Latest news with #UsmanGhani
Business Recorder
07-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PHMA slams plan of distributing 2,000MW power to Bitcoin mining
LAHORE: The government's proposed plan of distributing 2,000 megawatts of excess power to Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has faced harsh resistance from industrialists, merchants, and farmers, who contend that the power should be distributed among productive sectors to increase employment and economic growth. Sardar Usman Ghani, Central Chairman of the Pakistan Hardware Merchants Association, expressed serious reservations about the decision, saying that making available cheap electricity to a 'non-productive, speculative industry' is not justifiable when industry, agriculture, and labour-intensive industries are facing an energy crunch. It is shocking to learn that the government plans to export excess electricity to speculative activities such as Bitcoin mining rather than encouraging the productive industries' Ghani informed Business Recorder. 'The decision will not create jobs or drive actual economic growth. It will just promote a privileged group at the expense of industries, traders, farmers, and workers,' he added. The row is based on the government's alleged talks with Bitcoin miners and AI companies to provide them with electricity at subsidised tariffs to leverage surplus power generation capacity. Critics, however, say Pakistan's persistent energy shortfalls make such an allocation irresponsible, especially when industrial and agricultural sectors suffer intermittent outages. Industrialists and economists have raised questions regarding the economic logic of the decision, pointing to the specious nature of crypto currency markets. Bitcoin mining is extremely power-guzzling, and with electricity costs accounting for a large percentage of operating costs, critics say that the government stands to incur massive losses if prices of crypto currencies plummet. Additionally, the opacity in tariff fixation and the void of a proper regulatory structure for crypto currencies have further acted as repellents. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also asked for explanations from Pakistani officials, requesting information on electricity tariffs and the legal status of crypto mining. Virtual talks between Pakistani authorities and the IMF will soon be initiated to sort these issues out. Usman Ghani said that industrial sector of Pakistan has been known to face an unreliability of power supply, and allocating 2,000 MW for Bitcoin mining might be doing it harm. Business owners contend that giving higher preference to speculative activities over manufacturing, agriculture, and small business hampers the allocation of resources, which could dampen sector growth in areas generating jobs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Metro
26-05-2025
- General
- Metro
Dad whose family was killed in fire keeps bedside vigil for surviving daughter
A man whose wife and three children died in a fire at the family home in north London is 'devastated' and keeping vigil at the bedside of his surviving daughter who was also injured, a family friend said. The dad, 43, suffered burns after trying to save his wife Nusrat Usman, 43, and their children Maryam Mikaiel, 15, Musa Usman, 8, and Raees Usman, 4, after the blaze broke out at their home in Tillett Close, Stonebridge in the early hours of Saturday morning. Local councillor Tariq Dar MBE and Islamic scholar Mufti Abdul Wahab have named Usman Ghani as the man whose children and wife have been killed. Usman, a former bus driver, 'lived for his family', according to a family friend who spoke to Metro. The couple's surviving daughter, 13, is in hospital fighting for her life. A woman in her 70s was also taken to hospital but has since been released The family friend said: 'He is a loving soul who lives for his family. He is struggling to eat or speak at the moment he is devastated and in total shock. 'He went back into the house to try to save his family and has burns. His daughter is seriously injured. He is at her bedside in hospital, praying she will pull through. It's all he has left to cling onto. 'He called her his little angel and that's what she is. She is his light, his hope. They are a British Pakistani family. My family had known theirs for 30 years. They are lovely people, so respected in the community. 'That's why so many people tried to help when there broke out. They are well loved neighbours.' The friend said the family dog also escaped with its life from the inferno. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He added: 'The family dog survived. The dad loves the dog and it's another small thing for him as a crumb of comfort at this time. He is heartbroken. I have been trying to console him but what do you say to someone who has suffered this? 'His kids who died were wonderful. One of my children is in the same class as his and we are all struggling to cope with the loss. After he had to leave bus driving over health issues, he devoted himself to his family. Everything was for the kids.' Mr Wahab wrote on Facebook: 'It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of the wife and three beloved children—a daughter and two young sons—of Brother Usman Ghani in a tragic house fire in Wembley last night. More Trending 'Please remember the entire family in your heartfelt duas during this incredibly difficult time.' A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene in connection with the incident. He has since been bailed and was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Crypto boss 'chained up and electrocuted tourist before taunting him with chainsaw' MORE: Benefit's iconic lip stain just dropped two juicy new shades (and we're obsessed) MORE: Huge fire engulfs £4,500,000 Grade II mansion on Millionaires' Row
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Son of Palestinian refugees projected to win Calwell for Labor in most complex preference count in history
The son of Palestinian refugees has been projected to win the Melbourne seat of Calwell for Labor after the most complex preference count the Australian Electoral Commission has ever conducted. The ABC's chief election analyst Antony Green and the independent election analyst Ben Raue called the seat for Basem Abdo on Monday afternoon, increasing Labor's majority to 94 seats. Abdo, who replaced the long-serving Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou as the party's candidate, was in a field of 13 candidates, with several independent candidates eating into both major parties' margins to make it difficult to predict who would be the final two candidates. Abdo won 30.6% of the primary vote, with the Liberal candidate Usman Ghani second on 15.6%. Two independents sat close behind the Liberal on the primary vote, with the former Labor mayor turned independent Carly Moore banking 12.1% of primary votes and independent candidate Joseph Youhana taking 11.3%. The preference flows were so tight that the Greens candidate Ravneet Kaur Garcha, who was even further behind with a primary vote of 8.3%, knocked out Youhana through preferences and took the fourth spot in the race. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Garcha was then knocked out, with many preferences going to Abdo and Moore, which eliminated the Liberal candidate, making it impossible for Moore to beat Abdo through the final preference flows. The AEC said on its website 'the distribution of preferences for the Division of Calwell is the most complex preference count the AEC has ever conducted'. Calwell has been held by Labor since it was created in 1984. Vamvakinou held Calwell from 2001 and endorsed Abdo to run for the seat, with significant support from within Labor's socialist left faction. Vamvakinou was one of Labor's most outspoken members on the war in Gaza, and said previously that recognising Palestinian statehood was 'unfinished business' for her party. Abdo was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents – his father left a village in the occupied West Bank after the six-day war in 1967 – and his family sought refuge in Jordan during the Gulf war before migrating to Australia in 1991. Calwell was a seat where the conflict in Gaza had a tangible impact. The community group Muslim Votes Matters named Calwell one of its 'focus' electorates, and the Muslim Vote endorsed an independent Muslim candidate. About a quarter of voters in Calwell are Muslim, according to the 2021 census. The Muslim Votes Matters group also handed out their own how to vote cards across the electorate, which had an impact on preference flows. The Muslim Votes Matters card endorsed the independent candidate Samim Moslih, but also preferenced Youhana ahead of Abdo and both ahead of Moore. On Monday the AEC declared the first batch of senators for the state of South Australia. The Labor senators Marielle Smith and Karen Grogan have returned to parliament, along with Liberals Alex Antic and Anne Ruston, and the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Labor also won the last spot, with 21-year-old Charlotte Walker. On Tuesday, the AEC will announce the results for the Northern Territory and Tasmania, where Jacqui Lambie has been facing off against the One Nation candidate Lee Hanson, Pauline Hanson's daughter. The seat of Goldstein will be partially recounted by the AEC after the independent MP Zoe Daniel called for a full recount. Daniel was behind the Liberal candidate and former MP Tim Wilson by 260 votes at the end of the full distribution of preferences. The partial recount will examine all first preference ballot papers for Daniel and Wilson, as well as all informal ballot papers, but won't repeat a complete distribution of preferences, as the AEC said it was confident in that part of the process. The recount will begin on Wednesday and is estimated to take up to four days. A recount has already begun in the Sydney seat of Bradfield, where at the end of the full distribution the Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian was just eight votes ahead of the independent candidate Nicolette Boele. The AEC expects the full recount to take up to two weeks. In the event of a tie, the AEC would petition the court of disputed returns within the high court to void the result and trigger a byelection. A candidate could also petition the court, after the recount, to void the result.
Sky News
25-05-2025
- Sky News
Teenage girl remains in critical condition following deadly house fire
A 13-year-old girl remains in critical condition in hospital while a 71-year-old woman has been discharged following a deadly house fire in northwest London. A 43-year-old mother and three of her children - a 15-year-old girl, and two boys aged eight and four - died at the scene of the fire, which gutted two homes in Stonebridge, near Wembley, in the early hours of Saturday. A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene and remains in custody. Neighbours said the family are of Pakistani origin and had lived in the area for a long time. Brent councillor Tariq Dar MBE named Usman Ghani, known as Ozzy, as the man who lost his wife and three children in the tragic fire and asked the community to keep the family in their "heartfelt duas (prayers) during this incredibly difficult time". He wrote on Facebook: "It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of the wife and three beloved children - a daughter and two young sons - of brother Usman Ghani in a tragic house fire in Wembley." Flowers and a blue teddy bear have been left near the scene, where crews wearing helmets and respiratory equipment were seen building scaffolding against the burnt-out buildings. Neighbour Cecilia Marquis, 60, said she was "stunned by the devastation". "This will leave a devastating impact," Ms Marquis, who witnessed the fire, said. Witness Mohamed Labidi, 38, said he "can't even look at the house right now". "We used to socialise together. "They're very good people, no problems on their side at all. It's really shocking. It's a really strong community here, we look after each other." A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "It's horrible, we saw people running outside. "It's hard to process. I only just moved in, so it's hard to think about it." Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters responded to the blaze, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Two terrace houses, each with three floors, were severely damaged in the fire, which was under control by around 3.25am, the fire service added. Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in northwest London, said: "My thoughts and the thoughts of all the emergency services are with the four people who died in the fire, as well as the two people who were taking to hospital. "Detectives from the Metropolitan Police are leading the investigation, and we are working closely with the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire." He added: "We remain in the early stages of our investigation, however, one man was arrested outside the house. He remains in custody and is being questioned by officers." "I remain in close contact with the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police as they work to establish the cause of the fire and offer support to all those impacted."
