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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Hold your breath before you witness the ultimate beauty of Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone at Cannes film festival.
    The Piku actress who is attending the festival as a brand ambassador for L'Oreal stunned everyone on the red carpet.

    Dressed in a jewel-toned sheer purple Marchesa outfit, and paired it with De Grisogono jewelry and Jimmy Choo heels, Deepika set the red carpet on fire with her sizzling looks.


     




    Deepika walked the red carpet in the company of her L?Oréal Paris co-ambassadors Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Fanning.
    Deepika, who has an impressive filmography in Indian cinema with titles like Bajirao Mastani and Piku, won her claim to fame in the international world with xXx: Return of Xander Cage? earlier this year.
    The Bajirao Mastani actress had previously walked the red carpet in 2010, in a Rohit Bal sari.
    Check out Deepika's entry at the red carpet.
     


  2. Waqas Dar
    Hold your breath before you witness the ultimate beauty of Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone at Cannes film festival.
    The Piku actress who is attending the festival as a brand ambassador for L'Oreal stunned everyone on the red carpet.

    Dressed in a jewel-toned sheer purple Marchesa outfit, and paired it with De Grisogono jewelry and Jimmy Choo heels, Deepika set the red carpet on fire with her sizzling looks.


     




    Deepika walked the red carpet in the company of her L’Oréal Paris co-ambassadors Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Fanning.
    Deepika, who has an impressive filmography in Indian cinema with titles like Bajirao Mastani and Piku, won her claim to fame in the international world with xXx: Return of Xander Cage” earlier this year.
    The Bajirao Mastani actress had previously walked the red carpet in 2010, in a Rohit Bal sari.
    Check out Deepika's entry at the red carpet.
     


  3. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A godown caught fire in Karachi's Mauripur vicinity on Thursday.
    "Four fire tenders are on their way to the site of the incident," the fire department told Geo News.
    Read more: Fire doused at Rawalpindi godown
    Earlier during the day, a godown on Rawalpindi's Chah Sultan road caught fire.
    The fire was contained after rescue activities began soon after the fire brigade reached the site.
    Seven people including three children were rescued from the upper floor of the godown that was being used for residential purposes, sources told Geo News.
     
     
    This is a developing story and will be updated as further details are available. 


  4. Waqas Dar
    Musician Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at the age of 52, his representative has revealed.
    Cornell, who had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Brian Bumbery, the singer’s representative, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
    Bumbery called the death "sudden and unexpected" and said his wife and family were shocked by it.
    The cause of his death is currently unknown. Cornell's family is working with a medical examiner to determine the cause, the statement said.
    Cornell was best known for fronting the two iconic bands and singing 'You Know My Name', the theme song for James Bond film Casino Royale.
    The singer was scheduled to perform at the US festival Rock the Range in Columbus tonight.


  5. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: China has urged Windows users to protect themselves against a new ransomware virus similar to the WannaCry bug that wreaked havoc worldwide last week.
    "UIWIX" encrypts and renames files through a bug in the Windows operating system, China´s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) warned in a public announcement Wednesday, telling users to install the latest Microsoft update.
    The warning comes on the heels of the "WannaCry" cyberattack, which has hit hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide.
    While no UIWIX infections have yet been detected in China, the virus has spread in other countries and prompted a security alert last week from the Danish cybersecurity company Heimdal Security.
    "UIWIX ransomware is picking up where the first WannaCry wave left off, without a kill switch domain and the same self-replicating abilities that enable it to spread fast," the firm said in a statement.
    Heimdal cautioned that the new bug could be more powerful than WannaCry due to the absence of a kill switch domain that could contain the virus´s distribution.
    But other analysts have noted that UIWIX appears to be spreading at a much slower pace.
    Global cybersecurity firm Proofpoint warned on Wednesday about another large-scale, stealthy cyberattack linked to WannaCry called Adylkuzz.
    The extent of Wannacry´s impact in China remains unclear.
    On Sunday, Qihoo 360, one of China´s leading suppliers of anti-virus software, said more than 29,000 institutions ranging from government offices to ATMs and hospitals had been "infected" by Wannacry, singling out universities as particularly hard-hit.
    But the Education Ministry´s China Education and Research Network denied that there had been widespread damage to computer systems, saying only 66 out of 1,600 Chinese universities were affected.
    Sarah Larson, a politics and cybersecurity researcher at the University of New South Wales, told AFP that China´s preemptive alert about UIWIX may indicate that WannaCry sent the government "reeling."
    Larson said China is particularly vulnerable to malicious code because the majority of the country´s computer users are reliant on pirated software.
    "Until now the government has done little to encourage the use of legitimate software," she said.
    "This reluctance is largely caused by a type of cyber sovereignty directed at the dominance of US tech companies like Microsoft."
    Severine Arsene, an Internet expert at the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China, said the announcement, which noted the virus was "detected abroad," is in line with China´s current rhetoric around cybersecurity.
    "China has long claimed that they are a major victim of cyber attacks every year," Arsene told AFP, "whereas they are essentially portrayed as a source of cyberattacks by foreign media."
    The warning is intended "to publicly show that they are taking responsibility to help maintain security and stability online".
    The government will implement on June 1 a controversial cybersecurity bill tightening restrictions on online freedom of speech and imposing new rules on online service providers.
    Fifty-four international trade groups signed a letter Monday calling on China to reconsider the law, arguing that it would create significant obstacles for foreign businesses.


  6. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said India weaved a humanitarian angle in Indian-spy Kulbushan Jadhav’s case to divert attention during a media briefing on Thursday.
    “After India stood exposed in state sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism, it tried to divert attention from presenting the Kulbushan Jadhav with a humanitarian angle,” he said.  
    He also said that Pakistan’s stance on Kulbushan Jadhav is very clear. It is a matter of national security and we will not compromise on it, he added.
    Pakistan’s reply was submitted in line with Article 36 of the United Nations’ charter, he said, adding that Pakistan, in some issues, does not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
    India pursuing Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case to divert attention from its atrocities in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), he said.
    He also said that situation of human rights in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) is deplorable.  
    Extremist organisation RSS tried its best to suppress the voice of people in IoK, he remarked, adding Pakistan condemns the Indian massacre of Kashmiris.
    India has also closed down about 36 television channels in IoK to suppress the voice of the people, he claimed. International community needs to play an important role in solving the Kashmir issue, he urged.
    On the issue, Prime Minister Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has sent a letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations. In the letter, Indian atrocities in IOK have been exposed, he explained.   
    He also expressed concern over the arrests of leaders from Kashmir, adding that Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was not even given the permission to seek treatment from a doctor.
    Speaking about Pakistan-Afghanistan border, he remarked that the border cannot be opened till danger continues to linger. He stressed that Afghanistan should initiate peace talks with Pakistan.
    On Prime Minister’s visit to China, he remarked that the trip was quite successful. PM held meeting with top leaders in China. Moreover, he also met the presidents of Russia and Turkey.
     


  7. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday stayed its order for AD Khawaja to continue performing his duties as Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh.
    The Attorney General (AG) Sindh Zameer Ghumro informed the court that authority to appoint the IGP Sindh rests entirely with the Sindh government.
    “No individual can challenge the Police Act as per the constitution, which gives provinces the right to make amendments to the act,” the AG Sindh stated.
    He added that if the centre is not satisfied with a law passed by the province, then the Supreme Court and not the High Court should hear the case.
    “Such matters should be forwarded to the Council of Common Interest,” he said.
    Read more: Why does everyone hate AD Khawaja?
    The court questioned the AG Sindh about the course of action to be taken if a certain person is affected by a law passed by the province.
    The hearing was adjourned until May 23.
    AD Khawaja, on Wednesday, expressed his wish in the SHC to voluntarily step down as the IGP Sindh in the best interest of the force.
    "AD Khawaja wishes to return to the federal government so that the provincial government can appoint an IGP of its choice," the lawyer said.
    He requested the court to end the stay order and remove his client's name from the respondents' list.
    "The court can neither remove Khawaja's name from the list of respondents nor end the stay order at this point," Justice Munib Akhter responded.
    The SHC has stayed the order for Khawaja to continue performing his duties as the IGP Sindh numerous times in the past month after it asked respondents to the case to submit various documents.
    A cabinet session, where Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved the decision to surrender the services of the IGP to the federal government, was held on April 5.
    Read more: Want to relinquish post in the best interest of the force: AD Khawaja
    A total of 13 IGPs in Sindh were appointed between 2002 and 2017.
    Khawaja was appointed the IGP on March 13, 2016.
    On April 2, Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti took charge as the acting IGP Sindh after the provincial government surrendered AD Khawaja's services to the federal government.
    Earlier on April 11, the SHC extended the stay order for AD Khawaja to continue serving as the IGP Sindh until April 13.
    Read more: IG Sindh AD Khawaja didn't fulfil expectations: Khursheed Shah
    A notification issued by the Sindh government that replaced AD Khawaja with Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti as the IGP was suspended by the SHC on April 3.
    Will accept court’s decision on IG Sindh: CM Sindh
    Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday that we will accept and implement the court’s decision on the IG Sindh matter.
    He also remarked that provincial government had sent names of possible candidates to the federal government and asked it to appoint anyone as IG Sindh. Murad Ali Shah was speaking to the media at Sehwan, where he had gone to attend the last day of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Urs.  


  8. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The curricula used at public schools have improved with their help of expertise employed from the private sector, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday.
    "There was a time when public schools in Pakistan were going through a challenging period," she said while talking to the media at a ceremony. "It was at that time the private sector played its role to fill the gap in the quality of education of the two sectors."  
    She added that it was a task of a thing for the government to make people understand they were not privatising the public schools but were only taking help to improve the way education was imparted at those institutes.
    "It was a historic step as the quality of education improved," she maintained. "Through the public-private partnership we were able to train teachers."
    Besides, the minister added, they were working on starting an initiative to provide early education, just like the system at private schools where there is a nursery class before primary level schooling begins. People from low-income backgrounds who cannot afford to pay hefty amounts in fees would be able to help their children get an early education, she added. "We are also trying to create an environment in which children would want to attend school."
    Moreover, she added, the prime minister did not wait for the budget and released Rs2 billion out of the Rs3 billion allocated for school buses. "Some of these buses have been put in use."
    Marriyum maintained the government will soon launch an initiative, geographical information system, under which issues pertaining to travelling to school would be dealt with. "There are many people in rural and urban Islamabad who find it difficult to get their children to and from school every day."
    Parents would also be able to locate whether their child has left the school and at what speed the vehicle is being driven.   


  9. Waqas Dar
    The death of Veteran actress Reema Lagoo has left everyone in shock. 
    Bollywood's favourite screen mom died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital according to family sources.

    While the death of Reema Lagoo is still unbelievable, prominent B-town celebs have also expressed their condolences on social media.
    Reema’s former co-star Alok Nath has also mourned her death.

    Alok stated that this is a horrible news and he is very sad.
    Reema Lagoo's funeral will be held later in the day.
     


  10. Waqas Dar
    American comedian and actor TJ Miller shared a special message for his Pakistani fans, asking them to watch his upcoming movie, The Emoji Movie.
    In the video, the comedian sends a special shoot to his fans in Pakistan and uses the correct pronunciation instead of the Amercanised version.
    “Hello to all the fans in Pakistan….,” he says referring to the correct pronunciation of the country.
    He explains that he knows the correct pronunciation because he is good friends with a Pakistani. “I know that because one of my best friends is Pakistani. Kumail Nanjiani from Silicon Valley [the show].”
    “Please watch The Emjoi Movie in the theatres this summer. We think you will like and we think you will understand it because emojis are international they break all language barriers. Thank you all!”
    The trailer for the movie also released recently. The cast includes TJ Miller, Anna Faris, James Corden and Steven Wright. The movie is expected to be released on August 11 across Pakistan.



  11. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: The role of the youth in eradicating terrorism as well as their susceptibility to extremist outfits were highlighted in a speech by military spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor at a seminar on Thursday.
    In his welcome address at the seminar, titled Role of Youth in Rejecting Extremism, the director-general of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the seminar is part of the ongoing Operation Raddul Fasaad (RuF).
    He said that Operation RuF is aimed at consolidating gains of all military operations earlier concluded in the kinetic domain and to bring about enduring peace and stability. One of its strands is to eliminate extremism from our society, which becomes more pronounced when we see that the nature and character of this conflict has also changed with the ideology of ISIS [Daesh] which focuses on targeting minds of our youth, he stated further.
    “It is our collective duty as a state and individual in our respective domain to shield our youth against this threat. The process involves identification of threat and response measures. Please know that among others, we owe our achievements in the ongoing operations to the youth. Let us not allow their supreme sacrifice to go to waste and convert our achievements into an enduring success,” said the ISPR DG.
    Gen Ghafoor explained that during the course of this seminar, they intend to have a full spectrum analysis of the phenomena of extremism. “We look forward to some very healthy and productive interactive session between the speakers and guests. I particularly request the youth to express their opinions freely and ask any question that may be in their minds. I sincerely believe that it is only through free exchange of ideas and courage to differ that the dream of a truly tolerant Pakistan can be realised,” he concluded.
    Several senior army officers as well as journalists were among the audience.


  12. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Secretary-General and Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said on Thursday that Mastung incident failed to break our spirits.
    The leader, who was injured during the Mastung incident, was addressing a press conference in Quetta after regaining health. He was admitted at CMH Quetta after the explosion on May 12, in which 27 people were killed and 30 injured.
    The blood of all those who lost their lives in the Mastung explosion will be used to bring about a revolution, Maulana Haideri remarked.
    Speaking about those responsible for the attack, he said “we all know what forces were involved in the attack” alluding to involvement of India in the incident.  
    He also said that “India has still not accepted Pakistan’s independence,” adding that Indian conspiracies have led to instability in Pakistan.
    “I want to tell India that Pakistan is an atomic power now,” he said.
    Read more: JUI-F observes strike today over Mastung blast; FIR registered
    On his party, he remarked that party is progressing day-by-day. “We have proven that if Pakistan’s government is handed over to us then we will make the country secure and stable.”
    “I want to tell our enemies that we won’t stop our mission because of cowardly attacks.”
    The leader also thanked all political parties for enquiring about his health. “People from across the health called me to ask about my health,” he said. “I am thankful to all.”


  13. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Around a dozen and a half crew members of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight that were stopped by UK authorities after discovery of heroin from the plane have returned to the country after three days.
    The captain of the flight [PK-785] had returned to Pakistan on Wednesday whereas the remaining crew reached Karachi airport from London early Thursday morning via PK-788.
    Upon their arrival, the crew was debriefed by the PIA Vigilance GM and then allowed to exit the airport after their statements were recorded.
    On May 15, when the PIA plane landed at Heathrow airport in London from Islamabad, UK border authorities carried out a thorough search of the plane on suspicion of narcotics smuggling and reportedly questioned and detained crew members, including the captain of the plane.
    Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman of the UK National Crime Agency ? which is now investigating the incident ? said it cannot disclose any information about the operational matter of the drug bust but confirmed that ?a quantity of heroin, a class A prohibited drug under UK law, was found concealed within the aircraft by Border Force officers?.
    Further investigations are under way by the UK authorities.
    In Pakistan, according to the latest reports from investigating officials, the use of sniffer dogs by Pakistan Customs and the Anti-Narcotics Force ? a standard operation protocol ? was not carried out on the PIA flight in question. 


  14. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Around a dozen and a half crew members of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight that were stopped by UK authorities after discovery of heroin from the plane have returned to the country after three days.
    The captain of the flight [PK-785] had returned to Pakistan on Wednesday whereas the remaining crew reached Karachi airport from London early Thursday morning via PK-788.
    Upon their arrival, the crew was debriefed by the PIA Vigilance GM and then allowed to exit the airport after their statements were recorded.
    On May 15, when the PIA plane landed at Heathrow airport in London from Islamabad, UK border authorities carried out a thorough search of the plane on suspicion of narcotics smuggling and reportedly questioned and detained crew members, including the captain of the plane.
    Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman of the UK National Crime Agency — which is now investigating the incident — said it cannot disclose any information about the operational matter of the drug bust but confirmed that “a quantity of heroin, a class A prohibited drug under UK law, was found concealed within the aircraft by Border Force officers”.
    Further investigations are under way by the UK authorities.
    In Pakistan, according to the latest reports from investigating officials, the use of sniffer dogs by Pakistan Customs and the Anti-Narcotics Force — a standard operation protocol — was not carried out on the PIA flight in question. 


  15. Waqas Dar
    HUNZA: In a remote northern Pakistani valley surrounded by giant ice-capped peaks, villagers gather to watch a game of Buzkashi, an ancient equestrian sport once seen as a key test of virility that is now struggling for survival.
    Baksh Dil Khan, a retired schoolteacher is saddling his horse as his wife sprinkles a pinch of flour over the animal for good luck, worried that the snowfall that blankets the Chapursan Valley will make the day´s match too treacherous.
    The burly, moustached 52-year-old is one of the sports´ last two dozen players in this region of roughly 2000 people, which shares a border with Afghanistan to the east and the north.
    A black goat is led out to the middle of the grounds for the players to inspect. Some pick it up before nodding their approval.
    It is taken away, later returning as a headless, disemboweled carcass and is placed in a circle in the centre of the field.

    Pakistani horsemen compete for a cattle carcass during a game of the traditional sport of Buzkashi in snow covered Chapursan village of Hunza Valley/AFP
    This body is the prize the horseman will jostle over in the game, made up of a series of rounds in which they aim to throw it back into the circle.
    Goals are met with enthusiastic shouts of ´Halal´ from the crowd, a sign they believe it was legitimately scored.
    Buzkashi is a way for players to show off their equestrian skills and manliness, but there are also prizes and cash to secure.
    Baksh has won PKR 4,000 ($40), three packs of cigarettes and a cellphone.
    "I almost broke my neck for these three packs of cigarettes and I am not even a smoker," he jokes -- he fell twice from his horse during the game.
    Unlike in neighbouring Afghanistan or Central Asia where the sport remains vibrant, Baksh fears the tradition will die out in Pakistan.
    "It is dying down and there are only half a dozen old players left, the new generation is not taking much interest in the game and we have only around a dozen young players," he explains.

    Buzkashi, once seen as a key test of virility, is now struggling for survival/AFP
    Now even finding enough horses can be a challenge as many locals have sold their steeds to buy modern comforts, says 38-year-old Taj Muhammad.
    "Buzkashi will be just an event of the past, a story for our children," he muses.
    For Aziz Ali Dad, a cultural anthropologist, the decline of the bloodsport is a sign of Pakistan´s diminishing cultural ties with Central Asia, where the game originated.
    In Hunza, it has long been a mainstay of the Wakhi people, who are also found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang in China.
    But Aziz says the lack of contact between them today means Buzkashi is "on the verge of extinction in Pakistan."
    Defiant, Baksh vows to ride on, even if others give up.
    He insists: "I will continue to play even if I am the last player, the game should at least survive till my death."


  16. Waqas Dar
    Japanese Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, will become a commoner after she weds a former college classmate, Japanese media reported.
    Japan's cabinet is expected to approve a bill on Friday to allow Akihito, 83, to step down, the first abdication by a Japanese emperor in nearly two centuries after he said last August he feared age would make it hard to fulfil his duties.
    But the legislation will make no reference to the controversial topics of whether to revise a males-only succession law or to allow women to stay in the imperial family after marriage, a move conservatives fear would be a first step to letting females inherit the throne.
    Asked about the problem of the shortage in royals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Wednesday: "There is no change in our view to proceed with consideration of steps to ensure stable imperial succession."
    The 25-year-old Mako's unofficial fiance, Kei Komuro, appeared before media cameras on Wednesday outside the Tokyo law office where he works, a day after the news of their engagement broke. The Imperial Household Agency declined to comment.
    "Now is not the time for me to comment, but I want to speak at the right time," Komuro, 25, repeatedly told reporters.
    Komuro, who media said once served as a "Prince of the Sea" to promote tourism in a locality near Tokyo, did say he'd had a brief phone conversation with Mako on Tuesday.
    There are only four heirs to the throne - Akihito's two middle-aged sons, whose wives are in their early 50s, Akihito's octogenarian brother, and Prince Hisahito, the ten-year-old son of Akihito's younger son.
    Akihito has only four grandchildren, the other three of whom are female - Mako, her younger sister, Kako, and Crown Prince Naruhito's daughter, Aiko. The shrinking royal population - which mirrors the broader trend of Japanese society - has raised concerns that the youngest prince may also be the last.
    "Under the present system, there is the risk that Hisahito will be the only one left in the imperial family," Keio University Professor Hidehiko Kasahara was quoted by media as telling an experts panel that studied the abdication issue.
    Mako, who like her groom-to-be graduated from International Christian University, has a master's degree from the University of Leicester and has been working as a researcher at a museum.


  17. Waqas Dar
    HUNZA: In a remote northern Pakistani valley surrounded by giant ice-capped peaks, villagers gather to watch a game of Buzkashi, an ancient equestrian sport once seen as a key test of virility that is now struggling for survival.
    Baksh Dil Khan, a retired schoolteacher is saddling his horse as his wife sprinkles a pinch of flour over the animal for good luck, worried that the snowfall that blankets the Chapursan Valley will make the day´s match too treacherous.
    The burly, moustached 52-year-old is one of the sports´ last two dozen players in this region of roughly 2000 people, which shares a border with Afghanistan to the east and the north.
    A black goat is led out to the middle of the grounds for the players to inspect. Some pick it up before nodding their approval.
    It is taken away, later returning as a headless, disemboweled carcass and is placed in a circle in the centre of the field.

    Pakistani horsemen compete for a cattle carcass during a game of the traditional sport of Buzkashi in snow covered Chapursan village of Hunza Valley/AFP
    This body is the prize the horseman will jostle over in the game, made up of a series of rounds in which they aim to throw it back into the circle.
    Goals are met with enthusiastic shouts of ´Halal´ from the crowd, a sign they believe it was legitimately scored.
    Buzkashi is a way for players to show off their equestrian skills and manliness, but there are also prizes and cash to secure.
    Baksh has won PKR 4,000 ($40), three packs of cigarettes and a cellphone.
    "I almost broke my neck for these three packs of cigarettes and I am not even a smoker," he jokes -- he fell twice from his horse during the game.
    Unlike in neighbouring Afghanistan or Central Asia where the sport remains vibrant, Baksh fears the tradition will die out in Pakistan.
    "It is dying down and there are only half a dozen old players left, the new generation is not taking much interest in the game and we have only around a dozen young players," he explains.

    Buzkashi, once seen as a key test of virility, is now struggling for survival/AFP
    Now even finding enough horses can be a challenge as many locals have sold their steeds to buy modern comforts, says 38-year-old Taj Muhammad.
    "Buzkashi will be just an event of the past, a story for our children," he muses.
    For Aziz Ali Dad, a cultural anthropologist, the decline of the bloodsport is a sign of Pakistan´s diminishing cultural ties with Central Asia, where the game originated.
    In Hunza, it has long been a mainstay of the Wakhi people, who are also found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang in China.
    But Aziz says the lack of contact between them today means Buzkashi is "on the verge of extinction in Pakistan."
    Defiant, Baksh vows to ride on, even if others give up.
    He insists: "I will continue to play even if I am the last player, the game should at least survive till my death."


  18. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: A godown on Rawalpindi's Chah Sultan road caught fire early Thursday.
    The fire was contained after rescue activities began soon after the fire brigade reached the site.
    Seven people including three children were rescued from the upper floor of the godown that was being used for residential purposes, sources told Geo News.
    Read more: Fires erupt at two different godowns in Karachi
    On April 25, fires ignited in inside a tyre warehouse in Mauripur area and a tent godown in Malir's Memon Goth area. 
    Fire tenders faced an acute shortage of water, due to which water bowsers were called in, said Chief Fire Officer Tehseen Ahmed.
     


  19. Waqas Dar
    A bill proposed in Congress on Wednesday would require the U.S. National Security Agency to inform representatives of other government agencies about security holes it finds in software like the one that allowed last week's "ransomware" attacks.
    Under former President Barack Obama, the government created a similar inter-agency review, but it was not required by law and was administered by the NSA itself.
    The new bill would mandate a review when a government agency discovers a security hole in a computer product and does not want to alert the manufacturer because it hopes to use the flaw to spy on rivals. It also calls for the review process to be chaired by the defense-oriented Department of Homeland Security rather than the NSA, which spends 90 percent of its budget on offensive capabilities and spying.
    Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii introduced the legislation in the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
    “Striking the balance between U.S. national security and general cyber security is critical, but it’s not easy,” said Senator Schatz in a statement. “This bill strikes that balance.”
    Tech companies have long criticized the practice of withholding information about software flaws so they can be used by government intelligence agencies for attacks.
    Hackers attacked 200,000 in more than 150 countries last week using a Microsoft Windows software vulnerability that had been developed by the NSA and later leaked online.
    Microsoft President Brad Smith harshly criticized government practices on security flaws in the wake of the ransomware attacks. "Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage," Smith wrote in a blog post.
    Agencies like the NSA often have greater incentives to exploit any security holes they find for spying, instead of helping companies protect customers, cyber security experts say.
    "Do you get to listen to the Chinese politburo chatting and get credit from the president?" said Richard Clayton a cyber-security researcher at the University of Cambridge. "Or do you notify the public to help defend everyone else and get fewer kudos?"
    Susan Landau, a cyber security policy expert at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said that in putting DHS in charge of the process, the new bill was an effort to put the process "into civilian control."
    The new committee's meetings would still be secret. But once a year it would issue a public version of a secret annual report.
    The NSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


  20. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Four ‘hardcore’ terrorists involved in committing heinous offences have been executed in an unspecified jail in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in light of their death sentences by military courts, the army’s media wing said on Thursday.
    According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the convicts were involved in killing of innocent civilians, destruction of communication and electricity infrastructure, educational institutes and attacking personnel of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
    The convicts, all said to be active members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were identified as Muhammad Ibrahim, son of Maseen, Rizwanullah, son of Taj Mir Khan, Sardar Ali, son of Muhammad Akram Khan and Sher Muhammad Khan, son of Ahmed Khan.
    Similarly on Wednesday, four TTP terrorists convicted by military courts for various crimes were hanged in a jail in KP, the ISPR had stated in a press release.  


  21. Waqas Dar
    The Austrian government on Tuesday passed a legislation outlawing the use of garments that fully cover the face of women, such as the burqa, as well as the distribution of the Holy Quran in public.
    The provision is part of a larger integration law, work on which was not blocked despite recent instability in the ruling coalition that means parliamentary elections have been pulled ahead a year, to October.
    Starting in October, people wearing garments in public that cover a woman's face will be subject to fines of 150 euros (166 dollars).
    The move has received criticism from both political extremes, in some cases for not being tough enough, the Daily Sabah reported.
    Other parts of the legislative package prohibit distributing the Quran and require all migrants in Austria to participate in an integration year during which they would learn German and ethics. That measure is targeted at refugees and asylum seekers viewed as having a good chance at remaining in Austria.
    Read more: France’s veil ban goes into effect
    Asylum seekers would also be expected to perform unpaid public work. Anyone refusing to do so would lose out on benefits. The proposal is allegedly designed to make migrants better suited for the Austrian labour market.
    In Austria, Islam is the second most widely professed religion, practised by seven percent of the population or around 600,000 people, according to the Islamic Religious Community.
    The country has been spared the kind of extremist attacks suffered by Germany, France and Belgium. But fears and tensions have been growing over the past months, fuelled by anti-migrant campaigns of the popular right-wing Freedom Party (FPO).
    France, which has the largest Muslim minority in Europe [estimated at 5 million] in 2010 introduced a ban on full-face niqab and burqa veils in public.


  22. Waqas Dar
    Boxer Amir Khan rushed to the Dubai police station after his phone was hacked.

    He has warned people through his social media account to ignore messages or calls from his personal phone number.



    According to the international media, Amir's wife Faryal Makhdoom posted on her Snapchat, saying the person was sending her messages from Amir's phone. Faryal added she thought it was her husband, but it later turned out that his phone has been taken over by cyber attackers.   
     


