A British doctor of Pakistani origin saved the life of an elderly woman on a flight with the help of an Apple Watch.
According to the British broadcaster BBC, Dr. Rashid Riaz of the National Health Service (NHS) from Hereford, England, was going to Verona from Birmingham for a vacation. He was on a flight when a 70-year-old woman’s condition suddenly deteriorated, leading ti difficulty in breathing.
Seeing the condition of the woman, the flight attendant asked if there was a doctor on board, upon which Dr. Rashid Riaz came forward to help.
After the initial check-up, he wanted to check the patient’s oxygen saturation level but was unable to do so using the equipment on the flight. He then asked the crew if there was an Apple Watch available to monitor the woman’s health. “The Apple Watch helped me find out the patient had low oxygen saturation,” the doctor told the BBC.
He used local health monitoring software to estimate levels.
Dr. Rashid Riaz said that the woman was suffering from heart disease and with the help of Apple Watch, it was easy for him to detect the decreasing oxygen level of the elderly woman, thus saving her life by providing oxygen.
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a sit-in outside the Board of Intermediate Education office in Karachi (BoIEK) following the announcement of inter results which revealed that about 80 per cent Arts students had failed.
In a press conference in Karachi, JI’s city chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman blamed BoIEK for putting children’s future at stake by undermining their education due with their ineptness.
He has also claimed that the students were subjected to board’s incompetence during examinations such as cheating, paper leaks, and external interference, so much so that Metropolitan University, Karachi University, and NED University can not be deemed as credible anymore.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also called for a protest outside the Intermediate Board office on Friday, asking students to join along with their mark sheets.
Background
The results for first-year (Part-I) examination announced by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) raised concerns as more than 50 per cent of the students have failed.
According to the inter board spokesperson, 72 per cent of the candidates failed in arts first year (private) and 80 per cent in arts (regular).
He added that 11,046 candidates participated in the Arts (regular) exams in which only 2,298 candidates were successful while 2,795 candidates participated in the Arts private exams in which 792 candidates passed all the papers.
Additionally, 63 per cent of the candidates failed in Commerce (private) as 1,986 candidates participated in the exams, out of which 744 candidates passed all the papers.
Lahore High Court has stopped the planting of palm trees on highways and motorways, reports Geo.
Justice Shahid Karim of Lahore High Court heard the petitions of citizen Haroon Farooq and others for the remedy of smog, during which DG Environment told the court that pollution does not stay on palm leaves as they grow better in hot areas. It has not been successful on motorways and highways in Islamabad.
During the hearing, Justice Shahid Karim stated that there should be an investigation into the renovation and decoration of the underpasses in Lahore. “Who has earned the money for the renovation of the underpasses,” the court inquired. The judge then observed that the underpasses have become stranger than before, looking like a joke. He said that the strange lights which were installed in there went off on the first day.
Justice Shahid Karim added that water should not be wasted as reports are indicating that the previous resource will run out by 2026- 2027. What steps did WASA take to install water meters, the court asked members of the water commission. He was informed in response that one year is required to install water meters.
Later, the court ordered the DG Environment to stop the planting of palm trees on highways and motorways.
A number of violent incidents have been reported in at least six states after the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India.
A report published by the Indian outlet The Quint says that from a graveyard in Bihar to a mosque in Telangana, India saw multiple attacks and violent incidents on 22 January. The incidents were of varying scales, ranging from sandals allegedly thrown inside a mosque and a shop being burnt in Telangana to a graveyard set on fire in Bihar, to violent skirmishes in different parts of Maharashtra.
In the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, a video of a hateful song being played in Narhi, Hazratganj, surfaced on social media. The song was allegedly played by a procession celebrating the consecration of Ram Temple.
Journalist Rana Ayyub shared the video with a caption stating, “Trigger warning for abusive, misogynistic language. Do listen to this song. To go to a Muslim locality and celebrate Ram Mandir’s inauguration with this song. And you still think this is about faith? Is this how you want to raise your kids? Is this the culture you want to normalise? Why send your kids to Ivy League, why give them quality education, let them be a part of this crass revelry.”
