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
    PARIS: Emmanuel Macron becomes France´s youngest ever president on Sunday, taking over from Socialist Francois Hollande in a solemn ceremony.
    Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, arrived at the Elysee Palace in central Paris in a motorcade and walked down the red carpet under light rain to be greeted by Hollande for his inauguration.
    The new president´s wife Brigitte, a 64-year-old who was his high school drama teacher, arrived separately for the ceremony wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit.
    A week after his victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a tumultuous election, Macron will have a private meeting with Hollande at which he will be given the codes to launch France´s nuclear weapons.
    He will then attend a ceremony in front of hundreds of politicians and invited guests at which the official election results will be read out.
    At the end of the formalities, a 21-gun salute is to ring out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine.
    Macron will then be driven to the Arc de Triomphe to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
    The new president faces a host of daunting challenges including tackling stubbornly high unemployment, fighting Islamist-inspired violence and uniting a deeply divided country.
    Socialist Hollande´s five years in power were plagued by a sluggish economy and bloody terror attacks that killed more than 230 people and he leaves office after a single term.
    The 64-year-old launched Macron´s political career, plucking him from the world of investment banking to be an advisor and then his economy minister.
    "I am not handing over power to a political opponent, it´s far simpler," Hollande said on Thursday.
    Security was tight with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads were blocked off.
    After a formal lunch, Macron will visit Paris´s town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his "host" city.
    PM named, then Berlin
    Macron´s first week will be busy. On Monday, he is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister, before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
    It is virtually a rite of passage for French leaders to make their first European trip to meet the leader of the other half of the so-called "motor" of the EU.
    Pro-EU Macron wants to push for closer cooperation to help the bloc overcome the imminent departure of Britain, another of its most powerful members.
    He intends to press for the creation of a parliament and budget for the eurozone.
    Merkel welcomed Macron´s decisive 32-point victory over Le Pen, saying he carried "the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe".
    In June, Macron faces what the French media are calling a "third round of the presidential election" when the country elects a new parliament in a two-round vote.
    The new president needs an outright majority to be able to enact his ambitious reform agenda.
    The year-old political movement "Republique en Marche" (Republic on the Move, REM) that he formed to launch his presidential bid intends to field candidates in virtually every constituency in the country.
    It unveiled 428 of its 577 candidates this week, saying it wants to bring fresh faces into the National Assembly lower house of parliament.
    Half of them have never held elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women.
    Host of new faces
    Macron met many of the candidates gathered at a Paris museum on Saturday and told them they had an "immense responsibility".
    "You are the new faces of French politics," some of those present quoted him as saying.
    Macron won one of the most unpredictable French elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign.
    Just as campaigning ended, hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online, leading Macron to call it an attempt at "democratic destabilisation".
    US authorities have said they believe Russian hackers were behind the attack.
    The election saw voters reject France´s two traditional political forces of left and right. Their candidates were eliminated in the first round.
    Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958.


  2. Waqas Dar
    ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-(PTI) Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is expected to address a gathering of supporters in Abbottabad on Sunday evening.
    The event will be held at Abbottabad’s college ground and Imran along with the senior party leadership is expected to arrive at the venue around 5pm.
    Earlier, speaking to the media at the venue, provincial minister of the PTI-led cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mushtaq Ghani, said 20,000 chairs have been set up at the ground to accommodate PTI supporters.


  3. Waqas Dar
    The dynamic duo of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan walked out to bat for the last time on Saturday, bringing to a close decades of pure cricketing greatness and leaving fans with heavy hearts and precious memories to cherish.
    Cricket lovers from around the world took to Twitter to pay tribute and bid farewell to the two legends, with the hashtag #MisYou dominating the social media platform consistently all day and the next. 
     


  4. Waqas Dar
    HYDERABAD: The rail link between Karachi and Hyderabad was reopened after its suspension following the collision of two trains near Kotri on Saturday morning.
    Officials said the Hazara and Awam Express trains left Karachi Cantt Station Sunday afternoon after repair operations to clear the debris from the site of the accident were concluded. Moreover, the Shalimar Express was also allowed to proceed towards Karachi after being stopped at Hyderabad.
    Two goods trains collided between the Bholari and Meeting Pul near Kotri early Saturday morning; with no casualties reported.
    The incident had halted rail traffic to and from Karachi; with several trains being stuck at Karachi or stopped in Hyderabad.
    On Saturday, officials of the Pakistan Railways had stated that the tracks could be reopened by night. However, that has claim has been proved false as clearing and repair work was under way well into Sunday.
    Giving details of the accident, Railways DS Nisar Memon had said around 23 bogies were derailed after a goods train transporting containers to Lahore crashed into the rear side of another train carrying oil to Multan. 


  5. Waqas Dar
    HYDERABAD: The rail link between Karachi and Hyderabad is expected to be reopened soon after the collision of two trains near Kotri on Saturday morning.
    Officials said rescue operations are still under way to clear the debris from the railway tracks.
    Two goods trains collided between the Bholari and Meeting Pul near Kotri early Saturday morning; with no casualties reported.
    The incident halted rail traffic to and from Karachi; with reports coming in on Saturday that over seven trains have been halted at the Hyderabad and Kotri railway stations.
    The Karachi-Hyderabad route will take at least one day to be restored and reopened for trains, railway officials said on Saturday. Two trains were dispatched to the crash site in order to help with the clearing operations.
    On Saturday, officials of the Pakistan Railways had stated that the tracks could be reopened by night. However, that has claim has been proved false as clearing and repair work is still under way and the rail route blocked.
    Giving details of the accident, Railways DS Nisar Memon had said around 23 bogies were derailed after a goods train transporting containers to Lahore crashed into the rear side of another train carrying oil to Multan. 


