Pakistan’s T20I skipper Babar Azam will once again represent Somerset in this year’s Vitality T20 Blast. Babar, the world’s top-ranked T20I batsman, was the leading run-scorer in the 2019 edition.
The 25-year-old, currently captaining Pakistan in their T20I series in England after featuring in all three Tests earlier in the tour, had agreed to return to southwest club before the coronavirus pandemic upended cricket schedules around the world.
He will be back at Somerset’s Taunton base on Wednesday.
The talisman will be available for Somerset’s final seven group matches plus the knockout stages should they qualify.
“For obvious reasons, this year has been very different from what we were all expecting, and I fully appreciate the challenges the game has faced globally as well as here in England,” Babar said in a Somerset statement. “We have all had to adapt and I’m just really pleased that we could find a way to make this happen. I hope that I can help to contribute to success on the field for Somerset again.”
In his first season with Somerset, Babar compiled 578 runs at an impressive average of 52.54 and an astounding strike-rate of 149.35.
“He is a great player, is so easy on the eye and fitted brilliantly into our environment last year,” said Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry. “We consider Babar to be one of our own.”
Two South African police officers have been arrested over the deadly shooting of a 16-year-old boy, which had sparked violent street protests.
The family of Nathaniel Julius, who had Down’s syndrome, said he had gone out to buy biscuits when he was shot dead in Johannesburg’s Eldorado Park suburb.
The officers will be charged with murder and “possibly defeating the ends of justice”, said the police watchdog.The family said Julius was shot after not answering officers’ questions.However, they added, this was because of his disability.
The police initially said Julius had been caught up in a shootout between officers and local gangsters.The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said it had decided to arrest the officers after “careful consideration of the evidence at hand”.After Julius’ death on Wednesday night, hundreds of local residents took to the streets to protest on Thursday, leading to violent clashes with police.
Police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the stone-throwing protesters who had blockaded streets with burning barricades.The clashes led President Cyril Ramaphosa to appeal for calm.South Africa’s police are often accused of using excessive force – security forces have been accused of killing at least 10 people this year while enforcing a lockdown imposed to halt the spread of coronavirus.
“There is no evidence of any provocation and it’s difficult to understand why live ammunition could be used in a community such as this,” Archbishop Malusi Mpumlwana, head of the South African Council of Churches, told local media outside the Julius household.
“We can’t say Black Lives Matter in the United States if we don’t say it in South Africa,” he said.Nathaniel Julius’ death has shocked many, not just in South Africa but also around the world.His killing has touched a special nerve in the US, where there have been months of protests over police brutality.
Several US personalities have tweeted about Julius’ death, including Beyoncé’s sister, Solange Knowles.Here in South Africa, his community is outraged – they not only want answers, but justice.But South Africans are sadly used to being failed by the justice system, no matter how many times they protest, no matter how many times stories of gruesome violence make local and even international news.Even in the face of these arrests, few are encouraged that anything will change. That resignation to violence is one of this society’s great tragedies.
ISLAMABAD, AUG 29 – Pakistan strongly condemned extra-judicial killing of four more Kashmiris in staged encounter in Shopian region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Equally condemnable are the restrictions imposed on religious processions and gatherings during Muharram.
Nearly three hundred innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, have been martyred by the Indian occupation forces in fake encounters, so-called “cordon and search” operations, and other instances of use of brutal force including pellet guns during the last one year.
India’s inhuman methods to subjugate the Kashmiri people through killings, torture, forced disappearances and incarcerations have failed in the past and will not succeed in the future. The long communications blockade and Indian attempts to muzzle the media, including targeted campaigns against Kashmiri male and female journalists, are further illustration of how the brutalization of Kashmiris continues to accentuate under the RSS-BJP regime. The perpetuation of India’s state-terrorism cannot break the will of the Kashmiris or quell their efforts to secure their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
The international community must hold India accountable for its serious crimes against the Kashmiri people. India must be made to comply with its international legal obligations and respect fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, including the foremost right to life.
It is also the collective responsibility of the world community, including the United Nations, to work for peaceful and permanent resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant Security Council Resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people for durable peace and stability in South Asia.
Pakistan will continue to expose India for its illegal and unacceptable actions in IIOJK and extend its full support to the Kashmiris in their just struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination.
