Author: newsdesk

  • World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka defeats Netherlands by five wickets

    World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka defeats Netherlands by five wickets

    In the 19th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka defeated Netherlands by five wickets to mark its first victory of the tournament.

    The match was played at Akana Sports City in Lucknow where Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat first.

    The Netherlands were all out for 262 with two balls left in the innings. Sybrand Angel Brackett was the top scorer for the Netherlands with 70 runs, besides Logan van Beek who scored 59 runs.

    Dilshan Madhushanka and Kasun Rajitha took four wickets each for Sri Lanka.
    Sri Lanka achieved the target of 263 runs in 48.2 overs, and Samarawakarma played an unbeaten innings of 91 runs.

    Patham Nissanka scored 54, Charith Asalanka scored 44 runs, Dhananjaya de Silva scored 30 runs and Kaushal Mendis scored 11 runs.

    Aryan Dutt of the Netherlands took three wickets, Colin Ackerman and McKernan took one wicket each.

  • 80 per cent of Gaza burns victims are children: What do we know about day 15

    80 per cent of Gaza burns victims are children: What do we know about day 15

    13 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank

    At least 13 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank.

    The Israeli raid led to clashes in the Nur Shams refugee camp.

    Among the killed Palestinians are seven children whereas one Israeli officer also died.

    Israel-Lebanon border

    Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah alongside Palestinian armed groups are still at odds as cross-border attacks continue.

    Al Jazeera reports that the attacks are limited to areas only a few kilometres on each side of the border, adding that Hezbollah is trying to stop Israeli potential operation into Gaza.

    ‘Fuel will not enter Gaza’: Israeli army spokesperson

    Daniel Hagari says the 20 trucks carrying aid into Gaza from Egypt will go to the southern part of the besieged enclave.

    But he stated that “fuel will not enter Gaza”.

    At a news conference after the opening of the Rafah crossing earlier, Hagari told reporters that only food, water and medical aid will be allowed to enter the enclave.

    Israeli air raids kill 46 in Gaza

    Air raids through the night have reportedly killed at least 46 people.

    Preparations for ‘next phase of war’

    Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has disclosed that the war will be carried through three phases and that preparations are underway “for the next phase of the war” which is said to be a ground operation.

    The first phase is under way which, as he explained, aims to destroy the military infrastructure of Hamas military. The second phase will be “lower intensity” operations to “destroy pockets of resistance”.

    “The third phase will require the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza strip, and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel,” as highlighted in his statement.

    800 EU officials condemn chief’s support of Israeli attacks on Gaza

    In the light of the recent incessant Israeli attacks on Gaza, more than 800 EU officials have written to European Union’s chief, Ursula von der Leyen, condemning her “uncontrolled” support of Israel.

    Al Jazeera has reported seing the letter whereas the signatories of the letter say they “hardly recognise the values of the EU” and that there has been a “seeming indifference demonstrated over the past few days by our institution towards the ongoing massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip, in disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law”.

    The signatories are also upset by the Commission’s “double standards” as on one hand, the Russian blockade of Ukraine is deemed as an act of terror, while Israel’s blockade of Gaza is “completely ignored”.

    “If Israel does not stop immediately, the whole Gaza Strip and its inhabitants will be erased from the planet,” the letter read.

    “We urge you [von der Leyen] to call, together with the leaders of the whole Union, for a ceasefire and for the protection of civilian life. This is at the core of the EU existence,” they said, warning “the EU risks losing all credibility”.

    The letter brings to light the conflict within the EU on the Israel-Gaza war.

    The letter also read that the European Commission’s “recent unfortunate actions or positions seem to give a free hand to the acceleration and the legitimacy of a war crime in the Gaza Strip”.

    “We would have been proud if the European Union … had called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and indiscriminate violence against civilians,” the letter read.

    UN update on casualties in Gaza, West Bank
    Death toll in the Palestinian enclave has risen up to 4,137 which includes 70 percent of children and women.

    Additionally, more than 1,000 people are said to be missing and are presumably under the buildings attacked by Israel.

    1.4 million people are internally displaced in Gaza while at least 30 percent of residency has been destroyed or damaged in Gaza.

    80 per cent of Gaza burns victims are children

    Ghassan Abu Sitta has said that medical workers no longer have dressings for burns victims.

    “We have more than 70 wounded with burns covering more than 40 per cent of their body surface. 80 per cent are children,” Abu Sitta said on X (formerly Twitter).

    10,000 Palestinians imprisoned in two weeks

    There were already about 5,200 Palestinians in Israeli prisons before the attacks of October 7. Following the incident, 4,000 Gazan labourers in Israel have reportedly been arrested while other 1,070 have been taken in in army raids in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

    Cairo Peace Summit to address war on Gaza

    More than a dozen countries participated in a conference in Cairo, Egypt to discuss ways to “de-escalate” the Israel-Palestine escalation while there is also a fear of the conflict rippling throughout the Middle East.

