World News Headlines

Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide Islamabad a "sizeable package" of around $8 billion to help revive the country’s ailing economy amid the maiden trip of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The package includes doubling of the oil financing facility, additional money either through deposits or Sukuks and rolling over of the existing $4.2 billion facilities. "However, technical details are being worked out and will take a couple of weeks to get all documents ready and signed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his official entourage have left Saudi Arabia but Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail is still staying there to finalise the modalities of the increased financial package. Sharing the salient features of the financial package, the official said that Pakistan had proposed doubling of the oil facility from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia agreed to it. It was also agreed that the existing deposits of $3 billion would be rolled over for an extend...

Hours before the oath-taking ceremony of CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema on Saturday rejected the resignation of Usman Buzdar. Omar Sarafraz Cheema, in his letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, stated that the March 28 resignation letter of Usman Buzdar was not in accordance with the rules as it was addressed to the prime minister and not to the governor which was mandatory as per sub-section 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution. “The resignation was not addressed to the governor which was unconstitutional and thus rejected,” Cheema stated. A day earlier, Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Assembly Speaker to take oath from the newly elected Punjab Chief Minster Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday. The LHC judge Justice Jawad Hassan pronounced the reserved verdict Hamza Shahbaz’s plea as he moved the court for the third time in this regard. It merits mention that Hamza was elected as Punjab’s chief minister on April 16. Howev...

Mykhailo Vovchynskyi had only just moved into his Kyiv apartment when the building was hit in what Russia called a "high precision" missile attack targeting a factory across the street -- a claim he found loaded with menace. Not only did the powerful blast on Thursday evening heavily damage the structure, injuring at least 10 people, it killed a female journalist in her home as UN chief Antonio Guterres was visiting the Ukrainian capital. Read more:  Turkey, Saudi Arabia striving to increase all kinds of relations: Erdogan "If this was indeed a high precision attack, that is pretty cynical. It s inhuman behaviour," 22-year-old Vovchynskyi said Friday after he and his girlfriend hauled out bags of belongings they had brought in some two weeks earlier. As he spoke, heavy equipment was piling up rubble and crews were shovelling shattered glass and inspecting the building, which had nearly three storeys of its facade shorn off. The powerful blast left mounds of s...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced the schedule for the second phase of local government (LG) elections in Sindh. According to an ECP notification, the election will be held on July 24 to fill the seats of chairman and vice-chairman of the union councils, union committees, and general members in each union council, union committee and ward in the municipal committees or town committees and district councils of Karachi and Hyderabad/Thatta divisions. Read more:  Pakistan to approach Saudi Arabia for action against Masjid-e-Nabawi slogan chanters The ECP called upon the electors of respective local councils and wards of the said divisions to elect their representatives. As per schedule, the public notices will be issued by the returning officers (ROs) on June 3 in their offices. The nomination papers will be submitted to the ROs concerned from June 8 to June 11. The publication of the names of nominated candidates will be on June 13 while the scrutin...

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates had a telephone conversation on Friday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) matters related to Pakistan s commitment for comprehensive Polio eradication and COVID-19 were discussed in the telephonic conversation. Read more:  Pakistani pilgrims arrested for sloganeering at Masjid-i-Nabwi: Saudi embassy Bill Gates conveyed appreciation for Pakistan Army for supporting national polio drive, ensuring proper reach and coverage, the ISPR said. COAS said it was a national cause and credit goes to all involved in the process. Bill Gates also appreciated Pakistan’s success against COVID-19 despite resource constraints. COAS attributed the success to a true national response, executed through the mechanism of NCOC which allowed optimisation of resources. The Army Chief appreciated untiring efforts of Bill Gates and his foundation towards the noble cause of Pol...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif along with his delegation on Saturday left for Makkah Mukarramah from Jeddah to perform Umrah. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is on a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia called on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on late Friday night. Read more:  LHC directs NA speaker to administer oath to Punjab CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif Finance Minister Muftah Ismail and Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb were also present in the meeting. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed on Friday Pakistani Prime Minister Sherif Shehbaz at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. Upon Pakistan PM arrival to the Palace, an official reception ceremony was held for him. Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and Pakistan s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sherif reviewed during their meeting the brotherly and historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. During the meeting, they reviewe...

