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  • WHO praises Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccination arrangements

    WHO praises Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccination arrangements

    World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala on Wednesday praised Pakistan’s efforts for coronavirus vaccination.

    “I appreciate efforts of the Government of Pakistan for rolling out COVID-19 vaccination including vaccination of foreigners in the National Vaccine Deployment Plan and making excellent arrangements at the vaccination centres across Pakistan, with COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place.”

    Pakistan started the COVID-19 vaccination drive of people in the age group 50-59 today (April 21). Registrations for those 50 and above commenced on March 30. Those who haven’t registered can send their CNIC number to 1166 to register or can register online.

    Read more – Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi, Lahore

    Pakistan is likely to receive two million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China by April 24.

    As per reports, the country will receive the vaccination batch on April 21 (today) and out of those two million doses, 1.5 million would be purchased from China while 500,000 doses would be gifted to Pakistan from the neighbouring country.

  • Sarah Khan adds fuel to pregnancy rumours with cryptic post

    Sarah Khan adds fuel to pregnancy rumours with cryptic post

    After Falak Shabbir hinted that he and Sarah Khan are expecting a baby, Sarah has added more fuel by sharing a cryptic post.

    Sharing a picture of a pink rose and an Ayat from the Quran which talks about “offspring”, Sarah has left fans even more confused. While the actor did not explain her post further, many are convinced that this is Sarah’s way of confirming the news of her pregnancy.

    Sarah had earlier been hospitalised last week due to ill health. Her manager had confirmed to The Current that the actor has contracted typhoid due to which she had to be admitted to the hospital.

    Later in a short video clip, Khan had informed her fans that she has returned home from the hospital and is doing better.

  • PTV, PTV Sports to turn HD, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Fawad Chaudhry, who was reappointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting in a recent cabinet shuffle, has shared his plans on what he plans to do under his ministry.

    “The process that started in 2018 to initiate reforms in the Information Ministry is being resumed,” said Chaudhry in a tweet, adding that the project to make Pakistan Television HD will be completed by June 1.

    In addition to this, work on making PTV Sports HD is also in progress.

    Chaudhry further said an English channel will be launched soon and that reforms to digitize the Associate Press of Pakistan (APP) are underway.

    Chaudhry further said that the revival of the film and drama industry is his ministry’s “first priority” and that production work on the biographies of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Tipu Sultan is under process.

    Young film and drama makers will be given loans up to 5 crore under ‘Nujawan Program’ to facilitate the revival of the industry.

    “Journalists associated with print and electronic media will be provided with personal houses under Prime Minister’s housing project, and health cards will be also provided,” said Fawad, assuring to resolve the non-payment of salaries issues of journalists.

    The Minister also extended his support toward Digital Media saying that “we will give them full support.”

    Meanwhile, Fawad also said that a digital recording of the National Anthem is under process.

  • In a first, Saudi Arabia appoints women security guards at Grand Mosque

    In a first, Saudi Arabia appoints women security guards at Grand Mosque

    The Saudi Ministry of Interior has introduced historic reforms, appointing female security officers for the first time at the Grand Mosque.

    Pictures shared by the ministry show the women guards in security uniforms taking care of the safety of worshippers and pilgrims while ensuring all precautionary measures were being complied with.

    “From the field, security of Hajj and Umrah,” wrote the Ministry in the caption.

    Read more – Saudi Arabia will only allow vaccinated pilgrims to perform Umrah

    Saudi Arabia’s recent move to allow women to climb the ranks in its internal security forces is one of the new reforms endorsed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz to advance women’s rights in the country.

    Under his Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi women will be provided with several opportunities to participate in various disciplines and in roles previously allowed only to men.

  • Ali Safina responds to criticism on character in ‘Chupke Chupke’

    Ali Safina responds to criticism on character in ‘Chupke Chupke’

    Ali Safina has responded to the criticism on a character he is playing in a Hum TV’s special Ramzan series Chupke Chupke.

    When a social media user asked Safina how he feels about the criticism on his role of a ghar damad, the actor said: “Bhai jab Miskeen bhai apni family k saath khush hai to logon ko kya fikar hai? Chill karein sab and enjoy the show (If Miskeen is happy with his family then why are people worried? Chill and enjoy the drama).”

    Safina’s character has sparked a heated debate on social media with many saying that the drama is showing sons-in-law in poor light. Safina, who plays Miskeen is married to Gul (Mira Sethi) and lives in his wife’s house with her family. His duty is to look after the kitchen and to do all the other house chores.

    Miskeen’s in-laws and wife never leave a chance to insult him and mock him for being “useless” and only a burden to the family. Some viewers are unhappy with this problematic portrayal of a ghar damad.

    Earlier, Osman Khalid Butt had justified the character saying that Miskeen is ridiculed because he refuses to work even though he has an opportunity to join the family business.

    “And while he’s played for broad comedy, has his own arc,” he had added.

    Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry and directed by Danish Nawaz, Chupke Chupke is a comic caper involving two families. It also features Ayeza Khan, Asma Abbas, Farhan Ali Agha, Aymen Saleem, Arsalan Naseer, Mira Sethi and Tara Mahmood besides Butt and Safina.

