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  • Wife and five children dead after drinking poisoned tea in Toba Tek Singh

    Wife and five children dead after drinking poisoned tea in Toba Tek Singh

    Update: In a sad turn of events the wife of the man who allegedly poisoned the tea has expired along with another child. Six of the family have died and the post-mortem report is awaited.

    https://youtu.be/fd3f5_24r68?si=EJNj9q58ZckJbHwP

    Background

    A domestic fight took a lethal turn in Chak 520 GB of Toba Tek Singh when a man identified as Asghar poisoned tea following an altercation with his wife and then fled the house, reports The Express Tribune.

    His wife Nadia, along with her husband’s daughter from a previous marriage, Iqra, 12, their children Saniha, 17, Madiha, 18, and Ali Hassan, 7 fell critically ill after consuming the tea.

    Nadia informed Rescue 1122 about the altercation and poisoning. Rescue teams provided initial medical aid to all affected family members. They were then transferred to DHQ Hospital Toba Tek Singh for further treatment. However, the four children Iqra, Saniha, Mediha, and Ali Hassan lost their lives, succumbing to the effects of the poison, while the condition of the remaining family members remains critical.

    Due to the severity of their condition, Nadia and one of her daughters have been referred to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad.

    Preliminary investigation by the police suggests the consumption of poison. Financial constraints and frequent domestic disputes between the husband and wife are believed to have contributed to the tragic incident. The Toba Tek Singh Police have registered an FIR against Asghar and initiated an investigation.

  • Sheharyar Afridi says there are ‘snakes’ inside PTI

    Sheharyar Afridi says there are ‘snakes’ inside PTI

    Amidst rumors of internal rifts within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), party leader Shehryar Afridi recently said that there were some “hypocrites” inside the party.

    Recently, all the portfolios were taken back from the popular leader Sher Afzal Marwat –who emerged as a famous leader after the incarceration of PTI founder Imran Khan.

    Addressing a public gathering in Kohat on Friday, Afridi said: “We are sending a message to the party members that the workers and loyalists of the party should be supported, those who are the foundation of the party.”

    Afridi criticised the party leadership even saying there were “snakes” who had become a part of the PTI.

    The rifts between the party leadership have been increasing with many members divided on different matters related to party.

  • Achakzai stopped from entering CJ’s court room by plain clothed officials

    Achakzai stopped from entering CJ’s court room by plain clothed officials

    Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the Chairman of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, was stopped from entering into Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s courtroom on April 3 by plain-clothed individuals.

    Azaz Syed, a renowned journalist, reported from court premises about the incident. He stated in a video, “This is Mehmood Khan Achakzai behind me and he has been stopped from entering Room no 1 Courtroom.”

    When Achakzai was asked by Syed to relate the entire incident he said, “We submitted our ID cards and were issued passes to enter the courtroom.” He then also said that a person in plain clothes came up and did not allow him and his companions to enter the premises.

    It should be noted that inside the courtroom Suo Moto case hearing was being conducted on the issue of Islamabad High Court judges’ letter alleging blatant meddling by intelligence agencies in judicial matters.

  • World food prices rise for first time in seven months: FAO

    Global food prices rose in March, the first increase since July, pulled higher by cooking oil prices despite the cost of grains continuing to ease, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization said Friday.

    The FAO’s overall Food Price Index climbed 1.1 percent over the month to stand at 118.3 points in March 2024. On an annual comparison it was 7.7 percent lower.

    The sub-index for vegetable oils jumped by 8.0 percent over the month to reach a one-year high. The FAO said prices for palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils all climbed higher.

    Rising palm oil prices were driven by seasonal drops in output in leading producing nations that coincided with strong demand in Southeast Asia, while demand from the biofuel sector pulled up soy oil prices.

    Dairy prices rose by 2.9 percent in March on a monthly basis, while meat prices climbed 1.7 percent.

    Meanwhile, cereals prices slid 2.6 percent on a monthly basis, while sugar prices fell 5.4 percent.

    Food prices reached a record high after Russia invaded agricultural power Ukraine in February 2022 but have dropped since then.

    Last month’s uptick comes as inflation has slowed dramatically in many countries but a recent rebound in global oil prices has sparked concern it may persist at a level that could discourage central banks from cutting interest rates.

  • Maryam Nawaz announces transgender schools in each division while they exist since PTI times

    Maryam Nawaz announces transgender schools in each division while they exist since PTI times

    Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has announced the establishment of transgender schools at the division level. Additionally, she directed the relevant officials to provide educational facilities to special children in at least one government school in each district.

    Dawn reports that these decisions were ta­­ken at a meeting held to re­­­view proposed school education reforms in the province.

    While chairing the revi­­ew meeting, CM Nawaz said: “Schools for trans­ge­nder [community] will be established at divisional level.”

    PTI-initiated Transgender schools

    Nine of the 11 divisions in Punjab already have schools for the transgender community. The initiative was taken by the previous PTI government under the supervision of the then Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas.

    Trans Educational School Sys­t­­em, Multan, Principal Ali­sha Sherazi told Dawn that no one from the government had contacted them for the establishment of transgender schools, as such schools already exis­ted in different cities of Punjab like D.G. Khan, Gujran­wala, Rawalpindi, Sargo­dha, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Multan and Bahawalpur. Only the one established in Lahore was later closed, she added.

    Transgender schools

    Alisha Sherazi, a trans­gender and a former cons­u­ltant of UNDP who did her MPhil in Education, Planning and Manage­m­ent from Burhanuddin Za­­kariya University, expl­ai­ned that three of the scho­ols including D.G. Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur were giving vocational tr­­a­ining to members of the transgender community. Four labs for IT, stitching, cooking and make-up classes were established in those schools, while other schools were focusing on academics, according to the principal.

    The government did not have the exact figures of transgender community’s population in the Punjab, Alisha added.

    At the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz directed relevant authorities to implement a new comprehensive procedure.

  • Palestinian Muslims mark sad and tense ‘holiest Ramadan night’ in Jerusalem

    Palestinian Muslims marked a tense and sombre last Friday of Ramadan in Jerusalem as Israeli police controlling the entrance to the Al-Aqsa mosque – the third holiest site in Islam – attacked worshippers.

    Some 120,000 people descended on the shrine, which dominates the Old City, officials said, with grand mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein urging the faithful to brave the heavy police presence because of the war in Gaza.

    Adli al-Agha, 53, from Jerusalem, told AFP that many people “had to flee dawn prayers” after Israeli police deployed a mini-drone spraying tear gas to disperse people chanting “Glory to God”.

    “In our soul and our blood, we sacrifice for you Al-Aqsa,” worshippers declared, according to Agha.

    Police said they arrested eight people for inciting terrorism.

    Yasser Basha, from Tulkarem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said police were restricting entrance to the mosque to the old and the very young. Only men over 55 and women over 50 were being allowed inside, he said.

    “If it wasn’t for the war, things would have been much easier,” he added.

    Friday also marks Laylat al-Qadr (“The Night of Destiny”), the spiritual climax of the Muslim holy month, which commemorates the moment the archangel Gabriel first appeared to Prophet Mohammed and began revealing the Koran.

    It is the night when Muslims believe their prayers are most likely to be granted, a festive moment while children stay up late and shops stay open till the small hours.

    But many Palestinians are not in the mood to celebrate and are praying for an end to the war in Gaza after almost six months of bloodshed.

    Sameeha Al Qadi, 55, who had come from near Bethlehem, said Jerusalem “is sad and has lost its light — we all feel what is going on in Gaza. We can’t escape it for a minute.”

    This year there are few Ramadan decorations or lights in the Holy City, with Palestinians instead having a bitter coffee and a date — traditionally to mark mourning — on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when feasts are usually held.

    “There is sweet nothing about the feast this year. People are not celebrating,” said Sabah, 54, some of whose relatives have been killed in Gaza.

    “Everything is bitter in my mouth. It is so painful at this time which is all about family.”

    Easter was similarly subdued last weekend for Palestinian Christians.

    Adnan Jafar, 60, a sweet maker in the Old City, said usually in Ramadan his shop is at its busiest.

    “But I have never had a Ramadan like this. And we all know why. (Gaza) is not just affecting us, it is affecting the whole world.”

    Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed at least 33,091 people since October 7, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

  • Meta to start labeling AI-generated content in May

    Meta to start labeling AI-generated content in May

    Facebook and Instagram giant Meta on Friday said it will begin labeling AI-generated media beginning in May, as it tries to reassure users and governments over the risks of deepfakes.

    The social media juggernaut added that it will no longer remove manipulated images and audio that don’t otherwise break its rules, relying instead on labeling and contextualization, so as to not infringe on freedom of speech.

    The changes come as a response to criticism from the tech giant’s oversight board, which independently reviews Meta’s content moderation decisions.

    The board in February requested that Meta urgently overhaul its approach to manipulated media given the huge advances in AI and the ease of manipulating media into highly convincing deepfakes.

    The board’s warning came amid fears of rampant misuse of artificial intelligence-powered applications for disinformation on platforms in a pivotal election year not only in the United States but worldwide.

    Meta’s new “Made with AI” labels will identify content created or altered with AI, including video, audio, and images. Additionally, a more prominent label will be used for content deemed at high risk of misleading the public.

    “We agree that providing transparency and additional context is now the better way to address this content,” Monika Bickert, Meta’s Vice President of Content Policy, said in a blog post.

    “The labels will cover a broader range of content in addition to the manipulated content that the Oversight Board recommended labeling,” she added.

    These new labeling techniques are linked to an agreement made in February among major tech giants and AI players to cooperate on ways to crack down on manipulated content intended to deceive voters.

    Meta, Google and OpenAI had already agreed to use a common watermarking standard that would invisibly tag images generated by their AI applications.

    Identifying AI content “is better than nothing, but there are bound to be holes,” Nicolas Gaudemet, AI Director at Onepoint, told AFP.

    He took the example of some open source software, which doesn’t always use this type of watermarking adopted by AI’s big players.

    Meta said its rollout will occur in two phases with AI-generated content labeling beginning in May 2024, while the removal of manipulated media solely based on the old policy will cease in July.

    According to the new standard, content, even if manipulated with AI, will remain on the platform unless it violates other rules, such as those prohibiting hate speech or voter interference.

    Recent examples of convincing AI deepfakes have only heightened worries about the easily accessible technology.

    The board’s list of requests was part of its review of Meta’s decision to leave a manipulated video of US President Joe Biden online last year.

    The video showed Biden voting with his adult granddaughter, but was manipulated to falsely appear that he inappropriately touched her chest.

    In a separate incident not linked to Meta, a robocall impersonation of Biden pushed out to tens of thousands of voters urged people to not cast ballots in the New Hampshire primary.

    In Pakistan, the party of former prime minister Imran Khan has used AI to generate speeches from their jailed leader.

  • Shirazi Vlogs’ acts of kindness touch hearts

    Shirazi Vlogs’ acts of kindness touch hearts

    Shiraz, a popular figure in Pakistan’s YouTube community, has gained fame for his uplifting content. His authentic portrayal of local beauty and issues has won hearts nationwide. He and his sister Muskan were featured on TV and are now generously giving back to their community, spreading joy and support to those around them.

    Shiraz, who has over a million followers on YouTube and Instagram, distributed essential food packages to those in need in their area.

  • Pakistan PM orders police punished after Chinese dam worker attack

    Pakistan’s prime minister has ordered at least five senior police officials be punished for negligence after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers at a major dam site last month, the country’s information minister said Saturday.

    The attack in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province forced Power China and the China Gezhouba Company to suspend work on two dam projects after the bombing killed the five workers and a Pakistani driver, sending their van into a deep ravine.

    Hundreds of Chinese people are employed at the Dasu and Diamer Bhasha dam construction sites, located around 100 kilometres (62 miles) apart in the mountainous region.

    Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said a committee appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif identified a regional official, three district officials and the director of security at the Dasu dam project for their “negligence” in fulfilling their duties.

    “The prime minister has ordered immediate action against these officials,” Tarar told a press conference in the city of Lahore, without specifying what their punishment will be.

    “The prime minister himself will be monitoring the security of Chinese (nationals). Those individuals who have shown negligence will be set as an example.”

    Tarar said security matters regarding Chinese citizens would be “treated with utmost seriousness and any lapses will not be tolerated.”

    Operations by Power China have resumed at Diamer Bhasha while operations at China Gezhouba Group Company at Dasu remain closed.

    Pakistani police have detained more than 12 people, including Afghan nationals, in connection with the bombing.

    Beijing is Islamabad’s closest regional ally, frequently offering financial assistance to support its often-struggling neighbour and pouring more than $2 trillion into infrastructure projects.

    However, Pakistanis have long complained about not receiving a fair share of the jobs or wealth generated by the projects.

    The security of Chinese workers is a major concern to both countries, with nationals frequently targeted by militants hostile to outside influence.

    Last week’s attack came just days after militants attempted to storm offices of the Gwadar deepwater port in the southwest, considered a cornerstone of Chinese investment in Pakistan.

  • Saba Qamar receives huge pile of gift, flowers on birthday

    Saba Qamar receives huge pile of gift, flowers on birthday

    Pakistani actress Saba Qamar recently celebrated her birthday with a mountain of gifts and flowers. She had a special party with her close friends including Sami Khan, Nadia Hussain, and Sonia Mishal .They made the day even more special for Saba Qamar by joining in the celebrations.

    At the party, Saba looked beautiful in a black dress. She smiled and laughed with her friends, making the day even more special. Saba shared some lovely pictures from her birthday celebration on social media so her fans could also enjoy the happiness with her.

    Here are the pictures: