Saturday, September 30, 2023

Dale Steyn picks his top five fast bowling assets for ICC World Cup

Dale Steyn
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.

The Flu: 10 Tips to Have a Quick Recovery at Home

The Flu: 10 Tips to Have a Quick Recovery at Home
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 with an extra pillow at night can help you rest better which will lead to a speedier recovery.

4. Crank Up the Moisture in the Air
Turn on your humidifier or take a long hot shower. Adding moisture to the air can help break up any mucus you have built up in your lungs and make breathing easier.

5. Try a Spoonful of Honey
Honey is not only a great addition to one of your many mugs of tea. The natural sweetener can also have the added benefits of suppressing a cough and easing the pain of a sore throat.

6. Pick Up an Over the Counter Medicine
Trying an over the counter cold medicine can target aches and pains, decongestion, cough, fever, and more. These can be very beneficial to the recovery process, but make sure to check with your doctor before taking a drug you are unfamiliar with.

7. Grab a Lozenge
Keeping some cough drops on hand while getting over the flu is another tool to help silence your cough and ease any soreness in your throat.

8. Beat the Heat
Your body temperature heats up to fight off diseases giving you a fever. This is a common symptom of the flu. Staying cool when you have a fever can ease any discomfort and help you get over the virus as long as you don’t have any shivers. Stay comfortable by shedding any extra layers that may be making you sweat, keeping a cool cloth on your forehead, or soaking in a tepid bath. Taking the correct dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen is another way to bring a fever down by a few degrees.

9. Get All the Sleep You Can
Allowing your body the rest it needs to reset and heal itself is one of the best things you can do when you’re fighting off the flu. Get to bed early, wake up late, and take a mid-day nap if you feel like, you need to.

10. Ask About Taking an Antiviral
Antiviral should only be taken under the advisement and the supervision of a doctor and the need for them varies case by case when you’re dealing with the flu.

When Should I See a Doctor?
If you have difficulty breathing, continued chest pain, your symptoms worsen over time, you are 65 or older, or have a preexisting condition, seek medical attention.

 

Russia says air defence downed nine of Ukraine’s missiles over Belgorod region

Russia says air defence downed nine of Ukraine’s missiles over Belgorod region
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 Galati municipalities were alerted, the defence ministry said in a statement.

"The radar surveillance system indicated possible unauthorised entry into national airspace, with a signal detected on a route towards the municipality of Galati," it added.

The defence ministry said that no objects so far appear to have fallen on Romanian territory but the search will continue on Saturday.

 

Shakib Al Hasan injured, likely to miss Bangladesh’s first match of World Cup 2023

Shakib Al Hasan
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 get Shakib Al Hasan fit as early as possible and lead the side in the opening game against Afghanistan. Being an all-rounder and having experience of playing in four World Cup events before, Shakib remains Bangladesh’s key figure, along with Mushfiqur Rahim, in the 15-member squad.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be leading Bangladesh against Sri Lanka and then against England in their second warm-up fixture in Guwahati on October 2.

Shakib Al Hasan has been in wonderful form and played two crucial innings in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 tournament. He scored 80 runs against India to help his team win the game by 6 runs and 53 runs against Pakistan to take his team out of crisis.

Shakib will be holding the key for Bangladesh not only as a player but also as a leader of the squad in World Cup campaign. Bangladesh are considered dark horses and can trouble any team in the tournament.

Meta AI Is Invading Your Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Chats

Meta AI Is Invading Your Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Chats
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 characters like Snoop Dogg. These AI characters also have dedicated accounts and handles, which you can bring directly into conversations to bypass the @Meta character selection screen.

If you want to generate an image, type "@Meta /imagine" along with a prompt, such as "create a chicken in a tuxedo." The image generation system can also spit out custom stickers, though the sticker functionality isn't fully implemented just yet.

