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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    At least eight people died and another 35 were injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion in south-west China's Guizhou Province on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.
    The explosion occurred at around 10 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) in Qinglong County at a pipeline operated by China National Petroleum Corp, triggered by a landslide after days of heavy rain.
    Xinhua said earlier that the gas line was an extension of a pipeline that pumped gas from neighbouring Myanmar to southwest China and that the fire was put out in the afternoon.
    Four of the injured are in critical condition, it said.


  2. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz should stop using democracy as a cover to hide their misdeeds, adding that a mafia is in danger not democracy in the country.
    Speaking at an event, he said that senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has made money through prize bonds, he cannot understand Panama case and PM Nawaz is using democracy in order to save himself from accountability.
    ?Instead of responding to our questions, the PML-N is saying that there is a conspiracy being hatched against them,? he said. ?It?s a complete lie that there has been prior accountability of Sharif family. They signed a 10-year deal with Musharraf to stop him from pursuing cases against them,? said Imran.
    He said that Panama leaks case is a landmark as for the first time the powerful are going through the process of accountability ? this case is a foundation stone of ?New Pakistan?.
    Khan added that the Sharif`s were first-time given ministry for constructing the house of Gen (rtd) Jeelani and in the past PM Nawaz has tried to bribe former COAS Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua by gifting him a BMW.
    The PTI chief said that the PM Sharif disrupted Benazir Bhutto`s government in the 1990s after taking money from Osama Bin Ladin.
    Separately, speaking in an event Khawaja Saad Rafique implored the Joint Investigation Team, probing the Sharif family's financial dealings abroad, to question itself whether it is trying to unearth the truth or just wandering aimlessly.
    Addressing his political opponents, Rafique said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan might not want to indulge in politics of abuse and accusations but his close aides are advising him to do so.

    Imran should learn the lessons that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party learnt after decades of rivalry, he added.
    The minister said that his party would not stoop to the level of the PTI leaders and its young workers who do not realise the decades of hard work and sacrifices political leaders gave for democracy.
    Mentioning examples from the past, Rafique said elected leaders have always been removed by ?unconventional means?. ?Why is that whenever PML-N is in power due to a popular vote, there are attempts to remove it through unconventional means??
    ?People might disagree with our politics but even our opponents can?t deny we fought against civil and military dictatorships,? Rafique added.


  3. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: Eight suspects belonging to a proscribed organisation were caught on Sunday from Balochistan?s Kohlu district, according to Inter-Services Public Relations statement.

    The Army?s media wing said that the Frontier Corps conducted a search operation in the district's Surian Kor area, under the ongoing military Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
    According to the ISPR, three SMGs, five rifles, 18 magazines, and thousands of rounds were recovered from the suspects? possession.
    The ISPR added that the arrested suspects were involved in planting an improvised explosive device on a railway track in Machh area.
    Balochistan - Pakistan's largest province in terms of land area - has been plagued by an insurgency and sectarian killings for several years now. However, security forces have conducted effective operations across the province cracking down on militants.
    This has led to a considerable drop in militancy in the province but scattered attacks are still reported at times.
    Security forces have also intensified intelligence-based and combing operations in the province in an effort to establish peace in the province.



  4. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, calls that come as frustration builds in the White House over North Korea's nuclear program and overcapacity in the steel market.
    The talks come ahead of meetings he will hold with both leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7-8 where trade practices are expected to be high on the agenda.
    Trump, who pledged a hard line on trade during his campaign for office, has been weighing new quotas or tariffs on steel imports for national security reasons and plans to discuss his concerns at the G20.
    The White House said the phone calls were scheduled starting at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT Monday).
    Trump, who met with Xi in April in Florida, had said he was willing to work with China on trade issues but wanted to see Beijing use its economic leverage to force North Korea to scale back its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which are a threat to the United States and allies South Korea and Japan.
    But Trump has become frustrated that China has not done more to pressure Pyongyang, and has been considering moving ahead on trade actions.
    Trump also called for a determined response to North Korea after talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday in Washington.

    North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Pyongyang defends its weapons programs as necessary to counter U.S. hostility and regularly threatens to destroy the United States.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Thirty-one-year-old Sajjad defeated Hong Kong?s Lee Chun Wai 7-0 in the final. Photo: Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship live streaming.  Bishkek: Pakistan's Muhammad Sajjad won the Asian 6-Red Snooker Championship in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Sunday.

    Thirty-one-year-old Sajjad defeated Hong Kong?s Lee Chun Wai 7-0 in the final. The referee of the match was Wang Wai.
    Sajjad had qualified for the final after beating another Pakistani player, Mohammad Bilal, 6-3 in the semi-finals.
    Interestingly, Bilal had defeated Indian snooker champion Pankaj Advani 2-6 in the quarterfinals and eliminated him from the competition.
    Pakistan sent four snookers players for the tournament; Muhammad Sajjad, Mohammad Bilal, Asjad Iqbal and Babar Masih.
    Sajjad after losing the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Bangalore, India Nov 29, 2014. Photo: AFP The Kyrgyz Snooker Federation (KSF) is hosting the ACBS 6-Reds and Teams Championship for the first time. The competition, which started on June 28, will continue till July 5.
    A total of 38 players from Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and United Arab Emirates participated in the tournament.
    The Asian Team Snooker Championship will commence from Tuesday. 


  6. Waqas Dar
    The blaze erupted when two boilers in the vicinity caught fire.  MULTAN: A fire erupted in a wood warehouse in Multan Sunday afternoon.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/b12bc71dbe48d7a2ffe388f92e1289f6.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgMTA6NTY6MjYgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1NazdjN3owTGJGMWxpcnR0S2pqK2hnPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center] Two boilers caught fire at the warehouse where wooden doors are prepared, the police said.

    Firefighters were engaged in dousing the fire at the time this report was published.


  7. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/ea6e5372ec12162f2fff1837a051d9b8.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgMTA6NTI6NTAgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT02U3E0bHR2TTMzZVFEYW03cEFVck5RPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair said on Sunday that the hype surrounding July 10, when the Panama case Joint Investigation Team will present its report to the Supreme Court, is misguided.

    Speaking to the media in Hala, Sindh during a visit, Zubair said the report will only be submitted to the apex court on July 10, following which the special bench will review it ? a process that may take weeks and even months.
    The governor, however, noted that ?the one good thing everyone should acknowledge is that the investigation occurring according to the Constitution. If this was the 1990s, the whole system would have been wrapped up.?
    The federal and provincial governments are not going anywhere and general elections will be held in 2018, he assured.
    He also claimed that the JIT?s probe is historic as such a level of scrutiny of a prime minister and his family has not happened before.
    Earlier, the governor visited the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.


  8. Waqas Dar
    Khalida Jarrar. Photo: File  JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities have re-arrested a prominent Palestinian lawmaker in an overnight raid over her leadership in a movement Israel considers a terrorist organisation, officials said Sunday.
    Khalida Jarrar was arrested in the raid in the Ramallah area in the occupied West Bank, Israel´s army said.
    The 54-year-old was released in June 2016 after 14 months in an Israeli jail for allegedly encouraging attacks against Israelis.
    Jarrar is a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Marxist party considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
    Many of its leaders are in custody and Jarrar has been jailed multiple times.
    Israel´s army alleged that "after her release she returned to the activity in the PFLP terror organisation," calling her one of its senior leaders in the West Bank.
    "She was apprehended for her involvement in the PFLP and not because of her membership in the (Palestinian parliament)," an army spokeswoman said.
    Israeli authorities said they had also arrested Khatim Khativ, whom they said was a senior PFLP leader as well.
    Jarrar is a member of the Palestinian parliament, which has not met since 2007 after elections a year earlier were won by Hamas.
    A number of Palestinian lawmakers are currently detained by Israel.
    Addameer, a prisoners´ support and rights group, said a total of 11 people had been arrested in the raid, including Jarrar and Khitam Saafin, who is identified as chairwoman of the Union of Palestinian Women´s Committees.
    "The arrest of Khalida Jarrar constitutes an attack against Palestinian political leaders and Palestinian civil society as a whole," it said in a statement.
    "It also constitutes one arrest in the context of continuous arrest campaigns against Palestinians."


