FundayForum
Register
Forum Blogs Gallery Files Poetry Books
Portal Facebook YouTube Twitter
👀 You are watching:
Jump to content
👉 Click here to explore Remote Jobs, Work From Home & Global News – USA 🇺🇸 | UK 🇬🇧 | Canada 🇨🇦 | Pakistan 🇵🇰 ×
🚫 Guest Access Notice ×
LIVE UPDATES

Waqas Dar

🔥 Admin/Core Authority
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    11,281

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    552

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    The fight for the La Liga title will go down to the last day of the season after convincing wins for Real Madrid and Barcelona on Sunday left them locked together on 87 points at the top of the table.
    Madrid remain in the driving seat after the European champions saw off Sevilla 4-1 as they have two games remaining to Barca's one.
    However, Barca remain on top thanks to their better head-to-head record with Neymar scoring a hat-trick as they also won 4-1 at Las Palmas.
    Madrid visit Celta in their game in hand on Wednesday and then travel to Malaga, whilst Barca host Eibar on the final day next Sunday.
    Sevilla's defeat at the Bernabeu also guarantees they will finish fourth and Atletico Madrid, who drew 1-1 at Real Betis, qualify automatically for next season's Champions League in third.
    At the bottom, Sporting Gijon joined Granada and Osasuna in being relegated despite winning 1-0 at Eibar as Deportivo la Coruna secured safety in a 0-0 draw at Villarreal.
    "It is a long road. We know to win the league in Spain is not easy," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
    "Every day we are getting closer, we keep winning but there are two games to go and we need to keep doing what we have until now."
    However, the fact two of Barca's four league defeats this season came at the two sides Madrid have still to visit gives the Catalans' boss Luis Enrique hope.
    "We have one game left and the objective is to win it," he told TV station Movistar.
    "If we have lost (there) then any team can."
    Sevilla have now won just three of their last 13 games as their season has petered out to a disappointing end.
    However, they gave Madrid more than a few scares at the Santiago Bernabeu.
    Nacho gave the hosts the lead in controversial fashion as he curled home a quick free-kick with the Sevilla defence caught unawares and their protests towards referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco falling on deaf ears.
    That goal meant Madrid broke Bayern Munich's European record for scoring in consecutive games as their streak now stretches to 61 games.
    Ronaldo reaches 400

    Sevilla fired their first warning shot when Stefan Jovetic smashed a shot against the post from the edge of the area.
    However, moments later it was 2-0 as Sergio Rico could only palm James Rodriguez's effort into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo to score his 400th Madrid goal.
    Jovetic then saw a fine chipped effort come back off the bar and was denied by Keylor Navas when played through by Joaquin Correa as Sevilla continued to threaten.
    And they finally got back in the game through Jovetic's neat finish from outside the box three minutes into the second-half.
    Yet, just as the hosts' nerves were becoming frayed, Ronaldo appeared once more by crashing home Toni Kroos's cut-back to restore Real's two goal lead.
    And Kroos rounded off the scoring himself by prodding into the far corner six minutes from time.
    Barcelona kept the pressure on despite a series of defensive absences that meant Brazilian 21-year-old Marlon Santos was handed a full debut in the Canary Islands.
    The visitors still hand all of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to call on up front and the latter two combined to give Barca a 2-0 half-time lead.
    After wonderful passes from Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, Suarez squared for Neymar to open the scoring.
    The roles were reversed two minutes later as Neymar's chip freed Suarez to dink home his 36th goal of the season.
    Pedro Bigas momentarily gave Las Palmas hope just after the hour mark.
    But Neymar headed home Ivan Rakitic's cross and then sealed his first hat-trick of the season 19 minutes from time when he slotted in Jordi Alba's through ball.


  2. Waqas Dar
    Rafael Nadal's flawless record on clay this season continued as he outgunned the impressive Dominic Thiem to win the Madrid Masters for a fifth time 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 on Sunday.
    The Spaniard is now 15-0 on his favoured surface this year having also picked up his 10th titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona in recent weeks.
    And the 14-time Grand Slam champion is now strong favourite to add a 10th French Open crown next month as he romped to victory on home soil for the loss of just one set all week.
    Victory also moves Nadal above Roger Federer to fourth in the world rankings.
    "I am aware that if I am fit and I can play well, I have the capacity to win important titles and achieve my goals," said Nadal.
    Thiem also fell victim to Nadal's supreme form in the final in Barcelona two weeks ago, but there was little for the 23-year-old to be dispirited about as he pushed Nadal all the way in his first Masters series final.
    "Sometimes against the best players in the world, the best ever player on this surface, you even lose when you play well," said Thiem, who also rises to a career high seventh in the rankings.
    "Now that I did it once, playing really well in such a big tournament, the next step is to maintain this level next week."
    Nadal disposed of Novak Djokovic for his first win over the Serb for three years on Saturday and victory saw him level Djokovic's record of 30 Masters Series titles.
    Thiem didn't finish his semi-final against Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas until after midnight on Sunday morning.
    However, that lack of recovery time didn't show as Thiem struck the first blow by breaking the Nadal serve to move into a 3-1 first set lead.
    Thiem handed the break back by netting a simple volley for 3-3, but showed admirable resistence to battle back from 0-40 when serving to stay in the set a 4-5 to force a tie-break.
    Both had their chances in the tie-break as Thiem again fought back from 3-5 down to have two set points of his own only to be denied by two punishing Nadal forehands.
    And eventually it was Nadal who prevailed with his fifth set point when Thiem fired long.
    "Anything could have happened at the end of the first set," added Nadal.
    "I think I played well in the important points at the end of the first set. I saved a few set points playing some good shots with my forehand and after that I went for it."
    The marathon first set lasted a minute under an hour-and-a-half and seemed to drain Thiem's belief as well as his energy resources as he was broken to start the second set.
    Nadal had to stave off a break point on his own serve to consolidate the break for 2-0.
    Four games without a point against the serve followed as Nadal closed in on victory.
    Thiem again showed impressive poise to battle back from two match points down at 3-5 to force Nadal to serve out for the title.
    The Austrian had his chance too to get right back in the match with four break back points, but couldn't take advantage as Nadal finally secured victory with his fourth match point.


  3. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Homegrown hero Harry Kane scored Tottenham Hotspur's last goal at White Hart Lane as they bade farewell to their home with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.
    Kane, born up the road in Chingford, added to Victor Wanyama's early header to secure a victory that confirmed Spurs will finish in second place in the Premier League and ended United's hopes of a top-four finish.
    Demolition work at the Lane, Spurs' home since 1899, will start on Monday, with Mauricio Pochettino's side playing at Wembley next season before moving into their new ground, which is being built on the same site, in 2018.
    "What a way to finish," said Kane, who was mobbed as hundreds of fans poured onto the pitch at the final whistle.
    "We wanted a win so badly in our last game here. I said before I'd love to score the winning goal and for it to happen is brilliant. To see it go in was special."
    The Lane has been graced by such Spurs greats as Jimmy Greaves, Steve Perryman and Glenn Hoddle and it was fitting that Kane, emblem of their exciting current side, should be their final goal-scorer there.
    It was Spurs' 14th successive home league win -- equalling the club record, set over two seasons in 1987 -- and meant they finished a league campaign unbeaten at home for the first time since 1964-65.
    Supporters flooded onto the pitch at the end of the game before eventually being persuaded to return to their seats for a ceremony featuring famous figures from the club's past.
    Sixth-place United, who replied through Wayne Rooney, fell to a second successive league defeat, having seen a 25-game unbeaten run ended by a 2-0 loss down the road at Arsenal last weekend.
    Guaranteed to finish outside the top four for the third time in four seasons, Jose Mourinho's team must now beat Ajax in the Europa League final to procure a place in the Champions League.
    "You can't play two big competitions with 15 players," said Mourinho, who made eight changes to the team that had edged Celta Vigo in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.
    "At the moment, the Premier League matches are the ones we don't want to play."
    - Lennon support -
    The teams emerged to find the famous old arena awash with blue and white as Spurs' fans waved flags bearing the legend "THE LANE, THE FINALE" and filled the air with songs.
    Mourinho, whose changes included 19-year-old defender Axel Tuanzebe lining up in midfield, saw his side fall behind in the sixth minute.
    Spurs played a corner short on the left and Ben Davies's deep cross was emphatically headed home by Wanyama.
    United briefly threatened, Rooney heading over from a Daley Blind corner and then playing an outside-of-the-foot pass down the line to Anthony Martial, who cut in and curled wide.
    But with Spurs' fans happily serenading favourites of yesteryear -- Ledley King, Teddy Sheringham, Aaron Lennon, who is fighting mental health issues at present -- the hosts reasserted control.
    United goalkeeper David de Gea was the busiest man in the stadium, parrying a strike by Son Heung-Min, acrobatically denying Dele Alli and saving with his legs from Kane, who also clipped the bar with a header.
    Kane struck three minutes into the second half, innovatively volleying home Christian Eriksen's free-kick from the left to take his goal tally for the league campaign to 22.
    Rooney reduced the arrears in the 71st minute, prodding in Martial's low cross and giving United their first goal in an away game against another member of the top six this season at the fifth and final attempt.
    "It was a perfect performance and I am happy for the victory for our fans," said Pochettino.
    "We need to feel that Wembley is our home and we need to find a balance between White Hart Lane and there. Next season we will feel it is our home."


  4. Waqas Dar
    SANAA: A cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed 115 people and left 8,500 ill as hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday.
    "We now are facing a serious outbreak of cholera," said ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart at a news conference in the capital Sanaa.
    Citing figures compiled by the Yemeni health ministry, Stillhart said 115 people had died of cholera between April 27 and Saturday.
    More than 8,500 suspected cases of the waterborne disease were reported in the same period in 14 governorates across Yemen, Stillhart said, up from 2,300 cases in 10 governorates last week.
    This is the second outbreak of cholera in less than a year in Yemen, the Arab world´s poorest country.
    Yemen is witnessing a devastating war between the Saudi-supported government and Iranian-backed Huthi rebels, and less than half of the country´s health facilities are functioning two years into the conflict.
    "The humanitarian situation in Yemen is catastrophic," Stillhart said.
    Hospitals were filled beyond capacity with patients displaying symptoms of cholera, a bacterial infection contracted through ingesting contaminated food or water, he said.
    "There are up to four cholera patients in one single bed," Stillhart said.
    "There are people in the garden, and some even in their cars with the IV drip hanging from the window."
    A garbage crisis caused by a 10-day pay strike by rubbish collectors in Sanaa has "contributed to the outbreak," said Stillhart.
    People walking about in Sanaa have been seen wearing face masks to avoid the stench of rotting refuse that has piled up on the streets of the capital.
    Jameel Nashir, Yemen´s health chief at the World Health Organisation, said Sanaa residents should follow strict guidelines "like cleaning fruits and vegetables very well".
    They should also avoid eating food that has been left uncovered and "use good water from sources that are safe and away from the polluted areas," he told AFP.
    The WHO now classifies Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world alongside Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria and Iraq.
    Critical food imports are also at an all-time low as many of the country´s Red Sea ports are blockaded.
    The United Nations has warned 17 million people -- equivalent to two-thirds of the population -- are at imminent risk of famine in Yemen.
    More than 8,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to support Yemen´s government in 2015, according to the WHO.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Bollywood fashionista  Sonam Kapoor is all set to star opposite Akshay Kumar in upcoming movie Pad Man.
    Speaking about the project, Sonam shared “This is the second time I am working with Akshay and it was a completely different experience. I respect Akshay for doing relevant and content-driven films. As an actor, he is honest to his work and as a person he is quiet disciplined,” according to Indian media.
    Pad Man, which is based on the life of Tamil Nadu-based social activist Arunachalam Muruganantham who revolutionised the concept of menstrual hygiene in rural India, is a project of filmmaker R Balki.
    “I feel blessed to be working Balki sir. I am going to miss him after the shoot, he is a positive and crazy person. He doesn’t yell at anybody,” she remarked.
    Previously, the two stars have worked together in Anees Bazmee’s Thank You in 2011.


  6. Waqas Dar
    DOMINICA: Pakistan´s push for a historic series-clinching victory was aided by three wickets in the morning session with the West Indies reduced to 73 for four at lunch on the last day of the third and final Test at Windsor Park in Dominica on Sunday.
    Set an improbable target of 304 and 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 Yasir Shah for Hasan Ali to take the comfortable catch at backward-point.
     It was the leg-spinner´s second wicket of the innings and 22nd of a three-match duel in which he has emerged as the tourists´ outstanding individual performer.

