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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    The 15-nation Caribbean community is angry at the United States for labelling virtually all members of the regional trade bloc as money laundering jurisdictions and plans to mount a stiff lobbying effort in Washington, its leader said Friday.
    CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque said the United States's listing 14 member states in its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report could have devastating effects on the region.
    Most of the countries have economies heavily dependent on tourism and financial services such as offshore banking and economic citizenships.
    "I think these unilateral blacklistings are not helping anything," he said, adding that "there ought to be some discussion and transparency on how these lists are arrived at."
    La Rocque spoke to AFP after the issue was discussed by CARICOM trade ministers at a two-day meeting in Guyana, on the northeast coast of South America.
    He said that when CARICOM foreign ministers meet in Barbados next month, they would prepare the groundwork to intensify regional lobbying efforts that individual member states have already begun in Washington.
    The only CARICOM member state not blacklisted by Washington was Montserrat, a British overseas territory.
    La Rocque insisted CARICOM members comply with international norms for fighting money laundering.
    "And all of a sudden we see these unilateral blacklistings. This is not the way to do it," he said.
    In recent years, a number of US commercial banks have cut relationships with some banks across the Caribbean in an effort to reduce the risk of being exposed to movement of dirty money across borders, as part of the global fight against money laundering and terror financing.
    Listed as "major money laundering countries" in the INCS report are Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
    Other Caribbean territories and countries also labeled as money launderers in the US report are Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, the Dominican Republic and Saint Maarten.
    Also listed are Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and United Kingdom.


  2. Waqas Dar
    The enigmatic champion of a global movement for transparency and democracy. A Russian stooge. A West-hating attention-seeker. A cold fish with questionable attitudes and alleged diabolical sexual mores.
    Julian Assange has been labeled all of these -- and many things besides -- since starting out as a media-savvy Robin Hood figure, wrestling facts from the powerful and serving them up unexpurgated for the masses.
    Now, a fugitive from justice dogged by accusations of sexual assault and living a hermetic existence in London's Ecuadoran embassy for the last five years, he cuts a more embattled, slippery figure.
    "Risk," a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, starts out as an unsettlingly ambivalent portrait of the award-winning iconoclast but ends up revealing a darker side to Assange.
    Filmed over six tumultuous years and taking in the 2016 US presidential election, it takes viewers closer than any previous film crew into Assange's inner sanctum.
    "This is not the film I thought I was making. I thought I could ignore the contradictions, I thought they were not part of the story. I was wrong. They are becoming the story," Poitras says in a voiceover.
    US cable network Showtime announced in April it had partnered with Neon to roll out the film at 36 US locations during May, before a television premiere later in summer.
    WikiLeaks, founded by Assange in 2006, specializes in large-scale breaches of classified data that have made headlines around the world, as well as challenging the ethics of security services.
    The 45-year-old computer programmer has claimed political asylum at the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012, having taken refuge to avoid being sent to Sweden.
    Misogyny

    There is an international arrest warrant out to get him to face allegations of unlawful coercion, sexual molestation and rape dating back to 2010.
    Poitras's profile of Assange, who denies any wrongdoing, is a follow-up to her Academy Award-winning "Citizenfour" (2014), about fugitive leaker Edward Snowden and the NSA spying scandal.
    Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of "Risk" is its success in shedding light on the ugly misogyny that runs through so much of the tech world, showing Assange describing the sexual assault allegations against him as the product of a feminist conspiracy.
    He even suggests that if the alleged victims said sorry to him, he would "apologize for anything I did or didn't do to hurt their feelings."
    "Risk" also gets up-close with security expert and close Assange ally Jacob Appelbaum, revealing that he is also facing accusations of sexual misconduct, which he too denies.
    Assange doesn't accept that he and Poitras fell out, but appears through messages she reads out on camera to become colder with her, bruised by the fact that she didn't use WikiLeaks to publish Snowden's NSA material.
    "That kind of created I think, as you see in the film, a tension between myself and Julian," the 53-year-old said during a Q&A following the North American premiere at the Art of the Real festival in New York last week.
    At its height, WikiLeaks could claim to have provided valuable insights into the war on terror, helped bring about the Arab Spring and shone a light on civilian deaths in Iraq.
    Potent force

    Regardless of Assange's plummeting stock in the bourse of public opinion, the organization he founded remains undeniably relevant -- a potent force in geopolitics.
    "Risk" underlines its continued influence in the confusion surrounding Assange's intervention in the US presidential election, and his suspected ties with Russia and with members of the Trump campaign.
    In July WikiLeaks published 20,000 hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, some innocuous but others hugely damaging to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
    By October, WikiLeaks was publishing thousands of emails from Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, prompting effusive praise from then-candidate Donald Trump.
    Assange denies that Russia or any other state was behind the leak.
    Despite its focus on the murky world of espionage, "Risk" does have its lighter side, including a hilarious cameo by Lady Gaga paying a visit to Assange.
    But had Poitras filmed for a few more months, her documentary could have had a romantic coda.
    In a bizarre twist in the Assange saga, ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has recently emerged as a rumored love interest of the secretive Australian, and in a poem posted on her website she complains about the "narrow lens Laura has picked."
    The 49-year-old actress has reportedly visited the fugitive several times in recent months.


  3. Waqas Dar
    President Donald Trump on Friday warned his sacked FBI director against "leaking" information to reporters, as the White House refused to deny that the president records his conversations with visitors.
    Capping a week in which Trump faced a slew of criticism for firing the man investigating his campaign's possible ties to Russia, Trump told James Comey there could be retribution if he tells the press about their private conversations.
    "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump said, in a morning Twitter tirade that painted a picture of a president under siege and lashing out.
    Furious with the news coverage of the White House's shifting explanations on Comey's sacking, Trump suggested the media was wrong to expect his spokespeople to be 100 percent accurate.
    "As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!" he tweeted.
    Trump then went on to suggest scrapping the traditional White House briefings that have existed in some form since the Woodrow Wilson administration almost a century ago.
    A briefing was nevertheless held Friday, and spokesman Sean Spicer pushed back against charges that the Republican billionaire president had threatened Comey.
    "That's not a threat. He's simply stating a fact," Spicer said tersely. "I'm moving on."
    When pressed about whether Trump recorded his conversations with Comey or others, Spicer responded: "The president has nothing further to add on that."
    Trump's bareknuckle comments immediately fueled fresh comparisons between his administration and that of disgraced president Richard Nixon, who famously recorded his conversations -- a fact that sped his downfall during the Watergate scandal.
    "Presidents are supposed to have stopped routinely taping visitors without their knowledge when Nixon's taping system was revealed in 1973," tweeted presidential historian Michael Beschloss.
    Angry Democrats

    Congressional Democrats fumed, with House Intelligence Committee vice-chairman Adam Schiff challenging Trump.
    "The president should immediately provide any such recordings to Congress or admit, once again, to have made a deliberately misleading -- and in this case threatening -- statement," Schiff said.
    In his morning tweetstorm, Trump brought the issue back to Russia, referring to the assertion by the former head of national intelligence that Trump was, to his knowledge, not colluding with Moscow.
    "When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt, says there is no collusion, when does it end?" Trump tweeted.
    The White House initially asserted Comey's dismissal had nothing to do with the Russian investigations, which continue to be an albatross around the neck of Trump's presidency.
    Instead, they said, the president fired Comey on the advice of senior Justice Department officials including Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who in a memo expressed concern about Comey's handling of a 2016 probe into Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton.
    But Trump shattered that explanation himself Thursday when he said he had always intended to fire Comey, and that his decision was linked to the ongoing investigation into his campaign's Russia ties.
    Made up story

    "When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story," Trump said in an interview with NBC on Thursday.
    The startling admission fanned suggestions Trump may be interfering with the investigation and promoted Comey allies to refute Trump's account of events.
    The Comey controversy has rattled lawmakers across the political spectrum. In a bid to allay concerns, Senate leaders invited Rosenstein to brief all 100 senators next week.
    Rosenstein accepted, although the date was being finalized, a Senate aide said.
    The Senate Intelligence Committee invited Comey himself to testify Tuesday behind closed doors. But panel aides told AFP that Comey has declined.
    Trump told NBC that he had asked Comey on three occasions whether he was personally under investigation.
    "I actually asked him, yes. I said, 'If it's possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?' He said, 'You are not under investigation,'" Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey's firing Tuesday.


  4. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI/PARACHINAR: Security forces on Friday foiled a major terror bid in Parachinar by seizing an explosives-laden vehicle, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
    The ISPR said that an alert was received on March 25 about terrorists' plan to explode a vehicle laden with improvised explosives devices (IEDs).
    The possible target of the attack could be both civilians or security personnel in Parachinar and surroundings, the alert stated.
    Thereafter, law enforcement and intelligence agencies were on a hunt to track down the vehicles, the ISPR said.
    On May 11, the vehicle, White Binjo 2005/6 model, was tracked down near Kharlachi area, which the security forces seized soon afterwards.
    Heavy explosives were found fitted inside the vehicle.


  5. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A man brutally killed his wife, two children and brother-in-law over a domestic dispute in Karachi late Friday, police said.
    The suspect, Mannan Bangali, killed his wife, children and brother-in-law with deadly blows of an iron rod in Karachi's Orangi Town area.
    The deceased woman, Rabia, was his second wife, while his first wife had died, the suspect told police while confessing to the gruesome act.
    The husband and wife would often quarrel over domestic issues.
    Mannan, in his confessional statement, claimed that Rabia had attacked him with the rod, which raged him and he killed her, their two children and his brother-in-law.
    The suspect was also injured during the episode.
    Police have also been investigating the suspect's son from his first marriage, sources told Geo News.
    His son, Asif, was called by neighbours to the suspect's home, they added.


  6. Waqas Dar
    Rafael Nadal will aim to keep his unbeaten start to the clay season going when he meets Novak Djokovic for a 50th time in the Madrid Masters semi-finals on Saturday.
    Nadal is now 13-0 on clay this year as he swept aside Belgian ninth seed David Goffin 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 much to the delight a boisterous home crowd under the roof on the Manolo Santana centre court.
    Djokovic had an even easier day as he moved into the last four without hitting a ball on Friday as Kei Nishikori withdrew with a wrist injury.
    The Serb has a marginal 26-23 head-to-head record against Nadal.
    However, the two haven't met for nearly a year during which time Djokovic's form has dramatically dipped.
    "It's going to be a very tough match against one of the best players in the history of the sport," insisted Nadal.
    "I've been playing at a high level for many weeks, but I know tomorrow is a day when either I'll have to play really well or I'm not going to have many chances."
    Nadal eased past Goffin 6-3, 6-1 in their only previous meeting on his way to winning the Monte Carlo Masters last month before also lifting a 10th Barcelona Open.
    And only poor returning on his break point opportunities denied Nadal just as convincing a scoreline as the Spaniard took only two of his 14 chances.
    The 14-time Grand Slam champion had break points in the fourth and sixth game of the first set, but had to settle for breaking Goffin's resolve in a tie-break.
    Nadal finally broke in the third game of the second set before having to stave off four break points on his own serve to consolidate his lead at 3-1.
    The level of play from both players rose in a remarkable game with Goffin serving at 2-4 down as he kept Nadal at bay despite facing four break points, including one incredible cross-court backhand as he ran back to the baseline after being lobbed.
    Nadal wasn't to be denied, though, as he broke once more and served out to seal victory after exactly two hours on court.
    On the other side of the draw Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas advanced to his first ever Masters series semi-final by outlasting German wonder kid Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.
    The Uruguayan will face Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals after the Austrian swept aside Andy Murray's conqueror Borna Coric 6-1, 6-4.
    Halep into third final

    In the Women's Madrid Open, defending champion Simona Halep cruised back into the final for the third time in four years with a 6-2, 6-3 success over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.
    "I heard that I am the first player who does three finals here this tournament," said Halep.
    "I feel like (at) home here.
    "The crowd is supporting me all the time. The courts fit me. I feel that the altitude is helping me also."
    The Romanian reeled off five straight games to close out the opening set.
    Sevastova hinted at a fightback early in the second as she got out to a 3-0 lead.
    But Halep bounced back in emphatic fashion to win the last six games for the loss of just 14 points.
    Halep will face in-form Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, who overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), to make her third final of the season.


  7. Waqas Dar
    Michy Batshuayi's late goal clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea as they beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday but they were made to fight all the way for the victory they craved at The Hawthorns.
    Chelsea were suffering some late nerves as West Brom threatened to prolong the title race but substitute Batshuayi prodded home the winner after 82 minutes to spark wild celebrations from Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.
    The victory, Chelsea's 28th of the season, put the long-time league leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have only three games left to play.
    Italian Conte is only the fourth manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt, emulating his Stamford Bridge predecessors Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as well as Manuel Pellegrini who achieved the feat with Manchester City.


  8. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Member Parliamentary Committee on CPEC and International relations expert Senator Mushahid Hasan Syed said that the forthcoming One Belt One Road (OBOR) conference is the most important event for modern China.
    Speaking in Geo News' programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath from Beijing, he said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not only the part of OBOR but in fact, it is its pillar.
    “Pakistan is the only country which is sharing the land and maritime route for the project,” he said. “I believe that China is becoming the centre of economy and in the 21st century's balance of power – be it political, strategic or economy are also shifting from West to East.”
    Syed said that 28 head of states are visiting the conference and the United States may also send their representative to the conference, further adding that more than 1500 foreigners will be present in the conference.
    “In last 35 years, China alleviated status of 70 million people from poverty to middle class. China's economic and development model has met success” he said.
    Responding to a question, the senator said that people in Pakistan should not have any apprehensions on the rising Chinese role in the international politics and in Pakistan.
    “We were once begging for Rs200 million in front of the international community – no one helped us. But China has put confidence in Pakistan's future, masses, economy and with that our image has changed.
    “China see Pakistan has a future, Pakistan as an emerging market and because of their support Pakistan has become a key player. Gwadar, Thar Coal Railways were dead projects – they are now reviving because of our neighbour.”  
    Meanwhile Pime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with four chief ministers and several federal ministers has reached China on a six-day official visit. 
     In the six-day sojourn, the premier is also scheduled to meet high-level Chinese leadership.
    Sharif is accompanied by chief ministers of all four provinces, as well as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Railways Minister Saad Rafique, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir and IT Minister Anushay Rehman, among others. 
    The high-level delegation left Friday morning in a special plane from Islamabad airport. 
    “Pakistan is an important partner of China in promoting One Belt One Road Initiative and we believe that Prime Minister Sharif’s visit and his attendance at the forum will give a boost to our cooperation in the relevant fields,” Geng Shuang — a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry — said while responding to a question during his regular press briefing.
    The spokesperson said, as an organiser and host of the forum, China will warmly welcome all the guests from around the world, including Pakistan.
    He said the CPEC is a premier and pilot project of the One Belt One Road Initiative and progress has already made in this regard.
    “The forum will be held from May 14, 15 and we all are looking forward to it,” he added.
    According to official sources, during his stay in China, the prime minister will also hold important meetings with the top Chinese leadership, particularly Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Kaqiang, to further promote bilateral relations between the two countries.
    On the first day of the forum, the prime minister will attend the inaugural session of the One Belt One Road Summit, a plenary meeting of high-level dialogue and the state banquet.

    The prime minister will also attend leaders’ roundtable sessions scheduled to be held on the second day of the forum.
     