LAHORE, AUG 29 (DNA) – Sewa Adhikari High Commissioner of Nepal to Pakistan on Saturday stressed the urgent needs for exploring the investment avenues in various sectors among the SAARC member countries.
Talking to a delegation led by Iftikhar Ali Malik President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry which called on at her residence, she said still there is a vast scope for economic integration which needs to be fully exploited.
She hoped new leadership Of SAARC Chamber will endeavour to further strengthen the trade relations and economic ties among all member countries on priority and live upto the aspirations of the private sectors of either sides besides promoting business to business links among the importers and exporters of the region.
Sewa said exchange of business delegations must be encouraged for the development, progress, prosperity welfare and betterment of the poor strata of the region by overcoming abject poverty. She assured full cooperation to help achieving the objectives of the chamber as enshrined in its charter.
She appreciated the role of apex and allied bodies of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC), working together to defuse the political rifts among the member countries and keeping the prime motive of regional integration alive,”.
She congratulated veteran trade leader Iftikhar Ali Malik and Senator Haji Ghulam Ali for assuming the offices of President and Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry respectively.
Zubair Ahmad member executive committee and acting Secretary General SAARC Chamber Zulfiqar Ali Butt were also present on the occasion. Iftikhar Ali Malik said that apex and allied bodies of SAARC are the true representation of the people of the region and speak their mind and hearts.
He said that the role of chamber is instrumental in promoting regional economic integration in South Asia and SAARC Chamber is most vibrant and active body of SAARC. He said that SAARC Chamber is actively engaged in business to business relationships, to voice the interest of private sector of region and serve to promote exchange of commercial, technical, industrial management and scientific information, education and know-how amongst its members in South Asia.
Senator Haji Ghulam Ali urged the High Commissioner to play their constructive role in supporting the SAARC mechanism and its allied and apex institutions. He also shared some past memories with him. He said that the government of Pakistan and its people are committed to SAARC mechanism.
He thanked the High Commissioner for her good wishes and assurance for economic integration in the region. He invited the High Commissioner to Peshawar for having direct interaction with private sector and see the culture of the frontier region of Pakistan. =DNA
ISLAMABAD, AUG 29 (DNA) – President Dr. Arif Alvi has on Saturday said that Karachi and the rest of Sindh will never be left alone. The president took to Twitter and termed the cooperation between the federal and the Sindh governments a positive development which can do wonders during this devastating crisis.
Dr. Arif Alvi was hopeful that the partnership will be useful in future also in making of storm drains, sewerage treatment, solid waste management, fresh water supply and transport.
A positive development. Cooperation between the Fed & Prov Govts can do wonders during this devastating crisis & also in the future in making of Storm Drains, Sewage Treatment, Solid Waste Managemnt, Fresh Water Supply & Transport.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the whole nation feels the pain our people in Karachi are going through during monsoon rains.
The premier stressed that out of this devastation and suffering there is now a positive development as my government, along with the Sindh government, is moving to immediately act and resolve three major problems of Karachi.
The federal and the provincial governments will clean the nullahs once and for all and deal with encroachments impeding water channels; devise a permanent solution to the solid waste disposal and sewerage problems; and resolve the critical issue of water supply to the citizens of Karachi. =DNA
A picturesque landscape of snow-capped peaks, stunningly beautiful hill stations with scenic and eye-catching surroundings tempt the tourists to visit Ghanool which is very close to Balakot —- The Gateway to Kaghan Valley.
Ghanool is a heaven-like valley on earth, which is a village and union council of Mansehra district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
It is located in Balakot tehsil and lies in an area that was affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The beautiful high mountains and serene spots mesmerized the visitors.
Ghanool has four village councils i.e. Ghanool, Sangar-1, Sangar-2, and Bhangian. Sangar is the most populous area of Ghanool with Madakhel in the majority. Paya, which is also known as Sari and Paya, is a meadow at the height of more than 9,000 feet above sea level, the area is full of thick pine forests and wild alpine flowers and Makra Mountain which is 12,743 feet above the sea level is also part of Ghanool.
Tribes living in Ghanool include Mughals, Rajputs, Awans, Swati, and Madakhels, which makes Ghanool a land with diversified people. It’s one of the educated valley of Mansehra district and well known for the hospitality of its people.
