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  • UK, Australia and Canada formally recognise Palestinian state
    Dawn - 15:36 Sep 21, 2025
    Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger. Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later on Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the conflict in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X. Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly, which opens Monday in New York. “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X. Meanwhile, Australia announced ...
    Tags: Canada Australia Palestinian
  • PM Shehbaz to attend meeting of ‘select’ Muslim leaders with US President Trump in New York: FO
    Dawn - 14:28 Sep 21, 2025
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be among the attendees of a meeting of “select” Muslim leaders with US President Donald Trump in the coming week on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday. “The prime minister will also participate in a meeting of select Islamic leaders with US President Trump to exchange views on issues pertaining to regional and international peace and security,” a statement issued by the FO said. The meeting of Muslim leaders with Trump could be the first instance of PM Shehbaz directly interacting with the US president since the latter assumed the top office in his country in January. Earlier, he met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir in June, marking the first time a US president has hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House unaccompanied by senior civilian officials. On his visit to New York, the PM would be leading Pakistan’s delegation to the “high-level segment” ...
    Tags: New York Shehbaz Muslim President Trump
  • Three ‘Afghans’ among seven terrorists killed in DI Khan operation: ISPR
    Dawn - 14:00 Sep 21, 2025
    Seven terrorists were killed, including three “Afghan nationals”, by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said on Friday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the operation was carried out in the Kulachi area upon the presence of “khawarij”. The state uses the term Fitna al Khwarij to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It has also designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and [as a result], seven Indian sponsored khwarij, including three Afghan National khwarij and two suicide bombers, were sent to hell,” the ISPR said. The statement added that Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government, run by the Afghan Taliban, to uphold its responsibilities...
    Tags: ISPR
  • Afghan govt spokesperson says leaders shouldn’t make ‘provocative’ statements, stresses need for talks
    Dawn - 13:47 Sep 21, 2025
    The spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid has said that leaders should refrain from making “provocative” statements and that his country could not be held responsible for attacks taking place in Pakistan. Mujahid’s remarks come as Pakistan continues to raise alarm over terrorist outfits, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), using Afghan soil to carry out attacks across the border. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to choose between maintaining ties with its neighbour or harbouring terrorists, but Afghan authorities have consistently denied the allegations. He made these remarks during an interview with Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies. According to Gul, the interview — conducted in the Pushto language — was recorded during his recent visit to Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. During the interview, Gul sought proposals from Mujahid to address recurring problems, such as the issue o...
    Tags: Afghan
  • Modi urges Indians to get rid of foreign products amid strained US ties
    Dawn - 13:34 Sep 21, 2025
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public address on Sunday, asked citizens to stop using foreign-made products and instead use local ones, pushing for a self-reliant campaign when trade ties with the United States have soured. After US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on imported Indian goods, Modi has been urging the use of “Swadeshi”, or made-in-India goods. His supporters have started campaigns to boycott American brands, including McDonald’s, Pepsi and Apple, which are hugely popular in India. “A lot of products we use daily are foreign-made, we just don’t know … we will have to get rid of them,” Modi said in an address to the nation ahead of Monday’s implementation of widespread consumer tax cuts. “We should buy products that are made in India,” he added, without naming any country. India’s population of 1.4 billion is a major market for American consumer goods, often purchased from US online retailer Amazon. Over the years, the reach of US brands has expanded deep into smaller...
    Tags: Modi
  • US deal on Bagram base ‘not possible’, says Afghan Taliban official
    Dawn - 12:57 Sep 21, 2025
    An Afghan Taliban government official said on Sunday that a deal over Bagram air base was “not possible”, after US President Donald Trump said he wanted the former US base back. Trump threatened the country on Saturday with unspecified punishment, just days after he raised the idea of the United States retaking control of the base while on a state visit to the United Kingdom. “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” the 79-year-old leader wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump, who has previously said he wants the United States to acquire territories and sites ranging from the Panama Canal to Greenland, has appeared focused on Bagram for years. Asked on Saturday whether he would send in US troops to retake the base, Trump declined to give a direct answer, saying: “We won’t talk about that.” “We’re talking now to Afghanistan and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don’t do it — if t...
