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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Tottenham defender Kyle Walker will cost Man City an initial £45mn with another £5mn due in a year's time and £4mn due in add-ons, according to The Times LONDON: Kyle Walker is set to become the world's most expensive defender on Friday with Manchester City prepared to spend up to £54 million ($70mn, 61mn euros) for the out of favour Tottenham player.
    The 27-year-old England international, who joined Spurs alongside Kyle Naughton in 2009 for £9mn from Sheffield United, will cost an initial £45mn with another £5mn due in a year's time and £4mn due in add-ons, according to The Times.
    That would break the record £50mn paid by Paris Saint-Germain to Chelsea for Brazilian defender David Luiz in 2014, while eclipsing the £49mn forked out by City to Liverpool for Raheem Sterling in 2015, the most for an English player.
    Walker, who has 27 England caps, will earn a reported £150,000 a week.
    He established himself as the first choice right-back at Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino, but their relationship deteriorated towards the end of last season.
    Kieran Trippier was selected ahead of Walker in both the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and then in the north London derby with Arsenal the following week.
    Walker's arrival will be expensive consolation for Guardiola after missing out on veteran Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who snubbed his former Barcelona boss to join PSG on a free transfer following his departure from Juventus.
    Guardiola failed to win a trophy as a manager for the first time last season, admitting that at a bigger club like Barcelona or Bayern Munich he could have faced the sack.
    Guardiola will not be done with flexing the financial muscle of the Abu Dhabi-owned club as he is also keen to lure Monaco defender Benjamin Mendy for £40mn.
    The 22-year-old French international left back will complete Guardiola's expensive rebuilding of his defence having let experienced full-backs Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy leave at the end of last season.
    Should he succeed in signing both Walker and Mendy it would take his close-season spending to over £168mn. Monaco's Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva and Benfica goalkeeper Ederson joined last month for a total of £78mn.
    Guardiola has still to resolve the future of England goalkeeper Joe Hart, although it looks like he will join West Ham on loan with City paying a substantial amount of his wages.
    Former French international Samir Nasri is another player Guardiola is looking to offload after sending the 30-year-old out on loan to Spanish side Sevilla last season.


  2. Waqas Dar
    KAHUTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Friday claimed that the coming week will be the most important in Pakistan?s history.

    Imran, addressing a rally in Kahuta, said the coming week will decide whether Pakistan remains a ?country of dacoits or change into Naya Pakistan?.
    Imran further said that when an elected prime minister lies, the country is effected negatively as institutions start to decay. 
    ?Today the country is in debt, there is no respect for the green passport and unemployment is at an all time high. Meanwhile, a small group of people are getting rich while the rest of nation is regressing,? said Imran.
    He added that the Sharif family has not been held accountable for the last three decades as they have always used money to buy justice and destroy state institutions. 
    Imran, once again referring to the Sharif family as a mafia, said he would have drowned with shame if he was in Nawaz?s place.

    Earlier, the PTI chairman had called on the Nawaz Sharif to immediately resign as the prime minister in light of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.
    Imran had said that the report?s findings have vindicated him and finally the opposition's hard work had paid off.

    The JIT in its report observed major disparities in the finances of the Sharif family and their known and declared sources of income and recommended action under NAB Ordinance 1999.
    The JIT recommended that a reference be filed against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hussain and Hasan Nawaz with NAB.  


  3. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: A US federal judge weakened the terms of the Trump administration's controversial travel ban on visitors from six majority-Muslim countries, dealing another legal setback to the government.
    Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii ruled Thursday that grandparents and some other relatives of people in the United States should be exempt from the clampdown, saying the terms of the ban as enforced defied common sense.
    His decision was hailed as a victory by opponents of the ban, who say it singles out Muslims in violation of the US constitution.
    The administration of President Donald Trump insists the restrictions are necessary to keep out terrorists.
    'Narrowly defined list' 
    The US Supreme Court had allowed part of the ban to go into effect on June 29, putting an end, at least temporarily, to five months of politically charged skirmishes in the lower courts.
    Specifically, the court allowed a 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and a 120-day ban on refugees, with exceptions for people with "close family relationships" in the United States.
    The Trump administration defined that to be parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings.
    But Watson found that "the government's narrowly defined list finds no support in the careful language of the Supreme Court or even in the immigration statutes on which the Government relies.
    "Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents," he wrote.
    "Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members. The government's definition excludes them. That simply cannot be."
    Watson ordered Homeland Security and the State Department not to enforce the ban on "grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins of persons in the United States."
    The judge also ruled that refugees who had assurances of a placement by a resettlement agency in the United States should also be exempt.
    Such an assurance "meets each of the Supreme Court's touchstones: it is formal, it is a documented contract, it is binding, it triggers responsibilities and obligations, including compensation, it is issued specific to an individual refugee only when that refugee has been approved for entry by the Department of Homeland Security, and it is issued in the ordinary course, and historically has been for decades," Watson wrote.
    "Bona fide does not get any more bona fide than that."
    Douglas Chin, attorney general for the state of Hawaii, which filed the lawsuit against the Trump administration, welcomed the ruling.
    "The federal court today makes clear that the US Government may not ignore the scope of the partial travel ban as it sees fit," said Chin.
    "Family members have been separated and real people have suffered enough. Courts have found that this Executive Order has no basis in stopping terrorism and is just a pretext for illegal and unconstitutional discrimination."
    The Departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Friday.
    Under the version of the travel ban allowed to go forward by the Supreme Court, citizens from the six targeted countries with "bona fide" ties to the United States -- such as a job or acceptance to a university -- are permitted entry.
    The high court will review the overall case in October, after both bans on travelers and refugees have largely run their course.
    While the ban itself did not single out Muslims, judges in lower courts had cited Trump's repeated statements during last year's presidential race that he intended to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
    His original measure, issued by executive order in January, set off chaos and protests at airports and was almost immediately blocked by the courts.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Report was leaked and now the media is carrying out a trial based on the leaked documents, says Jahangir. ISLAMABAD: Former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and rights activist Asma Jahangir on Friday said the Supreme Court can be shut down if the media continues to play the role of judiciary.
    She added the report by the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report should be left to the Supreme Court to decide upon as it contains very sensitive legal issues. 
    "The JIT report is an investigation and investigations are challenged in courts and the JIT is not the same as the Supreme Court," said Jahangir.
    She further said the report was leaked and now the media is carrying out a trial based on the leaked documents. 
    The JIT submitted its final report to the apex court on July 10. It formed on May 5 in light of the Supreme Court?s April 20 judgment and was tasked to ascertain the money trail of the Sharif family.










  5. Waqas Dar
    An inundated road in Lahore. Photo: Geo News LAHORE: A spell of heavy rain lashed the Punjab capital on Friday, turning the weather pleasant but leaving low-lying areas inundated with rainwater.

    Several parts of the metropolis including the Airport, Cantonment, Askari 10 and Davis Road localities received a heavy downpour. Gulberg, Shadmaan, Canal Road also witnessed heavy rain.
    Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted another spell of monsoon rain in Karachi, Hyderabad and some areas of Balochistan over the weekend.
    A fresh system of monsoon currents is expected to sweep into Sindh on Saturday, bringing with it heavy rain.
    The National Disaster Management Authority has directed the relevant authorities to remain alert for the upcoming series of heavy rains. 
    The government has issued various precautionary directions to people regarding floods in the coming days.


  6. Waqas Dar
    QWP chief Aftab Sherpao addressing the media after the opposition parties' meeting on July 14. Photo: Geo News ISLAMABAD: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Awami National Party (ANP) are at odds with other opposition parties over the demand for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.

    Differences over seeking the immediate resignation of the prime minister emerged during a meeting of opposition parties held in Islamabad on Friday.
    Speaking to reporters after the meeting, QWP chief Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said his party and the ANP would wait for the decision of the Supreme Court before demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    During the meeting, it was decided that opposition parties would support the assemblies completing their tenure.
    ?The people of Pakistan and all opposition members want elections to be held on time and the assemblies to complete their tenure,? said Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah.
    Shah also called on the prime minister to fulfill his promise made to the nation and resign from office.
    Shah stressed that opposition parties would stand by the Supreme Court with whatever decision it takes regarding Panama Papers case.
    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi said all opposition members have given their signatures to Shah so he may requisition the assembly session whenever he deems fit.
    The PTI leader also said our fight is not with a political party but corrupt elements in the country. "The PML-N is also internally cautioning the premier," he claimed. He reiterated his party's stance that the premier should resign forthwith.
    Jamaat-e-Islami head Sirajul Haq said "we want accountability for all as no one should be above the law".
    "The opposition has shown today that we all want to preserve democracy in the country," said Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed.
    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar also addressed the media and reiterated the opposition's decision to support democracy.


  7. Waqas Dar
    Unit was raised in 2005 to provide ground-based air defence to Pakistan Navy assets. -Pakistan Navy KARACHI: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah on Friday said, while performing the ground breaking ceremony of the 21st Air Defence Battalion, that air defence is being prioritised by the Navy and all efforts are being made to modernise the equipment, a statement released by the Pakistan Navy stated.
    The air defence unit will be based in Ormara and will be attached to Coastal Command. The unit was raised in 2005 to provide ground-based air defence to all Pakistan Navy and designated national infrastructure. 
    The battalion is equipped with ?state of the art air defence guns, surface to air missiles and air defence radars?.
    Commander Coast also highlighted the salient features of the project and said the development of dedicated infrastructure for the unit would ?lead to further efficiency and effectiveness to counter any challenge to our motherland from any potential aerial threat?.
    The ground breaking ceremony was attended by senior naval officers, personnel and civil dignitaries. 


  8. Waqas Dar
    According to the IMF report, the country's outlook for economic growth is favourable with real GDP estimated at 5.3 percent in fiscal year 2016/17. Photo: REUTERS/file WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund released on Thursday its report on Pakistan and praised the government for strengthening macroeconomic resilience.

