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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday said that the Foreign Office will issue a statement on the Kulbushan Jhadav case in the next few days.  
    “We are analysing the Indian petition and the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) authority [on the case],” Aziz said.
    According to a press release issued on Tuesday from The Hague-based ICJ, India requested the United Nations' judicial organ to provide relief "by way of immediate suspension of the sentence of death awarded to the accused."
    Read more: India moves ICJ against RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav death sentence
    Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a Counter-Intelligence Operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage actives in Pakistan.
    India contended that it was not granted consular access to Jadhav, which was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. India also claimed that it learned about the death sentence by way of a press release.
    According to reports furnished in Indian media, the ICJ has stayed Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence.
    Pakistani officials, according to sources, responded that they do not know of any such decision. Without hearing the other party (Pakistan, in this case), no such decision by the ICJ would be applicable to Pakistan, the officials were quoted as saying.
    Jadhav, a serving Indian Navy officer and an on-duty RAW operative, was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counter-intelligence operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan.
    He confessed to his involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan in a video statement last year. 
    Indian citizen Uzma’s case
    The adviser discussed the ongoing issue of the Indian citizen, Uzma, who claimed that a Pakistani man forced to marry her on gunpoint and subjected her to abuse.
    “The problem is not related to Uzma’s travel documents, but stems from legal issues,” Aziz stated, adding that the Indian citizen will be sent back to India once the legal problems are resolved.
    Border tensions with Afghanistan
    “Daesh has slowed down the process of establishing peace in Afghanistan,” the Foreign Affairs adviser said while speaking to members of the media on Wednesday.
    Aziz talked to journalists after addressing a seminar on peace restoration.
    “We have one stance – that Pakistan’s peace is directly dependent on that of Afghanistan,” he stressed, adding that the nation –despite being a victim of terrorism itself – has always been sincere in its efforts to maintain peaceful ties with its neighbour.
    Aziz mentioned how border management with Afghanistan is a pertinent issue, considering the close linkages between the two countries.
    Read more: Pakistan`s role most important in peace process: Chief Executive Afghanistan
     “Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was also started to fight and eliminate terrorists. [Now] the incumbent Afghan administration also needs to conduct operations to eliminate Daesh and Taliban,” he said while commenting on efforts initiated by the two nations.
    He reasoned that all acts of terrorism in the recent past were planned in Afghanistan.
    Aziz went on to highlight Pakistan’s supportive efforts towards Afghanistan, which has been provided financial aid worth $500 million.
    “A visa process has been commenced for the Afghan refugees in Pakistan; we also awarded scholarships to Afghan students,” he commented.
    In addition, “a transit trade meeting with Afghanistan will be held soon,” Aziz added.


  2. Waqas Dar
    CARACAS: Venezuela's opposition protests on Wednesday may be the messiest in a six-week wave of unrest as demonstrators prepare to throw faeces at security forces, adding to the customary rocks, petrol bombs, and tear gas.
    The new tactic has been dubbed the "Poopootov" in a play on the Molotov cocktails often seen at streets protests in Venezuela.
    "They have gas; we have excrement," reads an image floating around social media to advertise Wednesday's "Shit March".
    With inflation in the high triple-digits, shortages of the most basic medicines, and millions suffering food scarcity, the country is undergoing a major crisis.
    For weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets, angry at the government of unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.
    Some opposition sympathisers are appalled at the plans to use faeces, both animal and human, calling it an unsanitary and inappropriate tactic even in the face of a government they despise.
    Many note that throwing faeces could increase cases of infectious diseases, which are soaring due to the lack of medicine as well as basic cleaning materials such as soaps and disinfectant.
    "POOPOOTOV COCKTAIL"
    "The kids go out with just stones. That's their weapon. Now they have another weapon: excrement," said a 51-year-old dentist preparing containers of faeces in her home for protesters to launch at authorities.
    "One of my patients is collecting excrement from her child," said the dentist, who asked not to be identified.
    Messages have been going viral on Venezuelan WhatsApp groups giving step-by-step instructions and advice on putting together the Poopootov cocktails.
    Some insist on avoiding glass containers to ensure that the projectiles only humiliate troops rather than injure them.
    "The use of excrement is not only an act of desperation, it's madness," said pro-government TV personality Mario Silva on Twitter.
    With opposition leaders looking to bring frontline government forces on the side, given they too suffer from the country's crisis, the strategy may backfire.
    Many are thought to sympathise with protesters' complaints about the economic situation but do not speak out for fear of retaliation by authorities.
    While the opposition coalition has remained quiet on the strategy, some lawmakers have given it a tacit acceptance.
    "They use their weapons against us, so people are using what they have," said lawmaker Rafael Guzman, who on Monday was seen in the thick of tear gas throwing a canister back at security forces.


  3. Waqas Dar
    Amazon.com Inc launched Echo Show, a touchscreen device that will allow users to video call and watch clips from CNN, the latest in the company's series of popular Echo voice-controlled speakers.
    The device, which will go on sale in June for about $230, will feature Alexa, Amazon's voice-controlled aide, that can be used to play music, order an Uber or turn on the house lights.
    Echo Show will allow video conferencing between users having an Echo device or the Alexa app. It is the first to support the feature, which is absent in similar devices offered by rivals such as Alphabet Inc's unit Google.
    "Putting a semi-permanent ambient device in the home that can make and receive video calls is an interesting evolution which should prove compelling," said Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson.
    Tuesday's launch of the Echo Show is Amazon's latest effort to make Alexa a key part of its customers' lives and dominate the nascent voice-powered computing market.
    "What we're seeing is Amazon using its smart original foray into and early dominance of this space as a beachhead to spread into lots of other areas," Dawson said.
    A study by research firm eMarketer showed that Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices will claim a 70.6 percent share of the US market this year, well ahead of Google Home's 23.8 percent share.
    Amazon unveiled a voice-controlled camera, the Echo Look, last month alongside an app that recommends outfits for users.
    The launch comes a day after Microsoft Corp said it was developing a voice-activated speaker in collaboration with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's unit Harman Kardon.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Children who are bullied in fifth grade are more likely to become depressed and experiment with drugs and alcohol during their teen years than their peers who weren’t victimised by other kids, a US study suggests.
    Researchers followed almost 4,300 students starting in fifth grade when they were around 11 years old. By tenth grade, 24 percent of the teens drank alcohol, 15 percent smoked marijuana, and 12 percent used tobacco.
    More frequent episodes of physical and emotional bullying in fifth grade were associated with higher odds of depression by seventh grade, which was, in turn, linked to greater likelihood of substance use later in adolescence, the study found.
    "We drew on the self-medication hypothesis when trying to understand why peer victimisation may lead to substance use over time," said lead study author Valerie Earnshaw, a human development and family studies researcher at the University of Delaware in Newark.
    "This suggests that people use substances to try to relieve painful feelings or control their emotions," Earnshaw said by email. "So, youth who are bullied feel bad, or experience depressive symptoms, and then may use substances to try to feel better."
    For the study, researchers examined data from three surveys conducted from 2004 to 2011 among students at schools in Houston, Los Angeles and Birmingham, Alabama.
    Students were asked if they had used tobacco, alcohol or marijuana in the past 30 days and how often they had been victims of bullying by their peers in the previous year. Questions on peer victimisation touched on both physical aggression like shoving and kicking as well as emotional taunts like saying nasty things about them to other kids.
    At the start of the study in fifth grade, about 10 percent of participants said they had been victims of bullying. This was more common among sexual minorities, kids who had chronic illnesses, and boys.
    By seventh grade, almost 2 percent of the students reported symptoms of depression. And by the end of the study in tenth grade, substance use was more common among the kids who had previously reported bullying and depression.
    Limitations
    The study isn't a controlled experiment designed to prove that bullying directly causes depression or that mental health issues directly cause substance use. Another limitation of the study is its reliance on teens to accurately report any episodes of bullying, symptoms of depression or substance use, the authors note.
    It's also possible that teens who are bullied may later wind up drinking or using drugs because their peer groups include many adolescents who do both of these things, whether on sports teams or among crowds of particularly aggressive kids, said Bonnie Leadbeater, a psychology researcher at the University of Victoria in Canada.
    "Being ‘trapped’ in these networks can be particularly problematic in high school, where you see the same people every day," Leadbeater, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.
    "Youth with multiple networks beyond school through sports, music, art, religious activities, volunteering, and work are more apt to find friends and others who see their talents, strengths, and abilities," Leadbeater added. "These strengths are often established in late elementary school."
    The trouble with bullying that leads to mental health problems is that teens with depression and anxiety are more likely to withdraw from peers and lack interest in most things.
    "Young teens need to have ways of dealing with peer conflict before it becomes bullying," Leadbeater said. "Young teens need to believe that getting help is normative and that bullying is not."


  5. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Prominent religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel was offloaded from a Toronto-bound flight at Dubai airport on Wednesday.
    He was travelling to Toronto with Shahid Afridi to attend a fundraising dinner event of the all-rounder's charity.
    Canadian immigration officials reportedly directed the airline to offload the scholar due to his security clearance.
    Tariq Jameel was waiting for the security clearance at the Dubai airport when this report was filed.  
    When asked, Afridi confirmed the two were flying to Toronto for a charity dinner. He added that formalities were being fulfilled so that the cleric could leave for Toronto on the next available flight.


  6. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Religious scholar Tariq Jameel was offloaded from a plane in Dubai on Wednesday, which that was set to leave for Toronto.
    According to Canadian authorities, Jameel was offloaded as his security clearance was not done.
    Jameel was to leave for Toronto with cricketer Shahid Afridi for a charity dinner. The former was waiting for the security matters to be cleared at Dubai airport when this report was filed.  
    When asked, Afridi confirmed they were to fly to Toronto for a charity dinner.  However, he added, formalities were being fulfilled so that Jameel could leave for Toronto in the next available flight.


  7. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: One and a half kilogrammes of ice and heroin were seized from a man at Benazir Bhutto Airport in Islamabad on Wednesday.
    Airport security personnel searched the passenger, Zeb’s belongings and confiscated the illegal drugs that the man was carrying in a secret compartment of his luggage.
    The man, who was handed over to the Airport Narcotics Force, was attempting to smuggle the drugs to Qatar.   
    The accused hails from Swabi, sources told Geo News.
    Read more: ANF seizes 8,000 kilos of heroin, opium near Chaman
    At least 2,274 kg heroin and 5,793 kg opium were recovered in Qilla Abdullah and Roghai areas during a joint raid conducted by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) personnel and security forces, on April 16.
    No arrests could be made during the raid because suspects were not present at the site, ANF officials said.
    According to law enforcement agencies, the large stack of drugs was going to be smuggled into Karachi. The seized drugs were reported to be worth billions of rupees.


  8. Waqas Dar
    Parineeti Chopra – the 'lovely Bindu' – on Wednesday posted a brief behind-the-scene video from the Meri Pyari Bindu set on her Twitter account and it has us in laughing fits.
    The Bollywood actress is seen inhaling helium from a balloon – we all know how funny it sounds – and sings in a shrill voice. Her co-star Ayushmann Khurrana, who plays Abhi (Abhimanyu Roy), also hums a tune in his helium-y tone.
     
     
    Meri Pyari Bindu is touted as an Indian rom-com, with Chopra and Khurrana starring opposite each other as the adorable couple.
    “Abhimanyu Roy, who is stuck with a writer’s block, returns to his roots to write an old-fashioned love story. The writer’s block is called Bindu who is the love of his life but he has lost contact with her,” a synopsis on IMDb reads.
    Parineeti is back to filming after a short hiatus when she took care of herself. “I had six back-to-back releases so I needed some time off and that is what I did. I genuinely had so many other things to do that there was no time to shoot a film,” the 28-year-old said, according to Hindustan Times.
    On the other hand, filmmakers and cinema-related people are more geared towards the movie’s story than the revenue it churns in.
    “Obviously it’s not a film that will do a Rs 100 crore or even a Rs 50 crore business at the box office. […] So even if they do a business of let’s just say Rs 15 to 20 crore – I am sure it will do more than that – but if it makes that much, they will make profits,” India.com reported citing distributor Akshaye Rathi.
    Well, let’s wait and see how it sits with the audience. Watch the trailer here and mark your calendars for May 12.
     

     


  9. Waqas Dar
    CHAMAN: The recent closure of the border in Chaman has resulted in the cessation of the repatriation of Afghan refugees.
    Dunya Aslam Khan, a spokesperson of the UNHCR, said on Wednesday that the voluntary return of Afghan refugees was halted on May 5, after firing from Afghan forces on a Pakistan Census team near the border area left at least 11 civilians dead and scores injured.
    The spokesperson further explained that since the return process was initiated on April 3, 2016, a total of 3,200 Afghan refugee families have returned to their native country. Of that number, a total of 762 families returned to Afghanistan through the UNHCR package, she added.
    There are 1,347,367 registered Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, most of them in dismal conditions in refugee camps in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
    According to the Pakistan government, Afghan migrants who have Proof of Registration (POR) cards can stay in Pakistan until December 31, 2017, under a new notification.
    Talking to Geo.tv in March this year, Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Ghazanfar Ali Agha said, "Afghan Refugees can apply for visas in four different sectors ranging from education to skilled labour to inter-marriages. Before December 31, 2017, people who will apply for a visa will have to surrender their POR cards".
    Government sources say that more or less 15 million non-registered Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan. According to International Organisation for Migration,‏ more than four million refugees have returned to their homeland in 2016. 
    Joint survey of villages completes
    On the other hand, the joint survey of Killi Luqman and Killi Jahangir, villages along the Chaman border, has been completed. A report of the survey has also been sent to the higher authorities. 
    Read: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to border demarcation in flag meeting
    After the attack, there was an argument between the two sides over jurisdiction of the areas. Therefore, the Pakistan and Afghan authorities agreed to carry out a survey of the villages.
    At one of the meetings, the security officials said the decision to open the border will be taken after the survey report is sent to Islamabad and Kabul.
    The border gate, also known as Bab-e-Dosti, remained closed on the sixth day after the incident, while supply to NATO forces is also suspended.
     


  10. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: A session of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) session to decide on the investigation method for the Panama case commenced in Islamabad on Wednesday.
    The meeting was headed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director Wajid Zia.
    National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer, Irfan Naeem Mangi, is expected to join the session on Thursday.
    Read more: Profiles of JIT members
    The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by the Supreme Court for the implementation of Panama Leaks verdict, met on Tuesday ahead of formally launching an investigation into the case.
    Zia chaired the session to set out the investigation method for the Panama verdict implementation.
    The team of investigators decided to seek assistance from the FIA and experts from the private sector. The head of the JIT wrote a letter to the DG FIA in this regard.
    The Supreme Court’s special bench constituted the JIT to probe funds used by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children to buy properties in London through offshore businesses.
    Read more: Were neither part of SC proceedings nor will be of JIT: Gillani
    Earlier on Monday, JIT members met at the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad, which was declared the JIT Secretariat. The members also moved their offices to the location ahead of the investigation.
    The Interior Ministry issued instructions for the provision of complete security to the members of the JIT. 
     


  11. Waqas Dar
    Cuba represents a "huge" but challenging opportunity for US cruise, airline, and hotel companies as American visitors to the Caribbean island could increase as much as sevenfold by 2025, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group.
    As many as 2 million Americans could visit up from 285,000 last year, excluding Cuban Americans, the BCG study published on Wednesday estimated.
    Given that tourism infrastructure is already creaking, this means there are plenty of business opportunities, but US companies must learn to navigate a centrally-planned economy with its quirks.
    US travel to Cuba has already surged, albeit from very low levels, in the last two years since the former Cold War allies announced a detente and the Obama administration eased travel restrictions to the island.
    "The reality is that US travel to Cuba is in its nascent stages, and all the players are still learning how to make it work," the report read. "Success, as with most things Cuban, will require unusual – and often unorthodox – approaches."
    BCG did not address the uncertainty cast by the election of US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to row back on the normalisation of relations.
    The Cuban government aims to double hotel capacity by 2030 through partnerships with foreign companies, it pointed out. So far, Starwood is the only US hotel company operating in Cuba.
    Instilling a hospitality mindset in tourism workers who were mostly state employees, even at US-owned companies, on low wages could be challenging, it noted. Poor service sat particularly badly when rooms were "extremely expensive for the region".
    "The risk is that US travellers who visit Cuba and stay at a hotel that is part of a brand they trust will experience prices much higher than usual – and more customer service," the report said.
    Meanwhile, there was also an opportunity for expanding cruise lines to Cuba, BCG said. Nearly two-thirds of 500 US travellers surveyed would consider one to Cuba. Several US cruise operators have started offering lines to Cuba in the past year.
    They have to deal with different challenges, such as including a cultural element to their trips to comply with US government rules on travel to Cuba, BCG noted.
    US companies should work together with the Cuban government to resolve some of these issues.
    As for airlines, they needed to deal with the excess demand for flights to Havana. They could carry out campaigns to lure Americans to other Cuban cities, BCG advised, and tap into Cuban demand for flights to the United States.


  12. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday announced that he would produce before the Supreme Court the money trail for the purchase and sale of the London flat.
    In a series of tweets, the PTI chief said he would also show proof that his Bani Gala house plans were approved by Union Council of Mora Noor before construction.
    Taking aim at the country’s ruling family, the cricketer-turned-politician said there would be no “Qatari letter drama” in both the London flat and Bani Gala house cases, eluding to a letter by former Qatari prince which the ruling family presented in the Supreme Court during the hearing of Panama Papers case.
    On Tuesday, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) declared the construction of Imran Khan's Bani Gala residence illegal, stating in its report to the apex court that the authority had declared 122 buildings illegal which included Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence.
    It further said that the construction was against the regulations of Islamabad Capital Territory.
    The apex court had earlier issued a notice to Imran Khan, asking where he got the amount from to buy his Bani Gala house.


  13. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Four hardcore terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who had been tried by military courts, were executed on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
    These terrorists were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including killing innocent civilians, attacking a mosque, destroying communication infrastructure and attacking personnel of Law Enforcement Agencies and Armed Forces.
    All the four terrorists were active members of TTP and admitted their offences before the Magistrate and the trial court, and were awarded death sentences.
    Qaiser Khan S/O Habib Khan was involved in killing of an innocent civilian and destruction of communication infrastructure.
    Muhammad Umar S/O Saida Jan was involved in destruction of an educational institution and attack on Armed Forces of Pakistan, which resulted in death and injuries to soldiers.
    Qari Zubair Muhammad S/O Sakhi Muhammad was involved in abetting a suicidal attack on a mosque, which resulted in death of soldiers, civilians and injuries to several others. He was also found with possession of fire-arms and explosives.
    Aziz Khan S/O Ashber was involved in attack on Armed Forces and destruction of communication system which resulted in death and injuries to soldiers. He was also found in possession of suicide jacket.


  14. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: A 17-year old boy died mysteriously in Lahore’s Gulberg vicinity on Wednesday.
    Those attending the funeral alerted the police after they saw torture marks on the body.
    The deceased’s family – residents of Mecca Town – buried the teenager in a graveyard in Sherakot.
    Read more: Man stabs brother to death, robber dies of citizens' torture in Karachi
    The police sent the body for post-mortem after neighbours alerted authorities about torture marks on the body.
    Earlier on May 7, 25-year-old Hizbullah, a rickshaw driver, stabbed his brother, Zafar Mehsud, 30, to death in Manghopir's Wangi Goth, police said. The incident was sparked by a domestic dispute.
     


  15. Waqas Dar
    Francis Ford Coppola, director of classic films such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has sent a letter to the top US telecommunications regulator to urge support for "net neutrality," which prevents internet companies from blocking, throttling or giving "fast lanes" to particular websites.
    Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, named by President Donald Trump in January, has said that he plans to scrap a 2015 internet conduct standard aimed at preventing broadband providers from favouring their content over others.
    In the letter released late on Sunday by advocacy group Public Knowledge, the Oscar-winning filmmaker said the internet was designed so it would not be dominated by giant corporations.
    "Trusting the leadership of huge corporations with America's artistic heritage is a crucial mistake, and can already be seen in the 'monotony' of contemporary major studio cinema," Coppola wrote.
    "The changes you are making at the FCC will only make the fragile balance between artist and businessman more impossible to maintain. I assure you that none of the films that I or my contemporaries are known and celebrated for could exist today in such a climate," he wrote in the brief letter.
    Big web companies like Facebook Inc, Alphabet Inc, and others back net neutrality rules, saying they guarantee equal access to the internet.
    Internet service providers, such as AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc, and Comcast Corp, oppose net neutrality rules, saying they made it harder to manage internet traffic and discouraged investment in improving access.


  16. Waqas Dar
    A new exhibition celebrating the career of Pink Floyd, featuring a raft of memorabilia and tributes to the rock group's famously surreal iconography, opens in London on Sunday.
    The Victoria and Albert Museum hosts The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the British band's debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
     

    Visitors are silhouetted at The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A Museum in London, Britain May 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
     
    "It's not just about nostalgia," said Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, who worked with the designers behind some of the band's most legendary album artwork, Aubrey "Po" Powell and Storm Thorgerson, to conceive and develop the exhibition.
    "Fifty years always seems like a good moment, and the truth of the matter is that we're not all here forever. We've lost two of the band over the years," he said, referring to original lead guitarist and main songwriter Syd Barrett and keyboardist Rick Wright, "and it's so important… if you want to tell these stories to do it when people are still around to tell them."
     

    A woman is silhouetted at The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A Museum in London, Britain May 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
     
    The exhibition is an audio-visual chronicle of Pink Floyd's rise from the darlings of London's underground music scene in the late 1960s to global stardom and a career that saw them sell over 250 million albums.
     

    Visitors take a selfie at The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A Museum in London, Britain May 9, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
     
    Visitors enter through an oversized recreation of the van that carried Pink Floyd to their early gigs and can view over 350 artefacts ranging from original concert posters to guitars from the band's career in addition to unreleased footage of the group at work.
    Iconic imagery range from a mock-up of London's Battersea power station, which featured on the cover art for the band's 1977 Animals album, and the wall, complete with a towering head teacher, that was part of the stage set on their 1980-1981 tour for The Wall album.


  17. Waqas Dar
    Hackers with connections to the Russian government played a role in an effort to damage centrist French politician Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign by hacking and leaking emails and documents ahead of the election, according to two US intelligence officials.
    Separately, Admiral Mike Rogers, the director of the US National Security Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Washington became "aware of Russian activity" in the French election long before purported campaign emails were leaked two days before Sunday's vote that Macron won in a landslide.
    "We gave them a heads up ... "Look, we're watching the Russians, we're seeing them penetrate some of your infrastructure'," Rogers said.
    Read more: French candidate Macron claims massive hack as emails leaked
    The two officials and four others familiar with intelligence agency findings acknowledged that they have not found conclusive evidence that the Kremlin ordered Russian intelligence agencies to do the hacking, or that they directed it.
    But it was conducted by "entities with known ties to Russian intelligence," said one of the officials, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity.
    The Russian government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking of the French election.
    Macron campaign digital director Mounir Mahjoubi told Reuters in an interview that he had no proof that Russian government-backed hackers were behind the attacks.
    "We have no precise information on who did this," he told Reuters. "I have no confirmation, no proof." He said he was speaking in a personal capacity and not officially on behalf of the campaign.
    Two of the US government sources and one European official said there is clear evidence that Russia targeted Macron's campaign going back at least to February. Pro-European Union Macron defeated far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, who wanted to take France out of the EU and supports Russian policy on Ukraine.
    Read more: Russian hackers claim to have compromising information on Trump: CNN
    Flashpoint, a US cyber intelligence firm, said over the weekend that early indications suggested the Macron leaks were the work of a hacking group known as APT 28, or Fancy Bear, which intelligence officials and cyber experts have concluded is linked to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.
    That group is one of two that US intelligence officials have concluded was behind the hacks of Democratic Party emails during the 2016 US presidential election to undermine the campaign of candidate Hillary Clinton in favour of Republican Donald Trump, who supported a warmer relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    Congressional committees are investigating the allegations and whether there was collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling.
    US Senator's questions on France
    On Tuesday, US Senator Richard Durbin sent the Justice Department, FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence a letter expressing deep concern about the events in France. He asked for a "detailed accounting of the Trump Administration's assessment of the attack on the French election and the Administration's response to this attack."
    Two of the US officials said Russian hackers and propagandists accelerated their efforts near the end of the campaign to help Le Pen.
    "After the election came down to her and Macron, they did what they could to boost her chances, and that included hacking, as well as using the French-language versions of RT and Sputnik [two Russian government-controlled media outlets] to spread propaganda and fake news," one of the officials said.
    In the final days of the French election campaign, U.S.-based, pro-Trump bloggers and Twitter activists were among the most aggressive promoters of the purported Macron data leaks, which included what appeared to be private emails along with what Macron claimed were forged offshore bank account records, other officials told Reuters.
    Some of the officials said US government experts are puzzled by the clumsiness of the hackers who targeted Macron, noting that the major dump of Macron-related materials came shortly before the start of a two-day blackout on media coverage of the election.
    Others said the hackers may have miscalculated the effect of their efforts on French voters.
    "Europeans may be more resistant to Russian meddling because they've been on the front lines and have experienced more of it since World War II," one of the US officials said.
    Read more: US wants to get past rift with Russia amid Syria impasse
    Nevertheless, two officials said, France has been what one called "ground zero" in an extensive Russian espionage campaign in western Europe that began soon after Putin, a former officer in the KGB, the Soviet intelligence service, returned to the Russian presidency five years ago.
    The Russian activities accelerated sharply after the EU imposed sanctions on Russia after it seized Crimea in 2014, the officials said.
    In addition to hacking and other forms of cyber espionage, the efforts include attempts by the SVR, the KGB's successor, to recruit French politicians, academics, and government and industry officials, especially in the military and intelligence services.
    Russian intelligence officers in France are even more numerous and active now than they were during the Cold War, and H4, the domestic counterintelligence unit of France's General Directorate for Internal Security, or DGSI, has "ramped up" to meet the threat, two of the officials said.
    "During the Cold War, the US was the main threat," said one of the officials. "Now EU sanctions and NATO expansion are Putin's main concerns. At the same time, the rise of far-right and nationalist parties and political figures provides an opportunity to disrupt European unity."


  18. Waqas Dar
    An emergency was declared Tuesday at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeastern Washington after a portion of a tunnel that contains rail cars full of nuclear waste collapsed.
    Soil collapsed over a 20-foot square section of a tunnel that was storing contaminated material at Hanford -- a former nuclear weapons production site in the south-central part of the state.
    The collapse of the tunnel, made of wood and concrete, was spotted by workers doing routine surveillance.
    So far, radiation dangers and injuries appear to have been averted, but tests and monitoring are continuing, with emergency responders on the scene, according to US authorities.
    "This hasn't happened before," US Department of Energy spokesman Mark Heeter told the CNN. "There are various projects in this site and occasionally there is spread of contamination."
    But never, he said, has there been a tunnel collapse.
    Hours after the incident took place, authorities determined there was no initial evidence that workers were exposed to radiation or that there has been an "airborne radiological release."
    "All personnel are accounted for, there are no injuries," Hanford emergency centre spokesman Destry Henderson said. "There is no evidence of a radiological release."
    The accident sparked an alert at 8:26 AM, which prompted federal officials to activate an emergency operations centre at the breached tunnel.
     


  19. Waqas Dar
    ROSEAU, Dominica: Pakistan will be looking to end the West Indies series on a victorious note, not only to register history in the Caribbean but to make possible a dream farewell for the retiring duo captain Misbah-ul-Haq and veteran batsman Younis Khan.
    West Indies, on the other hand, buoyed by a series-levelling win in the second Test, are in pursuit of a first Test series success in five years against a team ranked higher and will seek to achieve the feat in Wednesday´s decisive third and final Test at Windsor Park. 
    But despite being routed for 81 on the final day of the second Test in Barbados, Pakistan are still in with a chance of pulling off their first-ever Test series triumph in the Caribbean.
    "It´s a special game for us because we have a chance to make history," said Misbah, focusing instead on the importance of the result for the team.
    Still, the fact that both himself and Younis will be retiring from international cricket after the match is a reality that could not be avoided.
    "It gives us additional motivation and I hope it´s the same for the team as well," he explained. "Sometimes the emotion will come in when you have an occasion like this but it´s important for us to just focus on our jobs and score runs for the team."
    After scoring 58 to become the first Pakistani to go past 10,000 Test runs in the first innings of the series in Jamaica, Younis has tallied just 11 runs in the next three innings.
    In contrast, Misbah was unbeaten on 99 in setting up the first Test win before falling for 99 in the first innings of the second Test, a disappointment he was quick to put in perspective.
    "Ninety-nine is far better than zero, which is what I got in the second innings," he noted. "If we perform up to our potential we can beat any side. We have to get our disciplines right and be at the top of our game."

    Photo: AFP
    Following severe criticism from both camps over the surface at Kensington Oval, there was general acceptance that the pitch for the series finale appeared much better on the eve of the match despite again being virtually devoid of grass.
    "It doesn´t look too bad," was West Indies captain Jason Holder´s guarded verdict.
    "It might be on the slow side to start but hopefully it quickens up as the game goes on."
    With Shannon Gabriel leading the fast bowlers´ demolition of the opposition for just 81 to earn a 106-run win less than a week earlier, no changes are anticipated to the hosts´ bowling attack.
    However the top-order batting remains a concern even if the selectors opt not to tinker with a winning line-up.
    Pakistan had already decided on their final eleven 24 hours before the start but Misbah chose not to reveal it.
    After enjoying tremendous success in the limited-over matches earlier in the tour, leg-spinner Shadab Khan struggled on Test debut in Barbados with match figures of one for 145.
    He is expected to make way for fast-medium bowler Hasan Ali in support of fellow pacers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Abbas.
    Pakistan´s greatest bowling threat remains Yasir Shah though, the leg-spinner´s match haul of nine for 177 in the losing effort in the second Test giving him 17 so far in the series.
    Prolonged showers two days before the match disrupted preparations and despite a scorching eve of the fixture, a forecast for more rain raises the prospect of the elements playing a significant role in the final result.
    Probable teams:
    West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Vishaul Singh, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wicketkeeper), Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel.
    Pakistan: Misbah ul Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.


  20. Waqas Dar
    South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday he was prepared to visit North Korea and was ready to negotiate with China and the United States over a controversial anti-missile defence system soon after he was sworn in on Wednesday.
    Moon took the oath of office in a simple ceremony in the domed rotunda hall of the parliament building, a day after his liberal Democratic Party's decisive victory in a snap election called to find a replacement for Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in March over a corruption scandal.
    S. Korea´s Moon says willing to go to North at swearing-in
    Seoul, May 10, 2017 (AFP) -South Korea´s new President Moon Jae-In was sworn in on Wednesday, just a day after a landslide election victory, and immediately declared his willingness to visit Pyongyang amid high tensions with the nuclear-armed North.
    Left-leaning Moon, a former human rights lawyer, backs engagement with Pyongyang in the quest for peace -- in contrast to the threatening rhetoric from the Trump administration in recent weeks.
    "If needed I will fly to Washington immediately," Moon told lawmakers after taking the oath of office in Seoul´s National Assembly building.
    "I will also go to Beijing and Tokyo and even Pyongyang in the right circumstances."

    South Korea's President Moon Jae-in greets his supporters and neighbours as he leaves his house in Seoul, South Korea May 10, 2017.
    Moon will have a difficult diplomatic path to tread in his approach to the North, which dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States, and has vast artillery forces trained on Seoul.
    He also begins his term facing multiple domestic challenges, including the aftermath of the huge corruption scandal that saw his conservative predecessor Park Geun-Hye impeached and swept him to power, but leaves the country bitterly divided.
    "I will be a president to all people," Moon said, promising to "serve even those who did not support me".
    "I will become a president who is at eye-level with the people," he added, saying he would talk to market traders on his way home from work.
    The low-key ceremony -- which began with him walking into the building to a drum roll, accompanied by his wife -- came hours after he was formally declared the winner of Tuesday´s election.
    Moon took 41.1 percent of the vote, far ahead of Hong Joon-Pyo of Park´s Liberty Korea party, on 24.0 percent, and centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo on 21.4 percent.
    Ahead of the swearing-in, Moon met with leading lawmakers of Liberty Korea -- which advocates a hard line on the North and has repeatedly accused him of being a Pyongyang sympathiser who would "hand the whole country to the North once elected."
    "I´d like to show our people that all of us are moving forward together," Moon told them, saying he would seek their opinions on matters of national security. "I am begging for your cooperation."
    Fears of conflict
    Since the beginning of last year the North -- which says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against invasion -- has mounted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches.
    In recent months the Trump administration has suggested a military option is on the table, sending fears of conflict spiralling -- although the US president changed tone last week, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North´s young ruler, Kim Jong-Un.
    Moon, 64, is expected to have his first conversation with Trump in a phone call Wednesday, Yonhap news agency said, citing unnamed Seoul diplomats.
    He is also expected to name his prime minister, spy chief and presidential chief of staff Wednesday, his aides said.
    Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Moon over his election victory, saying he would be willing to work with him on a basis of "mutual understanding and mutual respect", according to China´s official Xinhua news agency.
    The phrasing is Beijing´s diplomatic code for acceptance of its stance.
    The South´s biggest trading partner, China has been infuriated by the deployment of the US anti-missile system THAAD in the country, which it sees as a threat to its own military capability.
    It has taken a series of moves against South Korean firms seen as economic retaliation.


  21. Waqas Dar
    A shallow westerly wave is affecting the upper & central parts of the country on Wednesday and likely to persist during next few days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department reported.
    Hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, while very hot weather is likely in upper Sindh and south/central Punjab.
    Read more: 7 easy hacks to beat the heat
    Rain and dust-thunderstorms with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and a few places in upper Sindh, the PMD report stated.
    Past weather      
    The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country, while very hot in upper Sindh and south/central Punjab. Rain and thunderstorm occurred at isolated places in Malakand, Rawalpindi, D.G Khan, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
    Rainfall in the last 24 Hours (mm)                              
    Gilgit Baltistan: Bagrote 12, Bunji, Astore 06, Gilgit 04, Gupis, Chillas 03, KP: Chitral 01? .Punjab: Chakwal 04, D.G khan, Layyah 01.
    Yesterday's maximum temperatures
    Dadu, Padidan 48°C, Sibbi, Larkana 47°C, Noorpurthal, Rahim yar khan, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Moenjodaro 46°C.
     
