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  • Big blow to Lahore Qalandars, Haris Rauf out of PSL 9

    Big blow to Lahore Qalandars, Haris Rauf out of PSL 9

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) defending champions Lahore Qalandars have suffered a major setback. The team’s fast bowler Haris Rauf has been ruled out for this season, which was confirmed by the verified X (formerly Twitter) account of Lahore Qalandars.

    Haris Rauf suffered a shoulder injury while fielding in a match against Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium on January 24.

    According to the spokesperson of Lahore Qalandars, Haris Rauf’s shoulder is dislocated, it may take four to six weeks for him to be fully fit.

    Director Samin Rana’s Statement:

    Samin Rana says that Haris Rauf was an important member of our bowling attack, he will be missed, Haris has not suffered a major injury, he has broken a bone, he is an asset of Pakistan and does not want to take any risk.

  • Israel to discuss ‘next steps’ in Gaza truce talks

    Israel to discuss ‘next steps’ in Gaza truce talks

    Palestinian Territories – Israel sounded a positive note Saturday on efforts to broker a new hostage release and ceasefire deal in its war on Gaza, as concern deepened over the growing humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

    As aid agencies warned of unprecedented levels of desperation and looming famine, dozens more Gazans were killed in Israeli strikes, the health ministry said.

    An Israeli delegation led by Mossad intelligence agency chief David Barnea travelled to Paris for a fresh push towards a deal over a ceasefire.

    National security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel’s war cabinet would meet later Saturday to hear an update after the delegation returned from the talks with mediators.

    “There is probably room to move towards an agreement,” Hanegbi told N12 News television in an interview, without elaborating.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Saturday’s meeting would discuss the “next steps in the negotiations”.

    As with a previous week-long truce in November that saw more than 100 hostages freed, Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been spearheading efforts to secure a deal.

    White House envoy Brett McGurk held talks this week with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, after speaking to other mediators in Cairo who had met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.

    As civilians in the besieged territory struggled to get food and supplies, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned Gazans were “in extreme peril while the world watches”.

    In northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, bedraggled children held plastic containers and battered cooking pots for what little food was available.

    – ‘Unprecedented desperation’ –

    Food is running out, with aid agencies unable to get into the area because of the bombing, while the trucks that do try to get through face frenzied looting.

    Residents have taken to eating scavenged scraps of rotten corn, animal fodder unfit for human consumption and even leaves.

    The World Food Programme said this week its teams reported “unprecedented levels of desperation” while the United Nations warned that 2.2 million people were on the brink of famine.

    The health ministry said on Saturday that a two-month-old baby identified as Mahmud Fatuh had died of “malnutrition” in Gaza City.

    Save the Children said the risk of famine would continue to “increase as long as the government of Israel continues to impede the entry of aid into Gaza”.

    Israel has defended its track record on allowing aid into Gaza, saying that 13,000 trucks carrying relief supplies had entered the territory since the start of the war.

    With tempers rising dozens of people in the Jabalia camp on Friday held an impromptu protest.

    “We didn’t die from air strikes but we are dying from hunger,” read a sign held by one child.

    ‘Bring them back’

    Following October 7 attack, Hamas took hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 30 presumed dead, according to Israel.

    Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 29,606 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest tally from Gaza’s health ministry.

    Pressure has mounted on Netanyahu’s government to negotiate a ceasefire and secure the release of the hostages.

    A group representing their families held a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening to demand swifter action.

    “We keep telling you: bring them back to us! And no matter how,” said Avivit Yablonka, 45, whose sister Hanan was captured on October 7.

    Hamas said Saturday that Israeli forces launched more than 70 strikes on civilian homes in Gazan cities including Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis and Rafah over the previous 24 hours.

    The health ministry said at least 92 people were killed.

    More Rafah strikes

    An AFP reporter in Rafah said there had been at least six air strikes on the city on Saturday evening.

    At Najjar hospital in the city, AFP saw bodies carried from ambulances and placed in the courtyard of the hospital in body bags, while relatives grieved nearby.

    Inside the hospital, medics treated several wounded men who were laid out on the floor, one with his head wrapped in bandages.

    In Khan Yunis, which has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks, Israel’s military said it was “intensifying the operations” using tanks, close-range fire and aircraft.

    “The soldiers raided the residence of a senior military intelligence operative” in the area, a military statement said.

    With war still raging after more than four months, Netanyahu unveiled a plan for post-war Gaza this week which envisages civil affairs being run by Palestinian officials without links to Hamas.

    It also says Israel will continue with the establishment of a security buffer zone inside Gaza along the territory’s border.

    The plan has been rejected by both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

    Israel’s key ally the United States said it did not support a “reoccupation” or a “reduction of the size of Gaza”, and said “Palestinian people should have a voice and a vote… through a revitalised Palestinian Authority”.

    burs-rox/kir

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Gaza needs food to be airdropped to prevent starvation

    Gaza needs food to be airdropped to prevent starvation

    The people in Gaza who have managed to escape death by Israeli strikes in a war that has been forced on them are now dying of hunger and starvation. Videos of bread made out of animal feed and kids collecting flour accidently spilled on the ground are making rounds on social media leading to the drive for the ceasefire taking momentum. As recently as February 20, the UN Food Agency put a pause on its deliveries in the North of Gaza until the conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions.

    Families in Gaza are forced to forage for scraps of food left by rats and eating leaves out of desperation to survive with nearly five months of war and rapidly declining aid supplies leaving all 1.1 million children in Gaza facing starvation, Save the Children said. 


    Hind Khoudary, the Palestinian Journalist in Gaza reporting from the ground, took to her Instagram to plead to the world to airdrop food in Gaza as people have started eating leaves and are making bread out of animal feed. “People are eating leaves and animal food. “I am calling the world and all the countries to Airdrop food to Gaza,” she said in an Instagram story.

    Ali Jadallah, a photojournalist from Gaza, shared how her mother, a dialysis patient, is suffering because of the food and health crisis in Gaza. Finding food in Gaza is the most difficult thing nowadays.

    Journalist Anas Ajmal reported how he has been searching for a meal but could not find one in days.


    “Gaza has become a place of death and despair,” stated the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths.

    Videos of hundreds of desperate and hungry Gazans heckling the UNRWA aid truck emerged from the besieged strip. Many reports from Gaza have already been warning the global authorities of impending famine and loss of lives due to hunger.


    Back in December, Human Rights Watch had accused the Israeli government of intentionally starving civilians in Gaza as part of its offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory. “The Israeli government is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip, which is a war crime,” the New York-based group charged in a report.


    Additionally, The Times posted a report about the famine-stricken conditions of the people of Gaza where a mother revealed how her breasts no longer produce milk because of long periods of starvation and how her children are suffering immensely. Explaining the food crisis the article explained how Gazans are forced to eat rotten food and hunt cats to fulfill their needs as famine hits Gaza.


    More than a million people are displaced in Gaza but none is safe from hunger. It is rampant in Gaza, it is in the wasteland of al-Mawasi encampment in Gaza where handfuls of dirty flour are kneaded by mothers to make bread for their children.

    It is in the fires, stoked with plastic bottles, which produce nothing but choking black smoke. Children in Gaza no longer play but lie around, exhausted by hunger. It is in food that is rotten and makes you sick but is eaten just the same. Bissan shared in one of her videos how people have been having the only bread they have with the salt.


    The last nail in the coffin has duly been the suspension of the aid program of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides services including schooling, primary healthcare, and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It is important to note that since the onset of the war on Gaza, Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have accused it of fuelling anti-Israeli incitement – allegations it denies. UNRWA says it has provided aid to desperate people in Gaza and used its facilities to shelter those fleeing Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, the situation is getting worse with time.


    Time recently shared in an article, the hurdles around the idea of food airdrops in Gaza. “Some experts warn that humanitarian airdrops are not as simple as they sound. Aside from the cost of conducting them (up to seven times more than land transport, according to the U.N.’s World Food Programme), airdrops tend to be less efficient and more hazardous than other methods of providing humanitarian relief,” the article read.


    The biggest hurdle in Gaza’s case is the lack of safety in terms of the ongoing airstrikes of Israel and the damage it has done to the land of Gaza. Michel Schaffner, the head of air operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, told TIME in an email that for this operation the specified land needs to be secure, large, and clean enough to be free of obstacles and people. “Once the cargo is on the ground, there need to be arrangements in place as regards who will collect it, where it will be stored, and how it will be distributed. … We do not do airdrops without these measures in place,” Time quotes him.


    Even though Israeli aggression is again the biggest opposing factor in this proposed solution, it is important to note that it is not a permanent solution to this problem, a ceasefire is.

    An Arabic saying implies that if someone dies of hunger, the neighbour should be charged with murder yet the whole world is watching a huge population dying of hunger and there is no action regarding that.

  • PSL 9: Karachi Kings defeats Lahore Qalandars by two wicket in a close encounter

    PSL 9: Karachi Kings defeats Lahore Qalandars by two wicket in a close encounter

    In the 10th match of HBL Pakistan Super League 9, Karachi Kings defeats Lahore Qalandars by two wickets in a close encounter.

    Karachi King’s captain Shan Masood won the toss and invited Lahore Qalandars to bat.

    Lahore Qalandar’s inning

    Lahore opener Sahibzada Farhan played an unbeaten innings of 72 runs off 45 balls, Sahibzada Farhan’s innings included 4 sixes and 4 fours. Apart from them, George Landa remained unbeaten with 26 runs, Reci van der Dawson also scored 26 runs. Shai Hope scored 21 runs and Jahandad Khan scored 12 runs.

    Mir Hamzah, Hasan Ali and Tabriz Shamsi took 2 wickets each for Karachi Kings. Lahore Qalandars scored 175 runs for 6 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

    Karachi King’s inning

    Chasing the target of 176, Karachi Kings lost early two wicket on the total of 44 runs, but Kerion Pollard and Shoaib Malik made a partnership of 95 runs. Pollard scored 53 runs while Shoaib Malik scored 39 runs.

    In the last over Karachi needed 11 runs and Hassan ali hit a six on first ball of the last over and Karachi Kings mange to win the match on the last ball of the 20th over.

    From Lahore, Zaman Khan and Ahsan Hafeez took two wickets each.

  • FIA grills Asad Toor for hours in probe into anti-judiciary campaign

    FIA grills Asad Toor for hours in probe into anti-judiciary campaign

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) interrogated vlogger Asad Ali Toor for hours about a social media campaign that criticized the superior judiciary. This happened after the Supreme Court (SC) made a decision regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ‘bat’ symbol, as reported by The News on Saturday.
    A five-member joint investigation team (JIT) of the FIA has been conducting an inquiry to ascertain the facts behind an ongoing “malicious” campaign against the honourable judges of the apex court.

    JIT sources said on Friday that two bloggers, Asad Ali Toor and Imran Riaz, were found to be trolling judges of the top court, particularly Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.


    “Asad Toor was rounded up for investigation on Friday and his statement was recorded about his motives behind the malicious campaign against the judges,” the sources said, adding that the journalist remained with the JIT at the FIA (Cybercrime Wing), along with his counsel and human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir.


    Imaan Mazari posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, saying that Toor and his legal team left the FIA Friday evening after his detention the same morning at 10:50am.

  • Know all about the lunch menu for members of Sindh Assembly

    Know all about the lunch menu for members of Sindh Assembly

    Newly elected members of the Sindh Assembly took oath today (Saturday) with a lavish lunch, reports Geo.


    The dishes include fish, chicken boti, BBQ, puri paratha, chicken korma, roghani naan, tea, and cold drinks.


    Apart from this, Kehwa was served to the members after the meal.

    @timesofkarachi Various dishes have been prepared for the food and drink of the newly elected members of the Sindh Assembly. Fish, chicken korma for lunch. Mutton Kadhi. Naan and cold drinks are included in the menu. Coffee, tea, coffee will also be served after the meal. #TOKAlert #SindhAssembly #Karachi ♬ original sound – Times of Karachi


    However, the session started with a delay of 40 minutes under the chairmanship of Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by Naat and an oath-taking ceremony.


