Peter Oborne, a senior British journalist, launched a video titled Peter Oborne: The People of Pakistan at Pakistan High Commission.
According to a statement by the Pakistan High Commission London, the film shows a fascinating account of the people, culture, scenic beauty and cricket of Pakistan.
Oborne came up with the idea of the film during his trip to Pakistan in 2019, along with a 25-member group including British journalists, authors, parliamentarians, business people and amateur cricketers.
The film was recorded and produced by a British filmmaker Ahmed Peerbux who was part of the visiting group.
Speaking on the occasion, Oborne admired the cricketing talent, the hospitality of Pakistani people, the natural beauty and the tourism potential of the country.
Oborne also thanked High Commissioner, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria for organising the launch at the High Commission.
The Current starts its day with a morning mood to engage followers and find out what they are interested in. This is done via a ‘this or that’ poll and the winner had to compete the same category the next day. It is done over a week’s time and we found out a lot about our followers – and Pakistanis – based on what they vote for.
Food Wars
Honestly, this one is no surprise given how much Pakistanis love their biryani. Hence, biryani was the winner.
But, we were surprised when chicken biryani won on Eidul Adha.
Which university appeals the most to Pakistanis?
We did a poll on different Pakistani and foreign universities and asked you what your dream university is. It’s sad that no Pakistani universities made the cut but here is what did win.
Personality Traits
This is the most interesting. What do you all want in your life partner?
Loyal beat everything! Seems like nothing is more important for Pakistanis than a partner who is loyal.
Your dream car?
We asked you about your dream car and we got our answer. As per our final poll reults 72% people would go for a Rolls Royce beating Bentley.
Clothing Brands
This one was intense and Khaadi was winning but in the final poll that we posted on Saturday, check out who beat Khaadi.
Follow us on Instagram at @thecurrentpk to take part in our polls and message us why you vote the way you do. The latest one is on the most popular fast food chains and that’s not one to miss.
Who knew Kaavan would be a music fan? That too of Frank Sinatra.
Latest reports coming out of Islamabad Zoo have revealed that Kaavan is not only a fan of Sinatra, but his music calms him down.
Vet Amir Khalil, who has been tasked with assessing whether Kaavan can be moved from poor conditions in a zoo in Pakistan’s capital to a sanctuary in Cambodia, has shared that when he arrived in Pakistan, he started to train the elephant by singing to him.
“When we arrived 10 days ago … I started to train him and to sing to him and he accommodated me so we have a relationship,” he said, adding he chose Sinatra’s hit My Way. Francis Albert Sinatra was an American singer and actor, who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
#VIDEO A team of international vets conduct a medical examination on Pakistan’s only Asian elephant, an overweight 35-year-old bull called Kaavan whose plight has drawn international condemnation, ahead of his planned move to Cambodia https://t.co/aLZQxZnKm8pic.twitter.com/Vq2cMpwZDc
36-year-old Kaavan is being relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement after the Islamabad High Court ruled that the Margazhar Zoo in Islamabad is not fit for the animals. Kaavan has spent most of his life in a small enclosure with meager shelter, and the last eight years alone after his companion elephant died. The court decision came after a four-year global campaign, backed by American singer Cher.
Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam had said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”.
“We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he had said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan was also concerned about Kaavan’s well-being.
Plans to relocate the animal are underway though it is no easy feat.
Four Paws experts, who will be assisting in the relocation, fired darts with a sedative so they could give the sleepy animal a comprehensive checkup.
As Kaavan woke up to eat some apples, Four Paws elephant specialist Frank Goeritz analysed his blood samples. Though it will be a few days before he files a formal report, Goeritz said despite Kaavan being obese, unhappy and having malformed nails that put him at risk of serious infection, the outlook was hopeful.
“Let’s wait until we have all the results, but so far I don’t see a big problem with him traveling … he is facing a good life.”
British YouTuber J. Palfrey has converted to Islam.
In a video titled ‘I became a Muslim’, the YouTuber shared his experience and what lead him to embrace Islam.
He said that he did not intend to share his journey with anyone but later changed his mind.
“I was originally not going to share this with you, but a lot of people have found peace and inspiration in my journey through researching Islam,” said Palfrey in the video.
He said that his visits to Muslim countries inspired him to take this decision.
“As I travelled around the world, I met wonderful people. During my constant travels, I learned a lot and gained experience, but at the same time, I had the opportunity to understand spiritual existence, … While living in Islamic countries, I also came to understand the truth of Islam, which is a very beautiful, peaceful but most misunderstood religion,” he said.
Palfrey thanked all the fans for their support and said that he has been receiving many messages following his announcement.
The British travel vlogger has around 534,000 subscribers on YouTube. Earlier, a Canadian traveller Rosie Gabrielle has converted to Islam. The traveller took to social media to make the announcement and share the reasons behind the decision.
An engineering graduate of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Usman Ashraf set up a fruit stall during the lockdown to support his family and gain experience.
Speaking to Independent Urdu, Usman said that he sold fruits to learn about public interaction, customer dealing and communication skills.
“I wanted to implement all the courses that I learnt in the university in a real-life scenario so I decided to do set up a fruit stall”, added Usman.
Usman also wanted to learn about the difficulties that roadside vendors face daily and the challenges of the buyers.
“During this time, I faced a lot of troubles. Sometimes people would say mean things to me but I think if a person works hard and do it with fair means then there is nothing wrong in it.”
The management of the zoo is providing extra care to the cubs.
Meanwhile, citizens also rushed to the zoo to see the newborn cubs.
