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TOKYO: Oil prices fell on Monday as jitters over the prospect of the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates, which could slow growth and hit fuel demand, and worries about weaker Chinese manufacturing data combined to erase earlier gains. Brent futures for July delivery were down 61 cents, or 0.8%, at $79.72 a barrel at 0313 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude lost 63 cents, also a 0.8% drop, to trade at $76.15. US consumer spending was flat in March as an increase in outlays on services was offset by a decline in goods, but persistent strength in underlying inflation pressures could see the Federal Reserve raising interest rates again. “A hawkish tone from the Fed could put pressure on energy and metals,” ANZ Research said in a client note. The Fed is expected to increase interest rates by another 25 basis points this week. The US central bank has raised its policy rate by 475 basis points since March of last year from the near-zero level to the current 4.75%-5

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi staged a massive public rally at Karachi’s Sharea Faisal today to protest against the alleged fraud in the name of the digital census. Thousands of Karachiites marched on Shahrah-e-Faisal, under the aegis of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, against the massive fraud in the name of the digital census, demanding the authorities to count each and every citizen living in the city as Karachiite, irrespective of permanent addresses mentioned on their identity cards. People, belonging to all walks of life participated in the march to record their protest against the tactics employed in the census to understate the population of the mega city. The protest march also passed a resolution against the skyrocketing deadly street crimes, massive load shedding in parts of Karachi and acute shortage of natural gas particularly for domestic consumers, a press release said. READ: CENSUS TEAM ASKED TO COMPLETE OPERATION BY MAY 15: AHSAN IQBAL Speaking on the occas

ISLAMABAD: An important discussion between Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on crucial foreign policy has been leaked online, which has been named ‘Discord leaks’, ARY News reported.   The highly classified findings of the US intelligence revealed the internal assessment of Pakistan’s policymakers on how to tackle the challenge of growing tussle between the United States and China. According to a report published by Washington Post, the documents – among a trove of US secrets leaked online through the Discord messaging platform – provided a rare glimpse into the private calculations by key emerging powers, including India, Brazil, Pakistan and Egypt, as “they attempt to straddle allegiances in an era when America is no longer the world’s unchallenged superpower”. The US – in the leaked documents – had had been able to gain access to the top-secret memo written by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar. Acc

An armed attack has killed 10 people in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil, the public prosecutor’s office of Ecuador and police reported on Sunday. Three people were wounded, including a 5-year-old girl, police said on Sunday. A rifle and 9-millimeter caliber guns were found at the scene, the Ecuadorean Prosecutor’s Office posted on its Twitter account. “We believe that this has to do with a struggle between organized criminal groups over the fight for territorial control,” National Police Commander William Villaroel told a news conference. “At the moment, our investigation and intelligence units are carrying out operational actions in order to identify those responsible,” the National Police tweeted earlier on Sunday. There were no immediate arrests. The Ecuadorean government declared a state of emergency in early April in Guayaquil and surrounding areas in an effort to curb surging violence in the Pacific port city. The measure includes a curfew from 1 a.m. until 5 a.m. The

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has reduced the prices of all petroleum products, except petrol, by Rs5 to 10 per litre for the next fortnight ending May 15, ARY News reported on Sunday.   In a video address today, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the price of petrol would remain unchanged at Rs282 per litre while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) was reduced by Rs5 per litre to Rs288. وزیر خزانہ اسحاق ڈار کا پیٹرولیم مصنوعات کی قیمتوں میں ردو بدل کا اعلان #ARYNews #PetrolDieselPrice #IshaqDar pic.twitter.com/Mh9D3fb9tU — ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) April 30, 2023 Meanwhile, the prices of light-diesel oil and kerosene were being reduced by Rs10 to Rs164.68 and 176.07 per litre, respectively. Ishaq Dar said the finance ministry had tried its utmost to settle the matter of price changes in the nation’s favour after the recommendation from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). Read More:  Low-priced petrol scheme being worked out: Musadik Malik In its l

