Category: Politics

News stories of Politics, for the topics that matter the most to young professionals and college students, political news reported with a different angle.

  • Fact Check: Does Sana Hashwani of ‘Sana Safinaz’ have COVID-19?

    Fact Check: Does Sana Hashwani of ‘Sana Safinaz’ have COVID-19?

    Claim: Sana Hashwani of the clothing brand Sana Safinaz has COVID-19

    Fact: Sana Safinaz verified through a public announcement on their Instagram that she did not contract the virus

    While dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is stressful enough, the misinformation and fake information that comes along with it is even more nerve-wrecking.

    Late last week, rumours were doing the rounds that Sana Hashwani, who is the co-owner of the fashion brand Sana Safinaz has been tested positive for the coronavirus. It was also being said that her daughter also has it and that the two attended a party despite knowing.

    Below is a screenshot of a message that was being circulated on social media.

    screenshot in social media circulation

    Following this, the brand posted an official announcement clarifying that the designer did not have the novel coronavirus and urged people not to spread misinformation. Sana’s medical reports were also shared as further proof.

    “Sana returned from the UK and took a test as a precaution so as to not endanger family members with compromised immunity,” the statement read. “She has tested negative but nonetheless placed herself under self-isolation as any sensible person returning from abroad should do at this time.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C9G4IgJXL/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The brand also urged the public to be more careful while sharing information and passing on “unverified slander and gossip.”

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs open hotels to NHS staff free of charge to deal with coronavirus outbreak

    Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs open hotels to NHS staff free of charge to deal with coronavirus outbreak

    Former Man United footballer Gary Neville has announced that the two hotels he part-owns with former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs will be made available free of charge to NHS workers.

    National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the United Kingdom. It is the largest single-payer healthcare system in the world.

    Hotel Football, located near Old Trafford, and The Stock Exchange in the city centre are owned by the pair through their GG Hospitality group.

    It comes after Premier League club Chelsea offered NHS workers free accommodation for the next two months at the Millennium Hotel at its Stamford Bridge ground to help with the COVID-19 outbreak.

    The cost of the rooms will be covered by club owner Roman Abramovich.

    Neville said he and Giggs will do the same, with the scheme in place from Friday onwards in order to help accommodate medical workers during the coronavirus crisis.

    “Over the last week we have been in consultation with the health services in the Greater Manchester area, in particular the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust,” Neville said in a video posted on social media.

    “Our 176 beds will be occupied by National Health Service workers and medical professionals from Friday onwards.

    “It’s at this time that I think the whole of our industry needs to show solidarity, not just for our staff in these uncertain times but obviously for those who need the accommodation most in the coming months.

    “It’s something we’re delighted to have come into agreement with. It will operate free of charge and our staff will operate the hotels as normal.

    “The health workers will be able to stay there without any cost whatsoever in these next few months when they need isolation away from family members who may be affected by what’s going on.

    “Stay safe and we wish everybody all the best.”

    Chelsea said in its statement on Wednesday: “Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes. Local accommodation helps maintain the health and well-being of these crucial personnel at this critical time.

    “This will be for a two-month period, and then reconsidered in light of circumstances at the time. NHS staff will be those working in hospitals in the North-West London region, but that may extend to hospitals in other districts.”

    It added: “The number of rooms utilised will depend on demand but potentially all the rooms in the Millennium Hotel could be given over for this purpose. No staff showing symptoms will use the hotel.

    “Millennium Hotels and Resorts, who manage the hotel, are supportive and assisting the club in providing this service to the NHS.”

  • COVID-19: Doctors accuse govt of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum but not public hospitals

    As the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — continues to spread in Punjab, Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital but not public sector hospitals.

    Addressing a press conference in Lahore, YDA office demanded safety kits for the entire staff of hospitals dealing with suspected coronavirus patients, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, and termed the arrangements made by the government as insufficient.

    They said that the safety kits provided to the doctors in hospitals were not according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and they were working under highly vulnerable circumstances. “The N95 masks are not available in the hospitals despite the fact that the staff treating [COVID-19] patients used the same mask in all hospitals worldwide,” the doctors said.

    President of YDA Punjab Dr Salman Haseeb Chaudhry said that the isolation wards should be established outside the hospitals according to the guidelines of the WHO. “The isolation wards inside the hospitals are high risk,” he said, adding that there was an urgent need of 4,500 ventilators in hospitals to deal with the pandemic but unfortunately Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid had “failed miserably to deal with it”.

    He also accused the government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “But public sector hospitals are unable to get the same by the government.”

    According to Dr Salman, all doctors, nurses and paramedics were working in very vulnerable circumstances without proper safety kits and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan would be responsible if any unfortunate incident took place.

    Meanwhile, The Express Tribune quoted an official of Shaukat Khanum Hospital as saying that around two dozen citizens approached the hospital for free coronavirus test, of whom the hospital management has conducted tests of eight or nine individuals who had recent travel history, while the remaining citizens were sent back after prescribing medicines.

