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Dawn - 13:01 Oct 16, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Islamabad was ready to talk if Kabul agreed to fulfil Pakistan’s “justified” conditions following recent hostilities between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time on October 15 and would last for 48 hours. The announcement followed sustained hostilities between the two countries over the weekend. Addressing the federal cabinet today after the latest round of conflict, the premier stated that the Afghan side had requested a ceasefire and made a formal request. “Yesterday we decided the temporary 48-hour ceasefire [and] the message has been sent that if they want to fulfil our justified conditions through talks, then we are ready. The ball is in their court.” He added that ... -
Dawn - 12:16 Oct 16, 2025
New York’s Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday apologised to the New York Police Department (NYPD) for remarks he made in 2020 during the height of the George Floyd protests. “I apologise for the language that I used, and I spoke to them about the fact that I want to work with them to deliver public safety because what we’re seeing in the city right now is we’re asking officers to do nearly everything we can think of,” Mamdani said in an interview on US media outlet Fox News. “We used to ask officers to focus on serious crimes. Now we’re asking them to focus also on the mental health crisis, to focus also on homelessness. In one year alone, the NYPD receives 200,000 mental health calls,” he added. Fox host Martha MacCallum said officers she spoke with had requested a public apology from Mamdani. He responded: “I’ll apologise to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I’ve been sharing with many rank-and-file officers. I apologise because of the fact that I’m looking t... -
Dawn - 10:15 Oct 16, 2025
For a generative artificial intelligence system to learn how to write an autopsy report, human workers must sort and annotate thousands of crime scene images. The precarious work of training AI, which generally pays just a few dollars, has sparked a movement for better wages and conditions stretching from Kenya to Colombia. “You have to spend your whole day looking at dead bodies and crime scenes… Mental health support was not provided,” Kenyan national Ephantus Kanyugi told AFP. Labellers “need to spend time with these images, zoom into the wounds of dead people” to outline them so they can be fed into the AI, the 30-year-old added. Kanyugi, who has worked on image labelling since 2018, is the vice-president of the Data Labelers Association (DLA), an 800-strong labour group based in Nairobi. The DLA plans to unveil a code of conduct this month aimed at major labelling platforms, calling for improved conditions for workers. Kenya has no law regulating data-annotation work — like many countries around the worl... -
Dawn - 09:10 Oct 16, 2025
Flawed engineering and inadequate testing contributed to the catastrophic implosion of a private submersible during a 2023 expedition to the Titanic wreckage, the US National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday. Its report comes after a US Coast Guard investigation in August outlined a litany of issues with operator OceanGate’s conduct, as well as design flaws in its Titan submersible, that led to a “preventable tragedy” in which all five passengers were killed. “We found that OceanGate’s engineering process for the Titan was inadequate and resulted in the construction of a carbon fibre composite pressure vessel that contained multiple anomalies and failed to meet necessary strength and durability requirements,” NTSB’s report said. “Because OceanGate did not adequately test the Titan, the company was unaware of the pressure vessel’s actual strength and durability, which was likely much lower than their target. “Additionally, OceanGate’s analysis of Titan pressure vessel real-time monitoring data was... -
Dawn - 08:47 Oct 16, 2025
An Afghan man accused of a deadly knife attack on a group of toddlers in Germany went on trial on Thursday, nine months after an incident that inflamed a heated pre-election debate on immigration. Germany was shocked by the stabbing spree that killed a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who tried to protect the children and left three others wounded in the southern city of Aschaffenburg. Five toddlers from a kindergarten class were in a public park, accompanied by two teachers, when the assailant attacked them with a kitchen knife. The suspect arrested at the scene of the January 22 attack has been only partially named, in line with usual practice by the German judiciary, as 28-year-old Enamullah O. He has a long history of mental illness, and prosecutors said an expert assessment concluded his psychiatric state meant he was not criminally responsible. The public prosecutor’s office has previously said there was no indication the suspect acted out of extremist or terrorist motivation, and they were seekin... -
Dawn - 08:06 Oct 16, 2025
Pakistan and Kazakhstan have begun a joint counterterrorism training exercise lasting two weeks to improve military-to-military relations, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. Pakistan regularly holds joint military exercises with countries across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond to boost operational readiness, deepen defence cooperation, and improve interoperability. These engagements enable Pakistan to share counterterrorism expertise, reinforce alliances, and project itself as a balanced and responsible regional actor. “Pakistan-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise Dostarym-V is being conducted between the armies of Pakistan and Kazakhstan in [the] counter terrorism domain from 13-24 October 2025 at the Special Operations School, Cherat, Pakistan,” a statement from the ISPR said. “Special Services Group of [the] Pak Army and Special Forces of [the] Kazakhstan Army are participating in the exercise,” it added. According to the statement, the opening ceremony of the exercise was conducted on Tu... -
Dawn - 04:47 Oct 16, 2025
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing US officials familiar with the decision, saying the Trump administration’s Venezuela strategy aims to remove Maduro from power. The administration has offered $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges. The new authority would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean, the Times reported. Asked why he authorised the CIA to operate in Venezuela, Trump told reporters his reasons were migration of Venezuelans to the United States and drug trafficking. “I authorised for two reasons really,” Trump said. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America…they came i... -
Dawn - 03:26 Oct 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has surrendered his US permanent residency, commonly known as a green card, after the introduction of a stringent vacation and travel policy that requires judges to seek prior approval from the Chief Justice before travelling abroad. According to well-placed sources in the IHC, the judge has obtained a five-year visa on his official passport following the cancellation of his Green Card. The decision came in the wake of recently introduced amendments to the Presidential Order and a General Standing Order which make it mandatory for judges to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from chief justices of their respective courts before leaving the country, even during holidays or vacations. The new standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued under the policy state that the entire time of a judge, including leave, vacations and holidays, is at the disposal of the state. The chief justice has been empowered to regulate such leave and may cancel it even after a j... -
Dawn - 02:34 Oct 16, 2025
PESHAWAR: As tensions with Afghanistan spike, the country’s security forces claimed to have killed dozens of militants who were attempting to infiltrate Pakistan, state media and official sources said. The action was undertaken in Mohmand district, officials said, thwarting an attempt by dozens of militants to enter Pakistan, PTV News reported. The operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence reports, indicating that a large group of militants was mobilising near the mountainous Khor area of Bahadar Kalay, officials said. “Security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched an intensive operation,” sources said. State media claimed that at least 30 terrorists had been eliminated, but local sources said the number may be higher. There was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) until going to press, but PTV News claimed the incident demonstrated how the Afghan government was now relying on militant groups to try and exact revenge after their attempts to attack P... -
Dawn - 02:28 Oct 16, 2025
• 48-hour ‘Qatar-brokered’ truce initiated at Afghan Taliban’s request • Both sides pledge to seek resolution through dialogue • Khawaja Asif says ceasefire may not hold as Taliban have become ‘proxy for Delhi’ • Latest round of clashes erupted after Afghan fighters target Chaman border posts overnight • Pakistan confirms retaliatory strikes on militant camps in Kandahar city, Spin Boldak • Two explosions rock Afghan capital; TTP leadership targeted in ‘precision strikes’, state-run PTV reports ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to a temporary ceasefire after a fresh round of deadly cross-border clashes that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the ceasefire, implemented at the Taliban’s request and with mutual consent, took effect at 6pm local time and would last for 48 hours. “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive resolution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the Foreign Office... -
Dawn - 19:00 Oct 15, 2025
The federal government on Wednesday night slashed the price of petrol by Rs5.66 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.39 per litre for the next fortnight. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, the petrol price now stands at Rs263.02 per litre from Rs268.68 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel has dropped to Rs275.41 per litre from Rs276.81 per litre. Meanwhile, superior kerosene oil (SKO) and light diesel oil (LDO) also experienced rate cuts, with SKO dropping in price from Rs184.97 per litre to Rs181.71 — a drop of Rs3.26. LDO price dropped by Rs2.74 from Rs165.50 per litre to Rs162.76. The notification added that the new rates were decided on the recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the relevant ministries. Widely used in motorcycles, rickshaws, and private vehicles, petrol has a direct impact on the budgets of middle- and lower-income households. HSD fuels heavy transport, agricultural machinery, and trains. Its price is considered h... -
Dawn - 18:41 Oct 15, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday expressed a lack of confidence in the 48-hour ceasefire agreed between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the latter has become a “proxy of Delhi”. Today’s fighting was the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, following the incident in Kurram last night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’ on Wednesday night, the defence minister said that the Afghan Taliban are “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India and stated that they have become a “stooge” for New Delhi. “I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi,” he added. “Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi.” Asif reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness and capability to defend itself in the face of further aggression from Kabul. “We have the capability and we will attack them, God willing, if the... -
Dawn - 18:36 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan and Afghanistan have often engaged in minor border skirmishes, particularly since the withdrawal of US forces and the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. However, tensions have recently escalated to an unprecedented level, with clashes over the past few days prompting intervention from mediators. The latest flare-up coincided with a historic visit by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, raising alarm in Islamabad after he referred to Kashmir as part of India and said terrorism was Pakistan’s “internal problem” that the country should solve itself. Escalation The recent clashes began late on Saturday night, when 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists killed at the border following an attack from the Afghan side at around 9pm, according to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR said skirmishes between the two sides began “on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, [after] Afghan Taliban and India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij lau... -
