Birds of the Corvidae type, including magpies and crows, have been observed incorporating anti-bird spikes into their nests in Scotland, Holland and Belgium, effectively repurposing the hostile architecture designed to prevent them from perching.
A recent study published by Auke-Florian Hiemstra, the lead author of the study, highlights the remarkable behavior.
The metal spikes provide structural support to the nests, creating dome-like roofs, and also serve as a defense mechanism against predators. Hiemstra’s study, featured in the online journal Deinsea, suggests that birds may be seeking evolutionary advantages by utilizing human-made objects for nest construction.
The findings have astounded researchers and shed light on the cognitive abilities of the clever birds.
While anti-bird spikes are commonly used in various urban settings to deter birds from perching, it appears that birds are turning the tables on humans and repurposing these materials to their advantage. Jim Reynolds, an ornithology and animal conservation expert, believes that this adaptive behavior is an effective strategy for birds that inhabit urban environments.
Furthermore, the presence of shiny and spiky nest materials may serve as a signal to potential mates, indicating the quality of the nest and the suitability of the bird as a partner.
Journalist Mohsin Biag on Sunday has denied rumors in Saleem Safi’s programme Jirga that he will be the next caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, stating that he would not assume the coveted position.
Rumours of Baig becoming caretaker Prime Minister had been circulating in media and political circles for the past few weeks.
The journalist criticised former Prime Minister Imran Khan by accusing him of being corrupt, alleging that Europe and Israel are behind the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and are using him against Pakistan.
The well-known journalist said that the attacks on military installations on May 9 were planned by Imran Khan to weaken the state.
He also mentioned that Imran Khan didn’t give PTI tickets to eligible candidates and made a lot of money in this way
In a thrilling five-set men’s final on Sunday, World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeated reigning champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title.
After nearly five hours on Centre Court, the Spaniard emerged victorious with a score of 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4. Alcaraz tumbled to the court in celebration and volleyed a tennis ball into the crowd.
At just 20 years old, Alcaraz becomes the third-youngest Wimbledon champion in the Open Era and adds a second major title to his record, having won the US Open last year. Despite facing the formidable challenge of an in-form Djokovic, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history, Alcaraz fought back from a set down.
As Djokovic’s attempted return failed to clear the net, a new Wimbledon champion was crowned, solidifying Alcaraz’s position as a leader among the sport’s next generation.
In his on-court interview afterward, Alcaraz expressed his elation, stating, “Well, it’s a dream come true for me. For me, it’s incredible. As I said, it’s a dream come true to be able to play on this stage. It’s amazing for a 20-year-old boy. I didn’t expect to reach these kinds of situations so quickly.”
Alcaraz also expressed pride in himself and his team for the hard work they put in every day, leading up to this momentous experience.
Tesla announced via a tweet that its inaugural Cybertruck has been successfully manufactured at the company’s Austin, Texas plant, marking the end of a two-year delay.
Back in 2019, Tesla founder Elon Musk introduced the pickup truck during a revealing event where the vehicle’s designer unintentionally demonstrated a flaw in the supposedly indestructible “armour glass” windows.
Since then, the production timeline has faced multiple setbacks, with Musk attributing the delays to component sourcing shortages, leading to a rescheduled Cybertruck launch in 2023.
During a shareholder meeting in May, Musk expressed Tesla’s ambition to produce up to 250,000 Cybertrucks annually, depending on market demand.
With the introduction of the Cybertruck, Tesla is poised to enter one of the most lucrative sectors of the U.S. market, directly competing against electric pickups from industry giants such as Ford Motor and Rivian Automotive.
Although these competitors have already released limited numbers of their own electric truck models, Tesla’s entry into the market is highly anticipated. According to a Reuters report from last year, Tesla aims to initiate mass production of the Cybertruck by the end of 2023.
The last episode of Kuch Ankahi aired on Saturday night, receiving high ratings from audiences for a satisfying wrap up to its gorgeous story telling and moving performances by Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas and Qudsia Ali. The build up to this spectacular finale was besieged with questions about who would Aliya finally pick: Salman or Azfar? Would Sofia phupoo give in and marry uncle Thanvi? Would Samiya abandon her husband and his toxic mother to start being independent on her own? But in the final episode, Kuch Ankahi wrapped up all these questions, leaving all of us hoping that this is the show that should be getting a season 2.
We finally see Aliya and Salman put aside their differences, a win for fans of the show who had shipped the cat-and-mouse duo from the very first episode. Many were left heart broken by how Azfar was rejected, despite the love he had for Aliya. But hopefully, there are better things in store for him?
We also got a beautiful wedding as Sophia Phupoo and Uncle Thanvi wed, a satisfying resolution to her reluctance of letting go of her first love and husband who had passed away quickly. But then their heart tugging meeting at the train station, when Thanvi promises to prove his love to Sophia, just proved the show made a breakthrough by focusing on two aged people getting married.
