Author name: Aladin

Karachi on Friday received light to heavy drizzle as the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) predictions turned true with the weather witnessing a visible shift with more rains expected over the weekend. The city’s I. I. Chundrigar Road, Saddar, Sarjani Town, Malir, North Karachi, Korangi Industrial Area, Orangi Town, Baldia Town and Manghopir Northern Bypass are among the areas that witnessed rainfall so far on Friday. To ensure that the city’s residents do not face any inconvenience amid the downpour, the city’s Mayor Murtaza Wahab posted about the step being taken by the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC). “Apart from pumps, 53 of these suction vehicles have been moved to various locations for clearing rainwater as and when required,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The city’s mayor added that apart from traffic police, wardens have also been placed on major arteries to help ease the flow of traffic. It should be noted that the Sindh government, on Thursday, declared a rain emergency in the province and decided that offices in Karachi would be open for half a day today, viewing the forecast of heavy rains in the megalopolis. The provincial government also cancelled evening classes in schools today. The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department, in a notification, said all private and public evening shift schools would remain closed. Karachi mayor said the decision for the half-day was taken as an “abundant precaution”. He also requested citizens to avoid travelling unnecessarily to stave off any inconvenience. According to Pakistan Meteorological Department Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz, heavy rain is likely in Karachi’s Gadap, Sarjani and Malir. Light rain is recorded in some areas of Karachi, he added. “There is light rain in Gwadar today. Heavy spell of rain has left the city,” Sarfaraz said. The weather expert maintained that the spell of rain across Pakistan is likely to last till March 3. The expert said there is a possibility of heavy rain and snowfall in the upper regions for the next two days, while he warned the fishermen of Balochistan to avoid going into the deep sea till this evening. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1163137-light-to-heavy-drizzle-hits-karachi-as-city-braces-for-more-rainfall

A massive blaze in a six-storey shopping mall in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has killed at least 45 people and wounded dozens. The fire, which struck Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall late on Thursday, started in a biryani restaurant on the first floor, with 13 units of firefighters battling for two hours to douse the flames. Doctors said most of the dead suffocated, with others dying as they jumped off the building. Dozens of people are being treated for burn wounds in two state-run hospitals. Brigadier General Main Uddin, a top fire service official, said that the fire could have originated from a gas leak or stove. “It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the staircases,” he told reporters. Relatives gathered at the hospital early on Friday to receive the bodies of the dead, with some mourning outside the emergency department. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters that he expected the death toll to rise. Survivor Mohammad Altaf recounted his narrow escape. “I went to the kitchen, broke a window and jumped to save myself,” he told reporters, adding that a cashier and server who urged people to leave during the first moments had died later. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock and sorrow over the incident, ordering officials to provide swift treatment for the injured. The government has set up a five-member panel to investigate the incident. Inadequate safety measures Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka, where many new buildings have sprung up, many without adequate safety measures. Fires and explosions have resulted from faulty gas cylinders, air conditioners and poor electrical wiring. In July 2021, many children were among 54 people killed at a food processing factory outside Dhaka, while at least 70 were killed in a February 2019 fire that engulfed a centuries-old precinct. The garment sector has been subject to intense scrutiny since a fire in 2012 and a building collapse in 2013 that together killed more than 1,200 workers. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/1/at-least-45-people-killed-in-bangladesh-after-fire-starts-at-shopping-mall

Security forces killed six terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Wednesday. On the reported presence of terrorists, the security forces swung into action and conducted an operation in the tribal district, the military’s media wing said. During the conduct of operation, intense fire exchange took place between the troops, and the terrorists, as a result of which six terrorists were killed, whereas, one soldier also sustained injuries, it added. “Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities including target killing as well as extortion and abduction of innocent civilians,” the ISPR said. The forces were conducting a sanitisation operation to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the ISPR said, adding that locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism. Earlier this month, a soldier embraced martyrdom and nine terrorists were killed by security forces in two separate operations in the province. The IBO was conducted by the security forces in Tank District, according to the ISPR. During the IBO, two terrorists, including a high-value target (HVT) Rehmat Ullah alias Badar Mansur, were killed. “In another operation conducted in South Waziristan District, after intense fire exchange, seven terrorists were sent to hell.” However, during the operation, Sepoy Shahzeb Aslam, 29, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom. Pakistan witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks in Balochistan and KP provinces in the last few months which also marred the pre-election phase in some provincial pockets. In response, the security forces also intensified actions in the terrorism-hit areas and achieved success by restoring peace in the affected parts, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1162525-security-forces-kill-six-terrorists-in-north-waziristan-ibo-ispr

