ISLAMABAD: Medical experts in Pakistan have raised concern over growing number of breast cancer cases in the country, reported the local media on Sunday, while seeking lifestyle changes and greater public awareness about the disease.
Every year, thousands of women in Pakistan lose their lives to the disease which can be cured if it is diagnosed at an early stage.
Medical experts in the country addressed an awareness program organized by Himmel Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with the Karachi Press Club on Saturday in which they described the disease as the most common form of cancer among women across the world.
“One out of eight Pakistani women develops breast cancer at some stage of her life while thousands of lives are lost to the disease every year,” Professor Naila Zahid, head of the oncology department at the Liaquat National Hospital, was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
“One of the major barriers to early diagnosis is lack of awareness and women’s shyness in discussing their health issues and going for any kind of breast examination,” she added.
Zahid maintained it was important for women to carry out regular self-examination to make it easier for doctors to diagnose the disease early.
“Women below age 40 should perform regular self-examinations and women above 40 should undergo regular mammography screening,” she said.
Other experts emphasized lifestyle changes while addressing the ceremony.
“We need to change our lifestyle,” Dr. Adnan Abdul Jabbar, head of Ziauddin Hospital’s oncology department, said. “Today, we have a sedentary lifestyle, eating a lot of junk food, frozen and processed products. People need to have a healthy diet and lifestyle, which would help protect the body.”
He also pointed out that breast cancer could be found among men, though he added their number was far less than women.
Medical experts say one in eight women in Pakistan suffers from breast cancer
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Medical experts say one in eight women in Pakistan suffers from breast cancer
- Doctors emphasize regular self-examination to ensure early diagnosis of the disease
- Medical practitioners urge people to change their sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits
No Pakistani players on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 team of the tournament
- India won ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Mar. 9
- Pakistan crashed out of home trophy without a win
ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its ‘Team of the Tournament’ for the Champions Trophy 2025, which concluded last week, with no Pakistani player making it on the prestigious list.
The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy saw India being crowned as the winners on Mar. 9 after they overcame New Zealand in the final. Pakistan ended their campaign in the home trophy without a win.
“Several exceptional performers lit up the tournament with the bat and ball,” ICC said on its website. “The best of them made it to the Team of the Tournament.”
The team includes six players from India, four from New Zealand and two from Afghanistan.
Here’s what the side looks like:
1. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
251 runs, 62.75 average, two hundreds
2. Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
216 runs, 72 average, one hundred
3. Virat Kohli (India)
218 runs, 54.5 average, one hundred
4. Shreyas Iyer (India)
243 runs, 48.6 average, two fifties
5. KL Rahul (wk) (India)
140 runs, 140 average, 42 highest score*
6. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
177 runs, 59 average, two wickets, five catches
7. Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
126 runs, 42 average, seven wickets, one five-wicket haul
8. Mitchell Santner (c) (New Zealand)
Nine wickets, 26.6 average, 4.80 economy
9. Mohammed Shami (India)
Nine wickets, 25.8 average, 5.68 economy, one five-wicket haul
10. Matt Henry (New Zealand)
Ten wickets, 16.7 average, 5.32 economy, one five-wicket haul
11. Varun Chakaravarthy (India)
Nine wickets, 15.1 average, 4.53 economy
12th player: Axar Patel (India)
Five wickets, 39.2 average, 4.35 economy
Geopolitics and lack of buzz blight Champions Trophy’s return
- Indian board BCCI stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of strained political ties
- Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of honor of hosting the final
Geopolitical reality, lack of buzz in host nation Pakistan and mediocre cricket in general meant Champions Trophy’s much-anticipated return to the calendar did not go according to plan for the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).
The one-day international (ODI) tournament served as an ICC fundraiser but offered no assurance about the future of a format battling for relevance in a cricket landscape ruled by Twenty20 leagues either.
Financial engine India’s participation, a key factor behind the commercial success of any cricket tournament, was in doubt after Pakistan bagged the hosting rights for the first ICC event in the country since 1996.
The Indian board (BCCI) stuck to their policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbors, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their matches in Dubai to salvage a tournament, which had been discontinued after the 2017 edition.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, like next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled in India.
Reigning T20 world champions India beat New Zealand in Sunday’s final to prove their credentials as a white-ball behemoth.
India have lost just one match — the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 — in their last three ICC events and probably did not require what many called an “unfair advantage” of playing all their matches in Dubai.
“I feel sorry for India’s cricketers,” award-winning cricket writer Nicholas Brookes told Reuters.
“They are an outstanding team – in my mind, streets ahead of their competition regardless of conditions, and one of the greatest white-ball sides the game has seen.
“This tournament should have been their victory lap, but their brilliance has been somewhat overshadowed by constant questions about unfair advantages.”
Allowing India to play all their matches in Dubai robbed Pakistan of the honor of hosting the final and disrupted the schedule of the knockout matches.
South Africa were made to take a farcical 18-hour trip to Dubai in anticipation of a semifinal against India before flying back to Pakistan to face New Zealand.
“BENDING OVER BACKWARDS”
The whole affair made the ICC, currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, look weak in front of the world’s richest cricket board.
The scheduling also favored India, who had a week’s rest between their last two group matches, while Afghanistan played twice in three days.
