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  • Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo slams false claims

    Messi wins record seventh Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo slams false claims

    The Paris Saint Germain (PSG) star Lionell Messi has grabbed another record seventh Ballon d’Or on Monday night.

    Messi, 34, effectively retained the trophy he last won in 2019 — controversially, the award was not handed out by France Football last year because of the coronavirus pandemic — after a year in which he ended his long wait for an international honour, winning the Copa América with Argentina, and left Barcelona, the club where he had spent all of his career, for Paris St.-Germain.

    “It’s incredible to be here again,” Messi said. “Two years ago I thought it was the last time. Winning the Copa América was the key.”

    “I don’t know how many years I have left,” he added, “but I hope many more.”

    The Argentinian footballer also took to his Instagram to express his joy on winning the award again. He also thanked people who supported him.

    Messi finished with 613 points in the voting, only 33 more than the runner-up, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. In 2019, the last time the trophy was awarded, Messi beat Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk by only seven points.

    Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at the editor of France Football who claimed the Manchester United forward’s only ambition is to “retire with more Ballons d’Or than Lionel Messi”.

    Ferré told the New York Times: “Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d’Or [awards] than Messi. I know because he has told me.”

    However, Ronaldo has disputed that version of events and took to Instagram to claim that Ferré “lied” during the interview.

  • Much-talked Harry Potter festival begins at Government College University in Lahore

    Much-talked Harry Potter festival begins at Government College University in Lahore

    The famous fantasy novel character Harry Potter festival has begun at the Government College University (GCU).

    The one-week festival kicked off yesterday (November 29) with the grand release and screening of Pakistan’s first Harry Potter fan movie titled ‘The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort’.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is gggg.jpg

    The university will hold the festival till December 5. The Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi of the university has enthusiastically taken part in all the promotional videos. He said, “Our youth has immense potential and we just need to provide them opportunities, little guidance and support.”

    The movie is based on the years after Lord Voldemort’s death. Waleed Akram, who is a director, editor and cinematographer revealed that they started working on this project in 2018 but it got delayed due to Covid-19. He said they are premiering an updated version of the film after re-shooting.

    Other than the screening of movies, the festival includes Harry Potter experiential space, Harry Potter-themed food stalls, face paint and posters, photo booths and much more.

    The teaser of this non-commercial movie is making rounds on social media gaining attention from the youngsters.

  • Elon Musk praises Indian talent as Indian takes over Twitter

    Elon Musk praises Indian talent as Indian takes over Twitter

    Billionaire Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla Motors, took to Twitter to share his admiration for the Indian talent that contributed to America’s economy as Jack Dorsey (CEO) of Twitter stepped down and announced his successor, Indian Parag Agrawal.

    Last night, Dorsey announced his resignation on Twitter and confirmed that his replacement was Indian-born Parag Agrawal. Dorsey will remain a member of the board until his term expires in May 2022 and assist Parag with the transition.

    A 37-year-old immigrant from India, Agrawal joined Twitter in 2011 as a Software Engineer and was later promoted to Chief Technical Officer (CTO) in 2017. While working as CTO, he worked as in-charge of strategy involving Artificial Intelligence, reports CNBC.

    A colleague of Agrawal, Chklovski, who worked with him from 2012 to 2014 said, “Parag is phenomenal, understands the problems, stays up late to get it done, mentors others — he’s the whole package.”

    Yoel Roth who is Twitter’s head of site integrity, tweeted, “Parag was one of the first engineers I worked with when I started at Twitter (when we were first working on timeline ranking). The rigor he brings to every decision was clear then, and I’m delighted to see it recognized today.”

    https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1465360091348041731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1465360091348041731%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2021%2F11%2F29%2Ftwitter-ceo-parag-agrawal-key-to-dorseys-plans-to-revamp-social-media.html

    Apart from Twitter, five giant companies Google, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Palo Alto Networks have been headed currently by Indian-origin immigrants.

  • ‘Schedule a dental appointment’ with the President of Pakistan

    ‘Schedule a dental appointment’ with the President of Pakistan

    President Dr Arif Alvi’s son, Dr Awab Alvi, recently took to Twitter to announce that his family business, Alvi Dental, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bringing Smiles USA. 

    With the president in attendance, a debate started amongst netizens questioning if it was a direct conflict of interest for Alvi to be a president and promote the family business as well.

    After receiving backlash from Twitterati, Dr Awab Alvi clarified that his father had resigned from the family business after he became president.

    “The President resigned from Alvi Dental when he became President. This venture is between me & my Pakistani US diaspora dentist-alumnus friend,” tweeted Awab.

    Awab further tweeted, “President encourages all startups much smaller than ours & is on record to have hosted a startup in dentistry at Presidency last year.”

    However, when we checked the official website of “Alvi Dentals”, the president is still enlisted as a dentist and part of the Alvi Dental team. The website also provides an option to “schedule an appointment” with the president.

    Screengrab from the official website of Alvi Dental

    The Current talked to Shiagan Ijaz, a Lahore-based lawyer, to know if the matter was a conflict of interest for the president. “Yes, the perception that is being created very much puts the present scenario as a conflict of interest for the president.”

    “Even if it was a private venture, the president was present there, which certainly gives the impression and can be perceived as misuse of his office. So there has been a misuse of his authority here,” said Shaighan.

    The presidential oath also says, “As a President of Pakistan, I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct.”

  • Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Foreign Minister (FM) of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi has announced that Pakistan fully endorses Saudi Arabia’s move to request an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the current Afghanistan situation after the Taliban takeover.

    Qureshi said, “Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan,” he said stressing that, “today, our Afghan brothers and sisters need us more than ever before.”

    In a video message, shared by the Foreign Office (FO), the minister also announced that Pakistan has offered to host the meeting in Islamabad on December 17.

    Saudi Arabia also made the call for the session on the same day, as per the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

    According to the minister, the arrival of winter has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn country. ​He emphasised the need for the OIC to “step in to help our Afghan brothers.”

    According to Qureshi, the first extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Islamabad in January 1980, also on the situation in Afghanistan at that time.

    “Next month, we would, once again, gather in Islamabad, to reaffirm our abiding solidarity with and support to the Afghan people,” Qureshi concluded.

    Since the Taliban takeover, the country has been facing obstacles in the face of violations of human rights and economic collapse.

  • ’90’s called, their sofa is missing’: Netizens disapprove Priyanka’s look for British fashion awards

    ’90’s called, their sofa is missing’: Netizens disapprove Priyanka’s look for British fashion awards

    Priyanka Chopra and husband Nick Jonas took to the red carpet at the British Fashion Awards 2021 on Tuesday morning. Priyanka wore a floral jumpsuit which featured an extravagant matching coat and train. Her husband Nick opted for a black suit. The couple also had their fare share of cute PDA moments on the red carpet. Chopra was all smiles when Nick took the time out to fix her dress.

    Social media is going crazy over the chemistry of the couple. However, some people did not like Priyanka’s floral outfit.

    Have a look at the reactions:

     Priyanka recently spoke about her marriage while sharing a video of her roast session from The Jonas Brothers Family Roast which premiered on Netflix on November 23.

    Read more- Are Priyanka and Nick expecting? Priyanka’s statement leaves husband stunned

    During her roast, Priyanka also talked about having kids with Nick and said that they are the only couple who do not have any kids. Nick’s brothers Kevin Jonas has two daughters, and Joe Jonas also shares a daughter with his wife Sophie Turner.

    Read more-Are Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas splitting up?

    Earlier, Priyanka caught the attention of the social media users fueling the rumours of an alleged divorce, by removing her husband Nick Jonas’ last name from her Instagram profile. However, the rumours died after multiple public appearances by the couple.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reviews Khel Khel Mein

    EXCLUSIVE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reviews Khel Khel Mein

    Khel Khel Mein starring Bilal Abbas Khan and Sajal Aly is the the first Pakistani film to release post the pandemic and it has brought life back to cinemas which were witnessing a lull for the last two years.  The film is based on true events and is set on the backdrop of a university group investigating the ‘secrets’ of 1971’s liberation of East Pakistan.

    The special screening of the movie was held last night (Monday) in Islamabad. Notable personalities including President of Pakistan Arif Alvi, First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Faisal Javed Khan graced the event.

    Read more- Bilal-Sajal’s ‘Khel Khel Mein’ brings back life to cinemas, mints 2.5 crores at the box-office

    The movie has been receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The Current reached out to Fawad Chaudhry to find out what he has to say about the newly released movie.

    The minister said that what he liked most about the movie is the choice of topic as not much work has been done on the tragedy that took place in 1971. “Still millions of people are stuck in Karachi, Lahore and Dhaka and no one has talked about them, so this movie talks about them,” said the minister.

    Read more- IN PICTURES: Khel Khel Mein’s star-studded premiere in Karachi

    “It’s a sensitive subject and they [movie makers] have made the movie in a very balanced way,” says Fawad.

    Fawad continued by praising the production quality of movie saying, “Cinematography, direction and sets are really good.” He concluded by saying, “It is a worth watch movie.”

    The movie was released on November 19. The historical drama is directed by Nabeel Quershi.

  • ‘Affidavit was sealed, don’t know how it was leaked’: Rana Shamim’s response on Saqib Nisar

    ‘Affidavit was sealed, don’t know how it was leaked’: Rana Shamim’s response on Saqib Nisar

    The former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim on Tuesday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the affidavit he had signed accusing former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar was leaked.

    “My affidavit was sealed and only [kept] with my family. I don’t know how it was leaked,” said Rana Shamim.

    Chief Justice IHC Justice Athar Minallah had previously taken notice of the story published in The News, in which Judge Shamim in a signed affidavit wrote that he was a witness to Nisar giving directions to a high court judge, not to release Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections. The report was written by senior journalist Ansar Abbasi.

    IHC judge had directed the ex-judge to submit his response.

