Author: newsdesk

  • Famous faces visit sunday markets for Ramzan shopping

    Famous faces visit sunday markets for Ramzan shopping

    All that glitters is not gold. It may look very glamorous to be a well-known celebrity but fame comes with the loss of privacy, and stars everywhere have to pay that price.
    Hence, we saw Mahira Khan wearing a veil and enjoying a ride on Rickshaw in Bahawalpur with her team.

    Mahira’s secret trip came to light because of her makeup artist’s reels on Instagram but this is not the first and only time a celebrity has taken this route. While male actors mask up, the females try out a veil. Recent vlogs of senior actresses Bushra Ansari and Shagufta Ejaz of going to Sunday bazar for shopping show that nothing works better than a buqra for going incognito.

    Sunday Bazaars are the best hotspots for budget-friendly shopping in Pakistan, offering everything from groceries to gadgets. It’s not just the locals who flock there; even Pakistani celebrities love exploring these bustling markets. Recently, some familiar faces were spotted on Sunday market escapades, sharing their adventures via vlogs for fans to enjoy.

    Meet the Stars:

    Shagufta Ejaz: Renowned TV actress Shagufta Ejaz took fans on a tour of her Sunday Bazaar for Ramzan shopping. Ejaz donned a veil as well, stating, “If I will not cover my face, then it will become difficult to shop in Sunday Bazaar because fans will start meeting up.” She also showed the thrift side of the Bazaar where branded bags and other things were available.
    Watch her vlog :

    Bushra Ansari: The versatile Bushra Ansari, known for her roles in TV and film, also joined the Sunday market fun for Ramzan grocery . Covered up in an abaya and mask, she explored the market’s offerings, snagging kitchen gadgets and fresh fruits. Get a glimpse of her adventure:

  • Famous Palestinian footballer Muhammad Barkat martyred in Israeli attack

    Famous Palestinian footballer Muhammad Barkat martyred in Israeli attack

    Famous Palestinian footballer Muhammad Barkat has been martyred in the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

    According to Al Jazeera, Barkat was martyred in Israeli bombing on his house in Khan Yunis during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

    Barkat represented the Palestine National Team and had also played matches for the local club. Called the legend of Khan Younis with 114 goals in his career, Barkat was also the captain of Khan Younis Youth Club.

  • Shebaz Sharif wants uninterrupted gas, power supply during Ramazan

    Shebaz Sharif wants uninterrupted gas, power supply during Ramazan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Monday to ensure uninterrupted gas and power supply, aiming to help people during the holy month of Ramazan.

    In a high level meeting on the petroleum sector, the premier instructed officials to give all possible support to private sector, local, and foreign investors in exploring and refining gas and oil, as well as distributing these natural resources.

    Addressing the participants, Shehbaz said that the government is not meant to do businesses, rather its responsibility is to extend all kinds of facilities to the private sector and ensure protection of the rights of consumers, especially the vulnerable segments of society.

    The chief executive asked for steps to promote global investment in exploration of tight gas and undersea oil and gas reserves, regretting that Pakistan’s maritime area was huge in size when compared with Balochistan province, but no steps were taken to explore its hidden natural resources.

  • Kate and William spotted leaving Windsor Castle after apologising for photo manipulation

    Kate and William spotted leaving Windsor Castle after apologising for photo manipulation

    Hours after Kate Middleton apologized for “any confusion” caused by an edited family picture, she was photographed leaving Windsor Castle alongside husband Prince William on March 11.

    The photos, published by the Daily Mail, showed the couple sitting next to each other in the backseat of a car as Kate—who is reportedly recovering from abdominal surgery—looked out of her window. The prince was heading to the Commonwealth Day services while his wife, Kate, the princess of Wales, was heading to a ‘private’ appointment, the publication said.

    Earlier, Kate issued an apology over an altered official photo that saw news agencies, including AP and AFP pull the image from their systems.

    “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” Kate wrote in a statement.

