Author: newsdesk

  • Adnan Siddiqui congratulates Nadia Jamil on being cancer free

    Adnan Siddiqui took to his Instagram account to congratulate Nadia Jamil on being cancer free, along with a long note he also shared some old pictures with the actress.

    “Nadia Jamil so proud of you, my friend. You fought like a warrior, taking everything head on,” wrote Adnan.

    “And the results are for everyone to see! It was your indomitable spirit that conquered the evil of cancer. It’s a tough battle, one that exhausts you physically, mentally and emotionally but you ain’t the one to be cowed down,” he added.

    Nadia Jamil in an heartfelt Instagram post announced that she is now ‘cancer free’.

  • Johnny Lever praises Simi Raheal’s acting, Pooja Bhatt appreciates their cross-border camaraderie

    Johnny Lever praises Simi Raheal’s acting, Pooja Bhatt appreciates their cross-border camaraderie

    Veteran Indian actor and comedian Johny Lever has praised legendary Pakistani actress Simi Raheal’s acting skills during a video call.

    The Khuwahish actress shared a screenshot of their interaction on Instagram. “It is a delightful moment when an Indian film legend calls you to say that he enjoys a character you play,” Simi wrote.

    The Sabaat star thanked him for his words of appreciation. She mentioned that she is a fan of his work as well.

    The celebrities shared their opinions on her post in the comments section.

    Pooja Bhatt, daughter of film maker Mahesh Bhatt, said that it is a joy to see two talented stars get connected by heart.

    YouTuber Rahim Pardesi called her an amazing actress.

  • ‘His sons should be punished as well’: Sarwat Gillani slams Mufti Aziz-Ur-Rehman

    Sarwat Gillani is currently riding on the success of Churails, in an Instagram story the Dil-e-Muntazir actress has requested authorities to punish the sons of Mufti-Aziz-Ur-Rehman. He was arrested by Lahore Police on Sunday from Mianwali after a video went viral on social media in which Mufti Aziz could be seen sexually assaulting one of his madrassa (seminary) students. He confessed his crime after getting arrested.

    “Good job to our police for trying to track him down in ten cities after he went into hiding, finally catching him after he escaped at least three times,” wrote Sarwat in her Instagram story.”

    Sarwat will be seen next in Zee5’s Yaar Julahe.

  • ‘Osama Bin Laden is a thing of the past, my focus is on the present and future’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    ‘Osama Bin Laden is a thing of the past, my focus is on the present and future’: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday appeared on Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath” and said that former Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden (OBL) “is a thing of the past and my focus is on the present and the future”.

    Qureshi was asked once more about why it is that he, along with Prime Minister Imran Khan, avoid clarifying whether OBL is a martyr or terrorist.

    “Osama Bin Laden is a thing of the past. I am not concerned with the past. You are lost in the past. My focus is on the present and the future,” said Qureshi.

    Khanzada explained that he was asking for clarity because Pakistan paid a huge price for confusion in the past when it was said that there is a “dual policy with sympathy for terrorists”.

    “I wish to bring you out of the past,” Qureshi said, in response. “My friend, I wish to bring you out of the past. And I tell you, you must think about the future. That future will impact Pakistan, it’s economy and its society. We are absolutely clear on this. We are against terrorism.”

    Qureshi further added that PM Khan takes inspiration from the country’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

    Qureshi was also asked why Pakistan is giving confused statements, when in the backdrop of the US defence secretary’s words about Afghanistan’s soil being used against the US by Daesh or Al-Qaeda in two years’ time, such remarks could come back to haunt us.

    To this Qureshi said: “No, no, no, no. We have great clarity on this. We will never want Afghan or Pakistan soil to be used against a third country, let alone America. I would never want it to be even used against any of our neighbours. Not at all.”

    “We have great clarity. We do not and never will support terrorist organisations and will never want for them to gain such power or importance that they become capable of striking the mainland, some other country, or some coalition partner who have done so much for Afghanistan,” added Qureshi.

    “We will have to admit one thing. The coalition there invested a great deal [in society]. They have invested billions of dollars, established institutions, promoted education, taught them governance. Who will want them to come under attack?” he said.

    In an interview with Afghanistan’s Tolo News, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi skipped a question when asked if Osama bin Laden was a martyr. Qureshi paused for a few seconds and then said, “I will let that pass.”

  • ‘Mr PM Please stop blaming the Victim’: Usman Mukhtar gets direct

    ‘Mr PM Please stop blaming the Victim’: Usman Mukhtar gets direct

    Several Pakistani celebrities have spoken up after Prime Minister Imran Khan made controversial statements about the cause of sexual crimes in Pakistan.

    Taking to his Instagram stories, Usman Mukhtar said that rape is rape! there is no justification for it. “It does not happen because a woman is wearing short clothes. It happens because the person who is committing it this heinous, inhumane act is a criminal and the scum of the earth,” said Mukhtar.

    “MR PM please stop blaming the victim.” he added.

  • Study shows AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta Covid-19 variants

    Study shows AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta Covid-19 variants

    COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech alliance remain broadly effective against Delta and Kappa variants of the COVID-19 which were first identified in India, according to a scientific study.

    According to the details, the study by Oxford University researchers, published in the journal Cell, examined the ability of antibodies in the blood from people, who were vaccinated with the two-shot regimens, to neutralize the highly contagious Delta and Kappa variants, a statement said.

    “There is no evidence of widespread escape suggesting that the current generation of vaccines will provide protection against the B.1.617 lineage,” the paper said, referring to the Delta and Kappa variants by a commonly used code.

