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US President Donald Trump has called for a reduced military presence in Germany and urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence.—Reuters • German minister says move should spur Europeans as Pentagon announces withdrawal of 5,000 troops • Two top US Republican lawmakers ​express ‘concern’ over decision • Nato says it’s working with US to understand details of plan • Transatlantic tensions simmer over Iran and tariffs BERLIN: A planned drawdown of 5,000 US troops from Germany should spur Europeans to strengthen their own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, as the continent scrambles to boost deterrence against Russia. However, two top US Republican lawmakers expressed concern, saying the troops should not leave Europe. The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the US and Europe. As ...

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday vowed to keep political influence out of more than 1,300 new appointments in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), two weeks after the country’s premier probe body advertised its largest hiring drive in years. During a visit to FIA headquarters, Naqvi said “merit and transparency must be ensured at all costs” in the recruitment process. His remarks came three days before the deadline for submitting online applications. The promise of a merit-based process addresses a persistent concern for the FIA, which handles immigration, cybercrime, human trafficking and financial fraud cases. The recruitment covers posts including assistant (BS-15), sub-inspector (BS-14), stenotypist (BS-14), upper division clerk (BS-13), lower division clerk (BS-11), assistant sub-inspector (BS-09), constable (BS-05), and drivers. Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026 from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/YF35nao

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/KARACHI: Pakistan is confronting a stark weather dichotomy this week, as extreme heat scorches southern parts of the country while central and northern regions brace for widespread dust storms, rain, and potential landslides triggered by an incoming weather system. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that a fresh westerly wave is expected to approach the northwestern parts of the country on Saturday evening and would persist in the upper regions until May 5. In sharp contrast, extreme heat has gripped much of Sindh. In Karachi, the maximum temperature is expected to rise to 39 degrees Celsius over the weekend, according to Chief Meteorologist Ameer Hyder. Across the large swathes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the fresh westerly weather system is forecast to bring dust-thunderstorms and rain, with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms. Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Buner, Kohistan, Malakand, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Balakot, Haripur, Mardan, Nows...