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  • Man caught torturing lion cub on camera

    Man caught torturing lion cub on camera

    A man has been caught beating a lion cub on camera. In a video that is being widely circulated on social media, the man named Saad can be seen beating the young cub while dragging him with a chain. The cub’s heartwrenching cries can also be heard in the video.

    The video sparked outrage on social media with several prominent personalities including Fatima Bhutto demanding the cub be rescued by authorities. Lahore-based JFK Animal Rescue And Shelter has also urged the government to stop licensing wild animals to individuals privately, saying that every third person in Pakistan now owns a lion as a pet.

    The animal rescue service also initiated an online petition for this purpose and urged people to raise their voices for these animals. According to JFK, by owning a licence in Pakistan you can buy, sell or import lions and tigers and do whatever you want to do to them. In the recent past, multiple cases of animal abuse and violation have been reported.

    Read more – Wildlife dept recovers two lions from bathroom in a residential area in Multan

    The animal rights organisation also explained that lion and tiger owners, declaw them, beat them, cage them, take their teeth out and later use them for breeding where they open entire breeding farms and then sell the cubs for money.

    “Once anybody gets the license there is no check and balance, and every other person is allowed to do all sorts of evil things to these wild animals behind closed walls. Many also torture them for TikTok and social media videos,” reads the petition.

    “Many times lions are used as props and kept as slaves. People deprive them of their natural habitats and give them a miserable life. We have seen multiple cases of this abuse in a single year and now we want to deal with the root cause which is these licences, these licenses should be cancelled and there should be a complete ban on owning wild animals as pets,” it adds.

    Read more – Lion manhandled during Maryam Nawaz’s rally rescued by Punjab Wildlife Dept

    JFK also alleged that this is not the first time Saad tortured a lion. They claimed that there are other videos of his abusing his lions also.

    Fatima Bhutto also requested her followers to sign the petition and urged the government to rescue such wild animals from captivity.

    Meanwhile, lawyers Ahmad Pansota and Hassaan Khan Niazi have taken up the case and have promised to file a petition before the court on the matter.

  • Man walks into govt office wearing birds’ nest as he couldn’t afford a mask

    Man walks into govt office wearing birds’ nest as he couldn’t afford a mask

    As the deadly second wave of COVID-19 ravages India, authorities have made the use of face masks in public mandatory and announced that violators will be fined Rs 1,000.

    Read more – Mattress factory sealed for stuffing used face masks instead of cotton

    A shepherd hailing from Telangana, India who could not afford a face mask came up with an innovative solution to avoid getting fined.

    According to details, Mekala Kurmayya had to visit the government office to collect his pension but could not afford a face mask. Knowing he wouldn’t be allowed to enter the office without a face mask, the Telangana shepherd made a face mask from a bird’s nest and wore it on his his face before stepping into the office.

    While that doesn’t look very comfortable, it appears to have gotten the job done.

    India has reported 19,925,500  cases so far. As of Monday morning, 218,959 people had died in the country.

  • Pakistan is the next IT powerhouse, says JICA

    Pakistan is the next IT powerhouse, says JICA

    Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has said that Pakistan is the “powerhouse of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector” as the country tech exports climbed six times in one decade.

    In JICA’s official statement, digital Pakistan policy 2018 is the key driving factor behind the success of the IT sector in Pakistan. Besides, six-time growth is the highest growth rate in entire South Asia.

    The fundamental reason behind the IT growth is the competitiveness and the presence of a large number of freelancers that are willing to give quality services at affordable rates.

    The report published by JICA was a year-long researched based study that was conducted in collaboration with Pakistan Embassy Tokyo.

    The publication has also placed Pakistan as a new partner for Japanese IT companies. The report gives an overview of the ICT industry in Pakistan, its performance in IT exports, the support structure provided by the Pakistani government, a pool of skilled and young human resource and achievements of a growth-led ecosystem equally owned by public and private sectors.

    This study includes an “IT skills survey 2021”, which found that Pakistani ICT engineers are highly skilled in programming, software development, data processing and analysis, infrastructure architecture and cloud engineering.

    The report also includes feedback on Pakistani ICT engineers already working in Japan who consider Pakistan an untapped market for Japanese IT companies, encouraging them to know more about Pakistan and its collective potential in ICT.

    Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Imtiaz Ahmad welcomed the project team in March 2020, offering them complete support of the Mission while thanking JICA for its continued support in export and development sectors in Pakistan.

