Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan has officially announced a donation of Rs1 crore to provide support to Gaza victims through the Edhi Foundation. This announcement was made via the company’s official social media account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

    This philanthropic effort arises amidst a global controversy surrounding McDonald’s due to allegations of indirectly supplying free meals to the Israeli occupation army. In response, McDonald’s Pakistan, in an official statement, clarified its stance by emphasising that it is an independently operated entity with no connections to McDonald’s Israel.

    The company reiterated its commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, underscoring its dedication to assisting those impacted by the ongoing conflict in the region. However, it’s important to note that this act of goodwill also sheds light on the broader controversy surrounding McDonald’s, as its involvement in providing complimentary meals to the Israeli occupation army has triggered global protests and boycott movements.

    Numerous McDonald’s branches in different countries have taken swift measures to distance themselves from the actions of the Israeli branch, asserting that the Israeli branch’s actions do not represent their own positions. This announcement may be an attempt to mitigate the backlash from some Pakistanis who criticised the food chain for its perceived support of Israel. Whether these events have impacted McDonald’s Pakistan’s sales remains uncertain at this time.

  • Gold price increases by Rs6,400 to Rs206,500 per tola

    Gold price increases by Rs6,400 to Rs206,500 per tola

    Gold prices in Pakistan are once again on an upward trajectory, with the per tola price recently surging by Rs6,400 in the domestic market.

    This increase was observed as the price of this precious metal climbed by Rs6,500 per tola, reaching Rs206,500, according to statements made by the chairman of the All Pakistan Jewellers Manufacturers Association.

    Simultaneously, the price for 10 grammes of gold also rose, now trading at Rs107,740 after a substantial increase of Rs5,487.

    In the international arena, the price of gold saw an uptick of $46, settling at $1,938 per ounce. Conversely, the US dollar strengthened against the Pakistani rupee in interbank trading on Wednesday morning, ending a streak of losses for the Pakistani currency.

    Furthermore, the value of the US dollar also rose by one rupee in the open market, where it now trades at Rs278, up from its previous rate of Rs277. Just last week, the US dollar had depreciated by Rs5.07 against the Pakistani rupee in interbank trading.

  • Pakistan ‘least prepared country’ for digital education

    Pakistan ‘least prepared country’ for digital education

    Among the developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan ranks as the least prepared nation for digital education, according to the ADB’s report titled “Towards Mature Digital Education Ecosystems, the Digital Education Readiness Framework.” 

    The report underscores several areas where Pakistan needs improvement, including low internet connectivity (only 34.1 per cent of households are connected), slow fixed broadband speeds, high fixed line broadband costs, and limited rural electricity access.

    In contrast, Uzbekistan stands out as the most prepared country for digital education, closely followed by Indonesia. On the flip side, Pakistan is the least ready, with Fiji following suit. 

    Across all five evaluation pillars, the “Providers” category shows the lowest performance, with six out of the ten DMCs categorised as “initial” in readiness, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Fiji (in descending order of scores). The remaining four countries are classified as “emerging” in readiness, comprising Indonesia, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Uzbekistan.

    The gap between the model country’s normalised score and the highest-scoring country is a significant 45 points. While the 10 DMCs manage to keep mobile broadband costs relatively low as a per centage of GNI per capita, there is considerable variation in fixed broadband costs. 

    Cambodia, Indonesia, and Pakistan emerge as the least affordable in this aspect, while Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan offer more cost-effective solutions.

    In terms of urban electricity access, most countries excel, with nearly 100 per cent of urban households having access to electricity. Rural electricity access in the 10 DMCs ranges from 90 per cent to 100 per cent, with Pakistan lagging behind at just 41.3 per cent of rural households lacking access to electricity.

    Households with TV coverage are relatively high across the board, averaging 81.7 per cent. Cable TV subscriptions per 1,000 individuals vary from low to moderate among the countries studied, with Pakistan having the highest subscription rate.

    Pakistan’s National Education Policy for 2017–2025 focuses on enhancing ICT access in schools, using ICT to improve teaching quality and student learning, and developing complementary ICT approaches. However, it lacks clarity on access to devices.

    Teacher training in ICT skills, particularly for online education delivery, is lacking. Although teachers do create their own educational content, it tends to be basic, such as documents and presentations. Internet quality varies, with schools having some limitations in handling heavier content, while higher education and TVET teachers enjoy better quality.

