Entertainment
Pakistan assails India for releasing torrents from dams
- Water discharge worst example of India’s water aggression: minister.
- Ahsan Iqbal says India stores water and suddenly releases it.
- Decries India’s failure to timely share information with Pakistan.
Pakistan has assailed India for essentially “weaponising water”, with Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal saying that New Delhi abruptly and intentionally discharged the torrents from its dams.
“India has started using water as a weapon,” Iqbal said while speaking on Geo News‘ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” as he reflected on the wide-scale flooding in Punjab, which has left vast swathes of land inundated due to the overflowing of Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers.
With at least seven people losing their lives in Punjab’s Gujranwala Division due to flooding, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has advised Sindh’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh to initiate the evacuation of vulnerable communities residing along the katcha (riverine) areas and low-lying belts of the Indus River and its tributaries.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday issued a series of directives to provincial and district authorities to accelerate relief and rehabilitation efforts in flood-affected areas.
The chief minister has ordered the field presence of commissioners and deputy commissioners, along with immediate documentation of damage caused to homes and crops.
She directed the district administrations to restrict people from entering flood zones.
Separately, speaking in a video statement while supervising rescue and relief efforts in Kartarpur, Iqbal termed the water discharge as a “worst example” of water aggression by India.
“India stores water on rivers and suddenly releases it,” the minister remarked, adding that New Delhi’s water aggression posed a threat to lives and properties.
“Some issues are beyond national disputes and political differences. Countries should put all differences aside and ensure cooperation on the issue of water resources.
India has also made natural disasters a source of politics. India did not share information with Pakistan in a timely manner,” he remarked, adding that New Delhi’s failure to do so was “extremely regrettable and inhumane”.
The minister’s remarks refer to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) which binds both countries to share information with each other on water discharge. However, the treaty has been put in abeyance by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in April.
However, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in June, in a unanimous judgment binding on both countries, issued a Supplemental Award in the IWT case and stated that New Delhi could not unilaterally suspend the accord.
The arbitration court’s ruling confirmed that India’s unilateral actions could not undermine the jurisdiction of either the court of arbitration or the Neutral Expert in proceedings under the IWT.
Although India reached out to Pakistan to warn about a potential flood situation — due to water discharge — the move was carried out via diplomatic channels and not through the bilateral commission as required by the IWT.
Tech billionaire and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has expressed concerns about the H-1B visa programme, stating that it is being “gamed” by select outsourcing firms in the US.
The tech tycoon emphasised that authorities should address the misuse of the H-1B visa system rather than dismantling it entirely.
What is H-1B visa?
H-1B visas allow U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers, and are mostly used by Indian citizens, particularly in the technology and healthcare sectors.
During a recent podcast with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, Musk highlighted that America has “long benefitted” from the contributions of talented Indian migrant workers, while acknowledging the issues around the “misuse” of the H-1B programme.
Manipulation in H-1B visa lottery system
Outsourcing firms have faced backlash for manipulating the lottery system, including submitting multiple applications for the same worker and hiring low-cost contract employees instead of filling speciality roles, BBC reported.
Musk firmly stated, “We need to stop the gaming of the system,” but he disagreed with those advocating for the complete shutdown of the H-1B system, arguing that such a move would be detrimental to the U.S. economy.
Recent data from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) indicates that approvals for H-1B visas from Indian outsourcing companies have dropped to their lowest level in a decade, with a significant decline in initial employment petitions.
Besides H-1B visas, Musk also commented on former President Trump’s tariff policies, which he believes distort markets, noting that negotiations for a trade deal between the U.S. and India are ongoing, with an agreement expected by year-end.
Duchess of Edinburgh was reportedly left in a state of shock as she witnessed a painful accident, nearly breaking royal protocol as it happened.
The 60-year-old royal, who has earned a prominent position with King Charles as his ‘secret weapon’ for the monarchy, has been dragged in an unfortunate court case about an 81-year-old woman, who lost her life in 2023.
A woman named Helen Holland had been crossing the street at Old Bailey when she was hit by the speeding officer, PC Christopher Harrison, part of the motorcycle convoy that was escorting Sophie as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.
The officer was given a ‘not guilty’ verdict which garnered an emotional reaction from Helen’s family. One of the family members had yelled, “You ruined our family with no consequences.”
Prince Edward’s wife has remained quiet amid the legal process. She had only released a statement at the time to express her sympathies with the family. She could not comment further due to the ongoing court case.
In a new report by DailyMail, never-before-shared details about Sophie’s reaction were shared in which she nearly broke the protocol for the pedestrian.
For the first time they have detailed the horrific injuries Helen sustained during what Harrison described in court as “a tragic accident”. They also shared that in moments after the collision, the Duchess of Edinburgh tried to leave her vehicle to rush towards Helen.
Meanwhile, Helen’s son Martin and her daughter-in-law, Lisa, are pursuing another legal action not for any compensation but to prove that the beloved great-grandmother “did nothing wrong”.
Duchess of Edinburgh statement via Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace released a short statement on Duchess Sophie’s behalf in May 2023.
“The Duchess’s heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family,” it read.
“She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments. Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.”
Sadie Sink has opened about her character Max Mayfield in the Stranger Things new season.
In season 4, Max was left in coma after a psychic encounter with Vecna. The first volume of the fifth season has shown that her consciousness is trapped in the upside down.
While talking about her character, Sink said that there always has been something that anchored her to the role like the environment, the bands, the skateboard or the clothes.
“But this season, there was nothing. It was clothes that didn’t feel like Max, crazy hair that was grown out and tangled, and dirt all over my face”, she told The Hollywood Reporter.
She continued, “She’s in a rough, feral state. It was pretty bizarre. It was weird to feel like Max and then look like that and be in that environment.
Stranger things 5 the first volume depicts how Max’s fate has been kept a mystery after Holly Wheeler is taken by Vecna and she crosses paths with a young girl.
Responding to her character’s fate, Sadie added that “Max is a really caring person” and accepts Holly as an ally instead of seeing her as just a small girl.
The Spider-Man actress said, “I feel like we’ve left it all out on the table, and it’s at a good closing point, but I don’t know. I could do it again. Because I love that set so much, and I love the character.”
Stranger Things 5 second volume is set to premiere on December 25.
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