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  • Trump imposes 25 percent tariff on countries doing business with Iran

    Trump imposes 25 percent tariff on countries doing business with Iran

    US President Donald Trump has announced that countries conducting business with Iran will face a 25 percent tariff on their trade with the United States. The tariffs, he said, would be applied “effective immediately” on “any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

    The announcement came a day after Trump said he was considering military operations in Iran. He warned that the Islamic republic was starting to cross his threshold for intervention amid nationwide protests. 

    Activist groups estimate that hundreds of people have been killed and thousands detained since late December. Reports of casualties have been difficult to verify due to internet restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities.

    Trump has said his administration is exploring a range of options, including military measures. Sources familiar with national security planning confirmed that air power will be involved, but strategists are also thinking about ways to interfere with Iranian communications and command systems.

    Trump added that the military “is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” while claiming that Iranian leaders have called him to negotiate.

    Iranian officials have expressed a willingness to engage in talks with the US, though the government also remains prepared for military confrontation.

    Data from Trade Data Monitor shows that more than 100 countries had trade ties with Iran in the first half of 2025. While many commercial connections have been limited by existing US sanctions, the new tariffs could affect a range of nations. 

    Among Iran’s largest trading partners are China, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. The White House has not released further details about the scope or enforcement of the tariffs.

    The announcement adds pressure on Iran, which is facing significant economic challenges. The Iranian currency has declined sharply, inflation has increased, and food prices have risen. Food accounts for roughly one-third of Iran’s imports, and restrictions resulting from the tariffs could worsen shortages and costs.

    Trump emphasized the finality of his decision on the tariffs, stating, “This order is final and conclusive.” The move could affect major economies trading with Iran and adds another layer of pressure on the country as the government continues to respond to widespread unrest.

  • Ahsan Khan, Urwa Hocane to reunite for fourth TV project

    Ahsan Khan, Urwa Hocane to reunite for fourth TV project

    Actors Ahsan Khan and Urwa Hocane are set to share the screen once again in an upcoming television project, marking this venture their fourth collaboration.


    The pair has previously worked together in Udaari, Marasim and Meri Ladli, all of which received strong audience support. 


    The upcoming drama will also feature Sania Saeed in a key role. It is being directed by Saife Hassan, whose previous projects include Sang-e-Mah, Ehd-e-Wafa, Zard Patton Ka Bunn and Tan Man Neelo Neel. 


    The serial has been written by Umera Ahmed.


    The project is being jointly produced by Nina Kashif who works as a producer in the Pakistani films and drama industry and Momina Duraid. 


    Kashif has earlier produced several critically acclaimed dramas, including Hum Kaha K Sachay Thay, Baaghi, and iconic Humsafar.


    Fans are eagerly waiting to learn more about the storyline and the characters each actor will bring to life, as anticipation builds for what is expected to be another notable addition to Pakistani television.

  • Alizeh Shah issues final warning to Yasir Nawaz, threatens defamation suit

    Alizeh Shah issues final warning to Yasir Nawaz, threatens defamation suit

    Actor Alizeh Shah has publicly warned director Yasir Nawaz against repeatedly mentioning her name on television and during interviews, threatening to file a defamation lawsuit if the actor-director continues this practice.

    In a statement on Instagram, Shah said that despite the passage of five years since they last worked together, Nawaz continued to mention her in interviews and talk shows.

    “This is my final warning to Yasir Nawaz to refrain from taking my name on any platform. It has been five years since I worked on a project with him, yet he continues to mention my name on nearly every talk show he appears on [sic],” she wrote.

    Shah and Nawaz worked together on the 2020 drama serial Mera Dil Mera Dushman. In a 2021 interview, Nawaz said acting disturbed him and he regretted the experience, calling it “bad”.

    His wife, Nida Yasir, later stated that Nawaz had difficulty working with Shah and claimed there wasn’t enough chemistry between them.

    Nawaz later expressed regret in a May 2022 interview, saying he was still upset about naming Shah. However, Shah claimed the mentions have continued over the years.

    She claimed that Nawaz’s comments about her have been inconsistent and damaging. “At times, he offers an apology, and at other times, he claims that the experience was ‘not fun’. Regardless, this does not give him the right to repeatedly drag my name for the past five years.”

    The actress revealed that she has kept records of every show in which she believes she was defamed.

    “I have documented reports and records of every show in which he has defamed me,” she said, making it clear that her warning should be taken seriously.

    “If he mentions my name again or refers to me in any capacity on any future platform, I will proceed with filing a defamation lawsuit against him without further notice.”

