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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    A plane carrying Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was buzzed by a NATO F-16 fighter jet as it flew over the Baltic Sea, but was seen off by a Russian Sukhoi-27 military jet on Wednesday.Photo: Global News  A NATO F-16 fighter jet buzzed a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as it flew over the Baltic Sea, but was seen off by a Russian Sukhoi-27 military jet, Russia said on Wednesday, an account partly disputed by NATO.
    The Baltic Sea has become an area of rising tensions between Moscow and the Western military alliance. Earlier this month, Russia scrambled a fighter jet to intercept a nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 strategic bomber it said was flying over the Baltic, in an incident that had echoes of the Cold War.
    A video of Wednesday's incident broadcast on a TV channel run by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed an F-16 flying parallel with the minister's plane at a short distance. It was not clear which air force the F-16 belonged to.
    A Russian Sukhoi-27 fighter jet was then seen inserting itself between the F-16 and the minister's plane before tilting its wings from side to side to show the missiles it is carrying. The F-16 was then seen leaving the area.
    NATO said it had tracked three Russian aircraft over the Baltic on Wednesday, including two fighter jets which it said did not respond to air traffic control or requests to identify themselves.
    "As is standard practice whenever unknown aircraft approach NATO air space, NATO and national air forces took to the sky to monitor these flights," a NATO official said.
    "When NATO aircraft intercept a plane they identify it visually, maintaining a safe distance at all times. Once complete, NATO jets break away," the official said.
    The alliance said it had no information about who was on board the planes.


  2. Waqas Dar
    What if a huge cobra intrudes into your house and starts living there? 
    Well, something similar happened with a Malaysian man.
    Derrick Koh witnessed a massive cobra entering his home in the Batu Pahat District of Johor, Malaysia and all he could do was to film it.



    At first, the snake was creeping around outside Koh's home, but it eventually found its way to the house's entrance.


    The massive cobra slithered up the door and entered the home through an open window.
    Koh called the fire department but they were initially unable to find the snake inside the home. 
    Finally, after three days and two nights, Koh says the snake was removed from the home.



  3. Waqas Dar
    A
    A very low turnout was witnessed in the party's recently held intra-party polls. Photo: Reuters  ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Swabi District President Shah Malik Yousafzai has challenged the party?s recently held intra-party polls.
    In a petition submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday, Yousafzai said the PTI intra-party elections were illegal. He urged the ECP to declare the intra-party polls illegal and order for the exercise to be held afresh.
    Earlier this month, PTI Chief Election Commissioner Azam Swati declared successful holding of the party?s intra-party polls, which were won by the ?Insaf Panel?.
    According to Swati, the Insaf Panel received 189,055 votes while the Ehtesab Panel bagged 41,647 votes.
    Insaf Panel wins PTI's intra-party polls
    Current leadership to continue holding the sway in the party
    The members of the party ? around two million in number ? sent their votes via SMS to select the party?s hierarchy.
    A very low turnout was witnessed in the intra-party polls, which are mandatory under the electoral laws of the country.
    The Insaf Panel included the present PTI leadership, while its opposing Ehtesab Panel had little known PTI members competing against the party?s bigwigs.
    Following the intra-party polls, the ECP allowed the PTI to be allotted the electoral symbol of the cricket bat, which it had restricted earlier owing to the lack of intra-party elections.
    Foreign funding case in ECP
    The ECP held a hearing into the PTI?s ?foreign funding? case on Thursday. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan observed that the ECP had adjourned the Hashim Bhutta case as well since a similar case is ongoing in the Supreme Court.
    Bhutta, a ?common? citizen, had filed a case saying the PTI chairman lied to the ECP with regards to the party?s funding and should thus be barred from contesting elections. The foreign funding case is ongoing in the ECP on a petition by Akbar Babar, a founding member of the PTI who has since been disowned by the party.
    PTI funding case: ECP rejects Imran?s plea to indefinitely postpone case
    PTI chairman to submit his reply by June 7
    The CEC directed Babar to submit his reply, saying the bench will then proceed over the matter.
    The petitioner?s counsel asked that the proceedings not be delayed, saying the matter relates to illegal funding of a political party. The counsel said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had earlier sought refuge with the Islamabad High Court and now is doing so before the Supreme Court.
    The CEC, however, directed the PTI chief to submit his response by July 6, noting that Imran Khan has not submitted a response despite several notices. The hearing was then adjourned. 


  4. Waqas Dar
    KOHAT: The counter terrorism department has arrested the person involved in killing Lachi SHO in an attack on a police van late at night on May 20.
    According to a press release issued on Thursday, Counter Terrorism Department Kohat personnel arrested the reported target killer, Ayaz, from Warshand, Lachi in Kohat.
    The attack had taken place when a police team led by the killed SHO of Lachi, Khanullah, was returning from an operation carried out to arrested wanted persons in Kamal Khel.
    Four policemen, including SHO, killed in Kohat attack
    The police team was returning from an operation whey they were ambushed
    Subsequently, Khanullah, Additional SHO Tahir Mahmood and constables Abid and Tanvir Ali were killed on the spot. The police team retaliated but the terrorists had fled from the site.
    Khyber Agency raid
    On the other hand, the FC personnel recovered a huge cache of weapons and ammunitions Wednesday night from Akka Khel, Guli Khel and Ghaibi Nokia areas of Khyber Agency.
    This was stated in a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations on Thursday.



    The weapons were found during a raid carried out under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.


  5. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File LAHORE: A woman on Thursday accused her husband for attacking her with knives and chopping off her hair in Lahore?s Subzazar vicinity.

