Our editorial this week is about Supreme Court’s order of releasing four men accused of the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 and the outrage expressed by the new US administration at this. 
 

‘Not bound by it’: Pakistan questions legitimacy of UN treaty on nuclear weapons

Pakistan says it is not bound by any of the obligations enshrined in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — adopted in July 2017 — as the accord failed to take on board the “legitimate interests of all the stakeholders”.  For more, click on the link below. 

UAE decides to grant citizenship to ‘talented and innovative’ people

UAE has adopted amendments that would allow Gulf state to grant citizenship to investors and other professionals, including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families.

Adnan Siddiqui thinks ‘Pakistanis are more tolerant than Indians’

Adnan Siddiqui kehte hain ke Pakistanis are more tolerant than Indians. Considering what is happening these days in our neighboring country, we think he is right to some extent. 
 

Ayeza Khan has recently become the most followed Pakistani celebrity on Instagram with 8 million followers, but Ayeza ziada khush nahin hain iss milestone ko achieve karne pe. 
 

PM Imran offers condolences to Shaan over mother Neelo Begum’s death
 

Veteran film star and Shaan’s mother Neelo has passed away at the age of 80. She was suffering from cancer. Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet expressed his grief and extended his condolences to Shaan and his family

According to a report by Transparency International, the country under the PTI government — for the second consecutive year — has witnessed more corruption than it did in the outgoing year of the former ruling PML-N

VIDEO: Sindh governor’s dog enjoying police protocol in Karachi?

Social media per aik viral video mein dekha ja sakta hai ke a dog is enjoying a ride in a government SUV on the roads of Karachi, with its head hanging out of the window aur us gaari ke peeche aik police ki gaari bhi hai. 

Iss haftay The Current Top 5 Drama Review mein hain Raqs-e-Bismil  ki Zohra. Aur unhon ne kiye bohot saray raaz faash. Watch the interview to find out which character is Sarah Khan’s biggest regret, what was the name of her childhood music band, and what this diva has to say about gender inequality!

Tech Review- Hack Proof

Recently, the Whatsapp accounts of several well-known personalities were hacked. What exactly happened to them, who did it and what can be done about it? Find out it in this week’s tech review. 

According to reports, a woman, who was brought to a hospital for a gunshot wound after getting caught in the crossfire, was declared dead on Tuesday. But she is now being treated for her injuries after spending one night “dead”.

‘Bridgerton’ smashes records to become Netflix’s biggest show ever
 

Regency-era British drama Bridgerton is Netflix’s biggest series ever with more than 82 million households tuning in to watch the show, the streaming platform has announced.

Why are The Current’s followers not with the one they love

The Current recently asked its followers some hard-hitting questions and the answers left us quite sad. We asked people if they think our society is easy to live in? 71% voted that our society is ‘so suffocating’  and we totally agree with your answer.
 

Ruling party ke lawmaker Raja Riaz has asked the prime minister to make estranged PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen the chairman of the committee formed to choose candidates for the upcoming Senate elections.
 

VIDEO: Visibly annoyed info minister stops Shahbaz Gill from speaking to media after PTI meeting

Information Miniter Shibli Faraz Sahib ko Shahbaz Gill ka media se informal baat krna pasand nae aya and he looks clearly annoyed in the video which you can see in the story below.
 

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots have spotted an unidentified flying object (UFO) flying at 35,000 feet above Karachi. To learn more, checkout the story below.

Here’s how you can register for COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan

The government has approved three COVID-19 vaccines including Russia’s Sputnik-V, China’s Sinopharm and UK’s Oxford-AstraZeneca so far. Checkout the story for the step by step guide to get your self registered for the vaccine. Also, vaccine se mutaliq conspiracy theories per believe krne se pehle thori se research kar lijye ga! 

In an Instagram story, Zara had called the film a “masterpiece” and had urged her followers to “Watch this Now.” Responding to Zara’s story, Rao expressed his gratitude, writing: “Thank you so much.”

Baby on the way for Zaid Ali T and Yumnah

Zaid Ali T and his wife Yumnah Ali T have announced that they are expecting their first child, and they both look the happiest in the picture shared by Zaid

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Hamaare aik senior sahafi Usama Ghazi ka kehna hai ke Saudi Arabia is desperate to improve ties with Pakistan as it needs to get closer to the new Biden administration in the US. Iske ilaawa unhon ne aur bhi bohot kuch claim kia hai. To learn more, checkout the story below.

Fazl not invited to Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari’s wedding: report

Bakhwtawar Bhutto is getting married this week and reportedly Maulana Fazlur Rehman is not invited to the wedding. 

Mian sahab ke baitay Hussain Nawaz has challenged that the government can keep 90 per cent of the amount if it can trace the $1 billion allegedly stashed by the Sharif family in offshore accounts.
 

Ayeza Khan says she always wanted a husband ‘jis per saari larkian marti hon’

In a recent interview with Ahsan Khan, Ayeza Khan and Dainsh Taimoor opened about their relationship, and interview mein Ayeza Khan said ke she always wanted a husband jis per saari larkian marti hon. Danish Taimoor said ke one should not disclose their relationship before marriage. 

Faysal Quarishi in a tweet has said that rape is a stigma for the perpetrators, not the victims. He is right, isn’t he?
 

Our editorial is about the owners of Cannoli by Café Soul in Islamabad, seen mocking the café’s manager for not being fluent in English in a video that went viral on the internet this week
 

Has Elon Musk trolled Pakistan for ‘no electricity’ while PM plans to meet Tesla executives 

With multiple media outlets reporting that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will be meeting Tesla executives to discuss investment opportunities in the Pakistani Electric Vehicle (EV) market, the screenshot of a tweet by Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk “mocking” Pakistan has started doing the rounds on social media. We fact-check the tweet.

Abdul Qavi, who has remained in the limelight for his controversial actions and alleged involvement in the Qandeel Baloch murder case, has been stripped of his ‘mufti’ title by the family that says Qavi is being hospitalised in a “mental institution because his thoughts are not in control”.

Hadiqa Kiani | The Current Life

Our Sunday guest this week is none other than the multi-talented #HadiqaKiani. Catch her in this week’s The Current Life as she spills the beans on her flawless skin, debut drama #RaqeebSe and the one music artist she cannot wait to collaborate with. 

A ten-year-old girl was found dead in her washroom and according to the initial investigations, it seems like she was trying the ‘blackout challenge’. To learn more about the story, click on the link below.

Do Hareem Farooq and SRK think alike?

SRK posted a picture on Instagram with a very thoughtful caption and our very own Hareem Farooq posted a picture with the very same caption. Was it just a mere coincidence or she copied SRK’s caption? 

I am actually incredibly angry today. The two owners of a restaurant in Islamabad called Cannoli ridiculed their manager, who has been working for them for nine years, forcing him to speak in English and making fun of him when he couldn’t. Their apology is an elitist non-apology, reflecting the rot in our so-called elite society. And everyone is pissed including actors like Adnan Siddiqui and Shehreyar Munawar who have lambasted the owners on social media. 

Next up, writer Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar, who is known for his smash super hit dramas and incredibly derogatory behaviour towards women, has been given a current affairs program. What? How is this even possible? A man who writes dramas for entertainment, treats and speaks about women like they’re trash, is hosting a show on politics? 

Wait, it hasn’t ended yet. A man in Faisalabad was gunned down by the police for not stopping at a checkpoint. Yes, you read that right. 

The United States, on the other hand, elected its first female Vice President who is also of South Asian and Black heritage. Let’s be clear here. Her mother migrated from India to the US and raised her to be proud and strong. But do we all have to leave our country to be able to do that? To have that space to grow and breathe? All isn’t well in India either. Seems like they are also taking a page out of Pakistan’s ‘censor entertainment’ handbook and expressing their outrage over the depiction of Hindus in fictional series like Tandav and Mirzapur. Tandav starring Saif Ali Khan is supposed to be a binge-worthy watch but why does it have a 3.7 IMDb rating? Read Saman’s review on Tandav to find out if it’s worth the watch despite the rating.  Can anything make me feel happy today? 

Fahad has done a tech review, telling me about how cryptocurrency works and I’m glad I know how and why it exists, But you know what might lift my — and your — spirits? Nepali climbers made history by becoming the first to summit K2. After they made it to the top, a Pakistan Army helicopter picked them up and flew them to the Shigar Valley.  Imagine how amazing that would’ve looked and how fantastic the climbers must feel. Must feel pretty great. It’s also mostly sunny today in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta – with a shower here and there in Peshawar. 

What’s making you happy today? Let me know!

Marium 

P.S. We’ve gone back to our previous format of giving you just the news on weekdays, with a note from me on Friday and Sunday. We figured that you guys like it better that way and hey, we are here for you!

Yesterday, all eyes were on Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th US President. #InaugurationDay was trending at No. 1 on Twitter in Pakistan. Check out the story below to find out the tweets that sum up the inauguration.
 

Political opponents per foreign funding ka ilzam lagana is the easiest tactic used by our politicians, and playing the same foreign funding card, PDM has accused Imran Khan of receiving funding from India and Israel.  

Samiya se Samra, aur Moosa se Mikaal tak sab desi dramon mein parents apnay bacchon ki pasand kay huay khilaaf. Sab dramon ki aik jaisi stories se bore ho kar Ashar aur Ayesha hogaye confuse.

Opposition jo marzi kehti rahay but check out this video in which Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima is saying all the right things about our Prime Minister.

Exclusive: The All Girl musical band

This local All-Girl musical band has taken over social media with a hit new track Mera Nahi Hai. We spoke to these four amazing women in their 20’s about how they are navigating their way through life whilst living their dreams.

More than two years after Sajid Khan was first accused of sexual harassment and misconduct, Sherlyn Chopra has leveled fresh accusations against the Bollywood filmmaker, alleging he had flashed his genitals in front of her and asked her to feel his penis.

Sania Mirza has revealed that she had tested positive for COVID-19 in the beginning of the year.
In a note posted to social media, the tennis champion said that though she is fine and healthy now, she wanted to share her experience.

For his ability to switch political alliances smoothly, he is known ‘as a man of all seasons’. He once sought the support of an Ambassador to become the prime minister. To find out more about him, watch the video.
 

What is Broadsheet and why are we hearing about a scandal everywhere in the media? Click on the link below to find out why NAB gave a guy named James money when we didn’t need to.

In a video message, Arslan Mushtaq, who was appointed as the deputy head of PTI UK Twitter in September last year, has accused Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Azhar Mashwani of telling him and others to run smear campaigns. Azhar denies the allegations.

Speaking on Ahsan Khan’s new show, ‘Time out with Ahsan Khan’, Saeed remarked that marriage helps one with acting.

The cast and crew of Amazon Prime show Tandav have offered an “unconditional apology” after the political drama was accused of hurting Hindu sentiments. The official apology was tweeted by the creator of the show Ali Abbas Zafar.

Great news for us this week! The Current’s Facebook page got the ‘blue tick verification’! So you know, we are real and here to stay!

Social media users are demanding an apology from television anchor Syed Iqrarul Hassan for praising India. The Sar-e-Aam host compared the public transport facilities of the two countries.

Zulfi Bukhari, DG ISPR stand out at Pakistani cinema celebration

Hum TV on December 16 celebrated the 16th anniversary of its premier entertainment channel in Islamabad in a special show hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt and Shiffa Yousafzai.
The anniversary was a star-studded event attended by prominent faces of the country’s entertainment landscape and dignitaries. While everyone enjoyed watching their favourite stars take the stage, it was DG ISPR and SAPM Zulfi Bukhari who Twitter couldn’t stop talking about.

An interesting incident of theft recently took place in Islamabad. A thief in Bani Gala, Islamabad took off the tyres of a citizen’s car and left a note apologising for his actions. See what he had to say. 

According to the Global Firepower index, 2021Pakistan has become the tenth most powerful country in the world in terms of military power.

A viral video has shown a person with uncanny resemblance to a younger Imran Khan, riding a rickshaw in Sialkot.

A video of Hareem Shah slapping Mufti Abdul Qavi has gone viral on social media. The Current se exclusively baat kartay huvay Hareem shared the reason for slapping him. Check out the story to know the reason.
 

Mohammad Amir who recently took retirement from international cricket has now said that he will only make a comeback to play for the National team if Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis are removed from office.