Interim govt urges public to inform on smuggling, hoarding

The caretaker government on Sunday urged the public to come forward and inform on smuggling, hoarding and illegal immigrants. In a press conference, Interim Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti announced the government’s decision to incentivise informing on smuggling and hoarding activities. “Prize money will be given to people who provide information on smuggling, hoarding and illegal immigrants,” the interior minister said. Bugti, who was joined by Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, reassured of the caretaker government’s to eradicate the menaces of smuggling and hoarding from the face…

Scientists create oxygen on Mars, generate mosaic map for future landing

Scientists successfully generated oxygen on Mars from its carbon dioxide-abundant atmosphere using the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) that was carried to the red planet by Nasa’s Perseverance rover in 2021. The Perseverance rover was assigned to search for traces of life on Mars and now the results of generating have exceeded the expectations of scientists giving a boost to a plan of settling on another planet. The instrument created oxygen for more than two years. The experiment also showed that not only life-sustaining gas but also rocket…

Pak vs Ind: Rain stops play after India lose openers in quick succession

The much-anticipated high-voltage clash of Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash was halted due to rain after India lost both openers in quick succession to Pakistan.  A storm made its way to the Premadasa Stadium with the covers moved immediately, according to ESPNcricinfo. India are 147/2 in 24.1 over.  The match kicked off Sunday with Pakistan winning the toss and opting to bowl in Colombo, Sri Lanka. “We will bowl first. I think there is a bit of moisture, we need to use that. Always, India-Pakistan is high intensity, but we…

Sindh home minister refutes accusations of political victimisation

Caretaker Sindh Home Minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz on Sunday refuted the accusations of political victimisation within the province, stating firmly that no actions are currently being pursued against any political leaders. The minister’s statement comes amid reports regarding some politicians, notably those from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), being placed on a stop list as well as their residences being raided. Last month, sources told The News that the name of Mukesh Chawla, a PPP politician and former provincial minister, was included in the list as well, following an inquiry by…

Morocco marks first of three-day national mourning as death toll rises

Morocco, on Sunday, marked the first day of the three-day national mourning period following a terrible earthquake that left more than 2000 dead as many injured. According to the official MAP news agency, the royal palace released a statement on Saturday announcing: “Three days of national mourning have been decided, with flags to fly at half-mast on all public buildings.” The announcement came after Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presided over a meeting to discuss the disaster which has been dubbed, “Hell on Earth,” by media outlets across the world. The…

Biden administration not meddling in Pakistan’s politics, clarifies US senator

United States Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Sunday that US President Joe Biden’s administration has no intention of meddling in Pakistan’s internal political matters Senator Hollen, who claims to maintain longstanding ties with the Biden administration, refuted the allegations of political interference while addressing Pakistani journalists at the annual meeting and gala dinner of the DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) chapter of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America. “I have been in contact with the Biden administration for a long time, and I can confidently say that there…

When Elon Musk’s Starship to blastoff after failed bid months ago?

Amid a probe into Starship’s explosion in April during its first test flight, Elon Musk is required to wait until all the preventive measures are taken to preclude any failure on its next flight, as the space vehicle is being ready to carry Nasa’s Artemis III crewed mission to the moon in 2025. SpaceX’s Starship is more potent than Nasa’s all-powerful Space Launch System (SLS) generating 16 million pounds of thrust during liftoff with 33 Raptor engines. As the Artemis III mission date approaches, SpaceX has launched only one integrated…

Retracing President Arif Alvi’s turbulent tenure

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Arif Alvi assumed the office of President of Pakistan in 2018 after winning the presidential election nearly hands down and completed his topsy-turvy tenure on Friday (September 8) to join the few who finished their full constitutional term without any political nor non-political disruption.  Despite the ouster of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the prime minister’s office in April last year, after a no-confidence motion against him, and the subsequent departure of his party’s government, President Alvi remained in the office under the Pakistan Democratic Movement…

Asian Games 2023: Pakistani sports climber Iqra Jillani aims for historic win

KARACHI: Iqra Jillani, Pakistan’s accomplished sports climber, is determined to make history for her country at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, starting on September 23. With the goal to secure a medal in sports climbing, the ambitious mountaineer has been diligently preparing for this achievement over the past three months. At the age of 25, Iqra, who holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and works in the energy sector in Islamabad, is one of the five climbers chosen to represent Pakistan in the regional sports event. Her fellow…

Nearly 300 die, over 150 injured as 6.8 earthquake devastates Morocco

As many as 296 people have lost their lives as a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southwest of Marrakesh, Morocco Friday, triggering chaos as multiple videos surfacing on social media showed collapsing buildings and debris. The earthquake hit 44 miles (71 kilometers) southwest of Marrakesh at a depth of 18.5 kilometers at 11:11pm local time (2211 GMT).  “According to a provisional report, the earthquake killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that 153 people were…