Pakistan

JI threatens protests; GDA says people who have to buy their fuel struggling to make ends meet

Plan to establish 100 non-formal education centres across four districts

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Saeed Ghani says new vehicle number plates aim to curb crimes, vehicle theft

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Most opposition MPAs averse to accepting condition to avoid references

As the government shuts down night shelters, people sleeping on footpaths and sidewalks are left exposed to harsh weat

Residents say WASA failed to address waterlogging in over 100 localities

Four suspects arrested, police launch investigation

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Astronomers said on Wednesday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315 — which resembles our own Sun in its youth — 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by massive rings of gas and dust called protoplanetary discs, which is where planets form. Inside these swirling discs, crystalline minerals that contain the chemical silicon monoxide can clump together. This process can snowball into kilometre-sized “planetesimals”, which one day grow into full planets. In our home Solar System, the crystalline minerals that were the starter dough for Earth and Jupiter’s core are believed to have been trapped in ancient meteorites. Now astronomers have spotted signs that suggest these hot minerals are starting to solidify in the disc surrounding HOPS-315, according to a new study in the jour...

Surgeon removes 95% of brain tumour using advanced equipment

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PTI founder Imran Khan has prohibited his party members from publicly discussing the party’s internal matters, according to his conversation with his family and lawyers at Adiala Jail shared on his official X account on Wednesday. On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur seemed to throw a wrench in the works of a nationwide protest, annou­nced by Imran, which is expected to climax on August 5, marking two years of the former prime minister’s imprisonment. At a press conference on Sunday, where party leaders were expected to announce the plan for this protest, CM Gandapur caused confusion when he came up with a new 90-day timeline for what he called ‘a final push’, with PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik later expressing her reservations over this announcement. “Publicly airing internal matters or individual concerns before the media is entirely unacceptable,” Imran’s post read. “My instruction is firm: whether a senior officeholder or a junior member, no one is to express inter...

At least three people were killed and six others injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Balochistan’s Kalat district early Wednesday morning.

Thursday has been designated as a meeting day for PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, with six names submitted for approval to visit him.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed their deep sorrow over the martyrdom of innocent civilians in Kalat district of Balochistan, who were attacked by the Indian-backed terrorist group “Fitna-ul-Hindustan” on a passenger bus traveling from Karachi to Quetta.

At least 28 people were killed and 90 others injured in rain and storms across Punjab in the past 24 hours, provincial rescue service spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said on Wednesday. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and replenishing water supplies and agriculture. They are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. In the last 24 hours, roof collapses killed 12 people in Lahore, eight in Faisalabad, three in Sheikhupura, two in Okara, and one each in Pakpattan, Nankana Sahib and Sahiwal, according to the spokesperson. Those seriously injured in rain-related roof and wall collapses across Punjab were immediately transported to the hospital, the spokesperson added. PDMA issues Jhelum River flood warning The PDMA has issued a flood warning for the Jhelum River, reporting that “exceptio...

Evidence so far shows that actor Humaira Asghar’s death was accidental or due to natural causes, according to a police investigative report released on Wednesday. Last week, police formed a special investigation team to probe the actor’s death, whose body was found in a Karachi apartment on July 8. According to the report by South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, “Evidence so far suggests no signs of foul play or suicide. “Circumstances indicate a possible accidental or natural cause of death while she was engaged in household chores.” The report added that the double-locked door and the presence of all keys inside support the conclusion of no third-party involvement. There was also no evidence of physical assault, struggle, or weapon marks as per the initial post-mortem report. The final confirmation of the cause of death awaited toxicology, chemical analysis and forensic findings, according to the report. “A foul smell was reported by neighbours in Decembe...