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Dawn - 07:24 Oct 19, 2025
Ukrainian drones attacked a gas plant in Russia’s Orenburg region, the local governor said on Sunday, causing a fire to break out at a workshop which emergency services were working to put out. The governor, Yevgeny Solntsev, said on his official Telegram channel that none of the plant’s employees were hurt in the attack, which left the plant partially damaged. Solntsev said earlier this month that Ukrainian drones had tried to attack an unnamed industrial facility in the Russian city of Orsk near the border with Kazakhstan. Unverified video posted to Telegram at the time showed an object smashing into a facility identified as the Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery in Orsk. Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian refineries and other energy facilities since August to try to disrupt petrol supplies and deprive Moscow of funding. -
Dawn - 05:17 Oct 19, 2025
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) faces the prospect of being completely shut out of the upcoming Punjab local government polls, as the party remains without an official election symbol. According to officials familiar with the development, the PTI may be unable to field its candidates in the polls since the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has yet to allot it a symbol — a prerequisite for participation under the new Local Government Act. The officials said under the recently enacted law, any candidate elected as an independent councillor must join a political party within 30 days of assuming office. However, with PTI lacking formal registration and a symbol, independents supportive of the party will neither be able to affiliate themselves with it nor face disciplinary action from its leadership if they act against party lines. The PTI’s intra-party election dispute has been pending before the ECP for the past 19 months. Legal experts said PTI’s lawyers have shown little urgency in resolving the... -
Dawn - 04:55 Oct 19, 2025
KARACHI: Two bike riders were killed and two others injured when heavy vehicles hit them in separate incidents in the city on Saturday, police and rescue services officials said. Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi told Dawn that 37-year-old Sabir Baber was riding a motorcycle when a water bowser (KJF-6195) hit him at Liaquatabad-10 in the limits of Sharifabad police station. He sustained critical injuries and was transported to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The incident angered area people who set the heavy vehicle on fire, after which it was completely destroyed, said Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan. He added that it was a private company’s bowser. The driver responsible for the incident escaped from the spot. The mob also damaged a trailer (TMP-156), said a traffic police official. In another incident, a motorcyclist was killed while two others were injured when a heavy vehicle hit them on M.M. Alam Road near Malir Cantonment. Model Colony SHO Shaukat Awan t... -
Dawn - 04:00 Oct 19, 2025
• Price surges to Rs560 per kg • Pulses stay costly despite global drop • Poultry prices fall amid overproduction KARACHI: The price of tomatoes has surged, with rates reaching as high as Rs560 per kilogram in retail markets. Wholesalers, however, claim that retailers are charging more than double the wholesale price, which currently stands between Rs250-300 per kg. The inflated prices have left many consumers buying smaller quantities, often just 250 grams, to meet their immediate needs. Haji Shahjehan, President of the Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market Super Highway, attributed the high prices to a shortage of tomatoes in the wholesale market. He cited the declining Balochistan crop, which is nearing its end, and the thin arrival of tomatoes from Iran as key factors. The situation has been further exacerbated by the tense border conditions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, making tomato shipments from Afghanistan unlikely. New supplies from Sindh are expected to arrive next month. Shahjehan added th... -
Dawn - 03:15 Oct 19, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The rise of generative artificial intelligence and widespread digitalisation could displace both men and women from jobs, with the latter likely to experience a significantly higher rate of impact, thereby worsening gender inequalities in the workplace, a United Nations policy update warns. Globally, 27.6 per cent of jobs held by women are potentially exposed to automation or major changes from generative AI (GenAI), compared to 21.1pc of jobs held by men, the report from the UN Department of Social Affairs (DESA) found. These risks stem from structural inequalities, gender biases embedded in technology, and uneven access to digital resources. The impact is expected to be felt most acutely in high-income and upper-middle-income countries, where women are concentrated in clerical jobs, education, and public administration — sectors with high exposure to GenAI. Urges govts to close digital gender gap by ensuring affordable internet and digital skills training for women This trend follows a historical...