We assume that Meta AI will generate a ton of hype, especially among users who haven't attempted to use ChatGPT or other alternatives. After all, Meta AI is baked into three popular apps. And, if one person calls upon the AI in a group chat, everybody in that chat will see how it works. The Meta AI also benefits from Bing search integration—it can surface real-time search results, so it can actually participate in conversations about the news, upcoming events, and so on.

Early tests show that the Meta AI is protected by several safeguards. Meta seems keen on avoiding controversial, offensive, or violent content. I'm sure that people will find adversarial prompts and other tricks to "break" this AI, but it isn't spitting out bomb recipes yet, so I'd say that Meta is off to a decent start.

Like some other AI chatbots, Meta AI is in early access and requires an invitation. If you want to request an invitation, open a Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp chat and type in "@Meta." Tap the Meta account popup and follow the on-screen instructions to send your request. Note that this AI functionality is limited to English-speaking countries at this time. The AI celebrities feature is exclusive to users in the United States.

Imran,Qureshi found guilty in cipher case

Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood
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.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Meta unveils AI assistant, Facebook-streaming glasses

Meta
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 Instagram, an advancement over the previous generation's ability to snap photos.

Zuckerberg spoke at the Meta Connect conference, the social media company's biggest event of the year as well as its first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic.

He also said the latest Quest mixed-reality headset would start shipping on Oct. 10 and introduced the company's first consumer-facing generative AI products. The latter includes a chatbot called Meta AI that can generate both text responses and photo-realistic images.

"Sometimes we innovate by releasing something that's never been seen before," Zuckerberg said. "But sometimes we innovate by taking something that is awesome, but super expensive, and making it so it can be affordable for everyone or even free."

Meta AI will be built in to the smart glasses as an assistant, starting with a beta rollout in the United States. A software update planned for next year will give the assistant the ability to identify places and objects that people are seeing, as well as to perform language translation.

Meta made Meta AI using a custom model based on the powerful Llama 2 large language model that the company released for public commercial use in July. The chatbot will have access to real-time information via a partnership with Microsoft's Bing search engine, Zuckerberg said.

 

More than 2,500 migrants dead or missing in Mediterranean this year, UN says

More than 2,500 migrants dead or missing in Mediterranean this year, UN says
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 refugee agency saw “no end in sight” to the lives lost at sea and on land routes to Europe, which are similarly dangerous.

The UNHCR official told the council how the land journey from sub-Saharan African countries to sea crossing departure points on the Tunisian and Libyan coasts “remains one of the world’s most dangerous”.

The migrants and refugees “risk death and gross human rights violations at every step”, she said.

More than 102,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia, a 260 percent increase from last year, and more than 45,000 had tried to cross from Libya, Menikdiwela said.

The UNHCR figures were similar to those presented by Par Liljert, director of the International Office for Migration (IOM).

“Recent IOM data demonstrates that from January to September 2023, more than 187,000 individuals crossed the Mediterranean in pursuit of a better future and the promise of safety,” Liljert told the Security Council.

“Tragically, during this same period, IOM recorded 2,778 deaths, with 2,093 of them occurring along the treacherous central Mediterranean route,” he said, referring to the most dangerous sea crossing.

“Yet, despite its clear dangers, in 2023, there has been an increase in arrivals to Greece along this route of over 300 percent, while the number of arrivals in Spain has remained steady, primarily through the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands as compared to the numbers recorded at the same time last year,” he said.

IOM also witnessed a significant increase in arrivals to Italy, with 130,000 so far this year compared with some 70,000 in 2022.

At least two killed, 7 wounded in blast inside mosque in Hangu

At least two killed, 7 wounded in blast inside mosque in Hangu
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.

4 soldiers martyred in clash with TTP terrorists: ISPR

Pak-Afghan Border
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 and prosperity in the country," the military's media wing added.

At least 35 killed, scores injured in Mastung ‘suicide’ blast

At least 35 killed, scores injured in Mastung ‘suicide’ blast
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 seriously injured to Karachi. The hospitals in Karachi are being contacted on behalf of the health department, he added.

"The provincial government will bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured," he highlighted.

The district administration of Quetta said that more than 30 injured in the blast are being transferred to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital.

The hospital management said medical aid was being provided to the injured.

This is the second major blast that has terrorised Mastung over the last 15 days. In the previous blast on September 14, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah and several others were injured.

World Cup 2023: Pakistan opt to bat against New Zealand in warm-up match

Pakistan opt to bat against New Zealand in warm-up match
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 as Pakistan's match against New Zealand, two other warm-up games are scheduled: Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in Guwahati, and South Africa will compete against Afghanistan in Thiruvananthapuram.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will take place in India with 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.

 

Balochistan: At least 7 dead, several injured in blast near Mastung mosque

At least 7 dead, several injured in blast near Mastung mosque
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 says 11 Ukrainian drones destroyed overnight

Russia says destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones
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 UAVs, it is forbidden to touch their debris, approach them or take photographs”.

Russia earlier said it had destroyed two Ukrainian drones on Thursday evening over the neighboring Belgorod region.

The defense ministry said the first drone was “thwarted” at about 5:00pm (1400 GMT), while a second was brought down around four hours later.

The Belgorod and Kursk regions, south of Moscow, border eastern Ukraine. Kaluga region is closer to the Russian capital.

Since Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in early June, Russia has weathered waves of drone attacks that have sporadically damaged buildings, including in Moscow.

Russian officials have downplayed their significance.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Nearly half of Karabakh’s population seeks refuge in Armenia

Nearly half of Karabakh’s population seeks refuge in Armenia
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 predominantly Muslim Azerbaijanis for the past century. It also adds to the economic strains of Armenia — a landlocked Caucasus country with few natural resources and emerging pro­blems with longstanding ally Russia.

Azerbaijan said on Wednesday it had detained a former separatist leader of Nagorno-Karabakh while he was trying to enter Armenia.

The state border service said Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman who headed the Armenian separatist government from November 2022 until February, had been handed to officials in Baku after being detained on the road to Armenia.

It also released a photograph of Var­­danyan, who was born in 1968, being flanked by two security officers, who were holding him by the arms.

Azerbaijan has agreed to allow separatists who lay down their weapons to leave for Armenia under the terms of a ceasefire deal reached last Wednesday.

But an Azerbaijani government source said that border guards were also looking for “war crime” suspects who had to face prosecution.

It was not immediately clear what charges Vardanyan might potentially face. Vardanyan’s wife, Veronika Zonabend, said her husband was “arrested and detained by the Azerbaijani authorities at the border this morning as he tried to leave with thousands of Armenians.” “I ask for your prayers and support for my husband’s safe release,” she wrote her husband’s account on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

The Armenian government said it had prepared living arrangements for 40,000 families after last week’s fighting broke out.

But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokeswoman said late on Tuesday that the government had so far been able to find housing for just 2,850 people.

“There are thousands of (refugees) staying in Goris at the moment,” deputy mayor Irina Yolian.

“It’s impossible to give the exact figure. They come and go every day.” The looming humanitarian crisis poses a political problem for Pashinyan.

The Red Cross and the UN refugee agency are trying to organise immediate help.

Baku’s forces have approached the outskirts of rebel stronghold Stepan­akert — but not yet entered the emptying city — after last week’s fighting claimed about 200 lives on each side.

India imposes curfew in strife-hit areas of Manipur state

India imposes curfew in strife-hit areas of Manipur state
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 the violence first erupted on May 3, more than 180 people have been killed and over 50,000 have fled their homes in Manipur.

More than half the state’s population of 3.2 million belongs to the Meitei community, while the Kuki community, who make up about 43 per cent, live mostly in the hills.

Protests re-ignited over the alleged kidnapping and killing of two students of the Meitei community who had gone missing in July after their bodies were found this week. The news went viral, reviving the ethnic tension.

The state’s chief minister, N. Biren Singh, who is a leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, denounced the alleged murder and vowed maximum punishment for the culprits.