  9. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases has made first of its free mobile chest pain units operational at the busy thoroughfare of Gulshan Chowrangi.
    Functional under the Gulshan fly-over, the facility manned by trained paramedics and equipped with basic yet essential gadgets is meant to provide basic emergency medical care to people in need.
    NICVD Chief Operating Officer, Azra Maqsood talking to APP said the Institute plans to have 14 such units across the city so that people suffering from chest, owing to any reason are provided on the spot assistance.
    Examination by trained personnel will also help to cater to their needs in accordance to relevant condition, she said.
    “Basically idea is to provide urgent assistance and also reduce the pressure on the emergency section of different heart-care hospitals.”
    It is not unusual to find people with gastric problems or any condition other than cardiac in nature being brought to cardiology centres, said Azra Maqsood.


  10. Waqas Dar
    Italy's antitrust watchdog said on Friday it was imposing a 3 million-euro ($3.3 million) fine on messaging service WhatsApp for allegedly obliging users to agree to sharing their personal data with its parent company Facebook.
    All 28 European Union data protection authorities asked WhatsApp last year to stop sharing users' data with Facebook due to doubts over the validity of users' consent.
    The Italian agency said the application led users to believe they would not have been able to continue using the service unless they agreed to terms including sharing personal data.
    A spokesperson for WhatsApp said in an emailed comment: "We're reviewing the decision and we look forward to responding to officials."
    The fine is lower than the maximum 5 million euros the agency could have levied.
    The Italian agency said it had also found other aspects of WhatsApp's terms of use were unfair, including allowing for unexplained interruptions to service and only the provider having the right to terminate the agreement.


  11. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: Visitors to the White House can now visit the cloakroom-turned-movie theatre where Dwight Eisenhower used to sneak off to watch westerns and where Jimmy Carter screened "All The President´s Men."
    The decision to open up the private presidential theatre -- set up in a large cloakroom by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1942 -- was made by Melania Trump, the president´s wife.
    "The White House belongs to the people of this country," the first lady said.
    "I believe everyone who takes the time to visit and tour the White House should have as much access to its rich history and wonderful traditions as possible. It is my hope that our visitors truly enjoy the newest piece of the tour."
    Among the biggest movie buffs to have occupied the Oval Office were Eisenhower, a fan of westerns and Gary Cooper flicks in particular and Richard Nixon, who liked black-and-white musicals such as "Yankee Doodle Dandy."
    An even bigger cinephile was Carter, who held two or three movie nights a week.
    Carter watched 480 movies while in the White House, more than any other president. His first White House movie showing was "All The President´s Men," the story of the Watergate scandal that toppled Nixon.
    Despite being a former actor, Ronald Reagan was not such a big viewer, although he did like to watch his own movies with his wife Nancy on his birthday, according to the White House Museum website. He did, however, remodel the screening room to have 51 tiered seats.
    George W. Bush´s tastes ran more to the Austin Powers spy spoof series, although -- as the wars he launched in Afghanistan and Iraq ground on for years -- he was said to have turned more to gritty combat movies like "Black Hawk Down" and the Vietnam film "We Were Soldiers."
    Barack Obama screened "To Kill a Mocking Bird" to mark the 50th anniversary of the film about racial prejudice in the US South.
    The first movie put on by Donald Trump when he came to office in January was "Finding Dory," the animated tale of a fish looking for its parents.
    It was screened the same weekend that protests broke out across the US over Trump´s travel ban on visitors entering the US from seven predominantly Muslim states.
    The theatre is located in the East Wing of the White House, which also feature Roosevelt´s WWII bomb shelter.
    The first movie ever screened in the White House was "Birth of a Nation," a 1915 movie about the Civil War that sparked controversy for glorifying the Ku Klux Klan.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Katrina Kaif’s latest role in Aamir Khan starer 'Thugs of Hindostan' has even surprised Bollywood megastar, Salman Khan.
    The actor, who is currently working with Katrina in Tiger Zinda Hai, expressed his surprise in the most adorable of ways.
    The 'Dabangg' star took to Twitter and tweeted: "I'm such a big Tubelight that I just got to know that Tiger's tigress is a Thug."
    Not only that, Salman also put up a gorgeous picture of the Bollywood diva along the message.
    Well, this witty and affectionate message by Katrina’s long time friend Salman Khan is sure to be equally delightful for the fans of the two.
    The news of ‘Namaste London’ star being a part of Aamir Khan’s much-awaited project Thugs of Hindostan was nothing short of a pleasant surprise in itself.
    It was earlier speculated that Salman Khan had suggested Katrina’s name for the film and seems like the role finally landed onto her lap.
     

    via GIPHY


  13. Waqas Dar
    SARGODHA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Friday that loadshedding has reached its peak, adding that power outage and scarcity of water are being reported from every corner of the country.
    Imran Khan was addressing a rally in Sargodha. 
    He took a jibe at Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, referring to his earlier statement where he said that his name should be changed if he fails to bring loadshedding to an end within six months.
    “Now we should name Shehbaz Sharif either Drama Sharif of Showbaz Sharif,” said Imran Khan.
    The PTI chief said that in the past people trusted their leaders unconditionally. Imran said that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah would deliver a speech in English, people wouldn’t understand a word but they trusted him all the same.
    He said according to our Constitution the leader of the nation should be Sadiq and Ameen (honest and trustworthy).
     


