Every Events

KARACHI: In a recent crackdown on gas theft, authorities arrested the owner of a prominent hotel for allegedly stealing gas directly from the service line in Karachi, ARY News reported on Tuesday. The recovery team of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) along with Control Gas Theft Operations (CGTO) raided a tea hotel in the Pathan Colony area of Karachi and arrested the owner of Chai Gulab Hotel. “The hotel owner was operating the hotel by stealing gas directly from the service line,” the recovery team claimed. The SSGC police arrested the hotel owner, named Shamsul Haque, and registered a case while the raiding team confiscated the pipe and other items used in the gas theft. A spokesperson for Sui Southern Gas stated that the accused will be fined based on the quantity of stolen gas, adding that SSGC’s determination to crack down on gas theft, affirming that further actions will be taken against perpetrators to safeguard the country’s resources and the company’s interests. Last mon...

QUETTA: The Balochistan Apex Committee decided to strictly implement the prevailing SOPs while reviewing the provision of foolproof security of the CPEC projects and the foreign nationals working on them, ARY News reported. Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti chaired a 16th meeting of the provincial apex committee in which important decisions regarding the improvement of law and order, the eradication of terrorism and smuggling, and the second phase of the repatriation of illegal immigrants. The meeting was attended by Commander-XII Corps Lieutenant General Rahat Naseem Ahmad Khan, Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Ziaullah Langau, Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Zahid Saleem, IG Police Balochistan Abdul Khalique Shaikh, Chief Collector Customs Balochistan Abdul Qadir Memon along with other senior civil and military officials were in attendance. The participants of the meeting agreed to start large-scale operations to ...

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Hong Kong’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% for the first quarter, maintaining moderate growth for a fifth consecutive quarter, the city’s finance chief said on Sunday. January-March GDP, scheduled to be released on Thursday, is expected to be “within the range of the full-year economic growth forecast”, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in his blog, opens new tab without elaborating. Chan in February forecast full-year growth for the Asia financial hub of 2.5% to 3.5% after a 3.2% expansion in 2023. As Hong Kong seeks new sources of growth points, mega events such as fireworks will be held to lure more tourists, Chan said, adding that 800,000 visitors are expected to visit for China’s labour day holiday on Wednesday. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/rF3a5pD

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh predicted semi-finalists of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 set to be held in West Indies and the United States of America (USA) in June this year. In a Question-and-Answer session on ICC’s official Instagram account, Yuvraj Singh—who was named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador a day ago, was asked to choose his final four teams of the tournament. The former left-handed batter picked Pakistan as one of his four semi-finalists. The other three favorite teams to reach the semi-finals, according to Yuvraj Singh, are India, England, and Australia. The tournament will be jointly hosted by the USA and the West Indies from 1 June to 29 June. Yuvraj Singh will participate in the World Cup promotional events in the United States before and during the tournament. Yuvraj Singh, who famously hit 36 runs in an over during the first-ever T20 World Cup in 2007 which he and India ultimately won, will attend a range of exciting World Cup promotional...

A tragic incident was reported from Lahore, where a nine-year-old domestic worker, Zainab, tragically succumbed to burns in Millat Park area, ARY News reported on Friday. According to the details, the victim had been employed at the residence located at in Millat Park area of Lahore from several months and was shifted to hospital today in critically injured condition. While taking swift action, the Punjab police have arrested the homeowner, named Salman for initial investigation. “Zainab sustained burns due to a kitchen cylinder explosion the previous day,” Salman claimed in his statement. READ: Domestic worker abducted, subjected to ‘rape’ for three days He asserted that the victim received initial first aid treatment at home but was later transferred to the hospital as her condition deteriorated. However, it was further revealed that Salman failed to inform Zainab’s family about the incident. DIG Operations has reached out to Zainab’s relatives in Kasur, and a case has been f...

