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Spin legend Shane Warne on Wednesday said that this is the weakest Australian batting line-up that he has ever seen.

In an interview with The Canberra Times Warne said, “Australian cricket at the moment is struggling. I think we have got a fantastic bowling unit, good reserves and back up but our batting is as weak as I have seen in a long long time.”

The 49-year-old further said the batting line-up is missing the experience of Steve Smith and David Warner.

Cricket Australia banned Smith and Warner from cricket for 12 months. While Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban for their involvement in the ball tampering scandal.

“Two of our top five batsmen in the world, Warner and Smith have been banned for 12 months. The Australian batting revolves around them.”

“Without them, the batting line-up is dependent on [Usman] Khawaja and [Shaun] Marsh. They are our two leading batsmen, carrying the workload of the batting line up,” he added.

Warne further said, “I hope they stick with Aaron Finch and he continues to make some runs. He is someone that could captain the side.”

Australian are currently touring the United Arab Emirates from September to October 2018 to play two Tests and three T20Imatches against Pakistan.

Hurricane Michael, which tore into Florida on Wednesday, went in just two days from tropical storm status to a Category 4 hurricane, on a scale with a maximum of five.

Here are some figures which illustrate the power of Michael on the continental United States and which “took forecasters by surprise,” according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.

“This came out of nowhere, developed on a weekend so it didn´t really get much attention at all until basically yesterday,” he said.
Wind speed

Michael hit Florida with wind speeds of 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), placing it almost into Category 5 scale, which starts at 157 mph.

Never in recorded weather history has a hurricane hit the mainland United States at such a speed in October, the month marking the end of the June to November hurricane season.

Looking at the entire hurricane season, Michael had the strongest winds since 1992 and Hurricane Andrew.

Only two other storms in recorded American weather history — that is, since 1851 — had stronger winds. They were in 1969 and 1935.
Pressure, a better measure

Meteorologists use another measure to evaluate hurricane intensity: central pressure.

This is preferred by Klotzbach, who explains that it is more precise for historical comparisons because it is measured precisely by an airplane flying in the middle of the storm´s eye, whereas “wind is going to be different everywhere along the hurricane.”

“The pressure gives an idea of the size of the storm,” he said.

Measured in this way — the lower the pressure the stronger the hurricane — Michael was the most powerful since Hurricane Camille in 1969.
How much damage?

In any case, no matter how you measure it, Michael is among the most powerful hurricanes in recent memory along with Camille in 1969, Andrew in 1992 and Katrina in 2005.

The calculation changes if you take into account Puerto Rico, the US island territory in the Caribbean that was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year. The death toll was revised to 2,975 fatalities, either in the storm itself or later as the health care and utilities grids failed.

In terms of damage the most costly year was 2017, when besides the Caribbean several US coastal states were hit by powerful hurricanes that moved slowly and dumped record rainful for days.

Major cities such as Houston were flooded, causing as much as $300 billion in damage, according to estimates.

The bill for 2018 is not yet known. It was a relatively calm year except for hurricanes Michael and Florence last month.

In the case of Michael the damage will be mainly from wind rather than rain.

A 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in September, killing more than 2,000 people. Photo: AFP

An earthquake Thursday killed three people in Indonesia and rattled hotels where IMF delegates are attending a major summit, a fortnight after a quake-tsunami killed more than 2,000 elsewhere in the archipelago.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia´s Bali and Java islands in the early hours, jolting residents awake and sending them rushing into the streets.

Some attendees in Bali for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings this week evacuated their hotels as the quake shook the island.

“I felt the quake for at least 30 seconds and I panicked. At first I didn´t want to go out but then I decided to leave,” Katharina Sudiyono, an Indonesian attendee at the summit, told AFP.

Peter Jacobs, head of the Indonesian Central Bank´s IMF-World Bank taskforce, said delegates in Bali´s Nusa Dua district for the summit were quickly informed of the situation.

“Many summit participants woke up and asked questions, but we immediately sent out information to them that there had been an earthquake and the impact in Nusa Dua,” he told AFP.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Bali and the summit proceeded Thursday uninterrupted.

“We send our condolences to those affected by the earthquake. Here in Bali, the earthquake has not caused significant damage nor any disruption to the meetings,” an IMF spokesman said.

The conference centre was designed to withstand seismic events, and participants had been told to remain there in the event of a quake.

In case of tsunami risk, attendees would be evacuated to a nearby building.

Holidayers in the island´s popular tourist districts also rushed into the streets as buildings swayed.

