Category: Uncategorized

  • Streaming giant Spotify adds music videos to output

    Streaming giant Spotify adds music videos to output

    Stockholm (AFP) – Music streaming giant Spotify on Wednesday announced it would be posting music videos on its platform in “select markets”, entering an arena long dominated by YouTube.

    “The beta version of music videos on Spotify begins rolling out today…,” the company said in a statement.

    It would release limited catalogue of hits from global artists such as Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and Ice Spice, as well as local favourites, it added.

    Initially, the music videos will only be available to paying subscribers in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia,the Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya.

    In early February, Spotify announced it had passed 600 million monthly users, of which 236 million were paying subscribers.

    Google’s streaming behemoth YouTube has long dominated music videos online, with much of the platform’s most-viewed content being music videos.

    Songs like Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and K-pop star Psy’s viral hit “Gangnam Style” each gathered several billion views.

    Spotify has invested heavily since its launch to fuel growth with expansions into new markets and, most recently, exclusive content such as podcasts.

  • Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    The Accountability Court in Islamabad has suspended the perpetual arrest warrants of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, sons of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the Flagship, Al-Azizia, and Avenfield cases handled by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the brothers voluntarily appeared before the court.

    The court also granted their requests for bail. They had to provide bail bonds worth Rs50,000 each in exchange.

    Both suspects appeared in court to mark their attendance. The court also summoned the NAB for tomorrow regarding the bail applications of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. Their request to appoint a pleader was granted, and they chose Rana Muhammad Irfan for the task.

    The judge asked if they were the only two nominated in the three references. Qazi Misbah replied that they were co-accused in all three references, adding that the remaining accused had been acquitted of the charges. In the flagship reference, the trial court itself had acquitted the two, he added. 

    After that, the court adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

  • Dr Yasmin Rashid will be PTI’s senate candidate from Punjab

    Dr Yasmin Rashid will be PTI’s senate candidate from Punjab

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to field senior leader Dr Yasmin Rashid for Senate seat in Punjab for the upcoming polls set to take place on April 2, The News reported on Thursday.

    PTI’s senior leader Mian Aslam Iqbal disclosed on his X (previously Twitter) account that Yasmin Rashid will be the party’s candidate for the senate seat in Punjab.

    Mian Aslam Iqbal also said that Zulfi Bukhari and Hamid Khan are the party’s candidates for general seats. However, Brigadier (retd) Musadiq will be the PTI’s candidate for the technocrat seat.

    The development comes as the senior politician’s earlier bid to secure a place in the National Assembly failed after she lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Lahore’s NA-130 seat in the February 8 polls.

    Dr Yasmin Rashid is currently in Adiala jail in cases pertaining to the violent incidents of the May 9 riots last year. 

    52 seats are vacant in the Senate after the expiration of the six-year term of senators. However, senate election will be held on 48 seats, as the four reserved seats for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

  • Zara Noor Abbas enjoys birthday with her parents

    Zara Noor Abbas enjoys birthday with her parents

    Zara Noor Abbas, star of the hit show ‘Khamoshi’ just spent what looks like a lovely evening with her parents on her birthday. The actress, wife to actor Asad Siddiqui, recently starred in two hit TV shows- ‘Jhoom’ and ‘Stand Up Girl.’
    Zara Noor Abbas often shares photos with her husband on social media. Recently, the talented actress celebrated her birthday with parents. Asad Siddiqui, her husband, also took to social media to extend birthday wishes to her, accompanied by a collection of beautiful pictures featuring the couple. Here are some of the birthday pictures followed by the ones shared by Asad Siddiqui:

  • Nearly 230,000 children, new mothers risk dying of hunger in Sudan: NGO

    Nearly 230,000 children, new mothers risk dying of hunger in Sudan: NGO

    Without critical action, nearly 230,000 children and new mothers in war-ravaged Sudan are “likely to die from hunger”, Save the Children warned on Wednesday.

    Nearly 11 months of fighting between the forces of two rival generals has killed thousands and displaced eight million people in the northeast African country, the United Nations says.

    The bombing and destruction of fields and factories have plunged Sudan into “one of the worst” nutrition situations in the world, said Arif Noor, Save the Children’s country director in Sudan.

    “Nearly 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers could die in the coming months,“ the British non-governmental organisation said.

    The charity said “more than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished and an additional 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition — the most dangerous and deadly form of extreme hunger”.

    It warned “about 222,000 severely malnourished children and more than 7,000 new mothers are likely to die” under the current levels of funding which “only covers 5.5 percent” of Sudan’s total needs.

    The United Nations’ World Food Programme sounded the alarm on Sudan this month, warning the war risked triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis.

    The conflict, which experts have warned could last years, is being fought between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, his former deputy and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

    Noor warned the situation would only worsen as the consequences of the current fighting take hold.

    “No planting last year means no food today. No planting today means no food tomorrow. The cycle of hunger is getting worse and worse with no end in sight — only more misery,“ he said.

    Already, more than half of all Sudanese, including 14 million children, require humanitarian assistance to survive, the United Nations says.

    The UN has described a “climate of sheer terror”, reporting the use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas, sexual violence as a weapon of war, the destruction of hospitals and schools.

    The United States has accused both sides of war crimes and alleged the RSF has carried out ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

    A report before the UN Human Rights Council details gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and possible war crimes.

    Earlier in March, the UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk called the conflict a “living nightmare” and said it had “slipped into the fog of global amnesia”.

    The conflict has driven 18 million people into food insecurity, including five million who are only one stage away from famine.

    Humanitarian organisations have been prevented from entering Sudan or moving freely and have come under attack by both sides. – AFP

  • Gold price drops by Rs1,800 per tola as PKR records modest gains

    Gold price drops by Rs1,800 per tola as PKR records modest gains

    Gold prices in Pakistan experienced a downturn on Wednesday, echoing the global market trend.

    The precious metal, commonly known as the yellow metal, was priced at Rs228,300 per tola, marking a decrease of Rs1,800 over the course of the day.

    Data released by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA) revealed that the price of 10 grammes of gold stood at Rs195,730 after a decrease of Rs1,544.

    This decline follows a Rs100 reduction in gold prices per tola observed on Tuesday within the country. Internationally, gold was valued at $2,179 per ounce on Wednesday, reflecting a $18 decrease with a premium of $20.

    Meanwhile, silver prices remained stable at Rs2,600 per tola during the same period.

    On another front, the Pakistani rupee showed a slight improvement against the US dollar, appreciating by 0.11 per cent in the interbank market on Wednesday.

    At the close, the local currency settled at 278.79, gaining Re0.29 against the greenback, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

    On Monday, the rupee experienced a marginal decline, settling at 279.08 against the US dollar, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

  • Teenager on bicycle stabs two Israelis at West Bank checkpoint

    Teenager on bicycle stabs two Israelis at West Bank checkpoint

    A 15-year-old boy riding a bicycle stabbed two Israeli security personnel at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday before he was “neutralised,” police said.

    The attack occurred at around 8:15 am (0615 GMT) at the Tunnels checkpoint south of Jerusalem when the teenager arrived on a bicycle, the force said in a statement.

    “When security forces at the crossing attempted to check him, the terrorist drew a knife and began stabbing the forces present at the scene,” the police said.

    “An armed civilian guard immediately engaged with the terrorist, and simultaneously IDF (army) forces at the location responded with precise gunfire neutralising the terrorist.”

    Two security personnel were wounded in the stabbing, the police said. It was unclear whether the attacker had been killed.

    The knife attack comes a day after a 12-year-old Palestinian boy died after being shot by Israeli border police at a refugee camp in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

    Rami Hamdan al-Halhuli, 12, suffered a fatal gunshot wound during clashes between residents of the Shuafat refugee camp and police, who said the child had aimed fireworks at them.

    Hundreds of extra police have been deployed in the Old City of east Jerusalem since the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began on Monday.

    myl-jd/kir

    © Agence France-Presse

  • ECP issues notice to Gandapur over disqualification petition in property case

    ECP issues notice to Gandapur over disqualification petition in property case

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur after a petition was filed against him for misleading the commission about a piece of land, The News reported on Wednesday.

    Two members of the ECP bench, including Sindh Member Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Balochistan Member Shah Muhammad Jatoi, heard the plea and adjourned the hearing of the case till March 26.

    In a short order, the electoral authority decided to send a notification to newly-elected KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who won his provincial seat from Dera Ismail Khan.

    In his plea, Muhammad Kafeel — the petitioner — claimed that 735-kanals of land, situated in Mouzah Girah Muhabbat and Muzah Rohri, Kulachi, district DI Khan, was transferred in the name of Gandapur temporarily while Asif Khan was the real owner.   

    Muhammad Kafeel highlighted that Gandapur is not the actual owner of property and he was supposed to return the property back to actual owner on his demand.

    The petitioner said in liabilities forms furnished for the year 2020 and duly published, Gandapur had allegedly shown purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser, YB-777 from the funds which he received from the sale of 735 kanal land. He also contended that on account of such wrong declaration, Gandapur was not qualified to hold the office of member provincial assembly.

    With the signatures of ECP Sindh member, the order said, “We have heard preliminary arguments which need consideration on merits. Office to issue notice to respondent No. 5 (Ali Amin Gandapur) for the date fixed through District Election Commissioner concerned. The service report of DEC shall reach to this office before the date fixed. Case to come up on 26.03.2024.”

  • New restaurant timings, environmental awareness among youth: Lahore High Court

    New restaurant timings, environmental awareness among youth: Lahore High Court

    The Lahore High Court has approved the opening of restaurants in Punjab from iftar till sehr.

    The court has also ordered schools to introduce one period a week on the environment, including practical activities, as the goal for the court is to inculcate environmental awareness in the population from a young age.

    The court has asked for a detailed report on the revised curriculum to be tendered in the next hearing.

    It has also sought a plan from Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) for a cleanliness campaign which must include students so that they contribute in countering pollution and uncleanliness in the city.

    Moreover, the Court has also instructed Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) officials to put an end to tree-cutting and to brief the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) beforehand.

  • Huge blast kills two, injures 26 in northern China

    A huge suspected gas explosion at a restaurant in northern China killed two people and injured 26 more during Wednesday rush hour, state media reported, causing severe damage to buildings.

    The blast occurred just before 8:00 am (0000 GMT), state broadcaster CCTV said, in a residential area in the city of Sanhe, Hebei province, less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the centre of Bejing.

    CCTV reported at 1:30 pm that two people had since died and that 26 were injured. The fire has been extinguished, it added.

    The explosion was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak at a fried chicken shop, state media reported.

    “I heard a great big bang… which scared me stiff,” a seller at a local market told AFP.

    “Outside, I saw clouds of black smoke,” they added.

    Another seller said they also heard a “huge bang” from the blast site, in a bustling area of squat apartment blocks about six or seven floors high.

    An AFP team at the scene also observed police waving oncoming traffic away from an entrance to the neighbourhood where the explosion occurred.

    From a police cordon on the north side of the blast zone, they could see a tower of grey smoke a few hundred metres (yards) away, with what appeared to be a crane positioned near it.

    ‘Destroyed‘

    Footage online circulated by state media showed a huge explosion that sent plumes of smoke and fire across a busy road.

    Another video on social media verified by AFP showed what appeared to be a building that had completely collapsed as well as several destroyed cars and debris strewn across the street.

    The blast blew out shop facades opposite, footage shared on video-sharing site Douyin showed. The uploader told AFP the explosion took place 200 metres from her home.

    Rescue workers rushed to the scene, with the local Langfang fire department saying 36 emergency vehicles and 154 personnel had been dispatched.

    A merchant working at a nearby store told state-run Jimu News she had been in her shop when she heard a bang.

    She ran out of her store and saw a building on fire, she said, adding that “the whole building was virtually destroyed”.

    Accidents common

    Explosions and other deadly accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.

    Last month, at least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing.

    In January, dozens died after a fire broke out at a store in the central city of Xinyu, with state news agency Xinhua reporting the blaze had been caused by the “illegal” use of fire by workers in the store’s basement.

    That fire came just days after a late-evening blaze at a school in central Henan province killed 13 schoolchildren as they slept in a dormitory.

    Domestic media reports suggested the fire was caused by an electric heating device.

    And in November last year, 26 people were killed and dozens sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern Shanxi province.

    Last June, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest of the country left 31 dead and prompted official pledges of a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.