Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • India requests Pakistan to let Modi fly through its airspace

    India requests Pakistan to let Modi fly through its airspace

    India has requested Pakistan to let Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s aircraft fly through its airspace to New York for his week-long trip to the United States (US) from September 21 to 27.

    India has formally requested Pakistan to allow use of its air space for PM Modi’s flight, ANI reported.

    On September 22, Modi will address the Indian community as part of the ‘Howdy Modi!’ event in Houston, Texas. The event will be his third major address to the Indian-American community after he became the prime minister in 2014 and the first after his re-election in May.

    The previous two were at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 2014 and the Silicon Valley in 2016.

    Modi will then visit New York from September 23, where he will address the 2019 Climate Action Summit hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He is also expected to meet US President Donald Trump.

    Modi had in August used Pakistani airspace for the first time after February’s botched Balakot strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

    The flight carrying Modi, callsign Air India One (AI-1), used Pakistani airspace while en route to France from New Delhi.

    Pakistan closed its airspace in February this year after a standoff with India in the wake of an attack on a police convoy in occupied Kashmir that killed 40 paramilitary police.

    In the aftermath, two Indian fighter jets’ were downed. Pakistan also captured one of the Indian pilots who was later released.

    In June, Modi avoided flying over Pakistan during a trip to Central Asia, even though its airspace was opened as a goodwill gesture.

    Islamabad had fully reopened its airspace to civilian flights a month later.

  • Price of plane tickets to increase after November 1

    Price of plane tickets to increase after November 1

    Bad news for all those travelling after November 1.

    The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has increased its embarkation fees and airport charges which means that plane tickets will now become more expensive. The new prices will be effective from November 1.

    According to reports, the CAA will charge Rs 2,800 as airport charges for passengers travelling abroad while foreign nationals will pay $20 each (Rs 3,127).

    The CAA has also said the charges will apply to all airports. Previously, each airport had set its own charges.

    Meanwhile, the embarkation fee for economy and business class passengers has been increased to Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively.

    The new fees will be imposed from November 1, regardless of advanced bookings.

    As part of the new aviation policy, aeronautical charges for international flights have also been increased by 10% and landing charges during peak hours by 25%.

  • Meesha Shafi wants two billion rupees from Ali Zafar in damages

    Meesha Shafi wants two billion rupees from Ali Zafar in damages

    Claiming that Actor Ali Zafar has caused her “mental torture and agony,” and damaged her reputation and goodwill, singer Meesha Shafi has filed a two billion rupees damages suit against him in Lahore sessions court.

    She has also asked the court to declare Ali’s statements as “false, malicious and defamatory” and that they ruined her reputation. She also demanded that he be restrained from making any more statements against her.

    Ali had earlier filed a one billion rupees defamation suit against Meesha that is underway in Lahore sessions court.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHiqV912X38
    A short explainer of what happened to the sexual harassment case filed against Ali

    Both Ali and Meesha did rounds of television talk shows and spoke about the allegations against them and their own version of what happened.

    Meesha Shafi on Shahzeb Khanzada’s program

    Meesha had tweeted in April that Ali had sexually harassed her. Ali denied the allegations and the case is currently in court.

    Ali Zafar on Mubasher Lucman’s program

     Meesha had filed a sexual harassment case against him which was dismissed since it could not be determined that the alleged sexual harassment took place in a workplace. Ali then filed a defamation case against Meesha, and Meesha sent him a defamation notice in May. She has now filed the defamation suit.

  • How to make pepper spray at home?

    How to make pepper spray at home?

    Ali Khan Tareen has presented a better solution to avoid and lessen harassment cases. He has said that we should give pepper spray to schoolgirls to avoid harassment rather than asking them to wear an Abaya.

    The son of senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen took to twitter to give us an alternative for protection of school girls from sexual harassment.

    What is pepper spray?

    Pepper spray is a chemical mixture that causes severe pain and irritation when it comes in contact with the eyes

    But the question is from where in the market we can get pepper spray? Don’t worry if you cannot find any in the market. You can even make a pepper spray at home as well. Read the instructions below to make it.

    Gather your supplies

    Pepper spray mixture can be made using household ingredients.

    Red chilli powder. It is recommended for its spiciness and ability to irritate the eyes.

    Vegetable oil and Rubbing alcohol or spirit. These will be used to mix with the powder to make it to a sprayable substance.

    How to prepare?

    Add two tablespoons of pepper powder.

    Add spirit until the pepper has been completely submerged and then add one tablespoon of vegetable oil. You can also use baby oil.

