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Dawn - 16:44 Oct 17, 2025
Posts from multiple Afghan and Indian accounts on social media platform X on October 16, 2025, shared visuals claiming to show the Afghanistan defence forces successfully testing a missile with a 400-kilometre range amid the recent fighting with Pakistan. However, the visuals do not show any Afghan missile test. On Sunday, fierce border clashes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban resulted in the martyrdom of 23 troops and left over 200 Taliban fighters dead, including a number of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorists. Both nations claimed to have destroyed the border posts of the other side. On Tuesday, fighting flared up again between the neighbours in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The next day, the third major skirmish also took place, with the Pakistani security forces saying an attack by the Afghan Taliban was repulsed in Spin Boldak, killing about 15-20 Taliban fighters. Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the Afghan forces were “forc... -
Dawn - 16:41 Oct 17, 2025
US President Donald Trump said he expected an expansion of the Abraham Accords soon and hopes Saudi Arabia will join the pact that normalised diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab states. “I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in,” Trump said in an interview broadcast on Friday on Fox Business Network. Trump said he had “some very good conversations” as recently as Wednesday with states that have indicated their willingness to join the accords. “I think that they’re going to all go in very soon,” Trump said in the interview, which was recorded on Thursday. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the accords in 2020 during Trump’s first term in the White House, breaking a longstanding taboo to become the first Arab states to recognise Israel in a quarter century. Morocco and Sudan followed suit. Trump, who convened Muslim and European leaders in Egypt to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip on Monday, has presented hi... -
Dawn - 16:37 Oct 17, 2025
The temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been extended, a senior diplomatic source confirmed to Dawn.com on Friday. The Pakistani delegation is still in Pakistan and is scheduled to depart for Doha tomorrow morning, said security sources. On the night of October 11, Afghanistan launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts, triggering a series of skirmishes that carried on until Wednesday, leaving 23 troops martyred and over 200 Taliban fighters dead. The Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul. A temporary ceasefire was agreed at Afghanistan’s request for 48 hours, which expired at 6pm today. “The temporary ceasefire was extended at the request of the Afghan Taliban government,” the source said. “High-level talks are expected to begin on Saturday.” Islamabad Kabul working to resolve ‘complex but solvable’ issue Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan are sincerely working tow... -
Dawn - 15:06 Oct 17, 2025
At least 71 new dengue cases were confirmed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last 24 hours, according to a situation report issued on Friday by the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS) at the Directorate-General Health Services (DGHS). The report stated that 27 of the new patients were hospitalised, bringing the total number of currently hospitalised dengue cases in the province to 48. So far this year, KP has recorded a total of 3,582 laboratory-confirmed cases, 1,474 hospitalisations, 3,314 recoveries, and two deaths. Provincial Medical Entomologist at the DGHS Dengue Control Programme, Salahuddin Khan Marwat, told Dawn.com, “Climate change is a key factor in the spread of the disease to new areas.” Marwat said the current weather conditions, persistent humidity, monsoon rains, and temperatures between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, have created an ideal environment for mosquito breeding. “This is why we see a spike in cases in October. The mosquitoes breed rapidly in these conditions... -
Dawn - 14:35 Oct 17, 2025
Russia and the United States should build a “Putin-Trump” rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to link their countries, unlock joint exploration of natural resources and “symbolise unity”, a Kremlin envoy has suggested. The proposal by Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and head of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, envisages a construction project costing $8 billion, funded by Moscow and “international partners”, to build a 70-mile (112-km) rail and cargo link in under eight years. Dmitriev, who has helped spearhead a Russian charm offensive designed to revive US-Russia ties, floated the idea late on Thursday after Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone and agreed to meet in Budapest to seek a way to stop the war in Ukraine. Musk’s ‘boring company’ proposed as contractor “The dream of a US-Russia link via the Bering Strait reflects an enduring vision from the 1904 Siberia-Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 plan. RDIF has studied existing proposals, including the US-Canada-R... -
Dawn - 13:56 Oct 17, 2025
OpenAI has suspended its Sora 2 artificial intelligence tool from creating videos of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. after his estate complained about disrespectful depictions. The slain civil rights leader’s estate and OpenAI announced the decision in a joint statement late Thursday, saying the company would pause generations depicting King while it “strengthens guardrails for historical figures.” The move comes as families of deceased celebrities and leaders have expressed outrage over OpenAI’s Sora 2 video tool, which allows users to create realistic-looking clips of historical figures without family consent. Some users had generated videos showing King making monkey noises during his “I Have a Dream” speech and other demeaning content, according to The Washington Post. Videos reanimating other dead figures, including Malcolm X, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse, have flooded social media since Sora 2’s launch on September 30. “While there are strong free speech interests in depicti... -
Dawn - 13:44 Oct 17, 2025
Pakistan opener Omaima Sohail said on Friday that the team was still looking forward to a chance to make the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup , ahead of their clash with New Zealand on Saturday. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s hopes of a first victory at the World Cup were hit by rain, with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were well on their way at 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed — saving England from their first ever loss against the Green Shirts. Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo, Omaima said: “We are not relaxed at all. We have a chance to go [to the] semis if we win the matches, like three matches. “So maybe the scenario is open, so maybe we will win the three matches, so we have a chance in the semis.” Omaima showed glimpses of form in th... -