Members of the students’ families and Meitei leaders have accused Kuki militants of the latest killing, and criticised authorities for failing to end the violence.

A spokesperson for a Kuki civil society group said it did not have an immediate comment on the latest killings.

Leaders of the opposition Congress party have accused the Modi government of failing to control the violence in a state governed by his nationalist party.

ChatGPT users can now browse internet, OpenAI says

ChatGPT users can now browse internet
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 through the Bing search engine within its premium ChatGPT Plus offering. But it later disabled it because of fears that it could allow users to bypass paywalls.

ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer application in history earlier this year, reaching 100 million monthly active users in January, before being supplanted by Meta's Threads app.

Its rise has driven up investor interest in OpenAI, with media including an international news agency reporting on Tuesday that the startup is talking to shareholders about a possible sale of existing shares at a much higher valuation than a few months ago.

Accountability court summons Zardari, Gillani in Toshakhana,fake account cases

Yousuf Raza Gillani & Asif Zardari
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.

‘I even wore cricket pads in bed’: How Shaheen rose to greatness

Shaheen Shah Afridi
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 could hold a bat.

“His commitment to playing was matched only by his dedication to watching matches,” Riaz said.

“His mood would sour if Pakistan lost a match, and things would only return to normal when Pakistan won, or if he performed well himself on the field.”

He is now one of the most feared opening bowlers in any form of the game.

“In my early days, I used to throw the ball in school games instead of bowling it,” Shaheen recalled.

“Riaz bhai taught me to bowl properly, and encouraged me to bowl fast.”

Explosive debut

An early breakthrough came in 2015 when he attended a trial to join a regional Under-15 team.

His towering height and rapid action caught the selectors’ attention, and it took just two deliveries for them to recognize his talent.

“I bowled two deliveries right on target, they gave their approval,” Shaheen recalls.

He went on to be the most successful bowler in the championship, claiming 12 wickets, and earned a spot on the Pakistan Under-16 team for a tour to Australia in 2016.

During one of these matches, former Australian captain Steve Waugh – there to watch his son in action – predicted Shaheen would be a future star.

Shaheen joined Khan Research Laboratories – the entity which runs Pakistan’s nuclear program and also fields a First Class cricket side – making an immediate impact.

On his debut in 2017 he took eight wickets for 39 runs against a formidable Rawalpindi team – still the best First Class debut performance by a bowler in Pakistan.

“I was thrilled to witness his natural talent,” said Aqib Javed who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan and became one of Shaheen’s mentors.

“His flawless action, unwavering commitment, and innate ability to swing the ball were truly exceptional.”

Shaheen, standing an impressive 1.98 metres (six feet, six inches) continued to improve every year, culminating in his inclusion in Pakistan’s Twenty20 side in 2018.

He impressed with his pace in the 2019 World Cup in England, taking 16 wickets in five matches – including tournament-best figures of 6-35 against Bangladesh at Lord’s.

Now established as the country’s most dominant bowler, in the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai he destroyed India’s top order of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli with figures of 3-31 as Pakistan recorded their first and only win to date in a World Cup match against their arch-rivals.

Faizabad sit-in verdict: SC adjourns hearing after Govt, PTI withdraw review petitions

Supreme Court
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. Even when Justice Isa offered him to become a party in the case, he declined.

However, the chief justice questioned why the review petitions had been filed in the first place and on whose orders it had been done.

Petitions by the Intelligence Bureau and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority were withdrawn just days before the hearings were to begin.

Reports in recent days had indicated that the the government’s main petition, filed through the Ministry of Defence, could also be withdrawn during the hearing.

Other petitioners include the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Election Commission of Pakistan, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the-then Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and politician Ejazul Haq.

Rashid’s lawyer has also asked for a deferrment in proceedings as he is now a part of the caretaker cabinet in Balochistan. The lawyer has also told the court that he has been unable to contact Rashid since his arrest earlier this month.

