Author: Ali Qasim

Ajoka theatre announced the winners of Coronologue Film Fest

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Winners of Ajoka’s Coronologue2 Short Film Festival were announced at a zoom ceremony. Sibte Hassan of Lahore was awarded the first prize of Rs 75,000 for his short film titled “Hero” while Moizah Jilani of Karachi was given the second prize of Rs 50,000 for her film “Distant Relationship”. Lahore’s Junaid Arif (“Abbu”) got the third prize of Rs 25,000 and Elsa Shabbir from Lahore (“Lockdown Effects”) and Peshawar’s Mahnoor Samad (“Life After Corona”) were given special mentions. The jury consisted of noted film scholar Aijazz Gul, eminent poet and playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed, Film & TV Producer Rashid Khawaja, actor Savera Nadeem and Ajoka Chairperson Zara Salman. The ceremony was also attended by participants of the competition from different parts of the country.

The awards were announced by Syeda Henna Babar Ali of Babar Ali Foundation. She congratulated the winners and appreciated the creative efforts by all participants. Jury members also congratulated the winners and suggested that Ajoka should continue to hold such festivals to encourage socially-aware young film makers. Ajoka’s Executive Director Shahid Nadeem thanked the sponsors of the festival the Babar Ali Foundation and individual contributors including Javed Masud, Dr. Fawzia Afzal Khan, Perin Boga, Khawar Mumtaz, Salman Cheema and Shama Khaliq. He announced that an online awards ceremony for the winners will be held in the second week of August which will be live-streamed on Facebook.

Ajoka also held Coronologue Theatre Festival in May 2020 during the first Lockdown.

realme ready to Launch Android’s First Magnetic Wireless Charging MagDart

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

realme, the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand, will introduce Android’s first magnetic wireless charging MagDart ​​on realme Magnetic Innovation Event on Tuesday, August 03 at 12:00 PM UTC (05:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time).

MagDart will be the world’s fastest magnetic wireless charging, bringing magnet wireless charging to a fast charging era. The first Android magnetic wireless charging smartphone, realme Flash, will be unveiled at the event. Besides, a series of MagDart accessories will together build a promising magnetic ecosystem together with the realme Flash and the MagDart chargers.

The launch event will be held online on realme official social media platforms like Youtube, Twitter and Facebook also.

realme has always been bringing leap-forward technology to global young users. In July 2020, realme introduced the world’s leading 125W SuperDart Charge. MagDart will bring magnetic wireless charging to a new speed era. Stay tuned!

Maryam Nawaz tests positive for coronavirus

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) .This was confirmed by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on her twitter. “After testing positive Maryam Nawaz has quarantined herself at her home as a precautionary measure,” she said.

She also appealed to the nation to pray for the recovery of all the patients including the PML-N vice president.Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, Pakistan reported 44 deaths by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,015,827. The nationwide tally of fatalities had jumped to 23,133.

4,119 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Till now 10,978 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 5,860 in Sindh, 4,428 in KP, 796 in Islamabad, 618 in Azad Kashmir, 326 in Balochistan, and 127 in GB.

Furthermore 371,762 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 354,312 in Punjab, 142,400 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 86,226 in Islamabad, 29,861 in Balochistan, 23,370 in Azad Kashmir and 7,896 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Pakistan to begin mobile phone export by Jan 2022

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Abdul Razak Dawood adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce informed the parliamentary panel that Pakistan will start export of mobile phones by January 2022..

The senate standing committee on commerce, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, also grilled the commerce ministry for various issues related to Pak exports including rice and sea foods ect. Dawood informed the committee that Pakistan will start export of mobile phones by January 2022 and two Chinese companies will take the lead. One Chinese company has set up industry in Karachi.

Interestingly, the Adviser added that Samsung was asked twice to set up a factory in Pakistan and was also offered incentives but it refused. Now, when two Chinese companies have set up their factories, Samsung approached the government for incentives, said Dawood,  adding that now the company will have to set up factory on already available incentives.

Google introduced new feature, users can check the reasons behind search results!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Google is biggest platform for searching every kind of quires and information around the globe. In fact if somebody says, we are living in Google Era, It will be perfect and for assistance of its users, google always starts new features. Another such feature will enable the users about reasons behind the search results and now people googling queries will now be able to click into details such as how their result matched certain search terms.

Alphabet’s Google will now show its search engine users more information about why it found the results they are shown, the company announced recently. It said people googling queries will now be able to click into details such as how their result matched certain search terms, in order to better decide if the information is relevant.

Google has been making changes to give users more context about the results its search engine provides. Earlier this year it introduced panels to tell users about the sources of the information they are seeing. It has also started warning users when a topic is rapidly evolving and search results might not be reliable.

Veteran Actresses Rehana Siddiqui passed way in UK

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (ALI QASIM)

Renowned actress of Pakistani TV & film Industry Rehana Siddiqui passed away in United Kingdon two days ago after a prolong illness. Rehana Siddiqui was  a God gifted actress who performed various memorable roles in hit television plays and films during 80s and 90s era. She did a movie as title heroine but later shifted to characters roles. She performed mostly supporting roles in films. She portrayed the character of sister of Muhammad Ali in “ Mohabbat Rang laaey gee”.

Rehana Siddiqui was younger sister of celebrated actress Talat Siddiqui and aunt of actress/singer Arifa Siddiqui and Fareeha Pervez. Pakistan’s eminent Kathak Dancer Nahid Siddiqui is also her niece.

Rehana Siddiqui married with fellow actor Aurangzeb and carried the name Rehana Aurangzeb but after the separation from her husband she retained her previous name Rehana Siddiqui. . In Hamdam, Rehana was one of the lead actors, while Talat played an important role herself. She used to appear in every second play of PTV at a time and was considered the busiest actress of her time. Her colleagues and various stars of Pakistani drama industry have expressed sorrow over Rehana Siddiqui demise. News Update Times also stands with Rehana Siddiqui family in this difficult time.

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Cabinet approved Pak’s 1st National Cyber Security Policy.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk0

Federal cabinet approved Pakistan’s first National Cyber Security Policy that the IT ministry had prepared to ensure the safety of online data on Tuesday 27th July. The policy has been introduced keeping in view the enhanced significance of the cyber regime.

The policy highlights that to counter these threats, the IT ministry will help establish active cyber defence and cyber security governance, protect internet-based services, ensure protection and resilience of national critical information structures, protection of the government’s information systems and infrastructure, develop information security assurance framework, increase awareness of cyber security and develop cybercrime response mechanisms and regulations.

The primary objective of the policy is to ensure the protection of online data and information of citizens, public and private institutions. Under the policy, the government will form computer emergency response teams at the national, sectoral and institutional levels.

It will set up Cyber Governance Policy Committee to ensure the protection of online data and information of citizens, public and private institutions. IT Minister Aminul Haq said that the government had also approved a budget of Rs1.92 billion for a national-level response team, which the government would constitute under the new cyber security policy.

The government will set up the Cyber Governance Policy Committee for the implementation of cyber security policy, its oversight, strategy and action.

The minister said that cyberattack on a Pakistani institution would be considered an attack on national security. In case of a cyberattack, the government will take all necessary measures and retaliatory action. He added that the government would also equip experts with all essential and modern tools to ensure national cyber security under the new policy.

Economic Coordination Committee turns down revision in criteria

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

A proposal to revise the criteria for release of additional spectrum to telecom companies has been turned down by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet. The ECC has decided to auction the additional spectrum in line with the past practice and complete the auction by the end of September 2021.

It observed that recommendations of the committee, headed by the adviser to prime minister on institutional reforms and austerity, did not cover exchange risk and payment in installments by the operators. The economic decision-making committee had considered recommendations of the committee for “Release of NGMS (Next Generation Mobile Services) Spectrum in Pakistan for Improvement of Mobile Broadband Services amid Covid-19”.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication informed the economic decision-making body that another committee on payment terms for spectrum price/licence fee in Pakistan had also deliberated on the “Issues of Cellular Mobile Industry for Digital Enablement”.

The IT ministry requested the ECC to approve the policy directive for the auction of NGMS spectrum in Pakistan. The ECC was also requested to deliberate and decide on the recommendations given by the committee on the issues facing the telecom sector for digital enablement.

During the ensuing discussion, the IT & Telecom Division informed the economic decision-making body that recommendations of the committee, headed by the adviser to prime minister on institutional reforms and austerity, were different from the policy directive for the auction of NGMS spectrum whereas the policy directive was in line with the past practice.

The ECC considered the summary, submitted by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, and decided that the ministry should ensure completion of the auction process by the end of September 2021 in line with the past practice.

 

Friesland Campina joins hands with Nutshell.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan limited (FCEPL) have inked a strategic communication partnership with the Nutshell Communications Limited. Now, Nutshell communication will look after all the media communication work of friesland campina.

Photograph taken during the agreement signing ceremony shows (sitting form left to right) FCEPL chief financial officer Imran Husnain, Nutshell communication founder and CEO Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, FCEPL Chief Executive Officer Ali Ahamd Khan, Nutshell Communication Chief Growth Officer Rabia Ahmad.

FCEPL Marketing director Faisal, FCEPL Corporate Communication Assistant manager Ayesha Yousaf, Nutshell Communications chief operating officer Sadaf Mehmood, FCEPL Head of corporate communication sania sattar, Nutshell communication chief business officer Syed M Ayaz, Nutshell Communication chief strategy officer Amer Pasha, Nutshell communication head customer experience and new initiatives  sanya Shahid and head of media relations khurram zia.

According to the industry sources, this partnership deal will prove beneficial for both the groups as both are through professionals in their own spheres.

Mom to be actress Sarah khan chosen brand ambassador by Mamia Diapers

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk) Leading actress Sarah khan has been chosen as brand ambassador by emerging brand Mamia Baby & Adult Diapers. The signing ceremony in this regard was held in a private hotel in Karachi, in which Sarah’s husband singer Falak Shabier was also present.

Sarah tied knot with Falak Shabier last year and they are going to be parents very soon. Sarah looks very glowing and ravishing in the ceremony.  The  Televisoin commercial will be shown on all well-known TV channels. Mamia diapers have good quality and economical price, Mamia diapers are available all over Pakistan and online.

It may be noted that Molfix diapers selected Aiza khan upon their launch in Pakistan a few years ago, similarly another brand Mamia has approached another mom be actress Sarah khan for launch in Pakistani market and like Aiza & Molfix partnership, it will also prove a successful collaboration indeed.