“Wow, that was really strong and it lasted a long time,” said one woman who took refuge in a hotel parking lot in Nusa Dua, a few kilometres from where the IMF and World Bank are holding their meetings.

Others in Nusa Dua, south of Bali´s main international airport, also panicked.

“The quake was very big. I immediately woke up and took my little kids out of the house,” Ni Komang Sudiani told AFP. “All my neighbours were also running, said the mother of two.
Volatile archipelago

Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia´s geophysics agency who was also in Nusa Dua for the IMF summit, said no tsunami warning was issued.

“I felt the quake too,” she told AFP. “We are also still gathering data from our team in East Java.´

In East Java, three people were crushed to death in their sleep when the quake brought down buildings in Sumenep district and sent people fleeing their homes.

“Everybody panicked and the entire village ran outside. We have never experienced an earthquake as strong as last night,” Zainurrohman, a 21-year-old from the district told AFP.

“We stayed outside until dawn,” he said. Many Indonesians go by one name.

The tremor´s epicentre was in the Bali Sea around 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the eastern end of Java island, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The tremor comes after a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi last month — around 1,000 kilometres northeast of the latest quake´s epicentre — killing more than 2,000 people.

Thousands more remain missing since the twin disaster ravaged the city of Palu and surrounding areas. The search for the dead is expected to end Thursday.

A string of earthquakes in Lombok in eastern Indonesia killed more than 550 people over the summer.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide and many of the world´s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said the “most ambitious, landmark” Naya Pakistan Housing Programme will create six million jobs and demand in 40 industries.

The premier took to Twitter a day after launching the programme at a ceremony in Islamabad and said, “We have launched our most ambitious, landmark housing policy of building five million homes in five years.”

“This will provide affordable houses for our less privileged strata of society, plus six million jobs, create demand in 40 industries directly involved in house building and attract foreign direct investment (FDI),” he added.

Speaking at the ceremony a day earlier, the premier had expressed confidence that the programme would not only provide affordable housing to the poor but also create employment opportunities in the country.

Initially, the pilot project will be launched in seven cities which include Faisalabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Swat, Islamabad, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad.

The premier had said he will take ownership of the initiative in order to ensure smooth implementation and remove any administrative bottlenecks.
NADRA issues registration forms for Naya Pakistan Housing Programme

Provision of five million houses equipped with all basic facilities, and regularisation of slums is the foremost priority of the government and a part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s manifesto, he had further asserted.

On Thursday, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) issued registration forms for PM Imran’s “Naya Pakistan Housing Programme”. The premier had announced that registration for the houses will begin from Thursday with the cooperation of NADRA, which has been tasked with collecting data to identify those in need.

The October death toll in Tharparker has climbed to 14, with as many as 490 minors dead this year. The deaths reported by the local health department have said to be caused by malnutrition and other diseases in the area. Photo: File

THARPARKAR: Four minors who were under treatment for malnutrition at the Civil Hospital in Mithi passed away Thursday.

According to the Tharparkar Department of Health, the minors were aged between a day and eight months. All of the minors passed away in the past 24 hours.

The latest fatalities have taken the October death toll in Tharparker to 14, and 490 in this year. The deaths reported by the local health department have said to be caused by malnutrition and other diseases in the area.

According to the health department, every year 1,500 children die due to malnutrition, infections and lack of proper medical facilities in the remote region.

A report released by the United Nation’s Children Fund in April stated that Pakistan is among countries with the highest infant mortality rates, with 22 infants dying before turning one month old.

Among these countries, eight are in Africa and two in Asia, including Afghanistan which is ranked third.

“Pakistan is the riskiest place to be born as measured by its newborn mortality rate,” the report stated. “A baby born in Pakistan is almost 50 times more likely to die during his or her first month than a baby born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore.”

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday lamented that the economic situation is not ideal these days and inflation is rising while rupee is depreciating.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Nisar is hearing a case regarding petroleum prices and the imposition of additional taxes.

As the hearing began, Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) counsel informed the bench, “The prices of petrol and liquefied natural gas (LNG) cannot be controlled too much, however, certain measures can be taken.” To this, Justice Nisar remarked, “These measures have to be taken by the government.”

The chief justice then questioned, “On what basis is the PSO managing director drawing a salary of Rs3.7 million?” However, the PSO counsel informed him, “The MD is appointed by the federal government and the company’s board has no control over it.”

“PSO MD Imranul Haq was appointed in line with regulations and his salary was determined through the market rate,” the counsel added. Justice Nisar then directed that the government informs the bench regarding the basis on which the PSO MD was paid a salary of Rs3.7 million.

“Nobody else in Pakistan must be drawing this much salary,” he added.

