Elon Musk pledged to protect Twitter from becoming a “free-for-all hellscape” to advertisers. Advertisers have started asking for information on how he intends to maintain the agreement this week.One significant advertising agency’s media buyer, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said the company would meet with Musk this week to discuss how the Tesla CEO intends to combat false information on social media.
The buyer reportedly asked clarification on how Musk’s promise fit with his own behaviour, including a weekend tweet that spread a hoax about the assault on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul.
Other issues include who will act as the point of contact for advertisers after a string of senior employees, including Twitter’s head of advertising, left the firm since he took over, as well as Musk’s proposal to increase the price of Twitter’s subscription service and show “half as many adverts.”The media buyer stated that the agency’s key clients are anticipated to attend the conference.A request for response was not immediately answered by Musk or Twitter.
NAIROBI: According to Nairobi businessman Waqar Ahmed, Tariq Wasi, the CEO of Karachi Kings, asked him to support Arshad Sharif’s trip to Kenya, which he set up out of politeness.During an interrogation, Waqar disclosed this to Pakistani investigators Athar Wahid, the director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Omar Shahid Hamid, the deputy director general of the Intelligence Bureau.Waqar is the brother of Khurram Ahmed, who was driving Sharif when they came under fire, killing the journalist. Sharif was travelling in a Toyota Land Cruiser at the time.
Waqar said the investigators that Wasi had asked him to house Sharif throughout his stay in Kenya and to assist him in any manner he could, in addition to arranging for a sponsorship letter to send Sharif from Dubai to Kenya.According to a source, Waqar told the investigation team that Wasi frequently contacted him to inquire about Sharif’s health and daily activities. Waqar informed the detectives at his residence, “I arranged for Sharif’s stay at my penthouse at Wasi’s request.
In the wake of the US Federal Reserve‘s aggressive rate decision last night, the dollar launched a rebound versus other international currencies. The Pakistani rupee lost 0.23% on Thursday, extending losses for the second day.To end the day at 221.95, the rupee dropped Re0.52. On Wednesday, it lost Re0.78 or 0.35% and finished at 221.43 against the US dollar.
The country’s merchandise trade deficit for the first four months of the current fiscal year decreased by 26.6% to $11.47 billion from $15.62 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, although this was insufficient to stop the depreciation of the rupee.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing RMB (Chinese currency) clearing arrangements in Pakistan was signed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Peoples Bank of China (PBoC), which is another significant development.
Sonakshi Sinha recently discussed acquiring 15 kg for her next movie Double XL.There are two ways to achieve it, Sonkashi said when discussing her physique transformation in an interview. Either you carry it out properly or you don’t. Due to a schedule crunch that is exceedingly unhealthy, it took me two months to gain the weight.
“However, I lost it in a healthy way. To lose the weight I had gained, it took me more than a year. I’ve now reached my previous weight. The Dabangg actress continued, “At that time, I didn’t have the time to acquire weight healthily and gradually.
LAHORE: The authorities have determined that there will be no change in the threat level despite the fact that Cricket Ireland on Thursday taken note of the attack on PTI leader Imran Khan.In a statement released in this respect, the PCB stated that Cricket Ireland is aware of an incident involving the former prime minister that happened roughly 150 miles outside of the Lahore location of the three ODIs and three T20Is between Ireland Women and Pakistan Women.
“Cricket Ireland is in contact with the PCB, local security advisors, and diplomatic agencies at this time,”It said that PCB CEO Faisal Hasnain had met with Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom and Team Manager Beth Healy directly and had given them an updated assessment of the situation on the ground.
It was also indicated that Cricket Ireland’s current advice is that the threat level won’t change as a result of this occurrence.The statement said, “The Ireland Women’s squad has been briefed, and Cricket Ireland’s security advisers will continue to review protocols and keep an eye on the situation.”
The Pakistan Army “strongly criticised” the incident that resulted in Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI and a former prime minister of Pakistan, being shot during his long march.Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the military expressed genuine prayers for the lost lives as well as for Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and all those hurt in this tragic occurrence.
Politicians and government officials have denounced the act in the “strongest words,” including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari, and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, among others.
Gunshots were fired at Khan at around 4:25 p.m. on Thursday, causing chaotic scenes to erupt close to the PTI’s welcoming camp at Allahwala Chowk in Gujranwala.According to the police, the guy who fired on Khan’s container has been detained. He got bullet wounds to his leg.
Ex-wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith, praised the young man who stopped the onslaught on Imran Khan on social media.At the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore, Khan is receiving treatment for a leg wound caused by a gunshot.Goldsmith, who broke up with Khan in 2004, praised God for ensuring his safety and added that the news was terrible.
