Tag: trending

  • “Change begins now,” Labour’s Keir Starmer on winning UK elections

    “Change begins now,” Labour’s Keir Starmer on winning UK elections

    Keir Starmer from Britain’s Labour has pledged to change UK as the next Prime Minister after his party won big in parliamentary elections on Friday, putting an end to 14 years of Conservative rule in the country.

    “The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” a sombre-looking Rishi Sunak said in his speech after the results came out.

    Rishi called the results “sobering” as he took responsibility for the defeat.

    “Change begins now,” Starmer said in a victory speech.

    “We said we would end the chaos, and we will, we said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.”

    At a triumphant party rally in central London, Starmer, 61, cautioned that change would not come overnight, even as Labour snatched a great number of Tory seats around the country, including from nine Cabinet members, and former prime minister Liz Truss. Truss lost in her rural constituency by a slim margin of 630 votes.

    How did the elections go?

    Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament.

    An exit poll for UK broadcasters published after polls closed on Thursday put Labour on course for a return to power for the first time since 2010, with 410 seats and a 170-seat majority.

    The Tories will get only 131 seats in the House of Commons—a record low—with the right-wing vote apparently spliced by Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party.

    Esteemed journalist in an article for his platform Zeteo wrote, “Goodbye to the party that helped unleash shameful levels of racism and hate against both migrants and minorities, with not just Brexit but “Go Home” vans and the Rwanda plan; bigoted rhetoric about “swarms” of migrants and citizens of nowhere.”

    What will happen to the government?

    Sunak will tender his resignation to head of state King Charles III, with the monarch then asking Starmer, as the leader of the largest party in parliament, to form a government.

    To-do list for next government

    Starmer took over the party post-Brexit in 2020 and had aimed to bring it to the centre again.

    Starmer is facing a daunting to-do list, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded due to swinging cuts, and households squeezed financially.

    When it comes to Gaza, he is on the same page as Rishi Sunak, emphasising support for Israel’s right to defend itself while maintaining the recognition of a two-state solution. However, Starmer has said he would review arms sales to Israel but has also not made a pledge to suspend any.

    Additionally, Starmer has shown its determination to scrap the UK’s Controversial Rwanda Bill for asylum seekers that was introduced to deport illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda.

  • Multiple PTI workers indicted in vandalism case 

    Multiple PTI workers indicted in vandalism case 

    Multiple leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been indicted in a vandalism case registered against them at the New Town police station Karachi, ARY News reported on Friday.

    PTI members, including Raja Azhar, Fahim Khan, Shah Nawaz Jadoon, and others, confessed to the crime.

    Earlier, Islamabad police arrested PTI Islamabad chapter president Amir Mughal just before the upcoming PTI’s public rally in the capital city on July 6.

  • Girls prefer wealth over love: Agha Ali

    Girls prefer wealth over love: Agha Ali

    Rejoice ladies, Agha Ali understands us better than we do ourselves. The actor recently came up with the gem that women prioritize wealth and luxury over love and loyalty.

    Aren’t we lucky that he understands us so thoroughly?

    In a recent TV appearance, Agha Ali reflected on past mistakes, admitting to saying things in interviews that he shouldn’t have and leaving out important details.
    “I’ve learned from my mistakes and am working on rebuilding myself after feeling broken,” he said, emphasizing his commitment to honesty in interviews, aiming to show his true self to the public.
    And then he did, with the misogynistic comments about women.

    Addressing rumors about his character, he clarified, “I’m not a playboy anymore.”
    Speaking on modern relationships, Ali remarked that many women today prioritize financial security and a luxurious lifestyle over love and loyalty.
    “Money can get you anything in this world, even a partner,” he observed.
    Ali’s advice to men was straightforward: “First, earn money, buy a house and a car, then think about love and relationships.”

    On a serious note, while his advice to men about being financially secure is pertinent, the rest of his comments about women are quite problematic.

    In a society dominated by men, it is not a bad thing for women to think about their financial future neither should they be shamed for doing so.

