Weekly News Round-Up (27th November – 3rd December)
This week in the news, find out how Pakistan is planning to fight against Omicron, how a Sri Lankan factory manager was killed due to alleged blasphemy allegations, how General Nigar Johar is making waves yet again, why the re-design of an Italian cruise ship will cater to Pakistan’s tourism needs and more! Read on to find out all the news you’ve missed this week.
Pakistan Doubles Vaccination Efforts Amidst Global Omicron Scare
Last week, after the detection of Omicron in South Africa, National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) banned inbound travel to Pakistan from seven countries including Botswana, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. Moreover, vaccination efforts throughout Pakistan are being doubled as 40 additional centres have been set up to administer the second dose of the vaccine to those who’ve missed it. Lastly, the criteria for vaccine booster shots have been expanded to include frontline health workers, the immunocompromised and citizens over 50 (Source: Al Jazeera).
Sri Lankan Factory Manager Lynched In Sialkot Over Alleged Blasphemy Accusations
On Friday the 3rd of December, factory workers in Sialkot lynched a Sri Lankan export manager and then proceeded to burn his corpse over alleged blasphemy accusations. The victim has been identified as Priyantha Kumara by the Sialkot District Police. According to Punjab Police, the Punjab IG is overseeing the investigation and so far 100 people have been arrested, including one of the main culprits and more are being identified through CCTV footage of the event. After the news broke out, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the “horrific, vigilante attack” on the factory and the burning alive of the Sri Lankan man “…was a day of shame for Pakistan… I am overseeing the investigations and, let there be no mistake, all those responsible will be punished with the full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress”. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said that it expected Pakistani authorities to “take the required action to investigate and ensure justice”. (Source: Dawn) *The situation is still developing *
Lt. General Nigar Johar In The News For Making History Yet Again
On Friday the 26th of November, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa installed Lt General Nigar Johar as Pakistan’s first-ever female general to be appointed as Colonel Commandant of Army Medical Corps (AMC). The COAS pinned the badges of rank to formally install Lieutenant General Nigar Johar as Pakistan’s first-ever female general to be appointed as Colonel Commandant of AMC and stated that the installation of the first-ever three-star female general officer of Pakistan Army as Colonel Commandant of AMC is ‘indeed a matter of immense pride for Pakistan Army and the country’. (Source: Tribune)
Official Assignee Restrained by SHC From Taking Over Mohatta Palace
On the 13th of October, a single bench judge had directed the official assignee to take over possession of the Mohatta Palace for setting up a medical college and the same to be run under an independent body with the consent of the parties and stated that only Qasr-e-Fatima be used as the name of the heritage property in all documents. However, in November the division bench through an interim order had restrained the official assignee from taking over the possession of the property after the provincial government and the Mohatta Palace Gallery Trust, which is currently maintaining a museum there, filed intra-court appeals against earlier orders of the single-judge bench. Later, neighbouring residents of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s heritage property located in Clifton also approached the bench against the single bench’s order. In the latest turn of events, on 2nd December, the SHC directed the official assignee not to take over the possession of Qasr-e-Fatima, commonly known as Mohatta Palace, till the final decision on an around 50-year-old suit about the heritage property. It further said that all lawyers for parties must appear before the single bench on the next date, which according to the lawyers has been fixed on Dec 8 and that the suit may be taken up for arguments on Dec 15. (Source: Dawn)
Vintage Italian Cruise Ship Docks At Gadani
Celestyal Experience, formerly known as Costa Romantica is a 14-storey high-cruise Italian ship from the 1990s that has recently arrived at Karachi’s Gadani Shipyard. A Pakistani company, New Choice Enterprises, initially bought it for breaking but later decided to convert it into a cruise ship that will ferry between Karachi and Gwadar to promote tourism. The sea vessel is said to have 1,411 rooms, a seven-star hotel, a shopping mall, a gaming zone, a swimming pool and three ballrooms. The company says it had sought permission to anchor the cruise ship near Karachi Port Grand but the request was denied due to its massive size. The ship has now been anchored at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard.
Riz Ahmed’s Latest Outfit Is The Perfect Blend Of Cultures
At the LA premiere of his movie ‘Encounter’, Riz Ahmed donned a Salmon Kurta with an oxblood suit by Prada. With the Salmon Kurta artfully falling past his knees, the outfit is the perfect blend of East meets West. Encounter released on the 3rd of December and tells the story of a decorated Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind. The film is directed by Michael Pearce and stars Janina Gavankar, Riz Ahmed, Rory Cochrane, Octavia Spencer, among others.
The Intern Behind Spotify’s Wrapped Speaks Out
Spotify first introduced its Wrapped format in 2016 but it wasn’t till 2019 that it got redesigned into the fun, bite-sized, social media-centred format we know today. the artist behind the rehaul was Jewel Ham, who worked at Spotify for three months during the summer as a design intern when she conceived of the idea and never got the proper due for it. The goal assigned to her was to make Wrapped appeal better to Gen Z and she successfully re-envisioned the data as something much more interactive and communal, something that lived on social media and naturally fed into its ecosystem. However, the day she presented her idea was the last day of her internship and it was well-received. So it was shocking for her to later find out it had been implemented and she hadn’t been credited for the work and the hours she’d put into the concept and the re-design. “At the end of the day, the problem here is not that Spotify stole my idea. It’s that I gave it to them”, Ham stated in an interview. Spotify is yet to comment on the issue. (source: Refinery29)
