pakistan news

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that an increase is required for the reduction of pressure from roads, while inaugurating the Jinnah Express train at Lahore Railway Station on Saturday. "Across the world, a common man uses train and this actually shows the priority of the countries", he stated adding that China was a leading country in terms of train technology and its help would be sought in this regard.The premier went on to say that Pakistan had a great tourism potential and it was essential to develop trains to promote tourism in the country.The premier while responding to Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid's request for health cards for railway labourers said unfortunately, prime ministers used to consider themselves kings in the past."Being a responsible prime minister of a democratic government, I will not make any announcement before discussing it with the federal finance minister," the PM added.He further stated that everybody should get health ...

ISLAMABAD: Leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) Maulana Fazl ur Rehman came out on Saturday saying that the opposes the existence of militant organizations in Pakistan. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal leader during Geo News’ show Jirga urged for a closure of non-state militant groups while calling for them to become mainstream as well. Moreover, he went on to say that Pakistan People’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be allowed to conduct politics while also lauding him for possessing an ‘ideal’ narrative.He went on to state that he has asked PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari to bring Bilawal under his mentorship as he has already learned a lot from him.  from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2TLshub

KARACHI: Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh, Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Saturday said that the formation of Karachi Transformation Committee by the Prime Minister Imran Khan was an unconstitutional step. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader addressing a presser stated that in accordance with the constitution all the administrative matters of the province would be taken care of solely by the provincial government. The adviser stated further that regardless of the number of committees formed by the premier, they would all be supervised by the CM Sindh instead of the Governor adding that the Chief Executive of the province according to the constitution was the former not the latter. He revealed further that CM Syed Murad Ali Shah was not invited in any of the events attended by the Prime Minister during his visit of the province upon the fears of him raising questions about outstanding dues, supremacy of the constitution, NFC award, and rights over gas and electricity.Providing examples ...

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday mulled a possible fourth attempt to get her Brexit agreement through parliament, faced with the growing risk of a chaotic no-deal exit in less than two weeks’ time.MPs on Friday resoundingly rejected May’s deal, although by a substantially lower margin than on two previous occasions in January and March.“We believe the best way to respect the referendum is to deliver the deal,” Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis told BBC radio on Saturday.Noting the growing support for her deal despite the defeat, May’s spokesman told reporters on Friday: “We are at least going in the right direction.”MPs are due to gather again on Monday to consider possible changes to the deal that could ensure it is adopted, including support for closer economic ties with the European Union after Britain leaves.The government is opposed to revisions of its Brexit strategy and May pointed out on Friday that any options would still require first that parlia...

TEKNAF, Bangladesh: Bangladesh security forces stopped 29 people, mostly Rohingya Muslims, from being smuggled to Malaysia in rickety fishing boats, officials said on Saturday, the latest group prevented from leaving squalid refugee camps.Lieutenant Commander Mahmud Hasan said Bangladesh Coast Guard forces found 16 women, seven children and six men waiting for the boat along the coast of the southern Saint Martin’s Island early on Saturday.“Among them 22 are Rohingya refugees from the Cox’s Bazar camps and the rest are Bangladeshis. We have also arrested three human traffickers with a boat,” Hasan told reporters.The official said they have handed over the traffickers to the police and sent the refugees back to Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world.About 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, escaping a military crackdown in the Buddhist-majority nation in August 2017, and joining some 300,000 Rohingya already living in the overcrowded camps. —AFP from...

MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday warned Washington to stop interfering in the stand-off between Venezuela’s government and the opposition movement, and once again defended its decision to send personnel to the country.“We recommend that the United States stop threatening Venezuela, smothering its economy and pushing it towards civil war in open violation of international law,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.On Friday, a statement from the US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned “actors external to the Western Hemisphere against deploying military assets to Venezuela”.But Zakharova, in her statement on Saturday, said Russia had made it clear it was not sending a military contingent to Venezuela.Two Russian military planes landed a week ago at the main airport outside Caracas and offloaded equipment and troops, ratcheting up international tensions.Russian officials insist the troops came to Venezuela as part of a long-standing agreement on military and...

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Tens of thousands of Gazans gathered at the Israeli border on Saturday to mark a year since protests and clashes erupted there, but fears of mass bloodshed were averted after late Egyptian-led negotiations.Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, one during an overnight demonstration and two 17-year-olds in clashes on Saturday, the health ministry in Gaza City said. Another 316 Gazans were wounded.But fears of a repeat of similar protests and clashes to those that saw more than 60 Palestinians killed on May 14, when the United States transferred its Israel embassy to Jerusalem, did not materialise.Israel deployed several thousand troops along the border, with the anniversary coming at a sensitive time ahead of its April 9 elections.Egypt tried to mediate between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas to rein in violence.Hamas officials say an understanding was reached that would see Israel ease its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for t...