    Tags: Bagram Afghan Taliban
  • New visa rules shatter the American dream for many Indians
    Dawn - 12:25 Sep 21, 2025
    Indian aerospace engineering student Sudhanva Kashyap thought he had mapped out everything it would take to get to the United States, only to have his plans upended by Washington’s sudden and expensive change to its skilled worker visas. Friday’s changes to the prized H-1B visas, which included a new $100,000 fee, rattled the tech industry and left US companies scrambling to figure out the implications. Hasty clarifications from the White House that the new charge would be a one-off payment rather than the annual fee announced by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday only added to the uncertainty. The fee change rattled students like Kashyap, who hoped to get into an American university and from there into the US jobs market. Kashyap, a 21-year-old from the southern Indian tech hub of Bengaluru, had pictured himself going to a top-tier American university, with Stanford his goal. “Back when the fee was lower, it was still something that you could pin hopes on; it would be easier to convert the studen...
    Tags: American
  • Bodies of 3 transgender individuals found in Karachi’s Memon Goth
    Dawn - 12:11 Sep 21, 2025
    The bodies of three transgender individuals were recovered from Karachi’s Memon Goth on Sunday, police and rescue officials said. The bodies were discovered shortly after midnight on Sunday in the Memon Goth area of Karachi, according to Edhi Information Centre. “The bodies were found riddled with bullet holes,” the Edhi Centre said in its statement, adding that the deceased were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medicolegal formalities. Police also confirmed the incident, with city police official Javed Ahmed Abro telling AFP, “We are still in the process of confirming their identities. It is too early to determine the motive behind the killings.” Malir’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada arrived on the scene and issued strict instructions to the concerned deputy superintendent of police and station house officer, issuing immediate orders to arrest the criminals, according to a spokesperson for the Malir District Police. “On the instructions of SSP Malir, special...
    Tags: Karachi Memon Goth
  • European airports race to fix check-in glitch after hacking disruption
    Dawn - 09:44 Sep 21, 2025
    Some of Europe’s biggest airports, including the region’s busiest Heathrow, raced on Sunday to restore normal operations to automatic check-in systems after disruption caused by hackers a day earlier. The hacking incident hit check-in and boarding systems provider Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX, disrupting operations on Saturday at London’s Heathrow, Berlin Airport and in Brussels, where passengers faced long queues, dozens of cancellations and delays. Disruption had eased significantly by early Sunday despite some continuing delays, airport officials and data showed, while regional regulators said they were investigating the origin of the hacking incident. The disruption is the latest in a string of hacks to hit sectors from healthcare to autos. A breach at carmaker Jaguar Land Rover halted production, while another caused Marks & Spencer losses in the hundreds of millions of pounds. RTX called the incident a “cyber-related disruption” and said it had impacted its MUSE software, which is used by several air...
  • Three sanitation workers die while cleaning manhole in Karachi: Edhi
    Dawn - 09:41 Sep 21, 2025
    Three sanitation workers died as they fell into a manhole while cleaning it in Karachi’s Usmanabad neighbourhood, Edhi officials said on Sunday. Deaths from falling into open gutters and manholes frequently occur in Pakistan, particularly in major cities like Karachi, where poorly managed drainage systems, missing or broken covers, and inadequate lighting in congested neighbourhoods often put pedestrians in danger. The gutters are filled with toxic sewage and lack oxygen, making it easy to suffocate or drown within minutes. “Four people fell into a drain near Siddique Wahab Road while cleaning it, three of whom lost their lives, while another remains unconscious,” the Edhi statement said. The deceased have been identified as 22-year-old Vishal, 19-year-old Shahir, and 42-year-old George. The fourth man — identified as 26-year-old Faisal — was rushed to the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre, while the bodies of the deceased have been shifted to an Edhi morgue. Police surgeon Sumaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the wo...
    Tags: Edhi Karachi Three
  • Islamabad police raid 17 locations to arrest clashing lawyers
    Dawn - 06:00 Sep 21, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The capital police raided 17 locations to arrest lawyers nominated in a case registered following a clash with the president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA). Police officials said that 70 lawyers were nominated in the case, along with 150 to 200 unidentified persons, in an FIR lodged at the Secretariat Police Station on the complaint of IHCBA President Syed Wajid Ali Shah Gillani. After registration of the case, the police obtained arrest warrants. Later, separate police teams raided different places, including the residences of 11 lawyers nominated in the FIR. By evening, 17 raids had been conducted in the capital, but all remained unsuccessful as the nominated individuals had gone into hiding to avoid arrest. Footage from CCTV cameras installed in and around the IHC and Constitution Avenue was also being obtained and examined to identify others involved in the clash. According to the FIR, Advocate Gillani went to the parking area outside the IHCBA office, where he spotted 60 t...
  • Petition filed in IHC against PTI chief Imran Khan’s social media posts
    Dawn - 05:01 Sep 21, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the alleged inflammatory posts made from the official X account of PTI founder Imran Khan during his imprisonment. The petition was filed by citizen Ghulam Murtaza Khan through Barrister Zafarullah Khan Advocate, stating that the dissemination of “provocative and malicious” content from the account of a convicted prisoner is unlawful and contrary to prison rules. The petitioner requested the court to direct the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to conduct a thorough investigation to determine who has been operating the PTI founder’s account while he remains incarcerated. The petition further sought directions for blocking and removing such content from social media platforms. It also called upon the court to instruct the jail superintendent to ensure that the prisoner is not allowed to access or operate social media in violation of jail regulations, terming such activity...
    Tags: Imran Khan
  • Pakistan poised to meet IMF targets
    Dawn - 04:48 Sep 21, 2025
    KARACHI: Pakistan is expected to meet all seven Quantitative Performance Criteria (QPC) set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ahead of the second semi-annual review of the country’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, according to Topline Securities’ report released on Saturday. The IMF team is scheduled to visit Pakistan on Sept 25 to review the country’s performance under the $7 billion EFF arrangement, covering the first half of 2025. The review will assess Pakistan’s progress in meeting key economic targets for the March-June quarter. Based on Topline’s estimates, Pakistan is likely to meet the IMF’s QPC, including targets related to net international reserves and swap positions. The primary balance numbers for FY25 are also well within the IMF’s projections, the report noted. In addition to fulfilling IMF-mandated reforms, Pakistan is actively seeking foreign investment in emerging sectors such as offshore drilling, mining, and Web 3.0 technologies. A key milestone in this effort was the Pakis...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Govt eyes new markets for kinno export
    Dawn - 04:42 Sep 21, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The government has announced a set of measures aimed at enhancing the global recognition of Pakistani kinno, a variety of citrus fruit, with a focus on improving its export potential and value-added products. National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, in a statement on Saturday, highlighted that the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) has accredited the Citrus Research Institute’s post-entry quarantine facilities. This accreditation paves the way for the introduction of new, disease-resistant, and seedless kinno varieties that offer higher yields and greater consumer appeal. Mr Tanveer emphasised that citrus, especially kinno, is a symbol of Pakistan’s agricultural strength. He noted that the government’s efforts are not limited to expanding fresh fruit exports; equal emphasis is also being placed on promoting seedless kinno and value-added citrus products such as juices, concentrates, and essential oils, which have higher market value internationally. The government is als...
  • Khadija Shah moves LHC against her conviction
    Dawn - 04:21 Sep 21, 2025
    LAHORE: Fashion de­­signer Khadija Shah has approached the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging her conviction in a May 9 case. She claims to have been falsely implicated for political reasons. Through her Advocate Sameer Khosa, Ms Shah argues that she had no involvement in the torching of a Supreme Court judge’s squad vehicle near Jinnah House during the riots. She maintained she was not named in the FIR, nor was she implicated throu­­gh supplementary statements. No identification para­­de was conducted to establish her presence at the scene. The trial, held inside Kot Lakhpat jail, resulted in 21 acquittals out of 51 accused, with 12 declared proclaimed offenders. Ms Shah was among the 18 convicted, recently sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs100,000. The appeal highlights that the prosecution’s case relied solely on her social media activity post-May 9, 2023. However, the trial court scrutinized her entire online data without legal basis, terming the charges “defective, vague, and unsustainable....
    Tags: Khadija Shah
  • US wants public oversight of defence, security budgets
    Dawn - 03:17 Sep 21, 2025
    WASHINGTON: The United States has called on Pakistan to subject its defence and intelligence budgets to parliamentary or civilian public oversight, describing it as a key step to improve fiscal accountability and transparency. The recommendation appears in the US Department of State’s 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report, released on Friday. The annual report reviews the openness of budgetary practices worldwide, assessing how governments publish, audit, and manage public funds. “The military and intelligence budgets were not subject to adequate parliamentary or civilian public oversight,” the report stated in its Pakistan section. It added that “steps Pakistan could take to improve fiscal transparency include… subjecting the military and intelligence agencies’ budgets to parliamentary or civilian public oversight”. The report also urged Pakistan to ensure the timely publication of its executive budget proposal. “The government… did not publish its executive budget proposal within a reasonable period,” the assessm...
  • 87 Palestinians killed as Israel intensifies Gaza City assault
    Dawn - 03:11 Sep 21, 2025
    JERUSALEM: Israel’s military kept up its assault on Gaza City and the wider Gaza Strip on Saturday, dismantling underground shafts and booby-trapped structures in attacks that left 87 Palestinians dead, 70 of them in Gaza City. The civil defence agency said 11 were killed when warplanes struck the Dughmush family in the city’s Al-Sabra neighbourhood. The assault came as 10 countries including Australia, Belgium, Britain and Canada are scheduled to formally recognise an independent Palestinian state on Monday, ahead of the annual gathering at the UN General Assembly. Israel’s intensified military demolition campaign targeting high-rise buildings in Gaza City began this week alongside a ground assault. Its forces, which control Gaza City’s eastern suburbs, have in recent days been pounding the Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al Hawa areas from where they would be positioned to advance on central and western parts of the city, where most of the population is sheltering. Hamas warns lives of Israeli prisoners are in danger...
    Tags: Palestinians Gaza City Israel
  • Climate change may devastate millions of lives, economy by 2050: WEF
    Dawn - 03:08 Sep 21, 2025
    • Warns of 14.5m excess deaths concentrated mainly in vulnerable regions • Says health, construction and agriculture sectors could lose over $1.5tr ISLAMABAD: The World Economic Forum (WEF) warned in a fresh insight report that climate change, if left unaddressed, could result in 14.5 million excess deaths and trillion of dollars in economic loses by 2050, concentrated in the world’s most disadvantaged regions and populations. The report, “Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change,” says deaths from extreme weather events in those regions have been about 15 times higher over the past decade. It also warns that climate-health impacts threaten business resilience and that today, less than 5 per cent of global adaptation funding targets health protection. “This is a dangerous gap that also presents an opportunity for private-sector action,” the report said. The WEF defines a Climate and Health Business Framework and applies it to four highly exposed sectors to identify specific climate...
    Tags: Climate
  • PPP insists on BISP use to help flood survivors
    Dawn - 03:01 Sep 21, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Amid app­arent reluctance by the federal government to use the Benazir Income Support Pro­gramme (BISP) to help the flood survivors, the PPP has once again urged the Centre to disburse stipends among displaced citizens via the “efficient and proven” BISP. Over the past weeks, the PPP chairman and senior leaders have encouraged the use of the flagship income support initiative to provide relief to thousands of citizens affected by the monsoon floods. Earlier this week, its vice president, Sherry Rehman, had “strongly and repeatedly” advocated the use of BISP for the purpose in a Senate committee meeting. On Saturday, another PPP leader Humayun Khan urged the government to do the same. His statement came days after PML-N leader and PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah expressed apprehensions about the BISP, calling it unviable for a cash-strapped government. Rana Sana said the BISP could not be continued in its current form — it either needed to be wrapped up or be completely revamped. The PML-N leader had sugge...
    Tags: BISP
  • Punjab ramps up steps to avert ‘wheat crisis’
    Dawn - 02:38 Sep 21, 2025
    • Price control secretary says geotagging, verification of wheat stock decided for proactive planning; defends inter-provincial curbs to ensure ample supply • Mills barred from using wheat for manufacturing poultry feed LAHORE: The Punjab government has stepped up measures, including geotagging of stocks, to avert a potential wheat crisis in the province after floods in the eastern rivers washed away farmlands and destroyed stockpiles in its central districts. The move comes amid restrictions on the interprovincial movement of the commodity by the provincial government, which has raised prices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by up to 68 per cent, also prompting protests by Sindh and KP. Sources told Dawn that the decision to restrict the wheat trade was taken to ensure an ample supply of the grain in the province and to avert a looming crisis. Besides this measure, the Punjab Price Control and Commodities Management also decided to start geotagging and physically verifying wheat stocks in warehouses across the province...

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