Tag: US

  • PM Imran expresses grief over killing of Muslim family in Canada in a suspected Islamophobic attack

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his grief over the killing of four members of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario.

    “Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario,” wrote PM Imran.

    “This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophonia needs to be countered holistically by the international community,” he added.

    Police in London, Ontario, citing witnesses, said that 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman jumped the curb in his vehicle on Sunday, struck five members of the same family ranging in age from 9 to 74, and then drove off at high speed, Reuters has reported.

    Police have not released the victims’ names, but the London Free Press said that among the dead were Syed Afzaal, 46, his wife, Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal. Syed Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother, whose name has not been confirmed, also died. Their 9-year-old son, Faez Afzaal, is in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

    As per media reports, the family immigrated from Pakistan about 14 years ago.

    “We believe this was an intentional act and that the victims of this horrific incident were targeted,” Police Chief Steve Williams said. “We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith.”

    “I’m horrified by the news from London, Ontario. To the loved ones of those who were terrorised by yesterday’s act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital – our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter.

    “To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable – and it must stop.”

  • Pakistan rushes to Turkey’s support as US declares Armenian killings of 1915 as genocide

    Pakistan rushes to Turkey’s support as US declares Armenian killings of 1915 as genocide

    Pakistan has supported Turkish thesis on the events of 1915 after American President Joe Biden’s declaration that massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I was genocide.

    In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed Islamabad’s support for Ankara’s take on the events of 1915, said an official statement.

    Turkey, established in 1923 after the Ottoman empire collapsed, has always denied there was a systematic campaign to annihilate Armenians.

    It says that thousands of Turks and Armenians died in inter-ethnic violence as the empire started to fall apart and fought a Russian invasion of its eastern provinces during the war.

    “We believe that one-sided approaches and political categorisation of historical events could undermine trust and lead to polarisation between nations,” Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.

    The statement also praised Turkey’s “constructive approach” on the subject including Ankara’s proposal for a joint historical commission to explore the facts.

    Turkish Foreign Ministry thanked Pakistan for its support.

    “Thank you brotherly Pakistan! Long live Turkey-Pakistan friendship!” read a tweet.

    Biden, in his statement, said the American people honour “all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago.”

    “Over the decades, Armenian immigrants have enriched the United States (US) in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the tragic history,” Biden said.

    “We honour their story. We see that pain. We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated.”

    The largely symbolic move, breaking away from decades of carefully calibrated language from the White House, comes at a time when Ankara and Washington grapple with deep policy disagreements over a host of issues.

    The Turkish government and most of the opposition showed rare unity in their rejection of Biden’s statement.

    Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia as well as international experts to tackle the issue.

  • George Floyd murder trial: former police officer found guilty

    The murder of a 46-year-old African-American man, George Floyd, on May 25, 2020 led to violent protests across the United States (US) last year. Floyd was killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with his knee. A video of the gruesome incident shows how Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the pavement with his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.

    Today, a jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts: charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

    US President Joe Biden and US Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke with Floyd’s family immediately after the verdict. “At least now there is some justice,” Biden was heard saying. “We’ve been watching every second of this. We are all so relieved.”

    Biden thanked the “young woman with a smartphone camera” who filmed George Floyd’s death. He also thanked the police officers who testified against Chauvin “instead of just closing ranks”.

    Biden said Floyd’s murder “ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see on systemic racism”.

    Former President Barack Obama tweeted that the “jury did the right thing”. He added: “Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied.”

    Floyd’s family celebrated the verdict. “Justice for George means freedom for all,” said his brother Philonise Floyd.

    https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1384621697723207686

    George Floyd told the police officers “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times according to the transcripts of the minutes leading up to his death revealed. Floyd’s words have become a rallying cry against racism around the world.

  • US, France may oppose Pakistan’s bid to exit FATF grey list: report

    US, France may oppose Pakistan’s bid to exit FATF grey list: report

    France and some other European countries have recommended the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to continue to keep Pakistan on the grey list, saying Islamabad has allegedly failed to comply with the conditions set by the global watchdog, according to a report in Dawn newspaper.

    The virtual FATF plenary will be held in Paris from February 22 to 25 to consider cases of various countries on the grey list, including Pakistan. The final decision will be made at the conclusion of the meetings. If Pakistan fails to satisfy the FATF in the meeting, it will remain on the grey list till June, said reports.

    FATF had placed Pakistan on the list in June 2018.

    France and some other European countries believe that Islamabad has failed to fulfil the FATF criteria.

    Paris has reservations over Pakistan’s response to the blasphemous cartoons issue, said a journalist quoted by the newspaper. The report said that Pakistan and France do not enjoy good diplomatic ties, which is evident from the fact that Islamabad doesn’t even have an envoy in the European country.

