Category: Uncategorized

  • Ishaq Dar says Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves will strengthen soon

    Ishaq Dar says Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves will strengthen soon

    Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, which currently stand at $10 billion, will strengthen very soon, according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

    Dar recalled the economic achievements made by the PML-N government from 2013 to 2018, saying that during that time, the GDP of the nation increased from $244 billion to $356 billion.

    He said, “Pakistan reserves stood at a total of $10 billion — $4 billion of the State Bank of Pakistan and $6 billion of commercial banks. Pakistan is repaying its loans on time, and the foreign exchange reserves will soon boost.”

    The finance minister announced that an IMF group would soon be in the nation and that he would be seeing IMF representatives at the Geneva summit.

    The coalition administration plans to seek money at the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan on January 9 in Geneva, Switzerland, in order to recover from the disastrous floods.

    Dar informed the media outlet that he will travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a three-day official tour after his visit to Geneva comes to an end.

    “Funds from Saudi Arabia and other friendly countries will soon be received,” the finance minister said, who told journalists earlier this week that he expects inflows from China “in a few days.”

  • ‘Stranger Things’ actor Noah Schnapp comes out as gay

    ‘Stranger Things’ actor Noah Schnapp comes out as gay

    American actor Noah Schnapp, who plays the closeted gay teenager Will Byers on Netflix’s Stranger Things, has come out as gay.

    In a video posted to his TikTok account on Thursday, the 18-year-old actor wrote, “When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know’” — over Schnapp lip-syncing to an audio clip from a different TikTok of someone saying, “You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious.”

    In the caption to his TikTok video, Schnapp wrote, “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.” In July, following the debut of the final two episodes of the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” Schnapp confirmed to Variety for the first time that Will Byers is gay and in love with his best friend Mike (Finn Wolfhard).

    Stranger Things' star Noah Schnapp comes out as gay

    “It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends?” Schnapp said. “Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike.”

    Will’s sexuality had been an open question since the first episode of “Stranger Things.” However, Schnapp had always deflected questions about the character’s identity, noting that the character was still “up to the audience’s interpretation.” In his July interview with Variety, Schnapp said that he wasn’t entirely sure what “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer had in mind for Will, and once he did, he didn’t want to spoil the way the show revealed the character’s journey in Season 4.

    “I think it is done so beautifully because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay,” Schnapp said. “People have come up to me — I was just in Paris and this, like, a 40-year-old man came up to me and he was like, ‘Wow, this Will character made me feel so good. And I related to it so much. That is exactly who I was when I was a kid.’ That just made me so happy to hear. They are writing this real character and this real journey and real struggle and they’re doing it so well.”

    Millie Bobby Brown's Boyfriend Knows She's 'in Love' With Noah Schnapp

    When Variety asked Schnapp about how he navigated the attention on Will’s sexuality while he was also still figuring himself out, the actor pointed to all the tribulations the character has faced over the course of the series.

    “I think it’s all just part of the challenge of acting,” he said. “This isn’t just a single layer thing of he’s struggling with coming out. It’s this multifaceted trauma that goes years back, because he was taken by the Demogorgon and then his friends, they never acknowledged him, and now he’s scared to come out and doesn’t know if they’ll accept him.”

    Netflix and the Duffers have announced that Season 5 of Stranger Things will conclude the show, but there is no confirmation yet when production will begin on the season, let alone when it would debut.

  • Saudi Arabia to change marriage law to allow Ronaldo to live with partner without marriage

    Saudi Arabia to change marriage law to allow Ronaldo to live with partner without marriage

    Saudi Arabia is set to amend its marriage law to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to live with his partner, Georgina Rodriguez without marriage, Spanish media has reported.

    Saudi Arabia marriage law prohibits couples that are not married from living together . According to Daily Mail, Ronaldo is already living with his spouse and may not be sanctioned by laws.

    ”The Saudi Arabian authorities, today, do not interfere in this matter [in the case of foreigners], but the law continues to prohibit cohabitation outside of marriage,” wrote Daily mail while quoting a law practitioner.

    The 37-year-old Portuguese forward joined Al-Nassr and became the highest paid footballer in December 2022 following a mutual termination of his contract with the Premier League side Manchester United.

