PPP’s Murtaza Wahab took oath as the as controversially elected Karachi mayor at a ceremony held at the city’s Polo Ground on Monday. According to updates on the PPP’s Twitter, party’s Salman Murad was also sworn in as the city’s deputy mayor at the ceremony. Sindh Election Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan administered the oath to Wahab and Salman while Sindh …

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday reserved its verdict on a set of pleas challenging the recently-enacted Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023, which expands the scope of a review petition. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard a set of appeals challenging …

A free trade zone agreement between Iran, Russia and several countries that cover the vast Eurasian region spreading from the borders of Eastern Europe to Western China is possible by the end of the year, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Monday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told the state TASS agency in an interview that talks between the …

DOHA: Qatar and the United Arab Emirates’ respective embassies reopened on Monday to resume work after the two Gulf states agreed to restore diplomatic ties, Qatar’s foreign ministry said. The restoration of ties comes amid a broader regional push for reconciliation and more than two years after Arab states ended a boycott of Doha that had shattered the Western-allied Gulf …

LUCKNOW: At least 54 people died in a district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh over the last few days, the Times of India newspaper reported on Monday, as authorities probed if the loss of lives was due to the heat wave in the region. Another 45 people died in neighbouring Bihar state, local newspapers reported. The Indian …

The Zilhaj moon has been sighted and Eidul Azha will fall on June 29, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced on Monday evening. The announcement was made after a meeting of the committee at the main offices of the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi, during which Maulana Azad said the sky remained clear in most parts of …

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast heatwave-like conditions in most parts of the country this week along with a gradual increase in day temperatures. “Due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, the day temperatures are likely to increase gradually in most parts of the country from June 20 to June 24,” the PMD said in …

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) criticism of Pakistan’s latest budget suggests chances are rising that the multilateral lender will opt not to release funding under its bailout programme that is scheduled to expire on June 30, warned Bloomberg in a report on Monday. As per a note by Ankur Shukla, South Asia Economist for Bloomberg Economics, the Pakistani economy will …

PARIS: Europe’s Airbus announced the biggest plane deal in history on the opening day of the Paris Airshow on Monday, with an order for 500 narrowbody jets from Indian budget carrier IndiGo. The multibillion-dollar deal is the largest ever by number of aircraft, eclipsing Air India’s provisional purchase of 470 jets earlier this year as India’s two largest carriers plan …

Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar has sought a “comprehensive inquiry” into the “abduction” of fellow MNA Ali Wazir, who he said was arrested by authorities in North Waziristan on Monday and taken to an “undisclosed location”. Dawar raised these concerns during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. “Speaker sahib, early morning today, we received information that our MNA …

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People on Monday. Noting that the world is developing and the times are changing, Xi said the world needs a generally stable China-U.S. relationship, and whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future …

LONDON: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not only about huge projects, but also about small and medium-sized projects, which often have the most immediate and identifiable impact on people’s lives, Keith Bennett, a long-term China specialist and vice chair of Britain’s 48 Group Club, has said. By stressing high-quality cooperation, BRI’s small and medium-sized projects often have contributed …

BEIJING: Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, noted that Blinken’s visit comes at a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, and …

BERLIN: Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the presidential palace here on Monday. Li conveyed warm greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Steinmeier. As last year marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic relations, Li said, Xi and Steinmeier exchanged congratulations and held a telephone conversation, providing strategic guidance for …

RAMALLAH: At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens injured on Monday by Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli media reported. During clashes, Khaled Asa’she, 21, Ahmad Saqer, 15, and Qassam Abu Serreyeh, 29, were killed, and 29 Palestinians were injured, including six in serious condition, said the ministry in …

Rumors are swirling that Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are set to portray the iconic roles of Lord Ram and Devi Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming adaptation of the Ramayana. Amid the mixed response to Om Raut’s Adipurush, which has recently hit theaters and fared well at the box office despite facing backlash, the director seems to be placing his …

Pakistan and Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance Maritime cooperation. The MoU was signed between Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) and the Iranian border guards during the visit of Secretary Defence, Lt.Gen (Retd) Hamooduz Zaman to Iran. It will strengthen relations between PMSA and Iranian border guards. Upon arrival in Tehran, the Secretary Defence was welcomed …

Pakistan Cricket Team’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was spotted in the crowd, watching “The Ashes” Test between England and Australia at Edgbaston stadium in Birmingham. Shaheen Shah Afridi is in England to play the Vitality Blast and took a wicket yesterday in the match against Northamptonshire. He will also play first class match in England to prepare for the …

30pc raise in salaries; up to 20% hike in pensions, allocates Rs1bn for Journalist Welfare Endowment fund Furthermore, to alleviate the financial burden on the people of Punjab, an allocation of Rs70 billion has been approved for a four-month period. In an effort to boost the construction industry, the rate of stamp duty has been fixed at a modest one …

Making history, three Pakistani women climbed Haramosh La (5,070m) from Arundu to Kutwal on Friday (June 16). Along with Dr. Sana Jameel, Ammara Sharif, and Sohnia Bab’s teammates Abduhu and Dr. Raheel, Haramosh La – considered the most technical, difficult and dangerous pass in Pakistan – was crossed. The trek is considered difficult as the upper Chomolungma glacier is heavily …

“At least in America, we eat most of our calories in the evening with dinner. Too often that’s our biggest meal of the day and then we sit down, we go to bed and don’t move for eight hours. So after that we need to exercise and improve insulin sensitivity. No chance,” said Medical News. Time-restricted eating can be beneficial …

