Author: newsdesk

  • Shehbaz, Nawaz to meet for three hours in London

    Shehbaz, Nawaz to meet for three hours in London

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is set to leave for a two-day visit to the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday, September 18, during which he will represent Pakistan at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The premier is scheduled to have a three-hour-long meeting with his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, in London.

    According to news reports, PM Shehbaz will return to Pakistan on Monday soon after attending the state funeral for the late Queen — who died at the age of 96 on September 8 at her Balmoral Castle residence.

    It is pertinent to mention here that senior analyst Suhail Warraich had recsbtly revealed that Nawaz Sharif is not satisfied with the performance of his brother Shehbaz Sharif or Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. Warraich said Nawaz wants Shehbaz to review his policies.

    “Nawaz had already said that they should not take over the government and move towards elections. It seems like he [Nawaz Sharif] has made up his mind that he wants economic policies reviewed, and he would want Ishaq Dar to manage it. He [Nawaz Sharif] does not trust Miftah Sahib,” said Warraich on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

  • Special course on Animal welfare to be introduced in schools

    Special course on Animal welfare to be introduced in schools

    A special course regarding animal welfare and animal rights will be introduced in schools of Islambad, Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, Salman Sufi, tweeted on Saturday.

    “A special course is being prepared on animal welfare that will be introduced in schools of the ICT region.” he wrote.
    “Children will be introduced with compassion and humane approach towards animals so they can be better citizens,” he wrote.

    Talking about the preparation of the curriculum Salaman Sufi while talking to The Current said that the curriculum is being planned by the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, and for that they are getting input from various animal rights organizations and from both public and private schools in Islamabad.

    Sufi added that the course will be formalised within three to four weeks adding that the course will also include Islamic refrences to teach childern about compassion with animals.

    He continued by saying that this is the worse period for animal rights and this can only be tackled through education and to teach them to not follow the lead that we are leaving behind and that will be a small contribution from Prime Minister’s strategic Reforms Unit.

  • Govt may announce revised petrol prices today

    Govt may announce revised petrol prices today

    After Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif returns to Pakistan from Uzbekistan today, the federal government is expected to announce revised petroleum product prices.

    Amid these rumours, fuel pump owners have stopped buying petroleum goods, according to Geo News.

    Reportedly, the Prime Minister’s Office has notified the Finance Ministry of the POL price announcement.

    According to sources, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) did not advise lowering gasoline and diesel prices in its brief given to the finance division. Instead, a minor increase in POL costs is predicted. However, the final decision on POL prices is likely today.

    Previously, it was expected that the price of petrol would fall from Rs235.98 per litre to Rs226.36 after a Rs9.62 per litre reduction over the next two weeks.

    Moreover, the price of diesel is likely to rise by Rs3.04 per litre, raising the rate from Rs247.26 to Rs250.30 during the specified period.

    KP Finance and Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra took to Twitter to criticise the government’s delay in announcing revised POL pricing, sparking a debate on the social media platform.

  • ‘Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja’, other desi songs played at Shangai Cooperation Organisation

    ‘Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja’, other desi songs played at Shangai Cooperation Organisation

    Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) came to an end on Friday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan where at one point, eight world leaders attended the summit to the sounds of 80s Bollywood songs.

    A video was posted by journalist Sidhant Sibal on Thursday in which Indian songs “Jimmy Jimmy Aja Aja” and “I’m a disco dancer” were being played to welcome the SCO delegates.

    This year’s summit was hosted by Uzbekistan from September 15-16. Many historic meetings took place at the SCO including the one between Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time. Other memorable moments included PM Shehbaz interacting with officials in Tajiki, before starting a formal meeting with the country’s president.

    A highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin also took place. Xi called Putin his “old friend”, but the mutually endorsing speeches of the two authoritarian heavyweights were muted.

    As expected, Indian PM Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif did not have a one-on-one meeting as relations between the rival neighbors remained cold.

