Infinity Social Updates

Pakistan and the European Union (EU) have underlined the importance of further deepening trade and investment ties, including through the EU’s GSP+ scheme, as a driver for sustainable growth, export diversification, job creation and mutually beneficial economic opportunity, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday. The development came as 7th Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and the EU was convened in Brussels. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. The GSP+ status allows Pakistan to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports. According to the FO, the meeting provided a “comprehensive review” of the full spectrum of Pakistan-EU relations, “building on the positive momentum of recent high-level engagements and sustained institutional interactions”. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a “broad-based, multidimensional and forward-looking partnership anchored in shared values, the UN...

The PTI on Saturday issued specific instructions to its polling agents and workers for the by-election scheduled for tomorrow in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency. The by-election is being held after the seat fell vacant in July following the death of PTI MNA Mian Azhar, the father of party leader Hammad Azhar. Hammad issued “important instructions” for his party’s polling agents in a post on X today: “When the bags containing election materials are opened in the morning, make sure that the Forms 45 and Forms 46 in them are blank and shown to you. This is most important.” The PTI leader stressed the importance of the polling agents’ presence during the polling and the counting processes. “The polling boxes must not be out of sight at any moment.” Hammad further told the agents that it was their “right to obtain the Form-45 [filled] as per the count”, and that any staff who obstructed this would be liable to strict legal punishment. He directed all PTI workers at the party camps outsid...

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Friday announced a “new reward” for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) edition set to be held in April 2026. “Complementing the Pakistan Super League’s growth, I am thrilled to announce a new reward for franchises in the forthcoming editions,” Naqvi said on X. The champions will take home $500,000 — the same as the 2025 edition — while the runner-up team will take home $300,000, which is an increase of the previous year’s $200,000 reward. Additionally, a $200,000 reward will be given to the “best franchise contributing towards cricket development. Separately, PCB announced on Friday that the auction for the two new PSL franchise teams will take place on 6 January, 2026, while the decision for which cities have been shortlisted will be made after December 15. “This marks a significant milestone in the league’s continued expansion and its commitment to expanding its footprint across Pakistan,” the board said of the d...

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said she was “honoured” that members of the US Congressional Pakistan Caucus have recognised the provincial chief minister’s “bold vision” to mechanise brick kilns, end bonded labour and “peshgi” exploitation, and build a green, ethical and “investment-ready” brick kiln industry. Peshgi system is the commonly used term for the practice of debt bondage in Pakistan. Instead of just seeking wages in exchange for labour, poor workers take an advance from an employer (in cash or any other form) under the obligation to work for that employer until the debt is paid off. “Child labour at kilns, once a painful reality, was eliminated under a campaign initiated by [then chief minister] Shehbaz Sharif, neglected for [four] years, and now fully revived and strengthened by CM Maryam Nawaz,” Aurangzeb said in a post on X. The senior minister’s post highlighted that all brick kilns across Punjab have been geo-mapped, QR-coded, drone-surve...

Ghost of Tsushima was more than just a game. It was over 30 hours of art. With a gripping story, a slick combat system and some of the most beautiful environments in gaming, it is one of the best games ever made. When its sequel, Ghost of Yotei , was announced, it had very big shoes to fill. It not only had to match the last game in quality, but also offer something fresh to both new and returning players. Atsu sits underneath an aurora in Ghost of Yotei. — Screengrab by author Yotei brings back what made the series’ first entry so beloved — highly detailed graphics, colourful and varied environments and a well-designed combat system. While some could call it a copy or even lazy design, Yotei takes what made the first game great and improves on it. Tsushima had a solid foundation and a well-defined art design, so developer Sucker Punch did not need to make any radical changes. As the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. First impressions When I started playi...

Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik on Wednesday said climate-induced disasters must be treated as a “political” priority as he detailed the long- and short-term strategies to mitigate losses and plan for the next year’s monsoon season. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenish water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Data from Punjab’s disaster management authority shows this year’s floods affected at least 4.7 million people across 4,700 villages. Speaking at a press conference with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik in Islamabad today, the climate change minister stated that “climate-induced disasters must be treated as a political priority,” noting that the 2022 floods alone caused losses exceeding 9 p...

An additional district and sessions judge in Multan has sentenced to death the husband of the 20-year-old pregnant woman who was killed last year in Multan, it emerged on Wednesday. Sania Zehra — a mother of two — was found dead in her room on July 9 2024, hanging from a ceiling fan. Her father, Syed Asad Abbas, had claimed that her sudden death was not a suicide but an alleged murder. He stated contrary to the crime, his daughter’s in-laws were disguising the murder as a suicide. A first information report (FIR) was registered at the New Multan police station on his complaint under Sections 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 302 (intentional murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). In a one-page court order, dated November 18 — a copy of which is available with Dawn — Additional Sessions judge Mohsin Ali Khan ruled that Syed Muhammad Ali Raza has been “duly convicted of the Qatal-i-Amd of Sania Zehra deceased,” and sentenced the convict to “de...

