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LAKKI MARWAT: A policeman was martyred after unidentified terrorists attacked a police checkpost in Lakki Marwat, KP, ARY News reported. According to a police spokesman, the suspects attacked the Shahbaz Khel checkpost with sophisticated weapons. Policemen deployed at the checkpost retaliated against the attack. During a crossfire, one constable embraced martyrdom, while a terrorist also got killed. The funeral prayer of the martyred policeman was offered at 10am. This is not the first time that a police checkpost has been attacked in Lakki Marwat in the recent past. Read more: Four policemen martyred as terrorists attack PS in Lakki Marwat On December 18, 2022, four policemen were martyred and four others suffered injuries after terrorists attacked a police station in Lakki Marwat. According to police, the s attacked the Bargi police station with hand grenades and rocket launchers in the wee hours. The terrorists fled the scene after exchanging heavy gunfire with the police. Th

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to be inaugurated Sunday for a third term as Brazilian president, in a ceremony snubbed by outgoing leader Jair Bolsonaro, underlining the deep divisions the veteran leftist inherits. The swearing-in will cap a remarkable political comeback for 77-year-old Lula, who returns to the presidential palace in Brasilia less than five years after being jailed on controversial, since-quashed corruption charges. In a sign of the scars that remain from Lula’s brutal election showdown with far-right ex-army captain Bolsonaro in October, security will be exceptionally tight at the pomp-filled ceremony in the capital. Some 8,000 police — including more than 1,000 federal officers, a record deployment for a presidential inauguration in Brazil — will provide security, The stepped up measures come after a Bolsonaro supporter was arrested last week for planting a tanker truck rigged with explosives near the Brasilia airport, a plot he said aimed to “sow chaos” in th

Iran’s military tested new attack drones in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz Saturday as part of its ongoing annual drill, state TV reported. Meanwhile, antigovernment protests underway for over three months continued. Videos on social media showed protests in Tehran’s grand bazaar and several cities and towns including in the Kurdish area. Part of Tehran’s bazaar closed in the wake of the protests which authorities cracked down on. State TV said the Ababil-5 attack drone was used during wargames for the first time and successfully hit its target with a bomb after traveling 400 kilometers (250 miles). Iran has tested many other military drones over the past decade. The military drones have been a point of contention between Iran and the United States and its allies, which claim Tehran is supplying Moscow with drones that have been used in attacks in West-backed Ukraine. In November, Iran acknowledged it has supplied Russia with drones, a

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has expressed resolve to take Pakistan towards the destination of economic and political stability and social betterment in New Year 2023. In a message on the eve of the new year, the prime minister prayed for the prosperity and welfare of the whole humanity. He said that 2022, was a year in which floods devastation increased miseries and problems for the people. PM Shehbaz reiterated to bring light into the lives of 33 million flood affected people of the country in the year 2023. He wished that the new year might be an end to price hike and terrorism and ensure security to lives and economic prosperity. The prime minister observed that the world was confronted with various challenges like climate change. PM Shehbaz said that they had to secure the future of the coming generations on durable foundations in the new year. The prime minister also expressed resolve the creation of new opportunities for the youth

KARACHI: Pakistan and rest of the world rang in the New Year 2023 with new hopes, wishes and ambitions, bidding farewell to a turbulent 12 months marked by the war in Ukraine, economic stresses and the effects of global warming. According to details, people in all major cities of Pakistan prayed that 2023 will usher the country into a new era of prosperity and peace. Security measures were beefed up as a large number of citizens took to streets to celebrate this occasion. The Pacific nation of Kiribati was the first to welcome in the new year, followed by New Zealand an hour later. Sydney was also among the first major cities to ring in 2023, restaking its claim as the “New Year’s Eve capital of the world” after two years of lockdowns and coronavirus-muted festivities. Australia’s borders have reopened and throngs of revellers gathered along Sydney’s sparkling harbour to watch 100,000 pyrotechnics light up the southern sky. A crowd that had been projected to surpass one million

FAISALABAD: A drunk man on Saturday climbed the top of Ghanta Ghar without any safety measures in Punjab’s city Faisalabad, ARY News reported. According to details, the drunk man reached Ghanta Ghar early in the morning, stabbed the supervisor with a knife and climbed the clock tower through the stairs. Later, the man started hurling bricks from the vantage point at people standing near the tower.  This alarmed locals who later called the police and rescue services. Upon receiving the information, the rescue team reached the spot and started attempts to take him down with the help of a crane. The boy uprooted the 20 to 25kg pillar and hurled it toward the rescue workers, hitting one of the rescue officials. Later, three rescue personnel climbed the clock house and subdued him after an hour of struggle. The suspect was arrested and an investigation into the case has been started as well. from Latest Pakistan News Breaking News from All over Pakistan - ARY News https://ift.tt/Qv

SEOUL: North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Saturday, the South Korean military said. The launches were the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests conducted by North Korea this year, as Pyongyang presses on with weapons development amid speculation it could test a nuclear weapon for a seventh time. The three short-range ballistic missiles were fired from around 8 am local time (2300 GMT) from North Hwanghae Province, south of the capital Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. All three flew at an altitude of around 100 km (62 miles) and covered a range of around 350 km (217 miles), Japan’s defence ministry said. South Korean military also said the missiles flew about 350 km. “North Korea’s ballistic missile(s) launch is a grave provocation that undermines peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, condemning it as a clea

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday filed an intra-court appeal against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order to hold Islamabad local government (LG) polls on December 31 (today), ARY News reported. The decision of the IHC single bench has been challenged by the ECP. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mian Aslam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stalwart Ali Nawaz Awan have been made respondents in the appeal. Sources told ARY News that the election commission will seek 10 to 15 days to complete the preparations for the LG polls through an intra-court appeal. Read more: IMRAN KHAN ASKS CITIZENS TO ACTIVELY TAKE PART IN ISLAMABAD LG POLLS CEC meeting  After the IHC order, the chief election commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja also chaired an emergency session with the senior officers. Sources said that the commission did not receive any instruction regarding the LG polls tomorrow. They added that neither logistic support nor staff members are available for conducti

France on Friday joined a growing list of nations imposing Covid tests on travellers from China, after Beijing dropped foreign travel curbs despite surging cases — and amid questions about its data reporting. Spain, South Korea and Israel also said they would require proof of a negative test for travelers leaving China, and UK media reported that Britain would soon join them. Despite its hospitals and morgues being overwhelmed — and international concern over the low official figures on infections and deaths there — China insisted Friday that it had been transparent in sharing its Covid-19 data. On Wednesday, a senior US health official said Beijing had provided only limited data to global databases about variants circulating in China, and its testing and reporting on new cases had diminished. On Thursday, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged China to be more forthcoming, saying it was “understandable” that some countries had introduced restrictions in

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have decided to contempt pleas against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government for not complying with the court order for holding Islamabad local government (LG) polls, ARY News reported on Friday. In response to ECP’s failure to hold Islamabad LG polls, the PTI Islamabad leadership took a decision in a consultative session to file a contempt of court plea against the commission and the federal government. The contempt plea will be filed in the IHC on Saturday morning. The PTI spokesperson said that the chief election commissioner (CEC) would be held responsible for not complying with the IHC order. READ:  IMRAN KHAN ASKS CITIZENS TO ACTIVELY TAKE PART IN ISLAMABAD LG POLLS The PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan also held consultations with the legal team and directed to prepare the contempt plea. Moreover, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) also prepared contempt of court plea against the ECP. In accordance

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to initiate the outsourcing process of three major airports under the public-private partnership, ARY News reported on Friday. The directives were issued in a meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif to discuss matters related to aviation and airports. The concerned authorities have been ordered to initiate the process of outsourcing Jinnah International Airport Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore and Islamabad International Airport. The prime minister directed that in the outsourcing process all concerned departments should take steps efficiently. He further said transparency should be ensured in this process. READ: PM APPROVES PLAN TO OUTSOURCE AIRPORT SERVICES’ DIVISION OF CAA The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the outsourcing of airports. It was informed that outsourcing airports are a normal profit-seeking practice throughout the world. It was told that initially Islamabad International Airport and

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani on Thursday said that the decision for the early closure of markets will be taken after consulting the traders, ARY News reported. Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani and Food Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla chaired a session to discuss the strategy for the energy conservation plan with the stakeholders. The session was attended by the business community, Commissioner Karachi, Administrator Karachi and others. They discussed the early closure of markets, marriage halls and restaurants across the province under the energy conservation plan prescribed by the federal government. While addressing the session members Saeed Ghani said he will try to convince the federal government of the suggestions regarding energy conservation proposed in the meeting today. He further assured of holding a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to stop the power outages during business hours. Ghani said that the federal

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Thursday that Adeel Hussain, the martyr of the Islamabad blast, will be awarded Tamgha-e-Shujaat. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the martyr package for Shaheed Adeel Hussain, he said while visiting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, where he inquired after the health of Constable Muhammad Hanif who sustained injuries in the blast. The minister was accompanied by Inspector General of Islamabad Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, Director General Operations Sohail Zafar Chattha and other senior officers, according to the state news agency. READ: ISLAMABAD SUICIDE ATTACK CASE REGISTERED Rana Sanaullah said that terrorists would never be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs as the country’s law enforcement agencies were fully capable of countering them. وفاقی وزیر داخلہ رانا ثناءاللّٰہ خاں کا پمز ہسپتال کا دورہ۔ وزیر داخلہ کے ہمراہ آئی جی اسلام آباد ڈاکٹر اکبر ناصر خاں، ڈی آئی جی آپریشنز سہیل ظفر چٹھہ

The United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths will visit Afghanistan in the coming weeks and will seek to meet the highest possible officials within the Taliban-led administration after it banned female aid workers, a senior UN official said. “We regret to see that there is already an impact of this decision on our programs,” Ramiz Alakbarov, UN humanitarian aid coordinator in Afghanistan, told reporters in New York. The United Nations said that some “time-critical” programs in Afghanistan had temporarily stopped and warned many other activities will also likely need to be paused because of the ban. Alakbarov said that the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan were “enormous” and the United Nations was committed to staying and delivering help. He said the United Nations was actively working to get the ban reversed. The ban on female aid workers was announced by Taliban-led administration on Saturday. It follows a ban imposed last week on women attending universities. Girls were s

PERTH: Stefanos Tsitsipas fired his 12th ace on match point to give Greece a 2-0 lead over Bulgaria with a comeback win against Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday at the inaugural United Cup. The world number four recovered smoothly after losing the opening set to emerge with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in his season-opening match at Perth ahead of the Australian Open. Greek teammate Despina Papamichail, ranked 158th, gave her country the opening point as she defeated a cramping Isabella Shinikova, also finishing with a fightback to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. The mixed teams tournament features 18 countries playing in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with each tie consisting of two men’s and two women’s singles rubbers along with a mixed doubles. Tsitsipas lifted in the final-set tiebreaker against an opponent he has now defeated in six of their seven matches. “It was extremely close, but I’ll take it,” he said. “It was a good effort from my side. “It was tough playing in the heat — I’m glad they

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has continued its royal expenditures as it disbursed funds worth Rs87 billion for the development schemes of the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) despite the economic crisis.  Despite the low-paced utilization of the development budget, the increased discretionary spending on MNAs’ development schemes to a record Rs87bn. According to the official documents, the incumbent government spent more than Rs11 billion on the development schemes of the parliamentarians. It showed that the government had spent Rs780,000 on MNAs schemes from July to October. The coalition government showed a record pace of expenditures in terms of MNAs funds before the general elections. The disbursement of Rs87 billion was made and Rs11 billion funds were spent in November. from Latest Pakistan News Breaking News from All over Pakistan - ARY News https://ift.tt/tdIQv42

LAHORE: Weather turned cold as parts of Punjab received the first rain of the winter season on Thursday, ARY News reported.  Showers were reported in Lahore, Sahiwal, Jhang, Okara, Mian Channo, Makhdoompur, Pindi Bhattian, Tabba Sultanpur and other parts of Punjab. The smog has also ended after the light rain in parts of Punjab. According to the PMD, a rain-thunderstorm with snow over the mountains is expected in the north and western Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan during the next twelve hours. Read more: Met office predicts rainfall in several parts of country About the possible impacts, the Met Office revealed that the rain will be beneficial for the standing crops especially in Barani areas. Foggy conditions are likely to subside during the forecast period. The MET Office forecast for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy weather with chances of rain and snow is expected in Srinagar, Leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian an

