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  • End of an era: John Cena announces retirement from WWE

    End of an era: John Cena announces retirement from WWE

    John Cena, a popular wrestler and actor worldwide, including in Pakistan, has announced his retirement from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

    He made this announcement on the sidelines of a wrestling event called Money in the Bank in Toronto, Canada.

    On this occasion, he said, “In 2025, I will say goodbye to the wrestling world. WrestleMania 2025 will be my last event as a wrestler. I faced many difficulties while working in WWE, but people’s love helped me move forward.

    John joined the WWE in 2001 and is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He became the world champion 16 times during his career, a record in the WWE’s history.

    On this occasion, people present chanted, ‘ Thank You, John Cena, ‘ while the wrestler’s T-shirt read, ‘The Last Time is Now.’

  • Pakistan test cricket team head coach Jason Gillespie reaches Pakistan

    Pakistan test cricket team head coach Jason Gillespie reaches Pakistan

    Jason Gillespie, head coach of Pakistan’s Red Ball team, has reached Karachi. Gillespie will meet the Pakistan Shaheens and Red Ball players and hold a press conference on the schedule for his tour of Australia.

    The head coach will arrive in Lahore tomorrow to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. He will also tour Australia with the Pakistan Shaheens.

    On Sunday, April 28, 2024, the PCB appointed former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten as the head coach of Pakistan’s white-ball team, while former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie was appointed as the head coach of the red-ball team.

  • FIA directed to identify and suspend officials involved in overbilling electricity consumers

    FIA directed to identify and suspend officials involved in overbilling electricity consumers

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced stringent measures against officials responsible for overcharging electricity consumers.

    During a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday, attended by Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Leghari, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and other relevant officials, the Prime Minister directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to identify and suspend such officials.

    He emphasised that these actions will not be tolerated, labelling the perpetrators as “enemies of the people.”

    In the same session, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) revealed that the circular debt in the power sector had soared to Rs2,655 billion by May 2024.

    The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Sharif, approved the creation of a support unit aimed at enhancing the efficiency of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), curbing electricity theft, and ensuring timely bill collection.

    This support unit, which will operate for two years after receiving federal cabinet approval, will begin its work with the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO).

    The government’s initiatives aim to address systemic issues in the power sector, thereby alleviating financial pressures and improving service delivery.

  • PM Shehbaz orders immediate action to tax 4.5 million non-filers

    PM Shehbaz orders immediate action to tax 4.5 million non-filers

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has mandated immediate action to bring 4.5 million identified non-filers into the tax net.

    Chairing a review meeting on Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reforms, he stressed the need for swift implementation of measures to ensure these potential taxpayers are registered and contributing their due share.

    During the meeting, officials updated the prime minister on the ongoing reforms and digitisation efforts within the FBR. The implementation of Sharif’s directives is progressing rapidly, with a comprehensive review of the FBR’s existing systems and manpower nearing completion.

    Initial steps have already led to the identification and cessation of fraudulent sales tax refund claims by approximately 4,000 companies.

    The prime minister underscored the importance of ending discretionary powers of customs appraisers, instructing the FBR chairman to ensure compliance and report back within 24 hours. He highlighted that more than 300,000 new taxpayers have submitted their returns in recent weeks, a testament to the government’s initiatives.

    PM Shehbaz also called for strict action against individuals and officials involved in tax evasion, emphasising that those who facilitate such crimes will be punished. Conversely, taxpayers who comply with their obligations will be acknowledged.

    To enhance transparency and reduce corruption, the prime minister directed the installation of modern, international-quality scanners at ports. He reiterated that the digitisation of the tax system is a top government priority to prevent billions in tax evasion.

    PM Shehbaz also recommended the creation of a dashboard to monitor the progress of digitisation and reforms.

  • World Championship of Legends 2024: Pakistan defeats India by 68 runs

    World Championship of Legends 2024: Pakistan defeats India by 68 runs

    In the World Championship of Legends 2024, Pakistan defeated India by 68 runs. Chasing the massive target of 244, India could score 175 runs for the loss of nine wickets.

    Pakistan’s inning:

    Playing first, the Pakistan champions scored 243 runs for 4 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

    Kamran Akmal scored 77 runs and Sharjeel Khan scored 72 runs. Sohaib Maqsood was dismissed for 51 runs off 26 balls.

    Shahid Afridi was out for zero while Shoaib Malik remained not out with 25 runs.

    RP Singh and Anwarit Singh of the Indian champions took one wicket each. Dhol Kulkarni and Pawan Negi also dismissed one player each.

    India’s inning:

    Chasing Pakistan’s target India scored 175 for the loss of nine wickets.

    Ambari Raydu scored 36 runs, Suresh Rains, 52, Robin Uthapa 22, Yuvraj Singh 14, Irfan Pathan 15 runs for India.

    For Pakistan Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz took three wicket each while Sohail Tanvir and Haris Sohail took one wicket each.

  • First T20: Zimbabwe defeats India by 13 runs

    First T20: Zimbabwe defeats India by 13 runs

    In the first T20 series of 5 T20 matches, Zimbabwe defeated the T20 world champion India.

    In the match played in Harare, Zimbabwe batted first and scored 115 runs for losing nine wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

    Chasing Zimbabwe’s 116 runs, the Indian team scored 102 runs and faced defeat by 13 runs in the first T20I. Indian captain Shubman Gill scored 31 runs, and Sundar’s 27 runs stood out.

    Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chitara of Zimbabwe took 3 and 3 wickets, respectively. This is Zimbabwe’s first victory against India in any format since 2016, and the Zimbabwean team was not among the 20 teams that qualified for the T20 World Cup.

    On the other hand, no player from the 15-member squad of the Indian T20 world champion team was involved in the match.

  • ‘I know my intentions’: Saeed defends herself against paid promotion allegations

    ‘I know my intentions’: Saeed defends herself against paid promotion allegations

    Actress Sanam Saeed has become the target of criticism by followers of a particular political party for praising Punjab government. PTI supporters took to social media to accuse her and other celebrities of being paid to promote Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s government. Sanam decided to respond to her critics after nearly a week of accusations.

    The controversy started when someone asked her, “Why did you turn off the comments in your previous post? If you knew you were saying the truth, what are you scared of then?”
    Sanam replied, “I don’t think you guys know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the stick. I know my intentions and my stance. But I have to save my nerves unfiltered wrath.”

    Stars from the entertainment industry including Sanam Saeed, Saboor Aly, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Saba Faisal, Aima Baig and others were seen giving shoutouts to the Government of Punjab and the initiatives they have taken in the last 100 days.
     Many celebrities have already started to remove their videos in response to the negative feedback, and some have disabled their comments. Content creator Hamza Bhatti wrote on LinkedIn that he also got a call from CM Punjab’s team for PR.
    Travel YouTuber Wildlens by Abrar claimed on Instagram that influencers and celebrities are promoting the Punjab government because they were paid a lot of money.

    Here are some of the videos that were  posted by celebrities :

  • No room for your second or third wife at Islamabad Club

    No room for your second or third wife at Islamabad Club

    In an interesting development, the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Divisions debated diverse topics this week, including the Cabinet Division’s luxuries, restrictions on the entry of its members’ second wives into the Islamabad Club, and Chahat Fateh Ali Khan’s charisma.

    The committee was informed that the Cabinet Division had 18 bullet-proof vehicles and six helicopters, an aviation squadron, Toshakhana gifts as well as the power to declare national public holidays.

    Saleem Mandviwala pointed out the apparent unfair rule by an Islamabad Club, which doesn’t recognise a member’s second or third wife and hence doesn’t allow them to enter the premises. The committee recognised the “significance” of the issue because Islam permits men to have four marriages.

    The members were informed about the government’s changes in the procedure for giving away civil awards.

    “For civil awards, it is evaluated now that the recipient has done more than usual work in his or her field,” the Cabinet Division special secretary told the committee. “Singers are also considered for awards based on the views of their YouTube videos,” he added.

    Reacting to this, Committee member Aamir Chishti asked the Secretary whether famous internet personality Chahat Fatteh Ali Khan’s song ‘Bado Badi’ would be considered for an award – given its number of views on YouTube.

    In a hilarious moment, Aamir Chishti then turned to the committee chair, Rana Mahmoodul Hasan and asked him if he had heard the song, to which he replied, “I have. It gave me a headache.”

  • Diabetes drugs like Ozempic lower cancer risks: study

    Diabetes drugs like Ozempic lower cancer risks: study

    A class of diabetes medications, which include the best-selling drug Ozempic, are associated with a reduced risk of certain obesity-related cancers, according to a study released Friday.

    Published in the journal JAMA, the study compared patients with Type 2 diabetes who were treated with insulin versus patients who were given a class of drug known as GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic, between 2005 and 2018.

    The researchers found that the patients who received GLP-1 agonists had a significantly lower risk of developing 10 out of 13 cancers studied, including kidney, pancreatic, esophageal, ovarian, liver and colorectal cancer.

    Among the cancers which saw no significant change in risk were thyroid cancer and breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

    “Obesity is well known to be associated with at least 13 cancer types,” study author Rong Xu said in an email to AFP.

    “Our study provides evidence that GLP-1RAs hold promise in breaking the link between obesity and cancer,” Xu said.

    Among the drugs studied were semaglutide — commercially sold as Ozempic — as well as liraglutide and others. Ozempic was approved in the United States in 2017.

    GLP-1 agonists have been around for about 20 years, but a new generation of these drugs, among them Ozempic, has been popularized for their more significant weight loss effects.

    Xu suggested that the protective benefits demonstrated in the study may encourage doctors to prescribe GLP-1 treatments for diabetes patients instead of other medicines like insulin.

  • Fourth consecutive surge pushes gold price to Rs246,400 per tola in Pakistan

    Fourth consecutive surge pushes gold price to Rs246,400 per tola in Pakistan

    Gold prices in Pakistan rose for the fourth consecutive session on Saturday, mirroring an uptick in the international market.

    The price of gold per tola in the local market climbed by Rs2,000, reaching Rs246,400, according to the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

    Similarly, the price of 10-gramme gold increased by Rs1,740, selling at Rs211,247. This follows a Rs1,100 rise in the price per tola observed on Friday.

    Internationally, gold prices also saw an increase on Saturday. The rate, as reported by APGJSA, was $2,388 per ounce (including a $20 premium), marking a $24 gain for the day.

    Silver prices also saw an upward trend, rising by Rs50 to settle at Rs2,900 per tola.

    In April, the price of gold in the local market hit a record high of Rs252,200 per tola.