Category: Uncategorized

  • We can’t show a woman being assaulted and falling in love with the same man, says Mahira Khan

    We can’t show a woman being assaulted and falling in love with the same man, says Mahira Khan

    Mahira Khan, who was recently listed in BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020′ for being outspoken about social issues, in a recent interview said that the media, including actors, filmmakers and drama makers, need to take responsibility to change the narrative.

    In a recent interview, the actor said: “Something happens, there is a lot of noise about it. Everybody gets on the streets, everybody talks about it on the media, and then what? And then it dies out. Another news comes out, another story comes out or another rape happens! Then that is just another name or another hashtag attached to it. The problem is that we are not ready to educate our public, create programs that educate children, we are not ready to talk about it openly and I think we need to change that narrative.”

    She continued: “I also take responsibility for it. I am a big part of the media of this country. I feel that our films, our television serials, we have to change the narrative.”

    “We can’t just show a woman being assaulted (by a man) and then falling in love with him and show him to be the hero. A hero cannot be someone who is abusive. So, I think somewhere even we have to take that initiative.”

    Mahira also talked about her stance on fairness creams and why she refuses to endorse them.

    “I’ve been approached from the beginning of my career, not just as an actor – even when I was a VJ – I was approached to do a lot of fairness cream products, skin whitening products,” shared the actor. “It doesn’t make sense to me, it never made sense to me. So, I am endorsing the idea that a darker girl, a man is not as attractive as someone with a fairer complexion? It just didn’t make sense to me.”

    Mahira also took a moment to recall her first award as an actor. In the interview, she said that though she has received many awards over the years, the award – Lux Style Award for Best Actress – she received for Humsafar is her most special.

    “This is my first award as an actor, for a drama that really launched me, in the year that I was launched,” said Mahira. “I won many awards after that but this remains very, very special.”

  • Charles & Camilla restrict Twitter account after being trolled over ‘The Crown’

    Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have restricted replies on their official Twitter account Clarence House after being trolled by Twitter users over the latest season of The Crown.

    The ‘Clarence House’ Twitter account of the royal couple is now limited, and only those who are followed by the account or mentioned in one of the tweets can reply.

    As per details, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall first restricted Twitter replies on November 24 to avoid hateful comments. Since then, the account has posted four more tweets with the same restrictions.

    The decision to restrict comments came after people started leaving hateful comments under their posts in the wake of the latest season of The Crown, which follows Charles and Princess Diana’s rocky married life. The Charles-Diana-Camilla love triangle is one of the main storylines in the fourth season, which covers the late 1970s and the 1980s. Though the creators of the show have clarified that creative liberty has been taken while making the show, fans of Princess Diana are lashing out at Charles and Camilla for “ruining” Diana’s life.

    While Clarence House has taken measures to defend itself from vitriol on Twitter, the couple’s Instagram page is still open for comments.

  • Friends’ star Matthew Perry engaged to the ‘greatest woman on the planet’

    Friends’ star Matthew Perry engaged to the ‘greatest woman on the planet’

    Chandler put a ring on it!

    Matthew Perry, best recognised for his role as Chandler in the popular 90s sitcom Friends, has gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Molly Hurwitz.

    Speaking to PEOPLE Magazine, Perry said: “I decided to get engaged. Luckily, I happened to be dating the greatest woman on the face of the planet at this time.”

    Matthew, 51, was first seen out with Molly, 29, in December 2019 at a restaurant in West Hollywood. Later, the two spent the holidays together.

    Hurwitz, who works as a literary manager, has posted about her relationship with Perry on social media several times over the last couple of years.

    She shared a photo of herself and Perry spending the holidays together last year, and later posted a sweet tribute to him on Valentine’s Day.

    “Second year being my valentine, but his first as an Instagram influencer,” she wrote on her private Instagram account. “HVD to my favorite.”

    According to some reports, the couple split for a brief period of time this year in May. But they later made amends and are now happily engaged.

    This will be Matthew’s first marriage. The actor previously dated Lizzy Caplan for six years before splitting in 2012. He has also reportedly dated Yasmine Bleeth and Julia Roberts.

  • ‘Behave yourself’: Shoaib Akhtar slams NZ Cricket over tour threat

    ‘Behave yourself’: Shoaib Akhtar slams NZ Cricket over tour threat

    Pakistan cricket legend Shoaib Akhtar has hit out at New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for threatening to cancel Pakistan’s tour after six Pakistani players tested positive for COVID-19 at their managed isolation facility in Christchurch.

    Akhtar warned NZC to “behave” themselves for threatening to cancel the tour, accusing the New Zealand governing body of “treating the Pakistan team like a club team”.

    “New Zealand’s comment that if Pakistan team’s SOPs (standard operating procedures) are not in place then they will cancel the tour, is below the belt,” Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.

    “I want to give a message to NZC that this is not a club team, it’s Pakistan national cricket team,” said the former cricketer. “We don’t need you. Our cricket has not finished.”

    Akhtar went on to say, “You will get money for broadcasting rights. So, you should be indebted to us that we decided to tour your country in such difficult times.”

    “You are talking about Pakistan — the greatest country on the planet — so behave yourself and stop giving such statements. Be careful next time. Pakistan team now needs to smash them in T20 series.”

    “The PCB should show some toughness,” he remarked.

    Akhtar also said, “If I was in their place, I would have given a statement saying that if NZC isn’t happy, we won’t play them and will bring our team back and we won’t play against you for five years.”

    Earlier, NZC was appraised that some members of the Pakistan team had violated protocols on the first day of managed isolation. The entire team was given a “final warning” by the government for breaching rules.

    New Zealand’s Ministry of Health stated that several team members had been seen on CCTV at the facility breaching managed isolation rules despite “clear, consistent and detailed communication of expected behaviors while in the facility”.

    In a statement, the ministry said that the team as a whole has been issued a final warning.

    The health ministry shared that the 53 members of the squad arrived in Christchurch on November 24 and were tested on day one, with the six cases coming as a result of the tests.

    All cases were being moved to quarantine rooms within the facility. Members of the team will be tested a minimum of four times while in managed isolation, the health ministry informed.

    While Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not officially confirmed the names, journalists have shared their pictures which include former captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Abid Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Rohail Nazir, Danish Aziz and Naseem Shah.

    According to reports, the players are unhappy in quarantine, especially after the positive cases and the isolation feels like a prison sentence for them.

    Players weren’t able to condole with middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah, whose father passed away recently. The process was carried out through phone calls, instead.

    Pakistan is set to face the Black Caps in three T20 internationals and two tests, with the first match on December 18.

  • Meals banned during domestic flight operations as COVID-19 cases increase

    Meals banned during domestic flight operations as COVID-19 cases increase

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday announced that passengers travelling on domestic flights will no longer be served meals in view of the rising COVID-19 cases. As per details, the new COVID-19 SOPs were issued by the NCOC in wake of surging cases of the infection.

    “No meals to be served during all sorts of domestic flight operations. Compulsory wearing of masks by all passengers and the flight crew through the flight,” read the notification by the CAA.

    The rules have been introduced for domestic flights, chartered flights and private aircraft flights.

  • Sherry Rehman says the new rape ordinance makes minors ‘more vulnerable’

    Sherry Rehman says the new rape ordinance makes minors ‘more vulnerable’

    Senator and senior PPP leader Sherry Rehman has disapproved of the new laws against rapists approved by the cabinet, earlier this week. The new laws call for strict punishment, including chemical castration of the rapist.

    Replying to The Current’s post, which includes the tally of rape cases being reported every day (acquired from various sources), Sherry expressed her displeasure over lowering the statutory age for rape to 13 from 16.

    “The age of alleged ‘consent’ has been moved to 13 from 16 in the new ordinance, which is terrible,” commented the lawmaker. “How will an adolescent be responsible for ‘consent’. This makes younger children even more vulnerable.”

    She also expressed her concern over the matter on Twitter.

    A total of 127 rape cases have been reported from October 12 to November 27 (today).

  • KYA BOLA? (Nov 27): Wazir-e-Azam Lockdown Ky Sakht Mukhalif, Kulsoom Nawaz Ky Ghar Py Dhawa, Veena Malik Ky Dubai Sy Arrest Warrants?

    KYA BOLA? (Nov 27): Wazir-e-Azam Lockdown Ky Sakht Mukhalif, Kulsoom Nawaz Ky Ghar Py Dhawa, Veena Malik Ky Dubai Sy Arrest Warrants?

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on November 27, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    Wazir-e-Azam Lockdown Ky Sakht Mukhalif.. Kiya Badla?

    Daily Jang has reported that PM Imran Khan, who was against lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19, has seemed to change his mind. “Corona lockdown ky hawaly sy agar wazir-e-azam aur opposition shaksiaat kay purany clips dekhin tou us waqt wazir-e-azam lockdown ky sakht mukhalif thy, aj kal in ki tweets sy lagta ha kay kuch haami ho gye hain.”

    Kulsoom Nawaz Ky Ghar Py Dhawa

    Daily Express has reported that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided the house of late wife of Nawaz Sharif. “Muslim League ki markazi tarjumaan Marriyum Aurangzeb ny kaha kay ‘NAB-Niazi’ gath-jorr ny marhooma maghfoora Kulsoom Nawaz ky Murree mai waqia ghar per Jummayraat ko dhawa bola… baghair notice ya itlaa ky ghar ky andar ghusnay ki kosish ki gai… videos banai aur char dewari ka taquddus paamal kiya.”

    Veena Malik Ky Dubai Sy Arrest Warrants?

    The spat between model Veena Malik and her husband has gaining momentum by the day. Jang News has reported her husband Asad Khattak as saying, “Veena Malik kay Dubai sy warrant-e-giraftari jald jaari hun gy. Veena Malik is bar mehrbani kar ky mery haqeeqi address per he notice bhejain.”

  • Hassan Ali is expecting his first child with wife Samiya

    Hassan Ali is expecting his first child with wife Samiya

    Congratulations are in order for Hassan Ali and his wife Samiya who are expecting their first child together.

    While the couple has not yet made an official announcement or shared any details, the news came after Samiya posted a picture of herself cradling her belly.

    “No matter how bad my day’s been, it takes a little kick to make everything feel alright,” she captioned her post.

    Fans and followers of the cricketer and his wife sent their love and best wishes to the couple in the comments section of Samiya’s post.

    Read more – It’s raining…celebrity babies

    Last week, Samiya had shared a picture of herself with Sania Mirza in which her baby bump was visible.

    Hassan and Samiya tied the knot in an elaborate wedding in Dubai in August 2019. While Hassan hails from Gujranwala, Samiya is from Haryana, India. They reportedly met in 2018 through a close friend in Dubai.

    Ali is the fourth Pakistani cricketer to marry an Indian girl after Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Malik.

  • Egg on face of Modi’s India with highest bribery rate in Asia

    Egg on face of Modi’s India with highest bribery rate in Asia

    India has the highest bribery rate in Asia and the most number of people who use personal connections to access public services, according to a new report by Transparency International (TI).

    According to Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) Asia, nearly 50 per cent of those who paid bribes were asked to do so, while 32 per cent of those who used personal connections said they would not receive the service otherwise.

    The report is based upon the survey which was conducted between June 17 and July 17 this year in India with a sample size of 2,000.

    “With the highest bribery rate [39 per cent] in the region, India also has the highest rate of people using personal connections to access public services [46 per cent],” the report said.

    Bribery in public services continues to plague India. Slow and complicated bureaucratic process, unnecessary red tape and unclear regulatory frameworks force citizens to seek out alternate solutions to access basic services through networks of familiarity and petty corruption, the report said.

    “Both national and state governments need to streamline administrative processes for public services, implement preventative measures to combat bribery and nepotism, and invest in user-friendly online platforms to deliver essential public services quickly and effectively,” the report said.

    Although reporting cases of corruption was critical to curbing the spread, a majority of citizens in India, 63 per cent, think that if they reported corruption, they would suffer retaliation, it said.

    In several countries, including India, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, sexual extortion rates are also high and more must be done to prevent sextortion and address specific-gendered forms of corruption, the report said.

    Sextortion is extorting money or sexual favours from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity through means like morphed images.

    In India, 89 per cent think government corruption is a big problem, 18 per cent offered bribes in exchange for votes and 11 per cent experienced sextortion or know someone who has.

    “About 63 per cent of surveyed people think the government is doing well in tackling corruption while 73 per cent said their anti-corruption agency is doing well in the fight against corruption,” it said.

    Based on fieldwork conducted in 17 countries, the GCB surveyed nearly 20,000 citizens in total.

    The report said the results showed that nearly three out of four people think corruption is a big problem in their country and the survey also found that nearly one in five people who accessed public services, such as health care and education, paid a bribe in the preceding year.

    This equates to approximately 836 million citizens in the 17 countries surveyed, it said.

    After India, Cambodia has the second-highest bribery rate at 37 per cent, followed by Indonesia (30 per cent) while the Maldives and Japan maintain the lowest overall bribery rate (2 per cent), followed by South Korea (10 per cent) and Nepal (12 per cent).

    “However, even in these countries, governments could do more to stop bribes for public services,” the report said.

    The report concluded by noting that daily experience with corruption and bribery remains alarmingly high, with nearly one in five citizens paying a bribe to access key government services, such as health care or education, and one in seven being offered a bribe to vote one way or another at elections.

    “In several countries, including India, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, sexual extortion rates are also high and more must be done to prevent sextortion and address specific-gendered forms of corruption,” it said.

    The report further said that to provide victims of corruption with channels for redress, governments must ensure that bribery was criminalised and actively investigated and prosecuted.

    “Citizens must have access to safe and confidential reporting mechanisms and governments must do more to ease citizens’ fear of retaliation in reporting corruption. Despite these challenges, citizens are largely optimistic about the future and believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption,” the report said.

  • Exams are bad in COVID, political rallies not so bad, believes Maryam

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz thinks it is unsafe to conduct medical entry tests due to coronavirus, but it is perfectly okay to organise massive political gatherings amid a second wave of the virus.

    In a tweet, the PML-N leader expressed solidarity with the protesting students. She questioned why the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT 2020) was being held when educational institutions have been closed due to the virus.

    “While all educational institutions are closed and exams are being postponed, MDCAT students are being forced to appear for MDCAT test by PMC,” tweeted Maryam, expressing concern for the families of the students. 

    But it seems the PML-N leader wants to use the medical entry tests issue to gain political mileage, and coronavirus is just an excuse. The PML-N leader has no plan to postpone her Multan rally despite the soaring tally of COVID cases and repeated government directives.

    According to local media reports, the PML-N vice president said that she will go ahead with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in the southern Punjab city.

    “I am taking part in the rally on instructions of my father Nawaz Sharif,” Maryam said, adding that her father has told her to carry on her political activities despite the loss of her grandmother. Shamim Akhtar who died in London on Sunday will be brought back by the end of this week.

    PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah has refused to admit the role of the opposition rallies in the spread of coronavirus infections. He said the virus doesn’t spread by organising rallies and asked for relevant data to prove him wrong.

    Meanwhile, the Multan district administration has refused to grant permission for the rally in the wake of the increase in coronavirus infections. “We have not allowed public gatherings because of COVID-19,” Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak was quoted by a local media outlet as saying.

    COVID CASES IN PAKISTAN:

    Pakistan has reported over 3,300 infections for the second time in day, while at least 40 people have died due to the virus. Despite quasi-lockdown restrictions, the number is on the rise with people paying no heed to the SOPs.

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre, Muzaffarabad has reported the highest positivity ratio at 17.05%.

    Peshawar has reported the second-highest positivity ratio at 15.64%, following by Hyderabad and Karachi with 14.40% and 14.02% positivity rate, respectively. In Rawalpindi, Multan, and Mirpur, the positivity rate is over 10%.