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  • Putin calls Xi, Modi and other foreign leaders ahead of planned meeting with Trump
    Dawn - 18:32 Aug 08, 2025
    Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the leaders of China, India and three ex-Soviet states on Friday in a flurry of calls to brief them on his contacts with the United States about the war in Ukraine. Putin met US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, after which the Kremlin said a summit between Putin and Trump could take place as early as next week. No venue, date or agenda have been announced. Trump, pressing for an end to the 3.5-year war, had set a deadline that expires on Friday for Russia to agree to peace or face new sanctions on Moscow and countries that buy Russian exports. China and India are the biggest buyers of Russian oil. China’s President Xi Jinping told Putin in a phone call that China is pleased to see Russia and the US maintaining contact and improving ties to advance a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said. China is a major backer of Russia in its confrontation with the West, as well as Russia’s biggest trading...
    Tags: Putin Trump
  • FIA warns against ‘fake messages’ being sent under its name
    Dawn - 17:47 Aug 08, 2025
    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday warned citizens against “fake emails and WhatsApp messages” being sent in its name. “The FIA has received reports that some unknown individuals are harassing the public by sending fake emails and WhatsApp messages in the name of the DG FIA,” a statement issued by the agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Ghaffar, read. “In these fake messages, the public is being terrorised by using the name and position of DG FIA,” the statement said, adding that fraudsters put a fake stamp of “Top Secret” on these messages to make them appear authentic. In addition, these elements are trying to present themselves as government officials by using fake and misleading names. In these messages, attempts are being made to blackmail citizens by accusing them of “cyber crimes”. “The FIA does not send such messages to any individual through WhatsApp or email,” the agency clarified. “The public is requested to file a complaint about any suspicious message or contact with the National Cyber Cri...
  • MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalised again in London
    Dawn - 17:34 Aug 08, 2025
    Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was hospitalised again in London on Friday after falling ill. In a post on the party’s X account, it said: “The health of MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain has deteriorated again, after which he has been taken to a local hospital. According to details released by the MQM Central Information Department, on Friday, Altaf Hussain’s health worsened again. “Immediate medical attention was sought, and an ambulance was called. The doctor promptly dispatched a medical emergency team. The emergency team initially examined Altaf Hussain at his residence, after which he was shifted to a local hospital for further examination and treatment.” The MQM Coordination Committee appealed to all workers and the public to pray for his recovery. MQM London-based senior party leader Mustafa Azizabadi also confirmed the development on a post on X. Hussain was hospitalised in London last month due to “severe illness”, where he underwent multiple tests. Previously known as the Mo...
    Tags: Altaf Hussain London
  • PM Shehbaz blasts Israeli cabinet’s Gaza takeover plan as ‘dangerous escalation’
    Dawn - 16:28 Aug 08, 2025
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday blasted the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a plan to occupy Gaza City as a “dangerous escalation”. Earlier in the day, Israel’s political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, nearly two years into its invasion of the Palestinian territory. The approval came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of the entire strip, American news agency Reuters reported. “We strongly condemn the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City. This tantamounts to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine,” the prime minister said in a post on X. He added that the expansion of military operations will only worsen the already existing humanitarian crisis and derail any prospect for peace in the region. “We must not lose sight of the root cause of this ongoing tragedy: that is, Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestin...
    Tags: Israeli
  • PTI’s leaders of opposition in NA, Senate removed from posts
    Dawn - 15:13 Aug 08, 2025
    PTI’s Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz, were removed from their seats, according to notifications by the respective houses’ secretariats that came to light on Friday. On Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots. According to the notification by the National Assembly Secretariat dated August 7, “ Consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan from being a member of the National Assembly (NA-18 Haripur) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan … the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly has become vacant with effect from August 5th, 2025.“ A similar notification for Faraz was issued by the Senate Secretariat: “Consequent upon disq...
    Tags: Senate
  • Security forces kill 33 terrorists in Balochistan’s Zhob district: ISPR
    Dawn - 15:02 Aug 08, 2025
    Security forces killed 33 terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Friday, the military’s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a large group of terrorists belonging to the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khwaraj”, were trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border when they were detected by the security forces in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob district on the night of August 7 and 8. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement added that the troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate, adding, “As a result of precise, bold and skilful engagement, thirty three Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell.” A large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered, it added. “The security forces of Pakistan remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers a...
