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Dawn - 09:58 Jul 01, 2025
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake jolted Lahore and other parts of Punjab on Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The earthquake was recorded at 6:39am, with the epicentre 25 kilometres south-southwest of Lahore at a depth of 14 kilometres. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson, tremors were felt in Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Mureed and other districts of Punjab. There have been no immediate reports of casualties. The respective administrations are inspecting buildings across the province for any sign of damage. As per PDMA, the District Emergency Operation Centres across Punjab, including the Provincial Control Room of PDMA, have been placed on alert for the next 24 hours in case of any aftershocks. PDMA has advised people to report damages to the 1129 helpline. On June 30, another earthquake of 3.9 magnitude was recorded at 2:07pm, 35 kilometres west of Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab at a depth of seven kilometres. The same day, Balochistan recorded... -
Dawn - 09:48 Jul 01, 2025
President Donald Trump signed on Monday an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country’s isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington’s pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war. The move will allow the US to maintain sanctions on Syria’s ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, people linked to chemical weapons activities, the Islamic State and ISIS affiliates and proxies for Iran, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing. Assad was toppled in December in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Trump’s termination of the Syria sanctions programme would “open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development,” according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X. He said the move would “lift the... -
Dawn - 08:45 Jul 01, 2025
Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) has offered students to resit exams in the November session free of charge if they were affected by any of the three exam papers leaked in the recent May/June session. The CIE board, which conducts O- and A-level exams, admitted last month that parts of its question papers for examinations in June had been leaked, and that said students will be given extra marks for those questions. Just days prior to CIE’s admission of the leaks, a parliamentary panel was assured on that findings of the inquiry report over the issue of alleged paper leaks of O/A level would be shared after June 16. In a post on its Facebook page on Monday, CIE shared an update for students who sat one or more of the three affected papers in the June 2025 exam series: Cambridge International AS and A Level Mathematics Paper 12, Cambridge International AS and A Level Mathematics Paper 42, and Cambridge International AS and A Level Computer Science Paper 22. “The results for these syllabuses will be re... -
Dawn - 08:20 Jul 01, 2025
Two traffic policemen were martyred as unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Tuesday, according to police. “The traffic cops were on their way to Tajazai Adda for duty on motorcycles when they were fired at on Longkhel Road near Gulbaz Dehqan village,” read a statement by Lakki Marwat police spokesperson Shahid Hameed. “The martyrs include Israel and Sanaullah, both of whom hailed from the Longkhel [area],” it added. The police cordoned off the area and initiated an investigation. Lakki Marwat District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Jawad Ishaq specified that the four attackers were riding on two motorcycles and stole the policemen’s submachine guns. DPO Ishaq further said, “The traffic personnel were dressed in civilian clothes when they were targeted.” Lakki Marwat has seen a rise in attacks in recent months that reflect an increasing militant presence in the area, although unrest dates back to the early 2000s. Militant activity has resurged in recent years,... -
Dawn - 07:00 Jul 01, 2025
At least 39 people died in a factory fire in India’s southern state of Telangana, a senior fire department official said on Tuesday, after an explosion at Sigachi Industries, a day earlier. The explosion also injured 34, according to officials. The government of Telangana, where the facility is located, has formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, the cause of which is yet to be disclosed by the company. “We are still clearing the debris […] The building has collapsed and fabricated completely,” GV Narayana Rao, director of Telangana fire disaster response emergency, told Reuters. “Once we are all done with the clearing, only then we will be able to assess if any other body is still remaining under the debris or if it is all clear,” he said. On Monday, an explosion occurred at a chemical facility of Sigachi Industries leading to a fire, the police said. Police officials said more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred. Twenty-five of the deceased were yet to be ident... -
Dawn - 05:49 Jul 01, 2025
Iran-linked hackers have threatened to disclose more emails stolen from US President Donald Trump’s circle, after distributing a prior batch to the media ahead of the 2024 US election. In online chats with Reuters on Sunday and Monday, the hackers, who go by the pseudonym Robert, said they had roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from the accounts of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, Trump adviser Roger Stone and porn star-turned-Trump antagonist Stormy Daniels. Robert raised the possibility of selling the material but otherwise did not provide details of their plans. The hackers did not describe the content of the emails. US Attorney General Pam Bondi described the intrusion as “an unconscionable cyber-attack”. The White House and the FBI responded with a statement from FBI Director Kash Patel, who said: “Anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” “This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is ... -
Dawn - 18:56 Jun 30, 2025
The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Monday sealed suspected food outlets after two girls died from alleged food poisoning in Gujranwala’s Eminabad, a notification said. International kabaddi player and father of victims Naveed Pehlwan told Dawn.com that the family had ordered food during a birthday party. “The family, including me, my wife and five children, were taken to the hospital after feeling sick,” he said. He added that two of the children, an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old, passed away while two others were in critical condition. “On the directions of Punjab Food Authority Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid, food safety teams conducted a crackdown in Eminabad following the alleged death of two minor girls due to toxic food,” according to a PFA handout seen by Dawn.com. The operations were carried out from the identification of the suspected food outlets by the family, the statement read. It said, “During the raid, two food outlets were sealed and various food samples, including cake, cream, red chilli... -
Dawn - 18:01 Jun 30, 2025
The Karachi Police on Monday briefly detained government employees protesting for pay hikes and promotions after initially using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Traffic snarls were also caused in several areas due to the confrontations. South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com, “Eighty-seven [protesters were] arrested and released on commitment to call off the protest,” adding that their future course of action would be announced after 13th Muharam. He said the police initially took action as negotiations among the representatives of the employees and officials failed. “The Sindh Employees’ Alliance (SEA) — an alliance of different departments of Sindh government employees — were marching towards the Chief Minister’s House. “The SEA has made three major demands, including an increase of 70 per cent salaries and pension of Sindh employees of Sindh from grade 1 to 22, granting DRA (disparity reduction allowance) of 50pc to all employees of the same grades, a... -
Dawn - 17:16 Jun 30, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari has given his assent to the Finance Act 2025, which outlines the budget for the upcoming fiscal year with an outlay of Rs17.57 trillion, it emerged on Monday. According to a gazette notification dated June 29, available with Dawn.com, the Finance Act 2025, as approved by the National Assembly, received the president’s assent on June 27. The act will be applicable from July 1, according to the information ministry. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb unveiled Pakistan’s annual federal budget in a charged June 10 National Assembly session, outlining ambitious proposals to drive 4.2 per cent economic growth in the coming fiscal year while cutting back on overall spending and tightening tax measures. The National Assembly passed the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year on June 26, with an outlay of Rs17.57tr, despite opposition calls for the budgetary proposals to be made public and for the passage to be delayed until public input had been sought. The House passed it with certain... -
Dawn - 16:58 Jun 30, 2025
Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkiye and France on Monday, and more than 50,000 people were evacuated as an early summer heatwave hit Europe. Health alerts were issued in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Even the Netherlands, used to a milder climate, issued a warning for high temperatures in the coming days, coupled with high humidity. “Large parts of Western Europe are experiencing extreme heat and heatwave conditions that are normally observed in July or August, rather than June,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Temperatures were in some locations 5-10 degrees Celsius warmer than they otherwise should have been at this time of the year, she said. In Turkiye, wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from five regions, including more than 42,000 in Izmir, Turkiye’s AFAD emergency management author... -
Dawn - 15:05 Jun 30, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday welcomed the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to issue a “supplemental award” in the Indus Waters case, urging India to resume the functioning of the Treaty, which it has held in abeyance since May. According to the PCA’s rules, a supplemental award is an additional ruling issued by a court or tribunal after its initial decision, usually to address a specific issue that wasn’t fully resolved or to clarify certain points, such as jurisdiction, competence, or interpretation of a treaty or agreement. India in April held the Indus Waters Treaty 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 the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. “In a supplemental... -
Dawn - 15:01 Jun 30, 2025
Spanish authorities on Monday detained former top socialist party official Santos Cerdan in a corruption case that is a new blow for left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, judicial sources said. Former transport minister José Luis Ábalos has also been implicated in the investigation into kickbacks for public contracts, which has created the biggest political crisis Sanchez has faced since taking office in 2018. The sources said a Supreme Court judge ordered the detention of Cerdan, who has quit as the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party organisation secretary — the ruling party’s number three post — as there was a “risk” he might try to flee or destroy evidence. He is being held without bail on allegations of corruption, money laundering and criminal association, the sources said. Cerdan denied the accusation in an audience with the lead investigating judge on Monday, saying he was the victim of a political plot, they said. Sanchez has sought to distance himself and the Socialist party from the scandal, which i... -
Dawn - 14:32 Jun 30, 2025
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, gave on Monday the strongest indication yet that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death, at prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday. The Dalai Lama joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in the prayer celebrations, a landmark event resonating far beyond the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades. “As far as the institution of the Dalai Lama, there will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about its continuation,” he said, speaking in Tibetan. The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959. Draped in traditional maroon and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and chants of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as well-wishers from across the world on Monday. “Though I am 90 years old, physica... -
Dawn - 13:22 Jun 30, 2025
Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure this month. “Customs officers… foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes… seized from passenger returning from Thailand,” said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub. The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with “further investigation underway”. The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, and were largely non-venomous, or with venom too weak to affect people. They included garter snakes, a rhino rat snake and a Kenyan sand boa, among others. In early June, customs officers stopped a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand. Days later, officers stopped another traveller carrying 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums. Wildlife trade monitor Traffic, which battles the smugglin... -
