In special tribute to cricketer Sourav Ganguly, an undisclosed bar in Australia has named a beer after him. Called the 'Feral "Ganguly" Mango Lasi' the beer, ranked under the 'Smooth Hoperators' section of the beer menu, is a very obvious tribute to the Bengal batsman. "I always thought they didn’t like @SGanguly99 much here in Australia. But they instead have paid him the highest Aussie honour possible by naming a beer after him & even marking it as a smooth “hopetator” Must have been all those hugs to Pontin" the caption reads.
Afghan highway blast kills at least 35
A roadside bomb in Afghanistan killed at least 35 people travelling on a bus and injured 27, officials said. The blast on the main road linking the provincial capitals of Herat and Kandahar happened in the Ab Khorma area of Farah province, said provincial police spokesman. "The bomb was planted by the Taliban insurgents to target Afghan and foreign security forces," he said, adding most of the dead or injured were women and children. A Taliban official denied responsibility and said their fighters were not responsible for planting landmines in the area. The blast comes ahead of the resumption of peace talks between US officials and Taliban representatives, who are hoping to strike a deal on a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces in exchange for security guarantees by the Taliban. But despite the talks, violence has been relentless.
5 killed, 38 injured in Pak blast
Five people, including two cops, were killed and 38 others injured in a powerful blast targeting a police vehicle in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province. The blast took place close to a police vehicle at the Bacha Khan Chowk, Quetta's DIG said. The target of the blast appeared to be the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area but he had escaped with injuries and had been shifted to hospital, the DIG said. “The bomb went off as soon as SHO Shaffat got down from his vehicle,” he said. The condition of the SHO is said to be critical.The DIG said it was too early to confirm whether it was a suicide attack or the blast was caused by a remotely triggered device.
Imran spent 8 times less than Sharif on US trip
Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s maiden visit to Washington last month costed $67,180, eight times less than what the exchequer spent on former premier Nawaz Sharif’s US trip in 2013. The Pakistan government released the cost of Khan’s three-day visit to the US. Khan was accompanied by a 27-member delegation. Instead of opting for a chartered plane, they flew on a commercial Qatar Airways flight with a stop in Doha. Around $8,408 was spent on hotels and $37,371 on travel of the PM. During the trip, Khan gave gifts worth $884 and spent $4,360 on tips. Dollar 8,097 was spent on food and refreshments. Khan stayed at the Pakistani ambassador’s official residence in Washington. In comparison, Nawaz Sharif spent $549,854 during his US visit in 2013, while PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari spent $752,682 during his trip in 2009, the government statement said.
Beijing orders removal of Arabic symbols
Authorities in the Chinese capital have ordered halal restaurants and food stalls to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, part of an expanding national effort to “Sinicize” its Muslim population. Employees at 11 restaurants and shops in Beijing selling halal products said officials had told them to remove images associated with Islam, such as the crescent moon and the word “halal” written in Arabic, from signs. “They said this is foreign culture and you should use more Chinese culture,” said the manager of a shop. The campaign against Arabic script and Islamic images marks a new phase of a drive that has gained momentum since 2016, aimed at ensuring religions conform with mainstream Chinese culture. The campaign has included the removal of Middle Eastern-style domes on many mosques in favour of Chinese-style pagodas.
Three-year-old in China survives six-storey fall
A three-year-old boy has survived a fall from a sixth-floor balcony in China after neighbours caught him with a blanket, state media reported. Video of the incident shows the boy clinging onto a slab and trying to climb back up onto the balcony, while his feet kept slipping. Moments later, he lets go and falls onto a large blanket held open by onlookers. “I held out the blanket along with others... My only thought was to keep him safe,” said Zhu Yanhui, who rushed to the scene.
Tulsi Gabbard seeks apology from Kamala Harris
US Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard has sought an apology from her fellow party lawmaker, Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris, alleging that people "suffered" when she was the attorney general of California. Both Gabbard, 38, and Harris, 54, who are popular among Indian-Americans, appeared on the same stage in Detroit at the CNN's Democratic presidential debate. Trailing far behind Harris in current opinion polls, Gabbard - the first Hindu to ever run for the presidency of the United States - was aggressive in attacking Harris on the criminal justice system. "The bottom line is, Senator Harris, when you were in a position to make a decision and an impact in these people's lives you did not and worse yet, in the case of those who are on death row, innocent people you actually blocked evidence from being revealed that would have freed them until you were forced to do so," Gabbard said amidst applause from the audience.
Reports say Osama Bin Laden’s son killed
Osama bin Laden's son Hamza, chosen heir to the leadership of Al-Qaeda, has been killed, US media reported, citing American officials. NBC News said three US officials had confirmed they had information of Hamza bin Laden's death, but gave no details of the place or date. The New York Times subsequently cited two US officials saying they had confirmation that he was killed during the last two years in an operation that involved the United States. Questioned by reporters in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump did not confirm or deny the NBC report. “I don’t want to comment on it,” he said. Hamza bin Laden was named a “specially designated global terrorist” in January 2017. Both reports suggested that Hamza bin Laden may have been killed well before the US State Department announced a $1 million bounty on his head in February 2019.
Flight attendant found hiding in overhead bin
Flight attendants are typically the first port of call for passengers if anything goes wrong. So it is with some surprise that those on board a US flight discovered one member of cabin crew hiding in an overhead luggage bin. Passenger Veronica Lloyd captured the moment on video, in which a Southwest Airlines flight attendant was spotted lying in an overhead locker during boarding. Lloyd captioned her video: “I can’t get over how weird I find this.” A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said: “One of our flight attendants attempted to have a brief moment of fun with customers during boarding. Of course, this is not our normal procedure.”
Woman kicked off bus for ‘showing too much’
A woman in Sweden was left “humiliated” and “furious” after she was kicked off the bus for not wearing enough clothes. Amanda Hansson, 19, boarded a bus wearing shorts and a top in the 27°C heat. But, the driver stopped Hansson. “He says, ‘you can’t go dressed like that on our buses... you show way too much’,” she wrote on Facebook. She claims he said her outfit contravened the bus company’s dress policy. She said the incident made her feel humiliated. The bus firm, Nobina Sverige AB, and local transport provider, Skanetrafiken, have apologised for the incident, emphasising that no such policy exists.
Saudi Arabia allows women to travel without male consent
Saudi Arabia has allowed women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian". The reform ends the longstanding guardianship system that renders women permanently as legal minors and allows their "guardians" - husband, father and other male relatives - to exercise arbitrary authority over them. The regulation effectively allows women over the age of 21 to obtain passports and leave the country without their guardian's permission. The decision comes after high-profile attempts by women to escape their guardians despite a string of reforms, including a historic decree last year that overturned the world's only ban on female motorists." A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application," said a government ruling published in the official gazette Umm Al Qura.
Five killed, several injured in Indonesia quake
Five people were killed and several others were injured after a powerful undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia's heavily populated Java island, triggering a brief tsunami warning, the national disaster agency said. The 6.9 magnitude quake sent residents fleeing to higher ground, while many in the capital Jakarta ran into the streets. An official from Indonesia's national disaster agency warned the quake could generate a tsunami, but the alert was lifted several hours later. Three people died of heart attacks as the strong quake rocked the region, a spokesman said. Another person fell to his death while trying to flee his house when the jolt happened, he said, while a fifth victim died from a panic attack. Many other people were injured and more than 200 buildings were damaged, the spokesman added.
Judge to reconsider jail for woman who fed strays
A judge wants to take a second look at a 10-day jail sentence given to a 79-year-old woman for refusing to stop feeding stray cats in her Cleveland neighbourhood. Cleveland.com reports that municipal court Judge Jennifer Weiler wants to hear the case herself after a jail sentence handed down to Nancy Segula by a city magistrate last week was criticised.
