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Dawn - 06:17 Jul 14, 2026
Big Tech companies, including Apple, Meta and Google, have “significant gaps” in tackling child sexual abuse and the growing threat of online sexual extortion, Australia’s internet regulator said on Tuesday. Online platforms are failing to use available technologies that can identify well-known coercion scripts used by sexual extortion offenders, eSafety said in a transparency report. “In several cases, we have provided these platforms with evidence of how their services are being colonised by criminals to devastating impact, with clear guidance on how to stem the abuse,” said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. “Even when we’ve laid this out, we haven’t seen adequate responses, despite the technology being readily available.” Google, Meta, Snap, Microsoft and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Top 10 services with highest number of sexual extortion reports to eSafety. A report for sexual extortion received by eSafety can include multiple services. — via eSafety The latest... -
Dawn - 05:56 Jul 14, 2026
Cradling an Asian koel in his hands, wildlife officer Zaheer Ahmed gently stretched its wings as part of a health checkup to rehabilitate birds hit with dehydration or heatstroke in Islamabad. Pakistan, which is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, experienced its second-warmest year since 1960 in 2025, according to government data. Temperatures in Islamabad this summer have pushed past 40°C. This photograph taken on July 10, 2026 shows a pigeon drinking from a bowl of water in Islamabad. —AFP “In the past, because of kite flying, the string used to damage their wings,” said Sakhawat Ali, director of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, which oversees the Margallah Wildlife Rescue Centre in Islamabad. “But for the last one or two years, most of the cases we have been receiving involve birds that are dehydrated and suffering from heat stress.” The wildlife rescue centre, located at the foot of the Margallah Hills, was once the site of the Islamabad Zoo, where neglected ele... -
Dawn - 05:51 Jul 14, 2026
WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Monday backed Saudi Arabia at an emergency UN Security Council briefing on Yemen, reaffirming Islamabad’s support for the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity and calling for all parties concerned to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Yemen has been gripped by conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the beleaguered government the following year. The UN Security Council briefing came after an attack by the Yemeni government on an international airport in Sanaa on Monday. The Yemeni government said it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in Sanaa after it failed to convince a Houthi delegation, which went to Tehran for assassinated Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral, to board a Yemen flag carrier’s flight instead. Hours after the airport attack, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired at the country’s south by Houthis. Monday’s flare-up ... -
Dawn - 05:50 Jul 14, 2026
The United States launched another wave of strikes on Iran for the third consecutive day early on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a blockade on Iranian ports and floated a 20 per cent fee on cargo in the vital Strait of Hormuz. Trump said a deal with Iran was still possible even as attacks were carried out, with Tehran striking two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and killing one crew member, according to the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said two “offending supertankers” were hit and disabled in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the tankers ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems and tried to pass through a “mined route”. The statement did not name the vessels or say whether it was referring to the same tankers cited by the UAE’s Ministry of Defence. The Guards said the US was “inciting vessels to use an illegal route” and warned that cooperation with the “aggressor enemy” would result in damage, delays in reopening the strait an... -
Dawn - 05:39 Jul 14, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark index continued in the red for a second day on Tuesday, losing more than 3,000 points during early trade. The KSE-100 index had lost 3,464.89 points, dropping to 176,462.15 points from the previous close of 179,927.04. The decline came as global oil prices rose nearly three per cent on Tuesday to their highest in four weeks, as the US reimposed its naval blockade of Iran while the two countries stepped up attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, heightening uncertainty about energy flows. Brent crude futures were last up $1.50, or 1.8pc, to $84.80 per barrel at 0330 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.70, or 2.2pc, to $79.84 a barrel. Oil prices are now at their highest since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war on June 17. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, said the market declined after the US reinstated its naval blockade of Iran. “The decline is broad-based, with cyclical sectors witnessing the sharpe... -
Dawn - 04:53 Jul 14, 2026