The power plants are still not provided by the required amount of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Furnace Oil still causing a national shortfall of electricity. Amid sizzling hot weather, Power outages have severely hit Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan as Pakistanis have been suffering more than 12 hours of power load-shedding. Read more:  ECP: Facts of case against Senator Gillani not presented properly All urban centers, such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot have been severely hit with more than half a day consumed by load-shedding and rural areas with more than 12 hours. Power shortfall has crossed 8500 megawatts due to technical problems and shortage of fuel in the power-plants all across the country. According to details, the hydropower generation is also facing downfall due to low level of water in the dams around the country which have added to the electricity shortfall. Meanwhile, the unannounced load-shedding of electricit...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the saved verdict on the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders. According to details, PTI had filed the disqualification case against Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani and Member of Parliament Assembly (MPA) Ali Haider Gillani in which the ECP has rejected the PTI’s petitions. Read more:  Federal Shariat Court declares interest-based banking system against Sharia The Chief Election Commissioner announced the verdict and stated that the facts about this case were not presented properly whereas there is no direct evidence against the PPP Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani. Therefore Pakistan Peoples Party leader Yousuf Raza Gillani will remain Senator, the Election Commission declared. On the other hand, ECP has ordered to conduct action against MPA Ali Haider Gillani and PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Faheem Khan on the grounds of corrupt practices. Whereas the Election Comm...

The price of 24 karat per tola gold remained unchanged at Rs 132,000 on Thursday in the local market. The price of 10 gram 24 karat gold and 22 karat gold also witnessed no change in prices and was sold at Rs 113,169 and Rs 103, 738 respectively, All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers. The price of per tola and ten gram silver remained unchanged at Rs 1510 andRs 1294.58 respectively. The price of gold in international market decreased by $7 and was traded at $1,888 compared to its sale at $1895. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/oLEh8FG

Russian forces bombarded Ukraine s capital late Thursday during a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who decried the "absurdity" of war in the 21st century, as US President Joe Biden asked for $33 billion more to support Kyiv. At least three people were wounded in the strikes in the western part of the city, which were the first in the capital in nearly two weeks, and came after Guterres toured Bucha and other suburbs where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. Read more:  Russia steps up assault on east Ukraine, Putin threatens countries that intervene Ukrainian prosecutors said they were investigating 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha, where dozens of bodies in civilian clothes were found after Moscow s retreat, and had identified more than 8,000 alleged war crimes cases. Those cases involve "killing civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure, torture" and "sexual crimes" reported during Russia s occupa...

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday received a felicitation call from his Kuwaiti counterpart Dr Sheikh Ahmed Nasir Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah. During the talks, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan and Kuwait are enjoying fraternal relations and Islamabad is committed to further strengthening bilateral relations with Kuwait. Read more:  Iran FM felicitates Bilawal He was talking to his Kuwaiti Counterpart Dr Sheikh Ahmed Nasir Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah on telephone on Thursday. He said a large number of Pakistanis are residing in Kuwait for employment and are playing a vital role in the development of both the countries. They also discussed bilateral relations between the two countries. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister congratulated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on assuming the office of Foreign Minister. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/xcp0YyE

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on his election. In his letter, Boris Johnson noted that the United Kingdom and Pakistan enjoyed deep ties supported by strong people-to-people links. He also recalled their meeting in 2016 during his visit to Pakistan and the discussions held on a number of shared interests including girls education, health, economic and trade relations. The British Prime Minister looked forward to continue working together including in addressing global challenges. He conveyed best wishes to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of Pakistan, and hoped to meet the Prime Minister in person soon. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/82WgMV7

