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Dawn - 03:32 Jun 06, 2025
• Bilawal urges world to stand against Indian aggression, says water an existential issue for Pakistan • Ex-US diplomat endorses call for neutral Pahalgam probe, regrets Pak-US ties ‘still stuck in the past’ • VP Vance meets Indian delegation as US officials assure Pakistan of ‘equal representation’ WASHINGTON: As fomer foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari blamed India for pushing South Asia towards the first nuclear war over water, a former US ambassador to Pakistan endorsed Islamabad’s demand for an independent inquiry into the Pahalgam incident, which led to a full-blown conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi. At a policy forum hosted by the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, former US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson stressed that the United States-Pakistan relationship was hindered by mistrust, despite ongoing security cooperation. “The US-Pakistan relationship is so stuck in the past that India was not required to present any forensic or investigative evidence after the Pahalgam atta... -
Dawn - 03:25 Jun 06, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The national cybersecurity authority has urged citizens to use social media responsibly and remain vigilant against cyber threats. The advisory issued by the National Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) highlighted risks like disinformation, fraud, harassment, invasion of privacy and data breach. The PKCERT flagged the increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming. Women are “frequently targeted” with cyber harassment, identity theft and image-based abuse, risks that are “compounded by broader societal inequities”. The advisory cautioned that many social media posts are “deliberately designed to provoke strong emotions—such as anger, fear, or shock—prompting users to react or share them quickly without giving the content much thought”. It added that social media platforms use algorithms to display content that triggers intense emotional reactions. “This approach keeps users engaged for longer periods, even if the information is not ... -
Dawn - 03:14 Jun 06, 2025
RAWALPINDI: Citizens should brace for sweltering heat during Eidul Azha as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a countrywide heatwave alert. According to the advisory, a high-pressure weather system is likely to develop over the country on June 7 and is expected to grip most parts from June 8. Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 5 to 7 degrees Celsius above normal in central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from June 7 to 12. In upper and central Sindh, southern Punjab and parts of Balochistan, daytime temperatures are likely to remain 04 to 06°C above normal from June 7 to 12. Advisory urges citizens to avoid exposure to direct sunlight Dust storms and gusty winds are also expected over the plains due to excessive heat. “Rising temperatures in northern areas may enhance snow-melting rate during the forecast period,” the advisory stated. The PMD has advised citizens, especially ... -
Dawn - 02:55 Jun 06, 2025
ISLAMABAD: As part of a broader vision to enhance regional integration and connectivity, Uzbekistan Airways, the national carrier of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will launch direct flights between Tashkent and Islamabad beginning June 14, 2025. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Uzbek embassy in Islamabad said that operating every Saturday, the new route underscored the shared commitment of Uzbekistan and Pakistan to strengthen their long-standing partnership and deepen cooperation across multiple sectors. This direct link marked a strategic advancement in bilateral relations and aligned with the broader goals of the Central and South Asia connectivity initiative. In addition to the new Islamabad route, Uzbekistan Airways currently operates biweekly direct flights to Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays. These connections were helping expand the airline’s regional footprint, linking Pakistan’s major cities not only with Uzbekistan, but also with the wider Central Asian region and beyond. “Together, these ... -
Dawn - 02:50 Jun 06, 2025
RAWALPINDI: A toddler who went missing while playing in the street was found dead in a sewerage line in Ratta Amral on Thursday, allegedly murdered by a boy, a close relative of the little girl. Maryam, one-year-old girl, while playing outside her house in Mohalla Qazian Ratta Amral with other children, went missing. After the disappearance, Maryam’s parents started a search for her, but failing to find clues, her grandmother, Ms Musarat Bibi, sought police help and registered a case under the relevant section of the law. During the search, the missing girl’s body was found in the main sewerage line of Dhoke Ratta on Thursday. The local police reached the spot and shifted the body to the District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem. An investigation launched to ascertain the facts behind the tragic death of the little girl. Later on, police arrested the accused, who was identified as Azan Sultan, 10 and a half years old, and lived in the same house. The accused boy was shifted to the protection bureau by th... -
Dawn - 19:02 Jun 05, 2025
Tensions between Donald Trump and Elon Musk exploded into public view Thursday, as the US president said he was “very disappointed” by his billionaire former aide’s criticisms and Musk hit back in real time on social media. “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after Musk slammed his tax and spending mega-bill as an “abomination”. The world’s richest man responded by live-posting on his X social media platform as Trump spoke on television, saying that the Republican would not have won the 2024 election without him and slamming him for “ingratitude.” In an extraordinary rant as visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sat mutely beside him, 78-year-old Trump unloaded on SpaceX and Tesla boss Musk in his first comments on the issue. “I’m very disappointed, because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here … all of a sudden, he had a problem,” Trump said when asked about Musk. View this post o... -
Dawn - 18:53 Jun 05, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said that the Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan was no longer applicable after the former violated the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). India held the IWT in abeyance after the further deterioration in relations between the two countries following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan decided that it would exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to the Simla Agreement, in abeyance. It also announced the closure of the Wagah border and suspension of all trade with New Delhi, among other measures. The agreement was signed between Pakistan and India in the aftermath of the 1971 war; the signatories being Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi. The agreement, inter alia, stipulated that neither party would take any action unilaterally, that the disputes between the two countries would be resolved bilaterally, and that the ceasefire line would become the Line of Control. Talking to Geo... -
