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PARIS: Paris, London and Berlin on Saturday welcomed six new European countries to the INSTEX barter mechanism, which is designed to circumvent US sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use of the dollar. “As founding shareholders of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), France, Germany and the United Kingdom warmly welcome the decision taken by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, to join INSTEX as shareholders,” the three said in a joint statement. The Paris-based INSTEX functions as a clearing house allowing Iran to continue to sell oil and import other products or services in exchange. The system has not yet enabled any transactions. Washington in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the international agreement governing Iran’s nuclear programme and reinstated heavy sanctions against Tehran. The accession of the six new members “further strengthens INSTEX and demonstrates European efforts to facilitate legitimate

BEIJING: China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets starting Sunday, according to the country’s information technology authority, as Beijing continues to tighten cyberspace controls. In September, China’s industry and information technology ministry issued a notice on “safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of citizens online”, which laid out rules for enforcing real-name registration. The notice said telecom operators should use “artificial intelligence and other technical means” to verify people’s identities when they take a new phone number. A China Unicom customer service representative told AFP that the December 1 “portrait matching” requirement means customers registering for a new phone number may have to record themselves turning their head and blinking. “In next steps, our ministry will continue to…increase supervision and inspection…and strictly promote the management of real-name registration

  KARACHI: A teenage boy has sustained severe gunshot wound as unidentified people in a vehicle fired bullets and abducted the girl walking alongside with him in Karachi, ARY News reported on Sunday. The incident took place in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Bukhari Commercial where a group of men in a vehicle fled after kidnapping the girl. The victims are identified as Dua and Haris. Haris was later shifted to the hospital in critical condition. Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) South told media that the department is investigating the incident and recording statements of eye-witnesses. He confirmed that the boy was wounded by gunshots fired by the culprits, who abducted the girl. The police officer said that it seems not an abduction for ransom case citing the financial condition of the girl. Police officials said Haris confirmed in his initial statement the people in a car who kidnapped her friend after firing a bullet to him. The wounded boy and the abducted girl are reside

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Mitchell Starc took six wickets and denied Babar Azam a century to break stubborn resistance from the Pakistan batsmen Sunday as they work to save the day-night second Test at Adelaide Oval. The visitors resumed on an overcast day teetering at 96 for six in reply to Australia's first innings 589 for three declared, built on the back of David Warner's monumental 335 not out. At the end of the opening session on day three, they had moved to 213 for eight with a dogged Yasir Shah unbeaten on 66 — his maiden Test 50 in his 37th match — and Mohammad Abbas with one. In a scintillating spell under lights on Sunday night, left-armer Starc snapped up four quick wickets but the gloomy conditions offered little movement on Sunday and Azam and Yasir took advantage. They put on a disciplined 105-run stand with Azam looking destined for a third Test century until Starc pounced again, with the 25-year-old edging an attempted drive to Tim Paine behind the stumps on 97. Azam — who scored a

KARACHI: A consumer court on Satur­day imposed fines on a leading online retailer for providing a faulty product to a customer. The judge of the consumer court (South) Mukesh Kumar Talreja directed Daraz.pk to pay Rs50,000 to the claimant/complainant in damages and compensation and also pay a fine of Rs15,000 in the government treasury account. The court also asked the online retailer to replace the product in question with a good and useful one or alternatively return the amount (Rs7,795) paid against the purchase of the produce by the claimant and improve its services with regard to reasonable standards as per expectation of consumers. It further ruled that if the defendant failed to comply with these orders within a period of one month, he or she will be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than one month which may extend to three years or with fine not less than Rs50,000 which may extend to Rs200,000 or with both. The court in its order said it is a settled principle

KARACHI: Taking notice of killing an 11-year-old girl in Dadu over honour, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Syed Kaleem Imam has sought report into the matter, ARY News reported. The IGP Sindh has directed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dadu to submit details of the incident. He also directed him to ensure the delivery of justice and stern punishment to those involved in the crime. The incident occurred on November 21 in Johi, a small town in Dadu, where an 11-year-old girl was stoned to death in the name of honour and was later secretly buried. Read more: Parents, facilitators held over 11-year-old’s honour killing in Dadu The police responded to the reports and arrested parents of the victim and two other facilitators. A case was also registered with the Dadu police. According to the FIR , the girl’s father, his relative, and four others had “hatched a conspiracy for the murder of the girl and killed her by stone-pelting”. They then bought a shroud and buried her

