Sunday, December 6, 2020
Giuliani has tested positive for the coronavirus, Trump says.
Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and President Trump’s personal and campaign lawyer, has tested positive for the coronavirus, Mr. Trump announced on Twitter on Sunday.
“@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Mr. Giuliani has repeatedly been exposed to the virus through contact with infected people, including during Mr. Trump’s preparation for his first debate against President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. in September, as well as when he appeared with his son, Andrew, at a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters about two weeks ago. But Mr. Giulani had not been said to have contracted the virus until now.
It was unclear why Mr. Trump was the one announcing it. It was also unclear whether Mr. Giuliani, 76, is symptomatic. But at his age, he is in the high-risk category for the virus.
Mr. Giuliani has been acting as the lead lawyer for Mr. Trump’s efforts to overthrow the results of the election. He has repeatedly claimed he has evidence of widespread fraud, but he has declined to submit that evidence in legal cases he has filed.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/06/world/covid-19-coronavirus
TIME's first ever Kid of the Year is only 15 - Gitanjali Rao
"I was 10 when I told my parents I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology. My mom was like what?" said Gitanjali RaoAt only 15, Gitanjali Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 US nominees as TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year. Rao's astonishing work includes using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, with her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over standing out as an inspiration to many. "I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water quality research lab, and my mom was like, A what?” the young scientist told actor and activist Angelina Jolie in an interview over Zoom from her home in Colorado. At only 15, Gitanjali Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 US nominees as TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year. Rao's astonishing work includes using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, with her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over standing out as an inspiration to many. "I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water quality research lab, and my mom was like, A what?” the young scientist told actor and activist Angelina Jolie in an interview over Zoom from her home in Colorado. "I'm a very curious person if there's one thing you need to know about me. I just love learning about the environment, the ecology, I just like learning in general so everything in school is super fun," she revealed, saying she cannot see a world filled with kindness without science and technology being involved. One of her latest innovations, an app called Kindly, is here to help prevent cyberbullying. "I started to hard-code in some words that could be considered bullying, and then my engine took those words and identified words that are similar," Rao revealed, talking about how the app worked. "You type in a word or phrase, and it’s able to pick it up if it’s bullying, and it gives you the option to edit it or send it the way it is. The goal is not to punish. As a teenager, I know teenagers tend to lash out sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you’re saying so that you know what to do next time around." In a way, Gitanjali thinks this is not micro-managing teenagers but instead giving them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. She also spoke about how her goal had shifted not only from creating her own devices to solve the world’s problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well, since she wanted to see more people like her in the field. "I don’t look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist. It’s weird to me that it was almost like people had assigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the color of their skin." "It’s not easy when you don’t see anyone else like you. So I really want to put out the message that If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it." Gitanjali also revealed currently working on an easy way to help detect bio-contaminants in water—things like parasites. "I’m hoping for this to be something that’s inexpensive and accurate so that people in third-world countries can identify what’s in their water." "I recently hit my goal of 30,000 students who I have mentored, which is super exciting. It’s like creating a community of innovators. I really hope the work that all of these kids are doing identifies innovation as a necessity and not something that’s a choice anymore. I hope I can be a small part of that." Rao also has an inspiring message for other youngsters: “Don’t try to fix every problem, just focus on one that excites you."
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari - Indus civilisation is the crown of Pakistan and Sindh’s Culture is in fact a message of unity and harmony.
