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Dawn - 18:45 Jun 26, 2026
The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that devastated Venezuela earlier this week rose to 920 on Friday, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said. In a televised address, Rodriguez updated the death toll that had previously been at 589. He also announced military deployment to one of the worst-hit regions, the state of La Guaira. More than 50,000 people were missing following the disaster, United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday. “We’ve got over 50,000 people missing, over 500 people dead, so a massive job to go through the rubble,” he said. Families searched desperately for loved ones trapped under debris, with some of them using their hands to claw at the rubble of buildings. Foreign rescue teams and aid were arriving in Venezuela nearly two days after devastating twin earthquakes flattened areas in and around the capital Caracas. The government has also confirmed 2,980 injuries till now. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors, two of the biggest earthquakes in Latin America’s mod... -
Dawn - 18:34 Jun 26, 2026
OpenAI on Friday launched a US-only preview of its latest powerful AI model series to a limited group of partners at the request of the United States government, the company said. The release comes two weeks after the US government took Silicon Valley by surprise in ordering OpenAI’s rival Anthropic to ban all foreign nationals from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns. The release marks the debut of OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 series, which comprises three new models: Sol, OpenAI’s new flagship; Terra, a mid-range model for everyday work; and Luna, a fast, low-cost option. The company said Terra would be priced at half the cost of its predecessor GPT-5.5, as it seeks to lock in customers amid fierce competition from Anthropic and Google. OpenAI said it briefed the US government on its new models’ capabilities ahead of the launch and, at the government’s request, is beginning with a limited preview for a select group of trusted partners whose identities have been shared with autho... -
Dawn - 17:28 Jun 26, 2026
PESHAWAR: Security forces killed at least seven terrorists in an operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Friday, security sources said. Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security forces coming under attack amid a broader surge in militant violence. Security sources stated that their forces carried out a successful operation in the Ghora Baka Khel area of Baka Khel tehsil, targeting a suspected vehicle reportedly loaded with weapons and explosive materials. According to the sources, the forces received credible information about the suspicious movement of terrorists. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, they targeted the suspected vehicle, parked near a government school, using a quadcopter. The vehicle was carrying a heavy cache of weapons, including a 12.7-millimetre machine gun, RPGs, and mortar shells. The explosion completely destroyed the vehicle, and initial reports suggest that all “seven to eight” terrorists inside the ve... -
Dawn - 16:34 Jun 26, 2026
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said 22 Iranian crew members of a tanker earlier seized by the United States have arrived in Pakistan. On April 13, during the US-Iran war, Washington imposed a naval blockade and would target and board oil tankers and other vessels trying to enter or leave Iranian ports. One of these was the M/T Davina, which was seized during an overnight interdiction by American forces. In a post on X, the deputy prime minister said that the 22 crew members served on the Davina, adding: “Arrangements are now being finalised in close collaboration with the Iranian missions in Pakistan to facilitate their earliest and safe return to their homeland.” “We remained in close contact with the US and Iranian authorities throughout this process.” Dar added that this was the fourth group of Iranian crew members whose repatriation was facilitated by Pakistan over the last two months. “So far, we have assisted in the repatriation of over 70 Iranian brethren (including toda... -
Dawn - 15:24 Jun 26, 2026
An aircraft about the size of a car crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, CITIC Tower, on Friday, two bystanders told Reuters, as police closed off roads around the skyscraper and stopped passersby from filming the scene. The building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, is a 108-storey skyscraper in Beijing’s central business district. It is the headquarters of the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group. There was a heavy police presence at the site, with some approach roads closed to cars. Police prevented some people from taking pictures and asked others to delete those they had taken while ushering people away from the building. Two glass panels on a high floor were damaged. @dawn.today An aircraft about the size of a car crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, CITIC Tower, on Friday, two bystanders told Reuters, as police closed off roads around the skyscraper and stopped passersby from filming the scene. The building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, is a 108-storey skyscraper in Beijing’s central bu... -
Dawn - 14:40 Jun 26, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent on Friday to the Finance Bill, 2026, which outlines the budget for the upcoming fiscal year with an outlay of Rs18.8 trillion. “President Asif Ali Zardari has assented to the Finance Bill, 2026, relating to the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27,” a post on the Presidency’s X account said. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the FY2026-27 budget in the National Assembly (NA) on June 12, offering relief to higher-income salaried individuals and businesses by rationalising income tax, sales tax, and customs duties, while promoting documentation, digital compliance, and investment. The NA passed the budget on Tuesday after the opposition staged a walkout. The House approved the budget after all seven amendments moved by opposition members were rejected by a majority vote. However, the finance bill included amendments suggested by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance. In the new budget, income tax slabs have been eased, super tax rationalised... -
Dawn - 14:25 Jun 26, 2026
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN LOWER: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has restored the affected generating units of the Gomal Zam Hydropower Station after eight years and successfully synchronised it with the national grid, bringing the facility back to its full generation capacity of 17.4 megawatts (MW). Officials said that both of the station’s generating units had ceased operations in October 2016 due to a major technical fault. One unit was repaired and brought back into service in June 2018, restoring half of the station’s installed capacity. However, the second unit remained out of service because of the complexity of the technical damage. As a result, the hydropower station continued operating at only half of its installed capacity, generating 8.7MW, for the past eight years. According to a statement issued by Wapda on Thursday, the restoration marks a significant milestone for the country’s hydropower sector. With both generating units now operational, the power station has resumed full-capacity e... -
Dawn - 14:07 Jun 26, 2026
Mourners participated in Muharram 10 processions across the country on Friday in observance of Ashura. Yaum-i-Ashura is observed every year with mourning processions and religious gatherings to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Processions took place amid tight security arrangements, with 20,000 police personnel deployed across Karachi, along with Army and Rangers units and thousands of police personnel in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, mobile phone services and internet connectivity have been suspended in Quetta and other sensitive areas of Balochistan during the processions. Mourners holding portraits of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei take part in a procession to mark Ashura on the tenth day of Muharram in Karachi on June 26, 2026. — AFP Mourners touch a horse symbolising the mount of Imam Hussain during a procession marking Ashura on the tenth day of Muharram in Karachi on June 26, 2026. — AFP Mourners march during a religious pr... -
Dawn - 12:37 Jun 26, 2026
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Balochistan on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). In a press release, the PMD said the quake’s epicentre was 60 kilometres northeast of Kohlu and that it was felt in the Zhob, Barkhan and Rakhni areas. PMD further said that the quake occurred at 4:48pm at a depth of 17km. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a 5.2 magnitude quake was recorded north-northeast of Barkhan, at a depth of 10km. Earlier this week, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad on Monday. According to the PMD, the earthquake was recorded at 3:22pm at a depth of 215km with the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan as its epicentre. It was felt in Peshawar, Islamabad, Mansehra, Swat, Battagram, Abbottabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Multan and Potohar region, among other areas. Last month, at least one person was killed and 11 others were injured after several houses were serious... -
Dawn - 12:05 Jun 26, 2026
Health authorities across Europe were on high alert on Friday as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany. From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the heatwave was the worst recorded for Europe, where the climate is changing faster than anywhere else. Temperatures were probably past their peak in France and Britain, where records for June have been broken. But in Italy, the heat was expected to intensify into the weekend, bringing the summer’s first readings of 40 degrees Celsius. At least 55 deaths linked to the heatwave have been reported in France, where temperatures in Paris hit 40.9°C on Wednesday. Even though temperatures were expected to ease, authorities braced for more casualties. Across the continent, cultural landmarks have been forced to close, and farming has suffered. Paris police asked organise... -
Dawn - 11:42 Jun 26, 2026