Kash Patel, the director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hosted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, describing ties between Pakistan and the US as “critical”. Patel, in a post on X, said it was an “honour” to host Naqvi at the FBI headquarters and thanked Pakistan for its support in protecting US interests in the region. “The FBI deeply appreciates their support as we protect US interests in the region,” he said. He added that the two sides held “important discussions surrounding facilitating resources and specialised training to combat counterterrorism financing and cyber investigations, both at home and abroad.” “Our partnership is critical and we look forward to more success ahead,” Patel said. The interior minister had arrived in Washington last week after representing Pakistan at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit in New York. On the sidelines of the summit, he had met with several regional and international officials. Naqvi had last ... -
Dawn - 03:39 Jul 14, 2026
THE Palestinian woman was breastfeeding her baby in a tattered shelter abutting the ruins of her devastated home. Right then, a direct sniper shot pierced the infant’s semi-formed skull, leaving a limp body without scratching the mother. The child evidently posed a threat to the ancient oracle’s prophecy for a country called Israel, which would prosper from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean Sea but only after vanquishing its enemies, the Amalek. The child Amalek of Gaza would become an adult Amalek and that’s problematic. Pinpointed precision with which the well-planned genocide is being executed in Gaza borrows inevitably from ancient myths. The Egyptian pharaoh ordered all newborn babies to be killed to reverse his oracle’s prediction that one Moses among the children would bring his doom. The CIA reportedly used the legend of the pharaoh’s cruelties as depicted in the Cecil B. DeMille movie to superimpose it on its bête noire, one Joseph Stalin. The precision targeting of the infant’s head in Gaza is docu... -
Dawn - 03:32 Jul 14, 2026
BALOCHISTAN bled again this past week — for the rest of the country. In reality, it is the part of the homeland that has rarely ever stopped bleeding over the past 20 years. But for those of us who live a long way from the province, we only become aware of the festering wound when the sepsis sets in. And that is what happened last week with the incidents in Quetta and Ziarat. The manner in which the events unfolded in Ziarat was heart-breaking and by the time the attack took place in Lasbela, the death toll was far too horrific to even comprehend. But there is a greater tragedy. And that is the inability of those in power to approach the crisis in Balochistan with any empathy and political will to heal. The causes of the ailment have been discussed at length — the alienation of the people; the rise of the middle class youth and the roots of its anger; the absence of a genuine political process. It is a political problem that needs a political solution, along with counter-insurgency operations. The people need... -
Dawn - 03:27 Jul 14, 2026
FOR some time, the escalating confrontation between the US and Iran has been playing out round the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Both states want to manage the international waterway, which has a key role in global trade, particularly in the transport of hydrocarbons. Tensions flared last week when the Iranians attacked ships using a route they had not ‘authorised’. From that point onwards, both the US and Iran have traded regular fire, with hostilities rising, and the Islamabad MoU coming under a cloud. The US has hit Iranian facilities close to the coast, as opposed to the heavier bombing across the country before the April ceasefire. Tehran has responded by hitting US bases and infrastructure from Jordan to the GCC states. On Monday, American President Donald Trump declared, in all caps, that his country would be the “guardian of the Hormuz Strait”, while adding that the blockade of Iran would resume. Tehran, meanwhile, says the strait has been closed. None of this bodes well for peace in the Gulf,... -
Dawn - 03:17 Jul 14, 2026
• Minister Ghani briefs Murad about findings of two inquiries conducted in 2025 and 2026 on outbreak at Valika Hospital • Labour dept told to ensure accountability, uninterrupted treatment and long-term rehabilitation of affected children • CM orders Sindh-wide review of infection-control practices to ensure strict compliance of sterilisation, waste management and patient-safety protocols KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was informed on Monday that two inquiries conducted into the HIV outbreak at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Valika Hospital found several lapses, including non-adherence to infection-prevention protocols by healthcare staff, non-compliance with personal protective equipment requirements and mishandling of single-use syringes. The CM, who held a meeting with senior government officials to take stock of the HIV cases detected at Valika Hospital, ordered a province-wide review of infection-control practices in all SESSI healthcare facilities. He was ... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jul 14, 2026
