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  • Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife and him are ‘still a family’ despite split

    Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife and him are ‘still a family’ despite split

    Natasha Stankovich, Serbian actress and ex-wife of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya, has dismissed rumors of relocating to her home country, saying that the couple are “still a family” despite their marriage ending. 

    Natasa, who flew to Serbia with their son Agastya after separating from the cricketer in July, returned to India weeks later. “I cannot leave India because Agastya attends school here,” she disclosed, while emphasizing that despite their separation, “Pandya and I remain a family for our son.”


    In a new interview, she said, “The family is here at the end of the day. We [Hardik and I] are still family. We have a child, and the child will always make us family at the end of the day. Agastya needs to stay with both parents.”


    Natasa also mentioned, “I visit my home country annually but always return to India to raise my child.” 


    The Serbian star dismissed any preconceived conceptions of what her life is like now.  “I am at peace with myself. I’m at peace with people assuming things about me.”


    The former couple, who married in 2020 in a low-key court wedding and welcomed their baby boy in July of the same year, confirmed in a joint separation statement that they will continue to co-parent their son Agastya.


    Following the separation, Pandya is rumored to be dating British singer and TV personality Jasmin Walia.

  • Prepare to pay higher passport fees

    Prepare to pay higher passport fees

    The federal government has announced revised rates for passport fees to be applicable across the country.


    Geo News reported authorities have fixed separate fees for issuance of e-passport, machine readable passport (MRP) and lost passports.


    E-passport, which constitutes 36 pages and is valid for five years, will be available for Rs 3000 with a normal fee and Rs.15 thousand if applied with an urgent fee.


    The fee for a normal passport of 75 pages will be 15 thousand 500 rupees but for urgent passport that is valid for 10 years, it will be 27000 rupees.


    36 pager e-passport will be for Rs 13,500 while it will cost for a Rs 24, 750 for the urgent passport.


    75 pager normal e-passport will now cost Rs.16,500 while it will cost Rs. 27,000 for an urgent one.


    Passports of ten year duration will cost Rs 24, 750 but for the urgent one, it will be Rs 40, 500.


    36 pager Machine Readable Passport (MRP) will be valid for five years will cost Rs. 4500 normally while the urgent will be for Rs. 7500. 


    Fast track passport fee is Rs. 13, 500. 


    MRP normal 72 pager for 10 years validity will be Rs. 6700. Meanwhile, the urgent fee for that is Rs. 11,200.  


    However, the fast track fee is Rs 16,200. 


    72 pager MRP passport for 5 years will normally cost Rs 8200 and the urgent will be for Rs 13, 500.


    The fast track fee for that will be Rs 19 500.


    A 100-pager MRP fee will normally cost Rs. 9000. The urgent will be Rs 18,000. 
    Fast track fee is Rs 23,000.


    The same MRP valid for 10 years will normally cost 13, 500 rupees while the urgent fee is Rs. 17,000. 


    Fast track fee is fixed at Rs 32,000.


    The government has also set a separate fee for the first, second and third time lost passports.


    Previously, the passport department announced to amend the rules governing the issuance of passports as citizens will now be able to get their passport made from any city across the country regardless of the address mentioned in their computerised national identity card (CNIC).

  • When is Pakistan’s first ever Netflix series coming to our screens?

    When is Pakistan’s first ever Netflix series coming to our screens?

    Author and drama writer Farhat Istiaq’s novel Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo is making its way to a Netflix adaption with fans eagerly awaiting the release of the much anticipated drama series.  

                 
    Farhat has shared some exciting details about the fairly secretive upcoming series on Connect Cine. 
      

    Indian journalist Faridoon Shahryar asked, “What is the latest update of Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo?”
     
     “Insha’Allah, most likely it will be released next year. Our shooting is complete, and you’ll witness a high-quality product, shot in Italy, the UK, Islamabad, Karachi, and across multiple locations. It has a vibrant mix of locations, adding an enjoyable flair. Italy, for instance, holds special significance as I was inspired by my years spent there, I adore its history and the love I developed for the place led me to write a novel centered around it.” 


     Italy plays a key role in Farhat Ishtiaq’s novel, almost acting as a character.
      

    “In fact, Italy itself is almost like a character in the novel, featuring the cities of Rome, Milan, and Florence as integral parts of the story. So naturally, in the drama adaptation, Italy will also play a key role, with all the places I mentioned in the novel beautifully depicted on screen,” she explained.
     
