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  • Avatar: Fire and Ash crosses $1 billion at global box office

    Avatar: Fire and Ash crosses $1 billion at global box office

    James Cameron’s science fiction epic Avatar: Fire and Ash has crossed $1 billion in global box office receipts, becoming the director’s fourth film to reach that milestone.

    The film, which returns audiences to the visually stunning planet of Pandora, has earned $1.03 billion in worldwide ticket sales, Walt Disney Studios announced on Sunday.

    Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, said the franchise consistently draws audiences to theatres. He noted that the visually spectacular 3D films are “tailor-made” for the cinema experience.

    The original Avatar opened in 2009 and generated $2.9 billion in ticket sales worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie ever in absolute dollars, according to Comscore. 

    However, the 1939 classic Gone With the Wind still holds the record even if box office returns account for inflation and average ticket prices over the decades.

    Thirteen years later, Avatar: The Way of Water opened in 2022 and grossed more than $2.3 billion globally. The sequel won an Oscar for best achievement in visual effects.

    Disney released the latest instalment in time for the holiday season. The film has racked up $306 million in the US and Canada, and $777.1 million internationally, the studio reported.

    Cameron’s first billion-dollar blockbuster came with Titanic in 1997, which has earned nearly $2.3 billion worldwide.

  • Sajjad Mehdi, son of Ustad Mehdi Hassan, passes away

    Sajjad Mehdi, son of Ustad Mehdi Hassan, passes away

    Sajjad Mehdi, son of legendary ghazal singer Ustad Mehdi Hassan, has died after suffering a heart attack.

    According to reports, family members rushed Sajjad to hospital immediately after the cardiac arrest, but doctors could not save him despite medical intervention.

    The deceased served as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Police Department and earned recognition for his professional integrity and commitment to public service.

    His funeral prayers will take place today after Zuhr in Lahore. The family has requested prayers for the elevation of his soul.

    Ustad Mehdi Hassan ranks among the subcontinent’s greatest classical vocalists, a true giant among luminaries. .

  • ICC fines Naseem Shah for breaching code of conduct

    ICC fines Naseem Shah for breaching code of conduct

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah for violating the code of conduct during the International League T20 final.

    The ICC penalised the 22-year-old, who represents Desert Vipers in the tournament, 10 percent of his match fee after he committed a Level 1 breach of the disciplinary code.

    The incident occurred on Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium during the season four final between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates.

    Match officials found Naseem guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which prohibits using provocative or insulting behaviour, language or gestures towards a batter following their dismissal.

    The confrontation began when MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard defended a delivery from Naseem, and the ball travelled straight back to the bowler. 

    After collecting the ball, Naseem smiled at Pollard, prompting an aggressive response from the West Indian all-rounder. The exchange quickly escalated into a heated verbal altercation.

    Both players moved closer to each other during the dispute, with Pollard visibly angry while Naseem responded in kind. Umpires and Desert Vipers teammates intervened immediately to defuse the situation, though both cricketers remained visibly displeased.

    Despite the controversy, Desert Vipers claimed their first International League T20 title by defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs at the conclusion of the match.

  • No extension in Punjab winter vacations, schools to reopen on Jan 12

    No extension in Punjab winter vacations, schools to reopen on Jan 12

    Winter vacations in Punjab will not be extended beyond January 12 despite reports circulating on social media stating that cold weather might prompt an extension. 

    Addressing the speculation, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has said in a post on X that all schools and colleges across the province will reopen as scheduled on January 12, adding that there is no proposal under consideration to extend the winter break.

    Responding directly to online speculation, the minister said that the reports were “baseless and misleading” and urged the public to avoid sharing unverified information.

    He stated that there has been no change to the academic calendar,  instructing educational institutions to prepare for the resumption of classes on time.

    The clarification comes as cold weather continues across several parts of Punjab. According to the latest forecast, cold and dry conditions are expected to persist in most districts. Murree, Galiyat and nearby hilly areas may experience cloudy conditions, with light rain or snowfall possible during evening and night hours.