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk told employees that they should not be “bothered by stock market craziness” after the company’s shares fell nearly 70% this year on jitters over softening demand for electric vehicles and Musk’s distraction with running Twitter. In an email sent to staff on Wednesday and reviewed by Reuters, Musk said he believes that long term, Tesla will be the most valuable company on earth. He also urged employees to ramp up deliveries at the end of this quarter, after the automaker offered discounts on its vehicles in the United States and China. “Please go all out for the next few days and volunteer to help deliver if at all possible. It will make a real difference!” he said in the email. Analysts expect Tesla to deliver 442,452 vehicles in the fourth quarter, according to Refinitiv data. Tesla’s plummeting share price has hurt the value of shares owned by the EV maker’s employees. Tesla has offered stock compensation for most employees including factory

Russia’s foreign minister said Wednesday he was convinced that Moscow would achieve its goals in Ukraine thanks to its “patience” and “perseverance”. “I am convinced that thanks to our perseverance, patience and determination, we will defend the noble goals that are vital for our people and our country,” Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said in an interview broadcast on national television Wednesday. He reiterated Moscow’s stance that for talks to resume Kyiv should recognise the annexation by Russia of four Ukrainian regions. “Our absolute priority is four new Russian regions,” Lavrov said. “They should become free from the threat of Nazification that they have faced for many years.” Russia does not currently control the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in full, and Lavrov confirmed that was Moscow’s ultimate goal. Lavrov said that while Moscow wanted the conflict to be over, Russia would take its time to achieve its goals on the battlefield. “We are in

JAMSHORO: A woman was killed while several others sustained injuries when a loaded truck turned turtle and fell on a passing-by car on M-9 motorway near Jamshoro, ARY News reported. According to details, the tragic incident took place at Karachi-Hyderabad M-9 motorway, where a loaded truck turned turtle and fell on a passing-by car. The people in the car were travelling from Mirpur Khas to Karachi. Rescue sources told ARY News that the woman in the car died on the spot, while two women who sustained injuries were shifted to the hospital for medical assistance. Sources further claimed that the two people were trapped in the car and efforts were underway made to extricate them. Meanwhile, rescue operation was being carried out at the accident spot and the truck was being removed with the help of a crane. Read More: Three killed in car-truck collision in Ghotki Earlier in November, at least two people were killed and seven others sustained injuries when a car collided with a trailer

ISLAMABAD: Financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in the Dasu hydropower project have been unearthed before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), ARY News reported on Wednesday. The session was chaired by Noor Alam Khan in which the committee review the Ministry of Water Resources audit report for the year 2019-20. The committee advised a forensic audit of the construction of dams and other five projects including Bhasha Dam, Dasu, Mohmand, Neelam Jhelum and K-IV projects. According to audit officials, three contracts were finalised at a cost of Rs22.88 billion in the year 2016-17. The advance amount of Rs4.58 billion was given to contractors but the development work is not started after five years. The Ministry of Water Resources officials told the PAC that the development work was not started due to the World Bank’s timeline for the disbursement of funds. A PAC member Barjees Tahir expressed outrage at the officials and said that it is the ministry’s responsibility to

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif invited Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ‘International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan’, to be held in Geneva on January 9, 2023 in the wake of the recent devastating floods, ARY News reported on Monday. According to details, the prime minister held a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders exchanged views on various bilateral matters and international issues. During the telephonic conversation, PM Shehbaz underscored the importance of continued international support and solidarity for Pakistan’s plans to build back better after devastating floods. PM Shehbaz highlighted the daunting challenge faced by Pakistan in terms of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-affected areas in a climate-resilient manner. The prime minister expressed gratitude on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan to the brotherly government of Turkey for the pro

Mexico’s president on Tuesday urged people not to be tricked by drug traffickers giving out Christmas gifts, after suspected cartel members were filmed handing out toys in a major city. Authorities said they had launched an investigation after images on social media showed alleged criminals distributing presents from trucks adorned with Christmas decorations to residents of Guadalajara. “Don’t let yourself be manipulated, even if they give you food. It’s not in good faith but to use the people as a shield,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters. He said the gang members’ aim was to encourage residents to alert them so that, for example, “if cocaine is seized, the community comes out and protects the traffickers,” he said. According to local media, the gift givers were believed to be members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful and violent in a country plagued by drug-related bloodshed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, food handouts by the sam