  • PM Shehbaz likely to meet US President Biden this month

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit the United States of America (USA) this month from September 19- 24 to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

    During this visit, he may have a meeting with US President Joe Biden. Both PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will attend the dinner reception hosted by President Biden for heads of state and government of countries attending the General Assembly.

    Apart from this, PM will meet the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the President of the World Bank (WB) in New York. He will also address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23.

    It is pertinent to mention that this year’s UNGA session is significant because this will be the first in-person summit of world leaders since 2019. For the last two years, sessions were held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Since US President Biden’s election, relations between Pakistan and the US have cooled down. Former PM Imran Khan also has repeatedly accused the US of outsing him from power, a charge denied repeatedly by US officials and Pakistan’s establishment.

  • Honda introduces the CG125 2023 ‘new model’ and it has nothing new

    Honda introduces the CG125 2023 ‘new model’ and it has nothing new

    Due to its durability and powerful engine, the Honda CG125 has been one of Pakistan’s best-selling motorcycles for decades. Despite the fact that the manufacturer has not modified its shape or added any major or small modifications to it in nearly two decades, customers continue to buy it.

    Atlas Honda recently announced a “new model” of the Honda CG125, despite the fact that it has nothing new to offer local buyers. The bike has the same body, motor, tyres, handles, and everything else; the only thing that has been changed is the stickers that are pasted on the fuel tank and side covers.

    Some of the alterations to the engine include a slightly altered head and cylinder, a slightly revised combustion chamber design, a new gear-oil pump drive, a new gear timing drive, and reinforced engine mounting points. These improvements may allow the Honda CG125 to perform slightly better than the previous iteration, but the change in performance may be so minor that a layperson would be unable to tell the difference.

    Read more: How to apply for government jobs in Pakistan

    The bike manufacturer has not raised the price of its bikes in a long time, so the CG125 standard and CG125 SE are priced at Rs179,900 and Rs210,900, respectively.

  • Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone set to play Ranbir’s parents in ‘Brahmastra 2’

    Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone set to play Ranbir’s parents in ‘Brahmastra 2’

    After the success of Brahmastra, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in lead roles, fans are eagerly awaiting to know who will star in the next edition of this mega-blockbuster. Director Ayan Mukherji has started prepping for its part two with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as Jalastra and Dev.

    For the unversed, the first film of the planned fantasy trilogy, Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva, was released on September 9.

    Breaking the silence over the much-speculated star cast of the second film of the planned trilogy, journalist Anupama Chopra, on Film Companion, said “I hope that the learnings of this film (Brahmastra Part One) enable them (the makers) to make a kickass part two with of course Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.”

    Recently, after the release of the film Brahmastra, the director of the film, Ayan Mukerji told The Times of India that they will “plan the shooting of the second and third parts”. He added by saying that “the trilogy will tell the same story, but that each film would introduce new characters and add various perspectives to the overall narrative.”

  • How to apply for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship

    How to apply for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship

    Commonwealth Scholarships are given to talented individuals with the potential to make a positive impact on the global stage.

    As part of the UK’s ongoing commitment to the Commonwealth, each year around 800 students are given the chance to undertake postgraduate degrees at UK universities.

    Eligibility criteria for Pakistani Students:
    • Be a Pakistani/AJ&K national and permanent resident of Pakistan/AJ&K. Dual nationals are not eligible.
    • For Master’s scholarship, an applicant must hold a first-class degree in a relevant postgraduate qualification (16 years Bachelors/master’s degree) in the relevant field of study by closing date of HEC application portal.
    • For a PhD scholarship, an applicant must hold a first-class degree in relevant postgraduate qualification (17/18 years Masters/MS/MPhil degree) in the relevant field of study by closing date of HEC application portal.
    • Candidate must not have Second/Third division in the terminal/last degree. Result awaiting candidates are also not eligible to apply.
    • All applicants are required to provide HAT test scores. Applicant must have obtained a minimum score of 60 out of 100 on the HAT test. Those applicants who have taken HAT test on or after January 01, 2022, may upload the test result on the HEC portal for consideration.​
    • ​Without providing minimum HAT test score (60 out of 100), applications will not be considered for further process. Interested applicants who are yet to take HAT test, may register for the same by visiting https://etc.hec.gov.pk/. ETC is accepting applications for HAT test till October 11, 2022​.

