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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    German police arrested a man on Friday suspected of detonating three bombs that targeted the Borussia Dortmund soccer team bus in the hope of sending the club's shares plummeting and making a profit on an investment, prosecutors said.
    In a statement, the federal chief prosecutor said the 28-year old man, a dual German and Russian national identified as Sergei V., had bought options on Borussia Dortmund's stock before the attack.
    The team bus was heading to the club's stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on April 11 when the explosions went off, wounding Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day.
    Prosecutors last week expressed doubts about the authenticity of three letters left at the site of the attack that suggested that militants had carried it out.
    The prosecutor's office said the suspect had bought 15,000 put options - contracts giving him the right to sell Borussia Dortmund's shares at a pre-determined price - on the day of the attack, using a consumer loan he had signed a week earlier.
    "If the shares of Borussia Dortmund had fallen massively, the profit would have been several times the initial investment," it said, adding that such a slump could have resulted if any players had been killed or seriously injured.
    In fact, the shares rose 1.8 percent on April 12, the day after the attack, and are up about 2 percent so far this year.
    Team hotel
    Police detained the suspect in the southwestern city of Tuebingen. He faces charges of attempted murder, inflicting serious bodily harm and causing an explosion, the prosecutor's office said.
    It said he had booked into the same hotel where the Dortmund team was staying, and the hotel's Internet IP address was used in the transaction to buy the share options.
    Der Spiegel magazine reported that the suspect received weapons training while completing then-mandatory service in the German military from April to December 2008.
    It said he was identified following a tip from an informant in the financial sector, and a notice of possible money laundering by comdirect bank AG, a unit of Commerzbank AG.
    Security is a hot issue in campaigning for Germany's federal election on Sept. 24, in which Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking a fourth term.
    Borussia Dortmund's Chief Executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper he was talking to security experts including former staff of Germany's GSG9 special operations police unit with a view to creating a security unit.
    "We will spend a lot of money to improve the security situation of our team," said .
    He added that BVB was also considering whether it needed to introduce measures to restrict trading in its shares.


  2. Waqas Dar
    The leader of a far-right group leader is under severe criticism for posting a video of Pakistani cricket fans celebrating cricket victory claiming they were celebrating yesterday’s Paris attacks.
    “Oh look, a crowd of ‘moderate’ Muslims celebrating the Paris terror attack in London,” tweeted Paul Golding.
    Twitterati responded immediately by slamming the leader and accusing him of inciting hate.
    The tweet seems to have been deleted now.

     
     
    Golding shot to infamy last year when he stood with his back turned on Sadiq Khan during the latter’s victory speech after being elected London's first Muslim mayor. He was slammed for being racist then too but denied the accusations.

    A visit to his Twitter account shows a number of posts and videos posted by racist captions.


  3. Waqas Dar
    KINGSTON: Mohammad Abbas had a dream debut as Pakistan reduced the West Indies to 71 for four at lunch on the opening day of the first Test of the three-match series at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Friday.
    Sharing the new ball with Mohammad Amir after their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, chose to bat first on winning the toss, Abbas struck with his second delivery in Test cricket, having Kraigg Brathwaite caught at second slip by Younis Khan without scoring.
    It represented important early success for the tourists as the opener had made history in their last Test match meeting with unbeaten scores of 142 and 60 that earned the Caribbean side a five-wicket win in Sharjah last November at the end of an otherwise miserable tour of the United Arab Emirates.
    With the West Indies fielding two debutants in the middle-order in the pair of Guyanese left-handers Shimron Hetmyer and Vishaul Singh, Pakistan pressed the advantage even further with Amir claiming his first wickets for three Test matches.
    Maintaining a nagging accuracy, the left-arm fast bowler breached the defences of both Hetmyer and Shai Hope, scattering the stumps with deliveries that jagged in sharply off a pitch offering early assistance to the pacers in heavily overcast conditions.
    Pakistan´s third seamer in their bowling armoury, Wahab Riaz, then removed Singh via a good diving catch by Azhar Ali at backward square-leg to have the home side tottering at 53 for four.
    Brathwaite´s opening partner Kieran Powell, playing his first Test match for almost three years, survived a probing examination from the bowlers and resumes in the afternoon session on 33 in partnership with Roston Chase.
    West Indies opted to omit Jermaine Blackwood from their final eleven to accommodate the debutants in the batting line-up, meaning there was no Jamaican in the home side for a Test match at Sabina Park for the first time since 1997 when, incidentally, the opponents were also Pakistan.
    Notwithstanding his impressive entry to senior international cricket during the limited-over leg of the tour, the visitors resisted the temptation to include the uncapped Shadab Khan in their team as a second spinner in support of Yasir Shah, choosing instead to introduce 27-year-old Abbas to Test cricket.
    This is the 50th Test between the two nations and also the 50th Test match to be played at Sabina Park since the very first at the venue in 1930.


  4. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Sindh Assembly on Friday passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the wake of Supreme Court's decision over Panama Leaks case.
    The resolution moved by senior PPP leader Nisar Khuhro said that in light of the Supreme Court`s decision, PM Nawaz has not remained Saadiq and Ameen hence he should immediately tender his resignation.
    However, MQM leader Sardar Ahmed said that as the matter is sub judice, it would be better to not discuss it in the assembly.
    Speaking in support of the resolution, PTI lawmaker Samar Ali Khan also said that the premier must give his resignation as he has lost the moral legitimacy to hold the office.
    Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has submitted a resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    The resolution presented by MPA Shaukat Yousufzai states that after the Supreme Court's decision over Panama leaks, PM Nawaz has lost the moral and democratic justification to remain in the highest office of the country.
    It further said that the Joint Investigation Team inquiry against the premier would lack transparency if PM Nawaz continues to remain in the office.  
    Earlier today, PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced to hold a protest rally in the capital next Friday to demand the resignation of PM.
    Speaking to media after a chaotic session of the National Assembly, Khan reiterated his demand that the Prime Minister should step down, following the apex court’s ruling that further investigation was needed into corruption allegations levelled by the opposition at the PM and his family.
    Khan said his party has invited all other opposition parties to join in the protest.
    Criticising the formation of JIT by the Supreme Court to further investigate the prime minister and his sons over corruption allegations, he said it was not possible for the team to carry out a transparent investigation if Nawaz Sharif continued to be the prime minister.
    Khan compared the current scenario with the UK where David Cameron quit after he lost the Brexit referendum, despite being elected with a landslide majority, because he lost the moral ground to lead.
     
     


  5. Waqas Dar
    It seems that the family tree of the Pataudis is going to expand as shortly after the birth of a son to Saif Ali Khan, the daughter of the family is bearing good news too.
    Soha Ali Khan is pregnant and the news was confirmed by none other than the elated husband and daddy-to-be, Kunal.
    The couple spoke to Pink Villa, with the‘Kalyug’ star saying: "Yes it's true. Soha and I are very happy to announce a joint production coming later this year - our first child! We feel blessed and thank you all for your good wishes."
    In January 2015, Soha tied the knot with longtime beau, Kunal in a private ceremony in Mumbai.
    In December 2016, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan had a baby boy named Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi -- the news was announced by a very excited Karan Johar, who is also the couple’s close friend.



  6. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided over a consultative meeting on Friday, a day after Supreme Court announced the verdict on Panama Leaks.
    The meeting agreed to accept the Panama case verdict issued yesterday despite some reservations.
    The meeting, held at the Prime Minister House, was attended by Maryam Nawaz, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan, Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif Khawaja Asif, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and other senior officials.
    According to sources, the participants agreed to implement SC verdict in letter and spirit despite certain reservations.
    Government will abide by the law and constitution and will fully cooperate with the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) ordered by the SC in its verdict, it was agreed.
    The meeting agreed that all 13 questions raised by the SC will be answered.
    Sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying that he respected the decision and reiterated that he is steadfast on his claim.
    Federal ministers expressed their confidence in the PM’s leadership. Criticising the opposition, the participants said these parties had claimed that they would respect any decision by the SC but are now backtracking.
    The meeting was also briefed in detail by legal experts on the matter and the future strategy regarding the JIT was also decided.


