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  • Gautam Gambhir accuses THIS youngster of leaking dressing room chats

    Gautam Gambhir accuses THIS youngster of leaking dressing room chats

    Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly accused young player Sarfaraz Khan of leaking confidential information from the Indian dressing room during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

    Khan, who did not play any Test matches despite performing well in the previous home series against New Zealand, has been at the centre of the allegations after some internal team information was leaked.

    The accusation was brought up during a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) review meeting about the Australia tour in Mumbai.

    Gambhir reportedly blamed Khan for revealing details of a heated argument between the coaching staff and players after India’s big loss in the fourth Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The leaked information is said to have included a strong reprimand from Gambhir, who expressed frustration over the team’s lack of discipline and failure to follow game plans.

    Khan’s absence from the playing XI in the series, despite his impressive 150-run performance earlier, has fueled speculation about his relationship with the coaching staff.

    However, Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta pointed out that the meeting included the chairman of the selection committee, the head coach, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and other senior officials, questioning, “How can Sarfaraz Khan leak the conversation? They are making him a scapegoat.”

    On the other hand, Indian media said that Gambhir’s accusations could affect Khan’s career, especially since Gambhir is still in charge as head coach.

  • Son Ibrahim rushed Saif Ali Khan to hospital in rickshaw: report

    Son Ibrahim rushed Saif Ali Khan to hospital in rickshaw: report

    In an unexpected turn of events, Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan was hospitalised early Thursday morning after being stabbed six times by an intruder in his Mumbai home.

    His son, Ibrahim Ali Khan, stepped up in a life-or-death situation to get his father the help he urgently needed.

    As per reports, Khan suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack and bled heavily. In a moment of panic, Ibrahim realised that there was no car available to transport his injured father to the hospital. Showing a very smart presence of mind, he immediately hailed an auto rickshaw and got his father to Lilavati Hospital, just two kilometres from their Bandra house.

  • Pakistan’s future secured? $20 billion World Bank loan could change everything

    Pakistan’s future secured? $20 billion World Bank loan could change everything

    Business owners and citizens alike are delighted after the World Bank (WB) approved a 20-billion-dollar loan package for Pakistan. The aims of the WB for providing the loan package aligns closely with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s economic plan Uraan Pakistan.

    Experts are predicting that the loan package will significantly bolster the health of Pakistan’s economy and increase the standard of living. The loan package aims to eradicate gaps in education, improve access to healthcare facilities and protect vulnerable segments of Pakistani society from climate change risks.

    The terms of the loan are fairly advantageous to Pakistan as well. A staggering 14 billion dollars of the amount will be in the form of concessional loans. This means that the economy can significantly benefit from the lax terms of the loan if authorities can leverage the loan amount to build sustainable solutions to the issues that are currently plaguing the economy.

    The primary issue to be addressed is that of creating a financially sustainable energy sector. Currently, power producers and distributors are causing the economy to tank as they are heavily contributing to the rapid growth of circular debt.

    Najy Benhassine, WB’s country director for Pakistan, highlighted issues pertaining to the energy sector and the paramount importance of tackling said issues. If Pakistan can use the loan amount to set up an efficient system of power distribution, free from theft and defaulters, users of the national electricity grid may witness a drop in electricity bills.

    This spells great news for businesses, especially industrialists in the textile sector as they utilize a large amount of electricity. A drop in electricity costs will result in greater revenues for the textile sector – which accounts for 60 percent of Pakistan’s export revenues.

    The loan amount will also be allocated to educational and healthcare ventures. According to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the current literacy rate sits below 63 percent.

    This means that 37.7 percent of Pakistan’s population is illiterate which translates into a staggering 60 million people. This is enough to reveal the reality of the education gap Pakistan possesses when compared to the rest of the world.

    It does not help that the people who do receive formal education are more likely to leave the country in favor of foreign countries where wages are higher. This exacerbates the gap in education Pakistan has with the rest of the world.

    Having an educated workforce is known to have positive effects on both an individual’s financial outcomes and on the growth of the economy. According to ResearchGate, various studies have revealed that a 7-8 percent increase in earnings can be witnessed with an additional year of schooling.

    With the WB interested in improving educational outcomes, Pakistan may witness a growth in the national average income in the coming years. This could help the economy retain skilled workers for local businesses.

  • Faran Tahir joins Marvel’s Vision Quest as supervillain

    Faran Tahir joins Marvel’s Vision Quest as supervillain

    Pakistani- American actor Faran Tahir is taking on a thrilling role as a supervillain in Marvel’s upcoming web series Vision Quest. Faran Tahir’s latest role promises to bring a new level of excitement to the series.

    According to Deadline, the Umro Ayyar actor has been cast as the leader of the infamous Ten Ring gang in the much anticipated Disney + series. The show, which has been in production for some time, will feature well- known characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Tahir’s return as Raza, a role he first played in 2008’s Iron Man, is sure to add plenty of drama and action.

    As a supervillain, Raza will challenge the superhero protagonist, making him one of the most notorious and powerful figures in Vision Quest.

    While the release date for Vision Quest has yet to be confirmed, the series is expected to premiere by the end of this year. Faran Tahir, who has previously portrayed a mixed bag of roles in numerous Hollywood films and TV shows, is expanding his range with this exciting new role.

    Fans can expect intense moments as Tahir’s character takes center stage in the battle between good and evil.

    Earlier, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy had reportedly been roped in by Disney+ as one of the directors of the Ms Marvel series.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chinoy along with Meera Menon, Adil El Arbi, and Bilall Fallah have been assembled to bring the Pakistani-American superhero’s story to the screen. While Arbi and Fallah are the team behind this year’s Bad Boys for Life, Menon has worked on episodes of The Walking Dead, The Punisher, Titans, Dirty John, and Outlander.

    Marvel Studios’ first onscreen Muslim hero, Ms Marvel was introduced in 2014. Written by Bisha K. Ali and co-created by Marvel editor and director Sana Amanat, Ms Marvel is about Kamala Khan, a teen based in New Jersey who one day discovers that she has superpowers. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has said that in addition to appearing on the small screen, Kamala Khan will be included in future Marvel films.

    The studio is currently searching for an actor to play the hero, whose comics have explored her identity as a Pakistani-American living in a religious family while trying to find her own way.

    A celebrated documentarian, Sharmeen took home Oscars for 2015’s A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, which explored the aftermath of an attempted honour killing, and 2012’s Saving Face, which highlighted acid attacks on women in Pakistan. The Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker also won Emmys for both projects and has collected a total of six in her career.

    Meanwhile, Sharmeen’s team has said that the development has not yet been confirmed by Disney+.

  • Fuel price hike hits Pakistan: Global factors and domestic implications

    Fuel price hike hits Pakistan: Global factors and domestic implications

    Islamabad has raised fuel prices for the next fortnight, effective January 16, in light of global fluctuations in petroleum prices.

    According to a press release, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) increased the price of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) and Petrol by 2.61 and 3.47 rupees, respectively. This hike is much lower than earlier estimates, which predicted that fuel prices would rise by six to seven rupees.

    The price of petrol for the next fortnight is 256.13 rupees, while HSD’s price now rests at 260.95 rupees. This is not a result of an increase in petroleum levies as they have remained unchanged at 76 rupees per litre on both petrol and HSD.

    While the government does not charge its standard general sales tax of 18 percent on petroleum sales, there exists a flat 60 rupees per litre petroleum development levy. Furthermore, Islamabad also charges a customs duty of 16 rupees per litre on petrol and HSD.

    Customers have started growing weary of frequent price hikes as their spending power erodes with each hike. This is because a rise in the price of fuel has an inflationary impact on the economy. Since businesses also use fuel to transport their goods, they have to pass on the extra cost to consumers to protect their profit margins.

    However, since Pakistan is a net importer of Petroleum, there is little Islamabad can do to protect the economy from a potential rise in inflation with an increase in fuel prices. The hike in petrol prices can be partially attributed to United States President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to strangle Russia’s petroleum exports by sanctioning the country.

    According to Reuters, these sanctions have caused Russia to face higher costs on sea-borne oil exports. Experts claim that a fall in supply from the third-largest oil producer, Russia, is bound to result in an explosion of the commodity’s prices. The Russian oil industry currently makes up 12 percent of global crude oil production.

    Since Pakistan does not produce enough petroleum to become self-sustainable, the economy is often left at the whim of fluctuations in global oil prices. In the past five years, Brent prices have skyrocketed by approximately 37 percent to settle near $82. However, with Trump’s threat against Russia and other global factors, Brent prices have surged by about 6 percent in the last five days alone.

  • BCCI considering new batting coach for Gautam Gambhir’s team

    BCCI considering new batting coach for Gautam Gambhir’s team

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is thinking about hiring a new batting coach for head coach Gautam Gambhir’s team.

    The move comes after India’s disappointing batting performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, especially from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

    India lost to New Zealand 0-3 at home and to Australia 1-3. India only managed to score over 300 runs twice in 10 innings during their tour to Australia.

    The BCCI has started discussing potential candidates for the batting coach role, but nothing has been confirmed yet. They are considering former players from domestic cricket for the position.

    When Gautam Gambhir became the head coach, only T Dilip, the fielding coach, remained from Rahul Dravid’s coaching staff. The rest of the coaching staff includes Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan Ten Doeschate. Nayar, a former Mumbai player, is currently the batting coach, having worked with Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders.

    Both Rohit and Kohli have faced heavy criticism. Rohit failed to score more than 10 runs in his five innings during the BGT series, while Kohli was dismissed by deliveries outside the off-stump eight times in his nine innings against Australia.

    BCCI is seriously exploring the possibility of appointing Sitanshu Kotak, currently India A head coach, as the national team’s head coach.

    On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir’s position as the Indian cricket team’s head coach is under threat following a series of losses.

    Gambhir took over as head coach in July last year. Since then, the team has lost six out of 10 Test matches and a One Day International (ODI) series in Sri Lanka.

    The situation worsened after India was shockingly whitewashed by New Zealand in a home Test series and lost a Test series 1-3 against Australia. 

    These defeats have cast doubts not only about the future of star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but also about Gambhir’s role in the team.

    Indian media reported that Gambhir’s performance as head coach will be reviewed if India fails to perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Although his contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) runs until the 2027 World Cup, the recent poor performance could lead to further scrutiny of his role.

    Sources from BCCI revealed that Gambhir has not delivered significant results so far. 

    If India does not perform well in the Champions Trophy, his position will be closely examined, and a decision regarding his future could be made.

  • Did Bilawal Bhutto buy ticket to participate in Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony?

    Did Bilawal Bhutto buy ticket to participate in Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony?

    A day after news broke that Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was invited to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on January 20, allegations surfaced that he purchased a donation ticket.

    According to media reports, the PPP chairman will depart for Washington in the next few days to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Shiekh Waqas Akram, while sharing a post about Bilawal Bhutto’s invitation on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, stated that anyone can attend Trump’s inauguration by paying money.

    He wrote, “For your information, anyone can pay and go. They have lots of different packages, including dinners with congressmen and proposed cabinet members.”

    Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur spoke to reporters on Thursday, stating that the White House has not officially invited Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

    “They bought $25,000 donation tickets and are presenting it as if they were privately invited. They are deceiving the nation,” Gandapur said, taking a dig at the PPP Chairman.

    A social media user allegedly wrote that President Asif Ali Zardari used $1 million or more of Pakistani funds to purchase a ticket for Trump’s prestigious event for personal political gain.

    In a reply, another social media user questioned, “Bilawal & Mohsin Naqvi have purchased tickets for the inauguration? Not invited by Trump Team?”

    Secretary General of PTI, Salman Akram Raja, while speaking to reporters at Parliament House on Thursday, stated that 20 party leaders received invitations to Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

    “Twenty of our people have received invitations,” he said in response to whether only the Bhutto scion was invited to Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

    Raja sidestepped the question when asked to reveal the names of party leaders invited to Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

    When asked if Raja and party founder Imran Khan had received invitations, he claimed, “We are not going. However, our party leaders will attend the inauguration ceremony, Inshallah.”

    Major donors to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee are required to contribute twice as much to gain direct access to him and vice-president-elect JD Vance at private events surrounding the swearing-in ceremony, according to fundraising materials reported by The Guardian.

    To briefly interact with Trump and Vance, donors must contribute at least $1m to the committee – the highest-tier ticket package – a marked increase from the previous cycle, when the same access cost $500,000, The Guardian reported.

  • Geo’s Hansna Mana Hai smashes records with huge number of views

    Geo’s Hansna Mana Hai smashes records with huge number of views

    Geo News’ popular show Hansna Mana Hai, hosted by Tabish Hashmi, has set a new record by gaining over 4.5 billion views on digital media. 

    “Hansna Mana Hai” is a comedy talk show where celebrity guests are challenged to maintain a straight face while engaging in light-hearted conversations and humorous games.

    In 2024, Geo News also achieved an impressive 27,341 GRPs (Gross Rating Points) in a single year and reached 12 billion digital views.

    From its unique news delivery style to engaging morning shows, sports coverage, political analysis, and election broadcasts, Geo News has led the media industry. The channel provided extensive coverage of key events like parliamentary debates, street protests, economic updates, international elections, and global crises.

  • Geo News sets new records as Pakistan’s top news channel

    Geo News sets new records as Pakistan’s top news channel

    Geo News, Pakistan’s leading news channel, has made history once again in the media industry. 

    In 2024, the channel achieved the highest-ever GRPs (27,341) in a single year and amassed 12 billion digital views, solidifying its position as the country’s most-watched news network.

    From its distinctive news reporting style to unique morning shows, sports coverage, political analysis, election broadcasts, and international news, Geo News has consistently led the way. The channel has covered major events, including parliamentary debates, street protests, the economic situation, IMF loan updates, UK and US elections, and conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon.

  • Saif Ali Khan’s doctors share post-surgery update

    Saif Ali Khan’s doctors share post-surgery update

    Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan was hospitalized early on Thursday morning after being stabbed six times by an intruder in his Mumbai home.

    The Kal Ho Naa Ho actor was attacked around 2:30 am by a knife-wielding intruder who also injured a female member of his team. Both were taken to Lilavati Hospital.

    Saif Ali Khan’s team issued a statement regarding his health, confirming that he is stable. 

    “Saif Ali Khan has come out of surgery and is in recovery. We are monitoring his progress closely. We thank Dr. Niraj Uttamani, Dr. Nitin Dange, Dr. Leena Jain, and the hospital staff for their excellent care. We also appreciate the support from his fans and well-wishers during this challenging time,” the statement said.

    One of the doctors who treated Saif Ali Khan told the media that the actor is “completely stable now, recovering well and out of danger.”

     Mumbai police are actively investigating the burglary and assault. Senior office Gedem Dixit confirmed that Saif is out of danger, but the investigation continues. Multiple police teams are questioning Saif’s household staff and others who were present at the time of the incident.

    Fans continue to send their love and prayers as Saif recovers from the traumatic incident.

    Earlier, Indian media reports have claimed that Mumbai Police have detained four staff members from actor Saif Ali Khan’s residence following an intruder entering the house and stabbing the star. Officials are interrogating the staff to determine a  possible connection to the attack.

    Read more:Where did the intruder hide before attacking Saif Ali Khan

    Indian media has reported that the intruder entered Saif Ali Khan’s house around 2:30 am when the Love Aaj Kal actor and his family were asleep.

    The Bandra Police Station has registered an FIR and begun an investigation into the case. They are now examining evidence and questioning the staff to find out more about the intruder’s access to the house.

    Saif Ali Khan’s management issued a statement confirming the incident and said that the actor was receiving treatment at Lilavati Hospital. Saif’s condition is stable despite sustaining six stab wounds. Authorities have increased security measures at his residence for the safety of his family. The police continue with the investigation.

     Kareena Kapoor Khan has spoken out after her husband Saif Ali Khan was attacked during a burglary at their home in Bandra early Thursday morning.

    Mumbai police have confirmed to the media that the intruder entered Saif’s residence around 2:30 am where he got into a confrontation with the actor. Saif was taken to hospital around 3:30 am.

    Kareena, who was not at home during the attack, has assured fans that her family, including their children Jeh and Taimur, are safe.

    A statement from the actress reads: “There was an attempted burglary at Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan’s residence last night. Saif had an injury on his arm for which he is in hospital, undergoing a procedure. The rest of the family is doing fine. We request the media and fans to be patient and not speculate any further as the Police are already doing their due investigations. Thank you all for your concern.”