Blog

  • Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic gets green signal to play Australian Open

    Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic gets green signal to play Australian Open

    Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic received a medical exemption on Wednesday which will allow him to attend the upcoming Australian Open despite being unvaccinated against Covid-19. ⁣
    ⁣
    Many people on social media found the exemption unfair. Cities like Melbourne, which hosts the tournament, were under the world’s longest lockdown in 2020, with many Australians unable to visit their families. But organisers of the tournament say the decision has come after a ‘rigorous review process’ conducted by a panel of medical experts.

    Taking to Twitter, Djokovic wrote: ” Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love & joy in every moment & may you feel love & respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet.”

    “I’ve spent fantastic quality time with loved ones over break & today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022,” he added.

    Djokovic has already won nine Australian Open titles and will be bidding for his 21st Grand Slam.

    The tournament is set to begin from January 17.

    Earlier, Australia’s Indian Premier League (IPL) cricketers had been left in limbo after the tournament was suspended in response to India’s Covid-19 crisis.

    More than 30 people abandoned in India were unable to fly home after the Australian government had imposed a travel ban and threatened citizens who attempt to return with a hefty fine or even jail. The players were later allowed to land in Sydney after two weeks of the league’s suspension.

    Players, coaches and commentators caught a charter flight from the Maldives that touched down at Sydney Airport.

  • BBL 11: Fakhar’s Heat and Shadab’s Sixers match postponed after Covid chaos

    BBL 11: Fakhar’s Heat and Shadab’s Sixers match postponed after Covid chaos

    Covid chaos has again rocked the Big Bash League (BBL) with a clash between the Pakistani batter Fakhar Zaman’s Brisbane Heat and all-rounder Shadab Khan’s Sydney Sixers called off after 12 Brisbane players tested positive to the virus.

    “Twelve Heat players today returned positive PCR tests for Covid-19 and are currently isolating,” the BBL confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

    “Despite its best endeavours, the club was unable to recruit enough replacement players in the 24 hours since the first case was identified to make up the required squad of 13 for tonight’s match.”

    The earlier game between the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes at the Adelaide Oval will go ahead, but the time has been pushed back a little given that the play will go late in the Test at the SCG.

    The development came on the back the crisis that has seen the Melbourne Stars forced to field a second string team with skipper Glenn Maxwell, the latest player to test positive in their camp.

    The post also read that the league will advise a new date for the match and ticket holders will be contacted for the refunding process.

    More than half the BBL’s teams have now reported positive cases.

  • ‘Masks, avoid crowds, vaccinate’: Dr Faisal Sultan urges people to take Omicron seriously

    ‘Masks, avoid crowds, vaccinate’: Dr Faisal Sultan urges people to take Omicron seriously

    Urging people not to take the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 lightly, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on health Dr. Faisal Sultan on Tuesday said there will be some increase in hospitalisation of patients in the next one to two weeks and urged people to wear masks, avoid crowds and get vaccinated at the earliest. It takes 1-2 weeks for hospitalisations to go up, says the health minister as Omicron cases rise.

    So far Pakistan has recorded 372 cases of the Omicron variant, Dr Faisal Sultan, told Reuters.

    “It’s still a bit early to draw conclusions since it takes 1-2 weeks for hospitalisations to go up. Also, let us see how the virus behaves regarding virulence”, Dr Sultan said when asked as to why hospitalisations were not going up in Karachi despite an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

    “At the moment, we are receiving one or two patients with Covid-19 on daily basis, but so far, we have not found anybody infected with Omicron Variant of the Covid-19”, Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput, Medical Superintendent of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, affiliated with Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) told The News.

     “There will be some increase in hospitalisation. How much, depends on the degree of spread and infection. International evidence suggests it spreads fast; how much serious sickness it causes will be evident in a week or two (for us)”, Dr Sultan added.

    “What I would say is this: we should not take it lightly”, he warned.

    When asked if the government was worried about the low vaccination rate in major cities, including Karachi and Lahore, he said: “We want it (vaccination) higher for sure. I am happy that the vaccination rates picked up with time but we still have some distance to still go. So I would not say I am worried but that we need to enhance the numbers further.”

    “Masks. Masks. Masks. Avoid crowds. Vaccinate. Ventilate,” was his advice to people in Karachi.

  • ‘The UN must take action on India’s war crimes: PM Khan expresses solidarity with Kashmiris

    ‘The UN must take action on India’s war crimes: PM Khan expresses solidarity with Kashmiris

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday berated the Narendra Modi-led Indian government for “brazenly” violating the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

    PM Khan, expressing his solidarity with Kashmiris, took to Twitter and said the “UNSC commitment of a United Nations (UN)-supervised plebiscite in Kashmir remains unfulfilled” due to the attitude of the Modi government.