  • Nearing default and lying about phone calls? Not good Pakistan, says IMF

    Nearing default and lying about phone calls? Not good Pakistan, says IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated on Sunday that Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke on the latter’s request, a claim that suggests Islamabad has continued to engage in politics while being on the verge of default.

    “The call took place in response to a request by the Prime Minister of Pakistan to discuss the International Conference on resilient Pakistan,” Esther Perez, the resident representative of the IMF told The Express Tribune.

    On Friday, the PM’s office issued an official handout stating that “the IMF managing director phoned premier Shehbaz on the phone” following his address at the Hazara Electric Supply Company’s (HAZECO) inaugural ceremony. The PM had also stated in his address that the managing director of the Fund had called him.

    As the country makes dubious claims of strength and has just $4.5 billion in foreign exchange reserves, it appears that the administration is still not ready to change its ways.

    Only three weeks’ worth of imports may be covered using the remaining funds. Pakistan has paid back $8.5 billion in debt during the past three months (January through March). Included in this is a $2 billion loan to the UAE for which the government is attempting to obtain a rollover.

    Given the long-standing animosity between the two parties, such factually erroneous claims might make it harder for Pakistan to persuade the IMF.

    Due to its propensity to make pledges while receiving a loan tranche but then break them after the tranche has been released, the country has had a rough history with the IMF. This has led to a significant gap.

    A spokesperson of the IMF in a statement to the media also said that “the Managing Director had a constructive call with Prime Minister Sharif in the context of the International Conference on Resilient Pakistan to be held in Geneva on Monday, January 9.”

    The MD once more conveyed her sympathies to those who were directly impacted by the floods, and it was also said that she backed Pakistan’s attempts to create a more robust recovery.

    Additionally, the PM asserted on Friday that an IMF delegation will visit Pakistan in a matter of two to three days.

    “I asked her to send an IMF team for the completion of the pending 9th review of the programme so that the next loan tranche is released. She assured that the mission will visit [Pakistan] in the next two to three days,” Shehbaz had said.

    However, in its statement to the media, the IMF spokesperson said that the IMF “delegation is expected to meet with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the Geneva conference to discuss outstanding issues and the path forward”.

    The self-claimed deadline, which ends on Monday, for the 9th review mission’s arrival in Pakistan was not mentioned in the statement.

    On Saturday, it was revealed that due to significant debt repayments, Pakistan’s official foreign exchange reserves have for the first time dropped to a perilous level of $4.5 billion.

    The sources in the finance ministry also stated that no dates for the IMF review mission had been decided upon as of the PM’s address.

    Additionally, the prime minister said that Georgieva had asked if Saudi Arabia and China were aiding Pakistan.

    After thereafter, Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanullah said that even foreign countries won’t assist without the IMF’s protection.

    “If we back out from these [IMF] conditionalities, then our economic survival will become next to impossible and even our friendly countries cannot extend financial help to us,” Sanaullah had said in Faisalabad.

    The interior minister had said that if the current administration tried to adhere to the strict requirements of the IMF, inflation would soar, prices would soar, and the economy would suffer.

    Since the 9th review negotiations between Islamabad and the Fund have not concluded as of yet, a $1.1 billion loan tranche has been withheld.

    In order for the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to disburse their funds, Pakistan is eager to finish the ninth review.

    Disagreements about import restrictions, currency rate regulations, demands for the imposition of more taxes, and raising energy costs to pay off over Rs500 billion in circular debts have caused the discussions to be postponed.

  • WHO report reveals smoking causes 166,000 deaths every year in Pakistan

    WHO report reveals smoking causes 166,000 deaths every year in Pakistan

    In Pakistan, smoking contributes to around 166,000 deaths annually, of which 31,000 are caused by passive smoking.

    The World Health Organization predicts that this figure won’t go down considerably in the upcoming years despite health warnings, quitting initiatives, and expanded tobacco control measures. These combustible cigarettes not only endanger the environment but also the human body.

    The industry’s carbon footprint from the manufacture, processing, and transportation of tobacco is comparable to one-fifth of the CO2 produced by the commercial aircraft industry each year, according to the WHO study “Tobacco: Poisoning our world,” which furthers the effects of global warming.

