ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday exposed the truth about the global climate fund, noting that there is no financial facility to tackle climate change impacts like the super floods faced by Pakistan today. Addressing a talk at the Wilson Center in Washington on Tuesday, Bilawal said that when a third of the country fell under …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC):  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said “audio leaks” had marred the country’s standing in the international community as no one would feel free to speak with the prime minister out of privacy concerns. He said this while addressing a press conference at the Prime Minister’s House in the federal capital. The younger Sharif said the “audio …

PESHAWAR, Sep 27(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday warned that he will obstruct PML-N leader Ishaq Dar’s plans, saying that Pakistan’s treasury is being handed over to someone who had been an “absconder for the last five years.” Dar, who landed in Pakistan a day earlier along with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will take an oath as the country’s new finance minister …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said on Tuesday that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act is “not in line with the Shariah”, as “several provisions of the act are inconsistent with Islamic principles. The CII, in a notification, warned that the act may lead to “new social problems” and asked the government to form a committee …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): The Foreign Office on Tuesday came down hard on India for raising unwarranted questions on Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the United States and warned New Delhi to exercise restraint while touching on sensitive issues. “Pakistan has a longstanding and broad-based relationship with the United States, which has been vital in promoting peace, security, and stability in the region,” …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): PML-N leader Ishaq Dar on Tuesday took oath as a senator during a swearing-in ceremony at the Senate after living five years in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. Dar had been successfully elected to the Senate from Punjab but had been out of the country since October 2017. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani administered the oath amid …

BEIJING, Sep 27(ABC): Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday said that the United States better help Pakistan with “real action” instead of commenting on the bilateral ties between Islamabad and Beijing. The statement came in response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement, urging Pakistan to seek debt relief from its close partner China as floods devastate the country. …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar’s return is a slap on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s face and its echo will increase day by day. Reacting on PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry’s comments on Ishaq Dar’s return, Marriyum said that a foreign agent, trader of diamonds and …

DADU, Sep 27(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday visited Sindh’s flood-affected Dadu district to oversee the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and senior officials of the provincial government received the prime minister as he reached the flood-hit district. The prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the damage caused by the flood and …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was postponed due to busy schedule of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to details, the meeting which was to be held on Wednesday and was to be attended by the leadership of all three armed forces, federal ministers and committee members. The meeting was postponed due to federal cabinet …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar is all set to take oath as Senator on Tuesday and later assume charge of Finance Ministry of the country on Wednesday. Ishaq Dar said that his party supremo has given him an important task and he will try his best to steer the country out of the economic crisis. …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): Islamabad Court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till October 13 in cases related to vandalism and damage to government property during the Long March towards Islamabad. PTI Chairman’s lawyer Babar Awan appeared before the Sessions Court Islamabad and pleaded the court to give Imran Khan exemption from personal appearance …

LAHORE, Sep 27(ABC): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided not to oppose Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s plea for return of her passport. A three-judge Lahore High Court (LHC) bench headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhutti and comprising Justice Ali Baqir Najfi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the case on Tuesday. During the hearing, Chief …

Sep 27(ABC): Instant messaging and calling platform WhatsApp is about to launch a new feature that will allow users to share a direct link to call. The feature will soon appear on WhatsApp this week and will be accessible through a banner at the top of the Calls tab. Those with the latest version of the application will be able to …

KARACHI, Sep 27(ABC): The Pakistani rupee gained further ground as the US dollar continued its declining trend for the third consecutive session on Tuesday. The dollar lost Rs3.20 against the rupee on Tuesday and was trading at Rs234 in the interbank market during intraday trade as of 10:30am, after the local unit suffered consecutive losses during several sessions in the last …

Sep 27(ABC): The prices of petroleum products are likely to come down up to Rs15 from October 01 due to a sharp decline in rates of POL in international markets, industry sources said on Tuesday. The sources confided that diesel price may be slashed by Rs15 while petrol price may come down by Rs5 for the next fortnight, as per the …

Sep 27(ABC): The US government has announced it will offer another $10 million to Pakistan for a food security programme, reported Tuesday. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on his US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department building in Washington. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest. Bilawal, holding a joint press conference with …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 27(ABC): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday expressed displeasure over a political petition filed by former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed, saying an exemplary fine will be imposed if such a frivolous matter is taken to court again. Challenging the appointment of 72 cabinet members in the IHC, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed contended that it is a violation of Article 92(1) of …

Sep 27(ABC): Pakistan has firmed up Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in the wake of severe floods and estimated damage to the extent of $28 billion and an upsurge in poverty by 5%, indicating that nine to 12 million people might fall below the poverty line. On the unemployment front, official estimates reveal that 1.8 to two million jobs have been …

LAHORE, Sep 26(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said former finance minister Ishaq Dar returning to Pakistan after striking a deal. Addressing a ceremony at GC University in Lahore, Imran Khan said due to deals with the corrupt, Pakistan has not prospered as it was expected to. The former prime minister said Ishaq Dar fled Pakistan in the …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (ABC): Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar on Monday urged political parties, individuals and others to shun politics over Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 as it was a very sensitive issue. Responding to Point of Orders raised by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and others in Senate, he said the transgender people were also human …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (ABC): The Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Monday highlighted the importance of promoting tolerance and positive attitudes to safeguard national interest. Addressing the launching ceremony “Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan Training Manual” at Shariah Academy International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), the minister underlined the necessity of working together towards nation-building. He said, there was need …

