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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    LEFT: Donald Trump at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, US, September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo; RIGHT: Washington lawyer Ty Cobb  WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced in a statement on Saturday that veteran Washington lawyer Ty Cobb will serve as special counsel, and sources familiar with the hiring said Cobb would handle the White House's response to Russia-related investigations.

    Cobb, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington, is expected to be an intermediary between the White House and Congress, as well as outside attorneys as probes into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia continue.
    A federal special counsel and several congressional panels are investigating allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and potential connections between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
    Moscow has denied any interference and the president has denied any collusion.
    The last person to hold a similar position to Cobb's was lawyer Emmet Flood, who worked in the George W. Bush administration to respond to Congressional inquiries.


  2. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump in Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court has asked the State of Hawaii to respond by Tuesday at noon to President Donald Trump's motion to block a judge's ruling that prevented his travel ban from being applied to grandparents of US citizens and refugees already being processed by resettlement agencies, the court's public information office said on Saturday.

    In a court filing on Friday, the administration asked the justices to overturn Thursday's decision by a US district judge in Hawaii, which limited the scope of the administration's temporary ban on refugees and travellers from six Muslim-majority countries.
    The latest round in the fight over Trump's March 6 executive order, which he says is needed to prevent terrorist attacks, began when the Supreme Court intervened last month to partially revive the two bans, which had been blocked by lower courts.
    The Supreme Court said then that the ban could take effect, but that people with a "bona fide relationship" to a US person or entity could not be barred.
    The administration had narrowly interpreted that language, saying the ban would apply to grandparents and other family members, prompting the state of Hawaii to ask Hawaii-based US District Judge Derrick Watson to expand the definition of who could be admitted.
    Trump banned travellers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days, and refugees for 120 days.
    The Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments in the fall over whether the ban violates the US Constitution.


  3. Waqas Dar
    NEW DELHI: India´s cricket board on Saturday made a U-turn on naming former paceman Zaheer Khan and batting great Rahul Dravid as consultants to the national Test team.
    The move came only four days after Khan and Dravid were named in the team to assist new coach Ravi Shastri. Just days before India leave for a tour of Sri Lanka, it added to a sense of chaos within Indian cricket´s leadership.
    Some reports said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had forced the pair on Shastri and a Supreme Court-appointed committee overseeing BCCI affairs said the ruling body had overstepped its powers.
    The committee confirmed Shastri as head coach but said the "appointments of other consultants will be decided by the committee in consultation with the head coach."
    The BCCI has formed yet another panel to decide on the role of Zaheer and Dravid or any other support staff that Shastri wishes to use for overseas tours.
    The BCCI said earlier it had picked the coaching staff until the 2019 World Cup, following recommendations made by former Test stars Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
    However Indian media said the court appointed committee felt the Test greats had gone beyond their brief in appointing Shastri´s support staff.
    Shastri took over following the dramatic exit of former Test captain Anil Kumble following the breakdown of his relationship with current skipper Virat Kohli.
    When they announced Dravid and Khan as batting and bowling consults, the BCCI said in a statement: "We sincerely feel that the new combination will steward the team to number one position in the World Cup."
    India´s Supreme Court appointed a panel in January to run the affairs of the BCCI and make sure reforms ordered by the court are carried out.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman to win the coveted Fields Medal Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian-born mathematician who was the first woman to win the coveted Fields Medal, has died in a US hospital after a battle with cancer. She was 40.
    Mirzakhani´ friend Firouz Naderi announced her death on Saturday on Instagram, and her relatives confirmed the death to the Mehr agency in Iran.
    "A light was turned off today. It breaks my heart ..... gone far too soon," wrote Naderi, a former director of Solar Systems Exploration at NASA.
    "A genius? Yes. But also a daughter, a mother and a wife," he added in a subsequent post.
    Mirzakhani, a professor at Stanford University in California, died after the cancer she had been battling for four years spread to her bone marrow, Iranian media said.
    In 2014 Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Mathematics, which is awarded by the International Congress of Mathematicians.
    The award recognized her sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces such as spheres.
    Born in 1977 and raised in Tehran, Mirzakhani initially dreamed of becoming a writer, but by the time she started high school her affinity for solving mathematical problems and working on proofs had shifted her sights.
    "It is fun -- it´s like solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective case," she said when she won the Fields Medal.
    "I felt that this was something I could do, and I wanted to pursue this path."
    Mirzakhani said she enjoyed pure mathematics because of the elegance and longevity of the questions she studies.
    "It is like being lost in a jungle and trying to use all the knowledge that you can gather to come up with some new tricks, and with some luck you might find a way out," she added.
    In 2008 she became a professor of mathematics at Stanford. She is survived by her husband and young daughter.
    "Great sorrow" 
    In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said that Mirzakhani´s "doleful passing" has caused "great sorrow," state media reported.
    Rouhani praised the "unprecedented brilliance of this creative scientist and modest human being, who made Iran´s name resonate in the world´s scientific forums, (and) was a turning point in showing the great will of Iranian women and young people on the path towards reaching the peaks of glory...in various international arenas."
    Separately on Instagram, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Mirzakhani´s death is a cause for grief for all Iranians.
    Mirzakhani became known on the international mathematics scene as a teenager, winning gold medals at both the 1994 and 1995 International Math Olympiads -- and finished with a perfect score in the latter competition.
    She went on to win the 2009 Blumenthal Award for the Advancement of Research in Pure Mathematics, and the 2013 Satter Prize of the American Mathematical Society.
    Mirzakhani studied mathematics in Iran and earned a PhD degree from Harvard in 2004. She then taught at Princeton University before moving to Stanford in 2008.
    The Fields Medal, which she won in 2014, is given out every four years, often to multiple winners aged 40 or younger.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Quito: Fourteen people were killed and 26 injured when a bus drove off the highway in central Ecuador, flipped and caught fire, local police said Saturday.
    The accident took place around 10 pm (0300 GMT) Friday on the highway between the capital Quito and Andean city of La Mana, police Colonel Cristian Barreiro said in a video released by the Ecu911 emergency service.
    The survivors were rushed to hospitals in Quito and the Santo Domingo province, while authorities said they were working to identify the fatalities.