Dawn - 12:52 Jun 30, 2025
After years on the front lines of danger, a four-legged hero has taken his final bow. Deep, an 11-year-old British Labrador and one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police’s “most trusted” explosives sniffer dogs, retired last week after nearly a decade of sniffing out threats, saving lives, and earning the respect of his human colleagues. Trained in explosives detection, Deep was part of the KP Police’s elite K9 Unit, formed in 2014 to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts and support criminal investigations. Over the years, he worked alongside officers during high-stakes operations, security sweeps, and major public events, where his instincts often proved life-saving. During his nearly 10 years of service, Deep showed that he was more than just a service dog: he became a symbol of loyalty and bravery. To honour Deep’s outstanding contributions, the KP Police Special Branch K9 Unit held a modest but heartfelt retirement ceremony last Tuesday. The event was attended by unit officials and K9 handlers and marked the first... -
Dawn - 12:43 Jun 30, 2025
Palestinians in northern Gaza reported one of the worst nights of Israeli bombardment in weeks after the military issued mass evacuation orders on Monday, while Israeli officials were due in Washington for a new ceasefire push by the Trump administration. A day after US President Donald Trump urged an end to the 20-month-old conflict, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected at the White House for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran, and possible wider regional diplomatic deals. But on the ground in the Palestinian enclave, there was no sign of fighting letting up. “Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes,” said Salah, 60, a father of five children, from Gaza City. “In the news, we hear a ceasefire is near, on the ground, we see death, and we hear explosions.” Israeli tanks pushed into the eastern areas of the Zeitoun suburb in Gaza City and shelled several areas in the north, while aircraft bombed at least four schools after ordering hundreds of fami... -
Dawn - 12:32 Jun 30, 2025
Diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran, its deputy foreign minister told the BBC late Sunday. Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster that the US had signalled it wants to return to the negotiating table, a week after it struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. “We have not agreed to any date, we have not agreed to the modality,” said Takht-Ravanchi. “Right now we are seeking an answer to this question. Are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?” The US needed to be “quite clear on this very important question”, he said. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he was not offering Iran anything nor talking to it “since we totally obliterated” the country’s nuclear facilities. “I am not offering Iran anything, unlike Obama,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The two countries were in talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme when Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites and military inf... -
Dawn - 11:08 Jun 30, 2025
Several people were injured on Monday in separate incidents of roofs collapsing in cities across Punjab, according to rescue officials. Six people were injured when the roof of a house collapsed due to heavy rain near Rawalpindi’s Lal Haveli. According to Rescue spokesman Usman Gujjar, the incident occurred early morning near New Sarafa Bazaar. The injured included three women and three men. Four of the injured were provided first aid on the spot, while two otherswere shifted to the Rawalpindi District Headquarter Hospital. Their condition is said to be out of danger. Rawalpindi Rescue 1122 control room received a call from near Lal Haveli to inform about the collapse of the roof, after which emergency vehicles reached the spot. According to the caller, three people were trapped in the house. However, as per the rescue staff, no one was trapped in the house. All the injured belonged to the same house and were identified as Muhammad Ali, 19; Akbar, 45; Easy, 27; Alina, 17; Two greats, 22; and Shabnam, 18. Gujj... -
Dawn - 10:13 Jun 30, 2025
At least 22 people died and 11 others were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accidents related to rain, strong winds, flash floods and landslides since June 25, according to a report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province while 18 people were swept away along the Swat River due to a sudden surge in the gushing water. Authorities have warned of potential flash floods and landslides as monsoon rains continue across the province. The PDMA released a report on the loss of life and property due to rain-related incidents in different districts of the province including Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chitral, Buner, Swabi, Kurram Charsadda, Malakand, Shangla, Lower Dir, Torghar, and South Waziristan. According to the report, the victims include seven men, five women and 10 children, while the injured include six men, four women and one child. A total of 75 houses were damaged due to rain, of which 64 were partially and 11 completely dest... -
Dawn - 10:12 Jun 30, 2025
The finance ministry, in its monthly economic outlook report on Monday, said that the consumer price index (CPI) inflation was expected to remain in the range of 3 to 4 per cent in June. Last month, depicting a cautious outlook towards growth in Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM), the Ministry of Finance (MoF) had presented a rising trajectory for inflation during May and June. The year-on-year consumer inflation rate in May was the highest since December, indicating a rebound in inflation after months of slowdown. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the CPI inflation had stood at 3.46pc in May 2025 as compared to the previous year. “Inflation is expected to remain within the range of 3.0-4.0pc for June 2025,” said the finance ministry in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook (June 2025) report. Awais Ashraf, director research at AKD Securities, said that the finance ministry’s inflation projections were in line with their expectations. “We projected the inflation to remain at 3....
10418 items