Hyperbole is something that comes easy to Pakistanis, especially when it comes to politics, and in the political lexicon of Pakistan, the word ‘unprecedented’ has been overused to the point of becoming meaningless. Every once in a while though, it fits. After the dramatic arrest of wheelchair-bound former prime minister and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court by a large contingent of paramilitary troops, it was as if a reservoir of rage had burst open, spilling red onto the streets with the floodwaters inundating hitherto sacrosanct shores. The rage isn’t new.…
Author: National Tone
As her first day of school under Taliban rule approached, Sajida Hussaini was hopeful. Her father, a teacher for 17 years, and her mother had instilled in her and her siblings the value of education, and now she was one year away from graduating high school.Even though the Taliban had taken over the country last summer, marking an end to many of the rights she and other Afghan girls had enjoyed all their lives, the regime had announced that it would reopen schools on March 23 and permit girls to attend.But when Sajida and her classmates arrived at the school’s…
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has officially been listed as out for Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, the team reported on Wednesday. Centre Deandre Ayton has also been listed as questionable. .acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0 auto; Paul suffered a groin injury in Game 2 of the series, forcing him out of the lineup for Games 3 through 5. He’s set to miss his fourth game in a row. Though the Nuggets lead the series 3-2, the Suns have gone 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinal without their guard. He has averaged 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and…
DeSantis, a likely 2024 US presidential candidate, signed into law a bill that would limit access to healthcare and work.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a multi-pronged immigration bill that will increase funds for his state’s controversial relocation programme, as well as heighten barriers for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers trying to access healthcare and employment. The bill comes as DeSantis gears up for an anticipated presidential run in the United States that would likely pit him against former president and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. At a signing ceremony on Wednesday in Jacksonville, Florida’s most populous city, DeSantis…
Brittney Griner has written to President Joe Biden with an urgent plea: “Please don’t forget about me.”The message from the WNBA star was delivered via a letter she handwrote from the Russian jail where she has been held since being arrested in February at a Moscow airport on drug charges. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.”As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote.Representatives for Griner shared sections of the…
Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, killing 21 people, in response to what it says were rockets fired by Palestinian groups. Gaza’s health ministry said seven people were killed on Wednesday, a day after Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory left 15 dead. Four of those killed on Wednesday were fighters with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said. A 10-year-old Palestinian girl named Layan Mdoukh was killed in a blast at her home in Gaza City in unclear circumstances. “There is a very high sense of worrying,” Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from…
Basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian courtroom on Thursday, but not before she was handed a note from President Joe Biden.With the hope that a guilty plea might be her best shot at a lenient sentence in what experts fear is a sham trial, the WBNA player admitted to taking hashish oil into Russia by accident because she had been in a hurry when she packed.”Brittney sets an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people,” read…
Speculation about Lionel Messi’s next destination has grown increasingly frenzied over the last few days, after Paris St Germain suspended him for taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia and the AFP news agency reported on Tuesday that a move to a club in the country was a “done deal”. PSG’s contract with the 35-year-old Argentinian legend, who lifted the Qatar World Cup in December, is set to run out at the end of this season. While his father and agent Jorge Messi released a statement later on Tuesday saying that nothing will be decided before PSG’s season finishes on…
Abduweli Ayup has not been back to Kashgar since 2015, and his chances of doing so anytime soon seem slim. The Chinese government has canceled his passport, he said.Sometimes he watches videos on YouTube of his hometown. They do not make him feel better. It feels compulsive, he said, “like eating bad food.”“You know, you want to keep eating it, but afterward your stomach feels upset,” he added. As he watched one video while speaking with a BuzzFeed News reporter, Ayup pointed to a giant sculpture of a traditional stringed instrument by the gates of the city. “See that, that’s…
British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith will use the London Diamond League event to prepare for the Athletics World Championships in Budapest. Her appearance at the London Stadium will come 12 months ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the 27-year-old is set to be a medal contender. By PA Sport Last Updated: 10/05/23 5:02pm Dina Asher-Smith celebrates victory after winning the Birmingham World Indoor Tour final British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith has announced she will race in the 100m during the Diamond League meeting at London Stadium on Sunday July 23. The 27-year-old’s appearance will be a key part of her preparation…