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  • These are the celebrities raising their voice for Palestinians

    These are the celebrities raising their voice for Palestinians

    While it does feel like many celebrities in Hollywood are either pushing false information or ignoring the bombing of Gaza, there are singers and actors who are raising their voice in favour of Palestinian civilians, demanding that a ceasefire be declared.

    Roger Waters

    The former Pink Floyd singer released a video statement where he spoke about his Palestinian friend Lomi Algeria, who lost 11 members of her family during the Israeli bombing. He called for a ceasefire between both parties. Waters has been a very vocal proponent of the Palestinian cause.

    Academy and Emmy award winning actor Riz Ahmed released a lengthy statement on his social media accounts where he called for the world’s attention to the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

    Veteran Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has been a staunch supporter for the freedom of Palestine, sharing video clips on her Twitter account calling to attention the dilapidated hospitals of Gaza.

    Hollywood actor John Cusack shared an account of his visit to Palestine and the difficulty it took to get through the security and borders, describing the land as an “open air prison”.

    He also addressed the argument that Palestinians should call for their freedom in a peaceful manner, sharing how they were shot by Israeli’s

    Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, shared a post by the UN calling to attention the limited facilities available for children and women in Gaza.

  • Hardik Pandya reveals meaning of secret gesture before Imam ul Haq wicket

    Hardik Pandya reveals meaning of secret gesture before Imam ul Haq wicket

    Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has revealed the secret behind the gesture he made prior to the dismissal of Pakistani opening batsman Imam ul Haq.

    A notable incident occurred during the World Cup match between Pakistan and India played in Ahmedabad in which Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen whispering to the ball just before the dismissal of Imam ul Haq. One ball earlier, Imam had hit a boundary on Hardik Pandya’s ball.

    While speaking about the incident, Hardik Pandya said, “I basically hurdled abuse at myself to bowl a better length.”

    India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the match.

  • Constable suspended in India for a pro-Palestine post

    Constable suspended in India for a pro-Palestine post

    A new wave of anti-Palestinian hatred is sowing seeds in the religiously charged environment of India.

    The latest victim is UP constable Suhail Ansari, a Bareilly resident posted in Lakhimpur Kheri district since the past few months.

    A departmental enquiry has been launched against the constable for sharing a post, two days ago, in support of Palestine amid the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel, as per a report from The Hindustan Times.

    The Deputy Superintendent of Police in Kheri, Sandeep Singh informed media that the constable was suspended for sharing an objectionable post in which one dollar was to be donated for Palestine on sharing that post through his Facebook account. He said, he’ll be probed and if found guilty then stern action will be taken against him.

    The post read, “Help save Palestine. 1 repost=$ 1. All donations are directly to IslamicRelief USA. Add to the story to help save Palestine.”

  • 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza deprived of health services: what do we know about day 10

    50,000 pregnant women in Gaza deprived of health services: what do we know about day 10

    It has been estimated by the United Nations that about one million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced during the first week of the conflict. The agency has described the situation in the besieged enclave as “catastrophic”.

    ‘May humanitarian rights be respected’, says Pope

    Pope Francis has asserted the need for humanitarian corridors to help the people in besieged Gaza.

    He addressed a crowd of thousands in St. Peter’s Square during his weekly speech, “I forcefully ask that children, the sick, the elderly and women and all civilians do not become the victims of the conflict”.

    “May humanitarian rights be respected, above all in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors to help the entire population,” he said.

    The Vatican has also offered to mediate in the crisis.

    Gaza ‘no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance’

    Another alert has been issued. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) chief has warned that hundreds of thousands of people in need in Gaza will no longer be assisted.

    “My UNRWA colleagues in Gaza are no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance.The UNRWA operations is the largest United Nations footprint in the Gaza Strip, and we are on the verge of collapse. This is absolutely unprecedented,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told a press conference.

    It was also notified that water and power supplies are depleting, and they will run out of food or medicine in a matter of time.

    UNRWA facilities, including schools, are currently sheltering about 400,000 people in the south among whom, a large number is in need of assistance.

    Additionally, the UN has reported that at least four hospitals in northern Gaza are now no longer operational as a result of Israeli bombings, whereas according to WHO, 21 other hospitals have been asked to be evacuated by Israel.

    Persistent warnings are being given that “forced evacuation of hospitals may amount to a violation of international humanitarian law”.

