Latest News Live | National & International News | Sports News | Entertainment News

2019 Tony Award Nominations: What to Watch For

By MICHAEL PAULSON from NYT Theater https://nyti.ms/2vvclm5

A Crisis at the N.R.A.

By Unknown Author from NYT Podcasts https://nyti.ms/2XU25jh

Solving Trump’s Federal Reserve Problem

By ROSS DOUTHAT from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2IQK7uM

Why It’s So Hard to Learn French in Middle Age

By PAMELA DRUCKERMAN from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2VvjXUl

L Train Slowdown: 1 Weekend Down, 15 Months to Go

By COREY KILGANNON from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2ISYXRd

James Holzhauer Is Dominating ‘Jeopardy!’ But What’s Life Like After the Show?

By NIRAJ CHOKSHI from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2DFDnM9

‘Game of Thrones’: Lyanna the Giant Slayer Never Expected to Last This Long

By JENNIFER VINEYARD from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2ZMefMP

Bykea raises $5.7 million in Series A funding

KARACHI – Bykea, a technology platform for on-demand transport and related services, announced today that it has completed a $5.7 million Series A round of financing from Pakistan’s first VC fund Sarmaycar and institutional investors from South East Asia and for Middle East.

The announcement was made at the National Incubation Center Karachi, as Bykea is one of the Karachi chapter’s first members.

The financing will be used to fund Bykea’s expansion in the ride sharing and express delivery, including cash to digital services for consumers and businesses in urban areas of Pakistan.

Bykea enables a crowd sourced network of motorbike owners to transport people and parcels allowing them to supplement their incomes while delivering cost effective logistics solutions. Its cash on delivery technology enables real time transactions in a nascent payments market thereby pioneering the development of e-commerce in Pakistan.

Over two hundred thousand motorbike owners have installed the partner app to connect with over two million users in Karachi, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Lahore. Although available in English, the platform is mostly deployed in Urdu with voice notes to facilitate the use of technology by the broadest audience in their local language.

The CEO of Bykea, Muneeb Maayr said, “We’re aiming to solve technology adoption and economic activity for the 200 million people in Pakistan by allowing users to connect with one another via simple steps in Urdu or voice chat. We are also working with leading telecommunication providers to enable feature phones, or not-so-smart phones, to connect to our driver partner network of part timers.” He further said, “The additional investment will pave the way for deeper penetration into the masses enabling Pakistanis at large to use technology to better facilitate personal and business activity in the cities.”

Bykea was seed funded by a group of angel investors in a round led by Ithaca Capital who have made several pioneering venture capital investments in Pakistan. It was founded by veterans from e-Commerce and logistics, Muneeb Maayr (Co-Founder at Daraz.pk and Director Operations at SNL Pakistan), Abdul Mannan (formerly Rocket Internet), Ishaq Kothawala (Head Actuary at Pak-Qatar) and Rafiq Malik (formerly COO at TNT Logistics Pakistan).

The Managing Partner of Sarmayacar, Rabeel Warraich said, “We are pleased to join Bykea on its journey of building affordable technology solutions that will create income generating opportunities for tens of thousands in Pakistan, while addressing rampant challenges in the transportation, logistics and payments sectors of the country.”

“This transaction also ushers a new era of venture capital investment into Pakistan by bringing together varied and complementary value propositions of institutional VCs from different parts of the world to back one of Pakistan’s most promising startups,” added Warraich.

The Managing Director of Ithaca Capital, Haider Ali Hilaly, said, “We are excited for the next round of Bykea’s development and welcome the institutional investment that brings relevant expertise from other developing markets to the Company. We have worked with Muneeb and his team to develop Bykea by seeding this project despite the obstacles involved in raising substantial further capital for venture stage companies in Pakistan. We are also pleased to have been the main sponsor of one of the largest Series A investments in Pakistan’s history.”

Bykea’s funding announcement includes a collaboration with the country’s leading telecom network Jazz on connecting customers with drivers using a simple dial in mobile number 0307-1234567.

In addition, the company has received grants from USAID’s Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority to help create jobs in the hospitality sector and the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation for providing short term lending to enable motorbike owner operators with income opportunities.

Going forward, Bykea intends to use funds from the new raise to continue to focus on increasing its driver network and provide new members income generating opportunities in the transport, delivery and e-commerce space. The Company is also actively looking to fill roles within the organization as it expands its execution capabilities.

Users can learn more and download the app by visiting https://www.bykea.com.

