Israeli troops wound dozens on Gaza border as Palestinians bury dead from earlier violence

GAZA: Israeli troops shot and wounded about 70 Palestinians among crowds demonstrating at the Gaza-Israel border on Saturday, health officials said, after one of the deadliest days of unrest in the area in years.

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Gaza in funerals for the 15 people killed by Israeli gunfire on Friday, and a national day of mourning was observed in the enclave and in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel was responsible for the violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was protecting its sovereignty and citizens.

An Israeli military spokesman said he was checking the details of Saturday’s unrest. It broke out when Palestinians gathered on the border between the Hamas-run enclave and Israel then began throwing stones. Palestinian health officials said about 70 were wounded.

On Friday at least 15 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces confronting protesters. The military said some had shot at them, rolled burning tyres and hurled rocks and fire bombs toward troops across the border.

Hamas said five of them were members of its armed wing. Israel said eight of the 15 dead belonged to Hamas, designated a terrorist group by Israel and the West, and two others belonged to other militant groups.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered on Friday along the fenced 65-km (40-mile) frontier, where tents had been erected for a planned six-week protest pressing for a right of return for refugees and their descendents to what is now Israel.

But hundreds of Palestinian youths ignored calls from the organizers and the Israeli military to stay away from the frontier and violence broke out.

The protest, organized by Hamas and other Palestinian factions, is scheduled to culminate on May 15, the day Palestinians commemorate what they call the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe” when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out of their homes in 1948, when the state of Israel was created.

Israel has long ruled out any right of return, fearing an influx of Arabs that would wipe out its Jewish majority. It says refugees should resettle in a future state the Palestinians seek in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. Peace talks to that end have been frozen since 2014.

Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but still maintains tight control of its land and sea borders.

Egypt also keeps its border with Gaza largely closed.

Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said: “The message of the Palestinian people is clear. The Palestinian land will always belong to its legitimate owners and the occupation will be removed.”

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier-General Ronen Manelis said Hamas was using the protests as a guise to launch attacks against Israel and ignite the area. He said violence was likely to continue along the border until May 15.

“We won’t let this turn into a ping-pong zone where they perpetrate a terrorist act and we respond with pinpoint action. If this continues we will not have no choice but to respond inside the Gaza Strip,” Manelis told reporters.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into Friday’s bloodshed, and appealed for all sides to refrain from any actions that could lead to further casualties or put civilians in harm’s way.

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Pakistani flotilla in Saudi Arabia to participate in naval exercise Gulf Shield-1

ISLAMABAD: Two ships of Pakistan Navy PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS Himmat along with a ship of Pakistan Maritime Security Agency PMSS Bisol have arrived at Jubail Port of Saudi Arabia.

Upon arrival they were warmly received by the officers and soldiers of Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

Pakistani ships will participate in multinational joint exercise ‘Gulf Shield-1’ organized by Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

Pakistan Navy’s Special Services Group, Pak Marines, Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a P3C Orion aircraft will also take part in the drill.

Read More: First phase of Pak-Saudi joint naval exercise concludes

The ‘Gulf Shield-1’ joint drill is taking place in Eastern Region with participation of military forces from 23 countries as well as the Saudi Arabian forces. The drill aims at raising the military readiness of the participating countries, modernizing the joint mechanisms and enhancing coordination and cooperation.

During the exercise, observers from various countries will visit Pakistani flotilla.

This drill reflects strong bilateral defence ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

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Pakistan grateful as West Indies fly in for T20s

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed thanked the West Indies for touring the country, as the Caribbean side arrived in Karachi Saturday in the latest step towards the resumption of top-level cricket in the country.

The West Indies will become only the third international team to play a bilateral series on Pakistani soil since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

The 13-member team and staff arrived late Saturday in two groups and were ushered into a bullet proof bus to their hotel.

Some 1,000 policemen and paramilitary staff were deployed along their route to guard the team.

“We should thank… the West Indies cricket board and their team for the tour,” Pakistan skipper Ahmed said Saturday.

“I hope it will be a successful tour and when they go back they will tell players from other countries to come to Pakistan.”

Zimbabwe travelled to Lahore for five limited-overs matches in 2015 — the first since the 2009 attack.

That was followed by the final of the Pakistan Super League T20 tournament last year — also in Lahore — which featured several international players, including former West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

Soon after, there was a series against a World XI and a match against Sri Lanka — all T20s in Lahore.

The West Indies will play three T20s in as many days starting Sunday at National Stadium in Karachi — Pakistan’s largest city. This is the Caribbean side’s first tour of the country since 2006.

The venue is hosting international cricket for the first time in nine years. The PSL 2018 final was played at the National Stadium last Sunday, packed with 33,000 fans.

Ahmed was especially pleased with the return of cricket to his home city.

“I am also very excited as I last played an international game here in 2008 against India,” he said.”

“The credit goes to the whole nation and I hope they will see very good cricket.”

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Google employees organize to fight cyber bullying at work

SAN FRANCISCO: About 100 Google U.S. employees concerned about cyber bullying inside the company have organized into a group proposing new policies for conduct at the unit of Alphabet, five people involved in the effort said in recent interviews.

Three current employees and two others helping to organize the group said it formed last fall. They said that among its proposals, which have not previously been reported in detail, are that Google should tighten rules of conduct for internal forums and hire staff to enforce them.

They said they want to stop inflammatory conversations and personal attacks on the forums and see punishment for individuals who regularly derail discussions or leak conversations. The group also wants Google to list rights and responsibilities for accusers, defendants, managers and investigators in human resources cases.

The group also desires greater protection for employees targeted by what it views as insincere complaints to human resources used as a bullying tactic and goading.

Read More: Facebook helps children to fight cyber bullying in UK schools

The organizers said Google should be more attuned to when people seeking to stir animosity or expressing views opposite the company’s stated values try to take over discussions about race, gender and other sensitive subjects.

The group is speaking informally to mid-level executives, hoping they will take up the cause with senior management, organizers said. Self-described conservatives at Google have also raised their own concerns.

The split among Google employees reflects growing polarization across the United States since President Donald Trump was elected. Other companies and industries have also been hit by corporate scandals involving diversity and harassment.

Google counts on open dialogue to strengthen products and morale, and prides itself on fostering an environment in which subordinates can challenge managers. Debates about politics and science flow freely on its private, online discussion boards.

But discussions have become more hostile and abusive since an engineer on internal forums last summer wrote that women are biologically unsuited for technology jobs. Google fired the engineer, James Damore, for perpetuating stereotypes, sparking more heated conversations.