    Presiding over the hearing, Justice Minallah said the case was related to his court and its accountability, adding, that the judiciary’s freedom was dependent on the freedom of the press.

    Justice Minallah asked Shamim whether he had submitted his response as asked by the court earlier to which the latter replied that there had been a tragedy in his family and requested the court to give him time till December 12 and schedule the next hearing after that.

    The IHC chief justice gave Shamim five days to submit his written response.

    “I have not yet seen my affidavit,” the ex-GB judge informed the court.

    “You must have recorded the affidavit for some purpose. You will inform in the written response how the affidavit was revealed after three years,” pressed IHC judge, inquiring whether Shamim had given the affidavit or not.

    Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan, who was also present in today’s hearing, requested the court to direct Shamim to present the “original” affidavit in the IHC, stating, “This case is related to Article 19 and Article 19-A of the Constitution. The media’s role is secondary, responsibility lies on Rana Shamim.”

    “Maybe his son leaked the affidavit,” he contended, referring to Ahmed Hassan Rana, Shamim’s son and lawyer.

    Shamim said he had only one son, reiterating that he had not seen the affidavit himself.

    At this, Justice Minallah directed Shamim to submit his affidavit in court.

    When Shamim sought time to submit the affidavit, the AGP countered that the document was not 10 years old.

    The former GB chief judge repeated his statement that he had not seen the affidavit, and read it in the news report published.

    “Does he not remember [what happened on] November 10? If he has not written [the affidavit], who has?” the AGP questioned. “Every day is very important,” he added, referring to Shamim’s requests for more time.

    The IHC chief justice remarked that he does “not believe in contempt of court”, adding that judges should be held in higher regard.

    “Rana Shamim’s statement today has further complicated the case. Judges should not be used for political narratives,” said Minallah.

    The IHC adjourned proceedings of the case till December 7.

  • Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan beats Bangladesh in first Test with a convincing win

    Pakistan has beaten Bangladesh in the first Test match of the two-match series by 8 wickets in Chittagong on Tuesday.

    Courtesy of openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique, the Pakistan opening pair formed a 151-run opening stand before Shafique was dismissed on 73. Meanwhile, Abid Ali fell short of his fourth Test century by 9 runs as Taijul Islam caught the Pakistan batter in front of the wickets.

    The openers capitalised on their century partnership and took it further to 151 runs before Abdullah was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan.

    Earlier, resuming Day 4 at 39/4, overnight batter Mushfiqur Rahim (16) was bowled by pacer Hassan Ali and the hosts lost their fifth wicket with the lead still being under 100. Yasir Ali had to retire, hurt after playing a knock of 36 and this brought Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan together at the crease.

    Shaheen Shah Afridi went on to take five wickets as Bangladesh was bowled out for 157, setting a 202-run target for the visitors.

    Meanwhile, leading the way to the win, Babar Azam and Azhar Ali sealed the deal for the side with a winning partnership and with back-to-back boundaries, Pakistan takes a 1-0 lead.

    Pakistan stands on 24 points on the points table of the ICC World Test Championship.

    Abid Ali bagged the Player of the Match award after his prolific innings against the hosts in Chittagong.

    Meanwhile, in the post-match ceremony, skipper Babar Azam said: “The way Bangladesh played in the first innings that was really good but Shaheen and Hassan were outstanding. That’s the beauty of Test cricket that it allows you to make a comeback. We didn’t have much time to prepare for the Test but we gave our best. I am really pleased with the way Abdullah Shafique built his innings. Abid Ali was outstanding, scoring tough runs to pull the team out from difficult position.”

  • Twitterati say President Alvi promoting own family business is ‘conflict of interest’

    President Dr Arif Alvi’s son, Awab Alvi took to Twitter to announce that Alvi Dental [ a family business] signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bringing Smiles Unites States of America (USA).

    He further added, “[We will] open a chain of dental practices, bring affordable dental care to Pakistan with no compromise in quality of treatment or sterilisation but focus on the best treatment possible at affordable rates.”

    President Alvi congratulating his son tweeted, “Congratulations @DrAwab Wish you success in this collaboration with your friends who are also bringing in foreign investment.”

    In the picture shared on Twitter, president Alvi along with his wife can be seen standing along with their son as he signs the MoU.

    Reacting to the news, Twitter reminded the president of a conflict of interest that this promotion has with his holding the position he does in Pakistan.

    Journalist Adil Shahzeb took to Twitter and wrote, “As a President of Pakistan, I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct.”

    Journalist Waseem Abbasi tweeted, “Is [it] not [a] conflict of interest for the President to promote his family business in official capacity??”

    Journalist Bashir Chaudhry tweeted, “Keep in mind that the private business function of the President was held at Governor House, Sindh.”

    A Twitter user wrote, “Why is this guy using a public office for his personal matters?”

    Adeel a Twitter user wrote, “@ImranKhanPTI sir, with all due respect how is that even legal? Personal business is thriving under the supervision of excellency?”