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‘I have seen judges shivering, falling sick’: Bushra Bibi’s argument with judge makes headlines

Bushra Bibi, the wife of incarcerated PTI leader Imran Khan, recently appeared in the Anti-Terrorism Court for a hearing, where she had an exchange of arguments with the judge. She claimed, “I have seen judges shivering and falling sick in front of me.”

Bushra Bibi appeared in court in a case related to the killing of Rangers personnel during PTI’s Islamabad protest.

Judge Tahir Abbas Supra heard the case in the ATC, and the exchange between him and Bushra Bibi took an interesting turn. The judge commented that the court had taken some time, but the legal procedures had been fulfilled. Bushra Bibi replied, “No, it is not a point of concern now, as our trust in the courts has already been lost.”

Judge Abbas interjected, “It is not like that; there is no loss of trust anywhere,” while cautioning, “In whatever way the justice system works, if it ends, then society will end.”

The ATC judge also reminded Bushra Bibi that she had appeared before him in court in the past. In response, Bushra Bibi exclaimed, “I have seen judges falling sick and trembling. One judge’s blood pressure even rose to 200 points, but he had to give a verdict against us.”

She added, “There is law in the country but no justice.”

Bushra Bibi asserted, “The founder of PTI is imprisoned in jail for the supremacy of the constitution. After what happened to us, faith in the law has been lost.”

The court, however, granted interim bail to Bushra Bibi until February 7 in the case registered at the Ramna police station regarding the killing of Rangers personnel in Islamabad.

CCTV footage had dismissed the claims of four Rangers personnel being crushed by security vehicles amid violent protests by PTI supporters in and around Islamabad.

Senior journalist Azaz Syed, in his vlog on YouTube, stated that not only did law enforcement agencies apprehend the driver of the car who ran over the Rangers personnel, but they also reached his home, where they discovered that the driver had a history of mental health issues and drug abuse.

Moreover, the ATC approved Bushra Bibi’s bail in 13 D-Chowk protest cases.

January 14, 2025
Users turn to new app as TikTok ban looms

With the threat of a TikTok ban in the US looming, many Americans are turning to a new app called RedNote as an alternative. These users, who have been called “TikTok refugees,” have helped the newly discovered platform become the most downloaded app on Apple’s US App Store.

This Chinese-owned app, known as Xiaohongshu in China, allows users to post short videos and live-stream, similar to how TikTok works. It features content such as product reviews, comedy, and influencer videos and has even been compared to Pinterest for its e-commerce focus.

Launched in 2013, RedNote has gained massive popularity in China and is now seeing a surge in US users.

On January 13, 2025, the number of downloads for RedNote peaked on Apple’s App Store in the US, as people flocked to it in case TikTok is banned. Although most of RedNote’s content is in Chinese, the app has been updated to be more user-friendly for English speakers.

TikTok’s potential ban in the US comes after lawmakers raised national security concerns, believing the Chinese government might use the app to spy on Americans.

TikTok has denied these claims, but in April 2024, the US government passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. The Supreme Court could intervene to stop the law from going into effect.

If the law stands, app stores could stop allowing new users to download TikTok, and the app may no longer receive updates.

January 14, 2025
Here’s why dozens of actors are scared of working with older actresses

Age can be a major obstacle for professionals in the entertainment industry, and actress Faiza Hasan reveals the hidden insecurities of male actors over the age of 50, fearing middle-aged women overshadow them.

In an interview on Suha Ka Samma with Madeha Naqvi, the Burns Road Ki Neelofar actress shared her thoughts on how some male actors hesitate to work with middle-aged women.

“Men in the entertainment industry are complex and insecure. Many actors over 50 don’t want to work with us [middle-aged women] because they feel threatened and insecure. They believe that working with younger actresses will make them look younger, and they worry that we will overpower them with our work,” she claimed.

Faiza Hasan is not the only one shedding light on the insecurities of older actors.

Actress Javeria Saud, who joined the conversation, revealed a shocking truth, saying, “Wives of middle-aged actors have openly told me that they want to see their husbands with younger women. They don’t want to see their husbands with women of their own age.”