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Brent fire latest: Neighbour reveals how he smashed into blaze to try and save family but mother and her three children perished
A hero neighbour bravely smashed his way into a burning home in a desperate attempt to save a family from a fire that killed a mother and her three children. A 43-year-old woman, a 15-year-old girl, and two boys - aged eight and four - all died at the scene in Tillett Close in Stonebridge, north west London, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Electrician Victor Pedra told The Sun how he had heard a father screaming for help and raced to the home. He smashed a window, injuring his hand in the process, and helped save a 70-year-old grandmother and her teenage granddaughter from the flames. According to the newspaper, the grandmother has been released from hospital while schoolgirl remains in hospital in intensive care. Mr Pedra, 33, said: 'I heard the dad outside crying and screaming "my children, my wife, my whole family is in there". He was in shock and couldn't really speak.' He recalled seeing firefighters bring the mother and one of the sons out of the home where they carried out CPR for an hour in a desperate attempt to save her live. 'I couldn't sleep that night as I just kept hearing the screams from inside the house,' Mr Pedra added. This morning, floral tributes and a blue teddy bear can be seen resting up against a brick wall near the scene of the fatal blaze. Scaffolding has also been erected at the front of the burnt out home. Local councillor Tariq Dar MBE yesterday named Usman Ghani as the man whose children and wife had been killed. He wrote on Facebook: 'It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of the wife and three beloved children—a daughter and two young sons—of Brother Usman Ghani in a tragic house fire in Wembley last night. 'Please remember the entire family in your heartfelt duas during this incredibly difficult time.' Scotland Yard yesterday arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He was taken into custody where he was quizzed by detectives. Devastated neighbours raised the alarm at 1am when they saw flames coming from the building and later heard 'small explosions'. Neighbours today told MailOnline how one man had to be held back as he went to rush back inside the burning building to rescue the family. While a girl was seen coming out of the home coughing and covered in soot before being put onto a stretcher. One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: 'A Somali family lived next door. They came out through the back because the front door was stuck. 'I brought the children into my house. They were distraught and shaken up.' Michael Quinlivan, 83, has lived in the area for 49 years and said he had never witnessed anything like this. 'I woke up at quarter to three in the morning, when I came down there were a load of people sitting on those stairs. 'I think I knew the older lady - she was a nice woman. Every time I saw her we'd talk. I went back to bed and could still hear people talking.' An eyewitness, who lives near the scene, said yesterday she had returned home to see the house ablaze, with neighbours standing on the road. She said she could hear 'small explosions' from the property and the smell of smoke had spread to her house 50 yards away. Another resident who lives on a nearby street described the fire as 'an awful thing' and said it had spread 'so quickly'. One added: 'They were a nice family – it's shocking.' Mohamed Labidi, a 38-year-old teacher, who lives on Tillett Close, said he 'can't even look at the house'. He said he knew the woman, adding that the four victims of the fire were 'really good people'.# 'We used to socialise together,' Mr Labidi said. 'I can't even look at the house at the house right now.' Cecilia Marquis, 60, a caterer at Brentford FC said she was 'stunned by the devastation' of the blaze. Ms Marquis, who witnessed the fire in her street, said: 'This will leave a devastating impact. I just feel numb.' A person who lives next door to the house, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It's horrible, we saw people running outside. 'It's hard to process. I only just moved in so it's hard to think about it.' Eight fire engines and 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden tackled the blaze. It took around two hours to bring the fire under control. A barefooted shirtless man wearing shorts and covered in soot was seen outside the burning building. A woman gave him some clothes and stayed with him for about 30 minutes and said he was later taken away by police. 'He was just sitting in my car until the police came and took him and I haven't seen him since. 'I tried to speak to him but he wasn't talking – all he said was that it was his friend's house.' Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London said yesterday: 'We remain in the early stages of our investigation, however one man was arrested outside the house. He remains in custody and is being questioned by officers. 'I recognise the significant impact this incident has had on the community. We are working closely with local authority partners and will have officers in Tillet Close throughout the day. 'I would also ask anyone with information about what happened to contact us by calling 101 or speaking to officers at the scene.'
