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Author: News Desk

  • Daniil Medvedev trolls crowd at the Australian Open

    Daniil Medvedev trolls crowd at the Australian Open

    After battling verbally with the chair umpire, crowd and even ball kids during his Australian Open final, Daniil Medvedev wasn’t done.

    The Russian was seen mouthing the words ‘boring’ while standing in the background early in the trophy ceremony after the men’s singles final.

    Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka was delivering the opening speech after Rafael Nadal’s five-set win when she began to address Medvedev.

    Medvedev didn’t appear to enjoy the message, pulling faces and turning to the side to say “boring” to no one in particular.

    He then repeated it before muttering something that couldn’t easily be lip-read but quite clearly wasn’t positive.

    The Russian star, while thanking Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, said: “I want to thank Tennis Australia, especially Craig. I think tournament director is a tough job, and this year, you will be able to tell me if it was the toughest in your career. I think you are an amazing tournament director, and I hope you stay at least 15 years that I am here, or maybe 10 years.”

    By tough, he most likely meant Novak Djokovic’s visa fiasco.

    Medvedev did not have a great time with the crowd of Australia. In his speech after losing the match, he talked about many things but did not thank the Australian Open crowd.

    While talking about the reality of the most testing loss of his career, having already thanked his team during the speech, Medvedev appeared to be building up to thank the crowd, beginning, “Last but not least”, before saying, “just wanted to thank my team again.”

    Twitterati reacted to his trolling.

    Even in the post-match media talk, Medvedev was lamenting about crowd’s behaviour. He said: “Before Rafa serves even in the fifth set, there would be somebody like one guy screaming, ‘C’mon Daniil’ but a thousand people would be ‘Tsss, Tsss, Tsss’. That sound. It’s disappointing, it’s disrespectful. I’m not sure I’m going to want to play tennis.”

    Earlier in the semi-final, Medvedev got involved into a heated exchange with match referree, calling him ‘stupid’ and ‘bad’.

  • 50 per cent refund for army officers in electricity bills

    50 per cent refund for army officers in electricity bills

    General Headquarters (GHQ) has approached National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for a 50 per cent rebate to commissioned officers on electricity bills, sources told Bussiness Recorder.

    Director Works and Chief Engineer (DG&CE) said, “Military Engineering Services (MES) is giving 50 per cent refund but on the basis of energy charges instead of variable unit charges. This has curtailed the electricity bills rebate to around 3.5 per cent instead of 50 per cent to Army officers.”

    Previously, a percentage of 50 per cent refund was set for the officers on electricity units consumed. Later, an amendment was made and the bills started to come in the name of the variable and other charges, i.e., variable charges, sale rates of electricity per Kwh, which covers the unit price.

    Last year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had drafted a summary for the Cabinet seeking a 50 per cent rebate to commissioned officers on electricity bills and sent it to the Finance Ministry for comments. The ministry of finance then asked MoD to approach NEPRA.

    Electricity prices have been increased about 60 per cent by the government. Another increase of Rs0.95 per unit for consumers is yet to be effective from February 1.

  • Supreme Court allows government to continue Ravi riverfront project

    Supreme Court allows government to continue Ravi riverfront project

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday suspended the ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in the Ravi Urban Development Plan case and allowed the Punjab government to continue work on the project, reports The Express Tribune.

    The bench was hearing appeals against the annulment of the project, earlier declared “unconstitutional” by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 25 as the project lacked a master plan.

    The court allowed the provincial government to continue construction activity on plots of land for which dues have been cleared. However, the apex court restricted the Punjab government from continuing construction activity on plots for which dues are still pending.

    During today’s hearing, notices were also issued to the respondents in the case and stated that a review will be done to determine if it constitutes an intra-court appeal. If it is an intra-court appeal, the case will be referred back to the LHC, added to the bench.

    Earlier in the hearing, the apex court reprimanded the legal team of the Punjab government for appearing before the bench in the case unprepared.

    “You do not know what the case is?” asked Justice Ijazul Ahsan when AGP Owais was unable to answer the question. “It seems that you have not prepared.”

    The Punjab AGP replied that the provincial government was not a party to the case in the high court’s verdict. “Not being party to one of 18 petitions does not matter,” Justice Ahsan remarked, adding that the Punjab government had presented its position in the high court.

    The petitions were against the public hearing of the environment agency, AGP Punjab stated further.

    The justice replied that according to the records, acquisition of lands for the project was also challenged and added that the provincial government’s legal team should not misrepresent in court.

    Last week, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that the government would move to the Supreme Court after LHC nullified the Ravi Urban Development Project.

    The prime minister during his visit to Rakh Jhok forest said that the case would be presented in a better manner to appraise the court about the significance of the project in view of urban development and civic facilities, further saying that the case was not presented correctly in LHC.

