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  • Joe Biden to host granddaughter’s wedding reception at White House

    Joe Biden to host granddaughter’s wedding reception at White House

    United States (US) President, Joe Biden and first lady, Jill Biden will host their eldest granddaughter, Naomi Biden’s wedding reception at the White House. The ceremony will take place this November 19, reports CNN.

    Naomi Biden, 28, was engaged to Peter Neal,24, in September 2021. The fiancé proposed to Ms Biden near his childhood house as the White House official reported. The couple has been in a relationship for about four years. They both met for the first time through a mutual friend.

    Naomi Biden is currently working as a lawyer in Washington, DC whereas Peter Neal is in the final semester of law school at the University of Pennsylvania.

    This is not the first time that a wedding reception is being held at the White House. There is a long history of conducting marriage ceremonies at the White House. The first wedding ceremony was held at the White House in 1812 when the sister of the first lady Dolley Madison, was wed to Thomas Todd. Dolley Madison was the wife of 4th US President James Madison

    The last wedding reception which took place at the White House was for the daughter of George W Bush in 2008. She celebrated a month after she tied a knot in Texas.

  • Pakistan to import 32.7 million barrels of oil to cover petroleum needs

    Under a deferred payment agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Pakistan would acquire roughly 32.7 million barrels (MBL) of crude oil in 2022 to cover its petroleum product needs.

    The Pak-Arab Refinery Company Limited (PARCO) and National Refinery Limited (NRL) plan to import 16.89 and 15.81 million barrels of oil in the ongoing year, respectively.

    Crude oil worth $100 million per month may be imported under the terms of the arrangement, with payment deferred for a year. The price will be set in accordance with the existing long-term agreement between Saudi Aramco, PARCO, and NRL.

    The facility will be available for a 12-month period, which may be increased for one year. The withdrawn funds, plus the margin of 3.8 per cent, will be repaid in one annual installment in US dollars.

    Previously, In June 2021, the Saudi government agreed to pay $4.2 billion in providing economic aid to Pakistan, which was legally formalised in November. While the SFD programme has been in effect since March 7, 2022, and oil purchase has now already begun.

  • Shaheen Afridi’s birthday, sends ‘Lala’ a heart emoticon

    Shaheen Afridi’s birthday, sends ‘Lala’ a heart emoticon

    The left-arm pacer bowler, Shaheen Afridi is celebrating his 22nd birthday on April 6. He also achieved a 200 international wickets milestone in the last T20 match against Australia played last night.

    His father-in-law, Shahid Afridi has also shared beautiful birthday wishes and congratulated him on taking 200 International wickets on Twitter.

    He wrote, “May Allah bless you always and give you more success, continue to serve Pakistan. Congratulations also on the 200 International wickets milestone, many more to come.”

    Shaheen Afridi also replied cute emoticon, “Thank you lala.”

    Fans also sent birthday wishes to Shaheen Afridi on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/CricketGenius5/status/1511480512627490819

    CricTracker which is an International news portal for cricket also wished birthday To Shaheen Afridi.

  • Nepra approves Rs1.29 hike in cost per unit for Karachi residents

    On account of monthly Fuel Cost Adjustments (FCA), the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) raised the cost per unit of power for Karachi residents by Rs1.29.

    It held a public hearing at its headquarters on Karachi Electric’s (KE) request to hike the power tariff under the FCA by Rs3.45 per unit for February. Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi chaired the public meeting, which was also attended by officials Rafiq Ahmed Sheikh and Engineer Maqsood Anwar Khan.

    According to the officials, KE’s monthly FCA is decided at Rs1.29 per unit based on data analysis.

    The Chairman inquired about Karachi’s load-shedding status and if KE has a gas procurement deal with the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to address the fuel crisis.

    Load management is only done on feeders with a low recovery rate, according to the latter’s officials, and consumers only have to experience one to one-and-a-half hours of load shedding every day.

    Chairman Farooqui stated that KE’s technology needs to be modernised, and that there should be no load-shedding for bill-paying customers and locations where billing is timely.

    He also mentioned that the NEPRA has posted phone numbers on its website for inhabitants of the city to report any forced load-shedding by any power utility.

    According to the briefing delivered at the meeting, KE’s customers were charged Rs3.28 per unit in January under the FCA. Similarly, the FCA for February was decided to be Rs1.99 lesser than the January billing.

    Muhamad Tanveer, who is a representative of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce (KCCI), denied the FCA, citing that customers are already paying for the January hike and that the FCA should not be transferred to them.

