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Author: World News

  • Community awareness program in US against Indian illegal occupation and rights of Junagarh state.

    Hicksville, Long Island,

    Syed Alamdar Hussain Shah organizes a community awareness program on February 6 at a local hotel in Hicksville, Long Island on the 75th anniversary of Indian occupation of Junagarh State. Leaders of Pakistani-American community will also take part in the signing ceremony, and demonstrate against Indian occupation.

    SYed Alamdar Shah, Adviser to Nawab of Junagardh.

    Political, social, business figures and human rights activists from the Pakistani-American community in New York expected to be attended the event.

    Syed Alamdar Hussain Shah has said that this would be the first program of its kind in US for the rights of Junagarh state. A memorandum will also be submit to UN office at the end of signing campaign.

    Singer Saima Kashif will perform melodies and cultural songs at the event.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Solving Overseas Pakistani’s problem is the top priorities of Pakistan Government says F.M.

    Islamabad,

    Overseas Pakistanis is our pride and asset and resolving their problems is one of the top most priorities of Pakistan Government said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a meeting with PTI Secretary Khursheed Bhalli, arrived from New York. Bhalli’s younger brother and PTI Sialkot leader Saeed Ahmed Bhalli was also present in the meeting.

    While, Khursheed Bhalli briefly explained the overseas Pakistani’s problems to Shah Mehmood Qureshi, including the party activities in New York.

    Moreover, Khursheed Bhalli also met with OIC Secretary Dr. Abdullah Riyard at PTI Central Secretariat and presented him a flowers bouquet. Also discussed on Overseas Conference held in New York from March 13 to March 16.

    Abdullah Riyadh said that government has given the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis. We will continue to work for the betterment of overseas Pakistani’s.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Wife breaks husband’s fingers as he intends to marry again.

    Web Desk:

    According to the Gulf Today News, the Dubai court sentenced an Asian couple to six months of imprisonment, followed by deportation, over the charge of assaulting each other.

    According to Arab media, a clash broke out between the convicted couple, when the husband informed his wife that he intended to marry another woman. After hearing that wife physically abused her husband and fractured his fingers. In reaction, he slapped her on her ear, causing a 2% hearing impairment.

    The Court heard that a dispute broke out between an Asian man and his wife before it developed into a verbal argument, which ended with the spouses, assaulting each other.

    The 25-year-old wife reported that she had been surprised by her husband telling her of his intention to marry another woman and that he would not fulfill her marital rights anymore.

    The altercation developed into fighting, which led the man to slap the wife in the face, beat her up, and attempted to strangle her, the report added.

    Meanwhile, the 24-year-old husband stated that his wife had not accepted his decision to marry another woman and that she had assaulted and insulted him.

    According to the wife’s medical report, she sustained multiple bruises on the forehead, nose, neck, and chest, as well as a punctured hole in the left eardrum and a slight deformation of the nasal septum that required treatment for a period of more than twenty days.

    While the husband’s medical report stated that he sustained a fracture in the fourth and fifth metacarpals of the right hand with a 3-cm-long wound in the scalp (forehead), causing a permanent disability estimated at 2 percent. The Court found them guilty, so it sentenced them to jail to be followed by deportation.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Hamtramck, the first US city to be led by All-Muslim government

    Web Desk:

    In its centennial year of being incorporated as a city, Hamtramck is now in the national and international spotlight for becoming the first known U.S. city to be run by an all-Muslim government.

    A city of mostly Polish-Americans for 99 years, locals say the population has gradually shifted to now be over half Arab-Americans. And in its 100th year, the city’s leaders reflect that change.

    “It was a historic achievement that’s never happened before for the Arabs and immigrants,” Amer Ghalib, Hamtramck mayor, told Arab News. “It is historic and I’m very proud to be the first immigrant, Muslim mayor,” Ghalib said.

    The Yemeni-born mayor leads Hamtramck alongside the elected city council which, with the exception of one American-born convert to Islam, is made up entirely of Arab immigrants. Having moved when he was 17, Ghalib considers the two square miles that makeup Hamtramck to be his mother city.

    “I feel proud and I feel a big responsibility and this is why we have to work very hard to prove that we, as immigrants, can work and succeed in managerial, public service, and political fields in this country,” he said.

    Hamtramck garnered national attention in 2015 when it was dubbed the first U.S. city to elect a Muslim-majority City Council. With Ghalib replacing Majewski, that designation now extends to the entire city government.

    Preempting any Islamophobic backlash or fear, Ghalib assured citizens that they should not expect any changes from an all-Muslim city government, just efforts to revitalize city infrastructure and a commitment to serve its people.

    “There is no difference because we are all bound by the city regulations and the country’s constitution, with laws and regulations that we cannot violate,” he said. “All religions promote virtue and our noble Islam promotes doing good and abandoning evil and respecting others and treating them well.”

    The only American-born and woman city council member, Jaczkowski, is also a Polish Muslim, tying together the demographics of the city’s past and present.

    She said although it’s exciting to be part of a historic first in representing the Muslim community, she believes the overall diversity within the council represents the people of Hamtramck quite well.

    “We have three councilmembers under 40, and three over 40, and a mayor that splits the difference. We have both naturalized citizens and citizens by birth. We all are coming together to work as a team to continue Hamtramck’s progress into our 100th year as a city,” Jaczkowski said in a written statement.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Tech glitch and embarrassment during Modi speech at WEF.

    Web desk,

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is famous for scripted speeches. A recent teleprompter malfunctioning was exposed his inability and unprepared speech at an international platform of World Economic Forum-WEF.

    It happened during PM Modi struck during all of a sudden while speaking with confidence and fluency at the World Economic Forum after a technology glitch. PM Modi was puzzled by this awkward situation looking here and there and started making comments confirming if he could be heard properly.The nervousness was clearly visible on the Indian premier’s face after the embarrassing moment.

     

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • One person killed, 9 injured in row apartment blast and fire in New York’s, Bronx.

    Longwood, Bronx,

    Fire and explosion after Gas leaked demolished several row house apartment units in New York City’s, south Bronx neighborhood of Longwood on Tuesday.

    Flames and plumes of smoke were seen outside the three-story building as police officers urged bystanders to move away from the site. One resident dead and injuring nine other people, the cause of the blast is under investigation, Reuters reported.

    Five police officers were also injured during rescue operations and ran into the burning structure to help residents to rescue. One woman was rescued from her apartment by police, officials said.

    A neighbor at the fire scene interviewed by local TV-station, and said that she heard a “big boom,” then saw the rear of the building “falling down” and debris blown into the backyard before a second explosion shook the building.

    Video posted on twitter by the New York City Fire Department officers were busy in rescue operations and showered water on the destroyed apartment, blackened exterior of the building and a large part of the structure’s to be missing.

    A former police officer and Mayor Eric Adams of New York told in a news conference

    “We saved lives today”.

    The gas service was shut off for the entire block after the incident, mayor added.

    Chief of fire operations FDNY, John Hodgens, said,

    “we had a report of somebody who did smell gas” before the explosion.

    Hodgens told reporters that the explosion occurred in the apartment and the two units on either side were destroyed. Two or three other apartments were heavily damaged, he added. All the row house units were connected under a single roof.

    One woman was inside the apartment at the center of the explosion was killed, and her sister was hospitalized with severe injuries, Hodgens said. Both women, in their 60s, were found lying on the ground outside, he added.

    The south Bronx neighborhood of Longwood blast came just nine days after 17 people died and dozens were injured in a fire. That fire was believed to have been sparked by a faulty space heater.

    Deadliest fire in Bronx apartment was quenched after killing 19.

    A mass funeral prayer for lost of lives in the deadly residential building fire in the Tremont section of the Bronx, New York City.

    Mass funeral of Bronx residential complex held in New York.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Bed-ridden man starts walking and speaking after covid-19 jab

    Web Desk:

    In an unusual incident, a 44-year-old Jharkhand man, who was bedridden for the last five years after he met with an accident, has claimed that he started walking again after he was administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

    Dularchand Munda, a resident of Salgadih village in Uttasara panchayat area of Bokaro district, was bedridden after meeting with an accident five years back and was unable to walk and speak.

    Photo Courtesy: BusinessTodayIn

    He received his first dose of Serum Institute of India’s anti-coronavirus vaccine Covishield on January 4, according to a report by news agency PTI.

    “An Anganwadi worker administered Covishield vaccine to Munda on January 4 at his house. The next day, the family members were shocked when they saw Munda’s lifeless body not only started to move but he regained his speech too,” PTI quoted Peterwar Community Health Centre in-charge Dr Albela Kerketta as saying.

    “We saw his reports. This is a matter of investigation,” Dr. Kerketta said.

    Days after getting jabbed, Munda claimed that he could stand on his feet and got back his lost voice.

     “Glad to have taken this vaccine. There is movement in my legs since taking the vaccine on January 4,” Dularchand told ANI.

    Bokaro’s Civil Surgeon Dr. Jitendra Kumar said a three-member medical team has been constituted to examine the “miraculous recovery”. “This is a surprising incident. We will analyze his medical history,” Civil Surgeon Dr. Kumar said.

    After receiving the first dose of Covishield, the anti-COVID vaccine Munda, the sole bread earner of his family, not only stood up and started walking but could also speak, much to the astonishment of his family.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Duke & Huntah trained to sniff COVID-19 in Massachusetts, US.

    Massachusetts,

    Humans use different animals and techniques for betterment. The giant African landmine-sniffer HeroRat “Magawa”, continued to help identify landmines, saving thousands of lives and billions of disabilities.

    Canine generally used in the military and have an amazing sense of smell. They are more advanced than the human smell and many illnesses and diseases have been identified through them by carrying out experiments.

    Studies have also shown that trained dogs can detect coronavirus more quickly than COVID-19 tests, British Broadcaster reported.

