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  • ‘Radio Schools’ launched to facilitate distance learning amid COVID-19 pandemic

    ‘Radio Schools’ launched to facilitate distance learning amid COVID-19 pandemic

    The Federal Ministry for Education has launched a ‘radio school’ for distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

    Radio Pakistan Director General Ambreen Jan and additional secretary of the Education Ministry Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani signed the MoU documents during a special ceremony, where Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz and senior relevant officials were also present.

    According to details, the educational programs will go on air on various medium waves and Radio Pakistan FM networks from 10 am to 12 noon. They will be repeated from 2pm to 4pm all through the week. These programmes can also be accessed through the internet and mobile app.

    Mahmood said the project was designed in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to take education to the people’s doorsteps in every corner of the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the government would also introduce an education portal soon.

    The minister said that approximately 8 million children benefited from the Teleschool launched by Education Ministry and PTV back in April.

     “Our government is providing education to students, especially the girls, at their doorsteps,” said Shafqat.

    The minister also shared that the government is aiming to launch an e-Education Portal soon through which the programmes of Teleschool and Radioschools can be accessed through one click.

  • Punjab Govt to give Rs 2,000 per month to citizens above 65

    Punjab Govt to give Rs 2,000 per month to citizens above 65

    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar took Twitter to announce the inauguration of the Bahimat Buzurg program, under which deserving citizens above 65 years of age will get Rs 2,000 per month.

    CM Buzdar also said that the program would lead to the economic rehabilitation of deserving citizens of the society. He further added that we are moving towards the realization of the Prime Ministers’ dream of Rayaste Madina.

    According to the website of Punjab Social Protection Authority, the welfare program will benefit 125,000 people who are not in receipt of other social assistance programs. Rs. 2,000 per month will be given to the beneficiaries having a poverty score below 20.

    CM Punjab said that the program would lead to the economic rehabilitation of deserving senior citizens. In the initial run, Rs 2 billion has been allocated for the program.

  • Police arrest TikToker for posing as a beggar

    Police arrest TikToker for posing as a beggar

    A TikToker was arrested by the police in Sialkot for posing as a beggar.

    As per reports, the TikToker was found begging in Daska after disguising himself as a beggar. The patrolling police of the area found him suspicious and took him into custody. Upon interrogation, they discovered US dollars, Riyals and Pounds from his pocket.

    The police said that the youth was misleading people by disguising himself as a beggar but was later identified as a TikTok star, when he washed out his face.

    He has been taken into custody by the police over charges of deceiving people.

  • FIR to be registered against littering in Karachi

    In Karachi, an FIR under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) will be registered against anyone found littering the city for the next two months, according to Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Shallwani.

    Shallwani highlighted that a large amount of garbage dumped at undesignated locations is wreaking havoc on the sewerage system, causing traffic jams and spreading an unpleasant odour. To reduce garbage problems in Karachi, police will impose Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to ban people from dumping litter in the streets or at undesignated locations.

    Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) also reported how a massive amount of used contraceptives, such as condoms, in gutters has been causing sewerage problems in Karachi. The KWSB further stressed the need for generating awareness about the issue and urged government departments and social organizations to play their role.

    Earlier in October, Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah launched the first real-time digital monitoring of waste disposal work in Malir district of Karachi. Additionally, over 200 Qingqi rickshaws were set up by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) to initiate a ‘door-to-door’ garbage collection system.

  • PTV to air another Turkish show on PM Khan’s recommendation

    After the phenomenal success of Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is all set to air another Turkish drama Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu on the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    A trailer for the Urdu version of the drama, titled Raah-e-Ishq, is already out.

    https://twitter.com/PTVHomeOfficial/status/1329156469267238914?s=20
    https://twitter.com/PTVHomeOfficial/status/1330042218321747968?s=20

    Senior PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that the drama is being aired on the directions of PM Imran. He also shared that the drama is the story of an Islamic poet, mystic and poor villager.

    The Senator had earlier said that PM Khan wants Pakistanis to watch this drama because it highlights Islamic history.

    Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu is a Turkish biographical historical television series created by Mehmet Bozdağ, the man behind Diriliş: Ertuğrul. It stares Gökhan Atalay in the lead role. According to Faisal, the series is a journey of transformation. It centres around the life of Yunus Emre, the 14th century Anatolian Sufi poet, who greatly influenced Anatolian culture.

    The first episode of the series was released on June 18, 2015 and over the years it has become a favourite among the Turkish audiences. It has an IMDb rating of 7.9.

    In case you didn’t know, PM Khan is a big fan of Turkish dramas. Back in April, PM Khan, while discussing why he requested PTV to air Diriliş: Ertuğrul, had said: “The show has depicted the culture of Islam. I want our youth to know that we also have a culture which has romance and other interesting elements.”

    A release date for the show has not yet been announced by PTV.

  • Babar Azam oozes swag in new video

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam is oozing swag in a new video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The video, which has been released, just before the team departs for New Zealand, shows the captain at his stylish best at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

    “Presenting to you the all-format Pakistan captain,” said PCB in the caption.

    Meanwhile, in a press conference, Babar said that the team was fully prepared to face New Zealand on its upcoming tour and expressed confidence in the team.

    “Our team is very excited to go on its New Zealand tour and players are in the right frame of mind to perform to the best of their ability and potential,” said the cricketer.

    The batsman said that though the team was taking New Zealand as a challenge, it was not under pressure.

    “We will enjoy the tour and make efforts to play a good game,” said Azam.

    The skipper said that all the players included in the team were capable and try to deliver their best performances.

