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  • Austria to resume aid to UN agency for Palestinians

    Austria to resume aid to UN agency for Palestinians

    Austria said on Saturday that it will restore its funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees after suspending it over allegations that staff were involved with the Hamas.

    Israel alleged in January that some United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) employees may have participated in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that triggered the genocide in the Gaza Strip.

    In the weeks that followed, numerous donor states, including Austria, suspended or paused some $450 million in funding.

    Many, including Germany, Sweden, Canada and Japan, had since resumed funding, while others have continued to hold out.

    “After analysing the action plan in detail” submitted by UNRWA “to improve the functioning of the organization,” Austria has decided to “release the funds,” its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

    A total of 3.4 million euros ($3.7 million) in funds have been budgeted for 2024, and the first payment is expected to be made in the summer, the statement said. 

    An UNRWA staff member checks a burned area at a school housing displaced Palestinians that was hit during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on May 17, 2024. (Credit: AFP)

    “Some of the Austrian funds will be used in the future to improve internal control mechanisms at UNRWA,” it added.

    Austria said it will “closely monitor” the implementation of the action plan with other international partners, noting that “a lot of trust had been squandered.”

    The Alpine country said it has substantially increased support for the suffering Palestinian population in Gaza and the region since Oct. 7, making 32 million euros ($34.8 million) in humanitarian aid available to other international aid organizations.

    Israel’s has massacred at least 35,303 people, mostly civilians, according to data provided by the health ministry in the Gaza territory.

  • Pakistan likely to play against England with World Cup combination

    Pakistan likely to play against England with World Cup combination

    Pakistan team management has decided to enter the field with full strength and use its World Cup combination in the upcoming series against England.

    Haris Rauf and Usman Khan are strong candidates for inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad in place of Hassan Ali and Saim Ayub respectively.

    Fast bowler Naseem Shah will also make a place in the playing eleven, while the option of adding a spinner is also being considered.

    The final decision will be taken in consultation with Gary Kirsten, who is scheduled to join the squad tomorrow. The first T20 between Pakistan and England will be played in Leeds on May 22.

    Haris Rauf and Usman Khan did not get a chance in the series against Ireland.

  • Gold prices rebound, increase by Rs3,100 per tola

    Gold prices rebound, increase by Rs3,100 per tola

    On Saturday, gold prices in Pakistan saw a significant rise, mirroring the upward trend in the international market.

    According to the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the price of gold per tola reached Rs248,100, marking a single-day increase of Rs3,100.

    Similarly, the price of 10-gramme gold surged to Rs212,706, reflecting a gain of Rs2,658.

    This spike in local gold prices is in line with the international gold rate, which rose to $2,414 per ounce, inclusive of a $20 premium, after a $30 increase during the day.

    Silver prices also experienced an uptick, with rates reaching Rs2,850 per tola, an increase of Rs120.

    It is noteworthy that last month, gold prices in the local market hit a record high of Rs252,200 per tola. Despite this recent surge, gold prices showed a decline of Rs600 per tola on Friday.

    These fluctuations highlight the volatile nature of the precious metals market, influenced heavily by global economic trends and investor sentiment.

  • Talat Hussain’s daughter opens up about father’s dementia diagnosis

    Talat Hussain’s daughter opens up about father’s dementia diagnosis

     

    Tazeen Hussain, the daughter of veteran actor Talat Hussain, has opened up about the family’s struggle with her esteemed father’s dementia.

     

    During an appearance on ‘Gup Shup with FUCHSIA’, she shared that her father is suffering from dementia now and asked for prayers.

     

    She talked about the difficulties her mother had to go through after her father’s diagnosis. Her mother used to be a full-time professor and a highly independent woman, but she is now the celebrated actor’s primary caregiver, with help from the entire family.

     

    She said that, “My father’s doctor advised me to care for my mother too and ask her how she is feeling as well.”

     

    Talking about how our behaviours towards medical conditions have changed, Tazeen said “When I was a kid, I saw older family members with dementia, but back then, people didn’t know what it was called. They were treated normally, and families just adjusted to their condition. Nowadays, people become more clinical when diagnosing this, and we need to return to some of the old ways of dealing with it.”

     

  • IG Police Azad Kashmir removed from post days after protests ended

    IG Police Azad Kashmir removed from post days after protests ended

    Inspector General Police Azad Kashmir Sohail Habib Tajik has been removed from the post and directed to report to the Establishment Division days after violent protests ended in AJK.

