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Dawn - 05:51 Apr 29, 2026
An image of United States President Donald Trump will soon appear in some US passports, officials said on Tuesday, shattering another norm as the president aggressively puts his personal stamp on government institutions. There are few precedents anywhere in the world, let alone in a democracy, of displaying sitting leaders’ pictures in passports, and Trump would be the first sitting US president featured in Americans’ travel documents. The State Department said it would offer the limited-edition passport to mark this year’s 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. The department — which has historically viewed itself as outside US partisan politics — posted on social media a sample of the passport, which features a stern-looking Trump superimposed over the Declaration of July 4, 1776. Trump’s signature — in gold — lies underneath. A second limited-edition passport showed a historic painting of the US Founding Fathers. “As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the St... -
Dawn - 05:42 Apr 29, 2026
King Charles III gave US President Donald Trump a taste of his own medicine at a White House state dinner on Tuesday when he joked that without the British, Americans would be speaking French. As the heads of state traded jokes during their dinner toasts, Charles referenced previous comments by Trump aimed at European allies he accuses of freeloading on defense since World War II. “You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” Charles quipped. The king was talking about places with British and French origins in North America, where the rival colonial powers battled for control of the continent before US independence 250 years ago. At the Davos summit in January, Trump said that without US help in World War II, “you’d be speaking German and a little Japanese.” But the king’s lighthearted remark reflected the warm tone as he and Trump bonded over the “special relations... -
Dawn - 04:00 Apr 29, 2026
Britain’s King Charles and Donald Trump hailed their countries’ longstanding ties at a White House state dinner Tuesday – despite the US president claiming the monarch agreed with him on Iran’s nuclear weapons. Over a lavish meal, Charles echoed the tone of his earlier speech to Congress in which he urged London and Washington to stick together, without directly mentioning the tensions over the US-Israeli war with Tehran. But in his toast to a gala dinner attended by tech titans and golfer Rory McIlroy, Trump made his first public comments on the sensitive topic during the four-day visit by the British royals. US President Donald Trump and Britain’s King Charles III raise a toast during a State Dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. — AFP “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent,” Trump said at the White House dinner. “Charles agrees with me even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.” Trump has repeatedly lambasted... -
Dawn - 02:53 Apr 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Hours before his imminent transfer from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani warned that the high court would summon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a case concerning the non-appointment of the finance member of the PTA tribunal. During the hearing, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani warned that if the official was not appointed by May 18, the PM would be required to appear in person and explain the delay. The court also directed the cabinet secretary and the law secretary to ensure their presence at the next hearing on May 18. However, Justice Kayani was transferred by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan a couple of hours after issuing the said order. At the previous hearing, the assistant attorney general informed the court that a retired judge had been appointed as a tribunal member. However, Justice Kayani criticised the trend of appointing retired judges to tribunals, remarking that such practices had not been beneficial and that retired judges frequently seek positions in v... -
Dawn - 02:29 Apr 29, 2026
TECH giant Microsoft has removed misleading Israeli designations used in the occupied West Bank and included Palestinian geographical names in its digital maps in accordance with international law, Anadolu Agency reported quoting an Arab rights organisation. In a statement, the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media (7amleh) said the changes included location-based services, including the search engine ‘Bing’, where labels that previously listed locations in the West Bank under ‘Judea and Samaria, Israel’ were replaced with the term ‘West Bank’. ‘Judea and Samaria’ is an Israeli term to designate the occupied West Bank, which is in contrast to international law that dictates that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must be recognised as a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel. The West Bank is a key component of the future Palestinian state. The changes represent a “necessary correction,” said Lama Nazeeh, 7amleh’s advocacy manager, calling on technology companies to comply with international... -
Dawn - 02:24 Apr 29, 2026
• Iranian envoy lauds Pakistan for ‘persistent labour’ to pave way for dialogue • Trump claims Tehran asked him to lift Hormuz blockade • Spy agencies studying ‘likely response’ to US declaring victory • Iran’s military says ‘still in state of war’ • Vance questions Pentagon assessment of conflict with Iran • UAE tanker evades Hormuz blockade WASHINGTON: Even as US President Donald Trump appeared reluctant to accept an Iranian offer to end the Middle East war, reports suggested Tehran would share a fresh proposal with Pakistan “in the next few days”, despite a public show of defiance. According to CNN, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will consult Iranian leaders upon his return from Russia for the new proposal, but “process is slow” due to “difficulty in communicating with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, whose location is being kept secret”. The development came as President Trump reviewed the Iranian proposals amid concerns over the Pentagon’s assessment of the ongoing war with Iran. Senior Iranian official... -
Dawn - 02:08 Apr 29, 2026
LAHORE: Nine suspects were killed, while two police officials were injured in separate encounters with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in various parts of the province on Tuesday. In Lahore, six suspects were allegedly killed while two police officials were injured during separate ‘encounters’ with the CCD. A police official claimed that CCD officials conducted a raid in the Sundar area to arrest suspects following reports that wanted robbers were present there. He claimed the armed men hiding there suddenly opened fire on the raiding team, leaving two police personnel wounded. The police also returned the fire and two suspected robbers were found dead. They were later identified as Alam Sher and Hashim, wanted in over 60 cases in various police stations of the city, the official claimed. Six of them killed in Lahore Constables Taswar and Namdar were injured in the encounter and were shifted to a local hospital. In another encounter with the Iqbal Town CCD, the official said that suspects Bilal alias Mota ... -
Dawn - 20:21 Apr 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Energy prices are projected to surge by 24 per cent this year to their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as the war in the Middle East sends a severe shock through global commodity markets, the World Bank Group said in its latest Commodity Markets Outlook. Overall, commodity prices are forecast to rise 16pc in 2026, driven by soaring energy and fertiliser prices and record-high prices for several key metals, according to the assessment. “The shock will have serious implications for job creation and development,” the analysis indicates. The World Bank noted: “Attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 35pc of global seaborne crude oil trade, have triggered the largest oil supply shock on record, with an initial reduction in global oil supply of about 10 million barrels per day. “Even after moderating from their recent peak, Brent oil prices remained more than 50pc higher in mid-April than they were at the start of th... -
Dawn - 20:18 Apr 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday withdrew ab initio the requirement of a licence along with Rs1,000 per kW licencing fee for solar net-metering consumers with systems below 25 kilowatts. The development comes two days after the Power Division, facing severe public criticism for “taxing sunlight”, directed Nepra to abolish the requirements. Complying with the directive, Nepra issued a notification stating that prosumers’ regulations had been amended and there would be no licencing fee on up to 25kW distributed generation. It said higher capacity prosumers would have to deposit a one-time fee of Rs1,000 per kilowatt. “This notification shall be applicable and deemed to be effective from February 9, 2026,” the order said. Earlier in the day, Nepra member Amina Ahmed said the regulator was considering the government’s proposal but could not hold press conference or “leak policy decisions” at public hearings. Then, within hours, Nepra issued the notification in complia... -
Dawn - 20:14 Apr 28, 2026
US intelligence agencies are studying how Iran would respond if President Donald Trump were to declare a unilateral victory in the two-month-old war that has killed thousands and become a political liability for the White House, two US officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The intelligence community is analysing the question along with others at the request of senior administration officials. The goal is to understand the implications of Trump potentially pulling back from a conflict that some officials and advisers worry could contribute to deep Republican losses at the midterm elections later this year, according to the sources. While no decision has been made, and Trump could easily ramp back up military operations, a quick de-escalation could ease political pressure on the president, even as it could leave behind an emboldened Iran. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. It is not clear when the intelligence community would c... -
Dawn - 19:13 Apr 28, 2026
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday approved the transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to other high courts. According to an official handout, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired a meeting of the commission at the Supreme Court. “The meetings were convened by the secretary of the JCP in exercise of powers conferred by clause (22) of Article 175A of the Constitution, as the chairman of the Commission, while giving reason therefor, declined to convene the meeting on the requisition by one-third of the total members,” it said. The statement said the commission approved the transfer of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani to the Lahore High Court (LHC), the transfer of Justice Babar Sattar to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the transfer of Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the Sindh High Court (SHC). The statement said that the transfers were approved by the majority. The JCP also decided that any vacancy arising as a result of the transfer of a judge from a high court “sha... -
Dawn - 18:19 Apr 28, 2026
SpaceX’s board approved a compensation plan for founder Elon Musk with goals as futuristic and celestial as the company’s ambitions: colonising Mars and running data centres in outer space. The details of Musk’s sweeping pay package were revealed in the company’s confidential registration statement filed in recent weeks with the Securities and Exchange Commission and have been reviewed by Reuters. The lofty rewards dangled for Musk by SpaceX show the challenge of holding the attention of the serial entrepreneur as he prepared to take the rocket maker public. They also potentially set up SpaceX investors for tensions with shareholders of Tesla, where Musk is chief executive officer (CEO), said corporate governance experts. Connecting science-fiction visions with accounting commitments, the SpaceX board in January approved a pay package for the world’s richest man that would award 200 million in super-voting restricted shares if the company hit a market value of $7.5 trillion and established a permanent human c... -
Dawn - 16:44 Apr 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday the government had no plans to seek more bilateral financing from friendly countries and that Pakistan’s external position had stabilised following recent inflows from Saudi Arabia. The minister made these remarks on sidelines of the first high-level EU Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad, organised by the European Union in collaboration with the government of Pakistan, marking a key step in strengthening bilateral economic ties. He said after securing $3 billion from Saudi Arabia, that there was no need for additional financing. Recently, Saudi Arabia had pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. Subsequently, Pakistan received $2bn from the kingdom on April 15 and another $1bn on April 21 under the arrangement. Aurangzeb said the government was now shifting its focus towards commercial borrowing rather than bilateral financing. He said the government was set to issue a... -