    Agha Siraj Durrani administered oath to the newly elected members of the Sindh Assembly. Among those who took the oath were the nominated Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Faryal Talpur, Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Hussain Shah, and others. Members of the Sindh Assembly took oath in Urdu, English, and Sindhi.


    Out of 168 members of the Sindh Assembly, 114 belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party while 36 members belong to MQM-Pakistan.

  • Kiran Rao did something unusual when she divorced Aamir Khan

    Kiran Rao did something unusual when she divorced Aamir Khan

    Even though they got divorced, Aamir Khan is often seen in public with his ex-wife, Kiran Rao. Kiran was a big part of their daughter Ira Khan’s wedding. Recently, Kiran talked about her divorce with Aamir Khan for the first time.

    “Marriage can be tough for anyone,” said Kiran Rao, “We’ve had our disagreements, but we’ve never had big fights. It’s strange, but Aamir and I never really fought.” Kiran also mentioned that Aamir Khan Productions supported her latest film.

    From Kiran’s words, it’s clear that she still lives in the same building as the famous actor. Speaking to India TV, Kiran said that explaining things to the family was tough because society didn’t understand, and their opinions couldn’t be changed.

    Kiran explained that divorce is seen as a bad thing in society, but their situation was different. People usually think divorce means completely separating, but for them, it’s a different kind of divorce. It might take some time for society to understand and accept it.

  • Rambo got scared by one thing before he married Sahiba

    Rambo got scared by one thing before he married Sahiba

    Rambo and Sahiba are one of Lollywood’s power couples. The two have been married since decades, entertaining us throughout their marriage. And even though the two have always appeared happily in love, Jan Rambo developed cold feet just before the wedding.

    In a recent interview, he revealed that Sahiba was so humble that she didn’t even wear her own shoes on set. He admitted feeling scared about their future together at first, but Rambo noted, “Sahiba changed a lot over time.”

    Rambo confessed, “Sahiba helped me become a better person, steering me away from past mistakes.”
    Rambo shared that Sahiba’s early movies weren’t doing well, so she was searching for a good co-star. “As we spent more time together for work, I got to know her better, especially admiring her respectful behavior towards women.”


    He confessed he first saw Sahiba’s picture in a newspaper interview and immediately fell in love with her. Convincing Sahiba’s mother, former superstar Nisho, took six years. They agreed after four years, with the condition to work for two more years before tying the knot.


    Rambo admitted his initial worries about whether Sahiba could adjust to his family’s lifestyle, given her celebrity background. He recalled, “Sahiba used to come to the set before our marriage, accompanied by her manager, a security guard, a driver, and a female servant who helped her with her shoes.”


    However, Rambo’s fears vanished after seeing Sahiba adapt after marriage. He praised Sahiba’s mother for raising her daughters well despite her own fame in the entertainment industry.


    Rambo concluded by saying, “My family now admires Sahiba, considering her a wonderful wife, and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

  • Labourer’s stunning transformation at Kashees goes viral on social media

    Labourer’s stunning transformation at Kashees goes viral on social media

    Kashif, a stylist at Kashees Salon, works wonders by transforming laborers into stunning models, giving them a whole new look that boosts their confidence and reveals their inner beauty.
    Each makeover shows Kashif’s commitment to celebrating diversity and challenging stereotypes about beauty. His work reminds us that everyone has their own kind of beauty, waiting to be discovered.
    With every transformation, Kashif not only changes their appearance but also inspires others to feel good about themselves. Through his skills, Kashif spreads positivity and empowerment, making the world a more beautiful place, one makeover at a time.

  • Cricketers participating in PSL 9 get payments

    Cricketers participating in PSL 9 get payments

    Cricketers participating in the ninth season of Pakistan Super League (PSL) have received payments with most getting 70 percent of the amount under the contract. PSL is one of the few leagues in the world where the players don’t have to worry about payments.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially created a system where the players are paid instead of the franchises, and the calculations are done later.

    This time too, 70 percent payments have been paid to the cricketers. According to the agreement, the rest of the money will be paid after the league is over, while most of the players have been paid a daily allowance of 50 dollars, the dollar rate has been fixed at 281, so each player is getting 14 thousand rupees per day, and the amount of the subsequent matches will also be paid when the teams of the playoff stage are decided.