    According to the report, the country's outlook for economic growth is favourable with real GDP estimated at 5.3 percent in fiscal year 2016/17, and expected to reach 6 percent over the medium-term.
    "Macroeconomic resilience was strengthened during the three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF)-supported programme completed in September 2016: growth increased, the fiscal deficit was reduced, and foreign currency reserves recovered," the report said, based on Article IV consultations.
    The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation 1 with Pakistan on June 14.
    Meetings with Pakistani officials were held in March and April in Dubai.
    According to the report, structural reforms were set in motion; long-standing fiscal and energy sector constraints were tackled, and social safety nets strengthened.
    However, the report said that while the successful implementation of business climate and financial inclusion reforms has continued, some renewed accumulation of arrears in the power sector has been observed.
    Moreover, Pakistan?s agricultural production, notably cotton, has been recovering following last year's decline, while construction activity, and services have remained strong, and growth in large-scale manufacturing has been improving.
    Exports have dropped by one percent year-on-year and the exchange rate continued to remain stable against the US dollar, supported by the State Bank of Pakistan's foreign exchange interventions, and further appreciated in real effective terms 6 percent during this fiscal year.
    The report noted that the stock market has performed strongly, and MSCI has reclassified Pakistan from frontier to emerging market, effective June 2017.
    "Targeted cash transfers to the poor under BISP continued to increase, and efforts to improve the business climate and financial access have begun to bear fruit. Efforts to establish deposit insurance and to address undercapitalised banks and high NPLs have progressed," according to the report.
    There has also been significant progress in energy sector reforms, though the recent resumption of circular debt accumulation points to the need for continued reform efforts," it added.
    The report noted that key external risks include lower trading partner growth, tighter international financial conditions, a faster rise in global oil prices and, over the medium term, failure to generate sufficient exports to meet rising external obligations from foreign-financed investments.
    "Domestically, risks include deterioration in security conditions and potential pressures on policy implementation ahead of the mid-2018 elections," the report said.


  9. Waqas Dar
    A woman carries water bottles as she walks at Camp Koruna flooded area of Nowshera District, northwestern Pakistan, August 3, 2015/Khuram Parvez/Files MANILA: A business-as-usual approach to climate change will be "disastrous" for Asia, undoing much of the phenomenal economic growth that has helped it make vast inroads against poverty, the Asian Development Bank said in a report released Friday.
    A continued reliance on fossil fuels will see the world´s most populous region face prolonged heat waves, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns that will disrupt the ecosystem, damage livelihoods and possibly even cause wars, it said.
    "Unabated climate change threatens to undo many of the development advancements of the last decades, not least by incurring high economic losses," the report from the Manila-based bank said.
    By the end of the century, parts of the continent could see mean temperatures shoot up to eight degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as the global mean temperature rises by half that, it added.
    "A business-as-usual scenario will lead to disastrous climate impacts for the people of Asia and the Pacific, especially for poor and vulnerable populations," it said.
    But it said the region could avert disaster by shifting to renewable energy sources.
    The 2015 Paris climate accord commits nations to keep global temperatures well below 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.
    While a 2 degrees Celsius rise will be difficult to manage, "one can assume that a 4 degrees Celsius increase would lead to humanitarian disasters in many nations and result in unmanageable migration flows or locked-in populations", the report said.
    Asia as a whole would see sea levels rise by 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) within this century, nearly twice the projected increase under the Paris deal, and face more destructive cyclones, it said.
    In this scenario, the report said the region´s coral reef systems would collapse from mass bleaching, with severe consequences for fisheries and tourism.
    A flood victim carries a bed he saved from his village destroyed by floodwaters, near Nowshera in Pakistan's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province August 29, 2010/Damir Sagolj Melting Asian glaciers would cause both floods and water shortages, disrupting agriculture, and increase dependence on rainfall to meet water needs.
    The impact of such changes on access to energy and natural resources were all potential powderkegs for conflict, it said.
    The study projects additional heat-related deaths of nearly 52,000 elderly people across the region annually by the 2050s, nearly 8,000 extra diarrhoeal deaths in South Asia, and some 10,000 more malaria and dengue deaths in Asia.
    Asia´s global economic links mean that extreme climate events could disrupt supply chains not only in the region but also in the rest of the world, it warned.
    Despite stunning economic growth that saw Asian per capita incomes rise 10-fold in the past 25 years, it remains home to the majority of the world´s poor, the ADB said.
    This, along with the fact that a large share of its population inhabit low-lying coastlines, has made the world´s largest continent "particularly vulnerable" to climate change.
    Myanmar, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Thailand are among the world´s top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events, it said.
    The ADB vowed in 2015 to double its climate finance mitigation investments to $6 billion by 2020, including $2 billion to help countries shift to renewable energy.


  10. Waqas Dar
    Carrie Fisher photographed while speaking during the World Chicago Comic-Con on August 21, 2016. Photo: AP/file Carrie Fisher has posthumously been nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category, as announced on Thursday night.

    According to Rolling Stone, the late actress received the nomination for her recurring guest-role on the British comedy series Catastrophe. She played the role of Mia, an overbearing mother of one of the lead characters, which was her last role prior to her death.
    Fisher died on December 27, 2016, of a cardiac arrest on after receiving a medical emergency on a transatlantic flight, from London to Los Angeles.
    Suffice to say, though she?s no longer with us today, the Star Wars actress is still celebrated and applauded for her acting abilities and her charisma.
    Fisher has previously been nominated for two Emmys, including one for best guest actress, comedy series, in 2008 for her role on NBC's 30 Rock, and for best variety, music or comedy special in 2011 for her HBO special, Wishful Drinking.


