Author: newsdesk

  • Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s daughter Raha makes first public appearance

    Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s daughter Raha makes first public appearance

    Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have introduced their daughter, Raha to the world for the first time. The heartwarming reveal happened at the Kapoor family’s annual Christmas lunch in Juhu, Mumbai. Little Raha, with her blue eyes, made her first appearance in the arms of her dad, Ranbir Kapoor. She even sweetly touched her dad’s face during the photo session.

    Raha was born on November 6, 2022. Until now, Ranbir and Alia hadn’t shared any pictures of her or allowed the paparazzi to take photos. At HTLS 2023, Alia talked about why she and Ranbir Kapoor kept Raha away from the media spotlight.
    “I don’t want it to seem like I am hiding my daughter. I am proud of her. If the cameras were not rolling right now, I would put a giant image of her on the screen. I love her. I am proud of our baby. But we are new parents. We don’t know how we feel about her face splashed out all over the internet, she’s barely a year old.”

    The family of three happily posed together for the cameras, Raha being the star of the show in a cute pink and white dress featuring a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer design, along with festive red velvet shoes. The paparazzi couldn’t contain their excitement as they cheered for the celebrity trio.

    Ranbir Kapoor kept it cool in black pants, a matching tee, and a jacket. Alia Bhatt looked lovely in a black dress adorned with red flowers and a Christmas-themed headband. The photographers showered warm Christmas wishes on baby Raha as Ranbir guided her to greet them.

  • 2023 terror stats: Suicide attacks highest since 2014

    In a report issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), it has been revealed that the country has experienced a surge in suicide attacks, reaching the highest level since 2014.

    According to the data released by PICSS, reported by Geo, 29 attacks have been reported in the year 2023, claiming 329 lives. 582 individuals were injured in these attacks. This marks the highest death toll since 2013 when 683 people lost their lives in 47 suicide bombings. 623 militant attacks in 2023, as compared to 380 such attacks in 2022. Among total attacks in 2023, 29 were suicide attacks; whereas in 2022, 15 were suicide attacks.

    Compared to the previous year, 2022, the report shows a tragic 93% increase in the number of suicide attacks, a 226% rise in resultant deaths, and a 101% surge in the number of injured individuals.

    In a comparative analysis of the regions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bore the brunt of these attacks, reporting 23 instances that resulted in 254 fatalities and 512 injuries. Within KP, newly merged districts (NMD) experienced 13 suicide attacks, leading to 85 deaths and 206 injuries. Balochistan faced five attacks, causing 67 deaths and 52 injuries, while Sindh witnessed one suicide attack resulting in eight deaths and 18 injuries.

    There was a stark increase in the attacks against military forces, with civilians constituting the second-largest victim category. A visual representation in the form of pie charts illustrates that 48% of deaths (157) and 58% of injuries (340) were inflicted upon security personnel. The number of civilian casualties was close to these statistics with 130 deaths and 242 injured.

    Taking notes from the historical trajectory, PICSS’s militancy database indicates a notable decline in suicide attacks from 30 in 2014 to a mere three in 2019. Contrary to the earlier statement, there was no significant surge in 2020 and 2021, as both years witnessed only four attacks each.

    The year 2022 witnessed a sudden and significant surge, recording 15 attacks resulting in 101 deaths and 290 injuries. This worrisome trend persisted into 2023, reaching a new high with 29 reported suicide attacks.

  • PCB organized a Christmas dinner at Gaddafi Stadium

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has organized a Christmas dinner at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

    The PCB officials and Christian employees including Chairman Management Committee Zaka Ashraf attended this Christmas dinner.

    Addressing the guests on this occasion, Chairman PCB Management Committee Zaka Ashraf said, “I extend my heartfelt greetings to all the people celebrating Christmas in Pakistan and around the world, we are happy that you are a part of the Pakistan Cricket Board”.

  • Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Political parties have submitted their priority list to the Election Commission of Pakistan for reserved seats for women.

    According to details, major political parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) and others issued the priority list of the women candidates.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leads with Hina Rabbani Khar topping the list for National Assembly seats from Punjab, followed by Samina Khalid Ghurki, Natasha Doultana, Neelam Jabbar, Shagufta Chaudhary, and Syeda Samina Raza.