  6. Waqas Dar
    We all love our mothers all year long, but having one special day marked as Mother’s Day allows us to take a moment out of the busy life to celebrate the person who has brought us into this world.
    The day highlights the importance of mothers in our lives and many people reminisce about how their moms have played a crucial role in making them who they are. Some mark the occasion by taking their mothers out to lunches and dinners, while others present them with surprises and gifts.
    Check out what some big names from over the world over are wishing their moms!
     
     
     
     
     
    What’s your plan for Mother’s Day?


  7. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Four people drowned in the city's Hawkes Bay beach on Sunday morning, said rescue sources.
    Body of the fourth person was recovered later in the morning.  
    The four deceased have been identified as Danish, a resident of Buffer Zone; Syed Raza, from Federal B area; Mishal, from North Nazimabad and Zubair.  
    Drowning incidents are common in the summer season, when picnickers flock to the beaches to beat the soaring temperatures in the city. Many pay no heed to the warnings from the civil administration to stay clear of the deep waters.
    In 2015, three people were swept away by a strong tide in the Gadani beach on the second day of Eid.
    In 2014, 12 people drowned in Clifton beach of Karachi, despite a ban on swimming in the sea. This incident too took place on one of the Eid days. 


  8. Waqas Dar
    KINSHASA: Health experts have identified two more suspected cases of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo, a day after the government declared an outbreak of the disease that has killed one man, the UN health agency said on Saturday.
    Government and World Health Organization (WHO) officials reached a remote area of Bas-Uele province in northeastern Congo near the border with the Central African Republic on Saturday for a field investigation, WHO said.
    Experts say to prevent the spread of the virus they must quickly track down, test, isolate and treat suspected cases. They also need to protect health workers and educate the population about hygiene measures.
    "The first case and possibly the index case, a 39-year-old male, presented onset of symptoms on 22 April 2017, and deceased on arrival at the health facility," a WHO statement said.
    "Two contacts of this case are being investigated: a person who took care of him during transport to the health care facility, he has since developed similar symptoms, and a moto-taxi driver who transported the patient to the health care facility," it said, adding that the taxi driver had died.
    In addition, two more people in the area have been identified as suspected cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 11, WHO's Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters. Three of them have died of fever.
    The worst outbreak of Ebola killed more than 11,300 people in the West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and infected more than 28,000. It peaked in late 2014 causing global alarm but active virus transmission ended last year.
    The latest Ebola outbreak is Congo's eighth, the most of any country. The deadly hemorrhagic fever was first detected in its dense tropical forests in 1976 and named after the nearby river Ebola.
    That experience helped Congolese authorities respond effectively to an outbreak in 2014 that killed dozens of people.
    The GAVI global vaccine alliance said on Friday some 300,000 emergency doses of an Ebola vaccine developed by Merck could be available in case of a large-scale outbreak and that it stood ready to support the Congo government on the matter.


  9. Waqas Dar
    GWADAR: Ten labourers gunned down by unidentified attackers in two separate incidents on the outskirts of Gwadar on Saturday were buried in their hometown in Naushero Feroze, Sindh on Sunday.
    The victims' loved ones buried their relatives in their native village of Siddique Lakho. Two of the victims were said to be brothers while several were slated to be married in the coming months.
    One labourer was also said to have been injured in one of the attacks.
    The incidents took place in the Pishgan and Ganz area of Gwadar where the labourers were working on construction projects.
    In a statement, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the killing of innocent labourers, saying every step will be taken to bring peace to Balochistan. 
    Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti had termed the incident an attack on Pakistanis, saying the perpetrators will be brought to book. He added that it seems that RAW-funded terrorists are behind the attack.
    According to media reports, the banned Baloch Liberation Army has accepted responsibility for the attack.
    Funeral prayers offered 
    The funeral prayers of the labourers were offered at Gwadar Cricket Ground on Saturday evening. 
    Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Aamer Riaz also attended the funeral prayers. 
    The labourers' bodies, after completion of medico-legal formalities, were taken to their native hometowns in a military C-130 aircraft. 
     


  10. Waqas Dar
    Chinese banks will lend 380 billion yuan ($55.09 billion) to support Belt and Road cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, adding that China will also inject 100 billion yuan into a Silk Road Fund.
    China encourages financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses, and the overall scale is expected to reach 300 billion yuan, Xi said.
    On the other hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday pledged 60 billion yuan ($8.70 billion) in aid to countries and international organisations participating in its new Silk Road plan.