    The Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum writer also highlighted the challenges of adapting a novel for the screen, particularly for an OTT platform like Netflix.  

    Farhat said, “In novels, you’re freer to express, but for a screen adaptation, especially an OTT platform, adjustments have to be made to meet different requirements. The essence of the novel, however, remains intact.”

                                                                         
    The host asked, “Who are your favorite writers?”

    “I have many, I love reading Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s, Ahmed Faraz, Munir Niazi poetry deeply touches me, a good verse stays with me for days, and I can live happily with it for a long time. Although I don’t write poetry , I greatly admire its beauty, the way a poet can convey what would take pages to express in a novel with just a couple of lines. Among fiction writers, Bano Qudsia, Ashfaq Ahmed, and Qurratulain Hyder stand out, and in English literature, Shakespeare and Thomas Hardy. I read everything, I enjoy good and bad literature and don’t just restrict myself to good literature; I enjoy reading everything, even things that are considered  not-so-good,” Farhat concluded.

  • ‘Influencer content is causing depression,’ says Zoya Nasir

    ‘Influencer content is causing depression,’ says Zoya Nasir

    Actress Zoya Nasir has said that the content of many social media influencers is based on lies, causing many young people to fall victim to depression and anxiety.


    She recently appeared on the FHM podcast, where she opened up about social media influencers sharing fake content.


    She said, “From globally popular social media influencers to national level social media stars, they are showing false content on social media.”


    She added, “Influencers often include false content in their videos on fitness, lifestyle, beauty, and weight loss secrets, which many people are unaware of.”

    Pointing out that f content shared by social media influencers is considered good content by common users, Farhat said that users they try to be like them but don’t have enough resources to emulate that lifestyle. 

    According to the actress, “Social media influencers have money and resources, but they influence the minds of other viewers by showing content falsely and unrealistically, which causes many people to suffer from depression.”


    Zoya Nasir said, “People who see the content of social media influencers without thinking, they are suffering from depression and anxiety because they cannot live like them.”


    In response to another question, she said, “It has also become easy to create deepfake videos of others through artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and many people are being targeted.”


    She added, “A woman made an inappropriate deepfake video of an actress and made it viral. Such trends are very dangerous, and this technology should be used for other important works.”

  • Brain drain to wallet gain: Remittances expected to hit 34 billion dollars

    Brain drain to wallet gain: Remittances expected to hit 34 billion dollars

    Businesses watch with great pleasure as the endless inflow of remittances hits a four-month high. With the monthly remittance figure crossing $3 billion, there will be significant positive implications for both businesses and the economy as a whole.

    This remittance rush was to be expected, though, as over two million Pakistani citizens emigrated out of Pakistan in the past three years to seek better employment opportunities.

    The concept of brain drain – migration of skilled and educated people to other countries for better opportunities – is perceived to be a negative thing.

    For a country like Pakistan, however, it is also a blessing in disguise.

    The inflow of foreign reserves keeps the economy afloat by reducing Pakistan’s current account deficit. With Islamabad’s persistent efforts, the current account deficit sits at a low of $681 million in FY 23-24 i.e. 79 per cent lower than the previous year. With the high inflow of foreign reserves that Pakistan is experiencing now from remittances, the current account just might end up being balanced.

    The remittance situation is so positive that experts have begun to compare it to the large inflows that were seen during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government.

    Under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, remittances surged past $31 billion to an all-time high in 2022. However, remittances are projected to cross an astounding $34 billion.

    While this would be great news for lawmakers, the real winners here will be the businessmen of the nation. This is because these large inflows of money are often sent back to Pakistan with the intention of helping struggling family members back home. 

    This money can then be used to purchase goods and services from businesses in the local economy. These increased sales directly translate into an increase in the profit levels of business owners.

    Overseas Pakistanis have also historically sent money back home for the purchase of land or the construction of houses. The recent rise in remittances will help save the real estate and construction sectors.

    The real estate market has seen a severe slump. Even the largest residential societies have seen their plots of land diminish in value and price. 

    Overseas Pakistanis, however, are usually looking to make long-term investments. This lower price tag is precisely what makes purchasing land an attractive proposition – as it will appreciate over time.

