Daily News Pakistan

An accountability court in Lahore has accepted Hamza Shehbaz’s plea of exemption from personal appearance in Ramzan Sugar Mills case, reported on Thursday. The accountability court’s judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry conducted the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case where the counsel of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Shehbaz Sharif’s son, Hamza Shehbaz, submitted his exemption plea. Hamza Shehbaz Sharif had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, confirmed party leader Atta Tarar on September 13. The judge summoned witnesses in the case in the next hearing. It is noteworthy to mention here that the court also approved permanent exemption from personal appearance of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the case. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till October 20. The NAB had filed a reference accusing former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning constru

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday reiterated that Pakistan’s nuclear and strategic capability was safe and secure under a robust command and control system. He passed the remark during his visit to Satellite Ground Station of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) here in the federal capital. “We shall continue to strengthen our strategic capability to safeguard our vital national interests,” he said. On the occasion, PM Imran was briefed about Suparco’s achievements in developing indigenous capabilities in space, science and technology, and its contributions towards strengthening national security as well as the socio-economic development of the country. During the visit of various technical facilities and interaction with SUPARCO’s engineers and scientists, the prime minister reiterated that all available resources would be utilized in further strengthening strategic capabilities to preserve the country’s sovereignty. PM Imran also recognised th

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was on Wednesday sworn in as Kuwait’s new emir after the death of his half-brother, the late ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who died in the US at the age of 91. Sheikh Nawaf was visibly emotional as he addressed the National Assembly a day after the death of the emir, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator who ruled for 14 years. "The precious confidence that the people of Kuwait have entrusted in us will be guarded with our lives," the 83-year-old said after taking the oath of office. He pledged to "serve the nation" in the address before lawmakers, who sat socially distanced and in masks, in line with coronavirus precautions. The remains of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah are expected to arrive in Kuwait City later Wednesday, on a flight from Minnesota where he had been undergoing treatment in hospital since July. According to the royal court, the funeral will be "restricted to the emir's relatives" – a move lik

Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi has been appointed as the new Chief of Naval Staff. He will replace Admiral Zaffar Abbas who retires on October 6. Zafar has been serving as Naval Chief since October 2017. Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended his appointment which has been approved by President Arif Alvi. Vice Admiral Amjad Khan will take charge as a new Naval chief on October 6. Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi joined Pakistan Navy in 1983. Also a recipient of Sword of Honour, the Admiral has an illustrious career with wide-ranging experience of various Command and Staff appointments. His major Command appointments include Commanding Officer PNS BADR, Commanding Officer PNS TARIQ, Commander18th Destroyer squadron, Commandant PNS BAHADUR and Commandant Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore. He is a graduate of Army Command & Staff College, Quetta and National Defence University, Islamabad. The Admiral has been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-e-Basalat

Oxford University said on Wednesday it would study whether the world’s best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients – the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies. Adalimumab, which is sold under the brand name Humira by AbbVie, is a type of anti-inflammatory known as an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to hospital, Oxford said in a statement. Oxford’s trial, called AVID-CC, will be aimed at treating people in the community, especially in care homes, the university said. It will enrol up to 750 patients from community care settings throughout Britain. Humira is used to treat a range of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis. The availability of biosimilar versions

An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted Hindu nationalist leaders, including former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, in a case over the demolition of a mosque at a disputed site 28 years ago, citing a lack of evidence. The demolition sparked nationwide riots that killed more than 3,000 people in a decades-long dispute that has fueled Hindu-Muslim tension, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for Hindu renaissance helped bring it to power. A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Lucknow in its Wednesday ruling said that the demolition was not pre-planned and that the people who demolished the mosque were “anti-national elements”. The court pinned the blame on miscreants mingled among the crowd instead, adding that leaders such as Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, another former cabinet minister, had tried to keep the mob from turning violent. Handing down its verdict after a lengthy legal battle, the court said there was not enough evidence to direc

Pakistan will this week begin the process of selling unused telecom spectrum in an auction it hopes will raise around $1 billion and enhance network capacity, said three senior government officials familiar with the matter. The spectrum is in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands typically used by operators for 4G LTE (long-term evolution) networks that offer faster video streaming and internet downloads, said the officials. They asked not to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the matter with the media. The country plans to kick-start the process by laying out plans to retain an international consulting firm that would design the auction process, and advise on base pricing and other details, they said, adding that no sale date has yet been set. Pakistan is anxious to replenish state coffers that have been hit by a slump in the economy and in tax collections exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. A spokesman for Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said the process to

