LONDON: OnsJabeur, the Tunisian world number two, was denied the opportunity to make African tennis history when Russian-born Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to win Wimbledon on Saturday. Jabeur had the upper hand at the outset of the match, but Kazakhstan’s 17th seed recovered and lost just four more games to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. The winner declared, “I’ve never felt anything like this before.
“Congratulations Ons for all you have accomplished. You serve as an example for everyone, not just Tunisians. You excelled in the game. In the third game of the match, when Rybakina’s backhand went long, 27-year-old Jabeur broke him. She then gave him a delicious backhand hold to make him feel loved.
Rybakina was put under a lot of pressure on her own serve once more as the set nearly got away from her, but she persevered to hold for a 3-2 victory. But in the first set, she was unable to convert a single break point on the sun-baked Centre Court, and Jabeur won the set thanks to an error-filled service game.
Jabeur gave a fist pump in jubilation, and Rybakina went back to her seat to reflect on her costly 17 unforced errors. But as soon as the second set got underway, Rybakina broke Jabeur and held on to take a 2-0 lead. Jabeur had to work hard to maintain contact as Rybakina had now established her rhythm. The 6-foot-1, 1.84-meter tall Kazakh player, who is 23 years old, then resisted three break points.
In the final, the 17th seed was the first to score, breaking right away to put Jabeur under pressure. In frustration, the Tunisian lost three break points in the sixth game, which ended up being her final opportunity. In serving out for the set, Rybakina displayed some nervousness, but she ultimately won with her first championship point when Jabeur’s backhand went long.
In 2018, Rybakina, who was competing in her first Slam final, shifted her allegiance to Kazakhstan. Wimbledon has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes this year due to the invasion of Ukraine. Before this year’s Wimbledon, Rybakina had never advanced past the quarterfinals of a Slam. Jabeur congratulated the victor and said, “Hopefully, it will be mine next time.” ”Thanks to my team for support and believing in me,” she said.
Amber Heard claims that the wrong juror was assigned to the case, which, according to her attorneys, qualifies her for a mistrial “based on newly discovered facts and information.” She is suing Johnny Depp for defamation and is asking for a new trial.
According to paperwork submitted to the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, the actress asserted that “Juror No. 15 was not the individual summoned for jury duty on April 11, 2022.”
There is reportedly a difference in the ages of the two jurors; according to the documents, the juror who was initially chosen is 77 years old but lives at the same address as a 52-year-old.c
The filing states: “Where the fact and date of the jury trial were highly publicised prior to and after the issuance of the juror summonses, it is deeply troubling for an individual not summoned for jury duty nonetheless to appear for jury duty and serve on a jury, especially in a such as this.”
According to the paperwork, the Aquaman actress was not provided with “due process,” so she is requesting that a mistrial “and a new trial” be ordered.
All three of Johnny Depp’s defamation claims against his ex-wife Amber were successful. Streaming services and news channels broadcast the six-week trial.
As Pakistan observes the first day of Eid ul Adha, the meteorological department has warned that a new system of monsoon winds will begin to blow into the nation starting today (Sunday).
The Met office predicts rain for all three days of Eid ul Adha in coastal Sindh, including Karachi, and Balochistan.
In various parts of Karachi, today there may be some drizzle or light rain.
In the meantime, most roads in the city have less standing water now that the recent heavy rains have passed.
How is the weather with the rain in the rest of Pakistan? According to the Met department, Islamabad is experiencing cold winds, sparse sunshine, and a low temperature.
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala division, Sukkur, and Jaffarabad are all expected to experience rain.
Quetta and other locations in Balochistan are still experiencing rain.
Four millimetres of rain were recorded in Quetta over the course of the previous day, while Panjgur saw a maximum of 15 millimetres. Muslim Bagh saw 9mm of rain, Barkhan saw 6mm, Turbat saw 3mm, and Giwani saw 2mm. Lasbela and Sibi experienced a little rain as well.
Thunderstorms are predicted for Quetta, Khuzdar, Kalat, Dalbandin, Muslim Bagh, Lasbela, and Panjgur, according to the meteorological department.
Britney Spears attributes her mental health issues and conservatorship to America.
The 40-year-old scathingly accused the nation of bullying her in addition to making her life miserable in an online post.
I feel like America has done a wonderful job at humiliating me, she wrote in a lengthy online post.
“I’ve never experienced more bullying in my life in this country; it’s insane,” she continued. And, really, is it legal to make that many documentaries about someone without getting their permission at all?
“But seriously, consider it… I’ve never seen a subject the subject of that many documentaries. Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Will Smith. Nobody on the face of the earth would dig up that much negative footage for a TV special that claimed to be “HELPING ME”—not a network, TV production, or anyone else. A REALLY???
It was the most offensive thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life, and everyone I’ve spoken to has said that’s why the conservatorship ended. OMG, REALLY? That is the most depressing thing I have ever witnessed.
“So people can expose me and not only get away with what they did to me, not even close to telling what they really did to me,”
Rama X, also known as Maha Vajiralongkorn, is the King of Thailand and is worth £24 billion.
He leads a lavish and contentious life in Bavaria, Germany, with his wives and mistresses.
He had five more children with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth after having a daughter with his first wife, Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara.
According to the details, “After divorcing his wife, he then married Yuvadhida, but they split up two years later, and she and all the kids moved to Britain.”
“The prince, furious, kidnapped his daughter and took her back to Thailand, but not before putting up signs around the palace charging his ex-wife with adultery.
According to the publication, “His wife and sons were all stripped of their titles while his daughter was given the title of princess.”
For the royal household, Queen Elizabeth II has strict dinner regulations.
Even her great-grandchildren must behave properly at the dinner table according to the prim and proper monarch.
Gyles Brandreth said on Thursday’s This Morning on ITV (July 7).
“The Queen is my role model in everything,” he declared. Mobile phones during mealtimes is one of the things she won’t permit at the table with her grandchildren or even her great-grandchildren.
She prefers a formal setting, and I share her preference. It does not imply that you must have a napkin with you.
“But you do have to sit at the table nicely and you certainly mustn’t eat with your mouth open!”
Etiquette expert William Hanson earlier told “When dining with Her Majesty, no one should begin until she begins eating; similarly, when the Queen’s cutlery goes into the finished position, everyone else should follow suit – regardless of whether there is food left on their own plates.