  11. Waqas Dar
    MELBOURNE: Australia´s cricket board has warned players will not be given alternative contracts if they fail to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement in an escalation of a protracted and increasingly bitter pay dispute.
    Australia´s professional cricketers rejected a pay offer from the sport´s governing body last month, saying the proposal was "a win for cricket administrators but a loss for cricket".
    CA released their proposal in March, offering large salary increases, particularly for women, but breaking with the 20-year model of a fixed percentage of revenue from the game going to the cricketers.
    Sutherland told the players´ association that they needed to meet terms with CA or players would go unpaid when the existing collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30."In the absence of the ACA (Australian Cricketers´ Association) negotiating a new MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), players with contracts expiring in 2016-17 will not have contracts for 2017-18," Sutherland said in a letter received by the ACA on Friday.
    "To be very clear, in the absence of a new MOU, CA is not contemplating alternative contracting arrangements to pay players beyond 30 June if their contracts have expired."
    Cricket Australia declined to comment further when contacted by Reuters.
    The ACA said in response that the "threats... were a window into the nature of CA´s behaviour in these negotiations so far."
    "There is incoherence and aggression in what we have experienced at the negotiating table from CA," ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said in a statement on Sunday.
    "This has further been demonstrated this week with some top players being offered multi-years deals one day only to now be threatened the next."
    The ACA has asked CA to go into mediation talks to try to end a dispute that has rumbled for over six months.
    Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc hinted at a players´ strike for the upcoming Ashes, the lucrative five-test series against England which starts in November.
    "Makes for an interesting men´s and women´s ashes," Starc wrote on Twitter.
    Former test all-rounder Shane Watson responded: "Well said @mstarc56 (Starc).
    It will be an interesting game of cricket without any players.
    "The current MoU will expire midway through the women´s World Cup which starts in England and Wales on June 24. The Australian women´s World Cup squad will be paid in advance of the June/July World Cup and will be employed until the end of the event," Sutherland said.
    Former Australia captain Mark Taylor, a CA board member, said the ACA were not prepared to negotiate and that players had threatened to strike as far back as January.
    "Cricket Australia feel that the ACA aren´t negotiating at all," he told a sports chat show on cricket broadcaster Nine Network on Sunday.
    "I have had players say to me in January that we could well be on strike in July.”


  12. Waqas Dar
    SEOUL: President Donald Trump called for tougher sanctions against North Korea after it fired a ballistic missile Sunday in an apparent bid to test the South´s new liberal president and the US.
    "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea," the White House said in a brief statement.
    The missile flew more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) surrounded by the Korean peninsula, Japan and the Russian far east.
    It impacted "so close to Russian soil ... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased," the White House said.
    North Korea "has been a flagrant menace for far too long," it said.
    Multiple sets of UN and US sanctions against North Korea have done little to deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear and missile ambitions.
    Trump has threatened military action against the North but recently appeared to have softened his stance, saying he would be "honoured" to meet leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.
    New South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who was inaugurated on Wednesday, slammed the missile test as a "reckless provocation" after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisors.
    He said the government strongly condemned this "grave challenge to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the international community," his spokesman Yoon Young-Chan said.
    ´Seeking leverage´
    Moon, unlike his conservative predecessors, advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang but warned Sunday that dialogue would be possible "only if the North changes its attitude".
    Moon had said in his inauguration speech that he was willing to visit Pyongyang "in the right circumstances" to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula.
    "The North is apparently trying to test Moon and see how his North Korea policy as well as policy coordination between the South and the US will take shape," said Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul.
    The launch was also aimed at "maximising the North´s political leverage" ahead of possible negotiations with the US, as Pyongyang and Washington both recently signalled they were open to talks, he added.
    "The North wants to show before negotiations that their precious, powerful weapon is not something they would give up so easily," Yang said.
    Moon and Washington have signalled an interest in negotiations to ease months of tensions.
    Choe Son-Hui, a senior official at the North´s foreign ministry handling its US policy, also said Saturday the North would be willing to hold talks with the US if the conditions are right.
    Washington has been looking to China for help in reining in Kim and the missile test is likely to embarrass Beijing, which is hosting a summit Sunday to promote its ambitious global trade infrastructure project.
    China, the isolated North´s sole major ally and economic lifeline, has been reluctant to exert pressure to upset the status quo in Pyongyang and risk an influx of refugees from its neighbour.
    ´Fast progress´
    The latest test was also the North´s first launch since a controversial US missile defence system deployed in the South became operational on May 2 and follows a failed April 29 ballistic missile test.
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed the latest missile launch as "totally unacceptable" and a "grave threat" to Tokyo.
    "We strongly protest against North Korea," he said.
    One recent missile launch staged in March saw three North Korean missiles falling provocatively close to Japan, sparking alarm in Tokyo.
    The North has staged two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the start of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.
    Most experts have doubted that the North has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with that range.
    But many say the isolated nation has made a great progress in its nuclear and missile capabilities since Kim took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.
    The US Pacific Command said Sunday´s launch did not appear to be an ICBM.
    Yang said however it showed "fast progress" in Pyongyang´s missile capability.
    The missile was fired from a site near the northwestern city of Kusong. A previous test at the same site in February sent a missile 500 kilometres, far less than Sunday´s launch.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Talk show host and actress Oprah Winfrey encouraged a 'life of substance' in her commencement speech at Agnes Scott College on Saturday.
    “Nothing wrong with great shoes,” Winfrey said. “For those who have a lot of shoes know, that having great shoes and closet full of shoes or cars, or houses or square footage, doesn't fill up your life, it doesn't, but living a life of substance can.”
    Read more: Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes most powerful celebrity list
    Winfrey also urged a “spiritual practice”, whether it's from church, meditation, singing or whatever “nurtures the essence of you”, she said.
    Check out her speech in its entirety here:
     

     


  14. Waqas Dar
    Businesses around the world scrambled on Saturday to prepare for a renewed cyber attack, convinced that a lull in a computer offensive that has stopped car factories, hospitals, schools and other organizations in around 100 countries was only temporary.
    The pace of the attack by a destructive virus dubbed WannaCry slowed late on Friday, after the so-called "ransomware" locked up more than 100,000 computers, demanding owners pay to $300 to $600 get their data back.
    "It's paused but it's going to happen again. We absolutely anticipate that this will come back," said Patrick McBride, an executive with cyber-security firm Claroty.
    Symantec predicted infections so far would cost tens of millions of dollars, mostly from cleaning corporate networks. Ransoms paid so far amount to only tens of thousands of dollars, one analyst said, but he predicted they would rise.
    Companies rushed to protect Windows systems with patches that Microsoft released last month and on Friday. WannaCry exploited a vulnerability to spread itself across networks, a rare and powerful feature that caused infections to surge on Friday.
    Code for exploiting that bug, which is known as "Eternal Blue," was released on the internet in March by a hacking group known as the Shadow Brokers. The group claimed it was stolen from a repository of National Security Agency hacking tools. The agency has not responded to requests for comment.
    The identity of the Shadow Brokers is not known, though many security researchers say they believe they are in Russia, which is a major source of ransomware and was one of the countries hit first and hardest by WannaCry.
    Cyber security experts, who have been on watch for months for an "Eternal Blue"-based attack, said on Saturday that they expect the computer code to be used in types of cyber attacks beyond extortion campaigns, including efforts to seize control of networks and steal data.
    Governments and private security firms on Saturday that they expect hackers to tweak the malicious code used in Friday's attack, restoring the ability to self-replicate. Those expectations prompted businesses to call in technicians to work over the weekend to make sure networks were protected with security updates needed to thwart Eternal Blue.
    "It's all hands on deck," said Shane Shook, an independent security consultant whose customers include large corporations and governments.
    Guillaume Poupard, head of France’s national cyber security agency, told Reuters he is concerned infections could surge again on Monday, when workers return to the office and turn on computers.
    A projection of cyber code on a hooded man is pictured in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017.
    The U.S. government on Saturday issued a technical alert with advice on how to protect against the attacks, asking victims to report attacks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Department of Homeland Security.
    Security software maker Avast said it had observed 126,534 ransomware infections in 99 countries, with Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan the top targets.
    Security experts said that they were not sure how many victims would pay the ransoms, or if access to computers was being restored after such payments.
    Elliptic, a private security firm that investigates ransomware attacks, said that only about $32,000 had been sent to bitcoin addresses listed by the extortionists in ransom demands that flashed on screens of infected computers.
    "We expect this number to increase significantly over the course of the weekend," said Tom Robinson, lead investigator at Elliptic.
    That is far below what it is likely to cost companies to recover from such attacks.
    Symantec researcher Vikram Thakur said that total repair costs are likely to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
    "The expensive part is the clean up of the machine and restoring the encrypted data," he said.
    Still, such figures do not account for lost production at firms like Renault, which on Saturday said it had halted stopped manufacturing at plants in Sandouville, France and Romania to prevent the spread of ransomware in its systems.
    Among the other victims is a Nissan manufacturing plant in Sunderland, northeast England, though a spokesman said "there has been no major impact on our business."
    Hundreds of hospitals and clinics in the British National Health Service were infected on Friday, forcing them to send patients to other facilities. On Saturday, Interior Minister Amber Rudd said that 97 percent of the nation's health service trusts were "working as normal."
    German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said some electronic signs at stations announcing arrivals and departures were infected.
    In Asia, some hospitals, schools, universities and other institutions were affected, though the full extent of the damage is not yet known due to the weekend.
    International shipper FedEx Corp said some of its Windows computers were also breached. "We are implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible," a FedEx statement said.
     Telecommunications company Telefonica was among many targets in Spain. Portugal Telecom and Telefonica Argentina both said they were also targeted.
    Europol's European Cybercrime Centre said it was working closely with national law enforcement agencies and private security firms to combat the threat and help victims.
    "The recent attack is at an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits," it said in a statement.
    Some experts said the threat had receded in part because a British-based researcher, who declined to give his name, registered a domain that he noticed the malware was trying to connect to, and so limited the worm's spread.
    Finance chiefs from the Group of Seven rich countries were to commit on Saturday to joining forces to fight the growing threat of international cyber attacks, according to a draft statement of a meeting they are holding in Italy.
    "Appropriate economy-wide policy responses are needed," the ministers said in their draft statement, seen by Reuters.


  15. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday hailed China’s One Belt One Road initiative as a powerful tool for overcoming terrorism and extremism in the region.
    Addressing a summit showcasing the One Belt One Road project in Beijing, PM Nawaz Sharif termed the initiative a ‘geo-economic revolution’ and said it would usher in unprecedented growth and accelerate reformation of global economic governance.
    Paying tribute to China’s revival of the Silk Road, the Prime Minister termed China a “close friend and trusted ally” of Pakistan.
    “We admire China’s vision of developing corridors across the region,” he said, adding that the massive initiative would be an important tool in fostering peace and development in the region.
    “OBOR would promote inclusion and tolerance and help in overcoming terrorism and extremism. Its most important impact would be on the poor and marginalized population through its objective of sustainable development,” he said.  
    The Prime Minister called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a core and flagship project of One Belt One Road and said it is an economic undertaking open to all countries in the region.
    “CPEC has the vision of a peaceful, connected and caring neighbourhood. It hopes to achieve unprecedented economic, social and cultural benefits and is creating new jobs, businesses, investments and entrepreneurship opportunities,” he said.
    CPEC is bridging the gap between economic growth and social development and tapping the full potential of the country’s youth, the Prime Minister added.
    The Chinese-bankrolled One Belt One Road project seeks to link China with Africa, Asia and Europe through an enormous network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks.
    The initiative spans some 65 countries representing 60 percent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product. The China Development Bank has earmarked $890 billion for some 900 projects.


