Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Of course’: Bilawal confirms he shook hands with Indian FM but no bilateral engagement held

    ‘Of course’: Bilawal confirms he shook hands with Indian FM but no bilateral engagement held

    Pakistani Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who just wrapped up his visit to Goa, said that he did shake hands with his Indian counter partner S. Jaishankar at a dinner that was held in an unofficial capacity.

    During an interview with India Today, Bilawal said, “In all our unofficial engagements we always shake hands and we had dinner conversations amongst other foreign ministers but we did not hold a bilateral engagement.”

    Earlier, when both ministers greeted each other in front of the media they didn’t shake hands and this created headlines in India.

    Clearing up the confusion, Bilawal said that his aim to visit India was to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “Unless India reviews the action it took on August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), Pakistan is not in a position to engage bilaterally with India.”

    When pointed out by a journalist that “Pakistan can’t sponsor terror directed against India”, the minister, taking a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said “This wolf whistling around the word terrorism which is ultimately an Islamophobic wolf whistle not only to whip up Hindu sentiment in India but also to brow beat Pakistan, that might be election strategy for some but not effective terrorism strategy”

    The Pakistani foreign minister said the country wishes to quell terrorism “not because India said it or the Indian government said so, but because we want to end this menace”. He said terrorism has caused the “largest number of casualties” in Pakistan among any of the other SCO countries.

    “India will have to explain what Kulbhushan Jadhav, a state actor, a navy commander, was doing in Pakistan carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil. Does that not come under cross-border terrorism?” he asked.

    Bilawal also reminded Indian Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai that Pakistan is the only country on Earth that has completed two Financial Action Task Force (FATF) objectives.

    He said that it is not productive for India to continue accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terror activities.

    Pointing out that India violated bilateral agreements and international agreements on Aug 5, 2019, by revoking the special status of Jammu Kashmir, Bilawal Bhutto also mentioned the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing where around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed. “We are yet to see any justice,” he reminded Sardesai.

    He repeatedly said that both India and Pakistan have different perspectives on terrorism, adding that Pakistan is “willing to engage with any concerns that India might have but India will also have to address our concerns.”

  • Yasir Hussain thinks Pakistanis have become too cool to appreciate their artists

    Yasir Hussain thinks Pakistanis have become too cool to appreciate their artists

    In an Instagram story, actor Yasir Hussain has said that Pakistanis have become too cool to appreciate their own artists, referring to singer Ali Sethi not being appreciated enough for his performance at Coachella.


    “Diljit too went to Coachella and everyone in India was appreciating him. This is also a big achievement for a Pakistani artist. But, as usual, we did not appreciate it,” wrote Yasir.

    Ali Sethi performed at this year’s Coachella festival on April 16. Sethi sang his smash hit Coke Studio song Pasoori.

    Last year, Pasoori became the most Googled ‘hum to search’ song of 2022. Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s iconic track left behind chartbusters like BTS’ Butter, Siravali and Chaand Baaliyan.

  • Number 1; Pakistan soars to top of ICC ODI ranking for the first time

    Number 1; Pakistan soars to top of ICC ODI ranking for the first time

    Pakistan beat New Zealand by 102 runs on Friday in Karachi to take a 4-0 lead in the ongoing five-match One-Day International (ODI) series.

    After defeating the Kiwis in the fourth ODI, Pakistan have now climbed to the number one spot in the ODI team rankings for the first time since ICC officially recognised the rankings in January 2005. Pakistan has now risen above its previous best of January 2007 when the squad reached the number three spot.

    Pakistan were fifth on the ODI rankings before the series against New Zealand started, with a rating of 106 points.

    However, to remain on top, Pakistan will have to ensure a clean sweep, winning the fifth and final ODI on Sunday, 7 May. A loss in the final ODI will see them slipping back to No.3 and Australia reclaiming their No.1 ranking.

    Pakistan will also remain on top if they win the fourth ODI and the fifth match is abandoned or yields a no-result.

  • Pixel Fold: Google’s first foldable phone to be unveiled next week

    Pixel Fold: Google’s first foldable phone to be unveiled next week

    Google will be introducing its first foldable phone, called the Pixel Fold, during the Google I/O 2023 event next week. The phone has a full-size outer display, which folds out similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold devices. While specifications for the Pixel Fold have not been announced, leaked marketing materials and a hands-on video show a triple camera setup, including a periscope lens similar to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

    The Pixel Fold is expected to be a 5.8-inch phone that folds out into a 7.6-inch tablet, with a Google Tensor G2 processor paired with 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM. The phone is 10 ounces in weight and has the “most durable hinge on a foldable.” The outer display will measure 7.6 inches with a resolution of 2208×1840 pixels, with both panels capable of achieving a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz.

    The rear camera setup will feature a 48 MP main shooter with an f/1.7 aperture, a 10.8 MP telephoto with five times optical zoom, and a 10.8MP ultra-wide with an f/2.2 aperture. While the official price has not been announced, it is expected to be over $1,700, similar to Samsung’s latest foldable, the Z Fold 4, which launched at $1,799.

    The Pixel Fold was expected to launch last year but did not make the cut for I/O in 2022. However, rumors about the launch have persisted, and Google has been focusing on teaching Android developers to make their apps operational on larger screens and foldable devices. In addition to the Pixel Fold, Google has also announced plans to launch a new Pixel device in India, likely the Pixel 7a.

  • Woman kidnapped as baby reunited with parents after 51 years

    Woman kidnapped as baby reunited with parents after 51 years

    A United States (US) woman who was abducted when she was only 22 months old, was found by her family 51 years later. The announcement was made by The Fort Worth Police Department after completing DNA tests of the woman.

    Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped in 1971 by her babysitter as a toddler. Highsmith did not know that she was kidnapped nor did she know her parents were looking for her as she grew up. She also went by the name Melanie Brown.

    Melissa’s family took the help of a website that enables users to locate family members and construct a family history through DNA. This eventually led them to a woman in Fort Worth who was known as Melanie Brown.

    “WE FOUND MELISSA!!!”announced the family on Facebook on November 22.

    She was then reunited with her parents and two of her four siblings.

  • Oops! Imran will be formally charged in Toshakhana case next week

    Oops! Imran will be formally charged in Toshakhana case next week

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will be inducted in the Toshakhana case on May 10 (Wednesday), a judge of the Islamabad District and Sessions Courts Additional Sessions decided on Friday.

    The court also summoned Khan on May 10 to appear in person before the court, rejecting both applications by Imran Khan while giving a verdict in favour of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    PTI’s lawyers argued that the court can’t directly hear the Toshakhana case. However, the verdict was served.

    Recently, Khan got an extension in bail from Islamabad High Court (IHC) in multiple cases.

    Toshakhana has been at the center of a political storm since 2021 when Khan was accused of hiding details of state gifts he received during his tenure. A case and an investigation pertaining to the same are currently going on.

    Last year, ECP disqualified the PTI chief as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the case after he was found involved in corrupt practices under Article 63(1)(p).

  • Two passengers at Karachi airport quarantined after showing monkeypox symptoms

    Two passengers at Karachi airport quarantined after showing monkeypox symptoms

    Two passengers of a private airline arriving from Jeddah in Karachi have shown symptoms of monkeypox, Geo Urdu has reported. According to sources within the Federal Ministry of Health, a female passenger and her father had symptoms of monkeypox during the airport screening.

    The suspects are residents of Thatta. Both the passengers have been quarantined.

    According to the sources of Geo News, the two have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital. On Wednesday, a young girl and a young boy who came to Karachi from Saudi Arabia were also declared as suspected monkeypox patients. According to the details, 9-year-old Raheela Mansoob, and 16-year-old Affan Muhammad, who came to Karachi from Jeddah by flight number SV 700, were displaying symptoms of the virus.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Pakistan’s weekly inflation reaches record high of 48.35%
    
			
    Pakistan’s weekly inflation reaches record high of 48.35%
    
			
    

    According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) has risen by 1.05 per cent to reach a record high of 48.35 per cent year-on-year for the week ending May 4. The SPI for the aforementioned week was recorded at 254.84 points, compared to 252.2 points the previous week.
    




    Of the 51 monitored items, 30 items experienced an increase in average price, while 9 items decreased, and 12 items remained unchanged during the week.
    




    The items that experienced an increase in average prices on a week-on-week (WoW) basis were chicken (8.91 per cent), potatoes (3.99 per cent), powdered milk (3.81 per cent), pulse gram (1.96 per cent), pulse masoor (1.83 per cent), eggs (1.81 per cent), mutton (1.71 per cent), pulse mash (1.58 per cent), cooked daal (1.36 per cent), and bread (1.13 per cent). The non-food items that saw an increase were gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), gents sandal (33.36 per cent), ladies sandal (14.31 per cent), and washing soap (1.27 per cent).
    




    On the other hand, a decline was seen in the prices of onions (16.69 per cent), garlic (3.44 per cent), tomatoes (3.41 per cent), diesel (1.70 per cent), mustard oil (0.99 per cent), LPG (0.96 per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (0.40 per cent), and vegetable ghee 2.5kg & 1kg (0.10 per cent each).
    




    Monitored ItemsAverage Price Increase/Decrease
    Chicken+8.91%
    Potatoes+3.99%
    Powdered Milk+3.81%
    Pulse Gram+1.96%
    Pulse Masoor+1.83%
    Eggs+1.81%
    Mutton+1.71%
    Pulse Mash+1.58%
    Cooked Daal+1.36%
    Bread+1.13%
    Onions-16.69%
    Garlic-3.44%
    Tomatoes-3.41%
    Diesel-1.70%
    Mustard Oil-0.99%
    LPG-0.96%
    Cooking Oil 5L-0.40%
    Vegetable Ghee 2.5kg-0.10%
    Vegetable Ghee 1kg-0.10%
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Covid global health emergency is finally over after 3 years
    
			
    Covid global health emergency is finally over after 3 years
    
			
    


    The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency”.
    




    “It is with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency,” said the W.H.O. director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
    




    “For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend,” he stated, adding that this trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19. “Yesterday, the emergency committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” he declared.
    




    The head of the WHO said that at least seven million individuals have died from the pandemic. More than 765 million confirmed Covid infections have been recorded worldwide.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Fitch warns of further depreciation of Pakistani rupee due to $6.7 billion debt payment
    
			
    Fitch warns of further depreciation of Pakistani rupee due to $6.7 billion debt payment
    
			
    

    Fitch, the world’s leading credit rating agency based in Hong Kong, said on Friday that Pakistan must pay a total of $6.7 billion in debt payments for the ongoing fiscal year of 2022-23. 
    




    Of this amount, $3.7 billion must be paid by Islamabad this month, with another $3 billion due in June. Krisjanis Krustins, Fitch’s director, warned that these payments could cause the Pakistani rupee to depreciate further, exerting greater pressure on the country’s currency.
    




    Krustins also revealed that Pakistan expects a rollover of $2.4 billion from China to address its economic needs. However, he emphasised the need for Pakistan to revive its International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.
    




    Pakistan has been working to restart the stalled loan programme with the IMF. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged external funds, but the IMF has demanded that Pakistan “do more” to unlock the loan programme.
    




    Finance Secretary Hamid Yakoob recently met with the IMF in the US, but the meeting remained unfruitful. The international lender has proposed that Pakistan arrange $1 billion from commercial banks to unlock the loan programme.