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Author: News Desk

  • Mian Mansha donates protective gear for medical staff worth Rs10 million

    Mian Mansha donates protective gear for medical staff worth Rs10 million

    Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has received protective gear for coronavirus frontline workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, worth Rs10 million from MCB Bank Limited Chairman Mian Muhammad Mansha.

    According to the health minister, the donation comprises N95 masks, protective gear as well as gloves, goggles and shoes. The minister expressed gratitude to Mian Mansha for the donation for the frontline workers currently serving in dedicated hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The philanthropists and organisations working to support the government in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic deserve appreciation from the government. In these testing times, we can win this battle by collective efforts. The MCB has displayed a good example of corporate social responsibility and I pray that the Almighty accepts this act of kindness and generosity,” Dr Yasmin said.

    Meanwhile, on the special instructions of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Sindh government distributed protective gear and kits to the hospitals of south Punjab.

    The contributions come as doctors and other medical staffers continue to protest against the unavailability of proper safety equipment at hospitals in major parts of the country and doctors contracting the virus.

    The number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan, by the time this report was filed, stood at 8,648 with 181 fatalities.

  • Storm blows away domes of Kartarpur Sahib within months of inauguration

    At least two domes recently constructed outside the perimeter of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Shakargarh collapsed due to a thunderstorm and high-speed winds in the area, drawing strong reactions from people of both Pakistan and India.

    The two domes at Darbar Sahib Kartarpur of the Kartarpur Corridor — the visa-free border crossing and a secure corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to the border with India — fell off due to strong winds coupled with heavy rain showers in Punjab over the weekend.

    No injury was reported as a result of the domes falling off.

    The material used in the construction of the domes raised serious concerns over the quality of the material used in the Kartarpur Corridor. It was alleged that the domes, that appear to be hollow from the inside, were constructed using fibre instead of cement and iron.

    Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the matter had been addressed before the Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri with a request for an immediate inquiry.

    Frontier Works Organization (FWO) — a military engineering organisation — had been assigned to ensure the immediate renovation of the damaged domes, which ensured the completion of repair work within 48 hours.

  • Nimra Khan ties the knot

    Nimra Khan ties the knot

    Despite coronavirus and lockdowns, the celebrity wedding season is in full swing. Right before the lockdown, we saw Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly tie the knot. This was followed by a surprise wedding of veteran actors Manzar Sehbai and Samina Ahmed. And right before Ramzan starts actor Nimra Khan has tied the knot.

    Nimra took to social media to make the announcement. Sharing a cute photo of herself with her husband, Nimra thanked everyone for their wishes and asked her fans to pray for her. However, she did not share any further details. It is being reported that Nimra’s husband Raja Iftekhar Azam is a police officer in the United Kingdom and that the marriage was arranged by her parents. She also shared that is planning to settle in London after her marriage.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MtusyAFfj/

    Meanwhile, the actor’s manager Waleed Nadeem and her wedding planners KhichiK Studio also shared pictures from her big day and wished her luck for her upcoming journey.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Mp4eqJWXA/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ItOKyHQ74/

    In an interview with Samina Peerzada last year, Nimra has opened up about her life and had revealed that she had been involved in a major car accident which left her bedridden. Doctors had told her parents that she wouldn’t make it, and even if she did, she would be in a coma. The actor further revealed how she had sustained severe injuries and was in excruciating pain because of which she had to take a high dosage of medicines which in turn caused her mental distress. Nimra shared that it was after this time that she met someone who made her feel loved and cared for. At that time, the actor had shared no further details about her love life.

    Over the years, Nimra has made a mark in the industry and has proven herself to be a talented actor. She has appeared in several hit dramas including Baaghi, Choti Si Zindagi and Alif Allah aur Insan.

  • Maria B pledges 100,000 masks to battle coronvavirus

    Maria B pledges 100,000 masks to battle coronvavirus

    Following the footsteps of Asim Jofa and Deepak Perwani, who are producing hazmat suits for healthcare workers, Maria B has also announced that her brand is producing 1000 masks a day in both cotton and 25 GSM approved fabric. However, her masks are not for healthcare workers.

    Maria has also pledged 100,000 masks “to distribute to as many people as possible and our LEA’s.”

    “Everyone needs to wear a mask. We will get through this together,” asserted the designer.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ANmUapwUd/

    Meanwhile, in a press release, Maria B said, “The brand has always taken steps to help out Pakistan and its people wherever possible. Through our Maria.B Cares initiative we have collaborated with various organisation, government and private sectors in doing what we can, be it fighting against COVID-19, providing rations, healthcare, education or the environment. We do what we can and encourage everyone to join hands and do whatever they can to build a prosperous nation.”