The post Bykea raises $5.7 million in Series A funding appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2V8SoAD

BLACKMORES brings the natural health initiative to Pakistan

LAHORE – Bringing It Back – The people of Pakistan have always maintained a strong belief in natural remedies & Blackmores looks to bring its natural health initiative to Pakistan by introducing their herbal & natural product range of vitamins and supplements all across the country.

Blackmores is Australia’s No.1 Vitamin brand and awarded the country’s Most Trusted Brand for vitamins and supplements for the tenth year running. The company has seen massive growth in the South East Asia region over the last 3 decades and has a strong presence in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea.

In exciting news, the company is now bringing its trusted 85-year history in research and innovation to Pakistan. Collaborating with Base6 (Pvt.) Limited, Blackmores is launching an initiative to deliver its wide range of vitamins, minerals, herbal and nutritional supplements to pharmacies all across the nation.

With a range of over 600 different products entailing quality, Blackmores’ looks to spread awareness among consumers in Pakistan about the numerous benefits of vitamins and health supplements. Base6 and Blackmores Pakistan (www.blackmores.pk) are committed to educating consumers in Pakistan and are complimenting their availability of health products with Blackmores Institute (www.blackmoresinstitute.org), an online platform dedicated to providing useful health information to consumers, doctors & pharmacists.

The initial range of Blackmores vitamin & supplement products are already available at the leading pharmacies across Pakistan and can also be purchased online from MyVitaminStore.pk. Australia’s leading pregnancy formula, Pregnancy & Breast Feeding (G) is also now available in Pakistan. Blackmores Pregnancy & Breast-Feeding (G) is formulated with essential nutrients for mother and for baby’s healthy development and is one of the very few products available in the market in this category.

Blackmore’s initiative is the perfect blend of this country’s traditions with developed knowledge regarding nutrition & supplements products. It’s time to pave a new age of nutritional knowledge and advances in Pakistan.- PR

The post BLACKMORES brings the natural health initiative to Pakistan appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2PBKppO

Irish-Bangladeshi beauty queen alleges top businessman of sexual harassment

DHAKA – An Irish-Bangladeshi beauty pageant winner has claimed of being seriously sexually assaulted and threatened with death in a horrifying attack.

Maksuda Akhter, a mum of two in her late 20s, revealed her life fell apart when a prominent businessman tried to rape her.

And the former Miss Earth Ireland 2015 and Miss Earth International winner urged women here to speak out against abuse.

Maksuda, who has lived in Ireland for 18 years, was visiting her native country in 2015 when she claims she was sexually assaulted while in an office to discuss a TV advert.

The Dubliner, who is working with gardai and Interpol to get justice, said: “The owner of the company called me and told me, ‘You have to come to my office to get your payment’. I didn’t have any bank account in Bangladesh.”

The qualified pilot added: “A secretary brought me to the office and left and then suddenly he came and he put his hands under my clothes and then he pulled me to stand up and he threw me on the table.

“He was basically trying to rape me and he put his hands under my pants.

“And then I thought, ‘Okay I’m going to be raped’.

“I froze and I don’t know why I didn’t scream but the office was so secure no one was going to hear.

“He’s kind of mafia and he is a dangerous man. He has all the power with the money there.”

Maksuda, who claims she had major fears for her safety, added: “I was thinking how will I get out of this office?”

The Fine Gael member, who has attended numerous events attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other Cabinet ministers, said: “I had an idea and I said, ‘Let’s not do it today, let’s come back. Let’s do it properly in a nice environment’.

“Then he stopped for a second and he stood up and I did up my clothing and I told him I would come back the next day for my money and eventually he let me go.”

Business graduate Maksuda, who had been staying with a friend, returned to Ireland with her children a few days later and added: “He called and said, ‘I know why you didn’t come back and if you open your mouth then it will take two minutes to knock you down and Ireland is not far for me’.

“He said he was going to kill me in Bengali.”

The beauty contestant winner is bringing up her two kids as a single parent said: “I was severely depressed, anxious and I couldn’t sleep. I hurt myself, I contemplated suicide and I was on tablets for two years.

“If it was wasn’t for my kids I think I would have taken my life.”

The post Irish-Bangladeshi beauty queen alleges top businessman of sexual harassment appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2GM46an

#ShotonHuawei Master Class: HUAWEI amazes NUST with P30 Lite’s camera capabilities

ISLAMABAD – Building up on the success of its #ShotonHuawei Master Classes, Huawei has partnered with university campuses across the country to engage local photographers for its photography campaign.

First up, the students, teachers and staff of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Islamabad indulged in an interactive session on the tips and tricks of smartphone photography.

The session was conducted by Huawei Experience Ambassadors Faisal Farooq – an acclaimed photojournalist and Amjad Nawaz. The students were immensely interested in the HUAWEI P30 lite which is lighter on the pocket and does some amazing Ultra Wide Angle Photography with its triple camera, and of course the amazing selfies!

As the need for an aesthetically pleasing Instagram, a bomb selfie and a collection of photographic memories is on the rise; it has become a necessity for everyone to know the basic rules of photography. What better way to capture your everyday moments than through the one hand-held device you use on a daily basis. This is where Huawei aims to channel the talent of youth from across Pakistan to come together and learn about Huawei’s smartphone capabilities as well as tips for achieving the best photograph in one click.

The session began with a brief about the much-anticipated HUAWEI P30 Series that comes in three variants; HUAWEI P30 Pro, HUAWEI P30 and HUAWEI P30 lite. The students of NUST were excited to learn about the features of these smartphones which are available in three different price segments – catering to all. Following this, Amjad and Faisal showcased their masterful photography using the HUAWEI P30 lite and HUAWEI P30 Pro respectively.

The students were taught about composition rules and light positioning all the while highlighting the 50x digital zoom and amazing Night Mode photography that the HUAWEI P30 Pro does. They were also given live demonstrations of low-light features of the smartphone which to their surprise, lived up to its claim. The session ended with an interactive Q&A session between all the participants.

The Master Classes are an amplification of Huawei’s ongoing #ShotonHuawei campaign which is a platform for photographers at-large to showcase their photographic prowess using Huawei smartphones. After the resounding success of this Master Class, the Beaconhouse National University (BNU) in Lahore, and Karachi’s Institute of Business Administration (IBA) are lined-up for these sessions.

HUAWEI P30 Series breaks all flagship pre-order records; goes on sale

The post #ShotonHuawei Master Class: HUAWEI amazes NUST with P30 Lite’s camera capabilities appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2XRvr1O

Liverpool defenders prepare for tough Barcelona test

Klopp's men have unenviable task of stopping Messi and co

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2DGrqFN

In Afghan Blood Sports, the Animals Aren’t the Only Ones Fighting

By ROD NORDLAND from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2ZO656C

When Is HPV a Problem?

By JEN GUNTER from NYT Well https://nyti.ms/2XU95gb

Trump Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group

By CHARLIE SAVAGE, ERIC SCHMITT and MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2W97a6Z

As Buttigieg Builds His Campaign, Gay Donors Provide the Foundation

By JEREMY W. PETERS and SHANE GOLDMACHER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2V5bgR5

Is America Ready for a Gay President? ‘You’re Going to See the Wall Crumble’

By JEREMY W. PETERS from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2J5WJgX

Brigham Young Graduate ‘Proud to Be a Gay Son of God’

By DAN LEVIN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2GQAJ6K

Who Killed Atlanta’s Children?

By AUDRA D. S. BURCH from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2UOUuRh

They Want It to Be Secret: How a Common Blood Test Can Cost $11 or Almost $1,000

By MARGOT SANGER-KATZ from NYT The Upshot https://nyti.ms/2PFP622

Going to the Swedish Woods to Live an Instagram Fairy Tale

By INGRID K. WILLIAMS from NYT Travel https://nyti.ms/2GL4tCd

How to Choose the Right Rug

By TIM McKEOUGH from NYT Real Estate https://nyti.ms/2vsuz7J

Which L.G.B.T.Q. Figures Should Get Monuments in New York?

By GINIA BELLAFANTE from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2INPJG5

Letter of Recommendation: Jury Duty

By IAN S. PORT from NYT Magazine https://nyti.ms/2GO6IVr

Almost All the Colleges I Wanted to Go to Rejected Me. Now What?

By KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH from NYT Magazine https://nyti.ms/2PC1BeO

Reinventing the Tomato for Survival in a Changing World

By TEJAL RAO from NYT Food https://nyti.ms/2J42knJ

From Apples to Popcorn, Climate Change Is Altering the Foods America Grows

By KIM SEVERSON from NYT Food https://nyti.ms/2V2y5ox

How Does Your Love of Wine Contribute to Climate Change?

By ERIC ASIMOV from NYT Food https://nyti.ms/2J3ZhMv

These Five Cuisines Are Easier on the Planet

By SOMINI SENGUPTA from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/2IOtvnh

In a Switch, Some Republicans Start Citing Climate Change as Driving Their Policies

By LISA FRIEDMAN from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/2VErPTe

The New Mall Tenant Is Your Office

By TOM ACITELLI from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2J3YwTF

Your Tuesday Briefing

By CHRIS STANFORD from NYT Briefing https://nyti.ms/2J5f6Cs

Samsung denies new Galaxy phone burnt from malfunctioning

SEOUL – Samsung on Tuesday stood by its new Galaxy S10 5G model after a South Korean smartphone owner posted pictures online of a charred handset claiming it had mysteriously “burnt”.

The tech giant, which three years ago was forced into an expensive and embarrassing global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 devices over exploding batteries, told AFP an “external impact” had caused the damage, rather than an internal glitch.

But the smartphone user, who asked to be identified by his surname Lee, claimed his Galaxy S10 5G phone had burnt “without reasons”.

“My phone was on the table when it started smelling burnt and smoke soon engulfed the phone,” Lee told AFP, adding: “I had to drop it to the ground when I touched it because it was so hot.”

He said he hadn’t done anything to the phone, which was left beyond repair since “everything inside was burnt”.

Samsung refused to reimburse for the $1,200 phone, Lee added.

The electronics giant has touted its new Galaxy phones as the world´s first available smartphones with built-in 5G communications.

The model was released on April 5 as South Korea aims to take the lead in new technologies that experts say will transform the way of lives for millions of people.

The claim came after the South Korean firm posted a 56.9 per cent drop in net profits year-on-year Tuesday amid a weakening chip market and rising competition.

Samsung last week delayed the release of its $2,000 foldable phone — Galaxy Fold — over screen problems, saying it “needs further improvements”.

The 2016 recall cost Samsung Electronics — the world’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker — billions of dollars and shattered its global image.

The post Samsung denies new Galaxy phone burnt from malfunctioning appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2XOTSgq

The real reason Arya and Sansa Stark cannot be killed

A recent study suggests that approximately 150,966 characters have died on Game of Thrones in 7 seasons. When Cersi warned, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” She, sure as hell, wasn’t kidding. George R.R. Martin has a thing for killing the characters we loved (read: Ned Stark, Robb Stark), characters we adored (Shireen Baratheon), or even the characters we hated (read: Lord Belish, Lord Frey). He really doesn’t distinguish amongst any and kills them all without any discrimination.

I don’t know about you, but I have played each episode fearing the death of whoever remains, cursing Martin for playing the role of ‘God of Death’ while not being actually in the drama.

Fortunately, there is someone who can control/persuade Martin from killing at least some of the characters and no they are not the show executives.

According to an entertainment news site, it’s Martin’s wife. Talk about girl power, you go Ma’am.

The big secret was revealed by Maisie Williams (Arya Stark). According to her, “His wife did actually say that if he ever kills off Arya or Sansa, she’s going to leave him.”

She smirked and added:

“I’ll just keep smiling, and say ‘if you want to stay with your wife, you’ve got to keep me alive!'”

Martin himself even joked about this at a panel in Mexico. “She does have a favorite character, and she has threatened to leave me if kill that character,” He said with a laugh, “so I do have to be very careful about that.”

Looks like we owe thanks to the wife for saving the true hero.

The post The real reason Arya and Sansa Stark cannot be killed appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2GRv6X7

Sana Fakhar opens up about her unbelievable body transformation and demands a stop to body shaming

Punjab govt to build Dadhocha Dam by 2021

It turned down Bahria Town’s offer to build the dam

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2VFnWxo

David Warner predicts high-scoring World Cup

Australian batsman says tournament will be more like T20

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2GVg6I5

NAB finds no evidence against Chaudhry brothers in plots inquiry

Court reserves verdict on NAB's appeal to close inquiry

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2UMMO1L

Sana Fakhar reveals story of her dramatic weight loss

The actor has reduced her weight by 40kg

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2LeUQ4f

Sri Lanka’s President Lifts Ban on Social Media

By KAI SCHULTZ from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2GOa3nl

Photographing Trafficked Animals in Colombia

By IVAN VALENCIA and EVELYN NIEVES from NYT Lens https://nyti.ms/2XX0IAt

Learning With: ‘Lego Is Making Braille Bricks. They May Give Blind Literacy a Needed Lift.’

By JEREMY ENGLE from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2VzCw9D

His Punch Lines Cross Moral Lines. Anthony Jeselnik Gets Away With It.

By JASON ZINOMAN from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2L9AfxX

Exclusion from World Cup squad leaves Hales ‘devastated’

Batsman sanctioned under disciplinary policy for second time

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2PE0hrG

Journalist killed in firing incident in Dera Ismail Khan

A case has been registered

from Samaa Digital http://bit.ly/2DFvR3T

Pakistan reacts to the Child Marriage Restraint Bill

The much-debated Child Marriage Restraint Bill was passed by Senate yesterday, criminalizing marriage of underage children. The bill was presented by Senator Sherry Rehman and sets the legal age of 18 for children to be married.

The bill was approved by the Senate despite the opposition from PTI, JUI, and JI on final voting as per Ms Rehamns account:

A very big thank u to all my Senate colleagues who joined forces to defeat loud opposition by PTI Govt, JUI and JI on final voting on my Child Marriage Restraint Bill! The bill passed all phases and defines childhood at age 18,as in Sindh. Marriages under age will b criminalised

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) April 29, 2019

We just want to say BRAVOO Ms REHMAN <3

That’s just our reaction, here is how other people are reacting to it:

Congratulations Child rights movement, and thank a billion Senator Sherry Rehman for always taking up these challenges 🤩

— S Malaika Raza (@MalaikaSRaza) April 29, 2019

YESSSSSSS! heart eyes

This is such a great news. Thank you and soooo proud 😍♥️

— meena gabeena (@gabeeno) April 29, 2019

Congratulations @SherryRehman and everybody who worked on this bill! This is a vital first step towards #endchildmarriage in Sindh and all across Pakistan.🇵🇰 💪🏽

— Girls Not Brides (@GirlsNotBrides) April 29, 2019

Congrats @sherryrehman

— Senator Sehar Kamran T.I. (@SeharKamran) April 29, 2019

Excellant, This nation does not deserves but it’s really a matter of honour and dignity for all of us.

— Mushahid Ali (@mushahidali) April 29, 2019

The post Pakistan reacts to the Child Marriage Restraint Bill appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2VyDcwg

Police in Christchurch find suspected bomb, man arrested

WELLINGTON – New Zealand police found a suspected bomb and ammunition Tuesday in a vacant lot in Christchurch, the scene of last month’s mosque shootings which killed 50 Muslim worshippers.

Police cordoned off streets late Tuesday afternoon in the Phillipstown area just outside the central business district and evacuated local houses.

Shortly after 6:00pm (0600 GMT) they said a military bomb squad had rendered a suspicious package safe and a 33-year-old man had been arrested and was “assisting police with inquiries”.

“Police have located a package containing a suspected explosive device and ammunition at a vacant address on Newcastle Street in Christchurch,” superintendent John Price said in a statement.

“The NZDF EOD (NZ Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team have rendered the package safe.”

Price did not provide any background about the man or his possible motivations.

Christchurch remains on alert after the March attacks in which a self-styled white supremacist shot dead 50 people and injured another 39 in attacks on two mosques.

The post Police in Christchurch find suspected bomb, man arrested appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2WahDPG

Late Night Congratulates Trump on His 10,000th Lie

By TRISH BENDIX from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2WgrrHI

“Yeti” footprints spotted by our team in the Himalayas, says Indian army

NEW DELHI – The Indian Army has said that its team had sighted “mysterious footprints of the mythical beast Yeti”, commonly known as the “abominable snowman” that many over the decades claim to have seen, but without much proof.

On Monday night, the army’s additional directorate general of public information (ADGPI) said its mountain expedition team had made the sighting near the Makalu base camp in eastern Nepal, reported NDTV on Monday.

The official Twitter handle of the ADGPI also posted photographs of the footprints. The sightings were made on April on April 09, the army said.

For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' measuring 32×15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past. pic.twitter.com/AMD4MYIgV7

— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2019

The “Yeti’s” footsteps measured 2.6 feet, the ADGPI tweet said. A footstep is a distance between one-foot print and the next during a normal walk. The average length of the footstep of an adult male human being is said to be around 2.5 feet.

The tweet claimed that “Yeti” had been sighted at the Makalu-Barun National Park in the past, too.
For decades, the mysterious giant snowman has fired the imagination of adventurers and mountaineers venturing into the Himalayan slopes.

In 2014, a controversial study created quite a flutter by claiming to have collected two Yeti fur samples from Bhutan and northern India. It said that a creature—a hybrid between a polar and a brown bear—could be very much alive still.

The scientific community has, however, not bought into these claims.

The Indian Army’s claims could potentially fire another round of debate over the mystical Himalayan giant.

The post “Yeti” footprints spotted by our team in the Himalayas, says Indian army appeared first on Daily Pakistan Global.

from Daily Pakistan Global http://bit.ly/2PEOV71