Category: Uncategorized

  • New coronavirus strain: Do we need to worry?

    The news of new coronavirus strain came to light when a stricter level of lockdown was imposed in different parts of south-east England to curb the rapid spike in infections.

    Amid fears of the new strain of the coronavirus spreading quickly in the UK, many countries have imposed a temporary ban on all flights to and from the UK. Pakistan has also banned flights from England.

    The news of new strain of COVID-19 is causing panic and fear and everyone is searching for answers.

    Here’s what you should know:

    Why do we have a new strain of coronavirus?

    The short answer to this question is that because viruses “evolve”. Just like cell-based life, we get new strains of viruses because of some genetic changes caused due to the evolution of the virus.

    What is the new COVID-19 strain?

    The new coronavirus strain has been labelled “B.1.1.7”. Reportedly, the new strain of the virus can lead to a “quicker spread” (scientists are still looking for more evidence) of COVID-19.

    Scientists say it is about 40%-70% more transmissible. However, there is no evidence that this new strain of the virus is “more lethal”. B.1.1.7 has far more mutations than in any previous variant of the Sars-Cov-2 virus analysed since the pandemic started, but scientists are also wondering how it evolved so fast.

    According to some experts, it is entirely too early to make a definitive conclusion.

    Will vaccine work against the new strain?

    Scientists are hopeful that the vaccines will work against this new strain. This is because the parts that Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna and Oxford/Astrazeneca shots target has not changed much.

  • ‘#10yearchallenge’: 5 Pakistani celebrities that haven’t aged

    ‘#10yearchallenge’: 5 Pakistani celebrities that haven’t aged

    With the year coming to a close, netizens are taking all sorts of challenges to celebrate the end of the year and the turn of the decade. One such challenge that has been going viral on social media is the #10YearChallenge. So we decided to put together a list of celebrities who have not aged in the past ten years. Check out the list below:

    Mahnoor Baloch

    While talking about Pakistani celebrities who have not aged, the first name that comes to mind is Mahnoor Baloch. She looks like she hasn’t aged a day since her first drama serial Marvi and honestly, we need tips!

    Shehzad Roy 

    Man of the mystery, Shehzad Roy seem immune to ageing. Shehzad Roy was born in 1977 and started his singing career in 1995. The musician has looked the same since his Zindagi days. Maybe he can tell us what fountain of youth he has been drinking from?

    Hadiqa Kiani

    Its been 25 years since Hadiqa Kiani released her first album, and she still looks the same. In 1995, Hadiqa released her first album Raaz. The singer is now 46 and we are baffled at how someone her age can look so young.

    Humayun Saeed

    Humayun Saeed, who turns 50 next year, is famous for his youthful looks. Humayun has the same charming smile he had a decade ago.

    Shoaib Malik 

    Age is something that the 38-year old former captain of Pakistan’s cricket team Shoaib Malik has managed to keep at bay so far. Shoaib has come a long way since making his debut in the national team in 1999 but nothing much has changed about him in terms of his good looks.

  • VIDEO: Imran Abbas, Babar Ali show off their singing skills on the sets of ‘Amanat’

    VIDEO: Imran Abbas, Babar Ali show off their singing skills on the sets of ‘Amanat’

    Imran Abbas and Babar Ali, who are all set to share the screen in Amanat, “killed time” on the sets by showing off their singing skills.

    The two sang Aik Pal Ki Khushi from the movie Karz which featured Ali and Nirma in the lead. The film was written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar.

    Talking about the song and movie, Imran said: “Aap iss film kay gaanay sunain. Eik eik gaana itna khoobsurat likha hai Khalil sahab nay. Kya composition hai.“

    He continued: “I am very fortunate to work with Babar Ali once again. We have worked together once in a serial Sanwali. And now for the second time I am playing another role with him.”

    “And don’t forget to watch this film [Karz],” he added. “It is a beautiful film and is available on YouTube.”

    Fans of the actors loved their video and praised them in the comments section. Reema also appreciated their singing skills, commenting “Wow.”

    Aik Pal Ki Khushi was originally sung by Shazia Manzoor and Waris Baig.

    https://youtu.be/szvauBHXSd4

    Besides Abbas and Ali, Amanat will also feature Urwa Hocane, Saboor Aly, Haroon Shahid, Saba Hamid, Sheheryar Zaidi, Asad Siddiqui and Gohar Rasheed.

    According to Imran, Amanat is a “circumstances-based love story”, while producer Sana Shahnawaz says it is “a family drama with love, romance and all other elements audiences wish to see in our dramas.”

    Meanwhile, in another post Imran said that we all should be thankful to Allah for keeping us alive in 2020.

    “Life itself and health are the biggest gifts of God. Stay grateful,” said the actor.

  • UrduFlix to launch with Alizeh Shah’s ‘Dulhan aur Aik Raat’

    UrduFlix to launch with Alizeh Shah’s ‘Dulhan aur Aik Raat’

    Dulhan aur Aik Raat starring Alizeh Shah will be the first web-series to release on UrduFlix, Pakistan’s upcoming streaming platform.

    The first look motion poster of the web series was unveiled on Instagram. As per details, the series has been written by Mansoor Syed and directed by Rao Ayaz Shahzad. It has been produced by Farhan Gauher.

    From the posters one can deduce that the series will be a horror-mystery.

    UrduFlix, Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform, will offer original and exclusive content in Urdu worldwide. According to a press release, “UrduFlix will offer viewers access to original Urdu films, series, documentaries, cartoons, and Urdu-dubbed Turkish dramas.”

    It will also offer already popular dramas and films to its subscribers.

    UrduFlix is expected to launch in mid-January 2021.

  • Pakistan govt coordinating with manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine

    Pakistan govt coordinating with manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine

    The federal government has informed the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) that it is coordinating with leading manufacturers of COVID-19  vaccines, including those from China. 

    Officials said that they are reviewing developments frequently including data from phase three of the COVID-19 vaccine trials.

    The NCOC was further informed that the steps being taken will conclude to a final decision about vaccine availability in Pakistan. 

    As per reports, Pakistan signed up for the United Nation’s COVAX Facility, a global initiative intended at equitable and unbiased access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. 

    There are also various local and China-made vaccine trials being conducting across the country. The human trials of a vaccine being developed by Chinese Company CanSino Biologics Inc started on September 22 and has over 13,000 volunteers across Pakistan. 

    In November, Federal Minister for Planning and Development and the NCOC chief Asad Umar said that the federal cabinet has approved procurement of the vaccines that are expected to reach sometime between January and March in 2021.

    Pakistan has reported 462,814 cases so far.

  • PM Imran says had no idea how to run govt for first three months

    PM Imran says had no idea how to run govt for first three months

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said when his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), came to power it virtually had no idea how to run the government and it took them at least three months to understand the state of affairs.

    Addressing a special ceremony to sign ‘Performance Agreements of the Federal Government for the Year 2020-21’ in Islamabad, the PM said the new government shouldn’t assume power without preparation. “From the outside, it looked different compared to what is actually happening within the system,” the PM said.

    “When the PTI came to power, it took us three months to understand things and form our team,” he said, adding that Pakistan needed to review its systems. “We’re gradually learning things.”

    According to the premier, this system that keeps the incoming governments in the dark about the state of affairs must be changed. “We need to tweak it, so a new setup can be given enough time to learn the ropes after a comprehensive briefing by the outgoing government,” he said, adding that the first thing was that we should review the system and after once your team was made, then it should be given full time to prepare.

     Imran said it was his habit to look at everything in his life to see what could be done better or improved.

    “We have two-and-a-half years left to make the government’s performance better. We no longer have any excuses. It’s time for us to perform… It’s time for performance now. We need to put pressure on ourselves to perform and our ministers also need to put pressure on themselves to improve performance as well,” he added.

  • Top Israeli rabbi prays for safety of UAE royal family

    Top Israeli rabbi prays for safety of UAE royal family

    Israel’s top rabbi inaugurated a Jewish nursery school in Dubai on Sunday and made a special Jewish ritual for the safety of the ruling family in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Israeli media.

    The Sephardi Cheif Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef arrived in the Gulf state on Thursday, marking his first visit to an Arab country. The official Israeli Twitter account – Israel in Arabic – published photos for Rabbi Yosef while inaugurating the new Jewish school in Dubai.

    As part of his visit, Rabbi Yosef named Levi Duchman as rabbi of the Jewish community in the UAE, and inaugurated a new synagogue in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

    The Jewish rabbi also met with UAE officials, including the ministers of tolerance, culture and health.

    According to Israeli figures, some 3,000 Jews live in the UAE, mostly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

    Israel and the UAE signed a US-sponsored deal in September to normalise their relations, a move that was followed by Bahrain and Sudan, and recently Morocco.

    The normalisation agreements have drawn widespread condemnations from Palestinians, who say the accords ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

  • Ishaq Dar ‘enjoyed intense interview’, believes BBC HARDtalk host

    Stephen Sackur, the host of the BBC News HARDtalk show, said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar “appeared to enjoy and appreciate the intense conversation at times” during the show that many say had left Dar ‘redfaced’.

    Dar had appeared on the BBC show last month, where he was grilled by the show host for allegedly owning assets beyond means. He had failed to give straight answers, a fact celebrated by the government officials.

    BBC Urdu interviewed Sackur, who told them that he “enjoyed” interviewing the former finance minister of Pakistan. “I was delighted that Ishaq Dar wanted to be on the show. We are making conscious efforts to cover Pakistan more thoroughly on HARDtalk,” the journalist told BBC Urdu.

    According to Sackur, his show is “supposed to be an intense interview” and Dar was no exception,” he added. Sackur said he has enough experience to ensure that high-profile figures don’t dodge the questions. “The trick is you ask the same question so many times to get the straight answer,” he said.

    The BBC anchorperson said HARDtalk was not a “boxing match where he treated the interviewee like an opponent”.

    He also praised Dar for being a “direct speaker”.

    DAR ON HARDTALK:

    Last month, Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News to talk about corruption charges, PML-N’s fight against the government, and NAB.

    During the show, the host asked Dar: “Is it your contention that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has no integrity? To this, Dar responded that NAB has lost its integrity. “It is an institution that has been used against political opponents.”

    Dar said the prime allegation in the Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team report on which the Supreme Court directed NAB to file a reference against him was that he didn’t file his tax returns in Pakistan for 20 years i.e. 1981-2001. Dar said as a chartered account, he had never missed filing his tax returns while living in the UK and North America, as he called these “blatant allegations”.

    At this the host asked Dar about the number of properties owned by his family. The PML-N leader responded, “It’s all in my tax returns.”

    Upon the insistence of the host, he said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime… I haven’t got too many properties.”

    “How many properties do you and your family own,” the host asked him again. At this, Dar said: “One.” At this, the show host asked him about the news reports in the Pakistan press that claim that the former PML-N minister owned multiple properties in and outside Pakistan. “You are sitting in London and you don’t own anything here,” the host asked Dar.

    Dar responded that he doesn’t own any property in London or anywhere else as claimed by the media reports.

    However, he went on to admit that his sons recently acquired a villa in Dubai. “They are adult and are in the business for the past 17 years,” he clarified.

    Dar, 69, is currently in London, “undergoing medical treatment”. He is absconding from several cases in Pakistan since 2017 and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

  • Newsletter- 22nd December 2020, Tuesday.

    Newsletter- 22nd December 2020, Tuesday.









    *|MC:SUBJECT|*

    Good Morning. I hope the weather stays this way. Cold yet sunny. Lucky Karachi has a slight chill today and lots of sun, Islamabad finally gets a day full of sunshine and Lahore too (lekin uff yeh smog!), Peshawar is a little cloudy and freezing Quetta gets a day of sun. What I love about these newsletters is learning a new fact the minute I open it. Did you know that Pakistan is just one of two Muslim countries that allows women to work combat jobs? Proud to be Pakistani! – Marium, The Current’s Founder

    Morning Meme

    Gallup Survey: Karachi is the best city to live 

    Over 500 people from across Karachi took part in the poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan that was held from Oct 27 to November 17, 2020. The survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan has revealed that 92% of the respondents think that Karachi is the best place to live. See what else they had to say about the city. 

    Read on

    Hina Bayat steals the show with a performance on ‘Dola Re’ at daughter’s wedding

    Hina Khawaja Bayat stole the show with an electric and charged solo performance on Dola Re on her daughter designer Natasha Kamal’s wedding.

    She shared the video on social media much to the delight of her fans who praised her in the comments section of her post.

    Check out

    This dubbed video will definitely make you laugh

    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, sources in the CM House confirmed to us. He attended a high profile wedding in Lahore two days before he tested positive and was seen at the event mingling without a mask. We dubbed a video of the wedding, taken while CM Buzdar was talking to former Punjab Governor and father of the bride, Latif Khosa. This is what, we think, they were talking about ?

    Check out

    Facts about Pakistan’s Digital Scene that you didn’t know 

     

    FACT 1: Despite being in the digital era 65-70% of current ad spend being allocated to TV by default in Pakistan.

    FACT 2: Most brands only leverage 20%-30% of the available reach on YouTube among their target audience.

    Want to know more about how digital is taking over Pakistan? Read this piece by Moiz Syed, Google’s Industry Head for Pakistan.

    Read on

    Current Baba’s prediction

    I know how desperately you have been waiting for this year to end but if you don’t get rid of all the piled up work tou new year night pay bhi kaam shaam hee hoga. Abhi bhi waqt hai get done with it.

     

    HEY, WAIT A SECOND PLEASE. 
     
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  • Meera loses her phone, seeks help on social media

    Meera loses her phone, seeks help on social media

    Meera Jee has reportedly lost her phone and has now requested her fans and followers to help her find it.

    In a video message, Meera informed her fans about the lost item saying: “I have misplaced my phone, my iPhone”.

    She also offered a reward to whoever finds her lost phone.

    “I will give 5 lac as a reward to whoever finds my phone,” said the actor.

    Earlier this year,  Meera was accused of fraud and earning money through illegal means by a family. In response to the allegations of fraud, she did an emotional and chaotic press conference in which she threatened to hang herself publicly if the allegations are proven to be true.

    “I will hang myself if I am found guilty of fraud and corruption. Some elements are targeting me and continuously doing propaganda. I challenge all those who are involved,” a teary-eyed Meera had said.

    She went onto say that much like the character she has played on screen, she is a heroine in real life as well.

    “I am a heroine in my real life,” stated the actor. “My whole life and career are based on struggle and hard work. I’m the superstar of Pakistan, I’m the heroine of Pakistan. In films and in real life, I live in the character of a heroine.”