    “We always face challenges and playing abroad is a difficult task, but we have been playing well when abroad. For example, we showed a good performance in England,” he said. At the same time, however, he stressed that players must work hard and stay in form to prove themselves. He said that while younger players should learn from seniors on the team, the latter should “demonstrate their best performance”.

    Azam rubbished reports of “grouping” among players, saying that the team was a single unit whose “objective is to play for Pakistan and strive to achieve glory for the country”.

    He also thanked former captains Sarfaraz Ahmed and Azhar Ali, both of whom were removed by PCB, and said that he has learned from both his predecessors and will consult them whenever needed.

    “I am the one responsible for making decisions but I will consult them too,” he maintained.

    Pakistan will leave for New Zealand on November 23 and will complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in Lincoln.

    The three-match T20 series between Pakistan and New Zealand will start on December 18 and end on December 22.

    The ICC World Test Championship fixtures will be played in Mount Maunganui and Christchurch from December 26-30 and January 3-7, respectively.

  • Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik celebrate Dhoni’s wife’s birthday in Dubai

    Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik celebrate Dhoni’s wife’s birthday in Dubai

    It’s the season of birthdays. Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, who celebrated Sania’s birthday in Karachi earlier this week, have now jetted off to Dubai, where they celebrated Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Dhoni’s birthday.

    Pictures of the celebrations were widely circulated on social media. Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan Sharma and Sania’s sister Anam were also on the guest list.

    Sania shared a lovely photo of herself with Sakshi as she wished her a happy birthday.

    Sakshi also shared an adorable picture of herself with husband Dhoni.

    Dhoni was recently in Dubai for 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He decided to stay back there to spend time with family.

  • Prince William welcomes new investigation into Diana’s explosive BBC interview

    Prince William welcomes new investigation into Diana’s explosive BBC interview

    Prince William has “tentatively welcomed” an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding a BBC interview in 1995 with his mother, Princess Diana, royal officials said on Thursday.

    William, who is second in line to the throne, in a statement said that the probe is “a step in the right direction”. He added that it “should help establish the truth behind the actions” that led to the interview as well as “subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time”.

    The Princess of Wales was interviewed by BBC’s Martin Bashir (R) in the current affairs program, Panorama, November 20, 1995

    On Wednesday, BBC announced that it has appointed a retired senior judge to lead an investigation into the 1995 interview after Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, made renewed complaints this month that journalist Martin Bashir used false documents and other dishonest tactics to convince Diana to agree to the interview.

    The investigation will consider if the steps taken by the broadcaster and Bashir were appropriate and whether those actions influenced Diana’s decision to give the interview. It will also look into how much the BBC knew about the “mocked-up bank statements” that Charles Spencer claimed Bashir produced, purporting to show payments made to staff working for Spencer and the royal family.

    Read more – New documentary claiming Princess Diana tried to commit suicide ‘upsets’ William & Harry

    The 1995 interview, in which Diana famously said “there were three of us in this marriage” — referring to Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles — was watched by millions of people and sent shockwaves through the monarchy.

    Diana divorced from Charles in 1996 and died in a Paris car crash in 1997 as she was pursued by paparazzi. Charles married Camilla, now the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005.

  • Minal Khan celebrates birthday with alleged beau, close friends

    Twins Minal Khan and Aiman Khan are celebrating their 22nd birthday today. While Aiman is vacationing in Turkey with husband Muneeb Butt, Minal celebrated her birthday at an intimate party hosted by close friends and alleged beau Ahsan Mohsin Ikram.

    According to Minal, the surprise party was arranged by Ahsan. Thanking him, Minal in a social media post, wrote: “Thank you Ahsan for this unforgettable surprise birthday party last night! I had zero idea about this.”

    “You’re so special and you made me feel so special,” she added. “I’ll forever be thankful to all my girls and all my friends who made it happen last night. The best 22.”

    Minal also joked that Ahsan made her “meme come to life”.

    Check out pictures and videos from the celebrations:

    The guest list included Ikram, Saboor Aly, Kinza Hashmi, makeup artist Sara Ali and other close friends of the actor.

    Meanwhile, Ahsan wished the birthday girl with a loved-up picture of the two with the caption: “Happy Birthday to my one and only.”

    While the two have not confirmed their relationship status and Minal has said that she is not getting married anytime soon, they were spotted indulging in PDA at the party.

    The alleged couple has worked together in the drama serial Parchayee.

    Minal’s family also threw a surprise birthday for her.

  • Autopsy says body of Khairpur ASI was torched to cover up murder

    Autopsy says body of Khairpur ASI was torched to cover up murder

    The nephew of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Manzoor Wassan was killed before being burnt along with his vehicle, disclosed an autopsy report.

    Bilawal Wassan, who was an assistant sub-inspector posted in Khairpur, was found dead a couple of days ago near Shah Abdul Latif University police station in Bhargani.

    The post-mortem report revealed that ASI Wassan was burnt posthumously to make his death look like a traffic accident. “His hands and legs had been cut and there were fractures in his skull and ribs,” the post-mortem report quoted by Geo News said.

    According to the news channel, the Sindh police have so far detained two suspects — friends of the deceased.

    One of them, Faraz Rajput, was taken into custody from Karachi. Rajput, upon investigated, told the police that the unidentified body in the car was that of Wassan. 

    The Wassan family spokesperson said this was a planned murder. He said the police officer was first killed and later his vehicle was burnt to cover up evidence.

    The funeral prayers of Bilawal Wassan offered at his native village Haji Nawab Wassan, which was attended by Manzoor Wassan, Nawab Wassab, Munawar Wassan and other people of the area.