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Author: News Desk

  • Pakistan’s volunteer network ‘MilKar’ wins Commonwealth Innovation Award

    Pakistan’s volunteer network ‘MilKar’ wins Commonwealth Innovation Award

    Pakistan’s largest volunteer network Milkar has won the esteemed Commonwealth Innovation Award for Sustainable Development 2023.


    The selection process spanned several months and involved over 70 jury members.


    Commonwealth’s Secretary General Patricia Scotland presented the prestigious award to team MilKar. It was a recognition of the 15 exceptional innovations from over 3,000 nominations across 56 Commonwealth countries.


    The design of Milkar is just like that of a platform like ‘Uber’ that connects volunteers with social projects and reimagines development challenges into volunteering opportunities. It aims at achieving sustainability by mobilising, connecting, and enabling the community to take ownership of projects, it rewrites the fundamental challenge of development initiatives.


    In the past three years, Milkar has become Pakistan’s largest independent youth volunteer platform. The network has grown to over 12,317 volunteers and 261 NGOs, which have worked on 566 community service projects impacting 2.9 million people.


    Moreover, MilKar took an initiative with the government to convert student volunteering hours into academic credits across several universities in Pakistan.
    Muhammad Hadi Saif, Head of Volunteers at MilKar, declared the award a significant accolade for Pakistan.


    Syed Kashf Ahmed, the Project Director, received this award as part of the Commonwealth Innovation Week organised in Nairobi, Kenya.


    The Commonwealth Innovation Awards acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of innovators in the public, private, and NGO sectors working on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


    Each award category aligns with the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership.

  • Gold price in Pakistan settles at Rs216,800 per tola

    Gold price in Pakistan settles at Rs216,800 per tola

    In a noteworthy shift, the per-tola price of 24 karat gold witnessed a decrease of Rs1,800, settling at Rs216,800 on Saturday.

    This marks a discernible drop from its previous standing of Rs218,600 during the last trading day.

    Similarly, the cost of 10 grammes of 24 karat gold experienced a dip of Rs1,543, now standing at Rs185,871 as opposed to its previous valuation of Rs187,414.

    Meanwhile, the prices of 10 grammes of 22-karat gold also exhibited a downward trend, reaching Rs170,382 from Rs171,796, as reported by the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

    Contrastingly, the prices of silver remained unchanged, with per tola and ten gramme silver holding steady at Rs2,670 and Rs2,289.09, respectively.

    Taking a broader perspective, the international gold market saw a decline as well, with the price of gold dropping by $15 to $2,040 from its previous position at $2,055, according to the latest report from the Association.

    This shift in the precious metals market has sparked interest and attention within financial circles.

  • Bollywood star kids steal the show at school’s annual day

    A video of Shah Rukh Khan’s younger son AbRam showing his acting skills in a school play has gone viral on social media.

    Students at Dhirubhai Ambani International School organized a show for their annual day, featuring dance, drama, and music. Many Bollywood celebrity kids attend the school, and their talents were on full display.

    Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s son, AbRam, showcased his talent, at one point, striking his father’s famous pose, spreading out his arms just like his father does in his movies, hugging the characters in the play one by one.

    Social media users couldn’t get enough of this cuteness.

    AbRam acting

    SRK getting emotional watching his youngest son AbRam’s performance

    Kareena Kapoor and Saif Khan’s son, Taimur Ali Khan, was also performing.

  • Artificial rain in Lahore; Just looking like a wow

    Artificial rain in Lahore; Just looking like a wow

    In a historic stride, Lahore on Saturday witnessed its maiden experiment with artificial rain, revealed caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi.

    Addressing the media in Lahore, the caretaker CM Punjab said that the occasion marks the first successful venture into artificial rain in the country’s history. He revealed that this morning, Lahore, previously the most polluted city, experienced artificial rain for the first time.

    Naqvi clarified that no additional funds were allocated for this initiative, however, he expressed willingness to spend money if needed to combat smog. Rainfall occurred in approximately 10 areas of Lahore, covering a planned region of 10 to 15 km.

    He expressed gratitude to the Environment Department and the UAE team for their exhaustive scrutiny of the process, culminating in the eagerly awaited results.

    Detailing the procedure, Naqvi disclosed that 48 flares were deployed for cloud seeding, specifically targeting the Shahdara area.

    Looking ahead, Naqvi mentioned the upcoming installation of smog towers. He emphasized that the artificial rain experiment, being both novel and impactful, is currently under observation for short-term and long-term effects. Results from the artificial rain are expected tonight.

    Naqvi shared insights into the cloud seeding mission, noting that it was executed some time ago, directing clouds towards Shahdara and Muridke.

  • Multan’s Beenish Saeed awarded ‘Principal of the Year’ at Asia Education Conclave

    Multan’s Beenish Saeed awarded ‘Principal of the Year’ at Asia Education Conclave

    Beenish Saeed, a Pakistani educationist from Multan, serving as a principal of the Multan Cantonment Public School, stood out among the 2,085 male and female contenders at the Asia Education Conclave from across 15 countries of Asia.


    The ceremony was held in Bangkok where she received the prestigious award amidst applause from the audience

    “A resounding applause to Beenish, the stellar recipient of the “Principal of the Year” award,” read a post by the Asia Education Conclave on its official Facebook and Instagram pages.


    Beenish dedicated her award to martyrs, war heroes, and teachers performing duties in terrorism-affected areas in the country.
    Social media posts by the educational platform detailed her qualification as an M.Phil in education and M.Sc in Zoology, besides a two-decade-long experience in the field of education.


