Author: newsdesk

  • 16-year-old househelp raped and poisoned to death in Karachi

    16-year-old househelp raped and poisoned to death in Karachi

    Sonia, a 16-year-old working as a housemaid in a bungalow located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal 13-C in Karachi, was allegedly raped and poisoned to death by her employer’s sons.

    Sonia’s mother has said in a statement given to the police that the teenager had gone to work on Sunday as usual. On her return she was in a critical condition, therefore taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College for an examination. However the girl died during treatment.

    Police has started its investigation but the mother of the victim has accused the sons of the employer-who was not at home at the time Sonia went there-of rape and poisoning.

  • Three challans issued to Rohit Sharma for over-speeding in car

    Three challans issued to Rohit Sharma for over-speeding in car

    Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has been fined with three challans for violating traffic rules.

    Pune police issued three challans to Rohit Sharma for over speeding on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Indian media has reported, adding that the cricketer was travelling from Mumbai to Pune for a match against Bangladesh.

    Sharma’s over speeding has led to heavy criticism, with the traffic department stating that he should have traveled in the team bus instead of a speeding car during the World Cup.

  • US government official resigns over ‘provision of lethal arms to Israel’

    US government official resigns over ‘provision of lethal arms to Israel’

    A senior US State Department official has resigned from his position on Wednesday in the light of the Biden administration’s role in the Israel-Palestine escalation.

    Josh Paul, director of congressional and public affairs at the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, posted a letter on his LinkedIn account announcing his resignation and the reasoning behind it.

    While he clarified his stance on October 7 and deemed the Hamas attack on Israel as “a monstrosity of monstrosities,” he also stated that “I believe to the core of my soul that the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response, and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people – and is not in the long term American interest.”

    “I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse”, he added

    In the latest developments following October 7, Israel has been more aggressive in its attacks in Gaza which has resulted in the killings of more than 3,300 Palestinians whereas Biden pledged to support Israel in its so-called right to defend through and through.

    “When I came to this bureau … I knew it was not without its moral complexity and moral compromises, and I made myself a promise that I would stay for as long as I felt … the harm I might do could be outweighed by the good I could do,” Paul acknowledged in his letter.

    “In my 11 years I have made more moral compromises than I can recall, each heavily, but each with my promise to myself in mind, and intact. I am leaving today because I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued – indeed, expanded and expedited – provision of lethal arms to Israel – I have reached the end of that bargain.”

    He also pointed out that “I fear we are repeating the same mistakes we have made these past decades, and I decline to be a part of it any longer.”

    HuffPost spoke to Paul following his resignation.

    “I’ve been surprised by how many have said, ‘We absolutely understand where you’re coming from, we feel similarly and understand’”, he said.

  • Egyptian star footballer Muhammad Saleh condemns Israeli brutality in Palestine

    Egyptian star footballer Muhammad Saleh condemns Israeli brutality in Palestine

    Egypt’s star footballer Muhammad Saleh released an emotional video message in favor of the oppressed Palestinians who are victims of Israeli brutality in Gaza.

    In his video message, Muhammad Saleh said that it is not always easy to talk at such a time.
    “All lives are sacred and should be protected, the killings must stop, Many families are breaking apart.”

    He further said “At this time it is very important to immediately allow humanitarian aid to Gaza, the people there are suffering from extreme difficulties. The scenes at the hospital last night were also heartbreaking. The people of Gaza need food, water, and medicine”. Referring to the Israeli brutality launched on Gaza after the attacks by Hamas, he said that there is a lot of violence and extreme brutality.

    In his video message, the 31-year-old football star appealed to the international community to come forward and play their part to prevent further massacres of innocent people.

    At the end of his video message, Salah said, “Humanity must prevail in the end.”

  • McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan has officially announced a donation of Rs1 crore to provide support to Gaza victims through the Edhi Foundation. This announcement was made via the company’s official social media account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

    This philanthropic effort arises amidst a global controversy surrounding McDonald’s due to allegations of indirectly supplying free meals to the Israeli occupation army. In response, McDonald’s Pakistan, in an official statement, clarified its stance by emphasising that it is an independently operated entity with no connections to McDonald’s Israel.

