The company had blocked searches for the US teen after he was acquitted of killing two people.
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Xiomara Castro: Honduras votes in first female president
Xiomara Castro's victory will bring to an end to the the 12-year rule of the right-wing National Party.
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Howard Springs: Australia police arrest quarantine escapees
The trio had fled a remote camp near Darwin by scaling a fence in the middle of the night.
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CNN's Chris Cuomo suspended over help to governor brother
The cable host provided extensive advice to Governor Andrew Cuomo as he battled an abuse scandal.
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Survivor: I'm haunted by deadliest Channel crossing
Mohamed Isa Omar, one of two survivors of last week's disaster, tells the BBC he saw people drown.
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Yemen's Marib: The city at the heart of a dirty war
Jeremy Bowen gets rare access to Marib, where civilians are caught behind the conflict's front line.
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How Magdalena Andersson became Sweden's first female PM twice
Magdalena Andersson's rise to power has been high political drama, but the finale may be yet to come.
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Resurgence of Pakistani Islamist group TLP sows fear
The release of the TLP leader and supporters could have far-reaching implications in Pakistan and beyond.
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Multi-billion EU bid to challenge Chinese influence
The "Global Gateway" plan is seen as an attempt to counter Chinese influence in Africa and beyond.
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Lara Logan: Fox News host condemned over Fauci Nazi doctor comments
Lara Logan compared Dr Anthony Fauci to Joseph Mengele - the Auschwitz doctor known as the "Angel of Death".
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Alice Sebold apologises to man cleared of her rape
Anthony Broadwater spent 16 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of raping Alice Sebold.
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Victims of a historic flood in New York City reflect on the wreckage
Victims of a historic flood in New York City reflect on the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Ida.
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HGV shortages: Why European drivers don't want to come back to the UK
Lorry drivers say more investment is needed to make the UK industry more attractive to workers.
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Michigan school shooting: Student kills three and wounds six
The suspect, a 15-year-old student, was taken into custody five minutes after police were called.
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Covid: WHO urges those at risk from disease to delay travel over Omicron
It urges people who are unwell and the over-60s to delay travel because of the Omicron variant.
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Ghislaine Maxwell: Epstein pilot testifies he flew Prince Andrew
The paedophile financier's pilot tells a court he also flew Bill Clinton and Donald Trump on the jet.
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Emma Coronel: Wife of kingpin El Chapo sentenced to three years
Emma Coronel Aispuro pleaded guilty to conspiracy and drug charges in June
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Italian football fan banned for 'slapping' journalist live on TV
Greta Beccaglia reported the man to the police after the incident outside a stadium in Florence.
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Four dead as storm tears through Turkey
Strong winds hit the country's western coast, destroying buildings and blowing ships ashore.
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Petrol price to remain unchanged in Pakistan
The Finance Division has announced that it would maintain the prices of petroleum products including petrol unchanged till December 15.
Following the prime minister’s decision, the petrol price will remain unchanged at Rs145.82 per litre, and the price of diesel will remain Rs142.62 per litre as before.
It was expected that the rates would go up.
| Product | Price |
| MS (Petrol) | 145.82 |
| High-Speed Diesel (HSD) | 142.62 |
| Kerosene (SKO) | 116.53 |
| Light Diesel Oil | 114.07 |
According to the notification, the prices of kerosene oil will stay at Rs116.53 and light diesel at Rs114.07 per litre.
The federal government, via a late-night notification, had jacked up the prices of petroleum products by Rs8.
Ogra has offered a long-winded explanation to justify the price hike but ended up admitting that it was done to maintain government revenue.
However, the global oil prices continued the downward trend this week as supply finally appears to be coping up with the increased demand.
On November 20, the price of WTI Crude Oil fell to $76.10 per barrel, while that of Brent Crude oil decreased to $78.89 per barrel.
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Omicron variant: Sindh announces new Covid restrictions
The Sindh government has issued new directives to curb the spread of coronavirus in the province amid the Omicron variant outbreak in South Africa and several other countries.
The provincial government imposed fresh restrictions in the province with instructions to “speed up” the vaccination drive.
The government intensified restrictions for ‘C’ category districts over slow pace of vaccination and fear of a surge in infections.
The new restrictions imposed under the “Viral Diseases Act” will remain effective till December 15, it added.
Here are the SOPs approved by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah:
Business timings:
Markets and business activities to stay open till 10pm.
Essential services — pharmacies, medical facilities, vaccination centres, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and others exempted from the new orders.
Gatherings:
Indoor and outdoor gatherings only allowed for vaccinated persons with the following limit
> 500 people for indoor gatherings
>1,000 people allowed at outdoor gatherings in Karachi, Sukkur, and Sanghar
In other cities, 300 and 1,000 people will be allowed in indoor and outdoor, respectively.
Education sector:
All education institutes will remain open with 100% attendance. A campaign to vaccinate students above 12 years of age will be run at schools, colleges and universities.
Office:
Routine office timings will be followed and 100% attendance is permitted. It is mandatory for employees to be fully vaccinated.
Dining:
Indoor dining allowed for fully vaccinated individuals till 11:59pm with 70% capacity in Karachi, Sukkur, and Sanghar. 50% in the other cities and divisions.
Outdoor dining allowed for fully vaccinated individuals throughout the province till 11:59pm.
Takeaway and drive-through services allowed 24/7 following the COVID-19 SOPs.
Recreation:
Amusement parks, water sports, and swimming pools in Karachi, Sukkur, and Sanghar can function at 70% occupancy, while 50% capacity in the remaining cities.
However, public parks will remain open under COVID-19 protocols.
