Author: admin aphd

Web Desk: Police took into custody at least 25 women’s rights activists, including several prominent figures associated with the Aurat March, as they assembled to observe International Women’s Day in the federal capital on Sunday, The News reported. The detentions took place at the Super Market in Sector F-6, where participants had begun to assemble for a planned rally. Following the police action, the activists were moved to the Women Police Station in G-7 Markaz. Law enforcement officials said that the arrests were made due to a violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which is currently in…

Web Desk: Caitlin Kalinowski, who oversaw hardware at OpenAI, announced her resignation on Saturday, citing concerns about the company’s agreement with the Department of Defence. In a social media post on X, Kalinowski wrote that OpenAI did not take enough time before agreeing to deploy its AI models on the Pentagon’s classified cloud networks. “AI has an important role in national security,” Kalinowski posted. “But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorisation are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.” Reuters could not immediately reach Kalinowski for comment, but she wrote on X that while…

Web Desk: The first week of the US military campaign against Iran has cost around $6 billion, including about $4 billion spent on munitions and advanced missile interceptors, as Pentagon officials told Congress additional funding will likely be needed to sustain operations and replenish stockpiles. The figures were disclosed during congressional discussions this week. According to a report in The New York Times, about 4,000 Iranian targets have been struck, including missile launchers, naval vessels and air defence systems, significantly weakening Tehran’s ability to retaliate. Gen Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said Iran’s ballistic missile launches have dropped by…

Web Desk: TJ Miller, director of the first Deadpool movie, has teased the fourth installment in a statement. The action-comedy film belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe features Ryan Reynolds in a pivotal role. Miller also featured in the 2016 and 2018 Deadpool movies as Weasel, Wade Wilson’s bartender buddy. However, he did not return for the third sequel due to some personal legal issues involving an arrest in 2018 and alleged behind-the-scenes tensions with Reynolds. The 44-year-old actor and comedian’s latest statement about a new film has indicated that him and the Red Notice may have buried the hatchet. According to a source,…

Web desk: Pakistan has made eight requests to Saudi Arabia under long-term economic cooperation, including conversion of short-term existing deposits of $5 billion into a long-term facility of 10 years, enhancing oil facility on deferred payment from $1.2 billion to $5 billion with increased tenure, securitisation of Pakistani diaspora’s remittances of $10 billion and others. Top official sources confirmed to The News that Pakistan’s economic woes were multiplying in the aftermath of ongoing geopolitical tension amid the ongoing US-Israel-led war against Iran. On the other hand, Pakistan is negotiating with the IMF for completion of the third review under the $7 billion…

Web Desk: The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday maintained its key interest rate at 10.5%, pausing its easing cycle as rising global energy prices and regional tensions pose new inflation risks for the import-dependent economy. “The Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 10.5%,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on its website, adding that a detailed statement would be released soon. The SBP has cut the key rate by a cumulative 1,150 basis points since mid-2024, from a record 22% in 2023, as inflation cooled sharply from…

Web Desk: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday convicted 47 persons, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Shehbaz Gill, and Hammad Azhar, to 10 years of imprisonment each in a case related to the May 9 riots. ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah also found Kanwal Shuzaib, Rashid Shafiq, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chatha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, and Ijaz Khan guilty of being the central conspirators in the May 9 incidents.

Web Desk: Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting in which both sides discussed Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the framework of the joint strategic defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on X early Saturday, Khalid bin Salman said the meeting focused on ways to stop the attacks, which he said do not serve the security and stability of the region. The meeting follows an escalation of tensions in the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched attacks on…

Web Desk: The Punjab government has decided to establish anti-drone units in all districts of the province to disable “unauthorised drones operated by enemies of Pakistan or miscreants using advanced jamming technology.” In a statement, the provincial Home Department said the units will conduct aerial surveillance using specialised drone fleets to monitor district airspace. The announcement follows the federal government’s decision last month to impose a ban on all drone operations across the country after tensions escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan following border clashes. According to the Punjab Home Department, each anti-drone unit and its associated systems will operate under…

Web Desk: Pakistan’s armed forces are continuing ground and air operations against Afghan Taliban fighters and the militant group referred to as “Fitna al-Khawarij”, security sources said. According to the sources, security forces carried out a successful operation against Afghan Taliban positions in the Kurram sector along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, destroying several posts. The army reportedly targeted the positions of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij using heavy artillery fire, the sources added. Security officials said the operation, named “Ghazab lil-Haq”, remains ongoing and will continue until its objectives are achieved.