    Shimron Hetmyer´s attacking nature presented scoring opportunities for the left-hander who stroked three boundaries and suggested at a substantial counter-attack.
    However the introduction of his nemesis, Mohammad Amir, put paid to those expectations as he was comprehensively bowled for 25. It was the third time in the series that the left-armer had dismissed Hetmyer in that manner.
    Roston Chase, the first innings top-scorer, then joined Shai Hope with the pair defying all the challenges presented to them by the Pakistani attack, including Mohammad Abbas, the fast-medium bowler who had taken five wickets in the first innings.
    But it was left to the debutant Hasan Ali to provide the breakthrough 20 minutes before the interval as a full-length inswinger trapped Hope leg-before for 19 and removed a significant obstacle in the visitors´ quest for a first-ever Test series triumph in the Caribbean after seven previous failed campaigns.
    Chase will resume in the afternoon session in partnership with Vishaul Singh, the left-hander who has so far failed to make any sort of impact in his debut series.
    This is also the final day in national colours for Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq and senior batsman Younis Khan.
     


  7. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Computers in more than 150 countries have been hit by what experts are calling an unprecedented mass cyberattack using ransomware.
    Experts were scrambling to determine who was behind the attack, which exploited a security flaw in older versions of Microsoft´s Windows operating software.
    Here is what we know so far about the cyber ransom attacks:
    What happened?
    Computers around the globe were hacked beginning on Friday using a security flaw in Microsoft´s Windows XP operating system, an older version that was no longer given mainstream tech support by the US giant.
    The so-called WannaCry ransomware locks access to user files and demands money -- in the form of the virtual currency Bitcoin -- in order to decrypt them.
    How many countries were affected?
    Europol chief Rob Wainwright said more than 200,000 victims had been hit in more than 150 countries.
    It is the largest ransomware attack observed in history.
    High-profile victims include hospitals in Britain, the Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, French carmaker Renault, US package delivery company FedEx, Russia´s interior ministry and the German rail operator Deutsche Bahn.
    How did the attack spread worldwide?
    Experts said the ransomware programme appears to support dozens of languages, showing that the hackers wanted to corrupt networks worldwide.
    The virus spread quickly because 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.
    The attack is unique, according to Wainwright, 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 US security firm Symantec said the attack appeared to be indiscriminate.
    Who was behind the attack?
    So far, the culprits are unknown, as is the motivation. Security agencies in affected countries were racing to find out.
    Experts think it unlikely to have been one person, with criminally minded cyber crime syndicates nowadays going underground and using ever more sophisticated encryption to hide their activities.
    How can people protect their computers?
    Microsoft took the unusual step of reissuing security patches first made available in March for Windows XP and other older versions of its operating system.
    Kaspersky said it was seeking to develop a decryption tool "as soon as possible".
    Europol provides free decryption downloads for most ransomware already detected, though not yet for this particular attack.
    How much ransom was asked?
    Victims were asked for payment of $300 (275 euros) in the virtual currency Bitcoin.
    Payment is demanded within three days or the price is doubled, and if none is received within seven days, the files will be deleted, according to the screen message.
    Given the attack´s widespread nature, even such a small sum would stack up quickly, though few victims seem to be paying up so far.
    Experts advise people not to pay, as it would only encourage the attackers, there is no guarantee that they will unblock files, and may result in them gaining access to victims´ bank details.


  8. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Secretary-General and Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said on Sunday that cowardly acts such as Mastung incident will not break our resolve.
    He remarked this in a video message, which he recorded at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta, where he is currently seeking treatment.
    “We will continue to work towards restoring peace in Balochistan ,” he added.  
    Maulana Haider along with 30 others was injured in a blast, which was later reported as a suicide attack, in Mastung area of Balochistan on Friday. The explosion claimed 27 lives.
    He explained that he was on his way back from a dastarbandi at a madrassah when the explosion occurred.
    He also said that he was initially taken to a nearby mosque, where he also heard fire shots after the incident.
    He added that it took him an hour to reach the hospital. However, if it would have taken him longer then his health could have been compromised.
    He said that he is regaining health and feels better now.
    Moreover, he also cancelled the shutter down strike, announced by the JUI, in the fear that it will be used by the enemies for their own advantage.


  9. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar took notice on Sunday of the criticism of Pakistan Army on social media, directing the Federal Investigation Agency to take strict action against those found involved.
    The interior minister said that under the constitution it is not permissible to criticize national security matters and related institutions.
    It is unacceptable to ridicule Pakistan Army or its officers under the guise of freedom of expression, said the interior minister.
    The FIA was directed by the interior ministry to take strict action against those who partake in such practices.
     


  10. Waqas Dar
    KATHMANDU: Nepal held local-level polls on Sunday, the first since 1997 and a key step in its rocky road to democracy more than a decade after a civil war ended.
    Around a third of registered voters across three provinces were eligible to vote, with the rest of the country due to do so in a month´s time.
    The Election Commission estimated turnout of at least 71 percent as preliminary data trickled in Sunday evening.
    The vote has been split into two phases because of unrest in the southern plains bordering India, where the minority Madhesi ethnic group is refusing to take part until an amendment to the constitution is passed.
    Local representatives were last elected in 1997 and their five-year terms expired at the height of the brutal Maoist insurgency.
    The 10-year war ended in 2006 and the country began a fraught transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular federal republic, which has seen it cycle through nine governments.
    The long gap between polls has left an institutional void at the local level and graft has become a way of life in Nepal, hampering the delivery of basic services as well as the recovery from a devastating 2015 earthquake.
    "It is difficult to expect much from our politicians -- they have always been selfish and not worked for the people -- but I hope that with this election things will change," housewife Shova Maharjan, 41, told AFP after casting her vote in the capital.
    With nearly 70 percent of the population aged under 35, many were voting for their local representatives for the first time.
    Polls opened at 7:00 am (0115 GMT) and closed at 5:00 pm, with each voter casting a ballot for seven local representatives: mayor, deputy mayor, ward chairman and four ward committee members.
    The ballot paper in the capital Kathmandu -- one of the largest constituencies -- was around one metre long (three feet) to accommodate the 878 candidates.
    Nearly 50,000 candidates were standing for election across 283 local municipalities in the first phase. Many registered as independents or with a number of small reformist parties hoping to grab some votes from the traditional political heavyweights.
    While the youth vote is seen as key in undermining the grip of the three main political parties, the elderly were also out in force, including an 105-year-old man who cast his ballot in Gorkha, the epicentre of the 2015 earthquake, according to the election commission.
    Drawn-out peace process
    There were sporadic reports of violence on Sunday, with one person killed when police opened fire on a group attempting to raid a polling station in Dolakha district, 180 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of the capital Kathmandu, police told AFP.
    A bomb was also found early Sunday outside the house of a mayoral candidate for the main opposition CPN-UML party in Bhaktapur, 15 kilometres east of Kathmandu. It was defused.
    The remaining four provinces, considered potential flashpoints for election-related violence, will vote in the second phase on June 14.
    But with results expected from Sunday´s vote later this week, observers have expressed concern that the first phase will influence the outcome of the second.
    As part of the deal that ended the civil war, a new constitution was written and finally adopted in September 2015.
    The charter mandated that local elections, followed by provincial and then national elections, be held by January 2018 -- the final step in the drawn-out peace process.
    But the constitution sparked protests by the Madhesi community -- who say the document leaves them politically marginalised -- and led to a months-long blockade of the India-Nepal border in 2015 that caused a crippling shortage of goods across the country.
    The Madhesi threatened to boycott the local polls unless the constitution is amended. This forced the government to split the vote into two phases.
    The government has promised a vote on an amendment to the constitution after Sunday´s election, but the fragile ruling coalition is struggling to get a majority in parliament to pass the bill.