    The Cairo Summit for Peace was attended by Jordan, France, Germany, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Qatar, South Africa and other countries alongside the United Nations and European Union.

    Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urged all the leaders to collectively carve out a way to end the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip and establish peace between the two sides.

    He also asserted the need to deliver aid to Gaza and call for a ceasefire as well as attainment of the two-state solution.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also attended the summit and appealed for the opening of the humanitarian corridors.

    “We will remain on our land.”, he added, saying that Palestinians will not leave.

  • Colombia to open embassy in Palestine

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been very vocal in his condemnation of Israel’s war on Gaza. In one of his recent statements, after a meeting with both the ambassadors of Palestine and Israel, he showed his solidarity with the children from both sides and pledged to open an Embassy in Ramallah, Palestine.

    “I have expressed my position to achieve an international peace conference that opens the way for two independent and free states. I reiterated my solidarity with Israeli and Palestinian children, who must and have the right to live in peace,” he said in a post on X (former Twitter).

    The Colombian president further pledged, “We will send a plane with humanitarian aid to the outskirts of Gaza waiting for a humanitarian corridor to open. Colombia will open its embassy in Ramallah, Palestine.”

    It is crucial in the context of the ongoing conflict as Petro has refused to condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel and compared Israel’s actions to those of Nazi Germany. In response to this, the country bore the cost in the form of suspension of defence imports from Israel — their biggest supplier of warplanes, surveillance equipment, and assault rifles since the 1990s.

  • Sheikh Rashid is back after a hard ‘40-day chilla’

    Sheikh Rashid is back after a hard ‘40-day chilla’

    President Awami Muslim League and PTI’s ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday made a comeback on TV in an interview with anchorperson Muneeb Farooq. 

    When asked about his long absence and reported arrest, Sheikh Rashid said that he had gone for a “40-day chilla” just like a tableegi mission where he was studying Quran. Sheikh said it was hard but he is thankful to the Almighty that he got this opportunity. Sheikh Rashid said he did not even get a chance to inform his family about it. “No one harmed me, everyone cooperated with me on this chilla,” added Rashid.

    Sheikh Rashid talked about his relations with the armed forces of Pakistan. He attributed his political career to General Akhtar Abdur Rehman. “I will always be proud to call myself a spokesperson of the army.” He said he had even advised Imran Khan to work in close coordination with them. 

    Rashid recalled that when the MQM talked to him during the no-confidence motion, he realised then that “PTI government is over”. However, he did maintain that he was part of the cabinet and was one of the signatories of the National Security Council (NSC) on the cipher. 

    Answering a question regarding Imran’s criticism of the army, Rashid said that he personally believes that nobody should criticise army officers and military institutions like that. Rashid said that he had condemned the May 9 violence but “it was not highlighted much”.

    Rashid reiterated that institutions are imperative for Pakistan and the biggest mistake of the PTI government was to criticise the army and hampering the appointment of Army Chief General Asim Munir. He has deduced from his experience that politicians should not meddle in the affairs of the army — their postings and transfers. Sheikh said that Imran Khan is a “stubborn” politician.

    Sheikh Rashid appeared on TV a day after the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court ordered the police to recover him by October 26. He was allegedly picked up from his residence in Rawalpindi on September 17 according to his lawyer.

  • ‘You shut the F up’: Dave Chappelle gives it to Israeli supporter as crowd cheers him on

    ‘You shut the F up’: Dave Chappelle gives it to Israeli supporter as crowd cheers him on

    An account about comedian Dave Chappelle, posted on Twitter, is going viral on social media.

    A user posted that during a Boston show, in front of a sold-out crowd 22,000 strong, Chappelle criticised Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Podcaster Imran Muneer narrated that Dave acknowledged the attacks by the Hamas were wrong, but Israel had no right to slaughter countless Palestinian civilians. An attendee in the crowd shouted “Shut the f* up Dave”, to which Chappelle responded “No you shut the f* up.”

    “You don’t take tens of billions from my country to go kill innocent women and children and come and tell me to shut the f* up,” narrated Imran.Dave then went on to criticise Israel for begging USA for money, and then using it to drop bombs on women and children: “He said don’t come begging for money from my country and then go drop bombs on children and cut off innocent people water and electricity. You have the audacity to pay to come see me and then tell me shut the f* up, no you shut the f*** up. The crowd started clapping and cheering for him and saying yes Dave and chants of free Palestine and then he said you’re damn right free Palestine.”

    Imran also pointed out the crowd at Dave’s show comprised of 80% white, 5% black and the rest were Latins.

  • Bannu professor forced to apologise publicly for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution

    Bannu professor forced to apologise publicly for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution

    Professor Sher Ali from Bannu was forced to apologize publicly by signing an affidavit for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and organizing a seminar on women’s rights in Islam.

    A tweet from X user Khurram Zakir has brought the tragic state of intolerance to the spotlight.