  14. Waqas Dar
    ROSEAU: Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah took all three wickets to restrict the West Indies to 97 for three in reply to the tourists´ first innings total of 376 at lunch at Windsor Park in Dominica on Friday.
    On a pitch offering little encouragement for the faster bowlers, Shah´s role as both a stock bowler and premier wicket-taker were in evidence as he remained a perennial threat through an extended morning session in which he accounted for 11 of the 33 overs bowled.
    Entrusted with the ball at the start of the day by captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the premier spinner did not disappoint, breaking a 43-run opening partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell.
    Attempting to heave a delivery over the midwicket fence, Powell´s miscued shot was well caught by Azhar Ali running in off the boundary to send the left-hander back to the pavilion for 31.
    With Brathwaite plodding along in his usual stoic manner at the other end, new batsman Shimron Hetmyer sought to seize the initiative from the bowlers. His intentions were clear when he hoisted Shah for the only six of the innings so far.
    But the bowler exacted swift revenge as an original "not out" verdict by standing umpire Bruce Oxenford for an appeal for a leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed was overturned on review when television replays revealed a faint touch of the ball onto the batsman´s glove.
    There was no doubt though to Ahmed´s second dismissal of the morning as Brathwaite, who had grafted his way to 29 off 123 deliveries through three-and-a-half hours, pushed forward to Shah in the last over before the interval and edged a catch high to the wicketkeeper´s right.
    Shai Hope (15 not out) is expected to be joined in the middle by fellow-Barbadian Roston Chase when play resumes in the afternoon.
    Shah has now taken 20 wickets in the series.


  15. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: A government cash-incentive scheme has helped place almost 90,000 underage Pakistani brick kiln workers into school, officials said Friday, an initiative aimed at easing the long-standing problem of indentured labour.
    Campaigners estimate there are more than two million Pakistanis trapped in a vicious cycle of debt bondage to factory owners that continues for generations, a practice often referred to as modern slavery.
    Pakistan has the third highest population of such labourers, behind India and China, according to the Global Slavery Index.

    Under the terms of the Punjab provincial government scheme, which began in January 2016, nearly 88,000 child brick kiln workers were selected for a stipend comprising an initial $20 per child, followed by a recurring monthly payment of $10.
    The initative "lowered the opportunity cost of not sending children to school... and families were able to mobilise this stipend to pay their debts," a spokesman for Punjab´s education minister Rana Mashhood said.

    Officials now hope to extend the $9 million scheme, with monitoring assisted by Britain´s government aid agency, to other areas where underage labour is prevalent.
    Teachers at a government school on the outskirts of Punjab provincial capital Lahore said the recently freed child workers -- previously exposed to noxious smoke, brick dust, and fierce sun that pushes summer temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius -- made for the most eager learners.
    Fauzia Elahi, the school´s headteacher, said many of the 40 ex-brick kiln workers at her school initially had teething problems adjusting to their new life, but soon overcame them.

    "They are brilliant students, and now they are gaining knowledge and along with that they are gaining social skills," she said.
    Critics have questioned the viability of an open-ended cash transfer scheme, however, and say not enough is being done to implement existing laws against bonded labour, such as arresting kiln owners who employ indentured workers.
    But Fasi Zaka, a development consultant, said: "Those things weren´t solving the problem over 20 years. Legal protections are hard to come by for people in some rural areas, and here you´re incentivising the parents."

    Shumaila Bibi, a 11-year-old student at the Lahore school, began working at a brick kiln with her brothers and sisters four years ago after their father was injured in an accident.
    "Nobody wants to work in the kiln, we do it out of necessity," her mother Shamim Bibi said.
    "But I´m really happy with this help that we´re getting and that Shumaila is back in school. She will finish her education and go on to become a teacher."


  16. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Hospitals across England were being forced to divert emergency cases on Friday after suffering a suspected national cyber attack.
    Among them was the Barts Health group which manages major central London hospitals including The Royal London and St Bartholomew's.
    "We are experiencing a major IT disruption and there are delays at all of our hospitals," it said.
    "We have activated our major incident plan to make sure we can maintain the safety and welfare of patients. Ambulances are being diverted to neighboring hospitals."
    Patients requiring emergency treatment across England were diverted away from the hospitals affected and the public was advised to only seek medical care for acute medical conditions.
    Reuters was unable to independently verify whether the hospitals were the subject of a concerted cyber attack ahead of the June 8 election.
    Britain's National Crime Agency said it was aware of the reports of a cyber attack but made no further comment.
    The National Health Service (NHS) said it was responding to the incidents.
    "We are aware of a cyber security incident and we are working on a response," said a spokesman for NHS Digital, a division of the NHS which handles information technology issues.
    There was no immediate comment from the Health Ministry.
    Earlier on Friday, Spain's government warned that a large number of companies had been attacked by cyber criminals who infected computers with malicious software known as “ransomware” that locks up computers and demands ransoms to restore access.