Shrines:
Shrines will remain open for the fully vaccinated individuals only
Public transport:
Public transport can operate with 80% occupancy
Cinemas:
Cinemas remain functional for fully vaccinated individuals and can operate without time restrictions.
Railways:
Railways to function with 80% occupancy
Extended lockdowns:
District administrations may impose broader lockdowns in areas under their jurisdiction. They can also smart and micro smart lockdowns in specified areas.
‘Omicron is going to come’
The NCOC chief Asad Umer has said that it is inevitable that the COVID-19’s Omicron variant will hit Pakistan because it is impossible to stop viruses from spreading in this world.
He said that the NCOC is taking steps to delay the arrival and minimize the impact of the new variant.
“We are ramping up the number of coronavirus tests. We will conduct testing in the high-risk areas,” said Umer.
Pakistan bans inbound travel
The reports of rapidly mutated Covid variant Omicron have caused alarm in Pakistan and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced a ban on inbound travel from South Africa, five other African countries, and Hong Kong.
According to the notification, a complete ban has been imposed, with immediate effect, on inbound travel from South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Hong Kong.
‘Urgent to vaccinate’
Earlier, the NCOC chief and Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umer stressed on all eligible citizens to get “vaccinated urgently”.
“Based on the emergence of the new Covid variant, notification has been issued [to] restrict travel from six South African countries and Hong Kong,” he tweeted.
According to data shared by NCOC, Pakistan has administered over 120 million Covid jabs since the vaccination drive began in February this year.
At least 80 million people have received the first jab while 49,010,906 citizens have been fully vaccinated.
‘Highly transmissible variant’
The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s advisory panel has classified the new variant as “highly transmissible”.
Omicron has been put into the most troubling category of coronavirus variants after Delta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.
Several countries rushed to ban flights to slow the spread of Omicron. The stock markets and oil prices plunged on fears surrounding the variant, potentially dealing a heavy blow to the global economic recovery.
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Pakistani kinnows about to lose juice in international market
The juicy kinnows of Pakistan are an essential part of enjoying winter as they become a staple when families sit together on chilly nights.
Not only within the borders, but Pakistan’s kinnows are craved outside its borders as well. Last year, traders hit a bumper prize when they far overshot their export target.
Their target was 300,000 tons, but they managed to export 450,000 tons of kinnows.
However, winter this year, didn’t bring the usual excitement for traders. They are worried they will not be able to export enough this season.
Estimates put this year’s exports at 300,000 tons, a 35 percent fall from that of the previous year.
Rising shipping costs
Global trade is feeling the pressure from rising costs of shipping. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that the surge in freight could increase global import price levels by 11 percent. This would mean consumer price levels would go up by 1.5% till 2023.
The rising shipping cost will impact the export of Pakistan’s kinnows to Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and the Philippines. These countries account for 50 percent of Pakistan’s total kinnow export.
The All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association patron-in-chief Waheed Ahmed said that freight charges were between $2500 and $3000. Now, this rate has gone up to $7000. Even at this cost, there is no guarantee the consignment will be delivered on time.
The schedules of shipping companies have fluctuated and since the fruit has a shelf life, exporters are faced with a double whammy – rising cost and rotting product.
Time to look for new markets
Russia is a big market for Pakistani kinnows where it is sold because it costs less than kinnows from Morocco and Turkey. A 10kg crate of Pakistani kinnows cost $6 less than what it costs in the other two countries. But, this gap is expected to close if high shipping costs are factored in.
If Pakistani kinnows cost the same as the fruit from Morocco and Turkey, it will lose in the Russian market. In that case, Turkey will have an edge over Pakistan as it can export to Russia over land.
In this situation, Pakistan can also export kinnows to Russia overland through Central Asian countries and Iran.
But despite Pakistan being a party to the TIR Convention, transportation via land border costs the same as through the sea.
The TIR Convention is a multinational treaty that enables goods to move under customs control across international borders without paying duties and taxes that would normally apply.
Now, exporters are looking to the government for a subsidy to minimize their losses.
There is also a need to tap into new markets like Iran, which can be a lucrative alternate for local exporters. But the Iranian authorities haven’t issued an import permit for 10 years. The country issued a limited permit last year, but it hasn’t been issued this year.
Exporters say they can send 8,000 tons of kinnows to Iran if they get the permit.
Other headaches
The shipping cost is not the only headache for exporters. The cost of growing kinnows has sky-rocketed as petrol, electricity and gas becomes expensive. The packaging material cost 40 percent more compared to last year.
The impact of climate change has also increased the worries of exporters as their yield has shrunk. In 2021, the total kinnow production is estimated to be 1.7m ton against the target of 2.4m tons.
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PSL7 draft, start may face delay: report
Pakistan Super League season seven matters related to draft, players’ registration and retention are reportedly facing delay.
The seventh edition of the cash-rich league is all set to begin in January next year, with drafts of the league are expected to take place in the second week of December.
However, it seems like things may not go as initially planned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as matters related to the drafts are facing delay, according to GEO Super.
The cause of the delay is due to the clash of dates between PSL7 and the Big Bash League (BBL).
The draft was initially scheduled to take place on December 8 or 10th of the month, however, now they are expected to be held a bit later on the 14th or 15th of the month.
Meanwhile, the start of season seven also facing a delay as the league is expected to begin in late January in Karachi.
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Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO
Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey announced Monday he was leaving the company, after steering the social network during the tumult of Donald Trump’s presidency and surviving an activist investor’s ouster bid in 2020.
Dorsey, who is also chief executive of payments company Square, was confronted during his tenure by thorny freedom of speech questions, challenges to making the platform profitable and criticism he had spread himself too thin.