Dawn - 18:20 Jun 05, 2025
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said that India was laying the ground for the first nuclear war over water with its actions regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. India held the IWT in abeyance after the further deterioration in relations between the two countries following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan decided that it would exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to the Simla Agreement, in abeyance. It also announced the closure of the Wagah border and suspension of all trade with New Delhi, among other measures. Pakistan has launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent spike in tensions with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence there. As part of its global outreach, the team will also visit London and Brussels. The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dast... -
Dawn - 18:12 Jun 05, 2025
Three people drowned in a canal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district on Thursday, while a body was discovered in a river in Upper Dir in a separate incident, rescue officials told said. Rescue 1122 official Nasar Khan told Dawn.com that four people, including a minor, were bathing in the canal to cool off amid intense heat. “All four people were recovered from the canal by divers, but three of them had drowned,” Nasar said. “One person was still alive and we transported him to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Dargai.” The official added that local residents aided rescuers in recovering the victims’ bodies. Rescue 1122 Malakand identified the deceased as 32-year-old Alamzeb, 26-year-old Mohammad Bilal and 6-year-old Arman Khan, while the survivor was identified as 17-year-old Salman Khan. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Ibrahim Khan, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Upper Dir, told Dawn.com that rescuers recovered the body of a seminary student who drowned in a river in the district’s Gandigar area. “T... -
Dawn - 16:18 Jun 05, 2025
Gaming fans queued up for the launch of Nintendo’s Switch 2 on Thursday amid pent-up demand for the more powerful next-generation gaming device. “The level of demand seems to be sky-high,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy. In the Ikebukuro shopping district of Tokyo, dozens of successful applicants to a sales lottery by electronics retailer Bic Camera lined up before the store opened to collect their devices. “I feel like I’m going to cry,” Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, told Reuters. Ohi had missed out in other lotteries and had come from Saitama prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, to receive her Switch 2. Nintendo has sold 152 million Switch home-portable devices since launching in 2017. It became a games juggernaut with titles, including two “The Legend of Zelda” titles and Covid-19 pandemic breakout hit “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. The Switch 2 bears many similarities with its predecessor but offers a larger screen and improved graphics, and debuts with titles includi... -
Dawn - 15:37 Jun 05, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday called his telephone conversation with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a “very good phone call” and stated that the countries’ respective teams “will be meeting shortly”. Earlier, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported that the call took place at Trump’s request, as bilateral relations have been strained by trade disputes. In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that the one and a half hour call discussed the “intricacies of the trade deal” and that it “resulted in a very positive conclusion for both countries”. “There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of rare earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined,” the president wrote, adding that the US will be represented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The post added that Xi “graciously invited” both Trump and First Lady Melania to visit... -
Dawn - 15:30 Jun 05, 2025
Afghan women working for the United Nations in Kabul have been threatened by unidentified men because of their jobs, the organisation and several women told AFP on Thursday. Multiple women working for various UN agencies told AFP on condition of anonymity they had been threatened on the street and over the phone by men warning them to “stay home”. UN staffer Huda — not her real name — said that for weeks she has been bombarded with messages abusing her for “working with foreigners”. “The messages keep coming and they are always harassing us … saying, ‘Don’t let me see you again, or else’,” the young woman told AFP. She said her office had advised her to work from home until further notice. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that UN staff had been threatened. “Several United Nations female national staff members in the Afghan capital Kabul have been subjected to threats by unidentified individuals related to their work with the UN,” it said in a statement. Considering the th... -
Dawn - 15:26 Jun 05, 2025
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday her government planned to extend the ban on full-face Islamic veils in public places and apply it to schools and universities as well. She also said she wanted to see an end to prayer rooms at universities but stopped short of calling for an outright ban. “God has to step aside. You have the right to your faith and to practice your religion but democracy takes precedence,” she told Danish news agency Ritzau. In August 2018, Denmark banned the wearing of full-face Islamic veils such as the burqa and niqab in public places, with offenders subject to a fine. Human rights campaigners and religious groups have criticised the ban as discriminatory and as a violation of both freedom of religion and women’s freedom of choice. Supporters argue it enables Muslims of immigrant backgrounds to better integrate into Danish society. Frederiksen alleged that prayer rooms at universities could be used for “social control and oppression”. She said her government would st... -
Dawn - 15:19 Jun 05, 2025
