Dawn
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Dawn - 06:38 Jun 09, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is expected to present the Finance Bill 2025-26 in the National Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday). Much has been said in the lead-up to the big day; the finance minister has pledged to introduce “bold measures” to steer the national economy in a strategic direction, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stressed the need for tight expenditure controls to ensure sustainable debt servicing. Meanwhile, the government has decided to cut allocations for almost all sectors, barring a rise in road building schemes and no changes to parliamentarians’ schemes. While all this chatter continues, Dawn.com reached out to former finance ministers, Asad Umar and Miftah Ismail, for their input on what the government should be prioritising in the next fiscal year. Here’s what they had to say. Asad Umar — Finance Minister [Aug 2018 - April 2019] During the last 10 years, the fiscal deficit has averaged more than 6 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). These heavy deficits running... -
Dawn - 04:27 Jun 09, 2025
No one was killed, but several people were injured and taken to hospital on Sunday when a skydiving plane carrying 20 passengers and crew crashed in the US state of Tennessee, authorities said. A twin-engine plane used for skydiving expeditions crashed shortly after midday in Tullahoma, south of Nashville, according to local and federal officials. “There were no casualties,” city spokesman Lyle Russell said in a statement sent to AFP. He said a total of 20 passengers and crew were onboard the DeHaviland DH-6 Twin Otter when it crashed at the Tullahoma Regional Airport at around 12:30pm (10:30pm PKT). “Three were sent for medical treatment via helicopter and one sent by ground transport for more serious injuries to local hospitals,” he said, adding that “other minor injuries were treated by first responders on scene”. Russell said that “no ground facilities or airport facilities were damaged and there were no injuries reported from the ground”. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the ... -
Dawn - 01:33 Jun 09, 2025
Israeli forces have boarded a charity vessel attempting to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said early on Monday. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian FFC, had departed from Sicily on June 6 and had hoped to reach Gaza later in the day, when the interception occurred, the group said on its Telegram account. Among those on board the boat are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Shortly before the FFC statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a video on X showing the Israeli Navy communicating with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to change course. “The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade,” a soldier said. “If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you are able to do so through the (Israeli) port of Ashdod.” The orga... -
Dawn - 19:21 Jun 08, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday. Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors. Alcaraz pulled off his first-ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4 hours and 42 minutes. Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation. Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown afte... -
Dawn - 18:45 Jun 08, 2025
A fire that broke out at a factory in Landhi on Sunday is still burning and five people have been injured in the blaze, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Khan told Dawn.com that the fire, which erupted in a factory in the export processing zone in Landhi, caused part of a factory building to collapse, leaving five people injured. “The injured include 45-year-old Aslam, 30-year-old Hamza, 20-year-old Ayaz, 43-year-old Sajid Mahmood and 53-year-old Mohsin,” Khan said. “They have been transported to Civil Hospital.” Earlier, Khan told Dawn.com that the fire broke out at 4:31am, meaning that it has been burning for at least 17 hours. Speaking to Dawn.com earlier today, Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh, chief operating officer at Rescue 1122 Sindh, said that the fire broke out early on Sunday morning, spreading rapidly and engulfing two other factories due to the presence of combustible material. He said, “As soon as the information was received, the Fire and Rescue team of Rescue 1122... -
Dawn - 17:01 Jun 08, 2025
United States National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles early on Sunday after being deployed by President Donald Trump, a rare deployment against the state governor’s wishes after sometimes violent protests against immigration enforcement raids. Trump took federal control of California’s state military to push soldiers into the country’s second-biggest city, an extraordinary move not seen for decades and deemed “purposefully inflammatory” by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Helmeted troops carrying automatic weapons and with camouflaged vehicles could be seen in the Compton neighbourhood of the California city early Sunday, ahead of more protests, including a call by organisers for a “mass mobilisation” at City Hall at 2pm local time (2100 GMT). The development came after two days of confrontations during which federal agents fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas toward crowds angry at the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population. Republicans lined up behind Trump on ... -
Dawn - 15:39 Jun 08, 2025
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday approved the parliamentary schedule for the upcoming federal budget session, with its presentation slated for June 10 and a parliamentary session discussing it scheduled for June 13, according to a statement from the NA Secretariat. As announced by Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad, the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 will be presented on June 10, while the Pakistan Economic Survey will be released a day earlier. According to today’s statement, Sadiq approved the NA’s schedule for the budget, which will be presented in the lower house on June 10. “There will not be any sessions in the National Assembly on June 11 and 12,” Sadiq was quoted as saying. “The discussion on the federal budget will begin in the National Assembly on June 13 [and] parliamentary parties present … will be given time for discussion as per the rules and regulations,” he added. According to the statement, debates on the federal budget will continue until June 2... -
Dawn - 15:28 Jun 08, 2025
Ayaz Sadiq expresses gratitude to Saudi crown prince for supporting Pakistan during ‘difficult time’
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and expressed Pakistan’s gratitude for the kingdom’s support during “a difficult time”, a statement from the NA Secretariat read. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a two-day state visit to the kingdom and performed Umrah on the night of Thursday and Friday, offering prayers for the country’s success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the government said on its X account. During his visit, the prime minister “expressed appreciation for the kingdom’s proactive role during recent tensions between Pakistan and India, and its steadfast commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond”, according to a statement from the PM’s office. According to the statement issued today, the Saudi crown prince expressed his commitment to addressing issues that affect the Islamic world when he met with NA Speaker Sadiq, who expressed gratitude for the kingdom’s support for... -
Dawn - 13:59 Jun 08, 2025
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday conveyed his wishes to implement key decisions to boost bilateral ties with Pakistan, particularly in the field of trade, state broadcater PTV News reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Turkiye for two days last month and expressed gratitude to Erdogan for Turkiye’s support during a brief military confrontation with India. According to PTV News, a delegation-level meeting between the two nations was “warm and most cordial” and both nations “reaffirmed the deep-rooted, historic, and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, anchored in shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for progress and prosperity”. PTV News reported that the Turkish president made his remarks during a phone call with PM Shehbaz, where both leaders exchanged Eidul Azha greetings. “While recalling their recent meetings in Istanbul and Lachin, the prime minister thanked President Erdogan once again for Turkiye’s strong and unwavering support to Pakistan during the rece... -
Dawn - 13:25 Jun 08, 2025
Pakistan has called for “intervention” from global powers in resolving key issues with India amid ongoing tensions, members of a high-level delegation presenting Islamabad’s stance said on Sunday after landing in London. Earlier this month, Pakistan launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent conflict with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence there. As part of its global outreach, the team has arrived in London and will also visit Brussels. The delegation comprises former foreign ministers Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Hina Rabbani Khar and Khurram Dastgir; Senators Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Faisal Subzwari and Bushra Anjum Butt; along with senior envoys Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua. “The resistance we faced is that the Americans think that since [US] President [Donald] Trump has mediated the ceasefire, there is no need for further intervention. This was exactly our mission: to make them understand that intervention is n... -
Dawn - 13:03 Jun 08, 2025
Sensitive Israeli documents obtained by Tehran should be unveiled soon, Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib told state TV on Sunday, describing them as a “treasure trove” which will strengthen Iran’s offensive capabilities. Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Iranian intelligence agencies had obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents. Khatib said these were related to Israel’s nuclear facilities and its relations with the United States, Europe and other countries, and to its defensive capabilities. There was no immediate official comment from Israel. It was not clear whether the information breach was linked to a reported hacking of an Israeli nuclear research centre last year, which Tehran is only disclosing now amid heightened tensions over its nuclear programme. “The transfer of this treasure trove was time-consuming and required security measures. Naturally, the transfer methods will remain confidential but the documents should be unveiled soon,” Khatib said, adding that in terms ... -
Dawn - 11:43 Jun 08, 2025
Pope Leo criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements on Sunday, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first pope from the United States, asked during a Mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter’s Square that God would “open borders, break down walls [and] dispel hatred”. “There is no room for prejudice, for ‘security’ zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,” said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about him and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new pope’s ownership of the X account, which had the handle ‘drprevost’ and was deactivated after Leo’s ele... -
Dawn - 10:42 Jun 08, 2025
A search operation was launched on Sunday after two girls fell from a makeshift bridge over the Gwaldai River in the Shahi Banda area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Dir district and went missing, police said. Zaman Shah, a sub-divisional police officer, told Dawn.com that two young girls — namely 15-year-old Samira Bibi and 12-year-old Javeria Bibi — were crossing the Gwaldai river when they fell into it and were feared to have drowned. The official said the incident occurred within the limits of Shahi Doba’s Patrak police station, adding that the flow of water had increased recently due to glaciers melting. Shah said that the search continues for the bodies in the river as the Rescue 1122 and locals have not succeeded yet, adding that he is present at the spot along with other officials to monitor the operation. Pakistan is home to over 13,032 glaciers spanning the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and the Himalayan mountain ranges, making its northern region the largest reservoir of glaciers outside of the Polar Regions... -
Dawn - 08:55 Jun 08, 2025
An Indian state riven by ethnic tensions imposed an internet shutdown and curfew after protesters clashed with security forces over the arrest of some members of a radical group, police said on Sunday. Manipur in India’s northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than two years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community that have killed more than 250 people. The latest violence was triggered on Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members, including a commander, of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group. Incensed mobs demanding their release stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of the state capital Imphal. Manipur police announced a curfew in five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, due to the “developing law and order situation”. “Prohibitory orders have been issued by District Magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the orders,” the police said in a statement. Arambai Tenggol, which is ... -