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KARACHI: A total of 67 alleged buyers of stolen goods were arrested, as law enforcers conducted several raids in Karachi, ARY News reported on Thursday. Following the directives of Sindh’s Chief Minister, Sindh police initiated a crackdown against the buyers of robbed mobile phones and arrested 67 individuals in District West of Karachi. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) district West, Hafeezur Rehman Bugti, claimed to have recovered stolen goods, including mobile phones and spare parts of the stolen vehicles, from the shops and warehouses of the arrested individuals. Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched against the arrested individuals. Earlier this month, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah directed to take measures to monitor the sale of stolen or snatched mobile phones and vehicles as spare parts or in their complete form in the markets of Karachi. The chief minister issued the directives while chairing the 31st Apex Committee meeting, which was attende...

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PUBG has announced the return of the nostalgic classic Erangel map for a limited period to take players back in time. The development team will make the 2017 classic Erangel map available from May 14 to May 28 on PC and from May 23 to June 6 on gaming consoles. “Erangel Classic is finally making its triumphant return to the battlegrounds! We hope this offers the chance not only to revisit the iconic world but also to recall the cherished moments shared with friends and comrades in days gone by,” a post by PUBG read. During the announced timeframe, the classic Erangel will replace the modern Erangel in normal matches. The map will include gloomy weather, the prematch island with a downed plane, classic UI, and the tommy gun in care packages. Read more: Last Sentinel: PUBG maker reveals most ambitious game yet for consoles According to PUBG, players will see the familiar sight of a vintage world map and minimap, the match start timer, and the tacky font and graphics upon entering ...

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reach Karachi on Wednesday on his first visit to the port city after assuming the office for the second time, ARY News reported. As per the details, the prime minister would meet Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Governor Kamran Khan Tessori along with holding meetings with the business community PM Shehbaz Sharif will first visit the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam to offer Fatiha. The prime minister will hold a separate meeting with the Governor of Sindh and the Chief Minister in which important issues will be discussed. An important part of the Prime Minister’s visit is the meeting with the business community, in which he will take the businessmen and industrialists into confidence about the government’s efforts to improve the economy. Read More: PM Shehbaz Sharif suspends high-ranking FBR official for delaying tax cases The meeting of the federal cabinet that was scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed due to the prime mini...

QUETTA: The government of Balochistan has announced the first-ever air ambulance service in the province’s history, ARY News reported. According to the details, Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that an air ambulance service would be started soon for the first time in the history of the province. Balochistan government has decided to use one of the two planes owned it for public facilitation instead of selling it. In a statement, the chief minister said that the People’s Air Ambulance service would be launched for the emergency shifting of patients to expand the provision of emergency medical facilities to the masses. With the launch of Air Ambulance, patients can be transferred to major hospitals across the country, including the provincial capital Quetta on an emergency basis. CM Bugto said that efforts would be taken to improve service delivery in all sectors including health services in Balochistan and substantial results can be achieved by changing decision-making p...

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KARACHI: As preparations are underway for the visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Karachi on April 23, the security measures in the city have been intensified, ARY News reported on Sunday. During his visit, President Raisi is scheduled to hold meetings with the Chief Minister and Governor of Sindh in Karachi. The presence of high-ranking officials, including the Chief Minister of Sindh, provincial ministers, and other dignitaries, is expected at these meetings. The visit holds significant diplomatic importance, highlighting the close relations between Iran and Pakistan. READ: Karachi police outlines traffic plan for April 23 Earlier in the day,  Commissioner Karachi announced a public holiday on April 23  in the metropolis. A notification has been issued by the office of the Karachi Commissioner announcing a public holiday on April 23 with all the public and private offices and schools remaining closed across the city. According to the notification, the public ...

