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Author: News Desk

  • Meghan Markle wore earrings gifted by Mohammed Bin Salman, days after Khashoggi’s murder

    A book by Valentine Low details accusations of bullying at Buckingham Palace by Meghan Markle. The book also reveals that Meghan wore earrings given to her by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman – just days after his regime admitted killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.


    The chandelier earrings had been a wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

    After the Duchess wore the earrings for a second time, an aide took up the matter with Harry. He is said to have looked ‘shocked’ that people knew where the earrings came from, although the Sussexes’ lawyers deny that he was ever questioned about their provenance.


    Later, Meghan’s lawyers, Schillings, said: ‘At no stage did the Duchess tell staff that the earrings were “borrowed from a jeweller”, as this would have been untrue and therefore any suggestion that she encouraged them to lie to the media is baseless.’

    Two days later, Schillings added: ‘It is possible she said the earrings were borrowed, which is correct, as presents from heads of state to the Royal Family are gifts to Her Majesty the Queen, who can then choose to lend them out to members of the family.’

    The book also claimed that Meghan in multiple instances bullied royal staff.

  • Khushdil Shah reportedly breaks down in dressing room after hearing ‘Parchi’ chants

    Khushdil Shah reportedly breaks down in dressing room after hearing ‘Parchi’ chants

    Khushdil Shah reportedly breaks down in dressing room after being bullied by the crowd during the seventh T20I between Pakistan and England. The crowd chanted ‘Parchi Parchi’, when he was going back to the pavilion.


    According to media reports, Shah broke down in the dressing room.

    Imam-ul-haq has extended his support for Shah.


    “I would like to request our fans to avoid such rants at any player as it can badly impact the player’s health and try to support them like you always do, regardless of the results. We play for you, we play for Pakistan. Stay blessed,” he said.

    People on social media are condemning the chants voiced by the crowds.

    https://twitter.com/Raz_khan789/status/1576657212860432385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1576657212860432385%7Ctwgr%5E8b3129bb29d91dd5be014422840d62b491cffc39%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalvillagespace.com%2Fkhushdil-shah-heckled-with-parchi-slogan-at-gaddafi-stadium%2F

    Khushdil scored 63 runs in five matches at an average of 21. In last night’s match he scored 27.

  • Khan, sorry, not sorry? Court dismisses contempt notice against Imran

    Khan, sorry, not sorry? Court dismisses contempt notice against Imran

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Monday dismissed a contempt notice against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. The ontempt case against the PTI chief was initiated after his controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry at a public rally on August 20.

    A larger bench, headed by IHC Cheif Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, and Justice Babar Sattar, heard the case today.

    Talking to reporters after the hearing, Imran said: “Justice Athar Minallah has taken great decisions [in the past].” He also said that he would appear before the court if needed as he had done in the past.

    While announcing the verdict, the court discharged the contempt of court notice against Imran Khan.

    Following the court’s verdict, the PTI chief said that the court has taken a “great decision”.

    In response to the IHC verdict, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that “fitna” has been forgiven.

    “The contempt was committed and in front of the entire world. So instead of saying that the case has been dismissed, it would be more appropriate to say that fitna has been forgiven,” Maryam wrote on Twitter.

    Khan submitted an affidavit to the IHC in a contempt of court case against him, saying he had realised he “Might have crossed a line” in his controversial remarks regarding Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    However, it is pertinent to mention that, for the third time, Khan avoided tendering an unconditional apology to the court.

  • ‘First trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir’, US ambassador under fire by Indians for tweet

    United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, on his visit to Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Dak Bungalow, tweeted on Sunday, “The Bungalow symbolises the cultural and historical richness of Pakistan and was famously visited by Jinnah in 1944. I’m honoured to visit during my first trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).”

    Blome—who is currently in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) for his first visit—mentioned Pakistan’s part of Kashmir as “Azad”.