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Fawad Chaudhry claimed on Sunday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stopped the political party from organising a rally on Labour Day, ARY News reported. In a statement, Fawad Chaudhry said that ECP barred PTI from holding a public rally on May 1 (Labour Day) which is a surprise move. He added that May 1 is globally observed as Labour Day to express solidarity with the labourers. He said that political parties across the globe organise rallies on Labour Day. Chaudhry slammed the commission by saying that ECP is performing all tasks except for elections. He criticised ECP for banning the PTI rally and sending notices to its leaders. “Every move of the election commission is exhibiting partiality towards Imran Khan and banning PTI’s rally is illegal.” The PTI president demanded the chief election commissioner (CEC) immediately withdraw the ‘illegal ban’ on PTI rallies in Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. ECP, in a notice to Imran K

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dives Sunday into the final two-week stretch before a momentous election that has turned into a referendum on his two decades of divisive but transformative rule. The 69-year-old leader looked fighting fit as he strutted back on stage after a three-day illness and tossed flowers to rapturous crowds at an Istanbul aviation fest on Saturday. It was the perfect venue for reminding Turks of all they had gained since his Islamic-rooted party ended years of secular rule and launched an era of economic revival and military might. He was flanked by the president of Azerbaijan and the Ankara-backed premier of Libya — two countries where drones built by his son-in-law’s company helped swing the outcome of wars. Istanbul itself has become a modern and chaotic megalopolis that has nearly doubled in size since Erdogan came to power in 2003. But hiding beneath the surface are a more recent economic crisis and fierce social divisions that have given the Ma

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi has said no one would be allowed to take ‘illegal’ steps, ARY News reported on Sunday. Reacting to the raid at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf president and former Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi, Mohsin Naqvi said he is in Medina and getting the information about the raid. I have learned that a team went to arrest Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi during which Salik Hussain also got injured. A day earlier, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team along with a heavy contingent of Punjab Police  raided former Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house , located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore. Read more: Mystery surrounds raid at Pervaiz Elahi’s house At least 25 individuals, including servants working in the household of the former Punjab chief minister, were arrested by the police during the raid. The eight-hour-long police action stopped after the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Esta

 A man shot dead five neighbors including an 8-year-old boy after some of them had asked him to stop shooting a semiautomatic rifle in his front yard in Cleveland, Texas, because it was keeping their baby awake, police said on Saturday. Police were still looking for the suspect, who used an AR-15-style rifle in the shooting late inside the neighbors’ home on Friday, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. Sheriffs deputies were joined by FBI agents as they continued searching for the suspect, Francisco Oropeza, 38, in a nearby wooded area 18 hours after the attack, Capers said. “We are tracking him with dogs and men on horseback and drones in the air,” Capers said. Law enforcement had found an abandoned cellphone and some discarded clothing in the search area, Capers said. He was quoted as saying by other news outlets that all the victims were shot in the head “almost execution-style.” Police said all five victims were from Honduras. Officials from Capers’ office received a

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to continue negotiations with the government regarding the framework for elections of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) within the bounds of the Constitution, ARY News reported on Saturday. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by party chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park. The PTI negotiation committee – comprising Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Ali Zadar – was also present in the meeting. During the meeting, sources told ARY News that the negotiation committee tabled the details of two meetings held with the government delegation. Meanwhile, a difference of opinion emerged following the raid of PTI president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house. However, sources claimed, majority of the participants opined that the talks with the government should continue despite the ‘illegal’ raid on Elahi’s house. The participants were of the view that such raids and

SHEFFIELD: Luca Brecel staged one of the most astonishing comebacks in snooker history as he won 11 frames in a row against China’s Si Jiahui to reach the World Snooker Championship final with a remarkable 17-15 win on Saturday. Luca Brecel, who won seven frames in a row after coming from behind to beat seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals, looked all but beaten at 14-5 behind against the 20-year-old Si. But he began his astounding rally by winning the final five frames of Friday’s evening session and carried on from where he left off Saturday to end Si’s bid to become the youngest finalist at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and the first debutant world champion since Wales’ Terry Griffiths back in 1979. Brecel was the first player in World Snooker Championship history to overturn a nine-frame deficit and this win saw him into his first world final, with the 28-year-old having never previously got past the first round. READ: Iftikhar Ahmed replaces Haris