  • Covid-19: Punjab faces shortage of fever medicine

    Covid-19: Punjab faces shortage of fever medicine

    Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the unavailability of fever medicine in the province. He has demanded a report from the Health Secretary about the shortage.

    The CM has directed the health department to ensure the availability of fever medicine at medical stores and to take the necessary steps in this regard. He stated that manufacturers of the medicine should be contacted to increase production.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that non-availability of a pill commonly used to treat fever is “shameful” amid the surge in coronavirus across the country.

    She further said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration has reduced employment opportunities for the country’s youth, medicine for the sick and fertiliser for the farmers.

  • Arez Ahmed, Hiba Bukhari ooze couple goals in honeymoon pictures

    Arez Ahmed, Hiba Bukhari ooze couple goals in honeymoon pictures

    Celebrity couple of Arez Ahmed and Hiba Bukhari are currently ringing in their honeymoon in Sri Lanka. The Inteha-e-Ishq duo shared their special moments on social media and the couple is oozing couple goals in their viral pictures.

    The couple tied the knot earlier this month in Karachi.

    Hiba wore a bright red Lehenga paired with heavy gold jewelry and Arez wore a black sherwani.

  • New Zealand denies re-entry of pregnant national, Taliban offers refuge

    New Zealand denies re-entry of pregnant national, Taliban offers refuge

    A former Al Jazeera pregnant journalist, Charlotte Bellis, who is a New Zealand national, was denied re-entry by her home country on the basis of strict Covid-19 protocol. She was offered refuge by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

    While speaking to Radio New Zealand(RNZ) from Kabul, she said, “This just feels like such a breach of trust.”

    Bellis said that the Taliban told her, “We’re happy for you, you can come and you won’t have a problem”.

    She did not get to know about her pregnancy until she returned back to the Al-Jazeera headquarter in Doha, Qatar.

    She kept quiet about her pregnancy as it is unlawful to conceive a baby out of wedlock in Qatar.

    She left Al Jazeera in November 2021 while working in Afghanistan as a journalist and went to Belgium, the home country of her partner, Jim Huylebroek. As Bellis is not a resident of a country, she could not stay for a longer period.

    She was left with only one option: to travel to Afghanistan with her partner as they had visas. She is currently in Afghanistan.

    Meanwhile, she started her preparation to return back to New Zealand.

    Her application was rejected by authorities in New Zealand for an emergency return.

    New Zealand’s Covid-19 response minister, Chris Hipkins, said on Monday, “I understand she wanted to return on a specific date and that officials reached out to her for more information shortly after looking at her application. The emergency allocation criteria includes a requirement to travel to New Zealand within the next 14 days. Ms Bellis indicated she did not intend to travel until the end of February and has been encouraged by MIQ (Managed isolation and quarantine) to consider moving her plans forward.”

    Bellis applied for a MIQ option through the medical treatment pathway however authority asked her to sign up under the different category where its nationals are in a location that is under serious risk to their safety, she told to RNZ.

    Currently, she is in contact with officials in New Zealand who claimed her rejected application is under review now.

    The New Zealand government has closed down its borders after the emergence of the omicron variant, including for its nationals who want to return back to the country except for special circumstances.

  • Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Fawad Chaudhry says Bilawal and Maryam are incompetent, should run for mayor elections

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday took a jibe at the Opposition.

    Questioning the leadership qualities of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that the two leaders were not competent enough for the general elections and should try their luck and contest in mayoral elections and make their way up the leadership ladder.

    “The leadership of this great country cannot be handed over to incompetent people like Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz,” said Fawad.

    “Both Maryam and Bilawal should strive to climb up the ladder of their political careers,” Fawad said, adding, “Maryam does not have the stature to call herself a national leader.”

    “Her [street power] depends on the students of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s madrassas alone,” he said.

    Criticising the Opposition’s way of working, Fawad said that they did not have any policy to abide by.

  • Superstar Ayeza Khan Becomes the New Face of Harpic

    Superstar Ayeza Khan Becomes the New Face of Harpic

    via GIPHY

    Mothers are known to be protectors of their children, especially when it comes to germs. This fact became even more prominent during the pandemic. From socializing to playtime, the cornerstone of day-end was ultimately the clean-up routine. And where does this routine take place? The washroom of course! So, cleanliness of that space is of utmost priority!

    via GIPHY

    In light of the virus, Harpic, as a brand, recognized how the spread of germs was not just on every surface in the house, but also in the toilet bowls and bathrooms (namely floor, basin, tiles, taps etc). Harpic’s new Bathroom Cleaner formulation gives consumers a 10x better cleanliness result than your regular detergent and continues the brand’s legacy of killing 99.99% of germs on the floor, taps, tiles, and any other surfaces. All this, plus it fights against limescale and other unwanted staining, and their new fragrances also fight against the dreaded bathroom odor.