  23. Waqas Dar
    Boxer Amir Khan rushed to the Dubai police station after his phone was hacked.
    He has warned people through his social media account to ignore messages or calls from his personal phone number.
    According to the international media, Amir's wife Faryal Makhdoom posted on her Snapchat, saying the person was sending her messages from Amir's phone. Faryal added she thought it was her husband, but it later turned out that his phone has been taken over by cyber attackers.   
     


  24. Waqas Dar
    Indian politicians decided that about 1.5 million acre-feet water of River Ravi, flowing into Pakistan, will be blocked and used by India instead, according to Indian media.  
    The meeting, which was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also decided that the water flowing into Pakistan will be equally shared by Jammu and Kashmir and Indian Punjab.
    For this purpose, dams will be built on the border of Jammu and Punjab. Then, through barrages and canals the water will be diverted to India, which will use it for agriculture instead.  
    Politicians decided to share burden of Jammu and Kashmir by constructing barrage and remaining part of Ranjit Sagar dam project.
    Moreover, India also plans to generate about 180 Megawatts power, it was reported.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Asian stocks fell on Thursday and the dollar was stuck near six-month lows against a basket of currencies as uncertainty mounted over US President Donald Trump's future following reports that he tried to interfere with a federal investigation.
    MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.4 percent.
    Japan's Nikkei shed 1.5 percent, Australian shares lost 1.2 percent and South Korea's KOSPI declined 0.5 percent.
    Equities in Asia took cues from Wall Street, where the Dow and S&P 500 both sank about 1.8 percent overnight following reports that Trump tried to influence a federal probe.
    The allegations have not only thrown doubt over the future of the pro-growth policies that Trump promised, but they have raised the possibility he could end up leaving the presidency.
    A small but growing number of Trump's fellow Republicans called on Wednesday for an independent probe of possible collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia, and one even mentioned impeachment.
    The region's shares showed little reaction to news that former FBI chief Robert Mueller was appointed to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election, although the S&P mini futures were a shade higher while the dollar bounced modestly against the safe-haven yen.
    The greenback was up 0.25 percent at 111.080 yen after hitting a three-week low of 110.530. It was still down a significant 2 percent on the week.
    "The appointment appears to be an attempt at tackling the problem early. While it is a bit of good news, further investigations are needed and it still remains to be seen what those could reveal. As such, the markets are still faced with uncertainty," said Yoshinori Shigemi, global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management in Tokyo.
    In political developments elsewhere, trouble mounted for Brazilian President Michel Temer, who was recorded discussing payments to silence testimony by a potential witness in the country's biggest-ever graft probe.
    An exchange-traded fund of Brazilian equities was down more than 8 percent in Tokyo, where it is traded.
    In currencies, the euro extended its overnight surge to touch $1.1174, its highest since November before pulling back slightly to $1.1154.
    "There are two implications from the latest developments in Washington, first being the possibility of congressional procedures reaching an impasse and second is the potential of Trump being forced out," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief forex strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo.
    "But judging by how steeply the dollar has fallen, participants may have already priced in much of the negative news regarding Trump. The dollar could even benefit with the market thinking of post-Trump scenarios."
    The dollar index against a basket of major currencies was down 0.1 percent at 97.518, not far from a six-month trough of 99.333 reached the previous day.
    The US currency was hurt as Treasury yields declined significantly with allegations against Trump lowering economic stimulus hopes.
    The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was at 2.234 percent after going as low as 2.209 percent overnight, its lowest since April 21.
    With Treasury yields falling, the gap between US and German government debt yields reached its narrowest in more than six months on Wednesday, as a tumultuous week in Washington contrasted with a sense of improved political stability in Europe. 
    In commodities, oil prices dipped after settling at a two-week high overnight. An ongoing effort by OPEC to cut production has partially propped up oil but prices remain under pressure from still plentiful supplies.
    Brent crude slipped 0.25 percent to $52.08 a barrel.
    Gold hovered near a two-week high thanks to the weaker dollar and the risk aversion gripping the broader markets.
    Spot gold hit $1,263.02 an ounce, its highest since May 1.


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