Author: newsdesk

  • ‘It will generate revenue’: Ravi Shastri calls for legalisation of sports betting in India

    ‘It will generate revenue’: Ravi Shastri calls for legalisation of sports betting in India

    Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has said that he is all for legalising sports betting in India and it is time that the country catches up to an excellent way of generating revenue, which will only help the authorities to keep a control on it in official ways.

    Sports betting is illegal in India as of now. As per reports, in 2018, the Law Commission of India had recommended the legalisation of regulated betting and gambling activities in sports. It has also been said that the efforts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are “ineffective and insufficient to tackle the menace of illegal and underground betting”.

    Titled as ‘Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting Including in Cricket in India’, the report stated: “Incapability to enforce a complete ban has resulted in a rampant increase in illegal gambling, resulting in a boom in black-money generation and circulation. Since it is not possible to prevent these activities completely, effectively regulating them remains the only viable option.”

    The Law Commission also recommended classifying gambling into two categories, namely ‘proper gambling’ and ‘small gambling’.

    While in conversation with an Indian media outlet Indian Express, Ravi Shastri was asked whether he will be in favor of or against if sports betting was legalised in India. The former Indian team head coach said that he would be in favour of legalising betting on sports.

    He said that other countries were benefitting from it tax-wise and it would generate tremendous income for the government. He also asserted that the more the authorities tried to curb it or stop it, the more betting will rise through alternate channels, hence it was better to earn from it by legalising it in a proper way.

    “I think it will generate tremendous revenue for the government. Tax-wise, it’s the way of the world at the moment. The more you try to shut it down, the more it will be in your face through alternate channels. I think it’s extremely important that it should be legalised in a proper way and it’s a good platform for things to be done officially and properly,” Shastri stated.

    Meanwhile, he called the BCCI the most efficient cricket board in the world in the last 40 years and lauded the politicians for running the Indian cricket board and doing an excellent job in administering cricket in India.

  • Chief Justice proposes Justice Ayesha Malik’s name for SC judge, again

    Chief Justice proposes Justice Ayesha Malik’s name for SC judge, again

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has proposed the name of Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Ayesha Malik for her appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) once again. A meeting of Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has been again called by the CJP on January 6 to consider Justice Ayesha’s nomination.

    CJP Gulzar Ahmed is due to retire in February 2022.

    Read more- Judicial reforms and the question of representation

    The decision to propose her name again has been welcomed by Women In Law, which is an initiative that brings together female lawyers of Pakistan and works for their equality of opportunity in the profession.

    Earlier, the JCP in September did not approve the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik for SC appointment.

    Read more- In-depth analysis: Everything you need to know about Justice Ayesha Malik’s SC appointment

    If appointed, Justice Ayesha Malik will be the first woman to reach the apex court, and in the future can be appointed as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

    As per the Lahore High Court website, Justice Ayesha Malik completed her education from Paris and New York and did her Senior Cambridge from the Karachi Grammar School. She did her A-Levels from the Francis Holland School for Girls in London. She assumed office in March 2012.

    Read more- Pakistan judiciary’s missed moment

  • ‘Enjoyed playing in Australia’: Shadab Khan is excited to be part of Sydney Sixers in BBL

    ‘Enjoyed playing in Australia’: Shadab Khan is excited to be part of Sydney Sixers in BBL

    Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan is excited to be a part of defending Big Bash League (BBL) champions Sydney Sixers. He said that he is hopeful to contribute to his team’s success.

    Taking to Twitter, Shadab wrote: “I have always enjoyed playing in Australia and the @BBL , these are different and tough conditions so you get to learn a lot. Really excited to be part of the @SixersBBL. Hopefully I can contribute to my team’s success.”

    Shadab will be playing the remainder of the season in a timely addition for the injury-hit Sixers, who have lost off-spinner Ben Manenti to a season-ending neck injury while Australia’s Steve O’Keefe is currently on the sidelines with a calf strain.