    50,000 pregnant women in Gaza deprived of health services

    The UN has reported that 50,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are without basic maternal medical help among whom 5,522 are due to give birth next month.

    “Imagine going through that process in those final stages and your last trimester before giving birth, with possible complications, without clothing, without hygiene, support and not sure about what the next day, next hour, next minute will bring for themselves and for their unborn child,” United Nations Population Fund representative for Palestine, Dominic Allen said during her interview with CNN.

    16 members of a single family killed in Israeli air raid

    An Israeli air attack has reportedly killed a total of 16 members of a family, as stated by Palestinian territory’s media office.

    Previously, Palestinian health ministry said 45 families have been entirely wiped out from the Gaza civil registry, which means that entire family trees and their potential legacy have perished.

    At least 1,000 people under the rubble in Gaza

    As the Israeli forces continue to bombard Gaza, more than 1,000 people remain missing under the building debris.

    Among them are injured as well as dead, while many have been pulled alive after 24 hours of the collapse, says Palestinian civil defence team .

    So far, more than 2,670 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza with at least 9,600 wounded.

    199 Israeli captives taken by Hamas

    Daniel Hagari, Israel’s army top spokesperson, has claimed that families of 199 people who were taken captive by Hamas have been notified by the military. The number of Israeli captives have reportedly increased from 155.

    “We are making valiant efforts to try to understand where the hostages are in Gaza, and we have such information,” Hagari was quoted by Israeli media.

    “We will not carry out an attack that would endanger our people,” he said.

  • Our prayers are with the victims in Gaza: French footballer Karim Benzema

    Our prayers are with the victims in Gaza: French footballer Karim Benzema

    Karim Benzema, a world-famous football player from France, has issued a statement in favor of the people of Gaza.

    Karim took to X (former Twitter) to say, “Our prayers go out to the local people of Gaza who are once again being subjected to an unjust bombardment from which even children and women are not safe”.

    Israel has been heavily bombarding Gaza for the past nine days, in which more than 2,600 people have been martyred and more than 10,000 have been injured.

    American President Joe Biden has called Israel’s attack on Gaza as their right to defend themselves and said that the elimination of Hamas is necessary. However Biden has also warned Israel that ground action on Gaza would be a ‘big mistake’.

  • Hollywood actor Riz Ahmed calls for end to violence in Gaza

    Emmy award winning British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has broken silence to call out the silence around the violence in Palestine. In a lengthy statement posted on his social media accounts, then ‘Nimona’ actor began the note by talking about the power of storytelling which takes audiences on a journey.

    “As storytellers we put ourselves in other people’s shoes and ask audiences to go on that journey with us. The reason this works is because underneath our differences, we feel the same fear, joy, grief and hope. Stories work because there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is only us. Any story that says otherwise, that some people aren’t like us, is a lie.”

    Addressing the ongoing one-sided narrative in the media, the actor pointed out that innocent lives are being lost.

    “What’s happening in Gaza now, and has been happening in Palestine under the Occupation for decades, is horrific and wrong. The depth and reality of this suffering cannot be ignored.

    If we look in only one direction, we will go even deeper into darkness. But this is exactly what is happening right how. We are being asked to look away while the civilians of Gaza, half of them children, are running out of time.

    If we are on the side of humanity we must urgently speak up and try to avert the loss of innocent life. This means calling for an end to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilians and vital infrastructure, the denial of food, water, and electricity, and the forced displacement of people from their homes. These are morally indefensible war crimes.”

    Riz further wrote that now more than ever, it is important for all people to put themselves in the shoes of Gaza “before we all walk past the point of no return.”

    Riz ended the note by urging everyone to raise their voices because “staying silent is not an option.”

    “I’ll be posting links of how you can support, analysis from experts of all backgrounds advocating a just peace, and the voices of some people on the ground.

  • “The red carpet for his return is not being rolled out by the PML-N but by someone else,” Shah added

    “The red carpet for his return is not being rolled out by the PML-N but by someone else,” Shah added

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Kursheed Shah criticised former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif, alleging that he had engaged in negotiations with powerful quarters to come back to power.

    “If Nawaz Sharif comes to power by dealing with powerful circles at this age, then what would be left of his politics,” he asked rhetorically.

    “The red carpet for his return is not being rolled out by the PML-N but by someone else,” Shah added.

    Observing that despite facing a lot of problems, PML-N is still doing “backdoor politics”, Khursheed Shah stated that he told the PML-N chief that he was committing a mistake by climbing on “someone else’s shoulder” to come into power.