Famous Indian actor Aisha Ahmed, popular for her roles in web-series ‘Adulting’, shared her experience via an Instagram story of Sarah Sham, the influencer and wife of Indian Tennis player, Mustafa Ghouse who shared her heartbreaking experience of getting a message from a fellow parent about their kid being harassed in school for being Muslim.
Sarah said it had taken a lot of effort to share her experience of feeling like a second-grade citizen in her country. She went on to explain that the persecution has exacerbated after the establishment of Ram Mandir.
Indian publication The Wire posted two days ago that activist and journalist Umar Khalid’s bail plea got adjourned yet again. He has been detained since September 2020. Commenting upon this, Professor of Peace Studies at Uppsala University Dr. Ashok Swain said, “If you are a Muslim in India, you have no one, I repeat no one to save you from the wrath of Modi!”
If you are a Muslim in India, you have no one, I repeat no one to save you from the wrath of Modi! https://t.co/fChuboRnlP
Extremist Hindus in Pune University beat up students of the Film and Television Institute of India for putting up banners that read “Remember Babri, death of constitution.”
Hindu supremacists beating up students of the famous Film and Television Institute of India in Pune for putting banners that read “Remember Babri, death of constitution.” pic.twitter.com/8v1MWjE3X5
One of the Khans of Bollywood, Aamir Khan, once slammed fellow countrymen for their growing intolerance. He later redeemed himself to the extremists by praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Yusra Hussain, a freelance journalist from Lucknow told Al-Jazeera, “After Ayodhya, there might be a snowballing effect on other disputed places like Mathura and Kashi,”.
Mathura and Varanasi – Modi’s parliamentary constituency also known locally as Kashi – are also home to historic mosques that the prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindu majoritarian allies say were built on demolished temples.
The United Nations has said that heavy fighting has “encircled” two hospitals in Khan Younis – Nasser and Al-Amal – leaving thousands of “terrified staff, patients and displaced people trapped inside”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that seven out of 24 hospitals are “partially functioning” in northern Gaza and suffering a shortage of personnel and supplies.
Journalist Bisan shared a recent post detailing an attack on the Khan Yones camp by the Israeli occupation forces. Consequently, the last functioning hospital in Gaza- Al Nasser Medical Hospital- was under attack as well. Videos of gunfire surfaced on various social media platforms as well.
According to the WHO, only 15 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional – nine in the south and six in the north. The hospitals in the south are operating at three times their capacity while facing critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel.
The facilities are “without enough specialized medical staff to manage the volume and range of injuries, nor sufficient medicines and medical supplies, fuel, clean water, or food for patients or staff”, the WHO said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza says occupancy rates are reaching 206 percent in inpatient departments and 250 percent in intensive care units.
From October 7 to November 24, there were 74 Israeli assaults on health facilities with 30 hospitals attacked in Gaza, according to Insecurity Insight, a humanitarian association that collates data on threats facing people in dangerous environments. It delivered 19,000 litres (5,000 gallons) of fuel to al-Shifa Hospital on Tuesday after facing delays at a checkpoint and on damaged roads.
The hospitals that have been attacked most often include:
1. al-Shifa Hospital – attacked 12 times 2. al-Quds Hospital – attacked nine times 3. Indonesian Hospital – attacked nine times 4. Nasser Hospital – attacked three times
Insecurity Insight documented at least 26 other hospitals from across the Gaza Strip that were attacked by Israeli forces over the same period.
How Gaza’s healthcare system has been destroyed?
Mohamed S Ziara, a Palestinian doctor, talked to Al Jazeera and explained in a tone that is soft and unaffected by the rumbling explosions and pop of gunfire that can be heard in the background.
He is a plastic surgeon working 12- to 14-hour shifts, six days a week at the European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in Khan Younis, where he treats up to 15 cases a day. Ziara describes the healthcare situation as “catastrophic”.
“It doesn’t match anything I’ve seen before, even with previous escalations and war,” says Ziara, who has worked during Israel’s assaults on Gaza since 2014.
He has been posting about Israeli attacks near the EGH and the conditions inside on his Instagram account.
“No doctor wakes up in the morning and says: ‘I’m going to amputate a child’s leg without anesthesia.’”
“You don’t want to watch children suffer,” Dr Amber Alayyan with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, told Al Jazeera.