    She went on to add that if the behaviour continued, she would disclose to the industry the real reasons behind their strained working relationship. “Trust me, it will not reflect well on your image,” she cautioned.

    It may be noted that Shah has in recent months made headlines for being vocal against exploitative practices and toxic environment within the entertainment industry.

    In a series of video confessions in July 2025, she opened up about years of harassment, exploitation and what she described as a toxic, patriarchal culture that repeatedly tried to silence her.

    She emphasised the importance of consent, stating, “I don’t allow anyone to touch me if it’s not a part of the scene.”

    She revealed that when she set personal boundaries, such as calling out unhygienic practices or requesting a separate makeup room as a smoker, she was labelled “difficult” and “unprofessional” by seniors and producers.

    Shah also exposed the industry’s harassment and closed-door rituals, admitting they had left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  • Xabi Alonso leaves Real Madrid after just seven months as manager

    Xabi Alonso leaves Real Madrid after just seven months as manager

    Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso have parted ways after only seven months, with Alvaro Arbeloa replacing him.

    The club announced the decision just one day after Real lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.

    Arbeloa, who has coached Real Madrid’s B team since June 2025 and spent the previous six years working with the academy, takes over immediately.

    Alonso departs despite having the best win percentage of any Real Madrid head coach in the last decade at 71 percent. However, Real currently sit second in LaLiga, four points behind leaders Barcelona at the midway point of the season.

    The club also occupies seventh place in the Champions League table, having won four of their six matches and lost the other two.

    A Real Madrid statement announced the club had parted ways with Alonso, who also enjoyed a stellar playing career at the Bernabeu, via “mutual agreement.”

    The statement said, “Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

    Real hired Alonso last summer as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement after he guided Bayer Leverkusen to an unexpected German league and cup double in 2024.

    Liverpool had previously linked Alonso to their managerial position when Jurgen Klopp announced his departure from Anfield in 2024, but the Spaniard opted to stay at Leverkusen for another season before moving to Madrid.

    Arbeloa brings a strong track record from within the Real Madrid system. The 42-year-old previously coached the club’s academy, particularly excelling with the Juvenil A side, the Under-19s squad.

    In the 2022-23 season, Arbeloa guided the Juvenil team to a treble, winning their league, Copa del Rey tournament and the Champions Cup title. He added another league title with the team last season before his promotion to Castilla.

    Arbeloa and Alonso share a unique connection as former teammates at Real Madrid, Liverpool and the Spain national team.

  • Six-year-old madrassa student dies weeks after teacher allegedly cracks his skull with a stick

    Six-year-old madrassa student dies weeks after teacher allegedly cracks his skull with a stick

    A boy who had sustained critical injuries after an alleged assault by a madrassa teacher in Karachi’s Aziz Brohi Goth locality of Manghopir has died, police said on Monday. The incident took place on November 30 last year.


    Police initially registered a case related to the injuries and took the suspect teacher into custody. He was later released on bail. After the child’s death, police have said that the FIR (First Information Report) would be revised to include murder and other relevant legal sections.


    Manghopir SHO (Station House Officer) Khushnawaz said the incident occurred on November 30, when six-year-old Hassan was allegedly assaulted by his madrassa teacher Qari Allah Bachayo. A case was lodged on the complaint of the child’s family, after which the Qari was arrested but subsequently secured bail.

    The child remained hospitalised after the incident and was undergoing treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he died on Sunday. The SHO said Section 302 (murder), along with other applicable sections, would be incorporated into the FIR and that efforts were underway to re-arrest the suspect.

    Hassan’s father Habibur Rehman has said that his son was studying at a madrassa in Aziz Brohi Goth when the teacher hit him on the head with a stick, resulting in a skull fracture. “We first took him to a nearby clinic, where X-rays revealed a crack in his skull. He was then shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and later referred to Jinnah Hospital’s children ward,” he said.


    He said the accused teacher remained out on bail and sought justice. “My son would scream in pain during treatment. After his burial, we will pursue further legal action,” he added.

    The victim’s uncle said the teacher had tried to justify the assault by claiming the child was being mischievous. “Children do mischief, but that does not mean you break a child’s skull with a stick. What kind of justice is this?” he asked, demanding strict punishment for the teacher to prevent similar incidents.

  • Apple, Google sign multi-year deal to power Siri with Gemini

    Apple, Google sign multi-year deal to power Siri with Gemini

    Apple and Google have announced a multi-year partnership under which Apple’s next generation of artificial intelligence features, including the Siri assistant, will be powered by Google’s Gemini technology.

    The firms claimed in a joint statement on Monday that Apple chose Google’s AI because it provided “the most capable foundation” for Apple’s AI initiatives, according to a review process. Since Apple has traditionally depended on internal development for its fundamental technology, this alliance represents a shift in the company’s strategy. 

    The deal unites two companies that directly compete in the worldwide smartphone market using Google’s Android operating system and Apple’s iOS. Despite the rivalry, the firms have maintained an existing commercial relationship, with Google paying Apple billions of dollars each year to remain the default search engine on Apple devices.

    Financial terms of the Gemini partnership were not disclosed.

    The companies said in their statement that “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards”.

    Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities described the partnership as “a major validation moment for Google” and said it would serve as “a stepping stone” for Apple as it works on its artificial intelligence roadmap into 2026 and beyond.

    Apple reportedly explored other potential partnerships before selecting Google, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity.

    The collaboration follows a period of internal changes at Apple related to artificial intelligence development. The company delayed the release of an upgraded version of Siri last year and announced last month that the head of its artificial intelligence team would step down. Apple has since said the updated Siri assistant is expected later this year.

    Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and other companies have continued to release new AI models and features as competition in the sector increases.

    According to the joint announcement, Google’s Gemini models will support a more context-aware version of Siri, aimed at handling natural language requests and generating direct responses through Gemini rather than redirecting users to web searches.

  • Ali Tareen will give fully paid Oxford scholarships to south Punjab students

    Ali Tareen will give fully paid Oxford scholarships to south Punjab students

    Ali Tareen, the former owner of Multan Sultans, has launched the Tareen Oxford Scholarship to support talented students from South Punjab who gain admission to the prestigious University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. 

    The Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) will administer the scholarship, which targets deserving Pakistani students who secure admission to eligible graduate courses at Kellogg College but lack the financial resources to accept their offers.

    The scholarship will cover tuition fees and living costs. It joins OPP’s graduate scholarship programme, which awards at least three graduate scholarships annually to talented Pakistani and British Pakistani students.

    Tareen, who completed his MBA at Oxford in 2018, has committed to a five-year programme to be awarded on a rolling basis each year.

    “As you know, I have had the privilege of attending Oxford University for my Masters. I did my MBA there in 2018 and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had,” Tareen said in a social media announcement. “The connections I made there, the things I learned, the time I spent there enriched my life to no end,” he added.

    He added that his experience at Kellogg College proved life-changing, which motivated him to give back to students from his region.

    The programme prioritises students from South Punjab who demonstrate strong potential and commitment to contributing to the region’s development after their studies.

    The Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), Kellogg College, and Oxford University departments will advertise the scholarship widely across the university to increase representation of South Punjab students at Oxford.

    To support potential applicants, OPP and Tareen will run a special access programme for South Punjab students. This includes an access conference for final-year students applying for MSc and PhD programmes abroad. The top 20 participants will receive free one-on-one mentorship.

    Another initiative will select 100 top-performing FSc and first-year public sector university students from South Punjab. These students will receive career guidance, long-term mentoring, and support to help them aim for global academic excellence.

    The scholarship addresses a significant gap in educational access. 

    Each year, around 30 Pakistani students receive graduate offers from Oxford but cannot accept them due to funding issues. Many more never apply for the same reason. 

    Tareen also expressed concern about low application rates from South Punjab. “The only issue that we’re finding is not enough people from South Punjab are applying to Oxford for their masters. This is something we really want to change,” he said.

    He announced a webinar to be organised on January 14, with OPP to answer questions about the application process, available subjects, and admission options. 

    “I’ll be there myself to encourage everyone,” Tareen said. “Please, I encourage all of you to decide that you want to do your master’s, apply to Oxford, and inshallah if you get in, we will support you in this journey. Trust me, it is a life-changing opportunity.”

  • Pakistan rejects claims of hosting US aircraft for Iran strikes

    Pakistan rejects claims of hosting US aircraft for Iran strikes

    The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday dismissed reports circulating online that Pakistan is allowing its territory to be used by the United States of America for a potential military strike against Iran, calling the claims baseless and misleading.


    In a post shared through its official fact-check account on X, the ministry said that the allegations were being pushed by social media accounts linked to Afghanistan and India, naming Khurasan Media Urdu, Baba Banaras and Afghan Defense as primary sources of the disinfo. 