    The company reiterated its commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, underscoring its dedication to assisting those impacted by the ongoing conflict in the region. However, it’s important to note that this act of goodwill also sheds light on the broader controversy surrounding McDonald’s, as its involvement in providing complimentary meals to the Israeli occupation army has triggered global protests and boycott movements.

    Numerous McDonald’s branches in different countries have taken swift measures to distance themselves from the actions of the Israeli branch, asserting that the Israeli branch’s actions do not represent their own positions. This announcement may be an attempt to mitigate the backlash from some Pakistanis who criticised the food chain for its perceived support of Israel. Whether these events have impacted McDonald’s Pakistan’s sales remains uncertain at this time.

  • Gold price increases by Rs6,400 to Rs206,500 per tola

    Gold price increases by Rs6,400 to Rs206,500 per tola

    Gold prices in Pakistan are once again on an upward trajectory, with the per tola price recently surging by Rs6,400 in the domestic market.

    This increase was observed as the price of this precious metal climbed by Rs6,500 per tola, reaching Rs206,500, according to statements made by the chairman of the All Pakistan Jewellers Manufacturers Association.

    Simultaneously, the price for 10 grammes of gold also rose, now trading at Rs107,740 after a substantial increase of Rs5,487.

    In the international arena, the price of gold saw an uptick of $46, settling at $1,938 per ounce. Conversely, the US dollar strengthened against the Pakistani rupee in interbank trading on Wednesday morning, ending a streak of losses for the Pakistani currency.

    Furthermore, the value of the US dollar also rose by one rupee in the open market, where it now trades at Rs278, up from its previous rate of Rs277. Just last week, the US dollar had depreciated by Rs5.07 against the Pakistani rupee in interbank trading.

  • Pakistan ‘least prepared country’ for digital education

    Pakistan ‘least prepared country’ for digital education

    Among the developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan ranks as the least prepared nation for digital education, according to the ADB’s report titled “Towards Mature Digital Education Ecosystems, the Digital Education Readiness Framework.” 

    The report underscores several areas where Pakistan needs improvement, including low internet connectivity (only 34.1 per cent of households are connected), slow fixed broadband speeds, high fixed line broadband costs, and limited rural electricity access.

    In contrast, Uzbekistan stands out as the most prepared country for digital education, closely followed by Indonesia. On the flip side, Pakistan is the least ready, with Fiji following suit. 

    Across all five evaluation pillars, the “Providers” category shows the lowest performance, with six out of the ten DMCs categorised as “initial” in readiness, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Fiji (in descending order of scores). The remaining four countries are classified as “emerging” in readiness, comprising Indonesia, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Uzbekistan.

    The gap between the model country’s normalised score and the highest-scoring country is a significant 45 points. While the 10 DMCs manage to keep mobile broadband costs relatively low as a per centage of GNI per capita, there is considerable variation in fixed broadband costs. 

    Cambodia, Indonesia, and Pakistan emerge as the least affordable in this aspect, while Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan offer more cost-effective solutions.

    In terms of urban electricity access, most countries excel, with nearly 100 per cent of urban households having access to electricity. Rural electricity access in the 10 DMCs ranges from 90 per cent to 100 per cent, with Pakistan lagging behind at just 41.3 per cent of rural households lacking access to electricity.

    Households with TV coverage are relatively high across the board, averaging 81.7 per cent. Cable TV subscriptions per 1,000 individuals vary from low to moderate among the countries studied, with Pakistan having the highest subscription rate.

    Pakistan’s National Education Policy for 2017–2025 focuses on enhancing ICT access in schools, using ICT to improve teaching quality and student learning, and developing complementary ICT approaches. However, it lacks clarity on access to devices.

    Teacher training in ICT skills, particularly for online education delivery, is lacking. Although teachers do create their own educational content, it tends to be basic, such as documents and presentations. Internet quality varies, with schools having some limitations in handling heavier content, while higher education and TVET teachers enjoy better quality.

