -
Dawn - 11:35 Jul 12, 2026
Prominent US Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday aged 71 following a “brief and sudden illness”, his office said. Graham, known for his foreign policy work, was a staunch supporter of the US-Israeli war on Iran and in recent years urged both Trump and the Biden administrations to back Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” the Republican senator from South Carolina’s office said in a statement on his official X account. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” Trump paid tribute to the influential senator on Sunday, calling him “one of the greatest people” in a post on his Truth Social site. “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Graham ... -
Dawn - 10:35 Jul 12, 2026
Qatar’s government on Sunday announced the death of former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who led the country from 1995 to 2013. He was 74, according to a government website. “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Bureau of the Emir mourns the great loss to the nation of the late — may God have mercy on him — His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” read a statement published by the emir’s office on social media. Qatari officials said funeral prayers would be held on Sunday evening along with several days of public mourning across the country, which would see government offices and public institutions closed and flags flown at half mast. The former leader was seen as one of the key architects of modern Qatar and led the country during a period of rapid economic growth. Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad. He inherited a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers... -
Dawn - 08:57 Jul 12, 2026
Pundits and former players highlighted India’s struggles with the bat on Saturday after the Twenty20 World Cup champions suffered back-to-back series defeats by England and Ireland. England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I at Southampton, the hosts sealing a 4-0 series win after the opener ended in a no result due to rain. That series defeat came after Ireland had completed a 2-0 T20 whitewash last month. Player-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik said India’s batting unit had looked out of rhythm throughout the tour. “I think India have a problem adapting to a little bit of extra bounce,” he told cricket news site Cricbuzz. “The middle order looks wobbly, not confident, and it is definitely not the Indian team that we saw during the World Cup or before it in bilateral series, where they took down opponents and actually imposed a lot of fear. Where has that gone?” India captain Shreyas Iyer said their failure to adapt to different conditions had cost them in the series. “We kept on going from o... -
Dawn - 08:54 Jul 12, 2026
Security forces killed another three terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 67, according to state broadcaster PTV News. The operation is being jointly carried out by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which several cops were martyred on July 7. PTV News reported that air and ground operations against Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan — were ongoing. The state broadcaster reported that the total number of terrorists killed during Operation Shahban and other intelligence-based operations carried out since July 5 in Balochistan had reached 105. Security sources said on Friday that security forces, including the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police, had been conducting a joint operation in Quetta district’s Shaban area since July 5 against terrorists involved in the killing of 27 ... -
Dawn - 08:21 Jul 12, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, calling for restraint and de-escalation as tensions rose in the Middle East with a fresh wave of attacks by the US on Iran and retaliatory strikes at US assets and bases by Tehran. During the phone call, both leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a post on X. It added that DPM Dar stressed “upon the parties to follow the path of de-escalation and show restraint, as agreed in the Islamabad MoU in June 2026”. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding — a 14-point interim peace deal aimed at ending the war — was signed between the US and Iran on June 18. Pakistan is also a signatory as a mediator. Pakistan has been leading the peace efforts since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, setting off a war and global fuel crisis as Tehran took measures to disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — a vital maritime... -
Dawn - 07:38 Jul 12, 2026
European leadership is facing growing anxiety. The global solidarity with their framing of the Russia–Ukraine conflict continues to erode. Outside the West, international attention has shifted decisively towards the Middle East, driven by widespread condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 85,000 Palestinians. The vast majority of the killed were non-combatants. The escalation into a broader conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has further complicated European diplomatic strategies, forcing Western governments to navigate competing foreign policy crises. Compounding these external pressures is a noticeable domestic change: European regimes now confront a public that has grown increasingly lukewarm in its support for the ongoing war in Ukraine. This is visible even within the cultural sphere. In 2022, the remaining members of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd reunited to release a song urging the Ukrainian people to remain resilient. The ban... -
Dawn - 07:31 Jul 12, 2026
KARACHI: “It is ‘Jungle Mein Mangal’ [merriment in the wilderness],” said Managing Director, Sindh Tourism Development Corporation, Feyaz Ali Shah as visitors from various walks of life arrived at the Mangrove Biodiversity Park at Korangi Creek for an eco-tourism exploration trip organised by the Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department of the Government of Sindh on Saturday. “Of course ‘Jungle Mein Morr Nacha Kis Ne Dekha?’ [A peacock danced in the forest, but who saw it?]” He added. “That is why we brought you all here today, to appreciate the beauty of nature and marvel at the ecological significance of the mangroves and the biodiversity you see here,” he said. The Mangrove Biodiversity Park was built some two years ago and there are plans for expansion as it receives more funds. Currently, it has a 700 metres long floating wooden bridge, designed by architect and environmentalist Tariq Alexander Qaiser, which allows one a peek into the dense mangrove forest. The area, at first, was opened for school, c... -