    via GIPHY

    With a new Bathroom Cleaner on the market, Harpic has shown some love for its iconic blue Toilet Cleaner. The Blue Toilet cleaner is not just viscous as always for a brilliant clean, but it also comes in some great new scents (Lavender, Pine, and Citrus) to appeal to every preference. With both its products, Harpic has ensured that you get a 360-degree cleaning of your whole washroom.

    https://youtu.be/5gmU3iZcwYI

    With mothers being at the forefront of protection for their families, Harpic set out to find the perfect face for the brand to represent these qualities; they wanted to find a brand ambassador that would ideally represent their ethos of cleanliness and hygiene. With consumer-based research, they found a candidate that not only made a great fit for the brand but is also a long-time loyal customer of Harpic itself.

    Ayeza Khan, the loveable all-rounder has been revealed by Harpic as the new face of the brand. Her qualities perfectly align with the core values of not just Harpic, but Reckitt Pakistan as a whole. The super-loved celebrity also takes the crown for being the first-ever female brand ambassador, and we say kudos!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HVkwlsYjbc

    This article has been sponsored by Harpic Pakistan.

  • ‘Proud to share this era’: Roger Federer congratulates Rafael Nadal on winning 21st grand slam title

    ‘Proud to share this era’: Roger Federer congratulates Rafael Nadal on winning 21st grand slam title

    Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer has congratulated Spain’s Rafael Nadal on winning his 21st grand slam singles title after beating Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a nail-biting Australian Open final.

    Taking to Instagram stories, Federer shared a picture of Nadal celebrating his victory and wrote: “To my friend and great rival @RafaelNadal. Heartfelt congratulations on becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam Singles Titles.”

    The Swiss star revealed that he and Nadal were joking about both being on crutches. “Never underestimate a great champion.”

    “Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the globe. I am proud to share this era with you,” he added.

    Federer further said that he is honoured to play a role in pushing Nadal to achieve more. He ended by saying, “I am sure you have more achievements ahead but for now enjoy this one.”

    Nadal fought back from two sets down to win the next three sets in order to win a nail-biting match.

    In the dramatic final set, Nadal broke Medvedev’s serve in the fifth game but the Russian broke back in the 10th game to level the set.

    Nadal, however, broke back immediately to clinch victory and become the first ever man in the history of tennis to win 21 grand slam titles.

    The Spaniard surpassed the previous men’s record of 20 he held jointly with Federer and Serbian player Novak Djokovic.

  • Union of Dawn newspaper ask PM Khan to call Dawn management to increase salaries, revert pay cuts

    Union of Dawn newspaper ask PM Khan to call Dawn management to increase salaries, revert pay cuts

    The Pakistan Herald Workers’ Union has requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of “the plight of media workers” at Dawn newspaper. The statement was issued by the Union in their apparent Twitter account, which represents the staff of daily Dawn newspaper.

    “We appreciate the sympathy and the concern you have shown for hardworking, honest but poorly paid workforce in the private sector in particular media organisations.”

    The union directly appealed to the PM to draw attention towards the plight of media workers in the newspaper.

    “First, the Dawn management cut employees’ salaries by up to 35 per cent in February 2019 on the pretext of ‘anticipated losses’,” the statement added.

    “Our appeal to the management to reverse the drastic pay-cut have fallen on the deaf ears, despite the company’s handsome profit in the fiscal year 2020-2021.”

    “Secondly, a truncated 8th wage board award, in August 2021, was ‘implemented’ in a lopsided manner- after a gap of 19 years. It ironically, further contracted the employees’ salary instead of raising it by 145 per cent, as required under the WBA.”

    “We, therefore request the honourable prime minister to make a phone call to Dawn’s management as well and exhort it to reverse the unlawful pay-cut, pay arrears and increase the salaries of the employees. We hope like ARY and Serene Air, Dawn’s management will also listen to your advice and do the needful,” the statement concluded.

    The Current has confirmed with Dawn that while they are not sure if the Twitter account is run by the Union, the letter seems genuine.

    Following PM Khan’s appeal to the corporate sector to increase the salaries of their staff, President and CEO ARY Digital Network Salman Iqbal last week announced a pay raise for lower-level employees.

    Read more- After PM’s Khan’s appeal for increase in workers’ salaries, ARY announces pay raise

    Salman Iqbal said the staff receiving a monthly salary of up to Rs20,000 will be given a raise of 80 per cent. “We have reached this stage with the blessing of Allah Almighty and countless efforts of the team,” he said.