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ISLAMABAD: The US Embassy in Pakistan on Wednesday announced a significant reduction in appointment wait times for various visa categories in a major move to ease and expedite visa processing. In a statement to the media, an embassy official revealed that the wait time for visa appointments has been cut from 440 days to 230 days. This new initiative aims to streamline the visa application process for Pakistani applicants. The embassy has implemented several measures to expedite visa wait times, benefiting applicants seeking student visas, business visas, family reunion visas, and more. The goal is to reduce the wait time to the minimum possible. The official of the embassy said, “We are working diligently to handle the increased demand and facilitate as many applicants as possible.” In the past, the embassy received and processed about 10,000 applications per month in Islamabad and Karachi. The official emphasized that the embassy is continually expanding and improving its proces

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday approved a cut in the prices of petrol by Rs6.17 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs10.86, respectively, for the next fortnight. State broadcaster PTV posted a statement on X saying that the new petrol price was now Rs269.43 and that of HSD was Rs272.77. It added that the price of kerosene oil was also reduced to Rs177.39 by a Rs6.32 cut while light diesel oil was now Rs160.53 after a Rs5.72 cut. Instead of a notification from the Finance Division, PTV posted the summary of the price changes for the prime minister’s approval. The cuts in petrol and HSD prices are higher than previously estimated . After two consecutive increases, the prices were estimated to decline by about Rs3 and Rs8.50 per litre, respectively, from August 1 for the next fortnight, mainly because of lower international market and import premiums. Informed sources had said the prices of these major products had decreased in the international market by abo

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to impose a ban on foreign players who withdraw from the tournament for “unconvincing reasons.” According to Indian media outlets, several franchises have forwarded their concerns about the foreign players’ lack of commitment to the IPL even after being picked in the auction. The issue will be a major talking point in the July 31 meeting between the BCCI officials and franchise owners of the Indian Premier League, reports said. The development came after top foreign players including England’s Jason Roy, Alex Hales, and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga withdrew from the previous IPL seasons allegedly due to receiving low bids. The reasons for their withdrawal have irked the franchise owners who consider the players’ excuses such as personal issues and injuries as invalid. Read more: Cummins wants specific window for Tests to avoid clash with IPL Reports said that the IPL franchise

KARACHI: Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi on Wednesday ordered action against ‘illegal’ inter-city bus stands which are creating inconvenience to other motorists besides causing traffic jams, ARY News reported.   Chairing a meeting in this regard, Commissioner Karachi directed the concerned authorities to take action against these illegal inter-city bus stands within two weeks. The bus stands identified for removal include Cantt, Taj Complex, Muhammad Ali (MA) Jinnah Road, and Al-Karam. Deputy commissioners, district police, and traffic police will jointly carry out the operation. Inter-city buses will be allowed to run from Karachi Bus Terminal, Superhighway Meanwhile, a new shuttle service will be introduced to facilitate passengers. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/BLVOptx https://ift.tt/FEXshmy

A convenience store in the United Kingdom’s Dorset has banned a bird named “Steven Seagull” after it pulled off multiple heists in over six years. Explaining the reason for its move, the manager of the store Stuart Harmer claimed that the bird stole 30 packets of chips in just the last two months. According to the manager, his seniors refuse to accept that a bird stole the packets of chips. “Trying to explain to the powers that be that I’ve got stock loss because of a seagull – they think it is a joke,” said Harmer said. “[He] comes in the shop when the door’s open, puts his head around the corner of the door, nicks a packet of crisps and flies off with it.” According to the manager, ‘Steven Seagull’ has been continuously stealing things from the store and has been caught in the act by several customers. Read more: Watch: Flock of birds takes over parking lot in scene ‘Straight out of a Hitchcock movie’ Now, Stuart Harmer and the store’s staff have sticked posters on the shop’s

HYDERABAD: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday claimed to have arrested two notorious terrorists after an encounter, ARY News reported. After receiving information about the presence of three terrorists, the CTD and police conducted an operation in the Ibrahim Shoro area of Hyderabad. During the operation, the CTD officials experienced an encounter with the terrorists in the Kotri Site area of Hyderabad. During the exchange of gunfire, two bullets struck the bulletproof jacket of the SHO CTD Asif Hayat, in response the CTD managed to arrest two terrorists in injured condition meanwhile, one terrorist managed to flee the scene. Following the arrest the bomb disposal squad has been called on the scene to check the items recovered from the possession of the terrorists. The identification of the arrested individual is under process. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/c9EZ2Jj https://ift.tt/0BlWTwr

KARACHI: Various parts of Karachi experienced intermittent rain on Monday, bringing much-needed relief to residents from the scorching heat, ARY News reported. Significant rainfall was observed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistan Johar, while the Federal B Area, Liaquatabad, and Karimabad also reported steady showers. On the other hand, areas like North Nazimabad and Malir experienced light to moderate rain. Similarly, Landhi, Korangi, Quaidabad, Malir, Model Colony, Jamshed Quarters, Liaquatabad, Karimabad, and Hussainabad saw consistent rainfall, while Sindh Muslim Society, Bahadurabad, and Lyari Expressway experienced intermittent showers. North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, and Orangi Town also received moderate rain, while, Gurmandir, MA Jinnah Road, Clifton, Boat Basin, and other areas including Scheme 33, the New Sabzi Mandi, and surrounding areas received rainfall as well. Earlier it was predicted that a monsoon weather system would enter Karachi this evening or night

ISLAMABAD: The central president of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran declared that the business community is going for a shutdown and will call for a nationwide strike if demands not met soon, ARY News reported on Sunday. Addressing Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-in on Murree Road in Rawalpindi against rising electricity bills, Ajmal Baloch emphasized his participation as an official representative of all Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran. The central president of all Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran criticized the current government, labeling it the worst in history, accusing it of destroying the business in the country. Baloch pointed out that instead of fulfilling promises of providing 300 free units of electricity, the government has imposed additional taxes on the citizens. READ: Hafiz Naeem demands cut in power bills, curb on IPPs He asserted that even members of the government acknowledge its poor performance and suggested that it should step down. He said that greetings to everyone sitting here in

A flock of sheep in Thessaly, Greece, started acting strange after feasting a 100kg of week crop. The unusual incident occurred when wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding had destroyed key grazing areas for the sheep, forcing them to invade a greenhouse where the cannabis was grown. The greenhouse owner shared with the local news organization that his crop had already suffered significant damage due to extreme weather conditions. “I don’t know if it’s for laughing or crying. We had the heatwave and we lost a lot of production. We had the floods, we lost almost everything. And now this. The herd entered the greenhouse and ate what was left. I don’t know what to say, honestly,” he stated. The sheep consumed what remained of the 100kg crop, leaving them feeling light-headed. The shepherd reported that the sheep began to act unusually, stating, “They were jumping higher than goats, which never happens.” from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/zro2Qf9 https://ift.tt/wMko5cI

RAWALPINDI: Governor Punjab, Sardar Salim Haider Khan has urged for expanding the scope of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to include more beneficiaries from across the country. He said that millions of deserving people being benefited under the BISP umbrella remained a testimony of great vision of PPPP’s leadership for welfare of common man. The governor made these remarks while meeting with the Chairperson, BISP Rubina Khalid who called on him in Murree today. During the meeting, the chairperson gave a detailed briefing to the governor about various running projects of BISP. The governor termed the projects as the best means of providing financial assistance to people living below the poverty level. He further said that expanding the network would help lessen financial constraints of deserving population. The Punjab governor also underlined the need for further improvement in the registration mechanism by removing the difficulties so that women from backward areas could g

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said that ongoing sit-ins and protests were driven by personal interests rather than national welfare. Talking to a private news channel, he said a party claimed to be on hunger strike but was not genuinely dedicated, often returning home after a few hours. The defense minister also criticised the nature of the protests, describing them as symbolic and lacking people’s support. Khawaja Asif said there is a broader conspiracy to destabilise Pakistan, particularly in terms of its economic progress, which he claims threatens both internal and external interests. Acknowledging the impact of recent budgetary measures on inflation, he was confident that the economic and political situation would stabilize in the coming months. He criticised the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for economic mismanagement, suggesting that recovery from this period would take time. Regarding the political climate, he said that he d

Pakistan’s Test coach Jason Gillespie has opened up on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) move to limit national cricketers’ participation in global franchise leagues. His statement came days after the PCB refused to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Naseem Shah for the Hundred and also to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Global T20 Canada 2024. Now, Jason Gillespie in an interview with a cricketing website said that players having central contracts are paid well enough to allow PCB to ensure their availability for the national team by asking them to skip some leagues. “Players are centrally contracted and getting compensated really well. We have the right to be able to say, ‘Look, in this situation, we need you to rest or have some downtime to give your body and mind a break, be ready for the next challenge for Pakistan,’” Gillespie added in the interview. Meanwhile, the former Australian pace bowler acknowledged the importance of the franchise

