Entertainment
GB shepherd hailed as hero for warning that saved 200 lives in glacier burst
A local shepherd in Gilgit Baltistan’s (GB) Ghizer district has been honoured for saving hundreds of lives after he raised the alarm when a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) threatened to devastate his village.
The natural phenomenon triggered huge flooding and widespread destruction, creating an artificial lake, officials said on Friday.
The GB government spokesperson, Faizullah Firaq, confirmed that the glacier burst at Tali Das in the Gupis area of Ghizer triggered flooding and destruction.
Shepherd Wasiat Khan was out in the mountains when he noticed something was wrong. From where he stood, he could see a glacier breaking apart and knew the village below was in grave danger.
What he did next saved hundreds of lives.
He pulled out his phone and began calling his people in Tali Das, warning them to leave their homes before it was too late.
Responding to the life-saving alert, men, women, the elderly, and children rushed out in the dark, carrying whatever they could as they made their way to higher ground.
By the end of the night, nearly 100 houses stood deserted, and around 200 lives were safe and sound.
When the massive flood finally came down, the homes were damaged, many beyond repair.
Recognising his quick thinking, the GB police later announced a reward of Rs10,000 for Khan. He was also given a certificate of appreciation for his presence of mind and courage.
Spokesman Firaq later confirmed that several villages were inundated by the flood, leading to heavy financial losses and added that no lives were lost, but warned that the blocked river posed further risks of damage.
For the people of Tali Das, the night could have ended in tragedy. Instead, because of one man’s vigilance, an entire community was saved.
Officials said that because of the GLOF, multiple villages were submerged, causing huge structural and material losses. However, no loss of human life has been reported yet.
According to the district administration, landslides have completely blocked the Gilgit–Shandur Road. Landslides occurred from two directions in the Tali Das stream, cutting off the Raushan village.
Ghizer’s additional deputy commissioner reported that a landslide in Raushan, Tali Das, had completely blocked the flow of the Ghizer River since 3am, with more communities being affected by the floodwater.
However, timely warnings to residents ensured that no lives were lost.
In a statement, rescue in-charge Raja Ajmal said as many as 200 affected people had been shifted to Sumal and Yangal areas.
He said the rescue operation was underway to pull out six people from the Rawshan drain.
The rescue official said water has started flowing after six six-hour-long blockages of the Ghizer River, reducing the flooding risk for low-lying areas.
GB Home Minister Shams Lone said that although the flood had caused devastation in Ghizer once again, no loss of life had been reported so far. He added that reports had emerged of some people being stranded, for which helicopters had been requested.
A Force Command Northern Areas commander has already dispatched a helicopter on an emergency basis for rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the government spokesperson said that over 50 people have been rescued so far. He said the glacier outburst has blocked the river flow in the region, causing water to back up and form a large lake, putting nearby settlements at risk of submergence.
Jessie J left her fans disappointed on Thursday as she postponed two legs of her upcoming tour while canceling another portion amid her ongoing battle with cancer.
In a statement to People magazine on August 28, the 37-year-old singer announced that she has had to cancel her US tour dates and postpone her UK concerts to focus on her health.
“Unfortunately I have to have a second surgery — nothing too serious but it has to be done by the end of this year,” said Jessie.
“This falls in the middle of the tour I had booked. I’m so sorry, I feel frustrated and sad, but I need to be better, I need to be healed,” she added.
For those unversed, the Bang Bang hitmaker’s UK and European shows were initially scheduled for October 2025. Now, the shows have been moved to April 2026.
This cancellation comes three months after Jessie revealed that she had breast cancer.
The Nobody’s Perfect songstress later took to her Instagram account to further discuss her decision to cancel her upcoming shows.
“As some of you may know I just had breast cancer surgery eight weeks ago, that’s the first thing,” she said in a clip. “The second thing is unfortunately I have to have a second surgery.”
“Nothing too serious but it has to be done by the end of the year and unfortunately that falls right in the middle of a tour I had booked,” Jessie assured.
“I’m so sorry, I feel frustrated and sad. But also it is what it is. I need to be better, I need to be healed and this is the right decision to make so I am postponing the tour until next year,” added the singer.
Alphabet-owned YouTube and Fox said on Thursday they have reached an agreement that will keep Fox News, Fox Sports and other Fox channels available to YouTube TV subscribers.
The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.
Earlier this week YouTube had been in negotiations with Fox, with the media company asking for payments above those received by partners providing comparable content.
On Wednesday, YouTube said it reached a short-term agreement with Fox that would buy time for the parties to reach a new distribution deal.
In February, YouTube TV reached a deal with media giant Paramount Global to keep channels like CBS, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon available, after failed negotiations for a new contract had briefly left the future of the streaming partnership in limbo.
The carriage dispute caught the attention of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who said that the company removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be “a terrible outcome”.
“Millions of Americans are relying on YouTube to resolve this dispute so they can keep watching the news and sports they want — including this week’s Big Game: Texas @ Ohio State,” Carr wrote on Tuesday on the social media platform X. “Get a deal done Google!”
Jonathan Mostow served as the director of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but before him, Ridley Scott was supposedly offered to helm.
According to the director’s claim, the studio put a hefty $20 million on the table for him to direct it, which was equivalent to Arnold Schwarzenger’s fees at the time, who was one of the highest-paid actors.
However, the Alien filmmaker, in a recent interview with The Guardian, stated that he declined the offer.
“I can’t be bought,” he said, admitting to being surprised the studio offered him the fee, which he asked was what the franchise’s lead star was getting. “I thought: ‘**** me.’ But I couldn’t do it. It’s not my thing.”
However, passing down on the offer also had to do with his filming style, which he described by giving an example of a James Bond movie.
“The essence of a Bond movie is fun and camp. Terminator is pure comic strip,” he said. “I would try to make it real,” he shared.
“That’s why they’ve never asked me to do a Bond movie, because I would **** it up,” the director said.
Ridley, at the end, confirmed that he is working on a third film in the Gladiator series.
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