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‘Most relentlessly cruel’: Gaza flotilla activists tell harrowing accounts of abuse in Israeli custody

New Zealand activist Mousa Taher, who was part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, which was attacked and intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, said he was subjected to humiliating treatment and torture after being detained . Activists from the flotilla spoke to Anadolu after arriving at Istanbul Airport aboard three Turkish Airlines flights. Taher said that after previously being detained by Israeli forces in Greece, he travelled first to Istanbul and then to Marmaris before once again setting sail toward Gaza. “The Israeli occupation forces really tortured me this time,” he said. Pointing to injuries on his face and leg, Taher said Israeli soldiers recognised him and addressed him by name because it was his second attempt to join the flotilla. He said that when Israeli forces intercepted the boat he had joined for the second time, they forced him and another activist to strip on board, while other passengers were not subjected to the same...
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Pep Guardiola to end decade-long Manchester City reign at end of season

Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after a decade in charge, the club announced on Friday, bringing an end to one of the most successful eras in English football and one of the most influential managerial reigns of all time. Guardiola, who took charge of City in 2016, has won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League, but his side have not won the league in two years. “Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said in a statement. “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City. “We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.” Although City sealed the domestic cup double, Guardiola saw his dreams of a seventh Premier League crown dashed when they drew 1-1 at Bournemouth on Tues...

Prince Rahim Aga Khan arrives in Gilgit-Baltistan

Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V reached Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday where he is expected to attend public gatherings and address different ceremonies. Prince Rahim arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a week-long visit — his first to the country since being named the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community last year. State broadcasters PTV News and Radio Pakistan reported that he was welcomed by caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Yar Muhammad and other senior civil and military officials at the airport in Gilgit. Meanwhile, banners and messages welcoming Prince Rahim were put up at different spots in the city, PTV News reported. @dawn.today Prince Rahim Aga Khan arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday. Prior to his arrival, preparations in GB reached a fever pitch, prompting a large-scale mobilisation of federal and regional resources, officials said. Officials anticipate large gatherings in the Passu Cones area of Hunza; Gilgit City, Gahkuch Bala, and Ta...

Taliban's new marriage separation decree draws UN criticism

The Afghan Taliban government’s new decree governing the separation of spouses “reinforces systemic discrimination” and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband’s prolonged disappearance, “incompatibility” between couples, renunciation of Islam and “failure on the part of the husband”. The decree, which appeared in the country’s Official Gazette , also states that marriage contracts drawn up by relatives “on behalf of a minor boy or girl” can be annulled, which suggests child marriage is permitted in Afghanistan, according to the UN. In most cases, the procedures for women seeking a separation are more complicated than those for men. The document, approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, “is part of a broader and deeply concerning trajectory in which the rights of Afghan women and girls are being eroded”, said George...

Fight against terrorism will continue with 'full national resolve', asserts CDF Munir

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirmed on Thursday that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism “will continue with full national resolve” until “enduring peace and stability” were achieved across the country, the military’s media wing said. CDF Munir made the declaration at an investiture ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to confer military awards on officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The CDF was the chief guest at the ceremony, where he “conferred awards on the families of shuhada (martyrs), officers and soldiers in recognition of exceptional gallantry in operations and distinguished services rendered to the nation”, the statement said. It added that awards conferred on the occasion included 50 Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military) and 12 Tamgha-i-Basalat. “Medals awarded posthumously were received w...

Hot weather on the cards during Eid as PMD predicts heatwave from May 25-31

Heatwave conditions are likely to persist across the country from May 25 to May 31, with the mercury expected to touch 50°C in some parts of the country, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Thursday. Pakistan will celebrate Eidul Azha on May 27 (Wednesday), while the federal government has announced a three-day public holiday from May 26-28 (Tuesday to Thursday). In an advisory, the department predicted that “high pressure is likely to develop in the upper atmosphere on May 25 and likely to strengthen on May 26”, under the influence of which, “moderate to severe” heatwave conditions are expected to develop from May 25 to May 31. It said the maximum temperature is likely to remain 4-6°C above normal and may rise to 47-50°C in the following districts: Sukkur, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Hyderabad, Matiyari, Tando Muhamad Kh...

How to buy a Cambridge exam paper online in Pakistan

This summer has brought on a nightmare for students across Pakistan and a PR bloodbath for the Cambridge examinations board. Its Mathematics paper leaked hours before hundreds of thousands of teenagers were supposed to attempt it across the country on April 29. The memes were eviscerating: Next time, print out the leaked .pdf and when the invigilator hands you the question paper, say, ‘It’s OK, I’ve brought my own’. In truth, though, no one was laughing. “It was a bit of doom and gloom,” said Lahore student Hamza Nasir*, describing the mood outside the hall after his AS Level Mathematics P1 exam. Some students who had no idea about the leak were livid and others were celebrating its veracity. This is the third time leaks have ruined exam season. Each year, in May-June and November, Pakistani students sit for the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) exams in subjects that range from English Literature to Islamiyat. Grades 10 and 11 prepare for the Ordinary or O Levels ...