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ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will start online registration for overseas Pakistanis as voters from tomorrow September 1 and will continue till 15th of next month. Director General Public Relations ECP Nadeem Qasim, while speaking  to media on Friday, said overseas Pakistanis possessing valid machine-readable passports can get themselves registered as voters within the stipulated time. He said after the due date voter lists will be handed over to the concerned returning officers and names of overseas voters will be scored out. He said such voters cannot cast their vote manually in Pakistan. He said this online voting registration system has been developed with the cooperation between ECP and NADRA. Replying to a question, he said it is a pilot project and overseas Pakistanis can register their votes to exercise their right to franchise in upcoming by-elections across Pakistan. He said over 700,000 overseas Pakistanis will be able to get their vote registere

After the elections, the PTI had formed a fact-finding committee headed by Senator Swati to look into the alleged failure of the RTS from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2wxw85b

PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati on Friday said the sudden failure of Result Transmission System (RTS) on election day has cast doubts over the transparency of election results, therefore, a forensic audit should be conducted into the alleged failure. Swati said this while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, flanked by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry. Earlier this month, the senior PTI leader had presented a detailed report to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the alleged failure of RTS and suggested that PM Khan should suspend National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Usman Mobeen. The senator reiterated his demand during the press conference saying a transparent probe was not possible in the presence of the incumbent Nadra chairman. After the general election, the PTI had formed a fact-finding committee headed by Senator Swati to look into the alleged failure of the RTS. The prime minister asked Swati to consult with the forensic experts before publishing t

Sky Bet has placed The Rock as the favourite to win next year’s Royal Rumble Match from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2wur8OA

With the Mariners already leading 6-0, a relaxed Usain Bolt pulled off a few step overs on the left wing and was inches away from connecting with a close-range tap-in from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2Cd11RU

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Friday urged the international community to come forward and raise the voice against the brutalities and worst violations of human rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir. “The people of Indian Occupied Kashmir have been sacrificing their lives for the attainment of the plebiscite which has been guaranteed by the UNSC and UNCIP resolutions. “Besides, the right to self determination lies at the centre of the International Bill of Rights. Why the innocent and unarmed people of Kashmir are denied to this fundamental right?” she asked while talking to the former Australian senator and human rights activist Lee Rhiannon who called on her in Islamabad. High officials of the ministry were also present on the occasion. They discussed the matters related to the human rights particularly human rights violations of innocent people of Kashmir valley. The federal minister apprised Rhiannon about the steps of the Pakistan government to

Initially, the feature will only be available to a limited number of content creators within the US from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2PSo5YI

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said that former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family members spent Rs17million rupees from national kitty by using a helicopter for personal errands, ARY News reported. Addressing media in Islamabad, the minister claimed that the Sharif family members including Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz used the state chopper for personal errands so the government has decided to send the bill to former PM Nawaz Sharif. More to follow.. The post WATCH LIVE: Nawaz Sharif to pay for his family’s illegal helicopter usage, says Fawad Chaudhry appeared first on ARYNEWS . from ARYNEWS https://ift.tt/2wwgPcX

QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief and presidential candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman is still optimistic over his chances in the elections, and said that it will be the opposition’s victory if the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) candidate quits the race. Addressing a press conference after meeting with Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmud Khan Achakzai, he said that having two candidates by the opposition would give a runaway victory to the government’s candidate. Maulana Rehman said that they desire to strengthen democracy and institutions in the country and it was necessary for the opposition to play a strong and constructive role. Therefore, he said that the PPP’s presidential candidate should step down and the entire opposition should support him to ensure his victory. “The opposition has a strong role in the nation. We want the the PPP to be alongside in this democratic journey. If PPP had supported us in the prime minister’s election then Shehbaz Sharif w

