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Tag: USA

  • Muslim killings in US: Police arrest Muslim immigrant

    Police in New Mexico, United States (US), have arrested a Muslim Afghan immigrant named Muhammad Syed, 51, in connection with the deaths of Muslim men in Albuquerque city. The police have charged Syed with two murders.

    A total of four murders took place. All victims were of Afghan or Pakistani descent. One was killed in November, and the other three in the last two weeks.

    It was speculated that Shia and Sunni tensions may have led to Syed’s actions. However, the police said that while they are aware of the sectarian narrative, the motive is still being “explored” by investigators. 

    Albuquerque police deputy commander Kyle Hartsock stated: “We have heard those things, but we’re not sure if that’s the only motivation”, reports CNN.

    In a statement, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) said, “As their detectives prepared to search Syed’s home in Southeast Albuquerque on Monday, he drove from the residence in the Volkswagen Jetta that detectives believe was used in at least one of the murders.”

    “Detectives discovered evidence that showed the suspect knew the victims to some extent and an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings,” the police statement added.

    The APD said Syed was being charged with two of the homicides, the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein and the August 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.

    “Detectives connected those homicides using bullet casings found at the scenes. The gun used in these shootings was discovered during the overnight search of [Syed’s] home,” the police said.

    The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement about the arrest in which the organisation “strongly condemned the anti-Shia hatred that may have motivated the killings”.

    ‘Strongly stand with Muslim community’: US President Biden condemns killing of Muslim men in New Mexico

    Earlier, US President Joe Biden condemned the killing of four Muslims — two of them Pakistanis, in Albuquerque, a city in the southern state of New Mexico. The local authorities are describing the killings as targeted attacks.

    “I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” tweeted US President Biden.

    “These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.

    Four Muslim men killed in New Mexico

    The latest victim was gunned down on Friday night. The police said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim, and a native from South Asia.

    The local Islamic leaders said that the horrific incident occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.

    Before this killing, two of the previous victims were Muslim and Pakistani men. A 27-year-old’s body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old’s body was discovered on July 26.

    According to Tahir Gauba, spokesperson for the Islamic Centre of New Mexico, the three latest victims belonged to the same mosque.

    Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021.

    Mayor Tim Keller said state authorities were working to provide an “extra police presence at mosques during times of prayer”.

  • ‘I am not personally responsible for Khashoggi’s murder,’ Saudi Crown Prince tells Biden

    ‘I am not personally responsible for Khashoggi’s murder,’ Saudi Crown Prince tells Biden

    United States (US) President Joe Biden on Friday fist bumped Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrived for talks aimed at repairing the relationship between the US and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. and shared a fist bump. Biden is in Saudi Arabia for a Summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Council (GCC) countries plus Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.

    In a brief press conference following his closed-door meeting with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden told reporters that he discussed journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder among other things.

    Saudi Arabia opens airspace for Israel:

    “The Saudis will open their airspace to all civilian carriers. That is a big deal. A big deal. Not only symbolically, but substantively, it’s a big deal. It means Saudi airspace is now open to flights to and from Israel. This is the first tangible step in the path of what I hope will eventually be a broader normalisation of relations.”

    On Yemen:

    “We agreed to work together to deepen and extend the Yemen ceasefire. And you know there’s been — there’s carnage been in Yemen of late. And it’s been in place more than three months, resulting in the most peaceful period in Yemen in seven years.”

    “We further agreed to pursue a diplomatic process to achieve a wider settlement in Yemen. The Saudi — and Saudi leadership also committed to continue to facilitate the delivery of food and humanitarian goods to civilians. In this context, we discussed Saudi Arabia’s security needs to defend the Kingdom, given very real threats from Iran and Iran’s proxies.”

    Saudi investment in US-led technology:

    “We concluded several new arrangements to better position our nations for the coming decades. Saudi Arabia will invest in new US-led technology to develop and secure reliable 5G and 6G networks, both here and in the future, in developing countries to coordinate with the Partnership for Global Initiative — the Global Infrastructure and Investment, which I put together at the G7. This new technology solution for 5G, called Open RAN, will outcompete other platforms, including from China.”

