Today Pakistan is observing the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar which took the lives of 144 people, mostly students.
The heinous attack happened in 2014 and is widely described as Pakistan’s 9/11 for the shockwaves it created nationally and internationally. Schools were shut down in the country due to the security risk whereas vigils were held all over the world.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Following the attack, Pakistan’s military and civil leadership sat down to formulate a National Action Plan which primarily aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism. Different military operations were launched to root out several militant elements in the country. The most prominent operations were Zarb-e-Azab and Radul Fassad.
Pakistan stands out as one of the worst victims of terrorism with over 80,000 lives lost and economic loss surpassing $150 billion.
However, the menace is resurfacing with Pakistan a considerable increase in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) in a report showed that the country experienced a 34 percent increase in anti-state violence last month.
Israeli troops “mistakenly” killed three Israeli hostages in the course of combat with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Friday.
The incident took place in Shejaiye, a densely populated area in northern Gaza.
Israeli forces “mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat,” the military said in a statement. “As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed.”
“During searches and checks in the area in which the incident occurred, suspicion arose over the identities of the deceased,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a briefing on Friday.
“Their bodies were transferred to Israeli territory for examination, after which it was confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages.”
Identified as Samer Talalka, Yotam Haim and Alon Shimriz, these captives were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.
The three are believed to have escaped their captors or had been “left behind” because of the fighting in the area, Hagari explained what the IDF so far believes.
Israeli soldiers are now being instructed to “exercise additional caution” when confrontating people in civilian clothes, another IDF spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus, said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed the incident as an “unbearable tragedy”, adding that Israel will “learn the lessons” of the incident.
“Along with all the people of Israel, I bow my head with deep sorrow and mourn the death of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped,” he said.
As announced in an official notification by the Finance Division, the revised prices for petroleum products, applicable from December 16 to December 31, have been endorsed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
The recalibrated rates indicate a decline in petrol prices to Rs267.34 per litre, while the diesel rate has seen a reduction of Rs13.50 per litre, now standing at Rs276.21 per litre, according to the Finance Division’s official statement.
Furthermore, the cost of kerosene oil has been curtailed by Rs10.14 per litre, settling at Rs191.02, and light diesel oil is now priced at Rs164.64 per litre following a reduction of Rs11.29.
This adjustment comes in response to the notable decrease in global oil prices over the past two weeks, a factor contributing to the anticipation of a downward trend in fuel prices during the fortnightly review.
It’s imperative to note that the government undertakes a bi-weekly reassessment of petroleum product prices, aligning them with international market dynamics and the exchange rate of the rupee. This latest revision reflects a proactive approach by the authorities to mitigate the economic impact on the general populace.
Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh is currently in critical condition after being targeted by Israel in a reported targeted attack while he was covering news near Haifa school in Khan Younis.
Another journalist was also reportedly severely injured in the attack. On October 25, Wael Aldahdouh, one of the most prolific journalists in Gaza, buried his wife, son, daughter, and grandson, who had been killed in an Israeli air raid that hit the house they were sheltering in.
Gold prices in Pakistan experienced a marginal uptick on Friday, with the value of 24-karat gold climbing by Rs300 per tola, concluding the session at Rs218,600.
According to the Karachi Sarafa Association, the closing rate for 10-gramme 24-karat gold in today’s session reached Rs187,414, marking an increase of Rs257.
Simultaneously, the price of 10-gramme 22-karat gold reached Rs171,796, reflecting a rise of Rs235.
In the domestic market, silver prices also saw an upward trend, with 24-karat silver and 10-gramme 24-karat silver settling at Rs2,670 and Rs2,289.09, respectively.
It is noteworthy that the domestic bullion market displayed a robust recovery in the previous session after enduring five consecutive losses, resulting in a cumulative loss of Rs6,300 for 24-karat gold.
This surge was attributed to a rally in international markets, which persisted today, contributing to gains in the domestic market.
As of the latest update, international spot gold is trading at $2,041.17, reflecting a 0.26 per cent increase for the day.
The ongoing upward trajectory in international gold prices is influenced by the recent statement from the US Federal Reserve, which indicates a cumulative rate cut of 75 basis points in 2024.
The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued its positive trajectory against the US dollar (USD) for the fourth consecutive session, appreciating by 0.09 per cent in the inter-bank market on Friday.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee concluded at Rs283.26, reflecting an increase of Re0.25.
Thursday witnessed a marginal gain in the rupee, settling at Rs283.51 against the US dollar.
The ongoing optimism is buoyed by the recently released trade figures for November, revealing a noteworthy 13.16 per cent month-over-month (MoM) and a substantial 31.72 per cent year-over-year (YoY) reduction in the trade deficit, amounting to $1.89 billion.
Export figures exhibited a robust 7.66 per cent YoY surge, reaching $2.57 billion, while imports saw a YoY decline of 14.47 per cent, totaling $4.46 billion.
On the global front, the US dollar remained near four-month lows on Friday, influenced by the increasing likelihood of US interest rate cuts in the coming year.
Conversely, the euro and pound found support as their respective central banks reiterated the necessity for sustained higher interest rates.
Amid an eventful week for central banks, clarity emerged regarding the potential timing of interest rate cuts following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s statement during Wednesday’s meeting.
Powell suggested that the tightening of monetary policy is likely concluding, with discussions about cuts coming “into view.”