WASHINGTON: The United States’ top spy catcher said Chinese espionage agencies are using fake LinkedIn accounts to try to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets, and the company should shut them down. William Evanina, the US counter-intelligence chief, told Reuters in an interview that intelligence and law enforcement officials have told LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft Corp., about China’s “super aggressive” efforts on the site. He said the Chinese campaign includes contacting thousands of LinkedIn members at a time, but he declined to say how many fake accounts US intelligence had discovered, how many Americans may have been contacted and how much success China has had in the recruitment drive. German and British authorities have previously warned their citizens that Beijing is using LinkedIn to try to recruit them as spies. But this is the first time a US official has publicly discussed the challenge in the United States and indicated it is a bigger probl

India began hoping to build on a largely dominant opening day in which they had England rocking on 84-6 before Sam Curran’s 78 helped the hosts to respectability at 246 all out from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2N4Is6x

It seems certain that UEFA will wait a further year before the Europa League follows suit, just as the continent's secondary club competition waited before introducing goal-line technology from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2C5TYKG

The ruling was cheered by opponents of the nation's largest resource project in decades, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration suggested it had been dealt a temporary setback and vowed to carry on from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2ws8Qhe

LinkedIn boasts 562 million users in more than 200 counties and territories, including 149 million US members. from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2NzZCG7

Some of these changes are already under way in the southwestern United States, where massive wildfires are destroying pine forests and transforming swaths of territory into shrubland from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2PT8BUj

Goldis only the second Bollywood movie after Rajinikanth’s social drama ‘Kaala’ to hit the theaters in the Gulf country. from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2wu416S

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that his government is not afraid of media criticism as it helps the government evaluate and improve governance, ARY News reported. Speaking to a group of senior journalists in the federal capital, the PM maintained that media is free to criticize all policies and measures the new government takes, adding that it helps government resolve outstanding issues. He, however, added that the media should at least give the PTI-led setup at provincial and federal level  three months time to improve the level of governance. About the newly-elected Chief Minister Punjab, he said that Usman Buzdar is a “brave man” and will prove with time that choosing him to run the most populous province of the country was a right decision. Answering a question about using a helicopter to commute between PM Office and his residence, the PM maintained that he uses the chopper for he doesn’t want to cause inconvenience to common people. About his plans for

Newly appointed Finance Minister Asad Umar on Friday told the Senate that addressing the deficiencies identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is in Pakistan's own best interest, and that he views the issue as "more an opportunity than a challenge". In June 2018, the FATF — an international terrorism financing watchdog — had demoted Pakistan to its grey list , putting the country just one step away from its dreaded blacklist, which brings with it international sanctions and economic repercussions among other things. The finance minister, while briefing the Senate over the issue today, alleviated the house's concerns, saying: "We have even been on the grey list twice. It is not like this would suddenly result in trade or banking sanctions for us. But it clearly also is a negative signal, especially for a country that has such a severe current account deficit. So you obviously want to avoid this. "But I go beyond that. If you look closely, FATF

A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders on Friday called on Prime Minster Imran Khan at the PM's Office. The delegation was led by the Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication and MQM Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. He was accompanied by Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, and party leaders Nasreen Jalil and Aminul Haq. According to a media release from the PM’s Office, the two sides discussed the prevailing political situation in the country, particularly in Sindh. The delegation also reminded the prime minister about the speech he had made in Karachi and his promises to its citizens. The MQM had been promised a development package for Karachi in exchange for supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in forming the federal government. Later in the day, the prime minister held a separate meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Naeemul Haq was also present for the meeting, in w

Karachi police on Friday registered a first investigation report (FIR) against K-Electric after both arms of an eight-year-old boy had to be amputated by doctors due to severe burns he had sustained after an 11,000-Volt electrical wire fell on him in the street where he was playing. The incident took place in Ahsanabad Sector-4 off Superhighway on Aug 25. As a result of the electric shock, both of the boy's arms were badly burnt and doctors had to amputate them in order to save his life. The FIR was registered upon the boy's father's complaint. A KE spokesman had told Dawn on Thursday that they were deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident. “We extend our sympathies to the family. We are taking this matter seriously and remain available to extend support to the family, including medical expenses during this time and for further treatment or rehabilitation,” the spokesman said. According to the father, despite KE's announcement of assistance for the boy's med

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday urged Japan to support Pakistan in education sector, science, technological cooperation and vocational training as human resource development is a priority of his government. He was talking to State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Kazuyuki Nakane. The dignitary congratulated him on the recent election victory of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and assuming the office of prime minister. PM Imran expressed desire to work closely with Japan to expand bilateral cooperation in all areas, particularly in trade, investment, economic and human development. He recalled that Japan External Trade Organisation (JETO) in its 2018 report has recognised Pakistan as one of the top friendly destinations for Japanese investment. He conveyed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing bilateral economic cooperation through facilitating Japanese businesses. The prime minister also acknowledged the role of economic assistance provided by Japan in social sector proj

PHNOM PENH: An Australian filmmaker was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday after being convicted of espionage in Cambodia in a case that Human Rights Watch slammed as a “ludicrous charade”. James Ricketson has been held in jail since his arrest in June last year after he flew a drone over a rally held by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was effectively banned months later. The CNRP’s dissolution paved the way for strongman premier Hun Sen to win a clean sweep of all parliamentary seats in July’s national election, which Western democracies have said was flawed in the absence of any viable opposition. After a six-day trial, Judge Seng Leang found the 69-year-old Ricketson guilty on two charges of espionage. “We have decided to convict (him) to six years in prison for espionage and collecting harmful information that could affect national defence,” he said, without giving any details of which country he was allegedly spying for. The prosecution ha

Dutch police said Friday they shot and wounded a suspect at Amsterdam’s main train station after a stabbing incident in which two others were injured. Local television station AT5 said the incident followed an argument. Police said in a statement the suspect and other injured people were taken to hospital for treatment. from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2NzVu95

LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a ban on cells phones or any other electronic device in the premises of polling station during upcoming presidential elections. In this regard, the ECP has directed all the presiding officers and has asked them to keep secrecy of ballot. The election is expected to be held on September 4. The ECP has already published the final list of candidates on August 30. The candidates include Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr. Arif Alvi, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan. Voting for the election will be held in the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on September 4. The lawmakers will exercise their right to vote through a secret ballot. The indirect election to the office of the president under Article 41 (4) of the Constitution are to be held not earlier than 60 days and not later than 30 days before the expiratio

KARACHI: As anti-protocol movement gradually engulfing across the country, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also jumped the bandwagon and put up a sign stating a hassle-free travel for all its passengers. The PIA sign reads: ‘No Protocol, No Seat Blocking’ and image of the display was shared by the PIA on its twitter page with a message ‘All passengers are equally important to us…” Under the newly invoked austerity measures, the government has ordered immediate withdrawal of VIP protocol given by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to influential people at airports. The decision took effect from August 26 (Sunday) after the Ministry of Interior issued directives to all officials concerned of the FIA to implement the orders forthwith. The VIP protocol was usually given to politicians, legislators, senior bureaucrats, judges, military officials and journalists. According to Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, “We have decided to strictly implement the decision to prov

Thanking the PkMAP leader his support, Rehman said that he hopes that PPP would withdraw its candidate for the unity of the opposition from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2opBhrx

Maas said it was clear that the added German funds would not cover a $217 million deficit left by the U.S. withdrawal, and urged the European Union and other states to work toward “a sustainable finance basis for the organization” from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2C0hVTs

A rescue operation is underway to rescue the trapper miners from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2wwslVD

NASA confirmed the problem, saying it consisted of a "minute pressure leak" and that the crew was repairing it. from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2wrWjuc

Paramount Studios stated that the filmmakers will be able to polish the high octane action sequences in the movie from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2LJEtr5

DETROIT: The Earth’s forests, deserts, landscapes and vital ecosystems risk a “major transformation” in the next century due to climate change, international scientists warned on Thursday. Some of these changes are already under way in the southwestern United States, where massive wildfires are destroying pine forests and transforming swaths of territory into shrubland. In the next 100-150 years, these changes will likely extend to savannas, deserts, and woodlands, upsetting ecosystems and imperiling plant and animal life, particularly in areas like Europe and the United States, researchers warned in the journal Science. “If we allow climate change to go unchecked, the vegetation of this planet is going to look completely different than it does today, and that means a huge risk to the diversity of the planet,” said co-author Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. The report is based on fossil and temperature records

KARACHI: Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla is currently in Karachi visiting friends and family. Juhi with many credentials to her name is well known among the Bollywood movie fanatics and fans were quick to spot a tweet via Juhi’s twitter handle where she made it known that she is currently visiting Karachi. She took to Twitter to share her visit with her fans saying; In Karachi, out for lunch to the Boat Club with family friends… and then to the movies …a delightful Pakistani romcom ‘Jawani Phir Nahin Ani’ … which coincidentally had a full Indian girl/ Pakistani boy love story pic.twitter.com/UtNHyCbIhf — Juhi Chawla (@iam_juhi) August 31, 2018 She shared that after lunch, she was going to watch Jawani Phir Nahin Ani 2. “In Karachi, out for lunch to the Boat Club with family friends and then to the movies a delightful Pakistani romcom ‘Jawani Phir Nahin Ani’ … which coincidentally had a full Indian girl/ Pakistani boy love story,” she tweeted. Her sudden visits to the city of

QUETTA: Balochistan High Court (BHC) has appointed Tahira Safdar as its chief justice; it is first ever appointment of a female on the post of any high court’s chief justice in Pakistan.   According to details, Justice Tahira Safdar will swear in for the top post on Saturday. The decision to appoint Ms. Tahira was taken by the chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar. Ms Tahira will be succeeding Muhammad Noor Musjabzai who has been retired from the post of chief justice of Balochistan Hight Court on Friday (today). Ms. Tahira was born in Quetta in 1957. She achieved her degree in law from Quetta Law College in the year 1980. She was appointed as first female civil judge in 1982.   The post Tahira Safdar appointed as first female chief justice of BHC appeared first on ARYNEWS . from ARYNEWS https://ift.tt/2orzORC

ATHENS: Sarah Mardini, one of two Syrian sisters who saved over a dozen refugees in 2015 by pulling their sinking dinghy to Greece, has been arrested for alleged people smuggling, her lawyer said on Friday. Greek police said on Tuesday they had arrested two members of an aid organization on the island of Lesbos and were investigating a total of 30 on suspicion they smuggled migrants into Greece, spied and laundered money. Mardini, 23, who is being held in a maximum security prison in Athens, has denied all charges, her lawyer Haris Petsikos told Reuters. “She was strictly doing volunteer work. There is not a piece of evidence against her,” he said. The other person arrested is German national Sean Binder, 24, a volunteer who has lived most of his life in Ireland. He is also represented by Petsikos and also denies the charges. Authorities said the suspected crime gang allegedly “provided direct assistance to organized migrant trafficking rings”. They are accused of establishing a

The Supreme Court on Friday initiated proceedings in a case pertaining to the sudden transfer of the District Police Officer (DPO) Pakpattan under controversial circumstances. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had on Thursday taken suo motu notice of the transfer of former Pakpattan DPO Rizwan Gondal , allegedly over an altercation with citizen Khawar Fareed Maneka, ex-husband of First Lady Bushra Imran. The chief justice had ordered Punjab Inspector General (IG) Kaleem Imam, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Abu Bakar Khuda Buksh, Sahiwal’s regional police officer (RPO) and the Pakpattan DPO to appear before the Supreme Court at 9:30am today along with the inquiry report. "What's the story?" Chief Justice Saqib Nisar asked as he began hearing the case on Friday morning. "Why has the entire nation been obsessed with it for the last five days?" According to the media's reporting of the reasons behind Gondal's transfer, relying on several uns

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary on Friday termed the cancellation of an anti-Islam contest involving blasphemous caricatures in the premises of the Dutch parliament as an "achievement" for Islamabad. However, he made it clear that the government still believes that a strategy needs to be devised on an international level against any such attempt in the future. He also said that while a small group of people in the west may try to provoke Muslims, the majority could not be held responsible for the acts of that small group. The minister recalled that the Government of The Netherlands had not been in favour of the contest and petitions had also been filed in the United Kingdom against blasphemy. "After the prime minister's speech, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had contacted the government of Holland," he said, adding that Qureshi had told the Dutch that the global community will hold their government responsible if the contest was held. P