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Muhammad Rizwan created history on Saturday by breaking the record of captain Babar Azam and India star batter Virat Kohli in T20Is. During the second T20I against New Zealand here, Muhammad Rizwan became the fastest batter to score 3000 runs in T20Is, surpassing his national team captain Babar and India’s Kohli. Kohli and Azam are the joint-fastest to score 3000 runs in T20I cricket, taking 81 innings each, followed by Australia’s Aaron Finch who took 98 innings. The wicket-keeper batter amassed this record in 79 innings, with his match-winning 45-run knock against the Blackcaps in Saturday’s match. Meanwhile, Babar Azam is closing in on Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in T20I cricket. Azam has scored 3,698 runs in T20I cricket and is third among the highest run-scorers in the format. Kohli tops the list with 4,037, followed by his teammate Rohit Sharma, who has amassed 3,974 runs. Azam needs 340 runs in five games to become the ...

DELHI: In a horrific incident, a man allegedly stabbed his wife and brother-in-law to death with a screwdriver in India’s capital New Delhi on Wednesday morning, local police confirmed. The police said that the alleged killer identified as 30-year-old Shriyansh Kumar, killed his wife Kamlesh Holkar, 30,  and then her 17-year-old brother Ram Pratap Singh when he tried to save Holkar. The Delhi police said that Shriyansh Kumar initially left the crime scene after the double murders, but later returned after few hours later to surrender before the the investigators. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DSP) East Apoorva Gupta said that they received a complaint on Wednesday at 10:11 a.m. from an unidentified man who informed the police that a fight in his building resulted in several injuries. The police officer said that they reached the crime scene prompltly in the crowded east Delhi residential colony, only to recover two blood-stained bodies on the ground. the dead bodies of the w...

TOBA TEK SINGH: A DNA report revealed that 23-year-old Maria, who was killed by her brother, was not sexually assaulted, ARY News reported. District Police Officer (DPO) Ibadat Nisar said that the DNA report did not prove sexual assault on the slain Maria. He said that the two brothers of the slain woman are accusing each other of assaulting their sister, adding that accusations were not proved in the DNA report. The DPO said that samples of the main accused who are brothers and a father of Maria were taken. Ibadat Nisar said that the main accused and the father had doubts about character of the victim. The DPO said that according to the forensic report, the video is original, and the police have fulfilled all legal requirements. It is pertinent to mention here that In a gruesome incident, a man smothered his sister to death in the presence of a father and other family members in Toba Tek Singh earlier in March. Another brother was filming the murder while the other family members...

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday called for joint efforts to steer country out of crisis, saying that his party supremo Nawaz Sharif will be ready to hold talks, but PTI founder Imran Khan won’t, ARY News reported. Speaking to a private news channel, the former interior minister said that PTI founder categorically denied holding talks with major political parties. Stressing the need for national reconciliation, Sanaullah said that Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Imran Khan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, MQM-P and Baloch leadership should sit together, after which all “problems could be solved”. Meanwhile, he also advised his party for self-accountability, maintaining that he will always stays with party. He added that his political carrier will end if he now leaves PML-N. Referring to Faizabad dharna commission report, Sanaullah said that a truth commission should be formed on the Faizabad sit-in which will reveal all the details. It is pertinent t...

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the Faizabad sit-in inquiry and termed the commission report a ‘joke’, ARY News reported on Tuesday. In a conversation with a private news channel, Khawaja Asif said he took the matter before the commission but it wasn’t being taken seriously. He stated that the inquiry commission should reconsider the verdict of the report as this report has ‘no value’ as former army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI chief Faiz Hameed did not appear before the commission to record their statement. “Without the statement of former army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI chief Faiz Hameed, the report the inquiry commission report is incomplete,” he added. Faizabad commission report The commission in its report said that the common perception of the sit-in was aimed at destabilising then federal government. However, then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, then-Punjab chief ...

SYDNEY: Former Australia cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences, including assault and stalking, an international media outlet reported.   According to the report, the 54-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator’s case was summoned in Maroochydore magistrates court on Monday. The former Australia cricketer is being charged on 19 counts for alleged acts that purportedly occurred on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland on various dates between December 5, 2023, and April 12, 2024. In addition, Michael Slater was charged with ten charges of violating his bail and disobeying a domestic violence order. The Queensland Maroochydore Magistrates Court reportedly heard Slater’s case on Monday. The report, however, did not identify the victim. Meanwhile, the local police confirmed detaining a 54-year-old man from Noosa Heads at the Sunshine Coast last Friday over the alleged domestic violence incidents for several days. ...

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ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistanis are reportedly on board the Israel-linked container ship seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, with the Foreign Office raising the issue with Tehran for their release, ARY News reported on Sunday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday seized a container ship “related to the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Gulf,” state media reported a day earlier. “A container ship named ‘MCS Aries’ was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation,” IRNA state news agency reported. It added that the operation took place “near the Strait of Hormuz”, a waterway vital to world trade, and “this ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters” of Iran. Vessel tracking websites, vesselfinder.com and marinetraffic.com, say MSC Aries is a Portuguese-flagged container ship. Both sites give its last reported position as in the Gulf. The surging tensions come against the backdrop of the six-month war waged by Israel against Pales...

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KARACHI: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against an online taxi driver for allegedly harassing a foreign woman, a citizen of the United States (US), in Karachi, ARY News reported on Saturday. The FIR was registered at Gadap police station on complaint of the foreign woman on April 10. According to the FIR – a copy of which is available with ARY News, the victim booked an online taxi from Karachi’s Superhighway. Meanwhile, the victim alleged that the driver started harassing her at gunpoint. “Following his [the online taxi driver] actions, I started shouting but to no avail. He then manhandled me and continued harassing,” she said. However, the foreign woman claimed that the FIR was registered as per her complaint. “The police reported the case in Urdu language, which I can’t understand,” she said. Gadap SHO, in a statement, said that an attempt of sexual assault was made. He noted that the girl has no information about the driver while further investigation i...

Prince Harry and wife Meghan are producing two upcoming Netflix shows that will focus on cooking and a U.S. polo championship, the streaming service said on Thursday. Watch ARY News live on  live.arynews.tv The projects are part of a multi-year deal between Netflix and Archewell Productions, which was founded by the royal couple in 2020 after they stepped down as senior members of Britain’s royal family and moved to the United States. The first new series will focus on cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship. The show is being ‘curated’ by Markle, who is serving as an executive producer, Netflix said. The second series will follow the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, and offer a look at the competition and the polo industry’s social scene. Markle and Prince Harry are both executive producers of the polo show. American Riviera Orchard: Meghan Markle launches lifestyle brand amid family drama Both series are in early production and will have titles a...

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PISHIN: Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been imposed in Pishin ahead of the opposition alliance’s public gathering on April 13, ARY News reported. The Deputy Commissioner of Pishin has issued a notification that reads, “Section 144 has been imposed to ensure public safety and maintain law and order”. Under Section 144 of CrPC, a ban has been imposed on gatherings of more than five people within the city. Additionally, no one would be allowed to block main highways and roads. The development came after the newly formed Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aaeen (Constitution Protection Movement), the six-party opposition alliance announced to hold a public gathering in the city on April 13. Read More: Mehmood Achakzai named President of opposition alliance The six opposition parties named Mahmood Khan Achakzai as president of their newly formed alliance “Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aaeen” (Constitution Protection Movement) against the government. As per the details, Balochistan National...

QUETTA: The six opposition parties named Mahmood Khan Achakzai as president of their newly formed alliance “Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aaeen” (Constitution Protection Movement) against the government, ARY News reported. As per the details, Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal hosted a meeting of the alliance that was also attended by Omar Ayub of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Mahmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Majlis-e-Wadhat-e-Muslimeen’s (MWM) Allama Nasir Abbas and Liaquat Baloch of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). They discussed and finalised a schedule for nationwide protest meetings. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that the movement named Tehreek Tahafuz Aaeen, aims to combat a ‘massive rigging’ in the general elections 2024. Omar Ayub said that all opposition parties also agreed to establish a coordination committee, with Mahmood...

