World
politics
Dubai drowned by artificial rain
Following intense rains that covered the region in less than a day, the city of Dubai has almost come to a complete standstill.
Due to subterranean parking lots flooding, schools have been closed and staff members have been told to work from home. Following two days of rain, there were also problems with the metro services. Moreover, one of the biggest airports in the world, Dubai International, is experiencing major delays, with planes being delayed or diverted for many hours.
Numerous media sources linked Dubai’s routine cloud seeding operations to the flooding in order to meet its freshwater needs.
This method involves using aeroplanes to boost precipitation by introducing chemicals and tiny particles, like potassium chloride salts, into rain clouds, according to Interesting Engineering.
But it is not solely the case, as Omar AlYazeedi, deputy director general of the NCM told CNBC that there were no seeding operations before or during the storm.
Although it is simple to draw connections between the two events and attribute the floods to the seeding efforts, a closer examination of the facts reveals a different picture.
In Dubai, cloud seeding is nothing new. According to the Bloomberg report, the technology has been in use since 2002, but in the preceding two decades, no such catastrophic results have been observed.
Given that over 300 seeding operations are carried out in Dubai annually, one may be positive that this time around the tests have gone well. Furthermore, the NCM made it clear that on the day of the storm, it did not perform any cloud seeding.
Dubai was not designed to withstand such enormous rains. Storm water drains are not constructed by a desert community hoping to augment its freshwater supply during heavy downpours.
Due to climate change, major cities frequently flood during periods of heavy rain, so, this time around, it was Dubai.
This serves as yet another warning that the changing climate and its effects on the natural and human environments must be taken into consideration when designing urban infrastructure.
Donald Trump hush money trial: Day one wraps up as 6 jurors selected
The hush money trial involving former president Donald Trump is underway, and as of Tuesday afternoon, six jurors have been selected for the 12-person panel.
The first day of Trump’s trial concluded on Monday without any jurors or alternates selected. The trial is a first in many ways – it is the first criminal trial for a former US commander-in-chief and the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach the trial stage.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.
The allegations are about payments made to two women – Stormy Daniels, a porn actor, and Karen McDougal, a Playboy model. Both women claimed extramarital encounters with Trump years ago. Moreover, a Trump Tower doorman alleged a potentially scandalous story about an illegitimate child of Trump.
However, Trump denies all their claims about these alleged encounters.
The chosen six were part of the first batch of about 100 potential jurors. These jurors were scrutinised for their views on Trump and his social media activity.
These jurors were picked after a process of elimination, with several others being dismissed for various reasons. Some of them said they could not be impartial. Others had commitments that clashed with the trial schedule while a person was let off due to flu-like symptoms.
The trial still needs more jurors. A second group of potential jurors is yet to be questioned.
The jurors’ social media posts also came under discussion. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, found some posts from potential jurors that contradicted their answers during questioning. One post, for example, showed a potential juror at a party celebrating Trump’s election loss.
The judge, Juan M. Merchan, decided to allow attorneys to question prospective jurors about such posts.
During the questioning phase, some potential jurors were hesitant to share their opinions about Donald Trump. One Manhattan bookseller, when asked about his views, said his personal opinion of Trump had no bearing on the case. He humorously added that he would share his views if they were at a bar, but not in the courtroom. He finally admitted to being a Democrat.
Another potential juror, a criminal prosecutor from the Bronx, shared that he had some positive views about Trump.
US considers over $1bn weapons deal for Israel amid Middle East tensions
The US is considering more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel, including tank ammunition, military vehicles, and mortar rounds, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, according to a report on Friday.
The proposed deal by the Biden administration includes transfers of $700 million in 120 mm tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and less than $100 million in 120 mm mortar rounds, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
This package, reportedly among the largest to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people, would be in addition to those in a military aid deal currently before Congress, the report stated.
The sale would require approval from the US Congress and could take months or years to be delivered, it said.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Anadolu’s request for comment.
The US is facing a barrage of criticism for providing military aid to Israel amid reports of Tel Aviv targeting civilians — with more than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, killed in Gaza, and credible reports of violations of international law and US law, including the blocking of American aid.
