google-site-verification=PQhoeY8jjSrcyLjfBbnc50coDKLcSE_kcv93i2a1668 An intelligent writer: 2019-03-10

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Saturday, March 16, 2019

Who's next? Daltrey and Townshend set for 'full throttle' tour, album

Who's next? Daltrey and Townshend set for 'full throttle' tour, album
But more than 50 years on, the veteran rock band’s two surviving original members are set for a new tour named “Moving On!” and the release of their first album of new music in 13 years.

Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend, now in their 70s, will take the stage in May as part of The Who’s current six-member lineup and backed by an orchestra to play venues in the United States and Canada as well as London’s Wembley Stadium in July.

After tours of past hits, namely the hugely influential rock operas “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia”, Daltrey, who performed with an orchestra last year, said it was time to do something “that reflects where we are in our lives at the moment”.

“We’re old men now...we can’t go out there and pretend it’s going to be anywhere like we were 40, 50 years ago,” he told Reuters in an interview at Wembley.

“Adding the orchestra...can elevate the music into a place where it feels kind of grown up...(but) people mustn’t think just because there’s an orchestra with The Who that it’s going to be watered down. We’ll be playing exactly full throttle like we usually do.”

Emerging in 1960s London, The Who, which included the late drummer Keith Moon and bass player John Entwistle, have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with hits like “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “I Can See For Miles”.

“We could never have imagined it (the group’s ongoing success,” Daltrey said.

“I was coming to (Wembley) stadium today and taking the same journey I used to take every night in the group van...All the memories come back.”

Townshend, the band’s principal songwriter and famed for thrashing his guitar on stage, said he felt “grateful” they could still perform.

“Roger and I are very lucky to be alive,” he said. “We’re lucky to be reasonably healthy. We’re lucky that we can still play the music that we grew up with.”

The Who this year are also planning to release their first album of new music since 2006’s “Endless Wire”.

“We went through so many different phases so now really the challenge is just writing music which is good music which suits Roger and I,” Townshend said.

“I’m a real, real hard taskmaster when it comes to what I sing and whether, whether it’s a good song or not. And I’ll tell you he’s still got it,” Daltrey said.

The singer has said “Moving On!” is not a farewell tour, but acknowledged the duo’s advancing years.

“One of them’s gonna be (a farewell tour), we might not make the end of this one,” he joked. “Every time you hit the stage there’s a possibility of game over at our age.”



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Aiden Markram’s ODI best sets up series clean sweep

Aiden Markram hit an unbeaten 67 to put South Africa in a dominant position
Aiden Markram hit an unbeaten 67 to put South Africa in a dominant position before floodlight failure ended the fifth and final one-day international against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Saturday.

South Africa won by 41 runs according to the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method when no further play was possible. The hosts were on 135 for two after 28 overs in reply to Sri Lanka´s 225 all out.

The win clinched a 5-0 series clean sweep for South Africa, continuing a horror run for the tourists. It was their fourth whitewash defeat in a five-match series in less than two years.

Markram was the night´s big winner. Left out of South Africa´s one-day team for the first eight matches this year, he was recalled for the final two matches of the Sri Lanka series on the back of outstanding form in domestic games. Saturday´s innings seems certain to ensure that he is part of South Africa´s squad for the Cricket World Cup later this year.

He was named man of the match.

It was another poor performance by Sri Lanka despite a half-century by Kusal Mendis, who made 56, and an adventurous partnership of 61 off 53 balls between Priyamal Perera and Isuru Udana.

Sri Lanka fell three balls short of batting out a full 50 overs, continuing a sequence going back to October 2018.

The only time in their most recent eight matches when they were not bowled out was in the rain-shortened third match of the current series when they were well short of the required run rate when play was halted.

Mendis played a measured innings in making his second half-century of a series in which none of his fellow top-order batsmen reached the 50 mark.

He was needlessly run out after a mix-up with Priyamal Perera in the 35th over at a time when he could reasonably have been expected to start accelerating. He faced 84 balls and hit three fours.

Rare De Kock failure

Udana, the only other Sri Lankan to hit a half-century in the series, again made a lively tail-end contribution, hitting 32 off 29 balls before he and Priyamal Perera fell off successive deliveries from Kagiso Rabada in the penultimate over. Rabada finished with three for 50.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir, in his final one-day international in South Africa, took two for 33, while fast bowler Anrich Nortje took two for 35.

Sri Lanka made a good start in the field when South African opening batsman Quinton de Kock flicked Sri Lankan captain Lasith Malinga to deep square leg after scoring six. It was the first failure of the series for De Kock and ended a sequence of five successive scores of 50 or more by the left-hander.

Markram survived two sharp chances, Udana lunging to his right but failing to hold a return catch when the batsman was on two, and on 13 when a diving Oshada Fernando could not hold a difficult chance in the covers off the same bowler.

But Markram batted with authority in sharing half-century stands with captain Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen before the umpires decided the light was not good enough for play to continue.

Despite being a key player in South Africa´s Test team, Markram had failed to cement a place in the one-day side.

He made 66 on debut against Bangladesh in 2017 but Saturday´s innings was his first half-century in 17 innings since then.



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Jimenez, Jota slay United as Wolves reach FA Cup semis

Jimenez, Jota slay Manchester United as Wolves reach FA Cup semi-finals
Wolverhampton Wanderers reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1998 by beating last year’s runners-up Manchester United 2-1 with a clinical second-half display in an intense atmosphere at their Molineux stadium on Saturday.

Mexican forward Raul Jimenez sent the home fans into a frenzy with a scrappy finish to break the deadlock in the 70th minute, snatching at the ball on the turn and beating keeper Sergio Romero who had made two outstanding saves.

Diogo Jota put the home side further ahead with a brilliant solo strike in the 76th, bursting through on the break and fighting off Luke Shaw before blasting the ball past Romero.

United had a red card for defender Victor Lindelof overturned by VAR and Marcus Rashford pulled a goal back in added time but there was no time left to mount a comeback and they fell to a second defeat in a row for the first time since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as manager in December.

Despite the late scare, it was a fully deserved victory for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side who edged the first half and utterly dominated the second.

With their fans singing “We’re on our way back”, Wolves savoured another huge Cup victory after knocking out Liverpool in the third round and will now have a Wembley semi-final to add to their many highlights in a hugely impressive first season back in the Premier League.

“It means a lot, the FA Cup is the oldest competition there is, we played well and we achieved this with the amazing support of our fans, pushing us, believing in us, the noise was fantastic and we did it together,” Nuno told a news conference.

“It is a deserved result, we were outstanding,” Wolves captain Conor Coady added.

“From start to finish we nullified them they are an unbelievable club with talented players, we said before in the changing rooms we have the chance to make history and we now have the chance to go through again.”

United had lost their last game at Arsenal and the absence of Romelu Lukaku through injury meant they lacked presence up front against the intense home side, who sought to cancel out their opponents in midfield while picking them off on the break.

“That was the poorest performance we have had since I’ve been here,” Solskjaer said.

“We started too slowly and played into their hands. Our possession wasn’t bright enough and quick enough, so it’s disappointing.

“This was a big step backwards, mainly because of the quality of the possession and the passing.”

Towards the end of an even first half Wolves caught United out with a threaded pass from Ruben Neves into Jota, who found himself clean through as he entered the box but Argentine keeper Romero made himself big and produced an impressive save.

Wolves then took the game to United after the interval and Romero pulled off a stunning reflex save to tip over a piercing header from Jimenez.

