Dawn
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Dawn - 04:10 Apr 21, 2026
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate on Monday sent a man to prison on judicial remand in a case pertaining to extending alleged threats to bomb the US consulate general in Karachi. Suspect Sharjeel Akbar was on Sunday arrested and booked in a case registered under Sections 506-B (criminal intimidation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 25-D (Penalty for causing annoyance) of the Telegraph Act. The FIR was lodged at the Docks police station on the complaint of an inspector of the Foreign Security Cell, who said he was deputed at the US consulate and on April 15, the consulate’s staff informed him that they had received a threatening phone call from a man, who identified himself as Sharjeel Akbar, claiming that he had planted a bomb near the consulate. The complainant stated that he immediately informed his superiors and he, along with bomb disposable unit, searched the area for the explosives but did not find anything near the consul... -
Dawn - 02:48 Apr 21, 2026
TWELVE British universities paid a private firm run by former military intelligence officials to “spy” on student protesters and academics, including those who have expressed solidarity with Palestine, according to a report published by Al Jazeera. The report says that a joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates has uncovered evidence that Horus Security Consultancy Limited trawled through student social media feeds and conducted secret counter-terror threat assessments on behalf of some of Britain’s most elite institutions. Horus, which describes itself as a “leading intelligence” firm, has been paid at least £440,000 by universities since 2022. Among those monitored were a Palestinian academic invited to give a guest lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University and a pro-Gaza PhD student at the London School of Economics, according to internal documents. At least £440,000 spent to monitor social media accounts, run background checks on guest speaker In October 2024, the Univ... -
Dawn - 21:20 Apr 20, 2026
Apple on Monday announced that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook will step down in September, handing the job to company veteran John Ternus. The announcement answers long-simmering questions about who would succeed Cook, 65, and comes as Apple strives to show it is not being left behind in the age of artificial intelligence. Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001, has recently overseen the company’s hardware engineering efforts and has played a key role in reigniting sales of products such as Apple’s Mac computers, which have gained market share in recent years. Cook, who has led Apple since 2011, will become the company’s executive chairman, Apple said in a statement. “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a release. In naming Ternus chief executive, Apple is shifting from Cook, a supply chain guru who helped turn Apple into a global brand that churns out hundreds of millions of units per year, to a l... -
Dawn - 18:41 Apr 20, 2026
US delegation expected in Islamabad but uncertainty prevails over talks amid mixed signals from Iran
Key developments Trump has confirmed an American delegation will be arriving in Pakistan for talks. While he said on Monday evening that JD Vance and an American delegation were en route to Islamabad, US news outlets reported that the US vice president had yet to depart Iran says it has yet to decide whether it will attend next round of talks with US; parliament speaker highlights lack of trust in Washington Tight security in Islamabad for arrival of foreign delegations; Red Zone sealed and public transport in twin cities suspended Uncertainty prevailed on Monday over whether the United States and Iran would hold a second round of direct talks, as mixed signals emerged from Tehran amid intensifying tensions with Washington, even as Islamabad prepared to host the two sides. Meanwhile, US Donald Trump confirmed that a US team would be in Islamabad for the expected talks. However, it was not clear when the team would depart and arrive in Pakistan. Initially, Trump told The New York Post on Monday evening that US... -
Dawn - 18:40 Apr 20, 2026
More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to a European Union and United Nations assessment published on Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of war in the Palestinian territory “has led to unprecedented loss of life and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis”. “Recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at around $71.4bn,” said the assessment, developed in coordination with the World Bank. Much of Gaza — including schools, hospitals and other civic infrastructure — has been reduced to rubble by an Israeli military offensive. The final assessment determined that $26.3bn would be required in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery. “Physical infrastructure damages are estimated at $35.2bn, with economic and social losses amounting to $22.7bn,” a joint state... -
Dawn - 16:27 Apr 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government said on Monday that Pakistan’s economic growth would be affected during the current and next fiscal years due to an almost 20 per cent cut in development budget for fuel subsidies and inflationary impacts of global supply chain disruptions amid the war in the Middle East. “This (cut in development budget) will have a negative impact and, coupled with international oil prices and inflation, will result in economic slowdown and affect our growth target of 4.2pc” for the current year, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing a news conference. This is the first official confirmation of lower than targeted economic growth, although international lenders have projected the growth rate between 3.2pc and 3.5pc. Responding to the question, Iqbal said that the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the current year had been slashed by Rs173bn to Rs837bn from the Rs1.01 trillion target set in the budget. He said PSDP was reduced to finance the Prime Minister’s Austerity Fund... -
Dawn - 16:26 Apr 20, 2026
KARACHI: A 19-year-old medical student, who was the daughter of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA, died after being struck by a stray bullet in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, police said on Monday. Speaking to Dawn, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Saud said a bullet fired from an unknown direction hit the daughter of MNA Iqbal Mehsud Khan while she was standing on the terrace of her home on Saturday night at 10pm. He said that she sustained critical injuries and was taken to a private hospital in the area. He said that she died during treatment on Sunday afternoon. The SHO said police had fulfilled legal formalities, but added that the family was reluctant to lodge a first information report (FIR) of the incident. On Sunday, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had expressed grief and sorrow at the passing of Khan’s daughter and had extended his condolences to the bereaved family. -
Dawn - 15:01 Apr 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Monday that it has increased its Eurobond to $750 million from $500m by exercising the green-shoe option as the country’s foreign exchange needs grow due to a higher oil import bill amid the war in the Middle East. A green-shoe option is the over-allotment provision allowing the borrower to raise additional funds at the same rate if the public demand exceeds expectations. “Following its successful return to international capital markets after four years, Pakistan has upsized its Eurobond issuance to $750m, with an additional $250m placed with global institutional investors through the exercise of the green shoe option,” the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Khurram Schehzad, the adviser to the finance minister, said on the social media platform X that the development reflected “stronger-than-expected investor demand, reinforcing confidence in Pakistan’s economic outlook and market re-entry”. He said that the three-year Eurobond, which was initially placed at $500m... -
Dawn - 14:53 Apr 20, 2026
When the international community agreed to transition away from fossil fuels at the 2023 COP28 global climate summit, some hailed the moment as the beginning of the end for oil. But little progress has been made since then, even though the vast majority of scientists agree there’s overwhelming evidence of global warming and that it is driven chiefly by the burning of fossil fuels. The Middle East war, meanwhile, has shown that the world is as dependent as ever on “black gold,” with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz holding the global economy and energy supply in a chokehold. Some have pointed to the ripple effects of the war as yet another reason to decrease humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels. But several global trends indicate the 2023 promise is still a way away from coming true. Among them is the agenda of United States President Donald Trump, whose energy slogan is “drill, baby, drill” and has intervened with military force in two countries with vast crude reserves: Venezuela and Iran. But ... -
Dawn - 14:52 Apr 20, 2026
Director of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, filed a defamation lawsuit against American magazine The Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publication of an article on Friday alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national security. The magazine’s story, initially titled ‘Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job’, cited more than two dozen anonymous sources expressing concern at Patel’s alleged conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences that alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice. The article, which The Atlantic subsequently titled ‘The FBI Director Is MIA’ in its online version, alleged that the FBI had to reschedule early meetings as a result of Patel’s alcohol-fuelled nights and that he is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations. In The Atlantic’s story, the White House, the Department of Justice and Patel denied the allegati... -
Dawn - 14:17 Apr 20, 2026
KHYBER: Four road construction workers, including excavator operators, were abducted by armed men in the Peer Mela area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tirah valley on Monday. Local sources said the kidnapped men included two excavator operators and as many labourers, who were working on levelling the land for the construction of a link road when armed men abducted them at gunpoint. They added that the abducted workers had been taken to an unknown location. According to sources, three of the abducted men belonged to Balochistan. Meanwhile, security forces had launched a search operation in the area and nearby localities, they added. Local elders demanded foolproof security for construction workers after the incident, pointing out that such occurrences could jeopardise the ongoing development projects in the area. Separately, a peace council of the Akkakhel tribe was held in Bara tehsil of KP’s Khyber district. Members of the council told Dawn that, during the meeting, deep concern was expressed over the deteriorating... -
Dawn - 13:50 Apr 20, 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday said Sri Lankan cricketer Dasun Shanaka had been banned from participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) over his “unilateral withdrawal” from this year’s tournament. According to ESPNCricinfo, Shanaka left Lahore Qalanders to play for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals In a statement, the cricket board said that “the player’s unilateral withdrawal from the tournament on March 21, 2026, constituted a clear breach of both the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement”. As a penalty, the cricket board declared the player ineligible to participate in the next edition of the PSL — scheduled for 2027. The PCB said that as per its findings, Shanaka’s withdrawal was “made on grounds not recognised within the existing contractual framework”. The statement also quoted Shanaka as saying that he “deeply” regretted his decision to withdraw from the tournament. “I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL and offer my sincere apolo... -
Dawn - 13:30 Apr 20, 2026
The high security measures were in place in Islamabad for the arrival of foreign delegations, even as mixed signals emerged from Iran amid intensifying tensions with the United States. Iran has said it has not yet decided on attending a new round of negotiations with the US, while President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a US delegation will be arriving in the federal capital “tomorrow evening”. Despite this, security in Islamabad was on high alert on Monday, with the Red Zone sealed and public transport in the twin cities suspended. A police officer gestures to a vehicle at a checkpost along a road near Faisal Masjid, as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad on April 19, 2026. — Reuters Rangers descend from a vehicle during their deployment along a road leading to the Presidentâ’ss House, as Pakistan prepares to host the United States and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad on April 20, 2026. — Reuters A police officer guards a road blo... -
Dawn - 12:32 Apr 20, 2026
