Author: newsdesk

  • France: Woman beheaded inside church; two others dead, several injured

    France: Woman beheaded inside church; two others dead, several injured

    A knifeman on Thursday beheaded a woman besides killing two others and injuring dozens of worshippers in an attack inside a church in Nice on the Côte d’Azur — the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France.

    According to reports, the killings happened at 9 am inside the Notre-Dame basilica in the city centre. There were unconfirmed reports in the French media that at least one of the victims had been beheaded.

    Police described the scene as a “vision of horror”.

    The attacker was shot and injured by police and was taken to hospital.

    READ: France urges Muslims to stop boycott of French products over blasphemous cartoons

    The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, said the attacker had repeated “Allahu Akbar” several times while he was being arrested and handcuffed by police.

    He said a woman victim had been decapitated but he had no details of how the two others were killed.

    The attack comes less than two weeks after history teacher Samuel Paty, 47, was beheaded outside his high school after showing his class blasphemous caricatures, including one of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during a discussion on free speech.

    READ: Blasphemy protests: Qureshi wants non-existent Pakistani envoy back from France

    Police confirmed that three people had died in the attack.

    France’s anti-terrorist prosecutor has been brought in to investigate charges of “killing linked to a terrorist organisation”.

    President Emmanuel Macron is heading to Nice.

  • Teenage Christian bride to stay with ‘kidnapper’, rules court

    Teenage Christian bride to stay with ‘kidnapper’, rules court

    In spite of the parents’ plea seeking the return of their underage girl, the Sindh High Court handed the custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl child to a Muslim who allegedly coerced the teenager into marriage after her abduction and forced conversion.

    Newsday Pakistan, an outlet focused on minority rights, reported the court as saying that Arzoo Raja had converted to Islam and married 45-year-old Ali Azhar out of her own free will; therefore, she was allowed to live with her husband. The court also ordered the police not to arrest Azhar and the other persons nominated in the FIR [First Information Report] by the girl’s family and to ensure the security of the couple.

    Ghazala Shafique, a rights activist based in Karachi, said the Sindh High Court’s refusal to take into account the documented age of Arzoo Raja, 13, and the falsification of documents had shocked the family and the entire Christian community.

    “According to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) records, Arzoo’s age is 13, as she was born on July 31, 2007,” she said. Sexual intercourse with a girl below the age of 16 is statutory rape and carries a death sentence or a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison in Pakistan.

    This is the second case of forced conversion of underage Christian girls in Karachi in a year. In October 2019, 14-year-old Huma Younas was kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam, according to reports.

    In Faisalabad, Punjab province, 14-year-old Maira Shahbaz was kidnapped and forcibly married and converted to Islam earlier this year.

  • Pakistan vs Zimbabwe: PCB announces ODI squad

    Pakistan vs Zimbabwe: PCB announces ODI squad

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for Pakistan vs Zimbabwe One Day Internationals (ODI).

    The list includes Imam ul Haq, Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Musa Khan.

    Meanwhile, the expected ODI Squad of Zimbabwe will be Chamu Chibhaba (c), Ryan Burl, Brian Chari, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Tendai Chisoro, Craig Ervine, Faraz Akram, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Carl Mumba, Richmond Mutumbami, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tripiano, and Sean Williams.

    The ODI series against Zimbabwe also marks the beginning of Babar Azam’s reign as the skipper, having appointed by the PCB in May. The men in green will start as overwhelming favorites since not only they are playing on their soil but also the lopsided head to head record. Of the 17 ODIs played between them, the men in green have won 13 of them while one resulted in a tie.

    Read more – ‘Azhar Ali’s captaincy to be reviewed’

    On the other hand, Pakistan’s newly-appointed limited-overs vice-captain Shadab Khan has reportedly been ruled out of the first ODI against Zimbabwe due to fitness issues. According to Geo News, Shadab was feeling discomfort and pain at the upper side of the thigh which restricted his movement.

    “This is not hamstring injury but muscle problems at the upper portion of the thigh. He could not attend the practice session on Tuesday as he was feeling pain and discomfort,” the official told the publication.

    Pakistan will play three ODIs with Zimbabwe and it would be the hosts’ first ODI since October 2019 when they square off against Sri Lanka in Karachi. Zimbabwe last visited the country back in 2015 when they played white-ball games.

    First ODI will be played in Rawalpindi on October 30, 2020, while the second ODI will be played on Sunday November 1 and last will be played on November 3.

