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ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agri­culture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations says though the wheat production in Pakistan has officially been estimated at 29 million tonnes in 2025, reflecting about 5 per cent above the five-year average, the area planted has declined by 6.5pc compared to the previous year. The reason for the decline in area of plantation is attributed to the removal of the minimal support price since May 2024, combined with low domestic wheat prices at the planting time that led some farmers to shift to more profitable vegetables and cash crops, including oilseeds, condiments and vegetables, says Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) on Pakistan in its latest issue. In irrigated areas, yields are estimated to be above average, but dry weather conditions caused crop losses in rain-fed areas, which acco­unt for about 20pc of wheat plantings, and in some irrigated areas in northern parts due to shortage of irrigation water, the F...

Tremors from a 6.0 magnitude earthquake were felt across several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in the early hours of Monday, according to the authorities but no casualties or damage was reported. According to the state-run PTV which cited the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the earthquake was recorded at 12:18am. It added that the tremors were felt in Peshawar, Manshera, Abbottabad, Hangu, Malakand, Swat, Chitral, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. A Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson said the quake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres with its epicentre located southwest of Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shocks were also felt in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Tajikistan. Following the tremors, district administrations across Punjab began inspections of buildings to assess structural safety. “However, no casualties or damage have been reported so far,” PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia confirmed. The PDMA stated that its provin...

The Finance Division announced on Sunday night that petrol price will remain unchanged, while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) will be reduced by Rs3 per litre for the next fortnight. Petrol, used mainly in private cars, small vehicles, rickshaws and motorcycles, directly impacts the budgets of middle- and lower-middle-income groups. Most of the transport sector runs on HSD and its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables. A notification from the Finance Division, available with Dawn.com , stated that the new price of HSD was Rs269.99, while petrol would remain at Rs264.61 — the same as the start of August. Additionally, the prices of superior kerosene oil and light diesel oil were slashed by Rs1.46 per litre and Rs2.40, respectively. “The government has revised the petroleum product...

The Oil and Gas Regulatory (Ogra) on Sunday notified the new price of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) at Rs214.19 per kilogramme for the month of September, according to a notification available with Dawn.com . Last month, the price of LPG was set at Rs215.37 per kg for August, down from Rs233.10 in July — a decrease of Rs17.73 per kg. Consequently, the price of an 11.8kg domestic cylinder was fixed at Rs2,541.36. According to today’s notification, Ogra set the per kg price of LPG at Rs214.19, down from Rs215.37 — a decrease of Rs1.18 per kg since last month. The price for an 11.8kg cylinder was set at Rs2,527.47 — making a cylinder Rs13.89 cheaper than the month prior. These prices are effective from September 1 onwards. “The LPG producer price is linked with Saudi Aramco-CP and US dollar exchange rate,” a separate Ogra press release read. “As compared to [the] previous month, Saudi Aramco-CP remains unchanged. The average dollar exchange rate has slightly decreased by 0.69pc resu...

• Observers say move reminiscent of 2022 resignations, will strengthen treasury benches • Lawmakers of ruling parties vie for coveted slots left vacant after over 40 opposition members quit standing committees AS more than 40 PTI lawmakers quit parliamentary committees, including the apex Public Accounts Committee, in line with the order of their chief Imran Khan, the decision has been described by analysts as a “political blunder”, which will play into the government’s hands. More PTI legislators are expected to submit their resignations to the National Assembly Secretariat on Monday — a move that will likely strengthen the treasury benches in parliament. According to observers, Imran Khan’s move to exit the committees was similar to his decision in 2022 when he decided to quit parliament after the 2022 no-trust vote instead of choosing to become a “heavyweight opposition” after his ouster from power. According to the National Assembly Secretariat (NAS) officials, the decision t...

United States President Donald Trump has scrapped plans to attend an upcoming summit of the ‘Quad’ grouping in India amid deteriorating ties between Washington and New Delhi, US newspaper The New York Times ( NYT ) reported on Saturday. Relations between the two countries have plummeted, with 50 per cent levies on many Indian imports into the US taking effect this week as punishment for New Delhi’s massive purchases of Russian oil; a part of US efforts to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine . As ties between both nations deteriorate, NYT reported on Saturday that the breakdown in relations was caused after a phone call on June 17. “After telling [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi that he would travel to India later this year for the Quad summit, Mr Trump no longer has plans to visit in the fall, according to people familiar with the president’s schedule,” the NYT reported, citing “interviews with more than a dozen people in Washington and New Delhi”. The NYT...