Former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue Shabbar Zaidi claimed Tuesday that a one-month timeframe has been given to form a caretaker government after a deadlock between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan, ARY News reported.  Shabbar Zaidi, while talking to the ARY News programme ‘Off the Record’, claimed that there is a deadlock between the coalition government and the IMF. The incumbent government is not in a position to hold talks with the IMF till March, he added. He said that the government will have to take important decisions regarding the economy this week. Pakistan has technically entered default as the banks are not opening LCs. He said that Dar failed to get a temporary solution to the economic crisis and the decisions are being taken on an ad hoc basis. READ: ‘BIG DECISION REGARDING ECONOMIC SITUATION LIKELY ON FRIDAY’ The former FBR chairman said that the global institutions will prefer to hold talks with the new government. He added that the g

NEW DELHI: A fake bomb threat caused panic among passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport – New Delhi on Monday. At Delhi airport, a security staff cracked a bomb hoax on Monday after one of the flight passengers noticed a bomb threat message carved on the back of the seat. The incident occurred when a passenger on the SpiceJet flight noticed a bomb threat scribbled on the back of a seat, which alarmed other travellers. There was a bomb on this aircraft, which was written in Hindi, on the fabric of one of the seats. However, after extensively inspecting the aeroplane for any explosive material, security later determined it to be a false alarm. On Monday afternoon, a plane from Jaisalmer touched down at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Nobody noticed the message written on the back of this seat; likely so because the seat right behind it was empty. The moment they heard of this threat, the passengers—who were still descending from the plane—went b

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, confirmed their tour to Bangladesh for their first-ever T20I and a three-match ODI series in March 2023 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the tour dates. According to the details, the white-ball champions will return to Bangladesh after a six-year hiatus when they last played three-match ODI series with England triumphing 2-1. England’s historic tour to Bangladesh will embark with a three-match ODI series with Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) hosting the first two matches while Chittagong to host the final ODI of the series. The touring side will then play their first-ever bilateral T20I series against Bangladesh from March 9 to 14 across the two venues in Dhaka and Chittagong. The English side are expected to play two warm-up fixtures ahead of the ODIs. The warm-up schedule will be announced in due course. England Men’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh Schedule: Three-Match ODI Series: 1st

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to roll back the restrictions imposed on imports from January 2, 2023, in a bid to facilitate the industrialists and business persons, ARY News reported on Tuesday. According to details, the development was announced by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in a circular addressed to the presidents and chief executives of all authorised dealers (Ads) in foreign exchange. “Attention of the authorised dealers (ADs) is invited to EPD Circular letter No.9 of May 20, 2022 and Circular letter No. 11 of July 5, 2022 wherein ADs were required to seek prior permission from Foreign Exchange Operations Department SBP-BSC before initiating any import transaction pertaining to HS Code Chapter 84, 85 and certain items of Chapter 87,” the circular stated. The SBP noted it has been decided to withdraw the instructions from January 2, 2023.  “Consequently, requests for import transactions already submitted to SBP-BSC pertaining to above referred HS Codes stand r

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has rejected the objections raised by the governor on the amendment bill related to the ministers’ salaries and perks, as well as the use of the helicopter, ARY News reported on Tuesday. Sources told ARY News that the speaker’s secretariat wrote a letter to the Governor’s House. In its letter, the provincial government stated that the governor’s objection was a constitutional violation in accordance with Articles 115 and 116 of the Constitution. It stated that the governor is bound to promulgate the mini bill approved by the provincial government. The KP government made amendments regarding the use of helicopter in the amended legislation. It is pertinent to mention here that the KP governor raised objections to the use of the KP government’s helicopter other than the chief minister and governor. The government also returned the amendment bill to the KP Assembly Secretariat. from Latest Pakistan News Breaking News from All over Pa

In more than three decades of emergency medicine, Beijing-based doctor Howard Bernstein said, he has never seen anything like this. Patients are arriving at his hospital in ever-increasing numbers; almost all are elderly and many are very unwell with COVID and pneumonia symptoms, he said. Bernstein’s account reflects similar testimony from medical staff across China who are  scrambling to cope  after China’s abrupt U-turn on its previously strict COVID policies this month was followed by a nationwide wave of infections. It is by far the country’s biggest outbreak since the pandemic began in the central city of Wuhan three years ago. Beijing government hospitals and crematoriums also have been struggling this month  amid heavy demand . “The hospital is just overwhelmed from top to bottom,” Bernstein told Reuters at the end of a “stressful” shift at the privately owned Beijing United Family Hospital in the east of the capital. “The ICU is full,” as are the emergency department, the