  16. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday hailed China’s One Belt One Road initiative as a powerful tool to bring about a ‘geo-economic revolution’ in the region.
    Addressing a summit showcasing the One Belt One Road project in Beijing, PM Nawaz Sharif said the initiative would usher in unprecedented growth for the region and accelerate reformation of global economic governance.
    Paying tribute to China’s revival of the Silk Road, the Prime Minister termed China a “close friend and trusted ally” of Pakistan.
    “We admire China’s vision of developing corridors across the region,” he said, adding that the massive initiative would be an important tool in fostering peace and development in the region.
    “OBOR would promote inclusion and tolerance and help in overcoming terrorism and extremism. Its most important impact would be on the poor and marginalized population through its objective of sustainable development,” he said.  
    The Prime Minister called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a core and flagship project of One Belt One Road and said it is an economic undertaking open to all countries in the region.
    “CPEC has the vision of a peaceful, connected and caring neighbourhood. It hopes to achieve unprecedented economic, social and cultural benefits and is creating new jobs, businesses, investments and entrepreneurship opportunities,” he said.
    CPEC is bridging the gap between economic growth and social development and tapping the full potential of the country’s youth, the Prime Minister added.
    The Chinese-bankrolled One Belt One Road project seeks to link China with Africa, Asia and Europe through an enormous network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks.
    The initiative spans some 65 countries representing 60 percent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product. The China Development Bank has earmarked $890 billion for some 900 projects.


  17. Waqas Dar
    CANNES: The Cannes film festival opens on Wednesday in the French Riviera resort. Here are five essential -- and often surprising -- facts about the glitzy Mediterranean town:
    It nearly didn´t happen
    Timing is everything in cinema, they say, but as Cannes was to prove that´s not always the case. France´s great reforming education minister Jean Zay first came up with the idea of a global film festival in 1939 as a rival to the Venice festival, which was then the plaything of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his film-loving German friend Adolf Hitler.
    Biarritz on France´s Atlantic coast was first chosen to host it, but when it couldn´t raise the money, Cannes nipped in. However, war soon broke out and Mussolini´s troops marched into the town.
    It wasn´t until after the war in 1946 that the festival finally got going, quickly becoming the most important in the world.
    By then Zay was dead, murdered because he was a Jew by France´s collaborationist government. His ashes were moved to the Pantheon in Paris in 2015 as one of the leading heroes of the French Resistance.
    Lap of luxury 
    The myth of the French Riviera was created at the end of the 19th century by the crowned heads of Europe who wintered there. Their legacy -- and often their palatial villas -- has nowadays been taken up by Russian oligarchs and wealthy Gulf potentates.
    To serve their every whim, Cannes has more luxury goods shops than anywhere else in France outside Paris. Chanel, Chopard, Rolex, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior... no less than 70 top name brands have shops squeezed into the 800 metres (2,600 feet) of its seafront Croisette.
    Cat burglars
    Like bears to honey, where there is great wealth, there are always criminals eager to redirect a little of it their way.
    The Croisette has witnessed some of the biggest and most daring jewellery heists in history.
    A solitary robber, thought to be one of the infamous Pink Panthers, took gems worth 103 million euros ($112 million) from the Carlton hotel in 2013 where they were being displayed at an "Extraordinary Diamonds" exhibition.
    The surprisingly simple raid still holds the world record as the biggest heist of all time.
    That same year at the film festival a 1.6-million euro necklace was stolen and gems worth only slighty less also went missing.
    Then in 2015 only a few days before the festival began 17.5 million euros of jewellery was taken from the Cartier shop on the Croisette.
    If this seems like something from the movies it´s because it is. That connoisseur of crime Alfred Hitchcock made part of his 1955 classic "To Catch a Thief" about a Riviera cat burglar in the Carlton hotel.
    It was during the film shoot that Hollywood star Grace Kelly met Prince Rainier, the ruler of nearby Monaco. Their fairytale marriage later sealed Tinseltown´s links with the coast.
    It´s British actually 
    Cannes is a French town, but it was actually the British who made it what it is today. Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham, is the man who turned the sleepy fishing village into a fashionable resort.
    An anti-slavery campaigner and lord chancellor, the head of the judiciary, he encouraged wealthy British aristocrats and industrialists to build their winter homes there in the late 19th century.
    He also holds the record for speaking non-stop for six hours in the House of Commons.
    ´French Hollywood´ 
    From the dawn of cinema, when the Lumiere brothers shot their first short reels by its glittering shore, the Cote d´Azur has always attracted filmmakers.
    After the Lumieres´ stay in 1897, some of the greatest directors of the silent era descended on the coast to shoot exterior scenes, a trend that was to continue with the advent of the "talkies".
    The Victorine Studios in nearby Nice were once called "French Hollywood", with Marcel Carne shooting part of "Les Enfants du Paradis" -- often regarded as the greatest French film of all time -- there in 1944.
    Nowadays, however, Cannes has morphed into one of Europe´s conference capitals, hosting MIPTV, the world´s biggest television market, as well as the film festival every year.
     
