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Author: World News

  • After Fourteen months of restrictions German government provide relief to its citizens.

    Mehwish, Berlin,

    The German government has finally passed new rules to provide relief to its citizens after Fourteen months, which were implemented.

    New rules have been put in place for all people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus and for those who have tested positive for COVID-19. No restrictions for them to interact with each other, free to shop without a test, and they are Free from quarantine restrictions. If traveling from abroad then this is not for travelers. Last week, the German government passed laws that go into effect today.

    The law was passed after research in which scientists say people who have been vaccinated have a much lower risk of contracting the disease than others.

    The law makes it clear that all people who fall into this category can meet anywhere and the night curfew will not apply to them but all these people will be bound to implement SOPs who have been vaccinated. They must have a vaccination card with them at all times.

    Those who have had a COVID-19 positive will have to keep their corona positive report with them. This relaxation is only acceptable for the next six months from the day they are positive.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Bronx Community Council hosted an Iftar dinner for community Social and Business personalities.

    Bronx, New York city,

    The Bronx Community Council hosted an Iftar dinner in its office in honor of community leaders on the last decade of Ramadan.

    The month of Ramadan is near to an end, but the series of Iftar parties is continued yet. The Bronx Community Council hosted an Iftar dinner. Limited peoples belong to Social and Business personalities of the community were invited because of the COVID-19 SOP’s.

    Shabbir Gul, leader of the Bronx Community Council, offered prayers for the oppressed Palestinians.

    Participants in the Iftar dinner said that the international community should act wisely on the ongoing Israeli aggression and atrocities in Palestine and especially at Al Aqsa mosque.

    At the Iftar dinner, barbecue served to the guest.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Afghan girls’ school blast, death toll rises to 50

    Dasht-e-Barchi,Kabul

    The explosions rocked the west Kabul district of Dasht-e-Barchi as residents were out shopping ahead of next week’s Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.

    The death toll from bombs planted outside a girls’ school in an area of the Afghan capital populated largely by the Shiite Hazara community has risen to 50, the interior ministry said Sunday.

    Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told reporters a car bomb detonated in front of the Sayed Al-Shuhada School on Saturday, and when the students rushed out in panic two more bombs exploded.

    He said more than 100 people were wounded, adding that most of the victims were female students. No group has so far claimed the attack, but Afghan officials including President Ashraf Ghani have blamed the Taliban.

    “The Taliban are behind this attack. They have carried out similar attacks on education institutions in the past,” said Arian.

    The insurgents have denied involvement. It comes as the United States military continues to pull out its last 2,500 troops from violence-wracked Afghanistan, despite faltering peace efforts between the Taliban and the Afghan government to end a decades-long war.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Pakistani bodybuilder Abdul Waheed proves age is just a number

    Batapur BRB, Lahore,

    A 60-year-old bodybuilder Abdul Waheed is setting an example for the young people with his impressive physique and fitness.

    Just before Ramazan, Ustad Abdul Waheed won the Mr Pakistan title. A few months earlier, he had won the Mr Punjab title as well. He has won a slew of other medals, mostly gold and a few silvers, along with titles such as Mr Lahore. He has his eye on the Mr Asia title now. “I believe the competition is circled in for winter, in Bangalore, India, if my information is correct,” he says. “I want to make a name for my country,” he adds.

    Growing up in Batapur along the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Canal, where he still resides, the young Abdul Waheed was drawn to bodybuilding as a hobby at first. “I started building up my body at 16,” he says. “But at the time, I had no interest in taking part in competitions. I only liked to go to the gym and lift weights. The competitions came later, when my students got after me to enter myself. That was 20 years ago,” he smiles.

    His diet includes eggs, fish, oatmeal, chicken, minced meat, fresh and dried fruits and juices. Waheed wants to see the young people active. He has opened a club to train them as well.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Talat Siddiqui veteran film star dies at age 82

    Lahore,

    Highly-acclaimed Pakistani actor Talat Siddiqui died late on Saturday in Lahore at the age of 82. Sources close to the film and TV star revealed that he had been sick since quite some time.

    She was the mother of Pakistani actor Arifa Siddiqui and the aunt of singer Fariha Pervez.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • No travel plans on Eid, #StayHomeStaySafe, Asad Umar.

    Islamabad,

    Tourist spots across the country will remain closed during upcoming Eid holidays , Federal Planning’s Minister Asad Umar said in a tweet on Sunday, he reminded people that all tourist destinations will remain closed from May 8 to May 16. “Please do not come, or you will be turned back.”

    According to the minister, in an NCOC meeting, the chief secretaries from all units with popular tourist destinations were instructed to remind everyone about the restrictions and ensure they were followed.

    The government has placed a ban on all tourism activities across the country in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Travel nodes leading to tourist spots such as Murree, Galiyat, Swat, Kalam, and northern areas have been closed as well.

    Inter-province and inter-city transport have been banned as well except for the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan who return back home during the vacations.

    In Sindh, Sea View and beaches have been closed too. Earlier in the day, the government decided to close Ramazan Bachat Bazaars in Punjab.

    Pakistan on Sunday reported over 3,500 new COVID-19 cases and 118 deaths. The tally of infections has crossed 800,000 and the death toll is now over 18,600.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Fresh clashes at Al-Aqsa mosque, Israeli police wounds 200 Palestinians

    Jerusalem,

    Palestinian protesters and Israeli police engaged in another clash outside the Old City of Jerusalem on Saturday as tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers prayed at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque on Islam’s holy night of Laylat al-Qadr.

    Palestinian youth threw stones, lit fires and tore down police barricades in the streets leading to the walled Old City gates as officers on horseback and in riot gear used stun grenades and water cannons to repel them.

    At least 200 people were injured, including minors and a one-year-old, and 14 were taken to hospital, the Palestine Red Crescent said. Israeli police said at least one officer was hurt.

    “They do not want us to pray. There is a fight every day, every day there are clashes. Every day there are troubles,” said Mahmoud al-Marbua, 27, speaking near the Old City’s Damascus Gate. Pointing to police chasing youths and firing thunder-flashes at them, he added: “Look how they are firing at us. How can we live?”

    Tensions have mounted in the city throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid growing anger over the potential eviction of Palestinians from Jerusalem homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

    “We salute the people of Al-Aqsa, who oppose the arrogance of the Zionists & we call on our people in Palestine to support their brothers by all means,” Moussa Abu Marzouk, a leader of the armed Islamist group Hamas that rules Gaza, said on Twitter.

    Israel said it was beefing up security forces on Saturday in anticipation of further confrontations in Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza after fierce clashes erupted the previous night at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

    A Palestinian official said Egypt was mediating between the sides to prevent further escalation and Saturday’s violence appeared less pronounced than Friday’s events.

    On Friday, police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards rock-hurling Palestinian youths at the mosque on the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount plaza holy to both Muslims and Jews.

    At least 205 Palestinians and 18 Israeli officers were injured in Friday’s confrontations, which drew international condemnations and calls for calm.

    Clashes have erupted nightly in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood where numerous Palestinian families face eviction in a long-running legal case. Police said dozens of protesters threw stones at officers there on Saturday.

    Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai said extra officers were being deployed in Jerusalem on Saturday to “enable freedom of worship and maintain order and security.”

    “At the same time, we will not allow violent riots, lawbreaking or the harming of police officers. We ask everyone to calm the spirits and violence, particularly on such an important day for the Muslim religion,” Shabtai said in a statement.

    The Israeli military said it was boosting troops in the West Bank and near the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have sent incendiary balloons over the border, igniting brushfires in Israeli territory. A military spokesman said extra forces there would largely be firefighting ones.

    The Middle East quartet of mediators the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations expressed concern over the violence and potential Jerusalem evictions.

    “We call upon Israeli authorities to exercise restraint and to avoid measures that would further escalate the situation during this period of Muslim Holy Days,” the Quartet said in a statement.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that law and order would be maintained in Jerusalem as would the right to worship.

    Television footage showed buses of Muslim worshippers heading from Israeli Arab cities to Al-Aqsa being stopped by police on the main highway to Jerusalem.

    Word of the roadblock spread on social media, drawing hundreds of young men from nearby Arab villages and from Jerusalem.

    Dozens drove their cars the wrong way down the now-empty Jerusalem-bound lanes, picking up fellow Muslims who had abandoned their own vehicles to start the uphill trek on foot. Some chanted in Arabic: “With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, Al-Aqsa!”

    Police said it was stopping only those planning to take part in riots before the buses were allowed to proceed. Scuffles broke out and footage showed officers firing stun grenades.

    Tension was expected to remain high over the next few days. Israel’s Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the Sheikh Jarrah evictions on Monday, the same day that Israel marks Jerusalem Day – the annual celebration of its capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.

    Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israel claims the entire city as its eternal, indivisible capital. Its annexation of the eastern section was not recognized internationally.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • The Saudi Geological Survey Board explore minerals in Pakistan.

    Zaka Mohsin, Riyadh,

    Saudi Minister of Industry and Minerals Bandar Al-Kharif has said that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are cooperating with each other in the fields of industry and minerals which is laudable. Saudi Arabia has deep ties with Pakistan at all levels.

    Saudi Minister for Minerals and Industries Bandar Al-Kharif said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia would strengthen the interests of the two brotherly countries in important fields, especially in industry and minerals.

    He said that during 2020, Saudi Arabia exported more than 2.75 billion riyals worth of goods to Pakistan besides oil while 1.97 billion riyals worth of goods were imported from Pakistan.

    Saudi Minister of Industry and Minerals said that import and export of non-oil products between the two countries is on the rise.

    Food, minerals, chemicals, construction materials, consumer goods, electronic goods are in advancements. Bandar al-Kharif said the introduction of a mineral investment law in Saudi Arabia would open up new avenues of co-operation with Pakistan in this area.

    Saudi Geological Survey Board to conduct aerial and geophysics inspections for minerals in Pakistan. In this context, new opportunities will be created in Pakistan for Saudi, local and foreign investors

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Israeli settler trying to occupy Palestinian woman’s house by force

    Sheikh Jarrah, Occupied East Jerusalem,
    A video recently went viral on social media in which an Israeli settler could be seen trying to forcefully occupy a Palestinian woman’s house, International media reported.

    The incident took place in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in the occupied East Jerusalem.

    In the video, the man  whose name was apparently Jakob could be seen arguing with Mona al-Kurd, a young Palestinian woman when she protested against him trying to forcefully take over her house. The altercation took place in the garden of al-Kurd’s house.

    “Jakob, you know this is not your house,” al-Kurd could be heard telling the Israeli settler.

    In response, the man told her off by saying that she should not yell at him.

    “Yes, but if I go, you don’t go back. So what’s the problem? Why are you yelling at me?” I didn’t do this,” says the man, in a thick US accent.

    When the woman protested against his actions, saying that he is trying to “steal her house,” the man said: “If I don’t steal your house, someone else will steal it.”

    Visibly angered by the man’s audacity, al-Kurd yelled at him, saying: “No one is allowed to steal it.”

    The man then says in Hebrew: “This is not mine in order to return it.”

    According to Al-Jazeera, some 3,000 Palestinians live in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Many of them are descendants of people who were forced out during the ethnic cleansing of 1948.

    Isreal has ordered Palestinian families, who have been living in Sheikh Jarrah for many generations, to evacuate their houses. A total of 58 Palestinians, 17 of whom are minors, are under threat of displacement so that the state could make way for Jewish settlements, the outlet said.

    To protest the move, Palestinian activists have started the trend “#SaveSheikhJarrah on social media in a bid to pressurize Israeli authorities to stop the neighborhood’s ongoing “nakba” (displacement).

     

     

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • ‘Mama Love’ sticker pack on Mother’s Day launches in WhatsApp.

    Web desk,

    WhatsApp has rolled out its new pack of exciting ‘Mama Love’ stickers on the occasion of Mother’s Day that is mostly celebrated on May 9 across the world.

    “This weekend (and every weekend!) we celebrate moms, remembering all the moments big and small that make us thankful. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!” the widely-used messaging app said on Twitter.

    Earlier, WhatsApp had also released a special sticker pack to observe Earth Day and tell users how they can “protect” the planet.

    “To celebrate Earth Day, we created a sticker pack that highlights steps you can take to protect our planet and drive progress,” WhatsApp had tweeted with a brief video of the stickers that will be available in the pack.

    It had also reminded users to use the opportunity to reflect on how words and conversations can create a sustainable future for everyone.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Hot meal and Ramadan package distribution among 500 needy families at Foster Avenue.

    Brooklyn, NYC,

    Brooklyn Emerge, a leading Pakistani-American social service organization in New York, distributes hot meal and Ramadan package boxes to hundreds of needy.

    With the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, Brooklyn Emerge has begun distributing free hot meal to Americans of all races and ethnicities. Hundreds of citizens have so far benefited from the humanitarian services of Brooklyn Emerge.

    However, this time Brooklyn Emerge management plans to provide hot meal as well as Ramadan package boxes to the needy citizens.

    Talking to Voice of South Asia in this regard, team member Nasir Khan provided details.

    The organization organized a food pantry outside the Quba Mosque on Foster Avenue in Brooklyn.

    500 citizens received free hot meal as well as ghee, flour, rice, pulses, fruits, vegetables, dates, chicken, breads and other food items in the Ramadan package box in a single day.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Demonstrations across Germany and Huriyat leader funeral prayers offered in absentia

    Mattiullah, Berlin

    Hurriyat leaders express solidarity with Kashmiris despite severe lockdown across Germany. Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman Muhammad Ashraf Suhrai’s funeral prayers were also offered in absentia in mosques across Germany.

    During Friday sermon, Kashmiris in Germany also strongly condemned the ongoing Indian forces atrocities in occupied Kashmir and the martyrdom of Hurriyat leader Muhammad Ashraf Suhrai.

    Few demonstrators in small groups protested and prayed due to COVID-19 SOPs, Imam of mosques said that unannounced curfew has been imposed in the entire valley for the last one and half years violating human rights in occupied Kashmir.

    Hurriyat Leader Ashraf Suhrai Arrested Under draconian Law By Indian Forces and all the Kashmiris Strongly Condemns Martyrdom of Ashraf Suhrai. Protesters urge UN and international human rights organizations to allow Kashmiris to carry millions of bodies of their youth without a war.

    India continues to commit atrocities in Kashmir. Ashraf Suhrai was arrested in July last year under a draconian black law imposed by the Indian government in Kashmir.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • UK Royals, William and Kate surfaced with digital media Channel.

    UK,

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate have come up with their very own YouTube Channel.

    The couple’s new video features Kate who makes a call to Mila, four-year-old undergoing leukaemia.

     

    A stream of calls took place previously through which the Royal Highness talked to a few individuals who shared their opinions stating how they are dealing with the lockdown.

    These calls were to be released on William and Kate’s YouTube channel among which one has been featured in the couple’s new video.

    It is a startling fact that William and Kate are the only ones from the Royal family to be associated with having their YouTube channel independently.

    According to sources, the Duchess of Cambridge is highly intent on enhancing its efforts related to digital media and has succeeded in acquiring millions of followers from around the world.

    Prince William is highly keen on giving social media much-required attention however he is skeptical of the kind of impact it will have on mental health.

    “The move to social media has been on the cards for a long time, it was always going to be the future for the royals as well, but the pandemic has accelerated things,” from a relevant source.

    “It has been a blessing in many ways for the royals in general because it means they are more in control of their public image than ever before.”

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Young Muslim women protest proposed French ban, #HandsOffMyHijab!

    Strasbourg, France,

    Sixteen year-old Mariem Chourak is a devout Muslim who considers wearing a hijab an expression of her devotion to the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H), but a proposal by French senators might soon deny her the freedom to do so in public spaces.

    The amendment to an ‘anti-separatism’ bill designed to strengthen France’s “secular values” and which applies to girls under 18 has drawn outrage and prompted an online protest under the hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab (#PasToucheAMonHijab) that went viral beyond French borders.

    “It’s part of my identity. To force me to remove it would be a humiliation,” Chourak said. “I cannot understand why they would want to pass a law that discriminates.”

    France prohibited the wearing of Islamic headscarves in state schools in 2004. In 2010, it banned the niqab, the full-face Islamic veil, in public places such as streets, parks, public transport, and administrative buildings.

    A group of young women is running the #PasToucheAMonHijab campaign from the living rooms of their families’ flats.

    They have drawn support from social media influencers, a US lawmaker and Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics, among others.

    “(The politicians) want our emancipation, they want to save us from this imaginary oppression, but it is they who are oppressing us,” said medical student Mona el Mashouly, 25, in her home city of Strasbourg.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Record 1.5m new Covid-19 cases this week in India

    India,

    India reported another record daily rise in coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing total new cases for the week to 1.57 million, as the country’s vaccination rate falls dramatically due to a lack of supplies and transport problems.

    As India’s deadly second wave of COVID-19 continues unabated and its total number of cases now stand at 21.49 million, with infections spreading from overcrowded cities to remote rural villages that are home to nearly 70 per cent of the 1.3 billion population.

    The country reported a record daily 414,188 new cases on Friday, while deaths from COVID-19 swelled by 3,915, bringing total deaths to 234,083.

    Medical experts say the real extent of COVID-19 in India is five to 10 times the official tallies.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been widely criticized for not acting sooner to suppress the second wave, after religious festivals and political rallies drew tens of thousands of people in recent weeks and became “super spreader” events.

    His government has also been criticized for delays in the country’s vaccination program, which medical experts say is India’s only hope of controlling the second COVID-19 wave.

    The Local newspapers demanded on Friday “Accelerate the vaccine drive, get the second wave of the pandemic under some control”.

    While India is the world’s biggest vaccine maker, it is struggling to produce enough doses to stem the wave of COVID-19.

    Modi has stressed that Indian states must keep up vaccination rates. Although the country has administered at least 157 million vaccine doses, its rate of vaccination has fallen sharply in recent days.

    “After having achieved a rate of around 4 million a day, we are now down to 2.5 million per day due to vaccine shortages,” Amartya Lahiri, an economics professor at the University of British Columbia was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

    “The 5 million a day target is the lower bound of what we have to aim for, since even at that rate, it will take a year for us to get everyone two doses. The situation unfortunately is very grim”.

     

     

    Read Also

    Covid-19 aid lands in India while new deaths surges

     

    Madhya Pradesh couple gets married in PPE kits.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Maldives parliamentary leader Mohamed Nasheed escaped an assassination attempt

    Web Desk,

    Former Maldives president and current parliamentary speaker Mohamed Nasheed was recovering in hospital Friday after an assassination attempt left him with shrapnel wounds.

    The Indian Ocean archipelago’s first democratically elected leader was hurt when a device attached to a motorcycle was detonated as he got into a car late Thursday, an official said. “Nasheed escaped an assassination attempt,” a Maldivian government official told news agency. “He is injured, but his condition is stable.”

    Images on social media showed a destroyed motorbike at the scene of the attack.  Armed police units and security forces cordoned off the area in the capital Male where the attack took place, and the Maldivian parliament, which was in recess, called an emergency meeting following the attack.

    President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a close ally of Nasheed, said an investigation was under way as officials rushed to denounce the targeted attack on the country’s second most powerful figure.

    “Strongly condemn the attack on Speaker of Parliament, President Mohamed Nasheed this evening. Cowardly attacks like these have no place in our society,” Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said in a tweet. “My thoughts and prayers are with President Nasheed and others injured in this attack, as well as their families,” he tweeted.

    A family member said Nasheed had sustained several wounds. “They have put him under anaesthesia. There is a deeper cut on one of his arms,” the family member told news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    The relative said Nasheed was responsive and spoke with doctors as he was admitted with shrapnel injuries. One of his bodyguards was also taken to hospital.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Shopping malls, markets opens 24 hours a day in Saudi Arabia.

    Riyadh,

    Saudi Arabian authorities have allowed shopping malls and markets to remain open 24 hours a day.

    A spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Commerce said the decision was made to reduce the rush of consumers in markets. He said that action would be taken against the violation of coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (Sops)s.

    Meanwhile, the Saudi Interior Ministry has said that Saudi citizens who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus will be allowed to travel from May 17.

    According to the Interior Ministry, the ban on Saudi citizens traveling abroad will be lifted from 1pm on May 17.

    About 419,348 people have been infected with the global coronavirus in the Gulf country so far, while 6,979 people have succumbed to the virus so far.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Pakistan to close Afghanistan, Iran land routes

    Web desk,

    Pakistan on Monday decided to temporarily ban the entry of people from Afghanistan and Iran to Pakistan via land routes, reported local news TV channel.

    The ban would be imposed for 16 days from tomorrow May 5 at 6pm to May 20 and no one passenger could be entered in Pakistani territories from Iran and Afghan borders.

    Therefore, Pakistani passenger could move from Pakistan to Afghanistan or Iran through the land routes as there would not be a ban on passengers traveling from Pakistan to Iran and Afghanistan.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Detained Hurriyat leader Ashraf Sehrai dies at Jammu hospital.

    Mirpur,

    All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai breathed his last on Wednesday while in Indian custody in occupied Jammu, said a report from across the line of control (LoC).

    The 80-year-old senior Kashmiri Hurriyat leader was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and passed away after a brief illness at Government Medical College (GMC) in occupied Jammu, the report said.

    Sehrai was admitted to GMC on Tuesday after his health started deteriorating at Kot Bhalwal jail. He breathed his last this afternoon.

    He was suffering from multiple diseases and was not provided any treatment during his incarceration. His family members were kept unaware of his health condition, according to the report.

    The Kashmir freedom struggle leader was arrested on July 12, 2020, by Indian occupational forces from his residence in occupied Srinagar and was lodged at Udhampur Jail.

    Sehrai was elected as the Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, a constituent of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, which was previously headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

    He worked as a lieutenant of Geelani throughout his life and was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami in India-occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

    Sehrai was known to be a hardcore freedom fighter and had allowed his son Junaid Sehrai to join the ranks of armed struggle. Junaid was martyred on May 19, 2020, in Srinagar.

    APHC strongly condemned the custodial death of Sehrai. In a news release, APHC Vice Chairman Ghulam Ahamad Gulzar denounced the “ruthless behavior and barbaric attitude of the Indian Imperialism” towards the freedom loving leaders kept in solitude in various jails of India, without medical facilities and other basic amenities.

    Paying rich tribute to the great freedom leader, Gulzar termed the death of Sehrai a sheer act of deliberate custodial killing for which the sole responsibility lay with the Modi-led fascist regime.

    He urged United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to take serious cognizance of the death.

    He also appealed to the freedom loving people of Kashmir to observe a complete general strike on May 6 (tomorrow) to record protest against the custodial killing of the veteran Hurriyat leader.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Brooklyn emerge prepared Fresh barbecue, delicious biryani and Iftar at Foster Avenue.

    Foster Avenue, NYC,

    The Brooklyn Emerge, an organization of Pakistani-American Muslims in New York have set a unique example of sacrifice, empathy and unity during Ramadan.

    Fresh barbecue, delicious biryani and iftar made from halal items, these packets are being decorated daily on Foster Avenue in Brooklyn from the 1st of Ramadan.

    Brooklyn Emerge and volunteers are at the forefront of helping the needy even in difficult times, and are doing a good job to break the fast.

    Every day before two hours from Iftar, fresh food is prepared at Foster Avenue and the citizens lined up in queues. The best and most touching is that not only Muslims but non-Muslims also getting all the ready items for Iftar from this unique food distribution.

    New York-based Muslims has said Islam is a religion of Peace and humanity that always taught sacrifice, peace and brotherhood. To convey this message, we have been arranging it in the same way every day since the first of Ramadan, and this will continue until the last fast.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Pakistani Merchant Association of Coney Island hosted Iftar dinner.

    Coney Island, New York,

    The PMA-Pakistani Merchant Association of Coney Island hosted an Iftar dinner at a local restaurant. Social distance was also taken care of during Iftar dinner.

    At the time of Iftar, recitation of Holy Quran and Naat Rasool Maqbool (Peace Be Upon Him) were recited.

    At Iftar Dinner, shopkeepers of the Pakistani community on Coney Island and other members of the community had Iftar together. Imam Ahmad Ali led the prayers on the occasion.

    Association members said that reunion was not possible last year due to COVID-19 outbreak but the situation has improved this year, now there is an opportunity to sit together on Iftar. We pray that the corona virus pandemic will end soon.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Halal Guide and PACOLI hot meal distribution in Long Island.

    Long Island, New York City,

    The Halal Guide and PACOLI-Pakistani American Community of Long Island jointly distributed hot meal to the homeless and needy.

    During Ramadan, various personalities and Muslim community organizations were helping the needy according to their resources.

    On the hot meal distribution event, Asim Malik, President of PACOLI and Raza Dastgir of Halal Guide said that spiritual happiness and satisfaction comes from helping the needy and cannot be described.

    Young volunteers took an active part in the distribution of meals and made hot meals packets. People in need lined up with SOPs and received packets of fresh food.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Youm-e-Ali processions in New York with devotion and respect.

    Queens, New York,

    The Youm-e-Ali procession organized in New York with devotion and respect by the Jaffaria Council of USA. The procession departed from Rufus King Park Queens and ended at the Imam Al-Khoi Islamic Center.

    After the noon prayers in congregation, a central mourning procession was held. Addressing the procession, Ayatollah Dr Sakhawat Hussain Sandralvi highlighted the virtues of the Imam and described the incident of martyrdom in detail.

    According to Ayatollah Dr Sakhawat Hussain Sandralvi the complete introduction of Maula Ali Sher Khuda is still imminent. All Muslims should learn from Hazrat Ali Razi Allah Anho, rhetoric, symbols of jihad and fighting, as well as rule, justice and obedience to the Creator and service creatures.

    The Youm-e-Ali procession was also attended by Ahl e Sunnah mourners. Participants also followed Corona virus prevention SOPs and New York Police provided security.

    Demonstrators pass a resolution calling for a halt to social media campaigns and the use of immoral language, or legal action will be taken.

    The procession reached Imam Al-Khoi Islamic Center, Jamaica through its designated routes, where the Jafaria Council organized Iftar for mourners.

    Jaffaria Council President Younis Jaffery, Raja Abid Hussain, Raja Ammar Yasir Nambardar, Dr. Haider Naqvi and Haji Muhammad Razzaq Gujjar thanked the participants.

    At the end of the procession, special prayers were offered for the eradication of Corona virus from all over the world and for the success of the Muslim Ummah.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Fear in Afghanistan as US begins troop pullout.

    Web desk,

    As the US military began formally withdrawing from Afghanistan Saturday, some residents in Kandahar the former bastion of the Taliban were optimistic the exit will bring peace to the violence-wracked country.

    “The fighting will then be between two Muslim brothers (Afghan government forces and the Taliban) and the hope is that the two will reconcile and make peace,” said Pacha Khan, a farmer from the southern Afghan province that was once a flashpoint of fighting.

    US President Joe Biden had announced in April that the remaining 2,500 American troops will formally begin leaving Afghanistan from May 1 and complete their withdrawal by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, bringing an end to America’s longest war.

    In reality, the withdrawal has been a work in progress for months.

    Fighting between US forces and the Taliban has stopped since a landmark deal between Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump and the insurgents last year.

    But battles rage daily between Afghan government forces and the militants across Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban who ruled the country in the 1990s with a harsh version of Islamic sharia law.

    Few shops were open in Kandahar city’s main market on Saturday, while police set up checkpoints on roads leading to the airport almost deserted as most American troops have left.

    In Kandahar’s Bush Bazar named for former US president who started the war in 2001 shopkeepers sorted through used goods for sale from the former American base.

    “A few days ago there was a big blast outside the airport. We later came to know the Americans had destroyed equipment,” said Esa Mohammad, the bazar’s secretary.

    “Now we get scrap from there to be sold in the market.”

    Many ordinary Afghans remain bitter at US forces for the hardships over the years.

    Mohammad, a farmer who gave only one name, said the past 20 years had been worse than the 1980s, when Afghanistan was occupied by Soviet troops.

    “The Russians did not inflict the kind of casualties the Americans did,” said the father of eight.

    “The Americans killed my brother 10 years ago when they bombarded our village. These infidels have inflicted heavy losses and I’m happy they are leaving.”

    His views were echoed by Agha Shireen, a trishaw driver from Arghandab on the outskirts of Kandahar city.

    “They have killed a lot of our people and brought only misery,” he said.

    “If the Taliban return, the situation might turn better.”

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Covid-19 aid lands in India while new deaths surges

    Mumbai,

    India struggled to contain one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks with nearly 400,000 new infections reported Sunday, as more international aid arrived in the South Asian nation to help end the crisis.

    India expanded its vaccination program to all adults on Saturday, but many of its states are struggling with shortages despite an export freeze for shots produced in the country.

    Long queues were seen at vaccination centers in cities across the nation at the weekend, with people desperate to be vaccinated against a disease that has overwhelmed the healthcare system and even crematoriums and graveyards.

    “We are here early in the morning to get vaccinated. I left my three-year-old at home to get vaccinated,” said Megha Srivastava, 35, at a private immunization center in the capital New Delhi.

    “It is a necessity now. We are seeing so many people testing positive.”

    Social media platforms have been flooded with desperate pleas from people looking for oxygen cylinders, medicines and hospital beds as the Covid-19 wave causes widespread shortages.

    India reported more than 392,000 new cases and nearly 3,700 Covid-19 deaths on Sunday, which is a new single-day record.

    The dire situation prompted many nations including the US, Russia and Britain to send emergency supplies including oxygen generators, face masks, and vaccines.

    Aid from France reached India on Sunday, including eight oxygen generator plants and 28 ventilators, adding to the 120 ventilators from Germany that arrived a day earlier.

    New Delhi, one of the hardest-hit parts of the country, extended its lockdown by a week on Saturday, and the eastern state of Odisha has also ordered a shutdown.

    Anthony Fauci, the top US pandemic advisor, said in comments published Saturday that the whole of India should go into lockdown to fight this wave.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has resisted imposing a national shutdown but many states have imposed heavy restrictions.

    A growing list of countries have cut flights from India, with Nigeria on Sunday banning entry to all travelers who have been in the country in the last two weeks, though Nigerians and those transiting in India will be exempt.

     

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    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Imam Qari Abdul Rasheed of Makki Mosque in Brooklyn dies of cardiac arrest.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Imam Qari Abdul Rasheed died in the early hours of the morning due to heart attack at the age of 64 in front of the ancient Makki Mosque built by Pakistani-Americans on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn.

    The deceased hailed from Bangladesh and had been serving Makki Mosque for the past 25 years.

    The mourning atmosphere in the area on his death and the Pakistani community has expressed its deep sorrow and grief.

    The community prays for forgiveness and highest ranks of the late Qari Abdul Rashid.

    All arrangements for the funeral will be made by Al Rayyan Funeral Services. It is expected that the body of the late Qari Abdul Rasheed will be sent to Bangladesh according to availability of the flight.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Iftar dinner hosted by South Asian community at New Jersey.

    New Jersey,

    Iftar Party hosted by Sam Khan and South Asian Community Outreach in Edison, New Jersey, which brought together people of different faiths. They all sat down and congratulated the Muslim community on Ramadan and Eid

    Pakistani Consul General Ayesha Ali, County Clerk Nancy Pincan, County Democratic Chairman Kevin McCabe and several U.S. officials attended the iftar dinner, including Senator Sam Thompson, Assemblyman Stirley Stanley, Assemblyman Robert Carabin Czech, Assemblyman Jamal Holly, Mayor Brad Cohen, Mayor Jonathan Bush, Mayor Derek Armstrong, Deborah Carnavaca, Governor Community Outreach Director, Commissioner Shanti Nara, Commissioner Charles Tomaro, and Commissioner Claire Bell Isakona Barber.

    On the occasion, Pakistani Consul General Ayesha Ali thanked Sam Khan for inviting her to the Iftar dinner and for attending the party.

    Later, there was a dialogue between the two mayoral candidates of Edison. Both candidates appealed to the Muslim community to use their votes to win the mayoral election

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Madhya Pradesh couple gets married in PPE kits.

    Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh,

    Indian state of Madhya Pradesh couple has been allowed to marry despite the groom testing positive for coronavirus a few days earlier.

    According to International media, local officials were initially concerned about the event but following discussions the participants agreed to wear full PPE kit.

    The wedding took place with the permission of the local administration after the groom had tested positive on April 19. The family members and police officials were part of the ceremony which was held in Ratlam.

    Amid second wave of COVID-19, With fresh curfew rules and restrictions in place, many have been forced to postpone or cancel their wedding plans. However, despite testing positive.

    The couple was seen wearing blue protective suits as they tied the knot at a marriage hall in Ratlam. Along with the couple, the priest and few close family members too were seen with PPE suits.

    The wedding took place with the permission of local administration after the groom had tested positive on April 19. The family members and police officials were part of the ceremony.

    Navin Garg, Tehsildar, Ratlam told News agency that the authorities got to know about the groom testing positive and was getting married. They rushed to the venue to stop the ceremony. However, after reaching the venue, the couple and the other family members requested, and later, the wedding was solemnized in the presence of senior police officials. “The couple was made to wear PPE kits so the infection doesn’t spread,” Garg said.

    The video of their ceremony went viral on social media and left many confused. While some asked why the wedding couldn’t wait, others criticized the authorities to allow it. It also triggered many jokes online.

    However, they are not the only couple. In Kerala too, a hospital turned into a wedding venue after the groom and his mother had tested positive days before the special day.

     

     

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    Vaccination delayed in India.

     

    Covid19 death toll in India surges to 200,000

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • PTI New York leaders host Iftar dinner during Ramadan.

    Long Island, New York,

    PTI New York leaders hosted an Iftar dinner during Ramadan. Zameer Chaudhry, Pervez Riaz, PTI officials, community dignitaries and social personalities also present at a local restaurant on Long Island. 

    The program began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, Later,  prayers of devotion were also offered to Rehmat-ul-Alamin PBUH-Peace Be Upon Him.

    PTI America Vice President Naveed Warraich, Senior Leader Khawar Baig, Imran Agra, Ali Rasheed of APAG-American Pakistani Advocacy Group. Amin Ghani, Zaheer Mehr from Overseas Pakistani Global Foundation and other leading figures of the Pakistani community also participated. On this occasion, Zameer Chaudhry thanked the participants for attending the Iftar party.

    A special prayer was also offered to get rid of Corona virus and other difficulties. Participants thanked Zameer Chaudhry and Pervez Riaz for inviting them to the Iftar party, saying such events are a great way to get together with the community.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.

  • Mahabharat and Ramayan in Saudi schools and is part of MBS Vision 2030.

    Web Desk,

    According to the Indian media, Mahabharat and Ramayan will soon be taught in the schools of Saudi Arabia. This decision has been taken under the vision 2030 initiative of the Saudi Crown Prince.

    Indian media dubbed it a big step towards inclusiveness.

    An Indian media outlet in its report says, “It’s a significant message of coexistence and it’s a reminder of the organic relationship India shares with the Saudi Kingdom. This may just be the most significant step towards inclusiveness from the de-facto leader of the Islamic World and a message of coexistence. The land of Mecca and Madina, the birthplace of Islam will now teach epics like Ramayan and Mahabharata in schools.”

    The Indian media further say that the decision has been taken by the Saudi Crown Prince himself. It is part of Mohammed bin Salman Vision 2030 for his kingdom.

    An announcement was made by the Nouf Almarwaai, Padma Shri awardee, and the first certified Saudi Yoga charya for the yoga teacher.

    The history of Hinduism and Buddhism, the teachings of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the concepts of Karma and Dharma, and the importance of yoga and Ayurveda.

    Riyadh says it aims to create a coexistent, moderate, and tolerant generation.

    An estimated 440,000 Hindus already live in the Kingdom. This is the second biggest Indian diaspora in the Arab world after the UAE. In fact, Indians make the largest community of expats in Saudi Arabia.  26.3% of the total migrant population in the country is from India. On the political front, bilateral ties are stronger than ever.

    Now when India is struggling with a critical shortage of medical supplies, Saudi Arabia is shipping 18 metric tons of oxygen as a gesture of goodwill.

    This post was originally published on VOSA.