  11. Waqas Dar
    The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem?s Old City JERUSALEM: Three Palestinians were martyred as Israeli police opened fire in Jerusalem?s Old City on Friday, in one of the most serious incidents in the city in recent years.
    Two Israeli police officers also died in the exchange of fire near the Al-Aqsa mosque at the holy site.
    Videos circulating on social media showed a hail of gunfire ring out in what seemed to be an exchange of bullets between Israeli security forces and the Palestinians.
    Security forces locked down the area and the Al-Aqsa mosque was closed to Friday prayers after the incident in a highly unusual move, with the aftermath likely to heighten Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
    The Palestinians were martyred at the site known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, the location of regular clashes but where gunfire rarely occurs.
    The site includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
    Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called it an "extremely severe event which crossed all red lines."
    "The investigation is ongoing," he said.
    "We will need to re-evaluate all of the security arrangements on the Temple Mount and its environs. I call on leaders on every side to work to calm the situation and maintain the quiet in Jerusalem."
    The grand mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, the city´s highest Islamic authority, condemned the closure of the mosque compound for prayers.
    "I have very little information about it, but it doesn´t mean you should close the mosque for prayers," he told journalists at the Lions Gate entrance to the Old City, near the holy site.
    "There is no reason to close the mosque for Friday prayers."
    Basem Badawi, a 60-year-old water seller in the Old City, told AFP that "I was standing here and then I heard the shooting. I thought it was fireworks.
    "But then I saw the police coming from everywhere."
    Flashpoint site
    The Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount is considered the third-holiest site in Islam and the most sacred in Judaism.
    It is central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians fearing Israel may one day seek to assert further control over it.
    It is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.
    Jews are allowed to visit, but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his statement after the incident that the current rules would be maintained.
    A wave of unrest that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of at least 277 Palestinians, 42 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP toll.
    The violence has greatly subsided in recent months, though sporadic attacks have continued.


  12. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)?s Saeed Ghani has denied rigging allegations levelled by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan following his victory from Karachi?s PS-114 constituency on July 9

    On Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stayed the notification of the by-election result declaring Ghani victorious after MQM-P?s rigging complaint. A further hearing will be held by the election tribunal on Monday.
    Speaking outside the ECP on Friday, Ghani denied accusations that the police had taken over some polling stations at his behest, saying the polling stations mentioned by the MQM-P had presence of Rangers and media throughout the polling day.
    Ghani also denied that he had directed the changing of some polling stations, saying returning officer did change some polling stations but that was done at the request of other parties.
    He challenged the opposition party to prove their allegations that he used state machinery for his benefit.
    ?MQM is the same as it was before. There is no difference between ?London? and ?Pakistan?, he claimed, explaining that both factions worked together during the PS-114 by-elections.
    ECP withholds PS-114 by-election result
    The MQM requested the commission to order recounting of the votes of the entire constituency
    Ghani said it is for the first time in Karachi?s history that such a transparent election has occurred.
    He also cautioned the ECP to avoid such frivolous objections, saying otherwise the 2018 general elections would be marred with controversy as everyone would end up challenging results on one pretext or the other.
    The MQM has requested the ECP to order a recount in the entire constituency and the National Database and Registration Authority to verify thumb impressions of all voters.
    Unofficial results
    Ghani emerged victorious in PS-114 by bagging 23,840 votes, unofficial and unconfirmed results from all 92 polling stations suggested.
    Ghani was followed by MQM-P?s Kamran Tessori, who secured 18,106 votes.
    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Ali Akbar Gujjar stood third with 7,175 votes to his credit, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Najeeb Haroon bagged 5,942 votes.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Justice Kayani also ordered the ECP and petitioner to submit their respective replies. Photo: Islamabad High Court website ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)?s petition to stop the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from hearing the party?s alleged illegal funding case was rejected by the Islamabad High Court on Friday.
    The bench, headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, also rejected PTI?s plea to issue a stay order in the case. He remarked that the case has been ongoing since 2014 and has been referred back to the ECP.
    Justice Kayani also ordered the ECP and the petitioner to submit their respective replies. The case was adjourned until further notice.
    In 2014, a former member of PTI, Akbar S Babar, filed a petition seeking disqualification of PTI Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly taking funding from illegal sources and discrepancies in the party?s accounts.
    Moreover, Babar had claimed that funds worth $3 million were collected by PTI?s chief through illegal channels from the Middle East to accounts of PTI members.
    Earlier, PTI had challenged ECP?s jurisdiction in the case but Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan rejected the party?s petition challenging its authority and ruled that ECP has the jurisdiction to continue with the case.
    The ECP is hearing two separate cases related to PTI's 'foreign funding' whereas in the Supreme Court, a case is being heard on the petition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz?s Hanif Abbasi, who has alleged that the PTI chief should be disqualified for concealing his assets and receiving foreign funding. 


