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Dawn - 19:24 Aug 18, 2025
The provincial government on Monday released Rs800 million in relief funds for all affected districts, with an additional Rs 500m specifically for worst-hit Buner, as flash floods continue to ravage Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the death toll at 341. The recent catastrophic floods in KP have claimed at least 341 lives as of data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Monday at 7pm and injured 178 people. Meanwhile, data from the National Disaster Management Authority showed the nationwide toll from rain-related incidents since late-June rose to 660 deaths and 935 injured. The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday announced Rs800m in relief funds to the administrations of affected districts on the instructions of the provincial government. A separate relief fund of Rs500m has been earmarked for Buner district, which accounts for the majority of casualties with 222 deaths and 120 injuries, according to a PDMA report released today. Buner was followed by Shangla, with 36 death... -
Dawn - 19:01 Aug 18, 2025
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will officially launch its latest payment and settlement system, named Prism Plus, on Tuesday. A statement issued on Monday by the central bank said Prism Plus is built on the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard, which supports structured and data-rich financial communication, enabling enhanced transparency, interoperability, and automation across the payment and settlement ecosystem. The system includes new features for liquidity management, transaction queuing and prioritisation, and scheduling of future-dated payments. Prism Plus will make Pakistan’s financial system faster, safer and more modern, according to the SBP. It said efficient money transfer, better liquidity management of securities transactions and minimal risks in the system would be achieved with the introduction of Prism Plus. The statement added that the launch event will be chaired by State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed and will be attended by senior SBP officials, representatives of financial institutions ... -
Dawn - 18:30 Aug 18, 2025
The 28-year-old son of Norway’s crown princess has been charged with raping four women and several acts of violence, and risks up to 10 years in prison, a prosecutor said on Monday. Marius Borg Hoiby, who was born out of a relationship before Crown Princess Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon, has been under investigation since his arrest on August 4 last year on suspicion of assaulting a girlfriend. He is accused of raping four women while they were sleeping. In at least three of the cases, he met the women the same day and had consensual sex before the alleged rapes, public prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo told reporters. Hoiby is also charged with filming their genitals without their knowledge. State Attorney Sturla Henriksbo addresses the press to report on the decision on the indictment of Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, in Oslo, Norway, August 18. — AFP Henriksbo said investigators had video clips and photographs as evidence. The four rapes allegedly took place in 2018, 20... -
Dawn - 18:24 Aug 18, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that if his meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky went well, he expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin with the goal of ending the Ukraine-Russia war. Trump is pushing Ukraine to make major concessions following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, saying Kyiv must give up Crimea and abandon its Nato ambitions. Those are two of Moscow’s top demands. But Zelensky, who huddled with the Europeans before they all went to the White House to meet Trump, urged Trump to bring “peace through strength” against Russia and stressed the need for United States security guarantees. “We’re going to have a meeting. I think if everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilat (trilateral summit) and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” said Trump, sitting alongside Zelensky at the White House. “I just spoke to President Putin indirectly and we’re goin... -
Dawn - 17:44 Aug 18, 2025
Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, a senior member of the group said on Monday, after a fresh diplomatic push to end more than 22 months of fighting. Israel has been facing growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by its offensive since October 2023, with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and experts already declaring its actions in Gaza as a “genocide”, which Tel Aviv rejects. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, have struggled to secure a lasting truce in the conflict, which has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. But after receiving a new proposal from mediators, Hamas said it was ready for talks. “The movement has submitted its response, agreeing to the mediators’ new proposal. We pray to God to extinguish the fire of this war on our people,” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said on Facebook. A general view shows the destroyed Rashad al-Shawa cultural centre in Gaza City on August 18. — AFP Earlier, a Ham... -
Dawn - 17:36 Aug 18, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said that the country was “running well” and experiencing stability and economic improvement, adding that there was no need for a 27th Constitutional Amendment. Even though the 26th Amendment remains mired in controversy, the power corridors in Islamabad had been abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment, which, according to insiders, would further ‘fine-tune’ the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary. Speaking to reporters in London during a visit to the United Kingdom, the deputy PM said: “We are still digesting the 26th Constitutional Amendment, so there is no need for a 27th right now. The country is running well. There is stability and economic improvement. “We are putting our full attention towards GDP growth and development. Under [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, all efforts are being made.” Dar added that under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, Pakistan was “the 2... -
Dawn - 16:06 Aug 18, 2025