  6. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Light rain continued in the city for the second day as the second monsoon system entered the provincial capital yesterday.
    Various areas of the city experienced intermittent drizzling, including Malir, Model Colony, Johar and Shah Faisal.
    Those on the road faced issues as main intersections of the city, including various areas in Shahra-e-Faisal, were packed with traffic.
    According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, a monsoon system has entered into the city.
    It had earlier predicted another spell of monsoon rain in Karachi, Hyderabad and some areas of Balochistan over the weekend.


  7. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Garbine Muguruza stormed to her first Wimbledon title and shattered Venus Williams´ history bid with a majestic 7-5, 6-0 victory in Saturday´s final.
    Muguruza overwhelmed Williams with a supreme display of power hitting in 77 minutes on Centre Court to become only the second Spanish woman to win Wimbledon.
    Watched from the Royal Box by King Juan Carlos of Spain, the 23-year-old finally got her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish two years after losing to the American´s sister Serena in her maiden Wimbledon final.
    Fittingly, it was Muguruza´s current coach Conchita Martinez who was the first woman to raise the Spanish flag at Wimbledon in 1994 when she defeated Martina Navratilova.
    Venezuela-born Muguruza´s second Grand Slam title, following her French Open triumph last year, denied Williams, 37, in her attempt to become the oldest Wimbledon champion in the Open era.
    Back in the Wimbledon final after an eight-year absence, Williams had hoped to clinch a sixth All England title, nine years after she last lifted the trophy.
    Instead, she paid the price for a surprisingly nerve-ridden display that condemned her to a second Grand Slam disappointment this year following her Australian Open final loss against Serena.
    Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, Muguruza had endured something of a sophomore slump as her ranking dropped out of the top 10.
    But she has rediscovered her mojo on grass and will climb to fifth when the new rankings are confirmed next week.
    Remarkably, of her four tour-level titles, two are now Grand Slams.
    With persistent drizzle blanketing the All England Club, Williams and Muguruza were competing in the first Wimbledon final to begin under the roof, watched by a sell-out crowd including Hollywood actress Hilary Swank.
    Twenty years ago, Venus admitted she was a bundle of nerves when she made a losing Wimbledon debut against Magdalena Grzybowska and, in her ninth All England Club final, once again there was anxiety coursing through the American´s error-strewn display.
    Fortified by a cross-court winner to bring up break point at 3-2, Williams looked poised to seize control, but instead a tame forehand into the net to let Muguruza off the hook.
    - Barrage -
    It was the first of a series of vital escapes for Muguruza, who was matching Venus blow for blow in a series of bruising baseline rallies.
    Gifted two set point at 4-5, Venus couldn´t deliver the knockout blow and Muguruza over-powered her in a gripping rally to save the first before scrambling out of trouble on the second.
    Muguruza had the momentum now, her piercing ground-strokes gradually moving Williams into enough awkward areas to land the crucial first break at 5-5.
    Williams was rattled by Muguruza´s barrage, fatally allowing the Spaniard´s lob to drop in and present her with set points that she gleefully gobbled up.
    Muguruza was just six when Venus first won Wimbledon and the 23-year-old´s third major final appearance was dwarfed by Williams´ 16 Grand Slam title matches.
    But in all those finals, only Serena had produced the lethal power and poise Muguruza was showing and suddenly Williams was beginning to look her age.
    Still reeling from the shock of losing the first set, she served up a limp double fault on break point to hand Muguruza the lead at the start of the second set.
    Williams was shattered and Muguruza went for the kill so ruthlessly that in the blink of an eye she had broken twice more to take a 5-0 lead.
    Muguruza had spoken eloquently this week of etching her name onto the Wimbledon honours board alongside Venus, Serena and the other All England Club icons.
    It took one last blizzard of thunderous winners to ensure her dream would come true.


