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Author: News Desk

  • Teen receives table after he orders a cheap iPhone online

    Teen receives table after he orders a cheap iPhone online

    A teenager was left gobsmacked after he ordered a cheap iPhone online, which actually turned out to be a massive iPhone-shaped table.

    As per details, the teen from Thailand, had been excited when he stumbled upon what seemed to be a great deal for one of Apple’s beloved iPhones.

    While the shipping costs were a bit higher than he had expected, he couldn’t say not to what he thought was a total bargain. Unfortunately for him, he got a new bit of furniture instead of a brand new iPhone.

    The teen shared his story on social media, and it was clear to see he must have noticed something was wrong as soon as the package arrived.

    Instead of getting a phone-sized parcel, he was greeted with a cardboard box that measured a good few feet in length.

    When he unpackaged the item, he realised that he hadn’t actually ordered one of Apple’s phones, but a large iPhone-shaped table.

    According to the reports, the shopper later admitted he hadn’t checked the details of his order as closely as he probably should have.

    The story quickly gained a lot of attention on social media, as many people used it to warn others that they need to shop with care when buying items online.

    It is not yet known whether the teen attempted to return his phone-shaped table after realising his mistake.

  • Adnan Siddiqui, Mahira Khan pay rich tributes to Haseena Moin

    Adnan Siddiqui and Mahira Khan have paid rich tributes to Haseena Moin who passed away this morning at the age of 79.

    Remembering Moin, Siddiqui said: “No amount of adjectives would do justice to the immense talent of Haseena Moin or Haseena Apa as she was lovingly called. Her acclaimed writings brought a refreshing angle to dramas and plays, positioning women as independent and empowered.”

    “That was the time when hashtags didn’t drive feminism, real work did,” continued Adnan. “Her characters – be it the sisters in Tanhaiyaan, Dr Zoya in Dhoop Kinare [or] Shehzori’s Tara – broke glass ceilings in a conservative Pakistan of the time.”

    Praising Moin’s heroine’s, the actor further said: “Young women who were not afraid to speak their minds, believed in equality of genders and typecast emancipation in the truest sense of the word. They were never a second fiddle in any of Apa’s stories. Instead, they emerged stronger than the men.”

    Adnan also said that he felt “privileged to have worked in one of her dramas serial, Pal Do Pal and a long play Chup Daria.“

    “Though my favourite memories of Haseena apa would always be tuning into PTV to watch Zara and Sanya manoeuvre through life courageously and independently,” he concluded.

    Similarly, Mahira also remembered Haseena fondly, admiring her strong work.

    “There will never be another like Haseena Moin Sahiba,” said Mahira. “You shall live for generations to come.. through your service to this nation and our industry.”

    Other celebrities who remembered Moin include Faysal Quraishi, Imran Abbas, Sanam Saeed, Usman Mukhtar and Fahad Mustafa.

  • Umar Akmal reportedly unable to pay fine in fixing case

    Umar Akmal has reportedly been unable to pay the fine imposed on him by the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in a spot-fixing case last month, Jang has reported.

    According to the publication, the 30-year-old’s rehab program is pending due to non-payment of the fine.

    Last month, the CAS had reduced Akmal’s ban from 18 months to 12 months but had imposed a fine of Rs 4.25 million for his involvement in the corruption scandal.

    Akmal was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in February 2020 for not reporting fixing approaches made by corrupt elements.

    While Akmal had already served his one-year sentence on February 20, he is unable to start the rehabilitation program of PCB’s Security and Anti-Corruption Department due to the heavy monetary penalty.

    The batsman has, therefore, requested the board to allow him to pay the amount in installments.

    According to the publication, in response to Akmal’s requests, the PCB had demanded the batsman to provide proof of his inability to pay the lump sum fine.

  • Gilani becomes Senate’s Opp leader

    Gilani becomes Senate’s Opp leader

    Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has notified newly-elected Senator Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani as leader of the opposition in the Upper House of the parliament after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) nominated him for the slot with the support of 30 of his colleagues.