    CSC Eligibility Criteria in addition to HEC criteria:

    To apply for these scholarships, you must:

    • Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
    • Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2023
    • The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to provide justification as to why you wish to undertake this study
    • Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
    • Provide full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications including to-date transcripts for any qualifications you are currently studying (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system
    • Provide references from at least two individuals.

    For PhD candidates only:

    • NOT be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in your home country before September/October 2023
    • Provide a supporting statement from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on your application form.

    Kindly visit below mentioned links for further details on eligibility criteria & terms of award:

  • Believe it or not, this fitness band costs less than Rs900

    Believe it or not, this fitness band costs less than Rs900

    These days, smart watches and smart bands are incredibly popular, and every manufacturer is continuously pushing to release a new product to draw in customers.

    Naturally, well-known brands place a greater emphasis on quality and durability and strive to provide the finest in order to uphold their brand’s integrity and reputation.

    While other producers copy the original design and release a product that is more likely to be bought by consumers who cannot afford showy bands or watches from companies like Fitbit, Amazfit, Mi, and the premium Apple and Samsung watches.

    Cheapest smart fitness sport band

    The most affordable fitness tracker available right now in Pakistan is this M6 Sport Smart Band. According to the seller, this band is for sale on Daraz.pk and includes many features often found in more expensive smart bands.

    Similar to this one, M6 bands are Mi Band 6 clones. Currently, this band is available on Daraz for just Rs840.

    Here are all the features of the M6 Sports Smart Band, according to the seller:

    • Alarm
    • Remote camera
    • Raise to wake
    • Music controls
    • Find band feature
    • Weather
    • Notification reminder: Call reminder, information push, sedentary reminder
    • Message reminder: Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, SMS
    • Health monitoring modes: Heart rate, Blood Pressure
    • Sleep monitoring: sleep time, sleep quality
    • Sport modes: Running, Sit-up, Skipping rope

    It is important to note that this is one of the least expensive watches that is offered in Pakistan.

    Read more: How to apply for government jobs in Pakistan

    On online marketplaces like Daraz and OLX, cheap fitness bands are incredibly popular. Some of these watches come in both good quality and an inexpensive price range, while others are less feature- and quality-rich yet have incredibly low asking prices.

  • Firdous Jamal passes derogatory comments about Humayun Saeed and Faysal Qureshi

    Firdous Jamal passes derogatory comments about Humayun Saeed and Faysal Qureshi

    Senior actor Firdous Jamal recently appeared on Ahmad Ali Butt’s chat show, Super Over. Firdous was asked to mark the acting skills of present-day superstars such as Humayun Saeed, Faysal Qureshi, Nauman Ijaaz, and Aijaz Aslam.

    The Pyaray Afzal star marked Faysal Qureshi’s acting skills as four out of ten.

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    Jamal gave the same score to Aijaz Aslam.

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    He also mentioned that Naumaan is a five or six on ten.

    As for the Mere Paas Tum Ho star, “Humayun Saeed has no acting skills, no voice, no character, no body language,” he said. “There are still people being fooled by the idea that he is doing good acting.”

    The veteran actor added, “I don’t say anything to anybody on the basis of personal grudges, I talk on the technical grounds, I don’t watch their work as a normal viewer because I am an artist.”

    Last year, Jamal slammed Imran Ashraf performance as Bhola from Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Firdous Jamal responded, “Imran’s performance wasn’t a spontaneous one. In fact, it was pretension. He was acting and not behaving. Such roles have been performed in the past as well but unfortunately, you haven’t seen those precious acts. I don’t want to criticize any individual here, but sadly, acting is becoming a fashion these days.”