PSO extends Rs500m credit facility to beleaguered PIA

KARACHI: Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has extended another Rs500 million credit facility to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which would help the national flag carrier to normalise its flight operations in coming days. The financial issues between PIA and PSO have been settled and fuel supply would increase in the coming days, a PIA spokesperson said. The PIA flight operations have been severely hampered in the last two weeks, which saw cancellation of around 375 international and domestic flights after PSO cut supply to the state-owned airline due to non-payment of…

Bangladesh police break up anti-PM protest with tear gas, rubber bullets

DHAKA: Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at huge crowds of Bangladesh opposition supporters Saturday to break up a giant protest against the prime minister, with an officer and a protester killed in several hours of violent clashes in central Dhaka.  More than 100,000 supporters of two major Bangladesh opposition parties rallied to demand Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down to allow a free and fair vote under a neutral government. Live footage on the verified Facebook page of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) showed thousands of…

Prince Harry ‘paid a very high price’ to be with Meghan Markle

Prince Harry can never get his old life back despite his desire to return to his roots. According to reports, the Duke of Sussex has been house-hunting in the UK, owing to his longing for his childhood friends. However, royal critics affirmed that no one in Britain – “even his friends” – don’t want him to come back, noting “he’s been awful to his family and friends!!!” They also pointed out his wife Meghan Markle’s part in his move to the US in the first place, claiming King Charles’ youngest…

Faizabad sit-in case: Sheikh Rashid files plea to withdraw review petition

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday filed a miscellaneous application in the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking the withdrawal of his review petition in the Faizabad sit-in case. It is pertinent to know that multiple review pleas were filed challenging the apex court’s verdict — given by the apex court’s two-member bench comprising now-Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mushir Alam — on the Faizabad sit-in staged by the TLP in 2017 against the then-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. Rashid, in his…

132 Afghan refugees leave for UK

KARACHI: More than 132 Afghan refugees left Islamabad for Britain through the first special chartered flight. Under the supervision of British High Commission staff at the Islamabad airport, special category Afghan refugees left Islamabad.  All procedures were completed, including travel documents, for the special category of Afghan refugees going to the UK. The FIA Immigration established a separate counter at the airport. Women and children were also included in the first flight. The total number of Afghans to be transferred from Pakistan is between 2,500 and 3,000 and 12 flights…

Sri Lanka push dismal England closer to World Cup exit

BENGALURU, INDIA: Sri Lanka pushed dismal England to the brink of World Cup elimination on Thursday when they handed the defending champions an eight-wicket thrashing. It was a second win in five games for 1996 champions Sri Lanka. However, England now have four defeats and just one victory and need to win their remaining four matches to maintain their slender hope of sneaking into the semi-finals. Chasing just 157 to win, Sri Lanka reached 160-2 with 146 balls to spare thanks to in-form Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama. Nissanka hit…

IHC turns down Imran Khan’s bail, cancellation of FIR pleas in cipher case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Aamer Farooq on Friday turned down Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petitions seeking bail and cancellation of the first information report (FIR) in the cipher case. The IHC chief justice announced the verdict today which was reserved on October 16 after hearing arguments from both sides. During the last hearing, Khan’s lawyer, Sardar Latif Khosa, had contended that the FIR could not be registered against his client as the federal cabinet of the former prime minister had declassified the cipher. He further…

Seminar on 40 years of Pak-Korea ties organised

ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with Republic of Korea (ROK) embassy, held a Seminar on “40 Years of Friendship- Past, Present and Future between Republic of Korea and Pakistan”. Speakers in the inaugural session included Dr Talat Shabbir, Korean Ambassador Park Kijun and Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General, ISSI. Ambassador Park Kijun, in his remarks, emphasised the historic nature of the occasion, underscoring the robust and amicable ties between the two nations. He highlighted the vast potential for mutually beneficial collaboration in diverse fields. Ambassador…

Over 60,000 undocumented Afghans return via Torkham

PESHAWAR: Officers of the district administration and revenue department have been directed across the province to collect data of properties owned by the undocumented foreigners as government said over 60,000 have returned to thier homes via Torkham in the last few weeks. It has been learnt that all the deputy and assistant commissioners, tehsildars and patwaris have been issued orders to collect the details of properties and businesses owned by the undocumented foreigners or the people uknown. The mechanism is yet to be decided as to how these properties will…