Infinity Social Updates

India will need a “special performance” to beat a “street-smart” England in their T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, bowling coach Morne Morkel warned on Wednesday. Sanju Samson’s sparkling 97 not out enabled India to chase down 196 against the West Indies in a winner-takes-all clash on Sunday in Kolkata. Morne said India would again need someone “to put their hand up” against Harry Brook’s side on Thursday night to keep the nation’s dream of a home World Cup win alive. Morkel agreed India had not put together a flawless display in the tournament yet, but said that did not matter. “We haven’t really spoken about the perfect game,” Morne told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium after India’s final training session before Thursday’s big clash. “It’s not about how you get to the semi-finals. It’s about the next two games, how we’re going to play there. “I think the quality of this team has been shown that on the day somebody will put their hand up. “Then hopefully, especial...

The leaders of parliamentary parties, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, were on Wednesday given an in-camera briefing on the regional situation. PM Shehbaz had invited parliamentary leaders and party heads to “sit down and develop a course of action so we can move forward”, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Tuesday while addressing the National Assembly. The briefing began shortly after 11:30am and concluded after more than two hours. It mainly discussed the ongoing ‘ Operation Ghazab lil-Haq ’ against terrorist hideouts and the Middle East conflict. “The meeting was given an in-camera briefing regarding the Pakistan-Afghanistan situation, the hostilities in Iran, Middle East and the Gulf, and Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts,” read a statement from the PM Office (PMO). It added that the parliamentary leaders of the participating political parties “freely expressed their views”. “The participants underscored the need for national unity, consensus and unanimity in the curren...

A balloon in the shape of an airplane has caused a stir on Indian media. According to several media outlets, the balloon has been taken into police custody. Indian news agency ANI posted on X that an “aircraft-shaped balloon” with “PIA” written on its was found in Rajouri in occupied Kashmir. “The police team took the object into possession. No electrical or electronic components were found affixed,” the post said, citing police. The images shared with the post showed a deflated balloon in the shape of a plane and with the words PIA on the sides, ostensibly a reference to Pakistan International Airlines. The development was also reported by the Hindustan Times , Times of India . Meanwhile, NDTV also shared the the same on its X account. “Further proceedings underway to determine its origin,” it said. In 2021, a similar incident had occurred, with authorities in occupied Kashmir seizing a plane-shaped balloon bearing the name of the Pakistan International Airlines. Acc...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed concern at the “sudden” US‑Israel coordinated attack on Iran, despite “positive direction” observed in talks between Washington and Tehran. The minister made the remarks while addressing a session of the Senate. He recalled that the process of talks between the two countries was “going successfully”, citing the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Austria, where Pakistan held a meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, Rafael Grossi, who Dar said was “optimistic that dialogue was heading in a positive direction”. The foreign minister also recalled his conversation with the foreign minister of Oman last night, where he was told that the last round of talks between the US and Iran had ended “on a positive note”. “He told me that after the talks, the Omani FM flew to Washington, where he met the vice president and told him that the dialogue was going in a positive direction,” Dar said...

A PPP delegation met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss the political situation in the country as well as the regional situation. A press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that a delegation of PPP parliamentarians met with the premier today. “The Pakistan People’s Party is an important coalition party of the government,” PM Shehbaz said according to the statement. “The PPP supported the government at every step in important decisions for national development and progress, for which it is grateful.” The meeting discussed the current political situation in the country as well as the prevailing regional situation in the Middle East, but the statement did not provide details of the discussions. The PPP delegation included Senator Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Members of the National Assembly Naveed Qamar and Aijaz Jakhrani. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqb...

India and Canada on Monday reached a string of agreements, including on critical mineral cooperation and a “landmark” uranium supply deal for nuclear power, the countries’ leaders said in New Delhi. The pacts, which also covered technology and promoting the use of renewable energy, were announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney hailed a fresh start in the relationship between their nations. “Our ties have seen a new energy, mutual trust, and positivity,” Modi said. Ties effectively collapsed in 2023 after Ottawa accused New Delhi of orchestrating a deadly campaign against Sikh activists in Canada, accusations India rejected. Carney’s visit — his first to India since taking office last year — is not only aimed to reset strained ties, but also to push efforts to diversify trade beyond the United States. “There has been more engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in more than two decade...

