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ISLAMABAD:  Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) has denied reports of exiting Pakistan’s oil and gas sector, vowing to expand its operations in the country. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company said on Tuesday that it will continue to be a strategic partner to the Pakistan in oil and gas sector. KUFPEC said that its subsidiaries, KUFPEC Pakistan Holdings BV, KUFPEC Pakistan BV, and Kirthar Pakistan BV, have successfully divested their “non-operated assets” in Pakistan. “The divestment was made in favour of Petroleum Exploration (Pvt) Limited, a leading private-sector exploration and production company in Pakistan with a significant local and international presence”, the statement said. KUFPEC emphasized that despite this divestment, it continues to be a strategic partner to the Pakistani government in oil and gas exploration and production, reaffirming its ongoing role as the operator of the Makhad Block in...

The fourth AUS v IND Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has broken a decades-old record. The Boxing Day Test between Australia and India has drawn a crowd to the tune of 373,691 across five days of the game . With the figures, the fourth game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy surpassed the previous record of 350,534 set in 1937. As per Cricket Australia, 51,371 arrived for the first session of the final day of the Boxing Day Test to break the record. In the latter session, the number increased to a final tally of 74,362, taking the five-day total to 373,691 in attendance at the MCG. The tally has now become the largest, surpassing the previous numbers when Sir Donald Bradman-led Australia played England in January 1937 at the same venue, which was played over six days. A day-wise breakdown showed that 87,242 attended the AUS v IND game on the first day followed by 85,147 on the second day. As many as 83,073 attended the third day of the...

Two brothers in Darbhanga, Bihar, are accused of a 99.21 crore in Indian rupees (INR). They used fake IDs with photos of Seema Haider and her husband, Sachin, to carry out the scam. The fraudsters, Vipin Jha and Ashutosh Jha, were arrested in a joint operation by the police from Arunachal Pradesh and Darbhanga. The strange part of this scam is that the accused brothers used the photos of Seema Haider and her husband, Sachin, on their company’s fake IDs. The brothers worked as accountants for a company named Siddhivinayak Trade Merchant, owned by Rahul Jain, based in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Read More: Seema Haider: NCRC seeks repatriation of four children from India The fraud was discovered when the police found that the brothers, along with the company owner, Sachin Jain, had embezzled INR99.21 crore while filing GST returns. To make the scam more confusing, they used fake IDs with the pictures of Seema Haider and Sachin on their company’s trademark, which misled the author...

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Punjab police have arrested an Indian national for staying illegally in Mandi Bahauddin city, ARY News reported on Saturday. The police conducted a raid, on a tip-off, in Moong area within the remit of Saddar police station. The suspect, identified as Badal Singh, who failed to provide a valid visa or any permit for staying in Pakistan. During the investigation, he was revealed to belong to Nagla Khatkari area of Aligarh in India. Police produced Badal Singh before the local court after registering a case against him. The judge sent the Indian national to jail for 14 days on judicial remand. Earlier, yesterday the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) foiled a human smuggling bid at Karachi airport, detaining four passengers with links to an Indian agent. Read More: Kulbhushan Jadhav- The Indian Spy in Pakistan FIA immigration has taken a human smuggler among four passengers into custody who were trying to travel to Poland via Azerbaijan illegally. The suspects ...

LAHORE: Customs officials have foiled a bid to smuggle dozens of iPhones at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, apprehending an individual, ARY News reported on Friday. According to the details, a man named Umar Farooq, arriving from Sharjah, was arrested for trying to smuggle around 37 iPhones. Customs officials said that the impounded iPhones are worth Rs11.5 million. The raid was conducted on a tip off by collector customs Tayyba Kayani. Earlier in November, Customs apprehended an individual at Lahore airport attempting to smuggle gold and iPhones. According to the details, a man named Asif Shahzad, arriving from Dubai on the private airline PA-417, was arrested for trying to smuggle over 1.628 kg of gold, six diamond sets, and five iPhones. Customs officials indicated that the suspect concealed gold within his clothing. Authorities have filed a case against him under the customs act, officials noted. Also in October, in two significant operations by customs officia...