Worshippers prayed on Mount Arafat during the high point of Haj on Thursday as authorities urged them to avoid the hottest hours of the day after tragedy struck last year. Thousands of white-robed pilgrims recited verses from the Holy Quran from dawn on the 70-metre rocky rise near Makkah, where the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) gave his last sermon. But numbers thinned by midday following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10am and 4pm, a year after 1,301 people died in temperatures that hit 51.8 degree Celsius. “I came here early to [avoid] the sun and later I will pray inside my tent,” said 54-year-old Adel Ismail, from Syria. Saudi authorities have taken several steps to reduce the risk from heat at Haj, which has drawn more than 1.6 million pilgrims to one of the world’s hottest regions, according to fresh figures published on Thursday. A surveillance drone flies past a Muslim pilgrim as he prays at dawn on Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy,... -
Dawn - 14:47 Jun 05, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan’s recent appointment to key UN committees reaffirmed the international community’s trust in the country’s counterterrorism credentials. A day ago, Pakistan was appointed chair of the committee established under Resolution 1988 (2011), which oversees the implementation of sanctions against the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan was also named vice chair of the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), which monitors implementation of Resolution 1373 (2001), a core component of the UN’s global counterterrorism architecture. Additionally, Pakistan will serve as co-chair of two important subsidiary bodies: the Informal Working Group on Documentation and the newly formed Working Group on Sanctions. In a post on X, the prime minister said the appointments were a “matter of great pride”. He added: “These key appointments validate the international community’s confidence and trust in Pakistan’s counterterrorism credentials as well as an acknowledgement of... -
Dawn - 13:41 Jun 05, 2025
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified a negative fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs2.98 per unit for K-Electric (KE) consumers in June’s bills for power consumed in March. According to a notification issued by Nepra today, the authority “decided to allow a negative FCA of Rs2.9898/kWh (negative Rs4.045 billion) for March 2025, to be passed on to the consumers in the billing month of June 2025”. Nepra said the negative FCA would apply to “all the consumer categories except lifeline consumers, domestic protected consumers, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and prepaid electricity consumers of all categories who opted for pre-paid tariff”. The adjustment would be shown separately in the consumers’ bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the respective month to which the adjustment pertains, it said. “In case any bills of June 2025 are issued before the notification of this decision, the same may be applied in the subsequent month,” the notification s... -
Dawn - 12:54 Jun 05, 2025
A Japanese startup will attempt a tricky lunar touchdown on Friday with an unmanned lander named Resilience, two years after its first try which crashed onto the moon’s surface. If successful, it will be only the third private mission to the Earth’s rocky natural satellite ever completed, and the first by a company based outside of the United States. The startup, ispace, says touchdown is expected at 4:17am Japan time on Friday (1917 GMT on Thursday) with the potentially nail-biting attempt streamed on its website. Resilience is “ready to attempt a historic landing on the moon” and “we are confident in our preparations for success”, ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada said last week. “We have leveraged the operational experience gained in Mission 1 and during this current voyage to the moon,” he said in a statement. Only five nations have soft-landed spacecraft on the moon: the Soviet Union, the US, China, India and Japan. Companies are vying to offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than gov... -
Dawn - 12:43 Jun 05, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an investigation into what Republicans claim was a “conspiracy” to cover up Joe Biden’s declining cognitive health during his time in the White House. The move, which was slammed by Biden, is the latest in a long-running campaign by Trump — with the backing of Republican Party politicians and their cheerleaders in the conservative media — to discredit his predecessor. But it also comes as a growing chorus of Democrats begin to acknowledge the former president appeared to have been slipping in recent years. Those concerns were thrown into stark relief by a disastrous debate performance against Trump during last year’s presidential campaign, in which the then-81-year-old stumbled over his words and repeatedly lost his train of thought. “In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former president Biden’s aides abused the power of presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline,” a presidential memorandum iss... -
Dawn - 12:22 Jun 05, 2025
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Thursday said Pakistan was fighting a full-fledged “intelligence-driven war” funded by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and carried out through “Indian proxies”. The security situation in Balochistan has deteriorated, with militants escalating attacks as part of a long-running insurgency. Last month, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused India of activating its “assets” post-Pahalgam to intensify terrorism in Pakistan, citing “irrefutable evidence” of state-sponsored attacks directed by Indian military personnel. He said “credible intelligence” showed India tasked groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban and other militant cells to ramp up activity. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Bugti referred to the attacks in his province and said: “This is a completely Raw-funded intelligence-driven war against the state of Pakistan.” He said India changed its narrative after suffering a crushing blow... -
Dawn - 12:18 Jun 05, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to “help resolve” the standoff between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme, the Kremlin said on Thursday. “We have a close partnership with Tehran. And President Putin said that he was ready to use this partnership to help resolve the Iranian nuclear issue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. After a call between the leaders on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said Putin had offered to “participate” in talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, as Trump accused Iran of “slow-walking” its response to Washington’s offer of a deal. Washington and Tehran have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new accord to replace the nuclear deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. Trump said on Monday that his administration would not allow “any” enrichment of uranium, despite Tehran’s insistence that it has the right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier...
5467 items