Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition

Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition
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Members and students of the women-only group "Rowdy Riders" line up before riding their bikes during a riding lesson at an open ground in Karachi on March 5, 2024. (AFP)
Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition
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Shafaq Zaman (C) rides a motorbike during a riding lesson with the women-only group "Rowdy Riders" at an open ground in Karachi on March 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 08 March 2024
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Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition

Pakistan’s women ‘Rowdy Riders’ take on traffic and tradition
  • In the sprawling megacity, granting women the skill and confidence to join legions of male bikers in the helter-skelter of congestion unlocks a new tier of freedom

KARACHI, Pakistan: Revving round a dusty oval in the heart of Pakistan’s largest city, women on motorbikes practice looping a row of safety cones, their helmets securing colorful headscarves in place.
It is a rare sight in the culturally conservative country, where women are typically relegated to the back seats of cars or to riding side-saddle on motorbikes, ferried by a male relative.
“Change is under way,” says Zainab Safdar, demonstrating how to mount a two-wheeler while cloaked in a pink body-covering abaya.
The 40-year-old is an instructor for the “Rowdy Riders,” a women-only group teaching novices in Karachi everything from the basics of balancing on a bicycle to high-octane gear changing and negotiating traffic.
Since being founded in 2017 by a handful of pioneering riders, the self-described “Rowdies” have swollen in number to more than 1,500 housewives, students and professionals.
“In the past, there were misconceptions about girls riding bikes,” Safdar said, referring to doubts about their abilities.
“Fortunately, with greater awareness, these notions have been dispelled.”
Women’s participation in the workforce is impacted by the limited availability of public transport services that ensure their safety.
In the sprawling megacity, granting women the skill and confidence to join legions of male bikers in the helter-skelter of congestion unlocks a new tier of freedom.
Most of the riders hail from Karachi’s middle class, but rigid gender norms often still hold sway.
University lecturer Shafaq Zaman said “it took a while to get permission” from her family to start classes to master a pedal bike two months ago.




Zainab Safdar (L), an instructor with the women-only group "Rowdy Riders", helps a student ride a motorbike during a riding lesson at an open ground in Karachi on March 5, 2024. (AFP)

Among the few dozen bikers assembled under the mid-afternoon sun, she looks on with her seven-year-old daughter Aleesha as a convoy of women open up their engines and rip past in a haze of dust.
“I am so inspired that now I have my own dream for me, that I want to ride on a heavy bike. I want to ride the whole of Pakistan,” 30-year-old Zaman said.
Her story is not unusual. In Pakistan, very young boys are often seen steering motorbikes, but many of the “Rowdies” did not learn to ride a bicycle until well into adulthood.
“There should be a bike in every house, and usually there is, but it’s rotting because men do not use it and women don’t know how to,” said Sana Kamran, sitting confidently astride a 110cc Suzuki.
“If women can manage household responsibilities and earn a living, why can’t they ride a bike for their convenience?” the 41-year-old asked.
Motorbikes are ubiquitous across Pakistan — most commonly red Honda models or cheaper Chinese reproductions, considered capable of mastering any terrain.
The quest to conquer a bike has seen 26-year-old Farwa Zaidi suffer multiple bone fractures — but the injuries are a badge of honor she wears as proudly as the “Rowdy Riders” crest on her jacket.
“Here I am, standing strong,” she said alongside her 70cc electric scooter.
At four feet and six inches (137 centimeters) tall, Zaidi said her small stature made it difficult to claim a spot on crammed city buses.
Learning to ride gave her a new sense of possibility.
“Once we master cycling, it instils a new-found confidence in our ability to conquer other challenges,” she says.
 


Russia launches several waves of drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says

Russia launches several waves of drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says
Updated 20 sec ago
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Russia launches several waves of drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says

Russia launches several waves of drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says
  • The attack followed Sunday's strikes targetting civilian homes in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, killing at least 11 people

KYIV: Russia launched several waves of drone attacks targeting Kyiv early on Monday, with air defense units engaged in repelling the strikes for several hours, Ukraine’s military said.
Reuters’ witnesses heard numerous blasts in Kyiv in what sounded like air defense systems in operation and saw objects being hit in the air.
Kyiv, its surrounding region and all eastern part of Ukraine have been under air raid alerts since around 1 a.m. on Monday (2200 GMT on Sunday).
“Several enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) are over and near the capital,” Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine’s air force said earlier on Telegram that several groups of Russian drone attacks were heading toward Kyiv and Ukraine’s west. It also said it detected the launch of several guided bombs from Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine at around 04:40 a.m. (0140 GMT).
There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which has launched multiple air attacks on Kyiv and Ukraine throughout September, targeting Ukraine’s energy, military and transport infrastructure in which dozens of civilians have died.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties as a result of the attacks.


‘Angry’ Trump escalates attacks on Harris’ mental fitness and suggests she should be prosecuted

‘Angry’ Trump escalates attacks on Harris’ mental fitness and suggests she should be prosecuted
Updated 38 min 42 sec ago
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‘Angry’ Trump escalates attacks on Harris’ mental fitness and suggests she should be prosecuted

‘Angry’ Trump escalates attacks on Harris’ mental fitness and suggests she should be prosecuted
  • Trump, who has lost his composure when Harris became the Democratic nominee, said he is "very angry at Harris" because of "what she’s done to the country”
  • The Republican nominee has brushed aside concerns raised by his partymates to just stick to issues and avoid personal insults

ERIE, Pennsylvania: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump escalated his personal attacks on his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, on Sunday by repeating an insult that she was “mentally impaired” while also saying she should be “impeached and prosecuted.”
Trump’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, took on similar themes as an event one day earlier that he himself described as a “dark speech.” He told a cheering crowd Sunday that Harris was responsible for an “invasion” at the US-Mexico border and “she should be impeached and prosecuted for her actions.”
“Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired,” he added. “Sad. But lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way. There’s something wrong with Kamala. And I just don’t know what it is, but there is definitely something missing. And you know what, everybody knows it.”
With just over a month until the election, Trump is intensifying his use of personal and offensive attacks, even as some Republicans say he’d be better off sticking to the issues.
His suggestions that political enemies be prosecuted are particularly notable for their departure from norms in the US in which the justice system is supposed to be protected from political influence. In recent weeks, Trump has threatened prosecutions of Google for allegedly giving priority to “good stories” about Harris and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump has long threatened legal action against his rivals, including President Joe Biden and his 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton. This month he vowed to jail those “involved in unscrupulous behavior” this election, including election workers, lawyers, political operatives, donors, and voters, yet again attempting to sow doubt about the integrity of the election.
But he also has many legal problems of his own. He was convicted in May of falsifying business records in a hush money case in New York, with a sentencing scheduled for Nov. 26. Two other cases are pending — a federal case for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, and a state case in Georgia for his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss there to Biden. Prosecutors are appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of a case involving his handling of classified documents.
Trump argues federal and state prosecutors are targeting him for political reasons, though there is no evidence to suggest that is true. If he wins the election, Trump could potentially pardon himself on the federal cases or order the Justice Department to shut down their investigations of him.
On Sunday, he acknowledged he might lose in November: “If she wins, it’s not going to be so pleasant for me, but I don’t care.”
Trump has derided Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, as “stupid,” “weak,” “dumb as a rock” and “lazy.” His allies have pushed him publicly and privately to talk instead about the economy, immigration and other issues.
“I just think the better course to take is to prosecute the case that her policies are destroying the country,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday when asked about Trump’s comments. “They’re crazy liberal.”
When asked whether he approved of the personal attacks on Harris, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, sidestepped during an interview on ABC’s “This Week.”
“I think Kamala Harris is the wrong choice for America,” said Emmer, who is helping Trump’s running mate JD Vance prepare for Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. “I think Kamala Harris is actually as bad or worse as the administration that we’ve witnessed for the last four years.”
When pressed, Emmer said: “I think we should stick to the issues. The issues are, Donald Trump fixed it once. They broke it. He’s going to fix it again. Those are the issues.”
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, running for the Senate as a moderate Republican, brought up Trump’s false claims that Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, had previously played down her Black heritage. Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black institution, and has identified as both Black and South Asian consistently throughout her political career.
“I’ve already called him out when he had the one interview where he was questioning her racial identity, and now he’s questioning her mental competence,” Hogan told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “And I think that’s insulting not only to the vice president but to people who actually do have mental disabilities.”
Harris has not commented on Trump’s recent attacks but has said when asked about other comments that it was the ” same old show. The same tired playbook we’ve heard for years with no plan on on how he would address the needs of the American people.”
Ahead of the rally on Sunday, some of Trump’s supporters said he often makes offensive remarks. Still, they support his proposals to restrict immigration and said he would have a better handle on the economy.
“He says what’s on his mind, and again, sometimes how he says it isn’t appropriate,” said Jeffrey Balogh, 56, who attended the rally with two friends. “But he did the job. He did very well at it.”
Tamara Molnar said she thinks Trump is very strong on immigration. As for his insults, Molnar said: “I think everybody has to have some decorum when speaking about other candidates, and I don’t think either side is necessarily innocent on that. There’s a lot of slinging both ways.”
At the rally in Erie, Trump said the “invasion” would end and deportations would begin if he took office.
“Thousands of migrants from the most dangerous countries are destroying the character of small towns and leaving local communities in anguish and in despair,” he said, talking about communities in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Last month, the GOP leader said he was “entitled” to personal attacks against Harris.
“As far as the personal attacks, I’m very angry at her because of what she’s done to the country,” he told a news conference then. “I’m very angry at her that she would weaponize the justice system against me and other people, very angry at her. I think I’m entitled to personal attacks.”
 


