Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani mocked the Punjab government’s recent move to give relief to the masses by reducing electricity prices for just two months, terming it a “political stunt.”
He said this in response to Punjab’s government’s decision to provide relief to the public by rescuing Rs 14 per unit on electricity bills for two months (August and September).
Ghani remarked that it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide people with cost-efficient electricity, saying, “Rs 45 billion are being expended for relief for two months only, while scores of relief works could be done with that Rs 45 billion.”
“The question is what will happen after two months. The consumers will be paying the same [high] prices,” the PPP leader stated.
Interestingly, Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori asked Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday to announce a Punjab government-like relief in electricity bills.
An emotional US President Joe Biden passed the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris with a hug on Monday, saying he gave everything for his country in a bittersweet farewell speech at the party’s convention in Chicago.
“America, America, I gave my best to you,” the 81-year-old Biden said, quoting a patriotic hymn during a nearly hour-long address that ran through his achievements while urging voters to back his vice president against Donald Trump in November.
Harris joined him on stage after the speech and the pair embraced, as the crowd gave Biden a rapturous reception following his stunning decision less than a month ago to drop out of the 2024 White House race.
In a remarkable turnaround, Harris has reenergized the party and wiped out Republican rival Trump’s lead in the polls, but Biden insisted that he was not bitter about stepping aside.
Instead, as he contemplates the imminent end of a five-decade political career, he said that he had done what he thought best to ensure that his nemesis, Trump, does not return to the Oval Office.
“I love the job, but I love my country more. I love my country more,” said Biden. “And all this talk about how I’m angry at all those people who said I should step down — that’s not true.”
Both Biden and Harris appeared to wipe away a tear as the US leader won a huge four-minute ovation when he first took to the stage, following an introduction by First Lady Jill Biden and his daughter Ashley.
Several members of the audience were also in tears as Biden made his farewell speech, before leaving the stage to the strains of the song “Higher Love.”
And Harris had earlier made a surprise appearance — Democratic nominees don’t normally speak until the final day of the convention — to heap lavish tribute on her boss.
“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president Joe Biden,” said Harris, who was wearing a tan suit and took to the stage to Beyonce’s “Freedom.”
It was undoubtedly a difficult swan song for Biden, but he insisted he would be the “best volunteer” for Harris’s campaign — knowing perhaps that his legacy depends on her beating Trump.
But he couldn’t quite let go of the presidency, with his speech focusing more on his own record in office than the future under a President Harris.
Biden listed his proudest achievements including on the economy and health care, but above all for healing the “soul of America” after Trump’s time in office and the pro-Trump January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
“Donald Trump calls America a failing nation… He says we’re losing. He’s the loser,” he said, also referring to Trump as a “convicted felon” after the Republican was found guilty of doctoring business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star.
Despite his low popularity ratings and the debate debacle against Trump that led him to step aside, Biden again insisted he’d given his all.
“I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you,” he said.
As he has been so often in his five-decade-long political journey, Biden was surrounded by family at the end of his speech.
“Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years. And still, there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again,” the first lady said in a speech introducing him.
Monday’s first night of the convention was an emotional one on many levels, and for many of the key players.
Hillary Clinton, who lost against Trump in 2016 in her own bid to become America’s first woman president, backed Harris to finally break the glass ceiling.
“Something is happening in America, you can feel it — something we’ve worked for and dreamed of for a long time,” the former secretary of state and first lady said.
Biden addressed pro-Palestine protestors
US President Joe Biden said Monday that protesters against Israel’s war in Gaza who demonstrated outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago “have a point”.
“Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides,” Biden said in his farewell speech to the convention, adding that it was time to “end this war.”
Earlier, protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza had shadowed the opening of the convention, underscoring what remains a potential vote-loser for Democrats among left-wingers and Arab Americans.
A group of demonstrators broke through the outer security fence of the convention after splitting off from a larger protest of thousands of people.
Police in blue helmets with shields and carrying black batons prevented them from getting to the inner cordon.
Trump, meanwhile, has been sent into a tailspin by the sudden change at the top of the Democratic ticket.
While Democrats are in Chicago, the Republicans will spend the week crisscrossing the country.