    According to Brecorder, the ultimate objective to completely remove the hazards of climate change, according to experts, is to stop smoking, but doing so can be challenging and come with a risk of relapse. Scientists across the world have been researching for years to develop possibly less dangerous substitutes that smokers can switch to as their initial step to stop smoking.

    They said that countries like Japan, US, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland took it upon themselves to lower these numbers and by legalizing and funding research towards HTPs and adopting Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategies. The results have been very promising as most of these countries saw a sharp decline in the number of smokers and the risks associated with it.

  • ‘Beloved, lover’: Mohib Mirza breaks silence on his alleged relationship with Sanam Saeed

    ‘Beloved, lover’: Mohib Mirza breaks silence on his alleged relationship with Sanam Saeed

    Actor Mohib Mirza opened up about his past struggles, his fallout with his former wife Aamina Sheikh, his daughter, and his new life with Sanam Saeed for the very first time.

    The Neeli Zinda Hai star appeared on a podcast with Munib Nawaz, his childhood friend and fashion designer, with whom he discussed all the possible things he could’ve done differently, including his life when he started out, personal relationships, his vulnerabilities, the importance of voicing insecurities, his experience with filmmaking and counting his blessings.

    The host asked Mirza if the life he has was once a goal, such as making films or reaching a milestone like the Oscars. Mirza said, “I don’t think I had a specific image in mind. But some small elements from it were my goals. The rest you know every single day we’re evolving and it [our brain] is like an open sea, desires and wishes never seem to end. Just like that, whatever I manifested and dreamt of deserves to come true, be it the good things you want or the fear that you end up manifesting. The rest, if I have to say, I’ve been blessed with what I was and have been given, not just the fame but also got to work with the kind of stuff I always wanted to do.”

    When asked about the fears that he manifested, Mirza said as a professional actor it would be falling behind time and not being able to meet deadlines to finish certain tasks. On a personal note, when he was asked about his younger self and his goals, Mirza opened up about his past relationship with Aamina Sheikh.

    “When I met Aamina, my focus was ‘she’s the one’ and I was in love with her and then came marriage and all the other things after that, as they should. We had a great, great partnership and everything was going fine, we had a daughter and after that we started to grow differently,” he said.

    “I had never imagined that things wouldn’t work out between us. Eventually, I came to realise, it happens with everybody and those who say it doesn’t, are just talking rubbish. I was with her for 12 to 13 years in a marriage and we had a falling out afterwards. It wasn’t our partnership that was the issue but the things that we did in our daily life related to work. Like, for example, if I’m in Skardu for 90 days and I’m filming Dukhtar, so what I learnt at that time spiritually and emotionally and the direction I grew towards, we didn’t align.”

    Talking about his daughter, Mirza shared that he hasn’t seen her in five years and it was a conscious decision on Sheikh’s part. When asked what was the most difficult thing he has experienced, the actor said it’s the time away from his daughter. “I don’t want a grown kid who, because of me or examples we see on social media, goes through what we see online. I’ve worked enough and with the common sense I have, what happens on social media, it’s better if the kid grows older and understands things on her own and if not then it’s very unfortunate,” he said on a lesson he has learned.

    Then came a discussion about his current love life. Nawaz asked Mirza about how he met Saeed. “Sanam means beloved, and Mohib means the one who gives love. I don’t think I have to say anything else,” he said.

    Mohib Mirza, Sanam Saeed's latest picture sends rumour mills buzzing

    “It’s not easy for either of us to give it another try. Especially if you realise the ‘one more time’ factor, if you want to start a new chapter then [that’s what] you want to do this time. Correction is for those who want to correct things, those who understand the value of relationships and want to understand it. Not someone who never accepts their mistakes and finds themselves right in every situation.”

    Saeed also gave a small glimpse of her new relationship in her 2022 rewind video on Instagram that featured vacation pictures with Mirza and intimate moments with her family.

    On the work front, Saeed and Mirza were last seen together in feature film Ishrat Made in China.

    Mohib Mirza professes his love for Sanam Saeed
  • ‘Sharifs’ political dynasty’: PML-N is upset over Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as senior vice president

    ‘Sharifs’ political dynasty’: PML-N is upset over Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as senior vice president

    Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are reportedly not happy with the recent appointment of Maryam Nawaz as the party’s senior vice president.

    According to a report in The News, it is being said that there has been no consultation within the party before this decision was taken.

    A senior PML-N leader told the media outlet on condition of anonymity that, “This decision is undemocratic and is aimed at furthering the Sharifs’ political dynasty.”

    One of the PML-N leaders said that the Sharif family or those closely associated with them have the first right to hold every key position whether within the party or in the government.

    Not only this, many in the party think that PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Malik Ahmad Khan would have been a much better choice for the office of Punjab chief minister but the Sharif family decided in favour of one of their own-Hamza Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    With his appointment, Maryam is now the third most senior in party ranks after her father Nawaz Sharif and uncle Shehbaz Sharif.

    According to a PML-N leader, even Junaid Safdar, the son of Maryam Nawaz, is being propagated by the party’s social media team as the future of the N-League. However, he has not joined politics yet.

  • ‘Racist and violent’; Fury at Prince Harry’s claim he killed 25 people in Afghanistan

    ‘Racist and violent’; Fury at Prince Harry’s claim he killed 25 people in Afghanistan

    Excerpts from Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’, scheduled to hit bookstores worldwide on January 10, have racked up controversies with the Duke of Sussex revealing intimate details of the royal family. However, one passage from the book has landed the erstwhile prince into hot waters himself. Social media is calling Prince Harry “racist and violent” after the revelation that he has killed over 25 Afghans and feels neither satisfaction nor shame. In the book, the Prince wrote that the “insurgents” he killed were like pieces on a chessboard.

    The full passage can be read below:

    https://twitter.com/simonharris_mbd/status/1611656898218176512?s=20&t=8ecv1436gY2bwM8gDx0sPQ

    Social media users were deeply shocked by this revelation, and how little attention is being given in the media to these racist comments.

    https://twitter.com/Dragonvibee/status/1611312946013143040?s=20&t=8ecv1436gY2bwM8gDx0sPQ

  • Fawad Chaudhry extends best wishes to Maryam Nawaz after she underwent throat surgery

    Fawad Chaudhry extends best wishes to Maryam Nawaz after she underwent throat surgery

    Putting aside political rivalry, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has extended his best wishes to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz after she underwent throat surgery in Switzerland.

    A day earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that Nawaz is in good condition after her three-hour-long throat surgery that took place in Geneva.

    The minister said the PML-N senior vice president had extended gratitude to all the people, especially the party workers, who had prayed for her and conveyed good wishes to her.

    According to media reports, during the three-hour-long surgery, two of her throat glands were operated on by the doctors.

    Earlier this week, both Nawaz and Maryam travelled together to Geneva from London.

    Maryam is expected to return to Pakistan in the third week of January to assume her new responsibilities as Chief Organiser of the party.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will also be visiting Geneva to co-host the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan — along with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres — on January 9 (Monday).

  • Haris Rauf has an endearing interaction with fans on ‘Hasna Mana Hai’

    Haris Rauf has an endearing interaction with fans on ‘Hasna Mana Hai’

    The current Pakistani cricket team has entered in to our lives like a breath of fresh air. We love them because they’re extremely talented and hard working, they never embody the dog-eats-dog mindset, support and respect each other without a doubt, and most importantly how much have fangirls are ready to die for them.

    Haris Rauf is endearing to many women because of his looks and his prodigious cricketing skills. The bowler was a guest on Friday’s episode of the Geo News show Hasna Mana Hai where a fan had an endearing question for him. She asked him about what will she and other fan girls like actress Maya Ali do now that their crush, Haris, has gotten married and settled down.

    To this, Rauf jokingly responded by saying that he had to settle down with someone, since he can’t marry everyone of his fans. He then assured his fans that they can mend their broken hearts by finding someone else, since there are other cricket players out there.

    “Not just cricketers, there are many other people out there,” he quipped.

    Another fan also had a hilarious question about how when Rauf is playing on the field, he can hear the women behind him shouting out marriage proposals. To which the cricket player said when he is playing cricket, he and his teammates are focused on the game rather than responding to the fans sitting behind them.

    “We try to look for them after the match but we never find them,” Rauf joked.

    You can watch the complete interview below