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  • Israel raids Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital: Day two

    Israel raids Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital: Day two

    Al Jazeera reports that a building for specialised surgeries at al-Shifa Hopital in Gaza has been fully wrecked from the inside while Israeli forces bombed a warehouse containing medicine and medical equipment inside the hospital.

    Reportedly the Israeli military “literally tore it apart – all the partitions, walls between the rooms, and all the medical equipment inside the building have been completely destroyed”, writes Al Jazeera.

    It has also been revealed that 200 people were “blindfolded and interrogated and taken to unknown areas; their fate is unknown.”

    Witnesses present inside the hospital informed Al Jazeera that Israeli soldiers stripped 30 people, leading them to the courtyard of the hospital.

    Al-Shifa hospital was surrounded by Israeli armed forces for the past few days, and is now being raided by Israeli soldiers.

    Israeli bulldozers have also fully knocked down the southern entrance to al-Shifa Hospital and all vehicles in its courtyard.

    Yesterday, BBC spoke to a journalist inside Al Shifa hospital who said that Israeli soldiers are checking through all the areas and interrogating people.

    Al Jazeera also reported that the Israeli military has stormed into the hospital’s main buildings “under the cover of heavy gunfire and tank shells”. They are reportedly inside the emergency department, the specialised surgeries department and the maternity ward.

  • Two Pakistanis arrested for smuggling drugs in onion sacks to Malaysia

    Two Pakistanis arrested for smuggling drugs in onion sacks to Malaysia

    Malaysian authorities have seized a consignment of onions shipped from Pakistan that contained drugs worth Rs. 5 billion, including 100 kgs of cocaine and 411 kgs of methamphetamine, reports The Express Tribune.

    Malaysian Authorities shared the information via a letter to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), confirming the recovery of 500 kgs of drugs from a container loaded with Pakistani onions.

    The operation was carried out by the Malaysian Narcotics Crime Investigation Department on October 27, 2023. They have arrested five locals, all aged between 21 and 53, under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

    Two Pakistanis have been arrested on charges of drug trafficking. Suspect Chaudhry Nadeem has been detained at the Karachi airport while leaving for Thailand. Clearing agent Amir Ali Khan has also been arrested.

    The company in whose name the Goods Declaration (GD) was filed was the second GD of this company.

  • Council of Islamic Ideology gives ‘conditional permission’ for women to perform Hajj without mehram

    Council of Islamic Ideology gives ‘conditional permission’ for women to perform Hajj without mehram

    In response to a query from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has given conditional permission to women to perform Umrah without mehram, The News has reported.

    The detailed response from the CII states that Jafria, Maliki, and Shafi’i schools of thought allow women to perform Hajj or Umrah without a mehram while Hanbali and Hanafi schools of thought do not consider Hajj and Umrah an obligation for women if their mehram is not available.

    Last year in October, the Saudi government allowed women from across the world to perform Haj and Umrah without a male relative.

    The CII, however, has said the performance of Hajj for a woman without a mehram should be in the company of trustworthy women in a group. It also asserted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs should properly scrutinise a Haj group in which a woman wants to perform Haj without a Mehram.

  • Wahab Riaz likely to become chief selector of Pakistan Cricket Board

    Wahab Riaz likely to become chief selector of Pakistan Cricket Board

    Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has given clearance to Sports Minister and former fast bowler Wahab Riaz to assume the post of Chief Selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    According to sources, Wahab Riaz will remain a part of the caretaker cabinet even after assuming the post of chief selector. PCB will soon issue a contract to appoint Wahab Riaz the Chief Selector.

    Former national cricketer Muhammad Hafeez has already been appointed as the Director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). On the other hand, Naveed Akram Cheema, is likely to be made the manager of the Pakistan team.

    Naveed Akram Cheema has been the manager of the team in the past as well. Meanwhile, Muhammad Hafeez has started contacting domestic cricketers for coaching staff.

    The counseling process for the selection committee members is also going on.

  • Security forces kill high-value terrorist commander in Peshawar

    Security forces kill high-value terrorist commander in Peshawar

    The military’s media wing has stated on Thursday that four terrorists, including a known militant commander, were killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation in Peshawar.

    According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted due to the presence of militants in Badaber area of Peshawar District.

