Author: newsdesk

  • New Zealand Police introduce hijab to uniform

    New Zealand Police introduce hijab to uniform

    New Zealand Police have introduced the hijab into their official uniform to encourage more Muslim women to join the force. The move is  aimed to create an “inclusive” service reflecting the country’s “diverse community”.

    According to reports, a new recruit, Constable Zeena Ali will be the first police officer to wear a hijab as part of her uniform.

    Besides New Zealand, London’s Metropolitan Police and Police Scotland also allow Muslims to wear the head covering.

    Constable Ali was the first to make the request and was even included in the development process.

    Ali was born in Fiji but moved to New Zealand in her childhood. Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, she said that she wanted to join the police force following the terror attack in Christchurch.

    “I realised more Muslim women were needed in the police to support people,” she told the publication.

    “It feels great to be able to go out and show the New Zealand Police hijab as part of my uniform,” she said. “I think that seeing it, more Muslim women will want to join as well.”

  • PM says Manchester will envy Faisalabad’s progress one day

    PM says Manchester will envy Faisalabad’s progress one day

    As he announced a programme to facilitate industrialisation in Faisalabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he hoped one day Manchester would say that Faisalabad has overtaken it in terms of industrial progress.

    Addressing a ceremony attended by the businessmen on Wednesday, the PM said: “If Faisalabad, once known as Pakistan’s Manchester, had kept up its current pace of industrial development, it would have left even Manchester behind.”

    According to the prime minister, it said it was the government’s job to facilitate industrialisation and the business community.

    “We are now working on how we can aid the business community and investors so that jobs are created. So this cycle can only continue when we [remove] hurdles for the industrial class,” he added.

    The PM said in the ’60s Pakistan was used as an example for the developing world, adding that several countries, such as Malaysia and South Korea, borrowed its first five-year programme. “People now go to Dubai for their vacations but the sheikhs used to come here.”

    The PM also commented on the local government system, saying successful cities around the world function “like countries”. He said that the modern cities were self-sufficient, unlike Faisalabad that depended on the provincial government for funds to fix roads, build hospitals.

  • ‘Be our guest’: Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri invite fans to stay at their house

    ‘Be our guest’: Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri invite fans to stay at their house

    Imagine getting a chance to stay at Shah Rukh Khan’s house and living like a superstar. That too for free.

    That dream might just become a reality on Valentine’s Day 2021 as SRK’s wife Gauri Khan offers a couple a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend two nights at their home in Delhi, the city where she and her husband grew up.

    In a tweet, the interior designer shared that she has collaborated with Airbnb and is offering fans a chance to be their guest. To get a chance to stay at the Khans’ residence, fans need to share what an ‘Open Arms Welcome’ – a nod to SRK’s signature pose – means to them by November 30.

    Sharing details, Gauri in an interview said: “I have personally curated the itinerary for our Airbnb guest. They will be treated to a special home-cooked meal which has all of our family’s favourite foods, a movie marathon session of watching Shah Rukh’s favourite films, and souvenirs as keepsakes, to fondly remember and cherish their time in our home.”

    https://twitter.com/gaurikhan/status/1328978655402287104?s=20

    When asked why they decided to host guests at their residence, Gauri said: “Our family loves hosting people at home and we feel that it is truly the best way to welcome and bond with loved ones.”

    “One of the central aspects of staying at an Airbnb that has always fascinated me is the role that the hosts play. They add a touch of warmth to one’s entire travel and stay experience, and that’s why I believe their role is so critical. The idea to open our Delhi home came after a trip to LA with the entire family — we had stayed at an Airbnb and had a fantastic experience. It was then that we decided that we want to welcome people into our home too and give them a memorable experience as hosts.”

    Further while talking about the house and its decor, Gauri shared while the whole house is special to her two corners of it are her absolute fav.

    “The first is what I like to call the ‘nostalgia wall’ in Shah Rukh’s and my bedroom,” shared Gauri. “It is a selection of things which hold significance to us as a family. It includes Aryan’s first badminton racket; Suhana’s favourite make-up brushes and butterflies she has collected over the years; AbRam’s first birthday gift, which is an exquisite silver mirror and comb. Even an art piece that Shah Rukh bought from his early travels, that is emblematic of his love for pizza, is on the wall.”

