FundayForum
Register
Forum Blogs Gallery Files Poetry Books
Portal Facebook YouTube Twitter
👀 You are watching:
Jump to content
👉 Click here to explore Remote Jobs, Work From Home & Global News – USA 🇺🇸 | UK 🇬🇧 | Canada 🇨🇦 | Pakistan 🇵🇰 ×
🚫 Guest Access Notice ×
LIVE UPDATES

Waqas Dar

🔥 Admin/Core Authority
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    11,281

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    552

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/f3e15573bb32c0458207893286b6cad7.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni83LzIwMTcgNTozMTowNiBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPVFmV2p3NWNoZ3F3bWlPYnZ4VCs3d2c9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center]
    KARACHI: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the prime minister?s family?s global financial dealings submitted its interim report to the Supreme Court today.

    The Supreme Court bench ? formed on May 2 to oversee the JIT?s work in light of the apex court?s April 20 judgment ? is headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprises Justices Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Ijazul Ahsan.
    In its judgment in the Panama case, the court had given the JIT 60 days to complete its probe and ordered for submission of fortnightly progress reports. The bench had finalised the JIT members on May 6.
    Supreme Court satisfied with JIT's progress in Panama case
    Special three-member bench reviewed JIT's findings; rejects PTI's plea to make them public
    On May 22, the JIT had submitted its first progress report, for which the bench had expressed its satisfaction and allowed the high-profile probe team to continue its investigation. During that hearing, a request by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to make the report public was rejected by the court, which observed that it will do so when it deems necessary.
    Earlier on Wednesday, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director-General Wajid Zia, who is heading the JIT, reached the court to submit the progress report to the bench. 
    Other JIT members are also expected to be present at the proceedings.
    Controversies
    Tale of Whatsapp caller and the Panama JIT
    ISLAMABAD: Using Whatsapp, a caller introduced himself as the Registrar Supreme Court and told the top bosses of the State Bank of Pakistan and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to...
    However, since the last progress report was submitted, the probe has been marred by several controversies. 
    A news report published in The News revealed that a person claiming to be the Supreme Court registrar had surreptitiously contacted the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and asked for specific persons to be included in the list of potential JIT members. The prime minister?s son, Hussain Nawaz, had raised questions of bias against one of the SECP officials who made it to the probe team. However, those objections were not entertained by the court.
    Moreover, a picture of Hussain during his first visit to the JIT on May 28 was leaked to the media recently, raising questions on the credibility of the JIT?s work. In the picture, Hussain can be seen inside a room with no other pieces of furniture except for the chair he is sitting on and a table beside it. Opposition parties claimed the government itself leaked the picture to gain sympathy, however the Interior Ministry denied those claims.
    Picture of Hussain Nawaz waiting before JIT session goes viral
    PML-N workers question who leaked the photo taken from a CCTV in Federal Judicial Academy
    The most recent controversy surrounding the JIT stemmed from former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz?s recent threats against the ?those investigating the prime minister?s family?. 
    Senator Nehal Hashmi, who was the PML-N?s Sindh general secretary when he made the comments a week ago, is facing contempt charges in the Supreme Court for ?threatening the families of judges? after the court took a suo motu notice of his remarks.
    SC serves contempt notice to Nehal Hashmi, compares outburst with mafia threats
    Former PML-N member's outburst cost him his Senate seat, party membership
    Progress
    Since May 22, the JIT has summoned Hussain Nawaz four times and the premier?s younger son, Hassan, only once.
    Moreover, sources said, the SECP has submitted all the pertinent record related to the Sharif family?s business, including documents of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case. The affidavit of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar with regards to the case ? recorded in front of a sessions judge during the tenure of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf ? has also been submitted with the JIT. However, that statement, said to be damaging for the Sharif family, was later retracted by Dar.
    The JIT has also received a response from Qatari prince Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani after writing to him twice to record his statement. The Sharif family had earlier submitted a letter by the Qatari prince in the Supreme Court aiding the premier?s defence of his money trail. In his reply to the JIT?s summons, the prince has said he cannot travel to Pakistan but is willing to record his statement with the JIT via other means.
    The JIT also summoned National Bank President Saeed Ahmad and questioned him for around 12 hours.
    Qatari prince?s letter
    Former Senator Saifur Rehman ? a close aide of the prime minister ? has said that as the Qatari prince has verified the contents of his letter to the JIT, there is no need for him to come to Pakistan.
    Speaking on Geo News? show told Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath on Tuesday night, Rehman said the royal family member has no issues recording his statement with the JIT if they visit Doha.
    The JIT
    The Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad where the JIT is working from. Photo: File The six-member JIT comprises its head, Zia, Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan, SECP?s Executive Director Communication Bilal Rasool, Irfan Naeem Mangi of National Accountability Bureau, Brigadier Nauman Saeed of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Brigadier Kamran Khurshid from the Military Intelligence.
    The Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad has been declared as the secretariat of the JIT.


  2. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/f3e15573bb32c0458207893286b6cad7.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ni83LzIwMTcgNTozMTowNiBBTSZoYXNoX3ZhbHVlPVFmV2p3NWNoZ3F3bWlPYnZ4VCs3d2c9PSZ2YWxpZG1pbnV0ZXM9NjAmaWQ9MQ== style=center]
    KARACHI: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the prime minister?s family?s global financial dealings will submit its mid-term report to the Supreme Court today.

    The Supreme Court bench ? formed on May 2 to oversee the JIT?s work in light of the apex court?s April 20 judgment ? is headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprises Justices Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Ijazul Ahsan.
    In its judgment in the Panama case, the court had given the JIT 60 days to complete its probe and ordered for submission of regular progress reports. The JIT's members were finalised on May 6.
    Supreme Court satisfied with JIT's progress in Panama case
    Special three-member bench reviewed JIT's findings; rejects PTI's plea to make them public
    On May 22, the JIT had submitted its first progress report, for which the bench had expressed its satisfaction and allowed the high-profile probe team to continue its probe. During that hearing, a request by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to make the report public was rejected by the court, which observed that it will make the progress report public when it deems necessary.
    During today?s hearing, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director-General Wajid Zia, who is heading the JIT, will submit the progress report to the bench. Other JIT members are also expected to be present at the proceedings
    Controversies
    Tale of Whatsapp caller and the Panama JIT
    ISLAMABAD: Using Whatsapp, a caller introduced himself as the Registrar Supreme Court and told the top bosses of the State Bank of Pakistan and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to...
    However, since then, the JIT has been marred by several controversies. A news report published in The News revealed that a person claiming to be the Supreme Court registrar had contacted the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and asked for specific persons to be included in the list of potential JIT members. The prime minister?s son, Hussain Nawaz, had raised questions of bias against one of those SECP officials who made it to the probe team. However, those objections were not entertained by the court.
    Moreover, a picture of Hussain during his first visit to the JIT on May 28 was leaked to the media recently, raising questions on the credibility of the JIT?s work. In the picture, Hussain can be seen waiting inside a room with no other pieces of furniture except for the chair he is sitting on and a table beside it.
    Picture of Hussain Nawaz waiting before JIT session goes viral
    PML-N workers question who leaked the photo taken from a CCTV in Federal Judicial Academy
    The most recent controversy surrounding the JIT stemmed from former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz?s recent outburst against the ?those investigating the prime minister?s family?. Senator Nehal Hashmi, who was the PML-N?s Sindh general secretary when he made the comments a week ago, is facing contempt charges in the Supreme Court for ?threatening the families of judges? after the court took a suo motu notice of his remarks.
    SC serves contempt notice to Nehal Hashmi, compares outburst with mafia threats
    Former PML-N member's outburst cost him his Senate seat, party membership
    Progress
    Since May 22, the JIT has summoned Hussain Nawaz four times and the premier?s younger son, Hassan, only once.
    Moreover, sources said, the SECP has submitted all the pertinent record related to the Sharif family?s business, including documents of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case. The affidavit of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar with regards to the case ? recorded to a sessions judge during the tenure of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf ? has also been submitted with the JIT. However, that statement, said to be damaging for the Sharif family, was later retracted by Dar.
    The JIT has also received a response from Qatari prince Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani after writing to him twice to record his statement. The Sharif family had earlier submitted a letter by the Qatari prince in the Supreme Court aiding the premier?s defence of his money trail. In his reply to the JIT?s summons, the prince has said he cannot travel to Pakistan but is willing to record his statement with the JIT via other means.
    The JIT also summoned National Bank President Saeed Ahmad and questioned him for around 12 hours.
    Qatari prince?s letter
    Former Senator Saifur Rehman ? a close aide of the prime minister ? has said that as the Qatari prince has verified the contents of his letter to the JIT, there is no need for him to come to Pakistan.
    Speaking on Geo News? show told Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Rehman said the royal family member has no issues recording his statement with the JIT if they visit Doha.
    The JIT
    The Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad where the JIT is working from. Photo: File The six-member JIT comprises its head, Zia, Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan, SECP?s Executive Director Communication Bilal Rasool, Irfan Naeem Mangi of National Accountability Bureau, Brigadier Nauman Saeed of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Brigadier Kamran Khurshid from the Military Intelligence.
    The Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad has been declared as the secretariat of the JIT.


  3. Waqas Dar
    Pavel Brezina (L), owner of Nirvana Autogyro company, prepares his autogyro at the airport near Prerov city in the Czech Republic on May 17, 2017. Photo: AFP BOCHOR: As global automakers compete to bring the first flying car to market, Czech pilot Pavel Brezina is trying a different tack: instead of creating a car that flies, he has made a "GyroDrive" -- a mini helicopter you can drive.
    The engineer and owner of Nirvana Systems, a company producing motors for small flying machines, insists his vehicle is the first in the world authorised to operate both on roads and in the air.
    "This is the only road certified flying vehicle I know about," Brezina told AFP in a hangar at the Prerov-Bochor airport in the eastern Czech Republic.
    "Everyone is trying to make a high-speed car that can fly, but this is a different thing," said the tall, bespectacled 51-year-old, who has 30 years experience as a pilot under his belt.
    His GyroDrive vehicle is based on a gyroplane -- a mini-helicopter -- that uses a copter-style rotor to move up and down, and an aeroplane-type "pusher propeller" to go forward.
    Brezina´s company buys gyroplane kits from a German firm, and then assembles and equips them with a system allowing the pilot-driver to switch between a petrol engine propelling the rotors and an electric engine that drives the wheels.
    Pavel Brezina (L), owner of Nirvana Autogyro company, flies with his autogyro at the airport near Pribram city in the Czech Republic. Photo: AFP The two-seat GyroDrive has a maximum driving speed of just 40 kph (25 mph) and can take its crew of two on short drives to a petrol station or a hotel.
    It needs less than 100 metres (110 yars) to take- off and reaches a top speed of 180 kph in the air. Its flying range is 600 kilometres.
    After landing, the pilot only has to fix the main rotor blades along the axis of the GyroDrive and pull out a built-in licence plate to transform it into a road vehicle.
    Prices start at 1.5 million koruna (57,000 euros, $63,500), but they can reach four million koruna, depending on specifications.
    ´Robust testing´
    While Brezina is already planning to take his wife -- also a pilot -- and two children to London aboard GyroDrives, inventors worldwide are frantically working on prototypes of cars that fly.
    Pavel Brezina, owner of Nirvana Autogyro company, tanks petrol to his autogyro at a gas station near Pribram city in the Czech Republic. Photo: AFP In neighbouring Slovakia, the AeroMobil company says it has received dozens of orders from customers for a flying car expected to hit the market in 2020.
    "We want to build a vehicle that will not only be able to fly and drive but also fulfill each technical and legal requirement," says AeroMobil CEO Juraj Vaculik, touting "a robust testing programme".
    He told AFP that AeroMobil initially plans to produce 500 units of its winged car, which uses a turbo propeller to get off the ground.
    The AeroMobil is expected to reach a top ground speed of 160 kph and up to 360 kph in the air, with a flying and driving range of some 700 kilometres.
    In mid-May, Japan´s Toyota also unveiled plans to launch a three-wheel flying car dubbed SkyDrive using retractable wings and drone technology.
    The vehicle is expected to have a top flight speed of around 100 kph, hovering around 10 metres off the ground. It will have a top land speed around 150 kph.
    Silicon Valley flying car startup, Kitty Hawk, reportedly backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, released a video in April of its airborne prototype and announced plans for deliveries of a "personal flying machine" this year.
    Other firms, including ride-sharing service Uber, also have soaring ambitions for their flying car prototypes.
    Not for everyone
    Brezina got the licence plates for his GyroDrive in March, three years after starting the project.
    Pavel Brezina, owner of Nirvana Autogyro company, tanks petrol to his autogyro at a gas station near Pribram city in the Czech Republic. Photo: AFP For his first trip, he flew some 230 kilometres west to an airport on the outskirts of Prague, then drove downtown to have a cup of coffee in the Czech capital´s central Wenceslas Square -- and got stopped by the police on the way.
    "Well, if you saw this driving through Prague, wouldn´t you stop it? I would," chuckles Brezina, adding the police merely checked his papers and did a breathalyser test.
    Brezina told AFP he has already been safely flying gyroplanes all over Europe and beyond for the last seven years with a group of friends.
    "I would liken it to a group of motorbikers, this is actually a 3D motorbike. We also travel to other continents where we rent gyroplanes," he said.
    Looking into the future, Brezina said he doubts GyroDrive will take over roads and airways.
    "First, it requires a set of certain qualities to become a gyroplane pilot, and second, it´s not just about pushing a button. I think it will spread, but not on a mass scale."
    Co-financed by the Slovak government, AeroMobil will not be everyone´s flying car either because of its eyewatering price tag of 1.2-1.5 million euros ($1.35-1.7 million) per unit.
    It will rather serve as "some kind of a flying Uber service," Vaculik said.
    "Our concept is that not many people would own this flying car but many will be able to use it," he added.


