New Zealand’s Santner sets sights on Pakistan series

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner said he has sights sets on performing well in the upcoming fixtures against Pakistan.

The left-arm spinner led the side in the dead-rubber third T20I against West Indies at Mount Maunganui. The game was abandoned due to rain.

The 28-year-old batsman says the Black Caps are heading into another big series, this time against the 2009 World T20 champions.

“It’s pleasing to win this [T20I series against West Indies],” Santner said following the game. “We have another big series against Pakistan.We’re looking forward to the [T20] World Cup, we’ll be using different guys in different times and it’s been very good to see young players stepping up for us.”

New Zealand will host Pakistan in three T20Is and two Tests in December.



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Mehwish Hayat tells people to stop matchmaking for her

Pakistani starlet Mehwish Hayat is done with people interfering in her personal life. She wants people to stop playing matchmaker and procuring ‘unnecessarily juicy headlines’ from her earlier interviews.

She took to Twitter on Sunday and said that whoever she chooses to marry will be her personal decision.

“Who I choose to marry is my personal decision and people will know when it happens! Take a chill pill guys and stop matchmaking!” she wrote. 

Related: Mehwish Hayat has a special wish for her ‘superman’

Hayat went on to call out publications for running ahead of themselves, writing, “Let’s not take a throwaway line in a 2-year-old interview out of context and make unnecessarily juicy headlines. Aur bhi gham hain zamane mein shadi k siwaa! (There are bigger problems in life than marriage)”

She had opened up about her preferences and reasons for staying single in an interview with Begum Nawazish Ali. The video has resurfaced on YouTube earlier this month.

On October 19, Hayat took to Twitter and updated her fans with her latest celebrity crush. Punjab Nai Jaunge star who binge-watched the show Emily In Paris said that she cannot stop gushing over Lucas Bravo aka Gabriel.

She added that after watching Emily in Paris she wanted to pick up her French lessons again. “Lucus Bravo is definitely my crush updated!” added Hayat.



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Brazil siege: Armed men 'raid banks' in Criciúma

The mayor of Criciúma warns the city is the 'target of a major assault' amid reports of two injuries.

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Covid-19 testing of Pakistan cricketers in New Zealand continues

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health have confirmed that 42 members of the touring Pakistan squad have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

The health ministry, in a statement, said that the members were tested for the pathogen on Tuesday.

“Day 6 swabs were taken yesterday from the 46 members of the Pakistan cricket squad in Christchurch who to date have returned negative test results for COVID-19,” the statement read. “Of those, 42 have subsequently returned a further negative test result. Three are under investigation to determine whether they are historical cases, and one test result is pending.”

The ministry also said that the side has been prohibited to train until the Canterbury DHB medical officer determines they are satisfied the training activities are unlikely to transmit the disease.

At least seven Pakistan cricketers were earlier tested positive for the disease following their arrival in Christchurch.

Babar Azam’s side are due to play three T20Is and two Tests against the hosts next month.



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Lahore college sealed after professor dies from coronavirus

The Government Post Graduate College for Women in Lahore’s Samnabad was sealed on Tuesday after an associate professor there passed away from the coronavirus.

According to the college spokesperson, Professor Nuzhat Jameel was battling the virus for the past couple of days. “Five other teachers tested positive for the deadly virus as well after which the college was sealed.”

On the other hand, teachers complained that the management has been calling them to work despite the coronavirus situation. “Half of the staff is still being called to the premises,” one of them said.

Two teachers at the Government Girls College, Cantt tested positive as well.

The Punjab Health Department said that the number of coronavirus cases in the city is on the rise. “The total number of patients in the city has increased to 1,100 of which 139 are on ventilators and over 400 are admitted in the high-dependency unit.”

Earlier this week, a professor at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital passed away from coronavirus as well.

Experts have warned that the country is battling the second wave of the virus. In the last 24 hours, over 2,400 new cases were reported and 67 people passed away.



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Karachi: 27-year-old woman killed in Surjani Town house fire

A 27-year-old woman was killed after a fire erupted in a house in Karachi’s Surjani Town.

The fire erupted in a house in the Saima Arabian Villas because of gas leakage, according to the police.

The injured were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and then to the Burns Ward of Civil Hospital, Karachi.

Jamal Azeem, Shabana Aziz, and Ramsha are currently being treated at the hospital.



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Rawalpindi man jailed for life over robbery, murder charges

A Rawalpindi sessions court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment over robbery and murder charges. A fine of Rs500,000 has been imposed too.

Tanveer has been proven guilty of shooting his accomplice by mistake while they were robbing a trader, Naimat Khan. The trader was getting his money changed when the robbers had approached him and opened fire after he resisted.

A case was registered against the convict on April 4, 2019 by the Cantt police.



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Covid: Dr Scott Atlas - Trump's controversial coronavirus adviser - resigns

Dr Atlas clashed with other scientists after questioning the need for masks and other measures.

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India builds bridge to help reptiles cross road

The unique bridge is constructed over a busy highway to protect animals from being run over.

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Today’s outlook: Federal Cabinet meets, Shehbaz Sharif’s parole ends

Here are some of the stories we will be following today (Tuesday):

  • PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of playing county cricket instead of attending her grandmother’s funeral.
  • The parole of PML-N leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz will end today. Hamza will appear in court in the Ramazan Sugar Mills case.
  • China’s defence minister is visiting Pakistan. On Monday, he met Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. More meetings are expected in the upcoming days.
  • PM Khan has summoned a meeting of the Federal Cabinet. The meeting will discuss the country’s economic and political situation. The cabinet will also be briefed about sugar and wheat prices.
  • An anti-terrorism court in Lahore sent the suspect of the Lahore motorway rape case to jail on judicial remand. All the suspects will be presented before the court.
  • The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear Pakistan cricketer Umar Akmal’s ban appeal.
  • The third coronavirus test of the national team has been taken in New Zealand. If the reports come out negative, the team will be allowed to start training.
  • The price of diesel has increased by Rs4 per litre, while petrol price will remain the same for the next 15 days.
  • World Aids Day is being observed across the world. The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infections.
  • Pakistani actor Sajal Aly was awarded for her contribution to film and Television by the Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards (DIAFA) on Sunday.


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Moderna requests US, Europe vaccine approvals after full results

US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and Europe on Monday, after full results confirmed a high efficacy estimated at 94.1 percent.

The highly-anticipated news comes as the US braces for a supercharged post-Thanksgiving coronavirus surge.

More than 265,000 Americans have died from the disease and 93,000 are currently hospitalized.

“We believe that our vaccine will provide a new and powerful tool that may change the course of this pandemic and help prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and death,” said the company’s CEO Stephane Bancel.

If the US Food and Drug Administration agrees it is safe and effective, the first of the drug’s two doses could be injected into the arms of millions of Americans by the middle of December.

American pharmaceutical Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech applied for similar approvals last week, and their vaccine could be greenlit in the US shortly after December 10.

The Moderna vaccine, which was co-developed with the US National Institutes of Health, is being studied in a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants across the United States.

An interim analysis announced earlier this month was based on 95 patients who fell sick with Covid-19.

The final analysis was based on 196 cases, 185 of which were observed in a group assigned a placebo versus 11 who received the shots.

