Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan's party vowed on Sunday to remove he country's "corrupt" rulers, as the nuclear-armed state announced it will hold general elections on July 25.
The poll will bring to a head political tensions that have been building since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was removed by the Supreme Court on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life.
Khan is hoping to achieve a long-held dream of leading the country as its prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the main challenger to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which was headed by Mr Sharif until his ban.
PTI leaders have said they are confident they will be able to defeat the PML-N.
"The Pakistani nation ... can see the dawn of a new Pakistan, which will not be ruled by the corrupt," the party said on Twitter on Sunday along with a graphic that read "Mafia's Game Over".
"Stop us if you can," it said in another tweet.
The bullish comments came after Pakistan's president Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday approved July 25 as the date for the elections, which offer the prospect of what would be only the second-ever democratic transfer of power in the South Asian country.
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The current government, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days.
Despite Mr Sharif's departure, the ruling party says it has invested in improving Pakistan's rickety infrastructure and attracted billions of dollars in Chinese investment. It has also denied allegations of graft against its leadership by opponents like Mr Khan.
PTI has vowed to fight corruption, presenting itself as a polar opposite of what it calls status-quo politicians.
Since his exit, Mr Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in their confrontation with the country's powerful military establishment and the courts, claiming there is a conspiracy afoot to reduce the party's power.
Mr Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's seven-decade history – about half of it under military rule – to be removed before completing a full term.
The country saw its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, which the PML-N won by a landslide.
"This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward to... [going] to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP.
Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections, proving it is likely to remain a powerful force.
It continues to enjoy a large amount of support in Punjab, the country's most populous province, but will enter the election under increasing pressure.
In April, a Pakistan court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for violating the country's election laws, while Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt by an Islamist gunman earlier this month.
Mr Sharif also sparked a firestorm after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching on criticism of Pakistan's military.
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
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UAE SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Khalid Essa, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Salem Rashid, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Mohammed Al Attas, Walid Abbas, Hassan Al Mahrami, Mahmoud Khamis, Alhassan Saleh, Ali Salmeen, Yahia Nader, Abdullah Ramadan, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Fabio De Lima, Khalil Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Muhammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
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