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  • Pakistani transgender comedian and activist barred from using Emirates

    Pakistani transgender comedian and activist barred from using Emirates

    Pakistani transgender activist and stand up comedian Anaya Rahimi took to Twitter to share that she was preventing from boarding an Emirates flight to Tunisia because of the X gender on her card, which signifies that she is a trans woman.

    Describing the experience in an Instagram post, Rahimi said that the Emirates staff misbehaved with her, prohibiting her from travelling as trans people are not allowed to board their planes, despite her efforts to communicate with them.

    “When I went to emirates check in Lahore @lahoreairport the @emirates staff there stopped me and insulted me first because of my gender they along with there manager used transphobic slurs and then told me that you cant travel as @emirates does not allow trangender people to travel. I tried my best to argue and make my case presented the email approval by emirates and told that I confirmed from headoffice too but they shut me down and asked guards to escort me out didn’t let me use my phone as well.”

    Since the post went viral on Twitter, transgender activists like Shahzadi Rai, who was previously prevented from using FlyDubai because of her gender identity, condemned the airline and called for authorities to take action against the organisation.

    https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1675907955055636493?s=20
  • Neglected Thai elephant Muthu Raja returns home after two decades

    Neglected Thai elephant Muthu Raja returns home after two decades

    Thai elephant Muthu Raja has reached back home on Sunday after two decades as the animal was claimed back by its birth country over reports of mistreatment.

    The 29-year-old Muthu Raja had been sent to Sri Lanka back in 2001 as a gift by Thai authorities, but the animal was demanded back by his home country after there were reports of Muthu being allegedly tortured and ill-treated in a Buddhist temple.

    Muthu was later temporarily moved to a zoo in Colombo after public uproar against the neglect and torture. Animal welfare groups pointed out that the animal presented as gift to the country had been forced to work with a logging crew. The elephant had also sustained wounds, some allegedly inflicted by its handler.

    According to the zoo’s chief veterinarian, Muthu Raja was in pain and covered in abscesses when it was rescued from the temple last year.
    Cruelty against the largest existing land animal was unacceptable by the authorities as elephants are also considered sacred creatures in Sri Lanka and are protected by law.

    The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka said he had personally conveyed the country’s regrets to the Thai king over the elephant’s condition.
    One of the organizations that protested for the elephant’s safety, RARE (Rally for Animal Rights and Environment), expressed sorrow over the news of Muthu’s departure and further urged the authorities to take action against those responsible.

    Muthu finally reached home on a commercial reparation flight that Thai officials said cost $700,000.

    The elephant received a warm welcome at the airport by the Thai environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa. “He travelled five hours and nothing is wrong, his condition is normal,” the minister said.
    Thai authorities have planned to quarantine the elephant at a nearby nature reserve.

  • Imran Khan gets relief from Islamabad High Court in Toshakhana case

    Imran Khan gets relief from Islamabad High Court in Toshakhana case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared the Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, inadmissible.

    Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, Justice Aamer Farooq, announced the verdict while accepting Imran Khan’s plea against the trial court’s decision.

    The court has ordered the trial court to reconsider the arguments presented by Khan’s lawyer. IHC has also ordered the trial court to take a decision on Imran Khan’s plea within seven days.

    It is worth mentioning that investigations are underway against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), where he will today appear before the NAB inspection team in Islamabad.

  • Pakistani rupee gains Rs15 versus US dollar during intraday trade

    Pakistani rupee gains Rs15 versus US dollar during intraday trade

    In the aftermath of securing last-minute funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Pakistani rupee exhibited a substantial gain of Rs15 against the US dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday.

    As reported by the Forex Association of Pakistan, the local currency’s exchange rate appreciated to Rs271 around 10 am. It is worth noting that the rupee had closed at 285.99 against the dollar on June 27, with trading activities suspended due to the Eid holidays last week and a bank holiday on Monday.