With his recognizable look of a shaved head, long beard and unconventional style, Dorsey for years embodied Twitter.
“I want you all to know that this was my decision and I own it. It was a tough one for me, of course,” he wrote in an email to Twitter staff announcing his resignation as CEO, which was effective immediately.
“There aren’t many companies that get to this level. And there aren’t many founders that choose their company over their own ego,” he added.
The company said Twitter’s chief technology officer Parag Agrawal has replaced Dorsey in the top post, with Dorsey saying he would remain a member of the board through until around May to help with the transition.
“And after that… I’ll leave the board,” Dorsey wrote. “Why not stay or become chair? I believe it’s really important to allow Parag the space he needs to lead.”
Nasdaq briefly suspended trading of Twitter on Monday, citing “news pending,” and after some volatility, the price was down over 2.5 percent for the day.
Trump era
Like many Silicon Valley celebrities, from Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs to Bill Gates or Michael Dell, Dorsey dropped out of college, never graduating from either of the universities he attended, one in his native Missouri and the other in New York.
Dorsey is credited with coming up with the idea for Twitter when eventual co-founder Evan Williams gave workers at blogging start-up Odeo two weeks to work on new projects as a way to break up the daily routine.
He ran Twitter from 2007 to 2008 and returned later as CEO after Dick Costolo resigned in June 2015.
With Dorsey at the helm, Twitter reported its first profitable quarter for the last three months of 2017, and then two full years in the green, before slipping back into the red in 2020.
Twitter in March 2020 made a deal with key investors to end an effort to oust the chief, creating a new committee on the board of directors to keep tabs on company leadership.
Dorsey came under pressure in 2020 from Elliott Management amid concerns he had spread himself too thin by running both Twitter and Square.
During Trump’s presidency, which ended in January this year, Twitter was widely seen as the medium used to broadcast America’s deepening political and cultural rifts.
Dorsey took the controversial decision to permanently ban Trump from the platform, where the former president had amassed 88.7 million followers.
Dorsey made the decision days after Trump whipped up a mob of supporters who stormed the US Capitol, where they tried to prevent Joe Biden being confirmed winner of the 2020 election.
New CEO
Trump supporters accused Dorsey and the social media giants of trying to curb free speech, and many ditched Twitter to join new, far-right-friendly platforms.
But some also defended the hard decisions Dorsey had to make.
“People tend to conflate Jack Dorsey with Twitter censorship, but my sense is he’s actually done what he could these past few years to keep the platform relatively open,” tweeted Mike Solana, head of the private equity firm Founders Fund.
“Things will be worse without him, not better. Godspeed, bird king,” he added.
Twitter’s incoming CEO Agrawal joined the company in 2011 and has served as chief technology officer since October 2017, where he was responsible for the network’s technical strategy.
Dorsey cited Agrawal’s understanding of the company as key to his decision to step down.
“There’s a lot of talk about the importance of a company being ‘founder led.’ Ultimately, I believe that’s severely limiting and a single point of failure,” Dorsey wrote to Twitter staff.
Agrawal holds a PhD in computer science from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay.
“We recently updated our strategy to hit ambitious goals, and I believe that strategy to be bold and right,” he wrote in his own message to staff.
He is the latest India-born talent to be tapped to lead a major US tech firm, following the likes of Google-parent Alphabet’s CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
“USA benefits greatly from Indian talent!” tweeted Tesla boss Elon Musk on Monday.
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Barbados becomes a republic and parts ways with the Queen
The Caribbean nation parts ways with the Queen in a ceremony attended by Prince Charles and Rihanna.
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Caribbean island Barbados becomes world's newest republic
The Caribbean island has removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.
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Video: Thirty vehicles collide in huge motorway pile-up
At least 30 vehicles collided in a huge pile-up on motorway M2 near Kala Shah Kaku in Sheikhupura on Tuesday morning.
The multi-vehicle collision was caused by a dense fog that has hit Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plains.
Rescue 1122 crew arrived at the spot with ambulances. Paramedics were seen tending to people with minor injuries.
Rescue officials said at least 20 people were injured and at least 10 of them were moved to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Muridke.
Motorway police and FWO staff also responded to the crash.
The motorway was blocked after the crash.
A dense fog has hit Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plains causing traffic disruptions. Sections of motorways M1, connecting Peshawar with Islamabad, M11, connecting Lahore to Sialkot, and M3 connecting Lahore to Multan were closed on Monday morning.
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Hania Aamir at Asim Azhar’s concert throws Twitter into frenzy
Hania Aamir just made a surprise appearance at Asim Azhar’s live concert and social media has gone crazy.
Hania had been keeping a low profile on social media after she was attacked for her video with filmmaker Wajahat Rauf’s son in June. Although she often posted videos of her singing, dancing and hanging out with her friend’s family, Hania stopped sharing glimpses into her personal life after some angry fans accused her of seeking attention following the video.
Do you see what we see?
— Samaa Life&Style (@LifestyleSamaa) November 29, 2021#SamaaTV #Samaalifeandstyle #asimazhar #haniaamir #karachi pic.twitter.com/PLnDQruKBw
At the same time, Hania was a victim of cyberbullying too when one of her Instagram live videos was given a controversial edit and shared widely on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Given the stress and trolls leaving rude comments on her timeline in bulk, Hania decided to take a break from social media and used it only for her professional commitments.