    After reviewing the facts, the NEPRA issued a thorough judgment declaring that the FCA is only levied and set for the month in concern and that it is variable with each hearing depending on the fuel costs for that month.

  • Twitter officially declares adding an edit button

    Twitter officially declares adding an edit button

    The legendary “edit button,” which Twitter users have been demanding for so long that it’s become a cliché, is finally becoming a real thing. Twitter has now officially declared that it is working on allowing users to modify tweets after they have been posted on the platform.

    The aim is to enable users to correct any mistakes or errors in a tweet without losing any existing replies, retweets, or favourites. Twitter said Tuesday that it will begin testing the capability with Twitter Blue subscribers in the coming months.

    https://twitter.com/TwitterComms/status/1511456430024364037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1511457595181068294%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness-61003270

    In a post on Tuesday, Jay Sullivan, the company’s VP of consumer development, remarked that editing has been “the most requested Twitter feature for many years.” Since last year, the corporation has been studying how to implement the function “safely.”

    In the past, Twitter’s former CEO, Jack Dorsey, was hesitant to implement such a function.

    Back in 2018, Dorsey even expressed concerns during a discussion, that an edit button may allow users to modify the meaning of a tweet after it has been widely shared, and he claimed in 2020 that Twitter would probably never incorporate the option.

  • ’We have no link with Farah Khan’: Bushra Bibi’s son

    ’We have no link with Farah Khan’: Bushra Bibi’s son

    Musa Maneka, son of first Lady Bushra Bibi, has categorically said that his mother’s close friend Farah Khan’s “corruption” has nothing to do with the Maneka family.

    “Farah Khan has settled in Dubai and our family has no link with the alleged deals done by Farah Khan,” said Musa while speaking to Geo News.

    The first lady’s son Musa told Geo News that Farah Khan has “nothing to do” with the Maneka family. And what she did with his mother and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was “not right”.

    “Farah Khan set off for Dubai on April 3 and reached there through a foreign flight EK623 from Lahore. She used a Pakistani passport and attended an iftar dinner in Abu Dhabi yesterday. According to family sources, Farah was invited to the iftar dinner by Maryam Riaz, sister of Bushra Bibi,” reports The News.

    Geo News’ Lahore Bureau Chief Raees Ansari visited Farah Khan’s village near Sheikhupura. He said that Farah Khan has built a hospital, school, and roads in a very short time in this village, which looks more developed than all the villages of Punjab.

    Farah Khan become controversial after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissident Abdul Aleem Khan levelled a number of allegations against former Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, on April 4, saying that he was involved in bribery over transfers and postings in Punjab. He also accused Farah Khan, of being complicit in these transfers.

    Aleem Khan accused Farah Khan of corruption with the connivance of her “contacts in the power corridors”. Later, rumours started making rounds suggesting that Farah Khan left for Dubai on Sunday in the wake of the no-confidence motion.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Farah joined PTI four years ago. She was also present during the wedding ceremony of PM Khan and Bushra Bibi.

  • ‘Dissolution of Assembly deprives Pakistanis of right to choose govt’: Human Rights Watch

    ‘Dissolution of Assembly deprives Pakistanis of right to choose govt’: Human Rights Watch

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s action of dissolving the National Assembly and escaping from facing the no-confidence motion tabled against him. “This move of the premier has infringed on the rights of Pakistani citizens to choose their government.”

    “To dissolve parliament rather than face a no-confidence vote that could remove him from power effectively deprives Pakistani citizens of their right to choose their government,” said HRW in a statement.

    The watchdog for advocating human rights said, “Move has plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis. Under Pakistan’s constitution, the prime minister ceases to hold office if a majority of the National Assembly votes for a motion of no confidence – Imran Khan’s party appeared to have lost its majority by April 3. The action allows Khan to continue as prime minister until a caretaker government takes over, with neither a national assembly nor a federal cabinet.”

    “Government officials threatened to blow up the Opposition in a suicide attack and called on supporters to go out and take traitors to the task,” said HRW.

    “One member of parliament from Khan’s party tweeted that all Opposition members should be shot – a tweet he subsequently deleted. Senior members of Khan’s party have called for Opposition members to be arrested for treason,” added Human Rights Watch.

    Pakistan is in a state of political chaos as the no-confidence motion against Khan was dismissed abruptly on Sunday, April 3. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said that the no-confidence motion, presented on March 8, should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.