    Meanwhile, in US state of Massachusetts, two Dogs are being used in five schools to detect coronavirus. They have been trained to recognize the smell of COVID-19 infection.

    Both the dogs are left around the school, in empty classrooms, corridors and the cafeteria after the children have left the room. They will stop at the point where COVID-19 would be detected, as they will sit down and put their paw up on the place they think has the smell.

    Then tests of identified children and staff are conducted by the school to confirm if they have the virus and follow the school’s COVID-19 procedures.

    According to manager of the five schools, Rick Medeiros, said that when the dogs aren’t working, they can meet and play with the pupils.

    The system is working well and other schools across the USA have also appreciates the usage of  using dogs for the purpose, added Medeiros.

    Read also

    Landmine-sniffer “HeroRAT” Magawa dies.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • ICNA Relief activities during Mass funeral of Bronx fire victims.

    Bronx,

    Thousands attend mass funerals of Bronx residential complex fire victims. ICNA Relief the largest welfare and social organization in US setup the camps to assist the funeral attendees. Chief Operating Officer-C.O.O. ICNA Relief, Abdul Rauf Khan specially arrived to Bronx, New York from Florida to attend the Mass Funeral prayers.In-charge of North East ICNA Relief, Arshad Jamal, and in-charge Bronx ICNA Relief, Shabir Gul, along with dozens of volunteers guides the attendees of funeral prayers and distributed warm clothes, tea, coffee and hot meals among the participants.While, talking with Vosa Tv, C.O.O. ICNA Relief Abdul Rauf Khan has said that the whole community is saddened by this tragic incident. The ICNA Relief team has been with the victim’s family since day one and today our team is also with the attendees at the funeral prayers and try our level best to assist the attendees.

    C.O.O., ICNA Relief announced on the occasion that Representatives of ICNA Relief were also travel to Gambia to attend the funeral prayers.

     

    Read also

    Mass funeral of Bronx residential complex held in New York.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Rare 555.55-carat black diamond Enigma lands In Dubai

    Web Desk:

    According to Associated Press News, auction house Sotheby’s Dubai has unveiled a diamond that’s literally from out of this world. Sotheby’s calls the 555.55-carat black diamond believed to have come from outer space “The Enigma.”

    The black diamond Enigma is currently on an exhibit tour, traveling from Dubai to Los Angeles. The rare gem will be auctioned off in London next month and is expected to be sold for the equivalent of nearly 5 million British pounds, or $6.8 million. The auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a possible payment as well.

    Photo Courtesy: AP News

    Sophie Stevens, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, told The Associated Press that the number five bears importance significance to the diamond, which has 55 facets as well.

    “The shape of the diamond is based on the Middle-Eastern palm symbol of the Khamsa, which stands for strength and it stands for protection,” she said. Khamsa in Arabic means five. “So there’s a nice theme of the number five running throughout the diamond,” she added.

    Stevens also said the black diamond is likely from outer space.

    “With the carbonado diamonds, we believe that they were formed through extraterrestrial origins, with meteorites colliding with the Earth and either forming chemical vapor disposition or indeed coming from the meteorites themselves,” she said.

    Black diamonds, also known as carbonado, are extremely rare and are found naturally only in Brazil and Central Africa. The cosmic origin theory is based on their carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Mass funeral of Bronx residential complex held in New York.

    New York,

    A mass funeral prayer was held on Sunday for the Muslims who lost their lives in the deadly residential building fire in the Tremont section of the Bronx, New York City.

    The funeral was held at the Masjid e Rehma Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx for 15 of the 17 victims of the apartment building fire. The fire victims and attendees was mostly from the Gambia.

    “This is a very sad situation. But everything comes from Allah. Tragedies always happen, but we should thank Allah that we are all able to come together,” said the uncle of a victim named Haji Dukuray who lost her entire family of five, including her husband and their three kids.

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as two officials from the Gambian government, were present at the funeral.

    “When tragedies occur, we come together,” Schumer said at the funeral.

     

    Besides, “I’m here to voice the pain that all New Yorkers feel,” Adams said.

    After the funeral ceremony, 11 of the bodies were sent to New Jersey to be buried, and on the request of fire victims families, four others will be buried in the Gambia.

    At least 17 people, including eight children, died in the apartment fire and 63 people were poisoned by smoke on Jan 9.

    According to the New York Mayor’s Office, the majority of the residents in the building were immigrant Muslims from Gambia, a West African country.

    Here is the complete list of fire victims who did not survive:

    Ousmane Konteh
    2-year-old boy

    Haouwa Mahamadou
    5-year-old girl

    Fatoumata Dukureh
    5-year-old girl

    Omar Jambang
    6-year-old boy

    Mariam Dukureh
    11-year-old girl

    Mustapha Dukureh
    12-year-old boy

    Muhammed Drammeh
    12-year-old boy

    Seydou Toure
    12-year-old boy

    Nyumaaisha Drammeh
    19-year-old woman

    Fatoumata Drammeh
    21-year-old woman

    Sera Janneh
    27-year-old woman

    Isatou Jabbie
    31-year-old woman

    Haja Dukureh
    37-year-old woman

    Fatoumata Tunkara
    43-year-old woman

    Haji Jawara
    47-year-old man

    Haji Dukaray
    49-year-old man

    Fatoumata Drammeh
    50-year-old female

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Stolen packages and empty boxes, Thieves loot freight trains in Los Angeles

    Web Desk:

    According to The New York Post, train tracks used for freight transport in Los Angeles resembled a garbage dump last week, as thieves have been raiding cargo containers and leaving shipping packaging in their wake.

    The screwy scene at a section of Union Pacific train tracks was captured by CBSLA, which also filmed an apparent thief darting from the area while carrying packages, the New York Post reports.

    Photo Courtesy: AP

    The sea of scrapped cardboard contained discarded items from Amazon, REI, and other popular retailers, the outlet reported.

    Union Pacific acknowledged the cargo thefts in a statement to the news station and said they have taken steps to crack down on the crimes.

    Photo Courtesy: AP

    The LAPD doesn’t respond to train thefts, sources told CBSLA, unless the freight company specifically requests help.

    The tracks were littered with garbage this week, despite being cleared by Union Pacific workers about a month ago, the report said.

    “These rail crimes pose a serious safety threat to the public, our employees, and local law enforcement officers,” Union Pacific said in a statement to the outlet.  “We have increased the number of Union Pacific special agents on patrol, and we have utilized and explored additional technologies to help us combat this criminal activity.”

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Veteran Pakistani Actor Rasheed Naz dies at 73

    Web Desk:

    Legendary film and Television actor Rasheed Naz passes away at the age of 73 on Monday after a prolonged illness.

    Rasheed’s son Hassan Noman has confirmed the demise, saying his father died at a hospital in Islamabad where he had been receiving treatment. He revealed that the renowned actor had been suffering from various health issues for a long time.

    Madiha Rizvi, the daughter-in-law of Rasheed Naz, also took to Instagram and confirmed the actor’s death.

    Sharing a throwback photo of the father-in-law, Rizvi said, “Our dearest Baba Rashid Naz Has left this world peacefully this morning. Please recite Surah Fateha for the departed soul.”

    Renowned Pakistani actor Rasheed Naz was born in 1948 in Peshawar; Naz started his career in 1971 from Pashto dramas. His acting career spanned decades and across mediums and languages including serials and films in Pashto, Hindku, and Urdu languages.

    He shot to fame in 1973 through his stunning performance in the drama serial Aik Tha Gaoun. Besides playing prominent roles in Pashto, Hindko, and Urdu television dramas, he worked for Khuda Zameen Se Gaya Nahin, Inkaar, Ghulam Gardish, Doosra Asmaan, and many more.

    Photo Courtesy: Internet

    There has been an outpouring of grief online over the actor’s demise. Celebrity and his fans have expressed grief over the demise of Rasheed Naz.

    Hum TV’s official Instagram account expressed “deepest condolences” on the death of the legendary actor.

    Sindhi actress Aqsa Kinjhar Leela Jamali said his death was “a great loss to Pakistani drama industry”.

    Actors Marwa Hocaine, Hira Mani, and Omar Rana were effusive in their tribute to the senior late actor.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Tsunami alerts after massive volcanic eruption near Tonga.

    Tokyo,

    Hours after a massive volcanic eruption near Tonga, Tsunami reached Japan late Saturday and waves as high as three meters were possible, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

    A 1.2 meter (about four feet) tsunami reached the remote southern island of Amami Oshima around 11:55pm (1455 GMT) Saturday before other areas along Japan’s Pacific coast observed slighter tsunami, agency added.

    The eastern shores of northernmost Hokkaido Island as well as southwestern regions of Kochi and Wakayama also saw tsunami as high as 0.9 meters shortly after midnight, the agency said.

    Japan National broadcaster switched to special programming and aired live footage from ports of affected regions and calling to evacuate the area. The footage showed no clear signs of abnormality.

    A weather agency official told in a midnight news conference that radars had detected a tidal change higher than one meter after 11pm.

    The agency didn’t immediately classify it as tsunami. However, it decided to activate the public tsunami warning systems to urge the evacuation of Amami residents.

    “We don’t know at this point whether this is tsunami, but a strong tidal change has been observed, so we’re urging residents to respond,” the official told the press conference.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Baby girl delivered by Canadian Doctor at the altitude of 35000 feet.

    Web desk,

    A passenger plane landed last month with a little bundle of joy on board. During a flight from Doha to Uganda, a passenger, almost 36 weeks pregnant with her first child, told the flight crew she was having abdominal pain.

    Crew announced from the PA system that a lady doctor was needed for a pregnant woman. Luckily, Canadian Dr. Aisha Khatib, a pediatrician and a nurse was on board among the passengers and they did not have plans to assist a labor in mid-air at the altitude of 35000 feet

    According to Dr. Aisha, “I was not expecting a woman delivering a baby”. “About an hour into the flight, they announced, ‘is there a doctor on board?’”.

    Suddenly, Khatib raced to the back of the jet, where she found the mom-to-be and laying her head towards the aisle. Her feet towards the window and baby were coming out.”

    “I said ‘congratulations, it’s a girl,’ and then all of a sudden the whole plane started clapping and cheering ‘let’s go, right”, “She named her baby girl Miracle Aisha, which I thought was really lovely,” Aisha Khatib added.

    “Births on flights do happen and they’re relatively rare. The chance of delivering a baby on a plane is about one in 26 million” Said Dr. Khatib.

    “It was not long after departure, when sort of the first signs started coming in,” chief officer of customer experience, Rossen Dimitrov, told News media.

    The flight crew, who are also trained for such situations and said that “This is sort of the best situation that you can end up in, and it was just perfect”. The birth happened very quickly once the team was assembled. The baby entered the world at 35,000 feet, Dmitrov added.

    The flight continued on to Uganda, where the mother is from. Both the mother and the baby are said to be doing just fine. Mom was so grateful and named her first baby girl after the Canadian doctor.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Murree reopened with time restriction.

    Murree,

    Murree hill station re-opened for the tourists on Sunday but conditionally. Snow lovers will now allowed to visit Murree again in this winter season.

    According to the News broadcasters, the Murree administration has restricted tourist vehicles’ to enter in the city between 5 pm and 5 am. Only 8,000 tourist vehicles will be allowed to enter Murree. All the business centers in Murree have been opened.

    Till Sunday morning around 900 tourist vehicles entered the hill city from toll plazas. Series of meetings among different Government Administrative departments, Rescue and Law-enforcement has also started in the Jinnah Hall Murree regarding the protection of tourists and for upcoming snowfall.+

    Read also

    Murree declared calamity as 21 tourists frozen to death

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • APAG launches Quaid-e-Azam Scholarship for Pakistani students of NY.

    New York,

    American Pakistani Advocacy Group-APAG being committed with social and welfare work in New York without any discrimination and especially with Pakistani community.

    APAG launches unique and first-of-its-kind Scholarship program for Pakistani students studying in NY, with the name of founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Scholarship.

    President, APAG Ali Rashid said in video message that the main purpose of scholarship is to develop accessibilities in education sector for New York based Pakistani students.

    Ali Rashid further elaborate the eligibility criteria for a scholarship program, that student must be enrolled in any undergraduate college program or university program of NY and scored at-least 3 GPA or equivalent marks. However, students enrolled for a bachelor’s program for the first time must speak the Pakistan mother tongue, Urdu, or any regional language.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • PAYS free covid19 testing facility at Coney Island.

    Coney Island,

    Covid 19 is on the rise in Brooklyn, New York City. The Pakistani American Youth Society-PAYS and the Pakistani American Law Enforcement Society(PALS) of NYPD organized a free Covid 19 testing camp on Coney Island Avenue also known as New Little Pakistan. Large number of citizens and US officials attended the PAYS testing facility.Testing Camp was organized outside PAYS office located in Coney Island. Covid testing kits, hand sanitizers and surgical masks were also distributed. However, the children were happy with the toys. People rushed to conduct free Covid-19 test.President, Brooklyn Borough, Antonio Reynoso also provided support for free covid testing. He also assured all kinds of further cooperation said in a press briefing, held after the camp.Meanwhile, NYC Council member Rita Joseph said that everyone must unite to defeat Covid19.

    Consul General Pakistan in New York, Ayesha Ali, said that

    the only way to safeguard from covid19 was safety precautions and follow SOP’s. Wear a mask and be sure to balance the gatherings while booster shorts are the protection from new Corona variants.

    PAYS Officials thanked the US officials for their cooperation in organizing the camp and praises peoples for attending the covid19 testing camp.

    “If more people play a role in the welfare work, then more people will be benefited”, PAYS Officials added.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Baby Shark hits a new milestone, 10 billion views on YouTube.

    Web Desk:

    A globally popular song-and-dance video for the megahit children’s song “Baby Shark” became the most-viewed YouTube video of all time in November 2020, and just over a year later, it has achieved another huge milestone.

    Baby Shark made history on Thursday, January 13, after it crossed the 10 billion views mark on YouTube, making it the first-ever video on the platform to do so!

    The kids’ song, masterminded by South Korean educational company Pinkfong and performed by Korean-American singer Hope Segoine in 2016, has become a global phenomenon with its catchy tune and addictive lyrics, “Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo.”

    The song set a new Guinness World Records title as the most-viewed video on YouTube by garnering 7 billion views in November 2020 and has since stayed on the throne for 15 consecutive months. It even made it to global music charts, ranking No. 32 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and No. 6 on the British Official Charts in 2019.

    Pinkfong said 10 billion is a huge number that surpasses the world’s population of 7.8 billion announced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). By a simple calculation, the number of views could show that all people living on the planet have seen the video at least once, the group added.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Landmine-sniffer “HeroRAT” Magawa dies.

    Cambodia,

    Landmine-sniffing rat Magawa of Cambodia, who found more than 100 landmines and explosives during a five-year career, has died at the age of 8, leaving a legacy of saved lives.

    Magawa was the most successful “HeroRAT” deployed by international charity APOPO (non-profit organization), which uses African giant pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis.

    According to APOPO statement, “Magawa was in good health and spent most of last week playing with his usual enthusiasm, but towards the weekend he started to slow down, napping more and showing less interest in food in his last days,”

    Decades of civil war, Cambodia is one of the world’s most heavily land mined country, with more than 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) of land still contaminated. Country is the highest number of disables, with more than 40,000 peoples lost limbs to mines explosives.

    APOPO said Magawa’s contribution allowed communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play more safely.

    “Every discovery he made reduced the risk of injury or death for the people of Cambodia,” APOPO said.

    The African giant pouched rat also received a gold medal in 2020 from Britain’s People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals for “lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty”.

    Magawa was retired in June 2021 and was born in Tanzania. He moved to Siem Reap in Cambodia in 2016 to begin clearing mines.

    “A HeroRAT is laid to rest,” APOPO said.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • 9 confirmed dead, 36 injured in India’s Train derailed.

    Jalpaiguri

    A passenger train derailed from its track in the Indian state of West Bengal on Friday. At least nine people were killed and more than 36 injured. Railway traffic was suspended due to the accident but rescue officials had cleared the track after train bogeys were removed.

    According to India’s news agency, the Bikaner-Guwahati Express was on the way to Rajasthan from Assam when the accident occurred in Jalpaiguri.

    Local administration and rescue workers rushed to the spot of the accident and started shifting the injured to a nearby hospital where medical treatment was provided to them.

    According to Indian railways spokesperson statement, three bogeys of the train derailed from the track and nine causalities have been confirmed, while the death toll could rise further.

     

    The government has announced financial compensation for the deceased families while the country’s railways ministry has launched an investigation.

    According to News agency, India’s Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the train derailed site near Domohani, Jalpaiguri and stated that, “a statutory inquiry has been initiated. PM Modi is monitoring the situation and I’m in constant touch with him. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Protest grips North Carolina over shoot to death of un-armed Afro-American.

    Web desk,

    Off-duty white police officer shoot to death unarmed Afro-American man under mysterious circumstances. Shoot out has surged outrage in Fayetteville, North Carolina, while victim relatives are calling for protests on Thursday.

    Prominent rights lawyer and Activist against Police brutality Benjamin Crump and the family of Jason Walker have scheduled a “rally for justice” at 8:00 pm (0100 GMT) in the city.

    Residents have already marched in small groups this week in Fayetteville and demand the arrest of Officer Jeffrey Hash. Incident has revived the debate whether police use excessive force in the US, particularly against minorities.

    Hash, employed by the city since 2005, was off duty when the shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon.

    The officer was driving in his vehicle with his wife and daughter when they neared Walker, an unarmed 37-year-old Black man crossing the street near his parents’ house.

    Moments later, Hash opened fire, and soon Walker lay dead of gunshot wounds. Exactly what emerged is in dispute.

    In an amateur video, filmed just after the shooting and posted online, the police officer explains to colleagues called to the scene that Walker jumped into the middle of the street and he braked to avoid him.

    According to Hash, Walker then threw himself on the vehicle, tore off a windshield wiper and used it to hit the windshield, prompting Hash to draw his weapon to protect his family.

    But, According to witnesses Elizabeth Ricks said to a US broadcast network that, Hash hit the pedestrian before stopping.

    “I saw him brake, completely stop and then keep going,” Elizabeth Ricks. “I saw him hit Jason, and then his body was slammed into the windshield.”

    She then heard shots fired, Ricks said. “I think he fired the first shot through the windshield and three more times outside the vehicle,” she added.

    According to police, Hash’s black pickup truck had no visible dents and Walker’s body did not show any signs of impact other than bullet wounds.

    The officer was placed on administrative leave, but has not been arrested or charged with a crime. State investigators have begun a probe into the killing.

    Crump said the family and Fayetteville community were demanding answers that, why Walker was “senselessly shot and killed” by an off-duty officer.

    “We have reason to believe that this was a case of ‘shoot first, ask later,’ a philosophy seen all too often within law enforcement,” Crump, known for his fight against police brutality, said in a statement.

    US police officers kill an average of 1,000 people each year, with an identity of Afro-Americans among the victims.

    Police are rarely prosecuted, although the major anti-racism protests of 2020 prompted some changes in the courts, with convictions against police and others in high-profile shooting deaths.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Gigi Hadid, Bella wish mom on her birthday.

    Web desk,

    US top model sisters Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid shared childhood photos and wish their mother Yolanda on her 58th birthday.

    While on Instagram, Gigi posted a sweet childhood photo with mother to wish her a very happy birthday.

    She wrote, “Happy birthday mamma!” followed by heart emojis.

    Younger sister Bella also update her Facebook-owned app and shows love and birthday wishes to Yolanda. She wrote caption of the photos, “Happy Birthday Mama” along with a heart emoji.

    In one of the Bella Instagram pictures, Yolanda can be seen cuddling Gigi and Bella.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Funeral prayers of deceased, Nasreen Khalid-56, offered in New Jersey.

    New Jersey,

    President PPP US Khalid Awan’s wife Nasreen Khalid age 56 passed away on Monday at New Jersey hospital after illness. Funeral prayers were offered on Tuesday at Dar us salam mosque.

    A large number of Pakistani Community including Politicians, Social workers and business man attended the funeral prayers of the deceased Nasreen Khalid.

    Two weeks ago Khalid Awan’s wife Nasreen Khalid suffered a brain hemorrhage. She was shifted to hospital but she went to coma and passed away.  She was the mother of four.

     

    Read also

    PPP president US Khalid Awan wife passed away.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Japanese Man does nothing but earns

    Web Desk:

    A man who makes a living by renting himself out to do nothing has garnered an enormous following online and thousands of clients. For 10,000 yen plus expenses for travels and meals, anyone can rent Shoji Morimoto, 37, from Tokyo in Japan, but he will not do anything except “eat, drink and give a simple response”.

    A Japanese man Shoji Morimoto started working in the Rent-a-Person industry for free when he first posted his services on Twitter in 2018, The Independent reported.

    Before earning money by doing nothing, Morimoto worked for a publisher in Japan. He eventually left the company after having trouble fitting in, The Mainichi reported. It also did not help that his boss allegedly said, “It doesn’t matter if you’re here or not.”

    Photo Courtesy: voiceasianews.com

    He eventually started charging for his services as a way to ward off people who might waste his time. Morimoto charges his client 10,000 yen (approximately $87), plus travel and meal expenses, and only takes three to four clients per day.

    Morimoto, a married man who studied physics for his postgraduate degree from Osaka University, offers a wide range of services. Some of the activities he has been rented for include sharing meals, catching butterflies, and accompanying a spouse filing for divorce.

    Morimoto emphasized, however, that he does not exert any effort aside from eating, drinking, and giving basic responses.

     “I lend myself out to do nothing, which means I don’t make any special effort,” he told CBS News. “I don’t initiate conversation. I reply to chitchat, but that’s it.” “People use me in different ways,” Morimoto added. “Some people are lonesome. Some feel it’s a shame to go somewhere alone; they want someone to share their impressions with. What’s amazing is the huge variety of personalities, circumstances, and situations. That’s striking to me almost every day.”

    Despite receiving “words of gratitude” from some of his clients, the “Do Nothing Rent-a-Man” does not want his services to “be seen as an act of charity” or a form of support.

    “I’m not a friend or an acquaintance. I’m free of the bothersome things that accompany relationships-but can ease people’s sense of loneliness. Maybe it’s something like that for me,” he said.

    Morimoto now has over 238,000 followers on Twitter and has had over 3,000 clients since he began his business in 2018.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • First successful animal-to-human heart transplant at Maryland Medical School, US.

    Maryland,

    Historic Breakthrough in Health & Medical sciences, Pakistani-American and US surgeons have successfully transplanted a heart from a genetically modified animal, pig in a 57-year-old man. This experimental transplant could solve the chronic shortage of organ donations and it represents a major milestone for animal-to-human transplantation.

    The “historic” procedure took place on Friday at the University Of Maryland Medical School.

    The patient, David Bennett, was ineligible for human transplant, but in medical sciences decision is taken when the patient has very poor health. He is now recovering and being carefully monitored to determine the new organ performance.

    “It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice,” according to the Maryland resident said a day before the surgery.

    Bennett has spent the last several months, bedbound on a heart-lung bypass machine, added that “I look forward to getting out of bed after I recover.”

    The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the surgery on New Year’s Eve, as a last effort for a patient life because he was unsuitable for conventional transplant.

    “This was a breakthrough surgery and brings us one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis,” said Bartley Griffith, who surgically transplanted the pig heart.

    “We are proceeding cautiously, but we are also optimistic that this first-in-the-world surgery will provide an important new option for patients in the future.”

    Muhammad Mohiuddin, co-founded the university’s cardiac xenotransplantation program, added that the surgery was the conclusion of years and research, involving pig-to-baboon transplants, with survival times that exceeded nine months.

    “The successful procedure provided valuable information to help the medical community improve this potentially life-saving method in future patients,” Dr. Mohiuddin added.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • PPP president US Khalid Awan wife passed away.

    New Jersey,

    President, Pakistan Peoples Party-US, Khalid Awan’s, wife Nasreen Khalid Awan age 56, suffered a brain hemorrhage two weeks ago. She was rushed to New Jersey, local hospital but fell into a coma. She admitted in the hospital for two weeks and yesterday she passed away. She was the mother of four children.

    Her funeral prayers will be offered today at Dar us Salaam Mosque in New Jersey, and will be buried in the New Jersey Cemetery.

    Pakistani community paid condolences to Khalid Awan over the death of his wife and also prayed for her forgiveness and elevation of ranks.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • ICNA Relief begins operation at Bronx fire SITE.

    Bronx,

    The fire in New York’s Bronx Borough residential building has been extinguished, but the hearts of the victims burnt due to loss of lives of their loved ones. Usually people run away from fire scene but the largest Muslim Welfare organization in United States, ICNA Relief volunteers reached at fire scene and met with the affected people, assured them of full cooperation, and began relief operations. President Bronx Borough Vanessa Gibson reached on the fire scene and praises the ICNA Relief support for Bronx Residential fire victims. 32 fire victims are in serious condition in hospital and New Yorkers prays for them, Borough President added.

     

    While, talking with VOSA Tv, fire victim of Bronx Residential building has said that smoke is filled in the building and people break window glasses for fresh air, we don’t know how long we stay out and rescue work will be  completed.

    ICNA Relief Borough President Arshad Jamal immediately reached at fire site and said that ICNA Relief team and volunteers brings Food, Medicine for the victims and we also arranges help desk in the hotel by tomorrow.

     

     

    Read also

    Deadliest fire in Bronx apartment was quenched after killing 19.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Deadliest fire in Bronx apartment was quenched after killing 19.

    Web Desk:

    According to AP News, a faulty space heater on a Sunday morning sparked a fire that filled a high-rise Bronx apartment building with thick smoke, killing nineteen people including nine children.

    Trapped residents broke windows for air and stuffed wet towels under doors as smoke rose from a lower-floor apartment where the fire started.

    More than 200 firefighters fought the blaze, at a 120-unit, 19-storey building on East 181st Street known as Twin Parks.

    Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said that investigators found the fire started in a malfunctioning electric space heater in an apartment unit spanning the second and third floors of the 19-story building. The door to the apartment and a door to a stairwell was left open, letting smoke quickly spread throughout the building, Nigro said.

     

    Firefighters found victims on every floor, many of them in cardiac and respiratory arrest, said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

    Multiple limp children were seen being given oxygen after they were carried out. Evacuees had faces covered in soot.

    City officials had earlier reported that more than 63 people were injured in the blaze. Of that total, 32 suffered life-threatening injuries, nine were seriously injured and 22 had non-life-threatening injuries. The majority of the injuries were due to smoke inhalation, said Nigro.

     

    NYC Mayor Eric Adams said, “The numbers are horrific. This is a horrific, painful moment for the city of New York. The impact of this fire is going to really bring a level of pain and despair in our city. This is going to be one of the worst fires that we have witnessed during modern times here in the city of New York.”

    Mayor Eric Adams praised FDNY firefighters for continuing to make rescues even after their oxygen tanks had run out.

    “Their oxygen tanks were empty and they still pushed through the smoke,” Adams said.

    Sunday’s fire happened just days after 12 people, including eight children, were killed in a house fire in Philadelphia.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • IRS issued Income Tax Returns to citizens.

    New York City,

    American Rescue Plan begin’s, The Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service issued Income Tax Returns to the citizen. According to the letter issued to the citizens, The IRS made monthly AdvCTC payments of up to half for 2021 Child Tax Credit from July through December to help support families raising children.

    Consequently the eligibility criteria, citizens fill the form and file Schedule 8812 with 2021 income tax return to claim remaining credit for a total amount of up to $3600 per child under age 6 and $3000 per child age 6 through 17.

    Those citizens who did not fall in the criteria, file schedule 8812 to determine that must pay back or some or all the monthly payments received in 2021 and if qualify for repayment protection.

    IRS determined payment methods.
    Monthly payment amounts were initially based on information from an income tax return filed or information entered in the IRS non filler signup tool in 2020 or 2021. Citizen’s monthly payment amount or how or where the IRS paid one’s payment may have changed based on information provided the IRS through 2020 income tax credit if the IRS processed it after June, the child tax credit update portal, or the dedicated IRS Child Tax credit phone line. Review each monthly payment, including any changes, at IRS.gov/ctcportal, and click “Manage Advance Payments.”

    If citizen did not receive one or more payment, contact the IRS at 800-908-4184 before filling return.

    Repayment protection
    Citizens may not have to repay in full any AdvCTC payments that took into account more qualifying children than claim on 2021 income tax return (Schedule 8812).

    The repayment protection based on 2021 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Citizens will not have to repay and AdvCTC payments for non qualifying children if 2021 MAGI is under:
    • $60000 if citizen is married and filling a joint return or if filling as a qualifying widow or widower.
    • $50000if citizen is filling as head of house hold.
    • $40000 if citizen is a single filer or are married or filing a separate return.

    For more information regarding completing schedule 8812 or the 2021 Child Tax Credit visit the Internal Revenue Service website.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.