  11. Waqas Dar
    FAISALABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Pervez Elahi said on Sunday that the party has worked more than the country’s rulers.
    He was addressing PML-Q’s workers convention in Faisalabad.
    Taking a jibe at Sharif brothers, he said that both the brothers have lied continually. “Rulers are providing electricity to the nation at higher costs,” he said, adding “the government has done nothing for the farmers.”
    He also spoke about the condition of hospitals across Punjab. He said that the building for Children Hospital has been constructed but it is not functioning. One hospital bed is being shared by four patients, he added.
    Hospitals have medicines but no doctors. “Where should people to go with their health cards?”
    If we come into power, we will work for the benefit of the public, he assured, adding the party will also work towards provided free electricity to the farmers.  
    “The nation will never forget those who took charge during war and other troubled times,” he remarked.
    On Panama case, he said the people should be made aware of JIT’s investigation
     


  12. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said Pakistan considered Vietnam as an important country of the region and desires to maintain an economic and political relationship with it.
    In a meeting with President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang on the sidelines of Belt and Road Forum, the Prime Minister stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen and explore their business and investment opportunities.
    The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the bilateral political consultation and working of Joint Ministerial Commission and Joint Trade Commission between the two countries.
    He mentioned that Pakistan and Vietnam had been supporting each other at international fora on important issues.
    The Prime Minister invited the Vietnamese President to visit Pakistan which he accepted.
     


  13. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Former President and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will not be successful in making a government again in Punjab, adding that the PPP won’t allow rigging in the next general elections.
    PPP co-chairman was addressing a gathering in Peshawar.
    “They have a misapprehension that they will form a government again in Punjab by introducing new trains,” mocked the former president.
    He said that this time his party workers would be sitting in front of the polling booths and would leave only after receiving results.
    Would go to every corner of the country to campaign this time, he said.
    The former president said that the PPP wanted to ensure FATA’s inclusion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that the party gave Pakhtuns their identity.
    Zardari said that the NFC award was not a favour but a right of the Pakhtun nation.
    “We dreamt of the CPEC for Balochistan and KP,” said the PPP co-chairman.
    He also took aim at ruling party in KP, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, saying: “Immature people cannot see that KP is up in flames.”
    Zardari is on a five-day visit to Peshawar during which he is scheduled to meet provincial members of the party, members of the parliament, district heads and address the FATA grand jirga, PPP KP president Muhammad Humayun Khan had said while speaking to Geo News.


  14. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met here Sunday on the sidelines of One Belt, One Road Forum and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. 
    The two leaders focused on increasing trade between Pakistan and Belarus and emphasised on exploring investment potential in various fields, particularly in the agriculture, culture and education sectors.
    Both leaders also focused on regional connectivity and its importance in bringing improvement to the lives of common people. 
    Recalling his trip to Belarus last year, Sharif expressed satisfaction that the relationship between the two countries had strengthened in a short span of time. 
    President Lukashenko extended another invitation to the prime minister to visit Belarus, which was accepted by the premier. 
    Pakistan's Ambassador to China Khalid Masood and senior government officials were also present in the meeting. 
    Meeting with Ethiopian, Vietnamese premiers
    On the sidelines of the forum, the Pakistani prime minister also met with his Vietnamese and Ethiopian counterparts.
    At his meeting with Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang, Sharif said Pakistan considered Vietnam an important country of the region and desires to maintain an economic and political relationship with it.
    He stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen and explore their business and investment opportunities.
    Sharif also expressed satisfaction over the bilateral political consultation and working of the joint ministerial commission and joint trade commission between the two countries.
    The prime minister also invited the Vietnamese president to visit Pakistan which he accepted.
    At the meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, in which State IT Minister Anusha Rehman was also present, matters of mutual interests and bilateral issues came under discussion.
    Sharif emphasised to enhance the relations further by promoting cooperation between the two countries in multiple spheres.
     


  15. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: International investigators are hunting for those behind an unprecedented cyber-attack that affected systems in dozens of countries, including at banks, hospitals and government agencies, as security experts sought to contain the fallout.
    The assault, which began Friday and was being described as the biggest-ever cyber ransom attack, struck state agencies and major companies around the world -- from Russian banks and British hospitals to FedEx and European car factories.
    "The recent attack is at an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits," said Europol, Europe's police agency.
    Europol said a special task force at its European Cybercrime Centre was "specially designed to assist in such investigations and will play an important role in supporting the investigation".
    The attacks used ransomware that apparently exploited a security flaw in Microsoft operating systems, locking users' files unless they pay the attackers a designated sum in the virtual currency Bitcoin.
    Images appeared on victims' screens demanding payment of $300 (275 euros) in 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 files will be deleted, according to the screen message.
    But experts and government alike warn against ceding to the hackers' demands.
    "Paying the ransom does not guarantee the encrypted files will be released," the US Department of Homeland Security's computer emergency response team said.
    "It only guarantees that the malicious actors receive the victim's money, and in some cases, their banking information."
    'Painful' 
    Experts and officials offered differing estimates of the scope of the attacks, but all agreed it was huge.
    Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at the Helsinki-based cyber security company F-Secure, told AFP it was the biggest ransomware outbreak in history, saying that 130,000 systems in more than 100 countries had been affected.
    He said Russia and India were hit particularly hard, largely because Microsoft's Windows XP -- one of the operating systems most at risk -- was still widely used there.
    French police said there were "more than 75,000 victims" around the globe, but cautioned that the number could increase "significantly".
    The virus spread quickly because 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.
    Microsoft said the situation was "painful" and that it was taking "all possible actions to protect our customers".
    It issued guidance for people to protect their systems, while taking the highly unusual step of reissuing security patches first made available in March for Windows XP and other older versions of its operating system.
    Europe worst hit 
    US software firm Symantec said the majority of organisations affected were in Europe, and the attack was believed to be indiscriminate.
    The companies and government agencies targeted were diverse.
    In the United States, package delivery group FedEx said it was "implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible," while French carmaker Renault was forced to stop production at sites in France, Slovenia and Romania.
    Russia's interior ministry said some of its computers had been hit by a "virus attack" and that efforts were underway to destroy it. The country's banking system was also attacked, although no problems were detected, as was the railway system.
    Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn said its station display panels were affected. Universities in Greece and Italy also were hit.
    China's network information safety working group sent a warning to universities about the cyber-attack and the National Internet Emergency Center suggested that users update Windows security patches.
    Shanghai's Fudan University received reports that a large number of school computers were infected with the virus.
    Accidental 'kill switch' 
    Kaspersky said it was "trying to determine whether it is possible to decrypt data locked in the attack -- with the aim of developing a decryption tool as soon as possible."