  • VIDEO: Man plays violin while paragliding to overcome fear

    VIDEO: Man plays violin while paragliding to overcome fear

    A musician who was scared to go paragliding for the first time played violin while in the air to steady his nerves.

    Fikret Eren, who teaches violin, brought his violin to distract himself from his fear and played his violin midair to soothe his first flight nerves.

    Eren’s friend Semih Er who is a professional paraglider invited him to visit the skies for the first time in a tandem paragliding session.

    Read more – Man steals car after test drive, demands money to reveal location

    Eren said he was scared about taking his first flight when his friend suggested him to play the violin to distract himself during his flight.

    Eren brought his violin along to play the instrument high over the province of Kayseri in Turkey.

    Er said Eren overcame his fear and is now ready to enroll in a class to get his own paragliding license.

  • ‘Ban on TLP will be reversed’: Ali Muhammad Khan

    Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan has said that Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said in a meeting that after following a process, the ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Saad Rizvi will be reversed. This comes after the government’s announcement that the ban on TLP will remain intact.

    Talking to anchorperson Adil Shahzeb, Ali Muhammad Khan said that there will be a due legal process in order to reverse the ban on the recently proscribed TLP. When asked about the ban specifically by Adil Shahzeb, he said that it will take some time but will be done eventually. “It cannot be done suddenly. Today we ban it, and tomorrow the ban is lifted is not possible. It will take some time.”

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced on April 14 that the government has taken the decision to ban TLP under Section 11(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

  • George Floyd murder trial: former police officer found guilty

    The murder of a 46-year-old African-American man, George Floyd, on May 25, 2020 led to violent protests across the United States (US) last year. Floyd was killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with his knee. A video of the gruesome incident shows how Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the pavement with his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.

    Today, a jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts: charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

    US President Joe Biden and US Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke with Floyd’s family immediately after the verdict. “At least now there is some justice,” Biden was heard saying. “We’ve been watching every second of this. We are all so relieved.”

    Biden thanked the “young woman with a smartphone camera” who filmed George Floyd’s death. He also thanked the police officers who testified against Chauvin “instead of just closing ranks”.

    Biden said Floyd’s murder “ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see on systemic racism”.

    Former President Barack Obama tweeted that the “jury did the right thing”. He added: “Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied.”

    Floyd’s family celebrated the verdict. “Justice for George means freedom for all,” said his brother Philonise Floyd.

    https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1384621697723207686

    George Floyd told the police officers “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times according to the transcripts of the minutes leading up to his death revealed. Floyd’s words have become a rallying cry against racism around the world.

  • PM Khan posts Bollywood clip to target Opposition, deletes post

    PM Khan posts Bollywood clip to target Opposition, deletes post

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday posted something very interesting on his official Instagram account. Sharing a clip from the Bollywood movie ‘Inquilaab’, which was released in 1984, PM Imran made a point about political parties discrediting their rival political parties in order to replace them.

    ‘It is what has been planned against the PTI govt from day one by the corrupt mafias’, read the caption of the clip posted by the premier. He later deleted the clip from his Instagram account.

    In the clip, Kader Khan and Utpal Dutt are seen planning a sinister move against the government. “We have the right to form a government…In order to form a government, we need to win the elections; to win the elections, we need votes; in order to get these votes, we need people’s confidence. And how do we get the people’s confidence? We will need to take away people’s confidence from the government. Haha. And how do we do that? We will create an environment where we will make them think that this government is incompetent and inefficient. This way the people will be forced to get rid of the government and bring another party in its place. For this we need to create chaos. We need riots, killings, dacoities in cities. We need religious disturbance, sectarian conflict, which renders government incapable of thinking and police is unable to do anything to control the crisis. When all this is happening, we will go out and take out rallies addressing crowds and present ourselves and our party as an option to control this mess.” To this, someone in the party meeting says it is an excellent idea. “We need money for this, which is why we have invited rich businessmen here today to raise it.” Will 50 lakhs be enough, asks one man. To which Kader Khan says that for the time being it’s enough but a politician is like a farmer and politics like a crop. If you invest millions, the return will be in billions, if billions, it can go up to trillions.” Everyone laughs at the end of the clip.

    Watch the video here:

    https://youtu.be/57w1DfCObfI

    The Bollywood film starred Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi.

    When Twitter caught on to the posting of the clip, this is what they had to say.

  • PM Imran wishes Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery

    Prime Minister Imran Khan wished former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery from COVID-19.

    The veteran Congress leader tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

    The 88-year-old was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with fever. Singh remains stable a day after he was admitted.

    Earlier today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tested positive for COVID.

    According to media reports, new COVID-19 cases in India reached more than 270,000 on Monday, a new record. The total cases are now more than 15 million, the second-highest after the US. India reported 1,761 deaths due to the coronavirus today. Pakistan on Monday banned travellers from India due to concerns over Indian variant. Britain also added India to its “red list” of countries. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called off his trip to New Delhi in the wake of the rising coronavirus cases in India.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received severe backlash over the BJP government’s mishandling of the COVID situation in India.