Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Customs seizes 400 kg of pork at Lahore airport

    Customs seizes 400 kg of pork at Lahore airport

    Around 400 kg of pork was seized from a foreign individual by customs officials stationed at the Lahore airport.

    Sources claim that the customs officials were informed that pork will be smuggled from Dubai aboard private aircraft flight ER 724.

    Customs officers intervened and removed 400 kg of pork from the accused’s hands, thwarting the attempt at smuggling.

    The pork was concealed from the scanning device, according to the authorities, by being packed in 12 large cartons with special black plastic sheets.

    The smuggler was apprehended by deputy collector of customs Saira Batool when she arrived at the airport, and it was later discovered that the pork was being distributed to other hotels, according to reports.

    In a related incident, customs agents apprehended a passenger flying from the United States and thwarted an attempt to smuggle goods worth around Rs 8 million through Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

  • Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, confirmed on Monday that the process for appointing the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the new chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) has started today.

    Setting aside speculations that had been raging since weeks, Asif confirmed that the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office had received a summary in this regard.

    “The process of appointing [officials] to Pakistan Army’s highest positions has started today; God willing, the appointments will be made soon as per the constitutional requirements,” the minister said in a tweet.

    Talking with media, the minister said that the process of appointing the army chief would be completed by November 25, and the summary would be moved within a day or two.


    “There is no deadlock over the appointment of the army chief. Once we receive the summary, we will discuss the names — probably five or six senior-most officers,” he said.

    Asif had earlier said that the name of the new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

  • US affirms that both Pakistan and India are “global, valuable partners”

    US affirms that both Pakistan and India are “global, valuable partners”

    The United States of America has once again reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan and India for the superpower, stating that India is a global partner while Pakistan is a valuable partner in a sensitive region.

    Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, Vedant Patel, said at a briefing, “India is an invaluable partner, not just in the region but as it relates to a lot of the United States’ shared priorities across the world.”

    Commenting on Pakistan, another US official stated: “The United States values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests.”

    In recent statements, US officials have insisted that they no longer see Pakistan from India or Afghanistan’s perspective.

    In a recent report published by the Hudson Institute, it has been noted that several aspects of the US-Pakistan relationship had changed over the last decade.

    “Most importantly, a US-India entente has emerged, and a peer rivalry between China and the US is developing,” the report stated, underlining how a US desire to contain China had strengthened its ties with India.

    It is pertinent to mention that since Biden came into power and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, US-Pakistan relations have been standing on the edge of a precipice.

  • Pakistan’s current account deficit decreases by 68% due to marginal increase in exports

    According to statistics provided by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday, the current account deficit decreased 68.13 per cent year over year to $0.57 billion in October.

    In comparison to September, when it stood at $0.36 billion, the deficit jumped by 56.2 per cent, reaching its highest level since April 2021.

    According to the figures, the deficit for the first four months of the current fiscal year was $2.8 billion, down 46.82 per cent from $5.3 billion from July to October 2021.

    According to the central bank, “continued import drop helped improve the current account imbalance.”

    When compared to the same quarter in FY22, imports fell by $2.7 billion (11.6 per cent) and exports increased by $0.2 billion (2.6 per cent).

    The current account deficit increased month over month despite a remark made last week by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar that it was anticipated to be below $0.4 billion.

    Dar said that the deficit was being closely watched, managed, and handled for the good of the nation.

    “The current account deficit was at $316m in September and expected to be below $400m in October,” he said, adding, “If this continues at the same pace, it will be around $5-6bn for the year, (while) the projected was $12bn.”

    The deficit was not at a worrying level, the finance minister stressed.

    Pakistan had a huge current account deficit of $17.3 billion, or an average of $1.44 billion per month, in the preceding fiscal year.

  • PAK-UNESCO Joint Centre of Excellence in Teachers Training and STEAM Learning to be established in Islamabad

    PAK-UNESCO Joint Centre of Excellence in Teachers Training and STEAM Learning to be established in Islamabad

    Pakistan and UNESCO have agreed work out the establishment of a PAK-UNESCO Joint Centre of Excellence in Teachers Training and STEAM Learning at Islamabad.


    The understanding was reached at a meeting between Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Assistant Director General for Education UNESCO, Ms Stefania Giannini. The meeting was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
    Speaking on the occasion, Rana Tanveer Hussain said Pakistan will make all-out efforts to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education while promoting lifelong learning opportunities.


    Along with its other partners (UNICEF, WFP, WHO, etc.), UNESCO has been doing its best to support Pakistan’s education sector in times of need, said Stefania Giannini. She was grateful for Pakistan’s effort to address the nation’s educational problems.

  • Shaheen, Hasan Ali out; PCB announces test squad for test series against England

    Shaheen, Hasan Ali out; PCB announces test squad for test series against England

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced an 18-player squad for December’s three ICC World Test Championship matches against England.


    There are four changes in the squad from Pakistan’s last Test assignment, which was in Sri Lanka. The four players who are not part of the side are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Fawad Alam and Yasir Shah.


    “I want to congratulate all the players who have been selected for the historic Test series against England. We have selected this 18-man squad keeping in mind the form of the players, the conditions and the opposition, ” said Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim.

    “This series has provided opportunities to Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Zahid Mehmood. Abrar has been on the radar since his debut first-class season in 2020-21. He is in outstanding form this season, so it makes sense to make him available for [captain] Babar Azam so he can use the confidence and talent of this youngster in the upcoming series,” he added.


