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Dawn - 11:02 Feb 21, 2026
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has said that he would not be opposed to Tel Aviv taking over large swathes of the Middle East, reported Al-Jazeera. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, is a staunch pro-Israel conservative. In a Friday interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the envoy asserted that Israel’s borders are based on the Bible when questioned about the country’s current boundaries. Carlson noted that the biblical verse includes the region between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile in Egypt. “It would be fine if they took it all,” said Huckabee, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year. Carlson, clearly surprised, questioned Huckabee on whether he truly endorsed Israel’s expansion across the entire region. “They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over,” the ambassador replied. The US envoy then appeared to downplay his comments, describing them as “somewhat of a hyperbolic statement,” while still allowing for the possibility of Israeli... -
Dawn - 10:21 Feb 21, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The prolonged legal saga surrounding the audio leak case involving PTI leader and former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, finally moved to the next stage on Saturday with an additional district and sessions judge indicting him and his co-accused. Additional District and Sessions Judge Nasr Minallah Baloch conducted the proceedings. Gandapur, accompanied by his counsel, Advocate Raja Zahoorul Hassan, appeared before the court, along with his co-accused, Asad Farooq Khan. At the outset of the hearing, the judge addressed the core issue that had stalled the proceedings: the repeated failure of the accused to appear. The court enquired why he had not been presenting himself before the law. Responding to the court’s query, Gandapur cited serious security concerns and logistical hurdles for his absence. “Due to the security situation and road closures, I could not appear,” the former chief minister explained, adding that there was a prevailing situation akin to a curfew in certain... -
Dawn - 09:20 Feb 21, 2026
A 4.5-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of northern Pakistan on Saturday, alarming residents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, with tremors also felt in nearby cities, including Swabi, Haripur and Khanpur. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre located north of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Residents reported that homes and office buildings swayed during the quake, prompting many people to step outside as a precaution. Seismologists said moderate earthquakes are common in northern Pakistan due to tectonic activity in the Himalayan region and advised residents to stay calm and follow safety precautions. Earlier on Friday, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck parts of KP, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, according to the PMD. In Shangla, tremors were felt at the time of Iftar, prompting people to rush out of their homes. No casualties or damages were reported from the district. Earlier this week,... -
Dawn - 08:39 Feb 21, 2026
RAWALPINDI: In a landmark judgment, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that profit-making subsidiaries of charitable trusts are not exempt from Zakat deduction. The LHC’s Rawalpindi Bench gave this ruling while dismissing a petition filed by Fauji Foundation’s educational entity Foundation University. The plea challenged the deduction of Zakat from its investments in National Saving Certificates. The bench, led by Justice Jawad Hassan, held that the university does not qualify for exemption as a charitable institution under the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance 1980. Justice Hassan ruled that the university, despite being established under the Foundation University Ordinance 2002 and sponsored by the Fauji Foundation, functions as an independent body corporate with financial autonomy, making it liable to compulsory Zakat deduction. The university had approached the court through counsel Sayyid Murtaza Ali Pirzada, seeking to set aside a letter issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on April 24, 2018, which hel... -
Dawn - 08:20 Feb 21, 2026
Turning the house where Adolf Hitler was born into a police station has raised mixed emotions in his Austrian hometown. “It’s a double-edged sword,” said Sibylle Treiblmaier, outside the house in the town of Braunau am Inn on the border with Germany. While it might discourage far-right extremists from gathering at the site, it could have “been used better or differently”, the 53-year-old office assistant told AFP. The government wants to “neutralise” the site and passed a law in 2016 to take control of the dilapidated building from its private owner. Workers are finishing works at the birth house of former German dictator Adolf Hitler that is turned into a police station, pictured in Braunau am Inn, Austria on February 17, 2026. — AFP Austria — which was annexed by Hitler’s Germany in 1938 — has repeatedly been criticised in the past for not fully acknowledging its responsibility in the Holocaust. The far-right Freedom Party, founded by former Nazis, is ahead in the polls after getting the most votes in a nat... -
Dawn - 06:38 Feb 21, 2026
US President Donald Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2 for a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies, a trip announced as the Supreme Court overturned Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imported goods. A White House official confirmed the trip on Friday, just before the highest US court dealt Trump a stinging defeat by striking down many of the tariffs he has used in a global trade war, including some against rival China. Trump’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on an extended visit to Beijing had been expected to revolve around extending a trade truce that kept both countries from further hiking tariffs. Ruling raises questions for US-China relations But the Supreme Court’s reversal created new questions for tense US-China relations that had recently stabilised after Trump trimmed tariffs on Chinese goods, in exchange for measures from Beijing, including cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade and pausing export restrictions on critical mineral... -
Dawn - 06:10 Feb 21, 2026
• MQM-P’s Shoukat Ali says he belongs to Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui’s group; accuses Shariq Jamal from former PSP group of threatening him • Speaker suspends Muttahida’s Engineer Usman over ruckus • Area SSP, SHO summoned to record MPA’s statement; leave assembly after two sides ‘reconcile’ KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on Friday rocked by unprecedented infighting within the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan when a party lawmaker, citing threats from a fellow member inside the house, appealed for protection. The atmosphere abruptly grew tense and dramatic when MQM-P lawmaker Shoukat Ali rose on a point of order, alleging that he had been threatened with dire consequences by his own party colleague, MPA Shariq Jamal. “Step outside and we’ll see you,” he quoted Mr Jamal as saying to him, and demanded that the relevant police station register a case and guarantee his security, warning that otherwise he would have no choice but to resign. Taking strong notice of the lawmaker’s allegation, Speaker Syed Awais Shah d... -
Dawn - 06:02 Feb 21, 2026
COLOMBO: The struggles of stalwarts Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have come under the spotlight as Pakistan eye a winning start to their T20 World Cup Super Eight campaign against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Saturday. While Babar failed to deliver in his newly-assumed number four role — barring a decent outing against the USA — during the group stage, Shaheen has emerged as one of Pakistan’s weaker links throughout the tournament so far. The duo may well take a back seat against the BlackCaps, with the less experienced yet promising Khawaja Nafay and Salman Mirza expected to be entrusted with middle-order batting and new-ball bowling duties, respectively. On the eve of the fixture, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson laid bare Babar’s vulnerabilities with the bat and hinted the former skipper could contribute only in a specific role, providing context as to why he was not sent in during the last group game against Namibia. “We think he’s a fine player through the middle, if required, in t... -
Dawn - 02:50 Feb 21, 2026
• BBC, Telegraph reports say Indian-owned franchises won’t bid for Pakistani players • Former England captain Vaughan says ECB should not allow this to happen FORMER captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on reports that Pakistani players will be overlooked by Indian-owned teams in the domestic Hundred competition. The issue could be a factor during next month’s player auction for English cricket’s Hundred, a 100 balls-per-side competition featuring eight franchises rather than the traditional 18 first-class counties. BBC Sport and The Telegraph have reported that with four of the eight franchises in the upcoming tournament owned by companies that control teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is “an unwritten rule” that Pakistani players would not be considered for those team. According to the BBC, a senior ECB official indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL. Vaughan, referencing the ... -
Dawn - 02:39 Feb 21, 2026
• President vows alternative ways to impose levies as court declared his tariff regime ‘illegal’ • Trump insists ‘India deal is on’ • Three liberal justices joined three conservatives in Friday’s ruling • Canada hails ruling, UK, Germany cautious in their response • Stocks rise, Treasury yields gain after the verdict WASHINGTON: After the US Supreme Court struck down the President’s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, Donald Trump announced on Friday he was imposing an extra global tariff of 10 per cent on US trade partners. The conservative-majority court ruled the emergency powers law — International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”, marking Trump’s biggest defeat at the SC since returning to the White House last year. While hard-hit Canada welcomed the ruling pointing out the levies were always “unjustified”, other US trading partners particularly European powers were cautious in their response, with... -
Dawn - 19:19 Feb 20, 2026
After the US Supreme Court struck down on Friday President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, he announced that he was imposing an extra global tariff of 10 percent on US trade partners. Speaking to reporters after the Supreme Court ruled his sweeping global tariffs illegal, Trump said he would impose tariffs using alternative authorities. “The Supreme Court’s decision today made a president’s ability to both regulate trade and impose tariffs more powerful and more crystal clear, rather than less,” he said. “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump added. Insisting the the ruling left him “more powerful”, he said: “In order to protect our country, a president can actually charge more tariffs than I was charging in the past.” Trump has leveraged tariffs — taxes on imported goods — as a key economic and foreign policy tool. They have been central to a glob... -
Dawn - 18:44 Feb 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump said he was considering a limited strike on Iran after ordering a major naval buildup in the Middle East aimed at heaping pressure on Tehran to cut a deal to curb its nuclear programme. The latest threat came after Iran’s foreign minister said a draft proposal for an agreement with Washington would be ready in a matter of days following negotiations between the two sides in Geneva earlier this week. Trump had suggested on Thursday that “bad things” would happen if Tehran did not strike a deal within 10 days, which he subsequently extended to 15. Asked by a reporter on Friday whether he was contemplating a limited military strike, Trump answered: “The most I can say — I am considering it.” After the talks in Geneva, Tehran said the two sides had agreed to submit drafts of a potential agreement, which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US media would be the “next step”. “I believe that in the next two, three days, that would be ready, and after final confirmation by my superi... -
Dawn - 18:40 Feb 20, 2026
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would be taken to a hospital twice in the coming days and that he had to be administered an injection on February 25. The ex-prime minister’s health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. Meanwhile, the government and the opposition have also been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency on the matter, not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran and not allowing his personal physicians to access him. The government denies these allegations. The matter was raised again during ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, where Chaudhry was asked what was the obstacle in the way of Imran’s personal physicians gaining access to him. In his response, Chaudhry said: “Our top priority is to provide him the best treatment faci... -
