THE NEUTRAL VENUE: Recently, I applied for a United Arab Emirates (UAE) tourist visa. The application was rejected within four days without any explanation. Why has the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chosen the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy when the UAE authorities are denying visas to Pakistani citizens? : The cond-itions in the maternity ward of a private hospital in Hub are distressing. The area designated for childbirth is not only unhygienic, but lacks essential facilities. Doctors can be seen using unsterilised equipment. Moreover, much of the equi- pment used in the labour room appears rusty and outdated. Unfortunately, such negligence poses a grave threat to impoverished women, often resulting in life-threatening complications or even death. The situation demands immediate government intervention. Smuggled petrol and diesel are being openly sold in the capital at a fraction of the price fixed by the government. Obviously, this fuel is of poor quality and pollutes the environment. Moreover, the government is deprived of revenue. I reckon this shady business takes place all over the country where governance is poorer than in the capital city. Kiosks selling smuggled oil are located at prominent points, but the local administration looks the other way. : It is hard for most of us to skip advertisements on YouTube or any other social media plat-form related to aid donations meant for the children in Gaza. Whenever I skip those, I feel ashamed at being a heartless soul. The innocent children are asking for help to merely survive, while we seem to have no time to even feel their pain. We have really evolved into self-centric and emotionless beings.