The Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned Champions, a reality TV show on BOL Entertainment.
According to PEMRA ‘Champions‘ has been banned for being ‘offensive towards social, religious and cultural values of this country’. The channel and the host Waqar Zaka have not yet responded to the matter.
Islamabad High Court upholds PEMRA’s order for suspension of “Champion” on Bol Entertainment pic.twitter.com/Ehs7LGBSxF
Champions is a reality TV show hosted by Wakar Zaka. The design of the show is similar to reality TV shows like Big Brother and Big Boss. The show has contestants that are auditioned and then selected to live together in a controlled space.
Except they also have to complete a series of physical and mental tasks while they’re there and the contestants are eliminated weekly until one champion remains.
Lahore’s Camp Jail has been vacated and turned into a 100-bed quarantine centre after at least 58 prisoners tested positive for the new coronavirus — COVID-19. But who is the mysterious patient zero and how did he contract the virus before passing it on to such a large number of inmates in just 20 days?
According to The News, a total of 490 prisoners were exposed to patient zero who developed COVID-19 symptoms back on March 18. He complained of fever to the jail authorities and upon testing, his test result for the virus came positive. Following this, three other prisoners who were close to him also tested positive. The jail authorities then asked for tests of other inmates locked up in the same barracks as the patients, and initially, 19 other’s coronavirus tests also came positive.
As the matter was looked into, the prison authorities realised that 490 inmates imprisoned in nearby barracks were also exposed to the mysterious patient zero. With it taking them 20 days to decide on vacating the jail, 58 of the said inmates tested positive for COVID-19.
But who is patient zero?
According to authorities, patient zero is a Pakistani-Italian who came to Pakistan in December 2019. On March 8, 2018, he was going back to Italy when the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) found on him six kilograms of heroin. With the drugs being seized, he was arrested and sent to Camp Jail.
Authorities claim that his family is a frequent traveler and that was how he contracted the virus. “His family had also recently traveled from Italy and patient zero developed COVID-19 symptoms 10 days after his imprisonment,” they said.
Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema confirmed that Camp Jail had been vacated and converted into a 100-bed quarantine center.
“There are more than 2,700 prisoners in Camp Jail. The Punjab government has converted the jail into a 100-bed quarantine centre for prisoners. A medical team of Services Hospital has also been assigned to look after this quarantine centre,” she informed, adding that a total of 490 prisoners were exposed to the patient at the jail.
“Initially, the tests of 19 prisoners came positive and they were quarantined there. But as of April 9, the number of COVID-19 positive prisoners has reached 58. The remaining prisoners are being shifted to other cities, including Lodhran and Hafizabad. So far, 1,100 prisoners have been shifted to Hafizabad, 258 have been sent to Lodhran whereas the rest of the prisoners are being shifted to other jails across the province. There will be no prisoner in Camp Jail from today [Friday] onwards.”
Commentator and former Indian cricketing star Aakash Chopra has picked his combined Pakistan-India XI of all-time, naming World Cup-winning former Pakistani skipper and now prime minister (PM), Imran Khan, as the captain.
“I wanted to do a fun exercise today by selecting the combined all-time Test XI of Pakistan and India, although it was a very difficult task,” Chopra said in a video uploaded to Facebook. “One thing that we will all agree, before moving on, that the team will give more preference to Indian batsmen and Pakistani bowlers.”
Chopra picked former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag as the openers while selecting Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar at the third and fourth batting spots, respectively.
“There is no doubt that Sunil Gavaskar will be one of the openers as his presence is absolutely mandatory,” he said. “I would partner him with Virender Sehwag because he scored two triple centuries in Test cricket which is quite an achievement,” Chopra said, adding that after including Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, he would go for Inzamamul Haq and Javed Miandad for the fifth and sixth slots.
“Although they are both playing out of position, but deserve a place in the XI,” he said regarding the Pakistani batting legends.
“For the wicketkeeper spot I will pick MS Dhoni. Although we can consider Dravid as well but I don’t want to make a batsman playing at one-down to keep the wickets,” he added.
Two World Cup-winning skippers come next as Kapil Dev and Imran Khan give this team a whole new dimension. They could bat, they could bowl and they could lead the team with absolute authority.
“At number eight and nine, I will pick Kapil Dev and Imran Khan. Imran will also be the captain of my side,” the former Indian cricketer said.
Fast-bowler Wasim Akram finds a place in the side and so does Anil Kumble. Chopra also stated leaving out Waqar Younis was a tough call and he was made the 12th man of the team.
“It is 100 per cent certain that Wasim Akram will be part of this lineup and he slots in at number 10. With over 600 wickets, I will include leg-spinner Anil Kumble as the final player in my team. It is hard to keep Waqar Younis out of this XI but I will definitely include him as my 12th man,” he said.
King Salman has secluded himself for his safety in an island palace near the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his son and the 34-year-old de facto ruler, has retreated with many of his ministers to the remote site on the same coast.
The governor of Riyadh is in the intensive Care Unit (ICU) with the coronavirus. Several dozen other members of the royal family have been sickened as well.
The doctors at the elite hospital that treats Al-Saud clan members are also preparing more than 500 beds for an expected influx of other royals and those closest to them.
As many as 150 royals in the kingdom are now believed to have contracted the virus, including members of its lesser branches, according to a person close to the family.
Senior officials at the hospital said, “We don’t know how many cases we will get, all chronic patients to be moved out ASAP,” and that only “top urgent cases” will be accepted. It said any sick staff members would now be treated at a less elite hospital to make room for the royals.
More than six weeks after Saudi Arabia reported its first case, the coronavirus is striking terror into the heart of the kingdom’s royal family.
If there is one actor who keeps ending up in the line of fire, it’s Ushna Shah. But that is probably because her comments are usually unfiltered.
As the coronavirus grapples the world, doctors and healthcare workers across the world are under immense pressure as they deal with the rising number of cases. In order to uplift their spirits and deal with the crisis, medical staff at various hospitals have been dancing away their blues.
Ushna, in a recent tweet, said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this.
Though Ushna later deleted her tweet, social media did not spare her.
Have you ever worked for 30hours in an emergency where you’ve to manage patients & perform surgeries, sometimes without even resting for 5mins? @ushnashahPlease don’t utilise the 1% brain that you’ve to criticise doctors who’re risking their lives.
apparently @ushnashah has a problem with a video of a doc dancing in these critical times, these idiots literally dance 24/7, these degenerates fking went to attend an award show/dance parties during most imp general elections but have the audacity to criticize others wow
It is pertinent to mention here that doctors across the world are being lauded for putting their lives at risk and fighting on the frontlines against coronavirus.
In a Twitter blunder on Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asked Muslims “to offer special Nuwafil prayers and seek Allah’s blessings and forgiveness on the occasion of Shabe Baraat tonight”, later deleting his tweet when people told him the night had already been observed a day ago.
“I would request Muslims all over the world to offer, tonight on the occasion of Shab e Baraat special Nuafil prayers to Allah and seek His Blessings and Forgiveness [sic],” the premier tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
While he deleted the tweet amid criticism for not knowing that the night had already been observed, here’s a screen grab:
Twitterati, as usual, did not let go of the blunder easy:
Those friends who were justifying PM Imran Khan’s Shab e Baraat tweet which he did today after it had passed last night, can you please tell me why he has deleted it after an hour? @__SyedaRidapic.twitter.com/J4CGYddwRM
Mid-Sha’ban or Shabe Baraat is a holiday observed by Muslim communities on the night between 14 and 15 of the Islamic month of Sha’ban. It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah forgives sinners.
Senior member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Punjab minister Aleem Khan, who according to reports is “disgruntled” ever since a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation was launched into his assets, has telephoned rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah to discuss with him the fast-changing political scenario, especially in Punjab, The News reported.
According to reports, Aleem contacted the PML-N stalwart and told him that he wanted to discuss “some important issues in the context of the fast-changing political scenario”, which Sanaullah immediately brought to the attention of party chief Shehbaz Sharif.
“PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah immediately informed PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif about this political development. He [Sanaullah] was told to wait until he gives him directives in this regard,” the report quoted sources as saying.
They said the PML-N leadership would assess all political options but is likely to keep a safe distance from “segments of PTI allegedly involved in the wheat or sugar crises” and are being accused of making billions through government subsidies and price hike, the report stated.
“Aleem Khan had also approached Rana Sanaullah in the past when he was practically sidelined due to his growing differences with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over the state of affairs in Punjab,” sources told The News and added that when Sanaullah was arrested in the controversial narcotics case, the PTI member had back then also sent him text messages, saying he hoped that the PML-N leader comes out clean.
When contacted, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah confirmed that he had a detailed telephonic conversation with Aleem and the two discussed the current political situation in the country.
To a question, he said it was too early to say if the PML-N and the disgruntled PTI group led by Aleem would put in any efforts to bring in-house changes in Punjab because his party had a principled stance in this respect.