    While the Punjab government has rejected reports of extending winter vacations, developments related to private educational institutions have emerged from Sindh.

    The Grand Alliance of Private School Associations Sindh (GAPSAS) has announced a province-wide shutter-down strike for private schools and colleges on January 9. The decision was announced during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, where alliance leaders raised concerns over actions taken by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in relation to free admission verification.

    GAPSAS leaders said that following a Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench verdict issued on December 8, the Anti-Corruption department was assigned the task of verifying free admission lists submitted by regional directors. However, they alleged that the department has since started conducting direct inspections inside schools.

    The alliance stated that such inspections fall outside the legal framework of the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Act 2013, under which the Directorate of Private Institutions is designated as the regulatory authority. They said involvement by any other department is unlawful.

    GAPSAS leaders also said the inspection process has created pressure for school administrations and students. 

    They further said parents are being repeatedly questioned despite already submitting required information and written undertakings to authorities.

    Calling for government intervention, the alliance urged the Sindh chief minister and education minister to stop direct Anti-Corruption Department entries into schools. They announced that a fresh petition will be filed in the Sindh High Court seeking to halt the ongoing verification process.

  • Karachi court grants bail to Armaghan in call centre case

    Karachi court grants bail to Armaghan in call centre case

    A judicial magistrate in Karachi on Monday granted post-arrest bail to Armaghan Qureshi, the prime suspect in the Mustafa Amir murder case, in a matter linked to an illegal call centre and credit card data theft.


    On January 6, 2025, Mustafa Amir, 23, was kidnapped and murdered in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA), allegedly by his friends Armaghan and Sheraz. 


    According to the police, the victim’s body was thereafter put in his car’s trunk and set on fire in the Hub area of Balochistan.


    A final challan in the murder case was submitted against Armaghan in August 2025. In addition to several other cases, he was also named in a data theft case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on April 16, 2025.

    On Monday, Armaghan’s bail application was heard by Judicial Magistrate (South). Advocate Khurram Abbas, where his counsel said that the prosecution had not shown any incriminating evidence and that the investigation had already been completed last year.


    The defence maintained that there was no complainant or private witness against the suspect and no evidence linking him to the offence.


    After hearing arguments, the magistrate approved Armaghan’s bail plea against surety bonds of Rs100,000.

    Despite the relief, Armaghan will remain behind bars as he is still facing multiple other cases. 


    Apart from the murder charge, FIRs have also been registered against him over injuring police officials during a February shoot-out that led to his arrest, as well as cases related to the recovery of illegal imported weapons and money laundering.


    According to the FIA’s FIR, Armaghan was allegedly running an illegal call centre in DHA. The agency claimed the operation was involved in harassment, fraud, identity impersonation, cheating, spoofing, phishing and extortion.


    Reports quoted sources as saying that employees at the call centre were trained to pose as officials from international organisations to obtain sensitive information, including names, debit and credit card details and social security numbers.


    The FIA further alleged that illegal financial transactions were carried out on the instructions of Armaghan, who allegedly operated under the alias “Alex Boss”.


    Separately, in July 2025, the investigating officer of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) informed a judicial magistrate that Armaghan had rented two properties to establish call centres in Lahore and Islamabad following Amir’s murder.

  • Babar Azam is James Anderson’s favourite Pakistani cricketer

    Babar Azam is James Anderson’s favourite Pakistani cricketer

    England’s legendary fast bowler James Anderson has picked batsman Babar Azam as his favourite cricketer from Pakistan, surprising many by overlooking several former legends of the game.

    Anderson revealed his choice during a rapid-fire segment with a sports website, where he named his preferred players from different countries. 

    The 41-year-old, who recently retired as Test cricket’s most successful fast bowler with 704 wickets, also selected Shane Warne from Australia, Joe Root from England, Tim Southee from New Zealand, AB de Villiers from South Africa, and Virat Kohli from India.