    He said that the hospital had a limited number of coronavirus test kits that cannot be used for every citizen who has doubt of the infection. Responding to a question, he indicated that the government has notified coronavirus test rate of Rs7,900 but it is being conducted free of cost.

    A representative of a laboratory disclosed that it also has a coronavirus test facility against payment of Rs7,900 as notified by the government. However, several citizens complained that some private hospitals were charging over Rs9,000 for the same test.

    It is pertinent to note that that government has notified 14 laboratories for coronavirus tests, one of which is Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Lahore.

  • Sajjad Ali wants to bring a music revolution with online concerts

    Sajjad Ali wants to bring a music revolution with online concerts

    Renowned Pakistani singer Sajjad Ali has asked his fans to start a music revolution with online concerts after the government enforced Section 144 in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

    The singer in a video message posted to Twitter said that keeping in view the current situation, if he and his fans remained indoors then will there be no concerts?

    Ali maintained that the concerts will be held online.

    He added, “Let’s come and bring a revolution. Small gatherings, corporate events and even commercial shows can now be held online.”

    He further said, “If a sponsor wants to become part of our revolution, they are most welcome.”

    Ali is not the first singer who has announced online concerts for his fans. International singers who are doing the same include British singer Chris Martin and American sensation John Legend. They have started live-streaming their performances while staying at home.

    Martin, earlier this week performed a full 30-minute set from his house on Instagram, performing songs including Trouble, A Sky Full of Stars and a cover of a David Bowie song.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/B90Ft_knpuT/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Apart from Martin and John, Miley Cyrus has also started a Livestream series Bright Minded, Live with Miley. She has already performed a multiple times post-quarantine.

  • Tennis star helps Romania fight coronavirus

    Tennis star helps Romania fight coronavirus

    Former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep has said she has decided to donate medical equipment in Romania as her native country deals with the coronavirus pandemic.

    “We are so grateful for the bravery of our medical workers at these difficult times. I am committed to helping my country and have decided to donate medical equipment,” Halep said in a tweet. “This is the perfect opportunity to show that we know how to be supportive and responsible with our lives and those around us,” Halep told fans in a video message posted on her official Facebook page.

    “While we are at home, doctors and medical personnel make huge efforts to treat and save each life by exposing themselves for the general good…decided to donate a sum of money for the purchase of the necessary equipment and materials in such situations, the amount that will be directed immediately to the medical authorities in Bucharest and Constanta,” she added.

    “I encourage everyone who can to contribute to the joint efforts to combat this virus. In the meantime, let us all take care of ourselves, be responsible and stay positive!”

    Simina Halep is a Romanian professional tennis player. She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles twice between 2017 and 2019. In total, she has been No. 1 for 64 weeks, which ranks tenth in the history of the Women’s Tennis Association rankings. Halep was the year-end No. 1 in 2017 and 2018.

    Over 200 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Romania so far.

  • Woman discovers she has been washing her hands with cheese

    Woman discovers she has been washing her hands with cheese

    A woman in the US accidentally washed her hands with a block of cheese for days after mistakenly thinking it was a bar of soap.

    Miley from Vancouver, Washington, became confused after realising her soap wasn’t foaming as usual, before she discovered it was in fact a lump of cheddar. She was trying to do her bit to stop the spread of coronavirus by thoroughly washing her hands with a bar of soap.

    Unfortunately, she instead succeeded in spreading some rather mature looking cheddar on her hands over the course of several days.

    Sharing her sorry tale on Reddit, Miley explained how the cheese ended up being mistaken for a bit of soap after it was left out of the fridge following a drunken late-night snack.

    Waking the next morning, she assumed that the lump was the remnants of a bar of soap. She also was keen to stress that she does actually keep a bar of yellow, unscented soap nearby for such use with the two evidently getting mixed up.

    “Just realised my soap wasn’t working because it’s literally a block of cheese,” she wrote.

    “I use a liquid soap for the dishes, bar soap like this is gentler on my hands after I do chores if that makes any sense [sic].”

    “It was a couple days of ‘Why isn’t this foaming?!’

    “I come to realise it was a dried-out square of Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese. I suspect I left it out when I was intoxicated and just forgot.”

  • Schools shut down? Here are some fun indoor activities for your kid

    With the coronavirus – declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation – spreading fast in Pakistan, the government has opted to shut down all schools, colleges and madrassas throughout the country till April 5 to control the spread of the virus.

    Due to the closure of schools and colleges, the kids will have to stay at home to remain safe from the virus. The Current has listed a few exciting activities for the kids so that they can be more productive during these unexpected holidays.

    Learning through YouTube channels

    To make sure that your kids spend their holidays learning new things, what you can do is make technology their new friend. YouTube channels for kids, like Crash Course Kids, can be their new learning place. Other YouTube channels from where your kid can learn stuff are:

    • Science Channel
    • SciShow Kids
    • National  Geographic Kids
    • Free School
    • Geography Focus
    • TheBrainScoop
    • SciShow
    • Kids Learning Tube
    • Geeek Gurl Diaries
    • Mike Likes Science
    • Science Max
    • SoulPancake

    Apart from YouTube channels there are many free learning websites available over the internet for your kids to learn including:

    https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

    https://allinonehomeschool.com

    https://www.starfall.com/h

    https://www.abcya.com

    https://www.funbrain.com

    It goes without saying that you cannot force your kids to study or watch informational videos all the time, therefore we have also done our research for some fun indoor activities for your kids to keep them busy.

