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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: In a bid to acknowledge and pay homage to Pakistan Cricket Team on the historic win of Champions Trophy, Pakistan Navy hosted a reception dinner on Thursday, informed a press statement of Director General Public Relations of Pak Navy.

    Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah was the host of the ceremony.
    During his address, the naval chief highly appreciated the display of the teamwork and esprit de corps by the players during the tournament, especially in the final match for bringing laurels for Pakistan.
    Admiral Zakaullah added that Pakistan Navy like the entire nation is proud of entire Pakistan cricket team. The naval chief said Pakistan Navy is especially proud of ex PN serviceman Fakhar Zaman, who remained part of Pakistan Navy cricket team for seven years and has become symbol of Pakistan as well as of Pakistan Navy, for his impressive performance throughout the tournament.
    The Naval chief also applauded Captain of the team Sarfaraz Ahmed who played an instrumental role by uniting as well as leading entire team and playing as one unit thereby achieving this glorious feat.
    He remarked that winning the ICC Champions Trophy is a matter of great pride for all of us in Pakistan Navy and that it is a great pleasure to celebrate the success with our cricket team heroes. The Naval Chief also praised PCB Officials/ management, Selection Committee, PSL management and entire team for their untiring contributions towards winning this Champions Trophy for the first time by defeating arch-rivals in the final.
    The naval chief who himself is a recipient of President Pride of Performance for outstanding performance in Yachting and twice Gold medalist in Asian Sailing Championship besides representing Pakistan in Olympics Yachting regattas acknowledged that Pakistan has tremendous talent and Pakistani sportsmen are well capable to win championships in other sports disciplines as well.
    Chief of the Naval Staff also awarded medals among the winning heroes and champions.


  2. Waqas Dar
    Police arrest a demonstrator during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany on July 6, 2017. ? AFP HAMBURG: German police and protestors clashed Thursday at an anti-G20 march in Hamburg, with police using water cannon and tear gas to clear a hardcore of masked anti-capitalist demonstrators, AFP reporters said.

    Protestors threw stones, firecrackers and bottles at police. Riot police in helmets charged in order to disperse a group of around 1,000 hard-left protestors wearing black hooded tops and masks.
    The protest march has been called off after clashes, police said.


  3. Waqas Dar
    Geo News screenshot LAHORE: As many as 150 shop-stalls turned into ashes after a fire broke out at Sabzazar`s model bazaar, informed a fire fighting official, Imran Ramay.

    Ramay said the fire exacerbated because the shop roofs were made of fiberglass and initial investigation suggests that the fire broke out due to a short-circuit. 
    Fortunately, no causality was reported from the incident.
    The fire was doused by seven firefighting vehicles, informed rescue officials, adding that clothing, shoes and utensil shops were worst effected.
    Geo News screenshot In the same area on May 29, a fire broke out at a furniture showroom. Fire abruptly spread to the whole building as a result of which the whole showroom was destroyed. Fire Brigade and Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control after an effort of one hour.
    Valuables worth millions of rupees were reportedly destroyed.


  4. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday me with Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri at the General Headquarters, said a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
    The security situation in Balochistan came under discussion during the meeting.
    Zehri thanked the army chief for the Army?s efforts in bringing normalcy to the province, added the statement.
    General Bajwa said that Pakistan Army considers it a ?sacred duty and pride to assist the province in realisation of its potential


  5. Waqas Dar
    MULTAN: Pakistan´s first robot waitresses are serving up smiles for customers at an upscale pizza restaurant in the city of Multan, better known for its centuries-old Sufi shrines, mango orchards and handicrafts.

    Rabia, Annie and Jennie greet customers and bring them their pies at Pizza.com, where owner Osama Jafari - who built the prototypes himself - says the response has been a surge of new business.
    "We went to a lot of places, but my uncle said that in this restaurant a robot serves and when the robot served us pizza we felt very happy," customer Osama Ahmed, 12, told AFP.
    "It is an innovation," another customer, Hamid Bashir said. "It feels good to be served like that and it is a good entertainment for the children."
    Jafari said he was inspired by videos of robot waiters in China. The 24-year-old, who studied engineering at Islamabad´s National University of Science and Technology, said he began working on a prototype with the support of his parents.
    "The response that we got is actually tremendous. People are loving it. My friends, family members and all the local people here," he said.
    Jafari said he sourced and fabricated all parts for the robots locally, building them for 600,000 rupees.
    He is already working on the next generation, which he says will be more interactive, able to respond to customer´s questions, and hopes to spread his robot staff to his family´s other restaurant in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad.


  6. Waqas Dar
    The French parliament on Thursday voted to extend the state of emergency until Nov.1, a measure first imposed after extremist suicide bombers and gunmen killed 130 people in coordinated attacks on Paris in late 2015.
    Lawmakers across the political divide supported the extension except those from Jean-Luc Melenchon's hard-left France Unbowed party and the Communist party, which both deem the emergency rule dangerous for civil liberties.
    "Freedom and security are not mutually exclusive," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told parliament. "When you strengthen security, you don't take away civil liberties, you preserve them, and sometimes you enhance them."
    France, whose forces are part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh, has been beset by a wave of extremist militant attacks since early 2015, nearly all of which have been carried out by Daesh loyalists or individuals inspired by the group.
    Nonetheless, human rights groups have criticized the state of emergency, saying it tramples on individuals' rights and erodes the rule of law.
    The emergency regime allows police to search homes and arrest people without prior consent from judges. It also allows them to tap computer and phone communications more freely.
    The French government has presented a draft counter-terrorism bill that President Emmanuel Macron, elected in May, wants to replace the temporary emergency powers.
    The bill, which rights groups have also criticised, envisages extending police powers to stop and search people or conduct house searches and would also give officials more discretion in deciding when to invoke a risk of terrorism as justification for curbs on freedoms.


  7. Waqas Dar
    FILE PHOTO: The company logo of Mossack Fonseca is seen inside the office of Mossack Fonseca & Co. (Asia) Limited in Hong Kong, China. ? Reuters FRANKFURT: Germany's Federal Crime Office(BKA) has said that it had obtained a copy of the leaked data known as the Panama Papers that last year revealed how offshore firms are used to stash the wealth of the world's rich and powerful.

    Some 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca were leaked to a German newspaper in 2016 and reports were published in cooperation with the U.S.-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
    "These data are being looked into and evaluated with Hesse state's tax authorities to pursue criminal and fiscal offences," the BKA said in a joint statement with Hesse's finance ministry and the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt.
    The BKA declined to comment when asked whether it was in possession of all the data revealed in the Panama leaks.
    Bild newspaper had earlier reported that the BKA had purchased the Panama Papers. The BKA declined to comment on that report.
    Bild said the western state of Hesse's inland revenue office was bearing the costs of procuring the documents. Hesse's inland revenue office could not be immediately reached for comment.
    The statement from the three authorities said the BKA was processing the millions of entries in the files to make it possible to evaluate them electronically. It said sifting through the data would probably take several months.


  8. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Many areas of the provincial capital suffered power outage as more than 150 feeders tripped after heavy rains on Thursday evening.
    According to LESCO authorities, the process of restoring the tripped feeders has started and more power in more than 85 feeders have been restored. Residents of Sahafi colony claimed that the area is suffering from power outage from last 11 hours, adding that the LESCO authorities are not picking their calls.
    The residents informed that due to no electricity they are facing water shortage for everyday use.
    Meanwhile, the weather turned pleasant following the rain, as sweltering temperature came down much to the relief of the residents of Lahore and adjoining areas.
    Rain has also showered in Multan Road, Mansoora, Iqbal town, Gulshan e Ravi, Davis Road and Shimla Pahari. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall was also seen in Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujrat, and Bhakkar district, along with the Khyber Pakthunkuwa districts of Abbotabad and Laki Marwat.
    Moreover in next 12 hours, heavy rainfall is expected in Islamabad, FATA and Gilgit Baltistan. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    PM's spokesman Musadiq Malik. ? Geo News screengrab ISLAMABAD: Musadiq Malik, spokesman for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Thursday raised several questions on the Panama case joint investigation team (JIT), claiming that it is trying to buy more time after July 10 to report its findings.

    Speaking at a press conference here, Malik lamented that the documents being submitted to [the JIT] are being shown on TV. He questioned whether the high-profile probe team was formed in the light of the verdict of five-member bench of the Supreme Court.
    The PM's spokesman further asked whether they distributed sweetmeats for taping of the PM House's phone lines.
    About leaking of Husain Nawaz picture, he said, "An unknown man from an unknown institution leaked the image, while investigations against him too remain unclear".
    Claiming that the investigation team is looking for more time after the expiry of July 10 deadline to report its findings, Malik questioned, "Is the JIT trying to find some Masood Mahmood? The quest for Mahmood-like approver indicates hatching of a conspiracy."
    It is pertinent to mention here that Masood Mahmood was an approver in Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan Kasuri case, in which the Lahore High Court awarded death sentence to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.


  10. Waqas Dar
    File Photo  ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said the PML-N should clarify who is allegedly conspiring against them and asked whether it was the judiciary or the army.
    Khan said threats to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) - investigating the foreign assets of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family- by the leaders from PML-N were threats to the Supreme Court.
    Khan added that the prime minister lied in the assembly during his briefing to the house on his financial assets.
    ?In his appearance before the apex court, the presented a previously unknown Qatari letter. There were no documents presented in court which were waved around in the assembly.?
    He alleged that the PML-N tried to buy the JIT and started attacking them when the offer was refused. 
    The PTI chairman said the Sharif family has to give answers for two simple questions - who is the owner of the properties and how was the money taken out of Pakistan.
    Imran said that those who claim to be protecting democracy are in fact destroying national institutions to protect their loot, adding that they have not yet shown a money trail.

    Taking further jibe at the government, he said that the PML-N leaders have coined a new term, ?judicial coup?.
    'Nation stands with Supreme Court'
    ?I am challenging them, the entire nation is standing with the Supreme Court. The nation is waiting for my one call.?
    He added that PTI has nothing to do with the JIT summons of Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
    Referring to an allegation against him, Imran said the foreign funding case against him is ?politically motivated?.

    Criticising the incumbent leadership further, Khan said if the Qatari prince can come to Pakistan to buy Port Qasim and to hunt Houbara Bustard, then why cant he come to the country to appear before the JIT.

    ?Even if he doesn?t appear before JIT he can send the banking transactions.?


  11. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said relations between Pakistan and India have deteriorated due to India?s oppression and atrocities in India-occupied Kashmir (IOK).
    The premier was talking to journalists after returning from Tajikistan, where he was attending a CASA-1000 conference. The project envisions for the supply of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan
    The premier reiterated that India should cease atrocities in the occupied valley and try to work towards a solution for the Kashmir issue.
    The prime minister also met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and also discussed matters of mutual interest during an informal conversation.
    Nawaz responded to allegations levelled against Pakistan by Afghanistan and said that the country does not interfere in Afghan matters.
    The two countries also exchanged lists related to terrorists.
    Referring to the ongoing investigation by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), the premier said that democracy will not be harmed from him. 


  12. Waqas Dar
    Adnan Siddiqui (L) and Sajal Ali (R) made their Bollywood debut in Sri Devi-starrer Mom. Photo: file  Sri Devi-starrer, Mom, which also features two Pakistani actors, the doe-eyed Sajal Ali and Adnan Siddiqui, has opened up to a good response by the critics.
    Aside for showering praises for Sri Devi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian critics also appreciated the acting of the Pakistani stars.
    Speaking about Sajal Ali, Times of India writes, ?Dew fresh Sajal Ali, who seems to have grown up watching Kareena Kapoor films, seems like a clone of the senior actor. But this is not to take away from her otherwise adept performance.?
    Another reviewer Lehren TV, says ?[the movie also stars] two very efficient Pakistani actors. Adnan Siddiqui as Devki?s husband and Kareena Kapoor look-like Sajal Ali. The coming together of many talents gives relief and variety [to the narrative].?
    Earlier on, the movie?s director Ravi Udyawar said that it is unjustifiable that artistes from Pakistan are stopped from working in India.
    ?Mom? teaser with Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Ali, Sridevi will make you itch for more
    The two Pakistani artists appear for brief moments but seem to play an important role in the flick
    Udyawar also praised the Pakistani actors and said "I had a great time working with Adnan and Sajal. It was refreshing to see them. They brought something special on screen. Sajal plays the daughter's role and there were many silent scenes in the film and she delivered them brilliantly. Adnan is a great actor. They both did a good job," according to Indian media.
    The movie, which also features Akshaye Khanna, is an Indian thriller which revolves around the seemingly perfect life of Devki and extents she would go to protect her family. 


  13. Waqas Dar
    Arrival at Mercury is first foreseen on December 5, 2025 THE HAGUE: European and Japanese scientists Thursday proudly unveiled the BepiColombo spacecraft ahead of its seven-year journey to Mercury, to explore one of the Solar System´s most enigmatic planets.
    Set for launch in 2018, BepiColombo will be the European Space Agency´s (ESA) first mission to the closest rock to the Sun.
    The craft has an unusual design, comprising a "stacked aircraft" carrying two orbiters -- one European, the other Japanese -- which will separate on arrival to go into different, but complementary orbits around Mercury.
    BepiColombo aims to "follow up on many of the intriguing results of NASA´s Messenger mission, probing deeper into Mercury´s mysteries than ever before," the ESA said.
    The joint project with the Japanese agency JAXA, which has cost more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.48 billion), involves some 33 companies from 12 EU nations, as well as firms from the US and Japan.
    It has been delayed several times, but the mission chiefs are now confident that it is on track to launch in October next year.
    Mercury is the "most peculiar of all rocky planets," Alvaro Gimenez, ESA´s director of science told reporters at the agency´s centre in the Dutch coastal town of Noordwijk.
    Its surface is wracked by extreme temperatures, ranging from +450 to -180 degrees Celsius (+842 to -292 degrees Fahrenheit).
    ´Entering a pizza oven´
    It also has a magnetic field, the only rocky planet besides Earth to have one.
    But Mercury is so weak that the field does not provide a shield against solar radiation.
    It orbits just 58 million kilometres (36 million miles) from the Sun, and its surface is blasted by radiation levels that would destroy earthly lifeforms.
    Its proximity to the Sun also makes Mercury hard to study from Earth because the brightness impedes the view. The Sun´s huge gravity also makes it difficult to put a craft into steady orbit around the planet.
    The high temperatures also presented tricky challenges for the engineers, which include the European aircraft designer Airbus, and added to project delays, mission chiefs said.
    Airbus said it has covered the European orbiter with specially-designed "high-temperature multi-layered insulation" which is "made up of 50 layers of ceramics and aluminium," while the antennae are "made of heat-resistant titanium, covered by a newly-developed coating".
    "We are flying into a pizza oven which is why we had to test materials at a very high and different temperature rates. Sometimes with very unwanted results," said Ulrich Reininghaus, the ESA BepiColombo project manager.
    ´Most complicated ever´
    So far only two NASA missions have visited Mercury -- Mariner 10 in the 1970s and Messenger, which orbited the planet from 2011 until it ran out of fuel in April 2015.
    BepiColombo will study the peculiarities of Mercury´s internal structure and magnetic field generation, and how it interacts with the Sun and solar wind.
    The Mercury mission is Europe´s "most complicated ever," said Gimenez.
    "It´s difficult to get there, it´s difficult to work there."
    The orbiters will seek to get as close as possible to the planet´s surface, which is blasted by radiation levels 10 times higher than on the Sun and by temperatures hot enough to melt metal.
    The European orbiter is carrying 11 specially-designed instruments and the Japanese counterpart has five, which are set to explore Mercury´s crater-pocked surface, enigmatic magnetism and tenuous, vestigial atmosphere.
    They are planned to stay in orbit for at least one to two years, but scientists said it was possible the orbiters could last longer before crashing onto the planet´s surface.
    Scientists will first seek to launch what they termed "a technological masterpiece" on October 5, 2018 from Kourou in French Guiana on the back of an Ariane rocket, with an eight-week launch window if there are any difficulties.
    "Arrival at Mercury is first foreseen ... on December 5, 2025," added Reininghaus.


  14. Waqas Dar
    SANGHAR: Former president and Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said he realised that there was a great conspiracy against Pakistan after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
    ?I realised the danger the country was facing after my wife?s assassination, hence I raised the slogan of Pakistan Khapay,? said the PPP co-chairman while addressing party workers.
    Taking a swipe at the incumbent leaders, he said they are better at selling steel rather than running the country.
    Referring to his own party, Zardari said leaders of his political party and realise the issues of the people as they are from the same soil.
    ?CPEC is beneficial for China,? said Zardari and added as an afterthought that it is also beneficial for Pakistan.
    The former president, criticising PTI?s Imran Khan, said he needs to understand that there is a huge difference between cricket and running a country.
    Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah, addressing the same gathering, said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif needs to inform the people and the country who all are conspiring against Pakistan.
    ?Nawaz Sharif needs to let the people know, if he does not, he will become a criminal in the eyes of the country,? said Shah.
    He added that the prime minister?s statements are weakening democracy and Pakistan.
    He urged Nawaz to tell the people regarding the conspiracy for other political parties to stand up in support of democracy. 


  15. Waqas Dar
    At present, 25 of 27 prisons in Punjab are significantly over capacity and the highest number of executions take place in the most overcrowded prisons. Photo: Reuters LAHORE: Pakistan?s use of the death penalty has failed to deter crime, is not being used to curb terrorism and is exceedingly used as a political tool, even sometimes as an overcrowding solution, a report by the Justice Project Pakistan finds.

    The research finds that until May this year, a total of 465 prisoners have been sent to the gallows since Pakistan lifted the moratorium on executions in December 2014. This makes Pakistan the fifth most prolific executioner in the world, following China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
    Punjab has emerged as the overwhelming practitioner of the death penalty, accounting for 83 per cent of executions, and 89 per cent of death sentences in Pakistan. However, it has also witnessed only a 9.7 per cent drop in murder rates from 2015-2016. Sindh, on the other hand, has viewed a drop of nearly 25 per cent in the same time period ? even though it carried out only 18 executions compared to Punjab?s 382. In fact, murder rates in Pakistan were already in decline before the moratorium was lifted, casting even more doubt on the already dubious relationship between the death penalty and reducing crime.

    A closer look at the yearly trends of executions shows that anti-terrorism courts (ATC) accounted for only 16 per cent of executions. In 2015, 65 people tried by ATCs were hanged but only eight from Jan 2016 to May 2017. The majority of death sentences that have been carried out in that time have come from district and sessions courts, which do not have jurisdiction over terrorism cases.
    President Mamnoon signs bill extending military courts for two years
    The bill, following the President?s signature, is now an Act of Parliament
    The government has sought to justify lifting the moratorium for all 27 death-eligible crimes by claiming it is necessary to deter terrorist attacks in Pakistan. But the data indicates that the government is mostly hanging terrorists through military courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and through ATCs in Sindh.
    Another trend that has emerged is that the number of executions spike in the wake of a terrorist attack (in Punjab) that kills over five people. This indicates that the use of executions, like the lifting of the moratorium, are often a reactionary step.
    In Punjab, there is another worrying trend that indicates that executions are being used as a means to make room in prisons that are facing overcrowding. Currently, 25 of the 27 prisons in the province are significantly over capacity and the highest number of executions take place in the most overcrowded prisons.
    Four terrorists hanged after death sentence by military courts
    Convicts were TTP members, involved in ?heinous? offences: ISPR
    Pakistan heads for its first UN review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on July 11, that obligates it to uphold and respect the right to life for all its citizens. Pakistan?s return to an executing state has been taken up in the list of issues framed by the Human Rights Council committee.
    In just one year after the moratorium was lifted, Pakistan became the third most prolific executioner in the world. During that time, execution warrants for the mentally ill, physically disabled and juvenile offenders have been issued. More and more cases of wrongful executions have come to light since then. In October last year, the Supreme Court acquitted two brothers in Bahawalpur after they spent 11 years on death row, only to find they had already been executed the year before. Another prisoner was found innocent a year after he had been found dead in his cell. There are likely many more cases like this, considering a condemned prisoner will spend an average of 11.41 years on death row.
    JPP Executive Director Sarah Belal, adds: ?Pakistan?s troubling and continued use of the death penalty has continuously fallen short of meeting its international human rights commitments and fair trial standards, as well as our own domestic laws. The death penalty is not an effective tool to curb militancy and crime, as the data clearly shows, yet has been increasingly used for political gain. It is time for the stakeholders to commit to genuine reform in our criminal justice system, and until it does, to restore the moratorium on the death penalty.?
    JPP, a human rights organisation established in December 2009, provides pro-bono legal representation to the most vulnerable Pakistani prisoners facing the harshest punishments. 


  16. Waqas Dar
    Snapchat which has been quite active is making constant updates to the app have rolled out three major new updates including a paperclip feature, voice filter and on-demand geo-filter.

    The paperclip feature allows users to attach a link to their Snap, which receiver can swipe to open. The new feature allows users to add hyperlinks to their Snap stories.
    To use the feature the users have to click on paperclip icon to add a link before sending a Snap.
    Moreover, the new on-demand geofilter allows people to make their own special moments and let them create special events such as Birthdays and Weddings. However, users have to pay $5.99 to use this feature.
    The last update allows users to alter their recorded voices.
    Snapchat has also rolled out a Map feature, which allows users to locate their friends. However, an increasing number of people have raised their voices against the invasion of privacy of this feature. 


  17. Waqas Dar
    'Love Missions' follows four leading men ? one from each branch of the armed forces, plus the police ? as they take down drug traffickers, foreign terrorists and of course, traverse the battlefield of love. ? YouTube screengrab BANGKOK: Sporting flak jackets, machine guns and smouldering stares, four Thai heartthrobs have been enlisted to woo fans -- and some say spruce up the ruling junta´s image -- in a new soap opera dividing the army-run kingdom.

    The series, titled "Love Missions," follows four leading men -- one from each branch of the armed forces, plus the police -- as they take down drug traffickers, foreign terrorists and of course, traverse the battlefield of love.
    The junta, which seized power in 2014, is not directly funding the series but has been lending props and extras for the production.
    "We are allowing them to use military camps as a filming location and making suggestions on the right costumes and make-up," Ministry of Defence spokesman General Kongcheep Tantravanich told AFP.
    "We are also letting them use our soldiers, military vehicles and helicopters."
    The primetime show, which premiered on Saturday, proved an instant hit with legions of viewers swooning over the love story between a nurse and soldier battling foreign drug gangs on the border.
    The name of the first installment, "Pull the Trigger on My Heart," quickly became a trending hashtag on Twitter.
    But others have slammed the series for romanticising life in the barracks, calling it propaganda for an institution that frequently topples democratically elected governments and has a long history of shooting protesters.
    One online commentator said the show ought to reflect the reality of life under military rule: "The drama should be based on real life: coups, violation of people´s rights...ruining the country´s economy."
    The junta´s 2014 coup marked the 12th successful military takeover since Thailand embraced parliamentary democracy 85 years ago.
    The generals have promised to a return to democracy but keep delaying elections.
    They have also written a new charter that curbs the power of elected politicians and enshrines the military´s oversight of any future government for the next 20 years.
    In recent weeks junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha has refused to rule out running for office, fuelling speculation that he is preparing to contest the poll.
    Prayut -- a mercurial leader who has shown glimpses of a softer side by penning patriotic songs and poems -- said he had yet to watch the new series.
    "But I know I won´t be the hero, because if I was nobody would watch," he told reporters, perhaps a cheeky reference to the low viewership of his weekly talk show called "Returning Happiness to the People".
    Prayut has previously said he wished Thailand´s soap operas were more patriotic and frequently comments on culture he disapproves of.
    Last month he used three separate meetings with the press to berate a teenage pop singer for her suggestive dance moves and racy clothing. 


  18. Waqas Dar
    German Foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel listens during a news conference in Riga, Latvia, March 1, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/file Germany is concerned that US President Donald Trump could start a trade war with Europe, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Thursday ahead of a G20 summit in the port city of Hamburg.
    "There are things that cause great concern that the United States start a trade war with Europe," Gabriel told Deutschlandfunk radio without elaborating. He added Berlin would continue to seek through dialogue a situation in which Germany and the US could act together.
    Having returned from a multi-day trip to the Gulf region, Gabriel also said that there was currently no risk of a military escalation in the Qatar crisis and that there was progress.


  19. Waqas Dar
    Photo: Forbes India One of Bollywood?s most uninhibited actors, Ranveer Singh, who along with his acting chops has made his mark in the industry because of his unique sense of style and filmy tactics.

    The actor, who turns 31 today, treated himself after buying an Aston Martin, which he later took on a cruise with his girlfriend Deepika Padukone.
    Here, a list of the eight times the actor made the audiences fall in love with him.
    His love for Bollywood
    Ranveer has time and again expressed his love for Bollywood. From dancing to Bollywood songs in Switzerland to re-enacting famous scenes of movies, the actor sure has become an icon with people obsessed with Indian movies.
    In the video below, the actor reenacts the famous train sequence from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
    His killer dance moves
    If you haven?t noticed already then Ranveer is one of the few actor who immerses himself in the role he is playing and it even reflects in his dancing skills. The actor puts his all and owns the dance sequences. Occassionally, he also shows off his dancing skills by posting videos of famous music videos.
    In the video below, the actor does the Michael Jackson?s Thriller dance, which had become a worldwide sensation.
    His punny ways on social media
    The actor usually uses puns to caption his pictures on social media and we can?t help but be swoon by it.
    The time he nailed Hrithik Roshan?s dare
    Ranveer Singh lived up to his image, when he took on the Bang Bang dare given to hum by Hrithik Roshan.
    Ranveer enthusiastically danced to Hrithik's song Main Aisa Kyun Hoon on a busy Bandra street dressed in superhero Krrish avatar.


    Setting couple goals with Deepika Padukone
    From chasing after his lady love with a flower in his hand to fangirling over her in public, Ranveer has done it all to prove he is the perfect boyfriend.
    Photo: Indian Express  His bromance with Arjun Kapoor on Koffee with Karan
    Till date, we can?t watch the episode with Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh without a huge smile on our faces. The actors brimming bromance with a dash of filminess struck a chord with all Bollywood lovers and made it one of the most talked about shows of the season.
    The actors? bromance also continued with them sharing videos about missing each other on social media.
    Photo: Koffee with Karan His rendition of Taher Shah?s eye-to-eye
    The actor won our hearts after he dressed as Taher Shah's and lip synced to 'Eye-to-Eye'. 
    His quirky sense of dressing 
    Ranveer's unique sense of style may not sit well with fashion police, but most of the times it sure makes him the talk of the town. 
    From floral suits to body suits to skirts. Ranveer has surely worn it all. 




  20. Waqas Dar
    An Indian police officer in Srinagar striking protesters on May 25, 2016. Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: Pakistan welcomes Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei?s statement on Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK), Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement on Thursday.
    Ayatollah Khamenei on Monday had urged his country's judiciary to extend support to the "oppressed" Muslims of Kashmir.
    Zakaria said the Muslim Ummah is worried about the human rights violations in IOK by Indian forces, adding that the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has also denounced atrocities in IOK.
    Commenting on the recent inclusion of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the Global Terrorist Watchlist by the US government, the FO spokesperson termed it an 'unjustified' action.
    Zakaria also termed US Senator John McCain?s recent visit to Pakistan as positive, saying the republican senator, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, ?praised Pakistan?s efforts to combat terrorism, Taliban and other militant networks?.
    The FO spokesperson claimed the remaining Taliban have escaped to Afghanistan. He added that the ?Haqqani Network? operates out of Afghanistan, not Pakistan and that many leaders of the group have been killed in Afghanistan. 
    Crackdown in Kashmir ahead of Wani's death anniversary
    A crackdown has been launched in IOK ahead of the first death anniversary of martyred freedom fighter Burhanuddin Wani.
    Internet services have been suspended once again in the valley, while Hurriyet leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Gilani were put under house arrest while Yasin Malik was arrested by the Indian forces.


  21. Waqas Dar
    CAIRO: Arab states that have cut ties with Qatar vowed Wednesday to maintain their boycott of the emirate, criticising its "negative" response to their list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis.
    Qatar appealed for "dialogue" to resolve the row while US President Donald Trump spoke to Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to urge all parties "to negotiate constructively".
    The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, meeting in Cairo, "regret the negative response from Qatar," they said in a statement.
    Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Qatar's response to the bloc's conditions had "no substance" and "reflects a lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation".
    The talks in Cairo came a month after the four countries severed ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting extremism.
    "The boycott will remain," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at the same news conference in the Egyptian capital.
    The four Arab states stopped short of announcing new sanctions but Jubeir said they would "take steps at the appropriate time".
    The UAE state minister for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, predicted more isolation for Qatar.
    "Next greater isolation, incremental measures & reputational damage stemming from Doha's continued support for extremism & terrorism," he tweeted.
    The demands include Doha ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood and closing broadcaster Al-Jazeera.
    Saudi Arabia and its allies have not said what steps they could take next, but there are fears of a wider embargo that would hurt the Qatari economy, with credit ratings agency Moody's announcing it was changing Qatar's outlook to negative over the crisis.
    13 demands
    The countries issued the 13-point list of demands on June 22, giving Qatar 10 days to respond.
    The deadline was extended by 48 hours on Sunday at the request of Kuwait, which is mediating in the crisis, and Qatar handed in the response on Monday.
    The contents of the response have not been disclosed, but Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the list of demands "is unrealistic and is not actionable".
    Qatar has denied any support for extremism and accused the countries of seeking to infringe on its sovereignty.
    The other demands include Qatar downgrading ties with Iran -- Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival -- and shutting down a Turkish military base in the emirate.
    In his phone call with Sisi, Trump "reiterated the need for all countries to follow through on their commitments at the Riyadh summit (in May) to stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology," the White House said.
    US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with the emir of Kuwait and stressed Washington's "support" for his efforts to mediate a solution to the crisis, Kuwait's KUNA news agency said.
    The UN meanwhile said its under-secretary general for political affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, was in Kuwait for talks on ending the dispute.
    Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement that he was "pleased to see talks between (the US secretary of state) and the Kuwaitis".
    "It is now a matter of the parties entering into negotiations," he added.
    Qatar urges dialogue
    Qatar has said repeatedly it is ready for talks on the crisis, and Sheikh Mohammed reiterated that on Wednesday.
    "We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbours," he said.
    The minister accused Saudi Arabia and its regional allies of "demanding that we must surrender our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege".
    Riyadh and its supporters have severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, cutting off vital routes for imports including food.
    They also ordered Qatari citizens to leave their territories and took various steps against Qatari firms and financial institutions.
    The crisis has raised a concern of economic consequences as well as growing instability in the region, home to some of the world's largest energy exporters and key Western allies which host US military bases.
    Energy-rich Qatar has been defiant throughout the crisis, insisting it can weather action taken against it.
    On Tuesday it even announced a major boost in planned natural gas output, with Qatar Petroleum saying it would increase production to 100 million tonnes a year by 2024, up 30 percent from current levels.
    Qatar is the world's leading producer of liquefied natural gas.
    Its energy riches have transformed Qatar into one of the world's wealthiest countries, a major international investor and a regional player that will host the 2022 football World Cup.


  22. Waqas Dar
    A Qatar Airways Airbus A350-900 aircraft is displayed at the manufacturer's headquarters in Toulouse, France on December 22, 2014 - AFP file photo   DOHA:  Qatar Airways announced on Thursday that it had won exemption from a US ban on passengers taking laptops and tablet computers on flights from its Doha hub.
    It is the latest carrier after Abu Dhabi's Etihad, Dubai's Emirates and Turkish Airlines to meet new rules imposed by Washington in March for direct flights from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa.
    "Qatar Airways is pleased to confirm that with immediate effect, all personal electronic devices can be carried on board all departures from Hamad International Airport to the United States," the airline said.
    "Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport have met with all requirements of the US Department of Homeland Security's new security guidelines."
    Washington drew up the new guidelines after intelligence officials learnt of efforts by the Daesh militant group to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside electronic devices.
    They required the installation of sophisticated imaging technology for X-ray and ultrasound screening of carry-on devices.
    All other electronic devices larger than a mobile phone had to be transported only in checked luggage.
    Etihad was the first airline to meet the new requirements, with its exemption starting on Sunday. It was followed by Turkish Airlines and Emirates on Wednesday.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar speaks to the media - Geo News screen grab  ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has attributed the sudden spike in US dollar to ?miscommunication between certain people? and assured that the market would adjust itself back to stability.
    Addressing media after chairing a meeting of bank CEOs to discuss the recent development, Dar said the surge in the dollar?s value was ?surprising? and ?artificial?.
    ?The hike in the dollar was artificial and happened as a result of miscommunication between certain people. A transparent investigation into the matter would be conducted and we will gather all the facts, including who profited and who bore losses from this hike,? he asserted.
    Dar said a permanent Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan would be appointed once Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns from his official visit to Tajikistan.
    ?The inquiry into the dollar hike would be carried out after the governor is appointed,? he remarked.
    Dar said that no person, including himself, has any authority to artificially adjust the dollar?s value.
    ?The market will adjust and stabilise on its own,? he said, adding that he has faith in the open market.


    Dollar slides to Rs105.50
    The US dollar depreciated to Rs105.50 on Thursday afternoon after spiking to over Rs108 the previous day.
    The dollar was being sold for Rs107 in the open market earlier today, said Malik Bostan, president at Forex Association of Pakistan.
    Dollar fall exposes soft underbelly of FX policy
    Data suggests that the rupee drops on average 5 per cent annually
    The rupee to dollar exchange rate depreciated by 3.1 percent from Rs104.9 on Tuesday to Rs108.25 on Wednesday, as the dollar surged to its 2.5-year-high against the rupee in the interbank market. The surge sparked concerns across the market, with Dar taking notice of the hike.
    According to a statement by the finance division, released in the aftermath of the hike, the finance minister ?expressed deep concern, indignation, and disappointment at the fact that the current political situation is being exploited by certain individuals, banks and entities, resulting in the artificial rise of the interbank rate of the US Dollar versus the Pakistani Rupee.?
    The spike negatively affected the country?s Foreign Exchange (FX) markets, stated the press release.
    According to sources, foreign investment outflows from the Pakistan Stock Exchange resulted in the surge. 


  24. Waqas Dar
    The photo taken on March 31, 2016 shows a sales reprsentative (L) helping a customer pre-order, the as yet unseen Tesla Model 3, in the Tesla store in Santa Monica, California. Photo: file WASHINGTON: In another setback for the high-flying electric carmaker, Tesla´s Model S once again fell short of the top rating in a key crash test, an independent testing agency said Thursday.
    On the eve of seeing its first mass-market Model 3 roll off the assembly line, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that despite changes made to the vehicles produced after January, the Model S was again only able to attain an acceptable rating in the small-overlap test conducted in February. That test mimics a car hitting a tree or a pole.
    As a result, Tesla failed to achieve the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating, which requires a "good" rating in all five of its crash test scenarios. Carmakers often request a retest if they fall short of the highest rating the first time.
    IIHS said the Model S in both tests fell short of the top rating because the safety belt did not sufficiently restrain the driver in the crash.
    "The main problem with the performance of the Model S was that the safety belt let the dummy´s torso move too far forward, allowing the dummy´s head to strike the steering wheel hard through the airbag," the statement said.
    The vehicle also had some structural issues in the second crash test, IIHS said.
    Tesla in April recalled 53,000 vehicles to address a manufacturing defect that could prevent the parking brake from releasing, but there were no reports of injuries or accidents related to the issue.
    The company also was investigated for a fatal crash in May 2016 involving a driver of a Model S using the Tesla´s autopilot feature. But investigators found the driver was warned repeatedly for not keeping his hands on the steering wheel, and no safety defect was found. 


  25. Waqas Dar
    US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson headed Wednesday to Hamburg, Germany, ahead of this week's G20 summit - AFP   WASHINGTON: The United States is willing to work with Russia on establishing "no-fly zones" in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilise the war-ravaged country, the top US diplomat said Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump's first face-to-face with Vladimir Putin.
    In a wide-ranging statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia had a "special responsibility" to help create stability on the ground -- or risk hobbling the fight against Daesh.
    Citing past cooperation in creating deconfliction zones in Syria, Tillerson made a strong case for both countries -- in spite of their "unresolved differences on a number of issues" -- to work together in Syria.
    "The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," he said.
    Daesh "badly wounded" in Syria 
    Tillerson issued his statement before joining Trump in Europe, where the US leader will meet Putin for the first time on Friday on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Syria will loom large in their discussions.
    It also came as US-backed fighters inched forwards in Raqa's Old City, in what Washington sees as a milestone in the campaign to defeat the Daesh militant group in its de facto Syrian capital.
    "ISIS has been badly wounded, and is could be [sic] on the brink of complete defeat in Syria if all parties focus on this objective," Tillerson said, according to the written statement issued by the State Deparment.
    "In order to complete the mission, the international community, and especially Russia, must remove obstacles to the defeat of ISIS."
    "We call upon all parties, including the Syrian government and its allies, Syrian opposition forces, and Coalition forces carrying out the battle to defeat ISIS, to avoid conflict with one another and adhere to agreed geographical boundaries for military de-confliction and protocols for de-escalation."
    Russia, Turkey and Iran -- without the United States -- agreed in May to establish four "de-escalation" zones in Syria.
    These are supposed to include no-fly areas, where no warplanes can fly so as to guarantee the safety of civilians on the ground.
    But on Wednesday those countries said they had failed to agree on the details, such as the boundaries of the zones and who will police them.
    "Rebuild confidence"
    Tillerson also said Moscow as a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had the responsibility of preventing his regime from further use of chemical weapons.
    The United States launched a cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base in April in response to what it said was a government chemical weapons attack on civilians.
    Tillerson, speaking later to Fox News aboard the flight to Europe, said US officials "have been engaged with Russia for some time" to identify areas "that we should have mutual interest in."
    Syria is "a very complex situation," especially transitioning from defeating Daesh to stabilising the country and starting the "lengthy process" of finding political solutions for the Syrian people.
    US officials are at "the very beginning" of an effort "to rebuild confidence between ourselves and Russia at the military-to-military level, but also at the diplomatic level," he said.
    "At this point it's difficult to say exactly what Russia's intentions are in this relationship."
    He added that it was important for Trump and Putin to "have a good exchange... over what they both see as the nature of this relationship between our two countries."


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