Pakistan

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...

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...

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...

They became the first African side to score five goals in a World Cup match

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...

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...

He scored a stunning first-half hat-trick in a 4-1 victory

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...

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...

Accuses Israel of major ceasefire violations, to send response on new proposals to Cairo in coming days

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...

Petrol remains Rs299.5 while high-speed diesel is Rs311.47

Agrees to pay $2.25m fine, with half due within five days of sentencing and the full amount within 90 days

In a landmark step toward promoting global peace, dialogue, and international cooperation, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution proclaiming 2027–2036 as the “International Decade of Strengthening Peace for Future Generations.

UAE Foreign minister holds 1st publicly announced call with Iranian counterpart since outbreak of war

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...

A policeman was killed and another injured after unidentified armed men opened fire on a Forest Department police team in Bhimber district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), police said on Friday.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the prevailing political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), alleging that the party has failed to govern effectively in the region.

Uzbekistan and Georgia are strengthening their strategic partnership to enhance transport connectivity between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, positioning themselves as key players in the development of alternative trade routes linking Asia and Europe.

International Maritime Organization says efforts ongoing to restart evacuation of stranded seafarers