    Background

    A recently released image of Kate Middleton, issued by Kensington Palace to put all rumors about her health to rest, has ended up creating new controversies.

    Various news agencies have issued notices not to use the image of Kate and her three children, including the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse (AFP). All three on Sunday night withdrew it and told media outlets to “kill” the photo from their systems and archives because they believe that it has been manipulated.

    The AP said the photo had been withdrawn because upon “closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image” and the photo showed an “inconsistency in the alignment” of the left hand of Kate’s daughter, Princess Charlotte.

  • Sonam Bajwa on General Bajwa and ‘Respected Bajwa’

    Sonam Bajwa on General Bajwa and ‘Respected Bajwa’

    During a recent interview, Indian actress Sonam Bajwa shared her thoughts on Pakistan’s former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, the man she shared a surname with.

    While attending a Pakistani fashion brand’s launch in London, Sonam referred to a popular Pakistani internet joke comparing the two Bajwas.

    “I saw on Twitter from Pakistan, ‘The Bajwa we love,’ and then they wrote my name. I like it, I think it’s my surname. They also speak Punjabi, and we also speak Punjabi, so I am one of them.”

    The jokes center around Sonam being the better Bajwa after the Army Chief faced growing unpopularity. The Punjabi film actress was often tagged by Pakistani fans who simply call her ‘The Better Bajwa’ or ‘The Respected Bajwa’.

  • Gold price remains unchanged at Rs230,200 per tola

    Gold price remains unchanged at Rs230,200 per tola

    In a day of consistency, gold prices in Pakistan remained unaltered on Monday, mirroring the steady trend observed in the international market.

    According to data provided by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the local market reported no change in the price of gold per tola, maintaining a steady Rs230,200.

    Similarly, the 10-gramme gold price remained constant at Rs197,360.

    The international market echoed this stability, with the global rate of gold holding firm at $2,198 per ounce on Monday. APGJSA noted a premium of $20, maintaining the equilibrium of the precious metal’s value.

    In parallel, silver prices also exhibited stability in the local market, remaining fixed at Rs2,600 per tola.

    This unswerving trend further highlights the current stability in the precious metals market, providing insights for investors and enthusiasts alike.

  • Suzuki Swift GLX CVT now priced above Rs5.4 million

    Suzuki Swift GLX CVT now priced above Rs5.4 million

    Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMC) announced a substantial increase of Rs304,000 in the price of its Swift G. CVT model, effective from March 8, 2024.

    This adjustment comes in response to the recent surge in taxes imposed by the government on locally manufactured or assembled vehicles, as indicated in the company’s official notice issued today.

    Consequently, the new sale price for the Swift G. CVT model will see an adjustment from Rs5.125 million to Rs5.429 million, reflecting the impact of the revised tax structure.

    The decision stems from a notification released by the Ministry of Finance and Revenue on the same date, highlighting a hike in the sales tax rate from 18 per cent to 25 per cent for vehicles falling under chapter 87.03 of the Pakistan Custom Tariffs, with an invoice price (excluding sales tax) exceeding Rs4 million.

  • Youths having to grow up ‘too quickly’ amid climate fears, says Greta Thunberg

    Youths having to grow up ‘too quickly’ amid climate fears, says Greta Thunberg

    Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg said Monday that young people like her have had to grow up “too quickly” to resolve a climate crisis caused by previous generations.

    Denouncing inaction by politicians on climate change, Thunberg made her remarks just days ahead of the fifth anniversary of a global youth climate protest that drew over a million participants.

    On Monday, she sat on the steps of Sweden’s parliament, blocking the main entrance in a protest with around 10 other youth activists, holding a banner reading “Climate Justice Now”.

    “We are way too many young people who have had to grow up in the climate movement and who have had to grow up way too quickly, to take the responsibility to try to clean up after the older generations,” Thunberg told AFP.

    “The Swedish government as well as all other governments in the world are not treating the climate crisis like a crisis at all.”

    “They are still letting short-term economic profits be prioritised over human lives and the planet,” she said, adding that she and her fellow activists “feel a bit like broken records, we have been repeating the same message over and over again”.

    News agency TT reported that politicians were still able to enter parliament through side entrances.

    When Thunberg started sitting outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018 with her “School Strike for the Climate” sign, she was an anonymous teenager in a world she saw as dying in silence.

    Five years later, Thunberg’s “Fridays for Future” movement and its subsequent global marches had had a global impact, political science researcher Joost de Moor told AFP in October.

    “It has raised awareness for the issue,” he said.

    It has also “contributed to the increased legitimacy of pro-climate policy-making, which has in turn made it easier for willing politicians to act on the issue”, he said, citing as an example Frans Timmermans, the former EU climate commissioner responsible for the Green Deal currently being debated in the bloc.

    Despite this, and “as Greta Thunberg has said herself many times… climate policy-making continues to fall far behind what climate scientists say is necessary”, de Moor said.

    A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Monday warned of “catastrophic” consequences if Europe failed to take urgent action to adapt to risks posed by climate change.

  • Larkana Police saves girl from child marriage

    Larkana Police saves girl from child marriage

    Larkana police intervened to prevent a 13-year-old girl from being forced into marriage, shedding light on the persistent issue of child marriage in the region.

    Larkana district police chief, SSP Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi, took decisive action upon receiving a report regarding the marriage of Aliya, the 13-year-old daughter of Khalid Hussain.

    Authorized by SSP Shirazi, a team comprising DSP Headquarters Sarfraz Ahmed, SHO Abdul Malik Bhutto, and SHO Women Police Station, raided Khalid Hussain’s residence to halt the unlawful ceremony, which violated the Sindh Child Marriage Act.

    Police checked the B-Form of Aliya Khalid Hussain confirming her official age. The parents of the teenage girl told the police that they were giving away their child in marriage due to poor financial conditions. On this, the SSP Larkana gave financial support of Rs50,000 to the girl’s parents.

    The Sindh Child Marriage Act enacted in 2013 prohibits the marriage of any child under the age of eighteen years and provides penalties for a male contracting party, the person who solemnizes the marriage as well as the parent or guardian concerned.

    Despite the legal framework in place, the implementation of laws against child marriage remains a significant challenge in Sindh. Child rights expert Sarah Zaman emphasized the existence of operational gaps and challenges in enforcing the law. However, she reaffirmed the legitimacy and importance of the act in combating the practice of child marriage.

    Zaman highlighted that while poverty is often cited as a reason for child marriages, other socio-political issues contribute to the prevalence of this harmful practice. Moreover, amidst challenges such as the recent flood disaster, Pakistan faces additional social issues, including trafficking, rape, and child marriages.

    In March 2023, the Federal Shariat Court in Islamabad upheld the validity of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, dismissing a petition claiming it was un-Islamic. The act, which sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both girls and boys in the province, was deemed consistent with Islamic principles by the court.

  • Mahira Khan goes undercover for Bahawalpur market visit

    Mahira Khan goes undercover for Bahawalpur market visit

    Mahira Khan is always full of surprises. If it’s not her surprise wedding, then its an undercover visit to a local bazaar.
    Recently, Mahira was in Bahawalpur for work and decided to visit a local marketplace for shopping. However, she opted for a low-profile approach by taking an auto-rickshaw and dressing in a burqa and niqab to avoid drawing public attention.

    Accompanied by her makeup artist Babar Zaheer and other crew members, Mahira was seen exploring the market, trying to blend in with the crowd. Despite her efforts to conceal her identity, her distinctive eyes and overall presence gave her away.

    The visit, which took place a few days ago, was shared by Babar Zaheer on social media, giving fans a glimpse of Mahira’s off-screen adventure. Despite her attempt to maintain anonymity, Mahira’s unique charm couldn’t go unnoticed.

    Here are some fun clicks from Mahira’s undercover trip: