BARCELONA: Both La Liga clubs announced on Thursday that Barcelona and Sevilla have reached an agreement in principle for the latter to sign French international defender Jules Kounde. The deal’s financial specifics were kept confidential.
The 23-year-old centre back will reportedly cost Barcelona 55 million euros ($55.82 million).
According to a statement from Barca, “the official nature of the deal is dependent on the player passing a medical and the signing of contracts.”
Kounde was the subject of several offers from Chelsea during the previous transfer window, and according to reports, he was on the verge of joining the Premier League club this month before Barcelona made a last-ditch effort.
Barcelona finished second in La Liga last year and beat Chelsea to the signing of Brazilian winger Raphinha from Leeds United earlier this month.
After three seasons with Sevilla, where he made over 100 appearances across all leagues and won the Europa League in his first season after joining from Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in 2019, Kounde moves to Catalonia.
Andreas Christensen, a centre back from Chelsea, was added to Barcelona’s backline earlier this summer on a free transfer.
Despite having severe financial issues, they also acquired the services of Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie and the Polish forward Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich during a busy transfer window.
The club’s spending has been fueled by the sale of 25% of their domestic television rights for the following 25 years to investment firm Sixth Street. However, Barcelona must adhere to La Liga’s salary cap in order to sign their new additions.
On August 13, Xavi Hernandez’s team will face Rayo Vallecano at home to open the La Liga season.
GALLE: On Thursday, Sri Lanka levelled the series at 1-1 by thrashing Pakistan by 246 runs in the second Test after losing the first one.
Azam is a tall man, Skipper. In the two-match series, Babar Azam continued his impressive run of form and nearly single-handedly drove the tourists.
After chasing down a Galle record of 342, the team won their first game thanks to Azam’s scores of 119 and 55.
He scored 81 in Pakistan’s monumental 508-run second Test chase, but it was a one-man battle against a motivated Sri Lankan spin attack.
The 27-year-old star batsman, who ranks third in Test batting behind Marnus Labuschagne and Joe Root, has averaged over 63 over the past 12 months.
In both ODI and T20 rankings, he is ranked first.
Azam, a rising Pakistani star, wasn’t the only star among the tourists; opener Abdullah Shafique made the first Test match memorable with a match-winning score of 160 not out.
Azam predicted Shafique, 22, who batted patiently and resolutely as the tourists chased down the Galle record target, would rise to the top.
In the second Test, bowler Naseem Shah, 19, spooked the Sri Lankan batsmen with his express and claimed a match-high five wickets, adding to Pakistan’s steady stream of fast-bowling talent, which is led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Turn and pitch Galle hosted Australia and then Pakistan in four back-to-back Test matches, but the fielding conditions in each match were wildly different, much to the teams’ surprise.
In the second match against Australia, Sri Lanka was defeated by the visitors on a pitch that turned on day four.
Sri Lanka’s spin coach Piyal Wijetunge claimed that on days four and five of the first match, the “wicket went flat” as Pakistan attempted to break the Galle record.
Azam claimed there were “no demons” on the field despite Pakistan appearing confident of chasing down 508 before their batting collapsed in the second game.
King of spin, Jayasuriya Prabath Jayasuriya, who claimed his fourth five-wicket haul in just his third Test, is now Sri Lanka’s new spin king.
The 30-year-old took 17 wickets in the series and also three times out Azam by confusing the Pakistani batsmen with his left-arm spin.
Jayasuriya has taken 29 wickets in three Test matches since making his debut against Australia earlier this month, but he attributes the haul to bowling partnerships with the help of Ramesh Mendis.
Ramesh, a spinner, took nine wickets in the contest.
Mentally robust Chandimal With commanding hits that left Pakistan’s bowlers perplexed, Dinesh Chandimal continued his scorching form.
The former captain struck 76 and an unbeaten 94 in the lost-cause first Test, but his 80 in Sri Lanka’s first innings set up their dominance and Thursday’s win.
After being removed as captain in 2017, Chandimal, 32, has been in and out of the Sri Lankan team while maintaining his composure.
In a recent series against Australia, he scored his first double century (206 not out), and he acknowledged that the encouragement of his friends and family had helped him become “mentally strong.”
According to The Mirror, Amarjeet Sada, an Indian from Bihar, is thought to be the youngest serial killer. He killed three people by the time he was eight years old.
Sada, who was born in 1998, killed several members of his family in separate incidents between 2006 and 2007.
According to reports, when he was seven years old, he killed his cousin, who was six years old. Later, he murdered his sister, a baby of eight months.
Sada’s background is unknown, other than the fact that his family is poor and his father works as a laborer.
The youngest victim of Sada was a six-month-old girl who lived next door.
Sada freely admitted to the crime, telling the police that he had hit the infant’s mother with bricks before strangling her. This was after the mother had called the police to report that the child was missing.
Even worse, he led the locals to the spot where he attempted to bury the body.
Sada’s uncle claimed that because it was a “family matter,” his family kept the first two murders a secret.
Media reports claim that when he was taken into custody, he grinned widely and displayed no remorse.
According to a psychologist, who was quoted in The Sun, the boy “had no sense of right or wrong.”
Sada was only held in a children’s home because Indian law forbids the imprisonment or execution of children. No one is aware of his current whereabouts after his release in 2016.
