The first solar eclipse of the year will occur on June 10. This eclipse is going to appear as a ‘ring of fire’.
As per details, the eclipse will be seen in Russia, Greenland, Northern Canada, North Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Astronomer and Director Institute of Space Science and Technology Karachi University Professor Dr Javed Iqbal said that the first solar eclipse of 2021 could not be witnessed in Pakistan.
The eclipse can take place at 1:12pm Pakistani time while it would be at its peak at 3:42pm and expectedly end at 4:34pm, the professor said.
The annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and the earth come in a straight line and almost on the same plane. It is a partial eclipse when a ring of fire appears in the sky.
They occur every year or two and can only be seen from a thin pathway across the planet.
A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow. Lunar eclipses are evident from about half of the Earth’s surface.
The last lunar eclipse which was also notseen in Pakistan was witnessed on May 26.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for global economic growth in 2021 but warned that there was still “extraordinary uncertainty” about the outlook.
According to the latest World Economic Outlook forecast, the IMF projects global growth at 5.5%, which is higher than their previous forecast in October. Global growth will moderate to 4.2% growth in 2022, the IMF said.
As per the forecast, Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the ongoing year will stand at 1.5% that it shares with Nigeria, while neighbouring India and China are likely to stand at staggering 11.5% and 8.1%, respectively.
GDP is the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period. As a broad measure of overall domestic production, it functions as a comprehensive scorecard of a given country’s economic health.
Malaysia’s growth is likely to stand at 7%, Turkey: 6%, Spain: 5.9%, France: 5.5%, the United States (US) 5.1%, Indonesia: 4.8%, the United Kingdom (UK): 4.5%, Mexico: 4.3%, Brazil: 3.6%, Canada: 3.6%, Germany: 3.5%, Japan: 3.1%, Russia: 3%, Italy: 3%, while the GDP growth of Saudi Arabia has been predicted to stand at 2.6%.
The upgrade for this year reflects the positive effects from the start to vaccinations in some countries, additional fiscal support in the US and Japan, and at least a partial return to business and consumer normality as the health crisis wanes.
“Much now depends on the outcome of this race between a mutating virus and vaccines to end the pandemic, and on the ability of policies to provide effective support until that happens,” said IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath in a blog post accompanying the updated forecast.
The global economy contracted by 3.5% in 2020, the worst peacetime contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the agency said.
Close to 90 million people are expected to enter extreme poverty in 2020 and 2021, reversing the trends of the past two decades, the IMF said.
Altogether, the COVID-19 pandemic will cost the global economy $22 trillion over 2020-2025 relative to pre-pandemic projected levels.
Shah Rukh Khan, known for his wit and humour, recently released a short video in which he wished his fans a ‘Happy New Year’ and promised that he has a big surprise lined up for them in 2021.
The hilarious video begins with the King of Bollywood in a night suit fighting mosquitoes. Khan adds that had to record the video all by himself as he had no staff available to record it.
“Hi everybody,” said the actor as he started his video. “It is that time of the year again where the old year is on its way out and the New Year is waiting at the entrance. Actually, it has entered because I am late in conveying my wishes to all of you.”
Reflecting on the past year, the actor said: “I am sure 2020 has been the worst of years for everybody. In these awful times, for most it is difficult to find a ray of hope and positivity. But I have a way of looking at bad days, difficult times, and awful years. I believe when one is at the lowest, at the most bottom-est of their life, the good thing is there is only one way to move – upwards, higher to better places. So, 2020 whatever it has been is in the past now. 2021 is going to be bigger, better, brighter and more beautiful.”
Elaborating on the lessons 2020 taught him, SRK emphasized on how important it is to have your loved ones by your side.
“Real fun is with real people. Your family, your friends, your loved ones. All the friends and enemies you make virtually, taking sides or fighting against you online, is good fun, time pass, but it’s not for keeps,” said the actor.
Wishing his fans “happiness, joy and peace”, Shah Rukh joked that he sounded like a “cheap greeting card” while saying this.
He also requested everyone to be “romantic, emphatic, pragmatic, democratic, fantastic” in 2021 and not be “mathematic as it’s very boring and also very difficult to rhyme with the other words.”
Khan also gave his fans some advice on partying.
“Go party hard, but not too hard in moderation. Don’t get too drunk, don’t take off your clothes and run on the street, because chances are you’ll get arrested and even worse you will wake up in the morning and realize you have lost your phone and that really sucks,” said the superstar.
The Fan actor concluded his video with a promise.
“See you on the big screen in 2021,” confirming reports that his upcoming film Pathan is in the works.
Pathan, which marks SRK’s return to the big screen after a long break, will see him play a special agent. Deepika Padukone and John Abraham are also part of the film while Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan are expected to have cameos.
SRK was also recently spotted outside Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai sporting a new look for the film.
With the world officially into 2021, Pakistani celebrities among others reflected upon their past year and looked forward to the upcoming one.
Sania Mirza
Sharing some photos of herself and her family, Mirza wrote: “Buh-bye 2020. You’ve been difficult, to say the least, but you have taught us so much, to be grateful for the little things, to be grateful for health, for family, you have taught us simplicity is enough, you have taught us to find joy in moments we forgot we needed to enjoy, in a year that saw so many hardships you will be special cause I made my dream comeback after becoming a mother, so yeah 2020 you were hard, and even evil at times but you taught us to find joy even when things were so so hard.”
In her year end post, Ayeza expressed love for her husband Danish Taimoor.
“No words can describe my love for you and how much I need you every second of my life. I can’t thank you enough for the joy and peace you bring to my world,” wrote Ayeza. “Thanks for being part of my family and always being there for us when we need you.”
Maya Ali, in a note posted to social media, talked about how difficult 2020 was and what she is looking forward to in 2021.
The actor started by recounting her blessing, saying: “Dear Allah, thank you for letting us survive 2020. You have given us the biggest blessing yet, to survive another year, another opportunity to change ourselves for the better and to become better people, better Muslims and to worship you better.”
“Oh Allah, it’s been such a tough year and a lot of us have lost loved ones, we have felt pain like no other, but being here today is a blessing indeed,” she continued. “Lucky are those who are given a second chance to change for the better, a chance to grow as people and broaden our horizons.”
Maya further thanked Allah for giving her the opportunity to evolve.
“Every new day is an opportunity for change, love and kindness,” she concluded.
Ali is currently shooting for her upcoming film with Shoaib Mansoor ABGin which she will be sharing the screen with Emmad Irfani.
A blind Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga who allegedly foretold the event of 9/11 has predicted a cure for cancer and the attempt to murder Vladimir Putin in 2021.
She has also claimed that a “strong” dragon will overcome humanity next year.
The “Nostradamus of the Balkans”, Baba Vanga died in 2000 but is thought to own a mysterious skill to see the coming events.
Her history, as far as her followers tell, is that this shadowy woman was brought up on a farm known as Macedonia now and was blinded in a dust storm giving her the very “second sight”.
People say that she foretold the President Donald Trump’s coronavirus illness in October earlier this year and that the Russian submarine Kursk would sink in 1989.
Preceding her death at the age of 75 in 1996, the Bulgarian mystic told that 2021 would be the year when a cure for cancer would be known claiming that with the start of the 21st century, people will get rid of cancer. “The day will come when cancer will get tied with iron chains.”
One of her predictions included that the Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the target of an assassination attempt next year, also said that Islamic radicals will step to attack Europe and that the extremists will use an collection of chemical weapons on Europeans also that the world will go through a lot of calamities and excessive tragedies.
She claimed that the perception of people will have a transformation.
“Difficult times will come. People will be divided by their faith.”
The strangest of all her predictions yet is that a dragon will be overcoming humanity in 2021.
“A strong dragon will seize humanity,” she says. “The three giants will unite. Some people will have red money. I see the numbers 100, 5, and many zeros.”
Followers of the mystic like to point to her 85 percent accuracy in previous predictions, drawn from research by a former director of the Bulgarian Institute of Suggestology, Professor Georgi Lozanov.
However, a 2012 Washington Post investigation uncovered that many of the predictions attributed to the mystic have their origins in viral Russian social media posts.
No credible written version of the Baba‘s predictions is available to view, either.
According to one Bulgarian newspaper, her neighbours were quick to spike the idea that she predicted 9/11 or the sinking of the Kursk.
Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis Chairman National Tourism Board, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari has announced that World Tourism Forum 2021 will be held in Pakistan.
Speaking to a private news channel, the PM’s aide said that it will be a five-day event with over 1,000 foreign visitors expected to attend the event.
“The World Tourism Forum will have three days for conference and two days for tourism”, revealed the SAPM.
He added that the event had been planned for this year but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bukhari further said that over 32 new three-star to four-star hotels will be constructed in Pakistan in the next two years. He said that the government will renovate PTDC buildings and motels across the country to boost tourism.
The minister said that the government had shut down Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) operations to restructure it.
“We are making changes in PTDC to restructure it in accordance with global best practices,” he stated.
Earlier, Bukhari had said the government would be bringing reforms in the PTDC rather than closing it down.
It will cont to work as a federal implementation body under NTCB,new structure is proposed in consultation with field experts. For those causing hue&cry,there’s no need for it-PTDC is finally on its way to become a more efficient org with better workforce & improved policy making
