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LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday made a major announcement for farmers amid their protest against what they believe to be an unfair wheat procurement policy, ARY News reported. During a meeting with provincial cabinet, CM Maryam Nawaz approved the launch of the Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Kissan Card. The meeting reviewed the proposal to provide direct cash subsidy to small wheat growers. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that all-out resources are available for farmers in Punjab. It is pertinent to mention here that the farmers had taken to the streets against an inordinate delay in the purchase of grain and the decision to reduce the provincial procurement quota from over 4 million tonnes to 2.3m tonnes. Read More: Police launches crackdown against farmers in Punjab over protest call The protesters, led by Kissan Ittehad Pakistan, managed to assemble at the GPO Chowk on The Mall and attempted to march towards the Punjab Assembly, where a heav

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

PEOPLE stand near a flower arrangement reading ‘Free Palestine’ during a demonstration against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, on Saturday.—Reuters At 7am on Thursday, minutes after a fifth-year PhD student at Princeton University’s economics department stepped on campus, he was arrested and detained in a holding cell. His crime? Being at the site of a protest camp, set up by students demanding the university divest from organisations and companies facilitating or profiting from Israel’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza. The student, a US national of Pakistani origin, told Dawn that he was held by the university police, detained in a holding cell and charged with trespassing. “[It] felt quite surreal,” he said about the charge, given that he was a university student and had the right to be present on campus at the time. Pakistani-American protester from Princeton recounts arrest; student says ‘hijabs ripped

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an unannounced visit, where he was expected to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Chinese state media reported that he met Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, during which Li told Musk that Tesla’s development in China could be regarded as a successful example of U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation. “Honored to meet with Premier Li Qiang. We have known each other now for many years, since early Shanghai days,” Musk posted on social media platform X, as he appeared in a picture with the premier. Tesla reached an accord with Chinese authorities for a plant in Shanghai, its first outside the United States, in 2018. The U.S. electric vehicle maker rolled out FSD, the most autonomous version of its Autopilot software, four years ago but has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market globally, despite cu

A total of 35 individuals were hospitalized after consuming food from a local restaurant in Riyadh, ARY News reported on Sunday, citing the Health Ministry of Saudi Arabia. The outbreak, food poisoning, has resulted in 27 affected individuals needing intensive care, with six making full recoveries and two being discharged after receiving necessary medical attention, as reported by Gulf News. In response, Riyadh Municipality has closed the restaurant, its branches, and the central lab for extensive investigations to determine the outbreak’s cause. As part of their ongoing dedication to public health, municipal authorities are maintaining strict health surveillance measures across the city. The Ministry stated it is collaborating with various entities to conduct epidemiological studies, to reduce risks and enhance responses to any similar occurrences in the future. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/xFw3ogN https://ift.tt/ojvthly

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/OL6vsnw https://ift.tt/uUWktbQ

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 eve

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

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai was reinstated on Thursday after the Supreme Court annulled the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) orders to suspend him . The ECP’s order of re-polling at 12 polling stations in Balochistan’s PB-51 (Chaman) constituency was also declared null and void. Achakzai was removed from his position following the ECP decision earlier this month to suspend his election notification and order re-election in 12 polling stations within PB-51. The directive for the re-election came after a challenge to his victory by three contenders: Muhammad Asghar Ach­akzai of the Awami Natio­nal Party (ANP), Abasin Achakzai and Muham­m­­ad Sadiq, all of whom were defeated in the general ele­­ction for the PB-51 seat. Achakzai, a PML-N member, challenged the decision in the apex court and a three-member bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan conducted the hearing on the matter today. With the consent of PB-51’s candidates, the court sent the matter bac

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

Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that the former has suffered more due to the latter’s internal situation than its three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained. Ambassador Durrani was speaking at the one-day International Conference “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Durrani said over 80,000 Pakistanis died during the past two decades of the War on Terror, saying that the country was still counting its dead and injured. “After the withdrawal of Nato forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived.” He said attacks by the outlawed militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 per cent, while suicide attacks increased by 500pc. “The TTP’s enhanced attacks o