Every Ramazan, like clockwork, the markets begin to change their rhythm. The footpaths thicken with shoppers, as fruit stalls glow brighter, stacked high with bananas, apples and other seasonal fruits. The vegetable sellers speak faster, not because they want to deceive you, but because there are simply too many customers and too little time. This isn’t an anomaly, this is seasonality. The patterns repeat every year and disposable income keeps shrinking further. Over the last six years, prices across the board have increased by more than 111 percent, while prices of a broad-based basket of food has increased by 116 percent. Effectively, prices have more than doubled in many cases and remain around that range. Despite the run-up, a price bump is also a regular occurrence. When you track food prices week-by-week and month-by-month, you see a recurring ‘Ramazan Premium’, a step-up in prices that arrives with remarkable regularity. It does not hit every item equally. It concentrates in ...

South Africa survived a brilliant all-round show by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza to record a five-wicket win on Sunday, which means they remained unbeaten ahead of a semi-final against New Zealand on Wednesday. After Zimbabwe scored 153-7 in New Delhi, South Africa survived an early wobble. Dewald Brevis hit 42 off 18 balls as the 2024 runners-up reached 154-5 in 17.5 overs. Raza earlier hit 73 and then took 3-29 with his off-spin for Zimbabwe, who had stunned Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the group stage to reach the Super Eights. Raza struck on the third ball of the South African chase to send back Quinton de Kock, caught behind for a duck. Raza bowled skipper Aiden Markram for four in the next over. Ryan Rickelton was hit on the helmet by a bouncer from Brad Evans and took five minutes to recover. He then lifted Evans for two straight sixes in the next over before the bowler had him caught for 31. Brevis and David Miller, who hit 22, put on 50 before two more quick s...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday postponed his official visit to Russia, citing the recent “regional and internal situation”. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed the development in a statement. It added that the premier’s visit to Russia was of “great significance” for advancing the bilateral relations between the two countries, but given the current situation, it was being postponed. A new date would be decided after “mutual consultations”, the statement added. According to Russian media, PM Shehbaz was due to travel to Russia from March 3 to 5. The development comes as Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban earlier this week after the neighbouring country targeted Pakistani positions along the border. Separately, the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired ...

Pakistan’s shortcomings were laid bare during their lacklustre T20 World Cup campaign which ended on Saturday when the team failed to reach the semi-finals. From the captain Salman Agha, who was criticised for not being a T20 player, to slow batting rates and the use of all-rounders not up to the job, the Green Shirts were shown to be behind the times in the rapid-fire format. Former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal believes there is a huge gulf in standard between Pakistan and the top sides such as India, West Indies, South Africa and England. “Other teams have evolved to the demands of Twenty20 cricket, but neither our team nor our players meet those standards,” Akmal told AFP . “It is like other teams are playing on the moon and we are on earth. We only beat smaller teams but lose to top teams.” Pakistan had high hopes for the T20 World Cup after sweeping Australia 3-0 in a pre-tournament series. The team boasted a quintet of spinners that should have been suited to the ...

The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iran on Saturday, triggering explosions in the capital Tehran and an escalation across the region. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally — again — obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy,” said US President Donald Trump in an address from his Florida home posted to his Truth Social platform. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to “remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran”, and urged Iranians to overthrow the Islamic Republic’s clerical leadership. In response to the Israel-US aggression, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran later in the day confirmed the launch of the “first wave” of missile and drone attacks against Israel in response to the strikes on its territory. Political figures and analysts in Pakistan have condemned the recent developmen...

Countries in the Middle East and around the world were watching with bated breath after the United States and Israel carried out long-feared strikes on Iran on Saturday. Trump: ‘annihilate’ US President Donald Trump vowed that the strikes would cripple Iran’s military and urged Iranians to rise up against the Islamic republic. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally — again — obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy,” Trump said in the address from his Florida home posted to his Truth Social platform. Calling on Iranians to stand up to their government, Trump added: “The hour of your freedom is at hand.” But he also warned that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties”. Netanyahu ‘cast off the yoke’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to “remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran”, and urged Iranians to ove...

