Current Final

Category: FOREIGN

  • Sri Lanka to ban Burqas in public

    Sri Lanka to ban Burqas in public

    Sri Lanka’s cabinet has recently approved a proposed ban on full-face burqas in public places due to national security concerns. According to Al-Jazeera, while talking to the media, the cabinet spokesperson said, “the cabinet has approved the proposal. It will now go to the legal draftsmen and then be brought to parliament,”

    The approval is unofficial for now but it could easily be passed as the government holds a majority in parliament.

    The announcement of the proposal was made last month by the current Cabinet Minister of Public Security, Sarath Weerasekara, stating that, “the burqa is something that directly affects our national security…this [dress] came into Sri Lanka only recently. It is a symbol of their religious extremism.” While the Minister said he had signed the documents outlawing the burqa, the move awaits Cabinet approval. Over 1,000 madrasas would be shut, he added.

    In response to this, last month, Pakistani Ambassador Saad Khattak tweeted that a likely ban on the niqab will only serve as injury to the feelings of ordinary Sri Lankan Muslims and Muslims across the globe. At today’s economically difficult time due to pandemic and other image related challenges faced by the country”.

    This has triggered concern domestically and among international actors. According to reports, this development was in consideration for a long time. The burqa was temporarily banned after the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings, when two local Muslim groups were blamed for the attacks at six locations.

  • VIDEO: Indian police officer requests Muslims to pray for coronavirus pandemic to end

    VIDEO: Indian police officer requests Muslims to pray for coronavirus pandemic to end

    A video of a police officer in Mumbai requesting the Muslim community to pray for the coronavirus pandemic to end during Ramzan on a loudspeaker has gone viral on social media.

    “Main ne suna hai kay taraweeh ki namaz mein bohat jaldi suni jati hai to aap namaz me yahi mangna ke COVID hamare shehar se, hamare daish se jaldi chala jae (I have heard that Taraweeh prayers are heard, so please that COVID leaves our city and the country soon), the policeman can be heard saying in the video.

    Meanwhile, Pakistanis are extended their prayers for residents of it’s neighbouring country as India fights a deadly second wave.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi also extended their prayers for India.

    #PakistanstandswithIndia and #IndiaNeedOxygen were some of the top trends on the microblogging website.

    Farhan Saeed, Shaan and Shoaib Akhtar were also among those who prayed for those suffering in India.

    Earlier on Friday, the Managing Trustee of Edhi Foundation Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered help to manage the deadly second wave of coronavirus in India.

    India posted a record tally of 346,786 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, while daily deaths from COVID-19 also jumped by a record, government data released on Saturday showed.

    As per Indian media outlets, from the first wave of COVID-19, the demand for medical oxygen had increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800 metric tonnes per day. However, in the past few days, the demand has reached nearly 5,000 metric tonnes per day.

  • ‘As a neighbouring friend, we sympathise with you’: Faisal Edhi offers India help

    Managing Trustee of Edhi Foundation Faisal Edhi, in a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has offered help to manage the deadly second wave of coronavirus in India.

    “We, at the Edhi Foundation, have been closely following the current impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on the people of India,” read the letter. “We are very sorry to hear about the exceptionally heavy impact that the pandemic has had on your country, where a tremendous number of people are suffering immensely.”

    Faisal further wrote: “As a neighbouring friend, we sympathise with you greatly and during this strenuous time, we would like to extends our help in the form of a fleet of 50 ambulances along with our services to assist you in addressing, and further circumventing the health conditions.”

    “We will arrange all the necessary supplies that our team needs to assist the people of India,” added the letter further.

    “I, Faisal Edhi, Managing Trustee of the Edhi Foundation, am personally offering to lead and manage the humanitarian team from my organisation,” said Faisal.

    He continued: “Importantly, we are not requesting any other assistance from you, as we are providing the fuel, food, and other necessary amenities that our team will require.”

    “Our team consists of emergency medical technicians, office staff, drivers, and supporting staff,” stated Faisal further. “In order to implement our proposed service, we only request your permission to enter India as well as any necessary guidance from the local administration and police department.”

    “We look forward to assisting you in managing the current humanitarian crises, and hope only to provide our help in whatever way that we can, for the benefit of the people of India,” he concluded.

    On Thursday, India recorded the world’s highest daily tally of 314,835 COVID-19 infections in a single day and hospitals in India are running out of medical oxygen. As per the Indian media news outlet, In the first wave of Covid-19, the demand for medical oxygen had increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800 metric tonnes per day. However, in the past few days, the demand has reached nearly 5,000 metric tonnes per day.

  • TikTok is being sued for misusing data of millions of children

    TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDan could face a damages claim worth billions of pounds (dollars) in London’s High Court over allegations that they have illegally harvested the private data of millions of European children, Reuters has reported.

    That case will be heard next week and affected children could receive thousands of pounds each if the claim is successful.

    “TikTok is a hugely popular social media platform that has helped children keep in touch with their friends during an incredibly difficult year. However, behind the fun songs, dance challenges and lip-sync trends lies something far more sinister,” Anne Longfield, the former Children’s Commissioner for England told BBC.

    Longfield alleged that every child that has used TikTok since May 25, 2018, may have had private personal information illegally collected by ByteDance through TikTok for the benefit of unknown third parties.

    “Parents and children have a right to know that private information, including phone numbers, physical location, and videos of their children are being illegally collected,” she added.

    Read more- 10-year-old girl dies trying TikTok’s ‘blackout challenge’

    A TikTok representative said privacy and safety were the company’s top priorities and that it had robust policies, processes and technologies in place to help protect all users, especially teenage users.

    “We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend the action,” the representative said.

    Earlier this year in March TikTok was banned in Pakistan due to immoral content, but the ban was later lifted.

    The popular video-sharing app was banned for the first time in October last year. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had blocked TikTok after the company “failed to fully comply” with its instructions for the “development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content”. Later, the ban was lifted when the TikTok management assured authorities that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality.

  • 22 COVID patients die after oxygen leak in Indian hospital

    22 COVID patients die after oxygen leak in Indian hospital

    At least 22 patients died on Wednesday in a hospital in western India after a disruption to their oxygen supply caused by a leaking tank, the health minister said, as a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases soaks up supplies of the crucial gas.

    The incident in the city of Nashik, one of India’s worst-hit areas, happened after the tank of gas leaked, said Rajesh Tope, the health minister of Maharashtra, the richest state, where the city is located.

    “Patients who were on ventilators at the hospital in Nashik have died,” Tope said in televised remarks.

    “The leakage was spotted at the tank supplying oxygen to these patients. The interrupted supply could be linked to the deaths of the patients in the hospital.”

    The world’s second-most populous nation reported 295,041 new infections on Wednesday for the world’s highest daily rise, stretching its hospitals to breaking point, officials said.

    On Tuesday, hospitals in Delhi, the capital, said they had enough oxygen left for just another eight to 24 hours, while some private institutions had enough for only four or five.

    The situation was so severe that some people had tried to loot an oxygen tanker, forcing authorities to beef up security, said the health minister of the neighbouring state of Haryana.

    “From now, I’ve ordered police protection for all tankers,” Anil Vij told Reuters.

    Television showed images of people with empty oxygen cylinders crowding refilling facilities as they scrambled to save stricken relatives in hospital.

    “We were completely blocked out of supplies yesterday but by the end of the day we received some and it is helping us today,” said Charu Sachdeva, an official at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre in the capital.

    In the northern city of Lucknow, one man said a hospital had asked him to arrange oxygen supplies for his uncle or take him away since it had run out.

    Delhi, a city of 20 million people, recorded 28,395 new cases and 277 deaths on Tuesday, its highest tally since the pandemic began. Every third person tested for coronavirus proved positive. Several high-profile figures like former PM Manmohan Singh and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi have also tested positive for the virus.

    Read more – PM Imran wishes Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery

    About 80 of 142 hospitals in Delhi had no beds left for virus patients, government figures showed.

    India faces a coronavirus “storm” overwhelming its health system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a national address overnight, adding that authorities were working with states and private firms to deliver oxygen with “speed and sensitivity”.

    Delhi, like large parts of India, let its guard down when the virus seemed to be under control, allowing big gatherings such as weddings and festivals as daily infections fell to fewer than 1,000 during the winter, health experts said.

  • George Floyd murder trial: former police officer found guilty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • PM Imran wishes Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery

    Prime Minister Imran Khan wished former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery from COVID-19.

    The veteran Congress leader tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

    The 88-year-old was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with fever. Singh remains stable a day after he was admitted.

    Earlier today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tested positive for COVID.

    According to media reports, new COVID-19 cases in India reached more than 270,000 on Monday, a new record. The total cases are now more than 15 million, the second-highest after the US. India reported 1,761 deaths due to the coronavirus today. Pakistan on Monday banned travellers from India due to concerns over Indian variant. Britain also added India to its “red list” of countries. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called off his trip to New Delhi in the wake of the rising coronavirus cases in India.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received severe backlash over the BJP government’s mishandling of the COVID situation in India.

  • ‘We are stuffed in one room like animals’: British Pakistanis complain about quarantine facilities

    British Pakistani travellers who are isolating at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel near Heathrow Airport have registered a protest against the poor facilities given to them at the quarantine facility, Geo News has reported.

    According to details, authorities at the quarantine facility are not providing enough meals to 19 quarantined families with people protesting against the non-provision of food at the time of sehri and aftari.

    “It’s a basic human rights issue. People have not received food for the three meals that were contractually supposed to be provided to the families. The food that has been delivered has not been on time. Moreover, we are in the midst of the Holy Month of Ramazan. There are people who have fasted without receiving any food at all,” said Hasnain Sheikh, while describing the situation in a video message.

    He said that the purpose of making the video was to call to the attention of UK government authorities towards the conditions of returning travellers. Expressing that such conditions are unacceptable, Sheikh said that people staying at the facility have paid a hefty sum for their quarantine living arrangements for 10 days.

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1383776694612283394

    “More promises and assurances are being given via hotel security, but our plea needs to be heard. This is a human rights crisis and I hope the government pays attention,” said Ghulam Sayyadain, another individual stuck at the hotel.

    Member of another quarantined family Abdullah Inayat told media outlets that his son had a bout of food poisoning after eating a meal at the centre.

    “My family was forced to eat cold food and was not facilitated at all,” said Abdullah. “We are stuffed in one room like animals. We have paid more than £3,500 only to quarantine and have been deprived of even the basic facilities. For a family of five to live in a medium-sized room is unhygienic and there are dangers to [our] health.”

    On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Hotels providing managed quarantine facilities are able to accommodate the vast majority of people’s requirements and are obligated to provide guests with three meals a day, access to WIFI, welfare and health support.”

    Earlier this month, Pakistan was added to England’s “red list” amid concerns about the spread of new COVID-19 variants.

    As per new COVID related rules introduced by the UK government, those who have visited or passed through a country where travel to the UK is banned must quarantine for 10 full days in a managed quarantine hotel.

  • ‘Salt Bae’ accused of stealing artwork featuring himself

    Nusret Gökçe, popularly known as Salt Bae, is being sued for $5 million by a Brooklyn-based artist William Hicks, who claims the social media star has used his artwork without permission all over the world, the New York Post has reported.

    According to details, Brooklyn-based artist William Hicks filed a lawsuit filed in the District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 12, suing the renowned Turkish butcher, chef, and restaurateur for $5 million in damages after Gökçe reportedly printed his art on menus, takeout bags, and signs at international Nusr-Et Steakhouse locations in Turkey, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates without permission. Hicks claimed that Gökçe never sought a license to use the artwork and has yet to compensate him for use of the copyright.

    “Defendants also unilaterally decided that they would instead unlawfully adapt, create, and distribute unauthorized derivative versions of the original works … to display in Nusr-et steakhouse locations in at least Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Etiler, Mykonos, and Bodrum Yalikavak Marina,” read the court documents.

    Hicks allegedly sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding that they stop using the original artworks in April 2020, but Gökçe and the companies “doubled down on their already widespread infringement, expanding their willful use of the Infringing Materials to locations in Doha, D Maris Bay (Turkey), Boston, Dallas and several additional locations in Istanbul.”

    Earlier, in 2019 the famous chef came into news for underpaying those working in his restaurants.

  • Dubai police arrest 11 Ukrainian women, one Russian man after nude photoshoot

    Police in Dubai have arrested 11 Ukrainian women and a Russian man for their involvement in a nude photoshoot on a high-rise balcony after footage of the same went viral, foreign media reported.

    Dubai is a top destination for the world’s Instagram influencers and models, who fill their social media feeds with bikini-clad selfies from the coastal city’s luxury hotels and artificial islands.

    But the city’s brand as a glitzy foreign tourist destination has at times provoked controversy and collided with Emirates’ strict rules governing public behavior and expression based on Islamic law.

    The nude photoshoot scandal comes just days before the holy month of Ramzan and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lands in nearby Doha, Qatar, for an official state visit.

    Over the years, Dubai increasingly has promoted itself as a popular destination for Russians on holiday. Signs in Cyrillic are a common sight at the city’s major malls.

    Dubai police announced earlier this week they had arrested a group of people on debauchery charges over a widely-shared video showing naked women posing in broad daylight on a balcony overlooking the city’s upscale Marina neighborhood

    Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that 11 of the detained women were Ukrainian, while a Russian diplomat in Dubai said the photographer who filmed the naked women held Russian citizenship.

    Police declined to identify those detained. More than a dozen women appeared in the video and the nationalities of the others arrested were not immediately known.

    The detainees are reportedly being deported.