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KARACHI: Building on the success of its inaugural conference , DawnMedia on Saturday announced the ‘Second Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference’ to be held on April 15-16, 2026. The first edition of Breathe Pakistan sparked national dialogue and global collaboration around vital climate challenges — from climate justice and finance to renewable energy transitions, disaster risk reduction, and inclusive public-private partnerships. It emphasised the crucial roles of accountability, media engagement, and the empowerment of women and smallholder farmers in building climate resilience, according to a press release. Pakistan remains increasingly vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change, facing record-breaking heatwaves, destructive hail and windstorms, water scarcity, and extreme weather events that threaten lives, infrastructure, and livelihoods. As climate challenges intensify, DawnMedia continues to bring this critical issue to the forefront thro...

Two people were killed and 11 others were injured in an explosion in the Killi Mangal area near Quetta in Balochistan, a police official told Dawn.com on Saturday. According to Hanna Urak Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Akhtar, Abdul Salam, a notable and the owner of a coal mine, was the target of the attack. “A banned organisation tried to extort money from him,” Akhtar told Dawn.com . “When he did not pay, around 100 armed suspects attacked his mine and destroyed the machinery there.” The SHO said that Salam, his brother and several of his men arrived at the mine, but were ambushed by the suspects and a gun battle ensued. “The armed suspects had planted explosives in the mine,” the SHO said. “They fled the scene before the explosion. Salam and his brother were killed by one of the explosives. There were also 11 injuries.” Immediately after the explosion, police and security forces reached the scene and started collecting evidence from the crime scene. According to SHO Akhtar...

• Applies strict policy of ‘no Haj without permit’ • Deploys drones to spot unregistered pilgrims; hundreds of apartments raided • Fines doubled for performing rites illegally; violators to face 10-year ban • Family, tourist visas barred to nationals of more than 10 countries RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week’s Haj , a year after hundreds perished in scorching conditions. Regular raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts are aimed at rooting out unauthorised visitors hoping to mingle among the crowds in and around the holy city of Makkah. The simple message, “No Haj without a permit”, is being blared out in a relentless campaign promoted nationwide at shopping centres, on billboards and across media platforms. Last year, 1,301 pilgrims, most of them unregistered and lacking access to air-conditioned tents and buses, died as temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius. “Since the end of last season, we realised t...

• Suspension of Indus Waters Treaty a ‘red line’, Shehbaz tells Dushanbe glacier summit • Says millions of lives must not be held hostage to ‘narrow political gains’ • Terms 2022 floods a consequence of glacial melt • Tajik president wants global plan to save melting glaciers DUSHANBE: Rejecting the “weaponisation of water”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the “red line” by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, describing any such move as a reckless act that would jeopardise millions of lives for narrow political gain. “India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable,” the prime mi­n­ister said while addr­essing the High-Level Int­e­rnational Conference on Glaciers Preservation. “Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line...

French scientist Etienne-Emile Baulieu, the inventor of the abortion pill, died at the age of 98 at his home in Paris on Friday, his wife told AFP . The doctor and researcher, who achieved worldwide renown for his work that led to the pill, had an eventful life that included fighting in the French resistance and becoming friends with artists such as Andy Warhol. “His research was guided by his commitment to the progress made possible by science, his dedication to women’s freedom, and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives,” Baulieu’s wife Simone Harari Baulieu said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to his life, calling him “a beacon of courage” and “a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom”. “Few French people have changed the world to such an extent,” he added in a post on X. Baulieu’s most famous discovery helped create the oral drug RU-486, also known as mifepristone, which provided a safe and inexpensive alt...

ISLAMABAD: The total cost of disasters now exceeds $2.3 trillion annually, factoring in cascading and ecosystem impacts, according to a UN report. “Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025” by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) finds that while direct disaster costs averaged $70 billion to $80bn a year between 1970 and 2000, these figures surged to $180bn to $200bn annually from 2001 to 2020. The growing economic burden highlights the intensifying impact of disasters worldwide. The “big five” disasters — earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts and heatwaves — have accounted for over 95pc of direct recorded losses over the past 20 years. In 2023 alone, these hazards caused direct economic losses of more than $195.7bn, or about 0.015pc of global GDP. Extreme heat, once overlooked, is now included among these primary hazards due to its role in fatalities, reduced productivity, and lower well-being. Pakistan’s 2022 floods, which killed more tha...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench has questioned the PTI’s decision to “compel” its members — who won as independents in the Feb 8, 2024, elections — to join the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) which has no seats in parliament. Justice Aminuddin Khan, who headed the 11-judge bench, remarked that PTI had apparently misled the candidates into joining SIC, which was not even a parliamentary party. The remarks were made on Thursday as the bench resumed the hearing of a set of review petitions filed against the court’s July 2024 order. Faisal Siddiqi, who was representing SIC, conceded some “mistakes were committed” by the party, but went on to add that “we all make mistakes”. He remarked that even great judges gave bad judgements in the past. Justice Hilali asks if eight judges amended Constitution by extending deadline for independents to join parties Justice Khan observed even if the court accepted the SIC’s contention that this confusion was entirely the Election Co...