LAHORE: The mystery surrounding the raid at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President and former Punjab chief minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house deepened further after the federal government distanced itself from the operation, ARY News reported on Saturday. Sources told ARY News that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarar gave orders to Director-General (DG) Anti-Corruption Sohail Zafar and Regional Director Waqas Hassan. Sources claimed that the two leaders were in touch with the officers during the raid at PTI president’s residence at Lahore’s Zahoor Elahi road . Meanwhile, sources claimed that Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has also distanced itself from the raid. During the raid, a member of Chaudhry family contacted Mohsin Naqvi, upon which it was found out that the Punjab CM had left for Saudi Arabia. The relative also contacted Punjab Inspector-General (IG) of police Dr Usman Anwar and was told tha

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Saturday strongly condemned the police action against party’s president Pervaiz Elahi, saying that it was an illegal raid carried out by police on his home, with no regard for the presence of women and family members. “Strongly condemn the illegal raid on Pervez Elahi’s home with no respect to the women and family members present,” PTI chief Imran Khan tweeted past midnight on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan asserted that the Constitution, Supreme Court’s verdicts, and fundamental rights of the people are being disrespected, and the law of the jungle is being imposed. Khan announced that he would present a roadmap to the nation today on how to resist the destruction of Pakistan’s constitution and democracy. laundering Sharif & Zardari families in this manner? Enough is enough. Tomorrow I will give roadmap to our nation on how to stand up against this destruction of our Constitution & democracy. — Imran Kh

KARACHI: Karachi is likely to face severe load shedding as the K-Electric lost a record Rs 39.4 billion in the first 9 months of the fiscal year 2022-23, ARY News reported on Saturday.  As per details, the K-Electric losses in the 9 months of 2021-22 were Rs 1.49 billion.  The economic crisis resulted in less consumption of K-Electric units as 5.8 percent fewer units were consumed in the current fiscal year as compared to the last fiscal year.  The K-Electric has also seen a decline in bill payments amid the current inflation. The power distribution company may not provide electricity to the high-loss areas of the metropolis, K-Electric sources added. Read more:  NEPRA okays hike in power tariff for KE consumers Furthermore, the duration of load shedding is also increased in those areas where power is stolen. In April, the areas where more electricity is stolen may face 8-12 hours of load shedding while less power theft areas will face 8-10 hours of load shedding.  Earlier on Ap

UMAN, Ukraine: Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine on Friday, killing 26 people including five children, as Kyiv said preparations for a counter-offensive against Moscow’s forces were nearly complete. The deadly new attacks included a strike on a residential block in the historic city of Uman in central Ukraine, where AFP journalists saw rescue workers extracting victims’ remains from a destroyed residential building. The barrage of almost two dozen missiles ended a weeks-long pause following the repeated Russian strikes that had aimed to paralyse Ukraine’s energy grid during the winter months. On Friday evening, workers in Uman, the site of an annual Hasidic pilgrimage, pulled the body of another child from under the rubble. Authorities said Russian cruise missiles killed 23 people — including four children — in Uman. Earlier in the day, Dmitry, a 33-year-old resident from Lugansk, an eastern city under Russian control, was looking for his children. “I’ve seen a lot,

LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team along with a heavy contingent of Punjab Police on Friday raided former Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi’s house, located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore. At least 25 individuals, including servants working in the household of the former Punjab chief minister, were arrested by the police during the raid. The eight-hour-long police action came to a halt after the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Sohail Zafar Chattha, left the scene along with the police contingent. The ACE team along with police contingents led by the superintendent police (SP) Model Town raided Pervaiz Elahi’s house in Lahore. A large number of senior lawyers were present at the PTI president’s house at the time of the raid. The police entered the house after jumping from the wall and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) of police broke the main gate of the residence. The police offi

