Ashab Irfan of Pakistan has won the Rochester ProAm 2024 squash tournament held in America.
At the conclusion of the five-day tournament played at the Houston Squash Club, Ashab Irfan won the title worth $9,000. He defeated Mexico’s Gomez Dominguez 3-1 in the final. He won the final by 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9.
Squash players from around the world participated in the Rochester ProAm 2024.
According to a surprising notification issued by the Cabinet Division on April 28, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of the country, a position not recognised in the Constitution.
Dar was appointed as the country’s foreign minister after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed a coalition government after the general elections this year.
Historically, there is only one person who held the same position as Dar does now – Pervaiz Elahi in 2012 after Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) allied with the then-ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Interestingly, X (formerly Twitter) users pointed out that the constitution of Pakistan makes no mention or reference to “deputy prime minister” at all.
Predictably, people on social media had some things to say about Dar’s new appointment.
Palestinian writer Basim Khandaqji, jailed 20 years ago in Israel, won a prestigious prize for Arabic fiction on Sunday for his novel “A Mask, the Colour of the Sky”.
The award of the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction was announced at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
The prize was accepted on Khandaqji’s behalf by Rana Idriss, owner of Dar al-Adab, the book’s Lebanon-based publisher.
Khandaqji was born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Nablus in 1983, and wrote short stories until his arrest in 2004 at the age of 21.
He was convicted and jailed on charges relating to a bombing in Tel Aviv, and completed his university education from inside jail via the internet.
The mask in the novel’s title refers to the blue identity card that Nur, an archaeologist living in a refugee camp in Ramallah, finds in the pocket of an old coat belonging to an Israeli.
Khandaqji’s book was chosen from 133 works submitted to the competition.
Nabil Suleiman, who chaired the jury, said the novel “dissects a complex, bitter reality of family fragmentation, displacement, genocide, and racism”.
Since being jailed Khandaqji has written poetry collections including “Rituals of the First Time” and “The Breath of a Nocturnal Poem”.
He has also written three earlier novels.
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© Agence France-Presse
The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) has announced a 15 member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.
Kane Williamson will be the captain of New Zealand while Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Dwayne Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell will be part of the team.
Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Saudi, Tim Southee, Michael Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson are also in New Zealand’s World Cup squad.
T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to be played from June 1 to June 29 in America and West Indies.
In a move that could reshape the future of iOS, Apple is exploring partnerships with major technology firms to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its iPhone line, according to reports from Engadget.
The Cupertino-based company is reportedly in discussions with Sam Altman’s OpenAI to incorporate generative AI technologies into its iOS operating system.
However, OpenAI isn’t the only player on Apple’s radar. The company is also engaged in talks with Google to potentially license Gemini, the tech giant’s AI model, for use in iOS 18.
According to Bloomberg, Apple could finalise agreements with both companies, suggesting a comprehensive approach to AI integration in its upcoming products.
Meanwhile, Apple is also building its own language models to support various features in iOS 18, indicating a multi-faceted strategy towards AI.
Although Apple has remained largely silent about its AI developments, there have been subtle hints suggesting that the company is preparing for a significant announcement.
During a company meeting in February, Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, mentioned that the company is continuing to invest in artificial intelligence and expressed excitement about sharing more details later in the year.
He also highlighted that the recently launched MacBook was the “world’s best consumer laptop for AI.” Cook’s remarks further fueled speculation that Apple is gearing up to unveil AI-centric laptops and desktops in the near future.
As Silicon Valley dives deeper into the AI arms race, Apple’s moves to partner with leading AI developers and build in-house AI capabilities could set the stage for significant advancements in the iPhone’s functionality and user experience.
Tech enthusiasts and industry watchers are now eagerly awaiting Apple’s official announcements, which could provide more clarity on the company’s AI strategy and the future of its product lineup.