United States President Donald Trump pledged on Monday to issue an executive order to end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, a move likely to spark legal challenges by the states. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots, and also, while we’re at it, highly ‘inaccurate’, very expensive and seriously controversial voting machines,” he wrote in a social media post. Trump, who has promoted the false narrative that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, won the 2020 election, has long cast doubt on the security of mail-in ballots and urged his fellow Republicans to try harder to overhaul the US voting system. Some Republican states, such as Florida, however, have embraced mail-in voting as a safe, convenient way to expand voter participation. Trump voted by mail in some previous elections and urged his supporters to do so for the 2024 presidential election. Mail-in ballots hit record highs in the US in 2020 amid the pandemic as states expanded options for ... -
Dawn - 14:49 Aug 18, 2025
One new poliovirus case was confirmed each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, bringing Pakistan’s total count this year to 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. A statement from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad’s NIH said the latest cases involve a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan in KP’s Kohistan district, and a 21-month-old girl from UC Matli-2 in Sindh’s Badin. “With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 21, including 13 from KP, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the statement noted. Polio was a highly infectious and incurable disease that could cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection against the debilitat... -
Dawn - 14:39 Aug 18, 2025
Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani said that arrangements were in place to deal with the upcoming monsoon spell as parts of Karachi received light rain on Monday. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Under the influence of approaching monsoon currents, Karachi experienced hot and humid weather on Sunday and the Meteorological Department forecast rain with thunderstorms for today in the city. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Ghani said: “There are chances of severe rains in Sindh, especially in Karachi, with chances of urban flooding … regarding that, whatever is humanely possible, which a person, government or institution can do, we have made those arrangements.” He added that instructions were given earlier as well about rain... -
Dawn - 14:03 Aug 18, 2025
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar began talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New Delhi on Monday and stressed that there could be positive momentum in ties between the neighbours only if there was peace on their border. Wang arrived in the Indian capital on Monday for a two-day visit during which he will hold the 24th round of border talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This (discussing border issues) is very important because the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas,” Jaishankar told Wang in his opening remarks. It is also important for the two countries to pull back their troops amassed along their disputed border in the western Himalayas since a deadly border clash in 2020, Jaishankar said. India’s foreign ministry said in a social media post that “important engagements of the India-China Special Representatives and on bilateral relations”... -
Dawn - 13:03 Aug 18, 2025
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Monday said India’s purchases of Russian crude were funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine and had to stop. New Delhi was “now cosying up to both Russia and China”, Navarro wrote in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times today. “If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the United States, it needs to start acting like one.” India’s Foreign Ministry has previously said the country is being unfairly singled out for buying Russian oil while the US and European Union continue to purchase goods from Russia. US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods earlier this month, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. The move will take total tariffs on imports from India to 50pc. “India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs,” Navarro wrote. The adviser also said India’s close ties with Russia and China made ... -
Dawn - 13:00 Aug 18, 2025
The rumour mill had been churning for some time now. And yet, the notion of going into the T20I Asia Cup next month without the most experienced batters in the line-up was considered too big of a gamble even for this administration that continues to be crushed under the weight of abysmal results. Moreover, the hamstring injury to Fakhar Zaman during Pakistan’s last T20I assignment in the Caribbean further fuelled the speculation. But the administration has been crystal clear in its ambitions for the T20I side. And so Aaqib Javed, one of the four selectors, flanked by head coach Mike Hesson confirmed on Sunday that for the first time in a decade, Pakistan did not intend to take Babar Azam, their highest run-scorer across all international cricket in the last 10 years, to the Asia Cup, as he announced the squad. Mohammad Rizwan was the other notable omission from the squad. Pakistan have played 14 T20Is this year and both former captains have not featured in any of them. The implosion To understand how we got t... -
Dawn - 12:11 Aug 18, 2025
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday ordered the adoption of modern Japanese technology and methodology in managing sewage and waste treatment in the province. Pakistan generates millions of tonnes of solid waste annually, but only a small fraction of sewage is treated. Inadequate sanitation in urban areas leads to recurring floods, waterborne illnesses and the resurgence of preventable diseases such as cholera, dengue and polio. The chief minister is currently on a five-day visit to Japan. A statement from her office said CM Maryam issued the order during a visit to Japan’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Yokohama today. “Japan’s modern technology and methods will be used for sewage and waste management in Punjab,” the statement quoted her as saying. The statement added that she inspected the waste treatment systems of Asahi, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Washimaku and Yodogawa. According to the statement, the chief minister was given a detailed briefing on methods of collecting garbage and wastewat... -
Dawn - 11:30 Aug 18, 2025
An Islamabad research institute is set to host Afghan leaders and women activists this week to discuss the regional peace and stability, organisers said on Monday. Pakistan and Afghanistan have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking steps to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee and upgrading diplomatic ranks. The South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi) University will organise the dialogue on August 25 and 26, according to Dr Maria Sultan, the think tank’s chairperson and director general. While both neighbouring countries have held bilateral engagements at the government level, this will be the first such Pak-Afghan dialogue since the 2021 Taliban takeover of Kabul. Some Afghan TV channels and media run by Afghan journalists in exile contended that Pakistan has invited anti-Taliban leaders. However, the Sassi University chairperson denied that the dialogue was against the Taliban or other Afghan political parties. Sultan said, “The main purpose... -