  8. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders said on Saturday that the Joint Investigation Team in its final report to the Supreme Court failed to accuse Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of corruption or money laundering even after trying its best.
    The PML-N leaders were addressing a press conference, where they read out passages from the JIT final report to emphasise the parts supporting the stance of the Sharif family.
    PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz said the report based its findings on the phrase ?most likely?.
    The phrases, ?most likely? and ?it seems?, do not suffice to hold the premier responsible, said Aziz.
    He said that only one paragraph describes Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif?s relation to the London flat, which is also not definite as the link has been drawn from an interview.
    ?A short stay in the flat does not denote ownership,? he said.
    A media trial of Maryam Nawaz was carried out but the Supreme Court verdict did not mention anything about her.
    PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the party would fully pursuit the legal battle on the JIT report in the apex court and would emerge victorious.
    Post-JIT: Legal experts say PM likely to be disqualified
    JIT submitted its final probe report to the Panama case implementation bench on Monday
    On July 10, the JIT submitted its report, spread over 10 volumes, to the Supreme Court's special implementation bench.
    The JIT in its final probe report into the Sharif family?s assets held that the prime minister and his three children ? Maryam, Hussain and Hasan ? have accumulated wealth beyond their own known sources of income.
    The Supreme Court's special implementation bench has set July 17 as the next date of hearing in the Panama Papers case. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    DUBAI: Tehran police shot dead a man who attacked a clergyman and other people with a knife at a metro station on Saturday, Iranian state television reported.
    Hadi Tamhidi, deputy governor of the Shar-e Rey district in south Tehran, said the unidentified man attacked the clergyman with a knife after a dispute, and injured another man.
    Police shot and wounded the assailant, who later died of his injuries, Tamhidi said, adding that the assailant was mentally "unbalanced".
    A spokesman for the metro said traffic at the Shar-e Rey station had returned to normal after the incident.


  10. Waqas Dar
    DOHA:  French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Doha on Saturday that Paris wants to assist Kuwait-led mediation on the crisis between Qatar and four other Arab states.

    "France should be a facilitator in the mediation" led by Kuwait, Le Drian told reporters following talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
    Le Drian arrived in Qatar for a Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt.
    "France is very concerned by the sudden deterioration in relations between Qatar and many of its neighbours," he said.
    "France is talking to all these countries to help in the search for a solution," he said, calling for "dialogue and calm" between the Arab states concerned.
    Le Drian is to travel on to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, following a four-day mediation mission by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that made little progress in defusing mounting tensions in the Gulf.
    Riyadh and its allies imposed sanctions on Doha on June 5, including closing its only land border, denying Qatar access to their airspace and ordering their citizens back from the emirate.
    They accuse Doha of supporting extremism and being too close to their arch-rival Iran.


  11. Waqas Dar
    LONDON:  Former long-serving Chelsea captain John Terry was named Aston Villa´s new skipper on Saturday after joining the second-tier side following his departure from Chelsea.
    Terry, 36, replaces Wales international and fellow central defender James Chester as Villa captain having signed a one-year deal with the club earlier this month.
    "Aston Villa are pleased to announce John Terry as captain. Terry will be skipper for the 2017/18 campaign," the club said in a statement on their website.
    Terry will wear the armband for the first time in a pre-season friendly against third-division Shrewsbury Town later on Saturday.
    The ex-England defender left Chelsea at the end of last season after 22 years at Stamford Bridge, where he won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday reiterated his party?s stance that the PPP has always support democracy but demanded that the prime minister step down.
    "Accountability is part of democracy. We always supported democracy, not inds.believe in superiority of parliament & Rule of law. NS must go,? tweeted Bilawal today.

    Earlier today, senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira asked the Pakistan Muslim League (N) that if any schemes against democracy are being hatched then PPP should be apprised of it, and that the party will ensure that democracy is not harmed.

    Kaira further said that the PML-N does not need to worry about the democratic process being halted saying ?we are here for saving democracy?.
    PPP does not see any conspiracy against prime minister, says Kaira
    We and the people of Pakistan are the guardians of democracy, says Kaira
    ?We and the people of Pakistan are the guardians of democracy,? he said.
    On Wednesday, PPP senator Sherry Rehman while rebutting reports that the two parties were in contact had said that ?it is true that we try to protect the system?but right now the system is under threat from the government.?


  13. Waqas Dar
    geo_embedgallery SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom: Lewis Hamilton stormed to the 67th pole position of his career after a dazzling performance during qualifying on Saturday for the British Grand Prix.

    The Mercedes driver finished 0.547sec clear of Kimi Raikkonen with Ferrari team-mate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel set to start third in Sunday´s race at Silverstone.
    Hamilton closed to within one of Michael Schumacher's record of 68 poles.
    British Grand Prix qualifying times
    Q3

    1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:26.600, 2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:27.147, 3. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:27.356, 4. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:27.376, 5. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:28.130, 6. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:28.856, 7. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1:28.902, 8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1:29.074, 9. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1:29.418, 10. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:29.549
    Q2
    1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:27.893 (Q), 2. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.732 (Q), 3. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.978 (Q), 4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.992 (Q), 5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.340 (Q), 6. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:29.431 (Q), 7. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1:29.701 (Q), 8. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1:29.824 (Q), 9. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:29.966 (Q), 10. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1:30.105 (Q)
    11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1:30.193, 12. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 1:30.355, 13. Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren) 1:30.600, 14. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso) 1:31.368, 15. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1:31.482
    Q1
    1. Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren) 1:37.598 (Q), 2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:38.912 (Q), 3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:39.069 (Q), 4. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:39.201 (Q), 5. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:39.698 (Q), 6. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1:39.738 (Q), 7. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:39.962 (Q), 8. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1:40.011 (Q), 9. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:40.455 (Q), 10. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso) 1:41.114 (Q), 11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1:41.404 (Q), 12. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 1:41.726 (Q), 13. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1:41.874 (Q), 14. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1:42.009 (Q), 15. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:42.042 (Q), 16. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1:42.573, 17. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1:42.577, 18. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1:42.593, 19. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 1:42.633, 20. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 1:42.966


  14. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: As part of ongoing Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad , Frontier Corps Balochistan recovered on Saturday a huge cache of explosives and accessories from Dera Bugti, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations press release.

    According to army?s media wing, the explosives were recovered from Dera Bugti?s Och area.
    The explosives were meant to be used in making of Improvised Explosives Devices, according to the ISPR.
    Recently, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated his support for Balochistan and said the province was his prime focus.

    Balochistan - Pakistan's largest province in terms of land area - has been plagued by an insurgency and sectarian killings for several years now. However, security forces have conducted effective operations across the province cracking down on militants.
    This has led to a considerable drop in militancy in the province but scattered attacks are still reported at times.
    Following the beginning of Op Raddul Fasaad, security forces have intensified intelligence-based and combing operations in the province in an effort to establish peace in the province.


  15. Waqas Dar
    This file photo taken on July 16, 2016 shows People reacting after taking over a military position on the Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul. Turkey marks the one year anniversary of the thwarted July 15 coup attempt - AFP  ISTANBUL: Turkey on Saturday marked one year since the defeat of the coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to showcase national unity and his grip on power in an increasingly polarised society.
    The authorities have declared July 15 an annual national holiday of "democracy and unity", billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.
    "It's one year since the darkest night was turned into an epic," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a special session of parliament that kicked off a day of celebrations set to last until dawn.
    He said the night of July 15 was a "second War of Independence" after the war that led to the creation of the modern Turkish state in the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.
    This file photo taken on July 15, 2016 shows people taking streets near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge during clashes with military forces in Istanbul - AFP Two hundred and forty nine people, not including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled faction in the army sent tanks into the streets and war planes into the sky in a bid to overthrow Erdogan after one-and-a-half decades in power.
    But they were thwarted within hours as the authorities regrouped and people poured into the streets in support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally turned nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.
    The authorities embarked on the biggest purge in Turkey's history, arresting 50,000 people and sacking over 100,000 more. Erdogan also shored up his position by winning a referendum on enhancing his powers earlier this year.
    In the latest dismissals ordered just hours before the commemorations were due to begin, another 7,563 police, soldiers and other state employees were fired under the state of emergency that has been in place since July 20 last year.
    This file photo taken on August 7, 2016 shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeting supporters in Istanbul during a rally against the failed military coup on July 15 - AFP 'Epic of July 15'

    The scale of Saturday's nationwide commemorations is aimed at etching July 15, 2016 into the minds of Turks as a key date in the history of the modern state.
    Giant posters designed by the presidency have sprung up across billboards in Istanbul showing gaudy paintings that portray the key events of the coup night, including the surrender of the putschist soldiers.
    Public transport is free in Istanbul over the weekend while mobile operator Turkcell has sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15.
    Meanwhile, illuminated anti-coup slogans have been hung between the minarets of some of Istanbul's greatest Ottoman mosques.
    Erdogan, at the centre of the events, will later take part in a people's march on the Istanbul bridge across the Bosphorus that saw bloody fighting a year ago.
    The bridge has since been renamed Bridge of the Martyrs of July 15.
    At midnight local time (2100 GMT) people across Turkey will take part in "democracy watches", rallies commemorating how people poured out into the streets.
    Erdogan will return to Ankara and at 2300 GMT give a speech in parliament to mark the time it was bombed.
    A monument to those killed will then be unveiled outside his palace in the capital as the dawn call to prayer rings out.


  16. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Facebook has turned down Pakistan?s request to take specific measures for tackling of blasphemous content on the popular social media platform, citing safeguard of consumer rights as a primary reason, reported Voice of America (Urdu).

    Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had requested Facebook administration to link accounts with phone numbers for users in Pakistan, in order to facilitate a database for tracking objectionable content.
    Nisar had put forth the request during a meeting with Facebook Vice President Joel Kaplan last week.
    ?We can confirm that Pakistani officials requested that we link new Facebook accounts with an internet user?s mobile phone number to address the problem of fake accounts. We declined that request,? said Christine Chen, a spokesperson for the platform. 
    The spokesperson added that the social media platform is concerned about legal cases against Facebook users currently pending in courts.
    Chen further stated in her email that Facebook applies a clear and strict legal process to ?any government request for data or content restrictions?.
    Chen further said the platform would struggle to safeguard its users from unnecessary and excessive government interference.
    The spokesperson confirmed that Facebook has not changed its action procedure regarding the government?s request, adding that the company?s officials meet with governments regularly to enlighten them about the platform?s services and operations.
    During the meeting with the interior minister, Facebook?s measures concerning small businesses, developers and digital literacy were also discussed, the report added.
    Earlier, Nisar had met Kaplan and discussed various steps and actions to remove blasphemous content from the social media website, a statement from the interior ministry had stated.
    Nisar had said the entire Muslim Ummah was disturbed and had serious concerns over the misuse of social media platforms to propagate blasphemous content.
    The statement claimed that Nisar told the top-level representative of Facebook that though the government of Pakistan believes in free speech however, it will not allow anyone to insult religious sentiments of people.


  17. Waqas Dar
    Kaira addressing a press conference in Islamabad Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday said that the party does not see any conspiracy against added that the premier has always claimed of being victimised when the situation goes against him.
    Kaira, while addressing the press conference, asked the premier to disclose who the ?conspirators? are before the country. PML-N leaders have recently alluded to a conspiracy being hatched against the government and democracy.
    PM says won't resign, will fight for the people till the end
    Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of PML-N's parliamentary party at PM Office
    Kaira said that if any schemes against democracy are being hatched then PPP should be apprised of it.
    ?We have asked several times who is carrying out conspiracies against you, if there is any conspiracy against democracy tell us?we will save democracy?[but] the prime minister isn?t telling us anything,? the former minister said.
    Kaira further said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz doesn?t need to worry about the democratic process being halted saying ?we are here for saving democracy?.
    ?We and the people of Pakistan are the guardians of democracy,? he said.
    Nisar tells Nawaz only a miracle can save him: sources
    Political and legal team did not handle the situation well, sources quoted Nisar
    Kaira said that Nawaz Sharif should stop looking outward [for conspirators] and should instead pay attention to his inner circles.



    ?Many ministers are openly saying things?they seem hopeful,? he said.


  18. Waqas Dar
    ATHENS: More than 2,500 years ago, an Athenian nobleman named Cylon -- the first recorded Olympic champion -- tried to take over the city of Athens and install himself as its sole ruler.

    According to Thucydides and Herodotus, Athenian and Greek historians who wrote about the coup, Cylon enticed an army of followers to enter the city and lay siege to the Acropolis.
    They were defeated, but Cylon managed to escape.
    A photo taken on July 7, 2017 shows a human skeleton with the hands tied in the back stored in a lab at the American School of Archeology in Athens - AFP Now archaeologists in Athens believe they may have found some of the remains of Cylon's army in a mass grave in Phaleron, four miles (6 kilometres) south of downtown Athens.
    The discovery of the 80 skeletons of men is "unequalled" in Greece, said site project director Stella Chrysoulaki.
    The men, young and well-fed, were found lying in the unmarked grave in three rows, some on their backs while others were tossed facedown on their stomachs.
    All of the men had their hands in iron chains and at least 52 of them had their hands tied above their heads.
    They died from blows to the head, victims of a "political execution" that dates back to between 675 and 650 BC according to pieces of pottery found in the grave, Chrysoulaki said.
    At the time, Athens was just being formed and the city was transitioning towards a democracy, Eleanna Prevedorou, a bioarchaeological researcher on the project, said.
    And it was happening "against a backdrop of political turmoil, tensions between tyrants, aristocrats and the working class," she added.
    'Crime Scene Investigation'
    Bioarchaeological scientists use forensic research, such as DNA profiling, to investigate and ultimately uncover how humans lived and died by examining skeletons.
    "We are going to use, roughly speaking, the methods made famous by television series on forensics crime science," joked Panagiotis Karkanas, laboratory director and geoarchaeologist at the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
    A conservator of archeological works on a human skull in a lab at the American School of Archeology in Athens on July 7, 2017 - AFP Probably the most famous of these TV series, CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", which chronicles the cases of an elite team of police forensics investigators, has spawned the shorthand CSI to describe the technology the agents use.
    Karkanas' team, though technically not crime scene investigators, will apply similar high-tech methods using some of the same tools.
    They will perform a battery of tests -- particularly gene, radiographic and isotopic analyses -- to uncover the mysteries hidden inside each skull and skeleton fragment.
    Whatever clues they gather will give them an idea of how old the men were, whether they were related, where they came from, how healthy they were, and where they stood on the socioeconomic ladder of the times.
    But unlike crime dramas, where investigators reveal exactly how and why the crime took place, this cold case will likely not be resolved for five to seven years.
    1,500 skeletons
    The mass grave was uncovered in spring last year in one of the largest excavation sites Greece has ever unearthed.
    Though the site was found a century ago, large-scale excavation of the complex only began in 2012, when archaeologists discovered a large cemetery containing over 1,500 skeletons dating back to between the eighth and fifth century BC.
    A photo taken on July 7, 2017 shows a human skeleton with the hands tied in the back stored in a lab at the American School of Archeology in Athens - AFP More than 100 of them bore the marks of a violent death.
    Other small-scale excavations since then have unearthed other treasures, including the group of men believed to be part of Cylon´s army.
    Many of the skeletons found were bound or shackled, and facedown in unmarked graves, sometimes in sandy holes barely big enough to hold a body.
    Other skeletons were buried in open pits, placed on funeral pyres and in jars, the preferred coffins at the time for infants and small children.
    According to researchers, the cemetery measures about 4,000 square metres (372 square feet) and all 1,500 skeletons will eventually be taken to the laboratory´s facilities for proper study.
    A conservator of archeological works on a human skull in a lab at the American School of Archeology in Athens on July 7, 2017 - AFP At least 10 of the 80 men found are headed to the lab later this year, while the rest will stay as part of an upcoming exposition on the excavation site.
    One of the skeletons already at the lab, with his arms twisted behind his back, is a reflection of past Athenian violence.
    He could have been a "prisoner of war, a criminal or a runaway slave," Prevedorou said.
    A story to tell 
    Even the nonviolent deaths, or deaths without historical reference -- notably the hundreds of children´s remains found in jars -- have a story to tell, Karkanas said.
    The bones could reveal the children´s lifestyles and diseases, shedding more light on ancient Athenian culture and history.
    Most of the recorded ancient history on Athens and Greek life describes the "elite and the victors," Karkanas added.
    But to rely solely on those testimonies to understand the past would be like "reading newspapers today to find out what´s going on in the world right now". 


  19. Waqas Dar
    Partial ban came as the country suffered from a string of attacks. JAKARTA: Indonesia has blocked web-based access to popular messaging service Telegram and threatened a full ban on the app due to its "terrorism" content, the government said.
    The communications ministry said in a statement that "so many channels in the (Telegram) service contain radicalism and terrorism... encouragement and tips to assemble bombs or launch attacks" that it needed to block it.
    The partial ban came as the country suffered from a string of attacks, including one carried out by a man police said was radicalised after reading radical material on Telegram.
    The government has so far blocked only access to the app via computer, but is preparing to impose a full ban.
    "We are now preparing a process to close down Telegram app in full throughout Indonesia if Telegram does not come up with a standard operating procedure to handle law-violating contents," the communications ministry said in a statement issued late Friday.
    In June, a lone wolf attacker stabbed two police officers in a mosque. Police said the man had no links to militant groups but had been radicalised through material he read on Telegram.
    Telegram is a free Russian-designed messaging app that lets people exchange messages, photos and videos in groups of up to 5,000. It has attracted about 100 million users since its launch in 2013.
    The app has come under fire in Russia after the state communications watchdog threatened to ban it in June, saying the company behind the service had failed to submit company details for registration.
    Russia´s FSB security agency also said Telegram was used by those behind April´s Saint Petersburg metro bombing.
    Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, said the firm will investigate the Indonesia charges.
    "We have never received any requests/complaints from the Indonesian government," Durov said on Twitter.


  20. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Five years after his last Wimbledon triumph, Roger Federer can capture a record eighth All England Club title Sunday and become the tournament´s oldest men´s champion of the modern era.

    With his 36th birthday fast approaching, the evergreen Swiss will comfortably succeed Arthur Ashe, who was almost 32 when he won in 1975, as Wimbledon´s most senior champion.
    Victory over Croatian giant Marin Cilic will also give him a 19th career Grand Slam title and second in three majors this year after sweeping to a fifth Australian Open in January following a six-month absence.
    "I was hoping to be in good shape when the grass court season came around," said Federer who, for good measure, also pocketed back-to-back Masters at Indian Wells and Miami as well as a ninth Halle grass court crown.
    "The first three, four months were just like a dream really. So this is something I was working towards, you know, Wimbledon, to be in good shape. I´m happy it´s paying off here now."
    Roger Federer celebrates after winning against Czech Republic´s Tomas Berdych during their men´s singles semi-final match on the eleventh day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships - AFP  Federer admits his form in 2017 has surprised even himself after he shut down his 2016 season to rest a knee injury in the aftermath of his brutal five-set semi-final loss at Wimbledon to Milos Raonic.
    He has 30 wins and just two losses this year and he has reached his 11th Wimbledon final without dropping a set.
    'Unbelievably excited'
    Sunday´s match will be his 102nd at the tournament and his 29th final at the majors.
    "It makes me really happy, making history here at Wimbledon. It's a big deal. I love this tournament," said Federer, who has been tied with Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles since beating Andy Murray in the 2012 final.
    "All my dreams came true here as a player. To have another chance to go for number eight now, be kind of so close now at this stage, is a great feeling.
    "Yeah, unbelievably excited. I hope I can play one more good match. 11 finals here, all these records, it´s great. I´m so close now."
     Roger Federer waves to the fans as he leaves the court after winning against Czech Republic´s Tomas Berdych during their men´s singles semi-final match - AFP While 'Big Four' rivals Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal failed to even make the semi-finals, Federer has been reborn.
    He came into Wimbledon having radically pruned his playing schedule, skipping the entire clay court season.
    Wimbledon is just his seventh event of the year; 28-year-old Cilic is in his 15th.
    Federer, revelling in the spotlight of having played all his matches on Centre Court, has hardly been troubled on his way to the final.
    He has lost serve just four times and spent four and a half hours less on court than Cilic.
    Federer also boasts a 6-1 career record over Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion who has made his first Wimbledon final at the 11th attempt.
    However, Cilic´s game is made for grass and 12 months ago he led Federer by two sets to love and held three match points in an epic quarter-final which the Swiss superstar eventually claimed.
    'Roger's home court'
    When Cilic won his only Slam in New York three years ago, he demolished Federer in straight sets in the semi-finals.
     Roger Federer plays a shot as he attends a practice session at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon - AFP "I don't want to say it's more relaxed going into it because I have a good head-to-head record against Marin, even though the matches were extremely close," said Federer.
    "But it's not like we've played against each other 30 times. You feel like you have to reinvent the wheel.
    "It´s more straightforward, in my opinion. I think that´s nice in some ways. It´s a nice change, but it doesn´t make things easier."
    Cilic is only the second Croatian man to reach the Wimbledon final after Goran Ivanisevic, his former coach, who swept to a memorable title victory in 2001.
    A win on Sunday would also make him the first Wimbledon champion outside of Federer, Murray, Djokovic and Nadal since Lleyton Hewitt triumphed in 2002.
    However, he has only won one of his last 12 matches against a top five player at the Slams, even if that was over Federer in New York three years ago.
    Cilic has fired 130 aces at Wimbledon this year and dropped just 10 service games.
    "This is Roger's home court, the place where he feels the best and knows that he can play the best game," said Cilic.
    "Obviously I´m going to look back, 12 months ago I was one point away from winning a match against him here. But it´s still a big mountain to climb."