• Senate panel regrets tourists were not barred from travelling to vulnerable areas, despite NDMA alerts • Calls for revised Afghan refugee policy that balances humanitarian obligations and national security ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday expressed concern over the lack of preparedness of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) governments and their failure to act on early warnings issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions, presided over by Senator Asad Qasim at the Parliament House, voiced displeasure over the absence of the GB chief secretary, stressing that the participation of senior officials was vital for effective parliamentary deliberations and meaningful decision-making. The committee decided to defer the agenda pertaining to Gilgit-Baltistan and directed that senior GB officers must ensure their presence at future m...

Skipper Salman Agha hit an unbeaten half-century and fast bowler Haris Rauf grabbed four wickets as Pakistan upstaged Afghanistan by 39 runs in the tri-series opener in Sharjah on Friday. Agha hit a 36-ball 53 not out with three sixes and as many boundaries, which lifted Pakistan to 182-7 in their 20 overs. Pacers Rauf took 4-31 and Shaheen Afridi 2-21, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) dismissed Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs before a noisy capacity 16,000 crowd at the Sharjah stadium. Afghanistan matched Pakistan with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 27-ball 38 with a six and three boundaries, adding 51 for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who made 23. It was Rauf who changed the game with a two-wicket 12th over, sending Atal and Karim Janat back without conceding a run. Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan smashed five sixes and a four in his whirlwind 16-ball 39 but fell to Rauf to end his team’s fight. Earlier, Pakistan was lifted by Agha’s fourth...

Former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan will lead the Pakistani delegation aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, according to posts from his social media account on Friday. Earlier this month, it was announced that Pakistan would be joining the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the Israeli siege of Gaza, according to a post on Instagram by the Pak-Palestine Forum, a platform aiming to advance support for the Palestinian cause. According to its website , the flotilla is a “coordinated, nonviolent fleet of mostly small vessels sailing from ports across the Mediterranean to break the Israeli occupation’s illegal siege on Gaza”. Reuters reports that dozens of boats carrying aid will depart Spain and Tunisia and set sail for the Gaza Strip. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua are among hundreds of people from 44 countries participating in the flotilla. Sumud means “perseverance” in Arabic. Among the pa...

LAHORE: The floodwater in the River finally entered Lahore’s five residential localities on Thursday morning, inundating roads and damaging houses and other infrastructure. However, the timely evacuation saved the residents, as none of them was found stranded in the floodwater, it is learnt. The localities suffered due to flood included Shafiqabad, Farrakhabad and Tallat Park near Shahdara bridge and Theme Park, near Chuhng (Multan Road) and Park View. “At the moment, the Ravi is full of floodwater having flows of nearly 220,000 cusecs whereas the designed capacity of the river is 250,000 cusecs,” revealed Lahore Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza while talking to Dawn on Thursday. According to him, Lahore witnessed worst-ever floods in 1988 after Ravi received 345,000 cusecs flows - around 100,000 cusecs more than the designed capacity - and caused massive destruction in Shahdara and adjoining localities. “After the 1988 floods, the water flows measuring 220,000 in the Ravi at...

• PM Shehbaz, CM Maryam oversee massive relief and evacuation operation • Over 1,400 villages inundated; grain crops submerged • Chenab expected to swell to dangerous level at Head Trimmu • Sialkot airport shut due to floodwater • Minister says no compensation for structures built illegally in high-risk areas MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Residents wade through a flooded road in Qadirabad village near the River Chenab.—Reuters LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched one of its largest evacuation operations in recent years, as floodwaters affected over 1.46 million people across the province, with the Chenab River expected to swell to dangerous levels at Head Trimmu. Extremely high floods in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers have also resulted in the loss of 17 lives. The province is battling its worst flooding in four decades, which has caused havoc in hundreds of villages and submerged vital grain crops. Torrential monsoon rain and India’s release of excess water from its dams swe...

THIS monsoon season has laid bare how politics is seeping into the riverbanks, eroding one of South Asia’s most enduring mechanisms of cooperation at a time when the region needs it most. After all, New Delhi has used the devastating floods sweeping across northern India and Pakistan to reassert its unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), while trying to present its ‘limited alerts’ as gestures of concern. The IWT, signed in 1960, has long been hailed as a rare success story in an otherwise conflict-prone relationship. Through wars and diplomatic standoffs, it provided a framework for data sharing, water allocation, and flood management. Between July and October, this system used to enable near-continuous updates on river flows, with information exchanged via the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), a joint body established for that very purpose. That arrangement had been gradually eroding over the past decade, but it effectively collapsed this year after India, in ...