Red Cross urges states to recommit to international law

Updated 30 September 2024
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Red Cross urges states to recommit to international law

  • The ICRC is the caretaker of the Geneva Conventions which strives to act as a neutral intermediary in conflicts

GENEVA: The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross sounded the alarm over the blatant disregard shown for the Geneva Conventions in conflicts worldwide, in an interview published Sunday.
Mirjana Spoljaric called on countries to urgently recommit to respecting international law in an interview with Swiss daily Le Temps.
International humanitarian law (IHL) was being “systematically trampled underfoot by those who lead military operations,” she said.
She pointed to “the number of wounded and dead during the conflicts in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine,” which she said was “beyond our imagination.”
The ICRC is the caretaker of the Geneva Conventions which strives to act as a neutral intermediary in conflicts.
But it was finding its access to populations in need “increasingly constrained (and) instrumentalized,” said Spoljaric.
It is “indispensible to act now,” she said, in support of international humanitarian law — the function of which is to limit the effects of armed conflict and protect civilians.
On Friday the ICRC launched an initiative with six countries — Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa — in a bid to galvanizing political support for IHL.
The Geneva Conventions, adopted in 1949 in the wake of World War II, “embody humanity’s shared conscience, values that transcend borders and creeds,” they said in a joint statement.
“Yet, the suffering we witness today in armed conflicts around the world is proof that respect for and compliance with their most fundamental rules are not being upheld.”
The initiative will strive to develop concrete recommendations for ways to prevent IHL violations and promote increased protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, said the IHRC.
It is working toward a high-level international meeting in 2026 focused on how to “Uphold Humanity in War,” ICRC said.
“The current situation is extremely dangerous,” said Spoljaric. “The trauma created by ongoing conflicts risks haunting us for decades.”
She added: “The idea is not reinvent the Geneva Conventions, which remain solid legal texts, but to urge States to apply them.”
“Countries must make the implementation of IHL a political priority.”
 

 


US boosts air support and hikes troop readiness to deploy for Middle East

The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, March 2, 2022. (AP file photo)
The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, March 2, 2022. (AP file photo)
Updated 29 September 2024
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US boosts air support and hikes troop readiness to deploy for Middle East

The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, March 2, 2022. (AP file photo)
  • Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign

WASHINGTON: The US military said on Sunday it was increasing its air support capabilities in the Middle East and putting troops on a heightened readiness to deploy to the region as it warned Iran against expanding the ongoing conflict.
The announcement came two days after President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to adjust US force posture in the Middle East amid intensifying concern that Israel’s killing of the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah could prompt Tehran to retaliate.
“The US is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
He also cautioned that if Iran or groups Tehran backs “use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the US will take every necessary measure to defend our people.” The Pentagon statement offered few clues as to the size or scope of the new air deployment, saying only that “we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days.”
Israel struck more targets in Lebanon on Sunday, pressing Hezbollah with new attacks after killing the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a string of its other top commanders in an escalating military campaign.
The strikes have dealt a stunning succession of blows to Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fire, killing much of its leadership and revealing gaping security holes.
However, it has also raised questions about Washington’s publicly declared goals of containing the conflict and safeguarding US personnel throughout the Middle East.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that the US was watching to see what Hezbollah does to try to fill its leadership vacuum “and is continuing to talk to the Israelis about what the right next steps are.”
The US State Department has yet to order an evacuation from Lebanon.
But last week, US officials told Reuters the Pentagon was sending a few dozen additional troops to Cyprus to help the military prepare for scenarios including an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.
The Pentagon said US forces were being made ready to deploy if needed.
“(Austin) increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” Ryder said in a statement.

 


Nepal closes schools as deaths from heavy rains hit 151

Nepal closes schools as deaths from heavy rains hit 151
Updated 29 September 2024
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Nepal closes schools as deaths from heavy rains hit 151

Nepal closes schools as deaths from heavy rains hit 151
  • The floods brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill in the Katmandu valley, where 37 deaths were recorded
  • Authorities say students and parents face difficulties as university and school buildings damaged by rains need repair

KATMANDU: Nepal has shut schools for three days after landslides and floods triggered by two days of heavy rain across the Himalayan nation killed 151 people, with 56 missing, officials said on Sunday.
The floods brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill in the Katmandu valley, where 37 deaths were recorded in a region home to 4 million people and the capital.
Authorities said students and their parents faced difficulties as university and school buildings damaged by the rains needed repair.
“We have urged the concerned authorities to close schools in the affected areas for three days,” Lakshmi Bhattarai, a spokesperson for the education ministry, told Reuters.
Some parts of the capital reported rain of up to 322.2 mm (12.7 inches), pushing the level of its main Bagmati river up 2.2 m (7 ft) past the danger mark, experts said.
But there were some signs of respite on Sunday morning, with the rains easing in many places, said Govinda Jha, a weather forecaster in the capital.
“There may be some isolated showers, but heavy rains are unlikely,” he said.
Television images showed police rescuers in knee-high rubber boots using picks and shovels to clear away mud and retrieve 16 bodies of passengers from two buses swept away by a massive landslide at a site on the key route into Katmandu.
Weather officials in the capital blamed the rainstorms on a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal extending over parts of neighboring India close to Nepal.
Haphazard development amplifies climate change risks in Nepal, say climate scientists at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
“I’ve never before seen flooding on this scale in Katmandu,” said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk official at the center.
In a statement, it urged the government and city planners to “urgently” step up investment in, and plans for, infrastructure, such as underground stormwater and sewage systems, both of the “grey,” or engineered kind, and “green,” or nature-based type.
The impact of the rains was aggravated by poor drainage due to unplanned settlement and urbanization efforts, construction on floodplains, lack of areas for water retention, and encroachment on the Bagmati river, it added.
The level in the Koshi river in Nepal’s southeast has started to fall, however, said Ram Chandra Tiwari, the region’s top bureaucrat.
The river, which brings deadly floods to India’s eastern state of Bihar nearly every year, had been running above the danger mark at a level nearly three times normal, he said.