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Dawn - 07:17 Nov 24, 2025
Canada and India have agreed to restart stalled talks for a new trade deal, the Indian government said on Sunday, after discussions between the two countries paused following a diplomatic spat two years ago. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. “The leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030,” the statement from India’s Prime Minister’s Office said. “PM Modi and I met at the G20 summit today, and launched negotiations for a trade deal that could more than double our trade to more than C$70 billion,” Carney said in a post on social media platform X. “India is the world’s fifth largest economy, and that means big new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.” Both sides reaffirmed their longstanding civil nuclear cooperation and noted the ongoing discu... -
Dawn - 06:44 Nov 24, 2025
Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under the age of 16 from next year, joining a growing list of countries moving to curb access to digital platforms over child-safety concerns. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that the government was reviewing mechanisms used in Australia and other nations to impose age restrictions, citing the need to shield youths from cyberbullying, financial scams and child sexual abuse. “We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” he told reporters, according to a video of his remarks posted online by local daily The Star. The effects of social media on children’s health and safety have emerged as a global concern, with firms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Google and Meta Platforms — the operator of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — facing lawsuits in the United States over their alleged role in fuelling a mental-health crisis. Australia is set to deacti... -
Dawn - 06:34 Nov 24, 2025
Washington and Kyiv said that any eventual deal to halt the war with Russia must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, after “constructive” talks between US, Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva. After a day of meetings that kicked off based on a United States’ proposal that was criticised as being in Russia’s favour, negotiators have drafted “an updated and refined peace framework”, a US-Ukraine joint statement said on Sunday. US President Donald Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, which began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion. But Kyiv was seeking changes to the draft that accepted a range of Russia’s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). “The talks were constructive, focused, and respectful, underscoring the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace,” the joint statement said. “The... -
Dawn - 05:35 Nov 24, 2025
Economic impact or concentration of wealth? Panellists explore AI’s promise, perils at Adab Festival
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape daily life, speakers at Karachi’s Adab Festival gathered at Habitt City on Sunday to discuss how the technology has evolved, what it offers, as well as the blind spots and ethical risks it now poses for the future. The session, titled Designing Tomorrow with Artificial Intelligence, featured Dr Salman Khatani and Sadaf Bhatti, with Ahsan Siddiqui moderating. Entrepreneur Jehan Ara was scheduled to attend but was unable to do so. Siddiqui began by noting how quickly technological trends shift, recalling earlier waves, from AutoCAD to digital marketing and e-commerce, before today’s AI boom. He pointed out that while people eagerly use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for tasks such as grammar fixes or image edits, far fewer understand how such systems can be used to create new tools themselves. “Change is the only constant,” he said, while raising a broader question about the technology’s origins. Bhatti traced AI’s emergence to 1956 and the study of neurons; histor... -
Dawn - 02:59 Nov 24, 2025
WASHINGTON: US Export-Import (Exim) Bank’s chief said the organisation would provide a $1.25 billion loan to Barrick Mining’s Reko Diq mine in Pakistan, as part of a larger plan to invest $100bn to bolster US and allied supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, and natural gas. The first tranche of deals will include projects in Pakistan, Egypt and Europe, the organisation’s chair John Jovanovic told the Financial Times in an interview on Sunday. He added that the West was over-reliant on supplies that “are no longer fair”. “We can’t do anything else that we’re trying to do without these underlying critical raw material supply chains being secure, stable and functioning,” Jovanovic was quoted saying. Jovanovic told FT that the bank has $100bn left to deploy of the $135bn authorised by Congress. He said the bank’s early deals would also include a credit insurance guarantee for $4bn of natural gas being delivered to Egypt by New York-based commodities group Hartree Partners. The Exim Bank did not r... -
Dawn - 02:50 Nov 24, 2025
