Dawn
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Dawn - 04:04 May 13, 2025
NEW DELHI: Indian anchor Arnab Goswami was reporting the decimation of Pakistan when suddenly, out of the blue, the ceasefire was announced. His colleagues from various pro-Modi TV channels were reporting about a “regime change” in Pakistan when not mentioning the firing of Russian-made Brahmos missiles into densely populated parts of Karachi. Their audiences were beginning to doubt the ravings but had nowhere to verify the facts. Practically every foreign channel or newspaper was made inaccessible in India by overt or covert means. “Who authorised President Trump to intervene?” Goswami was frothing at the mouth. In his dream world, there couldn’t be Pakistani pilots outfoxing their Indian counterparts, or Pakistan having better planes. The political leadership has usually been defended by its TV channels. That nexus could be coming to a head. The brunt of the attack, however, was borne not by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would have been the obvious interlocutor with President Trump. Mr Modi’s ... -
Dawn - 02:55 May 13, 2025
BEIRUT: Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said on Monday, warning the Israeli-blockaded enclave faces a high risk of famine by the end of September. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report cited a significant deterioration since October. It forecast that 2.1 million people across Gaza — roughly the entire population — will likely experience high levels of acute food insecurity, with 469,500 projected at “catastrophic” levels — the most severe stage. The previous IPC analysis in October found 133,000 people in that category. Israel sealed off Gaza in early March when it resumed military action against Hamas after a ceasefire collapsed. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said the IPC had “constantly talked about famine; famine has never happened because of Israel’s efforts to get more aid in.” He blamed Hamas for causing hunger by allegedly stealing aid. Hamas denies this, accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon. Warns half ... -
Dawn - 02:50 May 13, 2025
• Death toll from unprovoked shelling across LoC jumps to 32 • Educational institutions to reopen today • AJK premier hails army’s response as president wants immediate relief for affected families MUZAFFARABAD: Indian troops violated the ceasefire agreement late Sunday night by resorting to ‘unprovoked’ shelling across the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in the death of a young man in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), officials said on Monday. According to Sardar Waheed Khan, Director General of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Indian forces targeted several villages in the Nakyal sector of southern Kotli district shortly after 11pm, using both small and heavy arms during a 40-minute barrage. In Bari Dhara Mathrani, one of the affected villages, 32-year-old Muhammad Shahid, son of Muhammad Taj, sustained critical abdominal injuries when shrapnel from a mortar shell struck him. He was initially treated at the THQ Hospital in Nakyal and later referred to the DHQ Hospital in Kotli, where he succumbe... -
Dawn - 02:35 May 13, 2025
• Offers trade boost if both nations continue to engage in dialogue • Modi warns New Delhi will not tolerate ‘nuclear blackmail’ • Khawaja Asif says future talks to focus on Kashmir, terrorism and water • Asserts any attempt to deprive Pakistan of its water rights will never be allowed WASHINGTON: Amid easing tensions following a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, President Donald Trump has claimed that US intervention prevented a “bad nuclear war” between the two nations, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address to the nation asserted that New Delhi would not tolerate “nuclear blackmail” in the event of further conflict with Islamabad. Trump’s comments, made during a press interaction at the White House, signal a rare moment of US diplomatic mediation between the two South Asian nuclear powers and suggest a broader American strategy that ties peace to economic engagement. “We stopped a nuclear conflict. I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions of people could have been k... -
Dawn - 02:30 May 13, 2025
• DGMOs from both sides hold ‘initial round’ of talks to reinforce truce • Dar says second round to follow within two days • COAS calls conflict ‘defining chapter in the country’s military history’ as ISPR rejects reports of ceasefire breach ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Indian senior military officials on Monday agreed to uphold the ceasefire reached last week and reduce troop deployments along the international border, following days of hostilities between the two countries that had raised fears of a wider conflict. The directors general of military operations (DGMOs) from both countries held a scheduled conversation at 4:30pm that lasted about 45 minutes. The discussion was originally scheduled for noon, but was postponed till afternoon — the delay was attributed by some sources to a difference over the agenda of the meeting. The two officers — Pakistan’s Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah and India’s Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai — discussed measures to reinforce their mutual commitment not to fire or engage in any aggressive or... -
Dawn - 18:49 May 12, 2025
The recent military escalation with arch-rival India won’t have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan and can be managed within the current fiscal space, with no need for a new economic assessment, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in an interview with Reuters on Monday. Trade talks with the United States — which had played a key role mediating a ceasefire between the two countries — would likely have progressed in “short order” and that Pakistan could import more high-quality cotton, more soy beans and was also exploring other asset classes, including hydrocarbons, Aurangzeb said in the online interview. Regarding the conflict, Aurangzeb described it as a “short duration escalation” with minimal fiscal impact, stating it can be “accommodated within the fiscal space which is available to the government of Pakistan”. When questioned about potential increased military spending in the upcoming budget, Aurangzeb deferred comment, saying it was premature to discuss specific plans. However, he said: “Whatever we... -
Dawn - 18:00 May 12, 2025
Pakistan’s Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Kashif Abdullah and his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai on Monday held the first round of talks via hotline after the recent ceasefire between the two countries in the wake of a military conflict. Saturday’s ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, followed four days of intense exchanges of fire as the nuclear-armed neighbours targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians. Confirming the talks to Dawn.com, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the next round would take place in the next 48 hours. A ceasefire till then, he said, was “quite standard”. State media outlets Radio Pakistan and PTV News confirmed the talks as well. Reuters also reported that the Indian army confirmed that the DGMOs spoke by phone today. “Issues related to continuing the commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive and inimical action against ... -
Dawn - 17:16 May 12, 2025
Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs went on trial on sex trafficking charges on Monday, with prosecutors saying the Bad Boy Records founder lured women into romantic relationships, forced them to take part in days of drug-fuelled sex parties and then blackmailed them with videos he recorded of the encounters. Combs “viciously attacked” women when they resisted taking part in the parties, known as ‘freak offs’ or otherwise upset him, prosecutor Emily Johnson said during her opening statement in Manhattan federal court. She told jurors they would hear testimony from victims who said Combs, 55, routinely beat them and exploded with rage at the smallest slights. The case has drawn intense media coverage because of Combs’ fame. “They will tell you about some of the most painful experiences of their lives. The days they spent in hotel rooms, high on drugs, dressed in costumes to perform the defendant’s sexual fantasies,” Johnson said. Defence lawyer Teny Geragos countered that prosecutors were trying to twist Combs’ r... -
Dawn - 16:01 May 12, 2025
British police are investigating an overnight fire at a house belonging to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in north London in which nobody was hurt. “The prime minister thanks the emergency services for their work. The incident is subject to a live investigation and we will therefore not be commenting further,” a spokesperson for Starmer’s Downing Street office said. Police said in a statement, without mentioning the British leader, that they were called to reports of a fire at around 01:35 local time (0035 GMT). “Officers attended the scene. Damage was caused to the property’s entrance, [and] nobody was hurt,” London’s Metropolitan Police said. “The fire is being investigated and cordons remain in place while enquiries continue.” The London Fire Brigade said it attended a “small fire”. Starmer, who has a home in north London, has lived at his Downing Street office and residence since becoming prime minister last July. -
Dawn - 14:07 May 12, 2025
Drones, Rafales, JF-17s, and scathing rebukes — India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, witnessed one of their biggest escalations last week. While the neighbours are not new to conflict, this time, the breakdown in their relations was different, given the frequency and intensity of the aggression. It began with the horrific killing of 26 tourists at a hill station in the Indian-occupied Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, an accusation the latter denies. Islamabad has since called for an international independent probe into the massacre. However, on the night of May 6-7, New Delhi took things a step forward and launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took American intervention for both sides to finally drop their guns. On Saturday, when tensions between the two countries peaked, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan. However... -
Dawn - 13:18 May 12, 2025
A man and his son were among three killed when a dumper truck collided with their vehicle on Sunday evening on the Main Northern Bypass in Karachi. In recent months, Karachi witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. Surjani Town Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammed Ali Shah told Dawn.com that three persons were traveling in a car when a “speeding” dumper struck them on the Northern Bypass near Hamdard University. “The police rushed to the scene after receiving information of the accident. Police found the car crushed beneath the dumper while the three occupants were found dead on the spot,” he added. He continued that the driver managed to escape from the scene before police reached there. “However, the suspect Gul Baig was subsequently arrested.” The deceased were identified as Suleman, 60, his son Usama, 35, and Faraz Sikander, 40. The bodies were shift... -
Dawn - 12:48 May 12, 2025
Israeli officials have put a brave face on President Donald Trump bypassing them on a Middle East trip this week, but his decision to do so is the latest to sow doubt in Israel about where the United States stands in Washington’s priorities. On Sunday, a few days after announcing plans for an expanded military operation in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had been informed by the US of an agreement to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, after talks between Washington and Hamas that did not include Israel. Trump, who will be visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, also caused consternation in Israel last week by abruptly announcing the US would stop bombing Houthis in Yemen, days after a Houthi missile hit near Israel’s main airport. “The message to the region was clear: Israel is no longer a top US priority,” wrote Itamar Eichner, diplomatic correspondent for Israeli news outlets Ynet, echoing media commentators across the political spectrum. One Israeli... -
Dawn - 12:33 May 12, 2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Monday to “finally take back control” of Britain’s borders as his government unveiled policies designed to reduce legal immigration and fend off rising support for the hard right. Labour leader Starmer announced he was ending an “experiment in open borders” that saw net migration rise to nearly one million people under the previous Conservative government, which lost last year’s general election. The government’s Immigration White Paper policy document includes plans to cut overseas [care workers][2] and increase from five to 10 years the length of time people will have to live in UK before qualifying for settlement and citizenship. English language rules will also be strengthened, with all adult dependents required to demonstrate a basic understanding, while the length of time students can stay in the UK after completing their studies will be reduced. Starmer said the policies would “finally take back control of our borders”, recalling the pro-Brexit slogan used at the... -
Dawn - 12:17 May 12, 2025
Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina masterminded a deadly crackdown on mass protests that prompted her ouster last year, prosecutors at a domestic war crimes tribunal said on Monday. Up to 1,400 people died in July 2024 when Hasina’s government launched a brutal campaign to silence the opposition, according to the United Nations. Hasina lives in self-imposed exile in India, where she fled by helicopter, and has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka over charges of crimes against humanity. “The investigation team has found Sheikh Hasina culpable in at least five charges,” Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor at Bangladesh’s domestic International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), told reporters. “They have brought charges of abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising.” Tajul Islam said the prosecution had submitted its first report to be presented at the court set to try Hasina and two of her aides — former home minister Asaduzzaman... -
Dawn - 12:12 May 12, 2025
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Monday its dissolution and the end of more than four decades of armed struggle against the Turkish state, the pro-Kurd ANF news agency reported. “The 12th PKK Congress has decided to dissolve the PKK’s organisational structure and end its method of armed struggle,” the group announced in a statement after holding its congress last week. The PKK’s announcement to dissolve itself heeds a call by its founder Abdullah Ocalan, jailed on an island off Istanbul since 1999, who urged his fighters in February to disarm and disband. In a letter, Ocalan urged the PKK to hold a congress to formalise the decision. Days later, the PKK’s leadership accepted Ocalan’s call, declaring a ceasefire. In a speech on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that news about a dissolution could come at any moment, adding that his government was determined to “save our country from the scourge of terrorism”. “We are advancing with firm steps on the path to the goal of a terror-fre... -
Dawn - 11:22 May 12, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) gained a record nine per cent on Monday — the restored calm in the market mirroring that in the region after the recent Pakistan-India ceasefire that boosted investor mood. Saturday’s ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, followed four days of tit-for-tat strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbours, as well as diplomacy and pressure from Washington. The KSE-100 index opened with a gain of 9,929.48 points, or 9.26pc, to stand at 117,104.11 points from the previous close of 107,174.63 at 9:30am. Due to the massive gains, the PSX was suspended for an hour after opening to control excessive volatility. Later in the day, the benchmark index reached as many as 117,327.78 points — 10,153.15 points (9.47pc) higher than yesterday’s close, at 3:15pm. This marked the highest intraday gain (points-wise) — more than double the 4,700 points surge in November 2024. Finally, the KSE-100 closed at 117,297.73 points, with a gain of 10,123.10 points (9.45pc) compared to the previo... -
Dawn - 09:59 May 12, 2025
The workers of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vandalised Karachi Bakery in India’s Hyderabad over its name on Saturday, prior to the ceasefire announcement between the two neighbouring countries amid heightened tensions, Indian media outlet The Wire reported. The vandals wore saffron shawls, stepped on Pakistani flags and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans, The Wire said, adding that there was footage of them striking the bakery’s sign with sticks, to target the word ‘Karachi’. The escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours began following the April 22 attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. India, without investigation or evidence, implied “cross-border linkages” of the attackers. Pakistan firmly rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe. Following the allegations, India launched a series of drone strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then launched missiles at each other, which stretched over the week befo... -
Dawn - 09:48 May 12, 2025
The United States and China announced on Monday an agreement to drastically reduce tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, de-escalating a trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised fears of a global economic downturn. After their first talks since US President Donald Trump launched his trade war, the world’s two biggest economies agreed in a joint statement to bring their triple-digit tariffs down to two figures and continue negotiations. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the weekend talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and international trade representative Li Chenggang as “productive” and “robust”. “Both sides showed a great respect,” Bessent told reporters. US President Donald Trump had imposed duties of 145 per cent on imports for China last month — compared to 10pc for other countries in the global tariff blitz he launched last month. Beijing hit back with duties of 125pc on US goods. Bessent said the two sides agreed to reduce those tariffs by 115pc, taking US tariffs to 30pc and ... -
Dawn - 08:24 May 12, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government only managed to spend around 41 per cent of the development funds allocated for the fiscal year despite the passage of 10 months, the planning ministry has said. The development spending stood at Rs448.6bn in the first 10 months (July-April) of fiscal year 2025, accounting for less than 41pc of Rs1.1 trillion revised budget allocation for the whole year. The lack of spending suggests a large part of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) — revised down from Rs1.4tr to Rs1.1tr — would remain unspent at the end of the fiscal year in June. The ministry’s monthly data released on Sunday showed funds given to parliamentarians were the only exception to the otherwise paltry spending. Finance ministry pushes back date to surrender unspent funds by a month The utilisation of funds at Rs35bn was even higher than the first revised allocation of Rs25bn for the current year. A mechanism devised by the finance ministry for the current fiscal year dictated the government should release 15p... -
Dawn - 07:39 May 12, 2025
Indian batsman Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, bringing down the curtain on a sparkling career in the longest format just days after captain Rohit Sharma did the same. Kohli, who made his debut in 2011 and scored 30 centuries and 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 over 123 tests, is expected to remain available for one-day internationals. The 36-year-old quit Twenty20 Internationals immediately after India won their second 20-overs World Cup trophy in the West Indies last year. “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on,” Kohli posted on Instagram. “It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life.” “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.” View this post on Instagram In a post on X, the Indian Cricket Board, BCCI, announced the farewell of the fo...
5467 items