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  • COVID outbreak forces PCB to postpone PSL6

    COVID outbreak forces PCB to postpone PSL6

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has postponed the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to rising COVID-19 cases among players and officials involved in the tournament.

    As many as seven players and one support staff official have tested positive for the virus which led to question marks over PCB’s bio-secure bubble arrangements and reservations from foreign players. Quetta Gladiators’ Tom Banton and Islamabad United’s Fawad Ahmed and Lewis Gregory were among the players who tested positive.

    Following the increase in cases, international players were also given the option to leave for their home countries with Karachi Kings’ Dan Christian expected to be the first to leave today.

    PCB also issued a press release on social media which reads: “Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect. The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on February 20.”

    “The PCB, as an immediate step, will focus on the safe and secure passage of all participants, and arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines and isolation facilities to the six participating sides,” it added.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Director – Commercial Babar Hamid will hold a media conference at the National Stadium in Karachi at 3pm today to provide further updates.

    Meanwhile, Hassan Ali, Shadab Khan, Ravi Bopara and Mohammad Hafeez expressed their disappointment over the latest developments.

    While, Faheem Ashraf took to Twitter and wrote: “O Muslims, despair is disbelief. Indeed, in every deed of Allah, there is good.”

    Later, in the press conference, Wasim said: “To make any bio-secure bubble successful, it needs partnership and sacrifice from everyone,” he said. “It is not about the blame game right now. There are a lot of emotions at the moment. Franchises have invested a lot of money and I know that there will be reactions from different sectors.

    “But as I said before, to make any bio-secure bubble, everyone needs to be on the same page, that’s how we managed to conduct a successful domestic season. I understand why they [franchise owners] are saying things like these but it is not about the blame game, its about Pakistan cricket and it’s welfare. It is not the time to fight right now. It is time to accept collective responsibility.”

    Wasim further said that his own proposal was to postpone the event for five days, continue testing but the franchises rejected the idea.

    “My own proposal was to postpone the tournament for five days and see where it goes,” he said. “But the franchises made it clear that the players are anxious and not in the mental state to continue with the tournament.”

    Wasim also reiterated that the SOP’s were shared with the franchises before the competition but no bio-secure bubble can be successful without self-policing.

    “The protocols were shared with the franchises on February 18,” he said. “We are not sure where or how the players contracted coronavirus. You cannot make any bio-secure bubble successful without self-policing.”

  • Canadian man celebrates COVID-19 vaccination with bhangra

    Canadian man celebrates COVID-19 vaccination with bhangra

    Canadian dancer Gurdeep Pandher celebrated his COVID-19 vaccine jab by dancing on a frozen lake.

    Sharing a video of himself dancing, Gurdeep told his followers that he received his COVID vaccine on March 2 and headed straight to the frozen lake in Yukon, Canada and did the bhangra to spread positivity and joy.

    A 55-second video clip shows Pandher performing upbeat bhangra steps on the frozen lake as he celebrated his vaccination.

    “Yesterday evening I received my Covid-19 vaccine. After that, I went to a frozen lake to dance bhangra on it for joy, hope and positivity, which I’m forwarding across Canada and beyond for everyone’s health and wellbeing,” wrote Gurdeep in the caption.

    Pandher’s video has gone viral on social media with over one million views on Twitter with users lauding the dancer for spreading smiles amid the pandemic.

    https://twitter.com/Christo75118472/status/1366782645879910406?s=20

  • PM Khan’s Push Ups VS Rahul Gandhi

    PM Khan’s Push Ups VS Rahul Gandhi









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    Hey, *|MERGE1|*. It’s March 3rd. 
     
    It’s Wednesday — ahh the weekend is so close, yet so far away ?

    It will be sunny in all major cities of Pakistan.

    Have a nice day!

     

    Laila-The Current 

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    PSL QUIZ:  HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS  TAKING PART IN THE PSL WERE TESTED POSITIVE YESTERDAY? 

    You can answer by simply replying to this email, or you can drop us a message on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

     

    We are waiting for you at the PAWRY!

    Senate elections  

    Polling on the 37 vacant seats of Senate will be held today. Polling will start at the Parliament House Islamabad and the provincial assemblies of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 09:00 am and will continue till 5:00 pm without any break. In the federal capital, Abdul Hafeez Sheikh of PTI and Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani of PPP are vying for the general seat. 