Dawn - 16:16 Apr 28, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that Cambodian authorities had agreed on the early repatriation of 54 Pakistanis arrested following a raid on a “scamming compound”. The statement came after reports emerged that more than 200 Pakistanis were in the custody of Cambodian police in overcrowded facilities and facing a lack of basic facilities. In the statement issued on Tuesday, the FO said that the embassy in Cambodia had actively pursued the matter with the Cambodian government. It said that this was in line with the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to “take all possible actions aimed at facilitating the Pakistani community abroad”. “As a result of the embassy’s efforts, the host authorities have agreed to the early repatriation of 54 Pakistani nationals detained in Siem Reap province. These individuals were arrested following a raid on a scamming compound,” it said. The FO added that embassy staff were taking steps to ensure the welfare of the detained Pakistanis. “Th... -
Dawn - 15:40 Apr 28, 2026
The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was quitting Opec, dealing a heavy blow to the oil producers’ group as an unprecedented energy crisis triggered by the Iran war exposes discord among Gulf nations. The stunning loss of the UAE, a longstanding Opec member, could create disarray and weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas. UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told Reuters the decision was taken after a careful look at the regional power’s energy strategies. Asked whether the UAE consulted with Saudi Arabia, he said the UAE did not raise the issue with any other country. “This is a policy decision, it has been done after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production,” said the energy minister. Mazrouei said the UAE’s move, in which it will leave Opec and Opec+ as of May 1, would not have a huge impact on the market because of the constraints in t... -
Dawn - 15:08 Apr 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan received a fourth intravitreal anti-VEGF injection at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and was discharged on Tuesday morning, according to the hospital spokesperson. Imran last underwent the anti-VEGF intravitreal injection on March 23. His eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. His first medical procedure was carried out on January 24, and he was administered the second dose on Feb 24. According to the Pims spokesperson, Imran, 74, was brought to the hospital on April 28 for follow-up eye treatment, during which he received a fourth intravitreal injection. “Prior to the procedure, he was examined by the ophthalmologists and was found to be clinically stable,” the statement said, adding that Imran’s “optical coherence tomography was performed, which showed clinical improvement”. “After obtaining informed consent and under standard monitoring, adopting all standard precautionary meas... -
Dawn - 14:21 Apr 28, 2026
Balaclavas and e-bikes have become the armour of teenage boys zooming around London streets, snatching mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters and tourists. As AFP joined a patrol on a sunny Friday night, police officer Hayden O’Connor spotted potential victims everywhere — people holding out phones to follow directions or listening to music. “You see, your bus is in 20 minutes, you get your phone out, start scrolling Instagram, and before you know it, there’s a whizzy whirl of an e-bike coming towards you and your phone is gone,” he said. O’Connor is part of the interceptor teams now driving around London in unmarked vehicles. Metropolitan Police walk past a commuter (L) using a mobile telephone during a foot patrol in central London on April 25. — AFP They follow reports of stolen phones, but the chances of getting one back are “really, really slim”, his colleague, police officer Hayley Carr, conceded. London’s Metropolitan Police force has invested heavily in clamping down on the phenomenon, which has se... -
Dawn - 14:15 Apr 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Taking notice of deteriorating water quality in the country’s rivers and irrigation systems, the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has asked the provincial governments to ensure that untreated wastewater does not fall into rivers and natural streams. The water regulator has reported deteriorating water quality due to pollution, salinity, odour, etc., in the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS). “Recent studies and reports have highlighted an alarming deterioration of water quality in Pakistan’s rivers due to the discharge of untreated wastewater,” said Irsa Chairman Amjad Saeed in a letter to the provincial chief secretaries. Based on these reports, sources said Irsa had deputed its own teams and sought reports from field formations of the provinces’ irrigation authorities. In the letter, the provinces and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) were reminded that under the Indus River System Act, 1992, the water regulator was mandated to regulate and distribute the surface water reso... -
Dawn - 13:34 Apr 28, 2026
PESHAWAR: The Kalash valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral district have been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organisation’s (Unesco) ‘World Heritage Tentative List’, it emerged on Tuesday. According to Unesco’s website, a country must make an inventory of important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries, which is known as the Tentative List. “It is an important step since the World Heritage Committee cannot consider a nomination for inscription on the World Heritage List unless the property has already been included on the state party’s Tentative List,” it says. Kalash, an enclave of three remote and inaccessible valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Ramboor, is located in Chitral district and inhabited by over 4,000 indigenous people who profess a polytheistic religion and unique cultural practices. KP Director General of Archaeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad told Dawn that the development was a significant achievement towards the preservation of K... -
Dawn - 13:12 Apr 28, 2026
LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Tuesday dismissed the applications of PTI leaders Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmoodur Rashid seeking suspension of their sentences as an interim relief in multiple cases related to the May 9 riots. Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa heard the pleas of the incarcerated PTI leaders. The PTI leaders had filed appeals challenging their conviction in the May 9 cases alongside applications seeking the suspension of the sentence as an interim relief. However, the bench dismissed the pleas for interim relief and adjourned the hearing on the main appeals. Separately, the bench also allowed a similar application filed by PTI leader Afzal Azeem Pahat and suspended his sentence. Senior PTI leaders, including Chaudhry, Rashid, Dr Yasmin Rashid and Omer Sarfraz Cheema, have been handed down sentences by the anti-terrorism courts in five cases pertaining to violent protests in the country on May 9, 2023, including an attack on the Shadman police st...
10418 items