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved Germany’s lower house of parliament to pave the way for snap elections on February 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition. “Especially in difficult times, like now, stability requires a government capable of acting, and reliable majorities in parliament,” which was why early elections were the right way forward for Germany, Steinmeier said in Berlin. After the elections, problem-solving must become the core business of politics again, added Steinmeier in a speech. The president, whose post has been largely ceremonial in the post-war era, also called for the election campaign to be conducted fairly and transparently. “External influence is a danger to democracy, whether it is covert, as was evidently the case recently in the Romanian elections, or open and blatant, as is currently being practiced particularly intensively on (social media) platform X,” he said. Scholz, a Social Democrat who wil...

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) announced the Gaza million march in the federal capital on December 29 to express solidarity with Palestinians who are facing oppression by Israel. JI has been granted permission to hold the million march at Jinnah Avenue in New Blue Area following the negotiations with the district administration. Two rounds of talks were held between JI and district administrations as JI wanted to conduct the million march in the city’s centre while the administration had been pressing to hold the show at Sangjani, Tirnol. The development came as today a Palestinian TV channel said five of its journalists were martyred Thursday in an Israeli strike on their vehicle in Gaza. A missile hit the journalists’ broadcast truck as it was parked in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a statement from their employer, Al-Quds Today. The channel identified the five staffers as Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Ayman Al-Jadi, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Khalil, Fadi Hassouna an...

KARACHI: The city administration has imposed section 144 in the metropolis for two days to ensure a safe and peaceful New Year’s Eve celebration, ARY News reported on Thursday. Commissioner Karachi, Syed Hasan Naqvi, has issued a notification in this regard on the recommendation of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), South Zone Karachi. The restrictions included a ban on carrying, displaying and brandishing weapons as well as aerial firing and the use of firecrackers. The section 144 will remain enforced on December 31 (Tuesday) and January 1 (Wednesday). The notification said that strict action would be taken against the violators. Meanwhile, A protest and sit-in on a major road in Karachi caused massive traffic jams in various areas on Thursday, resulting in severe hardship for commuters. Both tracks of the road from Gurumandir to Numaish Chowrangi are temporarily closed to traffic due to an ongoing protest, causing severe traffic congestion on the surrounding roads, ...

‘Baby John,’ starring Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan, has failed to make a mark at the Box Office on its opening day. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu – Click Here Made with a Reported budget of INR180 crore, the film managed to earn just INR12.5 crore on its opening day on December 25 while ‘Pushpa 2’ minted INR19.75 crore – its 21st day of the film’s release, as per Indian media outlets. According to Indian Box Office experts, despite the presence of an ensemble cast and the much-anticipated cameo by Bollywood star Salman Khan, the film failed to bring the audience to the cinemas. Experts said that ‘Baby John’ collection was much lower than his film ‘Kalank’ as it was outperformed by ‘Pushpa 2’ on Christmas Day. While Varun Dhawan’s ‘Kalank’ grossed INR21 crore on the first day, it collapsed in the later days. Read more: Wamiqa Gabbi shares hilarious pictures with all ‘Baby Johns’ Directed by Kalees, ‘Baby John’ is seen as another major collaboration between Hindi and South In...

RAWALPINDI: As the Christian community celebrated Christmas in the garrison city with religious fervour and enthusiasm, the army chief joined them at St. Joseph’s Cathedral — where the city’s biggest gathering was held — on Wednesday, underscoring the spirit of inclusivity and harmony. The congregation extended a warm welcome to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir, expressing gratitude for his presence and solidarity on the cherished occasion. The altar and podium of the cathedral got purple covers and flowers while priests also wore purple attire as the Christians believe that purple colour is associated with riches, royalty and authority. The churches in Rawal­pindi had organised midnight and morning services where prayers were offered. View this post on Instagram Army chief attends ceremony at St. Joseph’s Cathedral On the occasion, people decorated Christmas trees and made special meals. Cakes and other bakery items...