Clearly, we’re not over the episode, and neither is social media. As since yesterday, users sobbing over the ending of a gorgeous drama that gave us everything we’ve been asking Pakistani dramas to provide us.
Kuch Ankahi is a huge upgrade to Pakistani TV! No glamorous houses, no conniving saas, or evil puphos, or crying bahoos, heck not even confused cheating men…#kuchAnkahi is a huge step away from the horrible tv content that we have! You want quality content – watch this show!
My fav part about #KuchAnkahi was Sophia Phupho and Thanvi uncle.
Not only did it give a former supermodel and a former film superstar a chance to shine again but we as viewers also got lucky to experience a beautifully done mature middle age romance 💓 pic.twitter.com/j5cYrEiQf4
appreciation post for @bilalabbas_khan for playing salman flawlessly thank u sm for giving me my new comfort character i will cherish #KuchAnkahi forever
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Saturday that the prices of petrol and diesel will be reduced in the upcoming fortnightly review.
During a televised address, the minister said that petrol prices will be reduced by Rs9 per litre, while diesel prices will see a decrease of Rs7 per litre. These adjustments were made due to changes in the international market over the past 15 days, with one petroleum product’s price increasing and the other decreasing.
Following these revisions, the new price for petrol will be Rs253 per litre, and high-speed diesel (HSD) will be priced at Rs253.50 per litre. Minister Dar clarified that the petroleum development levy (PDL), which was previously raised to Rs60 per litre in response to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) request, will remain unchanged.
The new prices will take effect on July 16, Sunday. Minister Dar also highlighted that the local currency has strengthened against the US dollar in the last 15 days, following Pakistan’s successful negotiation of a $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF.
Here are the new diesel and petrol prices effective from tomorrow (July 16, 2023):
Among the recent stream of K-dramas that have arrived on Netflix, we highly recommend that you check out ‘See You In My 19th Life’. Based on the popular webtoon comic by the same name, the series follows Ban Ji Eum (played by Mr Queen’s Shin Hye Sun) as a woman who has a secret: she has had at least 19 past lives, remembering all of them even though she doesn’t know why and how it started. In her 18th life, she meets a young boy Moon Seo Ha (played by Yumi’s Cells Ahn Bo Hyun) when they are children, but her life is quickly cut off because of a horrifying car accident. Now reborn with a new face in her 19th life, Ji Eum is determined to trace down Seo Ha, and also meet others in her journey to understand her ability.
With its gorgeous story telling and moving performances of Hye Sun and Bo Hyun, we should give our followers a list of reasons why they must absolutely check out this drama.
1. Heart tugging and gorgeous story telling
The series really activates your tear ducts from the first episode when it touches upon themes like childhood abuse, trauma and loneliness, while exploring the lives of both Seo Ha and Ji Eum as they navigate dealing with adulthood while overcoming the abuses they suffered as children.
2. Perfect for all those who love Korean fantasy dramas, especially the mortal x immortal relationship
If you’re a fan of Korean fantasy dramas like ‘Goblin’, ‘The Legend Of The Blue Sea’ and ‘Doom At Your Service’, which all revolved around a relationship between an immortal being with magical powers who falls in love with a human being, then this is definately your kind of drama. The trope is reversed where this time, the woman is the one with magical powers, doing all in her power to make the mortal man, her long lost lover, come back to her and fix their torn relationship. With their undeniable chemistry and how they help each other heal from past wounds when they were tragically torn apart, will definitely keep you hooked to this drama.
3. Shin Hye Sun is captivating as a free-spirited and confident female lead
Hye Sun has outshined in several dramas in the past like Mr Queen but this is the drama where she proves that her talent is unmatchable. The female lead Ji Eum is a headstrong and fearless woman, whose many talents compel her to becoming a cash cow for her leecherous father, who keeps coming to her for money despite abandoning her. But most importantly, how Ji Eum connects and eventually consols the loved ones she had abandoned when she died in her past life, and how she unabashedly seeks to protect and heal Seo Ha, is what makes her a compelling female lead.
4. Ahn Bo Hyun moves audience with his heart tugging performance as the shy and lovable male protagonist.
Bo Hyun had previously played second leads in dramas like ‘Her Private Life’ and ‘Yumi’s Cells’ but it is with ‘See You In My 19th Life’ where he really makes the audience wail with how he plays Seo Ha. A troubled man who is dealing with the grief of losing his mother and later the love of his life, a disability that makes him the brunt of bullying by his father and step mother, it is how charming and versatile Bo Hyun is with the way he plays the character, and also how he matches the powerhouse Hye Shin, truly making this Netflix’s top rated Korean dramas.
Geo Television’s serial ‘Jhoom’ has turned into a hit, with Hashim Nadeem’s writing and Ali Faizan’s direction garnering accolades.
