Author: newsdesk

  • Deadly virus kills 35 ibex in Kirthar

    Deadly virus kills 35 ibex in Kirthar

    Ibex goats are dying in large numbers in Kirthar National Park, authorities have confirmed.

    According to local sources, four more ibex were found dead on Sunday while nine infected animals were traced by wildlife officers.

    Local sources have also reported that dead ibex are being cremated and buried, while efforts are being made to clean the ibex’s watering holes.

    The water in which the dead ibex were found has been blocked by planting bushes around it. While the water has become very polluted after decomposing ibex were found in it, locals claim the water will clean naturally with rains.

    Ibex are apparently suffering from an epidemic called Peste des Petits Ruminants, or PPR.

    Locals explain that this ‘goat plague’ is a virus that spreads rapidly, usually infecting sheep and goats. It is thus feared that the disease has been spread to ibex from goats

    Currently, there are around 25 thousand ibex in Kirthar and so far, 35 have died.

    Deputy Conservator of the Department of Wildlife, Hyderabad, Wahid Shaikh told Geo News that samples of the dead ibex have been sent to the laboratory for analysis, adding that the Sindh Wildlife Department has sent more teams to the affected area.

  • Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has stated that he will only be able to remark on making “alliances” with other political parties when the election date has been made public.

    While addressing a press conference in Okara, the former foreign minister once more urged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the election date so that the party could plan and launch its election campaign.

    “It is our request to the ECP to announce the election schedule,” the PPP chief said, emphasising that the matter of alliances can only be addressed once the election timetable is established.

    When asked about the expected return of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal stated: “Mian Sahib’s return has been a long-standing demand of the PPP.”

    “The PPP is not being pushed to the wall, we didn’t even back out from the 2007-2008 elections,” the party chairman stated in response to a question.

  • ‘Take the money and run’; Danish artist submits blank canvasses to museum

    ‘Take the money and run’; Danish artist submits blank canvasses to museum

    A Danish artist owes around 500,000 kroner (Rs14,408,870) to Kunsten museum in Aalborg after submitting two blank canvasses as part of a project called “Take the Money and Run”.

    Conceptual artist Jens Haaning presses upon the issues of power and inequality through his work and one of his projects was commissioned by by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark, in 2021 in which he had to recreate banknotes in two pieces.

    Haaning, instead, gave two blank canvasses.

    He said, “The work is that I have taken their money.”

    While the museum did put his work on display, Haaning refused to return the money which he owes. Resultsntly, the museum has taken legal action against the artist.

    A court has now ordered him to return the cash – but keep some for expenses.

    The court has deducted artist fee and mounting fee from the total sum and order Haaning to refund 492,549 kroner.

    BBC spoke with Museum director Lasse Andersson who said that he had laughed out loud when he first saw the two blank canvasses in 2021, and decided to show the works anyway.

    “He stirred up my curatorial staff and he also stirred me up a bit, but I also had a laugh because it was really humoristic,” the museum’s director, Lasse Andersson, told BBC’s Newsday programme in 2021.

    Haaning, on the contrary, said that he did not intend to pursue the case any further, “It has been good for my work, but it also puts me in an unmanageable situation where I don’t really know what to do.”

    While talking to TV2 Nord on Monday, Hanning said that the museum had made “much, much more” money than what was invested because of publicity.

  • ‘Dilip Kumar once told me I smelt like Lahore’: Meera

    ‘Dilip Kumar once told me I smelt like Lahore’: Meera

    Actress Meera recently appeared on Mohsin Abbas Haider’s show ‘Public Demand’ where she opened up about meeting various Bollywood actors during her trip to India.

    Meera also met the legendary icon Dilip Kumar who invited the actress to dinner at his house, where she met his wife Saira Banu, staying there for three days. The ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ actor told Meera he knew she was from Lahore, because he could smell the scent of the city from her.

    “Aap kay badan say khushbu arahi hai Pakistan aur Lahore ki. Mehak raha hoon mein,” Meera recalled the ‘Tragedy King’ telling her.

    Meera also revealed that during her trips to India, she met Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan three times. The first time was after completing her film ‘Nazar’ and met the actor in London. The second time was at a dinner with celebrated director Yash Raj, Dilip Kumar and actress Rani Mukherjee. Her last meeting was at a birthday party held for actor Abhishek Bachchan, where she was invited along with actor Moammar Rana and singer Rafaqat Ali Khan by Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who had personally called the ‘Baaji’ actress and requested her presence at the party.

    Previously the ‘Mushkil’ actress was a guest at the comedy talk show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ where she revealed that Shah Rukh Khan had personally wanted to cast her in his film ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, but the offer didn’t work out as Meera revealed she wasn’t able to secure a visa to London.

    READ MORE: ‘Shah Rukh Khan, 365 days star Michele Morrone wanted to work with me’: Meera

  • Chinese electric car maker set to invest big in Pakistan

    Chinese electric car maker set to invest big in Pakistan

    In a momentous development, a prominent Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer is making preparations to establish its EV production facility within Pakistan. However, their ambitions extend far beyond this endeavour, as they are also poised to inaugurate showrooms in key urban centres nationwide.

    This momentous announcement materialized following a productive meeting involving a delegation led by GU Xongquan, Assistant Chairman of the Xinjian Jingyi Cheng Group, and Amin Ullah Baig. Notably, Amin Ullah Baig holds the esteemed position of Vice President at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).

    GU Xongquan astutely emphasised a pivotal aspect of this development. In a country where automobiles hold paramount importance for commuting, and with gasoline prices incessantly soaring due to global oil market fluctuations, the exigency for alternative energy solutions is abundantly clear. Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a seamlessly fitting answer to this imperative.

    This undertaking transcends the realm of mere vehicular transportation; it signifies a substantial stride towards embracing more environmentally sustainable mobility alternatives within Pakistan.

    In an era marked by an escalating emphasis on sustainability worldwide, the presence of a prominent Chinese entity in the EV sector within Pakistan holds the potential to revolutionize our automotive industry. It offers the promise of a greener, more sustainable future that aligns with global imperatives.

  • A matrimonial website demanded this much money for Yashma Gill’s rishta

    A matrimonial website demanded this much money for Yashma Gill’s rishta

    Yashma Gill should add stand up comedy to her skill set, because seriously, we’re in fits since this hilarious revelation.

    At the ‘The Talk Talk Show’ the actress narrated that efforts to get married led to a hysterical situation for which her on-set colleagues still mock her to this day. Yashma revealed she had wanted to get married for some time, but because of her hectic work schedule it was difficult for her to find someone she liked, adding that she wasn’t a fan of the proposals her mother was sending her.

    All of this, the ‘Bebak’ actress recalled, led her to joining a matrimonial site.

    “I joined a matrimonial site, but they couldn’t believe that they were speaking with Yashma Gill,” the actress laughed. “So they requested me to hold a video call to confirm if it was truly me. We talked on video call and they asked me about my preference and everything.”

    But then, the actress said the rishta website asked her to pay four lacs for registering on their website, and then fork out another four lacs after she secures the rishta!

    “I said no thank you, I’ll find someone on my own”, Yashma chuckled, putting an end to her rishta hunting process.

  • ‘You can’t sleep after something like that’: Mansha Pasha opens up about Jibran Nasir’s kidnapping

    ‘You can’t sleep after something like that’: Mansha Pasha opens up about Jibran Nasir’s kidnapping

    Actress Mansha Pasha recently appeared on Frieha Altaf’s podcast where she publicly addressed her husband Jibran Nasir’s illegal kidnapping. The ‘Idiot’ actress made a video narrating how the couple arrived back to their house after a dinner in June, when a white Vigo with 15 armed men stopped them and took her husband.

    After 24 hours and condemnation from all sides, the lawyer was released, thanking all those who had advocated for his release.

    At the podcast, Pasha recalled how difficult it was for her to sleep after the incident. The actress admitted that trauma shows up in different ways, and it took a while for her to make sense of what had happened.

    Mansha went on to reveal that her support system helped her during this difficult time “I think that alone, it’s impossible.. A lot of people have said to me ‘Mansha, you’re so courageous. You kept it together so well.’ But quite frankly I don’t think it would have been possible without the support of so many people. And because I knew all these people were beside me, whether I knew them or not, this is what consoles a person.”

  • Nawaz holds the ex-military leadership, Saqib Nisar, accountable for Pakistan’s condition

    Nawaz holds the ex-military leadership, Saqib Nisar, accountable for Pakistan’s condition

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said on Monday that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government had saved Pakistan from defaulting.

    His statement came during a party meeting via video link from London, where he emphasised that the PML-N rescued Pakistan from an economic crisis by making sacrifices. He was also confident that PML-N would achieve success in the upcoming elections.

    In addition, the PML-N leader blamed former ISI chief General (retd) Faiz Hamid, former chief of the army, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, and former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar for Pakistan’s current condition.

    “Today, the poor is craving bread; who brought the country to this state” the senior politician questioned, regretting how people were worried about putting two meals on their table.

    Recalling that the economic conditions were different in 2017 when he was in power, Sharif said that flour, ghee, and sugar were cheap but now the poor people of the country are unable to pay their bills.

  • Shaheen and Ansha’s Mehndi, photos and videos viral on social media

    Shaheen and Ansha’s Mehndi, photos and videos viral on social media

    The Mehndi ceremony of former captain Shahid Afridi’s daughter Ansha Afridi and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi took place in Karachi.

    The mehendi ceremony was held at Shahid Afridi’s house and was attended by Shaheen, his family, relatives, and close friends of both families. Shahid Afridi’s house can be seen beautifully decorated for the wedding, while Shaheen and Shahid can be seen eating together at the ceremony.

    A video has also been shared by a make-up artist showing the bride but it is not confirmed whether the picture is of Ansha or her sister Aqsa Afridi.

    Ansha and Shaheen’s wedding ceremony will take place in Karachi today while the valima is scheduled for September 21 in Islamabad.

  • How did model Robina Khan apologise to makeup artist Bryan William after her husband beat him up?

    How did model Robina Khan apologise to makeup artist Bryan William after her husband beat him up?

    No Bad Blood here it seems.

    Model Robina Khan has publicly addressed her recent feud with makeup artist Bryan William, by sharing that the two had patched out their differences. She shared a picture of the two of them together and wrote:

    “Everything is sorted and I would like to extend my deepest apologies to Bryan and Nabila Salon and to anyone’s sentiments that I might have hurt. This should not have happened and I take full responsibility to make amends and do the needful.”

    In August, several models had taken to Instagram to call out Robina after the makeup artist refused to carry the model’s personal belongings while she was on a shoot. Robina’s husband arrived on the scene with gunmen and assaulted Bryan in front of several witnesses. Robina had defended herself in a lengthy Instagram statement, sharing that the makeup artist called her a “do takkay ki model.”

    READ MORE: Robina Khan claims assault on Nabila Salon makeup artist was justified: Mushk Kaleem, models slam attack as ‘disgusting’

    Several actors like Mansha Pasha, Saboor Aly and Komal Aziz condemned the incident and lent their support to Bryan, demanding that the model is held responsible.