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Waqas Dar

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  1. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/cae6a89324995d7ec6e48b19c57341f6.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8yLzIwMTcgNDoxMzowNiBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPUM0bVFwVE96SEpVMkttWEZNbUlhd1E9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center] ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cousin, Tariq Shafi, will appear once more before the Panama Papers case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) today. 

    Sources said the team has prepared questions to be posed to the premier's cousin, who has appeared before the JIT before. 
    During the hearing of the Panama Papers case, Shafi had submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that he was part of all transactions relating to the sale of Dubai properties owned by Mian Sharif ? the prime minister's father ? and transfer of that money to Qatar.
    He will also be questioned regarding the Hudaibiya Paper Mills Limited. 
    Shafi also appeared before the team of investigators on May 16 and 17, and later alleged that he was mistreated by certain JIT members.

    Meanwhile, the premier's son Hasan Nawaz has been summoned by the JIT on July 3 and his elder brother, Hussain Nawaz, on July 4. Moreover, the premier's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, is scheduled to appear before the investigators on July 5.
    PM's cousin accuses Panama JIT member of harassment
    His counsel says the documents demanded by the JIT have already been presented, which are also part of court proceedings
    The summons also asked the respondents to bring forth relevant documents related to the Sharif family's financial assets.
    The JIT, formed on May 5 in light of the Supreme Court's April 20 judgment in the Panama Papers case, was given 60 days to complete its probe. 
    However, since the original deadline was falling on a Friday, and with the JIT taking a day off on Eid, July 10 has been decided as the deadline for the JIT to submit its final report to the court's special implementation bench. 


  2. Waqas Dar
    Paris's biggest airport Charles de Gaulle was evacuated due to security fears (Image courtesy: Daily Star UK)  ROISSY-CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT: At least 2,000 people were evacuated from Paris's main airport on Saturday and eight flights cancelled after an individual went into a "restricted area" without going through security controls, airport sources said.
    "We had to evacuate to 'decontaminate' the zone, meaning check to make sure no object had been left," said one of the sources.
    The evacuations were from a zone in terminal 2F at the Charles de Gaulle airport that passengers access after passing through security and before boarding, a second source said.
    "Police searched the terminal from top to bottom and found no suspicious object," the source added.
    The incident also led to about 20 flights being delayed.
    Charles de Gaulle airport is Europe's second-biggest airport, with some 180,000 passengers transiting through one of its eight terminals each day.
    France remains under a state of emergency following a wave of militant assaults over the past 18 months that has left more than 230 people dead since 2015. 


  3. Waqas Dar
    A participant holds up a flag combining US and rainbow flags during the WorldPride 2017 parade in Madrid on July 1, 2017. AFP/Gerard Julien  WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has delayed a plan to accept transgender recruits into the military, putting on hold a divisive integration effort that could reverberate in other aspects of American public life.

    Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced Friday evening he would impose a six-month delay on accepting transgender recruits into the armed forces so that military leaders could study the impact and implementation of such a policy.
    The US military had been set to start processing transgender recruits on Saturday, under a plan signed by Mattis' predecessor under President Barack Obama.
    "We will use this additional time to evaluate more carefully the impact of such accessions on readiness and lethality," Mattis said in a memo to top military brass.
    Pakistan?s transgenders: The strangers at work
    Pakistan?s transgender community is increasingly enrolling in schools and colleges, but is there really a future for them?
    "This action in no way presupposes the outcome of the review? I am confident we will continue to treat all service members with dignity and respect," he said.
    Conservatives in the United States had resisted efforts by the Obama administration to push for the rights of transgender people, a politically controversial topic despite the relatively small number of people directly impacted by such decisions.
    In February, the Trump administration overturned rules set by Obama requiring public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms matching the gender with which they identify, rather than the one on their birth certificate.
    The new guidance allows states and school districts to decide whether students can access bathrooms of their choice.
    The debate is in full force in some US states in particular, including Texas, where the legislature is set to adopt a bill requiring transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their "biological ***".
    More time
    At the Pentagon, the postponement of transgender recruitment was requested by some military leaders who "asked for time? there were all kinds of different recommendations", spokeswoman Dana White said.
    Media reports said the Air Force and Army had requested a two-year delay, though Mattis in his memo set a deadline for a review to be completed by December 1, with transgender recruitment possibly going into effect as early as January 1, 2018.
    An estimated 2,500 to 7,000 transgender people are currently among the 1.3 million active duty service members.
    Until a year ago, they could have been fired for openly expressing their gender identity. The policy allowing them to continue serving, adopted by Mattis' predecessor Ashton Carter, remains in place.
    The Department of Defense has taken a cautious stance overall on the sensitive topic.
    "Transgender personnel are serving right now and there is no review ongoing that would affect the ability of those currently serving to continue serving," General Joe Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said in a speech last month.
    A mural of lost dreams: Students in Karachi push for transgender awareness
    ?We need this. We need our rights. It is of utmost importance that people open their hearts and change their mindsets. At present, even that is a challenge for us,? Sid says
    Since last year, the military has been required to provide transgender service members with all medically necessary care related to gender transition.
    Advocates of allowing transgender people to join the military criticised Mattis' decision to delay implementation of such a policy.
    "We are disappointed in this needless delay because the thousands of highly trained and qualified transgender service members openly and proudly serving our nation today have proven that what matters is the ability to accomplish the mission, not their gender identity," said Stephen Peters, national press secretary of Human Rights Campaign.
    "Each day that passes without the policy in place restricts the armed forces' ability to recruit the best and the brightest, regardless of gender identity."
    Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, a California research institute that worked with the Pentagon on gender issues, added, "As predicted by all of the research, transgender military service has been a success. For the past year, transgender troops have been serving openly and have been widely praised by their commanders."