RIYADH: The Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Riyadh has initiated construction work on the Shah Abdulaziz Park, one of the major parks in Riyadh city. This project is part of the “Green Riyadh” initiative, aiming to enhance the city’s green spaces. The park spans approximately 4.3 million square meters, with completion expected within 36 months. Notable landmarks near the park include King Khalid International Airport and Princess Noora Bint Abdul Rahman University, making the park easily accessible from various parts of Riyadh. Out of several designs submitted by four international companies, six distinct styles have been selected for the park’s layout, including, Botanical Garden, Located centrally within the park, Houses more than 200 native plant species, spans 1,000 square meters, integrating commercial buildings that blend with the park’s environment. Meanwhile, the other design patterns include hilly areas, plateaus, and desert gardens. The “Green Riyadh” ini

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday removed Fazal Hakeem Khan as provincial minister for climate change and environment and assigned him the portfolio of livestock after a barrage of social media criticism over deforestation in the province. A notification issued by the administration department stated, “[…] in exercise of powers conferred by the sub-rule 1 of Rule 3 of KP Government Rules of Business 1985, the KP chief minister was pleased to assign the portfolio of livestock, fisheries and cooperatives department to Fazal Hakeem Khan Yousafzai by relieving him from the portfolio of climate change, forestry, environment and wildlife department with immediate effect”. Sources told Dawn that Mr Hakeem’s portfolio was changed after some videos of deforestation and widespread logging were widely circulated on social media platforms. On the other hand, a ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf insider told Dawn that Mr Hakeem himself had requested to change his portfolio d

A fast-food restaurant customer in the United States (US) allegedly ran over an employee after her missing chicken strip was replaced but the worker forgot to put ranch sauce, local media reported According to a probable cause affidavit filed with St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri, 41-year-old Talanye Carter complained about a single chicken strip missing from her order at the restaurant on July 16. The affidavit read that the restaurant management provided her the missing chicken strip but the customer was still unhappy with the lack of ranch dressing provided and then spit in the employee’s face. As the accused woman was leaving the restaurant, the manager removed her car’s license plate by taking a separate exit. ‘You’re trying to get charges put on me?’ Talanye Carter told to the manager. According to a probable cause affidavit, the accused woman then entered her car, reversed it, and accelerated backward into the manger. The victim sustained injuries at left foot and ank

Pakistan’s right-arm fast bowler Hasan Ali reacted to former Team Director Mohammad Hafeez’s claims regarding the national players sleeping in the dressing during the Test series against Australia. In an interview, Hasan Ali rejected Mohammad Hafeez’s claims before going on to share that the previous management had allowed players, especially fast bowlers, to take naps if needed to recover. “I don’t know, actually, but it should be the way Hafeez said. I don’t think anyone slept in the dressing room after that. When Hafeez said that I was not part of the first game, all the players who were not part of the playing XI were sitting in the dugout watching the game. Even the management was sitting there. But I would say especially for the fast bowlers, when you bowl for one and a half days you need to recover, and you could take a 20-30 minute nap, but for those who feel like they need,” Hasan said. “In the past, the management set the rule that if someone needed a nap for recovery, es

KARACHI: The Sindh Transport Department has announced to launch to new route for Electric Bus Service in Karachi to facilitate citizens, ARY News reported on Wednesday. The new route, dubbed “EV-4”, will connect Super Highway to Numaish Chowrangi, spanning 55 kilometers. The route was inaugurated by PPP MPAs Raja Abdul Razzaq and Sajid Jokhio. In a statement, Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon said that the new route will pass through areas such as Dumba Goth, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Sohrab Goth, and Al-Asif Square, benefiting residents of Ayesha Manzil, Lalukhait, and Teen Hatti. The minister stated that the new electric bus route will boost local economies, reduce travel expenses, and alleviate traffic congestion on roads. Memon assured that the government will introduce more buses to provide citizens with affordable and modern transportation facilities. The Sindh Transport Department will also launch additional new routes in the future. Earlier in July, the Sindh Transport Depa

An image shared on social media platform X on July 19 showed a pride flag displayed above an office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), claiming that it showed the national carrier supporting the LGBTQ community. However, the office is long shut down and the flag was placed by the local Amsterdam government. An account shared the picture with the caption: “PIA supports pride.” The user did not share other details of the picture such as the location of the office or the time and date the image was taken. The post gained over 38,000 views. Contacting PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan for a comment on the image, he said the office was located in Amsterdam and shut down in 2018. He said that every year the city celebrated the queer festival Amsterdam Pride from July 22-August 4. The spokesperson said the flag was put up by the municipal government of Amsterdam and shared pictures and videos of the street to corroborate his statement. Sharing more visuals from the location, he als

The Oscar-winning actor of Hollywood – Brendan Fraser – has signed on to play Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower in a latest World War II movie called Pressure. The Whale and The Mummy leading actor – Fraser – will co-star with Andrew Scott in the D-Day film, which takes place in 1944. Ripley and Sherlock alum Scott will play James Stagg, the Allies’ chief meteorologist, who played a main role in the mission. Filming is set to begin in the United Kingdom this fall, while the film Hotel Mumbai filmmaker Anthony Maras is directing. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/0InzUFX https://ift.tt/7H5u1Kp

India’s pace bowler Mohammed Shami is ranked among his country’s best bowlers, having played pivotal role in several games. However, he experienced several setbacks in his personal life including a scandalous separation with then-wife Hasin Jahan who accused the pace bowler of domestic abuse. Mohammed Shami tied the knot with Hasin Jahan in 2014 and the couple was blessed with their first child, a baby daughter, the following year. However, they parted ways in 2018 after Jahan accused him of engaging in adultery, subjecting her to domestic violence and mistreating her. Following her accusations of the pace bowler being involved in match-fixing, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) withheld his contract. While he was later cleared of the allegations and his contract reinstated, the difficult time took a heavy toll on his mental state as he allegedly contemplated suicide. Shami’s friend Umesh Kumar recently revealed on Indian YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast that the India

ISLAMABAD: Former Federal Minister on Monday shared his perspective over arson and riots at the Corps Commander House on May 9, stating that when the mob decided to go at the Corps Commander’s House, he went back home, ARY News reported. During an appearance on ARY News program ‘Off the Record’, the Former Federal Minister – Shafqat Mehmood – recounted the events of May 9, explaining that after the arrest of the PTI founder, he joined the protestors at Liberty Chowk. “When the angry mob asked me to join the protestors outside the Corps Commander’s House, I returned home because I knew that this was not the right way,” he said. He emphasized that aggressive voices are often more influential within PTI. “There were two different thoughts in the party,” he explained. “One thought was to engage in opposition, believing the people were with us, while the other was more aggressive, advocating for a front-foot approach.” Mehmood reflected on the party’s internal politics, stating, “70 p

ISLAMABAD: Security forces on Monday successfully thwarted an infiltration attempt on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and eliminated three terrorists, ARY News reported, citing ISPR release. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, on night 21-22 July 2024, the movement of three terrorists, trying to infiltrate the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was detected by security forces in Dir District. The infiltrators were surrounded, and effectively engaged and after an intense fire exchange, all three terrorists were eliminated. Pakistan has consistently been asking the Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border. The interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan. Security forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to securing its borders and eliminating the menace of terrorism from the cou

Netflix has debuted the trailer for “Emily in Paris” season 4 starring Hollywood star Lily Collins as Emily Cooper. The trailer sees Emily single once again, but soon she finds her way back to the drama surrounding Gabriel and Camille that takes her on a rollercoaster ride. Season three of ‘Emily in Paris’ ended with Lily Collins’s character facing a series of shocking reveals including a love triangle between Lucas Bravo’s Gabriel and Lucien Laviscount’s Alfie and the rest of the cast. The trailer for season 4 shows Emily trying to move on after season three’s revelations. The upcoming season will be split in two parts with the five-episode part one releasing on August 15, followed by part two’s five episodes hitting September 12. Lily Collins had earlier told ‘Emily in Paris’ fans during an event, “While Emily’s heart will always remain true to Paris, her life takes an unexpected twist this season. Don’t be surprised to find her on a Roman holiday.” The synopsis of ‘Emily in

Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor has opened up on the severe social media trolling she faces for being a star kid. During an interview to an Indian media outlet, the “Mr. & Mrs. Mahi” actor, who is the daughter of film producer Boney Kapoor and the late actress Sridevi, revealed that she and her sister Khushi Kapoor often face negative comments regarding their filmy background. However, Janhvi Kapoor asserted that she does not let such trolling affect her as it will happen no matter the actor’s background. “Don’t take yourself seriously. Whether you are a public figure or not, in social media culture, these things will keep happening. You do not have to give yourself such importance,” she said. While the Bollywood starlet admitted that it becomes hard sometimes to deal with such social media trolling, Janhvi Kapoor said that self-image needs to be valued instead of people’s perspective. Read more: Janhvi Kapoor hospitalized in Mumbai “The things I am appreciated for right now,

LAHORE: In a shocking incident in the Sunder area of Lahore, a well-known Dramatist Khalil ur Rehman Qamar was robbed by unknown suspects under the pretense of producing a play, ARY News reported on Sunday. According to the case filed by drama writer, a woman named Amna Urooj contacted him, claiming to be a big fan and expressing interest in producing a drama. “Upon arrived at the location provided by the woman, I was made to sit in a room. After some time, unknown armed suspects entered the room, beat me, and took away my mobile phone, cash, ATM card, and other belongings,” Khalil ur Rehman Qamar said in his police report. In his police report, he stated that he was then blindfolded and taken to an unknown location where the suspects demanded an additional Rs 1 million for his release, however, when the demand was not met, they threw him at an unknown location and escaped from the scene. The police have registered a case of robbery and kidnapping based on Qamar’s complaint. The

A global tech outage that was related to a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected nearly 8.5 million Microsoft devices, Microsoft said in a blog on Saturday. “We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines,” it said in the blog. CrowdStrike has helped develop a scalable solution that will help Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure accelerate a fix, Microsoft said, adding that the tech giant had worked with both Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform to collaborate on the “most effective approaches.” Air passengers worldwide faced delays, flight cancellations and headaches checking in as airports and airlines were caught up in the IT outage that affected numerous industries ranging from banks to media companies. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/59qzISV https://ift.tt/w6c4ekR

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided on Friday to hold further consultations regarding the ban on Imran Khan-founded PTI and actions under Article 6 against Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, and Qasim Suri, ARY News reported, citing sources. A meeting was held between the ruling coalition – PML-N and PPP – to discuss administrative matters in Punjab, the current political situation, and the government’s proposal to ban PTI. The PML-N delegation included National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Rana Sanaullah. The PPP delegation comprised of Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Nadeem Afzal Chan. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) and other officials were also present at the meeting. Sources told ARY News that the PPP delegation emphasised the party’s commitment to democratic processes and reviews. During the meeting, it was decided that further con

DAMMAM: An Egyptian plane, carrying 194 persons, experienced a wheel system fire while taking off from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, local media reported. A media outlet of the kingdom quoted the National Transport Safety Center while confirming the fire incident on the Egyptian plane belonging to Nile Air. According to King Fahd International Airport, emergency personnel arrived on the scene right away, put out the fire, and safely evacuated the 186 passengers and 8 crew members. No casualties were reported. The airplane, an Airbus A320, was taking off for Cairo Airport. The Nile Air Airbus A320 experienced a fire in its wheel system during takeoff from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, according to a report received by the Center early on Thursday morning. When firefighting teams managed to contain and put out the fire, the flight crew decided to abort the departure and evacuate the passengers using emergency slides. King Fahd International A

KARACHI: In a major development, the security delegation from Transport Canada on Wednesday completed the security audit of Jinnah International Airport, ARY News reported. According to Airports Security Force (ASF), the team conducted thorough inspection of the security arrangements in place at the airport and found them satisfactory. During the audit, the ASF team comprising National Inspectors gave a briefing to the Transport Canada team. The assessment team was given briefing on security deployment, entry control, screening, issuance of passes and addressing emergency situations. The Transport Canada team commended the efforts of the ASF for taking additional measures to ensure the safety of the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) direct flights to Canada. The team also termed the overall aviation security measures satisfactory at the international airports of Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention that the two-member delegation from Transport Canada arrived in Pakistan on

Two tourists were killed and three others, including the tour operator, were missing after a loader jeep carrying tourists plunged into a raging water channel in the Neelum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Eight tourists were rescued, some with injuries, according to Neelum Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nadeem Ahmed Janjua. A local witness told Dawn.com that the accident occurred around 1:30pm, when the vehicle en route to Ratti Gali, a renowned alpine glacial lake at 3,683 metres, had only covered three kilometres from the main Neelum Valley road. The total length of the link road to the base of Ratti Gali Lake is 18km. The witness told Dawn.com that while negotiating a curve at a location known as Jabba, the vehicle encountered trouble due to a driveshaft failure, which stopped its propulsion. As the vehicle stalled, the driver jumped out, the witness said, adding that the jeep rolled backwards and plunged into the water channel, tipped over onto its left side. Re

Activision has revealed the date of opening Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta version for players ahead of its release in October. The early access to Black Ops 6 open beta will begin in the last week of August, starting August 30 to September 4, according to gaming website GAMINGBIBLE. However, you will either have to had pre-ordered Black Ops 6 to be able to take part in the beta on PlayStation, PC and Xbox or you will have to be an active Game Pass subscriber. Activision will run the second open beta from September 6 to September 9 and will be completely free to take part regardless of players’ platform of choice. The first teaser trailer for Activision’s highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was released in May this year. The trailer showed what looked to be an espionage mission at night to vandalise Mt Rushmore in the United States with the phrase “The Truth Lies,” which is also the name of the website that uploaded the teaser trailer. Later in June, Xbox Games announce

Global credit rating agency Fitch has predicted the possibility of a technocrat setup in Pakistan in case the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is ousted. In its report on Pakistan, the rating agency predicted that the PML-N led coalition government will remain in power for the next 18 months with no immediate plans for fresh elections. The incumbent government will continue to implement the reforms mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that will enable the economy to grow. However, Fitch mentioned that the political upheaval might affect the economic activities in Pakistan along with the impacts of climate change including floods and drought. According to the rating agency, former prime minister Imran Khan is unlikely to get released from jail in the foreseeable future despite getting relief in a number of cases. The agency went on to predict that the next general elections in Pakistan will be held in 2029. On the economic front, Pakistan’s current acc

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the ruling coalition, has distanced itself from the statements issued by some party stalwarts opposing the government move to ban the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as a political party, terming it their “personal” opinion. Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday after issuing a formal brief statement disowning the remarks of former senator Farhatullah Babar on the matter, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said since the proposal of banning the PTI had not been discussed at any level in the party, whatever the party leaders had stated, should be taken as “their personal viewpoint”. Mr Bokhari’s comments came a day after Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar in a news conference announced that the government had decided to ban the PTI as a political party and initiate trial of its leaders under Article 6. Hours after the information minister’s presser, a number of leaders belonging to other political part

KARACHI: An illegal water hydrant was uncovered in Karachi, where two individuals were accused of stealing water, depriving the citizens of Baldia Town of their access to clean water, ARY News reported on Tuesday. Following the report published on ARY News, a case has been registered over the complaint of Assistant Executive Engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board at Mochko Police station. As per the report, the two individuals – named Mushtaq and Amir – accused of breaking the 33-inch official water line near Northern Bypass and created a 2-inch hole to steal water. The FIR report indicated that the collected water was being sold through water tankers, further worsening the ongoing water crisis in Baldia Town area of Karachi. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/OaPgbQ6 https://ift.tt/zn5CKS6

Apple’s iOS 18 brings significant improvements to home screen customization, including the ability to adjust widget sizes directly from your iPhone’s home screen. Previously available only on iPadOS, this feature is now accessible on iPhones with iOS 18. When in “jiggle mode,” a new handle appears in the lower-right corner of widgets. Dragging this handle allows the user to resize widgets to their own preference. Long-pressing on a widget reveals multiple size options, enabling the iPhone users to choose the best fit with a single tap. From the same menu, the users can convert widgets into app icons or vice versa, enhancing flexibility in organizing home screen. Long-pressing on an app icon that supports widgets allows iOS 18 users to instantly create a widget from the app, streamlining the customization process. The iOS 18 public beta is now available, allowing users to explore and test these new features. from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/zUQfYVq https://ift.tt/cEHWmVJ

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decided to launch a free meal programme for students of primary schools, ARY News reported. According to the details, the pilot project will initially be launched in Abbottabad and Swat which will be expanded to other divisional headquarters of the province. Approximately 70,000 kids will receive regular meals every day as part of the program. The scheme will cost approximately Rs 500 million a year, which the province government will pay for. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the initiative will be signed by the Department of Social Welfare and private charitable organisations. A committee comprising officials from the Education and Social Welfare departments would be formed to oversee the progress of the free food programme in schools. Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur said that the programme is another welfare initiative of the provincial government. Ali Amin Gandapur said that the standard meals would b