The US Army’s chief of staff on Friday grounded all pilots who are not involved in critical missions until they complete required training, after four helicopters crashed in a matter of weeks. Two AH-64 Apache helicopters collided in Alaska on Thursday, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth, while two Black Hawks crashed in Kentucky late last month, leaving nine dead. General James McConville “ordered an aviation stand down following two deadly helicopter mishaps that claimed the lives of 12 soldiers. The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement. “During the stand down, the Army will review the risk approval/risk management process, aviation maintenance training program, aircrew training standardization and management, and supervisory responsibility,” the statement said. Active-duty units must complete the 24-hour stand down between May 1 and 5, and National Guar

The federal government has failed to complete the digital census process once again and made an extension for the fifth time, ARY News reported on Friday. After another extension, the digital census process will be concluded on May 15 now. The population census was due to be concluded in early April but it was extended four times earlier. Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that the seventh population census and first digital census of the country is underway. He said that some political parties raised objections to the digital census and the government invited the stakeholders to brief them. He added that it seems that all people from far-flung areas were not counted and houses in some areas are being spotted through Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The latest extension was made to reach the remaining people not counted in the census. Iqbal said that the government will remove the fault lines and appealed to the nati

ISLAMABAD: In an arduous evacuation mission, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) successfully brought back 259 stranded Pakistanis from conflict-hit Sudan. “Second Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft has landed back at Karachi after successfully completing evacuation mission from Sudan,” the state news agency reported. The C-130 Hercules carrying 110 Pakistanis from conflict-hit Sudan took off this afternoon from Jeddah while earlier today, Pakistan Air Force Airbus also evacuated 149 stranded Pakistanis and landed at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. READ: 149 PAKISTANIS EVACUATED FROM SUDAN ARRIVE IN KARACHI In line with the directives of PAF’s senior leadership, Pakistan Air Force transport aircraft are conducting arduous evacuation missions to bring back fellow countrymen who were stranded in war-torn Sudan. The transport fleet of the Pakistan Air Force has always been at the forefront to respond to the call of the Nation during natural disasters and calamities. Pakistan’s embas

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has told the UN General Assembly that it considers the veto power vested in the Security Council’s five permanent members an important issue that needed to be tacked as part of the 15-member Council’s reform to make it more effective. Speaking in a debate marking the first anniversary of the 193-nation Assembly’s landmark resolution that requires the permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. — to justify the use of veto, Ambassador Munir Akram said the Security Council has been paralyzed by the strategic rivalries of its permanent members and the exercise of the veto. “It is precisely for this reason that longstanding disputes such as Kashmir and Palestine could not be resolved,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding that the vetoes in the Council have prevented and hindered the implementation of UN resolutions. “The final resolution of the issue of the veto will have to be resolved – not separately – but as an integral part of the reform o

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday called for boosting cooperation with Iran and Romania in all areas of mutual interest. He expressed these views in separate meetings with the envoys of Iran and Romania here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Talking to the outgoing Iranian Ambassador Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the president said Pakistan greatly valued its fraternal relations with Iran as both brotherly countries shared historic linkages and cultural affinities, besides having commonalities of views on issues of regional and international significance. He emphasized the need for increasing economic cooperation and expanding the trade volume for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The president also highlighted the atrocities being committed by the Indian security forces against Muslims in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and other parts of India, saying Muslims were being isolated and persecuted in India and the Muslim world needed to take notice of the Indi

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s young speedster Naseem Shah’s brilliant spell against New Zealand in the first PAK vs NZ ODI here on Thursday, propelled him to a unique ODI world record. Naseem Shah proved his mettle by bowling an astonishing spell in the first PAK vs NZ ODI against New Zealand; taking two wickets for just 29 runs in his ten-over spell and toppling Matt Henry’s long-standing record of taking 19 wickets in the first six matches. On target @iNaseemShah was accurate in his impressive spell upfront #PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/SxhMhtQAZM — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 27, 2023   The 19-year-old set a new record by taking 20 wickets in the first six ODIs of his career. He also holds the record for most wickets in the first four and five ODIs by leaving behind Imran Tahir, Ryan Harris, Zahoor Khan and Ibadat Hussain. The record-breaking performance by Naseem earned him high praise from cricket fans and experts around the world. His’s phenomenal bowl

