Tag: trending

  • Schools will remain open on Wednesday: Punjab Government

    Schools will remain open on Wednesday: Punjab Government

    Caretaker Education Minister for Punjab, Mansoor Qadir, confirmed that the government has chosen not to close educational institutions in the province this coming Wednesday, October 18, taking a u-turn from the administration’s previous plan. 

    Discussions were held by caretakers about the possibility of temporarily shutting down schools and offices on Wednesdays, in addition to regular weekends, as a government measure to counter smog. 

    Recent rainfall has significantly contributed to an improvement in the air quality in Lahore, the provincial capital most affected by the smog. This positive development has prompted the ruling authorities to delay the implementation of the proposed closure.

    Minister Qadir stated during the press conference, “Schools will remain open this Wednesday. We will continue to convene meetings to address the smog issue and make future decisions accordingly.”

    During the same briefing, Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir highlighted the annual health risks posed by the smog. “Raising awareness about the consequences of smog is essential for the public,” he emphasized.The government has taken measures, including the enforcement of Section 144 to curb smog, and has imposed restrictions on vehicles to prevent further exacerbation of the situation

  • What’s going on in your city this weekend                                                                      

    What’s going on in your city this weekend                                                                      

    ‘Anarkali Sy Agay’, a play created by a group called Behrupiya, will be performed on October 21 – 22 in Lahore. If you like theater and drama, this could be a fun and exciting event to attend. You can enjoy the performance and be part of the audience on those dates. So, mark your calendar and don’t miss this show!

    Experience a captivating musical adventure to Ormara Beach with Mubashir Hasan and Ali Asad, alongside popular bloggers and TikTokers, happening on October 21, 2023. The concert promises a day filled with music and scenic beauty. Don’t miss out on this memorable trip!

    Get ready for a month-long Halloween extravaganza at Winterland in both Karachi and Lahore. From October 1 to October 31, Winterland promises a spooky and fun-filled experience. You’ll be immersed in a Halloween wonderland with eerie decorations, ghostly encounters, glow-in-the-dark face painting, trick-or-treat adventures, mask crafting, and a photo booth to capture all the memorable moments. Don’t miss out on this frightfully delightful event at Winterland inLahore’s Bahria Town.   

    Join an electrifying experience at the Red Bull Off The Roofevent in Islamabad on October 28, 2023. It’s not just a concert; it’s a mobile stage on wheels, bringing your favorite artists to the heart of Islamabad. Don’t miss out on this thrilling musical journey through the city.

  • Abdullah Shafiq ko hogya bukhaar

    Abdullah Shafiq ko hogya bukhaar

    Pakistan’s opening batsman Abdullah Shafique has contracted fever ahead of the national’s team match against Australia on October 20, team sources have told Geo News’s reporter Faizan Lakhani on Tuesday.

    As per team management, earlier Fakhar Zaman was suffering from knee pain, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usama Mir were suffering from fever, however, all three have now recovered.

    Reports state that the team underwent comprehensive medical examinations as part of the COVID-19 and dengue fever protocol.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday rejected media reports that claimed several players have contracted an infection.

    “Thankfully, there is no viral infection or disease,” a PCB spokesperson said after reports triggered speculations.

    The team also changed their training sessions multiple times lending credence to these reports.

    “Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation,” the spokesperson added.

    Meanwhile, the team also rescheduled a training session after cancelling it earlier today.

    Pakistan team will have a two-hour training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium today (Tuesday) from 6pm to 8pm in Bengaluru.

    Assuring concerned fans, sources stated to Lakhani, “There is no concern about the health of players.”

    “Some players got fever in the past few days, and most of them have fully recovered from it. Those who are in the stage of recovery remain under the team medical panel’s observation,” said the Pakistan team’s spokesman.

    Schedule of Pakistan’s remaining matches

    October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru

    October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai

    October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai

    October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata

    November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)

    November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

    Day matches will start at 10:00am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30pm (PST).

    Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

    Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

    Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

  • Indian man to buy iPhone 15 with sack full of coins

    Indian man to buy iPhone 15 with sack full of coins

    A young man from India can be seen in a viral video, attempting to buy the newly launched iPhone 15, with a sack full of coins, while dressed as a beggar. 

    Dressed in a tattered vest and a lungi, the “Experiment King” conducted a social stint cum promotional video to see how shopkeepers react to his demand of buying the very expensive iPhone 15.

