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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    The Beatles guitarist and solo artist Paul McCartney is all set to sail the seas in the latest ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ installment Dead Men Tell No Tales.
    The music legend, 74, revealed his look for the role in a Twitter post over the weekend, putting his fans on high alert for the upcoming sequel.
    He is seen in full pirate costume sporting a long beard with dreadlocks and holding playing cards.
    The fifth installment of the Disney franchise will see the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Geoffrey Rush as Barbosa. Orlando Bloom is also set to return as Will Turner, a role he last played in 2007's At World's End.
    Dead Men Tell No Tales hits theatres later this month.


  2. Waqas Dar
    “My name is Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav and I am the serving officer of Indian Navy,” reads the first paragraph of the Indian spy’s confessional statement.
    A resident of Mumbai's suburban Powai neighbourhood, Jadhav belongs to a family of police officers.
    Jadhav belongs to the cadre of the engineering department of Indian Navy and took the cover name Hussein Mubarik Patel for intelligence gathering for Indian agencies, his statement says.
    He added that he joined the National Defence Academy in 1987, and subsequently the Indian Navy in 1991, where he served until around December 2001.
    In his statement, the Indian national said he is currently a serving officer in the Indian navy, due to retire by 2022. India denied the claim.
    The India Foreign Office stated that the man is a former Indian navy officer.
    Sources close to his family told The Indian Express (http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/father-uncle-worked-with-mumbai-police/) that Jadhav had sought premature retirement from the Indian Navy to start his own business and travelled around the world in connection with his business.
    The Indian spy said he commenced intelligence operations in 2003, and established a business in Chahbahar, Iran, where he remained undetected and visited Karachi in 2003 and 2004.
    He was picked up by Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) at the end of 2013, and has been directing various subversive activities in Karachi and Balochistan.
    His objective, he stated, was to hold meetings with Baloch insurgents and collaboratively carry out terrorist activities.
    “These activities have been of criminal nature, leading to killing of or maiming of Pakistani citizens,” Jadhav’s statement reads.
    In pursuit of targets set by RAW handlers, the Indian national was apprehended by Pakistani authorities on March 3, 2016 while trying to cross over into Pakistan from the Saravan border in Iran.
    India, however, alleges that Jadhav was abducted by Pakistan from Iran, according to India Today (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kulbhushan-jadhav-indian-sentenced-to-death-pakistan-raw/1/925191.html)
    Indian intelligence officials suspected that Jadhav's phone was under surveillance by the Pakistani intelligence, and that his habits and mannerisms, including phone calls in Marathi to his family, gave away his identity.
    Pakistan denied consular access to Jadhav since after his arrest, although he was provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions during his Field General Court Martial (FGCM) trial.
    He was sentenced to death by the FGCM on April 10, 2017.


  3. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE:  Over 30 tents were gutted after a makeshift camp caught fire near Lahore’s Chowk Yateem Khana vicinity on Monday.
    The blaze, in a campsite for construction workers employed by the Orange Train Project, was contained by the fire brigade department.
    Two construction workers were injured while attempting to douse the fire.


  4. Waqas Dar
    LAS VEGAS: A 25-year-old scientist representing the District of Columbia was crowned winner of the Miss USA pageant on Sunday, the second consecutive year that the contestant from the nation´s capital won the annual competition.
    Kara McCullough, who holds a degree in chemistry and works at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, triumphed over 50 other contestants, including first runner-up Chhavi Verg, representing New Jersey, to claim victory in the contest which was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
    For her question as one of three finalists, McCullough was asked about healthcare rights, and replied that affordable healthcare was a privilege for people who held jobs.
    The response drew some stinging criticism on social media platforms such as Twitter, but also had its defenders.
    "Twitter is like a war zone," posted one user, referring to opposing reactions to the winner´s remarks.

    McCullough also took hits for saying she does not call herself a feminist, preferring "equalism," before adding "Women, we are just as equal as men, especially in the workplace."
    The pageant´s other finalist, Meridith Gould, represented Minnesota.
    McCullough will go on to compete as the US representative at the annual Miss Universe pageant.


  6. Waqas Dar
    A three-day polio eradication campaign was launched in different parts of the country on Monday.
    More than 6.6 million children up to five years of age will be administered the anti-polio vaccine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA.
    According to a spokesman of the Punjab Health Department, the campaign has kicked off in Multan, Khanewal, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, and Rawalpindi districts.
    Read more: Traces of polio virus found in environment samples in Balochistan
    Sharing details, he said over two million children will be administered anti-polio vaccine in thirty districts of Balochistan. Moreover, in Muzaffarabad and Gilgit-Baltistan, more than 120,000 children and 236,000, respectively, will be vaccinated against the disease.
    Other than going door-to-door, health workers will be posted at railway stations, bus stands and public places to ensure that every child is vaccinated.