KARACHI: The government borrowings from banks for budgetary support were negative during the first half of the current fiscal year ending Dec 31, indicating higher liquidity in the national exchequer. The State Bank’s latest data for the July 1 to Dec 13 period showed a net debt retirement of Rs2.03 trillion against a net borrowing of Rs2.875tr in the same period last year. Experts believe this is historical as the governments in the past had been borrowing heavily for budgetary support, and this debt retirement could be the result of Rs2.7tr inflows from the State Bank in profit. They also noted that this debt retirement was significant given that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) missed the projected collection target during the first five months of 2024-25. Oozing with liquidity, state retires Rs2.03tr debt in July-December The government borrowed Rs7.479tr in FY24 against Rs3.748tr in FY23, reflecting a doubling of borrowing for budgetary support compared to the preceding y...

RAWALPINDI: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza NI (M), who is on an official visit to State of Kuwait, called on Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. CJCSC called on Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Fahed Yousef Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General (Staff) Engineer Hashim Al Rafee, Under Secretary Kuwait National Guard, Sheikh Abdullah Mishal Al Sabah, Under Secretary Ministry of Defence, and Major General Subah Jaber Alsabah, Acting Chief of Staff of Kuwait Armed Forces. Bilateral issues and defence cooperation were discussed during the high-level meetings, said a news release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) here Wednesday. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitments, and emphasized the importance of exploring new avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of defense and security. The CJCSC also visited Mubarak Al Abdullah J...

Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United States, stated that Pakistan’s significance to the US, once driven by its role in Afghanistan, has diminished. In an interview on ARY’s program Off the Record , Dr. Lodhi expressed that Pakistan is no longer a priority for the United States, as the geopolitical landscape has shifted. She explained that Pakistan’s importance to the US was closely linked to Afghanistan, but now, with that issue no longer central, Pakistan is not a priority in US foreign policy. Dr. Lodhi emphasised that US policy is now driven by its own interests. Reflecting on the political situation, she noted that there are differing opinions within Pakistan regarding the timing of resolving PTI’s issues. Some believe the PTI’s concerns should be resolved before Donald Trump assumes the presidency, while others believe that both the PTI and the government have nothing to gain from continuing the standoff, hence the recent progress. Dr. Lodhi further ...

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has made startling revelations about having an ‘inferiority complex’ over his short height. To Read Lifestyle Stories in Urdu- Click Here During a conversation with fellow actor Nana Patekar, Aamir Khan revealed that he had a complex about his height in the early stages of his Bollywood career. The ‘3 Idiots’ star is around 5’5, which is shorter than other leading actors of his time, leading to his fears that he might face rejection from the fans. During his chat with Nana Patekar, Aamir Khan opened up on his insecurity about his height when he was a young actor. The ‘Vanvaas’ actor asked Khan, “Did you ever have any inferiority complex about your height?” To this, he responded by saying, “Yes, I did. I used to feel that what if people don’t accept me because of my height. This was my fear. But later I realised that all of this does not matter at all. But at that time, some kind of insecurity creeps in.” Read more: Aamir Khan shares exciting update...

PESHAWAR: Former President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, has expressed optimism about the impending release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, ARY News reported. According to reports, Alvi made these remarks to the media outside the Peshawar court after securing a 40-day transit bail. He suggested that significant changes are imminent, hinting at a possible shift in the political landscape. “Both domestic and international stars are aligning for change,” the former Pakistani President asserted. He further emphasised the importance of dialogue and negotiation, stating, “Arbitration doesn’t happen where there’s occupation. Discussions should be held with the rightful authority, not the one in power. There’s still time to reverse all the wrongdoings and appease the PTI chairman.” Alvi expressed confidence in Imran Khan’s imminent release, claiming that the former Prime Minister would be freed within a month and a half. “PTI founder Imran Khan will be released withi...

French President Emmanuel Macron named a new government on Monday evening putting together a team under Francois Bayrou, his fourth prime minister of the year , to drag the second-largest EU economy out of a political crisis. Macron named former prime minister Elisabeth Borne as education minister in a new cabinet under centrist Bayrou, the presidency said. Another former premier, Manuel Valls, returned as overseas territories minister while former interior minister Gerald Darmanin became justice minister. Both Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot kept their jobs, the presidency said. Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, also stayed in his post. The difficult job of delivering a budget plan for next year falls to Eric Lombard, the new economy minister. The inclusion of two former prime ministers indicates Macron’s desire for a heavyweight government that will enjoy stability and no...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set a deadline of December 31 for all members of parliament (MPs) and provincial assemblies to submit their statements of assets and liabilities, including those of their spouses and dependents. The ECP requires all parliamentarians to submit their yearly statements of assets and liabilities, including similar details for their spouses and dependent children, as of the preceding June 30 on Form B for the 2023-2024 financial year, a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, said a press release issued by the ECP here Monday. The Commission, on the first day of January each year will publish names of members, who fail to submit the requisite statement of assets and liabilities including assets and liabilities within the specified period. The Commission will on January 16 by order suspend the membership of a member of an Assembly or Senate, who fails to submit the statement of assets and liabilities by ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Raoof Hasan claimed that the establishment is indirectly engaging in negotiations with PTI, says Raoof Hasan on Monday. The negotiations between the federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) commenced today. While Speaking to the ARY News programme “KHABAR Muhammad Malick Kay Saath”, Raoof Hasan shared some details about the talks. He said that PTI has presented two key demands – the release of all the political prisoners including founder PTI Imran Khan and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 and November 26 incidents. Hasan clarified that these talks are not with the government, but rather with the establishment, which he believes holds the actual power. Raoof Hasan stressed that the establishment is behind the scenes in talks with PTI. The PTI spokesperson expressed scepticism about the government’s willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue, saying that it neither wants to hold ...

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman has broken his silence on his post in support of Babar Azam when he was dropped from the squad for the England Test series. Reports said that the left-handed batter was dropped from the squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours after he criticised the exclusion of Babar Azam from the Pakistan squad for the last two games against England in the Test home series. Fakhar Zaman was also left out of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts list for the 2024-25 international season. Several including former Pakistan cricketers slammed the PCB’s decision to exclude the batter from the squad for the South Africa tour as Abdullah Shafique had a poor run in the recently concluded PAK v SA ODI series. Now, Fakhar Zaman has issued a clarification about his snub from the Pakistan squads for recent tours which was attributed to his fitness. Read more: Fakhar Zaman responds to PCB’s show-cause notice over Babar Azam remarks During an interview with a...

ANKARA: Turkey’s foreign minister said after meeting Syria’s de facto leader in Damascus on Sunday that there was no room for Kurdish militants in Syria’s future, calling for the YPG militia to disband. Turkey regards the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington and the European Union. Sunday’s visit to Damascus by Hakan Fidan, the first foreign minister to visit Damascus since Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow two weeks ago, came amid hostilities in northeast Syria between Turkish-backed Syrian fighters and the YPG, which spearheads the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast. Speaking alongside Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Fidan said he had discussed the YPG presence with the new Syrian administration and believed Damascus would take steps to ensure Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “In the coming pe...

KARACHI: A major fire has engulfed a clothing warehouse near Jamshed Road in Karachi, causing significant damage, ARY News reported. According to reports, the fire has spread to the ground and first floors of the building, and tin sheets from the first floor have also collapsed. Six fire tenders and water bowsers have been dispatched to the scene and are currently battling the blaze. However, due to the intensity of the fire, it is taking time to bring it under control. Initial reports indicate that no one was present inside the building at the time of the fire. However, firefighters are conducting a thorough search of the premises as a precautionary measure. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed concerned authorities to submit a report on the incident. He has also instructed them to take immediate action to contain the fire and prevent further damage. The Chief Minister has further emphasized the importance of implementing safety measures to prevent such incidents in ...

NEW DEHLI: Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan revealed a heart-breaking story of Indian batter Virat Kohli crying over the defeat of his team. Virat Kohli nowadays going through difficult times in his career with an average of only 25.06 in red-ball cricket this season. In an appearance on a podcast, actor Varun Dhawan revealed how sensitive and responsible Virat Kohli is. He gave an example of Virat Kohli’s emotional state during India’s 2018 tour of England. In an appearance on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, “The Ranveer Show”, Dhawan recounted a conversation with Anushka Sharma about Kohli’s mindset during tough times. Dhawan said that Anushka had shared with him an incident where Kohli cried after India’s loss in the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, feeling responsible for the team’s defeat. While quoting Anushka’s account of the incident Varun said “Virat, I mean, everything he’s been through, the times he’s not been in good form, some insights that Anushka shared with me, a...

KARACHI: The roads from Lasbela Chowk leading towards Gurumandir are temporarily closed for traffic due to an ongoing protest, ARY News reported. Residents of Patel Para in Karachi are protesting over the prolonged water and power shortage, now gathered at Lasbela Chowk after moving from the initial demonstration site. The protest has caused severe traffic congestion in the surrounding areas, including major roads leading to Gurumandir. Traffic police are rerouting vehicles to maintain some flow. Commuters are being diverted from Nazimabad towards Jahangirabad, while traffic from Teen Hatti is being redirected to Shah Najaf Cut, and vehicles from Jamia Shah Bukhari Mazaar Chowk are being sent towards Iqbal Market. The situation has left traffic paralyzed in the affected areas, causing significant disruption to daily activities. Read More: THIS Karachi road is temporarily closed for traffic The blockage of roads have been frequent in Karachi as on December 15, a protest near Teen...

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) witnessed a surge in the foreign exchange reserves with a reported increase of $31 million, ARY News reported on Thursday. The State Bank of Pakistan in a statement said that “the total foreign reserves of Pakistan surged to US$16.632 billion, while the SBP reserves crossed $12.081 billion as of December 13, 2024.” According to the central bank, the total liquid foreign exchange reserves held by commercial banks climbed to US $4.551 billion. The reason for the increase in foreign reserves has not been revealed. Last week, the total foreign reserves of the country stood at US$16.60 billion including the SBP reserves at $12.5 billion and commercial banks reserves at US$4.55 billion. Earlier today, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmed said that the country has paid back a US$2 billion loan during the past two years. In a television talk show, the SBP governor pointed out that the foreign exchange reserves have also increas...

PTI founder Imran Khan on Thursday warned that the first phase of the party’s civil disobedience movement — boycotting remittances — would kick off from December 22 if his “legitimate demands” were not met by the government. Earlier this month, the former prime minister had warned of a civil disobedience movement from Dec 14 if his demands about the release of political prisoners facing trial and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26 were unmet. His sister Aleema Khanum had said on Tuesday that Imran had warned that he would ask overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances if the government failed to meet his demands. PTI lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain said a day ago that Imran had asked the party leadership to wait till Sunday before going ahead with the campaign. A statement issued on the incarcerated ex-premier’s X account today shared the “important message” from Imran. Reiterating the demands, the statement said the first phase...

An Indian martial artist group set a bizarre but dangerous Guinness World Record with cucumbers and a chainsaw. According to Indian media reports, a group of skilled martial artists from “Bir Khalsa” has achieved a mind-boggling Guinness World Record. They made the record for cutting most slices of a cucumber held in a person’s mouth with a chainsaw while blindfolded in one minute. The record-making attempt, which was aired on the Italian TV series ‘Lo Show Dei Record,’ showed the team’s precision and mastery. Guinness World Records shared the video of the event on Instagram with the caption, “most slices of a cucumber held in a person’s mouth with a chainsaw while blindfolded in one minute is 71 by Bir Khalsa from India”. In the video, a member of the team held the cucumber in his mouth, while another blindfolded man carefully sliced the cucumber with an electric chainsaw, whereas the third member of the team was continuously supplying the cucumbers. The successful attempt resu...

Hollywood actor Eddie Redmayne has confirmed that he will reprise his role in season two of ‘The Day of the Jackal.’ “Thank you so much for watching and supporting The Day of the Jackal. If there’s one thing that the Jackal can’t stand, it’s a loose end. So we will see you soon for season two,” Redmayne said according to a Sky Instagram post. While the makers had confirmed renewing the show for a second season , there were no updates on whether Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch would reprise their roles for the next season as it would have spoiled the ending of the first season, which released its finale on December 12. ‘The Day of the Jackal’ became the most popular series to ever launch on Sky after its first episode reached a UK audience of 4.5 million after 26 days. The series is based on a 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth which was adapted into a feature film in 1973. ‘The Day of the Jackal’ tells the story of the titular character Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), a contract killer “w...