Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistani doctor Asifa Akhtar to receive Germany’s highest scientific award

    Pakistani doctor Asifa Akhtar to receive Germany’s highest scientific award

    Pakistani-born Dr Asifa Akhtar has been selected to receive Germany’s highest scientific award, the ‘Leibniz Prize’. In addition to the award, she will also receive prize money of 2.5 million euros.

    According to details, Dr Asifa Akhtar has been selected for the award on the basis of her “cell biological work on mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation and understanding chromosome regulation (“dosage compensation”). This is a mechanism in which the genes of the X chromosome are produced in equal strength in the male and female sex.”

    German Consulate General Karachi congratulated Dr Asifa on her achievement and said that she makes “both Pakistan and Germany extremely proud with your outstanding contributions to science!”

    Dr Asifa received her PhD from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London in 1997. She continued her research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, where – after a stopover at the LMU Munich – she headed a research group from 2001 to 2009. Akhtar has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina since 2019.

    She is currently serving as the director at the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg. She is also the Vice President of the Max Planck Society. Established in 1948, the Max Planck Society is Germany’s most successful research organisation with 18 Nobel laureates from the ranks of its scientists. It is on par with the best and most prestigious research institutions worldwide.

    The Leibniz Prize will be awarded digitally on 15 March 2021. The Leibniz Prize has been honouring up to ten scientists each year since 1986.

  • Maryam trolled for sharing ‘doctored’ image of Lahore jalsa

    Maryam trolled for sharing ‘doctored’ image of Lahore jalsa

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz was trolled by social media users after the PML-N vice president shared a supposedly edited picture of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally held in Lahore last Sunday.

    The PDM held a gathering in Lahore on Dec 13. The government had played down the number of people who attended the gathering, saying only 10,000 people attended the rally. The opposition, on the other hand, put the number above 100,000.

    However, the picture of the rally shared by Maryam added to the controversy and also attracted flak for being “fake”. PTI wrote: “Decisive moment in PDM; after #LahorePDMJalsa turnout, PDM has resorted to utilizing its trump card; Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop.”

    Prime Minister’s aide Shahbaz Gill tweeted that Maryam has “such a bad luck that she always gets caught”.

    Federal minister Hammad Azhar also didn’t miss the chance to troll the PML-N de-facto president.

    A user advised the PML-N leader to “fire her graphic designer”.

    Another user used this opportunity to make a meme.

  • Babar Azam, Shan Masood named in Wisden’s Test Team of the Year

    Wisden, on Tuesday, unveiled its ‘Test Team of the Year’ for 2020 and the list which features the best performers in Test cricket between December 11, 2019, and December 11, 2020, included Shan Masood and Babar Azam.

    Shaan made it to the list with 419 runs in 6 matches at an average of 46.55 with a high score of 156 against England.

    “England began exceptionally before lunch on day one, and Masood rode it out. Then, even as the home bowlers erred, he couldn’t quite cash in. But on day two, as Pakistan slid to 176-5, he came into his own, slowly opening his shoulders as his batting partners dwindled. Having struggled against England previously – his 156 was more than he managed in four previous Tests against them combined – Masood’s should have been a match-winning knock, but Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler had other ideas,” said Wisden about Masood.

    Azam also made it to the list with 600 runs in 6 matches at an average of 100 with a high score of 143 against Bangladesh.

    Writing about Azam, Wisden said: “All told, that’s not a bad average. Babar Azam made sure the return of Test cricket was a joyous, triumphant one, and it was fitting that he, a player who had already inspired such hope in the country, should provide even more. That he’ll be disappointed with his exploits in England, despite averaging just under 50, shows how high his standards now are. The most important of Babar’s knocks in terms of the match situation. Having come in at 93-2, he breezed past a century in quick time, setting up a match-winning lead.”

    Read more – Only two Pakistanis nominated for ICC Awards of the Decade

    Meanwhile, check out the complete test team of the year below.

    Wisden’s Test Team of the Year 2020:

    1. Dom Sibley

    2. Shan Masood

    3. Kane Williamson (C)

    4. Marnus Labuschagne

    5. Babar Azam

    6. Ben Stokes

    7. Quinton de Kock (WK)

    8. Kyle Jamieson

    9. Stuart Broad

    10. Tim Southee

    11. Nathan Lyon

  • ‘Shehwar aur thappar ki goonj’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls the iconic slap from MPTH

    ‘Shehwar aur thappar ki goonj’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls the iconic slap from MPTH

    Remember the iconic scene in which Danish (Humayun Saeed) burst into Shehwar’s (Adnan Siddiqui) office and slapped him in Meray Paas Tum Ho?