    The press release added that the brand is also working closely with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) by providing them with masks, industrial/pocket sanitizers, PPE suits, gloves, face shields, caps and shoe covers.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ANt2NJ5U5/

    Maria B was recently involved in a controversy after she allowed her cook, who had been tested positive for COVID-19, to travel back home on public transport. Her husband had been arrested for criminal negligence and the incident had sparked national outrage.

  • Broken seals at Wuhan lab holding 1,500 different strains of virus, including bat coronavirus

    Broken seals at Wuhan lab holding 1,500 different strains of virus, including bat coronavirus

    In a rare glimpse inside a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan amid global suspicions about the COVID-19 pandemic, scenes from the “secretive” Institute of Virology have sent shockwaves over the internet.

    According to Mail Online, pictures from inside the laboratory show a broken seal on the door of one of the refrigerators used to hold 1,500 different strains of virus, including the bat coronavirus that has jumped to humans with over 2.4 million infections and over 165,000 deaths since the first case in November last year.

    The pictures, first released by a state-owned Chinese newspaper in 2018, were also published on Twitter last month, before being deleted.

    Meanwhile, according to New York Post, the director of the lab denies that the bug accidentally spread from his facility.

    “There’s no way this virus came from us,” Yuan Zhiming, director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told state media.

    Yuan admitted that the lab is studying “different areas related to the coronavirus,” but told the English-language state broadcaster CGTN that none of his staff has been infected.

    “As people who carry out viral studies we clearly know what kind of research is going on at the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples,” he said.

    He said that since the lab is in Wuhan “people can’t help but make associations”, but claimed that some media outlets are “deliberately trying to mislead people”.

    But officials in the past have raised concerns over the safety conditions of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

    In March 2018, US science diplomats dispatched to the lab issued two “sensitive” diplomatic cables about inadequate safety measures at the lab, the Washington Post reported, citing intelligence sources.

    The first cable warned the experiments conducted in the lab on coronavirus in bats “represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic,” according to the report.

    The cable, written by two US-China embassy officials, said there is a “serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory,” according to the report.

  • At least 1,300,000 people in KP to lose jobs in 45 days?

    At least 1.3 million people could lose their jobs if a 45-day lockdown is put in place, a report prepared by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s Planning and Development Department revealed on Sunday.

    The report warns at least 460,000 people working as daily wagers and street vendors are set to lose their employment with “immediate effect”.

    The report, released on Sunday, highlighted the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the province’s economy.

    Estimating layoffs caused due to the lockdown in place to stop the spread of the pandemic, the report noted that “daily wage workers, paid worker by piece rate or work performed, paid non-family apprentice and street vendors” were highly vulnerable to the economic impact of coronavirus.

    The report also predicted that the growth of KP’s economy would drop from 3.73 per cent in 2019 to 2.9pc this year, while the gross domestic product (GDP) would go down from Rs13,35,942 million to Rs13,16,160m.

    The report also predicted that overall, some 1.3 million jobs could be lost during a 45-day lockdown. The highest losses would be seen in the transportation and storage sectors with a predicted loss of some 359,393 jobs while construction, manufacturing and wholesale sectors would also be highly affected with job losses of some 295,594, 258,664 and 216,252 respectively.

    The number of jobs lost could increase even more if the lockdown was extended, the report warned, estimating that some 2.7m jobs would be lost if the lockdown was extended to a six-month period while some 4.2m jobs would be lost if the lockdown remained in place for a year.

    However, the report observed that there would be “minimal impact” on the province’s agricultural sector.

    REPORT LAYS DOWN MECHANISM TO MITIGATE IMPACT:

    The report titled Coping Strategy: Mitigating Adverse Impact of COVID-19 on the Economy and Job Market in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also laid out the provincial government’s mechanism to deal with the impact.

    According to the report, some 1.5 million families in the province will benefit from the federal government’s Ehsaas Cash Disbursement Programme through which they would get Rs12,000 every month.

    The report voiced apprehension that the COVID-19 pandemic would also “render vulnerable” those people who do not fall under the federal government’s cash distribution programme criteria.

    The government would therefore form a committee at the Village Council level that would identify vulnerable families who would receive Rs6,000 from the government.

    Certain sectors would also be exempted from tax payments, the report said. Construction, wholesale, retail and transport sectors would be eligible to benefit from these tax exemptions.

    The government would also adopt a moratorium on loan payments for three months to “allow business higher liquidity to the most affected small and medium enterprises” while “mark-up due for the quarter ending 31 March would have to be paid by 15 June instead of 15 April”.