WASHINGTON: Members of the Saudi team that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi received training in the United States, the Washington Post has reported, revealing other new elements in the death of the newspaper’s former contributor.A critic of the Saudi regime, Khashoggi was killed and dismembered October 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a team of 15 agents sent from Riyadh. His body has never been recovered.After having denied the murder, Saudi Arabia said the operation was carried out by agents who were out of control. A trial of 11 suspects opened earlier this year in Saudi Arabia.But much of the case remains shrouded, beginning with the role of Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman.The US Senate, after a closed-door briefing by the CIA, adopted a resolution naming the crown prince as “responsible” for the murder, while President Donald Trump has refused to publicly take a stand.According to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, a Sau...

BRATISLAVA: Slovaks began voting on Saturday for a new president with the favourite an outsider whose anti-corruption stance has resonated with voters, still reeling from the fallout from an investigative journalist’s murder.An environmental lawyer with no experience in political office, Zuzana Caputova could become the EU and eurozone member’s first female president.Her rival in the run-off election is the ruling party’s candidate, EU energy commissioner and career diplomat Maros Sefcovic.Two recent opinion polls give at least 60 percent of the vote to Caputova, who ran on a slogan of “Stand up to evil”, telling AFP that “People are calling for change” in the central European country of 5.4 million.She was among tens of thousands of anti-government protesters who rallied last year after journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee were gunned down as he was preparing to publish a story on alleged ties between Slovak politicians and the Italian mafia. from The News International - World htt...

SYDNEY: Australia pledged on Saturday to introduce new laws that could see social media executives jailed and tech giants fined billions for failing to remove extremist material from their platforms.The tough new legislation will be brought to parliament next week as Canberra pushes for social media companies to prevent their platforms from being “weaponised” by terrorists in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks.Facebook said it “quickly” removed a staggering 1.5 million videos of the white supremacist massacre livestreamed on the social media platform.A 17-minute video of the March 15 rampage that claimed the lives of 50 people was widely available online and experts said it was easily retrievable several hours after the attack.“Big social media companies have a responsibility to take every possible action to ensure their technology products are not exploited by murderous terrorists,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.Morrison, who met with a number of tech firm...

WASHINGTON: American actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of nine Brunei-owned hotels over the sultanate’s imposition of the death penalty for adultery.“Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels, we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery,” Clooney wrote on the website Deadline Hollywood.“I’ve learned over years of dealing with murderous regimes that you can’t shame them. But you can shame the banks, the financiers and the institutions that do business with them and choose to look the other way,” he added.Brunei is an absolute monarchy which has been ruled for 51 years by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.The former British protectorate on Borneo island is surrounded by Malaysia. It has long depended on abundant, but declining, crude reserves and was plunged into recession when global prices fell about five years ago.The nine hotels mentione...

PALM BEACH, United States: US President Donald Trump late on Friday reaffirmed that he would stop new sanctions on North Korea, saying the country was suffering and he valued his relationship with its authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un. Trump shed light on his tweet a week ago that took Washington by surprise in which he said he was rolling back sanctions on North Korea that the Treasury Department had planned. “They are suffering greatly in North Korea. They’re having a hard time in North Korea,” he told reporters at his Mar-a- Lago estate in Florida. “And I just didn’t think additional sanctions at this time were necessary. Doesn’t mean I don’t put them on later but I didn’t think additional sanctions at this time were necessary,” he said. A month after his latest summit with Kim ended in stalemate in Vietnam, Trump said he got along “very well” with the young leader, adding: “We understand each other.” “I think it is very important you maintain that relationship at least as long as yo...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s plans to approve extraditions to the mainland have sparked alarm within the city’s business and legal communities who fear it will hammer the financial hub’s international appeal and tangle people up in China’s opaque courts.The proposal, which will be debated in Hong Kong’s legislature on Wednesday, would allow the transfer of fugitives with Taiwan, Macau and mainland China on a “case-basis” for the first time.But it comes at a time of roiling distrust over how Beijing wields its authoritarian legal system — and as two Canadian nationals languish in Chinese custody following the arrest of a top Huawei executive in Vancouver.Critics fear any extradition agreement could leave both business figures and dissidents in Hong Kong vulnerable to China’s politicised courts, fatally undermining a business hub that has thrived off its reputation for a transparent and independent judiciary.“At that point Hong Kong is just really a part of China,” an American partner at an as...

