FundayForum
Register
Forum Blogs Gallery Files Poetry Books
Portal Facebook YouTube Twitter
👀 You are watching:
Jump to content
👉 Click here to explore Remote Jobs, Work From Home & Global News – USA 🇺🇸 | UK 🇬🇧 | Canada 🇨🇦 | Pakistan 🇵🇰 ×
🚫 Guest Access Notice ×
LIVE UPDATES

Waqas Dar

🔥 Admin/Core Authority
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    11,279

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    552

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Russia's telecoms watchdog has blocked China's WeChat, the popular social media app developed by Tencent Holdings, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) said on Saturday, citing information posted on the Russian regulator's website.
    Watchdog Roskomnadzor published the information on its website on Friday, the newspaper said, adding that Chinese tech giant Tencent was aware of the move.
    Tencent told Reuters it was checking the status of its WeChat app in Russia and was in talks with the relevant authorities.
    The South China Morning Post said access to the app was restricted on the basis of Article 15.4 of the law on information, information technologies, and information security, according to Roskomnadzor.
    Sanctions are stipulated for failure to discharge the various responsibilities of organisers of information distribution on the internet, the newspaper said.
    Social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, while Chinese President Xi Jinping has been a vocal advocate of so-called cyber sovereignty.
    Since it launched in 2011, WeChat has become China's most popular mobile social media platform.


  2. Waqas Dar
    CHAMAN: The Pakistan-Afghanistan Chaman border remained closed for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after Afghan forces opened fire on Frontier Corps Balochistan soldiers a day earlier.
    19 Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PMDA) trucks reached the site to aid those affected by the attack.
    Read more: 11 martyred, 46 injured in firing by Afghan forces at Chaman border
    At least 11 were martyred and 46 injured early Friday when Afghan border forces opened fire on Frontier Corps Balochistan soldiers deployed for security of census team near the Chaman border.
    Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations statement said one civilian was martyred and at least 18 injured in the cross-border firing and shelling. The injured included four FC soldiers who were on security duty of the population census team.
    Read more: Pakistan warns of retaliation if Kabul fails to halt cross-border shelling
    Earlier in the day, Deputy Medical Superintendent at Civil Hospital Dr Akhtar confirmed nine civilians had died and 42 had been injured as a result of the firing and shelling.
    Funeral prayers offered for martyred soldier
    The funeral prayers for Shaheed Sepoy Hasan Ali were offered at Quetta Garrison.  Sepoy Hasan    embraced martyrdom today due to Afghan Border Police firing in Chaman, the ISPR said in a statement. 
    Commander Southern Command, Lieutenant General Aamir Riaz, IG FC, General Officers Commanding and a large number of military personnel attended the funeral prayers, it read.
    The body of the martyred soldier will be taken to his native town for burial with full military honour, the statement added.
    Hotline contact between Pak, Afghan DGMOs
    According to the ISPR, a hotline contact between Pakistan and Afghan Director General Military Operations was established later in the day.
    During the conversation, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Pakistan Army Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza condemned unprovoked firing on Pakistani villagers and security forces which caused casualties.
    The Pakistani DGMO told his counterpart that the villages are divided i.e. situated on both the sides, but Pakistani forces and civilians are present on their own side of the border, said the ISPR statement.
    Maj Gen Mirza asked Afghan DGMO to keep its forces on its side of the border and defuse the situation.  He further said that Pakistan Army would continue work on its side of the border.
    Afghan Director General Military Operations acknowledged that the border lies in between villages. He agreed to take up the matter and issue necessary orders accordingly.
    The ISPR said that a local commanders' level border Flag meeting took place, following the hotline contact.
    Serious concerns over firing by Afghan forces: FO
    Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria voiced concerns over the firing by Afghan forces at Chaman border, which martyred nine civilians and injured over 40 earlier today.
    In his weekly briefing, Zakaria said the FO has serious concerns over the incident. The census team was performing its duty when the firing started, he said.
    The spokesperson said that Afghanistan had been informed of the census activity before, and the census was being conducted in Pakistan’s territory.
    Pakistan has the right to retaliate, he said, adding that a negative role by India was creating issues in Afghanistan.
    Hospitals alerted
    The injured were taken to the district hospital, where two critically injured persons were referred to Quetta, where emergency has been imposed at hospitals. 
    The doctors and paramedics at Bolan Medical Complex have been alerted, while additional staff was called for Quetta Civil Hospital. 
    However, there was a lack of ambulances in Chaman, where casualties are likely to inc
     
     


