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  • Shahid Afridi responds to ‘criticism of Khan’ by PTI supporters

    Shahid Afridi responds to ‘criticism of Khan’ by PTI supporters

    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi responded to social media criticism he has been receiving after he expressed his views about PTI’s government in a recent interview.

    In a video posted on YouTube with the caption, ‘Pakistan’s sovereignty above all’, Afridi said that he wanted to respond to “negative criticism” on social media. He started by saying that he is grateful that he was born in Pakistan and will continue to serve his country in every way that he can.

    Afridi stated he has always admired Imran Khan’s leadership in cricket and politics.

    “Imran Bhai is my ideal. I started cricket only because of him as Khan inspired me. He showed leadership in the 1992 World Cup and that’s why we won the World Cup.” Afridi also lauded Shaukat Khanum Hospital and said it is a huge contribution to our society by the former premier.

    “I have always said that whoever comes to power should complete five years in government. I have always praised Imran Khan as a leader but it’s my right to disagree with his policies and views. Do not convert difference of opinion into hatred. In a civilised society, difference of opinion is tolerated.”

    He also praised PTI government’s Sehat Card.

    “I spoke as a common Pakistani regardless of any political ideology,” he added. “when I congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Prime Minister, I knew that I would be criticised for it. I didn’t do it due to any vested interest. Whoever becomes a leader of this country should be respected as he/she represents us all over the world.”

    Afridi also thanked and praised overseas Pakistanis.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1522657700575907843?s=20&t=CRGRnGTIHNrGjT5jo24pFQ

    Previously, Afridi in an interview said Imran Khan committed numerous blunders during his time as Pakistan’s premier. He went on to say that Imran should own up to his mistakes and be held accountable for them. Afridi added that he and his family had high expectations for Imran Khan, but that he did not deliver.

    Social media users criticised Afridi for voicing his political opinion and congratulating Prime Minister Shebaz Shairf.

  • NEPRA hikes power tariff by Rs2.86 per unit

    NEPRA hikes power tariff by Rs2.86 per unit

    The National Electric Electricity Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has increased the power price by Rs2.86 per unit for the month of March 2022 due to Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) and also issued a notification in this regard.

    As per NEPRA’s notice, power consumers of Ex Wapda Distribution Companies (DISCOS) will be charged an increase of Rs2.86 per unit on account of FCA for March 2022 in their electricity bills for May 2022, resulting in an added strain of Rs29 billion on consumers, along with General Sales Tax (GST).

    The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) had urged the administration to raise the electricity tariff by Rs3.16 per unit. Except for lifeline and K-Electric (KE) customers, the hike will apply to all consumer categories.

    Read more: Pakistan starts oil and gas production from Dhok Sultan DS X-1

    Moreover, the authority also announced Rs1.38 per unit increase for K-Electric customers. For the month of February 2022, Karachi Electric (KE) requested an increase of Rs3.45 per unit. The hike will be billed to electricity customers in May 2022, according to the announcement. Except for lifeline customers who use less than 100 units per month, the tariff increase would affect all KE customers.

  • US Secretary of State calls Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    US Secretary of State calls Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday telephoned Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to congratulate him on becoming the country’s new foreign minister.

    Bilawal Bhutto and Antony Blinken tweeted about the telephonic contact between the two counterparts.

    The two also vowed to engage with mutual respect. 

    It is being reported that Blinken extended an invitation to Bilawal to visit the US this month.

    “An invitation was also extended by the Secretary of State for Pakistan’s participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on 18 May 2022,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

    Building on the Pakistan-US cooperation in dealing with the Covid pandemic during the last two years, Secretary Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month.

  • State Bank announces a five-day work week for banks

    State Bank announces a five-day work week for banks

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced bank timings with five working days. The notification from the State Bank came after the federal government decided not to reinstate the Saturday weekly off, and decided to go with six working days with decreased working hours.

    According to a notification issued in this regard, banks will observe office hours from 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Thursday with a prayer/lunch break from 1:30pm to 2:15pm.

    On Friday, banks will observe timings from 9am to 6pm with a prayer/lunch break.

    The Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) offices will be open on Saturday, but the stock market and the business sector will operate on a five-day schedule and will be closed on Saturday.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government implemented two-day weekly holidays in 2011 with the goal of conserving energy.

  • Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves dropped by $115 million

    Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves dropped by $115 million

    Pakistan’s liquid foreign reserves were depleted by $115 million in the week ending April 30, 2022, a 0.7 per cent drop from the previous week.

    According to the SBP weekly report unveiled on Friday, Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves declined by $115 million (-0.7 per cent) to $16.553 billion on April 30, 2022, from $16.668 billion the previous week.

    Due to external debt payments, the SBP reserves fell by $59 million to $10.499 billion (-0.6 per cent) from $10.558 billion a week earlier.

    Read more: Dr Murtaza Syed assumes charge as the new Governor State Bank of Pakistan

    Furthermore, commercial banks’ net foreign reserves stood at $6.05 billion, down $56 million (-0.9 per cent) on a weekly basis.

  • Severe heatwave conditions predicted by Met office from Sunday

    Severe heatwave conditions predicted by Met office from Sunday

    The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted extreme heatwave conditions across Pakistan for the coming week, warning that high pressure will hold the upper atmosphere starting Sunday, May 8.

    Day temperatures are expected to steadily increase in most parts of the country from Sunday due to this high pressure, as per a notification from PMD.

    The temperature in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir was expected to hover between 7-9 degrees Celsius beyond average during the day.

    Meanwhile, the daytime temperature of Upper and central Sindh, central and south Punjab and areas of Balochistan will likely experience temperatures between 6-8 degrees Celsius above usual.

    Read more: Pakistan starts oil and gas production from Dhok Sultan DS X-1

    The department also tweeted a warning about the heatwave’s potential effects, stating that extremely hot and dry weather might affect dams, crops, vegetables, and forests.

  • ‘Husbands fat-shaming wives is justified’: Hira Mani opens up on weight issues, losing 8 Kgs

    Actor Hira Mani recently shared in an interview alongside her husband Salman Saqib that husbands who taunt their wives on weight gain are essentially helping women maintain their bodies.

    ” I can’t do hard weights. I do, however, take a clean diet. I have a terrible sweet tooth. So whenever I treat myself with Falooda, I train harder.”

    Mani was then inquired if he ever had to lose weight. “I did,” he told the host. “I exercised, I did calorie deficit, portion control, intermittent fasting, OMAD.” Hira chimed in, “No matter how busy we are, Mani and I make sure to go for a run or a walk once a day. He [Mani] helped me shed the extra weight I had put on. I had no trainer this time around, Mani helped me through it and the results were amazing.”

    She added, “I had gained so much weight! I weighed around 64 kgs. That’s when Mani pointed out.” Mani further commented, “Yes, but remember you watched that drama serial of yours.” Hira recalled, “Yes! I saw that show and couldn’t recognise myself onscreen and thought, ‘Who is this aunty?’ That’s when Mani said, let’s go for a run. He helped me reduce 10 kgs in three months. No other trainer could help me achieve this target.”

    Mani quipped, “She also controlled her diet.”

    The Kashf star went on to reveal how Mani ‘taunts’ her often with how well-maintained Bollywood actors are. “He would taunt me so much!” Hira shared, “Mani would often say look at Katrina, look at Kareena – well, even Kareena is fat now – look at Deepika! I keep telling him that I am not Deepika or Katrina. I have two kids! He taunts. But I think that’s fair too. Husbands who taunt their wives are justified in doing so if it helps women to lose their weight.” Hira then goes on to thank Mani.

    “But even Hira taunts me now!” Mani remarked. “She taunts me as well now. She says look at Hrithik, look at Shahid. So now, I have to lose weight as well.” Hira then said, “I mean, Imran Khan has gotten so many treatments done on his face, his hair. So has Maryam Nawaz Sharif. So I said, ‘Mani, you should also get a hair transplant.’