    Meanwhile, the US is reportedly irked by the verdict in the Daniel Pearl case. Omer Saeed Sheikh, a prime accused in the murder of US journalist Pearl, was acquitted by the Pakistani Supreme Court much to the chagrin of Washington. It is feared that the US may oppose Pakistan’s bid to exit the grey list.

    On the other hand, Pakistan has said that it has complied with all the FATF recommendations to curb the terror financing and money laundering.

    In its last meeting held in Oct 2020, FATF had decided to keep Pakistan on the grey list till Feb 2021 because it failed to fulfill six out of 27 recommendations to combat terror financing.

    “Pakistan has already complied with the six recommendations and also submitted details to the FATF secretariat. The members would now evaluate Pakistan’s responses during the meeting…Pakistan had made significant progress in legislation as well as its implementation,” Dawn reported.

    In 2020, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had got three laws — the Anti-Money Laundering (second amendment) Bill-2020, Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) (third amendment) Bill-2020 and Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf Properties Bill-2020 — passed in a joint sitting of parliament to fulfil the legal requirements of FATF.

    PROTEST OUTSIDE FATF OFFICE:

    Meanwhile, a protest was held outside the FATF office in Paris by dissident Pakistani activists and journalists, who are in self-imposed exile. In a press release, the protesters said that the FATF should not “be blackmailed by China” over the issue of terror financing.

    The protesters said China has defended Pakistan at various multilateral forums on the issue of terrorism, urging FATF to take action against Pakistan over alleged support to the banned terror outfits.

  • Zoya Nasir says ‘yes’ to Christian Betzmann

    Zoya Nasir and Christian Betzmann are engaged after the Pakistani actor said “yes” to the German Vlogger. The news of their engagement comes just a few days after Christian announced that he has converted to Islam.

    Read more – Zoya Nasir slams troll for giving Christian Betzmann ‘criminal advice’

    Sharing pictures of himself and Zoya standing on a beach in the Bahamas, Betzmann revealed the big news, saying: “SHE SAID YESSSSS! The best day of my life.”

    “I love you Zoya Nasir,” he added.

    Zoya also shared similar pictures with the caption: “He asked and I said yes. Thank you for being my light in the darkest hours and showing me the true meaning of happiness.”

    “Here’s to a forever with you, my soulmate,” she added.

    Later, in a video posted to her YouTube channel, Zoya shared her friends and family’s reaction to the news. In the video, Zoya video-calls her family and friends including Ushna Shah, Zaid Ali T, Shahveer Jafry, Hajra Yameen and Zara Noor Abbas and reveals the big news to them. Needless to say, all her friends were shocked yet ecstatic over the news of their engagement.

    Zoya and Christian have often made the news with pictures of their trips going viral on social media. The couple is currently in the Bahamas after travelling across the United States in the past couple of months.

    To know how Chris proposed Zoya, check out in the video below:

    https://youtu.be/23ch1JoMp5k

  • Daniel Pearl case: US ‘deeply concerned’ over court’s decision to release suspects

    The US State Department has said that it’s “deeply concerned” over the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision to release the suspects in the Daniel Pearl murder case.

    “We are deeply concerned by the reports of the December 24 ruling of Sindh High Court to release multiple terrorists responsible for the murder of Daniel Pearl. We have been assured that the accused have not been released at this time,” said the State Department in a series of tweets in response to the ruling of the high court.

    According to the State Department, the US government has been following this case closely. “We continue to stand with the Pearl family through this extremely difficult process,” it said, adding that it would continue to honour Pearl’s legacy.

    On Thursday, the high court asked the Sindh government to release the suspects, including prime accused Omer Saeed Sheikh, who were convicted by an anti-terrorism court in 2002 for the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The court had also ordered the government to place their names on the no-fly list.

    However, the federal government said that it would challenge the ruling and that the suspects would remain behind the bars till the decision on its review appeal.

    The family of the slain US journalist also denounced the high court’s decision. Pearl’s parents said that they refused to believe that the Pakistani government and the Pakistani people will “let such a travesty of justice tarnish the image and legacy” of Pakistan.

    Pearl was working on a story about religious extremists in Pakistan in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, when he was kidnapped in Karachi.

  • Sixth consecutive month: Remittances remain over $2 billion

    Sixth consecutive month: Remittances remain over $2 billion

    Pakistan has maintained a strong momentum in workers’ remittance for the sixth consecutive month in November with over $2 billion, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reported.

    Workers’ remittance increased 28.4% year-on-year in November 2020, pushing the cumulative flows to $11.8 billion during the July-November FY21 with a rise of 26.9% compared to same period last year.

    “This significant growth reflects continued government and SBP efforts to formalise remittances under Pakistan Remittances Initiative (PRI), growing use of digital channels amid limited international travel, orderly exchange market conditions and improved global economic activity,” said the central bank.