    Institutional support for teachers in delivering online education requires improvement, particularly in schools, where paper-dependent systems are prevalent. Students in Pakistan exhibit reasonable proficiency in digital skills, but access to devices at home is limited, with smartphone access being the primary means.

    The utilisation of private EdTech platforms for conducting classes or interacting with students is quite low among teachers. Pakistan also has a relatively small share of ICT graduates among tertiary education graduates.

    Pakistan, as a partner state of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has utilised GPE grants for tech tools to deploy teachers where needed and introduced apps for teacher attendance in certain regions. These initiatives aim to support distance learning across the country.

  • World Cup 2023: New Zealand defeats Afghanistan to record fourth victory

    World Cup 2023: New Zealand defeats Afghanistan to record fourth victory

    In the 16th match of the ICC ODI World Cup, New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 149 runs and secured the first position on the points table by winning their fourth match in a row.

    The match between Afghanistan and New Zealand was played in Chennai in which the Afghan team won the toss and decided to bowl.

    New Zealand’s innings did not start well against Afghanistan, with four Kiwis getting out for 110. Opener Devon Conway was sent to the pavilion by Mujeebur Rahman for 20 runs, Will Young 54, and Richan Ravindra scored 32 runs and was dismissed by Azmatullah Umarzai while Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Rashid Khan for one run. After the fall of four wickets, captain Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips batted responsibly and took over the team, putting together a brilliant partnership of 144 runs, both batsmen also scoring half-centuries.

    However, Tom Latham was then dismissed for 68 and Glenn Phillips for 71. In the final overs, Chapman scored an unbeaten 25 and Santner scored seven runs, thus the Kiwis scored 288 runs for the loss of six wickets in 50 overs.

    On behalf of Afghanistan, Naveen ul Haq and Azmatullah took two wickets each while Rashid Khan and Mujeebur Rehman took one wicket each.

    Chasing New Zealand’s target of 289 runs, the entire Afghanistan team was bowled out for 139 runs in the 35th over. Rahmat Shah with 36 and Azmatullah Omarzai with 27 were the top scorers.

    Lockie Ferguson and Mitchel Santner took three wickets each while Trent Boult took two wickets.

  • University of London suspends students over Gaza rally

    School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, an institute famous for its progressive outlook on politics, has started suspending its students following a rally in solidarity with Gaza.

    In a statement, the Palestine Society of SOAS on Twitter (now X) said that the suspension was “a clear act of political repression”. A rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza was held by the society on October 9. Hundreds of students joined the demonstration. Consequently, “The students were suspended and given warnings through disciplinarians by the university.”

    While the society condemned the suspension, it also demanded “the students to be allowed to continue their studies and attend lectures.”

    A link has been posted by the Society to an online petition in which it asked the university to drop all the disciplinary proceedings against the students involved in the protest, revoke all the formal warnings against the Palestine Society Committee, and reestablish the right to protest. It also calls on the Student Union to advocate on behalf of all the suspended students and pressure the university administration to comply with the demands.

    A letter was sent by the UK Education Secretary to the Chancellors of the university demanding that they act “swiftly and decisively” against any threats to Jewish students’ safety in the aftermath of the blockade of Gaza. They deemed that the pro-Palestinian students were actually supporting Hamas which for them is a proscribed terrorist organization.

    Fatima Bhutto voiced her protest on X, siding with the Society and expressing her disappointment with her alma mater.

    Hardcore reactions from some other alumni of the university included Dr. Ruby, who called the step “draconian, unjustified, and most likely illegal”.

    Abeera, one of the faculty members of SOAS called it “Absolutely shameful”.

    A number of netizens criticised SOAS for its hypocrisy. One pointed out that the aim of a “fairer society” as expressed by the institute was totally contradictory to their actions.

  • Surgeries conducted on floor, without anaesthesia: What do we know about day 12

    Tuesday night, an Israeli air raid on al-Ahli Arab Hospital killed more than 500 Palestinians.

    Biden meets Netanyahu

    President Biden landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, today, to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu, less than a day after more than 500 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike at a hospital.

    Without any proof to back up his claim, Biden said that the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing seems to be carried out by the “other team, not you”, indirectly putting the blame on Palestinians.

    Read more: ‘Civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas’: Netanyahu meets Biden

    Read more on false information from day 12:
    Israel tries deflecting blame for hospital attack; evidence proves otherwise

    “Time is OVER!”

    Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has called for unity across the world to stand up to Israel after the hospital bombing, calling it a “massacre of … innocent women and children”.

    “After the terrible crime of the Zionist regime in the bombing and massacre of more than a thousand innocent women and children in the…hospital the time has come for the global unity of humanity against this fake regime more hated than ISIS and its killing machine,” he wrote on social media.’

    Protests across the world

    The hospital bombing led to spontaneous protests across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond but many ended with confrontations with security forces.

    Palestinians got together in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the Lebanese gathered in capital Beirut outside the US Embassy, hundreds gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis, all of which were interrupted and dispersed by the police.

    Other major protests were recorded in Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq.

    EU and Russia want facts

    The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is “saddened” by the recent hospital attack in Gaza.

    She posted on X saying, “There is no excuse for hitting a hospital full of medical staff and civilians,

    “All the facts have to be established and those responsible must be held accountable.”

    Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has asserted that Israel must provide satellite images to prove their claims that they were not involved in the Gaza hospital attack.

    RIA news agency quoted her as saying that “Russia classifies the attack as a crime and an act of dehumanisation”.

    UN calls for ceasefire

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has now called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Israel-Gaza war.

    The UN Security Council is also said to vote on a Brazilian-drafted resolution on Wednesday to halt the escalation between Israel and Hamas and to continue humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip.

    The head of World Health Organization (WHO) post on X saying, “We need violence on all sides to stop,” and the situation in Gaza is “spiralling out of control”.

    “Every second we wait to get medical aid in, we lose lives. For four days, WHO supplies have been stuck at the border. We need immediate access to start delivering life-saving supplies.”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said

    Surgeries without anaesthesia

    Gaza already lacks enough healthcare facilities due to the Israeli blockade and after the attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital, 350 people were rushed to al-Shifa Hospital which was already assisting a large number of wounded patients from other Israeli air strikes.

    According to reports by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra, some of the victims were decapitated, disembowelled or were missing limbs.

    And because the number of patients is now beyond capacity, doctors are forced to perform surgeries on floors and in the halls, mostly without anaesthesia.

    “We need equipment, we need medicine, we need beds, we need anaesthesia, we need everything,” Abu Selmia told The Associated Press.

    “Viable” solution is needed, says El-Sisi

    In a news conference in Cairo while visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President el-Sisi asked Israel to shift the affected Palestinians to Negev desert instead of expecting Egypt to host them.

    “There is the Negev desert in Israel. The Palestinians can be moved to Negev desert until they [Israel] do what they wish to do with the military operatives in the Gaza Strip before returning [the Palestinians] back,” he said.

    “If the Palestinians are transferred to Egypt, the military operation initiated by Israel may last for years and years to come. In this case, Egypt will continue to bear the consequences and Sinai will be a base for operations against Israel and in this case, Egypt will be labelled as a base for terrorists,” he said.

    “The acts by Israel, cutting power, water, electricity is a means to forcibly transfer Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula, which we totally reject.”

    Casualties, arrests

    Israeli forces have detained 65 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and since October 7, the number has now reached 750 excluding the detained workers from Gaza which are yet to be confirmed.

    Additionally, 61 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,250 injured.

    As for Palestinians in Gaza, more than 3,300 have been killed while 13,000 injured, according to Palestinian health minister.

    On the contrary, the death toll in Israel remains at 1,400, with another 3,500 injured.

    Jordan cancels US summit

    Biden was due to visit Jordan but after the hospital attack, the meeting was cancelled.

    White House spokesperson John Kirby, however, said that the decision was “mutual” and that the reason was the declaration of a three-day mourning after the hospital attack.

    Credit: Al Jazeera