TEHRAN: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling for practical measures to enhance bilateral ties and address the Gaza crisis. During their talks, Raisi said it was necessary for the two sides to further strengthen political, economic and cultural relations, according to a statement published on the website of …

BEIJING: The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 12 pips to 7.0938 against the U.S. dollar Monday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate …

KABUL: Afghan caretaker government’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed the detention of two U.S. nationals in Afghanistan, local media said Sunday. “A number of foreign nationals including two U.S. nationals have been held in Afghanistan and the reason for their imprisonment is a violation of Afghanistan’s laws,” Afghanistan National Radio and Television quoted Mujahid on Sunday as saying. Without providing …

GAZA: At least 36 Palestinians were killed and dozens others wounded in overnight Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said on Sunday. In the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, at least 11 were killed and dozens of others injured in an Israeli drone attack targetting a group of Palestinians. Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman and her …

ISLAMABAD: Raising his hands in prayer according to Muslim traditions while breaking his fast at dusk in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muhammad Rashid made a wish for the health and happiness of Chinese volunteers serving food to Pakistanis at a makeshift dining place on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital. Rashid, who sells ice cream here to financially …

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has released the notification of the Trader Friendly Special Procedure 2024 Registration of traders and shopkeepers will start from 1st April. As per the notification, dealers and shopkeepers will be liable to a trader-friendly special procedure. The registration period for traders and shopkeepers under the scheme will start from 1st April. The first monthly …

The United Nations, joining the wave of international concern, has urged India to ensure “fair, transparent, and timely action” following the arrest of New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ahead of elections. The UN Secretary General’s spokesperson emphasized the importance of upholding justice and safeguarding the rights of all citizens, particularly political figures, in a statement. In a related development, …

New details have emerged regarding what could be the largest case of election manipulation in India’s history. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stands accused of misappropriating billions of Rupees, with the Modi government allegedly profiting off more than half of the donations collected from Indian corporations under the guise of electoral bonds. According to a recent investigation by Scroll, the …

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Saturday said she would not resign after her house was raided as part of inquiries into possible illicit enrichment and failure to declare ownership of luxury watches. Some 20 officials from the public prosecutor’s office and 20 police raided Boluarte’s house on Friday night, and the palace on Saturday morning. “I took office with clean …

Pakistan Cricket Team on Sunday confirmed that following a unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. Babar Azam has replaced Shaheen Shah Afridi as T20 captain. ‘King Babar’ also became ODI skipper after a hiatus of five months. Babar Azam …

WhatsApp is among the most popular messaging apps, with developers constantly rolling out new and upcoming features through the beta channel. The app introduced one such feature a couple of weeks ago, a search bar for the Chats tab, helping users search for a specific message from a long list of conversations. While the new search bar was added with …

The much-anticipated collaboration between Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and Karan Johar has hit a sang after the former pulled himself out of the action film – Bull, an Indian media outlet reported. The buzz around Salman Khan and Karan Johar teaming up for Bull had dominated 2023’s entertainment headlines. This marked a much-anticipated comeback for the pair after 25 years, …

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday felicitated the Christian community on observance of Easter. The president said that the Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed constitutional rights to all religious communities. The president, in a message, said that all the communities enjoyed religious, political, social and economic rights in Pakistan. “The Christian community is a precious asset for Pakistan,” he said, adding that …

The escalating number of cases has sparked concerns among authorities and citizens alike, prompting calls for urgent measures to address the stray dog population and ensure public safety. In a concerning surge of dog bite cases, Dadu has emerged with the highest number of dog bite incidents in Sindh, totaling 289 cases, citing National Institute of Health (NIH) sources. Following …

BEIJING: The number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in China increased 32 percent year on year to exceed 1.26 million by the end of 2023, data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) shows. These UAVs, or drones, flew more than 23 million hours last year, according to the CAAC. The CAAC has approved the establishment of 17 civil …

In what might seem as a departure from its earlier position of not becoming part of the government, the PPP in Punjab has hinted at accepting portfolios in the provincial cabinet when it expanded after Eidul Fitr. This move might pave the way for its entry into the federal cabinet as well. Ali Haider Gilani, the PPP parliamentary leader in …

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the government is targeting to win a staff-level agreement (SLA) for the next IMF loan programme by the end of June 2024, aiming to secure a three-year EFF (extended fund facility) while the size of the package is yet to be determined through deliberation and discussions. During his first visit to the Pakistan Stock …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the country wants to enhance bilateral cooperation with Russia during his meeting with Moscow’s envoy to Islamabad. The statement from the Prime Minister’s Office stated that the premier highlighted a number of areas, particularly in energy, trade and investment during his meeting with Ambassador of the Russian Federation Albert P. Khorev. The …

Popular actress and model Shahnaz Gill has ventured into a new realm of creativity with her debut as a playback singer in the song “Dil Kya Irada Tera” for the movie “Patna Shukla,” released on an OTT platform. Sharing her excitement and gratitude, she took to Instagram to express her emotions, posting a video snippet of her song and thanking …

A devastating hailstorm struck Sibi overnight, severely damaging wheat and cotton fields, and plunging farmers into despair as their hopes for a successful harvest were shattered. Thousands of acres of wheat crops in Dehpal Kalan, Kurak, Marghzani, Talli, and Khajjak have suffered extensive damage due to the hailstorm. The once-promising wheat fields now lie flattened, with the ready crop destroyed …

Tragedy struck Muawiya village in Bannu as heavy rains caused the wall of a house to cave in, killing four children and an adult, with several others injured. As per rescue sources, the victims, aged between five and seven years old, were identified as Asim, Owais, Tanzeela, and Wasila. Rescue efforts were swiftly launched by Bannu’s Rescue 1122 officials, who, …

The Modi govt has blocked a documentary shedding light on the murder of Hardeep Singh Nagar, a Khalistan separatist, in Canada. The documentary, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, accuses Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar’s assassination outside a gurdwara in British Columbia last June. YouTube has removed access to the documentary, titled “Sikhs, Spies, and Murder: Investigating India’s Alleged …

The first batch of premium cattle from Brazil has landed at Sialkot International Airport. The American company “National Airlines” flew them in via a Boeing 747 cargo plane, marking a major step forward for the Green Pakistan Livestock Initiative (GPLI) under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The cattle, boasting superior genetic traits, comprise nine breeds including. This blend aims …

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairing a federal cabinet meeting on Saturday. The meeting, to be held in Lahore virtually through a video link, is expected to lay out clear targets and objectives for ministries across various sectors, including the economy, agriculture, industry and trade, minerals, IT, and education. Sources suggest that Prime Minister Sharif may outline the points of …

ADEN, Yemen: A Houthi attack involving drone strikes and a ground offensive in Yemen’s southern Al-Dhalea province on Friday killed at least four pro-government soldiers, a military official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that “the Houthis first deployed drones to bombard sites controlled by pro-government forces in the northern fronts of Al-Dhalea province. The drone …

BEIJING: The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on March 29 to review a comprehensive report on the second round of disciplinary inspection missions of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. It was noted at the meeting that the CPC Central Committee …

GAZA: The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 32,705, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Saturday. In a press statement, the ministry said that during the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 82 people and wounded 98 others in the Palestinian coastal enclave. This brings the total death toll to 32,705 …

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) in Pakistan witnessed an increase of 29.41 percent on a year-on-year basis, an official report said on Friday. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said that the SPI was calculated to measure the price movement of important commodities and it comprised 51 essential items collected from 50 markets in …

China’s Two Sessions remained hot topic in regional as well as international media for numerous reasons. By presenting the socio-economic achievements of the 2023 and setting the healthy targets of 2024, it attracts huge attention from the policy makers, economists, strategists and financial gurus around the globe, chalking out their future plans of investments, innovations, cooperation and connectivity. The concluded …

BEIJING: China urges Japan to commit itself to the path of peaceful development, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday. Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks during a regular press conference in regards to reports stating that Japan’s parliament approved its budget for fiscal year 2024, with a record-high defense budget of 7.95 trillion yen. Given Japan’s not-too-distant history of …

KUALA LUMPUR: Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Malaysia from Thursday to Friday. During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with President of the People’s Justice Party (PKR) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President of the United Malays National Organization …

BEIJING: Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, met with Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese Prime Minister and former chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, in Beijing on Friday. Wang expressed appreciation for Fukuda’s constant care for and contribution to the development of the Boao Forum for …

A decade and a half ago, a meek, wide-eyed Sajal Ali entered the Pakistani entertainment industry, debuting with Nadaaniyaan. With self-admitted highs and lows embellishing her journey, Sajal can now boast a staggering fan following in the millions, a body of work that boggles, awards and accolades that are a testament to her craft, and the recently conferred Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. Speaking …

The Supreme Court decided on Thursday that no private person would be made party to the Mubarak Sani case review, but any individual or institution could make their written submission to the court within two weeks’ time. Heading a three-member bench, including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruled that the definition …

The government’s move to outsource the country’s airports has attracted the interest of seven international companies. According to sources, companies based in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia and Turkiye have expressed their willingness to participate in the privatisation process. The aviation ministry authorities have been entrusted with the responsibilities to deal with the matter. Under the outsourcing plan, …

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will visit Washington on April 14 and 15 for meetings with officials of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The finance minister, speaking at a ceremony at the Karachi Stock Exchange, said the country needs a new IMF programme that should last for at least three years. Aurangzeb stressed the importance of the …

Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, and Amanda Anka were spotted leaving a renowned plastic surgery office in Greenwich Connecticut fueling speculation about their possible cosmetic surgeries. The trio was seen departing The Retreat At Split Rock, known for its specialized upper and lower facelift procedures, as well as brow and eye lifts, which come with hefty price tags ranging from $30,000 …

Indian army personnel started committing suicides due to various psychological diseases and a rising trend of suicides among the Indian Army raised alarm bells. On March 27, 2024, an officer of the Indian Paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force committed suicide in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir as per the Kashmir Media Service. A Central Reserve Force (CRF) official ended …

An India-based magazine, The Diplomat, has unveiled the grim reality behind the facade of democracy under the Modi government in India. Contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lofty rhetoric, the recent actions paint a starkly different picture. As the nation gears up for general elections, alarming instances of democratic erosion have come to light. Opposition leaders have faced expulsion from …

The candidates vying for a spot in the Senate from Balochistan in the upcoming elections to the Upper House of parliament have been elected unopposed on all the seats. The election commission announced that the candidates from Balochistan were elected unopposed on all seats of the Senate. The seats up for grabs from Balochistan were seven general seats, two women’s …