Thickening smog threatens air quality in Punjab

Smog is once again threatening to choke Lahore and other cities across Punjab, worsening the air quality and making breathing difficult for the residents.

A steady rise in carbon emissions, coupled with a spike in cross-border crop burning, has thickened the layer of smog enveloping the provincial metropolis and other parts of Punjab, reducing visibility and causing flight delays.

Air pollution caused by traffic, industries, crop burning and disposal of solid waste are major contributors to smog. With Pakistan witnessing a steady rise in carbon emissions, and air pollution in the neighbouring New Delhi hitting hazardous levels and blowing across the border, the smog is only expected to worsen in the forthcoming winters unless urgent action is taken, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned.

To reduce the risk of smog, the Punjab government has initiated a project to modernise brick-kilns in the province.

Punjab Environment Protection Department Director Naseem-ur-Rehman told APP that the modernised brick-kilns based on zig-zag technology would not only reduce the production cost of bricks and the fuel charges but also help control air pollution and smog.

He said that 70 to 80 per cent emissions were reduced through the new process. So far, 35 to 40 modern kilns are under construction, he informed.

Meanwhile, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Khan has articulated serious concerns over trans-border pollution and proposed an independent air quality monitoring body to the president of Air Quality Asia (AQA) – a global advocacy campaign to help national legislative bodies fight air pollution.

The adviser, in a meeting, apprised the president of AQA, Shazia Z. Rafi, about the deteriorating air quality situation in Pakistan and the steps being taken by the Punjab government to curb the issue. He informed that Pakistan this year had been constantly monitoring the situation whereas an independent institution to examine the cross border air quality would be fruitful to mitigate the smog risk.

What is smog?

Smog, also known as ground-level ozone, is a thick yellowish black fog which suspends in the air. It is caused when air pollution, emissions and fumes combine with fog and sunlight, forming a thick layer of smoke-like film in the atmosphere.

According to experts, emissions from industries and vehicles and cutting of trees worsen the phenomenon.

People may experience short-term skin and respiratory conditions such as eye irritation, coughing, throat/chest irritation and skin irritation as a result of breathing in the air affected by smog.

Health experts recommend artificial tears for eyes as one way of dealing with smog. The public is advised to adopt preventative measures such as avoiding the outdoors and using face masks when going out.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2DfodOc

Police arrest three suspects in Maulana Samiul Haq murder case

Police on Saturday nabbed three suspects in case pertaining to murder of former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Samiul Haq.

As per details garnered, the three suspects have been apprehended through geo fencing.

Police have shifted arrested suspects to undisclosed location for further investigation.

Maulana Samiul Haq was assassinated in a targeted attack in Rawalpindi.

As per the details, Maulana Samiul Haq sustained injuries in a targeted attack at his house in a private housing society in Rawalpindi’s Gulraiz area.

He was shifted to local hospital for medical assistance where he succumbed to his wounds.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2OFmEeB

Floods in in Jordan kill 12, force nearly 4,000 tourists to flee Petra

Flash floods killed 12 people in Jordan and forced nearly 4,000 tourists to flee the famed ancient desert city of Petra, emergency services said on Saturday.

Search teams were scouring valleys near the historic hill town of Madaba for a young girl who was still missing after Friday's floods, civil defence spokesman Iyad Amru told state television.

Among those confirmed dead after torrential rains swept the south of the kingdom were six people found in the Madaba area southwest of the capital Amman.

To the east, three people were killed near Dabaa on the Desert Highway, one of Jordan's three main north-south arteries, while one was killed near Maan in the south.

It was not immediately clear where the other two died.

Amru said two girls had gone missing in the Madaba region, later announcing that one of their bodies had been found.

Government spokeswoman Jumana Ghneimat said authorities had alive found four Israeli tourists who had gone missing in the Wadi Rum desert in southern Jordan but were looking for two more.

“Our embassy in Tel Aviv contacted the Israeli foreign ministry for information on the identities of the missing Israelis,” Ghneimat said in statements carried by the state news agency Petra.

A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry confirmed that contact had been lost with two Israeli tourists who were in Wadi Rum.

Tourists evacuated

The Jordanian army deployed helicopters and all-terrain vehicles to help with search and rescue operations after floodwaters cut off the Desert Highway in both directions.

A rescuer was also among the dead, the civil defence spokesman said.