    This positive development follows a previous record-high exchange rate of Rs290.93 reached on May 11. Since then, the dollar has experienced a considerable decline of more than Rs23.

    The anticipated 3 per cent appreciation of the rupee has been realised, but the sustainability of these gains will be verified in the days ahead. The government has indicated that the partial funds from the IMF deal will be disbursed by mid-July.

    Additionally, the government has expressed confidence in securing approximately $4 to $5 billion from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Development Bank. These additional funds would contribute to resolving the dollar liquidity issues.

    The strength and stability of the rupee are likely to be maintained if these payments materialise. However, any delays could potentially increase pressure on the currency.

    According to the government’s projections, Pakistan’s reserves are expected to increase to $14 billion by August. Should this estimation hold true, it is anticipated that the rupee will stabilise around the range of 270 to 280, as suggested by experts.

  • Feroze Khan thinks the cure to depression is women obeying men

    Feroze Khan thinks the cure to depression is women obeying men

    Feroze Khan is once more going viral on the internet for all the wrong reasons. The actor is now promoting the most absurd ways to help women overcome depression.

    In a viral now-deleted post, a person had asked the actor how she could cure depression about her future, to which Khan responded:

    “Obey your men. Give them your responsibility and sit back and enjoy grapes. I’d do that if I was a woman. Be a queen.”

    Sir, how is this even proper advice? Cure your depression by completely submitting yourself to the men in your life?

    Once more, Feroze jee proves how undefeatable his critical thinking skills are, when a fan questioned him about his misogynist views by reminding him that it was due to the struggles and hard work of his sister, ‘Maula Jatt’ actress Humaima Malick, that Khan was able to achieve such monumental fame, which brings into question why he holds such misogynist views.

    To this Feroze had to respond:

    1 , I’m gonna be loud.
    2, will have no fear.
    3, do you think she would’ve achieved this without my dad and us brothers backing her up ?
    *mic drop*

    Classy behavior, putting down the hard work of your sister just to boost up your ego.

    Twitter users obviously did not have the time or the fortitude to put up with Khan’s misogynist views and were ready to shut him down.

    https://twitter.com/udharmarro/status/1675391704310882304?s=20

  • Nawaz Sharif will be our next candidate for PM: Ishaq Dar

    Nawaz Sharif will be our next candidate for PM: Ishaq Dar

    Financial Minister Ishaq Dar has said on Monday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head, Nawaz Sharif, will be the party’s next candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming general elections.

    While speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Sath, Dar said that Nawaz Sharif is in London for medical treatment and will return to his home country after the completion of the same.

    He also said that now there is no hurdle for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to participate in the upcoming elections after parliament recently passed an amended election law that limits the disqualification period to a maximum of five years.

    Dar gave his statement a day after Nawaz said that inflation will be wiped out in the country if the PML-N won the upcoming elections, adding that his party will resolve all the problems in the country.

    Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz arrived in the United Arab Emirates for Eid, and held meetings with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) top leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto.

  • President allows NAB to secure 30-day physical remand of suspects, night before Imran Khan’s NAB appearance

    President allows NAB to secure 30-day physical remand of suspects, night before Imran Khan’s NAB appearance

    Acting president and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Monday night signed the National Accountability Bureau (NA) Amendment Ordinance 2023, which allows the accountability watchdog to secure a 30-day physical remand of a suspect, as opposed to the existing duration of 14 days

    After the revisions, the NAB chairman has been given authority to issue arrest warrants for individuals implicated in cases where cooperation during the investigation is insufficient.

    Sanjrani has signed the ordinance upon the request of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, “The prime minister’s advice at para 6 of the summary is approved. The National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, is signed and promulgated.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that NAB Rawalpindi has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi today (Tuesday), regarding two lseparate cases.

    Imran Khan will be appearing in the Toshakhana case, while Bushra Bibi has been summoned in relation to a £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK settlement case.

