Blaze News - Pakistan

Bryan Mbeumo's double and a goal by Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a comfortable 3-1 home win over promoted Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, sending the visitors to the bottom of the table. Mbeumo put the hosts in front just before halftime with a simple low finish, following up on Kevin Schade's strike which bounced off the post. Read also: Slot's Anfield debut sees Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 He doubled the advantage in the 65th minute with a first-time shot into the bottom corner of the net and Wissa bundled the ball in four minutes later before Southampton pulled a goal back in stoppage time through Yukinari Sugawara. Brentford moved up to fifth on six points while Southampton prop up the standings without a po from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/7fxQugI

Paramount Network has unveiled the first teaser for the highly-anticipated second part of Yellowstone's season 5, and it's packed with tension and drama. The preview highlights the Dutton family's fight to preserve their legacy amidst threats and internal conflicts. Kevin Costner, in his final appearance as John Dutton, delivers a powerful line: "Legacy — if you build something worth having, someone’s going to try and take it." This sets the tone for the upcoming episodes, hinting at the challenges the Duttons will face. The teaser also showcases glimpses of Kayce Dutton's determination to protect his family, Jamie Dutton's ominous threats to Beth, and the FBI's involvement in Montana. With John Dutton's departure and Jamie's power play, the fate of the Yellowstone Ranch hangs in the balance. While the show was initially planned to end with season 5, recent reports suggest negotiations for a potential sixth season are underway, with Kelly Reill...

The PML-N's Punjab government has made significant changes in the administration of Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where key political figures—including PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi—are currently detained. According to an official notification issued by the Punjab Department of Prisons on Thursday, Ali Ameer Shah, a Grade-17 officer, has been appointed as the additional superintendent of Adiala Jail. His appointment was made under Section 9 of the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974. The department has also transferred and posted another Grade-17 officer, Subtain Raza, as the executive deputy superintendent, while Zebunnisa, a Grade-16 officer, has been appointed as deputy superintendent of the jail. All three officers have immediately taken charge of their new positions. These officers are primarily tasked with presenting Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi from the barracks to the court. Interestingly, the hearings of all cases involving Imran Khan...

Top Chinese and US officials discussed holding fresh talks between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in the near future, the two countries said on Wednesday during high-level meetings in Beijing. The discussion occurred during lengthy talks between China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan held against the backdrop of sharp disagreements between the superpowers and the 2024 US election race to replace Biden. Both sides also agreed to hold video calls between their military theatre commanders who hold responsibility for hot spots in the Indo-Pacific region "at an appropriate time," according to the Chinese readout from the meetings, a move that Washington hopes could prevent conflict in areas like the Taiwan Strait. The White House said the talks would happen in the "near future." "The key to the smooth development of China-US interaction lies in treating each other as equals," Wang told Sullivan, according to state...

Pain is an essential biological signal, but various conditions can cause these signals to malfunction. For those suffering from chronic pain, the issue often lies in faulty signals deep within the brain, giving false alarms about wounds that have healed, amputated limbs, or other complex scenarios. Patients enduring such life-altering pain are always seeking new treatments. A new device from the University of Utah might offer a long-awaited solution. Researchers at the university's John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine have published promising findings about an experimental therapy that has provided relief to many participants after just one treatment session. They are now recruiting participants for a final round of trials. At the centre of this research is Diadem, a new biomedical device that uses ultrasound to noninvasively stimulate deep brain regions, potentially disrupting the faulty signals that cause chronic pain. Findings fr...

A truck driver, who rescuers initially thought was dead, was recovering on Tuesday after hospital staff receiving bodies realised he was alive despite being shot five times in one of the most widespread attacks by militants in years. On Monday, Munir Ahmed was driving with three colleagues in a convoy of four trucks. The drivers did not notice anything amiss and had not heard of any violence until they were about an hour outside of the provincial capital, Quetta. Suddenly, armed men crowded the dusty stretch of highway, waving at them to stop, ordering the drivers out of their trucks and lining them up on the roadside. Ahmed, 50, began to recite the Kalima in fear. “We were all horrified,” he said. The gunmen opened fire and threw the men’s bodies into a stream, leaving them for dead. Also, attackers along other roads were stopping buses, pulling off passengers and killing men in front of their families, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti later said. The Baloch Liberation Army (...

MrBeast, the popular YouTuber whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has taken legal action against a former employee who accused him of being a "fraud" and a "sociopath" in online videos.  The ex-employee, identified as Dawson French, used aliases to claim that MrBeast rigged his large cash giveaways and knowingly employed a sex offender. MrBeast has not publicly responded to these accusations, but his attorney, Alex Spiro, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to French. The letter, obtained by DailyMail.com, accuses French of spreading misinformation and false statements and threatens legal action if the defamatory content continues. French has stood by his allegations, stating in an email to DailyMail.com that MrBeast kept "rapists and pedophiles on payroll." This controversy comes on the heels of other issues for MrBeast, including a former collaborator being accused of explicit online chats with a minor and criticisms of his new game show, "Beast Game...

India’s Narendra Modi government is facing criticism not only from opposition parties but also from its own allies for its continued support of Israel, which has been internationally accused of committing genocide, TRT World reports. Several political leaders have signed a statement condemning what they describe as the "heinous genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel" and are urging the Indian government to work towards "peace and justice." The Janata Dal (United) party (JD(U)), a key ally of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a crucial supporter of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, has recently joined opposition calls for halting arms supplies to Israel. This follows reports of over 40,000 deaths in the besieged Palestinian enclave due to Israeli military actions. This development follows a visit by a delegation from the League of Parliamentarians for Al-Quds, an independent organisation that coordinates global parliamentary effort...

Cerebras Systems launched on Tuesday a tool for AI developers that allows them to access the startup's outsized chips to run applications, offering what it says is a much cheaper option than industry-standard Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab processors. Access to Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) - often via a cloud computing provider - to train and deploy large artificial intelligence models used for applications such as OpenAI's ChatGPT can be difficult to obtain and expensive to run, a process developers refer to as inference. "We're delivering performance that cannot be achieved by a GPU," Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman told Reuters in an interview. "We're doing it at the highest accuracy, and we're offering it at the lowest price." The inference portion of the AI market is expected to be fast-growing and attractive - ultimately worth tens of billions of dollars if consumers and businesses adopt AI tools. The Sunnyvale, California-based comp...

Heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds and thunder, poured down across Karachi on Monday night, affecting various parts of the city. The downpour, which began late in the evening, intensified with strong gusts of wind that lasted for several minutes. According to Express News, the downpour hit several areas, including Gulistan-e-Johar, Rashid Minhas Road, North Karachi, FB Area, Buffer Zone, Ayesha Manzil, Karimabad, Nazimabad, and North Nazimabad. The rain continued to drench these localities, causing concerns of potential flooding. The torrential rain also spread to other key areas such as II Chundrigar Road, Tower, PECHS, Kashmir Road, MA Jinnah Road, Saddar, Lighthouse, Bolton Market, Clifton, Landhi, Korangi, and Malir, where thunder and lightning accompanied the heavy showers. The storm caused trees and various objects to be uprooted, and roadside stalls were knocked over by the wind, spreading panic among residents. As the rain continued, water accumulated in several areas, inc...

Arne Slot enjoyed a winning bow as Liverpool boss at Anfield with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scoring in a 2-0 win over Brentford on Sunday. The Reds join Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton as the only sides with maximum points from two games of the new Premier League season. Tougher tests lie ahead of Slot in his daunting task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp, starting with a visit to Manchester United next weekend. But the early signs are positive for the Dutchman as his side are yet to concede and showcased their wealth of attacking options, spearheaded by Salah. Slot is expected to instil a more possession-focused approach than the one adopted by Klopp in his nearly nine years in charge. However, Liverpool's opener was straight out of the Klopp copybook. From a Brentford corner, Salah released Diogo Jota, who timed his pass perfectly into Diaz to charge through on goal and fire into the top corner on 13 minutes. Thereafter there were only flashes of the football Slot is hoping to ...

Researchers have developed the world’s first flexible solar panel thin enough to be coated onto various objects, effectively transforming them into portable energy sources. This groundbreaking innovation allows for solar cells that are 150 times thinner than traditional silicon-based panels, without compromising their ability to generate energy. These ultra-thin panels could be applied to virtually any object, such as cars or smartphone cases, making it possible to charge devices on the go and potentially reducing the reliance on large solar farms. The newly developed material, just over one micron thick (0.001 mm), has already been certified by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). A scientific study detailing this invention is set to be published later this year. The research team from the University of Oxford created the photovoltaic material using perovskite structures. These synthetic crystals mimic the naturally occurring calcium tit...

Russia and Ukraine on Saturday exchanged prisoners of war with 115 military personnel from each side, mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said that the 115 Russian servicemen captured by Ukrainian forces in the border region of Kursk were returned from territory under Kyiv's control. All released Russian military personnel are currently in neighboring Belarus, the statement said, adding that they will be transferred to Russia and will receive treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions run by the Defense Ministry. They are released in exchange for 115 Ukrainian military personnel, the statement added. It said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) helped with mediation efforts during the swap. “Another 115 of our defenders have returned home today. These are warriors of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the prisoners’ swap on X. ...

Italian divers retrieved the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who was the last person still unaccounted for after the family's luxury yacht sank this week off Sicily. Seven people, including Lynch himself, died when the 56-metre-long (184-foot) boat, the Bayesian, capsized during a fierce, pre-dawn storm on Monday off Porticello, near Palermo. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch's wife, whose company owned the Bayesian, and the yacht's captain. As the rescue operation came to an end, attention switched to the official investigation into the disaster. The public prosecutor's office of Termini Imerese, headed by Ambrogio Cartosio, is looking into possible charges of negligent shipwreck and multiple homicide, judicial sources told Reuters. The captain James Cutfield and the other survivors have been questioned by the coast guard on behalf of prosecutors. None of them have commented publicly on how the ship went down. So far, ...

The Wien Museum on Thursday begins a three-part Summer Academy dedicated to Islamic heritage in Austria’s capital Vienna.  In the first part on Thursday, experts and interested participants will examine objects “collected due to a long-standing fascination with what has long been referred to as the ‘Orient’,” according to an announcement. In the following week, the Summer Academy will focus on traces of Islamic heritage in Vienna's public space. The third and final event on Sept. 5 will focus on the aesthetics of Islamic heritage with calligraphy, arabesques and more. “Discussions about migration are intermingled with claims about its alleged alienation. Muslims are supposed to be completely different from 'us',” writes the museum in its announcement. According to the exhibition organizers, however, there are countless traces of Muslim presence in the city in the Wien Museum's collection. “They shed new light on the relationship between Islam and Vienna,” the museum sai...

Scientists have developed the world's fastest microscope, capable of capturing electrons in motion, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding electron behaviour. The new transmission electron microscope achieves this by hitting electrons with pulses lasting just one-quintillionth of a second. These pulses are so fast that they can capture images of electrons as they move at speeds of up to 1,367 miles per second (2,200 kilometers per second). Lead author Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor of physics and optical sciences at the University of Arizona, described the microscope as “a very powerful camera in the latest version of smart phones; it allows us to take pictures of things we were not able to see before – like electrons.” He added, “With this microscope, we hope the scientific community can understand the quantum physics behind how an electron behaves and how an electron moves.” The rapid movement of electrons has long posed a challenge to scientists attempting ...

The World Cricketers' Association has launched a ground-breaking review into the sport's "broken and unsustainable" schedule. The players' union, formerly known as FICA, plan to put forward a solution that allows international cricket and domestic leagues to "co-exist in a clear, coherent calendar" for all". Former England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison and ex-Pakistan women's captain Sana Mir are part of a six-strong panel who will work with independent consultants on the review. They will produce recommendations to the WCA board after conferring with players, administrators, team owners and broadcasters. "The current model is broken and unsustainable," a WCA statement said on Monday. "Confusing and chaotic global scheduling with no clarity on the interplay between international cricket and the domestic leagues means players are increasingly forced to choose between representing their country and optimising ...

A rocket engine exploded in flames during a test at the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, which last year became Britain's first licensed vertical rocket launch site. BBC footage showed a large explosion late on Monday at the site in the Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. It spewed great plumes of fire and smoke into the air. The site had been evacuated prior to the test and no one was injured, SaxaVord and its German partner, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), said in separate statements. "This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage," a spokesman for SaxaVord said. "We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations." RFA said it was trying to gather information to resolve what happened following an "anomaly" during the test, one of a number of trials in the run-up to a launch. The launch pad had been ...

Clade 1 is known to cause more severe infections and spreads more easily through close contact, including sexual contact. Mpox primarily affects humans and animals and is related to the smallpox virus, though it usually causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. In severe cases, it can lead to death. The virus enters the body through broken skin or airways, spreads through the blood, and causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Michael Marks from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine stated that mpox does not have long-term effects on the immune system. “Beyond the fact that all infections obviously transiently cause responses in the immune system, we don’t believe there are long-term impacts on the immune system from mpox,” Marks said. Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff at Africa CDC, said the virus typically causes symptoms that last “two to four weeks.” “It’s a disease. Whether you get the severe form – then it leads to death – or you just recover [i...

Senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Dr Farooq Sattar has issued a stern warning to the government, stating that the patience of Karachi's residents is wearing thin, and if it does not take corrective measures, unrest could erupt on the streets of the city. Addressing a press conference at MQM-P House, flanked by party members, Dr Sattar expressed his frustration over the disparity in treatment between Karachi and other regions, particularly Punjab. He highlighted that while Punjab's citizens are receiving relief, Karachi's residents are being crushed under the burden of oppressive electricity bills. He pointed out that while a fuel adjustment reduction of 31 paisas was granted to other distribution companies, the bills in Karachi saw an increase of Rs5. Dr Sattar further criticised K-Electric, stating that the utility company has already been charging Karachi residents an additional Rs1.50 in surcharges and Rs3.25 under the guise of circular debt, whi...

Three United Nations peacekeepers suffered light injuries Sunday, the UN said, after a blast near their vehicle close to Lebanon’s southern border, where Hezbollah and Israel have traded near-daily fire. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group has exchanged cross-border fire with the Israeli army in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian group’s October 7 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. “Earlier today, three peacekeepers on patrol were lightly injured when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine, in south Lebanon,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement. “All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base. We are looking into the incident,” it added. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency had reported that “Israeli enemy warplanes” struck the village of Dhayra, about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from Yarine, “resulting in injuries”. A UNIFIL source told AFP the explosion that injured the pea...

A song about immigrants, entirely generated using artificial intelligence for its music, vocals, and artwork, has made its way into Germany’s Top 50 most listened to songs, marking a potential first for a major music market. The track, titled Verknallt in einen Talahon (In Love with a Talahon), is a parody song that combines modern lyrics—many of which revolve around racial stereotypes about immigrants—with 1960s schlager pop. Currently, the song sits at No. 48 in Germany, the world’s fourth-largest music market. Less than a month after its release, the song has garnered 3.5 million streams on Spotify and ranks No. 3 on the platform’s global viral chart. Josua Waghubinger, who goes by the artist name Butterbro, is the creator behind the track. He explained that he crafted the song’s chorus by inputting his own lyrics into Udio, a generative artificial intelligence tool capable of producing vocals and instrumentation from simple text prompts. After receiving a positive response on TikTo...

