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  • OIC demands Israel end its aggression towards Iran
    Dawn - 03:53 Jun 23, 2025
    ISTANBUL: Foreign ministers from Muslim countries on Sunday urged Israel to end its aggression towards Iran, without mentioning the US strikes on the Islamic republic’s nuclear sites. Ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “condemn firmly the aggression of Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran, stress the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”, said a statement, issued after the end of a summit in Istanbul this weekend. It made no direct reference to the US bombardment of Iran’s key nuclear facilities early on Sunday, after President Donald Trump decided to join Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme. But the OIC did denounce the “destabilisation policies of Israel in the region and its recent attacks on Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, constituting a flagrant violation of sovereignty and security of these countries and international law”. Omits mention of US strikes on nuclear facilities; Dar wants Israel held accountable, s...
  • Pakistan-backed Security Council resolution seeks immediate de-escalation
    Dawn - 03:47 Jun 23, 2025
    • Amb Iftikhar terms targeting of nuclear sites clear breach of international law • IAEA chief says such attacks may result in radioactive releases with great consequences • Guterres calls US bombing ‘perilous turn’ UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan joined China and Russia in circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and a return to diplomacy following US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The strikes, which targeted Iran’s Fordow — where uranium is enriched to 60 per cent — and two other facilities have been described as a dangerous escalation with potential global ramifications. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, told an emergency session of the Council: “Pakistan has condemned the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which come on the heels of a series of brazen attacks by Israel.” He added that specific targeting of nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) s...
  • US strikes on Iran threaten oil price spike, global market jitters
    Dawn - 03:41 Jun 23, 2025
    NEW YORK: A US attack on Iranian nuclear sites could push oil prices even higher and trigger a knee-jerk rush to safety, investors said, as they assessed how the latest escalation of tensions would ripple through the global economy. The reaction in Middle East stock markets, which trade on Sunday, suggested investors were assuming a benign outcome, even as Iran intensified its missile attacks on Israel in response to the sudden, deep US involvement in the conflict. Investors said they expected US involvement would cause a stock market selloff and a possible bid for the dollar and other safe-haven assets when major markets reopen, but also said much uncertainty remained. “I think the markets are going to be initially alarmed, and I think oil will open higher,” said Mark Spindel, chief investment officer at Potomac River Capital. Economists warn dramatic rise in oil prices may damage global economy “We don’t have any damage assessment and that will take some time. Even though (Trump) has described this as ‘done...
    Tags: Iran
  • Threshold for war in South Asia ‘dangerously low’, warns Bilawal
    Dawn - 03:30 Jun 23, 2025
    PAKISTAN and India are closer to war than ever before despite a fragile ceasefire, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned, calling the situation in the region “incredibly perilous” and the threshold for full-scale conflict “dangerously low”. Mr Bhutto-Zardari, also a former foreign minister, said that on the final day of last month’s deadly clashes, India deployed a dual-use cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, forcing Pakistan to make a split-second decision on whether it was under nuclear attack. “In that atmosphere you’ve got only a few seconds to decide looking at an image: is this missile going to be used within the nuclear connotation or not? And in those split seconds, decisions are made,” he told The Sunday Times during a visit to London. “We’ve achieved a ceasefire, but we haven’t achieved peace. And that’s problematic because following this recent conflict, we have lowered the threshold for full-blown military conflict to the lowest it has ever been, to what I believe are da...
  • Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 20
    Dawn - 18:43 Jun 22, 2025
    At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, health authorities and security sources said. It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December. Syria’s interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State. “He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest,” a ministry statement added. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up. Islamic State has been behind several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since Assad’s fall, but this was the first to succeed, another security source told Reuters. Syria’s state news agency cited the health ministry as saying that 52 people were also injured in the blast. A livestream from the site by Syria’s civil defence, the White Helme...
