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Pak accountability court issues bailable warrants against ousted PM Nawaz Sharif

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Nawaz Sharif

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nawaz given time till Nov 3 to appear before the court which had earlier indicted him in the Avenfield properties graft case linked with the Panama Papers leak

In yet another setback to ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been indicted in graft cases linked with the Panama Papers leak, an accountability court in Islamabad, on Thursday, issued bailable warrants against him in connection with two corruption references.

Sharif has been granted time till November 3 to present himself before the court. If the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief fails to appear before the accountability court on the said date, non-bailable warrants may be issued against him. On earlier hearings in the case, Sharif’s legal team had claimed that he was in London to attend to his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. However, the former Premier and his wife are currently in Saudi Arabia, where they had arrived earlier this week and were reportedly en route to Pakistan.

As the hearing into the three corruption references against Nawaz and his family members began in the accountability court on Thursday, the former prime minister’s lead counsel Khawaja Haris pleaded before Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir that his client should be exempted from appearing in court owing to his wife’s illness and ongoing treatment.

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor argued that Nawaz had been granted time to appear in the court on Thursday as his earlier exemption period of 15 days was now over. The NAB then pressed for warrants to be issued to Nawaz to secure his production in the court on the next date of hearing (November 3).

The warrants have been issued to Nawaz for his alleged role in the Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited references – both cases that were slapped against the former Prime Minister following an expose in the famous Panama Papers leak case.

Nawaz has not submitted surety bonds in the Azizia and Flagship references whereas he has submitted in the court a Rs5 million surety bond in the third reference made against him for his alleged role in the London-based Avenfield properties case, in which he was recently indicted along with his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt Muhammad Safdar and is awaiting trial.

Haris informed the accountability court that the former Prime Minister’s legal team has challenged Nawaz’s indictment in the references in the Islamabad High Court which is scheduled to hear the case on November 2.

Earlier, as the hearing began, Maryam Nawaz, the former Premier’s daughter who is accused in the Avenfield reference, reached the court after landing at Islamabad airport in a special plane from Lahore while her husband, Capt (retd) Safdar, arrived at the Federal Judicial Complex before her.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1509022436289{margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #b2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The references against Nawaz and his family:

The NAB has in total filed three references against the Sharif family and one against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court, in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28.

The anti-graft body was given six weeks, from the date of the apex court’s order, to file the reference in an accountability court while the accountability court was granted six months to wrap up the proceedings.

The references against Sharif and his family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties and over a dozen offshore companies owned by the family.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Court approves Maryam, Safdar’s bail

According to a report by Pakistan’s Geo News, Maryam and Safdar – who are indicted only in the London Avenfield properties reference – have been granted bail by the accountability court on the condition of them submitting surety bonds worth Rs5 million each.

Safdar was also directed to take the court’s permission before leaving the country from now on. The judge also provided a copy of the reference — spread over 53 volumes — to Maryam and her husband.

NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family.

Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.

If convicted, the accused may face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

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Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

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Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

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Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

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Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

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1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

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