  17. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: A Two Star level security meeting among delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Resolute Support Mission was held at General Headquarters Rawalpindi.
    According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, the delegations were led by Afghan DGMO Major General Habib Hesari and Resolute Support Mission's Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) Major General Christopher Haas.
    Pakistan was represented by DGMO Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the statement added.
    During the trilateral meeting, the senior delegates stressed upon the need to defeat Daesh through complementary efforts in respective areas of operations. 
    The trilateral meeting was succeeded by a Two Star Pakistan-Afghanistan Bilateral Meeting, in which both sides discussed measures for improving military-to-military coordination and cooperation.
    Chaman incident, border control/management and measures to curb cross-border fire violations were also discussed.
    Both sides agreed to enhance the frequency of bilateral interactions at multiple tiers through different command and staff channels to foster an environment of mutual respect, trust, cordiality and cooperation.


  18. Waqas Dar
    President Donald Trump on Thursday ran into resistance for calling ousted FBI chief James Comey a "showboat," an attack that was swiftly contradicted by top US senators and the acting FBI leader, who pledged that an investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia would proceed with vigour.
    In his first interview since firing Comey on Tuesday, Trump appeared to try to underscore that Comey's dismissal was about his performance at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and not about the Russia probe.
    Trump faces accusations from Democrats that he fired Comey to hinder the FBI investigation into US intelligence agency allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump. The probe has hung over Trump's presidency since he took office in January and threatens to overwhelm his policy priorities.
    "He's a showboat. He's a grandstander," Trump told NBC News. "The FBI has been in turmoil. You know that, I know that, everybody knows that."
    Trump's characterisation was at odds with that of the top Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
    At a hearing on Thursday, the Republican chairman of the panel, Richard Burr, and the top Democrat, Mark Warner, praised Comey. Warner said he was offended at Trump's remarks.
    Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, testifying in place of Comey, contradicted Trump's appraisal of turmoil at the FBI, saying that Comey had "broad support" from the rank and file "and still does to this day."
    A White House spokeswoman on Thursday morning had said that Trump was expected to soon visit FBI headquarters, but MSNBC later reported that plan had been thrown out after agency officials told the White House that Trump would not be greeted warmly following his firing of Comey.
    Several candidates are being considered to replace Comey, a senior White House official said, including Mike Rogers, a former Republican representative; Trey Gowdy, a Republican representative and former federal prosecutor; Alice Fisher, assistant attorney general in the George W. Bush administration; and Ray Kelly, former commissioner of the New York Police Department.
    The nominee must be confirmed by the US Senate.
    Probe to proceed
    McCabe promised to tell senators of any White House meddling into the agency's probe on Russia. Democrats have called for a special counsel to look into the matter.
    "It is my opinion and belief that the FBI will continue to pursue this investigation vigorously and completely," McCabe told the senators.
    Moscow has denied interference in the election, and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.
    In firing Comey, Trump said he knew he ran the risk he would "confuse people" and "lengthen out the investigation" into ties to Russia.
    "In fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won," he told NBC.
    Trump said in the interview that he never pressured Comey into dropping the FBI probe, adding: "If Russia did anything, I want to know that." Trump said there was no "collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians," but that "the Russians did not affect the vote."
    His explanation of why he fired Comey ran counter to previous administration explanations of Comey's dismissal.
    The White House and Vice President Mike Pence had said Trump fired Comey on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and No. 2 Justice Department official Rod Rosenstein.
    On Thursday, Trump said he would have taken the action regardless. "I was going to fire Comey. My decision," Trump said. "I was going to fire regardless of recommendation."
    Rosenstein, who met privately with some senators on Thursday, was invited to brief all 100 senators next week, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Schumer said he hoped that Sessions would also speak to senators separately on the firing of Comey.
    In the House of Representatives, Justin Amash, a Republican member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said on Twitter that he had signed onto Democratic-sponsored legislation calling for an independent, bipartisan commission to probe Russian meddling in last year’s US election campaign.
    US intelligence agencies concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to disrupt the election that included hacking into Democratic Party emails and leaking them, with the aim of helping Trump.
    Leaders of the US intelligence agencies, including Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA chief Mike Pompeo, testified to the senators on Thursday that they agreed with that finding.
    Trump, in his interview, also gave further details of his account that Comey had told him on three separate occasions that he was not under investigation in the Russia matter.
    Trump said he had asked Comey once over dinner and twice by telephone. "I said: 'If it's possible, would you let me know, am I under investigation?'" Trump told NBC. "He said: 'You are not under investigation.'"
    Trump said the dinner with Comey was at the White House and Comey wanted to discuss staying on as FBI chief. "We had a very nice dinner. And at that time, he told me: 'You are not under investigation.'"
    White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she believed it was not a conflict of interest for a president to ask the FBI chief such a question.
    Comey has not publicly discussed any conversations he had with Trump.
    At the Senate hearing, McCabe testified it was not typical practice to tell people they were not a targets of an investigation.
    Republican chairman Burr asked McCabe whether he ever heard Comey tell Trump that the president was not the subject of investigation. McCabe sidestepped the question, saying he could not comment on an ongoing probe.
    Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, said it was "hard to avoid the conclusion" that Trump's firing of Comey was related to the Russia investigation.
    "And while it's clear to me now more than ever that an independent special counsel must be appointed, make no mistake our committee will get to the bottom of what happened during the 2016 presidential election," Warner said.


