Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
COMEDIAN Zakir Khan says his aim as a comedian has always been to connect and entertain the audience without making any kind of commentary.
Khan is regarded as one of the popular names on the Indian comedy circuit due to his witty stand-up performances where he often uses his real-life tragic and humorous stories as a tool to evoke laughter.
The comedian said his humour may seem quite relatable to the audience but he never tries to convey any message to them.
“I just say what I want to the audience. There is no agenda when I do stand-up. I am a professional comedian and I have tickets for my show, so every penny should be worth it. I make sure I entertain the audience enough. I try to give the audience their value,” Khan told PTI in an interview.
He said it makes him happy that some of his punch lines, like ‘sakht launda’ and ‘Badal important hai’, have become popular among the people.
“My idea is to not fall for these people and be a ‘sakht launda’, someone who does not get swayed away but reacts in the right way. The concept has come from my own experiences and struggles,” he said.
Khan said he often derives material for comic acts from his interactions with unknown and random people, a habit that he has since childhood. At the same time, the comedian asserted that people are not “content” for him.
“I have this habit of talking to strangers and I remember them. I recently went to my ancestral village, stayed there for a few days and saw how people are there. On a weekly basis, I try to meet as many as 25 new people. But people are not content for me. I meet people because I like it,” the comedian said.
With a massive fan following, not only at his live shows, but even on social media platforms, Khan said he feels grateful for all the love coming his way.
The comedian, who shot to fame in 2012 after he won the title of Comedy Central’s “India’s Best Stand Up”, has over 7 million subscribers on his YouTube channel as well as 4.5 million and 1.2 million followers on Instagram and Twitter, respectively.
“I am happy being a comedian. This profession has given me a lot. I get a lot of respect and I am blessed to be a comedian,” Khan added.
The comedian now returns as a judge for the third season of Prime Video show “Comicstaan”, which premiered on Friday.
Khan said watching the contestants on the show reminded him of his initial days in the industry.
“Every time I see anybody performing, it is a pleasure to see how they are doing things on stage. It reminds you of how you have been over the years,” he added.
Popular comedians Neeti Palta, Sumukhi Suresh and Kenny Sebastian also serve as co-judges on season three of the talent hunt show, where stand-up comics from across the country compete over a span of eight episodes.
One of the key factors that Khan looks for in a contestant is the presence of mind, he said.
“You can spend a lot of time writing a script but on stage how you use your presence of mind is important as it shows your background, the life that you have lived and many other things,” Khan added.
Produced by Only Much Louder (OML), “Comicstaan” is hosted by Abish Mathew and Kusha Kapila.
The 34-year-old comic refers to himself as ‘sakht launda’, even on his Instagram and Twitter bio, and he said the idea stems from his own experiences and struggles.
“Sakht is a genderless concept. It is more about yourself and your self-respect, and not being played on by people. There are a lot of men and women who will sweet talk to get things done and they don’t mean any business after that.
Mourners offer funeral prayers for victims of flash floods in Buner district in northern Pakistan's mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 16, 2025. (Photo by AZIZ BUNERI/AFP via Getty Images)
RESCUE operations are ongoing in northwest Pakistan, where more than 150 people remain missing after days of heavy monsoon rains caused deadly flash floods and landslides.
The disaster has left at least 344 people dead in the region, with the national death toll surpassing 650 since the monsoon season began in late June.
The worst-hit area is Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where at least 209 people have died and "10 to 12 entire villages" were partially buried under mud, rocks, and floodwater.
Asfandyar Khattak, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said that over 150 people are still missing in Buner alone. “They could be trapped under the rubble of their homes or swept away by floodwaters,” he said.
Dozens more are missing in neighbouring Shangla district, with ongoing rains making rescue operations extremely difficult. “There is no electricity or mobile signal in Buner, as power lines and mobile towers were damaged in the flash floods,” Khattak added.
Around 2,000 rescue workers, including doctors, paramedics, police, and Civil Defence volunteers, are engaged in search and relief operations across nine districts. The Pakistan Army's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams have also been deployed in Buner, Shangla, and Swat, using advanced equipment to locate injured people and recover bodies from the debris.
Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for the provincial rescue agency, said the terrain and conditions were proving extremely challenging. “Heavy rainfall, landslides, and washed-out roads are severely hampering rescue efforts, particularly the transportation of heavy machinery and ambulances,” he said. “In some areas, workers are forced to walk long distances to reach disaster sites.”
According to officials, the situation remains dire, with many villagers continuing to dig through rubble by hand in search of missing family members. “I helped retrieve the bodies of children I taught,” said Saifullah Khan, a schoolteacher in Buner. “The trauma is unbearable.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur visited the flood-hit areas on Saturday (16). He was told that seven village councils in Buner were hit by cloudbursts, damaging more than 5,300 homes. “No effort will be spared in the rehabilitation of flood victims,” he said, announcing that the provincial government had released financial aid for immediate relief and recovery.
So far, over 3,500 stranded people have been safely evacuated, but hundreds remain unaccounted for. Six districts — Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and Battagram — have now been declared disaster-hit by the provincial government.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of more torrential rains across the country between August 17 and 21 and advised people in vulnerable areas to take precautionary measures.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also warned that the monsoon rains — which began earlier than usual this year — are expected to continue with greater intensity over the next two weeks.
