Greece’s famous tourist attraction Acropolis will be closed in the hottest hours on Wednesday because of scorching temperatures. Tourists will not be able to access the Parthenon and other monuments on the acropolis from 12:00 – 17:00 local time (09:00-14:00 GMT), the culture ministry stated. It is the second partial closure in over a month due to Greece’s national weather service expecting temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in some regions. The Acropolis was previously closed for the midsummer hours of two consecutive days in June because of the earliest heatwave in Greece. In 2023, there were over three…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
WASHINGTON: Amid the ongoing demonstrations against the job quota system, the United States (US) has called on Bangladesh to uphold the right to peaceful protest. It is pertinent to mention here that the Bangladeshi police fired tear gas and rubber bullets amid violent clashes that have left at least six dead and scores injured. The protests turned violent this week when thousands of anti-quota protesters clashed with members of the student wing of the ruling Awami League party across the country. Six people, including at least three students, were killed during clashes on Tuesday, police said. Students have protested over public…
LAS VEGAS: United States President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while on a campaign trip to Las Vegas on Wednesday and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the positive test for the 81-year-old Democrat after the president of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights organization, said Biden would not be able to speak at a scheduled event due to the diagnosis. “He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre added. As he boarded Air Force One to depart Las Vegas to recuperate in Delaware, Biden told reporters: “Good, I…
WASHINGTON: In a meeting with Joe Biden on Saturday, US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told the president that it would be better for the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his re-election campaign, ABC News reported on Wednesday. US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has expressed similar views directly to Biden, the news agency reported, citing a source familiar with the conversation. In a statement, Schumer’s office called the report “idle speculation” and said Schumer “conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday.” Jeffries’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.…
WASHINGTON: The United States has urged Bangladesh to uphold the right to peaceful protest after multiple people were killed and scores were wounded as the country’s police resorted to using tear gas and rubber bullets on mass demonstrations against the government’s job quota system. “We condemn any violence against peaceful protesters. We’ve been watching this matter very closely, both from our embassy and officials here in Washington,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Wednesday. Students in the country have been protesting over public sector job quotas, which include a 30% reservation for family members of fighters from the…
DHAKA: Schools across Bangladesh have been shut down after at least six people were killed in demonstrations, demanding the government to scrap its discriminatory job quota rules for civil service jobs. The reasons behind what led the students to protest countrywide and how weeks of protests turned violent are explained here. What are civil service job quota rules in Bangladesh? According to a 2022 report by Bangladesh’s public administration ministry, the country has over 1.9 million civil servant posts. More than half of the people hired to these jobs are not selected on merit but under affirmative action rules prioritising…
Former United States president Donald Trump’s eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, took centre stage at the Republican National Convention (RNC) stage on Wednesday as she entered the political arena. Kai, 17, is the eldest daughter of Donald Jr, the oldest son of the former president, and his ex-wife, Vanessa. She followed in the foot steps of her parents, uncles and aunts as she she appeared on stage to deliver a short but personal testament to her 78-year-old grandfather who beamed throughout her speech, NPR reported. Donald Jr introduced his eldest daughter on the RNC stage and said that it was her…
After a deadly terrorist attack on Bannu Cantonment two days ago, Pakistan has issued a “strong demarche” to Afghanistan and demanded the Afghan Taliban-led interim government to take “immediate action” against the perpetrators of the terror incident. At least eight Pakistan Army soldiers had embraced martyrdom as security forces effectively thwarted a terrorist attack at Bannu Cantonment killing all 10 militants two days ago, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday. The terrorists attacked the Bannu Cantonment in the early hours of July 15 but their attempt to enter the facility was effectively thwarted by the…
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) never supported any move to ban a political party, calling on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to “adhere to political norms”. “The PTI will have to review its role if it is demonstrating political behaviour or not,” the Sindh CM said while speaking to the media in Hyderabad on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister led the main Ashura procession at Numaish Chowrangi in Karachi. Then he flew to Hyderabad, where he also participated in a mourning procession at Imambargah Mola…
Following the murder of reporter Malik Hassan Zeb on July 14, the eighth journalist to be killed in the country since the beginning of 2024, the International Press Institute (IPI) global network has expressed deep concern over the increasing violence against journalists in the country. Zeb was shot dead in the Nowshera district on Sunday, with the IPI saying that he was going to the store along with his brother when two unknown assailants on motorcycles opened fire on Zeb. His brother survived the attack and filed a first information report (FIR) of the incident. The motive behind the 40-year-old…