    Shazia Marri was placed on the first number in the list for the National Assembly’s (NA) reserved seats for women.

    Other candidates include Dr Nafisa Shah, Shagufta Jumani, Shehla Raza, Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Musarrat Rafiq, Shazia Soomro, Naz Baloch, Seher Kamran, Sharmila Farooqi, Shazia Abid, Rehana Baloch, Neelum Jabbar, Nargis Faiz, Nayab Gohar and Shazia Nizamani.

    The PML-N has nominated candidates such as Tahira Aurangzeb, Shaista Parvez, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Nuzhat Sadiq, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Seema Jilani, Shiza Khawaja, Romina Khurshid Alam, Wajiha Qamar, and Zeb Jafar.

    The PML-N issued the priority list of 58 women candidates from Punjab.

    The candidates include Kiran Dar, Anusha Rehman, Tahira Wudood, Afia Naz, Saba Sadiq, Farah Naz, Shehnaz Salim, Muneeba Iqbal, Iffat Naeem, Zakia Khan, Ishrat Ashraf, Tehmina Daultana, Uzma Bukhari, Hina Parvez Butt, Saima Saadia, Rahila Khadim, Uzma Kardar and Tamkeen Akhtar.

    The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) presented Munazza Hasan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, and Asia Azeem in the list.
    Meanwhile, the PTI’s priority list was withheld by the ECP as the party’s election symbol was revoked after intra-party elections were declared null and void.

    Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) suggested 23 women candidates for the Punjab Assembly in its priority list. IPP issued the list of 14 women candidates and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) recommended 21 women candidates.

  • PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said that it is dedicated to the welfare of the people rather than engaging in political or electoral accommodations, stated Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Secretary General of the party.

    Bokhari asserted that the assurance of national prosperity and the prerequisite for national development is rooted in economic stability and political stability, as per The News.

    “For the sake of the state and democracy, the party that gives the charter of democracy will give the charter of economy to ensure prosperity, development and employment for the people of Pakistan,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
    Bokhari expressed confidence in the PPP’s success, emphasizing their commitment to a manifesto centered around national development, prosperity, and performance.

    “As in the past, in 2024, workers, farmers and women will also bring unprecedented plans for prosperity,” he said.
    The senior politician said the leaders and followers of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto are expressing full solidarity with the candidates of the PPP.

    Bokhari emphasized that the economic stability would be fostered through the supremacy of the Constitution, ensuring equality and equal rights within a democratic system.

  • Rs 2.5 crore gold stolen from Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine

    Rs 2.5 crore gold stolen from Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine

    The Sindh Auqaf Department has nominated one of the managers of the tomb of Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine in a First Information Report (FIR) filed for allegedly stealing gold and silver worth Rs 25.7 million from the shrine.

    Muhammad Zubair Baloch, serving in the shrine for 12 years, was suspended from his job a day earlier. Caretaker Sindh Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Mohammad Umer Soomro suspended him for stealing gold worth Rs. 12.3 million from the offering box over the last month, as reported by Dawn. The case was registered at Sehwan police station, Jamshoro district.

    A private employee, Ali Raza Gopang, was also named in the FIR along with Baloch under sections 407, 409, 380, 457, 427, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). He is yet to be arrested.

    Auqaf’s administrator for Sukkur and Larkana divisions, Irshad Ali Samo, the complainant in the FIR, told police that over 57 tolas of gold and 3,133 tolas of silver had been stolen from the shrine’s maalkhana [store]. He told the police that the shrine received 210.6 tolas of gold in 20 years from November 22, 2004, to August 17, 2023, reported the Express Tribune.

    The Auqaf department deposited 141 tolas in a locker of the National Bank of Pakistan’s (NBP) main branch in Hyderabad on July 2, 2013. While 68.15 tolas of gold and 4,836.13 of silver accumulated at the shrine’s storage during the last decade. “However, when a jeweler was called to weigh gold and silver on December 19, only 11.8 tolas of gold and 1703.4 of silver were found in the store”, the spokesperson of the department added.

    The administrator informed the police that during the departmental investigation, the suspect conceded negligence and admitted that he gave keys to the store to Gopang without authorisation.

    Devotees give gifts in the form of cash and ornaments during their visits to the Lal’s shrine and at other shrines in the province. However, embezzlement of those gifts has long remained a subject of concern.