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has once again raised objections over the recently-held intra-party elections of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Sources told ARY News that the electoral watchdog sent a notice to Imran Khan-founded party over alleged irregularities in the intra-party elections, conducted on March 3. Sources added that ECP’s political finance wing has asked the PTI representatives to appear before it on April 30. This is the third time that the electoral body has objected to PTI’s intra-party elections. The PTI submitted documents related to its intra-party polls to the ECP on March 4 – which included details of the newly-elected party office-bearers, a certificate of the party chief containing Form 65, names of the core committee members, and other relevant records. According to the Election Act (2017) all registered political parties in Pakistan must hold intra-party elections as outlined in thei

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Tuesday signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) focusing on Flood Rehabilitation, Information and Communication Technologies, and other sectors in a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, ARY News reported. A high-level delegation of the Chinese International Development Cooperation Agency, led by its Chairman Luo Zhaohui, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Jiang Zaidong also attended the meeting. The Prime Minister witnessed the signing ceremony of four Memorandums of Understanding focusing on Flood Rehabilitation, Information and Communication Technologies, Juncao Technology, China-Pakistan Development Cooperation Planning 2024-2028 alongside a Letter of Exchange on the establishment of a First Aid Centre in Balochistan, and Protocol on Cooperation in Human Resources Development under the Global Development Initiative. Welcoming the delegation, PM Shehbaz said th

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday said that Pakistan aimed to reach $3 trillion economy by 2047 and called for enhanced public-private collaboration and a streamlined regulatory framework. “Pakistan is poised to become a $3 trillion economy by 2047, bolstered by a targeted growth rate of 9%,” he said while emphasising the current opportune moment for international investments in Pakistan, including significant commitments from China and Saudi Arabia. “Leveraging productivity enhancements, Pakistan aims to establish itself as an attractive destination for global industries, fostering its position in the international market,” he added. Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit 2024, stressed the imperative role of collaboration between the government and the private sector in driving economic growth. He advocated for the development of comprehensive ecosystems within business clusters to optimise value chain

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh on Monday affirmed plans to enhance the performance of government bodies and consider privatisation where deemed necessary. Speaking to journalists at the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) office, he clarified that there were no ongoing discussions regarding the privatization of PNSC. Stressing the need for collective efforts to stabilize the economy and elevate the performance of government institutions, the minister expressed concerns about the PNSC oil ship stranded in Sri Lanka for eight months due to technical issues. He assured an inquiry into the matter and pledged strict action against responsible officials. Furthermore, he announced the imminent appointment of a Chairman for PNSC and emphasized the importance of hiring a CEO from the open market for the corporation. Highlighting efforts to render all government institutions profitable, he cited Karachi Port Trust (KPT) as an example, stating

MALE: The party of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu won control of parliament in a Sunday election landslide, results showed, with voters backing his tilt towards China and away from regional powerhouse and traditional benefactor India. Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC) won 66 of the first 86 seats declared, according to the Elections Comm­ission of Maldives results, already more than enough for a super-majority in the 93-member majlis, or parliament. The vote was seen as a crucial test for Muizzu’s plan to press ahead with closer economic cooperation with China. The PNC and its allies had only eight seats in the outgoing parliament, with the lack of a majority stymieing Muizzu after his presidential election victory in September. In 93-member parliament, Muizzu’s party wins 66 of the first 86 declared seats The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) — which had previously had a super-majority of its own — was headed for a humiliating defeat with just a dozen

KARACHI: The Mominabad police carried out an operation resulting in the arrest of four individuals allegedly involved in multiple robbery incidents in Karachi, ARY News reported on Sunday. The police spokesperson claimed to have arrested four individuals involved in criminal activities and recovered three weapons, motorcycle and other items from their possession. During the interrogation, the arrested accused confessed to robberies in several areas of Karachi. Last week, the local police claimed to have arrested four gangs allegedly involved in incidents related to street crime in Karachi. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central, Zeeshan Shafiq, confirmed the arrest of four gangs allegedly involved in street criminal activities in the metropolis. “A two member gang, Shahzaib and Shayan, targeted the elder women in the vicinity of Liaquatabad and surrounding areas was also arrested in an operation,” SSP central claimed. Shafiq further added that the six suspects of the mot