Muslims across Pakistan and elsewhere in the world observed Shab-e-Qadr or Lailat-ul-Qadr with the religious reverence on night between Thursday and Friday. The night is considered to be equal to praying for 1000 months. This is one of the holiest and most blessed nights, which is likely to occur on one of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramazan and most likely to be the 27th of the holy month. Read more:  PM Shehbaz Sharif touches down in Saudi Arabia on three-day visit The night has special significance for the Muslims as angels come down on the earth as per order of Allah Almighty and stay there till dawn of the day. Muslims traditionally observe the occasion through nightlong special prayers, Quran Khwani, religious discussions at mosques and in their houses on this holy night. The faithful offered prayers at their homes to seek Allah’s Forgiveness throughout the night till Sehri. People distributed sweats among the neighbours and poor. The faithful arranged Milad,...

Twitter has confirmed that the fluctuation in follower count followed by being sold to Elon Musk was organic in nature, Tech Crunch reported. Twitter said that these changes were not being caused by any bots or any other action by the microblogging platform. The fluctuation was due to people creating and deactivating accounts. "We’ve been looking into recent fluctuations in follower counts,” Twitter said in a statement. “While we continue to take action on accounts that violate our spam policy, which can affect follower counts, these fluctuations appear to largely be a result of an increase in new account creation and deactivation. We’ll continue looking into these follower count fluctuations.” Many high-profile cases have come forward, with some celebrities showing a drop in followers. Former US President Barack Obama lost more than 300,000 followers in the process. Popular musician Katy Perry reported losing over 200,000 followers after the announcement. Before the announ...

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday received a felicitation call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. They underscored the importance of fraternal ties between the two countries. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked Iran s support over the Kashmir issue. "FM B (Bilawal) BhuttoZardari received felicitation call from Iranian FM Amirabdolahian. Underscored imp (importance) of fraternal ties. Thanked for Iran s support on Kashmir & solidarity with Palestine. Iranian FM invited B (Bilawal) Bhutto Zardari to visit Iran who also reciprocated the invitation," Foreign Office Spokesperson said in tweet. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/PXVHSUD

At least seven persons were rescued and two children were still missing as a boat capsized in the River Chenab in Garh Maharaja area of Jhang on Wednesday. According to rescue sources, the boat with nine persons on board, who were reportedly on a pleasure trip, suddenly capsized in the middle of the River Chenab. On receiving information, the local divers reached the site of incident and managed to rescue seven persons, while the search for two missing children continues. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/lSp4xho

Electricity to entire Landi Kotal tehsil of Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was suspended as miscreants uprooted four power towers on Wednesday. According to sources, similar incidents had occurred in the past when some scrupulous elements had damaged these power pylons, which were erected atop mountains. According to Wapda officials, the repair of the four damaged power pylons had been started on emergency basis, but it would take several days to restore electricity supply. One the other hand, the people of Landi Kotal have demanded immediate action from the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Corps Commander Peshawar against the miscreants. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/gjYXnoV

An earthquake measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale jolted Kalat, the main city of Kalat District in Balochistan, on Wednesday night. People came out of their homes in panic and started reciting verses from the Holy Quran. No loss of life and property was reported from any part of Awaran due to earthquake. According to National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad, the epicenter of the earthquake was located near Kalat at the depth of 20 kilometres. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/cnJVLe1

Bangladesh suffered a blow ahead of next month s Test series against Sri Lanka with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan ruled out of at least the first match with a finger injury. Mehidy has been a regular starter for Bangladesh in Tests and is the country s third-highest wicket-taker in the format as well as a useful lower-order batsman. Bangladesh Cricket Board physician Manzur Hossain told AFP that the 24-year-old fractured his right little finger during a domestic match at the weekend. "The X-ray revealed a fracture in his finger. Usually it takes around four weeks to recover so he is definitely ruled out of the first Test and is also uncertain for the second Test against Sri Lanka," said Manzur. The first Test is in Chittagong from May 15 to 19. The second Test will be held in Dhaka from May 23 to 27. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/W4KI8FL