I spent around 22 years of my diplomatic career in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Spain, and Switzerland with my family. I traveled to US and France as well. However, Allah bestowed Ghanool valley with eye-catching and dazzling beauty that I never came across throughout my entire diplomatic career.
Ghanool is a picturesque landscape of snow-capped peaks and rocky hills laden with vibrant pastures, challenging mountain treks, and most splendidly, a breathtaking prelude into the wild.
The valley starts at trout fish-studded Kunhar River drains the valley all the way to snow-capped Kowa Makra peak at 12,746 feet above sea level. There are numerous beautiful small valleys that originate from the main valley.
The valley strategically has great significance since it has only one entry point through Yehni Kati which is actually the gateway to the valley, as you entered the cemented road of the gateway it will take you all the way through numerous beautiful small valleys and lush green meadows to the snow-capped glaciers at Sumbela.
However, the visitors should enter Ghanool through Jammu Neeka from where Sumbela located at a distance of some 6 to 8 km. You can enjoy mesmerizing beauty while stopping at various places in the way. At least one day is required to visit Jammu Neek and Sumbela because road is not carpeted; hence it should be advisable to park own car at Balakot or Jammu Neeka and rent a jeep which will take you there hassle-free.
Once you reached Sumbela you have three options, as there are Pehla (First) Manna, Dosra (second) Manna and Thesra (Third) Manna, which are three serene spots. Paprung and Siri Paya located at the altitude of 8,000 feet to 12,000 feet above sea level where there are rocky hills laden with vibrant pastures and trekking and hiking opportunities, which are simply amazing.
Kowa Makra located right above Paya meadows at the altitude of some 13,000 feet above sea level where you can reach easily either on foot or horse riding.
Tatapaya Shili and Shinkiyarihut are beautiful hilltops at the height of some 8,000 feet to 11,000 feet above sea level.
Since there is no residential facility in Ghanool; hence it should be better to stay in Balakot because from where you can easily visit all the beautiful places on a daily basis through jeep. All necessary items such as food and tea and water should be kept along with you while visiting Paya and Kowa Makra so as you can relish your journey. However, you need at least four days to see all the scenic and picturesque places in Ghanool.
Ganool is a peaceful valley and people are quite hospitable and good-mannered; hence you can enjoy a trip along with your family as well. I am quite a sure one you visited the valley, you will forget the beauty of Shogran Kaghan and Saiful Malook and will visit again along with relatives and family members as well.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan — Under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video conference is being held on preparation for the academic year in schools.
Before moving on to the main issue on the agenda, the head of state touched upon the situation with the coronavirus. It was noted that this week, an average of 370 new cases of infection per day were detected, and in the current relaxation of quarantine requirements, this figure will be considered a benchmark.
The President warned all leaders about the inadmissibility of hiding the real numbers. Such attempts will entail harsh penalties, including criminal ones.
Khokims, heads of sectors and responsible departments were instructed on the need to ensure strict discipline to comply with sanitary requirements in every mahalla, public places, transport and enterprises. It is necessary to prevent cases when the same wedding or another ceremony is held for several days or 3-4 times a day.
It was noted that every effort is being made to treat patients with coronavirus with the most advanced and proven methods; currently, 75 highly qualified doctors from Russia, Germany, Turkey and China are working in our country.
– Prevention of infection depends, first of all, on our attention to ourselves, our health, the atmosphere in our family. If we all, the whole society, observe the rules of hygiene, medical protection and social distance, the disease will not spread, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The meeting also discussed the issue of material support for socially vulnerable families.
To this end, on 26 August, the head of state signed a decree “On additional measures for social support of the population”.
According to the document, in order to provide winter clothing sets, school uniforms and educational supplies to children under 16 years old from families included in the “iron notebook” receiving benefits in case of loss of breadwinner, as well as children with disabilities, material assistance will be provided in the amount of 500,000 soums. In total, this help will cover more than 810,000 children. More than 400 billion soums have been allocated for these purposes.
There are exact calculations on the number of children from socially vulnerable families under 16 years old, payments will be made through the Pension Fund.