    New cooperation on energy security:

    “Saudi Arabia will also partner with us on a far-reaching clean energy initiative focused on green hydrogen, solar, carbon capture, nuclear, and other projects to accelerate the world’s clean energy transition and to help the US clean energy industry set global standards.”

    “And fifth, we had a good — we had a good discussion on ensuring global energy security and adequate oil supplies to support global economic growth. And that will begin shortly. And I’m doing all I can to increase the supply for the United States of America, which I expect to happen. The Saudis share that urgency, and based on our discussions today, I expect we’ll see further steps in the coming weeks.”

    Khashoggi Murder:

    “With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think of it now. And it was exactly — I was straightforward and direct in discussing it. I made my view crystal clear. I said very straightforwardly: for an American President to be silent on an issue of human rights, is this consistent with — inconsistent with who we are and who I am? I’ll always stand up for our values.”

    While answering a question about Crown Prince’s response to hiss comments about Khashoggi, Biden said, “He basically said that he was not personally responsible for it. I indicated that he probably was. He said he was not personally responsible for it and he took action against those who were responsible. And — and we — and then I went on to talk more about how that dealing with any opposition to the — or criticism of the Saudi administration in other countries was viewed as, to me, a violation of human rights. There was no (inaudible).”

    “The blood of MBS’s next victim is on your hands,” a reported narrated these comments by Khashoggi’s wife about Biden’s visit and asked Biden that what he had to say about it.

    “I’m sorry she feels that way. I was straightforward back then. I was straightforward today,” replied Biden.

    “I didn’t come here to meet with the Crown Prince.  I came here to meet with the GCC and nine nations to deal with the security and the needs of the free world, and particularly the United States, and not leave a vacuum here, which was happening as it has in other parts of the world.”

    He was also asked if he regrets calling the Saudis a “pariah” during his campaign.

    “I don’t regret anything I said,” Biden responded.

  • ‘Mai ne video banaayi hui hai, agar mujhe kuch hua toh public ko sab pata chal jayega’: Imran Khan

    ‘Mai ne video banaayi hui hai, agar mujhe kuch hua toh public ko sab pata chal jayega’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Tuesday that he knows the names of those who were involved in the conspiracy to oust his government but said he is quiet for the sake of the country as he doesn’t want to harm Pakistan.

    Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Khan claimed that he has recorded a video that involves information about those who have committed “treason”. He said, “Mai ne video banaayi hui hai, agar mujhe kuch hua toh public ko sab pata chal jayega“, (I have recorded a video. If something happens to me, it will be made public). He added that if “they keep sidelining and harassing us, I will tell everything”.

    About the cases registered against Khan and his party members, he said this is being done to “shut them up”.

    “I have never seen such fascism in Pakistan, such a situation is leading Pakistan towards anarchy,” he said. Khan further added that the government can control the media but not social media. “Everyone has a voice now.”

    Khan also condemned the recent incidents of attacks on journalists. He posed a question, ” I ask the judiciary, has martial law been imposed? I ask them whether human rights have been suspended in the country?” Khan said that terrorism cases have been registered against them to keep them quiet.

    Criticising the incumbent government, the PTI Chairman said, “They will accept Israel as a state, will provide Pakistan’s bases to the United States, and will discard the Kashmiri people to establish better relations with India.”

    Moreover, Khan urged the public to come out to vote on July 17 in the Punjab by-elections. “PTI has to win the by-elections despite the election rigging,” adding that this is “jihad ” for the country.

    Khan said that Pakistan can only be saved from this crisis through transparent elections while saying that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cannot be trusted.

  • ‘Free and fair’ elections, demands Khan

    ‘Free and fair’ elections, demands Khan

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Sunday demanded free and fair election and revealed that he expects match-fixing in Punjab by-elections.

    PTI took out countrywide protests against rising inflation at Khan’s call on Sunday. Khan addressed his supporters via video-link.

    On Monday, Khan thanked his supporters for coming out across Pakistan yesterday, especially those “who braved difficulties & in some cities rain, to join our protest against massive inflation & clearly reject Imported Govt of crooks imposed by US regime change conspiracy”.

    No free lunch, warns Khan

    Imran Khan warned that Pakistan can become the next Sri Lanka. He said that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has asked for the support of the United States (US) for the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. “I want to tell Miftah Ismail and Shehbaz Sharif that the Americans have a philosophy, which is that there is no free lunch. Everything has a price. The US will extract our sovereignty as a price.” Khan said that the new government seems ready to pay this price.

    Recognising Israel part of foreign conspiracy agenda: Khan

    Khan also mentioned Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwalla’s statement on the potential of Pakistan having diplomatic ties with Israel. “This is part of the same agenda due to which there was a regime change. The agenda is to follow what Israel, India and the US want,” said Khan.

    However, Mandviwalla clarified on Sunday that his words were being taken out of context. “I never wanted Pakistan to further ties with Israel or indulge in trade with it,” said Mandviwalla, adding that recognising Israel was not in Pakistan’s interests.

    Match-fixing in Punjab by-polls on the cards

    “We have to struggle together. Get ready. I will soon give another call for protest, which will continue until we are given a date for free and fair elections. Not just elections but free and fair elections,” said Khan.

    He reiterated that there is a plan of rigging by-elections in Punjab through ‘match-fixing’. By-polls in Punjab are set to take place next month in July.

    Imran Khan’s full address can be seen here:

  • Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Snapchat is reportedly working on a subscription plan that will allow users access to several features, including the ability to pin conversations. With the launch of Snapchat +, users may have to pay to access exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features on social media platforms. With a premium subscription, Snapchat users will get a special Snapchat icon and a special badge.

    What is Snapchat Plus?

    With Snapchat Plus, Liz Markman (Snapchat Spokesperson) reports, subscribers will have access to certain features of the app.

    “You’ll be able to pin friends as best friends, get custom snap chat icons and subscriber profile badges, and see how many retweets you have on Snap Stories”. He also notes that “you will be able to see your friends’ location in the last 24 hours, but only if they share it with you”.

    Why paid when they can offer free?

    This is not the only social media platform to launch a paid subscription model. Other social media platforms are also running the same race. For example, Twitter launched its first subscription offer, Twitter Blue, in June, which is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

    The transition to a subscription-based business model may be the result of app tracking transparency, a feature introduced by Apple in iOS 14 that requires apps to ask users before they can track their data. Companies such as Snap and Meta have publicly stated that Apple’s new guidelines have affected their revenue, which is largely based on advertising.

    By introducing new subscription plans, these companies hope to offset the loss in advertising revenue by charging for access to special features that will not be available to free users.

    How much does Snapchat Plus cost?

    The service costs € 4.59 (Rs1,009) monthly or € 45.99 (Rs10,111) per year.

    It is not clear when Snapchat Plus will launch as it is still in testing mode, but keep an eye out for it. Will you pay for it?

  • Ambassador Masood Khan met President Biden in Washington

    Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington Sardar Masood Khan met United States (US) President Joe Biden at the White House for a “meet and greet”.

    The Pakistani embassy said that Khan also went to have a official photograph with the US President, which is an established tradition in Washington DC for a newly appointed envoy.

    During the meeting, President Biden and Ambassador Khan had a brief conversation on building a strong basis to move US-Pakistan ties forward.

    According to the embassy statement, the official photograph has completed all formalities hence formalising Khan’s position as Pakistan’s envoy to the country.

    Apart from Masood Khan, ambassadors from 46 other countries were also present at the White House to get their official photographs with Biden. Previously, due to Covid restrictions, like Khan, they were also unable to meet the US President.

    Ambassador Khan was sent to Washington in March by the previous government. Following the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was speculated that it would impact Masood’s appointment.

    But Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Munir Akram clarified that current ambassadors continue to represent the country in foreign capitals unless specifically asked by the new government to return home.

  • VIDEO: Justin Bieber reveals he is suffering from facial paralysis

    VIDEO: Justin Bieber reveals he is suffering from facial paralysis

    Canadian popstar Justin Bieber revealed that he is suffering from facial paralysis after cancelling a series of shows on his latest tour. He was on his Justice tour in North America but cancelled performances in New York, Washington DC and Toronto.

    In a video posted on his Instagram page, the 28-year-old singing sensation said he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after a virus had damaged the nerves in his ear.