    The victim?s family lodged a complaint against her husband Babar, following which the police arrested the accused.
    Tayibba, 28, was shifted to Jinnah Hospital for treatment.
    Multan: Woman burnt by husband dies
    MULTAN: A woman, who was burnt by husband and his sister-in-law at MDA Chowk, died at the burns unit of Nishtar Hospital here on Tuesday.SHO Chehlyak police station Malik Tahir told APP that...
    Domestic violence against women is not an uncommon occurrence in Pakistan. In a similar incident last month, a woman from Multan was set on fire by her in-laws over a domestic issue.


    The victim eventually succumbed to the burn wounds.



  6. Waqas Dar
    Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Travis Kalanick, co-founder of one of the most influential technology companies of its generation, resigned on Tuesday under pressure from investors after a string of setbacks.
    Kalanick's departure caps a tumultuous period for the world's largest ride-services company that has revolutionized the taxi industry and challenged transportation regulations worldwide.
    The resignation sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley and leaves Uber's board of directors with the problem of finding a dynamic leader who also has a steady hand needed to heal Uber after a bruising six months.
    "The person who still best personifies Uber's potential is the person who left Tuesday night," said Bradley Tusk, an Uber investor, and advisor. "But it's not like he really could stay without it being brutally bad for the company."
    Kalanick's pugnacious style largely defined Uber's approach and helped it become a transportation colossus valued at $68 billion, the largest private firm backed by venture capitalists in the world.
    But that brashness has also been blamed for a string of scandals this year, from the unearthing of a culture of sexism and bullying at Uber to a US Department of Justice federal investigation and a high-stakes lawsuit filed by Alphabet Inc's autonomous car division, Waymo, that threatens Uber's self-driving car ambitions.
    "I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors' request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted by another fight," Kalanick said in an email to employees that was seen by Reuters.
    Kalanick's departure as CEO widens an already gaping hole at the top of Uber which has no chief financial officer, head of engineering or general counsel at the moment. For now, 14 people who reported to Kalanick are running Uber.
    It is not clear who will be Uber's new CEO, but the next leader will likely be tasked with making the company profitable and paving the way to an initial public offering, said, executive recruiters.
    "They need someone who is willing to walk into this mess, and be the single adult in this room for awhile until the rest of the executive team is in place," said Steve Nilsen, a partner at executive search firm Boyden.
    The pursuit of a CEO puts the more than three-months-old search for a chief operating officer on hold, according to a source close to the board. The CEO must be hired first, the person said, and he or she will be key to figuring out the remaining positions to fill. Uber declined to comment.
    Facebook Inc Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg has been identified as a target in media reports, but a source close to Sandberg told Reuters she plans to stay at the online social media company.
    "TOXIC CULTURE"
    Kalanick, who will remain on Uber's board, will likely have some sway over the new CEO. He still wields significant power in the board room, made possible by a dual-class share structure that gives him and key allies 10 votes per share.
    Ultimately, it was some of Uber's main investors who forced Kalanick out, according to a source familiar with the matter.
    Venture capital firm Benchmark, whose partner Bill Gurley is one of Uber's largest shareholders, plus investors First Round Capital, Lowercase Capital, Menlo Ventures and Fidelity Investments, all pressed Kalanick to quit.
    A source close to Menlo Ventures, which led one of Uber's early financing rounds, told Reuters that the firm helped write a letter calling for Kalanick to step down.
    The investors delivered the letter to Kalanick while he was in Chicago, the New York Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation.
    Kalanick's decision "was a surprise to everyone", a second Uber spokesman said.
    In a statement sent to Reuters, the Uber board of directors said Kalanick's resignation "gives the company room to fully embrace this new chapter in Uber's history."
    Gurley on Wednesday resigned from his influential board seat, a Benchmark spokeswoman said, signaling the departure of one of Kalanick's closest confidants. He will be replaced by Benchmark general partner Matt Cohler.
    The board got a second new member on Wednesday in David Trujillo of TPG Capital, an Uber investor, according to a source familiar with the matter. Trujillo replaces David Bonderman, a co-founder of TPG who resigned from the board last week after making a sexist remark during an all-staff meeting called to discuss the results of an investigation into sexual harassment and discrimination at Uber.
    US Attorney General Eric Holder led that investigation, which concluded that Kalanick's authority should be reduced and that board oversight and independence should increase.
    Uber hired Holder's firm Covington and Burling to look into its culture and workplace practices after a female former employee, Susan Fowler, publicly accused the company of sexual harassment. In addition, Uber fired 20 employees for incidents involving discrimination, sexual harassment and other bad behavior earlier this month.
    Uber "is the very definition of a toxic leadership culture" and Kalanick "set the tone", said Jason Hanold, chief executive officer and managing partner at human resources executive recruitment firm Hanold Associates.
    SWEEPING POWER
    Following the release of the Covington report, Kalanick said last week he would take a leave of absence to grieve for his mother, who died recently in a boating accident that also seriously injured his father, and to work on his leadership skills.
    "Uber couldn't make a credible claim that it was committed to the changes it has to make if he was hovering in the wings, waiting to return as CEO," said Erik Gordon, a technology and entrepreneurship expert at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
    Kalanick and other executives were also criticized for the handling of a crisis in India after an Uber driver was arrested for raping a passenger. Though the driver was convicted in 2015, Kalanick and other executives became convinced the crime was a set-up by a local rival, former employees said.
    Eric Alexander, the head of Asian business for Uber, shared medical records internally, including with Kalanick. Alexander argued they showed the woman had been assaulted but not raped, people who spoke to him said. Alexander was fired earlier this month.
    Even some of Kalanick's staunchest allies have found fault with how Uber has been run. In a blog post on Medium published on Tuesday, Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, who has long aligned himself with Kalanick, called Uber's problems serious.
    "Over the years we have neglected parts of our culture as we have focused on growth. We have failed to build some of the systems that every company needs to scale successfully," Camp wrote.
    In March, following the start of the Holder investigation, Uber director Arianna Huffington said on a call with reporters the board had full confidence in Kalanick.
    She repeated that position on Friday in an interview with Reuters by saying Kalanick's leave of absence was solely his decision.
    Benchmark's Gurley praised the CEO on Twitter following his resignation.
    "There will be many pages in the history books devoted to @travisk - very few entrepreneurs have had such a lasting impact on the world," Gurley wrote.


  7. Waqas Dar
    Two holdout jurors prevented comedian Bill Cosby from being found guilty on two of three counts in his sexual assault trial and deliberations were so tense that jurors burst into tears, a jury member told ABC News in a report on Wednesday.
    Only one juror thought the 79-year-old entertainer was guilty on the third charge, the jury member said in describing the 52 hours of deliberations that ended in a mistrial on Saturday.
    Cosby is facing a second trial for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home near Philadelphia in 2004. The case is the only criminal prosecution to emerge from dozens of similar allegations against him.
    Two jury members were "not moving, no matter what" on the first and third counts of aggravated sexual assault, said the juror, who spoke to ABC News on condition of anonymity.
    The juror declined to identify the holdouts or detail how any jury member voted.
    On the second count, that Constand was unconscious or unaware during the incident, the vote was 11 to one to acquit, the juror said.
    The jury member told ABC News on Monday that jurors initially voted overwhelmingly in a non-binding poll to find Cosby not guilty on all counts.
    The jury deadlocked after 30 hours of deliberations and there was no movement after that, the juror said, adding that the tension was heightened by the size of the tiny deliberation room.
    "People couldn?t even pace,? the jury member said. ?They were just literally walking in circles where they were standing because they were losing their minds.
    "People would just start crying out of nowhere, we wouldn?t even be talking about (the case) - and people would just start crying.?
    On Wednesday, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O'Neill released the names of the jurors and set strict limits on what they can tell the public about the deliberations.
    One of the six alternate jurors has told a Pittsburgh radio station he would have voted to convict Cosby.
    The original jury was brought across the state from Pittsburgh to Montgomery County, outside Philadelphia, out of concern about the amount of pretrial publicity the case generated.


  8. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/a5e3839413e645db0c478721f97803a4.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni8yMi8yMDE3IDY6NDE6MzYgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT01eitpTjQ0VUgvb2E5cndEWW11aTJ3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    KARACHI: The police early Thursday killed three gang-war suspects in a shootout in Karachi?s Chakiwala vicinity.

    The deceased suspects, involved in various murders, robberies, and extortion were important commanders of the Baba Ladla group, the police said.
    Two accomplices of the deceased criminals were arrested.
    A man, Zubair, suspected of stealing mobiles from individuals observing aitekaf -- the religious Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying in a mosque for a certain number of days ? was arrested.
    A stolen mobile was recovered from the suspect?s possession and a case was registered against him, the police said.
    In a separate incident, a robber was killed and another injured by a shopkeeper?s retaliatory firing.
    The injured robber was arrested by the police. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: Reuters  WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia's new crown prince and likely next king shares US President Donald Trump's hawkish view of Iran, but a more confrontational approach toward Tehran carries a risk of escalation in an unstable region, current and former US officials said.
    Iran will almost certainly respond to a more aggressive posture by the United States and its chief Sunni Arab ally in battlefields where Riyadh and Tehran are engaged in a regional tussle for influence.
    Saudi King Salman made his son Mohammed bin Salman next in line to the throne on Wednesday, handing the 31-year-old sweeping powers, in a succession shake-up.
    Prince Mohammed, widely referred to as "MbS," has ruled out any dialogue with arch rival Iran and pledged to protect his conservative kingdom from what he called Tehran's efforts to dominate the Muslim world.
    In the first meeting between Trump and MbS at the White House in March, the two leaders noted the importance of "confronting Iran's destabilising regional activities."
    But that could have unintended consequences, said some current and former US administration officials.
    The greatest danger for the Trump administration, a longtime US government expert on Middle East affairs said, was for the United States to be dragged deeper into the sectarian  conflict playing out across the Middle East, a danger that could be compounded by Trump?s delegation of responsibility for military decisions to the Pentagon.
    If the administration gives US commanders greater authority to respond to Iranian air and naval provocations in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, things could easily spiral out of control, the official said.
    US-backed forces fighting in Syria are also in close proximity with Iranian-backed forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. US military jets twice this month shot down Iranian-made drones threatening US and coalition forces in southeastern Syria. The United States also supports the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen through refueling, logistics and limited intelligence assistance.
    "If we were to witness an incident at sea between an Iranian and a US vessel in the Gulf, at a time of immense distrust and zero communication, how likely is it that the confrontation would be defused rather than exacerbated?" said Rob Malley, vice president for policy at the International Crisis Group.
    "If there's a more bellicose attitude towards Iran, Iran is likely to respond," said Malley, a former senior adviser on Middle East affairs under President Barack Obama.
    Eric Pelofsky, who dealt with Middle East issues at the White House under Obama, said the administration had "laboured pretty hard to avoid a direct clash between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the high seas," in part because it would expand the Yemen conflict and there were questions "about what the outcome of such an encounter might be."
    But Luke Coffey, director of the Foreign Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, doubted Iran would retaliate in a major way.
    "Iran has very limited ability or options to retaliate against US forces in the region without suffering an overwhelming US response," Coffey said.
    "I think Tehran knows this so they will stick to low-level tactics like harassing US ships in the Gulf. This will be just enough to be annoying but not enough to be considered 'retaliating,'" he said.
    Close relationship
    MbS was the driving force behind the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen against Iran-allied Houthi rebels, launched in March 2015. He also appears to have orchestrated this month's breach with neighbour Qatar, which was accused by Riyadh and three other Arab states of cozying up to Iran, funding terrorism or fomenting regional instability. Qatar denies the allegations.