When officials warn of a “medium”, “high”, “very high” or “exceptionally high” flood, what does that actually mean? Over the past week, as Punjab’s rivers have swollen , these technical terms have dominated official updates. Behind these terms lies a simple story about water, river capacity and the limits of infrastructure. What is a cusec? Flood levels are measured in cusecs — short for “cubic feet per second.” One cusec equals the flow of one cubic foot of water every second, or about 28 litres. Put simply, a flow of 100,000 cusecs means nearly 283,000 litres of water rushing past in just one second. On Wednesday, the Ravi at Jassar was recorded at 229,000 cusecs at one point — enough to overwhelm the river’s safe capacity. How flood levels are decided However, flood intensity is not judged by one number alone. It depends on the size of each river and how much water it can normally carry. Smaller rivers such as the Ravi and Sutlej reach critical levels quickly — 200,000 cusecs h...

ISLAMABAD: Google has launched its new ‘AI Mode’ in Pakistan, offering users access to its most advanced AI-powered search experience. First introduced in the United States this year, the feature is now expanding globally, with Pakistan among the latest countries to gain access. The tool, powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5, enables people to ask longer and more complex questions that previously required multiple searches. Available in English, AI Mode can be accessed via the Google app on Android and iOS, as well as on mobile and desktop web. In a statement, Google said that early testers have shown that queries are already two to three times longer than traditional searches, highlighting the tool’s usefulness for exploratory tasks such as comparing products, planning trips, or tackling “how-to” questions. “It dives deep to answer multiple questions at once, with helpful links for further exploration,” the company said. Google explained that Pakistani users can use ‘AI Mode...

At least 25 countries have decided to suspend package deliveries to the United States, as concern grows over the impact of President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs, a UN body said on Tuesday. The Trump administration said late last month that it would abolish a tax exemption on small packages entering the US from August 29. The move has sparked a flurry of announcements from postal services, including in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and Japan, that most US-bound packages would no longer be accepted. The United Nations’ Universal Postal Union (UPU) said it had already been advised by 25 member countries that their postal operators “have suspended their outbound postal services to the US, citing uncertainties specifically related to transit services”. It said the suspensions would remain in place until there was more clarity on how US authorities planned to implement the announced measures. The UPU did not provide a list of postal services it had heard from. ‘C...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has decided to introduce a major change in the recruitment process for government posts from Grade 16 to Grade 21, ARY News reported. All recruitment examinations will follow a new Multiple Choice Question (MCQ)-based format, starting September 21, 2025. According to sources within the FPSC, candidates will be required to appear in a single MCQ-based paper of 100 marks for Grades 16 and 17, . The passing score is set at 40 marks, and a negative marking of 0.25 will be applied for each incorrect answer. For Grades 18 and 19, two separate MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each will be conducted. For general posts, the passing score is 40, with the same 0.25 negative marking for wrong answers. For speciaised posts such as doctors, general managers, teachers, and other professional or technical roles, the passing percentage for teaching positions will be a minimum of 50%. Grades 20 & 21, there will be two MCQ-based papers. Howev...

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expects to visit China this year or shortly afterwards, noting that economic ties between the two countries have improved — even as he kept the door open to steeper tariffs. Speaking to reporters as he met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington, Trump pointed to recent talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping: “At some point, probably during this year or shortly thereafter, we’ll go to China. “We’re going to have a great relationship with China,” Trump vowed. The US leader added: “They have some cards. We have incredible cards, but I don’t want to play those cards. If I played those cards, that would destroy China.” Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have been simmering this year, but have significantly cooled since April, when both countries slapped escalating tariffs on each other’s exports. At one point, the tit-for-tat duties reached triple digits on both sides, snarling supply chains ...

Shares in Puma SE surged after Bloomberg reported on Monday that the holding company of France’s Pinault family is weighing options for its 29% stake in the German sportswear maker including sounding out potential buyers. The Pinault’s holding company, Artemis, which controls Gucci-owner Kering (PRTP.PA), opens new tab and other businesses in the luxury, arts and entertainment industries, has become the subject of increased scrutiny from investors over high debt accumulated across its portfolio as it sought to diversify investments. A spokesperson for Artemis, Puma’s biggest shareholder, declined to comment. Puma did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Puma’s shares, which have lost over 60% of their value over the past two years, were up 18% at 1353 GMT. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported the Pinaults were working with advisors to assess options for the asset and had reached out to potential buyers. The stake is worth roughly 800 million euros ($936.56 milli...