  14. Waqas Dar
    Sarfraz Ahmed pictured during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will feature for Yorkshire county in England?s domestic cricket competition NatWest T20 Blast next month.
    Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfraz, who was also handed the Test reins a week ago, has signed up to play five matches for Yorkshire Vikings in the ongoing T20 Blast, subject to him being granted the visa.
    Teammate Azhar Ali congratulated the skipper on Twitter about his upcoming stint in the T20 Blast.
    Earlier this week, all-rounder Imad Wasim signed up for Durham county in the same tournament.
    Imad Wasim to play for Durham county in England?s T20 Blast
    World's #1 T20I bowler waiting for visa to fly to England to represent Durham Jets
    Fast bowler Mohammad Amir is already representing Essex in the T20 Blast, while former captain Shahid Afridi is playing for Hampshire. Pacer Junaid Khan left for UK earlier this week to feature for Lancashire in the T20 competition.


  15. Waqas Dar
    The Apollo 11 Contingency Lunar Sample Return Bag used by astronaut Neil Armstrong is displayed for Sotheby's Space Exploration auction in New York City, U.S., July 13, 2017. Photo: REUTERS NEW YORK: The long-lost bag used by US astronaut Neil Armstrong to bring back to Earth the first samples of moon dust is expected to sell for up to $4 million when it is auctioned with other space memorabilia next week in New York City.
    The sale at international art auction house Sotheby's also features the Apollo 13 flight plan annotated by its crew, a spacesuit worn by US astronaut Gus Grissom, and lunar photographs taken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
    The auction will be held on July 20, the 48th anniversary of the first moon landing, and organizers hope it will draw large crowds.
    "It (space) is one of few subjects that I think are not culturally specific. It doesn't matter your religion, where you're from, what language you speak," Cassandra Hatton, a vice president and senior specialist at Sotheby's, said on Wednesday.
    "We all have the common experience of staring up at the sky and wondering what's going on amongst the stars."
    The fate of the bag, which measures 12 inches by 8.5 inches and is labeled "Lunar Sample Return", was unknown for decades after Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crew came home in July 1969.
    For years it sat in a box, unidentified, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Hatton said.
    It ultimately surfaced in the garage of the manager of a Kansas museum, Max Ary, who was convicted of its theft in 2014, according to court records.
    The bag was seized by the US Marshals Service which put it up for auction three times, drawing no bids, until it was bought in 2015 for $995 by a Chicago-area attorney, Nancy Lee Carlson.
    She sent the bag to NASA for authentication, and when tests revealed it was used by Armstrong and still had moon dust traces inside, the US space agency decided to keep it.
    Carlson successfully sued NASA to get the bag back, and the attention created by her legal challenge prompted many inquiries from potential buyers, according to Sotheby's. That led Carlson to decide to auction it again.
    Hatton said she was sure the bag would find a good home. Such artifacts usually go through the hands of several different owners over the years, she added.
    "Just know that the kind of person that would pay money like this for this item is going to take excellent care of it," Hatton said. "Nothing is lost forever."


  16. Waqas Dar
    Gayle, Narine and all-rounders Pollard and Dwayne Bravo said to be nearing a truce with the West Indian board Leading West Indies cricketers such as Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine could soon return to the national one-day international side as a long-running pay saga appears to be finally showing signs of reaching a conclusion.
    Cricket West Indies (CWI) showed it was willing to welcome back top players on Thursday when it cleared Darren Bravo to play in all forms of cricket after the batsman apologised to the board and its president, Dave Cameron, for a Twitter outburst.
    Bravo was suspended and sent home from the tour of Zimbabwe last November after he called Cameron a "Big idiot" on social media in relation to a disagreement over his playing contract.
    That resolution was not the only positive news for the side, though, with former captain Gayle, spinner Narine, and all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo all said to be nearing a truce with the CWI, according to ESPNcricinfo.
    Players have been embroiled in contractual disputes with the board for several years with the team even abandoning a tour of India midway through their 2014 series over a payment structure row.
    At present, CWI only select players for their international sides if they feature in corresponding domestic competitions, a policy that leads to many high-profile absentees who instead prefer to ply their trade in overseas Twenty20 leagues.
    Sunil Narine  That stance now appears to be relaxing, which could result in leading cricketers making themselves available for the limited-overs section of the side´s England tour starting next month.
    Looking good
    Gayle last week played for West Indies in a one-off Twenty20 against India.
    It was his first match for the Caribbean side since their World T20 final triumph over England in April 2016. His last one-day international was at the 2015 World Cup.
    "It was a great feeling wearing the maroon in front of the home crowd. I didn´t realise at the time how long I was out," the hard-hitting opening batsman said in Bengaluru on Thursday.
    "The fans were happy to see me back on the field representing West Indies. Hopefully, things can get better. Hopefully, I can play a few more games. I definitely want to play the 2019 World Cup.
    ?Things are beginning to open up a little more now between players and the board. It´s looking good, and we´ve to try and build from this to get the best players out on the field."
    Chris Gayle  West Indies have had little success outside the shortest format and their weakened side missed out on qualification for the recent Champions Trophy, played among the top eight 50-over teams in world cricket.
    They are ranked ninth in ODIs and could also miss out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.
    The top eight sides in the rankings, including hosts England, earn automatic berths, with the rest required to go through a qualification tournament to make up the 10-team event.
    "With our experience, we (seniors) will try and share as much as we can before we go," Gayle said.
    "(The) 2019 (World Cup) is just around the corner. We don´t want to miss out like what happened at the Champions Trophy. We will try and push hard and everyone can work collectively to make sure we´re part of the World Cup.?


  17. Waqas Dar
    Emergency services and delivery drivers came to the aid of an acid attack victim on Queensbridge Road in Hackney. Photo: Twitter/Sarah Cobbold LONDON: British police said on Friday they arrested a teenager after five acid attacks in east London left several people with facial injuries including one with "life-changing" effects.
    One of the victims had been on a moped when two assailants pulled up alongside him in another moped and threw a corrosive substance in his face, the Metropolitan police said. One of the pair then stole the vehicle.
    Police were called to the first acid attack at 2125 GMT (5:25 p.m. ET) on Thursday, followed by four other incidents within the following hour and a half all in the east London area, which police said they were treating as linked.
    Officers said they were continuing to investigate but had arrested a young man.
    "A male, in his teens has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery. He is currently in custody at an east London police station."


  18. Waqas Dar
    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, seen in 2016, is focusing the tech giant on services and Windows 10, which can integrate a variety of devices. Photo: AFP/file Microsoft has ended support for its Windows 8 smartphones, as the US tech giant focuses on other segments, amid ongoing speculation about its strategy for mobile.
    Users of Windows-powered phones -- which have failed badly against rivals from Apple and Google Android -- were invited to upgrade to its latest Windows 10 version after Microsoft officially stopped supporting the earlier version on Wednesday.
    But Microsoft, which is now concentrating on business services, cloud computing, augmented reality, remains a part of the mobile landscape with applications, digital assistants and other offerings.
    "I think it's the death of Windows 8 phones; not the death of Microsoft's offerings in mobility," said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.
    "Microsoft is very active in mobility, just not active in phone devices."
    Microsoft in May unveiled a forthcoming Windows update aimed at keeping its desktop and laptop computers at the heart of lifestyles increasing reliant on smartphones.
    Enhancements to the widely used operating system to roll out later this year are designed to make applications built on Microsoft technology work more harmoniously across an array of internet-linked devices, according to demonstrations given at the company's Build developers conference in Seattle.
    All your devices
    One key addition of the Windows 10 Fall update will allow people to leave what they are doing on one device and pick up where they left off on another -- be it a Windows, Apple, or Android driven machine.
    Windows personal computers "will love all your devices," said Microsoft operating systems group corporate vice president Joe Belfiore.
    Windows 10 will be able to integrate with a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and virtual or augmented reality gear, executives said.
    Microsoft has held firm that it has not given up on the mobile market, but in the interim is updating Windows to remain relevant in a smartphone-centric world.
    Better tuning Windows-powered computers to mobile devices could also serve as a "bridge" to what is being heralded as the next big computing platform -- mixed reality infused with artificial intelligence, according to analysts.
    Microsoft is aggressively creating a mixed reality technology platform and HoloLens augmented reality gear, which Windows 10 is crafted to support.
    "Microsoft has the lead on augmented reality hardware, which might take 10 years to take hold but is the point where the phone gets less important," Moorhead said.
    "They will be patient."
    Some reports say Microsoft could launch a Surface phone, spinning off the success of tablet computers by that same name.
    While Microsoft's main business remains software and services, having its own handset would enable it to optimize and own the entire experience, much the way Apple has control over all aspects of its iPhones.
    "I think that s why Microsoft would consider a Surface device," Moorhead said.
    "I do think with the success they have had with Surface gives them some permission to try it again, but it would be super risky."
    Meanwhile, Windows phone sales continue to fall due to a lack of new hardware partners or enthusiasm for a platform showing little life, according to industry tracker IDC, which estimated its market share at 0.1 percent in the first quarter of 2017


  19. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/14d4a41f44381639a4ef0140f12ab49c.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8xNC8yMDE3IDc6MjM6MTQgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1lamNDVDlhNlhROXVEd3NlWTNWb0J3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    KARACHI: Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair refused on Friday to approve a bill which seeks to repeal the applicability of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 in the province, according to Governor House sources.

    Moreover, the governor sent the notification back along with an objection note to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
    Regarding his concerns, Zubair said that repealing NAO is against public interest, adding ?it is our responsibility to ensure the elimination of corruption.?
    On July 3, the Sindh Assembly had passed the 'anti-National Accountability Bureau (NAB) bill', which was tabled by the provincial government.
    The bill seeks to curtail NAB?s powers and give it the mandate to probe and hear cases related to federal institutions.
    The bill points out that legislative and executive authority of the province extends to "offences with respect to provincial subjects" and measures to combat corruption" being residual subjects under the Constitution
    Furthermore, it adds, "emergency legislation on any provincial subject by the parliament ceases to have any effect six months of lifting emergency under Article 232 (5) and 234 (6) of the Constitution.
    On June 30, the Sindh cabinet had gave their approval to repeal the NAB ordinance in the province.
    The approval was given in a high-level meeting chaired by Murad Ali Shah at the CM House after a briefing on the subject by Advocate General for Sindh Zamir Ghumro.
    According to Sindh?s advocate general, corruption cases related to provincial institutions will now be probed by the Provincial Ehtesab Bureau.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Unfortunately, Salman Khan has earned a reputation for making statements which become national news for all the wrong reasons.

    More often than not, he finds himself at the centre of controversy. However, we find it hard to blame him considering he is always subjected to media glare.
    When asked by an Indian newspaper whether he finds the constant attention and misinterpretation of his statements irksome, the Dabbang star said,
    "Everyone shares their opinion but when somebody like me says something, it?s twisted around. Then, a [TV] show runs [the comment], and it gets good TRPs. But if it?s their business, let them do it. The other option for me is to just stop talking. I hate doing interviews, and I get bored of them but I do them because if a fan of mine picks up a newspaper or a magazine; or watches a TV channel, he should know that a certain film of mine is up for release. That?s all."
    The 51-year-old star also stated that before the release of his film Jaan-E-Mann alongside Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar in 2006, he never even stepped out the house for interviews and promotion for his films.
    ?When did I do any publicity for any film? The films would still run and became big hits. But now that a precedent [of doing interviews] has set in, so it?s going on. Now, if I go on a TV show (for promotions), it feels good if their TRPs get boosted. Also, through that show, my fans will get to see me at home for free. That?s the only intent of doing all of that. But then, a lot of times, journalists want a reaction about something because either their bosses have asked them for that or they want to make a name for themselves. But that?s wrong journalism, which I don?t appreciate at all?, the actor added.
    Khan will be seen next in Tiger Zinda Hai, alongside Katrina Kaif, which is slated to release on December 22. 


  21. Waqas Dar
    A huge quantity of illegal weapons, ammunition and LEAs' uniforms were reportedly recovered from the suspects. Photo: ISPR RAWALPINDI: Gangs of terrorists' facilitators, including women operatives, were arrested by law enforcing agencies (LEAs) on Friday, as part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.

    The arrests were made during a joint intelligence-based operation by Pakistan Rangers Punjab, police and intelligence agencies in Dera Ghazi Khan, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
    Moreover, a huge quantity of illegal automatic weapons, ammunition and LEAs' uniforms were recovered from the gang members, ISPR added.
    The suspects were said to be transporting the weapons and ammo for terrorist activities in major cities of Punjab and Sindh.
    Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched in February for the elimination of terrorism across the country.
    The Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies continue to actively participate and support the efforts of the Pakistan Army to eliminate terrorist elements from the country, according to the ISPR.


  22. Waqas Dar
    A man poses for a photo on the Iron Throne at the Game of Thrones pop-up bar in Washington DC, US. Photo: AFP Claim your rightful place upon the Iron Throne, or drink a cocktail of Shame, Queen Cersei-style -- the choice is yours, once you brave the hour-long queue snaking out the door.

    As Game of Thrones returns for its penultimate season Sunday, fans of the award-winning fantasy epic are getting an early fix at a pop-up bar in Washington, complete with a fire-breathing dragon, coats of armour and bartenders who are dressed the part.
    The unmarked venue, on a non-descript street in the US capital, has laid the decor on thick -- revelers make their way through a warren of rooms, each reminiscent of a scene from the wildly popular TV fable.
    A woman poses for a photo on the Iron Throne. Photo: AFP Every now and then, the star attraction -- an animatronic dragon -- fills the air with a fearsome roar, smoke spewing and fiery lights flashing in its mouth, in a nod to Daenerys Targaryen, the so-called "Mother of Dragons" who reared three of the beasts as her own.
    The other dragon siblings are painted on a mural in this popular watering hole, called the Game of Thrones Pop-Up Bar, or GOT PUB.
    "We waited for an hour-and-a-half but it was really worth it. The decor is very creative, very realistic. I like the different rooms," said Rebecca Briere, a physician's assistant.
    "It's amazing, especially the dragon."
    A woman walks past a mural of a dragon inside the bar in Washington. Photo: AFP Fashioned from three connected storefronts, the bar has a limited shelf life: it opened in late June and will remain open until August 27, closing early on Sundays when fans will presumably be home getting their weekly TV fix.
    "We want to treat this as the holy hour," said Paul Taylor, senior bar manager for The Drink Company, which is behind the project. "Watching a show in a bar for me is disappointing. You can't hear anything.
    Televisions would be out of place anyway in the bar's maze-like rooms, which have been packed with between 900 and 1,500 people every day amid the excitement over the soon-to-premiere season seven of "Thrones."
    117 minutes and counting
    Walk in and above you, spread across the ceiling, are the mighty white branches and red leaves of a Weirwood -- one of the sacred trees that triggers visions in the young Bran Stark.
    In a niche in the wall is a standing sculpture of a wolf howling into the night sky -- the symbol of House Stark, the millennia-old rulers of the North of Westeros.
    People pose in front of The Hall of Faces. Photo: AFP To the right, lies the House of Black and White -- a temple in the city of Braavos where people go to die -- eerily recreated with walls covered in plaster faces, although in this case the faces belong to the owner of The Drink Company, volunteers who built the sets and some friends.
    Punters can also pose seated on the Iron Throne wearing a fur cloak and holding the royal scepter.
    For the privilege, simply sign up -- then wait, and wait some more for a text message from a guardian telling you your turn has come to claim the throne.
    One group had been waiting 117 minutes and counting.
    That is where the cocktails come in -- with the people's choice among the dozen or so themed drinks on offer settling on a concoction called Shame.
    Back story: in the finale to the show's season five, the fallen queen Cersei Lannister confesses to adultery and must take a naked walk of penance through the streets in a brutal public shaming.
    Made of tequila, gin, tonic water and grapefruit juice, the cocktail is served up with a spiel from the show: the bartender rings a bell three times and during each pause, everybody yells "Shame!"


  23. Waqas Dar
    If you made plans to watch Pakistan?s first ever superhero film, Project Ghazi, over the weekend then we have some bad news for you.
    The film, which was scheduled to release across cinemas on July 14, has pushed forward its release to an unannounced date.
    Following its premiere at Nueplex Cinema, Karachi on Thursday night, Project Ghazi team updated their Facebook page and informed their fans of the delay.
    The post read, ?It is with a heavy heart that we are making the announcement that Project Ghazi's release date has been postponed. We understand that this was a highly anticipated movie, but films of this magnitude require extensive technical work and hence to do justice to this film genre, we have decided to delay the release from July 14, 2017.
    The new release date will be announced soon.?



    Reports suggest that the decision to postpone movie?s release was taken after the movie received a negative response on its premiere. The movie screening suffered from technical, sound and dubbing issues along with mismanagement. 
    It was even mentioned that audiences and movie stars left the cinema after forty minutes into the film.
    The producers hope to re-edit the movie and then release it officially.
    The movie, which stars Sheheryar Munawar, Syra Shahroz and Humayun Saeed, had created a buzz being a first of its kind movie in Pakistan.
    Shahroz plays the role of scientist in the movie, while Saeed and Munawar both play super soldiers.
    The makers of the film stated that the science fiction movie highlights the intolerance prevalent in the society which is eventually dealt with by highly skilled soldiers as a result of their bravery and the spirit of nationalism.


  24. Waqas Dar
    One suspected suicide bomber was killed in retaliatory fire while the other blew himself up. Photo: File TIRAH: Two personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) were injured in Khyber Agency when a suicide bomber blew himself up while attempting to target a security check post on Friday morning.
    Security officials said two suicide bombers attempted to attack the FC post in Tirah from the main gate but were shot at by guards. 
    As a result, one suspected suicide bomber was killed in the firing while the other blew himself up, injuring two officials. 
    In March this year, two FC were martyred in an attack on an FC check post in the tribal agency.
    Pakistan Army effectively responded to the aggression and killed six terrorists in retaliatory fire, the military?s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement later.
    Two FC personnel embraced martyrdom in the attack which was carried out from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the ISPR stated.
    Pakistan has repeatedly protested that terrorists are taking advantage of the turmoil in Afghanistan and using Afghan soil to orchestrate terrorist attacks in Pakistan. 
    The Pakistan Army last month also launched multiple strikes across the border targetting terrorist hideouts in retaliation to the aggression.

    2 FC personnel martyred, 6 terrorists killed in attack on checkpost from Afghanistan
    Terror plot from across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border foiled by Pakistan Army




  25. Waqas Dar
    TEHRAN: The landmark nuclear deal signed two years ago on July 14, 2015 by Iran and major world powers led to a partial lifting of international sanctions on Tehran.

    Struck in Vienna by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) plus Germany, the deal established controls to prevent Tehran from developing an atom bomb.
    The UN atomic agency said as recently as June 2 that Tehran is sticking to the terms of the deal, having neither enriched uranium to prohibited levels, nor built up illegal stocks of low-enriched uranium or heavy water.
    Nuclear downsizing
    The objective of the accord is bring to a minimum of one year, for at least 10 years, the "breakout time", or the time Iran needs to produce enough fissile material to make an atom bomb. It is also meant to ensure that any moves to do so will be easily detectable.
    Under the deal, Tehran agreed to slash the number of uranium centrifuges, which can enrich uranium for nuclear fuel as well as for nuclear weapons, from more than 19,000 to 5,060, maintaining this level for 10 years.
    All enrichment takes place at the Natanz facility. The Fordo site, containing an additional 1,044 centrifuges, is no longer allowed under the accord to enrich uranium.
    Iran´s pre-deal stockpile of 12 tonnes of low-enriched uranium -- enough for several nuclear weapons if further enriched -- is under the deal reduced to 300 kilogrammes (660 pounds), a ceiling that will last for 15 years.
    Only enrichment to low purities is allowed, also for 15 years.
    Iran´s Arak reactor is also to be redesigned so that it does not produce weapons-grade plutonium, the alternative to highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.
    Tehran will not build another heavy water reactor for 15 years.
    Controlling the deal
    A so-called Additional Protocol is applied, allowing for closer inspections, including potentially of military bases.
    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also employs high-tech surveillance equipment and has access to facilities such as uranium mines and centrifuge workshops for periods of up to 25 years.
    Sanctions
    The accord, adopted by the UN Security Council on July 20, 2015, came into force on January 16, 2016, opening the way for a partial lifting of international sanctions on Iran.
    UN embargos on conventional arms and on ballistic missiles have been maintained up to 2020 and 2023 respectively.
    Many international sanctions have since been lifted, opening the door for foreign investors. In early July, French group Total, heading an international consortium, signed $4.8-billion deal with Iran.
    However, Washington has imposed new measures targeting Iran´s ballistic missile programme and activities in the region.


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