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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    Ambulances parked outside the shopping centre June 17, 2017. Photo: Reuters  Three women were killed and nine wounded after an explosive device detonated in a restroom in a busy upscale shopping center in Colombia's capital on Saturday.
    The Andino shopping mall in an exclusive area of Bogota was evacuated after the blast, which occurred around 5pm local time (2200 GMT) in the women's toilet. The commercial centre was packed with people buying gifts ahead of Father's Day celebrations on Sunday.
    Police said the device was placed in a toilet bowl in the second-floor restroom. President Juan Manuel Santos denounced the attack and promised to bring those responsible to justice.
    "We won't let terrorism frighten us," Santos said from inside the shopping center.
    "Bogotanos should feel safe and protected. We won't let our guard down but we mustn't panic. That's what terrorists want."
    One of the victims was a 23-year-old French woman who had been volunteering in a poor area of the city, Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa told reporters.
    Streets surrounding the shopping centre were closed and buildings cleared as ambulances raced to the scene and security officials tried to establish who was responsible for the blast. Bomb squad specialists combed the area for additional devices.
    Photographs on social media showed a woman slumped against the wall in a pool of blood and what appeared to be a shard of metal piercing her back. In front of her was another woman with her leg torn apart above the knee.
    Another image showed the destroyed toilet cubicle with a blood-splattered handrail and debris strewn over the floor.
    Santos ordered an investigation into the incident.
    Security has improved in Bogota over the past decade as police and military increased surveillance and put more armed officials on the streets. At one time all bags were checked at the entrance to shopping malls, but that has been vastly scaled back in recent years.
    Sniffer dogs still check cars at parking facilities in the capital.
    A peace accord signed last year with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's biggest guerrilla group, raised confidence bomb attacks might cease.
    The country's second-largest insurgent group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), in February exploded a bomb in Bogota, injuring dozens of police.
    The Marxist ELN, currently negotiating peace with the government, in a tweet condemned the attack against civilians.
    Authorities said there have been threats of attacks in Bogota by the so-called Gulf Clan, a group of former right-wing paramilitary fighters who traffic drugs.


  2. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/ee6019816170570139f636b857b4f1c5.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni8xOC8yMDE3IDU6MTQ6NDAgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1hY1ZTcmcveDdvdlVVV3A0SC9XM3V3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    Sheikhupura: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) officials seized 500,000 packets of foul juice from a factory on Sheikhupura Road early Sunday morning.

    Following the action, the factory was sealed, informed PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal.
    He also explained that the raid was conducted upon information provided by the vigilance cell of the authority. It came to PFA?s notice that the factory workers were using rotten pulp and chemicals to prepare juices.
    Moreover, eight tonnes rotten and substandard pulp was also seized from the factory.
    The factory which prepares juices of various fruits for a well-known brand does not even use pulp in many of its juices, according to Mengal.
    PFA seizes 400,000 fake soft-drink bottles from Lahore factory
    Factory owner opened fire on the PFA team during the raid
    All the bottles of juice were tested in a laboratory for quality, but they failed to pass.
    The pulp tank stored inside the factory?s store contained flies and bugs as well, according to the PFA.
    On Saturday, the PFA had seized 400,000 spurious soft-drink bottles from a factory in Lahore?s Shahdara area.
    During the raid, the factory owner first threatened the PFA team and then opened fire on them. He managed to escape under the cover of the fire, according Mengal.
    The factory, which is located on Bara Deri Road, has sold about 3.37 million fake soft-drink bottles of a well-known brand, according to Mengal. The team also confiscated the factory records. A case has also been registered against the suspects.


  3. Waqas Dar
    A group of American tourists take a tour in Havana on June 17, 2017. Photo: Reuters  HAVANA: American travelers who long to swill a cocktail at Havana's legendary Sloppy Joe's bar or dive into the rooftop pool of its newest luxury hotel had their dreams dashed when US President Donald Trump announced his new Cuba policy this week.
    In a setback to the US-Cuban detente negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump on Friday ordered tighter restrictions on Americans traveling to the Caribbean island and a clampdown on dealings with its military, which owns many of the capital city's top establishments.
    "You could say, 'You could buy a drink anywhere,' but we want to come to a famous, very nice place," said Russell Francis, 35, a special education teach from Houston, after visiting Sloppy Joe's, which won renown during the 1920s US Prohibition era when American tourists flocked to Havana to drink and gamble to their heart's content.
    The watering hole, with its 60-foot (18-metre) bar immortalised in the 1959 movie "Our Man in Havana," was frequented by film stars such as John Wayne, Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. Many Americans have headed there again since detente to soak up its historic atmosphere.
    While there is a growing number of private sector joints in Old Havana, considered one of the jewels of colonial architecture in the Caribbean, virtually all the state hotels and eateries are owned by the military.
    "Part of the beauty of being in the city is the historic aspect," Matt Flynn, 30, an accountant from New Orleans, said as he wandered along popular Calle Obispo where live salsa music floats out from restaurants and bars. He said he was disappointed by Trump's move, although he understood the principle.
    Lauren Sivan, 39, of Los Angeles said she was glad she slipped into Cuba before the policy shift and was still able to stay at the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski, owned by the tourism wing of the military, Gaviota.
    The stunning property, in a renovated Belle Epoque mall, opened this month billing itself as Cuba's first luxury hotel, with a vast spa, rooftop terrace and cigar lounge.
    "We're just so glad we came now," said Sivan, who was visiting Cuba for a long weekend with a group of friends.
    US visitors tripled in number in the wake of 2014 detente, emboldened by Obama's easing of the travel ban. Many came in under the self-directed "people to people" category, which Trump is eliminating.
    Americans like Flynn and Sivan said they would not have undertaken the trip under the new rules, which make Communist-run Cuba more like the "forbidden island," just 90 miles (145 km) from Florida.
    Confusion remains about what will be allowed and whether individual visitors could simply come in under the "support for the Cuban people" category now. Experts say the devil will be in the details of the regulations to be drafted over coming months.
    Similarly, it is not yet clear how the ban on dealings with companies affiliated to the military will work.
    GAESA, the Armed Forces Business Enterprises Group, is involved in all sectors of the economy. That means when you enter a shop in Cuba to purchase a bottle of water, soda or beer, you probably are patronising a military establishment.
    "They are not marked so you would have to do your research," Flynn said. "It's very hard to police because if you come without tour guide, it's cash and there aren't receipts."
    Forcing would-be visitors into organised trips, issuing lists of which establishments they could not visit and auditing those tours would go some way to solving that issue. But it also would give the Cuban government, which sanctions tours, more control over what visitors see and likely reduce Americans' contact with ordinary Cubans.
    "You would probably have to go through a tour group which has its advantages but it would be considerably more expensive and very structured," said Christian Walther, 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
    Some travelers said they understood why Trump did not want US dollars going to the Cuban military but others said it would hurt Cubans who benefited from the recent tourism boom, using generous American tips to support their families.
    "It is ridiculous," said Bronwyn Hennessy, 44, who runs a fishing lodge in Montana and was wrapping up a fly fishing tour on the island with a night in Havana. She said she would not let the new restrictions dampen her desire to explore the island further.
    For the adventurous, there were always other ways to slip into the island. She had entered previously via Cancun, Mexico, asking the Cuban officials not to stamp her passport.
    "If we come again, we will probably sneak in," she said.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Men watch a Pakistan Super League match in Rawalpindi. Photo: Reuters  ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the relevant authorities to ensure that no electricity load-shedding is carried out on Sunday during the Pakistan-India Champions Trophy final.
    Responding to the premier?s order, the Water and Power Ministry summoned the supply and demand figures from all the power distribution companies, and assured the prime minister that no load-shedding would take place during the cricket match.
    Similarly, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah contacted senior officials at K-Electric, the port city?s sole power company, and directed them to ensure no load-shedding is carried out during the match. Shah said power to residential areas should be supplied on a preferential basis.
    The chief minister hoped the Pakistan cricket team would win the match as a gift to the nation on Eidul Fitr.
    Meanwhile, load-shedding continues unabated in Karachi even as Ramazan draws to an end. Despite promises by the relevant authorities that no load-shedding would be carried out during Seher and Iftar times, several areas of the city continue to face power cuts.
    The affected localities include Liaquatabad, Gulbahar, Bin Qasim Town, Pak Colony, Keamari, Azizabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Malir, Landhi, Quaidabad, Orangi Town, Korangi, Ibrahim Haider, Nazinamabad and North Nazimabad. 


  5. Waqas Dar
    A number of missing American sailors have been found dead in flooded areas of a destroyer that collided with a container ship off Japan's coast, the US Navy said Sunday.
    The sailors were missing for more than 24 hours after the USS Fitzgerald collided with a much larger container ship before dawn on Saturday, causing heavy damage and flooding areas of the destroyer.
    "A number of sailors' bodies that were missing from the collision between USS Fitzgerald...and a merchant ship have been found," the US 7th Fleet said in a statement.
    "As search and rescue crews gained access to the spaces that were damaged during the collision...the missing sailors were located in the flooded berthing compartments.
    "They are currently being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka where they will be identified," it added.
    Japan's public broadcaster NHK updated an earlier report that claimed all seven missing sailors were found dead inside the ship, saying instead that "several" had been found.
    The accident sparked a major US-Japanese search and rescue operation.
    The 154-metre (500-foot) Fitzgerald was pulled by a tugboat back to its base in Yokosuka, south-west of Tokyo, on Saturday, where divers searched damaged areas of the guided missile destroyer.
    The 222-metre Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal had large scrapes on its bow, but none of its 20 crew were injured, Japan's coastguard said.
    The accident happened 56 nautical miles (104 kilometres) south-west of Yokosuka, in a busy shipping channel that is a gateway to major container ports in Tokyo and nearby Yokohama.
    The missing sailors have not been identified.
    "The families are being notified and being provided the support they need during this difficult time," the Navy said.
    "The names of the Sailors will be released after all notifications are made."
    The cause of the accident is under investigation.


  6. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File  Italy's highest court ruled on Friday that lobsters must not be kept on ice in restaurant kitchens because it causes them unjustifiable suffering before they head for death by fine dining.
    Judges accepted a complaint by an animal rights group against the owner of a restaurant near Florence who kept live crustaceans on ice, ordering him to pay a 2,000 euro fine ($5,593) and a further 3,000 euros in legal fees.
    Upholding a sentence by a lower court, the Cassation court ruled that the fact that lobsters are usually cooked while still alive does not mean they can be mistreated beforehand.
    "While the particular method of cooking can be considered legal by recognizing that it is commonly used, the suffering caused by detaining the animals while they wait to be cooked cannot be justified in that way," the judges wrote.
    Rather than keeping lobsters and other crustaceans refrigerated, the court said it was already common practice in high-level restaurants and even supermarkets to keep them in oxygenated water tanks at room temperature.
    ($1 = 0.8939 euros)


  7. Waqas Dar
    Cigarettes are seen in this illustration photo taken May 24, 2017. Photo: Reuters 

      Roughly 11 percent of youth aged 13 to 15 around the world use tobacco products like cigarettes and cigars, a global survey of students suggests.

    Tobacco use is the world?s leading cause of preventable death and serious illness, killing an estimated 6 million people each year, researchers note in the youth tobacco report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most smokers take up the habit in their teens.
    For the current study, researchers examined data from surveys of teens in 61 countries conducted from 2012 to 2015. Half of nations had a smoking rate of at least 15 percent for boys and at least 8 percent for girls, they found.
    ?Smoking has been shown to harm nearly every organ of the body, and science shows that most adult smokers first start smoking during adolescence,? said lead study author Rene Arrazola of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC.
    ?Young people who begin to smoke at an earlier age are more likely than those who start at older ages to develop long-term nicotine addiction,? Arrazola said by email. ?Therefore, efforts to prevent youth tobacco use are critical to prevent another generation of adults who smoke and suffer from smoking-related death and disease.?
    Across all of the countries in the study, the lowest prevalence of teen smoking (1.7 percent) was seen in Sri Lanka. The highest prevalence (35 percent) was in Timor-Leste.
    For boys, the lowest smoking prevalence was 2.9 percent in Tajikistan and the highest was 61.4 percent in Timor-Leste. For girls, the lowest rate - 1.6 percent ? was seen in Tajikistan and the highest - 29 percent - in Bulgaria.
    In the majority of countries, at least half of current tobacco smokers said they wanted to quit, the study also found. The proportion of student smokers who said they desired to quit ranged from a low of 32 percent in Uruguay to a high of 90 percent in the Philippines.
    Limitations of the study include the reliance on teens to accurately recall and report on their smoking behaviour, the authors note. It also only included students enrolled in school, which might not fully represent smoking behaviour in these countries.
    ?I was surprised to see that most of the countries were in the 10 to 20 percent range; I would have thought the numbers would be higher, but they either are similar or slightly higher than rates in the U.S. which are around 10 to 15 percent,? said Dr. Maher Karam-Hage, associate medical director of the tobacco treatment program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
    A variety of policies at the country level can influence whether young teens will smoke, Karam-Hage, who wasn?t involved in the study, said by email.
    ?Cultural values and norms in their individual countries are most critical, followed by the economic factors (prices and taxes), age restrictions and policies such as whether they have clean indoor air (laws) or not,? Karam-Hage said.


  8. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File MECCA: President Mamnoon Hussain on Sunday met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Mecca during his pilgrimage trip to the Kingdom.
    Matters pertaining to bilateral relations, mutual interest, and the situation in South Asia and the Middle East came under discussion.
    The president congratulated the Saudi King on eve of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak and appreciated the Saudi government for excellent arrangements for Umra pilgrims.
    President of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and Speaker National Assembly of Kuwait Marzooq bin Ali Al-Ghanim also met with President Mamnoon Hussain.


  9. Waqas Dar
    Photo: File A weak seasonal low lies over northeast Balochistan on Sunday.
    Moist currents from the Arabian Sea are penetrating into upper and central parts of the country, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
    Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country in the next 24-hours. However, rain and dust-thunderstorm with gusty winds are expected at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad, D.G. Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Hazara, D.I. Khan divisions, FATA, Islamabad, and Kashmir.
    Light rain-thunderstorm and drizzle are expected at few places along Sindh and Makran coast.
    Past weather
    The weather remained hot and dry in most parts of the country. However, rain and thunderstorm with gusty winds occurred at isolated places in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Multan, Malakand, Peshawar divisions, and Islamabad.
    Rainfall (mm)
    Punjab: Sialkot (AP) 27, Lahore 25, Gujranwala 22, Kasur 15, Chakwal 14, Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 14, Chaklala 11), Islamabad (Zero Point 08, Bokra 03), Gujrat 09, Mianwali 08, Multan 06, M.B. Din 05, Mangla 04, Bhakkar, Jhelum 01, KP: Cherat 09, Kalam 03, Dir 02.
    Today's highest maximum temperatures
    Dadu 49°C, Nokkundi, Sibbi 48°C, Dalbandin 47°C, Jacobabad, Shaheed Benazirabad 45°C.


    Data Courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department


  10. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Security forces made five arrests late Saturday night during search operations conducted in various areas of the metropolis, police said.
    One suspect was taken into custody during a raid late last night, while three of the arrestee?s accomplices managed to escape, police stated, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from him as well.
    A case has subsequently been filed against the suspects.
    In an operation carried out in the Garden area, police detained three alleged street criminals and seized arms and a motorcycle from the arrestees, who were reportedly involved in theft and robbery crimes too.
    In this regard, a case has been lodged in the Jamshed Quarters police station.
    On the other hand, suspect Irfan was taken into police custody during a raid conducted in Karachi?s Lyari, sources mentioned.
    The arrestee reportedly belongs to a political party, the sources explained, adding that he also had close connections with Uzair Baloch?s group.


  11. Waqas Dar
    Smoke rises from a forest fire, seen from the village of Mourisco in central Portugal, June 17, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Bugge  A forest fire in central Portugal killed at least 19 people on Saturday, most of them occupants of various vehicles that were on the road and caught in the blaze, an official said in televised remarks.
    The fire, which has yet to be controlled, is already one of the deadliest forest fires in Portugal in decades.
    Jorge Gomes, the secretary of state for internal affairs, said President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was en route to the site of the tragedy.
    The blaze on Saturday hit the mountainous area of Pedrogao Grande, 200 km south-east of Lisbon, amid an intense heat wave and strong winds that fanned the fire later in the day.
    "We have 19 confirmed deaths, all civilians," Gomes said, adding that 20 people have been injured, including six firefighters, and two people were still missing.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Pope Francis has asked Germany to keep fighting for the Paris climate change deal and to "tear down walls" that inhibit international cooperation, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, offering a stark contrast between her agenda and US policy.
    US President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that he would withdraw from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change, drawing anger from world leaders.
    The two talked about ?the good relations and fruitful collaboration between the Holy See and Germany?, Vatican Radio ? the broadcasting station of the Pope's Ministry ? reported.

    "The Pope encouraged me to continue and fight for international agreements, including the Paris agreement," Merkel told reporters after an unusually long, 40-minute private audience with him.

    Merkel, who faces elections in September, said the Pope expressed his support for the agenda of the G20 major economies, which will hold a summit in Hamburg next month.

    "This (G20) agenda assumes that we are a part of a world in which we work together through multilateral cooperation," Merkel said of her discussion with the Pope.

    "It is a world in which we want to tear down walls and not build them, and in which we all seek prosperity, wealth, honour, and dignity for mankind."
    Trump, who has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border, has shunned some multilateral cooperation.

    The Vatican said that issues of common interest were discussed, including the need for the international community to focus on combating poverty, hunger, the global threat of terrorism, and climate change.


  13. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump delivers a speech on US-Cuba relations at the Manuel Artime Theater in Miami, Florida, US, June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria  WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump had personal liabilities of at least $315.6 million to German, US, and other lenders, as of mid-2017, according to a federal financial disclosure form released by the US Office of Government Ethics late on Friday.
    Trump had roughly $20 million in income from his new marquee Washington hotel, which opened just down the street from the White House last September. Revenues also increased at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort known as the "Winter White House."
    The American president reported income of at least $594 million for 2016 and early 2017, with assets worth at least $1.4 billion.
    The 98-page disclosure document posted on the ethics office's website showed liabilities for Trump of at least $130 million to Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, a unit of German-based Deutsche Bank AG.
    For example, Trump disclosed a liability to Deutsche exceeding $50 million for the Old Post Office, a historic Washington property where he has opened a hotel.

    Trump reported liabilities of at least $110 million to Ladder Capital Corp, a commercial real estate lender with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Boca Raton, Florida.
    The largest component of Trump's income was $115.9 million listed as golf-resort related revenues from Trump National Doral in Miami, down from $132 million he reported a year ago.
    Income from many of his other hotels and resorts largely held steady. Revenue from Trump Corporation, his real-estate management company, nearly tripled, to $18 million, and revenue from Mar-a-Lago grew by 25 percent, to $37.25 million. The private club doubled its initiation fee to $200,000 after Trump's election.
    The businessman-turned-politician earned $11 million from the Miss Universe pageant, after selling the beauty contest back in 2015. Revenue from television shows like The Apprentice fell to $1.1 million, down from $6 million a year earlier.
    In addition, Trump's assets probably exceeded $1.4 billion because the disclosure form provided ranges of values.
    The document showed Trump held officer positions in 565 corporations or other entities before becoming US president. His tenure in most of those posts ended on January 19, the day before his inauguration, and in others in 2015 and 2016.
    Most of the entities involved were based in the United States, with a handful in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, Bermuda, and elsewhere.
    Trump has refused to release his tax returns, which would give a much clearer indication of his wealth and business interests. But he has submitted federal forms disclosing his and his family's income, assets, and liabilities.

    "President Trump welcomed the opportunity to voluntarily file his personal financial disclosure form," the White House said in a statement, adding that the form was "certified by the Office of Government Ethics pursuant to its normal procedures".
    An Office of Government Ethics spokesman declined to comment on the contents of the report, other than to say that it was certified by the office, which is an ethics watchdog for federal government employees.
    Trump released a disclosure form in May 2016 that his campaign at the time said showed his net worth was $10 billion. Some critics disputed that figure as overblown.
    Before taking office in January, Trump was a New York real estate developer and television celebrity.


  14. Waqas Dar
    A woman lights a candle at a spot where people have left tributes to those who perished in the Grenfell apartment tower block fire in North Kensington, London, Britain, June 17, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay  LONDON: At least 58 people are feared to have died in the fire that engulfed a London tower block this week, police said on Saturday, as Prime Minister Theresa May admitted that the response from the authorities had not been good enough.
    With anger mounting over the government's handling of the blaze, May met residents from the Grenfell Tower and vowed to personally oversee the recovery as protesters gathered to demonstrate in the streets around her residence for the second day.
    Weakened by a botched election gamble last week, May has been criticised for her muted response to the fire and had to be rushed away from a meeting with residents on Friday under heavy police guard as protesters shouted, "Shame on you".

    "The response of the emergency services, National Health Service, and the community has been heroic," May said in a statement. "But, frankly, the support on the ground for families who needed help or basic information in the initial hours after this appalling disaster was not good enough," she added.
    London Police Commander Stuart Cundy said the toll of 58 represented those who were missing and presumed dead from a fire that ripped through the 24-story social housing block as residents slept in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
    "Sadly, at this time, there are 58 people ? who we have been told were in Grenfell Tower on the night ? that are missing and, therefore, sadly I have to assume that they are dead," he said.
    If the number is confirmed, it would make the Grenfell Tower blaze the deadliest in London since World War Two. The toll had previously been put at 30.
    While the blaze has prompted an outpouring of generosity ? with many people donating provisions and clothes, it has also unleashed rage at the authorities as the charred tower was cast as a deadly symbol of a deeply divided society.
    On Friday angry protesters chanting "we want justice" stormed their way into the Kensington and Chelsea town hall to try to confront the local council leaders.
    Residents of the destroyed tower said May was far too slow to visit the stricken community, that the building had been unsafe, and that officials have failed to give enough information and support to those who have lost relatives and their homes.
    Anger in London
    On Saturday, May spent over two hours meeting residents from the northern Kensington area at her Downing Street residence and chaired a meeting on the government's response to the fire.
    She has promised to set up a public inquiry and pledged 5 million pounds ($6.39 million) of support, housing guarantees and help with access to bank accounts and cash. Those who lost their homes will be rehoused within three weeks, she said.

    "It has been decided today that the public inquiry will report back to me personally," May said. "As Prime Minister, I will be responsible for implementing its findings."

    One of her closest allies, Damian Green, defended May, saying she was "distraught about what has happened".
    "We're all desperately sad," said Green, who was appointed May's deputy in the wake of the general election. "We're all angry, but of course none of us as angry as those who were directly affected. I absolutely get why they're angry."
    May was asked repeatedly in an interview on Friday whether she had misread the public mood. While failing to answer, she said the focus was now on providing support to the victims.
    On Saturday, more than 1,000 people gathered near May's Downing Street office to protest against her plan to form a government with the support of a socially conservative Northern Irish party.
    One banner showed a drawing of May with the words "Shame" and "Disgrace".
    Minute's silence at Trooping the Colour
    Queen Elizabeth held a minute's silence at the Trooping the Colour on Saturday for the victims of the London tower block fire.
    The Trooping the Colour ? a large parade of soldiers that march through central London ? marks the Queen's official 90th birthday. The Queen said during a recent visit to meet victims of the Grenfell Tower fire that she was struck by the inclination of people to offer comfort and support to those affected.

    After the turbulent three months that saw Britain hit by three deadly militant attacks and now the Grenfell Tower blaze, Queen Elizabeth said the mood was deeply sombre but that the British people were resolute in crises.
    "It is difficult to escape a very sombre national mood," Elizabeth said in a message on her official birthday. "The country has witnessed a succession of terrible tragedies."

    "Put to the test, the United Kingdom has been resolute in the face of adversity," Elizabeth said. "United in our sadness, we are equally determined, without fear or favour, to support all those rebuilding lives so horribly affected by injury and loss."
    Such a direct message from the monarch is rare and indicates the extent of the turmoil in Britain.
    'Not a viable PM'
    Opponents said May's handling of the fire had thrust her position further into doubt by showing a failure to feel the public mood and act decisively.
    Her failure to win a majority in an election that she did not need to call had already sparked a tumultuous week and pitched Britain into its deepest political crisis since the Brexit referendum a year ago.
    Britain is now likely to go into arduous talks on Monday about its exit from the European Union (EU) with a weakened leader who is dependent on Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to get the legislation passed.
    Columnist and former Conservative lawmaker Matthew Parris said May's response to the fire had shown a lack of judgment, making her unsuitable to be prime minister.
    "Wallowing in the wash of a general election that stripped our prime minister of her authority on the very eve of EU negotiations, neither common sense nor the evidence suggest she can re-establish public confidence," Parris wrote in the Times.
    "This prime minister is not viable."
    Railway track closed
    A railway track that lies in the shadow of a London tower block gutted by the deadly blaze was closed on Saturday as the fire brigade worked to clear up debris inside the building.
    London Fire Brigade requested that parts of the Circle and Hammersmith and City line be closed.
    "The Brigade advised that a section of track be temporarily closed due to the short-term risk of some debris from the tower falling onto the track," a London Fire Brigade spokeswoman said.
    "Specialist urban search and rescue teams are currently securing loose debris right now so the station can open again."
    The track in question is above ground and lies a stone's throw away from Grenfell Tower.
    "No service between Edgware Road and Hammersmith due to the recent fire in the Latimer Road area," said a tweet on the account of the Circle Line.

    The Hammersmith and City line, which runs along the same track and stops in that part of west London, was also partially suspended.


  15. Waqas Dar
    The biggest battle of the cricketing world is set to take place on Sunday when arch-rivals Pakistan and India face each other in the Champions Trophy final at the Oval.
    A resurgent Pakistan and defending champions India look to outclass and outplay their opponent ? with both teams eyeing the trophy.


    The highly anticipated thriller will showcase Pakistan?s formidable bowling and India?s firm batting. Can the ?predictably unpredictable? turn the tables and make history? Our experts will share their opinion with you.

    A joint-production of Geo News (Pakistan) and Aaj Tak (India), Takra, hosted by Shahzaib Khanzada and Vikrant Gupta will feature Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Yousuf, Ramiz Raja and Sikandar Bakht from Pakistan and Saurav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Mohammad Azharuddin from India.


  16. Waqas Dar
    SUKKUR: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said on Saturday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is unable to give an explanation to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), hence he is attacking national institutions and the PPP.
    Speaking to journalists in Sukkur, Shah said the JIT probing the assets of the Sharif family is not controversial, however, the PML-N is trying to make it controversial.
    ?No one is pulling strings however its true that the Sharif brothers are shaking,? he said and added that the prime minister is under fire due to his own words.



    Shah also said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also has pending cases against him.
    Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday appeared before the JIT. 
    Shehbaz Sharif is the fourth member of the Sharif family to appear before the probing team ? constituted by the Supreme Court.
    I have recorded my statement," he told journalists before adding that "two days earlier the prime minister appeared before this JIT and it was for the first time that an elected prime minister appeared before a JIT to present his stance."
    "Today perhaps this is for the first time in history that a chief minister has appeared before JIT," Shehbaz told journalists.
    Former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik is also scheduled to appear before the JIT on June 23.




  17. Waqas Dar
    MAZAR-I-SHARIF: At least one Afghan was killed and seven American soldiers were wounded in an "insider attack" at a base in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, a US military official said.

    A spokesman for the US military command in Kabul said earlier comments by an Afghan official that Americans had been killed were incorrect.
    But he confirmed that seven soldiers had been evacuated after being wounded in the incident at Camp Shaheen, the headquarters of the Afghan army´s 209th Corps in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
    At least one Afghan soldier was killed and another wounded, the US official said.
    He could not immediately say if the suspected shooter was among the dead or wounded.
    Abdul Qahar Araam, spokesman for the Afghan army´s 209th Corps, announced earlier that an Afghan soldier had shot and killed four US soldiers inside the base.
    In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said an Afghan commando loyal to the militant group had opened fire on foreign "invaders", killing four and wounding four others.
    The German military heads the multinational advising mission based in Mazar-i-Sharif.
    A spokeswoman for the German forces at the joint missions command in Potsdam said: "According to what we know right now, no Germans were affected.
    "Three US soldiers were killed and a fourth wounded on June 11th when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them at a base in eastern Afghanistan´s Nangarhar province.
    In April, scores of Afghan soldiers were killed when militants breached security at Camp Shaheen, detonating explosives and shooting hundreds at a mosque and dining hall on the base.
    The attackers were disguised in Afghan army uniforms.
    Coalition countries, led by the United States, are considering sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan to help advice and assist Afghan forces struggling against Taliban and Daesh militants.
    US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday he would present options on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump "very soon".


  18. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jehangir Khan Tareen took to Twitter and shared his opinion that the Punjab chief minister was being quizzed by the JIT "due to his involvement in the Hudaybia money laundering scam."
    In another tweet, he added that one by one members of the ruling Sharif family were being investigated.
    The PTI leader said that Shehbaz Sharif?s appearance before JIT is ?due to his involvement in the Hudaybia money laundering scam..which is connected to Mayfair flats through AlTowfeek loan?.
    Asad Umar meanwhile termed Pakistan Muslim League-N?s Abid Sher Ali?s speech hilarious, in which the minister was ?demanding that all the corrupt & law breakers should be held accountable?.
    ?Can someone remind him that he is a part of the Govt that is supposed to do what he is demanding!? he tweeted.
    Shehbaz Sharif appears before JIT, says not the first time family held accountable
    Shehbaz Sharif is the fourth member of the Sharif family to appear before the JIT
    Leaders are held accountable in democracy, not victimising Sharif family: Imran
    How are they being victimised if they have become billionaires, asks PTI chairman.
    Criticising Shehbaz Sharif?s speech after his appearance after JIT, Umar said that he is ?again telling us the story of his family based on some facts and lots of fiction?.
    ?You were summoned for the money trail of your London properties and the London court verdict on Hudaybia papers mill scandal,? the PTI leader said.
    Umar said that Shehbaz like his brother gave answers to everything except those asked by the Supreme Court.
    Shehbaz Sharif appeared before the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Saturday. Shehbaz Sharif is the fourth member of the Sharif family to appear before the JIT.
    After his scheduled appearance, the Punjab chief minister spoke to the media outside the Federal Judicial Academy and told journalists that he had been summoned by the JIT to appear before them 'as someone acquainted with the facts of Panama case.
    "I have recorded my statement," he told journalists before adding that "two days earlier the prime minister appeared before this JIT and it was for the first time that an elected prime minister appeared before a JIT to present his stance."
    "Today perhaps this is for the first time in history that a chief minister has appeared before JIT," Shehbaz told journalists.
    He told journalists that the prime minister's actions and his own clearly show the difference between how much respect the judiciary is given by military dictators and elected officials.
    ?I also have a history of back pain but did not use that as an excuse. I did not go and get admitted in Rawalpindi Medical Institute nor did I go to London. The apex court constituted the committee and I presented my stance before them."


  19. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the outlook for Pakistan´s economy was "favourable", citing Chinese infrastructure investments among reasons for growth, but warned of risks to recent progress.
    Confidence in insurgency-hit Pakistan is growing, with the IMF saying last year that the country had emerged from crisis and stabilised its economy after completing a bailout programme.
    However the IMF warned in a report on Friday that macroeconomic stability gains have started to erode and could pose risks to the economic outlook.
    "Pakistan´s outlook for economic growth is favourable, with real GDP estimated at 5.3 percent in ... 2016/17 and strengthening to 6 percent over the medium term on the back of stepped-up China Pakistan Economic Corridor investments, improved availability of energy, and growth-supporting structural reforms," the report said.
    "However, macroeconomic stability gains ... have begun to erode and could pose risks to the economic outlook," it added.
    Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to boost the long-depressed economy after winning a third term in 2013.
    Encouraged -- and undeterred by domestic debt of $182 billion -- Islamabad set an ambitious yearly growth target of 5.7 percent for 2016/2017. The World Bank predicted 5.4 percent growth by 2018.
    Hopes are pinned on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $46 billion initiative by Beijing that aims to link the Asian superpower´s Xinjiang region with the Arabian Sea through Pakistan.
    The plan encompasses a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades that Islamabad hopes will kickstart the economy.
    But experts say the deal is opaque, and much more transparency is needed before they can assess any impact for Pakistan -- including, for example, whether the $46 billion is an investment or a loan.
    According to Friday´s IMF report, Pakistan´s current account deficit has widened and is expected at 3 percent of GDP in 2016-17 or mor than $9 billion, driven by fast rising imports of capital goods and energy.
    It said Pakistan´s foreign exchange reserves have declined in the context of a stable rupee-dollar exchange rate, urging Islamabad to allow greater exchange rate flexibility.
    Over the last two weeks, official foreign currency reserves decreased by more than $1.5 billion.


  20. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan-origin British MP Nusrat Munir ul Ghani - popularly known as Nus Ghani - who recently retained her constituency in the general elections - surprised many by taking her oath in Urdu.
    ?Oath proudly taken in both English and Urdu to honour my mum,? she wrote on Twitter.
    The Conservative Party MP retained her Wealden constituency securing 61.2 per cent of the total votes. She won the seat with a majority of over 24, 000 votes.

    Ghani is one of the twelve British-Pakistanis who won the June 8 snap general elections.
    ?I?m so proud of @Nus_Ghani a great patriot and great MP. Our country has room for all languages, they enrich us and help us know our world,? Tonbridge MP Tom Tugendhat wrote on Twitter.
    Ghani came into the media's focus after she proposed a legislation to ban the term ?honour killing? in official publications as it was being used by abusers as ?pathetic self-justification? for their violence. 
    Speaking in the House of Commons she said ?Language matters,? adding, ?the use of the term ?honour? to describe a violent criminal act ? sometimes committed against a man, but more often against a woman ? can be explained only as a means of self-justification for the perpetrator. It diminishes the victim and provides a convenient excuse for what in our society we should accurately and simply call murder, rape, abuse or enslavement,? she was quoted by BBC.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Pakistani skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli posed with the trophy ahead of the final of the Champions Trophy tournament to be played on Sunday. 
    India´s captain Virat Kohli (L) and Pakistan´s captain Sarfraz Ahmed, hold the trophy as they pose for a photograph at The Oval in London on June 17, 2017 - AFP  Pakistan and India will play in the final on Sunday - AFP  Sarfraz Ahmed's (L) team were ranked eight in the tournament, while India were favourites to make the final - AFP   Pakistan´s Sarfraz Ahmed and India´s Virat Kohli pose with the trophy - Reuters 



  22. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan´s coach Mickey Arthur (L) and Pakistan´s captain Sarfraz Ahmed attend a press conference folling a nets practice session at The Oval in London on June 17, 2017, on the eve of the ICC Champions Trophy Final - AFP  LONDON: Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has regained fitness and is ready to play the Champions Trophy final match against arch-rival India at The Oval on Sunday, confirmed coach Mickey Arthur.

    The fast bowler could not play the semi-final against England due to back spasms.
    In place of the star fast bowler debutant, Rumman Raees was included in the final playing-11 against the hosts. Raees took two wickets in the match on the economy of 4.88
    Amir was spotted participating in the Pakistan team`s nets session recently.
    The bowling coach Azhar Mahmood while speaking to the media yesterday on the question of whether Amir will play the final or not, replied: ?he is better and has participated in nets, but the management has yet to decide on his inclusion in the playing XI for the final match.? 


  23. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Saturday claimed that Imran Khan?s PTI will eventually merge with Asif Ali Zardari?s PPP as both parties were moving towards each other.
    ?The way things are, it seems eventually Zardari would become the chairman of PTI,? said Asif while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
    The defence minister also said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would succeed in the court of the people during the 2018 general elections.
    He added that negative politics by all opponents would be rejected.
    ?The government is fulfilling all its promises made by the PML-N during the last elections,? said Asif.
    Asif added that the masses would again bring the PML-N to power by giving it a heavy mandate during the general elections 2018.


  24. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: With the cricket fever at an all-time high ahead of the blockbuster finale, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former captain Imran Khan has thrown in his own two cents about what Pakistan should do to overpower India.
    Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the World Cup winning skipper said Pakistan should bat first and then rely on their pace attack to defend the target.
    ?Pakistan should bat first because there is no pressure batting first. Our bowling is our biggest strength. We should rely on our bowlers to defend the target,? he said.
    ?But if they [India] bat first, then chances are that India will score a lot [like last time] which will be difficult to chase.?
    ?India?s strength is playing spin. Pakistan should play on their strength which is their bowling,? he added.
    The sporting world?s biggest rivalry reignites on Sunday when a resurgent Pakistan face title holders India in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Arthur addresses team huddle/Getty Images  LONDON: Pakistan?s strategy to overpower India in the Champions Trophy finale on Sunday is simple: target the opponent?s top order, head coach Mickey Arthur has revealed.
    Pakistan bowlers have "no option" but to attack India's explosive top three and expose their middle order, Arthur told cricket.com.au ahead of the big day.
    "We have to (attack), we've got no option," he said. "We've got to try and make that new ball really work for us. We've got to try and get into them."
    ?Their middle order haven't had massive hits, they haven't batted much under pressure of late. So we've got to try and put them under extreme pressure particularly by knocking their top order over. If we can do that, we've got a real chance of getting to their underbelly," he said.
    India?s top three batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli, have been dominant in taking their team to victory in the group and knockout matches, having scored more than 250 runs each in four matches. But that has meant the middle order, comprising of Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya, have barely been required throughout the tournament.
    For Pakistan pacers, who have been lethal especially in the middle and last overs in the tournament, the Indian middle order could be just the Achilles Heel the team wants.
    16 of the 28 wickets Pakistan bowlers have taken in their past three wins have come in the second Power Play between the 10th and 40th overs.
    Pakistan pacers have been lethal especially in the middle and last overs in the tournament "Tactically we'd always spoken about our guys wanting to express themselves with the ball and wanting to attack," Arthur said.
    "(The second Power Play) historically has been a bit of a dead period where you're just trying to squeeze and contain the opposition. But what happens is you just allow the opposition to play, they keep so many wickets in hand that scores are getting too big at the back end.?
    "So we decided that we really wanted to attack those overs. That for us was key and we gave our bowlers the freedom to do that. We've got the ball to reverse swing, which is good for us because that's a massive weapon," the coach said.
    Arthur was also all praise for captain Sarfraz Ahmed.
    "Our execution has been great and we've attacked," Arthur said. "The captain has kept slips and put catchers in attacking positions and it's worked for us.?
    ?He's very positive. He's an aggressive captain and he wants to take wickets. That's how we want to play and I think that's how you have to play one-day cricket now. He encapsulates all that."


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