Tag: January

  • Zayn Malik reacts to Indian fans surprise meals on his birthday

    Zayn Malik reacts to Indian fans surprise meals on his birthday

    From One Direction heartthrob to a major pop sensation, Zayn Malik turns 29 years old on January 12 and fans in India marked his big day by arranging donations to send out medical meals for those in need.

    Late Wednesday, Zayn took to his Instagram Stories to share a post from a fan account named @zaynie4u that showed them distributing meals to people in need at public hospitals on behalf of the singer as part of his project to birthday.

    “We have so far donated more than 100 medical meals to people in need who are admitted in government hospitals,” ‘Shelly’ the account owner explained in the caption.

    “What started as a Zayn’s birthday project turned out to be so much bigger than that. I’m proud and grateful to everyone who participated,” they added.

    Responding to the food drive, the singer lauded the effort, saying, “This is incredible. So proud of you guys – makes me happy. You’re the best.”

  • Spain to consider pet custody in divorce battles

    Spain to consider pet custody in divorce battles

    A Spanish court has ruled that pets are also members of the family. In divorce cases, the husband and wife must share them when they get separated.

    There was already no doubt about it among animal lovers, but now pets are officially considered a member of the family in Spain. The new law, which came into force on January 5, recognises pets for the first time as living, sentient beings and not just as objects.

    “Animals are part of the family and when a family decides to separate, the fate of the animal must be regulated with the same importance as the fate of other family members,” said lawyer Lola Garcia.

    The court said that the courts are required to consider the welfare of animals. It aims to end the legal wrangling that often occurs between couples who keep pets.

    Owners must “guarantee” the pet’s well-being, and if either spouse has a history of animal cruelty, he or she may be refused or lose custody of the animal, according to the law.

    Spain is not the first country to do so; France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Portugal are among the European countries that recognise animals as sentient beings.

  • 2022 Grammy Awards officially postponed due to rise in Covid cases

    2022 Grammy Awards officially postponed due to rise in Covid cases

    The Grammy Awards event, which honours the best musical performances, has been postponed indefinitely due to the rapid spread of the Omicron type of the coronavirus, according to organisers.

    The performance was supposed to be held in a downtown Los Angeles arena on January 31 and broadcast live on the CBS network.

    “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks,” CBS and the recording Academy said in a joint statement, adding that a new date would be announced soon.

    The Grammy Awards for 2021 have likewise been postponed because of the COVID-19 epidemic.

    Organisers had hoped to return this year to something closer to the traditional celebration with a large audience inside the former Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena.

  • PIA to fly to European countries once again as EU decides to lift ban

    PIA to fly to European countries once again as EU decides to lift ban

    The ban imposed by the European Union (EU) on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted soon, local media reported quoting the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official.

    The ban had been imposed following the crash of a PIA aircraft in May last year, which resulted in the deaths of 97 passengers and crew.

    An International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit team that had visited to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on December 10. Its final report will be released in a few weeks and shared publicly, The News reported.

    According to The News, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had extended travel restrictions imposed on PIA in April for an indefinite period and directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to get its safety audit done by ICAO scheduled in July.

    In its January 4 letter to DG CAA Khaqan Murtaza, ICAO’s Deputy Director Denis Guindon wrote that the committee conducted the audit in December 2021 and “determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC (Significant Safety Concern).”

    “I wish to refer to the Significant Safety Concern (SSC/PEL-01/09-2020/PAK refers) that was issued to Pakistan on September 18, 2020, as well as the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) audit that was conducted by an ICAO team in Pakistan from 29 November to 10 December 2021.”

    He further said that until the CAA received the approval, PIA would not be able to resume flight operations to the EU.

    “In accordance with the USOAP SSC process, […] the ICAO SSC Validation Committee reviewed the actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan. The Committee determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC,” the letter stated.

  • United States and Russia ready to talk

    United States and Russia ready to talk

    Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed tensions with the west over growing concerns about troop buildup on its border near Ukraine, reports BBC.

    The Russian president wanted quick surety on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to stem the crisis.

    “The ball is in their court, they have to give us some response,” Putin said at his annual press conference.

    The United States (US) warned of sanctions if Putin does not refrain from his actions.

    Ukraine security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to its borders, and the US has threatened Putin with sanctions “like none he’s ever seen” if Ukraine comes under attack.

    Russia wanted Nato to give up all military action in Eastern Europe.

    “It’s you who must give us guarantees, and give them immediately, now,” Putin said on Thursday, stressing that military measures were not his preferred choice.

    United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she welcomed the fact that Moscow had “signalled it is willing to enter talks in January”, but warned any Russian attack would be met with sanctions that would hit Russia’s economy.