    The dispute started with Professor Sher Ali organizing a seminar on the topic of Women’s Rights in Islam and the Constitution. It was arranged in response to the growing public displeasure against women leaving their homes without adhering to the Islamic dress code. The professor triggered religious circles who accused him of deviating from the teachings of Islam.

    Although Darwin’s Evolution theory is part of the curriculum set by the board of education, the professor had to bear the brunt of fulfilling his duty and teaching about it. The incident has raised concerns about the inconducive space for rational discourse even in an academic setting.

  • Only 20 trucks of aid allowed into Gaza

    Only 20 trucks of aid allowed into Gaza

    The Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza has finally been opened for aid trucks into Gaza on Saturday.

    Al Jazeera reports that Hamas’s media office confirmed that “The relief aid convoy that is supposed to enter today includes 20 trucks that carry medicine, medical supplies, and a limited amount of food supplies [canned goods],”

    The World Health Organization took to X to highlight that its trucks consists of trauma supplies for 1,200 people, portable trauma bags for on-the-spot stabilisation for 235 people, medication for chronic diseases for 1,500 people, essential health supplies for 300,000 people for three months.

    It is, however, important to note that the besieged Gaza Strip has a population of 2.3 million people.

    Humanitarian workers have been saying that 20 trucks are not enough for the catastrophe caused by Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip. So far, more than 4,000 people have been killed while more than 12,000 are injured.

    The UN reported that there is a severe dearth of food and drinking water while sanitation facilities, water wells, reservoirs, and pumping stations have been destroyed due to air raids.

    Hamas’s media office has also stated that this aid “will not change the catastrophic medical conditions in Gaza”.

    Previously, US President Joe Biden visited Israel and announced the agreement to allow 20 trucks in Gaza through Egypt.

  • Newlyweds murdered in mosque in honour killing

    Newlyweds murdered in mosque in honour killing

    A newlywed couple was shot dead inside a mosque in Jehlum on Wednesday in what is suspected to be a case of honour killing.

    Rehman Rasool and Safia recently eloped to get married of their own free will. They were then called in by the girl’s family for reconciliation. Sensing the possible threat, the two of them took refuge in a mosque’s courtyard but got gunned down by the family, nevertheless.

    The unfortunate incident happened on Wednesday in the outskirts of Pind Dadan Khan where the two of them took sanctuary in a mosque adjacent to the motorway. The killers managed to escape.

    A local shephard informed the police of the murder. The bodies were taken to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

    Raids have been carried out to arrest the suspects while an investigation has also been launched

  • More Hollywood stars including Joaquin Phoenix and Cate Blanchett ask for ceasefire in Gaza

    More Hollywood stars including Joaquin Phoenix and Cate Blanchett ask for ceasefire in Gaza

    As social media users and human rights activists put out a loud chorus to end the genocide in Palestine, celebrities are also adding their voice. According to Variety, a group of 55 actors which included A-list celebrities like Cate Blanchett, Oscar Isaac, Joaquin Phoenix and Riz Ahmed, have signed an open letter demanding US President Biden to call a ceasefire in Gaza.

    The letter includes celebrities like Ayo Edebiri, Muslim comedian and host behind Netflix’s ‘Patriot Act’ Hasan Minhaj, Jeremy Strong, Jessica Chastain, Jon Stewart, Sandra Oh and veteran Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon.

    The letter demanded from Joe Biden to open his eyes to the current destruction and chaos in Gaza: “More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.”

    “We urge your administration,” the letter further states. “And all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”

    The statement also quotes UNICEF spokesperson James Elder who condemned the misuse of international law on how Gazan civilians are stripped of their basic necessities and are living within destruction.

    “‘Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes. Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment. Most residents can no longer get drinking water from service providers or household water through pipelines…. The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion — and international law — must prevail.’ – UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.”

    The letter ends with the signatories calls for everyone to stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people. “We refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, that we stood by and did nothing. As Emergency Relief Chief Martin Griffiths told UN News, “History is watching.’”

  • Hamas releases two American hostages

    Hamas releases two American hostages

    Hamas has released two American captives who were captured in the October 7 attacks on Israel.

    Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie Raanan are also the first ones to be released since the attacks.

    Al Jazeera reports that Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Ubaida said that they freed the hostages “for humanitarian reasons” following mediating attempts made by Qatar.

    US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar and Israel for their collective efforts in ensuring their release.

    A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry stated that the release was the result of “many days of continuous communication with all parties” and that they hope to “release of all civilian hostages from every nationality”.

    The Israeli military believes that many of the detained are still alive.

    Following October 7 and the killings of 1,400 Israelis at the hands of Hamas, Israel has killed more than 4,000 Palestinians in Gaza Strip as a response; and has also foisted a “complete siege” which it says it will not lift till Israeli hostages are freed.

    Red Cross released a statement stating, “The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped facilitate this release by transporting the hostages from Gaza to Israel, underscoring the real-life impact of our role as a neutral actor between the warring parties,

    “The ICRC continues to call for the immediate release of all hostages. We are ready to visit the remaining hostages and to facilitate any future release following an agreement reached by the parties.”