Dawn - 18:19 Oct 15, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday announced that a temporary ceasefire has been agreed with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours amid recent border hostilities between the two countries. “A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6pm today, at the request of the Taliban.” “During this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue,” the FO said. Taliban regime spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said on X that Afghan forces were instructed to respect the ceasefire, “unless any aggression takes place”. Strikes on Kabul, Kandahar Earlier, state broadcaster PTV News reported that the Pakistan armed forces conducted “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and capital Kabul. A statement uploaded on X, quoting security sources, said: “Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action against Afghan Talib... -
Dawn - 17:19 Oct 15, 2025
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg revealed that she was beaten, humiliated and threatened with being “gassed in a cage” during her time in Israeli custody, Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet reported in an interview published on Wednesday. Greta was one of 450 people aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian aid mission involving over 40 vessels which aimed to deliver food, water and medicine to the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s two-year onslaught on the besieged enclave. The boats were intercepted by the Israeli navy on October 1, with Greta and all other activists being arrested and kept in Israeli custody. She was released and deported to Greece on October 6. In her interview, Greta recounted her treatment in Israeli custody, which ranged from humiliation, threats of violence and physical beatings. “She doesn’t want headlines about herself and the torture she says she was subjected to,” Aftonbladet reported. “That was one of the first things she said on the evening she returned home, at a press conference in ... -
Dawn - 17:17 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan’s hopes of of a first victory at the Women’s World Cup were hit by rain on Wednesday with their crucial fixture against England being abandoned after a second downpour at the R. Pramedasa Stadium in Colombo. Chasing a revised target of 113 to win after earlier rains had reduced the match to 31 overs per side, Pakistan were 34-0 in 6.4 overs when rains returned to end any chance of the match being completed. Fatima Sana shone with the ball earlier as England could only make 133-9 after being put into bat. The Pakistan skipper ended with figures of 4-27 that included three of the English top-order batters including their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England’s innings was interupted in the 25th over when rains first arrived in the Sri Lankan capital before the game resumed several hours later. Having lost their first three matches at the tournament, Pakistan needed a win to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals and they looked a team on a mission. Just in the second over of the first innings, Dia... -
Dawn - 17:14 Oct 15, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency on Wednesday, where both discussed internal and external security threats. The meeting comes in the wake of escalating border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with security forces repelling an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border this morning and killing 15 to 20 fighters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Today’s clash, the third major skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan within a week, follows the incident in Kurram on Tuesday night and earlier skirmishes that began on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning at several locations. According to a statement from the President’s Secretariat, Field Marshal Munir briefed the president on Pakistan’s overall internal and external security landscape. “He (army chief) also apprised the president of the recent security situation arising from the aggressive and provocative actions of the Afghan Taliban reg... -
Dawn - 17:06 Oct 15, 2025
A police constable deployed for the security of a polio team was killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district on Wednesday, police said. The attack comes a day after a Levies constable was shot dead while guarding a polio team in the province’s Swat district. The government launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign earlier this week, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. A special order was issued for the drive, with the deployment of 285 police personnel across the country to provide security to the vaccination teams. A statement shared with Dawn.com by Nowshera police spokesperson Turk Ali Shah said that the constable, identified as Maqsood, was killed on the spot when assailants opened fire on him. However, he managed to protect the polio workers he was accompanying. “The attack took place within the jurisdiction of the Nizampur police station,” the statement said. “Following the incident, security for polio teams across the area was tighte... -
Dawn - 16:59 Oct 15, 2025
Fact check: Viral video does not show Pakistani tank captured by Afghan Taliban amid recent conflict
Posts from Afghan media outlets and users on social media platform X on Wednesday shared a video allegedly showing a Pakistani tank captured by the Afghan Taliban. However, the tank in the clip is not Pakistani. 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 “forced to retaliate” after attacks by Pakistani forces in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Mujahid claimed... -
Dawn - 16:33 Oct 15, 2025
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that former prime minister Imran Khan has offered to resolve the recent hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan and other issues if he is released on parole. Imran, 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. The PTI has regularly raised concerns about his health and that of the former first lady. Meanwhile, lingering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border terrorism broke out into outright fighting and skirmishes over the weekend that left several dead and injured on both sides. A temporary ceasefire was announced today after three days of fighting. Addressing a press conference outside Adiala Jail after a meeting with Imran, Barrister Gohar said: “Today, Imran has sent this message: ‘I offer you people that release me on parole and I will solve the Afghanistan problem for you.’” The ...
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