    Yesterday, a leaked video of Ali Haider Gillani – son of former Prime Yousaf Raza Gillani – was aired by ARY News, where he is heard talking to PTI lawmakers about how to waste Senate vote.

    Addressing a press conference after the leaked video was aired, Ali Haider Gillani admitted the video was real and that he met more than one MNA over the course of campaigning for his father.

    Read On

    Know Your Politician | Hamza Shehbaz Sharif
     

    Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was recently released after spending 20 months in jail in relation to a money laundering investigation. Here is what else you need to know about the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly…

    Watch

    Prince Harry, Meghan’s tell-all interview with Oprah to be ‘shocking’  
     

    The CBS broadcast network released two brief clips from Winfrey’s interview with the couple, which is scheduled to air on March 7. It is the first TV interview the couple, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have given since making their homes in California last year. 

    Read On

    VIDEO: Ertuğrul’s Celal AL sings ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ with Imran Abbas 

    Abbas shared a video of the two jamming the song with the caption: “May this brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkey stay forever.” Checkout the story for the complete video.

    Read On

    Who did the pushup challenge better?

     PM #ImranKhan or India’s #RahulGandhi? OUR PM OF COURSE!

    P.S. Don’t miss Modi’s special appearance in the end!

    Watch

    On this Day: 3rd MarchCRICKET’S DARKEST DAY 

     

     

    On this day, in 2009, the Taliban fired indiscriminately on the Sri Lankan team’s bus which was on their way to Gaddafi Stadium during the Test Match with Pakistan. The attack led to the death of six Pakistani security officers and two civilians, apart from injuring six Sri Lankan cricketers.

    Guess what?
    Imran Khan’s fan spotted today!

    Current Baba’s prediction

    Aaj you will get to do something that excites you.

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  • ‘We cannot make saas-bahu dramas only,’ Yumna Zaidi tells PEMRA

    ‘We cannot make saas-bahu dramas only,’ Yumna Zaidi tells PEMRA

    Yumna Zaidi has hit back at the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for their notice on Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi (DNUTN), saying “we cannot make saas-bahu dramas only.”

    Speaking to BBC Urdu, Yumna said that she doesn’t understand why PEMRA would take notice on her ongoing drama’s content.

    “I was very disappointed [with PEMRA’s notice],” said Yumna. “I don’t understand what they want to promote [or show on television].”

    “If we don’t talk about problems faced by people in government schools, gali mohallas or in the villages, then we’re only going to listen to bad news. If we force society to think about [such issues] through such content, then at least let it through instead of holding it back.”

    “We cannot make saas-bahu dramas only,” lamented the actor further. “We make romantic dramas also. Different genres are given space [on television]. So this [DNUTN] should also be given a small space.”

    Directing her comments towards PEMRA, Zaidi said: “I just want to ask PEMRA: ‘How can you do this?’”

    The actor further said: “Other projects of mine have also previously received notices from PEMRA [Pyaar Ke Sadkay] but this one hurt more. It should not have happened. I was not happy with that.”

    “Matlab kyun?,” she questioned, referring to the drama as a “very special project”.

    Featuring Yasra Rizvi, Wahaj Ali, Nadia Afgan, Naumaan Ijaz, Omair Rana and Samiya Mumtaz besides Zaidi in the lead, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi is a harrowing tale of child abuse and human trafficking in Pakistan. The drama has been written by Amna Mufti and directed by Kashif Nisar and is a Kashf Foundation Presentation.

    According to a press release issued earlier, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi will “bring some of the most heinous and deeply sensitive issues to light – while showing how humanity can still prevail in even the most insurmountable of situations.

    The press release further said: “With three parallel stories on prostitution, human trafficking, and child abuse, the drama exposes the lowest ebb of our society.”

    Read more – Omair Rana responds to PEMRA’s notice on ‘Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi’

    Meanwhile, while talking about her character in the drama, Yumna said that she plays a prostitute and while shooting for the party scenes, she was very grateful that this wasn’t her “real life”.

    “The feeling was so haunting. And I felt so sorry for those women who are entrapped in such lives,” said the actor. “But I am happy that I am portraying the character of such a woman, who fights the system and breaks free.”

  • ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    ‘Who voted for Gilani?’ – PDM defeats PTI in Senate election

    Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday emerged victorious against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

    After the result was announced, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and the former prime minister shook hands and hugged each other.

    The news of Hafeez’s defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi — who was the minister’s polling agent — following which the two men embraced each other.

    Gilani secured 169 votes while Shaikh received 164 votes. Out of the total number of 341 votes, 6 were rejected and 1 was not polled.

    Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz celebrated the win in their tweets.

    Nawaz Sharif also tweeted, congratulating Gilani on the win.

    Meanwhile, PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted that the government will challenge this result

    PTI’s Shaukat Yousafzai also called a press conference, asking who voted for Gilani and alleged that money had a role to play. He also questioned the veracity of the results.

    The votes were done by secret ballot and it will be difficult for the government to determine who voted for whom.

  • Meghan Markle accused of ‘bullying’ two senior members of royal staff

    Meghan Markle accused of ‘bullying’ two senior members of royal staff

    Days before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to go on air, a report has accused Meghan of bullying two senior members of her staff during the time she was staying at Britain’s Kensington Palace.

    The news publication has claimed to have seen an email sent by Meghan’s former Kensington Palace communications secretary raising concerns about Meghan’s “bullying” behaviour.

    In one alleged incident, a royal aide who had been anticipating a confrontation with Markle told a colleague: “I can’t stop shaking.”

    Responding to the allegations, Markle’s spokesperson said: “The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself.”

    “She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right,” the statement add.

    The couple also accused the publication of “peddling a wholly false narrative” before the television interview, which is being touted as shocking and explosive.

    There was no immediate comment from Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace on the issue.

    Meanwhile, Meghan has also stirred controversy for wearing earrings gifted to her by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, just three weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. According to details, the pair of drop earrings which Meghan wore to a formal state dinner in Fiji were a wedding gift from MBS. At the time, Kensington Palace said the earrings had been “borrowed” but did not reveal from whom.

    The Duchess of Sussex had allegedly told aides who were prepping to brief the media about her outfit that the earrings were lent to her by a jeweller. But lawyers for Markle countered that she wasn’t aware then of rumours that the prince was involved in Khashoggi’s murder, and said that every relevant staffer knew whom the earrings were from.

    Earlier, the CBS broadcast network released two brief clips from Winfrey’s interview with the couple, which is scheduled to air on March 7. It is the first TV interview the couple, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have given since quitting royal duties and moving to California.

    Last month, Buckingham Palace announced that the couple would not be returning to their lives as working members of the royal family, adding that Harry will give up his honorary military titles.

  • ‘My apologies’: Dale Steyn clarifies stance on IPL controversy

    ‘My apologies’: Dale Steyn clarifies stance on IPL controversy

    Dale Steyn has issued a clarification over his comments on the Indian Premier League (IPL). The South African great, in an interview had said that “cricket kind of gets forgotten” in the money talks in IPL, adding that Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) focus more on cricket compared to the IPL.

    “I found that playing in those other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player,” Steyn had said while talking about his IPL experience. “I think when you go to the IPL there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on the amount of money that the players earn that somewhere along the line the cricket kind of gets forgotten. When you come to the PSL or the LPL, there’s an importance on the cricket.”

    Steyn’s comments had stirred up a storm in India with Indians incensed at the fact that he praised the PSL over the IPL.

    Following the backlash, the bowler clarified him stance on the matter saying that “IPL has been nothing short of amazing in my career”.

    Steyn said that he had not intended to degrade, insult or compare any of the cricket leagues.

    “Social media and words out of context can often do that. My apologies if this has upset anyone. Much love,” he tweeted.

    The South African pacer has had an impressive record as far as the IPL is concerned. The highest auction price for the fast bowler came in consecutive seasons in 2014 and 2015, when Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped him up for INR 9.5 crore (approx. USD 1.3 million today). He has taken 97 IPL wickets at 6.91, making him one of the most economical bowlers of the cricket league.

    Meanwhile reaction from most Indian IPL fans on Twitter was quite aggressive, with some hurling personal insults at Steyn.

    https://twitter.com/not_ritx/status/1366682769472901123?s=20

    On the other hand, Pakistani fast bowler Hassan Ali has some other remarks about the South African player. Taking to Twitter, Hassan shared a picture with Steyn, teaching him some bowling techniques. “Dale, you are my favorite. That’s it, that’s the tweet,” he wrote.

  • Saudi Arabia says COVID-19 vaccination is ‘must’ for 2021 Hajj

    Saudi Arabia says COVID-19 vaccination is ‘must’ for 2021 Hajj

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has said that only people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to attend Hajj this year.

    “The COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory for those willing to come to Hajj and will be one of the main conditions [for receiving a permit],” read a statement signed by the Minister of Health.

    In 2020, the Kingdom reduced the number of pilgrims to around 1,000 to avoid the spread of the coronavirus barring Muslims from around the world from the rite for the first time in modern times.

    In the same notification, Saudi Minister of Health Dr Tawfiq al-Rabiah said the government must be prepared to “secure the manpower required to operate the health facilities in Mecca and Medina”.

    These facilities will be stationed at entry points for pilgrims, he said, in addition to a formation of a vaccination committee for pilgrims within Saudi Arabia.

  • Opp’s Gilani met PTI’s Tareen ahead of Senate elections, but both deny it

    Opp’s Gilani met PTI’s Tareen ahead of Senate elections, but both deny it

    As the country witnesses what are being termed by pundits as the “most controversial” Senate polls in its 74-year history, it has emerged that joint opposition’s candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen days before the critical electoral process marred by horse-trading allegations.

    Sources claim that Gilani, who is the Upper House candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from Islamabad besides being a critical election for the opposition to give the ruling PTI a tough time, met Tareen at the wedding of another ruling party lawmaker’s son.

    Interestingly, both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart and Tareen, who reports claim is at odds with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government since after the sugar crisis scandal, have over the days leading to the Senate elections denied having met each other.

    “I have always strived for the PTI with my heart and soul and my support is always for the party,” Tareen was quoted as saying when he denied the meeting of which The Current also has photographic evidence.

    The former premier, on the other hand, had also refuted speculation that he met Tareen. “I have neither met Jahangir Tareen neither established contact with him,” he had told media persons on the same day as the PTI leader.

    “The two spent quite a lot of time at the wedding of veteran politician and PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana’s son on February 11. They exchanged pleasantries and were seen dining together on top of spending almost all their time at the event with each other,” sources told The Current.

    Sources, however, could not confirm the topics of discussion between the two leaders from rival parties and if then-forthcoming Senate polls or Gilani’s election, in particular, were among the things discussed between Gilani and Tareen.

    While Tareen and Gilani could not be reached out for a comment, another attendee of the said event, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has confirmed the encounter.

    Speaking to The Current, Sadiq said that Fatyana has good relations in each and every party and he had known the now PTI and former PML-N leader since the year 2000.

    “We have been colleagues since 2002. At his son’s wedding, I was the only MNA from PML-N. Gilani Sahib was the only one from PPP during the one hour I was there. If others came later, I have no idea. But there was no discussion on the issue of Senate at all.”

    While Sadiq did confirm Tareen’s presence and exchange of pleasantries between the politicians, he said that he did not notice any interaction between Gilani and Tareen for as long as he himself was there.

    A contest for the crucial Islamabad seat in the Senate is currently underway between Gilani and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. The vote count is scheduled to begin at 5 pm.

  • ‘I really like my skin’: Syra Yousuf hits back at trolls

    ‘I really like my skin’: Syra Yousuf hits back at trolls

    Syra Yousuf has responded and hit back at those who posted negative comments about her skin after her sister Palwasha Yousuf, a stylist, posted an unfiltered picture of the actor on social media. While many, especially women, lauded Syra for embracing her skin and putting down unrealistic beauty standards, others mocked her skin for being textured and not smooth.

    Responding to the backlash on social media over her skin, Syra posted a natural selfie of herself, writing: “I really like my skin.” She also used the hashtag “No Filter” to further get her point across.

    In a similar incident, Dubai-based beauty influencer Huda Kattan also opened up and discussed how edits make a person appear perfect, setting unrealistic beauty standards for the rest.

    Meanwhile, earlier in 2019, Hania Aamir in a social media post had opened up about her struggle with acne and talked about unrealistic beauty standards.