Wednesday, 10 November 2021
ABU DHABI, NOV 10: Daryl Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 72 as New Zealand beat England by five wickets with an over to spare to reach the Twenty20 World Cup final on Wednesday.
Chasing 166 for victory, New Zealand were in trouble at 13-2 and 107-4 when Jimmy Neesham hit an 11-ball 27 and Mitchell finished it off with a boundary.
New Zealand will be in their first ever T20 World Cup final where they will face either Australia or Pakistan.
Earlier, all-rounder Moeen Ali smashed an unbeaten 51 to steer England to a challenging 166 for four. England lost their openers including Jos Buttler for 29, lbw off Ish Sodhi, after being invited to bat first as Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson won an all-important toss in Abu Dhabi.
But Moeen hit back with his 37-ball knock and put on a key partnership of 63 with Dawid Malan, who hit 41, for the third wicket.
Pace bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult kept a tight leash in the first three overs before Buttler smashed two successive boundaries.
Jonny Bairstow also got a couple of fours but did not look comfortable after being promoted to open in place of the injured Jason Roy.
Adam Milne replaced fellow quick Boult from one end to break through as he got Bairstow out for 13 off 17 balls with Williamson taking a sharp catch at mid-off.
In-form Buttler tried to rebuild but an attempt to reverse sweep leg-spinner Ish Sodhi got him trapped lbw for 29 off 24 deliveries.
The opener, who moved past Pakistan’s Babar Azam as the leading batsman in the tournament with 269 runs, reviewed the call but replays suggested the ball would have hit his off stump.
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Courtesy Dawn News
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ABU DHABI, NOV 10: All-rounder Moeen Ali smashed an unbeaten 51 to steer England to a challenging 166 for four against New Zealand in the first semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
England lost their openers including Jos Buttler for 29, lbw off Ish Sodhi, after being invited to bat first as Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson won an all-important toss in Abu Dhabi.
But Moeen hit back with his 37-ball knock and put on a key partnership of 63 with Dawid Malan, who hit 41, for the third wicket.
Pace bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult kept a tight leash in the first three overs before Buttler smashed two successive boundaries.
Jonny Bairstow also got a couple of fours but did not look comfortable after being promoted to open in place of the injured Jason Roy.
Adam Milne replaced fellow quick Boult from one end to break through as he got Bairstow out for 13 off 17 balls with Williamson taking a sharp catch at mid-off.
In-form Buttler tried to rebuild but an attempt to reverse sweep leg-spinner Ish Sodhi got him trapped lbw for 29 off 24 deliveries.
The opener, who moved past Pakistan’s Babar Azam as the leading batsman in the tournament with 269 runs, reviewed the call but replays suggested the ball would have hit his off stump.
The left-handed Malan, who was dropped on 10 by wicketkeeper Devon Conway off Jimmy Neesham, hit the first six of the innings off Southee in the 16th over but departed next ball caught behind.
But Moeen launched an attack as he hit Sodhi for a six and then smashed Milne for two hits over the fence.
Liam Livingstone hit 17 off 10 balls before departing and Moeen completed his first 50 of the tournament with a boundary off Neesham.
The winners will face either Australia or Pakistan in Sunday’s final in Dubai.
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Courtesy Dawn News
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BAKU, NOV 10: Azerbaijan draws attention with its projects in Karabakh as the region was liberated in November last year after nearly 30 years of occupation.
The areas liberated from the occupation resemble a large construction site where feverish work has been carried out over the past year.
Tanks, which had been moving on the old roads of the region a year ago, have now been replaced by construction equipment and trucks.
Some 2.2 billion manats ($1.29 billion) were allocated from the 2021 state budget for the reconstruction of the liberated areas.
Fuzuli International Airport was the first major project completed by Azerbaijan that started construction work in the region immediately after the end of the 2nd Karabakh War on Nov. 10, 2020.
Its foundation was laid on Jan. 14, 2021. The airport, described as “Karabakh’s gateway to the world,” was inaugurated on Oct. 26.
