Affan Salman from Pakistan has won the World Youth Scrabble Championship – fifth title for the country.
The 16-year-old won 19 out of 23 games during the championship.
Pakistan is the first country to win the World Youth Scrabble Championship five times.
138 players participated in the event in Sri Lanka from around the world.
England cricketer Moeen Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket.
He has already retired from Test cricket and announced retirement from all formats.
Earlier, he was not considered for the white ball series against Australia.
Moeen Ali announced his retirement in an interview with a British magazine.
“I am 37 and have not been selected for the series against Australia. Although I have played a lot of cricket for England, I have been told that it is time for the new generation,” he said.
“I feel it’s the right time. I’ve done my part. Even though I’m retiring, I don’t feel I’m not very good,” he added.
Ali represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20 matches.
Iranian javelin thrower Sadegh Beit Sayah lost his gold medal in the Paralympics after raising a religious flag.
After winning the medal, Iranian javelin thrower Sadegh Beit Sayah was seen celebrating with a flag that was of religious nature
The flag he was holding was not a country’s flag but what is being called, “a flag of religious nature”, which came under improper conduct. It is unclear what religion and flag Sayah was holding.
According to media reports, the Iranian athlete won the gold medal with a new Paralympic record of 47.64 meters, but he was stripped of the medal for waving an religious flag.
India’s Navdeep Singh, who won the silver medal, was awarded the gold medal.
23-year-old Singh, a para-athlete from Haryana, had a javelin throw of 47.32.
The Paralympic Legal Committee says that Sadegh has been disqualified from the event for inappropriate behaviour and display of the flag.
In an article published in a leading Israeli newspaper, Times of Israel, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was declared as the most suitable person to boost ties between Israel and Pakistan.
The blog was written by Ayunur Bashirova, an Israeli columnist and was published by the Times of Israel. She credited four aspects being instrumental in the normalisation of ties between the two countries: Imran Khan’s public stance, the influence of the Goldsmith family and other elites, the potential for mediation, and lastly a rapidly changing Middle East.
The article cited Khan’s foreign policy during his tenure as Prime Minister and emphasised his personal relations with influential pro-Israel figures, including his former in-laws, the Goldsmith family.
It also pointed out that Imran Khan’s connection to his ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, and her family, particularly his brother-in-law Zac Goldsmith, plays a significant role in shaping his perspective on Israel.
Zac Goldsmith, a prominent figure in pro-Israel and Jewish circles, is said to have influenced Imran Khan’s views on the matter, making him more open to reconsidering Pakistan’s stance towards Israel.
The blog also claimed there were informal messages conveyed to Israel through the Goldsmith family, stressing a potential of normalising ties between the two countries.
“There have been reports suggesting that Imran Khan sent messages to Israeli officials through the Goldsmith family, signaling a potential willingness to consider normalizing relations between Pakistan and Israel and his willingness to moderate the religious discourse in Pakistan,” the writer argued while suggesting, “If these reports are accurate, they suggest a level of flexibility in Khan’s approach to Israel that goes beyond the traditional Pakistani stance.”
Notably, aligned with the larger Pakistan’s foreign policy stance, Imran Khan has always stated support for the Palestinian cause but the article suggested that Israel should make sure that the former prime minister is free again. “Israel and its allies must do whatever they can to insure that Imran Khan is free again to participate in Pakistani politics and be the voice that channels moderation,” Aynur concluded.
Reactions poured in, as many criticised the columnist for producing a shallow analysis. Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan lambasted the writer and the Pakistani audience for getting so much attention from the PML-N fanbase and local media. “She should be given a prime-time show on TV,” he remarked sarcastically.
A netizen by the name of Riaz Zia-ul-Haq criticised Pakistani TV channels for giving a random blog so much attention as he posted, “A random blogger on Times of Israel writes something rubbish based on anonymous reports and TV channels are being forced to go gaga.”
On the other hand, a user named Ayesha Ijaz Khan, who is a lawyer and columnist, also criticised Khan for not uttering a word in support of Palestine since he is in jail, implying his connection with Goldsmiths.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday fired his human rights minister, Silvio Almeida, following claims that he sexually harassed several women, including a cabinet colleague.
The scandal, which caused outrage in Brazil, is the first of its kind involving a member of Lula’s government since the veteran leftist returned to power last year.
“Given the grave accusations against minister Silvio Almeida and after summoning him for a conversation… President Lula decided to remove the head of the human rights and citizenship ministry,” the presidency said in a statement.
“The president considers the possibility of the minister remaining in office untenable given the nature of the allegations,” the statement added.
In a later statement, Almeida said: “I asked President Lula to dismiss me.”
“It will give me a chance to prove my innocence and recover from this,” he said.
The Metropoles news site reported on Thursday that the women’s association Me Too Brasil had received complaints against Almeida from several women, including Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco.
Me Too Brasil confirmed the report and said that the women in question had “received psychological and legal support.”
The federal police said Friday it would investigate the claims and the presidential ethics commission said it too had launched an inquiry.
Almeida, a 48-year-old lawyer and university professor who is considered one of Brazil’s leading intellectuals, had earlier rejected the allegations as “lies” aimed at tarnishing the image of “a black man who occupies a prominent position in public office.”
Franco, 40, is also black.
Writing on Instagram after Almeida’s dismissal, she said that it was “unacceptable to downplay or diminish acts of violence” and praised Lula’s “forceful action.”
Welcoming the expressions of solidarity she had received, she added: “We know how much women and girls suffer from harassment everyday, at work, in public transport, in schools and at home.”
On Friday, the UOL news site published the account of one of Almeida’s accusers, a university professor who said the minister groped her during a meal in 2019 in front of around 15 people.
