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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Long-haul flights seem so painful and they sure are but not for all.
    Surprised? Let us tell you why.
    Virgin Australia has shared photos of its rest areas onboard its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and it's no wonder why their staff looks so fresh.
    This is the reason the long-haul flights are not a pain for everyone and why would they be when you have such cozy place to rest in.

    On flights between Sydney and Los Angeles, which can be up to 15 hours long, the crew takes designated breaks of 4 hours each. 
    "There are two rest areas on board our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, located above the Business Class and Economy cabins at either end of the aircraft and after main meal service, breaks are allocated to ensure that the right amount of crew always remain on deck to assist guests," the post reads.

    For cabin crew, there are eight single beds located above the economy cabin, complete with sheets, blankets, and pillows.
    While they are allowed to rest, two pilots always need to be on the flight deck at all times. 
    Their rest area is located above the business class cabin, where the pilots can sleep in the two beds available and use the in-flight entertainment system.
    Yeah, it's better than your job.


  2. Waqas Dar
    Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings said on Tuesday it will open an artificial intelligence (AI) research facility in Seattle in the United States, to be led by former Microsoft scientist Yu Dong.
    Yu, who has been appointed as deputy head of Tencent's AI Lab division, will run the new lab as well as spearhead research in speech recognition and natural language understanding, the company said.
    Tencent, which owns the popular WeChat messaging app, is Asia's most valuable company with a market capitalization of nearly $300 billion.
    Shenzhen-headquartered Tencent is one of a number of Chinese technology juggernauts that are stepping up efforts in AI research. Tencent's WeChat has more than 889 million monthly active users.
    Tencent has more than 50 researchers and more than 200 engineers at its AI Lab in Shenzhen, which was established in April 2016, according to the company.
    China's "Big Three" tech firms - Tencent, Baidu Inc and Alibaba - have been competing to attract top-notch talent.
    Yu, a speech recognition, and deep learning expert was the principal researcher at Microsoft Research Institute's Speech and Dialog Group before joining Tencent.
    Baidu suffered a setback to its AI ambitions after its chief scientist Andrew Ng resigned in March, shortly before Tencent announced it has poached Baidu's former big data director Zhang Tong to head up its AI Lab.
    Yu is looking to build a team of around 20 for the Seattle lab, according to Tencent.


