Students and teachers from remote areas of the country will especially benefit from the new Teleschool Channel, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said. The channel was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 13 to make up for the academic loss faced by students because of coronavirus pandemic. The channel will also contribute to to the overall literacy rate in the country, she added.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has yet again warned Indian singers against collaborating with Pakistani artistes. The film body issued a statement after it noticed that a few artistes have recently worked with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on a digital platform. The statement came after several cross-border collaborations amid the coronavirus pandemic, featuring singers such as Ali Sethi, Farida Khanum and Rekha Bhardwaj.
Adnan Jaffar appeared in Homeland’s episode of season eight without letting anyone know. The actor played Pakistani general Aziz who had an intense discussion with retired army officer Bunny Latif (Art Malik). And he knocked it out of the park. Homeland as a show initially garnered negative reviews for its portrayal of the Middle East and Pakistan but has since then learned a thing or two.
Former first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfraz passed away at the age of 50 after being tested positive for coronavirus. The left-handed batsman scored 616 runs from 15 first-class fixtures after making his debut in 1988. He also had 96 runs from six one-day games. Sirfaraz was being treated at a private hospital in Peshawar for the past three days.
The Islamabad High Court has rejected a petition filed against the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) for ordering educational institutions across Islamabad to reduce their monthly fees by 20%. On April 8, the PEIRA issued a notification instructing private educational institutions to cut their tuition fees for April and May by 20% due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Shops in Faisalabad are still operating with their shutters down for the police but open for people. A lockdown has been imposed in the city to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus across the country. Section 144 has been imposed in Faisalabad, which means that there is a restriction on gatherings of more than five people and movement has been restricted too.
Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that he will start a campaign to mobilise overseas Pakistanis for funds to fight against the novel coronavirus in the country. A series of tweets by the Prime Minister’s Office said that the premier along with the support of his Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari will personally handle the matter. He will address Pakistanis abroad as well.
Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of taraweeh prayers during Ramazan at mosques and will only be performed at home. The suspension will not be lifted until the eradication of the coronavirus, according to a report in Al Riyadh. The Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdul Latif Al Sheikh mentioned that they ask Allah to accept their prayers whether held at homes or at mosques.
China has imposed restrictions on the publication of academic research on the origins of the novel coronavirus. The restriction is imposed according to a central government directive and online notices published by two Chinese universities that have since been removed from the web. Under the new policy, all academic papers on Covid-19 will be subject to extra vetting before being submitted for publication.
A sheet of paper bearing Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to “Hey Jude” sold for $910,000 in an online auction held Friday. The auction was to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ historic split. The handwritten document contains partial lyrics along with annotations including the word “break” used to aid the song’s recording. The document penned by McCartney was sold for more than five times its pre-sale estimate.