    During the operation, the Pakistani troops “effectively engaged” the miscreants which led to the killing of the four terrorists including a “high-value terrorist” Samiullah alias Shenay.

    As per the statement, militants Salman alias “Ahmed”, Imran alias “Muhammad” and Hazrat Umar alias “Khalid” were wanted by law enforcement agencies.

    “Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities, including extortion and target killings in the area,” said the ISPR.

    Earlier, on Wednesday, security forces killed seven terrorists in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

  • Deepika finally responds to criticism of Koffee with Karan interview

    Deepika continues to live her best life while living rent free in the minds of haters.

    A few weeks back, Deepika and Ranveer raised eyebrows with their ‘Koffee With Karan’ interview where the two revealed they casually dated for a couple of months before getting engaged. The ‘Om Shanti Om’ actress recalled ending an abusive relationship not ready for a serious commitment. The two actors, therefore, kept seeing other people while dating each other. After the two got engaged, they decided to remain a monogamous couple.

    Deepika became the target of sexist jokes, and claims that she cheated on Ranveer during their relationship. Now, during an interview with Vogue India, the actress has declared she is past the point of letting trolls dictate her opinions.

    “When I feel really strongly or passionately about something, I don’t think twice about expressing myself. I’ve grown to become this person where I’m not afraid of speaking my truth or owning up to mistakes. I’m not afraid of saying sorry,” Deepika responded, as according to Mashable India.

    While social media users had Deepika’s back to protect her from the naysayers, the industry did as well. Host of ‘Koffee With Karan’, Karan Johar, did a livestream where he addressed the criticism over Deepika’s comment, and shut down her critics.

    “Do what you need to do because no one’s looking,” responded the celebrated director according to The Hindustan Times. “Trolling gets you nowhere. You are landing nowhere.”

  • Babar Azam considering legal action on leaked WhatsApp chat

    Babar Azam considering legal action on leaked WhatsApp chat

    Former national cricket team captain Babar Azam plans to file legal action over the leak of his WhatsApp messages to journalists, Geo has reported.

    Babar Azam reached the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters yesterday to meet the Chairman Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf. However, it has been reported that before going there, Babar took legal advice on the WhatsApp messages leak issue.

    Sources say that Babar Azam plans to file legal action.

    Azam’s WhatsApp chat was shown live on a private TV channel last month. Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper, Rashid Latif, claimed that PCB senior officials did not respond to Babar Azam’s messages. A personal chat with PCB’s CEO Arslan Naseer was then shown on screen during the live show on ARY News.

    The host of the program, Waseem Badami, later released a video statement on social media in which he said that we didn’t want to show the chat but when Zaka Ashraf said during the live show that you should show it, then he decided to display it on the screen.

  • Sindh High Court sets deadline for investigation report on Sakrand Village killings

    Sindh High Court sets deadline for investigation report on Sakrand Village killings

    The Sindh High Court (SHC) has instructed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Shaheed Benazirabad police to oversee the ongoing investigation into the killing of four villagers during a law enforcement raid in Sakrand.

    The court has set December 1 as the deadline for the submission of the investigation report.

    Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, the two-judge bench also directed the inquiry committee established by the Sindh government to present its findings at the next hearing.

    In the previous court session, the SHC had instructed the in Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Shaheed Benazirabad to produce both the complainants from the First Information Reports (FIRs) and the legal heirs of the deceased villagers.

    SSP Haider Raza appeared at the hearing and submitted a report indicating that notices had been served to one of the complainants, Rajab Ali.

    However, Ali failed to appear before the SHC, prompting the bench to reissue notices and instruct the SSP to ensure the presence of the complainant and legal heirs in the next hearing.

    Representing the petitioners, Advocate Syed Haider Imam Rizvi submitted that a fair investigation was not being conducted in the cases.

    The bench in its order said, “After hearing learned counsel for the parties, DIGP, Shaheed Benazirabad, is directed to supervise further investigation of the cases/FIRs mentioned in this petition and report shall be submitted before the trial court as well as before this court on the next date of hearing. Enquiry committee, constituted by the government of Sindh, shall also submit the report on the next date of hearing”.

    At the previous hearing, the SHC was also informed that the Sindh government had notified compensation for the legal heirs/families of victims.

    Tahmasp Rasheed Razvi and two other lawyers had petitioned the SHC and submitted that in order to harass the villagers and save their own skin, the law enforcement agencies had lodged two FIRs in violation of the apex court’s judgment.

    The Case

    The operation carried out by law enforcement agencies on September 9 aimed to apprehend militants associated with the banned Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SUA).

    In the course of the operation, four individuals were killed, and nine others, including four Rangers personnel, sustained injuries.
    A Rangers spokesman released a statement mentioning that the operation was intelligence-based and targeted high-value individuals.

    However, Sindh United Party (SUP) Secretary General Roshan Burriro claimed that those killed were supporters and revealed that a confrontation had ensued between security forces and villagers.

    The situation escalated when law enforcement officers opened fire, resulting in tragic deaths and injuries.
    Subsequently, grieving villagers staged a protest and blocked a section of the National Highway while carrying the coffins of the deceased individuals.

    Protests by the families and relatives of the deceased villagers came to an end after the initiation of the judicial inquiry and the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).

    The FIR was filed under Sections 302 (intentional murder) and 324 (murder attempt) of the Pakistan Penal Code based on the complaint of Rahib Jalbani, the brother of one of the deceased individuals.

    According to the FIR, the security officials arrived at a house in the village and accused those present of being terrorists before opening fire. The complainant’s brother and another individual died on the spot, while several others were injured.

    SUP President Syed Zain Shah clarified that the deceased villagers were not politically affiliated.

  • After months of treatment, 13-year-old Rizwana to be discharged from hospital

    After months of treatment, 13-year-old Rizwana to be discharged from hospital

    Rizwana, the underage domestic help tortured at work, will be discharged next week from hospital following months of treatment and surgeries.

    The 13-year-old has been undergoing treatment at the General Hospital in Lahore for the past five months.

    Talking to GeoNews, Principal Amiruddin Medical College Professor Al Farid Zafar said that Rizwana’s condition has improved and she is now walking and talking.

    He said that there have been requests from various departments to keep Rizwana, whichever department has better facilities, Rizwana will be shifted there.

    Professor Al Farid Zafar also said that after being discharged from the hospital, she will not go to Sargodha and will stay in Lahore.

    He also reported that one if Rizwana’s arms has mended while the other arm will be considered for surgery some time after discharge.

    The goal is to give Rizwana a normal life after discharge from hospital.

    In August, Rizwana went through plastic surgery.

    Rizwana had been allegedly tortured and abused while working at a civil judge’s home in Islamabad, after she was accused of stealing jewellery. Rizwana’s family revealed that the girl was not paid a single penny by the family for the extensive workload she was doing and was instead subjected to violence.

  • World Health Organization forms a commission to combat threat of ‘loneliness’

    World Health Organization forms a commission to combat threat of ‘loneliness’

    World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the formation of a ‘Commission on Social Connection’ to address loneliness as an impending threat to mental health around the world. This commission will comprise 11 members from around the world.

    The commission intends to boost social connection as a priority and promote solutions for the unique health threat.

    Senior Pakistani Advocate and Human Rights Defender Hina Jillani has also been nominated as one of the 11 commissioners from across the globe. She will participate in the first leadership-level meeting on December 6-8, to be held at the WHO secretariat. The meeting is aimed at forming a flagship report released by the mid-point of the three-year initiative.

    Speaking to Dawn, Ms Jillani said, “It has been observed that people, families, and even communities are being isolated because of social media networks. Physical interaction has been reducing day by day. There is a need to find a solution to the issue. In countries like Pakistan, there is an issue that the younger people are migrating to the developed countries due to which their parents will be left alone and will face a severe kind of isolation.”

    One in four older people experience social isolation and the rates are broadly similar in all regions. Among adolescents, between 5–15 per cent experience loneliness, according to research findings.

    The rest of the 11 commissioners also include Japan’s loneliness minister Ayuko Kato, Minister of Health and Social Protection in Morocco Khalid Ait Taleb, Sweden’s Minister for Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed, Chile’s Minister of Health Ximena Aguilera Sanhueza, Permanent Representative to the UN from Kenya Cleopa Mailu, Minister of Climate Change Vanuatu Ralph Regenvanu, Deaf-Blind Advocate and Activist of United States Haben Girma and United States Google Chief Health Officer Karen Desalvo.

    This commission will find a new agenda on social connections, raising awareness, and building collaborations that will drive evidence-based solutions for countries, communities and individuals.