Dawn - 09:47 Aug 18, 2025
As Pakistan engages with the US on the details of a trade deal, one that includes partial tariff relief — reducing rates from 29 per cent to 19pc — and explores deeper commercial ties, including potential higher US imports and investment in key sectors, the private sector has responded with cautious optimism. The rate reduction signifies a significant reversal of the tariff hike imposed on April 2, 2025, when Washington, under its ‘reciprocal tariffs’ policy, introduced additional duties on over 60 trading partners to address trade imbalances. These tariffs ranged from 10–50pc, with Pakistan initially placed in the higher bracket, alongside other developing states. Beyond public statements by US President Trump and Pakistani leadership, detailed information about the trade deal remains scarce in the public domain. Key official sources, such as the US Department of Commerce, have yet to release details of the agreement. The existing Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, signed in 2003, probably continues t... -
Dawn - 06:15 Aug 18, 2025
SAHIWAL / NAROWAL / OKARA / DERA GHAZI KHAN: Villages near the river banks of the Sutlej, Ravi and Indus are at risk of flooding due to the increasing water levels, whereas local administrations have started taking precautionary measures in adjoining areas. The Baein and Auj drains at the river Ravi have started overflowing, and hundreds of acres of land have been submerged. Land erosion is being reported near Chak Jamil, Fatehpur, Shahpur and Chanjhora villages due to the floodwater. Water level in Ravi has risen from 12,000 cusecs to 51,400 cusecs. Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 rescued 68 people trapped in the floodwater due to flooding in the rain drain flowing into the Shakargarh tehsil. Of these, eight citizens were trapped near village Dinpur and 60 were rescued near village Sikmal. The local administration has setup 15 flood relief camps on the banks of River and its rainwater drains. Narowal Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza said that the situation on the banks of Ravi and its rain drains was under contro... -
Dawn - 06:14 Aug 18, 2025
Words popularised by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, including “skibidi”, “delulu”, and “tradwife” are among 6,000 new entries to the online edition of the Cambridge Dictionary over the last year, its publisher said on Monday. Cambridge University Press said tradwife, a portmanteau of traditional wife, reflected “a growing, controversial Instagram and TikTok trend that embraces traditional gender roles”. The dictionary also took on the challenge of defining skibidi, a word popularised in online memes, as a term which had “different meanings, such as cool or bad, or can be used with no real meaning”. The gibberish word was spread by a YouTube channel called “Skibidi Toilet” and is associated with the mindless, “brain rot” content found on social media and consumed by Gen Alpha’s overwhelmingly digital lifestyle. The dictionary defined delulu, derived from the word delusional, as “believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to”. As an example, it cited a 2025 speech in parliament where Australia... -
Dawn - 06:02 Aug 18, 2025
NAROWAL: Pakistan Railway police have registered a case against 14 unidentified youths for harassing and torturing a woman and her children aboard the Lasani Express. A complaint registered with the Lahore Pakistan Railway police, Razia Sultan, resident of Fateh Ali Colony of Narowal, said that she boarded the Lasani Express passenger train with her daughters and son to travel to Narowal from Lahore. She alleged that two boys, aged between 20 and 22, started harassing her daughters. She said that when she and her son tried to stop them from molesting her daughters, they attacked her son. She said other passengers intervened and saved her son. However, she alleged that as soon as the train stopped at the Narang Mandi railway station, around 10 to 12 boys came and attacked her and her children. She said that they punched and kicked them and they were helpless because of the sudden attack. She said that on hearing their screams, passengers in the train rescued them from the youths. An FIR was registered against ... -
Dawn - 05:13 Aug 18, 2025
• At least 323 dead, 150 missing in the province; PM orders ministers to supervise KP relief efforts • 657 lives lost nationwide since June 26; NDMA warns of more rain spells next month • Food shortages, lack of utilities take hold as parts of GB remain cut off • Flows in Punjab rivers subside to ‘low flood’ levels PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: With more than 150 people feared missing, the recent catastrophic floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have claimed at least 323 lives, provincial authorities said on Sunday, as the nationwide toll from rain-related incidents since late-June rose to 657. As another two to three waves of heavy rain are expected in early September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed members of his federal cabinet to personally supervise relief operations in the worst-hit KP province. Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Asfandyar Khattak said that as per details collected by revenue staff in the Buner and Shan... -
Dawn - 04:53 Aug 18, 2025
Air Canada’s fleet of hundreds of planes remained grounded on Monday morning after striking flight attendants refused a government-backed order to get back to work and called on the airline to return to the bargaining table. The carrier, which normally carries 130,000 people daily and is part of the global Star Alliance of airlines, had planned to start ramping up operations on Sunday evening, after a labour relations board ordered the union to return to work and start binding arbitration. The union said no, setting up an almost unprecedented standoff with the Canadian government, which had requested the back-to-work order. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 10,000 Air Canada cabin crew, had pushed for a negotiated solution, saying binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. The attendants are striking for better wages and to be paid for work on the ground, such as boarding passengers. They are currently only paid when planes are moving, sparking some vocal support from Cana...
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