    The top four countries that contributed to the highest inflows are Saudi Arabia ($3.3 billion), United Arab Emirates ($2.4 billion), United Kingdom ($1.6 billion) and the United States ($1 billion).

  • US, ‘friendly countries’ pressurising Pakistan to recognise Israel, says PM

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the United States and some Muslim states, which he cannot name because of good ties with them, have been pressuring Pakistan to recognise Israel.

    The PM made these remarks in an interview aired last week.

    Islamabad, however, will never establish relations with the “Zionist” state until a just settlement of the decades-long Palestinian issue, the prime minister reiterated.

    Except for the US, the PM refused to name other states, saying Pakistan has good relations with these countries. “Are they non-Muslim or Muslim countries that have been putting pressure on you?” the anchorperson asked in an attempt to get a clear answer.

    https://twitter.com/LifeRacer_1/status/1327330663851307009

    “Leave this [question]. There are things we cannot say. We have good relations with them (countries),” the premier replied.

    It may be noted here the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recently established ties with Israel, whereas other Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, are also weighing options to normalise ties with Tel Aviv.

    Israel, he observed, has had a deep influence in the US, which is another country pressurising him to recognise Israel. “The pressure is because of Israel’s deep impact (influence) in the US. This (influence) was in fact extraordinary during the Trump’s stint,” he maintained.

    Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Foreign Office termed the report a “fabrication”. According to the statement: “The prime minister had stressed that Pakistan’s policy in this regard was rooted in Quaid-e-Azam’s vision. The prime minister’s remarks are an unequivocal reaffirmation of Pakistan’s position on the subject, leaving no room for baseless speculation,” it added.

  • Twitter reacts to ‘Pornhub popup’ during CNN’s live coverage of US election

    In a rather awkward incident, a Pornhub popup has allegedly appeared during CNN’s live coverage of the United States (US) presidential election.

    According to the details, as the neck-and-neck race for the key to the White House between Democratic challenger Joe Biden and American President Donald Trump stretches over four days now, someone at CNN seems to be in dire need of a distraction.

    A video doing rounds over the internet shows senior American journalist Wolf Blitzer commenting on the endless counting of votes in Pennsylvania while news anchor John King, who is said to not have slept for more than six hours since Tuesday, stands on the other side of the studio, in front of a big interactive screen.

    It isn’t later that King notices what is being claimed to be a Pornhub popup on the screen. A quick gesture and the alleged porn site label, perhaps visited at that moment by someone in the editorial office, disappears.

    The anchor is then seen giving someone a “death stare”, leaving netizens wondering if he knew who it was.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/PatrickSikler/status/1324645655055400961

    Here’s what Twitterati have to say about the episode:

    https://twitter.com/titancrising/status/1324658856396529665

    While some weren’t as amused…

    …some also said that the video was “fake“.

    https://twitter.com/lewiswake/status/1324655345369796609

    What do you think? Let The Current know in the comments

  • Netflix is raising streaming prices…do Pakistanis have to worry?

    Netflix is raising streaming prices…do Pakistanis have to worry?

    Netflix Inc has raised monthly charges in the United States for its standard and premium subscription plans.

    As per details, Netflix increased the cost of its standard subscription by $1 a month to $14, and the price for the premium tier rose by $2 per month to $18. The standard plan, the company’s most popular, enables two streams at the same time, while the premium plan allows for four simultaneous streams. Its basic plan, which allows only one stream at a time, remains unchanged at $9 a month.

    The price increase was the first for US customers since January 2019.

    The move had been widely expected after Netflix raised its prices in Canada earlier this month and then ended free 30-day trials in the US.

    The new prices will take effect starting immediately for new members while current members will be notified that their subscription is going up as it rolls out over the next few months.

    Read more – Every Pakistani girl wants to be ‘Emily in Paris’

    “We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we’re committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films.”

    The spokesperson added that Netflix offers “a range of plans so that people can pick a price that works best for their budget.”

    Netflix, the world’s dominant streaming service, enjoyed a boom in subscriptions at the beginning of the year as viewers around the world were told to stay at home to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. The company expects to end 2020 with more than 200 million streaming subscribers around the world, with 73 million of those from the United States and Canada. It is pertinent to add here that after Netflix raised its US prices last year, the streaming service suffered a decline of 130,000 subscribers in the US and Canada from the end of March to the end of June.

    At the same time, it also is facing a growing list of competitors including Walt Disney Co’s Disney+, HBO Max from AT&T Inc and Apple Inc’s Apple TV+.

    Read more – Pakistan to get its own version of Netflix

    What does this mean for Pakistan?

    The question which comes to mind with this news is whether Pakistani audiences will be affected by this price rise. However, for now, prices for South Asian and Pakistani viewers remain unchanged and they will be unaffected by this price hike.

    You can subscribe to Netflix for Rs 950 – Rs 1,500 a month in Pakistan, depending on your plan.