Author: newsdesk

  • Army chief praises Pakistani-American businessman Tanveer Ahmed for donating nine million dollars to NUST

    Army chief praises Pakistani-American businessman Tanveer Ahmed for donating nine million dollars to NUST

    Pakistani-American businessman has donated nine million dollars to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) for unprivileged students, reports Geo.

    The donation will help 200 students every year through an endowment fund. This is the biggest ever fund given to any Pakistani university.

    Tanveer Ahmed also donated 50 million dollars to flood affectees in 2022. Business tycoon Tanveer went to America as a student and started working in a restaurant.

    Recently, as reported by Dawn, he met Army Chief General Asim Muneer in Washington DC where the chief praised him for his contributions for Pakistan. “I met the army chief along with dozens of other community members. More than 70 people were in attendance. We had an open and frank discussion with the army chief. He interacted with everyone and was very receptive,” Ahmed tweeted after the dinner.

  • At least 116 dead in northwest China earthquake

    At least 116 dead in northwest China earthquake

    At least 105 were killed and almost 400 injured in Gansu province, local officials said, after the strong, shallow tremor struck around midnight.

    According to state broadcaster CCTV, 11 others were killed and 100 injured in the city of Haidong in the neighbouring province of Qinghai.

    The quake brought homes crashing down and caused other significant damage, sending people running into the street for safety, state news agency Xinhua said.

    “I was almost scared to death. Look at how my hands and legs are shaking,” said a woman of about 30 in a video posted to a social media account associated with the state-run People’s Daily newspaper.

    “As soon as I ran out of the house, the earth on the mountain gave way, thudding on the roof,” she said as she sat swaddled in a blanket outside, cradling a baby.

    Footage from CCTV showed family possessions visible among strewn masonry from a house that caved in during the quake.

    Rescue work was under way early Tuesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for “all-out efforts” in the search and relief work.

    Temperatures are below freezing in the high-altitude area, and rescuers should be on guard for secondary disasters, he said according to CCTV.

    The quake, which was logged as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck in Gansu near the border with Qinghai, where Haidong is located.

    That epicentre is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of Gansu province’s capital, Lanzhou.

    Xinhua reported the quake — which was felt in the major city of Xi’an in northern Shaanxi province, about 570 kilometres (350 miles) away — as being magnitude 6.2.

    Several smaller aftershocks followed the initial earthquake, and officials warned that tremors with a magnitude of more than 5.0 were possible in the next few days.

    A quake measured at magnitude 5.2 by USGS was detected further northwest in Xinjiang province on Monday morning.

    Freezing temperatures

    Power and water supplies were disrupted in some villages around the epicentre, Xinhua said.

    Footage from one of the worst-hit places on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents.

    CCTV said more than 1,400 firefighters and rescue personnel had been sent to the disaster zone, while another 1,600 remained “on standby”.

    The broadcaster added that supplies including drinking water, blankets, stoves and instant noodles were also being sent to the affected area.

    Footage showed emergency vehicles driving along snow-lined highways towards the scene with their lights flashing.

    Rescue workers in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions.

    Other clips showed emergency personnel going through debris by torchlight, unfolding orange stretchers for the casualties.

    Hundreds of people have been evacuated in Gansu, officials said.

    The earthquake struck at a shallow depth at 11:59 pm local time Monday (1559 GMT), according to the USGS, which revised the magnitude downwards after initially reporting it to be 6.0.

    Earthquakes are not uncommon in China. In August, a shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China, injuring 23 people and collapsing dozens of buildings.

    In September 2022, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit Sichuan province leaving almost 100 dead.

    A 7.9-magnitude quake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 schoolchildren.

  • ILT20 bans Afghanistan’s Naveen ul Haq for 20 months

    ILT20 bans Afghanistan’s Naveen ul Haq for 20 months

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) International T20 (ILT20) League has banned Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen ul Haq for 20 months.

    ILT20 league management says that Naveen had refused to play in the ILT20 league despite signing a contract with Sharjah Warriors.

    The second edition of the ILT Twenty League will be played in January next year, however, due to the ban, Afghan fast bowlers will not be able to participate in the 2024 and 2025 ILT20 League.

    Naveen ul Haq has signed a contract with Durban Super Giants of the South African T20 League, scheduled to be played alongside the ILT20 league.

  • ICC’s places heavy fine on Pakistan

    ICC’s places heavy fine on Pakistan

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) has heavily fined the Pakistan cricket team for their slow over rate in the Perth Test against Australia.

    The fine amounts to 10 per cent of the match fee for slow over-rate in the Perth Test, while two points have also been deducted from Pakistan’s Test Championship, making the point rate tumble from 66.67 to 61.11.

    Pakistan captain Shan Masood accepted the charge of silver over-rate after which no traditional hearing was deemed necessary by the ICC. The team was fined per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct.