    Tags: Balochistan Zhob Security ISPR
  • 14 terrorist facilitators held in KP’s Bannu locality operation: police
    Dawn - 13:56 Aug 08, 2025
    Amid a spate of terrorist and quadcopter attacks, police on Friday carried out a search and targeted operation alongside security forces in Hoveed and Wazirabad areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, arresting “14 terrorist facilitators and destroying three hideouts”. Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks, particularly targeting police personnel in Bannu in July. Bannu police spokesperson Khanzala Quraishi said in a statement: “Pakistan Army and police conducted a joint operation in Hoveed and Wazirabad areas based on intelligence inputs and arrested 14 facilitators of the banned organisation, while 3 hideouts of terrorists were demolished.” Quraishi added that the operation was carried out on information about the presence of terrorists in Wazirabad and Tudonar along the Tuchi River, where five suspected targets were cleared. Security forces also seized three vehicles, which included two motorcycles and a ricks...
    Tags: Bannu
  • Workers remittances for July 2025 up by 7.4pc on yearly basis
    Dawn - 13:47 Aug 08, 2025
    Remittances from overseas Pakistani workers went up by 7.4 per cent on year-on-year basis for the month of July, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Friday. Every month, millions of overseas Pakistanis send money home. These remittances are now a cornerstone of Pakistan’s balance-of-payments, hitting a record $4.1 billion during March alone. “Workers’ remittances recorded an inflow of $3.2bn during July 2025,” a press release by the SBP read. According to the data released by the bank, the inflows were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia ($823.7 million), United Arab Emirates ($665.2m), United Kingdom ($450.4m) and the US ($269.6m). Last month, SBP’s data showed that workers’ remittances increased by 26.6pc to hit a record $38.3bn during the fiscal year 2025 as compared to the corresponding period of last year. It added that the workers’ remittances went up by 7.9pc to $3.406bn in June 2025, compared to $3.158bn during the same month last year. FY25 proved to be a relatively successful year for the governme...
    Tags: Workers July
  • Peshawar man booked for online harassment, cyberstalking: crime agency
    Dawn - 12:55 Aug 08, 2025
    A man in Peshawar was booked under the charges of cyberstalking and harassment on Friday by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) after he allegedly threatened to leak personal pictures of the complainant online. In a statement, NCCIA said that the suspect — who was arrested from the Faqirabad area of Peshawar — was posting photos of the complainant on TikTok and had threatened to post photos of an obscene nature on the platform. “The incident caused severe mental and social damage to the victim,” the NCCIA said. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the suspect under Section 16 (Unauthorised use of identity information), Section 20 (Offences against dignity of a natural person), and Section 24 (Cyberstalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, as well as Section 419 (cheating by personatation) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Mukhtiar Ahmed, said in a statement that strict action would ...
    Tags: Peshawar
  • India pauses plans to buy US arms after Trump’s tariffs
    Dawn - 12:38 Aug 08, 2025
    New Delhi has put on hold its plans to procure new US weapons and aircraft, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter, in India’s first concrete sign of discontent after tariffs imposed on its exports by President Donald Trump dragged ties to their lowest level in decades. India had been planning to send Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Washington in the coming weeks for an announcement on some of the purchases, but that trip has been cancelled, two of the people said. Trump on Aug 6 imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which he said meant the country was funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That raised the total duty on Indian exports to 50pc — among the highest of any US trading partner. The US president has a history of rapidly reversing himself on tariffs, and India has said it remains actively engaged in discussions with Washington. One of the people said the defence purchases could go ahead once India had clarit...
    Tags: India Trump
  • KKH partially blocked by river flow in GB’s Hunza: spokesperson
    Dawn - 10:51 Aug 08, 2025
    River erosion and increased water flow caused a blockage on part of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza Valley on Friday, according to a government spokesperson. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that the flow of water in GB rivers had increased, because of which a part of the KKH had been blocked due to erosion. “The chief minister of GB has ordered the restoration of the highway,” he said. He added that relevant institutions were on their way to restoring the KKH in Morkhun. Faraq also said that a search was underway for tourists who went missing after a boat capsized in Skardu on Tuesday. “Due to the increase in the flow of water in the lakes, there is a ban on operating boats and Section 144 is in force,” he said. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. “Action is being taken against those who take tourists out on lakes by boat des...
  • Govt suspends mobile data services in Balochistan until Aug 31 for ‘security reasons’
    Dawn - 10:20 Aug 08, 2025
    Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind on Friday said that mobile data services in the province have been suspended until August 31 over “security reasons”. In recent months, the security situation in Balochistan has worsened, as militants, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. In February, nearly 62 per cent of the total terrorism-related deaths in the country occurred in Balochistan. The move came after a notification issued by the Balochistan Home Department on Aug 6, seen by Dawn.com, ordered the immediate suspension of data services until Aug 31, citing the “peculiar law and order situation” in the province. “It is, therefore, requested to please direct the concerned authorities for suspension/closure of 3G and 4G services in the entire province … to avoid any untoward incident,” the notification read. “The service has been suspended because they (militants) use it for coordination and sharing information,” Rind said, according to Reu...
    Tags: Balochistan
  • Pakistan set to become first South Asian country to ratify Unesco underwater heritage convention
    Dawn - 09:57 Aug 08, 2025
    Pakistan is set to become the first South Asian nation to ratify the 2001 Unesco Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH), marking a significant step toward safeguarding its submerged maritime legacy, a statement from the Press Information Department (PID) said on Friday. In recent years, underwater cultural heritage has attracted increasing attention from both the scientific community and the general public. For scientists, it represents an invaluable source of information on ancient civilisations, maritime practices, human use of land and marine environments, and climate change, according to Unesco. The announcement was made by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry during a meeting with Unesco representative Dr Cristina Menegazzi in Islamabad today. The two sides discussed collaborative efforts to document, preserve, and promote Pakistan’s rich underwater archaeological resources. “Pakistan is set to become the first South Asian nation to ratify the 2...
    Tags: Pakistan UNESCO South Asian
  • Arshad Nadeem marks one year since historic Paris gold with London rehab
    Dawn - 08:43 Aug 08, 2025
    A year ago to the day, Arshad Nadeem stunned the world with a monstrous javelin throw that propelled him to global stardom and salvaged Pakistan’s plummeting sports glory with its first individual gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The javelin star sweetened the deal when his 92.97m throw shattered the Olympic record — not once, but twice, to the delight of a roaring crowd at Paris’ Stade de France. But a year on from the historic triumph, Arshad is undergoing physiotherapy in London following surgery on his calf muscle. The two upcoming Diamond League championships he was set to compete at this month have been scrapped from his sports calendar as he recovers in time for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. But there is no disappointment from Arshad or his coach Salman Butt, who doubles as his mentor, manager, and much more. “Things are looking good for Tokyo,” he told Dawn.com in a call from London. “We’re hoping to accomplish a lot there.” A gold medal at the World Championships will...
    Tags: London Arshad Nadeem Paris
  • Record-breaking heat impacting millions worldwide, Pakistan exceeds 45°C: UN weather agency
    Dawn - 08:40 Aug 08, 2025
    Extreme heat is breaking records around the world, with wildfires and poor air quality compounding the crisis and some areas including southern Pakistan exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released on Thursday. Extreme temperatures caused approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 36 per cent occurring in Europe and 45pc in Asia, the report said. The health impacts of heat are especially severe in cities due to the so-called ‘urban heat island effect’ — the over-heating of dense city areas compared with their rural surroundings — which is magnifying problems as urbanisation continues, it was pointed out. Amid rising 21st-century temperatures, the WMO underscored that July 2025 was the third-warmest July ever recorded, behind those in 2023 and 2024. In this record-breaking July, heatwaves especially impacted Sweden and Finland, which experienced unusually long spells of temperatures above 30°C. Southeast Europe...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • 2 terrorists planning to attack police killed in Mianwali operation: CTD
    Dawn - 07:58 Aug 08, 2025
    Two terrorists planning to attack the police in Punjab’s Mianwali district were killed during an operation, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Friday. The CTD regularly carries out operations across the province to prevent and investigate terrorism-related activities and gather intelligence. Operating under the provincial police department, the Punjab CTD plays a key role in maintaining internal security and countering terrorism within the country. In a statement today, the law enforcement agency said, “Punjab CTD killed two terrorists during an operation near Kundian in Mianwali.” It said that the CTD acted on a tip-off after receiving intelligence that the terrorists were planning to attack police and other institutions. “During the operation, the CTD and terrorists engaged in an exchange of fire, as a result of which two terrorists were killed by their own accomplices, while six of them managed to escape.” According to the statement, the CTD recovered “explosive materials, two rifles, hand gren...
