Author: newsdesk

  • Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards: Laughing snake, other finalists will make your day

    Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards: Laughing snake, other finalists will make your day

    The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards shortlisted 42 images for its 2021 competition after receiving entries of over 7,000 photos from every corner of the world.

    The final 42 pictures include a laughing vine snake from India, a trio of strutting Gentoo penguins on the beaches of the Falkland Islands and a kangaroo performing a picture-perfect Pavarotti impersonation in Australia.

    Laughing snake by Aditya Kshirsagar, India
    Monday Morning Mood by Andrew Mayes, South Africa
    Directing penguin by Carol Taylor, UK
    Monkey riding a giraffe by Dirk-Jan Steehouwer, Netherlands
    The Green Stylist by Gurumoorthy K, India
    Operatic warm ups by Lea Scadden, Australia
    Did I say you could take my picture? By Patrick Dirlam, USA

    Co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, aimed to create a competition that focused on the lighter side of wildlife photography and help promote wildlife conservation through humour.

    This year’s competition is supporting Save Wild Orangutans and is donating 10 per cent of its total net revenue to the charity.

  • VIDEO: Patient shouts thinking hospital staff member is a ghost

    A woman in Vietnam started shouting after seeing a hospital staff member in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), thinking it was a ghost.

    The other patients in the ward were also frightened after the woman started shouting.

    According to reports, the alleged ghost explained to the woman that she is a nurse, but the woman understood this when she regained her consciousness.

    The video shows the staff in the ward laughing after the woman had calmed down.

  • Nida Yasir breaks her silence on the ‘Formula Car’ trolling, Nabeel Qureshi and Aadi Adeal school her

    Nida Yasir breaks her silence on the ‘Formula Car’ trolling, Nabeel Qureshi and Aadi Adeal school her

    Morning show host Nida Yasir is known to hit back at the trolls. The Nadaniyaan star recently trended on social media due to a blunder regarding Formula cars that she made on live television.

    After trending for days over a throwback F1 racing car video, Nida has finally addressed the ongoing debacle post that clip has resurfaced on social media.

    In 2016, the morning show host had invited two NUST students who had invented their own Formula 1 racing car.

    The super talented duo Abdul Aleem and Mohammad Shariq Waqar had joined the host in hopes to shed light on their project but were left puzzled by the host’s questions.

    As Twitter basked in the meme glory, netizens trolled Nida over her ‘poorly’ researched interview.

    Now, the Uff yeh biwian diva has responded to the controversy by saying, “After watching the clip, I’m laughing at myself, I find the interview hilarious. This was a mistake though. I will make sure that I research first before discussing any topic.”

    “I’ve done several important shows, whose feedback has been very positive. However, no one ever talks about that or makes it viral. That really demotivates me.”, she concluded.

    Actor In Law fame director Nabeel Qureshi criticised the morning show host, saying: “One can always do small research before inviting the guest.”

    Aadi Adeal amjad also turned to Instagram stories to school her.

    On the work front, Nida was praised for her performance in the telefilm Uff Yeh Biwiyaan and its sequel alongside Shaista Lodhi.

  • ‘We need privacy, keep media out of courtroom’: Zahir Jaffer

    Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in the Noor Mukadam case, asked police officials to keep media persons out of the courtroom, Mona Khan reported for Independent Urdu. While appearing for the hearing of the case today, Zahir told police officials: “We have privacy, keep the media out of the courtroom.”

    Moreover, Zahir’s mother Asmat Adamjee asked police officials to delete a video from the phone of a cameraman of a private news channel. Police officials then took the phone from the cameraman and deleted the video clip.

    Zahir came for the hearing today in Islamabad District and Sessions court with a new haircut. The prime suspect was wearing a brown shalwar kameez and was talking to police officials in Urdu. Earlier, Zahir had said that he does not understand Urdu.

    The police submitted the challan of the case today.

    Therapy Works CEO Dr Tahir Zahoor, while addressing a press conference on Saturday, said that Zahir Jaffer is an alcoholic who has been playing lunatic after murdering Noor Mukadam.

  • Indian media runs Arma-3 game clip, calls it Pakistan Air Force attacking Panjshir

    Indian media runs Arma-3 game clip, calls it Pakistan Air Force attacking Panjshir

    Republic TV and Zee Hindustan ran footage from a video game Arma-3 as visuals claiming that it was the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attacking the anti-Taliban fighters in Panjshir Valley.

    The channel aired the footage stating it was from Hasti TV and shows airstrikes by Pakistani drones in Panjshir Valley against resistance fighters.

    Republic TV posted the video with the caption, “Pakistan army supporting Taliban against Northern Alliance in Panjshir”. During the broadcast, the anchor can be heard repeating the claim that the footage shows airstrikes in Panjshir and claiming that Pakistan was behind it.

    Various Indian media outlets shared the fake video, claiming it as Pakistani Air Force attacking Panjshir.

    The video started doing the rounds on Twitter.

    Indian journalist Swati Chaturvedi tweeted, “No bigger disgrace to journalism than the shouty clown & his channel.”

    A Twitter user tweeted, “It’s not that Pakistani 5th Gen Warriors aren’t as skilled, but I think they just lack the sheer brazen confidence that Indian 5th Gen Warriors have.”

    Another person tweeted, “Indian media in a nutshell.”

    https://twitter.com/Ibn_e_Channa/status/1434840247553122304

    Schooling the channel for fake news, a Twitter user wrote, “This is so embarrassing and misleading at the same time. It’s a shame that we let channels like @republic test our sensibilities time and again. Shame on us for letting them exist.”

