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  • VIDEO: Fawad Ch removes successor Firdous Ashiq Awan from Imran cabinet’s WhatsApp group

    VIDEO: Fawad Ch removes successor Firdous Ashiq Awan from Imran cabinet’s WhatsApp group

    Incumbent Federal Minister for Science & Technology and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry has removed his successor Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan from the WhatsApp group of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s cabinet after Awan, who had been handed the reins of the Information Ministry last year, was removed as the special assistant to the PM on information and broadcasting.

    Ever since Fawad was replaced by non-elected Awan in 2019, reports had hinted at a possible rift among the ranks of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The now science & tech minister had also discussed with a media outlet the cold war that was going on within the ruling party, saying that “non-elected people had the power to change portfolios of ministers” and “important decisions were made without many team members knowing about them”.

    Among several other reported spats between Fawad and Awan, with the ex-SAPM even complaining of some lawmakers’ behaviour to PM Imran, Fawad’s statements of a battle going on between elected and non-elected members was followed by Awan “admiring Fawad’s ‘struggle to always stay in headlines“.

    Amid rumours that the two weren’t best of friends ever since Fawad’s removal and Awan’s subsequent appointment, the federal minister had earlier this year even called out PM Imran’s former aide on “illiterate” remarks regarding Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar.

    With Awan being replaced by former military bigwig Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa on Monday and PTI Senator Shibli Faraz being handed the reins of the Information Ministry, senior journalist and analyst Arshad Sharif asked if Fawad, being an admin of the WhatsApp group of PM Imran’s cabinet, had added Faraz and removed his successor, cracking the minister up.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “That is how it is. If they go, they have to be removed,” a smiling Fawad told the journalist, adding that he was shocked to know that Sharif knew about the group, its admins and whatever happened in it.

  • Couple uses scone dough to recreate scenes from ‘Game of Thrones’ during COVID-19 lockdown

    Couple uses scone dough to recreate scenes from ‘Game of Thrones’ during COVID-19 lockdown

    Bored by the weeks-long coronavirus lockdown? Not Hungarian film buffs Fanni and Norbert who have recreated dozens of scenes in their flat from Ghost, Game of Thrones, Scarface and other films using whatever household utensils they could find.

    The couple’s photos quickly went viral on social media, and now they just can’t stop, coming up every day with new ideas.

    “Inspiration struck when we were in the kitchen cooking,” said Norbert Hosszu, 30, as he prepared to put on a wig to act out a scene in which Tyrion Lannister pours himself a glass of red wine at his wedding in the Game of Thrones.

    The couple, who used to work as improvisation actors before the coronavirus crisis hit, quickly recreated the scene in their kitchen using the scone dough. Viewers now write to them asking for more, and also ask for scenes from specific movies.

    “Fanni and I have always liked to dress up, and when we were at university we went to a lot of costume parties. And of course, we both love movies and work with theatre,” Norbert said.

    Read more – Game of Thrones – The Pakistani style

    Which scenes they select depends on what they can find at home: flour instead of cocaine, tinned tomatoes instead of blood, a vacuum cleaner instead of a gun.

    “I just hope that these photos will bring a smile to people’s faces,” Fanni said.

    Check out their pictures below:

    Read more – ‘Game of Thrones’ quotes for Pakistani politicians

  • Three years ban for Umar Akmal for violating PCB’s anti-corruption code

    Three years ban for Umar Akmal for violating PCB’s anti-corruption code

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned Umar Akmal from all cricket for three years for violating the board’s anti-corruption code by not reporting a fixing offer before the start of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    In a press release, the board stated: “The Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, in short order on Monday, handed Umar Akmal a three-year ban from all cricket. The PCB will release reasons as soon as it receives them from Justice Chauhan.”

    The board said that a detailed hearing was held at the National Cricket Academy where the cricketer represented himself and was heard at length. Mr Taffazul Rizvi represented the PCB.

    Akmal was charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents on March 17. He had earlier on February 20 been suspended from playing and was also not allowed to participate in the fifth edition of the PSL in which he was playing for Quetta Gladiators.

    Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code reads as: “Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code.”

    On April 9, the PCB referred the matter to Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee after determining that the batsman had not requested for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

    Read more – ‘Where’s the fat?’ Umar Akmal bares all in fitness test

    PCB Director – Anti-Corruption and Security, Lt Col Asif Mahmood, said: “The PCB doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges, but this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code.”

    “I request all professional cricketers to stay away from the menace of corruption and immediately inform relevant authorities as soon as they are approached. This is in their as well as their teams’ and country’s best interest.”

