Tag: trending

  • USAID contractor resigns, alleging work on Palestine was censored

    Alexander Smith, a contractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), resigned from his private sector position, saying he could no longer perform contract work for the Biden administration after a presentation he was preparing on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis was cancelled.

    Smith claimed that USAID gave him a choice between resigning or dismissal after he attempted to give a presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians, says a report published by The Guardian.

    “I cannot do my job in an environment in which specific people cannot be acknowledged as fully human, or where gender and human rights principles apply to some, but not to others, depending on their race,” Smith wrote in his resignation letter quoted by The Guardian.

    Smith’s resignation adds to a small but growing list of officials working inside or for the US government who have resigned in protest against the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    On Tuesday, Stacy Gilbert, a career official in the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), told staff she was resigning because she felt the State Department had wrongly concluded that Israel was not preventing the entry of aid into Gaza.

    Earlier this month, Lilly Greenberg Call became the first Jewish-American political official to resign. Call worked in the Department of Interior, but there have been a number of high-profile resignations from officials working on the Middle East and defence.

    Major Harrison Mann tendered his resignation from the Department of Defence Intelligence Agency in May, citing Washington’s support for the war on Gaza.

  • PTI legal team charged under anti-terrorism law for attacking Khawar Maneka

    PTI legal team charged under anti-terrorism law for attacking Khawar Maneka

    The Police on Thursday filed an anti-terror case along with other charges against a group of lawyers who allegedly attacked Khawar Maneka, ex-husband of former First Lady Bushra Bibi, on court premises as he was leaving the site after appearing in the Iddat case, Dawn reported.

    However, an FIR was not lodged by the victim but an inspector of the capital police, Imtiaz Ahmed. The FIR nominated six lawyers and 20 to 25 unknown people, including women.

    As per the FIR, a lawyer threatened and attacked Maneka when he came outside of the courtroom along with other lawyers and as a result he fell down on the ground.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Amir Masood Mughal said the registration of a “false terrorism case” against Imran Khan’s legal team was a conspiracy hatched by the “illegitimate” government.

    He said that police had registered an anti-terror case against the PTI legal team because an “unknown person” slapped Khawar Maneka.

  • Naswar is drug of poor, not forbidden in Sharia: KP Agriculture Minister

    Naswar is drug of poor, not forbidden in Sharia: KP Agriculture Minister

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) agriculture minister Major (ret) Sajjad Khattak has said that the provincial government has imposed a tax on tobacco used in Naswar, adding that the usage of Naswar is neither a sin nor a reward.

    The provincial agriculture minister told the provincial assembly that Naswar is the drug of the poor and it is not even forbidden in Sharia.

    Opposition members of the KP assembly, including Sobia Shahid and Ahmad Kundi, tabled a bill demanding more tax on Naswar and cigarettes, as they are luxuries, and that the tax on private schools should be abolished.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sobia Shahid said that the tax on tobacco exports should be increased, and that it should be abolished in schools and colleges.

  • Pakistan ranks shockingly low in tourism, report reveals

    Pakistan ranks shockingly low in tourism, report reveals

    World Economic Forum (WEF) has released a ranking of countries in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) where Pakistan’s ranking is surprisingly low.

    Pakistan has been ranked 101 out of 119 countries, classified as a lower-middle-income economy and is part of the Asia-Pacific regional group.

    The top 30 countries in the TTDI accounted for over 75 percent of the travel and tourism industry GDP in 2022, and 70 percent of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022.

    However, the lower half of the list consisted of African countries.

    Ranking among South Asia

    In South-East Asia, Pakistan ranks slightly above Nepal (105) and Bangladesh (109), but far below India (39) and Sri Lanka (76).

    Ranking among Middle Eastern Countries

    Within the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates topped the rankings at 18, followed by Saudi Arabia (41), Qatar, (53) and Bahrain (18). The United States topped the overall list, followed by Spain, Japan, and France. The remainder of the top ten list comprised Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Switzerland.

    WEF report highlighted challenges being faced within the industry. Global inflation, global conflict, and environmental issues such as wildfires in tourist destinations, have generated additional pressure.

    However, the report predicts that in the coming years, the travel and tourism industry will bear the brunt of geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty, and possible challenges brought on by artificial intelligence.