    Leave the mixture overnight.

    Then filter your mixture with the help of the coffee filter.

    Filtering the mixture will help prevent clogging the nozzle of the spray.

    When you are done, pour the mixture in the spray bottle and you are good to go anywhere with your spray.

  • Ashes hero Ben Stokes’ lashes out at UK tabloid

    Ashes hero Ben Stokes’ lashes out at UK tabloid

    England cricketer Ben Stokes has described The Sun’s front-page story about a private family tragedy from his past as “utterly disgusting” and the “lowest form of journalism”.

    The Sun published details of how Stokes’ half-brother and half-sister were shot dead by his mother’s ex-husband more than three decades ago.

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/1173712141632856065?s=20

    According to The Sun’s story, Stokes’ mother’s jealous ex Richard Dunn had weekend custody of his children. He shot them both dead at his flat in Christchurch, New Zealand in April 1988. Dunn then drove to his ex’s home and torched the building. She had left to go to work. Alerted to the fire, armed cops raced to his apartment and Dunn retreated inside. Ten minutes later, they heard two shots and found him dead.

    In a statement, Stokes described The Sun’s article as “low and despicable behaviour, disguised as journalism”. He said the article deals with “deeply personal and traumatic events” that affected his New Zealand-based family more than 30 years ago. “My family has worked hard to deal with the private trauma inevitably associated with these events and has taken great care to keep private”.

    https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1173893834377441280?s=20

    A spokesperson for The Sun said that the newspaper has the utmost sympathy for Ben and his mother “but it is only right to point out the story was told with the co-operation of a family member who supplied details, provided photographs and posed for pictures”.

    After Stokes’ heartfelt statement, a Twitter campaign to boycott The Sun began with hashtags #DontBuyTheSun and #BoycottTheSun.

    England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison also issued a statement condemning The Sun.

  • Four ways you can help your planet

    Four ways you can help your planet

    Are all the reports regarding climate change or the deteriorating environment disturbing you? Do you want to play a part in saving the Earth?

    Headlines these days are flooded with bad news about global warming, dying oceans, melting glaciers and endangered animals. Frankly speaking, the situation is quite alarming and we are more affected with it than we thought. While most of us think that one person’s actions might not make any difference, the truth is that it all begins with one person and there are actually many ways you can help.

    Here are a few suggestions on how you can play your part for Mother Earth.

    Conserve water at home

    Water wastage is one of the biggest ways humans affect the health of the planet. Taking measures to use less water is something you can start doing right away.

    Here’s how you can save water:

    • Check and fix any water leaks – a leaky spout can waste a lot of water.
    • Don’t wash dishes with the water running continuously. Use a method that requires less water to get the dishes clean.
    • Turn off the washing machine’s water supply to prevent leaks. It doesn’t need to be on all the time.
    • Don’t use too much water to water your lawn – instead, use water used elsewhere to water the lawn.
    • Don’t leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.

    Avoid plastics

    • Carry a reusable shopping bag with you in the car, in your bag all the time and use it when needed.
    • Use food containers instead of plastic bags to get food from the market.
    • Stop buying plastic water bottles. Use refillable glass water bottles.

    For more ways on how you can reduce plastic in your life, watch this video.

    Plant trees and don’t cut them

    Trees are an integral part of the ecosystem. Trees not only protect the land but the water and air, too. Plus they provide shade to your homes in the long, hot summer. If you have room in your yard, consider planting a few trees.

    Use fewer chemicals

    Chemicals used to wash our bodies, homes, cars and everything else get washed down the drain or absorbed in the grass, and eventually, end up in the water supply. Chemicals are doing real damage to waterways and aquatic life. The chemicals aren’t good for humans, either, so do your best to use fewer chemicals.

    • Use organic products like organic soap, shampoo etc.
    • Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals. For example, using a solution of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 waterworks as well as most commercial cleaners for basic cleaning jobs. Baking soda and salt are cheap, non-toxic cleansers, but should be used in moderation.
    • Instead of using pesticides and herbicides, find natural ways to get rid of weeds and pests.
  • Nathiagali’s latest camping pods look impressive

    Nathiagali’s latest camping pods look impressive

    Provincial Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Tourism, Culture, Sports, Archaeology and Youth Affairs Atif Khan in a recent social media post shared pictures of the new opened camping pods in Nathiagali and the pictures are unbelievably impressive.