Thirty people had severe cases — all of whom were in the placebo group — which also included one person who died.

Significantly, efficacy was uniform across age, race, ethnicity and gender, the company said.

The 196 Covid-19 cases included 33 adults over the age of 65, and 42 participants identifying as being from diverse communities (including 29 Hispanic, six Black, four Asian Americans and three multiracial participants).

The vaccine was generally well tolerated, with the most common side effects including injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, and redness at the site.

These increased in frequency and severity after the second dose in the vaccinated group.

The press statement included the line: “no new serious safety concerns have been identified by the Company” — but it did not explicitly say whether serious concerns have been flagged previously.

Results welcomed

Outside experts welcomed the new results, particularly the absence of any severe Covid-19 cases in the vaccine group.

“Prevention of severe disease and hospitalization can be expected to significantly reduce pressure on overstretched health services, provided that a sufficient proportion of the high-risk population can be vaccinated,” said Penny Ward, a visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are based on a new technology that uses mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) to deliver genetic material to the body that makes human cells create a protein from the virus.

This trains the immune system to be ready to attack if it encounters SARS-CoV-2.

But Moderna’s vaccine can be kept in long term storage at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) while Pfizer’s requires -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit).

Moderna said it expects to have approximately 20 million doses of the vaccine, called mRNA-1273, available in the US by the end of the year.

It also expects to manufacture 500 million to 1 billion doses globally in 2021.

Top US scientist Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday of a “surge upon a surge” in Covid-19 cases after millions of Americans traveled and socialized over the Thanksgiving holiday.



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The secret to George Clooney’s hair? The Flowbee

Pandemic hair getting out of control? Take a tip from George Clooney: the Hollywood style icon has revealed he trims his signature silver locks with a Flowbee — a quirky home-styling device that attaches to a vacuum cleaner.

The Flowbee has long been the butt of jokes since it appeared on late-night television infomercials in the late 1980s.

But in promoting his new movie, “The Midnight Sky,” Clooney, 59, disclosed he was a long-time fan of the much-mocked gadget, when asked during a CBS interview if he had been cutting his own hair during the coronavirus lockdown. 

“I’ve been cutting my own hair for 25 years,” said the Oscar-winner, whose name is synonymous with red-carpet glamor. “My hair’s really like straw, and so it’s easy to cut. You can’t really make too many mistakes.”

“So, years ago, I bought a thing called a Flowbee, which when we were –” he said, at which point his stunned interviewer broke in with: “You did not!”

The Flowbee cuts hair and sucks up the clippings at the same time, which has led to its use by astronauts on long-haul space missions in the past.

It retails for around $50, and the company that makes it saw sales spike at the beginning of the pandemic earlier this year, as hairdressing salons were forced to shut their doors and millions of people stayed home.

And sales are likely to go up again after Clooney enthused in the interview, “Listen, man, it works!”  



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Facebook and Google 'complicit' in Vietnam censorship

Rights group Amnesty has accused Facebook and Google of increasingly blocking criticism and dissent.

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China-US trade war: Beijing escalates tit-for-tat with Washington

Beijing has introduced tough new laws which restrict the export of "controlled items".

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Blog: 20 Karachiites, 1km, public transport and air pollution

Karachi traffic jam

Pre-Covid snazzy bus-hailing apps surfaced in Karachi and became popular. While they have since been forced to suspend operations, it is worth considering their contribution to the transport sector in the hope that if and when they do return, they will renew our debate on public transport models and air pollution solutions. 

These bus-hailing services became popular because they let people book a seat to travel in dignity and some comfort. Fares were affordable to many and the service was reliable. They gave women even more options in mobility. 

But there was the question of whether bus-hailing apps caused less air pollution than other means of transport (private cars, old bus services like the W11, rickshaws, motorcycles, ride-hailing apps). One such application, Air-Lift Pakistan, explicitly stated in its mission statement that one of its aims was to implement greener commuting practices. Nevertheless, many people have been critical whether buses actually reduce Carbon emissions (CO2e) given that they run on more fuel.

Emissions of harmful gases like Carbon Dioxide play an integral part in causing air pollution and consequently, climate change in any country. In Pakistan, emissions are raising alarm bells. According to the GHG Emissions factsheet of Pakistan, the transport subsector is the second main driver of energy sector emissions growth. 

The National Economic and Development Study (NEEDS) reported in 2011 that the number of privately owned vehicles in Pakistan went from 2 million in 1992 to 9 million in 2011. And the Pakistan Journal of Meteorology in 2017 states that fuel consumption of domestic vehicles contributes to 69% of CO2e. 

If these applications actually reduce emissions significantly as they claim they do, they could bring about a revolution in combatting air pollution in Pakistan. 

There is no one definite answer to the question of what the cleanest way to travel in Karachi actually is. A multitude of factors together determine the carbon footprint after a trip taken. These factors include the build or model of the vehicle, the fuel, the distance traveled and the speed. So I decided to estimate the amount of CO2e for different means of transport in Karachi that it takes to carry 20 people over 1km under very specific circumstances. Some standards such as a specific vehicle model for every type of transport, the average amount of people per vehicle and type of fuel were considered. 

I took the fuel to be petrol, for which the average mass of Carbon dioxide released is approximately 2.32kg when a liter is burned, according to sources such as Auto Smart and ComCar

I assume a bus from the bus-hailing applications to be the Toyota Coaster, which travels around 7.2 km per one liter of petrol. I took the car to be a Suzuki Mehran, traveling around 14 km on average per liter. The Sazgar Rikshaw travels 30km per liter on average. Lastly, I took the Honda CD70 motorcycle which travels on average, 32km per liter. I assumed that on average, 20 people can travel by one bus, 10 cars, 10 rikshaws, and 20 bikes. All of these numbers may vary by a certain degree in a realistic scenario.

The mileage was taken into account in order to work out the CO2e when a specific vehicle travels one kilometer. The mileage was 323.6g CO2e for one bus, 1664 for 10 cars, 777 for 10 rikshaws and 1456 for 20 bikes. 

20 Karachiites, 1km, public transport and air pollution

The conclusions appears that if individuals did switch to shared transport instead of private vehicles, they can drastically reduce vehicular emissions. Buses can indeed potentially be the cleanest means of transport. However, at this point, people are not switching to them in enough numbers to leave a cleaner Carbon footprint. 

But it isn’t as simple as that, despite the fact that the 70-rupee fare of these bus-hailing services seems like an inexpensive option to people who can afford it, a lot of minimum wage workers can’t pay that amount for one-way travel. There are other exceptions as well, delivery services might prefer bikes for quick and uninterrupted work while the rich might prefer to travel by their own cars for privacy and convenience. 

One possibility to curb the cost and make clean transport more accessible is using the 80-seater wide-bodied government buses. Looking at the estimates above and keeping in mind the impact that 24-seater buses make, think about the impact these bigger ones could have. Make the buses electric and you further reduce emissions. 

An EU study based on expected performance in 2020 found that an electric car using electricity generated solely by an oil-fired power station would use only two-thirds of the energy of a petrol car travelling the same distance, according to the Guardian

In conversation with The News, Abid Omar, the founder of Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) confirmed the aforementioned analysis by saying, “Mass transit should be accessible to millions. What the app-based services are providing highlights the government’s failure in providing a basic public service. The government should incentivise such companies, so that they can reach a scale that contributes to reducing air pollution and thereby improving human health.”

What we can establish is that we need to rethink our carbon foot-print and what causes it to be as high as it is. And surely this is reason enough consider making some lifestyle changes. 



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Missing Florida sailor found clinging to capsized vessel

The man, 62, was rescued by a passing container ship, more than 80 miles off the Florida coast.

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Canada unveils largest economic relief package since WW2

Opposition Conservatives say the historic spending plan is "startling".

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Covid vaccine: Rumours thrive amid trickle of pandemic facts

Social media is full of coronavirus vaccine information - but how can you tell which is reliable?

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Trump presidency's final days: 'In his mind, he will not have lost'

West Wing aides are keeping a low profile as the presidency slowly comes to terms with his loss.

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A police officer with a conscience who left Belarus

Andrei Ostapovich quit his job as a Belarusian police officer, was detained in Russia, then escaped to Poland.

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Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran mulls its responses to an assassination

Frank Gardner looks at Iran's options were it to try to avenge Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's assassination.

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France Islam: Muslims face state pressure to embrace values

A "charter of values" is the latest effort by the French state to win Muslim hearts and minds.

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End Sars protests: The Nigerian women leading the fight for change

The feminists who were the backbone of the EndSars protests, which threaten Nigeria's status quo.

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Japan's crown prince 'approves' daughter's wedding

Princess Mako had postponed her marriage to Kei Komuro after reports of his mother's money troubles.

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Indonesia: Thousands flee poisonous gas after volcano erupts

Authorities have warned people against poisonous gas after Indonesia's Ile Lewotolok volcano erupted.

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Joe Biden: President-elect fractures foot while playing with dog

The president-elect will probably have to wear a medical boot for several weeks, his doctor says.

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Karachi guard shoots himself while recording TikTok video

A security guard was killed after he accidentally shot himself while filming a TikTok video, the police said on Monday.

Ghulam Shabbir was employed at a flour mill in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar.

According to the police, he was filming a TikTok video with a friend when the accident took place. “The video, which was saved in his mobile phone, shows him placing a rifle on his chest and mimicking lyrics of a song,” a police officer said.

In the middle of the recording, a bullet was shot from the rifle. Shabbir was immediately taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital but he couldn’t survive his injuries.

His friend, who was filming the video, has been detained. He told the police that the rifle was rusted and didn’t work. “I don’t how it fired that day,” he said.

The body has been sent back home after a post-mortem examination.

TikTok ban in Pakistan

Pakistan blocked the video-sharing app on October 9 for its “obscene and immoral” content. The ban was reversed after 10 days.

The PTA spokesperson said the TikTok management has assured the authority that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality and moderate content in accordance with local laws. The authority has not announced whether the app will be unblocked immediately.

The authority had said at the time of the ban that the decision was made after it received complaints ‘against immoral/indecent content’ on the app. “In view of the presence of vulgar, indecent/immoral content on the platform and its negative effects on the society, the PTA has been continuously asserting TikTok to prevent its platform from disseminating the unlawful content,” it said, adding that the app didn’t take concrete steps for blocking and removal of unlawful content.



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Thirteen killed after fire erupts in passenger bus near Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura Narowal Road smog accident

Thirteen people, including women and children, were killed after a fire broke out in a passenger van following a collision with another vehicle on the Narowal Road near Sheikhupura’s Narang Mandi on Monday.

According to Rescue 1122, 17 other passengers were injured. The bodies and injured people were immediately taken to the Rural Health Centre in Sheikhupura. “Critical patients are being moved to the Mayo Hospital in Lahore,” a rescue official said.

Thirteen killed after fire erupts in passenger bus near Sheikhupura
Photo: SAMAA TV

A team has been formed under District Emergency Officer Rana Ejaz Ahmed to pull out the passengers stuck under the vehicles.

Ahmed said that the accident took place because of smog. “The bus collided with a Toyota Hiace van due to less visibility on the road.”

Following the collision, the LPG cylinder in the van exploded setting both the vehicles ablaze, the officer added.

The bus was travelling from Narowal to Lahore.



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Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha to be Pakistan’s entry to Oscars

The Pakistan Academy Selection Committee has selected Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha as Pakistan’s official entry to the 93rd Academy Awards.

According to a press release, the film will be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘International Feature Film Award’ category by the Pakistan Committee.

The final list of nominees to be decided by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in February 2021 and will be announced on 15th March 2021. The presentation show for the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled to take place on 25th April 2021.

Related: Oscars 2021 postponed by two months due to pandemic

The Pakistani Oscar committee for 2020 was chaired by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Faisal Kapadia, Asad-ul-Haq, Hamza Bangash, Syed Muhammad Ahmed, Mehwish Hayat, Hasan Shehreyar Yasin, Asim Abbasi, Arshad Mahmud and Jamal Shah. 

Zindagi Tamasha has been directed and co-produced by Sarmad Khoosat, along with sister Kanwal Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano. It features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi.

The film narrates the story of a naat khwan named Rahat Khawaja and his family who find themselves ostracised when a video of Khawaja becomes public. After the video goes viral, even his own daughter, Sadaf is ashamed of him.

In October 2019, Zindagi Tamasha created a major buzz when it won big at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. 

Khoosat’s directorial also won The Kim Ji-Seok Award, named after the festival’s co-founder and executive programmer who died in 2017.

Zindagi Tamasha banned

On March 14, The Council of Islamic Ideology said that they will not review Zindagi Tamasha according to a decision made by the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights.

The Senate committee had asked the Central Board of Film Censors for a copy of the film.

Related: Myths about Zindagi Tamasha

In a tweet, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, the chairperson of the committee, said that the committee took notice of the ban on the film. He said he was surprised to learn that the film had been cleared twice.

“We directed that the screening for the CII should be held in abeyance till the committee views and decides whether there is something objectionable in it or not.”

The film wasn’t officially banned but it was pulled back from screening after it was cleared by the central and provincial censor boards.

Khoosat’s film was scheduled for release on January 24 but a statement issued by the censor boards of Sindh and Punjab – who had cleared the film for screening earlier, claimed that they were told that if the film was released it would cause “unrest within some segments of society”.



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MQM leader Adil Siddiqui dies of coronavirus

Former provincial minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Adil Siddiqui passed away on Monday after contracting coronavirus.

He tested positive for the virus on November 22 and was put on a ventilator for over a week at the Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi. According to the doctors, the leader suffered from lung failure.

Siddiqui had arrived in the country earlier this month after a long time abroad.

The former Sindh MPA was born on May 12, 1963 in Karachi. He completed his bachelor’s from the University of Karachi.

COVID-19 in Pakistan

Several politicians have contracted coronavirus recently. PML-N leader Capt (R) Safdar, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have tested positive for the virus.

As of Monday morning, Pakistan has reported 398,024 cases of coronavirus, out of which 341,423 people have recovered. In the last 24 hours, over 2,839 new cases were reported and 40 people died.

Experts have warned that Pakistan is experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus.



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Australia demands China apologise for posting 'repugnant' fake image

A fake image posted by a Chinese government official depicts an Australian soldier murdering a child.