    It is pertinent to mention that Washington officially still considers both Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

    https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1576558637123706886?s=20&t=HPkX7SKHUt0iu0Nw3LrmCw

    Indians seem to have taken offence with the tweet, lashing out at the US official. One user called the US a “backstabber” while the other was of the view that Americans should never be trusted no matter what.

    https://twitter.com/gyanendrra/status/1576647000728428544?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ
    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    US and Pakistan relations seem to be warming up. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Joe Biden at his reception for world leaders participating in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

    Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is scheduled to meet with senior Biden administration officials this week during an official visit to the US.

  • Reduction in POL prices without IMF approval is a ‘reckless’ decision, says Miftah Ismail

    Reduction in POL prices without IMF approval is a ‘reckless’ decision, says Miftah Ismail

    Pakistan’s former finance minister Miftah Ismail has called the coalition government’s decision to maintain the petroleum development levy (PDL) this month unchanged “reckless”.

    However, he maintained that what the earlier PTI administration did to the nation was “unforgivable.”

    Shaukat Tarin, the leader of the PTI and a former finance minister, had tweeted about the PMLN’s -alleged doublespeak, to which Ismail responded.

    “We were blamed for violating IMF conditions. According to Miftah sahib, they did not wait to get clearance from MD IMF before announcing the fuel prices. Clear doublespeak,” he tweeted.

    https://twitter.com/shaukat_tarin/status/1576568757056512000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1576568757056512000%7Ctwgr%5E5e775af4ab091b03900a542aeb8050d970a7d429%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1713254

    Ismail replied that the PTI administration had in fact broken the terms of the IMF deal.

    “You agreed to increase sales tax to 17 per cent but reduced it to zero. You agreed to raise petrol levy every month by Rs4 to Rs30 but brought it to zero. You agreed to not give amnesty but gave one anyway,” he said, in reference to the previous administration’s decision to temporarily freeze fuel prices.

    Ismail argued that the subsidy was “unfounded and unsustainable” and that the PTI nearly put the nation into bankruptcy. He continued by saying that, while serving as finance minister, he had visited the IMF and prevented the nation’s default.

    “Not increasing PDL this month without IMF approval is reckless, but what PTI did with our economy was unforgivable,” he insisted.

    Ismail brought up the fact that his administration had not sought IMF approval before freezing the petroleum charge for the second time in two days.

    Ismail claimed that when Ahad Cheema, the establishment adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requested him to contact the IMF managing director if gasoline prices could be held for three months, “I said that I would die but not ask this.” Ismail was speaking at an event in Karachi on Saturday.

    “In any case … I asked the MD if we could freeze the tax for three months. The answer did not arrive and the government unilaterally did it. So may God have mercy.”

    On Tuesday, September 27, Ismail resigned from his position as finance minister to make room for Ishaq Dar. Three days later, on Friday, the administration decided to lower petrol costs (Sept 30).

    Petrol costs now cost Rs224.80 per litre, down from Rs237.43 previously. This reduction in price amounts to Rs12.63. High-speed diesel (HSD) is now available at Rs12.13 less per litre, at Rs235.30 instead of Rs247.43. Kerosene’s cost per litre dropped from Rs202.02 to Rs191.83 by Rs10.19. Light diesel oil (LDO) was reduced in price from Rs197.28 to Rs186.50 per litre by Rs10.78.

    By lowering the petroleum development fee on gasoline by Rs5 per litre to Rs32.42, the government lost money. On HSD, the price was raised to Rs12.58 by an additional Rs5 per litre.

    According to DAWN, the government currently charges Rs12.58 per litre PDL for HSD, Rs15 for kerosene, Rs10 for LDO, and Rs30 for High Octane Blending Component. Additionally, the cost of gasoline and HSD includes a Rs22 per litre customs fee.

  • Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz received her passport on Monday after Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered that the passport be returned to her.

    She had surrendered her passport three years ago in order to get bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    “Alhamdulillah, my passport has been returned”, Maryam said in a tweet.

    “Due to the fear of my jalsas (rallies), fitna kept me in NAB for three months and in death cell in Kot Lakhpat Jail for investigation, but the case has not been filed to date”, she added.

    A three-member bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the case on Monday (today). During the proceedings, Maryam’s counsel Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz argued that his client had been granted bail after she surrendered her passport in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case but that despite the passage of a span of four years, no reference had been filed against her.

    Maryam, through her counsel, moved the fresh petition, arguing that in 2019, NAB had forced her to surrender her passport in this case, fearing that she would flee the country.

    Pervaiz also informed the court that the conviction in the Avenfield case could have caused difficulty in the return of her passport, but that the case has been closed.

    During the hearing, the federal government said that they have no objection to the plea. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor also said that his organisation has no objection to it. He added that they did not know whether the case came under their jurisdiction or not after the new amendments to NAB’s law.

    Last month, Maryam approached the court to get her passport released. She stated that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial, as she had surrendered her passport in accordance with the court’s order when she was arrested in 2019.

    The case:

    As per details of Chaudhry Sugar Mill’s money-laundering investigation, NAB in January 2018 received a Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) report describing suspicious transactions of billions of rupees under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.


    After receiving the FMU report, NAB started an inquiry in October 2018 and found that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, the incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif, Abbas Sharif and family were shareholders in the company, along with foreigners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

    A probe revealed that investments in Chaudhry Sugar Mills from 2001 to 2017 worth billions of rupees were made under the guise of issuing shares for foreigners.

    Interestingly, later on, the same shares of the company were transferred back to Maryam, Hussain, and Nawaz Sharif on various occasions without any money paid to the said foreign business partners.

  • Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    In Pakistan, the real value of income has been undermined by inflation, while high interest rates have raised the cost of borrowing.

    Record inflation rates have dominated news for the past year, coupled with supply chain problems, material shortages, elevated fuel prices, and vegetable prices that increased by 500 per cent in September.

    According to a poll by Pulse Consultant, which was conducted in August 2022, 78 per cent of Pakistanis think that their country’s economy is going on the wrong path. Inflation has affected 66 per cent of people hard, and 12 per cent of people say their expenses aren’t keeping up.

    Pulse Consultant asked an open-ended question in a nationwide computer-assisted telephonic study in which more than 1,600 people across the country responded and revealed how they are dealing with the current wave of inflation.

    The following are the areas where customers lowered their spending:

    • Reduced Grocery Purchasing – 24 per cent
    • Avoid Going Out – 18 per cent
    • Stop Unnecessary Shopping – 16 per cent
    • Reduced Fast Food – 10 per cent
    • Reduced Overall Expenses -9 per cent
    • Save Petrol – 7 per cent
    • Reduced Children Expenses – 5 per cent
    • Avoid Beauty Parlor / Salon – 3 per cent
    • Save Electricity – 3 per cent
    • Avoid Family Gatherings – 3 per cent
    • Reduced Meat Consumption – 2 per cent

    In Pakistan, CPI inflation increased to 27.3 per cent in August 2022 from 12.1 per cent in January 2022. There are a number of causes for the sudden rise in inflation, despite the fact that core inflation (excluding oil and food costs) is at 18 per cent. The incidence of imported inflation has increased as a result of the rupee’s depreciation. From April through August 2022, the rupee’s value against the US dollar decreased by around 23 per cent.

    Pakistani currency is presently strengthening as a result of the restoration of the IMF package following its derailment last winter. Additionally, even though the oil bill still accounts for around 26–30 per cent of all imports, import reduction has improved the current account situation. The administration has promised to pass along any decrease in oil prices to the public.

    The lag effect of the significant budget deficit experienced in the previous year is one of the other primary causes of the high level of inflation. In contrast to the 4.2 per cent agreed upon with the IMF, the budget deficit during the FY ending on June 30, 2022, reached as high as Rs6,900 billion, or about 9 per cent of GDP.

    In addition, $20 billion in debt, as opposed to $53 billion between 2008 and 2018, was committed over the past four years. As a result, more money is being spent in pursuit of fewer commodities.

    The challenges of recession and skyrocketing inflation are pretty much universal. Despite having low inflation rates, China and Japan’s economies are expected to slow down. Inflation is being fueled by earlier Covid and current high oil, gas, and commodity costs in the wake of the Ukraine war, which is slowing growth.

  • BTS member Jimin, his father receive death threats, here’s why

    BTS member Jimin, his father receive death threats, here’s why

    Park Ji-min, commonly known as Jimin of the K-Pop band BTS has received a death threat from an anonymous netizen.