    However, the concentration of neutralising antibodies in the blood was somewhat reduced, which may lead to some breakthrough infections, they warned.

    Last week, an analysis by the Public Health England (PHE) showed that vaccines made by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and AstraZeneca offer high protection of more than 90% against hospitalization from the Delta variant. 

    “We are encouraged to see the non-clinical results published from Oxford and these data, alongside the recent early real-world analysis from Public Health England, provide us with a positive indication that our vaccine can have significant impact against the Delta variant,” AstraZeneca executive Mene Pangalos said in a separate statement.

    The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant version of the disease, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said on Friday.

    The Oxford researchers also analysed reinfection patterns in people who had previously had COVID-19. The risk of reinfection with the Delta variant appeared particularly high in individuals previously infected by the Beta and Gamma lineages that emerged in South Africa and Brazil, respectively.

    By contrast, previous infection with the Alpha, or B117, variant first detected in Britain, conferred “reasonable” cross-protection against all variants of concern, lending itself as a template that next-generation vaccines could be molded on.

    “B117 might be a candidate for new variant vaccines to provide the broadest protection,” the researchers said.

  • Pakistan introduces sugar-free mangoes

    Three varieties of sugar-free mangoes for diabetic patients have been introduced in Pakistan, reports ARY News. The newly introduced variety of mangoes have been made after a scientific modification at a private agriculture farm in Sindh’s Tando Allahyar, and are introduced by M H Panhwar Farms after almost five years of research.

    The sugar-free mangoes are available with the names of Sonaro, Glenn and Keitt in the local market.

    “The government of Pakistan had conferred Sitara-e-Imtiaz on Mr Panhwar for his research related to fruits, including mangoes and banana. After his death, I continued his work and carried out modification after importing different genres of mangoes [from foreign countries] to test its growth in this atmosphere and soil,” mango expert Ghulam Sarwar told ARY News. Sarwar is also M H Panhwar’s nephew.

    “This project is being run on a personal basis and we are not taking any assistance from the government. I just want to introduce these varieties at the national and international level. We think about national interests but are not [using this project] for gaining profits for us.”

  • Two new star-studded dramas start shooting

    Muneeb Butt will be sharing the screen space with Qayamat fame Amar Khan in ARY’s upcoming drama serial Baddua, under the direction of Jhooti fame Ramish Rizvi. Amar Khan confirmed the news while taking to Dawn Images. The upcoming drama is produced by by Abdullah Seja and penned down by Samina Ijaz.

    Talking about her character Amar added, “She’s somebody who’s opinionated. She finds herself shackled, but how she breaks free from that is admirable.”Other cast members of the drama include Samina Ahmed, Mehmood Aslam and Rubina Ashraf.

    Muneeb Butt will play a flirtatious character in the play.

    Ahsan Khan and Mawra Hocane will be seen together in an upcoming drama serial, the title has not been locked yet. Details of the project are being kept under wraps. The two are currently shooting for the play in Islamabad.

  • YouTuber Zaid Ali reveals gender of his first child

    YouTuber Zaid Ali reveals gender of his first child

    Pakistani-Canadian YouTuber Zaid Ali and his wife Yumna revealed the gender of their first unborn child to their fans in a vlog.

    Zaid Ali posted a new vlog on his YouTube channel titled “Our baby gender reveal”, recording an event in which he disclosed the gender of his unborn baby. The party was attended by the couple’s close friends and family.

    The video shows Yumna holding a balloon in her hand on which ‘Girl’ and ‘Boy’ are written. As soon as she pops the balloon, blue confetti comes out revealing that the couple will have a son.

    Earlier, the content creator took to social media to announce that the couple is expecting their first child. Sharing a picture with his pregnant wife on Instagram, he wrote, “Excited to start this new chapter of life with you.”

    Read More: Female YouTuber who was receiving threats thanks police for support

    The mother-to-be also shared a heartfelt note on her Instagram account.

    Thanking everyone for their good wishes, she wrote, “Boy/girl, health/ability is all in Allah’s hands. Every child should be loved and treated equally, regardless of their gender, ability, or skin colour!”

    “All children are a test for their parents and I pray that we are good parents to this baby and this baby grows to be a human being,” she added.

  • Three dead, 23 injured in blast at Lahore’s Johar Town

    Three dead, 23 injured in blast at Lahore’s Johar Town

    At least three people were killed, while around 23 others sustained injuries in a blast in Johar Town, Lahore. The explosion took place in a residential area near Allah Hu Boulevard, police said.

    https://twitter.com/GeopolUpdates/status/1407616749927747587

    Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik said while it was not immediately clear what had caused the blast, it had left behind a crater. “We will only be able to determine the cause after carrying out an investigation,” he said, adding that the area was being cordoned off.

    Inspector General (IG) Punjab Police has said that the Johar Town blast was a terrorist attack and as per the initial investigation the enforcement/police agencies may have been the target.

    https://twitter.com/GeopolUpdates/status/1407615496355082243

    According to reports, rescue, police, and bomb disposal teams have reached the site of the incident, while witnesses said that the glass windows of nearby houses and buildings have been shattered. One of the buildings has been severely damaged and some vehicles parked at the site of the blast have also been affected.

    An emergency has been declared in Jinnah Hospital to treat the injured, while Rescue 1122 and other relief organisations have been asked to expedite rescue activities.

    Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the blast, and directed the IG to investigate the incident and submit a report.

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid also took notice and directed the Punjab chief secretary and IG to submit a report. He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.