    However, Anderson surprised many by choosing Babar Azam from Pakistan, overlooking several former legends like Younis Khan, Inzamam Ul Haq, Javed Minandad, Mohammad Yusuf and Saeed Anwar.

    Babar is currently represents Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, where he has scored 129 runs in five matches with two half-centuries. He maintains a strike rate of 117.27 and an average of 32.25 in the tournament.

    The Pakistani star has accumulated over 15,000 runs across all international formats. His 4,429 runs in T20 internationals make him the leading run-scorer in the format’s history.

    Pakistan now turns its attention to the T20 World Cup 2026, which takes place in India and Sri Lanka in February. 

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have reportedly submitted a preliminary 20-member squad to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that includes Babar, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan.

    Reports suggest former captain Mohammad Rizwan has been left out of the provisional squad, with head coach Mike Hesson favouring Usman Khan as wicketkeeper. 

    Shaheen earns a spot in the selection despite sustaining a knee injury, while Babar’s recent BBL performances have reportedly strengthened his case for inclusion.

  • Hania Aamir reacts to ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ OST playing at Bangladesh Premier League

    Hania Aamir reacts to ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ OST playing at Bangladesh Premier League

    Hania Aamir has reacted to her latest hit drama’s original soundtrack being played at a stadium in Bangladesh during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

    The actor shared her reaction on Instagram stories as a video from a BPL match showing thousands of fans singing and cheering to the ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ OST, went viral.

    “ilysm [I love you so much],” Hania wrote while reposting the clip.

    This isn’t the first time that said OST has gained praise across borders as Indian actor Shehnaaz Gill also recently joined the trend by posting a video of herself dancing to the track.

    “Obsessed,” Gill wrote.

    The OST for the drama came as Asim Azhar teamed up with Sabri Sisters, ending up dominating Spotify’s top Pakistani songs chart last month. 

    The hit drama under Musaddiq Malek’s direction features Hania Aamir and Bilal Abbas Khan in lead roles, supported by Alyy Khan, Adnan Jaffar and Meher Jaffar.

  • Man confesses to killing woman, three children in Mai Kolachi

    Man confesses to killing woman, three children in Mai Kolachi

    Police have reached a breakthrough in the murder of a woman and her three children found near the railway crossing gate on Mai Kolachi bypass, with the prime suspect’s confessional statement now on record.


    Mansoor Hussain, the primary suspect, was taken into custody from the Lyari area, officials stated on Sunday.

    Mansoor ruthlessly killed the woman and her three children in a video confession, according to Keamari district police chief Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Ahmed Sheikh.

    The suspect claims that on the day of the incident, he initially took the woman, Aneela, on a motorcycle to a remote location close to Mai Kolachi, where he killed her. 

    After that, he went back to Kharadar, took each child to the same spot, and killed them as well. 

    Additionally, Mansoor said that he had been in contact with Aneela for the past three years and claimed that she used black magic, amulet charms, taweez, and blackmail against him.

    Police further stated that the suspect had detailed knowledge of the remote Mai Kolachi area because he frequently went there with Aneela. 

    Investigations also revealed that he had recently rented a house for her using his identity card.

    SSP Amjad Ahmed Sheikh confirmed that the investigation is still going on, with legal proceedings being pursued based on the video confession and other evidence.


    The four bodies, initially found dumped in a manhole near Mai Kolachi Road railway crossing on Friday night, were identified as Aneela, her 13-year-old daughter Kishwar Zahra, and her sons, 15-year-old Hussain Ali and 10-year-old Konain Ali.

    The bodies were later identified by Aneela’s brother. The family, who lived in Kharadar, had gone missing on December 30.

    Police registered a murder case under Section 302/34 (which deals with murder (intentional killing) and its punishment (death, life imprisonment, or lesser sentence), while Section 34 PPC covers “Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention,” making all participants liable for the crime’s result, even if only one inflicted the fatal blow, with penalties aligned to the main offence) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown suspects, with the state as the complainant. 

    Acting Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) District Keamari, Mahzooz Ali, confirmed the identities of the deceased.

    Post-mortems were prompted by the horrific revelation. Dr. Summaiya Syed, a police surgeon, attested to the fact that samples from the bodies were submitted to a laboratory to determine the precise cause of death, including testing for intoxicants and potential sexual assault.

    The examinations revealed severe injuries: 15-year-old Hussain Ali had multiple head, face, and neck injuries; 10-year-old Konain Ali’s throat was slit; Kishwar suffered similar head and facial trauma; and Aneela had skull and facial injuries.

  • Oil falls as markets downplay impact of Venezuela crisis

    Oil falls as markets downplay impact of Venezuela crisis

    Oil prices dipped on Monday as ample global supply outweighed concerns over potential disruptions following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a bold weekend raid.

    Brent crude fell 50 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $60.26 a barrel by 0752 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate slipped 53 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $56.79 a barrel.


    Markets were volatile in early Asian trading as investors assessed the political turmoil in Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and its potential impact on oil production.


    President Donald Trump said Washington DC would take control of the country and confirmed that the U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil remained in place after Maduro was detained in New York on Sunday.

    Analysts, however, suggested that with global oil supplies abundant, any short-term disruption to Venezuela’s exports would have limited effect on prices.

    According to Kazuhiko Fuji, a consulting fellow at Japan’s Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has not been impacted by U.S. strikes. 

    “Even if Venezuelan exports are temporarily disrupted, over 80 percent are destined for China, which has built up ample reserves, and alternative sourcing is unlikely to strain the market,” Fuji said.


    Despite Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being detained, top officials in his government have called the arrests a kidnapping and remain in control, pledging loyalty to the president. 

    Analysts cautioned, however, that a regime change could suppress prices.


    Venezuelan production could climb by a few hundred thousand barrels per day by the end of 2026, but further gains would require significant investment, according to Raymond James analysts.

     UBS strategist Giovanni Staunovo added, “Any meaningful recovery in Venezuelan output is likely to take considerable time.”


    Trump indicated on Sunday that a second military strike on Venezuela was possible if remaining officials did not cooperate with U.S. efforts to “fix” the country.

    Helima Croft, head of commodities research at RBC Capital, said, “All bets are off in a chaotic change-of-power scenario like what we saw in Libya or Iraq.”

    The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, decided on Sunday to maintain their output. It announced that current production levels would remain unchanged.


    Trump also hinted at possible further U.S. interventions in Latin America, suggesting that Colombia and Mexico could face military action if they fail to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

    Analysts are also closely monitoring developments in Iran, another OPEC producer, after Trump warned of possible U.S. intervention in the country’s crackdown on protests, adding to broader geopolitical tensions.

  • PSX extends New Year rally with record high over 183,000 points

    PSX extends New Year rally with record high over 183,000 points

    The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged on Monday, extending its New Year rally as investors poured liquidity into asset-allocation flows amid easing macroeconomic signals.

    As per the details, the benchmark KSE-100 Index added nearly 9,000 points across the first three sessions of 2026, climbing to an intraday high of 183,964.37, gaining 4,929.44 points (2.75%) from Friday’s close of 179,034.93.

    The session’s low was 179,535.46, still up 500.53 points (0.28%) and the day’s peak marked a fresh all-time intraday high.

    “Overall positive start of the year is witnessed as investors pour in massive liquidity to target year asset allocation,” said independent analyst AAH Soomro, cautioning that the market may be “going too fast too soon”.

    Brokerage research flagged a constructive near-term setup. AKD Research projected sentiment would strengthen on expectations of foreign portfolio and direct investment inflows. Analysts suggested the KSE-100 could extend its uptrend towards 263,800 by December 2026, supported by easing monetary conditions, improving external accounts and reform momentum.

    The rally follows last week’s 6,634-point (3.8%) advance to a record 179,035, aided by a softer-than-expected December 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 5.6%, reinforcing expectations of further monetary easing.