Pakistan’s mobile phone imports surged by 181.26 per cent during the first nine months (July-March) of the fiscal year 2023-24, reaching $1.301 billion, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
This significant increase is in stark contrast to the $462.700 million recorded during the same period in the previous fiscal year.
Despite this year-long surge, March 2024 saw a slight decline in mobile phone imports on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, with imports totaling $153.051 million, a 4.87 per cent decrease from February 2024’s $160.90 million.
However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, mobile phone imports experienced a remarkable 930.92 per cent growth in March 2024, as compared to $14.846 million in March 2023.
The overall telecom imports also reflected similar trends. During the first nine months of the fiscal year, total telecom imports reached $1.623 billion, representing a 117.90 per cent increase from $744.971 million during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
On a YoY basis, telecom imports rose by 422.58 per cent, totaling $189.042 million in March 2024 compared to $36.175 million in March 2023. However, on a MoM basis, telecom imports saw a slight decline of 1.13 per cent in March 2024, down from $191.201 million in February 2024.
Meanwhile, local manufacturing and assembling of mobile handsets continued to be an area of focus. During the first two months (January-February) of the calendar year 2024, local plants manufactured or assembled 6.1 million mobile handsets, which included 2.78 million 2G and 3.35 million smartphones.
This was in stark contrast to the 0.3 million units that were imported commercially during the same period.
In February 2024, local plants manufactured or assembled 3.83 million mobile handsets, significantly higher than the 0.06 million units imported commercially.
Notably, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported that 60 per cent of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are smartphones, while the remaining 40 per cent are 2G.
Despite robust local manufacturing efforts, official data indicated that local manufacturing and assembling of mobile handsets declined by around four per cent during the calendar year 2023.
This decline is attributed to challenges in importing mobile phone accessories due to restrictions on the opening of letters of credit (LCs).
Nonetheless, commercial imports of mobile handsets increased during this period, suggesting a shift in strategy to meet the demand for mobile phones in the face of supply chain disruptions.
The data presents a complex picture of Pakistan’s mobile phone industry, with significant growth in imports and shifts in local manufacturing dynamics.
The continued growth in imports highlights the demand for mobile technology, while local manufacturing faces challenges that could shape the future of the telecom sector.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten as the head coach of Pakistan’s white ball team and former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie as the head coach of the red ball team.
Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi while holding a press conference with Azhar Mehmood in Lahore announced the coaches of national cricket team saying, “Jason Gillespie is being brought as the coach of Pakistan’s Test team, while South Africa’s Gary Kirsten will be the coach of the national white ball team.”
“Gary Kirsten will join the team for the tour of England while Jason Gillespie will join the team for the Bangladesh series, the arrival of these foreign players is proof that they have faith in our potential.”
He said, “Azhar Mehmood will be the assistant coach of Pakistan cricket team for both formats, which will combine white ball and red ball cricket teams.”
These three appointments for the Pakistan Cricket Team have been made for a period of 2 years.
Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that a man cannot marry the sister of his former wife during her iddat period.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh from the province’s high court issued this order while hearing a case filed by Sabir Ali, who in August 2023, accused his brother-in-law, Musawir Hussain, of having two sisters as his wives.
Hussain claimed that he married his wife’s sister nine days after divorcing his wife, reports The Express Tribune.
In a 11-page long verdict, Justice Sheikh elaborated that according to Islamic jurisprudence and the country’s law, a man cannot marry two sisters simultaneously.
Resultantly, the court ruled that marrying the sister of one’s former wife before the completion of the iddat of his first wife is equivalent to simultaneously marrying two sisters. It is because a woman remains married to a man until the completion of the iddat period, as per Islamic jurisprudence and the decisions of the Federal Sharia Court.
The verdict also pointed out that during the investigation, Musawir Hussain did not provide authenticated documents regarding his divorce.
The court declared that marrying the sister of one’s former wife before the completion of the iddat period of the first wife would be punishable.
It is mandatory for the husband and wife to separate as soon as they become aware of the invalid marriage. If they fail to do so, it is the responsibility of the judge to annul their marriage, the court noted.