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal says progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been expedited since the new government came into power. Talking to the Chinese Charge d’ Affairs to Pakistan, Pang Chunxue in Islamabad, he said regular meetings are being held for implementation of the CPEC projects. The Minister for Planning said his top priority is to expedite the CPEC projects to restore confidence of the Chinese investors. He said the incumbent government will maintain a lasting working relationship with China in the same spirit as it was in 2013. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/dXO2uNr

Concerns that the Ukraine war could escalate into a wider conflict grew on Tuesday as Kyiv accused Moscow of trying to create unrest in a Russian-backed separatist region of Moldova. The United Nations and United States warned of rising tensions in the Transnistria region of Moldova, as UN chief Antonio Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and pleaded for peace. Read more:  US sends artillery to Ukraine against Russian forces Russian forces have been in Transnistria for decades after the predominantly Russian-speaking region seceded from the former Soviet republic. Blasts this week targeting the state security ministry, a radio tower and military unit came after a Russian commander claimed Russian speakers in Moldova were being oppressed. The claim triggered alarm that Moldova could be Russia s next target as Moscow used the same "false flag" argument after launching its bloody invasion of Ukraine on February 24. "Russia wants to destabili...

According to details, fire broke out in a factory located at the Qalandri Chowk in Rukanpura area of Kasur on late Tuesday night. The blaze spread and engulfed the entire factory very quickly. Fire brigade vehicles and rescue teams reached the spot after being informed and brought the fire under control after a hectic effort. Read more:  Oil factory catches fire in Multan The rescue sources said that no one died or wounded in the blaze. However, valuables worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes by the fire. Sources further said that the cause of fire is still not known. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/ySKfmZF

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that only three to five thousand people attended Maryam Nawaz s public meeting in Lahore on Tuesday. Reacting to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz s public meeting on Twitter, Fawad Chaudhry said that only three to five thousand people were present in the PML-N rally while Maryam Nawaz was pretending that if she was addressing a public meeting at the Minar-e-Pakistan. Read more:  Sheikh Rashid warns 'chaotic' May could result in resignations Fawad Chaudhry questioned that for how long the imported and illegal government would last? Targeting the PMN-L supremo Nawaz Sharif, the PTI leader said that an absconder from the court and a person who fled the country will only be called a fugitive. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/bgeN7JI

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday spoke on the telephone with Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Bill Gates and reiterated his government’s commitment to eradicate all forms of polio from the country. The telephonic interaction came after Pakistan recently reported a polio case in a child in North Waziristan, after a hiatus of 15 months. Read more:  Four, including three Chinese nationals, killed in Karachi University blast While noting that only one case of polio was recorded in 2022, the prime minister stressed that his government remained committed to eradicating all forms of polio from the country. He expressed grave concern on the first case of poliovirus in 2022, after 15 months, which was recently confirmed in a child in North Waziristan. He noted that a special emergency response plan for South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province was already under implementation to scale up and improve the quality of the polio eradication programme and in...

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as investors scrabbled to recover from the previous day’s rout but fears over the impact of China’s Covid-induced lockdowns and the Federal Reserve’s plan to hike interest rates quickly continue to drag on sentiment. The Omicron flare-up across China has led authorities to impose strict containment measures in its biggest cities, shutting off millions of people and threatening to deal a hammer blow to the world’s number two economy. Read more:  Ogra dismisses reports of fuel shortage in country While Shanghai -- the largest city -- has been in lockdown for weeks, Beijing has launched mass testing for nearly all its 21 million residents with many in the capital now fearing the same fate as the financial hub. The measures have dealt a severe blow to the economy, leading to concerns about the likely knock-on effects for the rest of the world owing to its reliance on goods from China. The China crisis comes as traders grapple with a hawkish Fed, ...

Russia on Monday warned the Ukraine conflict risked escalating into a third world war and accused Kyiv of playing at peace talks a day after visiting US officials said Ukrainian forces could beat back Moscow s invasion. The conflict has triggered an outburst of support from Western nations that has seen weapons pour into Ukraine to help them wage war against Russian troops. Read more:  Lankan students mob PM’s home over economic crisis Speaking to Russian news agencies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised Kyiv s approach to floundering peace talks, saying the risk of a World War III "is serious". "It is real, you can t underestimate it." While he said talks with Kyiv would continue, Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of "pretending" to negotiate, adding: "You ll find a thousand contradictions." For months, Zelensky has been asking Ukraine s western allies for heavy weapons -- including artillery and fighte...

The letter addressed to President Dr Arif Alvi by the Governor of Punjab dated April 23, 2022, explaining constitutional reasons for not administering oath of the purportedly elected Chief Minister of Punjab, has been sent to the Prime Minister s Secretariat on Monday. It is pertinent to mention here that Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema in his letter to President Arif Alvi has explained the constitutional reasons for not taking oath from Hamza Shehbaz. Read more:  PM calls for unity to overcome challenges confronted by Muslim community According to President House, earlier, the Lahore High Court order dated April 22, 2022 in the Writ Petition No. 24320/2022 had also been sent to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat on April 22, 2022 for necessary process as per the Constitution and law. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/43gqcaJ

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Muslim Ummah needs to work together to overcome common challenges, including poverty and unemployment. Addressing an Iftar Dinner organized in honour of the Muslim countries ambassadors in Islamabad on Monday night, he emphasised on resolving all issues with unity. Read more:  Names of PM Shehbaz, Nawaz removed from no-fly list: sources Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said Muslim countries are enriched with natural resources and they should help one another. Talking about the Palestinian issue, the Prime Minister said that Israel is targeting the innocent people in Palestine, which needs ample response from Muslim Ummah. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said India has been committing massive human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He said that Kashmir issue should be resolved in lines with the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions. Expressing Pakistan s concerns over the humanitarian crisis in ...

The Red Zone of the federal capital has been sealed by placing containers after Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wrote a letter to the Interior Ministry for security ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf s (PTI) protest in front of Election Commission offices across the country, IG Islamabad met the officials of the Election Commission at the Central Secretariat of the Election Commission in which they discussed the security arrangements. Read more:  Nawaz Sharif gets passport, free to travel The ECP directed IG Islamabad to make foolproof security arrangements in view of the protest. IG Islamabad said that PTI rallies would not be allowed in the red zone. According to police sources, the entrance to the red zone will be through Margalla Road because of PTI s protest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on April 24 (Sunday) gave a call to its workers to stage a protest outside Election Commission offices across the country on April 26 (Tuesday) against biased attitude of the chi...

The Sessions Court conducted hearing on the petition filed by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi against the Inspector General (IG) of Punjab and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. According to the details, the Sessions Court have ordered the police department to submit their reply by April 29 on the application regarding the registration of the case. Read more:  Punjab CM-elect Hamza Shahbaz's oath-taking deferred once again The police representative, on the court orders, replied that they have not received the copy of the petition. The lawyer of the petitioner replied to the police official’s stance and stated that they have attached the complete copy of application to the police. The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had filed a petition against the violence that took place in the Punjab Assembly. Earlier, Speaker of Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had approached the sessions court over the matter of police not f...

After meeting victims of Indian ceasefire violations and seeing them suffer, US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said that raising the Kashmir issue in Congress has become more necessary than before. Talking to a reporter at a hotel about her bold stance on Kashmir and Palestine, Omar said: “Having met the Kashmiri people in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), who nurse bullet wounds due to ceasefire violations by India, was an incredible experience and this firsthand experience has put me under an obligation to stand for human rights and human dignity." The US congresswoman said she had always taken up questions regarding Kashmir and Palestine in Congress, however, she never had the opportunity to visit the place in person. "It was incredibly awful to meet the people firsthand and ask them how they want to be in partnership with me as a lawmaker and advocate of human rights," she added. She said after meeting the people in person and seeing them suffer, it became crucial to rais...

Self-driving tech company Pony.ai, backed by Toyota Motor Corp(7203.T), said on Sunday it has obtained a taxi license in China, which will allow some of its driverless vehicles to start charging fares. The company said it was the first autonomous driving company in the country to do so. The startup said it was awarded the license to operate 100 driverless vehicles in the Guangzhou city district of Nansha. Read more:  EU sets new online rules for Google, Meta to curb illegal content Pony.ai last year also won approval to launch paid driverless robotaxi services in Beijing and has since begun offering rides. In Beijing, however, rides are being offered in a much smaller, industrial zone on a trial basis, a Pony.ai spokesperson said. According to the company’s statement, in Nansha it will start charging fares in the entire 800 square km of the district with driverless cars. Passengers can hail and pay for rides with Pony.ai’s own app. Pony.ai will initially deploy those c...

Former South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith has been cleared of racism allegations by two independent arbitrators, the country s cricket board (CSA) said on Sunday. Smith and current head coach Mark Boucher were among a number of CSA employees implicated in "tentative findings" made by the Social Justice and Nation Building Ombudsman last year into alleged discrimination within the sport s national governing organisation in the past. Read more:  Australia appoints Andrew McDonald as cricket coach Boucher has been accused of racism by former team mate Paul Adams and of sidelining his former assistant coach Enoch Nkwe. He denies both allegations and will face a CSA disciplinary hearing on charges of gross misconduct next month. The panel concluded that there was no evidence that Smith, also a former captain of the national side, racially discriminated against former player Thami Tsolekile between 2012 and 2014, or that he was biased against Black leadership at CS...

Amid sizzling hot weather, Power outages have severely hit Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan as Pakistanis have been suffering up to 14 hours of power load-shedding. All urban centers, such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot have been severely hit with up to 8 hours of load-shedding and rural areas with 12-14 hours. Read more:  Oil stabilises after big drop on IMF growth cut The Power Division said the country has been producing around 17,600 megawatts of electricity while the demand has increased up to 20,500 megawatts. The prolonged load-shedding has continued to increase the miseries of the public, causing difficulties to perform daily chores, especially during sehri and iftar times. Earlier in the month, newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired an urgent meeting regarding energy sector. The meeting discussed steps to overcome electricity load shedding faced by the country and how to ensure provision of petroleum product...

Russian forces attempted to storm the Ukrainian-held Azovstal steel plant in the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol on Sunday (Apr 24), Ukrainian officials said, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin s comments last week that the complex did not need to be taken. Ukraine s armed forces command wrote on Facebook that Russian forces were firing and performing "offensive operations" in the Azovstal area, as well as conducting air strikes on civilian infrastructure. Read more:  Russia vows to win 'full control' of east, south Ukraine Serhiy Volyna, commander of Ukraine s 36th Marine brigade forces in Mariupol, said in an interview with an opposition lawmaker that was shown on YouTube on Sunday that Russia was hitting the complex with air and artillery bombardments. "We are taking casualties, the situation is critical ... we have very many wounded men, (some) are dying, it s a difficult (situation) with guns, ammunition, food, medicines ... the situation ...

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail said Sunday that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had agreed to send its mission to Pakistan in middle of May 2022 for continuation of Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme. Addressing a press conference in Washington, the federal minister said that he and his team had very good discussion with the fund, the World Bank and IFC. He said, when the IMF mission arrives in Pakistan, the government would try to have expedited staff level agreement with it. Read more:  PSX loses 290.54 points to close at 45,652.62 points When agreement is reached, we would look forward receive another tranche under the EFF, he said adding that the fund had also been requested, which it agreed, to extend this program for another year. However, he added these details would be sorted out when the fund mission reaches Pakistan. He said, the IMF had also been requested to enhance the funding available to Pakistan from $6 billion to more. He s...

Rescuers in Japan were searching on Saturday for a sightseeing boat carrying 26 people, hours after it sent a distress signal warning it was sinking, the country’s transport minister said. The “Kazu 1” was sailing off the northern tip of Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture when it issued the signal, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito told reporters in a late-night press conference. The crew reported “that the bow of the vessel was flooded just off the coast of Shiretoko Peninsula and that the vessel was sinking...asking for rescue assistance,” he said. “There were two crew members and 24 passengers on board, all of whom were wearing lifejackets,” Saito added. The call came in at around 1:13 pm local time and rescuers arrived in the area in boats and aircraft around three hours later. “But we received reports that they haven’t found the vessel or its crew and passengers,” Saito said at around 11:00pm. Earlier, the coastguard said that rescuers had “set up a task force to tackle the incident...

A gunman opened fire on random victims from a sniper’s nest in an apartment building near an elite prep school in the nation’s capital on Friday, wounding four people, before taking his own life as police closed in, officials said. Police said the suspect, Raymond Spencer, 23, of suburban Fairfax, Virginia, was initially identified from video he had posted on social media that appeared to show gunshots fired from the vantage point of an upper-floor window, with the misspelled label: “Shool shooting!” Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee told a late-night news conference the video “looks very much to be authentic,” but it remained uncertain whether the footage was streamed live or had been posted after it was recorded. Police had issued a bulletin with photographs of Spencer hours earlier saying they were seeking him as a “person of interest” in their investigation. The shooting and manhunt paralysed the upscale Van Ness neighbourhood of northwest Washington next to ...

Sri Lanka’s beleaguered prime minister came under increased pressure to step down on Satu­rday, as a cabinet minister and other senior party members backed street protests calling for resignations over a worsening economic crisis. Media minister Nalaka Godahewa announced his support for the thousands outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office who are demanding he and other members of his powerful family quit power. Sri Lanka is suffering its most painful economic downturn since independence in 1948, with months of lengthy blackouts and acute shortages of food, fuel and other essentials. The crisis has sparked countrywide protests, with angry demonstrators camped outside Rajapaksa’s office for more than three weeks. Under pressure, the president dropped two of his brothers — Chamal and Basil — and nephew Namal from the cabinet this month, but protesters rejected the changes as cosmetic. Godahewa, previously a staunch Rajapaksa loyalist, said the president should sack his elder ...

The newly elected government has removed the names of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shahbaz, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz from the Exit Control List (ECL) under a new policy. On April 22, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had announced the newly elected government had brought about changes in the rules for having an individual's name on the ECL, and through it, several thousands of people will have their names removed from the list. Sources in the government say that the names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal have also been removed from the ECL. As per the sources, the process of removing names from the ECL under the new policy will continue for the next few days. Earlier, the new federal cabinet, in its maiden session on Wednesday, had granted approval to remove Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s name from the no-fly list. Addressing a press conference, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah ...

The oath-taking of the newly elected chief minister of Punjab, PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz has been postponed for the second time despite all preparations. Everything was done and dusted and Hamza was expected to be sworn in as Punjab CM with Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administering the oath to him in a ceremony at Governor House, Lahore on Saturday night. However, the ceremony had to be deferred once again as the Senate chairman couldn't reach Lahore. Emergency measures had been taken for the ceremony as per the orders of Lahore High Court. Sources within the Governor House said that all the preparations for the oath-taking had been made after receiving verbal instructions from the President' Office but no written order had been received. After the cancellation of the ceremony, the PML-N has decided to approach the court again. Meanwhile, PML-N Deputy General Secretary Ataullah Tarar said that Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema would be remembered in history as a vio...

Government has taken the decision to pay the salaries of public sector employees before Eid-ul-Fitr. The authorities have issued the notification for disbursement of salaries. As per the notification, the salaries of public sector employees will be paid before Eid holidays. The decision was taken for the employees to enjoy Eid Festivities. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/LH6tI5F

Twitter on Friday banned ads that deny the reality of climate change. Twitter’s announcement on Earth Day came as it tries to fend off an unwanted takeover bid by billionaire Elon Musk, who has said he thinks people should be able to say pretty much whatever they want on the platform. "Misleading advertisements on Twitter that contradict the scientific consensus on climate change are prohibited, in line with our inappropriate content policy," Twitter global sustainability manager Casey Junod said in a blog post. Read more:  Twitter adopts ‘poison pill’ to fight takeover by Musk "We believe that climate denialism shouldn’t be monetized on Twitter, and that misrepresentative ads shouldn’t detract from important conversations about the climate crisis." Twitter last year introduced a Topic feature to help users find conversations about climate change, and rolled out hubs of "credible, authoritative" information on an array of high-profile topics includin...

