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  • ‘Ertuğrul’ star thanks Neelam Muneer for her ‘nice compliments’

    ‘Ertuğrul’ star thanks Neelam Muneer for her ‘nice compliments’

    While on one hand stars are debating over whether Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul should be aired in Pakistan or not, on the other hand, we are witnessing a heartwarming exchange between actors of both the countries.

    In a recent Instagram post, Neelam Muneer discussed how watching the series is “like reading a book which is full of great history of Muslims”.

    “Even though I respect views of everyone in my fraternity but I feel it’s not the matter of Turkish content or Pakistani content,” wrote Neelam. “We should look beyond and understand that its Islamic content, which has so much wisdom and teaches us the history and the values of Muslims.”

    She added, “Let’s just feel proud of our Islamic heritage and get motivated and also create content in Pakistan which we should also be proud of.”

    Neelam’s post caught the attention of Gülsim Ali, who plays Aslıhan Hatun, younger sister of Ural Bey and Aliyar Bey, in the super hit series.

    “Thank you for the nice compliments,” replied Ali. “Love you and your heart is so beautiful, wish you all the best.”

    Read more – Halime Sultan sends her love to Pakistan

    The exchange did not end there. Neelam responded and hoped that Gülsim will be able to visit Pakistan one day, who said she would love to.

    Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country. According to PTV, 133.38 million people have watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with 3.5 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.

  • ‘Ye Watan Tumhara Hai’: celebrities honour nation’s heroes

    ‘Ye Watan Tumhara Hai’: celebrities honour nation’s heroes

    To honour those fighting on the frontlines against the COVID-19 pandemic, producer (Naqsh Shany) Haider has released a rendition of Mehdi Hassan’s Ye Watan Tumhara Hai.

    The song features a plethora of celebrities including Adnan Siddiqui, Imran Abbas, Zara Noor Abbas, Faysal Qureshi, Ahsan Khan, Asma Abbas, Zhalay Sarhadi, Asad Siddiqui, Anoushey Abbasi and Gohar Rasheed among others.

    According to the song’s producer, “Tum Se Hai Yeh Watan is a symphonic tribute to the sovereignty of Pakistan featuring silver screen artists as singers. This song is dedicated to our nation’s unsung heroes during COVID-19 pandemic and a salute to the armed forces, doctors, engineer’s, scientists, artists and our overseas Pakistanis and the entire nation.”

    The song has been recorded and produced over social media apps in a completely virtual environment.

    “It is a special effort to uplift nationalism within our hearts”, says the producer.

    Watch video:

  • COVID-19 research: Monkeys develop immunity after exposure to virus

    COVID-19 research: Monkeys develop immunity after exposure to virus

    Two studies conducted on Wednesday offer some hope that humans can develop protective immunity against the novel coronavirus — COVID-19.

    The study was published in a journal of science, after a prototype vaccine was tested whether infection with SARS-CoV-2 — the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 — provides immunity against re-exposure.

    Two experiments were conducted on rhesus macaque monkeys to see whether they develop immunity against natural infection or from a vaccine.

    In the first experiment, carried out by the researchers, nine adult rhesus macaque monkeys were infected with the virus. The monkeys developed COVID-19 symptoms but created protective antibodies and recovered after a few days.

    To test their newly developed immunity, they were re-exposed after 35 days, what is called a “re-challenge”, and the monkeys showed no symptoms.

    The researchers of this experiment cautioned that further research is needed because of the great difference between humans and monkeys.

    “Rigorous clinical studies will be required to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 infection effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 re-exposure in humans,” they said.

    The second study, involving many of the same researchers and led by Jingyou Yu, involved vaccinating 35 adult macaques with DNA vaccine candidates designed to generate protective antibodies.

    They were exposed to coronavirus six weeks later and had developed levels of antibodies in the blood which are sufficient to neutralise it, the study found.

    The levels of antibodies were similar to those seen in humans recovering from the virus, providing hope that an effective human vaccine can be developed.

    “Further research will need to address the important questions of the durability of protective immunity and the optimal vaccine platforms for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for humans,” the authors of the study said.

  • COAS Gen Bajwa ‘takes notice’ of misbehaviour of army colonel’s wife towards police

    COAS Gen Bajwa ‘takes notice’ of misbehaviour of army colonel’s wife towards police

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has reportedly taken notice of the mistreatment of police personnel by a woman claiming to be the wife of an army colonel, a video of which went viral on social media on Wednesday night.

    According to journalist Gharidah Farooqi, Gen Bajwa has ordered “prompt disciplinary action” against the military officer.

    “[The case of the] video of a serving military officer’s wife misbehaving with police at a check post on Hazara Motorway. COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa takes prompt notice. Immediate disciplinary action initiated against the officer concerned,” she tweeted while welcoming the army chief’s decision.

    It was also tweeted by Senator Rehman Malik of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    “We must appreciate the prompt notice taken by Gen Qamar Javed Bajawa by ordering disciplinary action against the officer whose family misbehaved with the police,” he said, adding that the development spoke volumes of the army’s accountability system.

    READ: Inflation: Armed forces demand 20 per cent increase in salaries

    On Wednesday night, a viral video showed a woman misbehaving with police officials at a check post on Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) after she was stopped for what netizens say were security reasons.

    Claiming to be a colonel’s wife, the woman seemed insulted as she launched verbal attacks against the cops who continued to calm her down. The woman was also seen maneuvering her car at the police personnel until finally driving off after removing the barricade.

    WATCH VIDEO [STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING]:

    As ‘#ColonelKiBiwi’ trends on Twitter in Pakistan, a group of netizens has claimed that the woman’s husband, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Farooq Khan, has also had a similar reaction to police officers conducting their job and doing a routine security check.

    READ: From interior to info, health, telecom, power, civil aviation among others: Military men serving Pakistan

    While The Current has not yet been able to independently verify the claim, here’s a video of the woman’s alleged husband.

    Support is pouring in for the cops who were and are mistreated by those who think they are above the law, as people demand an end to the culture.

    Have anything to add to the story? Let The Current know in the comments.

  • NAB to host hi-tea for all its prisoners on Eid

    NAB to host hi-tea for all its prisoners on Eid

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will give “relief” to its prisoners by offering hi-tea on Eid day, a statement issued by the anti-graft watchdog has revealed.

    “Keeping its past tradition alive, the bureau has arranged hi-tea for all detained suspects and they will also be presented bouquets on Eid day,” a NAB spokesperson said Wednesday.

    The bureau said it had decided to present bouquets to all its suspects detained at Kot Lakhpat and Camp jails on judicial remand. It said the bureau was doing so out of a goodwill gesture.

    Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz, Jang/Geo Media Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) former director general Ahad Cheema are among the prominent NAB suspects on judicial remand.

    Meanwhile, a report in a local English daily has claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suspects a serious foul play behind sudden appearance and circulation of a fake draft purported as a government bill that undermined its efforts to fix anomalies in the accountability regime.

    The report quoted a member of the cabinet as saying that the issue of NAB amendments had been pushed to the back burner yet again and now the government would see after Eid what could be done. The PTI government had recently decided to consult all stakeholders, including the opposition parties, to amend NAB law either through an ordinance or if possible by convening a session of parliament to carry out the required legislation.

  • Meethi Eid: Places to order Eid cakes from

    Meethi Eid: Places to order Eid cakes from

    Eid ul-Fitr means new beginnings, celebrations and eating a lot of food and starting this exciting day with something sweet. Keeping in view the social distancing rules, everyone must avoid going out unnecessarily but that doesn’t mean we give up on our sweet tooth.

    Here are a few places where you can order Eid cakes online and have them delivered to your doorstep.

    Islamabad

    Waima’s Kitchen

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Wasimas-kitchen-102480028076161/

    Baked Temptations by Saira

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Baked.Temptations.by.s/

    Lahore

    Rabi’s Food Studio

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/rabifoodstudio/

    Cake Cloud

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cakecloudlahore/

    The Baking Studio

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thebakingstudiolhr/

    Theobroma

    If you’re a fan of the Tres Leches, then the Tres Leches from Obroma is a must-have. Order it now and thank us later.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_703cLg2aW/

    Vanilla by Hafsa Zulfiqar

    The richest, creamist chocolate cake you’ll ever have.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5iS6gehryx/

    Karachi

    Cakesh

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cakeshbysadiakanwal/

    Contact Number: 03343324381

    Sugar Mama

    Their Lotus Cheesecake is a bestseller and one everyone needs to try at least once. They are also offering a variety of Eid packages you can send to your loved ones.

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sugarmama.khi/

    Pie in the Sky

    Website: https://pieinthesky.com.pk/

  • Karachi’s top salons opt to remain closed

    Karachi’s top salons opt to remain closed

    While most salons across the country have opened their doors for business with the necessary SOPs in place, two of Karachi’s leading salons, Natasha’s Salon and Bina Khan, have decided to remain closed despite permission from the Government and the Supreme Court to resume business.

    Read more – Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    Natasha Khalid of Natasha’s Salon and Bina Khan announced on social media that they will not be opening their salons due the continuous increase in corona cases.

    “We have since yesterday received a barrage of calls asking if we’re open for services for Eid, mostly because the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered ‘resumption of normalcy’,” wrote Khalid.

    “First things first. Nothing is normal or back to normal! We have just been allowed to open shop & remove all corona-related limitations in the midst of a peak.”

    “This is being done due to enormous economical/social pressures, which have nothing to do with the fact that numbers of COVID-19 affectees are increasing on an hourly basis; that people both young and old, sick and healthy, are dying from it,” she remarked, adding, “We already have put extraordinary pressures on our health systems and are ever-increasingly encumbering hospitals and health workers with exponential risks.”

