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  • Third COVID-19 wave: 135 deaths in a day set new record for Pakistan in 2021

    Third COVID-19 wave: 135 deaths in a day set new record for Pakistan in 2021

    Pakistan reported its highest number of coronavirus-related deaths so far this year on Wednesday, amid third wave of the pandemic that is putting the country’s health service under extreme strain.

    The government portal keeping track of the outbreak in the country registered 135 deaths in the last 24 hours — up from 118 a day earlier and the highest number of fatalities since June 20 — taking the total number of deaths on the measure to 15,754.

    According to the Ministry of National Health Services (MoNHS) data, 48,092 tests were conducted on Tuesday after which 4,681 people tested positive for the contagion disease. The total number of cases in the country is 734,423.

    Punjab recorded the most deaths during the last 24 hours at 79 followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 49.

    Sindh has been the worst-hit with 269,840 cases followed by Punjab where 255,571 people have been tested positive, the statement said.

    Moreover, over 80% ventilators are occupied across the country with around 700 out of total 5,000+ patients in critical care.

    Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued revised guidelines for the second COVID-19-hit Ramzan to tackle the spread of the virus.

  • Shaniera Akram’s emotional note for husband on being apart is relatable

    Shaniera Akram’s emotional note for husband on being apart is relatable

    Shaniera Akram’s emotional note for Wasim Akram on being away for 145 days is highly relatable if you are someone living away from your family, husband or loved ones.

    Sharing a picture of herself and Wasim, Shaniera said: “145 days we have been apart! The longest ever. Although my heart is breaking everyday I have strength and believe that this world will end its suffering soon as there are those who have lost way more than us. InshAllah we have the love that knows no boundaries.”

    “I pray that everyone stays safe, wears a mask and gets vaccinated as soon as possible so that life can continue as normal,” she said further. “I will do my best to be a good mother, citizen and keep my charity and work to help Pakistan as much as I can from here. My prayers to those during this Holy month of Ramadan who are suffering, struggling, in longing or sadly saying goodbye to loved ones.”

    “Missing you Wasim, more than you could imagine. You are our everything,” added Shaniera.

    Read more – Shaniera Akram heartbroken over plastic mess on the beach

    Shaniera, who is originally from Melbourne, Australia, went to her home city in January and due to the coronavirus pandemic, she could not return to Karachi where she lives with her husband and children.

  • This public service dance by doctors will brighten up your day

    This public service dance by doctors will brighten up your day

    As the world battles against the third wave of COVID-19, people are tired and drained because of the pandemic. Amid this tough time, a group of Indian healthcare workers is bringing smiles to people’s faces with a public service dance.

    Humans of Bombay recently shared a video of a group of doctors dancing to upbeat music while observing COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOPs).

     In the video that has gone viral on social media, the doctors can be seen dancing to a remix of Rasputin by Boney M.

    Read more – Woman dances after getting job, goes viral

    To fight the ongoing pandemic, everyone must act responsibly and follow all the SOPs. Wear a mask and sanitize yourself frequently, practice social distancing and do not go outside unnecessarily.

  • Bilawal Ka Atom Bomb

    Bilawal Ka Atom Bomb









    *|MC:SUBJECT|*

    Good Morning, *|MERGE1|*! It’s Tuesday, April 13th and we lost the match yesterday. I don’t have the attention span to read a book but I love a challenge. I started reading a book called ‘Freedom from the Known’ and it is written by Jiddu Krishnamurti. I was blown away by the clarity of his thought. ?The book challenges beliefs and assumptions and unlike other books, it teaches you HOW to think instead of WHAT to think. Parh kar bataye kaisa laga.? 

    And it will be sunny again. Enjoy your day  

     

    Laila-The Current 

    MORNING MEME
     

    PDM: Done and dusted?

    PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced that the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has called upon its members to resign from all positions of the Pakistan Democratic Movement  

    BBZ said the CEC had decided that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be “like an atom bomb”. 

    Read On

    Protests in different cities

    The traffic flow was disrupted in several major cities of Pakistan yesterday amid the detention of the chief of a religious party by security forces. 

     Reportedly, the government has ordered action against the protesters for blocking highways and main cities access across the country. 

     IA Rehman passes away at 90

    Journalist and veteran human rights activist Ibn Abdur Rehman aka IA Rehman passed away in Lahore at the age of 90 on Monday. 

    He died of old age and high sugar and blood pressure levels, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary-General Harris Khalique said. 
     

    Read On

     Alizeh Shah opens up on her struggles with acne

    “Hello people. Here I am putting my biggest insecurity on display,” wrote Alizeh on social media. “Yes, I have been struggling with acne for quite a long time. A lot of us had this idea that ‘clear skin’ should be the goal but I guess living a happy life with acne is possible.” 

