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

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

    Prince Harry, who shocked Britain last year when he and his wife Meghan stepped back from royal duties, told Oprah Winfrey that he had worried about history repeating itself, according to excerpts released on Sunday.

    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.

    “My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” Harry said, apparently referring to his mother Princess Diana, who was hounded by the British press and died at age 36 in a car crash in Paris after her divorce from Prince Charles.

    Harry, 36, was seated next to Meghan, 39, and holding her hand. The couple announced last month that they are expecting their second child.

    “I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side,” said Harry. “Because I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her (Diana), going through this process by herself all those years ago.

    “It’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we had each other,” Harry added.

    Read more – Prince Harry says ‘The Crown’ is ‘loosely’ based on the truth

    In the clips, Winfrey, who is also one of Meghan and Harry’s neighbours in their Montecito neighbourhood in California, said that no subject was off-limits and at one point tells the couple “you have said some pretty shocking things here,” including that their situation had been “almost unsurvivable.” At another point, she questions: “Were you silent or were you silenced?”

    As seen in the preview, Meghan and Harry will have individual interviews with Winfrey as well as a joint sit-down. According to a statement issued by the network, Winfrey, who attended the couple’s May 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle, “will speak with Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, in a wide-ranging interview, covering everything from stepping into life as a Royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure,” the network said in a statement.

    “Later, the two are joined by Prince Harry as they speak about their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family,” it adds.

    Before they moved to California, the couple had complained about the British tabloids’ treatment of Meghan, whose father is white and mother is African-American, some of which they said amounted to bullying or racism.

    Earlier this 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.

  • PML-N’s Hamza released after First Lady Bushra Bibi’s relatives became involved: sources

    PML-N’s Hamza released after First Lady Bushra Bibi’s relatives became involved: sources

    Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif was on Saturday released after spending 20 months in jail as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probed money laundering accusations against him.

    But there is more to last weekend’s development as sources claim that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s release became possible when relatives of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s wife became involved.

    According to sources, First Lady Bushra Bibi’s cousin and nephew became two of the three guarantors in younger Shehbaz’s case.

    “The cousin is Masood Akhtar, and the nephew is Adeel Ali Khan,” they told The Current, adding that the third guarantor, namely Idrees Bhatti, is the son-in-law of Akhtar.

    Sources, however, could not comment over the state of ties the guarantors share with the first lady.

    Speaking to The Current, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar neither confirmed nor denied that the three guarantors were related to Bushra Bibi.

    “Masood Akhtar Sahib is the father of a very hardworking MPA of ours. Aneeza Fatima has been working very hard for the party since before becoming a lawmaker,” he said.

    The PML-N leader went on to say that the guarantor was the father of a trusted lawmaker of the party, and they checked the characters of the people, “not their cousins”.

    HAMZA’S RELEASE:

    Hamza was released on Saturday after an accountability court issued the order and dispatched the same to Kot Lakhpat Jail.

    The Punjab lawmaker was welcomed by his cousin and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz outside the jail premises.

    The PML-N had prepared well in advance for the party leader’s release as 12 different camps had been set up across Lahore to welcome him.

    Arrangements were made to bring Hamza from Kot Lakhpat Jail to his residence in the form of a rally.

    PML-N workers showered rose petals and danced while celebrating for hours outside the jail in anticipation of Hamza’s release.

    Earlier, on Wednesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had granted bail to Hamza in the money laundering case after a two-member bench of the court heard his bail plea.

    PM’s Focal Person on Digital Media Dr Arslan Khalid is yet to respond to The Current’s query. The story will be updated when we receive his comment.

  • VIDEO: Mardan police arrest taxi driver for doing push-ups on moving car

    VIDEO: Mardan police arrest taxi driver for doing push-ups on moving car

    The police in Mardan arrested a taxi driver for doing push-ups on a moving car. 

    According to the police, the man was arrested after he posted video clips of himself doing push-ups on the moving car on social media.  

    A Twitter user Shoaib Ahmad shared the video of a group of men in a moving car, sitting on the car’s windows and hooting for the driver as he does push-ups with one hand on the open driver’s door and the other on the roof.

    A traffic police warden arrested the careless “taxi driver” identified as Jawad Ahmed alias Ladoo Khan, authorities confirmed on Twitter, adding that a case was filed against the man at the Par Hoti police station.

    “Police have also seized the car,” the Mardan Police added.