The Ministry for Support of the Mahalla and Family, khokims and sector leaders have been instructed to provide financial assistance to needy families in a fair, open and correct manner so that no one is left without attention. The task was set to hold meetings with the population and explain the importance of spending allocated funds exclusively for the harmonious development and health improvement of children.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan — Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov today met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Muhammad Hanif Atmar, who is visiting Uzbekistan.
The Afghan delegation was also attended by the heads of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Central Bank and the Administration of the President of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade reported, Dunyo news agency reported.
During the meeting, topical issues of trade, economic, investment and transport and logistics cooperation between the two countries were discussed, as well as the prospects for the implementation of joint projects in the fields of energy, construction of railways, trade and infrastructure development in Afghanistan
The issues of accelerating the construction of the “Surkhan-Puli-Khumri” power transmission line and working out the corresponding draft agreement, as well as conducting expert negotiations on the preparation for signing the draft Agreement on international road traffic were considered.
Special attention was paid to the issues of strengthening cooperation in the development of transport corridors through the implementation of joint projects in the field of railway transport.
An agreement was reached on the adoption of additional measures to create conditions for increasing trade, including the development of infrastructure for expanding border trade and organizing the supply of agricultural and industrial products that are in demand in the markets of the two countries.
During the meeting, the parties also agreed to establish a mechanism of permanent contacts in order to ensure high-quality and timely implementation of bilateral agreements and prompt resolution of all emerging issues.
Confidence was expressed that the deepening of economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan will contribute to ensuring stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region.
At the end of the meeting, National Electricity JSC and the Afghan company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) signed an agreement on the supply of electricity for a period of 10 years.
KARACHI, AUG 29 – FPCCI’s Businessmen Panel Secretary General (Federal) Ahmad Jawad said Karachi needs concrete development package to uplift basic infrastructure from sevrage to drainage and good transport system and should be completed in coming three years with out any procedural hurdles.
Talking to media on Saturday, he said it is pity that in the last 20 years illegal encroachments, constructions have chocked the breathing space of this city, despite billions of revenue per year had been given to federal and provincial governments.
It’s time karachi needs proper master plan and accordingly the basic infrastructure been provided and it may be implemented through FWO and NDMA under the supervision of Sindh government and KMC with out any tug of war.“Karachi now needs $ 1 billion of capital investment to close the infrastructure gaps in the city and in this regard Council of Common Interests may released funds on priority if you want to save this city”. Jawad said.He stated an island of prosperity cannot be created amidst widespread poverty; the government has to give due attention to other parts of Sindh if it really wants to develop Karachi. This holistic approach will not only help tackle the city’s growing population but will reduce inequalities and conflict, an essential step for development and social well-being.As more than 40% of residents rely on public transport, but with 45 residents competing for one bus seat, travel within the city is difficult. Water supply is highly irregular, and rationing is widespread. The availability of water ranges from four hours per day to two hours every other day. Many households rely on private vendors who sell water from tankers at high prices. The sewage network has not been well maintained since the 1960s, and all three existing treatment plants are dysfunctional. Industrial waste, which contains hazardous materials and heavy oils, is dumped directly into the sea untreated.However It is clear this ambitious investment agenda would be difficult to achieve without difficult reforms and large amounts of private sector financing. Improving urban governance, institutional capacity, and coordination will be vital in shaping a productive and livable city. Service providers and other public institutions must explore ways to achieve cost recovery and to finance future investments. KMC must also establish systems of meaningful citizen engagement and participatory planning that consider the views of the most marginalized citizens.Jawad further added Karachi administration must find ways to leverage the many assets it already has. The city must use its land resource, built heritage, public assets, and urban spaces more productively and equitably to enhance livelihoods and provide a more liveable environment for its citizens.
Pakistan and Jamaica Tallawahs batsman Asif Ali has been charged 20 per cent of his match fee for violating the code of conduct in the ongoing 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“During the Tallawahs’ match against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on 25 August at Queen’s Park Oval, Ali swung his bat in the direction of opposition bowler Keemo Paul when he was dismissed in the eighth over of his team’s batting innings,” a statement on the CPL website read.
The 28-year-old was found guilty of violating section 2.18 of the code of conduct.
Asif has admitted his offence and was fined 20 per cent of his match fee over his behaviour.