Firefighters are battling several wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. The largest, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, is raging out of control, burning homes and forcing residents to evacuate. The fast-moving blaze, fueled by gusty winds and dry, unseasonably warm conditions, has exploded in size, scorching at least 850,000 acres with 3% containment, making it the second-largest wildfire in Texas history, according to Texas A&M Forest Service. As of Wednesday morning, no injuries or deaths have been reported. Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall described the aftermath to the Associated Press as being “like a moonscape… It’s just all gone.” Kendall reported that 40 homes were burned on the outskirts of the town of Canadian but no buildings inside the town were lost. “Thirty-eight years of memories, that’s what you were thinking,” Canadian resident Tresea Rankin said while watching flames destroy her house. “Two of my kids were married there … But you know, it’s OK, the memories won’t go away.”Town of Canadian largely spared by massive wildfire Storm chaser Jordan Hall reported live from the scene of the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Feb. 27, where intense wind gusts caused extreme fire behavior. County Emergency Management issued evacuation orders Tuesday afternoon, with Sheriff Brent Clapp “strongly” suggesting that people evacuate Canadian. Later in the evening, according to ABC 7 News, as the wildfire forced road closures, Clapp recommended Canadian residents shelter in place. Canadian Independent School District canceled all classes on Wednesday due to the fire. ABC 7 also reported that structures in Canadian have burned. In addition to Canadian, evacuation orders were issued for Glazier and Higgins. Roberts County Judge Mitchell Locke also issued a county-wide mandatory evacuation.Evacuee describes chaotic escape from wildfire Wildfire evacuee Brooke McQuiddy describes her harrowing escape from her hometown of Canadian, Texas, as an out-of-control wildfire spread quickly in the area on Feb. 27. “The Smokehouse Creek fire is being fueled by southwesterly winds to 60 mph and is rapidly spreading east-northeast towards the Texas town of Canadian,” AccuWeather severe weather expert Guy Pearson said, explaining that winds on Tuesday afternoon shifted behind a strong cold front, quickly changing the direction the fire was spreading. Courtney Kirksey, a children’s pastor helping people shelter from wildfires at Celebration Family Church in Fritch, Texas, told CNN on Tuesday that most of the people who come in have lost everything. “The fire is so unpredictable. Starting out the day, the wind was blowing out of the southwest and probably about four o’clock, it switched to the north and that sent the fire in another direction.” In a social media livestream, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas compared the fire aftermath in Fritch to a tornado and said people are probably not “prepared for what they’re going to see if they pull into town.” Authorities have not said what ignited the fires. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging Texas residents at risk to keep a close eye on the weather and be prepared to evacuate. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties and urged Texans “to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe.” Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/29/israels-war-on-gaza-live-mass-killing-of-children-in-slow-motion-ngo

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The Balochistan Assembly will convene its maiden session on Wednesday (today) with the newly-elected members of the provincial legislature set to take oath when the House meets at 3pm. The authorities have barred the entry of guests in light of the expected protests and the prevailing law and order situation in the province. Moreover, as per the assembly’s secretariat, Zamrak Khan Achakzai has been appointed as the presiding officer for the session. The 51 members, elected on general seats, who will be taking their oath today include members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers. The members of these two major parties, who are expected to form a coalition government in the centre, emerged victorious in the 65-member House which includes 11 reserved seats for women and three for minorities. The Bilawal-led party has 11 seats in the assembly and PML-N has 10 seats. Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) have 10 and five seats, respectively. Furthermore, as many as six independent candidates have also made it to the Balochistan Assembly along with the National Party (NP) and Balochistan National Party (BNP) who have secured three and one seats, respectively. Following their oaths, the legislators, in the session that will continue in the coming days, will vote for the election of the House’s speaker and deputy speaker followed by the election of the chief minister. With a divided provincial assembly where no political party managed to secure a simple majority in the February 8 polls, the PPP and the PML-N might join hands to form their government as they already have agreed to form a coalition government in the Centre. Balochistan Assembly’s inaugural session comes as newly-elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly will also be taking their oath today. Sindh and Punjab Assemblies have already administered the oath of their members who have elected their speakers, deputy speakers and chief ministers. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1162402-newly-elected-members-of-balochistan-assembly-to-take-oath-today

Ukraine says it destroyed 10 Russia drones launched overnight. Ukraine’s president is co-hosting a summit in Albania with the stated goals of “peace, security, cooperation”. G20 finance ministers are meeting in Brazil on Wednesday with the Russia-Ukraine war expected to take centre stage. Yulia Navalnaya, wife of activist Alexey Navalny who died earlier this month, will address the European Parliament on Wednesday. Fishy business: After Russia invaded Ukraine, its seafood industry thrived Regin Winther Poulsen Agostino Petroni Dominika Perlínová After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the West’s reaction was swift and decisive, with unanimous decisions by the EU and the US to support Ukraine and punish Russia with economic sanctions. Two years on, the war continues while Russia’s economy remains resilient. While parts of the Russian industry were sanctioned immediately, some important industries were not. The Russian fishing industry was only partially blocked by Washington and marginally by the European bloc, which continues to import about $1bn worth of seafood from its aggressive neighbour. Read the full article here. Russian salmon are displayed at a fish store amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Nemuro on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, April 11, 2022 [Daniel Leussink/Reuters] Click here to share on China lauds relations with Russia, calls for strengthened Asia Pacific role China has heralded historically strong relations with Russia as it called for the pair to coordinate on security, stability and development in the Asia Pacific region. China and Russia should play a “better role as an anchor of stability in the changing circumstances of the century”, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said in a statement issued on Wednesday following a visit to Moscow by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. Although wary of damaging ties with the West, Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and relations between the two BRICS members have remained warm amid the war. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, gestures while speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 20, 2023 [Sergei Karpukhin/Sputnik via AP] Click here to share on Russia jails Ukrainian man for attempting to buy secret missile parts Russian news agencies are reporting that a court in southern Russia has jailed a Ukrainian man for more than 11 years after convicting him of espionage for trying to procure secret missile components for Ukraine. The agencies cited Russia’s internal security and intelligence agency FSB as saying that the man, who it named as 57-year-old Sergei Krivitsky, was an agent for Ukrainian military intelligence. They did not say whether he pleaded guilty or not. The FSB said Krivitsky was a resident of Melitopol, a Ukrainian city taken by Russian forces in early 2022. In 2023, Russia opened 31 espionage cases and 98 treason cases, the highest number since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. Cars drive past the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in central Moscow, Russia [Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters] Click here to share on social ‘EU should consider using profits from frozen Russian assets to buy supplies for Ukraine’ We can now bring you more from the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She tells the European Parliament that it was “time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine”. “There could be no stronger and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live.” Ursula von der Leyen gestures as she arrives at the European Parliament [Jean-Francois Badias/AP Photo] Click here to share on Europe will support Ukraine for as long as it takes: Von der Leyen European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is speaking at the European Parliament. “Over the last two years, Europe has shown and proven that it will support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” she says. “The threat of war may not be imminent, but it is not impossible”. In preparing for such an eventuality, it means “turbocharging our defence industrial capacity in the next five years”, she says. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/28/russia-ukraine-war-live-navalny-widow-address-eu-parliament

