Ron DeSantis (R) has appointed far-right anti-LGBTQ+ activist Christopher Rufo to the board of trustees of the New College of Florida – a school with a reputation for being progressive and queer-friendly. — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 7, 2022Rufo – who does not live in Florida – admitted in a 2021 speech that right-wing activists “appropriated” the term critical race theory and that he doesn’t “give a shit” about its actual definition. Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you. The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you. Claims like Rufo’s against hospitals providing gender-affirming care contributed to medical establishments receiving bombing and death threats.

Share:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said on Tuesday if it was proved that the provincial assembly members were giving extortion money to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the PTI would quit the assembly. He said that this blame game must stop as we neither gave extortion money to the TTP nor we would in the future.

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Share:Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his gratitude to the heads of States and governments, European Union, development partners and the UN for making the Resilient Pakistan Conference a ‘resounding success’. In his tweets on Tuesday, he said the UN Secretary-General has shown stellar leadership all along. PM Shehbaz Sharif said the world witnessed yesterday how the nations can come together in a show of solidarity to create a model of win-win partnership to lift suffering humanity out of tragedy. He said he was deeply moved by the compassion on display at Geneva Conference. It may be noted that Pakistan on Monday secured over $10 billion in pledges from international financial institutions, donor agencies and development partners for the rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of flood-affected areas, during an International Conference on Climate Resilience.

The International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan which was co-hosted by the government of Pakistan and the United Nations in Geneva. "Pakistan is doubly victimised by climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system," he added. He said the international financial system was skewed to benefit wealthy countries and should be reformed to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris was ready to support Pakistan in its talks with financial institutions. “Pakistan needs a new coalition of the willing to save lives,” he said, urging solidarity and long-term support for the people of Pakistan to renew their hope.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Crime Circle on Monday booked 117 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees for possessing fake degrees and froze their accounts. Sources said that the agency recovered Rs90 million by freezing the accounts of the accused who had fake degrees. Those who got jobs in the PIA through fake degrees included assistant and supervisor posts. The top officers of the Recruitment Board are involved in giving jobs to those with fake degrees, the sources said. Last year, the FIA had filed a case against at least 113 PIA employees, including 18 women, for allegedly having fake degrees.

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One of the main factors contributing to Pakistan’s bad economic situation today is the inflation in the price of petroleum products. Musadik Malik, the petroleum minister, recently traveled to Russia to sign several significant deals. In a news conference, he declared that Russia is prepared to sell crude oil, gasoline, diesel, and LNG (liquefied natural gas) at a reduced price. As a result, Pakistan would be able to purchase petroleum products at a reduced cost compared to today. Petroleum products are Pakistan’s main imports.

Share:HENAN - Nearly 90% of people in Henan, China’s third most populous province, have now been infected with Covid, local health officials say. Provincial official Kan Quancheng revealed the figure - amounting to about 88.5 million people - at a press conference. China is battling an unprecedented surge in cases after abandoning zero-Covid policies in December. He said visits to fever clinics in Henan province peaked on 19 December “after which it showed a continuous downward trend”. The Henan provincial figures are in stark contrast to Covid figures from the central government.

Game Notes Oilers @ Kings: Home Ice ImplicationsPhoto credit: © Perry Nelson-USA TODAY SportsHistorically home ice advantage in the playoffs becomes more important the deeper you go, but as the Edmonton Oilers learned last year it can be a major advantage in game seven. Advertisement Ad Advertisement Ad— The Oilers are 5-5 v. the Pacific this season. Among Pacific division teams they have played the fewest games within their division. Advertisement Ad Advertisement Ad— So far this season most Oilers players have produced better v. non-divisional opponents. Advertisement Ad Advertisement Ad— The Oilers just need average 5×5 scoring from their depth forwards.

Share:WEST BANK - Israel suspended on Sunday a pass easing the Palestinian foreign minister’s travel in and around the occupied West Bank, among its responses to a Palestinian bid to involve the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in their decades-old conflict. Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki’s “VIP” travel card was confiscated by israeli border staff as he crossed from Jordan into the occupied West Bank, his office said. A spokesperson for Israel’s defence ministry, which administers the West Bank, confirmed the move, calling it part of the implementation of a government decision on Friday. In televised remarks to the Israeli cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision entailed, among other measures, “sanctions against senior Palestinian figures”. “The Palestinian Authority has promoted an extremist anti-Israeli resolution at the United Nations,” Netanyahu said.

New Delhi: Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr P K Mishra held a high-level review of building damage and land subsidence in Joshimath on 8th January 2023. It was informed that PM Shri Narendra Modi is concerned and has reviewed the situation with the Chief Minister. Chief Secretary Uttarakhand informed that state and district officials with the support of central experts have assessed the situation on ground. Residents of Joshimath are being informed of the developments and their cooperation is being sought. Further, Secretary, Border Management and all four members of NDMA will visit Uttarakhand on 9th January.

The chief minister has also doubled the number of official flour sale points across Punjab. The mills in Punjab would be provided with more than their demand for 26,000 tonnes of government wheat from Monday (today), significantly reducing the prices of private grains and flour. Sources said the tussle between the federal and Punjab governments was responsible for the wheat crisis in the country. The sources said Punjab had first demanded the supply of 500,000 tonnes of wheat and then increased it to one million tonnes. The decision to supply 500,000 tonnes of wheat to Punjab was also delayed.

Naveed Sadiq Shaheed was one of the gallant soldiers of Pakistan who laid his life in the service of motherland. A rare combination of audacity, wisdom, intelligence and humanity, Director Naveed spent a lifetime of his youth, 16 years, in Inter-Services Intelligence and wrote a glorious chapter in the history of agency with his sweat and blood. Director Naveed was a brave son of the soil who conducted multiple operations against Daesh and al-Qaeda across Punjab with audacity and the spirit of a tiger. Since Director Naveed was instrumental in defeating Daesh strongholds in Punjab, he knew that he was always on the hit-list of remnants of these terrorist organisations. Director Naveed leaves behind a grieving family and young children.

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is going to release the first quarterly installment of Rs7,000 to the Kafaalat programme beneficiaries for the year 2023 from Monday. Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and BISP Chairperson Shazia Marri, in her message to beneficiaries, said that transparency would be ensured at all costs during the disbursements of funds. She further said that neither there would be a deduction nor charged any payment fee on this amount. “If someone demands any kind of deduction or fee for payment, beneficiaries should immediately report to BISP’s toll-free helpline 080026477 or contact the nearest BISP Tehsil Office,” she maintained. Shazia warned the beneficiaries that the message sent by BISP would come from 8171, and no message from any other number or code should be trusted as it is fake and fraudulent.