Rawalpindi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir on Friday lauded the performance of the Pakistan hockey team in the Azlan Shah Hockey Cup 2024.   

The army chief received the hockey team at the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Tariq Hussain and other PHF officials attended the reception.

Commending the team for their remarkable performance, General Asim Munir said that the hockey team had brought immense pride to the nation, and "We are committed to providing them with comprehensive support to ensure their continued success."

#ISPR
General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (#COAS), received the #Pakistan Hockey team at General Headquarters Rawalpindi today.

The meeting was also attended by President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Tariq Hussain and other PHF officials.

During the… pic.twitter.com/cU3Zto4Omo

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) May 17, 2024

He extended his best wishes to the players for their future endeavours.  The PHF president expressed gratitude to the COAS for meeting and interacting with the team.

Islamabad:   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended warm congratulations to Lawrence Wong on becoming the Prime Minister of Singapore.

“This demonstrates continued trust and confidence of the founding generation and the people of Singapore in the abilities of the new Prime Minister to lead the country ahead”, PM Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his X timeline.

“Pakistan stands ready to strengthen bilateral relations with Singapore and expand cooperation in all areas of mutual interest,” he added.

Tehran (AFP): Iranian police announced on Friday they arrested more than 250 people, including three foreigners, over promoting “satanism” west of the capital Tehran, state media reported.

“The Police Information Centre announced the identification, dismantling, and widespread arrest of members of the satanist network,” the IRNA state news agency reported, citing a police statement.

Police arrested “146 men and 115 women who were in an undesirable and obscene condition with emblems, signs, and symbols of satanism on their clothes, head, face, and hair”, the statement said.

“Three European citizens” were also arrested during the police operation in Shahryar City, west of Tehran, on Thursday night.

“Symbols of satanism, alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances along with 73 vehicles were seized” during the raid, police added in the statement.

Raids on so-called “satanist” gatherings are not uncommon in the deeply conservative country, often targeting parties or concerts with alcohol consumption, which is largely banned in Iran.

In July 2009, police arrested three people in the northwestern province of Ardebil over “satan worship”.

In May of the same year, Iranian media said 104 “Satan-worshippers” were arrested in a raid on a concert in the southern city of Shiraz where people were purportedly drinking alcohol and “sucking blood”.

In 2007, police arrested 230 people in a raid on an illegal rock concert in a garden near Tehran. Authorities have in the past branded rock and heavy metal music concerts as satanist gatherings.