    Institutional support for teachers in delivering online education requires improvement, particularly in schools, where paper-dependent systems are prevalent. Students in Pakistan exhibit reasonable proficiency in digital skills, but access to devices at home is limited, with smartphone access being the primary means.

    The utilisation of private EdTech platforms for conducting classes or interacting with students is quite low among teachers. Pakistan also has a relatively small share of ICT graduates among tertiary education graduates.

    Pakistan, as a partner state of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has utilised GPE grants for tech tools to deploy teachers where needed and introduced apps for teacher attendance in certain regions. These initiatives aim to support distance learning across the country.

  • World Cup 2023: New Zealand defeats Afghanistan to record fourth victory

    World Cup 2023: New Zealand defeats Afghanistan to record fourth victory

    In the 16th match of the ICC ODI World Cup, New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 149 runs and secured the first position on the points table by winning their fourth match in a row.

    The match between Afghanistan and New Zealand was played in Chennai in which the Afghan team won the toss and decided to bowl.

    New Zealand’s innings did not start well against Afghanistan, with four Kiwis getting out for 110. Opener Devon Conway was sent to the pavilion by Mujeebur Rahman for 20 runs, Will Young 54, and Richan Ravindra scored 32 runs and was dismissed by Azmatullah Umarzai while Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Rashid Khan for one run. After the fall of four wickets, captain Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips batted responsibly and took over the team, putting together a brilliant partnership of 144 runs, both batsmen also scoring half-centuries.

    However, Tom Latham was then dismissed for 68 and Glenn Phillips for 71. In the final overs, Chapman scored an unbeaten 25 and Santner scored seven runs, thus the Kiwis scored 288 runs for the loss of six wickets in 50 overs.

    On behalf of Afghanistan, Naveen ul Haq and Azmatullah took two wickets each while Rashid Khan and Mujeebur Rehman took one wicket each.

    Chasing New Zealand’s target of 289 runs, the entire Afghanistan team was bowled out for 139 runs in the 35th over. Rahmat Shah with 36 and Azmatullah Omarzai with 27 were the top scorers.

    Lockie Ferguson and Mitchel Santner took three wickets each while Trent Boult took two wickets.

  • University of London suspends students over Gaza rally

    School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, an institute famous for its progressive outlook on politics, has started suspending its students following a rally in solidarity with Gaza.

    In a statement, the Palestine Society of SOAS on Twitter (now X) said that the suspension was “a clear act of political repression”. A rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza was held by the society on October 9. Hundreds of students joined the demonstration. Consequently, “The students were suspended and given warnings through disciplinarians by the university.”

    While the society condemned the suspension, it also demanded “the students to be allowed to continue their studies and attend lectures.”

    A link has been posted by the Society to an online petition in which it asked the university to drop all the disciplinary proceedings against the students involved in the protest, revoke all the formal warnings against the Palestine Society Committee, and reestablish the right to protest. It also calls on the Student Union to advocate on behalf of all the suspended students and pressure the university administration to comply with the demands.

    A letter was sent by the UK Education Secretary to the Chancellors of the university demanding that they act “swiftly and decisively” against any threats to Jewish students’ safety in the aftermath of the blockade of Gaza. They deemed that the pro-Palestinian students were actually supporting Hamas which for them is a proscribed terrorist organization.

    Fatima Bhutto voiced her protest on X, siding with the Society and expressing her disappointment with her alma mater.

    Hardcore reactions from some other alumni of the university included Dr. Ruby, who called the step “draconian, unjustified, and most likely illegal”.

    Abeera, one of the faculty members of SOAS called it “Absolutely shameful”.

    A number of netizens criticised SOAS for its hypocrisy. One pointed out that the aim of a “fairer society” as expressed by the institute was totally contradictory to their actions.

  • Surgeries conducted on floor, without anaesthesia: What do we know about day 12

    Tuesday night, an Israeli air raid on al-Ahli Arab Hospital killed more than 500 Palestinians.

    Biden meets Netanyahu

    President Biden landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, today, to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu, less than a day after more than 500 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike at a hospital.

    Without any proof to back up his claim, Biden said that the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing seems to be carried out by the “other team, not you”, indirectly putting the blame on Palestinians.