    He has returned to the BBL after a brief three-match stint with Brisbane Heat in the 2017-18 season.

    The 23-year-old cricketer impressed everyone with his performance at the recent T20 World Cup with nine wickets from six games, including 4 for 26 against the winners Australia in the semi-finals. Shadab, however, was wicket-less in his past two T20Is against West Indies earlier this month.

    As the lower-order batter, Shadab averages 18.33 with a strike rate of 136.81 from 64 T20Is and has also scored three half-centuries in his six-Test career.

    Shadab is the fifth Pakistani to sign in this season’s BBL and joins Melbourne Stars’ trio Haris Rauf, Syed Faridoun and Ahmad Daniyal, and Sydney Thunder’s Mohammad Hasnain.

  • Sanam, Ramsha and Anoushey raise their voice against bakeries for discrimination with Christian customers

    Sanam, Ramsha and Anoushey raise their voice against bakeries for discrimination with Christian customers

    Pakistani Celebrities took to their Instagram stories to share strong opinions against Karachi-based bakeries, ‘Delizia’ and Auntie Muanaver’s ‘Food and Dessert’ where one of their staff refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ to the customers. Netizens also called out on social media against the bakeries and urged them to boycott.

    Actress and Video Jockey (VJ), Anoushey Ashraf wrote in her story that writing ‘Merry Christmas’ does not weaken our faith. She emphasised that it is the job of the staff to compel the request of customers.

    The Zindagi Gulzar Hai star Sanam Saeed also took to her Instagram story to express disappointment over the behaviour of bakery staff. She tagged both bakeries, Delizia and Auntie Muanaver’s Food, and reminded them about the representation of white colour in our flag.

    Shehnai diva Ramasha Khan who is currently appearing in ARY Digital’s serial, Sinf-e- Aahan, also tweeted about the incident and shared one of the quotes of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

    Earlier, the customer reported the incident on a Facebook group “Voice of Customer PK” in which she said that she went to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) branch of Delizia where she was refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ by their staff. She also stressed to the bakeries that they should not make money from their religious occasions as well if they are so much against non-Muslims and their religions.

    The management of both bakeries are yet to release an official statements to the public.

    In 2018, the same incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was refused a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.

  • Google honours late Moin Akhtar on his 71st birth anniversary

    Google honours late Moin Akhtar on his 71st birth anniversary

    Google has honoured legendary comedian Moin Akhtar on his 71st birth anniversary with a doodle.

    The veteran artist got fame from Radio Pakistan along with names like Bushra Ansari and Anwer Maqsood. He used to work in plays for radio. Angan-Terha was one of his most popular drama. Loose Talk was a milestone in his career where he featured in over 400 hundred episodes playing different characters.

    Akhtar was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Pride of Performance Award in 1996. He died from a heart attack on April 22, 2011, in Karachi.

    People on social media are also remembering the legendary artist on his birth anniversary:

  • PM Imran Khan forms committee to devise strategy for local government elections

    After a major setback for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the first phase of the 2021 local government (LG) elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has directed the Punjab government and PTI leadership to begin homework for the upcoming local government elections in the province, adding that he would personally oversee the preparations.

    “The government and party leadership should strictly select candidates on merit and avoid dynastic politics, which was exposed after causing damage to the party in KP,” said PM Khan, reports Dawn.

    “The mistakes made in KP must not be repeated in Punjab,” he stressed. With candidates selected on merit, PM Khan said, the PTI would give a tough time to its opponents in the local government elections in Punjab.

    The premier advised that the Punjab leadership should consult with senior leaders to devise a plan of action to perform better in the Punjab LG elections.

    He was presiding over a meeting of PTI members and senior leadership to hold consultations on local body elections in Punjab.

    PM Imran Khan said that he has always respected the views of senior workers and leaders of the party.

  • Video: Man kicked off from flight for wearing women’s underwear as face mask

    Video: Man kicked off from flight for wearing women’s underwear as face mask

    A Florida man was kicked off of an United Airlines flight earlier this month for wearing women’s underwear over his nose and mouth instead of a mask.