    We have recently seen many Pakistani female celebrities publicly embracing their flaws and that’s a pleasant change. 

     
     

    Read On

    Lahore Junction Railway | Station Secrets of Lahore. ?

    Did you know that Lahore’s Railway Station is the 50th busiest station in the world? For this week’s Secrets of Lahore, Urooj went to explore one of the oldest buildings in the Indian subcontinent. Take a virtual tour of the station to know why the front of the station was designed like a fort and its importance in history. 

    Watch

    On this day: 13 April FIRST BIRD FLU CASE IN BEIJING

     On this day, China’s capital city Beijing reported its first case of the H7N9 bird flu that had been spreading throughout the country. The case was reported with a seven-year-old girl who had been infected with the flu.

    Current Baba’s prediction

     A lot of different possibilities will open up for you today.  

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  • Mawra Hocane shares her most beautiful present ever

    Mawra Hocane shares her most beautiful present ever

    Actor Mawra Hocane shared her ‘most beautiful present that anyone has given her’ on Instagram. She shared a short video of a beautiful red Holy Quran, tagging Actor Ameer Gilani, thanking him for the present. She also said in the caption, “The most most beautiful present, one could ever give to someone???
    Ty @ameergilani ?” .

    The actor also added that, “P.s it feels like Ramazan already ✨ #Alhumdullilah”, in a post that was shared two days before Ramzan started.

    Ameer replied to Mawra on her post, saying, “All the guidelines to happiness, peace and success???.

    Ramzan starts in Pakistan this week, with Wednesday 14th April being the first roza.

  • Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    A day after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) finally broke silence on backstabbing allegations, expressed its reservations and later resigned from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) along with Awami National Party (ANP), members of the parties have reportedly been removed from a WhatsApp group of the anti-government alliance.

    According to sources, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Saeed Ghani and Mian Iftikhar were removed from the WhatsApp group of the joint opposition’s steering committee.

    This came as PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the PPP and ANP to reconsider their decision of resigning from the alliance.

    Addressing a press conference after chairing an important meeting of the PDM in Islamabad after resignations from PPP and ANP, Fazl said both the parties still had time to reconsider their decision and contact the PDM.

    The PDM chief said PDM was an alliance of 11 parties and decisions were made with the consensus.

    “If any party is found violating the consensus then it must be made answerable,” he said while explaining the show-cause notices to PPP and ANP, which became the latest bone of contention after Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination and election as Senate opposition leader.

    Both the parties had the opportunity to summon PDM meeting to give an explanation on the matter, but they decided to part ways with the alliance, Fazl maintained.

  • Wheat production will break all records this year: experts

    Wheat production will break all records this year: experts

    Pakistan will likely experience an upsurge in wheat production this year as experts are giving projections on the surplus of wheat, media reported.

    A media organisation conducted surveys that say that Pakistan will produce over 28.75 million tons of wheat in 2021. This yield will break the record of 2016-17 when Pakistan produced 26.67 million tons.

    Over the last two years, Pakistan had to import two million tons of wheat to cater for the shortage caused by low harvest. If the projections come true, it will eliminate the need for any imports.

    On the contrary, the Federal Committee on agriculture predicted that the production would remain at 26.04 million tons while showing an increase of 1.7 per cent. The committee gave these estimations while reviewing the performance of Rabi Crops in(2020/21). But the farmers are more optimistic about harvesting a greater output of wheat in the 2020/21 season.

    According to the Punjab Agriculture Department, the production of crops on the provincial level had jumped around 600,000 tons.

    The news report quoted the Chairman of the Agri-Forum Pakistan, Ibrahim Mughal, as saying, “We have never heard so consistently about 40-45 maunds per acre yield by so many growers this year”.

    A conducive temperature when the crop was sown has resulted in favourable prospects for high output. “Safely, we may see at least 1.5 million tons of more production than the initial estimates,” he said.

  • Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    After the success of Sacred Games and Mirzapur, political and crime thrillers set in the corridors of power have become a thing in Bollywood. Indian politics has a history of being mired in plenty of controversy, drama and action and provides ample inspiration for gripping political dramas – one that will keep audiences engaged throughout the runtime.

    Madam Chief Minister featuring Richa Chaddha in the lead is the latest political drama to come out of Bollywood and while it may not be able to match the class and finesse of Raajneeti or Tandav, it follows closely behind and is an entertaining watch, though a little devoid of logic at places.

    Set in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madam Chief Minister follows an ambitious, young Dalit woman Tara Roopram (Chaddha) and her journey to becoming the Chief Minister of India’s most populous province. However, it doesn’t stop there. The film also shows Tara as she manoeuvres the ‘kursi‘ battling misogynist and racist allies and opposition.

    According to reports in the Indian media, the plot of the film has been loosely inspired by the life and political career of Mayawati, India’s first Dalit chief minister. Dalits are a marginalised community and a Scheduled Caste in India and are considered to be ‘untouchables’. She was also the youngest chief minister in the history of UP and her rise in the world of politics was referred to as a “miracle of the democracy” by former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. Other characters, including Tara’s mentor Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla) have also been inspired by Maya’s close associates. Master Surajbhan’s character has purportedly been based on the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party Kanshi Ram. Nonetheless, creative liberty has been taken and Tara was given a husband, though Mayawati chose to remain unmarried.

    Mayawati with Sonia Gandhi

    While Chadda gave a solid performance as Tara and shouldered the role well, it was Manav Kaul, who shines as Danish Rehman Khan, Tara’s secretary and later husband. His performance, especially in the second half of the film was strong.

    Written and directed by Shubash Kapoor, Madam Chief Minister is ambitious given how the makers tried to squeeze a lot into just two hours. The writing was weak with too many jumps, leaving plenty to be desired. However, it was entertaining, gripping and feel-good – especially where seeing a woman shine in the male-dominated world of politics is concerned.

    On a parting note, the film doesn’t appear to have a very high budget which makes you wonder why Pakistan does not attempt to produce such thrillers. Not only are they entertaining but they also subtly pass messages and challenge societal norms.

    Madam Chief Minister is currently trending in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan.

  • Bitcoin hits all-time high of $62,712 USD

    Bitcoin hits all-time high of $62,712 USD

    Bitcoin (BTC) has hit an all-time high of $62,712, according to analytics from CoinGecko. The price of one BTC is currently comfortable at $62,700.

    The flagship digital currency has been on an impressive journey, with its price increasing at a rate of almost 6 per cent in one week. The new all-time high (ATH) comes only a day after crypto evangelist and investor Coinbase went public yesterday.

    Crypto expert Jason Deanen who works at Quantum Economics, says that “Bitcoin has been testing the resistance levels for some weeks now, bouncing off each time but immediately coming back undeterred. Today’s ATH was inevitable as sheer market momentum, investor sentiment and accelerating rate of development act as primary drivers.”

    Other than BTC, most digital currencies in the crypto top 20 also experienced similar hikes. Ethereum is up 4.91%, Binance 43,65%, and Uniswap is up by 12.04%

    Bitcoin has again boosted investor sentiment amongst the community. Experts and traders are of the view that the BTC will climb even higher, perhaps as high as $400,000, with current trends looking bullish as ever.

    Antoni Trenchev, who is a Crypto investor and preacher, declared: “I do not doubt that this bull run is far from over.”

  • Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    • Interior minister announces action against those breaking law; necessary measures to reopen roads, entry/exit points also ordered

    At least two protestors and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and police in Lahore early Tuesday morning, less than a day after police arrested party chief Saad Rizvi.

    According to reports, the policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Rizvi, Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the Shahadra neighbourhood.

    Two members of the TLP were also reported dead in Punjab.

    As the protests spilled over into other cities on Tuesday, the police arrested more than 100 supporters of the party.

    The violence began late on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador, Marc Baréty, over blasphemous cartoons.

    According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

    The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to “honour” a commitment it made in February to his party to expel Baréty before April 20.

    However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in the National Assembly.

    The reaction from Rizvi’s supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

    Monday’s clashes initially erupted in Lahore. Rizvi’s supporters later clashed with police in Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

    INTERIOR MINISTER:

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has ordered action against those who take law into their own hands, besides putting in place measures needed to reopen roads as well as entry and exits points of major cities across the country.

    The Interior Ministry decided to take strict action against those creating law and order situations, and ordered to suspend cellular and internet services in affected areas.

    The decisions were taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Rasheed.

    It was attended by federal minister for religious affairs, chief commissioner, Islamabad and Punjab inspector generals (IGs) and chief secretaries concerned.

    BACKGROUND:

    Saad Rizvi emerged as the leader of the party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, due to the coronavirus. His supporters have previously held violent rallies to pressurise the government not to repeal the blasphemy laws.

    Blasphemy is punishable with a mandatory death sentence, and the very mention of blasphemy is enough to inflame violent reactions.

    The TLP wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi’s party in November.

    TLP and other religious parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as freedom of expression.

    Macron’s comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures in class.

    The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, best known for vulgar irreverence, to mark the opening of the trial over the 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures.