Author: News Desk

Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill at least 29 near hospital

Gaza rescuers said Israeli strikes close to a hospital in the Palestinian territory killed at least 29 people Tuesday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the military would enter Gaza “with full force” in the coming days.

The release of 21-year-old Israeli-American Edan Alexander, who had been in Hamas captivity since their October 2023 attack on Israel, offered a brief pause in the fighting on Monday.

But the strikes resumed amid fierce new criticism of Israel’s tactics in the genocide.

Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 29 people were killed in Israeli strikes Tuesday around the European hospital in Khan Yunis. The Israeli military said it hit a Hamas “command and control centre”.

AFPTV footage showed large craters gouged into the ground and cracks in the courtyard outside the hospital. A damaged bus was lodged in one hole.

“Everyone inside the hospital — patients and wounded alike — was running in fear, some on crutches, others screaming for their children, while others were being dragged on beds,” Amro Tabash, a local photojournalist, told AFP.

Earlier, the military said it had struck Hamas militants inside “a command and control centre” at Nasser Hospital, also in Khan Yunis.

Gaza’s health ministry said that strike killed two people. One of the dead was journalist Hassan Aslih, the civil defence said.

Israel had accused Aslih of participating in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.

“In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying in a statement released on Tuesday.

– ‘Under fire’ –

“Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,” Netanyahu had said in the remarks made late Monday.

“There will be no situation where we stop the war. A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way.”

The Israeli warnings came amid new condemnation of its genocide tactics.

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher called on the UN Security Council to take action “to prevent genocide” in Gaza as he gave a scathing account of Israel’s actions in the territory.

“Will you act — decisively — to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?” he said to UN ambassadors in New York.

In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron said that Netanyahu’s actions in blocking aid to Gaza were “shameful”.

Late Tuesday, the Israeli military urged civilians in several parts of northern Gaza to evacuate after it intercepted “two projectiles” fired from the territory.

The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for rocket fire into Israel, which has been rare in recent weeks.

Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire.

The Israeli government this month approved plans to expand its offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence in Gaza.

Israel says that its renewed bombardments are aimed at forcing Hamas to free hostages.

Netanyahu credited Alexander’s release on Monday to a combination of “our military pressure and the political pressure exerted by (US) President (Donald) Trump.”

This has been rejected by Hamas which has revealed it was engaged in direct talks with Washington on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Netanyahu thanked Trump for helping in the release and said he would be sending negotiators to Qatar on Tuesday to discuss remaining captives.

– ‘Over 50 percent will leave’ –

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to start a Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Netanyahu said late Monday that Israel was working to find countries willing to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli ministers have seized on a proposal initially floated by Trump for the voluntary departure of Gazans to neighbouring countries such as Jordan or Egypt, which have flatly rejected the proposal.

“We’ve set up an administration that will allow them (Gaza residents) to leave but… we need countries willing to take them in. That’s what we’re working on right now.” Netanyahu estimated that “over 50 percent will leave” if given the option.

The Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, since October 7, 2023, has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry.

May 14, 2025
Hindutva trolls mad at Trump for brokering peace with Pakistan

US President Donald Trump has brokered peace between nuclear-armed warring neighbours Pakistan and India, but that has not stopped the wrath of right-wing Hindutva trolls.

The candid American President has once again stirred controversy — this time by suggesting that India and Pakistan should “have a nice dinner together,” a remark that has sparked strong reactions across India.

At the US-Saudi Investment Forum held in Saudi Arabia, Trump said, “Perhaps we could even arrange a nice dinner together for them, Marco. Wouldn’t that be nice,” referring to India and Pakistan while talking to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acknowledged by Pakistan as a key interlocutor in ending the hostilities between the two countries.

This isn’t the first time Trump has intervened in the matter. A few days earlier, he had posted on social media that the US had facilitated a “full and immediate ceasefire” between the two nations, which had been experiencing cross-border clashes for four days. In an additional post, he remarked: “I will collaborate with both of you to see if, after a thousand years, a resolution can be found regarding Kashmir.”

Trump’s involvement comes at a particularly delicate moment. India conducted airstrikes on ___ on what it referred to as terrorist camps in Pakistan following a deadly incident targeting tourists in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Although Pakistan denied any involvement, the airstrikes led to a military confrontation involving fighter jets and drones.

While some diplomatic circles recognize the US role in de-escalating the situation, Trump’s public assertion of credit along with his suggestion for mediation has incited backlash in India.

India has consistently dismissed the idea of third-party involvement in the Kashmir conflict, viewing the issue as an internal affair. Former Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran expressed that Trump’s remark contradicts India’s established stance for many years. Pakistan, however, has always welcomed international meditation in the matter.

On X, users in India voiced their anger. One user commented: “The outrage in the Indian establishment against the deceptions and falsehoods of the Trump administration is beyond imagination.” Another stated: “It’s time for India to firmly articulate its diplomatic dissatisfaction.”

Criticism also emerged from former Trump supporters. “The Indian Right is incredibly short-sighted how could you not see that Trump is a narcissistic loudmouth,” another post read.

Others noted Prime Minister Modi’s lack of response, highlighting that Trump’s statement conflicts with India’s account of the situation. One comment observed: “Modi can’t even say his name and call him out. Godi Media won’t show you this.”

A viral meme summed up the mood: a photo of Trump with the caption “New PM of India + Pakistan.”

May 14, 2025
China, US slash sweeping tariffs in trade war climbdown

Washington and Beijing agreed to drastically lower skyhigh tariffs in a deal that emerged from pivotal talks at the weekend in Geneva.

US President Donald Trump said Washington now had the blueprint for a “very, very strong” trade deal with China that would see Beijing’s economy “open up” to US businesses, in an interview broadcast Tuesday on Fox News.

“We have the confines of a very, very strong deal with China. But the most exciting part of the deal…that’s the opening up of China to US business,” he told the US broadcaster while aboard Air Force One on the way to the start of his Gulf tour.

“One of the things I think that could be most exciting for us and also for China, is that we’re trying to open up China,” he added, without elaborating on details.

Trump had upended international commerce with his sweeping tariffs across economies, with China hit hardest.

Unwilling to budge, Beijing had responded with retaliatory levies that brought tariffs on both sides well over 100 percent.

After billions were wiped off equities and with businesses ailing, negotiations finally got underway at the weekend in Geneva between the world’s trade superpowers to find a way out of the impasse.

Under the deal, the United States agreed to lower its tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 percent while China will reduce its own to 10 percent — down by over 100 percentage points.

The reductions came into effect just after midnight Washington time (0401 GMT) on Wednesday, a major de-escalation in trade tensions that saw US tariffs on Chinese imports soar to up to 145 percent and even as high as 245 percent on some products.

Markets have rallied in the glow of the China-US tariff suspension.

Chinese officials have kept their cards closer to their chests, pitching themselves at a summit in Beijing with Latin American leaders this week as a stable partner and defender of globalisation.

“There are no winners in tariff wars or trade wars,” Xi told leaders including Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, while his top diplomat Wang Yi swiped at a “major power” that believed “might makes right”.

‘Risk of renewed escalation’

Deep sources of tension remain, too — the US additional tariff rate remains higher than China’s because it includes a 20 percent levy over Trump’s complaints about Chinese exports of chemicals used to make fentanyl.

Washington has long accused Beijing of turning a blind eye to the fentanyl trade, something China denies.

And while the US said it sees room for progress on the issue, Beijing on Tuesday warned Washington to “stop smearing and shifting blame” onto it.

Analysts also warn that the possibility of tariffs coming back into force after 90 days simply piles on more uncertainty.

“Further tariff reductions will be difficult and the risk of renewed escalation persists,” Yue Su, Principal Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit, told AFP.

Trump’s rollercoaster tariff row with Beijing has wreaked havoc on US companies that rely on Chinese manufacturing, with a temporary de-escalation only expected to partially calm the storm.

And Beijing officials have admitted that China’s economy — already ailing from a protracted property crisis and sluggish consumer spending — is likewise being affected by the trade uncertainty.

“Both sides have endured a good deal of economic pain and they can still endure a little bit more,” Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, told AFP.

May 14, 2025
Israel PM says army entering Gaza ‘with full force’ in coming days

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would enter Gaza “with full force” in the coming days, a statement from his office said Tuesday.

“In the very coming days, we are going in with full force to complete the operation. Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with injured reserve soldiers in his office late Monday.

“There will be no situation where we stop the war. A temporary ceasefire might happen, but we are going all the way,” he added.

Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a January 19 ceasefire that had largely halted the war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Earlier this month, Israel’s government approved plans to expand its Gaza offensive, with officials talking of retaining a long-term presence there.

Israel’s military said the planned broader operation, which has drawn international condemnation, would include displacing “most” residents of the Palestinian territory.

Nearly all of the Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once during the war, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.

Israel has pushed for Palestinians to leave Gaza, with a senior security official saying that a “voluntary transfer programme… will be part of the operation’s goals”.

Israeli ministers have seized on a proposal initially floated by US President Donald Trump for the voluntary departure of Gazans to neighbouring countries such as Jordan or Egypt.

Cairo and Amman, along with other Arab allies, governments around the world and the Palestinians themselves, have flatly rejected the proposal.

During the meeting with soldiers, Netanyahu said Israel was working to find countries that may be willing to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

“We’ve set up an administration that will allow them (Gaza residents) to leave but… we need countries willing to take them in. That’s what we’re working on right now,” he said, adding that he estimated “over 50 percent will leave” if given the option.

The intensified genocide against Palestinians in Gaza began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Since then, to date, Israel has killed at least 52,908 Palestinians and wounded 119,721, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

May 14, 2025
Five people killed, four injured in Lahore accident

A speeding dumper collided with two motorcycles and three rickshaws before toppling over in Lahore on Monday, killing five and injuring four.

One of the rickshaws was completely wrecked in the incident, rescue officials said.

The dead and injured were taken to a neighboring hospital after the collision.

Authorities reached the site shortly after the accident and launched an initial inquiry.

In another incident that took place in Karak, two motorcycles collided head-on, resulting in four fatalities and one injury.

The accident happened in the area of Ghundi Mir Khan Khel, close to Umarabad. According to the police, the deceased were aged between 20 and 30.

The victims were sent to a nearby medical facility. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

May 14, 2025
Mohammed Shami slams Indian media over fake news

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has strongly criticised the Indian media for spreading false news about his retirement from Test cricket.

A news platform recently claimed that Shami, who represents Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is preparing to follow in the footsteps of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli by retiring from the longest format of the game. The report also stated that selectors might drop Shami from the upcoming five-match Test series against England due to fitness concerns.

However, Shami responded firmly to the report through an Instagram story, calling it completely false. In the story, he wrote: “Very well done, Maharaj. Start counting your remaining job days; there’s a lot of goodbyes coming your way. Later, you’ll see what happens. People like you have ruined the future. At least sometimes, say something nice. This is today’s worst story; sorry.”

Shami has played 64 Tests for India so far, taking 229 wickets at an average of 27.71. His last appearance in a Test match was during the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in June 2023.

Earlier, Indian media faced widespread criticism from the public for spreading fake news during the recent Pakistan-India tensions.

May 14, 2025
Big blow for Lahore Qalandars after Sikandar Raza ruled out of PSL X

Lahore Qalandars have suffered another setback in their difficult Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. Star all-rounder Sikandar Raza will miss the rest of PSL X due to international duty.

The PSL will resume on May 17 after a short break, but many teams are expected to look different. For Lahore Qalandars, it’s not about security concerns; Raza is unavailable because he is in Zimbabwe to prepare for their upcoming Test series, which starts on May 22. This series is special for Zimbabwe, as they return to red-ball cricket, and Raza is an important part of the squad.

The 38-year-old has been one of the few bright spots for Lahore this season. He performed well with both bat and ball. In 9 matches, he scored 228 runs with an impressive strike rate of 162.85 and also took eight wickets in 8 innings. His all-round skills played a key role in keeping Qalandars in the race for the playoffs, where they are competing closely with Peshawar Zalmi.

Raza’s absence will probably hurt Lahore’s chances, especially in the middle order and their overall team balance. With the playoffs just around the corner and the final scheduled for May 25 in Lahore, the Qalandars now have to adjust quickly.

There may be more bad news for Lahore fans. The team is also unsure about the availability of Sam Billings and Daryl Mitchell for the final stage of the tournament. Their status will become clear in the coming days.

With their dream of a third PSL title still alive, Lahore Qalandars must now consider replacements and regroup fast to finish the season strong.

May 14, 2025
Boys gathered to watch actress change clothes on set, reveals Areej Chaudhary

Actress Areej Chaudhary has shared a disturbing incident from the early days of her career, revealing how a young actress was watched by several men while changing clothes on a drama set.

During a recent appearance on Nida Yasir’s morning show, where fellow actresses Maimuna Quddus and Sara Umair were also guests, Areej opened up about the experience and how it left her shocked and angry.

She recalled that during a shoot in Lahore, a new actress began changing her clothes on set, and the situation quickly turned uncomfortable.

“She was forced to work for money,” Areej said, “and when she went to change her clothes during the shoot, all the technical and other boys on set gathered around.”

According to Areej, the moment the actress started changing, “a boy noticed her and then called all the other boys to come see.” At first, Areej didn’t realize what was happening. But once she understood the situation, she felt deeply disturbed.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I was new to the industry, and there were senior actors on set too.”

Seeing the crowd gather, Areej approached the actress and explained what was going on. “As soon as I told her, she started crying profusely,” Areej added.

She said, “The room where the girl went to change clothes was built with a type of glass which allowed people standing outside to look in but the person inside the room was not aware of this.”

Areej comforted the girl afterward, saying, “What was supposed to happen has happened. Nothing more will happen now. Please stop crying, and be careful next time.”

May 13, 2025
Modi was speaking like ‘defeated gambler’, says Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif responded to Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s recent address, saying that Modi was speaking like a “defeated gambler” who has nothing left.

“I believe there were three important issues, of which he [Indian PM Modi] has acknowledged two: Kashmir and terrorism. The third, the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), is not truly an issue as it can be resolved through dialogue,” he said while speaking to a private news outlet.

He emphasised that India has not only fought Pakistan from the eastern front but has also waged a proxy war on the western front through groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Asif added that Pakistan had emerged victorious on all fronts of its conflict with India, and that whenever New Delhi raises the issue of terrorism, Islamabad would insist on a probe into the Pahalgam incident.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside Parliament House on Tuesday, Asif reiterated that any future dialogue with India must revolve around three critical issues: terrorism, Kashmir, and water.

He stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already offered cooperation in investigating the Pahalgam attack, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace.

On the matter of water, Asif criticised India for politicising the issue and warned that the IWT cannot be tampered with. “Any dialogue must adhere strictly to the clauses of the treaty,” he stressed.

May 13, 2025
Modi visits damaged airbase, says will not tolerate ‘nuclear blackmail’ threat

Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on his X (formerly Twitter) account has shared pictures of himself interacting with soldiers at the Indian Air Force Station (AFS) in Adampur, which Pakistan had hit on the night of May 10 during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

The caption of the post reads, “Sharing some more glimpses from my visit to AFS Adampur.”

Pakistan Air Force (PAF), in response to Indian aggression on Saturday night, targeted and destroyed multiple Indian Air Forces (IAF) airfield sites, including a defence system in Adampur, Pathan Kot, and Udampur, according to state-run PTV News. The storage site of Brahmos missiles in Beas was also destroyed.

Indian PM Modi visits followed his first televised address to the nation since tension further escalated on May 7 when India violated the international border by firing missiles in Bahawalpur and Muridke.

In his address, he said that New Delhi would not tolerate “nuclear blackmail” in the event of further conflict with Pakistan, adding that India will strike with precision and decisiveness against the terrorist groups thriving under the cover of nuclear blackmail.

Indian PM Modi further said that rather than help them fight against “terrorism”, Pakistan had chosen to attack India.

He vowed, “If another terrorist attack against India is carried out, a strong response will be given,” noting, “India´s stand is very clear. Terror and talks cannot go together… Terror and trade cannot go together… Water and blood cannot flow together.”

Indian PM Modi made reference to possible future negotiations but said that “if we talk to Pakistan, it will be about terrorism only… it will be about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.”

Asserting that “Operation Sindoor” has drawn a new line and norm in the fight against terrorism, he said, “If terrorists attack India, we will give a befitting reply. We will respond in our own way, on our own terms. We will act wherever the roots of terrorism lie.”

Indian PM claimed that more than 100 terrorists were killed in airstrikes carried out under Operation Sindoor in Pakistan, adding, “When India’s missiles targeted terrorist bases in Pakistan, when India’s drones attacked, it wasn’t just the terrorist infrastructure that was destroyed — their morale was shattered too.”

May 13, 2025