HOW GOT IN SHAPE FOR WEDDING

Every bride-to-be is different when it comes to getting in shape for her wedding. Some make little to no change in their lifestyle, but others start a bridal boot camp the day after the engagement ring hits their finger. To see the range of health and fitness tips that the newly betrothed employ, I didn't have to look very far — in the last year, there have been at least 10 weddings and engagements amongst Sugar staffers! If you're in the midst of planning your own wedding, keep reading to see what helpful tips these new brides and brides-to-be offered up:

One small change is OK. Many of our brides-to-be say they aren't doing too much in terms of diet and exercise — wedding planning is stressful enough! Instead, they incorporated realistic and simple changes into their lives: Tara has been going to the gym more, and Karli cut sweets from her diet.
Make it about you and the groom. "I wanted to incorporate a fitness regimen that would not only get me into shape but involve my hubby-to-be as well so that it's something we are doing together! We are both training for our first marathon and have been committed to an intense training program three times a week. This gives my fiance and me a chance to enjoy the outdoors when the weather is nice and do something physically fit together." — Stacia


Look like yourself. "Best advice I got and would give about . . . is to look like yourself. An unrealistically skinny version of yourself will look weird in pictures and take away from the day." — Alexis


Keep reading to see how our other brides and brides-to-be got fit!


Make lifestyle changes that last beyond the wedding. "I wasn't necessarily trying to lose weight for my wedding, but both me and my now-husband wanted to look our best. I guess about 3-4 months before the wedding I got really serious about my gym-going, trying to do at least some form of working out every day, with lots of focus on interval training, upper body strength training, and core work . . . I also cut back on my alcohol intake and my sugar intake, though I wasn't sticking to a specific diet regimen. Just trying to eat healthy and well . . . I have actually done a pretty good job sticking with the exercise and eating habits I established for my wedding (with the exception of a holiday binge!). It just felt good to be fit and healthy, so I'm probably healthier now than I was before." — Nancy


Reap the financial benefits of eating healthy. "I'm definitely focusing on making dinner at home and bringing lunches to work more instead of eating out, that way I can really control exactly what I'm eating (and save money that could be better spent on clothes for the honeymoon!)." — Lauren


Let the wedding inspire you to new fitness challenges. "I have been considering things I normally wouldn’t, like training for the half marathon in October. I am thinking the wedding could be the motivation I need." — Deirdre


Don't be afraid to make a fitness splurge. "I plan on taking Bar Method classes for the last two months before the wedding. I’ve done that before and loved the results so I figure it's worth the splurge to be totally confident on my wedding day. I love the arm and back muscle definition that I get from Bar Method, which is especially important since I'm wearing a strapless dress!" — Lauren

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Veena Malik removed from Hero TV Ramadan Show

Veena Malik removed from Hero TV Ramadan Show.

Credit goes to Social Media :)

Pakistani nation has rejected her because of her past experiences and nudity shows in India.

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Veena Malik Ramadan Programme at Hero TV Promo

Veena Malik is going to Host Ramadan Here i have posted this show video promo in which she is going to do Istagfaar on Maha e  Ramadan

Veena Malik To Host Ramadan Programme On

 Hero TV - Veena Malik Hero Tv Promo

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Windows Doctor 2.7.3.0 Full Version Free Download

Windows Doctor is a top professional program on the security protection and system optimization of the Windows operating
system. It thoroughly scans patch vulnerabilities, Startup items, plug-ins, services and processes, etc., in the system with its
rapid and stable search engine to diagnose possible security threats and protect your system from the threats of spyware,
adware, Trojans and viruses. Windows Doctor also provides functions such as Registry Cleanup, Privacy Cleanup, System
Speed-Up and Advanced Tools. They help you clean up garbage information in the registry, protect your privacy, make your
computer run more stable and with better performance.