    Whilst developing economies like Pakistan have shown improvement in TTDI scores, many areas still need investment in enabling tourism conditions.

  • Imran Khan’s X account being handled from USA, Rauf Hassan reveals  

    Imran Khan’s X account being handled from USA, Rauf Hassan reveals  

    PTI in confusion: Who is running Khan’s social media?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Makhdoomzada Muhammad Zain Hussain Qureshi recently gave an interview to journalist Asma Shirazi on Hum News where he backtracked from his party’s recent narrative and clarified that Khan’s social media account is, indeed, not being operated from abroad.

    Qureshi stated, “There is no such thing as [someone] from outside the country handling Khan’s social media but is being operated according to Imran Khan’s instructions and party policy.”

    Zain clarified, “It is obvious that he [Imran Khan] can’t use his own account because he is imprisoned so the party has the responsibility and it is done on his instructions.”

    Qureshi’s contrasting statement clashes with PTI leader Raoof Hasan’s claim that Imran Khan’s social media accounts were being handled from America.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Rauf Hassan revealed on Thursday to Kashif Abbasi on ARY News, that PTI founder Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) account was being handled from abroad. The head of PTI’s official social media team is based in the USA, Hassan confirmed.

    Rauf Hassan also stated that he will investigate who uploaded the video about former Bangladesh president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the PTI founder’s official X account. PTI workers shared the video from Khan’s account in their personnel capacity, Rauf Hassan added.

    The PTI spokesperson also said that he didn’t even see the video. 

    The development came when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) started an investigation into the circulation of the video.

    However, sources in Adiala jail confirmed to Aaj News that the former prime minister refused to meet the FIA team in Adiala jail.

  • New must-watch dramas this summer

    New must-watch dramas this summer

    Get ready for a summer filled with compelling storytelling, as Pakistani dramas cover family dynamics, politics, mental health, and education. These themes deeply resonate with viewers, drawing them into the characters’ experiences.

    Let’s find out what exciting new stories these upcoming dramas have for us!

    Danish Taimoor and Laiba Khurram Star in ‘Teri Chhaon Mein’

    Danish Taimoor and Laiba Khurram team up for ‘Teri Chhaon Mein.’ Despite its old-fashioned title, the characters are fresh. Danish plays a soft, loving boy, while Laiba plays a family-oriented girl who lacks confidence and independence. The teasers suggest their relationship will face challenges, adding suspense. Danish’s character might show unexpected traits, keeping viewers curious. Let’s see how their story unfolds in this new drama.

    Written by Radain Shah and directed by Abdullah Badini, ‘Teri Chhaon Mein’ is produced by Momina Duraid Productions.

    Asad Siddiqui, Nawal Saeed, Yashma Gill, and Aagha Ali star in a new drama

    Asad Siddiqui, Nawal Saeed, Yashma Gill, and Aagha Ali come together for the first time in this star-studded drama. The teasers suggest a love triangle involving two brothers. Aagha Ali plays the controlling brother, while Asad Siddiqui is the innocent one overshadowed by his sibling. Nawal Saeed plays a character focused on wealth, a departure from her previous roles. Yashma Gill’s character remains a mystery, adding intrigue.

    Written by Zanjabeel Asim Shah and directed by Aabis Raza, this drama is produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi under 7th Sky Entertainment.

    ‘Ishq Hua’: A Love Story featuring Haroon Kadwani and Komal Meer

    Get ready for a rollercoaster ride as Haroon Kadwani and Komal Meer star in ‘Ishq Hua,’ an intense love story. With cutting-edge visuals and a gripping plot, this drama promises more than just romance. It explores the extreme consequences of passionate love, with every moment full of emotion. The cast also includes Sahar Hashmi, Fazila Qazi, and Sohail Sameer.

    Written by Nooran Makhdoom and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain, ‘Ishq Hua’ is produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi under 7th Sky Entertainment.

  • Fact Check: No hospital renamed in Maryam Nawaz’s honour, Punjab government clarifies

    Fact Check: No hospital renamed in Maryam Nawaz’s honour, Punjab government clarifies

    Social media was full of speculations after an alleged notification from the Punjab Health Department went viral, with many claiming that the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore had been renamed the “Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Lahore.”