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Today’s outlook: PDM rally in Multan, anti-polio campaign begins countrywide

Here are some of the stories we will be following today (Monday):

  • The Pakistan Democratic Party will be holding a rally against the government in Multan. In a first, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari will be representing the Pakistan Peoples Party to address supporters. Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be delivering his speech via video link.
  • The metro and speedo bus services in Multan have been suspended today due to the rally.
  • A smart lockdown has been imposed in nine cities of Punjab.
  • The world is celebrating the birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion. Sikhs from across the world have arrived to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for the Sikhs, in Punjab’s Narowal.
  • A five-day anti-polio campaign will begin across the country. Over six million children under the age of five will be administered polio drops.
  • US President-elect Joe Biden was taken to a doctor “out of an abundance of caution” a day after he twisted his ankle while playing with his dog on Sunday, his office said, according to AFP.
  • Netflix hit series “The Crown” should make clear that much of its content is fiction over fears of damage to the image of the British royal family, a government minister said


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New York City to reopen primary schools despite virus surge

New York City will reopen elementary schools on December 7 and offer in-person classes for special-needs students of all ages despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday.

With many parents struggling to care for students at home and with data showing the virus largely spares young children, the city dropped a requirement for schools to close if the rate of positive virus tests exceeds three percent for a week.

New York, home to the country’s largest school district, currently has a 3.1 percent rate.

The mayor told reporters the reopening was possible “because we have so much proof now of how safe schools can be.”

He said returning students would be subjected to weekly Covid-19 tests.

The mayor also said on Twitter that five-day in-person instruction, rather than a partly virtual approach, would be the preferred model for schools with space to allow social distancing.

Up to now, in-person schooling has been offered only two or three times a week.

Schools vs bars

The questions of how and when to resume in-person instruction have been fiercely debated in cities around the world, with parents and officials seeking to balance safety concerns against fears that children’s schooling and social development have suffered.

“We want our kids in the classroom for as much time as possible,” Mayor de Blasio, a Democrat, said. “Our families do, too. We’ll work to make it happen.”

New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo voiced support for the city welcoming back its younger students.

“Just about every professional says the schools, especially K-8, should be kept open whenever it’s possible to keep them open safely,” he said, referring to the first nine years of schooling in the US.

Classes for New York’s middle school and high school students — except for those with special needs — will remain online.

The city, under an agreement with the teachers union, had canceled all in-person classes on November 19. That came amid a resurgence of Covid-19 that sent the city’s positive test rate creeping up from one percent during much of the summer to 3.1 percent.

The decision infuriated many parents, who said it made no sense to close schools, with their relatively low transmission rate, while bars and restaurants remained open. They pointed to the example of Europe, where most schools remain open.

Parents argued that schools have had a low positivity rate — just 0.23 percent, officials said — and that closings disproportionately punish the many children with working parents and the 60,000 lacking computers at home.

New York first closed its 1,800 public schools on March 16 as the virus was surging. They remained closed through June.

After the summer vacation, New York became the first big US city to partially restart in-person classes. About 300,000 of the system’s 1.1 million students returned to classrooms.



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Netflix hit The Crown should carry fiction warning: UK minister

Netflix hit series “The Crown” should make clear that much of its content is fiction over fears of damage to the image of British royal family, a government minister said.

“It’s a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that,” culture minister Oliver Dowden told The Mail on Sunday.

“Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact”.

Dowden is expected to formally write to the US streaming company to request it adds a “health warning” before each episode.

The latest episode in the series, which follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her close family, revolves around Prince Charles and his doomed marriage to wife Diana.

Those close to the royal family fear that fabricated scenes are hurting the monarchy, particularly heir to the throne Charles. 

“It is quite sinister the way that (screenwriter Peter) Morgan is clearly using light entertainment to drive a very overt republican agenda and people just don’t see it,” an unnamed friend of the prince told the paper.

Although largely sympathetic to Diana, her brother has also called for Netflix to make clear some scenes are fictional.

“It would help The Crown an enormous amount if at the beginning of each episode it stated that, ‘this isn’t true but is based around some real events’. Because then everyone would understand it’s drama for drama’s sake,” Charles Spencer told ITV.

More than 70 million households worldwide have watched The Crown, which is now on its fourth series, since it began in 2016, according to figures released by Netflix.



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Sri Lanka: Six die in prison riot over Covid panic

Pandemic-related unrest has been growing in Sri Lanka's prisons as the number of virus cases surge.

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Biden announces all-female senior press team

Joe Biden has pledged to shape one of the most diverse US presidential cabinets ever.

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White Island volcano: NZ officials charge 13 parties over tragedy

Some 22 people died when the volcano suddenly erupted last December with tourists on it.

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Covid: Fauci warns of 'surge in cases' post Thanksgiving

Millions of people are returning home following the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

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Nagorno-Karabakh: The boy who swapped his piano for a gun

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is over, but some are still waiting for news of missing relatives.

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Black Lives Matter founders: We fought to change history and we won

The founders of the Black Lives Matter movement tell the BBC's 100 Women season they are optimistic.

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Italy's Calabria has two pandemics: Covid and the Mafia

Calabria was not hit by the first wave of the pandemic but its fragile health system is buckling now.

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Why India can't stop farmers burning stubble

The toxic fumes from stubble burning affects hundreds of millions - but curbs to stop it keep failing.

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Viewpoint: Why Kenya's giant fig tree won over a president

The campaign to save a 100-year-old tree shows cultural fears can make politicians listen in Kenya.

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A 70-year-old photographic mystery

Collector William Fagan finds 70-year-old photographs in a camera.

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The tech allowing thousands of students to sit exams at home

Machine learning is helping firms across many industries more quickly solve difficult challenges.

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Coronavirus: How do you vaccinate 7.7 billion people?

Five challenges of distributing a Covid-19 vaccine to billions of people.

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2020’s last lunar eclipse today

The year 2020’s last lunar eclipse will be tonight (November 29) but won’t be visible in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said the fourth and last lunar eclipse of the year will be visible in parts of Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and America.

The eclipse will begin around 12:32am Pakistan time and will end at 4:53am. It will last for four hours and 21 minutes.

The last solar eclipse of the year will be on December 14.



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La Liga: Real’s Zidane blames inconsistency for Alaves defeat

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said that the side lacks consistency following their 2-1 home loss to Alaves in La Liga on Saturday.

Lucas Perez scored a fifth-minute penalty at Alfredo di Stefano stadium and Joselu added a second just after half-time following an awful mistake by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Casemiro gave Real a lifeline on 86 minutes but Alaves held on for a victory that lifted them to ninth. Madrid remain in fourth place and six points behind Real Sociedad and Diego Simeone’s Atletico.

“I don’t have any explanations,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, whose side followed an impressive 2-0 midweek win at Inter Milan by losing for the third time in 10 league games this season. “We alternate between good and bad moments. The other day in Milan we played a good match, and today, three days later, we put in a display like that at home. It was our worst start to a match this season.”

“We can’t change the flow of the match. It bothers me, and the players too I think. The problem we have right now is consistency.”

After a minute’s silence in honour of Diego Maradona, in keeping with the poignant tributes around Spain this weekend following the death of the Argentine legend, Real soon fell behind when Nacho handled at a corner.