  9. Waqas Dar
    Singer Adele. Photo: Web  Singer Adele has cancelled the last two sell-out shows off her world tour due to take place at London's Wembley Stadium this weekend after damaging her vocal cords.
    Adele, 29, said she went to see a throat doctor on Friday night, who advised her not to perform.
    She had already performed two nights to crowds at Wembley, but said that she had been struggling vocally.
    "To say I'm heartbroken would be an understatement," Adele, said on her Twitter page.
    One of the biggest selling artists in the world, she said she was so desperate perform that she had even considered miming at the shows.
    "I've never done it and I cannot in a million years do that to you," she said. "It wouldn't be the real me up there."
    Adele said refunds would be available if the shows could not be rescheduled.

    The Grammy-award singer has previously had to cancel concerts due to problems with her throat following vocal cord surgery in 2011.




  10. Waqas Dar
    Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Siraj-ul-Haq pictured at a convention on Sunday July 2, 2017.  LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq said on Sunday that the nation has been forced to trade its honour and respect due to the current government's policies.
    Haq ? while addressing a convention ? said the nation needs to ponder on who is responsible for the deprivation of the country's poor.
    "The rulers are spending millions of rupees to show that Punjab has ?improved?," the JI chief said while lashing out at the ruling party. "But I am deeply saddened when I see people lying on the footpaths, living a deprived life."
    He stressed that the country's rulers do not care about the government.
    The JI chief also remarked that corrupt individuals keep switching their political loyalties and stressed on the elimination of corruption from the country.  


  11. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/2b4e0bf9b9a6b521d87fafb5dd3239b5.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgOToxNzozMSBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPXd4NVJ2OGc2cm9CcUp4U3NRR0F3QXc9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center]
    LAHORE: No one should make popular decisions, be it politicians, the government or [state] institutions, said Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Sunday.
    Addressing a party event in Lahore, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader said ?Panama Papers have no legal value,? adding that only in Pakistan these documents were taken seriously, where an elected prime minister and his family were dragged into cases.
    ?No evidence of money laundering has been provided in the Panama case. Despite our reservations we appear before the JIT,? he said.
    ?They [JIT] tap phones but no one asks them if that?s legal,? he said, adding that they have now started calling daughters as well.
    He was likely referring to the summoning of prime minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz by the JIT on July 5.
    ?They don?t explain who leaked Hussain Nawaz?s picture and made the WhatsApp calls,? claimed Rafique.
    "Nevertheless, our heads will continue to bow down in front of the courts," he assured. 
    He said that the government has been under attack since it was formed four years ago. When the sit-in [by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 2014] failed, we were expecting another assault, which came in the form of Panama Papers, he claimed.
    When we came into power the country was in a terrible state but we restored institutions and the situation improved, he added.

    He said the government will continue to work for the people regardless of the hurdles put in their path.
    ?No matter what they say, we will focus on our agenda,? he said.
    Prime ministers of the country were repeatedly sent packing through martial laws and 'doctrines of necessity', he recalled. 
    The minister also came down hard on TV talk show hosts, saying some ?journalists? were biased in their coverage of the government while those who stand with democracy are dubbed traitors.
    He lashed out at the ?enemies? of Pakistan, who are bent on destroying the country by targeting its institutions and economy. 
    "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was threatened with sanctions when Pakistan was becoming an atomic power in 1998 but he went on with it despite the threats by world powers," he said. 

    He pleaded that democracy and political parties should be left alone to flourish as that is what is in the best interest of the country. 
    "We should all worry about Pakistan as protecting democracy isn?t just the job of political parties and the civilian government but also the media, judiciary and parliament," he added.
    He also criticised the recent inclusion of 'turncoats' in the PTI. Rafique also lashed out at Awami Muslim League leader MNA Sheikh Rasheed, without naming the former PML-N member, who is set to join the PTI. 