  4. Waqas Dar
    Newly-elected Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Germany smiles as he holds a news conference to unveil his book 'Poor for the Poor: The Mission of the Church', with the preface written by Pope Francis, in downtown Rome, Italy, February 25, 2014. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File Photo  VATICAN CITY: In a major shake-up of the Vatican's administration on Saturday, Pope Francis replaced Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church.

    A brief Vatican statement said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller's five-year mandate as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a department charged with defending Catholic doctrine, would not be renewed.
    The position is the most important one that a pope fills in the Vatican hierarchy after the Secretary of State. Most incumbents keep it until they retire, which in Mueller's case would have been in six years.
    Mueller, 69, who was appointed by former Pope Benedict in 2012, will be succeeded by the department's number two, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.
    Ladaria, a 73-year-old Spaniard who, like the Argentine pope is a member of the Jesuit order, is said by those who know him to be a soft-spoken person who shuns the limelight. Mueller, by contrast, often appears in the media.
    "They speak the same language and Ladaria is someone who is meek. He does not agitate the pope and does not threaten him," said a priest who works in the Vatican and knows both Mueller and Ladaria, asking not to be named.
    Since his election in 2013, Francis has given hope to progressives who want him to forge ahead with his vision for a more welcoming Church that concentrates on mercy rather than the strict enforcement of rigid rules they see as antiquated.
    Mueller is one of the several cardinals in the Vatican who have publicly sparred with the pope.
    Second conservative departure in three days
    His departure follows the high-profile exit of fellow conservative Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican economy minister who took a leave of absence on Thursday to face charges of historical sexual abuse in his native Australia.
    In 2015, both were among 13 cardinals who signed a secret letter to the pope complaining that a meeting of bishops discussing family issues was stacked in favour of liberals. The letter was leaked, embarrassing the signatories.
    "Clearly, the pope and Cardinal Mueller have not been on the same page for five years," the priest said.
    Mueller has criticised parts of a 2016 papal treatise called "Amoris Laetitia" (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis' attempt to make the 1.2 billion-member Church more inclusive and less condemning.
    In it, Francis called for a Church that is less strict and more compassionate toward any "imperfect" members, such as those who divorced and remarried, saying "no one can be condemned forever".
    Conservatives have concentrated their criticism on the document's opening to Catholics who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies, without getting Church annulments.
    Under Church law, they cannot receive communion unless they abstain from *** with their new partner, because their first marriage is still valid in the eyes of the Church and therefore they are seen to be living in an adulterous state of sin.
    In the document, the pope sided with progressives who had proposed an "internal forum" in which a priest or bishop decide jointly with the individual on a case-by-case basis if he or she can be fully re-integrated and receive communion.
    After the document was published Catholic bishops in some countries, including Germany, enacted guidelines on how priests could allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments.
    But Mueller has said there should be no exceptions, making him a hero to conservatives who have made the issue a rallying point for their opposition to Francis.


  5. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies on Saturday night conducted various search operations and detained two suspects, Geo News reported.

    A target killer was taken into custody during a search operation carried out in Tori Bangash area?s Khalil Market, Superintendent of Police (SP) Orangi Abid Ali Baloch said, adding that the suspect has been identified as Ahsan, who operated under the alias Sonu.
    The arrestee, who belongs to a political party, has been allegedly involved in various cases of target killing, the police official explained. A registered First Information Report (FIR) already exists in the Orangi Town police station, Baloch added.
    Weapons that the detainee had used in target killing incidents earlier have been recovered, the SP stated.
    During a raid in the metropolis? Pirabad area, security forces arrested one suspect, who has been identified as Kamran, police said.
    The security officials added that weapons, mobile phones, and a motorcycle have been recovered from the arrestee.


  6. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: One person was killed during a firing incident here on Manghopir?s Murree Road area, Abid Ali Baloch ? the Superintendent of Police (SP) Orangi ? said.

    The victim has been identified as Raheem Bugti, security officials commented.
    Police also mentioned that the firing incident occurred over a personal dispute; however, no arrests have been made as of reporting time.


  7. Waqas Dar
    Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani attends a news conference in Rome, Italy, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi  ROME: Demands made of Qatar by four other Arab states were designed to be rejected, Doha's foreign minister said on Saturday, explaining that their ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.