State television said the waters had reached as high as four metres (13 feet) in parts of the red-rock ravine city of Petra and the adjacent Wadi Musa desert.

It broadcast footage of tourists sheltering on high ground on both sides of the access road to Jordan's biggest attraction.

The government spokeswoman said 3,762 tourists were evacuated.

Designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985, Petra draws hundreds of thousands of tourists a year to its rock-hewn treasury, temples and mausoleums.

Its buildings have been used as sets for several Hollywood blockbusters including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Wadi Rum, also a UNESCO world heritage site, has attracted generations of tourists with its spectacular sandstone and granite rock formations.

Its moonlike landscapes served as a backdrop in the filming of the Hollywood classic Lawrence of Arabia.

The latest deaths come after October 25 flash floods in the Dead Sea region of the kingdom killed 21 people, most of them children on a school trip.

Jordan's education and tourism ministers both resigned last week over failings in the government's response to those floods.

The education ministry ordered schools closed nationwide on Saturday amid warnings of more heavy rains.

Jordan's minister of water and irrigation, Raed Abu al-Saoud, said on Saturday that the country's 14 main dams had filled up by some 26 per cent of full capacity in the past 48 hours because of the torrential rains.

Jordan is a water-poor country that is 90 per cent desert.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2AZ10y4

Anti-encroachment drive continues for seventh day in Karachi

An anti-encroachment drive in the metropolis’ Saddar area entered its seventh day today (Sunday).

During the operation, shops located in the bird market, cloth market and dried fruit market were removed using heavy machinery.

According to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Anti-Encroachment Senior Director Bashir Ahmed Siddiqui, “Encroachments around Empress Market will be removed in a few hours’ time with the area being restored to its original state in the next 15 days.”

“1043 illegal shops were demolished during the operation today,” Siddiqui said, adding, “After the drive, KMC and the police will set up camps in Saddar to ensure that the encroachments do not return.”

Siddiqui added, “A task force has been created to stop the encroachments in Saddar which will comprise KMC, anti-encroachment and police members.”

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Fe0ArV

Sindh govt imposes ban on use of plastic bags

The Sindh government imposed on Saturday a ban on the manufacture, sale and purchase of non-biodegradable polythene bags in the province.

An official of the environment department informed the cabinet during a meeting that the manufacture and use of polythene bags is a crime.

On this, the cabinet approved the environment department’s request to impose a province-wide ban on the use of them.

According to the spokesman of the Sindh chief minister, in the next three months, there will be a ban on the use of plastic bags in different districts of the province.

Further, the cabinet approved the release of aged prisoners after a new list is put together every three months. The cabinet also approved the release of aged prisoners with dangerous diseases.

The prisons medical committee will submit details of the aged prisoners to the cabinet while an eye will be kept on those prisoners released under the district administration, the spokesperson added.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah also directed that details regarding prisoners abroad be also provided to him.

Moreover, the spokesperson said, the Sindh government will release prisoners after the payment of bail.

It was also decided in the meeting that the governor, chief minister, the interior minister, speaker, the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, chief secretary, inspector general (IG) of the police and the two additional IGs be provided with bulletproof cars.

The cabinet also approved the formation of a committee under the legal advisor Murtaza Wahab along with Imtiaz Sheikh, Shabbir Bajjar, IG police and interior secretary to observe the police roles and report to the cabinet.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Povu5k

Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks

Members of Afghanistan s High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani s offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.

For the first time, the meeting of regional officials on ways to end the war included a Taliban delegation, as moves towards achieving a political settlement pick up.

"We discussed the subject of direct talks with the Taliban and asked them to choose the place and the starting time," said Ehsan Tahiri, High Peace Council spokesman, according to Russia s RIA news agency.

The meeting, which underlines Russia s desire to be involved in any settlement in Afghanistan, took place as U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad prepared for a fresh round of talks with Taliban officials in Qatar.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that "we reaffirm our position on the lack of alternative to a political settlement in Afghanistan and the need for active coordinated efforts by Afghanistan s neighbouring countries and regional partners".

Western officials and Ghani s government view the Moscow meeting with some suspicion, seeing it as an attempt by Russia to push its way into a process that they say must be led by Afghanistan.

As well as the five-member Taliban delegation, Russia brought to the meeting several senior Afghan political figures, including some who have clashed with Ghani in the past. Ghani s government sent only a delegation from the High Peace Council, a group set up to coordinate reconciliation efforts.