Khan’s boys, according to her, were appreciative of the “great man” who dealt with the shooter and preserved their father’s life.She even shared a photo of Ibtisam, the young man who prevented Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, from being killed.
The filmmaker said when he was speaking at the British Film Institute Southbank that the United Kingdom instead excelled in the field of theatre and produced “amazing” pop music.
During a discussion that took place at an event held at the BFI Southbank in London, film director Danny Boyle voiced his lack of faith in the accomplishments of the British film industry.
Boyle said the following in statements that were published by the Daily Mail: “It’s a terrible thing to say at the home of British film but I am not sure we are great film-makers, to be absolutely honest.”
He continued by saying, “As a nation, our two art forms are theatre, in a middle-class sense, and pop music, because we are extraordinary at it.”
The filmmaker was speaking after a screening of the zombie thriller from 2002 titled 28 Days Later, which was a part of the British Film Institute’s (BFI) In Dreams Are Monsters horror film season. The film was written by Alex Garland.
Boyle has garnered a number of accolades for his work in the film industry, including the Academy Award for Best Director in 2009 for his work on the film Slumdog Millionaire as well as the Bafta Award for Best British Film in 1995 for his work on the film Shallow Grave.
Pakistan and South Africa T20 World Cup, Pakistan won by 33 runs.
The match between Pakistan and South Africa The 36th match of the Twenty20 World Cup in 2022 will be played in the Super 12 group. An all-around display by Pakistan, both with the bat and the ball as well as on the field. Throughout the entirety of the innings, Babar’s men were successful in taking wickets at a consistent rate. The performance of Shadab Khan with the bat and the ball was outstanding today. In both innings, the game was turned around by him. Temba Bavuma, who had scored 36 and 19, and Aiden Markram, who had scored 14, were both out in the ninth over when the leg-spinner took both of their wickets.
Temba Bavuma was in fantastic touch at the time, while Aiden Markram is in good form. Because of this, the required DLS score for the side following the rain break was changed as a result. Earlier in their innings, Pakistan was in a precarious position with 47/4. Iftikhar Ahmed 51 (35), who batted first, and Muhammad Nawaz 28, who batted second, helped steady the ship with a partnership of 52 runs for the fifth wicket.
Then, Shadab Khan, who was 22 at the time, and Iftikhar put together an 81-run partnership for the sixth wicket in only 35 balls, which completely dismantled the South African bowling attack. The proteas continued throwing away their opportunities, which didn’t make the situation any better.
Match EndedICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Australia, 2022 – Super 12 – Match 24
Pakistan
185/9 (20.0)
vs
South Africa
108/9 (14.0)
Match Ended ( Day – Super 12 – Match 24 ) Pakistan beat South Africa by 33 runs (D/L method)
Crypto mining has been hit severely by the digital asset market crash.
The digital asset decline this year is putting a significant strain on the cryptocurrency mining industry, as the high cost of electricity and the stagnating price of coins are bringing more and more enterprises to the brink of insolvency.
Core Scientific, which is traded on the Nasdaq, issued a warning last week that it may seek bankruptcy protection because it expects to run out of money by the end of the year. On Monday, Argo Blockchain, a company listed in London, expressed similar pessimism, warning it would be forced to shut down if a crucial fundraising effort failed.
These cautions arrived on the heels of a bankruptcy filing by US-based data center services provider Computer North, which owed up to $500mn and blamed the current market climate for its demise.
These miners’ precarious financial conditions demonstrate how the recent price drop of major cryptocurrencies like bitcoin has already begun to affect the industry that generates and verifies this currency and transactions.
The decline has already claimed some major cryptocurrency companies, including the loan platform Celsius Network and the hedge fund Three Arrows Capital.
Miners are just one part of the ecosystem that has been negatively affected by the crypto winter. Managing Director at Wedbush Securities Dan Ives described the current crypto market situation as “a chain reaction” as the “long frigid crypto winter” continues.
As leading token prices have remained relatively stable since June, analysts and executives in the industry have begun to question the long-term viability of mining. Since its late 2017 high of nearly $70,000, Bitcoin has hardly ever traded for more than $21,000.
Bitcoin and other “proof of work” tokens would not function without the efforts of miners. In a system that does not rely on intermediaries like banks or exchanges, these individuals check the validity of new blocks on blockchains, thereby playing the function of a trusty guarantor for transactions. Miners receive newly created tokens as payment for their efforts. Recently, Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency in the world, made the switch away from a mining-based structure.
The steadily increasing value of coins attracted a large number of miners. Before the bitcoin price crisis of 2021, businesses were investing heavily in mining hardware including powerful yet energy-hungry computers. In the first three months of 2022, Hut 8, a mining company, increased its capacity by roughly a third by adding 9,592 mining machines.