  19. Waqas Dar
    LOS ANGELES: Fringed capes, pleated skirts, and bolero hats peppered the runway at the Dior Cruise 2018 collection on Thursday as the luxury Parisian label spun its own twist on music festival fashion.
    "Dior Sauvage" drew inspiration from the scenic landscapes of Los Angeles and the show took place outdoors against the backdrop of the Santa Monica mountains at sunset. A dusty catwalk in the hills of Calabasas was where models wearing Western-inspired outfits fringed with Mexican or Peruvian patterns showcased dresses.
    "Hollywood, it's about celebrity, red carpet, but I think there is also another side of Los Angeles," creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri told Reuters before the show. "The natural element, open space ... in some ways, Dior says that California is a new paradise," she said.
    Chiuri admitted prior to the show that she wants the collection to be seen as a number of pieces rather than complete outfits.
     

    Dior Cruise 2018 Collection – Calabasas, California, US, May 11, 2017 - Actress Charlize Theron attends. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
     
    Models walked between tents, wearing pleated skirts with horses painted or birds embroidered, wide-legged printed trousers, capes with fringe details and belted furs, accompanied by studded bolero hats and laced boots.
    The collection was a modern-day spin on styles of the old West, with a colour palette of dusky reds and oranges that accented earth tones and textured plaid. 
    Layering was a key element to the collection that elevated the fashion often seen at festivals such as Southern California's Coachella.
    "I want to have a dialogue with the new generation of Dior women, that they can choose the piece, they can mix in different ways," Chiuri said.
     

    Dior Cruise 2018 Collection – Calabasas, California, US, May 11, 2017 - Singer Rihanna and Dior CEO Sidney Toledano (L) and actress Freida Pinto (R) attend. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
     
    Popular with celebrities, the Dior show drew Rihanna, Charlize Theron, Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore, Nick Jonas, and Brie Larson.
    "It's always a pleasure and a luxury to wear Dior," Rihanna told Reuters. "For one, it's expensive (laughs), for two, it's always well-made and it's always something that allows you to express your femininity in the highest level."
    South African actress Theron said the rustic, rural setting of the show was "somewhat magical. It reminded me of home."
    Christian Dior Couture, recently acquired by the world's largest luxury group, LVMH, has 198 stores in more than 60 countries. Sales for the brand have doubled over the past five years.
     

    Dior Cruise 2018 Collection – Calabasas, California, US, May 11, 2017 - Singer Rihanna attends. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
     
    Dior is the latest luxury label to head to Los Angeles, following Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and Tom Ford, which showcased collections in the past two years.
    "It's good business, it's good inspiration," Sidney Toledano, president and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture, said of Los Angeles.
    "You have a lot of people from Europe, from France, from Italy and people coming from Asia, so it's becoming a cultural hub ... there is a fantastic energy," he added.
    Reuters' Piya Sinha-Roy was present at the event and shared a brief video clip. Check it out here: 
     
     


  20. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: In view of expressing his solidarity with the Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri– who suffered injuries in a suicide attack which claimed at least 25 lives – Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani attended the meeting of his party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) here on Friday.
    Speaking with the media after the meeting, Rabbani condemned the incident by saying that attack on Maulana Haideriwas an attack on the parliamentary system of Pakistan.
    “This was an attack on the state of Pakistan,” he said. “Pakistani nation have never shied away from giving sacrifices. The enemy should remember that these incidents won’t shake us from our resolve; we will continue our fight for rule of law and as a nation Pakistan won’t bow down before them.”
    Rabbani said that the political workers have taken bullets on their chest for democracy, hence along with the nation we will continue our struggle to bring peace in the country.
    “I have spoken to Haideri his entire body has suffered injuries,” he said.
     JUI (F) Chairman Maulana Fazalur Rehman announced that his party would observe ‘day of mourning’ on Sunday.  
    “This is a criminal act we condemn this incident. This was not an attack on a person but on the entire nation. JUI stands with the rule of law and democracy,” he said. “Such incidents will not deter us.”
    Rehman said that it is the responsibility of the state to take action against those who are behind such incidents and added that the groups involved in militancy have already been defeated.
    “These people want to establish their power irrespective of the mass support,” Rehman said. “ The enemies of Pakistan are behind this incident. Scholars of every school of thought agrees that to pick weapon against the state of Pakistan is contrary to Sharia
    “I don’t support anything above law and constitution. This is a psychological war and we are winning it.”
    Rehman also expressed his support to other political leaders who have suffered suicide attacks.
     
     
       


  21. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange ended the week on a positive note, closing above the psychological barrier of 50,000-point mark.
    The KSE-100 index gained 324 points to close at 51,750 points.
    Over 340 million shares worth Rs 18.73 billion were traded in the trading session.
    The index continues to experience all-time highs, closing at 50,935 points on Monday with an addition of 1,083 points. KSE-100 added 137 points to close at 51,073 points on Tuesday.