Attorney General Khalid Javed told the bench, “He has worked in Engro and the LNG sector.”

Justice Nisar remarked, “The matter regarding PSO MD’s appointment should be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the bureau should inquire into the salary and perks granted to him.”

Further, the attorney general requested for an in-camera briefing on the matter of LNG imports. “It is a sensitive matter and I want to share a lot of information in-camera,” he said. Following this, the bench accepted his request.

ISLAMABAD: Customs officials on Tuesday night caught a woman carrying 20 smartphones worth Rs3 million at Islamabad International Airport.

According to customs officials, the woman was traveling from a foreign airline and attempted to leave the green channel without having her luggage checked upon landing.

Customs officials carried out a search of the woman’s luggage and found 20 phones.

“Sindh House protocol officer Abdul Rehman had come to receive the woman,” customs officials added.

Further, customs official said, “A letter has been written to the concerned department regarding the cancellation of Abdul Rahman’s protocol card.”

KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies (LEA) on Tuesday night raided the offices of Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed in the metropolis.

Majeed, a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, and his son Abdul Ghani were arrested on August 15 in connection with a case pertaining to money laundering through fake bank accounts.

According to sources, a team investigating the money laundering charges against Majeed raided his office located near the hockey stadium in Karachi.

Sources further said, “During the raid, the investigative team searched the offices and records pertaining to Majeed’s sugar mills.”
The case

The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.

The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.

The case was initially registered in 2015 against former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Lawai.

In August, Lawai and banker Taha Raza were detained and booked for allegedly facilitating the opening of 29 ‘fake’ accounts through which suspicious transactions were made to different companies, including M/s Zardari Group.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will host one of his most famous fans at the White House, musician Kanye West, to talk about prisons, jobs and what to do about violence in Chicago, the White House said on Tuesday.

West will have lunch with the Republican president and also meet with Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Thursday, according to the White House.

“Topics of discussions will include manufacturing resurgence in America, prison reform, how to prevent gang violence, and what can be done to reduce violence in Chicago,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Trump said West was a “terrific guy.”

“He loves what we’re doing for African-American jobs, for so many different things. Median incomes … is at all-time high. Poverty level at the best rate, meaning the lowest rate. And Kanye is a smart guy and he sees that,” Trump said.

The president said West would bring NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown with him. “Big Jim Brown. … He was unstoppable. And he’s been a friend of mine,” Trump said.

West emerged as one of Trump’s most high-profile celebrity supporters during the 2016 presidential election campaign. He was booed at a concert shortly after the election for declaring his support for Trump, although he said he had not voted.

The influential rapper was booed again last month when he appeared on stage after the broadcast of the television show “Saturday Night Live” season premiere wearing a Trump campaign trademark red MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat.

On Monday, Trump pledged to end a “crime spree” in Chicago, where West grew up, and called for loosening restrictions on police in the third-largest US city to allow stopping and frisking suspects for weapons and other contraband.

In 2013, a federal judge ruled that the New York Police Department’s use of stop and frisk tactics disproportionately targeted black and Hispanic people, saying police had violated the US Constitution’s protections against unreasonable searches.

ISLAMABAD: Secretariat police on Wednesday arrested former senator Faisal Raza Abidi after he appeared before the Supreme Court.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Khosa heard a contempt case against Abidi earlier today.

During the hearing, the former senator requested the court to adjourn the case till his lawyer returned from Umrah or grant him time to hire a new counsel. Approving Abidi’s request, the bench adjourned the hearing till October 30 and issued a notice to the attorney general in this regard.

However, following his appearance when Abidi left the Supreme Court and was crossing Constitution Avenue to return to his residence, he was arrested by secretariat police.

Police sources said another case was registered on Tuesday night against Abidi which includes charges of defamation. He has been arrested in the case registered by ASI Shaukat Abbasi, sources added.

Earlier on September 21, a case was registered against the former senator for using inappropriate words for the chief justice of Pakistan. The complaint was registered by the apex court’s Public Relations Officer Shahid Hussain Kamboyo in the Secretariat Police Station under Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 228, 500, 505(ii) and 34 along with Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). On September 28, the Sindh government issued approval to the Islamabad police to arrest Abidi.

Abidi served as the Karachi division president of the Pakistan Peoples Party but later stepped down from the post.
Abidi’s arrest in injustice: brother

Speaking to the media following Abidi’s arrest, his brother said, “This is injustice as he appeared before the top court and he had been granted bail earlier in the case.”

His brother further said that there are three cases ongoing against the former senator which pertain to cyber-crime, contempt and another registered in the secretariat police station.