     


  18. Waqas Dar
    KIEV: Portugal won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever early Sunday with a melancholy ballad performed by a singer who suffers from a serious heart condition.
    The fado-tinged song "Amar Pelos Dois" was performed by 27-year-old Salvador Sobral, who is awaiting a heart transplant.
    It scored a crushing victory, winning top marks both from the televoters and the countries´ professional juries.
    The black-clad singer took to a small separate stage for his minimalist performance of the song composed by his sister Luisa.
    "I don´t know about national hero," Portugal´s first ever winner told journalists afterwards, adding jokingly "I think the real hero is (Portugese footballer Cristiano) Ronaldo."
    "I just wanted to sing a beautiful song as it is -- it´s in Portugese," he said of his decision to sing in his native language despite speaking fluent English.
    "If I can help to bring some change to music, I will be really joyful."
    The ceremony in the capital of ex-Soviet Ukraine began with a glittering light show as the contestants took bows on a stage lit up in the colours of their respective national flags.
    Jon Ola Sand, executive supervisor of Eurovision afterwards praised the "amazing set-up" in Ukraine and Sobral´s performance.
    He said the winner was "bringing music back to the Eurovision Song Contest."
    But the glitzy contest was marred by the ongoing fighting with Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko opted not to attend after four civilian deaths.
    The annual celebration of catchy europop, ludicrous costumes and glittering divas watched by some 200 million TV viewers was being hosted by Ukraine for the second time.
    Bulgaria´s big-voiced 17-year-old singer Kristian Kostov came second with a confident performance of "Beautiful Mess".
    Third was Moldova´s SunStroke Project with a raucous song called "Hey, Mamma" featuring a saxophonist in sunglasses and dancers in wedding dresses and veils.
    The latest edition of the contest, that began in 1956 with just seven countries, offered the usual wacky stage acts and cheesy beats.
    Italian Francesco Gabbani, who came sixth, invoked Hamlet and Desmond Morris´s anthropology book "The Naked Ape" in his song while a gorilla-costumed dancer boogied alongside him.
    Romania came seventh with an unlikely combination of yodelling and rap while Azerbaijan´s act that came 14th featured a man wearing a horse´s head on a stepladder.
    Macedonia´s contestant Jana Burceska failed to make the final but stole the show during the semi-finals by receiving a televised marriage proposal and screaming "Yes!" as her boyfriend knelt down with a ring.
    Britain may be experiencing a post-Brexit vote chill in Europe, but pulled out all the stops with a big ballad performed by Lucie Jones, coming 15th.
    Portugal was celebrating their big win Saturday with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saying: "When we are very good, we´re the best of the best. Congratulations Salvador Sobral."
    Garlands, rainbow flags 
    Ahead of the show, fans streamed into the venue, an exhibition centre outside the city centre, wearing flower garlands and draped in national flags while some waved rainbow gay pride flags.
    "It´s just so great. Everyone loves it. And you just wanna be here!" shouted Jasmine from Britain, wearing a garland of ribbons and flowers.
    For the contest, Kiev´s main Kreshchatyk Street was transformed into a Eurovision fan zone with a large stage, beanbags and European Union flags.
    Fans with flags painted on their faces snapped selfies, danced, sang and drank beer.
    Amid heightened security, some 10,000 police were deployed on the streets, some carrying semi-automatic weapons.
    Impact of war 
    Ukraine was hosting Eurovision amid a continuing armed conflict with pro-Russian separatists in the country´s industrial east that has now killed more than 10,000.
    A top Ukrainian official said Saturday that "Russian invading forces" had killed four civilians in shelling hours before the contest started.
    And that news led President Poroshenko to cancel his appearance at Eurovision.
    He wrote on Facebook that "due to the shelling of Avdiivka and the death of peaceful civilians, I took a decision to cancel my presence at the Eurovision final."
    Russia was also conspicuously absent.
    Kiev barred Russia´s singer Yuliya Samoilova because she had illegally entered Crimea to perform there after Moscow´s disputed annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.
    Russia responded by refusing to air the contest and viewers in separatist eastern Ukraine were also unable to watch.
    Russia has vowed that Samoilova will compete in 2018, placing Ukraine in a tricky dilemma over whether to participate alongside her.
    Ukraine first hosted Eurovision in 2005 when the contest symbolised the country´s quest to open up to Europe after the 2004 pro-Western Orange Revolution.
    Last year its contestant Jamala won with a song called "1944", referring to the Stalin-era deportation of her Crimean Tatar ethnic group from the Black Sea peninsula.
    This year, Ukraine has used the contest to take tentative steps to soften the climate of homophobia prevalent in the ex-Soviet Union.
    The authorities handed out a map of gay-friendly venues to fans of the contest with a massive gay following.


  19. Waqas Dar
    HYDERABAD: The rail link between Karachi and Hyderabad is yet to be reopened despite the passage of more than 24 hours since the collision of two trains near Kotri.
    Officials said rescue operations are still under way to clear the debris from the railway tracks.
    Two goods trains collided between the Bholari and Meeting Pul near Kotri early Saturday morning; with no casualties reported.
    The incident halted rail traffic to and from Karachi; with reports coming in on Saturday that over seven trains have been halted at the Hyderabad and Kotri railway stations.
    The Karachi-Hyderabad route will take at least one day to be restored and reopened for trains, railway officials said on Saturday. Two trains were dispatched to the crash site in order to help with the clearing operations.
    On Saturday, officials of the Pakistan Railways had stated that the tracks could be reopened by night. However, that has claim has been proved false as clearing and repair work is still under way and the rail route blocked.
    Giving details of the accident, Railways DS Nisar Memon had said around 23 bogies were derailed after a goods train transporting containers to Lahore crashed into the rear side of another train carrying oil to Multan. 