#haniaamir #AsimAzhar
— . (@Nida__Faizan) November 29, 2021
Hania amir vibing at Asim’s concert: pic.twitter.com/jXV6M3quIo
If “bin bulaye mehmaan” had a face#haniaamir pic.twitter.com/2RbmX7Lmee
— محمد محسن (@Oyemohsin) November 29, 2021
But what made most news throughout the controversy was Hania and singer Asim Azhar’s subtle battle of words. Hania and Asim had been linked for over a year but they had never publicly announced their relationship. However, Asim’s over-the-top surprises for Hania and her posts for him led to speculation that the two were seeing each other. The rumours were put to rest after Hania admitted in an Instagram live that they were just “good friends”.
“You can either be a celebrity or a bitter ex with no dignity,” Hania had tweeted after Asim posted a funny tweet while she was facing online attacks following her video controversy. Her tweet prompted strong reactions from both her own and Asim’s supporters and Twitter turned into a battleground. Asim then posted a long note taking subtle digs at Hania (without naming her) and opened up for the first time on the bullying and harassment he faced after Hania’s Instagram live in which she claimed she and him were just friends.
You can either be a celebrity or a bitter ex with no dignity
— Malika Memon (@malika_memont) November 29, 2021#haniaamir #AsimAzhar pic.twitter.com/TIguE6KBxe
The two never interacted on social media afterwards, either directly or indirectly, and soon everyone forgot about what had happened.
Hehe
— • ᴍᴇᴍᴇ ꜱᴇ ᴍᴏɪᴇᴢ🥲
-Hania Amir Spotted at @AsimAzharr’s concert
#haniaamir #AsimAzhar pic.twitter.com/yok2MBwPin(@parhle_Moiez) November 29, 2021
I wanna be more like Hania amir
— joey tribbiani (@idontsharefoodd) November 29, 2021pic.twitter.com/52NnnTb0hV
But that was until the videos of Hania Aamir rocking at Asim Azhar’s latest concert streamed social media and surprised everyone.
Many people are glad that Hania, without caring about what people say, is celebrating and enjoying her life to the fullest. They are hoping Hania and Asim are friends again.
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Westpac: Australia bank pays out over charging dead people
Australia's second largest bank Westpac has agreed to pay $81m in penalties and compensate customers.
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Video appears to show UK F-35 fighter crash after take-off
Dramatic footage of what appears to be a jet crashing off the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was posted on Twitter.
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Day 5: Pakistan on brink of victory in Chittagong Test
Openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique continue to dominate on the last day of the Chittagong Test on Tuesday as Pakistan resume their innings from 109 with 10 wickets in hand.
Set a target of 202, the visitors reached 109-0 at stumps on the fourth day and need only 93 runs on the final day. Abid was unbeaten on 56, while Abdullah was 53 not out.
Ali was 56 not out at the end of play, adding to his first-innings score of 133, while debutant Shafique finished unbeaten on 53.
“In Test cricket, a fourth day is very crucial,” said Shafique.
“Our plan today was to restrict them for the lowest total possible so that we can easily chase it down. This is what we were trying and we were successful.”
Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi earlier claimed 5-32 to help Pakistan bowl out Bangladesh for 157 runs in their second innings despite wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das making a fighting fifty.
Resuming on 39-4, Bangladesh looked down and out once they lost Mushfiqur Rahim in the first over of the day, before Liton, who struck a hundred in the first innings, hauled the hosts back to respectability with 59 off 89 balls.
Afridi trapped Liton leg-before and then had Abu Jayed out for a duck to complete his fourth five-wicket Test haul.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan, who finished with 3-33, wrapped things up by dispatching Taijul Islam.
The hosts had got off to a positive start with Mushfiqur hitting a boundary off the first ball of the morning, bowled by Hasan Ali.
But two balls later he left a delivery that darted back in and departed for 16 after Hasan uprooted his off-stump.
‘Big pressure’
Liton joined overnight batsman Yasir Ali to prevent further collapse.
Just when they looked ready to prosper, Afridi’s low bouncer hit the helmet of Yasir, who retired hurt after making 36.
Liton survived on 26 when he was given out, caught at short leg off Sajid.
The replay showed that the ball only hit his pad and was going down the legside.
Sajid was rewarded for his persistence as he pinned Mehidy Hasan leg-before for 11.
Substitute Nurul Hasan replaced Yasir after Mehidy’s dismissal and barely survived a strong caught-behind appeal just before lunch.
Nurul heaved one to Faheem Ashraf at long-on off Sajid after the break, getting dismissed for 15, and Pakistan took little time to pick up the remaining wickets.
“We were really good in the first two days. Most of day three was good, but we didn’t bat well in the last session yesterday,” said Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo.
“It put us under big pressure. It was disappointing to see.”
Bangladesh have failed to defeat Pakistan in any of their 10 previous encounters.
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Federal cabinet, PPP rally, Omicron, fog, Islamabad schools
Here are some of the developments we will be following today, Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting of the federal cabinet today to decide on the 13 items on the agenda. The meeting would also assess the political and financial situation of the country. The cabinet is expected to approve amendments to the National Aviation Policy. It will be briefed on vacant positions at various ministries and divisions.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is holding a rally in Peshawar today in connection with its foundation day. The stage has been literally set with 30,000 chairs at the venue. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will address the rally. PPP activists from Sindh also pour in.
The new Covid-19 variant Omicron has spread to at least 15 countries. Pakistan National Command and Control Authority chief Asad Umar and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan told a press conference yesterday that it is inevitable that the COVID-19’s Omicron variant will hit Pakistan holding viruses at bay was impossible for any country.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan fluctuate. A day after less than 200 cases were recorded on Sunday, at least 475 people tested positive on Monday pushing the positivity rate to above 1%. Yesterday, 10 covid-19 patients passed away. Pakistan will be launching a mega vaccination drive soon.
A dense fog has hit Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plains causing traffic disruptions. Sections of motorways M1, connecting Peshawar with Islamabad, M11, connecting Lahore to Sialkot, and M3 connecting Lahore to Multan were closed on Monday morning.
Teachers at Islamabad’s public sector model schools are up in arms against a government decision to place these schools under the metropolitan corporation. The teachers will protest today. A joint action committee has advised students against coming to schools.
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Messi wins Ballon d’Or for seventh time
Lionel Messi admitted winning the Copa America with Argentina might have been the determining factor in him claiming the men’s Ballon d’Or prize for the seventh time after a turbulent year, as Spain’s Alexia Putellas took the women’s award.
Now 34, Messi pipped much-fancied rivals like Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema to take the award in a glittering ceremony on Monday in Paris, the city he now calls home after leaving boyhood club Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in August.
Despite his tearful goodbye from Barcelona and his relatively underwhelming start to life in France, the jury of journalists from around the world rewarded him in particular for captaining Argentina to their first major international title since 1993.
What a night for 𝙇𝙚𝙤 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 29, 2021#BallonDor pic.twitter.com/eSmP0Y3FYE
“Two years ago I thought I was coming into my final years but here I am again back here,” said Messi, who won the last edition of the Ballon d’Or in 2019 before last year’s awards were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Messi also won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and in 2015.
“People were starting to ask me when I was going to retire but now I am here in Paris and I am very happy,” he said at the Chatelet Theatre in central Paris, where he was joined by his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and their three children.
“I don’t know how many more years I have left but I hope there will be many because I am really enjoying myself this year.
“What I achieved with Argentina was a dream come true. I think I won this trophy thanks to what we did at the Copa America, so I dedicate it to my teammates.”
Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the final in Rio de Janeiro as Messi won a major title with his country for the first time. He also scored 38 goals in 48 games in his final season with Barcelona and won the Copa del Rey.
Lewandowski second
However Messi has played just 11 times and scored four goals for PSG since joining the French club and there was a feeling that this year might see a different winner.
Poland striker Lewandowski would have been a shoe-in in 2020, when he scored 45 goals in 37 games for Bayern, only for the awards to be cancelled.
He ended last season with a remarkable 41 Bundesliga goals but had to settle for second place in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, which is organised by France Football magazine and voted for by a panel of journalists from around the world.
Lewandowski instead was given a consolation prize for the year’s best goal-scorer and received glowing praise from Messi.
“I wanted to say to Robert that it was an honour to go up against him. He deserved to win it last year,” Messi said.
Midfielder Jorginho, who won the Champions League with Chelsea and Euro 2020 with Italy, came third, followed by Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and another Chelsea player, N’Golo Kante.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo came sixth. He was absent from the ceremony.
Between them, Messi and Ronaldo have won 12 of the last 13 editions of the Ballon d’Or with the exception coming in 2018 when Luka Modric claimed the prize.
Putellas succeeds Rapinoe
This is just the third year that a women’s Ballon d’Or has been awarded, with Putellas following in the footsteps of Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, winner in 2018, and the United States’ 2019 World Cup superstar Megan Rapinoe.
Spain international Putellas, 27, captained Barcelona to victory in this year’s Champions League, scoring a penalty in the final as her side hammered Chelsea 4-0.
She also won a Spanish league and cup double with Barca, the club she joined as a teenager in 2012 and who are fast becoming the dominant force in the women’s game.
Her Barcelona and Spain teammate Jennifer Hermoso was second, with Sam Kerr of Chelsea and Australia coming in third.
“I am sure I won’t be the last Barcelona player to win the prize. This is just the beginning,” said Putellas, who in August was named player of the year by European football’s governing body UEFA.
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Capitol riot: Michael Jackson imitator clashes with judge in court
Investigators say the man wore a "Bad" world tour jacket to the riot and brought a homemade shield.
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Jack Dorsey: What's next for Twitter's co-founder?
The last time the tech visionary left Twitter, he set up another company now worth $100bn.
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Yemen: The children haunted by 'ghosts' of war
BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen meets terrified families running from civil war in Yemen.
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Why France is declaring Josephine Baker a national hero
Josephine Baker is the first black woman to be remembered in the resting place of France’s national heroes.
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Mark Esper: Former Pentagon chief sues Pentagon over book release
Trump's fired defence secretary opposes the Defense Department's redactions to his new memoir.
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China surveillance of journalists to use 'traffic-light' system
Documents detail how one province is making a facial-recognition system to spot "people of concern".
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Omicron: WHO warns of 'high infection risk' around globe
Omicron could lead to severe consequences in some regions, the World Health Organization has warned.
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The Simpsons: Tiananmen episode not found in Hong Kong
The episode includes jokes about China's censorship of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
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Covid: Biden urges calm over Omicron fears
No cases of the strain have been detected in the US, but Mr Biden called its arrival "inevitable".
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Massive fire engulfs shanties near Karachi’s Nagan Chowrangi
A massive fire engulfed shanties near Nagan Chowrangi in Karachi late Monday, according to eyewitnesses and rescue officials.
Several fire tenders reached the area, where firefighters were busy extinguishing the raging flames. Tankers from NIPA and Sakhi Hassan water hydrants had been dispatched to the site.
So far, no loss of life has been reported in the wake of the blaze.
People are working to empty their houses of their belongings themselves. Scenes of residents rushing into their houses to gather their belongings were witnessed at the site.
The police and fire brigade are both at the scene.
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Vinicius stunner seals late Real Madrid victory over Sevilla
Vinicius Junior scored a scintillating 87th-minute winner as Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Sevilla 2-1 and move four points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Vinicius has been a revelation this season and proved the difference again at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he went off to a standing ovation after securing Madrid their sixth consecutive victory.
