London: Boris Johnson said on Thursday he was resigning as Britain’s prime minister, bowing to calls from ministerial colleagues and lawmakers in his Conservative Party.

“The process of choosing that new leader should begin now,” Johnson said at the door of Number 10 Downing Street.

“And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will until a new leader is in place.”

After days of battling for his job, the scandal-plagued Johnson had been deserted by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him.

"His resignation was inevitable," Justin Tomlinson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said on Twitter. "As a party, we must quickly unite and focus on what matters. These are serious times on many fronts."

The Conservatives will now have to elect a new leader, a process that could take weeks or months. 

SOURCE: Reuters

Gilgit: Pakistan army, since Wednesday, is coordinating a high risk rescue operation to evacuate stranded mountaineers Shehroze Kashif and Fazal Ali who are stuck at Nanga Parbat.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army aviation helicopters and a ground search team comprising high-altitude porters are employed to rescue the mountaineers.

Pakistan army aviation pilots, in a daring attempt, flew two helicopter missions despite bad weather conditions but couldn't pick up the mountaineers due to dense clouds and very high altitude.

Meanwhile, the ground search team is also nearing stranded mountaineers who are currently at Camp-3 at 21000 feet of height.

The army aviation pilots will fly again on Thursday subject to weather conditions as ground team attempt to rescue the mountaineers to Camp-2.

Islamabad: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) is predicting more showers during the Eidul Azha holidays.

According to the Met Office, monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the country and are likely to weaken during the next 24 hours, however, it may strengthen over the weekend.

Under the influence of current weather system more rains and thundershowers have been forecast in Islamabad, Kashmir, Swat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Kohat, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, M. B Din, Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sahiwal, Okara from July 9 to July 12 with occasional gap.

Isolated showers are also expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Thatta, Badin, Zhob, Ziarat, Barkhan, Loralai, Bolan, Kohlu, Quetta, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Naseerabad, Sibbi, Panjgur, Turbat between July 8 and July 9.

Heavy falls may generate urban flooding in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot.

Thundershowers may trigger landslides in Kashmir, Galiyat, Murree, Chillas, Diamir, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore and Skardu.

Travelers and tourists are advised to remain extra cautious during the forecast period.