  • Twitter going to war over Fawad’s Bollywood project

    Twitter going to war over Fawad’s Bollywood project

    Fawad Khan, the acclaimed Pakistani actor, is rarely involved in controversies but recently became the center of one following the recent announcement of his return to Bollywood after an eight-year hiatus.

    Known for his roles in films like Khoobsurat and Kapoor & Sons, Khan’s decision to work alongside actress Vaani Kapoor has sparked heated discussions across social media platforms.

    The news of Khan’s comeback, first reported yesterday, has drawn a barrage of reactions, with many expressing disappointment and frustration. Critics on Twitter and other forums have voiced concerns over Khan’s choice to resume his Bollywood career, citing ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan as a backdrop to their discontent. While many Indians are thrilled about his return, Pakistanis have been more critical, leading to mixed reactions overall.

    Writer Sadaf Haider shared her thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) about Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback. She wrote:

    “Fawad Khan: I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him. He has everything except Humayun’s confidence. But Fawad, I always fail at hating you. Okay, go ahead and work with a C-grader. We’ll endure it – we have no choice.”

    Here are more tweets below:

  • Brazilian tourist dies while paragliding without permit in Gilgit Baltistan

    Brazilian tourist dies while paragliding without permit in Gilgit Baltistan

    A Brazilian citizen fell and died while paragliding in the Shigar district of Gilgit Baltistan on Thursday.

    Shigar DC Waliullah Falahi told Dawn that the tourist, identified as Raineri Rodrigo Chaddad, started the adventure from a mountain in Askoli Shigar.
    Raineri didn’t have a permit for the activity, and he died on the spot after the fall.

    DC asserted that action will be taken against the managing director of the victim’s tour operator who allowed him to take part in the activity without the requisite permit. An autopsy will be carried out shortly.

    While Pakistan’s dangerous adventure sports are generally considered safe, the weather can turn quite fast. Three Japanese climbers have been declared dead in less than a month while descending one of the highest mountains in northern Pakistan.

  • Imran Khan refused to meet Fawad Chaudhry, says Rauf Hassan

    Imran Khan refused to meet Fawad Chaudhry, says Rauf Hassan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Rauf Hassan has said that incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan refused to meet former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry in Adiala jail.

    During an interview on ARY News’ programme ‘Off The Record’, Hassan said that party head Imran Khan refused to meet Fawad despite the latter’s request.

    The PTI spokesperson also confirmed that no one in the party contacted the former federal minister and asked him to stop speaking against PTI.
    “We are not afraid of anyone’s return, but the agenda (for the move) is important,” Rauf Hassan stated.

    “Fawad Chaudhry currently has no place in the party. Imran Khan will decide on the return of those who left the party after his release,” the PTI spokesperson confirmed.

  • Punjab govt wants to suspend social media from Muharram 6 to 11

    Punjab govt wants to suspend social media from Muharram 6 to 11

    Update

    The federal government has rejected the Punjab government’s request to suspend social media platforms for six days during Muharram ul Haram, Geo News reported today.

    The Interior Ministry believes that security would be foolproof during the holy month, so there would be no need to shut down social media platforms across the province.

    “Security should be made more active and effective,” said the Interior Ministry, adding that mobile signals will be blocked in areas where processions and majlis will be held.

    Previously

    The Punjab government, in a matter of urgent security, has requested to suspend access to all social media platforms for a week during Muharram ul Haram, as reported by Geo News today.

    The federal government will decide on the province’s request: “Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will present the issue before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today.”

    Shia Muslims hold processions across the globe, including in Pakistan, with thousands of policemen deployed to ensure security during the month.

    Geo News also reported that Mohsin Naqvi is not in favour of suspending social media; the decision will be made after a meeting with the Prime Minister.

    The Punjab Home Department sent a request to the Ministry of Interior to suspend all social media platforms from Muharram 6 to 11, aiming to avoid sectarian violence in the country.

  • Punjab Ombudsman buys expensive phones worth Rs. 76 lacs, govt denies any involvement

    Punjab Ombudsman buys expensive phones worth Rs. 76 lacs, govt denies any involvement

    An official notification of a “sale tax invoice” from the Punjab Ombudsman placing an order of five Samsung Galaxy S24 and seven iPhone Pro Max worth Rs. 76 lacs created a stir on social media. Netizens criticised the government for wasting money, but the government claimed otherwise.

    A number of X (formerly Twitter) users criticised the government for spending extravagantly on such accessories. Journalist and academic Ali Moeen Nwazish posted on X: “This is exactly why people don’t pay tax in Pakistan. If you want people to pay tax, show that it is being spent on people like their healthcare and education, and not on land cruisers, iPhones, servants, luxuries and plots for the elite bureaucrats, judges and military officers.”

    Another user named Osama Yawar shared the notification with the caption, “Is this how taxpayers money is being wasted by officials who can’t even write an email?”

    To put more fuel to the fire, a citizen named Sohaib Qureshi, claiming to be an expert on E-Commerce, shared that the company The Laptop Store, with which the Ombudsman has placed an order, is allegedly non-filer. To prove his claim, Sohaib attached a screenshot from the FBR website where the company has no record of tax to its name. “More than one million is a sales tax but this laptop store is non compliant in sales tax,” Sohaib wrote.

    Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari told The Current that Punjab’s Ombudsman is an autonomous body and does not come under Punjab government, “It’s from an autonomous body, not by Punjab government,” she said.

    However, the Punjab Ombudsman was reluctant to respond to our request for confirmation of the viral notification. Even after multiple calls, there was no explicit answer, but an inside source revealed that this is a normal process and it seems authentic as it has the signature of the accounts officer of Punjab’s Ombudsman. The same source elaborated that the Punjab Ombudsman has its own budget and works independently. The phones are not for personal use but for official use only.

    An account titled Jmhoori Martial Law asked people to explain the difference between Iphone 15 pro max with 512 GB and Samsaung Galaxy with the same storage. “Other Pakistani brands available in Pakistan, do they have better capability to record videos?” the handle asked.

    The Ombudsman office is empowered to entertain complaints against any department commission or office of the Provincial Government or a statutory corporation or other institution established or controlled by the Provincial Government but does not include the High Court and the Courts working under the supervision of High Court and Provincial Assembly and its Secretariat, explains the official website as its primary function.

  • Respect my father’s memory: Momina Iqbal’s appeal to fans

    Respect my father’s memory: Momina Iqbal’s appeal to fans

    Momina Iqbal has asked her fans to stop sharing edited videos and pictures of her late father on social media. After her father’s passing, Momina took to Instagram to write about being upset about the edited posts.

    “Please do not edit and share any videos of my father on social media, nor tag me in such videos. This time is very difficult for me,” Momina said in her Instagram story. She explained that sharing these videos is disrespectful and very hurtful while she is grieving.

    She also said, “If you cannot do anything else, please pray for my father. I can’t even imagine that he is not in this world anymore.” Momina shared how deeply sad she is and how hard it is to believe her father is gone. She said she still feels like her father is with her all the time

    “My father can never leave me because he is with me at every moment. I can feel him, so please do not tell me where my father is,” she said, showing how connected she still feels to her late father.

    Momina’s father passed away last month.

  • Tax exemption to army officials, bureaucrats challenged in Lahore High Court

    Tax exemption to army officials, bureaucrats challenged in Lahore High Court

     A petition challenging tax exemption conferred to bureaucrats and military officials in the federal budget has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

    Advocate Nadeem Sarwar has submitted a plea challenging tax exemption given to certain individuals on behalf of citizen Mashkoor Hussain.

    “The federal government has provided relief to the bureaucracy and military officials in the budget,” the plea read.

     “In the constitution, all citizens are equal; thus, offering tax exemption has been a violation of the constitution,” the petitioner maintained in the filed plea.

    Mashkoor Hussain requested that the court strike down the amendment in section 236 of the Income Tax Ordinance as invalid.