In the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday, he highlighted what he called Harris’s “craziness” and said she “has no idea what the hell she’s doing” on the economy.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has said that former spymaster General Faiz Hameed had harmed the party more than any good he did for it.
Talking on Shahzeb Khanzada’s talk show on Geo News, Marwat said, ‘’Faiz Hameed’s role as DG Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) was to harass political opposition, prepare cases against them, put them behind bars and send references against incumbent Chief Justice Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa on Gen Bajwa’s decision.”
‘’Faiz was more Bajwa man than PTI and was working for his own benefit,’’ Marwat stated While talking about militants resettling in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Marwat claimed. ‘’it was not Imran Khan’s decision alone but the parliament’s, but setting them free after rehabilitation was a mistake.”
‘’We will show the High Court’s permission if the police file a case against them after the August 22 power show,’’ he concluded
Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has been clear that the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, however, the match schedules may be changed or tinkered with. PCB is in touch with the security agencies in this regard.
In a press conference in Lahore on Monday he said, “Four to five months will be difficult because the grounds are being built, but the work will be completed before the Champions Trophy. The initial work will be completed before the Trophy, and the remaining work will be completed after the Champions Trophy. We are in talks with the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If they give us a stadium, we will also work on it. The stadium in New York was also completed in the last ten days.”
He pointed out that construction work is going on day and night. “Renovating the stadiums is a big challenge. Unlike the world’s stadiums, Pakistan’s stadiums are substandard and far behind the world.”
“A new stadium has been built in Islamabad. We are in touch with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the renovation of the grounds. The renovation work was completed before the arrival of the ICC delegation for the Champions Trophy.”
The Champion Trophy is scheduled to be played in March 2025 in Pakistan, with Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi hosting the mega event.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to address the rat infestation in Parliament House by employing rat-hunting cats.
A budget of Rs. 12 lakh has been allocated to counter the issue.
The CDA will also install special netted windows to trap rats.
The issue has been attributed to the sealed ceilings within the Parliament House, causing significant damage across departments of the Senate and the National Assembly, including chewing through important files and documents in offices.
Pakistan’s 11-member squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh has been announced.
Pakistan team will play with four fast bowlers in the first test match. Pakistan’s final XI includes captain Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Shaan will lead the team for the first time in the home series.
The first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh will start on Wednesday in Rawalpindi.
The second match between the two teams will be played on August 30. It will also be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Famous actress Hania Aamir recently got everyone talking with her fun tribute to the popular Bollywood character, Geet, from the movie ‘Jab We Met.’ The lively star recreated one of Kareena Kapoor’s famous lines while enjoying a skincare routine.
Hania’s energetic lip-sync of Geet’s iconic dialogue, “Dekho meri shadi Anshuman sy hone wali hy and all that but agr wo meri life mein nhi hota to u never know shayad mein bhi tum sy pat jati. Just Imagine,” quickly resonated with fans. The video went viral, with many praising Hania for capturing Geet’s lively spirit.
Hania’s playful tribute not only highlighted her acting skills but also brought back fond memories of ‘Jab We Met’ for fans, showing the lasting impact of the film and Geet’s unforgettable charm.
The all-time favorite singer, Atif Aslam, surprised his fans by sharing beautiful pictures with his wife on his Instagram account. The post took a funny turn when his brother-in-law left a comment.
Commenting on the post, a user named Abbas Bharwana wrote, “Atif Bhai, my respect for you has increased because I know how hard it is to survive after taking a bad picture of Sara. You made it out alive!”
The rape and murder of a female doctor has sparked protests and clashes all over India. Protestors, mostly women, are enraged by the growing number of crimes against women in the country.
Here is the timeline of this high-profile murder case:
Doctor Moumita Debanath, 31, a postgraduate trainee at a local Kolkata hospital, was raped and murdered on the night of August 8. Her bruised body was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital.
Local police told her family that the death was caused by suicide on August 9. As the family came to collect the body, they were denied access. When they eventually did get to her remains, they found the body unclothed.
Autopsy details reveal that the Moumita was raped and brutally tortured with 14 major injuries. The cause of death was manual strangulation. The report also highlights that the body had clear signs of sexual assault, most prominently her pelvic girdle being severely damaged due to forceful penetration.