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Dawn - 03:15 Oct 19, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge has granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users but slashed a $168 million damages award at trial to just $4m. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled on Friday that NSO Group’s behaviour fell short of a “particularly egregious” standard needed to support the jury’s calculations on a financial penalty. But in the ruling, she said the court “concluded that defendants’ conduct causes irreparable harm, and there being no dispute that the conduct is ongoing” the judge granted WhatsApp owner Meta an injunction to stop NSO Group’s snooping tactics at the messaging service. “We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation to hold NSO accountable for targeting civil society members,” WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart said in a statement. Evidence at trial showed that NSO Group reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install spyware targeting users, according to the ruling. The spyware was repeatedly redesigned to escape detecti... -
Dawn - 03:14 Oct 19, 2025
Vehicles loaded with timber are a recurring sight on the roads of Jand in Attock | Photos by the writer In the early hours of an August morning, when mist still clings to the ground, the sound of axes and chainsaws echoes from village thickets across the south-western tehsil of Jand in Punjab’s northern Attock district. “By the time the sun is fully up, truckloads of timber have already left for markets far away,” says Muhammad Ramzan, a 62-year-old farmer from Kanni village, pointing toward a barren patch where a small forest once stood. “These trees took decades to grow, but only hours to fell,” he tells Eos. This is a pattern across villages in Jand and adjoining areas in Attock, where an entrenched network of illegal loggers, transporters and middlemen — called the ‘timber mafia’ — is stripping the hillsides at a pace the land cannot recover from. While data remains limited, the Punjab State of Environment Report 2024 notes that forest cover accounts for only about three percent of the land, amounting to ... -
Dawn - 02:51 Oct 19, 2025
• Border remains closed for trade and transit for 6th consecutive day • Red Zone area briefly opened to repatriate Afghan refugees QUETTA: Calm prevailed on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border on Saturday after the extension of a ceasefire between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces, with no untoward incident reported from any area of the Chaman sector, where heavy clashes had erupted in the early hours of Tuesday last week. Although the border crossings at Chaman and other entry points have closed for the past six days, Pakistan partially reopened the border in the Red Zone area to facilitate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan refugees. “Under tight security, several hundred Afghan refugee families, including women and children, along with their belongings crossed into the Afghanistan over the past three days, a senior official said. The border was opened for three days, while it remained closed for the other three due to intense fighting at four locations in the Chaman sector,” he added. Following the ... -
Dawn - 02:41 Oct 19, 2025
• Registrar questions maintainability, saying a procedure for such requests already exists • Justice Arbab Tahir to hear petition along with office’s objections on Monday ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has raised objections to a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi seeking permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir is scheduled to hear the petition, along with the registrar office’s objections, on Monday. The petition was submitted by KP Advocate General Shah Faisal through Advocate Ali Bukhari on behalf of the provincial chief minister. The petition argued that a meeting with the PTI founder was essential to discuss matters pertaining to provincial governance and the formation of a new cabinet. However, the IHC registrar’s office objected to the maintainability of the plea, noting that the court had already adjudicated similar matters and had laid down a procedure for seeking permission to meet the PTI founder. The office questione... -
Dawn - 02:34 Oct 19, 2025
• Aurangzeb expects $1.2bn tranche by Dec 31, trade deal with US ‘within weeks’ • Says govt ‘close to deciding’ fate of Roosevelt Hotel • Backs global financial reforms to ease climate burden • Briefs World Bank president on govt’s flood response WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Saturday that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cannot impose any conditions on Pakistan that go against the country’s national interests. Speaking at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, the minister said that all the reforms undertaken so far under IMF programmes were consistent with Pakistan’s own economic priorities and had contributed to improving the national economy. “Please name any IMF-suggested reform that is not aligned with our national interest,” he asked in response to a question. Mr Aurangzeb announced that the IMF is expected to release the $1.2 billion tranche pledged under last week’s staff-level agreement by Dec 31. “The Fund’s executive board will soon meet to review the agreement, and the... -
Dawn - 02:26 Oct 19, 2025