  7. Waqas Dar
    A three-day anti-polio drive is in progress in different parts of the country Monday.
    More than 6.6 million children up to five years of age will be administered anti-polio vaccine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA.
    According to a spokesman of the Punjab Health Department the campaign has kicked off in Multan, Khanewal, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, and Rawalpindi districts.
    Read more: Traces of polio virus found in environment samples in Balochistan
    Over two million children will be administered anti-polio vaccine in thirty districts of Balochistan. 
    In Muzaffarabad, more than 120,000 children will be vaccinated against the disease.
    In Gilgit-Baltistan, over 236,000 children will be administered anti-polio vaccine drops.
    Teams of health workers will also available at railway stations, bus stands and public places to ensure that every child is vaccinated.


  8. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: A blast in Mastung's Splingi area injured three security personnel and a passerby on Monday.
    An improvised explosive device (IED) was used for the roadside explosion, security forces said.
    Read more: Gwadar, Mastung incidents attempts to destabilise Pakistan: Khawaja Asif
    A security forces' car was the target of the attack. It was partially damaged, security sources told Geo News.
    The area was cordoned off following the attack.
    On Sunday, rallies and gatherings were organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl in various cities of Balochistan to protest the Mastung blast.
    At least 27 people lost their lives while over 30 others, including JUI-F's Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, were injured on Friday in a blast — later reported to be a suicide attack — in Mastung area of Balochistan, officials said.
    Read more: JUI-F observes strike over Mastung blast; FIR registered
    Maulana Haider explained that he was on his way back from a dastarbandi at a madrassah when the explosion occurred.
    Maulana Haider said he was initially taken to a nearby mosque, where he also heard fire shots after the incident.
    Militant organisation Daesh claimed responsibility for the bombing.
    Daesh, through its social media accounts, released the alias and photograph of the alleged suicide bomber.
     
     


  9. Waqas Dar
    A westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country tonight and may persist during next 24 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasted.  
    Dust, thunderstorm, and rain with gusty winds are expected at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions), while at isolated places in Quetta, Zhob, Kalat, Multan, Sahiwal, D.G.Khan and Bahawalpur divisions.
    Read more: Here's how to beat the heatwave this summer
    Hot and dry weather will persist in other places in the country, PMD stated.
    Past weather
    The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. However, dust-thunderstorm/rain with gusty winds occurred at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, D.G.Khan, Quetta, Kalat divisions, FATA and Kashmir.
    Read more: 7 easy hacks to beat the heat
    Rainfall in the last 24 Hours (mm)
     KP: Malamjabba 16, Cherat 11, Parachinar 08, Kohat 05, Peshawar (PAF 04, City 02), Dir, Saidu Sharif, Balakot 02, Drosh 01, Punjab: D.G.Khan 05, Sargodha (PAF 04, City 02), Chakwal 03, Kashmir: Muzaffarabad 03, Garidupatta 02, Balochistan: Barkhan 02, Khuzdar 01.
    Yesterday's highest temperatures
    Dadu, Larkana 47°C, Bhakkar, Sukkur 46°C, Jacobabad, Sibbi, Bahawalnagar, Rahim yar khan, Moenjodaro, Noorpurthal 45°C.
     
     
    Data courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department 


  10. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that Chinese initiative of One Belt, One Road would take humankind to a higher level of prosperity, peace and stability through connectivity and close contact.
    He was speaking at the plenary session of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing today.
    The Prime Minister said Peace and development go hand in hand, and nothing can pave the path for peace and security more than economic development achieved through regional collaboration.
    He said the initiative signifies that geo-economics must take precedence over geo-politics, and that the centre of gravity should shift from conflict to cooperation.
    The PM said as One Belt, One Road unfolds across continents, we see it fostering inclusion, creating tolerance, and promoting acceptance of cultural diversity. Pakistan sees it as a powerful tool for overcoming terrorism and extremism.
    Sharif added that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a core project of One Belt, One Road that aims to connect the neighbourhoods of East and West Asia. He said CPEC makes Pakistan both a conduit and destination for cross-regional investment and trade.
    The PM made it very clear that CPEC is an economic undertaking open to all countries in the region having no geographical boundaries.
    He said it must not be politicised. He said in implementing this Corridor, we are not striving to merely leverage geography for economic prosperity; we are also trying to build a peaceful, connected and caring neighbourhood.
    It is time we transcend our differences, resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, and leave a legacy of peace for future generations.