    If this remittance money is directed towards the purchase of land, the country might see a revival of the real estate sector. Moreover, expatriates’ construction of houses will invaluably benefit businesses involved in the provision of building materials and supplies.

    For now, Pakistan benefits from each outbound flight carrying emigrants.

    After all, the remittance levels are of huge help to Pakistan, but only time will tell if the inflows of foreign reserves were worth the price that had to be paid: Brain drain.

  • Does Imran Khan have ‘family relations’ with Donald Trump since 80s? Fawad Chaudhry certainly thinks so

    Does Imran Khan have ‘family relations’ with Donald Trump since 80s? Fawad Chaudhry certainly thinks so

    Former Federal Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has stated that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has “family relations” with newly elected United States President Donald Trump.

    Appearing on Samaa’s programme, DO TOK on Friday, Fawad Hussain claimed: “Imran Khan has pictures with Donald Trump’s wife, Ivana Marie Trump, on Google,” which, according to Chaudhry, indicated: “Imran Khan has personal relations with the Trump family.”

    The former Broadcasting and Information Minister further stated that Donald Trump does not have a “superficial relationship” with Imran Khan, claiming that both have known each other since 1980.


     
    Due to the party founder’s “cordial relationship” with Donald Trump, Imran Khan was received warmly by the then American President on his arrival in Washington DC back in July 2019, Fawad added.

    He further claimed that the Pakistani diaspora had shown massive support to Republican candidate Donald Trump during the US presidential election days.

    Earlier, Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan, while announcing his US visit to meet a “close friend” in the Trump family to discuss the Khan case, had claimed: “Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law are friends of mine.”

    He had also said that Donald Trump had a “soft corner” for the founder of PTI, noting that the newly elected US President Donald Trump had also shown concern over Imran Khan’s incarceration.

  • Canada on ‘high alert’ bracing for migrants fleeing US

    Canada on ‘high alert’ bracing for migrants fleeing US

    Canadian authorities said Friday they’re on “high alert” with all eyes on the US border as the country braces for a possible influx of migrants from the United States.

    US President-elect Donald Trump has promised the largest mass deportation in American history, accusing immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country.”

    During his first presidential term from 2017 to 2021, tens of thousands of migrants, including Haitians stripped of US protections, fled north to Canada.

    “We’re on high alert,” a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman, Sergeant Charles Poirier, told Agence France-Presse.

    “All of our eyes are looking at the border to see what’s going to happen… because we know that Trump’s stance on immigration might drive up illegal and irregular migration to Canada,” he said.

    In Ottawa, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland met Friday with a group of ministers tasked with handling thorny issues that might emerge between Canada and the incoming Trump administration.

    She sought to reassure that Canada was ready for a possible uptick in migrant arrivals.

    “We have a plan,” she told a news conference after the meeting without giving details. “Canadians need to know… our borders are safe and secure, and we control them.”

    Watching out for a possible influx comes as Canada is slashing its own immigration targets.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has said it wants to slow population growth while it bolsters key infrastructure and social services.

    Quebec Premier Francois Legault this week also expressed concerns about a large number of arrivals overwhelming his province’s already strained ability to house them.

    Immediately following Tuesday’s election, online searches in the United States about moving to Canada jumped tenfold.

    The legal status of the people making those queries is unclear, but some US citizens opposed to Trump’s return to power have reportedly been querying Canadian immigration and relocation services.

    Google Trends pointed to search terms such as “immigrate to Canada,” “Canada immigration process” and “how to move to Canada.”

    The government estimates the processing of permanent residency applications can take up to one year, while projected wait times for refugee claims is 44 months.

    Entering Canada between border checkpoints is illegal, and dangerous, especially in winter months, the RCMP’s Poirier noted.

    “We understand the misery and fear that drives people to try to cross into Canada (through forests or fields or across lakes and rivers), but there are real dangers,” he warned.

    “It’s starting to get cold. We’ve seen some tragedies in the past. People were severely frostbitten and had to have amputations. People also suffered severe hypothermia,” Poirier said.

    Some have died.

    Rule changes in 2023 have also made it harder for people coming from the United States to succeed in making asylum claims in Canada, and they would likely be returned to the United States.

    Poirier said “more boots on the ground” are expected to be deployed along the world’s longest non-militarized border in the coming days, as authorities expect migrants to start hitting the road soon, ahead of Trump’s inauguration in January.

    Additionally, cameras, sensors and drones have already been set up along this 8,891 kilometres (5,525 miles) stretch, and information is being shared between Canada and the United States in real-time, he added.

    Despite months of planning, Poirier warned that if thousands of migrants come all at once and cross at many border points, “it could become unmanageable.”

  • ‘I have severe OCD,’ reveals Saheefa Jabbar

    ‘I have severe OCD,’ reveals Saheefa Jabbar

  • Racist online attacks intensify after Trump’s election victory

    Racist online attacks intensify after Trump’s election victory

    Racist attacks against American Arabs, Africans, and Latinos following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US elections have increased online. 


    A number of African Americans shared the messages they had received in the past three days. In one of the messages, it is seen that the recipient has been told they are being selected to “pick cotton.” 


    The sender advised them to bring all their belongings, too, as all their “executive slaves” would be present there. Exaggerating the threat further, the recipient of the message is told that they should come prepared “to get searched and patted down once inside of the plantation.”


    These messages allude to the dark ages of slavery and have been received by children, college students and working professionals from unrecognized phone numbers in the wake of the presidential election.


    CNN reports that authorities are tracking the sender. 


    However, other reports suggest that Harris’ defeat has made immigrants like Arabs, Asians and Latinxs (a gender-neutral term to refer to men and women of Latin American heritage) easy targets.


    These people are being accused of ‘gifting’ Trump the presidency by not voting for Harris. From appeals for mass deportation to wishes that minorities lose their citizenship, racist and Islamophobic comments are everywhere on the internet.


    Some of these attacks are directed at Muslims in the context of genocide in Gaza as one commenter said, “I hope they are all deported. And I can’t wait until Netanyahu gets the green light to turn Gaza into a parking lot.”


    “Netanyahu bombs and obliterates a school in Gaza. He did this because we just elected Trump, who told him ‘finish it off’ — and this is what he meant. To the Arab voters in Michigan who voted for Trump — this is on YOU,” Cheri Jacobus, a political strategist, pundit and writer, tweeted.


    However, many in her replies pointed out that this has been happening for a year with the support of Joe Biden’s administration, of which Kamala was a part.


    Some other commentators were outrightly ferocious, “I HOPE HE DEPORTS THEM ALL TO THE GULFS (Arab and Muslim Trump voters) coming from one.”


    Exit polls have revealed that more than 50 per cent of Muslims in America actually voted for Green Party’s Jill Stein. 


    Other figures indicated that Trump gained support in communities of colour — including a 5.5-point shift in majority-Black counties and a 6.8-point increase in Latino-majority counties. Still, a notable share of voters—18.37pc—opted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who campaigned on ending US support for Israeli military actions in Gaza. In contrast, Harris maintained a pro-Israel stance and totally alienated Muslim voters.

  • Watch: Zhalay Sarhadi brings laughter with her new ‘Guru Jee’ reel

    Watch: Zhalay Sarhadi brings laughter with her new ‘Guru Jee’ reel

    Actress Zhalay Sarhadi has gone viral on social media with her lip-sync performance to the audio of Indian spiritual leader Dr. Anrudha Charya, also known as Guru Ji.


    She recently shared a video on Instagram where she is seen lip-syncing to one of Guru Ji’s viral comedy videos.


    In the viral video, a girl expresses her sadness about not finding a partner for marriage, saying, “I am 28 right now; I’ll turn 29 on October 30.” Hearing this, Guru Jee advises her to get married soon.


    After listening to Guru Jee’s advice, the girl shares her sorrow, saying, “I’ll get married if I find someone. If you know anyone suitable, let me know, and I’ll marry him.” At this, Guru Jee points to a boy sitting in the gathering and says, “Marry him,” causing the girl to blush.


    “Jab Guru jee nay live rishta karwa diya (When Guru Jee arranged marriage),” she wrote in the caption of the video post, along with a series of hashtags.


    Social media users have praised Zhalay Sarhadi perfect lip-sync performance in the video.


    This is not the first time that Zhalay Sarhadi has lip-synced to Guru Ji’s videos.

    She previously shared a video in which a girl asks Guru Ji for advice on how to reduce anger.

              View this post on Instagram                      

    A post shared by Zhalay Sarhadi Official (@zhalay)