    In the past, the same team of experts from JICA has rolled out various projects for human resource development; value addition in textiles; technical training and water and sanitation infrastructure in Pakistan.

  • Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, in a press conference, shared details of the government’s plans for electoral reforms for free and transparent elections within the country.

    Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has proposed 49 amendments to the Election Amendment Bill 2020. Awan said that the reforms shall be put forth before all stakeholders, including civil society, media and Bar councils.

    Fawad Chaudhry stressed that the government wants to get the reforms passed from parliament through consensus. Chaudhry said that if the opposition parties are not ready to support the proposal for the electoral reforms, it will delay both political and democratic development within the country.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389146375192039426

    Yesterday, Shehbaz Sharif had spurned down the proposal of using an electronic voting system (EVS). He was responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets on electoral reforms.

    PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif rejected PM’s proposal to use electronic voting machine. In a statement posted on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “Electronic voting system is rejected by the whole world. Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) has declared it unworkable. Such important national tasks cannot be performed at the request or order of an individual.”

    He further added that electoral reforms are a rather sensitive issue. “Electoral reforms can only take place after consultation of all parties, in the light of public opinion and through consensus.”

    “Instead of electronic voting, the government should worry about a ruined economy, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment and the ever increasing mortality rates,” Shehbaz Sharif added.

  • ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

     Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said that lawmakers of the ‘Tareen group’ had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tareen said his group expressed their concerns and were assured of justice. He said that PM has assured them that he would himself look into the case and justice will be done. Pro-Tareen lawmakers met PM Imran last week.

    Tareen also denied being in touch with either the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    The Tareen group will decide on what course of action to take after Eid. Senator Ali Zafar was tasked by the PM to ensure that a fair inquiry is being conducted in Tareen’s case and there is no discrimination. Sources say that Senator Ali Zafar has met FIA and the investigating team as well as Tareen’s lawyers and accountants to hear their side of the story. After Eid, once Zafar completes his inquiry, the JKT group will decide how to move forward.

    The PTI leader and his son Ali Tareen were granted an extension in bail from a Lahore banking court in the sugar scandal case. The court ordered the FIA to complete its investigation as soon as possible and submit an inquiry report. Tareen said that the probe against him had been going on for a year and he has provided hundreds of thousands of documents to the court. He said he has never run away from investigation but believes that there is no truth to this case.

  • IPL match rescheduled after two KKR players test positive for COVID-19

    IPL match rescheduled after two KKR players test positive for COVID-19

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), scheduled to take place today (Monday) has been postponed after two players tested positive for COVID-19.

    According to details, spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seamer Sandeep Warrier from the Kolkata squad tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, the rest of the KKR squad has tested negative but are currently in isolation.

    Chakravarthy had recently left the IPL bio-bubble for a shoulder scan, which could have led to him being exposed to the virus.

    The event is currently being played behind closed doors and is due to end in late May.

    Read more – Pat Cummins donates $50k for COVID-hit India

    India on Monday reported more than 300,000 new coronavirus cases for a 12th straight day, taking its overall caseload to almost 20 million, as scientists predict a peak in infections in the coming days.

    With 368,147 new cases over the past 24 hours, India’s total infections stand at 19.93 million, while total fatalities rose by 3,417 to 218,959, according to data released by the health ministry.

    Medical experts say real numbers across the country of 1.35 billion may be five to 10 times higher than the official tally.

    Meanwhile, BCCI has also confirmed the rescheduling of the match.

    “IPL reschedules KKR-RCB match slated for May 3, 2021, after 2 KKR players test positive. Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier were found to be positive in the third round of testing in the last four days. All other team members have tested negative for COVID -19,” states a release. 

    “The Medical Team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours prior to collection of the sample that returned the positive test results.  The BCCI and the Kolkata Knight Riders prioritise the health and safety of everyone involved and all measures are being taken in that endeavour,” it adds.

    Later it was reported, 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 COVID-19. It is understood that the rest of the group, which is currently in Delhi, has tested negative. The results emerged after the latest round of testing on Sunday.

    It must be noted that the ICC T20 World Cup is also scheduled to take place in India later this year.

  • Politicians, journalists mark #WorldPressFreedomDay

    World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on May 3 and this year’s theme is ‘Information as a Public Good’. To mark the day, politicians, journalists and other key figures have stepped forward to call for freedom of press and media.

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also among those who marked this day. In his message, Guterres urged all governments to do everything in their power to support a free, independent and diverse media.