  11. Waqas Dar
    SEOUL: North Korea´s latest missile launch was a successful test of a new type of rocket, Pyongyang´s state media reported Monday.
    Sunday´s launch was of a "newly-developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12", the official KCNA news agency said, adding that leader Kim Jong-Un "personally oversaw the test-launch of the new type of rocket".
    The isolated North is under multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, which have set alarm bells ringing around the region and in Washington.
    The North says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion and is widely believed to be making progress in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed "won´t happen".
    Tensions between the two reached new heights in recent weeks, with Washington saying military action was an option being considered and Pyongyang issuing threats of its own, sending fears of conflict spiralling.
    Trump later appeared to hold open the door to negotiations, saying he would be "honoured" to meet Kim and called him a "smart cookie".
    Last week the South also elected a new president, Moon Jae-In, who backs engagement with the North to reduce tensions.
    But the launch came only days after Moon was sworn in.
    The test was intended to examine the "technical details and characteristics" of a new type of rocket "capable of carrying a powerful and big nuclear warhead", KCNA said.
    It followed its preset flight path to reach an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometres and travelled 787 kilometres, coming down at the "precise location intended", it added.


  12. Waqas Dar
    US lawmakers on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to turn over any tapes of conversations with fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief James Comey, potentially setting up a showdown with the White House as Democrats considered a boycott of the vote on Comey's replacement.
    In a highly unusual move, Trump last week appeared to suggest on Twitter that he might have tapes of conversations with Comey and warned the former FBI director against talking to the media. Trump and a White House spokesman declined to confirm or deny whether such tapes exist.
    Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the White House must "clear the air" about whether there are any taped conversations.
    "You can't be cute about tapes. If there are any tapes of this conversation, they need to be turned over," Graham told NBC's "Meet the Press" programme.
    Trump sparked a political firestorm when he abruptly fired Comey last week. The FBI has been investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election and possible ties between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
    Democrats have accused Trump of attempting to thwart the FBI's probe and have called for some type of independent inquiry into the matter.
    Trump has said he removed Comey because he was not doing a good job and that Comey had lost the support of FBI employees.
    Trump tweeted on Friday that "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"
    If there are recordings, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah told the "Fox News Sunday" program it was "inevitable" that they would be subpoenaed and the White House would have to release them.
    "It's in the interest of the American people, it's in the interest of Russia and the rest of the world that we do something to see if we cannot improve the relationship between the two greatest nuclear powers in the world," Tillerson said.
    The Justice Department began interviewing candidates for the FBI director job on Saturday. Some people under consideration include acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, New York Appeals Court Judge Michael Garcia and former Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher, according to a White House official.
    Meanwhile, a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday found that 29 percent of Americans approve of Trump's decision to fire Comey, while 38 percent disapprove.
    If a Senate vote on a new FBI director breaks down along party lines, Democrats would not have the votes to block a nominee because Republicans hold a majority in the chamber.
    "The key is getting some of our Republican colleagues to join us," Schumer said.
    Republican leaders in the Senate have rebuffed calls for a special prosecutor, saying it would interfere with ongoing congressional probes.
    Graham said there may come a time when a special prosecutor is needed but not now.
    "Right now, it is a counterintelligence investigation, not a criminal investigation. So you don't need a special prosecutor," Graham said on "Meet the Press."


  13. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A man was killed when an unidentified car hit a motorcycle in Karachi on Monday.
    The incident happened near Boat Basin resulting in 30-year old Sikandar’s death, rescue sources told Geo News.  
    The car’s driver was taken into police custody and locked up in Boat Basin police station.
    Read more: Four injured in explosion in Mastung
    The deceased’s family, however, protested outside the police station as they alleged that the authorities had helped the individual responsible for the incident in escaping and instead registered a case against someone else.
    Sikandar had gotten married two months ago, his family said.


  14. Waqas Dar
    Former captain and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday congratulated Pakistan on the historic Test series win against the West Indies and paid tribute to Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan for "retiring with a grace and dignity that few sportsman are blessed with."
    “Congratulations to Team Pakistan for their historic test series win in the West Indies,” he tweeted.
    “Congratulations to Misbah & Younis for their gt achievements for Pak & for retiring with a grace & dignity that few sportsmen r blessed with,” he added.
    Pakistan won a thrilling third and final Test with six balls to spare to clinch a first series victory in the West Indies Sunday, in a fairytale farewell to the retiring captain Misbah and veteran Younis Khan.
    Misbah became the first ever Pakistani captain to win a Test series in the Caribbean, with no other captain from Pakistan having done so in the last seven tours to the West Indies.
    The three-match series also saw the end of Younis Khan’s international career, who ended with 10,099 runs – the most by any Pakistan player in the history of Test cricket.