Since the additional mining capability entered the market at the same time that the price dropped, miners are now competing more fiercely for the token. Hashrate Index reports that in the past year, Bitcoin’s total hash rate—the computer power dedicated to mining—has climbed by 57%, reaching a new all-time high of 260 exahash (or quintillion) operations per second.
However, many miners’ dreams have been dashed by the unexpectedly high cost of energy. Bitcoin is the reward for solving difficult mathematical puzzles, and miners compete to be the first to do it. No of who gets the bitcoin first, the miners put in a lot of effort. Argo has acknowledged that the energy costs at its Texas operation were nearly three times the national average for the month of August.
The potential for nationwide power outages in the United States has made the situation worse. Texas companies Argo, Core Scientific, and Riot Blockchain reduced their activities in July due to rising energy consumption.
Reproducibility problem: The Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California has come up with a revolutionary approach to evaluating the reliability of scientific research by combining AI with knowledge graphs.
What Is Reproducibility?
What holds all scientific inquiry together is the scientific process. The problem-solving method is used by everyone from third-grade science students to Nobel laureates. In addition, the reproducibility of findings is essential to the scientific method.
A definition, please. For our purposes, “reproducibility” refers to the ability to produce the same output under identical conditions, including but not limited to the same input data, computational steps, methodologies, and code.
If you set out to test X in conditions Y and found that it performed as expected, you should be able to replicate your results. And if another scientist attempts to test X in Y conditions, they should receive the same result Z. That’s the way science goes, baby!
That’s not always the case, though; in fact, it’s rarely true.
The Big Problem in Science Right Now
The scientific world has realized over the past two decades that much scientific research is difficult or impossible to precisely repeat, a problem dubbed “the reproducibility dilemma.” Seventy percent of researchers in a 2016 study of over 1500 scientists conducted by the newspaper Nature said they have attempted and failed to repeat another scientist’s experiment, and more than half said they have attempted and failed to reproduce their own experiments.
This is problematic in and of itself since it casts doubt on the veracity of the findings, but it becomes catastrophic when one considers that subsequent research is based on the foundation laid by the original. If we can’t guarantee that testing X in Y conditions will always yield Z, then we can’t rely on Z to determine anything else.
The director of USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), Jay Pujara, stated it plainly: “People will not believe in science if we can’t demonstrate that scientific research is reproducible.”
In 2019, Pujara was a part of an ISI team that received funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The team’s principal investigators (PIs) were Kristina Lerman and Fred Morstatter. SCORE (Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence) was a DARPA initiative to create and distribute automated tools for assigning “confidence scores” that would measure the likelihood that a given scientific finding might be replicated.
Assessing Reproducibility
Manually evaluating a paper’s repeatability is doable, but it is time-consuming and costly. And in many scientific domains, new results are more important than repeating previous experiments when it comes to advancing one’s career. Thus, researchers have little incentive to conduct time-consuming replication experiments in an attempt to manually duplicate outcomes linked to their study due to restricted resources. SCORE set out to discover a method for automatically evaluating the scalability of research reproducibility, a much-needed service for the scientific community.
Machine learning methods have recently been used by researchers on the issue, with the goal of understanding which factors in an article have the most bearing on its repeatability. Ph.D. student in Pujara’s lab, Kexuan Sun, pushed these approaches further by looking at the correlations across publications rather than just the variables within them (which had never been done).
Instead of simply reading a document or analyzing its individual elements, “we had new ideas on how to measure reproducibility using knowledge graphs,” Pujara explained. To understand as much as possible about a publication, “we weren’t going to only look at sample size and p-values, for example.”
The unique method was created and evaluated, and the results were presented in a paper titled “Assessing Scientific Research Papers using Knowledge Graphs” at ACM SIGIR 22 (Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval) in July 2022.
From the Micro to the Macro
In order to create a massive knowledge graph (KG) [a representation of a network of real-world entities that depicts their interactions] the ISI team collected massive amounts of data from over 250 million academic papers. The KG was built using a synergistic approach to data collection and analysis at the micro and macro scales.
They examined more closely, at the level of individual articles, factors such as sample sizes, effect sizes, and experimental models that have been found to impact repeatability. These minute characteristics were incorporated as supplementary data for entities like authors and books.
In addition, the team took a broad view, zooming out to include metadata about the connections between entities, such as authorship and citations. The network’s framework was built on the back of these overarching connections.
So, Did It Work?
In a word, yes! As it turned out, the unique approach was remarkably synergistic. The micro-level findings were aided by the relationship information gleaned from the macro-level study. Similarly, the macro KG analysis benefited from the insights provided by the micro text analysis. Among the study’s most important conclusions are that the procedure yielded insights that transcended the simple addition of the two perspectives on the data.