    Siddiqui, who has recently been sharing his highlights from 2020 on social media, recalled memories of the famous slap scene and revealed what transpired behind the scenes on the sets.

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui says he was double-minded about ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’

    “So I reach the set and see Humayun and Nadeem Baig talking in hushed tones, darting glances at me all this while,” said Adnan while talking about what happened on set while this scene was being shot. “‘Perhaps they sold me off to aliens last night,’ I try to make light of it to myself when they decide to include me in the discussion.”

    “Turns out, the matter on hand is much more serious. In the first-ever scene that will commence MPTH, Danish will be slapping Shehwar in his office as his employees look on. ‘Not bad’, I chuckle though both Humayun and Nadeem look nervous about my “seniority” and the close friendship I share with Humayun.”

    “Cameras roll and there is pin-drop silence. Danish raises his hand on Shehwar and before we know it, we are rolling into full-throttled guffaws Nadeem included,” he continued. “When Humayun and I are shooting together, especially an intense scene, it is a laugh riot and this couldn’t be an exception. In fact, it became essential to put everyone at ease.”

    Concluding his remarks, Adnan said: “I still joke with Nadeem why did he stop at just one slap? For a woman as beautiful as Mehwish, Shehwar would have easily taken a few more.”

    Meray Paas Tum Ho also featured Ayeza Khan and Hira Mani in the lead. Written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig, the drama was produced by Humayun and Shahzad Nasib under their production house Six Sigma Plus.

  • Tom Cruise loses it after crew members break COVID-19 protocols on ‘Mission: Impossible’ sets

    Tom Cruise loses it after crew members break COVID-19 protocols on ‘Mission: Impossible’ sets

    Tom Cruise reportedly lost his cool after an apparent breach of COVID-19 safety protocols on the London set of the new Mission: Impossible movie, telling crew members they would be fired if they don’t obey the rules.

    In expletive-filled remarks captured on audiotape obtained by The Sun, the star and producer of the action film yelled at the crew about lapses of social distancing and other rules that allow movies to be made during the coronavirus pandemic.

    A source close to the production said the tape was authentic. However, Cruise’s representative declined to comment on the matter.

    “I’m on the phone with every fucking studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies,” Cruise told the crew on the set.

    “Do you understand the responsibility that you have? Because I will deal with your reason. And if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired,” he can be heard saying in the audiotape.

    The Sun did not say when the incident took place, but the filmmakers arrived in London in early December.

    The seventh Mission: Impossible was one of the first movies to shut down production because of the coronavirus when it abandoned filming in Venice, Italy, in February.

    Production resumed in September, with filming in Italy, Norway and London. Cruise in July personally appealed to Norway’s prime minister to shoot parts of the film in Norway under modified quarantine rules.

    Cruise told the crew Hollywood was relying on movies like Mission: Impossible to keep the beleaguered industry going.

    “We want the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we’re doing,” he said.

    Mission: Impossible is one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, with 2018’s Mission: Impossible-Fallout taking more than $791 million at the worldwide box office.

    The Paramount Pictures film is scheduled to be released in November 2021.

  • WhatsApp will stop working on selected iPhones, Android devices from 2021

    WhatsApp will stop working on selected iPhones, Android devices from 2021

    Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has announced that it will end support on some old Android and iOS smartphones from 2021.

    As per reports, WhatsApp is ending support for Android phones and iPhones that run on a dated operating system. The app will stop working on smartphones that are not running on at least iOS 9 or Android 4.0.3 operating systems.

    The iPhone models include all iPhone 4 and earlier models. However, if you have iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6S, you will have to update your phone to iOS 9 or later if you want to continue using WhatsApp.

    The iPhone 6S, 6 Plus, and iPhone SE first generation can be updated to iOS 14.

    Similary, Android phones that do not have Android 4.0.3 will lose access to WhatsApp. This includes models like HTC Desire, LG Optimus Black, Motorola Droid Razr, the Samsung Galaxy S2 and some other Android phones.

    Some users may still continue to access WhatsApp on their older smartphones as their operating systems may have received a patch with an update

    How to check the operating system running on your phone?

    In order to find out what operating system your phone is running on, iPhone users can go to Settings > General > Information, where you will find information about the software version on your iPhone. 

    On the other hand, Android users can go to Settings > About Phone to see which Android version their smartphone is running on.

  • Celebrated Pakistani actor Firdous Begum passes away at 72

    Celebrated Pakistani actor Firdous Begum passes away at 72

    Veteran film actress Firdous Begum has passed away at the age of 72 today (December 16) in Lahore.