These near misses only made Wolves more determined, and once they found the breakthrough through Jimenez they never looked like letting their lead slip.



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Bangladesh detains FIFA official for 'defaming' PM Hasina

 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh authorities jailed a senior member of football's world governing body on Saturday, hours after she was arrested for allegedly defaming the country's leader.

Mahfuza Akhter, a FIFA council member since 2017 and national chief of women's football, had told a TV talk show last month that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had neglected football in the cricket-mad country.

A Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Mahfuza on Tuesday after a formal libel complaint from local sports administrator Abul Hasan Chowdhury.

Mahfuza was arrested Saturday morning in the capital, Dhaka police officer Omar Faruk said.

A magistrate in the city's metropolitan court denied her bail application in a hearing later that day, according to Mahfuza's lawyer Liakat Hossain said. “We sought bail for her after she was taken to the court. But our prayer was rejected,” he added.

Rights groups have accused the Bangladeshi government of using harsh laws to stifle dissent.

Scores of people have been arrested under strict internet laws and cases have been filed against at least 200 people for making derogatory comments about Hasina online, according to a cyber crime prosecutor.

Mahfuza's arrest came months after Bangladesh arrested and charged award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam with making “false” and “provocative” statements in a televised interview in August.

He was jailed for 107 days — the photographer said he was badly beaten while in custody — and denied bail four times before being freed in November.

 



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NZ mosque attacks: PM Khan announces national award for martyred hero Naeem Rashid

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani martyred Naeem Rashid
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said Pakistani national Naeem Rashid, who was martyred in Friday's terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, will be recognised for his courage with a national award.

The premier also announced to extend all support to the families of the nine Pakistanis martyred in the white supremacist terrorist attack.

“We stand ready to extend all our support to the families of Pakistani victims of the terrorist attack in Christchurch. Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the white supremacist terrorist and his courage will be recognized with a national award,” PM Imran tweeted.

Rashid, a resident of Jinnahabad in Abbottabad and a professor in New Zealand, was present at the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch when a terrorist opened fire at the worshippers. He sacrificed his life trying to stop the shooter.

Read more:Pakistani Naeem Rashid tried stopping NZ mosque terrorist succumbs to wounds

His son, 22-year-old Talha Naeem, a civil engineering graduate, was among those who lost their lives in the shooting.

Pakistani hero Naeem Rashid sacrificed his life trying to stop Christchurch shooter.

Rashid, who was injured in his bid to overpower the attacker, passed away on Saturday after succumbing to his injuries.



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New Zealand PM urges Trump to show sympathy and love for all Muslims

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US president Donald Trump
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she told US President Donald Trump to show all Muslim communities “sympathy and love”.

Ardern said she made the comments when Trump asked what he could do in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks, according to The Guardian.

Trump had said that he had spoken to Ardern in a phone call on Friday and said that the United States is prepared to give any assistance following the killing of 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand.

“I informed the Prime Minister that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand - and that any assistance the USA can give, we stand by ready to help,” Trump said on Twitter.

In remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump added: “Earlier today I spoke with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand to express the sorrow of our entire nation following the terrorist attacks at two mosques. These sacred places of worship were turned into scenes of evil killing.”

The gunman in New Zealand killed 49 people and 42 people were being treated for injuries, police said. Some of the victims were kneeling in prayer, and the gunman broadcast footage of some of the killings online.

Ardern described the incident, the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, as an assault on the country’s values.



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Flash floods kill at least 42 in Indonesia's Papua province

Flash floods kill at least 42 in Indonesia's Papua province
Flash floods in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua have killed at least 42 people and badly injured 21 others, a local disaster agency official told Reuters on Sunday.

The Sentani area near the provincial capital Jayapura has been hit by torrential rain since Saturday that triggered the floods, said the official, Cory Simbolon.

At least nine houses and two bridges were damaged by the floods, national disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, adding that a search and rescue team has yet to reach all the affected areas.

“Waters have now receded, leaving mud, logs and other materials carried by the flash floods,” Nugroho said in a statement.

More than 120 residents were taking shelter at government offices after their homes were hit by the floods, he said.

Authorities, aided by the Red Cross and volunteers, were responding to help the displaced, Nugroho said.



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Clash of the titans: Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi meet in PSL final

Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi meet in PSL final
Two-time finalists Quetta Gladiators and one-time champions Peshawar Zalmi will square-off in the 'El Clasico' final of the Pakistan Super League at the National Stadium Karachi today, with both captains promising to fight till the last ball.

The match will start at 8pm PST.

Led by Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Quetta have finished runner-up in 2016 and 2017, while Peshawar outlasted them in the third vs fourth Eliminator in 2018, but were defeated in this season's qualifier.

The Quetta-Peshawar rivalry began in 2016 when both the sides shared a match each in the first round, before Gladiators won the war of Qualifier when medium-pacer Aizaz Cheema took two wickets and conceded a single off the last-ball as Peshawar failed to chase down target of 134 runs.

Peshawar won one of the league matches in 2017, while the other was rained-off in Sharjah before another Qualifier went to Quetta, this time too Peshawar falling short by one-run in pursuit of a 201-run target.

On that day, Hasan Ali was run-out when two runs were needed off the last-ball.

But Peshawar had the last laugh, clinching the final and the title with a big 58-run victory against a depleted Quetta, who were without their top foreign players.

They again shared a league match each in 2018, before Peshawar snatched victory from the jaws of Quetta by one-run in the Eliminator in Lahore.

Needing 25 runs off the last over, Quetta were brought within a stroke of victory by Anwar Ali who hammered three sixes and a boundary off spinner Liam Dawson.

But, needing three for victory, Anwar's partner Mir Hamza was run-out as the batsmen tried to take a second run.

This year, Quetta has an edge leaving the head-to-head in their favour with seven wins, five defeats and one no-result in 12 contests.

The Yellow Storm will be led by fans’ favourite Darren Sammy, whose inspirational leadership took Zalmi to claim the crown in the second edition.

However, Sammy’s fitness issues remain a concern. Zalmi will also have the services of Pakistan’s most successful Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

The batting line will also feature PSL's most successful batsman Kamran Akmal and all-rounder Kieron Pollard. The side has also picked Imam-ul Haq, who is in a good knick in limited overs cricket.

On the bowling front, the likes of Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali and Chris Jordan compile a potential match-winning attack.

Coming to the Quetta Gladiators, the Sarfraz Ahmed-led side will feature former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson.

The Gladiators will also feature a potent bowling attack, including the T20 specialist Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Irfan Jr., and Mohammad Asghar.



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First lady Samina inaugurates dedicated shelter for senior, destitute citizens

First lady Samina Alvi inaugurated a dedicated shelter for senior and destitute citizens at Sweet Home Villa in Karachi
First lady Samina Alvi inaugurated a dedicated shelter for senior and destitute citizens at Sweet Home Villa in Karachi on Saturday.

She expressed her satisfaction that sincere efforts are being made by Pakistan Bait ul Maal for rehabilitation of the children who may have lost their parents owing to one or the other reason as well as those elderly people rendered homeless and abandoned due to circumstances.

She also appreciated Aun Abbas Bappi, Chairman of Pakistan Bait ul Maal and all those associated with the body for contributing towards a cause that should be close to the heart of every Pakistani.



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Protest held in South Waziristan against eight Pakistanis’ killing in Afghanistan

Protest in South Waziristan against the killing of eight tribesmen in Afghanistan
The members of Wazir Grand Jirga staged a protest demonstration against the killing of eight tribesmen from North Waziristan in Afghanistan on Sunday.

The protest was held in the border village of Angur Adda in South Waziristan.

Speaking on the occasion, the participants condemned the killing of the Pakistani tribesmen by the Afghan security forces.

Earlier speaking at a press conference, the members of the jirga (village council) had called upon the United Nations, International Human Rights Commission and Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul to probe the killing of the tribesmen to ensure justice to the bereaved families.

They appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, foreign and interior ministers and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take note of the killing of Pakistani citizens.

The elders claimed that the Afghan army personnel dragged the eight Pakistani citizens out of their homes and subjected them to severe torture before killing them in Barma area of Paktika province in Afghanistan.

According to them, four of the eight killed Pakistanis were brothers and belonged to Shewa area of North Waziristan district.

They had gone to Afghanistan to make a living.



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New Zealand PM Jacinda says received gunman's 'manifesto' nine minutes before attack

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says received gunman's 'manifesto' nine minutes before attack
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office received a "manifesto" from the gunman who killed 50 people in two Christchurch mosques minutes before Friday's attack.

"I was one of more than 30 recipients of the manifesto that was mailed out nine minutes before the attack took place," Ardern told reporters on Sunday.

"It did not include a location, it did not include specific details," she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt.

Ardern said she had read "elements" of the lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto".

"The fact that there was an ideological manifesto with extreme views attached to this attack, of course, that is deeply disturbing," she said.

The death toll in the New Zealand mosque shootings rose to 50 on Sunday when police found another body at one of the mosques, as families waited for authorities to formally identify victims and release their bodies for burial.

Arden said bodies would be handed over to families from Sunday evening.

“It is likely, however, to be a small number to begin with,” she told a media briefing, adding that all should be returned by Wednesday.

Ardern said police would be posted at all mosques while they are open.

The accused gunman, a right-wing extremist and self-confessed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, documented his radicalisation and two years of preparations in a lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto".

Tarrant, 28, was charged with murder on Saturday and was remanded without a plea. He is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges.

Christchurch terrorist charged with murder post-NZ shootings, no bail requested

Friday’s attack, which Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country had raised its security threat level to the highest.

Facebook, guns

Footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a “manifesto” denouncing immigrants as “invaders” was also posted online via links to related social media accounts.

The shootings have raised new questions about violence being disseminated online.

Ardern told the briefing that she had been contacted by Facebook operations chief Sheryl Sandberg who had acknowledged what had happened.

“This is an issue that I will look to be discussing directly with Facebook,” Ardern said.

Facebook said on Twitter it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack in the first 24 hours and it was also removing all edited versions, even those without graphic content.

The violence has also shone a new light on gun control.

Ardern said Tarrant was a licensed gun owner who allegedly used five weapons, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns, which had been modified.

“I can tell you one thing right now, our gun laws will change,” Ardern told reporters on Saturday, saying a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered.

New Zealand has in the past tried to tighten firearm laws, but a strong gun lobby and culture of hunting has stymied such efforts.

There are an estimated 1.5 million firearms in New Zealand, which has a population of only 5 million, but it has had low levels of gun violence.



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French violence flares as yellow vest protests enter fourth month

Rioters set fire to a bank and ransacked stores on Paris’s Champs Elysees avenue on Saturday
Rioters set fire to a bank and ransacked stores on Paris’s Champs Elysees avenue on Saturday, in a new flare-up of violence as France’s yellow vest protests against President Emmanuel Macron and his pro-business reforms entered the fourth month.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon as the protests turned violent after weeks of relative calm, during which marches had attracted declining numbers of participants.

A Banque Tarneaud branch spewed flames before firefighters arrived and rescued a woman and her infant from the building, with 11 suffering minor injuries, the fire department said.

Rioters also set fire to an upmarket handbag store and two news-stands on the Champs Elysees, while scattered bonfires burned on the thoroughfare.

Protesters hurled cobblestones at riot police through clouds of tear gas in front of the Arc de Triomphe monument, which was ransacked at the peak of the protests in December.

Police arrested nearly 240 protesters as rioters looted stores around the Champs Elysees and wrecked the high-end Fouquet’s restaurant.

The canvas awning was later set on fire of the swanky brasserie, known in France as the place where conservative Nicolas Sarkozy celebrated his presidential election victory in 2007.

Several hundred meters (yards) down the Champs Elysees, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told journalists the latest violence was unacceptable and all would be done to bring perpetrators to justice.

“We are dealing with several hundred, several thousand in some cases, highly determined people who are there to create disorder,” Philippe said.

Police said 42 protestors, 17 of their own officers and one firefighter were injured.

The interior ministry estimated 10,000 people had participated in the protest in Paris, compared with 3,000 on the previous Saturday. Nationwide, protesters were estimated at 32,300, compared with 28,600 last week.

Ultra violent

Macron cut short a weekend ski trip in the Pyrenees to return to the capital on Saturday night after the violence, the Elysees presidential palace said.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that although the protest was relatively small, there had been more than 1,500 “ultra violent” people out looking for trouble.

“They decided, perhaps as a swansong, to come attack and I use their words Paris,” Castaner said, adding that more than 1,400 police officers were mobilized.

A separate, peaceful march against climate change through central Paris drew as many 36,000 people, police estimated. Some 145,000 people marched nationwide.

Yellow vest protesters had promised to draw bigger numbers to mark the fourth month since the movement erupted in mid-November over since-scrapped fuel tax hikes and the cost of living.

Named after the high-visibility vests French drivers have to keep in their cars and worn by protesters, the revolt swelled into a broader movement against Macron, his reforms and elitism.

However, the weekly demonstrations, held every Saturday in Paris and other cities, have been generally getting smaller since December, when Paris saw some of the worst vandalism and looting in decades.

After the spike in violence, Macron offered a package of concessions worth more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion) aimed at boosting the incomes of the poorest workers and pensioners.

His government ordered police to crack down on the protests in January, leading to complaints of police brutality.

The 41-year-old former investment banker also launched a series of national debates aimed at determining what policies people want the government to focus on. Saturday’s protests coincided with the end of the debates.



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Apple Watch detects irregular heart beat in large U.S. study

The Apple Watch was able to detect irregular heart pulse rates
The Apple Watch was able to detect irregular heart pulse rates that could signal the need for further monitoring for a serious heart rhythm problem, according to data from a large study funded by Apple Inc, demonstrating a potential future role for wearable consumer technology in healthcare.

Researchers hope the technology can assist in early detection of atrial fibrillation, the most common form of an irregular heartbeat. Patients with untreated AF are five times more likely to have a stroke.

Results of the largest AF screening and detection study, involving over 400,000 Apple Watch users who were invited to participate, were presented on Saturday at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans.

Of the 400,000 participants, 0.5 percent, or about 2,000 subjects, received notifications of an irregular pulse.

Those people were sent an ECG (electrocardiography) patch to wear for subsequent detection of atrial fibrillation episodes.

A third of those whose watches detected an irregular pulse were confirmed to have atrial fibrillation using the ECG technology, researchers said.

Some 84 percent of the irregular pulse notifications were later confirmed to have been AF episodes, data showed.

“The physician can use the information from the study, combine it with their assessment and then guide clinical decisions around what to do with an alert,” said Dr Marco Perez, one of the study’s lead investigators from Stanford School of Medicine.

The study also found that 57 percent of participants who received an alert on their watch sought medical attention.

