Newsdesk, Author at FutureSoch

England bowled out for 334 in first innings of second Ashes Test

December 5, 2025 by Newsdesk

In the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, England were dismissed for 334 runs in their first innings.

On the second day, the visitors could add only 9 runs to their overnight total before losing the final wicket. Jofra Archer, who resumed with Joe Root, scored 38 before being caught by Marnus Labuschagne. Joe Root remained unbeaten with a magnificent 138.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 6 wickets, while Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland picked up one wicket each.

Earlier on Day 1, after opting to bat first upon winning the toss, England suffered an early blow yet again, losing Ben Duckett for a golden duck in the opening over. Ollie Pope followed soon after, departing without scoring.

Zak Crawley and Joe Root steadied the innings, adding 117 runs for the third wicket. Crawley fell for 76 to Michael Neser. Harry Brook contributed 31 before being dismissed by Starc, a wicket that marked Starc’s record-breaking 415th in Test cricket, surpassing Wasim Akram.

Skipper Ben Stokes scored 19, Jamie Smith was out for zero, Will Jacks made 19, Gus Atkinson 4, while Brydon Carse departed without scoring.

England had ended the first day at 325 for 9 before being bowled out early on Day 2.

Mitchell Starc breaks Wasim Akram’s 23-year-old test record

December 5, 2025 by Newsdesk

Brisbane: Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc has set a new milestone in Test cricket by breaking Pakistan legend Wasim Akram’s 23-year-old world record.

During the pink-ball Ashes Test at the Gabba, Starc dismissed English batters Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in the first innings, marking a historic achievement.

With these wickets, Starc has now become the highest wicket-taking left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket. Previously, the record belonged to Wasim Akram, who claimed 414 wickets in 104 Test matches.

Mitchell Starc surpassed the record by securing his 415th wicket in his 102nd Test match.

It is worth noting that England’s James Anderson holds the overall record for most Test wickets by a fast bowler, with 704 wickets in 188 matches.

Field Marshal Asim Munir appointed as Chief of Defence Forces

December 5, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Defence has issued the notification for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of Defence Forces following approval from President Asif Ali Zardari.

The notification has been released under Article 243 of the Constitution of Pakistan and Clause 8A of the Army Act.

According to the notification, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has been appointed for a tenure of five years.

A day earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as the Army Chief and Chief of Defence Forces. The Prime Minister had endorsed the appointment and sent the summary to the President.

Under the approved decision, Field Marshal Asim Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of Army Staff as well as Chief of Defence Forces. He becomes the first officer in the country to hold the newly created position of Chief of Defence Forces.

Meanwhile, the service tenure of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has also been extended for two years. The extension will take effect after the completion of his current five-year term in March 2026.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on his appointment as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces.

He expressed best wishes for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

He said, “The appointment of the Chief of Defence Forces is in line with contemporary and modern warfare requirements. The country’s defence will improve further.”

“Under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, our brave forces delivered a crushing defeat to the enemy,” he added.

He said, “Under the leadership of Field Marshal, the brilliant success in Marka e Haq made Pakistan’s name shine all over the world and the country gained respect.”

The Prime Minister also congratulated and expressed good wishes to Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu on his two-year extension in service.

He said, “Under the leadership of Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, the Pakistan Air Force destroyed enemy warplanes with its excellent professional skills during Marka e Haq and frightened the enemy.”

“All institutions of the country will work together for the defence, development and prosperity of Pakistan,” he remarked.

He said, “Together, we will make the country’s defence impregnable.”

Punjab Govt to impose fines on litterers Under ‘Clean Punjab’ Initiative

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to impose fines on individuals and businesses responsible for littering as part of its ongoing Clean Punjab campaign.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister, focused on the Clean Punjab program and the Waste-to-Value project. The Chief Minister directed officials to submit a comprehensive plan for the project by mid-January.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the Clean Punjab initiative has received positive public feedback across the province. Measures such as vehicle tracking management systems, live container monitoring, and a digitized salary and payment system have been implemented to ensure transparency.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz remarked, “Establishing such a large-scale sanitation system is no less than a miracle. Starting from zero, we have steadily improved the Clean Punjab project. A comprehensive system for cleaning cities and villages should have been established years ago.”

The meeting also resolved that commercial areas and streets in Punjab will be strictly regulated under the law, and anyone found littering will face fines.

Furthermore, sanitation vehicles in the province will now be environmentally friendly electric vehicles, and the government plans to generate energy from waste in the near future.

Leonardo DiCaprio voices concerns over Hollywood’s cinematic future

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed his concerns about the future of cinema, warning that streaming services are impacting traditional movie theatres by drawing fewer audiences.

The Titanic and Inception actor told Deadline, “This year seems like one of the most lightning-rod moments in cinema history,” highlighting the increasing challenges in bringing viewers to theatres.

DiCaprio explained, “We’re up against it — the future of the cinematic experience — more than ever, I feel. Getting people to come to the theatres seems like more and more of a challenge.”

While he believes the theatrical experience is not doomed, citing the simultaneous releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer as examples of successful cinema events, he added that original and innovative storytelling is increasingly being confined to streaming platforms.

“The theatrical experience may now be reserved for technological spectacles that audiences want to experience on the big screen, while completely new, out-of-the-box stories may largely shift to streamers,” he noted.

Leonardo DiCaprio recently starred in One Battle After Another, which received widespread acclaim from both critics and fellow actors, earning praise for his craft and performance.

NFC to hold talks on resource allocation today

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: The 11th meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC), tasked with distributing resources between the federal government and provinces, has commenced.

The session is being chaired by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, with the IMF also on board for discussions regarding the new NFC award.

According to sources from the Ministry of Finance, all four provincial finance ministers, technocrats, and commission members are participating. The provincial representatives include Nasser Mahmood Khosa from Punjab, Asad Saeed from Sindh, Mahfooz Khan from Balochistan, and Musharraf Rasool from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All NFC members have been invited to the meeting, while the Federal Secretary of Finance is serving as the official expert for the commission.

The agenda includes reviewing recommendations for the new award, considering the formation of sub-groups, and setting the roadmap for future meetings. Finance Minister Aurangzeb stated, “We will approach the meeting with a ‘Pakistan First’ mindset, listen to the provinces, and present the federal financial position transparently.”

The current seventh NFC award has been in effect since July 2010. The Constitution mandates a review every five years, but the scheduled 2015 meeting did not take place until now.

A day prior, a key consultative meeting was held under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, to prepare for the NFC session.

During the briefing, the CM was informed about the province’s financial and constitutional rights in NFC discussions. He emphasized that despite the administrative merger of former FATA, financial integration has not yet occurred.

Under the NFC, the merged districts are entitled to PKR 1,375 billion, which has not been provided. At the time of merger, an annual allocation of PKR 100 billion was promised, which now totals PKR 700 billion. Of this, only PKR 168 billion has been disbursed by the federal government, leaving a balance of PKR 531.9 billion.

CM Sohail Afridi stressed that withholding the merged districts’ share violates the Constitution, and the province’s financial and constitutional rights will be fully protected.

KL Rahul and India’s 20-match toss curse: What Went Wrong?

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

AHMEDABAD: Indian cricket captain KL Rahul has now lost the toss in 20 consecutive international matches, setting an unfortunate record for the team.

In Wednesday’s ODI against South Africa, Rahul again lost the toss to Temba Bavuma, continuing the streak that has made India the subject of jokes and discussions among fans and experts alike.

When Rahul called the toss against Bavuma, spectators hoped luck might favor him this time. However, as in the previous 19 instances, the coin fell against the Indian captain.

This streak dates back to the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad when Rohit Sharma was leading India in ODIs.

Since then, the team has consistently failed to win the toss. In statistical terms, losing 20 tosses in a row has a probability of only 1 in 1,048,576.

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma correctly called “heads” and opted to field first. Despite the setback, KL Rahul managed a wry smile after the toss, admitting: “Honestly, this is the most pressure I’ve faced because we haven’t won the toss in a long time.”

Inspector Arm of Rawalpindi Police secures World Powerlifting title

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

RAWALPINDI: Inspector Arm Khanam of the Rawalpindi Police has made history by defeating Indian weightlifter Sapna and claiming an international title.

The World Powerlifting Championship 2025 was held in Sri Lanka, where Inspector Arm Khanam secured first place and won a gold medal.

She won two gold medals in total at the championship, showcasing Pakistan’s strength in international powerlifting competitions.

Upon her return to Rawalpindi Police Lines, Inspector Arm Khanam received a grand welcome and widespread appreciation for her achievements.

CPO Khalid Hamdani lauded her performance, saying, “Inspector Arm Khanam has brought honor to the Punjab Police and Pakistan. She is a shining star of the Punjab Police and a source of pride for the department and the nation.”

The Rawalpindi Police spokesperson added that Inspector Arm Khanam has also been invited to carry the Olympic torch and secured first place in the deadlift competition.

Pakistan allows UN containers to cross via Torkham and Chaman

December 4, 2025 by Newsdesk

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has granted permission to United Nations aid agencies to deliver food supplies to Afghanistan.

According to international media reports, the Ministry of Commerce has issued a letter to the Director General of Afghan Transit Trade and the Member Customs Operations at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), stating that the decision was made based on recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNFPA containers have been instructed to receive phased clearance.

The letter specified that food cargo will be prioritized in the first phase, followed by medicines and medical equipment in the second. In the third phase, containers carrying kits for students and teachers will also be cleared.

The move comes after a 50-day suspension of trade routes with Afghanistan, which has led to severe shortages of food supplies and medicines in the neighboring country.

It is noteworthy that all trade crossings with Afghanistan have remained closed since October 12, 2025, due to heightened border tensions.

Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been partially opened on humanitarian grounds for UN aid. The spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan has no issues with the Afghan people, but trade and other border crossings remain closed.

England bowled out for 334 in first innings of second Ashes Test

Mitchell Starc breaks Wasim Akram’s 23-year-old test record

Field Marshal Asim Munir appointed as Chief of Defence Forces

Punjab Govt to impose fines on litterers Under ‘Clean Punjab’ Initiative

Leonardo DiCaprio voices concerns over Hollywood’s cinematic future

NFC to hold talks on resource allocation today

KL Rahul and India’s 20-match toss curse: What Went Wrong?

Inspector Arm of Rawalpindi Police secures World Powerlifting title

Pakistan allows UN containers to cross via Torkham and Chaman

Ramadan: A Month of Transformation for Youth

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