Dawn - 12:58 Oct 17, 2025
PAKISTAN has done it again. The country has held on to its spot near the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, ranking 103rd out of 106, just above Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. For the fifth time in a row, our passport holds the dubious distinction of being among the world’s least powerful. Consistency demands commitment and successive governments have shown plenty of that, especially when it comes to standing still. While others jostle up and down the index, Pakistan’s passport remains a model of stability. Holders of the green booklet can travel visa-free to a grand total of 31 destinations — a list that mostly includes islands most have never heard of and countries one might only encounter in a geography quiz. Meanwhile, top spot holders, Singaporeans, can breeze into 193 destinations, and South Koreans into 190. One could blame geopolitics, global suspicion, or our own bureaucratic enthusiasm for paperwork. But the truth is that passport strength reflects far more than airport convenience: it mirrors inter... -
Dawn - 12:52 Oct 17, 2025
A high-level meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was informed on Friday that as of October 16, a total of 1,477,592 Afghan nationals have been repatriated and the government will grant no further extension. A drive to expel more than 1.3 million Afghan nationals with Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders, the last category of refugees legally living in the country without visas, has been underway since Sept 1 this year. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the meeting’s attendees were told that only those Afghans who possess a valid Pakistani visa would be allowed to stay in Pakistan and the number of exit points on the Afghan side are being increased to make the repatriation process smoother and faster. “Officials informed the meeting that harboring Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan or allowing them to stay in guesthouses is a criminal offense, and efforts are underway to identify such individuals. The public will be involved in the repatriat... -
Dawn - 12:50 Oct 17, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other northern areas were jolted by tremors on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD’s data showed that the quake was registered with a magnitude of 5.6 at a depth of 120 kilometres at 5:15pm. Tremors were felt in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Swat and Chitral. The PMD stated that the quake’s epicentre was in the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) registered a 4.7 magnitude quake less than 30km from the western Pak-Afghan border, at a depth of 10km at 4:53pm. However, USGS also registered a 5.5 magnitude earthquake less than 10km Pakistan’s northern border with Afghanistan. This one was registered at 5:15pm at a depth of 10km. A screenshot of a map showing two earthquakes registered north and west of Pakistan. — Screengrab via USGS Last week, a magnitude 5 earthquake struck close to Punjab’s Layyah on Saturday night, according to the PMD. The department said the quake occurred 50k... -
Dawn - 12:34 Oct 17, 2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government was holding urgent talks on Friday to overturn a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending a match at Aston Villa that Israel’s government branded “shameful”. Birmingham-based Villa said the club had been informed by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), responsible for issuing certificates for matches, that no away fans would be permitted at the Europa League match on November 6. “Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision,” the foreign minister of Israel, Gideon Saar, posted on X. A UK police commissioner asked local officials to review the decision as criticism of the ban mounted, including from Starmer and European governing body UEFA. Starmer, a keen football fan, called the move “wrong”. “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation,” Starmer wrote on X. A spokesman for the prime minister said on Friday that conve... -
Dawn - 12:34 Oct 17, 2025
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Friday that the provincial government had forwarded the summary for banning the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to the Centre. “The Punjab cabinet has given its approval for banning the TLP, and this has been forwarded to the Centre. So the legal requirement with regard to the provinces has been fulfilled. The provincial government, after giving its approval, has forwarded the summary to the Centre,” she said at a press conference in Lahore. Her statement comes a day after the Punjab government decided to ask the Centre to ban the TLP, which had conducted a protest march “in solidarity with Gaza”, pledging to reach Islamabad and protest outside the US embassy. However, on Monday, the authorities launched a pre-dawn operation in Muridke, where the TLP had set up its protest camp on its way to its planned destination. The move by law enforcement agencies had triggered violent clashes, chaos dozens of arrests, resulting in the protest’s premature end. There have ... -
Dawn - 12:30 Oct 17, 2025
On paper, Pakistan has begun to conserve its sea. In July, the country created its third marine protected area around Miani Hor, a swampy coastal lagoon approximately 100km west of Karachi. This joins Astola Island and Churna Island, created in 2017 and 2024, respectively. These are meant to become safe havens for corals, fish and other marine species. But the reality of Pakistan’s marine protected areas (MPAs) is trawlers sweeping the seabed, discarded “ghost nets” entangling marine life, and fishers shocking their catch with electric currents. Pakistan has promised to protect 30 per cent of its ocean by 2030. At present, these three MPAs cover less than 1 per cent. “Pakistan is a very terrestrial country and most conservation efforts are based there, as people are starting to understand the issues and are loud about the problems,” explains Rab Nawaz, senior director for biodiversity programmes at WWF-Pakistan. He worries that Pakistan’s sea is consequently being overlooked: “We are already losing much of th... -
Dawn - 11:57 Oct 17, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail. On Thursday, Afridi, who was elected as the provincial chief minister on Monday, was denied a meeting with Imran during a visit to the prison. The PTI founder, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 protests. Afridi said he waited outside the prison for around two hours yesterday before departing. Speaking to reporters, he said he would announce his cabinet after consulting Imran and seeking his input. He claimed he had officially notified the Punjab government and the federal government of his plan to visit Adiala, but received no response, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not reply to his subsequent request, made during a phone call, to facilitate a meeting with Imran. Per Afridi’s writ pet... -
Dawn - 10:49 Oct 17, 2025
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed authorities to submit a report on the health and living conditions of all animals at Karachi Zoo, following Tuesday’s decision to transfer brown bear Rano to a sanctuary for medical care. The case of Rano, a female Himalayan brown bear who stirred public outcry over her ailing health in the zoo, has brought into sharp focus the neglect of animals kept in captivity in Karachi. Rano’s relocation was finally ordered on Tuesday by the SHC after a petition was submitted to recognise her deteriorating condition. During the continuation of the hearing of the case today, the SHC called for a further report on all animals kept in captivity at the zoo. The report is to include details on animals’ “physical and psychological health, living conditions, qualifications and training of zoo staff”, as well as alternative plans for animals if they are shifted from the zoo, according to lawyer Jibran Nasir, who was representing Rano’s case on behalf of the petitioner Jude Allen Pereira. ... -
Dawn - 09:18 Oct 17, 2025
The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment towards cooperation with the United States over matters of maritime security during a visit to the country, the military’s media wing said on Friday. The Pakistani and US Navy share a long-standing relationship. In September, the US Navy ship USS Wayne E. Meyer departed from Karachi on a two-day port call, strengthening the enduring maritime cooperation between the Pakistan Navy and the US Navy. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, “Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, visited [the] United States of America as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation and defence engagements.” Over the course of the visit — which concluded last Friday — Admiral Ashraf met with the US Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, and Acting Vice Commandant of the US Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Thomas G. Allan Jr. “Matters of professional interest, regional ... -
Dawn - 09:10 Oct 17, 2025
India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, a White House official said, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen, as President Donald Trump’s administration presses New Delhi and other nations to buy less Russian crude. Russian oil is a main irritant for Trump in prolonged trade talks with India — half of his 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for those purchases. His administration says Moscow is using petroleum revenue to fund its war in Ukraine. The White House official told Reuters on Thursday that talks with an Indian delegation in Washington this week have been productive and that Indian refiners were already cutting Russian oil imports by 50%. But Indian industry sources said on Friday that New Delhi had not informed refiners of any request to cut Russian imports. Trump says Modi pledged to halt Russian oil purchases Refiners have already placed orders for November loading, including some cargoes for December arrival, so any cut could be visible in December o... -
Dawn - 07:40 Oct 17, 2025
Four terrorists were killed after security forces foiled a suicide attack on a military camp in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali district, state-run PTV reported on Friday. “According to sources, a khawarij attempted to carry out a suicide attack against security forces in Mir Ali. One kharji rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the wall of the security forces’ camp after which three more khawarij tried to enter the camp,” the report said. “As a result of security forces’ timely and courageous action, the three khawarij were killed outside the camp. Security forces did not suffer any losses in the incident. In the last two days alone, 88 terrorists supported by the Afghan Taliban have been killed,” the report said. Khawarij is a term that the state uses to refer to terrorists. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to security forces for foiling the attack and praised their professionalism. “Salute to the brave soldiers who thwarted the evil intentions of Khawarij,” Naqvi said, according to ... -
Dawn - 07:16 Oct 17, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with China’s Deputy Finance Minister Liao Min in Washington and sought Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s membership in BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB), the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the plenary meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) in Washington, DC, where Aurangzeb had arrived on Sunday on a six-day trip from Oct 13 to 18. NDB — established in 2015 by the BRICS — is a multilateral development bank aimed at mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS, as per their website. In February, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet had approved Pakistan’s membership in the NDB. In a statement issued today, the ministry said, “Aurangzeb sought China’s support for Pakistan’s membership in the NDB and welcomed enhanced investment from Chinese enterprises in key sectors, including information and communication technology, agriculture, indu... -
Dawn - 07:12 Oct 17, 2025
Japan’s former prime minister Tomiichi Murayama, best known for making a statement apologising over World War II, died Friday aged 101, officials said. Murayama issued the 1995 proclamation on the 50th anniversary of Japan’s surrender, expressing “deep remorse” over the country’s atrocities in Asia. The statement became a benchmark for Tokyo’s subsequent apologies over World War II. “Tomiichi Murayama, the father of Japanese politics, passed away today at 11:28am at a hospital in Oita City at the age of 101,” Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, seen as the successor to Murayama’s now-defunct Socialist Party, said on X. Hiroyuki Takano, the secretary general of the Social Democratic Party in Oita, Murayama’s hometown, told AFP he had been informed that the former premier died of old age. In the landmark statement in August 1995, Murayama said that “Japan … through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those o...
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