    Tags: Damascus
  • Fazl, others urge govt to review decision to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
    Dawn - 18:16 Jun 22, 2025
    Pakistani politicians on Sunday raised their concerns over the government’s decision to recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Iran. The government had decided to nominate Trump for the prestigious award to hail his “decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during last month’s Pak-India conflict, when both neighbours stepped back from the brink of war with US mediation. In a statement, it had highlighted that Trump “demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi”, which ultimately secured a ceasefire. However, after the US bombed Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites, with Trump saying they were “totally obliterated”, leaders across the political spectrum joined Pakistani citizens in voicing their reservations. Veteran politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), demanded that t...
  • Sarfraz Bugti condemns murder of ex-Balochistan CM’s son in Khuzdar
    Dawn - 16:33 Jun 22, 2025
    Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday condemned the murder of Mir Attaur Rehman Mengal, the son of former Balochistan chief minister Naseer Mengal, in an armed clash when gunmen opened fire in district Khuzdar’s Wadh. Atta Mengal was the brother of Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal, a prominent tribal leader and head of the Jhalawan Awami Panel, a political party. Dawn.com has reached out to the police for a comment on the alleged murder. Bugti condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack” and expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the killing of the younger Mengal. “He prayed for the bereaved family and expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured grandson,” a statement from his office read. Bugti assured that the provincial government will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and vowed that the terrorists will be brought to justice. “The people and government of Balochistan stand in solidarity against terrorism,” he added. Atta Mengal was killed while his son M...
  • Gunmen kill bride at France wedding party
    Dawn - 16:25 Jun 22, 2025
    Armed men opened fire at a wedding party in southeastern France early Sunday, killing the bride, said a source close to the investigation. The attack in the village of Goult occurred around 0230 GMT (07:30am PKT). According to initial information, the bride and groom were leaving the party when they were confronted by masked assailants who opened fire, the source close to the investigation added. The bride died. One of the attackers was also killed, run over by the bride and groom’s car as they tried to escape. A large-scale operation involving around 100 police has been launched to find those responsible for the shooting, according to the source. All lines of inquiry are being pursued, including a possible settling of scores.
    Tags: France
  • Pakistan reclaims strategic space in Washington
    Dawn - 15:48 Jun 22, 2025
    WASHINGTON: As Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir concluded his four-day visit to the United States on Friday, the diplomatic choreography surrounding the trip offered fresh clues to a quiet realignment in US-Pakistan relations — and signaled Washington’s interest in assigning Islamabad a new regional role. The Trump administration, which welcomed Field Marshal Munir with uncharacteristic warmth, appears to want Pakistan to act as a potential peacemaker in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. President Trump hinted at this during a White House luncheon, saying Pakistanis “know Iran better than most” and noting they were “not bad with Israel” either. The COAS’ next stop — Turkiye — added weight to this emerging role. He flew directly from Washington to attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference on the Iran-Israel crisis, underscoring Pakistan’s willingness to be seen as a regional stabiliser. Diplomatic sources in Washington say that while Pakistan is expected to engage Iran, ...
  • Turkish court arrests prominent journalist for allegedly threatening Erdogan: report
    Dawn - 15:45 Jun 22, 2025
    A Turkish court arrested prominent independent journalist Fatih Altayli over comments on his social media allegedly threatening President Tayyip Erdogan, broadcaster NTV and others reported on Sunday. Altayli, who has more than 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, was detained on Saturday over comments in a video he posted on Friday in which he addressed a poll showing most Turks opposed Erdogan’s ruling for life. Altayli referenced Ottoman rulers, saying Turks had “killed” or “drowned” some they no longer wanted in power. Prosecutors in Istanbul later said the remarks “contained threats” against the president and launched an investigation. NTV said that in his defence to the court, Altayli denied threatening Erdogan, quoting him as saying that his remarks were taken out of context and made to appear like threats, even though they were simply part of rhetorical historical discussions. The development comes amid a series of detentions of opposition figures in recent months, including the arrest of Istanbul Mayor E...
  • Operation Midnight Hammer: Pentagon details ‘largest B-2 operational strike in US history’
    Dawn - 15:11 Jun 22, 2025
     A graphic released by the Pentagon shows the flight path and timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer, the US operation to strike nuclear sites in Iran on June 21. — Defence Department via CBS US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on Sunday delivered a press briefing, providing details of the air strikes and bombing raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. US President Donald Trump said US air strikes on Sunday “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. The US operation, called Midnight Hammer, was described by Gen Caine as the “largest B-2 operational strike in US history”, which inflicted “extremely severe damage and destruction” to the targets, US outlet CBS News reported. “This was a highly classified mission with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of this plan,” Gen Caine said, adding that seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flew east from their base in Missouri to participate in the mission in Iran. “At midnight, Friday into Saturday, a large B-2 strike package, comprised of bombers, launched from the continental United Sta...
  • ‘Trailblazer’ and former England fast bowler David Lawrence dies at 61
    Dawn - 14:56 Jun 22, 2025
    Former England fast bowler David “Syd” Lawrence has died at the age of 61 after a year-long battle with motor neurone disease (MND), his family said on Sunday. Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer to represent England, was diagnosed last year with MND, a degenerative condition that causes muscle wastage and affects the brain and nerves. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE (King’s Birthday Honours) following his brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease,” Lawrence’s family said. “Syd was an inspirational figure on and off the cricket field… A proud Gloucestershire man, Syd took on every challenge with everything he could and his final contest with MND was no different. “His willingness to encourage and think of others right up to the end was typical of the man he was. As President of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Syd took on the role with incredible pride and passion and loved every minute of it.” Lawrence, who earned five test caps for England, made 280...
    Tags: England
  • Trump says Iran’s key nuclear facilities ‘obliterated’ by US airstrikes
    Dawn - 14:43 Jun 22, 2025
    US President Donald Trump said US air strikes on Sunday “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites, as Washington joined Israel’s war with Tehran in a flashpoint moment for the Middle East. Condemning the US attacks as a violation of international law, Iran said it was “resolved to defend Iran’s territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force”. It also responded with a volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people in Tel Aviv. Key developments: US strikes Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites Pentagon chief says US operation not aimed at regime change Top US general details weapons used in “Operation Midnight Hammer” Iran warns of ‘everlasting consequences’, says US betrayed diplomacy Pakistan condemns attacks, voices support for Tehran’s right to defend Democrats criticise decision ‘without Congress approval’ The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Iran since Israel first struck Iran on June 13, repeating his insistence that it could never have a nuclear weap...
    Tags: Iran
  • 4 drown, 1 missing as boat capsizes in Swat
    Dawn - 14:22 Jun 22, 2025
    Two women and as many children drowned while another child remained missing after a boat carrying tourists capsized in the Shahi Bagh lake in Kalam area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat, rescue officials said on Sunday. Rescue 1122 North Region Spokesperson Shafiqa Gul told Dawn.com that the boat capsized yesterday evening due to strong winds and rain in the tourist attraction of Shahi Bagh lake. “The bodies of the two women were retrieved from the lake and transported to the Kalam hospital,” the spokesperson said earlier today. Later, Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi said the bodies of two children were recovered from the lake. “Efforts to locate a third missing child are still underway,” he said. The bodies of the two children — aged three and five — were taken to Matta and onwards to Sakhakot, Faizi added. Five others had been rescued earlier and were in “stable condition”, according to Gul. “They have been taken to Mata hospital and are undergoing treatment.” Gul had said the rescue operation to retrieve ...
    Tags: SWAT
  • Did Trump have the authority to strike Iran?
    Dawn - 12:55 Jun 22, 2025
    US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, DC on June 21. — ReutersThe US entered Israel’s war with Iran late on Saturday when president Donald Trump authorised strikes against Iran targeting three nuclear facilities, which he called a “spectacular military success”. The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Tehran since Israel first struck Iran on June 13, repeating his insistence that it could never have a nuclear weapon. Tehran has consistently denied the claim, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes. Israel had launched wide-scale air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences, killing top commanders, scientists and hundreds others. Both countries have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since then. Critics, analysts and key US lawmakers have debated the legality of Trump’s decision to strike Iran without prior approval from Congress. US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Defence Secretar...