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Friday said it is tightening live video streaming rules in response to the service being used to broadcast deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand.The Christchurch attacks — carried out by a self-avowed white supremacist who opened fire on worshippers at two mosques — claimed 50 lives.Many people have “rightly questioned how online platforms such as Facebook were used to circulate horrific videos of the attack,” chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an online post.“In the wake of the terrorist attack, we are taking three steps: strengthening the rules for using Facebook Live, taking further steps to address hate on our platforms, and supporting the New Zealand community,” she added.Facebook is looking into barring people who have previously violated the social network’s community standards from livestreaming on its platform, according to Sandberg.The social network is also investing in improving software to quickly identify edited versions of viole...

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council agreed Friday to extend the huge peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo until December to allow time for a withdrawal plan to be drawn up. The council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution that asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to present a strategic review no later than October on a “phased, progressive and comprehensive exit strategy.”The move to draw down the mission known as MONUSCO followed presidential elections that ended Joseph Kabila’s rule and raised prospects for stability in the vast mineral-rich country. The 16,000-strong MONUSCO mission — the UN’s biggest and costliest with an annual budget of over $1 billion — has been present in the DR Congo for 20 years, with a particular focus on the conflict-riven east.The council extended MONUSCO’s mandate to December 20 and kept the troop ceiling unchanged, even though Guterres had proposed cuts in a report to the council earlier this month. Kabila had rep...

PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump on Friday reaffirmed that he would stop new sanctions on North Korea, saying the country was suffering and he valued his relationship with its authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.Trump shed light on his tweet a week ago that took Washington by surprise in which he said he was rolling back sanctions on North Korea that the Treasury Department had planned.“They are suffering greatly in North Korea. They’re having a hard time in North Korea,” he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.“And I just didn’t think additional sanctions at this time were necessary. Doesn’t mean I don’t put them on later but I didn’t think additional sanctions at this time were necessary,” he said.A month after his latest summit with Kim ended in stalemate in Vietnam, Trump said he got along “very well” with the young leader, adding: “We understand each other.”“I think it is very important you maintain that relationship at least as long as you can,” Trump said. Trump’...

LOS ANGELES: Alaska residents accustomed to subzero temperatures are experiencing a heat wave of sorts that is shattering records, with the thermometer jumping to more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16.7 Celsius) above normal in some regions.“Both February and March have been exceptionally warm,” Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, told AFP. “Many places are on their way to their warmest March on record.”He said that cities and towns in the northern half of the state, including Wainwright, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik and Barrow (also known as Utqiagvik), could see temperatures soar 25 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (14 to 22 Celsius) above normal this weekend as the warm trend continues.“At Barrow, through yesterday, they’ve had daily record high temperatures five separate days this month ... and that’s quite an achievement,” Thoman said.“This is following on the heels of the very warm, and in some places record warm February,” he added. “We now hav...

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden, who is leading polls for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Friday faced a misconduct accusation by a Nevada ex-lawmaker claiming the then-vice president inappropriately kissed her before a campaign event.Lucy Flores, the state’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, said she was beside the stage awaiting her turn to address a rally when Biden put his hands on her shoulders from behind, then leaned in and smelled her hair.“I was mortified,” Flores, 39, recounted in New York magazine. “He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head,” she added.“My brain couldn’t process what was happening. I was embarrassed. I was shocked. I was confused,” and “I wanted nothing more than to get Biden away from me.”It was unclear just how the accusation might impact Biden’s decision to officially enter the race. Those close to the Democrat have reportedly said Biden, 76, could announce his plans in April.Biden’s spokesman Bill Russo said Friday t...

CARACAS: A new blackout hit Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities on Friday, the third major electricity outage in the crisis-plagued country this month.The blackout began around 7:10 pm (2310 GMT), leaving the capital as well as cities including Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay and San Cristobal without electricity, according to users on social media networks.It is the third time since March 7 that a major power outage has hit Venezuela — worsening the already-dire economic and living conditions in a country that is witnessing a major political showdown between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition chief Juan Guaido.Maduro has blamed the previous outages on sabotage, but experts have said that infrastructure crumbling from years of neglect is a more likely culprit than outside interference.Earlier on Friday, the Red Cross said it would begin impartially distributing aid in Venezuela in two weeks, brushing aside the threat of political interference amid the Maduro-Guaido power strugg...

BRASÍLIA: A Brazilian judge barred President Jair Bolsonaro’s government Friday from commemorating the 55th anniversary of the coup that established the military dictatorship — an initiative that had sparked widespread anger.Judge Ivani Silva da Luz said Sunday’s planned celebration of the 1964 coup was not “compatible with the process of democratic reconstruction” promoted by the 1988 constitution and that commemorative dates must be approved by Congress.Bolsonaro’s order to the armed forces to mark the March 31 overthrow of President Joao Goulart has been widely criticized, with the attorney general’s office on Wednesday calling on personnel to “abstain” from paying tribute to a regime that committed “serious human rights violations.”The far-right leader, whose approval rating plunged in March after a series of political scandals marred his first three months in office, had received little support outside his own ultraconservative Social Liberal Party (PSL) for his controversial idea...

SYDNEY: The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge were plunged into darkness for an hour Saturday to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on the planet’s vanishing biodiversity.The 13th edition of Earth Hour, organised by the green group WWF, will see millions of people across 180 countries turn off their lights at 8:30 pm local time to highlight energy use and the need for conservation. “We are the first generation to know we are destroying the world. And we could be the last that can do anything about it,” the charity said.“We have the solutions, we just need our voices to be heard.” WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman told AFP that “Earth hour still is the world’s largest grassroots movement for people to take action on climate change”.“It’s about individuals taking personal action but joining with hundreds of millions of people around the world to show that not only do we need urgent action on climate change but we need to be protecting our planet,” he added.Dozens...

LONDON: British rock icon Mick Jagger said on Saturday he was “devastated” after his Rolling Stones were forced to cancel their United States and Canada tour dates so he could receive “medical treatment”.“I really hate letting you down like this,” the 75-year-old wrote on his Twitter account, without specifying what treatment he was receiving.“I’m devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can.”The rock legends earlier announced the cancellations, saying that they would reschedule the dates.“Mick has been advised by doctors that he cannot go on tour at this time, as he needs medical treatment,” said the band’s official statement.“The doctors have advised Mick that he is expected to make a complete recovery so that he can get back on stage as soon as possible.”Jagger has eight children, five grand children and a great-granddaughter, but has maintained his energetic stage performances well into his 70s, playing Britain’s Gl...

BARCELONA: Five people were injured and seven arrested on Saturday as members of Spain’s far-right Vox party demonstrating in Barcelona against Catalan independence clashed with separatist activists there, police said. The violence came amid rising tension in the run-up to parliamentary elections next month and the continuing trial of 12 Catalan leaders for their part in the failed 2017 independence bid. Police estimated that around 5,000 members of Vox demonstrated in the Catalan capital, in the words of their leader Santiago Abascal to “defend to the very end a united Spain”. “Spain will not resign itself to being destroyed,” Abascal told the crowd. from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2JUMkXe

KINSHASA: DR Congo officials confirmed that parliamentary elections will be held on Sunday in parts of country which were unable to participate in December’s vote due to security issues and an ongoing Ebola epidemic. The vote, which will also involve municipal elections, will take place in Beni and Butembo, two cities in North Kivu, which lies on the country’s eastern border with Uganda. Elections will also take place in the western Yumbi region some 300kms north of the capital Kinshasa.At stake are 15 seats in DR Congo’s lower house of parliament, which counts 500 lawmakers. Millions of Congolese voters went to the polls on December 30. from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2Uf8hEw

GAZA CITY: Tens of thousands of Gazans gathered at the Israeli border on Saturday to mark a year since protests and clashes erupted there, testing a fragile truce only 10 days ahead of an Israeli general election.A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire in clashes east of Gaza City, the Gazan health ministry said, while 59 were wounded, including 13 from live fire.Earlier, another Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire in an overnight demonstration ahead of the main protest, the ministry said.Egypt had sought to mediate between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas to rein in violence and avoid the sort of deadly response from the Israeli army that has accompanied past protests.Clashes so far appeared limited, but warnings to stay far back from the heavily fortified fence that marks the border were not being heeded by all.“We will move towards the borders even if we die,” said Yusef Ziyada, 21, his face painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag.“We are not leaving. W...

RABAT: Pope Francis called for religious freedom and efforts to tackle “fanaticism” on Saturday as he started a visit to Morocco, where he is set to meet Muslim leaders and migrants.The spiritual leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics was invited by King Mohammed VI as part of a mission to develop “interreligious dialogue”, according to Moroccan authorities.Improving relations with other religions has been a priority for the Argentine pontiff, whose papacy has been marred by a wave of child sex abuse allegations against clergy.Addressing thousands of Moroccans who had braved the rain to attend the welcome ceremony, Francis said it was “essential to oppose fanaticism”.He stressed the need for “appropriate preparation of future religious guides”, ahead of meeting trainee imams later on Saturday.Catholics are a tiny minority in the country where 99 percent of the population is Muslim. The king is revered across West Africa as “commander of the faithful”.Speaking at the ceremony at th...

EL PASO: US Democrat Beto O’Rourke, the young-looking Texan who has spent two weeks campaigning for president in early-voting states, holds a hometown kickoff rally Saturday in El Paso, aiming to raise his profile in an increasingly crowded field.The 46-year-old former congressman and onetime punk rocker — born Robert O’Rourke but widely known by the nickname of “Beto” — shot to political stardom last year when he nearly toppled Republican incumbent Senator Ted Cruz in reliably conservative Texas. O’Rourke announced in mid-March that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the White House, and on Saturday he will host a trio of homecoming events, with rallies in Houston and Austin following his El Paso kickoff.Supporters will be hosting “more than 1,000 watch parties across the country,” he said on social media, as the campaign seeks to signal his national appeal at a time when other candidates are enjoying bumps in their standing.There are currently 16 Democrats in the running, in...

CAIRO: An Egyptian court Saturday sentenced 18 people to life in prison for joining the Islamic State (IS) group and plotting to bomb a church, a judicial source said. The state security criminal court in Cairo heard that some of the defendants had undergone “militant training” in Libya and Syria. The prosecution in their investigation accused the defendants of planning a “suicide bombing” in July 2017 at a church in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the source said. They were also convicted for plotting to bomb a liquor store the same year in the town of Damietta, 200 kilometres northeast of the capital. IS claimed responsibility for twin church bombings on Palm Sunday in April 2017 that killed 45 people. One of the churches targeted was a Coptic cathedral in Alexandria. Saturday’s sentence saw 30 defendants in total. Eight were given 15 years in prison and four others were handed 10-year jail sentences. All were convicted for joining a “terrorist group”, planning terror acts as w...

VALLETTA: Maltese authorities charged three young African migrants on Saturday with committing an act of terrorism for hijacking a vessel that rescued them off the coast of Libya. The two teenagers from Guinea and one from Ivory Coast, aged 15, 16 and 19, are accused of forcing the Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I towards Malta after it picked up 108 migrants, including women and children, on Wednesday and headed towards its destination in Libya. A Maltese special operations unit boarded the ship a day later, arrested five men suspected of leading the hijacking. They handed control back to the captain who steered the ship to Valletta under a navy escort. The three migrants, who were charged at a Maltese court with seizing control of the ship through the use or threat of force and intimidation, pleaded not guilty and were placed in preventive detention pending trial. They face prison terms of between seven and 30 years if convicted. The ship’s captain told Maltese media the hijackers “wer...

TEKNAF, Bangladesh: Bangladesh security forces stopped 29 people, mostly Rohingya Muslims, from being smuggled to Malaysia in rickety fishing boats, officials said Saturday, the latest group prevented from leaving squalid refugee camps. Lieutenant Commander Mahmud Hasan said Bangladesh Coast Guard forces found 16 women, seven children and six men waiting for the boat along the coast of the southern Saint Martin’s Island early Saturday. “Among them 22 are Rohingya refugees from the Cox’s Bazar camps and the rest are Bangladeshis. We have also arrested three human traffickers with a boat,” Hasan told reporters. The official said they have handed over the traffickers to the police and sent the refugees back to Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world. About 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, escaping a military crackdown in the Buddhist-majority nation in August 2017, and joining some 300,000 Rohingya already living in the overcrowded camps. Saturday’s op...

BEIJING: The man who launched an arson and homemade explosive attack on a police station in northeastern China earlier this week was a convicted sex offender, local authorities said Saturday. The Shenyang Public Security Bureau said the 63-year-old man, identified only by his surname, Yang, had bought firecrackers during the Spring Festival and fashioned an explosive device with a trolley bag. Using a bottle of gasoline as a combustor, he set fire to the traffic police department just after lunch on Thursday, the bureau said in a statement. The attack killed Yang and injured three others — two police officers and a member of the public. Shenyang authorities said in a statement that Yang had previously been jailed for seven years for having sex with a minor. “He is pessimistic and has a suicidal thought,” the statement said. “He has been mentally ill and emotionally abnormal in recent times and threatened to commit suicide after killing his wife.” Yang had on two occasions this month le...

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Friday again accused Mexico of failing to curb the flow of migrants illegally entering the US, and threatened to close the border “next week” unless something changes.Trump’s latest tweets ramp up the tension between the neighbors, putting a specific timeframe to his repeated threats to shut the border, one of the busiest in the world.“If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week,” he said.“This would be so easy for Mexico to do, but they just take our money and ‘talk’,” he added.Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he did not want to be drawn into a confrontation on the issue.“Donald Trump has his own way of seeing things,” he told a crowd of supporters in the eastern city of Poza Rica, where he launched a series of new social programs.“I want to make it clear that we are not going to fight...

NEW YORK: A New York county which declared a state of emergency over a measles outbreak is on the “right path” after administering hundreds of vaccinations in two days, the chief of the US district said on Friday.Under the emergency, Rockland County banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading.Planned for 30 days from midnight Wednesday, the emergency comes during a US surge in measles cases, linked to an anti-vaccination movement.“We have already seen over 500 (new vaccinations) in the last couple of days,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said on CNBC TV.“People simply understand now that we are serious about this,” added Day, whose district is 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown New York.“We believe we are on a right path now to get at least a 93 percent immunization rate with the first shot,” close to the level considered necessary to end the outbreak.Although measles was declared officially eliminated from th...