Sep 26(ABC): As tech becomes more prevalent in most people’s daily lives, we have to keep privacy and security in the back of our minds — especially when it comes to connected devices, whether they’re smartphones, smart lights, or, in this case, gaming consoles. Not every company will set its default privacy options in your favor; in fact, most don’t. …

Sep 26(ABC): Contrary to popular belief, VPNs and proxies aren’t the same. At the base level, both allow you to browse the web from a location you’re not actually at, but besides that, they work differently on a fundamental level. However, for the vast majority of people, VPNs and proxies are used to achieve the same tasks, so it’s understandable …

Sep 26(ABC): Apple’s naming strategy for its smartphones hasn’t really won a lot of fans, especially the Pro Max part, which is not really easy on the tongue. It appears that Apple is finally ready to ditch the naming scheme that it introduced with the iPhone 11, and it will reportedly embrace the Ultra name for the top-end iPhone 15 …

Sep 26(ABC): Firearm safety is a hot-button issue all over the world. Not only do civilians and sportsman want to ensure they are exercising the utmost care in the handling of firearms, militaries and law enforcement agencies want to do their best to make sure their weapons don’t end up in the wrong hands. “Smart guns” as a concept have …

Sep 26(ABC):Many airlines have been looking into “green” fuel for their aircraft for some time, which would provide a (technically) more environmentally friendly alternative to more widely used propellant derived from fossil fuels. And now several major airlines — as well as the US Air Force — have committed to purchasing a combined one billion gallons of the stuff from …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved the verdict on an application to declare former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s seat in the Senate vacant as he has failed to take oath as a member of the upper house of the Parliament. During the hearing on Monday, Dar’s counsel Salman Aslam Butt appeared before the commission. Member …

RAWALPINDI, Sep 26(ABC): Awami Muslim League Pakistan (AMLP) leader Sheikh Rashid on Monday said that what will Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar will do on his return to Pakistan that former Interior Minister Miftah Ismail was not able to do in his tenure. Taking to Twitter, the former Interior Minister Rashid said that the fate of the Pakistan …

LONDON, Sep 26(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says he and his team, during meetings with a wide array of global leaders during Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the UN General Assembly sessions, made an effort to present Pakistan as a credible partner of the international community. In a tweet, he said presenting Pakistan’s case at both the international forums was the …

Sep 26(ABC): TikTok will now allow users to downvote comments on short videos – similar to other video platforms – through a thumbs-down icon. After undergoing testing over the last few months, the short video platform announced the latest feature today. A thumbs-down button will appear next to the like option on an individual’s comment. Users can click that button to …

WASHINGTON, Sep 26(ABC):  Pakistan and the United States will hold ministerial-level talks in Washington on Monday (today), indicating willingness on part of both sides to resume institutionalised engagement after a long absence. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reached Washington on Sunday on a three-day visit during which he will hold in person talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He will …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26(ABC): A preliminary assessment by the UN Satellite Centre has indicated that floodwaters are increasing in some districts — eight in Sindh, two in Balochistan and one in Punjab. The situation report released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) on Sunday compared the satellite data of Sept 8-14 with the data of Sept …

LAHORE / PESHAWAR, Sep 26(ABC):  As members of the ruling coalition urged strict action in the wake of audio leaks featuring Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside other important officials, former premier Imran Khan grabbed the opportunity to attack his opponents, specifically Maryam Nawaz whose conversation with the prime minister was also leaked online. Addressing a rally in Karak, the PTI chief accused …

HARNAI, Sep 26(ABC): Six Pakistan army personnel were killed after a helicopter crashed in Balochistan’s Harnai area, the military media wing said in a statement Monday. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), those martyred include two pilots. The helicopter was on a flying mission in Khost. Pilots of the helicopter were identified as Major Muneed Afzal and Major …

DETROIT, Sep 26(ABC): The emerging fleet of electric vehicles (EV) provoked fascination at the Detroit Auto Show, but many consumers were not yet ready to take the plunge to own one themselves. Some, like Justin Tata, wanted a first-hand look at new EV offerings, saying “it’s embracing the change that’s coming because I think the internal combustion engine (ICE) is …

WASHINGTON, Sep 26(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reached Washington on a four-day visit on Sunday night, reported. Bilawal Bhutto is visiting Washington after attending the 77th session of United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to sources, the foreign minister will meet with members of Congress, senators, leading American think tanks and American media organizations during the visit.

WASHINGTON, Sep 26(ABC): South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung has been working on a rather interesting system for facial recognition, one that involves two under-display cameras. According to details, the new system from Samsung has been described in a patent application Samsung filed with the KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service) back in March 2021. The document in question was …

WASHINGTON, Sep 26(ABC): Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 2 TWS earphones, which were unveiled earlier this month and recently went on sale, are now receiving their first firmware update since launch. According to mobile news website, the new firmware has version number 5A377, and the release notes state that it comes with bug fixes and “other improvements,” but it is not …

LONDON, Sep 26(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said the manner in which Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb dealt with the “harassment” from the protesters showed her grace. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “The manner in which Marriyum Aurangzeb dealt with the harassment from the PTI supporters shows her grace. By her …