  20. Waqas Dar
    Hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country on Sunday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasted.
    Dust, thunderstorm, and rain with gusty winds are expected at a few places in Quetta, Zhob, Malakand, Hazara, Bannu, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha divisions, upper FATA, and Kashmir.
    Read more: 7 easy hacks to beat the heat
    Past weather      
    The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. Dust, thunderstorm and rain with gusty winds occurred at isolated places in Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan, Kalat, Malakand, Hazara divisions, and Kashmir.
    Rainfall in the last 24 hours (mm)                               
    Read more: Here's how to beat the heatwave this summer
    Punjab: Bahawalpur (City 11, AP 2), D.G.Khan, Kot Addu, Muree 1, Balochistan: Khuzdar 3, KP: Malamjabba 13, Lower Dir 03, Balakot, Saidu sharif 02, Kashmir: Rawalakot 04.
    Yesterday's highest temperatures           
    Jacobabad, R.Y khan, Larkana, Noorpur thal 45°C, Bhakkar, Sibbi, Chhor 44°C.
     
     
    Date courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department


  21. Waqas Dar
    GWADAR: The bodies of ten labourers gunned down by unidentified attackers in two separate incidents on the outskirts of Gwadar on Saturday have been brought to their hometown in Naushero Feroze, Sindh.
    The victims' loved ones will be burying them in their native village of Siddique Lakho.
    One labourer was also said to have been injured in one of the attacks.
    The incidents took place in the Pishgan and Ganz area of Gwadar where the labourers were working on construction projects.
    In a statement, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the killing of innocent labourers, saying every step will be taken to bring peace to Balochistan. 
    Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti had termed the incident an attack on Pakistanis, saying the perpetrators will be brought to book. He added that it seems that RAW-funded terrorists are behind the attack.
    According to media reports, the banned Baloch Liberation Army has accepted responsibility for the attack.
    Funeral prayers offered 
    The funeral prayers of the labourers were offered at Gwadar Cricket Ground on Saturday evening. 
    Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Aamer Riaz also attended the funeral prayers. 
    The labourers' bodies, after completion of medico-legal formalities, were taken to their native hometowns in a military C-130 aircraft. 
     


  22. Waqas Dar
    BEIJING: China opened on Sunday a summit to promote an ambitious global trade infrastructure project highlighting its growing leadership on globalisation, but a North Korean missile test threatened to overshadow the event.
    President Xi Jinping was preparing to host leaders from 29 nations for the two-day summit in Beijing when US and South Korean military officials confirmed that Pyongyang had launched a missile, whose characteristics were not immediately known.
    Delegations from North Korea and the United States were expected at the forum, though not their leaders. Few Western heads of government made the trip.
    The summit is showcasing Xi´s cherished One Belt, One Road initiative, a revival of the Silk Road that could cement China´s growing global clout on trade and geopolitics.
    "This is indeed a gathering of great minds," Xi said, addressing leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
    Xi hailed the initiative as "a project of the century" in a "world fraught with challenges".
    The Chinese-bankrolled project seeks to link the country with Africa, Asia and Europe through an enormous network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks.
    The initiative spans some 65 countries representing 60 percent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product. The China Development Bank has earmarked $890 billion for some 900 projects.
    Xi did not address the North Korean missile launch at the start of the summit, but Beijing has warned its communist ally in recent months to avoid any new missile or nuclear tests.
    North Korea relies heavily on trade with China for its economic survival, and US President Donald Trump has urged Xi to use that leverage to put pressure on Pyongyang.
    Sunday´s missile launch "is absolutely an embarrassment to Beijing but it also shouldn´t be overstated", Christopher Balding, economics professor at Peking University, told AFP.
    "This will not overshadow (the summit) in an enormous way but it will absolutely continue to raise US frustrations with Beijing," he said.
    Balding said the US was "frustrated" that North Korea was also invited to the summit.
    Respecting sovereignty
    Xi focused his speech on his initiative, boasting that it represented a "road for peace" and a way to "forge partnerships of friendship rather than alliance".
    But he cautioned "all countries should respect each others´ sovereignty... and territorial integrity".
    Xi has defended globalisation at a time when Trump has vowed to put "America First" when it comes to international trade and relations.
    Europe, meanwhile, is mired in Britain´s looming EU exit. While the prime ministers of Spain, Greece and Italy accepted the summit invitation, German, British and French leaders stayed home.
    Xi warned that "isolation results in backwardness".
    Belt and Road is seen as a practical solution to relieve China´s industrial overcapacity. But it could also serve Beijing´s geopolitical ambitions.
    "In my view, Belt and Road is intended to create greater economic interdependence between China and its neighbours, which Beijing hopes will translate into increased political influence," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
    "Xi Jinping wants China to become the dominant regional power in an essentially Sino-centric order," Glaser told AFP.
    Indian concerns
    Some Belt and Road projects are raising concerns in certain countries.
    India has voiced displeasure at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a Belt and Road project aimed at linking northwestern China to the Arabian Sea.
    The route cuts through Gilgit and Baltistan in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, disputed territory that India claims is illegally occupied.
    Human Rights Watch raised concerns on Saturday about the treatment of people along the new Silk Road route in Central Asian nations with poor track records in infrastructure projects.
    The US-based organisation said Chinese authorities have "heightened surveillance and repression to prevent potential unrest that could impede" Belt and Road plans in the western Xinjiang region.