    The former leader of the opposition also questioned how a convict and fugitive could address a public gathering in Lahore.

    “This is a dangerous trap in which the PML-N is trapped. What was the difference between Pakistan Tehran-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman [Imran Khan] and Nawaz Sharif?”

    Shah asserted that Nawaz Sharif is being taken into power, just as PTI chief Imran Khan was given power in 2018.

  • We don’t take sides, says BBC journalist

    We don’t take sides, says BBC journalist

    Journalist John Simpson recently responded to criticism on why the BBC did not refer to Hamas’ gunmen (who attacked Israel on October 7) as terrorists.

    Referring to government ministers, newspaper columnists, and “ordinary people”, the foreign correspondent and world affairs editor of BBC News pointed out that it is not the job of a news agency to take sides or hand out labels.

    “Terrorism is a loaded word, which people use about an outfit they disapprove of morally. It’s simply not the BBC’s job to tell people who to support and who to condemn – who are the good guys and who are the bad guys,” he said.

    He reminded the people that the basis of his answer goes right back to the BBC’s founding principles.

    “The key point is that we don’t say it in our voice. Our business is to present our audiences with the facts, and let them make up their own minds.”

    With 50 years of reporting experience on the Middle East, Simpson has seen the aftermath of of Israeli bombing and artillery attacks on civilian targets in Lebanon and Gaza.

    “The horror of things like that stay in your mind forever”, he said. “But this doesn’t mean that we should start saying that the organisation whose supporters have carried them out is a terrorist organisation, because that would mean we were abandoning our duty to stay objective.

    And it’s always been like this in the BBC. During World War Two, BBC broadcasters were expressly told not to call the Nazis evil or wicked, even though we could and did call them “the enemy””

    He also quotes a BBC document stating, “there must be no room for ranting” and that the “tone had to be calm and collected”.

    “We don’t take sides”, he concluded. “We don’t use loaded words like ‘evil’ or ‘cowardly’. We don’t talk about ‘terrorists’. And we’re not the only ones to follow this line. Some of the world’s most respected news organisations have exactly the same policy.”

  • Cricket has been officially included in Olympics

    Cricket has been officially included in Olympics

    Cricket has been approved to be formally included in the Olympics, fulfilling a long standing demand by fans of the sport.

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai approved the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Organizing Committee has proposed the inclusion of five sports in the Olympic Games apart from cricket, including baseball, softball, flag football, lacrosse in the 2028 Olympics Los Angeles.

    According to the IOC, cricket will be played in the T20 format at the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028.

  • McDonald’s in Turkey, UAE, Oman donate to Gaza: Pakistani twitter users question their franchise

    McDonald’s in Turkey, UAE, Oman donate to Gaza: Pakistani twitter users question their franchise

    After controversy rose a few days ago when #BoycottMcDonalds began trending on X (formerly Twitter) after the fast food giant’s Israeli franchise announced that they were providing free food to soldiers carrying out operations in Gaza. Several McDonalds country franchises, including Pakistan, released statements distancing themselves from the Israeli chapter. However a few of them have announced donations for Gaza.

    Read more: McDonalds Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon release statements; dissociate themselves from Israel

    The Turkey franchise released a statement where they distanced themselves from the Israeli branch and announced they were donating $1 million dollars to provide relief and aid to the communities currently suffering in Gaza.

    McDonald’s franchise in UAE wrote they were deeply saddened by the events in the region, and announced that they were sending AED 1 million dollars to Emirates Red Crescent for their ‘Tarahum for Gaza’ campaign.

    In Oman, the McDonald’s franchise wrote that the company was standing with Gaza in these difficult times, and have donated $100,000 dollars towards relief efforts.

    The McDonald’s franchise in Pakistan released a statement on Saturday, distancing themselves from the Israeli branch, but many Twitter users questioned why the company did not announce solidarity with Gaza and donated to provide humanitarian aid like the rest of the countries had.

    Veteran actress Nadia Jamil was among the critics as she wrote: “But do you stand with Palestine? That’s the answer we all want.”

    “If you are a Pakistani entity then where is your condemnation of Israel bombings? Where are your meals for Gaza? This wouldn’t cut it unfortunately,” another user wrote.

    “Spineless chain. Could have supported Palestine but all they care about is their commercial interests and not making international stakeholders unhappy,” another user wrote.