  15. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump is trying to determine how keeping his promise to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem could affect his hopes of brokering a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians, the US secretary of state said on Sunday.
    Since taking office in January, Trump has shown signs of shelving his campaign pledge to move the embassy from Tel Aviv, while vowing to do what is necessary to clinch a Middle East peace agreement.
    "The president is being very careful to understand how such a decision would impact a peace process," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told NBC's "Meet the Press." He spoke just days before Trump starts a Middle East trip that includes meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
    Israel regards Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all foreign countries to base their embassies there. The relocation is strongly opposed by many US allies as the Palestinians also claim the city as their capital.
    Tillerson said Trump's decision would depend greatly on how it is seen by governments in the region, including "whether Israel views it as being helpful to a peace initiative or perhaps a distraction."
    His comments drew a quick response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    “Israel's position has been stated many times before to the American administration and the world," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
    "Moving the American embassy to Jerusalem will not harm the peace process, it will do the opposite. It will advance it by righting a historical wrong and by shattering the Palestinian fantasy that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel."


  16. Waqas Dar
    JAMSHORO: Devotees from the around country continue to pour into Sehwan to take part in the three-day 765th Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, which begins on Monday.
    Law enforcement agencies claim to have made extraordinary arrangements to secure the event in light of the devastating suicide attack at the shrine in February this year.
    Lal Shahbaz's annual Urs (death anniversary commemoration) is held at Sehwan on the 18 of Sha'aban – the eighth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. More than half a million pilgrims from all over Pakistan flock to the city. On each morning of the three-day feast, Sehwan is packed with pilgrims and devotees who sing and indulge in trance-like dance from early morning till night. Folk singers (mandali) from different regions of the country are also part of the event each year.
    The shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar welcomes all regardless of their religion. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar or ‘Laal Saeen’, as known to his followers, preached peace and tolerance.


  17. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: A blast in Mastung's Splingi area on Monday injured four security personnel.
    An improvised explosive device (IED) was used for the roadside explosion, security forces said.
    Read more: Gwadar, Mastung incidents attempts to destabilise Pakistan: Khawaja Asif
    A security forces' car was the target of the attack. It was partially damaged, security sources told Geo News.
    The area was cordoned off following the attack.
    On Sunday, rallies and gatherings were organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl in various cities of Balochistan to protest the Mastung blast.
    At least 27 people lost their lives while over 30 others, including JUI-F's Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, were injured on Friday in a blast — later reported to be a suicide attack — in Mastung area of Balochistan, officials said.
    Read more: JUI-F observes strike over Mastung blast; FIR registered
    Maulana Haider explained that he was on his way back from a dastarbandi at a madrassah when the explosion occurred.
    Maulana Haider said he was initially taken to a nearby mosque, where he also heard fire shots after the incident.
    Militant organisation Daesh claimed responsibility for the bombing.
    Daesh, through its social media accounts, released the alias and photograph of the alleged suicide bomber.
     
     


  18. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed early Monday morning to have killed four suspected terrorists belonging to a banned outfit in Khanewal.
    Sources revealed that CTD teams were conducting a raid at the hideout of the suspected terrorists in Jahanian area of Khanewal when they were fired upon by the suspects holed up inside. In the ensuing exchange of fire, all the four suspects were killed while CTD officials remained unhurt, according to sources.
    CTD officials recovered 10kg explosives, hand grenades and several weapons from the hideout.    
    Police encounters in Kasur
    Meanwhile, three suspected robbers were killed while as many are said to have escaped in police encounters in Pattoki and Sira-e-Mughal areas of Punjab.
    According to Kasur District Police Officer, the slain robbers were involved in more than 40 incidents of robberies.


  19. Waqas Dar
    ROSEAU: Pakistan won a thrilling third and final Test with six balls to spare to clinch a first series victory in the West Indies Sunday and give a fitting farewell to the retiring captain Misbah ul Haq and veteran Younis Khan.
    Roston Chase´s unbeaten 101, his second hundred of the series, proved in vain as the home side, set a target of 303 at Windsor Park in Dominica, slipped to 93 for six before the lower order almost rescued a dramatic draw.
    "This was just incredible," said a breathless Misbah after Shannon Gabriel dragged a wide delivery from Yasir Shah onto his stumps with just six balls left in the game to trigger Pakistani celebrations as the West Indies were dismissed for 202 to lose the series 2-1.
    "There were so many things happening in that last session -- dropped catches, appeals, no-ball dismissals -- it looked for a while as if it wasn´t going to happen.
    "I am thankful for myself, the team and all supporters of Pakistan cricket that we were able to pull it off."