“Starting your meal before or ending it after the Queen would be noticed by others. At your own peril commit such a faux pas.”
However, you must eat with your mouth closed and must sit at the table politely.
In a previous interview, etiquette expert William Hanson said: “When dining with Her Majesty, no one should begin until she begins eating; similarly, when the Queen’s cutlery goes into the finished position, everyone else should follow suit – regardless of whether there is food still on their own plates.
“Others would notice if you began or ended your meal before the Queen. You should never make such a mistake.
ISLAMABAD: On the joyous occasion of Eid ul Adha, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Pakistanis and the Muslim Ummah and sent them his warmest wishes.
He claimed in his message for Eid that Allah made sacrifice an extraordinary ritual to express his admiration for Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail’s obedience (AS).
He claimed that imitating Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and his honourable son Hazrat Ismail (AS) will lead to salvation, and he added that Muslims can fulfil their Eid duty by providing aid to the needy, widows, and orphans.
During Eid ul Adha, he urged Pakistanis to pay special attention to helping their brothers and sisters who are struggling.
“We should share the joy of Eid with the less fortunate people nearby who are impacted by the wave of global inflation, “said he.
In addition, we ought to fully assist those who have been impacted by the recent rains and floods. We owe it to them to be there for them and feel their pain “said he.
He claimed that the significance of sacrifice during Eid can teach the younger generation a lot.
The PM urged the youth to set a good example for tolerance, endurance, selflessness, and sacrifice in their communities.
He urged people to strictly abide by safety precautions in order to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.
He gave the relevant district administrations and departments instructions on how to efficiently carry out their duties, promptly remove animal waste, and maintain cleanliness.
COLOMBO: Following a violent day of protests in which protesters stormed the president’s official residence and set fire to the prime minister’s home in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced on Saturday that he intends to step down in response to intense pressure.
An explosion of joyous fireworks broke out in the city after the announcement, which came after a dramatic uptick in months of largely peaceful anti-government protests over a dire economic crisis on the 22 million-person island in the Indian Ocean.
The president himself didn’t immediately respond.
Rajapaksa informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that he would leave his position on Wednesday, the speaker said in a video statement.
According to Abeywardena, “the decision to leave office on July 13 was taken to ensure a peaceful handover of power.” As a result, he pleaded with the populace to uphold the law and keep the peace.
According to a statement released by his office on Saturday night, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also stated that he was ready to step down to make way for an all-party government.
If this would calm public ire was not yet clear.
Although the speaker earlier outlined suggestions from a meeting of political parties on Saturday that would include parliament choosing an acting president within a week, specifics of how a transition of power would take place were not yet known.
AWAY FROM THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE
Soldiers and police struggled throughout the day to contain a mob of chanting protesters calling for Rajapaksa’s resignation and accusing him of causing the nation’s worst economic crisis in seven decades.
According to a witness, police opened fire in the air but were unable to stop the crowd from encircling the presidential residence.
Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe weren’t inside their homes when the structures were attacked.
A Facebook livestream showed hundreds of protesters cramming into rooms and hallways inside the president’s whitewashed colonial-era home. Some of the demonstrators were wearing flag-draped clothing.
While others sat on sofas and four-poster beds, some of them could be seen splashing around in the swimming pool in video footage. Images that were widely shared on social media showed some emptying out a chest of drawers.
Prior to the anticipated weekend protest, Rajapaksa had left on Friday as a safety measure, according to two sources in the defence ministry.
A large fire and smoke were seen coming from Wickremesinghe’s private residence in an affluent Colombo neighbourhood later on Saturday, according to video footage on local news channels. According to his office, the fire was started by protesters.
There were no initial reports of fire-related injuries. According to a government source, Wickremesinghe had relocated to a secure area.
During the protests, at least 39 people, including two police officers, were hospitalised with injuries.
The country is struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage that has limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine, plunging it into the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
Soaring inflation, which reached a record 54.6% in June and is expected to hit 70% in the coming months, has heaped hardship on the population.
PARTY TALKS
The decision by the president and prime minister to step aside came after Wickremesinghe held talks with several political party leaders to decide what steps to take following the unrest.
Wickremesinghe has informed the party leaders that he is ready to step down as prime minister to allow an all-party government to take office, according to a statement from his office.
In a letter to Rajapaksa, the parliamentary speaker, Abeywardena, stated that a number of decisions had been made at the meeting of party leaders, including the immediate resignation of the president and prime minister and the convening of parliament within seven days to elect an acting president.
According to the letter made public by the Speaker’s office, “Under the acting president, the current parliament may appoint a new prime minister and an interim government.”
“Thereafter, under a predetermined period of time, elections for a new parliament may be held,” it was added.
Kusal Perera, a political analyst, described the situation as “dicey.”
“The president and prime minister’s resignation will create a power vacuum that could be dangerous if a clear transition is not put in place,” Perera said. “The Speaker can name a new all-party government, but it remains to be seen whether the protesters will accept them.”
ECONOMIC DISASTER
Sri Lanka is seeking a $3 billion bailout, the restructuring of some of its foreign debt, and fund-raising from multilateral and bilateral sources to ease the dollar shortage. Political instability could jeopardise its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the tourism-based economy and reduced remittances from foreign workers, which led to the development of the economic crisis.
Excessive government debt, rising oil prices, and a ban on the import of chemical fertilisers last year that completely destroyed agriculture have all contributed to its aggravation. In November, the ban on fertilisers was lifted.
However, many attribute Rajapaksa’s economic mismanagement as the cause of the nation’s decline.
Since the cash-strapped nation stopped receiving fuel shipments, forcing school closures and rationing of gasoline and diesel for essential services, discontent has risen.
KARACHI: There was widespread speculation that China, the second-largest economy in the world, would move its labor-intensive industries, such as textile, to Pakistan to benefit from lower production costs. The action would open up employment opportunities for Pakistan’s cheap labour force and contribute to an increase in export revenues.
Despite their higher labour costs than Pakistan and much smaller populations, Cambodia, Laos, and even Ethiopia have attracted a number of Chinese industries that Pakistan has so far been unable to attract.
To highlight the barriers to foreign investment in Pakistan, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), a business policy advocacy platform, published a thorough study titled “Catalysing Private Investment in Pakistan: Leveraging Chinese Investment in CPEC” in May 2022.
Given that Beijing is moving its industrial facilities outside of its borders and removing the “Made in China” label from many products in an effort to regain US markets, Pakistan may yet welcome some Chinese businesses as well as foreign investment from other international locations.
As part of a trade war, Washington has raised import taxes on a variety of Chinese goods.
According to the PBC study, its goal is to give policymakers advice on how to address the fundamental problems that have led to low investment in Pakistan.
The report highlights the challenges faced by Chinese investment in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework and compares key indicators with Pakistan’s peer economies.
According to the study, Chinese manufacturers seem to have relocated some of their production abroad in order to avoid the “Made in China” label, particularly to Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Smaller nations in the region, like Cambodia and Laos, appear to have benefited from sizable inflows of Chinese FDI.
Pakistan has a sizable opportunity thanks to the trend of Chinese manufacturers moving their operations offshore. The manufacturing of textiles and apparel is the main focus of this opportunity (to draw Chinese factories).
However, if the right environment is created, a variety of other industries, from auto parts and light engineering to mobile phone assembly/manufacturing, can also be the potential targets for relocation.
Since 2013, China’s investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has increased steadily. Between 2013 and 2020, it invested a total of $139.5 billion in these nations.
According to the study, Pakistan’s share of China’s OFDI (outward foreign direct investment) in BRI nations since 2013 was 5.1 percent, with total gross inflows totaling $7.1 billion during this time.
The report identifies a number of significant problems that Pakistani investors face. These include the political risk that prevents long-term investment, a business-unfriendly tax and regulatory system, low labour productivity, weak intellectual property rights, uncompetitive energy prices, high logistic costs, and limited comparative advantage in accessing external markets through bilateral or regional trade agreements, among others.
In comparison to the surge in investment in peer countries, the flow of FDI into Pakistan has remained low as a proportion of its gross domestic product (GDP) and in relation to the size of its market.
In contrast to Laos ($5.1 billion), Cambodia ($3.6 billion), and Vietnam ($5.5 billion), Pakistan attracted FDI worth $1.8 billion in 2020. However, Bangladesh only received $1.5 billion more in FDI.
Fitch, a ratings agency, downgraded Turkey’s debt rating from “B+” to “B” in Istanbul, citing rising inflation and a range of economic worries, including a growing current account deficit and interventionist policies.
A currency crisis at the end of last year and the lira’s continued decline were the main causes of Turkey’s inflation spike, which reached a 24-year high of 78.62 percent in June. Price increases have also been fueled by the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in import-dependent Turkey, particularly as a result of rising energy and commodity costs.
The agency confirmed in a statement that the outlook for its rating is “negative,” and it added that it anticipates Turkey’s consumption to slow due to rising inflation, a weaker currency, and declining domestic confidence.
The highest annual inflation rate among the sovereigns the agency rates will be 71.4 percent this year, according to Fitch, who also noted that its trajectory is still very uncertain.
According to Fitch, excessively accommodating policies up until parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for no later than June 2023 will cause average inflation to slow to 57 percent in 2023.
Last year, a series of rate cuts from the central bank contributed significantly to the 44 percent decline in the value of the lira against the dollar. The value of the currency has fallen by another 23% so far this year.
The government has taken steps to stem the lira’s decline. A recent move by the BDDK banking watchdog to restrict lira lending to foreign currency-rich companies helped it rally briefly last week as corporates sold hard currencies. Referring to the move, Fitch said “policies are becoming increasingly interventionist as well as unpredictable.”
Despite moderate to severe rains in some regions of the nation and a recent rise in the number of Covid cases, the nation celebrated Eidul Azha Pakistan on Sunday with the customary zeal and fervour.
Eidul Azha, one of the most important religious holidays observed by Muslims worldwide, commemorates the completion of Hajj rituals at Mina, Makkah, on the tenth of Zul Hijah (the last month of the Islamic calendar).
Since Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) was willing to sacrifice his only son at Allah’s command, this Eid is known as the “Feast of Sacrifice.” Muslims today emulate the prophet’s submission by butchering sacrificed animals.
To mark the occasion, congregational prayers were held all over the nation. Special prayers were offered for Pakistan’s security, development, and prosperity.
Additionally, prayers were offered for the liberation of Palestine, the end of the ongoing conflict and corruption in other Muslim nations, and the release of illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir by India.
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) urged the public to wear masks during Eid-ul-Adha prayers and strictly abide by Covid standard operating procedures due to the customary large gatherings that take place during Eid (SOPs).
Throughout the three days of Eid, there will still be animal sacrifices. Individual and collective sacrifices will be made by citizens in the Almighty’s service.
The needy and underprivileged will receive the sacrificed meat.
Pilgrims ‘stone the devil’ as almost million-strong Hajj winds down MINA: Pilgrims cast pebbles in the “stoning of the devil” ritual marking the start of the Eid ul Adha holiday on Saturday, as this year’s expanded Hajj pilgrimage was winding down.
From first light, small groups of worshippers made their way across the valley of Mina, near Makkah in western Saudi Arabia, to throw stones at three concrete walls representing Satan.
The ritual is an emulation of Prophet Ibrahim’s stoning of the devil at the three spots where Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail (AS).
The stoning ritual has in past years led to deadly stampedes, as millions of participants converge on a tight space. The Hajj, usually one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, is among the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.
In 2019, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world took part.
But that figure slumped to only a few thousand in 2020 and 60,000 in 2021, all of them Saudi citizens or residents, as the kingdom tried to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, participation was capped at one million fully vaccinated worshippers. Authorities said Friday that almost 900,000 were in attendance, nearly 780,000 of them from abroad.
Hosting the pilgrimage is a matter of prestige and a powerful source of political legitimacy for Saudi rulers, the custodians of Islam’s holiest sites.
Barring overseas pilgrims for the past two years had caused deep disappointment among Muslims worldwide, who typically save for years to take part.
The Hajj, which costs at least $5,000 per person, and umrah pilgrimages that occur at other times of the year are a major engine of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector.
In normal times, they generate about $12 billion annually, keeping the economy humming in Makkah.
Virus and heat After the stoning ritual, pilgrims return to the Grand Mosque in Makkah to perform a final “tawaf”, or circling of the Kaaba.
Eid ul Adha, the feast of the sacrifice that begins on Saturday, marks the end of Hajj.
