Tag: Pakistan

  • Exclusive: Are Sidra Niazi and Khaqan Shahnawaz related?

    Exclusive: Are Sidra Niazi and Khaqan Shahnawaz related?

    Two new stars from the Pakistan showbiz industry, Sidra Niazi and Khaqan Shahnawaz, recently addressed rumors about being related to each other in an interview.

    Exclusive story:

    In an interview with The Current, Sidra Niazi told us that she is not related to Khaqan Shahnawaz. “No, we are not siblings, but many people ask this question when they see us.”
    The interview will be out on Sunday.

    Here is a clip from the interview:

    During their appearance on a morning show, both Sidra and Khaqan discussed their roles as siblings in a drama serial.
    When the host inquired about their off-screen relation, both artists shared a laugh and explained that the director, Sirajul Haque had cast them as siblings in the drama. Sidra Niazi emphasized that they are not siblings and have no familial connection.

  • Video: Mother saves child from getting crushed by train

    Video: Mother saves child from getting crushed by train

    A mother in India risked her life to save her child from getting hit by a train. The video of the incident has gone viral.

    According to Indian media, the incident happened in the state of Bihar where the mother risked her life to save her infant last week.

    On Saturday, the woman and her children reached Bihar’s Barh Railway Station to board the Vikramshila Express to Delhi along with their family. A large group began to board the train and in a rush to get on, all three were pushed off the platform and fell on the tracks.

    In the video, it can be seen that the mother is lying on the track on top of the child and the train passed over her, luckily not hitting her.

    After the train passed, people picked up the woman and the child and made them sit on the platform.

  • Usman Mukhtar thinks one role suits wife Zunaira best

    Usman Mukhtar thinks one role suits wife Zunaira best

    Usman Mukhtar is a talented actor and director, known for his selective project choices that his fans adore. The relationship with his wife Zunaira begun when they were friends, and it’s reflected in their attitude towards each other.

    A fan asked Usman Mukhtar, “Will your wife ever act alongside you in a role,” to which he responded playfully that she would consider it only if the role required her to play a character who teases or trolls him. This showcased the actor’s sense of humor and added a playful element to discussions about potential on-screen collaborations with his spouse.

    The couple continues to charm fans with their adorable social media banter. In another instance, during Usman’s work stint in Karachi, Zunaira playfully trolled him on Instagram after he posted a photo captioned, “When you’re sleeping and suddenly smell Biryani.” Their witty exchange leaves netizens amused.

  • Fully funded scholarship in Sweden; Here’s how you can apply

    Fully funded scholarship in Sweden; Here’s how you can apply

    Sweden has announced a scholarship opportunity supported by the Swedish Government, aimed at achieving and contributing to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals encompass extraordinary opportunities. Participants become lifelong members of the Future Global Leaders, developing relationships within the Swedish Alumni Networks. This scholarship program is fully funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Course Duration:

    Master’s Degree Programs for 1-2 years.

    Fields of study:

    For a comprehensive list of eligible master’s programs for the academic year 2024/2025, the link to the details of the program is https://si.se/app/uploads/2017/10/updated.-sisgp_eligible_master_programmes_2024_2025.pdf

    Eligibility Criteria for the Scholarship

    1. The candidate must have work experience of a minimum of 3000 hours.
    2. The candidate must have demonstrated leadership experience from the employment.
    3. The candidate must be engaged as a leader in civil society engagements.
    4. The candidate must be able to get admission to an SI Scholarship-eligible master’s program.

    How to Apply?

    1. Visit UniversityAdmissions.se and apply for your master’s program(s) by January 15, 2024. After submitting your application, you will receive an eight-digit personal application number. Keep this number for your SI Scholarship application to ensure accuracy and avoid disqualification.
    2. The candidate has to apply for SI scholarships separately after completing the admission application.
    3. You can apply for up to 4 master’s programs for SI Scholarship in Sweden 2024.
    4. Once an applicant submits his or her admission application, he or she will receive a personal application number.
    5. A candidate must save this application number for applying to the Global Professional Program (Swedish Institute Scholarship).

    Benefits of the Scholarship:

    1. The scholarship will cover the full tuition fee.
    2. The living expenses will be covered and a monthly stipend of SEK 12,000 will be given.
    3. Medical insurance will be covered.
    4. A travel grant of SEK 15,000 will be provided for the entire period of study.
    5. The fellows will get membership in the SI Network for Future Global Leaders.