    Jimin, the vocalist of the South Korean septet, was threatened by an Instagram fan account of fellow BTS members Jeon Jung-Kook and Kim Tae-Hyung aka V. The story was shared by the account with the username ‘vkookv_123’.

    Ahead of the much-anticipated Busan concert of the global sensation, the account shared a picture of guns followed by the warning statement for the ‘Filter’ singer. The person wrote, “When you go to the concert, I hope you hurt Jimin or his father.”

    https://twitter.com/lakenne3/status/1575831992117395456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1575831992117395456%7Ctwgr%5E4c792247ccfd437cd373b17ec9fa36ea146ef77e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Farynews.tv%2Fbts-star-jimin-receives-death-threats%2F

    “I promise I’ll kill him,” the statement read further, as the OP alleged Jimin to be an ‘obstacle’ between Jungkook and V.

    “Please kill him, I will try to shoot him. Tell all the Taekookers, I will kill him.”

    The screengrab of the story was shared on the micro-blogging site and the BTS ARMY on Twitter reacted to the ‘non-existing ship’, slamming the toxic shippers among the fandom.

    “It’s genuinely, genuinely, so so concerning that Jimin and his family are getting death threats on a public social media platform and being posted to their 7K followers audience that they will hurt him and his family all for what?? a non-existing ship they fantasise about,” read a tweet on the matter.

    Another BTS ARMY wrote, “This is crazy, and big hit is giving more importance to a rumor, I mean, ofc tae situation is bad, but here we’re talking about death threats not only towards a member but also his whole family.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the account which made the temporary post on Instagram, was taken down within hours.

    About the K-Pop sensation, the band will take the Busan stage on October 15, two days after the 26th birthday of Jimin.

  • 125 people die in football stadium stampede in Indonesia

    125 people die in football stadium stampede in Indonesia

    A football game in Indonesia turned deadly Saturday night as security personnel clashed with soccer fans, prompting a stampede and leaving 125 dead with dozens of others injured, officials and eyewitnesses said.

    Four people present at the game told The Washington Post that armed security officers in uniform discharged what seemed to be tear gas into the crowd randomly and directly, which caused panic. It was predicted that 42,000 people would attend the event.


    Frustrated supporters of the losing home team invaded the pitch in Malang in the province of East Java late on Saturday. To control the situation, police officers fired tear gas which triggered the stampede and led to suffocation.

    “I can still hear the voices of children calling for their mothers,” said Bima Andhika, 25, who escaped the stampede with his 14-year-old sister. His uncle and three of his neighbors are among the dead, he said.


    A police spokesperson said 323 people were injured, up from the initial count of 180.

  • ‘I fell victim to conspiracy’: Humayoun Ashraf exposes showbiz’s ‘use and throw’ culture

    ‘I fell victim to conspiracy’: Humayoun Ashraf exposes showbiz’s ‘use and throw’ culture

    Actor Humayoun Ashraf, who recently delivered the blockbuster soap Rang Mahal, appeared on Naumaan Ijaz’s show G Sarkar. The Inteqam star talked about the grey elements of the entertainment industry and shared how he got caught up in them.

    After a long break, Ashraf returned to the screens with Rang Mahal, as the antagonist. He stated that he was hesitant at first, but the serial went on to be a huge success.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIc-ifh0z1I

    Humayoun talked about his time in the entertainment business and said that everyone pulls each other’s legs.

    “I fell victim to the industry’s conspiracy. No one here is your friend, if someone is being nice to you there must be some reason behind it. They probably want a favor or to use you and when their purpose is over they abandon you.” he said.

    The host asked him why he had chosen to take on only negative roles, to which Ashraf replied, “I have mostly done positive roles but my negative roles are more popular with the audience”.

    The star has appeared in several hit drama serials, including Manjhdar, Haasil, Tere Bina, Saza-e-Ishq, Rang Mahal, Inteqam. He also won the Hum Award for Best Soap Actor in 2013 for his role in the serial Ishq Hamari Galiyon Mein.

    Humayun Ashraf