Azerbaijan on Wednesday vowed to pursue military action against Armenian separatists in the breakaway Nagorny Karabakh region until a full Armenian withdrawal from the disputed territory. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are engaged in the heaviest fighting in years over Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian province that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union. The long-simmering conflict erupted on Sunday with both sides blaming each other for the outbreak of violence. “We only have one condition: Armenian armed forces must unconditionally, fully, and immediately leave our lands,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in televised remarks. If “the Armenian government fulfils the demand, fighting and bloodshed will end, and peace will be established in the region,” he added. Earlier today, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said in a statement that Baku was “resolutely determined to continue the counter-offensive operation until its sovereignty an

Former US Vice President and Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden on Tuesday night took on incumbent President Donald Trump in the first debate and used the word “Inshallah”. Apart from its original meaning of 'If God wills it', the phrase 'Inshallah' is also often used sarcastically by Muslims when they are talking about something that is unlikely to happen. A video going around on social media of the debates showed President Donald Trump saying that he will soon release his tax returns filed with US authorities, when Joe Biden interjected with "Inshallah". Okay, for those of you wondering - did Joe Biden really drop an “inshallah” with the appropriate sarcastic usage? Yes, he did. I confirmed with his campaign - that is indeed what the man said. https://t.co/MqseBsl2Ck — Asma Khalid (@asmamk) September 30, 2020 “You will get to see it [tax return] and you will get to see it,” said the US president, when Joe Biden interjected saying: “When?…Insh

The Sindh government on Wednesday announced a public holiday on Friday, October 2. The holiday has been announced in connection with the urs (death anniversary) of Sindh's most popular Sufi saint, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. The urs begins every year on 14th Safar (2nd month of Hijra calendar) and lasts for three days.

Following questions by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Wednesday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani admitted that there were financial irregularities during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 1 and 2. “There indeed were financial irregularities in PSL 1 and 2 but this matter is with the committee now,” he told reporters in Islamabad. “This matter will be investigated. Whatever the truth may be, will be revealed.” Mani also touched a variety of subjects, defending PCB’s conduct during his tenure as opposed to what was done during his predecessor Najam Sethi’s times. “Cricket teams are coming to Pakistan after 10 years but no one appreciates that,” he bemoaned. “We did not pay even a rupee to any player of any team to come here. In the past, West Indies players were paid to visit Pakistan.” Regarding the Board’s legal battle over the PSL’s financial model, Mani pinned the blame on the franchises themselves. “I had told PSL franchises in

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's exit from Pakistan is a "mockery of the system", said the Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench on Wednesday. The court passed the remarks after Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar presented a compliance report on Nawaz Sharif's arrest warrants issued by the high court. The report was submitted to the two-member bench, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Aamer Farooq, hearing the petition filed by the former prime minister against his sentence in the Avenfield apartments. Khokhar, while briefing the court on the attempts made to arrest Nawaz Sharif, said that Rao Abdul Hanan, an officer of the Pakistani High Commission, had visited the residence of the PML-N chief in London. He added that Eddie, the person at the apartment, "refused" to receive the arrest warrant. “Every effort was made to enforce Nawaz Sharif's arrest warrant,” the government's lawyer told the court. He also read Hanan'

The federal government has decided to establish a national emergency helpline to immediately respond to people in all parts of the country who are facing an uncertain situation. Prime Minister Imran Khan has given an important task to PM Performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) for establishing a national emergency helpline to end untoward incidents like motorway gang-rape case. PMDU has been directed to establish a separate system on modern lines within two months for immediately responding to the complaints to the citizens across the country if they are facing an emergency situation. Citizens will be given a toll-free number to register complaints about facing emergency situation while the helpline will be interconnected with the new system, stated Prime Minister Office (PMO). The unit will also take assistance from cellular companies besides consulting all provinces for legislation purpose in order to make the system more effective and stable to curb any untoward incident in future.

