• Govt ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply: minister.
• Malik suggests Pakistan brace for a “Test match”.
• Says no clear end in sight to Middle East conflict.
  

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Tuesday said that the government has decided to absorb any potential fluctuation in fuel prices, hinting at no immediate significant changes in the prices.

The federal government, on March 6, announced a sharp increase of Rs55 per litre in the price of petrol and diesel each, following global oil supply disruption from the ongoing war in the Middle East.

At the time, the petroleum minister said that the government would reduce prices promptly once the situation improved.

Speaking today on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’ today, Malik said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided that he would make every effort to buffer any potential increase in petroleum prices.

“I think there will be no significant in this [prices] in reasonable time, as the government has decided to absorb them to prevent difficulties for the public,” he added.

While acknowledging the increased burden on the public due to the hike, the minister said the government was ensuring an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products across the country.

The minister suggested the country brace for a “Test match”, noting that the Middle East conflict had no clear end in sight.

“You will have to try to extend your reserves and maintain your supply line,” he said.

However, he indicated that prices were unlikely to shift drastically following remarks by US President Donald Trump on the Iran conflict and the G7’s discussions on potentially releasing some of their strategic oil reserves.

“While nothing can be said for certain, it appears at this time that we will not see significant price changes,” he added.

Malik’s remarks on the government absorbing fuel price fluctuations come just a day after PM Shehbaz Sharif unveiled an austerity and fuel-saving plan.

Addressing the nation on Monday, the prime minister said the measures were necessary to deal with the prevailing global fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.

“The entire region is currently in a state of war,” the premier said, adding that Pakistan was making every effort through diplomatic channels to help resolve the situation.

PM Shehbaz then announced that both the federal and provincial governments would adopt austerity and simplicity to reduce expenditures and conserve energy during the challenging economic situation.

The measures included cutting government expenditures, reducing the working week to four days, and reducing non-essential movement.

PM Shehbaz also announced that members of the federal cabinet, advisers, and special assistants would not draw salaries for the next two months, while members of parliament would face a 25% salary cut during the same period.

Michelle Pfeiffer talks with “CBS Mornings” about starring alongside Kurt Russell in “The Madison.” She describes how she decided to take on the character and explains after decades in the entertainment industry why she still gets nervous in new roles.

NASA’s 1,300-pound satellite is going to hit Earth’s surface today, March 10, 2026, after having been orbiting the Earth for more than a decade now.

NASA has issued a statement, announcing that “Van Allen Probe A is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere almost 14 years after launch.”

The spacecraft Van Allen Probe A, weighing around 1,323 pounds (600-kilograms) was launched into orbit in August 2012 along with its pair, Van Allen Probe B, to conduct scientific experiments on the radiation belts around Earth, which they’re named.

For context, the radiation belts known as the Van Allen belts were discovered by renowned physicist James Van Allen.

However, as per NASA, both missions were abandoned in 2019, and Van Allen Probe A’s time off Earth is almost over.

At what time will 600-kg NASA satellite crash on Earth?

As per the details provided by the U.S. Space Force, the satellite is predicted to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere today on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 7:45 pm EDT (23:45 GMT), plus or minus 24 hours.

According to NASA, there’s no imminent danger to humans amid its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

The statement added, “NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive reentry. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low, approximately 1 in 4,200.”

So it means a low risk of injury of about 0.02%, while considering the fact that water covers about 70% of Earth’s surface. So, any left behind debris will likely fall into the ocean, not in areas surrounded by any city or land.

The Van Allen Probes satellites were set for a two-year timeline, but the spacecraft managed to continue operating without any glitch until 2019 (Probe B) and October 2019 (Probe A).

They were the first spacecraft manufactured to study the radiation belts for many years within a region around our Earth.

It is known as an area where most spacecraft and astronaut missions minimize time in order to avoid damaging radiation.