Pakistan has decided to integrate its national digital payment system, Raast, with the Buna platform, an Arab payment system operated by the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF). This move will facilitate cross-border transactions, specifically allowing inflows from overseas Pakistanis. At a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmed highlighted the rapid growth of the digital payment system. He noted that while Raast initially handled around Rs1 trillion in transactions annually, that same volume is now processed in just nine days. Buna, launched in 2020, is a multi-currency platform designed to enable…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
Pakistan secured their second consecutive victory at the SAFF U-17 Championship, beating Maldives 5-2 in a group stage match at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo. Mansoor Ahmad was the standout player for Pakistan, scoring a first-half hat-trick. He opened the scoring in the 12th minute, added a second goal in the 32nd, and completed his treble with a penalty in the 45th minute. Maldives briefly narrowed the gap with a goal from Ali Ilaan in the 42nd minute. However, Muhammad Abdullah responded for Pakistan with two goals of his own—one from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time and another…
In the 12th match of the Asia Cup 2025 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, India won the toss and chose to bat first against Oman. This match marks the very first T20 International meeting between the two men’s teams. The playing squads for the match are: India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Aryan Bisht, Zikria Islam, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava, Jiten Ramanandi. The teams…
In the U.S., the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, is at the heart of a heated national debate following the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. On Thursday, top Democrats accused President Donald Trump of undermining this constitutional right. This came after Trump publicly supported ABC’s decision to suspend talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who had accused political conservatives of exploiting Kirk’s death for political gain. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has likened the Trump administration’s actions to the Red Scare of the 1940s and 50s under Senator Joseph McCarthy. Christopher Anders, a director at the ACLU,…
On Friday, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping spoke by phone, with a primary focus on reaching an agreement that would allow the video app TikTok to remain operational in the U.S. and ease tensions between the two economic superpowers. A U.S. official confirmed that this was the leaders’ first known call in three months and that a potential deal on TikTok was at the top of the agenda, along with trade issues. While Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not provide details of the conversation, the call comes as both sides are in discussions about a possible in-person summit between…
According to British media reports, U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed he personally requested that London Mayor Sadiq Khan be excluded from the state banquet during his second state visit to the UK. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump reignited his feud with the mayor, labeling him “among the worst mayors in the world” and accusing him of mismanaging rising crime and immigration issues in London. “I didn’t want him there,” Trump stated. The president linked his decision to what he described as a decline in London, citing an increase in stabbings and a rise in “dirt and…
The United States has reversed its decision to exempt Iran’s Chabahar port from sanctions, a move that could significantly impact India’s efforts to develop the port as a key trade route to Central Asia. According to a report from The News, the sanctions waiver, originally granted in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA), was intended to support Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic development. The U.S. State Department announced that this exemption will officially end after September 29. The revocation is a component of Washington’s “maximum-pressure” policy, which is designed to isolate Tehran. The State Department’s statement warned that…
On Thursday evening, following the conclusion of his state visit to the United Kingdom, a helicopter transporting U.S. President Donald Trump was forced to make a precautionary landing at Luton Airport due to a “minor hydraulic issue.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the aircraft landed at a “local airfield” as a safety measure before later continuing its journey to Stansted, arriving approximately 20 minutes behind schedule. Leavitt stated that both the president and the first lady were safely transferred to a support helicopter. Emergency services were seen on the tarmac at Luton after the landing, with photos…
Sinclair Broadcasting, the nation’s largest group of ABC affiliates, has imposed strict conditions for Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show to be restored on its channels. The demands were made public on Wednesday, September 17, following discussions with ABC about the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! In a press release, Sinclair stated that it “objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the assassination of Charlie Kirk.” The company emphasized its responsibility as a broadcaster “to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities.” Sinclair has made it clear that it will only reinstate the show if three specific…
Seth Meyers has spoken out in support of Jimmy Kimmel after ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The suspension followed a monologue by Kimmel in which he criticized “MAGA gang” supporters for trying to distance themselves from the person who shot and killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event on September 10. On his September 18 episode of Late Night, Meyers used his “A Closer Look” segment to address the controversy and U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on free speech. He began with a satirical tribute to Trump, joking, “I’ve always admired and respected Mr. Trump……