The government on Wednesday decided to cut the price of high-speed diesel by Rs2.40 per litre and keep that of petrol unchanged for a period of fifteen days with effect from October 1. The prices of other petroleum products will also remain unchanged for the next 15 days. Earlier, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) put forth a proposal to reduce the prices of petroleum products by up to Rs2 per litre for the month of October. According to sources, OGRA recommended Rs2 per litre cut in the price of petrol and diesel following the decrease in fuel prices in the international market. The summary for the revision of fuel prices for the month of October was sent to the Ministry of Petroleum for approval.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has sought resignation from its provincial lawmaker and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi, citing sources. Sources privy to the  that Firdous Shamim Naqvi failed to perform well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, whereas, his controversial statements also created issues for the political party. Moreover, some members of provincial assembly (MPAs) raised complaints against Firdous Shamim Naqvi for the harsh attitude towards them. Sources said that Prime Minister Imran Khan seeks resignation from Naqvi. It emerged that the opposition leader started contacting lawmakers of his political party to appease them. Earlier in July, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Discipline of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had taken strict action against one of its lawmakers, MPA Uzma Kardar, and ordered her to resign as the provincial legislator in the Punjab Assembly. The appeal submitted by PTI MPA Uzma

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet will discuss six-point agenda in its meeting on Wednesday. The ECC meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will likely to discuss the sale price of the natural gas. According to sources, a summary of the OGRA on sale price of the natural gas will come under consideration in the meeting today. The ECC will consider over the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) recommendations with regard to the sale price of natural gas to the gas companies. The meeting will also consider over cut in commission charges of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) over the import of wheat and sugar, sources said. The ECC session will also mull over converting the National Highway Authority (NHA) loans into government grants, according to sources. A summary about Rs. 80 billion credit facility to the Power Division would likely to be discussed in the ECC meeting, sources said.

As many as 747 new cases of the coronavirus surfaced in Pakistan during the previous 24 hours, pushing the number of infections in the country to 312,263. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19, tests of 32,031 people were conducted during this period, out of which 747 turned out to be positive. The pandemic claimed lives of five more people during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 6,479. 296,881 patients have so far recovered from the disease. There are now 8,903 active cases in the country. The global death toll from the new coronavirus, which emerged less than a year ago in China and has swept across the world, passed one million this week. The pandemic has ravaged the global economy, inflamed geopolitical tensions and upended lives, from Indian slums and Brazil s jungles to America s biggest city New York. World sports, live entertainment and international travel ground to a halt as fans, audiences and tourists wer

In line with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's directives last week, the party issued a circular on Tuesday barring all members from meeting any personnel from the armed forces and its related agencies in a personal or official capacity. If, however, such a meeting is necessary "in the interest of national security and/or fulfillment of constitutional responsibilities, then it shall be done indiscreetly and with the prior permission of the party's Quaid", said PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal in the circular. Last week, Nawaz Sharif barred members from holding individual, private or delegation-level meetings with the country's military leadership without prior permission of the party leadership. The directives were issued by the former prime minister a day after an army spokesman disclosed that former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair had twice reached out to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed the political and legal woes of Nawaz and his

Maulana Tahir Ashrafi has been appointed as the special assistant to the prime minister on religious harmony, said a notification from the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday. "The Prime Minister has been pleased to appoint Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi as Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, with immediate effect," read the notification. "The appointment of Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi shall be in honorary capacity." Maulana Tahir Ashrafi is the chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and the Muttahida Ulema Board.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday reminded the international community of the crucial need for developing countries to be provided debt relief in the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has hit developing economies hard. He called upon the G20 countries in particular to extend the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) for another year. "The request for forbearance under this initiative should not affect the country's credit rating. This is due to force majeure, not mismanagement," the prime minister underscored, while addressing the Financing for Development High-Level Summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. "We must break the shackles of poverty and inequality," the prime minister stressed. The prime minister, speaking of Pakistan's fight against the virus, said that despite the country's financial constraints "we have injected over $8bn, [nearly] 3% of our GDP to protect our poor and keep the eco

The first public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — an alliance of almost all major opposition parties that seeks the government's ouster — will be held on October 11 in Quetta, opposition leaders announced on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference after PDM's first formal meeting in Islamabad, PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the anti-government movement will be launched across the country after the "historic" rally in Quetta. "This movement will keep growing and will be successful in ridding Pakistan of this undemocratic process," said Abbasi, accompanied by other opposition leaders. PML-N's Maryam Nawaz and PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari did not attend the meeting.   Abbasi said the meeting strongly condemned the "shrinking" space for democracy in the country and discussed rising inflation, unemployement, "historic corruption", the state of the economy and people's

Turkish prosecutors have indicted six new Saudis suspected of involvement in the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, local media reported on Monday. Istanbul prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for two of the suspects and up to five years in jail for the remaining four, the official Anadolu news agency reported. The Washington Post contributor, Khashoggi, 59, was killed and dismembered at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, in a case that tarnished the reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi went inside the consulate to obtain paperwork for his marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. The six Saudi suspects, indicted just days ahead of the second anniversary of the journalist’s death, are not in Turkey and should be tried in absentia, according to local reports. In a separate case launched in July, an Istanbul court began to try in absentia 20 other Saudis over the murder, including two former aides to the Saudi prin

After a bolt-from-the-blue tax revelation report, President Donald Trump took a defensive mode on the evening of his first televised debate against Joe Biden on Monday. The recent tax bombshell showed he has been avoiding paying almost any federal income tax for years. The scoop from The New York Times, reporting that Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017, and none at all for 10 of the previous 15 years, was a shot to the jugular of the self-described billionaire. Trump, who portrays himself as a hard-nosed businessman on a mission to drain the Washington swamp, dismissed the Times story – which the newspaper says is based on examination of his long-secret tax returns. "The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information," he tweeted Monday. But with several new polls on Sunday once again suggesting Biden has the upper hand, the Republican goes into the de

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday approved a $300 million policy-based loan to help Pakistan strengthen its finance sector by supporting measures to develop competitive capital markets and encouraging private sector investment in the country, said a statement issued by the lender. “Capital markets act as a major catalyst in transforming the economy into a more efficient, innovative, and competitive marketplace,” said ADB Senior Project Officer Sana Masood. “The reforms proposed under this programme will lower the cost of financial intermediation and facilitate private sector investment to generate sustainable growth and job opportunities. It will also mitigate the negative impact of capital market instability on the economy and help to diversify Pakistan’s financial system,” Masood was quoted in the statement. “Institutional strengthening of the debt management office will develop the government bond market on a sustainable basis,” said ADB Principal Financial Sector Spec

The cricket authorities in New Zealand on Tuesday released details of Pakistan’s tour during which the green shirts will play three T20Is and two Test matches. In a statement, New Zealand Cricket also announced the schedule of matches with the West Indian team which will begin its tour with a Twenty20 match at Eden Park on Nov 27. The New Zealand government had green-lighted the West Indies and Pakistan tours and was also expected to approve white-ball tours by Australia and Bangladesh in February and March, the cricket board said. "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the New Zealand government for helping us navigate this complex process," New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive David White said in a statement. "Hosting these tours is incredibly important to us for two reasons: international cricket brings in revenue that funds the entire game of cricket in New Zealand and, also, it's crucial that we look after the fans of the game and sport in general, especially

A 15-year-old boy embraced martyrdom and four got injured when Indian troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Broh and Tandar sectors, according to Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR). The military’s media wing said the Indian forces targeted civilian population which resulted in the martyrdom of 15 years old boy and injuries to four others. “Pakistan Army troops responded effectively to Indian firing and targeted their posts,” it added. Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 2,340 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in the martyrdom of 18 people and serious injuries to 187 innocent civilians, said FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafiz Chaudhry. Last week, Foreign diplomats and defence attaches of 24 countries posted in Pakistan visited the Line of Control (LoC) to in

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has highlighted that the commencement of intra-Afghan dialogues is very important for establishing peace in Afghanistan. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while addressing a conference at Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS), said that the ongoing visit of Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, to Pakistan possesses great importance. He said that the international community is backing the political process in Afghanistan and Kabul leadership should take advantage of the opportunity. The foreign minister reiterated that he is admitting the fact that Afghan conflict will be resolved through dialogues. Qureshi said that all sides should remain vigilant about the elements trying to affect the ongoing peace process. It is inevitable for regional prosperity to continue peace process in Afghanistan, he added. He continued that peace in Afghanistan will also ensure peace in Pakistan and the decision for the fu

