Urwa Hussain and singer/actor Farhan Saeed have become proud parents to their first baby girl. They shared the happy news on Instagram in a joint post.
The tiny bundle of joy, named Jahan Aara was born on January 3, 2024. Urwa Hocane has written a beautiful note on becoming a mother.
Urwa and Farhan got married in December 2016. Like most famous couples, the two have been hounded by rumors of separation. Neither of them directly spoke about it.
For three years, the two didn’t share any pictures together on social media. But on Eid-ul-Fitr in 2023, they finally posted pictures together, proving that all the rumors about an impending breakup were false.
The schedule of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has been announced.
The ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 will be the ninth tournament of this format which will be hosted by the West Indies and USA. This mega event will be played from June 1 to June 29.
West Indies six and America’s three venues will host 55 total matches. The opening match of the World Cup will be between the United States of America (USA) and Canada.
The event will feature 20 teams divided into four groups of 5 each, with the top 2 from each group qualifying for the Super 8stage where the top four teams will make it to the semi-finals.
Pakistan and India have been placed in the same group for T20 and World Cup.
Group A
Pakistan, India, Ireland, USA, Canada
Group B
England Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C
New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Group D
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal
Here is the complete schedule of the T20 World Cup 2024:
Group matches of the T20 World Cup will be played from June 1 to June 18, Super 8 stage will be played from June 19 to 24. The semi-finals will be held on June 26 and 27, while the final will be held on June 29 in Barbados.
Pakistan’s Match Schedule
In the T20 World Cup group, Pakistan will play its first match against the USA on June 6. The India-Pak World Cup match will be played on June 9 in New York. Pakistan will play the third match of the group on June 11 against Canada and the fourth match against Ireland on June 16.
It should be noted that England is the defending champion of the tournament, having defeated Pakistan in the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Actor Bilal Qureshi has become the latest Pakistani celebrity who thinks he has the right to tell women what to wear. In an interview laden with problematic quotes, he requested actresses in the industry not to wear revealing clothes at any event.
Talking on Ahmed Fozan’s podcast, Qureshi elaborated on some of his previous statements.
Bilal Qureshi made a comment on social media while praising actress Dur e Fishan Saleem’s dress at an award show which went viral. He said, “The best dressed lady at LSA”
On his viral comment, the actor explained, “I feel that actresses should not opt for revealing clothes.” He went on to say that he doesn’t want to get into religious discussions but believes in following and respecting cultural norms, stressing that women can appear beautiful and graceful in modest clothing. The statement in itself is strange, because beauty and grace are perceived differently by everyone. Modest clothing does not ensure beauty or grace, neither does clothing of any other sort.
Bilal then pointed out that his wife, Uroosa Qureshi, and his sisters always look good without revealing their skin.
We are glad that the women in his family look good, but really, his opinions do not matter to the vast majority of women.
“One of my fellow actresses shared a picture of herself in inappropriate clothes on social media, on which she was upset because of the criticism, so I told her that she should not share this picture on social media. If your dress is really against our cultural norms then people will necessarily criticize it.”
The Pakistani team gave tribute to the Australian opener David Warner who played his last Test and also gave him a gift.
David Warner, who played his last Test, scored 57 runs in the last innings of his Test career and was lbw by Sajid Khan.
When David Warner got out and started to leave the ground, the Pakistani players and the spectators in the Sydney stadium gave him a standing ovation.
Later during the award ceremony, Pakistan team captain Shan Masood congratulated David Warner on behalf of the Pakistan team and presented him with Babar Azam’s shirt as a gift, signed by all the Pakistani players.
In the last Test series match between Pakistan and Australia, Australia defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets and whitewashed the three-match series.
On the fourth day of the Sydney Test, Pakistan had given Australia a target of 130 runs to win.
Earlier, Pakistan lost the Melbourne Test by 79 runs, and Pakistan also lost the Perth Test by a huge margin of 360 runs.
Chasing the target, Australia’s first wicket fell to zero, opener Usman Khawaja fell victim to Sajid Khan and returned to the pavilion. In their second innings on the fourth day of the match, Australia scored 91 runs for losing one wicket until the lunch break.
Steve Smith scored 4 runs and Maruns Labuschagne scored 55 to lead his team to victory. Australia achieved the target of 130 runs given by Pakistan for the loss of two wickets in 25.5 overs on the fourth day.
Earlier, at the beginning of the fourth day, the Pakistani team was dismissed by scoring 115 runs in the second innings.
In November 2023, Pakistan’s total debt soared to an alarming Rs63.399 trillion, marking a significant increase from Rs50.959 trillion in the same month of the previous year.
According to details, this surge comprises Rs40.956 trillion in domestic loans and Rs22.434 trillion in international loans.
The recent development follows Pakistan’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new loan programme.
As outlined in the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Table, Pakistan has pledged to boost foreign reserves to $13.6 billion in FY2024–25, facilitating access to the IMF’s financial assistance.
To support its financial strategy, Pakistan is planning to roll over a $6.34 billion loan in the upcoming fiscal year, coupled with a targeted increase of $1.31 billion in foreign investments, as highlighted by the MEFPT.
These measures aim to navigate the country through its evolving economic landscape.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski revealed on Thursday that a number of markets in the Middle East, and some beyond, were undergoing a “meaningful business impact” following the Israel-Hamas escalation and “associated misinformation” with regards to the brand.
Since October 7, when Israel intensified its ground and air raids in Gaza and killed more than 22,000 people, several fast-food chains, including McDonald’s and Starbucks, have been boycotted by consumers due to their “pro-Israeli stance and alleged financial ties to Israel”.
Kempczinski deems the “misinformation” regarding the brands “disheartening and ill-founded.”
“In every country where we operate, including in Muslim countries, McDonald’s is proudly represented by local owner operators who work tirelessly to serve and support their communities while employing thousands of their fellow citizens,” Kempczinski said in a LinkedIn post.
In October, following the escalation, McDonald’s Israel posted on social media that it gave thousands of free meals to Israel Defense Forces members.
This move was repudiated by McDonald’s franchises in some Islamic states.
Since then, many brands have felt the impact of boycotts in Egypt and Jordan as well as non-Arab countries like Muslim-majority Malaysia.
Reuters reports that as of fiscal 2022, the company franchised and operated about 40,275 McDonald’s restaurants across more than 100 countries. The fast-food chain reported total annual revenue of $23.18 billion in the year.
Shares of the company were down marginally in afternoon trading.
The federal Caretaker Minister for Information, Murtaza Solangi, stated on Friday that the interim government has not received any indication from any source to postpone the upcoming elections set to take place on February 8, 2024.
Earlier on Friday, Senator Dilawar Khan tabled a resolution in the sparsely attended Upper House, which garnered the required support despite opposition from Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Senator Afnan Ullah Khan of the Muslim League (N).
Talking to journalists outside the Parliament House, Solangi said: “So far, no signal has been received from any quarters regarding the postponement of elections.”
He also stated that only the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has the authority to postpone general elections.
The minister believed that there were no instructions from interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar or the federal cabinet to postpone polls.
According to Article 218(3) of the Constitution, ECPhas the power to conduct elections, give a date, or change the date for elections, he said.
“We cannot interfere in the affairs of a constitutional body.”
In a significant development, the caretaker government has concluded the comprehensive restructuring plan for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The approval for this pivotal reform comes from the Apex Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), highlighting a crucial step towards enhancing efficiency and transparency in Pakistan’s tax administration.
According to reliable sources, the Apex Committee granted its approval for the FBR’s reforms and restructuring plan during its recent meeting. The caretaker government is now poised to move a summary for the approval of the FBR’s restructuring plan in the upcoming federal cabinet meeting.
The decision to move the summary will follow the meticulous review of the minutes of the last SIFC committee meeting, ensuring a thorough examination of the proposed reforms. The anticipated summary aims at facilitating the implementation of a robust action plan geared towards restructuring Pakistan’s tax administration, thereby fortifying the internal governance mechanisms of the FBR.
As part of the ongoing reform initiative, the caretaker government is contemplating the establishment of a dedicated Customs Board to oversee the operations of Pakistan Customs. This strategic move aims to streamline and enhance the efficiency of customs affairs while ensuring a clear demarcation from the revenue collection mechanism.
It is expected that the revenue collection mandate will continue to be under the purview of the FBR. In line with this reform trajectory, the creation of a separate Inland Revenue Board is also under consideration, which will operate under the vigilant supervision of the Revenue Division.
This bifurcation is designed to address concerns related to smuggling and other illicit activities, providing a specialised focus on each aspect of tax administration.
Furthermore, as part of the tax reform programme, five federal secretaries, namely Finance, Industries and Production, National Food Security, Commerce, and Interior, are slated to become ex-officio members of the proposed Customs Board. This inclusion is envisioned to bring multidimensional expertise to the board, fostering collaboration among various sectors crucial for effective customs management.
The restructuring plan marks a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s efforts to modernise and fortify its tax administration system. The caretaker government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency is evident in these strategic reforms, setting the stage for a more resilient and responsive revenue collection framework.
The anticipated approval of the summary at the federal cabinet meeting will further propel the implementation of these transformative changes.
Pakistani-British rail worker Rizwan Javed, who has saved 29 people from taking their own lives since 2015, has been appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Geo’s Murtaza Ali Shah reported.
Rizwan Javed, from Leyton in East London, works for the MTR Elizabeth line at Ealing Broadway and Paddington stations. He joined the railway around 10 years ago and at the start of his career, he attended the Samaritans training course.
Talking to the Geo News, Rizwan said, “I am thankful to Allah for this honour. It’s all due to the prayers of my parents that I have been recognised in the King’s New Year’s Honours List. It’s a huge honour for me that my work in the mental health area has been recognised this way.”
He has been instrumental in saving several lives at the platform during the course of his work by being alert and approaching vulnerable individuals in weak moments.
He gave credit to his training at Samaritans, “With the Samaritans, I learned how to identify vulnerable people, what sort of conversations to have with them, how to engage them, how to look out, and how to take them to the point of safety.”
Within the first week after starting his railway job, Javed helped stop someone from taking their own life.
Recalling an incident Rizwan shared that in one instance he talked to a girl in her mid-20s after identifying that she needed help. “A few days later, she came running to me at the station and gave me a big hug. She said she wouldn’t be alive today if I had not talked to her that night and if I had not convinced her that life was worth living. That was very emotional and rewarding.”
He said people are not educated about mental health issues and these things create an impact.
He told Geo News that he believes that Allah will always reward him for helping others and being there for those who have no one else to talk to them or undergoing. He credited his Pakistani parents for teaching him from a young age the importance of being helpful and charitable.
He said: “My parents always taught me how to be a good and useful citizen, how to make a positive difference.”
Javed and his parents were thrilled when they received the government letter telling him he was being appointed MBE for his services.
MBE is the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire level (excluding a knighthood/damehood), behind Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and then Officer of the Order of British Empire (OBE).