“First we want electoral reforms and then we seek fresh general elections but there can be an interim arrangement till the completion of these goals,” Sanaullah said, adding that if someone said that Aleem had the support of only 20 to 25 PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, they would be underestimating him. “I personally know his real strength among the ranks of the PTI.”
To another question, he said some PTI members from Punjab had contacted the PML-N in the past as well but the leadership had decided that it would be useless to participate in power politics without having any people-oriented political agenda.
Ellen DeGeneres, one of America’s most popular TV personalities, sparked a furore on Wednesday after comparing her self-isolation in a multimillion-dollar mansion to being in prison.
DeGeneres, whose daily television talk show had been off the air for three weeks because of a stay-at-home order, returned on Wednesday with a show filmed by her wife, actress Portia De Rossi, from one of their California homes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ko8UYDVjh/
“One thing that I’ve learned from being in quarantine is that people – this is like being in jail, is what it is,” quipped DeGeneres, who was filmed in an armchair looking out on vast, grassy lawns and mountains.
“It’s mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay,” she said, laughing at her own joke.
The video was removed after the backlash.
While DeGeneres also praised health workers and other on the frontlines battling the coronavirus epidemic, the prison joke did not go down well.
“I have actual friends and loved ones who are currently incarcerated. They are locked down in horrific conditions and terrified what is going to happen to them. Your ‘joke’ about being quarantined at home being like that is unfunny and disrespectful,” tweeted social justice activist Diana #FreeThemAll4PublicHealth.
More than 280 inmates and 400 staff in New York prisons have been infected with the coronavirus and at least seven people have died, according to the New York Department of Corrections.
In Chicago, some 230 detainees in Cook County jails have tested positive for the virus, along with 92 staff members. Louisiana has also reported coronavirus-related deaths among prison inmates. Meanwhile even in Pakistan it is being reported that inmates in several jails across the country have been tested positive for coronavirus.
“Hey @TheEllenShow, prisoners across this country are trapped in 24-hour quarantine in cells that are probably about the size of one of your showers & others are sleeping 3 feet away from sick inmates. And they’re dying. You aren’t experiencing anything close to prison,” wrote another Twitter user.
The backlash was the latest example of celebrities being called out for what appeared to be tone-deaf comments and social media postings as the pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work and killed more than 14,000 in the United States.
Last month, DeGeneres was slammed for complaining of being bored in videos that she posted of herself lying on a couch at her home.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent a Rs13 million tax notice to Pakistani YouTuber Nadir Ali, who runs a channel called “P4 Pakao”, a private media outlet has reported.
Nadir’s videos show him and his team pulling pranks on unsuspecting people and attract a lot of internet traffic. The combined views of his channel are over 820 million, making his channel one of the largest in the country.
According to reports, tax authorities suspected him of concealing his income and subsequently launched an investigation against him, and their suspicions were confirmed when they contacted YouTube to learn about his actual income.
Reportedly, Nadir received more than Rs10 million in foreign exchange during the year on which exemption was claimed without furnishing proof to the tax department and at the same time, he maintained a bank account, which he did not declare in the wealth statement.
The report also quoted tax officials as saying that the YouTuber was served a number of notices during the course of the investigation but he did not respond to any of them and now he has the option to appeal the order before a commission in Karachi.
Nadir also spoke to the media outlet through his lawyer and denied having not responded to the FBR. “We received their notice and responded in person. We later applied for an extension in the time to file a response and our application was approved. We are now working to resolve this through all proper channels,” he added.
With a shortage of personal protective equipment threatening health care workers across the world and Pakistan, fashion designers are stepping up meet the growing demand. While internationally Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren have started making hazmat suits and masks for healthcare workers, locally Deepak Perwani and Asim Jofa have started manufacturing PPE for medical staff.
A host of celebrities have also stepped forward to help. Adnan Siddiqui recently shared a video of himself stitching a hazmat suit and thanking all health workers fighting against the virus on the frontlines. He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people – health professionals as well as others – who are devoting their time, energy and resources in the fight against coronavirus,” wrote Adnan.
He further wrote, “It’s moments like these that truly test one’s character. Our national character is being tested but we are all being tested in ways small and big. It’s an ongoing struggle. I know everyone is fighting their own battles and I salute all of you for your resilience.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uX0svHxp9/
Meanwhile, Shaniera Akram also shared a picture of herself with a hazmat suit she had stitched.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tNzvRDDCK/
Earlier, Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain had also shared their efforts and had encouraged everyone to do the same.
