The Green Shirts took the lead as they turned the tie around with two goals in quick succession in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 final on Saturday.

Pakistan drew level in the second half after Ijaz Ahmed equalised through a close diving effort and brought the score back 1-1.

The Japanese side drew first blood against Pakistan as they opened the scoring in the first half after the latter’s weak defence let in the Japanese forward from the left wing.

After a gap of 13 years, the Pakistan hockey team will face Japan in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 final on Saturday.

The finalists had already been decided before the last round of matches was played and Japan’s 3-1 win over Canada saw them finish two points above Paki­stan in the table.

Govt hints at rasing wheat purchase target:

The Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation Limited (Passco) on Saturday began its second phase of wheat procurement from Faisa­labad in line with a decision of the federal government to procure 400,000 tonnes more than the original target of 1.4 million tonnes.

Gaza invasion:

In the course of the past 24 hours, there is clear pressure being exerted by the Israeli military on three fronts inside the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from Deir Al Balah.

They have been maximising pressure on Rafah, the middle area as well as the north of the territory, he says, highlighting that the Israeli military has passed an evacuation order for residents of the Jabalia refugee camp and in the central areas of Rafah.

The Israeli military has started to intensify the bombardment of the Jabalia camp in the past couple of hours, destroying residential houses and attacking evacuation centres, the report said.

Most powerful solar strom:


The most powerful solar storm in over two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain — and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun — came just after 1600 GMT, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Space Weather Prediction Centre.

WHO wants 37pc hike in FED on cigarettes:

While the health ministry has proposed that the Federal Excise Duty on cigarettes be increased by 20 per cent, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has demanded it should be increased by 37 per cent to take the tax share of retail prices to 70 per cent as per international standards.

The tax proposal presented to the health ministry by various anti-tobacco activists includes recommendations of WHO that highlight that raising taxes on cigarettes would not only reduce burden on health care system but also help enhance revenue generation.