    Justin Bieber revealed: “As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move, so there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”

    According to the BBC, the Ramsay Hunt syndrome is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone’s ears.

    Bieber asked his fans to understand as he will be using this time rest and relax.

    “I hope you guys understand, and I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100 per cent so I can do what I was born to do. But in the meantime, this ain’t it.”

    READ MORE: By 20 I made every bad decision you could have thought of: Justin Bieber

    Bieber’s last album, Justice, released in March 2021, has been certified platinum in the US, and got to second in the UK album charts. Bieber’s Justice World Tour began in February.

  • Shireen Mazari urges UN to stop Govt from misusing blasphemy law against PTI

    Shireen Mazari urges UN to stop Govt from misusing blasphemy law against PTI

    Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari wrote a special letter to United Nations (UN) to stop the Pakistani government from misusing blasphemy law against former Prime Minister (PM) PM Imran Khan and his party leaders.

    According to Dawn, the letter has been addressed to the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, special rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression, and special rapporteur on the freedom of religion and belief.

    The letter states that the country had been engulfed in a political crisis since PTI was ousted in the aftermath of [which PTI claims] is “regime change scheme” and replaced with a government led by Shehbaz Sharif, who has been named in “multiple money-laundering and corruption cases and is out on bail”.

    In the letter, Mazari pointed out major human rights violations conducted against Khan.

    “One: A complete blackout of media coverage by state-owned media as well as almost all private channels through a carrot (advertisements) and stick (establishment). In this connection, the government-controlled PTCL, which provides cable connections to cable operators, has denied this access to any private channel seen covering Khan’s massive rallies.”

    The second violation highlighted by Mazari was the registration of blasphemy cases against PTI leader in connection with the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident.

    According to her, it was not a planned incident. “To use the Madina incident as an excuse to file charges of blasphemy means endangering lives of Imran and party’s leadership,” the former minister wrote.

    She informed that one member of the NA from the PTI-allied party is already under custody on blasphemy charges.

    Last week, Faisalabad police registered a case under ‘blasphemy laws’ against the PTI chairman and over 150 others following the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident.

    Top leaders of the PTI and Imran’s close associates, including Chaudhry, Gill, Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir, Aneel Musarrat as well as Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were nominated.

    The complainant— Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad alleged the Masjid-e-Nabwi episode was a “planned and thought-out conspiracy” and supported his claims by referring to videos and speeches made by certain PTI leaders.

  • Pakistan to host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in 2023

    Pakistan will host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in the next year 2023. The age limit for players to play in the tournament would be 40 and above.

    According to Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), 12 teams will play in the tournament which will commence on September 23, 2023, at six venues in Karachi while the final match will be played on October 8.

    Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman PVCA told the media: “Pakistan will be joined in the World Cup by old rivals – India, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, Wales, UAE, and Namibia.”

    He added, “It is going to be a major event and we will take all steps to make sure that we host it successfully.”

    “We have a number of leading cricketers who would be eligible to compete in the World Cup. We are hoping that top players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez will play for Pakistan. We are going to field a very strong team and will be the favorites to win the World Cup,” he further said.

    There is a new concept that will give an opportunity to former cricketers to play on the fields again while young audiences and players will also get another chance to see their seniors playing on the grounds.

    Every match will be of 45 overs and local TV channels will broadcast the matches of Pakistan including the semi-finals and finals live.

    The Veterans World Cup, aged above 50, was first launched in Australia in 2018. However, its second edition was canceled due to a covid pandemic.

  • Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called the PM House a ‘Jamhoori House’ (Democratic House) and said that his government believed in media freedom. In an interaction with journalists at the PM House on April 26, Sharif said that the previous government was not just incompetent and corrupt but had damaged the country’s economy and foreign relations. PM Shehbaz talked about several issues.

    New army chief

    PM said that he has the constitutional right to appoint a new army chief. He added that he will appoint the new army chief as per the constitution and rules and regulations when the time comes for his appointment. This was in response to a question about the appointment of a new army chief since General Bajwa will not take an extension as per DG ISPR.