AFTER receiving a warm and cordial welcome during its inauguration at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building, calls are now growing to shift the newly-formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to its originally-designated premises, in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) building. The ongoing tug-of-war over who gets control of the Constitution Avenue premises is increasingly starting to resemble a joint family squeezed into an old ancestral home, where every member complains about inadequate space and competing needs. Last week, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) demanded that the FCC be moved out of its temporary location within the IHC building, asserting that the new court must eventually operate from the FSC premises. The bar leadership also warned that any attempt to relocate the IHC itself would be met with determined legal and democratic resistance. Islamabad judiciary wary as newly formed Federal Constitutional Court could potentially usurp its coveted Constitution Avenue location The esta... -
Dawn - 19:57 Nov 23, 2025
By-elections were held for six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats on Sunday amid allegations of rigging by the PTI. According to reports citing unofficial and preliminary results from some polling stations received until midnight, the PML-N was leading in a few constituencies. Most seats on which the by-elections were held had fallen vacant after the disqualification of PTI lawmakers due to their convictions for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023 violent riots. The six NA constituencies where polling was conducted included one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, NA-18 (Haripur), and the rest in Punjab — NA-96 (Faisalabad), NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan). The seven Punjab Assembly constituencies where by-polls were held were PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98 (Faisalabad), PP-115 (Faisalabad), PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269 (Muzaffargarh). The PTI had officially boycotted the polls in all constituencies except Lahore and Haripu... -
Dawn - 18:37 Nov 23, 2025
Pakistan Shaheens defended a modest 125 to beat Bangladesh ‘A’ in a nerve-shredding Super Over thriller and successfully defend their Asia Cup Rising Stars title at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Sunday night. In a final that swung wildly in the space of 40 minutes, Pakistan were bowled out for 125 after yet another top-order meltdown, only for their spinners to rip through Bangladesh ‘A’ and leave them reeling at 53 for 7. A gritty 43-run eighth-wicket stand between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob threatened the unthinkable, before three huge sixes in the 19th over from Abdul Gaffar Saqlain took the game to a Super Over. Ahmed Daniyal lean-bowled both batters in the first four balls of the Super Over to restrict Bangladesh to just six. Ripon Mondol, Bangladesh’s hero with the ball in the main game, started superbly with two yorkers but Saad Masood’s flicked four off the third legitimate delivery sealed a famous victory for Pakistan Shaheens. Earlier, Shaheens’ batting woes resurfaced... -
Dawn - 18:33 Nov 23, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) issued a strong condemnation on Sunday, denouncing Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “delusional and dangerously revisionist remarks” about Sindh. The FO’s rebuke came after the Indian media quoted Singh as saying: “Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.” According to Indian media outlets, Singh maintained while speaking at an event in Delhi that Sindhi Hindus from his generation never fully accepted the accession of the province to Pakistan. Sindh has occasionally featured in Indian rhetoric on Pakistan, most often during heightened tensions or significant developments inside India. Singh’s remarks at Sindhi Samaj Sammelan, an event of the Sindhi community, could have possibly been made to bolster political support by invoking historical and cultural claims. The FO said in its response to the remarks t... -
Dawn - 17:34 Nov 23, 2025
Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah’s top military official in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Sunday, despite a US-brokered truce a year ago. The strike, the first on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital in months, targeted Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff, Ali Tabtabai, the military claimed in a statement. There was no immediate confirmation of his killing from Hezbollah, although senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati confirmed a central figure from the group had been targeted. Speaking near the bombed-out building in the Haret Hreik suburb, he said Israel’s strike crossed a “red line”. Qmati said Hezbollah’s leadership would decide on whether and how the group would respond. Five dead in strike The United States imposed sanctions on Tabtabai in 2016, identifying him as a key Hezbollah leader and offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on him. The Israeli military statement claimed Tabtabai “commanded most of Hezbollah’s units and worked hard to restore them to readiness... -
Dawn - 16:48 Nov 23, 2025
A larger bench of the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) is scheduled to take up on Tuesday a petition filed by PTI’s Salman Akram Raja, who has sought the reversal of a court order on elections tribunals, which were formed to settle disputes of last year’s general elections. According to a supplementary cause list on the FCC’s website, Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan has constituted a five-member bench comprising Justices Aamer Farooq, Ali Baqar Najafi, Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, Rozi Khan Barrech and Arshad Hussain Shah to hear the petition that was originally filed in the Supreme Court (SC) on July 22, 2024. However, the review petition has now been fixed before the FCC, which was established under the 27th Amendment, on November 24. In his petition, Raja requested the SC to revisit its earlier order suspending the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) notification of constituting eight election tribunals in Punjab. He pleaded before the court that its order on July 4, 2024 had exposed the entire process... -
Dawn - 16:35 Nov 23, 2025
Mystery spinner Usman Tariq produced a spell for the ages, claiming a hat-trick and stunning figures of 4 for 18 to bowl Pakistan to a crushing 69-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Twenty20 International tri-series clash at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. The win sealed for Pakistan a spot in the November 29 final. Chasing a formidable 196, Zimbabwe were skittled for a paltry 126 in 19 overs, collapsing from 60 for 4 to 60 for 7 in the space of just five deliveries during a mesmerising 10th over from the 25-year-old Usman. The Rawalpindi crowd erupted as the unorthodox spinner became only the fourth Pakistani to take a T20I hat-trick. Zimbabwe never recovered from the early blows delivered by Pakistan’s pace battery. Naseem Shah struck with his sixth ball when Tadiwanashe Marumani (four) chipped tamely to cover point, and Mohammad Wasim Jr clean-bowled the dangerous Brian Bennett (nine) with a sharp inswinger to reduce the visitors to 14 for 2. Brendan Taylor looked scratchy and fell for eight, s... -
Dawn - 14:58 Nov 23, 2025
In a statement issued on Sunday after its 39th annual general meeting, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the 27th Constitutional Amendment, noting that lifetime immunity for public 0ffice holders had “concentrated unchecked power in the hands of a few”. The contentious tweak was passed by Parliament on November 13 after days of heated debate, opposition protests, and last-minute revisions, and received the president’s assent the same day. The amendment made significant changes to the judicial system and the military’s chain of command, and granted sweeping immunities to government officials. Under the Amendment, lifetime immunity from arrest and all criminal and civil proceedings has been granted to the president and anyone holding the ranks of Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Air Force. Referring to the Amendment, the HRCP drew attention to “escalating threats to constitutional democracy, civic freedoms, and the safety of vulnerable communities across... -
Dawn - 13:59 Nov 23, 2025
The crash of India’s Tejas fighter in front of global arms buyers at the Dubai Airshow is the latest blow to a key national trophy, leaving the jet reliant on Indian military orders to sustain its role as a showcase of home-built defence technology. The cause of Friday’s crash was not immediately known but it capped a week of jockeying for influence at the event, attended by India’s arch-rival Pakistan six months after the neighbouring foes faced off in the world’s largest air battle in decades. Such a public loss will inevitably overshadow India’s efforts to establish the jet abroad after a painstaking development over four decades, experts said, as India paid tribute to Wing Commander Namansh Syal who died in the crash. Crash at showcase event in Dubai “The imagery is brutal,” said Douglas A. Birkey, executive director of the US-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, referring to the history of crashes at air shows where nations and industries seek to tout major national achievements. “A crash send... -
Dawn - 13:24 Nov 23, 2025
The Adab Festival saw a gathering of big names from art, literature, media and politics for a series of talks, music performances and mushairas. The festival, now in its tenth edition, was held at Habbitt City in Karachi from November 22-23. A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Visitors attend an event at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A visitor looks at fabric being sold at the Adab Festival on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui Ex-FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi delivers a talk at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui A panel discussion is held at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddiqui An audience attends a panel discussion with Khurram Karaishy at the Adab Festival in Karachi on November 22. — Fahim Siddi... -
Dawn - 12:32 Nov 23, 2025