      Required documents for the scholarship:
      1. Motivation letter
      2. CV
      3. Letters of reference
      4. Valid and completed proof of work and leadership experience
      5. Copy of your valid passport

      Deadline:
      Applicants can apply for the Global Professional Scholarship from 10 February to 28 February 2024.

  • State won’t accept ‘elements’ supporting terrorists in Balochistan, says PM Kakar

    State won’t accept ‘elements’ supporting terrorists in Balochistan, says PM Kakar

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar criticised “elements” who are backing terrorists and militants in the name of supporting Baloch protesters demanding the release of all missing persons.
    The prime minister’s statement came during a press conference in Lahore as the Baloch families of missing persons protested against “enforced disappearance” and “extrajudicial killing” in Islamabad.

    PM Kakar said that the state would not tolerate elements who are supporting militants and terrorists involved in the killing of individuals from Balochistan, including teachers, doctors, and lawyers.

    The Prime Minister also criticised the media for portraying the Baloch families protest in an inaccurate way, but in reality, he said, Baloch stood with Pakistan.

    The premier said that there was no restriction on freedom of expression and that every citizen has the right to protest within constitutional limits. “The families have the right to protest for their beloved ones, but others are just launching baseless criticism.”

    However, he also said that the state won’t allow those elements who want to support militants and terrorists in the country.
    “Those who want to support them [armed militants] should join the camp of the militant outfits who termed terrorism as a movement,” he added.
    Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also said that the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (Raw), is funding terrorists in Balochistan.

    On the other hand, Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch tweeted on X (previously Twitter) in response to Kakar’s press conference: “From the inception of our movement, our demands have been clear: an end to all forms of human rights violations in Balochistan and the cessation of the Baloch genocide. We’ve presented these demands to the state through the media. Our stance has remained clear from the beginning – we seek negotiations with the state regarding these demands. Sadly, the world witnesses the continuous irresponsibility and stubbornness of the state, where peaceful protestors endure torture and arrests, and media trials are conducted against this peaceful movement. Today, the Prime Minister of Pakistan declared victims of enforced disappearances as terrorists, insulting victim families and addressing peaceful political activists in a threatening tone. However, we assert to this state and government that we will persist in informing the world about your oppression and barbarism.”

  • ‘American Idol’ star Paula Abdul sues producer for sexual assault

    ‘American Idol’ star Paula Abdul sues producer for sexual assault

    U.S. singer, dancer and ‘American Idol‘ star Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit accusing British television executive Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her when they worked together on two popular talent shows, according to court documents.

    Paula Abdul, who rose to fame as a chart-topping singer in the late 1980s, alleged in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator during the early seasons of TV singing competition series ‘American Idol.’

    Nigel Lythgoe, the producer of several hit television talent competitions, allegedly groped her, and got physical without consent in a hotel elevator after a day of auditions for ‘American Idol.’ Paula Abdul tried to push him away and ran as soon as the elevator doors opened, court documents said.

    Reuters was not immediately able to reach Paula Abdul or Nigel Lythgoe for comment.

    Nigel Lythogoe denied the allegations, according to TMZ.

    “For more than two decades, Paula [Abdul] and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues,” he told TMZ. “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.”

    According to court documents, Paula Abdul immediately reported the assault by Nigel Lythgoe, an ‘American Idol’ producer at the time, to her representatives but did not take action for fear of losing her job, the lawsuit said.

    Moreover, Paula Abdul’s contracts prohibited her from speaking out, the lawsuit said.

    Another alleged assault took place years later when Paula Abdul worked as a judge on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ according to court documents. The star, 61, enjoyed renewed popularity in the early 2000s starring as a judge on talent TV series.

    The lawsuit alleges Nigel Lythgoe, 74, assaulted her on the couch of his Los Angeles home after a work dinner. Paula Abdul again firmly rejected him and “immediately left [Nigel] Lythgoe’s home,” court documents said.

    In the lawsuit, Paula Abdul levels other allegations at the entertainment industry mogul, including that Nigel Lythgoe once called to taunt her and said it had been “seven years and the statute of limitations had run” on the alleged assaults.

