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  • Punjab govt to give monthly stipend to transgender persons

    Punjab govt to give monthly stipend to transgender persons

    The Punjab government has decided to pay a monthly stipend to transgender persons under a new programme by its social protection authority.

    As per reports, this was announced by Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan while talking to the media with Punjab Social Protection Authority Vice Chairperson Jamal Nasir Cheema in Lahore.

    Transgender people are a part of society and will be given a monthly stipend, she said.

    Dr Firdous said that the ‘Ehsaas Punjab Masawaat Programme’ was a unique programme under which transgender people were being facilitated.

    Read More: Pakistan’s first transgender-only madrasa breaking barriers

    She told that under this programme, disabled transgender persons between the age of 18 and 40 were giving Rs2,000 per month, while transgender persons above 40 years were paid with Rs3,000 per month.

    She said that the government is prioritising the less privileged section of society in all its projects.

    She said that CM Usman Buzdar announced a package of Rs9 billion in Bhakkar and brought the people of Bhakkar in the mainstream of development.

  • Tiger Woods opens up about his ‘painful’ experience in rehab

    Tiger Woods opens up about his ‘painful’ experience in rehab

    Tiger Woods has opened up about his “painful” experience in rehab following a near-fatal car crash back in February.

    “This has been an entirely different animal,” Tiger told Golf Digest on May 27. “I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced.”

    According to details, one doctor who treated the 45-year-old athlete said that he suffered extensive injuries in his leg and foot, which required serious surgery.

    A crash report later revealed that Tiger was also “knocked unconscious, laceration to the lower front jaw, bruised right and left rib cage, fractured right tibia and fibula, possible right ankle injury.” He spent time in two different hospitals before returning to Florida to recover.

    “My physical therapy has been keeping me busy. I do my routines every day and am focused on my number one goal right now: walking on my own. Taking it one step at a time,” he explained, noting that the support from both friends and fans has been “incredible … I have had so much support from people both inside and outside of golf, which means so much to me and has helped tremendously.”

    Earlier in April, Tiger was spotted for the first time since the accident, rocking a leg brace and crutches as he returned to the golf course. He flashed a big smile as he posed next to his “rehab partner,” his dog Bugs. “My course is coming along faster than I am,” wrote Tiger. “But it’s nice to have a faithful rehab partner, man’s best friend.”

  • Seven Royal scandals that will shock you to the core

    Seven Royal scandals that will shock you to the core

    The British Royal Family never fails to astonish or amuse the world by being the talk of the town – whether it is the latest Martin Bashir BBC scandal or Prince Harry’s shocking confessions on The Me You Can’t See. Interestingly, these are not the only scandals that have rocked the royal family.

    Here’s an exclusive list of a few more Royal scandals, which you may or may not have seen in The Crown:

    1. In 1981, Queen Elizabeth survived an assassination attempt by a ‘mentally disturbed youth’ while touring New Zealand according to Royal historian Ted Powell. The 17-year-old tried to aim a bullet at the Queen while she was exiting the car.

    2. Prince Charles and Diana’s 1988 Canada tour produced quite an international buzz as the couple’s pictures resurfacing on media clearly showed signs of marital tensions. Especially, the picture of Diana alone in Taj Mahal didn’t sit well with Royal fans.

    3. Princess Kate’s light fabric dress got her into trouble during a 2016 Indian tour when the Duchess was photographed with her dress exposing too much of her lower body due to strong winds. Historian Powell believes that Queen Elizabeth got weights sewed in her dress to present “such embarrassments”.

    4. Prince Charles had been physically intimate with a model during his Australian tour of 1979. The bachelor indulged in the intimacy while taking a morning jog near the beach.

    5. Prince Philip told a British student that he might go home ‘slitty eyed’ if he prolonged his Chinese tour in 1986 any longer. The remark was internationally criticised on the grounds of communal insensitivity.

    6. Prince Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth, tipped and fell on her official tour to Channel Island in 2007. As reported by Express UK, to an officer’s gesture of help, the Princess replied: “Don’t do that, grabbing me around my .. won’t help.”

    7. The ex-member of the Royal family was photographed playing ‘strip pool’ in Las Vegas while he was on military leave. The Me You Can’t See producer had his hands laden with crown jewels signifying extravagance.

  • Minal Khan remembers late father in new pictures from baat paki

    Minal Khan remembers late father in new pictures from baat paki

    Minal Khan has shared new family photos from her baat paki with Ahsan Mohsin Ikram and remembered her late father.

    “Baba is not in the pictures but I know he’s around. Always watching, protecting us and celebrating with us,” Minal wrote while sharing the pictures on Instagram.

    The actor further added how she wished he would be part of her big day. “I wish woh houtey or Ahsan se miltey.”

    “These pictures are from my baat pakki with my lovely family MashaAllah,” wrote Minal.

    The news of Aiman and Minal’s father, Mubeen Khan, passing away was reported on the last day of 2020, and since then it has come as a heavy loss for the sisters, who were known to be extremely close to their father and came from a close-knit family.

    Ahsan also shared a family photo on Instagram, saying: “Meet my beautiful family.”

    After months of teasing fans with loved-up pictures and a secret engagement, Minal and Ahsan Mohsin had made things official on May 18, sharing pictures from their baat paki on social media.

  • Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt awarded joint custody of children

    Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt awarded joint custody of children

    Brangelina court drama has reached its climax as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been granted joint custody of their children. The couple has six children: Maddox,19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14 and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

    John Ouderkirk, the private judge hired to supervise the case has finally provided a decision on the dragged court battle which began in 2016 as the couple filed for divorce. BBC News reported that the ruling would “significantly increase” Pitt’s time with children.

    Maddox, the eldest, is not legally bound to the court decision.

    According to reports, Jolie is furious with the decision and will “continue the legal fight because the decision is tentative”. Jolie also has “other issues of concern” apart from joint custody and plans to challenge the court decision.

    The court battle was stretched out over several months and involved testimonies and inputs from various witnesses, therapists and experts to reach a conclusive decision. However, Jolie was furious at the judge for not allowing the children to testify in court.

    Pitt was investigated on charges of attempted child abuse which he successfully cleared out of.

    Jolie, 45, and Pitt, 57, have been embroiled in a bitter custody and divorce battle since Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, ending their jet-setting, movie star lifestyle together that made them one of Hollywood’s superstar couples. Speaking to Vogue last year, Jolie had revealed that she parted ways with Pitt for the “wellbeing” of her family.

    Read more – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s eldest son testifies against father in court

    Soon after the couple’s split, it was revealed that Pitt was being investigated by the FBI and child welfare services in Los Angeles, related to reports he got “verbally abusive and physical with his children” on a private jet returning from Europe. A number of reports claimed that Maddox was the main focus of Pitt’s aggression on the flight. However, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services cleared Pitt in November 2016 after investigating the actor.

    Despite Pitt confessing about quitting drinking and smoking marijuana in 2017, Jolie still did not abandon legal accusations against him.

    Brangelina met on the set of the 2005 blockbuster Mr and Mrs Smith and tied the knot in 2014.

  • Kissing couple outrages Pakistanis more than rape of minor Christian girl

    Editor’s note: According to reports, the Sunita Masih rape case did not take place and was started on social media. The Current has carried reactions by people to the story. Moreover, according to The Current’s own tally of cases, in the past seven months, more than 350 minors have been allegedly raped as reported in the news.

    On May 25, the news of a couple kissing in a flight that was going from Karachi to Islamabad blew up on social media and people expressed their anger over the public display of affection. The hashtag #airbluekissing is still trending, days later.

    On May 25, the news of Sunita Masih, a 14-year-old Christian girl, who was gang-raped in Faisalabad made it to mainstream and social media. As per details, Sunita was abducted and gang-raped. She was allegedly asked to convert to Islam and upon refusal, she was physically tortured.

    People, divided on social media, are asking why the ‘kissing incident’ is receiving more attention and flak on social media than the news of Sunita who was targeted in the most heinous way.

    “Airline mein PDA couple ke liye Islam jaag gaya tha. Sunita Masih ke lye Islam kyun nahi jaag raha?”, wrote one Twitter user, questioning the hypocrisy of people who are more outraged by PDA than the rape of a minor girl.

  • How to beat the heat without AC

    How to beat the heat without AC

    Summers have officially unleashed their wrath in Pakistan with temperatures soaring leaving people dehydrated and feeling very hot. Not everyone has the option of an air conditioner and even if they do, many might prefer to save some money on your electricity bill or care about the environmental impact. Here are a few suggestions for staying cool, even without AC.

    Stay hydrated

    When you’re hot and exhausted, hydrating yourself is the first and foremost step to cooling down. Try to drink as much water as you can and stay hydrated.

    Take a cold shower using peppermint soap

    You can take your cold shower experience to the next level by using peppermint products. The menthol in peppermint products activates brain receptors that convey whether something you’re eating or feeling is cold. Taking a cold shower generally helps cool your body by lowering your core temperature.

    Read more – Six tips to manage self-isolation anxiety

    Use heat-blocking curtains

    One of the best ways to keep your home cool in the summer is to keep the sun out and give the hot air somewhere to go. One should consider using some heat-blocking curtains or chics to block the heat. Once the temperature starts to get a little cooler outside, open those curtains and let the warm air out. 

    Consume summer drinks

    Drink fresh juices and you can add Tukhm-e-Balanga (Basil Seeds), Gond katira or sattu in your drink to stay cool and hydrated.

    Use the exhaust fan in your kitchen and/or bathroom

    Turn on the exhaust fan in your kitchen to let the hot air out that rises after you cook or in your bathroom to draw out steam after you bath.

  • ‘Didn’t meet Tareen,’ Shahzad Akbar and Ali Zafar deny allegations

    ‘Didn’t meet Tareen,’ Shahzad Akbar and Ali Zafar deny allegations

    Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Advisor on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Wednesday denied reports that he had met disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT).

    Both Shahzad Akbar and Barrister Ali Zafar denied having a joint meeting with Tareen in Islamabad, which was claimed by Raja Riaz, a member of the JKT group.

    Akbar took to Twitter to categorically deny he met Tareen.

    “Contrary to reports/statements on media, there has been no meeting with JKT. Barrister Ali Zafar has already denied any report being associated with him on the issue of pending FIA investigations,” tweeted Akbar.

    “PM Imran Khan’s commitment with the process of accountability and justice remains unshakable,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Senator Ali Zafar said he had meetings with Tareen but did not see him in the presence of Akbar on Tuesday.

    Raja Riaz also claimed that the one-man committee constituted by PM has given a clean chit to Jahangir Tareen.

    “Barrister Zafar had briefed advisor to the prime minister on accountability Shahzad Akbar and Jahangir Tareen in a meeting on Tuesday in Islamabad on his findings of the sugar scam probe. Zafar told them that Tareen had not been found guilty of the charges framed by the FIA Lahore,” said Riaz.

    Barrister Ali Zafar denied this news as well.

    “Some persons/media are busy guessing on what my findings in JKT (Jahangir Khan Tareen) turn out to be. Let me make it clear that there is no report submitted by me,” tweeted Zafar.

    “Any findings, not necessarily in writing, shall be purely internal to the PTI and have no legal value or status nor can the same have any relevance to or affect pending inquiries/investigations against the sugar barons or Tareen,” Zafar said in a series of tweets on Wednesday.

    “I have been tasked to see into complaints of JKT and will be making my recommendations directly and only to the PM once I conclude,” tweeted Zafar.

    The FIA had registered two FIRs against Jahangir Tareen and his son Ali Tareen under Rs5 billion money laundering and fraud charges in the sugar ‘scam’. Both are on interim bail till May 31.

    Last month, PM Khan had formed a one-man committee comprising Barrister Ali Zafar to ascertain whether there was any truth to the concerns that some people holding key positions in the government and the PTI were politically victimising Tareen.

  • Bill to make marriage of 18-year-olds mandatory will be ‘bulldozed’ by PPP, says Bakhtawar

    Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari has said that the Sindh compulsory marriage act, 2021 will be bulldozed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and that the bill has nothing to do with the Sindh Government.

    “[The bill has] nothing to do with Sindh Government but will be bulldozed by PPP,” wrote Bakhtawar in a tweet.

    In a sperate tweet, Bakhtawar clarified that the bill has been proposed by an MPA from Jamat-e-Islami (JI).

    The proposed bill seeks to make it mandatory for parents to marry off their children as soon as they turn 18. The proposed bill also states that parents who do not have any justified reason for the delay in the marriage of an adult will be fined.

    However, the bill is unlikely to be passed but the proposed bill got a massive reaction from social media with most people criticising it.

  • PSL 6 faces flight delays, logistical problems

    PSL 6 faces flight delays, logistical problems

    Sixth edition of Pakistan Super League is facing flight delays and logistical problems are being discussed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with the franchise owners.

    PSL contingent of 233 participants including players, support staff, broadcasting crew and PCB officials are still in Lahore and Karachi hotels after another delay in flight. The flight to Abu Dhabi has been delayed thrice in the last 36 hours which is brewing confusion, however, PCB has informed in the latest update that flights from Karachi and Lahore will leave at 5 pm today.

    The 25 PSL participants in Lahore and Karachi hotels haven’t got their visas and are still inside the bio-secure bubble.

    Read more – Wasim Akram is losing his mind as he quarantines for PSL6

    There was an urgent meeting called earlier today between PCB and franchises owners. In the online meeting, the franchise stakeholders were informed about the delay of South Africa and India’s technical staff chartered flights and PCB reiterated its resolve to solve all impending issues, taking all concerned into confidence. The backup plan of moving matches to Sharjah was also reportedly brought up in the meeting.

    In a statement issued after the meeting, the PCB said the franchises were updated on the unanticipated delays in the grant of landing permissions for chartered flights from India and South Africa.

    “The PCB is exploring all possible solutions to overcome these hurdles,” the statement read, adding that flights from Karachi and Lahore will depart today as per schedule.

    Reportedly, the broadcast crew from India and South Africa was not given permission to land in Abu Dhabi and now the PCB will make alternative arrangements and officials from those countries which are not on the red list will be engaged for the league.

    “The visas of at least  four individuals are still awaited and they will depart for Abu Dhabi later.”

    The statement added that holding the remaining 20 PSL matches was proving difficult under the current circumstances.

    According to a report, another  meeting of the PCB and franchise owners will be held in the evening.

    This is the third time the players and officials’ departure for the UAE has been postponed.

    The flight was previously scheduled to leave for the UAE at 8:00 am on Wednesday, which was later rescheduled to Thursday, 3 pm.

    And now the players and officials present at the hotels in Karachi and Lahore will fly for the UAE at 5pm.

    Former Pakistan cricketer and commentator Ramiz Raja had said that they will leave for the airport at 3pm.

    “Lot of speculations regarding the PSL on TV news channels. Latest on PSL travel is that we are moving out from the hotel at 3pm to go to the airport. So all is good.”

    Meanwhile, players and other staff have checked out from the hotel in Karachi and have departed for the airport.