    "There?s a danger that his foreign policy instincts, that do tend to be aggressive, especially toward Iran, but also toward Sunni extremism, might end up distracting from what he wants to get done economically," said a former Obama administration official, referring to "Vision 2030," MbS's signature economic and social reform agenda.
    Malley, who has met MbS, said his attitude toward Iran "stems from his strongly felt conviction that for too long the kingdom has been a punching bag, a passive witness to Iranian action, true or assumed, in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia's own eastern province."
    "His view is that Saudi Arabia absorbed those blows and now there's no reason to absorb them anymore," Malley said.
    That dovetails neatly with Trump who has said Iran promotes evil and is a key source of funding and support for militant groups. MbS has also developed a close relationship with Trump's influential son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who at 36 is close in age to him.
    MbS's "desire to confront or even defeat Iran has appeal in the White House, where the crown prince has done an admirable job forging a relationship with the Kushners, who are of his generation," said the US official.
    Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, had dinner with MbS when the US president visited Riyadh last month, the first stop on Trump's maiden international visit.
    Another senior administration official told Reuters that while Washington did not have advance warning of MbS's promotion, it could see it coming. "This is why the president has tried to foster good relations with him," the official said.


  10. Waqas Dar
    Fast-growing Pakistan is home to some 200 million people and suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world, thanks to its giant population plying poorly maintained vehicles on the roads and unchecked industrial emissions. Photo: AFP  ISLAMABAD: Furhan Hussain moved to Islamabad seeking fresher air, only to find Pakistan´s leafy capital in a semi-permanent haze. Frustrated, he joined a vanguard of citizens monitoring pollution themselves amid a void in government data.
    Fast-growing Pakistan is home to some 200 million people and suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world, thanks to its giant population plying poorly maintained vehicles on the roads and unchecked industrial emissions.
    Countries such as India and Sri Lanka publish statistics or warnings to help citizens cope when air pollution goes to dangerous levels.
    But Pakistan is "one of few countries who do not monitor air quality", says Hussain, of the informal PakAirQuality network, a group of concerned citizens monitoring pollution in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi then publishing their data on Twitter.
    The lack of official information means citizens may be unaware of what they are breathing in. And without irrefutable data charting the scale of the problem it can be difficult to enforce change.
    The issue is acute in developing Pakistan, where emissions standards often go ignored partly because of a belief the country cannot afford to hamper its economic growth, says Imran Saqib Khalid of the Islamabad-based Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
    Government policies do not outline a long-term strategy or move towards renewables. Instead, Pakistan is building some 13 coal-fired power plants with Chinese assistance under a $50 billion investment plan.
    Officials insist these will not affect air quality. "Usage of ultra critical technology has been ensured to reduce emissions," an official from the Ministry of Climate Change told AFP.
    Without data, it can be impossible to prove otherwise.
    The situation becomes particularly dire in the north during winter, when cities are blanketed in thick toxic smog reminiscent of Victorian England´s ´pea-soupers´.
    World Bank estimates show that residents of the northwestern city of Peshawar, for example, breathe an annual average of 110 cubic micro-metres of fine particulate matter -- tiny pollutants that reduce visibility and reach deep into the respiratory tract.
    That is more than 11 times over the recommended upper limit, and is believed to be a factor in almost 60,000 deaths from related diseases each year, including lung and heart diseases, asthmas and cancers.
    Official inaction
    Pakistan does have a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose chief Farzana Altaf Shah says data is collected via mobile monitoring stations -- but "not regularly".
    "If the government is not doing so, citizens themselves have to do it and generate data to show how bad the situation is," says the activist Hussain.
    Ali Nadir, a Lahore-based businessman who is part of the PakAirQuality network, says they use "nodes" which can monitor air quality and share the data in real-time through smart phones.
    The idea originally came from a Pakistani national living in China, who showed his friends the cheap technology.
    "The basic purpose is to raise awareness among people about the air quality, because you cannot rely on the government," Nadir told AFP.
    "Many people have told me that they follow my tweets about air quality and sometimes if the reading is too high and beyond safe level, they adjust their exercise schedule and plan going out accordingly."
    Nadir said the network hopes to build on the groundswell of awareness.
    Meanwhile EPA chief Shah says there is some cause for hope, with a move toward higher fuel standards and the setting of pollution control units in Islamabad factories. "It is a slow process, but it is there."
    But exposure remains inevitable for millions of ordinary people.
    Walking into a clinic in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Usman Rehman, 25, complains of a cough he can´t shake.
    "I live in Rawalpindi and travel on a motorcycle and there is so much pollution that sometimes it is difficult to breathe," he says. 