The Taliban issued a statement this week saying the conference was "not about negotiating with any particular side".

It said the meeting was "about holding comprehensive discussions on finding a peaceful solution to the Afghan quandary and ending the American occupation".

Ghani offered in February to talk to the Taliban without pre-conditions but the insurgents, who regard his government as a foreign-controlled regime, have refused, saying they will deal only with the United States.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2DySN66

Gas bills on old tariff, no word on subsidy: SNGPL

Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) says that the decision to provide gas to the zero-rated sectors – textile, carpets, leather, sports and surgical – is subject to provision of subsidy in line with the billing and financial support mechanism clearly explained in the finance ministry’s letter.

“We have no issue with these sectors. We will continue billing them as per Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) notified rates of the system gas and the Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG). However, we will immediately adjust these bills as soon as we receive subsidy from the government,” SNGPL’s Managing Director Amjad Latif told Dawn on Saturday.

The gas company said that it will follow instructions of the finance ministry by billing the sectors as per Ogra notified rates of system gas and RLNG.

According to finance ministry’s letter dated November 2, SNGPL has been directed to invoice the zero-rated industry at the notified prices and upon receiving subsidies — effective from Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) decision on October 16 — from finance division on monthly basis, the subsequent invoices to the industry will be adjusted at the approved weighted average price of $6.5 per mmBtu.

“Accordingly, based on the actual gas consumption, the SNGPL will submit subsidy claims duly signed by the chief financial officer and verified by the secretary (petroleum) to finance division. The division will disburse the subsidy to SNGPL which will credit the actual amount of subsidy received to zero-rated industry through immediate adjustments in the subsequent gas bills,” reads the letter.

Surprisingly, the ministry has dropped captive power from subsidy despite the fact that over 80 per cent of zero-rated industry runs on captive power to ensure frequent and smooth power supply without fluctuation and tripping.

On the other hand, Ogra’s price notification for the system gas issued on August 18 included the five zero-rated industry and their captive power.

MD Amjad Latid said there would be no subsidy for the industry being run through captive power, as the finance ministry letter clearly states: “Previously in view of the electricity shortage, significant volume of gas was required to be consumed by the industrial sector for power generation. However, currently given the assured availability of electricity in the system, the subsidised gas is not required for power generation.

Accordingly the subsidised gas will be provided to zero-rated industry for production process purposes only while electricity will be available to the industry as per government’s notified rates. So the subsidy given by the government during current fiscal year will therefore be restricted up to 185mmcfd with 10pc variation in consumption”.

He said the issues raised by industry must raise these issues with government and SNGPL does not have the powers to do anything in the matter. “These are the issues at the level of Ogra and finance and petroleum ministries and not the SNGPL. So the business community is better required to contact them, as we are here to follow government policy and decisions,” he added. He also said that this was not an issue and the government is highly likely to provide the proposed subsidies.

However, the industry has urged the government to fulfill and implement its own decision of billing the zero-rated industry at the rate of $6.5 per mmBtu and 7.5 cents per electricity unit.

“A wrong calculation has been worked out. Restriction of subsidy on 185mmcfd gas means that there would be no change of tariff for the entire five zero-rated sectors. 185mmcfd including around 50mmcfd and 135 being used by the industry not dependent and dependent on the captive power respectively.

They don’t know how the 80pc industry would continue its operation without smooth captive power-supply that is the only way to manufacture quality products/goods,” deplores an industrialist.

He said that it seems the government had deceived the industry rather than fulfilling its promise of developing the country through export-led growth.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2PRmiWG

Qureshi promises all possible diplomatic efforts to bring Aafia back

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that the government will make all efforts on diplomatic level bring Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist and mother of three jailed in the US for almost a decade, back to Pakistan.

The foreign minister said so while speaking to newsmen in Multan. "We will do whatever we could on diplomatic level to bring back Aafia Siddiqui," he said.

Qureshi said Aafia's family would be facilitated if she serves rest of her term in Pakistan. He also denied any offer made by the US in the past to free the incarcerated Pakistani neuroscientist in exchange for the release of Raymond Davis, a CIA operative who gunned down two men in Lahore in 2011.

The minister earlier this week also promised to provide legal assistance to Dr Aafia.

Dr Aafia has been in prison since 2010 on charges of attempted murder and assault on US military personnel during an interview with US authorities in Ghazni, charges which Siddiqui denies. She was sentenced to 86 years in prison at the Federal Medical Centre, Carswell, Fort Worth in Texas.

The Pakistani government had raised the issue of "respecting the human and legal rights" of Dr Aafia Siddiqui with US Ambassador Alice Wells who visited Islamabad on November 7.

"Government of Pakistan has been raising the issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui with US authorities regularly. Pakistan's CG (consul general) in Houston pays Consular visits to Dr Aafia, periodically, to inquire about her well-being and conveys her messages to Dr Aafia's family if any," the Foreign Office had said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The issue of respecting the human and legal rights of Dr Aafia Siddiqui was also raised in the meeting at MoFA with Ambassador Alice Wells on November 6," it confirmed.

"The US side has promised to look into our request."

Responding to a question about Dr Shakil Afridi, Qureshi said that "no bargains take place among countries" and that Pakistan had its own stance on the incarcerated doctor. "We understand that Shakil Afridi acted against Pakistan's interests," he said.

Afridi, who had helped US authorities track down al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was arrested by Pakistani authorities after then-CIA director Leon Panetta and then-US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had confirmed the doctor's role in eliminating the al-Qaeda chief.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2PTgpIx

Flexible oximeter maps blood-oxygen anywhere on body

A new flexible oximeter has been introduced in the markets that is able to measure blood oxygen levels on different parts of the body could aid in wound monitoring and organ transplants.

This Typical oximeters rely on reading transmitted light, which means they can only be used on areas of the body that are partially translucent.

To overcome this limitation, the team from the University of California Berkeley drew from previous research involving printed organic LEDs and a method of determining blood oxygen levels by reading reflected light. By combining these two technologies, the team created an oximeter made up of a flexible sheet printed with an alternating array of photodiodes, red LEDs and near-infrared LEDs.

However, This device can be applied to any part of the body, regardless of translucency, to map blood oxygen levels in real time.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2AXs7K2

Pakistan include Shaheen Afridi for New Zealand Tests

Pakistan´s selectors Saturday included teenage pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi in a 15-man squad for the first two of the three Tests against New Zealand starting in Abu Dhabi next week.

The 18-year-old has been in a devastating form in the ongoing one-day series in United Arab Emirates, taking 4-46 and 4-38 in the two matches so far. The third and final one-day international is in Dubai on Sunday.

He also took 3-20 in a Twenty20 match against New Zealand and four wickets in two Twenty20 internationals against Australia last month, also in UAE.

The sensational pace bowler emerged on the scene last year, taking 8-39 in an innings in his first class debut, the best-ever figures by a Pakistani bowler in his first match.

Pakistan and New Zealand play the first Test in Abu Dhabi November 16-20. The second match will be in Dubai November 24-28 while the final Test is also in Abu Dhabi December 3-7. A squad for the final Test will be announced later.

"Shaheen has been included in the squad keeping into account his current form," said chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq Inzamam. "He has impressed with his bowling."

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir is still sidelined after his recent poor form while another paceman Wahab Riaz was dropped after being wicket-less in the first Test against Australia last month.

Also left out of the squad is opener Fakhar Zaman who made his debut in the second Test against Australia in Abu Dhabi last month, scoring 94 and 66 -- apparently to rest his knee injury.

Left-hander Saad Ali was selected again after his fighting hundred for Pakistan ´A´ against New Zealand ´A" in Abu Dhabi this week but there was no place for Shan Masood who hit centuries in each innings of the first side game between the "A" teams in Dubai last month.

Squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Saad Ali, Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2OCHJGu

Sharif family Requests SC To Uphold IHC Sentence in Avenfield reference

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar on Saturday submitted their replies in Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on appeal of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging suspension of Sharifs’ jail sentences in Avenfield reference.

The replies state that verdict of Islamabad High Court (IHC) is based on facts. The replies further read that trial court in its verdict did not keep the facts in view before arriving on conclusion hence the decision of IHC should be upheld.

The reply of Nawaz Sharif states that he had been declared owner of London flats without producing evidence whereas the conclusion was drawn that Sharif’s sons had bought London flats when they were dependent on their father.

It further adds that NAB had not even produced evidence pertaining to dependency of sons on their fathers. The replies further states that NAB had not submitted evidence pertaining to price of flats bought during 1993 to 1996.