Madrid, Spain – Thousands of supporters of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rallied at the headquarters of his Socialist party imploring him not to step down over a graft investigation against his wife.
The 52-year-old, who has been in office since 2018, stunned Spain on Wednesday when he put his resignation on the line after a Madrid court opened a preliminary investigation into suspected influence peddling and corruption against his spouse Begona Gomez.
Sanchez said he would suspend all public duties until he announces his decision on Monday. The normally hyperactive premier has since remained out of sight and silent.
According to Madrid city authorities, the crowd rallying on Saturday to beg Sanchez to stay on numbered around 12,500.
Supporters held up placards saying “Spain needs you”, “Pedro don’t abandon us’, and shouted slogans such as “Pedro leader”.
“I hope that Sanchez will say on Monday that he will stay,” said Sara Dominguez, a consultant in her 30’s, adding that his government had “taken good steps for women, the LGBT community and minorities”.
Jose María Diez, a 44-year-old government official who came from Valladolid in northern Spain to express his support, said there was a real possibility that the far-right could take power if Sanchez quit.
“This will mean a step backwards for our rights and liberties,” he warned.
Inside the party headquarters, there were similar passionate appeals.
“Pedro stay. We are together and together we can … take the country forward, Spain can’t step back,” said Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero, the government number two.
“Today all democrats, all progressives, are summoned to Madrid against a pack whose only aim is to overthrow a democratic and legitimate government,” said Felix Bolanos, Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations.
At one point, Socialist leaders took to the streets to thank those gathered. “They won’t succeed,” government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria told the crowd.
The court opened the investigation into Sanchez’s wife in response to a complaint from anti-corruption pressure group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), whose leader is linked to the far right.
The group, which has presented a litany of unsuccessful lawsuits against politicians in the past, said on Wednesday its complaint was based on media reports and could not vouch for their veracity.
While the court did not give details of the case, online news site El Confidencial said it focused on links Gomez had to Spanish tourism group Globalia when carrier Air Europa was in talks with the government to secure a huge bailout.
The airline sought the bailout after it was badly hit by plunging paseenger numbers during the Covid-19 crisis.
At the time, Gomez was running IE Africa Centre, a foundation linked to Madrid’s Instituto de Empresa (IE) business school, which had signed a sponsorship agreement with Globalia in 2020.
Spain’s public prosecutors office on Thursday requested the dismissal of the investigation, which Sanchez said was part of a campaign of “harassment” against him and his wife waged by “media heavily influenced by the right and far right”.
If Sanchez decides to remain in office, he could choose to file a confidence motion in parliament to show that he and his minority government are still supported by a majority of lawmakers.
If he resigns, an early election could be called from July — a year after the last one — with or without Sanchez at the helm of the Socialist party.
The right-wing opposition has accused the prime minister of being irresponsible for putting the country on hold while he mulls his decision.
“It’s very clear to us that this is all a tactic… We know Pedro Sanchez and things with him always turn out like a soap opera,” Cuca Gamarra, the number two of the main opposition conservative Popular Party, said on Friday.
“He is making us all wait and the country is at a standstill,” she added.
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In the fifth T20 match in Gaddafi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 9 runs in a thriller match.
New Zealand won the toss and decided to bowl against Pakistan.
Pakistan inning:
Playing first, Pakistan scored 178 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. On behalf of Pakistan, Babar Azam played an innings of 69 runs, his innings included 2 sixes and 6 fours.
Apart from them, Fakhr Zaman scored 43 runs and Usman Khan scored 31 runs.
New Zealand inning:
Chasing the target of 179, Tim Siefert played an excelent inning of 52 runs on 33 balls.
Apart from this Michael Bracewell scored 23 runs, Jamers Nesham 16 and Josh Clarkson scored 37 runs.
From Pakistan Shaheen Afridi took 4 wickets while Usama Mir took 2 wickets.