forward to working with new Pak PM
PTI, New York
The US has said that it was looking forward to work with Pakistan’s new civilian government to promote peace and prosperity in the country and in the region as it welcomed the swearing-in of Imran Khan as the new Prime Minister.
Imran Khan, 65, was sworn in as Pakistan’s 22nd prime minister at a simple ceremony in Islamabad yesterday. “We recognise and welcome the newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on taking the oath of office,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.
Top Trump adviser in Israel for talks
AFP, Jerusalem
US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time of shared concerns over Syria, Iran and the Gaza Strip.
John Bolton said on Twitter he was “looking forward to meeting with PM Netanyahu and other officials beginning today to discuss bilateral concerns and a range of national security issues”. Bolton’s trip will also take him to Ukraine and Geneva, where he will meet with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev.
Shahbaz Sharif set to become Pak oppn leader
PTI, Islamabad
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shahbaz Sharif is set to become the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly as 111 lawmakers have nominated him for the slot, a media report said today.
The leader of the opposition will be notified on Monday.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser told the house yesterday that he had received 66-year Sharif’s nomination as the opposition leader signed by 111 members from the opposition benches, Dawn reported.
Indonesian island hit by another quake
AP, Sembalun
A strong earthquake jolted the Indonesian island of Lombok on Sunday, causing landslides on Mount Rinjani and damaging buildings, as it tries to recover from a temblor earlier this month that killed hundreds of people.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake, which was centered in the northeast of the tourist island, at magnitude 6.3 with a depth of 7 kilometers (4 miles). It was felt on the neighboring island of Bali and was preceded a few minutes earlier by a magnitude 5.4 quake, also in Lombok’s northeast.
888,000 people affected by typhoon in Henan
Xinhua, Zhengzhou
Around 888,000 residents in central China’s Henan Province have been affected by Typhoon Rumbia, the 18th this year, according to the latest statistics released by local authorities. As of Sunday noon, one person has been reported dead. Nearly 109,000 hectares of crops have been affected by heavy rain brought by Typhoon Rumbia.
The direct economic losses are estimated at 198 million yuan (28.8 million U.S. dollars) including 190 million yuan in agricultural losses.