    Read more: ‘Civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas’: Netanyahu meets Biden

    Read more on false information from day 12:
    Israel tries deflecting blame for hospital attack; evidence proves otherwise

    “Time is OVER!”

    Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has called for unity across the world to stand up to Israel after the hospital bombing, calling it a “massacre of … innocent women and children”.

    “After the terrible crime of the Zionist regime in the bombing and massacre of more than a thousand innocent women and children in the…hospital the time has come for the global unity of humanity against this fake regime more hated than ISIS and its killing machine,” he wrote on social media.’

    Protests across the world

    The hospital bombing led to spontaneous protests across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond but many ended with confrontations with security forces.

    Palestinians got together in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the Lebanese gathered in capital Beirut outside the US Embassy, hundreds gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis, all of which were interrupted and dispersed by the police.

    Other major protests were recorded in Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq.

    EU and Russia want facts

    The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is “saddened” by the recent hospital attack in Gaza.

    She posted on X saying, “There is no excuse for hitting a hospital full of medical staff and civilians,

    “All the facts have to be established and those responsible must be held accountable.”

    Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has asserted that Israel must provide satellite images to prove their claims that they were not involved in the Gaza hospital attack.

    RIA news agency quoted her as saying that “Russia classifies the attack as a crime and an act of dehumanisation”.

    UN calls for ceasefire

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has now called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Israel-Gaza war.

    The UN Security Council is also said to vote on a Brazilian-drafted resolution on Wednesday to halt the escalation between Israel and Hamas and to continue humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip.

    The head of World Health Organization (WHO) post on X saying, “We need violence on all sides to stop,” and the situation in Gaza is “spiralling out of control”.

    “Every second we wait to get medical aid in, we lose lives. For four days, WHO supplies have been stuck at the border. We need immediate access to start delivering life-saving supplies.”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said

    Surgeries without anaesthesia

    Gaza already lacks enough healthcare facilities due to the Israeli blockade and after the attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital, 350 people were rushed to al-Shifa Hospital which was already assisting a large number of wounded patients from other Israeli air strikes.

    According to reports by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra, some of the victims were decapitated, disembowelled or were missing limbs.

    And because the number of patients is now beyond capacity, doctors are forced to perform surgeries on floors and in the halls, mostly without anaesthesia.

    “We need equipment, we need medicine, we need beds, we need anaesthesia, we need everything,” Abu Selmia told The Associated Press.

    “Viable” solution is needed, says El-Sisi

    In a news conference in Cairo while visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President el-Sisi asked Israel to shift the affected Palestinians to Negev desert instead of expecting Egypt to host them.

    “There is the Negev desert in Israel. The Palestinians can be moved to Negev desert until they [Israel] do what they wish to do with the military operatives in the Gaza Strip before returning [the Palestinians] back,” he said.

    “If the Palestinians are transferred to Egypt, the military operation initiated by Israel may last for years and years to come. In this case, Egypt will continue to bear the consequences and Sinai will be a base for operations against Israel and in this case, Egypt will be labelled as a base for terrorists,” he said.

    “The acts by Israel, cutting power, water, electricity is a means to forcibly transfer Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula, which we totally reject.”

    Casualties, arrests

    Israeli forces have detained 65 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and since October 7, the number has now reached 750 excluding the detained workers from Gaza which are yet to be confirmed.

    Additionally, 61 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,250 injured.

    As for Palestinians in Gaza, more than 3,300 have been killed while 13,000 injured, according to Palestinian health minister.

    On the contrary, the death toll in Israel remains at 1,400, with another 3,500 injured.

    Jordan cancels US summit

    Biden was due to visit Jordan but after the hospital attack, the meeting was cancelled.

    White House spokesperson John Kirby, however, said that the decision was “mutual” and that the reason was the declaration of a three-day mourning after the hospital attack.

    Credit: Al Jazeera

  • ‘Civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas’: Netanyahu meets Biden

    ‘Civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas’: Netanyahu meets Biden

    President Biden landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, today, to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu, less than a day after more than 500 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike at a hospital.

    Without any proof to back up his claim, Biden said that the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing seems to be carried out by the “other team, not you”, indirectly putting the blame on Palestinians.