    "Benazir Bhutto's martyrdom hurt us as well as it removed a formidable opposition leader," he said, adding that a big leader can't compete with a dwarf.   
    Abid Sher Ali defends PM
    Nawaz Sharif is being punished for improving Pakistan's economy and combating terrorism, claimed State Water and Power Minister Abid Sher Ali. 
    He was addressing the media in Islamabad outside the Federal Judicial Academy where he drove in the premier's cousin, Tariq Shafi, for his appearance before the Panama case Joint Investigation Team. 
    He, too, criticised Sheikh Rasheed's possible inclusion in the PTI. 
    The premier and his family have never engaged in corrupt practices, said Ali, adding that the prime minister only wants to serve Pakistan.
    He also questioned why only the prime minister?s family is being targeted, saying if there is any proof that the premier?s family indulged in money laundering then it should be brought forward. 


  12. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump is greeted at the Celebrate Freedom Rally in Washington, U.S. July 1, 2017. Photo: Reuters  WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump honoured military veterans in Washington on Saturday at a Kennedy Center event that resembled both a political rally and an evangelical Christian religious service ahead of the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
    Using the podium again to lash out at the news media, Trump worked to energise evangelicals in his political base, noting that the US currency was inscribed with the words: ?In God We Trust."
    "Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago, America always affirmed that liberty comes from our creator. Our rights are given to us by God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away," he said.
    Attendees at the event for veterans waved miniature American flags from their seats in the theatre and raised their hands as a sign of praise while a large choir sang ahead of Trump's remarks.
    The president praised veterans from each of the US military branches and highlighted his administration's work to reform veterans' services.
    Trump, who is spending a long weekend at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey, flew back to Washington for the rally but did not spend the night at the White House, preferring to return to Bedminster.
    Later, in a rare late-night post on Twitter, which he uses prolifically and sometimes controversially, Trump wrote:
    "We will always take care of our GREAT VETERANS. You have shed your blood, poured your love, and bared your soul, in defence of our country."
    Trump has held campaign-like rallies regularly during his first few months in the White House and kicked off his own re-election campaign far earlier than other incumbents in recent history.
    Part of his strategy to connect with his supporters has included criticising the media, and he included harsh words for the press again in his remarks.
    "The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them," he said. "The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House. But I'm president, and they're not."


  13. Waqas Dar
    Boxing - Manny Pacquiao v Jeff Horn - WBO World Welterweight Title - Brisbane, Australia - July 2, 2017. Jeff Horn of Australia punches Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. Photo: Reuters   Australia's Jeff Horn stunned Filipino Manny Pacquiao in a bloody Brisbane battle to claim a unanimous 12-round decision and win the WBO world welterweight title in front of 50,000 fans at Lang Park on Sunday.
    The unheralded 29-year-old former schoolteacher, who improved his record to 17-0-1, was awarded the win over the eight-division world champion by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113.
    "I'm so happy, I can't explain my feelings," Horn said at ringside, before welcoming the prospect of a rematch.
    "I've just believed since I was very young that I could do this."
    Pacquiao, one of the finest boxers of his generation, paid the price for a slow start and his inability to end the fight with a knockout.
    The 38-year-old was knocked off his stride by the aggression of the taller and heavier Australian in the early rounds but looked to have weathered the storm as the fight wore on and Horn tired.
    With blood pouring from both sides of his forehead after accidental butts, the southpaw launched a fierce assault on Horn which nearly ended the contest in round nine.
    "Show me something in this round, or I'm going to stop the fight," the referee warned the Australian.
    Horn, who was cut above his right eye in round two, said he had been exhausted and rattled by the Filipino's punches.
    "It was hard, hard getting through that round, hard getting hit, getting caught with a shot and then continue on," Horn said.
    "(But) I was like 'settle down everyone, I'm fine'. I was recovering pretty quickly."
    People's champ
    The Australian showed remarkable powers of recuperation as he battled gamely on through the final three rounds with Pacquiao, who earned the last of his 38 knockouts in 2009, unable to capitalise on his dominance.
    The bout ended with the fighters in a clinch on the ropes and although Pacquiao gave a little shuffle and a grin to show he had plenty left in the tank, his fate was in the hands of the judges.
    "Very tough. I didn't expect that tough," said Pacquiao, whose record now reads 59-7-2. "It's okay, it's part of the game. That's the decision of the judges, I respect that."
    Pacquiao, who had hoped for an impressive victory to fire talk of another fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr, said he would "absolutely" return for the contracted rematch against Horn.
    An emotional Horn brandished a walking stick as he also called out the undefeated Mayweather, who has come out of retirement at 40 years of age for a 12-round crossover boxing match against mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor.
    "This is no joke, which one does he want? The walking stick or the gloves?" the Queenslander said.
    The loss stunned people in the Philippines, where Pacquiao, now a high-profile senator, has long been a national hero.
    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte?s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the loss "would not diminish the honors he bestowed to the people and to the flag".
    "Nothing will change: Senator Manny Pacquiao will remain our People?s Champ," Abella said.