Organizers of the campaign said at least 100 employees have taken part in private and online discussions of potential fixes. But they also said Google may wait to change policies until recent lawsuits filed by Damore and others are resolved.

“My coworkers and I are having our right to a safe workplace being endangered,” said staff site reliability engineer Liz Fong-Jones, one of the lead organizers. She said employees experience stress and fear of physical reprisal when internal conversations are leaked to media, sometimes with writers’ names.

Google spokeswoman Gina Scigliano declined to comment on the proposals but said the company already limits what employees can say in the workplace.

“We enforce strong policies and work with affected employees to ensure everyone can do their work free of harassment, discrimination and bullying,” she said.

Matt Stone, a software engineer at Google who was on disability leave last year, said he returned in January to an “alien environment” in which protections for disabled and transgender individuals were up for debate.

“We’ve been taken under siege in a war we didn’t even know we’re in, a war we didn’t even want,” he said. “We want it to stop.”

Read More: Google pledges $300mn to ‘fight’ fake news

Two other employees said they have reduced posting on company forums out of fear of becoming bigger targets. It is not clear if the internal harassment debate has affected recruitment and retention of employees.

Fong-Jones said Google organizers nationwide have received leadership training and advice on media strategy and labor rights from online petition service Coworker.org, which has helped employees at Starbucks Corp and other companies lobby around workplace issues.

MUTUAL CONCERNS

Self-described conservatives at Google, who often clash with the organizing group, have made their own proposals, including asking the company to clarify forum rules and protect employees from retaliation, according to a wrongful termination lawsuit Damore filed in January.

Damore’s attorney, Harmeet Dhillon, said she spoke with current Google employees and believed an internal “witch hunt” targeting workers expressing unpopular viewpoints grew aggressive following Trump’s election in 2016.

“The reaction to Damore’s memo was not for its opponents to engage in dialogue or reason with him, but rather to leak his memo, attack him personally, and work to get him threatened and fired- casually, unhesitatingly, maliciously,” Dhillon said by email.

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Erdogan slams Israel for inhumane attack in Gaza

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday condemned Israel over inhumane attack in Gaza after Israeli forces killed 16 Palestinians participating in a major demonstration.

The bloodshed was carried out on Friday after tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip marched near the Israeli border.

Over 1,400 people were also wounded, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the Gazan health ministry said.

“I strongly condemn the Israeli government over its inhumane attack,” Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.

Read More: Israeli forces kill seven Palestinian protesters on Gaza border: Gaza medics

The protesters were demanding hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948 be allowed to return.

“Have you heard any noteworthy objections to the massacre by Israel that happened yesterday in Gaza from those who criticize the Afrin operation?” Erdogan demanded.

Turkey on January 20 launched a cross-border operation against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in its enclave of Afrin and the city was captured on March 18.

“This is the biggest proof of insincerity of those who fixate on us but say nothing about Israel using heavy weapons to attack people who are protesting on their own lands,” Erdogan said, without saying which governments and organisations he meant.Erdogan on Friday spoke with US President Donald Trump in a call and the Turkish leader said he told Trump: “‘Aren’t you going to intervene here?”.

The Turkish leader, a fervent supporter of the Palestinians, often highlights Israel’s barbaric policies but the two sides have increased cooperation since the end of a rift in 2016 caused by Israel’s storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Friday accused Israel of using “disproportionate force” against Palestinians during “peaceful protests”.

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Samit Patel includes Sehwag, Amla in his All Time cricketing XI



England’s Former bowling All-rounder Samit Patel has framed his All time cricketing XI, picking some top class players from across the World.

Samit in a video shared by Lord’s Cricket ground YouTube page, went with India’s Virendar Sehwag and South Africa’s Hashim Amla as an opening pair for his team.

“My first choice is Sehwag as an opener keeping in mind his aggressive mode of hitting the ball in powerplay and to support him i have got Hashim Amla,” Slow left-arm orthodox said.

“Amla deals arm bowlers with an ease and have scored heavily against them,” Samit added.

30-year-old, Samit kept Ex- Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on third slot acknowledging him as one of the best batsmen around the world.

“Ponting is among the best batsmen in cricket’s History,”

He for fourth position chosen Indian little master Sachin Tendulkar.

“I will go with my childhood hero [Sachin] to fill the fourth spot in my team,”

South African All rounder Jacques Kallis came at Fifth in Samit’s XI.

“In my view Kallis is the best All rounder in the World,”

The left-armer got England’s former Test cricketer Kevin Pietersen as a sixth player while Srilanka’s All time great Sangakara as a glove man for his team.

“At number six i have got Kevin Pietersen and at seven Kumar Sangakara,”

Former Australian and World top class leggy, Shane Warne came in as a spinning wizard for Samit’s team.

“Warne is a magical spinner in cricket’s history with some of his sharp spun deliveries that still are remember able,”

Moreover, Dale steyn, Glenn McGrath and Jimmy Anderson set on ninth, 10th, and 11th position respectively in Samit’s idealized team line-up.

“At number nine i have got Dale Steyn, the best bowler i have faced, at number 10 i will go with McGrath and my last man is Jimmy Anderson,”

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Stars turn out for Stephen Hawking’s funeral

Australia new boys flop as South Africa turn screw

JOHANNESBURG: Australia’s ball-tampering scandal came back to bite them when three replacement batsmen failed on a disastrous day for the tourists in the fourth Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.

South Africa moved closer to a series win as Australia slumped to 110 for six at the end of the second day in reply to the imposing first-innings total of 488 made by the hosts.

South Africa, leading the series 2-1, need only to draw to beat Australia in a home series for the first time since 1969/70.

Opening batsmen Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw were out for four and eight respectively while Peter Handscomb was out first ball for nought to leave Australia reeling at 38 for three.

The trio were playing in place of Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and captain Steve Smith, who were all banned and sent home in disgrace after the ball-tampering scandal which rocked the third Test in Cape Town last weekend.

Read More: Tearful Warner says tampering scandal may spell doom for Australia career

“Putting three guys into a Test match, two have come from Australia and one hasn’t played in a game for a while, was always going to be a little bit tough,” said Australian bowling coach David Saker.

He added: “We’ve tried to really care for each other this week. We’re realists and we’re going to go out and try and play as well as we can, to put in a performance that the Australian public and our group are proud of.

“So far it hasn’t happened but the effort has been there. There’s no doubt in the dressing room that the guys are trying their hardest. It just hasn’t worked in this game.”

