Author: newsdesk

  • Another motorway altercation, video gone viral

    Another motorway altercation, video gone viral

    An incident of a group of women allegedly violating the law and misbehaving with the motorway police near Kallar Kahar has come to light.

    A video capturing the confrontation where both sides were accusing each other of wrongdoing has gone viral on social media.

    The incident occurred when the motorway police stopped women drivers for overspeeding and dangerous driving. This was recorded by the police officer as evidence.

    The woman complained of being robbed of her mobile phone and getting bruises on her hand.

    As per The Express Tribune, the disagreement began when the officer started filming the woman without her consent after stopping her for speeding. This action provoked the woman, prompting her to film the officer in return, escalating tensions between the two parties.

    Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Motorway police has initiated legal proceedings against the women involved. Reportedly, they not only disregarded signals to stop but also resorted to verbal abuse and threats against the policeman. The motorway police said that they are pursuing legal action as per established procedures.

    A few days ago, a woman tried to run over a patrol officer on the highway. A video of that altercation also went viral.

  • Final episode of ‘Ishq Murshid’ to premiere in cinemas this Friday

    Final episode of ‘Ishq Murshid’ to premiere in cinemas this Friday

    In an Instagram post on HUM TV’s account, it was revealed that the final episode will be showcased in multiple cinemas across major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and many more.
    Ishq Murshid, starring Durefishan Saleem and Bilal Abbas Khan in the lead roles, has received praise from people all over the world.
    The drama which revolves around the love story of two individuals from different backgrounds, has captured the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide.
    ‘Ishq Murshid’ has gained millions of views on YouTube, showing how much people like it.

    The drama is written by Abdul Khaliq Khan,and directed by Farooq Rind, Ishq Murshid boasts a stellar cast including Omair Rana, Zarmeena Ikram, Samiya Mumtaz, and more.

    The compelling storyline, coupled with stellar performances, has cemented its place as a must-watch drama series.
    Shameer, son of the late politician Zubaida Sikandar, stays out of politics and media. He falls for Shibra, a kind girl studying for CSS exam. Shibra’s family opposes corruption. Shameer disguises himself to win her heart.
    Showing TV shows in theaters is not new. Many famous series have aired their final episodes in cinemas before, including ‘Meray Pas Tum Ho’ and ‘Parizaad’.

  • Bilawal Bhutto not in favour of privatising PIA

    Bilawal Bhutto not in favour of privatising PIA

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed his opposition to the Shehbaz Sharif-led government’s privatisation policy for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

    The PPP chairman said at a Labour Day event in Karachi that his party will try to convince Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to revive PIA through a public-private partnership instead of privatising it.

    On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged the Pakistani government to privatise state-owned enterprises to revive the country’s economy.

    However, the finance minister has laid emphasis many times on the importance of privatising state-owned enterprises, including PIA and PSM, for the betterment of the economy.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that it will be an “unconstitutional step” if the federal government privatises PIA.

    Former senator Raza Rabbani further clarified that the government’s agenda of privatisation was “unacceptable” to the PPP.

  • 70 people lost lives in militant attacks in April

    70 people lost lives in militant attacks in April

    Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think-tank, published its monthly security assessment report in which it was revealed that militant attacks claimed 70 lives in April 2024.

    According to the monthly report, Pakistan experienced at least 77 militant attacks during the month of April which resulted in 70 deaths, including 35 civilians and 31 members of security forces.

    Total number of injured people was 67.

    As compared to the previous month, there has been a stark increase in attacks. In March, Pakistan experienced 56 militant attacks.

    This indicates a 38 per cent increase in the number of militant attacks, although there was a nine per cent decline in deaths, with no change in the number of injuries.

  • Girls in Dir stopped from attending political events

    Girls in Dir stopped from attending political events

    The Government Postgraduate College in Timergara, Dir, has formally issued a directive telling female students not to “take part in political gatherings, birthday parties and other extra-curricular activities” on the way to the campus and returning home.

    The directions issued by the college’s chief proctor, Prof Riaz Mohammad, asked the parents of girl students to stay in contact with the administration to help improve academic standards.

    Prof Riaz Mohammad justified the move while talking to Dawn, saying it was in the “best interests” of girl students and in line with local customs. He said several unpleasant incidents were reported in some colleges with co-education, so his college took the initiative to prevent them altogether.

  • Those pesky, meddling kids are back; Netflix announces new Scooby Doo series

    Those pesky, meddling kids are back; Netflix announces new Scooby Doo series

    Netflix is creating a new live-action version of the Scooby-Doo franchise, which began with the 1969 animated TV series ‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You’. The adaptation aims to revive the brand after a previous unsuccessful attempt 20 years ago.

    The original series introduced the Mystery Inc. gang and their adventures solving mysteries. It led to the development of a large franchise with many animated shows, movies, video games, and other spin-offs.
    The new live-action series, being one of the biggest and most beloved franchises in the entertainment world, will provide a fresh perspective on the classic characters and their mysteries. It will build upon the success of the original show that initiated it all.
    Scooby-Doo’s live-action history has been marked by ups and downs, with the 2002 movie and its 2004 sequel receiving mixed reviews and commercial success.

    Raja Gosnell directed the first film, where the Mystery Inc. gang reunited to solve a mystery on Spooky Island. The second installment, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, followed the team as they investigated a masked thief at the Coolsonian Criminology Museum.

    A group of seasoned writers and producers, including Josh Appelbaum, Scott Rosenberg, André Nemec, and Jeff Pinkner, will write and executive produce the upcoming Scooby-Doo series. They will produce under the banner of Midnight Radio, lending their experience and imaginative vision to the endeavour.

  • PTI alleges CJP Isa insincere with judicial ‘interference’ issue

    PTI alleges CJP Isa insincere with judicial ‘interference’ issue

    Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) central information secretary Raoof Hasan, on Wednesday, expressed concern over the conduct of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa during Supreme Court proceedings on the issue of interference by spy agencies in the judiciary.

    PTI demanded that a full court be constituted to hear the matter on a daily basis, and more importantly, that CJP Isa should disassociate himself from the bench.

    Raoof Hasan was accompanied by the former chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khursheed and PTI advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi.

    The secretary information remarked that the six judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked the CJP for help but the Chief Justice referred it to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    He said one should not forget that the PM and operatives of intelligence agencies were among those implicated in the matter.

  • Pakistan squad finalized for England, Ireland tours

    Pakistan squad finalized for England, Ireland tours

    The National Selection Committee has announced the Pakistan 18 member squad for tours of Ireland and England.

    National selectors Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Bilal Afzal announced the squad.

    Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan are included in squad.

    The selection committee has re-included fast bowler Haris Rauf along with Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha in the squad while spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan failed to make thier place.

    Azam Khan, who suffered an injury before the series against New Zealand is now fit, while Muhammad Rizwan is also now fully fit and both players are included in the squad.

    The 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup starting in June in America and West Indies will be announced after the first T20 against England.

    The series against Ireland is from May 10 to 14 while the series against England will be played from May 22 to 30.

  • Indian team likely to play all Champion Trophy matches in one city

    Indian team likely to play all Champion Trophy matches in one city

    It has been proposed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to schedule the matches of the Indian team in the same city in the first round of the Champions Trophy. This proposal aims to reduce the travel of the Indian team during their stay in Pakistan, Geo has reported.

    According to sources, the PCB has sent the initial draft schedule of the Champions Trophy to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on which the ICC will now take feedback from other countries.

    ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February in three venues- Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

  • US Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady for sixth consecutive meeting

    US Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady for sixth consecutive meeting

    The US Federal Reserve has once again left interest rates unchanged, maintaining its current rate at 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent.

    This marks the sixth consecutive meeting where the central bank has opted to hold steady, reflecting a cautious approach amid persistent inflation concerns.

    In a statement released by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday, the central bank acknowledged that while inflation has eased over the past year, it remains elevated.

    “In recent months, there has been a lack of further progress towards the Committee’s 2 per cent inflation objective,” the FOMC noted.

    The Committee indicated that it does not plan to reduce the target range until it has greater confidence that inflation is consistently trending towards the 2 per cent goal.

    This stance has kept interest rates at a 23-year high since July last year, suggesting the Federal Reserve’s focus on managing inflation risks.

    The decision to leave rates unchanged aligned with market expectations, which had largely anticipated a rate pause.

    In a related development, the Federal Reserve announced that it would slow its pace of quantitative tightening starting June 1.

    The Fed will reduce the cap on Treasury securities rolling off its balance sheet to $25 billion per month, down from the previous cap of $60 billion. However, the pace of runoff for mortgage-backed securities will remain at $35 billion per month.

    The FOMC’s decision did not significantly alter market expectations for the trajectory of interest rates in 2024.

    The market remains divided on whether a rate cut will occur by September, with about 50/50 odds. As of now, only one rate cut is fully priced in for the entire year.

    It’s worth noting that at the beginning of 2024, the market had priced in an 80 per cent chance of a rate cut starting in March, with a total of six cuts projected throughout the year.

    This shift in expectations underscores the uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s future policy decisions as it navigates the ongoing challenges of inflation and economic stability.