• Cautious optimism after Qatar-mediated talks with Afghanistan on cross-border violence • Taliban regime seeks confirmed coordinates of TTP hideouts; pledge to address concern • FO says govt to press Afghan Taliban to honour commitments • Tarar rebukes ICC over ‘biased, premature’ comment on ‘airstrike deaths’ ISLAMABAD: Qatar-mediated talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan were held on Saturday amid cautious optimism on both sides for de-escalation following a week of deadly cross-border clashes, though a breakthrough remained uncertain in the absence of concrete Taliban commitments on ending terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil. The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, continued well into the night behind closed doors in Doha. Participants of the Doha dialogue reportedly kept shifting their stance on the continuation of talks. Initially, both sides considered adjourning the negotiations for a week, but later agreed to reconvene on Sunday. However, the latest word from sources familiar with the closely gu... -
Dawn - 02:24 Oct 19, 2025
• Says Palestinians want dignity, calls northern Gaza a ‘wasteland’ • Relief stalled as Israel insists Rafah crossing to stay shut until Hamas returns remains of all prisoners • Nine members of a family killed when Israeli forces fired at bus JERUSALEM: The United Nations aid chief on Saturday took stock of the monumental task of restoring dignity and hygiene for Palestinians struggling to survive amid Gaza’s devastation, as he witnessed residents digging latrines among the ruins, while Israel and Hamas exchanged more bodies. A convoy of white UN jeeps carried relief coordinator Tom Fletcher and his team through the twisted rubble of shattered homes to see a wastewater treatment plant in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City. “I drove through here seven to eight months ago when most of these buildings were still standing and, to see the devastation — this is a vast part of the city, just a wasteland — and it’s absolutely devastating to see,” he told AFP. The densely populated cities of the Gaza Strip, home to mor... -
Dawn - 02:16 Oct 19, 2025
• SJC tightens code, bans social, diplomatic functions for superior court judges • Sets protocol on allegations, places limits on foreign invites • Reviews 74 complaints; 70 closed, three to proceed ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Saturday approved far-reaching amendments to the Code of Conduct for superior court judges, barring them from engaging in public controversy or media interaction, particularly on political questions, and introducing new restrictions on social and diplomatic activity. Chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the meeting was attended virtually by Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, while Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar attended in person. Under a substituted Article V, judges are prohibited from speaking, writing, debating or commenting publicly on controversial matters and on political questions, even where questions of law arise. Judges are not to interact with the media, especially ... -
Dawn - 00:47 Oct 19, 2025
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following high-level negotiations in Doha, where both sides also decided to establish a permanent mechanism to ensure lasting peace and stability, state-run PTV News reported on Sunday. Amid heightened tensions along the Pak-Afghan border, a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif travelled to Doha on Saturday for talks with Afghan Taliban officials, aimed at ending cross-border hostilities and addressing Pakistan’s security concerns. Facilitated by Qatar, the talks followed days of clashes and Pakistani strikes on Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan, after a 48-hour ceasefire was extended to allow negotiations. A post on the X account of PTV News, citing the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “During the negotiations held in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both countries agreed on an immediate ceasefire.” “During the talks, both countries not only agreed on an immediate ceasefire but also decided to es... -
Dawn - 18:51 Oct 18, 2025
The PPP on Saturday, following a meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC), said it was giving its coalition ally, the ruling PML-N, more time to fulfil its demands. The two parties are partners in the federation, though the PPP does not have a presence in the cabinet. The disagreement between the ruling allies first surfaced last month, soon after heavy monsoon rains and flooding devastated parts of Punjab and other provinces. The PPP pushed for using the BISP to deliver immediate relief to flood-affected families, a demand resisted by the Punjab government. Tensions deepened when PPP leaders publicly criticised the Punjab government, accusing it of politicising relief and sidelining the federal mechanism for assistance. On the other hand, PML-N ministers also voiced frustration, with Rana Sanaullah calling for a complete overhaul of BISP and arguing that its current structure was unfit. The technical disagreement soon turned into a political confrontation, with both the ruling allies issuing counter-... -
Dawn - 18:03 Oct 18, 2025