Meanwhile, the construction work continues also at Zangilan and Lachin airports.
RECONSTRUCTION OF REGIONS LIBERATED FROM OCCUPATION
The liberated cities need to be rebuilt as all settlements were completely destroyed during the occupation years.
The Azerbaijani government, as a first step, is planning to rebuild the city of Agdam.
Agdam is expected to be a modern city where more than 50,000 people will live in nearly three years.
Meanwhile, a total of 200 houses are being built in the Agali village of Zangilan that has been restructured under the concept of “smart village.”
The reconstruction work in the village, rebuilt with alternative energy sources, ecological heating and smart lighting systems, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The first residents are expected to be settled in the village by the beginning of 2022.
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN REGION
Meanwhile, an agricultural park project was launched by Turkish and Azerbaijani investors near the smart Agali village.
Agricultural activities will be carried out with modern technologies on the Dost Agropark Smart Agriculture Campus, the foundation of which was laid by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
A total of 20,000 hectares of land were cleared of mines, while 50,000 mines and unexploded ordnance planted by the Armenian army were neutralized in the liberated areas.
The Azerbaijani government started work to deliver electricity to the liberated areas while the war was still going on.
Substations were built in Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Kalbajar districts.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is building new highways in the liberated areas.
The total length of the highways, completed and under construction in the region, is 723 kilometers (449 miles).
Authorities aim to complete the construction works of the main highways in the region by 2025.
CONFLICT BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
New clashes erupted on Sept. 27 last year, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day military conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and some 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
Prior to this, about 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory was under illegal occupation.
The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.
The cease-fire was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose forces withdrew in line with the agreement.
On Jan. 11 this year, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. The deal also included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.
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Courtesy Anews
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 10: Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday evening on a three-day visit to Pakistan for wide-ranging talks on bilateral matters — the first visit to Pakistan by an Afghan minister since the Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15.
Muttaqi is leading a 20-member high-level delegation comprising Minister for Finance Hidayatullah Badri, Minister for Industries and Trade Nooruddin Aziz and senior officials from the aviation ministry, according to a list of delegates available with Dawn.com.
Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood and senior officials welcomed the delegation upon their arrival at Nur Khan Airbase.
The Taliban's representative at the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, Shakaib Ahmad, was also present on the occasion.
During his visit, the Afghan minister will hold formal talks with Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Muttaqi will also meet special representatives from China, Russia and the US, who are participating in the Troika Plus meeting scheduled for November 11 (tomorrow).
In a statement on Tuesday, the FO said that Muttaqi's visit was taking place as a follow-up to Qureshi's visit to Kabul on Oct 21.
“The exchanges will centre on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations with a particular focus on enhanced trade, facilitation of transit trade, cross-border movement, land and aviation links, people-to-people contacts and regional connectivity,” the FO statement said.
Kabul foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi had said that the visiting delegation will discuss bilateral ties between the two countries as well as the economy, transit, refugees and expanding facilities for the movement of people.
Pakistan has not officially recognised the Taliban government, however, Taliban officials have been allowed to take control of the Afghan embassy in Islamabad as well as consulates in Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta.
“It would be a substantive visit as Muttaqi is a key member in the Taliban set-up,” a Pakistani official, wishing to remain anonymous, had told Dawn.com a day earlier.
Qureshi had held detailed discussions with Muttaqi during his Kabul visit, which officials say laid the foundation of a multi-sectoral engagement between the two countries in the days to come which could usher in an era of enhanced bilateral economic cooperation and people-to-people ties.
Both sides had agreed to revive existing bilateral mechanisms and institutional frameworks such as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) to sort out differences and to remove hurdles in the implementation of decisions on both sides.
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Courtesy DAWN NEWS
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OSLO/NORWAY, NOV 10: Energy price records in Norway were set once again on Monday, with prices expected to soar throughout the winter. But costs vary at different times of the day.
Energy power exchange Nordpool has said the price of
electricity in Norway on Monday was set to peak at 2.79 kroner per
kilowatt-hour, the highest hourly rate seen this year.