The police used CCTV footage to arrest the suspect, identified as Sanjay Roy, a civic assistant who was placed in police custody on remand until August 23.
Doctors and civil society initiated protests, asking the authorities to take action. Meanwhile, the doctor’s family expressed their distrust of the State police. They met Mamta Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, who assured them of the urgency of concluding the investigation.
On August 11, the government transferred the superintendent of the hospital in Kolkota over reported lapses leading to the horrific rape and murder.
On August 12, the principal of the hospital stepped down from his post. Subsequently, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) announced a nationwide halt to elective services. Protests escalated all around the country, with women chanting “Reclaim the Night” in the protests. They were joined by a large number online as the templates of justice for the victim and the growing number of cases of violence against women in the country were widely shared.
The incident made waves internationally when a mob of unidentified men vandalised the hospital’s emergency department on the night of August 15. Media reports claim that the mob comprised of around 7,000 people. They attacked the crime scene in the hospital, smashed the CCTV camera and damaged public property. The mob also clashed with the protesting women echoing the demand of reclaiming the night. Eye-witnesses claim that the whole attack was backed by the government.
The Kolkata High Court also criticised Mamta’s government for its failure to control the situation.
Only 19 individuals involved in the mob have been arrested until now.
Other medical associations also announced nationwide withdrawal as a sign of protest, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the matter in the Independence Day speech: “An immediate investigation and strict punishment against those who commit such monstrous crimes against women is important to instil confidence in society.”
Against the backdrop of a huge number of crimes against female doctors and paramedic staff Indian Medical Association sought PM Modi’s “intervention” in the Kolkata doctor rape case.
Victim Dr Moumita’s family was recently interviewed by NDTV India, in which her father expressed her disappointment over the investigation so far. “Early on I had full faith in her (Mamata Banerjee), but now no. She is asking for justice but what is she saying that for? She can take charge of that, she is doing nothing,” he said.
The victim’s aunt shared how she was about to get married, and all she wanted was to get a gold medal.
Big fish theory
Additionally, Indian media recently coined the “big fish theory” regarding the case. Mint India reported that friends of the victim have revealed that she was under immense pressure of working for long hours.
One of her colleagues asked how the accused, Sanjay Roy, got to know of the victim’s presence in the seminar hall. “Roy could be a part of a plot hatched by a big fish. She was targeted. How did the civic volunteer know she was alone in the seminar hall at that time?” the colleague said.
Another colleague claimed the victim was trying to expose the possible drug siphoning racket in her department. “She might have known too much about something,” he said.
The media also reported that her family shared that she was not happy at her job, yet nothing is confirmed, and the investigation is underway.
However, protests have erupted all over the country, reminding journalists of protests after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case when a 22-year-old Nirbhaya was gang raped in a bus in Delhi. Her mother, Asha Devi, talked to AlJazeera and said, “Whenever such an incident happens, people start bringing up Nirbhaya. But what have we learnt from the Nirbhaya incident and the movement that followed in her support? What changes were brought to our legal system? And what actions have we taken after the laws were amended after the Nirbhaya incident? We are still living in 2012.”
Television host Nadia Khan has said that not only young girls but adult women have gone crazy for Fahad Mustafa’s drama Kabhi Mein, Kabhi Tum.
Nadia praised the actor’s fitness, saying: “After seeing Fahad Mustafa’s character and fitness, not only teenage girls but also women of all ages have gone crazy for him.”
Khan jokingly addressed Fahad, saying he should avoid going out, or “the girls might eat him up.”
The acclaimed host revealed that a few women in her group, including childhood friends, are “going crazy over Fahad Mustafa.”
Some even sent her messages asking, “What did Fahad Mustafa do to look like that, and how did it happen?”
She said, “Right now, women of all ages have gone crazy for Fahad Mustafa; everyone has fallen in love with him.”
She added that the drama portrays him as a boy from an ordinary family, who “has no Land Cruiser or anything extravagant,” and children from ordinary families can relate to that.
Similarly, senior actress Atiqa Odho also praised Mustafa, saying that he “fit the role perfectly in the play.”
She said, “In ‘Kabhi Mein, Kabhi Tum,’ Fahad Mustafa is shown as a game-loving boy, and he has maintained his fitness accordingly.”
