'Youm-e-Istehsal' Kashmir to observe today across the Globe

Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, around the world, will mark 'Youm-e-Istehsal' as exactly one year ago today, on August 5, 2019, the Indian government illegally annexed occupied Kashmir into two union territories by revoking Article 370 of its constitution.

The main intent behind the move is to expose Indian atrocities and show solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. Today (Wednesday), Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit Muzaffarabad to mark Youm-e-Istehsal.

Anti-India protests are planned throughout Pakistan, particularly in Azad Kashmir, while all major cities in Pakistan will hold solidarity marches, along with a one-minute silence.

Meanwhile, Indian officials announced a two-day "full curfew" on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a "black day".

Fearing a massive reaction from the Kashmiris, New Delhi imposed the curfew on Tuesday in occupied Kashmir, blocking main roads throughout the valley with barbed wires and steel barricades.

The Modi-led government revoked Article 370 last year on this day, promising economic prosperity and progress after more than three decades of violence that has seen thousands die in the disputed region.

The situation in the occupied territory remained tense as police cars patrolled Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors.

A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services such as police and ambulances. The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed.

For locals, the new curfew brought back memories of the weeks-long clampdown a year ago. Then, a total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet access cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley — already one of the world´s most militarised regions.

Around 7,000 people were taken into custody — including three former chief ministers. Hundreds remain under house arrest or behind bars to this day, mostly without charge.

Modi's revocation of Article 370, which has been accompanied by an upsurge in violence that is set to make 2020 the bloodiest year in a decade, has triggered major economic hardship exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many locals are also angry that for the first time, people from outside Kashmir are being granted rights to buy land, fearing that India wants to change the region's demographic makeup.

In a fresh setback to New Delhi's stance on the issue, the Human Rights Watch condemned New Delhi and urged it to reverse its "abusive policies" in occupied Kashmir.

"Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir´s constitutional status," Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch had said in a statement Tuesday.

"The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights."

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'Youm-e-Istehsal' Kashmir to observe today across the Globe

Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, around the world, will mark 'Youm-e-Istehsal' as exactly one year ago today, on August 5, 2019, the Indian government illegally annexed occupied Kashmir into two union territories by revoking Article 370 of its constitution.

The main intent behind the move is to expose Indian atrocities and show solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. Today (Wednesday), Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit Muzaffarabad to mark Youm-e-Istehsal.

Anti-India protests are planned throughout Pakistan, particularly in Azad Kashmir, while all major cities in Pakistan will hold solidarity marches, along with a one-minute silence.

Meanwhile, Indian officials announced a two-day "full curfew" on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a "black day".

Fearing a massive reaction from the Kashmiris, New Delhi imposed the curfew on Tuesday in occupied Kashmir, blocking main roads throughout the valley with barbed wires and steel barricades.

The Modi-led government revoked Article 370 last year on this day, promising economic prosperity and progress after more than three decades of violence that has seen thousands die in the disputed region.

The situation in the occupied territory remained tense as police cars patrolled Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors.

A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services such as police and ambulances. The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed.

For locals, the new curfew brought back memories of the weeks-long clampdown a year ago. Then, a total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet access cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley — already one of the world´s most militarised regions.

Around 7,000 people were taken into custody — including three former chief ministers. Hundreds remain under house arrest or behind bars to this day, mostly without charge.

Modi's revocation of Article 370, which has been accompanied by an upsurge in violence that is set to make 2020 the bloodiest year in a decade, has triggered major economic hardship exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many locals are also angry that for the first time, people from outside Kashmir are being granted rights to buy land, fearing that India wants to change the region's demographic makeup.

In a fresh setback to New Delhi's stance on the issue, the Human Rights Watch condemned New Delhi and urged it to reverse its "abusive policies" in occupied Kashmir.

"Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir´s constitutional status," Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch had said in a statement Tuesday.

"The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights."

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Disabled Palestinian couple sew dolls to give children 'decent life'

With skilled fingers, disabled Gazan couple Nihad and Zeinab Jarboa have supported themselves by sewing finely detailed dolls and costumes, but the coronavirus pandemic has hurt their already meagre income. Making a living is a challenge for all residents of the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory, which is ruled by Hamas and where the poverty rate exceeds 50%. But the Jarboas face added adversity. Nihad, 37, has been physically disabled since childhood while Zeinab, 35, had both feet amputated after contracting a rare disease while giving birth to her second child. Both…

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The culture of fast bowling in Pakistan, where speed is king

To understand the culture of fast bowling in Pakistan, look no further than Imran Khan once a feared quick, and now the country's prime minister.

Not all of Pakistan's pacemen will fly so high, but Khan's rise underlines a tradition where speed is king, and blistering pace is essential for any team.

As if to reinforce the point, Pakistan have eight quicks in their 20-man squad for the three-Test series against England, starting on Wednesday, ready to unleash their trademark pace and swing.

They carry the baton passed by predecessors such as Khan, left-arm great Wasim Akram and his destructive partner Waqar Younis, the unassuming Aaqib Javed, and Shoaib Akhtar, the feared "Rawalpindi Express" who is considered the fastest bowler in history.

The current generation includes the precocious Naseem Shah, still only 17, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Wahab Riaz, and the accurate Mohammad Abbas.

The production line is so consistent that when one player goes, another is ready to take over as seen in 2010 when Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, banned for spot-fixing, were replaced by Junaid Khan, Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil and Rahat Ali.

Even Amir's decision to retire from Tests at just 27 did not slow Pakistan, as Shaheen became the spearhead and Naseem announced himself with a stunning Test hat-trick.

But the steady emergence of quicks left-armers, right-armers, even one who is ambidextrous raises an obvious question: how does Pakistan keep doing it?

Former fast bowler Sarfarz Nawaz, regarded as the pioneer of reverse swing in 1970s, said the factors included Muslim Pakistan's meaty diet unlike mainly vegetarian India, once known for its spinners.

"We are a nation obsessed with fast bowling," Nawaz told AFP. "We eat meat which strengthens the body, we love wickets clattering and the batsman shivering so it's natural that we produce fast bowlers."

'The Two Ws'

Nawaz passed on his reverse-swing skills to Khan under whose tutelage Wasim and Waqar became "The Two Ws", a menacing partnership in the 1980s and 1990s.

Wasim said he followed Khan's legacy, and that pace bowling matches the Pakistani mentality.

"I think it's the culture (to become a fast bowler), especially this generation of Waqar and I and then Akhtar, we all had a role model in Khan," he said.

"Generally, when we talk about cricket it's mostly about the fast bowlers, they get batsmen caught napping. We are aggressive people in nature and that's what helps."

Wasim often holds camps to train emerging fast bowlers, swelling Pakistan's ranks.

"When I came I always wanted to be a fast bowler and then a crop of fast bowlers came, and now we have Naseem, Shaheen, Mohammad Hasnain and Musa Khan who bowl at 140-150 kph (87-93 mph)," he said.

However, perhaps the most decisive factor is Pakistan's legion of tape-ball players, who play in parking lots and disused patches of land using tennis balls wrapped in electrical tape to make them heavier, putting the onus on pace rather than spin.

Lahore Qalandars, a Pakistan Super League franchise which has been at the forefront of nurturing fast bowlers in recent years, received more than 350,000 applicants for their talent-hunt programme — nearly half of them tape-ball players, including the ambidextrous pace marvel Yasir Jan.

"We give them platform in our development programme and send them to Australia to hone their talent," said head coach Aaqib Javed.

According to Wasim, fast bowling is so deeply ingrained that Pakistan's stocks will never run out.

"Many natural resources will dry up, but not Pakistan bowling's reservoirs," he said. "Our fast bowling future is secure as they follow footsteps and run-ups."

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Disabled Palestinian couple sew dolls to give children 'decent life'

With skilled fingers, disabled Gazan couple Nihad and Zeinab Jarboa have supported themselves by sewing finely detailed dolls and costumes, but the coronavirus pandemic has hurt their already meagre income. Making a living is a challenge for all residents of the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory, which is ruled by Hamas and where the poverty rate exceeds 50%. But the Jarboas face added adversity. Nihad, 37, has been physically disabled since childhood while Zeinab, 35, had both feet amputated after contracting a rare disease while giving birth to her second child. Both…

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Huge blast in Lebanon, 78 killed, nearly 4,000 injured

Lebanese rescue workers dug through the rubble looking for survivors of a powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut, killing 78 people and injuring nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise.

Tuesday’s blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, and he said that was “unacceptable”.

He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast. A security source and local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse.

“What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe,” the head of Lebanon’s Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. “There are victims and casualties everywhere.”

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

The blast revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck.

Dazed, weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for relatives.

“The blast blew me off metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood. It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983,” said Huda Baroudi, a Beirut designer.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the “dangerous warehouse”, adding “those responsible will pay the price.”

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

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Huge blast in Lebanon, 78 killed, nearly 4,000 injured

Lebanese rescue workers dug through the rubble looking for survivors of a powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut, killing 78 people and injuring nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise.

Tuesday’s blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, and he said that was “unacceptable”.

He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast. A security source and local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse.

“What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe,” the head of Lebanon’s Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. “There are victims and casualties everywhere.”

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

The blast revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck.

Dazed, weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for relatives.

“The blast blew me off metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood. It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983,” said Huda Baroudi, a Beirut designer.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the “dangerous warehouse”, adding “those responsible will pay the price.”

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

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