Entertainment
Govt to launch nationwide anti-polio drive in three provinces on Sept 1
- Pakistan reports 26 polio cases this year.
- Most cases reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Polio virus detected in sewage samples of 127 districts.
Pakistan will launch new nationwide anti-polio campaign on September 1 in three provinces, while in Punjab, the campaign will start on September 10.
Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal, accompanied by MQM-Pakistan leader Anis Qaimkhani, held a press conference at his camp office in Karachi on Friday regarding the upcoming nationwide polio Campaign and flood situation in Pakistan.
Addressing the presser, he said that the polio virus has been detected in sewage samples of 127 districts across the country, including all districts of Karachi.
He stated that out of the 26 reported cases this year, 16 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 13 cases emerging from southern KP where security challenges had hindered vaccination efforts.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has postponed the polio vaccination campaign in nine districts of Punjab due to the ongoing flood situation.
The campaign has been postponed in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur. Meanwhile, the polio drive will continue as scheduled in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Faisalabad, and Dera Ghazi Khan.
In Attock, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan, the vaccination campaign will proceed as planned.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Kamal said: “The only solution to protect children from polio is repeated administration of polio drops. All religious scholars and madrasas have declared the vaccine safe, and we must depoliticise the fight against polio. Afghanistan and Pakistan are conducting synchronised polio drives, and with joint efforts, we will soon rid the country of this crippling disease.”
The health minister further stressed that parents in Karachi show the highest resistance to polio vaccination. He noted that door-to-door campaigns are underway across Pakistan.
Turning to the flood situation in the country, Kamal said the government has responded to all demands for medicines and medical equipment from flood-affected areas. He stated that federal and provincial governments are in constant coordination, while a Command and Control Room has been established at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to monitor the situation. He added that NDMA teams are in close contact with the Ministry of Health.
Kamal emphasised that natural disasters cannot be tackled by provincial or federal governments alone, and called for strengthening of the local government system, which he termed the most effective mechanism for disaster management.
“Our country is functioning under provincial and federal structures, but disasters of such magnitude cannot be managed without empowered local bodies. We need administrative reforms and creation of new units on administrative grounds, not to divide the country but to strengthen governance and ensure delivery at the grassroots level.”
The minister added that while the provinces received Rs 8,700 billion collectively, there is no mechanism to ensure that resources trickle down to the lowest tier. He called for transparent planning and effective utilisation of funds.
Fears sweep royal families across Europe as shocking revelations have come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in US.
King Charles had ousted his shamed brother Andrew from the royal fold, stripping off the shamed royal of his honours and titles including Prince-style, over his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. After the King’s landmark move, a beloved royal’s name emerged in the documents.
The Swedish Royal Court had to release a statement which confirmed that Princess Sofia, wife of Prince Carl Philip, had met Epstein but asserted that Sofia did not have any contact with the financier since 2005.
Although, a new email from 2010 reveals that Epstein was receiving updates on the Sofia, as she was getting ready to marry the Prince. Epstein had been interested in inviting Sofia to his private island in the Caribbean.
Sofia’s connection came from her mentor, financier Barbro Ehnbom, who had ties to Epstein. He had introduced her to Epstein as an “aspiring” actress.
In the email sent by Barbro, as it was signed off as ‘BE’, he sent a photo of “our Sofia” who had been enjoying her time in Africa.
Epstein replied by asking whether she wanted to come to the Caribbean and offering to send a ticket.
The exchange was from the time when Sofia had started dating the second son of King Carl XVI Gustaf. She went on to marry Prince Carl Philip in 2015, and welcomed four children together.
There has been no new statement from the Royal Courts so far.
Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan has shared his two cents about the Warner Bros-Netflix merger deal.
Nolan sounded worried with his latest comments about the merger as he believes “loss of a major studio” will result in a major setback for the industry.
During a chat with Variety, the Inception director shared, “I think it’s a very worrying time for the industry. The loss of a major studio is a huge blow…”
According to him, a merger means there is going to be a loss of “jobs and consolidation.”
“There are encouraging noises, but that’s not the same as commitments”, said Nolan.
He further emphasized on the theatrical window of Warner Bros, which symbolically shows if the studio will continue to run as theatrical distributor or it will turn into a streamer.
The 55-year-old Oscar winning director added, “But the reality is, the issues on the television side and the streaming side are far more important to [the Director’s Guild of America].”
Nolan has been known to have a great filmography career as it includes films like The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Tenet, Momento, Dunkirk and many more.
His fans are eagerly waiting for his new film The Odyssey, a Greek epic starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.
The much-awaited movie is slated to release on July 17, 2026.
King Charles had the support of his most loved and trusted people in the family as he continues his ‘uphill’ struggle for an important mission he has pursued all his life.
The King’s wife, Queen Camilla, and the monarch’s secret weapon, Duchess Sophie, were joined by the Duchess of Gloucester were present at Windsor to uplift the spirits of the not only the monarch, but the team that has been working tirelessly to pull off a starry event at Windsor.
The royals hosted a premiere of the upcoming documentary Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, which delves into the lifelong agenda Charles has worked for: protecting the natural environment.
Charles has founded the King’s Foundation in 1970 and as it continues to build the skills of young Britons, the royal women chose to honour the work of the graduates from the Foundation’s programmes.
Aptly, the documentary also emphasises the need for “rewear, repair or recycle”. The graduates had designed brooches by using sustainable materials, inspired by the gardens of Highgrove, the monarch’s royal residence in Tetbury, Gloucestershire.
The Queen wore a brooch designed and embroidered by Eliza Gomersall and Durga Shanthakumar, the Duchess of Edinburgh wore a brooch by Katie Dickson and Duchess of Gloucester wore a brooch by Tamsin Lines.
The brooches were developed in partnership with Chanel, in the course which offers students training opportunities in embroidery for haute couture and the luxury fashion industry.
Katie said that it was an “honour” to design something for the royals. It also seemed a meaningful way for the royal women to embrace Charles’s message in the documentary.
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