The report also came amid heightened tension between Iran and Israel after Tehran launched a drone and missile attack in response to the April 1 attack on its consulate in Syria, which killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking commanders.
Last month, a half-dozen Democratic senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to halt arms sales to Israel because it is currently in violation of a 1961 law that prohibits arms sales to nations that obstruct the delivery of American aid.
“The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with US humanitarian assistance,” the senators wrote. “Federal law is clear, and, given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza and the repeated refusal of Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu to address US concerns on this issue, immediate action is necessary to secure a change in policy by his government.”
A Feb. 8 memorandum signed by Biden requires countries that receive US military assistance to give Washington “credible and reliable written assurances” that the arms will be used in compliance with “international human rights law and international humanitarian law.”
Israel submitted written assurances to the State Department last month, but human rights groups said those assurances were not credible and urged the government to suspend arms transfers to Israel.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last month that they “have not found [Israel] to be in violation of international humanitarian law, either when it comes to the conduct of the war or when it comes to the provision of humanitarian assistance.”
Gaza death toll surpasses 34,000
GAZA/ GENEVA – The death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to at least 34,012, following more than six months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Friday.
In the last 24 hours, 42 Palestinians had died following Israeli attacks, the ministry reported. A further 63 people had been injured over the same time period, taking the overall number of wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began to 76,833, it said.
The UN decried Friday the intentional destruction of complex and hard-to-obtain medical equipment in Gaza’s beleaguered hospitals and maternity wards, further deepening risks to women already giving birth in “inhumane, unimaginable conditions”.
Recent United Nations-led missions to 10 Gaza hospitals found many “in ruins” and just a couple capable of providing any level of maternal health services, said Dominic Allen, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) representative for the State of Palestine.
He said that what the teams found at the Nasser hospital complex, long besieged by Israeli forces during their operations in the southern city of Khan Yunis, “breaks my heart”.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva via video-link from Jerusalem, he described seeing “medical equipment purposefully broken, ultrasounds — which you will know, is a very important tool for helping ensure safe births — with cables that have been cut”.
“Screens of complex medical equipment, like ultrasounds and others with the screens smashed,” he added.
The World Health Organization has described the difficulty of bringing such equipment into Gaza even before the current war erupted following Hamas’s October 7 attack inside Israel.
Allen warned that this “purposeful, wanton destruction in the maternity ward”, coupled with other damage, and lacking water, sanitation and electricity, was complicating efforts to get what was previously the second-most important hospital in the Palestinian territory up and running again “to provide a lifeline”.
Meanwhile at Al-Khair, another specialised maternity hospital in Khan Yunis, “it didn’t seem as if there was any piece of working medical equipment”, he said, lamenting that the birthing rooms “stand silent”.
“They should be a place of giving life and they just have an eerie sense of death.”
Only 10 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are currently even partially functioning.
And Allen said that only three of those were now capable of providing assistance to the estimated 180 women giving birth across Gaza every single day — around 15 percent of whom suffer complications requiring significant care.
The hospitals that can provide such care are thus facing significant capacity constraints.
The Emirati Hospital in the south, which is the main maternity hospital in Gaza currently, is for instance supporting up to 60 births every single day, including as many as 12 Caesarian sections, he said.
Given the heavy pressure on the facility, women are discharged just hours after giving birth, “and after C-sections, it is less than a day”, Allen said, stressing “that increases risks”.
He said there was clearly a risk in the numbers of complicated procedures linked to “malnutrition, dehydration and fear, which impact the pregnant woman’s ability to give birth safely and carry their baby to full term safely”.
A doctor at the Emirati hospital had told Allen that “he no longer sees normal-size babies”.
Amid a “completely crippled” health system in Gaza, the UNFPA is “deeply concerned about the ability to provide postnatal care”, he said.
He said that the agency was deploying midwives and midwifery kits to makeshift centres being set up in schools to help fill the gap.
The current war started after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
G7 asks ‘all parties’ to prevent further Middle East escalation
Capri, Italy – G7 foreign ministers Friday urged “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East, following reports that Israel had carried out revenge strikes on Iran.
“In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end,” the Group of Seven industrialised nations said in a statement.
The ministers from Italy, the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and Canada said they “demand that Iran and its affiliated groups cease their attacks”.
“We will hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilising actions,” they said after a meeting in the Italian island of Capri.
The G7 said it was “ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures, now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives”.
Iran’s state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan Friday, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival.
Israel had previously warned it would hit back after Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel almost a week ago, in retaliation for a deadly strike on Iran’s embassy in Syria which Tehran blamed on its foe. Fears of a major regional spillover from the Gaza war have since soared.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who holds the G7 rotating presidency, told a press conference in Capri he “wanted a very clear message to come out of G7: the political goal of the G7 is de-escalation”.
“We invite all parties to work to avoid any escalation,” he added. Also, Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations said Friday they opposed a “full-scale military operation in Rafah” by Israel as that would have “catastrophic consequences on the civilian population”.
Ministers from Italy, the UK, US, France, Germany, Japan and Canada also slammed the “unacceptable number of civilians” killed in Gaza during Israel’s military offensive. Israel has vowed to send troops into Gaza’s overcrowded Rafah area in its war against Hamas.
“We reiterate our opposition to a full scale military operation in Rafah that would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population,” the ministers said in a statement.
Israel has faced growing global opposition to the relentless war that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, while its 2.4 million people have suffered under an Israeli siege.
“We deplore all losses of civilian lives,” G7 ministers said at a meeting on Italy’s island of Capri. They said they “note with great concern the unacceptable number of civilians, including thousands of women, children and persons in vulnerable situations who have been killed in Gaza”.
Hindu nationalist Modi favourite in India’s one-sided vote
Haridwar, India – India began voting Friday in a six-week election with an all but assured victory for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a weakened opposition is pushed to the sidelines.
A total of 968 million people are eligible to take part in the world’s biggest vote — a staggering logistical exercise that critics say follows a concerted effort to delegitimise rivals. A long and winding queue was patiently assembled outside a polling station in the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges river, even before the booths opened. “Modi had ensured our country as well as our faith is secure,” 59-year-old Hindu ascetic Uday Bharti told AFP outside a polling station.
“We have come here to make sure Modi keeps doing his good work.” Modi, 73, remains resoundingly popular after a decade in office that has seen India rise in diplomatic clout and economic power, as well as efforts by his government to bring the country’s majority faith in ever closer alignment with its politics. “I urge all those voting… to exercise their franchise in record numbers,” he wrote in a post on X as the election began.
“Every vote counts and every voice matters!”
Modi has already led the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through two landslide victories in 2014 and 2019, forged in large part by his appeal to the Hindu faithful.
This year, he presided over the inauguration of a grand temple to the deity Ram, built on the grounds of a centuries-old mosque razed by Hindu zealots.
Construction of the temple fulfilled a long-standing demand of Hindu activists and was widely celebrated across India with back-to-back television coverage and street parties.
Economy (world)
PAKISTAN
Politics
Federal Cabinet lifts age bar for important appointments
The federal cabinet on Saturday made a significant decision by lifting the upper age limit for important appointments, thereby opening avenues for new appointments with salaries of up to Rs2 million per month.
This revision in rules, aimed at promoting fresh talent and enhancing the efficiency of federal ministries and divisions, was approved through circulation by the cabinet.
The amendment, which removes the previous age limit of 65 years for appointments under the Special Professional Pay Scales Policy 2019, now allows for appointments and extensions beyond the age of 65.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nodded a committee, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, which recommended these shifts to facilitate the recruitment of skilled professionals, technical experts, and consultants.
These amendments, as it is claimed, are geared towards promoting a world-class talent pool and introducing innovative governance practices to ensure greater effectiveness.
PM Shehbaz to undertake China visit in May to fast-track CPEC projects, says Mashhood
Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has stated that Pakistan’s economy was heading in the right direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Mashhood expressed these views while talking to reporters during his visit to the China Window, a Chinese cultural centre established in Peshawar.
