LONDON, AUG 21 (DNA) – Britain’s Muslim clerics are going to set up their first national council in which the most senior imams are to issue progressive religious rulings in order to “embed Islam in a 21st-century British context.” Qari Asim, one of the prominent imams in Britain, said the authority will promote an interpretation of Islam in line with British values. Asim, who is the chief imam of Makkah mosque in Leeds, said British Muslims needed an authoritative and credible voice that could speak out on the issues as diverse as terrorism, organ donation and Islamophobia.
Week-long Turkish Food Festival begins at Islamabad Serena Hotel
ISLAMABAD, AUG 19 (DNA) – The Islamabad Serena Hotel, in collaboration with the Embassy of The republic of Turkey, inaugurated a week-long Culinary Art Turkish Food Festival at the Grand Zamana Restaurant.The experts of Turkish cuisine were transported from the one and only Ottoman Imperial Palace and Hotel on the Bosphorus, Çırağan Palace Kempinski located in timeless Istanbul, Turkey. The Islamabad Serena hotel was delighted to welcome sous-chef, Serdar Öngel, chef de partie, Davut Kutlugün and pastry chef and chocolatier, Servet Kanat, who are the experienced chefs exclusively came for this festival from the magnificent Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.
Qatar and Pakistan exploring new maritime cooperation
KARACHI, AUG 19 (DNA) – After launching weekly direct shipping service between Hamad Port and Karachi Port, Qatar and Pakistan are exploring new avenues of maritime cooperation. Vice-Admiral (Retd) Azhar Shamim Anwar, Managing Director of Bahria Foundation Pakistan, has said that Qatar and Pakistan are exploring maritime cooperation and in future ‘fully operational Gwadar Port will take them to new heights’.“Bahria Foundation also runs a transshipment hub in Karachi and through our transshipment services, we can facilitate Qatar in its trade arrangements with China,” Anwar said while talking to The Peninsula during his visit to Qatar last week.
Saba’s latest bridal shoot for Indian magazine leaves fans dumbfounded
LAHORE, AUG 19 (DNA) – The latest bridal shoot of Pakistani stunning actress Saba Qamar for magazine ‘Vogue India’ has left her fans across the globe dumbfounded. Donning Zainab Chottani’s outfits, the Hindi Medium star looked elegant while her co-model Shehzad Noor also belongs to Pakistan. However, the shoot was covered by the famous fashion photographer Shahbaz Shazi. The photoshoot of Baaghi actress has stirred the social media with appreciation and applauses.
London acid attack: Assault victim Jameel Mukhtar says he’s ruined for life
LONDON, AUG 19 (DNA) – “I can’t be around anybody, I’m embarrassed to even talk to people,” says Jameel Mukhtar. “I don’t go outside anymore, I can’t even look at myself in the mirror.” It is almost two months since he was doused with acid through a car window as he waited at traffic lights with his cousin, Resham Khan, after celebrating her 21st birthday. Muktar remembers the liquid feeling cold, and then starting to burn, melting through his skin, clothes and shoes. Unable to see, he crashed the car and dragged Khan out of the passenger seat, stripping off her burning clothes and banging on the doors of nearby homes for water to wash off the burning liquid.
Sunny Leone gets a jaw-dropping welcome in Kochi
KOCHI, AUG 18 (DNA) – Hundreds of die-hard fans gathered at MG Road, virtually shutting it down, to have a sight of Bollywood actress Sunny Leone as she arrived in Kerala’s Kochi for inauguration of a mobile phone showroom. According to details, police had to resort to baton-charge to control the fans while the Canadian-born star looked so overwhelmed by the warm welcome and responded to the love by waving her hand. The social media have also started comparing the crowd with the events organised by political personalities including United States former and new presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump apiece.
Seizure of bank accounts by FBR perturbs investors at PSX
KARACHI, AUG 18 (DNA) – Investors at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) have been perturbed and disturbed on seizure of bank accounts and withdrawal of cash from their accounts, hurting the investment trend at the local bourse. Pakistan Stock Exchange Brokers Association wrote a letter to Federal Board of Revenue and Securities Exchange Commission on the field officers of Inland Revenue Department for recovery of demand against the brokerage houses are seizing bank accounts of the brokers, which under your instructions have been earmarked/reserved for funds of “clients only”. Such an action by officers of FBR besides being unlawful also puts the whole clearing cycle of the Exchange in danger.
Taking aim at China, India tightens power grid, telecoms rules
NEW DELHI, AUG 18 (DNA) – India is tightening the rules for businesses entering its power transmission sector and making stringent checks on both power and telecoms equipment for malware – moves that government and industry officials say aim to check China’s advance into sensitive sectors. Chinese firms such as Harbin Electric (1133.HK), Dongfang Electronics (000682.SZ), Shanghai Electric (601727.SS) and Sifang Automation either supply equipment or manage power distribution networks in 18 cities in India.
Luxury hotel chain Hyatt looks to tap opportunity in smaller towns
CHENNAI: The increasing demand from domestic travelers and the underserved nature of markets in tier-ii and tier-iii towns is driving luxury hotel chain Hyatt to begin expanding in those locales.According to Kurt Straub, Vice-President Operations (India), Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, the chain has “ramped up” efforts to increase its footprint in these destinations.“Since domestic travel has become increasingly important in India, we have ramped up our efforts to increase Hyatt’s footprint in tier II and III destinations as these cities and towns are underserved, and we believe that they have great potential,” Straub told.
Emma Stone tops list of best paid actresses
LOS ANGELES, AUG 17 (DNA) – Oscar-winning Emma Stone capped a perfect 12 months on Wednesday as she knocked Jennifer Lawrence off the top spot on Forbes 2017 list of the world s highest-paid actresses. Stone, 28, who won best actress for her role as a struggling performer in “La La Land,” made $26 million in pre-tax earnings in the year up to June, according to the magazine s annual chart. “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston, 48, also leapfrogged Lawrence, grabbing the runner-up spot with earnings of $25.5 million, boosted by numerous endorsement deals across the world.
