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  • PCB introduces parental support policy for cricketers

    The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a parental support policy for cricketers under which, women cricketers are entitled to take up to 12 months of paid maternity leave and will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year. On the other hand male cricketers, who are expectant or new fathers, will also be entitled to up to 30 days of fully paid leave.

    According to a press release, the policy allows gives women cricketers “the option to transfer to a non-playing role until the commencement of their maternity leave leading up to the birth of their child.”

    Upon conclusion of the maternity leave, the player will be reintegrated into cricketing activities and provided adequate medical and physical support in respect to their post-childbirth rehabilitation.

    Similarly, if a woman player is required to travel for cricketing activities, the PCB will support the player by allowing her to travel with a support person of her choice to assist in caring for her infant child, with the travel and accommodation costs to be shared equally.

    Men players can take a fully paid leave within 56 days of the birth of their child.

    “The PCB has a duty of care towards its cricketers and at every turn, it has taken measures to support them. In this relation, it is appropriate that we have a player-friendly parental support policy so that our professional cricketers can feel fully supported during an important stage in their lives, without worrying about their careers,” said PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan in a statement.

    “To have this policy for our women cricketers was even more significant,” continued Khan. “Women play a pivotal role in the development of a society and our women cricketers have brought us laurels and recognition at the world stage.”

    “Now that we have a maternity leave policy, I am hopeful that it will attract more women and girls to take up the sport as this will help them strike the crucial work-life balance,” he added.

    Former captain of Pakistani women cricket team Sana Mir appreciated the decision taken by the board and congratulated everyone involved.

  • PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    Prime Minister Imran Khan met the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday, briefing them on Pakistan’s efforts at the international level to create awareness about Islamophobia. He also stressed the need to collectively address the occurrences which surface due to it.

    PM Khan stressed that Pakistan’s efforts were always aimed at building a mutual consensus and promoting inter-faith harmony. He noted that Islamophobic acts fan inter-religious hatred and disharmony. “Falsely equating Islam with radicalism and terrorism was leading to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslims,” he added.

    PM emphasised that the vilification of Islamic principles and religious personalities, wrongly justified under the garb of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, hurts the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. He also underlined the need to establish legal safeguards aimed at protecting the sensitivities of all religious groups and said that the OIC has to make a collective effort to project the true image of Islam, and its message of peace and tolerance.

    This comes after TLP’s demand to expel the French Ambassador, resulting in a security situation in the country.

    Video:

  • Pakistan to receive first shipment of Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine this week

    Pakistan is expected to receive its first shipment of the Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine by the end of this week under the COVAX program, Arab News has reported. The COVAX program is a global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking resources to procure or manufacture the vaccines on their own. 

    Quoting a top government official, the report said that Pakistan will receive the first shipment of 1.2 million doses of Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday.

    Through the COVAX vaccine facility, Pakistan has planned to vaccinate 20% of its population free of charge.

    As per, Rana Muhammad Safdar, director-general health at the Ministry of National Health Services, the first shipment will arrive from South Korea on May 7.

    “We are committed to vaccinating our maximum population as quickly as possible,” asserted Safdar.

    Pakistan’s vaccination drive began on March 10 with priority given to healthcare workers and senior citizens above 60. Later, vaccinations for those aged 50-59 were started on April 21. Meanwhile, registration for ages 40-49 started on April 27. You can register yourself by sending your CNIC number to 1166. Walk-in vaccinations are available for those aged 50 and above. As per the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), more than 2.5 million people have been vaccinated till now.

    Pakistan is experiencing a deadly third wave of Covid-19, with the positivity rate at an all-time high. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), 3377 cases and 161 deaths were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours.

  • Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared satellite images of the Hingol National Park, located 120 miles from Karachi. The image was acquired in February this year.

    Read more – NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    Nasa Earth observatory describes Hingol Park with its “rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches” as “one of the natural wonders of Pakistan”.

    Hingol spans around 6,200 square kilometres (2,400 square miles) across three districts of the Balochistan Province: Lasbela, Awaran, and Gwadar,.

    The park is named after the Hingol River, which flows through this dry region year-round and is the longest in Balochistan. Before emptying into the Arabian Sea, the Hingol flows into an estuary that supports threatened fish, birds, and crocodiles. It is part of the largest national park for the protection of endangered species in the country. The park is also home to wild Sindh Ibex, Balochistan Urial, and Chinkara Gazelle.

    Located approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Karachi, Hingol National Park features several distinct ecosystems. In the north, it includes an arid subtropical forest, while dry, mountainous terrain covers the western portion.

    In the east, the park is renowned for a group of mud volcanoes that spew methane and mud instead of lava. Along the coast, Hingol includes caves, beaches, and a marine ecological zone that is home to dolphins, sea turtles, and mangroves. The water body in the image above is an ephemeral lake near Sapat Beach.

    The park also holds a significance amount for Hindu community because of the Hinglaj Mata Mandar located there.

  • BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely

    BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely

    The Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) has indefinitely postponed the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following several positive cases of COVID-19 across teams over the past couple of days.

    The decision was taken in an emergency meeting called after players of Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad tested positive for COVID-19. Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi’s Amit Mishra were the players who had tested positive and have now been put into isolation.

    The BCCI had contemplated moving the whole tournament to one city but the coronavirus outbreak in the IPL setup left them with no choice but to cancel the event.

    In a media statement, the IPL said the decision was “unanimously” taken by the tournament’s Governing Council along with the top brass of the BCCI.

    “The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL,” the statement said. “This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.”

    “These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” read the statement further.

    “The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021,” it added.

    As per reports, IPL officials also consulted a few franchises for their take on the situation and it is believed that some suggested to call it off totally. Other reports have suggested that the tournament has been postponed for a few days only.

    Meanwhile, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirming the news said the decision was taken for the safety of all stakeholders as the number of cases in the tournament bubble continue to rise by the day.

    India on Tuesday reported 3,57,229 new case, taking the overall case count past the 2 crore mark to 2,02,82,833. 

  • Honda Pakistan to launch already ‘discontinued’ City with decade-old engine

    Honda Pakistan to launch already ‘discontinued’ City with decade-old engine

    The wait is over because Honda Pakistan will soon be launching its new variant of Honda City.

    Competitor companies are already coming up with new models – for example, Toyota recently revealed its most anticipated Yaris series. Hyundai has already launched Tucson and will soon introduce Elantra. New entrants are already coming up with competitive models like MG and Changan. Hence it is imperative for Honda Atlas Pakistan Limited (ATPL) to introduce something worthwhile.

    If you want to know the release details of the car, you need to understand the generation and chassis codes system. The generation of Honda City currently in Pakistan is as old as the fifth generation in line with chassis code GM2/GM3.

    The 5th gen model was replaced by the 6th gen back in 2014. The 6th gen had chassis code GM4/GM5/GM6/GM9. The Honda City in our region (ASEAN) is known as GM6, and it came in 2014 and remained till 2019.

    Logically, the GM6 variant will be replaced with the most recent model of Honda City (7th gen) that was launched in Thailand in November 2019. However, Pakistan has been unable to launch the 7th gen is because it follows the Honda Indonesia product lineup. Honda has not yet introduced the 7th gen model in Indonesia.

    Besides, when it comes to the design and performance of the new Honda City: it is bolder, bigger and as per Honda, much better equipped with improved driving dynamics.

    However, some reports have suggested that Honda Atlas is working on bringing the GN1, which is the newest generation of Honda City, but it is not happening anytime soon.

    According to Pakistan Import Data, Honda Altas imported Complete Built Units (CBU) of the 6th generation (one model before 7th gen) from Thailand.

    The data further shows that this variant will have an L15Z engine with a 1.5L engine; it is the same engine that we have in the contemporary model of Honda City.

    Importing the 6th gen model means one thing: Honda imports the foreign model and then after analysis, starts local production. But there are chances that car enthusiasts will severely criticise this decision as Honda Thailand has already discontinued the 6the gen model.

    Instead of introducing the 7th gen model, Honda fans will get a ‘new model’ that has been discontinued globally, with reportedly, the same decade-old engine.

  • ECP accepts Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount

    ECP accepts Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved the verdict on PML-N’s Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount in the NA-249 by-poll. The ECP accepted Ismail’s request for a vote recount . All parties have been summoned to the RO’s office on May 6 for a vote recount.

    Ismail had written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner, seeking a vote recount in NA-249 after he lost the poll by 683 votes. PPP’s Mandokhel had won the NA-249 By-Election.

    A four-member commission of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the plea.

    PML-N’s counsel Salman Akram Raja in his argument stated that a large number of Form 45 were not duly signed by the presiding officers, while agents of PML-N were also not given Form 46. Raja demanded the ECP to initiate an inquiry on the irregularities surfaced in the Karachi by-poll.

    The PPP’s counsel Latif Khosa opposed the re-polling in the constituency and said that it is not enough to say that irregularities were made. “You should highlight where irregularities were reported,” Khosa added.

    After hearing from both sides, the chief election commissioner announced the judgement.

  • VIDEO: Nausheen Shah scolds Dr Aamir Liaquat on live television

    VIDEO: Nausheen Shah scolds Dr Aamir Liaquat on live television

    Nausheen Shah recently lost her cool and scolded Dr Aamir Liaquat live during her appearance on his Ramzan special game show Jeeway Pakistan.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain vs Nausheen Shah: Who said what?

    Throughout the show, Shah was pretty active and in an extremely joyful mood but by the end, she ran out of patience and got angry at the host. One thing led to another as the situation got super awkward.

    At the end of the show, Nausheen was trying to share her thoughts but Liaquat kept interrupting, which annoyed her.

    Annoyed with the constant interference, Nausheen scolded Liaquat saying: “Listen, Dr Sahab. Oh My God you talk nonstop and don’t listen to the other person at all and that’s what I am fed up with.”

    Earlier, Saboor Aly refused to entertain Liaquat’s antics after he kept teasing her throughout the show.

  • ‘Blood on your hands’: Michael Slater slams Australian PM

    ‘Blood on your hands’: Michael Slater slams Australian PM

    Former cricketer Michael Slater, who is currently part of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) commentary panel, has slammed his country’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison for not allowing its citizens to return from COVID-19 hit India, calling the travel ban a “disgrace”.

    Australia has shut its borders and is not allowing any commercial flights from India because of the massive COVID-19 surge which has left players, support staff and commentators, who might have wanted to leave the IPL in a fix.

    Meanwhile, the Indian government has made it clear that Australians who are engaged in the IPL will have to make their own arrangements.

    “If our government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace,” wrote Slater on social media. “Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out [a] quarantine system.”

    “I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect,” he added.

    The former cricketer further said: “And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well, forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early.”

    “So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It’s called empathy. If only our government had some,” he remarked.

    Threatening a five-year jail term or a hefty fine, the Australian government temporarily barred its citizens from entering the country if they happened to be in India within 14 days of their intended arrival.

    The decision was announced after a meeting of the National Cabinet last Friday and came into force from Monday.

    The move aims at keeping the COVID-19 spread in check in Australia as India is facing a surge in cases.

    The decision was also based on the proportion of overseas travellers in quarantine in Australia, who have contracted the infection in India, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt.

    Three Australian players left the IPL before the travel ban came into force. The ban is due to end on May 15.

    Meanwhile, as many as 14 Australian players are playing in IPL.

    The competition has also been heavily hit by the virus. Earlier, Monday’s match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was suspended after KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for coronavirus. Three members of the Chennai Super Kings’ IPL contingent – chief executive officer K Viswanathan, bowling coach L Balaji and a bus cleaner – have also tested positive for the virus.

    Furthermore, five Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) ground staff have tested positive. DDCA will be hosting IPL 2021 matches until May 8.

  • Bill, Melinda Gates part ways after 27 years of marriage

    Bill, Melinda Gates part ways after 27 years of marriage

    Bill and Melinda Gates have parted ways after 27 years of marriage. The couple was one of the world’s wealthiest couples, with an estimated net worth of some $130 billion,

    In an official statement posted on social media, the Microsoft co-founder and his former wife announced the news, saying: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.”

    “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” said the couple further adding that they will continue to work together at the foundation.

    “We no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives,” continued the statement.

    The family has requested for privacy and space to “navigate this new life”.

    Bill and Melinda met in 1987 when Melinda joined Microsoft as a product manager. The two were unexpectedly seated next to each other at a work dinner and instantly hit it off. After two weeks when Gates asked Melinda out on a first date, she initially rejected him because he was not “spontaneous enough.” Bill called her two hours later and asked for a date that night. They later tied the knot in 1994.

    The couple have three children: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.

    The announcement comes two years after the divorce of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, another of the world’s wealthiest people, and his wife MacKenzie.

    Gates, 65, was a geeky teenager when he started what would become the world’s most valuable company, and was for a time the world’s richest man and most prominent philanthropist.

    He stepped down as Microsoft chief executive in 2008 to devote more time to philanthropy and later left the board, keeping only the title of “founder and technology advisor.”