Tag: Top News

  • Zayn Malik faces Tinder bans again and again – here’s why

    Zayn Malik faces Tinder bans again and again – here’s why

    Zayn Malik recently opened up about his music, his upcoming album ‘Room Under the Stairs,’ and his past relationships. The former One Direction superstar also shared his struggles with Tinder, the popular dating app.

    In an interview with NYLON, Zayn revealed that his attempts to use Tinder were unsuccessful. He was repeatedly removed from the app because people thought he was catfishing. “Everyone accused me of catfishing,” Zayn said. “They’re like, ‘What are you using Zayn Malik’s pictures for?’” the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker said.

    “It’s not been too successful for me, I’ll be honest,” he added.

    Zayn also talked about his engagement to Perrie Edwards, which lasted from when he was 17 to age 21. He admitted, “I didn’t know anything about anything at that point. I was legally allowed to do everything, but I didn’t know [expletive]”

  • Poet Ahmad Farhad abducted from his residence

    Poet Ahmad Farhad abducted from his residence

    Well-known poet and media personality Ahmad Farhad has been abducted by unknown men on Wednesday from his house in Islamabad, his wife Ain Naqvi confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).

    Farhad’s wife wrote on X, “They broke the CCTV cameras of the house and took away the digital video recorder (DVR).”

    In another post on X, Ain Naqvi wrote that the police didn’t register  First Information Report (FIR) against her husband’s abduction.

    “My husband, Syed Farhad Ali Shah, was abducted from his house tonight at 1:03 am by unidentified men without warrants.”

    “These men broke into the house, damaged CCTV cameras, and took the DVR along with them. The unidentified men dragged him to a vehicle. There is no clue as to where he is taken,” Naqvi mentioned in her complaint.

    Naqvi also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against Farhad’s enforced disappearance.

  • PTI conditionally ready to talk with government

    PTI conditionally ready to talk with government

    On Tuesday, the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) signalled that it was ready to hold dialogues with trivial political parties albeit with some conditions – including taking back all cases against Imran Khan.

    The offer was made by a couple of PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly as members indulged in verbal skirmishes.

    “Invitations for talks have come from Rana Sanaullah, the political adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif …. as well as President Asif Zardari. I want to put this before the house on behalf of PTI. When has Imran Khan refused to hold negotiations,” asked PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan while taking part in the debate.

    “We believe that if Pakistan is to be put on the right track, then we [the politicians] will have to make decisions. We do not need any broker, dealer or individual who brings us to sit together,” he said, adding that when they would take their fight outside parliament, “then the Supreme Court will come into action, and Pindi [a reference to GHQ] and Aabpara [a reference to the ISI head office] and many other forces will come into action”, said Mr Khan, who served as the parliamentary affairs minister during the previous PTI government.

    He asked the speaker to take the initiative, stating that their first point was the release of Imran Khan and other “political prisoners” as well as the withdrawal of all “political cases”.

    The PTI MNA also mentioned the arrest of Nawaz Sharif by Gen Musharraf, saying they could not support such an action. He said Imran Khan was being punished like his predecessors when they tried to make independent decisions.

  • Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa mosque, raise Zionist flag

    Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa mosque, raise Zionist flag

    Dozens of Israelis reportedly stormed the compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, and raised the Zionist flag.

    Footage verified by Al Jazeera and released by Anadolu English shows a man holding the flag as an Israeli police officer speaks with him calmly and does not forcibly escort him from the compound.

    The incident follows rallying calls made by Beyadenu, an organisation that says it aims “to strengthen the Jewish People’s connection” to the holy site, for the Israeli flag to be raised at the mosque on May 14, reported Al Jazeera.

    Palestinians regard the day as the Nakba – or the “catastrophe” – which led to the creation of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.

    The storming of the compound is a regular occurrence even though entering any part of it is forbidden for Jews due to the sacred nature of the site.

    Simultaneously, videos have surfaced of Israeli forces brutally manhandling a young boy trying to enter the mosque at the Damascus gate of Jerusalem.
    In previous years, Israeli forces have also attacked Palestinian worshippers inside the mosque.

    Israeli children threw aid for Gaza in garbage

    Videos and pictures of extremist groups from Israel vandalising aid trucks for Gaza have emerged online where children could be seen throwing aid packages in the garbage.

    Meanwhile, more than 450,000 Palestinians have now fled southern Rafah city with another 100,000 evacuating the north as Israel’s military steps up ground incursions.

    Israeli jets bombed the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing scores of people including children. In the north, Israeli tanks, bulldozers, and armoured vehicles.

  • Politicians criticise, reject recent leaked property records

    Politicians criticise, reject recent leaked property records

    Zulfiqar Ali Badr, spokesperson for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has said that the Dubai properties of the former Foreign Minister and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari are declared before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    The spokesperson said, “The entire world knows that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Aseefa Bibi grew up in exile.”

    His remarks came as a global team of investigative journalists revealed details of properties owned by the world’s elite in Dubai.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticised the leaked property records, stating that there was “nothing new in them.”

    He also claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the names of prominent figures like Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Faisal Vawda, and others were also in the Panama leaks, which they didn’t ever deny.

    Similarly, independent senator Faisal Vawda stated on Tuesday that the “Dubai leaks” are part of propaganda, and the timing of the publication of the report is “questionable” as Pakistan is nearing attracting foreign investment.

  • Aleema Khan alarmed over Imran Khan’s safety in Adiala Jail

    Aleema Khan alarmed over Imran Khan’s safety in Adiala Jail

    Aleema Khan, sister of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, took to X (formerly Twitter) on May 15 to express concerns about the safety of her brother whilst he is incarcerated in Adiala Jail.

    Aleema Khan wrote, “Imran Khan informed us in jail: “I am concerned that they have suddenly changed my security guards at midnight.” When asked, he was told they that they had gone on leave for 2 months.”

    She also stated that a family meeting with Imran Khan was cancelled by jail authorities and the same thing happened with Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s family meeting on Monday.

    “This evening, we were informed that Al-Qadir case in jail court has also been cancelled. Quite simply, we are very concerned about his safety and well-being and can never rule out the threat to his life. There have already been several assassination attempts on him in the past few years,” she wrote on X.

    Social media reactions were mostly sympathetic to Khan’s post.

  • Turkish scholarships open for Pakistani students

    Turkish scholarships open for Pakistani students

    Students who want to study abroad, particularly in Turkey, can now pursue their education as Ankara-based TED University officials is offering significant scholarships in 23 undergraduate and 17 graduate programmes for Pakistanis, enrolling for the Fall 2024 semester.

    TED University announced that new enrollees will receive scholarships ranging from 25 percent to 100 percent, determined by their academic achievements and other credentials.

    No GRE required

    Pakistani students will not be required to undergo GRE or English language tests.

    TED is one of the top universities in Ankara with highly educated professional faculty members.

    Free of cost housing

    The university houses many facilities to support students’ education, health and recreation free of cost.

    Courses offered

    Undergraduate courses offered in the five faculties are architecture, city and regional planning, industrial design, interior architecture and environmental design, visual communication design, psychology, sociology, mathematics, English language and literature, business administration, economics, political science and international relations, early childhood education, primary education, guidance and psychological counseling, English language education, mathematics education, computer engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, industrial engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and software engineering.

    Graduate courses

    Graduate programmes include applied data science, architecture and urban studies, civil engineering, computer engineering, developmental focused clinical child and adolescent psychology, economics, economics and finance, mechanical engineering, mechatronics engineering, engineering management, English language education, industrial engineering, interactive computing and information systems, management in educational institutions, migration studies, and psychological counseling and guidance.

    Students to teachers ratio

    5,000 students were currently studying at the TED university at the moment while the faculty to student Ratio is 24:1 that provides guidance to the students.
    So far, the students have taken part in 84 research projects, 44 nationally funded projects, 23 internationally funded projects, and curated 100 industry projects.

  • Dubai Loaded: names of politicians, army officials with property, money in Dubai leaked

    Dubai Loaded: names of politicians, army officials with property, money in Dubai leaked

    Thousands of Pakistani citizens including more than a dozen retired military officials and their families own properties in upscale Dubai areas, according to data revealed by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) Dubai Unlocked project.

    The leaked data provides a detailed overview of hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai and information about their ownership or usage, largely from 2020 and 2022.

    Pakistan, a country going through a severe economic crisis, came out prominent among the countries with massive properties in Dubai.

    Among the thousands of Pakistanis who own these properties are around a dozen retired military generals, two retired air vice-marshals of the Pakistan Air Force, a serving inspector general of police (IGP), a retired president of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), a former chairman of the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL), and a serving chairman of the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology.

    Politicians

    President Asif Ali Zardari’s three children, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s wife, Sharjeel Memon and his family members, Senator Faisal Vawda, four MNAs and half a dozen MPAs from the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. Former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also appears on the list.

    The Property Leaks have also revealed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s wife owns a property in Dubai which he didn’t declare in the nomination papers he submitted in March this year for the Senate election.

    Per the Property Leaks data, Naqvi’s wife owns a five-bedroom villa in the Arabian Ranches. She received a rental income of AED600,000 (Rs45m) from this villa, which was purchased in August 2017 for AED4,347,888 (Rs329m) according to the record seen by The News. The villa remained in her ownership till April 2023 when it was sold for AED4,550,000 (Rs344m) as per the record.

    Military officials

    Late Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and his wife’s name appear in the leaked data as owners of three properties in the areas of Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa and Al Thanyah Fifth.

    Musharraf’s former military secretary Lt-Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah, who goes by the username @infantry28, is also included in the list. It should be noted his name appeared in Pandora Papers too.

    Former DG Counter Intelligence Maj Gen (r) Ehtasham Zameer, his son and other children are also on the list as owners of properties in the Al Warsan First, Marina Arcade Marsa areas.

    Also on the list is the son of Lt-Gen Afzal Muzaffar of the NLC scandal fame.

    Lt-Gen (r) Muhammad Akram owns a property in Elite Residences 4. In addition, Lt-Gen Alam Jan Mehsud and his spouse own a five-bedroom apartment in the Al Hamri Palm Jumeirah area.

    Maj Gen (r) Ghazanfar Ali Khan also owns a property in S15 Building Al Warsan First.

    Major Gen (r) Raja Muhammad Arif Nazir also appears in the leaked data for owning a property in Golf Promenade 2-A, Al Hebiah third area.

    Air Vice Marshal (r) Saleem Tariq also appears to own property. As does Air Vice Marshal (r) Khalid Masood Rajput.

    Also included in the list are Major Gen (r) Muhammad Farooq, Major Gen (r) Anis Bajwa’s spouse, and Maj Gen (r) Najam-ul-Hassan Shah.

    Businessmen

    Chief Financial Officer of Omni Group Aslam Masood along with his wife is also shown as a listed owner of several properties in the data. The News checked the value of one of them and found out that it was purchased at AED1,060,626 (Rs80m) in March 2013.

    Sohrab Dinshaw is also a property owner in Dubai. A villa he purchased in 2015 carried a purchase price of AED 1271888 (Rs 96m).

    Former president of the NBP Arif Usmani also features on the list as the owner of a penthouse.

    Bureaucrats

    IGP Azad Jammu and Kashmir Dr Sohail Habib Tajik is also on the list for owning property in Al Dafrah First Al Thanyah Third.

    The list and details will be updated.

  • Not just acting: Fahad Mustafa on his cop character in ‘Quaid e Azam Zindabad’

    Not just acting: Fahad Mustafa on his cop character in ‘Quaid e Azam Zindabad’

    Actor Fahad Mustafa took a trip down memory lane in a recent Instagram post. He reminisced about his role as a cop in the 2022 film ‘Quaid e Azam Zindabad’ directed by Nabeel Qureshi. Fahad shared a picture from the movie where he portrayed a determined law enforcer.

    Fahad Mustafa said, “Playing a cop wasn’t just acting – It was about embodying honor and duty. Grateful for the life-changing experience in Quaid e Azam Zindabad.” With Mahira Khan playing the lead next to Fahad, the film marked the first time the two celebs starred opposite each other on the silver screen.

    In ‘Quaid e Azam Zindabad,’ Fahad plays Inspector Gulab, a cop in Karachi who battles crime while dealing with bribery on the side. His life takes a turn when he meets Mahira’s character, Jia, an animal rights activist. As Gulab tries to win her affection by aiding her cause, Jinnah’s image mysteriously disappears from currency notes, leading him on a journey of redemption and love.

  • ‘Will make Pakistan wear bangles’ says Modi

    ‘Will make Pakistan wear bangles’ says Modi

    Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Monday attacked opposition leaders for being scared of Pakistan and said, “If Pakistan does not wear bangles, we’ll make the country wear them.”

    During an election rally in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, Modi said the inflammatory rhetoric was a reply to National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s statement that Pakistan has an “atomic bomb”, and not bangles.

    Modi stated, “The INDIA bloc seems to have leaders who are scared of Pakistan and have nightmares of its nuclear power.”

    Modi called the opposition leaders cowards and said they, “Give a clean chit to Pakistan on terrorism, raise doubts on surgical strikes.”