  3. Waqas Dar
    TOKYO: Tokyo risks being one of the unhealthiest Olympic Games hosts in years, as an anti-smoking law exposes deep rifts over tobacco tax revenue, personal freedom and the dangers of passive smoking, which kills thousands of Japanese each year.
    There is pressure on the Japanese capital ahead of the 2020 Summer Games, including from the International Olympics Committee (IOC), to follow Rio de Janeiro and other recent Olympic venues in banning smoking in all public places to create a healthy sporting environment.
    But an initial proposal for a blanket ban on smoking indoors across Japan was opposed by pro-smoking politicians, restaurateurs and Japan Tobacco, which is one-third government-owned and paid the state $700 million in dividends in 2015.
    The health ministry scaled back its plan, to allow smoking indoors in spaces around 30 square metres (323 square feet) as long as adequate ventilation is installed.
    But opponents say this will still hurt Japan's many eateries, restrict individual freedom, and dent tobacco tax revenues - which topped 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) in 2014-15.
    Natsuko Takami, who runs a Tokyo pub that is small enough to allow smoking under the revised bill, fears losing money as she can't afford new ventilation, and could be fined 500,000 yen if a customer lit up. The smoker could be fined 300,000 yen.
    "I think people would stop coming," she said, adding that being able to smoke and drink helps reserved Japanese open up.
    The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) health committee, whose support is essential to introducing the bill in parliament, won't meet ministry officials, saying the revised bill is too strict.
    The committee chair, Naomi Tokashiki, acknowledges there should be a law that protects against second-hand smoke, but says Japan's cultural emphasis on good manners and sensitivity to others should suffice.
    "I believe Japanese people really are considerate of others," she said. "It's more important for us to trust people than enact a really repressive law."
    Not so, say health authorities, pointing to 15,000 deaths a year from second-hand smoke, mostly women and children.
    "It's not a question of manners, we're looking at the impact on health," said a ministry official involved in crafting the bill who declined to be named due to the issue's sensitivity.
    "We've basically allowed people their independence, but the situation hasn't changed," he said. "Something more is needed."
    It now seems unlikely the law will be put to a vote in the current parliamentary session, which ends on June 18.
    PATCHWORK LAWS
    Fifty years ago, around half of Japanese smoked. That's now dropped to 18 percent, and smoking areas have been dramatically restricted, but smoking laws vary from city to city and, within Tokyo, from ward to ward. Penalties are low and enforcement lax.
    A 2003 law "encourages" restaurants and other public areas to separate smoking and non-smoking areas, but there is no penalty for non-compliance. Smoking is still possible on the grounds of schools and hospitals, though not inside, and there is a cigarette vending machine in a health ministry annex.
    Japan ranks bottom globally in anti-smoking regulations, as measured by the types of public places entirely smoke-free, according to the World Health Organization. The revised proposal would raise Japan to the second-lowest of four rungs.
    The WHO has teamed up with the IOC to guarantee smoke-free Games venues, though IOC Vice President John Coates has said the body can't force a ban beyond the venues and the Olympic Village.
    Brazil passed a blanket indoor smoking ban before the Rio Olympics in 2016, and bans were in place for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada as well as for the 2012 London Games. In Russia, Sochi had only a limited city ban for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but an extensive national ban was introduced a few months later. Beijing had a limited, temporary ban in 2008, but enforcement was patchy. It passed a tougher ban in 2015, when it hosted the athletics World Championships.
    GLOBAL IMAGE
    The issue could affect Japan's image as it looks to attract more tourists. Many travelers from Europe and North America are used to smoking being banned indoors.
    "A recent newspaper described Japan as a 'paradise for smokers,' and I'm sure it wouldn't want that title," said Douglas Bettcher, WHO's director for prevention of non-communicable disease. "It's not a good impression to give ... as Japan is preparing and investing so much for the 2020 Summer Olympics."
    Many politicians have proposed a temporary smoking ban for the Olympics, says Toshiharu Furukawa, an LDP lawmaker and a doctor who supports an indoor ban, noting some colleagues' concern about a drop in government tax revenues from cigarettes at a time when Japan's taxpaying population is shrinking.
    "Tobacco is a very important tax resource," he said. Some of those lawmakers "are smokers, but some are backed by farming groups that produce tobacco, and some are backed by tobacco companies."
    Japan Tobacco spokesman Masahito Shirasu says the company shares concerns about passive smoking, but the health ministry's proposal is too strict.
    The 80,000-strong National Food and Drink Association favors having establishments display stickers showing if they are non-smoking, segregated, or allow smoking - letting customers decide.
    "Only 18 percent of people may smoke, but the percentage of smoking customers in smaller restaurants is much higher - nearly half," said Tetsuro Kojo, head of the association. "We must take care of them."
    Public opinion varies. A poll by the liberal Asahi Shimbun newspaper found that 64 percent supported the revised proposal, while the conservative Sankei Shimbun found only 37 percent in favor.
    Kazuo Hasegawa, a 46-year-old non-smoker diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, believes pressure related to the Olympics is essential for achieving a ban.
    "The tobacco issue is something that can't really be solved in a Japanese manner," he said. "Without outside pressure, Japan won't move on this."


  4. Waqas Dar
    LAUSANNE: The host nation of Euro 2024 must meet certain criteria relating to the respect of human rights, UEFA said on Monday as they prepare to choose between the candidacies of Germany and Turkey.
    The countries are the only two to have submitted declarations of interest in hosting the competition and UEFA will decide between the two in September 2018.
    "For the first time ever, these bid requirements contain specific criteria relating to the respect of human rights," UEFA said in a statement.
    The criteria are based on the United Nations´ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other UN conventions.
    Criteria regarding compliance and anticorruption measures have also been included as requirements.
    "The protection of human rights and labour rights is of the utmost importance for UEFA," said Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European football´s governing body.
    "From now on, bidding nations will have to adhere strictly to these articles in the framework of the organisation of all our tournaments and finals."
    After Euro 2016, the first 24-team tournament held in France and won by Portugal, Euro 2020 will be held in 13 different cities around Europe, with the semi-finals and final to be played at Wembley in London.
    If Turkey succeeds in its bid for 2024, it will be the biggest sporting event ever held in the country. It has already failed in three previous bids to host the Euros.
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently claimed a narrow victory in a referendum on expanding his powers.
    Opponents claim it will lead to one-man rule while the government says it will ensure political stability for a country that has experienced multiple unstable coalitions.
    Around 47,000 people have been arrested in Turkey under a nine-month state of emergency in place since a failed military coup in July 2016.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan have edged past India to climb to third spot in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, following the annual update carried out by the governing body to ensure the table continues to reflect the recent form of teams.
    World T20 2009 champions Pakistan gained five points to join England on 121 points. The Green Shirts are now ranked behind England by a fraction of a point.
    India lost six points to slip to fourth position. With 118 points, they are now three points behind Pakistan.
    England jumped to second place, rising three spots, and are four points behind the top-ranked New Zealand.
    South Africa slipped two places to fifth ranking, followed by Australia at sixth spot.
    West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are at seventh, eighth and ninth spots, respectively, followed by Bangladesh at tenth.

    Australia and the next nine highest-ranked sides, as on 31 December 2018, will qualify directly for the ICC World Twenty20 2020 in Australia.


  6. Waqas Dar
    A Federal Bureau of Investigation employee, who was assigned to investigate a German member of the Daesh terror group, fled to Syria to marry him, according to a report.
    Daniela Greene, who worked as a translator for the FBI, managed to hide her real whereabouts from the bureau and warned her rapper-turned-terrorist husband Denis Cuspert about the investigation, CNN reported on Tuesday.
    Cuspert, also known as Deso Dogg, has been featured in many propaganda videos. Praising former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a song, threatening former President Barack Obama with a throat-cutting gesture, and holding a freshly severed human head are some of the things he has done before Daesh’s camera.
    The FBI put Cuspert on the radar after it found out about his growing influence as an online recruiter, going by the name of Abu Talha al-Almani.
    According to the report, Greene “seemed to realise she had made a terrible mistake” weeks after marrying Cuspert. She returned to the US soon after.
    Greene, 38, was arrested upon arrival and charged with making false statements involving international terrorism. She pleaded guilty and received only two years in prison before being released last summer.
    Prosecutors had described Greene’s actions as “egregious,” deserving of “severe punishment.”
    The FBI admitted to CNN in a statement that it had to take “several steps in a variety of areas to identify and reduce security vulnerabilities” as a result of the case.
    Former State Department spokesman John Kirby said Greene’s conduct amounted to “a stunning embarrassment” for the bureau.
    Assistant US Attorney Thomas Gillice said Greene had “violated the public trust” and “endangered our nation's security.” However, he said the rogue agent had been handed a lighter sentence because of her cooperation.
    Greene travelled to Turkey in June 2014 and entered Syria through Gaziantep, a city located near the Syrian border.
    The Pentagon announced in October 2015 that Cuspert was killed in an airstrike near Raqqah.
    However, another statement in August 2016 said the initial assessment was incorrect and that Cuspert had “survived the airstrike.”


  7. Waqas Dar
    India dismissed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's suggestion of multilateral talks on the Kashmir dispute on Monday, insisting that a solution to the issue can only be found through bilateral talks with Pakistan.
    Erdogan, in an interview to an Indian TV channel in Ankara ahead of his visit to India, had urged Pakistan and India to settle the Kashmir dispute “once and for all”. He had also suggested that the two countries needed to “strengthen multilateral dialogue” to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
    Calling the Kashmir issue an Indo-Pak bilateral matter, “essentially due to cross-border terrorism”, New Delhi virtually rejected Erdogan’s suggestion, during the course of his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said India’s position on Kashmir was clear and publicly known.
    “We conveyed our viewpoint clearly on terrorism and Kashmir [to the Turkish side]. It was made clear that there cannot be any justification for terrorism, whatever is the intent. We clearly conveyed that the issue of Kashmir is essentially an issue of terrorism,” Indian media quoted the official as saying.
    Erdogan and Modi had a “detailed discussion” on terrorism, with the two leaders agreeing there could be no justification for terrorism wherever it is committed. The two also urged all countries to disrupt terrorism networks and financing and “stop cross-border movements of terrorists”, Baglay said.
    Prior to his visit, Erdogan had expressed concern at the continuing stand-off between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, stating: “We should not allow more casualties to occur, and by strengthening multilateral dialogue, we can be involved, and through multilateral dialogue, I think we have to seek out ways to settle this question once and for all."
     