  • Aiman, Muneeb host an extravagant birthday party for daughter Amal, Minal and Ahsan ooze romance

    Celebrity couple Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt hosted a lavish bash for their daughter Amal’s second birthday. The entire family enjoyed a colorfully decorated venue with a cat themed wall and a live magic show.

    Soon to be spouses, Minal Khan and Ahsan Mohsin Ikram made sure they capture their special moments together.

    Many A-list celebrities attended the bash.

  • Brazil-Argentina match: Police storm field to arrest players for Covid violation

    Brazil-Argentina match: Police storm field to arrest players for Covid violation

    The World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was suspended on Sunday due to four English Premier League players who allegedly ‘lied’ on documents they filled out on entry to the country.

    The players were Tottenham pair of Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero and Aston Villa duo Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez.

    The players are said to have reported for international duty with Argentina but things were stopped due to a row over falsified Covid-19 documents.

    As per the Daily Mirror, the Brazil government, FIFA and Conmebol had struck an agreement that the mentioned players would be allowed onto the field to take part in the match.

    But just minutes into the match, officials from Brazilian health authority Anvisa stormed the pitch with police officers and demanded that the match be stopped until the four players were off the field and detained.

    “By decision of the match referee, the match organised by FIFA between Brazil and Argentina for the World Cup Qualifiers is suspended,” South American football governing body CONMEBOL tweeted.

    “The referee and the match commissioner will submit a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the steps to be followed. These procedures strictly adhere to current regulations.”

    “The World Cup Qualifiers is a FIFA competition. All decisions concerning its organisation and development are the exclusive power of that institution.”

  • Defence Day: Pakistani leaders pay tribute to martyrs

    Defence Day: Pakistani leaders pay tribute to martyrs

    Pakistan paid a befitting tribute to the country’s armed forces, as it observed Defence Day with traditional spirit and enthusiasm.

    This year’s Defence and Martyrs’ Day theme is “Our martyrs our pride, a salute to all the relatives belonging to Ghazis and Shaheeds.”

    The day began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

    In his message on Defence Day, President Arif Alvi vowed that Pakistan would never compromise its integrity.

    “Today we are actively fighting a hybrid war being waged against us. I commend the security agencies for their relentless efforts towards exposing the enemy carrying out covert activities,” he added.

    “We stand by the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for the right to self-determination guaranteed under the UN Security Council resolutions,” said the president.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the Pakistan Army. “The Armed Forces must fight the enemy with unparalleled fearlessness in the world. Our brave officers, soldiers, pilots, and sailors have proved to the world that they are always ready to defend every inch of the homeland. Even if they have to pay a price for it.”

    Stressing the need for peace, PM Khan wrote, “On this occasion, I want to make it clear once again that our desire for peace should never be seen as our weakness, but should be answered in the same positive way for the prosperity and betterment of the people of the region.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and said, “Today the people & armed forces of Pakistan came together to defend their motherland against the Indian military aggression.”

    “We will always remember the sacrifices of our brave soldiers!”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the sacrifices of the martyrs, the unwavering determination of the soldiers, and the invincible unity of the people of Pakistan is our strength and the guarantee of our bright future.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, paying a tribute to the families of our martyrs, tweeted, “Today, in the names of martyrs.”

    Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari tweeted, “Today is a day to remember & pay our respects to our martyrs esp the soldiers for whom there’s not to reason why and the families they leave behind.”

    PPP leader Sherry Rehman tweeted, “On this #DefenceDay, we pay tribute to our valiant heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect our country and people. We forever owe their families a forever debt.”

  • Dubai-based Pakistani awarded 50,000 dirhams for saving pregnant cat

    Atif Mehmood, a Pakistani salesman based in Dubai, saved a  pregnant cat stuck on the second-floor balcony of a residential building in Deira, the commercial hub of Dubai.

    Atif, along with a Moroccan and an Indian man, spread a bedsheet and caught the cat after it jumped from the second floor.

    The video shows the three men holding up the bedsheet for the cat, who initially hesitates, but then jumps into it and is saved.

    Viewed over 1.1 million times, the video caught the eye of the ruler of Dubai who took to Twitter and asked people to help identify the “unsung heroes” so he could thank them.

    “I got a call from the police and someone asked me, ‘Did you save a cat?’,” Mehmood told Arab News. “I got scared and said yes, I did, and then they asked me to visit the police station.”

    Read More: Diner leaves $10,000 tip to reward employees’ services

    He said he entered the police station to cheers and applause. Three days later, he was told he had been awarded AED50,000 (Rs 2,172,833) by the Dubai government.

    “I did not believe it at first,” he said, “but it has become a reality.”

    Mehmood, who is single, has already spent most of the reward money to buy a car for his father and help out his brother. He now plans to use the rest of the cash to try to set up a business in Dubai

  • ‘Don’t call us terrorists and extremists,’ TTP issues warning to Pak media

    ‘Don’t call us terrorists and extremists,’ TTP issues warning to Pak media

    “You call us terrorists and extremists, which shows your bias…stop it or you will be responsible for making enemies,” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said in a statement addressed to the Pakistani media and journalists.

    “It discredits your profession, so from now on, call us by our name, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,” read the statement.

    “If you fail to do so, you will not only be doing injustice to your profession but will be responsible for making enemies,” the statement further added.

    Twitter reacted to the TTP statement.

    Journalist Azaz Syed wrote, “#TTP issues a latest threat to media in #Pakistan.”

    Journalist Ziyad Faisal wrote, “Notification rejected. My desk will refer to TTP as ‘the banned/outlawed TTP’ & to their activities as ‘terrorist attacks’ – & nothing will ever change that.”

    Four personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) were martyred and 21 others injured in a suicide bombing at a convoy on Quetta-Mastung road on Sunday in Balochistan.

    TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released to CNN.