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  • Brazil-Argentina match: Police storm field to arrest players for Covid violation

    Brazil-Argentina match: Police storm field to arrest players for Covid violation

    The World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was suspended on Sunday due to four English Premier League players who allegedly ‘lied’ on documents they filled out on entry to the country.

    The players were Tottenham pair of Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero and Aston Villa duo Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez.

    The players are said to have reported for international duty with Argentina but things were stopped due to a row over falsified Covid-19 documents.

    As per the Daily Mirror, the Brazil government, FIFA and Conmebol had struck an agreement that the mentioned players would be allowed onto the field to take part in the match.

    But just minutes into the match, officials from Brazilian health authority Anvisa stormed the pitch with police officers and demanded that the match be stopped until the four players were off the field and detained.

    “By decision of the match referee, the match organised by FIFA between Brazil and Argentina for the World Cup Qualifiers is suspended,” South American football governing body CONMEBOL tweeted.

    “The referee and the match commissioner will submit a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the steps to be followed. These procedures strictly adhere to current regulations.”

    “The World Cup Qualifiers is a FIFA competition. All decisions concerning its organisation and development are the exclusive power of that institution.”

  • Defence Day: Pakistani leaders pay tribute to martyrs

    Defence Day: Pakistani leaders pay tribute to martyrs

    Pakistan paid a befitting tribute to the country’s armed forces, as it observed Defence Day with traditional spirit and enthusiasm.

    This year’s Defence and Martyrs’ Day theme is “Our martyrs our pride, a salute to all the relatives belonging to Ghazis and Shaheeds.”

    The day began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

    In his message on Defence Day, President Arif Alvi vowed that Pakistan would never compromise its integrity.

    “Today we are actively fighting a hybrid war being waged against us. I commend the security agencies for their relentless efforts towards exposing the enemy carrying out covert activities,” he added.

    “We stand by the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for the right to self-determination guaranteed under the UN Security Council resolutions,” said the president.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the Pakistan Army. “The Armed Forces must fight the enemy with unparalleled fearlessness in the world. Our brave officers, soldiers, pilots, and sailors have proved to the world that they are always ready to defend every inch of the homeland. Even if they have to pay a price for it.”

    Stressing the need for peace, PM Khan wrote, “On this occasion, I want to make it clear once again that our desire for peace should never be seen as our weakness, but should be answered in the same positive way for the prosperity and betterment of the people of the region.”

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and said, “Today the people & armed forces of Pakistan came together to defend their motherland against the Indian military aggression.”

    “We will always remember the sacrifices of our brave soldiers!”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the sacrifices of the martyrs, the unwavering determination of the soldiers, and the invincible unity of the people of Pakistan is our strength and the guarantee of our bright future.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, paying a tribute to the families of our martyrs, tweeted, “Today, in the names of martyrs.”

    Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari tweeted, “Today is a day to remember & pay our respects to our martyrs esp the soldiers for whom there’s not to reason why and the families they leave behind.”

    PPP leader Sherry Rehman tweeted, “On this #DefenceDay, we pay tribute to our valiant heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect our country and people. We forever owe their families a forever debt.”

  • Dubai-based Pakistani awarded 50,000 dirhams for saving pregnant cat

    Atif Mehmood, a Pakistani salesman based in Dubai, saved a  pregnant cat stuck on the second-floor balcony of a residential building in Deira, the commercial hub of Dubai.

    Atif, along with a Moroccan and an Indian man, spread a bedsheet and caught the cat after it jumped from the second floor.

    The video shows the three men holding up the bedsheet for the cat, who initially hesitates, but then jumps into it and is saved.

    Viewed over 1.1 million times, the video caught the eye of the ruler of Dubai who took to Twitter and asked people to help identify the “unsung heroes” so he could thank them.

    “I got a call from the police and someone asked me, ‘Did you save a cat?’,” Mehmood told Arab News. “I got scared and said yes, I did, and then they asked me to visit the police station.”

    Read More: Diner leaves $10,000 tip to reward employees’ services

    He said he entered the police station to cheers and applause. Three days later, he was told he had been awarded AED50,000 (Rs 2,172,833) by the Dubai government.

    “I did not believe it at first,” he said, “but it has become a reality.”

    Mehmood, who is single, has already spent most of the reward money to buy a car for his father and help out his brother. He now plans to use the rest of the cash to try to set up a business in Dubai

  • ‘Don’t call us terrorists and extremists,’ TTP issues warning to Pak media

    ‘Don’t call us terrorists and extremists,’ TTP issues warning to Pak media

    “You call us terrorists and extremists, which shows your bias…stop it or you will be responsible for making enemies,” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said in a statement addressed to the Pakistani media and journalists.

    “It discredits your profession, so from now on, call us by our name, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,” read the statement.

    “If you fail to do so, you will not only be doing injustice to your profession but will be responsible for making enemies,” the statement further added.

    Twitter reacted to the TTP statement.

    Journalist Azaz Syed wrote, “#TTP issues a latest threat to media in #Pakistan.”

    Journalist Ziyad Faisal wrote, “Notification rejected. My desk will refer to TTP as ‘the banned/outlawed TTP’ & to their activities as ‘terrorist attacks’ – & nothing will ever change that.”

    Four personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) were martyred and 21 others injured in a suicide bombing at a convoy on Quetta-Mastung road on Sunday in Balochistan.

    TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released to CNN.

  • VIDEO: Amna Ilyas opens up on backlash for viral video, apologises

    VIDEO: Amna Ilyas opens up on backlash for viral video, apologises

    Amna Ilyas has clarified her stance after backlash on her viral video. The Kaffara actor became part of a serious controversy when she uploaded a video on her Instagram account in which she was kicking off an apple that was placed on a boy’s head.

    Ilyas’s “Kick-off Challenge Gone Wrong” video received a lot of backlash from prominent celebrities.

    As a response, Amna has shared a video in which she clarified her actions and also apologised for disrespecting a food item.

    The boy in the video was Nigel Gill who is her own nephew. In the first part of the video, Nigel gave clarification and in the last part, the Janam Jali actor accepted that she shouldn’t have disrespected the food. Also, she accepted that the video was in bad taste.

    Netizens are trolling the Baaji diva again for the video.

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  • Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    “I honestly don’t know when I am going to play my next tennis match,” announced defending US Champion Naomi Osaka at her news conference after a shocking loss to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez from Canada. Osaka broke down during the news conference after making this announcement.

    “I think I am gonna take a break from playing for a while,” added Osaka.

    “I feel like for me, recently, like when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” Osaka said earlier in the post-match news conference. “I don’t think that’s normal.”

    Just a few months ago, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after revealing she has struggled with her mental health since first becoming a Grand Slam champion in 2018. Osaka announced her withdrawal from Roland Garros a day after she was fined $15,000 by the French Open and warned that she could face expulsion from the tournament, following her decision not to speak with the press during the tournament.

    The 23-year-old World Number 3 also missed Wimbledon before returning to tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the flame at the opening ceremony.

  • Misbah, Waqar resign from coaching positions ahead of T20 World Cup

    Misbah, Waqar resign from coaching positions ahead of T20 World Cup

    Pakistan men’s national cricket team head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles, announced the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday.

    According to a press release issued by the PCB, the two coaches communicated their decisions to the PCB late Monday morning.

    With the New Zealand side due to arrive on September 11 for three ODI and five T20I series and the Pakistan side to assemble in Islamabad on September 8, the PCB has appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the series, with the team management for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be appointed in due course.

    As per PCB’s press release, former captain Misbah said: “The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead. Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role.”

    “I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don’t think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step-in and take the side forward,” said Misbah.

    “The past 24 months have been thoroughly enjoyable and I want to thank my team and the management for their support. I wish the Pakistan cricket team best of luck in the upcoming events and will continue to support them every time they will take the field to represent Pakistan.”

    While Waqar said: “After Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together.”

    “Working with the Pakistan bowlers, including the youngsters, has been most satisfying as they have now started to show progress. Bio-secure environments in the past 16 months have had their impact, something we had never experienced during our playing days,” he added.

    “The next eight months will be busy and exciting for the Pakistan team and, like in the past, I will continue to back and cheer them. I want to thank each and every member of the Pakistan cricket team set-up as we stayed united in good and bad days, and hope there will be more brighter days ahead,” said Waqar.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “The PCB understands and respects Misbah’s decision. Cricket in this unprecedented bio-secure world has not been easy for anyone and Misbah has clearly taken into account the intense six months of non-stop cricket ahead. In the past 24 months, Misbah has given his very best to the team and we wish him well in his future endeavours”.

    “It has been an honourable decision by Waqar and we thank him sincerely for his immense work and commitment over the past two years and wish him the very best in the future,” said Khan.

    “Both Misbah and Waqar have given so much to Pakistan cricket over a long period of time and for that they deserve a huge amount of respect.”

    He further said: “Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq have been appointed as interim coaches for the New Zealand series. Saqlain is the Head of International Player Development at the National High Performance Centre, while Abdul Razzaq’s domestic side won three titles in the 2020-21 season.”

    “Both Saqlain and Razzaq are ready to step-up and are very much looking forward to making important contributions in their coaching roles against New Zealand,” he added.

    Misbah and Waqar were appointed in September 2019 and still had a year each left in their contracts.

  • Taliban stop at least four planes from leaving Afghanistan: Report

    Taliban stop at least four planes from leaving Afghanistan: Report

    At least four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people trying to escape the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan have not been successful in leaving the country for days, reported TIME.

    Contradictory reports are emerging about why the flights weren’t able to take off as pressure builds upon the United States (US) to help those left behind to flee.

    An Afghan official at the  Mazar-e-Sharif airport said that the would-be passengers were Afghans, many of whom did not have passports or visas, and thus were unable to leave the country. He said they had left the airport while the situation was sorted out.

    Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif also said the passengers were no longer at the airport. At least 10 families were seen at a local hotel waiting, they said, for a decision on their fates. None of them had passports or visas but said they had worked for companies allied with the US or German military. 

    Republican Michael McCaul of Texas told Fox News Sunday that American citizens and Afghan interpreters were being kept on six planes.

    “The Taliban will not let them leave the airport,” he said, adding that he’s worried “they’re going to demand more and more, whether it be cash or legitimacy as the government of Afghanistan.” He did not offer more details.

    The US State Department has no reliable way to confirm information about such charter flights, including how many American citizens might be on them, since it no longer has people on the ground, according to a US official, reported AP.

  • Woman in Karachi fixes motorcycles to earn living

    Woman in Karachi fixes motorcycles to earn living

    A woman named Jameela fixes motorcycles to earn a living in Karachi, Shahjahan Khurram reported for Geo News.

    Jameela has set up a small shop near the popular Lakhpati Hotel where she sells and changes motorcycle engine oil for customers.

    “I have been doing this for the past 35 years,” she said. “I do it for my family — for roti, kapra and makaan,” she added.

    Jameela Khatoon said that her business is the only legacy of her deceased husband. Jameela’s husband died of cancer and she lost her adopted son to a disease, after which Jameela had to become the sole breadwinner of her house.

    Photo via Geo News

    She used to have six labourers at her shop to help her out.

    “But they wanted to take over my business by force. I could not let them do that,” she said

    The workers threatened her she would “die hungry” if she let them go.

    “I accepted their challenge and told them I will not let that happen. It is due to Allah’s will and His love for me that I am still earning my bread here.”

    Photo via Geo News

    Jameela Khatoon has to feed her four grandchildren and the widow of her adopted son.

    “Hum sab saath mein chalte hain (we do everything together),” she said.

    Life was easier when she had workers working for her. Now, she opens her shop at 10:30-11:00 am and works till midnight. Jameela Khatoon says people who come by to get their motorcycles serviced always treat her with respect.

    “They all address me as khaala (aunt), amma (mother), aunty,” she says, but recalls that she faced catcalls and harassment when she was younger.

    “It doesn’t happen anymore,” she added.

    Read More: Woman in Lahore wears clown costume to earn living

    She says that shopkeepers nearby do not bother her.

    “I don’t need their support — I give support to them,” she says, adding that if something were to happen to them, she would “stand by them like a wall”.

    Jameela wants the government to support her financially to help her set up a bigger shop for her business.

    “I wish the government would give me a loan or provide me a shop where I can carry out my work in a better way,” she says. “A shop where I can sell spare parts and fix punctures.”

    “If the government is watching this video, then I hope it shakes their conscience a bit,” she says.

  • Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    Pakistan cricket selectors have named the 15-player squad for the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) against New Zealand and England, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

    The seven home T20Is in Lahore and Rawalpindi will be played from September 26 to October 14, while Pakistan will proceed to take on India in a battle of former champions in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on October 24.

    Domestic performers Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah have been drafted into the side to provide more firepower in the middle-order.

    The 15-player squad includes five batters (Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood), two wicketkeeper-batters (Azam Khan and Mohammad Rizwan), four all-rounders (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shadab Khan) and four fast bowlers (Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi).

    Travelling reserves are Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.

    Announcing the squad at a presser, Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim said: “While selecting the squad, we have tried to cover all our bases by catering for the modern day brand of T20 cricket that will be required to perform impressively in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This includes trusting the abilities, skills and experience of the players to perform in a high-pressure global tournament in conditions that are familiar to us, as well as looking at the teams we will play in Group-2 matches.”