    However, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani ? speaking to reporters in Rome ? added Doha was still ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbours.
    He was speaking ahead of a deadline set by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt for Doha to accept the 13 demands. Officials say they are aimed at ending a rift that erupted last month over accusations that Qatar supports terrorism ? charges it denies.
    "This list of demands is made to be rejected. It's not meant to be accepted or ? to be negotiated," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that Qatar was willing to engage in further dialogue given "the proper conditions".
    Qatar slams Saudi refusal to negotiate
    Riyadh has laid down a list of 13 demands for Qatar including the closure of Al-Jazeera
    The demands include severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the pan-Arab Al Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with arch-rival Iran, and closing a Turkish air base in Qatar.
    Arab states have said the demands are not negotiable and warned that further unspecified measures will follow if Qatar does not comply.
    But Sheikh Mohammed was adamant.
    "Regarding the demands and our position, we have been from the beginning very clear on this. We are not going to accept anything that infringes on our sovereignty or anything that is imposed on Qatar," he said.
    International law
    Qatari officials have repeatedly said the demands are so draconian that they suspect the four countries never seriously intended to negotiate on them and were instead seeking to hobble Doha's sovereignty.
    Asked if he feared any military moves, he said his country was not afraid, but believed that wisdom would prevail. "International law should not be violated and there is a border which should not be crossed," he said.
    al-Thani spoke after arriving from the United States. Washington is helping Kuwait, which has retained ties with Qatar, to mediate the dispute.
    Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the news conference, the foreign minister said the demand by the Arab states to Qatar to close the Turkish air base was "out of the question".
    Turkey urges ?respect of Qatar?s rights? to solve Gulf crisis
    Turkey hosted Qatar's defence minister on Friday
    NATO ally Turkey has backed Qatar in the dispute.
    "We are not going to retreat from any agreement we have already signed. We really appreciate the relationship we have with Turkey," he said.
    The foreign minister also told the news conference Qatar would not shut down Al Jazeera, saying other Arab countries could start their own competing network if they wanted to.


  8. Waqas Dar
    QUETTA: A woman was allegedly killed in a road accident involving a police mobile here on Spini Road late Saturday night, Geo News reported.
    A police mobile reportedly hit a motorcycle on the city?s Spini Road, which left one woman dead. No further casualties or injuries have been disclosed yet.
    Security authorities immediately took notice of the incident, police explained, adding that the son of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) ? who was driving the police vehicle at the time of the crash ? has been taken into custody.


  9. Waqas Dar
    Emery Litynsky, 2, holds a Canadian flag during the East York Toronto Canada Day parade, as the country marks its 150th anniversary with 'Canada 150' celebrations, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch  OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off celebrations on Saturday to mark the country's 150th birthday amid heavy security as many citizens braved incessant rains and long delays to reach the main site in the nation's capital.

    About 500,000 people were expected to be in Ottawa for the long-anticipated Canada Day festivities, which features a large outdoor celebration in front of the national Parliament, complete with acrobats, fireworks and musicians including Irish singer Bono and other members of rock band U2.
    Trudeau, accompanied by Britain's Prince Charles, shook hands with some of the thousands of revellers who converged on Canada's capital Ottawa.
    "Canada is a country made strong not in spite of our differences but because of them," Trudeau told the gathering. "We don't aspire to be a melting pot ? indeed, we know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity."
    Clara Swain looks on with a painted face as she participates in the East York Toronto Canada Day parade, as the country marks its 150th anniversary with 'Canada 150' celebrations, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch  Still, in the run-up to the celebrations, some controversy was stirred at home, particularly among First Nations who noted Canada's history of mistreatment of indigenous people. Activists erected a teepee on Parliament Hill on Thursday in protest.

    On Saturday, about 100 indigenous protesters marched through Toronto, carrying red flags and with some holding the Canadian national flag upside down.
    Some cities are celebrating in more unusual ways.
    Toronto, Canada's largest city, featured a giant rubber duck floating in its harbour, while Calgary planned a "living flag" composed of people wearing red and white. The yellow duck, which cost C$200,000 ($154,273) including the rent, according to the Globe and Mail, drew criticism from some who described it as a waste of taxpayer money.
    Security was already ramped up in the days ahead of the celebration and partygoers contended with road closures and concrete barriers across entrances into Parliament Hill, located in downtown Ottawa.
    Heavy downpours prompted Ottawa firefighters to pump water off the grounds on Parliament Hill and the Ottawa Fire Service urged citizens to follow safety instructions. Environment Canada forecasts abundant rains for Ottawa on Saturday, casting doubt on some of the planned festivities.
    National and local police were also out in force, with security top of mind for many Canadians in the wake of fatal attacks in London, Paris and Germany.
    Saturday marks the 150th anniversary of the day Canada officially became a country. Britain had ruled it before 1867.
    "Canada 150 years ago was a project, it was an idea to bring together four colonies with very different historical backgrounds," said Pierre Anctil, a history professor at the University of Ottawa.
    "We should celebrate but we should not be complacent. It's not a finished project," he added.
    Telegenic PM
    The nationwide party comes as Canada is enjoying an unusual amount of interest from the rest of the world, largely due to the election of charismatic and selfie-prone leader Trudeau.
    Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a selfie during Canada Day celebrations as the country marks its 150th anniversary since confederation, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Blair Gable  "As a society, we must acknowledge and apologise for past wrongs, and chart a path forward for the next 150 years," Trudeau said in a statement ahead of the official kickoff.