    Tags: Mianwali
  • Another organ trade network busted in a week in Rawalpindi
    Dawn - 06:24 Aug 08, 2025
    RAWALPINDI: In the second such incident reported within a week, police on Thursday arrested a member of an alleged organ trafficking ring operating from a private house in a housing society in Rawalpindi. Six other suspects, including a surgeon, managed to escape during a pre-dawn raid, according to the police. Earlier this month, Airport police had also unearthed a similar illegal operation in which a man was found undergoing a kidney removal procedure. Police said on Thursday that Sub-Inspector Wasim Sarwar registered an FIR with the Rawat police, stating he and his subordinates heard screaming of an individual from inside a house during an anti-crime patrol at 12 o’clock midnight in Rafi Block, Phase VIII of Bahria Town. He said an ambulance and other suspicious vehicles were also seen moving outside the house. “When the police reached the house located on the main road at 12:10am, they heard screams from inside,” the SI said. He stated in the FIR that the police knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, ...
    Tags: Rawalpindi
  • Summer vacation extended till 31st in Punjab
    Dawn - 05:29 Aug 08, 2025
    LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended the summer vacation for all public and private schools across the province until Aug 31 with institutions set to reopen on Sept 1. The decision, announced through an official notification by the School Education Department on Wednesday, supersedes the previous directive to resume classes on Aug 14. According to the notification, all district education authorities (DEAs) have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the revised schedule. The extension comes amid ongoing extreme weather conditions in the province, though the notification did not explicitly cite a reason for the decision. This marks the second adjustment to the academic calendar this summer. Parents and students are advised to note the revised date, while school administrations are expected to adjust their academic plans accordingly. The Punjab government has not yet indicated whether the extended break will affect the overall academic year schedule or examinations. Punjab School Education minis...
  • Jaffar Express escapes blast near Sibi
    Dawn - 04:42 Aug 08, 2025
    QUETTA: The Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday when a bomb planted near the track close to Sibi Railway Station exploded just after the passenger train passed. Pakistan Railways authorities confirmed the explosion, which occurred near the outer signal of the track linking Balochistan to the rest of the country. “The explosive device was planted near the outer railway signal and detonated shortly after the train passed, causing significant damage to the track but leaving the train unharmed,” a senior official told Dawn. However, the railway track was badly damaged in the blast. “A portion of the railway track was blown up in the blast,” railway police officials said, adding that train service has been suspended after the explosion and Quetta-bound trains stopped at Jacobabad station. The repair of the damaged railway line has started. Following the explosion, security forces rushed to the scene to investigate. Preliminary findings revealed that the explosive device had been remot...
  • Punjab’s cotton harvest reaches 609,000 bales
    Dawn - 04:23 Aug 08, 2025
    LAHORE: The Agriculture Department of Punjab has reported a significantly higher cotton harvest for the ongoing crop year 2025-26, claiming that 609,000 bales were harvested by July 31. This figure is more than double the 301,000 bales reported by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). Citing data from its Crop Reporting Service (CRS), a spokesperson for the department clarified on Thursday that the 609,000 bales of seed cotton were recorded up to July 31. In contrast, the PCGA’s estimate reflects only the cotton arriving at operational ginning factories in Punjab, irrespective of its origin. The spokesperson emphasised that the CRS figures are based on internationally recognised, scientifically proven methods. These include randomised sampling, ground truthing techniques, and GPS-enabled tools, all of which are in line with FAO-endorsed methodologies. The CRS also utilises a real-time digital dashboard that ensures transparency and supports evidence-based policy decisions. The department further arg...
    Tags: Punjab

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