  3. Waqas Dar
    TANDO JAM: A dacoit with a Rs. 1-million price on his head was killed in an alleged police encounter here near Hussaini farm area early Saturday morning, Geo News reported.
    Stolen motorcycle and mobile phones, alongside weapons, were recovered from the suspect – Tasleem Shaikh – during the encounter, police said.
    However, the police sources added that two of Shaikh's accomplices fled the scene, escaping arrest.
    On the other hand, four suspects were killed late Wednesday in two separate 'encounters' in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, police said.
    In Faisalabad, police were escorting two suspects when their accomplices opened fire, wounding their partners, who died on way to hospital. Meanwhile, two other suspected robbers in Sheikhupura were killed in another alleged police encounter.
    In addition, a man opened fire on police late Monday when he was signalled to stop in the Gulshan-e-Sikandar area of Karachi’s Keamari, but was killed by retaliatory shots. The deceased could not be immediately identified.
    Two suspected drug peddlers were apprehended by police in Pakistan Bazaar area, while weapons and more than 1 kilogramme of drugs were seized.
    In yet another raid in North Nazimabad, law enforcers rounded up a suspect involved in street crimes.
     


  4. Waqas Dar
    Leading French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's campaign said on Friday it had been the target of a "massive" computer hack that dumped its campaign emails online 1-1/2 days before voters choose between the centrist and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.
    Macron, who is seen as the frontrunner in an election billed as the most important in France in decades, extended his lead over Le Pen in polls on Friday.
    As much as 9 gigabytes of data were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for posting the data or if any of it was genuine.
    In a statement, Macron's political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked.
    "The En Marche! Movement has been the victim of a massive and coordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information," the statement said.
    An interior ministry official declined to comment, citing French rules that forbid any commentary liable to influence an election, which took effect at midnight on Friday (2200 GMT).
    The presidential election commission said in the statement that it would hold a meeting later on Saturday after Macron's campaign informed it about the hack and publishing of the data.
    It urged the media to be cautious about publishing details of the emails given that campaigning had ended, and publication could lead to criminal charges.
    Comments about the email dump began to appear on Friday evening just hours before the official ban on campaigning began. The ban is due to stay in place until the last polling stations close Sunday at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).
     Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, is pictured through a window of his hotel during a campaign visit in Rodez, France, May 5, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
    Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, is pictured through a window of his hotel during a campaign visit in Rodez, France, May 5, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
    Opinion polls show independent centrist Macron is set to beat National Front candidate Le Pen in Sunday's second round of voting, in what is seen to be France's most important election in decades. The latest surveys show him winning with about 62 percent of the vote.
    Russian hand seen 
    Former economy minister Macron's campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks.
    On April 26, the team said it had been the target of a attempts to steal email credentials dating back to January, but that the perpetrators had failed to compromise any campaign data.
    The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, even though Macron's camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers' group operating in Ukraine.
    Vitali Kremez, director of research with New York-based cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint, told Reuters his review indicates that APT 28, a group tied to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, was behind the leak. He cited similarities with U.S. election hacks that have been previously attributed to that group.
    APT28 last month registered decoy internet addresses to mimic the name of En Marche, which it likely used send tainted emails to hack into the campaign’s computers, Kremez said. Those domains include onedrive-en-marche.fr and mail-en-marche.fr.
    "If indeed driven by Moscow, this leak appears to be a significant escalation over the previous Russian operations aimed at the U.S. presidential election, expanding the approach and scope of effort from simple espionage efforts towards more direct attempts to sway the outcome," Kremez said.
    France is the latest nation to see a major election overshadowed by accusations of manipulation through cyber hacking.
    U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of parties tied to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to influence the election on behalf of Republican rival Donald Trump.
    Related coverage 
    French government says will not comment on reported Macron campaign hacking
    Macron campaign says massive email leaks meant to undermine it
    On Friday night as the #Macronleaks hashtag buzzed around social media, Florian Philippot, deputy leader of the National Front, tweeted "Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately killed?"
    Macron spokesman Sylvain Fort, in a response on Twitter, called Philippot's tweet "vile".
    En Marche! said the documents only showed the normal functioning of a presidential campaign, but that authentic documents had been mixed on social media with fake ones to sow "doubt and misinformation".
    Ben Nimmo, a UK-based security researcher with the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council think tank, said initial analysis indicated that a group of U.S. far-right online activists were behind early efforts to spread the documents via social media. They were later picked up and promoted by core social media supporters of Le Pen in France, Nimmo said.
    The hashtag #MacronLeaks was first spread by Jack Posobiec, a pro-Trump activist whose Twitter profile identifies him as Washington D.C. bureau chief of the far-right activist site Rebel TV, according to Nimmo and other analysts tracking the election.
    Posobiec could not immediately be reached to comment by Reuters.
    “You have a hashtag drive that started with the alt-right in the United States that has been picked up by some of Le Pen’s most dedicated and aggressive followers online,” Nimmo told Reuters.
    Alt-right refers to a loose-knit group of far-right activists known for their advocacy of extremist ideas, rejection of mainstream conservatism and disruptive social media tactics.


  5. Waqas Dar
    REYKJAVIK: "What a view!!" Britain´s celebrity chef Jamie Oliver exclaimed under a photo he posted on Facebook of a salmon farming cage nestled in a snowy fjord.
    In doing so, Oliver unknowingly waded into the controversy, sparking an outcry among Icelanders who see farmed salmon as a threat to the island nation´s wild salmon population.
    Oliver is due to open a restaurant serving Italian cuisine in the currently popular tourist destination of Reykjavik, on June 17, a national holiday.
    Along with antipasto, lasagna and pizza, "Jamie´s Italian" may also serve salmon on occasion.
    In his Facebook post of April 24, the restaurateur prided himself on being supplied with "sustainable fish".
    But the post angered critics who brand fish farming an environmental hazard.
    "This is an industry that creates a lot of parasites, especially sea lice," said Orri Vigfusson, head of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, a privately-run conservation group which aims to restore wild salmon to their historic abundance.
    Vigfusson said sea lice "are very bad" for the wild salmon. The parasites spread across fjords, infecting and killing the fish.
    ´Stay away´
    "I will never eat at your place and I will inform my clients to stay away," travel agent Jon Gunnar Benjaminsson commented on Facebook.
    "Very disappointing to see you doing business with those guys who are destined to severely damage wild Atlantic Salmon in Iceland with the massive salmon farms that are on the drawing board. Educate yourself before promoting this disgusting stuff," he added.
    While many other Internet users seem indifferent to the controversy, and appear eager to dine at the new eatery, anglers disapprove.
    "On the planet I live on, that would never be called sustainable," Haraldur Eiriksson, sales manager at Hreggnasi, one of Iceland´s largest angling clubs, told AFP.
    The vast majority of the salmon sold in Iceland´s food shops is farmed, as wild salmon is rare and expensive.
    Bad publicity
    Even prior to the Oliver controversy, Icelandic fishermen had concerns.
    Hundreds of fishermen and farmers in January asked a Reykjavik court to revoke licences for Arnarlax, the country´s largest producer of farmed salmon, to operate in fjords in the northwest. The ruling is not in yet.
    Arnarlax produces farmed salmon (more than 10,000 tonnes in 2016) at six farms.
    Jamie Oliver´s team did not expect such bad publicity.
    "We were quite surprised by the reactions," Jon Haukur Baldvinsson, one of the partners of Jamie´s Italian, told AFP.
    "We haven´t decided yet if we will put salmon on our menu," he said, adding Oliver´s team would carry out quality checks.
    But if they decide to do so, it would probably only be served as the daily special in small quantities, depending on demand, Baldvinsson said.
    To him, this would not be unusual since most restaurateurs do not buy wild salmon, too rare to be served a la carte regularly.
    Arnarlax defends its practices and said the controversy over fish farming in Iceland is a misunderstanding.
    "Maybe it´s also our fault that we have not educated people in Iceland enough about how we are doing salmon farming," Arnarlax sales manager Omar Gretarsson told AFP.
    He said the negative publicity in Iceland´s salmon farming industry was caused by news reports from Norway about viral illnesses and salmon lice outbreaks causing massive harm to that nation´s aquaculture sector.
    "But there has been a big effort to do things better," Gretarsson said.
    His company says it defends its fish against infections by parasites.
    "Until now, the cold ocean after the winter period has been a natural delousing treatment. But we need to be vigilant when we are growing steadily," Gretarsson added.
    Iceland´s aquaculture sector is thriving. Around 40 companies produced 15,129 tonnes of fish in 2016, the highest output over the preceding decade, with salmon as the dominant species, according to the Food and Veterinary Authority.
    Operating licences in Iceland cost up to 22 million kronur (190,000 euros, $207,000) for the most expensive, compared to 10 million Norwegian kroner (1.1 million euros) in Norway.


  6. Waqas Dar
    Even when the fans adore their favourite celebrities with all their heart, there are few celebrities who behave insensitively sometimes towards their fans.
    Something similar happened with the Hollywood actor Chris Patt after he made an insensitive comment to hearing-impaired people.
    However, now the actor has apologised to hearing-impaired people on social media.
    Pratt took to the Instagram to extend an apology to his followers, particularly those who are unable to hear.
    According to the reports, after posting a promotional video for his latest release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Pratt said sorry over his quip about closed captioning.
    While the video featured frame-by-frame captions, Pratt insisted his viewers to “turn up the volume and not just ‘read the subtitles’“ -- which many in the hearing-impaired community saw as insensitive, given that some don’t have that choice.
    In his apology post, Pratt clarified that he only phrased the request in that way “so people wouldn’t scroll past the video on mute, thus watching and digesting the information in the video.
    “However, I realise now doing so was incredibly insensitive to the many folks out there who depend on subtitles. More than 38 million Americans live with some sort of hearing disability. So I want to apologise.” Chris said in his apology.


  7. Waqas Dar
    A shallow westerly trough remained present over upper areas of the country, as per the Pakistan Meteorological Department weather report on Saturday.        
    Hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, while very hot weather is likely in upper Sindh and south Punjab, the PMD forecasted.
    However, rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds is expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Makran, Zhob divisions, Islamabad,  FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan, nd Kashmir.
    Past weather
    The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. However, rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds occurred at few places in Makran division and Parachinar.
    Rainfall of last 24 Hours (mm)                      
    Balochistan: Lasbella 22, KP: Parachinar 03.
    Today's highest temperatures                    
    Dadu, Sibbi 47°C, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad 46°C, Moenjodaro, Rahim yar khan, Padidan, Jacobabad, Rohri 45°C.
     
     
     
    Data courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department 


  8. Waqas Dar
    Apple has leapt to the lead in wearable computing on strong sales of its smartwatch, a market survey shows.
    The survey released Thursday by Strategy Analytics showed Apple grabbed a 15.9 percent share of the wearables market in the first quarter.
    While Apple does not release sales figures for its Apple Watch, the estimate by Strategy Analytics showed a 59 percent jump in sales from a year earlier, with 3.5 million units sold in the first three months of the year.
    "The new Apple Watch Series 2 is selling relatively well in the US, UK and elsewhere, due to enhanced styling, intensive marketing and a good retail presence," said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston.
    Fitbit, which has been a longtime leader of the wearables market with its fitness bands, slipped to third place on a 36 percent slide in sales in the first quarter, the research firm said.
    The survey found that China's Xiaomi, which makes a budget-priced fitness band, was the second-largest vendor with a 15.5 percent global market share, ahead of Fitbit's 13.2 percent.
    "Fitbit has lost its wearables leadership to Apple, due to slowing demand for its fitness bands and a late entry to the emerging smartwatch market," said Strategy Analytics researcher Cliff Raskind.
    "Fitbit's shipments, revenue, pricing and profit are all shrinking at the moment and the company has a major fight on its hands to recover this year."
    Overall, the report said sales of wearables rose 21 percent from a year earlier to 22 million units, led by stronger demand for new smartwatch models.


  9. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central information secretary Naeemul Haq has said that judges may opine differently after receiving more information pertaining to the implementation of Panama Leaks case verdict.
    Irked by misrepresentation of the Supreme Court's ruling by political leaders, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan in his remarks on Friday said he had not called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a liar in the decision of the Panama Papers case.
    Without naming Imran Khan, the SC judge said a political party leader lied and misled people by giving the impression that all five judges had called the prime minister a liar in the verdict.
    Asked about the statement by the party chief on Geo News' program 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath', Naeemul Haq said: "If a judge or a person has said something on the basis of incomplete information, then he may also change his opinion upon receiving more information."
    Questioned whether Imran Khan will again say that five SC judges declared PM Nawaz a "liar", the PTI leader ducked the question saying he cannot neither commit nor comment on it.


  10. Waqas Dar
    Wall Street stocks rallied to fresh records Friday following a solid US jobs report, while European equities gained ahead of the final round of the French presidential election.
    The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each gained 0.4 percent to finish at fresh records. Besides the jobs report, stocks were boosted by a bounce in oil prices.
    After a slow March, when hiring likely was held down by a winter storm, the US economic engine added an estimated 211,000 net new positions in April while the jobless rate fell a tenth to 4.4 percent, the lowest since May 2007, the Labor Department reported.
    Analysts said the report further strengthens prospects the Federal Reserve will stick to a planned course of two more interest rate hikes in 2017.
    "Today's employment report should have brushed aside any concerns about the health of the US labor market that may have come up after the disappointing payroll number last month," said UniCredit analyst Harm Bandholz.
    European equities also had a good day, with Paris climbing 1.1 percent, Frankfurt 0.6 percent and London 0.7 percent.
    In France, centrist Emmanuel Macron sought to cement his frontrunner status on the last day of campaigning for the weekend's election run-off after a bruising and divisive race.
    At the end of a battle that has increased in intensity in the final days, Macron appears to be gaining momentum according to new polls which showed him winning around 62 percent to 38 percent if Sunday's vote were held today.
    The euro also took heart from the polls showing a clear Macron edge.
    "Fading political uncertainty in France should keep the euro generally well supported," said Omer Esiner, analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange
    On the corporate front, British publisher Pearson sent its share price rocketing after the group launched a new cost-cutting plan and put its US schoolbooks division up for sale. Shares jumped 12.9 percent.
    Pearson, which has issued a series of profit warnings in recent years, will seek to slash costs by £300 million ($387 million, 354 million euros) on an annualized basis by the end of 2019.
    But IBM tumbled 2.5 percent after billionaire investor Warren Buffett revealed he has sold about a third of his stake and "revalued" downward the computing giant.


  11. Waqas Dar
    The first solar plane aimed at reaching the stratosphere made an initial low-altitude test flight over Switzerland Friday.
    The SolarStratos, a super-light, sleek, white two-seater aircraft with long wings covered with solar panels, took off from Payerne at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), according to an AFP photographer at the airbase in western Switzerland.
    "The maiden flight of the prototype ... went off without a hitch," the SolarStratos team said in a statement.
    Pilot Damian Hischier took the craft for a seven-minute test flight, reaching an altitude of 300 metres (nearly 1,000 feet), it said.
    "The group will now study the test flight results before scheduling a longer flight at higher altitude," the statement added.
    Eventually, the plane is expected to be able to fly at an altitude of 25,000 metres (82,000 feet), an impossible feat using a propulsion-driven aircraft.
    Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan, who is behind the project, aims to take the plane on its first stratospheric flight next year.
    Harness potential

    "We must continue to work hard to learn how to harness the potential of this solar-powered treasure," he said Friday.
    "We want to demonstrate that with current technology, it is possible to go beyond what fossil fuels offer."
    The SolarStratos is 8.5 metres long, with long wings covered with 22 square metres (237 square feet) of solar panels, which are meant to provide it with 24 hours of autonomous flying time.
    The plane weighs just 450 kilos (992 pounds).
    Domjan, who in 2012 became the first person to sail around the world in a fully solar-powered boat, is aiming to go on a five-hour mission into the stratosphere: two hours up and three hours back.
    The stratosphere lies above Earth's lowest atmospheric layer, called the troposphere.
    At middle latitudes, the stratosphere runs from a lower boundary of about 10,000 metres to an upper boundary of about 50,000 metres.
    Until now, reaching the stratosphere has required large quantities of energy or helium.
    Reaching an altitude of 25,000 metres will pose huge technical and human challenges, SolarStratos points out on its website.
    The plane and pilot will also be subject to temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), it said.
    And for weight reasons, the aircraft will not be pressurised, forcing Domjan to wear a spacesuit, meaning he will not be able to get out of the plane using a parachute in the case of an emergency, SolarStratos said.
    The project comes after two of Domjan's compatriots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, completed the first-ever round-the-globe trip in a solar plane last July, in a bid to showcase the possibilities for the future of renewable energy.


  12. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A fire erupted in the basement of a building in Karachi late Friday, however, it was extinguished shortly, firefighting officials said.
    The blaze erupted inside a building in Karachi's Karimabad area, after which two fire tenders were dispatched to the site, officials said.
    The fire broke out inside a shop in the basement, which had woods in it.
    Firefighters extinguished the blaze after nearly half an hour.
    No loss of life or property was reported in the incident.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Rap superstar Kanye West, long a prolific user of Twitter, has disappeared from social media after months of erratic behavior.
    The husband of reality television star Kim Kardashian appeared to have deleted his accounts on Twitter and Instagram, with searches Friday for his handles turning up error messages.
    The rapper, who had some 27 million followers on Twitter, for years had used the 140-character forum to expound on topics from music to fashion and tirelessly promote himself.
    In 2015, he showed startling candor by tweeting that he was $53 million in debt and needed funds to spread his "beautiful ideas."
    But West ended a tour early last year after bizarre speeches on stage in which he accused fellow rapper and sometime collaborator Jay Z of trying to kill him, and in an unusual move for an African American celebrity, praised Donald Trump.
    West re-emerged to meet Trump after the tycoon's election as president, but the rapper later deleted pro-Trump tweets and took a quieter approach to social media.
    His breakdown came after Kardashian was robbed of $9.5 million in jewelry at a Paris luxury residence, followed by tabloid rumors of marital problems.
    Kardashian remains on social media, on Friday promoting to her 51 million Twitter followers a children's clothing line she said was partially designed by West.


  14. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Nine people were injured in the wake of a traffic accident in Karachi late Friday, according to rescue members.
    The incident occurred in Liaquatabad area when a van collided with an auto rickshaw, rescue members said. It left nine people, including women, injured.
    The wounded persons were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Sources said they received minor injuries.
    The collision reportedly resulted from over-speeding.


  15. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry Friday called on US National Security Adviser Lt Gen H.R. McMaster and discussed affairs pertaining to restoration of peace in Afghanistan and tranquility at the border.
    Ambassador Chaudhry, during the meeting, stressed that the benefits of war on terror could only surface after peace in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan holds Afghan peace as its top priority.
    He apprised the NSA McMaster that Pakistan has been progressing in the field of economy, which has led to increase in investment opportunities in the country. "There have been enough opportunities in the fields of energy and basic infrastructure in Pakistan."
    On the occasion, Gen McMaster said the US acknowledges Pakistan's sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
    He vowed that the US would continue to cooperate for stability and prosperity in the region.


  16. Waqas Dar
    Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League title hopes suffered a crushing blow as their nine-match winning run ended in a 1-0 defeat at West Ham United on Friday.
    Manuel Lanzini's scrappy 65th-minute effort decided a derby that Tottenham had largely dominated without ever reaching the levels that had raised hopes of a first title since 1961.
    Tottenham could have cut leaders' Chelsea's advantage to one point with a victory but instead the gap will stretch to a seemingly unbridgeable seven with three games left if Chelsea beat struggling Middlesbrough at home on Monday.
    West Ham, the first team to stop Tottenham scoring since Liverpool in early February, moved up to ninth with 42 points and are now mathematically safe.
    Home keeper Adrian frustrated Tottenham with first-half saves in quick succession from Dele Alli and Harry Kane and he also did well to keep out Son Heung-Min after the break as the visitors probed for an opener.
    Tottenham were stunned though when West Ham broke forward and Aaron Cresswell's cross eventually squirmed its way to Lanzini who smashed the ball past Hugo Lloris from six metres out to speak wild celebrations around the ground.
    Chelsea now need six points from their last four games to be crowned champions in Antonio Conte's first season in charge.


  17. Waqas Dar
    Argentina's hopes of reaching next year's World Cup were given a huge boost on Friday after FIFA overturned Lionel Messi's four-game ban for swearing at an assistant referee.
    FIFA said there was not enough evidence to support the stiff punishment meted out in March to the 29-year-old Barcelona striker, who is central to Argentina's faltering bid to get to Russia 2018.
    Football's governing body said its appeal committee sided with a challenge filed on Messi's behalf by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and lifted "the sanctions imposed on him as a result".
    "Despite the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi's behaviour as reproachable" it concluded "the evidence available was not sufficient" to justify a four-game international ban.
    The ruling also means Messi will be spared the 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000, 9,200 euros) fine.
    The superstar was originally found guilty of "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" in a World Cup qualifier against Chile which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.
    Argentine football officials conceded that Messi's foul-mouthed tirade was wrong but argued that FIFA's sanction was disproportionate and politically motivated.
    Argentina desperately need their star because they risk failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1970.
    They have won only one of eight World Cup 2018 qualifiers played without Messi, compared to five out of six won with him on the pitch.
    They are fifth in World Cup qualifying in South America, with only the top four earning automatic places in Russia.
    The fifth place finisher can still qualify by winning a playoff against the winners of the Oceania region.
    The AFA fired coach Edgardo Bauza following a damaging March defeat to Bolivia -- Messi was absent because of the ban.
    He can now however return when qualifying resumes in August with a clash against Uruguay, followed by matches against Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador.


  18. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Rangers on Friday rounded up a kidnapper in Karachi and freed a man taken hostage by him and his accomplices, the paramilitary force said in a statement.
    According to Rangers, the kidnapper, Mohammad Naeem Khan, along with accomplices, had kidnapped Murad Khan, the owner of Mubarak Hotel from the area of Azizabad, on April 18.
    The suspects kept the man hostage inside a residential building in the city’s Keamari area and demanded Rs2.2 million ransom from his family.
    Upon receiving the complaint, Rangers, using technical monitoring and ground surveillance, took action and arrested the kidnapper.
    A first information report (FIR) against Naeem Khan, for the kidnapping of Murad Khan, has been registered at Jackson police station.
    The suspect has been handed over to police for further interrogation.


  19. Waqas Dar
    Zinedine Zidane hailed Kylian Mbappe's "exceptional" breakout season on Friday as speculation mounted that the Monaco starlet has set his heart on a move to Real Madrid.
    Friday's edition of the Madrid sports daily Marca said that the 18-year-old Mbappe has indicated his desire to join the reigning European champions.
    Asked about speculation linking Mbappe to Europe's biggest clubs, Zidane said that fellow Frenchman Mbappe had once very nearly joined the Real youth academy.
    "He almost signed at Real Madrid (when he was younger), it did not happen," said the Real coach.
    "He is a player who is showing all his qualities and is having an exceptional season," Zidane told a press conference, declining to elaborate so as not to add to the rumours about the youngster's future.
    "Even though I have an opinion, it's never very good to talk about players who are not my players."
    Marca did not name its sources but said there had been contact between Real and people close to Mbappe, who has been compared to Thierry Henry at the same age and has hit 14 league goals this term for Monaco.
    If the forward does leave Monaco this summer there will be a scramble for his services and suggestions he could command a fee of above 100 million euros ($109 million).


  20. Waqas Dar
    Pep Guardiola has revealed Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will miss the rest of the season with a calf injury.
    Bravo, who has endured an inconsistent season since arriving from Barcelona last August, was taken off on a stretcher after sustaining the injury against Manchester United on April 27.
    City manager Guardiola has confirmed the problem will keep the Chilean out of his side's remaining four Premier League matches, with Willy Caballero set to continue against Crystal Palace on Saturday, while third-choice Angus Gunn sits on the bench.
    However, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and John Stones are all likely to play some part during the run-in as fourth placed City chase a spot in the Champions League.
    Aguero, who has a calf injury, and Stones, struggling with a muscle problem, are likely to return against Leicester next weekend, as is playmaker Silva, who has returned to full training after two weeks out with knee trouble.
    "Bravo isn't coming back until next season, John maybe will in the last games," Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
    "Sergio is not fit. Hopefully he will be for the next one but for this game, no. He is not fit.
    "Yesterday was David's first training session. I don't know if he will be ready for tomorrow. No, after the reaction in the semi-final of the FA Cup, he's still not perfect."
    Three of City's final four matches are at home, and they may need to win all four games to ensure a place in next season's Champions League.
    Since winning their first 10 games under Guardiola, City have won four successive matches just once, although that run started with an FA Cup win at Saturday's opponents Palace in late January.
    City have won only eight of their 16 home league games this season, and Guardiola has suggested that their record at Eastlands must improve in order to secure a top four finish.
    So complicated

    "It's still in our hands if we are able to win the four games. But that's so complicated," he said.
    "Since the beginning of the season, when we won 10 games, we have been able to win four games in a row only once.
    "I know how tough Crystal Palace are. They beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
    "We have Leicester, the last champions. Then we have West Brom and Tony Pulis, who are always complicated but it is in our hands.
    "We will see if we are able to make our step forward to qualify. If we win all four games we will definitely be in the Champions League and maybe in the third position. It depends on us.
    "Our home games have not been perfect this season. We have to change it in three home games if we want to play in the Champions League next season."
    Guardiola has suggested City's failure to mount a title challenge this season is a result of their failure to grasp the direct nature of English football.
    As the City manager put it, "nothing happens in the middle" in the Premier League, with most teams keen to get the ball into the penalty area quickly rather than play a more patient style.
    "For the first two months, we were good, then we were inconsistent. So over the season, we were more inconsistent than consistent," he said.
    "In the boxes, we were not good, and in this league, everything happens in the boxes. In other leagues, the people in the middle take care of the process. Here, nothing happens in the middle.
    "We were not strong in that way and that is why we have suffered this season."


  21. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday night, sources told Geo News.
    Sources said that both had a pleasant meeting, adding that matter pertaining to Dawn Leaks, security and border situation were discussed.
    PM Nawaz and COAS agreed that the issues surrounding Dawn Leaks would be dealt with amicably.
    Sources further said that the meeting was held upon PM Nawaz's wish.
    On Saturday, the federal cabinet division issued a notification, ordering the withdrawal of the portfolio of Foreign Affairs from the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
    “In terms of rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973, the Prime Minister has been pleased to withdraw the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, with immediate effect, from Mr Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the status of Minister of State,” the notification read.
    The notification has been issued because of Fatemi's alleged role in Dawn leaks case.
    According to 4(6) of Rules of Business 1973, the Prime Minister has the right to determine his special assistants. “There may be a Special Assistant or Special Assistants to the Prime Minister with such status and functions as may be determined by the Prime Minister,” it reads.
    How did it start?
    An English-language daily, Dawn, had published the story on October 6, last year, in which journalist Cyril Almeida had written about an alleged civil-military rift during a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting over the issue of tackling jihadi outfits.
    The story stirred a major controversy last year, resulting in resignation of Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed and Almeida coming under fire.
    An inquiry committee was formed comprising one member each from the ISI, MI and IB, Secretary Establishment, Tahir Shahbaz, Ombudsman Punjab Najam Saeed, and an FIA director.
    The inquiry committee in its report had placed blame on Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer at the Press Information Department Rao Tehsin, sources had earlier told Geo News.
    The report stated that the publishing of the story was a failure on part of some government institutions including Information Ministry and Foreign Ministry.
     


  22. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Muhajir Qaumi Movement Chairman Afaq Ahmed disclosed on Friday that he has been maintaining contact with the representatives of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party.
    Speaking in Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, the Haqiqi chief said that he supports the idea of using dialogue to resolve conflicts. “If there is a thought of reconciliation, I would readily support it,” he said.
    “I have even called for dialogue and negotiations during Altaf Hussain's time.”
    Afaq said that he has been in contact with the central leadership of MQM-P – however, he claimed that he is not in contact with Farooq Sattar and Aamir Khan.
    He said that the MQM-P and PSP are stakeholders of the city, however, he alleged that certain quarters are supporting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
    He also said that in view of protecting the Muhajir vote, he is ready to go for seat adjustments with PSP and MQM-P.
    Responding to Afaq's statement, MQM-P leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that his party has no formal contact with the MQM-Haqiqi, however, whoever supports the idea of bringing in peace in the city – they will support it.
    He further said: “If we will opt for seat adjustment, we will do it all over the country.”
    The political scenario of the provincial metropolis is witnessing a dramatic development as news has surfaced that leaders of Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan will engage in an official dialogue after around 25 years of parting ways.
    Positive messages have been exchanged between both the parties, but no plan of merger has come to fore yet, said MQM-P leader Kishwar Zehra while speaking on Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.
    She added their party carried out a movement for the rights of people of Karachi, which was given “moral support” by MQM-H founder Afaq Ahmed. “MQM-P chief Farooq Sattar even thanked him for that.”
    She maintained positive contact between both the parties is essential for peace in Karachi, however, a press conference by Ahmed is due on Thursday (today) after which the party’s version of the expected plan will be known.
    Mohajir Qaumi Movement parted ways with Muttahida Qaumi Movement around 25 years ago.
     


  23. Waqas Dar
    Rivalries between contemporaries are not uncommon, especially when it comes to the world of glitz and glamour, the B-town, where competition runs an all-time high.
    Fortunately for fans, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif albeit being contemporaries in the industry, are full of praises for each other.
    Deepika recently made a special appearance in Bollywood film ‘Raabta’. The song which makes one reminiscent of a similar number in ‘Agent Vinod’ shows Deepika setting the floor on fire in a black dress.
    At an event, Katrina was asked if she had seen Deepika’s fiery performance to which she responded in affirmative.
    "I love it. She looks great. It is a Yay!", the Times of India quoted her as saying.

    via GIPHY
    When the ‘Piku’ actress came to know about the praise she reciprocated in the same manner, much to the fans' delight.
    "I think compliments are always great especially when it comes from your contemporaries and I have always appreciated what she has done with her career," Deepika said.
    Well, that dose of sweetness sufficed to put the rivalry rumours to rest and proved that even competitors can be a good sport.

    via GIPHY
     


  24. Waqas Dar
    UMERKOT: The Supreme Court on Friday took suo moto notice of the incident involving a feudal lord, who is seen in a video insulting a Station House Officer inside Kunri police station in Umerkot.
    The Chief Justice of Pakistan demanded a report from the IG Sindh within five days over the incident and release of suspects after a brief detention.
    The new video shows that Zaid Talpur and his son, Hassan Talpur, were put behind bars the same day they misbehaved with the police officers.
    The incident came into public notice after a video surfaced showing an inebriated Nawab Zaid Talpur, sitting on the SHO’s seat in a police station, being surrounded with his aides, insulting the SHO and demanding the police officer to sit on the ground and speak to him.
    After the video surfaced, police station’s DSP Sher Khan and SHO Tassawur Jatt were also suspended. According to SSP Umerkot Usman Bajwa, the two police officers showed weakness and hid the facts.
    On Tuesday, the police registered a case against six individuals including Zaid Talpur, Hassan Talpur, Jamil Marwarri, Lachman Meghwarr, Kareem, and Shafi.


  25. Waqas Dar
    HYDERABAD: In his visit to Hyderabad Garrison on Friday, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa was briefed on operational and administrative matters on the garrison and Thar, informed a press statement released by ISPR.
    COAS was apprised that Army has distributed almost 4,000 tonnes of ration, benefitting more than 1,90,000 families through continuous initiative since 2014; furthermore, medical camps in Thar have benefitted 1,61,000 patients in underprivileged areas while water supply is now reaching 0.6 Million populations and 0.7 Million livestock.
    On the occasion, COAS appreciated efforts of the formation and said that Pakistan Army is proud to have undertaken nation building projects across the country in pursuit of our continuous service to the people of Pakistan.
     He also addressed officers and troops of Hyderabad Garrison.
    Earlier on arrival at Hyderabad, the COAS was received by Lt Gen Shahid Baig Mirza Commander Karachi Corps.


  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...