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  • Souryakumar has no place in ODI team: Indian chief selector

    Souryakumar has no place in ODI team: Indian chief selector

    Indian cricket team chief selector Ajit Agarkar has clarified that India’s T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, is unsuitable for the ODI side.

    Former Indian pacer, in a press conference before India’s departure to Sri Lanka, said, “The fact is that Suryauumar’s name has not been discussed for the ODI squad as the team management is satisfied with Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Rishabh Bachchan in the middle order. We didn’t think about Suriya’s inclusion in the ODI squad then; Shreyas and KL Rahul are back; they did well in the ODI World Cup.”

    Ajit said, “Rishabh Pant is also in good form, so our middle order is quality; Surya is only a T20 player now.”

    India has appointed aggressive batsman Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20 captain instead of Rohit Sharma while ignoring Hardik Pandya.

    Suryakumar has played 37 ODIs for India, scoring 773 runs at an average of 25.76.

  • Pakistan women cricket team creates history in Asia Cup

    Pakistan women cricket team creates history in Asia Cup

    The Pakistan women’s cricket team has made history by becoming the first team to win a match by 10 wickets in T20 Women’s Asia Cups.

    Pakistan beat UAE by ten wickets today. Earlier, eight times, different teams had won by nine wickets.

    This is Pakistan’s second 10-wicket victory after Pakistan beat Ireland by 10 wickets 11 years ago.

    In addition, Gul Feroza and Muniba Ali became the first Pakistani duo to score two centuries in T20 Internationals.

  • Legalize porn in Pakistan to benefit the economy: Yasir Hussain

    Legalize porn in Pakistan to benefit the economy: Yasir Hussain

    Actor Yasir Hussain shared his thoughts on the topic of adult entertainment in Pakistan. During a discussion on the podcast, ‘Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt’Yasir Hussain was asked, “Should there be adult entertainment in Pakistan?”

    Yasir replied “There’s no need to promote adult entertainment. Those who want it will find it anyway. Pakistan ranks among the top countries for watching porn, often competing with Saudi Arabia for the top spot. It’s shameful, but true. Large surveys don’t lie, this is happening. So, why not legalise it and let the government and people make money from it? He firmly stated, “I don’t want to be a part of it, I don’t want to watch or promote adult content.”

    While talking about content, which Yasir likes to watch, he said, “I want to watch Punjab’s juggat (a form of comedy), I want to watch Amanullah, Sohail Ahmed, Iftikhar Thakur, Honey Albela, and Sahawat Naz’s content.”

    Yasir Hussain has worked in dramas like Badshah Begum, Baandi, and Baaghi. He also worked in films like Karachi Say Lahore, Taxali, and Rabbit.

  • Gold price drops by Rs500 per tola, silver rates remain stable

    Gold price drops by Rs500 per tola, silver rates remain stable

    Gold prices in Pakistan experienced a decline on Tuesday. The price of 24-karat gold fell to Rs250,500 per tola, a reduction of Rs500.

    According to the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price for 24-karat gold was reported at Rs214,763 per 10 grammes, down by Rs429. Similarly, the price of 22-karat gold decreased, now standing at Rs196,866 per 10 grammes.

    In contrast, silver prices remained stable in the local market. The price for 24-karat silver was unchanged at Rs2,920 per tola and Rs2,503 per 10 grammes.

    On the international front, spot gold prices held steady near $2,395 per ounce, showing little change from the previous trading session.

  • Sajal Aly to star opposite Prabhas in Bollywood?

    Sajal Aly to star opposite Prabhas in Bollywood?

    Famous actress Sajal Aly is reportedly making a comeback in Bollywood after a gap of seven years. The buzz is that the popular Pakistani actress could star alongside Indian superstar Prabhas in a new romantic period drama.


    The movie will be directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, known for making beautiful films like Sita Ramam. Fans are hoping to see Sajal Aly in a big new role with Prabhas.


    The director, Hanu Raghavapudi, said his new movie, ‘Fauji,’ will be a historical action drama. The story will be a special love story set during a war before India gained its independence. There are rumors that Prabhas might play a British soldier in the film. The team is thinking about casting an actress from Asia, and Sajal Aly is one of the names under consideration.

    The Pakistani talent bomb last started in Bollywood in 2017’s ‘Mom,’ where she played Sridevi’s daughter. Prabhas is doing well with his latest movie, ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ which is about a future world and inspired by Hindu stories.

  • If you wear lenses, this might be your biggest fear: Jasmin Bhasin’s worst eye-mare

    If you wear lenses, this might be your biggest fear: Jasmin Bhasin’s worst eye-mare

    Bollywood actress Jasmine Bhasin recently suffered an eye injury that has left her in significant pain.
    During an interview with ETimes, Jasmine talked about how her corneas were damaged after she wore contact lenses for an event in Delhi. 


    Talking about the incident, Jasmine Bhasin told ETimes, “I don’t know what was wrong with my lenses, but after I put them on, my eyes began to hurt, and the pain gradually worsened. I wanted to see a doctor immediately, but because I had a work commitment, I decided to attend the event first and then visit the doctor.”
    “I wore sunglasses at the event, and the team helped me manage things because, after a point, I couldn’t see anything.” Bhasin added.


    “It’s not easy because I can’t see, and I am struggling to even sleep due to the pain. Fortunately, I didn’t have to postpone any of my work. I hope to recover and get back to work in a few days.”
    Corneal injuries can result from a variety of sources. Some of the common reasons are abrasions, chemical injuries, problems with contact lenses, and ultraviolet injuries. 
     
    Jasmin’s upcoming film is Ardaas Sarbat De Bhalle Di along with Gippy Grewal.
    The film will release in September this year. Bhasin also made her Punjabi film debut with Gippy in the comedy film ‘Honeymoon’ in 2022.

  • Colombia president enacts law banning bullfighting

    Colombia president enacts law banning bullfighting

    In front of a crowd gathered at the bullring in the capital Bogota, renamed the Santamaria Cultural Square, Petro on Monday celebrated ending the “right to kill” animals for entertainment.

    “Culture, and even less the justice (system), cannot say that it is culture to kill sentient beings, living creatures, for pleasure,” said Petro, in reference to a 2018 Constitutional Court ruling permitting bullfights in places with such a tradition.

    “If we have fun by killing an animal, we will have fun by killing human beings,” Petro said, addressing the crowd which included animal rights activists.

    Spectators chanted “No more ‘ole’!”, a slogan used during the legislative process by supporters of the law, which was passed by congress in late May.

    Luana Delgado, an influencer and anti-bullfighting activist, underlined the importance of the ban being enacted at Bogota’s bullring.

    “A place where you saw blood, where you saw death, now you will see culture,” she said.

    The nationwide legislation paves the way for bullrings to be transformed into cultural spaces or sports venues.

    Jesus Merchan, an animal rights campaigner, said to applause: “Today, we put an end to a long history of suffering.”

    The new law will be enforced from 2027, allowing time to convert arenas and provide alternative jobs to those who rely directly or indirectly on bullfighting.

    Colombia joins other Latin American countries that have outlawed bullfighting, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala and Uruguay.

    Bullfights are still held in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, as well as in European nations France, Spain and Portugal.

  • Bhook hartaal! PTI leaders to stay hungry from 3pm to 7pm to protest Khan’s arrest

    Bhook hartaal! PTI leaders to stay hungry from 3pm to 7pm to protest Khan’s arrest

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders held a hunger strike outside the Parliament House on Tuesday, in symbolic opposition to founder PTI Imran Khan’s and party workers’ incarceration on Tuesday.

    The strike was led by PTI’s Secretary General Omar Ayub, along with PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and other senior members.

    The symbolic hunger strike is scheduled from 3 PM to 7 PM.

    Meanwhile, the Sunni Ittehad Council has also decided to establish a hunger strike camp in Punjab, following the PTI’s example in the federal capital, on July 24 outside the Punjab Assembly from 3 PM to 7 PM.

    Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Bachhar, said that the decision to initiate the hunger strike was taken under the directive of Imran Khan.

  • Social media mocks Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s version of events

    Social media mocks Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s version of events

    The internet does not believe controversial writer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar’s version of what happened that night. 

    Controversial drama writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s kidnapping provided plenty of fodder for internet speculation. To address the rumors and the theories online, Qamar joined the Police in a press conference in which he told his version of what happened to him. At one point he said that he went to meet the woman at 4:40 am because his doctor had advised him to avoid sunlight for five years. The statement led to plenty of mirth online.

    According to investigative journalist Umar Cheema, Qamar was held for random between July 15 and July 16.

    Late at night, Qamar gets a call from a female fan who tells him that she has come from London and wants to meet him now – to which Qamar agreed. The journalist concurred that he arrived on the given location at 4:40 am. Going there, he finds out that the woman has trapped him and other members of her gang were also there. The gang kidnapped, robbed, and assaulted the writer. Qamar allegedly claimed that they also set fire to the ground near his leg to scare him.

     He also added that he had no idea that the woman would be alone at home.

    Social media has been mocking the claim of five years of abstaining from sunlight.

    Here are some tweets:

  • IMF’s fiscal strategy for Pakistan criticised for overlooking debt restructuring

    IMF’s fiscal strategy for Pakistan criticised for overlooking debt restructuring

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s current fiscal strategy for Pakistan, which focuses on strict fiscal consolidation—entailing reduced spending and increased revenue—has come under significant scrutiny.

    Critics, including Murtaza Syed, a former deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and ex-IMF official, question the approach due to its lack of emphasis on debt restructuring.

    In his article “Debt Will Tear Us Apart (Again)”, Syed highlights the IMF’s omission of debt sustainability in recent discussions.

     Despite Pakistan securing a staff-level agreement with the IMF for the 24th time, this absence is surprising given the IMF’s near-declaration of Pakistan’s debt as unsustainable in May. Syed suggests that both Pakistan and the IMF might be shying away from a transparent evaluation of the debt burden.

    Syed warns that the current “extend and pretend” strategy could lead to severe repercussions. He argues that it will impose harsh austerity measures on a population already burdened by stagnant income, a historic cost of living crisis, and political instability.

    This approach may result in deeper losses for creditors and further damage the IMF’s reputation.

    The article provides stark figures illustrating Pakistan’s debt crisis. The country owes an average of $19 billion in principal repayments annually, which exceeds half of its export revenues.

    Additionally, Pakistan will require at least $6 billion per year to cover its current account deficit, bringing its total external financing needs to around $25 billion annually until 2029.

    Moreover, the government will need to allocate an average of 6.5 per cent of GDP for interest payments on existing debt over the next five years.

    Syed criticises the IMF’s optimistic forecasts for Pakistan’s economic variables, noting that previous predictions have often been unrealistic. He argues that fiscal consolidations, particularly in a weak global environment, tend to fail in making debt more sustainable.

    In his conclusion, Syed calls for a shift from harsh fiscal measures to a more balanced approach that includes debt restructuring, to reduce financial pressures and support economic development.