This figure is without accounting for grid rent and other
fees, meaning consumers will pay around 4 kroner per kilowatt-hour.
Power price analyst Tor Reier Lilleholt, from Volue Insight,
has told public broadcaster NRK that the peak price was probably a record for
the month.
“I do not think we have seen such prices in November
before,” he told NRK.
Unfortunately, for those already fretting over the size of
their electricity bills, record prices could become a weekly fixture this winter.
“I think there may be new records with every week that
comes,” Lilleholt said.
Prices will crescendo between 4pm and 7pm. The peak price
will apply to Oslo, Bergen and Kristiansand. For a number of reasons, prices in
the north don’t reach the same dizzy sights as the south.
Throughout the day, the price will fluctuate greatly,
averaging around 1.22 kroner per kilowatt-hour in total.
With surging prices threatening to cost users a fortune
throughout the winter, it’s helpful to know which times of day are most
expensive so you can save electricity when prices are peaking.
Earlier in the autumn, peak times for energy prices in
Norway were between 8am, and 9am, with prices topping out at around 2.20 kroner
per kilowatt-hour.
However, while prices will remain high in the morning hours,
they will actually peak in the late afternoon and early evening throughout the
winter.
“It is common for prices to be higher for a few hours in the
morning and afternoon due to higher consumption,” Stina Johansen, from
Nordpool, explained to NRK.
“The price is highest in the hours when it gets dark because
then all the lights are turned on. So there is an extra peak in consumption. In
addition, people are coming home and having dinner,” Lilleholt added.
The most expensive times to use electricity this winter will
be between 8-11am and 4-7pm. Prices typically bottom out later in the evening,
hitting their lowest price just before 11, where they are around a third of the
cost compared to the peak. This means you should consider putting on your home
appliances just before bed if they are quiet enough.
If we were to take a 10-minute shower during peak times as
an example, then a quick rinse would cost around 2 kroner between 5-6pm. Were
you to make this a daily habit at this price. It would cost 7,300 kroner per
year.
As the days get shorter, darker and colder in Norway, the
daily price peak is also expected to change to align with the sun going down.
In addition, as temperatures plummet into the minuses, the
increased consumption and demand puts more pressure on prices.
This will be exacerbated by the lower than usual supply level due to record energy exports to the continent, which is also in the midst of an energy price crisis and exceptionally low hydroelectric stocks caused by a dry summer and autumn.
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Courtesy thelocal.no
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Tuesday, 9 November 2021
Munaza Kazmi
In the ancient of times, Socrates
(469-399 B.C.E) the Greek philosopher, in the known world known as the Father
of Western Philosophy, once asked his fellow Adeimantus, “If you were heading
out on a journey by sea, who would you ideally want deciding who was in charge
of the vessel? Just anyone or people educated in the rules and demands of
seafaring?”
The later of course, replied Adeimantus, so why then, responds Socrotes, do we keep thinking that any old person should be fit to judge who should be a ruler of a country?
In the conversation, Socrates’s point is that voting in an election is a skill, not a random intuition. And like any skill, it needs to be taught systematically to people. Letting the citizenry vote without an education is as irresponsible as putting them in charge of a trireme sailing to Samos in a storm.
However, Socrates was to have first hand, catastrophic experience of the foolishness of voters. Since, in 399 BC, the philosopher was put on trial on trumped up charges of corrupting the youth of Athens. A jury of 500 Athenians was invited to weigh up the case and decided by a narrow margin that the philosopher was guilty. He was put to death by hemlock in a process which is, for thinking people, every bit tragic.
Crucially, Socrates was not elitist in the normal sense. He didn’t believe that a narrow few should only ever vote. He did, however, insist that the only those who had thought about issues rationally and deeply should be let near a vote. Which is obviously rational.
However, if we consider we have given the vote to all without connecting it to that of wisdom. While Socrates knew exactly where that would lead: People Leading. And here the fundamental trouble lies in, we have passed the power mainly in the hands of the unthinking, unconcerned and uneducated lot inspired by mere personal relations or gains.
Let’s understand this with an
example. Imagine an election debate between two candidates, one who was like a
doctor and the other who was like a sweet shop owner. The sweet shop owner
would say of his rival:
Look, this person here has
worked many evils on you. He hurts you, gives you bitter potions and tells you
not to eat and drink whatever you like. He’ll never serve you feasts of many
and varied pleasant things like I will.
Consider
the response of public….
However,
do you think the doctor would be able to reply effectively? The true answer
– ‘I cause you trouble, and go against your desires in order to help you’.
Only if the public can understand.
We have forgotten all about
Socrates’s salient warnings against democracy. We have preferred to think of
democracy as an unambiguous good – rather than a process that is only ever as effective
as the education system that surrounds it. As a result, we have elected many
sweet shop owners, and very few doctors.
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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 9: Since its inception, the local manufacturing industry in Pakistan has been suffering major blows — whether that be in the form of power outages or surging electricity costs. While the electricity prices for manufacturers stand at a whopping USD 0.14kWh (and expected to rise more and more), the production costs are increasing day by day resulting in lower profits and even the termination of operations in some serious scenarios.
Considering this deteriorating situation now is the right time, local industries should start thinking about an inexpensive, independent, and more reliable source of electricity like Solar Energy. This article will cover the implications of renewable energy for Pakistan’s local industry and how it is the perfect choice to go for — in both the short and the long run!
Let’s start with talking about the major contributor of electricity to the national grid supply, the infamous fossil fuels. The prices of fossil fuels are highly dependent on the international market as Pakistan has to import oil to continue its operations. And as the prices of fossil fuels increase, the costs of electricity generation are bound to skyrocket.
Ultimately affecting all operations, from production to packaging and transportation that forces most of the industries to minimize their profit margins, face business loss or embarrassment due to lags in production, and inability to meet their financial goals in the due time.
All of these problems have one solution, an energy source that is reliable, independent of other factors, and comparatively much inexpensive. Solar solutions provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity at almost 1/5th the costs of traditional electricity options.
This will not only lead to reduced electricity bills but also make sure that your operations keep on running in a smooth, economically practical, and most efficient manner.
On top of all that, shifting to solar will enhance your company’s public image for good. People today are conscious about the brands they join hands with. Having an eco-friendly, low carbon footprint, and renewable-powered tag on your products will definitely improve your public reputation and skyrocket your sales.
Moreover, industrial units with solar systems installed on their rooftops have a 3-4% higher property value. And the best part is that solar systems don’t require any grand maintenance at all. All you have to do is to make sure that they don’t get much dusty and enjoy free electricity for the next 25 years!
Now, as you are all ready to make this shift, the very next and important step is to start looking for a reliable solar energy company to partner with. Zonergy has been proudly providing A-Grade solar solutions to the Pakistani government (Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Punjab Energy Department, PEECA, Balochistan Government), educational institutes, and all-sized industrial units (NLC Solar Project on Wahga Border, AlFateh Floor Rice Mills located in Kasur, Al-Manzor Cotton Farm located in D.G. Khan) since 2015.
And currently holds the largest market share in terms of solarization of the Pakistani industry. Zonergy has been most favorites Solar brand of Pakistan with specialize technical services and outreach in every corner of the country.
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Monday, 8 November 2021
BAKU, NOV 8: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has congratulated Azerbaijan on November 8 – Victory Day. According to the report, Shah Mahmoud Qureshi tweeter shared on the page.
“We congratulate the government and people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Victory Day!” said FM Qureshi.
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Courtesy report.az
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ANKARA, NOV 8: Turkey's president on Monday marked Azerbaijan's Victory Day on the first anniversary of the liberation of a key city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
"I sincerely congratulate the Victory Day of Azerbaijan and this glorious day that heralds the liberation of the lands of Karabakh," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Twitter.
He also commemorated with gratitude those "heroes who fought unblinkingly" for the homeland and fell in battle, as well as brave veterans.
The liberation of Shusha last Nov. 8 played a crucial role in the fate of the Second Karabakh War, also known as the Patriotic War, in which Azerbaijan liberated some 300 settlements from Armenian occupation.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay also issued a message on Twitter marking the day.
Saying that Azerbaijan "crowned its epic struggle of 44 days with a victory one year ago today," Oktay wished eternal rest to those who lost their lives in battle. His tweet included the hashtag "One Nation, Two States," meaning Turkey and Azerbaijan.
On Dec. 3, 2020, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree establishing Victory Day on Nov. 8.
Shusha, Azerbaijan's cultural and historical capital, was liberated last fall after 28 years of Armenian occupation.
During the 44-day conflict, which ended with a Russian-brokered truce last November, Azerbaijan liberated several strategic cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from nearly three decades of Armenian occupation.
Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan-the two former Soviet republics-have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
A joint Turkish-Russian center was established to monitor the truce.
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Courtesy Anews
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 8: Australia will tour Pakistan in March and April next year — the country’s first since 1998 — to play a series of Test, ODI and T20 matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday.
In a statement, the PCB said the visiting team will play three Tests, three one day internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty-20 international (T20I) match.
The Test matches will be played in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore from March 3 to 25, the PCB said, adding that all four white-ball matches will be played in Lahore form March 29 to April 5.
“The Tests will be played as part of the ICC World Test Championship, while the ODIs will be connected to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League — a 13-team event from which the seven highest-placed sides and the hosts, India, will qualify directly for the event proper in 2023,” the cricket body said.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said he was “delighted to welcome Australia to Pakistan”.
Raja observed that Australia was one of the high-performing cricket teams and playing with them in Pakistan after a gap of 24 years would be a “special treat for the fans”.
The chairman said the tour would also give the Aussies the opportunity to not only play at some of Pakistan’s most iconic venues but also “feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore”.
For his part, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley said Australia was “excited” about the prospect of visiting Pakistan and playing a highly anticipated series in a country “so incredibly passionate about the game and their national team”.
“Pakistan is a formidable opposition with an exceptionally talented team, as evidenced by their dynamic performances in the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE,” he said.
Hockley thanked the PCB for its efforts to plan the tour and said the Australian cricket board was looking forward to working with the PCB and relevant agencies to “ensure that appropriate and sufficient arrangements are put in place for the tour”.
Hockley shared that Cricket Australia’s delegation will visit Pakistan to meet PCB and provincial and federal authorities to discuss and finalise matters related to the tour including team operations, logistics, security and Covid-19 protocols.
Pakistan had staged its last four series with Australia in Sri Lanka, England and the UAE.
Schedule of matches:
- 1st Test, Karachi – March 3 to 7
- 2nd Test, Rawalpindi – March 12 to 16
- 3rd Test, Lahore – March 21 to 25
- 1st ODI, Lahore – March 29
- 2nd ODI, Lahore – March 31
- 3rd ODI, Lahore – April 2
- T20I, Lahore – April 5
Earlier this month, the PCB announced that the West Indies cricket team will play three T20Is and three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches at Karachi’s National Stadium from Dec 13 to 22.
It will be the West Indies’ first tour of Pakistan since April 2018 when they had played three T20Is.
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Courtesy Dawn News
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ISLAMABAD, NOV 8: Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad and Hanns Seidel Foundation Pakistan are jointly organizing a Conference on "Climate Change as a Non-Traditional Security Challenge: Relevance for Pakistan".
The Conference is a follow up to the Round Table Discussion organized online on 2nd June 2021 and aims to establish a strong narrative based on critically analyzed climate change scenarios in the region and particularly in Pakistan.
The discussion will focus on highlighting the grave implications of climate change on the major pillars of national security of Pakistan i.e., Economy, Society, and Politics. Moreover, to find applicable collective solutions to curtail repercussions emanating from climate change.
The Conference will be held on Wednesday, 10th November 2021 from 10:30 to 15:30 hrs. at Margala Hall, Margala Hotel, Islamabad.
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