Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a heatwave alert from June 9 to 12, warning of soaring temperatures across the country due to the development of a high-pressure system.

People across the country continued celebrating the third day of Eidul Azha on Monday with traditional zeal, performing animal sacrifices and participating in various festivities.

The federal government will unveil the Economic Survey of Pakistan for the fiscal year 2024–25 today (Monday), ahead of the upcoming federal budget.

President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed serious concerns over India’s rising Hindutva-driven extremism, calling it a threat to regional stability and peace.

The Punjab government has announced a province-wide initiative to register all unregistered restaurants and wedding halls, following approval from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during a high-level meeting.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is expected to present the Finance Bill 2025-26 in the National Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday). Much has been said in the lead-up to the big day; the finance minister has pledged to introduce “bold measures” to steer the national economy in a strategic direction, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stressed the need for tight expenditure controls to ensure sustainable debt servicing. Meanwhile, the government has decided to cut allocations for almost all sectors, barring a rise in road building schemes and no changes to parliamentarians’ schemes. While all this chatter continues, Dawn.com reached out to former finance ministers, Asad Umar and Miftah Ismail, for their input on what the government should be prioritising in the next fiscal year. Here’s what they had to say. Asad Umar — Finance Minister [Aug 2018 - April 2019] During the last 10 years, the fiscal deficit has averaged more than 6 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). These heavy deficits running...

No one was killed, but several people were injured and taken to hospital on Sunday when a skydiving plane carrying 20 passengers and crew crashed in the US state of Tennessee, authorities said. A twin-engine plane used for skydiving expeditions crashed shortly after midday in Tullahoma, south of Nashville, according to local and federal officials. “There were no casualties,” city spokesman Lyle Russell said in a statement sent to AFP. He said a total of 20 passengers and crew were onboard the DeHaviland DH-6 Twin Otter when it crashed at the Tullahoma Regional Airport at around 12:30pm (10:30pm PKT). “Three were sent for medical treatment via helicopter and one sent by ground transport for more serious injuries to local hospitals,” he said, adding that “other minor injuries were treated by first responders on scene”. Russell said that “no ground facilities or airport facilities were damaged and there were no injuries reported from the ground”. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the ...

Israeli forces have boarded a charity vessel attempting to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said early on Monday. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian FFC, had departed from Sicily on June 6 and had hoped to reach Gaza later in the day, when the interception occurred, the group said on its Telegram account. Among those on board the boat are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Shortly before the FFC statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a video on X showing the Israeli Navy communicating with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to change course. “The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade,” a soldier said. “If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you are able to do so through the (Israeli) port of Ashdod.” The orga...

Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday. Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors. Alcaraz pulled off his first-ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4 hours and 42 minutes. Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation. Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown afte...

Microsoft’s Activision has announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the next planned title in the hit franchise. This marks the first time in CoD history that two Black Ops games will be released consecutively, following last fall’s Black Ops 6. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Black Ops 7 is set in 2035, […]

Fans of singer-songwriter and Hollywood actor Miley Cyrus were left disgruntled at the premiere of her ‘Something Beautiful’ visual album. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here The ‘Hannah Montana’ star was accompanied by co-directors Brendan Walter and Jacob Bixenman, along with producer Panos Cosmatos, to discuss the visual album at the Tribeca […]

A fire that broke out at a factory in Landhi on Sunday is still burning and five people have been injured in the blaze, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Khan told Dawn.com that the fire, which erupted in a factory in the export processing zone in Landhi, caused part of a factory building to collapse, leaving five people injured. “The injured include 45-year-old Aslam, 30-year-old Hamza, 20-year-old Ayaz, 43-year-old Sajid Mahmood and 53-year-old Mohsin,” Khan said. “They have been transported to Civil Hospital.” Earlier, Khan told Dawn.com that the fire broke out at 4:31am, meaning that it has been burning for at least 17 hours. Speaking to Dawn.com earlier today, Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh, chief operating officer at Rescue 1122 Sindh, said that the fire broke out early on Sunday morning, spreading rapidly and engulfing two other factories due to the presence of combustible material. He said, “As soon as the information was received, the Fire and Rescue team of Rescue 1122...

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has praised Pakistan’s progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, citing significant achievements on both diplomatic and defense fronts.

Microsoft on Sunday confirmed its plans to launch a new handheld gaming console ROG Xbox Ally. The announcement was made during the Xbox Games Showcase in the Summer Game Fest, taking place at the Grammy Museum Rooftop in Los Angeles. While Microsoft remained tight-lipped about the pricing, it confirmed that the gaming console will have […]

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar has called for proactive and coordinated national efforts to tackle Pakistan’s escalating water crisis.

United States National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles early on Sunday after being deployed by President Donald Trump, a rare deployment against the state governor’s wishes after sometimes violent protests against immigration enforcement raids. Trump took federal control of California’s state military to push soldiers into the country’s second-biggest city, an extraordinary move not seen for decades and deemed “purposefully inflammatory” by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Helmeted troops carrying automatic weapons and with camouflaged vehicles could be seen in the Compton neighbourhood of the California city early Sunday, ahead of more protests, including a call by organisers for a “mass mobilisation” at City Hall at 2pm local time (2100 GMT). The development came after two days of confrontations during which federal agents fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas toward crowds angry at the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population. Republicans lined up behind Trump on ...

Apple TV+ has shared the thrilling teaser trailer for ‘The Lost Bus,’ starring Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey. The disaster thriller is the actor’s first starring role in a film in six years, having last featured in 2019’s ‘The Gentlemen.’ ‘The Lost Bus’ is adapted from Lizzie Johnson’s book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an […]

‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,’ starring Hollywood actor Ana de Armas, opened to a sluggish start at the US domestic box office. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here The film premiered in theatres on June 6, debuting in second place with $25 million from 3,409 locations. It marks the lowest […]

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday approved the parliamentary schedule for the upcoming federal budget session, with its presentation slated for June 10 and a parliamentary session discussing it scheduled for June 13, according to a statement from the NA Secretariat. As announced by Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad, the federal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 will be presented on June 10, while the Pakistan Economic Survey will be released a day earlier. According to today’s statement, Sadiq approved the NA’s schedule for the budget, which will be presented in the lower house on June 10. “There will not be any sessions in the National Assembly on June 11 and 12,” Sadiq was quoted as saying. “The discussion on the federal budget will begin in the National Assembly on June 13 [and] parliamentary parties present … will be given time for discussion as per the rules and regulations,” he added. According to the statement, debates on the federal budget will continue until June 2...

David E. Kelley, the creator of ‘Big Little Lies,’ has shared his views on season 3 of the hit show, which aired its second season around six years ago. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here The HBO series, adapted from Liane Moriarty’s 2014 novel of the same name, features Hollywood actors Reese […]