Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer crowned with the award of Most Popular Overseas Pakistani

Lahore (Muhammad YASIR)

Renowned intellectual writer and poet Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer has been given the award of Most Popular Overseas Pakistani in a ceremony held at Governor House. Writer Dr. Asaf, a writer from a Pakistani literary and social family, has lived in Houston, USA for the past 40 years.

He is also an important leader and as a poet he authored ten books including Riaz Sokhan, Rare and Unique, Selected Humorous Poetry, World Fiction, Sanjhan Aarte Par Diyan, My Favorite Fiction, Humorous Parade, and Modern Mention of Punjabi Poetry. Talking to the media, the poet Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer said that as a surgeon, the writer has been trying to play his full role for the betterment of humanity.

 

Love He said that he was very grateful to the government of Pakistan for giving national awards to other Pakistanis for their services and encouraged them at the national level. He said that he has organized many events in Diyarbakir where Allama Iqbal, the poet of the East, Sofia Ikram and famous literary personalities have been celebrated.

Everyone should play their role for the development of the society whether it is Prime Minister Imran Khan as a physician or other sports showbiz literary personalities who have offered their services for him as a therapist. He said that after the publication of ten books on one more book My work is in progress and will be published after completion.

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VIRAL: Minal Khan writes heartfelt note for Ahsan Mohsin Ikram

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actor Minal Khan wrote a heartfelt note for husband Ahsan Mohsin Ikram in Instagram pictures that went viral.

The loving couple is seen posing for a picture together. It got millions of likes on the photo and video-sharing social media application.

“Look inside you’ll find a deeper love. The kind that only comes from high above ” the caption read.

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Ahsan Mohsin Ikram replied to the Minal Khan’s post with a heart emoji.

The couple, who announced their engagement last May, got married on September 10 in a fairy-tale event that was attended by close family and friends.

The actor regularly shares pictures of the couple on Instagram to keep the fans updated about the happenings. They also share images of them together in exotic locations across the world.

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The previous pictures and videos of her with her husband went viral on social media and got thousands of likes from the users.

Moreover, Ahsan Mohsin Ikram posted an Instagram story in which the couple were seen on a flight with Hania Aamir, who he called his “new friend”.

The celebrity took to social media application Instagram to share the pictures with her fans.

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Award to Abhinandan : India created mockery for itself.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan on Tuesday has categorically rejected the baseless Indian claims that a Pakistani F-16 aircraft was shot down by an Indian pilot before he was captured by Pakistan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019.

Per a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the citation of the award to the downed Indian pilot, Abhinandan Varthamanm, is a “classic case of Indian fabrications and pure fantasy to appease the domestic audience and hide embarrassment.”

International experts and US officials have already confirmed that no Pakistani F-16 was shot down on the day after taking stock of Pakistani F-16 aircraft.  

“India’s insistence on propagating a lie that has been thoroughly exposed is ludicrous and nonsensical,” the statement said, adding that granting military honours for imaginary feats of gallantry is contrary to every norm of military conduct. 

“By giving such an award, also as an afterthought, India has only made a mockery of itself,” the statement said.

It is reminded that in a daring daylight action, two Indian aircraft were shot down by Pakistan Air Force on February 27, 2019. One of the Indian Mig-21 Bison aircraft fell down in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The pilot who ejected was captured by Pakistan and later released as a goodwill gesture. His return to India was the testimony of Pakistan’s desire for peace despite India’s hostility and ill-conceived aggressive action. 

Another Indian aircraft SU 30 shot down by Pakistan Air Force fell on the other side of the Line of Control (LOC). On the same day, in panic, the Indian military shot down its own MI 17 helicopter near Srinagar which it initially denied but accepted later on. Indian Air Force was completely outplayed on the day.

“It is obvious that India’s farcical story has no credibility whatsoever before the international community,” the statement further added.

“On its part, Pakistan stands as ready and resolute to thwart any hostile designs as it was in February 2019. India would do well to learn a lesson from its botched attempt to violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and refrain from any misadventure in future.”

IAF pilot and Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, who was arrested in 2019 by Pakistani forces after his MiG 21 aircraft was shot down by Pakistan Air Force (PAF), was awarded the Vir Chakra, the third-highest Indian military honour during wartime Monday.

As per the Indian media, Abhinandan has been bestowed with the honour of “shooting down a Pakistani F-16 plane during the February 2019 dogfight”.

The Vir Chakra award to Abhinandan was announced in August 2019 but was awarded today in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 

T20 World Cup: Aggressive England to tackle formidable New Zealand in first semi-final today

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

England and New Zealand will clash with each other today (Wednesday) in the first semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Eoin Morgan’s England will head into today’s Twenty20 World Cup clash as favourites against New Zealand, two years after both sides clashed in a dramatic 50-over final.

England have lost opening batsman Jason Roy and pace bowler Tymal Mills but they sealed a final-four place with four wins in five Super 12 games.

Roy collapsed on the pitch with a calf injury in England’s final group match that they lost to South Africa and was later ruled out of the tournament and replaced by James Vince.

England’s aggressive brand of cricket got them past West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka with clinical ease to finish as group leaders ahead of the Aussies.

But the Kiwis are no pushovers and who better than England to appreciate the Black Caps’ worth after they needed a super over to edge out Kane Williamson’s side when the 2019 ODI World Cup final finished in a tie.

“If England and New Zealand provide a fraction of the drama they did on a glorious afternoon at Lord’s in July 2019, then the T20 World Cup might get the spark it desperately craves this week,” former England captain Mike Atherton wrote in The Times.

New Zealand matched England’s 241 courtesy of Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 84 at the end of 50 overs and then their 15 in the super over before England were declared winners on boundary count.

England have reached the final four of the T20 World Cup without star performers Stokes and Jofra Archer and Roy’s departure adds to their woes ahead of today’s game in Abu Dhabi.

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Sania Mirza arranged birthday ceremony for Muhammad Hafeez’s wife.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

A surge in Microsoft Corp’s shares nearly unseated Apple Inc as the world’s most valuable Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has thanked his teammate Shoaib Malik’s wife Sania Mirza for organizing a birthday party for his spouse Nazia Hafeez.

He shared pictures of the two families celebrating the occasion on his official Twitter page. The veteran all-rounder extended his birthday wishes to his wife. He thanked Sania Mirza for coming to the rescue and bringing a cake for her.

Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are part of the Pakistan side in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan are scheduled to play Afghanistan on October 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before heading to Abu Dhabi for playing against Namibia. Their last group stage match will be against Scotland in Sharjah on November 7.

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Number of 3G, 4G users reaches 104.71m.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan reached 104.71 million by end September 2021 compared to 103.12 million by end August 2021, registering an increase of 1.59 million, revealed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) data.

The number of cellular subscribers in Pakistan increased by 0.82 million to 186.39 million by end September 2021 compared to 185.57 million by end August 2021.

Teledensity for cellular mobile increased from 84.67 percent by end August to 85.01 percent by end September. The total teledensity increased from 85.81 percent by end August to 86.15 percent by end September.

The Monthly Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) penetration stood at 47.47 percent by end September 2021 compared to 47.05 percent by end August 2021. Jazz’s total count for 3G users stood at 7.261 million by end September 2021 compared to 7.438 million by end August, registering a decrease of 0.177 million. Jazz 4G user numbers jumped from 32.767 million by end August to 33.676 million by end September.

Zong 3G subscribers decreased from 4.046 million by end August to 3.956 million by end September, while the number of 4G users jumped from 24.099 million by end August to 24.813 million by end September.

The number of 3G users of Telenor decreased from 4.777 million by end August to 4.575 million. The number of 4G users jumped from 18.333 million by end August to 18.767 million by end September.

Ufone 3G users decreased from 4.292 million by end August to 4.212 million by end September.The number of 4G users of Ufone increased from 6.246 million by end August to 6.324 million by end September.

The PTA received 16,366 complaints from telecom consumers against various telecom operators, including (cellular operators, the PTCL, LDIs, WLL operators, and ISPs) as of September 2021. The PTA said that it was able to get 15,873 complaints resolved, i.e. 97 percent.

According to the PTA data, Jazz leads the chart with 6,893 complaints and Telenor at the second position as the most complained telecom operator with 4,077.

Cellular mobile subscribers constitute a major part of the overall telecom subscriber base. Therefore, the maximum number of complaints belongs to this segment. The total number of complaints against CMOs by July stood at 15,244.

In terms of the segregation of complaints on an operator basis, Jazz stood first with 6,893complaints, i.e.45.21 percent of total complaints. A total of 4,077 complaints were received against Telenor, which is 26.74 percent of the total CMO-related complaints. Zong was third with 3,066 i.e. 20.11 percent of the total complaints were received against it.

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Facebook plans to change its name as part of company “rebrand “

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Social media giant Facebook Inc is planning to rebrand itself with a new name next week, the Verge reported on Tuesday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about the name change at the company’s annual Connect conference on Oct. 28, but it could be unveiled sooner, the Verge reported.

In response, Facebook said it does not comment on “rumor or speculation.”

The news comes at a time when the company is facing increasing U.S. government scrutiny over its business practices. Lawmakers from both parties have excoriated the company, illustrating the rising anger in Congress with Facebook.

The rebranding would position Facebook’s social media app as one of many products under a parent company, which will also oversee groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and more, the Verge report added. It’s not uncommon in the Silicon Valley for companies to change their names as they bid to expand their services.

The move to rebrand will also reflect Facebook’s focus on building the so-called metaverse, an online world where people can use different devices to move and communicate in a virtual environment, according to the report. Facebook has invested heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and intends to connect its nearly three billion users through several devices and apps.

On Tuesday, it announced plans to create 10,000 jobs in the European Union over the next five years to help build this metaverse.

Zuckerberg has been talking up metaverse since July and the buzzy word, first coined in a dystopian novel three decades earlier, has been referenced by other tech firms such as Microsoft.

The Verge report said a possible name for the company could have something to do with Horizon. Recently, Facebook renamed its in-development VR gaming platform named ‘Horizon,’ to ‘Horizon Worlds’.

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Esra Bilgic spells beans, shares picture of searching Pakistani NGOs?

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Turkish actress Esra Bilgic aka Halime Sultan, is searching the list of leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan. However, the Turkish actress did not mention the reason behind her hunt for the Pakistani NGOs.

Esra, who essays the role of Halime Sultan in historical drama serial Dirilis: Ertugrul, turned to Instagram and shared the photo of her laptop screen, wherein she can be seen searching the leading NGOs in Pakistan.

Esra has won the hearts of Pakistani fans with her stellar performance as Halime Sultan in Dirilis: Ertugrul.

Earlier this year, Esra also joined Peshawar Zalmi as its brand ambassador.

Meanwhile, on the work front, she is currently seen in another drama serial Kanunsuz Topraklar, also featuring co-star Uğur Güneş.

The Kanunsuz Topraklar premiered on September 29.

 

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Factbox: What is the ‘metaverse’ and how does it work?

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Facebook has announced that it will hire 10,000 people in Europe to help it build a “metaverse”. The concept of the metaverse is quickly becoming a buzzword in technology and business. But what does it mean?

WHAT IS THE METAVERSE?

Metaverse is a broad term. It generally refers to shared virtual world environments which people can access via the internet.

The term can refer to digital spaces which are made more lifelike by the use of virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR).

Some people also use the word metaverse to describe gaming worlds, in which users have a character that can walk around and interact with other players.

There is also a specific type of metaverse which uses blockchain technology. In these, users can buy virtual land and other digital assets using cryptocurrencies.

Many science fiction books and films are set in fully-fledged metaverses – alternative digital worlds which are indistinguishable from the real physical world. But this is still the stuff of fiction. Currently, most virtual spaces look more like the inside of a video game than real life.

WHY IS IT TAKING OFF?

Fans of the metaverse see it as the next stage in the development of the internet.

At the moment, people interact with each other online by going to websites such as social media platforms or using messaging applications. The idea of the metaverse is that it will create new online spaces in which people’s interactions can be more multi-dimensional, where users are able to immerse themselves in digital content rather than simply viewing it.

The accelerated interest in the metaverse can be seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people have started working and going to school remotely, there has been increased demand for ways to make online interaction more lifelike.

WHO IS GETTING INVOLVED?

The idea of the metaverse is attracting a lot of interest from investors and companies who are keen to be part of the next big thing.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in July that the company will try to transition from being a social media company to a metaverse company in the next five years or so.

The term is popular in Silicon Valley, with Microsoft also having mentioned converging the digital and physical worlds.

The popular children’s game Roblox, which had its New York Stock Exchange debut in March, describes itself as a metaverse company. Epic Games’ Fortnite is also considered to be part of the metaverse.

Musicians can do virtual concerts within these platforms. For example, in September millions of people watched the singer Ariana Grande virtually perform in Fortnite, Epic Games said.

The world’s biggest fashion companies have also experimented with making virtual clothing, which people’s avatars can wear in metaverse environments.

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Mohammad Hafeez celebrates 41st birthday with family, squad in Dubai

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan cricket all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez celebrated his 41st birthday in Dubai amid his family and T20 Cricket World Cup squad on Sunday.

The cricketer’s birthday cake had a group photo of his family printed on it, while it was decorated with chocolate, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. 

Pakistan Cricket Board shared a video of Hafeez’s birthday celebrations that showed Pakistan captain Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and other squad members wishing the cricketer a happy birthday.

Earlier, the Pakistani team celebrated star skipper Babar Azam’s birthday 36,000ft in the air, as the squad is en route to Dubai for the ICC Men’s World Cup.

Sports journalist Saj Sajid, taking to Twitter, reminded cricket fans that on October 17, 1980, Mohammad Hafeez was born in Sargodha. The player, better known as “Professor”, has 386 international appearances, while he has scored 12,695 runs and has taken 252 wickets throughout his career. 

Hafeez was also a member of the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning team, the journalist wrote.  

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