    Indigenous rights group Idle No More has called for a national day of action on Saturday, telling supporters to hold rallies and take to social media.
    Events and installations celebrating the sesquicentennial milestone have already been held across the country this year, with the total cost to the federal government reported to be half a billion dollars.
    Along with fireworks, free museums and outdoor concerts nationwide on Saturday, more than 50 special ceremonies to swear in new citizens were planned across the country.
    People participate in the East York Toronto Canada Day parade, as the country marks its 150th anniversary with 'Canada 150' celebrations, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch Twitter users were sharing their favourite Canadian songs and food, along with photos of the preparations under the hashtag Canada150.

    Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Canada for an official visit on Thursday. The Royals began a three-day tour of Canada with a trip to the northern territory of Nunavut, home to a large number of First Nations and Inuit people.
    The bash in Ottawa will culminate with musical fireworks show that is billed as largest-ever such display for Canada Day. It will last for 20 minutes and 17 seconds to commemorate 2017.
    "One hundred fifty years? Nah. Look at us: Canada is being born today," Trudeau told the crowd soaked in rains.


  10. Waqas Dar
    Kashmiri people are struggling for their basic right to self-determination, says spokesperson. ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakria on Saturday said India was involved in spreading terrorism in Pakistan and India?s oppressive activities in India-occupied Kashmir (IOK) had been exposed to the world.
    The spokesperson, while speaking to PTV, said India was involved in terror financing and terror activities in Pakistan and the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was proof of Indian activities.
    ?Indian subversive designs against Pakistan have been exposed after the trial of Kulbhushan Jadhav and the confessional statement of Ehsanullah Ehsan.?
    The FO spokesperson added that India had been using Afghan territory against Pakistan for promoting terrorism and added that Pakistan has informed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the international community regarding Indian atrocities in IOK.
    ?The Kashmiri people are struggling for their basic right to self-determination.?
    Earlier, Jadhav filed a mercy petition to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, seeking forgiveness for his espionage, terrorist and subversive activities.
    Jadhav had earlier filed an appeal to the Military Appellate Court, which was rejected. Under Pakistani law, he is eligible to appeal for clemency to the COAS (which he has done) and, if rejected, subsequently to the President of Pakistan.

    Who is Kulbhushan Jadhav?
    A resident of Mumbai's suburban Powai neighbourhood, Jadhav belongs to a family of police officers.
    Jadhav belongs to the cadre of the engineering department of Indian Navy and took the cover name Hussein Mubarik Patel for intelligence gathering for Indian agencies, his statement says.
    He added that he joined the National Defence Academy in 1987, and subsequently the Indian Navy in 1991, where he served until around December 2001.
    In his statement, the Indian national said he is currently a serving officer in the Indian navy, due to retire by 2022. India denied the claim.
    The India Foreign Office stated that the man is a former Indian navy officer.
    The Indian spy said he commenced intelligence operations in 2003, and established a business in Chahbahar, Iran, where he remained undetected and visited Karachi in 2003 and 2004.
    He was picked up by Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) at the end of 2013 and has been directing various subversive activities in Karachi and Balochistan.
    His objective, he stated, was to hold meetings with Baloch insurgents and collaboratively carry out terrorist activities.
    ?These activities have been of criminal nature, leading to killing of or maiming of Pakistani citizens,? Jadhav?s statement reads.
    In pursuit of targets set by RAW handlers, the Indian national was apprehended by Pakistani authorities on March 3, 2016, while trying to cross over into Pakistan from the Saravan border in Iran.
    Pakistan denied consular access to Jadhav since after his arrest, although he was provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions during his Field General Court Martial (FGCM) trial.
    He was sentenced to death by the FGCM on April 10, 2017.