Alia Bhatt wraps shoot of ‘Heart of Stone,’ posts cute snaps with Gal Gadot Alia Bhatt has wrapped up the shoot of her first Hollywood film, Heart of Stone. The Gully Boy actress took to her social media handle and penned a sweet note thanking her co-star Gal Gadot and team for the amazing experience.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, the soon-to-be-mom Alia shared pictures from the set and wrote, “Heart of Stone – you have my wholeeeeeee heart Thank you to the beautiful @gal_gadot .. my director Tom Harper @jamiedornan missed you today .. and WHOLE team for the unforgettable experience.” Concluding her note, Alia, 29, added, “I will be forever grateful for the love and care I received and I can’t wait for you all to see the film!!!!! But for now ..I’m coming home babyyyyyy (sic).”
Alia Bhatt wraps shoot of ‘Heart of Stone,’ posts cute snaps with Gal Gadot Responding to Alia’s love-filled note, the Wonder Woman star, 37, shared a snap with Alia and wrote, “Give some love to my girl Alia Bhatt, who wrapped up Heart Of Stone today (sic).”
In the picture, the Raazi actress can be seen hugging Gal, as the duo pose for a selfie in the backdrop of a beautiful sea.
Gadot also commented on Alia’s post and wrote that she is already missing Alia!
Directed by Tom Harper, the spy-thriller Heart Of Stone is written by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. The plot details and release date of Heart of Stone have been kept under wraps.
Nasa reveals James Webb Space Telescope’s first cosmic targets WASHINGTON: The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) said on Friday the first cosmic images from the James Webb Space Telescope would include unprecedented views of distant galaxies, bright nebulae and a faraway giant gas planet.
The US, European and Canadian space agencies are gearing up for a big revelation on July 12 of early observations by the $10 billion observatory that is set to give new insights into the origins of the universe.
“I’m looking very much forward to not having to keep these secrets anymore, that will be a great relief,” Klaus Pontoppidan, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI) that oversees Webb, said last week.
An international committee decided the first wave of full-colour scientific images would include the Carina Nebula, an enormous cloud of dust and gas 7,600 light years away, as well as the Southern Ring Nebula, which surrounds a dying star 2,000 light years away.
Carina Nebula is famous for its towering pillars that include “Mystic Mountain”, a three-light-year-tall cosmic pinnacle captured in an iconic image by Hubble.
Webb has also carried out a spectroscopy _ an analysis of light that reveals detailed information _ on a faraway gas giant called WASP-96 b, which was discovered in 2014.
Nearly 1,150 light years from Earth, WASP-96 b is about half the mass of Jupiter and zips around its star in just 3.4 days.
Next comes Stephan’s Quintet, a compact galaxy 290 million light years away. Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are “locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters”, Nasa said.
Finally, and perhaps most enticing of all, Webb has gathered an image using foreground galaxy clusters called SMACS 0723 as a kind of cosmic magnifying glass for extremely distant and faint galaxies behind it.
This is known as “gravitational lensing” and uses the mass of foreground galaxies to bend the light of objects behind them, much like a pair of glasses.
Dan Coe, an astronomer at STSI, said even in its first images, the telescope had broken scientific ground.
Indian shares close at 1-month high as inflation concerns ease; TCS dips BENGALURU, July 8 (Reuters) – Indian shares gained for a third straight week to close at a one-month high on Friday as inflation concerns ebbed, while IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) slipped ahead of its quarterly earnings report.
The NSE Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) ended 0.54% higher at 16,220.6, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) gained 0.56% to 54,481.84, advancing in line with Asian peers. The indexes were up about 3% for the week.
Sara Ali Khan’s swag is unmissable in news PICS from her London vacay Sara Ali Khan is one of the most promising actresses in the film industry. Apart from being an actress, Sara is a travel junkie and loves sharing her travelogues on Instagram, giving major travel goals to her followers. She often takes her fans on a virtual tour of the places she has visited. The actress enjoys a massive fan following on social media and never fails to impress her fans with her glamorous pictures, travel vlogs, videos, and even her funny Knock Knock videos.
Speaking of which, the actress is currently holidaying in London and has been giving glimpses of her travel ever since. Taking to her Instagram stories, the actress on Friday shared pictures of herself roaming Notting Hill. The Kedarnath actress wore a purple tank top and paired it with violet graphic pants and a pair of sneakers. She also carried a printed sling bag with her. And not to forget, her black sunglasses gave a final touch to her swag as she posed for the picture. Meanwhile, in another picture, the actress is seen posing with a friend. Talking about the work front, Sara Ali Khan was last seen in Aanand L Rai’s directorial Atrangi Re with Akshay Kumar and Dhanush. She is currently working on Pawan Kripalani’s Gaslight with Vikrant Massey. The movie will mark Vikrant’s first collaboration with Sara. Besides, she will also be seen sharing the screen with Vicky Kaushal for the first time in Laxman Utekar’s yet-to-be-titled movie.
Recently, Pinkvilla learned that Sara is set to do a film based on the 1942 Quit India Movement. While crucial character details of the project are under wraps, we have learned that Sara will be the project’s lead which will be directed by Ek Thi Dayan’s Kanan Iyer. The patriotic film, however, will not be heading for the big screen. Word is that the film is being made for the streaming giant Amazon Prime Video and backed by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.
Oppo Find X5 Lite specs & price in Pakistan Oppo is developing a Find X5 Lite. New renders show the company’s upcoming Find-series smartphone. Oppo Find X5 Lite will be a high-end smartphone. The smartphone boasts a strong MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset and an Octa-Core processor to make it ultra-fast. This smartphone’s GPU is ARM Mali-G68 MP4. The smartphone has a 6.43-inch screen with full HD (1080 x 2400 pixels) resolution. The new Oppo Find X5 will include a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen display. Price in Pakistan Oppo Find X5 Lite price in Pakistan is expected to be Rs. 116,999.
Apple iPhone 14 cases leak showing 2022 lineup sizes, Pro Max has a slightly larger camera island Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 14 models later this year and the lineup is going to change as well. With the iPhone 12 and 13 mini not selling too well, Apple is going to instead sell a larger non-Pro model to bring the largest iPhone size to a more accessible price point.
After initialy posting the image to Weibo, DuanRui Tweeted the image as well. The entry tier iPhone 14 and the 14 Pro are expected to have similarly-sized displays (6.1-inch) and the larger iPhone 14 model and the 14 Pro Max should have 6.7-inch screens. These models DuanRui also posted a side-by-side comparison between the 14 Pro Max and the 14 Pro Max’s supposed camera islands’ sizes. The 14 Pro Max looks to be larger, which may be indicative of new camera hardware coming to the 14 Pro Max. Reports corroborated that the iPhone 14 Pro Max will equip a higher-resolution 48MP camera and that the front-facing cameras on the Pro models will be significantly upgraded. Otherwise, the next iPhone models appear to have similar design language with the flat edges and the flat front and back. The notch is expected to get a facelift, with a dual punch-hole layout for the Face ID hardware instead of a notch. Other reports suggest that only Apple’s Pro models this year will be receiving the new A16 chipset while the 14 and 14 ‘Plus’ will keep using the A15 that’s used on Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup. Apple’s also expected to prioritize production of this year’s Pro models.
Pak-Bahrain close ties provide opportunities for deeper bilateral cooperation: PM ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif while reaffirming longstanding fraternal relations between Pakistan and Bahrain, highlighted that close ties provided significant opportunities for deeper bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, in particular promotion of bilateral trade and investment.
The prime minister held a telephonic conversation with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain and exchanged greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. The prime minister also expressed his best wishes for the brotherly people of the Kingdom of Bahrain to maintain their upward mobility and prosperity.
Reciprocating the warm eid greetings from the prime minister, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa extended best wishes to the people of Pakistan on this occasion.
For the benefit of the citizens of the two nations, he expressed his determination to increase bilateral cooperation.
Karachi weather update: Intermittent rains expected to continue till night, says chief meteorologist KARACHI: Fearing urban flooding in low-lying areas in Karachi, Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz on Saturday said that the ongoing intermittent monsoon rains are expected to continue to wreak havoc on the metropolis till this evening or tonight as six more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents on Friday.
Talking to Geo News, the chief meteorologist forecast heavy showers in the suburban areas of the metropolis during the day, adding that the prevailing monsoon system has maintained its high intensity. “A low air pressure is present near Thatta and Badin,” the meteorologist said, adding that humidity from the Arabian Sea was strengthening the rain-bearing system.
The intensity of the monsoon currents could be equivalent to that of tomorrow’s or it could be higher than that, he added.
Under the influence of the monsoon currents, rains are expected in the port city from today afternoon, said the meteorologist.
Different parts of the port city today continued to receive light-to-heavy showers. A flooded city Intermittent rains once again exposed the city’s drainage system and the Sindh government’s claims regarding its rain emergency plans. Several main roads and streets were completely flooded, while hundreds of commuters were stranded without any help.
Rainwater entered various houses in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 12. A resident, Aslam Siddiqui, said the Cantonment Board Faisal had not gotten the stormwater drain cleaned, resulting in flash floods in the neighbourhood.
“Just two days before Eid our furniture, carpets and clothes have been damaged,” he said, adding that all their focus had been on saving their sacrificial animals, so they could not manage to secure much from their house.
Mosamiyat, Munawar Chowrangi, Jauhar Chowrangi and Jauhar Morr were blocked for traffic movement because these areas were flooded with knee-deep water. The newly constructed University Road, on which millions of rupees were spent, was also completely underwater, and inaccessible for vehicular traffic from Nipa to Shaheed-e-Millat Road.
New MA Jinnah Road and Jehangir Road, where the ruling PPP’s and the Jamaat-e-Islami’s headquarters are situated, were also completely submerged by rainwater.
The traffic police said Shahrah-e-Faisal at Drigh Road was flooded with rainwater and inaccessible for traffic movement, while Rashid Minhas Road at Jauhar Morr, Lalu Khait towards Hassan Square, University Road at Safari Park, Nipa and Hassan Square were flooded and traffic was stuck.
After the Korangi River flooded, the Korangi Causeway was closed for traffic, leaving the commuters to use only the narrow two-lane Jam Sadiq flyover to reach any other part of the city.
Qayyumabad Chowrangi and the expressway were also badly affected due to the accumulation of rainwater, disrupting traffic movement from District Korangi towards the South and East districts.
Due to the overflow of Thado Dam in Gadap Town during the wee hours, the M-9 was submerged and affected traffic movement. Floodwater entered the Northern Bypass at the M-9 and later entered the residential area of Saadi Town, bringing traffic movement to a complete halt on the highway.
Several people visiting the sacrificial animal market or making their way back from the market found themselves stuck in traffic due to the flooding of the Super Highway. The Karachi Development Authority’s team reached the M9 for a rescue and drainage operation late in the night.
‘Uninterrupted power’ K-Electric said in its press statement that it has been ensuring uninterrupted power supply to major parts of the city during the ongoing monsoon rains. The KE spokesperson stressed that the maximum number of affected feeders were fewer than 150 of the over 1,900 in the company’s network.
The spokesperson said that the majority of them were temporarily powered down due to the prevalence of illegal connections or waterlogging, which could pose a safety hazard, adding that power to these areas was immediately restored upon receiving clearance from the ground teams.
“Heavy rains causing waterlogging in the Gulshan-e-Hadeed and Gadap areas affected the operations, and the utility requested civic agencies for support in draining water to safe levels to begin restoration efforts.”
Expressing sympathies and offering condolences to the families who lost their loved ones due to electrocution, KE categorically stated that no utility infrastructure was involved in any of the incidents reported.
Sri Lanka protesters storm president’s house after clashing with police Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka’s commercial capital Colombo broke through police barricades and stormed the president’s official residence on Saturday in one of the largest anti-government marches in the crisis-hit country this year.
Some protesters, holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets, broke into the president’s residence, video footage from local TV news NewsFirst channel showed.
Two defence ministry sources said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was removed from the official premises on Friday for his safety ahead of the planned rally over the weekend.
A Facebook livestream from inside the president’s house showed hundreds of protesters, some draped in flags, packing into rooms and corridors, shouting slogan’s against Rajapaksa. Hundreds also milled about on the grounds outside the colonial-era white-washed building. No security officials were visible. At least 21 people, including two policemen, were injured and hospitalised in the ongoing protests, hospital sources told Reuters.
The island of 22 million people is struggling under a severe foreign exchange shortage that has limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine, plunging it into the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
Many blame the country’s decline on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Largely peaceful protests since March have demanded his resignation.