    Urging everyone to stay home, Natasha wrote, “Blow-dry your hair at home this time and if you can’t, tie that loose braid. Have hair on your arms and legs. Or just shave. Get a facial with the help of a plethora of ‘at home facials’ available online and watch one of the dozens of tutorials to get ready this Eid.”

    Announcing her decision, she wrote: “I will not risk my staff, myself, or anyone walking through my doors getting unwell. I am trying to generate cash from online classes to pay my staff and keep my business alive, but I will not risk opening my doors because I know I can’t guarantee 100% that someone will not get ill.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYUb6ljhuA/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Similarly, Bina Khan said that her salon will remain closed “because we care”.

    In a note, Khan wrote that she spoke to a couple of doctor before making her decision and they all explained to her that “providing normal salon services undeniably comes with some risk”.

    “I do not think that anything that goes on in a salon is an essential service so we have decided to keep our doors closed,” she stated, adding that her salon will open as soon as it’s medically advisable.

    Like Natasha, Bina said that online classes are allowing her to generate income so she is able to pay her staff.

    However, Bina said that she will make exceptions for her brides, but with strict precautionary measures in place.

    “I will open for my brides when they come because I understand that their weddings have been scaled back so hugely that looking like a bride and feeling special is a service that has started to feel more essential than it normally is. I am willing to risk my health for these poor corona brides, whose dream days have been so severely tarnished. But I will go alone and will only ask one staff member to help, taking every precaution known to man while we do so,” wrote the makeup artist.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAaEvNxlp0l/

    Meanwhile, other salons across the country have opened with the necessary precautions, including PPEs, sanitizers and masks, in place.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pgjS8he47/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAXEL-Xl2IB/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVC-TbDzVK/
  • Singaporean court hands out death sentence through video-link

    Singaporean court hands out death sentence through video-link

    A Singaporean court has handed via video-link the death sentence to a Malaysian man, Punithan Genasan, who was found guilty of being involved in drug trafficking.

    He facilitated the trafficking of 28.5 kilograms of heroin back in 2011, which has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drug use. He was then extradited in 2016, later he was found guilty and sentenced to death via a Zoom call by high court officials.  

    Singapore’s Supreme Court said in a statement that in line with measures to minimise the further spread of the COVID-19, courts have been conducting hearings, including hearings on criminal matters remotely.

    Therefore, for the safety of all involved in legal proceedings, trials are being conducted virtually. Genasan’s lawyer did not object to the sentence being handed out via video conference.

    Since much of the western world was placed on coronavirus lockdown in late February through March, Zoom’s usage has skyrocketed. This has led to questions about what business the software is and isn’t fit to handle.

    Companies like Google and SpaceX have banned employees from using Zoom out of security concerns. School districts in New York, as well as teachers throughout Singapore, have also been barred from using the software.

  • Cambridge University suspends all in-person classes until summer 2021

    Cambridge University suspends all in-person classes until summer 2021

    The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has become the first university to announce that it will move all “face-to-face lectures” online for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year. The institution added that it was “likely” social distancing would continue to be required.

    According to a report in The Guardian, the university said that while lectures would continue virtually until summer 2021, it may be possible for smaller teaching groups to take place in person if it “conforms to social-distancing requirements”.

    A statement from the university read: “The university is constantly adapting to changing advice as it emerges during this pandemic. Given that it is likely that social distancing will continue to be required, the university has decided there will be no face-to-face lectures during the next academic year.

    “Lectures will continue to be made available online and it may be possible to host smaller teaching groups in person, as long as this conforms to social-distancing requirements. This decision has been taken now to facilitate planning, but as ever, will be reviewed should there be changes to official advice on coronavirus.”

    All teaching at the university was already moved online in March and exams were being carried out virtually.

  • VIDEO: Unusual snowfall in Ayubia in May after a century

    VIDEO: Unusual snowfall in Ayubia in May after a century

    In an unusual occurrence, the lush green mountains of Abbottabad district’s Ayubia village, after over a century, have received snowfall in the month of May that is known for bringing warmer weather.

    According to The Express Tribune, nearby areas, including the Galiyat region, also received light snowfall on Tuesday, which was very unusual even for the local population.

    A report by the local English daily quoted a 90-year-old resident of Ayubia as saying that he hadn’t seen such weather since the British colonial rule. The resident said that his elder brother told him how in the 1920s the beautiful hilly region received snowfall for the last time in the month of May, while back when his forefathers resided in the region, the cold weather used to be very harsh even in June.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Galliyat Development Authority (GDA) Director General (DG) Muhammad Raza Habib said he had received reports from his team in Ayubia about the weather, adding that there was no causality or disturbance for civilian life in the region due to the unexpected snowfall.

    Rina Saeed, an Islamabad-based writer and author, said the changes in weather were due to coronavirus pandemic as most of the world was under lockdown.

    READ: Improved air quality leads to breathtaking view of Kashmir from Sialkot

    “The environment is much cleaner now as compared to pre-coronavirus period. Since there is no pollution in the atmosphere, the flora and fauna of this region would benefit from it,” she said.