    Pakistan team celebrates historic win against the West Indies/AFP
    Chase, who also top scored in the first innings with 69 and earned the man-of-the-match award, was the prime beneficiary of those near-misses.
    Twice he saw caught-and-bowled attempts by Hasan Ali put down and then was reprieved on 91 when an edge to Asad Shafiq at slip off Mohammad Abbas was shown to be off a no-ball.
    "I´m really disappointed that we couldn´t hold on for just one more over," said a crestfallen Chase.
    "We have showed that we can compete with the best but it´s up to us to be able to take it all the way. It doesn´t even matter that I got a hundred."
    In the end he completed his third Test century but was left helpless at the non-striker´s end when Gabriel, who had defended resolutely for 21 balls, inexplicably attempted a wild drive off Shah and dragged the ball back onto his stumps.
    Shah finished with five for 92 and a series haul of 25 wickets, the highest of his career, as he took the man of the series award.
    Nerve-jangling
    From their mid-afternoon perils, a 58-run seventh-wicket partnership between Chase and Jason Holder frustrated Pakistan for an hour-and-a-half, until the West Indies captain missed a knee-high full toss from Hasan Ali to be leg before for 22 just after tea.
    Devendra Bishoo and Alzarri Joseph also offered some resistance but it was Gabriel´s defiance through eight nerve-jangling overs with Chase that almost took the West Indies to safety and a drawn series.

    Yasir Shah finished with series haul of 25 wickets/AFP
    A swift end to the match had looked likely as Vishaul Singh and Shane Dowrich both fell to Shah just after lunch.
    Both were taken at short-leg by Babar Azam and on a pitch offering turn and bounce, it appeared only a matter of time before more wickets fell.
    But Chase and Holder batted with calm assurance as the Pakistanis grew increasingly impatient in pursuit of the breakthrough.
    Such anxieties appeared unlikely at the start of the day. Having already lost the wicket of Kieran Powell overnight, the home side suffered two further setbacks inside the first hour of the morning.
    Kraigg Brathwaite´s poor run of form continued when the opening batsman miscued an attempted cut off Shah for Hasan Ali to take the comfortable catch at backward point.
    Shimron Hetmyer batted positively for 25 but was then comprehensively bowled by Mohammad Amir for the third time in the series.
    Chase then joined Shai Hope with the pair defying all the challenges presented to them by the Pakistani attack until Hasan Ali got the breakthrough and his first Test wicket 20 minutes before lunch, trapping Hope leg-before with a full-length inswinger.
    His two additional wickets in that pulsating final session were critical to the victory.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Governments and computer experts girded Monday for a possible worsening of the global cyberattack that has hit more than 150 countries, as Microsoft warned against stockpiling vulnerabilities like the one at the heart of the crisis.
    European policing and security agencies said the fallout from a ransomware attack that has already crippled more than 200,000 computers around the world could deepen as people return for another work week.
    The indiscriminate attack began Friday and struck banks, hospitals and government agencies, exploiting known vulnerabilities in older Microsoft computer operating systems.
    US package delivery giant FedEx, European car factories, Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, Britain's health service and Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail network were among those hit.
    Europol executive director Rob Wainwright said the situation could worsen on Monday when workers return to their offices after the weekend and log on.
    "We've never seen anything like this," the head of the European Union's policing agency told Britain's ITV television, calling its reach "unprecedented".
    Wainwright described the cyberattack as an "escalating threat".
    "I'm worried about how the numbers will continue to grow when people go to work and turn on their machines on Monday," he said.
    The warning was echoed by Britain's National Cyber Security Centre: "As a new working week begins it is likely, in the UK and elsewhere, that further cases of ransomware may come to light, possibly at a significant scale."
    $300 ransom

    The attack looks like this: images appear on victims' screens demanding payment of $300 (275 euros) in the virtual currency Bitcoin, saying: "Ooops, your files have been encrypted!"
    Payment is demanded within three days or the price is doubled, and if none is received within seven days the locked files will be deleted, according to the screen message.
    Bitcoin, the world's most-used virtual currency, allows anonymous transactions via heavily encrypted codes.
    Experts and governments alike warn against ceding to the demands and Wainwright said few victims so far had been paying up.
    Security firm Digital Shadows said on Sunday that transactions totalling $32,000 had taken place through Bitcoin addresses used by the ransomware.
    The culprits used a digital code believed to have been developed by the US National Security Agency -- and subsequently leaked as part of a document dump, according to researchers at the Moscow-based computer security firm Kaspersky Lab.
    A hacking group called Shadow Brokers released the malware in April, claiming to have discovered the flaw from the NSA, Kaspersky said.
    Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, said in a blog post Sunday that it was in fact the NSA that developed the code being used in the attack.
    He warned governments against stockpiling such vulnerabilities and said instead they should report them to manufacturers -- not sell, store or exploit them, lest they fall into the wrong hands.
    "An equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the US military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen," Smith wrote.
    "The governments of the world should treat this attack as a wake up call."
    The attack is unique, according to Europol, because it combines ransomware with a worm function, meaning once one machine is infected, the entire internal network is scanned and other vulnerable machines are infected.
    The attack therefore spread faster than previous, smaller-scale ransomware attacks.
    Banks, trains and automobiles