Read: Sri Lankans return to cooking with firewood as economy burns
Thousands of people swarmed into Colombo’s government district, shouting slogans against the president and dismantling several police barricades to reach Rajapaksa’s house, a Reuters witness said.
Police fired shots in the air but were unable to stop the angry crowd from surrounding the presidential residence, the witness said.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the president’s whereabouts.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned an emergency meeting of political party leaders after the president’s house was stormed by protesters. He also requested the speaker to summon parliament, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Despite a severe shortage of fuel that has stalled transportation services, demonstrators packed into buses, trains and trucks from several parts of the country to reach Colombo to protest the government’s failure to protect them from economic ruin.
Discontent has worsened in recent weeks as the cash-strapped country stopped receiving fuel shipments, forcing school closures and rationing of petrol and diesel for essential services.
Protesters participate in an anti-government demonstration outside the Galle International Cricket Stadium during the second day play of the second cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle on Saturday. — AFP Sampath Perera, a 37-year-old fisherman took an overcrowded bus from the seaside town of Negombo 45 km north of Colombo, to join the protest.
“We have told Gota over and over again to go home but he is still clinging onto power. We will not stop until he listens to us,” Perera said.
He is among the millions squeezed by chronic fuel shortages and inflation that hit 54.6 per cent in June.
Political instability could undermine Sri Lanka’s talks with the International Monetary Fund seeking a $3 billion bailout, a restructuring of some foreign debt and fund-raising from multilateral and bilateral sources to ease the dollar drought.
In response to billionaire Elon Musk’s request for more information, Twitter executives revealed in a press briefing on Thursday that they remove more than one million spam accounts daily. This new information sheds light on efforts to lessen dangerous automated bots.
The presentation follows Musk’s threat to scuttle a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter unless the company can demonstrate that spam and bot accounts make up less than 5% of people who use the social media platform to view advertisements.
After purchasing Twitter, Musk previously stated that one of his top priorities would be to “defeat the spam bots or die trying.”
During a conference call, the company reaffirmed that less than 5% of users receive advertising from spam accounts, a statistic that hasn’t changed since the company’s 2013 public filings.
In order to determine and report to shareholders the percentage of spam and bot accounts on the service, Twitter said human reviewers manually examine thousands of Twitter accounts at random using a combination of public and private data.
The business stated that it does not think such accounts could be calculated externally because it would require private information, but it would not elaborate on the kind of information it would give Musk.
A viral video shows that on Friday, when Ahsan Iqbal, the federal minister for planning and development, entered a restaurant, he was heckled by a group of PTI supporters.
As people began sharing the video on Twitter, the incident’s visuals—in which pro-PTI supporters could be seen hurling insults at the minister—took social media by storm.
Many Twitterati criticised the incident and labelled it a sign of the rise of political intolerance.
The incident happened at a well-known fast-food restaurant that the lawmaker had gone to for dinner. Iqbal later posted on Twitter that “a family — who apparently considered themselves elites and supported PTI — clashed with me.”
He added that as a response, other diners at the restaurant began chanting anti-PTI slogans. “Instead of holding a dialogue with me, they started chanting slogans,” he wrote.
آج بھیرہ میکڈونلڈ میں ایک یوتھین فیملی سے مڈبھیڑ ہوئی جو بظاہر خود کو ایلیٹ سمجھتی ہے مگر مکالمہ کی بجائے جاہلوں کی طرح نعرہ بازی شروع کر دی۔جب یہ نعرہ بازی سے باز نہ آئی تو لوگوں نے بھی نعرے لگا دئیے “گوگی پیرنی کا حساب دو” جیسا جاہل اور پاگل خود ویسے ہی پیروکار پیدا کر رہا ہے۔
Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, was criticised by Iqbal for inciting hatred in people, and he added that his supporters “are following suit” just like their idiot and insane leader.
The planning minister further tweeted in response to a condemnation tweet: “These people, who claim to be literate, are actually ignorant and fascist just like the followers of Hitler.”
He added that such individuals are the compelling evidence of PTI’s “mental bankruptcy” and that neither they nor we would submit under their influence.
شکریہ عامر عباسی! خود کو پڑھا لکھا سمجھنے والے یہ افراد اصل میں جاہل ترین اور فاشسٹ ہیں جیسے کہ ہٹلر کے پیروکار تھے۔ ہم ان جاہلوں سے مرعوب ہونے والے ہیں نہ دبنے والے۔ یہ اپنے ذہنی دیوالیہ پن کا چلتا پھرتا اشتہار ہیں۔عمران ممنوعہ فنڈنگ والوں کے کہنے پہ معاشرہ polarise کر رہا ہے۔ https://t.co/P3ZAXe1Qjk
SHEIKHUPURA: Maryam Nawaz, vice president of the PML-N, asserted on Friday that because international oil prices have declined, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would soon announce a “relief package” for the country’s citizens.
In Sheikhupura, Maryam claimed that Nawaz Sharif would still have support even if he were to be imprisoned or living in London.
The PML-N leader questioned the populace as to why PTI Chairman Imran Khan regularly appears on television only to criticise others while doing nothing to assist those in need while he was in office.
“Imran Khan was unable to discuss [PTI’s] performance in Punjab for even 1.5 minutes during his 1.5-hour speech. Today, Punjab is still holding the lion, said Maryam.
She added that PML-N would get the country out of trouble no matter how dire the circumstances, saying that people were aware of who was to blame for the ongoing inflation.
Why should Punjab vote for Fitna Khan? The PML-N leader claimed that Pinki Peerni, her children, and Farah Gogi became millionaires while Punjab became poorer.
Maryam claimed that Khan insults listeners while giving speeches but withholds information about his performance. She continued by pointing out that despite Hamza Shehbaz’s announcement that all residents of Punjab would receive free electricity, the PTI decided to sue over it.
The PML-N leader predicted that PM Shahbaz would soon announce significant relief for the populace. “Thank goodness, oil prices have decreased in the international market,” he said.
Maryam said that the woman had gone to Imran Khan for justice regarding the accusations levelled against NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, but the former prime minister instead kept the video in his possession at the Prime Minister’s House.
“The Prime Minister’s Office became a hub for blackmailing while Imran Khan was in office. Maryam alleged that Khan obtained a video from Tayyaba Gul and began extorting the NAB chairman.