    It also stated that Beenish is currently pursuing a PhD in Education.


    “Since becoming principal, she has demonstrated strong leadership and organisational skills and her role as Master Trainer and Book Editor at Kangaroo Publications highlights her commitment to professional development,” the post read.


    Her achievements span certifications in IT Branch Automation, Book Review, and Montessori Teachers Training while her skill set encompasses problem-solving, effective communication, organisational acumen, technical proficiency, and interpersonal skills, making her a valuable asset in the field of education.
    Beenish said that the award is an honour not only for her and her family but for the whole country, and declared it as an expression of trust in the Pakistani education system at the international level.

    Pakistani teachers are making it big internationally. Sister Zeph, the founder of Zephaniah Education and Empowerment Foundation, also received the Global Teacher Prize 2023 worth a million dollars, on November 8.

  • Surrogate advertising companies found ‘virtual’ support during the Perth test

    Surrogate advertising companies found ‘virtual’ support during the Perth test

    Surrogate advertising companies got ‘virtual’ support during the Perth Test between Australia and Pakistan on Wednesday. Several logos were seen on TV broadcasts that were not present on the ground and were displayed by software.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has distanced itself from the matter by terming it a matter between the host board and the broadcaster.

    It is important to note that gambling is legal in Australia. Advertisements of betting companies continue to be posted on the boundary. However, the word “Bet” was spelled with an A in place of the E in the advertisements shown on the ground.

    On contacting the stadium resources, it was found that no logo was painted on the ground. After investigation, it was revealed that software was used to make virtual advertising possible.

    Advertisements appeared to be completely painted on the ground but in reality, they were not. Shadows of the players were also shown falling on them but this did not happen. Interestingly, when the entire ground was shown on TV, there was no logo.

    The spokesperson of PCB said, “Agreements with sponsors in matches outside the country are under the discretion of the host board, and we cannot do anything about it.”

    Regarding virtual advertising, he said if this has happened, it is the broadcaster’s problem and not ours.

  • Unregistered sims are being used by fraudsters, terrorists

    Unregistered sims are being used by fraudsters, terrorists

    Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crimes has submitted a report on the fraudulent acquisition of biometrics of mobile SIMs to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

    As restrictions have tightened, counterfeiters have also invented new methods, according to the FIA report, including the use of fake thumbprints for SIM registration.

    According to the report, more than 80,000 SIMs registered on silicon thumbs were reported in four years. Fraudsters are said to obtain fingerprints by luring people into registering for voter lists or for obtaining cheaper essential items etc. which are then imprinted on silicon thumbs and SIMs are consequently registered.

    According to the report, it has been revealed that unregistered SIMs are being used by terrorists. More than 3,500 SIMs obtained on fake registrations are active right now out of which 93 cases were registered over the past four years, 193 people were arrested, and 294 fake biometric devices were also used.

  • Who is contesting elections from where?

    Who is contesting elections from where?

    A day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the schedule for general elections, political parties are yet to announce lists of candidates.

    Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz PML-N, will reportedly contest polls from Lahore.

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, another former Prime Minister, who hails from Murree but was elected from Lahore, has opted to not contest the upcoming elections.

    Two ex-PMs from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf will be contesting from Multan and Gujar Khan respectively.

    PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz will be contesting from Lahore and Karachi, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be a candidate from Karachi and Larkana.

    Former President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will try his luck from Nawabshah.

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be contesting from Dera Ismail Khan.

    Jamat e Islami Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq will contest polls from Peshawar.

    PML-N is expected to finalise the list of all its candidates next week, The News has reported.

    As per sources, PML-N has concluded work on more than 70% of constituencies for choosing candidates and the list of the first batch of ticketholders might be made public tomorrow (Sunday).

    The party’s parliamentary board conducted 10 meetings to finalise candidate names from various areas and is expected to complete the task on Monday (December 18).

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and regional parties will issue the list of their candidates by the mid of next week.

    They are engaged in seat adjustment with other parties while the fate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is still hanging in the balance as the ECP gives its verdict on its intra-party elections on Monday.

  • Temperatures to fall further across Pakistan

    Temperatures to fall further across Pakistan

    Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted cold and dry weather for most parts of the country.

    Sindh is to experience a wave of cold especially in Karachi. Weather analyst Jawad Memon has said, “Mercury may drop to single digit in the suburban areas of Karachi.”

    A shallow westerly wave was affecting western Balochistan which is likely to have moved northeast. It will affect the upper parts, causing cold waves in Sindh as soon as the system moves out in the next 24 hours.

    The Met Department said that mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most plain areas of the country, while very cold and partly cloudy weather is expected in the upper parts during the next week.


    Fog is likely in upper Sindh, plain areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during morning and night, it added.

  • ‘Night with Stars’ by Shahid Afridi Foundation in Perth captivates everyone

    ‘Night with Stars’ by Shahid Afridi Foundation in Perth captivates everyone

    A meet-up and fundraising dinner “Night with Stars” by the Shahid Afridi Foundation was held on December 12 in Perth to support the foundation’s initiatives in Pakistan and Palestine.

    It was an evening where cricket legends and passionate supporters came together for an inspiring cause. World-renowned stars Shaheen Shah Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, and Aamir Jamal, joined hands to support Shahid Afridi Foundation.

    “Your strong participation has strengthened our mission of providing education, clean water, and rebuilding homes in flood-affected areas, this is just the beginning together, we will continue our impactful evenings across Australia,” the administration of the event said.

    Further events will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Brisbane to continue this mission.