Perez powered the spot-kick beyond Courtois to give Alaves the lead, and the forward should have struck a second when he was played clean through, his attempted chip superbly swatted aside by the Real ‘keeper.

Madrid’s night went from bad to worse when Eden Hazard was forced off on 28 minutes after taking a knock, the latest in a long list of injury setbacks for the Belgium star.

While a terrific double save by Fernando Pacheco denied Toni Kroos, a howler from Courtois presented Joselu with the second goal on 49 minutes when a wayward pass went straight to the forward who steered home from 30 yards.

Mariano Diaz’s header was cleared off the line before Casemiro tapped in from close range after Pacheco kept out Vinicius Junior’s effort, but Alaves clung on as Isco clipped the bar with the final kick.

Earlier in the day, Real’s derby rivals Atletico edged a tight contest at Valencia 1-0 that stretched their unbeaten league run to 25 matches.

They stay second but are equal on 23 points with Sociedad with a game in hand thanks to Toni Lato’s own goal 11 minutes from time.

Stingy Atletico have conceded just twice in their nine league matches so far this season and have only scored two less than La Liga top scorers Sociedad, who host third-placed Villarreal on Sunday.

“We have made huge progress since April, since that wonderful match at Liverpool,” said Simeone, referring to the Champions League last-16 tie his team won 4-2 on aggregate.

“The return to La Liga (after the first lockdown) was very good and the team was already starting to show encouraging signs. This is the result of the progression of all of the players.”

Simeone applauded his former teammate and friend Maradona while teams held a minute’s silence before kick-off.

Barcelona are 12 points back in 14th place, although they host Osasuna in Sunday’s early match and will still have two games in hand on Sociedad come the end of the weekend.

Sevilla honour Maradona

Atletico will face European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday hoping to reach the knockout stages with a match to spare.

They would join Sevilla, who qualified for the last 16 this week and are up to fifth after a 1-0 win at relegation strugglers Huesca.

Youssef En-Nesyri won the points for Sevilla after nipping in at the near post to tap in Lucas Ocampos’ low pull-back with seven minutes remaining in a match dominated by the reigning Europa League champions.

Julen Lopetegui’s side are one point behind Real Madrid as they chase a top four spot and a return to Europe’s elite competition for next season.

There was also a tribute to former Sevilla player Maradona, who signed for the Andalusian club in 1992 after the end of a long drugs ban which hastened his exit from Napoli. He stayed one season before returning to Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys.

A minute’s silence was held before kick-off in which the Sevilla players wore shirts with Maradona’s number 10 on the back while the song ‘My Dear Buenos Aires’ played over the loudspeaker.



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Philips powers New Zealand to West Indies T20I series win

New Zealand registered a 72-run win over West Indies in the second T20I at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.

The hosts now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Glenn Philips’ blistering knock led the side to 238-3. The 23-year-old made history as he become the fastest New Zealand batsman to score a T20I century.

The right-hander raised his bat for a ton he completed off just 46 deliveries, one less than Colin Munro’s 47 balls, and went on to score 108 from 51 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and eight maximums.

He put on a 184-run partnership for the third wicket with Devon Conway who remained unbeaten on 65 from 37 balls with four boundaries and four sixes to his name.

Oshane Thomas, Fabian Allen and Kieron Pollard made picked up a wicket each for the visitors.

The Kiwis put on a disciplined performance with the ball to restrict the Windies to 166-9 in their 20 overs.

Pollard was the top scorer with 28 from 15 balls with four sixes whereas while Keemo Paul, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Fletcher made 26, 25 and 20 respectively.

Kylie Jamieson and Mitchell Santner bagged two wickets for the hosts.



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Entry tests for medical colleges under way across Pakistan

Thousands of students are appearing for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT 2020) across the country today (Sunday).

According to the Pakistan Medical Commission, the tests will be held at designated centres amid strict coronavirus SOPs.

However, in Karachi, coronavirus SOPs at the centres were not followed as hundreds of students flocked inside through the gates will no social distancing. Many of them were not wearing masks either.

The entry exam will comprise 200 multiple-choice questions. Candidates have two hours to answer them. There will be no negative marking and each question is worth five marks. The test will have 80 Biology, 60 Chemistry, 40 Physics, and 20 English questions.

The MDCAT test is conducted under the supervision of the University of Health Sciences.

The PMC said students who have contracted the coronavirus will appear for the exams on December 13. “If a registered student contracts coronavirus between November 15 and November 29, 2020, he or she would be permitted to sit the special examination to be held on December 13, 2020.”

All applicants who are COVID-19 positive shall immediately be deferred to the Special MDCAT Examination to be held on December 13. The link for uploading the test result will remain operational from November 26 to 29 November, it added.



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AirSial hopes to launch this December

Pakistan’s newest private airline, AirSial, is starting its fleet with an Airbus A320.

The plane is on its way from the US and will land in Karachi soon. The airline will start operations with three planes.

With the arrival of these planes, AirSial will finally be able to start operations. The airline’s management hopes to operate its first flight ahead of the new year.

AirSial will start with flights between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot and Peshawar before expanding operations.

The airline is a project of members of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was conceived in 2015 after Sialkot’s business community constructed the city’s airport on its own. That makes it the country’s first and only privately owned airport.



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Dave Prowse: Darth Vader actor dies aged 85

The former bodybuilder was also given an MBE for his long-running role as the Green Cross Code Man.

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Canada bans mass exports of prescription drugs

The new policy comes in response to a US plan to import drugs from Canada.

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OGRA recommends higher petrol prices in December

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Company has advised the petroleum division to raise fuel prices in December. It has sent a summary with higher prices to the division.

OGRA recommends raising petrol prices from Rs2.55 per litre from December 1. High speed diesel should be increased by Rs2.70, it has advised.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has to approve the higher prices before they come into effect.

The Finance Ministry will announce the new prices on November 30. It can also decide to keep prices at the rate they are currently at.

Petrol prices in Pakistan are changed every 15 days. OGRA sends the government a recommendation and the government chooses whether it wants to raise prices, lower them or keep them at the same rate. Last month, the government decided to decrease petrol prices by Rs1.57.



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Multan: Former PM Gilani’s sons, other PPP workers arrested

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s sons Musa Gilani and Ali Haider Gilani were arrested on Saturday along with dozens of other PPP supporters for storming into Multan’s Qila Qasim Bagh.

The incident took place ahead of a rally in the city by the Pakistan Democratic Movement scheduled on November 30.

The group that charged into the stadium was led by Gilani’s sons, the police claimed. The police tried to stop the workers after which a clash broke out.

According to the PPP Media Cell, the workers took control of the administration of the stadium and set up a welcome camp outside.

Later that night, Ali Haider was released. Talking to the media he said the police had misbehaved with the workers. “This government is not based on democracy. This is an attack on our spirits but nothing will bring us down,” Haider added.

A case has been registered at the Lohari Gate police station against 70 named and over 300 unidentified workers for breaking into the stadium.

Another case has been filed against the caterers who had agreed to provide services to the organisers of the November 30 rally. The police have seized some of their equipment.

Musa was arrested on November 25 as well. He was protesting the arrest of party workers when the police arrested him for violating coronavirus SOPs.

Taking to Twitter, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the incident. “Fascist regime continues to arrest Democratic activists in Multan. These puppets are scared of jiyalas. Try as they might they cannot stop PPP from marking our foundation day along with PDM leaders on 30th November.”