    The Establishment Division announced in a notification that Abdul Jabbar has been appointed IG Azad Kashmir Police in place of Sohail Habib Tajik, reported Geo News.

    Abdul Jabbar, an officer of Grade 20, was previously posted in FIA.

    Earlier in the week, during protests against expensive electricity and taxes in Azad Kashmir, several protesters and police personnel were injured in clashes while a sub-inspector was also killed in firing.

  • What makes Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar’s 40-Year marriage so successful?

    Indian icon Shabana Azmi has revealed the secret to her successful marriage with renowned poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar. 
    “Even though we’re busy and have different schedules, we don’t meet often. But our similar backgrounds and thoughts keep us connected,” the Bollywood thespian said.

    “Our fathers were both poets and communists from Uttar Pradesh, which creates a strong bond between us,” Shabana said, adding that people always assumed their marriage was arranged due to these similarities. However, Javed believes that their limited meetings are the key to their successful marriage.

    Shabana and Javed got married in December 1984 and are nearing their 40th wedding anniversary. Before marrying Shabana, Javed was wed to Honey Irani in 1972 and had two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, before they separated in 1985. Shabana is the daughter of the famous poet and intellectual Kaifi Azmi.

  • Flash floods kill 50 in western Afghanistan

    Flash floods kill 50 in western Afghanistan

    Flash flooding has killed at least 50 people in western Afghanistan, provincial police said Saturday, a week after hundreds were washed away in the north of the country.

    The floods on Friday also destroyed about 2,000 houses, and damaged thousands more homes and businesses, Ghor police spokesman Abdul Rahman Badri said in a statement.

    The fresh flooding in the country — which is highly vulnerable to climate change — comes as survivors of the May 10 flash floods in northern Baghlan province continue to search for missing relatives.

    “Fifty residents of Ghor province were killed by the floods on Friday and a number of others are missing,” Badri said.

    “These terrible floods have also killed thousands of cattle… They have destroyed hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, hundreds of bridges and culverts, and destroyed thousands of trees,” he added.

    Major roads into and within the province were blocked.

    Abu Obaidullah, the head of the province’s disaster management department, said it was an “emergency situation”.

    The floods hit several districts in the province, including the capital Chaghcharan, where the streets “are full of mud”, Obaidullah said.

    “The situation is really concerning,” he told AFP, adding that victims were in need of shelter, food and water.

    ‘Exceptionally vulnerable’

    The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) and Taliban officials said more than 300 people died as a result of the flood disaster earlier this month that left homes and roads coated in thick mud.

    The destruction of roads and bridges hampered rescue efforts, with United Nations agencies and Taliban authorities warning the death tolls would rise.

    Afghanistan, which is “exceptionally vulnerable to flooding” has seen above-average rainfall this spring, Mohammad Assem Mayar, a water resource management expert, said in a recent Afghanistan Analysts Network report.

    From mid-April to early May, flash flooding and other floods had left about 100 people dead in 10 of Afghanistan’s provinces, authorities said.

    Farmland has been swamped in a country where 80 percent of the more than 40 million people depend on agriculture to survive.

    The rains come after prolonged drought in Afghanistan, which is one of the least prepared nations to tackle climate change impacts, according to experts.

    The country, ravaged by four decades of war, is also one of the world’s poorest.

    The WFP warned that the recent floods have compounded an already dire humanitarian situation.

    str-sw/ecl/sco

    © Agence France-Presse

  • No Pakistani confirmed dead in Kyrgyz capital mob violence

    No Pakistani confirmed dead in Kyrgyz capital mob violence

    Foreign students including Pakistanis are being targeted by locals in the aftermath of a fight with Egyptian nationals in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. As per news circulating on students WhatsApp groups, three students have died, many have been subjected to violence while 20-25 have been kidnapped but none of this has been confirmed by the Pakistani Embassy.

    Many posts on social media had claimed multiple fatalities of Pakistani students.

    However, the Pakistani embassy, citing the Kyrgyz government, has denied such rumours. However, it confirmed reports of “light injuries” to a number of students from Pakistan.

    Videos of students in Bishkek subjected to mob violence emerged on Friday night, sending alarm bells ringing all over social media and mainstream media.

    A Facebook user posted about his sister being stranded in the hostel but later rescued.

    Mohammad Abdullah, a Pakistani medical student in Bishkek, told Geo News that the dispute started due to the harassment of the Egyptian students by Kyrgyz students.

    According to Muhammad Abdullah, riots broke out after Egyptian students reacted against Kyrgyz students. Since then, locals are attacking foreign students all over Bishkek.

    Talking to ARY News student, Rizwan Gul, claimed that the mob that attacked the hostels of Pakistani students took 20-25 male students away while the female students were beaten up by them. He said that they have been sent the kidnapped students’ videos where they all were made to sit together on the floor. He also stressed that all students are hiding in a corner to protect themselves while they can see that local police are standing around the hostel but not rescuing them. Pakistani embassy has also just released an emergency number on X but no official can be seen on ground.

    Rizwan also informed Geo News that the hostel of International Medical University houses 1000-1500 medical students at the moment.

    Hasan Zaigham, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, took to X and urged all Pakistanis in the capital to “remain indoors until the situation return [sic] to normal”.

    He added that his office is liaising with local authorities to ensure students’ safety and posted numbers for an emergency helpline.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said the reports of mob violence against Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek were “extremely concerning”.

    However, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch shared a post from the Pakistani Embassy’s X account of emergency helpline numbers.
    “Amb Zaigham & his team are available on these emergency numbers (both numbers on WhatsApp). They have responded to hundreds of queries by students and their families,” she wrote.

    Suspects held by the local police

    As case is registered against the suspects as per local media.

    As many as 29 people were said to have been injured in the brawls with 15 people being taken to various hospitals — including a Pakistani national who suffered from a fractured jaw and was visited by Krgyz Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliev.

    The Kyrgyz media reported that the protesters earlier refused to disperse, instead more people gathered at the spot after which the authorities detained several of them for violating public order.

    As per 24.kg, the situation was “stable” and “under control”.

  • From Karachi to Cannes: Pakistani animation debuts with ‘The Chronicles of Umro Ayyar’

    From Karachi to Cannes: Pakistani animation debuts with ‘The Chronicles of Umro Ayyar’

    ‘The Chronicles of Umro Ayyar.’
    The film, which is categorized as an adventure fantasy, draws inspiration from the epic story of Tilism e Hoshruba. As he journeys through time and fantastical worlds, the story narrates the exciting exploits of the fabled trickster hero ‘Umro Ayyar.’

    In addition to the animated movie, Ingenuity Productions is developing the 3D animation series ‘Science Voyagers’ in which a curious child sets out on time-traveling escapades to meet the greatest scientists in history.
    ‘Umro Ayyar’is directed by Syed Arsalan Ali and Haris Bashrat. The story is written by Zafar Abdullah, BinMasoodFarid and Talha Abdur Rahim.
    Haris Basharat who is also the proudcer of ‘Umro Ayyar, said, “We aim to showcase the Pakistani animation industry’s potential globally. We believe that the film’s impressive visuals and storyline will engage audiences worldwide,”

    The search for genuine connection and overcoming selfishness, however, is a deeper message that cuts through the fantasy veneer and speaks to audiences of all ages. The path taken by ‘Umro Ayyar’ turns becomes a monument to the strength of forming relationships that cut over barriers of race, gender, class, age, and personality.

    In addition to the animated movie, Ingenuity Productions is developing the 3D animation series ‘Science Voyagers.’ In this series, a curious child sets out on time-traveling escapades to meet the greatest scientists in history.

    Furthermore, the business is recognized for creating two 2D animated series: Yolki and Hatch, which centers on early development, and Aria and the Magic Jungle, which emphasizes environmental awareness.

  • Video shows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend

    Video shows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend

    Disturbing surveillance video published on Friday shows Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, corroborating allegations she made in a now-settled lawsuit late last year.

    Combs is the target of several civil lawsuits that characterise him as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to subdue his victims, and his homes were raided this year by federal agents.

    The 2016 footage, which was obtained and published by CNN, shows the rap mogul hitting, dragging and kicking the singer known as Cassie, who in her recent lawsuit said Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs, plus a 2018 rape.

    In the video, Ventura leaves a hotel room after which Combs, appearing to wear only a towel, chases her before throwing her to the ground and assaulting her. “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light,” read a statement from her lawyer Douglas Wigdor.

    Casandra Ventura sued Combs in federal court last fall, a bombshell suit that was settled out of court but succeeded by a string of similarly lurid sexual assault claims against the hip-hop star. Ventura met Combs when she was 19 and he was 37, after which he signed her to his label and they began a romantic relationship.

    Combs has vehemently denied all accusations against him. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP. In March armed agents entered Combs’ sprawling luxury properties in Miami and Los Angeles, a heavily publicised bicoastal operation that suggested an investigation into the rapper is underway.