Examples of main options on the image below:

(OS: Windows7 / Vista / XP / 2000 /2003 32-bit and 64-bit)

Homepage:
http://www.windowsdoctor.com/

Download Link : http://adf.ly/AIO3C

Password: sehrishhafiz.blogspot.com

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How to Change Your Facebook Page URL Username (vanity URL)

Good news for Facebook Page admins. Facebook announced last week that it is now possible to change your Facebook brand page username (that's the vanity url you chose)in the admin tools.

It's easy-peasy - although there are a couple of things to be aware of:

1.  It seems that fans will not be redirected from the old url. That's a biggie, so think carefully if your exisiting vanity URL is well publicised
2. You can change your username only once.  If it was a typo which got you into this mess in the first place, why not your new name into notepad first? Stare it it a while. Show a friend just to make sure. There are no second chances!

Here's a step-by-step to change your Facebook Page username:

1. Go to your page. Edit page > Update Info

2. If your Page has a vanity URL already, you will be offered the option to change it.
Don't get confused - we're talking about the URL, the bit after the slash on the address, and NOT the actual Page name. Choose the top option.

3. Select the correct page and enter the new username.

4.  Facebook will check the availability ..

5.  And voila, it's changed ... you will now have a new vanity url.

But,. as I said, do think carefully before you make the change, as people entering your old username won't find you.

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Revo Uninstaller Pro v2.5.8 Final (32/64-bit) - Full Version Free Download

Revo Uninstaller Pro v2.5.8 Final - Multilingual - Full

Incl keygenr

Released: April 23, 2012

Revo Uninstaller Pro helps you to uninstall software and remove unwanted programs installed on your computer even if you have problems uninstalling and cannot uninstall them from "Windows Add or Remove Programs" control panel applet.

Revo Uninstaller Pro is a much faster and more powerful alternative to "Windows Add or Remove Programs" applet!

With its advanced and fast algorithm, Revo Uninstaller Pro analyzes an application's data before uninstall and scans after you uninstall an application. After the program's regular uninstaller runs, you can remove additional unnecessary files, folders and registry keys that are usually left over on your computer. Even if you have a broken installation, Revo Uninstaller Pro scans for an application's data on your hard disk drives and in the Windows registry and shows all found files, folders and registry keys so you can delete them.

With its unique "Hunter mode", Revo Uninstaller Pro offers you some simple, easy to use, but effective and powerful methods for uninstalling software. You can use it to manage your installed and/or running software programs.

Revo Uninstaller Pro has a very powerful feature called Forced Uninstall. This feature allows you to remove leftovers of programs that are already uninstalled, incomplete installations and uninstallations of programs! It does not matter if the program, you want to remove, is not listed in Revo Uninstaller Pro or in Windows Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet. Forced Uninstall gives the power to the user but steel keeps the safety and the accuracy of the results.

Revo Uninstaller Pro has another feature that allows monitoring of installation of a program and detects system changes during that installation. The process is done in real time – simultaneously! This feature is also very powerful because by monitoring system changes during the installation we eliminate all the scanning algorithms when we need to uninstall that program.

Here is the list of the tools and utilities included in Revo Uninstaller Pro:

Auto Start Manager - Stop programs that start automatically on Windows startup; speed up loading of Windows!

Windows Tools Manager - Handy and useful tools bundled with every version of Windows; easily find useful system tools and options!

Junk Files Cleaner - Find and remove unnecessary files from your computer; free up disk space and delete files you do not need!

Browsers History Cleaner - Erase web browser history, visited pages history and temporary internet files of Internet Explorer, Netscape and Opera web browsers; free up a lot of disk space by deleting temporary internet files like temporary saved videos, temporary flash files, temporary pictures etc!

Office History Cleaner - Remove the history of most recently used files in MS Office; remove your tracks by deleting the list of last opened MS Office documents!

Windows History Cleaner - Remove the history of recently opened files, delete temporary files, remove usage tracks and other history items that are saved by Windows; remove your tracks saved by Windows for a lot of operations!

Unrecoverable Delete Tool - Erase files and folders forever; be sure that nobody could recover your files and folders after deleting!

Evidence Remover - Make sure already deleted files, folders and other data are unrecoverable; securely erase your data!

Compatible with: Windows XP, 2003, Vista and Win7 (32/64-bit)

Multilingual: English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Deustch, Dutch, Danish, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovak, Hebrew, Macedonian.

Download Link : http://adf.ly/AIDrg

Password: sehrishhafiz.blogspot.com

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Husband can never win from husband

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Pakistan Hardworking Hawker Ijaz Hussain

A student at heart Ijaz Hussain sells news papers in his university to pay for his education. 

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Ghazla Javed's Pushto Singer Died

Ghazla Javed's voice that made roots deep in Pushtoon hearts was silenced on June 18th 2012.

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Zainab Imran Pakistani Olympic Torch Bearer

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Army hospitals in cantonments to work in double shifts

LAHORE: The Pakistan Army has announced that there will be double shifts in hospitals in the cantonment areas.

According to the Punjab government’s spokesman, on the request of the provincial government, civilian patients can also receive treatment at army hospitals.

The spokesman adds that DG Military Land and Cantonment General Tahir Mehsud has issued orders to this effect to all army hospitals located in cantonments.

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Amir Khan's Boxer engaged with US-Pakistani Girl

LONDON: British Pakistani boxing star Amir Khan is all set to get engaged with the American Pakistani student Faryal Makhdoom when he gives her the £100,000 three diamond rings on 29th January.

According to The Sun newspaper, the second generation Pakistanis will be swapping the rings in front of 1,000 people at a lavish £150,000 engagement party at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium where rich footballers such as Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ricky Hatton, David Haye are just some of people on the guest list.

The love struck couple have strong traditional values, as Faryal, 20, said:" I'm very family oriented even though I was born and raised in New York but my grandparents are in Pakistan - and a lot of my dad's family are there."

"My parents are already treating Amir like a son," she added and that was quite apparent when the bride-to-be's father, Shaukat, and mum Zia gave the couple a BMW 750Li as a gift when the engagement was announced.

The pretty and petite Faryal - just 5ft 3in - has been bowled over by messages of support from Amir's army of fans. "I get a lot of messages from Amir's fans and quite a few say I look like Kate Middleton. That's so nice because so many people admire her and I think she's very stylish - so the comparison is really very flattering for me."

Husband-to-be Amir rushed to praise her too, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, adding: "A lot of girls have said to me, 'Your girl is beautiful' - and that's great because people can be so jealous. But Faryal is so humble. Anybody who meets her is going to fall in love with her. She's got no edge, she's just a terrific person."

Faryal will be flying to England on Friday for their engagement party and spend a week here where Amir will be taking her out to show her around Bolton.

"I'm going to introduce her to a pasty barm, fish and chips - maybe even an ice cream if she's lucky!" Amir said jokingly. "I might also try to squeeze in a Bolton match just so that she cans see the venue before the big day - and make sure she likes it."

Faryal revealed how their relationship was almost teetering on the edges initially as she had a lot of trouble understanding Amir's broad Bolton accent.

"In the beginning I really couldn't understand him. I was used to London accents and thought that's how everyone spoke in Britain. But when Amir opened his mouth it was as if he was speaking a foreign tongue - so I just used to nod, agree with whatever he was talking about and say, 'Yeah'.

"He'd say things like 'daft' and 'innit' and I had no idea what they meant. He'd say, 'Don't be daft!' - and I'd be wondering what 'daft' was supposed to be!" But she broke down the language barrier when she visited Amir's family at their home in Bolton and spent five days meeting his nieces, nephews and cousins. Speaking of the future Amir said: "I know New York is an amazing city but our future lies in Bolton - she can't wait to live there!"

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Police constable exhibits exemplary honesty, returns Rs5.5 million

MINGORA: A police constable from Swat has created a new standard for honesty. The police constable found Rs5.5 million and returned it.

