Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The recent battlefield standoff between India and Pakistan was “a clear setback for India”, underscoring the decades-long Kashmir conflict and exposing India’s inability to impose a resolution, according to The New York Times. “Strategically, the battlefield tossup was a clear setback for India. An aspiring diplomatic and economic power, it now finds itself equated with Pakistan, a smaller, weaker country,” the newspaper noted in a report on Sunday. “The four-day clash reminded the world of India’s powerlessness to resolve 78 years of conflict with the troubled nation next door. Any act of confrontation plays into the hands of Pakistan, where friction with India has long been a lifeblood. Outright military victory is nearly impossible, given the threat from both countries’ nuclear arsenals,” it added. Says Delhi now finds itself equated with Islamabad, claiming any act of confrontation plays into the hands of Pakistan Drawing on interviews with more than a dozen diplomats, analysts, and officials,...

BADIN: Unidentified assailants shot dead a well-known social worker, who was also vice president of the Markazi Muslim League (MML), in a suspected targeted attack in Matli on Sunday, police said. They said Razaullah Nizamani, 50, was going to work when three armed men, riding a motorbike, fired at him on Phalkara Road and rode away. He suffered bullet wounds and was rushed to the Matli Healthcare Centre, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The body was handed over to his family after completion of medico-legal formalities. The police claimed to have launched an investigation into the murder. News of his killing spread like wildfire, causing shock and grief among his admirers and casting a sorrowful atmosphere across the Badin district. Later in the evening, a large number of people attended his funeral prayer held on Phalkara Road. Nizamani, also known by the alias Saifullah, had long been playing an active role in reformative and welfare activities and propagation of faith. Published in Dawn, May ...

• Planning Commission urges review of expenditure amid austerity measures • FBR defends procurement of 179 vehicles, says it’s essential to operational needs across terrains ISLAMABAD: The Planning Commission has raised concerns over the procurement of 179 vehicles, including 15 fully bulletproof units, under the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Rs41 billion Revenue Raises Project, urging a review of the Rs2.237bn expenditure in light of the Finance Division’s austerity measures. Funded by a $150 million World Bank loan at an annual interest rate of 2.5 per cent over 30 years, the project is a cornerstone of the Prime Minister’s FBR transformation plan. Despite its strong economic indicators — boasting benefit-cost ratios of 42 to 70 and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 130pc to 195pc — the Planning Commission flagged lax scrutiny in its implementation, particularly regarding vehicle procurement. “An amount of Rs2,237.5m has been proposed for procurement of 179 vehicles of different makes at a unit cost of...

• Diplomat says military dialogue aimed at making truce ‘sustainable’ • ISPR DG believes ceasefire can ‘hold easily’ • Confirms CBMs from both sides • Says Indian policy on Kashmir not working ISLAMABAD: A ceasefire reached between Pakistan and India following days of military confrontation does not have an expiry date, officials from both countries confirmed, putting to rest the speculations that the truce would lapse this weekend unless renewed. Rumours of a Sunday deadline gained traction after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Pakistan’s Senate last Thursday that the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) from both sides had agreed during a May 14 conversation to extend the ceasefire until May 18. Media outlets then widely reported that the ceasefire was set to expire. However, officials from both sides clarified on Sunday that no DGMO talks were scheduled for the day and that the ceasefire, originally brokered through intensive US diplomacy, remained in force without a s...

Stanley Tucci’s new Nat Geo series “Tucci in Italy” highlights Italy’s diverse cuisine and rich food culture.

Former US president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer and is reviewing treatment options, a statement from his office said Sunday. On Friday the 82-year-old Democrat was “diagnosed with prostate cancer … with metastasis to the bone,” the statement said. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the […]

A team of undergraduate students at Purdue University has come up with the speedy and viral Rubik’s Cube robot ever recorded, solving the Rubik puzzle in an amazing 0.103 milliseconds, breaking the previous record set by Mitsubishi engineers of 0.305 seconds. “To put it in viewpoint, the human eye blinks between 200 to 300 milliseconds. […]

Pakistani citizens who are planning international travel and are in search of destinations that do not require visa, have several visa-free countries offering access to Pakistani citizens holding Pakistani passports to enter. Pakistani travelers have an option to visit 32+ countries who do not require visa to enter their territory without requiring a visa, according […]

Diddy’s twin daughters Jessie and D’Lila attended their high school prom amid their father’s ongoing trial.

Michael Che made a surprising and heartfelt apology to fellow host Colin Jost wife, Scarlett Johansson during the Season 50 finale of Saturday Night Live (SNL). The apology came during the famous ‘joke swap’ bit on Weekend Update, where Che and Colin Jost force each other to read shocking jokes live on air. Johansson, who […]

He credits good team balance for securing playoff spot

The batter scored unbeaten 67 off just 38 deliveries

He and his team won the FA Cup, beating Manchester City in the final

This concludes the three-year financial plan

He took his fourth straight Imola win, Norris and Piastri finished second and third, respectively

The Italian won the doubles title as well after defeating Gauff in the singles final

They are set to host India next month

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will turn pink for the 30th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 between Islamabad United and Karachi Kings on Monday, 19 May, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. “As part of its corporate social responsibility, the PSL is supporting the Pink Ribbon campaign to create awareness about breast […]

A child lost his life, while 11 others were injured in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkwa after trees and signboards fell due to strong winds and storms, officials said. Speaking to Dawn.com, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi said, “A storm hit several KP areas, including Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar and Mardan on Sunday evening.” The storm also hit parts of the capital Islamabad. Faizi said a 10-year-old boy, Mohammad Hamad, died when a wall of a house collapsed in the Najib Abad area of Charsadda, adding that the injured were moved to the respective areas’ hospitals. Due to the storm, the electricity supply was suspended in many areas of the city, due to which citizens had to face severe difficulties, he said. He said that the Disaster Response Team of Rescue 1122 was immediately dispatched to the affected areas and work was underway to remove fallen trees from the roads. At least three people were killed in Rawalpindi and Gujar Khan last month after an intense hailstorm, accompanied by heavy ra...

Jennifer Lawrence has spoken openly about playing a mother battling deep depression in her latest film Die My Love alongside Robert Pattinson, which is competing at Cannes. In Die My Love, Jennifer Lawrence plays Grace, a young woman facing severe post-natal depression after moving to a quiet area in California with her husband, played by […]