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said in a statement on Sunday that power outages at water pumping stations had been resolved and that citywide water services were normal. Karachi faced a severe water crisis in November as prolonged power outages across the city disrupted pumping operations. In a statement released today, the KWSC said they maintained close coordination with K-Electric throughout the crisis to restore the water supply, and officials confirmed that “citywide water services have now returned to normal.” “All possible steps are being taken to further strengthen the water supply system in the future,” the KWSC said. Per the KWSC, the city experienced a total shortfall of 884 million gallons of water due to electricity disruptions. “The Dhabeji Pumping Station was hit hardest, with 132 hours and 20 minutes of power outages leading to a shortage of 424 million gallons, while the Dumlottee Wells recorded 146 hours of outages, resulting in 111 million gallons of lost water,” the stat... -
Dawn - 11:55 Nov 23, 2025
In a joint statement shared on Sunday, Pakistan and the European Union (EU) called on Afghanistan to deal with terrorist organisations operating from its soil and to ensure the protection of human rights, especially those of women and girls. The development came as the 7th Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and the EU was convened in Brussels. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. According to a joint statement shared by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar and Kallas discussed relations between Islamabad and Kabul amid cross-border tensions last month, with both top diplomats reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and resolving issues with neighbours through dialogue. “The two sides called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to play a constructive role in achieving the shared objective of rooting out terrorism from Afghan soil,” the statement read. It added that Dar and Kallas expressed concern ov... -
Dawn - 11:50 Nov 23, 2025
PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah on Sunday reiterated the government’s offer to the opposition PTI to hold dialogue and resolve the long-standing political crises marring the country. Speaking to the media in Faisalabad, Sanaullah said, “We are still in favour of politicians sitting together at a table to resolve issues.” He recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “unconditional offer“ he made in August to all political parties to become a part of the ‘Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan’ (Charter for Stability of Pakistan). Sanaullah was speaking to reporters as by-elections were underway today in PP-116, where his son-in-law Ahmed Shaharyar is contesting as the PML-N candidate. On the PTI’s official boycott of most of the by-elections held today, Sanaullah said, “Imran Khan sahib is not even doing politics. He has never done politics. It is this country’s and the public’s misfortune that he was brought [into power].” Sanaullah, also the PM’s political aide, assailed Imran for “always creating a deadlock”, while “democ... -
Dawn - 11:43 Nov 23, 2025
Pakistan has called for rapid, grant-based, and predictable financing for climate-vulnerable developing countries, warning that recurring climate disasters are exacerbating debt distress and undermining development gains in nations that have contributed the least to global emissions. The appeal was made at a high-level side event titled “Operationalising Loss and Damage: Financing Resilience and Recovery in Vulnerable Countries”, organised jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and Unicef at the Pakistan Pavilion during the UN climate summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani, in her keynote address, stated that Pakistan was investing heavily in strengthening national resilience despite contributing less than one per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions. She recalled the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025 that displaced millions, damaged infrastructure and caused multi-billion-dollar economic losses.... -
Dawn - 10:45 Nov 23, 2025
A United Nations wildlife trade body decided on Sunday not to restrict India from importing endangered animals, after many countries supported reversing an earlier, stringent recommendation that had embroiled the private zoo run by Asia’s richest family. Vantara, a 3,500-acre zoo in Gujarat run by the philanthropic arm of the Reliance conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani and his family, had faced allegations from non-profit and wildlife groups of improper imports of some animals, triggering higher scrutiny by Germany and the European Union. After visiting the facility in September, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) issued a report this month asking India to “not issue any further import permits” as discrepancies had been found between exporter and importer trade data, and there were insufficient checks on the origin of some animals. At the CITES meeting in Uzbekistan, live-streamed on Sunday, the recommendation was reversed after many c...
8038 items