Tag: Top News

  • Legendary singer Eric Clapton plans special concert for children of Gaza

    Legendary singer Eric Clapton plans special concert for children of Gaza

    In a heartfelt initiative to make a difference in the lives of the children of Gaza, legendary musician Eric Clapton is set to deliver a powerful message through the broadcast of his intimate concert, which took place in London in December 2023.

    Scheduled for airing on January 17th, the exclusive performance is not only a musical treat for fans but also a beacon of hope for a cause that has gone global.

    Eric Clapton’s concert, performed in front of a small, intimate audience, showcased the artist’s iconic songs such as Tears In Heaven, Got To Get Better In A Little While, and a poignant rendition of George Harrison’s Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) featuring Dhani Harrison.

    The carefully curated setlist not only resonates with Clapton’s musical prowess but also reflects the spirit of empathy and compassion that underscores the purpose of this unique broadcast.

    By choosing Gaza as the beneficiary, Clapton not only spotlights the urgent need for support but also invites viewers to contribute to a cause that transcends borders, fostering a collective effort to bring hope and relief to the young lives affected.

  • Bilawal to contest on two, Zardari on one NA seat

    Bilawal to contest on two, Zardari on one NA seat

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is set to run for two National Assembly seats in the upcoming general elections, while his father, co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari will contest from one National Assembly seat from Sindh, as reported by The News on Saturday.

    According to a list of participating candidates from Sindh and Balochistan announced by the PPP (Parliamentarians), the former foreign minister will run for NA-194 in Larkana-I and NA-196 in Qambar Shahdadkot-I, while former president Zardari will contest elections from NA-207 in Shaheed Benazirabad-I.

    The party released its list a day earlier, revealing the candidates’ names and constituencies in Sindh who are going to participate in a significant political competition scheduled for the upcoming month, aiming to secure positions in both the National and Sindh assemblies.

    Other prominent names that the party has fielded for contesting the much-awaited elections for a seat in the lower house from the southern province, include Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah from NA-201 (Sukkur-II), Nafisa Shah from NA-202 (Khairpur-I), Shazia Atta Marri from NA-209 (Sanghar-I), Pir Aftab Shah Jeelani from NA-211 (Mirpurkhas-I), Mir Munawar Ali Talpur from NA-212 (Mirpurkhas-II), Syed Naveed Qamar from NA-221 (Tando Muhammad Khan), Nabeel Gabol from NA-239 (Karachi South-I) and Abdul Qadir Patel from NA-243 (Karachi Keamari-II), among others.

  • India-settled Pakistani Seema’s husband has not seen his children in seven months, asks government for justice

    India-settled Pakistani Seema’s husband has not seen his children in seven months, asks government for justice

    Pakistani woman Seema Haider, who went viral last year for illegally crossing the border to marry an Indian PUBG friend, is now expecting her fifth child, her first with her cross-border paramour.

    Seema made headlines last year when she took her four children and crossed the border to marry Noida-based Sachin Meena, got arrested but still managed to officiate the marriage by converting to Hinduism.

    Recently, while speaking at a YouTube show, Seema said she would welcome the newborn soon. When the reporter asked if 2024 would bring new happiness, Seema said, “Definitely,” adding, “2023 also brought a lot of joy”.

    The Pakistani national, who lives with Sachin and her four other children in Greater Noida, said that her husband’s birthday was also approaching, “and it would be great to have another member around the same time.”

    Asked about the delivery date, Seema said, “It’s impossible before Holi but the good news will come soon.”

    Meanwhile, Sachin’s father, a palmist, had a look at Seema’s palm and predicted the newborn would be a baby boy.

    Seema moved to India via Nepal with her four children. Her eight-year-old son, Farhan Ali was named Raj after the family arrived here. Her three daughters Farva, 6, Fariha Batool, 4, and Farha, are now Priyanka, Munni, and Pari respectively.

    Ghulam Haider, Seema’s Pakistani husband, has approached the Pakistani Foreign Office and the Indian High Commission seeking the return of his children to Pakistan.

    His lawyer says that the children were taken there illegally without the consent of the biological father.

    Haider hasn’t spoken to his four children in seven months, says his legal team.

    Haider plans to pursue legal actions in Indian courts and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

  • Bilal Qureshi’s perspective on actresses in revealing outfits

    Bilal Qureshi’s perspective on actresses in revealing outfits

    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.”

  • No signal from ‘any quarters’ to postpone upcoming polls, Solangi confirms

    No signal from ‘any quarters’ to postpone upcoming polls, Solangi confirms

    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.”

  • British-Pakistani given royal award for saving 29 lives

    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).

  • American couple’s dog eats cash worth more than 11 lac and they retrieve it through vomit and poop

    American couple’s dog eats cash worth more than 11 lac and they retrieve it through vomit and poop

    A Pittsburgh couple’s dog Cecil ate through 4,000 dollars in cash, leading his owners to embark on a difficult recovery mission.

    The couple, Clayton and Carrie Law were in shock when their dog ate the huge sum they had just withdrawn from the bank. Clayton had set the money on the kitchen table and within 30 minutes their usually restrained dog just decided to hop onto it. The dog ingested about half the money and ripped up the other half, Clayton said.

    After searching online, the couple found that damaged currency can be mailed or dropped off at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s office along with a letter stating the estimated amount and the reason for damage.

    However, this is expected to take six months to three years. Instead of waiting, Carrie said the couple called their bank to see if they could deposit damaged currency. They learned this happens often, and the bank advised them to wait until Cecil expelled the cash – one way or another.
    That same night, the dog vomited almost 100 dollars, the couple told USA Today in an interview.

    During the next three days, Cecil excreted a couple of 50 and 100-dollar bills. The couple had a system in place: Clayton would pick up the feces and stand at their sink, sorting what came out. Meanwhile, Carrie would try to match the serial numbers on the scraps of bills and tape them together.
    The Laws were able to recover around $3,500 of the original $4,000 Cecil ripped up and ate. They still have the recovered money in their home and they are planning to see if the bank will accept it.

    When Carrie posted a video of what happened on Instagram, she initially thought only a few friends would see it and engage with it.
    Since it was posted on Dec. 14, the video has received nearly 11.6 million views on Instagram.

  • Covid testing of foreign arrivals starts again in Pakistan

    Covid testing of foreign arrivals starts again in Pakistan

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) has provided COVID-19 testing kits to the Border Health Services Department in Islamabad, reports Geo.

    According to the officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, 40,000 rapid diagnostic kits have been given to the Border Health Services Department.
    The authorities told Geo that COVID testing of those coming from abroad has started at many airports including Islamabad. Two percent of the passengers coming from abroad will be subjected to mandatory Covid testing.

    Officials said that genome sequencing of a few detected Covid cases is also being carried out.

    Testing kits have not yet arrived at Multan and Faisalabad International Airports.

    Meanwhile, a new sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus named JN.1 has health experts on alert, as it has been classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to its fast-growing spread. A staggering fifty percent increase in COVID-19 infections has been observed worldwide.

  • Senate approves resolution asking for delay in elections

    Senate approves resolution asking for delay in elections

    The Pakistani Senate has approved a resolution to postpone the general elections scheduled for February 8 in the country.

    Senator Dilawar Khan tabled the resolution in the sparsely attended Upper House which garnered required support despite opposition from Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and Senator Afnan Ullah Khan of the Muslim League (N).

    13 out of 14 senators present in the House voted in favor of the resolution.

    As Senator Dilawar read the resolution out loud, he said that the Constitution upheld the right to vote for every citizen of Pakistan, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was bound to conduct free and fair polls contingent upon inclusivity and ensuring the participation of all regional people.

    “The vote turnout in colder areas remains notably high during the moderate weather conditions. January and February are recognised as the coldest months in the majority of the areas in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

    Senator Dilawar Khan cited severe cold weather prevalent in many regions, making participation in those areas challenging.

    He also highlighted recent security incidents, including attacks on Mohsin Dawar and members of Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), as well as security forces in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    Aimal Wali of the ANP also expressed reservations over the elections.

    During the debate, Senator Dilawar Khan emphasized the existence of threats against individuals during election rallies, underscoring the need to address these security challenges before proceeding with the elections.

    He proposed delaying the February 8 election schedule and called for the Election Commission to act, expressing trust in the Senate Election Commission.

    Senator Afnan Ullah Khan of the Muslim League (N) opposed the resolution, seeking to validate Senator Dilawar Khan’s concerns.

    He acknowledged security challenges but argued that conditions were not as dire as in 2008 and 2013 when elections proceeded under more adverse circumstances.

    Afnan Ullah questioned the rationale behind using security as a pretext for postponing the elections, expressing skepticism about the proposed delay, questioning whether Great Britain and the United States postponed elections during major conflicts.

    He asserted that using weather conditions as a reason for election delay was unfounded, pointing out that elections had been held twice in adverse circumstances before.

    Information Minister Murtaza Solangi also voiced his opposition to the resolution. However, despite these objections, the Senate moved forward, approving the resolution to postpone the general elections slated for February 8.

    The controversy surrounding the decision continues, with differing opinions on the validity of the reasons presented for delaying the electoral process.

  • Punjab: 261 Startups ‘graduate’ under National Expansion Plan

    Punjab: 261 Startups ‘graduate’ under National Expansion Plan

    A total of 261 startups graduated under the National Expansion Plan (NEP) of the National Incubation Centres (NICs) Programme, a collaborative effort of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), from January 2023 to December 2023, reports the Express Tribune.

    The meeting was presided over by PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf who informed the participants that 87 of the successful startups from Punjab, 64 from Sindh, 39 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 31 from Balochistan and 20 each from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

    The PITB chairman said the objective of the plan was to democratise entrepreneurship, boost business activity across the country, grow the IT industry and promote economic growth. “The incubation programme is tailored to the needs of early-stage startups and runs on a zero-equity model,” he added.

    In partnership with public sector universities, 13 tech incubation centres have been set up across the country, where startups are provided free of charge workspace, mentorship, networking opportunities and stipend.