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Dawn - 16:17 Jul 24, 2025
The death toll from flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district rose to six on Thursday as a search for missing visitors was underway after heavy rains battered the region, an official said. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as cloudburst-induced floods wreaked havoc across the region. The flood-related death toll in the region rose to five on Tuesday, after four lost their lives and 15 went missing on Monday. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that rescue teams recovered another body in Babusar valley, taking the total number of deaths to six. “The search operation to locate the remaining tourists at Babusar is underway,” he added. According to Rescue 1122, GB’s Ghanche district experienced floods in various areas. Flash floods in Kandos villages damaged a dozen homes, a dispensary, mosques, agricultural land and crops, it said. Rescue 1122 also stated that flash floods in Sikarkoi damaged several houses and other infrastructure in Dass Mohallah and ... -
Dawn - 16:03 Jul 24, 2025
Islamabad district and sessions courts on Thursday sentenced 13 PTI supporters to six months in jail in cases pertaining to last year’s November “Final Call” protests, while acquitting one person. Meanwhile, 12 of the convicts, along with one other person, were discharged by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) in a separate protest case from October 2024. Ex-premier Imran Khan had called for nationwide protests on November 24, demanding the “restoration” of the PTI’s electoral mandate and the reversal of the 26th Amendment. Following a state crackdown, the party claimed a dozen deaths of its supporters, which the government officially denied, while four Rangers personnel and a cop were martyred during the protests. Judicial Magistrates Ahmad Shahzad Gondal and Mureed Abbas today heard three separate cases filed under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order (Papo) Act, which had been passed just two months prior to the protests. One first information report (FIR) was registered at Islamabad’s Tarnol police ... -
Dawn - 15:53 Jul 24, 2025
A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote area of Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, authorities said. The plane, a Soviet-made twin-propeller Antonov-24, went down in remote, thickly forested terrain, leaving a column of smoke pouring from the crash site and no signs of survivors, according to state media and videos published by investigators. The Angara Airlines flight was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1pm local time (0400 GMT). A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 15 kilometres south of Tynda’s airport. Videos published by Russian investigators showed smoke rising from the crash site and what appeared to be fragments of the plane strewn across the forest floor. A search and rescue team arrived only hours after the crash at the remote, hard-to-reach site and found no evidence of survivors, according to the state news ... -
Dawn - 15:34 Jul 24, 2025
Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries. Both blamed each other for starting a morning clash at a disputed area of the border, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 kilometres apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Thailand positioned six F-16 fighter jets in an uncommon combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia’s foreign ministry called “reckless and brutal military aggression”. Thailand’s military said the use of air power was to strike with precision. The worst fighting between the countries in 13 years came after Thailand on Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia’s envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losi... -
Dawn - 15:03 Jul 24, 2025
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday that the national team will face England in a three-match Test series next year during the World Test Championship. In a press release, the PCB said that the test matches will be played in August and September 2026. “The first Test will begin at Headingley in Leeds on August 19, while the action will move to the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London for the second Test of the series from August 27. The two teams will lock horns in the third and final Test from September 9 at Edgbaston in Birmingham,” the statement read. “This will be Pakistan’s fourth Test tour of England since 2016 and overall 29th bilateral Test series between both teams since they first faced each other in 1954,” it said. The PCB also said that the team was currently touring England for a three-match 50-over and two-match three-day series. On Sunday, the International Cricket Council announced that England would host the next three World Test Championship finals. “We are absolutely delighted that... -
Dawn - 14:36 Jul 24, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday appreciated the World Bank’s (WB) support for Pakistan’s position in light of India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). In April, India held the IWT in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting that the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. In a meeting with the WB’s regional vice president for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP), Ousmane Dione, in Islamabad, the premier acknowledged the institution’s principled support for Pakistan’s legitimate position on India’s “unilateral and unlawful actions”, which undermined “important international agreements” such as the IWT. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to upholding international law, achieving prosperity, maintaining regional peace and reiterated the country’s resolve to resolve all issues throu... -
Dawn - 14:08 Jul 24, 2025
Ratings agency S&P Global raised Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ and placed it on a ‘stable’ outlook on Thursday, saying the country’s finances and reserves had been stabilised by International Monetary Fund (IMF) support. “The stable outlook reflects our expectations that continued economic recovery and government efforts to enhance revenue will stabilise fiscal and debt metrics,” S&P said in a statement on the move. “We also expect that sustained official financing will support Pakistan in meeting its external obligations, and that the country will continue to roll over its commercial credit lines over the next 12 months.” Pakistan’s longer-dated international bonds rallied after the upgrade, with the 2051 maturity gaining 1.6 cents to be bid at 84.85 cents on the dollar, according to Tradeweb data. The 2031 and 2036 maturities also gained around 1 cent, while shorter-dated maturities posted smaller gains. Last week, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb urged the leading US rating agen... -
Dawn - 14:04 Jul 24, 2025
Five Australian women who say they were pulled from a Qatar Airways flight by armed guards and strip-searched have won the right to sue the airline, after a court on Thursday overturned an earlier decision to throw out the case. Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights, including 13 Australians, were subjected to invasive examinations to see if they had recently given birth after a newborn baby was found abandoned at Doha’s Hamad Airport in October 2020. The incident made headlines around the world, sparked outrage in Australia and strained diplomatic ties with Qatar. A group of five women on a Sydney-bound flight launched legal proceedings in 2022 against Qatar Airways, the operator of Doha Airport Matar, and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority. They brought claims under the Montreal Convention, which covers airline liability, as well as negligence, assault and false imprisonment. The women sought damages for the impact on their mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from the ... -
Dawn - 13:49 Jul 24, 2025
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday hailed the positive environment in which the council’s annual general meeting (AGM) was held and said the fate of the upcoming Asia Cup would be announced soon. The meeting, hosted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), comes ahead of the Asia Cup tournament, scheduled to be hosted by India in September. The tournament remains in limbo amid strained India-Pakistan ties following a military encounter in May. On Wednesday, Hindustan Times reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reversing an earlier decision, would attend the Asian Cricket Council’s annual meeting virtually. The BCCI had previously declined to travel to Dhaka, citing tensions with Bangladesh and threatening to boycott the meeting. The AGM was held in Dhaka today with 24 other members in attendance. Addressing the media after the meeting, Naqvi said: “The meeting went very well. We have 25 ACC members and all of them pa... -
Dawn - 12:02 Jul 24, 2025
Britain and India signed a free trade agreement on Thursday during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. The two countries concluded talks on the trade pact in May after three years of stop-start negotiations, with both sides hastening efforts to clinch a deal in the shadow of tariff turmoil unleashed by United States President Donald Trump. The agreement between the world’s fifth and sixth largest economies aims to increase bilateral trade by a further 25.5 billion pounds ($34bn) by 2040. It is Britain’s biggest trade deal since it left the European Union in 2020, although its impact will be a fraction of the effect of leaving the orbit of its closest trading partner. For India, it represents its biggest strategic partnership with an advanced economy, and one which could provide a template for a long-mooted deal with the EU as well as talks with other regions. It will take effect aft... -
Dawn - 11:58 Jul 24, 2025
The Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese shipping giant, Shandong Xinxu Group, on Thursday in a move that is set to bring about a “major transformation” in the shipping sector. PNSC, headquartered in Karachi, is Pakistan’s premier national flag carrier, operating under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. The Shandong Xinxu Group Corporation, based in Zibo City, Shandong Province, is a leading Chinese enterprise engaged in international trade and shipping. A statement from the Press Information Department said the MoU signing ceremony took place between the PNSC CEO and the chairman of Shandong Xinxu Group Corporation in Islamabad with Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry present. “The Pakistani shipping sector is set for a major transformation following the signing of a MoU,” he was quoted as saying by the statement. Addressing the signing ceremony, he said the development symbolised a “growing partnership” between Pakistan and... -
Dawn - 11:56 Jul 24, 2025
Javelin ace Arshad Nadeem could miss two upcoming Diamond League championships next month as he undergoes post-surgery rehabilitation in London, in the hopes of a full recovery ahead of the Tokyo World Athletic Championships this September. The Olympic champion was set to travel to England this month to prepare for the World Championships, ahead of the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland on August 16 and Zurich, Switzerland on Aug 27-28. Last week, however, he underwent surgery on his calf muscle to address a recurring injury. The interventional procedure was done by Dr Ali Bajwa at Spire Hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. View this post on Instagram “We are now doing rehab work with a physiotherapist in London,” Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Butt, told Dawn.com. “This is a two-week plan before we test ourselves for going back to regular workouts,” Butt added. “We are trying to achieve good form for the World Championship in Tokyo and maybe compete in one competition before Tokyo if Arshad regains good... -
Dawn - 08:49 Jul 24, 2025
A cyber-espionage campaign centred on vulnerable versions of Microsoft’s server software now involves the deployment of ransomware, Microsoft said in a late Wednesday blog post. In the post, citing “expanded analysis and threat intelligence”, Microsoft said a group it dubs “Storm-2603” is using the vulnerability to seed the ransomware, which typically works by paralysing victims’ networks until a digital currency payment is made. The disclosure marks a potential escalation in the campaign, which has already hit at least 400 victims, according to Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Eye Security. Unlike typical state-backed hacker campaigns, which are aimed at stealing data, ransomware can cause widespread disruption depending on where it lands. The figure of 400 victims represents a sharp rise from the 100 organisations catalogued over the weekend. Eye Security says the figure is likely an undercount. “There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artefacts that we could scan for,” said Vaisha... -
Dawn - 08:44 Jul 24, 2025
India has pushed hundreds of ethnic Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without due process, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, accusing the government of flouting rules and fuelling bias on religious lines. The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long taken a hardline stance on immigration — particularly from Muslim-majority Bangladesh — with top authorities referring to them as “termites” and “infiltrators”. Critics also accuse the government of sparking fear among India’s estimated 200 million Muslims, especially among speakers of Bengali, which is widely spoken in both eastern India and Bangladesh. HRW, a New York-based nonprofit, said that India forcibly expelled more than 1,500 Muslim men, women, and children to Bangladesh between May 7 and June 15, quoting Bangladeshi authorities. “India’s ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims from the country, including Indian citizens,” Elaine Pearson, Asia director ... -