Iran on Friday condemned a joint statement issued by the US secretary of state and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers, describing it as “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative.” In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry criticised positions outlined in the joint communique issued after the GCC-US ministerial meeting in Bahrain on Thursday and warned against what it called continued hostile and interventionist behaviour in the region. Tehran dismissed Washington’s stated “enduring commitment” to the security of GCC member states as “mere rhetoric” and a distortion of reality, arguing that the US military presence in the region has become a source of insecurity and division. The ministry said the recent use of military bases and facilities in regional countries during US and Israeli strikes on Iran demonstrated that Washington did not value the security of its regional partners. It urged regional states whose territory and facilities were allegedly used during the conflict to reconsider... -
Dawn - 10:07 Jun 26, 2026
Durga Devi finds no relief after a day working in New Delhi’s sweltering summer, because her poorly ventilated home radiates trapped heat, leaving her bedroom as hot as 45 degrees at night. Campaigners are now documenting conditions in this densely packed area of India’s capital, home to some of the country’s poorest people, hoping to push policymakers to better protect vulnerable communities. “I prefer staying outside after work, because inside the house there is no relief,” said 45-year-old Devi, who lives in the cramped lanes of Delhi’s Sundar Nagri district. She spends eight hours a day working in a factory without a fan, only to return at dusk to stifling heat at home. The one-room house — like many in this part of the sprawling megacity of 30 million people — has concrete walls, low roofs and poor ventilation, which combine to trap heat during the day and keep the space oppressively hot throughout the night. Devi’s son Abhishek has been keeping a heat diary and tracking temperatures inside the home and ... -
Dawn - 09:41 Jun 26, 2026
BANNU: Four bodies bearing bullet wounds were found inside an ambulance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Friday, police said. Police sources told Dawn that the ambulance was found at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Circular Road and initial investigation showed that the four men, who appeared to be middle-aged, were killed after unidentified attackers opened fire on the ambulance. Officials estimate that the attack was carried out on Thursday night. They said police reached the site shortly after being informed about the bodies, cordoned off the area and began collecting evidence. The bodies were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital for medico-legal formalities. Meanwhile, police have registered a case against unidentified attackers and launched an investigation, the officials said. “The motive behind the attack is yet to be determined and further investigation is under way,” one of the officials said. Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with b... -
Dawn - 08:49 Jun 26, 2026
Indian police have arrested eight people over allegations of theft and misappropriation of offerings at a temple that has been at the centre of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-first politics, authorities said. The Ram Mandir temple in northern Uttar Pradesh state, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before being torn down by Hindu zealots, was inaugurated in 2024 with great fanfare by Modi himself. Allegations regarding irregularities in the handling of donations led to a criminal case being registered on Thursday, with police arresting eight people, including temple employees, according to a government statement issued late on Thursday. Most of them were involved in counting or handling cash and valuables donated by devotees, including gold and silver, media reports said. The government has not disclosed the scale of the alleged embezzlement. Opposition parties and media reports say it could amount to more than $20 million. “It is so shameful that a shrine of such supreme importance is b... -
Dawn - 05:37 Jun 26, 2026
Australia booked their place in the World Cup’s round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that delighted pragmatic coach Tony Popovic but left the South Americans with a nervous wait to see if they will advance. In a physical, scrappy contest at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Paraguay pushed late after being dominated early but it ended with the Socceroos holding on to make the tournament’s knockout phase for a third time, four years after reaching the last 16 in Qatar. Popovic’s team sealed second place in Group D behind the United States and will head to Dallas to meet the second-placed team in Group G, which remains wide open before Egypt face Iran and Belgium meet New Zealand on Friday. It was hardly a performance that will have Australia’s next opponents shaking in their boots, but players and staff celebrated with hugs and back-slapping, and soaked up a warm ovation from thousands of lingering Aussie fans. “I’d like to think that we dominated the game in a crucial World Cup qualifi... -
Dawn - 04:06 Jun 26, 2026
SARGODHA: An uncle of the minor girl, who was raped and murdered in Sargodha on June 23, as well as the family of suspect Arsalan, who was killed during an encounter, have separately alleged that the police have let some other suspects, including the owner of the shop where the crime was committed, off the hook during investigation. Sargodha city police had registered a case on the complaint of victim’s father Naeem who stated in the FIR that when his daughter, Mantaha Zahara (8), did not return home from the market, he and some others started searching her. During the search, they also went to the nearby grocery store, owned by one Hanif. On being asked about the girl, the shop owner reluctantly revealed that Arsalan, a helper at the shop, had taken her to the upper floor, where the victim was later found raped and murdered. The victim’s father had initially nominated four suspects – Arsalan, Abbas, Hanif and his son Ehsan Ali. Later, Arsalan was allegedly killed by his associates during an “encounter” with ... -
Dawn - 03:33 Jun 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench has directed the Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi to ensure that residents of a private housing society are not subjected to any adverse action or harassment merely for forming a welfare association. Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Adnan Saeed and other residents of University Town. The petitioners had challenged show-cause notices issued by the society’s administration regarding the formation of an association without prior approval or authorisation from the management. During the hearing, counsel for the petitioners, A. Ammar Sehri, argued that the notices issued on June 11, were an infringement of the fundamental right of citizens to peaceful assembly guaranteed under Article 16 of the Constitution. The counsel contended that every citizen has the constitutional right to assemble peacefully and without arms, subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order. He argued that the socie... -
Dawn - 03:18 Jun 26, 2026
BRUSSELS: Sweden’s environment minister brought her baby to an EU meeting on Thursday, in a barrier-breaking move she said showed it was possible to be both “a present minister and a present mother”. Romina Pourmokhtari arrived at the ministerial talks in Luxembourg with her three-month-old son, Adam, in a sling with a pram-pushing aide in tow — becoming the latest public figure to shake up conventions around motherhood and work. “Happy also to be an example of not having to choose between being a present minister and a present mother,” the 30-year-old told journalists as Adam rested on her chest. “There are many things that make Europe a wonderful place to live. One of them being just this, that we can have the possibility of attending meetings and attending to my child.” Her French colleague Monique Barbut promptly gave her a gift — a baby onesie. An EU official said it was thought to be the first time a baby was brought to one of the bloc’s ministerial meetings. Mothers are particularly affected by the cha... -
Dawn - 03:07 Jun 26, 2026
• Coalition partners trade barbs after PPP challenges PML-N to hold LG elections in Punjab, Islamabad • Saad Rafique opposes holding local polls in Punjab ‘on Karachi pattern’ • Sharjeel says people of Punjab should be given their constitutional right ISLAMABAD: The PPP said on Thursday that the next local government elections in Sindh would be held in 2027, amid a fresh war of words that has erupted between the party and its main ruling coalition partner — the PML-N — over the local government system in the country. “By the grace of Allah Almighty, local government elections will be held for the third time in Sindh in 2027,” senior PPP leader Senator Waqar Mehdi said in a statement issued in response to a recent statement by PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique. In a post on X, Rafique had criticised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s demand for local government elections in Punjab and the federal capital, saying such polls should not be held on the pattern followed in Sindh. He said it was Mr Bhutto-Zardari... -
Dawn - 02:43 Jun 26, 2026
• President lashes out at Republicans during a closed-door Capitol Hill lunch over earlier votes • Senators Bill Cassidy, Rand Paul shift positions following White House intervention • Administration seeks $70bn for war, needs Democrats to pass 60-vote barrier WASHINGTON: The US Senate blocked an Iran war powers resolution late on Wednesday night, abruptly reversing course hours after a closed-door lunch between President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers erupted into a fierce shouting match over the conflict. The late-night procedural vote ended in a 50-47 tally to block the measure, which originally advanced in May. The resolution directed Trump to withdraw US forces from hostilities with Iran until Congress authorises the deployment. The turnaround came after intense White House pressure, prompting two Republican senators who supported previous checks on executive authority to alter their stances. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana voted no, while Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted “present”. The vote ...
12400 items