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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: A brave traffic warden put forth an impressive display of heroics in order to hunt down a truck involved in a hit-and-run incident.

    In a recent video, the warden can be seen hanging from the speeding truck and clinging to the door, while the truck is still racing on the road.

    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/332434f904fe48e0f2c80c8efa182782.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni8xMy8yMDE3IDE6MzQ6MzYgUE0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1ERDhnUDl1elovY05ranhNL0RFMzVBPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]
    The truck was speeding away after hitting a car with a family inside. The family at first requested to have a case registered against the driver but later on pardoned him.



  2. Waqas Dar
    A Pakistani infant has undergone a life-saving surgery in the United States after a stranger paid for his travel expenses, reported the Daily Mail on Tuesday.
    The 20-month old infant, Ibtisam Faisal, was suffering from hydrocephalus after his birth ? causing his skull to swell to 73 cm.
    The condition also made the infant unable to sleep with his eyes closed, move freely and confined him to bed.
    Local doctors had told the family of the infant in August that his only chance of survival was treatment abroad.
    Faisal?s family campaigned for months for help in raising the funds till an anonymous caller offered to fly the ailing infant and his mother to Dallas for treatment by a leading surgeon in March.
    Faisal underwent two successful brain surgeries, helping to reduce the size of his head to 63cm. Experts have expressed hope that more operations in the coming months will allow the infant to sit up and enjoy a normal life.
    'It's hard for any parent to see their baby growing up unable to do anything but lay on a bed,? said Faisal?s mother. 


  3. Waqas Dar
    India captain Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top batting spot in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings, overtaking South Africa skipper AB de Villiers, who had been No.1 since February 25, 2017.
    Kohli, following knocks of 81 not out against Pakistan and 76 not out against South Africa in the ongoing Champions Trophy, has surpassed de Villiers and Australia opener David Warner to reach the number-one spot.
    Kohli, who is now ahead of David Warner by just one point, had briefly enjoyed the top ODI ranking in January 2017.
    Australia?s pace ace Josh Hazlewood has achieved the number-one position in the bowlers? rankings for the first time in his career, displacing Protean spinner Imran Tahir to the second spot.
    The latest ICC rankings were released on Tuesday morning following the conclusion of the last round of league matches in the Champions Trophy 2017.


  4. Waqas Dar
    Dar addressing budget debate in NA ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said that target for GDP growth for fiscal 2017-18 has been set at 6 percent, adding that the current GDP growth is a t 10-year high.

    Addressing budget debate in the national assembly, Dar said that economic growth for the upcoming fiscal year is projected at 7%.
    ?The road to prosperity will continue,? said the finance minister.
    PML-N govt presents fifth budget with Rs5.1 trillion outlay
    Finance minister began speech after opposition leader's remarks criticising the government
    Budget 2017-18: Govt employees, pensioners get 10% increase
    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also announced 10% increase in the pension of retired employees, adding that ad-hoc allowance will also be given on basic salary of government employees
    Per capita income and quality of life will also improve, Dar added.
    The Pakistan Muslim League ? Nawaz (PML-N) government on May 26 had presented its fifth budget before general elections in 2018, earmarking a total of Rs 4,757 billion in expenditures for the next fiscal year.
    Dar had informed that inflation will be kept under 6% and budget deficit is projected at 4.1%. A 10% increase in pensions and salaries of government employees was also announced.
    ?Tax to GDP ratio, which was 10.1% in fiscal year 2012-13, is likely to increase to 13.2% this year," Dar had said, adding the government was targeting tax to GDP ratio of 13.7% in the year 2017-18.


  5. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Opposition parties demanded on Tuesday that a joint session of the Parliament should be called to discuss the diplomatic fallout in the Gulf region, which has resulted in Arab countries severing ties with Qatar.

    The Opposition parties held a meeting today under Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Khursheed Shah.
    Shah said that the demand regarding the joint session would be made in the National Assembly.
    The meeting of the Opposition parties came a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa left for Saudi Arabia on a visit aimed at resolving the diplomatic crisis. Before his departure, the premier chaired a consultative session at the Prime Minister House to mull Pakistan's response to the crisis.
    Last week, Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt, Bahrain and UAE, cut off all ties with Qatar on its alleged support of extremism and terrorism, as well as ties with Iran.
    The diplomatic and business boycott was later adopted by Yemen, one of the Libyan governments, Maldives and Mauritius.
    Kuwait is attempting to play the role of a mediator and hopes to diplomatically resolve the crisis.


  6. Waqas Dar
    The winning moments, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka/Getty Images  Even after all the heart-stopping moments the Pakistan cricket team has given its fans over the years, the Twitterati could not seem to get enough of Pakistan's dramatic three-wicket win against Sri Lanka on Monday. 
    Here is how the social media reacted during the final few moments of the match:


    Even the Pakistan Super League chairman Najam Sethi had to say it!
    And, finally, here's what Mohammad Amir, who stood with skipper Sarfraz Ahmed all the way to the heroic end, said:




  7. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)?s passionate supporters to refrain from assembling at the Federal Judicial Academy on Thursday, when the premier will make his appearance in front of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
    In a special message to party workers across the country, the premier said you [PML-N workers] are our strength. The prime minister also asked them to remember him in their prayers, relayed the prime minister?s special secretary Asif Kirmani on Tuesday.
    Federal Judicial Academy gets makeover ahead of PM's visit
    CDA workers are busy tending plants and paving road outside the academy
    Kirmani explained that the premier was informed of party workers? ?wishes? to assemble at the academy as a show of support.
    Also on Tuesday, banners expressing support for the prime minister sprang up in the capital?s Red Zone. They bore pictures of the premier, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz.
    The person behind putting up the posters was identified as senator Abbas Afridi. Afridi recently retired as a senator and minister in the federal government.
    Earlier on Tuesday, PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi had visited the academy ? declared the secretariat of the JIT ? to supervise 'arrangements' ahead of the premier?s appearance. Talking to Geo News, Abbasi had said party workers and leaders would wholeheartedly welcome their leader on Thursday.
    The JIT has directed the prime minister to appear before it in light of its investigation into the premier?s family?s financial dealings abroad. 


  8. Waqas Dar
    The main change in Facebook's feature is that the word limit is 130 characters. Photo: file  If you haven?t noticed already, Facebook has stolen one of Twitter?s most iconic features.
    The company has come under fire for stealing Twitter?s 140 character limit which the social media app allows its users for their pose.
    The only change in Facebook?s feature is that the limit is 130 characters.
    How to use the feature?
    While creating a post on Facebook, select coloured circles and you will notice that a status message will appear against the coloured background in huge text.

    Previously, Facebook copied the Snapchat stories feature for itself and its Instagram platform.
    Earlier, Instagram?s head of product Kevin Weil at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York said, ?If we?re being honest with ourselves, this is the way the tech industry works and frankly, it?s how all industries work?.
    However, Twitter has yet to issue an official statement in this regard. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Insaf Panel has won the intra-party polls of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
    According to the party?s chief election commissioner, Azam Swati, the Insaf Panel received 189,055 votes while the Ehtesab Panel bagged 41,647 votes.
    The members of the party ? around two million in number ? sent their votes via SMS to select the party?s hierarchy.
    PTI to hold intra-party elections on June 11
    ECP had decided to not allot PTI its election symbol due to its failure to hold intra-party elections
    The party?s present senior leadership, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, were all contesting from the Insaf Panel.
    Others who have been elected by the party members include Shah Mahmood Qureshi as the vice-chairman, Jahangir Tareen as the secretary-general, Aleem Khan as central Punjab president, Arif Alvi as Sindh president, Yar Muhammad Rind as Balochistan president and Ali Amin Gandapur as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (south) president.
    Holding of intra-party polls is mandatory for all political parties of the country according to the law.


  10. Waqas Dar
    What it's like to have a statue of yours at the Madame Tussauds?
    Well, Indian legendary singer, Asha Bhosle is actually going to experience it soon.
    Yes! Madame Tussauds New Delhi has announced that legendary singing sensation Asha Bhosle is going to join the heroes and icons at the famed attraction. 
    It was also told that the figure will be displayed in the Bollywood music zone alongside other leading singers in an interactive themed environment. 
    The zone will enable fans to sing and perform with their favourite stars ? an experience only Madame Tussauds can offer. 
    Asha Bhosle has entertained Indians with her melodious voice for over six decades will be a fantastic edition to the attraction. 
    On learning about her wax figure, Asha Bhosle excitedly said, ?I am thrilled and humbled. Thank you to Madame Tussauds and my fans for considering me for this incredible honour. Having a wax figure is a completely ecstatic feeling and it?s a new experience for me. This is the first time I have undergone a sitting and I must thank them for making it a unique and exciting experience. I am excited to see and meet my final figure when the attraction opens. Madame Tussauds is a ?one-of-a-kind? attraction and is a rage across the world and I am looking forward to the launch and opening in Delhi.?
    Asha has also been awarded the prestigious honour by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history. 



  11. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court bench, which is conducting the trial of the child domestic help Tayyaba?s torture case, summoned on Tuesday the prosecution?s witness on June 20.

    Justice Aamir Farooq also summoned the doctor who conducted the initial medical examination of Tayyaba. The records of doctors, who are a part of the medical board, should be included in the investigation, the judge ordered.
    New bench to conduct trial in Tayyaba torture case
    Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has already conducted a departmental enquiry against the accused
    The new bench, comprising Justice Farooq, is hearing the case after Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani recused himself as he had carried out a departmental inquiry against former additional district and sessions judge Raja Khurram, who along with his wife is accused of torturing 10-year-old Tayyaba.

    The investigation will continue from the point it had reached when Justice Kayani was hearing the case, ruled Justice Farooq. 
    The hearing was adjourned till June 20. 


  12. Waqas Dar
    After making their way to the list of world?s highest-paid celebrities list released by Forbes magazine in 2016, few Bollywood actors have featured on this list again.
    So, any guesses who these actors are?
    Wait, let us enlighten you.
    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar have featured on the list again and have been joined by Salman Khan this year.



    SRK has jumped from 86th in the rankings last time to 65th this year, with earnings of $38 million while Akshay, who was 94th last time, is ranked 80th with $35.5 million earnings, according to the list released by the magazine on Monday.

    Salman made an entry in the list, ranked 71st with earnings of $37 million.
    Shah Rukh makes the list despite not having a great year at the box office by his standards, with 'Fan' flopping at the box office and 'Dear Zindagi' being just a cameo appearance.

    But, Akshay Kumar had the brilliant year of 2016, with all of his films, ?Rustom?, ?Airlift? and ?Housefull 3? reaching the 100-crore mark at the box office.
    Salman?s only release, ?Sultan? was the second highest grossing film of the year after ?Dangal.?




  13. Waqas Dar
    Sony unveiled a new Spider-man game for its Playstation video console on Monday. Photo: Sony  LOS ANGELES: Sony unveiled a new Spider-man game for its Playstation video console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles on Monday.
    Spider-man, due for release in 2018, is being developed by Insomniac Games, the group behind PlayStation offerings such as Resistance and Ratchet & Clank.
    "The future is here and it´s now with PlayStation 4 Pro and PS VR," said Shawn Layden, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, unveiling the Spider-man game.
    Virtual reality (VR) is fast becoming the new battleground in the gaming world with developers seeking to win over fans with immersive headsets and accessories.
    Sony Corp said last week it had sold more than one million units of its virtual reality headset globally, and was boosting production.
    Sony also announced at E3 that the cult game Shadow of the Colossus will get a high-definition remake for PlayStation 4. This game and the next God of War edition are set to be released next year.


  14. Waqas Dar
    The winning moment CARDIFF: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed hopes the team´s "high confidence" in Cardiff will stand them in good stead when they return to the Welsh capital to face England in a Champions Trophy semi-final on Wednesday.
    It will be Pakistan´s second key match at Sophia Gardens in a matter of days after a tense three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka there on Monday saw them into the last four of a tournament featuring the world´s top eight one-day international (ODI) sides.
    Pakistan, chasing a seemingly modest 237 for victory, were on the brink of defeat at 137 for six.
    But Sarfraz made Sri Lanka pay for dropping him twice with a superb 61 not out and received excellent support from Mohammad Amir (28 not out) in a decisive and unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 75.
    Incredible Sarfraz, Amir take Pakistan to Champions Trophy semifinals
    Pakistan pacers cleaned up Sri Lanka for 236
    It was Sarfraz´s second impressive innings at Cardiff after the wicket-keeper´s 90 on the same ground last year saw Pakistan chase down a target of 303 against England in a four-wicket win that prevented a 5-0 ODI series whitewash.
    "We played the last ODI here. We win that time, we chased 300, so definitely our confidence is very high playing in Cardiff," Sarfraz told reporters after Monday´s nailbiting triumph.
    ´Positive cricket´
    England, however, have arguably improved their white-ball game even more since that series.
    They´ve won 11 of their last 12 matches at this level, a far cry from their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup, and Eoin Morgan´s men were the only side to exit the group stage of the Champions Trophy with a perfect played three, won three, record.
    "England is a very good team, a very, very good team," said Sarfraz of the tournament hosts.
    "If you are playing a world-class team, definitely, you play more positive cricket, so we will do so against England," he added.
    But Sri Lanka might well have won had they dismissed Sarfraz, with Thisara Perera guilty of dropping a simple catch at mid-on when he had made 38.
    "If we had held those catches, it would have been a different story," said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.
    Pakistan certainly made far harder work than they ought to have done of getting to the knockout stage in a winner-takes-all clash given they held Sri Lanka to 236 all out, with pacemen Junaid Khan (three for 40) and Hasan Ali (three for 43) doing the bulk of the damage.
    "I think it´s a great win today, and credit goes to the bowlers, who bowled really well at a crucial time," said Sarfraz.
    "Yes, there is a little bit of concern about the middle order batting, but we will sort out the problems."
    A two-day turnaround does not leave much time to address such issues but, then again, Pakistan only needed three days to bounce back from a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals and title-holders India in their tournament opener before defeating top-ranked South Africa.
    Roy worry
    If Pakistan have middle-order concerns, the big decision facing England is whether to drop opener Jason Roy, whose latest low score against Australia means he has now managed just 51 runs in eight ODI innings this season.
    Morgan, previously unstinting in his praise of Surrey batsman Roy, was not quite so effusive after a win at Edgbaston on Sunday where England slumped to 35 for three before their captain´s 87 and Ben Stokes´s 102 not out bailed them out, with the duo sharing a stand of 159.
    Question mark prevails over Roy's inclusion in the semi-final game/Getty Images  "It´s unfortunate that Jason didn´t get runs," said Morgan.
    "We revisit it every game, everybody´s position, whether it can be changed around, can we do anything better?"
    England do have the in-form Jonny Bairstow waiting in the wings.
    Although he has never opened in ODIs, Bairstow did make 174 at the top of the order for Yorkshire against Durham in a domestic 50-over match this season.
    Roy apart, England appear to have all bases covered as they go in search of their first major ODI tournament title, with key fast bowler Mark Wood summing up their mood by saying: "It´s great to be part of a team with so many game-changers ... so many match-winners, with bat or ball."


  15. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: An anti-diabetic drug that lowers blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes patients also significantly cuts the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease, according to a study published Monday.
    The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, came in a clinical trial of more than 10,000 patients in 30 countries, using canagliflozin.
    It found the drug reduced the overall risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent and reduced the risk of heart failure hospitalization by 33 percent. It was also shown to have a significant impact -- 40 percent less -- on the progression of a serious kidney decline.
    The George Institute for Global Health study has major implications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, which affects around 450 million people worldwide, the authors said.
    "Coronary heart disease is the biggest killer by far for people with type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest not only does canagliflozin significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, it also has many other benefits too," said the group´s Bruce Neal.
    "We found it also reduced blood pressure and led to weight loss.
    "Type 2 diabetes is growing rapidly all over the world and we need drugs that not only deal with glucose levels, but also protect many millions of people from the very real risks of stroke and heart attack."
    The study was presented at the American Diabetes Association Conference in San Diego.
    The findings were cited as particularly relevant to Australia where around 65 percent of cardiovascular deaths occur in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and diabetes is also the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease.
    "Both patients and physicians should be tremendously reassured by the results," said co-author Vlado Perkovic, executive director of The George Institute Australia.
    "It not only reduces the risk of heart disease, it also provides real protection against kidney decline, which affects many people with diabetes."
    However, a significant downside of using the drug was that it doubled the risk of amputation of a toe, foot or leg.
    Diabetes can cause a narrowing of blood vessels between the knee and the toes, causing a decrease in oxygen circulation that prevents healing.
    Canagliflozin works by blocking the body´s reabsorption of sugar or glucose. This results in more glucose being released in urine and a drop in glucose levels. Most other diabetes drugs work by managing insulin levels.
    Neal added: "We don´t know why there was an increased risk of amputation, and further work is needed in this area."


  16. Waqas Dar
    Want a doll that looks, moves and feels almost exactly like a newborn? Or how about a baby Avatar, or a half human-half piglet?
    The whole range was on display at a trade fair in Bilbao, northern Spain showcasing "Reborn Babies" made by Spanish company Babyclon, one of a small number of firms worldwide that cater to a particular subculture of collectors who value the dolls' unsettling realism.
    Some of the basic silicone dolls cost almost 600 euros ($670), while high-end models equipped with motors that make the doll appear to breathe or suck on a pacifier cost nearly 5,000 euros.
    As well as human babies, and ones that look like the blue aliens from the film "Avatar", the company makes baby chimpanzees, tiny mermaids, and infants with elf-style pointed ears.


  17. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/55c3bae513ebce12fdb1f1d2fcf3c00b.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni8xMy8yMDE3IDY6NTI6MjMgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1CcHJ4SFdXRFRJRXhlN2tpTGh2cDh3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center] MULTAN: A 20-year-old labourer was killed when a roof of an under-construction building collapsed in Sheedi Lal Pull area on Tuesday.

    Four labourers were injured in the incident.
    Rescue 1122 team reached the site and shifted the injured and deceased to Nishtar Hospital.
    The roof collapsed as substandard material was used to make it.
    On May 3, a child was killed and six others were injured when the roof of a house fell at Ranchore Line.
    One dead, four injured in roof collapse incident in Karachi
    According to Geo News, the injured residents of the unfortunate one-storey house built on a Nullah, were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital
    Rescue services said that the iron roof of the house was rusted and it fell on the family living in the house. Only one person in the family remained unharmed.
    The injured have been transferred to the Civil Hospital.
    Ranchore Line is an old city area where rickety buildings are a common sight.


  18. Waqas Dar
    If you think that only you can have your wardrobe updated and have fashion sense, then you're totally wrong.


    Game of Thrones is may be ahead of you as it once again updates its wardrobe and it's super exciting!

    As new photos surface from Season 7, it's evident that Game of Thrones keeps upping the ante in the costume design department.


    Have a look!









  19. Waqas Dar
    Assassin's Creed is taking the serial's storyline back to an ancient world and overhauling play to reignite its top franchise. Photo: Assassin's Creed LOS ANGELES: Ubisoft´s blockbuster Assassin´s Creed video game is heading for Egypt, taking the serial´s storyline back to an ancient world and overhauling play to reignite its top franchise.

    The French video game star took last year off after hitting the market with annual releases and boasting overall sales of more than 110 million copies of the game since it first launched in 2007.
    A cooling in fan interest appeared to prompt a step back, and an investment by Ubisoft to revitalise it was unveiled at a press event Monday ahead of the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.
    Work on Assassin´s Creed: Origins began nearly four years ago, and included overhauling the combat system and building artificial intelligence into all of the non-player characters, according to game producer Julien Laferriere.
    Every character has a "life" of its own, tending to work, worship, family, meals and other daily routines that players can take into account while on missions, an early glimpse at the game showed.
    Players are also free to explore a virtual version of all of Egypt in 49 BC, during the rise of Cleopatra to the throne.
    "It is a part of world history we have wanted to do for a long time," Laferriere said. "We wanted to be as authentic as we could."
    Players get to climb pyramids, explore beneath the Sphinx, and learn the origins of the brotherhood of assassins, whose deadly fight with the order of Templars is at the core of the franchise that segues from one generation of master assassin to another.
    "Fans will have a front row seat to the formation of the brotherhood," Laferriere promised.
    Ubisoft hopes Origins will energise long-time fans and win new players at the start of the story in a game that has become fodder for books and films.
    Versions of Origins tailored for play on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows-powered personal computers will be released on October 27.
    South Park and Mario
    Assassin´s Creed was among a diverse line-up Ubisoft is showing off this week at E3.
    Ubisoft offerings spanned genres, from action shooters such as Far Cry 5, to sports, dance, piracy, a space monkey, and virtual reality.
    A Fractured But Whole based on an irreverent South Park animated television series opens with well-known children characters obsessed with being super heroes sneaking into a strip club to solve the mystery of a missing cat.
    Their weapons include flatulence and firecrackers.
    "The South Park universe doesn´t take itself too seriously, so you can be satirical," game director Jason Schroeder told AFP while providing a peek at the game, which also releases on October 17.
    "You can take the notion of something like a strip club and turn it on its head."
    Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto joined Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot on stage at a press event to unveil an innovative alliance with Nintendo to unite its zany Rabbids with beloved Mario in a game.
    "I have been excited to see what kind of humor the Rabbids could bring to the Mario world," Miyamoto said through an interpreter.
    Getting into heads
    The game maker continued its tradition of embracing hardware innovations, showing off games crafted for Nintendo´s hot-selling and tough to find Switch consoles as well as the budding virtual reality gear market.
    "We have been experimenting with virtual reality for several year," said Ubisoft partnerships vice president Chris Early.
    "Though it is not taking off as fast as any of us would like, it is providing some great learning about what it means for having fun."
    A Transference game being readied by Ubisoft´s studio in Montreal for release next year used Oculus Rift head gear to put players into the mind of a psychological trauma victim.
    The thriller game challenges them to relive memories and solve the puzzle of what happened, a demonstration showed.
    "We all have secrets that we don´t want anyone to discover," said executive director Caroline Martin of Ubisoft Montreal.
    "So, what would happen when a stranger comes into the digital equivalent of another mind? It is a powerful and very personal experience."


  20. Waqas Dar
    US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday he would present options on Afghanistan to President Donald Trump "very soon," adding the strategy would take a regional approach rather than looking at the war-torn country in isolation.
    The situation in Afghanistan, which US military officials acknowledge is in a stalemate almost 16 years since the war started, has deteriorated in recent months.
    A truck-bomb explosion in Kabul last month killed more than 150 people, making it the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.
    In some cases, Afghan security forces have been forced to abandon more scattered and rural bases, and the government can claim to control or influence only 57 percent of the country, according to US military estimates earlier this year.
    "We are taking a regional approach to this," Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee. "We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon."
    Mattis said a request by General John Nicholson, the head of US and international forces in Afghanistan, for additional troops would mostly be made up of troops who would train, advise and assist Afghan forces, potentially putting them with Afghan forces at the brigade level.
    "It's a fundamental change to how we bring our, what I would call our real superiority, in terms of air support," Mattis said.
    At the same hearing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford said he had gone to Mattis and Trump with "some options that might be considered" in order to help improve the security situation in Afghanistan.
    Reuters reported in late April that Trump's administration was carrying out a review of Afghanistan and conversations were revolving around sending between 3,000 and 5,000 US and coalition troops there.
    Deliberations include giving more authorities to forces on the ground and taking more aggressive action against Taliban fighters.
    Some US officials questioned the benefit of sending more troops to Afghanistan because any politically palatable number would not be enough to turn the tide, much less create stability and security. To date, more than 2,300 Americans have been killed and over 17,000 wounded.
    On Saturday, three US soldiers were killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan.


  21. Waqas Dar
    President Donald Trump suffered another legal setback on Monday as a second federal appeals court refused to revive his travel ban on people entering the United States from six Muslim-majority nations in a dispute headed to the US Supreme Court.
    The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals used narrow grounds to reject the Trump administration's bid to undo a Hawaii federal judge's decision blocking the temporary ban. It said the Republican president's March 6 order violated existing immigration law. But the three-judge panel - all Democratic appointees - did not address whether it was unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims.
    A second court, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, on May 25 upheld a Maryland judge's ruling that also blocked Trump's 90-day ban on travellers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
    The 4th Circuit had ruled that the ban, which replaced an earlier Jan. 27 one also blocked by the courts, "drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination" aimed at Muslims.
    The 9th Circuit largely left in place a nationwide injunction by Judge Derrick Watson that stopped parts of the order, which Trump said was urgently needed to prevent terrorism in the United States. That ruling came in a lawsuit challenging the order brought by the state of Hawaii, which stated the ban would harm its universities and tourism industry.
    Even before Monday's ruling, the case was on the fast track to the Supreme Court, where the administration on June 1 filed an emergency request seeking to reinstate the order and hear its appeal of the 4th Circuit ruling. The Supreme Court could act on the administration's request as soon as this week.
    Trump has been on the losing side in all four court rulings on the March order. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the administration is reviewing Monday's decision and expressed continued confidence that the order is fully lawful and ultimately will be upheld by the Supreme Court.
    "I think we can all attest that these are very dangerous times and we need every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and committing acts of bloodshed and violence," Spicer told a briefing.
    The 9th Circuit upheld the block on Trump's three-month travel ban for the six countries and four-month suspension of all refugee admissions. But the court pared back part of Watson's injunction in order to allow the government to conduct internal reviews on vetting procedures for these travellers.
    The administration said the travel ban was needed to allow time to implement stronger vetting measures, although it has already rolled out some new requirements not blocked by courts, including additional questions for visa applicants.
    Rather than focusing on Trump campaign statements as the Virginia-based court did, the 9th Circuit said the language in the executive order itself did not make a rational case for why a travel ban was needed.
    "The order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality," the court wrote, referring the combined populations of the six countries.
    Attractive way
    Under immigration law, the administration was required to make findings that entry of the people in question would be detrimental to the United States but failed to do so, the court said.
    Stephen Vladeck, a professor at University of Texas School of Law, said the 9th Circuit provided an easier path for the Supreme Court to keep the travel ban on hold, because it avoided entirely the controversy over Trump's campaign statements.
    "It provides a very attractive way to leave the injunction in place without setting broader doctrinal rules about which they may have pause," Vladeck said.
    Monday was the deadline for the ban's challengers to respond to the administration's request that the order be allowed to go into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents people challenging the ban in the separate Maryland suit handled by the 4th Circuit, filed court papers urging the court not to take up the case, saying the order will become moot on Wednesday, 90 days from when Trump issued it.
    Lawyers for Hawaii called the order a "thinly veiled Muslim ban."
    Trump's earlier Jan. 27 order also included Iraq among the countries targeted and a total ban on refugees from Syria. The March order was intended to overcome the legal issues posed by the original ban but was blocked before it could go into effect on March 16.
    The suits by Hawaii and the Maryland challengers argued that the order violated federal immigration law and a section of the Constitution's First Amendment that prohibits the government from favouring or disfavoring any particular religion.
    Hawaii's court papers mentioned a series of Trump Twitter posts on June 5. Trump described the order as a "watered down, politically correct" version of his original one.


  22. Waqas Dar
    The cabinet meeting on June 12, 2017. Photo: Reuters  WASHINGTON: They came to praise President Donald Trump, not focus on the controversies engulfing him.
    One by one, Trump's Cabinet members assembled around the table spoke effusively about the president as he sat beaming, soaking it all in at the first formal gathering of his most senior officials at the White House on Monday.
    The lavishing of praise and adulation contrasted with the storm enveloping the president as he struggles with myriad crises, including an investigation into possible ties between his election campaign and Russian meddling in the race.
    For him, the meeting was a welcome rendering of what he feels are major accomplishments ignored by his detractors, even though major legislative achievements have eluded him thus far.
    There was no one more gushing than White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who is frequently the target of criticism from long-time Trump advisers and is often see as just one misstep away from being ousted, even though rumors of his departure have all proved to be premature.
    "On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr President, we thank you for the honor and the blessing that you?ve given us to serve your agenda and the American people and we?re continuing to work very hard every day to accomplish those goals," Priebus said.
    Trump used the meeting to try to show a sense of momentum for his agenda after weeks of being engulfed in controversy over his May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was heading the Russia investigation.
    ?We?ve been about as active as you can possibly be and at a just about record pace,? he said. "In just a very short time we are seeing amazing results. People are surprised. It?s kicking in very fast.?
    But one of his greatest adversaries, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, put together a mock video of a meeting with his staff with aides praising Schumer.
    "Michelle, how'd my hair look coming out of the gym this morning?" Schumer asks, turning to one staffer.
    "You have great hair. Nobody has better hair than you," Michelle said.
    Priebus was not alone in using the opportunity to praise Trump.
    ?It is the greatest privilege of my life to serve as vice president. The president is keeping his word to the American people," said Vice President Mike Pence.
    Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, noting the comments from other officials who said they had recently been abroad, noted wryly: ?While we are bragging about international travel I just got back from Mississippi and they like you there.?
    US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who as governor of South Carolina had endorsed Trump opponent Marco Rubio last year, called it "a new day at the United Nations" with Trump in power.
    "We now have a very strong voice. People know what the United States is for. They know what we are against. And they see us in a new way across the board. I think the international community knows we are back," she said.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Panama's metro is seen in the foreground of the skyline of Panama City April 10, 2014. Photo: Reuters   Panama has established diplomatic ties with China and broken with Taiwan in a major victory for Beijing, which continues to lure away the dwindling number of countries that have formal relations with the self-ruled island.
    Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a televised address on Monday that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal.
    "I'm convinced that this is the correct path for our country," Varela said.
    Taiwan's government said it was sorry and angry over Panama's decision, and said it would not compete with China in what it described as a "diplomatic money game".
    "Our government expresses serious objections and strong condemnation in response to China enticing Panama to cut ties with us, confining our international space and offending the people of Taiwan," David Lee, Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs, told a briefing in Taipei.
    Taiwan would immediately end cooperation with and assistance for Panama, and evacuate embassy and technical personnel "in order to safeguard our national sovereignty and dignity", Lee said.
    China is deeply suspicious of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who it thinks wants to push for the island's formal independence, although she says she wants to maintain peace with Beijing.
    China and Taiwan have tried to poach each other's allies over the years, often dangling generous aid packages in front of developing nations, although Taipei struggles to compete with an increasingly powerful China.
    Panama is the second country to switch its recognition to Beijing since Tsai took office last year, following a similar move by Sao Tome and Principe in December, trimming to 20 the number of countries that formally recognise Taiwan.
    Taiwan had as many as 30 diplomatic allies in the mid-1990s, and its remaining formal ties are with mostly smaller and poorer nations in Latin America and the Pacific.
    China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his counterpart from Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo, in Beijing on Tuesday and signed a joint communiqué establishing ties.
    "This is a historic moment. China-Panama relations have opened a new chapter," Wang said, describing Panama's decision as in "complete accordance" with its people's interests and "in keeping with the times".
    "The two countries' governments agreed to develop good friendly relations on the principles of mutual respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.
    Chinese largesse 
    Panama's government said in a statement that it recognised there was only one China, with Taiwan belonging to the Asian giant, and that it was severing ties with Taipei.
    "The Panamanian government is today breaking its 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan, and pledges to end all relations or official contact with Taiwan," the statement said.
    The establishment of links with Panama is a coup for China, which has been showering largesse on countries throughout Central America in recent years in an attempt to get them to break ties with Taiwan.
    As recently as December, Panama's deputy foreign minister had said he did not expect any change in Panama's relations with Taiwan or China.
    Panama is one of Taiwan's oldest friends, but some diplomats in Beijing had speculated that the Central American country could become the next nation to break ties.
    Tsai visited Central American allies earlier this year but did not stop in Panama.
    In Beijing, Panama's foreign minister de Saint Malo said President Varela had expressed 10 years ago his interest in establishing ties with China, and that she hoped the move would lead to trade, investment and tourism opportunities, especially for "exporting more goods from Panama to China".
    Monday's diplomatic move could also raise questions about the future of a Chinese-backed project to build another Central American waterway to rival the Panama Canal in Nicaragua.
    Earmarked at a cost of $50 billion, the Nicaraguan scheme was met with widespread incredulity when it was announced in 2013, and critics have raised questions about its feasibility.


  24. Waqas Dar
    RIYADH: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday met with the Saudi cabinet to discuss the country's stance on the Gulf crisis, Saudi media reported.
    The Saudi cabinet expressed satisfaction on Qatar-related decisions.
    Pakistan hopes Gulf countries? impasse will be resolved soon: PM
    ?Hopeful that conflict will be resolved in best interest of Muslim Brotherhood?
    Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain led a string of countries that last week cut ties with Qatar over what they say is the emirate´s financing of extremist groups and its ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia´s regional arch-rival.
    On Thursday the four countries issued a list of individuals and entities they said had "terrorist" links to Qatar, in their first joint statement since severing ties with Doha.
    The group said the list shows Qatar "announces fighting terrorism on one hand and finances and supports and hosts different terrorist organisations on the other hand."
    Qatar can defend economy and currency, says finance minister
    He added that the countries which had imposed sanctions would also lose money because of the damage to business in the region
    But the document contains at least two names already designated internationally as terrorist financiers, and against whom Qatar took action, according to a previous US Department of State report.
    Qatar strongly denied the earlier allegations and expressed a willingness to engage in talks to resolve the crisis.
    The Saudi cabinet's meeting included discussions on the visits of international leaders including Kuwaiti Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visits to the Kingdom.

    The discussion also included telephonic conversations between US President Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, and French President Emmanuel Macron.




  25. Waqas Dar
    Some six million Americans watched the Tony Awards on television on Sunday, down sharply from last year's televised ceremony when pop culture juggernaut "Hamilton" dominated the show.
    CBS said on Monday that 6.1 million people watched Sunday's three-hour awards show, broadcast from New York's Radio City Music Hall, where a revival of musical "Hello Dolly!" and new teenage angst musical "Dear Evan Hansen" were the big winners.
    This year's TV audience marked a more than 30 percent drop from 2016's television audience of 8.7 million viewers - a 15-year high for the annual awards show celebrating the best of American theater.
    The audience in advertisers' coveted 18- to 49-year-old demographic tumbled even more steeply, by about 44 percent, the data showed.
    "Hamilton," a musical that tells the history of America's founding fathers through hip-hop lyrics and casts African-American and Latino actors in the roles of figures like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, won 11 Tony Awards in 2016.
    Already the hottest ticket on Broadway, productions of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical have now opened or are about to open in Chicago, Los Angeles, and London.
    On Sunday, "Dear Evan Hansen" won six Tonys, and "Hello Dolly!" starring Bette Midler, took home four awards in a ceremony hosted by Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey.
    Spacey, who spent much of the show joking about not being the first choice for the job, got mixed reviews.
    The New York Times deemed it an "uneven night," and Variety said Spacey "fell flat," while the Los Angeles Times said Spacey was "sweet, corny and touching."


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