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Pakistan is in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a potential follow-up programme to its nine-month, $3 billion stand-by arrangement, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, adding that it had important issues to solve. Georgieva told an event at the Atlantic Council think tank, that Pakistan was successfully completing its existing programme with the IMF and its economy was performing somewhat better, with reserves now being built up. “There is a commitment to continue on this path, and the country is turning to the fund for potentially having a follow-up programme,” Kristalina Georgieva said, flagging issues that the struggling South Asian nation still needed to address. “There are very important issues to be solved in Pakistan: the tax base, how the richer part of society contributes to the economy, the way public spending is being directed and of course, creating … a more transparent environment.” Read more: IMF ready for new loan program with P...

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Former Pakistan cricketer and commentator Bazid Khan has explained the reason and his emotions behind Pakistan’s embracing defeat against Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Speaking on ARY News program ‘Sports Room’, the former cricketer talked about his video clip which went viral on social media following Pakistan’s defeat against Zimbabwe during T20 World Cup. During the show, host Najib asked Bazid to share about his feelings while commentating during the thriller matches and most important about his Zimbabwe loss video. “Pakistan needed two runs to win and unfit Shaheen Afridi was sent to bat. I was thinking that Afridi is unfit and what will happen if he fails to make it,” Bazid explained. “That’s what happened on the next ball, it was run out and we lost,” he added. “The same scenario was going in my mind and that came out, so my feelings were like that,” Bazid Khan said on his viral video. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/Km9eNtE

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan’s Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the seven-member larger bench constituted to hear a suo motu case regarding the allegations of interference by intelligence agencies in judicial functions. In his note, Justice Yayha Afridi said that the apex court should refrain from proceeding the case on a judicial level. The six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) have mentioned setting the code of conduct, he said, adding that proceeding a case of administrative matter on a judicial level will give a negative impression. He advised the Supreme Court against taking up the case under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. The top court judge went on to say that the high courts of the country serve administrative duties and provide safety to courts under the Constitution. Read more: CJP takes suo moto notice of IHC judges’ letter According to Justice Yahya Afridi, the IHC chief justice and judges had administrative powers they did not use i...

In a horrific incident, a 23-year-old man, an accused in a murder case, was stabbed to death by a gang in what appeared to be a revenge as the killers also posted a video celebrating the assassination in India’s Hyderabad. According to the local police a man identified as Teja was killed in Hyderabad in the early hours of Monday in what appears to be a case of revenge. Two suspects holding knives in blooded hands can be seen purportedly celebrating the murder in the video that was shared on social media. The victim was repeatedly stabbed by at least four members of a rival gang who assaulted him with knives close to his Pragathinagar rental house, according to the police. The investigators added that after preliminary investigation it was revealed that Teja sustained around 11 stab wounds which were visible on the body. The police said that four teams have been formed to nab the suspects, who fled the scene. According to the police, the victim was nominated in the murder case re...