  14. Waqas Dar
    An elephant walks in the street, Friday, June 30, 2017, in Baraboo, Wis. Law enforcement officers quickly got in touch with the nearby Circus World Museum, home to the wandering pachyderm. A trainer arrived and led the elephant back to the circus complex. Photo: AP  BARABOO: The pachyderm was a startling sight for residents of one small Wisconsin neighbourhood.
    A full-grown elephant sauntered through Baraboo early Friday morning on a brief walk of freedom. The mammoth creature more suited for the 'big top' clashed with the quiet residential neighbourhood.
    Law enforcement officers quickly got in touch with the nearby Circus World Museum, home to the wandering pachyderm. A trainer arrived and led the elephant back to the circus complex.
    An elephant walks in the yard of home, Friday, June 30, 2017, in Baraboo, Wis. Law enforcement officers quickly got in touch with the nearby Circus World Museum, home to the wandering pachyderm. A trainer arrived and led the elephant back to the circus complex. Photo: AP 1 Circus World spokesman Dave Saloutos says the elephant, named Kelly, was freed by her pachyderm partner, Isla, who used her trunk to disengage a restraint.
    Saloutos says Kelly lumbered across the shallow Baraboo River and wandered into a neighbouring backyard where she unlatched a gate and munched on some marigolds during her couple hours of freedom.


  15. Waqas Dar
    A hooded man holds a laptop computer as blue screen with an exclamation mark is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Photo: Reuters 1 No US nuclear power plant has been penetrated in a cyber attack, an industry spokesman said on Saturday, when asked to comment on a US government warning last week about a hacking campaign targeting the sector.
    The US Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a report dated Wednesday that nuclear sector was among those targeted in a hacking campaign data back to at least May.
    Hackers used "phishing" emails to obtain credentials to gain access to networks of their targets, according to a report from the two agencies, which Reuters reported on Friday.
    ?None of America?s 99 operating nuclear plants have been penetrated by a cyber attack," said John Keeley, a spokesman for industry trade group Nuclear Energy Institute.
    If a plant's operations had been breached, that would require mandatory notification to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which would notify the public, he said.
    Those requirements do not cover cyber intrusions on business networks of firms that operate nuclear power plants, said Keeley. He said had no information as to whether such attacks had occurred.
    Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Victor Dricks declined to comment on the joint report, saying the agency does not comment on security-related issues.
    The report from the FBI and Homeland Security, which was reviewed by Reuters on Friday, did not identify any victims or describe the impact hackers had on targeted networks.
    It did say that cyber attackers have historically "targeted the energy sector with various goals ranging from cyber espionage to the ability to disrupt energy systems in the event of a hostile conflict."
    Homeland Security and FBI officials did not respond to requests for comment on the report, which was dated June 28.


  16. Waqas Dar
    Damaged cars are seen at one of the blast sites in Damascus in this handout picture posted on SANA on July 2, 2017, Syria. SANA/Handout via REUTERS Three car bombs exploded in Damascus on Sunday, state media reported, and seven people were killed in one of the blasts, a police officer said, the biggest such attack in the Syrian capital since a series of suicide attacks in March.
    One of the suicide bombers blew himself up in Tahrir Square in central Damascus after being encircled by the authorities. The police officer at the scene said seven people were killed and 13 wounded in that attack. The other two car bombs were destroyed by the authorities, state media said.
    State TV said the casualty toll had been minimised because the security forces had prevented "the terrorists from reaching their targets", saying they had aimed to target busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.
    Footage broadcast by state TV from Tahrir Square showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.
    Footage of another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.
    In March, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Daesh had claimed responsibility for that attack.
    Also in March, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shia pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of militants, which is spearheaded by a militant group formerly known as the Nusra Front.
    Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.