Al Hilal clinched the Saudi Super Cup trophy by coming from a goal down to crush Al Nassr 4-1 on Saturday, with all four of their goals coming in a dominant second half. Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al Nassr’s only goal a minute before the end of the first half, in which there were few chances when he capitalised on a wonderful pass from Abd El Rahaman Ghareeb. Al Hilal dominated after the interval with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Malcom taking it in turns to score to make the victory secure. Milinkovic-Savic scored the equaliser in the 55th minute after exchanging passes with Mitrovic, firing a powerful shot into Al Nassr's net. Al Hilal took the lead eight minutes later when Mitrovic rose to meet a perfect cross from Ruben Neves and headed the ball in from close range. The Serbian striker then extended Al Hilal’s lead when he received a pass from Brazilian Malcom in the 69th minute and fired the ball straight into the net. The Brazilian striker scored Al Hilal’s ...

Indonesia on Saturday held celebration ceremonies for the country's 79th independence anniversary at the newly inaugurated capital Nusantara. The major national flag-hoisting ceremony that took place at the State Palace in the new capital was attended by President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, and President-elect Prabowo Subianto, according to Antara News. The ceremony was also broadcast at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Jokowi's eldest son and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka were in attendance. Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands on Aug. 17, 1945. This year, the theme of the Independence Day is "New Nusantara, Advanced Indonesia." Last month, Widodo officially began working from Nusantara. However, the official inauguration of the new capital was set on the country's Independence Day. Over 80% of the infrastructure work for the first phase of the $32 billion capital city project has b...

As monsoon rains were about to break over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money, a decision their parents made to help the family survive the threat of floods. “I was happy to hear I was getting married... I thought my life would become easier,” Shamila told AFP after her wedding to a man twice her age in hope of a more prosperous life. “But I have nothing more. And with the rain, I fear I will have even less, if that is possible.” Pakistan’s high rate of marriages for underage girls had been inching lower in recent years, but after unprecedented floods in 2022, rights workers warn such weddings are now on the rise due to climate-driven economic insecurity. The summer monsoon between July and September is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security, but scientists say climate change is making them heavier and longer, raising the risk of landslides, floods and long-term crop damage.   Many village...

Turkey and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding on military, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, after two days of high-level security talks in Ankara. The neighbouring countries have in recent years been at loggerheads over Ankara's cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants based in northern Iraq's mountainous region. Iraq has said the operations violate its sovereignty, but Ankara says they are needed to protect itself. Ties have improved since last year, when they agreed to hold high-level talks on security matters, and after a visit in April by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, where he said relations had entered a new phase. Ankara and Baghdad held a fourth round of meetings this week as part of the dialogue mechanism. In March, Iraq labelled the PKK a “banned organisation in Iraq” - a move welcomed by Turkey. Fidan, speaking alongside his...

The Premier League has introduced a new social media account aimed at reducing frustration with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system by offering near real-time updates and explanations of officiating decisions during matches. Despite widespread criticism of VAR last season, teams voted in June to retain the technology, with Wolverhampton Wanderers even launching a petition to abolish it. To address concerns and improve transparency, the Premier League Match Centre's new account on X, previously known as Twitter, will provide live updates from Stockley Park, the headquarters of the VAR Hub. The account, @PLMatchCentre, will relay near-live information regarding refereeing and operational decisions during games. The league emphasized that, since live VAR audio cannot be broadcast in football, this social media initiative will serve as a way to keep fans informed. In an official statement, the Premier League explained, "In the absence of live VAR audio being broadcast, as it ...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has once again declared mpox a global public health emergency, marking the second time in two years that the virus has reached this level of international concern. This declaration comes in response to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has rapidly spread to neighboring countries, prompting WHO's highest level of alert. On Wednesday, an emergency committee convened to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the current outbreak meets the criteria for a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). The PHEIC designation is used by WHO to signal the need for urgent international action, including accelerated research, funding, and coordinated public health efforts to contain the disease. Tedros emphasised the importance of a global response, stating, "A coordinated international effort is crucial to stop these outbreaks and save lives." Mpox, which spreads through c...

The US on Wednesday said reports that the Israeli army is using Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields are “disturbing” and urged Israel to investigate the allegations. “We would urge Israel to immediately and transparently investigate these allegations and hold any potential perpetrators accountable,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. “Israel has a responsibility to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” said Patel, while noting the allegations are “just reports at this point” and it is why the US would encourage Israel to “look into what's going on.” An investigation by the Haaretz newspaper in Israel revealed that the army is systematically using Palestinian civilians as human shields during operations in Gaza. The report published Tuesday said the practice is conducted with the knowledge of senior military officials, including Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. The investigation, which is based on testimonies fr...

California -Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday unveiled a lineup of new Pixel smartphones with deeper integrations of its artificial intelligence technology as it races to incorporate AI into its hardware. The event at Alphabet’s Bay View campus in Mountain View, California, bucks a tradition Google has maintained with every iteration of Pixel - its flagship smartphone launched in October 2016 - to announce the new version in autumn. The earlier timing is Google’s latest bid to keep up with rivals in injecting AI features into its consumer-facing products and comes ahead of Apple's planned launch of a new iPhone in September. In June, Apple announced that devices including its latest version of iPhones would get upgrades that include “Apple Intelligence,” a slew of generative AI-powered features within native applications, and an integration with ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI. "We've seen a lot of AI announcements in a short burst of time as of late. ...

Talks to end Sudan's 16-month war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will move forward this week, the US's special envoy said, despite little sign from either party that they seek a peaceful resolution. The Sudanese army has all but rejected the invitation, while the RSF has continued its costly offensives in parts of the country, despite welcoming the US and Saudi initiative. Failure of efforts to bring the war to an end would exacerbate a conflict that has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, pushing 10 million people out of their homes and creating famine-like conditions across the country. "We will move forward with this event this week. That has been made clear to the parties," Tom Perriello, the US special envoy to Sudan, said in Geneva, where talks are set to begin on Wednesday. In a taped speech on Monday, RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo reiterated his force's participation in the talks, while also ann...

China delivered their best performance at a Summer Olympics since the 2008 Games on home soil, winning the joint most gold medals with the United States and only missing out on topping the standings on the silver medal count. The 40 golds was an all-time high for Games outside China and was achieved despite immense pressure and tightened scrutiny resulting from a doping row involving some of its swimmers. Chinese athletes strengthened their dominance in diving and table tennis with clean sweeps of all the titles on offer, adding two golds on the badminton court, five on the weightlifting platform and five at the shooting range. Breakthroughs were made with the first gold medals in artistic swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, women's boxing and in singles tennis. Gold medallist Zhanle Pan of China celebrates after winning the race and setting a new world record. PHOTO: REUTERS Zheng Qinwen, 21, backed up her status as one of the best young talents in women's tennis by winning the sin...

The United States topped the medals table at the Paris Olympics with 40 golds after the final title was decided on Sunday, finishing above China only by virtue of their 44 silvers. China, who were the last team apart from the US to top the standings when they did it on home soil at the 2008 Beijing Games, also won 40 golds but managed only 27 silvers. The US women's basketball team secured their country's pre-eminence by edging host nation France in a breathless finish to win the final gold of the Games. The US also won the most total medals with 126 to China's 91. France won 16 golds to finish fifth on the table and their total tally of 64 medals was their best for more than a century. Medals Table: Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 United States 40 44 42 126 2 China 40 27 24 91 3 Japan 20 12 13 45 4 Australia 18 19 16 53 5 France 16 -- -- 64 62 Pakistan 1 0 0 1   Pakistan secured one gold medal, finishing 62nd on the medals table with a total tally of one. from Latest New...

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has issued a stern warning to the government, vowing that his party will ensure the full implementation of the agreement reached with the authorities in Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Speaking at a rally on Mall Road, Lahore, against the recent hike in electricity prices and contracts with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Hafiz Naeem threatened a nationwide "wheel-jam" strike if the government attempts to deviate from the agreed terms. The rally, titled "Haq Do Awam Ko," saw a large turnout, including a significant number of women. Naeem declared that the JI has become a beacon of hope for the oppressed, and the party will not allow the government to backtrack on its promises. "We will enforce every single clause of the agreement," Naeem asserted, referring to the 45-day deal struck with the government after a 14-day sit-in in Islamabad. He warned that any attempt by the government to retract from the agreement wou...

American gymnast Jordan Chiles is set to lose her bronze medal in the women’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise competition after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of an appeal by Romania's Ana Barbosu, who will move up to third place, it said on Saturday. Barbosu and her team had appealed to CAS that an inquiry filed over the results in that event was done so past the one-minute deadline and that Chiles should not be awarded the score of 13.766 that lifted her to third place behind winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medallist Simone Biles of the United States. Chiles had initially been awarded a score of 13.666, while Barbosu scored 13.700. "The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline," CAS said. "The initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s floor exercise shall be reinstated." CAS also orde...

The United States claimed a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal in women's soccer after Mallory Swanson earned them a 1-0 win over Brazil in the final at Parc des Princes on Saturday. Following a goalless first half, Swanson broke the deadlock 12 minutes after the break to earn the US their first Olympic title since London 2012 after a perfect run in the tournament. US coach Emma Hayes enjoyed almost instant success as she secured the title only two months after taking the job. "I'm very emotional, it's a dream of mine to be in this position," a tearful Hayes told Eurosport. "I have to thank my dad for pushing me to this point, to be able to come and coach an incredible group of players that have received me so well. "(They have) taken on everything I asked, they are tremendous people, players and role models. I love them." Brazil were dangerous in the opening stages and came close to scoring when Gabi Portilho drew a great save from Alyssa Na...

Dozens of Russian military personnel are being trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, two European intelligence sources told Reuters, adding that they expected the imminent delivery of hundreds of the satellite-guided weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine. Russian defence ministry representatives are believed to have signed a contract on Dec. 13 in Tehran with Iranian officials for the Fath-360 and another ballistic missile system built by Iran's government-owned Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) called the Ababil, said the two intelligence officials, who requested anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters. Citing multiple confidential intelligence sources, the officials said that Russian personnel have visited Iran to learn how to operate the Fath-360 defence system, which launches missiles with a maximum range of 120 km (75 miles) and a warhead of 150 kg. One of the sources said that that "the only next possible" step af...

A Russian missile struck a supermarket in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka in the front-line Donetsk region on Friday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 43 others, Ukrainian officials said. Heavy black smoke clouds rose from the destroyed building in images and videos posted by officials. The interior minister later said the blaze was put out. "Russian terrorists hit an ordinary supermarket and a post office. There are people under the rubble," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X. Emergency services continued working out the rubble looking for survivors, he added. Kostiantynivka lies just about 13 kilometers from the active combat line in Ukraine's east. Ukrainian government-held parts of the Donetsk region regularly come under Russian shelling and air strikes. This week Russia has been fighting what it says is an armored cross-border assault by Ukrainian troops in its Kursk region. The Kyiv military has not commented on that operation yet. "No situatio...

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem has delivered a historic performance by winning the gold medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw final at the Paris Olympics 2024. India's Neeraj Chopra took silver and Grenada's Anderson Peters got bronze. With a stunning throw of 92.97 metres, Nadeem not only secured first place but also set a new Olympic Record (OR), marking Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in over three decades. Pakistan's last medal came at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, through its field hockey team. The last time Pakistan won an Olympic gold medal was in 1984 in the field hockey tournament. Pakistan won the gold medal for the third time by defeating West Germany 2–1 in the final. Nadeem’s triumph is a monumental achievement for Pakistan, marking a significant milestone in the country's sporting history. Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan in action. PHOTO: REUTERS Arshad Nadeem along with India's Neeraj Chopra, Cezch Jakub Vadlejch, Grenad's Anderson Peters, Kenyan Julius ...