UNITED NATIONS: Palestinians living in Gaza “deserve more than survival”, the United Nations envoy for the Middle East told the Security Council on Wednesday, as Israel’s bombardment entered its 600th day. Israel stepped up its military offensive in Gaza earlier this month, while mediators push for an end to hostilities that remains elusive. The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis after Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months, before allowing supplies in at a trickle last week. “Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, the already horrific existence of civilians has only sunk further into the abyss. This is man-made,” Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East, told the Council. US surgeon says Gaza’s health network has been systematically dismantled in a ‘sustained military campaign’ “Death is their companion,” she continued. “It’s not life, it’s not hope. The people of Gaza deserve more than survi...

SOME sort of a crypto bug seems to have gripped the government and perhaps some of it is warranted. From the details reported in the international media we learn that at least some of the efforts of the Pakistani government in the crypto domain are geared towards procuring influence in Washington DC, with those close to the Trump administration coming to Pakistan for crypto-related discussions. To that extent we can look at what is happening and say “it is what it is” and leave it at that. But the moment the government begins to take crypto seriously as a business proposition it becomes dangerous. And it is important to keep this distinction in mind, between crypto as an influence peddling tool versus a serious business proposition, because the resources the government will put at risk if it ventures into the world of crypto are public resources. In the past few weeks, since the Crypto Council was announced by the government, we have seen suggestions appear in print on how Pakistan ...

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations will honour two Pakistani peacekeepers posthumously at a ceremony at its headquarters on Thursday on the occasion of ‘International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers’ being observed on May 29. Among the peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal the two Pakistanis are: Sepoy Muhammad Tarique and Havildar Ahsan Ullah Khan - both served with UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). During the ceremonies, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will lay a wreath to honour more than 4,400 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. He will also preside over a ceremony in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at which Dag Hammarskjöld Medals will be awarded posthumously to 57 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year. Pakistan is the fifth largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys more than 2,800 military and police pe...

CAIRO: Thousands of Palestinians stormed sites in southern Gaza where aid was being distributed on Tuesday by a foundation backed by the US and Israel, with desperation for food overcoming concern about biometric and other checks Israel said it would employ. By late afternoon, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it had distributed about 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to 462,000 meals, after an almost three-month-old Israeli blockade of the devastated enclave. In Rafah, which is under full Israeli army control, thousands of people, including women and children, some on foot or in donkey carts, flocked towards one of the distribution sites to receive food packages. Videos showed lines of people walking through a wired-off corridor and into a large open field where aid was stacked. Later, images shared on social media showed large parts of the fence torn down as people jostled their way onto the site. Private relief agency’s closeness to US and Israel’s endorsement of its dis...

The Sindh government on Tuesday imposed a complete ban on waste disposal into drains for two months in Karachi to prevent their blockage during the incoming monsoon season. The monsoon season wreaks havoc in the metropolis every year as the drains become clogged causing them to overflow. According to a notification issued by Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, the ban was imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The notification said that throwing waste into the drains “causes serious environmental hazards, discharge of less water, choking of nullahs and a major cause of blockage of the nullahs during the monsoon season”. It further said that this “warrants immediate action” to impose the ban “to prevent [the] throwing of garbage, solid waste and dumping of debris and other materials into the nullahs”, barring the people from the above actions. The order also authorised the police to register complaints against violators under Section 188 of the Pakistan...

• Over 50 more killed in a single day • Head of US-backed aid group quits • Only 4.6pc of Gaza land now ‘arable’ • German chancellor says he no longer understands Israeli army’s goal GENEVA: The Palestinian delegation won the right to fly their flag at the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a symbolic victory in a vote on Monday that its envoy hopes will lead to greater recognition within the UN and beyond. The proposal, brought by China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others, at the global agency’s annual assembly in Geneva passed with 95 in favour and four against — Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic and Germany — and 27 abstentions. In apparent reference to the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Lebanon’s delegate Rana el-Khoury said the vote’s outcome provided “a small ray of hope for the brave Palestinian people whose suffering has reached unbearable levels”. Israel argued against the WHO resolution and called for a vote. Its main ally, the US, did not participate. Meanwhi...

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank has agreed to assist Pakistan develop a strategy and climate policy framework aimed at enhancing environmental resilience and climate adaptability in the country. The decision was taken in a meeting of ADB Director General Bruno Carrasco-led delegation with Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordi­nation Dr Musadik Malik and other officials. Pakistan’s climate resilience and environmental sustainability agenda was discussed. During the meeting, both parties emphasised the importance of a comprehensive and forward-looking approach to tackle the pressing challenges of climate change. The discussion focused on youth-led climate initiatives by providing necessary support in terms of preparation, mentorship and funding. Both sides recognised the potential of such initiatives to not only contribute meaningfully to climate solutions but also position themselves competitively on the global innovation landscape. The meeting also...