  • Is France considering an internet shutdown after riots, mayor’s house set on fire with family inside?

    Is France considering an internet shutdown after riots, mayor’s house set on fire with family inside?

    Multiple media outlets have reported that after six straight nights of riots in France, the country’s interior minister has posted a statement announcing a partial ban on the internet after hundreds were arrested for protesting the brutal murder of 17-year-old Nahel, a French national of African descent.

    However, the reports remain unconfirmed, being carried only by Asian news outlets like Samaa and Indian publication Scroll.

    The protests in France continue to grow stronger, with Sunday witnessing Paris mayor Vincent Jeanbrun’s house being set on fire, injuring his wife and children, who were inside sleeping.

    Writing on Twitter, Jeanbrun revealed that rockets were thrown at his house as they fled, calling the attack an “assassination attempt” and “unspeakable cowardice”.

    “A line has been crossed,” he wrote. “If my priority today is to take care of my family, my determination to protect and serve the Republic is greater than before.”

    According to Jeanbrun, a car was used to ram through the gates of his family’s home, and then the vehicle was set on fire which then spread towards the house.

    The mayor also revealed that a murder investigation has been launched against the perpetrators behind the violent attack.

    The protests in France began last Sunday after the brutal death of Nahel, reigniting long standing accusations of racism and police brutality within the French police.

    According to Al-Jazeera, the French Interior Minister reportedly deployed 45,000 police officials along with helicopters and armed vehicles. Around 700 people have been arrested since the protests began.

  • Fans and players hold up the Quran in protest against Holy Book burning incident in Sweden

    Fans and players hold up the Quran in protest against Holy Book burning incident in Sweden

    Fans, officials, and players in Iraqi League football held copies of the Quran in protest at the burning of the Holy Book incident in Sweden.

    During a match between Al-Shorta and Al-Qasim on Friday, officials and players held the Quran, with some kissing the Holy Book to show their love and emotional attachment to the text.

    There were also many spectators at the arena. One group held up a banner that read: “The Quran is our eternal law, and defending it is obligatory for every Muslim.”

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the incident of the burning of the Holy Book in front of a mosque in Sweden.

    In a tweet, he said such vile, despicable, and heinous Islamophobic acts brazenly violate international law.

    The PM said that this is an anti-Islam act, and he has no words to condemn this pathetic move.

    He also said that the Quran is a book of love, peace, and wisdom for the entire human race, and the character who is involved in this condemnable act insults the values of humanity.

  • WhatsApp introduces high-quality video sharing and enhanced profile icons in latest update

    WhatsApp introduces high-quality video sharing and enhanced profile icons in latest update

    WhatsApp is introducing two exciting features in its latest version update. The first feature allows iOS users to send high-quality videos, similar to the previous HD photos feature.

    When a user sends a photo or video using this new feature, a tag is added to the message bubble to indicate that it is of high quality. Previously, this feature was automatically applied to photos, but now it is also available for videos after users update to the latest WhatsApp beta version on iOS.

    The new high-quality video feature is not the same as sharing videos in their original quality, as there is still some light compression applied. Nonetheless, it ensures a better quality compared to the standard option. To use this feature, users must select the high-quality option every time they send a video, as the default remains as “standard quality.”

    Once the high-quality video is sent, it will be marked as such in the chat bubble, making it easy for recipients to identify that it was sent in better quality. However, this feature does not apply to videos shared via status updates on WhatsApp.

    The second feature being introduced is related to group chats. WhatsApp is enhancing profile icons within group chats, specifically for contacts whose profile pictures are hidden or unavailable.

    Now, instead of showing a blank thumbnail, the updated version will display the initials of the respective group member’s name. This way, other participants in the conversation can quickly identify the person represented by the thumbnail.

    Currently, these features are available on the TestFlight app and will soon be rolled out to more users. It’s worth noting that further updates may be needed, as there are some discrepancies in the text descriptions related to videos, but these are expected to be resolved in future updates.