The Middle East crisis has dragged on for more than a month, causing a stir around the world. While some countries are increasing fuel prices, others are introducing other measures to protect consumers from the impact while balancing energy reserves. Pakistan is no stranger to current energy instability as the country imports about 85% of its supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. The Pakistani government has already increased petrol prices several times since the conflict began, with the last increase taking place on Friday. The sharp rise in fuel prices prompted the government to impose emergency relief measures, including free public transport in key areas, as public anger spilled onto the streets. Commuters in Islamabad and Punjab will not have to pay fares on government transport for the next 30 days, officials announced on Friday.

Balancing the Hormuz Crisis and Consumer Interest

Large scale unrest broke out after petrol prices were increased by 42.7% to Rs 485 per liter overnight, leading to protests and long queues at fuel stations. However, following public outcry, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif later revised the hike, bringing petrol down to Rs 378 per litre. “This reduction will be in place for at least a month,” he said during a televised address, adding, “I promise I will not rest until your life returns to normal.”“Talking about diesel prices, the government had increased the price of HSD by PKR 184.49 per liter from PKR 335.86 to PKR 520.35, but abolished the levy, bringing some relief to citizens.Giving details of the relief measures, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “All public transport in Islamabad will be made free for the general public for the next 30 days starting tomorrow (Saturday),” noting that the government will bear the cost of Rs 350 million.Punjab, reflecting this move, has removed fares on public transport and introduced “targeted subsidies” for trucks and buses. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif also appealed to transport operators not to burden passengers, saying, “We promise to relieve the public from the financial burden as soon as the situation improves.”In Karachi, similar steps have been taken by the Sindh government, which has announced subsidies for motorcyclists and small farmers.

Pakistan is under stress due to Middle East tension

The development comes against the backdrop of escalating global energy disruptions linked to the US-Israel war over Iran, which began on February 28. The conflict led to retaliatory attacks across the Gulf and disrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for energy supplies, particularly to Asia.To manage the strain, Pakistan has introduced a series of fuel-saving measures, including a four-day workweek for many government offices, extended school holidays and, in some cases, a shift to online classes.Economic pressures are being felt sharply in a country where about 25% of its population of 240 million lives in poverty, according to World Bank data. Earlier in March, fuel prices had already been raised by 20 per cent, with officials initially opposed to further hikes.Protests broke out in Lahore on Friday, where protesters demanded the government to roll back the hike. Protester Naveed Ahmed, 39, said, “The government has dropped ‘petrol bombs’ on its own people overnight.” “Our country cannot tolerate this situation right now. This storm of inflation has to be stopped and the public has to be provided relief.”Another protester, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, questioned the logic behind the increase, saying, “The increase we are seeing is not because of the (Iran) war, but because of pressure from the IMF, the pressure must be resisted. For God’s sake, step back from these demands and show some compassion for the people.”The pressure is not limited to Pakistan. Bangladesh also increased the prices of liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas by 29%. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund warned earlier this week that weaker economies face not only rising energy costs but also disruptions to supply chains. On March 28, it said it had reached a preliminary agreement with Pakistan on a $1.2 billion support package.

Actor Thambi Ramaiah has clarified that his son’s upcoming film ‘TN 2026 Thanga Natchathiram’ does not target actor Vijay’s political aspirations. He stressed that the film, written a year earlier, was a humorous entertainer about a mass hero seeking power, and not a political critique. Ramaiah assured that the film respects all individuals and parties, who has friends across the political spectrum.

actor and writer Thambi Ramaiah has addressed the controversy surrounding the upcoming film ‘TN 2026 Thanga Nachathiram’. political comedy stars Natarajan Subramaniam Starring and directed by Umapati RamaiyaSon of Thambi Ramaiah. After the teaser release, some people on social media claimed that the film indirectly targets Vijay and his political journey. Responding to the criticism, Thambi Ramaiah said that the film was never intended to attack or insult anyone. He told that this story was written on a political background, but taking care not to hurt any person or group.

Thambi Ramaiah clarifies the story of the film

Speaking at a press conference, Thambi Ramaiah clarified that the film is not a spoof or parody. According to Puthiya Thalaimurai, he said, “It is not a spoof film. It is about a mass hero who aims for political power even after gaining wealth and popularity.” According to him, the film focuses on humor and entertainment rather than political criticism. He said that the film is full of comedy sequences that will create entertaining theater moments. He said, “It’s a fun entertaining film with plenty of hilarious moments and strong repeat value.” The veteran actor also revealed that he has written this story based on his understanding of politics, as he comes from a family with political experience.

Thambi Ramaiah says the script was written long before recent events

Thambi Ramaiah also clarified that the film is not inspired by recent political developments. He said that the script was written about a year ago and the film was completed two months ago. “The story of TN 2026 was written a year ago and we completed the shooting two months ago,” he said. He also pointed out that some recent political events seem similar to parts of the film, but they occurred completely by chance. Speaking about Vijay’s political journey he said, “Thalapathy Vijay did not come into politics just overnight. SAC sir is equal to 100 MLAs. His comments were meant to highlight the long political background behind such decisions.

Thambi Ramaiah assures that the film will not harm anyone

The actor also said that he respects Vijay and has worked with him in three films. He said, “I have worked with Vijay in three films and many actors have worked with him in this film too.” Thambi Ramaiah further said that he has friends in many political parties. “I have brothers in DMK, AIADMK, NTK and TVK,” he said, adding that he would never make a film that harms anyone, especially when his own son is directing it. He said, “I will never put my son’s career in jeopardy.” He assured that there is not even a small scene in the film that will hurt anyone’s sentiments and asked the audience to watch the film before taking a decision on it.

New Delhi: Next time you wake up with extreme fatigue, high fever, raw throat and swollen glands, pay attention. The reason behind this could be as simple as kissing.Infectious mononucleosis, or the ‘kissing disease’, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – one of the most common human infections worldwide. It is spread through saliva, not just through kissing, but through every day close contact.A US study tracking nearly 19,000 people using records from the Mayo Clinic-led Rochester Epidemiology Project has found that people who develop mono are three times more likely to later develop multiple sclerosis (MS). The risk remains small – 0.17% in people with mono versus 0.07% in those without mono – but the disease appears earlier in infected people.MS is a chronic condition in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerves, disrupting signals between the brain and body. This may begin with fatigue, vision problems, numbness, and imbalance and may worsen over time.Experts said the relationship is strong but not causal. Dr Sudhir Kumar, neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, said the apparent increase in young MS cases reflects better awareness and earlier MRI-based diagnosis, and not a real change in onset. While EBV is closely related to MS, it infects most people while the disease remains uncommon. “EBV can act as a trigger in genetically susceptible individuals, but it is not sufficient in itself to cause MS,” he said. It is still unclear whether earlier infection causes earlier disease in practice, he said.They cautioned against routine long-term monitoring after mono, noting that the absolute risk is low and that more testing may cause unnecessary worry. Instead, awareness is important. Initial symptoms – such as blurred or painful vision, tingling or numbness, unexplained fatigue, brief weakness, imbalance, or a shock-like sensation in the spine – are often missed at the time of visit, but any neurological symptoms lasting more than 24 hours should be evaluated.Professor Manjari Tripathi, head of neurology at AIIMS, Delhi, said EBV is widespread in India, especially among children and adolescents. He said, “MS is a complex disease with multiple risk factors – genetic, environmental and immune. EBV can act as a trigger, but it is not the sole cause, and most people with the infection will never develop MS.”Scientists say the findings strengthen the case for preventive strategies, including a potential EBV vaccine.

पिथौरागढ़ जिले के मुनस्यारी के प्रसिद्ध वरिष्ठ पर्वतारोही और नंदा देवी टूर एंड ट्रैक के संचालक बीरू बुग्याल का शुक्रवार को देहरादून में निधन हो गया। किडनी की बीमारी के कारण वह कुछ समय से डायलिसिस पर थे। उनके निधन की खबर से सीमांत क्षेत्र मुनस्यारी समेत पूरे प्रदेश के साहसिक पर्यटन प्रेमियों में शोक की लहर दौड़ गई है। देश-दुनिया के मशहूर पर्वतारोहियों में से एक बीरेंद्र सिंह को बृजवाल लोगों के बीच बीरू बुग्याल के नाम से जाना जाता था। वह मूल रूप से मुनस्यारी के मल्ला घोड़पट्टा का रहने वाला था। उनके नाम मुनस्यारी क्षेत्र की लगभग सभी छोटी-बड़ी पर्वत चोटियों पर सफलतापूर्वक आरोहण करने का रिकार्ड है। उनके गहन अनुभव और मार्गदर्शन का लोहा देश ही नहीं बल्कि विदेशी पर्वतारोहियों ने भी माना।

12 से अधिक नए ट्रैकिंग मार्ग खोजे गए

बीरू बुग्याल ने उत्तराखंड में साहसिक पर्यटन को नई ऊंचाइयों तक पहुंचाने में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया। अपने कड़े संघर्ष और अनुभव के दम पर उन्होंने मुनस्यारी और आसपास के दुर्गम इलाकों में 12 से ज्यादा नए ट्रैकिंग रूट खोजे थे। आज उनके द्वारा खोजे गए मार्गों पर देश-विदेश के ट्रैकर्स रोमांच का अनुभव करते हैं। उनके निधन पर क्षेत्र के जन प्रतिनिधियों, पर्यटन व्यवसायियों और साहसिक खेल प्रेमियों ने गहरा शोक व्यक्त किया है और इसे उत्तराखंड के पर्यटन जगत के लिए अपूरणीय क्षति बताया है।

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has been fined Rs 24 lakh after being found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate during the IPL 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This was PBKS’s second offense of the season under the IPL code of conduct.

The penalty under Article 2.22 did not stop at the captain. The rest of the playing XI, including impact player Priyansh Arya, were also fined Rs 6 lakh or 25 per cent of their match fees, whichever is less, making it a costly walk off the field despite a dominant win.

pbks vs csk, IPL 2026: highlighted | Achievement:

Despite off-field failure, PBKS performed brilliantly on the field. Chasing the target of 210 runs easily against CSK. It was a result that highlighted both their batting depth and aggressive approach, even as the decision on a slow over rate slightly dampened the results on an otherwise effective night.

Will Shreyas Iyer be banned?

Despite this being Punjab’s second slow over rate offense of the season, Iyer will not face suspension if the team commits another violation in the upcoming matches. This is mainly due to a major rule change introduced by IPL Before the 2025 season.

The tournament has previously removed the provision of a one-match ban for captains after three over-rate offenses in a season. Instead, penalties are now limited to fines and on-field sanctions, reducing the immediate risk of suspension for repeat offences.

However, a comprehensive system is now in place. IPL has aligned its code of conduct with the ICC by adding demerit points. Any sanction imposed by the match referee adds points to the player’s or official’s record, which remain valid for 36 months. The accumulation of these points over time can result in suspension, making discipline a long-term concern rather than an immediate one.

How PBKS beat CSK at home

While PBKS’s bowling needs some lessons moving forward, their batting leaves nothing to complain about. The fearless approach from the start made chasing 210 easier than it should have been.

Priyansh Arya set the tone with a blistering 39 off just 11 balls, putting CSK under pressure immediately and ensuring the required rate never got out of control.

From there, Iyer took command of the proceedings and carried the innings forward with a composed half-century. His knocks, coupled with the aggressive intent shown throughout the lineup, meant that PBKS were always ahead in the game.

CSK bowlers struggled to respond despite early help from the surface. The inability to contain runs or create pressure allowed PBKS to reach the target in just 18.4 overs, adding to CSK’s worries on home soil and underscoring Punjab’s surging batting firepower.

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