    Here is the complete list of the squad:

    Babar Azam (c) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Haris Rauf (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Naseem Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mehmood (Sindh).

    The three Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship and are scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi (1-5 December), Multan (9-13 December) and Karachi (17-21 December).

  • CPEC created 190,000 jobs in less than 10 years: Chinese official

    CPEC created 190,000 jobs in less than 10 years: Chinese official

    A Chinese official said on Sunday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiatives, had generated 190,000 jobs in the previous nine years.

    According to Meng Wei, a representative of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, China and Pakistan created the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on the CPEC in 2013 with an emphasis on collaboration in the Gwadar Port, energy, infrastructure, and industries.

    The two parties have recently increased their areas of collaboration to include agriculture, society, people’s livelihoods, and the information technology industries.

    The Gwadar East Bay Expressway project, the Gwadar Seawater Desalination Project, the Carlot Hydropower Station, China’s assistance to Pakistan’s flood-affected areas, and more may be seen as examples of the cooperation’s success, according to the China News Service.

    The spokesman said, “The two sides will next work together to put the leaders’ agreement into action, speed up their cooperation in areas including agriculture, mining, information technology, society, and people’s livelihood, and support the CPEC’s high-quality building.”

    CPEC is kicking off a new age of collaboration and exchanges between the two nations in a variety of fields, including energy, industry, culture, and trade and business.

  • Five people killed in shooting at LGBTQ nightclub

    Five people killed in shooting at LGBTQ nightclub

    At least five people were killed and another 25 were injured in a shooting late Saturday at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.
    The suspect in the shooting at Club Q was identified as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, according to Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. Aldrich used a long rifle in the shooting while another two firearms were found at the scene.


    He entered the club just before midnight on Saturday night and immediately started firing. Two people inside the club restrained him before he could cause more harm.
    Police emphasised Club Q’s connection to the LGBTQ community and stated they were looking into whether the attack was a case of hate crime.
    Joe Biden issued a statement on Sunday in which he said “we must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against” the LGBTQ community.
    “While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the [LGBTQ] community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years,” Biden said. “Gun violence continues to have a devastating and particular impact on [LGBTQ] communities across our nation and threats of violence are increasing.”

    According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 600 cases of mass shootings in the USA in 2022 alone.

  • COP27 approves ‘loss and damage fund’ in big win for poor countries

    COP27 approves ‘loss and damage fund’ in big win for poor countries

    In a major breakthrough for developing countries, the United Nations COP27 climate summit has approved the creation of a special fund to cover the losses suffered by 134 vulnerable nations hit by the impact of global warming.

    Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif has welcomed the development and has lauded Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman, who spearheaded the breakthrough, for her efforts.


    “The establishment of a loss & damage fund at the UN climate summit is the first pivotal step towards the goal of climate justice. It is up to the transitional committee to build on the historic development. I appreciate @sherryrehman & her team for their contribution & hard work,” wrote PM while appreciating the efforts of Sherry Rehman.

    Sherry Rehman in a series of tweets while welcoming the announcement said it’s been a thirty year long journey from demand to the formation of the loss and damage fund for 134 countries.

    At the start of the UN discussions in Egypt, the “loss and damage” brought on by climatically-induced disasters was not formally on the table.
    But as discussions progressed, a concerted campaign by poor nations to make it the conference’s central issue broke down wealthier polluters’ resistance who had previously been wary of open-ended liability.

  • Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Donald Trump’s Twitter account appeared to come back online after a narrow majority of votes were cast in Elon Musk’s Twitter poll in support of re-allowing the former US president, who was barred from the social media platform following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

    In the survey, little more than 15 million ballots were cast, with 51.8 per cent in favour of restoration.

    “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk tweeted. During the poll, Musk acknowledged the vote numbers were being affected by automated “bots”, which are not people, and suggested there was a need to “clean up” Twitter polls from being influenced by “bot and trolls armies”.

    Earlier in the day, Trump didn’t seem all that eager to go back on Twitter. The former president was asked about it by a panel at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and he responded via video, “I don’t see any reason for it.”

    He declared that he would continue to use his brand-new platform Truth Social, an application created by his startup Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

    Following the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, Twitter made the remarkable decision to ban Trump, claiming that his postings were “very likely to incite and inspire individuals to mimic the criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol.”

    Trump announced his effort to win the presidency back in 2024 on Tuesday and hailed Musk, saying he had always admired him. Trump said that Twitter’s issues were “extraordinary” and that it was plagued by bots and false accounts.

    Musk’s self-described reputation as a “free speech absolutist” increased the potential that he might lift the restriction on users whose Twitter accounts had been permanently suspended from the network even as Musk was still finishing up his acquisition of Twitter. Experts on hate speech and disinformation have been preparing for the return of Trump, who accumulated more than 88 million followers during his first tenure on the network.

    Musk first stated in May that he intended to lift the ban on Trump, and many of Twitter’s advertisers were anxiously awaiting the timing of any comeback by the president.

    Musk hoped to convince consumers and advertisers that such a choice would be carefully considered by a content moderation committee made up of individuals with “widely different perspectives” and that no account reinstatements would take place before the panel convened.

    He said that unless there was a “clear process for doing so,” Twitter would not allow any banned users to reapply.

    And this week, Musk unexpectedly allowed comic Kathy Griffin to return after she had been suspended for violating his new policy against impersonation by changing her profile name to “Elon Musk” without making it clear that it was a parody account. Regarding the moderation council or the reinstatement procedure, nothing has changed.