Author: newsdesk

  • Legendary singer Eric Clapton plans special concert for children of Gaza

    Legendary singer Eric Clapton plans special concert for children of Gaza

    In a heartfelt initiative to make a difference in the lives of the children of Gaza, legendary musician Eric Clapton is set to deliver a powerful message through the broadcast of his intimate concert, which took place in London in December 2023.

    Scheduled for airing on January 17th, the exclusive performance is not only a musical treat for fans but also a beacon of hope for a cause that has gone global.

    Eric Clapton’s concert, performed in front of a small, intimate audience, showcased the artist’s iconic songs such as Tears In Heaven, Got To Get Better In A Little While, and a poignant rendition of George Harrison’s Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) featuring Dhani Harrison.

    The carefully curated setlist not only resonates with Clapton’s musical prowess but also reflects the spirit of empathy and compassion that underscores the purpose of this unique broadcast.

    By choosing Gaza as the beneficiary, Clapton not only spotlights the urgent need for support but also invites viewers to contribute to a cause that transcends borders, fostering a collective effort to bring hope and relief to the young lives affected.

  • Bilawal to contest on two, Zardari on one NA seat

    Bilawal to contest on two, Zardari on one NA seat

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is set to run for two National Assembly seats in the upcoming general elections, while his father, co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari will contest from one National Assembly seat from Sindh, as reported by The News on Saturday.

    According to a list of participating candidates from Sindh and Balochistan announced by the PPP (Parliamentarians), the former foreign minister will run for NA-194 in Larkana-I and NA-196 in Qambar Shahdadkot-I, while former president Zardari will contest elections from NA-207 in Shaheed Benazirabad-I.

    The party released its list a day earlier, revealing the candidates’ names and constituencies in Sindh who are going to participate in a significant political competition scheduled for the upcoming month, aiming to secure positions in both the National and Sindh assemblies.

    Other prominent names that the party has fielded for contesting the much-awaited elections for a seat in the lower house from the southern province, include Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah from NA-201 (Sukkur-II), Nafisa Shah from NA-202 (Khairpur-I), Shazia Atta Marri from NA-209 (Sanghar-I), Pir Aftab Shah Jeelani from NA-211 (Mirpurkhas-I), Mir Munawar Ali Talpur from NA-212 (Mirpurkhas-II), Syed Naveed Qamar from NA-221 (Tando Muhammad Khan), Nabeel Gabol from NA-239 (Karachi South-I) and Abdul Qadir Patel from NA-243 (Karachi Keamari-II), among others.

  • India-settled Pakistani Seema’s husband has not seen his children in seven months, asks government for justice

    India-settled Pakistani Seema’s husband has not seen his children in seven months, asks government for justice

    Pakistani woman Seema Haider, who went viral last year for illegally crossing the border to marry an Indian PUBG friend, is now expecting her fifth child, her first with her cross-border paramour.

    Seema made headlines last year when she took her four children and crossed the border to marry Noida-based Sachin Meena, got arrested but still managed to officiate the marriage by converting to Hinduism.

    Recently, while speaking at a YouTube show, Seema said she would welcome the newborn soon. When the reporter asked if 2024 would bring new happiness, Seema said, “Definitely,” adding, “2023 also brought a lot of joy”.

    The Pakistani national, who lives with Sachin and her four other children in Greater Noida, said that her husband’s birthday was also approaching, “and it would be great to have another member around the same time.”

    Asked about the delivery date, Seema said, “It’s impossible before Holi but the good news will come soon.”

    Meanwhile, Sachin’s father, a palmist, had a look at Seema’s palm and predicted the newborn would be a baby boy.

    Seema moved to India via Nepal with her four children. Her eight-year-old son, Farhan Ali was named Raj after the family arrived here. Her three daughters Farva, 6, Fariha Batool, 4, and Farha, are now Priyanka, Munni, and Pari respectively.

    Ghulam Haider, Seema’s Pakistani husband, has approached the Pakistani Foreign Office and the Indian High Commission seeking the return of his children to Pakistan.