January 14, 2025
Opportunity or scam? New project from Ducky Bhai, Rajab Butt, Nadeem Naniwala slammed by critics

Famous Pakistani vloggers Rajab Butt, Ducky Bhai (Saad ur Rehman), and Nadeem Naniwala have launched a new learning platform called ‘Join Elite Group’. This platform offers paid courses on TikTok live streams, business startups, cryptocurrency investments, YouTube vlogging, and online store management.

However, the project has faced significant backlash, with critics questioning its legitimacy and intentions.

Join Elite Group is an online platform designed to offer a variety of paid courses aimed at professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, and enthusiasts. The courses cover a range of topics, including:

TikTok Live Streaming: Strategies and best practices for monetizing live streams.

Business Startups: Guidance on launching and managing businesses effectively.

Cryptocurrency Investments: Insights into trading and navigating the crypto market.

YouTube Growth: Techniques to start, grow, and sustain YouTube channels while boosting engagement.

E-commerce Expertise: Methods to establish and optimize online stores for increased sales.

Despite these ambitious offerings, the platform’s credibility has been called into question by a growing number of critics.

Since its launch, the Join Elite Group website has struggled with technical problems. Users have reported high traffic issues, frequent “too many requests” errors, and difficulties signing up, which has fueled skepticism about the platform’s reliability and transparency.

Journalist Sheraz Butt, who has 496K followers on Instagram, recently criticized the project in a viral video. He questioned the integrity of the creators, saying:

“These are the same creators who sold their private lives like a reality show. Now they claim that they will teach the youth how to earn money?” YouTuber Sheraz also mocked their courses, adding:

“YouTube is a trend that may end in a year. Are they trying to make money now by selling courses on how to earn from YouTube? It’s laughable.”

He argued that these creators gained fame by showcasing their families and private lives, and now they are monetizing their audience by selling knowledge that is freely available online.

Adding fuel to the fire, Ducky Bhai’s past remarks have resurfaced. In a podcast, he admitted, “I am not a teacher to provide knowledge.”

However, while promoting the project, he stated, “You have supported us for years; now it’s our turn to give back and help you stand on your feet.”

The criticism doesn’t stop there. Talha Reviews, another YouTuber, labeled the project a “scam.”

Similarly, popular YouTubers Maaz Safdar and Ali Butt advised fans to avoid the initiative, pointing out that free resources for learning about YouTube and online earning are readily available.

Many fans and critics alike have questioned the credibility of these courses, calling them a “fraud business.”

Hundreds of YouTubers with global followings offer free seminars, courses and tips on how to grow online audiences. TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and nearly all social media platforms carry such content, easily searchable and in easy to understand terms.

Many Pakistanis too have posted such videos, offering breakdowns of algorithms and financial benefits, completely free of charge.

January 14, 2025
PIA looking for new graphic designer after Paris flights memefest?

Days after Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was trolled by netizens from Pakistan as well as around the globe over its announcement of resumption of flights to the European Union (EU), a social media post has claimed the national carrier is looking for a new graphic designer.

PIA on January 10 announced the resumption of direct flights to France after four years as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the ban on its flights to the region. The national carrier had been banned by the EU over safety concerns following 2020’s Karachi crash and then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar’s claims that around 40 percent of Pakistani pilots had fake licences.

Though last week’s development was positive, the official handle of PIA on X was brutally trolled for uploading a picture that seemed more like a “threat” than an announcement.

“PIA please change the angle of your plane. It’s looking like 9/11 here,” wrote one user. “I think every Pakistani should clarify that this plane isn’t aiming for the Eiffel Tower. And the designer should be fired ASAP,” wrote another.

” ‍♂Who approved this graphic? Delete it!! [sic]” said a social media user while others could not believe it was an actual ad. Some users also uploaded a PIA advertisement in a French newspaper from the 20th century wherein a PIA plane’s shadow could be seen on the Twin Towers in New York.

“Keep the plane a little to the side. Flights have resumed with great difficulty,” wrote journalist Waseem Abbasi.

With the post going viral globally and reports by foreign media outlets also taking digs at the national carrier, another post by a LinkedIn user on Tuesday suggested the PIA had let go of its designer and was now looking for someone to fill the vacant position.

