Author: newsdesk

  • US embassy issues warning to American staff based in Pakistan of a possible attack

    The embassy of the United States of America (USA) has warned its Islamabad-based staff of a possible attack on the Marriott Hotel and “prohibited” them from visiting the hotel during the Christmas holidays.

    On Sunday, the embassy issued a security alert stating: “The US government is aware of information that unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays. Effective immediately, the embassy in Islamabad is prohibiting all American staff from visiting the hotel.”

    The US also urged its staff to refrain from non-essential travel in Islamabad during the holiday season.

    Meanwhile, the Islamabad police raised security levels to high alert in the capital. The police said that checking was increased at all entry and exit points, requesting residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

    The capital administration has also put a ban on all types of gatherings for two weeks and declared a high alert in the city for 48 hours.

    The American embassy directive followed a suicide bombing in I-8, a residential area of Islamabad on Friday, which killed a police officer and wounded 10 people.

    Pakistan is facing a resurgence of terrorism since the militant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off its ceasefire with the government in late November.

    Seven separate blasts ripped through Balochistan on December 25 killing six soldiers and injuring dozens of others.

    Last week, TTP militants seized control of the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and held hostages inside the compound for almost two days.

  • Zodiac signs who will be unlucky in Love and money in 2023

    Zodiac signs who will be unlucky in Love and money in 2023

    Yearly Horoscope Org has made its annual predictions about which zodiac signs will have an unlucky 2023. The website has made predictions about which signs will have bad luck in money and luck.

    Top Three signs that will be unlucky with money:
    Aries

    According to the website it will be a “wasteful year” for Aries. However, it says that it will be less hard for married people than single people.

    Libra

    The Air sign will find it hard to save money in 2023 and they will spend it on “pretty things”.

    Aquarius

    Aquarians will waste money on looking for adventures and they will be one of the unluckiest zodiac signs when it comes to money.

    Top three signs which will be unlucky with Love:
    Aries

    It is hard for Aries people to find suitable partners. When they do, they demand so much for them that they feel suffocated. In terms of love, it will be a bad bad year for all Aries.

    Gemini

    Geminis do not give their heart to someone who deserves it, and they will continue making bad decisions in 2023 as well.

    Capricorns

    Capricorns enjoy solid marriages but this zodiac sign will always be unlucky in love. Capricorns lack passion and 2023 will be a hard luck for them in terms of finding love.

  • Govt launches 20,000 paid internships for engineers

    Govt launches 20,000 paid internships for engineers

    The Federal Government has launched an internship program for over 20,000 engineers across Pakistan, providing them with a monthly compensation of Rs. 40,000.

    Speaking at the 56th Annual general meeting of Institution of Engineers Pakistan, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, revealed that the government is working on promoting the engineering sector of Pakistan.

    Iqbal further stated that a budget amounting to Rs 6.5 billion has been approved for five universities, with the government also deciding to establish an institution bearing the name of the late nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.
    Ahsan Iqbal had stated last month that over 20,000 scholarships would be offered to unemployed graduates in Pakistan, and under the Youth Development Initiatives program launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, these scholarships will be offered to students from remote parts of Pakistan.

  • Lahore Traffic Police launches crackdown on drugged drivers, wardens to use alcohol detectors

    Lahore Traffic Police launches crackdown on drugged drivers, wardens to use alcohol detectors

    Lahore Traffic Police has initiated a crackdown on drug-impaired drivers. The operation is currently underway on major roads in Lahore, including Mall Road, Jail Road, and Canal Road.

    According to reports, traffic officers have been issued digital alcohol testers, which will be used on drivers to assess if they are drunk or high on narcotics.

    Anyone caught driving under the influence of drugs will face severe penalties under the motor vehicle ordinance.

    Lahore Traffic Police has also instructed motorists to drive at a speed of 40–60 km/h on the stated roads and to maintain a safe distance, especially during fog. It advised motorists to drive with low beams and avoid switching lanes frequently.

    Owing to dense fog and low visibility, traffic police prohibited entry on the Lahore Ring Road Eastern Bypass to the Sialkot Motorway on Sunday night.

  • ‘Will adopt two babies soon’: Ayesha Omar ready for marriage, motherhood

    ‘Will adopt two babies soon’: Ayesha Omar ready for marriage, motherhood

    Actor Ayesha Omar is ready to embark on the next phase of life and start a family soon. In a recent tell-all at a digital talk show, the Habs diva spoke at length about her personal life, plans to get married, have children – of herself, and adopt.

    She also confessed that she is now ‘ready’ to be a mother and have a family. “I think now I’m ready to be a mother and I want to start a family soon,” Omar told the host.

    Omar added, “I want to get married and adopt two children and somewhere along the way, I’d love to have a baby of my own too.”

    “Until now I wasn’t ready but now that I am, things will start happening,” the celeb divulged.

    In her latest Instagram post, she posted a picture of her to highlight society’s role in forming a person’s most private thoughts and emotions.

    “We seldom realise for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not our own, for we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by society,” the quote read.

  • Why do educated girls scare the Afghan Taliban?

    Why do educated girls scare the Afghan Taliban?

    Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education ministry has said that female students would not be allowed access to the country’s universities until further notice, barring them from getting education, something that is their right and a basic necessity.

    Where the Afghan Taliban’s takeover poses threat to many, people questioned what will happen to the women? Will their needs be sabotaged? Will they be treated as a lesser entity of the state? Will the women have freedom to live and recover from the torments of the past? Will the women be given the chance to have a good life? Looking at the present situation, one can only think: Why are the Afghan Taliban so afraid of a woman’s mind? If you educate a woman, you educate an entire generation. But this notion fails to prevail in the region.