    Last night, following the attack, Biden took to X to say that he had directed his “national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened”.

    However, his claims are already inclined in support of Israel. Al- Jazeera reports that he also drew comparisons of Hamas to ISIL (ISIS), saying that atrocities committed by Hamas militants made ISIS look “somewhat rational”.

    Biden also posted on X saying “I’m proud to be in Israel to honor the courage, commitment, and bravery of the Israeli people.

    Americans are grieving with you following last week’s terror attacks.”

    On the other hand, Netanyahu asserted that Israel will do everything to ensure the protection of civilians. Contrary to his words, more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed.

    And while both the leaders were in a meeting, it was reported by Al Jazeera that a residential building in Khan Younis was targeted which resulted in the death of seven people and left forty seriously injured.

  • PM Kakar, President Putin decide to increase collaboration in various fields.

    PM Kakar, President Putin decide to increase collaboration in various fields.

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the sidelines of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. They talked about a variety of topics, including trade, investment, and energy cooperation.

    During their conversation on Tuesday, the two leaders conveyed their contentment with the consistent growth of relations between Pakistan and Russia while emphasising the necessity of increased collaboration in various fields.

    President Putin received PM Kakar before they held a meeting that encompassed bilateral, regional, and international affairs.

    They also talked about the potential for improving Eurasian connectivity along with Pakistan’s crucial role in regional integration through rail, road, and energy corridors.

    The prime minister highlighted the significance of increased regional cooperation to foster economic growth in the region and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen and enhance its bilateral relations with Russia in areas such as energy, connectivity, trade, investment, and the fight against terrorism.

    The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the evolving situation in the Middle East.

  • ICC new ODI rankings: Babar Azam remains number one batsman

    ICC new ODI rankings: Babar Azam remains number one batsman

    The ranking of ODI players has been released by the ICC. Pakistan captain Babar Azam has retained the first position while India’s Shubman Gill has maintained the second position in the ranking.

    South Africa’s Quinton de Kock has moved up to the third position and South Africa’s Rasi van der Dusen has moved down to the fourth position.

    The national team’s opening batsman Imam ul Haq is in the 10th position and Fakhar Zaman is in the 13th position.

    In the ranking of ODI bowlers, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood is on the first, New Zealand’s Trent Boult is on the second, and India’s Mohammad Siraj is on the third position.

    Among the ODI all-rounders, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan is at the top.

  • Good news for Imran Khan

    Good news for Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, who is currently in Adiala jail, facing Cipher case trial, can finally take a breath of relief.

    The judge of a special court under the Official Secrets Act has granted permission to Imran Khan to speak to his sons over the phone.

    Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, the judge of Islamabad’s official secret court, heard the request to allow a telephonic conversation between the Chairman of PTI and his sons. Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shiraz Ranjha, appeared before the court.

    During the hearing, the judge stated that no information had been received yet regarding the telephone conversation with the Adiala Jail Superintendent. However, the judge added that if any information came to light concerning the telephone conversation in the jail, he would address it accordingly.

    Lawyer Shiraz Ranjha said during the hearing that Imran Khan wants a bicycle for exercise in jail.

    Judge Zulqarnain responded that he had already issued directives to the jail officials for providing a cycle, to which Ranjha said he could provide the cycle today if the court allowed.

    “I do not want the cycle to be misused such that the jail superintendent keeps using the cycle. We also have to keep the jail manual in mind. For us, the security of an under-trial prisoner is important,” the judge said.

    At this, the lawyer offered that the court may appoint a person in whose supervision the cycle could be used.

    After a brief adjournment, the court resumed the hearing, during which Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain mentioned that certain SOPs had been brought to his attention, prohibiting the accused from speaking.

    He further stated that he would look into the matter of telephone conversation according to jail manual regulations.

    However, he requested written authorization for international communication from the jail manual. He stated, “I grant permission for telephonic conversation in your favor.”

    The judge, in a one-page written order, directed the Adiala jail superintendent to ensure that Khan speaks to his sons over the phone.

    The judge also noted that the jail superintendent had “submitted his comments with the respect of SOPs in which there is no doubt that this sought of desired communication through telephone or by other mode in abroad are not warranted, specifically case in hand which is of Official Secret Act Court but the agonies of [the] family cannot [be] kept isolated”.