THE six-month extension given to army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa by the Supreme Court will effectively keep him in office for at least the next three years as the court-mandated parliamentary approval to the legislation for this is a foregone conclusion. Nine out of 10 people will tell you this when you ask them. But is it indeed a cakewalk for the incumbent? If you look hard enough you will also find the contrarian view, audaciously arguing that this is not the case and a cakewalk it is not. This (miniscule) minority opinion would have you believe that Gen Bajwa, if his former senior and a ‘defence analyst’ retired Lt-Gen Amjad Shoaib is right, should have stuck to his guns and said no to the offered extension. The retired general, who claims first-hand knowledge of developments, says the army chief never wanted or asked for an extension, in fact, offering to step down again as recently as last Wednesday (Nov 27) in a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Even mainstream ‘oppositio

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ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, said in her Twitter messages on Sunday that young generation is the country’s precious asset and hope to bright future, ARY News reported. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the interpretation of the dreams of youth is the prime mission of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that the premier ordered for resolution of issues to the students. “The PM asked federation and provinces to envisage strategies [for students]. The demand for rights from the students is a good sign which reflected their consciousness and thoughtfulness.” نوجوان نسل ہمارا قیمتی اثاثہ اور روشن مستقبل کی امید ہے۔نوجوانوں کے خوابوں کی تعبیر وزیراعظم عمران خان کا بنیادی مشن ہے۔طلباء کے حقوق کے تحفظ اور مسائل کے فوری حل کے لیے وزیر اعظم نے وفاق اور صوبوں کو جامع حکمت عملی مرتب کرنے کی ہدایات دی ہیں۔ — Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousPTI) December 1, 2019 اپنے حقوق کا مطالبہ طلباء کے بڑھتے ہوئے شعور اور فکر کی عکاسی ہے جو نہ

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World Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Day is being observed today (Sunday) with an aim to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and express solidarity with people living with the pandemic. The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care around the world. This year theme of World AIDS DAY is Communities make the difference. The  Day was first observed on 1st December 1988. Since then, this date is dedicated to raise awareness about the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). According to doctors and professionals, there are three main ways to contract AIDS i.e. having unprotected sex, sharing needles and via mother-to-child-transmission. Read more: World AIDS Day: 8 celebrities who contracted HIV/AIDs Seminars and gatherings are held to educate the people regarding the menace of HIV/AIDS and how to counter it. Treatment methods are also discuss

MEXICO CITY: Ten suspected cartel gunmen and four police were killed during a daytime shootout on Saturday in a Mexican town near the US border. The government of the northern state of Coahuila said state police clashed with a group of heavily armed gunmen riding in pickup trucks in the small town of Villa Union, about 40 miles (65 km) southwest of the border city of Piedras Negras. Standing outside the Villa Union mayor’s bullet-ridden offices, Coahuila governor Miguel Angel Riquelme told reporters the state had acted “decisively” to tackle the gunmen, who he said had entered from the neighboring state of Tamaulipas. Riquelme said 10 gunmen had been killed, three of them by officers in pursuit of the gang members after the gunfight that claimed the lives of four police and wounded six more. Around midday, heavy gunfire began ringing out in Villa Union, and a convoy of armed pickup trucks could be seen moving around the town, according to video clips posted by social media users.

HYDERABAD: Hundreds of people on Saturday laid siege to a police station where four men are being held over the latest gruesome rape-murder to shock India. Baton-wielding police pushed back crowds from the building in the southern city of Hyderabad where they said the 27-year-old veterinary doctor was gang-raped, killed and then her body burned. While the suspects were quickly detained, the killing sparked new outrage in a country that has been in the international spotlight over its handling of sex assaults since the brutal gang-rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus in 2012. “How anyone could subject another human being to such terrible, unprovoked violence is beyond imagination,” said former opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi on Twitter. Police had to bring in reinforcements to bolster security around the Hyderabad police station. The suspects were to appear before a magistrate for what was expected to be the start of “fast-track” proceedings later Saturday. But