Senior lawyer and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Latif Khosa said that the legal team is ‘misguiding’ PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, ARY News reported on Thursday. Speaking on the ARY News programme “Off the Record”, Khosa accused the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) of having a tradition of exposing the flaws of those who leave their posts.  He questioned the motive of the PML-N in discussing the judges in the House, stating that such actions would not help them in the upcoming elections. Latif Khosa emphasized the importance of the Chief Justice as the head of judges and lawyers and lambasted the current premier by saying that PM Shehbaz Sharif should have criticised the former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar during his tenure. The PPP leader also commented on the current political situation, stating that some individuals have made a state within the state and that the true power rests with the nation. He encouraged the ruling government to hold ele

RAWALPINDI: Dominant Pakistan put on an all-round show to storm past New Zealand in the first PAK vs NZ ODI and scripted a winning start to the five-match series here at Pindi Cricket Stadium. Watch  PAK vs NZ Live Match in HD Streaming The first PAK vs NZ ODI of the five-match series was played here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Pakistan captain Babar Azam opted to bowl first after the coin flipped in his favour. New Zealand, batting first, put up a decent total on the scoreboard at the back of a brilliant century and half-century by Daryl Mitchell and Will Young respectively. Mitchell smashed 11 boundaries and a six on his way to top score for New Zealand with a 115-ball 113. On the other hand, Young scored 86 off just 78 deliveries, laced up with eight boundaries and two sixes. The target set by New Zealand eventually proved insufficient for their bowlers to defend at the back of resounding knocks by their openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq . Fakhar Zaman conti

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has achieved another landmark in international cricket as the top-ranked ODI become second fastest Asian batter to score 12,000 international runs in the first ODI against New Zealand, ARY news reported. Pakistan’s batting superstar Babar Azam accumulated 12,000 runs in international cricket when he scored his sixth run in the first Pakistan vs New Zealand ODI. World No. 1 ODI batter @babarazam258 has completed 1⃣2⃣,0⃣0⃣0⃣ international runs #PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/5WslNR6QL3 — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 27, 2023 The right-handed batter took just 277 innings to amass the milestone and became the fastest Pakistani and second-fastest Asian batter to achieve the feat. However, he failed to level Virat Kohli’s record by difference of one inning only. Virat Kohli had achieved the feat in 276 matches. He is the sixth-fastest overall in the world to get to the milestone. West Indies batting great Sir Vivian Rich

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday cancelled his planned appearances due to a stomach bug, clearing Thursday’s calendar a few hours later, less than three weeks before Turkey’s crunch election. The 69-year-old leader’s announcement came in the heat of a hard-fought campaign in what is widely viewed as Turkey’s most important election of its post-Ottoman era. Erdogan had three appearances in the central Anatolian provinces planned for Wednesday. But he said Vice President Fuat Oktay would take his place instead. “Today I will rest at home under the advice of our doctors,” Erdogan said on his official Twitter account. “With God’s permission, we will continue our program from tomorrow,” he said. “On this occasion, I wish all my citizens health, peace and enjoyment.” Hours later, Erkan Kandemir, vice-president of the ruling AKP party, announced that Erdogan had also cancelled his programme for Thursday. He had been due to inaugurate Turkey’s first nuclear power station, at

SUKKUR: Two persons were burnt to death when Karachi Express caught fire in Khairpur in the wee hours of Thursday night, ARY news reported. According to Pakistan Railways authorities, the train travelling from Karachi to Lahore suddenly caught fire midway when one of cabins started blazing near Tando Masti, Khairpur. The rescue operation has been completed and the fire has been put out. The authorities claim that two persons lost their lives in the incident, a woman jumped from the train in a bid to escape the fire but unfortunately died during the attempt. Meanwhile, a passenger named Ikram said his four children are missing after the fire incident. Read more: Fire erupts in passenger train near Jahanian In one such deadly train fire incident, at least seventy-three people reportedly dead and forty others were injured when fire engulfed three bogies of Tezgam Express due to an alleged cylinder explosion at Liaquatpur in Rahim Yar Khan in 2019. The train was on its way from Kara