    The government would also pay advance salaries to officers from grade 1 to 17 to “sustain demand” if needed.

    The government would also consider deferral of payment of utility bills for three months to help support small businesses and shopkeepers, the report further added.

  • Urdu version of ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ to air on PTV in Ramazan

    Fans of the super hit Turkish historical fiction series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, popularly referred to as the Turkish Game of Thrones, can rejoice because the drama serial will be hitting our TV screens in Urdu on the first of Ramazan.

    Senator Faisal Javed Khan made the announcement on social media. According to Khan’s tweet, the drama will air in the Urdu language every day from the first of Ramazan at 9:10 pm on PTV Home.

    PTV also shared a short promo of the drama on their social media channel.

    PTV got the exclusive rights for dubbing and screening it in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested that Pakistani viewers should watch the series. Reports suggest that the prime minister is a big fan of the series as it promotes true Islamic values.

    Read more – PM Imran requests PTV to air Turkish drama in Urdu

    Diriliş: Ertuğrul is set in 13th century Anatolia, before the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. It illustrates the struggle of Ertugrul Gazi, the father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty.

    Since its premiere on state-run Turkish TV channel TRT 1 in November 2014, the serial has been telecasted in 60 countries and has a huge fan following across the world.

  • Team of ‘Ishrat Made in China’ tested for COVID-19

    Team of ‘Ishrat Made in China’ tested for COVID-19

    After a long wait and some hitches along the way, the cast and crew of Ishrat Made in China including Sanam Saeed, Shamoon Abbasi, Mohib Mirza and Sara Loren have tested negative for COVID-19. They had returned from Thailand on April 14 on a special flight arranged by the Government of Pakistan after being stranded there for almost two weeks.

    Sanam took to social media to share the results and thank Deputy Commissioner Islamabad for his support and assistance. The actor also cleared the air regarding the issues they had faced upon their arrival back home.

    Read more – Shamoon Abbasi, Sanam Saeed face gross mismanagement as they arrive in Pakistan

    Shamoon also updated his fans about their results.

  • Natasha of Natasha’s Salon shares a body-positive message for new mommies

    Natasha Khalid of Karachi’s renowned Natasha’s Salon shared an endearing message for all mommies out there highlighting body-positivity and the pressure women face after giving birth.

    “I have always been in awe of those women I see that somehow seem to go back to being fit and look like they have it all together right after having a baby,” wrote the makeup artist. “Whilst I always wished them well I also realised the kind of pressure it put on all us women in general, as all of our journeys with our bodies are different and are not meant to be the same.”

    Addressing all those who keep asking her how she looks so put together, Natasha wrote, “I want to tell all the women and mamas messaging me that I have not lost the baby weight, I have a mama belly and am softer all over. My focus right now is my breastfeeding and eating what I love and indulging. And that is okay.”

    She continued, “Having a baby may be one of the hardest things we do as women because alongside the absolute joy is a loss of self, massive hormonal shifts, I am paranoid about protecting my baby all the time, I fight with my husband and mom most days and cry in the shower without fail every day.”

    Along with her message, Natasha shared pictures of her in her “Sunday best, which is no makeup, her husband’s shirt, burp cloth, crumpled pyjamas, oil in her hair, Noor in her hands and a smile on her face.”

    “I don’t have it all together and I don’t have all the answers. I am learning to be a mom alongside my Noor, falling apart most of the time but then getting up and trying again. To everyone who struggles, I feel you and send so much power and love to all mamas and women out there. We are absolutely powerful and incredible in every way, don’t let anyone make you feel any different,” she concluded.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_KAv05jBJ0/

    Natasha, who is also Nur Jahan’s granddaughter, welcomed her baby daughter in January.

  • After Al-Fatah denial, DIG Operations Lahore confirms coronavirus positive employees

    After Al-Fatah denial, DIG Operations Lahore confirms coronavirus positive employees

    Rumours that Al-Fatah’s large department store at Hussain Chowk in Gulberg, Lahore had employees that tested positive for coronavirus was doing the rounds this week. The store was closed and customers were told that the closure was for fumigation and that the rumours were false. Delivery was still open.

    When DIG Operations Lahore was asked on Twitter whether the rumours were true or false, he confirmed that three employees tested positive for coronavirus and that the store was closed.

    Lahoris also alleged that Al Fatah had posted a notice denying the rumours and had deleted the notices today.

    There were notices posted outside the store and people called in to find out what was going on. People who called were told that there was fumigation going on but the news of positive cases was not true.

    The notice, which was saved by twitter users is now circulating on the social media platform with people asking why it was deleted.

    https://twitter.com/nabihameher/status/1251835072459800577?s=21