    Experiment King, as the man calls himself on Instagram, visits multiple shops in Jodhpur, where he is refused entry in some outlets while being judged by others. Eventually, one showroom accepts his mode of payment and the owner along with his associates can be seen counting the coins. The video ends with him getting pictured with the owner with the same phone bought by him.

    The video has garnered a plethora of reactions from netizens along 34 million views. Some praised him for bringing about a thought-provoking video while others criticized him for being over-the-top exaggeration. 

     Nonetheless, the video has managed to attract as much attention as it wanted. 

  • ‘Special relief’ to Nawaz Sharif; PPP expresses concerns

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has lifted up concerns about speculation that former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif will get “special relief” on his return to Pakistan on October 21.

    PPP’s Secretary General, Syed Nayyer Husain Bukhari, said in his statement on Monday that the PML-N supremo had been legally convicted by courts, stressing that Nawaz Sharif will have to face the law after his return to the country.

    “It is surprising [for PML-N] to hope that the judiciary will set a precedent of special relief for Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

    The PPP leader also said that the election is necessary for the prolongation of the parliamentary system in the country, demanding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announce a polling date as soon as possible.

    “The PPP demands a level playing field for all,” he maintained.

  • Nawaz Sharif’s legal team all set to file protective bail

    Nawaz Sharif’s legal team all set to file protective bail

    Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s legal team is gearing up to file three petitions seeking protective bail in the Avenfield, Al-Azizia, and Toshakhana cases.

    These petitions are expected to be submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) as per sources of Dawn’s reporter Malik Asad.

    It is pertinent to mention that Nawaz Sharif is set to address a public gathering at Minar e Pakistan on October 21, after spending almost four years in the UK for his ‘medical treatment’.

    Nawaz Sharif had previously faced convictions in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references, along with being declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana case, which is currently being heard in an accountability court in Islamabad. During his time abroad, he had been granted bail in these cases.

    The decision to approach the IHC for protective bail appears to have been influenced by prior instances where the court had granted protective bail to individuals who were declared proclaimed offenders, including Sharjeel Inam Memon, Arbab Alamgir, and Asma Arbab, without the requirement of surrender beforehand.

    Sources close to the proceedings disclosed that there would be at least two court hearings – one before Nawaz Sharif’s return and another where he would surrender himself before the court.

    Following this surrender, he would be required to pursue pending appeals against his convictions in the Avenfield Apartment and Al-Azizia references, as well as address the ongoing Toshakhana vehicle case.

    The Toshakhana case, previously put on hold under NAB amendments, was reopened following a Supreme Court ruling to revive corruption cases.

    In 2018, Nawaz Sharif was convicted in two cases – the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia references. However, he was acquitted in the Flagship reference. The late Judge Arshad Malik, who presided over the Al-Azizia reference, later claimed to have authored the judgment under duress.

  • Asian Development Bank believes Pakistan is the “least ready” country for digital education

    Asian Development Bank believes Pakistan is the “least ready” country for digital education

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its report titled “Toward mature digital education ecosystems, the Digital Education Readiness Framework”, has stated that Pakistan is the least ready country for digital education among the developing member countries (DMC).

    The report has highlighted major areas of improvement in Pakistan, including low internet connectivity, low fixed broadband speeds, high fixed line broadband costs and low rural electricity supply. Only 34.1 percent of households are connected with an internet connection.

    There is an absence of teacher training in information and communication technology (ICT) skills with a special focus on delivering online education. Pakistan has also the lowest shares of ICT graduates from the total pool of tertiary education graduates-1.1 percent- standing at the lowest among all 10 ADB members.

    However, Pakistan has surpassed all countries in its cable TV subscriptions coverage with over 482 subscriptions per 1000 persons. The country’s household TV coverage rate is at 62.8 percent.

    Six of the ten DMCs are in the “initial category of readiness”. They are Cambodia, Bangladesh, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan and Fiji in order.

    The other four countries in the “emerging category of readiness” are Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

    Fixed broadband prices play an important role in the ranking of these countries. While Cambodia, Indonesia and Pakistan are least affordable in broadband, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Uzbekistan are the most affordable.

    The difference between the model country’s normalized score and the highest-scoring country’s score is almost 45 points.

  • Fatima Bhutto, Kamila Shamsie, 600 authors sign open letter protesting after Frankfurt Book Fair shuts down Palestinian author

    Fatima Bhutto, Kamila Shamsie, 600 authors sign open letter protesting after Frankfurt Book Fair shuts down Palestinian author

    Pakistani writer and columnist Fatima Bhutto and Pakistani-British author Kamila Shamsie were among the 600 writers, academics and translators who signed an open letter in support of Palestinian author Adania Shibli. The ceremony was set to celebrate Shibli’s novel ‘Minor Detail’ by giving her the 2023 LiBeraturpreis, a German literature prize annually awarded to authors from Africa, Asia, Latin American or from Arabia.

    Fatima shared a screenshot of the letter on her Instagram account and urged her followers to read ‘Minor Detail’.

    This outrage arrives after Frankfurt Book Fair postponed the awards ceremony which was due to honour Shibli, providing the explanation “due to the war started by the Hamas, under which millions of people in Israel and Palestine are suffering.”

    In the original statement, LitProm said this was a joint decision made with the author. However, Shibli’s literary agency revealed to The Guardian the decision was not made with her permission, and had the awards ceremony been held she would have taken the moment to reflect on the power of literature during these cruel times.

    The open letter which includes Bhutto, British historian William Darlymple, Shamsie, Irish novelist Colm Toibin, called out the organisers behind the Frankfurt Book Fair writing it holds “a responsibility to be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down.”

    The event was due to honor Adania’s 2020 novel ‘Minor Detail’ which details the true story about the rape and murder of a Palestinian Bedouin girl by Israeli soldiers. The English translation was nominated for a National Book Award in 2020 and the International Booker Prize in 2021.

    Controversy surrounding the book began this week when the German newspaper, Die Tageszeitung, accused the book for portraying “the State of Israel as a murder machine.”

  • Court postpones indictment of PTI leaders in cipher case

    Court postpones indictment of PTI leaders in cipher case

    The indictment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi occurred on Tuesday in the cipher case. The special court established under the Official Secrets Act postponed the hearing till next week.

    The hearing took place within Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, during which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) provided the accused PTI leaders with copies of the challan submitted against them.

    The special court judge, Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, postponed the indictment of PTI leaders until next week as the counsel refrained from receiving the copies of the challan in the last hearing.

    The FIA special prosecutor, Shah Khawar, Khan, Qureshi, and their legal teams were all present in the courtroom during the hearing.

    In the last hearing on October 9, the court shared copies of the challan with the accused submitted by the FIA.

    “The accused had refused to receive a copy of the challan at the previous hearing,” the FIA special prosecutor said.

    The PTI chief’s focal person on legal affairs, Umair Niazi, told journalists outside the Adiala Jail that copies of the challan were not given in the last hearing.

  • Ushna Shah, Sakina Samoon criticise Pakistani celebrities not speaking out against Palestine genocide

    Ushna Shah, Sakina Samoon criticise Pakistani celebrities not speaking out against Palestine genocide

    As the tide shifts around the world with protests calling for an end to the Palestinian genocide, many global celebrities like Riz Ahmed have joined in the cause. However in Pakistan, there is a noticeable absence of many prominent celebrities whose voices are critically needed during this time, and public figures are calling this silence out.

    Actress Ushna Shah took to her Twitter account to criticise many of her peers who have chosen to remain silent rather than call out the slaughter of Palestinians by Israel.

    “To my peers who haven’t spoken up: Say with me: I don’t support the ethnic cleansing of Palestine or Israel’s illegal occupation. I stand with Palestine.

    No excuses, no ‘both sides’, no vague ‘peace wishes’. Most of Hollywood is using their platform to be clear about their stance; we need to be clear in ours. Vague posts might protect brand deals, but this issue is bigger than ad money. Speak out, take a stand. DISINFORMATION IS EVERYWHERE; If you follow any Hollywood celebrity or western media you’ll see this clear as day. Palestine needs your voice. A massive ethnic cleansing is happening right now, this is bigger than all of us.”

    Veteran actress Sakina Samoon reshared a post by writer Fatima Bhutto on her Instagram account which condemned the silence of brown celebrities and influencers on their silence over Palestine. In the caption, the actress wrote: “Indeed pathetic. They want work from the western industry, endorsements etc.”