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  • US-Iran deal a ‘political nightmare’ for Netanyahu, analysts say
    Dawn - 17:13 Jun 17, 2026
    WASHINGTON: The US-Iran agreement has placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one of the most difficult political positions of his career, leaving him squeezed between Washington, Tehran, domestic critics, and an approaching election. For decades, Netanyahu built his political identity around three interconnected themes: his ability to influence United States policy, his determination to confront Iran, and his reputation as Israel’s ultimate guarantor of security. The emerging agreement has now raised questions about all three. The deal leaves unresolved several issues Israel has long regarded as vital, including Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its support for regional allies such as Hezbollah, and key aspects of its nuclear activities. At the same time, sanctions relief could provide Tehran with significant economic breathing room. The New York Times noted that the agreement “omits some of the most important things Israel wanted” and observed that “Israel now finds itself counting the ways th...
    Tags: Netanyahu
  • Congo Ebola response strained a month after WHO declares international emergency
    Dawn - 17:09 Jun 17, 2026
    Health workers battling an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo lack the personnel to identify suspected cases, the ambulances to transport them and even the construction materials to build isolation wards, officials and aid workers told Reuters. A month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international emergency, the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain has grown to more than 800 confirmed cases, with warnings mounting that it could become the worst on record, surpassing the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people. Health teams are so stretched that tens of thousands of contacts of those cases remain untraced, Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters, pointing to insecurity and the urban, mining-heavy setting of the outbreak as central obstacles. “After four weeks we have an outbreak in an urban area where there is insecurity, where there is this mining and trade activity, and also where...
  • TTAP rejects PTI claims of no prior notice for 10,000-strong demonstration outside Adiala jail
    Dawn - 16:41 Jun 17, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: While the PTI leadership distanced itself from the call to gather 10,000 people outside Adiala jail on Tuesday, claiming that National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai did not inform them, the TTAP spokesperson rejected the claim. PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan claimed a day earlier that she was approached by Achakzai and told that 10,000 people could gather outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail — where the party founder is incarcerated — if a time was provided. “It had been decided that we will hold a sit-in from 3pm–7pm,” she said. However, PTI Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Shahid Khattak, talking to the media on the same day, rejected the suggestion that such an arrangement had been made. “Mahmood Khan Achakzai did not inform us that 10,000 persons had to be gathered; we could have gathered them. Even I could have brought 200 people,” he said. Khattak added that Achakzai should also have informed the party about the planned gathering so that it could mobil...
    Tags: TTAP Adiala
  • PPP lawmaker calls for separate South Punjab province in Senate
    Dawn - 16:19 Jun 17, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: As senators from the treasury and opposition traded accusations during Wednesday’s budget debate in the Senate, PPP Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan demanded a separate South Punjab province. “Seven million children are born in Pakistan annually, more than in all of Europe. What are we doing for their employment?” he asked during the budget debate in the House. The senator noted that when a province becomes too large, bifurcation becomes necessary. “We will not stay with ‘Takht-i-Lahore’. We want our province. We want separation from Punjab,” he said. He noted that Multan was historically the capital, and that Bahawalpur supported Pakistan at the time of its creation by paying salaries. He also demanded an industrial zone, a high court, and a separate share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for South Punjab, along with agricultural and IT universities. “Bilawal told us to fight for our province. Why is Seraikistan not being made a province?” he asked. Separately, an independent senator fr...
    Tags: Senate South Punjab
  • Nawaz urges AJK to end protests, sit-ins and engage in meaningful dialogue with govt
    Dawn - 15:19 Jun 17, 2026
    LAHORE: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed concern over the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging protesters to end sit-ins and demonstrations and engage in meaningful dialogue with the government. “Under the Interim Constitution Act of 1974, the people of AJK enjoy full civil liberties and democratic rights. I urge them to end sit-ins and protests and instead engage in meaningful dialogue,” the elder Sharif said at a meeting in Lahore on Wednesday convened to deliberate the political and administrative situation in Kashmir. The meeting was attended by senior leaders of the PML-N from AJK. The PML-N central spokesperson and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb issued a statement after the meeting. The party’s AJK chapter had urged the three-time prime minister to address the emerging situation in Kashmir and play his role in resolving it. “I hope that the people of AJK, the AJK government, the government of Pakistan, and all political parties will collectively contr...
  • Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah presents Rs3.56tr budget with no new taxes, 7pc pay raise
    Dawn - 15:01 Jun 17, 2026
    Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presented a Rs3.56 trillion budget for FY2026–27 on Wednesday, without imposing any new taxes and announcing a 7 per cent increase in government employees’ salaries and pensions. The session was delayed due to a ruckus created by lawmakers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). MPA Ali Khurshidi said the party was boycotting the session because the opposition had not been consulted beforehand. CM Murad said that in the upcoming fiscal year, the government’s goal was to “maintain fiscal discipline, strengthen public finances, and sustain development momentum during a very challenging year”. For development, the provincial government has allocated Rs720.39bn. Total tax receipts, including sales tax, are projected at Rs690bn for the upcoming fiscal year. Provincial non-tax receipts are projected at Rs85bn. For capital receipts, local repayments are projected at Rs7.54bn, while bank borrowing is estimated at Rs60.8bn, bringing total capital receipts to Rs68.34bn...
  • Imaan, Hadi seek early hearing of appeal against IHC decision in social media posts case
    Dawn - 13:40 Jun 17, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, seeking an early hearing of their challenge to a Feb 19 Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision in the controversial social media posts case. On Jan 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). In February, the IHC had denied the lawyers’ plea for suspension of their 17-year sentences under Peca. The controversy at the centre of the case stems from a complaint filed under Peca on August 12, 2025, by the NCCIA Islamabad assistant director (investigating officer) before the Cybercrime Reporting Centre, FIA. The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts. Filed through senior counsel Faisal Siddiqi, the application on We...
    Tags: Hadi Imaan
  • PM Shehbaz decides to transform govt's monitoring mechanism through real-time digital oversight
    Dawn - 13:08 Jun 17, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Halfway through his 5-year constitutional term, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to transform the government’s monitoring mechanism through real-time digital oversight to improve service delivery and public perception. The step is a part of the Digital Nation Pakistan Initiative, whose monitoring model has already been finalised by the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA). The initiative coincided with media reports about a potential reshuffle in the federal cabinet after the federal budget 2026-27 is passed by the parliament later this month. In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Press Information Department (PID) said that Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting “to review the Prime Minister’s Office System (PMOS), an innovative AI-powered platform designed to strengthen governance, enhance coordination and improve monitoring of government initiatives across ministries and departments”. Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Secretary IT Zarrar Hasham Kha...
  • PM Shehbaz terms federal budget 'people-friendly', hopes it will promote an 'export-oriented' economy
    Dawn - 11:49 Jun 17, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday termed the federal budget for fiscal year 2026-27 “people-friendly” and hoped that it would promote an “export-oriented” economy. He made the remarks in a meeting with women parliamentarians from the PML-N, where he thanked them for their participation in the ongoing budget debate. He expressed hope that people will be able to benefit from the “relief-oriented” budget after the restoration of peace in the region, according to a press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). According to the statement, PM Shehbaz noted that the budget had introduced “measures to empower women in the country as well as increase their inclusion in the mainstream,” terming it a “top priority” for the government. He also spoke of Pakistan’s peace efforts in the US-Iran war, expressing gratitude to countries who supported Pakistan throughout the peace process. PM Shehbaz commended the efforts of the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, De...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • Former cricket captain Shahid Afridi visits UN, appreciates Pakistan's diplomatic engagement
    Dawn - 11:01 Jun 17, 2026
    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday visited the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York and appreciated the Pakistan Mission’s constructive role in fostering dialogue and settling disputes peacefully. In a statement shared on X, the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN said, “Former Pakistan cricket team captain and celebrated all-rounder Shahid Afridi visited the UN Headquarters in New York at the invitation of Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN.” During the visit, Ambassador Ahmad briefed Afridi on the work of the mission, including “Pakistan’s active engagement at the UN in advancing multilateralism, promoting dialogue and diplomacy, and contributing to international peace and security,” the statement said. It added that Afridi “expressed appreciation for the mission’s important work and its constructive role in fostering understanding, dialogue and multilateral cooperation among nations, and advocating the peaceful settlement o...