    “In pursuance of Rule 16 (3) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012, the Chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, with effect from 26th March, 2021,” read the notification issued by the Senate Secretariat.

    Former premier Yousaf Raza Gillani had earlier in the day filed nomination papers for the slot, according to pictures shared by PPP Senator Rubina Khalid on Twitter.

    PML-N’s Azam Nazir Tarrar, according to reports, had the support of 21 opposition senators while five-senator-strong Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) did not support any candidate.

    Talking to the media after submitting the request, Senator Sherry Rehman said the PPP’s request has the signatures of 21 senators from the party, two from the Awami National Party (ANP), one from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), two from erstwhile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and four members from Dilawar Khan’s independent group.

    To a query about what this would mean for the opposition alliance the fate of which was in the balance over the tussle now won by the PPP, she said it wasn’t the funeral of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) but a right of the PPP.

  • Government in 2016 provided inaccurate government guarantees data to IMF

    Government in 2016 provided inaccurate government guarantees data to IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the Government of Pakistan provided inaccurate data on guarantees dating back to fiscal year (FY) 2016.

    According to a press release by IMF, the revised data indicates non-observance of the performance criteria given by the government at the end of September 2019 by a margin of Rs347 billion (about 0.9 per cent of the GDP). 

    Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair of the IMF Antoinette Sayeh, while speaking about the development said: “The non-complying purchase arose as a result of a lack of inter-agency coordination in the compilation of government guarantees provided by the federal government to state-owned enterprises that contributed to incorrect estimates of government guarantees starting as far back as the fiscal year 2016.”

    This act is a non-complying purchase and breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5 of the IMF Articles of Agreement. 

    However, the government met the performance criteria with a margin of Rs 55 billion (0.1 per cent of the GDP) by the end of-September 2019

    The IMF also noted that Pakistani authorities had taken strong corrective steps to address the institutional and technical shortcomings that have resulted in the inaccurate reporting of information.

    IMF has created a group to reconcile and cross-check guarantees and debt data, announcing additional functions for the Debt Policy Coordination Office (DPCO).

    The groups will also act as the custodian of all the guarantees issued by the federal government and publishing a semi-annual debt bulletin that consolidates key debt statistics.

    Besides, the authorities are also committed to including a list of all the new guarantees expected to be issued in the FY 2022 budget submitted to Parliament.

    The IMF stated that the Pakistani authorities have continued to make satisfactory progress under its supported program which has been an important policy anchor during an unprecedented period.

  • Pakistan to start vaccine drive for citizens 50 and above from March 30

    Pakistan to start vaccine drive for citizens 50 and above from March 30

    Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has announced that the vaccination  drive for citizens 50 and above will start from March 30.

    “Registration of those who are 50+ for COVID vaccination will be opened on March 30,” said Umar.

    “Registration of those who are 60 and older has already been open. Encourage everybody who is 50 plus to register when the registration is opened for them on the 30th,” added the minister.

    The government has also allowed walk-in vaccination for seniors aged 60 and above at different health centers.

    Read more – Here’s how you can register for COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan

    Vaccination of people 60 and above commenced on March 10. Among those who received their shot is Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Dr Arif Alvi, Samina Peerzada, Bushra Ansari and Javed Sheikh. Citizens have also praised the government for the facility.

    Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has reported 4,368 cases and 63 deaths in the last 24 hours.

  • World Banks approves $600mn for Ehsaas program expansion

    World Banks approves $600mn for Ehsaas program expansion

    Executive Directors at the World Bank have approved $600 million for the Crisis-Resilient Social Protection Program (CRISP) that will help the Pakistani government expand the Ehsaas Program. The Ehsaas Program is an initiative taken by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for poverty alleviation and to protect vulnerable households in Pakistan.

    Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of families across Pakistan face economic hardship, particularly workers in the informal sector.

    World Bank Country Director Najy Behassine, speaking about the project, said: “Such workers barely have savings to use in crises and they are not covered by existing social safety net program. This investment will enable Ehsaas program to develop a more efficient and adaptive social protection system for crises and resilience to future shocks.”

