Infinity Social Updates

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said those responsible for violence that left police officers injured in protests outside a mosque after a mass stabbing that left three children dead in Southport would “face the full force of the law”. Southport, a small seaside town near Liverpool in northwestern England, was reeling on Wednesday after clashes targeting a local mosque “insulted the community as it grieves”, Starmer said. Some 39 officers were injured, at least eight seriously, after a large group — believed to be supporters of the far-right English Defence League — threw bricks at a local mosque and set cars on fire late on Tuesday, the local police and ambulance service said. Around 100 people battled police in riot gear and lit fires, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. The violence broke out shortly after a vigil was held in the town centre, where hundreds fell silent in tribute to the victims of the mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed event that also left five...

Internet services provided by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) suffered disruption across the country on Wednesday, the company said. “PTCL network is facing data outage in various cities due to which connectivity has been affected,” PTCL spokesperson Amir Pasha told Dawn.com . “Our teams are actively working to resolve and rectify the issue at the earliest,” he added. Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) spokesperson Malahat Obaid attributed the disruption to a “fault in the PTCL system”. “Internet/broadband users may experience degraded services during peak hours,” she said, explaining that the disruption may affect PTCL users and those internet service providers using PTCL’s bandwidth. The spokesperson added teams were currently fixing the fault while the PTA was monitoring the situation till internet/broadband services were back to normal. Dr Shahid Farooq Alvi, president of the Pakistan Telecommunication Access Provider Association (PTAPA), also...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted scattered heavy rainfall all over Pakistan, including major cities of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, from August 2 to August 6 with “occasional gaps”. Pakistan experiences its monsoon season from July to August, typically receiving around 255mm of rain each month. Owing to the dangers of urban flooding and other rain-related incidents, PMD advised authorities to remain alert and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation. “Heavy Downpour may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Nowshera and Peshawar from 2nd to 5th August,” the department said, adding that low lying areas of Sindh will receive rains on August 4 and 5. It also warned of landslides causing road closures in vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Sindh, it predicted heavy showers in several areas including Jamshoro, Um...

Multiple posts circulating on social media platform X on Tuesday showed an alleged PTI notification that contained directives from party founder Imran Khan to stop criticism of the military. However, this has been confirmed to be fake by the party spokespersons and lawyers. Social media accounts of PTI spokespersons and lawyers had addressed the matter. Naeem Haider Panjhuta, a PTI core committee member and Imran’s spokesman on legal affairs called the viral notification “fake” in the caption alongside its photo in a post on X. The official X account of the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa division also shared the alleged notification with a large red stamp over it that read: “Fake”. “Please be advised that the following letter in circulation on social media is fake,” the party said. On July 30, journalist and anchorperson Gharidah Farooqi posted an alleged notification from the PTI on social media platform X featuring orders from Imran asking all party leaders and workers to refrain fr...

Turkish opposition parties vowed on Tuesday to fight a law authorising the capture — and in some cases killing — of the country’s estimated four million stray dogs. The emotive law — which animal lovers fear will lead to a mass cull despite government denials — was passed at final reading in the early hours of Tuesday by a margin of 51 votes, in the face of opposition protests. Deputies against the law wore white gloves stained with fake blood during the debate. “We will challenge this law in the constitutional court as soon as possible. It violates the animals’ right to life,” said Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “Today is a dark day. Neither history nor humanity will forgive those who voted ‘yes’,” protested CHP lawmaker Aliye Timis Ersever. The government argues that strays considered sick or uncontrollable should be put down to prevent a growing number of attacks and the spread of rabies. It says the other homeless dogs must...

The Taliban government has severed consular ties with swathes of Afghan embassies in Western countries, Kabul said on Tuesday, cutting off diplomats loyal to the former foreign-backed administration. The 2021 Taliban takeover left diplomats staffing Afghanistan’s foreign missions in limbo, having pledged to serve a government which collapsed in chaos after the withdrawal of US troops. No country has yet formally recognised the Taliban government but in the past three years, the Kabul authorities have installed Taliban ambassadors in some neighbouring embassies. But Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday it now “bears no responsibility” for credentials including passports and visas issued by missions out of step with Kabul’s new rulers. The embassies include those in the cities of London and Berlin as well as the countries of Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly ...

An Olympic medal eluded Pakistani shooters yet again as Kishmala Talat and Gulfam Joseph finished 14th in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team qualification round . The duo finished with a final score of 571-17x, scoring 189, 195 and 187 across the three series, ahead of the Turkiye 1 team, Latvia and France. The Turkiye 2 team will be gunning for the top prize against Serbia (581-24x) in Tuesday’s gold medal shootout after scoring 582-18x to equal the Olympic record, set in Tokyo 2020 when the event made its Olympic debut. The record was set by India’s Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker, with the latter competing for bronze (580-20x) with teammate Sarabjot Singh against Ye Jin Oh and Wonho Lee from the Republic of Korea 1 (579-18x). Bhaker, 22, made history after winning India’s first Olympic medal in shooting with a bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol a day earlier. Talat and Joseph crashed out of their individual 10m Air Pistol events after finishing 31st and 22nd respectivel...

French climber Benjamin Vedrines summited the 8,611-metre-tall K2 peak in record time a day ago, his team told AFP on Monday, reaching the top of the world’s second-highest mountain in just under 11 hours. The 32-year-old specialist in high-speed ascents — made without the aid of oxygen — left K2 base camp just after midnight on Saturday and reached the summit 10 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds later. Vedrines attempted the summit in 2022 but was forced to turn back after suffering from hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the blood caused by thin air at high altitudes. “I took my revenge on this mountain,” Vedrines said in a voice message shared with AFP . “But above all I wanted to reconcile with it by doing things with maturity.” “It was very symbolic for me because I was returning in my footsteps to where I experienced those very unique moments,” he said. “I really enjoyed seeing the same sections again, but with lucidity this time.” On Saturday, two Japanese climbers had gone miss...

Pakistan swimmers Ahmed Durrani and Jehanara Nabi disappointed on their Olympics debut, finishing last and 26th overall respectively in their 200-metre freestyle heats at the 2024 Olympics in France on Sunday. National record holder Durrani clocked a 1:58.67 to finish fourth in his heat and last overall, splitting 26.62, 29.21, 31.06 and 31.78. It was a far cry from his performance in April when he broke the national record with a 1:55.68 swim over 27.15, 29.33, 29.94 and 29.26 at the Malaysian Age Group Championships. Over on the women’s side, Nabi clocked a 2:10.69 to finish third in her heat and 26th overall. She was more than two seconds slower from her personal best and national record of 2:08.57 set at the Thailand Age Group Swimming Championships in April. Nabi finished ahead of swimmers from Albania, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nepal with splits of 29.80, 32.49, 33.80 and 34.60. Durrani and Nabi are among three wild card entrants in the Pakistan Olympic contingent alongside s...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced on Sunday that the government has returned approximately Rs68 billion in income tax refunds since the process began on July 1. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the finance minister said that if the government wants to expand the tax net and take it to 13 percent, then it also has to focus on the deliverables, stating, “It takes two to tango,” meaning that cooperation is required from the government, citizens, and industrial sectors to achieve the goals. According to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), taxpayers can reclaim excess taxes paid to the FBR if their tax liability is lower than the amount they have paid. The process involves filing an electronic tax return, followed by an application through the FBR’s Iris system. Refunds must be claimed within two years from the date of filing or payment as late filings may affect eligibility. “The determined sales tax, […] income tax refunds, and duty drawbacks are being processed ...

The federal government is due to hold talks with the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) today (Sunday) to peacefully end the party’s ongoing sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh. JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday warned of expanding the party’s Rawalpindi sit-in to other areas across the country if the government failed to meet its demands regarding skyrocketing electricity bills and rising taxes. As the protest entered its second day, Murree Road remained closed to traffic from Marrir Chowk to Committee Chowk, with containers placed on the artery that passes through the heart of the garrison city. As a result, business activities in the area were affected. Under pressure from the JI, a government delegation led by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar engaged in talks with JI protesters on Saturday night. As a result, it was agreed that both sides will hold a formal discussion today to address JI’s demands, according to the government. “Negotiations between the gove...

Certain news outlets reported on Tuesday and Wednesday that the federal government had established special courts in Islamabad, with some saying they were to try “digital terrorists”. However, the courts established were regular ones for offences related to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016. During a press conference on Monday, Inter Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif had said that a false narrative was being propagated against the army and its leadership on social media, where “ digital terrorists ” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society “akin to terrorists”. The same day, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan was arrested during a raid conducted by the Islamabad police and Federal Investigation Agency on the party’s digital media wing with the interior ministry accusing the party of peddling “anti-state propaganda”. The term “digital terrorism” entered the country...

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday warned of expanding its Rawalpindi sit-in to other areas across the country if the government did not accept its demands regarding high power bills and rise in taxes. Addressing the sit-in at Liaquat Bagh, Rehman said, “If the government is thinking that the sit-in would continue on Murree Road only, it is it’s wishful thinking. “If they do not reduce electricity bills in a genuine manner, do not address the matter of IPPs (independent power producers) and do not revoke the [tax] slab on the salaried class, then this sit-in would not remain limited to here; it would spread further to the entire country.” A day ago, the government had managed to convince the party to agree to shift its protest against inflation and exorbitant electricity bills — which paralysed the capital and its twin city — from D-Chowk in the Red Zone to Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh. The decision to change location had come after the government held talks w...

Karachi has been ranked as the second riskiest city for tourists with a rating of 93.12 out of 100, it emerged on Friday. According to a July 11 Forbes Adviser list of three of the riskiest cities, Karachi was second just behind Venzuela’s Caracas, which had a score of 100, while Myanmar’s Yangon ranked third with a score of 91.67 out of 100. Per the ranking, the city had the highest personal security risk, reflecting risk from crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters, and economic vulnerabilities. It said Karachi had the second-worst (level 3, reconsider travel) travel safety rating from the US State Department. The ranking further said that the metropolis had the fourth-highest infrastructure security risk, reflecting the availability and quality of city infrastructure. To uncover the most and least risky cities for tourists, Forbes Adviser said it compared 60 international cities across seven key metrics. Karachi has repeatedly appeared in lists of “unliva...

Rescue officials on Friday said they succeeded in controlling a fire that erupted in a multi-storey building on Karachi’s Sharea Faisal, adding that at least three people affected by the smoke were shifted to the hospital following the incident. Rescue 1122 spokesperson, Hassaan Khan, told Dawn.com that the fire erupted on the upper floors of Kashif Center at Sharea Faisal, an area populated with hundreds of office buildings, including several high-rise structures. As soon as the rescue team immediately reached the site of the incident, it started evacuating people trapped on the affected floor of the building. “As soon as the central command and control [centre] received the information of the incident, the Rescue 1122 team, along with a fire brigade, rushed to the spot,” Khan said. “Although no casualties were reported, at least three people affected by the smoke were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC)”, the official said. He added thick smoke emanating from...

Multiple posts circulating on social media platform X on Thursday claimed that PTI founder Imran Khan was unwell in Adiala Jail and his health had worsened. However, a spokesman and lawyer of the party denied any such development. Imran is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail and in physical remand for a new Toshakhana case . He has been imprisoned for almost a year. His sentences in the previous two Toshakhana cases against him were suspended while he was acquitted in the cipher and iddat cases. The Lahore High Court a day ago also set aside his physical remand in a dozen new cases over the nationwide riots and vandalism on May 9, 2023. In a July 21 interview with British publication The Sunday Times , Imran claimed he was being “caged like a terrorist” and being “denied basic prisoner and human rights”. In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, journalist Salman Durrani said: “There are reports that Imran Khan is unwell.” His post gained over 207,000 views and wa...

Excellence is a fine line that separates athletes from turning their Olympic dreams into a reality. Every fraction of a second faster, every centimeter farther is a form of perfection crafted over years to culminate in a single moment of athletic supremacy, which is what Olympians are made of. Seven of Pakistan’s best athletes will be walking out — or rather, floating down the Seine— at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Seven is a small number for a contingent representing almost 250 million people, but our national athletes must not be made the subject of misplaced criticism that should be directed at relevant institutions responsible for athletic performance in the country. Pakistan’s sporting glory is a bygone era unknown to the contingent walking out in Paris. But every sprint, every shot, and every throw is a chance at regaining what has faded into oblivion. Tonight, let’s give our athletes a standing ovation as they etch their names in the history books. Arshad Nadeem — Athletics Men...

A video showing a British police officer kick and stamp on a man’s head during an arrest at Manchester airport in northern England sparked a protest outside a police station late on Wednesday. Police suspended one of the officers involved and referred the actions to an independent police complaints watchdog after the video, filmed by an onlooker, was posted on social media platforms and attracted criticism . It showed a chaotic scene in an airport car park, in which several officers armed with tasers restrained two suspects. The events preceding this scene were not included in the video. In the footage, a male officer was seen aiming a taser at a man lying on the ground. Reports suggested the men being beaten by police officers were British Pakistanis. One man was kicked and stamped upon by an officer as he lay face down on the floor. The second man also appeared to be struck in the head by an officer. A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) statement said the video showed “an event th...

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday extended the physical remand of PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan and eight others by three days over the suspicion of running alleged “anti-state digital campaigns”. Hasan was arrested on Monday during a raid conducted by the Islamabad police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on PTI’s Central Office in a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca). The arrest, which had been made early on Monday, was not confirmed by officials for hours. However, in a late-night statement, the interior ministry had said the raid was conducted on the information provided by PTI activist Ahmad Waqas Janjua, who had been arrested over the weekend. PTI is involved in “anti-state propaganda”, the ministry’s statement had said, without giving any more details. A joint interrogation team was being formed to probe the case, it added. A day after the raid, the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation sealed PTI’s central media secr...