In a horrific incident, taking place on Monday, a Rawalpindi man killed four people including three sisters over a domestic issue. According to the details, the event occurred in Dohk Kamal Deen area of Rawalpindi, where a woman, Eraj, who demanded a divorce after a love marriage was made the target of an alleged vindictive crime by husband’s brother. The brothers-in-law of Eraj rushed to her house and opened fire vehemently, thus killing three sisters and a brother of Eraj while she, too, sustained bullet injuries. Eraj, in resistance to her family pressure, married a guy named Khurram and now as she demanded a divorce, her brother-in-law Ghulam Abbas rushed to her house and engaged in a spiteful exchange which ended with Abbas resorting to the blatant use of firearms. Abbas opened fire and allegedly killed Eraj’s sisters Hira, Nosheen, and Faiza, while her brother Ali Haider was also killed. The police said it has sent the dead bodies to hospital for legal customs while the sist

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday presented PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif before an accountability court. The bureau will request for his physical remand for further investigation into the assets beyond means and money laundering case against him. Special security arrangements have been made to deter any untoward incident. On Monday, the NAB arrested Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied him further extension in his interim bail. A NAB team arrested him from the courtroom and took him to the NAB Lahore headquarters amid tight security. A large number of PML-N supporters who were present on the court premises to show solidarity with their party leader chanted slogans against the NAB and the government and clashed with the police. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider dismissed the petition as withdrawn. An investigation into money laundering charges against She

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will present PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif before an accountability court today. The bureau will request for his physical remand for further investigation into the assets beyond means and money laundering case against him. Special security arrangements have been made to deter any untoward incident. On Monday, the NAB arrested Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied him further extension in his interim bail. A NAB team arrested him from the courtroom and took him to the NAB Lahore headquarters amid tight security. A large number of PML-N supporters who were present on the court premises to show solidarity with their party leader chanted slogans against the NAB and the government and clashed with the police. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider dismissed the petition as withdrawn. An investigation into money laundering charges against Shehb

Prime Minister Imran Khan convened a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday. According to the details, the cabinet meeting will discuss a 16 point agenda, including the country’s overall political and economic situation, restoration of Pakistan Railways and reforms in the power sector. The federal cabinet meeting will also endorse the decision taken by the economic coordination committee. The meeting will accord approval to appoint a new administrator of the Islamabad club. Earlier on September 4, the federal cabinet had approved a bill, seeking amendment in Article 63 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan, to allow dual nationals to contest polls in the country. Sources privy to the matter had said that a sub-committee of the cabinet rejected an idea to amend the constitution to allow dual nationals from contesting polls in the country. “The decision was, however, reversed in the cabinet meeting on the demand of federal ministers,” they had said. The federal cabinet had

Former cricketers Rashid Latif and Aaqib Javed have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to address the "genuine" concerns of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises and reach an out-of-court settlement regarding the league’s financial model, also reminding the Board how the team owners had poured in billions "when no one had even heard of the PSL". Aaqib, the Lahore Qalandars coach, was the first to plead the franchises’ case. "Franchises should not be treated as associations," he is quoted as saying. "The franchises had the PCB’s back in troubled times and suffered losses of billions. They invested when no one knew of the PSL. The concerns regarding the ratio of franchises’ profits to their investment were aired during the Najam Sethi administration too but were ignored. The incumbent regime has done the same. "The PSL has massive expenses. The management is independent in its decision making and spends as much as it wants on anything it

Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as Real Madrid came from behind to scrape a 3-2 win against 10-man Real Betis, their first La Liga victory of the season. Betis were ahead at half-time after two goals in two minutes from Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho overturned Fede Valverde’s opener for the reigning champions. But Betis defender Emerson, who is on loan from Barcelona, endured a nightmare start to the second half by scoring an own-goal and then being sent off for knocking over Luka Jovic after the striker had been sent clear. VAR again intervened in Madrid’s favour in the 82nd minute as Marc Bartra was adjudged to have cleared with his arm, leaving Ramos to chip in the winning penalty. Betis were fuming at referee Ricard de Burgos at full-time and while the red card seemed fair, they were unlucky to concede the penalty, with Bartra seemingly nudged into the ball by Madrid’s Borja Mayoral. Madrid, though, breathed a sigh of relief, their opening win secured having kicked off