    His lawyer says that the children were taken there illegally without the consent of the biological father.

    Haider hasn’t spoken to his four children in seven months, says his legal team.

    Haider plans to pursue legal actions in Indian courts and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

  • Urwa Hocane, Farhan Saeed welcome baby girl in Texas

    Urwa Hocane, Farhan Saeed welcome baby girl in Texas

    Urwa Hussain and singer/actor Farhan Saeed have become proud parents to their first baby girl. They shared the happy news on Instagram in a joint post.

    The tiny bundle of joy, named Jahan Aara was born on January 3, 2024. Urwa Hocane has written a beautiful note on becoming a mother.

    The famous couple announced in October 2023 that they were expecting their first child.

    An Instagram post shared by the two on October 6 was captioned, “Tonight we are 3, Masha Allah.”

    Urwa and Farhan got married in December 2016. Like most famous couples, the two have been hounded by rumors of separation. Neither of them directly spoke about it.

    For three years, the two didn’t share any pictures together on social media. But on Eid-ul-Fitr in 2023, they finally posted pictures together, proving that all the rumors about an impending breakup were false.

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 schedule announced

    ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 schedule announced

    The schedule of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has been announced.

    The ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 will be the ninth tournament of this format which will be hosted by the West Indies and USA. This mega event will be played from June 1 to June 29.

    West Indies six and America’s three venues will host 55 total matches. The opening match of the World Cup will be between the United States of America (USA) and Canada.

    The event will feature 20 teams divided into four groups of 5 each, with the top 2 from each group qualifying for the Super 8stage where the top four teams will make it to the semi-finals.

    Pakistan and India have been placed in the same group for T20 and World Cup.

    Group A

    Pakistan, India, Ireland, USA, Canada

    Group B

    England Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman

    Group C

    New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea

    Group D

    South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal

    Here is the complete schedule of the T20 World Cup 2024:

    Group matches of the T20 World Cup will be played from June 1 to June 18, Super 8 stage will be played from June 19 to 24. The semi-finals will be held on June 26 and 27, while the final will be held on June 29 in Barbados.

    Pakistan’s Match Schedule

    In the T20 World Cup group, Pakistan will play its first match against the USA on June 6. The India-Pak World Cup match will be played on June 9 in New York. Pakistan will play the third match of the group on June 11 against Canada and the fourth match against Ireland on June 16.

    It should be noted that England is the defending champion of the tournament, having defeated Pakistan in the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

  • Bilal Qureshi’s perspective on actresses in revealing outfits

    Bilal Qureshi’s perspective on actresses in revealing outfits

    Actor Bilal Qureshi has become the latest Pakistani celebrity who thinks he has the right to tell women what to wear. In an interview laden with problematic quotes, he requested actresses in the industry not to wear revealing clothes at any event.

    Talking on Ahmed Fozan’s podcast, Qureshi elaborated on some of his previous statements.

    Bilal Qureshi made a comment on social media while praising actress Dur e Fishan Saleem’s dress at an award show which went viral. He said, “The best dressed lady at LSA”

    On his viral comment, the actor explained, “I feel that actresses should not opt for revealing clothes.” He went on to say that he doesn’t want to get into religious discussions but believes in following and respecting cultural norms, stressing that women can appear beautiful and graceful in modest clothing.
    The statement in itself is strange, because beauty and grace are perceived differently by everyone. Modest clothing does not ensure beauty or grace, neither does clothing of any other sort.

    Bilal then pointed out that his wife, Uroosa Qureshi, and his sisters always look good without revealing their skin.

    We are glad that the women in his family look good, but really, his opinions do not matter to the vast majority of women.

    “One of my fellow actresses shared a picture of herself in inappropriate clothes on social media, on which she was upset because of the criticism, so I told her that she should not share this picture on social media. If your dress is really against our cultural norms then people will necessarily criticize it.”

  • Pakistani team’s tribute to David Warner with a gift

    Pakistani team’s tribute to David Warner with a gift

    The Pakistani team gave tribute to the Australian opener David Warner who played his last Test and also gave him a gift.

    David Warner, who played his last Test, scored 57 runs in the last innings of his Test career and was lbw by Sajid Khan.

    When David Warner got out and started to leave the ground, the Pakistani players and the spectators in the Sydney stadium gave him a standing ovation.

    Later during the award ceremony, Pakistan team captain Shan Masood congratulated David Warner on behalf of the Pakistan team and presented him with Babar Azam’s shirt as a gift, signed by all the Pakistani players.

  • Australia whitewashed Pakistan in three-match Test series

    Australia whitewashed Pakistan in three-match Test series

    In the last Test series match between Pakistan and Australia, Australia defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets and whitewashed the three-match series.

    On the fourth day of the Sydney Test, Pakistan had given Australia a target of 130 runs to win.

    Earlier, Pakistan lost the Melbourne Test by 79 runs, and Pakistan also lost the Perth Test by a huge margin of 360 runs.

    Chasing the target, Australia’s first wicket fell to zero, opener Usman Khawaja fell victim to Sajid Khan and returned to the pavilion. In their second innings on the fourth day of the match, Australia scored 91 runs for losing one wicket until the lunch break.

    Steve Smith scored 4 runs and Maruns Labuschagne scored 55 to lead his team to victory. Australia achieved the target of 130 runs given by Pakistan for the loss of two wickets in 25.5 overs on the fourth day.

    Earlier, at the beginning of the fourth day, the Pakistani team was dismissed by scoring 115 runs in the second innings.

  • Pakistan grapples with massive Rs63.4 trillion debt

    Pakistan grapples with massive Rs63.4 trillion debt

    In November 2023, Pakistan’s total debt soared to an alarming Rs63.399 trillion, marking a significant increase from Rs50.959 trillion in the same month of the previous year. 

    According to details, this surge comprises Rs40.956 trillion in domestic loans and Rs22.434 trillion in international loans.

    The recent development follows Pakistan’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new loan programme. 

    As outlined in the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Table, Pakistan has pledged to boost foreign reserves to $13.6 billion in FY2024–25, facilitating access to the IMF’s financial assistance.

    To support its financial strategy, Pakistan is planning to roll over a $6.34 billion loan in the upcoming fiscal year, coupled with a targeted increase of $1.31 billion in foreign investments, as highlighted by the MEFPT. 

    These measures aim to navigate the country through its evolving economic landscape.

  • McDonald’s CEO admits markets in Middle East affected by boycott

    McDonald’s CEO admits markets in Middle East affected by boycott

    McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski revealed on Thursday that a number of markets in the Middle East, and some beyond, were undergoing a “meaningful business impact” following the Israel-Hamas escalation and “associated misinformation” with regards to the brand.

    Since October 7, when Israel intensified its ground and air raids in Gaza and killed more than 22,000 people, several fast-food chains, including McDonald’s and Starbucks, have been boycotted by consumers due to their “pro-Israeli stance and alleged financial ties to Israel”.

    Kempczinski deems the “misinformation” regarding the brands “disheartening and ill-founded.”

    “In every country where we operate, including in Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local owner operators who work tirelessly to serve and support their communities while employing thousands of their fellow citizens,” Kempczinski said in a LinkedIn post.

    In October, following the escalation, McDonald’s Israel posted on social media that it gave thousands of free meals to Israel Defense Forces members.

    This move was repudiated by McDonald’s franchises in some Islamic states.

    Since then, many brands have felt the impact of boycotts in Egypt and Jordan as well as non-Arab countries like Muslim-majority Malaysia.

    Reuters reports that as of fiscal 2022, the company franchised and operated about 40,275 McDonald’s restaurants across more than 100 countries. The fast-food chain reported total annual revenue of $23.18 billion in the year.

    Shares of the company were down marginally in afternoon trading.