    Tags: Iran
  • India arrests two for ‘harbouring Pahalgam attackers’
    Dawn - 11:22 Jun 22, 2025
    India’s counter-terrorism agency said on Sunday it has arrested two men in Indian-Occupied Kashmir for allegedly harbouring gunmen behind a deadly attack on civilians that sparked a days-long conflict between the two countries. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed the two suspects were from the Pahalgam area, where gunmen killed 26 people two months ago. “The two men had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had… selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity,” a statement by NIA said. The agency identified the two men as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, claiming the duo “have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack”. New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the attack without making public any evidence — an allegation that Islamabad denies. The April 22 killings triggered a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures by the nuclear-armed countries and led to intense exchanges of missile, dron...
  • Protests erupt against power outages in KP amid heat wave
    Dawn - 11:15 Jun 22, 2025
    PESHAWAR: As the heat wave persists, different localities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are experiencing prolonged power outages daily. In Peshawar, the power consumers, including women on Saturday held protest meetings in different areas against the power outages and demanded smooth power supply to their areas. The main Charsadda road remained blocked for some time, which also affected the traffic flow. The protesters said the situation was even worse in rural areas, where sixteen to twenty hours of power outages have become order of the day. “It is very difficult to spend even an hour without electricity in such extreme heat,” one Mushtaq Khan of Bakhshipul said. Criticising the Peshawar Electric Supply company (Pesco), he said whenever complaints were logged with the relevant authorities; they stated due to power theft, the area has been marked as a high-loss zone. “But since we pay our bills regularly, why are we being deprived of electricity?” he questioned, urging Pesco to avoid power outages in their areas. Li...
  • World leaders react to US attack on Iran
    Dawn - 10:02 Jun 22, 2025
    The reaction of world leaders after US forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday ranged from Israel lauding President Donald Trump’s decision to the UN calling for de-escalation and Iran and some other nations condemning the attacks. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump, calling Washington’s move a “bold decision”. In a video message, he said, “Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history… History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons.” Iran’s Abbas Araghchi calls US strikes a ‘grave violation of UN charter’ “The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Iran’s...
    Tags: Iran
  • Power Division instructs Discos to take steps to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in Muharram
    Dawn - 09:25 Jun 22, 2025
    The Power Division on Sunday instructed power distribution companies (Discos) to take measures to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in the month of Muharram keeping the heat waves in view, according to a press release by the department. Muharram is a month of mourning, observed in particular by Shia Muslims worldwide. It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, where amongst many, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Imam Husain, was martyred, and other family members were martyred or subjected to humiliation. On Saturday, the Punjab government imposed Section 144 across the province from Muharram 1 to 10 to ensure peace and religious harmony. Federal Power Minister Awais Leghari, in a letter addressed to the officials of Discos, said, “Since the holy month of Muharram is falling in the month of July and heat waves are expected. “It is very much imperative that all necessary measures are taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to facilitate religious gatherings and avoid a...
  • Punjab to plant 42m trees, says CM Maryam
    Dawn - 08:34 Jun 22, 2025
    LAHORE: The Punjab government will plant 42 million trees on 50,869 acres under the CM Plant for Pakistan Initiative. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Saturday that large-scale tree plantation and environmental projects were being launched under the Punjab Green Programme. She said around 1.375 million trees were being planted on 3,790 acres of forest wasteland under the Agroforestry Initiative. She said the scope of the Green Pakistan Programme had been expanded to plant 466.4 million more trees on 251,000 acres. Plantation of 5m trees in rows on 10,223 avenue miles along canals of Punjab had been initiated, she added. She said the provision of world-class facilities for promotion of eco-tourism at the Lal Suhanra National Park and Salt Range were being ensured. She said wireless network, digital cameras, GPS devices and CCTV cameras were being provided for eco-tourism. She said, “Construction of an eco-friendly LEED certified multi-storey building has been started to establish a protected nature area and...
    Tags: Punjab

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