Earlier this year, a lioness had given birth to twin cubs at Verhari Zoo. District Wildlife Officer (DWO) Mian Munir Ahmed had confirmed that the lioness had given birth to twin healthy cubs after 12 years.
With the addition of the newborn twin cubs, Vehari Zoo became the first Zoo of South Punjab to house seven lions.
A French woman has been arrested for making a video of herself naked on a holy bridge in the Indian city of Rishikesh.
According to reports, the 27-year-old now faces charges under India’s internet law with a maximum sentence of three years jail if found guilty.
She was detained on Thursday after posting footage of herself on the Lakshman Jhula, a footbridge over the Ganges river made famous by the Beatles in the 1960s and which remains a draw for backpackers and yoga practitioners.
“Maybe in France these things are not considered objectionable,” said R K Saklani, head of the police station where the woman was taken. “But Rishikesh is a holy place and the Lakshman Jhula is the place where (Hindu gods) Ram, his brother Lakshman and wife Sita crossed the Ganges.”
Police only identified the woman by her first name Marie-Helene and said she had been in Rishikesh since March, just before a nationwide coronavirus lockdown was introduced.
“She told us she sells bead necklaces online and the shoot was aimed at promoting her business,” Saklani said.
Apart from the video on the bridge, the French woman had also taken naked pictures inside a hotel room, Saklani added.
Police were alerted after the footage and photos were posted on social media.
The woman has been released on bail and the case could take months to complete, the officer said. Her mobile phone has been seized as part of the investigation.
Later, it was reported that the woman apologised for her actions, but denied being completely naked and said she carried out the stunt to bring attention to sexual harassment.
In a statement to AFP, Marie-Helene said: “The first thing I want to say is that I am sorry my actions hurt the local community. I was lacking awareness on cultural specificities.”
She clarified that no-one was around when she carried out the stunt, and asserted that she did it to raise awareness about harassment in India.
“I chose to partially uncover on Laxman Jhula because each time I crossed the bridge I felt I was being harassed… My Indian sisters and fellow female travelers surely have experienced the same,” she said.
“The main goal was to help oppressed Indian women to access education and to leave abusive marriages or situations, where there are no other options or help.”
The urban flooding in Karachi has shattered the city and many colonies and slums have been swept away by the rain leaving scores homeless with no basic necessities of life.
The Current has listed a few organisations that are working to help flood victims in the port city.
With lockdowns being lifted and offices besides all public spaces except wedding halls and educational institutions being re-opened, the threat of a sudden spike in coronavirus infections, despite the continuous drop, has once again risen its ugly head.
While many people are taking necessary precautions, some are not, owing to which all of us have found ourselves assessing our surroundings and avoiding the virus as much as possible.
Many amid the prevailing situation, among other things are wondering if one can get COVID-19 from secondhand smoke?
Here’s what we know…
Secondhand smoke isn’t believed to directly spread the virus, experts say, but infected smokers may blow droplets carrying the virus when they exhale.
Being able to smell the smoke might be a red flag that you’re standing too close to the smoker. The respiratory droplets people spray when they talk, cough or sneeze are believed to be the main way the virus spreads. And people also exhale those droplets when smoking, as well as when they’re vaping.
“Not only are they potentially spreading the virus by not wearing a mask, they are blowing those droplets to the people around them to potentially get infected,” says Dr Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.
You should steer clear of secondhand smoke regardless. Breathing in secondhand smoke from cigarettes can cause various health problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By the time this report was filed, the number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan stood at 294,668 with 279,630 recoveries and 6,275 deaths. Sindh continued to have the lead with 128,877 cases with Punjab trailing at 96,540 infections, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad with 35,923 and 15,562 cases, respectively.
The number of infections in Balochistan stood at 12,721 while Gilgit-Baltistan had 2,773 cases and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) had 2,272.
Virgin Atlantic airline is all set to operate flights between the UK and Pakistan from December this year. According to details, it will launch three new routes: London Heathrow to Lahore; London Heathrow to Islamabad; and Manchester to Islamabad. Flights will go on sale in September.
We’re thrilled to announce that from December, we’ll be flying direct to Pakistan. We’ll have flights from @HeathrowAirport to both Lahore and Islamabad, plus direct services from @manairport to Islamabad. Flights go on sale in September, and we can’t wait to welcome you. pic.twitter.com/61FS9dkaFb
In a statement, Virgin’s chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: “Pakistan is an extremely exciting opportunity for us – it boasts one of the largest foreign-born populations in both the UK and the US and, as people start to travel to visit loved ones, we’re anticipating the demand to visit friends and relatives will increase post-COVID-19.”
“Both Lahore and Islamabad are popular year-round destinations and we look forward to welcoming travellers onboard as demand for leisure and business travel gradually increases to the region,” he added.
The carrier said that the services would offer “seamless, speedy connections and a consistent long-haul onboard experience for customers travelling from destinations throughout North America, including New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington, Boston and San Francisco via London Heathrow onwards to Pakistan”.
“We also see a significant opportunity to increase competition in the US – Pakistan market. Using the strength of our transatlantic services we’re able to offer customers the shortest journey to and from destinations in the US such as New York, Los Angeles and Washington by connecting through London Heathrow”.
Welcoming the announcement, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner in a tweet said, “Another sign of #UKPakDosti- Welcome to Pakistan Virgin Atlantic.”
It is pertinent to mention here that British Airways is currently operating five flights a week between London and Islamabad. On Wednesday, it was reported that the airline is also seeking permission from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to start operating flights to Lahore, as a team of experts from the airline visited Allama Iqbal International Airport earlier this week to review arrangements made by the airport management.