    Tags: Shahid Afridi
  • PPP secures 11 seats as GB election chief decides remaining election petitions
    Dawn - 10:19 Jun 17, 2026
    GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan on Wednesday announced decisions on three pending election petitions, giving the PPP 11 seats. The election chief declared PPP candidate Attaullah Khan the winner from GBA-16 Diamer-II, PML-N candidate Malik Kefayat from GBA-17 and PML-N candidate from GBA-13 Astore-I. The rival candidates had filed petitions with the GB Election Commission, challenging the Form-47 results. After hearing arguments from both sides, CEC Raja Shahbaz Khan had suspended the results and reserved his verdict on the petitions. With the announcement, the PPP has secured 11 seats, the PML-N has secured six, independent candidates — who joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) a day earlier — have won four, PTI-backed candidates have won two and the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen has secured one seat. The GB CEC said the notifications for the successful candidates would now be issued. He said six seats reserved for women and three technocrat seats would be distri...
  • Motorway police make fire extinguishers mandatory for all vehicles
    Dawn - 08:39 Jun 17, 2026
    The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) on Wednesday made it mandatory for all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, to carry a working fire extinguisher as it announced stricter fire safety rules for commuters. In a statement, an NHMP spokesperson said that all vehicles, especially passenger and cargo vehicles, must carry a working fire extinguisher. “These special safety measures are being implemented to prevent fire hazards during accidents,” the spokesperson said. It said that after June 24, vehicles without an active extinguisher will face strict legal action. Entry of cargo and public service vehicles without a fire extinguisher will be banned at motorways and national highways, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that for the sake of public awareness, the motorway police were carrying out a nationwide fire safety campaign till June 24. Drivers were urged to make sure that the fire extinguisher they were carrying was not expired. Expired or non-working units will not be acc...
  • Pakistan, UK agree to expand cooperation on counterterrorism, illegal migration
    Dawn - 08:19 Jun 17, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and human smuggling, institutional collaboration and police training. The understanding was reached as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the UN Hamish Falconer According to the interior ministry, Falconer appreciated Pakistan’s “positive and significant” role in facilitating the US-Iran peace deal. “Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played a historic role for peace,” it quoted Falconer as saying. “The US-Iran peace deal has projected Pakistan as a flag-bearer of global peace,” he added. According to the statement, the two leaders also agreed on “enhancing cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including counterterrorism, combating illegal migration, institutional collaboration, and police training”. “Positive results are emerging from the UPSCALE Project and the...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, US govt says in legal briefing
    Dawn - 07:26 Jun 17, 2026
    Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in a legal briefing seen Tuesday by AFP. The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data centre belonging to the trillionaire’s company xAI, which are the target of an environmental lawsuit. In the brief, the US Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit “threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War’s military operations”. To support the argument, federal prosecutors presented testimony from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley in which he states, under oath, that Grok is already in use within Project Maven, the US military’s AI-assisted targeting programme that was initially powered by Anthropic’s Claude model. The project’s Maven Smart Systems (MSS) “enabled US forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during Op...
    Tags: Iran Grok Elon Musk
  • DPM Dar says Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranian fishermen, sailors
    Dawn - 07:03 Jun 17, 2026
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan was “pleased to facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals”. In a post on the social media platform X, he said that this number included “eight Iranian fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, and 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, recently interdicted by US authorities”. “Both groups are expected to transit through Karachi in the coming days,” he said. “We remain in close coordination with the Iranian, United States and United Kingdom authorities to ensure the safe transit and early return of our Iranian brethren to their homeland. Pakistan remains committed to humanitarian cooperation and to extending every possible assistance to our Iranian brothers,” he said. Earlier this month, US forces conducted an interdiction of ​the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean, the US military’s Indo-Pacific Command, which has now reverted back to the na...
    Tags: Pakistan Iranian
  • 6 suspected terrorists killed by KP CTD in 2 separate operations
    Dawn - 06:12 Jun 17, 2026
    Six suspected terrorists were killed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in two separate intelligence-based operations. According to two separate press releases issued by the CTD late Tuesday night, the suspected terrorists belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The first statement said the Kohat CTD received information from sources, indicating that terrorists were hatching a plot and had established a checkpoint on the Shakardara Road in an attempt to obstruct the movement of law enforcement personnel. The statement said that upon receiving the information, a Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team reached the location, at which the “terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the CTD personnel”. “In the ensuing exchange of fire, three Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists were killed. Three Kalashnikovs, nine magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition from their possession,” the statement said, adding that other...
  • China calls for more Global South voices to be heard at United Nations
    Dawn - 05:47 Jun 17, 2026
    Emerging markets suffer from inadequate representation at the United Nations (UN), its authority increasingly challenged by escalating political and economic disputes worldwide, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday. The comments, featuring brief mention of the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts but few details, came in a rare press briefing in Beijing for the issue of a white paper outlining ways to make global governance more just and equitable. “Countries, whether large or small, strong or weak, developed or developing, are equal members of the international community,” Wang said, calling for more voices to be heard from the Global South. New challenges in quick succession bring intertwining global crises, Wang said, adding, “The ship of civilisation has entered dangerous waters with hidden reefs and violent storms.” The disputes reveal deep-seated conflicts, while “black swan and grey rhino events” emerge continually, he said, referring to unexpected events or threats that are ignored despite ...
    Tags: United Nations Global South
  • SpaceX buys Cursor for $60bn
    Dawn - 03:48 Jun 17, 2026
    SAN FRANCISCO: SpaceX said on Tuesday it will acquire artificial intelligence coding startup Cursor for $60 billion as shares of Elon Musk’s rocket company soared for a third straight session after a record-breaking IPO. Near 1130am (1530 GMT), shares of SpaceX, formally Space Explor­ation Technologies Corp., stood at $214.29, up 11.2 per cent, and lifting its market value above Amazon to become the fifth largest enterprise in terms of market valuation. Cursor, founded in 2022 and based in San Francisco, specialises in AI for creating software code, particularly for business uses. An acquisition had looked possible after the two companies had announced a partnership in April that included a clause for Cursor to be potentially bought by SpaceX for $60 billion. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SpaceX said the all-stock deal was expected to close in the third quarter of this year and that Cursor would become a wholly owned subsidiary. Combining Cursor’s software and product expertise with...
    Tags: SpaceX Cursor
  • Bilawal warns of NA boycott if PPP’s demands not met
    Dawn - 02:25 Jun 17, 2026
    • Party claims budget differs from figures shared during pre-budget consultations • Questions provinces’ capacity to meet IMF-linked revenue targets • Another round of talks expected soon ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday once again conveyed his concerns over the federal budget to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, indicating that he would not speak during the ongoing budget debate in the National Assembly unless all of the party’s reservations were addressed. “Bilawal sahib has decided that he will not deliver his speech unless all promises made by the government with the PPP regarding the budget are fulfilled,” a source close to the PPP chairman told Dawn after the meeting. In the huddle with Dar held at Parliament House, Mr Bhutto-Zardari was accompanied by senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Ijaz Jakhrani. The source said Bhutto-Zardari appeared upset with the budget, stating that it was different from the docume...
    Tags: Bilawal
  • Microsoft launches AI agent with pay-as-you-go pricing
    Dawn - 18:38 Jun 16, 2026
    Microsoft is changing how it charges for its software for the first time in two decades, moving to bill customers with a pay-as-you-go model each time they use its new AI agent. The change, prompted by the soaring cost of artificial intelligence, came Tuesday as the company launched Copilot Cowork — an AI “agent” that can independently carry out office tasks like drafting documents, building spreadsheets and sending emails. The tool still requires a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, but now every task it runs is billed separately, based on how much computing power it consumes. Copilot Cowork is Microsoft’s take on so-called “agentic” AI, a wave that has gripped Silicon Valley and turned the simple chatbot into an assistant capable of acting on a user’s behalf. Like rival tools on Google’s and Amazon’s enterprise platforms, it can be handed an assignment and run with it on its own, sometimes for several hours. Microsoft says one customer used it to compare nearly 4,000 documents in a matter of hours, an...
    Tags: Microsoft

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