  21. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File  Stocks witnessed renewed buying interest on Friday as investors opted for cherry-picking in the oversold market amid rising global oil prices, dealers said.
    Analyst Ahsan Mehanti at Arif Habib Corp said the market turned bullish following the visit of Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Zafar Hijazi, asking brokers to give positive advice to the investors, The News reported.
    ?Surging global crude prices, renewed foreign inflows and Prime Minister?s rejection of his resignation call and challenging the Joint Investigation Committee (JIT) report played a catalytic role in positive close,? said senior analyst Ahsan Mehnati. 
    The KSE 100-share index gained 1.27 percent or 553.89 points to close at 44,337.44 points. KSE 30-share Index was up 1.48 percent or 338.01 points to end at 23,102.10 points.
    As many as 340 shares were active; of which 240 increased and 17 remained unchanged. Dealers said as the Morgan Stanley Capital International?s value stocks have come down to attractive multiples, while long-term investors did their shopping on dips.
    However, the immediate-term price movements still depend on political developments. The ready market volumes stood at 112.138 million shares as compared to 125.518 million shares a day earlier. Elixir Securities, in a report, said equities surged higher in late trading with the benchmark KSE-100 Index settling over 44,300-level.
    ?The first session saw choppy trading as stocks continued to struggle for the direction amid very selective participation,? the brokerage said. ?Activity, however, improved from the onset of the second session as local institutions reportedly turned buyers and cherry-picked cement, financial and other select Index names.?
    Despite higher activity in the second half, turnover for the entire day remained muted with the main-board shares gathering a volume of only 58 million shares, down 24 percent from Thursday.
    Financial sector outperformed others, led by Habib Bank (up 1.3 percent) and United Bank (rising 2.4 percent), while Lucky Cement was up 1.8 percent, DG Khan Cement increased 2.6 percent and Maple Leaf rose 4.5 percent.
    Analysts said investors will be closely monitoring and digesting developments on the political front over the weekend. They are hopeful for a positive outcome on Monday (17 July) when the Supreme Court would hear the case against the premier?s family.
    Companies, reflecting highest gains, included Wyeth Pakistan up Rs51.48 to close at Rs2,241/share and Sanofi Aventis that rose Rs45.33 to end at Rs1,718.33/share.
    Companies, with most losses, included Agriautos Industries down Rs17.70 to end at Rs367.30/share and Pakistan International Container Terminal that fell Rs10 to close at Rs321/share.
    Highest volumes were witnessed in Silk Bank with a turnover of 8.307 million shares. Its share value gained one paisa to close at Rs1.49/share. Power Cement was the second with a turnover of 8.214 million shares. Its stock price was up 18 paisas to end at Rs12.15/share. K-Electric was the third with a turnover of 8.159 million shares. It shed 20 paisas to finish at Rs6.59/share.


  22. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Saturday claimed the Panama case saga is being used as a tool by the enemies to destabilise the country.
    ?The Panama Papers case is not about corruption, it?s being used to destabilise the country,? Fazl said while addressing media here earlier today.
    ?Some forces are actively working against democracy. Encouraging these anti-democratic forces is not right,? he alleged, adding that he is hopeful the Supreme Court will mete out justice in the case.
    He further said that the political dilemma arising out of the situation would not benefit any politician.
    ?India and United States have already shaken hands with each other. China and Pakistan are now the target,? he said.
    The JUI-F chief urged the military and civilian population to stay on the same page.
    ?The military must not be made a party to this. The military and the population must stay on the same page,? he insisted, going on to say that whoever rules the country is the one who is targeted.
    PM should stand his ground on resignation calls, urges Fazl
    CPEC is a game-changer and the United States and India want to disrupt it, says JUI-F chief
    ?Zardari and Gilani both faced cases during their regime, but now it?s all gone and dusted,? he lamented. 
    Fazl earlier this week came out in support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, urging the premier to stand his ground on resignation calls from the opposition and not step down.
    "You are teaching morality to the one who is constitutionally your prime minister," he had said while criticising the prime minister's opponents.
    He had said at that time also that Panamagate was not an issue; rather the economic future of the country was being sabotaged on allegations of corruption.


