According to a recent survey, a narrow majority of Americans now believe that even moderate alcohol consumption has a negative impact on health, coinciding with a continued decline in US drinking levels. A Gallup poll found that the percentage of Americans who report drinking alcohol has fallen to an all-time low since the survey was first conducted in 1939, a few years after the end of Prohibition in the United States. The survey revealed that 54% of Americans reported drinking alcohol either occasionally or regularly in 2025, a decrease from the at least 60% recorded between 1997 and 2023. Those…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Pakistan’s squash stars, Ashab Irfan and Asim Khan, have both secured spots in the semifinals of the Johns Creek Open in the United States. The tournament has a prize money of $12,000. Asim Khan’s path to the semifinals was challenging. The top seed had to fight back against Egypt’s Omar El Kattan, losing the first game 10-12 before winning the next three games with scores of 11-3, 11-3, and 13-11 to secure a 46-minute victory. Meanwhile, Ashab Irfan, the tournament’s second seed, had a dominant performance in his quarterfinal match against Mexico’s Cesar Segundo. Irfan won in straight games, 11-3,…
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has publicly questioned the selection of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the national team, citing their recent struggles to perform. In an interview on a local YouTube channel, Hafeez argued that the term “key players” should be reserved for those who consistently win matches for their team. He stated that, based on this definition, Babar and Rizwan no longer fit the description. “Calling them key players would be wrong and unfair,” Hafeez said. “Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket’s key players at the moment. Key players are those who win matches…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that Pakistan strengthen the operational effectiveness of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and introduce further reforms to its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation, as reported by The News on Saturday. However, the Pakistani government plans to formally object to the IMF’s draft report, arguing that several shortcomings identified in the technical report do not accurately reflect the situation on the ground. Senior official sources confirmed, “We have received the IMF’s draft GCD Assessment. We intend to submit detailed observations and feedback — particularly concerning money laundering and counter-terror financing — on behalf of various…
Pakistan and the United States are close to finalizing a comprehensive trade and investment agreement, with Islamabad anticipating a significant increase in its exports. In exchange, however, Washington is seeking reciprocal incentives for its investments in Pakistan’s mines and minerals sector, according to official sources who spoke to The News on Friday. When asked about the deal, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told The News that he expects the agreement to be finalized in the coming weeks, anticipating a boost in Pakistan’s exports. An official source added that more than 90% of the deal’s terms have been agreed upon, but certain…
The UN human rights office stated on Friday that Israel’s plan to construct thousands of new homes in the West Bank near East Jerusalem is illegal under international law. The plan, which would expand an existing Israeli settlement, would put nearby Palestinians at risk of forced eviction, which the UN described as a war crime. On Thursday, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed to push forward with the long-delayed settlement project, saying the move would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state. A spokesperson for the UN rights office said the plan would fragment the West Bank into isolated…
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting near a mosque in southern Sweden on Friday. Police stated they believe the attack is connected to feuding organized crime gangs. Local media, quoting witnesses, reported that at least one person was shot as he was leaving the mosque in the town of Orebro, located about 200 kilometers west of Stockholm. In a statement, police said a man “around the age of 25 died as a result of the wounds he suffered.” The condition of the second person was not disclosed. Police did not provide details about the victims’…
Delegates at a UN conference in Geneva failed to reach a consensus on a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution, with the 10-day talks ending without a deal. Diplomats expressed frustration and even rage over the lack of a breakthrough. Participants had hoped to advance the deadlocked negotiations, but countries pushing for an ambitious treaty said the latest draft text did not meet their expectations. The chair of the talks, Ecuador’s Luis Vayas Valdivieso, adjourned the session, promising to resume negotiations at a later, unspecified date. French ecology minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher voiced her anger at the closing session. “I…
Air Canada’s flight attendants were on the verge of a strike on Saturday, prompting the airline to cancel hundreds of flights and affecting over 100,000 passengers. The potential work stoppage could shut down service entirely. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants, was in a legal position to strike as of 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) after issuing a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. The public broadcaster CBC reported that the labor action could begin around 1 a.m. if a last-minute agreement wasn’t reached. Air Canada, which typically serves about 130,000 passengers daily, had…
Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, has rapidly intensified into a dangerous Category 4 storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced on Saturday. In a statement, the NHC said, “Additional strengthening is expected this afternoon and Erin could become a Category 5 hurricane.” The storm is currently located 120 miles (193 km) northeast of Anguilla, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (233 kph). According to the NHC, swells generated by Erin will impact parts of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend.…