NEW DELHI: The crash of a Soviet-era fighter jet in India that was on a training mission has claimed the lives of two pilots, raising new security concerns following a string of incidents involving the aircraft.
According to the defence ministry, the MiG-21 crashed on Thursday night in the western Rajasthani state’s desert close to the city of Barmer.
Five pilots were killed in the crash, which was the sixth MiG-21 crash since January of last year.
The training aircraft “met with an accident,” according to the Indian Air Force (IAF), and an investigation has been launched to ascertain what caused the crash.
The air force tweeted, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.”
A large area was covered in flaming wreckage, according to local media footage.
Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, expressed his “deep anguish” over the deaths of the two pilots in the crash.
Singh wrote on Twitter, “Their service to the nation will never be forgotten.”
The MiG-21 jets were introduced to Indian service in the 1960s and were the mainstay of the nation’s air force for many years.
However, due to a number of accidents in recent years, the aircraft have earned the nickname “flying coffins” due to their subpar safety record.
Due to its long-standing rivalry with Pakistan and rising tensions with China, India is spending billions of dollars modernising its air force.
Numerous French Rafale fighter jets have been purchased by its military, and deliveries will begin in 2020.
In a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed Beijing’s concerns about a potential trip by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island that China claims as its own.
In their fifth call as leaders, Xi reportedly told Biden, “Those who play with fire will perish by it.” This was reported by the Chinese foreign ministry. It is hoped that the US will view this clearly.
Xi said Washington should abide by the “one-China principle” and stressed that China firmly opposes Taiwanese independence and outside interference.
According to the White House, Biden informed Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed and that Washington vehemently opposes any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo or jeopardise peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan expressed its desire to continue strengthening its security partnership with the United States after thanking Biden for his support, according to a statement released by the foreign ministry on Friday.
The long-awaited call, according to the White House, was a part of the administration’s efforts to improve relations with China and “responsibly manage our differences.”
It has been especially eager to bring the temperature down in Taiwan.
A dramatic, though not unprecedented, show of US support for the island would be the House speaker’s visit, and some analysts are concerned that such a move at a time when US relations with Beijing are tense could lead to a serious crisis and even unintended conflicts.
Leader-level contacts, according to Scott Kennedy, a China analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, are crucial to averting this.
It’s clear that there needs to be much more frequent and in-depth communication, he said, adding that one hopes they’ve taken enough precautions to prevent a collision in the near future.
Biden and Xi discussed the possibility of holding their first-ever face-to-face meeting as leaders and instructed their teams to look into it, according to a senior US official.
According to the official, Biden emphasised the value of maintaining contact with Taiwan and the two also spoke about potential areas for increased cooperation, such as climate change, health security, and drug enforcement.
In addition to praising Taiwan, Xi emphasised the need for continued dialogue between the world’s two biggest economies regarding macroeconomic policies, international supply chains, and the preservation of food and energy security, according to China’s readout.
Additionally, the senior US official stressed how crucial macroeconomic coordination is.
Beijing has repeatedly warned that Pelosi, a Democrat like Biden, will face consequences if she visits Taiwan. Xi has vowed to use force if necessary to subjugate Taiwan to Beijing.
Pelosi has not yet confirmed that she will travel, but China hasn’t given many hints as to what specific responses it might issue in that case.
The US official informed journalists. Xi previously expressed similar sentiments about Taiwan and claimed that the two sides recognised their 40-year-old differences in viewpoints. “Their conversation was having
The conversation lasted for more than two hours. It would cover a wide range of topics, according to US officials, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which China has not yet denounced.
According to Washington’s “one-China policy,” Beijing receives diplomatic recognition rather than Taipei. However, it is required by US law to give Taiwan’s democratically elected government the means to defend itself, and pressure has grown in Congress for more overt assistance.
Given that Xi is running for an unprecedented third term in office this year, some analysts think he has a stake in preventing an escalation. Others assert that Xi may use the Taiwan issue to divert attention away from China’s sluggish domestic economy.
When questioned about the call, Taiwan’s embassy in Washington told Reuters that it was appreciative to Biden “for underscoring the
Beijing and Washington have both been dealing with economic issues. In contrast to the United States, which is grappling with surging inflation amid worries of a recession, China’s $18 trillion economy has been severely harmed by its strict COVID regulations and complete urban lockdowns.
Chinese state media announced on Thursday that the country would make every effort to produce the best economic results this year, abandoning earlier claims that it would make every effort to achieve its 2022 growth target. This came after a senior Communist Party meeting that was presided over by Xi.
“In defiance of underlying patterns, attempts to decouple or break up supply chains would not help the US economy. They would only increase the vulnerability of the global economy, “Regarding US efforts to reduce reliance on China for strategic goods, Xi said.
The Biden administration has been debating whether to remove some tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to lower the skyrocketing inflation, but the senior US official claimed that Biden did not bring up potential measures with Xi.
In his last conversation with Xi in March, Biden threatened “consequences” if Beijing provided financial aid to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to Washington, this line has not been crossed since.
Taiwan has complained about increased Chinese military activity, and just before the call on Thursday, the military of Taiwan claimed it had fired flares to scare away a drone that may have been inspecting the defences of a strategically important but heavily fortified island close to the Chinese coast.
Taiwan was last visited by a US House speaker in 1997.
Since then, China has significantly increased its military and economic might, and the White House claims that the administration has been in contact with Pelosi’s office to ensure that she has “all the context” she needs to decide how to proceed with her travel.
Governor Andy Beshear reported on Thursday that flooding in eastern Kentucky has resulted in at least eight fatalities; the number is predicted to rise to double digits as the water level continues to rise.
Beshear, who on Thursday morning declared a state of emergency in six counties, said a series of storms drenching the eastern part of the state have dropped water that has yet to crest, leaving damage that could take years to repair.
In his emergency declaration, Beshear stated, “We are currently experiencing one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky’s history.
There will be “hundreds of home losses.”
An 81-year-old woman from Perry County was one of the fatalities.
The governor wrote on Twitter that the disaster was still ongoing and that more rain was predicted for tonight.
23,000 homes were left without electricity due to the flooding, and “a few people” were still missing, he claimed.
In videos published by local media, roads appeared to be rivers, with water as high as the leaves of the trees nearby and power poles sticking up from the greenish-brown water.
According to Beshear, the state activated the national guard and the state police to use boats and helicopters to rescue people stranded in floodwaters.
State parks and other facilities were used as evacuation centers, but Beshear cautioned that some of them had been severely damaged by the storms and might not have power or certain amenities.
Trucks will be bringing in drinking water because it will be difficult to find fresh water in some areas of the flooded region, he said.
According to the National Weather Service, there was a 40% chance that the hard-hit area around the city of Hazard in the Appalachian foothills of Cumberland Mountain would experience more intense rain and storms through the night on Thursday and an 80% chance on Friday.
RAWALPINDI: Sheikh Rasheed, a former interior minister, declared on Friday that there has been a “agreement” and that the general elections will be held in October.
The AML leader stated in a series of tweets that general elections would be held in place of by-elections, and the nation would be informed about the constitutions of a new election commission and a caretaker government.
Since the PTI’s victory in Punjab, where it defeated the PML-N in by-elections and also installed its chief minister, there have been rumours that the federal government may fall. However, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has dispelled any rumours by announcing that elections will be held on schedule.
The AML director made fun of PPP Co-Chair Asif Ali Zardari, who is quarantined after contracting COVID-19, by claiming that those in isolation have also consented to hold elections.
He implied that the coalition partners have agreed to hold snap elections and that the only member of the alliance’s leadership who is opposed is “[JUI-F chief] Fazlur Rehman.”
Rasheed criticised the ruling parties, saying they had lost all political legitimacy and couldn’t run away, go to the people, or bring their people back to the nation — a dig at PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.
“People will now make the decision. The assembly and democracy have been made fun of by them [the government]. Pakistan is now experiencing the crisis instead of Sri Lanka “Added he.
The PDM leaders decided to finish their term at their meeting on Thursday in Islamabad and rejected the PTI’s demand to dissolve the legislature and hold early elections.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Punjab chief minister’s election case, the PDM leaders discussed the nation’s current political climate.
They adopted a resolution declaring that the SC’s interpretation in its most recent decision has caused unrest, confusion, chaos, and political crisis in the nation, which has led to an economic crisis.
The coalition government’s term would end, and the general elections would take place on schedule, according to the PDM meeting.
The resolution stated that “the wrongdoings of the Imran Khan government cannot be undone in a year; consequently, elections will be held on schedule and the messes left behind by the prior administration will be cleaned up in the next five years.”
Sources claim that as the political crisis worsens, the establishment is thinking about making a “soft intervention”. The current state of affairs has increased the likelihood that the upcoming general elections will occur soon; sources place the date in October.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a senior member of the PTI, claimed that Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s approval of the resignations of 11 PTI members of the National Assembly had no legal significance because the deputy speaker had already accepted the resignations when they were tendered.
Following the April no-confidence vote that led to Imran Khan’s government being overthrown, the PTI lawmakers collectively tendered their resignations. Later, the resignations were accepted and a notification was made in this regard by the then-deputy speaker Qasim Suri.
The announcement was made in response to a notification that the PTI MNAs’ resignations had been accepted.
As the nation gets closer to new general elections, Fawad claimed on Twitter that it is a misconception that the federal government will be able to hold by-elections on the vacant seats.
He continued by saying that the federal government was powerless to halt the general elections.
With all of its might, PML-N will run candidates in by-elections for vacant seats: Sanaullah Rana The vacated seats, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, are essentially PTI’s, but if by-elections are held in the corresponding constituencies, PML-N will take part in them with all of its might.
Sanaullah claimed that only MNAs whose resignations had been acknowledged in some way had their resignations been accepted.
Sanaullah stated that there is a danger that the general elections will be contentious unless all parties, including the ECP, consult, hold elections in all of the provincial assemblies simultaneously, and settle the constituency issues.
The interior minister stated in response to a query regarding Imran Khan that “this fitna must be suppressed.”
There is no question, according to him, that the PTI chairman has misled the country.
“Imran is attempting to split the country and deceive the youth. If the country doesn’t identify him, he’ll bring the country bad luck “said Sanaullah.
NA Speaker accepts 11 PTI members’ resignations Raja Pervez Ashraf, speaker of the National Assembly, accepted 11 PTI members’ resignations on Thursday in accordance with Article 64(1) of the Pakistani Constitution.
A notification has also been made in this regard, according to a NA spokesperson. The National Assembly’s official Twitter account posted the announcement.
The NA speaker has reportedly accepted the resignations of the following PTI members:
Ali Muhammad Khan, NA-11; Fazal Muhammad Khan, NA-24; Charsadda, II; Fakhar Zaman Khan, NA-45; Farrukh Habib, NA-108; Ijaz Ahmad Shah, NA-118; Nankana Sahib, II; Jamil Ahmed Khan, NA-237; Muhammad Akram Cheema, NA-239; Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari, NA-256; Reserved Seat for Women; Mardan, III; Abdul (Punjab) Shandana Gulzar Khan — Women’s Reserved Seat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
The PTI acknowledged receiving money from the Cayman Islands-incorporated Wootton Cricket Ltd of Pakistani businessman Arif Naqvi on Friday after a foreign publication claimed that the donations were from abroad.
Farrukh Habib, the PTI Central Deputy Secretary Information, stated at a press conference that “all the records [related to those transactions] are available,” following a Financial Times report that claimed Naqvi “transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m,” which were of foreign origin.
The PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, received £20 million from the businessman in “bribes,” according to the PTI leader, who also claimed that there was no case brought against Naqvi or his Abraaj Group in 2012.
He commanded, “They ought to respond to these allegations as well. Naqvi also hosted a dinner for Nawaz.”
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI, filed a lawsuit alleging foreign funding of the party in 2014. Later in 2022, a scrutiny committee for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) discovered that the PTI had concealed funds worth millions of rupees from the ECP. The PTI, however, denies these accusations.
In his press conference today, Habib claimed that the party occasionally faces a “media trial” because of foreign funding.
Foreign funds are typically used to work against an incumbent government; this is not the case, he claimed. “The case against PTI is not related to foreign funding, rather it is of prohibited funding,” he said.
Habib claimed that his party established Pakistan’s funding infrastructure. He continued by saying that Pakistanis living abroad give the PTI money and send $32 billion back to their home nation every year.
He demanded that the ECP act responsibly and reaffirmed his demand that the judgments in the foreign funding cases involving PTI, PPP, and PML-N be handed down on the same day.
The PML-N and PPP, according to the PTI leader, concealed 112 accounts from the election commission and Rs3.6 million in records from the ECP, respectively.
Prior to Habib, Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the PTI, defended Naqvi, who is charged with corruption in the US.
The senior vice president of the PTI urged local media not to portray “our people as villains,” as the “Israeli lobby” does not appreciate Pakistani Muslims whose influence exceeds a certain threshold.
“The Abraaj Group of Arif Naqvi grew to a $14 billion business. The Israeli lobby does not appreciate any Muslim, particularly a Pakistani Muslim, when their influence exceeds a certain threshold “.
“Why should we join a propaganda effort when we know Israel is funding it?”
Fawad stated in a separate statement that the PTI requests that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announce the decision in the funding case for the PTI, PML-N, and PPP at the same time.
\ “More than 40,000 donors’ details have been provided by the PTI to the ECP. Similar to how they support Pakistan, overseas Pakistanis also back PTI “said he.
Abbasi criticises Khan and demands transactional information. Senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was speaking to the media outside the ECP office in Islamabad when he said that the government has asked the election commission to disclose the specifics of the funding that Khan’s party received so that people can see it for themselves.
“Yesterday, Arif Naqvi played a match in London, according to a reputable publication like the Financial Times. The participants were informed by Arif Naqvi that their entry fees would be donated to a good cause.”
The FT reported that the guests — who participated in Naqvi’s “Wootton T20 Cup” — were asked to pay between £2,000 and £2,500
The previous prime minister claimed Naqvi gave Rs. 55 million to PTI’s bank accounts. “However, PTI offered no evidence of those transactions.”
He also claimed that Khan’s party had received funding from American businesses with roots in Texas and California. “Khan should provide details [of transactions] going back to day one if his hands are clean.”
As Pakistan faces the risk of debt default due to depleting foreign reserves, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has pleaded with Washington to assist Islamabad in securing an early disbursement of $1.2 billion in funds under an International Monetary Fund loan programme.
On the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, sources from the US and Pakistan said that the army chief called US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier in the week.
At the staff level, Pakistan and the IMF agreed to release the funds to support the country’s fragile economy. A $1.2 billion disbursement, which is anticipated for August, will be made possible by the staff-level agreement.
Steam now supports Nintendo classic controllers for Switch Online, according to Wednesday’s update notes for the PC gaming platform. Players can use NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis controllers made for Nintendo’s service, The Verge confirmed.
Switch Online subscribers are the only people who can purchase the new controllers, according to The Verge. While the NES and SNES ones are available, the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis controllers are out of stock.
12-month membership of Switch Online costs $20 and offers a catalog of Nintendo and Sega retro games. Switch owners need a subscription for the service to play online with games such as Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, and Monster Hunter Rise.
Jonas Vingegaard received a hero’s welcome from thousands of fans as he returned to his village home on Thursday following his Tour de France triumph.
Over 20,000 people packed the village of Glyngore, nestled on the edge of a fjord which normally has a population of just 1,400, to greet the rider who lives there with his wife Trine and daughter Frida.
Tens of thousands had also greeted the rider on Wednesday in Copenhagen three days after he became the second Dane to win the Tour de France after a gruelling race which started in his native Denmark.
“A thousand thanks for supporting me for four weeks. It’s very touching that so many people have come,” the 25-year-old said from the podium.
For a time wearing a horned helmet in Danish colours, the Jumbo Visma rider was driven through the streets in Copenhagen, high-fiving fans.
Many had driven for hours to see him, like Annette Anker, who with her family cut short their holidays in Croatia to be there.
“It’s once in a lifetime. It’s really an event and a celebration for everyone in Denmark,” she told Danish television TV2.#photo1
The second Dane to win the Grande Boucle after Bjarne Riis in 1996, the Jumbo-Visma cyclist was born and raised in Hillerslev, a village of 370 inhabitants on the shores of the North Sea, about 50km north of Glencore.
The Scandinavian climbing specialist won the Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday after dominating Slovenian favourite Tadej Pogacar, the two-time defending champion.
World champion Max Verstappen conceded on Thursday that he feels wary about his prospects at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix where Red Bull has not won since 2014.
Despite enjoying a lead of 63 points over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, the 24-year-old Dutchman said he was mindful of his team’s record at the twisty Hungaroring circuit in recent years.
Verstappen enjoyed a crushing victory after Leclerc crashed out of the lead at last weekend’s French Grand Prix.
“I really enjoy driving here as it’s a bit like driving on a go-kart track and it has a very technical second sector which I like,” he said.
“But it’s difficult to say how I think we will perform this weekend – it’s not our strongest track. Of course, I want a good result so we will try everything we can to win as a team.”
Daniel Ricciardo, now with McLaren, won the 2014 race when Sebastian Vettel, who started second on the grid, ended up finishing seventh for Red Bull.
On Thursday, four-time world champion Vettel announced his intention to retire at the end of this season, prompting warm tributes from his colleagues in the paddock and pit lane.
Verstappen has not won in Hungary in five attempts –- twice finishing second and one-fifth.
He admitted he is looking forward to Formula One’s annual August holidays.
“I’m looking forward to the summer break and hopefully the team can get time to recover so we can make a strong start to the second half of the season,” he said.
He paid a rich tribute to four-time champion Vettel who won in Hungary for Ferrari in 2017 when Verstappen finished fifth.
“At the end of the day, he has achieved so much in this sport that it’s fully understandable for him to retire,” he said.
“I think he’s had an amazing career. He’s won a lot of races, and a lot of championships as well. And of course, he’s a great ambassador for the sport.
“So to see him go, it’s something you can see coming, everyone is getting older and whatever it is, retiring.
“And it’s, of course, never nice when that moment arrives, especially for Seb’s fans, but these things happen.
“Now, it’s important that he’s just got to enjoy his life with the family because everyone has such a short period of time in your life that you work so hard to achieve all these things he has achieved.”
The four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian has announced he will retire at the end of this season. The 35-year-old admitted that his concerns over the climate emergency and F1’s role as a contributor to the problem played a part in his decision-making process and that he was “scared” of what the future might hold for him.
Vettel is currently driving for Aston Martin and made his F1 debut in 2007. He became the sport’s youngest world champion when he took his first title at 23 years and 134 days old and has amassed 53 wins. He took four consecutive titles for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
In recent years, Vettel has been increasingly outspoken on environmental and social issues. He has of late expressed his ambivalence at competing in F1, a sport that has an enormous carbon footprint because of the air travel involved.
He noted a combination of factors had inspired his decision, including wanting to spend more time with his family and to be with his three children as they grow up, but also an interest in other issues outside F1 that had become of increasing importance to him. “I know how intense this job is and how much dedication goes into this and if you do this I am convinced you to have to do it the right way,” he said in Budapest before this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. “But also physically time away from home, from kids and family. I have [also] grown other interests and views and I can’t ignore these voices.” He has been vocal on environmental issues in the past and specifically cited the climate emergency as a factor in making his mind up.
“Obviously, traveling the world, racing cars, and burning resources, literally, are things that I cannot look away from,” he said. “Once I think you see these things and you are aware, I don’t think you can really unsee it. When it comes to the climate crisis, there is no way that F1 or any sport or business can avoid it, because it impacts all of us. Maybe it’ll be pushed back or be quieter, but it’s only a matter of time – that we don’t have.”
Vettel has enjoyed an impressive career, having made an instant impact with a remarkable win for Toro Rosso at Monza in only his second season, but success has largely eluded him in recent years. After winning his four titles he joined Ferrari in 2015 and was challenged for the championship twice with the Scuderia in 2017 and 2018 but was beaten both times by Lewis Hamilton.
DUBAI: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has contracted coronavirus in Dubai and has quarantined himself.
Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto confirmed the news about his father in a tweet posted on Thursday.
President Zardari tested positive for Covid, according to Bilawal. He is receiving therapy, is isolated with mild symptoms, fully immunized, and boosted.
According to Bilawal, his family and he are praying for his quick recovery.
