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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been "fixed" and feels "stronger" after undergoing knee surgery in the United States, he said on Tuesday.
    "Fixed, done and stronger," Ibrahimovic posted on his official Instagram account, accompanied by a photograph showing white medical wristbands around his two wrists.
    "Once again thank you for the support. We will enjoy my game together soon."
    Ibrahimovic, 35, faces a long period of rehabilitation after sustaining ligament damage in his right knee during United's Europa League quarter-final win against Anderlecht last month.
    With his United contract due to expire at the end of the season, his future at the club is in doubt.
    United wrote on Twitter: "Good news from Zlatan's team that he has undergone successful knee surgery."
    In a statement released late on Monday, Ibrahimovic's agent Mino Raiola said surgery in Pittsburgh had been "successful".
    Raiola added: "He will make a full recovery AND HAS NOT SUFFERED A CAREER-ENDING INJURY."
    Ibrahimovic was a stunning success in his first season at United, scoring 28 goals in 46 appearances and inspiring the team to victory over Southampton in the League Cup final.


  2. Waqas Dar
    DHAKA: Two Bangladesh club cricketers who deliberately conceded runs to protest against poor umpiring in the Dhaka Second Division Cricket League have been banned from cricket for 10 years, local media reported on Tuesday.
    Lalmatia Club's Sujon Mahmud conceded 92 runs in four legal deliveries in his side's match against Axiom Cricketers last month, peppering the field with 15 no balls and 13 wides that also raced to the boundary.
    Fear Fighters Sporting Club's Tasnim Hasan had conceded 69 runs in seven legitimate deliveries in a similar protest against the umpiring in an earlier match.
    “This incident has dented the reputation of Bangladesh cricket and we have taken a stern step because this was important for us,” Bangladesh Cricket Board director Jalal Yunus was quoted as saying by local newspaper the Daily Star.
    The two clubs have been barred indefinitely from competition. The captains, managers, and coaches of both teams have been banned for five years.
    “They willingly tarnished the image of Bangladesh cricket,” Sheikh Sohel the BCB's disciplinary committee chief said.


  3. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan on Tuesday has requested Supreme Court to dismiss petition against him – calling for his disqualification.
    In the petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leader Hanif Abbasi it is requested that the court should disqualify Imran Khan and Jahanghir Tareen for concealing assets and ‘offshore companies’ in their nomination papers that were filed to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
    The petition will be heard tomorrow. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Saqib Nasir, Justice Umar Ata Bindial and Justice Faisal Arab will begin hearing the petition tomorrow.
    Abbasi's petition was accepted by the apex court in November last year by former chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali.
    Imran Khan has questioned the maintainability of the petition a day before of its hearing on the ground that the intent behind Abbasi`s petition is only to show his loyalty for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; moreover, the petitioner is himself an accused in ephedrine case.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Microsoft Corp on Tuesday unveiled Windows 10 S, a streamlined version of its popular operating system, geared toward low-cost laptops for students, as it tries to take share from Google's Chrome OS-run computers.
    The company said the Surface laptop integrated with Windows 10 S is priced from $999 and will be available for pre-order starting Tuesday.
    The new version of the operating system comes days after Microsoft reported third-quarter revenue that came in below Wall Street's estimate, as sales of its Surface tablets and laptops slumped in the face of revamped competition.
    Windows 10 S, compatible on mobiles and desktops, has a simple login app that allows schools to create logs on any devices in a few moments, Microsoft said at an education conference in New York.
    Microsoft said it has also tied up with companies such as Acer, Asus, Dell, Futijsu, Toshiba, HP, and Samsung to offer a range of Windows 10 computers for students priced from $189.
    The company also introduced a new code-builder addition to its Minecraft education edition to help students learn coding skills through the popular game. The new edition of Minecraft will be available from the new school year.
     



  5. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump endorsed a government shutdown later this year in a post on Twitter on Tuesday that also urged Republicans to consider changing Senate rules to make it easier to pass spending and other bills without any Democratic support.
    "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" he wrote.
    Trump also backed the so-called "nuclear option" for legislation but added that the party could strengthen its hand by winning more Senate seats in the 2018 congressional election.
    Democrats - and some Republicans - quickly denounced his call to close the federal government in a spending fight just as both parties were closing in on a final measure to fund agencies through September.
    "Here we saw Democrats and Republicans working together in the best traditions of the Senate, and the president disparages it in a way that’s destructive," Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said.
    Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, told reporters: "I just don’t agree."
    Trump said his fellow Republicans had to acquiesce to Democratic demands in a government spending bill negotiated this week because the party's majority was too slim to win the 60 Senate votes that would have been needed if Democrats had chosen to block the legislation with a filibuster.
    Republicans hold 52 seats in the 100-seat US Senate.
    "The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%," Trump wrote on Twitter
    Both parties signed off on the spending bill to fund the federal government through September to avert a government shutdown, with Republicans and Democrats both claiming some political victories.
    Despite Trump's tweets suggesting he would be willing to let US government funding lapse later this year in an effort to pressure Democrats to agree to more of his budget priorities, top Republicans have touted this week's budget deal.
    "After years of partisan bickering and gridlock, this bill is a clear win for the American people," Trump himself said later on Tuesday at a White House event.
    Republicans last forced a government closure in 2013 for 17 days. Democrats said Trump would shoulder the blame for any shutdown now.
    Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy called Trump's threat "a sour and shameful note to kick off negotiations" for next year's spending plan, pointing to billions of dollars of losses triggered by the shutdown four years ago.
    In the House, also led by Republicans, Speaker Paul Ryan took a more muted response. "We've got a long ways to go between now and September," he told reporters.
    Some conservatives applauded Trump's call for ending the supermajority needed in the Senate to pass major legislation. Representative Trent Franks, pointing to the compromise spending bill moving to the House and Senate floors this week, said Democrats have a "choke hold" on bills despite being in the minority.
    Senate leaders have already allowed the "nuclear option" to ease through judicial and executive-branch nominees with a simple majority of 51 votes.
    In 2013, Democrat Harry Reid deployed it for lower-level nominees but left it in place for Supreme Court nominees. Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expanded that move to secure approval of Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.
    But Cornyn, speaking to reporters, said using it to muscle through legislation without a consensus could lead to "really bad policy" on a number of issues: "It’s a real mistake."


  6. Waqas Dar
    An emotional Jimmy Kimmel on Monday dedicated his monologue to talk about how his son was born with a serious heart issue last month and the importance of health coverage and the Affordable Care Act, introduced by the Obama administration.
    “It was a scary story and, before I go into it, I want you to know it has a happy ending,” he said during his show Jimmy Kimmel Live.
    The comedian and actor described how their baby William John nicknamed Billy had a normal birth and his family was in recovery at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was then told by doctors that the baby’s heart’s pulmonary valve was completely blocked and there was a hole in the wall between the left and right sides of his heart.
    "It's a terrifying thing," Kimmel said, his voice breaking. "You know, my wife is back in the recovery room, she has no idea what's going on and I'm standing in the middle of a lot of worried looking people -- kind of like right now -- who were trying to figure out what the problem is."
    Kimmel also slammed Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health and appreciated Congress opting for increased funding instead.
    “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make … Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?” he said.
    Watch Kimmel's 13-minute monologue here



  7. Waqas Dar
    Facebook revealed that there has been a nine percent increase in governments’ requests for data across the globe in its Global Government Requests Report.
    “Government requests for account data increased by 9% globally compared to the first half of 2016, from 59,229 to 64,279 requests,” according to the report.
    The data request pertains to government officials requesting data about people who use Facebook. “In many of these cases, the government is requesting basic subscriber information, such as name and length of service. Requests may also ask for IP address logs or account content,” explains Facebook.
    In the case of Pakistan, the number of requests from July 2016 to December 2016 witnessed an increase of more than 40 percent as compared to first six months of 2016.
    Pakistan’s government made a total of 1,002 requests and 1,431 requests for users/accounts. Out of these in 67.56% requests some information was provided.

    According to Facebook, the company responds to valid requests relating to criminal cases. “Each and every request we receive is checked for legal sufficiency and we reject or require greater specificity on requests that are overly broad or vague,” the company added.
    Social media site also provided details of accounts it is kept on preservation. Pakistan government made 442 requests for preservation of records.