    He added that the international community, especially the UN, must take action against India’s war crimes and crimes against humanity in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

    “Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to the just Kashmiri struggle for self-determination,” he added.

    In a separate message on the occasion, the prime minister, while reminding the world community that it cannot abandon its moral and legal responsibilities towards Kashmiris, said that durable peace in South Asia is contingent upon peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with international legitimacy.

    “While observing 5th of January as the Right to Self-Determination Day for the Kashmiris, we reiterate our commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and pay homage to the Kashmiris’ just struggle spanning over more than seven decades,” he said.

    “We are commemorating this day to remind the world community that it cannot abandon its moral and legal responsibilities towards the Kashmiri people.”

  • ‘Suit nahi karta’: Saba Qamar reacts to marriage proposal by a 50 year-old man

    ‘Suit nahi karta’: Saba Qamar reacts to marriage proposal by a 50 year-old man

    Actor Saba Qamar recently encountered a proposal by a 50 year old man on social media.

    The Baaghi star humorously dodged a wedding proposal from a fan wishing to marry her at 50.

    “I want to marry Saba Qamar at 50, But no connections in industry. I am serious not joking brother,” wrote a fan on influencer Rafay Mahdood’s Instagram Q&A stories.

    Responding to the fan’s confession, Cheekh diva stated, “Kya hai na ke yeh word ‘Qubool Hai’ mujhay suit nahien karta ( Actually the words ‘I do’ do not suit me).”

    In 2020, while shooting for Bilal Saeed’s song Qubool Hai in Wazeer Khan Mosque, Lahore, the Hindi Medium diva was seen twirling for a scene of the music video.

    Saba

    Both the celebrities received fierce criticism from the netizens for violating the sanctity of the mosque. Later on, the Teri Khair Mangdi singer also posted an apology video and the matter was somewhat resolved.

  • Ayesha Omar, Ushna Shah and Farhan Agha set to star in mammoth series on ‘Salahuddin Ayubi’

    Ayesha Omar, Ushna Shah and Farhan Agha set to star in mammoth series on ‘Salahuddin Ayubi’

    Four well-known Pakistani artists have been finalised to feature in upcoming Pak-Turk joint drama series based on the life of Salahuddin Ayubi. The series will focus on the life of the great Muslim leader better known in the West as Saladin.

    As per media reports the four celebrities who have been selected include, Ayesha Omar, Ushna Shah, Farhan Ali Agha and Adnan Jilani. Over 6,000 professional and budding actors had applied for the tryouts, but only 62 were short-listed for the Islamic warrior series, to be screened in Pakistan and Turkey simultaneously.

    In an interview with BBC Asian Network, renowned Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, who was named executive producer alongside Humayun Saeed, Dr. Kashif Ansari, and Dr. Junaid Ali Shah, remarked, “I am excited, I can feel it in my bones that this particular series would do wonders for Pakistanis.”

    The much-anticipated drama series will be shot in Turkey on sets custom-built for the project.

    Turkish producer Emre Konuk, owner of Akli Film in a tweet said, “A contract has been reached between Akli Films and Ansari & Shah Films regarding the upcoming Pak-Turk joint series.”

    “The upcoming show had already garnered a large amount of attention even before its release as was evident from the registered numbers of applicants, willing to play a role in the series,” Konuk remarked.

    Konuk further informed that they were in Pakistan to discuss the yet-to-released collaboration. He said they had exchanged views with Prime Minister Imran Khan and other high-level personalities associated with Pakistan’s cinema industry and the world of culture.

    The Turkish producer further noted that PM Imran was an admirer of Salahudddin. Quoting the premiere, he said, “Prime Minister Khan believes that this project will resonate in the world and that it will also be very valuable for the younger generations.”

  • Mayun ceremony: Arez Ahmed, Hiba Bukhari ooze couple goals, Celebrities adore

    Mayun ceremony: Arez Ahmed, Hiba Bukhari ooze couple goals, Celebrities adore

    Celebrity couple Arez Ahmed and Hiba Bukhari are set to tie the knot this week. The duo shared their ‘real mayun’ pictures on Instagram.

    Berukhi diva actor announced her relationship in public with Arez last month on social media with a dedicated emotional post.

