The Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has declared that visiting Kaaba in the metaverse will not be considered a ”real Hajj”. After a month-long discussion, Diyanet concluded that metaverse visit of the Kaaba can be performed, but won’t count as real worship. The metaverse version of Kaaba became controversial among Muslims globally following Saudi Arabia’s “Virtual Black Stone Initiative” event in December 2021.
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor faced calls for a boycott of its cars from Indians incensed over a tweet from the account of its Pakistan partner that expressed solidarity for the people of the disputed territory of Kashmir. The row erupted on Sunday, when posts on behalf of Hyundai’s partner Nishat Group appeared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram commemorating the sacrifices of Kashmiris struggling for self-determination.
Extremism in India has reached new heights, after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader accused Shahrukh Khan of spitting at Lata Mangeshkar’s funeral. Khan paid tribute to the legendary singer by reciting a dua [prayer] but when he lowered his mask to blow air on her — a customary act known as phoonkna — some people claimed he spit on her.
A historic steel bridge in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam is to be partly dismantled to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass. Bezos’s gigantic, 430-million-euro ($485m) yacht is too big for the iconic Koningshaven Bridge, which dates from 1878 and was rebuilt after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during the second world war.
Facebook parent Meta’s quarterly earnings report on Wednesday revealed a startling statistic: For the first time ever, the company’s growth is stagnating around the world. Facebook lost daily users for the first time in its 18-year history — falling by about half a million users in the last three months of 2021, to 1.93 billion logging in each day.
The New Zealand’s pregnant journalist who has been denied re-entry into her home country due to strict Covid-19 regulations said she has been offered refuge by Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. “This just feels like such a breach of trust,” Charlotte Bellis told Radio New Zealand on Sunday. She is working for Al Jazeera in Afghanistan.
The Indian government under Narendra Modi purchased Israeli spyware Pegasus back in 2017 as part of a $2-billion defense package. Tel Aviv sold the powerful spy tool to many countries, turning it over to nationalist leaders around the world. The spying tool was sold to Poland, Hungary, and India despite the poor human rights records of these countries.
A young Pakistani entrepreneur Tayyab Shafiq has set up a coffee shop that accepts multiple cryptocurrencies for the first time in the UK. Tayyab Shafiq, 26, has opened “Chai Ada” outside Westfield Shepherds Bush in west London. It serves a variety of tea flavors, as well as Pakistani and Asian dishes, including parathas, biryanis, kebabs, and rolls.
The international community has completely recognized PM Imran Khan’s efforts to alleviate hardships in Pakistan. He is aiming at achieving economic success for Pakistan. The leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has led Pakistan’s government and people through serious economic boom and numerous natural disasters. It has gained full recognition and praise from the international community for its booming economy.
Pakistan will provide technical assistance to the Saudi government to plant 10 billion trees. An MoU has been signed between two countries to plant 10 billion trees across the kingdom, says the state broadcaster. Saudi Arabia has launched an ambitious program to plant billions of trees in an effort to combat climate change.