Multiple Indian and Afghan users on social media platform X shared visuals on February 27, claiming that Afghan forces shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet amid the current conflict between the two countries. However, the visuals are doctored. The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false. To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan analysed the visuals for discrepancies, verified aircraft serial records and ran the content through multiple AI-detection tools. Multiple Indian and Afghan users on social media platform X shared visuals on February 27, claiming that Afghan forces shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet amid the current conflict between the two countries. However, the visuals are doctored. Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban, after the neighbouring country opened fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on February 26. Authorities in Kabul had called it a response to Paki...

When states escalate, they are usually clear about their capacity and objectives. The Afghan Taliban, however, appeared to abandon that principle at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border last night, triggering an intense military confrontation — including airstrikes and artillery exchanges — across the Durand Line as well as deep into Afghan territory. The immediate backdrop of these tensions is not new. Islamabad has for years maintained that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Pakistani terrorist group affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, operated from Afghan soil because of the official patronage it enjoys there. Only hours before the latest crisis erupted, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi plainly stated that Pakistan’s quarrel was not with the Afghan people but with terrorist safe havens that threaten Pakistani lives. That was the political setting; it emphasised the need for patient engagement and discreet signalling. The Afghan Taliban, however, chose to announce...

THE chaos at the country’s major airports seems to be subsiding, with some order gradually restored after the state’s ham-handed efforts to crack down on unlawful travel. The past few months had been a nightmare, with passengers travelling abroad from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad routinely complaining of long queues, repeated questioning by security personnel, and extremely long waits for immigration clearance. It seems that some unscrupulous elements had also jumped at the opportunity to fleece time-stressed travellers by furtively offering ‘facilitation services’ in exchange for extortive ‘fees’. Some passengers had even complained on social media that the free-to-use luggage trolleys meant to facilitate travellers had ‘disappeared’ from their usual drop-off spots, and they were forced to pay to use one. Then there were the reports of passengers being denied boarding on flimsy pretexts, or for no reason at all. It seems that the growing discontent finally forced the authorities to r...

New Zealand’s “street-smart” cricketers can find a way to beat England and guarantee their semi-final place at the T20 World Cup, coach Rob Walters said on Thursday. A win for New Zealand in Friday’s Super Eights clash in Colombo will see them top Group 2 and join the already-qualified England in the final four. A defeat would leave the door ajar for Pakistan to beat eliminated Sri Lanka on Saturday with the second semi-final berth then being decided on net run rate. Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand were in trouble at 84-6 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday before the captain steered them to 168-7 and a thumping 61-run win which knocked out the co-hosts. “I think if you look historically at the Black Caps, you would probably say that they’re a team that have been great problem solvers,” Walters told reporters. “They are street smart; they find a way to understand the conditions quickly. “It’s certainly something that we pride ourselves on. We can adapt to conditions quickly and fi...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday fixed for hearing the petitions seeking suspension of former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi’s sentences in the £190 million corruption case . During the hearing today, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan expressed displeasure as dozens of lawyers affiliated with PTI stood up and approached the rostrum simultaneously. “What is this? Are you trying to influence the court?” the IHC chief justice asked. Imran’s counsel, Barrister Salman Sardar, replied: “Not at all.” He argued that the matter had assumed greater urgency in view of the former premier’s sudden ailment and eye infection. He further submitted that Bushra Bibi, despite being a woman, was serving a seven-year sentence and that her petition for suspension of sentence had been fixed after six months. “We request you to suspend the sentence. The last order was passed on November 9,” ...

Anyone in need of a good cleansing cry in the last week has only had to peek at TikTok, Reddit or X. Punch the Japanese macaque’s virality has turned the internet into one big grief support group. Abandoned by his mother at birth and hand-raised by keepers, the young primate is one of about 60 at Ichikawa City Zoo’s Monkey Mountain exhibit. The humans gave Punch an Ikea orangutan stuffed toy because it provided the comfort and security missing from his life. The photos and videos of Punch clinging to his toy after other monkeys slapped him away broke the Internet’s collective heart. Like millions of others, I consumed this sadness porn like it was candy. The sight of this human-looking primate seeking solace did not just evoke pity; people were willing to go to battle for Punch. A baby Japanese macaque named Punch drags a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, February 19, 2026. — Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon Some felt that keepers should inter...