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday set aside a petition challenging the existence of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 and conviction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members under a “dead law”. On July 6, an accountability court had handed Sharif 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB, as part of the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau against the Sharif family. On July 11, senior lawyer AK Dogar, through a petition in the LHC, had claimed that the former prime minister and others were convicted by a court which had no jurisdiction because the law under which it (court) was created is a dead law. The petitioner had urged the high court to suspend the operation of the accountability court’s judgment for being a court established under a non-existent law. A three-member full bench of the LHC, under Justice Shahid Waheed's stewards

Justice Safdar will become the 32nd chief justice of the Balochistan High Court, replacing outgoing chief justice Justice Noor Muhammad Meskanzai from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2PkKTPW

Pakistan lost the semi-final of the Asian Games 2018 hockey event to Japan 1-0 on Thursday from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2PU1dYG

The batsman had earlier said that he can play international cricket as long as he can. from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/2C3imfF

The google assistant has a newly updated feature and it is surely designed to impress users worldwide. The voice-activated Google Assistant inside Google Home smart speakers will be now able to recognize languages in any pairing of English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, with more languages to follow. As Google explains, if you’re listening for an answer in English, you can ask something along the lines of, “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today?” If you want to hear music from a favorite German hip-hop band, you might ask “Hey Google, Spiele die Fantastischen Vier.” You will have to set up the pair of supported languages you want to be spoken back to you in advance. According to Google multilingual support has been a highly requested feature and something that the company has been working on for years. Advances in speech recognition, artificial intelligence and neural networks are now making it possible. Google provided this example in a company blog: “Even

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday dismissed the petitions filed against the conviction of former premier Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (Retd) Safdar in Avenfield properties case.  Incarcerated Nawaz, his daughter Maryam and his son-in-law Safdar appealed against their sentences in the high court. The petitions also requested the court to declare the NAB ordinance null and void. However, after listening to the arguments from the petitioners and National Accountability Bureau’s counsel, LHC announced its verdict against the filed petitions. As per LHC’s verdict, NAB ordinance is functional even after 18th amendment in the constitution. Nawaz Sharif was arrested on July 13 along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif when the duo returned to the country from London. The arrest was in compliance with July 6 court order, convicting them in the Avenfield properties reference. An accountability court, in Avenfield corruption reference, awarded 10 years prison term to

BAHAWALNAGAR: A child was forced by transgender persons to become their group member and ‘alter’ his appearance, but the boy was badly beaten when he refused to comply. The video of the incident has also gone viral on the social media. The incident occurred in Haroonabad, a tehsil (sub-district) in Bahawalnahar district. According to reports, the child was searching for a job to feed his family. He somehow was taken to a group of transgenders for assistance. And they tried to force the boy to work with them. The transgender persons also forced the boy to change his dress and start the ‘work’ forthwith. But the boy refused and attempted to leave the place, but he was badly thrashed by transvestites. WATCH It may be noted here that the Senate had approved the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2018 in March 2018, while the National Assembly passed it. The bill is aimed at ensuring rights of transgender persons. Under the bill, transgender persons will be able to re

BEIJING: China’s defence ministry said on Thursday that it was supporting Afghanistan’s defence and counterterrorism efforts, a day after Beijing denied a plan to build a base in Afghanistan and to send Chinese forces to the war-torn country. China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday dismissed a report by the South China Morning Post that cited sources with ties to the military as saying it was funding construction of a camp in Afghanistan’s narrow Wakhan Corridor linking the two countries, and could send hundreds of troops there. The Hong Kong newspaper later updated its report to quote Afghanistan’s embassy in Beijing as saying China was helping the country set up a “mountain brigade” to boost counterterrorism efforts, but that there would be “no Chinese military personnel of any kind on Afghan soil at any time”. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian, asked about the mountain brigade at a regular monthly news briefing, said China and Afghanistan had “normal military and security

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad today and the two sides discussed political situation including the upcoming presidential elections. They also discussed problems faced by Sindh province especially the people in Karachi and Hyderabad. The prime minister assured that the federal government will extend every possible cooperation for resolution of problems faced by the people of Karachi and Hyderabad. The MQM delegation included Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Farogh Naseem, Aminul Haq, Kanwar Naveed, Nasreen Jalil and Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar. On August 3, MQM had struck a deal with the PTI before becoming the part of federal government. PTI leader Jehangir Tareen had made the announcement after meeting a MQM delegation at Imran Khan’s residence in Bani Gal. A written Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the two sides. He said that meaningful dialogue was held with the MQM in Karachi after

BANGKOK: Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi should have resigned as Myanmar’s de facto leader over last year’s brutal army campaign against the Rohingya, the outgoing UN human rights chief has told the  BBC . A military crackdown in response to attacks by Rohingya militants drove around 700,000 of the Muslim minority from Rakhine state into Bangladesh, where they have given accounts of widespread rape, murder and arson targeting their villages. Suu Kyi, once lionised as a defender of human rights, has been pilloried outside her country for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn the actions of Myanmar’s army. Instead, as streams of desperate Rohingya fled, Suu Kyi suggested an “iceberg of misinformation” had obscured the real picture of what had taken place inside Rakhine and backed the army campaign as a justified response to “terrorist” acts. “She (Suu Kyi) was in a position to do something,” UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in the interview with the British broad

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Asad Umar on Friday told the Senate that the government needs $9 billion to run Pakistan. He said Pakistan, as per the budget, need $9 billion to run the country.”We are trying to address the root cause that compels us to borrow these $9bn. Of course, we know any will take time to yield results,” he added. The minister said that the loan will be taken after taking the Parliament on board. He said a plan to this effect will be finalized in next one or two weeks and then it will be presented before the Parliament for discussion. The minister added that the decision to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loans will be taken after consultations and taking the parliament into confidence. He also told the house during question hour that the new FBR chairman has been appointed and next week a meeting will be held with the FBR officials to discuss implementation of the reforms strategy. He said currently one million people are filling their tax r

ISLAMABAD: The PTI-led government is hosting its first foreign dignitary’s visit of Pakistan as the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday, the Foreign Office said. The two foreign ministers deliberated on the matters pertaining to regional peace and stability, while pondering over more efficient ways to enhance mutual cooperation between two neighboring countries. During the meeting, the talks of strengthening ties also came under the discussion, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted. Zarif also extended best wishes from the Iranian leadership to the new Pakistani government under Prime Minister Imran Khan. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived on Thursday on a two-day visit of Pakistan. High-level Pakistani officials received the Iranian dignitary and gave him a warm welcome. Zarif will also meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser as well as C

SOUTH KOREA:Students and teachers in South Korea will need to find new ways of staying alert through the long school day after the government said Friday it will ban coffee sales in schools. Selling highly caffeinated drinks to students in schools has already been banned since 2013, but with coffee vending machines still available for teachers, will students have been able to get around the rules and find their coffee fix. Now the government wants to rule out any possibility of children buying highly-caffeinated drinks on campus, a spokeswoman from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, warning that students were turning to caffeine to stay up late studying and preparing for exams. Under the move, which will take effect from September 14, coffee sales will be entirely prohibited from elementary, middle and high schools. “Coffee will disappear from cafeterias and vending machines installed at schools,” said the spokesperson. South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo said students te

KARACHI: Police on Friday arrested seven employees of the K-Electric in the wake of incident causing amputation of both the arms of an eight-year-old boy when a live wire fell on him on Aug 25. Umar’s both arms had to be amputated by doctors due to severe burns he had sustained after an 11,000-Volt electrical wire fell on him in Ahsanabad Sector-4 off Superhighway where he was playing last Saturday. Taking action after parents’ complaint and notice of the governor Sindh, police arrested seven employees of K-Electric from their Gadap area office and shifted them to police station. They said the investigation was underway to determine the person(s) responsible for the incident. Police said they will announce their later course of action after the ‘main culprit and person responsible for the incident surfaced. After the incident, Umar was rushed to a hospital where doctors diagnosed that his arms were wasted because of severe burns. Burns Center In-Charge Dr Ahmer said they tried th