Latest news with #Jaffar
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Team Vamos Wins Consecutive FCTG Team Tennis Championships
TDT | Manama Team Vamos secured their second consecutive Filipino Club Tennis Group (FCTG) Team Tennis Championship on July 12, 2025, defeating Team BTF 4–1 in the final. Throughout the final stage, Team Vamos displayed total dominance: Jaffar and Ali Mahdi advanced via walkover against Mohannad and Hamad. Ebrahim and Mahmoud delivered a commanding performance, winning 6–1, 6–0 against Rana and Eman. Ahmed and Abbas secured a 6–0, 6–2 victory over Mohd Salman and Ahmed Alawadi. Osama and Sayed Ali defeated Fuad and Alaa 6-4, 6-2. Team BTF managed to secure a single win, with Adnan and Raul defeating Ahmed and Jameela 6–2, 6–2.
Al Etihad
06-07-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
'The ChatGPT of Abu Dhabi': 92,000-member social media community fosters a culture of kindness
6 July 2025 22:58 KIRSTIN BERNABE (ABU DHABI)Anyone familiar with the Facebook group Abu Dhabi Q&A (ADQA) would agree that it could be the Google or the ChatGPT of the this community page, members can ask just about anything related to life in the UAE capital - from how to get traffic fine discounts and where to find affordable 2-bedroom flats for rent, to restaurant tips, and even parenting and marriage while ChatGPT can deliver answers in seconds, it can't comfort an anxious mother or broadcast a marriage proposal "to any woman". No AI bot can drive out in the middle of the night to help someone find a life-saving feeding tube for a seriously ill ADQA community has done all of this - and much more - over the past 12 years. Now with 92,000 members and counting, the private Facebook group broadcasts dozens of posts every day with members actively helping each other Jaffar, the founder of ADQA, doesn't think ChatGPT can replace the group, even if such bots can answer all essential how-to questions."The magic of the group isn't in the answers, it's in the community. The real people and their real stories," Jaffar, an Abu Dhabi resident for 17 years now, told the Year of Community, ADQA stands as proof of how human connections - even in an online space - can create a culture of kindness and compassion. How It All StartedJaffar founded the online community in January 2013 out of a need for "accurate, real-time information in the city". "Back then, I felt Google 'failed' Abu Dhabi. There was no reliable online space that acted like a local citizen's advice bureau where you could simply ask a question and get a trustworthy answer," she expat, who moved from London to Abu Dhabi in 2008, started the group with 70 of her friends on Facebook."What began as a small, practical solution to a personal challenge grew into something far bigger: a community-powered network of knowledge, kindness and connection," she there are dozens of similar groups on Facebook, ADQA stands out for the values it has consistently upheld through the years: accessibility, transparency and community."What sets ADQA apart is that it was created with no business motive or agenda. I started it purely to help, and I've stayed true to that," Jaffar said. An Unforgettable MomentFor many of the group's members, ADQA is a reminder of the good in humanity. Helena Jordan has seen firsthand how strangers are willing to go out of their way to lend a hand during a difficult a learning assistant who lived in Abu Dhabi with her family for 16 years, clearly recalls a core memory from 10 years ago, when her dad in Serbia was in critical condition and needed a particular feeding tube that was nowhere to be found. She raced against time as she had to catch a flight within hours, at 2am, and bring the life-saving tube to her father."In my panic, the only other thing I could think about was to post in the Abu Dhabi Q&A group," she said. The post garnered almost 200 responses within reached out with ideas on where to find such a tube. There were pharmacists who went back to their sites to check if they had it in stock. One orthodontist quickly drove to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and coordinated with senior doctors on good Samaritan was able to help Jordan pack two different feeding tubes into her suitcase, in the hopes that one of them would help her father. None of them worked, and by the time the family managed to get one from Croatia, Jordan's father was already in a coma and all they could do was wait."Ten years later, the pain still feels fresh; however, every time I think of my father, I am reminded of the wonderful community of strangers who became friends, of people who sent prayers and offered their help - the amazing people of ADQA," she said. Rays of PositivityAnother group member, Muhil Sureshkumar, turned to the group during a vulnerable moment as a mother and "never expected the overwhelming wave of love, prayers and strength that followed". At that time, her newborn son was battling a rare congenital heart defect. "I was flooded with messages of encouragement and hope from complete strangers who became my pillars of strength," said the expat who hails from Sri will never forget how Jaffar went above and beyond her role as group moderator."She visited me at my home after I returned from the hospital with my baby, just to make sure I was okay. In a city where I had no extended family, her presence was a blessing. It wasn't just her kindness, it was her selfless nature, her genuine care, her quiet strength that held me during a time I was falling apart," said the expat, an AI engineer who runs her own online tutoring academy. Trust as Currency, not AlgorithmsRunning ADQA has completely shaped Jaffar's life as a resident of Abu Dhabi. "Behind every post is a person sometimes in need, sometimes angry, sometimes lost, but always seeking connection. And managing that space has taught me how to read people without ever seeing them," Jaffar a moderator, she makes sure posts are kind, polite and family-friendly, and urges members to be aware of the UAE's cyber the years, Jaffar has learnt that "digital spaces are deeply human"."I discovered that trust is the true currency online and not likes, not reach, not algorithms. And once earned, it's powerful. Once broken, it's nearly impossible to rebuild," she posts are not all SOS entries. Community members do get a good laugh once in a fact, one of the most popular posts in the group was shared in 2017 by a "handsome Lebanese man, aged 32" who was looking for a woman to marry."She must be rich - age and nationality not important," read his post, which received almost 700 comments. He's now 40, and still not married, Jaffar said. While ADQA has changed lives and helped many, some problems are just beyond its reach. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
NDTV
11-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Need Both Pakistan And India, Islamabad "A Phenomenal Partner": Top US General
New Delhi: A top US General, in a statement under oath, has stressed that Washington needs to have a strong relationship with both New Delhi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi, suggesting that the equation cannot be binary in nature. He added that the United States absolutely needs Pakistan as a partner in the region for America's fight against terrorism. The remarks were made by General Michael Kurilla, head of the US Central Command, during a hearing at the House Armed Services Committee. The General praised Pakistan for its "counter-terror efforts" and helping the United States achieve its objectives in the region. Describing Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner", the top US General mentioned how it is in an "active counter-terrorism fight" against the ISIS-Khorasan with the limited intelligence provided by Washington. "ISIS Khorasan is perhaps one of the most active in trying to carry out external plots globally, which include against the homeland. Right now, what we saw is the Taliban going after the ISIS-K. They hate each other. They pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border," General Kurilla said. "Through a phenomenal partnership we have with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS-Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship that we have with Pakistan, we provide them intelligence, and so far they have captured at least 5 ISIS-Khorasan high value individuals. They extradited Jaffar, who was one of the key individuals behind the Abbeygate bombing and the first person who called - Chief of the Army Staff Munir - was me," he added. He went on to say that Field Marshal Munir told him, "I have caught him (Jaffar) and we are going to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President. So, we are seeing Pakistan, with the limited intelligence that we have provided them, go after ISIS using their means to do that - and we are seeing the effect it has had on ISIS-Khorasan." The top General then explained to the House committee how ISIS-K has been going back and forth at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and have been active in that region. Explaining the role being played by the Pakistani army, he said, "I will honestly tell you that since the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over a thousand terrorist attacks in the Western area, killing about 700 security personnel and civilians, and leaving more than 2,500 wounded. They (Pakistan) are in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world." General Kurilla told the panel that ISIS-K has gotten hit "very, very hard" in the last few months and are at a low-point right now, but continue to remain active. Just as the panel was about to move to the next question, General Kurilla said he would like to add something to what he said. He then suggested that "We (United States) need to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it to be a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan, if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has." The top US military general's remarks have sent a clear signal to New Delhi, that Washington will continue to keep Pakistan as an ally while pursuing its geopolitical interests, and that India's fight against terror emanating from Pakistan is its own battle. The statement also makes it clear that India must not have the expectation that the United States will choose its strategic partnership with New Delhi over its ties with Islamabad.
Hans India
19-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Thousands of sandalwood trees growing rapidly in Honnikeri hills
Bidar: Karnataka is renowned for sandalwood, producing the highest quantity in the country. The Honnikeri Hill in Bidar district is lush with hundreds of thousands of sandalwood trees, covering around 1776 acres. Forest officials diligently patrol daily to care for, nurture, and preserve these valuable trees To promote sandalwood cultivation and protection, the Forest Department has launched the SiriGhand initiative. This program involves installing a multi-lane wire fencing around sandalwood-rich forest areas at a significant expense and appointing staff to safeguard these trees. Additionally, three trained Muddhul dogs have been deployed to apprehend sandalwood thieves. A wire fence has been erected around the sandalwood plantations within the protected forests near Honnikeri, extending up to approximately 19 km. Forest personnel work tirelessly day and night to patrol and secure the area, demonstrating the department's commitment to sandalwood preservation. Furthermore, the department encourages interested farmers to cultivate sandalwood. In Bidar district, around 50,000 sandalwood saplings have been planted across various taluks by farmers. Currently, these trees are thriving and standing tall. One such farmer, Mohammad Jaffar from Chitta village, Bidar, has cultivated sandalwood on his 7-acre land. He estimates that after ten years, he can earn between Rs. 10 to 15 crore from sandalwood alone. Jaffar has planted over 1,500 sandalwood trees, along with mango, hibiscus, banana, and papaya plants, demonstrating a diversified farm.
Express Tribune
14-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PIA back in profit, eyes UK routes and Turkish Airlines partnership
Listen to article Pakistan's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has been operating profitably since March 2024, a government official told the parliament on Wednesday. During the National Assembly's Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar said PIA had recovered financially and had resumed flights to the European Union, including services to Paris. Responding to a query from MNA Sharmila Faruqi, Jaffar noted that damaging remarks made previously on the floor of the House had negatively impacted the airline's performance and reputation. 'The consequences of those remarks were felt by the country,' she said. He was referring to a controversial statement made in parliament by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which resulted in a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to multiple countries. Jaffar confirmed that renewed engagement with the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had enabled PIA to restart flights to Europe. She added that discussions with UK aviation regulators were also progressing. Talks are also under way with Turkish Airlines to enhance international connectivity for Pakistani passengers, she said. The government aims to expand PIA's operations to profitable destinations, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Jaffar emphasised that these efforts are ongoing and their results will become more evident in the coming months. PIA has also launched direct flights from Lahore to Azerbaijan's Baku, as part of its ongoing push to strengthen international air links and promote tourism. Last month, PIA reported its first annual profit in 21 years and marked a significant turnaround as it moved forward with plans to sell the airline According to documents seen by Bloomberg, PIA recorded earnings per share of Rs5.01 for the year ending in December, its first profitable year since 2003, based on audited financial statements.