    According to reports, the actor had been admitted to a local hospital three days ago after she suffered a brain haemorrhage. Her family said that she was on the ventilator and that her condition had deteriorated rapidly. They further shared that the doctors tried their best but her situation worsened due to a paralysis attack after a brain haemorrhage.

    The legendary actress, whose real name was Parveen, is best known for her roles in Heer Ranjha (1970), and Heer Sial (1965). She debuted with the film Fanoos (1963) before going on to deliver several hits including Khandaan, Malang, Lai Laag and Aurat. She also received the Best Actress Award for her role in the films Heer Ranjha, Aansoo and Ziddi.

    Read more – Legendary Pakistani actress Sabiha Khanum passes away at 85

    Firdous Begum was considered as one of the classiest film actors of her time and was paired with the top Punjabi actors of her time including Habib-ur-Rehman, Lala Sudhir and Yusuf Khan.

    Following her demise, Shaan and director Asim Raza took to social media to remember the late actor.

  • 77% Pakistanis believe country is heading in wrong direction: survey

    At least 77 per cent Pakistanis believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, whereas 23 per cent think there’s nothing wrong with Pakistan, said a survey by research company IPSOS.

    According to The News, the survey was conducted in the first week of December and over 1,000 people participated in it. “The findings were released on Tuesday for the last quarter (Q4) of 2020 and compared with people’s responses from the same period a year ago,” it added.

    Last year, 21 per cent people believed that Pakistan was on the right track, while 79 per cent contested this view.

    This year, 36 per cent said that their current personal financial situation was weak, while 51 per cent said it was neither strong nor weak, and 13 per cent said they were in a strong financial position.

    In comparison with the results of the last year, the people are in a better financial position: the data showed that 38 per cent believed that their financial situation was weak, 5 per cent viewed it as strong, and 57 per cent said it was okayish.

    Meanwhile, on province-wise assessment, the report found that a “poor financial situation” featured in almost all the provinces and inflation ranked number 1 among the list of top four contributors.

    “In Sindh, the second-highest contributor was viewed to be unemployment (20 per cent), followed by COVID-19 (17per cent) and poverty (16 per cent). In Punjab, 23 per cent people felt the province’s poor financial situation was due to unemployment, 8 per cent thought it was due to COVID-19 and 14 per cent believed poverty played a key role,” the newspaper stated.

    Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about 18 per cent believed the poor financial situation was the result of unemployment, 12 per cent viewed coronavirus and 8 per cent felt it was poverty that was behind the province’s financial situation.

    Similarly, in Balochistan about 25 per cent responded by blaming unemployment, a mere 2 per cent felt COVID-19 played a role, and 25 per cent felt it was poverty that has led to the province’s dismal state of financial affairs, said reports.

  • Mehwish Hayat calls for zoos to be shut down

    Mehwish Hayat has requested authorities to close all zoos across the country, saying “animals are born free”.

    Sharing a news article about the relocation of animals from Islamabad Marghazar Zoo, Mehwish commented: “In a country where we’re still fighting for human rights, animal rights are a long way off.”

    Hinting towards Kaavan’s recent relocation to Cambodia after an intense campaign led by US pop icon Cher, Mehwish further wrote: “Why do we only take action when foreign celebrities get involved?”

    “This is so embarrassing,” she added.

    Meanwhile, Islamabad Zoo’s last remaining animals Bubloo and Suzie are all set to leave for Jordan on December 17. The Islamabad High Court in its order had stated that the zoo was not fit enough for animals and had requested authorities to move all animals there to temporary sanctuaries.

    https://twitter.com/fourpawsint/status/1338391109639286785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338391109639286785%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecurrent.pk%2Fsuzie-and-bubloo-to-fly-to-jordan-on-december-17%2F

  • Kid spends over Rs 2.5 million on video game from mother’s credit card

    A six-year-old boy in the United States who loves playing video games spent nearly $16,000 (Rs 2570393) from his mother’s credit card to buy additional features on his favourite video game Sonic Forces.

    According to reports, Jessica discovered that the transactions worth $16,000 were made in July when her son had started using the iPad for his games and bought add-ons on the games.

    Some of the major transactions were made on July 8 when her son made purchases worth $2,500 on a single day.

    Unaware of the financial burden of her son’s virtual shopping over the month of July, his mother registered fraud claims after she saw that Apple and Paypal were withdrawing huge sums of money from her account.

    However, it was only in October that she got to know that the charges were hers and she needed to get in touch with Apple.

    On blaming Apple, she said that her son did not understand that the money was real.