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has said that Indus civilisation is the crown of Pakistan and Sindh’s Culture is in fact a message of unity and harmony.In his message on the eve of Sindh Culture Day being observed tomorrow, the PPP Chairman said that this was the Day of Youth who are the real heir of this rich heritage.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that rich music or cultural dance of Mehran valley has given the arts a new colour and there was a need to learn how to make our cultural activities a platform for promotion of our social as well as economic activities as well. PPP Chairman said that Sindh Culture Day may be celebrated every year with a new theme like the days commemorates by the UN. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that diversity of cultures, religions, ethnicities and creed is the new nomeclature of modern peace and harmony. He extended heartiest congratulations to all those celebrating the Sindh Culture Day in the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad.Chairman Sahab @BBhuttoZardari ❤️🇱🇾@FerozeJamali @akbar_fareeha @psfanam @SassuiZafar @SaddamH76264314 @NazBaloch_ @BakhtawarBZ @AseefaBZ @MediaCellPPP @PPPMediaCell_NF @Nazfarooque pic.twitter.com/nmwUmkB2fC
— 🇱🇾Mir Faraz Ahmed Bhutto🇱🇾 (@MirFarazAhmedB3) December 6, 2020
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/24146/
#Pakistan: NAB detention - The power of arrest cannot be used as a tool of oppression
THE National Accountability Bureau drew the ire of the Supreme Court this week because of its repeated 90-day physical remand of those under investigation. The court was critical of the bureau’s disturbing practice of detaining the same suspects for 90 days by filing multiple references against them. While the court clarified that it did not object to NAB’s authority to detain a suspect once, it termed the trend of continuous custody as cruel and unjust.
That the judiciary has once again reprimanded NAB for its prolonged detention of under-investigation individuals should serve as a serious wake-up call for the bureau, whose reputation as an intimidating behemoth is only growing.
Earlier this year, Justice Maqbool Baqar while granting bail to former railways minister and PML-N stalwart Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Suleman Rafiq, too, had cautioned the bureau when he observed that the means, process and mechanism of curbing corruption must be within the parameters of the law. The judgement had noted that the arrest of an individual is a grave matter but the “capricious exercise of the power to arrest had deleterious consequences and, therefore, needed to be exercised with care, caution and sensitivity”. The power of arrest should not be deployed as a tool of oppression and harassment, the judgement had emphasised.
Unfortunately, the fundamental tenet of criminal jurisprudence — which maintains that a person is innocent until proven guilty — appears to be ignored in these protracted detentions. Moreover, it seems that in its haste to detain and prosecute, NAB has forgotten that these are white-collar crimes and not cases of terrorism or murder.
The bureau should pay heed to the apex court’s warnings, and adjust its operations in a way that respects the liberty of the individual being investigated. Detaining an individual in one case, locking them away in NAB custody and then framing multiple cases against them to extend that detention is harassment. In far too many cases now, individuals under investigation have spent months — even years — in detention. In the case of Ahad Cheema, for instance, the accused had been in jail for 23 months with no reference filed against him. This is unconscionable, and can take a huge psychological toll on the suspect with no redress or compensation from the bureau. The power of arrest cannot be used as a tool of oppression, and the bureau must respect the apex court’s sound observations on the matter.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1594262/nab-detention
Balochistan: Five Pakistani soldiers killed in Kohlu, BLA accepts attack
At least four Pakistani forces officials have been killed and several others wounded in a remote-controlled-blast in Balochistan’s district Kohlu region on Friday.
Balochistan media outlets reported that the convoy was on its way from Kohlu to Kahan when it came under attack at Sibbi junction.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Azad Baloch, informed media from an undisclosed location that BLA fighters targeted the Pakistani forces convoy and it [BLA] accepts responsibility for the attack.
He added that on December 4, “a convoy of Pakistan FC (Frontier Corps) was on its way from Kohlu to Kahan, which was ambushed by our fighters in a remote-controlled explosion.”
The blast damaged one vehicle of the convoy killing five Pakistani FC personnel and wounding others, Azad Baloch said in his statement.
BLA in its media statement further maintained that Pakistani forces as a form of collective punishment blocked the Kohlu-Kahan road for the civilian population which, the statement claimed, is a violation of international principles of war.