  23. Waqas Dar
    SRINAGAR: Indian troops martyred three Kashmiri youth in Tral town on Saturday the Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.
    The youth were killed in a violent siege and search operation in Wantiwen area of the town.
    The operation was underway at the time of publication, the KMS reported.
    Citizens took to the streets in Satoora area of Tral to protest against the Indian army?s operation.
    Indian police and troops used teargas to disperse the protesters clashing with the Indian army personnel.


  24. Waqas Dar
    Sana Mir in a team huddle during ICC Women's World Cup 2017  Pakistan are confident to end the victory drought in the World Cup when they play Sri Lanka in their last league match on Saturday at Leicester, England.
    Winless Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be looking to end their campaign in the event on a high note by going all out for a win and in the given circumstances, the match has gained a ?special status? for both the sides to salvage their pride.
    Pakistan captain Sana Mir has urged her teammates to demonstrate a higher brand of cricket to beat Sri Lanka and get a face-saving win.
    ?It is a sour reality that we have lost our all previous six games but still we can make a comeback and players are capable of giving their best,? she said.
    Chairman PCB terms performance in Women World Cup ?disappointing?
    Shahryar Khan said making Sabih Azhar coach of the team at the eleventh hour did not turn out to be a correct decision
    Sana said that as a captain she faces heavy responsibility to end the defeats deadlock, adding that she will be doing her best to inspire the team to achieve this objective.
    ?Nothing is impossible, we will be going to the field with a different mindset to utilise every talent in our side to beat Lanka,? she said.
    Lankan all-rounder Shashikala Siriwardena believes a positive attitude can earn Sri Lanka the victory they crave.
    Sri Lanka lost by eight wickets to South Africa last time out and despite being without a victory to their name, they are confident to beat Pakistan by demonstrating positive cricket.
    Siriwardena is convinced her team is learning with each passing match and is confident of putting it all together against Pakistan.
    ?We will be going in with a positive attitude because, apart from against South Africa, we have done really well against good countries in this tournament,? she said.
    ?Our batters always try to pass 200, that?s a huge achievement for us in this kind of tournament. We are really happy with the batting performance in this tournament, we have a good combination of spinner and fast bowlers, so we will go into the game with Pakistan with a positive attitude and we would like to go back to Sri Lanka with the win.
    ?It?s really important that we bounce back against Pakistan because we have the ICC Women?s Championship over the next few months, so winning against Pakistan would be a big boost for us as a unit.?
    Squads
    Pakistan: Sana Mir (captain), Asmavia Iqbal, Ayesha Zafar, Bibi Nahida, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Iram Javed, Javeria Wadood, Kainat Imtiaz, Marina Iqbal, Nain Abidi, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Yousaf, Sidra Nawaz and Waheeda Akhter.
    Sri Lanka: Inoka Ranaweera (captain), Chamari Athapaththu, Chandima Gunaratne, Nipuni Hansika, Ama Kanchana, Eshani Lokusooriya, Dilani Manodara, Harshitha Madhavi, Chamari Polgampala, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardena, Prasadani Weerakkodi and Sripali Weerakkody.
    Umpires: Sue Redfern and Kathy Cross, Match referee: Steve Davies.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Saad Rafique addressing media in Islamabad ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday called Panama Papers a ?foreign sponsored conspiracy? targeting Pakistan.
    Speaking to media in the federal capital, Rafique vowed that the damning report by the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be challenged and said he has advised the party leadership to avail constitutional protection.
    He, however, expressed ignorance on whether the Sharif family planned to submit the draft petition challenging the JIT report today or on Monday.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/5996b45daa2d3cb2d4e1a2b9b89a1d7a.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8xNS8yMDE3IDg6NDU6MDYgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1vQWUzak1iQ0RtSGRVUGgxQUFOZldRPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    ?Panama Papers is a foreign sponsored conspiracy targeting Pakistan. Many people in this world do not want to see a powerful Pakistan. Those who compare atomic power Pakistan to Iceland are foolish,? he remarked.

    ?We are ready to fight [this] legal and political war. This kind of war will benefit no one,? he lamented, adding that the government was focusing on progress but the opponents were dragging Pakistan backwards.
    ?Methods such as rigging allegations, dharna 1 and dharna 2 were used to waste time,? he said, expressing concern that such a situation, if carried forward to 2018, would create problems for voters.
    PM says won't resign, will fight for the people till the end
    Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of PML-N's parliamentary party at PM Office
    ?It would have been better if political parties had instead focused on performance to get ahead,? he continued. 
    Sources said Saturday that the Sharif family has finalised its draft petition to challenge the Panamagate JIT findings in the Supreme Court.
    The sources, privy to the development, said the Sharifs have raised various objections over the JIT report for its findings. The draft also alleges biased attitude of the JIT members towards the Sharif family.


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