“He’s extraordinary,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He’s a player with something special in his feet.”
His goal, a stunning strike into the top corner after a surging run in off the left, ensured Sevilla took nothing from a game they had dominated for most of the first half.
Rafa Mir headed them in front early on but the game turned on an error from goalkeeper Bono, who gifted Karim Benzema his 19th goal of the season, the night before the 33-year-old hopes to win the Ballon d’Or.
Victory sends Madrid four points clear of Real Sociedad, who they face at Anoeta next weekend, while Sevilla stay fourth, now five points off the top.
“Maybe a draw would have been a fairer result but I don’t think we deserved to lose,” said Ancelotti.
Real Sociedad lost ground after slipping to a surprise 1-0 defeat by Espanyol before Atletico Madrid bounced back from their Champions League loss to AC Milan in midweek with a thumping 4-1 win away at Cadiz.
Ready-made replacement
Vinicius now has 11 goals in 24 appearances this term and while he was never a guaranteed starter under Zinedine Zidane, the Brazilian has exploded into life under Carlo Ancelotti.
This was the kind of decisive moment Madrid hoped they would be getting from Eden Hazard but with the Belgian still lacking both form and fitness, it seems they now have a ready-made replacement.
“I knew about his individual qualities, his dribbling, in one against ones, his speed, in all that he’s very strong,” said Ancelotti. “But what surprises everyone now is that ability to score goals, which he didn’t have before.”
Madrid were sluggish and sloppy for most of the first half an hour, livened up only by Benzema’s goal that was gifted to him after Bono’s mistake.
Sevilla took the lead in the 12th minute when Mir was allowed acres of space to plant a header past Thibaut Courtois.
They should have been two ahead as David Alaba cleared off the line from Mir, who then forced an excellent save from Courtois after a lethargic touch from Toni Kroos gave him a second chance.
Lucas Ocampos struck the crossbar after Sevilla swarmed forward again but in the 32nd minute, they handed Madrid a lifeline as Eder Militao’s shot from distance squirmed through the hands of Bono, came back off the post and to the feet of the grateful Benzema.
Madrid were buoyed by the goal and Marco Asensio went close with a curled finish over the bar while Sevilla thought they should have had a penalty when Alaba toppled Ocampos in the box.
The second half drifted, with neither team for a while willing to over-commit. Vinicius Junior tore away on the counter-attack but blazed over and Madrid moved into the ascendancy in the last quarter of an hour, with Sevilla happier to hold on for a point.
Alaba volleyed over before Vinicius took centre stage. He was almost on the left touchline when he chested Dani Carvajal’s cross-field ball inside Ocampos before darting past Gonzalo Montiel and unleashing a stinging shot that hit the top corner.
Atletico Madrid had earlier blown away Cadiz, with Diego Simeone’s side scoring all four of their goals in the second half.
Thomas Lemar began the scoring in the 56th minute before Antoine Greizmann and Angel Correa put Atletico out of sight. Jan Oblak’s own-goal pulled a goal back for Cadiz but Matheus Cunha responded immediately to add a fourth for Atleti.
Victory helps lift morale after Atletico’s 1-0 defeat at home to AC Milan that leaves them with a mountain to climb to reach the Champions League last 16.
Atletico look better placed in La Liga, sitting second in the table and above Real Sociedad, after their loss to Espanyol.
La Real could have gone top for a few hours at least, but instead saw Espanyol end their 13-match unbeaten run in the league thanks to Yangel Herrera’s late winner.
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Al-Qadir University, Karachi census, Green-Line BRT inauguration, motorways closed
Here are some of the stories from the previous night and the developments we will be following today, Monday, November 29, 2021.
Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Jhelum’s Sohawa District on Monday to inaugurate the Al-Qadir University.
The prime minister had laid the foundation stone of the university in October, 2019.
The National Highway and Motorway Police have closed the Lahore-Multan Motorway M-3 till Jaranwala due to heavy fog. Islamabad-Peshawar has also been closed for traffic till Rashakai.
Motorway police say they done for public safety and, advised people to practice caution and use fog lights on other roads to.
Muhammad Ziauddin, a journalist known for his temerity to repeatedly question army generals, ferret out dark statistics on the economy, and stubbornly report on Pakistan’s politics for over half a century, has passed away after a brief illness in Islamabad at the age of 83.
Election Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of a video in which two alleged PML-N workers can be seen buying votes for the party.
The video shows two men in light shalwar-qameez ask people to take oath on Quran that they will vote for PML-N in Lahore’s NA-133 by-elections before giving them money.
People are difficult to be identified as they all are wearing masks. It is yet to be ascertained when and where the video was recorded.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the long-awaited Karachi Green-Line BRT project in two weeks, Federal Minister Planning and Development Asad Umar announced.
The minister said that the government will start the process for census in Karachi this month,
Four people were killed and many were injured after a bus collided with a coaster in Karachi’s Landhi.
Four of the injured are in critical condition. Bodies and injred have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital. The coaster was carrying employees of a private company.
The police say that the bus driver was driving in violation of one-way.
In last 24 hours, nine people have died of coronavirus. 29,530 covid tests were in one day out of which 176 came positive.
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Day 4: Hasan strikes early for Pakistan
Bangladesh have resumed their second innings from 39-4 on day four of the Chittagong Test Monday.
Hasan Ali cleaned up Mushfiqur Rahim (16) early in the day, to claim his second wicket of the innings.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam claimed his ninth five-wicket haul while Pakistan’s Abid Ali hit a century as the first Test remained delicately poised in Chittagong on Sunday.
The hosts bowled out Pakistan for 286 at the stroke of tea on the third day to take a 44-run lead into the second innings thanks to the mesmerising bowling of Taijul, who finished with 7-116.
But Pakistan struck back in spectacular fashion with Shaheen Afridi dismissing Shadman Islam (one), Najmul Hossain (zero) and Saif Hasan (18) to finish the day 3-6 and reduce Bangladesh to 39-4 at stumps.
Hasan Ali also scalped the wicket captain Mominul Haque for a duck to rob the hosts of their advantage.
Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 12 alongside debutant Yasir Ali, 8 not out.
Ali earlier made 133 off 282 balls, holding one end for Pakistan for a long stretch after Taijul’s early strike of two wickets in two balls in the day’s first over.
Faheem Ashraf added 38 late in the innings to keep Pakistan in contention before he was last man dismissed.
Pakistan, who resumed on 145-0 and looked poised for a big total, suffered an early setbackwhen Taijul trapped debutant Abdullah Shafique leg-before on his fifth ball.
Shafique left without adding to his overnight 52, and Taijul took Azhar Ali for a duck in the very next ball when the delivery hit him on the foot.
Azhar was initially given not out but the decision was reversed on review.
Babar Azam saw off the hat-trick ball in Taijul’s next over but did not survive long.
Mehidy uprooted his off-stump with a straight delivery after the Pakistan skipper made only 10 runs.
Taijul grabbed his third wicket when he beat Fawad Alam with spin to remove the batsman for eight.
Bangladesh sought a review after the umpire turned down a confident caught-behind appeal.
The replay indicated the ball took a feather touch on Alam’s glove, ending his brief stay at the crease.
Ali, who struck 12 fours and two sixes, was also lucky to survive after he was dropped at slip by Najmul Hossain off Taijul at 113.
He was dropped again by Yasir Ali at forward short leg on 133 but it did not cost Bangladesh much, with Taijul taking him leg before two balls later.
Pakistan had by then lost Mohammad Rizwan to Ebadot Hossain, who bowled 2-47.
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Barbados prepares to cut ties with the Queen
Watch Celestina Olulode as she travels to the island to find out what Barbadians make of the move.
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Sania Mirza reveals the ‘worst’ question she’s repeatedly asked
Who can know it better than Sania Mirza what it is like to be torn between Pakistan and India especially when the arch-rivals descend on the pitch for high-voltage face-offs?
Sania Mirza is arguably the most popular bhabhi in Pakistan. She is famous not just for being the wife of all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who proudly describes himself as the husband to a “superwoman”, but her short video bites on TikTok and Instagram too. And who can forget the couple’s son Izhaan Mirza Malik whose Instagram account with 100,000 followers is managed by Sania herself?
Sania has been vocal about her personal and professional choices, including having to leave Izhaan behind sometimes when travelling for work commitments. But she has been vocal about something else too: the questions concerning her loyalties when there is a cricket match between Pakistan and India.
Before the Pakistan-India game in the T20 World Cup this year, Sania had clearly given out the message through a short fun video that she would disappear from social media on the big day to avoid negativity and toxicity. Although Sania kept a low profile on Instagram and Twitter throughout the tournament, her photos with the wives of other Pakistani players kept streaming our feeds.
Ahsan Khan, who hosts Time Out with Ahsan Khan, recently had Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik as his guests. In a BTS video he has shared, Sania reveals the worst question she is repeatedly asked by everyone.
“What is the worst question any journalist or host can ask you?”
“Well, they ask me all the time and I want everybody to know that it is a very bad and stale question which I don’t want to be asked again,” says Sania, looking exhausted. “‘Who do I support when India is playing Pakistan?’ Please guys, get over it.”
At that moment, Shoaib intervened and for a moment it appeared that he had an important query. But after he ended up posing the same question, Sania responded by asking Shoaib instead who he supports when Pakistan and India have a tennis face-off. Shoaib had quite a witty answer to that.
“Of course I support my wife,” he said. “But I love my country.”
“Same answer!” said Sania. “Don’t ask me this question again!”
Shoaib and Sania were married in 2010. They welcomed their first child Izhaan in 2018.
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Muhammad Ziauddin, interrogator of historymakers, chronicler of Pakistan’s economy, dies
Muhammad Ziauddin, a journalist known for his temerity to repeatedly question army generals, ferret out dark statistics on the economy, and stubbornly report on Pakistan’s politics for over half a century, has passed away after a brief illness in Islamabad at the age of 83.
Ziauddin sahib was born in 1938 in Madras (now Chennai). His family moved to Dhaka in 1952 where he studied for a BSc in Pharmacy. They moved to Pakistan in 1960, when he was 21 years old and three years later he enrolled to study journalism at the University of Karachi.
After his MA in Journalism, he launched Pakistan Spotlight. And one of his first jobs in the field was at Pakistan’s only private news wire at the time, Pakistan Press Agency, which was later renamed Pakistan Press International (PPI). His salary was 75 rupees.
By 1974, he went to work at the weekly Pakistan Economist. [Read about his time there]. He then went on to work at Morning News, The Muslim, Dawn, The News and The Express Tribune. After he retired as its executive editor, he wrote mostly freelance for several publications.
Ziauddin sahib spoke to SAMAA Digital at length about the stories from his time in journalism. M. Ziauddin: Stories on Pakistan’s politics, power and press by Kamal Siddiqi is divided into sections on each major phase of his life. The longform piece is supplemented by historic clippings by Ziauddin sahib and his colleagues and never before seen photographs.
