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Dawn - 02:21 Jul 18, 2026
The government on Friday increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs5.44 and Rs31.05 per litre, respectively, with immediate effect for the next three days until July 20, to pass on the impact of higher import premiums and global prices following renewed regional tensions. Following the increase, the price of petrol stands at Rs316.15 per litre and that of HSD at Rs354.35. The Petroleum Division’s press release notifying the increase said the new prices would be effective from July 18 (Saturday). 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 the first week of March. Earlier today, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. Th... -
Dawn - 02:19 Jul 18, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, the Reuters news agency reported on Friday, citing five sources with knowledge of the talks. The talks remain at an early stage, it said, and could still be complicated by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Kuwait has had a more limited defence deal with Pakistan for training and joint exercises since 2023. It is now seeking a show of force by Islamabad that would be similar to Pakistan’s pact with Saudi Arabia, including “thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, an air defence system, and other defence-related facilities”, said a Pakistani government official. It is unclear whether Pakistan is willing to go this far, given that its agreement with Saudi Arabia was the result of a decades-old close alliance with Riyadh. “Kuwait’s wish list includes everything,” said a Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks. “But let me b... -
Dawn - 02:10 Jul 18, 2026
• CAD gap hits $649m in June • Foreign direct investment declines 34pc to $1.64bn KARACHI: Pakistan ended the outgoing fiscal year with a current account deficit (CAD) of $139 million, reversing a surplus of $1.838 billion recorded in 2024-25, the State Bank of Pakistan reported on Friday. The deficit remained negligible compared to the sharp monthly deficit recorded in June 2026, largely because of strong remittance inflows during the year. The deficit had been widely expected after the Gulf war, which erupted on Feb 28, disrupted oil prices and affected Pakistan’s economy. However, the current account deficit remained under control mostly because of remittances, which rose to $41.585bn in FY26 from $38.3bn in FY25, an increase of about $3.3bn. SBP data showed that the country posted a current account deficit of $649m in June compared to a surplus of $500m in May. The current account had posted a surplus of $220m in June 2025. The trend shows that the economy was largely supported by remittances, as exports ... -
Dawn - 01:14 Jul 18, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday pledged greater constitutional empowerment for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), proposing the abolition of the federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, enhanced representation for the region in federal institutions and a consultative process to shape future constitutional reforms. Launching his party’s campaign for the July 27 AJK elections by addressing the first of four planned public meetings in the lakeside town of Dadyal in Mirpur district, Mr Bhutto-Zardari described the polls as the most significant in the region’s history. He said the prevailing situation was a test not only for Kashmir and Pakistan but also for all political parties. The PPP chairman outlined what he described as his party’s constitutional agenda for AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), announcing that constitutional conventions would be convened in both regions after the elections to seek stakeholders’ input on future legislative reforms. He reiterated his party’s position that, while ... -
Dawn - 19:25 Jul 17, 2026
The government on Friday increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs5.44 and Rs31.05 per litre, respectively, with immediate effect for the next three days until July 20, to pass on the impact of higher import premiums and global prices following renewed regional tensions. Following the increase, the price of petrol stands at Rs316.15 per litre and that of HSD at Rs354.35. The Petroleum Division’s press release notifying the increase said the new prices would be effective from July 18 (Saturday). 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 the first week of March. Earlier today, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. Th... -
Dawn - 19:07 Jul 17, 2026
Spanish elan meets Argentinian steel in a historic World Cup final on Sunday which sees the reigning champions of Europe and South America battle for football’s ultimate prize. Holders Argentina are bidding to become the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the title, in what is almost certainly the final World Cup match of captain Lionel Messi’s career. Spain are aiming to thwart those ambitions by clinching the country’s second World Cup crown following their maiden victory in 2010. US President Donald Trump will be among a star-studded crowd of just over 80,000 spectators at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as the largest World Cup in history reaches its climax. World Cup officials have said they are “monitoring closely” air quality from Canadian wildfires affecting the region around the final, which kicks off at 12am PST. The final will also see an unprecedented 25-30 minute half-time interval for a Super Bowl-style concert featuring the likes of Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber. This com... -
Dawn - 18:13 Jul 17, 2026
France said Friday it was blocking access to the online prediction market Polymarket, as punters continued to make bets despite a ban already in place. The national gaming authority ANJ said that Polymarket’s webpage would be blocked on French territory, which adds to a November 2024 ban on financial transactions to the site. Polymarket is one of a number of online prediction markets which allow people to bet on the outcome of future events. The ANJ said the site’s continued availability — where betting odds on different events are updated in real time — constituted advertising. “Advertising, by any means whatsoever, in favour of an unauthorised betting or gambling site is a criminal offence,” the ANJ said, and noted the fines could reach 100,000 euros ($114,000). The regulator said that despite the ban on transactions from French accounts, visits from French internet addresses to Polymarket’s site have been rising, hitting 578,751 last month. The betting markets have caused a number of problems. France’s wea... -
Dawn - 17:51 Jul 17, 2026
PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s controversial remarks about army martyrs were “inappropriate”, but were unintended. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Sanaullah said, “He (Fazl) always speaks in a balanced and measured manner, and his choice of words is usually very careful… In my opinion, he did not intend to say what he said.” “The words uttered about the martyrs were inappropriate — this cannot be endorsed,” he said. The PML-N leader added that if Fazl withdrew his remarks, it would be regarded as a statesmanlike gesture; however, he had “taken a different position”. Responding to a question about Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) warning to stage a protest outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Sanaullah said that this would also be “inappropriate”. “This cannot be allowed. This will be considered a direct attack on Pakistan’s defence. It would not be an attack on GHQ; it would be a... -
Dawn - 17:46 Jul 17, 2026
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Friday said that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US. The government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The federal government in April also announced targeted relief measures to provide subsidised fuel. Addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Malik thanked the nation on behalf of the government, saying that people had “patiently tried to bear the burden of this war”. He noted that despite the efforts of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the US-Iran war appeared to be escalating in the region. The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had dec... -
Dawn - 16:35 Jul 17, 2026
Sir Garfield Sobers, arguably the greatest all-rounder of all time, has died aged 89, West Indies Cricket announced on Friday. “A great innings has come to an end. In our hearts, now and forever, Sir Garfield Sobers,” West Indies Cricket posted on X above a photograph of him titled ‘Legend. Icon. Hero’. Sobers played 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and took 235 wickets at 34.03 runs each. In a poll of 100 cricket experts in 1999, both Australian batsman Donald Bradman and Sobers were chosen in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century, with the West Indian all-rounder garnering 90 votes. Bradman had an extraordinary 100 votes and yet before his own death in 2001, ‘the Don’ paid the ultimate tribute to Sobers. “He is, in my opinion, the greatest cricketer of all time,” said Bradman. For many, he is perhaps best known for becoming the first player to hit six sixes in one over — Glamorgan’s Malcolm Nash being the unfortunate bowler when Sobers played county cricket for... -
Dawn - 16:23 Jul 17, 2026
MUZAFFARABAD: A personal security guard of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was shot dead on Friday after his convoy came under fire while travelling through his native constituency via the Tain-Dhalkot area, according to officials and his aides. Officials said that the convoy of Ilyas, who now heads the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) in the region, had travelled around one-and-a-half kilometres beyond the Tain-Dhalkot bridge over the Jhelum River, when unidentified assailants opened fire from the mountainside at around 1:30pm. Muhammad Asif, a retired commando from Sudhnoti district serving as one of Ilyas’s security guards, was struck in the head after reportedly moving to shield the former premier. He was critically injured and succumbed to his injuries while being moved to a hospital in Rawalpindi. Officials said Ilyas remained unharmed and in a video message released later in the day, he alleged that the attack had been carried out by armed members of the banned Jo... -
Dawn - 15:11 Jul 17, 2026
The pitch where Spain forward Lamine Yamal honed his skills in a working-class, multi-ethnic neighbourhood outside Barcelona was buzzing with life on Thursday as locals looked ahead with pride to the World Cup final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. “Now that the moment has come when the two of them are going to play against each other, it’s incredible,” said Keba, an 18-year-old Senegalese resident, referring to Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal’s well-known admiration for Messi. Messi, 39, enjoyed the peak years of his career at Barcelona, having come through the club’s youth academy, and a viral photograph showing the Argentine with a baby Lamine Yamal, now 19, has captured imaginations ahead of Sunday’s final in New Jersey. Pedro, 83, talks in front of a jersey of soccer player Lamine Yamal displaying on the wall of Bar El Cordobes at Rocafonda neighbourhood in Mataro, north of Barcelona, Spain on July 16, 2026. — Reuters As children from migrant families played on a pitch behind a mural featuring Lamine Yam... -
Dawn - 15:10 Jul 17, 2026
Kicking off his election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday promised to be the voice of the people of AJK in the Centre and globally by bridging the “gap” between the federal capital and the people. Addressing the rally, the PPP chairman said: “We have seen both good and bad times in AJK, but I have not witnessed the conditions that I am seeing today.” He termed the prevailing situation a “test” for the AJK government, the state of Pakistan and all political parties. “It is the primary duty of a politician to be the voice of the people in the Centre and on international forums, but they are not fulfilling their responsibilities,” he said, adding that “politicians have to act as a bridge between the people of AJK and the Centre, but this is not happening.” He emphasised that this was not an issue limited to AJK; Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan were facing the same fate. “If the people of AJK give me the mandate, I promise that I w... -
Dawn - 14:08 Jul 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Power companies on Friday sought a Rs1.20 per unit increase in fuel cost charges for consumers across the country in August, primarily due to the use of expensive imported fuels. The request comes despite around 75pc of electricity generated in June having come from cheaper domestic sources, predominantly those with zero fuel costs. Once approved, the power companies would charge consumers of all power utilities, including ex-Wapda Distribution Companies (Discos) and K-Electric, an additional Rs15.7 billion through August bills. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has called a public hearing on July 29 to examine the request for a fuel cost adjustment (FCA). The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), which filed the petition seeking a higher FCA for June, said power consumption was slightly lower than in June 2025. It reported electricity consumption of 13,066bn units in June this year, compared to 13,310bn units in the same month last year. The increase in fuel costs was prim... -