    The lawsuit alleged that the star also witnessed Nigel Lythgoe assault one of her assistants on ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’

    The lawsuit was submitted days before the Dec. 31 filing deadline established under the California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. The legislation allows individuals to bring certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise have fallen outside the statute of limitations.

  • Dense fog disrupts Islamabad flight operations

    Dense fog disrupts Islamabad flight operations

    Flight operations out of Islamabad International Airport have been greatly affected due to heavy fog in the federal capital and twin city of Rawalpindi.

    According to Geo News, three flights arriving in Islamabad were diverted to Lahore and Peshawar, while the arrival and departure of dozens of other flights have been affected.

    A private airline’s flight from Karachi to Islamabad landed in Lahore after half an hour of waiting in the air, while the Sharjah-Islamabad flight PK 182 also landed in Peshawar. The flight arriving in Islamabad from Dubai also shifted to Lahore.

    According to the aviation department, a British Airways flight from Islamabad to London and an Emirates flight kept waiting for clearance to depart for Dubai.

    Flights from Islamabad to Gilgit and Bahrain could not depart on time as fog reduced visibility.

    The reports of dense fog have been received from all around the city which is hindering the normal lifestyle.

  • Watch: Man beats child for hitting his car with a football

    Watch: Man beats child for hitting his car with a football

    An adult car driver beat up a child after the youngster’s football hit his car in a residential area of Faisalabad.

    In a viral video of the incident, the driver can be seen getting angry after a football hit his car. He then gets out of the vehicle and kicks the child.

    Footage shows the man slapping the child, causing the boy to fall to the ground and break his tooth.

    The child’s father says that the child was playing in the street when the ball accidentally fell on the car, reports Geo.

    The child’s father has requested the police to register a case against the driver.

  • Junaid Khan meets Bollywood star, video goes viral

    Junaid Khan meets Bollywood star, video goes viral

    Pakistani actor Junaid Khan met Indian actress Ameesha Patel at an event organized in connection with the New Year in America.

    Junaid Khan has shared photos and a video of his meeting with Ameesha Patel on Instagram.

    “Ending 2023 and celebrating New Year’s Eve with some very special people this year. A big shoutout to Ameesha Patel for such an awesome New Year’s celebration. With her energy and amazing performances, it was an epic night indeed!! It was an absolute pleasure meeting her!”

    Junaid Khan expressed his happiness on meeting Ameesha Patel and also appreciated her wonderful performance on New Year’s Night. He also shared a video of himself from the event on his Instagram account. In the beginning of the video, fans can be seen taking selfies with Junaid Khan. Then Amisha Patel performs a dance sequence at the event, while at the end, the two actors can be seen having what looks like a very pleasant conversation with each other.

    Maybe the two can star in a future project soon. Fans would certainly love to see that.

  • British student finds lost sketches 4,000 miles away in Lahore

    A British student of fashion and arts lost her collection of sketches but miraculously found all her work, thousands of miles away, in Pakistan.

    BBC reports that 20-year-old Grace Hart was worried that she would not get into the university where she applied for admission when her mother accidentally discarded her portfolio required for her admission. But a year later, she found out that her artwork was being sold in a charity shop in Lahore.

    A photographer who came across her work in the city, found Hart on Instagram and sent it all back.

    The chain of events took place while she was putting together her portfolio for an application for a fashion degree at Manchester Metropolitan University.

    Hart’s artbooks got mixed up with the things her family was donating to a charity shop.

    “I was stressing so much, because those art books were the only thing I had that proved I did work at school,” she told BBC. But fortunately, Hart had pictures of her art which she was able to send to the university and got accepted.

    Fashion photographer Tajwar Munir from Lahore found her work in a thrift store and messaged Hart. Initially, however, she thought that the message was a scam and did not respond.

    Months later, the international delivery arrived and she got back her lost art work.

    “I’ve always taken a lot of pride in my art,” she said. “It was very upsetting when I realised it had gone missing.”

    Her mother recalls that they “had searched everywhere”.

    “I did feel sick. I was absolutely gutted. Grace is really talented and her artwork is amazing. I started to panic and thought, ‘What is she going to do for university?’”

    She asserted that everyone should extensively check bags before discarding them or giving them away.

    “I never expected in a million years that we would get her artwork back, but it does restore your faith in humanity,” she said.