“We’re hiring a graphic designer,” said the post shared by one Jaffar Nisar.

However, following an investigation into the viral post and speaking to an official concerned, The Current can confirm that the post was actually a meme. The same was also confirmed by Nasir, a graphic designer, who said so in a comment on the post on his LinkedIn profile.

On Friday, PIA’s flight PK 749 took off to Paris from the Islamabad International Airport, carrying 330 passengers and 14 crew members.

The inaugural flight ceremony was attended by a multitude of high-profile senior officials such as PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and director generals of both the Civil Aviation Authority as well as the Pakistan Airport Authority.

Addressing media at the occasion, the minister commended the hard work PIA officials had displayed for Europe to reopen its airports to Pakistan. He also expressed great dissatisfaction with his predecessor, the former aviation minister, whose statements Asif believed negatively impacted the aviation sector.

January 14, 2025
‘Final Round’ of Gaza talks to start in Qatar

A “final round” of Gaza truce talks is due to start Tuesday in Qatar, said a source briefed on the negotiations aimed at ending Israel’s genocide in Gaza after more than 15 months.

“A final round of talks is expected to take place today in Doha”, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

The AFP source said that Tuesday’s meetings “are aimed at finalising the remaining details of the deal”.

The heads of Israel’s intelligence agencies, the Middle East envoys for the incoming and outgoing US administrations and Qatar’s prime minister are due at the talks, the source said.

“Mediators will hold separate talks with Hamas,” the source added.

Mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt have been engaged in months of talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the Israeli aggression in Gaza and releasing hostages held in the Palestinian territory.

Since early January, indirect negotiations have resumed in Doha.

On Monday, a source with knowledge of the talks said there had been “significant progress on the remaining sticking points” in the negotiations in Qatar, leading to a new “concrete” proposal being presented to the parties.

The source added that there had been a “positive” initial response from both sides.

The proposal, according to the source, would see more than 30 Israeli hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in an initial swap.

An Israeli expert on X has claimed that Israel has agreed to multiple conditions.

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim has shared, “Isreal has agreed to withdraw FULLY from Gaza leaving no troops or security zone.”

January 14, 2025
Trump shares video referring to Netanyahu as ‘son of a b**ch’

American President-elect Donald Trump has shared a video on Truth Social in which prominent economist Jeffrey Sachs refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “dark son of a b*tch”.

Sachs, a known critic of Israel, says that Netanyahu manipulates US foreign policy and pushes the super power into “endless” wars in the Middle East.

“[Netanyahu’s] gotten us into endless wars and because of the power of all of this in US politics, he’s gotten his way,” Sachs tells a Cambridge Union event in the video.

While Trump did not add any remarks to the video, he has posted it at a time when a ceasefire deal seems within reach. The video has left many analysts scratching their heads as Trump’s nominees for key positions in his future cabinet are known Zionists with documented anti-Palestine sentiment.

January 14, 2025
Here’s how you can earn money using AI on YouTube in 2025

YouTube automation is booming owing to the fact it requires minimal effort in generating original and monetised content. Starting YouTube automation in 2025 can be a game-changer for those looking to grow their channel without spending hours creating content manually.

With the right strategies and tools, you can streamline the process and focus on scaling your channel effectively, that too while having a full-time job if necessary.

Here’s how you can create a YouTube video using AI tools without even showing your face or using your voice.

First, take a look at the YouTube channels below. They are all generating passive income without showing their faces or using their voices, instead leveraging AI to create quality content.

Here are some simple steps to generate a quality video using AI tools:

First, you need to create a YouTube channel based on a niche you want to work on. Now, analyze YouTube channels that create similar content to get an idea of what makes their videos unique.

Now, let’s dive into the video creation process from start to finish.

Step 1: Create an Engaging Script

You need an engaging script for your video to ensure viewers stay interested. While it’s best to write your script yourself, you can use tools like ChatGPT to generate an engaging script.

Here’s an example:

Step 2: Generate Visuals

Next, you’ll need visuals to make your video visually appealing. You can ask ChatGPT to generate text-to-image prompts for each part of the script. ChatGPT will provide image prompts, and you can use any text-to-image AI tool like Midjourney or Leonardo.ai. These tools will create high-quality images based on your script.