  • Atif Aslam’s ‘Raat’ is winning hearts

    Atif Aslam’s ‘Raat’ is winning hearts

    Atif Aslam is creating waves with his latest single Raat.

    The music video of the song walks the viewer through the journey of a striving artist – making it big and subsequently losing everything else in the process. It features Syra Yousuf, Kiran Malik Mansha Pasha, Gohar Rasheed and Khalid Malik.

    As the song commences, we see Khalid introducing Atif as Asif as he doesn’t know his name in the first ‘dimension’. In this phase, Atif is a struggling artist, hoping to make it big in the entertainment industry. The scene then shifts towards the next dimension where we are introduced to an Atif who has made it big. Looking dapper in a well-fitted suit, the singer can be seen working in a romantic scene with the gorgeous Syra. The two break eye-contact as the director asks them for a re-take and right on cue, the two throw a starry tantrum.

    In the next dimension, we see the Aadat singer in an argument with a woman, presumably his wife, played by Mansha. The two are embroiled in an argument as a child sits in the back. The rift causes Atif to lose control of the car, resulting in an accident.

    In the final dimension, we see Atif who could be seen defeated and broken. Just as he walks towards an unknown location in an alley, he is caught up in a mugging attempt and we see Gohar as the notorious robber. In a failed attempt to rob the man, the two wrestle, which results in Atif being shot. In the last dimension, we see an Atif who was left to die – alone and in dark.

    The song, directed by Yasir Jaswal, is beautifully shot. Raat encapsulates the essence of how anything and everything is possible in the darkness of the night.

    “The night is as beautiful as it is mysterious,” reads the tagline of the song and the video appears to do justice to it. The music of the song has been composed by Atif while the lyrics have been penned by Aslam and Munir Niazi.

    Meanwhile, fans are thoroughly enjoying Aslam’s new song.

    https://twitter.com/sultana__aadeez/status/1365676208667598857?s=20
    https://twitter.com/_Maasumladka/status/1365678732665626625?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Shaddy404_/status/1365889529547091969?s=20

    Veteran cricketer, Shoaib Malik also praised Atif and the song.

    “Best of luck sir for Raat,” wrote Malik on social media. “Great composition. It has a very positive feel to it. Simply loving it.”

    Check out the song here:

  • Pakistan set to get three new airlines

    Pakistan set to get three new airlines

    Q-Airlines, Fly Jinnah and Jet Green Airlines have sought regulatory approval from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch services in the country.

    The CAA has completed the scrutiny of Q-Airlines and Fly Jinnah while Jet Green Airlines is still going through the scrutiny process.

    According to reports, following the completion of due procedure, the applications would be sent to the aviation division and then to the federal cabinet for final approvals.

    After the launch of these three new airlines, it will take the number of private carriers in the country to six, catering to the 217 million population.

    Airblue, SereneAir and AirSial are the three airlines already operating in the country. National carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is the largest and oldest carrier.

    It is a compulsion for new carriers to operate domestic flights for at least one year with three aircraft before they are allowed to operate internationally.

    SereneAir has already received necessary approvals from the UAE and Saudi authorities to launch commercial operations with maiden flights to Dubai, Sharjah, Jeddah and Riyadh.

  • IBA Karachi launches exclusive dating app for students

    IBA Karachi launches exclusive dating app for students

    Students of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi have launched an exclusive dating app for students only called ‘The Uni Dating.’ News of the dating app was posted on a Facebook group on Saturday and went viral like wildfire.

    A picture of the dating app was posted along with a caption: “Hey guys, just wanted to grab a couple of minutes of your time. We had something special cooking for a while and finally it is here. We would like to introduce you to your own exclusive IBA dating site for current IBA students only. If you know how Tinder works, then you are in for a treat.”

    If you click on the link, it will take you to the main page of the website. You will be asked to log in or sign up by providing your email address, along with the IBA student email address.

    IBA students are not the only ones who have come up with something exclusive like this for their students. Students of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have also set up a matchmaking group on Facebook to help fellow Luminites find rishtas. The group is exclusive to LUMS students and alumni and outsiders are not entertained here.

    What do you think of this dating app made specifically for IBA students? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

  • ‘Vibes only’: Twitterati react to Lahore Qalandar’s anthem

    Pakistani cricket fans are very enthusiastic as Pakistan Super League’s (PSL 6) matches are as interesting as the team anthems.

    Recently, Lahore Qalandars released a new video of their official anthem on Saturday night and it surely put a smile on everyone’s faces.

    https://twitter.com/lahoreqalandars/status/1365693957548740613?s=20

    The video shows Lahore Qalandar’s top players dancing to its song sung by Abrar ul Haq. While some social media users liked the anthem’s vibe, others made it into a meme.

    https://twitter.com/SohaTazz/status/1365706209043636225?s=20
    https://twitter.com/kachalooooo/status/1366034655523258377?s=20

  • Veteran actor Ejaz Durrani passes away

    Veteran actor Ejaz Durrani has passed away at the age of 88 after battling a long illness, media reports have stated. His funeral prayers will be offered in Garden Town, Lahore.

    Ejaz was born in 1935 in a village near Jalalpur Jattan. He started his career with a supporting role in the movie Hamida and worked in almost 150 movies during his 30-year career. Apart from acting, he also proved his skills as a producer and director.

    Durrani is fondly remembered for his role of Ranjha in the movie Heer Ranjha in which he shared the screen with Firdous.

    On the personal front, Durrani was married to Noor Jehan, and the two had three daughters together. However, they later parted ways after which he married his co-star Firdous. That marriage too ended in divorce.

    Natasha Ali penned down heartfelt note for her late grandfather on Instagram.

    “Beloved father, husband , son , brother , uncle , grandfather , friend & human Ejaz Durrani has left us today to rest peacefully in the heavens, still the most handsome man & furthermore an outstanding human being. You did more for your family, friends & those in need than anyone I know. What a life lived,” wrote Natasha.

    “It breaks our heart to say goodbye but we find solace in the fact that we shall carry your legacy of goodness,kindness & quiet bravery forth for you. Because you always taught us that being kind & doing the right thing was always the most important thing in life. This is how I shall always remember you handsome , radiant with that irresistible smile. I love you Nana,” added Natasha

    “I request you all to pray for his soul today and everyday, till we meet again,” She concluded.

  • Rooster kills owner during cockfight in India

    Rooster kills owner during cockfight in India

    A rooster fitted with a knife for an illegal cockfight in southern India has killed its owner. The incident also prompted authorities to look for the organisers of the event and penalise them for their actions.

    According to reports, the bird had a knife attached to its leg and inflicted serious wounds to the owner when he tried to escape, the police said on Sunday.

    The owner, Thangulla Satish, 45, died from blood loss before he could reach a hospital in the Karimnagar district of Telangana state, said police officer B Jeevan. 

    “Satish was hit by the rooster’s knife in his groin,” an area between your hip and stomach, “and started bleeding heavily,” the officer said, adding that Satish was one of 16 people organising the cockfight in the village of Lothunur.

    “We are searching for the other 15 people involved in organising the illegal fight,” said Jeevan further.

    The organisers could face charges of manslaughter, illegal betting and hosting a cockfight. 

    Cockfights are banned yet common in rural areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha states, especially around the Hindu festival of Sankranti. Roosters fights attract large crowds and thousands of roosters die each year in the competitions despite the efforts of animal rights groups. 

    Organisers attach 7.5-centimetre, almost three-inch blades to especially bred rooster’s legs and bet who will win the fight. The fight continues until one rooster is either dead or fleas. 

    Last year, a man was killed when a blade attached to his bird’s leg hit him in the neck during a cockfight in Andhra Pradesh.

  • Khashoggi: Pakistan in solidarity with KSA while world demands holding MBS accountable

    Khashoggi: Pakistan in solidarity with KSA while world demands holding MBS accountable

    While rest of the world demands that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman be held accountable for journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Pakistan has said it stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    “We have noted that the Saudi government termed Jamal Khashoggi’s murder as an ‘abhorrent crime’ and a ‘flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s laws and values’,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement after public release of the US Administration’s declassified intelligence report, containing its “assessment” on the killing of Khashoggi.

    The Saudi government has further underlined that it took all possible measures within its legal system to ensure that the individuals responsible were properly investigated, convicted and sentenced and that justice was served, the Pakistani statement maintained.

    “Pakistan recognises Saudi efforts in this regard and expresses solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the press release.

    It added that Pakistan underscores adherence to the rule of law, respect for national sovereignty, and protection and promotion of human rights by all states, in accordance with their respective constitutional frameworks and international obligations.