• Sets aside SHC orders allowing contractor to claim price escalation beyond agreed terms • Orders completion of remaining work under original contract ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday set aside a series of Sindh High Court (SHC) orders in the long-delayed Nai Gaj Dam dispute and directed the contractor to complete the remaining work strictly in accordance with the original contract, the arbitral award and the Sept 21, 2021 memorandum of understanding (MoU). The SHC judgements had allowed the contractor, NEIE SMADB-LILLEY-RMS Karachi, to claim price escalation beyond the agreed terms. A two-judge FCC bench, headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and also comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard a set of appeals and expressed the expectation that all parties, including the contractor and Wapda, would honour their commitments and complete the project in accordance with the original contract. To ensure uninterrupted execution of the project, the FCC also ordered that no judicial proc... -
Dawn - 02:51 Jul 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Even though the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to support Aleema Khan’s call for a “long march”, the party fears the protest may end up in another “false-flag operation”, like the May 9, 2023, disorder, or in a “massacre” similar to the one at D Chowk in Nov 2024. A senior leader of the opposition party said Aleema Khan’s “language” had thrown the PTI into a ‘state of panic’. “There is no doubt that leaders, workers and people love and respect Imran’s family and will support her (Aleema’s) call for protest and march. “But Aleema has been trying to instigate people against MNAs and MPAs, ignoring the fact that a large number of workers go to Adiala jail thanks to persuasion by parliamentarians. Duties are assigned to different wings of the party every week to ensure workers turn up at Adiala jail. “However, there is no doubt that many people turn up at the jail to express solidarity with the chairman’s family,” he explained. “However, Aleema’s statements may incite people to violence as ... -
Dawn - 02:42 Jul 14, 2026
LONDON: UK Home Minister Shabana Mahmood announced plans on Monday to change British law to allow a convicted paedophile, who led a so-called grooming gang, to be deported following his release from prison. Shabir Ahmed was jailed in 2012 for 22 years for multiple child sexual offences including rape when he was the ringleader of a gang of similarly predatory men targeting girls in Rochdale, northern England. He left prison on licence earlier this month under the country’s early release programme. Calls have mounted for the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, who held dual British-Pakistani citizenship before being stripped of the former following his 2012 conviction for multiple counts of child sexual offences. Immigration laws had prevented the deportation of Commonwealth nationals who arrived in UK before 1973 But a 1971 immigration law has prevented his deportation, as it prohibits the removal of Commonwealth nationals who, like Ahmed, arrived in Britain before 1973. Announcing the law would be changed through a... -
Dawn - 02:35 Jul 14, 2026
• Rapporteurs say Muslims were disproportionately targeted in voter purge • Seek explanation over alleged deletion of 52m voters • Warn exercise may violate international human rights law • Criticise rhetoric linking purge to ‘illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ KARACHI: Three United Nations special rapporteurs have sought clarification from the government of India over allegations that millions of voters, particularly Muslims, were wrongfully removed from electoral rolls ahead of recent state elections. In a formal communication dated May 1, 2026, the independent UN experts expressed grave concerns regarding a massive voter-deletion exercise that reportedly stripped approximately 52 million names from registers across 12 Indian states and union territories. While the voter purge reportedly affected some other linguistic and religious minorities, the independent experts highlighted that Muslim citizens bore the brunt of the administrative exclusions. The letter highlighted West Bengal, where 9.1m names were delet... -
Dawn - 02:32 Jul 14, 2026
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government on Monday presented a Rs20.478 billion interim budget for the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year, while urging the federal government to allocate Rs258.95 billion for the full fiscal year to address the region’s growing development and infrastructure needs. The three-month budget was presented in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Mohammad Ali Akhtar during a session chaired by Speaker Imran Nadeem Shigri. Presenting the interim budget, Mr Akhtar said the federal government had earmarked Rs158.54 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan in the current fiscal year, an amount he described as insufficient to meet the region’s pressing requirements. He explained that the interim budget had been prepared to ensure the continuity of government operations until the presentation of the full annual budget for 2026-27. According to the budget proposals, Rs88bn has been allocated for non-development expenditures, while the government has set a ta... -
Dawn - 02:23 Jul 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD: While the government is pushing to replace petrol-powered motorcycles with electric two-wheelers, a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries was informed on Monday that Pakistan lacks a dedicated regulatory authority for e-motorcycles, while the absence of a comprehensive lithium battery policy has encouraged the sale of substandard batteries. Soon after the meeting began, sub-committee convener Dr Mehreen Bhutto expressed concern over the fragmented regulatory framework, noting that too many ministries and departments were involved in overseeing different aspects of the e-motorcycle sector. The committee was told that manufacturing licences are issued by the Engineering Development Board (EDB) under the Ministry of Industries and Production, while quality standards for e-motorcycles and their batteries are certified by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), which falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Charging infrastructure, the l... -
Dawn - 02:23 Jul 14, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Facing serious duck-curve challenges, the government has decided to make Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) mandatory as part of the upcoming auction of 800MW of surplus power capacity at a wheeling charge to help stabilise electricity supply. After more than 30 years’ delay, the government has announced the auction process for a notional 800MW capacity to gradually move towards a competitive energy market and is currently engaging with the private sector to finalise the bidding schedule. Based on these engagements, particularly with prospective auction participants for feedback on different aspects of the wheeling auction framework, the state-run Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) under the power division has now proposed three major changes to the Wheeling Auction Process to ensure smooth implementation of wheeling and the auction framework. The first one is the mandatory BESS requirement as part of the auction. Under this, the auction participants would be required to include a BESS... -
Dawn - 02:16 Jul 14, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Monday referred the controversial legislation seeking to expand lawmakers’ powers and privileges to the house’s standing committee for review. In April, the provincial assembly passed the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, granting blue passports to members and their spouses, arms licenses, blanket immunity from preventive detention and making the speaker’s permission necessary before arresting members on criminal charges. The law faced harsh criticism from the media and the general public, prompting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review of the legislation last week. Moreover, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had also announced that the government would withdraw the controversial clauses and restore them in accordance with the 1988 Act. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the information minister said that the committee would re-examine the controversial clauses. Jan said that the act had... -
Dawn - 02:15 Jul 14, 2026
GILGIT: Climate change-induced disasters continued to batter Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) as flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall caused widespread destruction in various parts of Diamer district. According to a statement issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), flash floods occurred at six locations in Diamer early on Monday. The floods damaged several houses, the Karakoram Highway (KKH), link roads connecting remote areas, crops, agricultural land, and public and private property. Flooding was reported in Khanbari, Niyat, Thore, Gaspayan, Gasbala, Bunar and other areas. Flood debris entered several houses, while agricultural land, standing crops and fruit trees were severely affected in the Thunraka area of Thore Valley. GBDMA officials said the main road in Thore Valley was washed away at several places, completely suspending traffic. Power transmission lines were also damaged, disrupting electricity supply to Thore Valley and surrounding areas and causing difficulties f... -
Dawn - 18:46 Jul 13, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Monday referred the controversial legislation seeking to expand lawmakers’ powers and privileges to the house’s standing committee for review. In April, the provincial assembly passed the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, granting blue passports to members and their spouses, arms licenses, blanket immunity from preventive detention and making the speaker’s permission necessary before arresting members on criminal charges. The law faced harsh criticism from the media and the general public, prompting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review of the legislation last week. Moreover, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had also announced that the government would withdraw the controversial clauses and restore them in accordance with the 1988 Act. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the information minister said that the committee would re-examine the controversial clauses. Jan said that the act had...
12682 items