     
    Data courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department  


  22. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: US Democrats said Tuesday that President Donald Trump´s firing of FBI director James Comey may be an effort to undermine the investigation of possible collusion between his team and Russia, demanding an independent investigation.
    "I told the president, ´Mr President, with all due respect you are making a big mistake,´" the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, told reporters.
    Schumer and others said Comey´s shock dismissal was the latest in a series of administration firings that raised red flags about the White House´s commitment to probing Russian interference in last year´s election, and possible Trump-Russia connections.
    "This does not seem a coincidence," Schumer said. "This investigation must be run as far away as possible from this White House and as far away as possible from anyone that President Trump has appointed."
    Unless the administration appoints an independent special prosecutor to probe the Russian meddling, Schumer said, "every American will rightly suspect that the decision to fire director Comey was part of a cover-up."
    Ron Wyden, a Democratic Senator from Oregon, was blunt in his criticism.
    "Donald Trump´s decision to fire him now, in the midst of an investigation into Trump associates and their ties to Russia, is outrageous," he charged.
    The stated reason for Comey´s dismissal was that he mishandled the probe into Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton´s emails.
    But his sacking raised immediate questions about Trump´s motives.
    Several Republicans approached by AFP about the news, which hit Washington like a thunderclap, declined to criticize the president or Comey directly.
    "Given the recent controversies surrounding the director, I believe a fresh start will serve the FBI and the nation well," said Senator Lindsey Graham in a statement.
    Democrats did not hold back their fury.
    "This is nothing less than Nixonian," charged Senator Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving Democrat in the chamber, drawing a parallel with the decision by a crisis-plagued Richard Nixon to fire his attorney general.
    "The President has removed the sitting FBI Director in the midst of one of the most critical national security investigations in the history of our country -- one that implicates senior officials in the Trump campaign and administration."
    The House Intelligence Committee´s top Democrat, Adam Schiff, echoed those concerns, saying the dismissal "raises profound questions about whether the White House is brazenly interfering in a criminal matter."
    "To take this action without addressing the profound conflict of interest of the President and Attorney General harkens back to a similarly tainted decision by President Nixon."
    Democrat Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was vital to rebuild "trust" in the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, by appointing an independent special counsel.
    That call was echoed by Leahy, among others.
    "There simply is no avoiding the compelling fact that this cascading situation demands the prompt appointment of an independent special counsel to pick up the pieces of these investigations."


  23. Waqas Dar
    UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, on Tuesday pressed the UN to get the Kashmir dispute resolved and save South Asia from instability.
    Representatives from Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member states held a meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres on Tuesday.
    The diplomats took up the issues of Kashmir and Palestine's occupation, torture of Rohingya Muslims and increasing Islamophobia in the world.
    On the occasion, Maleeha Lodhi said that growing tension in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) could cause instability in the region, calling for resolution of the longstanding dispute.
    She said that Islamophobia in the world in now turning into violent extremism against Muslims.
    The Pakistani diplomat demanded the UN chief to form a task force to deal with Islamophobia.


  24. Waqas Dar
    JACOBABAD: Police rounded up three suspected terrorists involved in a number of bomb blasts and seized explosives from them in Jacobabad late Tuesday, officials said.
    Police, together with intelligence personnel, conducted a raid near Taja Shakh on link road connecting Jacobabad with Osta Muhammad, Balochistan.
    The snoop, which came as part of operation Raddul Fasaad, was carried out on an intelligence tip-off.
    Subsequently, three suspected terrorists were apprehended, with nearly 3kilogram explosives seized from them.
    The identities of the suspects have not yet been revealed.
    They have reportedly confessed to their involvement in a blast on railway track near Noor Wah Pul on February 2, 2015.
    The suspects also confessed having carried out another blast near District Prison Jacobabad.


  25. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost on Tuesday said that no force or group could determine bilateral ties between Pakistan and Tehran, hours after Islamabad registered protest over threatening remarks by the head of Iranian armed forces.
    "There have been talks ongoing between Islamabad and Tehran on all issues; officials from both the countries are in contact and they can resolve any issue," said Honardoost, while speaking on Geo News' program 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' on Tuesday night.
    On Monday, the head of the Iranian armed forces warned Islamabad that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government does not confront militants who carry out cross-border attacks.
    Questioned if he is assuring the people of Pakistan that there is no possibility of Iranian troops stepping inside Pakistani territory, the ambassador said: "My brother! Have trust that every single thing is being pondered over on both sides. Have faith that no individual or any terrorist group can define ties between the two countries."
    "I believe both the countries can resolve this issue for it is dangerous to both," he said of the alleged cross-border attacks on Iranian border guards from inside Pakistan.
    "Together we have to make an appropriate decision in this regard," the diplomat added.
    Ten Iranian border guards were killed by militants last month. Iran claimed militant group Jaish al Adl, had shot the guards with long-range guns, fired from inside Pakistan.
    Earlier in the day, the Foreign Office of Pakistan summoned the Iranian ambassador and conveyed Pakistan's concerns over remarks by the head of Iranian armed forces.
    The FO said that "such remarks were against the spirit of brotherly relations existing between the two countries."


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