Pujara called their result “state-of-the-art performance on predicting repeatability,” saying, “We found that if we could put both of these things together, combine some data from the text and some features from the knowledge graph, we could do considerably better than either of those methods alone.”
From here, the group intends to expand the KG to incorporate more papers and conduct more in-depth research into certain aspects of it. A report based on the team’s usage of the knowledge graph to examine the correlation between citations and gender was published in PNAS on September 26, 2022.
Additionally, they hope to release their software to the general public. Pujara has stated, “We’re attempting to construct portals where anyone can evaluate research and its reproducibility,” describing a website where users “could enter in papers and explore the knowledge graph and some of the features.”
Settling the Score with Science
Pujara envisions applications for the findings, which would ultimately be “reproducibility scores” assigned to pieces of study, by students, the scientific community, and the general public.
“If you’re a freshman in college, this might shed light on how to conduct research more effectively.”
In addition, it has the potential to improve the current system used to evaluate scientific studies. There may be tens of thousands of papers submitted to a conference or publication before organizers make their final decisions on which ones to accept, reject, or send back for revisions. Consider the time and effort required to go over all of those. Here’s how to sort through those 20,000 papers and determine which ones are most important.
Finally, the public could benefit from the approach they’ve established by increasing their faith in the system, which, as we witnessed during the COVID-19 epidemic, has important consequences for public health. When asked about the scientific credibility surrounding the pandemic, he responded, “There was phony research, and then there was genuinely good science.”
Pujara elaborated, saying, “Perhaps we would be able to prevent that type of disagreement if we were able to use these kinds of automated methods to recognize what research was trustworthy and what research we should take with a grain of salt.”
The scientific reproducibility dilemma may not be over, but it is being addressed thanks to Pujara and the ISI team’s persistent efforts. Furthermore, in the future, we will know how reliable Z is if we put it to the test under Y’s conditions.
Imran Khan was reportedly hurt while in his shipping container, and the police have already detained a suspect in the case.
Scene of PTI Chairman Imran Khan being evacuated in a bulletproof vehicle after a man opened burst fire at his container.
Imran Khan, chairman of the PTI, is currently conducting a protest march from Rawalpindi to Islamabad, and he has declared that the march will continue for another 10 months, or until the election date is announced.
An earlier goal had been to reach the nation’s capital by November 4. First, it was moved to November 8-9, then it was moved to November 11. Fawad Chaudhry, leader of the PTI, then declared that the party would keep moving the dates to “wear the administration out.”
After being removed from his position earlier this year by a vote of no confidence, the PTI chair is making his second march toward Islamabad.
International rating agencies are dubious that the current government in Pakistan can sustain tough economic measures in the face of political pressure and upcoming elections, adding to the economic uncertainty already present in the country due to its political instability.
Faisal Javed, among other PTI leaders, was injured during the firing incident.
Four or five other politicians, including PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed, were injured in the shooting that occurred near party president Imran Khan’s container.
Imran Khan sustains an injury on the right legand was shifted to the hospital.
After a guy opened burst fire on Khan’s container near Allahwala Chowk in Gujranwala, the PTI chairman was shot in the right leg and taken to the hospital.
Geo News reports that Khan was taken in a bulletproof car to the hospital.
Khan is currently being sent to an area hospital for emergency care.
New Delhi, the capital of India, is suffocating under the weight of toxic air.
Thursday, smoke from thousands of crop fires in northern India mingled with other pollutants to form a nasty grey cocktail that engulfed the megacity of New Delhi, reaching “hazardous” levels of smog.
On Thursday morning, IQAir reported PM2.5 levels of 588 parts per cubic meter. PM2.5 particles are the most harmful since they are so small that they can penetrate the bloodstream.
Nearly 40 times the daily maximum set by the WHO. According to IQAir, the air quality is currently “dangerous.”
“Right now is the absolute worst time to be in Delhi. Hem Raj, a 42-year-old police officer, complained to AFP about the city’s pollution.
“In the mornings, the body is groggy and exhausted. After hours of driving around New Delhi, “the eyes are always moist and the throat is always scratchy,” he remarked.
There is a lethal haze that blankets the city of 20 million people every winter due to a combination of factors including lower air, smoke from farmers burning stubble, and emissions from vehicles and other sources.
According to a study published in the Lancet in 2020, air pollution killed 1.67 million people in India in 2019, including nearly 17,500 in the capital.
The government of New Delhi frequently announces new strategies to mitigate air pollution, such as temporarily suspending buildings.
Despite efforts to persuade farmers in Punjab and other states to switch to other ways, they continue to burn rice paddies after harvests every year.
