Daily News Pakistan

Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has revealed his top five favorite bowlers to watch out for in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. In a short video, Steyn singled out India's Mohammed Siraj, South Africa's Rabada, Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, New Zealand's Trent Boult, and England's Mark Wood as the bowlers he is most excited to see in action during the tournament. Speaking about Shaheen Shah Afridi, Steyn emphasized his anticipation for a thrilling battle, stating, "Shaheen Shah Afridi's bowling will be a sight to behold, especially when he faces Rohit Sharma." He further added, "Mark Wood, Shaheen, Trent Boult, Mohammed Siraj, and Rabada are all expected to shine brightly in the World Cup with their outstanding performances." Cricket fans around the world can now look forward to witnessing these five exceptional bowlers making their mark in the upcoming World Cup, according to Dale Steyn's insights.

Recovering from the flu can sometimes be as easy as nursing a few mugs of tea and keeping your heating pad close by for any aches and pains. When that doesn’t work though, there are a few other recovery methods that can help you get out of bed and back to your life with a clean bill of health! 1. Stay Home Staying home and resting is standard procedure when you’re sick, but it’s also crucial to keeping others safe and healthy. So, grab a good book or stream your favorite movie; just make sure to stay inside. 2. Drink lots of fluids Replenishing your body is important when you’re sick. The aforementioned mugs of tea are a great remedy. Juice can be added to your beverage rotation because it doesn’t have to be all water; soup or broth is even a good liquid to consume while getting over the flu. 3. Grab an Extra Pillow The pressure on your sinuses differs when you’re lying down versus when you’re sitting up. This can make it harder to breathe when sleeping. Propping your head up ...

The Russian defence ministry said that its air defence had downed all nine missiles launched from Ukraine over its western Belgorod region. Belgorod borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region and has repeatedly come under fire since the beginning of Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. Russia's defence ministry said it thwarted Ukraine's "terror" attack on its objects by destroying nine missiles of the multiple-launch rocket system called "Uragan" (Hurricane) in the air. NATO member Romania reported a possible violation of its airspace during overnight drone attacks by Russia on infrastructure in neighbouring Ukraine. Since exiting a deal allowing safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, Moscow has ramped up strikes on Ukraine's southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, home to vital grain-exporting infrastructure. "Following the detection of groups of drones heading towards Ukrainian territory near the Romanian border" residents in the Tulcea and G...

Bangladesh cricket team suffered a massive setback before their opening warm-up fixture against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. Captain Shakib Al Hasan injured himself while playing football in a team practice session. Shakib Al Hasan will be ruled out for the two warm-up games and their opening league fixture against Afghanistan at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on October 7. Bangladesh will be without their most valuable player in these three games. Shakib’s injury a headache for Bangladesh Shakib Al Hasan was absent from the toss against Sri Lanka in their opening warm-up fixture of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Mehidy Hasan Miraz came out for the toss in Guwahati. As per a few news reports, Shakib is not doing well, and his heel has a lot of swelling. He injured himself while playing football with his teammate before the game against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh camp was in shock after Shakib’s injury, as he is their X-factor player in the mega event in India. Bangladesh camp will be looking to ...

You can now request early access to Meta AI, a large language model that inhabits Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The AI uses Llama 2 technology to answer questions and can tap into the Emu model to generate images. Additionally, Meta is offering a host of AI characters that fulfill specific roles. These characters are represented by a selection of 28 celebrities — Snoop Dogg plays an on-demand dungeon master, Roy Choi's character offers culinary tips, and Naomi Osaka is the face of an anime-obsessed AI. The Meta AI is similar to ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion. It's trained on a dataset and responds to text input. To call upon this AI, simply type "@Meta" in a Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp chat. The Meta account will appear on-screen (the same way that a friend's account appears when typing their handle). Tap the Meta account, and an AI character selection menu will pop up — the basic Meta AI appears alongside celebrity char...

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted a challan (charge sheet) under the Official Secrets Act related to the case in the special court in which Chairman PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been declared guilty. In the challan submitted to the court, FIA has requested that Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood be tried and punished. According to the sources, Asad Umar is not included in FIA’s accused list while former Principal Secretary Azam Khan has become FIA’s witness whose statement 161 and 164 is attached with the challan. As per challan Chairman PTI misused the State Secret Act by keeping the cipher; the copy of the cipher reached Imran Khan but was not returned, sources added.

Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday rolled out new AI products for consumers, including bots that create photo-realistic images and smart glasses that answer questions, as well as an updated virtual-reality headset. Zuckerberg described the products as bringing together virtual and real worlds, and underscored that part of what Meta offered was low cost or free AI that could integrate into daily routine. Meta's Quest is the bestseller in the nascent VR space and the company's executives described it as the best value in the industry, a nod to the impending release of a much more expensive headset from Apple. Speaking from a central courtyard on Meta's sprawling Silicon Valley campus, Zuckerberg said a new generation of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses would start shipping on Oct. 17, priced at $299. The device will incorporate a new Meta AI assistant and be capable of livestreaming broadcasts of what a user is seeing directly to Facebook and Ins...

More than 2,500 people have died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, the UN refugee agency said, while approximately 186,000 people have arrived in European countries during the same period. Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in New York, told the UN Security Council on Thursday that of the 186,000 who had crossed the Mediterranean, 83 percent – some 130,000 people – landed in Italy. Other countries where people who had crossed the Mediterranean had landed included Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta. The number of those who died or went missing during the dangerous sea crossing has surged this year compared with last year, the Security Council was told. “By September 24, over 2,500 people were accounted as dead or missing in 2023 alone,” Menikdiwela said. That number marked a large increase over the 1,680 who died or went missing in the same period in 2022. Menikdiwela said the UN refuge...

At least two people were killed and five were injured in a blast inside a mosque during Friday prayers in Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday. Police confirmed the terrorist attack, saying it occurred in the limits of Doaba police station. The bodies and injured have been shifted to hospital while security forces have cordoned off the area. The roof the mosque caved in following the blast amid fears that some worshippers are stuck under the debris. Heavy machinery has been called to the site to remove the rubble and rescue trapped people. The blast comes hours after deadly suicide bombing killed over 35 people in Mastung area of Balochistan. Over 60 people sustained injuries during the attack, officials said, adding that some of them are in critical condition.

Four Pak Army soldiers were martyred while three terroists were killed in a crossfire near Pak-Afghan Border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Friday. According to the military's media wing, security forces thwarted an attempt of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists' bid to infiltrate from Afghanistan into Pakistan. The incident took place on September 28 at 5:45pm (PST), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, as law enforcers ramp up efforts against terrorists having safe havens in Afghanistan. As a result of the standoff, four soldiers -- Havildar Sattar, Lance Naik Sher Azam, Lance Naik Adnan, and Sepoy Nadeem -- embraced martyrdom after having fought valiantly. The soldiers also sent three terrorists "to hell", the ISPR said, noting that "few" other militants were also injured during the gunbattle. "Security forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart efforts of the enemies of peace a...

At least 35 people were killed, including a police officer, while over 40 sustained injuries in an explosion in Balochistan's Mastung district on Friday — the second major blast in the district in September According to the district administration, Mastung’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori was among the deceased. Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim said that the explosion took place near the mosque where people were gathering to mark Eid Miladun Nabi — the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The AC said that the explosion — which law enforcers believe is a suicide blast — took place near Madina Mosque. He said that the people had to participate in a procession later. Provincial Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said those critically injured in the blast are being shifted to Quetta with emergency enforced across the city’s hospitals. Achakzai said that if required, arrangements should be made for the immediate transfer of the ...

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat first against New Zealand in the first warm-up match of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Hyderabad. Like in past ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments, the warm-up matches will consist of 50 overs per side. However, these matches won't have ODI status because teams will have the flexibility to include all 15 members of their squad in the playing XI. According to New Zealand Cricket, Williamson will only feature as a batter in today's first warm-up match against Pakistan in Hyderabad, with the aim of batting and fielding in Monday's second and final warm-up against South Africa in Trivandrum. Tom Latham will lead New Zealand in today’s first warm-up match as a result. It must be noted that the game will be held without spectators. This decision comes in response to recommendations from local security authorities in Hyderabad, the match's designated venue, coinciding with ongoing festivals in the area. On the same day...

At least seven people were killed, including a police officer, while more than 25 sustained injuries in a blast that took place in Balochistan's Mastung on Friday. An official said that the explosion took place near the mosque where people were gathering to mark Eid Miladun Nabi. Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Lehri said that the wounded are being shifted to a medical facility while an emergency has been imposed in the hospitals. Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim said that the explosion — which seems to be of a "massive" nature — took place near Madina Mosque. He said that the people had to participate in a procession later. According to the district administration, Mastung's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori is among the deceased. "Some of the injured are in critical condition," the administration added.

Russia claimed on Friday that it had destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones overnight, though one UAV dropped explosives on a substation, cutting the local power supply, a regional governor said. “Eleven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems on duty, one of them over the territory of Kaluga region and 10 over Kursk region,” Russia's defense ministry said on the messaging platform Telegram. Kursk governor Roman Starovoyt said that the region bordering eastern Ukraine was “massively attacked” by Ukrainian UAVs. In Belaya village, less than 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the border, “a Ukrainian drone dropped two explosive devices on a substation”, he said on Telegram. “One of the transformers caught fire. Five settlements and a hospital were cut off from power supply. Fire crews rushed to the scene,” he added. “Power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so.” The governor warned citizens that “due to the danger of self-destruction of downed UAV...

Armenia said on Wednes­day that nearly half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population has fled the enclave since Azerbaijan crushed the rebels’ decades-long fight for an independent state last week. Yerevan’s attempts to absorb the sea of homeless and hungry ethnic Armenians come with officials still trying to identify the whereabouts of more than 100 people reported missing in a fuel depot blast Monday that claimed 68 lives. The fireball erupted as refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh were stocking up on fuel for the long drive along the lone mountain road leading to Armenia. The Armenian government said more than 53,000 people had left since Azerbaijan lifted its nine-month blockade on the enclave on Sunday. Some of the families at the border said that they were urged to leave by the separatists. The updated refugee number acco­unts for nearly half of the region’s 120,000 population and marks a fundamental shift in ethnic control of lands disputed by mostly Christian Armenians and predominant...

India imposed a curfew in the capital and some areas of its restive state of Manipur on Thursday, after scores of students were injured in violence following protests against the alleged abduction and murder of two students, authorities said. Ethnic violence has plunged the northeastern state bordering Myanmar into what many security experts describe as an intense civil war fought over land, jobs and political clout between its two largest local groups. “Indefinite curfew had to be implemented in Imphal and in some other districts,” L. Kailun, a senior police official based in the state capital, told Reuters. More than 80 students were injured in Wednesday’s clashes, another police official said on condition of anonymity. He added that the situation was “extremely tense” after armed mobs vandalised an office of the ruling political party and hurled petrol bombs at two police sites. Mobile internet services have been suspended in the state for five days, officials said. Since th...

ChatGPT said its latest browsing feature would allow websites to control how ChatGPT can interact with them. ChatGPT users will now be able to surf the web, Microsoft-backed OpenAI said on Wednesday, expanding the data the viral chatbot can access beyond its earlier September 2021 cutoff. The artificial intelligence startup said its latest browsing feature would allow websites to control how ChatGPT can interact with them. "Browsing is available to Plus and Enterprise users today, and we'll expand to all users soon. To enable, choose Browse with Bing in the selector under GPT-4," OpenAI said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The startup also announced a major update earlier this week that would enable ChatGPT to have voice conversations with users and interact with them using images, moving it closer to popular AI assistants like Apple's Siri. OpenAI had earlier tested a feature that allowed users to access the latest information ...

After the NAB references restoration, the accountability court of Islamabad summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in connection with ongoing cases related to fake bank accounts and the Toshakhana (treasury) controversy. Asif Zardari and Yousuf Raza Gilani have been summoned to appear personally in the Toshakhana case on October 24. Officials from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrived at the judicial complex, bringing with them records of additional references related to these cases. Investigating officers and the registrar of the accountability court were present to verify the references. Furthermore, Asif Zardari has also been notified to appear before Accountability Court No. 3 on October 24 regarding the case involving fake bank accounts.

As a young boy in a family of seven cricket-mad brothers, Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi immersed himself in the sport – even when sleeping. “I used to come home after training and he would take my pads and somehow wear them to bed,” said elder brother Riaz, a decent player himself with one Test cap to his name. “He would place the stumps next to his pillow and dream of playing,” he told an international news agency. Pakistan’s hopes of winning the World Cup in India will rely heavily on the lanky 23-year-old Shaheen turning those dreams into reality. The team was recently deposed as the world’s top-ranked ODI side by India, and a less-than-stellar performance in the recent rain-hit Asia Cup won by their bitter cross-border rivals has some fans questioning the side’s commitment and ability. Nobody can doubt Shaheen’s devotion to the sport, however. Hailing from Landi Kotal – a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – Shaheen dedicated himself to cricket as soon as he coul...

The federal government filed an application to withdraw its review petition in the Faizabad sit-in case as soon as a three-member bench took up the matter on Thursday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also told the court it did not wish to pursue the matter any further. However, the court adjourned hearing till November 1 and asked for written replies to be submitted. Led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa also included Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aminuddin Khan. A total of eight petitions had been filed against the judgement out of which two had already been withdrawn before the hearing began. The hearing began with Attorney General Mansoor Awan appearing at the rostrum and telling the court that the government wished to withdraw its review petition. When Justice Isa asked the attorney general for a reason why the petition was being withdrawn, Awan replied that there was no specific reason. PTI’s lawyer Ali Zafar also told the court that the party no longer wished to pursue the case. ...

Pakistani rupee on Wednesday witnessed the 17th consecutive recovery session as it gained Rs1.05 against the US dollar in the interbank trading and closed at Rs288.75 against the previous day’s closing of Rs289.80. However, according to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market stood at Rs287.6 and Rs290.5 respectively. The price of the Euro decreased by Rs 1.86 to close at Rs305.03 against the last day’s closing of Rs306.89, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The Japanese Yen came down by 01 paisa to close at Rs1.93, whereas a decrease of Rs 2.29 was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British Pound, which traded at Rs350.74 as compared to the last closing of Rs353.03. The exchange rates of the Emirates Dirham and the Saudi Riyal declined by 28 paisas each to close at Rs78.61 and Rs76.97 respectively.

One person was killed and 162 injured by a powerful explosion on Thursday at a warehouse near Tashkent's airport that sparked a fire and shattered windows in apartment blocks nearby, authorities in Uzbekistan said. A teenage boy died after a window frame fell on him, the health ministry said in a statement, adding that 24 people had been hospitalised, but faced no threat to their lives, while 138 were treated for injuries. Flights were operating as normal at the international airport in the capital, its administration said. In video and photographs on social media, flames soared into the night sky, with a huge cloud of smoke hanging above the warehouse, but the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. A special laboratory had been set up at the scene to investigate the blast, the emergencies ministry said. "As a result of the quick actions of emergencies ministry employees, the area of the fire is being reduced," it added on the Telegram messaging app. ...

The price of petrol could be reduced by up to Rs19 per litre at the end of September when the government announces petroleum prices for the next fortnight. The reduction has been estimated on the basis of rupee appreciation and the relative stability that the world oil prices enjoyed in the past week. The Pakistani rupee has appreciated over 6% against the US dollar in the past 16 trading sessions with the greenback declining from Rs307 to Rs288. When the government last notified oil prices on September 16, benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at above $95 per barrel. It dropped to $93.69 since then and now remains stable below $94.50. Ogra’s computations show that the regulatory authority used an average exchange rate of Rs302.32 per US dollar when it calculated oil prices on September 15. The average exchange rate has now dropped to Rs291. Sources in Ogra say that the petrol price could be slashed by Rs10 on the account of rupee appreciation alone. If the authorities take int...

In a significant step towards upcoming polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday published the lists of preliminary delimitation of constituencies. Under the original delimitation schedule issued by the ECP on Aug 17 — ten days after the notification of census results — the initial delimitation exercise was to be completed on Oct 7 and preliminary proposals for delimitation along with the report were to be published on Oct 9. However, on Sept 1, the ECP had announced squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 14. The completion of the delimitation brings ECP closer to holding polls by the last week of January, as planned by the body. A specific date for the elections is yet to be announced. In a press release issued today, the ECP said the report of preliminary delimitation, along with the lists (Form 5), has been uploaded on the commission’s website and can be accessed by the pub...

Leading ride-hailing service InDrive on Wednesday announced that it is expanding operations to five new cities across Pakistan. “In a move set to redefine the transportation landscape, InDrive is thrilled to announce its expansion into five new cities, including Larkana, Kāmoke, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, and Okara,” it said in a press release. The company said the expansion would look to provide “seamless, convenient, and reliable mobility solutions” to a broader audience across the country. InDrive further stated that it was dedicated to bringing innovative transportation options to both urban centres and suburban areas. “The launch of InDrive in these cities marks a significant milestone, further solidifying the company’s position as the go-to choice for modern, efficient, and budget-friendly mobility,” the press release said. It quoted the company’s public relations manager Sidra Khan as saying: “Our new service offers city residents the convenience of accessing transport from ...

The Punjab government has decided to increase the number weekly holidays in schools across the province in the wake of the spread of conjunctivitis. The development came when the caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited a school on Ravi Road in Lahore, where students complained about lack of illumination and fans in the building. However, the CM also found that students afflicted with pink eyes were present in classrooms. Naqvi immediately summoned the Secretary of Schools over lack of adherence to conjunctivitis guidelines. He also ordered that students in all government and private schools should be given Thursdays and Saturdays off.

Search Giant Google is Celebrating its 25th Birthday today (Wednesday) with a Special Doodle and a Walk Down Memory Lane. Google Inc. was incorporated on September 4, but for more than a decade the company has celebrated its birthday on September 27. In celebration of this milestone, Google treated users to a unique doodle featuring a GIF that transforms the iconic ‘Google’ into ‘G25gle.’ The tech company used the occasion as an opportunity for reflection, expressing a commitment to both reminiscing about its past and looking forward to the future. In a blog post, Google conveyed, “Today’s Doodle celebrates Google’s 25th year. And while here at Google we’re oriented towards the future, birthdays can also be a time to reflect. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to learn how we were born 25 years ago.” Founded by doctoral students Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who met at Stanford University in the late ’90s, Google emerged from their shared vision to enhance the accessibility of the ...

After days of uncertainty over issuance of visas, Pakistan’s national cricket team finally departed for India on Wendesday. The team left from Lahore to Dubai, where they will stay for nine hours before leaving for India. The journey from the National Cricket Academy to the Lahore airport was made in bulletproof vehicles. The team will arrive in Hyderabad in India at 8 pm, where a practice session has been scheduled for the following day.  Pakistan’s first warmup game is scheduled to be played in Hyderabad on September 29. The game will be played without a crowd. The team’s campaign will officially begin on October 6 with a game against the Netherlands. Pakistan will play hosts India on October 14.

The Pakistani rupee continued to strengthen against the US dollar, gaining 0.4% during the opening hours of trading in the inter-bank market on Wednesday. At 10:10am, the rupee was hovering at 288.64, an increase of Rs1.16, in the inter-bank market. On Tuesday, the rupee had appreciated 0.37% to settle at 289.80. The rupee has maintained its upward trajectory in recent days and recovered over 6% since hitting a record low of 307.1 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on September 5. Globally, the US dollar traded near a 10-month high against its major peers on Wednesday as Treasury yields stayed elevated on the prospect of higher-for-longer US rates, while the yen stumbled towards a closely-watched intervention zone. Fed officials have in recent days flagged the possibility that the central bank would need to raise interest rates further after it kept rates steady last week but stiffened its hawkish monetary policy stance. That has sent US Treasury yields scaling mult...

A fire that raced through a hall hosting a Christian wedding in northern Iraq killed at least 100 people and injured 150 others, authorities said Wednesday, warning the death toll could rise. The fire happened in Iraq's Nineveh province in its Hamdaniya area, authorities said. That's a predominantly Christian area just outside of the city of Mosul, some 335 kilometers northwest of the capital, Baghdad. Television footage showed flames rushing over the wedding hall as the fire took hold. In the blaze's aftermath, only charred metal and debris could be seen as people walked through the scene of the fire, the only light coming from television cameras and the lights of onlookers' mobile phones. Survivors arrived at local hospitals, receiving oxygen and bandaged, as their families milled through hallways and outside as workers organized more oxygen cylinders. The health department in Nineveh province raised the death toll to 114. Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr ...

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said Tuesday the Green Shirts were filled with confidence ahead of their departure to India for the ICC Men's World Cup, with an eye on the coveted trophy. "As a team, our morale is very high, we have confidence. We will try to play our best. I request all of you to pray for the team," the skipper said during a pre-departure press conference in Lahore. The team heads to the 50-over tournament after their setback in the recently concluded Asia Cup, where they came fourth and their ICC ODI ranking fell to second, but the skipper believes the debacle helped the team learn. "We could not deliver up to the mark, but we learned from it. We just don't point out our errors, but we also talk about how to improve those sides," the captain noted. Babar said the team's planning for the Asia Cup was different, and another plan for the upcoming event would be different. "The conditions are different from Asia Cup. We will monito...