  8. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: The prime minister should make a decision on the advice given by leaders of opposition parties, said Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan chief Farooq Sattar on Tuesday.
    "It is the similar moment we were going through when parting ways with the leadership in London," he said while addressing lawyers in Jinnah Lounge of Lahore High Court. "We then did not look back."
    The MQM-P chief added it was the prime minister's responsibility to consider the opposition's advice so that enquiry on the Panama case is kept impartial.  
     


  9. Waqas Dar
    RAHIM YAR KHAN: The local police, on Tuesday, launched an operation in the remote area of Kache in Rahim Yar Khan, to crackdown on a hideout of suspects wanted for involvement in the murder of police officials.
    The operation, with the cooperation of the Ghotki police, was targetted at wanted criminal Guddo Sharr's den, where he had allegedly given shelter to on-the-run members of the Indher gang including Janu Indher.
    Over 200 police personnel entered the area in chain armoured personnel carrier (APCs) and excavators.
    In the ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, law enforcement agencies arrested 22 wanted criminals and 30 suspects in different raids in Mandi Bahauddin, Vehari, and Lodhran.
    In a separate operation in Islamabad, security forces confiscated a cache of pistols including three 12 bore guns, one nine mm pistol, three repeater rifles, and four 30 bore pistols.
    Read more: Two terror suspects killed in police operation in Wah Cantonment
    Earlier on Monday, two suspected terrorists were killed in a search operation conducted by law enforcement agencies in Wah Cantonment.
    A suicide jacket and a large cache of arms were seized from a house in the area during a raid conducted under the ongoing Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.


  10. Waqas Dar
    NEW DELHI: Rising Pune Supergiant´s record-breaking investment in Ben Stokes has paid dividends, with the England allrounder delivering a blistering maiden Twenty20 century to secure his Indian Premier League team a crucial victory.
    Stokes -- whose $2.16 million contract broke the IPL signing record for a foreign player -- hit an unbeaten 63-ball 103 during the Supergiant´s five-wicket win over the Gujarat Lions on Monday.
    "He´s done a terrific job for us. We paid a big amount to get him. We know he´s a quality player. (He) certainly earned his cash tonight," Supergiant captain Steve Smith said of their star performer after the win.
    The left-handed batsman, who came into bat with Pune precariously placed at 10 for three, put on a 76-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who made 26.
    Supergiant chased down their 162-run target with a ball to spare to keep in the top half of the league´s eight-team ranking.
    Stokes, who has won three man-of-the-match awards in eight IPL matches this season, smashed seven fours and six sixes in front of a raucous home crowd.
    "Allrounders are so valuable in T20 cricket and he bats, bowls and fields well. He´s a perfect fit for our team, particularly after Mitchell Marsh was ruled out as well," said Smith.
    "We were very excited to get him. I had said before the auction to the guys (owners) just do what you have to get him."
    In another match Monday a star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by India captain Virat Kohli, became the first team to crash out of the play-off race after suffering a five-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians.


  11. Waqas Dar
    Eating beef in India can be quite a sensitive issue, because of the religious sentiments attached to the cow.
    And it was realized by Bollywood actress Kajol after she posted a video on her Instagram where she was served ‘beef pepper water with dry lentils and dry beef’ by her friend Ryan Stephen while lunching with friends.

    After the video went viral, Kajol apparently got scared of a possible reaction from Hindu extremists so, she decided to clarify that the dish in the video was made from buffalo meat and not beef (cow meat).
    Kajol has since deleted the video but the pictures from the lunch are still on her Instagram account.
    24 out of 29 states in India including Maharashtra and UP, currently have various regulations prohibiting either the slaughter or sale of cows.
     


  12. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: After dropping a monster bomb on its fighters, then targeting its leader, the US military is looking to destroy Daesh’s Afghan branch before battle-hardened reinforcements arrive from Syria and Iraq.
    While US and Kabul government forces have mainly been combatting Taliban fighters since 2001, Daesh´s local offshoot -- also known as Islamic State-Khorasan, or ISIS-K -- has a stronghold in eastern Afghanistan.
    First emerging in 2015, ISIS-K overran large parts of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, near the Pakistan border, but their part in the Afghan conflict had been largely overshadowed by the operations against the Taliban.
    Many Americans first heard of ISIS-K last month when the US dropped the "Mother Of All Bombs" on its Nangarhar bastion -- an aerial munition that the Pentagon said was the biggest non-nuclear weapon it had ever used in combat.
    US and Afghan forces then raided a compound last week close to the site of the bombing, with the Pentagon saying it believed it had killed ISIS-K´s leader Abdul Hasib during the operation.
    Captain Bill Salvin, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said the local Daesh presence peaked at between 2,500 to 3,000 but that defections and recent battlefield losses had reduced their number to a maximum of 800.
    "We have a very good chance of destroying them in 2017, making it very clear that when the ISIS fighters are destroyed elsewhere around the globe that this is not the place for you to come to plot your attacks," Salvin told AFP.
    US-backed fighters also appear to have Daesh on the ropes in Syria and Iraq, where an operation to wrest back control of the major northern city of Mosul has been ongoing since October.
    Militants on the move
    But both the military and analysts acknowledge there is a danger of Daesh fighters heading to Afghanistan if they are forced out of Iraq and Syria.
    Michael O´Hanlon, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, said that while Daesh should ultimately be defeated in Afghanistan, the Pentagon´s timeline may be overly optimistic.
    A definitive victory could take "a long time due, partly (due) to the proximity of Pakistan as well as the possible flow of fighters" from the Middle East as the "group loses sanctuaries there," O´Hanlon told AFP.
    The Taliban, which first emerged in the mid-1990s in southern Afghanistan, managed to conquer most of the country before its 2001 ouster with the help of a range of foreign militants, including Pakistanis, Saudis and Chechens.
    Analysts say that as well as Afghans, ISIS-K includes disaffected Pakistani and Uzbek militants among its ranks who used to fight for the Taliban.
    It first emerged as a significant player in Afghanistan in early 2015 when its fighters overran the Taliban in parts of the east and has subsequently claimed responsibility for a string of bomb attacks.
    ISIS-K´s defeat would be an important victory for the US, which has struggled to boast of clear wins after forcing the Taliban out of Kabul in 2001 in the initial aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
    Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the Long War Journal, said ISIS-K had "withstood multiple US-backed offensives over the past two years."
    But while their defeat would be a boost to the US, Roggio said the Taliban and their long-time Al-Qaeda allies were still a much bigger challenge.
    "It´s not that they don´t pose a threat, but I would argue that the Taliban pose a far greater threat to the stability of Afghanistan," Roggio told AFP.
    "It would be basically winning a battle, but we are still losing the war, which is basically the story of Afghanistan since we´ve been involved there."
    America has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Most belong to a NATO mission to train and advise Afghan partner forces fighting the Taliban.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Rapper Kendrick Lamar's latest album "Damn." held onto the top spot of the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Monday, holding off Drake and Ed Sheeran.
    Lamar's "Damn.," which debuted atop the chart last week, sold a total of 238,000 album units in its second week of release, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
    Canadian rapper Drake's "More Life" climbed one spot to No. 2, while British singer Sheeran's "Divide" climbed one spot to No. 3.
    The Billboard 200 album chart tallies units from album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album).
    New albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart this week include rockers Incubus at No. 4 with "8" and the soundtrack to the upcoming Marvel superhero film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" at No. 8.
    On the Digital Songs chart, which measures online single sales, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" climbed from No. 8 to No. 1 with 86,000 downloads sold.


  14. Waqas Dar
    JHANG: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training jet crashed near Jhang's Athara Hazari area on Tuesday, a PAF spokesperson said.
    No casualties were reported as a consequence of the crash.
    The pilot remained unhurt and safely ejected from the jet, the PAF said.
    The aircraft crashed while on "routine operation training."
     

    Earlier on April 14, an Army training aviation plane crashed due to a technical fault in Haral village of Dina, about 17 kilometres from Jehlum.
    Read more: Army aviation training aircraft crashes near Jehlum
    Both pilots remained unhurt, a police spokesperson said.


  15. Waqas Dar
    Katy Perry is not only one of the most talented singer but also a very good looking one.
    But there are times when things get a little different.
    While Katy Perry walked the red carpet (as red drapery) for the 2017 Met Gala all eyes were on her.
    The outfit which was chosen by Perry for the Met Gala was not only different but super duper weird.
    While the veil of the dress had a sign of 'witness' on it, we just couldn't understand what we should witness after witnessing that flamboyant dress.
    One thing that is certain is that Perry is one of the few Met Gala attendees who fully committed to the theme honoring Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons.
    Check out the pictures!




    Katy, you okay?
     


  16. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Through a hotline contact established at the Line of Control, Pakistan has made clear to India that no ceasefire violations were carried out from its side, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
    According to the military's public relations wing, a local commanders-level hotline contact was established at Rawalakot-Poonch sector on the LoC last night between Pakistan and Indian Army authorities. The Indian Army authorities were told there have been no ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side nor mutilation of Indian soldiers’ bodies.
    Indian authorities were also told that there was unnecessary media hype following allegations of killing of two members of an Indian Army patrol near the LoC.
    Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the LoC and expects same from the other side of the border. It also hopes prudence is exercised and no steps are taken that may lead to vitiating of the environment and affect peace along the LoC, the ISPR statement added.
    On Monday, Pakistan Army had categorically rejected Indian Army’s accusations.
    Read more: Pak Army rejects Indian accusations of LoC violation, killing of soldiers
    “Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on line of control or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghatti Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies are also false”, an ISPR statement had said.
    “Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and shall never disrespect a soldier even Indian”, the statement had added.
    Indian Army had alleged that two members of its patrol were killed on LoC and then their bodies were mutilated.


  17. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Pakistan informed India no ceasefire violations were carried out from its side, through a hotline contact established at the Line of Control, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
    According to the ISPR, a local commanders-level hotline contact was established at Rawalakot-Poonch sector on the LoC last night between Pakistan and Indian Army authorities. The Indian Army authorities were told there have been no ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side nor mutilation of Indian soldiers’ bodies.
    Indian authorities were also told that there was unnecessary media hype following allegations of killing of two members of an Indian Army patrol near the LoC.
    Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the LoC and expects same from the other side of the border. It also hopes prudence is exercised and no steps are taken that may lead to vitiating of the environment and affect peace along the LoC, the ISPR statement added.
    On Monday, Pakistan Army had categorically rejected Indian Army’s accusations.
    Read more: Pak Army rejects Indian accusations of LoC violation, killing of soldiers
    “Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on line of control or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghatti Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies are also false”, an ISPR statement had said.
    “Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and shall never disrespect a soldier even Indian”, the statement had added.
    Indian Army had alleged that two members of its patrol were killed on LoC and then their bodies were mutilated.


  18. Waqas Dar
    A shallow westerly wave is likely to affect upper parts of the country tonight, according to a forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
    Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country in the next 24 hours.
    However, light rain-thunderstorm is expected at a few places in Quetta, Zhob, Makran, Malakand divisions, upper FATA and Kashmir. Duststorm/gusty winds are expected in Multan, D.G. Khan and Sargodha divisions. Very hot weather conditions are likely to prevail in Sindh and south Balochistan.
    Today's Highest Maximum Temperatures:
    The temperature in Lasbella is expected to touch 46°C, while the mercury can rise up till 45°C in Shaheed Benazirabad and Mithi.
    Rahimyarkhan, Chhor, Sukkur, and Larkana can witness a temperature up to 44°C, while the highest forecast for Dadu, Jacobabad, Sibbi, and Padidan is 43°C.
     
    Data courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department 


  19. Waqas Dar
    Every WhatsApp user deals with one of the most irritating things while using the networking app.
    Because of things like group chats and people messaging you all day, sometimes the most important chats can get lost in the shuffle. 
    But the messaging service has now finally come up with a solution for it!
    WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature that'll make it a whole lot easier to manage your chats.
    According to Android Police, WhatsApp is testing a feature that would allow you to pin chats, keeping them at the top of the chat list even if you get messages from other users.
    Much relieved? 

    To pin a chat, users can tap and hold on the chat, and a pin logo will appear on the top bar along with the delete, mute and archive logos.
    Users can pin up to three chats, and can easily unpin any of the three chats to add another.

    via GIPHY
    The feature is currently being tested on the beta version of the Android app which users can get by opting into the beta group here.
    Since the feature is only in beta, there's no guarantee that it will be rolled out to all users, but for the sake of our lost messages.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Every WhatsApp user deals with one of the most irritating things while using the networking app.
    Because of things like group chats and people messaging you all day, sometimes the most important chats can get lost in the shuffle. 
    But the messaging service has now finally come with the solution to it!
    Whatsapp is reportedly testing a new feature that'll make it a whole lot easier to manage your chats.
    According to android Police WhatsApp is testing a feature that would allow you to pin chats, keeping them at the top of the chat list even if you get messages from other users.
    Much relieved? 

    To pin a chat, users can tap and hold on the chat, and a pin logo will appear on the top bar along with the delete, mute and archive logos.
    Users can pin up to three chats, and can easily unpin any of the three chats to add another.

    via GIPHY
    The feature is currently being tested on the beta version of the Android app which users can get by opting into the beta group here.
    Since the feature is only in beta, there's no guarantee that it will be rolled out to all users, but for the sake of our lost messages.


  21. Waqas Dar
    If you want to know how scary nature can then look no further than these two angry gators. 
    A YouTuber derekreed36d got lucky enough to get the chance of capturing the holy grail of nature i.e two terrifying alligators whaling on each other at the 18th hole of a golf course in North Carolina.  
    The video shows a 12-foot alligator and an eight-foot alligator getting into a real scuffle which looks scary as hell.
    While it's also fun to watch the video, but also a staunch reminder to leave gators alone, do not go into any lakes.
    Watch the video below!



  22. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would not rule out meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, under the right conditions, as Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test.
    Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high for weeks, with signs the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a new nuclear test -- prompting tough talk from Washington, which has refused to rule out a military strike in response.
    But the Trump administration is also spearheading a renewed diplomatic push to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.
    Trump has so far placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior -- a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past.
    The Republican president has also said he is ready to act alone in the stand-off, however -- and on Monday signaled that this could involve face-to-face talks with Kim, who has yet to meet a foreign leader since taking power.
    "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it," Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg.
    "If it´s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that," Trump said.
    In the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters across the region, North Korea warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership.
    The regime will continue bolstering its "preemptive nuclear attack" capabilities unless Washington scraps its hostile policies, a spokesman for the North´s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.
    "The DPRK´s measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership," the spokesman added, apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North´s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.
    CIA director in South Korea
    The North has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress toward its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States.
    It raises the tone of its warnings every spring, when Washington and Seoul carry out joint exercises it condemns as rehearsals for invasion. But this time fears of conflict have been fueled by a cycle of threats from both sides.
    The joint drills have just ended, but naval exercises are continuing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) with a US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
    CIA director Mike Pompeo was in South Korea on Monday, the US embassy in Seoul confirmed, following reports of an unannounced visit as tensions mount on the peninsula.
    Pompeo´s visit coincided with news that the controversial US missile defense system known as THAAD -- whose deployment has angered China -- is now operational in South Korea.
    "It has reached initial intercept capability," a US defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
    ´A pretty smart cookie´
    Seoul regularly warns that Pyongyang can carry out a test whenever it decides to do so.
    Pyongyang´s latest attempted show of force was a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed the UN Security Council to raise pressure on the North.
    Trump on Sunday repeated his determination to resolve the threat posed by North Korea, warning in a CBS interview: "We cannot let what´s been going on for a long period of years continue."
    But the US leader also offered some backhanded praise for Kim, saying he had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father´s death in 2011.
    "He´s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said on CBS´s "Face the Nation."
    "So obviously, he´s a pretty smart cookie," he said.


  23. Waqas Dar
    The US State Department issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, saying US citizens should be aware of a continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout the continent.
    In the alert, the State Department cited recent incidents in France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom and said Daesh and al-Qaeda "have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe."
    The State Department's previous travel alert for Europe, issued ahead of the winter holiday season, expired in February. A State Department official said Monday's alert was not prompted by a specific threat, but rather recognition of the continuing risk of attacks especially ahead of the summer holidays. The alert expires on Sept. 1.
    Malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, airports and other locations are all possible targets for attacks, the State Department's alert said.


  24. Waqas Dar
    DOHA: Hamas unveiled a new policy document Monday easing its stance on Israel after having called for years for the country´s destruction, as the Palestinian movement seeks to improve its international standing.
    The move comes ahead of a first face-to-face meeting on Wednesday between US President Donald Trump and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose Fatah party remains deeply divided from Hamas.
    The document was unveiled in the Qatari capital Doha by exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who is due to step down soon after serving his maximum of two terms.
    Speaking to AFP, Meshaal said he hoped the new US administration would "act with more seriousness on the Palestinian cause and change its misconceptions about the Palestinian people."
    The press conference was also broadcast live in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas, and the document was posted on the movement´s website.
    "We in Hamas believe that renewal and reinvention is a necessity," Meshaal said at the event in a Doha hotel.
    While the new document does not amount to recognition of Israel as demanded by the international community, Hamas officials say, it formally softens its stance in a few key areas.
    Hamas leaders have long spoken of the more limited aim of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without explicitly setting this out in their charter.
    But after years of internal debate, the new document formally accepts the idea of a state in the territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.
    It also says its struggle is not against Jews because of their religion but against Israel as an occupier.
    "We are not fighting against the Jews because they are Jewish," said Meshaal. "We are waging this struggle against the aggression of Zionists."
    However, the original 1988 charter will not be dropped, just supplemented, in a move some analysts see as a way of maintaining the backing of hardliners.
    Asked if Hamas would negotiate directly with Israelis, Meshaal replied: "Our policy is we will not engage in direct negotiations with the Israelis because nothing in the conditions and circumstances convinces us that any conclusions can be reached."
    Direct talks is "a process, it´s a game we will not fall for it."
    The new document also continues to speak of liberating historic Palestine, including areas that are today part of Israel.
    Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union, and the new document is aimed in part at easing its international isolation.
    'More moderate'
    One Hamas leader, Ahmed Yusef, earlier told AFP the updated charter was "more moderate, more measured and would help protect us against accusations of racism, anti-Semitism and breaches of international law."
    It also does not refer to the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Hamas was closely linked when formed.
    Israel was not convinced, however, with a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying "Hamas is attempting to fool the world, but it will not succeed."
    "They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians," David Keyes said in a statement, referring to rockets fired from Gaza and tunnels used to carry out attacks.
    Israel and Palestinians in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008.
    The strip has been under an Israeli blockade for 10 years.
    UN officials have called for this to be lifted, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions, but Israel says it is needed to stop Hamas from obtaining weapons or materials it could use to make them.
    Hamas remains deeply divided from Abbas´s Fatah, and speculation has mounted over who will succeed the 82-year-old as Palestinian president.
    Abbas´s first meeting with Trump in Washington takes place on Wednesday.
    The bitter split between Fatah and Hamas has taken a new turn in recent days.
    Some analysts say it seems Abbas is seeking to increase pressure on Hamas in the impoverished Gaza Strip, but he risks being blamed for worsening conditions in the enclave of two million people.
    In one example, Israeli officials say the Palestinian Authority dominated by Abbas´s Fatah has begun refusing to pay Israel for electricity it supplies to Gaza.
    Rights activists say exacerbating an already severe power shortage in the strip could be catastrophic.


  25. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Pakistan's star all-rounder Shahid Afridi, while responding to his fans during a live interview on Monday, said, "It is too late now" to play a farewell match.
    The star cricketer came live on Facebook and Twitter to interact with fans and answered their queries.
    Asked about his best ODI and Test innings, he replied the innings in Kanpur and Test innings against India, in which he hit 141 runs, were the best.
    About his worst moment, the all-rounder recalled the moment he tampered the ball by biting it.
    He said there were a number of happy moments throughout his career mentioning the 2009 World Cup he can never forget.
    Questioned by a fan as to what made him come to charity, he said that it was his father's demise and that he wanted to do some good deeds for late father.
    While responding to a fan, he also praised India's Virat Kohli for his outstanding performances and aggressive style of playing the game.
    Afridi also urged Pakistani politicians to keep individual differences aside and unite in favour of the country.
    The star all-rounder answered a lot more; here is complete interview of him:



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