  7. Waqas Dar
    When Raj, a Sri Lankan fisherman, sought refuge in the United States in 2005, he had precisely the kind of fear of returning home that US asylum laws require.
    In 2004, he was kidnapped by the separatist rebel group the Tamil Tigers and had to pay $500 to secure his release, according to Raj, his lawyer and court records reviewed by Reuters. The group then demanded more money, which he could not pay after a tsunami destroyed his house and fishing boat.
    Raj, 42, who asked that only his first name be used because of the sensitive nature of his situation, decided to flee. He boarded a plane using a false Canadian passport and requested asylum upon arriving in the United States.
    There was a catch, however. US laws ban immigration by anyone who has provided "material support" to terrorists, and the Tamil Tigers are designated as a terrorist group by the United States. A judge ruled that Raj's ransom payment to them constituted material support.
    Ultimately, Raj was granted asylum in 2011 because of rules that allow for waivers for people who provided aid to terrorists under duress. He now lives in San Diego, California, works in an Indian restaurant and hopes to become a citizen.
    Raj said it was "a big relief" when he finally received his green card around a year after receiving asylum. "I am not a terrorist," he said.
    Now the Trump administration is debating whether to rescind the waivers that have allowed Raj, and tens of thousands of others, to immigrate to the United States in the past decade. Some immigration hardliners are concerned the exemptions could allow terrorists to slip into the country.
    US President Donald Trump directed the secretaries of State and Homeland Security, in consultation with the attorney general, to consider abolishing the waivers in an executive order in March. That directive was overshadowed by the same order's temporary ban on all refugees and on travellers from six mostly Muslim nations.
    The bans on refugees and travel were challenged in lawsuits, and their implementation has been suspended pending full hearings in court. But the waiver review was not included in the court rulings, so that part of the order remains in effect.
    Rules governing the waivers have been hammered out over the last decade with both Democratic and Republican support. But in recent years they have drawn fire from some conservative lawmakers, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he was a senator.
    A State Department official said this week the department is working with DHS to review the waivers and is "looking at actually pulling them back in accordance with the executive order."
    The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to give details on the timing of the review or its likely outcome. The Department of Justice declined to comment.
    KURDS, KAREN, HMONG
    Following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Congress expanded the definition of who could be considered a terrorist and what constituted “material support” to terrorism in rules now known as the Terrorism Related Inadmissibility Grounds.
    Those changes ensnared people like Raj who were coerced or inadvertently provided support to terrorists, as well as members of persecuted ethnic groups that supported rebel organisations, and even US-allied groups fighting against authoritarian regimes.
    Without an exemption, members of Kurdish groups that battled Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq, Hmong groups who fought alongside US troops in Vietnam, or some Cubans who fought Fidel Castro’s regime would not be allowed to immigrate to the United States.
    Under the exemptions, US authorities have the discretion to grant people residency in the United States after they have passed background checks and are found to pose no threat to national security.
    Congress initially passed waivers to the terrorism bars in 2007 with bipartisan support, and in the years that followed both the Bush and Obama administrations added additional groups and circumstances to the exemptions.
    "PHANTOM PROBLEM"
    US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted nearly 22,000 TRIG exemptions in total over the last decade, according to the latest data available, which goes through September 2016. The State Department also grants TRIG exemptions, but a spokesman could not provide data on how many.
    Refugees from Myanmar are the largest single group of beneficiaries to date of TRIG exemptions granted by USCIS, with more than 6,700 waivers.
    The wave of Myanmar refugees dates to 2006, when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ruled that thousands of members of the Karen ethnic group, then living in a camp in Thailand, could resettle in the United States, even if they had supported the political wing of an armed group that had fought the country's military regime.
    One high-profile supporter of scrapping the waivers is House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia whose staffers were instrumental in drafting Trump's travel ban. Goodlatte told Reuters he was "pleased that the Trump Administration is reviewing the dangerous policy."
    Groups favouring stricter immigration laws have also applauded the review. Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations at NumbersUSA, called the waivers "a potential security risk."
    "I personally don't think that a bureaucrat should be deciding how much support for terrorism is enough to be barred," she said.
    A USCIS spokeswoman, when asked if a recipient of an exemption had ever been involved in a terrorism-related case after arriving in the United States, referred Reuters to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which said it was a question for the State Department to answer.
    “I don’t know of any cases where beneficiaries of exemptions have gotten into trouble after arriving,” the State Department official said, noting that the department does not typically track people after they arrive in the United States.
    Trump's order to review the waivers "is another example of an attempt to address a non-existent phantom problem," said Eric Schwartz, who served in the State Department during the Obama administration.
    Schwartz and immigration advocates say the waivers are granted after lengthy review and are extremely difficult to get.
    "These are case-by-case exemptions for people who represent no threat to the United States but rather have been caught in the most unfortunate of circumstances," said Schwartz.
    For Raj, the initial ruling that his ransom payment supported a terrorist group led to more than two years in US immigration detention, followed by more years of electronic monitoring. His waiver allowed him to bring his wife to the United States after nine years apart. She now studies nursing.