    Meanwhile, here is what former cricketer Ramiz Raja has to say on the matter.

  • Ex-ISPR chief Asim Bajwa replaces Firdous as PM’s special assistant, new info minister also appointed

    Ex-ISPR chief Asim Bajwa replaces Firdous as PM’s special assistant, new info minister also appointed

    Former Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) director-general (DG) and military bigwig Lieutenant General (r) Asim Bajwa has replaced Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s special assistant on information and broadcasting, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Shibli Faraz has been handed reins of the Information Ministry.

    According to the details, while Firdous has been removed from her position, Faraz has been appointed as the federal information minister — a post that had lied vacant ever since the premier removed incumbent Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry last year.

    Faraz is an investment banker by profession and was a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot and then a civil servant. He contested the election for the Kohat district mayor in 2002 and his uncle Barrister Syed Masood Kausar is a former governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He is the son of the late poet Ahmad Faraz.

    Firdous’s successor, Bajwa, on the other hand, is currently also serving as the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority.

    During his military career, Bajwa has served on multiple instructional and command-level posts, such as leading the 111th Infantry Brigade. Besides serving as a brigade major at an infantry brigade and serving as the chief of staff at a strike corps, Bajwa has also instructed courses at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul and the Command and Staff College in Quetta.

    He has also served as the deputy military secretary to the president of Pakistan.

    In December 2010, he was promoted to the rank of a major general and in June 2012, as the ISPR chief — preceding former military spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

    In September 2015, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, appointed inspector general (arms) at General Headquarters (GHQ) in December 2016 and later Southern Command commander.

  • Eight out of 20 test positive for coronavirus at ARY office

    The founder and CEO of ARY Digital Network, Salman Iqbal, has tweeted that eight out of 20 random test results at ARY’s Islamabad office came positive for coronavirus, following which the channel has closed the office and all of its staff will be tested.

    ARY anchor Sabir Shakir has tweeted that three staff members tested positive after they went to Faisal Edhi’s home and other three after going to a mosque that has been sealed. Most of the affectees were field reporters or staff.

    Related: ARY’s Kashif Abbasi’s interview with The Current in the Islamabad office

    Some of ARY’s most popular shows, including Off the Record with Kashif Abbasi is based in Islamabad as well as Arshad Sharif’s programme.

    Pakistan currently has almost 13,700 cases and more than 250 people have died. There has been a spike in cases this past week and 92 health professionals in Pakistan have tested positive for the virus.

    ARY’s head office is in Karachi.

  • South Korea says North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is ‘alive and well’

    South Korea says North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is ‘alive and well’

    Officials in South Korea are calling for caution amid reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has died after a botched heart surgery or may be severely ill, emphasising that they have detected no unusual movements across the border in the north.

    At a closed-door forum on Sunday, South Korea’s Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said the government has the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there was nothing unusual happening, Al Jazeera reported.

    Rumours and speculation over the North Korean leader’s health began after he did not appear at a key state holiday on April 15. He has not been seen in public since.

    READ: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un reportedly dead after botched heart surgery

    “Our government’s position is firm,” Moon Chung-in, a special adviser on national security to the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday. “Kim Jong-un is alive and well.”

    The adviser said that Kim had been staying in Wonsan – a resort town on the country’s east coast – since 13 April, adding, “No suspicious movements have so far been detected.”

    “We have nothing to confirm and no special movement has been detected inside North Korea as of now,” the South’s presidential office said in a statement last week.

    Speculation about Kim grew after Daily NK, a Seoul-based online media outlet that employs North Korean defectors, claimed he was recovering after undergoing a “cardiovascular procedure” earlier this month.

    Citing a single unidentified source inside the country, it said Kim, who is believed to be 36, had required urgent treatment due to heavy smoking, obesity and fatigue.

    Soon afterwards, CNN reported that Washington was “monitoring intelligence” that Kim was in “grave danger” after undergoing surgery, quoting what it said was an anonymous US official.

    Meanwhile, it has also been reported that Kim has sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist resort in Wonsan.

  • Coursera to give 3,800 free courses to unemployed people

    Coursera to give 3,800 free courses to unemployed people

    Coursera — an online learning platform — will be making 3,800 courses free for people who have lost their jobs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent global economic crisis, a private media outlet reported.

    “We are proud to announce Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative to help governments worldwide provide unemployed workers with free access to 3,800 online courses,” a statement read.

    The objective of the initiative is to support affected workers in developing knowledge and skills to get employed again.

    These free courses are covering skills like business development, information technology (IT) and data science skills, and they are taught by the world’s leading universities, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Duke University, University of Michigan and Yale among others.

