Blog - Page 17 of 251

‘Real King’: Babar Azam’s comment on King Charles delights fans

September 3, 2026 by Sports Desk

LONDON: Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam’s lighthearted comment after meeting Britain’s King Charles has gone viral on social media, drawing an enthusiastic response from fans.

King Charles hosted a reception for the Pakistan cricket team at Clarence House, where he met players and team officials. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also present.

During the reception, King Charles encouraged the Pakistani players and, in his conversation with Naqvi, praised efforts aimed at promoting peace in Pakistan and stability in the region.

After the meeting, Babar Azam spoke warmly about the encounter and jokingly said, “It was great to meet the real king today.”

The remark quickly spread across social media and was particularly appreciated by cricket fans, who often refer to Babar as the “King Babar.” His playful reference to King Charles as the “real king” added to the appeal of the moment among supporters.

Actress Kareena Kapoor regrets leaving education to pursue acting

September 3, 2026 by Entertainment Desk

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has opened up about her decision to leave formal education before completing school, saying she still regrets not finishing her studies.

According to Indian media reports, the actor, who has enjoyed a successful career and appeared in numerous hit films, said the decision to leave education has remained with her over the years.

In an interview, Kapoor said she never completed her education despite having the opportunity to do so. She said she entered the film industry and stopped studying after the 11th grade because she wanted to pursue acting.

Kapoor acknowledged that some people might make fun of her decision or criticize her, but said she wanted to prove herself as an actor because acting was something she genuinely wanted to do.

The actor said she continues to feel regret about not completing her education.

Speaking about her sons, Taimur and Jehangir, Kapoor said she wants them to choose careers according to their interests. However, she stressed that they should first complete their education and then follow their passions.

President Trump weighs formal announcement to end Iran war

September 3, 2026 by World Desk

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is considering making a formal announcement declaring an end to the war with Iran, according to U.S. media reports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is seeking to maintain pressure on Iran by prioritizing economic sanctions. At the same time, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended the deployment period of American forces in the Middle East to preserve military capabilities in case of an emergency, the report said.

The report said Trump’s administration is also facing growing political pressure ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, with Democrats potentially gaining an advantage. Negative public sentiment toward the war is also contributing to the pressure on the administration.

Despite the political pressure, U.S. warships and defense systems remain deployed across the region. The prolonged travel and combat deployments are placing significant strain on American service members, according to the report.

The developments come as the Trump administration weighs how to maintain pressure on Iran while addressing growing domestic opposition to the conflict.

Sindh CM warns NA against discussing province’s division

September 3, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday warned that even the National Assembly could not discuss dividing Sindh, saying the province’s future could not be decided outside the province.

The Sindh Assembly continued debate for a fourth day on a Pakistan Peoples Party motion opposing the creation of new provinces. The assembly also passed a resolution against the division of Sindh. PPP lawmaker Nisar Khuhro presented the resolution.

Addressing the assembly, Shah said no new provinces should be created in Sindh and argued that decisions about the province must reflect the wishes of its people.

He said ignoring public sentiment over Sindh’s future would be unacceptable and recalled that Sindh’s concerns were also overlooked during the establishment of the One Unit system.

Shah expressed concern over discussions about Sindh’s affairs on forums outside the province. Referring to comments made at an event in Lahore, he questioned whether wealthy businesspeople should be allowed to decide the future of new provinces.

The chief minister also criticized the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, saying its representatives had taken different positions on the issue of administrative units. He accused them of hypocrisy and claimed that some members had entered the assembly through procedures other than direct election.

Shah said population alone could not be used as an argument for creating new provinces. If governance was the concern, he said, the focus should instead be on administrative reforms and transferring powers to lower levels of government.

He added that strengthening local governments remained a priority for the Sindh government and said work was underway on further amendments to legislation aimed at empowering local government institutions.

ChatGPT, Claude and Grok hit by simultaneous outages

September 3, 2026 by Technology Desk

SAN FRANCISCO: Services for several major artificial intelligence models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and xAI’s Grok, were disrupted simultaneously Thursday, according to outage-monitoring website Downdetector.