Dawn - 14:06 Jul 17, 2026
Pakistan on Friday chaired and hosted the 12th meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Foreign Office (FO) said. The meeting was attended by the heads and representatives of the border services of Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, along with the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). The meeting participants exchanged information and assessments of the situation along the international borders of SCO member states and discussed development trends and forecasts, the FO said. The participants “discussed and approved the results of the Joint Border Operation ‘Solidarity-2025’, conducted by the border services of the competent authorities of the SCO member states”, the FO statement said. The meeting participants also considered and approved a plan for the preparation and conduct of the joint border operation ‘Solidarity-2026’, as well as... -
Dawn - 13:56 Jul 17, 2026
Apple is within striking distance of overtaking Nvidia as the world’s most valuable company, a milestone that would reshuffle the ranks of tech heavyweights as investors reassess the outlook for AI. Apple was last valued at $4.90 trillion as its shares rose marginally in premarket trading on Friday, while Nvidia was roughly at the same level, following a 2.4 per cent decline. If Apple overtakes Nvidia, it would reclaim the top spot for the first time since April last year. The close race shows that investors are broadening their focus beyond the obvious beneficiaries of the AI boom, such as Nvidia, which has been at the helm for nearly a year. “Apple was seen as a laggard in the AI race because it wasn’t spending to develop models, but now sentiment has changed,” said Toni Meadows, head of investment at BRI Wealth Management. “Apple is less exposed to capex intensity and better positioned to monetise AI via services, ecosystem lock-in, and hardware upgrades. The re-rating reflects confidence in earnings durab... -
Dawn - 13:32 Jul 17, 2026
A large-scale field trial on the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into the country’s justice system found that the use of AI resulted in an additional 1,848 cases being resolved per year, an increase of more than six per cent over the average, it emerged on Friday. “This increase does not appear to come at the expense of reduced quality,” observed a research paper on the rollout of a generative AI assistant in Pakistan’s trial courts, titled “Courts of Tomorrow: Evidence from a Nationwide Rollout of Generative AI”, that was published on Tuesday. The authors of the paper, researchers Sultan Mehmood, Christoph Goessmann and Elliott Ash, said that the custom assistant — named JudgeGPT — was a chatbot based on OpenAI’s GPT-4 family of models. It was customised for the Pakistani context and beta-tested “intensively” with Federal Judicial Academy before being deployed for use by 1,559 judges serving across 118 courts. According to the findings, it was most effectively implemented when paired w... -
Dawn - 13:03 Jul 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday initiated proclamation proceedings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI leader Junaid Akbar, and Abdul Ghani Afridi, over their continued failure to appear before the court despite the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants in a case related to the Nov 26 protest. ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra took up the case, examining a progress report submitted by the Islamabad police regarding the investigation into a first information report (FIR) registered at Margalla police station over the Nov 26 incidents. According to the report, submitted through the office of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Islamabad police, the investigation into the case has been completed. A reply was filed in response to the court’s notice seeking an explanation for the delay in the submission of the challan against the accused. The report stated that the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi, Junaid Akbar and Abdul Ghani Afridi thr... -
Dawn - 12:54 Jul 17, 2026
Veteran UK politician Andy Burnham was confirmed as the new leader of the ruling Labour Party on Friday, and is now set to be Britain’s next prime minister. “There being no other eligibly nominated candidate, it is therefore my honour to declare that the duly elected leader of the Labour Party is Andy Burnham,” interior minister Shabana Mahmood told a special party conference. Burnham takes over from Keir Starmer, who resigned last month as premier after months of political turmoil, scandal and missteps. Speaking in London after being formally confirmed as Labour leader and succeeding Keir Starmer, Burnham said he had not yet made up his mind about the composition of his top team. “I haven’t made any decisions yet about who will be in that top team. But I will soon, and when I have, you will see it reflects all parts of our party, all communities,” Burnham said. Centre-left Labour retains an overwhelming majority in parliament after the 2024 elections, so the leader of the largest party becomes the country’s ... -
Dawn - 12:28 Jul 17, 2026
Former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was one step away from becoming Britain’s next prime minister on Friday after being appointed leader of the governing Labour Party. Following are the policies he has spoken about since returning to parliament in June, which offer an insight into how he could govern Britain to try to overcome a cost-of-living crisis, revive anaemic economic growth and win back voters. Decentralisation of power Burnham has promised to “bring about the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”. His focus is on Whitehall, a part of London dotted with government departments where public officials help elected ministers devise and implement policy, which he said had become overly powerful to the detriment of Britain’s regions. “It is time for Whitehall to accept that growth cannot be ordered from the top down. Instead, it can only be nurtured from the bottom up,” he said in a speech on June 29. While focusing initially on England, where 85 per cent of the United Kingdom’s popula...
12682 items