    Symantec said the majority of organisations affected were in Europe.
    Europol's Wainwright said few banks in Europe had been affected, having learned through the "painful experience of being the number one target of cyber crime" the value of having the latest cyber security in place.
    Russia's interior ministry said some of its computers had been hit, while the country's banking system was also attacked, although no problems were detected, as was the railway system.
    French carmaker Renault was forced to stop production at sites in France, Slovenia and Romania, while FedEx said it was "implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible".
    Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn said its station display panels were affected.
    England's National Health Service said 47 organisations providing care had been hit and on Sunday afternoon seven hospitals were continuing to divert patients from the emergency room.
    Universities in China, Italy and Greece were also hit.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Chancellor Angela Merkel dealt a devastating blow to her main rival on Sunday, four months before national elections, when early results showed her party securing a strong win in a regional vote in Germany's biggest state.
    Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) clinched 34.3 percent of the vote in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), first results showed, snatching control of the sprawling industrial region which has been a Social Democratic Party (SPD) stronghold for decades.
    The SPD only managed to garner 30.6 percent, its worst score in history in the state and sharply down from its 2012 showing of 39.1 percent, in a serious hit to confidence ahead of general elections in September.
    SPD leader Martin Schulz admitted that the loss in his home state marked a "difficult day for the SPD" and for him personally, but urged supporters to battle on.
    "We received a body blow, but we are still striving in the ring... now we're going into the next round, the deciding round. At the end, when we look to the judge, it's going to be the voters who raise the winner's arms," he said.
    The former European Parliament president turned to France for courage.
    "My friend Emmanuel Macron was at the bottom five months ago, and now, he is president," said Schulz of the new French leader who took office on Sunday.
    But Germany's best-selling daily Bild noted that "with the clear state election failures, it would be very difficult for the SPD to win the general elections in September."
    Likewise, Spiegel Online said: "Martin Schulz now needs a miracle."
    High stakes

    With a fifth of Germans -- 13.1 million -- eligible to vote in North Rhine-Westphalia, an election in the western state is always closely watched.
    It carries even higher stakes this year, being the last regional vote before national polls and having a direct impact on whether the SPD can close a nationwide gap of around 10 percentage points with the CDU.
    "We are going into the national elections with a lot of confidence," said lawmaker Michael Grosse-Broemer, who heads the CDU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, noting that the latest win gave the party further "tailwind".
    The SPD had already suffered two setbacks since Schulz took over, with the CDU scoring strong victories in the small states of Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein.
    Sunday's humiliating result in its stronghold may raise serious questions on the centre-left party's strategy.
    Schulz had hoped that his push for "social justice" would resonate in NRW, which has lagged behind western Germany economically.
    He argued that many people are struggling in temporary or low-paid jobs even though the country as a whole is growing richer.
    But Merkel, who had also gone all out to sway the state of 18 million people, including 4.2 million of migrant origin, took aim at Schulz's arguments.
    Her party, she said, offered "justice in the sense of jobs, strong budgets, funds for local communities."
    She had urged voters to look at her government's economic record, noting that with 7.5 percent unemployment, the state fares worse than the national rate of 5.8 percent.
    Security problem

    The state's SPD-led governing coalition has also been under fire over security failures, and junior partner Greens also suffered a setback Sunday with polling reaching 6.0 percent, just above half of the 2012 score of 11.3 percent.
    State interior minister Ralf Jaeger has faced criticism for failing to detain Anis Amri, the Tunisian asylum seeker suspected in the deadly Berlin Christmas market rampage last year.
    Amri had lived in the state and was deemed a threat by intelligence officials, but Jaeger argued that there was insufficient evidence to lock him up.
    On Jaeger's watch, Cologne also became the scene of mass sexual assaults by groups of mostly North African men on New Year's Eve of 2015-2016, inflaming the debate over the 890,000 asylum seekers Germany welcomed in 2015.
    The populist AfD (Alternative for Germany), which has railed against the migration influx, on Sunday secured its first seats in NRW, which would see it represented in 13 of 16 state parliaments.
    Liberal party FDP saw a revival, polling at 12 percent in the state, after being consigned to political wilderness when it failed to cross the five-percent hurdle in national election in 2013.


  22. Waqas Dar
    Wal-Mart Stores, the 800-pound gorilla of retail, is running hard to catch up in an increasingly crucial segment where it is neither the biggest nor the best: e-commerce.
    The company, founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, has been gobbling up smaller and niche players in e-commerce in an effort to reach online shopping market leader Amazon.
    Whether those efforts are paying off will be a focal point when Wal-Mart Stores reports quarterly earnings on Thursday.
    A bit more than half of all funds spent online in the United States now goes to Amazon, according to the bank Macquarie.
    Part of Amazon's success stems from its breadth of offerings, which includes the Kindle that people use for reading and the Prime service that broadcasts popular television shows, said Krista Fabregas, e-commerce staff writer at FitSmallBusiness.com.
    "It's because Amazon has been doing such a great job at injecting itself into our everyday life," she told AFP.
    "Wal-Mart is not part of everyday life, nor is Macy's, nor is Gap, nor the other stores. We don't have a connection with any of them throughout the day."
    Shopping spree

