Tag: UK

  • Zalmi owner to buy Chelsea Football Club: How much will it cost Javed Afridi?

    Zalmi owner to buy Chelsea Football Club: How much will it cost Javed Afridi?

    Pakistani businessman and Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) Team Peshawar Zalmi Owner Javed Afridi is reportedly interested in buying Chelsea Football Club which costs more than seven billion dollars.

    The current owner of Chelsea Roman Abramovich who is a Russian billionaire said he would sell the football club for $7.35 billion and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.

    Abramovich, who had bought the club in 2003 put the club up for sale after receiving pressure over his position amid Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

    Khaleej Times reported that Afridi met with a sports and legal agency in the United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday, reportedly to consult on buying the club. However, negotiations are underway.

    Besides Afridi, who also has stakes in Morris Garages (MG) Motors and Haier Pakistan, there are several other investors who are interested in buying one of the biggest and most famous football clubs in the world.

    Chelsea has won five Premier League titles and Football Association Challenge Cup (FA) Cup Trophies and won the Champions League twice.

  • After Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth tests positive for Covid-19

    The United Kingdom’s (UK) Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, said the Buckingham Palace.

    According to the Palace, the 95-year-old monarch is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms”.

    It was confirmed she had been in direct contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, who himself tested positive for the virus last week.

    Previously, it was confirmed that the Queen is fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

    The news came forward only a few weeks after the Queen reached her platinum jubilee of 70 years on the throne on February 6.

    Following the announcement, well wishes from the public and politicians started coming in.

    British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson said, “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.”

    Labour Party’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted, “The commitment Her Majesty the Queen has shown to our country continues to be unwavering. Wishing her a swift and safe recovery from Covid-19.”

  • PML-N Ishaq Dar appeals to take Senate oath virtually from UK

    PML-N Ishaq Dar appeals to take Senate oath virtually from UK

    Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) senior leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar has reportedly written a letter to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in which he expressed his willingness to take his oath as a member of Senate “virtually” from the United Kingdom (UK) due to his illness, states Dawn.

    The letter, dated February 2nd reads, “It is requested that arrangements may please be made to enable me [Dar] to take the required oath, virtually, through any electronic mode as you may deem convenient; the same being within the applicable legal framework and being used by the apex court of Pakistan.”

    The former finance minister attached his medical report along with his appeal. He stated that because of his “prolonged illness and ongoing medical treatment” in the UK, he cannot return to Pakistan to take the oath in person.

    In 2018, following the elections, Dar’s rival candidate, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ‘s (PTI) Nawazish Ali Pirzada, approached the Supreme Court (SC) against Dar’s selection as a senator. At the time, the top court suspended the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) notification, which declared the PML-N leader’s victory. However, on January 10, the SC gave its verdict in favour of Dar.

    Dar has been living in London since 2017 (before the 2018 general elections). He went there at a time when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was dealing with a corruption case against him.

  • UK lifts restrictions on face masks, Covid passports

    UK lifts restrictions on face masks, Covid passports

    The Prime Minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson announced that the government will lift restrictions on face masks and covid passports from next Thursday, January 27, 2022.

    The Prime Minister also urged citizens to continuously follow precautionary measures to keep themselves away from the virus.

    He added that this decision should be considered as a “finish line” because the virus and its variants cannot be eradicated and instead, “we must learn to live with Covid in the same way we live with flu,” he said.

    The following restrictions are ending from next Thursday which was introduced in December last year.

    1. Compulsory Covid passports for allowing entrance to nightclubs and other bigger events would end though some organisations could ask for NHS covid pass if they want.
    2. Citizens can return to offices after discussion with their employers, they can no longer be suggested to work from home.
    3. Face masks are not compulsory but it is highly recommended to wear face masks in crowded and enclosed public places.
    4. Secondary school pupils will no longer wear face masks in classrooms and the advisory for using communal areas would be abolished soon.

    The orders for easing travel rules and visiting care homes will be announced in the coming days.

    PM Johnson also shared that the government intended to remove the requirement for covid positive people of being self-quarantined with some guidance and advice.

    The current directives for self-isolation will end by March 24th this year.

    The United Kingdom recorded new cases of 108,069 which is a high rate of infections on a daily basis. 359 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Wednesday.

    Nearly 37 million boosters have been given across the UK so far.

  • UK asked to probe Indian army chief, home minister over alleged war crimes in occupied Kashmir

    UK asked to probe Indian army chief, home minister over alleged war crimes in occupied Kashmir

    A London-based law firm has filed an application with the British police seeking the arrest of India’s army chief and a senior Indian government official over their alleged roles in war crimes in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, reports TRT World.

    Law firm Stoke White said on Tuesday it submitted extensive evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit documenting how Indian troops headed by General Manoj Mukund Naravane and Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah were responsible for the torture, kidnapping, and killing of activists, journalists, and civilians.

    The law firm’s report was based on over 2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021. It also accused eight unnamed senior Indian military officials of direct involvement in war crimes and torture in Occupied Kashmir.

    “There is strong reason to believe that Indian authorities are conducting war crimes and other violence against civilians in [Indian-Occupied] Jammu and Kashmir,” the report stated.

    Hakan Camuz, director of international law at Stoke White, said he hoped the report would convince the British police to open an investigation and ultimately arrest the officials when they set foot in the United Kingdom (UK). Some of the Indian officials have financial assets and other links to Britain.

    “We are asking the UK government to do their duty and investigate and arrest them for what they did based on the evidence we supplied to them. We want them to be held accountable,” Camuz said.

    The police application was made on behalf of the family of Zia Mustafa, a jailed rebel fighter whom Camuz said was the victim of an extrajudicial killing by Indian authorities in 2021, and on behalf of human rights campaigner Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, who was allegedly tortured before his arrest last week.

    Human rights lawyers have increasingly used the universal jurisdiction principle to seek justice for people who were unable to file criminal complaints in their home countries or with the International Criminal Court, located in The Hague.

    Last week, a German court convicted a former Syrian secret police officer of crimes against humanity for overseeing the abuse of thousands of detainees at a jail near Damascus a decade ago.

    Camuz said he hoped the request to the British police seeking the arrest of Indian officials will be followed by other legal actions also focusing on Kashmir.

    “We are sure this is not going to be the last one, there will probably be many more applications,” he said.

  • Study shows masks make people look more attractive

    Study shows masks make people look more attractive

    Researchers at Cardiff University, Wales have released a study that found that both men and women are perceived as more attractive when they are wearing a mask, reports Guardian.

    Interestingly, similar studies before the pandemic had found that people wearing face masks are considered less attractive since people associate masks with diseases.

    “Our study suggests faces are considered most attractive when covered by medical face masks. This may be because we’re used to healthcare workers wearing blue masks and now we associate these with people in caring or medical professions,” Dr. Michael Lewis from Cardiff University said. “At a time when we feel vulnerable, we may find the wearing of medical masks reassuring and so feel more positive towards the wearer,” he added.

    The study also shows that a face covered with a disposable-type surgical mask is more appealing. During the test run by the institution, the participants said those wearing a cloth mask are significantly more attractive than the ones with no masks.

    Dr Lewis said it is also possible that masks made people more attractive because they direct attention to the eyes.

  • ‘Save me from arranged marriage’: Pakistani uses billboards to find wife

    ‘Save me from arranged marriage’: Pakistani uses billboards to find wife

    A United Kingdom (UK) bachelor Muhammad Malik has set up a website called ‘Findmalikawife.com’ and bought several advertising hoardings across Birmingham in order to find a wife.

    “Save me from an arranged marriage,” read the billboards, along with the link to his website.

    On the website, the Pakistani explains, “My ideal partner would be a Muslim woman in her 20s, who’s striving to better her deen (religion). I’m open to any ethnicity but I’ve got a loud Punjabi family so you would need to keep with the bants.”

    “I just haven’t found the right girl yet. It’s tough out there. I had to get a billboard to get seen!” he added.

    The 29-year-old told BBC, “I’m creative and love doing the most random and absurd things.” The billboards will stay up till January 14.

  • VIDEO: Plane with ‘Free Kashmir’ banner flies over UK football stadium

    VIDEO: Plane with ‘Free Kashmir’ banner flies over UK football stadium

    A plane carrying a “Free Kashmir, 2,500 days occupied” banner was seen during a football match in Manchester, leaving spectators surprised.

    The plane crossed the stadium during the Crystal Palace vs Manchester United match, which was taking place at the Old Trafford — a football stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.

    It is still not known as to who was flying the plane and why it carried the banner on Sunday.

    This was not the first time that such an incident has happened. Back in 2019, an aircraft towing a banner reading “Justice for Kashmir” had flown over the venue of the Cricket World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka at Headingley in Leeds, England. 

    Following the incident, the Old Trafford stadium — which was to host India’s semifinal clash against New Zealand — was declared a “No Fly Zone” by the local authorities, the Indian Express reported.

  • Risk of New Variant Omicron, Pakistan imposes travel ban

    Risk of New Variant Omicron, Pakistan imposes travel ban

    The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has imposed a complete travel ban from red zone African countries and Hong Kong on Saturday evening after the emergence of a new Covid variant, Omicron.

    NCOC tweeted the notification in which six South African countries and Hong Kong are included in category C due to Omicron.

    A complete ban has been imposed on every direct and indirect flight with immediate effect.

    Earlier, the United Kingdom (UK) already imposed the travel ban from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini unless travellers are the UK or Irish nationals.

    Head of NCOC, Asad Umar took to Twitter to urge the people of Pakistan how important it is to get vaccinated.

     

  • ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    A private channel New Vision TV, the broadcaster of ARY UK, has issued an apology on air to the former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who is currently residing in London.

    In an apology aired by ARY UK, the channel said, “We unconditionally apologise to Ishaq Dar for the significant distress, upset and embarrassment which these broadcasts have caused him.”

    “Dar never managed the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), never impeded its work, nor did he do anything to protect anybody in any case including the alleged Chaudhry Sugar Mills case”.

    According to Dawn, the defamatory remarks were made in two news shows which were aired in 2019. A transcript of the Special Minister Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar’s claims on the show that Dar did not allow the FMU to function.  It was also alleged that Dar had taken these steps to protect individuals involved in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    Sources told Dawn that Dar issued proceedings against the channel in July 2020 and later served a claim in the UK High Court. In 2021, ARY UK made an offer for amends — a procedure in which a defendant in an action for defamation may make a written offer to publish an apology and pay damages. Acceptance of such an offer terminates defamation proceedings and parties settle the matter between themselves.

    Dar along with a restriction and an apology had claimed damages for libel of around 200,000 pounds.

    In a statement shared with Dawn, the former minister said, “I have never been involved in corruption or any unlawful activity and never used any influence against any institution. The allegations made by the pro-government media house and Shahzad Akbar were aimed at damaging my reputation but Allah SWT has been most kind and the TV channel has accepted in the UK judicial process that the allegations were fabricated, false and untrue. The TV channel has accepted that I was maligned and nothing wrong has been done by me.”