“There were a lot of people, I was wearing a skirt and I remember his hand on my private parts,” she said, adding: “I felt ashamed.”
Before meeting Almeida on Friday, Lula issued a stern warning about possible cases of sexual harassment in his team.
“What I can say is that whoever practices harassment cannot remain in government,” he told Brazil’s Difusora Goiania radio station while emphasizing Almeida’s right to the presumption of innocence.
On Thursday, the government had acknowledged the “seriousness” of the claims levelled at the minister and vowed that they would be treated “with the rigour and speed that situations of possible violence against women demand.”
Almedia’s wife, Edneia Carvalho, with whom he has a one-year-old daughter, described the claims against the minister as “unfair” and “absurd” on Instagram.
While this is the first scandal involving alleged sexual misconduct by a member of Lula’s government, it is not the first time one of his ministers has been accused of a crime.
In June, the federal police recommended that Communications Minister Juscelino Filho be indicted for corruption and consorting with criminals.
Filho denied the allegations and so far has kept his job.
Pakistan has made a major petroleum and gas discovery within its territorial waters. This finding is expected to improve the country’s economic future.
A senior security official with direct knowledge of the discovery confirmed that a survey had verified the presence of oil and gas reserves.
According to Dawn, the survey has determined the location of the deposits, and the relevant departments have been notified.
The discovery is now being seen as a crucial part of Pakistan’s efforts to build its ‘blue water economy’. Proposals for further exploration and bidding are reportedly under review, with high hopes that exploration may begin soon.
Still, the official has warned that extracting oil may require years of work due to the technical challenges involved. Beyond oil and gas, the potential for mining other valuable minerals from the ocean could also provide additional economic opportunities.
Some experts project that these reserves might be the fourth-largest in the world. While the discovery is promising, former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) member Muhammad Arif urged caution.
He noted that the true potential of the reserves will be revealed after drilling work begins. If gas reserves are found in large quantities, they might replace costly LNG imports, while oil could reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel, further easing the import burden.
According to details, an initial investment of around $5 billion is required for exploration to begin. If the reserves are sufficient, more funds will be needed to build wells. Full-scale production may take up to five years to materialise.
Actress and model Shameen Khan recently talked about love on Showtime with Ramiz Raja
The host Hina Niazi asked, “How many times have you fallen in love?”
“I’ve fallen in love many times, but one thing I’m sure of is that it was always genuine. I know that quantity does not matter at this time, as many times as I have, when I felt I was falling in love, I truly fell in love whenever. How many times? I don’t know. Whenever it happens, it is true and from the heart,” she said.
“I don’t think I should hide it, I tell it in my family too, and I am very expressive.
“I think love is such a feeling that it is necessary for you to be crazy in it,” Shameen Khan added.
Shameen also offered advice for relationship, saying, “If you realise that a person is not going to walk with you for long, then just part ways and have the courage to do so.”
Shameen last starred in the ‘Chaal’ drama was aired on Geo Entertainment, written by Nadia Ahmed and directed by Furqan Adam.
Bollywood’s famous rapper, Honey Singh, has revealed learning about Islamic teachings.
“Most of the information about me on the internet is false, but I deliberately did not correct it because I was waiting for the right time,” he said while discussing his personal life during a recent interview with Indian media.
“My story is very interesting. I used to play tabla at home. When my father admitted me to a school in Indian Punjab, I played tabla there as well. At the age of 12, I forgot the tabla and my religion and became an atheist. I learned about Hinduism from my spiritual guru and Sikhism from my upbringing at home. But after becoming an atheist, I decided not to believe in religion, yet kept learning about it,” he added.
“I shifted to Mohali in 2007. At that time, I was neither famous nor had any work—I was just a music producer. But during that time, I got an opportunity to learn about Islam from scholars and mystics. Despite learning about Islam, I still considered myself an atheist.”
“I took information about Islam from these scholars. When I used to sit with these religious figures, there was a different atmosphere. I was just an ordinary boy who asked tough questions to the scholars, but they always gave me answers to every question,” he said.
He then revealed that after gaining fame in 2011, “Instead of being grateful to the Almighty, I got involved with demonic forces. After that, both my life and mind deteriorated. In 2018, following an illness, I left atheism and became a believer.”
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has confirmed that he broke two ribs during a shoot for his new film ‘Sikandar.’
He, however, remains busy with the film’s production despite the injury.
Rumours circulated that he would not host Big Boss 18, but Salman clarified that he has started filming for the upcoming season.
Indian media also reported that Salman Khan arrived on the Big Boss’ set two days ago to shoot the promo video with a rib fracture, which has since gone viral.
In the video, Salman is seen stepping out of a car in a black three-piece suit and heading to the set. He was seen in pain during the shoot due to injury.
Salman Khan is recovering from rib fractures and has also resumed filming ‘Sikandar’ in Mumbai.
The Pakistan Army has written a letter to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Haripur to hand over more than thirty-four hundred kanals of land for defence purposes.
The letter revealed that the Pakistani army authorities are seeking 3,181 land kanals and 17 marlas from Haripur tehsil, Khanpur, for “defence purposes.” However, the defence purpose has not been defined, BBC Urdu reported.
Lately, the opposition leader of the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, raised concerns about the Army’s intentions to acquire two villages’ land adjacent to the ShahAllah Ditta area near Islamabad.
“The Army will buy their land at a lower price. Where will the villagers migrate,” he questioned
He added, “Army should build Defence installation on Navy golf course and Airforce land.”
He suggested sending this matter to the Defence Committee to prevent the army from seizing the land.
However, DC Haripur, Shozab Abbasi, stated that all procedures must be carried out in compliance with the land acquisition law.