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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Despite us watching our favourite shows from different TV networks around the world, Netflix usually remains our go-to link to satisfy our urge of binge-watching.

    Predominantly basing its research on Google Trends data, HighSpeedInternet.com formulated a list of the most watched shows around the world.
    Surprisingly, the most-watched show isn?t a Netflix original and pretty easy to guess too.
    BBC?s Benedict Cumberbatch starer ?Sherlock? is the most viewed show around the world.
    Netflix launches Pakistani dramas
    Three Pakistani dramas Humsafar, Sadqay Tumharay and Zindagi Gulzar Hai will be available on Netflix.
    The second spot was hogged by the evergreen NBC comedy ?Friends?. The story of five friends dealing with daily life in a humorous way is still popular among people.

    The other famous and most watched shows included Netflix?s own production as well, with Narcos and House of Cards being on the list.
    Fox?s ?New Girl? starring Zooey Deschanel was also among the favourites around the world.
    So, the list basically looks like:
    1. Sherlock
    2. Friends
    3. Narcos
    4. House of Cards
    5. New Girl
    Another BBC production, ?Call the Midwife? is one of the top most viewed shows in Britain.
    In the list, the top Netflix shows around the world make a pretty interesting case.
    In Australia, ?Jane the Virgin? was most viewed, while in Germany it was ?House of Cards?.
    Hungary seemingly loves ?Family Guy?, whereas, the list shows India and Nepal are quite taken with ?Friends?.
    According to the data, Russia is obsessed with ?Arrow? while the USA is in love with ?Shameless?.
    Well, any guesses which show is the most viewed on Netflix in Pakistan? No, it?s not Sherlock or Breaking Bad, the list said it was ?New Girl?.
    Now that you know which shows are most watched around the world, you can Netflix and chill some more!


  2. Waqas Dar
    "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in the epic story of a white anti-apartheid activist who escaped from one of South Africa's toughest jails, the film's producers said Friday.
    The breakout thriller "Escape From Pretoria" is based on Tim Jenkin's account of his dramatic escape from the notorious Pretoria Maximum Security Prison with his friend Stephen Lee in 1979.
    Jenkin, now 68, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for handing out leaflets supporting the then banned African National Congress.
    But the following year he managed to make a set of wooden keys for a series of doors inside the jail, which housed the country's death row.
    Using a device made from a broomhandle and a mirror he had hidden in his cell, Jenkin opened his cell door and then freed his neighbour and friend Lee.
    Both managed to slip out of the tightly guarded prison and eventually flee to London.
    Producer David Barron, who also worked on the "Harry Potter" films, said the movie of this "astonishing true story" would be "political without being polemical".
    "'Escape From Pretoria' is a rare combination of genre and drama, and I am delighted to bring together the potent combination of Daniel Radcliffe and Francis Annan," he added, as the film was launched at the Cannes film festival.
    Annan, a rising young black British director, also wrote the script for the film, which will be shot in South Africa next year.
    Radcliffe, 27, has also been signed up to play the lead in the action comedy "Guns Akimbo", which was also unveiled at Cannes.


  3. Waqas Dar
    EDGBASTON: Pakistan Cricket Head Coach Mickey Arthur said on Friday that it is an exciting time for him to rebuilt and restructure the cricket team.
    In a video interview released by the PCB, Arthur said: ?As much as Misbah and Younis meant to this green team, they were great leaders, for us now in moving forward there are batting positions available and we are hoping that some guys grab these positions and as I said it?s exciting to restructure and rebuilt.?
    He further said that the team had a wonderful series in the West Indies, adding that the new players have made their mark.
    ?Mohammad Abbas had a superb series. Hasan Ali making his test debut. Shadab making his test debut. I guess that?s a sign of the time. A lot of good new talent, players are coming - it?s great for Pakistan cricket. Of course, we have two gaps opening up in the battings as well and that?s up for grabs- this is an exciting time,? the head coach said.


    He also said that the Team Pakistan have worked really hard for the one-day matches and the team played a modern brand of cricket in the West Indies.

    ?I thought we played well and we played the brand of cricket we wanted to play. We worked on our dot-ball percentages, we worked on our yorkers, we worked on our things that are important for us in this Champions trophy.?
    Arthur remarked that fielding and fitness are of utmost importance to him.
    ?Fitness, fielding is of paramount importance. Good fielding gives us a chance for better batting and bowling."


  4. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: The counsels of Pakistan Cricket Board and Khalid Latif exchanged heated words during the hearing of PSL spot-fixing tribunal on Friday.

    Badar Alam ? lawyer for Latif ? while speaking to the press said, the tribunal mistreated his client as he is not being given a proper opportunity to present his defence on the case.
    ?Colonel Mohammad Azam keeps interrupting and brings a new question whenever Latif starts giving his point of view on the case,? adding, ?we don?t accept the PCB court, but if proceedings are being conducted under it ? one must follow the procedures.?
    ?The PCB counsel has even called our arguments as blackmailing - they have tried to portray us as blackmailers.?
    Alam claimed that in a video presented to the tribunal, it is evident that Nasir Jamshed offered a number of times to Khalif Latif which he refused.
    ?Latif was taken by Sharjeel Khan we have seen that in the video,? he added.
    ?PCB has ample evidence against Latif?
    Later, the PCB's legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi said that contrary to the claims made by the Latif's lawyers PCB has ample evidence against Latif.
    ?Not only we found grips given by the bookie Yousuf in Latif's kitbag but also they were on his bats ? which he had admitted". 
    "Latif met the bookie twice but didn?t report it to the PCB,? he said before adding, ?he didn?t disclose anything till he was questioned by PCB.?
    Responding over Latif's counsel Alam's allegation that he called him a blackmailer.



    Rizvi said: ?In reply to the Alam's remark to boycott the tribunal, I said that this is an attempt to blackmail the tribunal. I think he wrongly thought that I called him a blackmailer.?


  5. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Friday that there are no signs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf?s Chairman Imran Khan becoming a prime minister of the country in the near future.

    The provincial law minister was speaking to media outside the Punjab Assembly.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/dfe894294faf91c974530d9a1ad8721b.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDE6MDU6MjYgUE0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1tdnROVVIwd3orbm1xZURURkZQVVVnPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    In 2018, the PTI chief?s political career would end, said Sanaullah, adding that Imran would not be able to find shortcuts to the prime ministership.

    ?His (Imran?s) political funeral has been held and will be buried after the Joint Investigation Team?s probe,? said the law minister.
    Sanaullah said that all the institutions should act in coordination, keeping the aspect of national security in mind.
    PTI to flex its muscle in Quetta today
    The PTI chairman is expected to make an important announcement at the rally
    While referring to the International Court of Justice?s verdict on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, he said that it is the government?s prerogative to accept the verdict, adding that a decision would be reached based on national interest when the time comes.

    The ICJ had ordered Pakistan on Thursday to halt the execution of Jadhav until a final decision in the proceedings. "Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that Jadhav is not executed pending the final decision in these proceedings," ordered Judge Ronny Abraham, president of the court, as he announced the decision.


  6. Waqas Dar
    Imran Khan addresses a rally in Quetta on Friday, May 19 - Photo:@PTIOfficial  QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has alleged that the Nawaz-Jindal meeting led to the staying of Kulbhushan Jadhav death sentence by the International Court of Justice.

    Speaking at a rally in Quetta, Khan said the joint investigation team (JIT), formed by the Supreme Court in Panama Leaks case, should investigate Sharif family's businesses outside the country.
    "The JIT should also investigate as to who are the Sharif family's business partners in India," he demanded.
    He lamented that the country is being ruled by companies owned by influential political families.
    The PTI chief said that it was East India Company in the past, but now there's Sharif family's company ruling the country. "Sindh is being ruled by Zardari family's company, while Maulana Fazlur Rahman and his brothers also have their own company."
    The PTI chief said these companies are getting richer and the people poorer and poorer.
    "All your taxes go to the government and those in power steal this money, which is then laundered outside the country," Khan said, while speaking to participants of the rally. 
    "This money should be used for welfare of the people, building schools, development projects in Balochistan."

    The PTI demonstrated its political strength by holding a rally at Quetta's Ayub Stadium.

    Earlier, PTI Balochistan chapter's president, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind accompanied Imran Khan to venue of the rally.

    PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed were also present alongside the PTI chief.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/e94244226ebe9323e27053d1a2eabef8.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDE6MTg6NTAgUE0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT0ydlJqSXB1RzVZTTY5dVI0MnFiNDBRPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    Stern security measures were in place to thwart any untoward incident, while separate seating arrangements were made for women participants at the rally.

    Addressing the participants earlier, Jehangir Tareen said the rulers have only filled their pockets to this date. He promised that his party will put looters in jail.
    Admitting that the rulers neglected Balochistan, he vowed to end deprivation of the province after his party came into power.
    "The rulers of Balochistan also played politics in the name of province," Tareen said.


  7. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is demonstrating its political strength by holding a public rally in Quetta today, with an important announcement expected by party chairman Imran Khan.

    PTI Balochistan chapter's president, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind accompanied Imran Khan to Ayub Stadium, where the rally is being held.

    PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed are also present alongside the PTI chief.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/e94244226ebe9323e27053d1a2eabef8.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDE6MTg6NTAgUE0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT0ydlJqSXB1RzVZTTY5dVI0MnFiNDBRPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    Stern security measures have been in place to thwart any untoward incident, while separate seating arrangements were made for women participants at the rally.

    Addressing the participants, Jehangir Tareen said the rulers to the date have only filled their pockets. He promised that his party will put looters in jail.
    Admitting that the rulers neglected Balochistan, he vowed to end deprivation of the province after his party came into power.
    "The rulers of Balochistan also played politics in the name of province," Tareen said.


  8. Waqas Dar
    PTI chairman responds to crowd's cheers at Ayub Stadium, Quetta. QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has arrived at Ayub Stadium, Quetta, to address a public meeting, where he is also expected to make an important announcement.
    The preparations for the public meeting are all finalised, with separate seating arrangements made for the women participants.
    PTI Balochistan chapter's president, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind accompanied Imran Khan to the stadium.
    PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed are also present alongside the skipper.
    The gathering will be addressed by key party leaders, followed by an important announcement by the party chief during his address with attendees.
    Stern security measures have been in place to thwart any untoward incident.


  9. Waqas Dar
    Country music star Toby Keith, celebrated in Middle America for his songs referencing communal drinking and patriotic fervour, will perform a free, male-only concert in Saudi Arabia as President Donald Trump visits.
    Keith -- who frequently performs for US troops overseas-- will play Saturday in Riyadh in a rare concert in the Saudi Arabia.
    Keith will share the stage with Saudi singer Rabeh Sager, according to an advertisement circulated online.
    "An Arabian lute and American guitar unite in a star-studded night," said the advertisement.
    The duo will perform for an audience made up only of men who should be above 21 and dressed in traditional Saudi thawb tunics. Access is free of charge.
    Keith, usually clad in a cowboy hat, has a long list of songs exploring the cathartic effects of alcohol including "I Love This Bar," "Whiskey Girl," "Get Drunk and Be Somebody," "Drinks After Work" and "Drunk Americans."
    "Beer For My Horses," one of Keith's best-known songs, sings of getting tough on crime and corruption.
    'The Angry American'
    The Oklahoma-born singer has often raised eyebrows for the intensity of his nationalist sentiments, with detractors calling him jingoistic.
    "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," released in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, memorably has the line, "We'll put a boot in your ass / It's the American way."
    In "The Taliban Song," Keith describes ordinary Afghans praying for US forces to drive out the foreign fighters of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda -- which was led by the Saudi-born Osama bin Laden. In the chorus, Keith sings, "Ride, camel, ride!"
    Keith did not immediately comment on the trip to Saudi Arabia. On his social media accounts, he instead posted a performance snippet of himself with the line, "When the bartender wants to cut you off for the night."
    Trump, a property tycoon who ran vowing to bar Muslims from the United States, has chosen Saudi Arabia as his first foreign visit since taking office. He is scheduled to hold a summit with Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.
    The United States has often enlisted celebrities to promote the image of the United States overseas, but Trump has faced deep opposition in the art world.
    Keith was the most famous performer at Trump's inauguration in January, a striking contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama who throughout his presidency hobnobbed with mega-stars such as Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and U2.
    Keith, however, has downplayed his ties to Trump and has spoken favourably in the past about Obama.
    The concert comes as part of attempts to open up Saudi Arabia, which bars women from driving and prohibits public cinemas and theatres.
    The desert kingdom has created a government agency to support private firms organising entertainment events, under a wideranging "Vision 2030" plan for economic and social reform.


  10. Waqas Dar
    STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors Friday dropped a seven-year rape investigation into Julian Assange, a legal victory for the WikiLeaks founder who has been holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012.
    But British police said they would still arrest Assange if he tried to leave the embassy, saying he had breached the terms of his bail by refusing to turn himself in when an arrest warrant was issued in 2012.
    Friday was the deadline for the public prosecutor's office to either renew the pan-European arrest warrant or lift it.
    "Director of Public Prosecution, Marianne Ny, has today decided to discontinue the investigation regarding suspected rape by Julian Assange," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
    Shortly after the announcement, Assange posted on Twitter a picture of himself smiling broadly, without comment.
    A lawyer on Assange's legal team, Per Samuelsson, told Swedish radio the decision was "a total victory", saying that Assange was "of course happy and relieved".
    Samuelsson also said that the decision meant Assange "is free to leave the embassy whenever he wants", though he later told the TT news agency that he did not know when Assange might leave.
    "What I do know is that Sweden does not stop him from doing it. Sweden is out of the game," he said.
    'Abuse of procedure'
    Another lawyer, Christophe Marchand, told AFP that "We have been waiting a long time for this decision".
    "Julian Assange has been a victim of a huge abuse of procedure. We are very pleased and very moved, as this marks the end of his nightmare."
    Ny and Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren were briefing reporters on the decision in Stockholm.
    The 45-year-old Australian has always denied the 2010 rape allegations, which he feared would see him extradited to the United States and tried over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents.
    He has been living at the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012, and the British police have said they will arrest Assange as soon as he walks out of the embassy because he has broken his conditions for bail -- a relatively minor offence under British law -- by failing to surrender on June 29, 2012 for extradition to Sweden.
    Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said that breach of bail is punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine.
    Assange's Swedish lawyer last month filed a new motion demanding that the arrest warrant be lifted after US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in April that arresting Assange would be "a priority".
    "This implies that we can now demonstrate that the US has a will to take action... this is why we ask for the arrest warrant to be cancelled so that Julian Assange can fly to Ecuador and enjoy his political asylum," lawyer Per Samuelsson told AFP at the time.
    The accusation against Assange dated from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint.
    She accused him of having *** with her as she slept without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected ***.
    Endless delays
    "I am entirely innocent," Assange wrote in a 19-page testimony released in December 2016.
    He argues that the *** was consensual and has denounced the accusations as "politically motived".
    The investigation had suffered from multiple procedural complications since it began.
    The statute of limitations on the rape allegation expires in August 2020.
    In a letter sent to the Swedish government on May 8, Ecuador condemned "the obvious lack of progress" in the investigation despite Assange's questioning in the presence of the Swedish prosecutor at the embassy in November 2016.
    "It is extremely worrying that six months after the hearing at the Embassy of Ecuador in the United Kingdom, the Swedish prosecutor's office has not yet decided on the judicial situation of Julian Assange," the Ecuadoran Foreign Ministry said in the letter seen by AFP.
    Swedish judges have refused to take into account the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which in February 2016 said Assange was effectively "arbitrarily detained" by Sweden and Britain and called for the arrest warrant to be annulled.


  11. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that the next year 8,000 to 10,000 megawatt of electricity would be added to the national grid.

    The federal minister was speaking to media representatives after the National Economic Council?s meeting.
    He said that the development budget has been increased up to three times. The federal minister said that Rs1.80 billion have been allocated to the CPEC and related development projects.
    For the first time in ten years, the GDP has risen to 5.3 percent, which is a very positive news, said Iqbal.
    He said that during the NEC session, the development budget and economic framework have been approved.
    The inflation ratio has been set to six percent for the next year, while the economic development?s budget has been kept at the same ratio.
    When this government came the development budget was RS360 billion while the recent government raised it to Rs1,000 billion, said Iqbal.
    Development should not be politicised: PM Nawaz Sharif
    NEC approves Rs1,001 billion for federal, Rs1,112b for provinces' development budgets
    The federal minister further said that for Gwadar and its development Rs 31 billion have been reserved.
    The NEC, headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, finalised the development budget of financial year 2017/18 today.
    Addressing the participants of the meeting, PM Sharif said development (of the country) should not be politicised as it is for the prosperity of every citizen.
    The PM added that the federal and provincial governments are working in harmony for the country?s development and should continue on this path.


  12. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/0e0a6e1f384ccd9663103a1079c10ccc.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDEyOjEzOjM3IFBNJmhhc2hfdmFsdWU9NDk0aE8vdGMvdDA2WTRZUlFMMWczZz09JnZhbGlkbWludXRlcz02MCZpZD0x style=center]
    LAHORE: After being stabbed almost two dozen times by her classmate and then seeing him released on bail, Khadija?s trauma seems never-ending as on Friday she was forced to sit for her law exam along with her alleged attacker.

    The brave survivor was forced to appear for her British Council law examinations in the same centre as her attacker. Even though she was accompanied by two security guards ? a male and female police constable ?she did not feel safe in the vicinity of her attacker.
    "My hands were shaking throughout [the exam] and I just kept hoping that I remember [the course material]. I didn't want to be affected by it," she said while speaking to Geo News at the examination centre.
    Sharing her future plans, Khadija remarked that she plans to join Pakistan Bar Council and take her case to the Supreme Court.
    In her comments, Khadija's mother asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of her daughter?s plight and help the family get justice.
    Khadija couldn't appear for her exams as she was in a crucial condition last year, explained her mother.
    She also appealed to everyone to help them, adding their fight is for the rights of all the women in the country.
    Khadija?s ordeal
    Khadija shared her ordeal with the public during an appearance on Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.
    On May 3, last year, she was allegedly stabbed 23 times by her classmate ? Shah Hussain ? on Lahore?s Davis Road. Over a year since the horrific incident, Khadija still awaits justice and appeals to society to raise its voice for her.
    Sharing her story on Geo News earlier, Khadija had said, ?..I am standing my ground because if I let go, then this would create more such avenues."
    Despite being caught on video, Hussain continues to roam free as he was able to secure a bail as he hails from an influential family, according to Khadija.
    The sessions court granted Hussain bail on December 1, 2016, after he had spent two months behind bars. Khadija then filed an appeal against the court's decision, but it was dismissed.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Following in the footsteps of the Queen and Prince Philip, Princess Diana, and Prince Charles, and Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry is also going to marry someone who is not from royalty.
    Well, any guesses?
    Let us inform you that it has now been confirmed Prince Harry is allowed to marry his divorcee girlfriend, Meghan Markle.
    The 32-year-old prince and his Californian-born girlfriend are now allowed to marry in Westminster Abbey, years after it would have been forbidden.
    Seems like a no big deal? But, it actually is when it comes to royal marriages.
    According to the Express, a spokesman for Westminster Abbey has said: 'The Abbey follows the General Synod Ruling of 2002. Since then it has been possible for divorced people to be married in the Church of England.'
    The spokesman also confirmed that the Suits actress' Jewish background (her father is reportedly Jewish) would not prevent her from having an 'interfaith' marriage to her 32-year-old royal beau.
    However, if the pair does decide to get married, they would reportedly first have to receive permission from the Queen.
    But it seems like there is not going to be a big issue as they have been already granted permission by the church.
    So, Wedding bells and confetti at the ready?


  14. Waqas Dar
    Following in the footsteps of the Queen and Prince Philip, Princess Diana, and Prince Charles, and Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry is also going to marry someone who is not from royalty.
    Well, any guesses?
    Let us inform you that it has now been confirmed Prince Harry is allowed to marry his divorcee girlfriend, Meghan Markle.
    The 32-year-old prince and his Californian-born girlfriend are now allowed to marry in Westminster Abbey, years after it would have been forbidden.
    Seems like a no big deal? But, it actually is when it comes to royal marriages.
    According to the Express, a spokesman for Westminster Abbey has said: 'The Abbey follows the General Synod Ruling of 2002. Since then it has been possible for divorced people to be married in the Church of England.'
    The spokesman also confirmed that the Suits actress' Jewish background (her father is reportedly Jewish) would not prevent her from having an 'interfaith' marriage to her 32-year-old royal beau.
    However, if the pair does decide to get married, they would reportedly first have to receive permission from the Queen.
    But it seems like there is not going to be a big issue as they have been already granted permission by the church.
    So, Wedding bells and confetti at the ready?


  15. Waqas Dar
    THE HAGUE: An 11-year-old "cyber ninja" stunned an audience of security experts Tuesday by hacking into a teddy bear via bluetooth to show how interconnected smart toys "can be weaponised".
    American wunderkind Reuben Paul may be still only in 5th grade at his school in Austin, Texas, but he and his teddy bear Bob wowed hundreds at a timely cyber security conference in The Netherlands.
    "From airplanes to automobiles, from smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can be part of the" Internet of Things (IOT)," he said, a small figure pacing the huge stage at the World Forum in The Hague.smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can be part of the" Internet of Things (IOT)," he said, a small figure pacing the huge stage at the World Forum in The Hague.
    "From terminators to teddy bears, anything or any toy can be weaponised."
    To demonstrate, he deployed his cuddly bear, which connects to the icloud via wifi and bluetooth smart technology to receive and transmit messages.
    Plugging into his laptop a rogue device known as a "raspberry pi" -- a small credit card size computer -- Reuben scanned the hall for available bluetooth devices, and to everyone´s amazement including his own, suddenly downloaded dozens of numbers including some of top officials.
    Then using a computer language programme, called Python, he hacked into his bear via its bluetooth address to turn on one of its lights and record a message from the audience.
    "Most internet-connected things have a bluetooth functionality ... I basically showed how I could connect to it, and send commands to it, by recording audio and playing the light," he told AFP later.
    "IOT home appliances, things that can be used in our everyday lives, our cars, lights, refrigerators, everything like this that is connected can be used and weaponised to spy on us or harm us."
    They can be used to steal private information such as passwords, as remote surveillance to spy on kids, or employ a GPS to find out where a person is.
    More chillingly, a toy could say "meet me at this location and I will pick you up," Reuben said.
    Timebombs
    His father, information technology expert Mano Paul, told how aged about six Reuben had revealed his early IT skills, correcting him during a business call.
    Using a simple explanation from dad on how one smart phone game worked, Reuben then figured out it was the same kind of algorithm behind the popular video game Angry Birds.smart phone game worked, Reuben then figured out it was the same kind of algorithm behind the popular video game Angry Birds.
    "He has always surprised us. Every moment when we teach him something he´s usually the one who ends up teaching us," Mano Paul told AFP.
    But Paul said he been "shocked" by the vulnerabilities discovered in kids´ toys, after Reuben first hacked a toy car, before moving onto more complicated things.
    "It means that my kids are playing with timebombs, that over time somebody who is bad or malicious can exploit."timebombs, that over time somebody who is bad or malicious can exploit."
    Now the family has helped Reuben, who is also the youngest American to have become a Shaolin Kung Fu black belt, to set up his CyberShaolin non-profit organisation.
    Its aim is "to inform kids and adults about the dangers of cyber insecurity," Reuben said, adding he also wants to press home the message that manufacturers, security researchers and the government have to work together.
    Reuben also has ambitious plans for the future, aiming to study cyber security at either CalTech or MIT universities and then use his skills for good.
    Failing that maybe he could become an Olympian in gymnastics -- another sport he excels in.


  16. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said on Friday that 85 percent area will face no load-shedding in Ramazan, especially during iftar and sehri.
    Abid Sher Ali was addressing a power generation conference in Islamabad.
    He also reiterated the government?s stance that load-shedding occurs in areas from where electricity is being stolen. ?More load-shedding will occur in places from where electricity is being stolen,? he said, adding that those who pay their bills on time will face no load-shedding.
    He stressed that National Electric Power Regulatory Authority should work on improving its performance.
    The minister also said, ?We are ashamed of people who promote electricity theft.?
    ?We are currently trying to solve the electricity crises in Karachi,? he remarked.
    He also said that electricity production is expected to reach 22,000 megawatts. 


  17. Waqas Dar
    The WC-135. Photo: Wikicommons WASHINGTON: Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane over the East China Sea, media in the United States reported Thursday, citing US officials.

    NBC News reported that the US aircraft, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a routine mission in international airspace Wednesday when it was intercepted over the East China Sea by two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft.
    The WC-135 is a so-called "sniffer plane" designed to scan the atmosphere for signs of nuclear activity.
    NBC said the crew of the US plane described the encounter as "unprofessional," although not necessarily dangerous.
    It said military officials insist the US plane was operating in accordance with international law.
    Officials told the US news network that the matter is being addressed with Beijing via "appropriate diplomatic channels".


  18. Waqas Dar
    Photo: file  ISLAMABAD: Indian woman Uzma, who married Pakistani man Tahir Ali, submitted her reply to Islamabad High Court on Friday.

    In the 6-page reply, she has reiterated her earlier claims and said that she was forced to sign the Nikkahnama [nikkah papers].
    The reply also claims that Tahir?s affidavit is based on lies. The reply was submitted by Barrister Shahnawaz on behalf of Uzma.
    The reply also requested that Uzma is allowed to travel to India as her visa will expire on May 30.
    The hearing of the case has been scheduled on May 21.
    Case History
    The case of Indian woman Uzma?s marriage to Pakistani man Tahir became more confusing as it was unraveled in front of the media.
    It came to the forefront after her husband claimed that Indian High Commission has stopped her wife from leaving the premises during their visit to apply for visa on May 7.
    Read more: Wife stopped from leaving Indian HC, claims husband
    Uzma, who belongs to New Delhi, and Tahir fell in love with each other in Malaysia, after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border, and got married to him on May 3, according to Tahir.
    Later, Indian High Commission claimed that Uzma has been staying there out of her own will.
    Following this, Uzma remarked that she was forced to marry Pakistan citizen Tahir Ali at gunpoint. She further remarked that she was unaware that Tahir was married and was the father of four children while speaking to the media.
    However, these claims were challenged by her husband, who even provided details of a private conversation in which Uzma seemed to know about his first marriage.

    Read more: Tahir rejects coercion claims
    Moreover, their Nikkah video also surfaced in which there were no signs of violence or intimidation. 


  19. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/0b4eb9053b4e9201a028aa13af1316b6.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDk6MDQ6MzIgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1kamwydWprM3RqQXl1VUt3QkcwLyt3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    ISLAMABAD: The government should have sent the attorney-general to contest Pakistan?s case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), said opposition leader Khursheed Shah on Friday.

    Talking to the media in Islamabad, the Pakistan Peoples Party leader claimed that if Pakistan had a foreign minister, then maybe the outcome [of the ICJ hearing] would have been different.
    Terming the ICJ decision [temporarily staying Kulbhushan Jadhav?s execution] a ?setback?, Shah said the government?s negligence is evident.
    He claimed the government tried to keep secret the meeting of Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; with neither the premier or his spokesperson divulging what transpired in the meeting.
    Late last month, Jindal ? said to be close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ?held a ?surprise? meeting with Sharif in the hilltown of Murree which led to rumours about the true nature of the visit.
    He also said that the Dawn Leaks report should be presented in Parliament for debate. 
    ICJ didn?t mention consular access: AGP Ashtar Ausaf
    ?It took India a year to accept Jadhav as its citizen,? says AGP
    ICJ verdict: Sartaj says no compromise on security matters
    Sartaj Aziz said it is the wrong impression that selection of counsel was not appropriate
    The ICJ on Thursday ordered Pakistan to halt the execution of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav until a final decision in the proceedings.
    Read more: ICJ stays execution of Indian spy Jadhav pending final decision
    "Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that Jadhav is not executed pending the final decision in these proceedings," ordered Judge Ronny Abraham, president of the court, as he announced the decision.
    The ICJ rejected Pakistan's stance and stated that the court had jurisdiction and would hear the case and seek arguments from both parties.




  20. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The government should have sent the attorney-general to contest Pakistan?s case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), said opposition leader Khursheed Shah on Friday.
    Talking to the media in Islamabad, the Pakistan Peoples Party leader claimed that if Pakistan had a foreign minister, then maybe the outcome [of the ICJ hearing] would have been different.
    Terming the ICJ decision [temporarily staying Kulbhushan Jadhav?s execution] a ?setback?, Shah said the government?s negligence is evident.
    He claimed the government tried to keep secret the meeting of Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; with neither the premier or his spokesperson divulging what transpired in the meeting.
    Late last month, Jindal ? said to be close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ?held a ?surprise? meeting with Sharif in the hilltown of Murree which led to rumours about the true nature of the visit.
    He also said that the Dawn Leaks report should be presented in Parliament for debate. 


  21. Waqas Dar
    Veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor are soon going to share the screen together.
    Excited? Well, who isn't?
    The adorable duo last shared the screen together in 1977 in the movie Amar Akbar Anthony.
    Amitabh and Rishi will be seen in the film 102 Not Out and will play the roles of father and son respectively. 
    The movie is directed by Umesh Shukla.
    While Big B plays the role of a 102-year-old father, Rishi plays the role of his son, who is 75 years old. 
    102 Not Out is based on the Gujarati play of the same name and the actors will also use the Gujarati language a few times in the movies.
    According to Indian media, the shooting of the film has already begun in Mumbai and will continue until the end of the May. 
    Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan also took it to Twitter to talk about how wonderful it is to work with each other again after a long time.




  22. Waqas Dar
    Veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor are soon going to share the screen together.
    Excited? Well, who isn't?
    The adorable duo last shared the screen together in 1977 in the movie Amar Akbar Anthony.
    Amitabh and Rishi will be seen in the film 102 Not Out and will play the roles of father and son respectively. 
    The movie is directed by Umesh Shukla.
    While Big B plays the role of a 102-year-old father, Rishi plays the role of his son, who is 75 years old. 
    102 Not Out is based on the Gujarati play of the same name and the actors will also use the Gujarati language a few times in the movies.
    According to Indian media, the shooting of the film has already begun in Mumbai and will continue until the end of the May. 
    Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan also took it to Twitter to talk about how wonderful it is to work with each other again after a long time.




  23. Waqas Dar
    30 candidates of Pakistani origin will be contesting the June 8 general elections in the United Kingdom, BBC Urdu reported.
    According to lists of candidates released by different political parties, the Labour Party has given more tickets to women and Pakistani-origin citizens than any other party.
    14 British-Pakistani candidates will represent the Labour Party in the elections. These include Shabana Mahmood, Khalid Mahmood, and Perry Barr in Birmingham, Yasmin Qureshi in Bolton, Naseem Shah and Imran Hussain in Bradford, and Rosena Allin-Khan in Tooting.
    Labour Party candidate Shabana Mahmood/Twitter @ShabanaMahmood The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have given tickets to nine Pakistani-origin candidates, the ruling Conservative Party has six candidates of Pakistani origin representing it in the elections, while the Scottish National Party has one British-Pakistani representing it during the elections.

    Labour Party candidate Yasmin Qureshi/Twitter @YasminQureshiMP London has the highest number of British-Pakistani candidates, with seven in the run in various constituencies.

    More than 3,000 candidates from 350 constituencies are contesting the UK general elections, to be held next month.
    One noteworthy fact is that the Labour Party has chosen women candidates for 41 percent of the seats. As many as 50 members of various minority groups will also be representing the party.
    The ruling Conservatives have given tickets to women candidates for 29 percent of the seats. The Liberal Democrats have women candidates for 30 percent of the seats, while the Scottish National Party has 33 percent.
    11 Pakistani-origin women candidates will be representing major political parties of the country in the upcoming polls.


  24. Waqas Dar
    Lotus flowers blossom in the Khao Sam Roi Yot national park in southern Thailand. Photo: courtesy AFP PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: For the first time in a decade a Thai lake has given up its dazzling secret -- the pink blooms of tens of thousands of lotuses.
    The sea of colour in Khao Sam Roi Yot national park, three hours south of Bangkok, is a show-stopping feat of nature that has locals hoping for a tourist bonanza.
    A tourist takes a photograph of lotus flowers while riding in a canoe through a lake in the Khao Sam Roi. Photo: courtesy AFP But it has also sparked warnings over the fragility of the environment with park rangers pleading with people not to visit until the lake is healthy enough to deal with an influx of tourists.
    The flowers, considered sacred in Thai culture, are good news for locals who have been ferrying camera-toting visitors through the lotuses which lie in knots on the lake´s vast waters.

    The national park is in the process of restoring the lotuses. Photo: courtesy AFP But "currently they should not come," said head ranger Rungroj Aswakultarin.
    "The national park is in the process of restoring the lotuses. When it comes to the right time the park will open them up to the public," he said.
    Rungroj´s caution is understandable.
    For the last decade the park -- a stunning jumble of lakes, tributaries and towering limestone karsts three hours south of Bangkok -- saw no widespread lotus bloom.
    The flowers, considered sacred in Thai culture, are good news for locals who have been ferrying camera-toting visitors. Photo: courtesy AFP No-one has been able to pinpoint exactly why.
    But officials blame a mixture of drought and pollution from fertilisers and nearby seafood farms.
    In recent years rangers have tried to clean up the park and this year were rewarded with a sea of pink flowers.
    Thailand struggles to balance its lucrative tourism industry with preserving the environment.
    Tourists look at lotus flowers while on a canoe on a lake in the Khao Sam Roi Yot national park in southern Thailand. Photo: courtesy AFP  Few countries have experienced the kind of stratospheric growth in tourism.

    In the last decade the number of foreign arrivals has more than doubled from 13.8 million in 2006 to a record 32.5 million last year, growth partly powered by Chinese arrivals.
    Those expecting to find the kind of pristine, untouched beaches in tourist brochures are often left disappointed among hordes of visitors.
    Thailand´s tourism minister has called for the industry to chase fewer holidaymakers but ones with deep pockets.
    This week some 61 national parks, including 25 marine parks, closed to visitors for the monsoon season, an annual move to try and help them recover.
    But some environmentalists have argued the most vulnerable ecosystems need to close for longer, or face much stronger restrictions on visitor numbers. 


  25. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan's present GDP growth rate is 5.28% - Reuters/File photo ISLAMABAD: The National Economic Council, headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, finalised the development budget of financial year 2017/18 on Friday. 
    According to sources, the federal development budget has been set at Rs1,001 billion and the provinces' development budget at Rs1,112 billion. 
    Moreover, the upcoming year's growth rate has been set at 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 
    Earlier, Sharif said development [of the country] should not be politicised as it is for the prosperity of every citizen.
    Addressing participants of the meeting he said that the federal and provincial governments are working in harmony for the country?s development and should continue on this path. 
    "Pakistan is now among the fastest growing economies of the world," the prime minister stated.
    Pakistan's economic indicators have significantly improved and this is acknowledged by international financial rating institutions, said the premier, adding that the GDP growth rate of 5.28% for the current financial year is commendable.
    He said during the recent Belt and Road Forum in China, all the chief ministers accompanied him which showed the world that Pakistan unanimously stands for development.

    Talking about power issues, he said the government is also focusing on a balanced mix of sources for energy including LNG, coal, hydel, solar and wind, he stated.
    Describing infrastructure as key to development, Sharif said the government is concentrating on establishing roads and communication networks.
    He also informed that the present government has increased the provincial share in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year three times more as compared to that in 2012-13. He said that FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are as important to the federal government as all other provinces.
    The meeting is expected to finalise the Annual Development Programme of 2017/18. The Annual Plan Coordination Committee has recommended to the NEC a development programme worth Rs2,113 billion for the next financial year.
    The prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan are in attendance, besides the KP governor and the relevant federal and provincial ministers.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/329a8f73aab315387832f9b86d5398d7.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NS8xOS8yMDE3IDk6Mzc6MDMgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT02bUFBNm9hMFNkZkJrMXFtblhvQldBPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]





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