466 people die daily in Pakistan due to tobacco use related diseases, Dr Ziauddin Islam, a former technical leader of the Health Ministry’s Tobacco Control Cell, has disclosed during a discussion hosted by SPARC, Ikram Junaidi has reported for Dawn.
He also said that the number of smokers in Pakistan has reached 31 million people. Dr. Ziauddin also revealed that every day, 1,200 Pakistani kids between the ages of six and fifteen begin smoking.
The Tobacco Health Levy Bill, which has been on hold since 2019, needs to be approved right away in order to stop the loss of life and healthcare resources, he added. “Evidence suggests that higher cigarette taxes deter smoking initiation, reduce cigarette consumption, and even lead smokers to quit. Last year, Pakistan raised tobacco taxes for the first time since 2019 however we are still far off from the 30pc increase suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said Country head of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) Malik Imran Ahmed.
Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) stated on Thursday that it had halted taking reservations for motorbikes until further notice due to issues with manufacturing and procurement following the consecutive closures of its automobile assembling factories caused by an ongoing inventory crisis.
“Under the present economic circumstances, import-based supply chain constraints and uncertain production possibilities, we are unable to serve new customers,” the company said in a letter to dealers.
The suspension of reservations would start today.
“We will, therefore, stop bookings of our motorcycle products from January 20, 2023, for the time being. However, bookings will resume as the situation becomes favourable to serve fresh customers.”
With the rupee falling and inflation at decades-high levels, Pakistan’s economy has collapsed along with a simmering political crisis, but disastrous floods and a worldwide energy crisis have added to the strain.
Almost all industries, including the automotive sector, have been slowed down by a lack of imported components and materials, and an alarmingly large number of businesses have been forced to cease operations.
As Pakistan struggles with a dire foreign exchange crisis, thousands of containers filled with basic food supplies, raw materials, and medical equipment have been held up at the Karachi port.
According to Express Tribune, banks are refusing to issue fresh letters of credit for importers due to a shortage of needed dollars, which is hurting an economy already under pressure from high inflation and weak growth.
The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has announced a new initiative to facilitate travellers by issuing daily journey planners that would help drivers navigate the highway more efficiently.
The spokesperson of NHMP said that the project of journey planners has been initiated at the direction of Inspector General NHMP, Khalid Mahmood.
He stated that in addition to any planned construction or maintenance that may affect travel times, the planners would also take into account information such as traffic updates, road closures, weather updates, and accident reports.
By informing drivers of any potential risks or delays, the Motorway Police hope that this new service will assist in shortening travel times and increasing safety on the highways, the official said, adding that the planners would be accessible online through the website and social media channels. The trip planner has received a great deal of appreciation, and the NHMP is dedicated to giving its consumers helpful information. It also continues to receive excellent feedback.
Travelers reported that the trip planners have shortened their travel distances and increased road safety. Adnan Jameel, a motorist on the M-1 motorway, told APP that the planner had made it easier for him to organise his trip and prevent any unwelcome shocks along the route.
Researchers have identified the four abilities that are most in demand in evolving workplaces by analysing hundreds of millions of recent job listings in the US. The report How Skills are Disrupting Work was developed in collaboration with the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), education publisher Wiley, and the Burning Glass Institute.
One of these skill sets was included as a necessity in one out of every eight job listings, according to the researchers. The report states that, “AI/ML, Cloud Computing, Product Management, and Social Media together exemplify skills disruption and serve as a laboratory for understanding the broader trend. The five-year growth rate for these four skill sets was 122% in 2021, compared with a 10% growth rate for the average skill over the same period.”
Veteran actor Bushra Ansari in a press release called out people who are running her ‘fake’ Twitter accounts for personal gains.
These accounts were initiating political conversations against Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Imran Khan. Bushra reached out to Cyber Crime Cell in Karachi.
As per the complaint, there are more than ten fake accounts under her name on Twitter. These accounts have engaged in malicious political campaigns. In a video alongside Press Release, Bushra expressed disappointment and promises to take strict legal action against these profiles.
She mentioned she has been working in the industry for last forty years and there is nothing more disappointing than bringing icons down for publicity. She also mentioned that she keeps her political opinions to herself and the only purpose she wants to serve is entertainment for her nation.
Last year, actors Saba Qamar Zaman, Sana Javed and Hadiqa Kiani were also victims of impersonation on the micro-blogging site.
On the work front, Ansari can be seen in the popular Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi starrer, Tere Bin.
More than 4 years after his last release Zero (2018), Shah Rukh Khan is making a comeback to the big screen with Pathaan and the hype around the spy thriller is at an all-time high.
Recently, it was announced that the advance booking of the film will open in India on January 20 but a couple of days before that, a few cinema chains including IMAX shows opened ticket bookings for the audience. And the response was unprecedented.
A lot of people on social media are sharing screenshots & clips of ticket booking site Book My Show where most of the shows of Pathaan are either on a filling fast mode, about to get sold out or simply sold out.
A report on Box Office India revealed that one of the best & the biggest multiplexes of Hyderabad, Prasads Multiplex saw a whopping 1800 tickets being sold in just 2 hours of bookings going live.
Several reports further state that the Siddharth Anand directorial has already collected over Rs 2 crore in advances for day one.
The film is now easily on course to be the biggest post-pandemic when it comes to advance booking beating last year’s Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva.
That’s not all, going by the massive response to the advance booking, a report in Bollywood Hungama predicts an opening day in the range of Rs 40 crore plus in India.
The film is releasing on Wednesday, which is a normal working day and to collect in the range of Rs 40 crore on a non-holiday is pretty huge.
Earlier, the advance booking in several international territories opened to massive response and the film is set to create new records in several countries.
Predicting the biz on the extended opening weekend, trade analyst Girish Johar told ETimes that Pathaan is expected to earn Rs 300 crore global gross in the first 5 days of its release.
Also starring Deepika Padukone & John Abraham, Pathaan is slated for January 25, 2023, release.
Earlier this month, Hindu seer Mahant Paramhans Acharya threatened to burn Khan alive for supposedly ‘insulting’ saffron colour in his upcoming film Pathaan.
The threat has come about after extremists raged against a song in the film in which the female lead, Deepika Padukone, can be seen wearing a saffron bikini. The title of the song, Besharam Rang roughly translates to ‘Shameless Color’. Hindus revere the colour, with many priests choosing to wear saffron robes.
Acharya said that the song insulted the saffron color. “People of our Sanatan Dharma are protesting continuously regarding this matter. Today we have burnt the poster of Shah Rukh Khan. If I get to meet the film Jihadi Shah Rukh Khan, I will burn him alive,” he said.
Mumbai Police reported receiving a complaint to fill an FIR against the movie’s director, producer, and actors for the song Besharam Rang. The complaint was regarding the saffron bikini Deepika had worn, saying that the color had been used to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindu people.
A mureed (follower) has murdered a Pir (spiritual healer) in Faisalabad after the amulet he was given failed in reconciliation with his wife.
Muhammad Hassan had been given an amulet by Pir Sajjad to help reconcile his relationship with his estranged wife. However, the amulet failed to do what had been promised to Hassan, leading to his marriage ending in a divorce.
The angry mureed then murdered the Pir.
Police have arrested Muhammad Hasan and said that he kidnapped Pir Sajid 10 days ago. After killing the Pir, Hasan threw his body into a nearby canal.
Muhammad Hasan told the police that he donated a lot of money to the Pir for the patch-up with his wife but all the donations and amulet did not work and instead he got divorced.
Sajid’s brother Sabir informed the police when his follower’s in-laws took his wife’s belongings from his house. “He came to our place and took Sajid with him,” the brother reportedly said.
Local police are conducting raids to find the people who helped Hasan in the killing.
A Twitter bird statue fetched $100,000 on Wednesday as owner Elon Musk auctioned off furniture, decorations, kitchen equipment, and more from the tech firm’s San Francisco headquarters.
A 10-foot neon light in the form of Twitter’s bird logo was included in an online auction of “surplus corporate office assets of Twitter” that lasted just over 24 hours and received a winning price of $40,000, the Heritage Global Partners auction service reported.
Twitter just sold this bird statue from their headquarters for $100,000 at auction pic.twitter.com/Q28fWaqdhi
Espresso machines, ergonomically sound desks, televisions, bicycle-powered charging stations, pizza ovens, and a colourful planter in the form of a “@” sign were some of the 631 lots.