Rare artefacts on display at Islamabad Museum. — Photos by the writer ISLAMABAD: After decades locked away in its reserves, the Islamabad Museum recently pulled out a statue of the head of Buddha, an artefact from the 3rd to 4th century AD that was discovered by the first Italian archaeological mission in Pakistan. The statue was excavated in the Swat Valley by a mission led by Dr Giuseppe Tucci. Although the mission began digging in the valley in 1956, the artefact was excavated sometime in the 60s and it was last displayed in a museum in 1997. “It is extremely rare to find Lord Buddha’s statues made of stucco from Swat. Swat Valley is predominantly home to stone sculptures,” Islamabad Museum Director Dr Abdul Ghafoor Lone said. He added that stucco scultures of Buddha were frequently found in Taxila and Afghanistan. What also makes this head of Buddha unique are its sharp, feminine features, with long hair brushed back and wrapped over and around a halo and slanted, feline ey

KARACHI: Revenue collection in November grew by 17 per cent compared to last year to touch Rs334 billion, according to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi in a late afternoon tweet after monthly figures had been compiled. The figure is still short by Rs48bn from the November target, causing the overall revenue shortfall this fiscal year to climb to Rs211bn. Collection in the period July to November hovered around Rs1.618 trillion provisionally where the target for the period is Rs1.830tr. The growing shortfalls are fuelling concern within certain sections of the business community that the government could resort to further taxation measures, a mini-budget, in order to bridge the shortfalls before the end of fiscal year. The government acceded to a very challenging revenue target of Rs5.5tr in the last budget, up from Rs3.829tr collected last year. Income tax collection has been recorded at Rs573bn provisionally, against a target of Rs627bn, showing a shortfall

KARACHI: On May 30 this year a woman, who was sick for a long time, was murdered by her husband in Gharo Rind village in Sindh. Her body was left hanging from a tree as people stood there and made videos. Her sin: she tested positive for HIV in a screening drive by the provincial authorities. Her husband accused her of infidelity. But her family and locals say she had received multiple injections and blood transfusions and was one of the victims of reused syringes. Post arrest, the husband refused to take an HIV test. At her burial, many refused to come forward and assist with the task of carrying the coffin. To date, no one in the family is sure if the woman really had HIV because no further investigation was carried out by the health authorities. As Pakistan commemorates World Aids Day today, the stats shared by UNAIDS are worth pondering over. Pakistan has 160,000 adults living with HIV, of which 48,000 are women of 15 years or more. “HIV treatment is less frequent among women t

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has cautioned that legislation on the extension of service of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will not be easy in parliament if the hostile attitude of the Imran Khan-led government towards the opposition continues. “The way ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is provoking [the opposition] it is creating hurdles in the legislation on extension for the army chief. The government wants the opposition not to cooperate with it on this matter,” PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal told a press conference here on Saturday. Former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, MNA Pervaiz Malik and MPA Azma Bokhari accompanied him. Mr Iqbal said that the prime minister after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the extension of army chief’s service declared the opposition unpatriotic and his ministers also launched a tirade against it. He said the PTI was also trying to make state institutions controversial. Ahsan Iqbal says

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s attendance in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the first parliamentary year remained poor as he attended the house’s proceedings on only 11 of the 61 working days in all seven sessions held so far. The chief minister’s presence in the assembly sessions as leader of the house was dismally low making it 17 per cent of the total attendance. The MPAs attendance record obtained through the Right to Information Act shows that CM Mahmood Khan remained absent from the house proceedings for 50 days. According to the attendance sheet, Mahmood Khan attended only 11 working days in seven sessions which also included his oath taking as MPA and vote of confidence from the house. PA record shows Mahmood Khan rarely spoke in house unlike his predecessors The attendance record is kept confidential and the assembly’s secretariat is not authorised to share it with the media or other organisations, which regularly monitor parliamentary proceedings. Unlike

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has launched a countrywide service to register physically challenged and seriously ill people on their doorstep. The service, which in the past was arguably used to appease influential persons and their relatives, will now be available to the common people who really need it. Under the service, the Nadra employees equipped with biometric verification machines will not just visit such applicants to register them but also deliver their computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to their homes. A senior Nadra official said the project was in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of providing maximum facilities to public by bringing about an improvement in service delivery. He said the facility was aimed at serving bed-ridden patients, physically or mentally challenged persons and elderly people at their homes. The ManPack mobile units for home-based registration process were meant to facilitate the segment of

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan once again made it clear that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will complete his term as he supported him in different meetings he chaired at the CM Secretariat during his one-day visit to Lahore on Saturday. Sources said that during one of the meetings with members of the Punjab cabinet and MPAs at the CM Secretariat, the PM said that he knew everyone sitting in the meeting wanted to become the chief minister, but he would continue standing with CM Buzdar. “Those aspiring to replace Mr Buzdar should wait for the next four years,” asserted the prime minister. He said Mr Buzdar was neither living in palatial houses nor spending Rs800 million per annum on his personal security. “The reforms implemented during the PTI government’s tenure have never happened before in Punjab. We need to hold seminars and publicise the reforms implemented in Punjab,” he said. During meetings with MPAs, senior government and police officials and at a press conference,

THE perception has been growing for a while now that Pakistan’s power elites believe in an apolitical society and thus tend to engineer young people’s thoughts for that purpose. As ‘politics’ has become a dirty word, it is also considered forbidden territory for the young. Others assert that the perception may be only partly true, as the power elites believe in politics but want to keep it exclusive. In Pakistan, the domain of politics has plenty of room for different ideological, religious, and political brands that suit power elites’ interests. But there has been little space for political tendencies with alternative, progressive and critical views. For the power elites, politics is a source of seeking authority and control that has little to do with people’s political rights and empowerment. For them, the ‘politics of rights’ is the enemy’s domain, which is used for nurturing multiple generational warfare against the state. All sources of rights-based politics, from trade to stude

LAHORE: An anti-narcotics court on Saturday extended judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah for 14 days in alleged drugs recovery case, ARY News reported. Rana Sanauallah was produced before the court under strict security. The police denied entry to the lawyers and media persons in the courtroom, which was resulted in scuffles. The defence lawyers as a protest against the inappropriate behavior of police personnel boycotted the court proceedings. Defence lawyer Tahir Khalil Sindhu said that the security officials resorted to violence against him and other lawyers. Meanwhile, the court extended judicial remand of Rana Sanaullah till December 14. The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had submitted charge-sheet against the PML-N stalwart in July this year, in a case pertaining to the alleged recovery of heroin from his car. The ANF submitted the charge-sheet to the relevant court seized with the hearing of the case. Rana Sanaullah and six other su

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Australia opener David Warner hit only the second Test double century of his career on Saturday, punishing poor bowling from a Pakistan attack that rarely threatened him. The 33-year-old, playing in his 81st Test, began day two of the day-night second Test in Adelaide on 166 and wasted little time in racing to 200. He reached the mark off 260 balls with a single from Shaheen Afridi, clattering 23 fours along the way. Warner had been ably supported throughout his innings by Marnus Labuschagne, who was bowled by Afridi for 162 just minutes before he reached the milestone. Warner's highest Test score is 253 against New Zealand at Perth in 2015. The opener's heroics in Adelaide followed his 154 in the first Test at Brisbane last week — his first Test century since a year-long ban for ball-tampering. It has been a big turnaround for the former Australian vice-captain, who managed just 95 runs in 10 innings during this year's Ashes series in England. from The Dawn News -

ISLAMABAD: Airport Security Force (ASF) on Saturday foiled a bid of smuggling drugs abroad from the Islamabad airport, ARY News reported. According to details, officials of the ASF arrested a man identified as Zaira Jan, resident of Khyber Agency and recovered 840grams of ice heroin from his custody. The passenger was nabbed by the ASF officials when he was boarding to fly to Bahrain via flight no F-771. Later, he was handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for further investigation into the matter by the ASF officials. On April 17, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had foiled a smuggling attempt at the Jinnah International Airport and arrested a man. Read more:  ANF foils drug smuggling bid at Karachi airport, arrests passenger A passenger named Mir Muhammad was about to board a foreign airline when he was caught by ANF officials for carrying packets of heroin in his luggage. The arrested man was heading to Saudi Arabia. The man was caught smuggling drugs during the screeni

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The nuns are trying to empower young women from Samaa Digital https://ift.tt/37VhAO3

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has directed the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to restrict the activities of Afghan refugees in the country in line with the law of the land. A bench consisting of Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar disposed of a petition filed by senior lawyer Mohammad Moazam Butt, who sought its orders for the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to regulate the life and work of Afghan refugees in the country and deport illegal refugees. In a two-page verdict, the bench ruled: “No one would disagree what the petitioner has averred in his petition that activities of the refugees must be under the law on the subject and on no count they could be allowed to do what they want as the refugees have to lead a regulated and controlled life.” It added that refugees couldn’t be allowed to conduct businesses in the country without authorisation by the relevant quarters. The bench, however, ruled that the issue couldn’t be decided by

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will arrive in Lahore for a day on Saturday (today), ARY News reported. According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair Parliamentary meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and will take it into confidence over the current political situation of the country. “Changes in the Punjab cabinet will also be discussed in the meeting”, sources said. The prime minister is scheduled to preside over a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister House and will hold meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar. In his last visit on October 28, Prime Minister Imran Khan had emphasized on early implementation of local government system while directing to complete the plan in this regard on time. Read more:  PM Imran stresses on early implementation of LG system in Punjab Presiding over a high-level meeting on Punjab Municipal Services Program in Lahore, PM Imran had said, “The incumbent government has brought a revoluti

KABUL: The Taliban said on Friday it was “way too early” to speak of resuming direct talks with Washington, a day after President Donald Trump suggested negotiations to end America’s longest war were back on track during a surprise visit to Afghanistan. The statement from Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid sounded a note of caution after Mr Trump said during a lightning visit to Bagram Airfield on Thursday that the Taliban want “to make a deal”. “We’re meeting with them and we’re saying it has to be a ceasefire,” he told reporters during the visit to mark the Thanksgiving holiday with troops at the base. His statement indicated progress, though Mr Mujahid’s remarks suggested roadblocks remained. “It is way too early to talk about the resumption of talks for now,” the spokesman said in a WhatsApp message, adding that the Islamist group would give an official reaction later. Trump makes lightning trip to Kabul In September the US and the Taliban had appeared on the verge of si

MULTAN: Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa says judges earn respect from society because they decide their matters. “If a judge does not give his verdict after hearing arguments, there is no difference between him and a postman,” he said in his address to members of the Lahore High Court’s Multan bar on Friday The chief justice started his speech in Seraiki, saying he was not a guest rather the Multan bar was his home from where he started practice as a lawyer. The focus of his speech was decline in the standards of law practice and its causes. The chief justice said that a large number of lawyers were being produced every year on account of mushroom growth of private law colleges. However, a majority of these entrants do not get an opportunity to work with senior lawyers. Cites poor education quality of private law schools & work burden on judges as main ills afflicting justice system Highlighting poor teaching standards in law colleges, Chief Justice Khosa said tha

KARACHI: Pakistan People s Party (PPP) is all set to celebrate its 52nd Foundation Day on Saturday (today), ARY News reported. The PPP, founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was on November 30th, 1967, ruled Pakistan five times since its foundation. The central function of the 52nd Foundation Day of the PPP will be held in Muzaffarabad which will be attended by party leaders and workers from all over the country. The stage has been set up and the venue has been decorated with party posters and flags with thousands of chairs. According to local administration, strict security arrangements have been made for the gathering. The gathering will also be addressed party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders. Read more: PPP will celebrate its foundation day in Muzaffarabad: Bilawal Bhutto In his message, Bilawal reiterated commitment to founding principles and also vowed to set a new direction for the country. “Only a strong people’s agenda can pull Pakistan out of democrati

ISLAMABAD: A lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) surprised many on Friday by saying that instilling democracy within political parties, including his own, is a huge challenge. Sher Ali Arbab, PTI’s MNA from Peshawar, was the one who had the courage to candidly concede that there was dearth of democracy within political parties. He was speaking at the concluding session of a national conference on electoral reforms organised by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) here. Mr Arbab agreed with a proposal that the party ticket holder and office-bearer should not be the same. Former Senator Taj Haider of the Pakistan Peoples Party, while speaking on the occasion, also said he was in favour of credible intra-party elections. He said that the armed forces should have no role in the electoral process. He said an amendment to the Constitution, if needed, could be made to meet the purpose. Arbab agrees with proposal that party ticket holder and office-bearer should