    Pak-US relations

    While answering a question about Pakistan’s relationship with the US, PM said that the US is a superpower so we need to maintain good relations with them. “Amreeka dushmani hamaaray waaray nahin” (we cannot afford enmity with the US). He added that we need to do some stock-taking regarding Pak-US ties and improve relations with the US.

    Foreign Policy

    Talking about foreign relations, PM Shehbaz said that the previous government had alienated allies and friends. “How can we say that we can raise the Kashmir issue without Saudi Arabia?”

    PM said that the members of the previous government had lied about loans on 8% by China apart from allegations of corruption against Chinese investment by Pervez Khattak and several others in PTI. “China helped us get rid of load shedding by investing in power plants.”

    Saudi Visit

    PM will be visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow (April 28-30) on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. PM Shehbaz said that he is likely to meet the Saudi leadership during his visit.

    Load shedding

    He said that there there is no other reason for frequent load shedding other than the negligence of previous government for not buying LNG and furnace oil on time. He also criticised the previous government for its baseless allegations against the LNG contract signed by the previous PML-N government. He said that Qatar must have been amazed that instead of thanking them for such a good deal, PTI indulged in “ilzaam taraashi” [allegations].

    Economic crisis

    “Pakistan is going through one of the most difficult times. We are trying to take the country in the right direction. We have seen how Japan and Germany rebuilt their economies after tough times. We have the examples of South Korea and Bangladeshi economies too. Once upon a time, Pakistan had a better per capita income than China but look at us now. Our currency was better than India’s. When India was ahead of us in the steel industry, we were ahead of them in textiles.”

    “There is no point crying over spilt milk but now it is time to rebuild our economy,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that it will be a difficult challenge but is not impossible to bring back our lost place in the comity of nations by strengthening our economy. “Rome was not built in a day.”

    “If we were economically strong, our foreign policy would have been stronger.”

    PECA

    The PM was asked if roll back of PECA was on the cards, to which he said that his government believes in freedom of media and media will not have to face any curbs but they need to differentiate between truth and fake news. “Media should highlight our mistakes. We welcome that. But it should not spread fake news.”

    Missing files

    When asked that there are reports that some files have been taken by the previous government from the PM House regarding sugar scandal and other scandals, Shehbaz said that if he is given evidence about the missing files, he will find them.

    Accountability

    He said that in the name of accountability, there will be no revenge. “Ehtesaab ke naam par intiqaam nahin leinge,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that businessmen say they will not invest here because the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will either arrest them or harass them. “Businessmen kehte hain ya NAB giraftaar kar leinge ya zaleel kareinge unko.”

    Elections

    The PM said that we will go for elections after carrying out necessary reforms, especially electoral reforms.

    Threat letter

    PM Shehbaz said that the National Security Committee meeting issued a clear statement that there was no conspiracy. “The punchline of the statement was that there is no saazish, no conspiracy.”

    Shehbaz said that if the threat letter was received on March 7, why did the PTI government talk about it on March 28? “March tak moonh mein taalay kyun laga kar baithay thay?” He asked when did the previous government turn this letter into a conspiracy. “When they knew they were going to lose in parliament. There is no question of a conspiracy whatsoever.”

    Karachi attack


    “The attack in Karachi University is a huge tragedy where three Chinese nationals died. China is our friend. I went to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad for solidarity,” said PM. He added that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah will go to Karachi on Wednesday (today) and help and coordinate with the Sindh government. “After our Saudi visit, we will hold a comprehensive meeting on security.”

    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan is not just our neighbour but our “baraadar mulk” (brother country). “If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be peace in Pakistan. What is good for Afghanistan is good for Pakistan.”


    PTI resignations

    PM said that they have found out that many resignations were taken by force from PTI MNAs and were not given voluntarily. “We will know the truth when the legal process has been completed.” He was asked whether the government could convince PTI to take back its resignations to be an effective Opposition.

    PTI long march

    While answering a question about Imran Khan’s call for march to Islamabad, PM said that if they won’t do anything unlawful, nothing will happen to them but he won’t allow anyone to spread anarchy on the roads.

    Pak Army

    The PM said that the Pak Army has given a lot of sacrifices for this country. “It is wrong to say anything negative about Pakistan’s army. It is condemnable,” said the PM when responding to a question about social media trends against the army.