SpaceX has postponed the launch of its ambitious Polaris Dawn mission, an all-civilian orbital expedition that aims to achieve the first spacewalk by private citizens. The mission, organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, was scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a four-hour window on Wednesday. However, SpaceX announced the delay due to an “unfavorable weather forecast in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida,” as stated on the platform X. Isaacman further explained that because the spacecraft will not rendezvous with the International Space Station and has limited supplies on board, weather conditions for…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
A lawyer for Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has called it “totally absurd” to hold the head of a social network responsible for any criminal activities conducted on the platform. This statement came after a French judge placed Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday, suspecting him of complicity in running a platform that allegedly facilitates illicit transactions, images of child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, money laundering, and non-cooperation with judicial authorities. Durov was arrested on Saturday at an airport near Paris and held in police custody for four days before being granted bail, provided he pays 5 million euros ($5.6 million),…
LONDON: Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, reflecting on his challenging England career and his pride in his achievements. Despite being England’s leading run-scorer during their recent World Cup campaign in India, Malan, who turns 37 next week, has decided to step away from the international arena. Malan, who signed a 12-month central contract in October, has been criticized for his perceived lack of aggression in an era dominated by dynamic white-ball hitting. Yet, he is one of only two England players, alongside Jos Buttler, to have scored centuries in all three international formats: Tests, ODIs,…
LAHORE: Punjab’s top 200 athletes will receive monthly stipends ranging from Rs30,000 to Rs70,000 under the newly launched Sports Endowment Fund, as announced by provincial sports minister Faisal Khokar during a ceremony on Wednesday. Athletes will be categorized into three tiers: the platinum category will receive Rs70,000, the gold category Rs50,000, and the silver category Rs30,000. The funds will support 14 sports, including hockey, badminton, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, karate, taekwondo, judo, athletics, weightlifting, squash, boxing, kabaddi, and football. Faisal Khokar noted that this is the first time Punjab has provided such a significant monthly honorarium to athletes. While a…
LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has imposed lifetime bans on three hockey players and a physio for leaving the country without notifying the federation, following their failure to attend the national training camp in Islamabad for the Asian Champions Trophy. During an emergency press conference on Wednesday, PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid announced that players Murtaza Yaqoob, Ihtesham Aslam, and Abdur Rahman, along with physio Waqas, had been part of the national team that participated in the Nations’ Cup tour to Holland and Poland last month. “After returning from Europe, they informed us they could not attend the training camp…
Mohamed Salah has stated that he is not concerned about his future beyond this season, despite having less than a year left on his contract with Liverpool. The Egyptian star, who has netted 213 goals for the club since joining in 2017, is one of three key Liverpool players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the season, alongside captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. “Before the season, I thought, ‘I’ve got one year left, let’s just enjoy it and not think about the contract,'” Salah told Sky Sports. “I don’t want to think about next…
Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as the leading all-rounder of his generation, with an impressive list of achievements matched only by his disciplinary issues and brief political stint under a former controversial leader. Shakib has been pivotal to Bangladesh’s rise as a competitive force in international cricket, capturing fans’ attention with both his performances and controversies. He remains the only player to have topped the International Cricket Council’s all-rounder rankings in all three formats simultaneously. At 37, Shakib continues to excel on the field, taking three wickets in the second innings as Bangladesh secured their first Test win…
ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has offered reassurance to protesting employees, guaranteeing that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will not be shut down. Rana Sanaullah’s assurance came during a late Wednesday meeting with a delegation from the USC, including the Utility Stores CBA Union General Secretary Raja Miskeen. The USC employees have been demonstrating at D-Chowk since August 26, in response to the federal cabinet’s announcement of plans to close the USC. Despite this, Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain had stated that the USC was only set for restructuring, not closure. The USC, established in 1971, operates…
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, a parliamentary panel scrutinized the practices of Islamic banks, raising concerns over potential exploitation of customers, while clearing two banking sector laws designed to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirements under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, called for enhanced transparency in Islamic financial institutions. The committee demanded a comparative analysis of profit margins charged to consumers by Islamic banks versus conventional banks and a detailed report on Islamic banking practices in other countries. Mandviwalla alleged that Islamic banks were charging interest rates…
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) Chairman Waseem Mukhtar advised power companies to minimize the visibility of a Rs1.89 per unit increase in the quarterly tariff adjustment for the fourth quarter (April-June) of FY24, suggesting they project only a 96 paise per unit increase instead. During a public hearing on the fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for July, Mukhtar highlighted a 31 paise per unit reduction in the FCA at the start of the new fiscal year. He credited this drop to the recent increase in the base tariff, effective from July 1, which also accounted for transmission…