The Faizabad sit-in judgement was announced by now Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa after a suo-motu notice was taken in 2017. The written order was issued in Feburary 2019.

Although the petitions have been in limbo since the time of filing, the matter was immediately fixed for hearing when the new chief justice assumed office.

The judgement had instructed the defence ministry and chiefs of the army, navy and air force to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.

Dollar falls by Rs1.05 as rupee strengthens

US dollar & Pakistani Rupee
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.

Powerful blast in Uzbek capital kills one, injures 162

 Powerful blast in Uzbek capital kills one, injures 162
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 situation is completely under control."

A social media post from Uzbek outlet Daryo said 16 fire and rescue crews were sent to fight the fire at one of the warehouses in the city's Sergeli district near the airport.

Fuel prices may finally come down after two months

Fuel prices may finally come down after two months
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 into account the oil price trend, the price could come down by as much as Rs19 per litre.

The government increased the petrol price by a massive Rs26 per litre on September 16 after the value of the US dollar rapidly increased in the first week of September.

A nationwide crackdown against the hoarding and smuggling of American currency reversed the trend and the Pakistani rupee strengthened against the greenback.

Similarly, the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) could be decreased by up to Rs12.

However, there is a remote possibility of the government reintroducing the general sales tax on petroleum products. The GST was rated zero in March 2022 by the then prime minister, Imran Khan, and the PDM government did not reimpose it in a bid not to hurt public sentiments.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

ECP issues preliminary delimitation report in significant step towards polls

Election Commission of Pakistan
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 public. Maps of the initial delimitation are also available on the website.

“The publication of the preliminary constituencies will continue for 30 days from Sept 27 to Oct 26,” it said, highlighting that objections (representations) to the preliminary constituencies can be made by the voters of the concerned constituency.

The representations, the ECP stated, should be addressed to the commission’s secretary and be submitted to the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad by Oct 27.

“The ECP will take decisions on these representations from Oct 28 to Nov 26 after hearing the positions of from the respective parties,” the press release said.

Listing the procedure of submitting the representations, the commission said it should be submitted by a voter of the concerned constituency in the form of a “memorandum” and entail the signatures of the voter. It said eight copies of the representations and constituency maps were required to be submitted.

It said the district maps can be obtained from the ECP for a “small fee”.

“Representations by courier, post and fax etc. will not be accepted,” the commission added.

Preliminary report of delimitation

Based on the initial delimitation, the population distribution in the National Assembly constituencies is as follows: Balochistan has 930,900 voters, followed by 913,052 voters in Sindh, 907,913 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 905,595 in Punjab, and 787,954 in Islamabad.

The National Assembly consists of 266 general seats and 60 seats reserved for women. Ten seats have also been reserved for non-Muslims.

In the provincial assembly constituencies, the figures show Punjab leads with a total population of 429,929, followed by Sindh with 428,432, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 355,270, and Balochistan with 292,047.

As per the report of delimitation, the share of seats in the national and provincial assemblies have been worked out on the basis of the final results of the 2023 census.

“The population of the province/area has been divided by the total number of general seats and the average population or quota per National Assembly seat was obtained. Similarly, the population of a province was divided by the total number of general seats allocated to the provincial assembly to obtain a quota per seat.

“In calculating the total number of seats, a fraction of 0.5 and above was generally taken as one seat and a fraction below 0.5 was ignored. Due to the peculiar situation in Balochistan, more than one district has been clubbed. Similarly, few clubbings have also been made in other provinces where necessary,” it said.

InDrive expands operations to five new cities across Pakistan

InDrive
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 their homes, eliminating the need to venture out in search of it.

Both drivers and passengers stand to gain significant benefits, including time saved and the elimination of challenges associated with street hailing. This service addresses issues such as locating rides during odd hours like early mornings or late nights.“

She added that the ride-hailing service presented numerous benefits to drivers in small cities, including flexible opportunities, reduced unemployment, supplemental income, enhanced community connection, and positive contributions to the local economy.