“You have to admit that most women who do something with their lives have been disliked by almost everyone.” — Françoise Gilot, the French painter who loved Picasso, left him on her own terms, and refused to be remembered just as his muse. There are many who would assert that Pakistan’s former first lady Bushra Bibi should be dismissed as a woman of no substance. She did not, they argue, earn a place in the national imagination by winning over crowds with her speeches or marching for the downtrodden. They would rather say she just weasled her way to the top through wedlock. Her new husband, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and her previous one, Khawar Maneka, were both men who loomed large in the public eye. One was a cricketing legend who had abandoned his storied appetite for pretty white women and the world’s attention in order to pursue political rebirth back home. The other was a shrine-through-town aristocrat from Pakpattan, known as much for his influence as for his oddities. Bushra Bibi’s effacement ... -
Dawn - 12:27 Apr 20, 2026
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)’s benchmark index KSE-100 plunged by over 1,700 points on Monday amid uncertainty over the Middle East conflict. The KSE-100 declined by 1,742.31 points or 1 per cent to close at 172,196.70 from the previous close of 173,939.01 points. The KSE-100 rose to an intraday high of 174,523.76 points at around 11:55am, then declined to an intraday low of 169,226.56 points at 1:05pm, before settling at 172,196.70. According to Topline Securities, the trading began on a “subdued note, reversing the previous session’s upward momentum, with the benchmark index declining to an intraday low of 4,712 points”. “Investor sentiment remained cautious amid escalating geopolitical tensions,” it said, citing increased concerns due to the US seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the 2nd round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad. “Earlier indications of potential diplomatic engagement, including the possibility of a US delegation vi... -
Dawn - 12:02 Apr 20, 2026
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday held separate meetings with the Iranian and US envoys to discuss arrangements made for a second round of Islamabad Talks between the two warring parties. Naqvi’s intensified efforts come as Islamabad continues to set the stage for a possible second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, after the first round ended without an agreement. The Ministry of Interior issued separate press releases detailing Naqvi’s interactions with US Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker and Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam. According to a statement issued later in the day, Naqvi discussed “arrangements for a second round of Islamabad Talks” with the Iranian envoy, telling him that the preparations for it were complete. “Foolproof security arrangements have been made for foreign delegations,” Naqvi told Moghadam. Iran said earlier on Monday that Tehran has yet to decide on whether to send its delegation, and there is no official confirmation so far that ... -
Dawn - 12:01 Apr 20, 2026
India and South Korea said on Monday that they would boost their economic ties by expanding cooperation in energy, critical minerals, shipbuilding, semiconductors and steel as they seek to double their trade to $50 billion by 2030. New Delhi and Seoul also agreed to resume and step up negotiations to give new energy to their 2010 trade agreement as India wanted their trade to be more balanced and South Korea wanted greater market access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in India for a three-day visit, the first South Korean presidential state visit to the country in eight years. “We decided to upgrade the framework of economic cooperation between the two countries to create a new engine for shared growth,” Lee told reporters after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two countries created a ministerial-level economic cooperation committee for the first time, Lee said, adding that they would strengthen cooperation in areas such as nuclear power... -
Dawn - 11:06 Apr 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The second nationwide anti-polio campaign of the ongoing year has missed its target of vaccination by around 300,000 children. The week-long campaign aimed to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five. However, according to data released by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) on Monday, more than 44.7m children were vaccinated against polio. “Due to the tireless efforts of polio workers, the vaccine reached over 44.7m children across the country. In addition to polio drops, children were also administered Vitamin A supplements to help strengthen their immunity,” it said. The provincial breakdown showed that over 23m children were vaccinated in Punjab, over 10.4m in Sindh, over 7.2m in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2.6m in Balochistan. Meanwhile, over 441,000 children were vaccinated in Islamabad, over 292,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and around 717,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The NEOC highlighted that the strong support and cooperation of parents and communities played a... -
Dawn - 11:02 Apr 20, 2026
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign minister and the military on Monday condemned the desecration of a crucifix after it was smashed by an Israeli soldier in a Christian village in southern Lebanon. A photo that emerged online over the weekend shows a soldier taking the blunt side of an axe to a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross. It was posted by Younis Tirawi, who describes himself as a Palestinian reporter and has also posted images of Israeli soldiers’ misconduct in Gaza. Reuters verified the location of the image as Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained through an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah that began on March 2. The cross was part of a small shrine in the garden of a family living on the edge of the village, said Fadi Falfel, a priest in Debel. “One of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols,” he said. Netanyahu said that the soldier’s actions went against Jewish ... -
Dawn - 10:20 Apr 20, 2026
Pakistan and Egypt concluded a two-week-long military exercise focused on counter-terrorism, the military’s media wing said on Monday. In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the “Pakistan-Egypt Joint Exercise Thunder-II” concluded in Cherat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — the military’s premier Special Operations School (SOS). “[The] two-week-long exercise was designed to enhance interoperability by refining drills, procedures, and techniques related to counterterrorism operations through joint training,” ISPR said. It added that “combat teams from the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army and the Egyptian Special Forces actively participated” in the exercise. The military’s media wing further said that the participants exhibited “exceptional professionalism and operational skill throughout the exercise”. The picture shows Pakistan-Egypt Joint Exercise Thunder-II underway. — ISPR General officer commanding SSG and Commander of Egyptian Paratroopers, Major General Mohamed Saad Ab...
10418 items