Pakistan

QUETTA: Six opposition political parties have announced a complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across Balochistan on Monday (today) to protest against the suicide bombing that targeted a BNP-Mengal public meeting at Shahwani Stadium on Sept 2. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, former National Party senator Mir Kabir Muhammad Shahi, and ANP leader Asghar Achakzai remained unhurt in the suicide attack as they had left the venue just a few minutes before the blast. Traders, transporters, and businesses pledge support to opposition alliance Leaders of six opposition parties — Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Tehreek Tahaffuz-i-Aain-i-Pakistan, Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and National Party — strongly condemned the tragic incident in a meeting and announced a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike throughout the province. They declared that during the strike highways, intercity roads, and routes leading to Quetta airport ...

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday to win the US Open and reassert his dominance of an era-defining rivalry in a final delayed by the visit of United States President Donald Trump. The 22-year-old Alcaraz won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam title, avenging his lone defeat in a major final by Sinner at Wimbledon in July. “It’s a great feeling. I’m working really hard just to lift this trophy. It’s my second one but it’s still a dream come true,” said Alcaraz. Alcaraz will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner, returning to top spot on Monday for the first time since September 2023 after ending the Italian’s 27-match winning run at hard-court Grand Slams. “It was one of the first goals that I had, to recover the number one (ranking),” said Alcaraz, who also defeated Sinner in an epic French Open final in June. Alcaraz has now won seven of the past eight meetings and is 10-5 overall against Sinner. “I tried my best today. I couldn’t do ...

A speeding trailer collided with a car on Monday near Sidhuja on the National Highway, leaving seven members of the same family dead, police officials confirmed.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has taken immediate notice of the news regarding leakage of mobile phone SIMs data and formed a special team to investigate the matter within two weeks. “Following the interior minister’s directives, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency has constituted a special inves­tigation team to probe into the matter and submit its report within 14 days,” says an official press rel­ease issued by the Interior Ministry here on Sunday. It said the team will thoroughly examine the circumstances and those involved in the data leakage will be identified and brought to justice through legal action. Media reports say that data of all SIM holders, including Interior Minister Naqvi, was sold at Google. They further said that information regarding mobile location was being sold for Rs500, mobile data record for Rs2,000 and details of foreign trips for Rs5,000. A couple of months ago, the National Cyber Emer­gency Response Team of Pakistan (PKCERT) iss­ued an advisory warning tha...

PET funerals are becoming common, supported by a pet-owning population that has grown to 15.46 million, representing 29.9 per cent of the country. The practice now covers a wide range of animals, from dogs and cats to turtles, parrots and even goldfish. Rising demand has invigorated the industry, drawing in new providers and expanding available services. Yet calls for better accessibility remain strong, as many owners still struggle to find nearby facilities to bid farewell to their closest companions. A study by the KB Financial Research Institute in June found that 64.6pc of Ko­­reans who had lost pets held a funeral — either through a funeral home or a veterinarian — up sharply from 38.7pc in 2023. The share opting for cremation, which costs at least 150,000 won ($108) and is pricier than veterinary disposal, also rose from 29.5pc to 49.5pc. The surge is partly explained by legal restrictions. Under Korean law, animal bodies are classified as waste, which makes unauthorised burials illegal. For those who d...

Pakistan men, led by spinner Mohammad Nawaz’s hat-trick, bamboozled Afghanistan to win by a huge margin of 75 runs in the final of the Twenty20 International tri-series in Sharjah on Sunday. Player of the match Nawaz became the third Pakistani bowler to take a hat-trick in T20Is for the Green Shirts and ended up with figures of 5-19 as the Afghan batters had no response to his wily left-arm spin — getting bowled out for a paltry 66. He also contributed with the bat in Pakistan’s first innings by hitting two sixes and scoring 25 of 21 deliveries. Earlier, Afghanistan men’s spinners restricted Pakistan to 141-8 after skipper Salman Ali Agha had elected to bat first after winning the toss, and the Green Shirts had one change since their last encounter against Afghanistan on Tuesday, with spinner Abrar Ahmed playing in place of pacer Haris Rauf. Spinners Abrar and Sufyan Moqim picked up two wickets each as the Pakistani spinners outbowled their Afghan counterparts to win the final by 75 runs at the packed Sharjah...

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A lunar eclipse is visible over Pakistan on Sunday night with the celestial event expected to conclude at 1:55am. According to the Met Office, the eclipse began at 9:27pm. The total eclipse phase started at 10:31pm. The eclipse will reach its peak at 11:12pm, offering a striking celestial view for skywatchers across the country. The total eclipse phase is expected to end at 11:53pm. The partial eclipse will continue until 12:57am, while the entire eclipse event will conclude by 1:55am. A picture of the moon on September 7. — Tanveer Shahzad According to Suparco, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to observe with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes. In a press release on Saturday, the space agency had said that the eclipse will be visible in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, with clear visibility expected in most regions of Pakistan if the weather permits. “...

The Balochistan government on Sunday put out a statement warning protesters against disrupting law and order during a shutter-down strike across the province, including Quetta, on September 8 (Monday). Six opposition political parties announced a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike earlier this week, to protest against the suicide bombing that targeted a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) pu­­blic meeting at Quetta’s Shahwani Stadium on Tuesday, which left 15 dead and 38 injured. The strike call has been given jointly by six political parties, including the BNP-M, PTI, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen and Jamaat-i-Islami. While the provincial government noted in the statement that protest is a fundamental right, it warned demonstrators against blocking roads and highways. “Strict and immediate action will be taken against those who try to obstruct the freedom of movement and routines of life of citizens,” the Balochistan Home Department warned. “Elements wh...

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