    The spokesperson of the ministry quoted the minister saying that a similar investigation into possible theft of offerings against managers of all shrines in the province would be conducted.

  • Watch: Bollywood Legend Mumtaz and Pakistani star Resham create magic in dance video

    Watch: Bollywood Legend Mumtaz and Pakistani star Resham create magic in dance video

    Bollywood icon Mumtaz is currently visiting Pakistan, where she met with Pakistani veteran actress Resham at a gathering where actor Ahsan Khan and other stars were also in attendance.

    Videos from the get- together are going viral on social media, including one of Mumtaz and Resham dancing together.

    Mumtaz’s classic Indian song ‘Koi Sehri Babu Dil Lehri Babu’ from the 1973 Bollywood film Loafer, starring Dharmendra, plays in the background as the two stars shine in all-white traditional outfits. Fans were delighted with Resham and Mumtaz joyfully embracing each other. Ahsan Khan, cheering them on, was also seen in the viral video.

  • Scream 7; After Melissa Berrera firing on Palestine issue, director Christopher Landon also quits

    Scream 7; After Melissa Berrera firing on Palestine issue, director Christopher Landon also quits

    Scream 7 has lost not only its leading ladies, but also its director.
    Christopher Landon shared a statement on social media saying that he left the latest installment of the franchise over a month and a half ago, describing the project as a “nightmare.”

    “I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday. “This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone.”

    “It’s time to move on,” the director said, adding that he has nothing more to add to the conversation. “I hope Wes’ legacy thrives and lifts above the din of a divided world,” he continued. “What he and Kevin [Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for Scream] created is something amazing and I was honored to have even the briefest moment basking in their glow.”
    Landon left Scream VII a month after Melissa Barrera, who was in the fifth and sixth films of the franchise, was fired after she shared messages on social media supporting the Palestinian cause and criticizing Israel’s airstrikes.

    The director of Happy Death Day and Freaky, in a now-deleted social media post, seemed to comment on Barrera’s firing, saying, “This is my statement. Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”

    Wednesday star Jenna Ortega also departed from Scream 7 the day after Barrera’s exit became public. However, the exact reason for Ortega leaving wasn’t disclosed. The actress too had shared pro-Palestine posts on social media. Instead, it was widely believed and reported that she departed due to scheduling conflicts with Season 2 of the her super hit Netflix show Wednesday.

  • Election 2024: Imran Khan excluded from Registered Political Parties List

    Election 2024: Imran Khan excluded from Registered Political Parties List

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unveiled a revised list on Sunday, featuring 175 officially registered political parties that reflect the diverse landscape of the country’s political arena.

    The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, is no longer listed as the leader of the party in the updated list, indicating that PTI is now considered a political entity without a designated leader.

    However, the list now includes the group headed by Pervez Khattak, identified as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).

    An important development took place earlier in the week when the party led by Khan lost its electoral symbol, the “bat”, as a result of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) releasing the reserved verdict on the party’s internal elections.

    After hearing arguments from all concerned parties, the ECP initially reserved its decision.

    Following this, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, leading a five-member bench of the electoral authority, announced the invalidation of the PTI’s intra-party elections.

    After ECP’s verdict, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who took over as PTI chairman after Imran Khan, will no longer serve as the party’s leader.

  • Arbaaz Khan and Shura Khan radiate joy in wedding photos

    Arbaaz Khan and Shura Khan radiate joy in wedding photos

    On December 24, Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan got married to makeup artist Shura Khan in an intimate ceremony in Mumbai, India.
    The wedding took place at Arpita Khan’s house, with close friends and family in attendance.
    Arbaaz and Shura jointly shared their wedding pictures from their accounts.

    The couple looks dreamy as they posed together in front of floral decorations. For the big day, the bride and groom twinned in floral outfits with peach undertones.
    Sharing the pictures, the actor wrote, “In the presence of our loved ones, me and mine begin a lifetime of love and togetherness from this day on! Need all your blessings and good wishes on our special day!”

    Pictures of the Bollywood actor with his new bride also surfaced on social media. Fans are expressing good wishes for the newly wedded couple.

    Shura Khan is a makeup artist who works with actress Raveena Tandon and her daughter. She has also worked in several films and television shows. The lovebirds first met on the sets of the upcoming film Patna Shukla.