  4. Waqas Dar
    A man arrives at the Uber offices in Queens, New York, US on February 2, 2017. REUTERS  Uber Technologies Inc said on Tuesday it fired 20 employees and was improving management training following an investigation by a law firm into sexual harassment allegations and other claims at the ride-hailing company.
    Uber fired the staff following a report by law firm Perkins Coie, which Uber hired to look into claims of harassment, discrimination, bullying and other employee concerns.
    The law firm has been working in parallel with a broader investigation by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder into company culture and practices.
    Uber teaches Pakistani drivers how not to sexually harass women
    Uber is teaching its drivers in Pakistan how not to sexually harass women
    Perkins Coie investigated 215 staff complaints going back as far as 2012, Uber said, taking action in 58 cases and no action on 100 more. Other investigations are continuing.




    Of the 215 claims, Uber said 54 were related to discrimination, 47 related to sexual harassment, 45 to unprofessional behaviour, 33 to bullying and 36 to other types of claims.

    It said the majority of the claims came from employees based at Uber's San Francisco headquarters.
    The world's highest-valued venture-backed company - worth $68 billion at its last funding round - also told staff on Tuesday it would expand its employee relations unit to better investigate claims and that it would dramatically increase management training since most Uber managers were first-time bosses, a person familiar with the matter said.
    On Monday, Uber said it hired Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei to train all managers, reporting to Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick. On Tuesday, it said Bozoma Saint John, prominent in some Apple Inc (AAPL.O) product launches, joined the company as chief brand officer.
    Uber also said it is offering a confidential helpline for employees to report concerns and has implemented a system to log and track all complaints.
    Year of questions
    Uber's firing of employees comes after a series of events this year that have raised questions about Uber's business model and leadership.
    In February, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler said in a widely read blog post that managers and human resources officers had not punished her manager after she reported his unwanted sexual advances.
    In addition, Uber was caught using technology to avoid regulator crackdowns, a video surfaced showing Kalanick berating an Uber driver, and the company is caught up in legal battles around the world over the way its ride-services business operates.
    Uber is also facing a lawsuit from Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) self-driving car division, Waymo, alleging trade secret theft.
    The company declined to comment further on the move to fire staff. Some saw it as a step in the right direction for Uber to repair its tarnished reputation.
    "They are heading the right way, both with action and reaction," said Jason Hanold, manager partner at human resources executive recruitment firm Hanold Associates. He added it was "not nearly a complete and final surgery to heal a troubled culture."
    The move follows a string of executive departures at Uber, including the company president, heads of finance and product, an East Coast general manager and several high-level engineers.
    For the last three months, Uber has been seeking a chief operating officer to work alongside Kalanick, who has earned a reputation as a pugnacious leader. Uber board member Bill Gurley is overseeing the search.
    Uber has also been under the microscope of Holder and Tammy Albarran, partners at the law firm Covington & Burling, who were asked to conduct a broad review of sexual harassment at Uber as well as general questions about diversity and inclusion. Their report was completed at the end of May and has been shared with a subcommittee of the Uber board of directors, a company representative said.
    In March, Uber board member Arianna Huffington pledged to make the findings of Holder's investigation available to the public. Initially, the company had expected to make a public announcement this week, but that timing has been pushed back.
    Uber is expected to discuss it with staff next week, a person familiar with the matter said.


  5. Waqas Dar
    A 3D-printed logo for Twitter is seen in this picture illustration made in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 26, 2016. REUTERS  A free-speech institute on Tuesday sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding the prolific tweeter unblock certain Twitter (TWTR.N) users on grounds the practice violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
    Trump's @realDonaldTrump account recently blocked a number of accounts that replied to his tweets with commentary that criticised, mocked or disagreed with his actions. Twitter users are unable to see or respond to tweets from accounts that block them.
    Trump hilariously challenges Twitterati to find 'true meaning of 'covfefe''
    The original message, which seemed to have been the start of a Trump complaint about media coverage, soon became a top trend on Twitter
    The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in New York said in its letter that the blocking suppressed speech in a public forum protected by the Constitution.


    The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Twitter Inc said it had no comment.
    Alex Abdo, the institute's senior staff attorney, likened Twitter to a modern form of town hall meeting or public comment periods for government agency proposals, both venues where US law requires even-handed treatment of speech.
    Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University law professor who focuses on internet law, said that previous cases involving politicians blocking users on Facebook (FB.O) supported the Knight Institute's position.
    If the institute should sue, Trump could claim his @realDonaldTrump account is for personal use and separate from his official duties as president, Goldman said. But he called that defence "laughable."
    Trump also has a presidential @POTUS Twitter account. The Knight Institute said its arguments would apply with "equal force" to both accounts.
    Trump's Twitter use has drawn intense media attention for his unvarnished commentary about his agenda and attacks on critics. His tweets are often retweeted tens of thousands of times and can shape the news cycle.
    Legal experts have said his tweets may directly affect policy. A chain of postings about his travel ban may hamper his administration's defence in courts.
    The letter said Trump or his aides blocked the accounts @AynRandPaulRyan and @joepabike, belonging to songwriter Holly O'Reilly and professional cyclist and author Joseph M. Papp, respectively.
    O'Reilly was blocked on May 28 after posting a brief animated clip of Pope Francis appearing uncomfortable during a meeting with Trump with a caption, "this is pretty much how the whole world sees you," the letter said.
    Papp learned he was blocked on June 4 after responding to a Trump tweet with a tweet labelling the president a "#fake leader."
    The accounts are just two of several that have been blocked by Trump or his aides, Abdo said.


  6. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: Britain braces for the final day of general election campaigning on Wednesday, after a turbulent few weeks which have shifted the political ground and been marred by terror attacks.
    Prime Minister Theresa May was riding high when she called a snap election on April 18, having kicked off Brexit proceedings and boasting a double-digit lead over the rival Labour party.
    After London attack, May faces election heat over police cuts

    But in recent weeks, the Conservative leader has seen her popularity wane as the political debate shifted from EU membership to domestic policy and her own record on security.


