Pakistan Financial News

FBI visiting Ben Affleck's home in the Los Angeles area over the weekend were obtained, as quoted in a report by Parade.

domestic defence industry is set to get a slew of orders as the Army is initiating a round of emergency procurements to equip troops for counterterror operations in JK, with the focus being on quickly acquiring protective armour, surveillance systems and a range of drones.

Z-Morh tunnel in Sonamarg located in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and J-K LG Manoj Sinha were present at the inaugural ceremony.

Champions Trophy this year, said sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Also, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is being discussed as India's next captain, added the sources. Rohit's captaincy has been a mix of memorable highs and some extremely disappointing lows. Be it a 10-match winning streak during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup at home, which concluded with a loss to Australia in the final or India's redemption with an ICC T20 World Cup title win in 2024 at Barbados, Rohit's captaincy has given fans plenty of positives. Under him, team also made it to the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023, where they lost to Australia.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed flights to Paris on 10 January 2025, marking the end of a four-year ban imposed by the European Union over safety concerns. The airline, which faced severe scrutiny following several crashes and a pilot licensing scandal, now operates flights twice weekly, on Fridays and Sundays. However, its celebratory advertisement announcing the resumption has ignited widespread criticism online.

Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday night said that deposed Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina should be allowed to stay in India as long as she wants. Expressing happiness that Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri went to Dhaka last month and held discussions with the authorities there, Aiyar told PTI on the sidelines of the 16th Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival that the talks should be continuous and New Delhi needs to establish ministerial contacts with the interim government of Bangladesh. About demands by Bangladesh to extradite Hasina, he said, «I hope we will never disagree that Sheikh Hasina has done a lot of good for us. I am glad she was given refuge. I think we should be her host as long as she wants, even if it is for all her life.» Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 when she fled the country following a massive student-led protest that toppled her 16-year regime.

India had formally expressed displeasure with the Indonesian government on Subianto's decision to travel to Pakistan from New Delhi, where he will be the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. Pakistan was not part of his plan until he met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, Malaysia was part of his original plan. Indonesia has been among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member countries that have not backed Pakistan's position on Kashmir at the forum.

China Pakistan Economic Partnership, according to media reports on Saturday. The development came during the fourth round of Pakistan-China Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Beijing on Friday, according to Geo News. Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led the Pakistan delegation, while Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong led the Chinese side. The meeting reviewed the entire spectrum of practical cooperation between the two countries, focusing on the projects driving the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0.

Speaking via a video link in the regional conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security,' Mann urged the Centre to give Punjab the financial assistance for 10 years — Rs 60 crore per year — for creation of Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances courts and recruitment of public prosecutors, said an official release. Mann said, there were 35,000 drug cases pending for trial as on January 1, 2025, adding, at present rate of disposal, on average, a sessions court takes seven years to complete the trial.

Shashi Tharoor on Saturday condemned Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane's remark on EVMs, describing it as «shocking» and contrary to the inclusive values upheld during India's freedom struggle. Stating that targeting any particular community is wrong, Tharoor asserted that everyone is an equal citizen of the country and that's the only way for the country to progress. Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, «This kind of thing is quite shocking. In our country, we really have to understand the basic lesson of the freedom struggle, which is that when one set of people said that religion is the basis of their nationhood. They went away and created Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi onwards, our leader said we have fought for the freedom of everybody. We will create a country for everybody, we will write a constitution for everybody, and everybody will live here with equal rights.»

anti-terrorism court in Pakistan granted bail to at least 153 workers of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, more than a month after they were arrested during a protest. During a hearing, presided over by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, petitions of 177 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were heard. Subsequently, bail was granted to 153 of them while the court rejected the pleas of 24 on Friday, Dawn newspaper reported. Khan, 72, had on November 13 issued a «final call» for nationwide protests on November 26, demanding the restoration of the PTI's electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th constitutional amendment.

Champions Trophy 2025, as per a cricbuzz report. «While it was initially expected that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee would reveal the squad for the ICC tournament by January 12, adhering to the guidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC), they are now likely to request for an extension,» the report said. ALSO READ: Team India squad for ICC Champions Trophy: Who could make it to the playing XI?

India Meteorological Department (IMD), authorities have said, citing restrictions on non-essential foreign travel at government expense. Mominul Islam, the acting director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), on Friday confirmed receiving the invitation from the IMD a month ago, saying: «The India Meteorological Department invited us to their 150th anniversary celebrations. We maintain good relations and continue to collaborate with them.» «However, we are not going to the event as there is an obligation to limit non-essential foreign trips funded by the government,» Islam told bdnews 24. He emphasised the regular contact between the two agencies, noting his recent visit to India on December 20, 2024, for a separate meeting with Indian meteorologists.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister, died in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on January 11, 1966 after he signed the Tashkent Declaration, ending the 1965 India-Pakistan War. The official cause of death was a heart attack. However, the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery, with persistent rumors of poisoning.

State-run Pakistan International Airlines has resumed direct flights to Europe following a decision by the European Union’s aviation safety agency to lift a four-year ban over safety standards

Who are likely to make a cut in the Champions Trophy India squad?Out-of-form veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will continue to form the batting core of India's ODI squad, however, three senior players whose future in the 50-over format could be debated when the selectors gather this weekend to pick the squad for the Champions Trophy.India will play all their Champions Trophy games in Dubai, starting with the clash against Bangladesh on February 20. This came after the team refused to travel to original hosts Pakistan citing security concerns.Following a not-so-satisfactory performance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Team India look futuristic for the upcoming white-ball tournaments including England's tour to India, followed by ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

A spokesperson of the Immigration department at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport said, among them, 14 had Pakistani passports, while 244 were deported on emergency travel documents. «We arrested 16 deportees at the Karachi airport, including one with a suspicious identity, while the rest were released after questioning,» he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been at loggerheads with the federal government since the general elections in February 2024. Several leaders of the PTI are currently in talks with the government and Khan on Wednesday said his party will participate in the third round of talks to help ease the political tension in the country. «There is a plan to impose a ten-year dictatorship in Pakistan, of which two years have already passed. Judges or police officers who become a party to oppression are rewarded with promotions here,» Khan said in a tweet on X on Thursday.

Paris Olympics silver medallist Neeraj Chopra has been named the best male javelin thrower in the world in 2024 by globally-renowned American magazine 'Track and Field News'. The 27-year-old Chopra, who was beaten by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem for the Olympic gold medal in August last year, pipped two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for the top spot in the 2024 rankings published by the California-based magazine. Nadeem was ranked fifth as he competed in only one event in 2024 besides the Olympic Games where he came up with a monster throw of 92.97m as against 89.45m of Chopra. He finished fourth in Paris Diamond League. Founded in 1948, the magazine, which claims itself to be 'The Bible Of The Sport', publishes world and American rankings every year. The magazine is considered an authority in global track and field circles.