    Multiple accounts on X (previously Twitter) posted viral tweets with the notification and severely criticised the Punjab government for changing the name of the under-construction project.

    Most of the accounts that were spreading fake news were handled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers.

    According to the viral notification, the name of the under-construction building of Jinnah Institute of Cardiology will be changed to honour Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, but later on, the Punjab government clarified that the issued notification was not real.

    In a rapid move, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bohhari clarified in a post on X that the notification was fake and there were no intentions to change the name of the under-construction building.

    Bokhari further confirmed that no hospital’s name was being changed.

  • China’s blood-red sky shocks citizens

    China’s blood-red sky shocks citizens

    Residents of a city in Zhejiang province, China, were shocked to see the night sky turn blood-red last week. The phenomenon invoked the local meteorological department to investigate the reason.

    The shocking spectacle occurred around 8 pm. Chinese social media went abuzz with videos and pictures of the red sky, with some claiming it to be supernatural. However, researchers rejected the claims.

    It has been revealed that the red sky was caused by a fishing boat testing its lights before going out to the sea.

    Rayleigh Scattering

    The scientists said the boat’s red light underwent a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering as it encountered particles in the atmosphere, reported Yahoo News. The particles were much smaller than the wavelength of light, scattering illumination in different directions.

    It’s not the first time that something like this has happened as similar events reportedly occurred in the city’s Putuo district on May 7, 2022, and in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on May 10, 2022.

  • Captain America clarifies he was not involved with Israeli forces; receives flak for not mentioning Palestine

    Captain America clarifies he was not involved with Israeli forces; receives flak for not mentioning Palestine

    Chris Evans, famous for playing Captain America, took to his Instagram to issue a clarification for a photo floating on the internet. The picture, which showed him signing ammunition with a soldier, was being shared with misleading information that the soldier was from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

    As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues unabated, people across the world slammed Evans for the photo.

    This clarification came amid heightened speculations of Evans having gone to Israel to meet IDF soldiers and signing a missile for them like other American dignitaries including Nikki Haley.

    While Reuters did a fact-check story on this picture earlier in February, Evans posted a story earlier in the day (May 31). In his Instagram story, he wrote, “This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016. I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members.” He went on to add that, “The object he was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind. It is an inert object used for training or display purposes only.”

    It’s been close to nine months since the genocide in Gaza started but the actor neither condemned it nor uttered a word of support for the oppressed Gazans. His clarification is thus receiving flak for still not mentioning Palestine.

    A netizen wrote, “Chris Evans can say all this to defend himself and still not use his platform spread awareness about Palestine is truly so evil.”

    A supporter of Free Palestine lambasted Captain America for signing something that merely represents the bomb but no information or donation link about Palestine.

    Nicole on X (formerly Twitter) called him out for not shedding light on the genocide and said, “Anyway, don’t be like Chris, call for a free Palestine.”

    A proponent of Ceasefire Now posted, “The thing that bothers me about this post, even though it should be reassuring he’s not gross is the fact he said nothing about Palestine whatsoever in conjunction with this picture.”

    While a passionate user called him “cold-hearted” another said that, “this speaks a lot about his character.”

  • PTI in hot waters as Khan’s controversial post invites FIA investigation

    PTI in hot waters as Khan’s controversial post invites FIA investigation

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan refused to see the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime team when it arrived at Adiala Jail late Thursday night to investigate his recent controversial social media post.

    “I will answer any question in the presence of lawyers,” said Khan, refusing to become a part of any investigation by the FIA, Geo News reported.

    Recently, Khan’s social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) posted a video regarding the breakup of East Pakistan and putting the blame on the military establishment for committing atrocities which led to the country’s separation.

    The development came after FIA’s cyber crime wing decided on Thursday to initiate action against Khan over his controversial tweet on social media.

    Interestingly, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan tried to distance his party from the post saying it should be seen “in political context” and that Khan did not know the contents of the post that was uploaded.

    Geo News reported that FIA’s cyber wing will investigate four people including Khan, Gohar, PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, and Secretary-General Omar Ayub for the “propaganda videos”.