Tip: Leonardo.ai offers an option to animate images, but you’ll need to purchase the premium version for this feature.

Step 3: Generate Voice-Over

The third step is to create a voice-over for your script. ElevenLabs is an excellent tool for generating audio using AI in various languages and accents. The free trial allows you to generate voice-overs for up to 10,000 characters. After reaching the limit, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version.

Step 4: Edit Your Video

The final step is editing your video, for which you can use CapCut since it’s user-friendly and free. With basic video editing knowledge, you can create a high-quality video using the voice-over from ElevenLabs, images from Leonardo or Midjourney, or even stock footage. CapCut also offers free captioning options to boost your video’s reach to a wider audience.

YouTube automation offers an excellent opportunity to build a successful channel with minimal manual effort.

By using the right tools and staying consistent, you can grow your audience and generate revenue while saving time. Remember to always keep your content relevant and engaging to ensure long-term success.

January 14, 2025
Once Imran is released, I will not be seen anywhere, says Marwat

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat stated on Sunday that his support for other leaders of the party will end once former Premier Imran Khan is released from jail.

Appearing on the private media outlet, Marwat remarked, “I promise the entire nation that the day Khan Sahib is released, I will not be seen anywhere.”

Asked whether Marwat was quitting politics after Khan’s release, the PTI firebrand said, “I step into politics solely for Khan,” adding that he is not seeking any benefits.

His remarks followed a highly public spat between the party’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Sher Afzal Marwat on a private television on Thursday.

While Raja had downplayed the Marwat remarks about the party founder, the latter challenged Salman Akram Raja’s position in the party.

Marwat had said that according to the party constitution, Salman Akram Raja cannot become the party’s secretary general. “Only an elected person who has contested the intra-party election is eligible for the position of party secretary-general,” he explained.

He went on to say that Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and PTI Additional Secretary General Firdous Shamim Naqvi are public officeholders. “Salman Akram Raja is a stranger [to the party],” he added.

Marwat, on Sunday, while responding to the former PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hassan’s remarks about him, stated that he did not want to comment about Hassan since he faced physical assault previously.

Earlier, reacting to the heated exchange between Marwat and Raja, former PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan, while speaking to a private news channel on Friday, sternly said, “I’ve stopped talking about him [Sher Afzal Marwat] because no one has been spared his wrath, including me.”

Without taking the names of specific persons, Marwat stated that they were concerned about his frequent appearance on media channels, adding, “They [party leaders] wish that I must not appear on any news channel.” In the same breath, Marwat avowed that he will continue to appear on screen and cause them discomfort.

He said that except for Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, party chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Ali Muhammad Khan, he is not answerable to anyone in the party. “They are my well-wishers,” he added.

Meanwhile, PTI served a show cause notice to Marwat on Monday after he assailed Secretary General Salman Raja.

“You have, amongst others, made disparaging remarks against the Secretary General of PTI and even made adverse comments on the ongoing negotiations. This is a clear violation of the Party Policy and Instructions issued by Founding Chairman Imran Khan,” the notice reads.

As per the notice, the PTI maverick has been given seven days to respond and explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. During this period, Marwat has been advised to avoid appearing in the media.

January 14, 2025
Pakistan uses unique technique to prepare pitch for West Indies Test series

The Pakistan cricket team management has planned a strategy for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

The ground staff has been instructed to create pitches that will be helpful for spin bowlers. Head Curator Tony Hemming has introduced a new method to keep the pitches dry and spin-friendly.

To achieve this, Hemming has introduced the ‘Greenhouse’ idea in Pakistan cricket. The pitch is completely covered with special covers, and heaters are placed inside on both sides of the covers. The method helps maintain warmth and prevents moisture from affecting the pitch. The main goal of using the greenhouse method is to eliminate moisture caused by fog in Multan.

The West Indies cricket team, led by captain Kraigg Brathwaite, has reached Pakistan for the two-match Test series. The first test will begin on January 17, and the second will be played from January 25, both in Multan.

January 14, 2025