The Fed’s projections imply a 75-basis-point cut next year from the current level, leading to a broad decline of the greenback against its counterparts.
The dollar index stands at 102.05, not far from the four-month low of 101.76 observed on Thursday, marking a 1.9 per cent decrease and its most significant weekly decline since July.
Oil prices, a pivotal indicator of currency dynamics, saw an increase on Friday, set to achieve their first weekly rise in two months.
This positive shift is attributed to a bullish forecast from the International Energy Agency (IEA) regarding oil demand for the upcoming year, coupled with a weaker dollar.
Brent futures rose by 21 cents to $76.82 a barrel at 0918 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also experienced a 21-cent climb, reaching $71.79.
Nicolas Puech, the 80-year-old heir to the French luxury brand Hermès fortune, is reportedly planning to give part of his wealth to his 51-year-old gardener, whom he also intends to legally adopt.
Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, cited by the New York Post, reports that the heir of the luxury brand is planning to pass his wealth to his “former gardener and handyman” from a “modest Moroccan family.”
Nicolas has already initiated the process of adoption. He is expected to pass down billions of dollars to the beloved gardener as he is unmarried and has no children of his own.
The gardener is reportedly married to a woman from Spain and has two children.
The wealth he is to pass on could be half of his inheritance. The heir, the fifth-generation descendant of Thierry Hermès, stands to pass down billions of dollars of the Hermès fortune, currently valued at over $220 billion. Puech reportedly owns between 5 percent and 6 percent of the house, which puts his net worth between $10-11 billion.
Puech also hopes to pass down $5.9 million in properties in Marrakesh, Morocco, and Montreux, Switzerland.
CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward has become the first Western journalist to have gone into the Gaza Strip without the Israel Defense Forces’ supervision, reporting from sight what she deemed “absolute horror.”
Ward entered the besieged strip on Wednesday with UAE medical volunteers and visited a field hospital setup by the Gulf country.
“Even in that brief window, you really got a sense of the absolute horrors that have been taking place in Gaza,” she said speaking to CNN.
“I can honestly say I don’t think we’ve ever seen it quite on this scale.” she expressed while reviewing the destruction she witnessed.
International coverage of Gaza depends on reports from Palestinian journalists, aid teams, health workers, and social media because of Israel’s entry bans.
As of yet, at least 63 journalists have been killed since October 7 in Israeli airstrikes.
Ward was initially accused of staging a video in which she can be seen trying to seek a safe place from attacks during live coverage near the Israel-Gaza border. CNN, however, rebutted these assertions, contending the authenticity of the video.
Pakistani model Hasnain Lehri made a stunning debut in the second season of the popular Netflix series ‘Dubai Bling’, when he stunned his paramour, Lebanese reality TV star Loujain ‘LJ’ Adada, with an elaborate proposal in front of friends during the season finale.
The Netflix reality TV series, which premiered in 2022, delves into the lives of affluent and glamorous Arab women in Dubai as they navigate the complexities of high society, fashion, and relationships. Each episode, lasting approximately 45 minutes, showcases extravagant parties, designer clothes and opulent lifestyles.
In episode seven of Dubai Bling season two, Lehri’s grand proposal to Adada marked the conclusion of the season. The gripping moment left the audience eagerly anticipating Adada’s response, as the episode concluded without revealing her answer.
Last year, Lehri acknowledged his real-life relationship with Adada, making their on-screen chemistry sweeter.
Taking to Instagram, he shared a stunning intimate photo of himself and Adada in each other’s embrace. He also captioned the photo with a heartfelt message for his lady love.
“I thought fairy tales would never come true until I met my princess,” the caption read, followed by their initials “H” and “L” written with an infinity symbol. Adada also replied to the Instagram post in the comments.
Reciprocating the sentiments, she said, “My heart, H! Fairytales do come true.”
In 2012, Adada tied the knot with Walid Juffali, a late Saudi Arabian business magnate and billionaire.
She was reportedly 25-years-old and he was 60 at the time. Juffali passed away in 2016 after a long battle with cancer. The supermodel currently has two daughters.
When she was just 14, Adada started her modelling career, immediately landing photoshoots and establishing an impressive portfolio in preparation for a career in the runway business.
At 21, she was given the opportunity to present the music program Energy Spin Magazine on MTV Lebanon. However, after her marriage, the star took a long hiatus from media until her big comeback with Netflix’s hit reality TV show, Dubai Bling.
Lehri, on the other hand, confirmed dating fellow model Sabeeka Imam in 2018. However, the duo parted ways after a year.
Imam shared the news of their breakup in a post, writing, “And so this journey officially comes to an end. It has been a long time since we both realised that our paths are destined to be separate. After multiple attempts and much consideration, we have called it quits.”
Lehri is the first supermodel in Pakistan to bag five Lux Style Awards including picking up the coveted trophy four years in a row. In 2017, Lehri was also mentioned in the Top 100 Sexiest Asian Men list by Eastern Eye.
Cricket Australia has announced to opening the doors of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) free for Pakistani fans on December 21. Pakistani cricket fans will be allowed free entry to watch Pakistan’s training session in Australia’s largest Melbourne ground.
Cricket fans have been invited by the Australia Board to watch Pakistan’s training session ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Fans will be allowed free entry to the MCG before 10 am on December 21.
The training session will continue from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm Australian time.