    Writing about its key features, Atif Khan said that the pods have very high thermal insulation which is ideal for extreme weather. He added that the pods have a “contemporary interior with modern facilities.”

    We called the number listed on the post for further details and the person who received the call said that the pods have all facilities including warm water, power sockets and 24 hours security. They further shared that the camping pods cost Rs 10,000/night for one pod and if you book more than one pods, you can get a discount.

    Here’s a look at the pictures shared by the minister.

    View of the room

    The room at night.

    Views from the room

    That bathroom looks better than my bathroom at home.

    These pods are located on Link Road, Nathia Gali, Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

    Our favourite vacation spot just got better. Who is planning a trip?

  • Domestic dispute: Lahore man cuts wife’s nose

    A Lahori man cut his wife’s nose and shaved her head over a domestic dispute in the city’s Factory Area.

    According to reports, Sajjad Ahmad cut his wife Shazia’s nose and shaved her head after torturing her with plastic pipes, kicks and punches.

    Upon hearing Shazia and her children’s scream some neighbours rushed to their house and rescued the woman. They alerted the police and took Shazia to Lahore General Hospital. Meanwhile, Ahmad fled from the scene.

    The neighbours informed the police that Ahmad would regularly torture his wife with pipes and iron roads over petty domestic matters. She had reportedly left him twice but returned after he promised to mend his ways.

    Meanwhile, doctors revealed that Shazia had lost her nose and requires a complicated facial surgery for an artificial nose.

    Shazia told police that she was visiting one of her daughters’ in-laws in the same locality when her husband stormed in, took her back home, and attacked her with a plastic pipe. She claimed that Ahmad told her he had spent money on her health that he was to pay as a monthly installment to a shopkeeper. He then took out a knife from a cupboard and chopped off her nose.

    The police have registered a case against Ahmad and a police team has been dispatched to arrest him.

  • Ali Tareen says ‘pepper spray for girls a better idea than abaya’

    Ali Tareen says ‘pepper spray for girls a better idea than abaya’

    Multan Sultans owner Ali Khan Tareen has said that giving pepper spray to schoolgirls to avoid harassment is a better idea than asking them to wear an abaya.

    The son of senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen in a Twitter post wrote, “I still think pepper spray is a good idea if local policy-makers feel those girls need protection”.

    In another tweet, he criticised and questioned the logic behind the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s decision to make abaya compulsory in all-girl schools.

    “This is directed to girl schools. In all-girl schools what ‘unethical incidents’ are they worried about? If the male staff is so untrustworthy then I suggest the students be instructed to bring pepper spray instead of chadars.”

    In an official circular on Monday, KP Education Department had directed heads of government schools to ensure that girl students were wearing abaya or gown to “cover up in order to protect themselves from any unethical incident”.

    The government had withdrawn the notification after severe backlash on both social and mainstream media.

  • Adnan Sami fined 50 lakhs for illegal purchase of flats

    Adnan Sami fined 50 lakhs for illegal purchase of flats

    The Appellate Tribunal for the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) has imposed a penalty of 50 lakh on singer Adnan Sami for purchasing eight flats and five parking spaces in Mumbai in 2003 without prior permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) when he was a Pakistani national. However, at the same time, a tribunal in New Delhi has set aside the confiscation of the properties saying no foreign exchange was involved in their purchase.

    According to a report in the Hindustan Times, authorities had seized the properties saying Sami acquired them in 2003 without Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s permission in violation of the law. Given that Sami was a Pakistani national at that time, he needed special permission to make the purchases. A penalty of Rs 20 lakh had also been imposed on the singer. Foreign nationals are required to seek RBI’s permission to buy property in India.

    The court in its order quashing the previous order said, “Admittedly, in the present case, no foreign exchange is involved and concomitantly, there has been no loss of foreign exchange as the entire sale consideration has been paid by way of a loan and income which has not only been generated in India, but the tax which has so accrued on such income has also been paid by the appellant [Sami] herein.”

    Sami, who was granted Indian citizenship in January 2016, said that he was not aware of this rule when he made the purchases but was very happy with the ruling of the court. Expressing his joy, Sami is reported to have said he was very emotional as he got this victory on the day of his wife Roya Faryabi’s birthday and that made it even more special.

    “It has been a big struggle of nine years. I am ecstatic about the fact that being an Indian justice finally prevailed. Whatever I earned with my blood, sweat, and tears, I have finally got them all back,” Sami said.

    As for the fine, Sami will have to pay Rs 40 lakh within 3 months as he had paid Rs 10 lakh earlier.