“That looks like the ICC putting finances ahead of fairness,” said Brookes, whose “An Island’s Eleven” charts the history of Sri Lankan cricket and won the Wisden Book Of The Year award in 2023.
“Some people will naturally think that the governing body is bending over backwards to accommodate India.”
Defending champions Pakistan looked under-prepared for the tournament, both on and off the field.
Eleventh-hour facelift to stadiums in Karachi and Lahore, sparse crowd and three washouts dampened the spirit among the locals.
Adding to their woes, Mohammed Rizwan and his men finished bottom of Group A after a winless campaign that included a defeat by arch-rivals India.
An injury-ravaged Australia fielded a second string pace attack with Steve Smith, who quit ODIs after their semifinal exit, leading them in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra bagged the player-of-the-tournament prize, while fellow Black Cap Glenn Phillips redefined fielding with gravity-defying catches and India’s Virat Kohli proved he is not a spent force yet but the cricket was largely mediocre.
Afghanistan could not make the last four but impressed on their Champions Trophy debut while former champions England are searching for a new captain after their winless campaign prompted Jos Buttler to step down.
Saudi Arabia top contributor as Pakistan remittances grow 38.6 percent year-on-year
- In Feb. 2025, Pakistan received highest inflows from Saudi Arabia, $744.4 million, followed by UAE, which contributed $652.2 million
- Among factors driving up remittances are reforms to curb illegal foreign exchange trading and incentives implemented by central bank
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded year-on-year growth of 38.6 percent in remittances with inflows of $3.1 billion in February, the central bank said on Monday, with the highest contributions coming from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Remittances are a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy, playing a critical role in stabilizing foreign exchange reserves and supporting balance of payments.
“Workers’ remittances recorded an inflow of $3.1 billion during February 2025,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a press release. “In terms of growth, remittances increased by 38.6 percent and 3.8 percent on year-on-year and month-on-month basis respectively.”
In February 2025, Pakistan received its highest inflows from Saudi Arabia, $744.4 million, followed by the UAE, which contributed $652.2 million. Remittances received from the United Kingdom and the United States stood at $501.8 million and $309.4 million respectively.
“Cumulatively, with an inflow of $24 billion, workers’ remittances increased by 32.5 percent during July to February, FY25 compared to $18.1 billion received during July to February FY24,” the central bank added.
Among factors driving an increase in remittances are reforms that have curbed illegal foreign exchange trading and incentives implemented by the State Bank of Pakistan. Decreased global inflation rates have encouraged Pakistani migrants to send more money back home.
Families in Pakistan are also relying more on financial support from relatives working abroad due to inflation at home.
Pakistan reports first death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba
- Naegleria fowleri, with 98 percent fatality rate, is transmitted when contaminated water enters body through nose
- Over a hundred people have died from the infection in Pakistan since 2008, five people died last year
KARACHI: A 36-year-old woman died in the Pakistani city of Karachi last month after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a health official confirmed on Monday, marking the first death this year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba.
Naegleria fowleri has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person.
Pakistan has seen a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with over a hundred people dead since the first reported infection in 2008. Five people died from the infection last year.
Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered taste, high fever, light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection.
In the latest case, a woman was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 19 after experiencing symptoms and died four days later on Feb. 23.
“The presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on Feb. 24, 2025 after the patient had passed away,” Sindh Health Department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf said in a statement.
“Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities and her only exposure was regular use of water to perform ablution five times a day at home.”
Yousaf said this was the first death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025.
A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, the provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption, with experts attributing the contamination to the spread of amoeba.
Two police officers killed in drive-by shooting in Pakistan’s militancy-wracked northwest
- Latest attack near Tanda Dam in Kohat district killed two inspectors working wit counter-terrorism department
- Pakistan government has struggled to contain militancy since collapse of truce with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group
PESHAWAR: Two police officers with the counter-terrorism department (CTD) were killed by unidentified gunmen in a drive-by shooting in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Monday.
The Pakistan government has struggled to contain rising militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the collapse of a fragile truce with the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in November 2022. Pakistan says the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban with whom the TTP is allied has emboldened the group as it is able to operate out of and launch attacks from safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan, whose government denies the charges.
The Center for Research and Security Studies said in a report in December last year Pakistan experienced a 40 percent surge in militant attacks in 2024 compared to the previous year, recording 905 incidents that resulted in 1,177 deaths and 1,292 injuries. These included 444 militant attacks that killed 685 soldiers and police officers and 927 civilians. A Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Performance Report for 2024 said 149 police officers of the force had been killed last year and 232 injured while performing their duties.
The latest incident took place near the Tanda Dam in KP’s Kohat district.
“Two CTD officials, Zahid ur Rehman and Ghulam Mustafa, who were an inspector and assistant sub-inspector respectively, died on the spot following an attack,” Dr. Zahidullah, Kohat District Police Officer (DPO), told Arab News, saying the gunmen were on a motorbike and fled after killing the officers.
Another police officer, Shahid Khan, added that the attackers had been monitoring the movement of the CTD officers.
“The incident took place all of a sudden and in a comparatively populated area,” he said.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion is likely to fall on the TTP, who almost daily targets security forces, police convoys and check-posts and carries out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcement and government officials in KP.
Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy in KP on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