A senior member of Hamas’s political wing has told Al Jazeera the group has still not received an official proposal for a truce deal, downplaying optimism by the US president that an announcement was imminent. UN humanitarian agency says humanitarian organisations “systemically denied access” to Gaza and that humanitarian aid convoys are coming under fire. A senior UN humanitarian aid official has said that one-quarter of Gaza’s population – estimated to be at least 576,000 people – is a step away from famine. Gaza’s Health Ministry says children are dying due to dehydration and “escalating famine” could “kill thousands” in days if more aid does not enter the Gaza Strip. At least 29,878 people have been killed and 70,215 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139. Hamas fires missiles at Israel from southern Lebanon The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, says it launched multiple missiles at northern Israel from southern Lebanon. The strikes targeted the headquarters of Israel’s 769th Eastern Brigade and its airport barracks in Beit Hilal, the Qassam Brigades said on its Telegram account. Clashes around the Israel-Lebanon border have been frequent amid the Gaza war, but Israeli forces have recently struck deeper into Lebanese territory, targeting what they claim are positions of Hezbollah, which is a staunch ally of Hamas. Click New technocratic government needed to ‘unify Palestinians’ Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s ambassador to the UK, said Qatar and Egypt could help form a technocratic Palestinian government to take over governance of the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Zomlot said all Palestinian political factions, including Hamas, would be consulted in the new government’s formation, but that it would be strictly technocratic. “It is designed to unify the Palestinians, their geography and polity,” Zomlot said. “The political landscape has changed. This is the time to hear our people and not the time for political factions. We have a responsibility to provide a government that can provide for its people, unite our people and political system.” On Monday, Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh and his government resigned amid reform pressures, in a move that was seen as paving the way for a potential national unity government. Click here to share on social media Three more Palestinians killed in Gaza City In addition to the Palestinians killed while waiting for food, Wafa news agency is reporting that Israeli shelling has killed another three people and wounded six others in the Sheikh Ijlin neighbourhood in southern Gaza City. Israeli strikes have also targeted other neighbourhoods in Gaza City, resulting in numerous other casualties. The targeted neighbourhoods include Tal al-Hawa, Zeitoun, and Sabra, according to Wafa. Click Three Palestinians killed while waiting for food aid near Gaza City Three Palestinians, who were waiting for aid near Gaza City, were killed after being hit by Israeli artillery fire on the coastal al-Rashid Street, reports the Wafa news agency, quoting local medical sources. Palestinians in the north have been gathering on that coastal road as they desperately wait for food, amid reports residents there face starvation. Click here to share on social media North Gaza hospital shuts down surgery department Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital, one of the few partially functioning health facilities left in the north, has had to cancel all surgical operations after two of its operating rooms were “targeted and destroyed”, according to its acting director Mohamed Salha. “This means that all medical services related to obstetrics and gynaecology have stopped completely,” Salha told Al Jazeera. The closure also means the hospital must cancel all orthopaedic and plastic surgeries, which can help save the limbs of wounded Palestinians, Salha said. “We were the only hospital in northern Gaza for orthopaedic surgeries … There is no other alternative place in northern Gaza or Gaza City because the health ministry’s hospitals are out of service completely,” he said. Click here to share on social media Latest from Gaza Our correspondent in Gaza, Hani Mahmoud, has sent us these updates: Intense artillery shelling on Zeitoun neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City A drone fired a missile on a group of people in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. Eighteen bodies were retrieved from the vicinity of Nasser Hospital after Israeli tanks withdrew from the area. Snipers are still taking up positions on the rooftops of surrounding buildings Bodies collected from eastern Khan Younis are sent to the European Gaza Hospital in Rafah due to difficulties in getting them to Nasser Hospital Click What’s happening with the Gaza ceasefire plan that Biden mentioned? Earlier this week, President Biden said he hoped a ceasefire deal would come into effect between Israel and Hamas by Monday. However, both sides have come out with statements which have cast a shadow over a possible stop in Israeli attacks. According to a senior Egyptian official quoted by the Associated Press, a truce could last six weeks and would allow the return of displaced Palestinians to some parts of northern Gaza and a significant increase in aid delivery. A Hamas source also told Al Jazeera earlier that the deal could involve the exchange of 400 Palestinian prisoners for 40 captives held in Gaza. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, said Doha was “hopeful” but  “not necessarily optimistic” a deal could be announced in the coming days, adding that “the situation is still fluid on the ground”. A Hamas official told Al Jazeera on Tuesday evening that the group has not yet received a formal proposal for a ceasefire. Israeli PM Netanyahu also said on Tuesday that he will not be pressured to “prematurely” end Israel’s offensive. Click here to share on social media Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/28/israels-war-on-gaza-live-thousands-could-die-in-days-as-israel-blocks-aid