Azad Baloch, however, reiterated that further similar attack would continue against ‘occupying Pakistan forces’ until they withdraw from Baloch land and Balochistan regain its independence.
https://balochwarna.com/2020/12/05/balochistan-five-pakistani-soldiers-killed-in-kahan-attack-bla-accepts-attack/
Why Pakistan should recognize Israel posthaste
Pakistan’s creation was on similar grounds as Israel – a country for Muslims to call their own.The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan have taken the first step in thawing the relationship between Israel and the Muslim world. We are witnessing history in the making and we will soon see other Muslim countries follow suit. As a Pakistani-born Canadian Muslim, I too had reservations before my first visit to Israel about 13 years ago. Concerned fellow Muslims had warned us about being detained at the airport, armed personnel on the streets and threats of violence. My experience was exactly the opposite. I was welcomed to the country without any excess questioning and the visit was an eyeopener in every way. I travelled across Israel meeting both Arab and Jewish Israelis, asking open-ended questions and observing with great interest that the only way one can understand what Israel is really about is to personally visit the country. Since then I have gone back over a dozen times to the point that on my last visit the immigration officer asked me “and where is your Israeli passport”? I also travel to Pakistan regularly and am dismayed at the conspiracy theories that abound regarding Israel and Jews. According to UN data in 2020, Pakistan has a population of 220,892,340. Its population is equivalent to 2.83% of the total world population. The adult literacy rate there is 65%, with males at 69% and females at 40%. The number of people living in poverty will have increased from 69 million in June 2018 to 87 million by June 2020, indicating a 26% increase in poverty. Pakistan’s neighbors are China, Afghanistan and Iran. Interestingly, Pakistan used to have a small but thriving Jewish community many years ago. They were architects and literary figures mostly living in the port city of Karachi where some of the buildings still reflect their architecture. In fact, there is a Jewish cemetery in Karachi, which is taken care of by a Pakistani Muslim family. Most of the Jewish families have since left. Pakistan is geopolitically very strategically placed and is the only Muslim nuclear power. Right now, Pakistan is going through a tussle between China and the US, breaking away from US friendship, which was forged in 1947 when Pakistan was created. Pakistan’s creation was on similar grounds as Israel – a country for Muslims to call their own. The question arises: why should Pakistan recognize Israel? It’s inevitable and the answer is simple. Until now the excuse for Pakistan was the plight of the Palestinians. Is it better not to recognize a country (which Pakistan considers the aggressor) and just keep the status quo, or recognize Israel, which would bring debate and discussion to the table? The Palestinian issue is only raised in Pakistan for political purposes. Most people in Pakistan are completely unaware of Israel’s achievements; its advancement in technology, literature, the arts and medicine. This ignorance leads to a very strong feeling of antisemitism. If Pakistan is not recognizing Israel for what they consider human rights infractions, then they need to discuss their best friend China’s record of human rights, especially the recent genocide against the Uighurs and people of East Turkmenistan. Again, its quite simple. If Pakistan wants to shrug off the global perception that they are harboring extremism, then they have to join the rest of the world, especially the Muslim nations that are establishing relations with Israel and wake up to the new reality and the new normal. This will also create a balance for Pakistan’s relationship with India and Afghanistan. I hope in the near future we will hear the good news that Pakistan has agreed to recognize Israel.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/why-pakistan-should-recognize-israel-posthaste-651255
#Pakistan #Peshawar: Several COVID patients die after oxygen supply runs out
Seven die after oxygen supplies in one of the largest hospitals in northwestern city of Peshawar fail to arrive in time.
Seven patients being treated for the coronavirus have died after one of the largest hospitals in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar ran out of oxygen supplies.
Farhad Khan, spokesman at Khyber Teaching Hospital, said on Sunday that the patients died on Saturday night when the vendor who supplies the hospital with medical oxygen failed to arrive in time.
The hospital, the second-largest in the northwestern city of Peshawar, receives its oxygen cylinders from a vendor in Rawalpindi, a city about 190km (118 miles) away, Khan said.
Provincial Health Minister Taimur Jhagra tweeted about the incident, saying the hospital’s board of governors had been ordered to complete an investigation into the incident and take action “within 48 hours” against those responsible.
He promised that “all facts of the case will be made public”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/6/pakistan-several-covid-patients-die-after-oxygen-supply-runs-out
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