  22. Waqas Dar
    SEOUL: South Korea has accepted a last-minute invitation from China to a conference on a new Silk Road, days after a new president took office on Seoul pledging to engage in discussions with Beijing to ease tension over a U.S. anti-missile system.
    Chinese President Xi Jinping extended the invitation to the Belt and Road conference in Beijing during a telephone call on Thursday with new South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Moon's spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, told a briefing on Friday.
    Ties between South Korea and China, who are important trade partners, have been strained by Seoul's decision to host a US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in response to a growing missile threat from North Korea.
    China has protested against the deployment saying the system's powerful radar can probe deep into its territory, undermining is security, destabilizing the regional security balance and doing little to deter North Korea.
    Leaders of 29 countries and senior officials from many more gather in Beijing on Sunday for to discuss Xi's initiative to expand trade links between Asia, Africa and Europe through billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
    But until Thursday, South Korea had not been invited.
    Moon will send a delegation headed by Park Byeong-seug, a veteran member of parliament and a senior official of Moon's liberal Democratic Party, Yoon said.
    Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, asked whether China could discuss other issues with Park like THAAD, said his visit was "mainly" to attend the Belt and Road forum.
    In their telephone call on Thursday, Moon told Xi he "understands China's interest in the THAAD deployment and its concerns", Yoon said earlier.
    Moon also spoke to Xi about the difficulties faced by some South Korean companies doing business in China facing discrimination in retaliation for the THAAD deployment. China denies it has done anything to hurt South Korean businesses.
    Park, the member of parliament heading the delegation, has been mentioned in South Korean media as a strong candidate to be Moon's special envoy to China.
    The Belt and Road initiative has been used by Xi to help showcase China as an open economy, although many diplomats and business groups have been skeptical about China's aims.
    North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, is also expected to send a delegation to the two-day meeting in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry has said.
     


  23. Waqas Dar
    PESHAWAR: A 75-year-old woman was left with severe pain when a doctor, in a display of sheer negligence, left a scissor in her stomach during a botched operation.
    Awal Jan Bibi, was suffering from a hernia and was operated in a private clinic in Peshawar around 15 months ago.
    After the old woman complained of a stomachache, she was taken to the doctor again and upon conducting an x-ray, it was revealed that a scissor was inside her stomach.
    Health Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shehram Tarkai ordered an investigation into the matter.
    Those putting the lives of people into danger should be punished according to the law, said the provincial health minister.
     


  24. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Sindh Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the May 12 carnage, marking 10 years to the incident in which over two dozen people were killed and scores injured in the provincial metropolis.
    Senior Provincial Minister Nisar Khuhro while speaking on his presented resolution over May 12 said that the day was the most unfortunate as at one end people were getting killed while the police were playing the role of silent spectator.
    He said that the people were killed only because they were heading to Airport to welcome someone, further adding that a curfew should have been immediately imposed in view of the precarious situation in the metropolis, however, the military dictator at that time, Pervez Musharraf, called the bloodbath – his show of power.
    Meanwhile, MQM- Pakistan leader Faisal Sabzwari demanded that a judicial commission should be constituted to probe the incident of May 12, 2007, in which many citizens, including 14 workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement were killed.
    He added that the party wants the issue to be investigated rather than being content with a resolution on the incident.
    "The series of indiscriminate fire started from Patel Para [area of Karachi]," he said while speaking about a MQM rally that was underway in the area on May 12, 2007.
    "There were many people, including women and children, who dispersed during the firing, some got injured, while others were killed."
    The firing in Patel Para was probably the beginning of the May 12 bloodshed, Sabzwari maintained while speaking in the Sindh Assembly.
    "It was an unfortunate day," the MQM-Pakistan leader said. "The peace and politics of the city all were affected on that day, but the party which suffered the most harmed was the one which is the major stakeholder in the city's politics – MQM."
    While hinting at possible suspects, Sabzwari said the car of Pakistan Peoples Party's leader Sherry Rehman was surrounded by armed men – who could be her guards –"But there was another minister's vehicle, the boot of which was being stuffed with weapons."
    Sabzwari maintained that not only for those killed in the May 12 carnage, justice should also be provided for those who lost their lives when the city came under attack on the day PPP leader Benazir Bhutto was martyred.
     


  25. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court on Friday granted permission to broadcast interview of Ehsanullah Ehsan.
    Geo News was slated to broadcast the exclusive interview on Thursday of the terrorist who has confessed to his horrendous crimes and has advocated others to also surrender.
    Jam Asif Mehmood, the lawyer for Geo TV said that PEMRA in its order had prohibited Geo TV from broadcasting. In compliance, the channel did not air the programme.
    “IHC in its ruling has set aside PEMRA order and allowed Geo News to air the interview”, he said.
    Mehmood said that Section 3 clause 3 of PEMRA's code of conduct permits airing of interviews of representatives of proscribed organisations if "such statement is an admission which may be in the larger public interest for exposing ideology, abuse of religion or barbarianism".
    IHC said PEMRA order was in violation of law, fundamental rights of the Constitution.
    The lawyer further said the order was issued without any right of hearing.
    Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) had released the confessional statement of Ehsanullah Ehsan in which the terrorist had confessed to his crimes.
    The arrest is also another feather in operation Radulfasaad and law enforcement authorities.
    During the interview in Geo News’ program ‘Jirga with Saleem Safi’ other points of the confessional statement were discussed.
    The interview tried to highlight the heinous crimes that were committed, however, it was banned even before being aired.
     
     


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