Dawn - 06:07 Jul 12, 2026
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after the latter struck a container ship on Sunday while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf. A series of attacks between the US and Iran over the past several days led President Donald Trump to declare the end of a ceasefire meant to halt the war on Iran that the US and Israel began on February 28, though Trump has left the door open to continued negotiations. Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on an unapproved route. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response.” The US Central Command, however, claimed commercial vessels continue to transit through the waterway that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG shipments before the war. The Central Command said US forces hit 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, out of more than 300 during three nights of strikes “to degrade Ira... -
Dawn - 05:46 Jul 12, 2026
LAHORE: Consumers have criticised the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) field officials for allegedly harassing and disconnecting power supply unlawfully on the pretext of recovery of dues in the city. On the other hand, the office of the Lahore commissioner has also decided to take the matter up with senior Lesco officials in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday (July 14) after it was approached to intervene and resolve the matter. “A Lesco team came to our house on Saturday and started pressuring us to pay the bill immediately, failing which they threatened to remove the meter, disconnecting the power supply. I told the team that my bill is for just the month of July and the due date has just passed. There is no previous bill pending to be paid on my part. So, I thought to pay the bill with the next month’s bill,” revealed a consumer of Attari Saroba on Ferozepur Road. He claimed the team continued exerting pressure to pay the bill immediately or be ready for power disconnection. “I told them that I am not ... -
Dawn - 05:31 Jul 12, 2026
ANKARA: Turkiye’s health ministry has fined more than 100 obstetrician-gynaecologists for carrying out Caesarean sections, suspending them from duty and forcing them to undergo training, BirGun newspaper reported on Saturday. The country has the highest rate of C-section births among the OECD’s 38 nations, according to the last available data from 2023, with around 615 such procedures out of every 1,000 live births that year. Medical professionals have said C-sections were more time-efficient for medical staff — 30 minutes, versus 12 hours for a traditional delivery — and lowered the risk of legal action over complications, ensuring a guarantee of safety for both the physician and the women. Last year, the Turkish government began a campaign to tackle falling birthrates under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “Decade of the Family” initiative that has seen it move to exert greater control over how women give birth. Erdogan, a pious Muslim who is pushing for women to have so-called natural births, wants to addr... -
Dawn - 05:16 Jul 12, 2026
THE TV was on in the background when the finance minister delivered his budget speech. The usual noise: opposition members on their feet, slogans, desk-thumping. I wasn’t listening. Then two words cut through it: ‘sanitary pads’. I put down what I was doing; the government was removing the tax on sanitary products. The finance minister had said ‘sanitary pads’ on the floor of the National Assembly, on live television, with the ease of a man reading out grain prices. The information minister then hailed the decision. I thought immediately of my late editor, Tahir Mirza. In 2024, I wrote in this space about the complaints we received when a sanitary pad advertisement ran on the back page of a mid-week magazine I edited at this paper. Readers had written in. Colleagues had raised eyebrows. Mirza sahib took the calls in his stride. People need time to accept change, he said. The noise in the Assembly hasn’t changed. The comfort with which those two words were said has. The change did not come from government enli... -
Dawn - 04:54 Jul 12, 2026
Julian Alvarez scored a breathtaking goal as Argentina battled past 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra-time on Sunday, setting up a mouthwatering World Cup semi-final against bitter rivals England. Fans of the South American team dominated the stands in Kansas City and were celebrating as early as the 10th minute when their hero Lionel Messi set up Alexis Mac Allister’s opener. Switzerland levelled midway through the second half through Dan Ndoye, but minutes later, disaster struck when Embolo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for simulation. The match went to extra-time and Switzerland snuffed out wave after wave of attacks until Alvarez curled a breathtaking strike into the top corner in the 112th minute. Lautaro Martinez added gloss with a late third. The hard-fought victory for Lionel Scaloni’s men at the Arrowhead Stadium means the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will contest the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament. Argentina are now unbeaten in their past 12 World Cup matches as they... -
Dawn - 04:48 Jul 12, 2026
While the general sales tax (GST) on services was the main driver of provincial tax collections in 2025-26, the more significant story is the revenue the provinces failed to mobilise. A closer examination of provincial tax structures highlights significant differences in tax capacity, economic structure and revenue mobilisation. The figures also reflect that provinces differ not only in the collection of tax, but also in the composition of their revenues, indicating varying success in mobilising taxes outside the GST regime. Data compiled from provincial tax collections show that GST on services accounted for 69.6 per cent of Punjab’s total provincial tax revenues, followed by 66.7pc in Balochistan, 60.8pc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 56.7pc in Sindh. At first glance, Punjab appears to be the most dependent on GST, while Sindh seems to have a more diversified revenue structure. However, these percentages require careful interpretation because each province operates under distinct economic conditions and possesse...
12392 items