  17. Waqas Dar
    Olmert after being released from prison. Photo: Reuters  Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, 71, was released on parole on Sunday from a prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, after serving 16 months in jail for corruption.

    Olmert was found guilty in 2014 of accepting bribes from real estate developers when he was Jerusalem's mayor, before his 2006-09 term as prime minister and head of a centrist political party.
    On Sunday, a parole board decided to cut short his 27-month term, a common practice in Israel for prisoners who have not committed violent crimes. Olmert, accompanied by a government bodyguard, made no comment to reporters as he left.
    The corruption allegations led to Olmert's resignation as prime minister in September 2008. He stayed in office in a caretaker capacity until a February 2009 election brought right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu to power.
    During his time as Israel's leader, he claimed significant progress in talks with the Palestinians on securing a peace deal, offering an Israeli withdrawal from much of the occupied West Bank. But no agreement was reached.
    A lawyer by profession, Olmert began his political career in the 1970s as a right-wing lawmaker who targeted organised crime in Israel. As prime minister, Olmert waged war in Lebanon in 2006 and the Gaza Strip in 2008.
    His original six-year sentence ? the judge in the case said his corruption offences were tantamount to "treason" ? was cut to 18 months on appeal, but another month was later tagged on over obstruction of justice charges.
    Olmert's term was ultimately lengthened to 27 months after he was convicted in a separate case involving cash payments from a US businessman.
    Leaving prison for his home in Tel Aviv dressed in a black tee shirt and black trousers, Olmert looked gaunt, 12 days after being treated in hospital for what Israeli media reported were chest pains. He was returned to prison several days before the parole hearing.
    Any attempt at a political comeback seems unlikely. A court found that his crimes entailed "moral turpitude", which under Israeli law would preclude Olmert from running for public office for seven years after his release, when he will be 78.


  18. Waqas Dar
    Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday said India is suppressing facts by calling spy Kulbushan Jadhav a ?common prisoner.?

    A statement released by the FO rejected Indian External Affairs Ministry's statement on Jadhav and said Pakistan is working to implement a two-way agreement and will implement on the consular access agreement in its true essence.
    It further stated that Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) sent Jadhav to Pakistan to disrupt the country?s peace, and the spy confessed to his crimes.
    ?Jadhav?s activities have affected the lives of many Pakistanis,? the FO statement read.
    Pakistan released five Indian prisoners on June 22 after the completed their sentence, however, India has yet to release 20 Pakistanis who have duly completed their sentence, the FO spokesperson said.
    He further added that Pakistan has not been given consular access to 107 fishermen and 85 citizens.
    ?Despite an Indian court?s orders to release minor Ali Raza and Bababr Ali who mistakenly crossed the border, a one-year delay in their release was caused,? the FO said. 


  19. Waqas Dar
    Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is nearing a deal to play the lead on the third season of HBO?s True Detective, according to the Tracking Board.
    Though Ali?s deal hasn?t closed yet, insiders are confident that it will. 
    The third season of True Detective has not received a greenlight yet either, but given the fact that the show is one of the crown jewels in HBO?s programming lineup, insiders say it is definitely expected to return, reported The Tracking Board.
    HBO has a tradition of casting high-profile actors in True Detective, including Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in the first season, and Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch in Season 2. 
    The show has never had an African-American lead before, and Ali is a rising star in Hollywood, so his casting is a smart move on the network?s part, as well as creator Nic Pizzolatto, said The Tracking Board.
    "There are no plot details for the highly-anticipated third season, and as such, there?s no word on who Ali will be playing. Should a deal close, True Detective would serve as Ali?s return to television following stellar turns on Netflix?s House of Cards and Luke Cage."
    Ali won an Oscar for best supporting performance in Moonlight, which also won Best Picture. Coming off a banner year that also included turns in Hidden Figures, Kicks and Free State of Jones, Ali recently wrapped Robert Rodriguez?s Alita: Battle Angel and he?ll soon be seen in the acclaimed Sundance film Roxanne Roxanne. 
    Ali also just signed on to lend his voice to Sony?s animated Spider-Man movie, reported by the Tracking Board.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the statement after meeting accountants late Saturday. Photo: Reuters/File  India has canceled the registration of more than 100,000 companies which were "in violation of laws", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, in the latest effort by the government against "black money" and tax evasion.
    The decision was taken based on an extensive data analysis conducted by the government after Modi in November announced a sudden ban on high-value currency banknotes.
    More than 300,000 firms had come under scanner for irregular transactions following the banknote ban, while licenses of more than 100,000 firms had been canceled, Modi said, without naming any company.
    "This is not an ordinary decision," Modi said late on Saturday while addressing a gathering of accountants, hours after launching the country's landmark sales tax reform.
    "Further stern measures will be taken in the coming days against companies which are violating the law."
    While the decision to outlaw 500 and 1,000-rupee bank notes last year was part of a broader crackdown on corruption, the sudden withdrawal of 86 per cent of currency in circulation left businesses, farmers and households suffering.
    Modi defended his decision, calling it a "fight" for the poor.
    The government's "data mining" exercise initiated after the November decision was still ongoing, Modi said.
    The government will also take action against more than 37,000 identified "shell companies" which were found to be engaged in illegal transactions.
    "The ones who have looted the poor, will have to return to the poor," Modi said.


  21. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/619201569e998a1476eb1b517ef5403a.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgNzowNDoxNCBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPWw2WGt0MGNzYTRDdjROeldhVExJdkE9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center] KARACHI: Karachi Central Jail Assistant Superintendent Ayaz Salik was arrested on Sunday over charges of terrorism.

    According to the Additional IG Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, 15 central jail officials have been arrested so far in what is considered to be one of the most daring prison break incidents in recent history.
    Karachi prison break: Arrest of escaped prisoners top priority, says SSP CTD
    SSP CTD said it would be requested to transfer the cases of the dangerous terrorists to military courts
    On June 15, two under-trial prisoners (UTPs), Sheikh Muhammad alias Firon and Ahmed Khan alias Manako, managed to escape from the jail?s judicial complex, where they were brought for a hearing.
    Following the escape of the two UTPs who reportedly belonged to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, 12 police personnel, including the jail superintendent, were arrested at the behest of the Sindh law and prisons minister. 
    A case was also registered against them in the New Town Police Station.
    Karachi prison break: Suspects used main gate, not boundary wall to escape, says CTD
    AIG Sanaullah Abbasi questions why two LeJ suspects were brought to court when judge was off
    Later, investigations showed that the two prisoners were also aided by other inmates as well. 

    The CTD is leading the investigation into the jail break. 
    The two fugitives were arrested by the CTD in 2013 over involvement in dozens of targeted killings.




  22. Waqas Dar
    BAHAWALPUR/LAHORE: Three more victims of the Ahmedpur East oil tanker fire succumbed to injuries on Sunday, taking the death toll to 197.
    According to focal person and director emergency at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Dr Amir Mahmood, so far eight people have succumbed to burn wounds at at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.
    A total of 23 injured were shifted to Jinnah Hospital on June 27. Five of them patients passed away the very next day. At present 14 people are being treated at the hospital of which six are reported to be in critical condition.
    JI chief for suo motu notice 
    Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Saturday visited families of the victims of the tragedy in Ahmedpur East and assured them of every possible help. Haq on Saturday visited families of victims in Ahmedpur East and assured them of every possible help.
    Addressing media on the occasion, he urged the Supreme Court to take a suo motu notice of the incident.
    ?Government institutions cannot be relied upon for investigation. The Supreme Court should take suo motu notice and investigate the tragedy [itself],? he said.
    The JI chief insisted that many lives could have been saved if the administration had acted responsibly.
    ?This tragedy occurred due to poverty and deprivation. The government is to blame for the deprivation in this area. Many lives could have been saved if there was a burn centre in Bahawalpur,? he said.
    ?Both the prime minister and [provincial] chief minister visited here but no burn centre was announced,? he added.

    The incident took place on a route of the National Highway on June 25, a day before Eid was to be celebrated in most parts of the country. 
    A large number of people were charred to death on the spot as the overturned oil tanker exploded. They included passers-by and residents, who had gathered to collect oil that was leaking from the tanker.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Photo: Web A seasonal low lies over northeast Balochistan on Sunday with weak monsoon currents penetrating in eastern parts of the country.
    Mainly hot and humid weather is expected in most parts of the country in the next 24 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. However, rain-thundershowers with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan, Mirpur Khas divisions, Islamabad, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.
    Past weather
    The weather remained hot and humid in most parts of the country. However, rain-thundershowers with gusty winds occurred at isolated places in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Hazara divisions, and Kashmir.
    Rainfall (mm) in the past 24 hours
    Sindh: Islamkot 74, Kaloi 25, Karachi (Gulshan e Hadid 17, AP 01), Thatta 08, Chachro 06, Mithi, Nagarparker 01, KP: Kakul 05, Kashmir: Muzaffarabad 04.
    Yesterday's highest maximum temperatures
    Dadu, Larkana, Dalbandin 44°C, Sibbi, Padidan, Nokkundi, Jaccobabad 43°C.


  24. Waqas Dar
    Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has called for the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to ascertain who paid Rs240 million to pay the heirs of victims of CIA contractor Raymon Davis as per the Diyat law.
    Talking in Geo News programme JIRGA, he said there was pressure to not register an FIR against Davis after he had shot dead two men in January 27, 2011 but the Punjab government went on with it and lodged a case.
    Pakistan Peoples Party?s Qamar Zaman Kaira said the US government had attempted to pressurise the then federal and Punjab governments, as well as the army, to release Davis. But the central role played in this entire episode was by the country?s ?agencies?, he added.
    Kaira admitted that the Diyat money was channeled through the federal government but was later refunded by ?whosoever? paid for it.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/750041dc62c3f9991042b11f006a4454.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgNToyMzoxNiBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPVJNKzk2dHA4SUZqQkhqb2x5emZkMkE9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center]
    Defence analyst Lt Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib claimed the decision to release Davis was taken by the civilian government and then ISI chief Lt Gen Shuja Pasha was asked to implement it.

    The ISI chief held meetings with the entire political leadership of the country ? excluding Nawaz Sharif who was not in the country at the time ? which agreed that Davis?s release is the best way forward.
    Lt Gen (retd) Shoaib also rejected Davis?s claim that the ISI chief was text messaging senior US government officials while Davis?s final hearing was taking place on March 16, 2011. He said Pasha never went to the hearing, adding that ISI officers, were, however present inside the court.
    Davis recently released his tell-all tale, titled The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis.
    ?Displeased with Shah Mahmood Qureshi?
    In his book, Davis has expressed displeasure at then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi?s decision to not grant diplomatic immunity to him.
    Even though then US Secretary of State John Kerry considered Qureshi a friend, he [Qureshi] did not help me out, writes Davis.
    ?When Kerry flew to Pakistan on February 15, 2011, to attempt to broker a deal that might spring me from the Lahore prison where I was being detained on judicial remand, Qureshi didn?t act like much of a friend. Rather than giving in to the government?s wish that I be granted diplomatic immunity, he?d actually resigned his position three days after the incident at Mozang Chowk, and two weeks later he remained undeterred,? says Davis in his book.
    In a meeting of top Pakistani officials, both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani tried to convince Qureshi to change his hardline stance, but he said in a press conference the next day that he would not budge, Davis added. 


  25. Waqas Dar
    KHANEWAL: A man opened fire on his sister and brother-in-law after breaking and entering into their house here late Saturday night, Geo News reported.
    Suspect Muhammad Amjad broke into Noreen Bibi?s house in Mauza Ali Sherwahan ? that falls under Thatta Sadiqabad police station?s jurisdiction ? and shot at his sister and her husband Muhammad Ajmal, both of whom died on spot.
    However, the suspect managed to escape arrest and fled the scene.
    Police, in this regard, has said that the incident seems to have stemmed from a domestic clash.


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