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Rs20 million fine for a deleted tweet: The cost of irreverence?

On March 30, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) slapped a Rs20 million fine on fast bowler Naseem Shah for a post that was promptly deleted from his X account, and for which he publicly apologised. The tweet, posted from Shah’s official X account, had quote-tweeted the PCB’s post, which featured Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz being welcomed by the interior minister and the cricket board’s chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, at the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League. Those who follow Shah on the social media platform saw the tweet and instantly knew trouble would follow. Within a short span of time, they saw the tweet disappear, followed by a new post clarifying that the account had been hacked. Quick recovery of a hacked account, they thought. The cricketer subsequently fired his social media manager and even tendered an apology via X. However, for a post that was probably up for all of 10 minutes and was followed by a disclaimer, the PCB issued a show-cause notice to Shah along...
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58 tortillas, five hot sauces and one toilet: life aboard spacecraft Orion

They’re sipping smoothies, snapping phone pics, dealing with crashed email and fixing broken toilets: astronauts, they’re just like us. The four crew members zipping through space toward the Moon are carrying out a mission unlike any before it, but they’re also still muddling on through life’s mundanities — all while they float around together in a square footage equivalent to two minivans. Mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture into deep space, said preparing for the 10-day journey was akin to planning for a camping trip. “It represents togetherness and something a little out of the ordinary,” she said in a video released by NASA. Orion wares include 58 tortillas, 43 cups of coffee, barbecued beef brisket and five types of hot sauce. And one toilet… which had a problem. It’s the first time astronauts venturing into deep space have had a real toilet onboard: the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s provided crew members with waste collection bags tha...

NA surrenders over Rs470m into national exchequer to support govt’s austerity drive

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has “surrendered Rs472.1 million” to the treasury as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s austerity measures, said a statement by the NA Secretariat on Friday. The statement said that austerity measures in the lower house were being carried out under the directives of NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. “In compliance with austerity directives and in support of prudent governance, the secretariat has effected a Rs21 million reduction in the salaries of Members of the National Assembly, which has been deposited into the Prime Minister’s Austerity Fund 2026 to further contribute to national financial resources,” added the statement. The development came after PM Shehbaz announced a host of austerity measures to conserve fuel in view of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran . As part of the contingency plan, the government introduced wide-ranging steps to reduce fuel consumption, including a four-day working week for government offices, ...

Met Office says no rain expected in Karachi today as death toll rises to six

The Met Office said on Friday that there is no chance of rain in Karachi today, following torrential rain in the city a day earlier caused by a strong westerly system. “There are no chances of rain today in Karachi,” said Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Spokesperson Nazir Zaighum. Rain-related fatalities rose to six overnight after one more person died from electrocution in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar area of the city, said rescue services. At least five people were killed on Thursday as heavy rain lashed the metropolis, while the city administration declared an emergency. According to police and rescue officials, the deaths occurred in separate incidents: four people died due to electrocution while a fifth was killed due to a wall collapse amid the heavy rainfall. Vehicles travel along a road in Karachi amid heavy rain on April 2. — White Star According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the minimum temperature in Karachi on Friday was recorded at 16 degrees...

Canadians Borovilos, Kim, Deng all make cut at Augusta National Women’s Amateur

A historic week for Canadian women’s golf will continue for one more day at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.  The whole of the Canadian trio – Vanessa Borovilos, Lauren Kim and 16-year-old Aphrodite Deng – have made the cut and will compete at Augusta National Golf Club itself on Saturday.  The first two rounds of the event are contested at Champions Retreat Golf Club and the top 30 and ties move on to Augusta National for the finale.  Kim and Borovilos sit at 5 under and are tied for sixth, while Deng shot a 3-under 69 Thursday and sits tied for 19th.  Kim shot a 1-under 71 while Borovilos shot a 1-over 73.  The world’s top-ranked junior, Asterisk Talley, leads by one at 11 under through two days. She has gone 36 consecutive holes without a bogey – a championship record – and is the first player in the history of the championship to record four straight rounds in the 60s (dating back to last year where she finished runner-up).  Deng is one of th...

Trump to outline endgame as Washington debates Iran war’s next phase

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is set to address his nation at 9pm (EST) on Wednesday to provide what the White House has described as “an important update on Iran,” fuelling speculation that he may declare an end to the five-week conflict — with or without a negotiated settlement. US media outlets, reporting the announcement, noted that Trump has brushed aside the need for a formal agreement to end hostilities. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, he said US forces would likely leave Iran in “two or three weeks.” “We leave because there’s no reason for us to do this,” Trump said. “We’ll be leaving very soon.” In remarks that appeared to redefine the war’s objectives, he suggested that a negotiated settlement was no longer essential. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal. It’s a new regime. They are much more accessible,” he said, adding that if the war has prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, “then we’ll leave whether we have a deal or not.“ Do...