Former interior minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday hit back at incumbent caretaker security czar Sarfraz Bugti for saying that party supremo Nawaz Sharif would be arrested on his return if he was not granted bail. Nawaz, who stepped down as prime minister in 2017 after the Supreme Court disqualified him for life for not declaring receivable salary, was granted permission to go abroad for medical treatment in November 2019 after a court suspended his sentence in a corruption case. The former premier, who has been living in London since then, has recently announced his return to the country on October 21 this year. Speaking to a local TV channel, the caretaker interior minister said if Nawaz was not granted bail then the authorities would arrest the former PM from the airport. Bugti cited Nawaz’s 2018 return to the country when he along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz was arrested at Lahore airport as the duo returned from London. “I ...

The caretaker government on Tuesday said under the constitution and prevalent electoral laws, all political parties had the equal right to participate in the general elections and categorically stated that the remarks of the caretaker prime minister during a recent interview to the foreign wire service had been “misunderstood and misreported”. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in its official statement issued to clarify that Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was plainspeaking to suggest that whereas participating in the elections was a right, but retribution for crimes was legally warranted. The ministry lamented that the interview had been “twisted by some outlets” to give the impression that someone will not be allowed to take part in the general elections. The ministry drew attention to the following text of Prime Minister’s interview: “We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta,” Kakar said. “But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. Anyone, be it...

An assailant attacked the Cuban Embassy in the United States capital of Washington, DC with two Molotov cocktails, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said on social media, adding that nobody was hurt. The attack occurred on Sunday night just hours after Cuba’s leader Miguel Diaz-Canel returned to the island, having attended events at the United Nations in New York last week. No one took responsibility for the attack, which caused no significant damage or casualties, according to Cuban officials, although Havana quickly pinned blame on Cuban exiles in the US. “Anti-Cuban groups turn to terrorism when they feel impunity, something Cuba has repeatedly warned US authorities about,” Rodriguez said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Cuba’s President Diaz-Canel denounced that attack and said he was awaiting “action from the North American authorities”. “Hatred once again last night caused a terrorist attack against our embassy in Washington, an act of violence and weakness t...

Three terrorists have been killed in an operation of the security forces in Tirah valley of ​​Khyber district. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, the security forces conducted an operation in the Tirah area of ​​Khyber district following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists. This led to a heavy exchange of fire between the terrorists and security forces. As a result, three terrorists, including Commander Kifayat alias Toor Adnan, were killed, the ISPR said in a statement. The commander was said to be involved in attacks on civilians and security forces. Later, a search operation was started in the area to search for more terrorists. The security forces are committed to eradicating terrorism from the country, the ISPR said in the statement. On Sunday, a soldier was martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district. According to the ISPR, security forces conducted an intelli...

Where do you store your toothbrush? If the answer is in your bathroom, you might want to think again. Cleaning your teeth and keeping on top of your dental care means your mouth and gums will be healthier, hygienic, whiter and fresher. But regardless of whether you use the best electric toothbrush or a manual brush, where you store it could be messing with your dental hygiene. According to dentists, “storing your toothbrush in the bathroom can potentially expose it to various hygiene concerns.” Here’s three reasons why you should never leave your toothbrush in the bathroom and where you should actually store it. 1. Bacteria Even if you regularly clean and take care of your bathroom, there will always be bacteria lying on the surfaces. The bathroom is where you shower, wash your face, use the toilet and clean your teeth, so bacteria will be present, especially aerosolized bacteria. Dentists say, “when you flush the toilet, tiny water droplets containing bacteria and other micr...

In response to the increasing cases of pink eye infection cases, the Punjab Education Department issued a province-wide alert for schools. The Punjab government issued an alert throughout the province’s schools regarding prevention of pink eye infection. The Schools Education Authority has told schools to begin a ‘zero period’ to tell students about the infection and ways to prevent it. School teachers have been instructed to explain the causes of the disease and its preventative measures and to enforce the health guidelines already issued. Read:  types  of  eye   infections   that   you   should  be  aware  of Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye disease, is the swelling of the conjunctiva (the thin layer that lines the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelid) and/or eyelids, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US.

A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end on Sunday when a Nasa capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. According to international media reports, scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. “Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule!” a commentator said on Nasa’s live video webcast of the landing, as engineers and team members applauded at a nearby mission control centre. Completing a 3.86-billion-mile journey, it marked the United States´ first sample return mission of its kind, the US space agency said in a post on X, the former Twitter. Nasa chief Bill Nelson hailed the mission and said the asteroid dust “will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system.” The Osiris-Rex probe’s final, fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere was peril...

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that his country will withdraw its ambassador and troops from Niger in the wake of the July coup that overthrew democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum. “France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” Macron said in a televised interview on Sunday. He added that military cooperation was “over” and that 1,500 French troops stationed in the country would withdraw in “the months and weeks to come” with a full pullout “by the end of the year”. France’s exit comes after weeks of pressure from the military and popular demonstrations. Thousands of people have protested in recent weeks in the capital Niamey, including outside a military base housing French soldiers. Niger’s new rulers, who had been demanding France’s exit after Macron refused to recognise the July 26 coup, welcomed the French president’s announcement. “This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towa...

Authorities in Iran have neutralized 30 bombs meant to go off simultaneously in Tehran and detained 28 “terrorists” linked to ISIS, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, citing the intelligence ministry. “Some of the members are of ISIS and the perpetrators have a history of being affiliated with [extremist] groups in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq,” Iran’s intelligence ministry added in a statement. The orchestrated attacks aimed to undermine security within Iran, portray it as unstable, and instill fear, the ministry said, adding that the planned attacks were intended to occur on the anniversary of last year’s anti-regime protests, which were triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died on September 16, 2022, following her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress rules for women. Her death sparked months of protests that quickly escalated into calls for ...

The US dollar (USD) dropped by 0.96 Pakistani rupee (PKR) in interbank and trading at 290.80 rupees on Monday. “The USD goes down by 0.96 PKR this morning and trading in interbank at Rs290.80”, foreign exchange dealers have stated. The banks selling US dollar to importers at Rs290.20, currency dealers said. The greenback trading in open market at 293.50 Pakistani rupees, foreign exchange dealers further said. In August, the Pakistani rupee had been witnessing a continuous devaluation. The buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market were standing as high as Rs322 and Rs325 respectively. The authorities launched a countrywide crackdown against dollar’s hoarding and smuggling. There were reports that the FIA and secret agencies will also conduct raids at homes in crackdown on US dollars hoarding for recovery of the US currency. The dollar has been on a downward trajectory against Pakistani rupee after a crackdown against the currency mafia and shed over 34 Pakistani ...

Disgraced pacer, Mohammad Asif, made some noteworthy claims during a X, formerly known as Twitter, space session on Friday night. During the session, Asif asserted that he played a pivotal role in selecting Pakistan's current captain, Babar Azam, during cricket trials when Babar was just starting his career. "I selected Babar Azam in the trials after he faced two balls only, you can ask his father that I picked Babar in ZTBL trials. I rate highly, he is one of the best batters in the country but he plays dots in the power-play and puts pressure on Rizwan," Asif said in an X space. "I can bowl a maiden over to Babar Azam in T20 cricket even today, he cannot hit the ball if you bowl good deliveries to him," he added. In response to Asif's claims, Babar Azam's father, Azam Siddiqui, shared an intriguing anecdote about his son's early cricketing journey on his Instagram account. Siddiqui recounted a time when Babar, at the age of 16, faced off aga...

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has directed state media organizations to provide a level playing field to all registered political parties in the upcoming general elections. He was addressing a ceremony during his visit to the Pakistan Broadcasting House, Karachi today. The Minister said all the political parties should enjoy complete liberty to contest elections and the state media should desist from supporting or opposing any of them. Solangi went on to add that it is the responsibility of the interim government to provide a favourable environment for free and fair elections where all political parties have the freedom to contest polls. The information minister said that it is clearly written in the Constitution of Pakistan that the system of the country will be run by elected representatives. Solangi said that it is the responsibility of the interim government to solve issues instead of making excuses. He resolved to solve the issues of Radio Pakistan and ...

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in a pre-dawn raid in the West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the army confirmed it carried out “counter-terrorism” activity in the occupied territory. Violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has surged since early last year, particularly in the West Bank, where the latest deaths bring to eight the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli incursions since Tuesday. “Two Palestinians were killed by live Israeli bullets to the head” in the town of Tulkarem, the ministry said, while the army confirmed a soldier had been “moderately injured by gunshot fragments” during clashes in Nur Shams refugee camp near the town. The Palestinian health ministry identified the two killed as Osaid Abu Ali, 22, and Abd al-Rahman Abu Daghash, 32. Ibrahim al-Nimer, a resident and representative of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group in the camp said the “two were civilians”. “The army entered the camp after 2:00...