Category: World

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan’s Lackson Group, in collaboration with UAE’s Air Arabia, has decided to introduce a new budget-friendly airline in the country. Fly Jinnah will run on both international and domestic routes.

According to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Khaqan Mirza, the airline was granted the Regular Public Transport license two months back. “Fly Jinnah has to make all operational arrangements and ensure provision of aircrafts within two years.”

The new airline would help Pakistan’s travel and tourism sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth and job creation, a statement issued by Air Arabia stated.

Initially, the carrier will run domestic flights. Its head office will be located in Karachi. The airline has promised to provide the best service to passengers at low prices. On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan welcomed Air Arabia to Pakistan and wished them success.

“My government is committed to attracting investment in Pakistan’s burgeoning travel and tourism sector which offers immense opportunities,” he tweeted.

Air Arabia operates from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. It has similar joint ventures in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Morocco, and Armenia.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan is observing Defence and Martyrs’ Day today to reaffirm its commitment to defend the motherland against all threats and pay tributes to the martyrs and ghazis.

It was on this day in 1965 that the Indian forces crossed the international border in the darkness of night to attack Pakistan but the nation foiled nefarious designs of the enemy.

This year’s Defense and Martyrs’ Day theme is “Our martyrs our pride, a salute to all the relatives belonging to ghazis and Shaheeds.”

Special prayers will be offered after Fajr in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country and independence of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from the cruel clutches of India.

Fateha and Quran Khawani will also be held for the martyrs, Radio Pakistan reported.

The day will dawn with 31 gun salute at the Federal Capital and 21 gun salute at provincial capitals.

The state radio will broadcast special programs containing national songs, interviews of the family members of martyrs and ghazis to pay homage to the defenders of the motherland.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Zain Ashraf Mughal has truly been an inspiration for us all. He has achieved prestigious award for his continuous efforts to minimize poverty and helping the needy and deprived people through his outstanding work. Now He has achieved ISDB Award for sending thousands of children to school and running hundreds of families during the Corona Outbreak. Compared to 57 Islamic countries of four continents, Pakistan won the award for the first time in its 70-year history.

Zain Ashraf Mughal’s welfare organization sent 4,000 children to school during Corona. And made 1,400 deserving families entrepreneurs … Due to this good deed, Pakistan overtook 57 Islamic countries on four continents. Prime Minister Council member Zain Ashraf has previously won the Commonwealth Champion of Change Award and placed on the Forbes Social Entrepreneur under Thirty list. Aspiring to the mission of empowering deserving people and youth, the youth is determined to serve the people and the economy of the country by expanding this circle with each passing day.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday felicitated Dr Amjad Saqib, founder of Akhuwat Foundation, on receiving this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister said, “Have been told this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s highest honour, has been given to a Pakistani, Dr. Amjad Saqib, Founder Akhuwat.”

“Congratulations to him. We are proud of his achievement as we move forward in creating a welfare state based on Riasat e Madina Model.”

Dr Amjad Saqib, was given recognition with the award for providing interest-free loans for poverty alleviation. Akhuwat Foundation has provided Rs 150 billion interest-free loans to the people belong to the lower strata of the society.

This award is given every year to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the eradication of poverty and the development of the society in Asia.Ten distinguished Pakistanis have been among those presented this prestigious award said to be equal to the Nobel Award in Asia.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher stood corrected over viral video claim and lauded Pakistani singer and social activist Shehzad Roy for his great work. Anupam accepted his mistake after Shehzad Roy humbly corrected him.

The Indian actor took to Twitter and responded to Roy’s tweet, saying “Dear @ShehzadRoy! I stand corrected my friend.”

He further said, “I loved the video. Keep up the great work you are doing with these kids!! Love and prayers always!!”

Commenting on it, the Teri Soorat singer said, “Sir @AnupamPKher Thank you. I am your fan and love the work you do. I will keep you updated about these lovely group of kids and their music.

Earlier on Friday, Shehzad Roy humbly responded to the claims made by Anupam Kher, saying, “Sir @AnupamPKher Thanks for sharing the video I shared a few days back. You say that these talented kids are from Bharat, a humble correction, these kids are in fact from Hunza, Pakistan. I am in touch with them and have sent them all the musical instruments they need.”

The Bollywood actor, on August 18, had shared a viral video of talented kids from Hunza, Pakistan and claimed they were from Indian village.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Angelina Jolie, who last week debuted on Instagram with a post to highlight the Afghan refugee crisis, has produced a short video for the BBC to shed light on the plight of young Afghan women.

The Hollywood A-lister took to Instagram to share the video with her 10million+ followers, writing, “Afghan Girls: An Uncertain Future. This is a video I produced with the BBC’s @YaldaHakim for @BBCWorldService and @BBCNews – the first of many, I hope.”

Sharing her vision for the series of videos, Jolie said that while she isn’t a journalist by profession, it is always been her passion “to shed light on issues relating to young people and to support them.”

The video features the blurred faces of young Afghan girls as it explains the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and how it can affect the lives of girls in the region. Jolie explains: “I believe no woman should be forced to hide herself, but for their safety, the BBC has decided to obscure their images to protect their identities. As with all editorial content that appears under its name, the BBC has final editorial approval.”

“We hope that by making these videos about those under 25 who are caught up in global conflicts, we will be connecting young people to each other and to the big stories that affect them,” she added.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The World Health Organization (WHO) have announced it was looking for the greatest scientific minds to advise on investigations into new high-threat pathogens that jump from animals to humans and could spark the next pandemic.

Launching a request for applications, it said that its Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens would also review progress on the next studies into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged in China in late 2019.

“We need to bring in the best minds here. And it needs to be multi-disciplinary,” Maria van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told Reuters.

The panel, announced by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July, will be composed of 25 experts expected to meet first virtually in late September, a statement said.

“In the last 20 years we’ve had many of these pathogens emerge or re-emerge: SARS, MERS, different avian influenzas, Zika, yellow fever and of course SARS-CoV-2,” van Kerkhove said.

Van Kerkhove, an American epidemiologist and WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, recalled that it took more than a year to establish that dromedary camels were the intermediary source of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) carried by bats.

The new group would draw up a global framework for studies into animals, humans, food, the environment, biosafety and protocols for lab audits when new pathogens emerge, she said.

“Given the geopolitics of all of this, we want to make sure that we have a very solid technical and scientific framework… for the next time, because there will be a next time,” she said.

A WHO-led team of experts spent four weeks in and around the central city of Wuhan with Chinese scientists and said in a joint report in March that the SARS-CoV-2 virus had probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal but that further research was needed.

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Angelina Jolie strongly condemned the United States for its “betrayal and failure” in Afghanistan as Taliban regained control.

Writing for Time, the 46-year-old actress and humanitarian worried for the people of Afghanistan after America “lacked the will” to plan this transition in a managed way. The recipient of numerous accolades said she is ‘ashamed’ to be American after their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Giving up the idea of a peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban, appearing to cut and run, and abandoning our allies and supporters in the most chaotic way imaginable, after so many years of effort and sacrifice, is a betrayal and a failure impossible to fully understand,” she wrote.

Jolie penned: “…After all the bloodshed and effort and sacrifice and time, America seems to have lacked the will to plan this transition in a managed way. It was never going to be easy or perfect but could have been better, more decent and safer.”

Angelina Jolie, who recently posted letter by an Afghan girl, shared her thoughts on Taliban’s rapid advance across the country after foreign forces announced their withdrawal.