    As per details, CRISP will facilitate the Ehsaas social protection programs so that aid may reach informal workers, particularly women through an innovative approach. It will provide a platform through which the government can rapidly respond to support the most affected households during an economic crisis.

    “In the event of a crisis, a more flexible and dynamic social protection system can significantly reduce the time needed to respond to peoples’ needs as well as supporting a faster recovery,” said Amjad Zafar Khan, Task Team Leader for the Crisis-Resilient Social Protection program.

    CRISP will also improve the capacity of the social registry to maintain up-to-date accurate household data and exchange data among social programs while providing greater beneficiary choice in the biometric payment systems.

  • ‘SBP, PCB agree to build five-star hotel near Gaddafi Stadium’

    ‘SBP, PCB agree to build five-star hotel near Gaddafi Stadium’

    The Sports Board of Punjab (SBP) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have reportedly agreed to build a five-star hotel at Nishtar Park Sports Complex, near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The decision was reportedly taken in a meeting presided by Director General Adnan Arshad Aulakh at the National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

    According to details, PCB’s Senior General Manager Admin Col (retd) Ashfaq Ahmed, Consultant Abdul Ghafoor Bhatti, Director Admin Javed Chohan and other officials were also part of the meeting, which discussed the construction of a hotel, a High-Performance Centre and other issues related to the Lahore Regional Cricket Association (LRCA) ground.

    Addressing the meeting, Aulakh said: “Several world-class sports facilities have been provided in Nishtar Park Sports Complex and many international sports players used to visit here for sports events quite frequently.”

    “In such a situation, a five-star hotel is badly needed here. The security issue of international teams will also be resolved after the construction of a world-class hotel which will also provide a complete residence facility to world sports stars.”

    “In this way, the authorities won’t need to block the traffic and other roads for the security of foreign sports teams,” he added.

    It is pertinent to mention here that sporting events in the city often block all major traffic routes after authorities cordon off roads for security purposes. The construction of a hotel near the stadium will help solve traffic problems in the city.

  • Asim Azhar and the Young Stunners drop a new song ‘Yaad’

    Asim Azhar and the Young Stunners drop a new song ‘Yaad’

    After Tum Tum, Asim Azhar and the Young Stunners have collaborated again for another song titled Yaad. The song which released less than 24 hours ago is already trending at number six on YouTube Pakistan.

    https://twitter.com/AsimAzharr/status/1375074119750836234?s=20

    Yaad has been written, composed and sung by Asim while the Young Stunners have added the rap to the song. The music video has been directed by Asim Hussain and produced by Nafeel Ali.

    The song also caught the attention of music maestro Yasir Jaswal, who praised the singers, saying: “Loving the song and the vibe.”

    Check out the song here:

  • Punjab education minister urges students to ‘ignore’ misinformation and ‘be patient’

    Punjab education minister urges students to ‘ignore’ misinformation and ‘be patient’

    Punjab Minister for Education Dr Murad Raas has urged students in the province not to believe any any information coming from unofficial sources.

    “Ignore all tweets wherever they are coming from,” wrote the minister in a tweet. “Anything to do with Punjab will be tweeted by me. Please be patient, dates will be announced in a day or two.”

    “These amount of calls and messages is insanity,” he added.

    Earlier, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced that schools located in COVID-19 hotspot areas will remain closed till April 11.

    Mahmood also informed that after several rounds of talks, Cambridge has agreed to reschedule this year’s O’ Level exams to after May 15.

    “A’ and AS’ Level exams will take place as per the original timetable following all the SOP,” stated the minister.

    Prior to the announcement, Mahmood had told students that all “decisions are made keeping their best interest in view not what is popular”.

    “Educational institutions are closed on the advice of health authorities,” said Mahmood. “Decisions about exams are being made considering what is best for them. Have faith.”

    Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has reported 4,368 cases and 63 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    Number of cases recorded in different provinces in the last 24 hours are as follows: