The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at allowing Facebook’s monetisation in Pakistan.
Moved by Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ziaullah Bangash of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the resolution recommended to the provincial government to ask the federal government to take steps to “turn on” Facebook’s monetisation so that its users, especially the youth, could benefit from the positive use of the media platform and earn money.
The resolution pointed out that the speaker of the National Assembly had already held a meeting with Facebook officials in which it was decided that steps would be taken to “turn on” monetisation of the platform in the country.
It added that 50 million Facebook users in the country, especially the youth, could benefit from the move.
Due to the COVID-19 crises, Pakistan exports in the region have dropped by 5.7 per cent in the nine months of the current fiscal year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) revealed on Monday.
Pakistan exported goods and services as little as $2.788 billion to neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Iran.
Data revealed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
The figure is just 14.91 per cent of the total global export of Pakistan, which stood at $18.688 billion in the current fiscal year.
Pakistan largely exported to China; they are at the top of the list, leaving India and Bangladesh behind.
In terms of percentage, Pakistan exports to China are 50.46 per cent, and the remaining share is for eight other countries.
Exports to China also experienced a growth of 8.4 per cent, which is $1.407 billion in FY2021 from 1.298 billion in FY2020.
Unfortunately, the trade ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have declined and faced political and policy turmoils. The exports to Afghanistan have fallen by 5.57 per cent that is just $746.328 million in FY2021. In FY2020, the exports between Afghanistan and Pakistan stood at $790,377 million.
Afghanistan has also been removed as the second biggest trade partner of Pakistan, and Afghanistan replaced India as the most important trade partner.
Trade ties between Pakistan and India are also topsy turvy. The government has suspended trade with India. Earlier, the Economic Corridor Committee (ECC) approved the import of cotton and yarn from India, but then the decision was reversed for political reasons.
The exports to Iran jumped 374 per cent to $0.261m in 9MFY21 from $0.055m in 9MFY20. Most of the trade with Tehran is carried out through informal channels in border areas of Balochistan.
Exports to Bangladesh decreased by 13.56 per cent that is $438.418m in FY2021. Islamabad has recently reached out to Dhaka to revive talks to facilitate trade between the two countries.
Similarly, exports to Sri Lanka dipped by 24.2 per cent to $185.883m from $245.131m in the previous year.
During Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Sri Lanka, both countries agreed to exploit the available potential of bilateral trade.
Exports to Nepal dropped by 82.6 per cent to $3.502m from the previous year while those to the Maldives dipped by 28.96 per cent to $4.044m from $5.693m.
Exports to Bhutan were recorded at $0.043m as compared to $0.094m over the last year. In March, no exports proceeds were sent to the Maldives.
On the other hand, the country’s trade deficit with the region narrowed as imports from these countries also dipped.
As India battles a deadly second wave of COVID-19, Feroze Khan wants you to remember and pray for Kashmir, which has been out of oxygen “since God knows when”.
“I am sure it’s a tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why?” wrote Khan on social media.
– I am sure it’s tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why ?
When a user remarked that “this is a very wrong time to tweet this [and] most of the people suffering are innocent”, Feroze said: “What? Kashmir is out of oxygen since God knows when. They just are not nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it.”
“They’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir,” he added.
– What ? Kashmir is out of oxygen since god knows when. They just are not a nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it. 😂 they’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir ! https://t.co/QdYlYMVcIB
When another social media user called out the actor for being “cold-hearted”, Khan said: “I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere but I would still don’t want to be quiet for a few likes and views.”
“The drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere,” he continued.
– I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere. but I would still not wanna be quiet for a few likes and views the drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere. https://t.co/dt4Rsf2rS1
Responding to yet another user, Feroze said that he loves his fans “but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle?”
– I love them back so much they are everything to me but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle ?? https://t.co/wkbg0vDsxd
Later, Feroze Khan also shared some statistics regarding the healthcare situation in Kashmir, asserting that he stands with Kashmir but is praying for everyone everywhere.
Meanwhile, India’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse with doctors predicting that the worse is yet to come.
“The situation is critical right now. This pandemic is the worst we have ever seen until now. The next two weeks are going to be hell for us,” Dr Shaarang Sachdev from the Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital told Sky News.
In some of the worst-hit cities, including the capital Delhi, bodies were being burnt in makeshift facilities offering mass services.
Twitter in Pakistan has been trending with hashtags showing solidarity with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India while Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.
Aamir Liaquat strikes again. After giving us a glimpse of his dancing skills with the Nagin Dance, the television show host’s singing skills have come into the spotlight after a video of him humming Laila O Laila on the sets of his Ramzan transmission was leaked on social media.
The behind-the-scenes video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Liaquat singing the superhit Bollywood song as the musicians play the music.
Earlier, during this year’s transmission, Aamir also gave memers an opportunity to make new memesby competing in a race with Pakistani star Naseem Hameed, who had won a gold medal at the South Asian Federation Games in 2010.
Liaquat became a member of National Assembly in 2018, after securing a seat from NA-245 Karachi.
Pakistan has supported Turkish thesis on the events of 1915 after American President Joe Biden’s declaration that massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I was genocide.
In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed Islamabad’s support for Ankara’s take on the events of 1915, said an official statement.
Turkey, established in 1923 after the Ottoman empire collapsed, has always denied there was a systematic campaign to annihilate Armenians.
It says that thousands of Turks and Armenians died in inter-ethnic violence as the empire started to fall apart and fought a Russian invasion of its eastern provinces during the war.
“We believe that one-sided approaches and political categorisation of historical events could undermine trust and lead to polarisation between nations,” Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.
The statement also praised Turkey’s “constructive approach” on the subject including Ankara’s proposal for a joint historical commission to explore the facts.
Turkish Foreign Ministry thanked Pakistan for its support.
“Thank you brotherly Pakistan! Long live Turkey-Pakistan friendship!” read a tweet.
Biden, in his statement, said the American people honour “all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago.”
“Over the decades, Armenian immigrants have enriched the United States (US) in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the tragic history,” Biden said.
“We honour their story. We see that pain. We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated.”
The largely symbolic move, breaking away from decades of carefully calibrated language from the White House, comes at a time when Ankara and Washington grapple with deep policy disagreements over a host of issues.
The Turkish government and most of the opposition showed rare unity in their rejection of Biden’s statement.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia as well as international experts to tackle the issue.
While a pandemic rages across the country, our celebrities appear to live in another dimension.
Fahad Mirza recently celebrated his 40th birthday in an extravagant party that saw several celebs including Mirza’s wife Sarwat Gilani, Zeba Bakhtiar, Sheheryar Munawar, Frieha Altaf, and Mansha Pasha in attendance. Besides the birthday celebrations, there was also a qawwali performance by Fareed Ayaz. However, what was missing was social distancing, masks, and other COVID-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, Frieha defended the celebrations, saying “”First of all, it was a very small gathering and it was on an open rooftop it was also Fahad’s 40th birthday. All SOPs were followed, there were masks, temperature checks at the gate and I believe most of the guests already vaccinated or had antibodies,”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the model-actor said: “The only time anyone took off the mask was to take a picture. I think when people see pictures and videos they end up assuming the worst.”
Pat Cummins, who has enjoyed plenty of gripping battles with India on the cricket pitch, has delivered a classy show of unity with the struggling country as it faces one of the toughest fights in the nation’s history.
The Australian fast bowler has pledged a generous $50,000 donation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘PM Cares Fund’ to supply oxygen to hospitals overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a touching message posted on social media, Cummins announced the donation and urged fellow cricketers to donate as well.
“India is a country I’ve come to love dearly over the years and the people here are some of the warmest and kindest I’ve ever met,” said Cummins. “To know so many are suffering so much at this time saddens me greatly.”
Talking about the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), Cummins said: “There has been quite a bit of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high. I’m advised that the Indian government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country.”
“As players, we are privileged to have a platform that allows us to reach millions of people that we can use for good. With that in mind, I have made a contribution to the ‘PM Cares Fund’, specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals,” said Cummins, encouraging his fellow cricketers to contribute as well.
“I will kick it off with $50,000,” said Cummins. “At times like this, it is easy to feel helpless. I’ve certainly felt that of late. But I hope by making this public appeal we can all channel our emotions into action that will bring light into people’s lives.
“I know my donation isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but I hope it will make a difference to someone,” he concluded.
Cummins, who was the most-expensive foreign player purchased in the IPL auction, has repaid the faith with some impressive performances for the Knight Riders including striking an unbeaten 66 off 34 balls in a recent match.
Meanwhile, India in the last four days has seen fresh COVID-19 cases numbering over 300,000 per day – the worst numbers of any country since the pandemic began. The nation has tallied nearly 17 million cases in total, and hospitals have been overrun in the latest wave of infections.
While three Australian cricketers – Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, and Andrew Tye – abandoned the league and returned to Australia, Cummins opted to stay there and contribute towards the cause.
IPL will continue its 2021 edition as per schedule, organisers said on Sunday, even as the tournament faced heavy criticism for the plan as India grapples with a massive surge in coronavirus cases.
Senior analyst Hafeezullah Niazi has trained guns at the government, especially Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over the decision to deploy army for ensuring COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed.
“Then what good are you? What good is the police force?,” he asked addressing the premier in response to a question by the host of the talk show he was appearing on.
The host had asked Niazi if the decision to deploy the army exposed the government’s failure in dealing with anything from natural calamities to law and order situations and enforcement of COVID-19 SOPs in this case.
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It is pertinent to note that the government announced its decision to summon the army as the third wave of the pandemic continues to take toll on Pakistan.
According to reports, the Interior Ministry has issued a notification allowing the provinces and federal territories to seek the help of the army to enforce SOPs for curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
In a video message on Sunday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said according to the notification, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad will avail the services of the Pakistan Army for implementation of Covid-19 SOPs “as per their need”. He said Sindh had not opted to be part of the measure for now.
اسلام آباد۔ 25 اپریل
این سی سی کے COVID-19 وبا کے خلاف سول حکومت کی مدد کے لئے افواج پاکستان اور سول آرمڈ فورسز کی تعیناتی کے حوالے سے اہم اعلان۔ pic.twitter.com/Hw2SMsknVo
Riz Ahmed may have lost the Oscar Award for Best Actor to Anthony Hopkins but he walked away with the best red carpet appearance when he took a moment to fix his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza’s hair. Ahmed had revealed in January that he had tied the knot in secret a few months back.
In a video that went viral on social media, the couple can be seen walking in together and as the photographers clicked their pictures, Riz paused for a moment to make sure his wife’s hair looked perfect. Ahmed’s act won the hearts of audiences across the world and they started hailing the couple as “relationship goals”.
The British-Pakistani actor was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role of a drummer who loses his hearing in the Sound of Metal.
In addition to winning hearts with his romantic gesture on the red carpet, Ahmed also made history at this year’s Oscars as the first Muslim nominee in the Best Actor category. He was up against Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank, and Steven Yeun for Minari. Hopkins eventually took home the award.
Meanwhile, Sound of Metal bagged two awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
An honourary award for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which has supported struggling actors and crew particularly during the pandemic, was awarded at the Oscars’ traditional Hollywood theater base. Black entertainment mogul Tyler Perry was also honored.
But the bulk of the awards were handed out at the 1930s-built Union Station, chosen for its grand scale and outdoor courtyards, where white tents sheltering everything from Covid testing booths to catering were installed.
“We’re here, isn’t it crazy?” said Ahmed. “Human beings in the flesh!”
While The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remembered late actors Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, Chadwick Boseman and other stars in the 93rd Academy Awards.
The late stars were honoured for their services to the cinema industry in the ‘In Memoriam’ sequence during the award show with Stevie Wonder’s song ‘As’ in the background.
The Indonesian submarine that had gone missing earlier this week has been found broken, deep in the Bali Sea.
Indonesian army and navy officials also confirmed all 53 crew members on-board the missing KRI Nanggala-402 submarine have died.
“With deep sadness, I can say that all 53 personnel onboard have passed,” Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said.
“We received underwater pictures that were confirmed as the parts of the submarine, including its rear vertical rudder, anchors, outer pressure body, embossed dive rudder and other parts,” he said during a press conference, adding the next step was to lift the wreckage of the vessel with the help of foreign navies.
The submarine — one of five in Indonesia’s fleet — disappeared last Wednesday while it was scheduled to do live torpedo training exercises off Bali.
The crew asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after.
Later, search teams spotted an oil spill where the vessel was thought to have submerged, pointing to possible fuel-tank damage, and a catastrophic accident.
A number of countries, including Russia, the United States (US), Germany, France, India, Turkey and Australia, had offered assistance to Indonesia in the operation to find the submarine.