    • Board games
    • Tinkering/upcycling with household junk
    • Paper games
    • Musical Chairs
    • Puzzles

    If your children are still bored after playing all the games and insist on going out, the first thing you need to do is to explain to them why they can’t be outside and then can take them on a virtual tour of the 12 famous museums around the world. To go on a virtual tour, visit the link below:

    https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours

  • Japan might have a vaccine for Coronavirus

    Japan might have a vaccine for Coronavirus

    The Japanese media is reporting that a drug created in Japan to treat new strains of the flu has appeared to be effective in coronavirus patients in China.

    Medical authorities have used the drug during a drug test in China reports The Guardian, and according to an official of China’s science and technology ministry, “it is clearly effective in treatment”.

    The drug, known as favipiravir, developed as a subsidiary of Fujifilm, has produced encouraging results in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen. The trials included 340 patients.

    READ MORE: All Coronavirus Updates

    In Shenzhen, patients who were given the medicine, showed negative for the virus, four days after they had tested positive. This is in comparison to people who showed negative to the virus after 11 days of testing positive. X-rays also showed improvements in lung conditions in “about 91% of the patients who were treated” with the medication, “compared to 62% of those without the drug,” reported The Guardian.

    Simultaneously, doctors in Japan were using the same drug in their studies on coronavirus patients with mild to moderate symptoms but their results suggested that it doesn’t work on people with more severe symptoms.

    RELATED: The U.S. warns coronavirus “will last 18 months or longer”

    The drug was first used in 2016 by the Japanese government as an emergency medication to counter the Ebola virus in Guinea. Since this drug was originally intended to treat the flu, it would need government approval for full use on coronavirus patients.

  • The U.S. warns coronavirus “will last 18 months or longer”

    The U.S. warns coronavirus “will last 18 months or longer”

    The United States government has released a 100-page plan that details the impact of coronavirus on the country, economy, and the health system.

    According to The New York Times, the plan warns that the pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and might have “multiple waves,” that will create a lot of shortage of resources around the world.

    READ MORE: Coronavirus: Opp calls PM ‘petty’ for not mentioning Sindh CM in address

    The importance of social distancing cannot be stressed enough by scientists and health experts. According to an article in Vox, “Scientists warn we may need to live with social distancing for a year or more”, with experts stating that, “this virus is going to be circulating, potentially for a year or two, so we need to be thinking on those time scales. There are no good options here”.

    RELATED: DO YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS?

    The article also explains that people assume that a lockdown or social distancing for a few weeks might be the solution but, “the hard truth is that it may keep infecting people and causing outbreaks until there’s a vaccine or treatment to stop it”.

    Pakistan has 237 confirmed cases with 172 in Sindh, 26 in Punjab, 16 in Balochistan, 16 in KP, five in Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir and two in Islamabad

  • Coronavirus: Shoot for Ahmad Ali Butt’s ‘Fatman’ postponed

    Coronavirus: Shoot for Ahmad Ali Butt’s ‘Fatman’ postponed

    Following a recent spike in coronavirus cases and the government’s appeal to practise social distancing, director Nabeel Qureshi has announced that he is postponing the shoot of his upcoming superhero film with Ahmad Ali Butt: Fatman.

    The director took to social media to make the announcement.

    Earlier while talking about the film, Ahmad had told The Current, “It’s a different and bold take on superhero films but at the core, it is a story about a father-son relationship.”

    He added, “It also addresses body shaming, yet keeps the family factor in mind.”

    Meanwhile, Nabeel had shared, “It’s a real-life superhero family entertainment film with a great message which talks about body shaming, with pun intended.”

    Read more – Ahmad Ali Butt is playing the latest superhero in town: ‘Fatman’

    Nabeel’s decision comes weeks after several big-budget Hollywood productions announced that they are postponing their shoots due to the coronavirus pandemic. Paramount Pictures delayed its plans for a three-week shoot of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 in Venice, Italy after coronavirus cases spiked in the country. The live-action remake of Little Mermaid, which was set to go before the cameras in the week of March 16 in London, has also been postponed. Netflix’s Red Notice starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds has also temporarily halted production in Atlanta for at least two weeks beginning March 16.

    Other than that Deadline reported that The Matrix 4 has halted production in Berlin, The Batman starring Robert Pattinson has halted production for two weeks beginning March 14 after considering relocating production from London to Liverpool and Fantastic Beasts 3 will not begin production as scheduled on March 17 in London.

    Meanwhile, the release of a string of movies including Mulan, No Time to Die, F9 and A Quiet Place Part II has also been delayed due to the pandemic.

    Earlier, Nabeel recently wrapped up the shoot of his other film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad featuring Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B818EcTHFQS/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8mbIWmnJJq/?igshid=57xi6sockgxt