  11. Waqas Dar
    The leaning minaret of Mosul's Grand al-Nuri Mosque survived conquests by the Mongols and the Ottomans, neglect under Saddam Hussein, and air raids during the Iran-Iraq War and the US invasion in 2003.
    But after three years of Daesh rule, it is now little more than a pile of stones at the center of a shattered city.
    By all accounts except their own, the terrorists rigged the mosque and its 850-year-old tower with explosives and blew them up last week as advancing Iraqi forces came within steps of the complex.
    A Reuters visit to the site on Friday, a day after Iraq's military recaptured it, confirmed the extent of destruction: the 45-metre (148 ft) al-Hadba minaret had been reduced to a stump while the mint green dome was the only part of the prayer hall still standing.
    Fighting raged on a few blocks away. Bullets whizzed past the main gate, which is largely intact, and a mortar fell on an adjacent building.
    Below the mosque's dome in July 2014, Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a Friday sermon presenting himself at the head of a modern-day caliphate spanning swathes of territory which the al Qaeda offshoot group had just seized in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
    "I am your leader, though I am not the best of you," he said, wearing the black turban and robes denoting a claim to descend from the Prophet Mohammad.
    Within months, Daesh was carrying out and inspiring militant attacks in places as far abreast as Paris, London and California. An international military coalition led by the United States quickly coalesced to confront the group.
    Three years on, the inscribed pulpit where he spoke lies in ruins. The mosque grounds are covered in stone and concrete, and a segment of a secondary minaret is one of the only discernible objects in the rubble. The risk of unexploded ordnance or mines prevented a thorough inspection of the site's interior.
    Baghdadi's appearance at the Nuri mosque was the first time he revealed himself to the world, and the footage broadcast then is to this day the only video recording of him as "caliph".
    He long ago left the fighting in Mosul and Syria's Raqqa to local commanders and is believed to be hiding in the border area between the two countries, according to US and Iraqi military sources. He has frequently been reported killed, including last month by Russia and Iran.
    Crumbling caliphate
    Baghdadi's project, to revive the Islamic caliphate which mostly disappeared with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, is also crumbling.
    The group still rules over an area which by one estimate is equivalent to the size of Belgium. But experts say its territorial losses undermine its legitimacy and attractiveness to potential recruits who once flocked from across the world in the tens of thousands.
    The Nuri mosque was named after Nuruddin al-Zanki, a noble who fought the early crusaders from a fiefdom that covered territory in modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It was built in 1172-73, shortly before his death, and housed an Islamic school.
    By the time renowned medieval traveller and scholar Ibn Battuta visited two centuries later, the minaret was leaning. The tilt gave the landmark its popular name: the hunchback.
    The mosque's military and religious history embodied the spirit of Mosul, a diverse but predominately Sunni Muslim city which supplied Iraq's armed forces with officers for much of the 20th century.
    The Hadba minaret, whose tilt begs comparisons to Italy's Tower of Pisa, was built with seven bands of decorative brickwork in complex geometric patterns also found in Persia and Central Asia.
    Only slivers of that design are now visible among the rubble. The eight-month-old US-backed battle for Mosul has also destroyed homes and basic infrastructure across the city and displaced nearly a million residents.
    Civilians, mostly women and children, rushed past the demolished mosque as they crossed the frontline towards Iraqi forces. They were thirsty and tired, and some were injured.
    Across the street, among the detritus of war, laid the partial remains of a Daesh fighter dressed in red clothing.


  12. Waqas Dar
    SAN FRANCISCO: Is an Apple Car about to hit the road?
    The California technology colossus behind the iPhone has confirmed its interest in self-driving cars, but experts are trying to deduce the secretive company´s plans for traction in a market where others have been speeding along.
    Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, contemplated putting the company´s hardware and software smarts to work in a car nearly a decade ago, according to reports in trade press.
    Speculation about an Apple Car became the stuff of myth, with much talk and little evidence until recently.
    In mid-June, Apple chief executive Tim Cook revealed that the company is focusing on software that powers self-driving vehicles, referring to it as "by far the most important project in artificial intelligence."
    Cook depicted electric vehicles, self-driving cars, and ride-sharing as major forces shaping the future of the automobile.
    Analysts said that driverless cars that can be summoned on demand to whisk people where they wish when they want represent a gigantic potential market opportunity.
    Even before Cook´s public remarks on the topic, clues were coming to light. Apple recently obtained a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving cars.
    Pictures of a Lexus sport utility vehicle rigged with sensors leaving the Apple campus have ricochetted about the internet, along with reports that the company has amassed a team of automotive engineers.
    After a billion-dollar investment by Apple in Chinese ride-sharing colossus Didi, Cook referred to unspecified strategic moves the companies could make together over time.

    Not riding alone
    If Apple is indeed intent to merge into the self-driving car market, it remains to be seen how it will navigate that course.
    Morgan Stanley said in an analysts note that Apple options include partnering with ride-share firms, car rental companies, or even auto makers.
    "Core self-driving software is likely the first step in its autonomous pursuits, and we believe Apple will eventually move beyond just software into designing a full car and/or launching a platform for third party services and content over time," Morgan Stanley said in the note.
    The effort would take time and money, and the competition will be fierce, Morgan Stanley reasoned.
    Unconfirmed reports surfaced this week that department of motor vehicle documents show Apple is renting a small number of Lexus sport-utility vehicles from US car rental service Hertz to test self-driving software and sensors.
    Despite having some $250 billion in its coffers, Apple is unlikely to buy a car maker because of concerns about finding footing on terrain so far from their area of expertise, according to Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi.
    She sees Apple as more keen on mastering self-driving technology, and then learning ways it could be "transplanted to other experiences and contexts."
    For example, Apple could opt to make self-driving cars available for daily rentals or put them to use for on-demand rides.
    "Do they want to really sell cars or do they want to come with a service?" Milanesi asked rhetorically.
    Siri on wheels
    Apple could also create a personal-assistant on wheels by beefing up its Siri artificial intelligence aide and putting it on the road.
    Apple may start with a "platform play" by making a self-driving car system that partners could build into vehicles, and with the potential to synch with the company´s iPhones, iPads, HomePod and other offerings.
    Analysts see collaboration with car makers as a logical route for Apple.
    Electric car star Tesla, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, might make a viable mate for Apple since the company´s roots are more in Silicon Valley that Detroit.
    If Apple did make its own car, it might do so as an elite fleet deployed to show off the technology.
    An Apple car would need to catch up to rivals who left the starting line years ago. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google-parent Alphabet, has logged millions of self-driven miles on US roads.
    Tesla models feature self-driving capabilities held in check basically by regulations that have yet to catch up to the technology.
    Most major automakers are investing in self-driving cars, with California authorities alone having issued permits to 34 companies for testing.