  • ‘Corona se darna nahi, larrna hai’ declared un-Islamic as top religious body says virus is Allah’s will

    ‘Corona se darna nahi, larrna hai’ declared un-Islamic as top religious body says virus is Allah’s will

    The popular anti-coronavirus slogan “Corona se darna nahi, larna hai [we have to fight, not fear corona]” has been declared un-Islamic by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) that says the virus outbreak is Allah’s will.

    According to Dawn, the Lahore High Court (LHC), while hearing a petition filed by a lawyer against the use of these words in national print and electronic media and official sources of communication, was on Wednesday informed that the top religious body has advised the government against using the slogan.

    The petitioner-lawyer, Salman Idrees, had argued that no one could fight against God’s will but the national media and government communication sources had been using “un-Islamic” and “immoral” words challenging the supremacy of God. He asked the court to ban the use of the words “corona se darna nahi, larrna hai”.

    In the last hearing, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan had directed the CII to give its opinion on the choice of words in the anti-COVID-19 slogan.

    On Wednesday, a government lawyer informed the court that the CII after considering the slogan had stopped the government from using it.

    The council had advised the government to refer the matter to the federal cabinet to come up with a new anti-virus slogan, Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa said.

    An official at the CII told the English daily that the reason the council had opposed the slogan was that in its view, humans could not fight God’s will and the term “fighting corona” should be replaced with “protecting against corona”.

    The hearing has been adjourned until next week.

  • COVID-19: Shopping malls, restaurants, shops & marriage halls to close by 10 pm

    COVID-19: Shopping malls, restaurants, shops & marriage halls to close by 10 pm

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced new coronavirus restrictions for cities and districts where COVID-19 cases have increased.

    According to a notification issued by the NCOC, all shopping malls, restaurants, shops and marriage halls are to shut by 10 pm from Thursday. The authority also directed public parks and recreational spots to be closed by 6 pm from Thursday.

    The cities where there restrictions have been imposed include Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar and Quetta.

    Meanwhile, the NCOC has also made it mandatory to wear face masks in confined spaces (indoors, public transport, outdoor crowded settings like markets and bus stands, railway stations, etc) and ordered the provincial governments to take strict actions against violators. The government has also said that those violating the order will be fined Rs6,000 to Rs35,000 and punishment of six-month imprisonment.

    NCOC Chairman Asad Umar also appealed to the people to take the virus seriously and follows the SOPs.

    It has emerged that a rise in coronavirus cases was recorded up to 80 percent in eleven major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad.

    Pakistan has reported 331,108 coronavirus cases so far with with 3.08% positivity rate.

  • Top Islamic council allows construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad

    Top Islamic council allows construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad

    The Council of Islamic Ideology, a top constitutional body responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government, has ruled that there were no constitutional or sharia constraints against constructing a Hindu temple in Islamabad or any other place in the country.

    The CII, in a meeting on Wednesday, also allowed the government to hand over the temple site as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of Islamabad to the Hindu community “so that it can offer religious rites as per their beliefs”.

    However, briefing media about the recommendations of the three-day CII meeting, council chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz said that there was no tradition of constructing places of worship with public money so the Hindu temple could not be constructed with public money.

    The CII recommended to the government to establish a ‘special welfare fund’ for minorities which they can utilise without any outside hindrance.

    The constitution provides right to all citizens to practice their religion freely and perform last rituals of members of their community in accordance with their religious belief, it said.

    The Hindu community was allowed to perform last rituals of a deceased person in shamshan ghat (a mortuary where corpses are cremated).

    The CII contended that the Hindu community was allowed to construct a community centre to perform their religious rituals and marriage ceremonies and there was no harm in it as per the sharia.

  • Pakistani makeup artist recreates Halime Sultan’s look

    Pakistani makeup artist recreates Halime Sultan’s look

    Pakistani celebrity makeup artist, Shoaib Khan has been taking Instagram by storm recently with his incredibly mind-blowing transformations. In his most recent transformation, Khan recreated the look of Halime Sultan, a character played by Esra Bilgiç in the popular Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul.

    Khan posted the pictures on his Instagram handle with the caption:” A woman so strong who can be gentle, so simple who can be beautiful, so high in a character who can be humble, so fierce, she can be compassionate, so passionate who can be rational and so disciplined yet so free. Such is an inspiring character of Halima Sultan whom I paying this tribute today!”

