Saturday, May 23rd, 2020
Ramazan rule-breakers: Indonesians try to beat Eid exodus ban
Indonesians are turning to smugglers and bogus travel documents to get around bans on an annual end-of-Ramazan exodus that could send coronavirus cases skyrocketing in the world’s biggest Muslim majority nation. Thousands are using any trick in the book to reach their hometowns in time for celebrations at the end of Ramazan this weekend for Eid. “It is a critical moment,” said Doni Monardo, head of Indonesia’s COVID-19 mitigation task force. “I’m afraid people who go to other regions will come back infected and all of our efforts will beRead More
Coronavirus: Universities fear fall in lucrative overseas students
Which sector of the economy do you think is being hardest hit by the coronavirus – construction, retail, transport or catering? Well, you are all wrong, and need to do some more homework. The answer is – education. Many people probably don’t even think of education as part of the economy. The groves of academe are surely above such sordid considerations as money and finance? Not a bit of it. Money is the lifeblood of education – endowments from wealthy alumni, catering and accommodation fees, conference facilities, and the biggestRead More
Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf tie the knot in private ceremony
Renowned actors Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf tied the knot in a private ceremony on Friday. The celebrity couple took to Instagram to share the news of their nikkah with their fans. Sharing pictures from the ceremony where the couple were surrounded by a bunch of dear ones, Hina shared that the two started out hating each other, then gradually became friends before eventually deciding to spend the rest of their lives with each other. “All I thought about him was wrong. This man won my heart. I have not seen someone so loyalRead More
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan surge to 52,437
ISLAMABAD: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has risen to 52,437 with 1743 cases reported during the last twenty-four hours nationwide, on Saturday. According to the latest figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) 18730 cases have so far been detected in Punjab, 20883 in Sindh, 7391 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3198 in Balochistan, 1457 in Islamabad, 607 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 171 in Azad Kashmir. 16,653 patients have so far recovered from the virus while the death toll stands at 1101 with thirty-four deaths reported duringRead More
Pakistan goes wild for blockbuster Turkish drama Ertugrul Ghazi
ISLAMABAD , MAY 23 – Dubbed the Muslim “Game of Thrones”, a drama about the making of the Ottoman Empire has sent Pakistan wild this Ramadan, smashing television records but exposing the country s lack of original content. The Turkish-made series has earned praise for its focus on historical figures from the Muslim world who have been framed as role models for Pakistani youths, and the Urdu-language version of the show has racked up more than 240 million views on YouTube alone. “I prefer to watch it with kids, so theyRead More
Zoheb Hassan could have been on ill-fated PIA flight
A Pakistan International Airlines aircraft carrying more than 100 passengers and 8 crew members crashed in a residential colony in Karachi, minutes before landing, on Friday. The tragic incident has claimed at least 92 lives so far. Flight PK 8303 took off from Lahore and was bound for Karachi. Singer Zoheb Hassan, in a Facebook post, shared that he could have been on the ill-fated flight. But he returned to Karachi two days earlier than planned. Maybe it was a stroke of luck or his mother’s prayers. “MY INCREDIBLE JOURNEY TO FULFILLRead More