  16. Waqas Dar
    With Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq and veteran batsman Younis Khan set to bid adieu to international cricket at the end of the third Test against West Indies, their current teammates shared their cherished memories with the dynamic duo, what they have learned from the pair, and the implications of their exit for Pakistan cricket.
    Azhar Ali
    "When Misbah took over as captain, it was a low point in Pakistan cricket. At that time, we were fighting to regain our very dignity and Misbah kept impressing upon us that we had to earn back the faith of our supporters. In the next seven years, we saw tough times but his leadership helped us through them. The one thing that was very important to him was that, whatever the outcome, we must give our absolute best. I personally took that advice to heart and it simply wouldn't have been possible to achieve what we did without Misbah.
    "His own demeanour is an example in itself. He is mentally calm and has nerves of steel. It is hard to explain in words how important he was in soothing the nerves of everyone when we were under pressure.

    Azhar Ali shared many robust partnerships with Misbah
    "Younis might appear different, but his work ethic is just exemplary. When I was starting off in cricket, I saw how he set about working on his game, how he trained, how he maintained his fitness and what he did in the nets and I thought, 'This person is worth following.' Watching him play when you're at the other end, you learn so much, but at the same town, he doesn't bombard you with advice, letting you play your game instead. Only if he feels you've made a big mistake or you're struggling badly will he come up and talk to you. And obviously his achievements speak for themselves. That's what has earned him global respect.
    "For us, it's hard to register that they won't be in the dressing room after this series; we can't imagine life without them. We were just so surprised at them retiring because they're still so fit, perhaps the fittest players in our squad. We are very emotional too, just the thought that the dressing room will be without them feels strange, and will do so for a while."
    Asad Shafiq
    "Under Misbah's captaincy, the atmosphere in the dressing room has always been wonderful. In situations where regular people would panic, Misbah does not, and this is his biggest strength. His behaviour with junior players is exemplary and I am lucky to have played under him.

    Asad Shafiq with Misbah/BPI
    "In fact, both Misbah and Younis' role in my career is very important. When as a junior player you come to the team, you have been watching players like Misbah and Younis for a few years. Initially, you are nervous around them, because there is a culture - especially in Pakistan - that the difference between junior and senior players is very keenly felt. But their behaviour with the junior players is exemplary. Things that I would have learned in five-six years if Misbah and Younis hadn't been around, I ended up learning in two-three years. Not just me, but all the junior players who have come into the team have benefited as both batsmen and human beings.
    "The experience of batting with them has also been so much fun. When I had good partnerships with them, I learned about how to mould my batting according to various conditions and the other sides' strengths. I can't say who I'll miss more, because both players' services are extraordinary. Both have won a number of matches for Pakistan. We will have to work extra-hard to fill up the space that will be left by their departure."
    Sarfraz Ahmed
    "The dressing room atmosphere was great under Misbah. I learnt a lot from him and I really like the way he leads. He reads the game in a very calm, composed manner. He is great at understanding how to take the players along with him and get the best out of them.
    "The experience of batting with Younis is amazing. I haven't had too many partnerships with him, but what is great about him is he rotates the strike very well, and guides you along. He keeps giving good advice and whoever bats with him say they enjoyed it.

    Sarfraz gets a pep talk from Misbah during 2015 World Cup/ICC
    "We will of course miss both of them deeply. As you can see, they have been the backbone of our Test team for the last six years. Whenever the team had difficulties, Misbah led the team from the front. Younis used to bat at No. 4, and Misbah at No. 5, so it will affect our Test team a lot when they're gone. When we came to the team, we used to learn from the way they conducted themselves, and we'll miss all of that.
    "They give all of us young players advice: me, Azhar, Shan [Masood], Babar [Azam], Ahmed Shehzad. They keep telling us to take care of our fitness. They say we should conduct practice sessions with intensity. I always stood behind the wicket with Younis Khan in the slip cordon, and we talked about what to do if a batsman wasn't getting out. What they have taught us, we will do our best to implement."
    Shan Masood
    "We are lucky to have Misbah and Younis in our dressing room. We probably will not realise the significance of this thing but in the next four or five years, when we look back, we will feel the importance of sharing the dressing room with them. Both of them have played a big role not only on the field but off the field as well. They have helped even with the small things like managing your kit bag, managing your work ethics and how to be organised overall in training. In my career so far, I have never seen such organised players.
    "The [Palekelle innings with Younis Khan] is something that will remain with me for rest of my life. I would describe it as my childhood dream. It was just the other day that I was watching highlights of it and it still gives me goosebumps. When I reflect back on that particular innings, for me it's hard to describe because there was not much going through my mind in terms of emotions. I was just going along with the flow but if I look back it right now, everything that I wanted was coming off. How Pakistan was able to create history, how massive that chase was... It makes me happy that I was able to contribute alongside Younis.

    Shan Masood on his partnership with Younis Khan in a record chase in Pallekele, 2015: 'I would describe it as my childhood dream'/AFP
    "The best piece of advice Misbah gave me was prior to the Pallekele Test. I was dejected for two reasons. One, we had lost the earlier Test and two, I thought that this would be another tour where I go back without playing a game. But Misbah asked me my age. When I told him I was 25, he said at the same age he hadn't played any first-class cricket as he was completing his degree. The point he was trying to make was that I needed to trust myself, be patient and keep working as hard as possible and things would eventually fall into place. It's not a short-term thing, it's a long-term goal and you need to keep believing and keep going back to it again and again. The way he has done this is similar, he talked about a lot of obstacles in his life and he has been very patient about it and now he is reaping the rewards.
    "As for Younis, whatever he says is short and to the point. Overall, it's like he has given me a dictionary on how to conduct yourself as a cricketer. So he is a big influence on my short international career, my domestic cricket and, hopefully, when he fades away I can stick to those things he taught me and my performances can reflect all those things."
    Ahmed Shehzad
    "Of course they are the senior-most players in our team and we all look up to them and we all try to learn whatever we can from them. They are different individuals. If you talk about Younis, I was lucky to spend my early days with him at Habib Bank Limited in domestic cricket. He is one player I admire a lot both on and off the field. So I consider myself lucky to be sharing a dressing room with him.
    "Misbah, similarly, has been phenomenal. He took the team to the No. 1 position after things were so bad when he got the captaincy. Since then, the way he led the side is remarkable. Now after seven to eight years, he is saying goodbye to cricket, and that is a tough thing to swallow. His contribution will be remembered. Whenever we needed him, he would be there for us. I have learnt a lot from heart-to-heart talks with him and we are definitely going to miss him a lot.

    A selfie moment during 2015 World Cup
    "The most important advice Younis gave was to be yourself, always believe, don't try to hold back from taking risks because taking risks is something which takes you above everything. Life is all about taking risks and not being afraid. While batting, Younis never disturbs you as he wants you to play according to your own plan. He doesn't talk too much on the field but talks to you off the field instead.
    "Misbah always says we should take sensible decisions. Think twice before you take any call about your life or cricketing career. This is advice that I always kept close to my heart.
    "This series will be an emotional series for all of us because these two players are the pride of our nation. They are the two strong pillars of the Pakistan team. So I am going to miss everything they have given us, all small incidents in hotel rooms, on the field, in dressing rooms, all good and bad memories, wins and losses. Whatever we shared together all these years will be missed and remain in our hearts forever."
    Article originally appeared in ESPNcricinfo


  17. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is working on a comprehensive roadmap for the transformation of Asia and the Pacific into an oasis of inclusive and sustainable growth through underpinning power, transport, telecommunications, and water, with a focus on infrastructure development, needing $1.7 trillion per annum.
    The Bank will continue to streamline its operations, ensure development solutions are delivered more quickly with efficacy, and enhance finance for this part of the planet, it was stated during briefings held on the eve of 50th Annual Meeting of ADB Board of Governors in Yokohama that concluded last week.
    The event, comprising back-to-back briefings, seminars, and discussions besides business sessions of BOD Annual Meeting from May 4 to 7, was attended by over 4000 delegates, including media persons from across the world.
    Finance and development ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, business executives, media persons, academics, representatives from civil society, development organisations, and youth from the Asia and Pacific were present on occasion, ensuring effective participation through their brainstorming interactions and perennial contribution to the discussions and discourses from dawn to dusk during the four-day long activities.
    Amidst pleasant and hospitable ambience, the golden jubilee events were organised at the imposing National Convention Hall and Conference Centre flanked by massive high-rise buildings, portraying fascinating landscape of architecture and state of the art technology.
    The Annual Meeting and side events noted with satisfaction rather jubilation unsung achievements and success stories scripted by the ADB during the last 50 years by lending loan, grants, and cofinancing for the economic development and social emancipation of member countries.
    Identifying the Bank’s major future priorities, mainly infrastructure development, President ADB Takehito Nakao said the region will require $1.7 trillion per year in investments in power, transport, telecommunications, and water through 2030. In his speech, he said, “This is more than double our previous estimate, reflecting additional investments, needed to support continued growth and address climate change.”
    Listing five chief priorities, the ADP President said supporting infrastructure development will remain a priority. In this regard “we will incorporate more advanced technologies. Our developing member countries care about maintenance costs and the resilience of infrastructure”, he added.
    The President informed the gathering that the Bank approved $17.5 billion in financing in 2016 from its own resources and attracted $13.9 billion in cofinancing, both new highs. ADB also disbursed $12.48 billion, another record besides surpassing its target for public-private partnerships, supporting 58 transactions during the 2013-2016 period and outperforming the target of 50.
    Scaling new heights, the ADB's cofinancing operations touched $14-billion mark, reflecting the importance of partnerships in meeting Asian and the Pacific’s persistently growing development needs. The bank leveraged dollar 14.06 billion in cofinancing last year, boosting its annual operations to $31.7 billion – the highest even in ADB’s 50-year history, according to a new Partnering for Development Donor Report 2016.
    Addressing the opening session, the Crown Prince Naruhito lauded the Bank's role in working closely with its member countries and across a range of areas with development assistance. Even with such progress, he noted that much more still needs to be done, specifically in the area of poverty reduction.
    “There are, however, still over 300 million people living in poverty in this region, and poverty reduction through sustainable and inclusive growth remains an important agenda to us,” Naruhito said. Heading a high-level delegation, Pakistan's Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar attended the four-day long Annual Meeting of ADB's Board of Governors.
    With his hands full during a stay in Yokohama, the Finance Minister held one-on-one meetings with deputy Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso, heads of AIIB, JICA, and other bilateral and multilateral donor institutions, besides attending an unofficial meeting of Saarc finance ministers on the fringes of Annual Meeting. He also held meetings with the finance ministers of Germany, Afghanistan, and Maldives on the occasion. The Minister also participated in the debate on ‘Trade’ organised by CNBC along with Nakao, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
    Stressing upon connectivity during the debate, the Minister exuded unequivocal support to the One Belt One Road (OBOR) – a giant initiative by China in response to reservations voiced by Indian Finance Minister in this regard. In his capacity as governor at ADB, the Finance Minister addressed the business session of the Board of Governors at the National Convention Hall and stated, having achieved macroeconomic stability, Pakistan was now focused on realising higher sustainable growth as part of the economic turnaround.
    The minister further said the developing world had made remarkable progress in lowering poverty in last two decades. Around 125,000 people were coming out of poverty on daily basis globally and Asia was leading that endeavour of reducing poverty through its phenomenal economic growth, he added.
    Pakistan’s Vision 2025, which prioritised investments in human capital and social services, recognised the importance of inclusive and balanced growth and shared prosperity aiming at redressing geographical and social inequality, he commented further.
    Dar during his meeting with Japanese deputy Prime Minister urged the Japanese corporations to reap the advantage of economic opportunities in Pakistan. Japanese firms already working in Pakistan were enjoying a tremendous beneficial run, he added.
    Apprising Taro Aso of investment potential in Pakistan, Dar also mentioned the recent report of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), which said Pakistan would be a member of G20 by 2030.
    The Japanese Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the economic performance of the ruling democratic dispensation in Pakistan, saying the country was well poised for Japanese and international investors as an attractive investment destination especially in the textile sector.
    Meanwhile, the Minister told the media that Pakistan was eyeing on a financial allocation of $2.5 billion as infrastructural financing from ADB, which would help the country’s economy to post 7 per cent growth rate by 2019.
    During his meeting with ADB President, the Minister said the Bank was requested to consider the financial allocation of $2.5 billion under infrastructural financing in view of the surging requirements of this sector.
    In his address at the second business session of Annual Meeting, Dar stated that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is expected to be above five percent during the current fiscal year, with inflation slashed to single digit around 4 percent the lowest in 47 years. The government, as a result of these efforts, successfully brought down the fiscal deficit from 8.2% in FY13 to 4.6% in FY16 and projected at 4.1% for FY17, he added.
    “Our focus, after achieving macroeconomic stability is now on realising sustainable, inclusive and higher growth, and country’s target is to reach to GDP growth rate of 7% by FY 2019,” he added.


