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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    DOMINICA: An unbeaten 85 by Azhar Ali and 55 from Babar Azam put Pakistan in a solid position at 169 for two at stumps on a rain-shortened first day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.
    Fresh from a workman-like first innings century despite defeat in the second Test, Ali was again a model of composure in progressing towards another significant innings after over five hours at the crease during which he faced 219 deliveries, stroking two sixes and seven fours.
    His confidence dented after enduring the indignity of a "pair" in that loss in Barbados, Azam was less assured at the start of his innings and needed a generous slice of luck to get to his second half-century of the series.
    Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo should have claimed his wicket but the right-hander, on 28, was badly missed by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich just as play resumed in the early afternoon following the first of two stoppages for a steady, persistent drizzle.
    That lapse added to the increasing list of costly errors in the field for the West Indies during this 2017 international season in the Caribbean as the pair extended their second-wicket partnership to 120 when Azam eventually departed in a long final session, offering a simple catch to Kieran Powell at first slip off Alzarri Joseph.
    Younis Khan, who together with captain Misbah ul Haq is playing his farewell Test, will resume in partnership with Ali on the second morning, weather permitting.
    Further compounding the home side's woes after Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl first in heavily overcast conditions was the lack of potency of his prime opening bowler, Shannon Gabriel. Although economical, Gabriel could not recapture the hostility that wrecked Pakistan's second innings on the final day of the second Test in Barbados.
    Sharing the new ball with Gabriel, Joseph was completely out of sorts in his first spell, prompting the introduction of Roston Chase's off-spin within the first hour's play.
    That resulted in the visitors' only casualty of the morning. Shan Masood, playing his first match of the series in place of the unwell Ahmed Shehzad, reached nine off 30 deliveries and prodded indecisively at a delivery from Chase for Holder to take the straightforward catch at second slip.
    Apart from the recall of Masood, Hasan Ali is making his debut at the expense of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who struggled in his first appearance in the second Test.
    Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean on seven previous tours while the West Indies are seeking a first Test series triumph in five years against a team ranked higher than themselves.


  2. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Unannounced loadshedding continued to trouble citizens in Karachi as outages hit several areas late Wednesday.
    Power supply to Gulistan e Jauhar, Gulshan Iqbal, North Karachi, New Karachi, Defence, Clifton, Saddar and several other areas remained suspended for up to three hours. The unannounced loadshedding greatly distressed the citizens, forcing them to stay up at night.
    A spokesman for K-Electric, the city's sole power producer, said reduction in gas pressure by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) affected the company's power generation capacity. He explained that power supply was disrupted after Bin Qasim power plant tripped due to low gas pressure.
    "Additional loadshedding is being carried out in multiple areas to get tripped units functional again," the spokesman said, adding the situation will improve with increase in gas pressure.
    SSGC spokesman maintained that K-Electric is being provided 160mmcfd gas, while the gas pressure is improving gradually.
    One of the tripped K-Electric units has started functioning again and the issue would be resolved by Thursday morning.


  3. Waqas Dar
    British banking giant Barclays has agreed to repay nearly $100 million to investment clients it overcharged for services, US financial regulators said Wednesday.
    The bank overbilled investment clients by nearly $50 million, US Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement.
    "Barclays failed to ensure that clients were receiving the services they were paying for," said C Dabney O’Riordan, co-chief of the SEC Asset Management Unit.
    The bank will pay $97 million, including a $30 million penalty and $13.8 million in interest, into a fund to reimburse and compensate investors.
    Some 2,000 clients paid for due diligence and monitoring services that were not performed as advertised, while 63 others paid excess mutual fund sales charges after the bank needlessly recommended more expensive share classes, the SEC said in a statement.
    An additional 22,138 accounts suffered billing errors.
    Barclays has neither admitted nor denied the allegations, according to the SEC. Formal admission of guilt can expose companies to damaging investor lawsuits and the SEC rarely requires firms to admit wrongdoing.
    The news came as the bank's chief executive Jes Staley apologized to investors earlier in the day during the company's annual meeting for attempting to unmask a whistleblower in another controversy within the bank.
    Barclays revealed last month that Staley was under investigation by regulators and faced a "very significant" pay cut over the incident.


  4. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE/SUKKUR: Strong winds followed by heavy rain hit several cities in Sindh and Punjab late Wednesday, suspending power supply to several areas.
    Rain lashed Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Rajapur, Bahawalpur, Sukkur and several other cities in the country.
    In Rajanpur, light rain together with gusty winds was reported, while Jhang and Shorkot received heavy rainfall late this night.
    Several areas i Faisalabad and Gujranwala plunged into darkness after rainstorm hit the two cities. Sources within Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) said that more than 80 feeders tripped due to the storm, resulting in suspension of power supply.
    Weather turned pleasant following light rain in Mandi Bahauddin, while several trees were uprooted due to strong winds in Bahawalpur and suburbs.
    Power supply was also disrupted in Padidan, interior Sindh, as strong gusts of wind hit the city.
    Rain brought temperature down in Sukkur, however, it also resulted in outages in old city area.
    Fortunately, no loss of life has yet been reported in the wake of rainstorm.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Alexis Sanchez scored his 20th goal of the Premier League campaign as Arsenal won 2-0 at Southampton on Wednesday to keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive.
    Sanchez opened the scoring on the hour at St Mary's before substitute Olivier Giroud made the game safe with a header seven minutes from time.
    Victory took Arsene Wenger's side above Manchester United into fifth place in the table and left them three points below Manchester City, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth.
    "We were focused and I felt that when we suffered, we stuck together," Arsenal manager Wenger told the BBC.
    "We have another clean sheet and I know we can go forward and score goals. The whole team was dynamic, focused and showed a convincing desire to win the game."
    Arsenal must now win their three remaining games and hope City or third-place Liverpool drop points if they are to secure a 20th successive season of Champions League football.
    Having previously taken two points from a possible 24 in away games against current top-half teams, victory was a welcome tonic.
    However, it came at the cost of an injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has found form in a new wing-back role.
    "We don't know how bad it is," said Wenger. "It's a tight hamstring. We'll know more in the next 48 hours."
    Arsenal went into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Manchester United and procured the first sight of goal, with Aaron Ramsey firing wide after a foray by Oxlade-Chamberlain.
    Saints had an opportunity to make the breakthrough when Arsenal's back three contrived to play both Dusan Tadic and Manolo Gabbiadini onside, but the latter's effort was repelled by visiting goalkeeper Petr Cech.
    Oxlade-Chamberlain gave way in the 36th minute, with Hector Bellerin taking his place.
    Puel 'frustration'

    Gabbiadini curled a free-kick wide before Cech was called into action again, touching a powerful Nathan Redmond effort over the crossbar.
    Sanchez had been quiet, but with 15 minutes on the clock in the second period he made the breakthrough.
    Picked out by Mesut Ozil, he cut inside Saints centre-backs Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens, leaving both on the deck, before finishing crisply.
    Chile international Sanchez, 28, has now scored 20 goals in a league season for the first time in a career that has also featured spells with Udinese and Barcelona.
    Giroud made sure of victory in the 83rd minute, nodding home after Ramsey had headed the ball across the box following more good work from Sanchez.
    Arsenal saw out victory with little trouble to complete a first league win at Southampton since their famous 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04.
    Southampton manager Claude Puel, whose side remain 10th, felt his players deserved to take more from the game.
    "It's often the same against the big six," said the Frenchman.
    "We cannot find a win. Every time we play good quality football with chances, but without the clinical edge and it's harsh on the players.
    "For me, we deserved minimum a draw and maybe a win. For them, in one situation, they scored. It's difficult to accept.
    "It was interesting for many moments, but it's important to score. It's a shame and a big frustration. It was another game against a top-six side without reward."


  6. Waqas Dar
    The Cannes film festival effectively slapped a ban on future Netflix-backed movies Wednesday after the streaming giant refused to screen its two films in this year's competition in French cinemas.
    Although "The Meyerowitz Stories" -- starring Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller -- and the Korean-American thriller "Okja" will be allowed to compete next week for its top prize, the Palme d'Or, the festival's organisers said they were changing the rules so it can never happen again.
    "From now on every film wishing to be in competition at Cannes must be shown in French cinemas afterwards," they said in a statement.
    They said they had "asked Netflix in vain" for the films to be released in France as well to its 86 million subscribers, but it refused.
    The row comes as Netflix is locked in a bitter conflict with big US cinema chains.
    Top Hollywood directors including director Sofia Coppola -- whose new film "The Beguiled" is also competing at Cannes -- have also urged their fans to watch their films on the big screen rather than stream them on tablets and phones.
    The crux of the Cannes row turns on French law, which restricts online streaming until three years after a movie is put on general release.
    Furious reaction

    The country's cinemas owners reacted furiously last month after three films distributed by streaming rivals Netflix and Amazon were chosen to run for Cannes' top prize.
    Festival organisers tried to negotiate a compromise, with a "limited release" of the movies in France mooted.
    But faced with the possibility of a Palme d'Or-winning film being shown in only "one or two screens" in France, talks with Netflix broke down.
    Amazon, on the other hand, is giving its film, Coppola's "The Beguiled", a proper cinematic release in France, as it did with Woody Allen's Cannes contender last year, "Cafe Society".
    Contacted by AFP, Netflix was not available for comment.
    Netflix's long-running battle with cinema chains in the US centres on its insistence on releasing its movies online the same day as they hit theatres.
    In 2015 most of the big multiplex chains refused to screen the long-awaited Netflix-made sequel to the martial arts blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
    The film reportedly bombed, with Netflix taking the highly unusual step of not releasing its box office figures.
    It's online rival Amazon has taken a very different approach.
    Rather than confronting the cinema establishment, Amazon Studios courts Hollywood, releasing its films in theatres before they are made available to subscribers.
    The Cannes film festival, the world's most prestigious, begins next week in the French Riviera resort.
    Nineteen films are in competition for the Palme d'Or, with Nicole Kidman starring in three in the official selection.


  7. Waqas Dar
    MADRID: Real Madrid inflicted a fourth Champions League elimination on Atletico Madrid in as many years on Wednesday, losing their semi-final second leg 2-1 but progressing to the final 4-2 on aggregate.
    Atletico had threatened an incredible comeback, Saul Niguez's powerful header and Antoine Griezmann's penalty inside 16 minutes cutting Real's aggregate lead to a solitary goal.
    The hosts fed off a ferocious atmosphere for their final Champions League match at the Vicente Calderon before moving to the Wanda Metropolitano next season.
    However, Isco's away goal just before half-time settled Real's nerves and left Atletico with too much to do to progress.
    Cristiano Ronaldo's first leg hat-trick ultimately proved decisive and Real will seek to become the first side to defend the trophy in the Champions League era when they face Juventus in the final in Cardiff on May 3.
    An already fierce rivalry between the Spanish giants has intensified in recent years by Real's three Champions League victories over Atletico, including in the 2014 and 2016 finals.
    Real fans had unfurled a huge banner that read "tell me how does it feel" ahead of the first leg.
    The home fans responded with their own "proud to not be like you" banner as a dig back ahead of kick-off in the return.
    And Atletico's players went a long way towards making amends for their meek display in the first leg eight days ago in a thrilling opening.
    Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas denied Koke from close range and Fernando Torres headed over, before at the other end Jan Oblak made a brilliant save from Casemiro's header.
    Atletico got the goal they needed to get back into the tie 12 minutes in when Koke's outswinging corner was met powerfully by Saul for his fourth Champions League goal of the season.
    Just three minutes later Atletico truly believed they could pull off the most unlikely of comebacks when Fernando Torres was upended by Raphael Varane inside the box.
    Griezmann had missed his previous two penalties against Real, including in last year's Champions League final.
    This time the French international found the net, albeit with a bit of fortune as Navas got a hand to his mishit spot-kick but couldn't keep it out.
    Fierce challenges then rained in from both sides as Turkish referee Cuneyt Cak?r struggled to keep control, with five players booked inside the opening 37 minutes.
    However, Real regained their composure to get the vital away goal they needed for some extra breathing space just before half-time.
    Karim Benzema somehow escaped the attention of three Atletico defenders on the by-line and cut the ball back for Toni Kroos.
    Oblak made another brilliant stop to deny the German, but Isco followed up from close range to bundle the ball home.
    Ronaldo had scored eight times in his previous three Champions League appearances, however, the closest the World Player of the Year came to adding to his record 21 goals against Atletico was a driven free-kick at the start of the second half that was beaten away by Oblak.
    Atletico had their chances to put the tie back on a knife-edge as Navas produced an incredible double save from Yannick Carrasco and Kevin Gameiro.
    The Costa Rican then got down low to his right to turn behind Griezmann's low volley and Gameiro failed to turn home another great opportunity from point-blank range.
    A torrential thunder storm disrupted the final stages, but lightning has now struck four times for Atletico against Real and Zinedine Zidane's side will head to Cardiff seeking a 12th European Cup.


  8. Waqas Dar
    MADRID: Novak Djokovic staved off a huge upset and Rafael Nadal was made to battle in their opening matches at the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.
    In his first outing since splitting with his long-time coaching team Djokovic had to dig deep before eventually despatching Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in his second round tie.
    Nadal was also taken to three sets before seeing off Fabio Fognini.
    Djokovic arrived in the Spanish capital without a coach after bringing to an end a 10-year relationship with Marian Vajda in an attempt to reverse his dramatic slump in form over the past year.
    And after a blistering start, Djokovic had to battle back from 3-0 down in the deciding set to book his place in the last 16 on Thursday against Feliciano Lopez, who beat Gilles Simon 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3).
    "I'm still finding my way to that consistency level and quality of tennis that I'm looking for," said Djokovic.
    "I'm aware that I'm not playing at my best, but I'm definitely believing in myself and the process.
    "Eventually the game will come together."
    The early signs were positive for the 12-time Grand Slam champion as despite losing his service in the opening game, he broke straight back to start a six-game streak to romp through the first set.
    Almagro had taken just one set from four previous meetings with Djokovic, but willed on by a partisan home crowd, he held on to his serve despite more pressure from the Serb in the first game of the second set.
    The Spaniard had to save two break points to hold for 4-3 and then took his chance to break with Djokovic serving to stay in the set.
    The world number 75, who dipped down to the challenger tour after losing in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year, then looked set for a monumental upset as he raced into a 3-0 lead in the decider.
    However, a mixture of Almagro nerves and Djokovic upping his intensity saw the world number two react immediately to level at 3-3.
    More Almagro errors flowed to give Djokovic another break for 6-5 and he served out for the match.
    "Four consecutive games lost in this level should not happen because otherwise you're going to lose the match," added Djokovic.
    "I was very close to losing it, as well. He was up 3-love.
    "I'm happy with the way I handled the pressure in those moments, just stayed with him, made him play always extra shot.
    "I did my work in the end of the match."
    Djokovic could meet Nadal in the semi-finals.
    The home favourite needed 90 minutes to complete the opening set, finally finishing off Italian Fognini 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-4 on a second match point after being broken while serving for victory.
    Nadal improved to 9-3 against Fognini and has now won 11 straight matches this season; he is fresh from 10th career clay titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
    The 14-time Grand Slam champion now faces Nick Kyrgios in the third round.
    Controversial Australian Kyrgios cruised past American Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-3.
    Fifth seed Milos Raonic is also into the last 16 as he got the better of a battle between two big servers 6-4, 6-4 over Gilles Muller.
    Raonic will play Belgium's David Goffin next.
    Kei Nishikori recovered from a dreadful start to beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman 1-6, 6-0, 6-4.
    Nishikori faces David Ferrer next, who progressed as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew with a shoulder injury.
    In the WTA Madrid Open, holder Simona Halep advanced over 16th seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
    Svetlana Kuznetsova remained one of only three of the top 10 seeds left in the draw with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Wang Qiang to reach the quarter-finals.
    Kuznetsova will face the winner of an intriguing clash between top seed Angelique Kerber and Eugenie Bouchard, who dumped out Maria Sharapova in thrilling fashion on Monday.


  9. Waqas Dar
    MADRID: A total of 20 supporters and five police officers suffered minor injuries in scuffles outside the Vicente Calderon stadium prior to Wednesday´s Champions League semi-final second leg between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
    A spokesperson for the Spanish capital´s emergency services said the 25 people had been treated for "cuts and bruises, all minor".
    The altercations happened as several buses carrying Real Madrid fans arrived at Atletico´s ground, with home supporters greeting them by throwing bottles and other objects.
    Police were forced to form a barrier between the rival fans, keeping them apart to prevent further trouble.
    None of those injured required hospital treatment and police reported no arrests.
    Reigning European champions Real came into the game leading 3-0 after last week´s first leg.


  10. Waqas Dar
    LIMA: Kylie Jenner, the fashion model and younger half-sister of Kim Kardashian, was forced to use an oxygen mask after suffering difficulty breathing during a trip to the Peruvian city of Cusco, high in the Andes.
    Jenner, 19, posted pictures on Snapchat social media showing her being treated with an oxygen mask in her hotel room in the historic mountain city.
    "At this altitude of 11,000 feet above sea level, you can feel nauseous, have headaches, feel like you´re having the worst hangover ever," said a paramedic treating the cosmetics mogul in the video she posted. "Kylie´s getting oxygen so she´ll feel better."
    The pictures showed the reality TV star -- whose own show, "Life of Kylie," will debut this summer -- wearing a red track suit and joking with the paramedic.
    Caused by a lack of oxygen at great heights, altitude sickness results in severe headaches and nausea.
    Jenner and her mother Kris had arrived in Cusco on Tuesday hoping to shoot footage for the reality television series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." They earlier visited the Peruvian capital Lima, where they attended a charity event for children with cleft palates.
    The pair later intended to visit the ruined Inca city of Machu Picchu in the mountains close to Cusco, local news reports said.


  11. Waqas Dar
    FIFA's decision to remove its ethics team was a "setback" in the fight against corruption as "hundreds" of cases were being investigated, ousted investigator Cornel Borbely said on Wednesday.
    World football's governing body has recommended that Borbely, along with the ethics judge who helped bring down Sepp Blatter, Hans-Joachim Eckert, not be re-elected at the FIFA Congress which takes place on May 11 in Bahrain.
    The decision not only threatens to overshadow the Congress, but also plunge FIFA into another high-profile corruption episode.
    Borbely and Eckert told a press conference in Manama that the decision was bad for football's scandal-tainted governing body and the sport itself.
    "The removal means nothing else but the end of the reform process," said Borbely.
    "The ethics commission is the key institution of the FIFA reforms.
    "We could bring back some trust in FIFA -- the ethics committee... was the role model for the whole sports world.
    "The removal of the ethics committee is not in FIFA's best interests... and it's a setback for the fight against corruption."
    He added: "We investigated several hundred cases and several hundred are still pending and ongoing at the moment."
    The dramatic recommendation was taken by the all-powerful FIFA Council on Tuesday.
    The decision not to re-elect Eckert and Borbely comes as they have both served their four-year terms.
    The Council recommended replacing Eckert with Vassilios Skouris of Greece, a former president of the European Court of Justice.
    Similarly, ethics investigator Borbely is to be replaced by Colombia's Maria Claudia Rojas.
    The decision is set to be ratified by FIFA at its annual Congress, which convenes on Thursday.
    Personal motive

    It is a controversial decision as critics have accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of having a personal motive to replace Eckert and Borbely, as an ethics investigation was launched against him last year.
    Eckert was the judge who opened proceedings against Blatter and Michel Platini in November 2015.
    "It's not a great day for FIFA," Eckert told the same hastily-arranged press conference.
    "The loser is soccer, because trying to get a good, honest FIFA now it's very difficult."
    The investigators said they had still not been officially told about their removal and only found out via their "mobile phones" when they landed in Bahrain on Tuesday evening.
    "I would like to have an explanation," said Eckert.
    They were set to fly out again on Wednesday.
    FIFA gave its first statement regarding the furore, almost 24 hours after Tuesday's decision, but did not mention Eckert and Borbely by name.
    Instead, the statement said that all new appointees to various FIFA committees were unanimously chosen and represented greater diversity.
    "The decision on the final list of candidates was... agreed to unanimously by the FIFA Council," read the statement.
    "These individuals have been chosen because they are recognised high-profile experts in their respective fields.
    "Moreover, they better reflect the geographic and gender that must be a part of an international organisation like FIFA."
    The council also recommended Fiti Sunia of American Samoa serve as deputy to Skouris, while Canada's Bruno de Vita and Martin Ngoga of Rwanda will work alongside Rojas.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Hijab-wearing Barbie is the new trend which seeks to break stereotypes and promote inclusivity across the world.
    Over the years, Mattel has tried its best to introduce a wide variety of Barbie dolls calling for more diversity.
    Recently, a group of women in Pittsburgh are selling hijabs for Barbie dolls with an initiative titled, Hello Hijab.
    They hope that hijab encourages children to become accepting of other cultures.
    “Hello Hijab believes that while we may look different and have different beliefs, our similarities far outweigh our differences. We strive for a world where we all live and love together,” state the group’s website.
    This is not the first time that such an initiative has come to forefront.  Last year, a Nigerian woman, Haneefa Adam, created a Instagram account Hijarbie showcasing different Barbie dolls donning a hijab.



  13. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Power supply in some areas of Karachi was interrupted due to the tripping at one of the units of K-Electric’s power plants that occurred on Tuesday and low gas pressure on Wednesday, informed KE.  
    The power utility said that in view of managing the load, select areas of the city faced intermittent interruption in power supply on Wednesday.
    “The load management spells were rotated and kept brief in duration to minimize the inconvenience,” said a statement issued by the K-Electric.
    It also said that the company is working closely with the relevant authorities for restoration of gas pressure during the day, further adding that additionally, one of the units at KE’s Bin Qasim Power Station experienced tripping on Tuesday evening.
    Separately in a statement, KE said that the power has been restored in the areas of Defence, Clifton, FB Area and Gulistan e Jauhar.
    “KE teams are working round the clock to restore the supply from this unit and expects the unit to be online by day end Wednesday,” the statement added.
     


  14. Waqas Dar
    While the fans are eagerly anticipating the live action version of Disney’s Aladdin, the director Guy Rithchie revealed that the movie could possibly be a musical.
    “It’d be tough not to make [Aladdin] a musical,” said Guy Ritchie during an interview with the Nerdist. Although, it is hard to imagine the animated movie with famous songs, such as Arabian Nights, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, and A Whole New World, to not be a musical.
    Guy Ritchie, however, added that it was “too early” to say more, “because I’ve really just immersed myself into that project. So I’m still looking for cast members, we still haven’t found exactly which direction we’re going in. I’m confident that at some stage it will reveal itself to me, but right now it’s just a bit too premature.”
    However, all directors are trying their best to make their movies as unique as possible.
    Fans across the globe lost their cool when it was revealed that Mulan’s live action will have no songs. But, we can’t wait at the prospect of Aladdin being turned into a musical.
    Disney’s latest live action, Beauty and the Beast, surpassed the expectations of everyone and broke many records at the box-office.


  15. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Wednesday that there does not exist a need to make the Dawn Leaks Inquiry report public.
    The federal Minister for Railways was speaking in Geo News’ show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kaay Saath’ where he made the statement in response to the opposition’s demand to make the report public.
    He said that the meetings between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa were held in an amicable environment.
    Rafique insisted that there existed mutual desire to resolve the matter.
    While responding to one of the questions, Rafique said that Maryam Nawaz had nothing to do with the entire matter.
    The minister said that the government and army always have been on the same page and just because of one tweet it should not be considered otherwise.
    When asked about opposition leader Aitzaz Ahsan’s reservations, Rafique said that the senator could not be more wrong.
    “They (Ahsan and his party) were waiting for the civil-military discord to continue and get worse,” he said.
    He said that the Inter-Services Public Relations withdrawing its tweet and saying that PM has the final authority sends a positive underlying message.
    The Pakistan Army on Wednesday withdrew an earlier tweet which had rejected a government notification regarding the Dawn Leaks, saying the issue had been settled after implementation of recommendations in the Inquiry Committee Report.
    In a press release issued by its media wing the ISPR, the Army said the tweet on April 29 was not aimed at any government office or person.
    The development came after a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.


  16. Waqas Dar
    Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock said that “it’s a real possibility” he’ll one day run for president of the United States.
    Johnson had previously said about his interest in the job. “I used to say it jokingly but every time I was asked, it was with a real genuine interest. And it was very earnest,” he said in an interview.
    The 45-year-old actor further explained that President Trump and Hillary Clinton‘s presidential campaigns asked him for an endorsement last year, but he declined both.
    “I feel like I’m in a position now where my word carries a lot of weight and influence, which of course is why they want the endorsement,” he said.
    “But I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the process and felt like if I did share my political views publicly, a few things would happen.”
    He continued, “I felt like it would either (a) make people unhappy with the thought of whatever my political view was. And, also, it might sway an opinion, which I didn’t want to do.”
    Asked to offer his opinion on Trump’s tenure so far, Johnson instead pondered how he would approach his own presidency.
    “Personally, I feel that if I were president, poise would be important,” he explained. “Leadership would be important. Taking responsibility for everybody. [If I didn’t agree with someone] on something, I wouldn’t shut them out. I would actually include them.”
    Johnson said he’d “like to see a better leadership,” and said he would try to learn how to “be better” from disagreements with a large group of people, “for example, the media.”
    “We all have issues, and we all gotta work our s— out,” he said. “And I feel like one of the qualities of a great leader is not shutting people out. I miss that part. Even if we disagree, we’ve got to figure it out.”


  17. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: Former FBI Director James Comey had requested additional funding and personnel for the agency's probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election just days before he was fired, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
    Comey, fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, had asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week for a significant boost in resources and later briefed U.S. lawmakers on the request, the New York Times said, citing three unnamed officials.
    US President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading his agency's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential campaign and possible collusion with Trump's campaign.
    Trump said the move, which shocked Washington, resulted from Comey's handling of an election-year email scandal last year involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Democrats immediately accused Trump of acting out of political motives.
    Comey had been embroiled in a controversy surrounding his handling of a probe of Clinton's use of a private email sever while she was US secretary of state. As recently as Tuesday, the FBI clarified remarks that Comey made on the matter last week.
    Trump, in a letter to Comey released by the White House, said: "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission."
    Trump told Comey in the letter he accepted the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he could no longer provide effective leadership. Comey's term was to run through September 2023. Sessions advised Trump's campaign before being picked by the president to lead the Justice Department.
    Democrats denounced Trump's move, which some compared to the "Saturday Night Massacre" of 1973, in which President Richard Nixon fired an independent special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal.
    "Today’s action by President Trump completely obliterates any semblance of an independent investigation into Russian efforts to influence our election, and places our nation on the verge of a constitutional crisis," said Representative John Conyers, senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
    Conyers and other Democrats renewed their calls for an independent commission or a special prosecutor to investigate Russian influence in the 2016 election.
    EMAIL FALLOUT
    Trump had originally criticised the FBI director for not pursuing criminal charges against Clinton last July, but later lavished praise on him.
    Comey had said in July the Clinton email case should be closed without prosecution, but then declared - 11 days before the Nov. 8 election - that he had reopened the investigation because of a discovery of a new trove of Clinton-related emails.
    Clinton and other Democrats say they believe Comey's decision help cost her the election.
    The White House released a memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that provided the administration's justification for firing Comey."I cannot defend the Director's handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgement that he was mistaken," Rosenstein wrote.
    Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin went to the Senate floor on Tuesday to urge the White House to clarify whether the FBI investigation of Russian interference in the presidential campaign would continue now that Comey has been fired.
    "Any attempt to stop or undermine this FBI investigation would raise grave constitutional issues," Durbin said. "We await clarification by the White House as soon as possible as to whether this investigation will continue."
    Trump, in his letter to Comey, said: "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau."


  18. Waqas Dar
    A gadget leaker has revealed what the new iPhone could possibly look like. 
    French gadget leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, known as OnLeaks, posted a video on Tuesday which depicts what the new iPhone could look like based on a factory computer-animated design schematic.

    The model in the video and picture measures roughly 143.5 x 70.9 x 7.7mm (8.9mm with back camera bump).
    However, it is possible that the depiction is not 100 percent correct as “Apple has been testing out several prototype designs for the iPhone 8”, according to Gear.
    OnLeaks even tweeted regarding this, claiming “"I can't confirm this is 100% accurate.”
    OnLeaks, is quiet a reliable source for unreleased electronics. He had even posted a picture of iPhone 7 months before it was launched.


  19. Waqas Dar
    DOMINICA: Pakistan negotiated a potentially tricky first session, reaching 70 for one on the first day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.
    After they were put in to bat, Shan Masood was the tourists´ only casualty of the morning, falling to off-spinner Roston Chase after an hour´s play.
    Opening partner Azhar Ali (36 not out) was set to resume after the interval alongside Babar Azam (24 not out), their partnership having already produced 51 runs for the second wicket.
    West Indies´ faster bowlers failed to make the inroads that Jason Holder would have hoped for after he won the toss and had no hesitation in putting the opposition in to bat in heavy, overcast conditions.
    While Shannon Gabriel, the destroyer of the Pakistanis on the final day of the second Test, used the new ball with accuracy and economy, Alzarri Joseph lacked control, forcing the captain to introduce himself and then Chase in the quest for the breakthrough.
    It came when Masood, playing his first match of the series in place of the unwell Ahmed Shehzad, reached nine off 30 deliveries and prodded indecisively at a delivery from Chase for Holder to take the straightforward catch at second slip.
    Having failed to score in both innings of the second Test, new batsman Azam found the bowling to be much less challenging than at Kensington Oval and settled into the promising partnership with Ali.
    Despite an effort dominated so far by caution, Ali latched on to two loose deliveries from Chase, hoisting them for sixes to highlight an otherwise quiet morning.
    With a 106-run win in Barbados levelling the series, the home side named an unchanged eleven in pursuit of a first Test series win for five years against a team ranked higher than themselves.
    Apart from the recall of Masood, fast-medium bowler Hasan Ali is making his debut at the expense of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who struggled in his first appearance in the second Test.
    Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean on seven previous tours and the significance of the fixture has been magnified by the fact that Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq and senior batsman Younis Khan are playing their final international matches.
     
     


  20. Waqas Dar
    ISTANBUL:  Turkey and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding for the sale of four Turkish made corvette warships and 52 Pakistan-made training planes for Ankara's armed forces, Turkey's defense industry under-secretariat said on Wednesday.
    Karachi Shipyard (KS&EW) will buy four corvettes made under Turkey's MILGEM warship program, aimed at designing and building locally a fleet of multipurpose corvettes and frigates that will replace older ships.
    The Turkish defense undersecretariat said the final deal was expected to be signed on June 30. The statement did not provide any financial details.
    Turkey will buy 52 Super Mushshak training planes from Pakistan Aeronautical Complex - Kamra, to replace the T-41 and SF-260 planes currently in use, a statement by Ankara's defense undersecretariat said.
    This would be the first time a NATO country has used Super Mushshak planes, the statement added.
    Two warships built under the MILGEM project so far, named TCG Heybeliada and TCG Buyukada, were delivered to the Turkish navy in 2011 and 2013. Construction is ongoing for TCG Burgazada and TCG Kinaliada, which are expected to start active duty in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
     


  21. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: A man arrested near the British parliament last month was involved in bomb-making in Afghanistan in 2012, it was alleged Wednesday as he appeared in court on terrorism charges.
    Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, 27, was arrested not far from Prime Minister Theresa May's office on April 27, in possession of three knives, London's Westminster Magistrates Court heard.
    He is charged with preparing terrorist acts relating to that incident, and faces two other charges of having or making explosives related to activity in Afghanistan in 2012.
    The court heard that his fingerprints were alleged to have been found on parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered in Afghanistan that year by US intelligence.
    Ali, from north London, told the magistrate: "I don't recognise the charges."
    He remains in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey court in London on May 19.
     
     


  22. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Wednesday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ahead of rare Oval Office talks with Donald Trump, whose firing of his FBI chief again put the spotlight on Moscow's alleged meddling in last year's US election.
    On Tuesday, Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, who was leading a probe into whether the Republican billionaire's campaign aides colluded with Russian officials to sway the November presidential election.
    After talks with Tillerson, Lavrov heads to the White House to meet Trump, whose shock sacking of Comey was seen by Democrats as an assault on an investigation that could have sweeping repercussions for his administration.
    The uproar seemed certain to complicate Lavrov's mission in search of US support for a Russian plan to create safe zones in war-wracked Syria.
    "I want to welcome the foreign minister to the State Department and express my appreciation for him making the trip to Washington so that we could continue our dialogue and our exchanges that began in Moscow," Tillerson told reporters.
    Lavrov cracked a joke about Comey's firing, answering shouted questions from reporters by saying: "Was he fired?... You're kidding, you're kidding!"
    Tense ties
    In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday with his security council to discuss US-Russian relations in the context of Lavrov's meeting with Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the RIA Novosti news agency.
    Lavrov, who last set foot in Washington in August 2013, would be the highest ranking Russian official to meet with Trump since he took office.
    "Just as we do, the Americans need this meeting," he told Russian television.
    Relations between the two former Cold War foes soured under former president Barack Obama over Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its unyielding support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    Since March 2011, the Syrian conflict has caused more than 320,000 deaths and forced millions of refugees to flee.
    Neither Washington, which backs the opposition, nor Moscow, a longtime ally of the Syrian regime, have managed to find a solution to the conflict.
    Since the end of Obama's presidency in January, the United States has gradually withdrawn from the diplomatic process, leaving Russia to take the lead.
    The US was not part of a deal by Damascus backers Russia and Iran, and rebel supporter Turkey, signed last Thursday in the Kazakh capital Astana on establishing safe zones in Syria.
    - 'De-escalation zones' -
    The agreement calls for the creation of four "de-escalation zones" to shore up a ceasefire, ban flights and allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid.
    Washington has given the deal a skeptical welcome, citing concerns about Tehran's role as a guarantor even as it expressed hope the agreement could set the stage for a later settlement.
    "We will look at the proposal, see if it can work," Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Monday.
    Several ceasefires have been agreed on since Syria's conflict broke out in 2011, but they have failed to permanently stem the fighting.
    Over the past six years, Moscow and Washington have sparred multiple times over the conflict in Syria, especially concerning Assad's fate.
    Trump's arrival in power has not brought the former Cold War adversaries closer to seeing eye to eye -- and in early April, the US even launched direct military action against the Syrian regime in retaliation for an apparent chemical attack.
    Both countries have recently indicated that relations under Trump have never been so bad.
    'Common position' 
    Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday that Moscow expected "above all coming to a common understanding on the need for de-escalation in Syria."
    "If we manage to find... a common position with the United States on this issue, it will be the most important result," Ryabkov said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
    The US State Department said that "on Syria, the secretary intends to discuss efforts to de-escalate violence, provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict."
    Regarding Ukraine, the State Department also said "the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements."
    After talks Wednesday, the two diplomats will again meet Thursday in Fairbanks, Alaska for the Arctic Council meeting, an intergovernmental forum for cooperation on the environment, oil and mining, shipping, fisheries and tourism.
    It brings together the eight countries bordering the Arctic Ocean -- Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States.
    Tillerson and Lavrov's meeting in Alaska comes 150 years after Washington purchased the US state from Moscow.
     


  23. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court dismissed on Wednesday a plea asking Pemra not to take action against tv channel of Axact, a software company accused of running a fake degree mill issuing degrees to students in different parts of the world.
    In the application, it was said that the authority should be stopped from taking any kind of action without the court orders regarding the channel.
    IHC’s Justice Athar Minullah was hearing the case and said that Pemra is a regulator and it has to carry out its responsibility through the law.
    The high court dismissed the application, declaring it inadmissible.
    On May 3, Pakistan Broadcaster’s Association (PBA) had expressed satisfaction over revocation of Axact’s TV channel license.
    “PBA on behalf of all electronic media industry of Pakistan, expresses satisfaction over the step finally taken by PEMRA to revoke the licenses being held by individuals who supervised fraud and extortion on an international scale”, a PBA statement read.
    The executive of Pakistani company Axact was charged in a US federal court in December 2016, for his part in an alleged $140 million "fake diploma mill" scheme.
    Pakistan had asked US authorities last year to help it investigate Axact, which had been suspected of earning millions of dollars from the sale of bogus university degrees online.


  24. Waqas Dar
    NEW YORK: Jay Z´s fortunes jumped 30 percent last year to give him an estimated net worth of $810 million, but it was not enough to dethrone Sean "Diddy" Combs from the top of Forbes annual list on Wednesday of the world´s wealthiest hip hop artists.
    Combs retained his No. 1 spot with an estimated net worth of $820 million, helped by his lucrative deals with Ciroc vodka, and his Sean John clothing line, Forbes said.
    But rapper and producer Jay Z moved into second place with $810 million thanks largely to a $200 million investment in his Tidal music streaming service from wireless carrier Sprint in January.
    Forbes produced the list by looking at past earnings and financial documents, valuing current holdings, and talking to analysts, attorneys, managers, and other industry players.
    The top 5 was rounded out by Dr. Dre ($740 million), rapper and Cash Money Records co-owner Bryan "Birdman" Williams ($110 million), and Canadian rapper Drake with an estimated $90 million.
    The full list can be seen at Forbes.com.
     
     


  25. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board Legal Advisor Taffazul Rizi said on Wednesday that it would be difficult for cricketer Khalid Latif to get a clean chit from the Pakistan Super League spot-fixing tribunal as there are massive proofs against him.
    Rizvi said that the PCB`s point of view on the case have been submitted before the Tribunal, further adding that further evidences against Latif have been presented. 
    He remarked that there is no pressure on any player by the PCB as the decision on Panama case will be given by the Tribunal.
    The Lahore High Court (LHC) have rejected suspended cricketer Khalid Latif’s appeal challenging the powers of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal in the PSL spot-fixing case.
    The court, during hearing of the case today, demanded response from the federal government and the PCB on June 13 regarding the matter.
    The court had earlier accepted Latif’s application challenging dismissal of his petition against proceedings of the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal in the spot-fixing case.
    Latif has also filed an intra-court appeal challenging an order of the LHC single bench which had dismissed his petition against the PCB Anti-Corruption Code and tribunal proceedings regarding PSL corruption allegations against him.
    In his appeal, the batsman had said that the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code had status of law and it was mandatory to notify the same in a gazette of Pakistan. Since it was not notified in the gazette, it was illegal and without any force, the appeal had contended.
    The application had further claimed that the PCB chairman did not have any powers to form a tribunal, and requested the court to set aside the LHC single-bench order and suspend the tribunal proceedings till the final decision of the appeal.
    Latif has been charged for breaching Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 of the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code.
    He faces five charges on counts relating to fixing and failure to report it, and another charge of attempting to lure other players to fixing.
    The tribunal, set up to hear the alleged corruption charges against the players, is headed by retired Justice Asghar Haider and comprises former PCB chairman retired Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and former Test captain Wasim Bari. 
     


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