fact or fiction
Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the lesser known truths in the corporate culture of Journal.
The Empty Locker
I didn’t know his name at first. I only knew the silence. It was a Tuesday in October. The high school hallway buzzed with its usual chaos—backpacks slamming, laughter echoing, sneakers squeaking on linoleum. But one locker stayed shut. No one leaned against it. No one dropped off homework. Just a quiet space where a boy should have been.
By KAMRAN AHMADa day ago in Journal
The Suitcase in the Hallway
I didn’t pack lightly. The suitcase sat by the door for three days—half-full, then overflowing, then emptied again. I kept adding things I thought I’d need: my favorite coffee mug, the photo from last summer, the sweater that still smelled like home. Then I’d take them out, convinced they were too heavy, too sentimental, too much.
By KAMRAN AHMADa day ago in Journal
The Couple We All Watched Grow Up
I didn’t know them. But I felt like I did. For over a decade, they were part of my life—not as celebrities, but as characters in a story I watched unfold in real time. I saw them at seventeen, awkward and bright-eyed on red carpets, fumbling through interviews, hiding smiles behind their hands. I saw them navigate fame, heartbreak, and the slow, steady work of becoming adults—all while the world watched, judged, and claimed ownership of their journey.
By KAMRAN AHMADa day ago in Journal
Iran–Israel–U.S. War 2026: Gulf Cities on Edge as Missiles, Drones, and Airstrikes Shake the Middle East
The Middle East is once again at the center of global tension as the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States has escalated dramatically in 2026. In the past few days, coordinated airstrikes, ballistic missile launches, and drone attacks have pushed the region into one of its most dangerous moments in years. Gulf cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai have felt the shockwaves, while global markets and oil prices react to the rising instability.
By Waqar Khan3 days ago in Journal
The Numbers Behind the Name: Echos News ZA
Got myself into blogging, again. So I dusted my desk, laptop in front of me, cup of fresh tea. I searched for my blog account which had been sitting there for years — blank. Instead of writing a blog like everyone else, a News Hub idea came to me, and it sounded nice. Suddenly, a name appeared: ECHOS.
By Vongani Bandi4 days ago in Journal
The Queue That Never Ends. AI-Generated.
The line began before sunrise. By six in the morning, hundreds of people were already standing outside the gray concrete building. Some carried files wrapped carefully in plastic. Others held envelopes close to their chests, protecting them from dust, sweat, and the possibility of losing their only proof that their problem existed. At the front gate, a metal board read: Citizen Service Center — Fast, Fair, Efficient. Inside, only one window was open. Ahmed had arrived at 4:30 a.m. He was a schoolteacher. His problem was simple: his salary had been stopped for three months because the system showed him as inactive. Inactive. He taught five classes every day. His students still stood when he entered the classroom. They still asked him questions. They still called him sir. But the system did not recognize him. So he stood in the line. At 9:15 a.m., the gate opened. A guard stepped out and shouted, “Only the first fifty today!” The line broke instantly. Order turned into movement, movement into pushing. Files slipped from hands. Papers scattered across the ground. Voices rose in protest, then faded into tired silence. Ahmed checked his number. 73. The gate closed. “Come tomorrow,” the guard said without looking at anyone. “But we’ve been here since morning,” an elderly man pleaded. “Tomorrow,” the guard repeated. Ahmed came again the next day. And the day after that. On the fourth day, he finally reached the window. The clerk didn’t look up. “Form?” Ahmed handed over his application. “Wrong format.” “But this is the form from your website.” “Updated last week.” “Where can I get the new one?” “Counter 6.” Counter 6 was closed. By the time Ahmed found the correct form from a photocopy shop outside, the office was closing. “Come tomorrow,” the clerk said. Tomorrow had become a system. Weeks passed. His savings disappeared slowly — first the extra things, then the necessary ones. At home, he stopped turning on unnecessary lights. He postponed buying groceries until the last possible day. At school, nothing changed. He still explained lessons with patience. He still encouraged weak students. He still smiled. Only at night did he sit quietly, calculating how long he could continue like this. Still, the system showed him as inactive. One morning, while waiting in the line again, Ahmed began noticing the faces around him. A woman applying for her husband’s death certificate — rejected twice because one letter in the name didn’t match. A young graduate trying to correct his date of birth so he could apply for a job. An old pensioner who had traveled four hours just to prove he was still alive. The system had a different problem for each of them. But the solution was always the same. Wait. Return. Come tomorrow. Then Ahmed saw something strange. A man walked past the entire queue and went straight inside. No form. No waiting. Ten minutes later, he came out smiling. “Work done?” someone asked. “Yes,” the man replied casually. “I know someone inside.” The line grew quiet. No one reacted. Everyone understood. The next day, a man approached Ahmed. “You’ve been coming for many days,” he said softly. Ahmed nodded. “For a small service fee, your file can move faster.” “How fast?” Ahmed asked. “Today.” Ahmed looked at the building. At the closed counters. At the board that promised Fast, Fair, Efficient. “How much?” The amount equaled one week of the salary he hadn’t received. Ahmed hesitated. Then he paid. His case was resolved within hours. The system now showed him as active. Three months of salary were approved. Everything worked perfectly. The next morning, Ahmed returned to school. He stood before his students and began the lesson. “Today,” he said, writing on the board, “we will discuss honesty and fairness in society.” The chalk stopped. For a moment, he didn’t know how to continue. That evening, Ahmed passed the Service Center again. The line was still there. Long. Silent. Patient. A new banner had been installed outside: Digital Transformation Initiative — Making Services Faster Than Ever. Inside, only one window was open. And outside, tomorrow was already waiting.
By Sahar Rayyan5 days ago in Journal
SpongeBob Review
The episode “Employee of the Month” opens with a sun‑kissed burst of Bikini Bottom’s bustling morning, a kaleidoscope of pastel‑colored storefronts and the gentle hum of sea‑foam traffic that immediately immerses the viewer in the town’s whimsical routine. SpongeBob’s pineapple home, rendered in meticulous detail, glistens with dew‑spattered windows, while the ever‑cheerful glow of the Krusty Krab’s neon sign beckons like a lighthouse for the hungry and the hopeful. The animators employ a palette of saturated blues and bright yellows that echo the episode’s central theme of optimism, and the subtle background gags—such as a nervous sea cucumber nervously clutching a clipboard—layer the scene with a richness that rewards multiple viewings. This opening tableau sets a tone of earnest anticipation, foreshadowing the inevitable clash between genuine enthusiasm and corporate competition that forms the episode’s narrative spine.
By Forest Green6 days ago in Journal