The price of 10 gram 24 karat gold decreased by Rs686 to Rs113,769 from Rs114,455 while that of 10 gram 22 karat also went down to Rs104,288 from Rs104,917 reported. The price of per tola and ten gram silver remained constant at Rs1520 and Rs1303.15 respectively. Read more:  Rupee continues slide, reaches Rs187 against dollar in interbank The price of gold in international market decreased by $9 and was traded at US$1945 against its sale at US$1954, the association reported. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/kjI3Tbw

Russia said Friday it would fight to take control over all east and south of Ukraine but Kyiv pledged to save the country, as the UN documented dozens of civilians killed in one town. Ukraine s government, emboldened by an influx of Western weaponry, said its beleaguered forces were still holding out inside a sprawling steelworks in the razed port city of Mariupol. Read more:  Russia claims Mariupol 'liberated,' US rushes new aid for Ukraine The Kremlin has claimed the "liberation" of Mariupol, which is pivotal to its war plans nearly two months after President Vladimir Putin ordered the shock invasion of Russia s Western-leaning neighbour. "Since the start of the second phase of the special operation... one of the tasks of the Russian army is to establish full control over the Donbas and southern Ukraine," Major General Rustam Minnekaev said. "This will provide a land corridor to Crimea," he added, referring to the peninsula Russia annexed ...

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail on on Friday agreed with IMF recommendations to reduce fuel subsidies. Pakistan s new finance minister on Friday agreed with IMF recommendations to reduce fuel subsidies, pledging to pursue structural reforms to boost a crisis-wracked economy. Read more:  Elections will be held after govt completes its tenure: Marriyum Aurangzeb The International Monetary Fund in 2019 approved a $6 billion loan over three years for Pakistan but disbursement has been slowed down by concerns on the pace of reforms. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, who took office this month after a previous government lost a no-confidence vote, said he had "good discussions" with the IMF on a visit during the Washington-based lender s annual spring meetings. "They ve talked about removing the subsidy on fuel. I agree with them," Ismail, himself a former International Monetary Fund economist, said at the Atlantic Council. "We can t affo...

The United States government on Friday said that a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan is critical to US interests. Responding to queries about the current political situation in the Pakistan, the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said that we have continued to say all along that there is absolutely no truth to those rumors that US was involved in any conspiracy for regime change in Pakistan. Read more:  Govt decides to remove thousands of names from ECL: Rana Sanaullah She underscore that the United States values its longstanding cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/7KE2sgL

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reach Quetta on a day-long visit to Balochistan today (Saturday). Federal Minister of Communications Asad Mahmood will accompany the Prime minister on the visit. According to sources, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif would lay the foundation stone of Khuzdar-Kuchlak Road. Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood will give a briefing to the Prime Minister. Read more:  In NSC meeting, security agencies reiterate 'no foreign conspiracy' against PTI govt Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qaddos Bizenjo will brief the Prime Minister on various issues of Balochistan. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/YtgsTwe

The KSE 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bearish trend on Thursday, losing 290.54 points, with negative change of 0.63 percent, closing at 45,652.62 points against 45,943.16 points on the last working day. A total of 186,431,158 shares were traded during the day compared to the trade of 234,997,430 shares the previous day whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 5.621 billion against Rs8.011 billion on last trading day. Read more:  Rupee continues slide, reaches Rs187 against dollar in interbank As many as 311 companies transacted shares in the stock market, 92 of them recorded gain and 198 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 21 companies remained unchanged. The three top trading companies were Lotte Chemical with a volume of 19,980,500 and price per share of Rs 19.78, Cnergyico Pk with a volume of 19,858,684 and price per share of Rs6.50 and Pak Refinery with volume of 12,900,500 and price per share of Rs 16.03. Premium Tex witnessed a maximu...