A 7th Sky Entertainment presentation, Jhoom features the love story of a couple with a sizable age difference. Haroon Kadwani plays the character of angry young man Aryaan while Zara Noor Abbas is playing the character of the hardworking and mature Doctor Maryam. Audiences became immediate fans, with each episode of the drama garnering more than 10 million views on YouTube.
The last episode of the drama has aired and fans were in rapture, saying that the last episode made them cry with Maryam and Aryaan. Many fans were of the view that Aryaan should have not forgiven Maryam because she didn’t stand by his side when he needed her the most but mostly fans loved the happy ending.
Many fans are already demanding a second season while others were sad that the drama ended early. Read audience comments about the ending:
Pakistani-American Grammy winning singer Arooj Aftab has taken to Twitter to slam US based music magazine Down Beat for its racist review of her new album ‘Love In Exile’, released in March 2023. The ‘Mohabbat’ singer shared screenshots of the review written by the music critic John McDonough, who said the album had “Urdu chants” and then wrote “maybe music should not be a universal language.”
Aftab shared a clip of the review on her Instagram, criticising the critic as a “fossilised white man” who was allowed to publish his racist views.
“What’s monotonous is fossilized white men having platforms and safety to publish their racist views”
‘John Mcdonough’s unapologetic racial prejudice and Islamophobia is deeply troubling and quite frankly should get him fired @downbeat_mag I can’t believe this even went to print.”
The ‘Udheero Na’ singer further wrote:
“If you are having trouble understanding the outrage because you’ve never had to think about any of this before. He says he is ‘obliged’ for the ‘sake of diversity’ THAT IS INSANE. And he reduces what is a new contemporary jazz music album to CHANTING. Only because we are brown people and he does not believe we are allowed to exist in a contemporary music space. We are only meditation, yoga, chanting and Bollywood. And then he says music is not a universal language. I have never seen this many problematic words strung together so well in a short sentence.”
Vijay Iyer, an Indian-origin musician, who collaborated on the album with Aftab, lent his support to the Grammy winner by tweeting, “This is what passes for okay in jazz journalism. Love to my dear sis Arooj”.
Down Beat magazine responded to both Aftab and Iyer’s criticism by writing that Mcdonough didn’t like the album but the rest of the editors did which shouldn’t subject him to so much public humiliation:
“Three other DB reviewers LOVED this record, as do I. John McDonough doesn’t. OK. It doesn’t fit his definition of jazz — period — hence the term “diversity.” He has no other malice. No one should be cancelled for so little. — @frankalkyer, DB editor”
@vijayiyer@arooj_aftab Three other DB reviewers LOVED this record, as do I. John McDonough doesn't. OK. It doesn't fit his definition of jazz — period — hence the term "diversity." He has no other malice. No one should be cancelled for so little. — @frankalkyer, DB editor.
“Frank, we appreciate all the love for this record, but these lines you printed are racist. To not like the record and offer criticism is one thing. But he wrapped it in race by pointing out “diversity,” wrote Aftab.
Frank, we appreciate all the love for this record, but these lines you printed are racist. To not like the record and offer criticism is one thing. But he wrapped it in race by pointing out “diversity”.
Social media users had also lent their support to Aftab, and criticised the magazine editors for publishing such racist views
1. I’m just stunned by how insanely racist that review was. I don’t have words to express what I feel about it. 2. Buy and stream love in exile, it’s incredible. https://t.co/ISjqFGGmV9
— Bean 🇵🇸 | dietpravda.bsky.social (@DietPravda) July 12, 2023
I’m quite shocked that John McDonough’s racist quote passed editorial muster. To begin with, ghazals aren’t “Urdu chants” with “timeless beauty.” Also, trying to gate-keep contemporary jazz or any genre of music is a bit ridiculous. The least a music critic can do is listen. https://t.co/AQcyfjVp9P
Hareem Shah has said in a video that she came to London to seek answers from former accountability chief government, Shehzad Akbar, about why he tried to ruin her life and why he asked Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government to arrest her in a money-laundering case.
Hareem Shah said that she will question Akbar about why he misused his power, when he was a powerful person in Pakistan in Imran Khan’s government.
The Tiktoker was referring to a 2022 video leak, in which she was seen showing thousands of pounds to the camera and claimed that she brought this money from Pakistan without facing any issue.
After that, Shehzad Akbar ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to start a money-laundering case against Hareem Shah. The FIA also wrote to the NCA against the Tiktoker.
Shah said, “It’s karma that Shahzad Akbar has run away from Pakistan and is now hiding in London. I have information that he has assets in London and is hiding here to avoid corruption cases in Pakistan. Shahzad Akbar wanted me deported from London. He wrote to the UK authorities to get me arrested to put me in trouble. He did everything to ruin my life, but look what has happened to him.”
She has also said that Shehzad Akbar is an arrogant man who ruined many lives when he was working in Imran Khan’s government.