    Earlier in an interview with Urdu News, she said that she would have married her husband Salman Saqib even if he was already married to someone else.

    The Sun Yaara star stated, “People often ask me why I credit my success to Mani. My only response to that is that there is no one else like him. He is a supportive husband, a responsible father, and a talented artist.”

    The Do Bol diva also talked about the controversy surrounding her confessions in an interview with senior actor Samina Pirzada. she said, “People criticise me because I stole Mani’s number from my friend’s phone and messaged him behind her back, but the truth is, I have no regrets. People can say what they want,” adding, ” Even if Mani was married to someone else, I would have married him regardless.”

    Hira and Salman recently appeared on Ahsan Khan’s chat show, Timeout with Ahsan Khan and she revealed that Mani makes new ids on social media to abuse political rivals of the opposition party as he supports Mustafa Kamal.

    On the work front, Hira is currently featuring in Yun Toh Pyar Hai Buhat opposite Affan Waheed.

  • 100-year-old man worked for 84 years in a company, makes world record

    100-year-old man worked for 84 years in a company, makes world record

    Not Walter Orthmann, a 100-year-old man in Brazil, has broken the record for the longest tenure at a single company, according to a press release last week from Guinness World Records. He’s worked at one firm for 84 years and 9 days, as of January 6, when Guinness verified the record.

    Orthmann was just 15 when he began working as a shipping assistant at a textile company in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil called Industrias Renaux S.A. (now known as RenauxView), according to Guinness World Records.

    “Back in 1938, kids were expected to work to help support the family,” he told Guinness World Records. “As the oldest son of five, my mother took me to find a job at the age of 14.”

    He applied for a job at a local weaving mill and was employed on the spot due to his great command of the German language. For the rest of his career, he has worked for the same company, RenauxView.

    Orthmann rose through the ranks from shipping assistant to sales manager after starting as a shipping assistant.

  • Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    This year’s Asian Games have been postponed for an indefinite period as China tries to stamp out a large resurgence in Covid infections in several parts of the country. The event was scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 10-25, 2022.

    According to the official statement by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the new dates will be agreed between the OCA, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) and will be announced in the near future.

    “HAGOC has been very well prepared to deliver the games on time despite global challenges. However, the above decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the games,” the statement further reads.

    However, last month the organisers of the games said that Hangzhou has completed constructing some 56 competition venues for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

    It is pertinent to mention that more than 11,000 athletes from 44 countries were to take part in the 19th Asian Games in September 2022.

    It has also been confirmed by the OCA that the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2021, originally scheduled to be held last year but was rescheduled for this year, are now officially cancelled.

    Most international sporting events in China have been postponed or cancelled since the start of the pandemic, with the notable exception of the Winter Olympics, which went ahead in Beijing under strict health controls in February.

  • Honda announces third price hike, Honda 125 is now priced at Rs163,500

    Honda announces third price hike, Honda 125 is now priced at Rs163,500

    Pakistan’s top two-wheeler manufacturer, Atlas Honda has announced another significant price hike for its motorcycles which is Honda’s third price increase in less than five months.

    Honda CD70, the country’s most popular two-wheeler, is now priced at Rs102,900, after an increase of Rs3000. The 100cc Honda Pridor following the increase will be sold for 139,000 after an increase of Rs3000 in its old price of Rs136,900, while the iconic Honda 125 is now priced at Rs163,500 after a hike of Rs4000 in its prior cost.

    The price of the Honda CB 150 SE increased by Rs8,000, bringing the total price to Rs303,900, up from Rs295,900 previously.

    Pakistan’s two-wheeler industry has achieved over 90 per cent localization, according to the Ministry of Industries and Production’s (MOIP) latest report. This means that the majority of a motorbike’s structural and mechanical components are manufactured in Pakistan, with only a few foreign parts.

    Read more: Honda Atlas announces price hike instead of fixing delivery issues

    Despite this, all companies continue to raise their bike pricing without introducing or incorporating any advancement, putting them out of reach for the majority of local consumers.