In a recent video report, German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle News observed that “more than two decades after 9/11, Al Qaeda hasn’t vanished, it’s adapted.” This assessment is reinforced by recent reports from the world’s leading news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera, which indicate that one of Al Qaeda’s regional affiliates, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is on the verge of capturing the Malian capital, Bamako. Operating across the Sahel region of West Africa, primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, JNIM is imposing an economic siege on the capital by blocking routes used by fuel tankers, effectively bringing the country to a standstill. Despite the elimination or arrest of its top to mid-ranking leadership in the Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak) region over the last two decades — through extensive US-led counter-terrorism operations across Af-Pak, the Middle East and Africa — Al Qaeda has persisted by adopting a key strategy: evolving fro...

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Tuesday approved grants pertaining to Pakistan’s security and defence. In a post on social media platform X, the finance ministry said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of the ECC that was attended by federal ministers, special assistants to the prime minister, secretaries, and senior officials from relevant divisions. It said the ECC approved “several strategic grants and reforms aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s security framework, defence capabilities, food security, and petroleum sector operations”. According to the ministry’s statement, a technical supplementary grant of Rs100.3 million was approved for the maintenance of defence equipment used by the federal civil armed forces. A technical supplementary grant of Rs841.56m was also approved for enhanced border management, internal security and law and order. Further, a technical supplementary grant of Rs50 billion was also approved for defence services proje...

One woman was killed and another was injured in a road accident on Karachi’s Super Highway on Monday, according to a statement from the Edhi Foundation. The statement read that a 22-year-old woman was killed in the accident on the Damba Goth bridge, while the injured 37-year-old was moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment. Traffic accidents are very common in Karachi. In the early hours of Saturday, a trailer hit an unidentified pedestrian, aged 35, as he was crossing the road near Brooks Chowrangi, the police said. The victim sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, with police impounding the vehicle. They attributed reckless and negligent driving as the main cause of the accident. Last Thursday, a man was killed and another injured when a minibus collided with a motorcycle in the Korangi area, police and rescue services offic...

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia on Monday for her deadly crackdown on student protesters last year, has been a dominant figure in the South Asian nation for half a century, a career rooted in bloodshed. Thrust into prominence with the assassination of her father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and much of her family in a military coup, Hasina early on fought for democracy, but her long reign as prime minister became marked by arrests of opposition leaders, crackdowns on free speech and suppression of dissent. She was found guilty of ordering lethal force by a tribunal in the capital Dhaka 15 months after resigning and fleeing to India in the face of a student-led uprising that killed hundreds or more. Students celebrate after the verdict on cases against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 17, 2025. — Reuters Joined rival to seek democracy before feud Despite criticism of her years in power, Hasina, 78,...

The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia on Monday said a “tragic” bus crash involving Muslim pilgrims occurred near the holy city of Madina overnight, with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering his condolences. “Deeply saddened by the accident in Madina involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” the prime minister wrote on X. “I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance,” he added. Indian media reported dozens had potentially been killed in the incident, though officials have yet to provide a toll. Transporting worshippers around Saudi Arabia’s holy sites has frequently proven dangerous, particularly during the Haj, when roads can be chaotic with buses creating interminable traffic jams. Millions also visit Saudi Arabia for umrah, which happens outside of the Haj period. In March 2023 , a bus ferrying pilgrims to Makkah burst into...

Britain said it would make refugee status temporary, and the wait for permanent settlement would be quadrupled to 20 years under the country’s most sweeping overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times. The Labour government has been hardening its immigration policies, above all on illegal small-boat crossings from France, in efforts to stem the soaring popularity of the populist Reform UK party, which has driven the immigration agenda. The government said it would take inspiration from Denmark’s approach, one of the toughest in Europe — where growing anti-immigrant sentiment has led to increased restrictions in many countries — and widely criticised by rights groups. Temporary status subject to review As part of the changes, the statutory duty to provide support to certain asylum seekers, including housing and weekly allowances, will be revoked, the Home Office (interior ministry) said in a statement issued late on Saturday. The department, led by Shabana Mahmood , said t...

A 40-year-old woman registered a case against her son-in-law in Punjab’s Bhadar village on Thursday, in which she accused a ‘djinn’ of taking over him and forcing him to commit sexual assault. According to the first information report (FIR) filed with the Kakrali police, a copy of which is available with Dawn , the case was registered under section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code . The victim alleged that her 18-year-old son-in-law had sexually assaulted her multiple times, but claimed that he was being possessed by a djinn and controlled into doing so. “A djinn named Adil is in love with me,” she claimed according to the FIR, adding that whenever he “gains control” of the suspect, he “does not become normal until he has sex with [her]”. The victim added that the incidents had “destroyed” her home life and requested legal action to be taken against the suspect. Reports of ‘djinns’ being responsible for criminal activity are uncommon, but not unheard of in P...

A blast has reportedly occurred in a fireworks factory in Hyderabad’s Latifabad area, according to initial media reports. Visuals of the incident showed a tall plume of smoke rising up into the air. The nature of the blast is not yet certain. This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters. from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/XMDSFYN

More than half of Sudan’s population is in need of humanitarian aid, the head of the Danish Refugee Council told AFP , as fighting ravages the northeast African nation. Since breaking out in April 2023, the war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 12 million and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises . “We see a situation where more than 30m people are in need of humanitarian assistance. That is half of the population of Sudan,” Danish Refugee Council Secretary General Charlotte Slente told AFP by phone this week after a visit to a border region in neighbouring Chad. “The suffering we see is unimaginable.” Sudan had a population of around 50m people in 2024, according to the World Bank. The aid official’s comments came after a field visit to an area in Chad that borders Sudan’s western Darfur region, which has seen fierce fighting of late. Violence has escalated dramatically ...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday gave his assent to three bills, including one for resetting the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir after his appointment as the chief of the defence forces (CDF). The president gave his assent to the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025. Notifications of the same were also shared by the PPP on social media platform X. With his assent, the bills have now become part of the Constitution. As explained by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the National Assembly (NA) earlier this week, it now means that the five-year tenure of the CDF will commence from the date of his notification of the appointment. All three pieces of legislation, which were hurriedly passed by Parliament without any debate earlier this week, pertain to the contentious 27th Amendment. The amendment, which has paved the way for the establishment of a Fed...

One of the most striking moments in A Man for All Seasons comes when Thomas More debates his hot-headed son-in-law, Roper, who insists that the law should be swept aside to catch the “devil”, meaning anyone dangerous or politically threatening. More responds with a powerful image: England is planted thick with laws, “like a forest”, and those laws protect everyone, even the people we despise. Then More asks a piercing question: if you cut down every law to hunt your enemies, what will protect you when power turns and comes for you? Without the law, More warns, you will be standing in an open field with the winds blowing from every direction, completely defenceless. This scene captures the core of the play: the rule of law is not a tool for the powerful but a shield for everyone, and once it is weakened for expedience, no one can control what comes next. Yesterday, Pakistan lost two of its most brilliant jurists — Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah. Why that happened...

A pair of swivelling, human-like robotic arms, built for physical artificial intelligence research, mirror the motions of an operator in a VR headset, twirling his hands like a magician. With enough practice, arms like these can complete everyday tasks alone, says Tokyo company Enactic, which is developing humanoid robots to wash dishes and do laundry in short-staffed Japanese care homes. Welcome to the future of AI as it starts to infiltrate the material world in the form of smart robots, self-driving cars and other autonomous machines. “The next wave of AI is physical AI,” Jensen Huang, head of US chip giant Nvidia, said last year. That’s “AI that understands the laws of physics, AI that can work among us” and understands “how to perceive the world”, Huang added. Tech firms are pouring massive sums into physical AI, and Morgan Stanley predicts the world could have more than a billion humanoid robots by 2050. The buzz is only heightened by videos showing advanced androids, often...

Medical experts at Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), performed a robotic surgery using the Toumai surgical robot on Thursday. Robot-assisted surgery has significantly advanced urology — medical speciality that deals with the urinary system. It offers superior precision, reduced invasiveness, and improved clinical outcomes compared to traditional techniques. The Toumai system integrates force sensing, high-frequency response capabilities, and telerobotic surgery capabilities. The robotic surgery at Pims was performed by both local and international medical experts, including Prof Shamim Khan, Prof Mateen Sharif and Dr Javed Burki from the UK, while the surgical team from Pims included Dr Atif Inam Shami, Dr Burhan ul Haq, and Dr Khalid Saeed. Executive Director Pims Dr Rana Imran Sikander said it was the first time a robotic surgery was performed at the hospital. During the surgery, the adrenal glands of a female patient we...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab livestock department to decide an application seeking a declaration that deaths of animals and birds during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation against a bird market at Bhati Chowk was illegal and amounted to cruelty. Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry passed the order disposing of a public interest petition filed by an NGO, registered in the name of renowned Urdu poet Shohrat Bokhari and his wife Farkhanda Bokhari. Barrister Maqsooma Zahra Bokhari appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) carried out an inhumane demolition operation against the alleged illegally established bird market. She pointed out that the bulldozers of the LDA killed a large number of animals and birds. She pointed out that the members of the civil society and animal lovers had been trying to rescue some of the animals roaming and hiding, but the authorities sealed the market area. The counsel argu...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir facilitated the talks between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, resulting in the latter’s cricket team deciding to stay in Islamabad for the ongoing “Our field marshal himself spoke to their defence minister, secretary and convinced them and assured them fully of [providing] security,” Naqvi, also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief, said while speaking on the Senate floor. Sri Lanka’s cricket board said late last night that its team’s ongoing tour of Pakistan will proceed , averting a crisis-like situation. The visiting team’s manager eventually dismissed reports about some players returning home in the wake of Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad, which killed at least 12 and injured 36 others. Addressing the Senate, Naqvi recalled that the Sri Lankan team yesterday “decided to return after the bomb blast occurred”. “Our interaction with them began […] their board, players and everyone dec...