Chronically ill patients
In addition to immediate injuries from Israeli air strikes and artillery, patients with prior and long-term illnesses and vulnerable health conditions are faced with not being treated. According to WHO, they include:
1,100 patients in need of kidney dialysis
71,000 patients living with diabetes
225,000 patients with high blood pressure requiring medication
485,000 people with mental health disorders
cancer patients, 2,000 of whom are diagnosed each year, including 122 children
On January 7, exactly three months into the war on Gaza, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “It is inconceivable that this most essential need – the protection of healthcare – is not assured.”
Henley & Partners‘ Passport Index has published a list portraying the world’s travel access hierarchy.
Top on the list of countries that encourage travelling are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, whose citizens can visit an astounding 194 destinations without requiring arduous visa procedures. This group of countries offer passport-to-plane experience, setting the bar high for unmatched worldwide mobility.
With access to 193 locations, Finland, South Korea, and Sweden share second place. Many visa-free or visa-on-arrival options are available to their well-travelled inhabitants, providing access to a variety of cultures and environments.
Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands take third place with access to 192 destinations. These nations serve as entry points to a wide range of travel opportunities.
The long list goes on, honouring countries that place a high priority on global connection. Among the notable entries are the United States, Canada, Greece, Switzerland, and New Zealand, all of which provide their inhabitants with an abundance of travel options.
On the other hand, the Passport Index identifies states with more limited travel options. Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan are among the least accessible, offering their passport holders entry to just 34 countries that require no visa or one upon arrival.
The London-based company, which offers residency and citizenship consultancy services, teamed together with the International Air Transport Association to create a unique ranking that takes into account passport holders’ access to countries without a visa or with one upon arrival.
Punjab Health Department has shared that 1,777 new cases of pneumonia were reported in the province within 24 hours, while 12 children also died due to the disease.
According to the Health Department, 11, 597 children were affected by pneumonia in the first 24 days of the year 2024 in Punjab whereas 251 children were affected by pneumonia in 24 hours in Lahore only. 220 deaths from pneumonia have also been reported in Punjab in the last 24 days, reports Geo.
Director of Immunization Dr. Mukhtar said that pneumonia is spreading in Punjab, adding that the pneumonia vaccine is not effective in viral outbreaks even though there is plenty of vaccine available. However, there is only one pneumonia vaccine for children and adults. He emphasized that pneumonia vaccine is not available in the general market; no pharmacy can order pneumonia vaccine from abroad without the permission of the government, which only orders vaccines for children under immunization.
Japan’s justice ministry next month will allow male prisoners to have face lotion and hair conditioner, which women inmates may already use, in light of changing gender norms, an official said Wednesday.
Under previous rules, the in-prison purchase and gift acceptance of the toiletry items were allowed only for female inmates, based on the notion that those items tend to be used by women.
But the ministry notified prisons nationwide this month that men will be able to obtain those products too under revised rules, a justice ministry official told AFP.
“It is our view that steps are increasingly being taken in Japanese society towards eliminating unreasonable gender gaps”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We felt it is necessary to treat prison inmates in a way that would better reflect the changing landscapes of outside society”, the official added.
The new rules will take effect beginning next month, he said.
Still, some items will remain off-limits to men, including hair bands and women’s sanitary products, the ministry said, adding shampoo and handkerchiefs have long been accessible regardless of gender.
The aim is to counter the spread of misinformation and to prompt trust between the government authority and citizens.
According to a NADRA spokesperson, the launch of the WhatsApp channel for public service organisations is a modern initiative with, “Real-time messaging capabilities enable NADRA to swiftly communicate updates and guidance to citizens.”
Spokesman NADRA also said that all possible efforts will be made to provide timely and immediate information.
You can access Nadra’s WhatsApp using this link: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaH7JG2I1rckS9XnTg23
On Wednesday, many political bigwigs appeared in public gatherings, flaunting their own particular fashion statements. Their winter attire had people wondering how to get hold of similar looks on a budget. We understand and so here we are to help out.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, usually clad in a shalwar kameez, is quite a simple dresser but yesterday’s denim jacket was a refreshing change. We figured out that the denim fur jacket is available with Markhor trends on sale in Rs. 2,800.
Nawaz Sharif is not lagging in his style game with an olive coat and an orange and white scarf. The good news is that a similar piece is available at Clicky in Rs 4, 421.