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Secretariat has established a facilitation desk at Parliament House to assist and support recently elected members of Upper House. According to details, Secretary of the Senate, Muhammad Qasim Khan has directed the formation of a coordination committee to manage registration and facilitation procedures for newly elected Senate members. Staff members from different departments are actively involved in assisting the incoming Senators. The desk will be operational from 9 am to 5 pm to ensure smooth completion of registration process. Meanwhile, sources said that preparations were underway to summon the first session of the Senate on April 9 after the recent election of the house. Read more:  Ruling coalition wins big in Senate polls The newly elected senators will take oath in the Senate session, while the chairman and deputy chairman’s election will be held on the same day. Sources privy to the matter said that President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has ...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has granted Returning Officers (ROs) and Presiding Officers (POs) powers equivalent to those of first-class magistrates to ensure the seamless execution of the forthcoming by-elections on five National and 16 provincial assembly constituencies scheduled for April 21. District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) were vested with magisterial powers as per the notification issued by the ECP, in adherence to Section 193 of the Election Act 2017. The Presiding officers have the authority to employ these powers during the by-elections across five national and 16 provincial assemblies in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, spanning from April 20 to 22, until the official declaration of final results for the candidates. Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs) are empowered to take action against candidates who violate the code of conduct set forth by the Election Commission of Pakistan ...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially issued notifications of success for 37 candidates who were elected to the Senate in the April 2 elections. According to a notification, among them are Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Ishaq Dar from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), both representing the federal capital. The notified senators from Punjab include Ahad Cheema (PML-N), Pervaiz Rasheed (PML-N), Hamid Khan (SIC), Raja Nasir Abbas (MWMP), Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi (Independent), Muhammad Talal Badar Chaudhry (PML-N), Nasir Mehmood (PML-N), Muhammad Aurangzeb (PML-N), Musadik Masood Malik (PML-N), Anusha Rehman Ahmad Khan (PML-N), Bushra Anjum Butt (PML-N), and Khalil Tahir (PML-N). The notification includes Syed Masroor Ahsan, Dost Ali Jeesar, Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Amir Wali Uddin Chishti, Faisal Vawda, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Sarmad Ali, Qurat-Ul-Ain Marri, Rubina Qaim Khani, and ...

ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Director of Communications Julie Kozack said on Thursday that the Executive Board Meeting of the global lender on Pakistan is expected to be held by the end of April, ARY News reported. In a press briefing in Washington, Kozack said: “Pakistan and the IMF reached a staff-level deal on March 19. The economic situation in Pakistan has improved”. She maintained: “Pakistan will be granted an overall $3 billion in line with the standby arrangement.” “The country has already secured $1.9 billion,” Kozack added. Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the final review of a $3 billion bailout package. The announcement came after the IMF team’s week-long visit to Islamabad concluded on March 19. The global lender praised Pakistan’s central bank and outgoing caretaker government for “strong program implementation” and hoped the new government would continue its efforts for the stabili...

The popular messaging app WhatsApp was down for several users across the globe, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. Users trying to log in to the App or WhatsApp web – the browser version – were faced with an error message. “WhatsApp is currently experiencing an issue with their servers,” said WABetaInfo on X. WhatsApp is currently experiencing an issue with their servers. #whatsappdown — WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) April 3, 2024 Downdetector, a popular website that tracks web outages, showed a spike in users attempting to use WhatsApp but facing an issue. Downdetector tracks outages by collating status reports from a series of sources, including user-submitted errors on its platform. There were more than 17,000 incidents of users reporting issues with the messaging platform, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources including user-submitted errors on its platform. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 user...

Test captain Shan Masood expressed his desire to play a Test match against India, stating it would be an honour for him to lead Pakistan against arch-rivals. Pakistan and India have not played a Test since 2007/08 and a bilateral series in any format since 2012/13 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The fierce rivals, however, only came face to face in multi-national events like Asia Cup and ICC World Cups. They last met in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, which witnessed a mammoth audience of around 130,000 while their T20 World Cup 2022 tie saw around 94,000 spectators filling the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). “My greatest memory has been playing India in the 2022 T20 World Cup at the MCG – it was around 94,000 people and that was surreal,” stated Shan in an interview with Wisden Cricket Monthly. “If we have a Test match in Pakistan or in India, even the Ahmedabad ground, or we play in P...

KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday notified Rs2.75 per unit increase in the uniform electricity rate for all consumers across the country, including Karachi, ARY News reported. This hike is part of the second quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) mechanism designed to offset the financial pressures on power companies. The hike will apply to all electricity users except “lifeline consumers”, who use less than 100 units monthly. The new tariff would be in effect for the upcoming three months, imposing a significant burden on consumers amounting to Rs85.2 billion. This increase, which will show up in the electricity bills for April, May, and June, is the result of several factors ‘influencing’ the operational costs of the power industry. The NEPRA stated that the tariff revision was mostly due to growing fuel prices and maintenance costs. To lighten the load on low-consumption households, NEPRA has granted an exemption from tariff increase to lif...