“This expansion follows InDrive’s mission to connect people and places, while also contributing to the growth and development of the people in the region,” the press release concluded.

Pink eye outbreak: Punjab announces additional holidays for schools

Punjab announces holiday for schools
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.

Google celebrates its 25th birthday with a special doodle

Special Doodle
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 World Wide Web. Working tirelessly from their dorm rooms, the duo developed a prototype for a more advanced search engine.

As progress on the project surged, they relocated the operation to Google’s inaugural office—a rented garage. On September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially established.

The company noted the significant changes since its inception in 1998 but underscored the unwavering nature of its mission: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google, commemorated the company’s birthday in a note last month. Reflecting on the company’s journey, Pichai acknowledged its transformative role in technology and emphasized the importance of innovation and adaptation.

He expressed gratitude to users, employees, and partners who contributed to Google’s success, recognizing the dedication of both past and present members of the Google team. Pichai also highlighted the rapid evolution of technology, noting that what was once considered extraordinary quickly became ordinary as technological boundaries continued to be pushed.

ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan team finally departs for India

Pakistan team
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.

Rupee continue to strengthen against US dollar in inter-bank

US dollar & Pakistani rupee
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 multi-year highs as money markets adjust their expectations of where US rates could peak, and for monetary conditions to remain tighter for longer than initially thought.

The US dollar index last stood at 106.20, having peaked at a 10-month high of 106.26 in the previous session, while the euro languished near Tuesday’s six-month low and last bought $1.0569.

Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, rose nearly $1 on Wednesday as markets focused on supply tightness heading into winter and a “soft landing” for the US economy.

Iraq Wedding Hall Fire Kills More Than 100, Injures 150

Iraq Wedding Hall Fire Kills More Than 100, Injures 150
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 earlier put the number of injured at 150 via state news agency.

“All efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by the unfortunate accident,” al-Badr said.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the fire and asked the country's Interior and Health officials to provide relief, his office said in a statement online.

Najim al-Jubouri, the provincial governor of Nineveh, said some of the injured had been transferred to regional hospitals. He cautioned there were no final casualty figures yet from the blaze, which suggests the death toll still may rise.

There was no immediate official word on the cause of the blaze but initial reports by the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw suggested fireworks at the venue may have sparked the fire

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Confident Pakistan team to play World Cup in India without any pressure, says Babar

Babar Azam
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 monitor the conditions, and whatever is best for Pakistan, we will go into the match with that planning," the stylish batter noted.

The team has been under criticism due to its lacklustre performance in the Asia Cup, with several pundits agreeing that the Green Shirts were lacking in middle-over bowling.

"I spoke to Shadab Khan and we gave confidence to each other. I and Shadab know that we aren't bowling well in the middle overs, but I trust my players more than I trust myself," he said.

 

Sanaullah hits back at Sarfraz Bugti for statement on Nawaz return

PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah
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 don’t think that he does not want to be arrested as in the past, he, along with his daughter, returned to the country despite knowing that they would be arrested..,” the interior minister remarked.

Reacting to the Bugti’s remarks, Sanaullah said the minister crossed his limits by making such a statement.

“Sarfraz Bugti should see the fate of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid before issuing giving such remarks,” the PML-N leader said.

Sanaullah said people and the country bore the brunt of the conspiracy allegedly hatched against Nawaz to oust him from power.

“Don’t try to elevate your political stature by making statements about Nawaz Sharif,” Sanaullah said asking Bugti to stop worrying about Nawaz and concentrate on his duties.

Sanaullah said the people would decide where Nawaz will go from the airport on October 21 and not the interior minister.

Meanwhile, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb also warned the interior minister against making such statements.

“Mr Sarfraz Bugti, speak according to your political stature. Where Nawaz Sharif has to go from the airport is neither your problem nor your decision,” she added.

Bugti clarifies remarks

After drawing the ire of the PML-N leaders, Bugti issued a statement clarifying that his remarks were taken out of the context.