Dawn - 06:32 Jul 24, 2025
NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a U-turn has decided to attend the Asian Cricket Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, the Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday. The ACC meeting taking place in Dhaka will decide the fate of this year’s Asia Cup, which India is scheduled to host in September. Sources within the BCCI have confirmed that the board has indeed decided to attend Thursday’s meeting virtually. “Yes, we have decided to attend the meeting virtually,” a BCCI source told the Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity. Earlier, amid rising political tension between India and Bangladesh, the BCCI decided not to visit Dhaka and threatened to boycott the all-important AGM of the game’s Asian body. The meeting on Thursday is set to determine the status of the Asia Cup, which is supposed to be played in T20 format. If the tournament gets the go-ahead, it will most likely be played in the UAE, with India maintaining its hosting rights. Considering the fact that th... -
Dawn - 06:07 Jul 24, 2025
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar to review the encounters being carried out by the newly-created Crime Control Department (CCD). Earlier, in compliance with the court’s order, the police chief appeared before LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum in connection with a woman’s petition against the killing of her son in an alleged CCD encounter. A report submitted by the IGP stated that the suspect was being taken away after a recovery, when the police vehicle’s tyre punctured and his accomplices launched an attack. It said the suspect was killed by the firing of his own accomplices. The chief justice said the IGP was summoned after the SHO concerned failed to satisfy the court. She found the IGP’s report complete and satisfactory. However, the chief justice questioned, “Whenever there is firing on a police vehicle, how does the bullet directly hit a suspect? Why it never hits a constable or the police vehicle?” She mentioned that the LHC ... -
Dawn - 05:39 Jul 24, 2025
• CJP-led bench slams petitioner for attacking wife’s ‘womanhood’; imposes Rs500,000 fine as demonstration of disapproval for his conduct • Rules that infertility, even if present, is no ground to deny woman dower or maintenance ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday denounced the distressing and sorrowful social practice of ‘weaponising’ infertility, or even the mere suspicion of it, against women. “This social prejudice routinely results in courts of law becoming venues for humiliating a woman under the guise of litigation,” regretted Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi. The CJP, who was part of a two-judge bench alongside Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, was remarking on a case filed by one Saleh Muhammad against a March 3, 2025, judgement of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), regarding a dispute over dower claims, dowry articles and maintenance of the respondent, Mehnaz Begum. “This court cannot but record in the strongest possible terms its disapproval of the manner in which the respondent — a... -
Dawn - 05:29 Jul 24, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday signed an Early Harvest Programme (EHP) to reduce tariffs on eight agricultural items for one year, laying the foundation for a broader preferential trade agreement (PTA) between the two countries. The EHP, which takes effect on Aug 1, will remain in force for one year and is renewable. It also allows for the future inclusion of additional items, making it the first tangible step towards launching negotiations on a comprehensive PTA. The agreement was signed by Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary, Jawad Paul, and Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mullah Ahmadullah Zahid, who was accompanied by a delegation of senior technical officials. The Afghan delegation arrived in Islamabad on Monday night to hold detailed negotiations with Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce. Under the agreement, tariffs on four Afghan agricultural exports to Pakistan — grapes, pomegranates, apples, and tomatoes — and four Pakistani exports to Afghanistan — mangoes, kinnows, b... -
Dawn - 04:39 Jul 24, 2025
Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay $200 million to the US government after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding over what he said was its unwillingness to protect Jewish students. In a sweeping deal that will restore the prestigious New York institution’s federal monies, Columbia has pledged to obey rules that bar it from taking race into consideration in admissions or hiring, among other concessions. “Columbia University has reached an agreement with the United States government to resolve multiple federal agency investigations into alleged violations of federal anti-discrimination laws,” a statement said, adding that the $200m would be paid over three years. The university will also pay $21m to settle investigations brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, it said. “Under today’s agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 will be reinstated and Columbia’s access to billions of dollars in current and fut... -
Dawn - 03:22 Jul 24, 2025
KARACHI: While the passports of other Asian countries have emerged as the most powerful in the world, Pakistan’s travel document continues to be ranked among the ‘weakest’ in the world, with visa-free access available to only 32 destinations. According to the Henley Passport Index for 2025, Pakistan currently ranks 96th on the list — ahead of the war-torn nations of Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Although still quite low, the country’s ranking has improved slightly; in 2024, the Pakistani passport was tied with Yemen as the fourth-worst in the world for the fourth consecutive year. The Henley Passport Index compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations, and ranks all the world’s passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. Singapore, Japan and South Korea top the list; Afghanistan placed at the bottom If no visa is required, then that passport is given a score value of 1. The same applies if you can obtain a vis...
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