The NAB chairman’s video, according to the PML-N leader, was used to drop charges against PTI leaders. She questioned, “Was Fitna Khan in power for the benefit of the people or for extortion?”
Manchester United and Liverpool will begin a jam-packed preseason next week as European clubs make their first trip back to the Asia-Pacific region following the pandemic, eager to reclaim lucrative markets. TOKYO.
The English Premier League’s top teams square off against Jurgen Klopp’s team on Tuesday in Bangkok. Last season, Jurgen Klopp’s team threatened to win a historic quadruple before being edged out by Manchester City for the league title and losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid.
After Christophe Galtier was named manager of Paris Saint-Germain this week to replace Mauricio Pochettino, PSG will travel to Japan later this month with superstar players Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe.
When Tottenham Hotspur and Son Heung-min, Asia’s most successful player and the Premier League Golden Boot winner, play two games in South Korea the following week, they can expect a thunderous reception.
In addition, after being grounded by virus restrictions since 2020, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and Leeds United will fly to Singapore and Australia to re-connect with their international supporters.
Sebastien Wasels, managing director of PSG’s Asia-Pacific region, said that the past two years have been “very difficult for all clubs.” PSG will play three games against J-League teams.
“We are aware that it was challenging for our fans around the world to miss the chance to see the team,”
When Liverpool and Manchester United square off in Bangkok’s 51,000-seat Rajamangala Stadium, Thai fans of both teams will have an unprecedented opportunity to witness the legendary rivalry on their own turf.
However, many people will be disappointed to learn on Friday morning that an uneasy Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be travelling with United because the striker was given more time off to attend to a family matter.
The game will be “the single biggest football match ever hosted in Asia, bar none,” according to Asian sport marketing expert Marcus Luer, who negotiated the agreement to bring the teams to Thailand.
No other football club, or Korean pop band, would be more significant than those two clubs coming here, he claimed.
The cheapest tickets cost an eye-watering 5,000 baht ($140), making it prohibitively expensive for fans to see players like United’s Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire or Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk in action.
Bhuwit Panjarattanakorn, a 27-year-old fan of Manchester United, said he was excited to photograph the players at their hotel but decided not to purchase a ticket because they were “too expensive.”
Even before it was revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t be travelling to Bangkok for the friendly match, he said, “It’s just a friendly match and it doesn’t guarantee you’d see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing the whole match.”
After the game, Manchester United will travel to Australia to take on Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa.
While Leeds United and Villa will compete in the Queensland Champions Cup in Australia alongside the local team Brisbane Roar, Liverpool will take on Crystal Palace in Singapore.
Tottenham, who are sponsored by the men’s and women’s national team captains of South Korea, will play a K-League select team in Seoul and Sevilla of Spain in Suwon.
It will be more like a “proper competitive match,” according to Luer, because European teams will play each other rather than competing against local teams.
The third Premier League game of the year features a match between Liverpool and Manchester United, so it’s not too far off, he said.
This is a great chance for the coach and players to get going and assess their situation.
In order for clubs to establish their brands in a region that Luer claims is “still very important for any football club in the world,” commercial opportunities are essential.
PSG is visiting Japan for the first time since 1995, but they already have a Tokyo office and are active in the city’s fashion, esports, and retail industries.
Wasels calls Japan a “strategy country” with six million PSG supporters and claims this summer’s tour is “the final piece of the puzzle.”
Japan has always been a top priority for us in terms of brand development since the beginning of our project, he said.
We will bring the best players, not a B team, as I’ve heard some people have suggested.
BARCELONA: According to club president Joan Laporta, Barcelona is anticipating “a positive response” from Bayern Munich after making an offer for their Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.
During the introduction of the new signing Andreas Christensen, Laporta stated, “We have made an offer for the player, we are waiting for the response, and we will see if it is positive.”
Lewandowski has expressed a strong desire to leave the German champions this summer, but Bayern have insisted that he must honour his contract, which expires in June 2023.
Laporta said, “We thank the player (Lewandowski) for all the indications he has made that he wants to come.
In 252 games over eight years for Bayern, the 33-year-old striker, who was twice named FIFA’s best male player, scored 238 Bundesliga goals in the Bundesliga.
Laporta did not disclose the financial terms of the offer but stated that they wanted to respect Bayern. He denied, however, rumours that the German club demanded upfront payment for the transfer of Lewandowski because they were concerned about Barcelona’s financial situation.
Laporte replied, “I don’t think it’s true. “I think it was a joke and that the information came from a cat. It doesn’t originate in Bayern.”
The German media reported at the end of June that Barca had made Bayern an offer of 40 million euros plus a 5 million euro bonus for the Pole.
Without providing any additional information, Laporta merely stated, “We made an offer, and they now must weigh it.”
Jordi Cruyff, the club’s sporting advisor, announced at the same press conference that French defender Clement Lenglet would likely leave the team and soon join Tottenham on loan.
Cruyff stated, “We are very close to departing, and it will be announced when it is official.
SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD: This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix is a home race for world champion Max Verstappen and presents an opportunity for Carlos Sainz to start as a winner and for Yuki Tsunoda to calm down.
Max Verstappen has a number of Formula One locations that he considers to be “home,” as is appropriate for a world champion with some money in the bank.
The Styrian mountains are the setting for one of the Dutch drivers’ favourite drives, an immaculately paved 4.318-kilometer loop. For the past few years, he has maintained the good spirits of the tens of thousands of his countrymen who visit this verdant, fir-lined patch of perfection for a weekend-long party.
He is the true master of the Red Bull Ring, the site of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, having won four of the last six races on the circuit. It also happens to be the week after Yuki Tsunoda’s British Grand Prix hopes were ended when a sizable portion of his AlphaTauri hitched a ride on his vehicle at Silverstone.
He received six extra points for placing seventh, but he is aiming to earn all 34 points this weekend, when the second sprint race of the year takes place on Saturday. After winning the 100k dash, the race, and the fastest lap, he left Monza’s sprint with the greatest haul.
At the press conference on Thursday, he said, “It’s always a really enjoyable weekend for me to have so much support coming from Holland.” “Additionally, it’s our home grand prix, and we’ve had some really strong performances in the past. As a result, it has always been kind to us.”
Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, whose deft command of some of the more common English words can turn team radio conversations midnight blue, is going through a rough patch right now. Following his pit lane collision in Montreal, he collided with teammate Pierre Gasly at Silverstone while they were both fighting for points.
“We made contact, completely on my account. I immediately expressed my regrets to the team “On the eve of Austria’s first practise, he said.
“On top of that, some of my debris ended up in Max’s car. Therefore, I must say that I had a really bad day.”
He acknowledged working with a sports psychotherapist to control his fiery temper, as described by Red Bull special advisor Helmut Marko. I definitely start to overheat in the car, and my brain especially does, so I think that’s one of the limitations, he said.
And how well is the treatment? If it’s working well, I might not have had the crash, but I need to take a little more time because he needs to learn more about me and we both need to know what course of action to take.
Carlos Sainz can now approach a Grand Prix weekend without being preoccupied with thoughts of claiming his first Formula One victory after 150 races. Success at Silverstone last Sunday marked a turning point for the Ferrari garage’s Spanish portion.
Sainz was careful to point out that he had kept his celebrations low key so that he could perform at his best this weekend rather than painting the town the colour of his team. “We’re in the middle of a back-to-back, so I didn’t go out. I was fortunate that six of my closest friends happened to arrive in Italy shortly after Silverstone; as a result, I was able to share a few beers and crack open a bottle of champagne with them back at my house.”
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving leader and former prime minister, passed away on Friday after being shot while running for a parliamentary seat, shocking a nation where political unrest is uncommon and firearms are strictly regulated.
As he spoke at a dull traffic island in the western city of Nara, a man approached Abe, 67, and fired at him from behind with what appeared to be a homemade gun, according to Japanese media.
Since the height of prewar militarism in 1936, it was the first time a Japanese premier—current or former—had been assassinated.
The moment that Japanese Former PM Shinzo Abe was shot. Looks to be a DIY shotgun. pic.twitter.com/sC0yzzfIob
— Global: Military-Info (@Global_Mil_Info) July 8, 2022
Abe passed away at 5:03 p.m. (08:03 GMT), or roughly five and a half hours after being shot, despite doctors’ best efforts.
A doctor revealed at a nationally broadcast news conference that the victim died from two deep wounds, one of which was on the right side of his neck. When he was brought in, the former leader’s vital signs were nonexistent.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke before Abe’s passing, denouncing the shooting in the “strongest terms” as shocked Japanese and world leaders looked on.
In an effort to control his emotions, Kishida said, “This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections – the very foundation of our democracy – and is absolutely unforgivable.”
The shooting’s suspected perpetrator, age 41, was reportedly detained, according to the police. Tetsuya Yamagami, the suspect, reportedly told police he wanted to kill Abe because he was unhappy with him, according to NHK.
Two shots were fired while Abe was speaking to supporters outside of a train station. Following that, security personnel were seen tackling a man wearing a grey T-shirt and beige pants.
A businessman who was present at the scene, Makoto Ichikawa, told Reuters that there had been a loud bang followed by smoke.
After the second shot, what appeared to be special police tackled him. “After the first shot, no one knew what was going on.”
A Muslim journalist accused of disparaging Hindu religious leaders on Twitter was granted bail by India’s top court on Friday, after his arrest last month raised questions about press freedom.
However, Mohammed Zubair, who co-founded the fact-checking website Alt News and frequently tweets about the growing marginalisation of India’s Muslim minority, will continue to be detained by police as a result of a different complaint that was made in the nation’s capital, New Delhi.
According to a court document, Zubair was accused of hurting religious feelings by labelling a group of Hindu religious leaders as “hate mongers” in a complaint that was filed in June in the Sitapur district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
A two-judge Supreme Court bench decided on the Sitapur complaint and granted Zubair five days’ bail while directing him to refrain from tweeting and tampering with any electronic evidence.
A Twitter account complained that Zubair had insulted Hindus in a post from 2018 regarding the renaming of a hotel after the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, leading to his initial arrest.
The arrest of journalist Mohammed Zubair was motivated by at least 757 anonymous Twitter accounts that were connected to Gujarat’s co-convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and state president of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), Vikash Ahir.
A spokesperson for Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently made offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), which sparked widespread protests throughout the Islamic world. Zubair had helped bring attention to these remarks.
According to an exclusive report from the Indian publication The Wire, an investigation uncovered a network of hundreds of accounts connected to Vikash that all attempted to link Zubair and Partik Sinha, the co-founder of AltNews, by misrepresenting their earlier tweets as “Hinduphobic” and tagging local authorities in an effort to imprison the pair for inciting religious sentiment.
Human rights organisations claim that Indian authorities are increasingly persecuting online critics and journalists, a claim that is refuted by the government.
Craze for sharing videos After children lost their lives while participating in the “Blackout Challenge,” which encourages people to choke themselves until they pass out, TikTok is being sued in California.
According to the lawsuit, TikTok software “intentionally and repeatedly” promoted the Blackout Challenge, which resulted in the deaths of two young girls last year: an eight-year-old in Texas and a nine-year-old in Wisconsin. The lawsuit was filed last week in state court in Los Angeles.
TikTok needs to be held responsible for exposing these two young girls to harmful content, according to Matthew Bergman, an attorney with the Social Media Victims Law Centre, the organisation that brought the lawsuit.
“TikTok has spent billions of dollars designing products that purposefully push dangerous content that it knows is dangerous and could kill its users.”
ByteDance, a company based in China that owns TikTok, did not respond to a request for comment right away.
According to the lawsuit, each of the girls who died from self-strangulation—one using rope and the other a dog leash—had the Blackout Challenge promoted to them by TikTok’s algorithm.
It also included a list of kids who had passed away as a result of the TikTok Blackout Challenge, including those in Australia, Italy, and other countries.
TikTok has highlighted and promoted a variety of challenges in which users record themselves engaging in themed activities that can occasionally be risky.
The “Skull Breaker Challenge,” in which participants jump while having their legs kicked out from under them, flips over and hits their heads, was one of the numerous TikTok challenges mentioned in court documents.
According to court documents, the “Fire Challenge” entails dousing objects with flammable liquid and lighting them on fire, and the “Coronavirus Challenge” entails licking haphazard objects and surfaces in public during the pandemic.
The lawsuit requests that a judge order TikTok to stop using its algorithm to lure kids in and promote risky challenges, as well as to pay unspecified cash damages.
