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  • New schedule announced for Matric and Inter Exams in Karachi

    New schedule announced for Matric and Inter Exams in Karachi

    The Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) on Wednesday announced the new schedule for the matric and inter exams, previously postponed due to the ongoing heatwave.

    Today, the examination board released a notification including the revised exam schedule.

    The remaining exams of Class 10 will resume on May 28 as per the schedule.

    BIEK’s Chairman Professor Nasim Ahmed Memon on Wednesday said that the exams of inter classes are scheduled to take place from June 1.

    “Intermediate exams will be held from June 1 as it is not possible to conduct them from May 28,” said the chairman.

    Memon said that the Board has sought permission from the education minister to extend the exams for four days. He added that 21 higher secondary schools were set up as a centre for the exams.

    The chairman said that the Inter exams were to be held in the centres in the morning while matric exams were scheduled for the evening.
    Speaking about the matric exams, the chairman said that they were postponed due to hot weather. “Postponed papers will be taken from May 28 in the same centres,” he added.

    The BIEK chairman said that it was not possible to hold matric and intermediate exams in the same centres at the same time.

    The BSEK had postponed the remaining papers of the secondary classes which were supposed to be held between May 21-27, in light of heatwave in Sindh.

  • Why did Dr Arooba say no to Geo’s drama offer?

    Why did Dr Arooba say no to Geo’s drama offer?

    Dr. Arooba Tariq, television host, recently shared her experience of being offered a lead role in a major Geo TV drama during a podcast with Hafiz Ahmed. She revealed that despite the significant offer, she declined the opportunity due to her father’s disapproval and her own reservations about the intense scenes requiring close physical contact with co-stars.

    “In the media industry, people tend to remember you by your face, especially if you’ve previously appeared on TV shows. As a result, I received a significant offer from Geo TV to play the main lead in a big drama. They genuinely wanted me to be a part of the brilliant ensemble cast of the play.

    In an attempt to convince me to take the job, they even brought me to the studio to experience the set and recording processes. My father, on the other hand, was not into it, so I was limited to hosting. I was still thinking about going to the Shahnoor studio, though. Following this, I came to the conclusion that acting was not for me, especially in light of the dramatic sequences that required close physical contact with co-stars. I declined the opportunity since, as a novice, I would not have any creative control over altering such daring situations.

  • Indian Kabaddi team banned from participating in World Cup, Championship

    Indian Kabaddi team banned from participating in World Cup, Championship

    The Indian Kabaddi team has been banned from participating in Kabaddi World Cup and Kabaddi Championship.

    According to media reports, the major decision to ban the Indian Kabaddi team from participating in the international tournament has been taken in the online meeting of the Asian Kabaddi Federation. The secretary of the Federation has stated that the reason for this extreme action against the Indian team is not giving powers to the elected body of the Kabaddi Federation.

    Secretary Asian Kabaddi Federation Sarwar Rana said in the meeting, “The Indian Kabaddi authorities were reminded several times in this regard but the elected body was not given powers.”

    According to the Asian Kabaddi Federation, the ban on the Indian team’s participation in international events will remain in place until powers are given to the selected body.

  • Noor Bukhari pays tribute to late Iranian President Raisi

    Noor Bukhari pays tribute to late Iranian President Raisi

    Former actress Noor Bukhari has paid tribute to Iran’s President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash this week.

    Noor Bukhari posted a photo of the late Iranian president on her Instagram account, writing in the caption, “Syed Qurbani de gaya hai … ab khair any waali hai ummah ke liye. Want ke yazeed countdown started”
    (A Syed has sacrificed himself; now good news is coming for the Muslim Ummah, and the countdown for Yazid has begun.)
    Raisi’s funeral was held today in his hometown after two days of processions attended by thousands of mourners.

    Raisi, 63, died on Sunday alongside his foreign minister and six others when their helicopter crashed in the country’s mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration.
    His final resting place will be at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, a key Shiite mausoleum in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where the ultra-conservative president was born.

  • Sharp drop in gold prices: 24-karat gold down by over Rs6,000 per tola

    Sharp drop in gold prices: 24-karat gold down by over Rs6,000 per tola

    In a substantial decline aligned with global trends, gold prices in Pakistan saw a sharp decrease on Thursday. The price of 24-karat gold fell by Rs6,200, bringing the new rate to Rs242,000 per tola.

    Notably, the current market price has been set Rs4,000 below its actual cost. This adjustment reflects a significant reduction in purchasing power within the country, impacting the gold market.

    The Karachi Sarafa Association reported that the price of 24-karat gold per 10 grammes also dropped, now standing at Rs207,476 after a decrease of Rs5,315. Similarly, the price of 22-karat gold fell to Rs190,186 per 10 grammes.

    Silver prices mirrored this downward trend in the domestic market. The price of 24-karat silver decreased to Rs2,800 per tola and Rs2,400.54 per 10 grammes, representing a fall of Rs50 per tola and Rs42.87 per 10 grammes.

    On the international stage, spot gold prices have declined from recent record highs. The price per ounce fell by 0.62 per cent to $2,364 on Thursday, following a 1.74 per cent drop on Wednesday.

    These price adjustments in both gold and silver highlight the ongoing volatility in the precious metals market, influenced by a combination of domestic economic factors and global financial trends.

  • Fears of possible Congo fever spread before Eid ul Azha

    Fears of possible Congo fever spread before Eid ul Azha

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued an alert about the possible spread of the Congo virus ahead of Eid ul Azha, in part due to the close proximity of sacrificial animals on Eid.

    101 cases of the Congo virus were reported across the country in the past year, reports Samaa News.

    NIH has alerted concerned departments to be on high alert and take necessary precautions.

    The advisory states that increased contact between people and sacrificial animals may facilitate the spread of the Congo virus.

    “People should wear light-colored clothes so that ticks on clothes can be easily detected,” the advisory stresses.

  • Here’s why Ricky Ponting turned down offer for head coach of Indian cricket team

    Here’s why Ricky Ponting turned down offer for head coach of Indian cricket team

    Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has refused to coach the Indian cricket team, one of the most lucrative position in the game.

    The Indian Cricket Board, currently looking for a new coach, approached Ricky Ponting for coaching during the IPL.

    The former Australian cricketer confirmed the Indian cricket board’s contacts and said, “During the Indian Premier League (IPL), there have been small conversations about this, I would love to coach the national team but there is more to life.”

    “I want to spend time at home with my family. If you are the coach of the Indian team, then you cannot be a coach in the IPL. Being the coach of the national team means a job spanning 10 or 11 months a year.”

    “It doesn’t suit my lifestyle right now, there is still much to enjoy in life, I know the names of Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming and Gautam Gambhir have also come up to coach the Indian team” said Ponting.

    Talking about India’s culture he said, “My family likes the cricket culture in India but at the moment, full-time coaching does not fit into my lifestyle.”

    Australia won the 2003 and 2007 cricket World Cups and 2006 and 2009 Champions Trophies under his captaincy. He was also a member of the 1999 World Cup winning team.

  • IMF says bijli aur gas mazeed mehngi karu

    IMF says bijli aur gas mazeed mehngi karu

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told the Pakistani authorities of its plan to release the next bailout package under specific conditions which Pakistan would have to fulfil like increasing revenue and curtailing government expenditure.

    “The government will have to hike electricity and gas tariffs in coming July and August 2024 to strike a deal with the IMF,” Geo news reported.

    If approved, the fresh bailout package through climate finance would range from $6 to $8 billion.

    The government would also have to present an aligned budget and secure its approval from the parliament.

    The IMF has asked the government to raise the power tariff by jacking up fuel price adjustments and quarterly tariff adjustments. The tariff on gas will also be increased.

    On solar net metering, the government has decided to hire a Chinese consultant and others to study it independently because the net metering system is reportedly causing harm to distribution grids.

  • Hammad Azhar reappears in public after months, escapes police arrest

    Hammad Azhar reappears in public after months, escapes police arrest

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar reappeared in public on Wednesday after almost a year in hiding following a crackdown on PTI workers after the May 9 riots.

    “Yesterday, I received a message from Imran Khan that it’s time to come out of hiding,” said Azhar as he visited the PTI’s Central Secretariat office in Islamabad.

    The senior PTI leader said that he will go to Peshawar to get pre-arrest bail as he has multiple charges pending against him in connection with the May 9 violent protests that erupted last year after Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case.

    “All leaders, including Murad Saeed, will come out of hiding,” he added.

    After knowing about Azhar’s whereabouts, Islamabad police quickly encircled the party’s secretariat in the capital city to arrest him.

    However, the PTI leader managed to escape the party’s office before the police’s arrival.

  • PPP distances itself from PML-N’s defamation bill 2024

    PPP distances itself from PML-N’s defamation bill 2024

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday decided to distance itself from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the defamation bill 2024, SAMAA has reported.

    PPP leader Ali Haider Gillani has said that “The PPP was not taken on board over the defamation bill. The PPP has never wanted to become a part of the defamation bill.”

    Gilani said that party lawmakers were absent during the bill’s approval.

    “It was the directive of the party leadership for the lawmakers to remain absent during the bill’s approval,” said Gilani.

    Earlier, a few days ago, the Punjab government had proposed the defamation bill 2024 in the Punjab Assembly, which was criticised by masses across the country.

    Punjab Information Minister, Azma Bukhari, said on Wednesday, while addressing a press conference, that “Now, nobody will be allowed to insult others on social media. The affected person can file an application through the tribunal. The defamation case will have to wrap up within 180 days.”

    “Three proceedings will be held in 21 days,” she said.

    She said, “There is a dire need to end the process of hurling allegations against each other.”