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☆ Pakistan says police responsible for killing a doctor accused of blasphemy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Associated Press | Story The | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Multan, Pakistan — Pakistan’s government said Thursday that police had orchestrated the killing of a doctor who was in custody after he was accused of blasphemy. The statement marks the first time the government has accused security forces of what the doctor’s family and rights groups have said amounted to an extrajudicial killing carried out by police. Hassan’s statement backed up Nawaz’s family allegations earlier this week. Accusations of blasphemy, sometimes even just rumors, can spark riots and mob rampages in Pakistan. Nawaz’s killing was the second case of an extrajudicial killing by police this month in Pakistan.

Persons: Shah Nawaz, Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, Ziaul Hassan, Nawaz, Hassan, Islam, Nawaz’s, “, …, ”, Mohammad Saleh, Saleh, Rehmat, Syed Khan, Khan, Mohammad Khurram Organizations: Minister, Associated Press Locations: Multan, Pakistan, Sindh, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Karachi, Quetta

☆ Heavy metals may raise cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Coronary calcium buildup causes atherosclerosis, a chronic and inflammatory cardiovascular disease marked by narrowed arterial walls and thus reduced blood flow. Environmental contaminants have been increasingly recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but the association of metals with coronary artery calcification has been “largely unknown,” the study authors said. They hypothesized that higher urinary levels of nonessential metals — cadmium, tungsten and uranium — and essential metals — cobalt, copper and zinc — that have previously been associated with cardiovascular disease may be linked with calcification. The participants didn’t already have clinical cardiovascular disease and were recruited from Baltimore; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York City; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Winston Salem, North Carolina. The trouble with measuring urinary metal levelsThe study has a few other limitations.

Persons: Drs, Sadeer, Khurram Nasir, Sanjay Rajagopalan, weren’t, ”, Katlyn, McGraw, Winston, cardiologists, Andrew Freeman, wasn’t, they’re, ” Freeman, “ It’s, ‘, Kindi, Nasir, Rajagopalan, ” McGraw, —, Freeman Organizations: CNN, American College of Cardiology, Houston Methodist, University Hospitals Harrington, & Vascular Institute, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, Jewish Health Locations: Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles ; New York City, St, Paul , Minnesota, Winston Salem , North Carolina, Denver, Columbia

☆ Sindh, Pakistan: Police fatally shoot blasphemy suspect in second such killing in a week
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Associated Press | Story The | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Karachi, Pakistan — Police in southern Pakistan shot dead a blasphemy suspect during an alleged shootout with armed men, officials said Thursday, the second such apparent extra-judicial killing in a week, drawing condemnation from human rights groups. Videos circulating on social media showed local clerics throwing rose petals at police and praising officers for killing the blasphemy suspect. There was no immediate clarification from the Sindh government about the circumstances in which the suspect was killed. The latest killing comes a week after an officer opened fire inside a police station in the southwestern city of Quetta, fatally wounding Syed Khan, another suspect held on accusations of blasphemy. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in attacks on blasphemy suspects in recent years.

Persons: Shah Nawaz, Mohammed, Niaz Khoso, Nawaz, “, Khoso, ”, HRCP, Syed Khan, Khan, Mohammad Khurram, —, Islam Organizations: Pakistan — Police, Police, Local, Human Rights Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Umerkot district, Sindh province, Mirpur Khas, Sindh, Umerkot, Quetta, Madyan, Punjab, Jaranwala

☆ Gen Z is bringing back digital cameras and the post-night-out photo dump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Digital cameras are regaining popularity among Gen Z, who seek authentic, unfiltered experiences. Profits from digital cameras are projected to grow by $1.4 billion between now and 2028. But things may have come full circle because digital cameras are back for Gen Z. AdvertisementLike Facebook albums but coolerDespite plummeting between 2018 and 2021, profits from digital cameras in the electronics industry since then have been steadily increasing. Business Insider's Amanda Krause named digital cameras one of the "quiet status symbols" you will likely see everywhere in 2024.

Persons: Gen Z, Zoomers, —, Amanda Krause, Gen Zers, Khurram, Hermione Whitehead, Whitehead, Kellie Whitehead, Hermione's, Kellie, Sharmin, Z's, It's, Greg Morrison Organizations: Service, Facebook, Gen, Revenue, Olympus, Bryant University, MXML, Zoomers Locations: Germany

☆ Costs, Crackdown Put a Damper on Pakistan's Election Campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Ariba ShahidKARACHI (Reuters) - Higher living costs and political uncertainty have muted Pakistan's once boisterous election campaigns, with both candidates and those who supply them with materials bemoaning the need to do more with much less. Syed Arsalan Haider, a Karachi printer, said the cost of a square foot of banner was up by 130% since the last election. Khan, whose party won the last election, says the military wants to keep him from power, which the military denies. Meherbano Qureshi, a PTI candidate and daughter of the party's jailed vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said people were scared to show their support and hang campaign material. (Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Editing by YP Rajesh and Miral Fahmy)

Persons: Shahid, Imran Khan, Jawad Jiwani, Syed Arsalan Haider, Abdul Aziz, Taj Haider, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Faisal Subzwari, Khan, Meherbano Qureshi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khurram Sher Zaman, They're, Ariba Shahid, Mubasher Bukhari, YP Rajesh, Miral Organizations: Monetary Fund, Pakistan People's Party, PTI, Mubasher, YP Locations: Shahid KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi, festooned, Lahore

"High spot LNG prices and dwindling domestic production will mean that Pakistan will continue facing issues with ramping up gas-fired power generation," said Poorna Rajendran, LNG consultant at FGE. Despite LNG prices having fallen from last year's record highs, the superchilled fuel is still expensive for South Asian buyers as their currencies have weakened sharply, making it hard for them to boost LNG imports this year. Ship tracking data from Kpler shows Pakistan's LNG imports in 2022 fell 17% from the previous year to a five-year low. Bangladesh's LNG imports in 2022 fell 14% from the previous year, according to Kpler, which drove down power output while demand was rising. LNG prices are unlikely to ease enough to help Bangladesh and Pakistan, with analysts expecting a rebound in Chinese purchases to push prices up in 2023.

☆ Exclusive: Pakistan plans to quadruple domestic coal-fired power, move away from gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"LNG is no longer part of the long-term plan," Pakistan Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan told Reuters, adding that the country plans to increase domestic coal-fired power capacity to 10 gigawatts (GW) in the medium-term, from 2.31 GW currently. "We have some of the world's most efficient regasified LNG-based power plants. The Shanghai Electric (601727.SS) Thar plant, a 1.32 GW capacity plant that runs on domestic coal and is funded under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), started producing power last week. In addition to the coal-fired plants, Pakistan also plans to boost its solar, hydro and nuclear power fleet, Dastgir said, without elaborating. The maximum power demand met by Pakistan during the year ended June 2022 was 28.25 GW, more than 35% lower than power generation capacity of 43.77 GW.

[1/3] Vehicle lights cause light streaks on the road along a market, during country-wide power breakdown in Karachi, Pakistan January 23, 2023. But the blackout in Pakistan on Monday was its second near-complete grid failure and the third in south Asia in three months. Grid operators attempt to keep the frequency of the grid stable at 50 hz, with deviations over 0.05 hz typically considered abnormal. "Transmission lines tripped, which resulted in isolation of north and south system," Akthar said in the note. About 11.35 gigawatts (GW) of power plants were in operation across the country when the transmission lines tripped and separated the northern and southern grid, the note read.

☆ Pakistan says power restored after second major breakdown in months
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s energy minister on Tuesday blamed the worst power outage in months on a lack of investment in the network, saying the aid-dependent nation had “learned lessons” from the breakdown that left millions of people without electricity. Like much of the national infrastructure, the power network desperately needs an upgrade, but funding has been patchy as Pakistan lurched from one International Monetary Fund bailout to the next. The outage, which began on Monday morning, was the second major breakdown since October. Pakistan has enough installed power capacity to meet demand, but the sector is so heavily in debt that it cannot afford to invest in infrastructure and power lines. “The government plans to add more power distribution lines within the next 36 months,” he added.

☆ Tens of millions without power after Pakistan suffers major outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Much of Pakistan was left without power for several hours on Monday morning as an energy-saving measure by the government backfired. The outage was reminiscent of a massive blackout in January 2021, attributed at the time to a technical fault in the country’s power generation and distribution system. According to the minister, during winter, electricity usage typically goes down overnight. A Metro station is closed after major power outage in Lahore, Pakistan on Monday. Pakistan is grappling with one of the country’s worst economic crisis in recent years amid dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

☆ Laid-off workers are posting on TikTok to regain a sense of control
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

To help cope, some laid-off workers are posting videos about their experience on TikTok. Some of them described it as a way to regain a sense of control over their life and career. After about 15 minutes of crying, she said, she had an idea: She'd record her grief and post the video on TikTok. What's more, turning to social media isn't the only way to tap your network to try and land a new role. A chance to reboot a careerWithin days of posting her video, Bhereur said, she had several informal interviews and even job opportunities.

☆ Unlimited vacation is a scam unless managers fight burnout culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Unless managers encourage vacation, workers too often don't take the days they should. While the growth of unlimited PTO might seem like a big win for workers, research and commentary from workplace experts suggest unlimited vacation is often, well, limiting. Geoffrey James, a contributing editor for Inc. and author of several business books, called unlimited PTO "the scam of the century." "Unlimited vacation time is classic bait-and-switch," he wrote, explaining his experience with having the benefit. Some employers have learned about the shortcomings of unlimited vacation through experience and have walked back their policies.

One month since Arshad Sharif was killed, Kenyan and Pakistani authorities have not concluded their reports nor have there been any arrests in the case. “I have no faith in the Pakistani government,” his mother, Riffat Ara Alvi told CNN in a video interview. But I request all the international journalistic organizations and United Nations to investigate this killing,” his widow, Javeria Siddique told CNN. Arshad Sharif Sharif was a critic of the Pakistani military and an ally of former prime minister Imran Khan. Sharif and Khurram Ahmed left Ammodump around 8:30 p.m. local time, a detective involved in the case told CNN.

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