Scattered rain expected in Punjab, Kashmir, lower Sindh

Scattered rain with thunder and lightning is expected in Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas division, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Bahawalpur division and different parts of Kashmir during the next 24 hours, according to the Metrological Department.

The Met office said Nurpur Thal has recorded a maximum of 70 mm rainfall. Other areas where rainfall was recorded included Mangla with 11 mm rain and Rawla Kot with 10 mm rain. The weather will remain dry in other parts of the country, the met office said.

Eid festivities continue across Pakistan

Staff Report

KARACHI: Eid-ul-Adha celebrations continued across the country on Friday to commemorate the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God.

A large number of people in Karachi and other parts of the country offered Hazrat Ibrahim’ Sunnah today as prices of livestock dropped on the second day of the Eid.

Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. Trend Pk

51 more dengue cases confirmed in Sindh

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Sindh Health Department has confirmed 51 more dengue cases in different parts of the province Saturday.

Officials said that 26 cases were confirmed in Karachi and 25 in other parts of Sindh during last 24 hours.

Several people with dengue symptoms have been admitted in different areas of the province. Trend Pk

Load shedding hours rise in Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has increased the ongoing power outages by ten hours in the name of gas shortage.

According to reports, up to ten hours of load shedding is being carried out in Malir.

Similarly, 10-12 hours of electricity cuts are being witnessed in Manzoor Colony, Liaquatabad, Landhi and Bilal Colony.

The situation is not so different in other parts of the city either.

A KESC spokesman said that reductions in gas supply have led to this rise of load shedding. SAMAA

Owing to Suriya’s popularity, Tamil Rakta Charitra to release in single part

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Vivek Oberoi would be a part of the history with him being the first mainstream hero ever to have a two-part release of his film. Rakht Charitra would be arriving in its first part this Friday while the second part would come exactly a month later. However, this is for the Hindi and the Telugu version. When it comes to the Tamil version, which is expected to be spearheaded entirely by Suriya due to his immense popularity down South, Rakht Charitra would release in a single, albeit a longer version.

Confirms Ramu, “In the Hindi version, Vivek (Oberoi) features in both the parts of the film though Suriya is only introduced in the first part while he becomes far more prominent in the second version. Hence, it was a given that the Hindi version of the film would release in both the parts. Telugu version too made sense to come in two distinct parts since the audience out there in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining regions are pretty much aware about the core story and the exploits of Paritala Ravi (played by Vivek) and Suryanarayan Reddy (Suriya). Hence, for them it’s the story that would matter most, more than the actors playing the part.”

However, what tilted the balance in favour of a single part release of the Tamil version of Rakht Charitra was the bigger presence of Suriya in it. It was apparent that since Vivek comes primarily from the B-town, the audience may have gone a little restless to see only him in the first part of the film and then wait for their local hero Suriya to arrive only in the second part.

“Not that you would see only Suriya in the single part Tamil version”, reassures Ramu, “Vivek is an integral part of the film and while he anyways had an equal role to play along with Suriya in the second part, there are scenes of his from the first part that have been integrated with the second part here. So now we will have a full length feature film with both the actors.”

While both parts of the Hindi and Telugu versions would be a little over two hours each, the Tamil version is expected to be released with a three hours running length. Moreover, the editing of each of the three versions – whether Hindi, Telugu or Tamil, would differ as well so as to bring to fore the local flavour of the territories. This means that the trilingual features all the actors enacting their scenes little differently in each of the versions.

“I spoke in all the three languages – Tamil, Telugu as well as Hindi – but enacted the scenes differently”, says Suriya who is not quite looking at Rakht Charitra as his big Bollywood launch but is instead treating it as just another exciting film of his, “Yes, I know that in Tamil, the film is coming in only one part.”

Though he stays on to be quite modest about his popularity in South being the sole reason for the decision being made, he humbly attributes the decision making to his director Ram Gopal Varma.

“Since the first part doesn’t feature me for most of its duration, Ramu felt it would make sense to wait for some time and then club both parts together”, says Suriya, “Ramu feels that the film would find more patronage in Tamil version if crowds come in because of me.”

Strike in Balochistan over murder of Baloch leader

Staff Report

QUETTA: A shutter-down strike is being observed in Quetta and other parts of insurgency-hit Balochsitan against the murder of BNP-Mengal activist, Nooruddin Mengal.

According to reports, no business activity is being witnessed in Kalat, Khuzdar, Noshki, Dalbadin, Wadh, Sorab, Kharan and other areas.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has made strict security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident. SAMAA

Hot, dry weather forecast for Pakistan

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Meteorological Department on Wednesday, has forecast hot and dry weather for several parts of the country, over the next 24 hours.

According to the Met office, rain with lightning along with heavy winds is expected in some parts which include Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and Sindh.

Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lower Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and some other parts received rain over the last 24 hours.

The heaviest rain measuring 20 millimeters was recorded in Pud Eiden on Tuesday. SAMAA

Rain forecast

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Meteorological Department on Monday has forecast more rain with lightening in Islamabad and some other parts of the country. While hot and dry weather was predicted for rest of the areas.

According to Met offices, more rain expected during next 24 hours in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir.

Some areas of Islamabad, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand Division received rain during last 24 hours.

Heaviest rain of 66 millimeter was recorded in Muzaffarabad. While Turbat experienced the highest temperature of 42 degree centigrade. SAMAA

IMF extends $450 mln in urgent aid for Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund will give Pakistan $450 million in emergency flood aid and disburse funds in “coming weeks,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said on Thursday.

Strauss-Kahn said discussion with a delegation led by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on how to “reorganize” an $11 billion IMF loan program would continue.

But he said Islamabad remained committed to terms including tax and energy sector reforms. AGENCIES

Flood-hit Pakistanis, Afghans may cross to Iran-UNHCR

ISLAMABAD: Dismal conditions in flood-hit areas in southwest Pakistan could force thousands of Pakistanis and Afghan refugees to cross the border into Iran, the U.N. refugee agency warned on Thursday.

Baluchistan province was the first to be hit by the country’s worst floods, initially displaced some 200,000 people. But the region has been largely ignored after more menacing waters raged in other parts of Pakistan.

Separatist nationalist militants have waged a low-scale insurgency for decades in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s biggest but poorest province.

They campaign for greater autonomy and control of abundant natural gas and mineral resources, which they say are unfairly exploited to the benefits of other parts of the country.

Any neglect of the region’s flood crisis could reinforce those views.

The number of displaced people there is close to

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