After winning back-to-back titles in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2022 and 2023, Lahore Qalandars have increased their franchise cricket involvement by acquiring a team in the upcoming Gym Afro T10 League. The recently established Durban Qalandars will take part in the league’s inaugural season. The management team of Qalandars is very enthusiastic about this new venture and aims …

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday said that heatwave-like conditions are likely to develop in most parts of the country this week. According to the Meteorological Office, due to the high pressure in the upper atmosphere, the daytime temperature of the country may gradually increase from June 20 to 24. Daytime temperatures are expected to be 4°C to 6°C …

Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari has reiterated that PPP-backed Zaka Ashraf will be the next chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Mazari while speaking on a local TV talk show said that Najam Shetty’s mandate, heading the Management Committee (MC) is only to conduct free and fair elections in the regions. “Najam Shetty had temporarily headed …

JAKARTA: China clinched the titles in both women’s singles and mixed doubles at the Indonesian Open badminton tournament on Sunday. China’s Chen Yufei overcame Spain’s Marin Carolina in the women’s singles final with a score of 21-18, 21-19. The match was held at Istora Senayan, a renowned badminton arena in Indonesia. “Marin played at a fast pace and was aggressive. …

WUXI, China: China’s Chen Qingyuan and Shi Yue claimed the women’s foil individual gold and bronze medals respectively on Day 2 of the 2023 Asian Fencing Championships here on Sunday, while Yu Lefan added a silver in the men’s sabre individual. Being top two in last year’s championships, Shi and Chen, made it to the last eight along with their …

CHONGQING: Were it not for the wind-blown grains of sand stinging his body, Wang Zhixiang might easily forget that he is farming in the Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China and one of the driest regions in the world. The harsh conditions in the Taklimakan, which is deep within Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, make farming in the desert impractical, …

SHIJIAZHUANG: The value of China’s cross-border e-commerce imports and exports exceeded 2 trillion yuan (about 280.55 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time in 2022, reaching 2.1 trillion yuan and marking an increase of 7.1 percent compared with 2021, according to a report released Saturday. The report was released by China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) at a forum during …

PARIS: Boeing expects the number of commercial planes in service around the world to double in the next 20 years, according to estimates published on Sunday, anticipating a slightly larger increase than competitor Airbus. The American aircraft manufacturer estimates 48,575 planes will be in service in 2042, compared with 24,500 last year. This will require producing, across all manufacturers combined, …

For the past many years, Balochistan has been in the grip of a low-intensity conflict, and has experienced four insurgencies since Independence. While separatist groups continue to carry out attacks on security forces, human rights organisations have expressed concern about a growing number of missing persons cases and human rights violations. In more recent times, the ethnic Shia minority has …

The U.S. newspaper New York Times has blamed Russia for the destruction of the huge Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine resulted from an inside explosion earlier this month. Citing engineers and explosive experts, the newspaper said on Friday that its investigation found evidence suggesting an explosive charge in a passageway running through the dam’s concrete base detonated, …

At least 98 people have died in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the last three days due to extreme heat, according to officials. As parts of India have been witnessing severe heatwaves in the last few days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius at many places, 54 people died in northern Uttar Pradesh and 44 people …

BIRMINGHAM: England’s Moeen Ali has been fined 25 percent of his match fee for breaching the ICC code of conduct in the first Test against Australia after applying drying spray to his finger without seeking permission from the on-field umpires on Saturday. The ICC said in a statement that in deciding to sanction Moeen with the Level 1 breach, the …

Pakistan football team’s participation in the South Asian Football Federation (SAF) Cup has become doubtful as the green shirts are yet to receive their visas to tour India, the host of the biennial event. The SAFF tournament is scheduled to be held in Bangalore from June 21 to July 4 and Pakistan was supposed to fly to India at 11:30 …

What does the doctor say? Dr. Nemkov says: “Iron-rich sources include fortified cereals, red meat, chicken, fish, oysters, kidney or red beans, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, tofu, spinach, dark greens, potatoes, cashews, and most importantly, dark Chocolate (45-69% cacao).” Flavanols, another antioxidant found in dark chocolate, may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Any risk? Moderation is the key here, …

Expressing his desire to play in all three formats of the game, Pakistan’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Haris cited the examples of India’s Rishabh Pant and former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist. While talking to Dr. Haris worldly newsSaid he is trying to be more patient as a batter at the crease. “I need to be more patient as a batter and …

In a highly anticipated premiere of the second season of Bigg Boss OTT on Saturday night, Bollywood actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt was unveiled as the surprise final contestant. While the makers had already teased the identities of 12 celebrities participating in the show, Pooja’s entry came as an exciting twist for the viewers. The episode featured an intense round of grilling …

A Twitter video app for smart TVs is in the social media company’s plans, owner Elon Musk said in a tweet on Saturday. This move aligns with Twitter’s recent focus on expanding its video content offerings on the platform. Musk’s statement came in response to a tweet suggesting the need for a Twitter video app, to which he replied, “It’s …

Pakistan authorities arrested 10 alleged human traffickers days after dozens of migrants drowned off the coast of Greece, officials said on Sunday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people smuggling, saying they would be “severely punished”. Every year, thousands of young Pakistanis embark on perilous journeys attempting to enter Europe illegally in search …

As the crisis-ridden country received its first shipment of Russian crude oil under groundbreaking agreement, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov ruled out any sort of special discount for Islamabad on the purchase of ‘Urals’ crude from Moscow. According to foreign media, the minister told media that “Oil deliveries to Pakistan have begun. There is no special discount; for Pakistan, it …