 House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a defining dilemma on Ukraine Mike Johnson talks to reporters during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, DC. on February 14. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images House Speaker Mike Johnson has the fate of a democracy and a people in his hands. It’s not the United States, which will survive even if the coming general election results in another existential test for the constitutional system. Johnson has the power to save Ukraine, two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded, decreeing that it didn’t have the right to exist. Ukraine’s soldiers are running out of bullets. There are signs that Russia may be about to break a stalemate and tip the war its way. Johnson, a backbencher who was the last-ditch choice to lead the mutinous House GOP majority last year, could relieve Ukraine’s agony and help ensure its survival as an independent nation in the coming days. He could allow a vote on a bill that includes $60 billion in aid that the Pentagon says is needed for Kyiv to continue to fight effectively. It would likely pass with a comfortable bipartisan majority. The Louisiana Republican’s reluctance to do so is a commentary on the growing power of GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the sharp turn of his party away from its globalist pro-democracy heritage, and perhaps even his own ambition since borrowing Democratic votes to finance Ukraine’s defense could cost him the speakership. His predicament will be highlighted at a meeting of the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday called by President Joe Biden. It’s morning in Ukraine. Here’s what you need to know Sweden has cleared a final hurdle in its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after Hungary approved its accession to the alliance. Sweden and Finland sought to join the alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, abandoning the decades-long policy of non-alignment. Sweden can expect that Russia will “not like” the country’s accession to NATO, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move toward Sweden’s membership, and said that Ukraine is looking forward “to working closely with Sweden and other NATO allies to advance Ukraine’s NATO membership.” A decision to admit Ukraine would extend the sacred NATO pledge that an attack on one member is an attack on all to a nation Russia regards, at a minimum, as part of its sphere of influence Here are the top headlines: Biden pushes for aid: President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders on Tuesday as the White House ratchets up pressure on lawmakers to pass additional funding to Ukraine, and ahead of a partial government shutdown deadline this week. European support: French President Emmanuel Macron has said that sending Western troops to Ukraine cannot be ruled out. He also announced a new coalition to supply medium and long-range “missiles and bombs” to Ukraine at a European aid summit for the war-hit country. On the front lines: Ukrainian forces have retreated from the village of Lastochkynein the eastern Donetsk region, both sides have confirmed, as Russian forces intensify attacks and continue to push west. Lastochkyne is near Avdiivka, where Russia raised its flag on February 18. Fighting elsewhere: In Russia, a Ukrainian attack killed at least three people and wounded three others after a drone strike hit a car with civilians in a village in the Belgorod region, the regional governor said. Prisoner exchange: Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was due to be exchanged in a prisoner swap before he died, according to his aides. A Western official confirmed that early discussions of an exchange were underway, but said no formal offer had been made. The US State Department would not comment on the reports. Navalny funeral: A public farewell to Navalny is expected to be held this week. Navalny’s mother had previously said she was being pressured into having a secret burial. Biden to convene top four congressional leaders as pressure builds for Ukraine aid President Joe Biden delivers remarks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. on February 16. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders on Tuesday as the White House ratchets up pressure on lawmakers to pass additional funding to Ukraine, and ahead of a partial government shutdown deadline this week. The meeting – which will include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – comes at a pivotal moment following Johnson’s resistance to Ukraine aid. Biden has repeatedly framed the need to support the country against Russia as a matter of national security abroad and at home. In the face of congressional inaction on a package that includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, the president has directed his team to make the consequences “abundantly clear,” a US official told CNN. Russia will not like Sweden’s accession to NATO, Swedish prime minister says Ulf Kristersson attends a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 26. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images Sweden can expect that Russia will “not like” the country’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Monday. “As for Russia, the only thing we can safely expect is that they do not like Sweden becoming a NATO member. They didn’t like Finland becoming a NATO member either,” Kristersson said at a news conference in Stockholm. Kristersson highlighted that Russia’s ambitions to limit NATO expansion have backfired, and also noted the historic nature of his country’s ascension into the alliance. “Sweden is leaving behind 200 years of neutrality and non-alignment. It’s a big step and something to take seriously but it is also a very natural step that we take. Membership in NATO means that we now come home to a large number of democracies’ cooperation for peace and freedom. A very successful cooperation,” Kristersson said. Earlier on Monday, Hungary’s parliament approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO, clearing the last hurdle for the country to become the 32nd member of the military alliance. Source:https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-02-27-24/index.html