    Politicians and journalists from Pakistan including Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Information and culture Firdous Ashiq Awan also shared messages to mark the day and paid rich tributes to journalists.

  • VIDEO: Two officers escape firing from robbers

    VIDEO: Two officers escape firing from robbers

    In a horrific video doing the rounds on social media, the dashcam footage shows the intense moment of survival of two private security members who escaped straight gunshots from gang members attempting to loot a cash-in-transit van.

    The event took place in South Africa, and the members of the private security company survived because of the bulletproofing of the van.

    As per details, they were transporting money in a truck in the northern city of Pretoria on April 22 when they were attacked by robbers.

    In the three-minute-long video, a security officer is driving with a colleague and both are wearing bulletproof vests. Suddenly, a round of gunshots was fired and the window on the driver’s side partially shattered from the bullet’s impact.

    The officers remained calmed and composed, and the one on the driving seat carefully manoeuvred the car out from the traffic. When he got the chance, he ramped up the van into the robber’s car.

    Meanwhile, the officer can be heard saying: “They’re going to shoot.” He then instructs his colleague in the passenger seat to pull out his rifle.

    The officers attempt to reach out to their colleagues for help, with the driver saying: “Phone Robbie, phone Josh, ask them where they are.”

    “The suspects fired several shots at the CIT vehicle in an attempt to stop it during a high-speed chase,” police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo confirmed on Friday.

    “The driver of the CIT vehicle managed to evade the robbers for a while but later stopped in wait for the robbers. The robbers fled without taking any money. No arrests have yet been made,” added Naidoo.

    Photos of the scene show the seriously damaged white security van, which appears to have been shot from the side and the front. It is unclear whether there were any deaths or injuries.

  • Shahveer Jafry throws Zoya Nasir, Christian Betzmann a surprise dholki

    Shahveer Jafry recently surprised Zoya Nasir and Christian Betzmann with a dholki.

    “Surprised these beautiful people by throwing a surprise dholki for them,” said Shahveer while sharing a picture from the event.

    Zoya and Christian also shared pictures from the celebration on social media, thanking Shahveer and their other friends for arranging the surprise dholki.

    Shahveer also vlogged the entire event. Watch the video below:

    Zoya and Christian got engaged earlier this year in February. The news of their engagement came just a few days after Christian announced that he has converted to Islam.

  • Iqra Aziz’s godh bharai dupatta has 100 special duas embroidered on it

    Iqra Aziz’s godh bharai dupatta has 100 special duas embroidered on it

    Celebrity couple Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain on Sunday announced that they are expecting their bundle of joy this July.

    Sharing beautiful pictures from Iqra’s godh bharai (baby shower) the couple shared the news with their fans and followers and asked them to pray for them.

    For the event, Iqra chose a gorgeous purple and orange outfit by Fahad Hussayn and the designer has revealed that the dupatta had a special message on it for the mother-to-be. As per details, 100 special messages and prayers in Urdu have been crafted on the embellished dupatta with a floral design.

    In a conversation with Dawn Images, Hussayn recalled Aziz reaching out to him when she was planning her godh bharai.

    “I loved that she was having a godh bharai rather than a westernised bridal shower,” said the designer. “She told me that she wanted to wear something that she could pass on to her child and we started working on a concept. I asked her to come up with a list of 100 duas, which she did with the help of Yasir and her mother.”

    Hussayn then designed 100 different flowers and the messages were embroidered around them.

    “[The duas are] all the wishes she has for her child. If it’s a girl, she wants to pass this dupatta on to her and if it’s a son, then to his wife,” shared Hussayn adding that the list includes advice like “ilm sub say bari daulat hai” (knowledge is the greatest wealth) and “logon ke saath bhalai karo gay toh log bhi tumharay saath bhalai karein gay” (be kind to others and they will be kind to you).

    The organza dupatta was paired with a simple peshwas and gharara in chiffon worked with sacha gota.

    Hussayn also shared that Iqra allowed him to decid the colour himself.

    Iqra was recently featured in Hussayn’s fashion music video Mera Jora that was released earlier this year. Incidentally, the video was filmed shortly after Aziz discovered that she was expecting.

    “I am very happy for her. She’s an extremely genuine person and this is a very happy time for her. She may be at the peak of her career but she’s also prioritising her family life,” said the designer. “I think more than anything else, the coronavirus has made us all realise the importance of being surrounded by family.”