So far this monsoon season, more than 650 people have died and 905 have been injured across Pakistan. Floodwaters have destroyed homes, livestock, roads, and vehicles, with many remote areas still cut off from emergency assistance.
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LABOUR MP Afzal Khan has stepped down from his role as the UK’s trade envoy to Turkey following criticism over a personal visit to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.
Khan, who represents Manchester Rusholme, travelled to the self-declared Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus recently. The region is not recognised by the UK government, as Turkish forces have occupied the northern third of the island since 1974.
During the trip, Khan met Ersin Tatar, the Turkish-Cypriot leader. The Cypriot government strongly condemned the meeting, calling it “absolutely condemnable and unacceptable.”
Khan told the BBC that the trip was made in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess. He said he had travelled to visit his nephew and to accept an honorary degree from an academic institution, covering the costs himself.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Khan said, “I believe it is best to stand down at this time so as not to distract from the hard work the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for this country.”
He also pointed out that around 20 other British parliamentarians had previously visited northern Cyprus without facing similar criticism.
Despite this, pressure mounted over the past week. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel and shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton had both called for Khan’s removal.
Morton welcomed his resignation but argued that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer should have acted sooner.
Christos Karaolis, president of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, said Khan’s visit was “deeply inappropriate and unacceptable,” adding that his position had become “clearly untenable.”
A government spokesperson confirmed on Friday (15) that Khan had officially stepped down from his trade envoy role.
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FILE PHOTO: US president Donald Trump meets with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
A PLANNED visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been called off, a source said, delaying talks on a proposed trade agreement and dashing hopes of relief from additional US tariffs on Indian goods from August 27.
The current round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement is now likely to be deferred to another date that has yet to be decided, the source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
India's trade ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters email seeking comments.
Earlier this month, US president Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations.
The new import tax, which will come into effect from August 27, will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50 per cent- among the highest levied on any US trading partner.
Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases.
India's foreign ministry has said the country is being unfairly singled out for buying Russian oil while the US and European Union continue to purchase goods from Russia.
(Reuters)
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Healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23 per cent of HSE nurses and midwives, according to the Irish public health service provider. (Representational image: iStock)
IRELAND'S Health Service Executive and the largest nurses’ union have spoken out against the “racist abuse and assaults” targeting members of the Indian community and cautioned that their exodus would have a “dramatic impact" on the healthcare sector.
In a statement on Wednesday (13), the Health Service Executive (HSE) said the effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be “seriously threatened” without the support of the thousands of international staff employed in the country’s hospitals and community services.
Healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23 per cent of HSE nurses and midwives, according to the Irish public health service provider.
“The HSE unequivocally condemns all incidents of racist abuse and assaults of people from abroad, their families and the wider community. It is unacceptable. People should not be afraid to leave their house or go to work for fear of abuse,” said Anne Marie Hoey, chief people officer of the HSE.
“We are proud of our organisation’s diversity and are dependent on all our staff for the delivery of frontline, essential services… We are deeply grateful to international workers who have chosen to move their lives and families to Ireland to work with the HSE and help provide essential care and support for patients,” she said.
Hoey said the HSE was “saddened” to hear reports that some international staff, now fearful for their personal safety, are considering moving away.
“This will have a dramatic impact on staff levels and the provision of health services and should be a cause for alarm for people in this country,” she said.
The intervention came after a spate of violent assaults on Indians in the capital Dublin and other regions were reported to the Irish police force, An Garda Síochána.
Last week, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) condemned the “racially motivated abuse” of its workers and called for robust action against the perpetrators.
The Indian Embassy in Dublin earlier this month issued a safety warning after "an increase in instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently".
Indians "are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours", the embassy said in a statement.
The Irish embassy in New Delhi said it "condemns" the attacks and said it was in contact with police regarding investigations.
Local media reported that a six-year-old girl of Indian origin was assaulted and called racial slurs earlier this month in southeast Ireland.
The Irish Times also reported that an Indian taxi driver was attacked with a broken bottle by two passengers in Dublin and told to "go back to your country".
There are around 80,000 people of Indian descent in Ireland, according to various estimates – around one per cent of Ireland's population.
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Ricky Jones attends an anti-racism protest in Walthamstow, London. (Photo: Reuters)
A COUNCILLOR was on Friday (15) acquitted of encouraging violent disorder for saying far-right activists should have their throats cut amid riots last year, drawing claims from right-wing politicians of a hypocritical "two-tier" justice system.
Ricky Jones made the comments at a counter-protest in London after three girls were murdered in Southport last summer and he was suspended by the Labour party.
Jones, 58, was cleared by a jury following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He had made the remarks to a crowd gathered near an immigration advice centre in London after reports that far-right supporters were planning a protest.
"They are disgusting Nazi fascists ... We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all," he said, running a finger across his throat.
Jones gave evidence that he did not intend his words to be taken literally and said his comments referred to far-right stickers with hidden razor blades found on a train.
Right-wing politicians and activists said his case was an example of how Britain had an unfair police and justice system, with those who voice concerns about immigration treated differently to those who support liberal or left-wing causes.
They contrasted Jones' treatment with that of Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Conservative councillor who was jailed for 31 months for inciting racial hatred for a post urging mass deportation of migrants and the burning of their hotels.
Unlike Jones, she had pleaded guilty to the offence.
Misinformation on social media last year said the teenager who committed the Southport murders was an Islamist migrant, fuelling days of violent riots including attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.