  11. Waqas Dar
    The United States hopes Arab countries involved in a diplomatic split with Qatar will soon present Doha a list of "reasonable and actionable" demands to move the crisis toward a resolution, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday.
    Tillerson's comments came in a short statement a day after the State Department bluntly questioned the motives of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in announcing their boycott of Qatar on June 5, saying it was "mystified" the Gulf states had not released their grievances.
    It was Washington's strongest language yet on a dispute that erupted after the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties and transport links to isolate Qatar. The Arab countries accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, fomenting regional instability or cosying up to their enemy Iran. Qatar has denied the accusations.
    "We understand a list of demands has been prepared and coordinated by the Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians and Bahrainis," the Tillerson statement said. "We hope the list ... will soon be presented to Qatar and will be reasonable and actionable."
    Tillerson also said the United States backs a Kuwaiti mediation effort aimed at resolving the crisis.
    Asked about the Qatar issue at a later news conference, Tillerson said the United States wanted to achieve unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries so that they can focus on the fight against Daesh militants across the region.
    "Our role has been to encourage the parties to get their issues on the table, clearly articulated, so that those issues can be addressed and some resolution process can get under way to bring this to a conclusion," Tillerson said.
    Qatar hosts a vital US military base, Al Udeid, to which more than 11,000 US and coalition forces are deployed or assigned and from which more than 100 aircraft operate.


    US President Donald Trump has taken a tough stance on Qatar, accusing it of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism, but he has also offered help to the parties in the dispute to resolve their differences.


  12. Waqas Dar
    A lady selection bangles while shopping for preparation of upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr at Latifabad Market in Hyderabad With Eid-ul-Fitr just around the corner, women and men alike are in the final phase of their shopping, be it clothes, shoes or food items.

    Whether it is women or children wishing to get the best outfits, or men buying the perfect kurta shalwar for the joyous occasion, shopping malls and clothing brands see a considerable rush and a spike in their sales.
    In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, sale and demand of bangles and henna has gone up, as the two items are popular among young girls and women who throng stalls set up especially for Eid.
    Farhan Ahmed, who owns a shop at Islamabad's Jinnah Super market, says: "Bangles and henna attract women, irrespective of their age? as they say there?s no Eid without bangles."
    An illuminated view of a shopping mall decorated with colourful lights ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr in Rawalpindi Kanwal Khan, who loves to sport henna on every Eid, looked satisfied with ?new and unique? henna designs introduced by beauty salons every Eid.

    While traditionally henna experts can be found either in salons or offering their services from home, stalls have also been set up in the cities by women henna artists.
    Henna expert Mahrukh Khan specialises in offering traditional and contemporary motifs with various kinds of henna.
    A little girl selecting artificial jewelries during shopping in preparation of upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr at Reshamgali, Hyderabad Traditionally, shopping continues till the `Chand Raat?, and most of the shopping centres of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi can be seen packed with buyers, especially after Iftar.

    With a significant increase in brands offering readymade and bespoke outfits, many customers now find Eid shopping relatively hassle-free. Shopping enthusiast Sana Khan says most people she knows prefer readymade clothes for themselves and their children.
    In Quetta, colourful Eid stalls have been set up at various points, offering different kinds of cosmetics, earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery and colourful dresses.
    Most of the markets and shopping centres have been illuminated with colourful lights and decorated artistically to attract customers.
    Hyderabad, famous all over Pakistan for its bangles, is seeing a peak in shopping, with people thronging almost all shopping areas of Hyderabad including Resham Bazaar, Shahi Bazaar, Cantonment, Qasimabad Shopping Center, Shopping Center and Gul Center.
    People purchasing footwear in connection with Eid shopping in Faisalabad The high prices of rice, onion, vegetables and other essential commodities this year have hit hard the common people and many are in a fix about how to manage the extra expenditures for Eid shopping with their limited budget.

    Talking to APP, some shopkeepers said that though the sales were picking up since Ramazan 20, the buyers say they were disheartened by price hike of all goods this year.

    The local and international clothes, footwear, cosmetics, spices and many other commodities have made inroads into many shops and markets in the city.
    The footpath markets at busy Resham Bazaar, Cloth Market, Tilak Incline and other busy spots of the city are yet to gain shopping Momentum.

    A worker busy in packing bangles to deliver in local markets and delivery to other cities as demand increased for upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr in Hyderabad Women unhappy over high rates of cosmetics
    Women expressed concerns over the increased rates of cosmetics as well as high charges of beauty salons ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
    A woman says that the make-up enthusiast in her is overwhelmed seeing the endless range of make-up but finds it difficult to enjoy buying them within her budget.
    Shazia, a beauty salon owner in Islamabad, says that her salon used to offer various beauty packages for customers in Ramazan but they had to hike the rates due to the new tax imposed on cosmetic products.
    Traffic jams a headache for shopping enthusiasts
    Traffic jam in busy markets is another headache for families and individuals, with the rise in number of buyers, traffic jams in busy markets and intersections, particularly in front of shopping centers, are becoming a routine.
    Despite special arrangements of traffic police in major cities to avoid congestion in busy markets, traffic mostly remains choked, resulting in traffic jams and inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians alike.
    Pictures: APP


  13. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: The Airport Security Force (ASF) on Thursday seized contraband from a local travelling to Bahrain via a private airline.
    According to the ASF, 1KG ice and heroin were seized from the accused, Saeed Shah, in the operation at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
    Shah, who hails from Mardan, was hiding illegal drugs in his baggage, an ASF spokesperson said.
    The accused was taken to ASF control room for further investigation. 
    Heroin recovered from Umrah passengers at Lahore airport
    ANF seized about one kilogramme heroin from the possession of a mother and son
    A mother and her son were arrested on Wednesday from Lahore airport over smuggling allegations, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) said.
    One kilogramme heroin was seized from the possession of the mother and son.


  14. Waqas Dar
    On June 2, the government of Punjab unveiled a budget of Rs1.970 trillion for fiscal year 2017-18. Of this Rs345 billion have been kept aside for primary and higher education. 
    The allocation, says Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is an uptick of almost 20% from last year?s amount reserved for education.
    The next day, Sharif held a round table to reevaluate Punjab?s school reform roadmap, launched in 2010 to drive dramatic improvements in school enrolment and student achievement. 
    Below is a snapshot of how the Punjab government?s plans to raise education standards by 2018:
    To date, there are 50,000 government schools, with over 11 million children enrolled and 400,000 teachers in Punjab.
    Of the 50,000 schools, 45,000 have replaced textbooks with computer tablets, provided by the Punjab government. These tablets are available for grades six to ten to study mathematics and biology.
    90,000 children working in brick kilns across the province have been rescued and placed in government schools as well.
    According to the Punjab School Education Survey (PSES), 90% of the children aged between five and nine years are now enrolled in schools, reducing the ratio of out-of-school children. 
    The Punjab government?s target for 2018 is to increase the percentage to 95.

    The most out-of-school children are in Bahawalnagar, Rahimyar Khan, DG Khan and Rajanpur. 
    The total number of children not going to school in Pakistan in the 5-9 age bracket is 1.5 million.
    A total of 4,300 schools in Punjab have been outsourced to private NGOs to improve performances, such as the Care Foundation, NRSP, AKHUWAT, The Citizen?s Foundation.
    ?There are no ghost schools in the province,? states the Chief Minister?s School Reform Roadmap.



  15. Waqas Dar
    The incident happened late Thursday after two Kashmiri youth were martyred in Baramulla district earlier during the day. Photo: Reuters  SRINAGAR: Indian forces martyred three unarmed Kashmiri citizens in Pulwama district of Indian occupied Kashmir on Thursday, the Kashmir Media Service reported.
    The three citizens were martyred in Pulwama district's Kaakpoora vicinity where Indian forces used explosives to destroy a house.
    Abdul Hameed, Shariq Ahmed, and Irshad Ahmed lost their lives in the explosion, the KMS reported. 
    Earlier during the day, Indian troops martyred two Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district of Indian Occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, the Kashmir Media Service reported.
    The victims, identified as Gulzar Ahmed and Basit Ahmed and said to be members of Hizbul Mujahideen, were martyred during a siege and a search operation at Pazalpora in Rafiabad area of the district by Indian forces.
    Ever since the death of Burhan Wani, a top commander with Hizbul Mujahideen in July last year, Kashmiri freedom fighters have increasingly met Indian forces in armed encounters across the valley.


  16. Waqas Dar
    The Supreme Court's special Panama bench has repeatedly said the JIT will not be given more time to complete its investigation. Photo: File  ISLAMABAD: The joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Sharif family's financial assets will submit its third and second-last progress report to the Supreme Court today.

    The JIT, formed on May 6 in light of the Supreme Court's April 20 judgment in the Panama case, will submit its report to the court's special bench formed to oversee the verdict's implementation.
    On June 7, the JIT had submitted its midterm report before the special bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh.
    Panama JIT progress report presented before apex court bench
    The apex court expressed trust in the JIT, stressing that the report must be completed on time
    The bench had expressed satisfaction with the JIT?s progress in the probe, and reiterated that the investigation has to be completed within the stipulated 60-day period.
    Since then, the case was marred in further controversies after the prime minister?s (PM) son, Hussain Nawaz, accused the JIT of deliberately leaking his interrogation picture, and the JIT submitted a report in the court accusing several official quarters, including the PM House, of impeding the probe.
    On Tuesday, the special bench dismissed Hussain?s petition asking for an end to the recording of the JIT?s sessions. The judges observed that the videos will not be submitted in court for evidence but will be used to maintain the accuracy of the sessions? transcripts. At the same hearing, the judges gave the attorney general more time to submit the government?s response to the JIT?s accusations of creating hurdles in its probe.
    Since the last progress report, the JIT summoned PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, Hussain has been summoned five times by the high-profile probe team while his younger brother, Hassan Nawaz, has appeared twice. 
    The JIT has also summoned former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik on June 23 and the PM's son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar on June 24. 
    Panama case: Supreme Court satisfied with JIT's second interim report
    High-profile probe team has spent 30 days investigating the premier's family's global money trail
    On May 22, the JIT had submitted its first progress report, at which the bench had also expressed its satisfaction and allowed the investigators to continue their work. During that hearing, a request by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to make the report public was rejected by the court, which observed that it will do so when it deems necessary.
    Panama case: Profiles of JIT members
    Profiles of Panama case JIT members
    The JIT
    The six-member JIT comprises its head, Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan, Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Executive Director Communication Bilal Rasool, Irfan Naeem Mangi of National Accountability Bureau, Brigadier (retd) Nauman Saeed of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Brigadier Kamran Khurshid from the Military Intelligence.
    The Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad has been declared as the secretariat of the JIT.



  17. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File  The Pakistan Meteorological Department, on Thursday, said that moist currents from the Arabian Sea were penetrating into upper and central parts of the country.
    A westerly wave continues to affect most upper and central parts of the country and is likely to persist till Friday, the PMD forecasted.
    More rain and thundershower with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, FATA, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
    Light rain and drizzle are expected at few places along the Sindh coast, whereas hot and humid weather is likely to prevail in most parts of the country.
    Past weather
    Rain and dust-thundershower with gusty winds occurred at scattered places in Punjab, Kashmir, Quetta, Hazara, Peshawar divisions, FATA, and Gilgit-Baltistan
    Rainfall in the past 24-hours (mm)
    Punjab: Gujranwala 57, Noorpur Thal 53, Bahawalpur (AP 45, City 29), Okara 43, Sialkot (A/P 41, City 13), M.B. Din, Multan, Faisalabad 39, Jhelum 37, R.Y Khan 34, Gujrat 33, Khanpur 29, T.T. Singh 25, Lahore (Punjab university 30, PBO 23, AP 16), Mangla 23, Jhang 22, D.G. Khan 21, Murree 17, Kasur 18, Sahiwal 10, Kamra, Bhakkar 08, Mianwali 07, Sargodha (City 06, PAF 06), Joharabad 06, Chakwal, Bahawalnagar 04, Layyah 02, Kot Addu, Rawalpindi 01.Kashmir: Muzaffarabad 44, Kotli 25, Rawalakot 16, Garhi Dupatta 14, Balochistan: Barkhan 35, KP: Kakul 27, Cherat 23, Balakot 12, Parachinar 06, Peshawar (City 04, A/P 01), Gilgit-Baltistan: Astore 04, Chillas 01.
    Yesterday's highest maximum temperatures
    Nokkundi 46°C, Turbat, Panjgur 44°C, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu 43°C.


  18. Waqas Dar
    We all know how likes, retweets, and love reactions on social media are a pivotal factor for one?s validation, but the following case was unlike any other attempt to get more engagement on the Internet.
    A man from Algeria reportedly took hold of and suspended his baby out from a 15-floor-high window in a bid to gain some popularity. The father demanded ?1,000 Facebook likes? against a threat of dropping his absolutely terrified son from a height of more than 160 feet.
    Obviously, numerous Facebook users reported the act to security authorities and the social networking giant itself.
    ?What is most striking is that it appears that the father is carrying his son with his left hand while using his right hand to take the picture," one user wrote, according to Yahoo!.
    Another wrote, ?This means the picture is more important than the child's life.?
    The accused has been given a sentence of two years in jail for child abuse.


  19. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on agriculture at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US, June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst  President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States had a "great relationship with China" as he stood beside former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, the new US ambassador to Beijing.
    "We have a great relationship with China and I really like President Xi," Trump said in a speech at an Iowa community college.
    The comment came a day after Trump said Chinese efforts to persuade North Korea to rein in its weapons programs had failed.


  20. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Sarfraz Ahmed ? the captain of Pakistan cricket team ? honoured Geo Khelo Pakistan game show today in its 25th episode as a guest, alongside hosts Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, and was presented two gifts in acknowledgement of his and the team?s service to the country.

    Entering to thunderous applause and loud chants of ?Sarfraz Zindabad?, the captain appeared surprised and humbled at the welcome he received. He was awarded luxury SUV BMW X1 as a joint thank-you from JS Bank and Dewan Motors as well as a plot of land by Bahria Town.

    Pakistan under the captainship of Ahmed bagged an unexpected win on Sunday against the longstanding archrival India in the ICC Champions Trophy final held at The Oval in Lambeth, South London. The victory was not only memorable but celebrated by Pakistanis all around the world.

    Pakistan create history, thrash India in Champions Trophy final
    Fakhar Zaman scored his maiden century while Mohammad Amir tore apart the Indian top-order as Pakistan defeated India
    Speaking to Geo.tv, Ahmed thanked God and also expressed his gratitude to the team and fans. ?I?m really thankful to Allah for providing us with so much honour and giving us the opportunity to enhance our reputation. In addition, it is our parents? and fans? prayers that got us to this place,? he said, adding that the team worked really hard for this victory.
    Ahmed was pleased to attend the game show and enjoyed being in the presence of legendary cricketers Akram and Akhtar, who he said he ?usually saw on the field, rather than on a TV show?.
    The admired cricketers wished the audience and Pakistanis a Happy Eid in advance and noted that he was very proud of the current happenings in sports.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Socialite Kim Kardashian arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala for 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between' in New York City, US, May 1, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson  Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's family may be growing, according to reports on Wednesday that the celebrity couple has hired a surrogate to carry their third child after a doctor advised the reality star against another high-risk pregnancy.

    People Magazine and E! News, citing unidentified sources, said the couple had hired a surrogate, while TMZ.com said they had agreed to pay the surrogate more than $113,000 to carry a child.
    It was not clear whether the surrogate was already pregnant. Kardashian's representative did not respond to a request for comment.
    Kardashian, 36, has two children with rapper West and has spoken openly about her medical struggles during her pregnancies with daughter North, born in 2013, and son Saint, born in 2015, on her E! reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
    In a recent episode, Kardashian spoke about considering surrogacy for future children with West.
    Kim Kardashian gives birth to baby girl: reports
    LOS ANGELES: Reality television star Kim Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday, her first child with rapper boyfriend Kanye West, news reports said.Kardashian, 32, was admitted to...
    Fans welcome back Kim Kardashian after social media silence
    Kardashian put up three Facebook entries late on Monday, but made no reference to the robbery at gunpoint in Paris








    The reality star has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labours, and the TV show has followed her various surgeries and doctor consultations in a bid to resolve them.
    "I think I always knew that surrogacy was an option, but I didn't think it was that realistic of an option, and now I feel like that's my reality," Kardashian said in an April episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
    The surrogacy reports come after a difficult year for the couple.
    Kardashian was the victim of a robbery in Paris last October, in which millions of dollars' worth of jewellery was stolen from her. That led her to boost security measures and to take a temporary pause from public engagements and prolific social media postings.
    Late last year, West cancelled a December tour and was hospitalised after an apparent mental health breakdown.
    The couple has embraced a more modest social media presence over the past few months, with Kardashian occasionally posting glimpses into their family life.
    On Wednesday, the reality star launched her own solo make-up line, which sold out within hours.


  22. Waqas Dar
    Photo: FILE. ? AFP CHICAGO: A police officer was stabbed at a Michigan airport early Wednesday, officials said, in what US authorities were reportedly investigating as a possible terror attack.
    A suspect was taken into custody following the attack at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, the airport posted on Facebook.
    NBC News reported that the suspect stabbed the officer multiple times and that the incident was being probed as a possible terrorist attack.
    "The police officer assaulted is in stable condition," the airport posted on Facebook. "The suspect is in custody and is currently being questioned."
    No passengers were harmed in the assault, according to the airport which remained close until further notice.
    Michigan State Police said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the scene, while the airport tweeted that local and state agencies were also on site.
    NBC cited law enforcement officials as saying the suspect was from Quebec and has a Canadian passport.


  23. Waqas Dar
    PTI chairman Imran Khan presides over a meeting of party leaders in Bani Gala. ? Geo News screengrab ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said that there is no doubt about "blackmailing of judiciary and the Panama case joint investigation team (JIT) at the behest of the prime minister".

    PTI chief Imran Khan on Wednesday presided over a meeting of party leaders at his Bani Gala residence, which held a detailed review of JIT investigations so far, resistance being offered to it by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and overall political situation of the country.
    "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family have not been able to present anything in their defence; they are only levelling accusations in response (to JIT investigations)," read a statement issued after the meeting.
    It said Sharif family's statements have revealed the future of Panama case.
    "There is no doubt, following the remarks by Supreme Court judges, that the judiciary and JIT are being black-mailed at the behest of the prime minister," the PTI stated.
    "The government in pursuance of its wicked motives has backing from specific media groups and intellectuals affiliated with it."
    It alleged that a "vicious propaganda" is being waged against the judiciary and Panamagate investigators under a well-thought plan.
    The meeting also expressed extreme displeasure over political speeches delivered by Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) Ayaz Sadiq.
    The statement said Sadiq brought disgrace to speaker's post by obeying Sharif family's orders. It lamented that PM Sharif has appointed people like him in every institution.


  24. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior on Wednesday decided to review the conditions and requirements for issuance of business and work visas to Chinese nationals.
    The decision, taken during a high-level meeting with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, decided to ensure transparency in the visa process in order to lessen misuse of the visa-friendly regime that exists between the two countries.
    ?It is a part of ministry's efforts to ensure maximum security of the Chinese nationals visiting Pakistan on various visa categories and to streamline and regulate the entire process of visa issuance to Chinese nationals,? said a statement released by the ministry.
    "Taking note of few incidents of provision of forged and fake documents of ghost companies to the embassies for issuance of Pakistani visa, it was decided that in future business visas and visa on arrival to the Chinese nationals would only be granted after production of invitation or assignment letter duly certified and endorsed by the recognised Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the country along with letter from commercial attaches and other designated officers of Pakistan who are posted abroad for the promotion of business activities," the press release added.
    It was decided that the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) will assist the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) in putting in place and electronic system for sharing of information between the chambers of commerce and industry and the immigration authorities.
    The meeting also decided to regulate the process of granting extensions in business visas and to immediately withdraw the powers of regional passport offices for granting visa extension.
    It was also decided to rationalise the process of issuance of work visas to Chinese nationals, who intend to visit Pakistan for various government approved or sponsored projects.
    Nisar also directed the ministry to plug all loopholes in the issuance of visas to Chinese nationals and to expedite consolidation of data of Chinese nationals present in Pakistan so that the data could be shared with security agencies of the country for ensuring security arrangements.
    The interior minister further added that a comprehensive mechanism should be put in place for sharing of information of not only China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related workers, but also of other Chinese nationals visiting the country for various jobs.


  25. Waqas Dar
    An Iranian manufactured drone.?Photo: File/Theaviationist.com ISLAMABAD: Pakistan shot down an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inside its territory on June 19, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement released Wednesday.

    The UAV was shot down in Balochistan's Panjgur district along the Pak-Iran border.

    "The drone was hit by Pakistan Air Force as it was unidentified and flying around 3-4 kilometers inside Pakistani territory," said the statement issued by the FO spokesman.
    Pakistan has already shared the information about striking down of this drone with the Iranian authorities, the statement added.
    The spokesman further added that Tehran has been conveyed that the UAV was unmarked and there was no prior information about its flight.
    Man killed from Iranian mortar fire in Balochistan
    Panjgur DC says protest lodged with Iranian border force; flag meeting on Sunday
    There has also been weeks of aggressive posturing by Iranian forces along the border with Pakistan as they fired mortar shells in Panjgur and Chaghai districts of Balochistan province, claiming life of a Pakistani civilian.

    The cross-border shelling followed killing of 10 Iranian border guards by militants Tehran alleged were operating from Pakistan.

    Early in May, the head of the Iranian armed forces also warned Islamabad that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government does not confront militants who carry out cross-border attacks.
    Iran warns will hit militant 'safe havens' inside Pakistan
    Iran claimed ten Iranian border guards were killed by shots fired from long-range guns from inside Pakistan
    "We cannot accept the continuation of this situation," Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the head of the Iranian armed forces was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

    "We expect the Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases."
    "If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are," he said.


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