Byco rolls out Easypaisa: Azfar Saeed Baig, VP, Byco, signs agreement with TMB Director, Shahid Mustafa, to launch Easypaisa at Byco's Fuel stations. Also pictured from Byco: Naeem Asghar Malik, CFO, BII, Fayaz Ahmad Khan, Head of Customer Service, Shehryar Ahmad, GM Communications, Mudassar Qadeeer, Head of Retail Sales, From Telenor: Ali Raza Shah, Business Head South, & Khurram Malik, Head of Branchless BankingTelenor Micro-finance Bank has joined hands with Pakistan’s leading corporation in the energy sector –Byco, providing Easypaisa services and fuel payment on Byco fueling stations.The service that will be extending throughout the country on all fueling stations in the country, is also part of Telenor Microfinance Bank’s branchless banking and will enable customers of Easypaisa in conducting transactions while effortlessly paying for fuel through their service. The leading micro-finance institution has continually advanced the country into a digitally forceful economy by...

KARACHI: This year Synergyzer’s 2019 Annual Edition scrutinizes the core reasons behind the dismal state of Pakistan’s ever so bourgeoning and powerful media industry.Terming the current state of the media industry as ‘evolutionary’, the annual edition puts across views of various reputable stakeholders on the current dismal state of the once so progressive and refusing-to-settle media sector of the country, in the shape of features within the annual edition.These views express and identify improper and meaningless practices within the media circles, as one of the core reasons of the debacle, which has been largely due to multiple pressure situations that bound inspirational individuals to surrender, irrespective of it being totally opposite of the views they reserve.While Synergyzer digs deep into the undercurrents of the ongoing evolution, it also unearths factors lurking in the background that were vigorously working to shrink and sabotage the strengthened base of the country’s medi...

Pakistan military has launched a first person shooter game that embarks users through the combats that the Pakistan Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies go through to protect the country.The thrill and action packed game titled The Glorious Resolve – Journey To Peace is a 3D experience for all gaming geeks in the country who wish to experience the same adrenaline, adventure and courage that our soldiers do while protecting the country from enemies.Director General ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor announced the launch of the game on Twitter saying: “How your soldiers fight? Experience it for yourselves ....”The game is available to play on both iOS and Android devices with its PlayStore description reading: “In this darkest hour all the forces have been united to eliminate the deadliest threats the country is facing. Army, Air Force, Navy, ISPR, SSG Commandos, Aviation and other LEA's are all working together and fighting terrorism using their tactical expertise and state of th...

KARACHI: Matloob Husain Mosavi, reporter of the Daily Jang newspaper was reportedly abducted from his residence by unidentified individuals early on Saturday.According to reports citing the the victim’s brother, Minhaj Mosavi, the young journalist was taken away by multiple people who jumped over the wall into his house, donning masks that concealed their faces at 4am in Karachi’s Salman Farsi Society. It was revealed further that the individuals behaved badly with the family members as well, locking them in a room and taking Matloob away.The individuals were said to have behaved badly with the family members as well, locking them in a separate room before capturing Matloob. Minhaj further cited neighbor’s accounts as well who stated that the men had arrived in plain clothes bearing arms in three vehicles of police, Toyota Prado and Toyota Vigo. While Matloob was not said to have associations with political or religious organizations, his brother termed him to be a social activist, pos...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari came out on Saturday proclaiming that at least three federal ministers are closely associated to terrorists.Talking to the media at Naudero, the party chairman made a reference to the recent appointment of Brigadier (retd) Ijaz Shah as federal parliamentary affairs minister saying that the government has appointed one akin to the three ministers already linked to terrorists. "As many as three federal ministers are close aides of terrorists. Rather than taking away their cabinet ministries, the government recently appointed one like them," he stated. The PPP leader went on to state that there is a need of stern action against terrorists and all those hailing from banned organizations while adding that even though Prime Minister Imran Khan has the right to make appointments, what is he trying to put across by taking terrorist on board the cabinet. "PM Khan's government starts and end at the NAB. NAB ...

PINDI BHATTIAN: A woman had her tongue cut off by her ex-husband on Saturday after he divorced her in Hafizabad’s Pindi Bhattian area.As per reports, Nasreen’s husband identified as Jahangir had divorced her a while back but had headed over to his in-laws’ residence on Saturday with a pair of scissors and had cut off her tongue. It was further added by police officials that Nasreen was later rushed to a hospital in the locality while a case against the suspect has also been filed which states that Jahangir wanted to murder his ex-wife after giving her a divorce. This comes as the third incident this week of domestic abuse, after Asma Aziz and Hajra had stepped forward earlier alleging they had been abused by their husands in Lahore.  from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2V7F63d

LAHORE: A resolution seeking to place a ban on the age-old custom of dowry was submitted in the Punjab Assembly on Saturday.As per reports, the resolution was presented in the assembly by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Uzma Zahid Bukhari who demanded a ban on the practice on by the state itself.The resolution stated that the custom of dowry is not present in the teachings of Islam while those who still put forward this demand should be taken action against. On the other hand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had already passed a bill last year that not just bans the practice of dowry but also limits the wasteful spending on weddings. As per the bill the bride’s family will not be able to gift anything over the price of Rs 0.2 million while a fine of Rs 0.3 million or a three-month sentence will also be handed to those demanding it.  from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2V5ho7N

KARACHI: An extreme spell of hot temperature will predictably be engulfing Karachi in the coming three days as the met office issued warning to the residents. As per Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the metropolis will be enveloped in an extreme hot weather in the next three days starting Friday till Sunday owing to the change in the wind direction as well as the sea breeze coming to a standstill. Director met office, Abdul Rasheed stated: “Today [Friday] we recorded the city’s temperature at 38 degrees Centigrade. The trend is likely to continue for the next two to three days and in the daytime the temperature could touch 39 degrees Centigrade.”He went on to add: “However, there is no threat of heatwave, neither any such advisory has been issued by the Met office. We keep all institutions concerned updated of the weather trend and the same is conveyed to all relevant authorities.” Prior to this, reports had been afloat of weather experts issuing cautions that this year is exp...

KARACHI: One person was declared dead after receiving bullets on a car on Saturday in the Defence Phase 7 area in the metropolis.As per reports by the police, a man in his car was fired at by attackers on a motorbike that killed him, with initial reports suggesting the attack had been conducted owing to personal animosity.In a related incident that occurred last week, acclaimed religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani had also narrowly escaped from a targeted attack by two individuals who shot at two vehicles, leaving two dead, at Karachi’s NIPA Chowrangi.  from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2Oyq7wU

KARACHI: Former leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Farooq Sattar was acquitted on Saturday by a session court in reference to the breach of the Loudspeaker Act case. The Member National Assembly (MNA) had been charged in regards to the case last year on October 3, 2019 to which had pleaded not guilty. New Town Police Station had filed a case against him in Soldier bazaar in 2015 over the breach of the Loudspkeaer Act after he launched a demonstration on the shortage of water using a loudspeaker in the red zone.The senior politician had later in June, turned to court to seek bail in the case.Apart from him, MQM-P leaders Wasay Jalil, Faisal Sabzwari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Nasreen Jalil had also been charged, amongst which Siddiqui and Rizvi were named absconders in the same case under the Section 144 of Pakistan Penal Code. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2FKvQx1

Photo: Geo.tvBHAKKAR: A collision between a rickshaw and a bus left five students and the rickshaw driver dead and two other critically injured in the Bhakkar area of Punjab.As per reports citing rescue officials, before the rickshaw had collided with the passenger bus, the female students aboard who lost their lives had been returning after their giving their exam. The accident killed five students and the driver immediately while the remaining two wounded passengers were moved to a hospital in the locality.The injured are stated to be presently in a critical condition.Subsequent to the incident, locals of the area launched a demonstration by blocking the road and setting ablaze a bus that was in the area.  from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2U7X4pW

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry n Saturday suggested to Nawaz Sharif that plea bargain was the easy way out and he should return wealth of the nation.In a tweet he said, this was the fourth day after release of Nawaz Sharif but he was still not admitted in the hospital.Fawad wondered whether the aim was to just come out of jail or Nawaz Sharif is waiting for the last week of his bail for illness."Again my suggestion is that the easy way is plea bargain. The money is not of Hassan and Hussain but it is yours (Nawaz).This nation gave you respect three times, return its money," he added. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2FBhE7Z

GHOTKI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said corruption was only  hurdle in the way of progress and prosperity in Sindh.Addressing a public gathering, the premier lamented that Sindh could not prosper despite the fact that  Karachi was its  financial hub. He said the people's condition hasn't improved in Ghotki, the district which hosts over 250 gas wells."When corruption spreads, people's  money go to pockets  of handful  individuals," he said."Sindh received 237 billion gas  royalty in 10 years , how much of that money Ghotki received ," the prime minister asked.Imran Khan mocked the Pakistan People's Party's recent train march that was led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.The premier said the PPP gathered people by paying Rs2000 to each participant of the march.He said the PPP leaders were  holding march and protests to protect the money they  accumulated through corruption.  "Do whatever you  can , I will not  spare you...

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced Rs162 billion package for Karachi, stressing the need for a chalking out a master- plan for nation's commercial hub.The prime minister said as many as 18 projects would be undertaken under Karachi package including 10  for transport. "A master-plan is required to solve the problems facing Karachi," the premier said at a press briefing.Prime minister Khan also underscored the need for vertical development in order to stop expansion of the city which he said become an obstacle in  providing basic amenities. He said the government would also construction of high-rise buildings in the city to restrain the expansion.  "Karachi seems like a concrete slab," he said and urged the Sindh government to preserve green areas in the city."There is a need to stop Karachi from further expansion," he said, adding that his government would hammer out a master-plan. Talking about water shortage, he said  no campaig...

A video of a young boy feeding a cat in the street is going viral on the internet and it will restore your faith in humanity.In the video apparently shot in Karachi, the boy is seen walking after leaving some milk for the cat when a man asks him to stop and explain what did he just do.The boy walks toward the cat and tells the man  that he bought some milk for the cat.Moved by his act of kindness, the man asks the boy whether he had his meal. The boy says although he had  breakfast, he has yet to have lunch.The man then says he is going to give him some money so that he can buy food for himself. The video is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter, with people praising the the kid  who seems to come from a poor family. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2FJ4BBs

KARACHI: Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi on Saturday lauded Pakistan Rangers Sindh for its role in establishing peace in Karachi Addressing the 26th passing out parade of Sindh Rangers in Karachi, he said the peace has been restored which no  one can disrupt  now.H  said Rangers have played a key role in restoring peace in the city and the rest of Sindh.Shehryar Afridi said Sindh Rangers' contribution has also been very commendable in holding of some recent international events, including PSL matches.He said  Sindh Rangers have carried out around sixteen thousand operations in five years and arrested over twelve thousand terrorists and criminals.The minister  the state cannot be black mailed on any pretext nor the government will make any compromise on constitution. He warned the miscreants and anti-state elements to leave their nefarious practices. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2uAmU6M

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan was due to  inaugurate Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim in Karachi on Saturday.The Prime Minister, who is on  a two-day visit to the metropolis, will also hold important meeting regarding development projects in the city.The premier  will later leave for Ghotki where he will address a public gathering in Khan Garh area. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2I105Bc

KARACHI: Mainly dry weather is expected in most parts of the country while hot in Sindh. However, dust-thunderstorm/rain is expected at scattered places in Hazara division, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, while at isolated places in Malakand, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore divisions and Islamabad.Past 24 Hours Weather: Weather remained dry in most parts of the country. However, rain-thunderstorm occurred at isolated places in Malakand, Kohat and Bannu divisions. from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2I19yIG

LAHORE:  Suspect Faisal, who was detained to torture wife for refusing to dance in front of his friends, has a long criminal history in Punjab.It has been revealed  that  Faisal  has allegedly been involved in several  cases of robbery  as   he is wanted to Punjab Police in 8 cases of burglary. FIR against him has reportedly been registered in  Johar Town, Qila Gujar Singh, and Defence   police stations.The accused during the interrogation, made startling revelation, saying, he and his wife are addicted to the drug and were not in their senses when the sad incident occurred, adding that they were taking ice heroin. Meanwhile, Asma Aziz, whose husband allegedly tortured her and shaved her head, recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate here on Friday.  Asma's StatementIn her statement, Asma said, "My husband brought two of his friends over to our house and asked me to drink alcohol and dance for them. When I refus...

LONDON: A former Indian military official  has commended the Pakistan Army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for adopting outstanding strategy in the domain of hybrid warfare.Speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in UK, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Husnain acknowledged that ISPR outclassed the Indian army in information war saying: “I want to give full marks to the ISPR for the information strategy it has played out”.The ex-general,  who had also served as the corps commander in IoK, said that  ISPR brilliantly performed its work for Pakistan by ensuring detailed alienation of Kashmiris against Indian armed forces, adding, “If anyone has ever taught us [India] about the information operation it was the ISPR… it has done an outstanding job.”He accused Modi government for the  Pulwama suicide attack in occupied Kashmir, saying he was aware of the fact that the Pulwama-like incident was inevitable due to the Indian government’s lack of...

Lahore: The 5th meeting of the 9th National Finance Commission (NFC) was held today at Lahore with Federal Finance Minister, Asad Umar, in the chair.The six sub-groups, formulated during the first meeting in February, gave presentation on various aspects of resources distribution as per the terms of reference assigned to the groups. The main focus of all sub-groups’ deliberations was transparency, harmonization and sharing of data. The members of the Commission appreciated the work done by the six sub-groups in their first meetings. It was agreed that the sub-groups would continue their deliberations and present their reports in the subsequent meetings. The Chairman suggested that deliberations should also include incentives for poverty alleviation and social sector spending. The representative of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa proposed a framework for NFC deliberations aiming at equalizing fiscal resources across federating units, equal access to public services for all citizens of ...