Author: newsdesk

  • Sri Lankan cricket board dismissed after bad performance in World Cup

    Sri Lankan cricket board dismissed after bad performance in World Cup

    Sri Lankan Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has dismissed the country’s cricket Board over the poor performance of the national cricket team in the ICC ODI World Cup.

    According to AFP News Agency, relations with the board were strained over allegations of corruption by the sports minister, leading to the Sri Lankan board being sacked after a humiliating defeat by India. 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Rana Tunga has been handed over charge while he has also been appointed as the interim chairman.

    A statement has been released by the Sri Lankan Sports Minister’s office dismissing the board and announcing handing over responsibilities to Rana Tunga. A seven-member panel has been formed by the Sports Minister and retired judges of the Supreme Court are also included in the panel. The Sports Minister demanded the resignations of the entire board. (ausoma.org) The secretary of the board, Mohan D’Silva, had announced his resignation a day earlier.

    It should be noted that the Sri Lankan cricket team is currently ranked seventh in the points table, having won only two out of seven matches.

  • Ishaq Dar wants President Alvi to resign voluntarily

    Ishaq Dar wants President Alvi to resign voluntarily

    Former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ishaq Dar has called on President Arif Alvi to resign from his position after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s remarks in the election delay case.

    “It would be suitable for the president to step down voluntarily as his constitutional tenure ended,” said the PML-N stalwart while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Jirga’ on Sunday.

    The CJP had said that President Alvi violated the constitution by not announcing a date for the general elections.

    Qazi Faez Isa passed the observation while hearing petitions seeking general elections in 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies in country.

    “Following the Supreme Court’s remarks, it would be better if the president resigns voluntarily,” Dar said.

    While discussing general elections, the former finance czar said that they could be further delayed due to the delimitation process.

    However, he said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saved time in carrying out the process to draw new boundaries.

  • Indian man divorces wife over eyebrow threading

    Indian man divorces wife over eyebrow threading

    A man in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, divorced his wife after she shaped her eyebrows without permission. The matter came to the notice of the police as the woman went to register an FIR against her husband and in-laws.

    Gulsaiba and Saleem got married in January 2022. He left for Saudi Arabia on August 30, 2023, for an employment opportunity. Since then, the girl alleged, her in-laws were harassing her for dowry. In a statement given to the police, she told them that her husband is an extremely old-fashioned and orthodox person who has always raised objections over her fashion choices.

    During a video call on October 4, Saleem noticed that her eyebrows had been shaped and despite her explanations that she did it because her face looked unruly, he got angry and pronounced three talaqs. As per Gulsaiba, Salim said to her, “You went ahead and shaped your eyebrows despite my objections. From today, I free you from this marriage”. There has been no communication between the two since then.

    Gulsaiba stated in her complaint, “I had been married for only a year. My husband, who had previously disrespected me, has now given me triple talaq. I want the police to take appropriate action against him.”

  • Sunil Narine retires from international cricket

    Sunil Narine retires from international cricket

    West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine has announced his retirement from international cricket.

    Sunil Narine issued a statement on Instagram on Sunday saying that ‘it has been four years since he last represented West Indies. “Now I am announcing my retirement from international cricket, I will continue to play in franchise cricket.”

    “Thanks to my family for supporting me and especially my father who always stood by me, I also thank Cricket West Indies, coaching staff, and fans,” Narayan said.

    Sunil Narine represented the West Indies in six Tests, 65 ODIs, and 51 T20 matches. Narine took 21 wickets in Tests, 92 in ODIs, and 52 in T20 Internationals.

  • Punjab CM orders strict enforcement of ‘one-dish’ rule for weddings

    Punjab CM orders strict enforcement of ‘one-dish’ rule for weddings

    Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has taken a firm stance on the violation of regulations regarding the number of dishes served and the timing of marriage ceremonies.  

    The CM has instructed the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to rigorously enforce these restrictions across the province, including Lahore. These rules specify that only ‘one dish’ can be served, and ceremonies must conclude by 10 pm. 

    Naqvi emphasised that these restrictions should be strictly adhered to without exception, even at farmhouses. He insisted on taking immediate action against any violations and discouraged leniency towards those who failed to comply. 

    Furthermore, the Chief Minister visited the Ghora Chowk Defence Mor flyover project to assess its progress and the construction work.  

    He observed the steel fixing process, interacted with the labourers, and commended their swift work. 

    Naqvi expressed satisfaction with the project’s continuous day-and-night progress and urged the team to maintain high construction quality standards while expediting the work. 

    In addition, the CM praised the security forces for thwarting a terrorist assault on the Mianwali Training Air Force Base.  

    He commended their timely actions, stating that they had defeated the terrorists’ sinister intentions. He paid tribute to these brave soldiers, considering them heroes of the nation, and expressed the nation’s pride in their courage. 

  • IMF review puts pressure on rupee as Pakistan negotiates loan tranche 

    IMF review puts pressure on rupee as Pakistan negotiates loan tranche 

    The Pakistani rupee is anticipated to face continued depreciation against the US dollar in the upcoming week due to heightened demand from importers outweighing the supply from exporters, according to analysts.

    The situation is further complicated by the visit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation to Pakistan for a review mission, which typically results in increased volatility for the local currency.  

    The IMF’s review discussions with Pakistani authorities are expected to conclude on November 15, potentially leading to the disbursement of a second loan tranche of approximately $700 million from the IMF. 

    In the past week, the rupee experienced a 1.19 per cent decline against the US dollar in the interbank market, closing at 284.31 on Friday, compared to 280.95 at the beginning of the week. Export proceeds have slowed down, impacting the availability of dollars.  

    Additionally, new regulations in the forex market have limited banks’ ability to fund their nostros through buy-sell swaps, leading to higher forward premiums and challenges for importers in processing payments. 

    According to The News, the rupee is expected to stabilise around 285 for the coming week, with occasional fluctuations to 288 per US dollar. A potential recovery is also anticipated once the IMF completes its review. 

    Notably, there have been positive developments, such as a boost in exports to $2.7 billion in October and a decrease in consumer price index inflation from 31.4 per cent to 26.9 per cent.  

    These developments, along with a decrease in the Karachi interbank offered rate, suggest that interest rates have likely peaked in the short to medium term, which has positively impacted equity markets, with the KSE Index reaching an all-time high. 

    Equity traders are also optimistic about the IMF’s discussions with government stakeholders and the announcement of election dates. They are hoping for a resolution on circular debt, which has constrained many profitable companies in the index. 

  • Israel attacked 2,500 targets in Gaza since Oct 7: What we know about day 30

    Israel attacked 2,500 targets in Gaza since Oct 7: What we know about day 30

    Blinken meets Abbas

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    Abbas called for an “immediate ceasefire” and allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

    While Blinken reassured America’s commitment to ensure humanitarian assistance and resuming essential services in the besieged Gaza, he did not call for a ceasefire.

    Arab world versus the US on ceasefireA press conference was held in Amman on Saturday where US Secretary of State Blinken dismissed his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts, Ayman Safadi and Sameh Shoukry, calling to urge Israel for an immediate ceasefire.

    “We don’t accept that this is self-defence,” Safadi said. “It cannot be justified under any pretext and it will not bring Israel security, it will not bring the region peace.”

    But Blinken believes that a ceasefire would “leave Hamas in place to regroup and repeat attacks”.

    Attack on Maghazi refugee camp

    According to Wafa news, 51 Palestinians have been killed as Israel bombed Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp.

    Infectious diseases reported in UNRWA shelter

    The UN’ has revealed that overcrowding in UNRWA shelters is leading to diseases.

    “Overcrowding conditions continue to create severe health and protection risks,” the UN stated.

    More than 530,000 Palestinians are said to be seeking refuge.

    A number of cases of acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and chicken pox have been reported in UNRWA shelters.