The Aam Aadmi Party, an opponent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, currently controls both the national capital and the state of Punjab, making this an especially contentious political issue (BJP).
Punjab, a state ruled by the AAP, has seen an over 19% increase in farm fires over 2021, tweeted BJP environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday.
To this, he continued, “There is no debate over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber.”
I’ve been here for a while, and things have only gotten worse in that time. Brij Lal, 54, another policeman, commented on how difficult it is to work the 8-10 hour shifts on the New Delhi highways due to the widespread effects of pollution.
However, there is little that can be done because police officers must constantly patrol the streets and interact with the public.
China is going to provide Pakistan with high-speed train technology State broadcaster CCTV says the first group of 46 train cars has been loaded and will be shipped on November 3.
BEIJING: CCTV, China’s state television, reported on Wednesday that China would ship technology for a 160 km/h high-speed railway train to Pakistan.
The first shipment, consisting of 46 cars, will leave the loading dock on November 3.
According to the source, this is the first time they have exported the technology, and parts for another 184 carriages would be transported to Pakistan for assembly.
State media in both China and Pakistan have recently called for a speedier completion of the economic corridor and related facilities for the Gwadar Sea Port.
In a meeting earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their commitment to further developing the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan, including the CPEC.
At their meeting in the People’s Great Hall of China, the two presidents discussed regional and global issues, as well as broadened economic and investment ties.
Both Shehbaz and Xi agreed that the ‘all-weather strategic cooperation partnership’ between their countries needs to be strengthened.
The day ahead for PM Shehbaz in Beijing seems jam-packed. There is speculation that he may also meet with Chinese investors and Pakistani businesses in addition to Premier Li Keqiang.
Pakistan’s prime minister arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to meet with Chinese authorities and discuss regional and global issues during his country’s two-day official visit.
The prime minister, who was leading a high-level group, was greeted enthusiastically by senior Chinese officials upon his arrival at Beijing’s airport.
After Xi Jinping’s election as general secretary of the Communist Party (CPC) at the party’s historic 20th National Congress, the premier is among the first world leaders to visit China.
Pakistan’s Arbaz Ahmad scored one goal in the match.
Pakistan only has one point after two games – PHF
KARACHI — Pakistan, and Malaysia played to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Malaysia took the lead in the 25th minute with Shello Silverius, but Pak equalized 10 minutes later with Arbaz Ahmad.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Umar Bhutta-led squad lost their tournament opener to South Africa by a score of 4-1 in Ipoh, Malaysia. Nine players made their tournament debuts in that game.
After nine players, including stars like Ammad Butt, Hammad Anjum, Moeen Shakeel, and Rizwan Ali, opted out of attending the training camp last month, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was left with little choice but to send a young squad to the competition.
Sources claim that players left Pak because they were offered better contracts in England’s league hockey and had doubts about the quality of coaching on the national side.
Our team will play hard on the field to earn some points and move up the standings. Around ten players will be making their tournament debuts for us, so it won’t be easy, but Bhutta told on Monday from Malaysia that the tournament would be good for the young players because of the worldwide exposure it would provide.
The senior members of the team, who have been with us for the better part of a year, will be sorely missed. We would have done better in both this competition and the Asian Games if we had stuck with the same team, he said.
Pakistan is currently in fifth place with one point after two games in the six-team tournament.
On November 4th, Pakistan will meet Japan in its third tournament encounter.
China’s President Xi and Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif talked about defense, trade, and green energy and their dedication to the multibillion-dollar CPEC project
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan/ISTANBUL
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to helping Pakistan achieve long-term economic growth.
Xi also requested that Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan be afforded a secure setting.
President Xi Jinping offered an additional RMB500 million ($68.6 million) in aid for Pakistan’s post-flood rescue and restoration operations during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
Recent devastating rains and floods have killed hundreds of people and washed away hundreds of thousands of homes, bridges, highways, and structures across the South Asian country of Pakistan, causing political and economic chaos.
In a statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, Xi was cited as saying, “China would continue to provide its support to Pakistan for sustainable economic growth and to exploit its potential as the geo-economic hub.”
For his first official visit to China, Sharif and a high-level entourage touched down in Beijing on Tuesday.
On behalf of the Muslim League, Sharif extended congratulations to Xi on being re-elected to serve as secretary general of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The two heads of state reiterated their nations’ dedication to one another and their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, saying their countries have stood side by side to achieve their common goals of peace, stability, progress, and prosperity.
Sharif also stated again that all political parties in Pakistan agree that the friendship between Pakistan and China is exemplary in international relations.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Defense, commerce and investment, agriculture, health, education, green energy, research and technology, and disaster preparation were all reviewed, and a renewed commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was reiterated by both leaders (CPEC).
Since 2014, Islamabad and Beijing have been working together under the CPEC, a bilateral investment cooperation framework with an estimated value of more than $50 billion.
The second-largest economy in the world may now reach the warm waters of the Arabian Sea via Gwadar Port in southwestern Balochistan province, thanks to the about $28 billion in energy and infrastructure projects previously spent by China in the South Asian country.
According to the statement, they also reached an agreement to begin work on the CPEC’s Main Line-1 (ML-1) and Karachi Circular Railway projects.
Beijing to continue its support
Xi stressed that China will maintain its “basic policy of opening up and providing new chances to Pakistan and the rest of the world through continuous development,” according to a separate statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“China will further strengthen the synergy between its development policies and those of Pakistan,” he said, expressing “grave worry” for the security of Chinese institutions and nationals engaged in cooperation projects in Pakistan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Xi hoped Pakistan would “create a trustworthy and safe environment” for Chinese residents and institutions.
With Gwadar Port, Beijing can access the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, and Xi has stressed that it is “essential to hasten” the construction of auxiliary infrastructure surrounding the port “to unleash its role in boosting interconnected growth in the region.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured Islamabad that Beijing will “continue to do its best to support Pakistan in stabilizing its financial situation,” and has pledged to work with Pakistan to expand cooperation in the digital economy, e-commerce, photovoltaic and other new-energy technologies, and to advance cooperation concerning agriculture, science and technology, and people’s livelihood.
It’s an unprecedented time to be alive while the globe, our culture, and our history all undergo unprecedented transformations. Xi said that in the face of global uncertainty, “both sides should stand on the right side of history, keep up their strong cooperation in multilateral mechanisms, and work closely on major international and regional issues in order to uphold true multilateralism, international fairness, international justice, and the shared interests of developing countries.”
Moreover, he said, China and Pakistan would collaborate to bring the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative into operation and to “make the global economic governance system more fair, equitable, and inclusive that benefits all and build a community with a shared future for mankind.”
By working together, the two countries will have a solid foundation for growth, and the world as a whole will benefit from increased stability and prosperity.
The amount of money exchanged between the two countries increased to $27.82 billion in 2018, according to the most recent figures released by Beijing.
The CPEC also helped create 75,000 new jobs in Pakistan, and Pakistan provided China with 300,000 masks and 6,800 pairs of gloves to use in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.
Kashmir and Afghanistan were also discussed, with both leaders agreeing that a peaceful and secure Afghanistan would be good for regional security and economic growth and that extending the CPEC to that country would improve regional connectivity initiatives.
Sharif also invited President Xi to visit Pakistan, which Xi graciously accepted.
In T20 World Cup the Green Men are not completely out of luck.
SYDNEY: Pakistan’s chances of making it to the tournament’s semi-finals were already slim before Wednesday’s win by India over Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup.
Now India has six points from four games, followed by South Africa with five points from three. With only two points from three games, Pakistan is in last place in Group 2.
India will play Zimbabwe in their final game, while Pakistan will play South Africa on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday. South Africa will also play the Netherlands.
With South Africa and India, the two teams ahead of Pakistan in the standings, scheduled to play against lower-ranked teams in their final games, it seems unlikely that Pakistan would advance easily.
It would not be enough for Pakistan to win both games in this scenario, therefore they would need to pray that either South Africa or India suffers an upset loss in the final round.
Pakistan must first and foremost beat South Africa on Thursday and then Bangladesh on Sunday if they want any hope of staying in the T20 world cup.
Then hope that Zimbabwe or the Netherlands achieve an upset win against their opponents, India or South Africa, respectively.
Pakistan would finish ahead of South Africa in the points table and qualify for the T20 world cup semi-finals alongside India if they win against South Africa on Thursday, Bangladesh on Sunday, and the Netherlands pull off an unlikely upset against the Proteas on Sunday.
Pakistan and India will be tied with six points if the hosts take both games and India is stunned by Zimbabwe. At this point in time, Pakistan’s NRR of +0.765 is higher than India’s NRR of +0.730.
If the game between South Africa and the Netherlands is postponed or rained out, Pakistan will also qualify for T20 worldcup.
If it rains, South Africa will only be able to score 6 points and finish behind Pakistan in the standings.
If two or more teams finish with the same amount of points, the team with the most victories advances to the semifinals per clause 16.10.2(b) of the playing conditions. South Africa would have two wins and two washouts if the Netherlands and South Africa both ended in draws, whereas Pakistan would have three victories if they won both games.
On the other hand, Sunday seems dry in Adelaide so far.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan can still keep their hopes alive by beating South Africa in Sydney on Thursday, but only if they do so.
Pakistan Customs has opened an investigation into its employees for falsifying 8,299 devices’ international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) numbers.
According to sources, the Additional Collector Customs Air Freight Unit, New Islamabad International Airport, has ordered six customs officials, including Inspectors Raja Hamid Mukhtar, Faraz Hussain Akhtar, Principal Appraiser Zia Hasan, Appraiser Customs Effan Younis, and Appraiser officers Saima and Faiza, to respond to the request for modifying the mobile GDs system within three days.
According to the letter of explanation sent to the officials, “Whereas, it has been discovered that you were among the examination/assessing officers of the six GDs containing mobiles not found and Whereas, as per Law, you did not inform Assistant Collector in charge of the said deficiency and assessed/examined the GDs on your own accord, which has led to the evasion of duty and taxes amounting to Rs. 76.9 million and whitewashing of 8,299 IMEI.
Most of the flood victims have now returned to their homes, with only a few still staying in temporary shelters.
An internally displaced flood-affected woman looks after her child at a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Sindh province, on September 2, 2022. (Photo by Akram SHAHID / AFP) (Photo by AKRAM SHAHID/AFP via Getty Images)
ISLAMABAD: According to the government, the majority of people who were displaced by the unprecedented floods that hit the country last summer have now returned to their homes, and only a small portion of those people are still living in makeshift camps in the Sindh region, which was the area that was hit the hardest.
The newest statistics, according to the organization in charge of disaster management, show that little less than 50,000 people are currently residing in camps in Sindh. This number is far lower than the half a million people who were living in tents in the region back in September.
The catastrophic floods that struck Pakistan in the summer of 2017, which were made much worse by climate change, resulted in 1,735 fatalities and the displacement of 33 million people. 12 million people were impacted by the floods in Sindh alone, and 796 individuals lost their lives as a direct result.
Pakistan has requested that the international community increase the amount of assistance provided to flood survivors, who are now in danger due to the approaching winter. The World Bank estimates that the floods cost $40 billion in damages the month prior to that estimate being released.
If victims of the flood were not provided with food and other supplies in a timely manner, the harsh winter weather may make their suffering even worse.
Cash-strapped Before the extraordinarily strong monsoon rains came in the middle of June, Pakistan was already in the midst of a catastrophic financial crisis. These monsoon rains triggered floods that at one point left a third of the country’s land submerged.
In a report that was released on Tuesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the regions of Balochistan and Sindh still have water that is standing still.
And despite the fact that the floods caused severe damage to the country’s agricultural output, the report found that 98 percent of the land used for wheat cultivation is still available for the following planting season. This is a promising sign, considering that Pakistan has already begun importing wheat to prevent a potential food crisis.
It has been confirmed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority that a malfunction in one of the international underwater cables, the SMW5, has been reported and is to blame for the country’s nationwide degradation of internet services (PTA).
Transworld Associates has informed all Internet service providers (ISPs) in Pakistan that an outage has recurred in one of the global upstream networks.”Our service in Pakistan is currently degrading as a result of the international undersea cable failure SMW5,” the statement continued.
Our partners are tackling the problem as a top priority and are anticipated to finish their work soon. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience, Transworld wrote in a note to its Pakistani business partners.
Internet speed across the country was notified by PTCL that an outage has occurred in one of its upstream networks says the report.
Users experienced a glitch while trying to access various online resources.
The SMW5 international underwater cable reportedly suffered problems on Wednesday, resulting in slower speeds for certain internet customers.
According to ProPakistani, citing the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), PTCL has informed ISPs across Pakistan of an outage in one of the international upstream networks.
According to the study, “standard procedures to supply uninterrupted internet services to the consumers have proven useless so far,” with significant impacts on eastbound traffic due to pending issues that have yet to be resolved.
Recent information indicates that the upstream quality of service in Egypt’s terrestrial segment has degraded following the breakage of various international cables (MENA, AAE-1, and SMW5).
Earlier in the day, users in Pakistan reported that they could partially access the Meta-owned social media networks WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook again.
Social networking sites reportedly went offline at 5 pm, according to Downdetector, which monitors outages by compiling status reports from several sources, including user-submitted problems on its platform.
Two days after a global Instagram outage, news of this one spread. On Monday, the company, which is owned by Meta, announced that it was investigating a problem that had stopped thousands of customers from accessing the photo-sharing platform.
Thousands of supporters gathered in front of his house on his 57th birthday to exhibit their unwavering devotion to him. Shah Rukh Khan gained notoriety through playing a number of personas. He has played a variety of roles well, from an obsessed lover in Baazigar to a pleasant teacher in Mohabbatein. He had smokin’ chemistry with every 90s heroine, and he did an equally impressive job with the lead women of this era.
The romance king turns a year older and is showered with unreal amounts of love by his followers. People of all ages still adore him after decades since he has won hearts throughout his career.
The amount of love the King Khan received on his birthday left him speechless. The actor expressed his gratitude for everyone’s support on his birthday by writing on Instagram, “It’s so nice to live in front of the water…..the sea of love that flows all around me.” Thank you for making me feel so special and joyful.
GENEVA: The UN said on Wednesday that over the past three decades, temperatures in Europe have risen at a rate that is more than twice as fast as the world average, making it the continent with the fastest rise.
According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization of the UN and the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union, temperatures in the European region have increased by an average of 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade since 1991.
Due to this, the Alpine glaciers’ ice thickness decreased by 30 metres (just under 100 feet) between 1997 and 2021, while the Greenland ice sheet is rapidly melting and driving sea level rise.
DOHA: In the most recent operation against fake World Cup trophies reaching the market before the upcoming football tournament, Qatari authorities said on Wednesday that they had captured 144 of them.
Officers began an operation, according to the interior ministry, “acting on information concerning a website that promotes the sale of cups that replicate the genuine shape of the World Cup.”
It revealed a picture of the 144 life-size trophies spread out on the ground and promised “additional legal proceedings will be undertaken.”
The Economic and Cyber Crimes Combating Department, in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Protection Committee, seized 144 counterfeit cups similar to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, for violation of Law number 10/2021 on hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. #MOIQatarpic.twitter.com/ysRXlhmo2S
FIFA, the governing body of football, and Qatari officials have recently increased their warnings against selling or purchasing phoney World Cup merchandise.
Following the sale of unique licence plates in online auctions in June, Qatar issued a warning to motorists that it was unlawful to display a World Cup insignia on their vehicle licence plates.Five persons were detained by the police a month earlier for selling fake World Cup-branded clothing.
As Pakistan’s first movie to reach the milestone of PKR 150 crore, The Legend of Maula Jatt has continued to shatter box office records!Director Bilal Lashari discussed the innovative concept that drove the creation of TLoMJ while reflecting on his journey through obstacles and perseverance in creating Pakistan’s largest cinematic event.
In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Lashari spoke about the film’s resounding success around the world and his strategy for revitalising the long-forgotten Punjabi language “Gandasa” cinema subgenre.In a phone interview with Geo News, the filmmaker remarked, “It was good to revisit the idea, but at the same time, it was a great challenge to remake it on a big scale.”
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the Directorate General Immigration and Passports (DGIP) debuted an online passport-fee app that will allow millions of people to pay their fees without having to wait in line at a bank.
The facility was one of many that the government planned to introduce in the coming months as part of the “Passport Fee Asaan” project.The application’s launcher, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, tweeted about the government’s initiative.Salman Sufi, the head of the prime minister’s (PM) Strategic Reforms, also tweeted about the newly made public application. Through the application, citizens can use PayMaster on the DGIP website to pay their passport payments.
In a stunning revelation, CNBC claimed that since billionaire Elon Musk came over, Twitter employees have had to put in unusually long hours. With Musk’s intentions for an overhaul, there are already growing concerns within the firm about layoffs.
According to Insider and CNBC, managers at the internet company have ordered certain staff to work 12-hour shifts seven days a week, or 84 hours a week, in order to achieve the targets set by the tech tycoon.The report cited internal correspondence when it stated that duties were issued on Friday, which some people think were meant to test the staff’s commitment to hard work.
Gold prices in Pakistan on Wednesday maintained overnight gains in line with the global market, but caution set in ahead of a Federal Reserve policy statement later tonight as investors looked for hints about a US rate hike.
The price of gold increased by Rs450 per tola and Rs386 per 10 kilos, respectively, according to data supplied by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA). These prices eventually settled at Rs151,550 and Rs129,930.
Globally speaking, Pakistan has a modest market for gold. Since the precious metal is not produced locally, it imports the product to meet demand.In light of this, the price of gold in local markets is decided by considering its pricing in global markets, the rupee-dollar exchange rate,
Today marks Shah Rukh Khan’s 57th birthday; he is also referred to as the “King of Bollywood” (November 2).Since the start of his career, Khan has been a promising artist, and today, he is regarded as one of the best actors in the Bollywood film business. After a string of dud movies, he significantly improved the Hindi film business with films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Ghum, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and others.
Here are a few of his box office successes:
The film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) After SRK’s three straight flops, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India (1995), Deewana (1994), and Guddu (1994), DDLJ, directed by Aditya Chopra, became one of his best movies. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol played the key characters in DDLJ.