    According to the ministry, one of the posts alleged that US military aircraft had arrived in Pakistan to prepare for strikes on Iran and cited what it described as “unusual” flight activity of US refuelling and surveillance aircraft near Iranian airspace. 


    Similar claims were echoed by other accounts, including assertions that US reconnaissance and cargo planes carrying weapons had landed at airbases in Dalbandin and Pasni.


    Rejecting the narrative, the ministry said there was no credible evidence to support claims that Pakistan was hosting US aerial refuelling or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, or that aircraft were conducting operational flights from Pakistan towards Iran.


    While acknowledging reports of increased US refuelling aircraft activity, the ministry clarified that these movements were linked to deployments in Europe rather than Pakistan. 


    It cited international media reports from June 2025, including Reuters and The Washington Post, which stated that Pentagon had repositioned refuelling aircraft to European bases amid rising tensions in the Middle East.


    “No reliable source confirms that US KC-135R or ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) aircraft are operating from Pakistan,” the ministry said.

    It recalled that Pakistan had “publicly condemned US strikes on Iran”, apparently a reference to Islamabad’s stance during the 2025 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which the US also carried out strikes in Iran.


    “This clearly denied the ‘Pakistan is facilitating strikes’ story,” the information ministry said. “This is a reckless, blame-pushing narrative that tries to drag Pakistan into a US-Iran conflict without any verifiable evidence.” 

    The claims have emerged as relations between Washington DC and Tehran remain strained amid ongoing protests in Iran. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible action against Tehran over its response to the unrest, prompting strong reactions from Iranian officials.


    On Sunday, Iran warned that it would retaliate against US military bases and Israel if attacked, while Trump said he was considering multiple options, including military measures, even as he claimed Tehran had reached out to discuss negotiations.


    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said Tehran was not seeking war but is fully prepared for it.


    “We are also ready for negotiations, but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect. “he added.

  • ‘He’s the worst human being’: Mark Ruffalo slams Donald Trump

    ‘He’s the worst human being’: Mark Ruffalo slams Donald Trump

    Hollywood celebrities turned the Golden Globes red carpet into a platform for protest on Sunday, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Goode by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. 

    Mark Ruffalo, Marvel star and Hollywood veteran, delivered some of the evening’s harshest criticism of President Donald Trump.

    An ICE agent shot and killed Goode, a 37-year-old American mother and writer, on January 7 during a large-scale federal immigration operation in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. 

    The incident occurred after Goode had dropped her youngest child off at school. Approximately 2,000 agents participated in the operation.

    Ruffalo and fellow actor Wanda Sykes wore pins reading “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” on the red carpet, joining other celebrities in condemning the shooting.

    Speaking to an American media outlet, Ruffalo did not mince words about the incident and the president.

    “This is for Renee Nicole Goode, who was murdered,” Ruffalo said. He continued his criticism by addressing Trump’s foreign policy, saying, “We’re in the middle of a war with Venezuela that we illegally invaded. He’s telling the world that international law doesn’t matter to him. The only thing that matters to him is his own morality.”

    The Avengers star escalated his remarks further. “He’s the worst human being. If we’re relying on this guy’s morality for the most powerful country in the world, then we’re all in a lot of trouble.”

    Ruffalo concluded his statement by broadening his focus to Americans affected by current policies. “So this is for her. This is for the people in the United States who are terrorized and scared today. I know I’m one of them. I love this country. And what I’m seeing here happening is not America.”

    Sykes also criticized the incident, though she was less direct than Ruffalo.

    On January 3, 2026, the United States launched an illegal military strike on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Trump stated that the US would run Venezuela until a proper transition can take place. 

    Trump also posted on Truth Social an altered image describing himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela” on January 12.

  • PM thanks overseas Pakistanis for sending record $3.6bn back home in December

    PM thanks overseas Pakistanis for sending record $3.6bn back home in December

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has thanked overseas Pakistanis for sending record remittances in December 2025, which exceeded last year’s figures.


    In a statement, the premier said Pakistanis living abroad remitted $3.6 billion during December 2025, reflecting their strong commitment to the country’s economic stability. 


    He also noted that this marked an increase of 16.5 percent in remittances as compared to the same period last year.


    PM Shehbaz said the rise in inflows demonstrated overseas Pakistanis’ confidence in the government’s economic policies and appreciated their role in countering negative propaganda against the country.


    “Overseas Pakistanis are our valuable asset, and the entire nation, including myself, takes pride in them,” he said.


    The premier added that the welfare and facilitation of overseas Pakistanis remained a top priority, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to taking further steps for their well-being.