The simultaneous outages were unusual because disruptions affecting individual AI services are relatively common, but a breakdown involving several leading models at the same time is less typical, according to a U.S. news website.

Reports also indicated disruptions affecting Google’s Gemini, although Google had not officially confirmed an outage.

Anthropic’s Claude status dashboard reported service disruptions involving its Opus 4.8 and Opus 5 models, while the company said other models had returned to their “baseline error rate.”

OpenAI’s status dashboard showed that ChatGPT and Codex were experiencing elevated error rates. xAI also reported technical problems affecting Grok and said it was working to resolve the issue.

Microsoft Azure, a cloud services platform used by the three AI companies, was also experiencing an outage. The disruption has raised the possibility that an issue affecting Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure could be linked to the simultaneous problems reported across the AI services.

The cause of the widespread disruptions had not been officially confirmed.

Sindh reports three confirmed Mpox cases

September 3, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

KARACHI: Sindh has reported four new mpox cases, three of which have been confirmed, according to officials at Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital in NIPA.

Hospital sources said three confirmed cases and one suspected case were reported at the hospital. Two of the confirmed cases are from interior Sindh and involve a father and his daughter, while the third confirmed patient is a 46-year-old resident of Federal B Area in Karachi.

PCR tests confirmed mpox in all three patients, while test results for the suspected case are still pending, according to hospital sources.

The latest cases bring the number of confirmed mpox cases reported in Sindh this year to 39, while Karachi has recorded 13 confirmed cases overall.

Mpox is a viral disease caused by a virus belonging to the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. Common symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, weakness and a rash that can develop into painful or itchy lesions. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin can also occur.

Health experts said the virus can spread through close physical contact with an infected person, including direct contact with rashes or lesions and through contaminated clothing, towels and bedding. Symptoms can appear within 21 days after exposure.

Experts advised avoiding close contact with infected people, maintaining isolation until recovery and practicing good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of the virus.

President Zardari stresses national consensus in meeting with Naqvi

September 2, 2026 by Pakistan Desk

LONDON: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met President Asif Ali Zardari in London, with the meeting focusing on Pakistan’s political and national affairs, according to sources.

The meeting lasted for about an hour, during which the two discussed the country’s overall political situation and other matters of national importance.

Sources said Naqvi conveyed an important message to President Zardari during the meeting, though details of the message were not immediately disclosed.

According to the sources, Zardari reiterated his principled position on national issues, particularly the ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces.

The president said a lasting solution to any major national issue was not possible without consensus among all stakeholders. He emphasized that all sides must work together in the national interest to help the country overcome its challenges.

The meeting also included discussions on recent political developments in Pakistan and other matters of mutual interest.

China imposes 20% tax on offshore trusts by tightening rules

September 2, 2026 by Business Desk

BEIJING: China has introduced a 20% individual income tax on certain gains and income linked to assets placed by Chinese residents into offshore trusts, tightening scrutiny of wealth held overseas.

The Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration issued detailed rules covering the taxation of offshore trusts, including requirements for taxpayers to declare and settle outstanding liabilities.

Under the new rules, gains arising when assets are transferred into offshore trusts are subject to a 20% tax, while income generated during the lifetime of the trusts can also be taxed at the same rate, depending on the nature of the income.

Chinese taxpayers have been given a 90-day period to declare and settle certain unpaid taxes. The rules cover assets transferred to offshore trusts from Jan. 1, 2023, as well as specified income from trusts established before 2026.

The measures are part of Beijing’s broader efforts to strengthen tax compliance and close gaps that have allowed wealthy Chinese individuals to hold assets through offshore structures.

Hong Kong and Singapore are among the major destinations for offshore wealth and trust structures used by China-linked wealthy families.

The new rules are expected to increase scrutiny of such arrangements and encourage greater transparency in overseas wealth management.

China’s tax authorities have also clarified that individuals who hold foreign citizenship or permanent residence abroad may still be considered Chinese tax residents in certain circumstances if their main economic interests remain closely connected to China.

The new rules mark a significant tightening of China’s approach to offshore trusts and overseas wealth, placing greater responsibility on taxpayers to report assets and income and comply with individual income tax requirements.

Jamal Shah denies domestic violence allegations by ex-wife Faryal Gohar

September 2, 2026 by Entertainment Desk

KARACHI: Veteran actor Jamal Shah has denied allegations of domestic violence made by his former wife and actor Faryal Gohar, saying the loss of her pregnancy was caused by a dog bite and not physical abuse.

Shah addressed the allegations in a series of posts on X, strongly rejecting Gohar’s claims and providing details about their marriage and subsequent divorce.

“Our marriage took place in 1984. In 1985, she lost her pregnancy because of a dog bite,” Shah wrote. He said the couple lived in London from 1986 to 1988 while he studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and divorced in 1989.

Shah said there had been no domestic violence and that the couple did not plan to have more children while living in London.

He said he remarried in 2005 and described his current wife as caring, capable and sensible, adding that they have three children.

He also said his family lived a simple life and maintained a peaceful relationship. Shah invited people to visit his home and said they could verify for themselves whether there had been any domestic violence.

In another post, Shah said he had never spoken negatively about Gohar in any interview. He said he agreed to appear on a program after receiving a request from host Nida but was not initially told that Gohar would also be present.

Shah said he found it difficult to refuse after learning about Gohar’s participation. He described their five-year marriage as a relationship he did not regret and said they separated amicably and did not publicly discuss their divorce for a long time.

“I have already answered that I never committed violence,” Shah said in another post, adding that he would not make unnecessary statements simply to fuel media and social media attention.

Battagram chairlift rescue story set for Pakistan cinema release

September 2, 2026 by Entertainment Desk

ISLAMABAD: A documentary film based on the dramatic 2023 Battagram chairlift rescue operation will be released in cinemas across Pakistan later this year, its creators said.

Titled Hanging by a Wire, the documentary highlights the underdevelopment and poor infrastructure of the Allai Valley while showcasing the courage and determination of local residents who helped rescue eight people trapped in a chairlift.

Producer, director and writer Mohammad Ali Naqvi, also known as Mo Naqvi, told Geo Digital that he wanted to take the story of the local rescuers and their bravery to an international audience.

“This was the first time the Pakistan Army, local residents and the administration worked together to save eight people trapped in a chairlift,” Naqvi said. He praised the local residents for successfully carrying out the rescue operation despite the area’s limited infrastructure.

Naqvi said the documentary was presented internationally to show the world the courage and resilience of Pakistanis. He added that the filmmakers also hope to improve the chairlift system used by children who travel to school in the region.

“We want to work with NGOs on projects that can help improve the infrastructure for these children,” he said.

Naqvi said the documentary contains original footage recorded during the incident. Some drone footage was captured by a local jewelry shop owner, Faisal, while residents also provided videos they had recorded, hoping to share their experiences, helplessness and efforts with the wider world.

Producer and writer Bilal Sami said stories about local Pakistani heroes often fail to receive international attention. He said the filmmakers wanted to bring the story to audiences around the world and highlight a positive image of Pakistan through the people who helped save lives.

Hanging by a Wire is currently being screened in cinemas in Britain and the United States. The documentary also earned a place at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received a positive response from audiences. It is scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release in Pakistan this year.

The incident took place on Aug. 23, 2023, in Battagram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two cables of a chairlift carrying eight people snapped, leaving the lift hanging about 900 feet above the ground by a single remaining cable.

Pakistan Army personnel rescued one person by helicopter, while zipline experts Ali Swati and Sahib Khan were brought in to help save the remaining seven people. After about 12 hours, all eight people were safely rescued.

Local residents have said that despite the high-profile rescue operation, little has changed in the area’s infrastructure, with chairlift systems in parts of Battagram still considered inadequate.