    Preservation of account occurs in connection with official criminal investigations for 90 days pending on receipt of formal legal process.
    Facebook placed about six pieces of content were restricted.

    Moreover, there was one case of internet disruptions which occurred during November 2016, states Facebook.


  8. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced to constitute a three-member special bench in view of the implementation of order in the Panama Papers case, according to a notification.
    The three-member bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan would include Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.  
    The bench would commence the hearing of the case at 1:30 pm tomorrow.
    Meanwhile, the SC has also established a special section to help constitute the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to conduct a probe into the Panama leaks case. Additional registrar Mohammad Ali has been appointed as the coordinator and would be responsible for facilitating all communication between the JIT and the Supreme Court bench.
    Deputy registrar and assistant registrar would assist the coordinator. The JIT would submit its report on the progress in the probe to the coordinator every 15 days.
    The Supreme Court has received names of the six officers who would comprise the JIT. All the relevant institutions have submitted names of the officers who would be part of the JIT, to the apex court as per the stipulated deadline.
    According to the Supreme Court verdict on the Panama case, the JIT has been tasked to investigate into funds used by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children to buy properties in London through offshore businesses.
    The JIT would consist of an FIA officer, a NAB representative, an SECP officer, a State Bank of Pakistan nominee, and an officer from the ISI and MI.
    The team would begin the investigation as soon as it is constituted. The Supreme Court has tasked the team to submit a report every two weeks to a special bench of the apex court.
    The Pakistan Army has pledged to play its role in a legal and transparent manner in the Joint Investigation Team for the Panama Leaks probe, and to fulfill the confidence reposed in the institution by the Supreme Court.
    The Panama case decision, announced by the Supreme Court last week, and the JIT ordered by the apex court were discussed by the Army's top commanders during the 202nd Corps Commander's conference held at the General Headquarters here on Monday.
    In a statement released by the DG ISPR Maj-General Asif Ghafoor, the forum pledged that the "institution through its members in JIT shall play its due role in a legal and transparent manner fulfilling confidence reposed by the Apex Court of Pakistan".
    In its ruling, the Supreme Court had ordered the formation of a six-member JIT to probe corruption allegations by opposition parties against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Leaks case.
    The top court had ordered the inclusion of one member each from the Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Intelligence in the six-member team, which will carry out an investigation into funds used by the prime minister's children to buy properties in London through offshore businesses.
    The investigation team will also comprise of one senior officer each from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
    The apex court has ordered the heads of the six departments and institutions, including the ISI and MI, to recommend names of their nominees for the JIT within seven days. Names of the six nominated officers will be placed before the apex court bench for their approval before they can begin their probe into the allegations.
    "The JIT shall investigate the case and collect evidence, if any, showing that respondent No.1 [Nawaz Sharif] or any of his dependents or benamidars owns, possesses or has acquired assets or any interest therein disproportionate to his known means of income," read the order of the apex court.
    The court has also ordered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and his two sons Hasan and Hussein Nawaz to "appear and associate themselves with the JIT as and when required".
    The investigation team has to complete its report and submit it to the apex court within 60 days of its formation.
     
     
     


  9. Waqas Dar
    Muhammad Asad Raza, a student of National University of Science and Technology (NUST), bagged the third position at the Global Student Entrepreneur Award (GSEA) 2017 in Frankfurt, Germany.

    Students from more than 57 countries participated in the competition, which was held from April 27 to April 29 at the Congress Center Messe Frankfurt.
    After winning GSEA Pakistan 2017, Raza won the EO GSEA global semi-final and made it to the top five, which comprised students from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Malaysia and Pakistan. Julian Rios Cantu of Mexico won the competition.

    Raza competed against other participants from Canada, South Africa, UK, Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Turkey.  Event’s final ceremony was streamed online on April 29.


  10. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Maryam Nawaz said on Tuesday that said that Panama Papers scandal has been trashed around the world, calling the documents ‘trash’.
    Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter in an attempt to send a message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s rivals.
    “Panama is crap. Trashed in the rest of the world. Those relying on it to bring down NS will bite the dust,” she tweeted.
    She also criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who has a ruling government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in one of her tweets.


  11. Waqas Dar
    An Indonesian man reported to be the world's oldest person died at the age of 146 this week, family members said on Tuesday.
    Sodimejo, who was known locally as Mbah Gotho, was born in December 1870, according to a government-issued ID card that media reports said had been verified by local officials in the Central Java town of Sragen.
    Indonesian media reported that Sodimejo was the world's oldest person, citing his identity papers. Reuters could not independently verify Sodimejo's age.
    Sodimejo's grandson said he had been taken to hospital last week because of his deteriorating health.
    "The problem was he didn't want to eat or drink," said grandson Suryanto, who like his grandfather, goes by one name.
    He then insisted on being brought home, and died several days later, Suryanto said. Sodimejo was buried on Monday morning in a local cemetery.
    According to Guinness World Records, Jeanne Calment, a French woman, had the longest confirmed human lifespan. She died in 1997 at the age of 122.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Met Gala is the event of the year when celebrities try to adhere to a theme while flaunting bold and risqué looks at the same time.
    Indian actress Priyanka who transitioned to Hollywood some time back donned a brown raincoat with a long spreading tail.
    The concept behind the dress, albeit unique, brought the social media to a stir.
    People started having a field day, photoshopping Priyanka’s dress into bizarre and strange backgrounds.


  13. Waqas Dar
    PALANGKARAYA: A rare albino orangutan has been rescued on the Indonesian part of Borneo Island where villagers were keeping the white-haired, blue-eyed creature in a cage, a protection group said Tuesday.
    In an extremely unusual discovery, authorities picked up the female, estimated to be five years old, in a remote village in Kapuas Hulu district.
    The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), which is caring for the critically endangered ape -- believed to be albino -- said the organisation had never before in its 25-year history taken in such an orangutan.
    Normal Bornean orangutans have reddish-brown hair.
    Villagers said they captured the ape, who has not yet been named, on Thursday. Authorities rescued the ape two days later.
    "Orangutans are rare, and an albino orangutan is even rarer," Nico Hermanu, a BOSF spokesperson, told AFP.
    "Since BOSF was founded 25 years ago, we had never before taken in an albino orangutan at our rehabilitation centre."
    Pictures showed dried blood around the creature´s nose, with the foundation saying the injury could have been sustained when the ape was fighting the villagers´ attempts to capture it.
    The orangutan has been taken to BOSF´s rehabilitation centre for further assessment. Almost 500 orangutans are kept at the centre.
    The Bornean orangutan, which along with the Sumatran orangutan is Asia´s only great apes, is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "critically endangered" -- just one step away from extinction.
    Around 100,000 are estimated to live on Borneo, which is divided between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, down from 288,500 in 1973 and with their numbers expected to shrink to 47,000 by 2025, according to the IUCN.
    The creatures have seen their habitat shrink dramatically as the island´s rainforests are increasingly turned into oil palm, rubber or paper plantations, and are sometimes targeted by villagers who view them as pests.


  14. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: India’s contention that Kashmir issue is, primarily, an issue of cross-border terrorism, is a claim that no one in the world is prepared to accept today, the Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj Aziz Tuesday said.
    In a statement, the advisor said the Indian government has broken its own record of brutality in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), not only in target killing but also by indiscriminately killing over 100 young unarmed Kashmiri protesters.
    The Indian forces have blinded hundreds of Kashmiris, including children, and injured over 16,000 protesters with live ammunition, pellet guns and gas shells.
    That is why, he said, the New York Times labelled the year 2016 as a “Year of dead eyes” in Kashmir.
    “Nobody believes that thousands of young boys and girls, who have been agitating ceaselessly since July 2016 are terrorists”, Sartaj Aziz added.
    India cannot ignore the fact that the people of IoK are losing faith in Indian democracy since in the recent sham by-election in Srinagar on April 9, the voter turnout was only 7% and while during re-polling, it fell to 2%, the adviser pointed out.
    The second by-election in Anantnag has been postponed to May 25 and the Election Commission has demanded thousand of additional troops to be able to conduct the poll, he further said.
    The OIC’s “Declaration” adopted by the 13th Summit in Istanbul, in April last, out-rightly rejected Indian attempts of equating the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle with terrorism, Aziz mentioned.
    The discovery of over 7,000 unnamed and unmarked mass graves’ have proven through forensic analysis, undertaken by independent investigators, that those buried were Kashmiris belonging to IoK.
    Political analysts and members of civil society from across the globe have concluded that the large-scale uprising, which is going on in IoK, involving mostly young unarmed Kashmiris confronting fully armed Indian occupation forces, clearly shows that Kashmir is a burning issue requiring urgent international attention, he said.
    The adviser said Pakistan has always welcomed the statements and endeavours aimed at addressing the human rights issues in IoK and the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
    The recent offer of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to strengthen the dialogue process among the stakeholders for resolving the Kashmir issue and his call for a multilateral approach to settle the Jammu and Kashmir dispute with an immediate end to bloodshed in Indian occupied Kashmir must be welcomed, Sartaj emphasised.
    In this context, he said the Indian counter proposal that it is ready for bilateral dialogue with Pakistan is no longer credible because in the past two decades India has scuttled all opportunities for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council’s relevant Resolutions on Kashmir.


  15. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Muhammad Ismail Rahoo on Monday tendered his resignation as member of the Sindh assembly, citing personal reasons.
    Rahoo was elected an MPA from district Badin in the 2013 elections. He has also served as the president of PML-N Sindh chapter, from which he resigned last month.
    According to sources, the Rahoo is expected to join Pakistan People's Party soon.


  16. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: World Asthma Day was observed on Tuesday with an aim to reduce the environmental pollution across the world.
    Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease which is characterised by variable and recurring symptoms such as reversible airflow obstruction, bronchospasm, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
    According to latest reports by World Health Organization, over two hundred and thirty five million people across the globe suffer from asthma. Some of the common triggers of asthma include allergens and tobacco smoke.
    This year theme of the day is 'Asthma: Better Air, Better Breathing' to highlight the resurging environmental pollution and its hazardous impacts on health.
    It is a global initiative to raise awareness regarding the respiratory condition and the most effective ways to control and treat it. Its diagnosis is usually made based on the pattern of symptoms and/or response to therapy over time.
    Although asthma can’t be cured, but effective management strategies can help control it.
    WHO also shared posts on social media to raise awareness regarding the chronic disease. 
     


  17. Waqas Dar
    PESHAWAR: As many as ten suspects on Tuesday refused to accept charges laid against them in the Mashal Khan lynching case.
    According to reports, two staffers and eight students of Abdul Wali Khan University were brought in court after completion of their remand. The defendants rejected the charges before the magistrate, however, the judge ordered to send the suspects back to jail on judicial remand till May 16.
    The defendants rejected the charges before the magistrate, however, the judge ordered to send the suspects back to jail on judicial remand till May 16.
    Police have informed that 47 of the 49 accused in the case have been arrested for their alleged role in the lynching and are in jail on judicial remand; however, two suspects, including a councillor are on the run.
    DPO Mardan had stated earlier that there are reports indicating the two absconding accused were hiding in tribal areas.   
    The prime suspect in the murder case, Imran confessed to his crime before a city magistrate.
    In his confessional statement, Imran said that he opened fire at Mashal because the deceased was guilty of blasphemy and he does not regret killing him.
    Imran, a fellow student of Mashal, had fired three shots at Mashal Khan, of which two hit the deceased. The pistol used in the murder has also been seized.
    The shooter was presented in an anti-terrorism court on Friday and remanded in police custody for four days along with other five other suspects.
    Mashal Khan a student at the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan was lynched by an angry mob on the premises of the University after being accused of blasphemy.
    Case registered
    Two separate cases have been registered and police have arrested eight suspects in connection with the killing of Mashal Khan.
    Mardan District Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed told Geo News on Friday the cases were registered under clauses 427, 297, 302 and 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
    He said that 20 suspects, who were identified from videos of the gruesome incident, have been nominated in the cases registered at the Sheikh Maltoon police station.
    The suspects included a councillor and four university employees besides students.
    Police has formed three teams to arrest the remaining suspects, the DPO said.
    The official added that 59 people have been detained over the incident and are being interrogated.
    Meanwhile, the funeral prayers for the slain student, identified as Mohammad Mashal Khan, were offered at Zaida village in Swabi district on Friday morning.
    ‘Law of the jungle can’t prevail’
    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan whose party is in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condemned the incident and called for action against those responsible for the murder.
    Imran Khan urged for strict action against the culprits and said ‘law of the jungle’ cannot prevail.
    The PTI chief also said he was in touch with IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the condemnable incident.
    Hope police, students involved are treated like murderers
    The daughter of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari took to twitter the condemn the incident in Mardan.
    Bakhtawar tweeted that no one has the right to take a life and it was condemned in every religion. “Hope the students and police involved are treated like the murderers they are.”
     
     


  18. Waqas Dar
    ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned Brussels that Turkey would bring the curtain down on its over half-century bid to join the European Union if new accession chapters were not opened.
    Erdogan’s threat to say "goodbye" to the European Union came minutes after he rejoined Turkey’s ruling party in the first major change to come into effect.
    Relations between Ankara and Brussels have tumbled to unprecedented lows following a failed coup bid on July 15.
    The EU is troubled by the state of human rights in Turkey, while Turkey is slamming what it sees as a lack of solidarity from the bloc.
    Erdogan last month won a referendum on sweeping consitutional changes to create a presidential system. But the victory was contested by the opposition and gained only the most tepid of welcomes in Brussels.
    "There is no option other than opening chapters that you have not opened until now," Erdogan said, referring to the individual policy areas that need to be concluded before Turkey joins the EU.
    "If you open, then great. If you don’t open, then goodbye," Erdogan said. "Turkey is not their (the EU’s) doorman," he added.
    'Nothing to discuss'
    Sixteen chapters have been opened out of a total of 35 since accession talks began in October 2005, although Turkey’s bid to be a part of the bloc dates back to the 1960s.
    "First you have to handle these chapters and fulfil your promises. Then we will sit at the able and talk. Otherwise, we have nothing left to discuss with you," Erdogan said.
    Some EU states -- led by Austria -- have suggested that membership talks should be frozen. But EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Friday that talks had not been halted.
    Germany has urged its EU peers not to end accession talks despite deep misgivings over Turkey’s rights record, saying the country is key to European interests, not least as a NATO ally.
    German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Friday Berlin was "strictly against breaking off the accession talks... It would be the completely wrong reaction."
    EU President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker want to meet with Erdogan when he travels to Brussels for the NATO summit on May 25 despite the growing tensions.
    Erdogan, who Monday returned from a visit to India, will however first be visiting Russia, China and United States in an indication of Turkey’s priorities.
    ‘My home, my love’
    Erdogan made the remarks in a key policy speech that followed his formal return to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that he co-founded.
    Under Turkey’s former constitution, the head of state had to sever ties with their political party and Erdogan had to leave the AKP when he became president in August 2014 after more than a decade as premier.
    The reforms permit the president to be a member of a political party, allowing Erdogan to return to the AKP which he co-founded in 2001 as a new Islamic-rooted force in Turkish politics and which has dominated the scene ever since.
    Supporters of the changes say they will bring Turkey efficient governance but opponents fear they will set the country on the path to authoritarian rule.
    Erdogan was welcomed as a new member at a special ceremony at party headquarters in Ankara attended by hundreds of AKP officials led by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
    He signed the paperwork to become a member to thunderous applause before a rendition of the national anthem.
    Yildirim confirmed that Erdogan will also be reinstalled as party chairman on May 21 at an extraordinary AKP congress.
    Erdogan, who has four children, has described the AKP as his "fifth child" and has never made a secret of his desire to return to the fold.
    "I was forced to leave the party I co-founded, my home, my love. This longing is thankfully coming to an end," he told the officials, some of whom were in tears.
    "I am a member of my party again. This was just an official separation. Our hearts are together, always together."
    He is keen to sharpen the party’s performance ahead of polls scheduled for 2019 after the ‘No’ vote came out on top in key battlegrounds including Ankara and Istanbul in the April 16 referendum.
    The new constitution envisages major changes including the abolition of the premier’s post and giving the head of state power to appoint ministers.
    But these changes will only come into force after elections scheduled for November 2019 and the party membership shift is one of the few measures to take effect before then.


  19. Waqas Dar
    UMERKOT: A case has been registered on Tuesday against a feudal lord, who is seen in a video insulting a Station House Officer inside Kunri police station, in Umerkot district.
    A video recently emerged on social media, showing an intoxicated man identified as Zaid Talpur, sitting on the SHO’s seat in a police station, being surrounded with his aides.
    The SHO is seen in the video requesting the man to leave his seat, who was instead ordering him to sit on the ground. The video is reportedly of 11:30pm Monday night.
    SSP Umerkot in a notification on Tuesday, said that a case has been registered and strict action will be taken against those individuals found misconducting inside Kunri police station.
    According to a notification, the SSP said that FIR  No. 44/ 2017 has been registered at PS Kunri, against the six individuals.
    Their names are: Mir Zaid Talpur, Hassan Talpur, Jamil Marwarri, Lachman Meghwarr, Kareem, and Shafi.
    Mir Zaid Talpur is said to be the brother-in-law of former chief minister Sindh Liaquat Ali Jatoi.
    The notification further said that strict legal action would be taken against those individuals.
     


  20. Waqas Dar
    A Daesh attack on Tuesday against a position held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria killed at least 24 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said.
    The attack on a checkpoint at Rajm al-Salibi, the location of a refugee camp near the border between Syria and Iraq, led to violent clashes, the Observatory reported. More than 30 other people were also injured, it said.
    The SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias, has seized large swathes of northern Syria from Daeshover the past 18 months and is engaged in a campaign to drive the terrorist group from its de facto regional capital of Raqqa.
    On Monday, the SDF captured most of the strategically vital town of Tabqa, 40 km (25 miles) west of Raqqa along the Euphrates, it said.
    It said on Tuesday that fierce fighting continued to capture the last few districts of the town as well as an adjacent dam, Syria's largest, and the last major obstacle remaining before it can begin its assault on Raqqa.
    Tuesday's Daesh attack on Rajm al-Salibi was targeted at the Asayish, a Kurdish security force that operates in northeast Syria, the Observatory said.


  21. Waqas Dar
    OSLO: A Norwegian billionaire announced on Tuesday he wants to contribute to society by giving away the "lion´s share" of his fortune, including funds for an oceanographic research vessel for the scientific community.
    Kjell Inge Rokke, Norway´s 10th richest man with an estimated fortune of 2.0 billion euros ($2.1 billion) according to financial magazine Kapital, will pay an undisclosed sum for the 181-metre (594-foot) vessel to be launched in 2020.
    "I want to give back to society the lion´s share of what I´ve earned," the 58-year-old businessman, who made billions in the fisheries and oil-and-gas sectors, told the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.
    "This vessel is part of it," he said -- without revealing what else he plans to do with his fortune.
    The research ship will carry 30 crew members and 60 scientists, and will be built in collaboration with the Worldwide Fund for Nature.
    Among other things, it will be used to conduct research on plastics in the ocean. The world´s oceans are expected to contain more plastic waste than fish by 2050, because of the massive use of the material, the World Economic Forum in Davos concluded in January.
    The ship will also collect plastic from the water and melt up to five tonnes a day.
    "This vessel will be able to take marine research to a completely new level. Finding solutions has never been more urgent," the head of WWF Norway Nina Jensen said in a statement.
    Rokke controls several companies through his 66.7-per cent stake in holding company Aker, including oil production group Aker BP, oil services group Aker Solutions, engineering group Kvaerner and biotech and fisheries group Aker Biomarine.


  22. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would be offering skipper Misbah ul Haq and batsman Younis Khan top roles after their retirement from Test cricket at the end of series against West Indies.
    Misbah and Younis had announced to retire after the end of the series against West Indies.
    It may be mentioned also be here that Younis became the first Pakistani batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test Cricket while skipper Misbah also completed silver jubilee of victories as Test captain in the first test against West Indies.
    Responding to a question here at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi, PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan said Misbah ul Haq and Younis would be offered top roles by the board after their retirement from Test cricket at the end series against West Indies.
    "When both Misbah and Younis would return from West Indies we will give them a proposal regarding work with the board and hopefully they will accept it," he had said.
    Meanwhile former International Cricket Council (ICC) President Zaheer Abbas Wednesday had also urged PCB to utilise the services of Misbah and Younis for the betterment of the game in the country.
    He said PCB should make the most out of Misbah and Younis after their retirement as they can educate young and upcoming players.
    "Young players can learn a lot from Misbah and Younis and their experience would prove useful to players in many ways," he told APP.
     


  23. Waqas Dar
    LAYYAH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday promised that the electricity problem will be done away with and announced development projects for farmers in the city.
    Addressing a rally, the prime minister also took aim at his political opponents and said that the strength of attendees in rallies held in Islamabad was next to nothing.
    Four factories will be able to provide 10,000 Megawatts by the start of next year, he added.


  24. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly known as Old Bailey, sentenced a Daesh facilitator, identified as 34-year-old Samata Ullah, to eight years imprisonment on Tuesday.
    Samata Ullah, who hails from Cardiff, was convicted on various offences of terrorism including facilitating Daesh, terrorist training, instigation of terrorism, and possession of material on missile guidance.
    According to Metropolitan police, the convict was sentenced to “four years' imprisonment for membership of a proscribed organisation; eight years, with a five year extension period, imprisonment a charge of terrorist training and a separate charge of preparation for terrorism; six years' imprisonment for possession of an article - namely a USB cufflink - for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism.”
    Alongside, he was convicted for “six years' imprisonment for possession of articles - namely a book about guided missiles and a PDF version of a book about advanced missile guidance and control - for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism.” All the sentences will run concurrently.
    Tracking down convict
    Samata Ullah was arrested from his house on September 22, last year, during an operation of intelligence agencies and Met Police Counter Terrorism Command. Around 200 pieces of evidence, including 150 digital devices were seized from his house; devices contained eight terabytes of data.
    The operation was conducted after security agencies had received information from the Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Police; who had arrested another suspect on April 29, last year, who was in regular contact with Samata Ullah.
    More than 100 detectives worked on tracking down Samata Ullah’s activities and it was established that suspect who assist others with similar mindset and taught them how to hide their actions and communications.
    Speaking about the convict, Commander Dean Haydon, MPS Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Just because Ullah's activity was in the virtual world we never underestimated how dangerous his activity was. He sat in his bedroom in Wales and created online content with the sole intention of aiding people who wanted to actively support ISIS and avoid getting caught by the authorities.”
    Moreover, Detective Superintendent Lee Porter - Head of WECTU, explained that Samata Ullah’s activities came as a surprise for people close to him.
     


  25. Waqas Dar
    During his meeting with the US Congressman Ted Lieu in Los Angeles, California, Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry said that the security & economic situation in Pakistan has improved tremendously and new investment opportunities are coming up.
    In his first official visit to the State of California after assuming charge as Ambassador of Pakistan, the official exchanged views on bilateral relations & regional security situation with the US Congressman Lieu.
    Chaudhry attended a literary event organised by Urdu Writers Society of North America in Riverside, California on April 29 and praised the role that such events play in promoting Urdu.
    Read more: Trump expresses good wishes, especially for PM Nawaz Sharif: Aizaz Chaudhry
    The ambassador interacted with Pakistani students from UCLA, USC, CalState Fullerton, CalState Northridge, & different community colleges of greater Los Angeles.
    He urged the young students to continue to play the role of a bridge between Pakistan & the US like the first generation Pakistani-Americans.
    He interacted with leading Los Angeles-based Pakistani-American women entrepreneurs, professionals, & businesspersons and appreciated their role in the community & humanitarian work.
    Chaudhry said that women in Pakistan are playing a pro-active role in different fields. “Pakistan has a target to involve forty-five percent women in the workforce by 2025,” he said.


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