Dawn - 16:57 Feb 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Around 31.9 million births registered with union councils (UC) in 2025 are yet to be added to the record in the National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) central database, according to an annual performance report. The report was recently submitted by Nadra to the interior ministry, according to which a total of 227m individuals are registered with the authority. Overall, nearly 97 per cent of Pakistan’s population is now included in the registration system, according to the report, which also shows that 52pc of the registered individuals are males and 48pc are females. As for biometric data, Nadra’s system contains facial records of 170m people, iris data of seven million individuals and 1.68 billion fingerprints, the reports says. During 2025 alone, the report states, some 445m biometric verifications were carried out, contributing to “improved transparency” and “strengthening of digital governance systems”. According to the report, national registration increased by 4pc in 2025, reg... -
Dawn - 16:34 Feb 20, 2026
Batting great Babar Azam was moved down the batting order for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, said head coach Mike Hesson on Friday. Azam, who is the highest run-scorer in T20 international history with 4,571 runs, was moved down the order for the must-win game against Namibia as Pakistan racked up 199-3 and secured a place in the Super Eights by 102 runs. The 2009 champions face New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday in the opening match of the second phase. “I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is less than 100 and that’s clearly not the role we think we need,” Hesson told reporters after Pakistan’s final practice session on Friday was washed out by rain. Pakistan left out Azam for the same reason at last year’s Asia Cup and even after a dismal showing in the Big Bash League, he was still selected for the T20 World Cup. “We brought Babar back in for a specific role post the Asia Cup,” said Hesson. “We’ve got plenty ... -
Dawn - 15:16 Feb 20, 2026
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of KP on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The earthquake struck at 6:09pm at a depth of 101 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, the department said. According to DawnNewsTV, tremors were felt in Shangla, Swat, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera. In Shangla, tremors were felt at the time of Iftar, prompting people to rush out of their homes. No casualties or damages were reported from the district. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. Earlier this week, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded 86km northeast of Balochistan’s Khuzdar. Last month, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted parts of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Peshawar and adjacent areas of KP. The same month, another 5.8-magnitude earthq... -
Dawn - 15:11 Feb 20, 2026
WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, with the two sides discussing cooperation in critical minerals, energy, counter-terrorism and prospects for increased American investment, according to a State Department statement. The State Department said the US secretary thanked Pakistan for supporting Trump’s Gaza peace plan and for joining the first meeting of the “Board of Peace” as a founding member. He also offered condolences over the Jan 31 attacks in Balochistan and the Feb 6 bombing in Islamabad and reaffirmed the importance of continued partnership in counter-terrorism. The talks covered Pakistan’s participation in the recent Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, with the United States welcoming Islamabad’s engagement and discussing cooperation in developing Pakistan’s energy and mineral resources, as well as commercial opportunities for American companies. Separately, as per a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), during... -
Dawn - 15:09 Feb 20, 2026
When the Shibuya Arc concluded with Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 in late 2023, it posed many questions. What did Kenjaku really do? What were his true intentions? What would happen now that thousands of sorcerers were awakened? This article will be a comprehensive guide to all these answers and everything else you need to know before diving into the third and latest season of Jujutsu Kaisen. By neutralising Gojo Satoru within the prison realm, Kenjaku (or faux Geto) was free to set his master plan into motion — unleashing the age of cursed energy. Using Mahito’s “Idle Transfiguration” technique, Kenjaku altered two groups of people he had previously marked. The first group rapidly awakened innate cursed techniques and became jujutsu sorcerers, while the second had been fed sealed cursed objects over the years. When Kenjaku released the seals at the end of the Shibuya Arc, these humans’ bodies were permanently overtaken by the ancient entities inhabiting them, essentially reviving elite sorcerers from hundreds of y... -
Dawn - 14:51 Feb 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) stayed on Friday a trial by the court of an additional district judge in Lahore in a RS10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against PTI founder Imran Khan. In his suit filed in 2017, PM Shehbaz said Imran levelled baseless allegations against him. He sought a decree for the recovery of Rs10bn as compensation from the defendant for the publication of defamatory content. The defamation suit said Imran wrongly accused PM Shehbaz of offering Rs10bn to the latter through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing the Panama Papers case. The PTI founder had contended in his reply that he had disclosed the alleged incident for the consumption of the public at large, and an act in the interest of the public good did not constitute any defamation. He maintained that he did not specifically attribute any statement to the PM Shehbaz while narrating the incident. A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Ayesha A Malik and including Justices Muhammad Hashim ... -
Dawn - 14:47 Feb 20, 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday that the Green Shirts would tour Bangladesh in March for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series. In a press release, the PCB said, “Pakistan men’s cricket team will tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.” It said that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on March 9 and hold a training session the next day, ahead of the opening ODI against the hosts on March 11. The board added that the second ODI would be played on March 13, while the third and final match was scheduled for March 15. It added that all three matches would be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. “This will be Pakistan’s second tour of Bangladesh since July 2025. Pakistan last toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in July, which the hosts won 2-1. Meanwhile, Bangladesh toured Pakistan for a three-match T20I series in May/June last year, which the Salman Ali Agha-led side won 3-0,” the PCB said. The ...
8986 items