WASHINGTON: Intel said on Monday that the U.S. government’s 9.9% stake in the chipmaker could pose risks to its business, from potentially harming international sales to limiting its ability to secure future government grants. The company laid out new risk factors in a securities filing after the government decided to convert $11 billion in government grants into an equity stake in Intel, the latest extraordinary intervention in corporate America by President Donald Trump. Separately, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said in a video posted on Monday by the Commerce Department that the company did not need the government funding. “I don’t need the grant,” Tan said. “But I really look forward to having the U.S. government be my shareholder.” But the filing from Intel raised questions about the U.S. investment. Intel noted, for example, that it is uncertain if the deal may result in other government entities trying to convert existing grants into equity investments or if they might be unwilling ...

Manchester United remain without a Premier League win this season after being held 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday, while a Jack Grealish-inspired Everton opened their new stadium with a 2-0 victory over Brighton. Ruben Amorim’s United were left to rue Bruno Fernandes’ wayward first-half penalty as they were pegged back at Craven Cottage. Rodrigo Muniz’s own-goal put United in front on the hour mark, but Emile Smith Rowe came off the bench to rescue a point for Fulham. Amorim is seeking an upturn on a disastrous 15th-placed finish last season, but so far his new £200 million ($270 million) forward line of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, who again started on the bench, is yet to fire. Despite an encouraging performance, Manchester United lost 1-0 to title-chasing Arsenal in their season opener last weekend and will feel another two points slipped away in west London. Fulham, though, felt the visitors got the better of two controversial calls. United’s penalty was awarded ...

Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah on Saturday elaborated on the difficulties judges faced regarding cases of missing persons and enforced disappearances in the face of non-cooperation by the state and lawmakers. The judge was attending a documentary screening organised by rights group Defence for Human Rights Pakistan, where he delivered remarks to attendees and noted that cases regarding missing persons and disappearances were the most difficult he had come across. Addressing the gathering, Justice Minallah said that when he ordered that disappearances be investigated or missing people be found, “the authorities would come and they would all say that we don’t know where they are.” At this, the judge pointed out: “The judge and the court cannot do anything when you don’t have independent investigators.” Minallah added: “Every judge of the Supreme Court is responsible personally for every violation of fundamental rights that takes place in Pakistan.” The judge recounted an inst...

DHAKA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with the political leadership of Bangladesh during his visit to the South Asian country. “As part of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s interaction with different political stakeholders, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and National Citizen Party (NCP),” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X. In a meeting with a delegation Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami led by Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher, Naib Ameer, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and the recent developments. Ishq Dar lauded the courage and steadfastness of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists in the face of hardships and difficulties. In a meeting with a delegation of NCP, led by Mr Akhtar Hossain, Ishaq Dar appreciated the party leadership’s vision for reform and social justice. He emphasised the nee...

Senior journalist Suhail Warraich on Friday said that a column he wrote about a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, which ignited a controversy, had been “misunderstood”. In a column published on Aug 16, Warraich — a senior editor at the Jang newspaper — wrote that COAS Munir had spoken to him during a stopover in Brussels, on his way back from a recent trip to the US. “On a question about politics, he (the army chief) said that political reconciliation is possible only if there is a sincere apology,” the column read , without specifying who the army chief was referring to or who the question was about. However, that quote ended up stirring a controversy in the commentariat. Challenging the impression that the army chief had “sought an apology over the May 9 riots”, the military’s spokesperson had said on Thursday that Field Marshal Munir did not make any political statements during a recent trip to Brussels. He had also rebuked the senior journalist ...

PARIS: A French video streamer who died during a livestream after days of abuse by other streamers did not die as a result of trauma or the intervention of a third party, court authorities said. France has been rocked by the death of 46-year-old Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, who died during a livestream on Monday after enduring several days of violence and humiliation broadcast on platform Kick. The prosecutor of Nice in southern France, near where Graven died, said an autopsy showed no trace of traumatic injuries that could explain the death, and that the probable causes of death therefore appeared to be medical or toxicological in origin. Further analyses have been ordered to determine these causes, the prosecutor said, adding that Graven had cardiac issues and that he was undergoing medical treatment for his thyroid gland. In an interview with broadcaster franceinfo on Friday, Clara Chappaz, a junior minister for AI and digital technology, said that during som...