Usman Khawaja made a stroke-filled 53 as he and Shaun Marsh delayed South Africa’s progress with a fourth-wicket stand of 52.

But wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, standing up to the wicket, made an outstanding leg-side catch off the bowling of Vernon Philander to dismiss Khawaja.

Philander finished the day with three for 17 off 12 overs.

Shaun Marsh survived a stumping chance off Keshav Maharaj in the over after Khawaja’s dismissal but both Marsh brothers fell before the close to leave Australia with a monumental task over the remaining three days.

Mitchell Marsh edged an extravagant drive against Morne Morkel into his stumps and three balls later Shaun Marsh was caught at slip by AB de Villiers off Maharaj.

Tricky period

It was South Africa’s day from the time Temba Bavuma and De Kock weathered a tricky period against a ball that was almost new after resuming at 313 for six.

Bavuma made 95 not out and shared partnerships of 85 with De Kock (39) and 76 with Maharaj, who hit a cavalier career-best 45 off 51 balls.

Bavuma was within sight of his second Test century when Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins took two wickets with successive balls to finish off the innings.

Cummins was easily Australia’s most impressive bowler, finishing with five for 83.

Read More: Five contenders to replace outgoing Australia coach Lehmann

New opening batsmen Burns and Renshaw, who only arrived on Wednesday night, did not last long.

Burns was caught by a diving Faf du Plessis at second slip off Kagiso Rabada, while the other two fell off successive balls from Philander.

Renshaw was caught behind, quickly followed by Handscomb, who was bowled off an inside edge as he tried to withdraw his bat from a lifting delivery.

Earlier in Sydney, deposed vice-captain Warner said he realised he may never play for Australia again as he tearfully apologised over the ball-tampering scandal.

‘Regret decision’

The usually pugnacious batsman, 31, repeatedly struggled to talk and tears ran down his face as he apologised to fans, team-mates, his family and the Australian public.

But he also evaded questions about whether the plot was his idea, whether it was the first time, who else was aware of it and whether he had been made a scapegoat.

Warner said: “I have made a decision which I will regret for as long as I live.”

Warner’s appearance comes after similar heartfelt apologies from opening batsman Bancroft and Smith, who broke down when he faced the media on Thursday.

Coach Darren Lehmann, convinced to step down after seeing the anguished statements from Bancroft and Smith, was also tearful as he announced his resignation in Johannesburg on the eve of the fourth Test.

Smith and Warner were banned from international and domestic cricket for a year and Bancroft was suspended for nine months after the incident during the third Test in Cape Town.

Bancroft was caught on camera trying to use sandpaper to alter the ball, an offence which triggered an outpouring of criticism from home and abroad against the hard-nosed Australian team.

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CM Sindh writes to PM over ‘reduced’ natural gas supply to K-Electric

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to draw his attention over issue of sudden reduced natural gas supply to K-Electric by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) which has resulted in increased load-shedding in Karachi.

In the D/O letter, the CM, quoting KE, said that Karachi’s power supplier is receiving only 90 MMCFD gas which is insufficient to optimally run gas based power plants that require at least 190 MMCFD.

“The result is shortfall of further 500 MW in addition to existing shortage of 400 MW. This unfortunate situation is happening when Karachi is in the grip of unusually severe heat wave and KE consequently has resorted to more than 10 hours of load shedding across the city.” reads the letter written by CM.

The chief minister  added that KE claims that SSGC is reluctant to sign the GSA in the light of Economic Co-ordination Committee decision i.e. allocation of 276 MMCFD for KE power plants whereas KE is regularly paying the current bills of SSGC.

Murad Shah said that the increased loadshedding in Karachi was very alarming especially due to unusually high temperature of over 40 degree Celsius.

“SSGCL‘s intransigent approach has severely affected residential, commercial and industrial consumers, including Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB). This may also have serious implications on law and order situation in the city,” the chief minister warned.

In his letter he had requested the prime minister direct SSGCL to act in accordance with ECC decision and take holistic view of the situation rather than reducing gas supply to the biggest power utility company.

“It directly affects people of Karachi, economy of Sindh and Pakistan,” CM adds.

The chief minister urged the prime minister to direct SSGCL to ensure uninterrupted supply of 276 MMCFD natural gas to KE so that people of Karachi may be provided relief from unannounced power outages, physical sufferings and mental agony during upcoming summers.

Murad Ali Shah has also suggested the prime minister to constitute a committee comprising representatives from federal and provincial governments, SSGCL and KE to resolve the payment claims of both the companies.

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Streak shocked by sacking as Zimbabwe coach

HARARE: Coach Heath Streak said he was shocked after Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) sacked him in a backroom clear-out in the wake of the team’s failure to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

Streak has been widely praised for improving the results of the side during his 18 months in charge, and exits along with his technical team, while captain Graeme Cremer has also reportedly been axed.

“It is with great regret and shock that I was told by ZC that myself and my coaching team must resign by 3pm yesterday (Friday), failing which we would be fired,” Streak said in a statement.

“I chose not to resign as I believe this to be degrading to our national players and my technical team. As a result, we have been dismissed with immediate effect.”

ZC have had a clear-out of all backroom staff amid reports of financial difficulties, including batting coach Lance Klusener, Zimbabwe A coach Wayne James and Under-19 coach Stephen Mangongo, while convener of selectors Tatenda Taibu has also been axed.

Read More: Defeat at UAE’s hands knocks Zimbabwe out of World Cup qualification race

“Thank you to my staff who worked tirelessly, often going for months unpaid and having had two pay-cuts during their tenure, but still had that unwavering professional commitment,” Streak said.

“To Graeme and all the players, thank you for your patriotism and commitment to our Chevrons team. I wish you all the very best for the future. I am deeply saddened that my journey with you ends here. Hopefully our paths will meet again in future …”

The undoubted highlight of Streak’s tenure was a 3-2 One-Day International series win in Sri Lanka last year, while his 32 matches in the format produced 12 wins and 17 losses.

But he was also left embarrassed by a innings defeat to South Africa inside two days at the end of 2017 in a day/night test in Port Elizabeth, while a three-run loss to the United Arab Emirates in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe saw his side fail to reach the 10-team tournament finals in England and Wales.

Zimbabwe Cricket told Reuters that would release a statement on the matter later on Saturday.

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‘Filmmaking is full of obstacles’

MUMBAI: Hollywood director Christopher Nolan on Saturday made an impassioned plea to the Indian film industry to revive celluloid as a medium for movies.

Nolan is on a three-day trip to the country aimed at drumming up support for shooting on film, as he did for his 2017 World War II epic “Dunkirk”, going against the trend in an industry which has widely embraced digital technology.

“Filmmaking is full of obstacles… it is not about being logical and pragmatic… it’s about magic, dreams, experiences and bracing your emotional side,” Nolan said after a round table dialogue in Mumbai, the home of Bollywood.

The 47-year-old Oscar-nominated director said he had “a very productive” meeting with members of Bollywood, the world’s largest film industry.

“I am really trying to engage filmmakers in this conversation about how we can maintain, improve and continue to enjoy the celluloid photochemical analogue infrastructure for filmmaking,” Nolan said.

Famed for his extravagant vision in films such as “Interstellar” and “Inception”, Nolan is one of the few big names globally who still use celluloid for film-making.

“We are trying to preserve for future generation the history of films, especially the way the filmmakers originally intended to make the films in,” Nolan said.

He was joined in the discussion by visual artist Tacita Dean and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur who has been working to preserve and restore celluloid films in India.

“We are fighting to save celluloid films in India whereas people are disbanding it without realising their importance,” said Dungarpur.

“We are talking about co-existence with digital formats. Till 2014, we were shooting in older formats in India,” Dungarpur said.

Nolan was set to present his films “Dunkirk” and “Interstellar” in 70mm and 35mm formats to audiences in India, organisers said.

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Petrol, diesel prices slashed by Rs2 a liter

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to reduce prices of petrol and diesel by Rs2.07 and Rs2 a litre respectively for one month.

It has further decided to maintain the prices of kerosene oil and Light Diesel Oil (LDO) at the same level as in March.

The reduced prices will be effective from tonight after 12:00am.

Prices of petroleum products for April will be as follows: 92 RON petrol Rs86 a litre, high speed diesel (HSD) Rs96.45 a liter, kerosene oil Rs76.46 a liter, Light Diesel Oil (LDO) Rs65.30 a liter.

A press release issued by the government read that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) had proposed increase in the price of diesel by Rs 0.65 a litre but since diesel is primarily used in public and goods transportation and also in farm equipments, therefore, the government has decided not to burden the public with higher rates of diesel.

“OGRA had recommended a greater price reduction for petrol, but as in previous months the government had reduced the price of petrol by more than what OGRA had recommended, so the government took the decision to reduce the price of petrol by Rs 2.07 a litre this time,” said the release.

Finally, the prices of kerosene and LDO were maintained at the level as in March 2018 even though OGRA had recommended increase in the rates of both the products.

The prices shall be effective from April 1, 2018 till midnight on April 30, 2018.

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ICC should give chance to associate nations in World Cup, says Nepal’s cricket sensation Sandeep Lamichhane

NEW DELHI: Nepal’s cricket sensation Sandeep Lamichhane on Saturday urged administrative body of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to increase the number of teams in the World Cup to give associate nations a better chance of playing on the sport’s biggest stage.

Lamichhane, 17, and his teammates made history earlier this month when Nepal were given the one-day international status at the World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

The 2019 World Cup in England and Wales will have 10 teams including the West Indies and Afghanistan, who paved their ways in tournament through the qualifiers.

Lamichhane, the first Nepalese player to land an Indian Premier League deal, believes the International Cricket Council should give more opportunities to up-and-coming teams.

“Every player from every country dreams of playing in the World Cup,” the leg-spinner told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.

“ICC should have increased the number of teams so that every player gets a chance to play in the World Cup and push their skills to the top level.”

He has come a long way for competing against players from associate nations including some cricket’s biggest stars in India’s cash-rich Twenty-20 tournament.

The IPL’s Delhi Daredevils paid $318,000 to sign him in January.

Now Lamichhane, who has been likened to spin legend Shane Warne, is being coached by World Cup-winning former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

“He is a fantastic player from his era to now and it’s a precious moment to share a dressing room with him,” Lamichhane said of the batting great.

‘A new era’ 

The teenager, also trained at Michael Clarke’s cricket academy in Sydney after he was spotted by the former Australian skipper at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz tournament in 2016.

The same year, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) was suspended by the ICC because of political interference by the Himalayan nation’s government.

Lamichhane is hopeful that his IPL stint will be the start of a new era for Nepal’s cricketers.

“We were nowhere in cricket in the last two years but after getting ODI status recently we are getting lots of opportunities,” he said.

“I think the IPL is a great opportunity for me and it will help grow our cricket back home.

“We want to remain an ODI nation and we want to play Test cricket as well.”

Lamichhane added that exposure at the game’s highest level will help bridge the gap between players from associate nations and cricket’s powerhouses.

At Delhi, he will be joined by Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand pace-man Trent Boult and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.

“Some of the balls which can’t be hit by associate players, top players can smash them anywhere,” Lamichhane said.

“The difference is experience, we don’t get to play those big games. We don’t get that kind of exposure.”

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Saudi forces say Houthi missile intercepted over Najran

RIYADH: Saudi air defence forces intercepted a missile fired by Houthi fighters in neighbouring Yemen at the southern Saudi city of Najran on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said.

In a statement carried by state news agency SPA the coalition said that according to initial findings an Indian resident was injured by falling debris after the missile was intercepted.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency earlier said a missile was fired at a Saudi National Guard base in Najran, and that it had led to “losses in the ranks of the enemy and its military equipment”.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have launched scores of missiles at the kingdom since the coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 after the Houthis drove Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.

 Last week, Saudi air defence forces intercepted a flurry of missiles, and falling debris caused the first death in the capital Riyadh.

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Deepika to walk down the aisle with Ranveer by year-end

It has been a couple of months since the rumour about Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s marriage is doing rounds in the media and finally it has been confirmed to take place later this year.

So, after successful pairing of Virat and Anushka into Virushka, the world is soon going to see DeepVeer coupling as Deepika is soon going to walk down the aisle with Ranveer.

Families of the on-screen couple had reportedly met in Mumbai ostensibly to finalise a date for the wedding ceremony.

An exchange of wedding gifts has already taken place and both the families have locked dates for the special occasion sometime in between September and December.

Both the families are now in search for the perfect venue. Deepika has reportedly also started wedding shopping and was seen hitting the stores with sister and mother.

Local Indian media reported that the wedding will take place as per the South Indian rituals followed by a grand reception for the film fraternity.

Sources say it would be a completely traditional Hindu ceremony which will be attended by both the families and their close relatives and friends.

On the work front, Deepika has to start shooting for a Vishal Bhardwaj film with Irrfan Khan. While, Ranveer is engaged with shooting for Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy.

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Four teen girl suicide bombers launch deadly attack in Nigeria

KANO: Four teenage girl suicide bombers have killed two people in multiple attacks in northeast Nigeria, residents said Saturday, in the latest assault since the government announced it was in ceasefire talks with Boko Haram.

The suspected Boko Haram attack took place late Friday in the northeast Borno state capital of Maiduguri, the epicentre of the group’s Islamist insurgency.

The girls, estimated to be between the ages of 13 and 18, attacked the Zawuya settlement on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing two people, residents told AFP.

“We lost two people, a woman and a boy, in two of the four suicide explosions,” Zawuya resident Musa Haruna Isa said.

One of the bombers blew up while trying to scale a low mud wall outside a house that starting crumbling and detonated her explosive belt, killing the boy, Isa said.

“One of them exploded near an open-air mosque, injuring one person,” he said, adding that another bomber “panicked from the explosions from her colleagues and squeezed the trigger in the open, killing only herself.”

However, police said that just one person died in the attack.

“They (bombers) detonated the explosives killing themselves and one other person… 13 persons were injured and were taken to a hospital where they are responding to treatment,” Maiduguri police said in a statement.

The attack highlighted the challenge the government faces in reaching a ceasefire agreement with the fractionalised Boko Haram.

Last week, when more than 100 schoolgirls were returned to Dapchi after being kidnapped by the militant group, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was offering amnesty to “repentant” jihadists.

But senior security officials cautioned that reaching any agreement with the group will be difficult, as it is split into competing factions with different goals.

The Islamic State-affiliated faction reportedly in talks with the government is led by Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi and is known for attacks on military targets, while another faction led by Abubakar Shekau is notorious for suicide bombings killing civilians.

Zawuya, a settlement of people displaced by Boko Haram mostly from Rann, a town on the remote northeast border with Cameroon, lies close to the Muna Garage area, home to some 40,000 internally displaced people.

Both camps have been repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram attacks.

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PPP will not tolerate ‘attack’ on 18th amendment: Bilawal Bhutto

SANGHAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday warned that his party will not tolerate any “attack” on the 18th constitutional amendment which guarantees provincial autonomy, ARY News reported.

“PML-N is trying to attack 18th amendment for it grants autonomy to provinces, they have not even given NFC award in five years, this amendment is the fruit of our years long struggle so we will not tolerate such attacks,” the PPP chief said while speaking to a party rally in Sanghar.

The PPP chairman also alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) is ruining the region and during its fifty-year rule while only PPP served the people.

“All development projects were initiated and completed in PPP rule,” added Bilawal.

The PPP supremo also criticised the ruling PML-N and PTI for fighting for political gains rather than serving people.

Later, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated the Benazir Bhutto Fresh Water Project to provide drinking water from Nara Canal to 85 villages of Achro Thar in the district.

Under the project, 56 kilometers main pipeline and 185 kilometers enroute lines have been laid to ensure water supply to 85 villages dotting the dry desert.

PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Ministers, PPP MNA from Sanghar Shazia Marri and others were present on the occasion.

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Mongolians protest to demand greater action against child abuse

ULAANBAATAR: Thousands of Mongolians protested in front of parliament in Ulaanbaatar on Saturday to demand more action to prevent child abuse, after the widely-reported rape of a male infant shocked the country.

After the reported rape earlier this month in Dornogobi province in Mongolia’s southeast, a group of concerned mothers created a Facebook group announcing the Saturday protest last week, and it quickly reached more than 400,000 members.

“We want to show child abusers that we are strong in order to protect our children,” said Davaa Baatar, 41, the father of three children who was attending the protest.

The protesters held placards with messages such as “Stop child abuse”, “No child rape” and “Our children, our future”.

The protest organisers are demanding stricter laws regarding child abuse, better government services for survivors and more public awareness.

Read More: Turkey considers chemical castration for child abusers

“We will give our policy demands to the parliament, government and the president’s office on Monday,” said Odontuya Tsolmon, one of the protest organisers.

The government has promised a response.

“As soon as we get the proposed demands from organisers, the cabinet will be open to discuss it,” a government spokesman told Reuters, adding that the prime minister’s advisors were at the demonstration.

Some group members have advocated for the death penalty for sex offenders, though the protest organisers said they were opposed to capital punishment.

President Khaltmaa Battulga formed a commission to reinstate capital punishment for such crimes last year after similar widely-publicised incidents of child sexual assaults provoked a public outcry.

According to the state prosecutors office, there were 298 reported incidents of child rape in 2015 and 2016. Experts believe this is a small proportion of actual incidents of child sexual abuse due to a pervasive cultural stigma over the topic.

“The fear of being blamed and shamed means victims and their families keep quiet and don’t report to the police,” Ganbayasgakh Geleg, a founder of the Gender Equality Centre which fights human trafficking and sexual violence, told Reuters.

Mongolia, a thinly populated and mineral-rich country of just three million people sandwiched between Russia and China, transitioned to a parliamentary democracy in 1990 having previously been a satellite of the Soviet Union.

But there has been continued public frustration about the economy, corruption and air pollution, among other issues.

Last year, a slump in foreign investment and declining commodity prices forced Mongolia to agree to a $5.5 billion bailout led by the International Monetary Fund to relieve fiscal strains and try to restore investor confidence.

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Murad says international cricket, investment revived in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that after restoration of law and order international events had started taking place in Karachi and foreign investment was also pouring in.

“The government worked out a detail plan and with the political will and support of the people of Karachi the city has been cleansed from terrorists, mafias and outlaws through a vigorous targeted operation,” he said while talking to Senior Bureau Official in Department of State’s Bureau of South and Central Affairs, USA, Ambassador Alice Wells.

The others in the meeting were Acting Consul General of USA John Warner, Acting Deputy Consul General in Karachi Adam Zerbinopoulos, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem and Principal Secretary to CM Sohial Rajput and others.

He said earlier the law and order situation in the city was bad since last many years and it was further augmented with terrorist activities.

Read More: Sindh govt focusing on energy, PPP mode, poverty reduction: CM

Murad Ali Shah said that now the glories of the city were returning. “International cricket has returned and before it major events like sermons of Syedna Mufadil Saifuddin, visit of Prince Aga Karim had also taken place peacefully,” he said.

The chief minister and the visiting diplomat agreed to work together in non-formal education. The Sindh Education Foundation is regulating non-formal education and trying to reach out to the areas where proper schools do not exist.

Murad Shah said that he had given special focus to the development of infrastructure from Karachi to Kashmore and Tharparkar.

“Special attention has been given to education and health sector. The schools built by USAID are being launched as English medium schools,” he said.

He told the visiting guest that water supply lines had been laid in 200 villages of Tharparkar, particularly those located in the far-flung areas and very soon they would be supplied water.

“We have also installed RO plants there which are functioning and providing water but some of them have capacity issues,” he said.

The American diplomat said that they also wanted to support the Sindh government in provision of clean water to its people.

In the meeting, the matters of investment in alternate energy were also discussed. The CM said that there were huge wind and solar energy corridors in Sindh from where energy was being produced and still there were ample investment opportunities in there.

He said that the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) was a very good gift by Americans to the people of Sindh. “We are further improving it with best doctors, technical staff and services,” the chief minister said.

The chief minister said that his government was also putting its best efforts to provide clean water to the people of Sindh. There is dire need of some de-salination plants in Karachi and his government was working on a plan to install such plants so that drinking water issues could be solved.

The visiting guest congratulated the chief minister on holding the PSL final match and now Pakistan-West Indies cricket series is taking place. This is the manifestation of the government’s commitment to make this megalopolis city a seat of prosperity, entertainment and learning.

Murad Shah presented traditional gifts of Ajrak, khes and Sindhi cap to the visiting guests.

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Javeria Khan, bowlers steer Pakistan to series win against Sri Lanka

Protests erupt in California after shooting of black man

SACRAMENTO, Calif: About 200 demonstrators squared off with police in riot gear overnight in California’s capital and more protests are planned for Saturday, after a autopsy on Stephon Clark contradicted the police account of the shooting of the unarmed black man.

Waving signs and chanting the 22-year-old’s name in unison, the protesters gathered at city hall before marching into the Old Sacramento part of the city, filled with bars, restaurants and tourists.

Protesters, some with megaphones and black masks covering their faces, shouted “Shoot us down, we shut you down”, along with expletives directed at the police.

More than 80 police and California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear blocked protesters from marching onto a highway.

Clark’s death was the most recent in a string of fatal shootings of black men by police that have triggered protests across the United States and fueled a national debate about bias in the American criminal justice system.

Read More: US police kill black man holding iPhone in his grandmother’s yard

The father of two, was gunned down in the backyard of his grandparents’ house by police responding to a report that someone was breaking windows. Police said the officers who shot at Clark 20 times feared he was holding a firearm, but that he was later found to have been holding a cellphone.

Police have said he was moving toward officers in a menacing way when they fired. The incident was captured on a body cam video released by police on Wednesday.

The latest round of demonstrations were touched off by a new private autopsy on Clark that showed that none of the eight bullets hit him in the front, contradicting the police version of events, a lawyer for the deceased’s family said on Friday.

Clark was hit six times in the back, once in the side and once in the leg, the autopsy found.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family of Clark said: “This independent autopsy affirms that Stephon was not a threat to police and was slain in another senseless police killing under increasingly questionable circumstances.”

The Sacramento Police Department said in a statement that it would have no further comment on the case until after the release of the findings of an official autopsy by the county coroner, and a review by state and local prosecutors.

Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who conducted the independent autopsy, said at a briefing that any one of seven bullets that entered the upper half of Clark’s body could have killed him.

Clark’s shooting has sparked largely peaceful demonstrations in Sacramento. On several occasions over the past two weeks, protesters have marched, held demonstrations and twice blocked fans from reaching games played by the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team at the Golden 1 Center.

At the funeral service for Clark on Thursday, veteran civil rights leader the Reverend Al Sharpton said: “We’re going to make Donald Trump and the whole world deal with the issue of police misconduct.”

The service at a church in Sacramento came a day after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the shooting was a “local matter”.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has said state investigators will oversee the investigation and review the police department’s procedures and practices.

Another protest is planned for noon on Saturday and is to be led by retired Sacramento Kings’ basketball star Matt Barnes, a statement from the organizers of the Unity and Action rally said.

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Trump tells advisers he wants US out of Syria: senior officials

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla: President Donald Trump has told advisers he wants an early exit of US troops from Syria, two senior administration officials said on Friday, a stance that may put him at odds with US military officials who see the fight against Islamic State as nowhere near complete.

A National Security Council meeting is set for early next week to discuss the US-led campaign against Islamic State in Syria, according to US officials familiar with the plan.

Two other administration officials confirmed a Wall Street Journal report on Friday that said Trump had ordered the State Department to freeze more than $200 million in funds for recovery efforts in Syria while his administration reassesses Washington’s role in the conflict there.

Trump called for the freeze after reading a news report that the U.S. had recently committed an additional $200 million to stabilize areas recaptured from Islamic State, the paper said.

The funding was announced by departing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in February at a meeting in Kuwait of the global coalition against Islamic State.

Read More: Syrian child footballer killed by shells on Damascus: state media

The decision to freeze the funds was in line with Trump’s declaration during a speech in Richfield, Ohio, on Thursday, where he said it was time for America to exit Syria.

A spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said that “in line with the President’s guidance, the Department of State continually re-evaluates appropriate assistance levels and how best they might be utilized, which they do on an ongoing basis.”

Trump is spending Easter weekend at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate.

“We’ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon,” Trump said on Thursday, based on allied victories against Islamic State militants.

“Let the other people take care of it now. Very soon, very soon, we’re coming out,” Trump said. “We’re going to get back to our country, where we belong, where we want to be.”

Trump’s comments came as France said on Friday it could increase its military presence in Syria to bolster the U.S.-led campaign.

While the Pentagon has estimated that Islamic State has lost about 98 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria, US military officials have warned that the militants could regain the freed areas quickly unless they are stabilized.

Trump still needs to be convinced of that, said the U.S. officials with knowledge of the NSC meeting.

US DELIBERATIONS

The two administration officials who confirmed the Wall Street Journal report and spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Trump’s comments on Thursday reflected internal deliberations with advisers in which he has wondered aloud why U.S. forces should remain with the militants on their heels.

Trump has made clear that “once ISIS and its remnants are destroyed that the United States would be looking toward having countries in the region playing a larger role in ensuring security and leaving it at that,” one official said.

Such a policy is nowhere near complete, however, the official added.

The second official said Trump’s national security advisers have told him US forces should stay in small numbers for at least a couple of years to make sure gains against the militants are held and ensure Syria does not essentially become a permanent Iranian base.

Read More: What’s left of ‘Islamic State’ in Syria?

Top national security aides discussed Syria in a White House meeting recently but have yet to settle on a strategy for U.S. forces in Syria to recommend to Trump going forward, the official said.

 “So far he has not given an order to just get out,” the official said. About 2,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Syria.

Trump last year went through a similar wrenching debate over whether to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, ultimately agreeing to keep them there but only after repeatedly raising questions of why they should stay.

Trump’s view on Syria may put him at odds with those of former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, named by Trump a week ago to replace H.R. McMaster as White House national security adviser.

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Battle of the Tablets “Apple vs Acer” which is better ?

Childhood cancer survivors may develop heart problems sooner

BERLIN: Adult survivors of childhood cancer have a greater risk of heart disease and develop risk factors like high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol earlier in life compared to the general population, a German study suggests.

Researchers studied 951 adults, ages 23 to 48, who had been diagnosed with cancer when they were less than 15 years old. The study team looked at lab tests for risk factors for heart disease, and also for conditions like heart failure, stroke and heart attacks. Along with the cancer survivors, they studied more than 15,000 similar people who didn’t have malignancies as children.

Overall, the cancer survivors were 38 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 26 percent more likely to have high cholesterol, the study found. Cancer survivors also developed high blood pressure an average of six years earlier than other people, and developed high cholesterol eight years sooner.

About 4.5 percent of the childhood cancer survivors had cardiovascular diseases like heart failure and blood clots in the deep veins of the legs, and most cases occurred before age 40, almost eight years sooner than the people without cancer.

“Adult survivors cannot change that they had exposure to cancer therapies that increased their risk of premature cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. John Groarke, author of an editorial accompanying the study and a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“So they must be very vigilant not to add additional risk through smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle or uncontrolled hypertension,” Groarke said by email.

Cardiovascular disease is second only to malignancies as the most common cause of death and serious illness for cancer survivors.

Previous research has linked cancer chemotherapies known as anthracyclines to weakening of the heart muscle. Research has also tied some radiation therapy to cardiac rhythm disorders and structural damage in arteries and heart valves.

In the current study, participants had been diagnosed with cancer when they were 6 years old on average, and they were typically about 34 years old at the time of the follow-up lab tests to look for signs of heart disease.

Leukemia was the most common cancer diagnosis, followed by central nervous system tumors, lymphoma and kidney tumors.

Half of them underwent both chemotherapy and radiation, while 37 percent had chemo alone and 3 percent had only radiation.

Cancer survivors were no more likely than other people in the study to have diabetes or obesity, two risk factors for heart disease.

There were very few cases of heart attack and stroke, which may be because the cancer survivors were still relatively young, researchers note in the European Heart Journal.

The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how childhood cancer or its treatments might directly cause heart disease later in life.

Still, the findings add to a large and growing body of evidence that suggests childhood cancer survivors need to worry about their heart health at a much younger age than other people, said lead study author Dr. Joerg Faber of the University Children’s Hospital in Mainz, Germany.

Beyond eating right, exercising and avoiding cigarettes, childhood cancer survivors also need to focus on heart health as part of their routine medical care, Faber said by email.

In particular, they need to get screened. Most patients identified as having high blood pressure and high cholesterol by lab tests done for the study had no idea they were living with these conditions, Faber noted.

“Early systematic screening, particularly focusing on blood pressure and lipid profile measurements, might be suggested in all childhood cancer survivors,” Faber added. “This might help prevent long-term cardiovascular (complications).”

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PM asks Senate chairman to take ‘oath of honesty’ on his election

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Taking strong exception to perceived ‘horse-trading’ in the recent Senate polls, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called upon newly-elected chairman of the Upper House to issue a statement swearing that he ‘didn’t buy any senator’ to get to the coveted slot.

“I was advised by people not to intervene in Senate election, but I will keep interfering if something wrong is going on,” he told a public gathering in DG Khan today.

How a parliament [Senate] could serve Pakistan when its foundation is based on corruption, he said in reference to horse-trading-tainted Senate elections.

The Senate on March 11 elected opposition-backed candidates Sadiq Sanjrani as chairman and Saleem Mandviwalla as deputy chairman of the upper house of Pakistan’s parliament. Sanjrani secured 57 votes, while PML-N backed Raja Zafarul Haq secured 46 out of the total 103 cast for the seat of the Senate chairman. The election of the chairman came as a shocking blow to PML-N.

Sanjrani, an independent senator, was backed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Prime minister expressed his resentment saying many tried to stop Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), but in vain. It’s a strange tradition that people ‘busy in work’ are being dragged to the courts, said the PM.

He railed against an ‘unannounced’ tradition of dragging anyone to court who worked for the betterment of Pakistan.

The prime minister said governments were removed under a conspiracy, “but people will announce their verdict with ballot.”

He, however, underlined that results in the wake of bad governance for past 15 years could not be rectified in five years. What Zardari did to Pakistan is visible to everyone and that was reason people sent him home in 2013 general elections, said the premier.

Mr. Abbasi said that PML-N government had completed a number of development programs including construction of roads, schools, hospitals, and power projects and even the opponents acknowledge this.

He said that progress and prosperity comes with the trust of people in the government. He said that the performance of PML-N government is self-explanatory and everyone knows about it.

Prime minister said that people are the ultimate decision makers and it depends upon them as to who they would vote for in the upcoming general elections.

He announced to rename the DG Khan airport after former president Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger undergoes emergency open heart surgery

LOS ANGELES: Veteran Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in stable condition after undergoing emergency open-heart surgery, his spokesman Daniel Ketchell confirmed via Twitter.

Ketchell took to Twitter to update the fans on the actor’s condition saying, former California governor was awake. “His first words were actually, ‘I’m back,’ so he’s in good spirits,”

According to TMZ, the 70-year-old was at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for a catheter valve replacement. When the experimental procedure resulted in complications, doctors decided to open him up.

Ketchell confirmed their account in his statement, noting, “Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger underwent a planned procedure at Cedars-Sinai to replace a pulmonic valve that was originally replaced due to a congenital heart defect in 1997,” he explained in a statement. “That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent and has outlived his life expectancy, so he chose to replace it yesterday through a less-invasive catheter valve replacement.”

He continued “During that procedure, an open heart surgery team was prepared, as they frequently are in these circumstances, in case the catheter procedure was unable to be performed. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s pulmonic valve was successfully replaced and he is currently recovering from the surgery and is in stable condition. We want to thank the entire medical team for their tireless efforts.”

This was Schwarzenegger’s fourth cardiac surgery, though only two were intentional.

When he was 50, Schwarzenegger had an aortic valve replaced to repair a congenital condition. That 1997 operation, too, produced complications, requiring another emergency procedure.

“I was very scared,” he told Barbara Walters in that year’s 10 Most Fascinating People special. “I could have died… All of a sudden, in the middle of the night, I started getting less and less air and I have problems breathing.”

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Ranveer, Deepika to tie the knot this year: report

WB approves $145 million for affordable housing in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The World Bank (WB) has approved $145 million for Pakistan to let people of the country have access to affordable houses through mortgage financing.

The Funds are to be allotted under the Pakistan Housing Finance Project (PHFP) and will finance the government’s plan to develop the housing sector in Pakistan especially to cater women and low incomes get house ownership

“This project will spur the development of housing mortgage market in the country and make housing finance affordable and reachable to many Pakistanis,” said Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “The beneficiaries will include women and low-income groups through improved incentives for eco-friendly homes.”

According to the estimates, nearly 1/3 of the country’s population do not own homes while the demands keep increasing.

According to a statement, the project will extend financial and technical assistance to Pakistan Mortgage Refinancing Company (PMRC), the Planning Commission (PC), and other institutions to increase the availability of mortgage financing for households.

“Pakistan’s mortgage finance to gross domestic product ratio of 0.25 percent is extremely low compared to the South Asia average of 3.4 percent,” said Korotoumou Ouattara, World Bank Senior Financial Sector Economist.

He believes that there is a significant market gap across all the segments of the population and the initiative of PMRC will further increase the Pakistani Government’s objective to provide access to housing finance in the country.

“The project will address the liquidity constraints of lenders, support capital market development, and create an enabling environment for a sound national housing policy.”

It also incentives people to build energy efficient and green homes and adopt climate and disaster-resilient construction designs and materials.

The project is being financed by the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for the poor, with a maturity of 25 years, including a grace period of 5 years.

Pakistan has received $42.7 billion in assistance, which includes $33.4 billion in loan and credits and $9.3 billion in grants since it became the member of the world body in 1950.

Pakistan receives financing support from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and concessional financing from the International Development Association (IDA).

 

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Laughter alert: Australia’s ball-tampering scandal recreated with Gabbar parody

Australia’s ball-tampering scandal has rocked the cricket world with world’s two best players being handed down a year-long suspension by the Cricket Australia.

Those who have been given the punishment are Steve Smith and David Warner Cameron Bancroft, who carried out the attempt at changing the condition of the ball in the third Test against South Africa, has been handed out a nine month playing suspension.

While almost everybody has opined on it, have you wondered what former Australian captain Rick Ponting would have to possibly say on it? Well, in case you are curious, watch this video below. In this parody, the iconic scene from Sholay is recreated and Ponting is Gabbar Singh and what happens next will be a visual treat for you.

Here it is:

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Tearful Warner says tampering scandal may spell doom for Australia career

SYDNEY: Former Test vice-captain David Warner said he realised he may never play for his country again as he tearfully apologised Saturday over a ball-tampering scandal which has had deep repercussions for Australian cricket.

As stand-in captain Tim Paine signalled a new approach with a pre-match handshake between the teams at the fourth Test in Johannesburg, Warner became the third disgraced Australian player to make an emotional appearance in front of media.

The usually pugnacious batsman, 31, repeatedly struggled to talk and tears ran down his face as he apologised to fans, team-mates, his family and the Australian public.

But he also evaded questions about whether the ball-tampering plot was his idea, whether it was the first time, who else was aware of it and whether he had been made a scapegoat.

Warner, 31, told a media conference in Sydney: “I can honestly say I have only wanted to bring glory to my country through playing cricket.

“In striving to do so I have made the decision which has had the opposite effect and it’s one that I will regret for as long as I live.”

Warner’s appearance comes after similar heartfelt apologies from opening batsman Cameron Bancroft and captain Steve Smith, who broke down when he faced the media on Thursday.

Coach Darren Lehmann, convinced to step down after seeing the anguished statements from Bancroft and Smith, was also tearful as he announced his resignation.

Smith and Warner were banned from international and domestic cricket for a year and Bancroft was suspended for nine months after the incident during the third Test in Cape Town.

Bancroft was caught on camera trying to use yellow sandpaper to alter the ball, an offence which triggered an outpouring of criticism from home and abroad against the hard-nosed Australian team.

Isolated figure

Warner, a dynamic batsman but a divisive figure in the game, has appeared isolated after he was charged by Cricket Australia with developing the plot and telling Bancroft to carry it out.

“I suppose there is a tiny ray of hope that I may one day be given the privilege of playing for my country again, but I am resigned to the fact that may never happen,” Warner said.

He also signalled a possible appeal when he said: “That’s something that I will continue to sit down with my family and weigh up all my considerations before I make any decisions.”

A report Saturday said Bancroft was set to lodge an appeal and had sought legal advice. The deadline for appeals is on Thursday.

With his wife, Candice, crying as she watched from the back of the room, Warner stonewalled requests for more details about the incident and his relationship with the team.

“I am here today to accept my responsibility for my part and my involvement for what happened in Cape Town,” Warner said, using a formulation he repeated several times.

“It’s inexcusable, I am deeply sorry. I will do everything I can to earn back the respect of the Australian public.”

Warner later took to social media to say: “I know there are unanswered questions and lots of them. I completely understand. In time I will do my best to answer them all. But there is a formal CA process to follow.”

‘Gentleman’s game’

Warner, who has played 74 Tests since his debut in 2011, has been described as the Australia’s “attack dog”. He was also banned in 2013 after punching England’s Joe Root in a bar.

“In the coming weeks and months I am going to look at what has happened and who I am as a man,” he said.

“To be honest, I am not sure right now how I will do this, I will seek out advice and expertise to make serious changes.”

The fallout from the crisis has seen Warner dumped by sponsors ASICS and LG, while Cricket Australia has been dropped by its top sponsor, fund manager Magellan.

Along with Smith, Warner has also been ejected from this year’s Indian Premier League, losing contracts worth nearly US$2 million each.

In Johannesburg, Paine took the unusual step of arranging a pre-match handshake between the teams as he led Australia out for the fourth and final Test of their ill-fated tour.

“Cricket’s a gentleman’s game. I spoke to our players about bringing it (the handshake) in,” said Paine, adding: “I think it’s just a good show of sportsmanship and respect.”

South Africa, who lead the series 2-1, were 313 for six at stumps on day one after batting first.

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