  • No-Trust Twist: Deputy Speaker calls Punjab Assembly session, PML-Q brings no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker

    No-Trust Twist: Deputy Speaker calls Punjab Assembly session, PML-Q brings no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker

    Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari summoned a crucial session to vote on Chief Minister (CM) Punjab at 7:30pm on Wednesday (today).

    Following this, it has been reported that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has submitted no-confidence motion to remove the deputy speaker. While reacting to the news, Mazari said that he can still preside over the session.

    However, journalist Hamid Mir said that the gates of the Punjab Assembly have been sealed.

    According to local media channels, the deputy speaker issued a written order for convening session of the assembly on Tuesday. The order reads: “Deputy speaker orders that instead of the earlier announced date of April 16th, the next sitting of 40th session of Punjab Assembly will now be held on Wednesday at 7:30pm.”

    Talking to Geo News, Mazari clarified that today’s session agenda includes vote on the election of a new CM Punjab. He said, “I have released the order of the day in the light of Supreme Court directions.”

    “We are answerable to the apex court. We will not postpone the voting and will try our best to complete the process today”, he added. While talking about the confusion regarding the session dates, Mazari claimed that Punjab Assembly staff have not been cooperating with him and Assembly staff is responsible for the confusion.

    When asked about the legal status of his order, Mazari said that it is just an order that needs the Assembly secretariat’s signature, without which the session cannot be held. He added that the Assembly staff and Secretariat Assembly should issue a gazette notification on his order but they are not following the legal procedures

    On the contrary, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi told Dawn that the notice circulating on the media is ‘fake’ as it does not have a diary number and is written on a plain piece of paper. He asserted that the session would be held on April 16.

    In a tweet, journalist Ahmad Waleed claimed that spokesperson of the Punjab Assembly has also said that the session will be convened on April 16, adding that “no notification” was issued for today’s meeting.

    Earlier, through an official notification, Mazari himself postponed on Tuesday the session of the Punjab Assembly till April 16.

  • Brother, sister killed in Bannu, alleged assassin captured

    A young boy along with his sister was gunned down by an unidentified killer in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday.

    According to ARY News, the incident occurred in Mando Khel area of Bannu, situated in the jurisdiction of Cantt Police, where the killer murdered both the siblings and fled the scene.

    The police have shifted the dead bodies to a local hospital, and eventually captured the killer. The police have also launched further investigation to ascertain the motive behind the double murder.

    Separately,  a man from Gujranwala city in Punjab identified as Ateeq burned his wife alive for not giving birth to a son, reports ARY. The incident took place in the Kot Shekju area of Gujranwala. He had three daughters.

    Read more- Man burns wife alive for not giving birth to a son

    The man’s sister-in-law allegedly supported him in the crime. According to the authorities, after killing his wife, Ateeq fled the scene with his three daughters.

  • VIDEO: ‘Kiraye pay aatay hain’, Fawad Chaudhry’s heated phadda with journalist

    VIDEO: ‘Kiraye pay aatay hain’, Fawad Chaudhry’s heated phadda with journalist

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, lost his cool and called journalist Matiullah Jan “kiraye ka aadmi [ a hired man]. The statement of the former minister came as he was questioned about First Lady Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Khan.

    Here is what happened.

    Fawad Chaudhry: “I will take questions later … Commando Saab one minute …. Statement of facts has been submitted by Prime Minister…”

    Matiullah can be heard speaking in the background, “Where did Farah Khan go? Why did she run away from the country?”

    READ MORE: Who’s Farah Khan, why is she the talk of the net?

    Fawad Chaudhry: “Yaar let me talk. Let me talk.” the journalist says let me ask one question, Fawad says, “This will not happen.”

    Matiullah Jan: “Where did Farah go?”

    Fawad Chaudhry: “I will talk first, and then you will speak.”

    Matiullah kept asking his questions and that’s when Fawad called him out and said, “Kiraye pay aatay hain is tarha kay loug, [People like him are hired].”

    Matiullah got angry at being called ” a hired man” and then said that it was actually Fawad who is a ‘kiraye ka tattu,” [a hired fool] and that’s when the heated argument geared up.

    Fawad and Matiullah abusing each other

    Though other journalists tried to settle the matter, both Fawad and Matiullah hurled continuous derogatory remarks and abusive words at each other.

    Fawad was asked to apologise but refused. His refusal to offer an apology ended up with journalists announcing that they are boycotting media talks of all PTI leaders.