  18. Waqas Dar
    PARIS: Once his high school drama teacher, now the wife of incoming French president Emmanuel Macron, 64-year-old Brigitte Macron stepped into the spotlight long before her husband was elected.
    The 25-year age difference and the extraordinary way they met -- he pursued her when he was her pupil -- makes her the most talked-about French president's partner since Nicolas Sarkozy married singer-model Carla Bruni nine years ago.
    Even Madonna is a fan, writing on Instagram after Macron's election that "no-one seems to care about their age difference nor insisted that Brigitte 'act her age'".
    Elegant, always tanned and blonde, Brigitte is her husband's closest collaborator and he has pledged to give her an official role -- unlike in the US, there has hitherto been no definition of First Lady in the French presidency.
    "As a teacher, I know young people... My fight will be education, to give them something other than hanging around in the stairwells of apartment buildings," she told Paris Match in an interview last year.
    During the campaign, there were dozens of carefully-managed glossy magazine covers and then an appearance at her husband's side with her family at the Louvre pyramid in Paris for his victory party, dressed in a striking blue Louis Vuitton outfit.
    But before all that she was another man's wife and mother-of-three who taught French, Latin and drama and was on course for a comfortable, if somewhat conventional, life.
    Brigitte Trogneux was born on April 13, 1953, in Amiens in northern France, which is also Emmanuel Macron's home town, into a prosperous family that owns a chocolate business.
    In the early 1990s a confident 15-year-old acting in a production of Milan Kundera's "Jacques and his Master" caught her eye. It was Emmanuel.
    She quickly agreed when he asked her to help him work on a script and a remarkable relationship began.
    Brigitte, who was then 39, recalls she was "totally captivated" by Emmanuel's intelligence.
    Two years later he made an audacious prediction.
    "At the age of 17, Emmanuel said to me 'whatever you do, I will marry you'," she told Paris Match last April.
    Emmanuel was sent off to finish high school at an elite establishment in Paris, but he kept pursuing her and gradually she was won over.
    'When I decide something...'
    Brigitte left her husband Andre Louis Auziere, a banker, in 2006 and married Macron a year later. She moved to Paris where he continued his studies and she worked as a teacher.
    "When I make up my mind about something, I do it," she said in a documentary.
    "She didn't love me for what I had, for the standing, the comfort or the security that I could give her. She gave up all of that for me," Macron wrote in his campaign-launching book "Revolution".
    Known as "Bibi" to friends, Brigitte is described as warm, down-to-earth and unfailingly positive by those who know her.
    One of them, Gregoire Campion, met her on a beach in the northern resort town of Le Touquet over 40 years ago. Their beach huts were next to each other and he remembers the young Brigitte "wasn't a party animal" but was "very educated".
    Le Touquet has remained a part of her life and the now grandmother of seven spends many weekends there with her family and her husband.
    It is a place to gather with her son and two daughters from her first marriage -- who have grown up to be an engineer, a cardiologist and a lawyer.
    She enters the Elysee Palace with words of encouragement ringing in her ears. One of her short-lived predecessors, Valerie Trierweiler, had an unhappy experience as the companion of outgoing president Francois Hollande. The journalist left Hollande in 2014 after discovering he was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.
    "I have only got thing to say to her: Good luck Brigitte!" Trierweiler said on Friday.


  19. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his ambitious new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.
    Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China's global leadership ambitions as US President Donald Trump promotes "America First" and questions existing global free trade deals.
    "We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing.
    China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
    Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules".
    "Trade is the important engine of economic development," Xi said.
    He said the world must promote the multilateral trade system, the establishment of free trade regions, and the facilitation of free trade.
    Massive funding boost
    Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in nations along the new trade routes.
    In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan.
    Xi did not give a timeframe for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday.
    Leaders from 29 countries are attending the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
    Britain's finance minister told the summit his country was a "natural partner" in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China's "vision and ingenuity".
    "Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history. We stand at the cusp of a geo-economic revolution," Sharif said.
    Pakistan's traditional foe India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir.
    "No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on "unsustainable debt."
    China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said.
    But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme.
    "China is willing to share its development experience with all countries. We will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others," Xi said.
    "In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit."
    Financial inclusiveness
    Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road.
    "No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road."
    The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea.
    "We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation," said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank. "We cannot rely on one country to fight alone."
    To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said.
    The active use of local currencies will also help mobilize local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said.
    At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries including China approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road.
    Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms are willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency is needed.
    There should also be improvement in non-discriminatory practices and adherence to international standards, said Germany's Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries.
    China has rejected criticisms of the initiative and the summit, saying the scheme is open to all, is a win-win, and aimed only at promoting prosperity.
    Some of China's most reliable allies and partners are at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
    There are also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary.
    Chinese state-run media has spared no effort to laud the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video "The Belt and Road is How" sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road.
     


  20. Waqas Dar
    Pope Francis said on Saturday he would be "sincere" with U.S. President Donald Trump over their sharp differences on subjects such as immigration and climate change when the two hold their first meeting at the Vatican later this month.
    But the pope also told reporters aboard a plane returning from Portugal that he would keep an open mind and not pass judgment on Trump until first listening to his views at their meeting on May 24.
    "Even if one thinks differently we have to be very sincere about what each one thinks," Francis said in a typically freewheeling airborne news conference.
    "Topics will emerge in our conversations. I will say what I think and he will say what he thinks. But I have never wanted to make a judgment without first listening to the person."
    The pope's meeting with Trump could be potentially awkward given their diametrically opposed positions on immigration, refugees and climate change, which he told reporters on the plane "are well known".
    Last year, in response to a question about then-candidate Trump's views on immigration and his intention to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, Francis said a man with such views was "not Christian".
    Trump, who grew up in a Presbyterian family, shot back saying it was "disgraceful" for the pope to question his faith.
    Seeking common ground
    The two men also disagree strongly about climate change.
    Trump signed an executive order dismantling Obama-era environmental legislation.
    Francis has made defense of the environment a key plank of his papacy, strongly backing scientific opinion that global warming is caused mostly by human activity.
    Still, Francis said he was willing to find common ground with Trump.
    "There are always doors that are not closed. We need to find the doors that are at least partly open, go in, and talk about things we have in common and go forward, step by step," he said.
    Trump will visit the Vatican during a tour of the Middle East and Europe that will also include a meeting in Sicily of the leaders of the Group of Seven leading economies.
    The pope is a head of state as well as being leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Such meetings allow for an exchange of views on world affairs and a chance for the pope to encourage ethical solutions to world problems.
    About 21 percent of Americans, or 70 million people, are Catholic. Washington has had full diplomatic relations with the Vatican since 1984, when President Ronald Reagan saw Pope John Paul, a Pole, as a crucial ally against communism.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Footage of The Beatles on the set of their 1965 film Help! is being offered for sale after 50 years of being hidden in storage.
    The film was shot by Australian-born actor Leo McKern, who played a villainous cult leader in the film, and shows the band in unguarded moments behind the scenes on the set.
    "This is footage taken in 1965 of people who at the time were the most famous people on earth at the pinnacle of their collective career," Neil Pearson, a London rare book dealer who is selling the footage, told Reuters.
    The band feature in around 10 minutes of the footage, which comes on the original 8mm film cassette on which it was shot, labelled by McKern as "snow scenes", which also features footage of the actor's family.
    The footage includes scenes showing the band tobogganing, joking around while playing instruments in a brass band, as well as more private moments, including Paul McCartney smoking a cigarette and taking photographs, according to the vendor's description.
    McKern, who died in 2002, later achieved acting fame in films such as A Man For All Seasons, Ryan's Daughter, and the lead role in television hit Rumpole of the Bailey.
    The film has not yet been seen in public, though a portion of it is due to be aired on British television on Friday. It doesn't come cheap for any Fab Four memorabilia fans – the footage commands an asking price of £35,000 pounds (approximately $45,101).


  22. Waqas Dar
    TOKYO: More than 100 Japanese babies faced off Sunday in a traditional "crying sumo" ring, an annual ceremony believed to bring infants good health.
    In the sumo ring at the precinct of the Kamegaike Hachimangu shrine in Sagamihara west of Tokyo, two hulking wrestlers held up toddlers wearing tiny sumo belts and aprons to try to make them bawl.
    Wrestlers sometimes shake the babies gently to encourage tears.
    "My boy was crying from the very beginning and I felt a little bad," Tomoyo Watanabe, the mother of Zentaro, told AFP.
    "But as I watched my baby crying, I was praying for him to grow up healthy and strong after this event."
    The "crying sumo" is held at shrines and temples nationwide, to the delight of parents and onlookers.
    "The cries of babies are believed to drive out demons and protect the infants from troubles," said priest Hiroyuki Negishi.
    The ceremony is believed to date back more than 400 years.
    The rules vary from region to region -- in some places parents want their offspring to be the first to cry, in others the first to weep is the loser.
    In the Sagamihara event, which has been running since 2011, the babies accompanied by parents and grandparents were first taken before a Shinto altar and purified by the priest.
    Pairs of toddlers were then brought into the sumo ring -- where most of them were bawling even before facing off against their rival.


  23. Waqas Dar
    MUMBAI: The winner of next month´s Champions Trophy in England and Wales will earn $2.2 million, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.
    The overall prize money for the 50-over tournament between the world´s top eight sides had been increased by half a million from the last edition in 2013 to $4.5 million, the governing body said in a statement.
    The runner-up of the June 1-18 tournament will earn $1.1 million, while the other two semi-finalists will receive a cheque of $450,000 each.
    Teams finishing third in each group would take home $90,000, while the teams finishing last in each pool would receive $60,000 each, the ICC added.


  24. Waqas Dar
    SIALKOT: The killing of labourers near Gwadar, Mastung blast and other such recent incidents are attempts to destabilise Pakistan, said Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Sunday.
    "These attacks are being carried out to sabotage [development projects] like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," Khawaja Asif said while speaking to the media. "If we put all these incidents on a canvas, we will see they intend to hinder progress."
    However, the boundaries will be protected at all costs, he added.
    Khawaja Asif was referring to the killing of labourers, who were gunned down in two separate incidents on the outskirts of Gwadar on May 13.
    The incidents took place in the Pishgan and Guns Road area of Gwadar where the labourers were working on construction projects.
    Most of the victims are said to be natives of Naushero Feroze, Sindh, according to sources. 
    The Mastung blast he was talking about occurred on May 12, in which at least 27 people were killed while over 30 others were injured. The injured persons included Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who is also the deputy chairperson of the Senate.  
    Haideri’s convoy was targeted in the blast with pictures showing the extent of damage to his vehicle.


  25. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: The initial postmortem report for a domestic helper who mysteriously passed away in Lahore revealed that the woman died of suffocation Sunday.
    Munazza, on Saturday, passed away after she was allegedly tortured in Lahore's Model Town vicinity.
    The 20-year old, who hailed from Vehari, was employed by a house in Model Town's H block, the police said.
    “The deceased passed away after she was suffocated by way of a pillow placed on her nose,” the initial postmortem report stated. “Torture marks on her face and throat were found.”
    Read more: 12-year-old maid allegedly abused by employers in Faisalabad
    A day earlier, the police stated that the woman's body did not have any torture marks.
    The police handed over the body to the deceased’s family, who had alleged that Munazza was physically tortured by her employers.
    Read more: Allegedly tortured child maid recovered from Islamabad
    Munazza’s employer, who is in police custody, is being investigated.
    The domestic helper was found dead in her room two days ago.


  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...