Following the arrests, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman decided to hold a news conference in the city today [Sunday]. It will be attended by leaders of other opposition parties such as the PPP’s Yousaf Raza Gillani and PML-N’s Rana Sanullah as well.

In a first, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari will address supporters at the rally on Monday. Bilawal will deliver a speech via video link after he contracted the novel coronavirus.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the opposition parties to call off their rallies as the coronavirus situation in the country worsens. But the PDM has rejected this and vowed to rally in the city.

What is the Pakistan Democratic Movement?

The PDM, which comprises 11 opposition parties, has been staging anti-government rallies across Pakistan.

The first one was held in Gujranwala on October 16, the second in Karachi on October 18 and the third in Quetta on October 25. The movement’s fifth rally was held in Peshawar on November 22 and its sixth is scheduled in Multan on November 30. The last rally will be held in Lahore on December 13.

The opposition members said there should be accountability for anyone accused of corruption, not just the opposition. At the rallies, the opposition leaders also challenged the country’s powerful establishment, accusing them of bringing the PTI government to power through systematic rigging.



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Premier League: Liverpool Klopp criticises ‘dangerous’ schedule after Brighton stalemate

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticised “dangerous” schedule following the side’s 1-1 draw at Brighton while rivals Manchester City rout Burnley 5-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.

Liverpool edged back to the top of the Premier League table, a point ahead of Tottenham, but were left frustrated by Pascal Gross’s stoppage-time penalty which salvaged a point for Brighton.

Klopp had voiced his displeasure all week at facing a lunchtime kick-off just three days after a Champions League defeat to Atalanta.

Already hit by a huge list of injuries, the Reds suffered another setback when James Milner had to be replaced with a hamstring problem in the second-half.

“Congratulations,” Klopp said sarcastically to a television reporter for BT Sport. “You work for them yeah? Hamstring, surprise. I’ve not had a go at the broadcaster, I just say how it is. After Wednesday, Saturday 12.30 is really dangerous for the players.”

Klopp named Neco Williams and Nathaniel Phillips in a makeshift back four and Brighton took advantage when Williams wiped out Aaron Connolly for Brighton’s first spot-kick, but Neal Maupay sent it wide.

Mohamed Salah was then denied an opener by VAR for offside but the Egyptian teed up Diogo Jota to keep his flying start to life at Liverpool going with a fine finish on the hour mark.

Sadio Mane had a second for the visitors ruled out for offside before another VAR review went against Liverpool when Andy Robertson was adjudged to have kicked Danny Welbeck trying to clear.

This time Gross took responsibility from the spot and sent Alisson Becker the wrong way.

Mahrez hits hat-trick

City shrugged off their problems in front of goal by hitting five past Burnley for the fourth consecutive clash between the two at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola’s men had scored just seven goals in their previous seven league games, but Riyad Mahrez’s early double opened the floodgates.

Benjamin Mendy made it 3-0 before half-time and Ferran Torres got his first Premier League goal before Mahrez completed the scoring and his hat-trick.

Victory propelled City to within six points of Liverpool at the top of the table with a game in hand.

“It’s important for us to score goals and keep going,” said Guardiola, who will hope a favourable run of fixtures over the next month can haul his side back into the title race.

Maradona remembered

Sergio Aguero was not involved for City, but Guardiola confirmed that was due to a small injury problem rather than his close family connection to Diego Maradona, who died aged 60 on Wednesday.

Aguero was previously married to and had a child with Maradona’s daughter Giannina.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was reduced to tears before his side’s 1-0 loss to Leeds as respects were paid to Maradona before all Premier League games this weekend with a minute’s applause.

An enthralling 90 minutes followed at Goodison Park with chances aplenty for both sides but just one goal, scored by Raphinha 11 minutes from time.

James Rodriguez and Richarlison had strikes ruled out for offside before the break, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin dragged a big chance wide for Everton early in the second-half.

Leeds, who had the majority of the chances, finally made the breakthrough when Raphinha arrowed a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner for his first goal since joining the club in August.

“He is a player who has adapted very quickly to the Premier League,” said Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa. “He is a player who moves all around and has the capacity to unbalance defences.”

Leeds move up to 11th, while a fourth defeat in five games leaves Everton still in sixth.

West Brom claimed their first win back in the top-flight as Connor Gallagher’s strike earned a 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Victory took Slaven Bilic’s men out of the bottom three, while the Blades remain rooted to the foot of the table with just one point from 10 games.



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Kaavan’s journey to Cambodia illustrated in new comic

Kaavan pakistan elephant cambodia

Photo: ©julialohninger.at | FOUR PAWS

Kaavan, the world’s loneliest elephant, has been making headlines since the Islamabad High Court ruled that the Marghazar Zoo is not fit to keep him or any other animals.

He will fly to Cambodia to retire at a sanctuary today (Sunday). Four Paws, which has been involved in shifting the elephant to a sanctuary in Cambodia, has released a comic to show the journey of the elephant and the cruelty he faced.

Austria-based illustrator and graphic designer Julia Lohninger has made the illustration.

“We wanted to do a cute and emotional depiction” so that people are immediately grasped by Kaavan’s heart-wrenching story, she said while speaking to SAMAA Digital. Originally, it should have been a comic. “But I suggested we do it more like a picture book and each picture can stand on its own and tell the story.”

Lohninger said she was inspired by the works of Aaron Blaise, but her “main inspiration was truly the sad but heart-warming story of Kaavan.”

The designer was approached by Four Paws to make the illustration and completed it in two weeks. “I have worked for Four Paws before and when they sent me the storyline of Kaavan I kept thinking that I really want to do this.”

She shared that she didn’t know Kaavan’s story before but it touched her immediately.

kaavan comic

Artist Julia Lohninger has drawn the illustrations. Photo: ©linhschroeter-foto.com

“They had sent me the basic story of Kaavan’s life and how much the people in Pakistan [and around the world] fought to free him,” she said.” The illustrator was given pictures of Kaavan, his cage at the Islamabad zoo, protests in Pakistan and the court hearings of the case.

Lohninger shared that her favourite part of the illustration is the happy ending. “I also like how much the people fought and cared for Kaavan’s freedom.”

She said she would love to visit Pakistan one day. “It must be a beautiful country with awesome nature and wonderful people and great food.”

Speaking about her work, she said that she “loves detailed and colourful illustrations.” My personal style (which develops all the time) is always detailed and I love working with colour, she said.

“I want my illustrations to tell a story and let people dive into it,” she added.

Kaavan’s journey

The journey from Pakistan to Cambodia is seven hours by plane. The elephant will be loaded in a custom built crate onto a heavy-duty cargo plane and flown there.

According to Four Paws, Kaavan is their ‘heaviest’ rescue till date. Kaavan and his crate weigh a combined 10.7 tonnes.

islamabad zoo kaavan
Kaavan is all set to fly to Cambodia on November 29. Photo: Online

The elephant will be accompanied by three doctors and eight technical experts, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Pakistan was given Kaavan as a diplomatic gift from Sri Lanka. For 34 years, he was chained in an enclosure with nothing more than a dilapidated shed and cement pool. Most of the time, it was empty. His only companion, another elephant named Saheli, died in 2012. Many activists highlighted his condition and the campaign for his freedom was led by American pop star Cher.