    “The second is a wall adorned with handmade cards that Shah Rukh and I exchanged during our early courtship period.”

    SRK and Gauri’s residence is located in the South Delhi neighborhood of Panchsheel Park.

    “With so many memories of our early days in Delhi, the city holds a very special place in our hearts,” shared SRK while talking about the house.

    Take an in-depth tour of the house in this video:

  • VIDEO: Tom and Jerry are back in action in new trailer

    VIDEO: Tom and Jerry are back in action in new trailer

    Everyone’s favorite cat and mouse Tom and Jerry are all set to make their big-screen debut in 2021.

    The trailer of ‘Tom and Jerry Movie‘ dropped Tuesday and shows the two frenemies up to their usual antics. According to the teaser, Jerry has taken up residence at an upscale New York hotel, which is going to host the “wedding of the century”, and Tom arrives to help terrorize the mouse out of this house. But we all know that the cat rarely wins and Jerry’s pranks always succeed.

    The film is currently scheduled for a theatrical release in March though the trailer is quick enough to leave the film as ‘Coming Soon’.

    https://twitter.com/TomAndJerry/status/1328744719447437312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1328744719447437312%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashgear.com%2Ftom-and-jerry-movie-trailer-sets-stage-for-2021-fans-are-furious-but-why-17647696%2F

    The upcoming film is directed by Tim Story and produced by Chris DeFari.

    Tom and Jerry are an animated cat-and-mouse duo created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The Hanna- Barbera duo had written and directed 114 ‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoons from 1940 to 1957, at the MGM cartoon studio in Hollywood. The pair won a total of 7 Oscar awards for Best Animated Short Subject, more than any other character-based theatrical animated series. 

    In each cartoon, Tom the cat would try to chase and catch Jerry the mouse, often because the housemaid would demand that Tom catch the mouse or be thrown out of the house. Ironically, most of Tom’s plans would fail.

  • England to tour Pakistan after 16 years

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the England cricket team will visit Pakistan for a short tour in October 2021.

    According to details, England’s men’s team will make their first visit to Pakistan in 16 years for a two-match T20 International series next October. The two games, to be held in Karachi on October 14 and 15, will be part of the 2021 T20 World Cup build-up.

    England will arrive in Karachi on October 12, and both the sides will depart for India on October 16 for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the end of the series.

    Sharing his thoughts on the development, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “I am delighted to confirm that England will be touring Pakistan to play two T20Is in October 2021. This will be their first visit to Pakistan for 16 years and will open the door for both Test and white-ball tours in the 2022-23 season.”

    He added, “The ECB’s confirmation further endorses Pakistan as safe and secure. Importantly, this announcement speaks volumes for the relationship that we have with the ECB and I would like to thank the ECB for their strong will and desire to make this short tour a reality.”

    Meanwhile, Chief Executive of England Cricket Board Tom Harrison said that it is “a real pleasure” to announce the tour.

    “This will be the first time since 2005 that an England team has toured Pakistan and, as such, it represents a significant moment for both nations,” said Harrison.

    England last toured Pakistan in 2005 when they played three Tests and five One-Day Internationals. The subsequent series between the two sides in 2012 and 2015 were played in the United Arab Emirates.

    PCB announces Super League fixtures against England

    Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team will be touring England and Wales in July 2021. The tour will comprise three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs and as many T20Is.

    As per the press release, the ODIs will be played in Cardiff, London (Lord’s) and Birmingham on July 8, 10 and 13 respectively while the T20Is will be held in Nottingham, Leeds and Manchester on July 16, 18 and 20 respectively.

    Read more – Are IPL’s Mumbai Indians the greatest domestic T20 side ever?

    England leads the points table of the qualification league for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with 30 points from two three-ODI series. Pakistan shares the second spot with Australia on 20 points following a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe, while Zimbabwe and Ireland are on 10 points each.

    The remaining eight sides in the 13-team competition are yet to play their opening fixtures in the Super League from which the seven top-ranked sides and World Cup hosts India will progress directly for the event proper to take place in October/November 2023.

    The ODI series against England will be one of Pakistan’s three away fixtures in 2021 with the other two being against South Africa (April 2021) and Afghanistan (September 2021). In addition to these away series, Pakistan will play two home Super League fixtures against New Zealand and the West Indies in October and December 2021, respectively.

