GENEVA, AUG 30 (DNA) – The UN human rights chief said Wednesday that President Donald Trump s relentless attacks on the media could trigger violence against journalists, suggesting the US leader would be responsible. In a broad condemnation of Trump s conduct in office, Zeid Ra ad Al Hussein said he viewed the US presidency as the driver of “the bus of humanity”, accusing Trump of “reckless driving”. Zeid, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also blasted Trump s decision to pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt last month for illegally profiling Hispanic immigrants.
Alia Bhatt reaches Occupied Kashmir for shooting of ‘Raazi’
MUMBAI, AUG 29 (DNA) – Bollywood diva Alia Bhatt has reached Occupied Kashmir for the shooting of Meghna Gulzar’s upcoming movie ‘Raazi’.Alia Bhatt is performing a role of a Pakistani army officer’s wife however, the film will be recorded in Punjab and Kashmir, followed by a small portion in Mumbai.”I am trying to do something in a new space, recreating India and Pakistan of the ‘70s on sets and real locations. A lot of research has gone into getting the period and dialect right. There are some action pieces too. Its work in progress with workshops and reading sessions,” informed Meghna.
PM Khaqan Abbasi chairs ECC meeting to discuss 10-point agenda
ISLAMABAD, AUG 29 (DNA) – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is chairing the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting in Islamabad to discuss 10 points agenda. The participants will exchange views on petroleum and gas sector The ECC meeting is being held in the cabinet room of the Prime Minister’s office.
Notice issued to Rani Mukerji over illegal construction
MUMBAI, AUG 28 (DNA ) – Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji was served with a notice from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over allegations of illegal construction around her Juhu bungalow, Krishna Ram.According to Indian media, the actress didn’t allow the officials of BMC to visit her house for inspection however, the team will revisit on August 30.Rani’s spokesperson said, “At the outset, I wish to state Mrs Mukerji is an upstanding citizen of the country and the allegations of illegal construction occurring at her bungalow are completely baseless.”
Two million pilgrims converge on Makkah for the Hajj
MAKKAH, AUG 28 (DNA) – Two million Muslims from across the globe are converging on Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty and for some pilgrims the journey of a lifetime. This year sees the return of pilgrims from Shiite Iran, regional rival to Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, and comes with the Gulf mired in political crisis and Islamic State group jihadists squeezed in Iraq and Syria. “I m so excited because many people dream of coming to this place,” said 47-year-old Eni from Indonesia, her face framed in a sand-coloured veil trimmed with lace. “We feel more religious when we leave this place,” she said.
Street art brings colour to rundown Beirut suburb
BEIRUT, AUG 27 (DNA) – Seen from the highway out of Lebanon s capital Beirut, the Ouzai neighbourhood is a jumble of haphazard construction, but venture inside and its low-slung buildings transform into street art canvases. Artists taking part in the “Ouzville” project have painted walls in brilliant blues, reds, yellows and greens, adorning others with enormous murals, doodles, and cartoon characters. The project is a breath of fresh air for Ouzai, a rundown and largely informal neighbourhood on the Mediterranean coast south of Beirut. It was once a sleepy seaside village, with long stretches of beach that attracted sunbathers from miles away.
Arsenic in Pakistan groundwater ‘alarmingly high’: study
LAHORE, AUG 26 (DNA) – Levels of arsenic in the groundwater of eastern Pakistan are “alarmingly high” and pose a significant health hazard to tens of millions of people who drink the water, researchers said. The study in the journal Science Advances is the first to create a comprehensive map of arsenic in the groundwater across Pakistan, and follows earlier, smaller studies that showed high arsenic levels in some places.Groundwater samples were taken from nearly 1,200 sites throughout the country, and researchers used a model to project the likelihood of increased arsenic concentrations for all of Pakistan.
Sridevi special to me, says Sajal Ali
KARACHI, AUG 26 (DNA) – Pakistani stunning actress Sajal Ali has said that Indian actress Sridevi is someone special to her. Sharing a picture of Sridevi on instagram, Sajal said that her and Chandni’s (Sridevi) bond is more than blood relation. Earlier, Indian glamorous actress Sridevi broke into tears while recording a message for Pakistani artists Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Ali, who performed as her husband and step daughter in ‘Mom’. The actress sent love and wishes to the Pakistani stars and said that she misses them and that it’s an emotional moment for her to record this video.
SBP launches refinance and credit scheme for women of Balochistan
QUETTA, AUG 26 (DNA)- State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Tariq Bajwa on Friday unveiled ‘Refinance and Credit Guarantee Scheme’ for women entrepreneurs of backward areas in Balochistan.A ceremony in this regard was held in Quetta. The SBP governor stated that allocating 20pc funds in the scheme for Balochistan’s women principally intended to provide them opportunities for establishing new business and extending the old ones in far-flung areas of the province.
Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, AUG 26 (DNA) – Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast late Friday, unleashing torrents of rain and packing powerful winds as it became the first major storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years. President Donald Trump granted Texas Governor Greg Abbott s call to declare a “major disaster” zone in the state in order to speed federal aid to the millions in harm s way. The arrival of the storm — which was packing sustained winds of 130 miles (215 kilometers) an hour — was the first major domestic challenge for Trump, who the White House said would head to the affected region early next week.
