The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a public warning regarding a surge in fraudulent messages falsely claiming to be from courier services. These deceptive messages typically urge recipients to enter verification codes, which poses a significant risk of unauthorized digital access. The PTA has strongly advised users not to share any verification codes received via SMS or messaging applications. Sharing such codes could potentially allow malicious actors to gain control of your personal information or digital accounts. The authority clarified that genuine courier companies do not require customers to input such codes to receive their parcels. In a press…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service experienced a global outage on Thursday, rendering tens of thousands of users offline. This rare worldwide disruption was attributed to a failure in the system’s internal software. The service, typically known for its smooth operation, faced a 2.5-hour blackout before engineers successfully restored functionality. Starlink issued an apology and pledged to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. According to Downdetector, a crowd-sourced outage tracker, users in the US and Europe began experiencing the disruption around 3 PM EDT (1900 GMT), with as many as 61,000 user reports submitted to the site. Starlink,…
Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea, has died at the age of 71, according to a report from TMZ. While specific details remain limited, emergency medical services were reportedly dispatched to Hogan’s residence in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday morning following a call related to a “cardiac arrest.” Hogan, a towering figure in the realm of professional wrestling, was reportedly stretchered into an ambulance. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) also confirmed Hogan’s passing in a post on X, stating: “WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop…
A judge announced on Thursday that five former players from Canada’s 2018 world junior ice hockey team have been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room that year. The charges against Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, and Cal Foote stemmed from an incident that occurred in a hotel room in London, a Canadian city, following a Hockey Canada gala celebrating the team’s world junior championship victory. All five former National Hockey League (NHL) players were charged with one count of sexual assault, while McLeod faced an additional charge of being a party…
Gilgit Baltistan has been severely impacted by a series of climate-driven disasters over the past two weeks, resulting in at least nine confirmed fatalities, damage to over 200 homes, and significant infrastructure destruction. Chief Secretary Abrar Ahmed Mirza stated that the region, nestled in northern Pakistan, has experienced extreme weather conditions, with glacial melts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall triggering flash floods and landslides, as reported by The News. Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, the top official explained that the region initially faced glacial melt and heatwaves, followed by a new spell of heavy rains that instigated flash floods and…
A Lahore court on Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Senate opposition leader Shibli Faraz and ordered the summoning of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan. This action stems from a case linked to an alleged attack on Islamabad police personnel who were deployed outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence. The case was registered at Lahore’s Race Course police station in 2023 against the former premier and other party leaders, following clashes between PTI supporters and police. The deposed prime minister, who was ousted from power via an opposition no-confidence motion in April 2022, has since faced a multitude of charges…
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Thursday night, marking the second leg of his eight-day visit to the United States. Upon his arrival, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior embassy officials, received the deputy prime minister. While in Washington, D.C., Dar is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Department of State. During their meeting, they will delve into crucial aspects of Pakistan-US relations, exploring avenues to strengthen bilateral ties, with a particular emphasis on boosting trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The deputy prime…
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir recently concluded an official visit to China, engaging in a series of high-level discussions aimed at bolstering the strategic alliance between Islamabad and Beijing. This was announced in a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday. According to the military’s media wing, during his stay in Beijing, the COAS held meetings with prominent Chinese political and military leaders, including Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Talks primarily centered on regional security, the evolving global landscape, and collaborative efforts within the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor…
The Sindh government has issued a notification officially eliminating all parking fees on public roads throughout Karachi, signifying a major shift in urban parking regulations. As per the notification, no government body under the Sindh government, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), is permitted to collect parking charges on roads within the city’s boundaries. Parking fees can now only be collected in designated areas such as plazas, private plots, or specific parking zones managed by their respective local councils. The notification explicitly states that any individual or organization found charging citizens for parking on public roads will face severe legal…
New York City-based Columbia University has agreed to pay $221 million to settle claims by US President Donald Trump’s administration that it failed to curb antisemitism on campus. In exchange, the university will see the reinstatement of billions of dollars in federal funding. This agreement, finalized on Wednesday, follows widespread university campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza during the spring and summer of 2024 and this year, which drew criticism for allegedly veering into antisemitism. In February, the government had cut $400 million in federal research funding for Columbia in an effort to compel its administrators to address alleged…