  • Zaka Ashraf’s alleged leaked audio reveals how Babar Azam was removed from captaincy

    Zaka Ashraf’s alleged leaked audio reveals how Babar Azam was removed from captaincy

    An alleged audio of Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Zaka Ashraf with an unknown woman has been leaked on social media, causing a furore. In the clip, he can allegedly be heard talking to an unknown woman, explaining the reason for removing Babar Azam from the captaincy.

    The conversation revealed that, “Babar Azam had formed a group of eight players, he was asked to remain the captain of the Test team.”

    The woman says that we are fans, we can see that the captain is supporting his friends. People close to him, like Shadab, have no place in the team.

    In response to the woman, Zaka Ashraf allegedly says, “Pakistan cricket is deteriorating because of this.” Another unknown person also speaks up and says that Hasan Ali was also like that.

    Meanwhile, Zaka Ashraf is heard saying that Hasan is also Babar’s friend. In response to Ashraf, the same unknown woman says no no Abu, Hasan was included in the team because Naseem Shah was not there.

    The head of PCB then allegedly observes that a man named Talha is the player’s agent. “He has controlled eight players of the national team, he has signed a contract with the players, he is such a smart guy that he has built a lot of relationships with the players’ families by going to the players’ houses, and the players can’t move without him. Talha Osmani I think I don’t know what his name is.”

    “I had told Babar Azam that you should keep the Test captaincy, I am thinking of removing you from the white ball. He replied, well, I will discuss this at home and then I will tell you the decision. Babar Azam called Talha and consulted him, and Talha advised him to leave everything.”

    Ashraf then allegedly says that his “plan B” was ready. “When Babar left the captaincy, I said to the other man, ‘Chal bhai, ab tu captain hai.”

    The unknown woman asks who is the captain, wondering if it is Shan Masood.

    Zaka Ashraf in reply says no, Shaheen Afridi is the captain in white ball. “Good, but wasn’t Rizwan better in the white ball,” asks the woman.

    Zak Ashraf says that he liked Rizwan but he was also deeply involved with Babar and Talha.

    The unknown lady opines that Abu, but Shaheen is under the control of Shahid Afridi, his father-in-law.

    “He interferes a lot,” the other unknown person says. “Dekho beta itna to chalta hai naa.” In response, the lady says, may Allah make it all better for Pakistan.

  • Pakistani rupee appreciates 0.02% against US dollar to close at Rs283.21

    Pakistani rupee appreciates 0.02% against US dollar to close at Rs283.21

    In a continuing upward trend, the Pakistani rupee demonstrated resilience in the inter-bank market by securing gains against the US dollar for the fifth consecutive session, appreciating by 0.02 per cent on Monday.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee closed at Rs283.21, marking an increase of Re0.05.

    Throughout the preceding week, the rupee exhibited a noteworthy appreciation, gaining Re0.61 or 0.21 per cent to settle at Rs283.26 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market.

    This marks the fifth consecutive week of the rupee’s advancement against the dollar, a momentum attributed to the recent announcement of a staff-level agreement (SLA) between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning the first review of the $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement (SBA).

    Since the revelation of the SLA on November 15, the local currency has strengthened by Rs4.88, or 1.7 per cent, against the greenback.

    Meanwhile, on a global scale, currencies commenced the week with caution following significant fluctuations in the previous week, driven by various central bank meetings, including rate decisions from the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the Bank of England (BoE).

    The greenback, which had been bolstered throughout most of 2022 and 2023 by aggressive rate hikes from the Fed and expectations of prolonged higher rates, experienced a notable decline of approximately 1.3 per cent against a basket of currencies last week in response to the outcomes of the Fed’s policy meeting.

  • India celebrates minority rights day as Ram Mandir set to open in place of Babri Masjid next year

    India celebrates minority rights day as Ram Mandir set to open in place of Babri Masjid next year

    Every year on December 18 Minority Rights Day is celebrated in India but this year, the country topped the list of atrocities on minorities.

    In the Northern Indian city of Ayodhya, once marred by communal rights because of Babri Mosque, Ram Mandir is about to be inaugurated on January 22. The establishment of Ram Mandir is a long overdue promise of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Ayodhya is expecting about 4.5 million tourists a month – more than Ayodhya’s entire population of three million – once the first stage of Ram Mandir opens in the upcoming days.

    Ayodhya made international headlines in 1992 when a Hindu mob razed Babri mosque – where the Mandir will stand – saying it had been built on the site of an earlier Hindu temple.

    The incident spurred nationwide riots that left 2,000 people dead, most of them Muslims.

    After decades of legal wrangling, India’s Supreme Court in 2019 awarded the site to Hindu groups for the temple.

    While the $180 million temple project in Uttar Pradesh is funded by donations, the state government – controlled by PM Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP- is pulling out all the stops.

    In a Reuters report cited by the Business Recorder where they interviewed people from the locality of the temple, Hindus expressed excitement for the launch because this will attract business for them. Muslims, on the other hand, fear being marginalized further.

    The Supreme Court also said authorities must allocate the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, which advocates for Muslim rights, “suitable” land at a “prominent” place to build a new mosque.

    The board was issued land 15 miles from the temple, just next to the city border.

    That effectively means Muslims are excluded from the development boom-brought by the temple-downtown, said Azam Qadri, president of Ayodhya district committee of the board.

    “Everyone is focused on the temple. There should have been a focus on promoting mosques too,” Qadri said.

    Muslims still don’t have wide acceptance in the city and even if the community tried to build hotels, Hindu religious tourists might not visit, he added.

    It’s not just Muslims, other minorities in India are suffering as well. On April 21, 2022, 50 thousand houses of Muslims were demolished in the state of Hyderabad, and in 2023, 400 incidents of violence against Christians were reported in 23 states of India. On August 25, Indian extremists killed hundreds of Christians and burned 600 villages in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, reports Samaa News.

    Sikh riots intensified after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, in which around 17,000 Sikhs were killed. Farmers remain protesting across Punjab but the government did not pay any heed to their demands.

    As per DW, 60,000 crimes against Dalit Hindus were reported. On average, an incident of violence against a Dalit occurred every 10 minutes in 2012.
    National Crime Bureau said that over 250,000 hate crimes against lower castes were reported in the last 5 years while as per the report US Institute on Religious Affairs, there have been systematic attacks on Muslims, Christians, and Dalits in India.

    The head of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom said that religious freedom in India has suffered a sharp decline under the Modi regime.
    Since 2020, the US Commission on Religious Affairs has included India in the list of countries of concern, and human rights organizations have declared India as a dangerous country for minorities.

  • Watch: Ex-British Home Secretary Suella Braverman tricked into ‘D* of the Year’ prank

    Watch: Ex-British Home Secretary Suella Braverman tricked into ‘D* of the Year’ prank

    Suella Braverman, former Home Secretary under Rishi Sunak’s government, notorious for her pro-zionist and anti-immigration stand, was pranked by one of the country’s comedy programmes into accepting its “D* of the Year” award in person.

    YouTube comedians, Joshua Pieters and Archie Manners, hired by the comedy show “The Last Leg”, tricked the ex-secretary into believing they were constituents of a fake fishing firm called “Fareham Fishing” in her constituency.

    Last week, Braverman, who has adopted a tough stance against small boat migrants trying to cross the English Channel, attended what she believed to be a small boat naming ceremony on the Wallington River, in Fareham.

    However, during the segment, as she cut a red ribbon to unveil the plaque, it instead named her as the winner of the humiliating award given only to personalities who are most hated.

    The prankster hosts personally awarded Braverman the prize before walking off the pier, leaving her slightly stunned.

    After an awkward few moments, Braverman was seen looking toward her staff before saying: “I’m not sure what that is all about”.

    Each year “The Last Leg” gives the award to an unwitting public figure, who is chosen by viewers and the show’s hosts.

    It is to note that Suella was recently sacked from her post by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who previously reinstated her but is now a target of her criticism.

    Ms. Baverman wrote a piece in a newspaper where she accused the police of “playing favorites”, criticising the Metropolitan Police’s handling of what she called a “pro-Palestine mob”.

  • Janhvi Kapoor reveals biggest regret in life has to do with her mother, Sri Devi

    Janhvi Kapoor reveals biggest regret in life has to do with her mother, Sri Devi

    During a recent interview, Janhvi Kapoor admitted that she regrets not making use of the acting skills she inherited from her mother due to the pressure of accusations of nepotism. She acknowledged that it was a mistake to avoid seeking help from her mother during her first film, “Dhadak,” because she wanted to prove herself independently.

    Kapoor explained, “I was so conscious during my first film. People said I got the role because I am Sridevi’s daughter. I wanted to stay away from her influence. I thought it would be unfair if I took advantage of her advice. Looking back, I realize it was silly. I didn’t let her help me when she wanted to be there for me as a mother.”

    She expressed regret, saying, “Sometimes I wish I had just told her, ‘Mom, I have a shoot, please come quickly.’ Maybe she would have been there. I’ve come to understand that now.”
    Janhvi concluded by expressing pride in being the daughter of her parents. She acknowledged that some might debate the morality of her being Sridevi’s daughter, but she believes it’s the truth.

    Her younger sister, Khushi Kapoor made her debut in the recently-released teen musical ‘The Archies’. Janhvi shared the advice she has for her: “She did such a wonderful job at being honest. When I was talking to her, I told her to be prepared for hate but not to forget herself in the process. I wish someone said this to me. I wish someone told me to try looking at the people that value you, like you, because believing the bad is always easier.”
    “When someone says something bad about you, then believing that person becomes easier. It takes a lot of self-confidence to believe someone who says the right thing. Me and my sister, at times, we question ourselves a lot. I told her ‘Don’t lose yourself, don’t be jaded because you’ve been very honest.’ I felt her performance was very warm, there was a lot of innocence in it. She was not trying to show anything off and it is very difficult to be this real in front of the camera.”