Lahore/Sheikhupura: On Friday, the Shalimar Express train derailed near the Shahdara Bridge while traveling from Lahore to Karachi. Officials reported that three coaches of the train went off the tracks, prompting immediate response from rescue services. Train services were also suspended following the incident. According to a railway spokesperson, “The Shalimar Express departed from Lahore at 7:30 AM.” He confirmed that “all passengers onboard the derailed coaches are safe” and were transported to Shahdara railway station. Railways CEO Aamir Ali Baloch has ordered an investigation into the incident. The affected train has been sent to Khanewal. Additionally, passengers from seven…
Author: Web Desk
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), allies in the centre but fierce rivals in Sindh, once again locked horns as MQM-P leveled fresh allegations against the PPP leadership. Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who also serves as the spokesperson for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, dismissed the claims made by MQM-P leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal, calling them a “bundle of lies.” Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui criticized PPP Chairman Bilawal for allegedly adopting a “threatening tone” towards Karachi’s businessmen at a recent event. During a luncheon hosted by the Sindh government, Bilawal…
The US has detected the first-ever rare strain of avian influenza, H5N9, at a poultry farm in California. According to The Guardian, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed the first outbreak of the novel bird flu on a duck at a California farm earlier this week. The US Department of Agriculture in the WOAH report said, “This is the first confirmed case of HPAI H5N9 in poultry in the United States. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with state animal health and wildlife officials, is conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in…
Gold traded in a relatively narrow range on Thursday as investors focused on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans and a key inflation report for further monetary policy cues. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $2,761.59 per ounce, as of 0622 GMT. U.S. gold futures climbed 0.1% to $2,773.30. The premium over spot rates was nearly $12. Investors are now awaiting the December U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index report, due on Friday, to assess the inflation trajectory. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, and Chair Jerome Powell said there would be no rush to cut…
There is a possibility of another increase in the prices of petroleum products in Pakistan, with an expected rise of up to Rs6 per litre on Friday (tomorrow), due to rising prices in the global market, reports suggest. Petrol might rise by Rs1.24, while diesel could increase by Rs4.49. Light diesel oil might see an increase of Rs5.93, and kerosene could rise by up to Rs5. The industry has submitted its working estimates to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), which will determine the prices based on the global market conditions on January 31. The new prices will be…
On Thursday, shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s benchmark index gained around 800 points in intraday trading. According to the PSX website, the KSE-100 index was trading at 112,285.17 after gaining 797.81 points, or appreciating by 0.72%, at 11:39 AM. There was notable buying interest in sectors with significant index weight, such as automobile assemblers, cement, chemicals, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration firms, OMCs, power generation, and refineries. Key stocks like HUBCO, NRL, PSO, SHEL, SNGP, OGDC, PPL, POL, MARI, MCB, and MEBL saw positive trading activity, according to Business Recorder. On Wednesday, the KSE-100 index mostly traded in…
The inflation rate in Pakistan has dropped to 4.1% in December 2024, marking the lowest level in 80 months, since April 2018. This sharp decline follows the inflation rate for the first half of the financial year 2025, which was recorded at 7.2%, a significant drop from 28.8% during the same period last year, as announced by the Finance Ministry today. The ministry attributed the decline in inflation to several factors, including exchange rate stability, strict financial discipline, and improvements in supply chains. Additionally, the government’s crackdown on illegal foreign exchange companies, smuggling, and hoarding played a key role in…
The 2025 National Privacy Conference was organized on Wednesday to address critical issues surrounding voter data privacy and the state of data protection legislation in Pakistan. The event was hosted by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) to jointly mark global Data Protection Day and launch its latest research paper on voter data privacy in Pakistan. Policymakers, academics, digital rights experts, civil society organizations, political party representatives, and other key stakeholders gathered to discuss the urgency of adequate data protection laws and regulatory infrastructure. This was deemed particularly important in a country that is eager to digitize its economy yet remains…
Apple has officially released iOS 18.3, bringing a set of refinements and fixes to iPhones worldwide. While it may not introduce groundbreaking Apple Intelligence updates like its predecessor, this version still delivers key improvements, particularly for users of Apple’s growing Visual Intelligence features. Here’s what’s new in iOS 18.3: Visual Intelligence Upgrades Apple’s Visual Intelligence tools continue to evolve, bringing two new features exclusive to iPhone 16 users: Instant Event Detection: Your iPhone can now extract dates and times from images and prompt you to add them directly to your Calendar—no more manual entry. Smarter Nature ID: The update expands…
New York-based cybersecurity firm Wiz reported that it had discovered a trove of sensitive data from the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek that was inadvertently exposed to the open internet. In a blog post published Wednesday, Wiz stated that scans of DeepSeek’s infrastructure revealed that the company had left over a million lines of data unsecured online. This data included digital software keys and chat logs that appeared to capture prompts sent from users to the company’s free AI assistant. Wiz’s Chief Technology Officer stated that DeepSeek quickly secured the exposed data after being alerted by his firm. “They took…