• High-level team due in NY to counter Indian lobbying, Bilawal likely to head delegation • Indian team led by Tharoor is already in US, assailing Trump’s role in truce A HIGH-LEVEL Pakistani delegation is arriving in New York next week to present Islamabad’s position on the ongoing dispute with India as an Indian parliamentary team is already in the United States to step up its own lobbying campaign. The Pakistani delegation currently includes Federal Minister for Environment Musadik Masood Malik, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Senator Bushra Rahman, Khurram Dastagir, former ambassadors to Washington Jalil Abbas Jilani and Sherry Rehman. The group is expected to arrive in New York on June 1. PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari is scheduled to lead the delegation. However, with the possible addition of two new destinations to the itinerary, the final list of participants is still being finalised. There is also a possibility that Pakistan m...

THE government has delayed the announcement of the budget for the next fiscal year by a little over a week to June 10, presumably due to lingering differences with the IMF over certain expenditure proposals the lender thinks could undermine progress on its $7bn funding programme. For its part, the government considers the contested expenditures critical to providing relief to the middle class, which is burdened with heavy taxes and elevated cost of living, as well as to strengthening Pakistan’s military defences against India. After multiple inconclusive rounds of discussions on the budget proposals for the coming year, the IMF mission left the country, agreeing to continue talks on tax measures and expenditures virtually over the next week. Following its visit, the lender issued a statement calling the discussions with Pakistani authorities on the “budget proposals and broader economic policy, and reform agenda supported by the 2024 Extended Fund Facility and the 2025 Resili...

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office has said some 110,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Pakistan, including a minimum of 8 per cent of Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders, have both high-risk profiles with increased international protection needs, and specific or cumulative vulnerabilities that could qualify them for resettlement. The Resettlement Programme in Pakistan has been active since the 1980s and more than 20,000 vulnerable refugees have now departed for resettlement to third countries to find safety and rebuild their lives, UNHCR says in its latest resettlement factsheet on Pakistan Operation. In 2021, following the changed situation in Afghanistan, there was a renewed interest by the international community in the resettlement of Afghan refugees, leading to an increase in resettlement quotas for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The US topped the list of nine countries that accepted Afghan refugees for resettlement. The US accept...

• Shehbaz meets Erdogan, expresses gratitude for Ankara’s support during tensions with India • Both sides reaffirm principled support for ‘core concerns’, including Kashmir dispute; call for Gaza ceasefire • Premier advocates investments in renewable energy, IT, defence production, agriculture ISLAMABAD: In the first leg of his four-country tour, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday arrived in Turkiye, where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to not only thank Ankara for its support during recent tensions with India but also cement bilateral economic cooperation. “Both leaders reaffirmed their principled support for each other’s core concerns, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” said an official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday. In his meeting with President Erdogan, the PM advocated joint ventures and enhanced bilateral investment, highlighting key sectors, including renewable energy, information technology, defence production, infrastru...

Virgil van Dijk lifted the Premier League trophy after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday as the Reds held a title party with their own fans for the first time in 35 years. Arne Slot’s side wrapped up their record-equalling 20th English crown with a demolition of Tottenham in April, but the long-awaited trophy presentation was saved for the final game of the season. Liverpool’s last title in 2020 was won during the Covid-19 lockdown, meaning the trophy was held aloft by then-captain Jordan Henderson in front of an empty stadium. The Reds made the most of their first title celebration in a packed Anfield since 1990 as the 61,000-capacity crowd partied along with the great and good of Liverpool’s illustrious past. “It’s always special to win something, but at certain clubs maybe a little bit more,” Slot said. “I don’t think you expect anything like this. If you look at the Premier League in the last few seasons, it was always a race to the end. “To be part of it wa...

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for operationalising the Gaza Reconstruction Plan endorsed by the OIC and Arab Group . As diplomats met in New York to prepare for an international conference in June, aimed at advancing global efforts towards achieving a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Pakistan called for addressing the root cause: Israel’s prolonged occupation. “Only by ending the occupation can we secure a just and lasting peace,” Amb­assador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the preparatory session that brought together UN member states to finalise arrangements for eight roundtables. “This conference is both timely and essential,” he said, pointing out that Palestinian people’s continued suffering, the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the systematic erosion of the two-state solution through illegal settlements and unilateral measures by the occupying power demand a resolute international response. ...

• 19 dead, over 90 injured in Punjab • Road, air travel disrupted; walls and roofs collapse, infrastructure damaged • Widespread outages reported from parts of country • Crops, power lines damaged in KP; 113 feeders trip across province ISLA­M­ABAD / LAHORE /PES­H­­­­­A­WAR: At least 19 people were killed and over 90 others injured as powerful windstorms and heavy rains battered several parts of the country on Saturday, paralysing road and air traffic, damaging infrastructure and triggering widespread power outages. Heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds and hail also struck Islamabad, leading to water accumulation in several low-lying areas and trees falling at multiple spots. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strong winds and hailstorms caused extensive damage to crops and power lines but no fatalities were reported. Over 113 power feeders tripped across the province, with areas like Peshawar, Mardan, Khyber, Swabi, Swat and Abbottabad worst affected. Meanwhile, a private airline fro...