Ayaz Mian was on his way home after performing his duty as part of the security escort of a civil judge when he found the bag filled with money lying on the roadside.

He initially took the money to his house and began the search for its owner. After some time, Ayaz heard the owner of the money announcing that he had lost it on a loud speaker.

After ascertaining that this was the rightful owner, the police constable returned the money and was offered a Rs500,000 reward which he refused to accept.

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Husband and wife: Who pays what to Each Others???

Do you think working wives should share equal financial responsibility with their husbands?

Your husband earns and so do you, but do you share financial responsibility?

In Pakistan, I have seen women proactively arguing for gender equality. We have heard countless rants about how they are entitled to have careers just like their spouses. So, does this also mean that when a woman is given the liberty to work, she must contribute financially along side her husband?

Is it to be understood between both partners that an equal share is to be injected towards the family’s expenditure? After all, isn’t ‘equality’ what women all around the world have been fighting for?

When a husband and wife both take on the role of breadwinners in a family, the question of how much each should contribute financially lingers. I have come across a variety of financial sharing models in families. Each one of them have their pros and cons and, perhaps, there is no correct answer.

Here I am sharing a few stories that I have heard from couples in which only one spouse earns money, to situations where responsibilities are shared.

Please read on to see the various financial models in Pakistan.

Model 1: The sour sacrifice

Rehana* pays for entire household expenses because her husband believes that she earns a lot more than him. Thus, she is obligated to spend all of her earnings on household expenditures. She’s quite frustrated, and wants her husband to take some responsibility, but she is putting up with the set up because she wants her marriage to work.

Model 2:  Wife’s salary, wife’s business

Salma* is married in a rich family and is not expected to chip in any cash for daily expenditures. Interestingly, when her husband lost his job, Salma did not realise the change in their circumstances and continued to believe that her salary was her pocket money. Her husband did not ask her for financial support either – perhaps to protect his pride – and so they had to move in with her in-laws till her husband found a new job.

Model 3: The working ‘housewife’

Ayesha* believes it is her moral duty to take care of her two children. To compensate for her absence, she pays her maid to take care of her children while she is away at work. However, Ayesha considers the household expenses, like rent and fees, to be her husband’s responsibility. In spite of working full time, she takes care of all the house work and makes sure that there isn’t a spot on her ‘ideal housewife’ reputation. According to her, this method justifies her decision of keeping her money in the bank rather than contributing towards household expenditures.

Model 4: Her recreation money

Urooj* has a very low income as compared to her husband’s. She spends all her money on herself because she thinks her husband doesn’t need as much pampering as she does. She likes to spend on makeup, facials and spa treatments. Her hubby’s salary, in her opinion, is more suited for the expenditures of the house and its maintenance.

Model 5: Assigning liabilities

Sonia* and her husband like to share responsibilities. Her husband pays the rent and utility bills while Sonia pays for groceries and fees for the children’s school. On occasions when the family dines out, they take turns in paying the bill. Sonia, however, sometimes finds herself a little confused whether she is paying too much or too little.

Model 5: Strictly business

Ammara* and her husband keep account of everything. She collects all the bills and notes down who paid what. At the end of the month she splits the bills, and whoever has paid less than the other will immediately compensate them. Ammara is happy with the idea of keeping account. She says it gives her a sense of accomplishment as an equal breadwinner.

The questions that arise after looking at all these models are:

Do husbands get a clean chit for not financially supporting their wives even if their wives are employed?

Do wives get to disconnect themselves from rent and utility bills and declare their salaries to be personal just because they are wives?

If wives keep their salary to themselves, then is it so unfair for a husband to expect them to take care of the house chores?

Is it fair for a wife to expect the husband to share household responsibilities if she does not share financial responsibilities?

I want to hear your ideas and thoughts about this dilemma; tell me about your household financial model and what your ideal expectations are from your spouse. I shared these stories because I am a strong advocate of females joining the work force, but I am always intrigued by the ambiguity surrounding financial responsibilities.

Do you think working wives should share equal financial responsibility with their husbands?

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Check Your Mental Power! Can You Read It???

Check Your Mental Power! Can You Read It???

If  Yes

Then Send and Share with your friends 

Lets see how many can read it

:)

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I will go to court against Malik Riaz – Mehar Bukhari

The notorious “Media Gate” scandal involving business tycoon Malik Riaz and private TV anchors Mehar Bukari and Mubahsar Lucman has created a wave within the nation. Many questions have been posed with a finger being pointed onto the credibility of journalists. Almost 19 journalist are mentioned on the so-called “Media Gate” list.

Mehar Bukhari, the main accused in the video leaked on YouTube, came forward with a TV program show on Thursday. The private TV anchor, during her TV show, clarified her position while labeling the video posting on the internet as an act of robbery.

Mehar Bukhari said that is a normal ritual within the media industry to listen to the demands of the guest who is being interviewed. “Whoever comes to an interview do have their own requirements, they want to be asked certain questions and we as anchors have to oblige them,” said Mehar.

“If the interview was planted, then why me and Lucman had to co-ordinate the entire program during the break of the live show. If it was a planted interview, it should have been planned way earlier,” stated Mehar Bukhari

Mehar Bukhari added that her name on the letter head of Bahria Town would be investigated and the other journalists mentioned on the list would also take appropriate action against the accusations. She added that the entire list of journalists, after proper legal consultation, may file for defamation against Malik Riaz and she in person would go to court against the business tycoon

Qamar Zaman Kaira was brought in to help with the clarification of Mehar Bukhari. The Federal Information Minister stated that during breaks of live TV programs, politicians and journalist chat normally, joking as if conversing with friends. This is because they know each other quiet well.

Kaira further stated that this interview could not have been planned because if the program would have been planted then why the two anchor, Mehar and Mubashir, were found arguing with each other with respect to the pattern and the questions to be asked during the talk show.

Kaira attested Mehar’s claim that questions are asked on the request of the guest and the anchors of such talk shows do oblige these requests, stating it to be a normal procedure.

The video posting on the internet was deemed illegal and unconstitutional by Kaira.

Khawaja Mohammad Asif was also called upon during the show and he also defended Mehar Bukhari by stating that although a nexus seemed somewhat visible between Lucman, Malik Riaz and Abdul Qadir Gilani; Mehar Bukhari seemed a victim to fall under the eclipse of the entire scenario.

Mehar Bukari ended her clarification by adding that she did not receive any instructions with respect to the questions, the only instructions that she was given was no to harass the guest and give him space to talk freely. She added that normal discussions were made during the interview; such discussions are a normal routine work during such interviews. She finally swore that neither her management nor ‘she in person’ were involved in planting the interview.

“If I lie or if I have received a single penny or a single yard of any land from Malik Riaz, may Allah reveal His wrath upon me,” she added.

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Mubashir Luqman and Mehar Bukari Exposed Malik Riaz Planted Interview at Duniya TV

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Abhi Na Jao Chor Kar Kay Dil Abhi Bhra Nahin

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Turkish Airline to fly high with Pakistanis

 

Islamabad: Turkish and Pakistan ministers decided to increase the coordination in the aviation and airline businesses to decrease the influence of gulf airlines in the region with the state-of-the-art air technologies to heat up healthy competition in the market.

A sequel meeting was held between the Minister of State and Chairman Board of Investment Saleem H. Mandviwalla and Mr. Binali Yildirm Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication during the visit of Turkish Prime Minster to Pakistan.

MOS/Chairman BOI apprised the Turkish Minister that BoI is leading a delegation of Pakistani businessmen and will conduct “Road Shows” in various cities of Turkey possibly during Sep-Oct 2012, to attract investment in various sectors particularly its airline.

Turkish Minister briefed the MOS/Chairman BOI that Turkey’s largely free-market economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment.

An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy and expanding production beyond the traditional textiles and clothing sectors. The automotive, construction, and electronics industries, are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles within Turkey’s export mix.

Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey’s well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to 8.2% in 2010, as exports returned to normal levels following the recession.

BOI has signed a bilateral investment treaty with Turkey today and BOI has also coordinated the signing of MoU for Solid Waste Management between Govt. of Sindh and Albayrak Group, Turkey.

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Ghazala Batool an employee of Pakistan International Airlines died today Blood war in karachi

NAME: GHAZALA BATOOL

DESIGNATION: SENIOR OFFICER

DIVISIONS: PUBLIC AFFAIRS

SECTION:ADVERTISING

DEPARTMENT:   M.D SECRETARIAT

GHAZALA BATOOL

ghazala.batool@piac.aero

A woman killed during the clashes was later identified as Ghazala Batool, an employee of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

I am requested to all to pray for her and her family thanks

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12 killed, 25 hurt in Karachi after firing on Awami Tehrik rally

 

KARACHI: At least 12 people were killed and 25 more were wounded on Tuesday after unknown gunmen opened fire on a political rally in Karachi, triggering violence.
Markets and shops were immediately closed in Bolton Market and surrounding areas. Some unknown miscreants torched several vehicles including motor-bikes and cars in same areas.
The ‘Save Sindh’ rally, called by Awami Tehrik and supported by many other parties, was taken out from Lyari. When the rally arrived near Napier area of Lea Market, some unknown miscreants started indiscrminate firing and burning properties and vehicles.
Initially, seven persons included two journalists and women sustained injuries but gradually their number continued rising and many lost their lives in the violence. Gradually firing victims death toll mounted to 11 and number of injured to 25. In the mean time three dozen vehicles including cars and motor-bikes were also set on fire.
Participants of the rally staged a symbolic sit-in protest at Napier Road against the firing.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Marvi Memon, who was also present in the rally, termed the rally as ‘peaceful’.
The entire Red Zone comprising Sindh Assembly, Sindh Secreteriate, sindh High court, Sindh CM House and other adjacent areas was blocked with containers by the police.
The Awami Tehreek called for a wheel jam strike tomorrow against miscreants firing and innocent people's killings during today's peaceful rally. SAMAA

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Pakistan Forex Rates 20 May 2012

FOREX RATES Pakistan Open Market Forex Rates Updated at : 21/5/2012 4:53 PM (PST)
Currency	Buying	Selling
Australian Dollar	90	91.5
Canadian Dollar	89.8	91.5
China Yuan	13	13.5
Euro	117.2	119.1
Japanese Yen	1.135	1.145
Saudi Riyal	24.45	24.65
U.A.E Dirham	25	25.2
UK Pound Sterling	145.5	146.5
US Dollar	92	92.2

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Thinks there is nothing more trashy than a woman who goes for another woman's man.

Quote of the day 

Thinks there is nothing more trashy than a woman who goes for another woman's man.

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Pakistani actress among 13 girls, 31 boys arrested in sex party

Lahore: Police on Sunday held 44 people including 13 girls and 31 boys for indulging in obscene activities in Lahore.

According to details,Chohang police raided Assad Guest House, located at Sher Shah Colony and arrested the girls and boys, who were fully drunk and busy in sexual activities.

Sources said that those who were arrested also included  actress Nirma and 12 models.

Some of the arrested girls were identified as Aisha, Tahira, Surayya,Madiha, Salma, Sadaf Akram, Rabia, Nourin, Shabana.

While some of the boys were identified as Yasir Ali, Waqas, Imran Ashiq, Wasim Shehzad and Qaiser.

Police said that a large quantity of liquor was  also seized during the raid, adding that most of the arrested boys and girls belongs to families of government officers, traders and industrialists.

However, it is yet not clear the arrested boys and girls have been presented before any court of law or have been released due to their influence.

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Mathira signed for a role in bollywood for Salman Khan`s movie

Mathira revealed about her upcoming project in Bollywood on Geo`s Mother`s Day 

transmission. She has signed a deal of role in bollywood for Salman Khan`s movie. 