“My statement was given a political colour out of context. The caretaker government has no political agenda,” Bugti was quoted as saying in the statement.

He also welcomed the Nawaz’s return to the country saying that a “large number of people of Pakistan are preparing to welcome Nawaz Sharif”.

He said Nawaz will be treated according to law on his return home.

All parties including PTI free to contest polls: Caretaker Govt

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar
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 Imran Khan or any other politician who violates, in terms of their political behavior, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured.

The caretaker prime minister added that the thousands of people in Khan’s party who didn’t engage in unlawful activities, “will be running the political process, they will be participating in the elections.”

The Information Ministry reiterated in its statement that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its leaders are free to participate in the elections like any other party. It has been clarified that there is no impediment to contesting elections by any leader of PTI or the party as a whole. The statement further added that every citizen is equal before law and the law will take its course with respect to any person currently facing legal charges.

The courts are free and independent and the caretaker government has neither authority nor intention to influence the courts at any level. It was further clarified that any person aggrieved by any order or ruling of a statutory or judicial forum has a constitutionally guaranteed right to approach the next forum in judicial hierarchy for relief.

“The caretaker government is committed to holding free and fair elections. The caretaker government will support the constitutional and legal structure for holding elections and would ensure that all orders and directions of the Election Commission of Pakistan and independent judiciary are complied with in letter and spirit,” the government said in its statement.

Cuban embassy in US attacked with Molotov cocktails

The Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC, the United States.
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 that could have cost precious lives,” he wrote on X.

The Cuban leader’s appearance last week at the UN was met with demonstrations by opponents of the Communist government in Havana founded by Fidel Castro.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that the US strongly condemned the reported attack.

“We are in contact with Cuban embassy officials and law enforcement authorities to ensure an appropriate and timely investigation as well as to offer our support for future protective efforts,” he said in a statement.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that his department was coordinating with Washington, DC police in the investigation.

 

Terrorist commander among three killed in Khyber operation

Pakistan Army
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 intelligence-based operation in the general area Mir Ali of North Waziristan district.

During the operation, an intense fire exchange took place between the troops and terrorists. However, during the operation, Sepoy Shakeel Shafqat (21 and a resident of Khanewal district), embraced martyrdom.

Sanitization of the area was carried out to eliminate any more terrorists, the military’s media wing said.

Why you should never leave your toothbrush in the bathroom

Toothbrush
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 microorganisms can become aerosolized and settle on nearby surfaces, including your toothbrush.” This isn’t particularly hygienic and could make you sick.

2. Proximity to the toilet

Regardless of the layout of your bathroom, chances are your sink and toilet are in the same room and in proximity to each other. If your toothbrush is placed close to the toilet, “it’s more likely to come into contact with airborne particles and water splashes, potentially leading to contamination”. To minimise bathroom particles coming into contact with your toothbrush, Dentist says to “rinse your toothbrush before use, store it upright, use a toothbrush cover, and close the toilet lid when flushing”.

3. Humidity

Bathrooms tend to be quite humid environments, especially if your bathroom doesn’t have a window. Having your toothbrush sitting in an overly humid room can “promote the growth of bacteria and mould” which can make you sick and spread infections if you put the brush in your mouth. If you use a holder for your toothbrush, you should also remember to rinse it out regularly as the water that drips down your brush and collects at the bottom of the cup can also grow mould.

 

Monday, September 25, 2023

Pink eye infection: Punjab govt issues alert for schools

Pink eye infection
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.

In a first, NASA returns asteroid samples to Earth

In a first, NASA returns asteroid samples to Earth
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 perilous, but Nasa managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT), in the military’s Utah Test and Training Range.

Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe had landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected what Nasa estimated is roughly nine ounces of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, Nasa says, should “help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth.”

The sample return “is really historic,” Nasa scientist Amy Simon told reporters. “This is going to be the biggest sample we´ve brought back since the Apollo moon rocks” were returned to Earth.

Osiris-Rex released its capsule early on Sunday from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles.