  13. Waqas Dar
    China accused Indian border guards of crossing into its territory from the state of Sikkim. BIEJING: China?s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that is imperative for Indian troops to pull back to the India side of the border before any meaningful dialogue can take place between China and India.
    ?It is imperative that the Indian troops pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India.?
    Earlier, China accused Indian border guards of crossing into its territory from the state of Sikkim on India's northeastern border with Tibet.
    ?The cause of the current situation is Indian border troops' violation of the two countries' consensus on the delimitation of the boundary and illegal entry into the Chinese territory,? said the ministry?s spokesman.
    He added that China and India keep an open line of diplomatic communication and the cause of the current situation is the illegal entry of Indian border troops who crossed the defined boundary recognized by the Indian government.
    ?It was the Indian side who trespassed on the Chinese territory and obstructed China's normal construction.?
    ?The pressing task now is for the Indian side to bring those who trespassed on the Chinese territory back to the Indian side of the boundary,? further said the foreign affairs spokesperson.
    Ties between China and India have long been frosty as a result of long-term territorial disputes, as well as Beijing's support of Pakistan, and Indian leaders declined to attend China's "Belt and Road" summit aimed at boosting regional economic and political ties last month.
    Chinese President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month that the two countries should work to "appropriately" manage their differences. 


  14. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/8015889711d7f88f70ff1c0eb3acd241.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8xLzIwMTcgNTowMToxMiBQTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPUhEOWEyMk9IVmh0S1p2MkkwSGMxbGc9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center] KARACHI: The CCTV footage of the suspected suicide bomber, who was the second one to blow himself up in Parachinar on June 23 has emerged, showing him trying to assimilate in the crowd as it rushes to tender to the injured of the first suicide bomb.

    The suspect can be seen alighting from a car, wearing a security forces uniform, and running on the road.
    Markets, schools in Parachinar reopen after eight-day sit-in ends
    Shopkeepers were relieved as they had suffered financial losses during the protest days
    Levies and political authorities said that the suspect has nothing to do with the law enforcement agency and the process of identifying him is underway. Investigation authorities said they are probing whether he is the bomber.
    The twin blasts rocked Parachinar on the last Friday of Ramazan, killing around 75 people and injuring over 300. The first blast occurred as people were busy shopping for Iftar and Eid in the Turi Bazaar area, close to a crowded bus terminal in Parachinar.
    The second explosion took place as people rushed to provide aid and rescue the wounded from the first explosion.
    Clear evidence of foreign hand in recent incidents, says COAS during Parachinar visit
    Our enemies shall never succeed to lower our resolve or to divide us, says Gen Bajwa
    An eight-day protest followed the bombs, which was finally called off after the army chief visited the area and held discussions with the protestors.



    The sit-in was staged in the city by the families and residents to protest against the lack of security and continued terrorist attacks after a twin bombing on June 23 killed dozens.


  15. Waqas Dar
    MIAMI: Seventeen people were wounded in a nightclub shootup in the southern US state of Arkansas, police said Saturday.
    Some of the victims may also have been trampled when gunfire rang out inside the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock around 2:30 am, local KATV reported.
    "We do NOT believe this incident was an active shooter or terror related incident," the Little Rock police department wrote on Twitter.



    "It appears to have been a dispute at a concert."
    Police later tweeted that "ALL 17 confirmed shooting victims are alive," and that one of the shooting victims "that was critical has been upgraded to STABLE."
    Police released no names or any information on a suspect or suspects.
    According to the nightclub website, an artist by the name of Finese 2 Tymes had been scheduled to perform. 


  16. Waqas Dar
    Having your favourite movie coupled with yummy food is a divine feeling, but this feeling amplifies when a movie-goer gets to have ?desi? food instead of popcorn and soda. Luckily, this is exactly what?s on the cards in a cinema in the US ? hard to believe right?

    Let us give you more insight on this placating bit of news, especially for those who are cinephiles and foodies alike.
    Renowned American comedian of Pakistani origin, Kumail Nanjiani, has helped devise a desi menu for a cinema in Texas, having scrumptious Pakistani dishes.






    Well, we Pakistanis do place special importance on potatoes.
    Some were as obsessed with 'Biryani' as we are as a nation.
    Nanjiani has currently starred in ?The Big Sick?, narrating his life story, how he married an American girl despite the background differences.


  17. Waqas Dar
    Clashes killed 19 gunmen and injured five police officers in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, the heart of operations of some of the country´s biggest drug traffickers, authorities said Saturday.
    The incident occurred late Friday when a group of gunmen clashed with Mazatlan city police who were on a routine tour led by local police chief Joel Ernesto Soto.
    The confrontation began around 8:00 pm (0100 GMT) in the town of Villa Union when police repelled the gunmen´s assault, Sinaloa deputy secretary of security Cristobal Castaneda said.
    The 19 men, who were riding in four vehicles, pursued their confrontation by a highway, where they were killed by municipal police.
    "They faced quite a number of aggressors, but thanks to their training and professionalism, they managed to get ahead. The wounded policemen are well," Castaneda told reporters.
    At the scene of the clash, four vehicles, 15 rifles and seven handguns were found.
    Officials said the fighting was some of the worst in the southern part of the state in recent months, since a battle errupted over the restructuring of the powerful Sinaloa cartel following last year´s capture of its leader Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman.
    The internal war over the group´s leadership has led to escalating violence in Sinaloa this year, with more than 760 murders in early June, a figure not seen since 2011, according to the state security secretary.
    Violence has also increased in other states. The latest available official data indicate that May was the deadliest for Mexico since official records began in 1997, with a total of 2,186 willful homicides.


  18. Waqas Dar
    Photo: Reuters Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product shrank from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2017 for the first time since the global financial crisis, but the private sector strengthened gradually, official data showed on Friday.
    GDP, adjusted for inflation, shrank 0.5 percent year-on-year between January and March, its first fall since 2009. That was almost entirely because of a 2.3 percent contraction in the oil sector, as Saudi Arabia cut its crude output under a global deal among producing countries to prop up prices.
    The non-oil government sector of the economy shrank 0.1 percent, showing Riyadh continued to keep a tight rein on state spending as it tried to cut a big budget deficit caused by low oil prices.
    But the non-oil private sector grew 0.9 percent, accelerating from a revised 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. It was the fastest private sector expansion since the fourth quarter of 2015.
    Private businesses have been hit hard by government austerity measures, including higher domestic energy prices and delays in the government paying its debts to companies. Late last year, however, Riyadh began settling its debts more promptly, boosting the private sector.
    The outlook for growth in the rest of this year is murky. In recent weeks Riyadh has eased its austerity drive slightly, restoring financial allowances to public sector employees, and this should help consumption slightly.
    Also, the government plans to introduce a 5 percent value-added tax at the start of 2018, so there may be a consumption mini-boom in the preceding months as Saudis make big-ticket purchases to avoid the tax.
    But some austerity steps are going ahead this year, such as higher residence fees for expatriates, who make up about a third of the population. Also, the oil output deal extends through the end of 2017, so the oil sector will continue to drag on growth.
    Despite the deal, the Brent oil price is back around $48 a barrel - not far above its level when Riyadh originally agreed on the deal late last year - which may mean the government has less money to spend on kickstarting economic projects than the private sector has been hoping.


  19. Waqas Dar
    Indian government's quick action helped minimise the impact of the NotPetya attack. India is pressing Microsoft Corp to offer a sharply discounted one-time deal to the more than 50 million Windows users in the country so that they can upgrade to the latest Windows 10 operating system in the wake of ransomware attacks.
    Microsoft officials in India have ?in principle agreed? to the request, Gulshan Rai, India's cyber security coordinator, told Reuters over the phone on Friday.
    A spokeswoman for Microsoft in India declined to comment on the matter. Officials at the company's headquarters in the United States and regional headquarters in Asia also declined to comment.
    If Microsoft agreed to such a discount, it could open up the global software giant to similar requests from around the world. Rai said the government was in talks with Microsoft management in India. It is not immediately clear whether any other countries were seeking similar deals.
    Rai said India began talks with Microsoft after the WannaCry ransomware attack last month, noting that both WannaCry and this week's attack, dubbed by some cyberexperts ?NotPetya?, exploited vulnerabilities in older iterations of the Windows OS.
    ?The quantum of the price cut, we expect some detail on in a couple of days,? Rai said, adding the Indian government expected the company to offer the software at ?throw-away prices.? ?It will be a one-time upgrade offer to Windows 10 and it will be a discounted price for the entire country,? said Rai, who was hand-picked by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be the country's first cyber security chief.
    Rai declined to be more specific, but said he was confident that it would be ?less than a quarter of the current price.? Rai, who has over two decades of experience in different IT areas including cyber security, said his team began coordinating with government agencies and regulators to push for OS upgrades soon after the WannaCry attack began on May 12.
    The government's quick action helped minimise the impact of the NotPetya attack, which affected two of India's container port terminals, he said.
    The government has also worked with banks to ensure that some 200,000 of the more than 240,000 ATMs in the country, most of which run on older Windows XP systems, have been upgraded with security patches released by Microsoft following the WannaCry attack, Rai said.
    This is just an interim solution, however, said Rai, because although the patches fix vulnerabilities in older OS versions, they retain the limitations of those versions.
    ?New OS versions have different architecture, much improved architecture and much more resiliency,? said Rai.
    Price sensitive
    Windows 10 Home currently retails for $124 in India, while the Pro version of the software typically used by large companies and institutions costs $232.
    Roughly 96 percent of an estimated 57 million computers in India currently run on Windows, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple- and Linux-based systems account for the rest.
    Given that only a small minority of Windows users in India already have Windows 10, Microsoft could be forgoing several billion dollars of potential revenue if they agreed to sell just the more widely used Home version of Windows 10 at a quarter of its current Indian retail price.
    In the price-sensitive Indian market, people using computers in households or small businesses often do not upgrade their OS given the steep costs. The wide use of pirated Windows OS versions, which would not automatically receive security patches, exacerbate the vulnerabilities.
    In light of the attacks, Rai said, the government ?wants to incentivise the common man to upgrade their systems?.
    The WannaCry attack in May affected a state-run power firm in western India, while the NotPetya attack this week crippled operations at two port terminals in India operated by shipping giant AP Moller Maersk, which was affected globally.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Rocket has been tested and assembled since arriving at the launch center in May. WENCHANG: China is expected to launch its second heavy-left carrier rocket, Long March-5 Y2, from its space launch center in Wenchang, said Xinhua news agency. 
    The rocket will propel the Shijian-18 communication satellite into orbit. Propellant was being pumped into the rocket on Saturday, signalling that the launch is imminent.  

    The rocket has been tested and assembled since arriving at the launch center in May. 
    The Long March-5 series of rockets made their maiden flight in November 2016 in Wenchang.











  21. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for InformationTechnology and Telecommunication Anusha Rahman said on Saturday that Pakistan would become the first country in the world to test the 5G technology.

    The minister was addressing the in connection with the award of 4G spectrum license, where she expressed hope that Pakistan would soon acquire the technology.
    The 4G spectrum license was sold with the payment of $295 million. The ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
    Rehman said the total amount of the auction had been deposited in the government's account.
    Anusha Rahman said the government would start preparations for the introduction of 5G in the country by 2021. She expressed hope that Pakistani people would adopt the new technology ahead of all other Asian countries.
    The minister also said the number of broadband users increased from 3.7million to 44 million during last four years.


  22. Waqas Dar
    MURREE: Four people lost their lives when a bus fell into a ravine on Link Road near Misari, rescue sources told Geo News.

    Sources added that 25 people were injured in the accident.
    12 dead as cable car falls near Murree
    Relatives of victims block traffic in protest against chairlift operators, government
    On Thursday at least 12 people died and two were injured when a cable car ?doli? installed by local villagers broke away from the wires and fell at Charra Pani in the Galiyat region of northern Pakistan on Thursday, rescue officials had said.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Deepika Padukone is one of the most accomplished actresses of Bollywood. The actress, who recently moved to Hollywood and had her debut starring opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, is quite active on her social media accounts.

    Recently, the actress shared a glimpse of her 12-year-old self, along with her sister Anisha.
    The post, captioned ?Major Throwback Friday?, shows the two girls in their pink-and-white themed bedroom.
    Deepika?s post is a reflection of her fondness for Hollywood actor Leonardo Di Caprio.
    The young girls? room is filled with pictures of the handsome actor who shot to fame with 1997-hit ?Titanic?.
    The picture was liked by her fellow actress Priyanka Chopra, while Deepika?s rumoured beau commented with a heart-eyed emoji.
    Anisha, who was seven years old in the picture, is a golfer.
    Deepika is these days busy working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s ?Padmavati?. 


  24. Waqas Dar
    Saad Rafique addressing workers in Lahore LAHORE: Railways Minister Saad Rafique on Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan might be reluctant to indulge in politics of abuse and accusations but his close aides are advising him to do so.
    In an address to a gathering of party workers, Rafique said that Imran should learn the lessons that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party learnt after decades of rivalry.
    The minister said that his party would not stoop to the level of 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 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.


  25. Waqas Dar
    File photo - AFP ISLAMABAD: Two climbers missing on a treacherous peak in northern Pakistan known as "Killer Mountain" are now presumed dead and the rescue operation has been called off, officials said Saturday.

    The two climbers, Alberto Zerain, a Spanish alpinist, and Mariano Galvan, an Argentinian national, went missing while attempting to summit the 8,125 meter peak, Nanga Parbat.
    "The search and rescue operation for the two missing alpinists has been called off as a rescue team failed to locate them this morning," Muhammad Iqbal, owner of Summit Karakorum, the tour operating company that had arranged the climb told AFP.
    "A rescue helicopter hovered around the mountain this morning and the team failed to spot any signs of life," he said.
    Karrar Haidri, spokesman of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed that the search and rescue operation had been called off and that the alpinists were presumed dead.
    A total of 14 foreign climbers were attempting to summit Nanga Parbat this year when bad weather forced them to return to base camp last week.
    The two missing climbers left base camp on June 19 but were holed up in their tent for three days at an altitude of 6,100 metres (20,000 feet) due to bad weather. They tried to summit again but lost contact with fellow climbers last Friday.
    The "Killer Mountain" Nanga Parbat earned its grisly nickname after more than 30 climbers died trying to conquer it before the first successful summit in 1953.
    In 2013, gunmen shot dead 10 foreign climbers and their Pakistani guide at the Nanga Parbat base camp.
    Northern Pakistan is a magnet for mountaineers and is home to some of the tallest mountains in the world, including K2 - at 8,611 metres, the world's second highest peak, but often deemed a more challenging climb than the highest, Mount Everest.
    Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, the Gilgit-Baltistan region houses 18 of the world´s 50 highest peaks.
    It is also home to three of the world´s seven longest glaciers outside the polar regions. Hundreds of its mountains have never been climbed.


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