Covid has been detected in President Zardari. He is receiving therapy, is isolated with mild symptoms, fully immunized, and boosted. We are asking for God to speed up his healing.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 28, 2022
Asif Zardari had gone to Dubai a few days ago to celebrate his birthday with his grandson, Bakhtawar’s son.
New Delhi: A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed Friday evening near Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, killing the pilot Wing Commander Harshit Sinha. Confirming the news, the official handle of the Air Force tweeted, “This evening (Friday), around 8:30 pm, a MiG-21 aircraft of IAF met with a flying accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Further details are awaited. An inquiry is being ordered.”
The aircraft crashed in the Desert National Park area under the Sam police station, Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh told news agency PTI. The SP said local police reached the spot and he is also on the way to the crash site. Several MiG-21 crashes have been reported this year alone. The aircraft has been dubbed “flying coffin” as it makes news regularly for crashes. From 1971 to April 2012, as many as 482 MiG aircraft have met with accidents, killing 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel, and one aircrew, the government had told Parliament in May 2012. “The causes of accidents were both human error and technical defects,” the government had said
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s upcoming film Brahmastra has received a lot of attention lately due to its song ‘Kesariya’, which featured the much mocked phrase “love storiyan” but also for copying Pakistani band Call’s ‘Laree Chootee’. While promoting her film Darlings, Bhatt addressed the criticism and said it’s “great” that two words even got attention and claimed their song has dethroned Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s ‘Pasoori’.
Bhatt was also asked about ‘Kesariya’ being criticised for including the phrase “love storiyan”.
“I don’t think people are having issues with the song. I think it’s great. I think it’s lovely that there is so much given to even two words in a song. I think there was so much anticipation with the song that the ones who weren’t liking those two words just wanted the song to be so perfect,”
In her opinion, if people are having issue with it, it’s fine. She said that in a conversation with Ayan Mukerji, the director of Brahmastra, she asked if he could believe that the song itself has amassed more views than their trailer and has gotten a lot of attention.
“Like we dethroned, which I want to say very proudly, ‘Pasoori’ which is one of my favourite songs but it’s been number one for 85 days and ‘Kesariya’ went straight to number one. I proudly want to scream on the rooftop and say this because any kind of attention to a creative unit, good bad, is attention at the end of the day and it adds on people knowing more on the film that’s about to release and it just shows that they care that much.”
Pakistan has demanded an inspection schedule of contentious river water projects from India, sources said on Thursday.
Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner in a telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart AK Pal has demanded an inspection schedule of the disputed Indian water projects.
According to sources, the Indus water commissioner has demanded an inspection of under construction Kiru and Ratle Hydroelectric Power projects. Pakistan had earlier expressed reservations over the designs of Kiru and Ratle power projects on Chenab.
Pakistan’s water official has also demanded an inspection of the dams being built over the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi, sources said.
The water commissioner has urged for a schedule of inspection of Bhakra Dam on Sutlej and Pong Dam on Beas. Pakistani water officials also want to visit Teen Dam and Ferozpur Headworks on the Ravi river, according to sources.
The Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers in the east are given to India for unrestricted use by the Indus water treaty of 1960, while the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers in the west belong to Pakistan.
In accordance with certain design requirements, New Delhi has the right to produce hydroelectricity through run-of-the-river projects on the three western rivers.
According to the treaty, Pakistan may protest the layout of Indian hydropower projects on western rivers.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling on the election of Punjab chief minister, paving the way for PTI’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to ascend to the throne in the country’s political heartland.
In the conclusion to a hearing that has gripped the country for the past four days, a three-member bench, comprising of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, declared PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz’s election null and void. By virtue of the order, Shehbaz lost his status of the “trustee” chief minister. All the advisers and assistants appointed by Shehbaz were also ordered to be relieved of their duties.
Now, celebrities are expressing their joy over the much-awaited declaration. While some joined in the meme-fest to take a jibe at Shehbaz, others put up congratulatory messages for Elahi and Pakistanis who had been rallying behind him and the ousted PM Imran Khan.
Actor Osman Khalid Butt shared snippets of the song Elahi from Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani to partake in the celebration.
Chupke Chupke actor and comedian Arsalan Naseer had a suggestion for Shehbaz. “Hamza bhai, tension ki koi baat nae hai. Office ko andar se kundi lagaden. (No need to fret, brother. Just lock the office doors from the inside). In another rather hilarious tweet he asked, “Hamza Shehbaz bro, since you don’t need the sherwani anymore, can I have it? Might need it to a valima function.” Teefa in Trouble star Maya Ali declared in an Insta Story that the “wait was worth it.” She added, “This is a great decision for Pakistan. [I] couldn’t be [happier].”
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against a tax on the income of diplomats posted abroad after the foreign ministry officials took a strong exception against it.
According to sources privy to the matter, the foreign minister had to write a letter to the prime minister after the foreign ministry officials expressed their strong reservations against it.
Due to the introduction of the new tax, they claimed that even diplomats had not received their pay from the previous month.
According to the letter, this is the first time a tax has been levied on foreign ministry employees who are assigned abroad. It claimed that the implementation of the foreign allowance tax will cause financial difficulties for diplomats.
In his letter, Bilawal Bhutto complained that the government had taxed salaries rather than raising wages. He added that the levy had been implemented without consulting the foreign ministry.
PM Shehbaz Sharif was requested by the foreign ministry to reconsider his choice about the foreign allowance tax.
Kate Middleton and Prince William are looking to re-establish their fanbase in US.
The Cambridge couple, that massively attracted Americans around the time of their marriage, lost popularity as their marriage “fell into a stable groove”
The popularity of The Firm was regained with Meghan Markle’s entry into the family.
Meghan Markle pal and columnist Omid Scobie says: “Though the US has long been fascinated with British royalty, interest in ‘The Firm’ was massively renewed when one of the country’s own married into the House of Windsor in 2018.
“The story of Meghan’s journey as a royal (and all things related to it) still accounts for the majority of royal coverage in the US.”
To counter this, Prince William is planning to get back his lost limelight in America. With this year’s Earthshot Prize Awards being held in Boston, the future King intends to renew his presence in the country.
A source told Mr Scobie: “William is keen for his work to be seen and have impact outside of the UK and the royal bubble. The charitable landscape in America is huge and he wants to have a presence.
Ayeza Khan has proved from time to time that she is a star fashionista and impeccable performer as she effortlessly dabbles in versatile roles on-screen.
Apart from her films, the Laapata star is quite a globe trotter and her enthralling Instagram feed is proof of her adventures and family vacation sneak peeks.
Turning to Instagram, the 30-year-old actor shared stunning portraits of her fun-filled getaway to USA with husband Danish Taimoor and kids Hoorain and Rayan.
Her latest enchanting video is winning hearts on social media, in particular, the video where Khan’s daredevil side shows as she jumps on a water slide. “”Go with the flowwww”, captioned the Meray Paas Tum Hou actor. On the work front, Ayeza Khan had been praised for her performance in the Ramadan drama serial Chaudhry and Sons opposite Imran Ashraf.
ISLAMABAD: The next 24 hours are likely to bring further rain, wind, and thundershowers to Sindh, Balochistan, upper and central Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Kashmir, higher Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and north-eastern Baluchistan, isolated heavy falls are expected.
Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning: Islamabad and Muzaffarabad twenty-four degree centigrade, Lahore and Karachi twenty-seven, Peshawar twenty-nine, Quetta twenty-one, Gilgit twenty-three, and Murree seventeen degree centigrade.
According to Met Office forecast for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy weather with chances of rain with wind and thundershower is expected in Srinagar, Pulwama and Shopian and partly cloudy with chances of rain with wind and thundershower in Jammu, Anantnag and Baramulla while partly cloudy in Leh.
Temperature recorded this morning: Srinagar, Pulwama and Baramulla nineteen degree centigrade, Jammu twenty, Leh twelve and Anantnag and Shopian eighteen degree centigrade.
KARACHI: Haleem Adil Sheikh, the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly and a member of the PTI, was detained by a team from the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) in Jamshoro. Details indicate that Haleem Adil Sheikh went to a Jamshoro anti-corruption court to appear before it, but the ACE squad detained him outside the building.
An associate of the PTI leader who was with him during his detention claimed that he had gone to the court to submit his reply on the case. He claimed, “We went to join the investigation, but they arrested him in another case recorded against him. He continued by saying that Haleem Adil is currently being held at a police station and that the police have shown them a letter from East Karachi’s anti-corruption organisation, on the basis of which the arrest was made. Sheikh had already been detained, and most recently, on July 6, he was taken into custody in the early hours while in Lahore.
According to Raja Azhar, persons in civilian clothes from a nearby hotel in Lahore were responsible for Haleem Adil Sheikh’s arrest while the Dolphin police team was present. He claimed, “We kept asking them where they were taking him, but they wouldn’t answer. He revealed that the opposition leader’s home in Karachi had been searched by the police three days earlier. He claimed that the PPP was upset with the opposition leader and sought to have him arrested on fabricated accusations. However, he was ultimately freed after the Lahore High Court mandated that he be promptly released from police custody.
LAHORE: Sibtain Khan, an MPA and the opposition leader in the Punjab Legislature, has been chosen by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to succeed Parvez Elahi as speaker of the assembly. The decision was made, according Pakistani sources, by PTI Chairman Imran Khan and was also communicated to freshly elected CM of Punjab Parvez Elahi, who remained the assembly’s final speaker. They claimed that during their meeting at Bani Gala today, the two discussed several names and settled on Sibtain Khan.
Additionally, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to file a no-trust motion against Dost Muhammad Mazari, the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly. According to sources, Wasiq Qayyum and Malik Taimur are candidates for the job of deputy speaker of the PA. It was also claimed that a number of candidates, including Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Aslam Iqbal, Zain Qureshi, and Usman Buzdar, were being considered for the role of Punjab Assembly speaker.
It should be remembered that a three-member Supreme Court bench today ruled that Pervez Elahi will replace Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari as the new chief minister of the province and deemed Mazari’s decision in the Punjab Chief Minister election to be “illegal.” After the governor of Punjab declined to swear him in, he later accepted the oath of office from President Arif Alvi.
LAHORE: There will initially be 25 members of the Punjab government, which Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will lead as provincial chief minister, it was learned on Wednesday.
Names of Raja Basharat, Sibtain Khan, Usman Buzdar, Yasmin Rashid, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Shahabuddin Seharr, Ghazanfar Abbas Cheena, Taimur Bhatti, Faisal Cheema, Rafaqat Gilani, Murad Raas, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Ali Afzal Sahi, Zain Qureshi, Aslam Iqbal, Rana Shehbaz, Saifuddin Khosa, Raja Humayun Yasir and Rashid Hafeez are under consideration for different ministerial portfolios.
For the position of Punjab Assembly speaker, however, Mehmoodur Rasheed and Sibtain Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) are making the rounds. On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was the legitimate winner of the Punjab chief minister election and quashed the deputy speaker of the provincial assembly’s decision to deduct 10 votes from the 186 votes he received from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MPAs who supported him.
PESHAWAR: The KP Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Sardar Faisal Amin Gandapur has said that Supreme Court has saved the mandate of the people of Punjab from usurpation after the historic verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan on voting in the Punjab Assembly and proved to the nation that there’ll be supremacy of justice in Pakistan. He was talking to PTI workers, elite from different walks of life, Insaf Lawyers Forum and like-minded lawyers who came to congratulate him at his Hujra in Dera Ismail Khan.
The provincial minister said that Imran Khan deserved to be all congratulated for awakening the political consciousness of the people and creating an atmosphere of freedom from slavery of alien agents. He said that N-League always came to power through backdoors and then sacrificed public interest for personal gains. “In the name of inflation, it formed the government of corrupt group of 14 parties and replaced Imran Khan’s welfare government with a criminal’s regime but in three months it sank the economy and instead gave waiver to their corruption cases worth billions of rupees.
The Minister said that this imported government of political criminals tried to repeat the same process in the Punjab Assembly and if the Supreme Court did not stop them from bleeding public mandate and aspirations, it would then had to face public anger. Faisal Amin Gandapur said that these political robbers, who stole the mandate of the people by dint of conspiracies and money, could not stand long before the tsunami of the people and will soon be forced to hold general elections. He said that Imran Khan has created the awareness of freedom from these political robbers and foreign slaves in the nation, so the people will soon get rid of them, he concluded.
LAHORE: A delegation of businessmen associated with various industries led by well-known businessman and social personality Mian Saeed Derewale called on Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman today at Governor House Lahore. The delegation included Mian Kaleem Saeed, Mian Zaeem Anwar, Mian Azhar Anwar and others. During the meeting, the delegation apprised the Governor of Punjab about the various problems faced by them.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that the dream of development cannot be fulfilled without bringing economic stability to the country, adding that the entire attention of the leadership of Muslim League (N) is focused on the improvement and development of the economy. He said that despite all the difficulties, the government is trying to provide not only the basic needs of the people, but many steps are being taken to control inflation. He said that entrepreneurs are playing an important role in the social and economic development of the country.
The Governor of Punjab said that the business community has served the country and the people in every difficult time. He said that service to suffering humanity is an act of worship. He said the passion with which the business community actively participated in welfare work during Corona is praiseworthy. He said that Governor House will always lend support in the welfare work of business community. He assured the delegation of playing his role in solving the problems faced by the business community.
Lahore: Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi expressed his deep sense of sorrow and grief over the human and financial loss due to flood in Rajanpur. CM directed Commissioner DG Khan to oversee the relief activities and all possible assistance should be provided to the flood affectees.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi directed to ensure provision of food to the affectees and medical aid should also be provided to them. He further directed to make arrangements to provide fodder to the livestock as well. CM sought a report from Commissioner DG Khan about the human and financial loss. CM directed to estimate the damages which occurred to the fields, houses and other properties and submit a comprehensive report in this regard.
KARACHI: Gold prices rose to a new record high of Rs162,500 per tola on Thursday, following a single-day high rise of Rs10,500, as investors sought a safe haven after a weakening currency and bleak economic data highlighted the slowing pace of growth.
Gold prices rise
According to data released by the All Sindh Saraf and Jewellers Association (ASSJA), the price of gold, which is considered a safe haven, has risen from Rs9,003 per 10 grammes in the local market to Rs139,318.
With today’s increase of Rs10,500 per tola, the gold price has risen by a whopping Rs17,500 in the previous seven sessions.
Although gold prices in Pakistan reached an all-time high, the association claimed that they were still below cost. In comparison to Dubai, the price of gold is Rs7,000 less per tola.
To keep in mind the prices at which trades between buyers and sellers occurred, the most recent price for local markets was chosen.
The president of the ASSJA, Haji Haroon Chand, bemoaned the fact that the government’s imposition of fixed taxes on gold dealers is making their problems worse and that their businesses are suffering as a result of a lack of purchasing power in a video message.
The bullion price has been rising for a number of days. In addition, the US dollar is getting stronger all over the world. Additionally, the value of the local currency has fallen further against the US dollar.
After US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell hinted the central bank might slow the pace of rate hikes in the upcoming months, bullion prices dropped by $29 per ounce to settle at $1,750 on the global market.
In the meantime, domestic silver prices increased by Rs. 30 per tola and Rs. 25.72 per 10 grammes, respectively, to settle at Rs. 1,630 per tola and Rs. 1,397.46 per 10 grammes today.