    Wal-Mart has been doing some shopping of its own, in an effort to make up ground against Amazon.
    It spent $3.3 billion last year to buy Jet.com, which was started by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore, whose previous company was sold to Amazon for $550 million.
    Lore is now chief executive of Walmart eCommerce US, where he oversees 15,000 employees split between Silicon Valley, Boston, Omaha and Bentonville, Arkansas, where Wal-Mart is based.
    His annual salary at $237 million is 10 times that of Wal-Mart chief executive Doug McMillon.
    In less than five months, Lore has directed Wal-Mart to a number of acquisitions, including Shoebuy.com ($70 million), ModCloth ($45 million) and MooseJaw ($51 million).
    Wal-Mart is also in talks to acquire the menswear chain Bonobos for $300 million, according to a person close to the matter.
    Part of Wal-Mart's objective is to become a go-to place online for "essential" products, such as toilet paper, beauty products, groceries and holiday gifts and children's toys.
    "We are focusing on the type of products that customers buy most," said Wal-Mart spokesman Ravi Jariwala. "We want to make sure that we have the best prices, shipping to your home or offering a pickup discount."
    Wal-Mart in February scrapped a subscription delivery program that was a rival to Amazon Prime in favor of a guarantee of free two-day shipping for orders of more than $35.
    Under the program, customers can also pick up orders free if they go to one of Wal-Mart's 4,700 US stores.
    Amazon keeps edge

    These efforts may cut into Amazon's lead in e-commerce, but overtaking Amazon appears unlikely anytime soon.
    "They have invested heavily on channels. It will restore growth that was necessary for survival," said Keith Anderson of e-commerce analytics firm Profitero.
    "I don't see anything that suggests that Wal-Mart would catch up to Amazon or beat Amazon, but it's still very early," he said.
    The vigour of Wal-Mart's online investments today contrasts with its initial reticence in e-commerce, which was due to worries that growth of online shopping would cut into sales at brick-and-mortar stores.
    Wal-Mart also was slow to introduce platforms for individual vendors who sought a venue for goods and did not introduce such an online marketplace until 2015, much after Amazon.
    Hannah Donoghue, director of advisory at Planet Retail RNG, said it is still relatively early in the game as far as e-commerce.
    Amazon is "the strongest right now, they are far ahead but there are a lot of innovations underway," Donoghue said. "I don't think Amazon will be the only one. There will be another strong player."
    For now, Wall Street is giving the edge to Amazon, valuing the technology giant at $453 million, compared with Wal-Mart's $230 million.
    That's in spite of Wal-Mart's far greater overall revenues, which were $485.9 billion in 2016, more than 11 times those of Amazon.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Egyptian archaeologists have discovered 17 mummies in desert catacombs in Minya province, an "unprecedented" find for the area south of Cairo, the antiquities ministry announced Saturday.
    Archaeologists found the non-royal mummies in a series of corridors after following the trail of burial shafts in the Touna-Gabal district of the central Egyptian province, the ministry said in a statement.
    Along with the mummies, they found a golden sheet and two papyri in Demotic -- an ancient Egyptian script -- as well as a number of sarcophogi made of limestone and clay.
    There were also animal and bird coffins, the ministry said.
    But the mummies have not yet been dated.
    The ministry said they belonged to the Late Period, which spanned almost 300 years up to Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt in 332 BC.
    But a spokeswoman told AFP they could also date from the Ptolemaic Dynasty, founded by Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy.
    The discovery of the non-royal mummies is considered unprecedented because it is the first such find in the area, officials said at the site.
    Egyptologist Salah al-Kholi told a news conference held near the desert site that the discovery was "the first human necropolis found in central Egypt with so many mummies".
    It could herald even more discoveries in the area, he said.
    The discovery was "important, unprecedented," Mohamed Hamza, director of excavations for Cairo University said.
    The site is close to an ancient animal cemetery.
    "The discovery is still at its beginning," Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany told reporters.
    It was the second discovery of mummies announced with much fanfare by the government in less than a month.
    In April, the ministry invited reporters to the southern city of Luxor to unveil eight mummies discovered in a 3,500-year-old tomb belonging to a nobleman.
    For the cash-strapped Egyptian government, the discoveries are a boon from the country's glorious past as it struggles to attract tourists scared off by a series of Islamist militant attacks.
    "Antiquities are the soft power that distinguishes Egypt," Enany said. "News of antiquities are the things that attract the world to Egypt."
    Millions of tourists visited Egypt every year to see its Giza Pyramids -- the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World -- and its ancient pharaonic temples and relics.
    But a popular uprising in 2011 that overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak ushered in years of unrest that battered the economy and drove away tourists.


  24. Waqas Dar
    Disney's space romp "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" continued its hyperspeed performance over the weekend in North America while approaching a quarter-billion dollars in ticket sales for its first two weeks, according to industry estimates.
    The lighthearted Marvel flick about a band of misfit space adventurers logged $63 million in ticket sales over the three-day weekend, Exhibitor Relations said.
    That gave "Guardians," which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, just over half the combined ticket sales of the top 12 movies showing in the United States and Canada. It has taken in over $630 million worldwide.
    Its strong showing kept it far ahead of second-place "Snatched" from Fox, a new release starring Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer as a mother and daughter on a wild jungle adventure. That film netted $17.5 million over the Mother's Day weekend.
    In third place was "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," a new release from Warner Bros., which took in $14.7 million. Variety called that a "paltry sum" and Hollywoodreporter.com termed it "a flop of epic proportions" considering the $175 million spent to produce the film.
    "Arthur" stars Charlie Hunnam in the title role, with support from Jude Law and Eric Bana.
    Fourth was "The Fate of the Furious" from Universal, with $5.3 million in domestic ticket sales. That movie, starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, last week passed the $1 billion mark worldwide.
    And fifth was "The Boss Baby" from Fox. The animated tale of rivalry between infants and puppies held on to take in $4.6 million in its seventh week out.
    Rounding out the top 10 were:
    "Beauty and the Beast" ($3.9 million)
    "How to Be a Latin Lover" ($3.8 million)
    "Lowriders" ($2.4 million)
    "The Circle" ($1.7 million)
    "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" ($1.5 million) The Indian swashbuckling epic is the highest-grossing Indian film in history, and the third-biggest foreign language debut in the United States.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Surgery won’t cure chronic knee pain, “locking,” “clicking,” a torn meniscus, or other problems related to knee arthritis, according to a panel of international experts.
    Every year, more than two million people with degenerative knee problems have arthroscopic surgery, in which a surgeon inserts a tiny camera into the knee and uses small instruments to try to fix what’s wrong.
    But guidelines published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal recommend against the procedure for just about everyone with knee arthritis.
    “It does more harm than good,” Dr Reed Siemieniuk, chair of the guideline panel, told Reuters Health by email. “Most patients experience improvement after arthroscopy, but in many cases, this is probably wrongly attributed to the surgery itself rather than to the natural course of the disease, a placebo effect, or (other) interventions like painkillers and exercise.”
    In addition, the procedure is costly - up to $3 billion annually in the US alone - and there’s a risk of rare but serious adverse effects such as blood clots or infection, said Siemieniuk, who works in the department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
    The panel, made up of surgeons, physical therapists, clinicians and patients, analysed data from 13 randomised controlled trials - the gold standard way to test medical procedures - involving a total of 1,668 patients. The trials compared knee arthroscopy to conservative treatments such as exercise and painkillers.
    The panelists also reviewed 12 less-rigorous studies of close to two million patients that looked at complications from the procedure.
    After considering the balance of benefits, harms and burdens of knee arthroscopy, as well as the quality of the evidence for each outcome, the panel made a “strong recommendation against arthroscopy.”
    The evidence shows a less than 15 percent probability of “small or very small improvement in short-term pain and function” from the procedure, and improvements would likely last less than a year, the panelists noted.
    They thought it was more important to avoid postoperative limitations such as pain, swelling and restricted activity, and the risk of adverse effects.
    “Chronic knee pain can be incredibly frustrating to live with - both for the person experiencing the pain and for their doctors,” Siemieniuk said. “The problem is that none of the current options cure the pain. Most people will continue to live with some pain even with weight loss, physical therapy, and painkillers. Knee replacement surgery also has important limitations and should be delayed as long as possible. So it's no surprise that many placed their hopes in arthroscopic knee surgery.”
    Still, he said, “We believe that no one or almost no one would want this surgery if they understand the evidence.”
    If you have chronic knee pain, “double down on efforts for things we know work - for example, weight loss and physical therapy,” he advised.
    “Also, talk to your healthcare provider (doctor, physical therapist) about strategies to reduce the physical stress on the knee that exacerbates the pain,” he added.
    Dr Joseph Bosco, vice-chair at NYU Langone Orthopedics in New York City, told Reuters Health, “In general I agree with the findings and support most of the conclusions.”
    “The only issue is that in the study with the strongest evidence, the operative group did not do physical therapy,” he said by email. “That is not consistent with how we treat our patients. Almost all patients get physical therapy following knee arthroscopies.”
    “Cortisone injections, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications work as well or better than surgery for most degenerative meniscal tears,” said Bosco, who was not involved in developing the guidelines.
    However, he added, a small group of people “who (also) have mechanical symptoms, localised pain, and acute onset of pain will benefit, so a blanket recommendation against all surgery for degenerative meniscal tears is not appropriate.”


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