Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Pakistan records highest number of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began

    Pakistan records highest number of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began

    Pakistan has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. As per the National Command and Operating Center (NCOC), the country recorded 7678 new cases of the deadly virus. The positivity rate has increased to 12.93 per cent.

    Moreover, 23 people lost their lives and 961 patients are in critical condition.

    The total number of cases has risen to 1,353,479 and the death toll is 29,065.


    Read more- NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    A ban on indoor dinning in major cities including, Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and Hyderabad will be enforced from today.

  • ‘Establishment, Imran Khan are on same page, you fools’, Sheikh Rasheed refuses to take back statement

    ‘Establishment, Imran Khan are on same page, you fools’, Sheikh Rasheed refuses to take back statement

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has revealed during a political talk show that he was asked to refute his statement that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is backed by the establishment.

    Last week during a press conference, while taking a jibe at the Opposition, Rasheed said, “They [Opposition] want that the hand [protecting] Imran Khan should be on their head as well,” adding, ” this hand can be on their [Opposition] neck but never on their head.”

    Rasheed’s words were indirectly hinting at the establishment.

    Speaking during Geo News programme, Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Rasheed said, “I was asked to take back my statement on Imran Khan [where I had said that the hand protecting Imran Khan can be on Opposition’s neck but never in their support] but I will not take it back.”

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada repeating Rasheed’s statement said, “Your words are being quoted a lot. Your statement has gone to such an extent that people are saying that Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) should give a clarification in this regard.”

    Khanzada continued by saying, ” You say that they [Opposition] have been produced through gate number four [referrring to General Head Quarters (GHQ)] and now you say that the establishment supports Imran Khan.”

    “Establishment and Imran Khan are on the same page, you fools, minor issues do erupt, little music is being played. Just because one is singing the song doesn’t mean everything is going to shambles,” said Rasheed.

    Khanzada further asked Rasheed how does the government plan on going to it’s supporters knowing that the people will know that the establishment is backing PM Khan. To this Rasheed said that he needed time till April to get back and answer this.

  • Malaysia bound PIA flight delayed over hijacking scare

    Malaysia bound PIA flight delayed over hijacking scare

    A Malaysia-bound Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight PK-894 from Islamabad was delayed on Thursday night because of a plane hijacking scare, reports Saama.

    The flight was supposed to take off at 12:30 am but it was cleared by 2 am as the plane was thoroughly searched.

    The national airline’s spokesperson said that as they had doubts about a terror attack, therefore they started a search and checked passengers. This took time and delayed take-off.

    He said that false information was circulated that a hijacking alert has been issued but this wasn’t true.

  • Five Covid-19 cases reported in three different franchises ahead of PSL 7

    Five Covid-19 cases reported in three different franchises ahead of PSL 7

    Five cases have been reported from as many as three franchises of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition which is set to start from January 27 in Karachi.

    As per details, two of the officials for the PSL 2022 season have now tested positive for Covid-19 which is not a piece of ideal news for the board.

    According to reports, West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer, Australian all-rounder James Faulkner and England left-arm seamer Luke Wood have all tested positive for Covid-19 and are placed in isolation. They were expected to arrive in Karachi but their arrival has now been delayed and they will also miss the first game for the Quetta Gladiators against the Peshawar Zalmi.

    The majority of the players and all of the officials are expected to join the bio-bubble in Karachi by tonight, which has been set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to conduct Covid-19 tests as the majority of the personnel have been engaged in cricketing activities; this might result in additional Covid-19 positive cases being reported.

    As per Cricket Pakistan, a couple of PCB officials have also fallen prey to the pandemic whereas some players’ families have also reported testing positive for Covid-19.

    All the matches of the upcoming edition of PSL will be held in just the two venues of Lahore and Karachi to reduce the possibility of players contracting the virus through travel. The crowd capacity for the matches has been reduced to 25 percent and this will be a huge responsibility for the PCB to ensure the tournament is conducted according to safety measures.

    Chairman PCB, Ramiz Raja already had measures in place for the Covid-19 scenario and the franchises have agreed to take the field if each of the squad has 13 players available in order to ensure that the matches are not skipped.

  • PTI offers Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid Lahore mayor candidature

    PTI offers Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid Lahore mayor candidature

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has offered Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid to contest the all-important Lahore Mayor elections in the local government elections expected to be held in May this year, reports Dawn.

    Rashid has not given her consent upfront as she wanted to discuss the ways to contest the upcoming election.

    The news outlet further states that Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has recommended Dr Rashid as the mayor candidate to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Dawn states that the premier had assigned the task to Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to convince Dr Rashid to become Lahore Mayor candidate.

  • Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic owns biotech firm developing Covid drug

    Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic owns biotech firm developing Covid drug

    Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic owns a majority stake in a biotechnology firm, which is working on a way to immunise people against Covid without a vaccine. The Serbian tennis star has been vocal in his opposition to jabs, and appears to be actively invested in finding a way for others like himself to be protected without the need for a needle.

    It was revealed by Reuters on Wednesday that Djokovic has purchased an 80% share of QuantBioRes, which is headquartered in Copenhagen.

    The firm is working on a way to counter the virus without the need for people to get the vaccine against coranavirus.

    The company’s chief executive Ivan Loncarevic told Reuters that Djokovic made the investment more than a year ago, clarifying that it was not a response to his recent saga in Australia.

    He subsequently told the Financial Times that he had not spoken to Djokovic, who has won more than $150m in prize money, since November and that the tennis star was “not anti-vax”.

    Djokovic travelled to Australia at the start of the month with the plan of taking part in the Australian Open, but was held at the airport in Melbourne over a visa issue.

    Eventually, the day before the tournament began, the Federal Court upheld the Australian government’s decision and deported the world number one tennis player.

    Djokovic, who may also be barred from defending his French Open title in Roland Garros in May after the French government ruled on Monday that all athletes will have to be vaccinated in order to attend and compete in sporting events, acquired his stake in the company in June 2020.

  • Taliban call for Muslim nations to recognise them

    Taliban call for Muslim nations to recognise them

    Afghan Prime Minister (PM) Mohammad Hassan Akhund has called on Muslim nations to be the first to officially recognise the government that seized power in Afghanistan in August.

    “I call on Muslim countries to take the lead and recognise us officially. Then I hope we will be able to develop quickly”, Akhund said and stressed that it’s for the public.

    No country has yet recognised the Taliban government. After they gained power, they promised rights for women but they are largely excluded from government employment, and secondary schools for girls are closed.

    According to the recently released report by United Nations (UN), jobs have dried up and women’s employment levels are extremely low by global standards.

    The lack of work also threatens to worsen child labour levels in Afghanistan, where only 40 per cent of children aged five to 17 years old attend school. Moreover, the UN has warned that half the population is threatened with food shortages.

    Last month, a special meeting of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held to discuss the Afghanistan crisis. However, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister (FM) was excluded from the official photograph taken during the event.

  • Netflix reveals primary characters and first teaser of Money Heist’s Korean version

    Netflix reveals primary characters and first teaser of Money Heist’s Korean version

    Netflix has released the first teaser with characters of the Korean remake of Money Heist, a famous Netflix Spanish web series that was ended with Season 5 in the last year.

    In the teaser, the original character of Professor is being played by the Korean actor Yoo Ji-Tae who seems to be planning the first robbery. The Korean version is named Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area.

    According to the Netflix website, the story illustrates the genius strategist who is staging the exceptional heist in the Korean Peninsula with his talented crew.

    The story would captivate the audience with unexpected twists and turns as the crew stage a hostage while facing inexplicable challenges.

    All eyes are focused on the background and definition behind the title Joint Economic Area.  

    The first season of the upcoming Korean adaptation will consist of 12 episodes.

    Here is the look of all characters playing in the Korean adaptation.

    Korean digital content has been enjoying global popularity since the release of Squid Game which was the top trending web series worldwide on Netflix.

    Netflix, while talking about the adaption in a statement said: “The international popularity of the La casa de Papel is proof that significant works based in different cultures and languages can be widely distributed by Netflix and loved by audiences worldwide.”

    Netflix has produced more than 200 original titles, including over 70 Korean live-action and anime titles. The company has also invested more than $700 million in financing partnerships and co-productions in South Korea since 2015 and the country has 3.3 million paid subscribers as of September 30.

  • Blast in Lahore leaves at least three dead, several injured

    Blast in Lahore leaves at least three dead, several injured

    A blast in Lahore near Pan Mandi in Lahore’s New Anarkali which is a crowded area occurred on Thursday.

    As per reports, the blast resulted in at least three deaths (confirmed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore) and 28 injuries. A police official said the blast caused a 1.5 feet-deep crater in the ground. The injured people were shifted to Mayo Hospital.

    An improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the attack.

    According to DC Lahore, no alert was issued previously by the government. He said that the blast took place at 1:45 pm, while the safe city cameras would be used to track down the culprits.

    The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Ramzan, resident of Ferozewala, and a child aged 10-12, Zeeshan.

    The area was sealed as police officials were gathering evidence from the scene of the crime.

    After the blast, Twitter was flooded with videos and recent developments.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan came forward to express his grief and requested a report from the Punjab government.

    Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar took notice of the explosion and instructed the director-general to submit a complete investigation report on it.

    Punjab Cheif Minister Usman Buzdar tweeted: “The blast near Anarkali Bazaar Lahore is a vicious act of sabotaging the atmosphere of law and order.”

    Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have also condemned the act.


  • Shoaib Akhtar to initiate career opportunities for Pakistani footballers

    Shoaib Akhtar to initiate career opportunities for Pakistani footballers

    Former Pakistani Pacer Shoaib Akhtar has reportedly initiated a life-changing career opportunity for 20 of Pakistan’s most outstanding football players. The initiative is led by the Global Soccer Ventures (GSV) in collaboration with Jawan Sports Drive.

    With GSV, Akhtar will also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of football in Pakistan. GSV is heavily investing in the trials in Pakistan, giving the first UEFA scouting examination on a national level in Pakistan to identify talent in 10 cities across 11 sites, with the goal of offering life-changing professions through professional football contracts in Ireland.

    Under St Patrick’s Football Club’s development programme, the visit also includes four masterclasses in major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, and Lahore to enhance local football coaching expertise to European levels.

    At least 15-25 coaches have been shortlisted based on merit to attend masterclasses to improve their skills as a trainer with the aim of becoming certified trainers who would train other trainers.

    Talking about the initiative, the chairman of GSV Yasir Mahmood said: “Football is here to stay for the right reasons to develop and provide an opportunity for Pakistani players. With Akhtar as an iconic cricket legend well regarded around the world will help play a transitional role in making football become on top of the minds of our nation.”

    Meanwhile, CEO of GSV Zabe Khan said: “The only lifeline a player has and that is to play. Pakistan has seen nothing but football being swiped off its so-called grassroots.”

    “I welcome Shoaib Akhtar standing shoulder to shoulder with GSV offering a new hope for Pakistan’s next-generation football players,” he added.

    British Deputy High Commissioner Allison Blackburne said: “Football is not just a sport, for many in the UK it’s a way of life, and it would be great to see it become more popular in sport-loving Pakistan.

    He further said: “I’m delighted that talented young players here in Pakistan will have this opportunity provided by GSV to learn from some of the best UEFA coaches through St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club.”

    On the other hand, Belgian UEFA licensed coach Karel Freaye said: “Football is for everyone and I am looking for talent with the potential to develop and grow into professional players in Europe.

    With the trial registrations rising by the hour, he said that he is excited to see what football technical excellence Pakistan has to offer.

    On the other hand, SAPM on Youth Affairs and Chairman Kamyab Jawan Program Usman Dar said: “The revival of sports is the top priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Government. I welcome GSV in their efforts for reviving football in Pakistan.

    “PM’s Kamyab Jawan Programme together with GSV will ensure that through football talent hunt we will produce the next football Kamyab Jawan heroes who will represent Pakistan nationally and internationally,” he expressed.

    President of St. Patrick’s Football Club Garret Kelleher expressed: “It is simply wonderful that the resources are now being put in place in Pakistan to allow football inspiring those with a passion for the game to fulfil their dreams and aspirations just like Shoaib Akhtar has in the world of cricket representing Pakistan at the highest level.”

    Talking about the sports, CEO of Itel Zeeshan Yousuf said: “What excites me the most about this legacy project of GSV is the prospect of changing lives of 20 successful kids who will be on a life-changing journey to Europe.