    “I still remember how uncomfortable I was holding your hand in Bholi Bano, and now I feel the safest in your hands,” wrote Hiba, sharing a hand-in-hand photo with Arez. “I tried to stay away and not fall for you but gladly I did… This is to announce that in this bustling world YOU are MINE.”

    She posted some images from her drama shoots immediately after her relationship announcement which was misunderstood by many fans to be real. This time she actually updated fans by sharing her images of the celebratory event with the caption “real mayun”

    Uraan star, Arez Ahmed, also posted a beautiful image on his official Instagram handle.

    Fans and other celebrities have sent congratulatory messages and best wishes to the couple.

  • Moammar Rana hosts lavish engagement ceremony for daughter Rea, Lollywood stars up the glam quotient

    Moammar Rana hosts lavish engagement ceremony for daughter Rea, Lollywood stars up the glam quotient

    Actor and director Moammar Rana’s elder daughter Rea Rana got engaged in a star-studded ceremony on Sunday in presence of Lollywood stars.

    The extravagant engagement ceremony, held in Lahore was graced by film stars Rambo, Sahiba, Reema Khan, Javeria Saud and Ghulam Muhiuddin.

    Engagement ceremony of Rea Rana - Trendinginsocial
    Moammar Rana shared photos of his daughter Rea's engagement - Showbiz Pakistan
    Rea Rana Daughter Of Maommar Rana And Mehnaz Got Engaged – Health Fashion
    Maommar Rana Daughter Rea Moammar Rana Got Engaged – Health Fashion
    Moammar Rana’s daughter Rea gets engaged in star-studded ceremony: See Photos

     Reema attended the engagement ceremony with her husband Dr Tariq Shahab and shared a series of photos from Rea’s engagement ceremony on Sunday.

    The Bulandi diva captioned the snaps: “ATTENDED THE BEAUTIFUL ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY OF MY DEAREST COLLEAGUE MOAMMAR RANA’s BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS RIYA IN LAHORE.”

    Moammar Rana’s daughter Rea gets engaged in star-studded ceremony: See Photos
  • Passenger aircraft narrowly escapes disaster in Pakistan

    Passenger aircraft narrowly escapes disaster in Pakistan

    An aircraft traveling from Islamabad to Saudi Arabia on Monday narrowly escaped a disastrous event.

    During the flight, a technical fault was detected and soon after that, the aircraft landed back safely at the capital’s airport.

    Currently, engineers are carrying out repair work of the aircraft after which the flight will take off again for Saudi Arabia today afternoon, ARY has reported.

    The passengers have been shifted to the lounge and they are being taken care of, according to airport officials.

  • PTI in trouble? ‘Corrupt, liar, conspiratorial’, Opposition hits out at PM Khan

    PTI in trouble? ‘Corrupt, liar, conspiratorial’, Opposition hits out at PM Khan

    The Opposition has heavily criticised the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan after a scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reported that the party did not disclose millions of rupees worth of funds to the constitutional body.

    Lashing out at the premier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said Imran Khan had not only “stolen and hidden money, but also plundered the people”.

    Maryam said the “constant leaks, revelations, and evidence, are more than enough to bring down the PTI, including Imran Khan.”

    “Has there been such a corrupt, liar, and conspiratorial ruler like Imran Khan in the history of Pakistan?” she asked.

    PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal during a media briefing said that the scrutiny committee’s report had “washed away Imran Khan’s make up of honesty”.

    “Imran Khan acts as the champion of transparency in the country, but in the foreign funding case, he is making lame excuses to stop the hearing; PTI is resorting to mudslinging to cover its own theft,” he said.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri, berating PM Khan tweeted, “Imran Khan talashi do (give yourself up for examination).”

    Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the report “inaccurate” and called for a public comparison of all the parties’ foreign funding so people knew where they all stood.

    Fawad said that there were “two relevant transactions of Rs150m and Rs160m, which had been duplicated and therefore counted twice by the committee”.

    “In the same way, Rs150m transferred from the centre to the provinces from a PTI subsidiary was also counted twice.” He said these facts would be laid before the ECP during arguments in the case.

    The minister said the report showed that the PTI had 26 accounts out of which eight were inactive.

    “Out of the remaining 18 accounts, eight are functional and have transactions and also show funds coming in,” he added.

    He said that 10 of the accounts in question did not actually belong to the PTI, while six were subsidiary accounts, while the party has distanced itself from the remaining four.

    The report compiled by the ECP revealed the party under-reported an amount of Rs312 million over a four-year period, between 2009-10 and 2012-13. Year-wise details show that an amount of over Rs145m was under-reported in 2012-13 alone.