'Big, Fat, Hug'
People don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway.
Good morning all, it’s Thursday May 14.
I had promised you all a video on Pinky the Cocaine Queen of Pakistan and linking it below. The details of this story are insane but what’s more interesting is that crime reporters are saying this is just a blip in the system. Pinky will be in and out of court for a while and be released once the story dies down - the network is too big to be dismantled completely.
In other news, Trump has landed in China, apparently the UAE had a secret meeting with Netanyahu (which they are denying but Iran is like NOT happy - super juicy update in Highlights), and Current Baba might be on point for some of you today.
See you tomorrow!
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President Zardari conferred civil awards on dozens of Pakistani and foreign personalities at a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr for their services in fields including sports, journalism, education, health and public service. Former cricketer Shahid Afridi and Sardar Awais Leghari received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, while Nishan-e-Imtiaz (posthumous) was awarded to late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui. Several martyrs from the armed forces and police were also honoured posthumously with bravery awards, including Liaqat Ali, who was awarded Sitara-e-Shujaat after sacrificing his life while stopping a suicide attack in Attock.
PM Shehbaz directed authorities to ensure advance preparations for the upcoming monsoon season (did you guys see the hailstorm in Lahore yesterday and the massive windstorm in KHI?), strengthen warning systems and closely monitor flood-prone and high-risk areas across the country. Meanwhile, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar announced that PM Shehbaz will visit China from May 23 to 26 and attend a business forum during the trip.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Trump in Beijing for high-stakes talks, calling for China and the US to be “partners not rivals” as both sides try to stabilise ties. Trump praised Xi as a “great leader”, adding that people don’t like it when he praises Xi but he does it anyway. Trump added that the US-China relationship would be “better than ever before,” while business, trade, tariffs, AI, Taiwan (a controversial topic for China) and Iran (a controversial topic for the US) remain on the agenda. The visit, Trump’s first to China since 2017, comes with top US CEOs in his delegation. Before landing in China, he told reporters he expected a ‘big, fat, hug’ from Xi.
The World Health Organization says there are no vaccines or specific treatments for hantavirus after an outbreak aboard a cruise ship left three people dead. Eight passengers tested positive for the Andes strain, (the only hantavirus known to spread between humans), while the source of the outbreak remains unknown. WHO said the overall global risk remains low, with all known cases linked to the cruise ship. Hantavirus is named after the Hantan River in South Korea, where the virus was first identified in the 1970s during investigations into illnesses affecting UN soldiers during the Korean War.
WAR UPDATE GETS JUICY WITH NETANYAHU UAE VISIT (no visit?)
Israel’s PM office claimed Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret wartime visit to the UAE and met President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, calling it a “historic breakthrough” in ties.
UAE publicly denied reports that Netanyahu or any Israeli military delegation had visited the country.
Iran reacted sharply, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that states “colluding” with Israel would be “held to account” and calling cooperation with Israel against Iran “unforgivable.”
Meanwhile, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to dominate regional diplomacy. Iran rejected a US-backed UN resolution over the waterway as “absurd and deceptive,” while an Arab coalition including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan demanded Tehran reverse its “unilateral” Hormuz measures and reopen the strait. Also all eyes on how Trump deals with China, since China is a close ally of Iran and might be able to quietly mediate between the two as well.
Lebanon and Israel are preparing for new US-hosted peace talks as Israeli strikes continue in Lebanon, killing dozens and damaging more than 10,000 homes since the truce. Other than that, Iran said 80 per cent of war-damaged areas in Tehran had been repaired and continued projecting defiance through military, diplomatic and public events.
It’s big decision day! Something you decide today will change the course of your life.
Tomorrow at Fomo Froyo in Karachi, Karachi Cogito is having an event with Trivia and Mafia wars and free froyo. If you have an easy Friday coming up, check it out. Afternoon trivia does sound like fun! Tickets at ticketwala.
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