  8. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sirajul Haq on Friday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should leave the office following the Supreme Court verdict on the Panama Leaks case, adding that the government received ‘interim bail’ in the case.
    JI Amir Sirajul Haq and Awami Muslim League’s Shaikh Rashid met at the latter’s residence, Laal Haveli. At the occasion, both the leaders spoke to media.
    He said that he would consult his lawyers over submitting a review petition regarding the JIT in the apex court.
    Shaikh Rasheed said that all the judges of the SC bench said ‘the letter from the Qatari prince and other documents are bogus’.
    Earlier today, chaos marred the session of the National Assembly as opposition parties decided to jointly confront the ruling party in the assembly and demand resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif following yesterday's Panama Papers verdict.
    The SC ordered on Thursday that a JIT be formed to probe the allegations levelled on the Sharif family in Panamagate. The long-awaited verdict was given by a bench that was divided on a 3:2 ratio i.e. two judges wanted to denotify the PM while three announced the issue be probed further by a JIT.  


  9. Waqas Dar
    KINGSTON: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and put the West Indies into bat on the opening day of the first Test of the three-match series at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Friday.
    West Indies are giving Test debuts to a pair of Guyanese batsmen, Shimron Hetmyer and Vishaul Singh, with middle-order batsman Jermaine Blackwood and medium-pacer Miguel Cummins omitted from the final XI.
    Pakistan have resisted the temptation of including the uncapped Shadab Khan in their team as a second spinner in support of Yasir Shah, choosing instead to introduce Mohammad Abbas for his debut Test as a third pacer alongside Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Aamir.
    This is the 50th Test between the two nations and also the 50th Test match to be played at Sabina Park in Kingston.
    Teams
    West Indies:  Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Vishaul Singh, Shane Dowrich (wicket-keeper), Roston Chase, Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel.
    Pakistan:  Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Aamir, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas.
    Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
    Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG)


  10. Waqas Dar
    PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has submitted a resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    The resolution presented by MPA Shaukat Yousufzai states that after the Supreme Court's decision over Panama leaks, PM Nawaz has lost the moral and democratic justification to remain in the highest office of the country.
    It further said that the Joint Investigation Team inquiry against the premier would lack transparency if PM Nawaz continues to remain in the office.  
    Earlier today, PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced to hold a protest rally in the capital next Friday to demand the resignation of PM.
    Speaking to media after a chaotic session of the National Assembly, Khan reiterated his demand that the Prime Minister should step down, following the apex court’s ruling that further investigation was needed into corruption allegations levelled by the opposition at the PM and his family.
    Citing the dissent note by two judges of the Supreme Court, Khan said the PM had lost the moral authority to rule the country.
    “Two senior SC judges [of the five-member bench] said the PM should be disqualified because he was no longer ‘sadiq’ and ‘ameen’,” the PTI chief said, adding that any other ruler in another country would have stepped down after these “historic” remarks.
    “Nawaz Sharif no longer has the moral authority to be the prime minister. In any other country the ruling party itself would have demanded resignation from its ruler,” Khan said.
    “Why is PML-N distributing sweets? What are they celebrating?” the PTI chairman questioned.
    Khan said his party has invited all other opposition parties to join in the protest.
    Criticising the formation of JIT by the Supreme Court to further investigate the prime minister and his sons over corruption allegations, he said it was not possible for the team to carry out a transparent investigation if Nawaz Sharif continued to be the prime minister.
    Khan compared the current scenario with the UK where David Cameron quit after he lost the Brexit referendum, despite being elected with a landslide majority, because he lost the moral ground to lead.
     
     


  11. Waqas Dar
    At least three Afghan army soldiers were killed and several wounded on Friday when Taliban gunmen attacked a military headquarters in northern Afghanistan, officials said.
    The attack occurred near a mosque on the base in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, as soldiers were leaving Friday prayers, according to an army officer who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak publicly.
    The Western-backed Afghan government is locked in a prolonged war with Taliban insurgents as well as other militant groups.
    Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters set off an explosion, allowing suicide bombers armed with small arms to breach the base.
    "Our fighters have inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan army stationed there," he said.
    Another army officer reported that the attackers used military uniforms and vehicles to pass three checkpoints before launching their attack.
    The base is the headquarters for the Afghan National Army's 209th Corps. It covers most of northern Afghanistan, including Kunduz province, which has been the scene of heavy fighting.


  12. Waqas Dar
    JHANG: Co-Chairman Pakistan People's Party Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that the party will continue its struggle till Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif leaves office.    
    Speaking at a rally, the former president said that the party will send PM Nawaz home like how it sent former president Gen (retd) Pervaiz Musharraf. “Mian sahib you won’t go to your home. You will go to another home. I am ready to send food to PM Nawaz in jail,” he said, further adding, “if this is all what had to be done in Panamagate, then why so much time was wasted.”
    Zardari told his party workers that the time has come for the party to win Punjab. “We have to win the fort of Punjab,” he added. “This time we have to erase the Sharifs. This is my first rally against them – just see what I am going to do against them in coming times.”
    The former president said that the party did not lose the last general election but it was defeated by the Returning Officers.
    “What have the Sharifs given to the people of Pakistan? They didn’t give electricity nor water but in their time the country`s debt doubled. All the four provinces want relief from you”
    Taking his criticism on the Sharifs further, he jibed: “You can’t do anything other than eating Paye”
    He said that even after raising the coffins of Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto; the party raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’.
    The former president welcomed former Pakistan Muslim League –Quaide leader Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat on joining back PPP.
    Earlier, senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan in a press conference said that the Joint Investigation Team — ordered to probe the prime minister's involvement in Panamagate — would remain ineffective, just like the one formed for the Model Town incident. 
    "They get 14 people martyred in Model Town [Lahore], nothing happens," Ahsan said. "A JIT was formed for that incident as well but nothing has happened yet." 
    He added they rejected the JIT that has yet to be formed. Ahsan was talking to the media after a chaotic National Assembly session.
    Ahsan was talking to the media after a chaotic National Assembly session.He said it has always been witnessed that policies have been softened when it comes to Nawaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family.  
    He said it has always been witnessed that policies have been softened when it comes to Nawaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family.  


  13. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: Over 400 Baloch fugitives laid down their arms in a ceremony held in Quetta to celebrate their inclusion in the national mainstream.
    The ceremony was held in Balochistan Assembly premises and was attended by Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Amir Riaz, provincial ministers and other government officials.
    The fugitives belong to various districts of Balochistan.
    Addressing the ceremony, CM Zehri said that all possible support will be provided to those laying down arms. “This is our national and moral obligation,” he said.
    “Worn-out clothes on fugitives are a slap on the faces of extremists,” he said, holding those “residing in Europe and Switzerland” responsible for the loss of many lives.
    “Our entire generation has been destroyed which is an irreparable damage,” he said.
    He also said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will rid the province of poverty and underdevelopment.
    Lt Gen Amir Riaz congratulated those laying down their arms for returning from a “so-called movement”.
    He said that political and military leadership will provide every possible support to them to bring them into the national fold.


  14. Waqas Dar
    JHANG: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Friday criticised the Supreme Court verdict on the Panama Leaks case and said that the apex court’s decision proved that there is one law for Sharifs and another for masses.
    The PPP chairman was addressing a rally at  Jhang, where he said that no law applies to the Sharif family.
    “What can the nation expect from the Joint Investigation Team comprising officers appointed by them (the ruling party),” he said.
    The PPP chairman said that the apex court’s verdict did not allow the PM to go scot-free, adding that the two judges of the bench in the dissenting note went against the PM.
    Bilawal Bhutto also said that the premier should immediately resign.
    The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered further investigations into corruption allegations levelled by the opposition against PM Nawaz Sharif, saying there was insufficient evidence to order his removal from office. 
    The apex court ordered the formation of a JIT to investigate and present its report every two weeks before an SC bench. The court also ordered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and his sons Hasan and Hussein to appear before the JIT as and when required, which will complete its investigation within 60 days of its formation.


  15. Waqas Dar
    SWITZERLAND: Holders Real Madrid face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals as the city rivals do battle once more and French surprise-package Monaco take on Juventus, following the draw on Friday, April 21.
    The all-Madrid showdown is a rerun of the 2014 and 2016 finals in Europe's top club competition, with a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real victorious on both occasions in tight, cagey affairs.
    Real will host Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 2 and Monaco are home to Italian champions Juventus on May 3, with the second legs the following week.

    Going into the draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland all 4 teams were making the usual noises: there is nothing to choose between any of them, they said publicly.
    But the 39-year-old Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon broke ranks, saying that he would prefer to avoid a wily Atletico side because they are out of the La Liga title race so can rest players for Europe.
    "The only distinction from the three teams is that Atletico Madrid have a more marked and defined position in the (league) standings," said the stopper, who is yet to win the Champions League, calling Diego Simeone's team "the trickiest" of the sides left.
    "The other two (Real and Monaco) are fighting for the championship (as are Juventus) so that could be a factor."
    Real Madrid, for whom Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as they saw off Bayern Munich in the quarters, are favorites with British bookmakers.
    But Juventus were hugely impressive in beating Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg and then holding the Spanish champions to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Wednesday in a defensive masterclass.
    Beaten Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has tipped Juventus to lift the trophy they last won in 1996 and they will be favourites against Monaco.
    "Over the two legs they were better than us so they deserve to go through to the semi-finals. I think they can win the Champions League this season," the Spanish international said after Buffon shut out Lionel Messi and Barcelona over 180 minutes of football.
    French league leaders Monaco are the outsiders but they have already claimed victims in Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals and Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur before that.
    The French side - Buffon labelled them "feisty" - are full of attacking vim and have hit a staggering 141 goals in all competitions this season.
    And in teenage striking sensation Kylian Mbappe, 18, allied with a rejuvenated Radamel Falcao, they have the firepower to trouble any defense.


  16. Waqas Dar
    SWITZERLAND: Holders Real Madrid face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals as the city rivals do battle once more and French surprise-package Monaco take on Juventus, following the draw on Friday, April 21.
    The all-Madrid showdown is a rerun of the 2014 and 2016 finals in Europe's top club competition, with a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real victorious on both occasions in tight, cagey affairs.
    Real will host Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 2 and Monaco are home to Italian champions Juventus on May 3, with the second legs the following week.

    Going into the draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland all 4 teams were making the usual noises: there is nothing to choose between any of them, they said publicly.
    But the 39-year-old Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon broke ranks, saying that he would prefer to avoid a wily Atletico side because they are out of the La Liga title race so can rest players for Europe.
    "The only distinction from the three teams is that Atletico Madrid have a more marked and defined position in the (league) standings," said the stopper, who is yet to win the Champions League, calling Diego Simeone's team "the trickiest" of the sides left.
    "The other two (Real and Monaco) are fighting for the championship (as are Juventus) so that could be a factor."
    Real Madrid, for whom Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as they saw off Bayern Munich in the quarters, are favorites with British bookmakers.
    But Juventus were hugely impressive in beating Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg and then holding the Spanish champions to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Wednesday in a defensive masterclass.
    Beaten Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has tipped Juventus to lift the trophy they last won in 1996 and they will be favourites against Monaco.
    "Over the two legs they were better than us so they deserve to go through to the semi-finals. I think they can win the Champions League this season," the Spanish international said after Buffon shut out Lionel Messi and Barcelona over 180 minutes of football.
    French league leaders Monaco are the outsiders but they have already claimed victims in Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals and Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur before that.
    The French side - Buffon labelled them "feisty" - are full of attacking vim and have hit a staggering 141 goals in all competitions this season.
    And in teenage striking sensation Kylian Mbappe, 18, allied with a rejuvenated Radamel Falcao, they have the firepower to trouble any defense.


  17. Waqas Dar
    When a man went out fishing in Illinois, US, he was expecting to return with some good fish to cook a meal. What he didn’t anticipate was that a fish would jump right back into his kayak.
    Clingy much?
     

     
    Sitting in his boat in a river near Carbondale, ‘Water Hopper Ryan’ did catch a fish. Since it wasn’t big enough for him, he tossed it back. But the crappie hopped back into the kayak a second after it touched the water!
    Like an angry tyke, the fish slips hither and thither, flipping over itself, as Ryan attempts to take hold of it. After several seconds, he finally manages to do so and throws it farther away this time.
    "Get the heck out of here!" he mutters, a bit funnily.
    Watch the video here!
     

     


  18. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday urged all leaders and political parties to respect the decision of the Supreme Court in the Panama Leaks case.
    Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister claimed that some politicians were twisting the apex court's decision.
    "It is not true that two are leaning on one side and three on the other. Two judges have expressed difference of opinion. Every judge has his or her right of opinion. But all five judges have signed and owned the part about forming the joint investigation team (JIT)," he said.
    "Courts do not rule according to people's wishes. The Supreme Court's decision should be accepted by all," he said.
    Criticising the opposition parties, who have demanded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down until the JIT completes its investigation, Nisar said the decision should not be needlessly turned into an issue.
    "Some people are protesting against the court's order! Some are praising one judge over the other, some are saying negative stuff. This should not be made into an issue, the decision should be left up to the Supreme Court," he said.


  19. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday hit back at the opposition which has been demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation after the Supreme Court’s split verdict in Panama leaks case.
    Speaking to media, Aurangzeb said those rejecting the Joint Investigation team (JIT) ordered by the apex court to probe the corruption allegations against PM and his sons, were committing contempt of court.
    The information minister said the Prime Minister had set a precedent by presenting himself and his three generations for accountability before the apex court.
    The Prime Minister underwent accountability for the welfare of the people of the country, she added.
    Aurangzeb said the Supreme Court had rejected the prayers of the petitioners.
    “The Prime Minister will also answer all the questions of the JIT,” she said.
    Earlier today, the opposition parties decided to jointly confront the ruling party in the National Assembly and demand resignation of the Prime Minister following Thursday’s Panama Papers verdict.
    Opposition leader Khursheed Shah demanded that the Prime Minister step down from his position. Rejecting the JIT, he questioned how the team could probe transparently while the PM remained in power.
    The NA session continued to be disrupted as opposition members stood up from their seats in protest and pounded the desks, forcing the speaker to adjourn the session for an 'undefined' period. 


  20. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: The number of people dying from hepatitis is rising, and most of the 325 million infected are unaware they have the virus and lack access to potentially life-saving medicines, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
    In its first global report on the infection, the WHO said that with millions at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer, and premature death, swift action on testing and treatment was needed.
    "Viral hepatitis is now a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response," the WHO's director-general Margaret Chan said in a statement.
    The 325 million cases reported are of hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) – the main types of the five different hepatitis infections and responsible for 96 percent of deaths from the disease.
    HBV infection requires lifelong treatment, for which the WHO recommends tenofovir, a generic anti-viral drug also used in HIV treatment.
    Hepatitis C can be cured relatively swiftly, but the medicines are too expensive for many patients.
    Pressure over pricing has been growing, notably on the US manufacturer Gilead Sciences – which has developed some of the most effective treatments – and the company has taken some steps to offer discounts and provide access programs.
    This includes allowing Indian drugmakers to manufacture much lower-cost versions of them for sale in developing countries.
    Gottfried Hirnschall, director of WHO's Department of HIV and the Global Hepatitis Programme, said the WHO was working with governments, drugmakers, and diagnostics companies to improve access.
    "More countries are making hepatitis services available for people in need – a diagnostic test costs less than $1 and the cure for hepatitis C can be below $200," he said. "But the data clearly highlight the urgency with which we must address the remaining gaps in testing and treatment."
    Viral hepatitis killed 1.34 million people in 2015, a toll comparable to tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. But while TB and AIDS deaths are falling, hepatitis deaths are on the rise and have increased by 22 percent since 2000, the WHO said.
    Around 1.75 million people were newly infected with HCV in 2015, bringing the global total to 71 million, with experts identifying unsafe healthcare procedures and injection drug use as the top causes.
    New B virus infections are falling, thanks to a vaccine given as a part of childhood immunisation that 84 percent of babies born in 2015 were given, according to the WHO report.


  21. Waqas Dar
    KHAR: One person was killed while two others were injured in an explosion in Bajaur Agency on Friday, according to sources in the government.
    The bomb was installed at the side of a road in Khar tehsil of the agency, sources added.
    Around two months back an explosion had claimed one life and had left four others injured in Arang tehsil of the agency, sources in the levies force had told the media. ce.


  22. Waqas Dar
    MARDAN: Abdul Wali Khan University superintendent along with another university employee and a student were sent to prison on judicial remand on Friday.
    The three suspects – AWKUM superintendent Afsar Khan, office assistant Sajjad and student Waleed – were presented before a judicial magistrate court earlier today.
    All three of the suspects in the lynching of Mashal Khan denied the charges against them, following which the court sent them to prison on judicial remand till May 4.
    So far, a total of 32 suspects have been taken into custody, of which 13 suspects are on remand while 19 have been sent to prison, according to Mardan police.
    Earlier, another suspect Imran was detained by police in Malakand Agency’s mountainous area Palai.
    On Thursday, eight other suspects were presented before an anti-terrorism court following the expiry of their four-day remand.
    AWKUM remains closed following the brutal lynching of Mashal Khan by a violent mob over blasphemy allegations at campus premises on April 13.
    Administration staff of the university, however, has continued to work, while investigative officials have been visiting the campus from time to time to continue the probe into the horrific incident.
    Read more: Video surfaces showing mob vowing not to reveal name of Mashal Khan’s shooter
    Earlier this week, a suspect named Wajahat confessed in a statement recorded before the magistrate and placed blame on the administration of the university.
    In the statement available with Geo.tv, Wajahat said he acted against Mashal on directions from the university administration and had been called by class representative Mudassir Bashir to the chairman’s office on April 13.
    He said he went to the office where 15-20 people including officials of administration were present, including some lecturers, superintendent and other employees.
    Read more: University admin did not inform police of situation when summoned


  23. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Raheel Sharif departed for Riyadh on Friday after the federal government granted him permission to head a military alliance of Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia.
    Speaking to Geo News, Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that the government had given Sharif a No Objection Certificate after completion of all legal formalities and requirements.
    Asif said the former top commander was given the NOC after approval from the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
    The defence minister had said earlier that Pakistan had received a written request from the Saudi government for employing Gen (retd) Sharif as head of the military alliance.
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/50c08cfbe5876788b06a800934a6db20.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9NC8yMS8yMDE3IDEwOjIzOjM3IEFNJmhhc2hfdmFsdWU9VVhSekU0aWVDRk5qaXJkSmZEc1pUQT09JnZhbGlkbWludXRlcz02MCZpZD0x style=center]
    Our correspondent in Lahore confirmed that Sharif departed for Riyadh earlier today on a special aircraft from Riyadh which had arrived in Lahore to receive him. Sharif was accompanied by his wife and mother on the flight.
    Last month, Pakistan's National Security Advisor (NSA) Nasir Janjua said that Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif spearheading the Saudi military alliance would bring unity to the Muslim world.
    The national security adviser had said that the structure of the alliance had not been decided so far and that in May, the advisory board of defence ministers of member countries would attend a meeting held in this regard. "When General (Retd) Raheel Sharif joins he will define a structure," Janjua said, speaking at a conference in Islamabad.
    He stressed that, with his experience, General (retd) Sharif would remove misunderstandings among Muslim countries. "Iran and other countries opposed of the alliance will also benefit from this."


  24. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The federal government has granted a No Obejection Certificate to former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Raheel Sharif to join a Saudi Arabia-led military alliance of Islamic countries, the defence minister said Friday.
    Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Sharif was given permission to head the military alliance after due process.
    Our correspondent in Lahore confirmed that Sharif departed for Riyadh earlier today on a special aircraft which had arrived in Lahore to receive him. Sharif was accompanied by his wife and mother on the flight. 


  25. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team — ordered to probe the prime minister's involvement in Panamagate — would remain ineffective, just like the one formed for the Model Town incident has, said PPP's Aitzaz Ahsan on Friday.  
    "They get 14 people martyred in Model Town [Lahore], nothing happens," Ahsan said. "A JIT was formed for that incident as well but nothing has happened yet."
    He added they rejected the JIT that has yet to be formed. Ahsan was talking to the media after a chaotic National Assembly session.
    Ahsan was talking to the media after a chaotic National Assembly session.He said it has always been witnessed that policies have been softened when it comes to Nawaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family.  
    He said it has always been witnessed that policies have been softened when it comes to Nawaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family.  
    A day earlier PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari held a press conference where he said they rejected the Supreme Court's verdict and that the prime minister should tender his resignation.  
    "I condemn this joke with the nation. I condemn this justice and judgment,” he added. “Today democracy and justice were adversely affected."
    “I salute the two senior judges who gave the disqualification verdict against Prime Minister – decision of senior judges prevails over junior judges,” he said.
    “Can a 19-grade officer under the Prime Minister do what the Supreme Court couldn't?, ” he remarked. “Will they investigate him, will they  disqualify him, will they take the statement from the Prime Minister from the PM house or police station.”
    Read more: Zardari condemns SC decision, demands resignation from PM


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