    Additionally, due to overcrowdedness in the shelters, people are sleeping in the streets around UNRWA shelters.

    Israel bombs Azhar University in Gaza

    Israel has bombed Al-Azhar University in Gaza.

    A video was posted by Palestine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Amal Jadou on X (formerly Twitter).

    Israeli army attacked 2,500 targets in GazaThe Israeli army has claimed to have attacked more than 2,500 targets inside the Gaza Strip since October 7.

    Chad cuts ties with Israel

    Chad is the latest country to recall its ambassador from Israel in the light of “the unprecedented tide of deadly violence” inside Gaza.

    “In front of such tragedy, Chad condemns the loss of numerous innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire for a durable solution to the Palestinian issue,” the statement read.

    Thousands take to streets in Washington DC

    On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington DC to protest against US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

    “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide; we charge you with genocide,” the protesters chanted on Saturday.

  • World Cup 2023: India defeats South Africa by 243 runs

    World Cup 2023: India defeats South Africa by 243 runs

    In the 37th match of the World Cup, India defeated South Africa by 243 runs after a one-sided match and won the event for the eighth consecutive time.

    In the match played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India won the toss and decided to bat first against South Africa. India scored 326 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the allotted 50 overs, Virat Kohli remained unbeaten with 101 runs.

    Apart from this, Shreyas Iyer played an innings of 77 runs which included 2 sixes and 7 fours. Captain Rohit Sharma 40, Shubman Gill 23, and Suryakumar Yadav scored 22 runs, KL Rahul was dismissed with eight runs while Ravindra Jadeja was not out with 29 runs.

    For South Africa, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Kesho Maharaj, and Tabriz Shamsi took one wicket each.

    In pursuit of India’s target of 327 runs, South Africa’s batting line proved to be a wall of sand and none of the batsmen could stand up to the Indian bowlers.

    The entire South African team was all out for just 83 runs in the 28th over, with Marko Jansson scoring 14 and van der Dussen scoring 13. Captain Timba Bavuma and David Miller scored 11 runs each while Aiden Markram scored nine runs and Keshav Maharaj scored seven runs.

    On behalf of India, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed five players, Mohammad Shami and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each while Mohammad Siraj took one wicket.

  • Pakistan’s cotton production surge offers hope for forex reserves 

    Pakistan’s cotton production surge offers hope for forex reserves 

    Cotton production this year is proving to be a silver lining for Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, with an impressive 83 per cent increase in production for the 2023-24 season, totalling 6.79 million bales. 

    According to an estimate by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Forum, cumulative production in the current season may reach around 9 to 9.5 million bales, a significant improvement from the previous year’s production of 5 million bales. This can be attributed to favourable weather conditions. 

    However, it’s worth noting that the production is still below the government’s target of 11.5 million bales. 

    According to Express Tribune, the recent 193 per cent increase in gas prices has exacerbated challenges faced by textile manufacturers and exporters, reducing the country’s competitiveness among regional textile exporters. 

    Another discouraging factor is for the farmers, as the market is offering them Rs7,000 per 40 kilogrammes, falling short of the government’s announced support price of Rs8,500 per 40 kilogrammes.

    The government has yet to fulfil its promise of purchasing cotton to stabilise market prices.  

    The Caretaker Prime Minister has urged the activation of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan, but this action is contingent on approval from the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, which has not yet occurred. 

    Ginners has mentioned that the increase in cotton production will save the country approximately $1 billion in import costs. 

  • PCB’s management committee tenure extended for three months

    PCB’s management committee tenure extended for three months

    The tenure of the management committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by Zaka Ashraf has been extended by 3 months.

    According to sources at the Prime Minister’s House, the Federal Cabinet approved the extension of the period of the Circulation Summary Management Committee. In the summary, special reference has been made to the limited powers of the PCB Management Committee.

    Sources in the Prime Minister’s House say that according to the summary, the management committee will deal with the day-to-day affairs. However, the management committee will not have any appointment authority.