Relief came this year when the Islamabad High Court said animals can no longer be kept at the federal capital’s zoo, which was originally built to be a bird sanctuary.



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Sydney records hottest November night on record

The Australian city recorded a minimum overnight temperature of 25.4C.

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Tough security for Indian Kashmir’s first vote since autonomy cancelled

Thousands of troops guarded polling stations as Indian Kashmir on Saturday held its first direct elections since the government stripped its semi-autonomy last year.

On high alert for attacks by separatist militants, dozens of police and paramilitaries with machine guns watched outside each voting station while army patrols toured the streets.

The Himalayan region, which is also claimed by Pakistan, has been under heavy security since the ruling Hindu-nationalist government imposed direct rule in August 2019.

Two soldiers were killed in an ambush blamed on militants in the main city Srinagar on Thursday.

But officials said nearly 52 percent of the 700,000 eligible voters cast ballots during the first of the eight days of polling, braving the security, coronavirus fears and snow-covered terrain to elect local council members. Results are expected on December 22.

Thermal scanners were set up at polling booths and staff handed out face masks and hand sanitiser as precautions against the coronavirus.

Top election official K.K. Sharma told reporters polling had been peaceful barring “a small incident of stone-pelting” by protesters in the southern Kashmir valley.

At one booth in the Kashmir valley, Faizi, 70, told AFP she had voted “to facilitate development work, like paving the roads”.

While the councils have only limited powers, several Kashmir political parties, including the influential National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formed an alliance to use the election to campaign for the restoration of the region’s political autonomy.

The alliance accused the government of harassing its candidates while helping those from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The election commission denied the allegations.

On Friday, authorities restricted PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti to her home and police stopped reporters from attending a press conference she called.

Mufti was among scores of political leaders held under house arrest for months after the clampdown. Police, however, denied she was under detention again.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their bitter split at independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.

Rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 in an uprising that has left tens of thousands dead, mainly civilians.



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Serbia and Montenegro expel respective ambassadors

The two nations have expelled each other's envoys over a historical dispute dating back a century.

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Viewpoint: How Ethiopia is undermining the African Union

The country has rebuffed African efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Tigray conflict.

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Serbia coronavirus: The Church losing its leaders to the pandemic

Few organisations have taken a bigger hit from coronavirus than the Serbian Orthodox Church

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In pictures: Hurricanes leave Hondurans homeless and destitute

Hurricanes Eta and Iota left more than 150,000 people in Honduras homeless and many lost everything.

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The battle to save a biodiversity hotspot in India

Environmentalists in India's Goa state are fighting projects they say will turn it into a coal hub.

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Khachaturyan sisters: A murder trial that shocked Russia

The case of the three Khachaturyan sisters accused of killing their father sent shockwaves through Russia.

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Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: What does it mean for the east Africa region?

BBC correspondents across the east Africa region explain the impact for Ethiopia and its neighbours.

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Conjoined twins: 'We always knew we were different'

They made headlines when surgeons separated them - now Sanchia and Eman Mowatt are at university.

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Afghanistan, home to the heroin trade, moves into meth

A new report warns Afghanistan is becoming a major methamphetamine producer, leaving addicts in its wake.

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Why Bhutan's Sakteng wildlife sanctuary is disputed by China

Tiny Bhutan is feeling the squeeze as its giant neighbours China and India vie for territory.

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England triumph over South Africa in first T20I

England registered a five-wicket win over South Africa in the first T20I in Cape Town on Friday.

Jonny Bairstow powered England to victory as he thrashed 86 not out off 48 balls. The visitors chased down a victory target of 180 with four balls to spare.

England were struggling at 34 for three before Bairstow and Ben Stokes (37) changed the momentum of the match with a fourth wicket stand of 85.

Even so, South Africa still had a realistic chance of winning as England went into the last four overs needing 51 runs.

But left-arm fast bowler Beuran Hendricks conceded 28 runs in the 17th over, including three wides which cost eight runs, as Bairstow and England captain Eoin Morgan went on the attack.

Morgan said the win was “extremely pleasing, given that we were pretty average apart from two or three players.”

Morgan said England’s bowlers “missed areas”, although left-armer Sam Curran claimed a career-best three for 28 in South Africa’s innings of 179 for six.

And he was disappointed with the batting start, although he praised Bairstow and Stokes.

“Jonny and Ben rebuilding the way they did set up the win nicely,” he told SuperSport television.

Bairstow batted at number four instead of opening as he often does in white-ball cricket.

“It’s something you’ve got to enjoy,” he said. “You learn to craft your innings in different ways.”

Bairstow hit nine fours and four sixes, finishing the match in style with his fourth six which sailed into a building sight on the northern end of the ground.

Former captain Faf du Plessis top-scored for South Africa with 58 off 40 balls after his side were sent in on a cool evening.

South Africa’s first international match since March was staged without spectators because of Covid restrictions.

South African captain Quinton de Kock refused to blame the Hendricks over.

“I don’t think it was just the one over. It was the way Jonny and Ben played. We didn’t play badly. They played really well.” The teams meet again in a day game in Paarl on Sunday.



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Google pays tribute to Bano Qudsia on 92nd birthday

Google is celebrating Pakistani novelist, playwright and spiritualist Bano Qudsia’s 92nd Birthday, on Saturday with a doodle.

Born on November 28, 1928 in Firozpur, British India, She was popularly known as Bano Aapa, which means Elder Sister.

Renowned for her message of love and hope, Qudsia earned enormous acclaim for Urdu classics like her television play Aadhi Baat and novel Raja Gidh.

She wrote 25 novels and founded her own magazine called Dastango. Some of her famous stories include Aatish-i-Zer-i-Paa, Aik Din, Amer Bail, Asay Pasay, Chahar Chaman, Chotaa Sheher Baray Log, Footpath ki Ghaas, Haasil Ghaat, and Hawa Kay Naam.

Related: Google remembers Manto with a doodle on his 108th birthday

Qudsia graduated from the Kinnaird College in Lahore and then joined the Government College University (Lahore) (GCU) to do her masters in Urdu literature which she completed in 1951.

She married writer Ashfaq Ahmed whom she had met at the Government College University in Lahore. The couple was considered inseparable in their social lives.

She was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1983 and Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2000 for her literary achievements.

Bano Qudsia died at the age of 88 on February 4, 2017, at the Ittefaq Hospital in Lahore.



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Another Pakistan cricketer in New Zealand tests coronavirus positive

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said that another member of the Pakistan touring squad has tested positive for the coronavirus.

This brings the number of affected players to seven.

“One additional member of the Pakistan Cricket squad has today tested positive during routine testing,” the health ministry said in a statement. “The remainder of the results from the squad’s Day 3 swab testing – apart from the six who have already returned a positive result, are negative.”

The Babar Azam-led Pakistan squad are in New Zealand where they are scheduled to play three T20Is and two Tests.

Earlier, six members of the team were tested positive for the disease.

The New Zealand Government claimed that the several players in the touring squad were found to be violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) against the disease.

The touring side were issued a warning that it would be sent back if found to be violating the SOPs for the second time.



