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A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken up contempt of court proceedings against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during a public rally. The bench comprises Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. The PTI chair had staged a rally in the federal capital on August 20 to express solidarity with his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill after claims of torture in custody. He warned the Islamabad inspector-general and deputy inspector-general that he would “not spare” them, vowing to file cases against them for subjecting Gill to alleged inhuman torture. Turning his guns towards the additional sessions judge, who sent Gill into physical remand on the police's request, Imran Khan had then said she [the judge] should brace herself for consequences. This issue could be a threat for Khan, who has been campaigning for new elections since being forced to step down this year, since a

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left for Doha on a two day official visit to Qatar on the invitation of Amir of state of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. This is the Prime Minister's first visit to Qatar after assuming the office. The Prime Minister is accompanied by a high level delegation including key members of the cabinet. During the visit, Shehbaz Sharif will hold in-depth consultations with the Qatari leadership. The two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with a particular focus on advancing energy related cooperation, deepening trade and investment ties and exploring greater employment opportunities for Pakistanis in Qatar. They will also exchange views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Prime Minister will also engage with leading Qatari and Pakistani business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs. He will visit Stadium 974 in Doha, where he would be briefed on the extensive preparations undertak

An anti-encroachment court on Monday granted bail to Haleem Adil Sheikh in a land grabbing case. As per details, Haleem Adil was granted bail against a bond of Rs 100,000 while the court fixed the hearing for the indictment of the accused for September 8. Earlier, the PTI leader was taken into custody after the court rejected his plea for an extension in bail in the land grabbing case. As per media reports, the PTI leader appeared before the court for the extension in bail against the case of land grabbing but the court after hearing the arguments cancelled his bail. As soon as the verdict was announced, a team of the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) reached the premises. Earlier, on July 27, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had arrested the Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil at Jamshoro Toll Plaza. Sindh ACE Director Zeeshan Memon was present at the time of the arrest. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/4ygaZ2q

Ukraine's capital Kyiv banned public celebrations this week to commemorate independence from Soviet rule, citing a heightened threat of Russian attack in a war that the United Nations said on Monday has killed more than 5,500 civilians. According to international media, Events to mark Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday have been banned in the country's capital, Kyiv, and second-largest city, Kharkiv, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials warn that Russia may carry out missile strikes. Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia might be planning "particularly ugly" attacks to coincide with the occasion, which will mark 31 years since Ukraine broke its ties with the Soviet Union and as the war nears its six-month milestone. "We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious," Zelensky said in a video message. "One of the key tasks of the enemy is to humi

Big-hitting Austra­lian batsman David Warner Sunday signed a two-year deal with Sydney Thunder, ending a nine-year absence from the Big Bash League. The 35-year-old opener has not played in the domestic Twenty20 competition since 2013 and said he wanted to get involved again to help support the next generation. “I’m really excited to get back to the Big Bash with the club where I started,” said Warner, a veteran of 96 Tests, 133 ODIs and 91 T20 games for Australia. “I care deeply about the game, and I am conscious that the conditions that I enjoy as a professional cricketer have largely come from other senior players who have come before me. “That is how the game is structured and I understand that my contribution to the future of the BBL will hopefully benefit the next generation of players long after I am retired.” Warner has not represented Thunder since the third BBL season, where he played just one game. He also played a single game for them in the inaugural season, and has

Artillery shells rained down on a city close to Europe’s biggest nuclear plant on Saturday night and Russian missiles hit targets near Odesa, a Ukrainian Black Sea port and a grain export hub, as the war headed for its six-month milestone on Aug 24. The day will also mark 31 years of Ukraine’s independence from Soviet rule and President Volodymyr Zele­nskiy in a nightly video address called for vigilance, saying Moscow could try “something particularly ugly”. As Ukraine prepared to mark its independence day embroiled in a war that has flattened towns and cities, killed thousands and forced millions to flee, military and regional officials reported more Russian strikes on targets in the east and south of the country. Of particular concern was the shelling of Nikopol, a city which lies across the Dnipro river from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear plant. It has been held by Russian forces since March. Nikopol was shelled on five different occasions overnight, reg

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari postponed his official visits to four European countries in view of calamities across Pakistan caused by the ongoing heavy monsoon rains and flooding, a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry said. The foreign minister was set to depart on a four country-trip including Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway in a bid to strengthen Pakistan’s engagement with Europe and share its perspective on regional and global issues from August 22-26. According to the statement, Bilawal delayed his visits due to the heavy damages to lives and property caused by the torrential rains in the country. The foreign minister is looking forward to his interactions with his counterparts, other dignitaries and media, as part of Pakistan’s continued engagement with Europe. FM Bilawal's visits to these capitals will be rescheduled at mutually agreed later dates in consultation with the host governments, said the ministry. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift

At least 16 people died and another three were injured after a truck collided with a stationary minibus in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region. According to international media, the driver of a heavy goods vehicle did not slow down in good time and hit a stationary minibus,” Ulyanovsk’s interior ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Roadworks at the scene of the accident meant the minibus was waiting in a queue to move. “The minibus was wedged between two lorries,” the ministry said. Video footage broadcast by the police showed the crumpled husk of what appeared to be the minibus sandwiched between two trucks and emergency service workers inspecting the flattened vehicle. Russia’s investigative committee opened a criminal investigation, the truck driver was among those killed. Three other people, two men and a woman, were taken to hospital in a serious condition, Ulyanovsk Governor Alexei Russkikh wrote on Telegram. As per media reports, Violations of road safety regulations are common

Thousands of people gathered at the Zulu royal palace in South Africa on Saturday for the coronation of a new king in the country’s richest and most influential traditional monarchy. Misuzulu Zulu, 47, is set to succeed his father, Goodwill Zwelithini, who died in March last year after 50 years in charge but a bitter succession dispute threatens to overshadow the ceremony. Although the title of king does not bestow executive power, the monarchs wield great moral influence over more than 11 million Zulus, who make up nearly a fifth of South Africa’s population. Men and women in colourful traditional outfits assembled outside the marble palace on the hills of Nongoma, a small town in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, the Zulu heartland. Tens of thousands more were expected to arrive throughout the day to honour the new sovereign. “Today the king will be acknowledged by the whole Zulu Nation,” Misuzulu’s sister, Princess Ntandoyesizwe Zulu, 46, said. Yet, an acrimonious fam

North Korea imported more than 1 million facial masks and 15,000 pairs of rubber gloves from China in July, shortly before declaring victory over Covid-19, Chinese trade showed on Saturday. Pyongyang last week declared victory over the coronavirus, ending a little-detailed fight against “fever” cases that had risen to 4.77 million. It has registered no new such cases since July 29. Still, China exported 1.23 million facial masks to North Korea in July, worth $44,307, surging from 17,000 the previous month, according to data released by Chinese customs. From January to July, the last month for which data is available, the North bought more than 11.93 million masks from China, data showed. North Korea did not import any Covid-19 prevention and control products from China in May, the data showed. China’s overall exports to North Korea surged to $59.74 million in July from $19.05 million in June. Top exports were semi- or wholly milled rice, cigarettes, disodium carbonate and smoke

Russian fertilisers and agricultural products must be able reach world markets “unimpeded” or a global food crisis could strike as early as next year, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday. “It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market,” he said from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC). The JCC oversees the implementation of the Ukrainian grain export agreement signed in July by Kyiv and Moscow with the UN and Turkey as guarantors. The agreement also guarantees Russia the right to export its agricultural products and fertilisers despite Western sanctions. “What we see here in Istanbul and in Odessa is only the more visible part of the solution. The other part of this package deal is the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertiliser, which are not subject to sanctions,” Guterres said, adding that despite this, Russian fertiliser and agricultural exports still faced “obstacles.” “Without fert

Voting is underway for the NA-245 by-poll in Karachi, with 15 candidates contesting for the National Assembly seat that fell vacant after the death of Aamir Liaquat Hussain, who was elected on a PTI ticket in 2018. The polling process started at 8am and will continue till 5pm today (Sunday). Aamir Liaquat beat Dr Farooq Sattar in 2018 after securing 56,673 votes. Amon some of the major contesting candidates are MQM-P's Mueed Anwar, the PTI's Mehmood Maulvi, the Pak Sarzameen Party's (PSP) Syed Hafeezud Din, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan'S (TLP) Muhammed Ahmed Raza and MQM Bahali Committee's Farooq Sattar. The constituency is set to witness a tough contest among candidates of the PTI, MQM-P and Farooq Sattar. The MQM-P seems to have an edge as the PPP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have withdrawn their candidates in favour of MQM-P. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it finalised arrangements to hold the NA-245 by-polls in Karachi amid stri

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a ban with immediate effect on the live telecast of speeches of former prime minister Imran Khan after he threatened state institutions and government officials with serious consequences. Imran Khan's addresses are in open violation of the PEMRA rules, according to the PEMRA notification issued in Sunday's wee hours. The PEMRA further said that Imran Khan's speeches are a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution. Only pre-recorded speeches can be broadcast now with effective monitoring and editorial control, per the new PEMRA notification. PEMRA issued a six-page notification, stating it has been observed that Imran Khan is persistently levelling baseless accusations in his speeches and statements against national institutions and spreading hatred in his speeches. According to the PEMRA, the ban has been put in place under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002. The PEMRA notification mentioned

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said Pakistan Army stands with flood hit-population in this difficult time and shall undertake the assistance effort as a national obligation. He made the remarks when he called Commander Balochistan Corps to get an update on flood situation. The Army Chief directed the commander to undertake all measures to assist government of Balochistan for rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts on emergency basis in coordination with civil administration. General Qamar Javed Bajwa said unprecedented rains have caused devastation to human life and communication infrastructure especially in Balochistan. He said Army resources will be utilized to help affected population and restore critical communication infrastructure as immediate temporary measure. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/lXQys7W

Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, dealing a major setback to the Pakistan side, who were banking on his bowling in the upcoming international tournament. Shaheen had suffered a right knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month. In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Shaheen has been advised four to six weeks of rest by the body's medical advisory committee and independent specialists following the latest scans and reports. "This means Shaheen has been ruled out of the ACC T20 Asia Cup and home series against England," the board announced about the pacer, who routinely serves as a crucial part of Pakistan's bowling attack. The young pacer is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand T20I tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022. Shaheen will stay with the squad to complete his re

At least five people were dead after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains wreaked havoc in Chitral, it emerged on Saturday. As per media reports, seven people, including a woman, were swept away by the flash flood in different areas of Chitral on Friday. After being informed, the rescue officials launched a search operation and recovered five bodies, said the sources. The search operation is underway to recover the other two, they added. In its daily weather report, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday said that monsoon currents are still penetrating in most parts of the country. A westerly wave is also affecting western and upper parts of the country, it added. The Met Office said that rain coupled with thundershower is expected in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Heavy falls are also likely at isolated places in Balochistan, Punjab, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Upper Sindh today, it added.   from l

PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar decried on Saturday the Punjab police’s move to raid the residences of his party’s lawmakers and register cases against them as an act of “revenge” for legal proceedings initiated against PTI’s Shahbaz Gill over his controversial remarks. Tarar, who was speaking to the media alongside other PML-N leaders in Islamabad, said the raids were carried out on the instructions of the Punjab government — where an alliance of the PTI and PML-Q is at the helm — and warned Chief Minister Parvez Elahi’s government that they “will face the consequences of the trend of revenge they had set”. “Parvez Elahi sahib, you and your son (Moonis Elahi) will face the consequences of this new trend that you have set,” Tarar reiterated, claiming that Moonis had been issuing instructions for action against PML-N leaders despite not having any official authority. The PML-N leader’s criticism of the Punjab government comes hours after police raids at the residences of at least a do

Two terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Saturday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the IBO, an intense fire exchange took place between the army troops and terrorists. “Resultantly, two terrorists got killed, including Commander Khabaib Alias Bilal of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group.” The ISPR said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the site, elaborating that terrorists remained actively involved in terror activities against security forces, preparation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and killing of innocent citizens. “Terrorist Commander Khabaib was also involved in a suicide attack on security forces convoy in Mir Ali in August 2022,” the statement added.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/WNOuib9

Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan on Friday said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan's aide Shahbaz Gill was "not subjected to abuse of any kind" during his detention and that he is "just faking it". Gill has been in police custody since August 9 when the Islamabad police arrested him in a sedition case after he passed controversial remarks on a private news channel. According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, he was booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army. "No abuse of any kind occurred. Shahbaz Gill is just faking it. He was not tortured," the minister said. "Imran Khan is lying, as always, that Gill was sexually abused," he said. The interior minister asked Imran Khan to file an application against "the one involved", if he believes a crime was committed. He warned PTI leaders of legal action if they try to barge into the Red Zone or PIMS Hospital. T

After being denied permission to meet Shahbaz Gill at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Imran Khan announced that he will hold rallies across Pakistan in support of his party official. Imran Khan made the announcement while speaking with the media outside PIMS. "We will conduct rallies across all divisional headquarters," Khan said, inviting PTI supporters to join him in raising his voice against the torture and ill-treatment meted out to his chief of staff. "They don't care about court orders," he said, criticising the government's treatment of Gill and their disregard in relation to his health. Amid strict security within PIMS' premises, Khan earlier reached the hospital to meet his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill, who has been admitted as per court orders. The former PM was, however, denied permission to visit his party member.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/j6XBa2u