    Courses on professional certifications like Google IT support, IBM Data Science, or Date Engineering with Google Cloud are also available to train people for high-demand jobs.

    This step towards public and private sector partnerships is imperative, and various government leaders have made the initiative available to their respective states and countries.

    Earlier, Google and YouTube also launched new resource pages to help teachers and families continue to educate students under quarantine.

    Coursera works with universities and other organisations to offer online courses, specialisations and degrees in a variety of subjects, such as engineering, data science, machine learning, mathematics, business, computer science, digital marketing, humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences and others.

    Coursera was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller.

    Princeton, Stanford, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania were the first ones to offer content on the platform.

    Offerings have since expanded to include specialisations — collections of courses that build skills in a specific subject — as well as degrees and a workforce development product for businesses and government organisations.

  • Ayeza Khan makes a fashion statement with a face mask

    Ayeza Khan makes a fashion statement with a face mask

    Have to say, we saw this one coming. Given how important a mask is during the ongoing global pandemic, it was only a matter of time before designers started producing well, designer masks.

    And Ayeza Khan, for a Ramzan transmission appearance, decided to accessorize her look with a matching mask and said that every outfit should come with a matching mask now.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_c1YeIAWef/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_c18eLgkUh/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_c2ISBATd6/

    What do you think of the trend?

    Following criticism on social media, Ayeza hit back saying that masks are an essential now and that designers were just trying to meet the growing demands.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dsijynxrG/

    Here is her complete look, minus the mask.

  • Quiz: Which Iftaari favourite are you?

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  • Lockdown, you still there?

    Lockdown, you still there?

    As per authorities, a lockdown is not only in place in Pakistan but has also been extended.

    Yet, there is no lockdown.

    We all know that when the federal and provincial governments imposed restrictions all across the country to curb the spread of coronavirus –COVID-19 –, most people followed the rules and stayed indoors. Less traffic was seen on the roads and consequently, the air quality became much better. But most importantly, the lockdown to some extent served its actual purpose in helping the authorities control coronavirus.

    Then in mid-April, the government announced that while the lockdown had been extended, some industries and shops ccould re-open. This led to ulema announcing that they too would reopen mosques and offer Taraweeh during the holy month of Ramzan. The government finally held negotiations with religious scholars and an accord was signed, as per which all mosques would have to follow 20 SOPs to remain open.

    A few days before Ramzan, senior doctors in Karachi held an urgent and heart-wrenching press conference. They said that after the lockdown was eased, a 40 per cent spike in coronavirus cases had been recorded from April 16-21. A 40 per cent increase in just five days. Imagine! The following day, senior doctors in Lahore also held a similar press conference and urged the government to consider imposing a stricter lockdown for the next two weeks.

    All this came amid the government’s realisation of the fact that the number of cases in Pakistan is likely to increase by mid-May. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief also warned of this in his press conference.

    In view of what the medical community was saying, the Sindh government on Thursday night decided to go back to their old SOPs of allowing just 3-5 people — mosque administration — to offer prayers at mosques. The rest of the country has allowed resumption of congregational prayers due to Ramzan. Apparently, not all mosques are following the agreed-upon SOPs. According to a survey conducted by the Pattan Development Organisation and published by Dawn, more than 80 per cent of mosques in Punjab and the federal capital did not put in place the measures agreed upon by the government and ulema regarding first Taraweeh congregations on Friday.

    The government will eventually have to reconsider this relaxation in lockdown. We understand that the economic downturn due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown was something the government was worried about and rightly so. The choice between saving the economy and an increase in coronavirus cases is difficult. But we will have to make a choice. Pakistan has crossed 13,000 cases. The number of deaths is also slowly increasing. We must remain vigilant.

    An aside: In his dua during Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s telethon to raise funds for coronavirus relief, Maulana Tariq Jamil came under fire for criticising media. He later apologised when different anchors conducted shows against what he had said, but what he didn’t apologise for and what was not even highlighted much either, was how he correlated women and ‘behayai’ (vulgarity) and then said this ‘azaab’ is a result of the vices that exist in our society.

    Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari rightly pointed out in a tweet that it was “absurd for anyone under any guise to even suggest the COVID-19 pandemic was a result of women wearing short sleeves or because of private schools/universities misleading the youth. This simply reflects either ignorance abt pandemics or a misogynist mindset. Absolutely unacceptable.”

    In a country where thousands of women are killed in the name of honour annually, where domestic abuse is on the rise, where crimes against women keep increasing instead of decreasing, blaming women for a pandemic is unacceptable.