Wild to see the Twitter office on auction. Board room tables, phone booths, chairs, monitors… even the Twitter bird statue. Great memories from a different era. https://t.co/kLOx69ZbeIpic.twitter.com/BFfvFy6Pg4
As he set out to hire a new CEO for his struggling social media network, Musk claimed in December that drastic cost cutbacks at Twitter had fixed the company’s poor financial situation.
At the time, the erratic billionaire claimed in a live chat room that Twitter would have lost $3 billion annually without the reforms, which included sacking more than half of its staff.
At the platform he paid $44 billion for, Musk claimed to have been “reducing expenses like crazy.”
Shortly after taking over Twitter, Musk let go roughly half of its 7,500 employees, raising concerns that the firm lacked the manpower to handle content moderation and alarmed regulators, advertisers, and governments.
According to Musk, his strategy is to drastically cut expenses while increasing revenue and a new $8 monthly membership service dubbed Twitter Blue will aid in achieving this objective.
Mass layoffs, the reinstatement of blocked accounts, and the suspension of journalists who criticise the wealthy South African-born Elon Musk have all contributed to the instability that has gripped Musk’s Twitter.
Racist or offensive tweets also increased after Musk’s takeover, which attracted regulatory attention and drove away major advertisers, Twitter’s primary source of income.
Spanish singer Shakira and her husband Gerard Pique are parting ways after the former football player’s infidelity came to light. According to Page Six, the ‘She Wolf’ singer had discovered Pique’s infidelity after discovering an empty strawberry jam jar in her fridge, even though her children and her ex-husband hate jam.
Shakira had also released a track ‘BZRP Music Sessions #53’ which many fans interpretated as a diss track to Pique as it had several lines where the singer called out her ex-husband for cheating on her with a younger woman, and trying to destroy her self worth.
It makes me laugh how people talk abt #Shakira& #Pique children and blaming her for the song.Didn’t he know he had children when he cheated on her?He wasn’t so worried after all,so why she should be the one stepping back from expressing her feelings just cause he’s her babydaddy pic.twitter.com/97xEXH0wDE
The ‘Hip’s Don’t Lie’ singer also went viral a few days ago for setting up a witch mannequin facing her ex mother-in-law’s house, while playing ‘Bizarrap sessions’ on loud volume.
♀️ Shakira has reportedly been listening to her BZRP session on a loop today, where there is also a witch on the balcony pointing at her ex-mother-in-law’s house… pic.twitter.com/ZX2qXJG8lB
The Mumbai Police have detained Bollywood star Rakhi Sawant in a case filed by model and actor Sherlyn Chopra.
Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra have been at loggerheads for quite some time. It all began to make headlines when Sawant supported #MeToo accused Sajid Khan’s entry into the Bigg Boss 16 house which was opposed by the latter. Their war of words aggravated when Ms. Chopra filed a complaint against Sawant at Juhu Police station. Now in the latest development of their catfight, the Krazzy 4 actress has been detained by the Mumbai Police.
Chopra took to Twitter to share the breaking news of Rakhi Sawant’s arrest. Sherlyn wrote, “Breaking News!!! Amboli Police has arrested Rakhi Sawant in respect of FIR 883/2022 yesterday, Rakhi Sawant’s ABA 1870/2022 was rejected by Mumbai Sessions Court.” She shared the same Tweet in Hindi too. For the unversed Chopra filed a police complaint against Rakhi Sawant for showing her explicit videos to the media.
BREAKING NEWS!!!
AMBOLI POLICE HAS ARRESTED RAKHI SAWANT IN RESPECT WITH FIR 883/2022
YESTERDAY, RAKHI SAWANT’S ABA 1870/2022 WAS REJECTED BY MUMBAI SESSIONS COURT
— Sherlyn Chopra (शर्लिन चोपड़ा) (@SherlynChopra) January 19, 2023
Earlier speaking about her complaint against Rakhi, Sherlyn Chopra told a section of media that Rakhi Sawant had earlier mentioned in her interview that she will hit Sherlyn, or kill her. According to our constitution, nobody has a right to send death threats. Her legal team then filed a complaint under the IPCs 499 (Defamation), 500 (Punishment for Defamation), 509 (Word, gesture and act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 503 (Criminal Intimidation) the complaint is filed in Juhu Police Station, Sherlyn had said.