The fiery passage through the atmosphere came only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtled downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit.

Its rapid descent was supposed to be slowed by two successive parachutes as it made its way to the 37-mile by nine-mile landing zone.

The main chute, however, deployed “much higher than was originally anticipated,” at about 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) rather than 5,000 feet, Nasa said.

Nasa images showed the tire-sized capsule on the ground in a desert wash, with scientists approaching the device and taking readings.

 

France to withdraw ambassador, troops from Niger after coup

French President Emmanuel Macron
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 towards the sovereignty of Niger,” they said in a statement read out on national television. “This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people,” they added.

The development comes as France’s troops have also been asked to leave its former colonies Mali and Burkina Faso.

 

Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 ISIS-linked ‘terrorists’

Iranian Flag
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 overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

ISIS has claimed several attacks in Iran, including deadly twin bombings in 2017 that targeted Iran’s parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini.

More recently, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia shrine last October, where 15 people were killed in the southwestern city of Shiraz.

PKR continues to gain ground against US dollar in interbank

PKR continues to gain ground against US dollar in interbank
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 rupees in the open market.

Babar Azam’s father reacts gracefully to disgraced pacer Asif’s claim

Mohammad Asif & Babar Azam
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 against Mohammad Asif during a club match.

At that time, Asif was attempting to make a comeback and was playing for an opposing club. Despite Babar's impressive score of 84 runs, Asif managed to dismiss him. After his dismissal, Babar expressed his anger, mentioning that Asif had used harsh language towards him. However, his father consoled him, reminding him of the 11 fours he had hit against Asif.

Not long after this match, Babar attended trials for the ZTBL bank team at the National Academy. As Babar was preparing for the trial while wearing his cricket pads, Asif arrived and greeted him in a jovial manner, asking, "Oye Chhotu, Kidhar?" To this, Babar replied, "Asif Bhai, I am here for a trial with the bank team."

In response, Mohammad Asif went directly to the bank administration and, in a stern tone, advocated for Babar, stating, "Why are you hesitating with him? He hit me for 11 fours." He strongly recommended, "Note down his name and include him in the bank team; he will prove to be an asset for you."

Azam Siddiqui concluded his post with a thoughtful message: "Dear Mr. Mohammad Asif, every individual is responsible for their actions. If such a time comes, Babar will gladly play a maiden over against you in order to show you respect."

 He also requested the public to refrain from making unwarranted comments about Asif in relation to Babar.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

General elections: Info minister assures impartial treatment to all parties

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi
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 its employees.

Talking about Radio Pakistan, he said called it his dream to make Radio Pakistan the most modern organisation and that steps are being taken to improve it.

“Radio Pakistan transmission should be digital, and we are working to bring improvement in Radio Pakistan and PTV,” he added.

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank raid: ministry

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank raid: ministry
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 2:00am … and demolished streets and some houses in the camp,” Nimer told AFP.

Troops dismantled an “operational command centre” inside a building in the camp and also uncovered a large number of explosive devices including gas-based explosive devices, the army said in a statement.

“During the activity, suspects opened fire and hurled explosive devices at the forces who responded with live fire,” the army said.

In recent months, there has been a surge in such military raids and a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis, as well as an increase in West Bank settler attacks against Palestinians.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.

The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it occupied in the Six-Day War and to dismantle all Jewish settlements.

However, the hard-right coalition government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed forward settlement expansion. Among the government members are settlers, including extreme-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Violence in Gaza

At least 241 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year.

The bloodshed has also seen 32 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on both sides.

They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, mainly civilians including minors and three members of the Arab minority.

In recent days, unrest has also surged in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, with Palestinians holding daily protests that have turned violent along the border with Israel.

On Saturday, the Israeli army carried out a drone strike after violent protests in which three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire.

The strike was one of a series that have come amid protests at the border by Palestinians after Israeli closed the Erez crossing, the only one into Israel from Gaza.

Saturday’s strike targeted “a military post belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the army said, referring to the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.