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Dawn - 11:49 Dec 28, 2025
French film icon Brigitte Bardot, a symbol of sexual liberation of the 1950s and sixties who turned her back on cinema to devote herself to protecting animals, has died aged 91, her foundation said Sunday. Bardot was hospitalised in October and, in November, released a statement denying rumours that she had died. The foundation did not say when or where she died, however. “The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation,” it said in a statement sent to AFP. Tributes were immediately paid to the star who became known as “BB” in her home country. Born on September 28, 1934, in Paris, Bardot was raised in a well-off, traditional Catholic household. Married four times, she had one child, Nicolas, with her second husband, actor Jacques Charrier. Bardot became a global star after appearing i... -
Dawn - 09:24 Dec 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government has declared YouTuber Adil Farooq Raja, who is also a former Pakistan Army officer and currently resides in the United Kingdom, a proscribed person under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. “The federal government has reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Adil Farooq Raja has been demonstrating his sustained involvement in activities posing a serious threat to the security, integrity, and public order of Pakistan. “He has consistently misused online platforms to promote, facilitate, and amplify anti-state narratives and propaganda associated with proscribed terrorist organisations, thereby acting in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and defence of Pakistan,” read the notification declaring the YouTuber a proscribed person. The notification was issued by the interior ministry and is dated December 27. It said, “In exercise of powers conferred by Section 11ee of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, the federal government is pleased to direct to list Mr Adil Farooq Raja in the Fourth Schedule ... -
Dawn - 05:32 Dec 28, 2025
• Term algal blooms along the coast not unusual • WWF says bloom not caused by pollution • A unicellular marine organism blamed for the occurrence KARACHI: Seawater along Pakistan’s coast, especially Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani and Ormara in Balochistan, has turned green by an algal bloom, marine experts reported on Saturday. However, they declared that the bloom posed no toxic threat. “Strong winds and ocean currents have pushed large quantities of algae toward near shores, also amassing rotting seaweeds, which has stunk up the beaches,” said Abdul Rahim, Deputy Director at the Gwadar Development Authority, adding the bloom was caused by a single-celled marine organism Noctiluca. Algal blooms, he explained were rapid growths or gathering of algae in water bodies and they could cause red, brown, green or blue pigmentation in the water, depending on the type of algae. According to the GDA official, the intensity of these blooms has increased over a decade along Balochistan’s coast. Earlier, he pointed out, there was... -
Dawn - 05:26 Dec 28, 2025
All-rounder Shadab Khan has been recalled to Pakistan’s T20I set-up, while senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been left out as the national selectors on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for next month’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The squad will be led by Salman Ali Agha, who enjoyed a heavy workload in the format this year, featuring in a record 34 T20Is — the most by any Pakistan player in a calendar year. Shadab, 27, last played a T20I for Pakistan in June before undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this year. After completing a successful rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy, the leg-spinning all-rounder is currently in action in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), a factor that appears to have aided his return to international contention. While Babar and Shaheen’s omission is notable, both players are also currently featuring in the BBL, and their absence is understood to be part of a broader rotation policy rather than a permanent exclusion. With th... -
Dawn - 05:11 Dec 28, 2025
KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Saturday they were working with neighbouring Tajikistan to investigate a border clash earlier this week that killed five people, including two Tajik guards. Tajikistan announced on Thursday that three members of a “terrorist” group had crossed into the Central Asian country “illegally” at Khatlon province, which borders Afghanistan. Tajik security forces killed the trio, but two border guards also died in the clash, the Tajik national security committee said. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Saturday that “we have started serious investigations into” the recent “incidents” on Tajik soil. “I spoke to the foreign minister of Tajikistan and we are working together to prevent such incidents,” he told an event in Kabul. “We are worried that some malicious circles want to destroy the relations between two neighbouring countries,” the minister added, without elaborating. Tajikistan shares a mountainous border of about 1,350 kilometres with Afghanistan... -
Dawn - 04:45 Dec 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit with the Middle East swelled by 7.88 per cent during the first five months of 2025-26, driven by a surge in imports and a decline in exports to the region. In absolute terms, the trade gap with the Middle East widened to $5.948 billion in July-November from $5.514bn in the same period last year, according to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan. In FY25, the deficit with the region increased 7.37pc to $13.974bn from $13.014bn in the preceding year. The swelling trade deficit is a cause for concern among policymakers, primarily due to the rising influx of petroleum products from the region. The increase was noted in imports from the region, reflecting higher oil imports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by Saudi Arabia and other countries. Exports to the Middle East fell 9.85pc to $1.217bn in 5MFY26 from $1.350bn over the corresponding months of last year. In FY25, exports to the Middle East fell 1.52pc to $3.107bn from $3.155bn over the same period last y... -
Dawn - 04:41 Dec 28, 2025
KARACHI: Nearly 17 days have passed since the Karachi Cotton Exchange (KCE) was shut, raising serious concerns under a government that claims to promote business, economic growth and an export target of $60 billion. The unexpected move by the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB) to take over the KCE premises has forced the closure of an institution that had remained operational for 52 years, affecting around 320 registered cotton brokers. Brokers say they are incurring losses running into billions of rupees due to the complete halt in trading, while the textile industry, particularly spinning mills, is struggling to obtain working capital from banks because cotton rates are unavailable. No cotton spot rates have been issued since the EPTB took possession of the building on Dec 12. The cotton and cotton-based textile sector contributes about 60 per cent to the country’s export earnings and provides up to 70 per cent of direct and indirect employment nationwide. “I do not understand why the federal government an... -
Dawn - 04:16 Dec 28, 2025
• Experts say exchange rate still ‘managed’, warn pressures may return in 2026 • Insist PKR’s path shaped by politics, financing, oil and not just valuation models KARACHI: The first half of the current fiscal year saw the rupee post a net gain against the US dollar of Rs5.066, or 1.8 per cent, although it remains weaker than its level at the beginning of 2025. The dollar closed at Rs280.13 in the interbank market on Friday compared to Rs285.22 on July 2, 2025. However, the rupee is still below its level on Jan 3, 2025, when the dollar traded at Rs278.56. Currency market participants said the exchange rate remained “managed” but noted that the recent appreciation had helped stabilise the market and provided greater confidence for exporters and importers. In a report issued on Saturday, Tresmark CEO Faisal Mamsa said the rupee’s behaviour often defies traditional valuation models because it moves in “regime shifts”, not smooth cycles. “This history explains why models such as PPP, BEER or even simplified REER ... -
Dawn - 03:56 Dec 28, 2025
• Warns provincial govt against implementing ‘illegal aspirations of land mafias’ • Calls legislation unconstitutional, in conflict with CPC, CrPC, Evidence Act, other laws ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday went beyond mere condemnation of the recently promulgated Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025, cautioning the Punjab government against implementing what it described as the “unlawful aspirations of land mafias”. Presided over by Vice Chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich, the outgoing PBC cabinet unanimously demanded that the Punjab government immediately recall the law and tender an apology to the Lahore High Court (LHC) for what it termed “insulting remarks and a rude attitude”. The PBC — the apex body regulating the legal fraternity — reiterated that lawyers stand firmly with the LHC and will not allow anyone to compromise the integrity of the judiciary. The council warned that if corrective measures were not taken within a few days, the lawyer’s comm... -
Dawn - 03:14 Dec 28, 2025
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast rain and thunderstorms, with snowfall over the hills, in most parts of the country during the coming week. It said fog is likely to subside in central and southern Punjab and upper Sindh during the wet spell, while daytime temperatures are expected to drop further, particularly after the system passes. The PMD said a westerly wave is likely to approach western parts of the country from the night of Dec 29 and strengthen from Dec 30. The system is expected to affect most upper and central parts on Dec 31 and persist in upper areas until the morning of Jan 2. In Punjab and Islamabad, rain, wind and thunderstorms, with snowfall, are likely in Murree and the Galiyat from the evening/night of Dec 30 to the morning of Jan 2, with occasional gaps. Isolated rain, wind and thunderstorms are expected in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, the Potohar region, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujrat from Dec 31 to Jan ... -
Dawn - 02:43 Dec 28, 2025
• Trump-Munir meeting reshapes diplomatic tone • Analysts caution against jumping to conclusions as ties rely on ‘personal relationship’ THE year 2025 will be remembered in Islamabad and Washington as a period of surprising warmth in bilateral ties, marked by high-level engagement, strategic recalibrations, and complex regional developments. After years of drift, Pakistan-US relations saw a notable thaw, but beneath the optimism lies a layered and complex reality shaped by history, personalities, and shifting global alignments — prompting analysts to urge restraint in reading the moment as a lasting reset. The year’s diplomacy pivoted with an unprecedented White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, widely viewed as a game-changer. The meeting set the tone for renewed engagement and discussions on trade, security, and regional diplomacy. Sherry Rehman, federal minister and former ambassador to Washington, described the shift as personality-driv... -
Dawn - 00:06 Dec 28, 2025
Humour me for a second: despite its big, flashy, expensive exterior, I believe Avatar: Fire and Ash to be the perfect Christmas family movie — kind of like the first Die Hard, another fun Christmas family movie. Strip away the action, and Avatar is about overcoming odds, keeping the family together, forgiveness and redemption, with a little bit of unexpected magic near the climax. Isn’t that exactly what a Christmas movie is all about? In Fire and Ash, the magic comes courtesy of Eywa, the spirit of the alien planet Pandora that resides in everything and commands the wildlife. One connects to Eywa through tendril-like organic connections called “queues” at the end of Na’vi hair, which provide neural links to control animals and access the spirit realm, where souls of every dead person on Pandora reside (after their bodies are absorbed into Eywa’s soil). A happy family reunion of glowing auras, warmth and forgiveness with those who’ve passed away occurs early and late in the movie — but a good three hours befo... -
Dawn - 00:06 Dec 28, 2025
Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, a former chief minister of Punjab and one of Pakistan’s most durable political survivors, passed away on December 16, 2025, at the age of 86. His death marks the passing of a particular species of politician — less ideological than instinctive, less rhetorical than tactical — who thrived in the interstices of power rather than at its commanding heights. Wattoo was never the face of a movement, nor the author of a grand political vision. Yet, for decades, he remained relevant in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and politically decisive province, precisely because he understood how power there actually worked. He belonged to a generation shaped by instability. Born in Okara district, in the fertile plains of central Punjab, Wattoo came of age in a Pakistan where democracy was episodic and political loyalty was often provisional. Coups, dissolutions of assemblies and abrupt changes of regime were not aberrations but recurring features of national life. In such a setting, political surv... -
Dawn - 00:06 Dec 28, 2025
Want to be on the ball and go into 2026 knowing exactly what's cool, what's trending and what to avoid? Eos off ers its annual cheat sheet... Published in Dawn, EOS, December 28th, 2025 -
Dawn - 00:06 Dec 28, 2025
Mirabai and Ghalib stamps, mentioned in Adeeb’s 1952 letter, that are part of the ‘Indian Saints and Poets’ series | Photos from the writer's collection In a letter dated November 22, 1952, Professor Syed Masood Hasan Rizvi Adeeb of Lucknow writes to Allama Syed Murtaza Hussain Fazil Lakhnawi, “Yesterday, I sent you a registered letter in your name. It bears two postage stamps, one with Ghalib’s portrait and the other with Mirabai’s. The postmark has been placed in such a way that Ghalib’s picture has not been marred. Since you collect everything related to Ghalib, you should keep this stamp safe as well.” This very stamp and the letter are still preserved in good condition. A faded Lahore post office mark on this stamp reads as “…53, Lahore”, indicating its arrival in Lahore in January 1953. Fazil Lakhnawi, the editor of centenary editions of Ghalib’s collected works in Persian, Urdu-i-Mu’alla and Oud-i-Hindi, was an avid admirer of Ghalib and had a large collection centred around the poet, consisting of the... -
Dawn - 00:06 Dec 28, 2025
Respected Auntie, I am a gazetted officer in a well-reputed public sector organisation, where the source of income is limited to the salary. A few months ago, I started a part-time business venture, which was unsuccessful and I suffered losses. Because of that, I have been facing a hard time economically for the past few weeks. My father-in-law (also my elder paternal uncle) left behind a hefty agricultural land and a commercial property to his spouse and children. Following his death in 2017, I was married to his only daughter in 2019. Despite the passage of almost seven years, not even a single penny was transferred to my wife. I have four brothers-in-law, and my father-in-law considered his daughter equal to his son and declared that they would equally share the inheritance. But after his death, things have changed altogether. Two of my brothers-in-law have shifted abroad, using the resources of their father, while one has been given a separate home from the family one. The fourth one is living and enjoyin... -
Dawn - 00:04 Dec 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Italy has offered more than 10,000 jobs to Pakistani workers over the next three years. According to an agreement reached between the two countries, Italy has allocated a labour quota for Pakistan. As many as 10,500 Pakistani workers will be provided employment in various sectors, including ship breaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, as well as welding, technician roles, chefs, waiters, housekeeping, nursing, medical technicians and farming. Skilled and semi-skilled job aspirants will travel to Italy for employment in these sectors. Each year, 3,500 Pakistani workers will secure overseas jobs under seasonal and non-seasonal quotas. This includes 1,500 Pakistanis under the seasonal quota and 2,000 under the non-seasonal quota annually. Italy is the first European country to allocate job quotas specifically for Pakistan. The second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group will be held in Islamabad in February 2026. Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2025 -
Dawn - 18:43 Dec 27, 2025
Russia attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said would be a crucial meeting with US President Donald Trump to work out a plan to end nearly four years of war. Zelenskiy cast the vast overnight attack, which he said involved about 500 drones and 40 missiles and which knocked out power and heat in parts of the capital, as Russia’s response to the ongoing peace efforts brokered by Washington. The Ukrainian leader has said Sunday’s talks in Florida would focus on security guarantees and territorial control once fighting ends in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two, started by Russia’s 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour. The attack continued throughout the morning, with a nearly 10-hour air raid alert for the capital. Authorities said two people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding region, while at least 46 people were wounded, including two children. “Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to pe... -
Dawn - 18:11 Dec 27, 2025
Politicians and colleagues paid homage to Dr Shamshad Akhtar on Saturday as a trailblazer, noting that she was the first woman to serve as governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and achieved many other notable accomplishments. She passed away today due to cardiac arrest. At the time of her passing, Dr Akhtar was serving as chairperson of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE), a rare position reflecting a career that spanned Pakistan’s monetary policy, fiscal management, and capital markets. Dr Akhtar, known for her leadership roles in both national and international financial institutions, took over as the 14th governor of the SBP on January 2, 2006, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She had also been the finance minister in the caretaker setups before the 2018 and 2024 general elections. Dr Akhtar served as the vice president of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa and the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). ... -
Dawn - 17:58 Dec 27, 2025
LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi cast doubt on the government’s sincerity in holding talks with the PTI and said he was actively making efforts to initiate the party’s street movement by reaching out to multiple stakeholders. Accompanied by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other leaders on the second day of his three-day visit to Lahore, the KP chief minister spoke to the media on two occasions while visiting the residences of incarcerated party leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. Answering a question about the prospects of dialogue with the government in the wake of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer, the KP chief minister said: “Incumbent rulers are showing no sign of dialogue and instead are displaying their dictatorship mindset, which was inculcated in their minds since they began politics.” Asked whether he believed issues with the federal government could be resolved through talks, CM Afridi said Imran Khan had a...
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