Pakistan Viral Series

  KUALA LUMPUR: More than 100 outlets of fast-food company Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Malaysia have been “temporarily closed” amid a months-long economic boycott linked to the conflict in Gaza. Chinese-daily Nanyang Siau Pau reported that 108 outlets of the American chain had ceased operations. Kelantan state was the worst hit, with nearly 80 per cent of their stores, or up to 21 outlets, affected.  The American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been forced to close over 100 of its  Malaysian  outlets amid a month’s long boycott campaign over  US  support for  Israel 's  war on Gaza . According to  Chinese  media, QSR Brands, which owns the fast-food franchise, KFC, had to temporarily shutter 108 of its 600 outlets across Malaysia, most of them in the Muslim-majority Kelantan state. In a statement, QSR Brands cited “challenging economic conditions” for the closures and that employees had been offered the opportunity t...

Lahore - The Punjab government has launched a new scheme to promote the use of solar energy across the province. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif recently announced the 'Chief Minister Roshan Gharana' program which aims to distribute 50,000 solar home systems through a ballot system.  As per the details, 50,000 households who use up to 100 units of electricity per month will be eligible to receive a free solar panel system. The systems will include solar plates, inverters, batteries and other required components to allow residents to meet their energy needs through solar power.  Here's how to apply for CM Punjab 2023 solar panel scheme Eligibility and criteria:  - Applicant must be a legal resident of Punjab province - Monthly electricity consumption should be up to 100 units  - Property must be owned by the applicant or proper authorization obtained from owner Application process: The application process will be entirely online for the convenience of citizens. Add...

A 19-year-old girl from Karachi, Pakistan received a life-saving heart transplant at a hospital in Chennai, India. Ayesha Rashan had been suffering from heart failure for the past five years. In 2019, she experienced cardiac arrest and was advised that she needed a heart transplant by doctors in Pakistan.  Ayesha was placed on the transplant waiting list in India. To keep her alive while she waited for a donor heart, doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device. This mechanical pump helped her weakened heart pump blood.  However, in 2023 her condition deteriorated further as her heart failure spread to the right side as well. She was put on ECMO life support. Doctors determined her only chance of survival was a heart transplant. In January 2022, Ayesha received a call that a donor heart had become available from a 69-year-old patient who was brain dead in Delhi. The transplant was successfully performed by a team led by Dr. KG Suresh Rao at MGM Healthcare in Chennai....

Lahore - The Punjab Police issued a clarification on Thursday regarding Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sharing wearing the police uniform. Maryam Nawaz had attended a passing out parade at the Punjab Police Training College in Lahore on Thursday dressed in the police uniform, which led to some criticism of the chief minister and Punjab police on social media.  In a statement posted on its official Twitter account, the Punjab Police said according to the "Punjab Police Dress Regulations", Maryam Nawaz was eligible to wear the police uniform. The regulations allow the Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab to wear the police uniform on official occasions like parades and police functions in order to boost the morale of police officers. The notification regarding the amendment to allow this was issued during the tenure of former Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr. Omer Saeed, under the former caretaker CM of Punjab Nasir Khoso.  Maryam Nawaz had addressed the passing out ...

The UK government has dealt a blow to human rights groups with the passing of its 'Safety of Rwanda' bill, but legal challenges still loom over the controversial policy to deport asylum seekers to the East African nation.   On Tuesday, parliament voted through legislation that designates Rwanda as a "safe" destination for asylum processing, allowing the deportation of anyone who enters Britain illegally to go ahead. The bill aims to override a previous Supreme Court ruling that found the policy unlawful. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed the first deportation flights will take off within months, promising removals "come what may" over the summer. However, questions remain over whether the plan will achieve its stated goals or withstand intense legal scrutiny. Months of delays The Rwanda plan has faced a rocky road since it was first announced in April. The initial flight in June was grounded after an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights.  La...