    The ban on female education has drawn international condemnation and people across the world are angry at how Afghan women are being treated.

    After the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they closed schools across the country. Most schools eventually reopened, but girls in secondary school were told to stay at home until conditions— which the Taliban didn’t define— were ready for them to return to classes. The announcement to return to school never came.

    In addition to barring women and girls from education, the Taliban have imposed a raft of rules to govern female behaviour.

    We can only hope that the Taliban recognise women as equals and give them their due right and recognition.

  • CM Elahi will take confidence vote before Jan 11: Fawad Chaudhry

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry has announced that Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, will get a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly before January 11.

    Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan has already summoned a session of the assembly on Jan 11.

    In a press conference on Saturday, Fawad Chaudhry claimed that the coalition government in Punjab has the support of 187 lawmakers.

    He added that Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the party’s senior leadership on Saturday where it was decided that the vote of confidence would take place at the earliest.

    Earlier in the week, the Lahore High Court had reinstated Elahi as the chief minister and also issued notices to all parties involved in the case, summoning them to appear before the bench on January 11.

    The court suspended Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligur Rehman’s order till the next hearing (Jan 11) and also did not make it compulsory for the CM to take a vote of confidence on his orders.

    In a meeting on Saturday, PTI chief Imran Khan predicted that the next general elections would be held in March or April.

    On Friday, CM Elahi said that the Punjab Assembly would be dissolved in line with Khan’s directives. His statement came moments after he assured the high court that he would not dissolve the legislative.

  • McDonald’s opens first ‘mostly automated’ outlet and foodies are ‘not lovin’ it’

    McDonald’s opens first ‘mostly automated’ outlet and foodies are ‘not lovin’ it’

    The renowned fast food chain McDonald’s has opened an automated outlet in Texas, which is a first of its kind. The restaurant allows customers to order food without requiring a kiosk or a smartphone app.

    Without any human interaction, customers will get their orders on the conveyor belt. The restaurant lacks any seating or set-ups for eating inside since it is meant to be a “grab and go” outlet.

    This unique McDonald’s is smaller than other McDonald’s, and the restaurant’s primary objectives are to improve accuracy and order speed. Instead of waiting and ordering at the restaurant, guests can place their orders before they arrive.

    The business claimed to be creating fresh approaches to provide clients with faster, more effective service.

    Although there are still people working in the restaurant to prepare the food, the new approach only eliminates client interaction. According to the restaurant’s franchisor, Keith Vanecek, the new strategy enables the restaurant team to focus more on order speed, enhancing the effectiveness and enjoyment of both the customer and employee experiences.

    The food chain has, however, come under heavy fire for automating the process since it would harm people’s jobs. At $7.25 per hour, Texas’ minimum wage is one of the lowest in the country. Additionally, reducing employment in such a situation scares those who are already wary of automation and robots taking jobs away from people.

    Many individuals opposed the plan and posted their opinions and personal experiences on social media.

    A Twitter user said that it would result in the elimination of jobs for restaurant employees. Another user said that after speaking with Google and Siri, he now needs to communicate with yet another robot.

    While McDonald’s believes that the strategy will improve the consumer experience.

  • Pak documentary about three differently-abled Pakistanis “As Far As They Can Run” shortlisted for Oscars

    Pak documentary about three differently-abled Pakistanis “As Far As They Can Run” shortlisted for Oscars

    Capping what has been a productive year for Pakistani entertainment, local documentary “As Far As They Can Run” has been shortlisted for the Oscars.

    This brings the tally of Pakistani films receiving international acclaim and getting a nomination at the Oscars to two.

    The team behind Joyland made the country proud by garnering critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival and other prestigious venues, and then getting shortlisted for an Oscar nomination.
    And now the Pakistani documentary ‘As Far As They Can Run’ too is up for the prestigious award in the ‘Documentary Short Film’ category. It explores the lives of three differently-abled adults who join a running program in Pakistan, hoping that they might change perspectives of differently-abled people in their hometown.

    The last time a Pakistani filmmaker had won an Oscar was in 2016 by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for her film “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” which explores the custom of honor killings in Pakistan.
    Filmmaker and Producer behind the documentary Ziad Zafar shared the news from his Twitter account, where he said that he was thrilled to be part of this film and asked his followers to send him good luck.
    Fans can watch the documentary on Paramount Plus.

  • Original Avatar Studios series to focus on the next Avatar arriving in 2025

    Original Avatar Studios series to focus on the next Avatar arriving in 2025

    Avatar fans rejoice! The cycle of the next Avatar is not over after Aang and Korra. Yesterday Avatar News posted an announcement that has taken social media by storm. The post read that Paramount and Avatar Studio were creating an original series, set to release in 2025, focusing on the next Avatar, who will originate from the Earth Nation.

    According to the news post published on the website AvatarNews, there is plenty in store for series fans as 2025 will not just be about the release of the series, but plenty of other content. A film focusing on the adult Aang is arriving in theatres on 10th October, 2025, and the live-action young Aang series is set to release in 2023.
    The news led to some disappointment among fans of Avatar Korra, for whom it implied that this meant that the Avatar has passed away, since the Avatar cycle begins with the death of the previous Avatar.

    But other fans were rejoicing that the beloved animated series is back with a bang

    https://twitter.com/lcshorten/status/1606119158587850752?s=20&t=EBec1LshCCLzjf-0FlFINQ
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