Flights have resumed at Bangladesh’s main airport in Dhaka, airport officials said, six hours after a fire in the cargo section delayed flights and halted operations on Saturday. The first flight departed at 9:06pm, officials told reporters. The fire has been completely brought under control, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said in a statement. “Steps will be taken to identify the source of the fire and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the ministry added. Operations at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport were suspended after the fire broke out in the cargo section of the airport, with around 37 firefighting units working to douse the flames. The army, navy, and air force also joined the fire service in efforts to bring the blaze under control. Kabir Ahmed, president of the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh, said it was too early to estimate the exact losses, but that the overall impact - direct and indirect - on imports and exports could exceed $... -
Dawn - 17:40 Oct 18, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed his Malaysian counterpart on Saturday that Pakistan seeks peace and stability in Afghanistan but continues to face “cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghan soil”. In a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the premier emphasised that Afghan authorities must take immediate and effective steps to dismantle terror networks operating on Afghan soil, said a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). During a state visit by the premier earlier in October, the two leaders resolved to reignite bilateral cooperation and move towards a more aggressive and forward-looking policy, including the possibility of collaboration under the umbrella of the Asean economic bloc. “He reaffirmed that Pakistan had agreed to a temporary ceasefire at the request of the Afghan authorities to facilitate dialogue in Doha, and stressed the importance of tangible action against all terrorist entities, including Fitna-al-Khwarij, Fitna-al-Hindustan, TTP, and BLA, to ... -
Dawn - 16:37 Oct 18, 2025
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Saturday that the only constructive solution to tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan is for Kabul to fully abide by the Doha Agreement, which bars the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities. Amid ongoing hostilities with Afghanistan, a high-level delegation — led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif — is holding discussions with a delegation from Kabul today in the Qatari capital Doha, the Foreign Office said today. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, the state minister noted that Pakistan has tried to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels and the military’s connections to Afghanistan, but so far these attempts have failed. “For the first time, a third country is getting involved to convey that Afghanistan has to abide by the Doha agreement, whereby they will not allow the use of their territory for acts of terrorism by anyone,” he said. “Through a third country, a conversation is ongoing. The only positive way forward is that Afg... -
Dawn - 16:33 Oct 18, 2025
Rain played spoilsport yet again as Pakistan-New Zealand ICC Women’s World Cup encounter in Colombo in a washout on Saturday. In a must-win clash to keep alive their faint semi-final hopes, Pakistan were 92-5 after 25 overs when showers forced the players off the pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium, with the match being curtailed to 36 overs per innings before eventually being called off after 8:30pm. An earlier stoppage in play due to the rain had reduced the innings to 46 overs a side with a 9-over play as Pakistan returned to continue their batting from 52-3. Pakistan and New Zealand share a point each after tonight’s no-result as South Africa became the second team to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament — with the Green Shirts still searching for their first win. Speaking after the match, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana said: “As a bowling unit, all are happy. But we need to improve our batting. We have a couple of matches. We would like to play good cricket in the next few matches. She added that he... -
Dawn - 15:18 Oct 18, 2025
Zimbabwe Cricket on Saturday accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) invitation to participate in a T20I tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, following the withdrawal of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). The ACB pulled out of the series after alleging that three of its cricketers were killed in a strike carried out by Islamabad. Pakistan had again targeted terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on Friday. Incidents were reported from the Angoor Adda region and across Afghanistan’s Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province as strikes were conducted against hideouts of the outlawed Hafiz Gul Bahadur group. The attacks came on the heels of an audacious gun-and-bomb attack targeting a military installation in North Waziristan, and just hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire. “Zimbabwe Cricket has accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s invitation to participate in a T20I tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka,” a statement from the PCB said. The maiden tri-series on Pakistan soil has b...
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