    "Give me your backing to lead Britain, give me the authority to speak for Britain, strengthen my hand as I fight for Britain," May urged voters on Tuesday in Stoke-on-Trent, the city that registered the highest vote for leaving the European Union.
    With formal Brexit talks due to start on June 19, May is hoping to sweep up supporters from the UK Independence Party as well as taking seats from Labour.
    The Conservatives have run a presidential-style campaign, promoting May as the "strong and stable" leader to fight Britain´s corner in Brussels and warning that Labour´s Jeremy Corbyn is not up to the task.
    Despite being seen as an unlikely leader -- one who has faced off a rebellion by his own MPs -- Corbyn has gained momentum during the election campaign and regularly attracts big crowds to his rallies.
    Labour gained a boost following the May 18 release of the Conservatives´ manifesto, outlining elderly care costs which the tabloids dubbed the "dementia tax".
    The pledge hit the party´s core supporters and May was forced to backtrack on capping the costs, prompting further criticism that she was unreliable.
    A "Liar, Liar GE2017" election protest song which targeted May and the Conservatives has made waves, reaching number four in the weekly charts on Friday.
    Terror attacks 
    But even though the prime minister has faced a tougher campaign than expected, the Conservatives are still ahead in the polls.
    According to a poll published Tuesday by the group Survation, May´s one-time 20-point lead over Labour has shrivelled to just over a single point -- 41.6 percent to 40.4 percent.
    Bookmakers, meanwhile, forecast May will win an increased majority.
    Ladbrokes predict the Conservatives´ present majority will rise from 17 to 70 seats, while William Hill suggests a more modest increase to between 40 and 50.
    Since failing to predict the outcome of the last general election and the Brexit referendum, pollsters have adjusted their methodologies and broadly show the Conservatives ahead despite their lead narrowing.
    The final day of campaigning comes under the shadow of security concerns, following three terrorist attacks since March all involving assailants who were known to the authorities.
    In the most recent attack, seven people were killed on Saturday when three men drove into pedestrians and went on a stabbing spree in central London before being shot by police.
    Attacker Khuram Shazad Butt was known to British intelligence services, while an Italian prosecutor said Britain was notified that one of his accomplices, Youssef Zaghba, was a "possible suspect" back in March 2016.
    Their rampage followed a similar attack next to British parliament in March, in which assailant Khalid Masood was shot after killing five people.
    In the most deadly attack, Salman Abedi killed 22 people at a Manchester concert venue on May 22 when he detonated a suicide bomb.
    The electorate usually favours the Conservatives on security issues, but May has come under fire for her record during the six years she served as interior minister.
    The devastating terror attacks have also heightened public admiration for the emergency services, which have faced government cuts in recent years. 


  7. Waqas Dar
    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has spoken by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on lowering tension, presidential sources said, after Arab powers cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting militant groups.
    "The importance of regional peace and stability was underlined in the talks, as well as the importance of focusing on the path of diplomacy and dialogue to lower the current tension," the sources said in a statement.
    Trump takes sides in Arab rift, suggests support for isolation of Qatar

    Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, opening up the worst rift in years among some of the most powerful states in the Arab world.
    Turkey has good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday that Ankara wanted to help resolve the dispute.
    Kuwaiti emir leaves Saudi after brief visit, no word on outcome of talks
    There was no word on outcome of talks on the major diplomatic rift
    After the talks between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said late on Monday they called for dialogue and compromise.
    Erdogan also spoke with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and the emirs of Qatar and Kuwait. The sources said Erdogan would continue his contacts on the issue. 


  8. Waqas Dar
    Kuwait's emir left Saudi Arabia after what state news agency KUNA described as a "brotherly visit" but there was no word on the outcome of the talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz on a major diplomatic rift.
    Trump takes sides in Arab rift, suggests support for isolation of Qatar

    State news agency KUNA said Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah left Jeddah along with senior officials who accompanied him. It was not immediately clear if he was flying straight home or making any stops on his way back to Kuwait.
    The Saudi state news agency had earlier reported that King Salman and Sheikh Sabah had discussed the "development of events in the region," but gave no details. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    A Pentagon report released on Tuesday singled out Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military base, as it forecast that Beijing would likely build more bases overseas after establishing a facility in the African nation of Djibouti.
    The prediction came in a 97-page annual report to Congress that saw advances throughout the Chinese military in 2016, funded by robust defence spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $180 billion.
    That is higher than China's official defence budget figure of 954.35 billion yuan ($140.4 billion). Chinese leaders, the US report said, appeared committed to defence spending hikes for the "foreseeable future," even as economic growth slows.
    The report repeatedly cited China's construction of its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, which is already home to a key US military base and is strategically located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal.
    "China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan," the report said.
    Djibouti's position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worries in India that it would become another of China's 'string of pearls' of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
    The report did not address India's potential reaction to a Chinese base in Pakistan.
    But Pakistan, the US report noted, was already the primary market in the Asian-Pacific region for Chinese arms exports. That region accounted for $9 billion of the more than $20 billion in Chinese arms exports from 2011 to 2015.
    Last year, China signed an agreement with Pakistan for the sale of eight submarines.
    Quantum Satellite, Cyber Hacks
    The Pentagon report flagged Chinese military advances, including in space and at sea.
    It cited China's 2016 launch of the first experimental quantum communications satellite, acknowledging that it represented a "notable advance in cryptography research."
    As in past years, the Pentagon renewed its concerns about cyber spying, saying US government-owned computers were again targeted by China-based intrusions through 2016.
    "These and past intrusions focused on accessing networks and extracting information," the report said.
    "China uses its cyber capabilities to support intelligence collection against US diplomatic, economic, and defence industrial base sectors."
    In a section discussing China's Navy, the report predicted that China's first domestically designed and produced aircraft carrier would likely reach initial operating capability in 2020. 


  10. Waqas Dar
    US President Donald Trump took sides in a deep rift in the Arab world on Tuesday, praising Middle East countries' actions against American ally Qatar over Islamist militants even though the tiny Gulf state hosts the largest US air base in the region.
    Trump wrote on Twitter that his recent trip to the Middle East was "already paying off" and cast an anti-Islamist speech he made in Saudi Arabia as the inspiration for a decision by Arab powers to sever ties with Qatar in protest at what they say is the Gulf nation's support for terrorism.
    "So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
    Qatar vehemently denies the accusations.
    Trump later spoke by phone with Saudi King Salman and stressed the need for Gulf unity, a senior White House official said.
    "His (Trump's) message was that we need unity in the region to fight extremist ideology and terrorist financing. It's important that the Gulf be united for peace and security in the region," the senior official told Reuters.
    US officials were blindsided by Saudi Arabia's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar in a coordinated move with Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), current and former officials in Washington told Reuters. The United States was not informed of the decision until just before it was announced, the State Department said.
    Even as Trump applauded the Arab countries' move, the Pentagon on Tuesday renewed praise of Qatar for hosting US forces and its "enduring commitment to regional security."
    Some 8,000 US military personnel are stationed at al Udeid in Qatar, the largest US air base in the Middle East and a staging ground for US-led strikes on the Islamic State militant group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.
    US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke on Tuesday by phone with his Qatari counterpart, a Pentagon spokesman said, without disclosing the details of their discussion.
    Trump's tweet appeared at odds with comments from US officials who had said on Monday that the United States would quietly try to calm the waters between Saudi Arabia and Qatar because Qatar is too important to US military and diplomatic interests to be isolated.
    Qatar has for years parlayed its enormous gas wealth and media strength into broad influence in the region. But Gulf Arab neighbours and Egypt have long been irked by its maverick stances and support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which they regard as a political enemy.
    Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Qatar needed to take several steps, including ending its support of Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, to restore ties with other key Arab states, which also cut transport links.
    "We've decided to take steps to make clear that enough is enough," Adel Al-Jubeir told journalists in Paris. He said the "fairly large cost" on Qatar's economy would convince it to change its policies.
    The campaign to isolate Qatar disrupted trade in commodities from crude oil to metals and food, and deepened fears of a possible shock to the global natural gas market, where it is a major player.
    Qataris crowded into supermarkets to stock up on goods, fearing shortages.
    Maersk, the world's biggest container shipping line, said it was unable to transport goods in or out of Qatar because it could not take them through the UAE port of Jebel Ali.
    Jordan joined the pressure on Qatar, downgrading its diplomatic representation and revoking the license of Doha-based TV channel Al Jazeera.
    Mediation and consequences
    White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the United States is communicating with all the parties in the Middle East "to resolve issues and restore cooperation" over the Qatar dispute.
    "The US still wants to see this issue de-escalated and resolved immediately, in keeping with the principles that the president laid out in terms of defeating terror financing and extremism."
    Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah flew to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi and Kuwaiti state media reported, but gave no details on the discussions.
    Russian President Vladimir Putin told Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in a phone call that crisis situations should be solved by political and diplomatic means, "in dialogue", the Kremlin said.
    The rift has affected global oil prices, hit travel plans and sown confusion among businesses.
    Saudi Arabia's central bank advised banks in the kingdom not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals, banking sources said.
    Oil prices fell on concern that the rift would undermine efforts by OPEC to tighten output.
    Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV that Qatar would not retaliate, hoping Kuwait would help resolve the dispute.
    "We are willing to sit and talk," he told CNN later, and said his country was "protecting the world from potential terrorists".
    A Qatari official said the rift was pushing Doha in the direction of leaving the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, "with deep regret".
    The split among the Sunni Muslim states erupted last month after the summit of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, where Trump denounced Shi'ite Muslim Iran's "destabilising interventions" in Arab lands, where Tehran is locked in a tussle with Riyadh for influence.
    Bans on Doha's fleet using regional ports and anchorages threatened to halt some of its exports and disrupt those of liquefied natural gas.
    Traders on global markets worried that Riyadh's allies would refuse to accept LNG shipments from the Gulf state, and that Egypt might even bar tankers carrying Qatari cargoes from using the Suez Canal as they head to Europe and beyond.
    Saudi Arabia's aviation authority revoked the license of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices to be closed within 48 hours. Qatar's stock market slid to its lowest close since January 2016 and the Qatari riyal came under pressure.
    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said isolating Qatar, including the use of sanctions, would not resolve any problems. The Muslim Brotherhood has close ties with Turkey's ruling AK Party, which Erdogan co-founded.
    Late on Tuesday, the West African country of Mauritania, a member of the Arab League, severed ties with Qatar over allegations it "supports terrorists", the state news agency reported.
    "The state of Qatar has linked its policies ... in support of terrorist organisations and the propagation of extremist ideas", said the statement from the ministry of foreign affairs published in Arabic by the Mauritanian Information Agency. "This has resulted in heavy losses to human life in these Arab countries, in Europe and throughout the world". 


  11. Waqas Dar
    A westerly wave is affecting upper and central parts of the country and is likely to persist during the next 2-3 days, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.
    7 easy hacks to beat the heat
    We have compiled a few tips for you to beat the heat this summer.
    Dust thunderstorm and rain with gusty winds are expected in the next twenty-four hours at scattered places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad divisions, FATA, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, and at isolated places in D.G Khan, Sahiwal, Multan, Quetta, and Zhob divisions.
    Hot and dry weather will persist across other parts of the country, the MET said.
    Past weather:
    The weather remained very hot and dry in most parts of the country. However, dust thunderstorm and rain with gusty winds occurred at scattered places in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Mardan divisions & Kashmir and at isolated places in Hazara, Kohat, Gujranwala, Sargodha divisions, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
    Rainfall in the last 24 Hours (mm):
    KP: Peshawar (A/P 38, City 35), Risalpur 20, Kohat 12, Balakot 04, Kakul 02, Lower Dir, Cherat 01, Punjab: Murree 31, Islamabad (Z.P 06, Bokra 03), Rawalpindi (Chaklala 06, Shamsabad 02), Kamra 03, Sargodha city 01, Kashmir: Garhi Dupatta 07, Kotli 06, Rawalakot 02, Gilgit-Baltistan: Bagrote 05, Gupis 03, Chillas, Astore 01.
    Today's highest maximum temperatures:
    Sibbi 49°C, Dadu, Jacobabad, Turbat 46°C, Bhakkar, Noorpur Thal, Mianwali, D.I. Khan 45°C.


    Data courtesy: Pakistan Meteorological Department 


  12. Waqas Dar
    LOS ANGELES: Amal Clooney on Tuesday gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, the first children for the international human rights lawyer and her movie star spouse.

    geo_embedgallery
    "This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine," George Clooney's publicist Stan Rosenfield said in an email.

    He added cheekily, "George is sedated and should recover in a few days."
    Amal Clooney, 39, and the 56-year-old Oscar-winning star of films like "Ocean's Eleven" and "Three Kings" married in Italy in 2014, making them one of the world's biggest celebrity couples.
    Rosenfield did not say where the twins were born but the couple appear to have been spending much of their time recently in England, where they have one of several homes.
    The couple adopted a low profile during the pregnancy, keeping the news private for months before it was confirmed in February by the actor's close friend, Matt Damon.
    Amal Clooney largely continued her work as a human rights lawyer, addressing the United Nations in March and urging the international community to investigate crimes committed by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
    Nevertheless, celebrity news media speculated for months about the *** of the twins, where they would be born and in which country they will be raised.
    On Tuesday, social media lit up with congratulatory messages and "Ella and Alexander" was among the top trending topics on Twitter in the United States.
    Many contributors praised the choice of names as a refreshingly normal departure from a trend that has seen celebrity babies given names like Apple, Audio, Bronx, North West and Rocket.
    "Good lord, the Clooneys have given their twins lovely ordinary names. Shocking. And they call themselves celebrities...," wrote British journalist Nicola Jane Swinney on Twitter.
    Comedian Ellen DeGeneres posted a Twitter message saying, "Congratulations, George and Amal, or as I?m now calling you, Ocean?s Four."
    Congratulations also came from actress Mia Farrow and U.S. journalist Katie Couric.
    People magazine reported on Tuesday that former U.S. President Barack Obama paid a long, private visit with the Clooneys at their home in the countryside west of London on May 27.
    George Clooney canceled a visit to Armenia for a humanitarian event this past weekend, saying in a message to organizers that "if I came there and my wife had twins while I was there, I could never come home."


  13. Waqas Dar
    LOS ANGELES: Amal Clooney on Tuesday gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, the first children for the international human rights lawyer and her movie star spouse.
    "This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine," George Clooney's publicist Stan Rosenfield said in an email.
    He added cheekily, "George is sedated and should recover in a few days."
    Amal Clooney, 39, and the 56-year-old Oscar-winning star of films like "Ocean's Eleven" and "Three Kings" married in Italy in 2014, making them one of the world's biggest celebrity couples.
    Rosenfield did not say where the twins were born but the couple appear to have been spending much of their time recently in England, where they have one of several homes.
    The couple adopted a low profile during the pregnancy, keeping the news private for months before it was confirmed in February by the actor's close friend, Matt Damon.
    Amal Clooney largely continued her work as a human rights lawyer, addressing the United Nations in March and urging the international community to investigate crimes committed by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
    Nevertheless, celebrity news media speculated for months about the *** of the twins, where they would be born and in which country they will be raised.
    On Tuesday, social media lit up with congratulatory messages and "Ella and Alexander" was among the top trending topics on Twitter in the United States.
    Many contributors praised the choice of names as a refreshingly normal departure from a trend that has seen celebrity babies given names like Apple, Audio, Bronx, North West and Rocket.
    "Good lord, the Clooneys have given their twins lovely ordinary names. Shocking. And they call themselves celebrities...," wrote British journalist Nicola Jane Swinney on Twitter.
    Comedian Ellen DeGeneres posted a Twitter message saying, "Congratulations, George and Amal, or as I?m now calling you, Ocean?s Four."
    Congratulations also came from actress Mia Farrow and U.S. journalist Katie Couric.
    People magazine reported on Tuesday that former U.S. President Barack Obama paid a long, private visit with the Clooneys at their home in the countryside west of London on May 27.
    George Clooney canceled a visit to Armenia for a humanitarian event this past weekend, saying in a message to organizers that "if I came there and my wife had twins while I was there, I could never come home."


  14. Waqas Dar
    Global stock markets mostly retreated Tuesday, two days before a British general election and congressional testimony from fired former FBI chief James Comey.
    Britons head to the polls on Thursday, the same day the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce its latest interest rate decision, and Comey will face a congressional panel probing the connection between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia.
    "There has been a clear shift into haven trades to protect against any fireworks following key events on Thursday," said market analyst Jasper Lawler at London Capital Group, noting that gold hit a 2017 high above $1.295 an ounce and the Japanese yen pushed below 110 to the US dollar.
    "The market might be a little on edge" ahead of Thursday, said Bill Lynch, director of investment at Hinsdale Associates, who added that there was little significant economic data for the market to focus on Tuesday.
    Paris's CAC 40 gave up 0.7 percent, while Frankfurt fell 1.0 percent as German investors returned from a long holiday weekend.
    In New York, the S&P 500 lost 0.3 percent.
    While London's main FTSE 100 stock index ended the day flat, the larger FTSE 250 shed nearly 1.1 percent amid recent tightening in opinion polls between Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May and main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
    "Investors appear to be shunning UK domestic shares before the election," Lawler said.
    Closer than expected

    "The UK parliamentary election on Thursday may turn out to be a closer race than expected just a few weeks ago," noted Richard Falkenhall, senior foreign exchange strategist at Swedish banking group SEB.
    Asian equities also struggled as investors nervously await the week's key political events.
    There also are concerns on trading floors that Trump's economy-boosting agenda -- big infrastructure spending, tax cuts and deregulation -- could be derailed if the Russia probe mushrooms into a bigger story. Stimulus hopes helped drive a months-long global markets rally after his election.
    Among major losers on the day in Europe was Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, its share price diving 5.5 percent after a major clinical trial of a new anti-cancer medicine cocktail showed only a modest gain in survival rates -- at a cost per patient of some $70,000.
    Macy's sank 8.2 percent after executives warned at an investor day of lower profit margins in the current quarter and year. Other retailers also were pulled lower, including Wal-Mart Stores, which lost 1.7 percent and Nordstrom, which tumbled 3.6 percent.




  15. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Electricity supply in the provincial capital suffered heavy disruption after light rain in the wee hours of Wednesday caused over 150 feeders to trip.
    According to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) spokesman, following the rainstorm in Lahore, over 150 feeders tripped.
    The tripped feeders will be restored soon, he added.
    Rawalpindi, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Bhakkar, Jhang and adjoining areas of Punjab experienced light rain, along with the disappearance of electricity, forcing the public to start their fasts in complete darkness.
    According to Met Office forecast for today, rain showers are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. While there is prediction of a thunderstorm in Quetta.




  16. Waqas Dar
    The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Tuesday urged Gulf countries that have cut ties with Qatar to restore air links with the country, warning of major travel disruptions.
    "Of course we accept that countries have the right to close their borders," said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac.
    "But connectivity with Qatar must be restored as quickly as possible," he told AFP, speaking on the sidelines of the group's annual meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
    Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt and the Maldives broke off diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
    The measures included closing their land and sea borders to Qatar and banning Qatari planes from their airspace.
    Airline executives at the IATA meeting said it was still unclear how the measures would affect air travel.
    Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker hastily left the meeting Monday.
    "We hope the crisis will disappear and aviation is coming back to normal," said Abdul Wahab Teffaha, the head of the Arab Air Carriers Organization which groups 33 airlines.
    "We have to monitor the situation in the next couple of days. The Doha-Dubai sector is particularly busy and we are currently analysing the situation," said Christoph Mueller, chief digital and information officer at Emirates airline.
    "We operated our last flight just a couple of hours ago, and we are updating the traveling public in time," he said.


  17. Waqas Dar
    David Beckham's hopes of launching a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami took a giant step towards becoming reality Tuesday after city officials approved the sale of land crucial to a proposed stadium project.
    Miami-Dade County commissioners voted by 9-4 to approve the transfer of a three-acre parcel of land worth $9 million to Beckham's consortium, which reportedly hopes to launch its MLS team by 2021.
    Beckham's group had already purchased six acres of land next to the site for some $19 million in Miami's Overtown district.
    The group hopes to build a 25,000-seat stadium on the site. Beckham's group has said the cost of the stadium, which still needs to be approved by city planners, will be met by private investors with no public funds being used in its construction.
    Beckham announced in 2014 that he intended to bring a team to the South Florida city, exercising an option he was granted when he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.
    Under that deal, Beckham was granted the right to launch an expansion team for $25 million instead of the typical fee estimated at more than $100 million.
    But the former England, Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder ran into a series of problems finding a stadium site, failing with bids for three other potential locations amid local opposition.
    Major League Soccer chiefs, meanwhile, have repeatedly warned Beckham's group that the clock was ticking on their franchise plans and that the league will not grant an open-ended time-frame to get the expansion team off the ground.
    Members of the Beckham consortium made a presentation to residents of Overtown last month to outline their plans for the site.
    Tim Leiweke, who is handling negotiations for the group, admitted the consortium had faced "issues."
    "We have had bumps in the road," he said.
    Although the proposed stadium would not open until 2021, Leiweke told the meeting the new team could launch before that by playing at the Marlins Park baseball ground or the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium.


  18. Waqas Dar
    The US capital will grind to a halt Thursday, glued to computer and television screens as sacked FBI chief James Comey testifies about whether President Donald Trump pressured him to halt a probe into an advisor's links to Russia.
    Trump, a ratings-obsessed former reality television star, may not appreciate the worldwide attention paid to Comey's public testimony, which is being touted as the Super Bowl of high political drama.
    Comey is the star witness in the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation of alleged Russian election meddling last year, with the possible collusion of the Trump campaign. The allegations have drawn comparison to the 1970s Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon.
    Comey was given the go-ahead to deliver potentially explosive testimony after the White House announced it would not use its executive privilege to block his appearance, less than a month after he was controversially sacked by the president.
    Trump himself weighed in Tuesday, even as the revelations could spell more bad news for his troubled administration.
    "I wish him luck," Trump said, when asked in a meeting with Republican leaders whether he had a message for the former FBI chief.
    With Capitol Hill abuzz, at least two Washington bars were opening their doors before the hearing's 10:00 am (1400 GMT) start to Washingtonians wanting to tune in live.
    "Don't you like the suspense?" Senate Republican Marco Rubio, who is on the intelligence panel, asked a scrum of reporters.
    "Rather than relying on articles and third-hand information, we're going to ask the director, and the American people are going to get to watch it."
    The Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, offered a more somber assessment of Comey's testimony, which marks a moment of peril for this already embattled president.
    "I just hope he tells everything he can," Schumer said. "The American people, on a subject as serious as this, are entitled to the whole truth and nothing but."
    A warm-up act of sorts comes Wednesday, when the same committee hears from Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, National Security Agency (NSA) head Mike Rogers, interim FBI director Andrew McCabe, and Deputy US Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
    Adding to the drama, a top-secret NSA report leaked to online news outlet The Intercept shows that hackers from Russian military intelligence repeatedly tried to break into US voting systems before last year's presidential election.
    Keen to crack down on leaks, the Trump administration quickly announced the arrest of a 25-year-old intelligence contractor on charges of violating the espionage act.
    A lot of smoke

    Comey's testimony will be his first public remarks since he was summarily fired by Trump on May 9.
    The dismissal -- a stunning move by any measure -- came as the Federal Bureau of Investigation probes possible collusion between his campaign team and Russia, which US intelligence agencies concluded sought to tilt the election in the Republican's favour.
    Comey is said to have written detailed notes about three conversations he had with Trump, which reportedly document the president's efforts to get the FBI to ease the investigation's focus on former national security advisor Michael Flynn.
    Any confirmation that Trump tried to press Comey would open the president to damaging allegations that he attempted to obstruct an ongoing FBI investigation -- which several Democrats have warned would propel the crisis into Watergate-like territory.
    Trump himself invoked Nixonian symbolism last month, when he warned via Twitter that Comey "better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations."
    Revelations that Nixon secretly taped visits in the White House, and refused to turn over the audio tapes under subpoena, led to his resignation in 1974.
    Senator Mark Warner, the intelligence panel's top Democrat, said Trump would have violated longstanding guidelines if he pressured Comey to drop or slow-walk an investigation.
    "It would be unthinkable if the president actually did what was reported," Warner told CBS News Sunday.
    "We have no smoking gun at this point, but there is a lot of smoke."
    Big problem

    What Comey will reveal, if anything, is the topic of intense speculation.
    Republican committee member Senator Roy Blunt said he welcomed Comey's testimony, but warned there could be "a big problem" if the ousted FBI boss is too restrictive in his responses.


  19. Waqas Dar
    Torrential rain forced Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's quarter-finals at the French Open to be delayed until Wednesday.
    Play was suspended on Tuesday just before 1530 local time (1330 GMT) during the first two women's quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
    Jelena Ostapenko was serving for the second set in her match against Caroline Woznacki after the Dane clinched the opener 6-4.
    Timea Bacsinszky was a set up on France's Kristina Mladenovic on Court Philippe Chatrier, with a resumption not expected before 1830 (1630 GMT).
    Nine-time champion Nadal is due to take on compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, while title-holder Djokovic faces sixth seed Dominic Thiem in a repeat of last year's semi-final.
    As a result of the downpours, all four men's quarter-finals will be played on Wedneday with Andy Murray against Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka facing Marin Cilic.


  20. Waqas Dar
    The slightly damaged pole connecting a major power transmission line in Karachi. ? Geo News screengrab KARACHI: An explosion targeted a high-tension power transmission line in Karachi on Tuesday, police said, adding that it was a minor blast.

    The explosion took place under a pole connecting high-tension line near Karachi's Northern Bypass area, officials said.
    It caused minor damage to the pole.
    Officials have called in bomb disposal squad (BDS) to examine the scene.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Jos Buttler pulled off a leg-side stumping to Adil Rashid , England v New Zealand, Champions Trophy 2017, Cardiff, June 6, 2017 - Getty Images  CARDIFF: England beat New Zealand by 87 runs to reach the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. 
    Kane Williamson hit 87, but no other New Zealand batsman hit 50. 

    Hales, Root and Buttler hit 50s as England score 310 all out
    Batting first, England set a target of 310 for New Zealand. Joe Root top-scored with 64, while Jos Buttler was 61 not out.
    New Zealand seamers Corey Anderson and Adam Milne took three wickets apiece.
    England's Jos Buttler bats during the ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand - AFP In response, New Zealand were only able to score 223 runs and were bowled out in the 44th over. 






  22. Waqas Dar
    Manchester United have overtaken Real Madrid as the world's most valuable football team, US magazine Forbes announced on Tuesday in its annual global list ranking the sport's wealthiest clubs.
    United's enduring brand appeal and aggressive sponsorship strategies had helped the Premier League side reclaim top spot for the first time in five years, with a worth estimated at $3.69 billion (3.27 billion euros), Forbes said in its survey.
    Although Real Madrid have enjoyed unparallelled success in the Champions League -- clinching unprecedented back-to-back titles on Saturday for a record 12th crown -- United have roared past the Spanish giants in the commercial stakes.
    According to Forbes, United generated revenues of $765 million during the 2015-2016 season, $77 million more than both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
    "Manchester United's return to the top spot is a testament to their powerful brand and marketing acumen," Forbes Media assistant managing editor Mike Ozanian said in a statement.
    The Forbes survey found United to be the most profitable team in the world with an operating income of $288 million, $107 million more than Real.
    Barcelona were placed at number two on the 2017 rankings, with a value of $3.64 billion while Real -- first place for the past four years -- had slipped to third with a value of $3.58 billion.
    The top five was completed by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich ($2.71 billion) and English Premier League side Manchester City ($2.08 billion).
    United's ascent to top spot comes despite a relatively fallow period in the club's on-field fortunes.
    The Red Devils have not won the domestic title since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and could only muster a sixth place finish in the Premier League under new manager Jose Mourinho. The club did claim victory in the Europa League however, a win which guaranteed their entry to next season's money-spinning Champions League.
    Off the field though United's fortunes have soared, fuelled by the Premier League's multi-billion-dollar television deal which makes the English league by far the wealthiest in the world.
    United's coffers have also swollen due to an array of global commercial tie-ups and a kit deal with Adidas worth a reported $90 million a year.
    The financial might of English football is reflected in the fact that six of the top 10 most valuable clubs hail from the Premier League.
    Arsenal were ranked sixth in the list with a value of $1.93 billion, just ahead of Chelsea ($1.85 billion) and Liverpool ($1.26 billion).
    Italian giants Juventus -- beaten by Real Madrid in last weekend's Champions League final -- came in ninth with $1.26 billion.
    Tottenham rounded out the top 10 with a value of $1.06 billion.
    French side Paris Saint-Germain were 11th on the list with a value estimated at $841 million.




  23. Waqas Dar
    This file photo taken on May 21, 2017 shows US President Donald Trump speaking during the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh ?AFP Photo.2 DOHA/DUBAI: US President Donald Trump, wading into the worst split between powerful Arab states in decades, said on Tuesday his trip to the Middle East was "already paying off" with leaders there taking a hard new line in accusing Qatar of funding of militant groups.

    His blunt remarks cast the speech he gave at a Riyadh summit in May as the inspiration for a decision by leading Arab powers to sever ties and transport links to Qatar in protest at what they say is its support for terrorism.
    In fact, US officials were blindsided by Saudi Arabia?s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar in a coordinated move with Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, current and former officials in Washington told Reuters.
    "So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!" Trump on Twitter.
    The comments -- Trump?s first about the rift between Qatar and major Arab nations over its alleged support of Iran and militant groups -- emerged at a delicate moment in the crisis as the leader of Kuwait was to meet in Saudi Arabia to try to mediate the dispute.
    Qatar vehemently denies the accusations against it, calling them baseless.
    Ordinary Qataris, however, were to be found crowding into supermarkets to stock up on goods against the crisis.
    Trump said, in apparent reference to top Gulf Arab powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that leaders he met on his trip had warned him Qatar was funding "radical ideology" after he had demanded they take action to stop financing militants.
    It was not immediately clear what effect Trump?s high profile intervention in the crisis would have.
    US officials had said on Monday that the United States would quietly try to calm the waters between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, arguing that the small Gulf state was too important to US military and diplomatic interests to be isolated.
    Qatar hosts 8,000 US military personnel at al Udeid, the largest US air base in the Middle East and a staging ground for US-led strikes on Daesh that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.
    There are also deep financial and business links between the two based on Qatar?s leading world role in gas.
    MEDIATION AND CONSEQUENCES
    Gulf Arab officials said Kuwait?s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah will meet Saudi Arabia?s King Salman hoping to heal the damaging rift which has affected global oil prices, hit travel plans and sown confusion among bankers and businesses in the region.
    In a sign of the potential consequences for the Qatari economy, a number of banks in the region began stepping back from business dealings with Qatar.
    Saudi Arabia?s central bank advised banks in the kingdom not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals, sources said.
    Oil prices also fell on concern that the rift would undermine efforts by OPEC to tighten production.
    Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV that Qatar will not retaliate, hoping Kuwait will help resolve the dispute.
    It wants to give Kuwait?s ruler the ability to "proceed and communicate with the parties to the crisis and to try to contain the issue".


  24. Waqas Dar
    PARIS: A French police officer shot and injured a man who attacked him with a hammer outside Paris?s Notre-Dame cathedral on Tuesday, authorities said.

    Police sealed off the area in front of the cathedral, where the attacker lay injured on the ground.
    The attack comes with France on high alert for more militant strikes after a weekend attack in London, where extremists used a van and knives to crush to death and kill seven people, one of them French.
    Authorities in Paris asked the public to stay away from Notre-Dame, one of France?s biggest tourist attractions situated on the banks of the Seine river in the heart of the capital.
    French TV reported scenes of panic during the shooting, with tourists scrambling for cover.
    France is under a state of emergency and on its highest possible level of alert following a string of terror attacks that began in 2015, which have killed over 230 people.
    In the last fatal attack, a policeman was shot and killed on Paris?s prestigious Champs-Elysees avenue on April 20, three days before the first round of the presidential election.
    Major attacks in France targeted the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in January 2015 and in November that year, gunmen and suicide bombers attacked sites around Paris including the Bataclan concert hall, killing 130 people.
    Then in July last year, a radicalised Tunisian man drove a lorry at high speed through a Bastille Day fireworks display on the Nice waterfront, massacring 86 people.
    Since then there have been a series of smaller attacks, often targeting security forces.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Photo: FILE. ? ISPR RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's top military commanders on Tuesday urged the Afghan government to "look inward and identify the real issues", instead of blaming Islamabad for every terrorism incident.

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Tuesday presided over a special Corps Commanders' Conference here at the General Headquarters (GHQ), which reviewed regional security environment in the backdrop of recent terrorist incidents in Afghanistan, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
    The forum expressed solidarity with Afghan people and security forces on the loss of precious lives, and vowed to continue its support and cooperation with Afghanistan in fight against terrorism and militancy.
    The conference took exception to the unwarranted accusations and threats against Pakistan in the aftermath of Kabul blast.
    "It concluded that instead of blaming Pakistan, Afghanistan needs to look inward and identify the real issues," the ISPR stated.
    While reaffirming continued support to regional peace and stability, the forum reiterated Pak Army's resolve to defend the motherland against all types of threat.


  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...