Mashhood told media that from May 14, the prime minister would make an official visit to the People’s Republic of China which would restore the confidence of the brotherly neighbouring country and the CPEC project would move towards success quickly.
He said that during the last regime, not only the CPEC project was neglected, but also an attempt was made to spoil the relations between the two brotherly countries.
He said the premier wanted to make Pakistan a partner in economic development and that was the reason he was bringing investment from Pakistan’s friendly countries so that the country could become self-reliant.
According to a press release issued here, Mashhood visited different galleries of the China Window, signed the friendship wall and recorded his comments in the Visitor’s Book.
Maryam using unfair tactics to manipulate ballot in by-polls, alleges PTI’s Saif
Barrister Dr Saif, a prominent PTI leader and the aide to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on information, has accused Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of employing unfair tactics to manipulate the ballot in the by-elections.
In a statement released on Saturday, Saif stated that Maryam, who became the Punjab chief minister based on Form 47, was afraid of defeat in the by-elections.
Saif alleged that the PML-N leader used various tactics to prevent the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from conducting any election campaigns, adding that PTI leaders and workers were being implicated in false cases.
Meanwhile, former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser urged the electorate to fully participate in Sunday’s by-elections.
He said the PTI founder was currently fighting a battle from within jail for the freedom of the country, adding that “it was our responsibility to support the PTI founder and endorse his slogan of ‘we are not slaves’”.
Qaiser stated that it was essential to put an end to the incumbent coalition government which was governing on a fake and stolen mandate.
The former speaker advised PTI leaders and workers that after casting their vote, it was important for them to sit in front of the RO (returning officer) office and demand Form 47 according to Form 45.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed preparations for the by-elections on five National and 16 Provincial Assembly seats across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan scheduled for Sunday.
PM Shehbaz says Pak-China economic, cultural relations developing swiftly
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asserted that economic and cultural relations between Pakistan and China were strengthening rapidly due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Sharing his message on the International Day of Chinese language, PM emphasized today was the day of Chinese language representing decades old Chinese culture.
Shehbaz Sharif insisted that with the prowess of its economic development, China has made its mark across the globe.
He added that the Chinese culture and language were rapidly becoming popular all over the world.
He affirmed that Chinese language has become the major language of communication around the world making it official languages of communicationthe by the United Nations (UN).
PM said the number of people learning Chinese in Pakistan was increasing rapidly which will further strengthen relations between the two countries.
PM Shehbaz Sharif highlighted all possible measures were being taken at the public and private level to promote Chinese language and literature in Pakistan in order to further strengthen bilateral relations.
President lauds Banking Mohtasib for providing Rs1.26b relief to bank customers
ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari has lauded the Banking Mohtasib for processing over 25,000 complaints and providing monetary relief amounting to Rs1.26 billion to banking customers in 2023.
He also appreciated the Mohtasib for providing an overall relief to the tune of Rs6.4 billion to the complainants since its inception. The President expressed these views while talking to the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan (BMP), Sirajuddin Aziz, who called on him and presented the Annual Report of BMP to him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr here on Friday.
While briefing the President, the Banking Ombudsman highlighted the role and performance of the Banking Mohtasib for the expeditious redressal of grievances of the banking customers who had been deprived of their hard-earned money and life-savings by fraudsters. He further informed that BMP had recently introduced a user-friendly system of Online Portal, making it easier for complainants to register their grievances.
Highlighting the significance of providing expeditious justice to fraud victims, the President said that the banking Mohtasib, as an institution, played an important role in delivering free-of-cost justice to people and promoting good governance. He stressed the need to keep pace with technological advancements to expeditiously dispose of complaints.
The President also underscored the need to raise awareness about the role and services of the Banking Mohtasib against the maladministration of the banks so that the maximum number of people could benefit from its services.
Day after PTI disrupts Zardari’s speech, Bilawal says not afraid of monkeys
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday called for prioritising national interests over partisan agendas as it would lead to political as well as economic stability in the country.
Speaking to journalists here, Bilawal urged political unity in fostering foreign relations.
Commenting on the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud’s visit, he hailed it as a significant opportunity for investment and said that political parties must unite on foreign policy. On the reconciliation, Chairman Bhutto reiterated the PPP’s commitment to national unity and highlighted key demands for economic, reconciliation, and judicial reforms.
Reflecting on the recent events, he criticised the opposition’s reaction during Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s oath-taking, attributing their uproar to apprehension.
The PPP chief said they were not afraid of “jungle’s monkeys,” adding that his party has a history of fighting dictators.
He emphasized the resilience of the PPP against historical challenges, including dictatorial regimes, reaffirming their commitment to democratic principles.
Highlighting the significance of President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent parliamentary address, he underscored the imperative of prioritizing national interests over partisan agendas.
He criticized the opposition’s lack of engagement in parliamentary duties, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to address pressing issues facing Pakistan.
Regarding counterterrorism efforts, Bilawal criticized the previous government’s policies, particularly concerning the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and cross-border dynamics.
He advocated for a coherent national security strategy, stressing the importance of unity in combating terrorism.
In response to questions about the opposition’s conduct during President Zardari’s address, Bilawal urged unity on foreign affairs matters, cautioning against detrimental impacts on international perceptions.
Discussing climate change and its repercussions, Bilawal emphasized the need for proactive measures to mitigate environmental disasters, advocating for sustainable development strategies.
Addressing the economic concerns, the PPP Chairman expressed reservations about certain interim government decisions, particularly regarding wheat imports, and highlighted the importance of addressing growers’ grievances.
Bilawal commended the Sindh police for thwarting a terror plot and called for concerted efforts to combat terrorism, both domestically and regionally.
Regarding the protest movement expected by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) in Sindh, Bilawal said if JUI-F holds protest, “we will facilitate them.”
He added: “Maulana sahib is a senior politician and has been given wrong impression by his people that they lost the elections through rigging. He should investigate whether there was rigging or his own people are giving this wrong impression to hide their own weaknesses,” he said.
He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman should protest against Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in Dera Ismail Khan, and other parts of the province. “Does he think that rigging was done in Larkana and fair and transparent elections were held in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw,” Bilawal questioned.
Pak economy improving, funds will be provided on request: IMF
The International Monitory Fund (IMF) officials have said Pakistan’s economy is showing signs of improvement.
The Fund officials said in a press conference on the economic situation in the Middle East and Central Asia that the final review of the SBA had been completed and would now be presented to the board for approval.
The officials said that Pakistan’s economy was on way to improvement after the Standby Arrangement Agreement.
The IMF programme would help Pakistan to address the severe economic imbalances and maintain the country’s economic and macroeconomic stability. It is necessary to maintain and reduce the level of budget deficit.
They said the work should continue to strengthen the fiscal situation by improving the revenue generation. The increase in revenue will allow the government to deal with the debt situation.
Officials said while the IMF’s social assistance programme could be enhanced, more work was needed to reform the energy sector.
They further said the IMF was ready to provide assistance to Pakistan. When Pakistan will ask the fund will provide assistance.
Pakistan’s bilateral partners were also looking forward to the programme to provide additional financial assistance to Pakistan.
Rupee gains 13 paisas against dollar
Gold rate up by Rs500 per tola
ISLAMABAD – The per tola price of 24 karat gold witnessed an increase of Rs500 and was sold at Rs250,700 on Friday as compared to its sale at Rs250,200 on the previous day. The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold increased by Rs429 and was sold at Rs214,935 against the sale price of Rs214,506 and 10 gram 22 karat gold also increased to Rs.197,024 from Rs.196,631, the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported. The price of per tola and ten gram silver remained constant at Rs.2,780 and Rs.2,383.40 respectively. The price of gold in the international market increased by $5 to 2,400 from $2,395, the Association reported.
Rafhan Maize Products Company Limited witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs.30.10 per share closing at Rs.8,350.00, followed by Services Industries Limited with Rs.9.50 decline to close at Rs.602.50.