The ice-covered uninhabited Antarctica continent is home to an active volcano that is spewing gold dust worth $6,000 daily. The volcano, Mount Erebus, is considered one of the most intense and southernmost active volcanoes on Earth, the New York Post reported. Scientists believe that it releases roughly 80 grammes of gold dust daily which is valued at around $6,000. The volcano is estimated to emit the gold dust that has been recorded as far as 621 miles away from the Earth’s southernmost Mount Erebus in Antarctica. However, reaching the volcano or near it is a difficult task as it is located in a remote site. The scientists researching the volcano and its impacts use satellites to study it. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory, the volcano emits not just gold dust but many other things that make it a dangerous place to be around. “It regularly emits plumes of gas and steam, and occasionally spits out rock (bombs),” according to

CHAKWAL: At least four labourers were killed after inhaling toxic gas in a paper mill located in Chakwal city of Punjab, ARY News reported, citing Rescue officials. According to officials, the labourers fell into an eight-feet deep tank in Minwal Paper Mills and died after inhaling toxic gas. The victims were identified as Amir, Zeeshan, Muhammad Saqib and Jamshed. Rescue officials arrived at the scene and moved the bodies to the District Headquarters Hospital. Meanwhile, DPO Chakwal said that the paper mill has been sealed while raids were being carried out to arrest the owner of the mill. Last year, several including employees fell unconscious after ammonia gas cylinder blast in a food factory located in the Fish Harbour area in Karachi. Read more: Kemari toxic gas case: Investigation report submitted in SHC Emergency was imposed in adjoining areas of the factory in Karachi’s Fish Harbour area after an ammonia gas cylinder exploded in a food factory, leaving several persons i

A shocking incident was reported from India’s Himachal Pradesh where a young man allegedly attacked a female student with a sickle leaving her critically injured. The victim was rushed to the nearest hospital in Palampur, a hill station in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, for medical assistance where the staff declared her condition to be critical with several bruises on her body. The individual accused in the case is from Masal in Nagrota, while the victim is from Salan village in Sulah Vidhan Sabha. The Indian police authorities have taken the accused into custody, meanwhile further investigations are underway into the matter. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/EiIzsdq https://ift.tt/RBIAsK1

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

Days after mom-to-be Deepika Padukone’s look as a police officer from the sets of Singham Again went viral, director Rohit Shetty unveiled a glimpse of ‘Lady Singham’ revealing the actor in action as the fierce cop. In the poster, Deepika channels power and intensity, mirroring the iconic Tiger step made famous by Ajay Devgn in Singham (2011). Expecting her first child with husband Ranveer Singh in September 2024, she rocks a neat bun and sunglasses to complete the powerful cop look. Apart from sharing the picture, Rohit Shetty also penned a heartwarming note for Deepika. He wrote, “MY HERO… REEL MEIN BHI AUR REAL MEIN BHI LADY SINGHAM!!”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Rohit Shetty (@itsrohitshetty) Fans on the internet rushed to the comments section of the post and expressed excitement. One of the fans wrote, “GOAT performance on the way.” Others said ‘can’t wait’ and dropped red heart emoticons. Deepika Padukone portra

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: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif convened the federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday as restructuring of accountability courts included in a nine-point agenda, ARY News reported. PM Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the meeting as the cabinet will also approve the appointment of a federal drug inspector. The agenda items also included the approval for signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Qatar’s Ministry of Labour. The federal cabinet is also expected to ratify the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). The approval of the National Institute of Modern Science Wah Cantt Bill is also included in the agenda. The cabinet is also expected to approve the Foreign Service Award for Ambassador Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry. The cabinet meeting is summoned at 12 noon on Wednesday. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/N0omAcT https://ift.tt/0SgBtTP

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

KARACHI: The footage of the mugging incident at a tea hotel located near DHA Phase One Karachi came to light, showing three accused snatching mobile phones from the citizens, ARY News reported on Monday. As per the CCTV footage, three suspected muggers on two motorcycles arrived at the hotel and robbed citizens at gunpoint, snatching their phones. Meanwhile, other citizens can be observed fleeing from the scene to avoid being targeted by the robbers.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by ARY News (@arynewstv) The video further showed a youth in a blue dress resisting the robbery forcing the culprit to open fire which fortunately misses the target. However, the perpetrators managed to escape after snatching a mobile phone from the citizen. Earlier in the day, the CCTV footage from a bakery belonging to a popular Pakistani burger chain captures an alleged policeman and his accomplice engaged in a robbery. The CCTV footage of the

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. Sla