  23. Waqas Dar
    SEOUL: North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday in an apparent test of the South´s new president who backs engagement with Pyongyang.
    The missile flew about 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea´s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The US Pacific Command said it did not appear to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.
    New South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who was inaugurated on Wednesday, slammed the test as a "reckless provocation" after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisors.
    He said the government strongly condemned this "grave challenge to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the international community," his spokesman Yoon Young-Chan said.
    Moon, unlike his conservative predecessors, advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang but warned Sunday that dialogue would be possible "only if the North changes its behaviour".
    Moon had said in his inauguration speech that he was willing to visit Pyongyang "in the right circumstances" to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula, with Pyongyang and Washington exchanging hostile rhetoric.
    US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against the North but recently appears to have softened his stance, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North´s leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.
    A senior Pyongyang diplomat said Saturday the North would be willing to hold talks with the US if the conditions are right.
    Washington has been looking to China for help in reining in Kim and the missile test is likely to embarrass Beijing, which is hosting a summit Sunday to promote its ambitious global trade infrastructure project.
    It was also North Korea´s first launch since a controversial US missile defence system deployed in South Korea became operational on May 2 and follows a failed April 29 ballistic missile test.
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed the latest missile launch as "totally unacceptable" and a "grave threat" to Tokyo.
    "We strongly protest against North Korea," he said.
    The missile was launched from a site near the northwestern city of Kusong, according to the South´s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
    North Korea test-fired a missile from the same city in February with the missile flying more than 500 kilometres.
    The North has staged two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the start of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.
    Most experts have doubted that the North has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with that range.
    But many say the isolated nation has made a great progress in its nuclear and missile capabilities since Kim took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.


  24. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A man died and 10 others were injured in separate incidents in Karachi late Saturday, police and rescue members said.
    A passenger bus overturned near Natha Khan Bridge in the megapolis, leaving a man dead and eight others wounded, rescue members said. The body and wounded passengers were shifted to hospital.
    The cause of the incident could not immediately be known.
    Two people were injured in separate shootings in Orangi Town and Landhi Industrial Area late this night.
    Meanwhile, police conducted raids in Pakistan Bazar and Baldia Town's Madina Colony areas, and held 11 suspects.
    They were moved to different police stations for interrogation.


  25. Waqas Dar
    ROSEAU, Dominica: Departing stalwarts Younis Khan and captain Misbah ul Haq failed to make an impact in their farewell international innings but Pakistan were poised to press for a series-clinching victory over the West Indies at stumps on the fourth day at Windsor Park in Dominica on Saturday.
    Following the tedium of the first three days which saw a total of 15 wickets falling, 14 tumbled on the penultimate day of the series, ending with the home side at seven for one after being set a daunting victory target of 304.
    Mohammad Abbas claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket to trigger a West Indies first innings collapse to 247 all out in the morning after they resumed at 218 for five with the match appearing at the start of the day to be dragging towards a dreary draw.
    "Eight seasons of first-class cricket bowling long spells prepared me for this opportunity," said Abbas.
    "I dedicate this performance to both Misbah and Younis because it is my great fortune to play with them but also unfortunate for it to be their last series."
     

    In attempting to build on that considerable lead of 129 Pakistan crashed to 90 for seven before Yasir Shah, with a Test-best 38 not out, and a determined 27 from Mohammad Amir allowed Misbah the luxury of a second innings declaration at 174 for eight late in the day.
    Shah and Amir put on 61 for the eighth wicket and benefited from the continuing West Indian epidemic of errors in the field. Shah was caught behind off a no-ball from leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and two catches were missed as the tail wagged and the home side wilted.
    Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph claimed three wickets but the West Indies´ failure to press home the advantage after getting Younis and Misbah cheaply proved costly.
    Shah then turned the screws on his opponents when he removed Kieran Powell to a catch at silly point with what proved to be the final ball of an eventful day.
    Abbas demolition job
    Abbas´ early demolition job gave Pakistan a match-winning platform although their top-order batting failed to build on that considerable advantage.
    Shan Masood and Younis Khan added 49 for the third wicket in mid-afternoon before Shannon Gabriel took his second wicket of the innings in prising out Masood.
    His demise ushered in Misbah for his last innings but there was to be no fairytale as he attempted to hoist Bishoo out of the ground in the leg-spinner´s first over and succeeded only in getting a spiralling top-edge for wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich to take the catch.
    Younis also succumbed to Bishoo just before tea for 35, his errant sweep being well caught by Powell diving at backward square-leg.
     

    Pakistan looked set to squander their hard-earned lead when Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq fell cheaply at the start of the final session but Shah and Amir rode their considerable luck in an entertaining partnership.
    As well as they played though, the individual honours on the day belonged to Abbas.
    Increasingly impressive in his first Test series, the fast-medium bowler took the last four wickets of the West Indies innings for three runs in a four-over spell after an early breakthrough from fellow pacer Amir to finish with the excellent figures of five for 46 off 25 disciplined overs.
    Amir removed Dowrich to just the fourth ball of the day which brought in Roston Chase.
    Forced to retire hurt on 60 the previous evening due to a blow on his right elbow, he was progressing in partnership with captain Jason Holder until Abbas replaced Amir from the pavilion end.
    Chase was bowled off his pads for 69 by a full-length delivery and Bishoo then edged his first ball low to second slip where the ever-reliable Younis came up with his tenth catch of the series. That effort put him into the record books for the most catches ever by a Pakistani fielder in a Test series.


×
×
  • Create New...