In ‘Muhammad Ziauddin, a life in journalism‘, he spoke at length of his years covering and observing Pakistan’s most famous politicians and their eras, Benazir Bhutto and the PPP, Nawaz Sharif, the MRD movement, Musharraf, Zardari, and how media barons reacted to that coverage.
Ziauddin sahib interacted with Benazir Bhutto over the years, sometimes over friendly chats and at other times to grill her over the performance of her government. It was surprising to him, and he highlighted this, that no matter how heated the interview or question-answer session, she never sulked afterwards or spoke stiffly to the journalists who had given her a tough time. In fact, he reported extensively on PPP corruption, himself.
Ziauddin sahib’s career as a reporter, editor and analyst sets an example for generations of journalists but it was perhaps his skirmishes with Pervez Musharraf that can be upheld as the kind of inspirational interrogation of power that we should see more of today. [Read Confronting Musharraf]. He spoke at length to Kamal Siddiqi of the times in which he visibly angered the military dictator, and of one occasion when Musharraf even told a group of people that if they ever saw Ziauddin, “do-teen tikka dain” (slug him a few).
As news of Ziauddin sahib’s illness spread Friday, Pakistan’s journalists prayed for him. Many of them spoke fondly of their experiences learning or working with him.
Prayers for quick recovery of Ziauddin sb inshallah. One of few journalists who commands respect and love in these times. 22 years back when I was transferred from Multan to Islamabad Dawn, Zia sb greatly helped me settle in Islamabad and groomed me as a reporter. https://t.co/OYGSM3C0JI
— Rauf Klasra (@KlasraRauf) November 5, 2021
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Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-trafficking trial to begin in New York City
The UK socialite denies grooming girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.
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US and Iran seek to break impasse at talks on reviving nuclear deal
Iran's nuclear advances adds air of urgency as sides meet in Vienna after months-long pause.
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Covid: Dutch police arrest quarantine hotel escapee couple
The arrests were made on a plane in Amsterdam's airport before the take-off on Sunday, police say.
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Iran nuclear deal: What key players want from talks
The competing ambitions of the countries involved make success a long shot, writes Jonathan Marcus.
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Coronavirus: Is India ready for a third wave?
Experts say the government needs to first fulfil its promises to boost the public health system.
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Tigray: Suspicion and sacrifice as Ethiopia fighting spreads
Ethiopians tell the BBC they are willing to give up their lives to defend their country against rebels.
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Venezuelan migrants seeking a new home in Chile
Tens of thousands of Venezuelans escaping poverty and violence at home are risking their lives to travel south to Chile.
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Joseph Kabila and DR Congo's missing millions
Millions of dollars of public funds went through bank accounts of ex-President Joseph Kabila's allies, BBC Africa Eye reveals.
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Gay and Muslim: 'My family wanted to cure me'
Asad struggled with his mental health and suicidal thoughts when he came out to his religious family.
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Channel disaster: A father's anguish, a missing family
Rizgar Hussein hasn't heard from his family since the Channel disaster on Tuesday.
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Covid: South Africa's president calls for lifting of Omicron travel bans
Cyril Ramaphosa says the action by countries including the UK and US is discriminatory and unnecessary.
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Channel disaster: A father's anguish over missing family since tragedy
Rizgar Hussein has not spoken to his family since they boarded a boat across the Channel on Tuesday.
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Virgil Abloh: Designer and Off-White founder dies aged 41
Abloh, who was Louis Vuitton's artistic director, had been suffering from a rare form of cancer.
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Channel migrants: France wants 'serious' talks with UK
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin says France will not be held hostage by domestic British politics.
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Calm restored in Charsada after police station, cheskposts burnt down
Authorities with the help of Ulema were able to restore calm in Mandani area of Charsada’s Teangi Tehsil after a violent mob set fire to a police station and two checkposts. Several police vehicles were also reportedly destroyed in the violence, but no causality was reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Fazal Shakoor Khan, who hails from Charsadda, was the highest official to confirm the incident while speaking to dawn.com.
Charsada District Police Officer Asif Bahadar confirmed to SAMAA Digital that one police statio, two checkposts, vehicles and record were destroyed.
Officials told SAMAA Digital the calms has been restored with the help of Ulema after the day’s events. The mob have stopped violence though they have not dispersed yet, according to SAMAA correspondent Ejaz Khalid.
The violence began on Sunday when police arrested a man for the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and took him to Mandani’s Inspector Jahangir Khan Police Station.
Soon afterwards, a mob gathered outside the police station and demanded that the accused be handed over to them. The police officials quickly moved the detained person to a safer location.
Meanwhile, the number of people outside the police station grew and they attacked the building setting fire to it.
The police tried to resist using tear gas shells and batons, but they had to leave the police station eventually.
Later, the mob also set fire to two police checkposts in the area.
Videos purportedly from Mandani were shared by several journalists on social media.
A mob put Mandani police station on fire in Tangi tensile of Charsadda KP demanding to handover an alleged mentally deranged person accused of desecration of Holy Quran. Police has shifted the accused to another location #blasphemy pic.twitter.com/WEzOkH6yQY
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) November 28, 2021
One video shows smoke plumes and flames rising from a single storey structure as people gather around it. There is no sign of clashes though, and SAMAA Digital could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Several others videos that SAMAA Digital received appears to be from two locations and show vehicles on fire and people rampaging through a burning building.
An earlier video, recorded during the day, shows people storming through the police station’s gate after forcing it open.
There were reports that the mob also wanted to set fire to more police checkposts but the Ulema’s help was enlisted by authorities to stop the violence and the mob ended their rampage.
Officials have also called in police force from other areas of the district.
More to follow
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