    Pakistan is presently sixth in ODIs behind England, India, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, while Babar Azam’s side is ranked fourth behind Australia, England and India in T20Is. Pakistan sits seventh in Tests.

  • Over 3,500 PIA employees likely to lose jobs

    Over 3,500 PIA employees likely to lose jobs

    Pakistan has approved funding of about $81 million in cash to support flagship carrier Pakistan International Airlines’ planned voluntary redundancy scheme, which could affect thousands of jobs.

    The loss-making carrier has been looking to reduce costs, particularly since the impact of the pandemic, as well as the fallout from a fake pilot credentials scandal.

    PIA is aiming to cut roughly one-third of its workforce, Reuters reported, which would reduce the airline’s headcount to roughly 7,000-7,500 employees from the around 11,000 staff PIA said it employed in its 2019 annual report.

    The government has approved Rs12.87 billion ($81.46 million) in funding for the airline to move forward on the voluntary retirement scheme, the news agency reported.

    In a statement on Tuesday, the government said: “After … discussion, it was decided to approve, in principal, the voluntary separation from service scheme for PIA.”

    PIA said it was looking to reduce its aircraft to employee ratio to 250 employees per aircraft. PIA spokesman Abdullah H. Khan said the scheme was part of the airline’s plan to restructure and bring employee numbers closer to industry standards.

    “Employees will be offered an attractive voluntary separation scheme and people would have 14 days to avail (themselves of) the offer,” Khan told Reuters.

    The targeted staff ratio is high compared with neighbouring India, where Air India has roughly 130 employees per aircraft, based on Indian government data.

    In a business plan submitted to the government last year, PIA said it was looking to have fewer than 5,500 people working on 45 aircraft – or fewer than 125 employees per aircraft – by 2021.

    The government statement on Tuesday gave no further details on the redundancy scheme or how many pilots or other categories of staff would be affected.

    Earlier this year, the government said PIA had a total of 434 pilots. Some of their jobs have been terminated in an ongoing process of investigating their credentials.

    The pilot scandal has tainted Pakistan’s aviation industry and stung PIA, which has been barred from flying to Europe and the United States after dozens of its pilots were named by the country’s own civil aviation regulator for holding allegedly “dubious” licences.

    Pakistan’s pilots union, which raised questions on the investigation, cast doubts over the voluntary redundancy scheme.

    “I think this scheme will fail as it would take two and half years to complete,” Captain Salman Riaz, president of the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association, told Reuters in a message.

    PIA’s move comes as other airlines globally cut costs sharply amid travel restrictions and a collapse in global air travel during the pandemic.

  • IN PICTURES: Aiman and Muneeb’s romantic getaway

    IN PICTURES: Aiman and Muneeb’s romantic getaway

    Resident sweethearts, Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt are currently on a romantic getaway to Turkey and pictures from their trip have gone viral on social media. The celebrity couple has been keeping fans and followers updated with lovely pictures from their trip.

    Starting with a mandatory picture in the plane, which Muneeb captioned: “Vacations after such a long period of time,” while Aiman simply added the hashtag ‘VacationMode’.

    With their pictures, Aiman and Muneeb have been setting couple, travel and fashion goals. Check out pictures from their trip:

    Sharing sun-kissed pictures of herself in front of the famous Haga Sophia in Istanbul, Aiman wrote: “This city has my heart.”

    The two sure know how to take good pictures of each other because Muneeb’s pictures were no less than Aiman’s.

    They also enjoyed night views of the city along the Bosporus.

    Muneeb also experimented with a cigar on his trip.

    “Let’s try something unusual,” said the actor while posting a picture of himself with a cigar.

    Meanwhile, their celebrity friends have been sending lots of love their way.

    Aiman and Muneeb tied the knot in 2018 and their wedding broke the internet. They also have a one-year-old daughter Amal, who is staying with Aiman’s family while the two of them vacay. Commenting on their picture, Minal said: “Enjoy! I’ll eat Amal.”

  • PM Imran, aides accused of helping sugar barons make Rs400bn in profits

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, his principal secretary Azam Khan and special aide on accountability Shahzad Akbar have been accused of facilitating the sugar barons under the guise of the sugar inquiry commission, helping them made over Rs400 billion in profits.

    The claim was made by former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deputy director Sajjad Bajwa, who was appointed by the premier to probe the malpractices in the industry, following a hike in the prices. Bajwa was later suspended for sharing classified information with the sugar millers before being dismissed from the service last week.

    According to a report in BBC Urdu, Bajwa said he was removed from the post because of some “influential personalities” in the federal cabinet who turned against him after he questioned the role of the government departments in the smuggling of the commodity.

    “During the investigation, I suspected the smuggling of sugar to Afghanistan and raised questions about the role of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in the sugar business,” he alleged.

    “Due to these questions, the decision to remove me from the duty was taken a long time,” the ex-deputy director, who was dismissed from the agency last week, claimed.

    Responding to the claims of Bajwa, SAPM Akbar said there was no truth to these claims. “PM has nothing to do with the matter,” he said, adding that he did not even know Sajjad Bajwa.

  • Lebanese artist turns blast debris into symbol of hope

    Lebanese artist turns blast debris into symbol of hope

    Lebanese artist Hayat Nazer created a symbol of hope from the Beirut blast debris which shocked the world in August 2020.

    The woman statue stands nearly three meters tall with her arm raised, the wind whipping the hair away from her scarred face, and a broken clock at her feet with the hands showing 6.08, the time that a blast ripped through Beirut port on the evening of August 4.

    The statue is made of broken glass and twisted materials that belonged to people’s homes before the explosion that killed 200 and injured 6,000 and symbolizes the city’s hopes of rising from the rubble.

    “If you look at the statue, one half has a leg standing, the hand looks surrendered, there is a scar on the face with the flying hair and the clock on this side, as if the explosion is still happening,” Nazer told Reuters.

    “But the other hand and the other leg is leaning as if it is starting to walk and the hand is raised, it wants to continue, it wants to keep going and rise from the rubble. And this is the truth, this is our truth,” the 33-year-old said.

    She says those affected by the blast who saw the 2.6-metre statue, temporarily exhibited in front of the damaged port, drew strength and hope to carry on.

    Nazer had already started on a female sculpture before the blast, but volunteered to help clean up destroyed houses and streets. At night, she would return to the sculpture, using the glass and metal pieces she had collected.

    “I felt like Beirut was a woman who despite what she suffered is very strong,” she said.

  • Humayun Saeed, Fahad Mustafa, Asim Azhar celebrate Karachi Kings’ first PSL win

    Humayun Saeed, Fahad Mustafa, Asim Azhar celebrate Karachi Kings’ first PSL win

    Karachi Kings’ on Tuesday night were crowned the winners of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after beating Lahore Qalandars by five wickets. Babar Azam knocked a commanding half-century to help his side win their first championship in five years at Karachi National Stadium.

    Though Azam smashed seven boundaries in his 49-ball 63, it was skipper and KK captain Imad Wasim who hit the winning boundary to help the Kings overhaul a modest 135-run target in 18.4 overs.

    The final — one of the most anticipated in PSL’s history, given the rivalry between the country’s two biggest cities — was played after a gap of nearly eight months after the PSL’s fifth edition came to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Kings will take home a glittering trophy plus a half a million dollars while Lahore will receive $200,000.

    Following the win, celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Asim Azhar and Mehwish Hayat celebrated Kings’ win and expressed their excitement on social media. Many also remembered the franchise’s head coach Dean Jones, who passed away in September in India.

    “Mubarak ho Karachi walo!,” said Humayun Saeed. “It has indeed been a long wait but totally worth it. Wish Jones was also with us tonight.”

    Mehwish Hayat said that the win was a “fitting tribute to their late coach, Dean Jones. He would really have been proud today.”

    Asim Azhar celebrated by singing the Kings’ anthem ‘Ye Hai Karachi‘ and jumping in joy.

    “Maza aagaya,” exclaimed Faysal Quraishi and Fahad Mustafa.

    Adnan Siddiqui and Fahad were all praises for the Man of the Match Babar Azam, lavishing praises on him.

    Shaniera Akram, whose husband Wasim Akram also coached the team, expressed that she felt “bittersweet,” adding that this win was for Jones.

    Vasay Chaudhry couldn’t help but crack a joke over how Karachi needed a “Lahoria to get them through”.

    Maya Ali said that the match was a “thriller”.

    Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who captained Karachi Kings in 2017, also congratulated the team for “a wonderful win”.