According to our sources, it is main role, still we are waiting for official news. For Now, 

Mathira is unstoppable!

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Germany united by nudity, divided by attitude

Citizens of the former West and East Germany share many well-established customs, including naturism. But does a relaxed attitude to naked bodies mask some division over the freedom of women?

Sex in Germany, I imagine, is much the same as sex everywhere else.

It was, as we know, invented in the 60s, probably in California, and since then the techniques involved are probably pretty universal.

But attitudes to sex and sexuality and nakedness are not. And in Germany, I have to tell you that I have been surprised.

Not least when I was in the changing room of the gym to which I go.

There I was, naked from the waist down - very naked - wrestling to get a T-shirt off my head, and the T-shirt was wrestling back.

When I finally pulled the thing off, there before me was a woman - a pretty woman - in her 20s pushing her broom at my feet.

Continue reading the main story

This very real vision was the female cleaner in the male changing-room. Our eyes met. I blushed. She pushed on blithely, unconcerned.

Or when I went into the local sauna bath, which every neighbourhood has.

My German friends told me that nakedness was de rigueur, so into the cabin I went to find two young, naked women. They looked at me. I looked at the ceiling.

Germans - or at least Germans in the non-Catholic north of the country - say that the sight of the nude body is completely normal - natural, as they put it.

Why, they ask, would one wear a dirty, sweaty swimming costume? And, they say, being naked is nothing to do with sex. There is never a stir or a twitch of a sexual nature.

To which I say: hmmm.

My scepticism was shared, by the way, by both the Nazi and Communist regimes.

In East Germany, nude bathing became something of a sign of dissidence, contrary to the exhortation of the Culture Ministry to "protect the eyes of the nation".

Beate Uhse is often credited with changing women's attitudes to sex in 1950s Germany

The Nazis welcomed what Hermann Goering referred to as the "healing power of sun and air" in making a strong nation, but he did disapprove of public nudity which he called a "cultural error" that threatened female modesty.

Both regimes lost the argument. And demographics did the rest. In the rubble after World War II, there were seven million more German women than men.

And in this atmosphere, an industry grew up which was very different from that in other Western countries, one much more aimed at women.

Germany had a well-developed mail-order industry - and it had exactly the right woman to exploit it.

Beate Uhse had been a pilot in the Luftwaffe - as a woman she had not been allowed to fight but she did pilot planes to the front line.

After the war, as the daughter of a doctor, she was beset by friends who wanted to know how not to get pregnant.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

My East German female friends tell me that the independence of women continued in the East of the country far more than in the West”

She started providing them with condoms and with advice on how she thought men could be kept happy. It became what is still one of Germany's most successful businesses.

All this has been described by the historian Elizabeth Heineman, who told me that because the business was mail-order, women were not inhibited from buying.

Particularly in the catholic South, they would not go into a shop but they would order from a catalogue.

Elizabeth told me that German women emerged from the war particularly independent and strong because the absence of men was so stark, but in the west of the country traditional roles were gradually re-asserted.

Not so, though, in East Germany.

Simone Schmollack writes for the Tageszeitung and a magazine - a women's magazine - called Die Magazin which was founded in 1929 and continued in East Germany throughout the years of Communism.

Do cultural differences remain 20 years after the Berlin Wall fell?

She told me that women in the East - and she was one - had genuine economic independence and that gave them a strength in their relations with men.

Now that the Wall is down, cultural frictions are emerging.

Here is the way she put it: "When Western men go out with Eastern women, they - the men - sometimes have problems.

"Eastern women are so cool, the Westerners think. So independent. So free with sex. But then they want them to be stay-at-home, too".

So speaks an East German woman.

With such a mix of regimes and attitudes and cataclysmic shocks to relationships, there is confusion in the unified Germany over the roles of men and women.

Nowhere more so, I think, than when a sweaty, naked Brit strays into a gym or a sauna bath.

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