President of the United States (US) Joe Biden and Donald Trump had the first public debate of the 2024 US presidential race; however, Biden struggled to articulate his points at several moments, often fumbling his words.
Netizens did not spare Biden as memes ruled the social media with many Democrat supporters disappointed at Biden’s inability to articulate his words, his old age and infirmity shining through.
Thursday evening’s performance took place at the CNN news network’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It marked the first time since October 2020 that the two candidates met on the debate stage.
But from the moment Biden stepped on stage, the Democratic president seemed to wobble, muttering as he approached the podium.
At one moment during the speech, Biden talked about border control with slurred speech, to which Trump replied, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of his speech; I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
Hum TV is gearing up to captivate Pakistani television audiences with its latest drama series, ‘Mann Jogi,’ helmed by renowned director Kashif Nisar. The stellar cast, including Bilal Abbas Khan, Sabeena Farooq, and Mirza Gohar Rasheed, has already sparked immense anticipation among fans eagerly awaiting its premiere.
Written by the acclaimed Zafar Mairaj and directed by Kashif Nisar, known for their collaboration on ‘Kabli Pulao,’ expectations are high for their ability to craft compelling narratives and deliver exceptional storytelling.
Produced under the guidance of visionary director and producer Sultana Siddiqui, ‘Mann Jogi’ promises a fresh perspective and engaging storyline. The recently unveiled first look featuring Bilal Abbas Khan has further piqued curiosity, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable viewing experience.
Adding another layer of excitement, Sabeena Farooq makes her singing debut with the drama’s OST, collaborating with Sahir Ali Bagga to create a soul-stirring soundtrack that resonates deeply with listeners.
Mirza Gohar Rasheed’s portrayal of Shabbir in ‘Mann Jogi’ has already become a topic of speculation among fans. With his versatile acting skills, viewers are eager to uncover the depths of his character and the role he will play in the unfolding drama.
Israel launched air strikes on Gaza Thursday after warning Hezbollah, Hamas’s ally in Lebanon, to avoid a large-scale war that would send the neighbouring country “back to the Stone Age”.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made the comment during a visit to Washington, where he discussed the Gaza war, long-running efforts toward a truce, and ways to avoid a wider regional conflagration.
As cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have risen, Gallant stressed that “we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario”.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his visit to Washington this weekDrew ANGERER
“Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched,” he said of the fighter group.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded near daily cross-border fire since October 7.
But tensions have surged since Israel said this month that its Lebanon war plans are ready, sparking threats from Hezbollah that, in the event of all-out war, none of Israel would be safe.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Gallant this week that a war with Hezbollah could have “terrible consequences for the Middle East” and urged a diplomatic solution.
A Palestinian boy sits on a war-damaged road at al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 26, 2024Eyad BABA
UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths warned that Lebanon was “the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints” and that a full war would be “potentially apocalyptic”.
Germany has joined Canada in advising its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country, reiterating warnings first issued shortly after October 7.
In the latest clashes on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported about 10 Israeli strikes near the border, while Hezbollah claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions.
A US official said Washington was engaged in “fairly intensive conversations” with Israel, Lebanon and other actors and believed that no side sought a “major escalation”.
Meanwhile, the Gaza war at the heart of regional tensions ground on, despite comments Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “intense phase” of the assault on Gaza was nearing an end.
An Israeli Air Force F-16 Jet fighter aircraft flies over the border area between northern Israel and southern LebanonJACK GUEZ
Israeli air strikes overnight and early Thursday killed at least five people in Gaza City, said Gaza’s civil defence agency and Al-Mamdani hospital medics.
One person was killed when a warplane bombed a house in Beit Lahia, paramedics said.
Heavy fighting, artillery shelling and helicopter fire were reported Thursday around northern Gaza’s Shujayia market, as well as approaching Israeli ground vehicles.
Hamas’ press office in Gaza reported “a significant displacement of residents” there and said people “are fleeing to areas of refuge in Gaza City that are already overcrowded”.
An anonymous witness told AFP the situation was “very difficult and frightening in Shujayia after the arrival of occupation (Israeli) vehicles and air fire.”
“Residents are running through the streets in terror… a number of wounded and martyrs lie in the streets.”
A handout picture released by the Jordanian army shows humanitarian aid being airdropped from a military aircraft over southern Gaza on June 25, 2024-
Shelling also targeted Gaza City, sending plumes of smoke into the sky, and Israeli forces blew up several buildings in far-southern Rafah, witnesses said.
The Israeli military also said it had “attacked terrorists who were in a school complex in Khan Yunis” in the south, where the civil defence agency said it had recovered several bodies.
US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have voiced hope a Gaza ceasefire could also lead to a reduction in hostilities on the Lebanese border.
However, months of talks towards a truce and hostage release deal have so far failed as Israel has rejected Hamas’ demands for a permanent end to fighting and full troop withdrawal.
Israel has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from Gaza’s health ministry.
This handout picture released by the Israeli army on June 25, 2024 shows an Israeli army tracked vehicle during operations in the Gaza Strip-
The war and siege have triggered a dire humanitarian crisis, with Gaza hospitals struggling to function and food, drinking water and other essentials hard to come by.