Dawn - 06:51 Jun 08, 2025
Here’s some bad news for those who believe that the tendency in an increasing number of people to believe in lies can be mitigated if information is shaped and shared in a more responsible and mindful manner. According to the anthropologist Marcel Danesi, once people begin to believe in lies, they are unlikely to change their minds even when confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. Danesi wrote, “They turn the contrasting information on its head, so as to make it fit their beliefs.” Research in this regard shows that, once a lie is accepted, the brain becomes more susceptible to subsequent lying. So, does this mean one should be resigned to the fact that we will always be surrounded by folk who are only willing to believe what they want to believe? I’m afraid so. Supporters of the jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan continue to exchange ‘information’ about his release. They’ve been at it for over two years now. They keep exchanging dates of his ‘triumphant’ release, which never ... -
Dawn - 06:47 Jun 08, 2025
Shayan* and his wife Aliya* spent the last couple of months preparing their travel plans, which included a potential Haj trip after a visit back home to their families in Pakistan. At least, this was the plan up until the end of March. Shayan, a PhD student in the US who lives with his wife and daughter, found himself concerned about his travel plans when the Trump administration started revoking student visas. While Shayan has been in the US since the first Trump administration took office, Aliya only joined him two years ago, with their daughter. Aliya reveals that when Trump was re-elected, Shayan grew extremely anxious and she was the one who kept re-assuring him that things would be alright. That was until the Trump administration’s sudden actions against foreign students, which led to hundreds of students and recent graduates having their visas revoked. As part of the crackdown, Trump’s team has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for universities and moved to deport students, while revoki... -
Dawn - 06:01 Jun 08, 2025
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s greatest challenge at home has come from the country’s judiciary, not the opposition Democratic Party that remains leaderless and in disarray. The biggest blow to the US president’s trade policy was the ruling delivered by a federal court last month that declared illegal many tariffs he had imposed on countries across the world. Although the administration secured a temporary reprieve from an appeals court that paused the ruling, the legal battle is far from over. The appeal process has to play out and the case may even go to the US Supreme Court. Global financial markets welcomed the court order against tariffs but it leaves Trump’s trade plan hanging in the balance. Trump reacted furiously to the court of international trade’s decision calling it “wrong”, “political” and the “harshest financial ruling” ever. His officials went further, accusing judges of “judicial overreach” and an abuse of power to “usurp the authority of the president”. In fact, it was Trump who exceeded his emerg... -
Dawn - 05:37 Jun 08, 2025
Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, a potential presidential contender, was shot in Bogota on Saturday, according to the government and his party, as his wife said he was fighting for his life in hospital. The 39-year-old senator, who was shot during a campaign event as part of his run for the presidency in 2026, is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related. According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital on Saturday when “armed subjects shot him from behind. The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on Uribe’s condition. Videos on social media showed a man, identified as Uribe, being tended to after the shooting. He appeared to be bleeding from his head. Uribe’s wife Maria Claudia Tarazona wrote on her husband’s account on X that he was “fighting for his life”. Colombi... -
Dawn - 05:14 Jun 08, 2025
RAWALPINDI: After the police enlarged the scope of their investigation to determine the real circumstance surrounding the murder of a toddler allegedly by her 10-year-old cousin in Ratta Amral, it emerged that the suspect was mentally unstable. This was revealed by the grandmother of the juvenile suspect during police investigation. The suspect’s mother had left her husband’s house, along with her two children, including the 10-year-old boy, and started living with her parents in Ratta Amral. She had left behind her two other children with their father who was an addict. The police investigated the family members of the suspect’s father to find out the motive behind the tragic death of one-year-old Maryam whose body was found in a sewerage line in Ratta Amral late Wednesday night. Initial postmortem examination suggested that sewage had entered her lungs and brain which caused her death. The little girl was laid to rest in a local graveyard on Thursday afternoon. Maryam’s grandmother, Musarat Bibi, said a lar... -
Dawn - 04:48 Jun 08, 2025
CHAKWAL: Rizwan Abid, a dairy farmer, looked distressed as he vainly tried to make his prized bull stand up. The bull, sitting under the scorching sun, was unable to get up, as it was suffering from foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral illness wreaking havoc across Punjab for the last two months. The disease has emerged in the province just ahead of Eidul Azha, leaving buyers and sellers in a lurch. Since cattle markets across the province were not shut down to contain the disease, it has spread to many districts. “I have lost a cow and four calves due to this disease, and now my bull is fighting for his life,” Mr Abid told Dawn. His cattle pen is located on the outskirts of Chakwal, where he is rearing 13 animals, including cows and buffaloes. According to him, no government veterinarian ever visited his place for the vaccination. Ironically, the Chakwal livestock department is not even aware of the scale of the havoc that the FMD has been wreaking in Chakwal and Talagang. “Only one case has bee...
6698 items