    This is not the first time Khan has wowed everyone with his incredible makeup skills by recreating a character’s look. Earlier, he honoured acid attack victims by recreating Deepika Padukone’s character from the film Chhappak.

    The artist has also recreated Joker, Angelina Jolie from Maleficient and the iconic Madam Noor Jahan look.

  • English Football League to now be called Papa John’s Trophy

    English Football League to now be called Papa John’s Trophy

    The English Football League (EFL) Championship and Papa John’s have announced a three-year deal that will see the United Kingdom (UK) pizza takeaway company become the official title sponsor of the EFL Trophy.

    EFL Championship is the highest division of the English Football League and second-highest overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. The league is contested by 24 clubs.

    The exclusive partnership, which will run until at least the end of the 2022/23 season, sees the competition, become known as the ‘Papa John’s Trophy’ with immediate effect.  In addition to the title sponsorship, Papa John’s will also be the official pizza of the EFL.

    The EFL has a unique reach into communities, offering local activation on a national scale with clubs spanning every corner of the country from Colchester to Carlisle and Plymouth to Sunderland, often sharing locality with at least one of Papa John’s 450 branches. 

    EFL Chief Commercial Officer, Ben Wright, said the EFL is delighted to welcome Papa John’s as title sponsor of the EFL Trophy and a new addition to the league’s portfolio of partners.

    “As we continue to navigate through the challenging times that the coronavirus pandemic presents, it is testament to the growing appeal of the EFL that we are able to attract new partners and invest the sponsorship fee into the competition through payments to clubs, which is important during this difficult period.  

    “We look forward to working with Papa John’s over the next three years to build on the success of the competition and create Papa John’s Trophy moments for us all to celebrate.”

    Commenting on the launch, Papa John’s UK Marketing Director, Giles Codd said, “We’re very excited to be named title sponsors of the EFL Trophy. It’s a real honour to be able to support EFL clubs in what is undoubtedly a tough time for everyone involved.

    “It’s always been our goal to serve the best ingredients for the most memorable occasions so we’re incredibly proud to be supporting such a great football competition.”

    Supporters will see Papa John’s feature for the first time in the buildup to the next round of EFL Trophy group stage matches, which will take place on November 10-11, with opportunities to win match passes, signed merchandise and exclusive discounts off orders.  The competition concludes with a showpiece Wembley Final on March 14, one of five EFL Finals held at the national stadium every season.

    The competition was sponsored by car leasing company Leasing.com last season

  • Imran gets clean chit in PTV, Parliament House attack case

    Imran gets clean chit in PTV, Parliament House attack case

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has been acquitted by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) in a case pertaining to an attack on Parliament House in 2014.

    The verdict announced by ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan absolved the prime minister of all the charges filed against him by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. The court said it would indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mahmood at the next hearing on Nov 21.

    The court had on October 26 reserved its verdict on the PM’s acquittal plea in the case. The prime minister through his counsel Babar Awan had pleaded that court to quash the case against him. He had said the prosecution was no longer interested in pursuing the case.

     Awan had maintained that there was no evidence proving the involvement of the prime minister in the case. He had also mentioned that no eyewitness has come forward regarding this.

    In September 2014, hundreds of PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers had attacked parliament premises and the PTV office in Islamabad during the 126-day protest against the then PML-N government.

    During the riot, at least 50 people were injured, including police officer Asmatullah Junejo. Subsequently, the government pressed terror charges against the PTI chairman and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

  • New study reveals ‘all messengers are leaking your personal information’

    New study reveals ‘all messengers are leaking your personal information’

    All messaging applications have support for link previews, this feature expands any website links you send or receive in a chat with images and any brief description. A recent study has shown that these previews can leak all your sensitive data, drain your battery and consume bandwidth.

    To preview, you have to visit the link through the app, open the file that’s in there and survey it. This can leave you vulnerable to malware or force an app to download files that are too big, causing it to crash and drain the battery.

    Surprisingly, the list of apps included messengers from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Line and few others. Some cases of these apps were found with issues such as leaking IP addresses, unnecessarily downloading gigabytes of data in background and exposing links sent in end to end encrypted chats.

    Facebook Messenger and Instagram showed the worst results as they would download a copy of a linked file in its entirety, even if it was gigabytes in size. Most other apps would cap the amount of data anywhere from 15MB to 50MB.

    These findings are quite alarming; your personal information isn’t safe on any online platform. Private messages are not so private.