USAID officials said Wednesday that just 1,000 of the 7,000 tonnes of aid shipped from Cyprus to Gaza had been distributed, blaming looting and security problems.
Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is intense, said US doctors and nurses returning from the territory, who reported patients in the few remaining hospitals were dying in large numbers.
Israeli tanks seen in central Gaza, gunfire heard
One of the volunteer medics, former US army combat surgeon Adam Hamawy, said he had worked in many war-torn and natural disaster-hit countries in the past 30 years.
“But the level of civilian casualties that I experienced was beyond anything I’d seen before,” the 54-year-old told AFP.
“Most of our patients were children under the age of 14,” he said. “This has nothing to do with your political views.”
Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan may be the biggest stars in Bollywood but which one of them is the most professional when it comes to work ethics?
Ace actor Nawaz Uddin Siddiqui has a fair idea of what working with the Khans is like. The three Khans have worked together on several films with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. In a recent interview with ‘Let’s Talk’, he discussed the qualities that make them superstars.
“Salman Khan is a fun-loving person, Shah Rukh Khan works very hard, and Aamir Khan is a perfectionist”. I never felt jealous of the three Khans’ success. I aspire to be a good actor and never wanted to be a superstar,” he added. When asked which of the three Khans is the best, ge refused to name a favourite, instead praising each one’s qualities.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui said that “Shah Rukh Khan is a very enthusiastic person who works tirelessly until the task is complete. His incredible hard work taught me humility.” He also said that “Aamir Khan is a perfectionist who has given us exceptional cinema, and his filmmaking is vast and diverse.”
Nawazuddin has worked with Salman Khan in films like ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and ‘Kick’, with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Raees’, and with Aamir Khan in ‘Talash’ and ‘Sarfrosh.’
In an unusual development in the National Assembly today, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Zartaj Gul requested the Speaker of House Ayaz Sadiq to “look into my eyes” when she addressed the floor with the speaker replying, “I don’t look into women’s eyes.”
The PTI leader stated, “This is a request, sir, that if you don’t make eye contact with me, I cannot conduct my speech. I am a leader who won this seat through 150,000 votes from the people.”
The speaker of the National Assembly replied, “I will listen to you but will not make eye contact with women.”
The female PTI leader clapped back, “If you ignore the 52 percent female population and don’t make eye contact with them, then only selected leaders will get to this House.”
Former Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi met his cousin and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain in a bid to improve family relations, putting aside the decision to choose a different political path.
During the meeting between the two, both confirmed that family relations between the cousins have been reestablished.
“Reconciliation was achieved between the Chaudhry brothers and family relations have been restored,” sources confirmed.
The politicians who were also present at the meeting between the Chaudhry brothers disclosed that both cousins agreed to keep their political paths separate, adding that Chaudhry Shujaat invited Parvez Elahi to rejoin PML-Q.
An intense heat wave in the American capital, Washington DC, did not spare a wax statue of former American President Abraham Lincoln.
The statue of Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, had been placed at Camp Barker, an American Civil War-era refugee camp.
As the heat intensified, the head melted first, then one of his legs dropped off from the torso, and a foot turned into a blob. The chair sank into the ground.
At one point, the head of the statue melted and hung backwards, after which the administration separated the head from the statue and preserved it for later re-installation.
However, the head from the 6ft wax sculpture of the Lincoln Memorial is now under repair, leaving behind a wire sticking out of the 16th president’s neck. The statue was installed at the same location last September, but the first version of the wax monument included over 100 wicks that were prematurely lit, melting a significant portion of the art installation ahead of its dedication ceremony.
The new version was installed in February with fewer wicks, but the heat melted it as the DC-metro area was under a heat alert over the weekend.
Ushna Shah has a funny bone and she usually showed it on social media.
The superstar was recently confronted with speculations of pregnancy, a weird rumor that started after she posted photos and videos on Instagram that made some of her followers think she might be expecting.
One fan even congratulated Shah, commenting, “Mashallah, she is expecting.”
However, Shah quickly cleared things up, saying that any appearance of a baby bump was just because of her tight dress. “It’s just the dress. I’ve worked hard to stay slim,” Shah explained. Ushna married golfer Hamza Amin last year. Shah’s recent straightforward clarification has ended rumors, showing her dedication to keeping in touch with fans on social media.
A district and session court in Islamabad has rejected petitions submitted by incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension in the Iddat case filed against them.
Judge Afzal Majoka announced the reserved verdict today. On February 3, a local court sentenced PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to seven years in prison on a plea filed by Bushra Bibi’s former husband, Khanwar Maneka.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan should respond tit-for-tat to the recent US House of Representative resolution demanding a probe into the February 8 elections.
“In response to them, we will also bring about a resolution. We must show our sovereignty, we must show our unity, we must show that we mean business. This [resolution] makes no sense,” exclaimed the senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader addressing the floor of the National Assembly today.
Earlier this week, the US House of Representatives, in an overwhelming majority, voted to demand an investigation into the rigging allegations of Pakistan’s general elections this year.
The move triggered a strong response from Islamabad, with the Foreign Office saying it “stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan”.