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Today’s outlook: No CNG for Punjab, KP for 24 hours

Here are some of the stories we will be following today (Saturday):

  • ICYMI: Photos have surfaced of Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari’s engagement ceremony to Mehmood Chaudhry. The event was held on Friday.
  • The Islamabad-Rawalpindi metro bus service will resume operations today after employees of the service’s ticketing office ended their protests.
  • Pakistani transgender person, Nayab Ali, has won the “Asia Hero Award” under the category of Transgender Hero.
  • CNG supply to Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab has been suspended for 24 hours starting tonight, the SNGC said.
  • The body of Nawaz Sharif’s mother, Begum Shamim Akhter, will be repatriated to Pakistan today. It will be buried in Lahore’s Jati Umra.
  • One of Iran’s most prominent nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated on Friday in an attack on his car outside Tehran that it accused arch-foe Israel of being behind.
  • PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto Zardari will be addressing supporters at the PDM rally in Multan.
  • American singer Cher met Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Friday, his office shared on Twitter. The premier appreciated Cher’s efforts in helping Kaavan retire to an elephant sanctuary and thanked her.


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Mixed retailer optimism on ‘Black Friday’ amid pandemic

The coronavirus is clouding “Black Friday” much as it has overshadowed 2020 in general, but some leading experts still expect strong overall sales even as shopping patterns are altered.

The more bullish case for the holiday shopping season cites robust demand for bigger-ticket items such as home improvement projects, new computers and home fitness machines as more people work from home and e-commerce grabs an ever-increasing share of the overall market.

Malls were open for business as usual on Friday, but there were early indications that the day-after-Thanksgiving crowds were more sparse this year as more consumers opt for e-commerce or for curbside pickup options because of the virus.

Most individual retailers say there is still too much uncertainty to project fourth-quarter sales, but the National Retail Federation offered a fairly upbeat outlook, saying shoppers “are willing to spend on gifts that lift the spirits of family and friends after such a challenging year.”

The NRF projects a 2020 jump of between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent in overall holiday sales compared with the year-ago season.

The trade group points to optimism over Covid-19 vaccines and says many consumers have available cash from an appreciating stock market, a strong housing market and disposable income that would otherwise have gone to travel and entertainment.

Hard times for some

But this outlook may understate the impact from elevated unemployment levels in the United States, exacerbated by Washington’s inability to produce another round of fiscal support for struggling families.

An even bigger source of uncertainty is the coronavirus itself, which has been spreading quickly in much of the country, spurring fresh restrictions in some cities and dampening the holiday mood overall.

CFRA Research projected that 2020 would be the first holiday season of non-positive sales growth since 2008, with sales roughly flat. Last year sales rose 4.4 percent.

The projection rests on a so-called “K”-shaped economic recovery, with higher-income consumers able to splurge on bigger items and other consumers struggling to make ends meet.

Among those in the less fortunate category, “people might be spending just on essential items as they tighten their purse strings,” said CFRA Research analyst Camilla Yanushevsky.

There are some wildcards in the forecast. Sales could benefit if Washington comes through with stimulus but would weaken further if there are widespread stores shutdowns.

One thing that isn’t in question is the growing share of e-commerce. Online sales on Thanksgiving reached a new record his year, rising 21.5 percent to $5.1 billion, according to data from Adobe.

E-commerce sales since Nov. 1 have been $71.1 billion, up 31 percent from the year-ago level, said Vivek Pandya, Senior Digital Insights Manager at Adobe. The technology group estimates an increase in 33 percent across the holiday season to $189 billion.

Sales slipped for a period after Election Day while the outcome was still in question, but “we’ve been surging pretty heavily, especially into this week,” Pandya said.

Retailer pivot accelerates

Conventional retailers have accelerated their efforts to address shifting consumer expectations in the pandemic.

Macy’s has invested heavily in smartphone apps to improve its curbside pickup system and launched same-day delivery through a partnership with DoorDash.

But the iconic department store continues to see a sluggish performance at its flagship New York Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores.

“When you look at the transient population and the tourist business, that’s been the most challenged,” Macy’s Chief Executive Jeffrey Gennette said this month, adding that the company has modeled store closures because of coronavirus, but doesn’t expect that outcome.

Best Buy set up times for consumers to pick up popular new game consoles, as well as digital queues for curbside pickup. The electronics retailer has introduced a live video chat for consumers who want to shop from home.

Best Buy had a strong third quarter, but still isn’t forecasting the fourth quarter, said Chief Financial Officer Matthew Bilunas. “We are seeing Covid cases surge throughout the US and Canada at a time of significant holiday volume through our stores,” he said.

Meanwhile, the pacesetter for these changes, Amazon, now faces more scrutiny following surge.

In Germany, some 2,500 Amazon workers started a three-day strike, while the activist Athena Coalition has been holding rallies and press conferences around the United States pressing for better pay and calling for the giant to be broken up.

On Thursday, Amazon announced a $300 holiday bonus for US employees. The company has also pointed to a nationwide $15-per-hour minimum wage in the US, among other efforts to reward workers.

“Our teams are doing amazing work serving customers’ essential needs, while also helping to bring some much-needed holiday cheer for socially-distanced families around the world,” said a message from Dave Clark, senior vice president of Amazon Worldwide Operations. “I’ve never been more grateful for — or proud of — our teams.”



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Kaavan, the world's loneliest elephant, is finally going free

For decades, Kaavan performed from his lonely enclosure. Now, with a hand from Cher, he's retiring.

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Karachi: Three labourers killed in Orangi factory fire

Three labourers were killed after a fire erupted in a factory in Karachi’s Orangi Town early Friday morning.

The factory, which produces henna, is located in Orangi Town No 4.

The labourers died of suffocation while they were sleeping at the factory after completing their hours. The deceased have been identified as Akram, Shahid and Suleman.

The fire, which occurred because of a short-circuit, was doused after four hours.

An eyewitness said that the fire brigade reached the area after a delay of an hour. The lives could’ve been saved had the fire truck arrived earlier, the witness added.

An area resident said that the fire station in Orangi has been closed for a while now.

‘Karachi has only 14 fire engines’

Karachi has only 14 fire engines while 30 trucks haven’t been working because of technical issues, the chief fire officer told the Sindh High Court on November 25.

Four trucks should be park at every station but the city doesn’t have enough engines, he said, adding there aren’t any emergency exits in many buildings. There are 22 fire control rooms in the city.

Fires in Karachi

There have been about 52 fires in shopping malls and supermarkets in Karachi in the last four years, reported SAMAA Digital on November 17.

Dr Syed Shahid Ali, who has retired from the department of Geography at the University of Karachi, brought together data on Karachi’s fire-fighting capabilities in 2015.

According to his tabulations, in Pakistan, fires kill 16,500 people and leave 164,000 injured or disabled every year. The losses and insurance claims run up to Rs400 billion. His paper goes into great detail on Karachi, which had, at the time of the paper’s publication, 22 fire stations.

“One thing that I recommend is that a fire station be linked to our police stations,” said Dr Ali. “We have about 108 police stations in Karachi. You can associate the two.”

He found that the number of calls to fire stations has gone up in Karachi. From 2000 to 2013 more than 49,500 calls were received out of which about 96% were for fires. The good news is that fire stations are located well, with an immediate response area in a 2km radius from each one.



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