    “The customer clearly wasn’t in compliance with the federal mask mandate and we appreciate that our team addressed the issue on the ground prior to takeoff, avoiding any potential disruptions on the air,” the United Airlines said in a statement.

    In a video that is being widely shared on social media the flight attendant can be heard saying, “You’re going to have to come off the airplane. We’re not going to let you travel,” said a flight attendant in a cell phone video recorded by a passenger.

    “Why?” responds the man.

    “You’re not in mask compliance,” says the attendant in the video.

    The man while talking to a media outlet said that he believes his underwear mask followed the guidelines of the airline regarding the masks. However, he also said this isn’t the first flight he’s been kicked off of for this.

  • Abandoned newborn survives as stray dogs kept her warm all night

    Abandoned newborn survives as stray dogs kept her warm all night

    In India, parents abandoned their newly born baby girl by throwing her in an open field in a village in the Chhattisgarh state. However, the newly born survived as she was kept warm by a litter of puppies all night in the cold.

    Later, she was discovered by a group of villagers going out for their daily chores in the morning.

    The villagers, while narrating the story, said, “At 11 in the morning, we saw that there is a newborn baby girl who was crying and lying alongside puppies in our village. We panicked and informed the health department before the newborn was taken to the hospital for further check-up.”

    It is believed by the villagers that initially, the mother of puppies discovered the baby girl, who was naked, and the umbilical cord was also attached to her body. She was lying down with the puppies.

    Locals said that it was sheer luck that the baby survived at such low temperatures during the night which was made possible because of the warmth given by the puppies and their mother.

    The police were called by the local government known as a panchayat to register a case.

    The baby girl was given the name, Akanksha by locals and was shifted to the hospital for examination of her condition. The Indian NGO, Child Line Project was also involved to help the child.

    The villagers criticised her parents who abandoned her and called them criminals. One of the locals said that it was a miracle that she survived in the night because stray dogs can be violent.

    Police have started their search investigation for the newborn girl’s parents.

  • UNSC adopts resolution to facilitate Afghanistan

    The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members unanimously adopted a resolution to provide vital support to Afghanistan.

    The resolution states that “payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources, and the provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of such assistance or to support such activities are permitted.”

    Such assistance supports “basic human needs in Afghanistan” and is “not a violation” of sanctions imposed on entities linked to the Taliban, added the resolution.

    The move came as Afghanistan faces an economic meltdown since the Taliban seized control of the country in August. The crisis has left nearly 23 million people facing acute food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme.

    “Humanitarian aid and life-saving assistance must be able to reach the Afghan people without any hindrance,” China’s UN (United Nation) Ambassador, Zhang Jun, said in a tweet on Monday.

    The decision has been made to limit the scope of the resolution to one year, which only suggests that this aims to satisfy Washington’s European allies.

  • Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain reveal son Kabir’s face and candid moments, Minal and Ayesha adore

    Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain reveal son Kabir’s face and candid moments, Minal and Ayesha adore

    Celebrity couple Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain initially kept their little son Kabir Hussain hidden from social media since he was born.

    However, the latest snap of Kabir Hussain laying in a beautiful casket received a plethora of adorable comments and prayers.

    Photo: Kabir Hussain/Instagram

    The Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 star sparked excitement on social media after officially introducing and sharing son Kabir’s first-ever picture.

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    It’s been less than 24 hours since little Kabir Hussain made his debut on Instagram and the little one already has more than 3,000 followers. 

    Celebrities including Minal Khan, Ayesha Omar and Sadia Ghaffar dropped adorable comments.

    The Karachi Se Lahore star shared a candid picture of Kabir, posing in the car.

    Netizens cheered the baby on his face reveal with positive comments.

    “He is so cute MashaAllah,” commented an Instagram user. “Awwww mashaAllha,” added another while a third one wrote: “He is so pretty like you!”