Taipei, Taiwan - Taiwan was hit by dozens of earthquakes on Saturday, including a magnitude 6.1 temblor, rattling buildings and spurring people to evacuate to parks, but no major damage was reported. The strongest quake struck just before 1:40 p.m. local time at a depth of 15.4 km (9.5 miles) in Taitung county in Taiwan's southeast, close to the epicenter of a 6.4 quake two weeks ago, the island's weather bureau said.  A dozen other quakes of varying sizes between magnitude 4 and 5 subsequently hit the same central Taitung region. By late afternoon Saturday, the weather bureau had recorded 48 quakes in the area in total. "The earthquake was quite strong. The walls of our house were shaking quite badly," said a resident of Taitung city surnamed Lin. "After it passed, we immediately evacuated and are now in the park outside." Government-issued alerts sent residents' mobile phones blaring as soon as the magnitude 6.1 quake hit, giving early warning. Taiwan...

Muscat, Oman - Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  According to the state-run Oman News Agency and UAE's WAM news agency, the two leaders will discuss bilateral relations between their countries as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. Oman and the UAE share strong historic and cultural ties. The sultan's visit aims to further enhance cooperation across economic, political and security matters. During their meeting, Sultan Haitham and Sheikh Mohamed are expected to review the deep-rooted ties between Oman and the UAE which date back five decades.  Their dialogue will focus on ways to strengthen collaboration between the two Gulf neighbors in fields like energy, trade, investment, infrastructure, and tourism. Coordination on regional security and stability initiatives may also be addressed. Bilateral trade between Oman and UAE surpassed 5 billi...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, during which the two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations and exchanged views on important regional and global matters. According to the official WAM news agency, the phone discussion between the two presidents focused on ties between the UAE and France as well as ways to enhance cooperation across various fields.  Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed and President Macron, the UAE and France enjoy strong partnership rooted in shared values of tolerance, openness and cultural diversity. The nations also collaborate closely on investment, energy, technology and other strategic sectors. In their conversation, Sheikh Mohamed and President Macron reviewed the most recent regional and international developments of mutual interest. This likely included ongoing issues such as events in the Middle East as well as the geopoliti...

Meta is making a major expansion of artificial intelligence capabilities with the rollout of enhanced AI assistants across its flagship platforms.  Starting today, users of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger will notice new versions of Meta AI integrated throughout the apps. Powered by Meta's most advanced AI model called LLaMA 3, Meta AI will be available in search bars, chats, newsfeeds and more. People will now be able to ask Meta AI questions to obtain information and help with various tasks. Examples given include finding concert dates in a city or recommendations for a certain type of restaurant.  LLaMA 3 represents a significant upgrade over Meta's previous AI technology, able to generate prose, conduct conversations and create images according to the company. With this new model, Meta AI is said to be the most capable freely available AI system. The rollout is Meta's biggest integration of AI to date and aims to place the technology in the most used and vis...

WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, has rolled out a new feature called Chat Filters. The new addition allows users to better organize their conversations on the app. Chat Filters provides three different filtering options when viewing chats - All, Unread, and Groups. Selecting All will display all conversations as usual. The Unread filter surfaces any chats or groups that contain unread messages. This helps users easily catch up on conversations they may have missed.  Finally, tapping the Groups filter shows only group chats the user is participating in. With countless group chat threads on WhatsApp nowadays, this dedicated view makes it simpler to check updates and messages across multiple group discussions. The filters are located in a bar above the list of chats, similar to how categories work in other apps. Users simply need to update to the latest version of WhatsApp from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to access the new Chat Filters feature on An...

The World Future Energy Summit, hosted by Masdar, commenced in Abu Dhabi with a resounding call for collaboration and urgent action to achieve the 'Pathway to 1.5°C.' The summit aims to address the pressing need to limit global temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. High-level speakers emphasized the importance of collective efforts and financial resources to combat climate change. As the summit progresses, several key agreements have been reached, reinforcing the commitment towards a sustainable future. Collective Call for Collaboration: Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, delivered a keynote speech highlighting the necessity of collaborative action. She emphasized that effective climate action cannot occur in isolation and stressed the importance of bringing together diverse voices from different sectors. World Future Energy Summit provides a pl...

In a positive development for tourism and bilateral relations, Pakistan and Georgia have signed an agreement allowing Pakistani citizens to visit Georgia without a visa. The visa waiver, which formally took effect from April 1, 2024, applies to holders of Pakistani diplomatic and official/service passports.  This landmark pact opens up opportunities for greater engagement between the two countries. It aims to promote tourism, trade and investment flows by facilitating travel and business exchanges. For Pakistani travelers, Georgia now becomes more accessible with its diverse attractions and hospitality.  Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia is renowned for its scenic mountains, historic landmarks and unique cultural heritage. From the cosmopolitan capital Tbilisi to the tranquil countryside, the country offers a wide array of places to explore. Natural wonders like hiking trails and mineral-rich hot springs add to Georgia's allure. In addition to leisure, the...

The United Arab Emirates has once again cemented its position as one of the most attractive locations in the world for starting a new business according to a recent report.  In the CEOWORLD magazine business conditions index for 2024, the UAE ranked 13th globally and was the highest ranked Middle Eastern nation. The index analyzed over 80 countries across a range of factors that impact the ease of establishing and operating a company. Some of the key metrics that pushed the UAE into the top tier for business launch conditions include low corporation tax rates, a highly developed physical and digital infrastructure, low startup costs, access to funding, and a pro-business regulatory environment with streamlined processes.  The UAE was praised for reforms in recent years aimed at simplifying business registration and licensing. Setting up a new company can now be done completely online in just a few hours through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship portal. Additio...

  A Vietnamese court has sentenced real estate magnate Truong My Lan to death for her role in a massive fraud scheme totaling $12 billion. The case marks the largest financial fraud in Vietnam's history and one of the most severe punishments meted out for white-collar crime.  My Lan, 67, was the chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat Group, a major developer. She was convicted on charges including embezzlement, bribery of officials, and violating lending rules at Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB). Prosecutors said My Lan embezzled around $12 billion from the bank between 2012 and 2022 through fraudulent loans representing over 90% of SCB's lending during that period. The fraud had devastating consequences. It prompted a run on SCB after losses became public, ultimately leading the State Bank of Vietnam to seize control of the lender. My Lan was ordered to repay $27 billion, exceeding the market value of most Vietnamese banks. Over 80 people faced charges as part of the expansive case, includ...

Islamabad - Signs are emerging that Eidul Fitr may be celebrated as a rare "same-day" festival across the Muslim world this year, as major countries have decided to mark the religious holiday on Wednesday after failing to sight the new crescent moon.  Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Australia have all announced that Eid will fall on April 10, according to media reports from the Gulf region.  Pakistan's Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee will meet today in Islamabad to sight the Shawwal crescent moon as well. If the new moon is seen, Pakistan too will celebrate Eid alongside other nations on Wednesday. Zonal and district moon sighting committees will also convene simultaneously across Pakistan. A same-day Eid would be an uncommon occurrence, with solar calendar differences usually resulting in the festival being celebrated separately by some Muslim communities. Most Muslim-majority states follow the sighting methodology to fix the date of Isl...

A solar eclipse is a captivating astronomical event that sparks curiosity and wonder in people around the world. As the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily obstructing the sun's light, it creates a unique spectacle. However, beyond its visual appeal, many questions arise regarding the potential effects of a solar eclipse on the human brain. In this article, we delve into the topic, exploring the psychological and physiological aspects associated with this celestial phenomenon. Understanding a Solar Eclipse: Before delving into the effects, it is important to grasp the basic concept of a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon aligns with the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth's surface. Depending on the alignment, solar eclipses can be partial, total, or annular. Partial solar eclipses are the most common, occurring two to four times per year, while total and annular eclipses are less frequent, happening approximately every 18 months...

Global fast food giant McDonald's has announced a deal to buy back its franchised restaurants in Israel, after the brand experienced significant sales declines due to boycott calls last year. The boycotts were spurred by comments made on social media by McDonald's main Israeli franchisee, Alonyal, which said it had donated thousands of meals to Israeli military forces during their conflict with Hamas in Gaza.  Muslim-majority countries like Kuwait, Malaysia and Pakistan distanced themselves from McDonald's in response. Protests also impacted sales at restaurants in the Middle East, Indonesia, France and other locations. McDonald's acknowledged in January that the Israel-Hamas war had "meaningfully impacted" its business performance. CEO Chris Kempczinski blamed "misinformation" for the financial hit. Under the new agreement, McDonald's will repurchase all 225 of its Israeli restaurants from Alonyal. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. McDon...

Karachi - Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has been elected as the new Emir (chief) of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) following party elections held on Thursday.  Rehman secured a majority of votes to succeed Sirajul Haq, who had stepped down from the top post in February after JI's dismal performance in the recent general elections.  The JI could not win any National Assembly seat and secured only two provincial assembly seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Haq had led the party for 10 years since 2014. According to JI spokesperson, over 82% of the total party workers participated in the election process to choose the new Emir.  Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, who previously served as JI Secretary General, will hold the top office for the next five years till 2029.  JI follows a democratic and electoral process to elect its chief every five years. Over 31,000 senior party workers are eligible to vote. The election of a new leader aims to revive the JI's political fortunes following its recent defeats. Und...

Dubai - Pakistan's Consul General in Dubai, Hussain Muhammad, expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for hosting 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates at an Iftar event held for the Pakistani media and community members.  In his remarks, Consul General Hussain said the UAE has been a second home for millions of Pakistanis who are contributing positively towards its development. "We are grateful to the host country for providing employment opportunities to Pakistanis, who support around 2 million families back home through remittances," he noted. Hussain stressed that all expatriates must adhere to the laws of the UAE and respect local cultural norms and values. "It is incumbent upon us to comply with the country's laws and policies. I urge the Pakistani media to raise awareness among compatriots about their responsibilities towards the host society," he added.  The Consul General said the Iftar gathering was part of an outreach initiative by Pakistani A...

The latest DHL Connectedness Report highlights the UAE's rising profile as one of the world's most globally integrated economies. According to the findings, the UAE ranks among the top 10 most connected countries and has significantly increased its trade and investment links since 2001.   Through strategic investments in trade infrastructure and embracing new technologies, the UAE continues to strengthen vital connectivity across borders. Major projects like the massive Jebel Ali Port expansion and the new Al Maktoum Airport cement the country's position as a strategic trading and logistics hub. By accelerating its digital transformation with 5G rollout and policies supporting remote working, the UAE is optimizing opportunities in industries like e-commerce and healthcare logistics. The successful Expo 2020 event further boosted international business networks. The UAE's leadership recognized from the start that deeper global integration was key to economic resilience. ...

Zoey 101 ” star Matthew Underwood has revealed on social media that he was assaulted at age 19 by his agent at the time. In a statement regarding the Investigation Discovery docuseries “ Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV ,” Underwood opened up about being assaulted by his former agent, whom he does not name.  “When I was 19, I was sexually harassed and then assaulted by my agent at the time, who had spent a decent amount of time building trust with me as a friend and mentor. Again, my trust was betrayed and my self image was crushed,” Underwood  wrote on Instagram  on Friday. “I reported him to the agency and he has since been fired — although he is still active in the industry. This experience provoked my move away from LA and ending my pursuit of acting.” Underwood then explained why he was sharing his story of sexual harassment and assault, saying that “many people have been blowing up [his] email” and calling him a “pedophile defender” following the release of “Q...

Recent comments made by Republican Congressman Tim Walberg during a town hall meeting have sparked significant controversy and condemnation. The remarks, in which Walberg mentioned Gaza in relation to the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, have drawn swift criticism from various quarters. This article delves into the details surrounding the incident, reactions from different individuals, and the subsequent response from the congressman. The Controversial Comments: During a town hall event in Dundee, Michigan, Representative Tim Walberg made remarks suggesting that Gaza should be treated similarly to Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II. He mentioned this in the context of expressing his opposition to U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza. The comments, caught on video, quickly circulated online, leading to widespread condemnation. Immediate Condemnation and Calls for Resignation: Representative Walberg's comments drew immediate criticism, with individuals from different backgrounds ...