Pakistan

Political divisions and global acclaim frame the legacy of France's most iconic actor and activist

PESHAWAR: Snowfall and rain hit the mountainous areas of South Waziristan on Tuesday, marking the onset of cold weather and bringing much-needed relief to residents, farmers, and environmental officials. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had predicted rain and snowfall in the hilly areas of the country on Sunday. According to local sources, light to moderate snowfall occurred in high-altitude regions, including Angoor Adda, Shakai, Khamrang, Raghzai, Kaniguram, Badar, Laddha and surrounding hilly localities, while intermittent rainfall was reported in lower areas. The precipitation transformed the mountainous landscape, with hill ranges blanketed in snow, significantly enhancing the natural beauty of the region. Residents welcomed the change in weather, describing the snowfall and rain as “positive and refreshing” after a prolonged dry spell. Many locals were seen enjoying the scenic views, while others expressed optimism about the environmental and economic benefits associated with the winter prec...

A western weather system hovering over western Balochistan is bringing cloudy conditions to Karachi, with chances of light rain and drizzle from Tuesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Early Warning Center has reported.

In the hinterlands of Australia’s historic goldfields, Vicki Plumridge jumps for joy when she digs a small golden nugget out of the earth. The retired retail worker was learning how to use her new metal detector when it started bleeping by the moss-covered ruins of a building. After Plumridge dug the nugget out of the shallow dirt with a plastic trowel, a guide estimated it was around 0.2 of a gram of gold, worth about $40 Australian Dollar ($26.58). “But to me, it’s worth a million dollars,” said the 63-year-old, who had bought the detector only a few days before. “My heart is singing.” Vicki Plumridge, 63, a retired retail worker, reacts as Peter Vanjek, 65, a Gold and Relics prospecting tour guide, tells her she has found a small gold nugget during a Gold and Relics metal detector training session in Mount Doran, Australia, November 29, 2025. — REUTERS Plumridge’s story is becoming more common, as hobbyists flock to Australia’s 9,600 sq km “golden triangle” in the heart of Victoria state, known as one of t...

The Punjab Wildlife Rangers have indicated that the deadline for declaring domestically kept parrots may be extended once again, following an overwhelming response from the public.

The United States Embassy in India on Tuesday warned Indian nationals of “significant criminal penalties” for illegally migrating to the US and breaking its laws. Relations between Washington and New Delhi have become strained over the course of the year, due to US President Donald Trump’s sweeping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and India’s discomfort over US engagement with Pakistan after the May conflict between the two South Asian rivals. In a post on X, the US Embassy posted a message reading, “If you break US law, you will be punished with significant criminal penalties. The Trump Administration is committed to ending illegal immigration to the United States and protecting our nation’s borders and our citizens.” Neither the US State Department nor US missions in Pakistan or other nations, including Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar or China, have issued similar warnings. Since taking office in January this year, Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration in the US, rolling out policies and enact...

A day after an eight-year-old boy drowned in an uncovered manhole in Karachi’s Mehran town, Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged people not to politicise the issue, saying that the child fell because the manhole cover “had been removed and put on the side”. According to the Edhi Foundation, the number of people who died after falling into open manholes and drains across the metropolis rose to 27 in the outgoing year of 2025. Eight of them are children, the data says. The child, identified as Dilbar, was playing outside his residence with other area children when the tragedy occurred, Korangi Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Fida Husain Janwari told Dawn. Speaking to the media today, Mayor Wahab, in response to a fiery question about the issue of missing manhole covers, particularly the death of a child a day earlier and reports of missing covers on II Chundrigar Road, said: “The reports I have so far received from locals, I am in touch with the child’s family, indicate that it was not that there was no cover at all, b...

A Saudi airstrike on what it said was a weapons shipment in Yemen on Tuesday marked the most significant escalation between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to date. Once the twin pillars of regional security, the two Gulf heavyweights have seen their interests diverge on everything from oil quotas to geopolitical influence. Here is a timeline of how the relationship has evolved: 2011: As the Arab Spring spreads, the two form a unified front against extremist movements, deploying joint forces to Bahrain to quell an uprising and coordinating support for Egypts 2013 military overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood government. March, 2015: They launch a military intervention in Yemen to restore the government ousted by the Houthis rebels. UAE troops lead ground operations, while Saudi air power controls the skies. June, 2017: The allies lead a boycott of Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, charges it denies. The move cements the alignment between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bi...

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been forced to cut short his maiden Big Bash League stint after sustaining a knee injury while representing Brisbane Heat. The left-armer suffered a cartilage injury while fielding during Heat’s last-over victory against Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba on Saturday night. Following consultations between Brisbane Heat and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical staff, it was decided that Shaheen would return home for further treatment ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, the club said in a statement on Tuesday. A PCB spokesperson confirmed to Dawn that Shaheen will return to Pakistan on Wednesday, adding that the seriousness of the injury and the potential recovery timeline will be determined after meetings with the board’s doctors upon his return. Shaheen expressed disappointment at leaving the tournament prematurely but thanked the franchise and its supporters for their hospitality. “I have enjoyed myself a lot playing for Brisbane and I am sad that I will not be a...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar exchanged views on “the current regional situation and recent developments” with his Saudi counterpart in a telephone call on Tuesday, according to the Foreign Office (FO). Both nations have a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, mutual economic interests, and shared Islamic heritage. These ties have encompassed economic assistance and energy supplies, with Riyadh being a significant source of financial aid and oil for Islamabad. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed a landmark mutual defence agreement in September this year, which outlined that an attack on one party would be treated as an attack on both. In a post on social media, the FO said that Dar expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Riyadh during the exchange, while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan “reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening and enhancing bilateral ties”. Dar also conveye...

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Tuesday staged a walkout during a Punjab Assembly session in solidarity with journalists who have been boycotting the provincial legislature over alleged “ill-treatment” during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to the assembly. During his three-day visit to Lahore over the weekend, the KP chief minister had given an address at the Punjab Assembly to opposition MPAs last week. However, the visit was marred by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials, while heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also witnessed. Speaking during the session today, Bokhari staged a walkout to show solidarity with journalists from the Punjab Assembly’s press gallery, who she said were “beaten and pushed around” by people accompanying the KP CM. During yesterday’s assembly session, a statement by opposition member Col. (retd) Shoaib Amir about the press gallery, calling them “sellouts”, also sparked outrage. “The whole wo...

LAHORE: An election tribunal dismissed on Tuesday incarcerated PTI leader Yasmin Rashid’s petition that challenged PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s victory from Lahore’s NA-130 in the 2024 general elections. The tribunal, comprising retired Justice Rana Zahid Mahmood, dismissed Rashid’s plea on technical grounds. It said in its decision that the petitioner had failed to comply with the requirements under the Election Act, 2017 for filing an election petition. A written order of the tribunal is yet to be issued. Rashid had filed the petition challenging Nawaz’s victory notification on April 16, 2024. The petition argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued Sharif’s victory notification in violation of the law. Rashid requested in her plea to set aside the victory of the former prime minister and to declare her a returned candidate. She alleged that the ECP manipulated the election results to ensure her defeat. The ECP had issued the notification of Nawaz’s victory from NA-130 on February 13 la...

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi reached Mithi, the main city of Tharparkar district, on Tuesday after a daylong visit to Nagar Parkar at the foothills of the Karoonjhar Hills.

An election tribunal has declared valid the notification of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s victory from Lahore’s NA-130 constituency and dismissed the petition filed by Dr Yasmin Rashid challenging the result.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched the largest tractor distribution scheme in the province’s history, aiming to ensure economic independence for farmers and enhance agricultural productivity.

Wifaq ul Madaris al-Arabia Pakistan, the country’s largest federation of Islamic seminaries, has barred both male and female madaris from collecting money from students for annual convocation ceremonies, citing financial exploitation and practices contrary to the spirit of religious education.

In a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said that the Centre’s cooperation was vital for eliminating terrorism in the province. In a statement released on the social media platform X, the interior ministry said that Kundi called on the interior minister in Islamabad. It added that the two discussed security measures in KP’s border areas and ongoing operations against khawarij. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to the statement, the interior minister gave assurances of the government’s full cooperation for peace and security in KP. “Establishing peace in KP is the top priority,” he was quoted as saying. He said that the federal government was “prepared to provide support in this regard in every possible way”. “We appreciate the sacrifices made by the people of KP in the war against terrorism,” Naqvi said. “Fitna al Khawarij and their facilitators are be...

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Tuesday that it was resuming direct flights to London in March 2026 after a six-year hiatus. In a statement, the PIA spokesperson said the national flag carrier was increasing its flights to the United Kingdom. He said the airline would operate four weekly flights from Islamabad to London from March 29, 2026. He said that the flights would be operated from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4. “The flights are being resumed after a long gap of six years,“ he added. The spokesperson further said that London was the airline’s “first-ever” international destination and remained one of its most important routes. He maintained that the national carrier was already operating three weekly flights to Manchester. In June 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency had barred PIA from operating in EU countries over safety concerns after a flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed near Jinnah International Airport, killing around 100 passengers. The ban on flights followed the ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday condemned reports regarding the targeting of the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a “heinous act”. In a post on X, the prime minister said,“Pakistan condemns the reported targeting of the residence of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation.” He said that such a “heinous act constitutes a grave threat to peace, security and stability, particularly at a time when efforts aimed at peace are underway”. “We reiterate our firm rejection of all forms of violence and acts intended to undermine security and threaten peace,” he said. While the premier did not mention any names, Russian has accused Ukraine of trying to attack Putin’s residence and vowed retaliation, a claim Kyiv dismissed as baseless and aimed at derailing arduous peace talks. The angry exchanges between the warring neighbours on Monday, including a statement by Russia that it was reviewing its stance in negotiations in response to the attack, dealt a new blow ...

A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw women into motorsports and maybe even race to the top in male-dominated Formula 1. A special test day in October in Nottingham aimed to address a major gender gap in F1, one of the flashiest of sports. Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to compete in an F1 Grand Prix in 1976, and the absence of women on the circuit is linked to young girls’ limited exposure to motorsports, according to gender parity organisations. More Than Equal, a non-profit that supports women drivers, said girls start karting two years later than boys on average. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, for example, got into the format aged just eight. “These are the first steps that a girl could take,” Cameron Biggs, coaching and academy pathway manager at Motorsport UK, told AFP. “We’re really trying to join the dots between grassroots and elite.” Formula 1 is one of the world’s few non-segregated sports but is one of the most male-domninated....