Latest news with #Akram
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tobacco taxation discourse: Concern raised over recurring pattern of global interventions
ISLAMABAD: Mubashir Akram, National Convenor of ACT Alliance Pakistan, has emphasised the need to safeguard Pakistan's fiscal sovereignty by ensuring that tax policymaking remains anchored in national interests and grounded in local realities. Speaking with journalists in Islamabad, Akram expressed concern over the recurring pattern of international interventions in Pakistan's tobacco taxation discourse, particularly in the weeks leading up to the federal budget. He noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently taken a more prominent role in advocating for tax increases on tobacco products, following years of similar activism by foreign-funded entities such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and Vital Strategies. These organisations, he pointed out, 'operated in Pakistan for extended periods without securing the required No Objection Certificate from the Economic Affairs Division and registration with the Ministry of Interior.' 'While we value public health as a national priority, it is essential to ensure that our tax policies are developed through transparent, consultative processes and not imposed through externally funded campaigns,' Akram stated. 'These campaigns often overlook the complex enforcement environment in Pakistan and fail to differentiate between legal, tax-compliant businesses and those operating outside the regulatory net.' Akram further questioned the consistency of WHO's global advocacy, highlighting the contrast between its policy prescriptions for Pakistan and the regulatory practices in its host country, Switzerland. 'Despite championing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) globally, Switzerland has yet to ratify it. The country permits tobacco sponsorships, advertising, and retail marketing practices that run counter to FCTC principles, with some basic restrictions only coming into force as recently as late 2024,' he remarked. He stressed that any call for aggressive tax hikes must be tempered with practical considerations of enforcement and market dynamics. 'Pakistan's tobacco sector suffers an annual revenue loss of over Rs. 30 billion due to illegal trade, tax evasion, and regulatory non-compliance. The legal industry, already burdened by high tax rates implemented in 2023, cannot sustain further pressure without risking a complete market imbalance.' He added that Pakistan will risk losing nearly Rs 300 billion in tax revenue that the legal industry pays to the national exchequer, and 'this will further embolden the illegal cigarette industry.' Akram urged the government to prioritise the stability of its formal economic sectors, including legal tobacco manufacturers, by reinforcing enforcement mechanisms and curbing illicit trade. 'We are witnessing a shrinking market share for the legal industry, which undermines both public health goals and national revenue targets,' he said. He concluded by reaffirming ACT Alliance Pakistan's commitment to constructive policy dialogue. 'We call upon the Government of Pakistan to continue strengthening institutional capacity and to shield national policymaking from undue external influence. Tax decisions must be based on economic modeling, enforcement data, and broad stakeholder engagement rather than narratives shaped abroad. Protecting our economic decision-making space is essential to ensuring sustainable development and regulatory integrity.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Sky News
3 days ago
- Health
- Sky News
Heartbroken parents fear mouldy house contributed to death of 15-week-old son
Aiat Mohammed still clutches one of the last babygrows her son wore. Exhausted by grief, she holds the tiny blue and green outfit tight. Occasionally, when everything becomes too much, she lifts it to her face and breathes in deeply. "I didn't wash it," she tells me, "because it's got his scent". Her son, Akram, was just 15 weeks old when he died in hospital in London on 21 February. His parents took him to hospital a day after raising concerns about his breathing. Doctors attempted CPR in front of them - but the little boy couldn't be saved. Aiat remembers the moment she saw the monitor flatline, and the medical team stepped away from his tiny body: "They said to me, 'You can come and touch his head now'. I was saying, 'Please, can you try again? Please, do the CPR again?' And they said, 'Sorry, we can't. We can't do anything anymore. We need to stop'." An inquest to determine the circumstances of how and why Akram died will be held in the summer. The family lawyer, Mark McGhee, says a pathology report suggested he died of acute pneumonia due to a late-onset Group B Strep infection. But he fears the state of their crowded and mouldy housing association flat played a part. Home riddled with damp Photos make it clear their one-bedroom Camden home was riddled with damp, long before Akram - the couple's third child - was born at the end of last year. Black mould pushed the wallpaper from the walls, stains and damp kept coming back no matter how much they scrubbed and cleaned with harsh chemicals, and no matter how much they begged the housing association - Notting Hill Genesis - for help. An independent inspection before the baby's birth in December found the landlord "in breach of its duty to ensure the property is and will remain fit for human habitation". Mould was found on either the walls or ceiling in the single bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen. To make things even worse, the family say that after complaining about broken windows, a contractor arrived to seal them shut - making ventilation almost impossible. Akram's father Abdushafi Mohammed, a car mechanic from Sudan, told Sky News: "You felt it in the air, in your chest as soon as you walked into the flat." Aiat remembers the "very, very rotten smell, very strange smell. You don't want to be in there for more than a minute". Their baby began to rasp at night, and then they could hear a rattle in his chest during the day. But his worried parents were told he would "grow out of it". 'Drowning in fluids' Savvas Panas, the chief executive of the Pillion Trust Charity, who has supported the family for years, told Sky News: "The child was strong, he was big and very healthy, but he was drowning, you could hear it, he was drowning in fluids." He claims to have spent months escalating concerns through the housing association, and Camden Council. Abdushafi puts it simply: "No one helped us." The cause of death is unknown, an inquest has been set up, and a coroner is expected to rule on how and why he died later in the year. Patrick Franco, chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Akram Mohammed and extend our sincere condolences to his family, their friends and neighbours. We will continue to support the family in any way we can during this difficult time. "We know that this is a complex situation and will continue working with the relevant authorities as they conduct their investigations. "No determination has been made by HM Coroner as to the cause of Akram's death, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further or to speculate at this time." A Camden Council spokesperson said: "The council has been chasing Notting Hill Genesis on a regular basis to identify a new home for the family, and to ensure that they continue to get the right support. "Akram's death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with his family at what is a very sad time. "As with any unexpected death, there will be an inquest to determine any contributory factors and learnings for local agencies." Richard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, said: "This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time. "Whilst the complaint was still within the landlord's complaints process when Akram passed away, and therefore we were unable to take it on as a formal investigation, we have offered support and advice to the family, including progressing their complaint with the landlord. We will continue to liaise with the family as this case progresses "Landlords should take a zero tolerant approach to damp and mould. The introduction of Awaab's Law is a positive step. However, landlords should not wait for its introduction to take further action, including proactively identifying damp and mould in homes rather than waiting for residents to report it." Complaints about conditions have risen sharply Akram's death comes as the housing ombudsman's office reveals complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing are more than five times higher than they were five years ago. The ombudsman deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, and found there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025, up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020. Reasons for complaints included asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control, leaks, damp and mould. 'I would have ripped that family out of there' Mr Panas said that despite their long-standing battles with the mould, he advised the family to stay in the sub-standard flat, knowing that if they left, they would lose social housing support by making themselves "intentionally homeless".
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Dept. Q' review: A police detective in Edinburgh is banished to the basement to work a cold case
Early in the British series 'Dept. Q' on Netflix, the bad judgement and smug overconfidence of Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck results in three people getting shot, including him and his partner. That turn of events, in addition to his already surly personality, has left him with few friends when he returns to work with the Edinburgh police. The calamity happened, it's pointed out, because he didn't wait for backup and was instead yammering away and making jokes at a crime scene. Carl is unmoved: 'What you call yammering, we call cop-ing.' Well, comes the reply, whatever you call it, you missed the guy with the gun. That's the sort of thing that gets filed under 'you had one job …' so Carl is banished to the basement, out of his boss's line of sight, and informed that he's meant to work on cold cases from now on. His new subterranean digs are in an abandoned portion of the building. There's discarded furniture strewn about, the lighting is bad and there's the perpetual sound of water dripping in concert with the building's groaning pipes. It's a mildewy place forgotten by time and he resents being exiled, but it also suits his mood. 'I heard you were dead,' someone says glibly in passing. 'Only on the inside,' comes Carl's retort. Nobody can stand the guy — he can barely stand himself — but slowly he builds a small team that consists of Akram (Alexej Manvelov), a member of the IT department and a former Syrian police officer who is thoughtful and watchful. He can also be an unexpectedly formidable physical presence when the moment calls for it. He and Carl are joined by Rose (Leah Byrne), a junior officer looking to do something that matters instead of the drudgery of paperwork. Then there's Carl's old partner, Hardy (Jamie Sives), who is laid up in the hospital after the shooting. With nothing else to do between rehab sessions, he becomes an unofficial member of the team, working remotely. Together, they try to find out what happened to a prosecutor who disappeared four years prior. The case takes up the entirety of the 9-episode season, which weaves in sardonic humor and well-worn cop show tropes to focus on a grisly case. It's an intriguing setup that doesn't always follow through on its promise. Some of that comes down to the casting of Matthew Goode as the miserable, perpetually sarcastic Carl. Goode is a talented but not especially versatile actor who tends to read as somewhat posh on screen. Carl is downmarket and rough around the edges, so there are attempts to give Goode a vaguely more grizzled look, with a beard and a rumpled sheepskin coat, but it's not enough to help him convincingly disappear into the role. He's a strong actor despite being miscast, but it's distracting to the point where you start wondering who might have been a better choice. Carl's mood is antically morose, verging on self-pitying, and he would be content to stew in that basement, getting nothing done. But it's Akram who digs through the files and finds the case of the missing prosecutor. He thinks there's a chance she's still alive and goads Carl into getting off his duff and earning his keep. Meanwhile, we learn that Akram's hunch is true and the woman (played by Chloe Pirrie) is being held hostage in a hyperbaric chamber that resembles a small submarine. Her captors keep asking her to confess to the mysterious transgression that has left her to this terrible fate. She racks her brain and comes up with names, and each time she's wrong. So she remains in that tiny chamber. Sometimes they turn up the pressure — the structure was originally intended to help deep-sea divers avoid decompression sickness; now it's used for uglier purposes — just to torture her some more. These scenes are interspersed throughout the investigation. Will Carl, Akram, Rose and Hardy find her before she finally succumbs to her tormentors? Carl is a bull in a china shop, whereas Akram is so much more interesting. He's a refugee and maybe that's why he's so quiet and respectful. Too respectful, perhaps, but he's also confident in his own talents and intelligence. It's an entrancing performance from Manvelov and I wish the show were built around his character rather than the same old cliches embodied by Carl, who has also been assigned to mandatory therapy sessions after the shooting and — surprise! — he doesn't want to be there or talk about any of it. His therapist (Kelly Macdonald) doesn't want to be there either; it's a bad job talking to you lot, she tells him. She means cops. 'Doesn't sound like you like your job very much,' he says. 'Would you like talking to you?' Fair point, he concedes. The story is pulpy in ways that are sometimes unexpectedly dull, but I appreciate that one ongoing theme concerns the idea that police work is often corrupt. Of cops looking the other way when it's convenient, or someone else benefits. That basement office where Dept. Q is headquartered may be dank, but it's atmospheric and cozy in its own way. Ultimately, the combination of Carl, Akram, Rose and Hardy makes for a compelling crime-solving foursome. 'Dept. Q' — 2.5 stars (out of 4) Where to watch: Netflix
ITV News
3 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Family say mould contributed to baby's death as housing complaints soar in England
The family of a 15-week-old baby who died after living in a damp, mould-ridden housing association flat say they believe the conditions contributed to his death. Akram Mohammed was less than four months old when he died in February 2025, after spending his short life in a north London flat owned by Notting Hill Genesis. The walls and ceiling were covered in black mould and the property smelled of damp, and Akram's parents told ITV News they believe their landlord did not sufficiently deal with their multiple complaints about the conditions in their home. "We complained, and complained, but nothing happened," Akram's father Abdushafi told ITV News. Abdushafi and Akram's mother Aita Mohammed say they also complained to the Housing Ombudsman in the months before Akram's death, as a new report finds complaints about social housing providers across England have soared in the last five years. "We were crying out for help, but nobody hears" said Aita. When he was born, Akram was a "blessing," his mother said. "He was playful. He was a happy, happy, happy boy," Aita told ITV News. But Aita says her son was just a month old when he began showing signs of having difficulty breathing. "We started to hear him breathe loudly, especially at night... He was struggling to breathe," she said. She sought medical help, including the day before Akram died, but she does not believe his condition was taken seriously. After finding Akram in his cot struggling to breathe and frothing at the mouth, his parents rushed him to hospital but he died at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead on February 21. The family's solicitor told ITV News that a pathology report indicated the little boy died of acute pneumonia due to late-onset Group B Strep infection. Akram, as well as Abdushafi, Aita and their other two young children were living in a severely overcrowded one-bedroom apartment. Abdushafi moved into the flat in 2013, and was later joined by his wife, and subsequently their three children. In a statement, Patrick Franco, chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Akram Mohammed and extend our sincere condolences to his family, their friends and neighbours. We will continue to support the family in any way we can during this difficult time. "We know that this is a complex situation and will continue working with the relevant authorities as they conduct their investigations. "No determination has been made by HM Coroner as to the cause of Akram's death, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further or to speculate at this time.' In relation to reports of damp and mould in April 2024, Notting Hill Genesis said it investigated matters and subsequently conducted a thorough mould wash. In October 2024, the month prior to Akram's birth, Mr and Mrs Mohammed reported further issues of damp and mould, which Notting Hill Genesis was working to resolve. An inquest will take place in August to determine the circumstances surrounding Akram's death. In 2022 a coroner ruled that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died as a result of breathing problems caused by mould in his family's housing association flat in Rochdale. The government is yet to fully implement 'Awaab's Law', created in his name, which would force social housing landlords to fix problems like mould, damp, and other hazards within a strict time limit. In a new report, the Housing Ombudsman has warned "simmering anger" at poor housing conditions could lead to "social disquiet". Complaints to the ombudsman about substandard housing are now almost five times higher than they were five years ago. The ombudsman, which deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, said there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025, up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020. Reasons for complaints included asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, damp and mould. The ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the rise in complaints was in part down to an ITV News long-running investigation into social housing conditions, which he says has raised awareness of the issue nationally. 'We have seen how reports such as those run on ITV News have increased the number of residents who know their rights on complaints', he said. 'It has also given them confidence that their concerns will be acted upon, and this is reflected in some of our casework where repairs that were previously stalled have now been investigated by us and resolved. 'Without change we effectively risk the managed decline of one of the largest provisions of social housing in Europe, especially in areas of lowest affordability.'
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
M'sian medical grads seen as valued, cost-effective in S'pore
MALAYSIAN medical graduates have become the preferred choice among Singapore hospitals, which view them as 'affordable yet high-quality assets,' according to a doctor serving at a hospital in the island republic. A physician who asked to be identified only as Dr. Akram claims that Malaysian medical graduates can be found in all Singaporean hospitals and are sought after due to Malaysia's holistic training system for junior doctors. 'At the hospital where I work, 40% of the medical staff are graduates from leading Malaysian universities,' said Dr. Akram, who has been practicing in Singapore for one year. According to the report by FMT, Dr. Akram received an offer to serve in Singapore after working as a medical officer at a Malaysian hospital for just six months. 'Singapore plans to build two new hospitals, which will likely attract even more medical graduates or medical officers from Malaysia,' he added. According to the Singapore Ministry of Health website, there are 11 public hospitals in the republic alongside nine private hospitals and 10 specialist centers focusing on cancer, cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, and dentistry. On March 20, The Star reported an increasing trend of Malaysian medical graduates leaving for Singapore to complete their housemanship training. Marina Mat Baki, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, stated that 30 graduates moved to Singapore in 2023, compared to 25 in 2022, 15 in 2021, and only two in 2020. Meanwhile, Dr. Akram said his local-based colleagues have informed him that many medical officers are planning to work abroad. According to him, they are attracted by generous salaries and other benefits, as well as better treatment and work-life balance commensurate with their responsibilities and workload. 'Honestly, many medical students from two popular local universities are currently exploring opportunities and interested in joining us here,' he said. He noted that while Malaysia's system provides adequate training and exposure, many medical officers experience burnout due to issues with treatment, welfare, and lack of work-life balance. 'More painfully, these problems seem to have no end in sight,' he remarked. Dr. Akram explained that junior medical officers in Singapore receive monthly medical officer allowances, monthly housing allowances, and annual wellness allowances, as well as performance bonuses and variable corporate bonuses, in addition to salary and on-call payments for regular days, weekends, and public holidays. They are also granted annual leave, sick leave, leave without sick leave certification, marriage leave, family needs leave, training or course leave, and maternity/paternity leave. Dr. Akram said that requesting leave is much easier compared to Malaysia, where there is 'insufficient workforce.' 'Here, each hospital has its own specialist doctors, medical officers, and trainee doctors. In Malaysia, our specialists are scattered—for example, cardiologists at Hospital Serdang and others elsewhere,' he explained. According to him, the number of patients treated by a single medical officer is also not as high as in Malaysia. 'Here, a medical officer will treat only 20 patients daily, but in Malaysia, a doctor must treat up to 40 patients per day,' he concluded.