For Apple, the data provides firepower as it pushes into healthcare.

Its new Series 4 Watch, which became available only after the study began so was not used, has the ability to take an electrocardiogram to detect heart problems and required clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Dr Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who was not involved in the trial, called it an important study as the use of this type of wearable technology is only going to become more prevalent.

“The study is an important first step in figuring out how can we use these technologies in a way that’s evidence-based,” he said.

Researchers urged caution by doctors in using data from consumer devices when treating patients. But they also see great future potential for this type of technology.

“Atrial fibrillation is just the beginning, as this study opens the door to further research into wearable technologies and how they might be used to prevent disease before it strikes,” said Lloyd Minor, the dean of Stanford School of Medicine.



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Nine Pakistanis martyred in New Zealand mosque attacks

Pakistanis martyred in the horrifying attacks carried out by an Australian terrorist on two mosques in Christchurch
Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal on Sunday confirmed that nine Pakistanis have been martyred in the horrifying attacks carried out by an Australian terrorist on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Dr Faisal said the following Pakistanis had lost their lives in Friday's terror attacks:

  1. Mr Sohail Shahid
  2. Syed Jahandad Ali
  3. Syed Areeb Ahmed
  4. Mr Mahboob Haroon
  5. Mr Naeem Rashid
  6. Mr Talha Naeem
  7. Mr Zeeshan Raza
  8. Mr Ghulam Hussain
  9. Ms Karam                          

"Mr Zeeshan Raza, his father Mr Ghulam Hussain and mother Ms. Karam bibi have now been confirmed to have embraced shahadat in the terrroist attack in NewZealand. We are in touch with their family. A total of nine Pakistanis embraced shahadat in New Zealand terror attack," Dr Faisal confirme don Twitter.

Earlier, the FO spokesperson said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had directed for all possible help and assistance to families of deceased and missing Pakistani citizens.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also spoke to New Zealand Ambassador in Tehran Hamish MacMaster, who is also accredited to Pakistan, via telephone, Dr Faisal said. 

 The foreign secretary conveyed condolences on tragic loss of lives in the terrorist attack in Christchurch and requested for facilitation in assisting families of affected Pakistanis, he added.

'Bodies of four martyrs to be brought to Pakistan'

Speaking to media, Qureshi said that families of four Pakistani martyrs of Christchurch terror attacks had requested for bringing bodies of their loved ones to Pakistan, while relatives of two victims wanted their burial in New Zealand.

The foreign minister said so far six Pakistani martyrs of the attacks had been identified, while three were missing.

He said the government would fully cooperate in bringing bodies of four Pakistani martyrs back to country.

Regarding the three missing Pakistani nationals, Qureshi said they would be identified through DNA testing, which was likely to take some time.

He said one injured Pakistani citizen was in critical condition and being treated in the ICU of a Christchurch hospital.

Pakistani Naeem Rashid attempted to stop the terrorist who opened fire at the Al Noor mosque succumbed to his injuries, his son was among those who lost their lives at the mosque.

At least 49 people lost their lives when 28-year-old right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant attacked two mosques in Christchurch.

41 people lost their lives at the Al Noor Mosque, while seven more died at a mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

The terrorist appeared in a local court earlier today on murder charges.

He was remanded in custody with no bail requested and is scheduled to appear in the South Island city’s High Court on April 5 and will likely face further charges.



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Head of Chinese energy agency expelled from Communist Party

The head of China's energy planning agency has been expelled from the country's ruling Communist Party and dismissed from his post.
The head of China's energy planning agency has been expelled from the country's ruling Communist Party and dismissed from his post.

Nur Bekri used his authority to aid others in job placement, business operations and mineral resource development in exchange for huge amounts of money and property, China's disciplinary committee announced on Saturday evening.

Bekri was one of the most senior officials from the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority in Xinjiang.

There is no indication that his expulsion is connected to a sweeping security crackdown in the far western region, where an estimated 1 million Uighurs and Kazakhs have been detained.

Thousands of both high and low-level officials have been ensnared in President Xi Jinping's multi-year campaign against corruption. The anti-graft drive has been a hallmark of Xi's tenure and contributed to his popularity, but is described by critics as a convenient way to purge political enemies.

Bekri became director of the National Energy Administration in 2014 and was also deputy chairman of the Cabinet's economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission. His case will now be investigated by criminal prosecutors, the disciplinary commission said.

According to the Saturday statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Bekri abused his power by arranging free rides in luxury vehicles, special drivers and other services for his family members.

He lived an "extravagant life, coveting greed," the statement said, adding that he was not truthful during his investigation.



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Sheikh Rasheed advises Bilawal Bhutto to be careful in politics

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, while calling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as kid, advised him to be careful in politics.

Talking to media in Karachi, the minister said that he has forgiven Bilawal on his friends’ request. PPP Chairman should be careful in order to avoid political death.

Meanwhile, Rasheed said Pakistan Railways recorded an increase of 3 billion rupees in the revenue during the last six months.

He said we are laying a new track for which an agreement will be signed with China during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing.

The minister said Pakistan Railways has the capability to construct freight trains and we are exporting these as well in the past.

He said that VIP trains are also being introduced to decrease the deficit of the department, and in this regard Sir Syed Express and Jinnah Express would soon be launched.



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'Yellow vest' rioting in Paris as anti-Macron protests persist

Police used tear gas and water cannons to repel protesters who gathered at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe
French "yellow vest" protesters have clashed with police in Paris, in the 18th straight weekend of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron and his government's policies.

Large plumes of smoke on Saturday rose above the rioting on the landmark Champs-Elysees avenue in the French capital, as the demonstrators set fires and smashed up luxury stores.

Police tried to contain the protesters with tear gas and water cannons. More than 100 arrests were made.

One dangerous blaze targeted a bank on the ground floor of a seven-storey residential building. As firetrucks rushed over, a mother and her child were rescued as the fire threatened to engulf their floor, Paris's fire service told The Associated Press news agency.

Eleven people in the building, including two firefighters, sustained light injuries, as other residents were evacuated to safety.

Simultaneous fires were also put out from two burning newspaper kiosks as groups of mostly black-clad demonstrators pelted the security forces with stones and erected barricades. Several protesters smiled as they posed for a photo in front of one the charred remains of the kiosks.

'Ultraviolent minority'
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said up to 8,000 demonstrators were in Paris on Saturday, including 1,500 "ultraviolent ones that are there to smash things up".

The turnout was seen as a test for the "yellow vest" movement, which began in November over fuel tax hikes and quickly ballooned into an anti-government rebellion but has struggled lately to mobilise large numbers of protesters.

The movement against Macron's perceived bias in favour of the elite, takes its name from the yellow safety vests French law requires all motorists to carry.

Last week, around 28,000 people demonstrated nationwide, according to the authorities, a tenth of the numbers that turned out for the inaugural protest on November 17.

The latest rally coincided with the end of a two-month public debate called by Macron to try take the heat out of the protests and give voters a forum to propose policy changes to address declining living standards, stagnant wages and high unemployment.

Around half a million people turned out at townhall-style meetings held around the country, but many "yellow vest" protesters dismissed the consultation as a smokescreen.

On social media, "yellow vest" leaders had hinted at the arrival of sympathisers from Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and even Poland.

"Macron, we're coming to get you at home," some of the protesters chanted, referring to the presidential palace situated near the Champs-Elysees.



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Christchurch shootings: Crisis Management Cell established at Foreign Office

The cell will address the developing situation and update on the incidents.
In the aftermath of terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, a Crisis Management Cell has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

The cell will address the developing situation and update on the well-being of and latest information of Pakistani citizens living in New Zealand.

Officers of the Ministry will remain available in the Crisis Management Cell round the clock for timely dissemination of information and assistance.

In addition, Pakistan’s High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner in New Zealand will also be available for information and assistance.

The Spokesperson said immediate family members of victims of terrorist attack in New Zealand can apply for visa at; https://ift.tt/2do0XAB.

He said the applicants may send application number and scanned copies of passports to Moin Fudda, Honrary Consulate General of New Zealand for Pakistan at email: moin@fudda.org or WhatsApp: +923428200200.

He said our High Commission in New Zealand has reached out to the families of the victims and extended first and foremost condolences to the bereaved families.

He said the High Commission will extend full support to them in this hour of grief.



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When gunman advanced on New Zealand mosque, 1 man ran at him

Abdul Aziz, survivor of mosque shooting speaks to Associated Press during an interview in Christchurch, New Zealand, Saturday, March 16, 2019. Aziz, 48, is being hailed as a hero for preventing more deaths during Friday prayers at the Linwood mosque in Christchurch. The gunman killed 49 people after attacking two mosques in the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand’s modern history. Seven were killed at the Linwood mosque.
When the gunman advanced toward the mosque, killing those in his path, Abdul Aziz didn’t hide. Instead, he picked up the first thing he could find, a credit card machine, and ran outside screaming “Come here!”

Aziz, 48, is being hailed as a hero for preventing more deaths during Friday prayers at the Linwood mosque in Christchurch after leading the gunman in a cat-and-mouse chase before scaring him into speeding away in his car.

But Aziz, whose four sons and dozens of others remained in the mosque while he faced off with the gunman, said he thinks it’s what anyone would have done.

The gunman killed 49 people after attacking two mosques in the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand’s modern history.

The gunman is believed to have killed 41 people at the Al Noor mosque before driving about 5 kilometers (3 miles) across town and attacking the Linwood mosque, where he killed seven more people. One person died later in a hospital.

White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with one count of murder in the slayings and a judge said Saturday that it was reasonable to assume more charges would follow.

Latef Alabi, the Linwood mosque’s acting imam, said the death toll would have been far higher at the Linwood mosque if it wasn’t for Aziz.

Alabi said he heard a voice outside the mosque at about 1:55 p.m. and stopped the prayer he was leading and peeked out the window. He saw a guy in black military-style gear and a helmet holding a large gun, and assumed it was a police officer. Then he saw two bodies and heard the gunman yelling obscenities.

“I realized this is something else. This is a killer,” he said.

He yelled at the congregation of more than 80 to get down. They hesitated. A shot rang out, a window shattered and a body fell, and people began to realize it was for real.

“Then this brother came over. He went after him, and he managed to overpower him, and that’s how we were saved,” Alabi said, referring to Aziz. “Otherwise, if he managed to come into the mosque, then we would all probably be gone.”

Aziz said as he ran outside screaming, he was hoping to distract the attacker. He said the gunman ran back to his car to get another gun, and Aziz hurled the credit card machine at him.

He said he could hear his two youngest sons, aged 11 and 5, urging him to come back inside.

The gunman returned, firing. Aziz said he ran, weaving through cars parked in the driveway, which prevented the gunman from getting a clean shot. Then Aziz spotted a gun the gunman had abandoned and picked it up, pointed it and squeezed the trigger. It was empty.

He said the gunman ran back to the car for a second time, likely to grab yet another weapon.

“He gets into his car and I just got the gun and threw it on his window like an arrow and blasted his window,” he said.

The windshield shattered: “That’s why he got scared.”

He said the gunman was cursing at him, yelling that he was going to kill them all. But he drove away and Aziz said he chased the car down the street to a red light, before it made a U-turn and sped away. Online videos indicate police officers managed to force the car from the road and drag out the suspect soon after.

Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, Aziz said he left as a refugee when he was a boy and lived for more than 25 years in Australia before moving to New Zealand a couple of years ago.

“I’ve been to a lot of countries and this is one of the beautiful ones,” he said. And, he always thought, a peaceful one as well.

Aziz said he didn’t feel fear or much of anything when facing the gunman. It was like he was on autopilot. And he believes that God, that Allah, didn’t think it was his time to die.



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Eating more mushrooms could help to fight off a decline in brain function later in life

Eating more mushrooms could help to fight off a decline in brain function later in life
It's common knowledge that mushrooms are packed with a nutritional punch — but did you know that this everyday food item may be able to lower the risk of cognitive decline in older people too?

According to a study by the National University of Singapore (NUS), seniors who eat more than two standard portions of mushrooms — equivalent to 300g or half a plate — per week may have 50% reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment.

This could be because of the presence of a specific compound called ergothioneine found in almost all mushroom varieties, according to Dr Irwin Cheah, senior research fellow from NUS Biochemistry.

Dr Cheah said: "ET (ergothioneine) is a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which humans are unable to synthesise on their own. But it can be obtained from dietary sources, one of the main ones being mushrooms."

The NUS study stated that seniors with mild cognitive impairment display subtle symptoms of memory loss or forgetfulness, as well as a deficit in other cognitive functions such as language, attention, and visuospatial abilities.

The study was conducted from 2011 to 2017 and published on Tuesday March 12. It referenced six commonly consumed mushrooms — namely golden, oyster, shiitake and white button mushrooms, as well as dried and canned mushrooms.

600 Chinese seniors living in Singapore and over the age of 60 were assessed through interviews and tests which took into account demographic information, medical history, psychological factors, and dietary habits, as well as their blood pressure, weight, height, handgrip, and walking speed.

The participants then took a two-hour standard neuropsychological assessment, along with a dementia rating.

According to the more recent study, earlier NUS research — also involving Dr Cheah — found that a deficiency in the ergothioneine compound could be a risk factor for neurodegeneration diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

It also found certain hericenones, erinacines, scabronines and dictyophorines contained within mushrooms may promote the synthesis of nerve growth factors, while bioactive compounds inhibit the production of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau, and acetylcholinesterase, which protects the brain from neurodegeneration.

To form stronger conclusions, the research team may look into performing a randomized controlled trial in the future with the pure compound of ergothioneine and other plant-based ingredients.

Read the original article on Business Insider Singapore.



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This is why McDonald’s ice cream machines always seem to be broken

This is why McDonald’s ice cream machines always seem to be broken
Most people know not to get their hopes up if they head to a McDonald’s for a McFlurry—it’s a running joke that the ice cream machine always seems to be broken when you stop at McDonald’s. But why can’t McDonald’s get it together and give its customers what they want?

The main reason is that the ice cream machines take forever to clean, taking up to four hours to sanitize—and it has to be done every single day. When the machines are in the process of being cleaned, they can’t serve ice cream. And, when the staff is handing out Big Macs left and right, no one has the time to tend to the laborious machine.

In early 2017, McDonald’s announced that they were going to be replacing their soft serve machines with ones that are easier to maintain and wouldn’t take as long to clean. However, actually installing the new equipment in every restaurant is taking a very long time and customers are still complaining.

So for now, you may have to keep your McFlurry cravings to a minimum until all of the new machines are in place. If you really can’t control yourself, an extremely fed up customer kindly created an app that lets you check if the ice cream machine is working at the McDonald’s closest to you.



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Fake bank accounts case: Zardari's legal team advises him not to appear before NAB

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari
Legal team of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday has advised him to not appear before National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in fake bank accounts case.

The team has also suggested PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto to not visit the bureau office on May 20.

It seems that NAB has decided to file a reference against PPP leadership. However, we will lead the case in the court, the team stated.

It is to be mentioned here that NAB had summoned former president and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on March 20 in fake accounts case.

On December 24, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed on the apex court’s orders to probe into the alleged money-laundering case, presented its 128-page final report to the court which included recommendations for filing 16 NAB references.

The report had mentioned that 29 fake accounts were identified by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) which laundered Rs42 billion, however, the team further discovered 11,500 bank accounts of 924 account holders, 59 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and 24,500 Cash Transactions Reports (CTRs).

All of these details were scrutinized, besides the loan profile of 924 individuals.

The report further stated that the fake accounts were opened through the Omni Group, however the accounts had been engaged with direct transactions with the Zardari Group, Bahria Town, Sindh Government departments and certain contractors while the ultimate beneficiary of money laundering was Zardari’s family.

Later, the court had ordered Zardari to submit his reply by December 31, however, during the previous hearing extended his and his sister s interim bail till January 7.

On September 6, the SC had formed a JIT to probe into alleged mega money laundering of Rs42 billion channeled through fake bank accounts in three banks.

Besides the Zardari family, several prominent individuals including former Summit Bank president Hussain Lawai and Omni Group president Anwar Majeed, have been accused in the case.

Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been also included in the inquiry.



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Muslim worshipper assaulted at East London mosque after NZ attack

Following the New Zealand attacks, UK police officers stepped up security around mosques
A man has been attacked with a "hammer" and a "batten" outside an East London mosque, British media reported hours after at least 49 people were killed in an attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

A group of men shouted Islamophobic abuses as they drove past the mosque and called the attendees at the Friday prayers "terrorists", witnesses told the Independent newspaper.

One of the three men then climbed out of the vehicle and allegedly attacked one of the worshippers. The 27-year-old victim sustained injuries to his head.

In a video filmed by a witness, one of the attackers was seen climbing onto the front of the car in an attempt to get away from the scene.

"The suspects returned to their car and left the scene before police arrived," a spokesperson for London's Metropolitan Police told the Independent, adding that the suspects were all described as white men, believed to be in their 20s.

No arrests have been made yet.

'London stands with Christchurch'
Following the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, the United Kingdom police officers stepped up security around mosques on Friday.

"Whilst there is no intelligence linking these appalling events in Christchurch to the UK, additional uniform patrols will continue in London and nationally over the coming days, focusing on places of worship and specific communities," Neil Basu, the national policing lead for counterterrorism, told the Independent.

"We are paying specific attention to mosques, particularly Friday prayers.

"Many communities will be understandably concerned and local officers will be out and about providing reassurance and protective security advice to communities, places of worship and businesses."

In a statement issued after the attack, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city "stands with the people of Christchurch in the face of this horrific terror attack".

"London will always celebrate the diversity that some seek to destroy ... I want to reassure the Muslim communities in London," he said.

"I have been in touch with the Met Police. There will be highly visible policing around mosques today, as well as armed response officers, as Londoners go to pray."



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New Zealand mosque attacks prompt flood of support for Muslims

Outpouring of solidarity includes crowdfunding millions of dollars, donating halal food and help.
New Zealanders have responded to the Christchurch mosque massacres with an outpouring of interfaith solidarity - crowdfunding millions of dollars, donating halal food and even offering to accompany local Muslims now scared to walk the streets.

The killing of 49 people at two mosques in this usually placid city on Friday has sent shock waves rippling across the Pacific Island country that on average sees no more than 50 murders a year.

But revulsion at the bloodshed and the self-declared perpetrator s racist motives has been matched by displays of support and warmth towards the country s devastated Muslim communities.In a suburb of Christchurch close to where the attacks took place, Yoti Ioannou and his wife put out a Facebook post calling for locals to donate halal food.

Their idea was to provide meals for the dozens of desperate relatives waiting at the city s hospitals for news of their loved ones as surgeons battled to save lives.

The halal food drive was inundated, they said, with people lining up to give meals throughout Saturday.

"We re just really humbled and happy to help," Ioannou told AFP news agency. "We ll be working on a way to keep things consistent with support for the families. "The people of Christchurch, we re used to rallying," Iannou said, referencing the 2011 earthquake that killed more than 180 people.

"It s just second nature to us now and I m pleased they came out in force today."

The Sikh community in Christchurch offered help in washing the bodies of the victims and digging the graves.



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Christchurch mosque shooting: The faces of the victims

Naeem Rashid
They are fathers, mothers, grandparents, daughters and sons. They are refugees, immigrants and New-Zealand born.

They are Kiwis. These are the names of those who have died or are missing after the Christchurch act of terror.

Mucad's brother, Abdi Ibrahim, has said no-one had seen him since the shooting. He was at the Al Noor mosque with his family.

Abdi was able to get out of the mosque while their father pretended he was dead.

The family have been to Christchurch Hospital and looked through a list of injured people there in an attempt to find Mucid, to no avail.

"We're most likely thinking he's one of the people who has died at the mosque ... at this stage everyone's saying he's dead," Abdi told Stuff.

"It's been pretty tough, a lot of people are ringing me asking if you need help. It's been hard at the moment, [we've] never dealt with this."

Mucad was "energetic, playful and liked to smile and laugh a lot.

Abdullahi Dirie, 4

Abdulrahman Hashi, 60, a preacher at Dar Al Hijrah Mosque in Minneapolis, told The Washington Post his 4-year-old nephew was among those killed.

He received a phone call Friday morning from his brother-in-law Adan Ibrahin Dirie, who was also in the hospital with gunshot wounds. Four of his children escaped unharmed, but the youngest, Abdullahi, was killed.

The family had fled Somalia in the mid-1990s as refugees and resettled in New Zealand.

"You cannot imagine how I feel," Hashi said.

"He was the youngest in the family. This is a problem of extremism. Some people think the Muslims in their country are part of that, but these are innocent people."

12-year-old boy

Heba Sami, whose father was shot and injured protecting his children, told Gulf News that she lost five family friends, including a 12-year-old boy, in the attack.

Sayyad Milne, 14

Sayyad's father has spoken through tears of his "brave little soldier", who died at the Al Noor Mosque.

The Year 10 Cashmere High School was at the mosque with his mother and friends. He attends every Friday.

His father John Milne told NZME through tears: "I've lost my little boy, he's just turned 14. I'll get it together again.

"I haven't heard officially yet that he's actually passed but I know he has because he was seen.

"[I'm] keeping it together and tears are helping. people are helping. Just by being here, it is helping."

He said he was told Sayyad was lying on the floor in the mosque, bleeding from the lower parts of his body.

He said Sayyad was a keen football player.

"I remember him as my baby who i nearly lost when he was born. Such a struggle he's had throughout all his life. he's been unfairly treated but he's risen above that and he's very brave. A brave little soldier. It's so hard ... to see him just gunned down by someone who didn't care about anyone or anything.

"I know where he is. I know he's at peace."

Milne said he has been carrying around a sign in Christchurch which reads "everyone love everyone"

The principal of Cashmere High was going to visit the family soon.

"The community is shattered," Milne said.

"The Muslim community just don't know what to do, where to go, what's happened. They're finding it very hard to accept but there is so much support from so many different people, people who aren't Muslim. Support across the board.

"But we are the most beautiful city rising out of the dust. We will go forward. this won't bring us down. It will make us even stronger. United we stand, divided we fall ... the city is going to be a symbol of what it can do after it has been hit and hit and hit."

Milne's other son usually went to the mosque but was on a school trip. His twin sister was at school when it happened.

Khaled Mustafa and son Hamza, 16

The Syrian refugees reportedly only arrived in New Zealand only a few months ago.

Khaled died at the Al Noor Mosque while his son Hamza is missing. Another son, Zaid, 13 is in Christchurch Hospital where he underwent a six-hour operation last night, Syrian Solidarity New Zealand spokesman Ali Akil told Stuff.
Naeem Rashid & son Talha, 21

Naeem reportedly died at Christchurch Hospital, after he tried to wrestle the gun from the shooter at the Al Noor mosque. His son Tahla was also shot and killed.

Naeem was from Pakistan, where he worked at a bank before moving to Christchurch to work as a teacher.

His brother-in-law Dr Khursheed Alam confirmed to ARY News that the pair had been killed in the attack.

Ansi Karippakulam Alibava, 25

Alibava, a 25-year-old woman originally from India, is among the missing.

Vora Ramiz, 28

Ramiz is among the missing.

Farhaj Ahsan, 30

Ashan, 30, left the Christchurch home he shares with wife Insha Aziz, his 3-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son on Friday morning for prayer.

"I do not know where my son is," his father Mohammad Sayeeduddin told the Herald from his home in Hyderabad, India.

"I have been in contact with his wife Insha in New Zealand since it happened and we don't know anything.

"Please bring me good news on my son."

Ashan is a software engineer who did his master's degree at the University of Auckland in 2010 before settling in Christchurch.

Friends supporting Ashan's wife at the couple's Christchurch home said she was not accepting he was among the dead in the mosque.

Mojammel Hoq, 30

Hoq, from Bangladesh, is among the missing, a friend told the Herald.

He has been in Christchurch for over two years studying dentistry.

Atta Elayyan, 33

A national futsal player is among the dead, according to Stuff.

Born in Kuwait, Elayyan, a goalkeeper, recently became a father and was a popular member of the Christchurch tech industry. He was a director and shareholder of a company called LWA Solutions.

The Futsal Focus Facebook page said he was having surgery.

Syed Jahandad Ali, 34

Ali's wife Amna Ali, currently in Pakistan, last spoke to her husband on Friday morning while having breakfast.

One of his colleagues told her they left work at 1pm on Friday to head to the Al Noor Mosque, Stuff reported.

She had not heard from her husband since. She had spoken to friends and others but was not getting any information about his whereabouts.

Hussain Al-Umari, 36

Al-Umari's parents Janna Ezat and Hazim Al-Umari have said they last spoke to their son on Thursday night.

They fear he is among the dead at the Al Noor mosque where he regularly attends Friday prayers.

The family immigrated to New Zealand from the United Arab Emirates in 1997.

Hazim Al-Umari told Newshub he did not attend the mosque and he advised his son not to go "because it's not safe".

Hussain worked in the tourism industry until he lost his job recently.

Osama Adnan, 37

Adnan is of Egyptian origin and among the missing.

His colleague tweeted an appeal and said he hoped Osama would "show up soon" and make a "full recovery".

Kamel Darwish, 39

Zuhair Darwish was standing at the Deans Ave cordon by the Al Noor Mosque on Friday pleading for any information about his brother, father of three Kamel Darwish, who attended the mosque during the shooting.

He was seen saying to officers in TVNZ footage: "He's been missing since 1.30 and we know nothing about it. I came to the mosque and they told me go to the hospital.

"We've been waiting at the hospital since then, nobody even at the hospital wants to give us the names, we don't have any information, nobody tells us anything."

Haroon Mahmood, 40

Dr Haroon Mahmood leaves a wife and two children aged 13 and 11.

Since completing his doctorate, Mahmood had been working as assistant academic director of Canterbury College, a private school for English language and business students.

Mahmood earned master's degrees in finance from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Pakistan and then worked in banking in Pakistan, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He was a tutor in economics and statistics at Lincoln University from 2014-16, and the university posted on Facebook when he submitted his doctoral thesis last July on "maturity transformation risk, profitability and stability in Islamic banking".

He also lectured in business at Linguis International in Christchurch from 2014 until April 2017, and joined Canterbury College in May 2017.

Husne Ara Parvin, 42

Parvin was shot when she tried to save her wheelchair-bound husband Farid Uddin, according to a relative.

Her nephew Mahfuz Chowdhury, who lives in Bangladesh where Parvin is from, said he heard about her death from relatives in New Zealand, according to Bangladesh newspaper BDnews24.

The couple had been at the Al Noor Mosque, which has two sections – one for men and the other for women.

"Khala (aunt) went to the women's section of the mosque after leaving her paralysed husband at the men's section on a wheelchair," said Chowdhury.

"She came out when she heard gunshots. She died on the spot as she approached the men's section to save her husband.

Farid survived the attack as others in the mosque took him out to safety when the shooting began, he said. The couple have a daughter.

Police had informed the family about Parvin's death, Mahfuz said.

Mohammad Imran Kahn, 47

Kahn is thought to have died at the Linwood Mosque.

A friend said he owned two restaurants in Christchurch, including the Indian Grill.

Amjad Hamid, 57

The heart doctor moved to New Zealand from Palestine because they wanted a better future.

Hamid hasn't been seen since Friday and his family believe the Hawera Hospital doctor is dead.

His wife Hanan said she and her husband emigrated to Christchurch 23 years ago.

"It's terrible ... we were hoping to find a better future for us and for the children we were planning to have."

She described her 57-year-old husband as a "very kind man", but struggled to say more.

"It's hard to talk about him."

The elder of the couple's two sons, 22-year-old Husam Hamid, said family had checked hospitals and with police but there had been no sign of his dad since the mass shootings began.

Amjad Hamid was known to go to the mosque to pray on Fridays.

"At first I thought he went to the Linwood mosque but he was most likely to have been in the Deans Ave mosque as he mostly goes to that one ... we are presuming that he is dead, but we don't know."

According to his LinkedIn profile, Hamid was a consultant in cardiorespiratory integrated specialist services at Canterbury District Health Board for 20 years, but his son said he had recently taken up a role in cardiology at Hawera Hospital in south Taranaki.

He rotated three weeks working at the hospital with three weeks at his Christchurch home, Husam Hamid said.

Family had gathered to support each other, but it was tough.

"This is meant to be a safe country. New Zealand is changing forever."

His mother was "struggling", he said.

"My mum, she loves him so much."

Youngest son, Mohammed Hamid, 20, said they had checked everywhere but his dad couldn't be found.

"We believe he's dead."

He told the Herald he only wanted to say one thing about his father and what had happened yesterday.

"I just really loved my dad."

Abdelfattah Qasem, 59

The Muslim Association's former secretary, who was born in Palestine, has not been seen since a gunman entered the Al Noor Mosque.

Stuff spoke to people who were in the mosque during the shooting and saw him gravely injured.

Linda Armstrong, 65

A friend told the Herald that Armstrong died in the arms of a lady who was shot in the arm and survived at Linwood Mosque.

The friend said Armstrong always took people into her home and was kind.

"She was like a child about everything. She was so happy. She was always excited to do a good deed. She was happy to do it."

She sponsored a boy from Bangladesh.

Ali Elmadani, 66

Elmadani was born in Palestine.

His wife, Nuha Assad, has not heard from him since he went to the Al Noor mosque to pray.

"I asked people on the street if I could use their phone," she told Stuff.

"I called my husband and he didn't pick up, but I'm sure he didn't want his phone at the mosque."

Haji-Daoud Nabi, 71

Nabi ran the Afghan Association and was inside the Al Noor Mosque at the time of the shooting.

The 71-year-old was a refugee from Afghanistan and is thought to have died inside.

His son Omar Nabi went to court Saturday, where the man charged with murder appeared.

He described the killing as a "cowardice act".

"I need closure on this," Nabi said.

"It's outrageous to me. This is. It a good feeling man.

"Forty-nine people got killed - kids and grown ups shot in the back while praying. It is a cowardly act."

Lilik Abdul Hamid

A Facebook appeal was issued for Hamid.

"A friend of one struggle... has passed away in New Zealand... the victim of NZ animal terrorist,' a relative wrote on Facebook.

"All Muslims are grieving and pray for you."

Ashraf Ali

Alie, originally from Fiji, is among the dead.

"We went to school together," his friend Abdul Qayyum told Daily Mail Australia.

They were meant to go to a gathering in their home country in a few weeks.

Qayyum said he will always remember his quiet friend's laugh.

"There was a game we used to play called Last Card.

"Every time I saw him I called him last card and when he saw me he called me last card."



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Iraqi dad takes bullet in back to save sons in Christchurch terror attack

Iraqi dad takes bullet in back to save sons in Christchurch terror attack
A Dubai-based New Zealander of Iraqi origin took a bullet in his back while trying to protect his two sons during the devastating terrorist attack at the Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, Gulf News has learnt.

Adeeb Sami, 52, who heads the Al Ain and Oman operations of engineering consultancy Aecom Middle East, dived over his sons Abdullah, 29, and Ali, 23, as the gunman burst into the mosque during Friday prayers and started firing indiscriminately.

Among the worshippers caught in the gunfire were Adeeb and his two sons.

“My dad is a real hero. He got shot in the back near his spine in an attempt to shield my brothers but he didn’t let anything happen to them,” Adeeb’s daughter, Heba, 30, told Gulf News in a voice choked with emotions.

Adeeb was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery to extract the bullet.

Heba said she has been in touch with her family and is relieved to know that her father is out of danger.

“I spoke to dad. He sounded weak and appeared inconsolable.

“My family survived the attack but many of our friends didn’t. Among the nearly 50 dead are five close family friends, including a 12-year-old boy,” said Heba, who was raised in Dubai and now is part owner of a design company.

Heba said her dad had flown to New Zealand with her mum Sana Alahar on Thursday to surprise their son and daughter on their birthday.

“Ali and Hamsa are twins. They turned 23 today [Friday]. So my parents flew down to New Zealand to celebrate the occasion. Who would have thought the celebration would turn into a national mourning? I wonder if we will ever be able to come to terms with this terrible tragedy. It has shaken me to the core and left me numb with shock and disbelief. My day has passed in an unrealistic blur. My phone has not stopped ringing since the news of the attack broke on TV. You get to see such things only in movies.



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Women truck drivers break new ground in Syria

When the Syrian Internal Trade Ministry announced new job openings for both male and female bus and truck drivers, many thought women would not take the posts seriously.

But 34-year-old truck driver Dima Mohamed has proven them wrong. Mohamed and two others were appointed as part of the initiative to become the first women to drive big vehicles run by the ministry.

Mohamed was a driving instructor in a private school but it was shut after the war. Looking for job security, Mohamed thought that working in a government institution is a safer option.

Family members rejected the idea in the beginning, but seeing Mohamed mastering her new job has changed their minds.

Dealing with male colleagues was another challenge for Mohamed.

"When they saw me they came asking: ‘Are you here to apply for a driver’s job?’ or ‘Are you able to drive a big car?’ They would ask "Could you get into this truck, will you be able to do so?’ So, I said I have no problem, I can drive anything," she said.

She lives with a daily challenge to prove her capabilities. "They (male drivers) said that you women are here to take a man’s job. No, this is not the case. On the contrary, I’m here to help you and to stand by you. I am not here to take anything away from you," she added.

A ministry official said that three women and seven men were accepted. Mohamed and her fellow female drivers deliver goods inside big cities and are not authorised to travel between cities.

Similar initiatives are taking place in other government bodies. The Ministry of Transportation announced similar job openings for women in January.

Women in Syria have not only borne the brunt of the country’s lengthy civil war, they have been marginalised and rendered invisible, a panel of experts at the Women of the World festival in London said last year.

Syrian women often lead households alone, because men fight or travel abroad, they said, while a lack of working hospitals meant an unknown number had died at home in childbirth. Others were sexually exploited venturing out for food or aid.



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Hamza: Young cancer survivor meets his hero, Darren Sammy

In this screenshot taken from a video uploaded on Zalmi TV's YouTube channel, Sammy meets his young fan.
After Hamza, a cancer survivor, made a video saying it was his dream to meet Daren Sammy, the Peshawar Zalmi skipper reached out to meet his young fan.

In a video shared on Zalmi's YouTube channel on Saturday, Sammy is seen meeting Hamza, who brought his hero a drawing he made. Sammy and other Zalmi players signed a jersey for Hamza as well as notes wishing him strength and luck.

In a post shared on Twitter, the West Indies cricketer wrote: "Aspire to inspire ... it looks like Hamza's broad shoulders really did help me hit some sixes."

He thanked the team for helping make Hamza's dream come true.

Sammy is in Karachi for the Pakistan leg of the 2019 Pakistan Super League. He will lead his team in the final of PSL 4 as they face-off against the Quetta Gladiators tomorrow (March 17).



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Norway MPs nominate 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl for Nobel Peace prize

The teenager regularly stages school strikes for the climate in Sweden and elsewhere
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who has inspired an international movement to fight climate change, has been nominated as a candidate to receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

The 16-year-old was nominated by three Norwegian MPs. If she were to win, she would be the youngest recipient since Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 when she received the prize.

Ms Thunberg tweeted she was "honoured" to receive the nomination:

"We have proposed Greta Thunberg because if we do nothing to halt climate change, it will be the cause of wars, conflict and refugees," Norwegian Socialist MP Freddy Andre Ovstegard told AFP news agency.

"Greta Thunberg has launched a mass movement which I see as a major contribution to peace," he added.

On Friday, thousands of schoolchildren are expected to strike again against climate change in more than 100 countries around the world.

The school strikes were inspired by the Fridays For The Future movement started by Ms Thunberg under the hashtag #FridaysForFuture.

So far, there have been regular walkouts around the world, including in countries likes Germany, Belgium, the UK, France, Australia and Japan.

But Friday's protest is billed as the biggest so far.

The Swedish teenager - who on her Twitter page describes herself as "a 16-year-old climate activist with Asperger [syndrome]" - first staged a school strike for the climate in front of the Swedish parliament in August last year.

Since then, she has been missing lessons most Fridays to stage her regular protests.

She continued to gain international attention after speaking at the UN Climate Talks in Poland in December and at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.

"On climate change, we have to acknowledge that we have failed," she told global economic leaders in Davos.

National politicians, international officials, academics and previous winners are among those who can nominate potential recipients.

The prize is announced in October and awarded in December in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

There are 301 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019, out of which 223 are individuals and 78 are organisations, says the Nobel committee on its website.

The names of nominators and nominees are not normally made public until 50 years have elapsed, it adds.



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