In its plea challenging suspension of jail term of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and political heir Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar, NAB states, “IHC had failed to appreciate that through its order, it had seriously prejudiced the case of the prosecution by holding that the trial court judgement suffered from obvious and glaring defects and infirmities and that the convictions and sentences handed down to the accused might not be sustained ultimately”.

It is pertinent here to mention that Islamabad High Court on September 19 had annulled jail term of Sharifs awarded to them by an accountability court in Avenfield reference case.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2QyxvZo

Four civilians injured in cross-LoC firing by Indian forces: ISPR

Indian forces resorted to unprovoked fire in Leepa Sector of Line of Control employing heavy caliber weapons.

According to ISPR, as usual the Indian forces deliberately targeted civilian population and injured four innocent civilians.

The injured namely Zaheer, Nasir, Munir and Shaukat are the residents of Bijildar and Battlian villages.

Pakistan Army effectively responded by targeting Indian posts.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2AXc3aZ

Sindh government bans on purchase of new official cars

Following the federal government’s footsteps, the Sindh government on Saturday launched an austerity drive.

A spokesperson for Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the provincial government has banned the purchase of new official cars as part of the austerity drive.

The cabinet has approved the ban on the purchase of new vehicles for official use, the spokesperson added.

According to the spokesperson, the ban will be in place for three years.

Addressing a meeting of the Sindh cabinet, the provincial chief minister said, “I want to draft a new policy regarding use of official vehicles and a grade 17 officer should be given a car that is bought on lease.”

“Government officials should pay installments for the vehicles themselves,” Shah said while adding that the vehicles will be handed over to the officials when the installments are completely paid off.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2OAJHXV

We Have Good Relations With Chaudhry Sarwar: Pervaiz Elahi

Punjab Assembly Speaker and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi on Saturday said that party leader Tariq Bashir Cheema had complains of meddling in his constituency.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, he said that we have good relations with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and good relations will continue in the future.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Chaudhry Sarwar as Punjab Governor, he added.

The Punjab Assembly speaker said that if any the concerns are addressed together routinely as they are coalition partner of the PTI.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2z3vxto

Pervaiz Elahi requests Tareen to 'control' Governor Punjab

Is there any friction between the Houses of the Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab province? A new video of a meeting between top Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leaders and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jehangir Tareen has raised questions.

The video, which surfaced on Saturday, shows a meeting between Tareen, Punjab Minister for Mines and Minerals Hafiz Ammar Yasir, and PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Federal Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema.

In the video, Cheema can be heard speaking to Tareen. "Sir, control Sarwar! He will not let your chief minister continue," he tells Tareen in a candid manner.

The video has raised questions over the how much authority PTI's Usman Buzdar wields as chief minister in the province.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2qBHy4w

Govt to ensure provision of share to FATA in NFC Award: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his government will play its due role for ensuring provision of share to erstwhile FATA in the National Finance Commission Award.

He was addressing a high level in Islamabad to review progress on administrative and other matters relating to merger of erstwhile FATA with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

He directed that the administrative and other matters relating to merger of FATA should be resolved in such a manner that people do not face any difficulty.

The Prime Minister called for united efforts to foil the nefarious designs of some forces who are misleading people about merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the meeting, a special committee led by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also constituted to prepare a ten-year plan for development of the erstwhile tribal areas merged with the province.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Dx0ny7

PM Imran lays foundation stone of shelter home in Lahore

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a shelter home in the provincial capital of Lahore.

Addressing the ceremony, PM Imran said, "There was a concept of monarchy in Punjab and ministers were used to luxuries."

"I decided to appoint Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar after seeing which area he came from. His area and house did not have electricity and there was no hospital there. These kinds of people realise what difficulties are. When a person is facing difficulties he needs humanity," the prime minister said.

"We have resources but are not concerned with the homeless because they are not our vote bank," PM Imran lamented.

Speaking about a picture of a homeless family in Lahore which recently went viral on social media, PM Imran said, "If people do not feel compassionate after seeing this picture I do not consider them human."

“It was Allama Iqbal’s and Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s dream to make Pakistan a model Islamic state."

The premier continued, "We have spent the last two months saving the country from default, and we the country has been saved. We now have to concentrate on making Pakistan a welfare state and this is the first step."

"I spoke to the Punjab chief minister and decided to allocate five spots for the homeless to make shelters. These spots are in areas where people arrive from outside the city to seek employment," he added.

Congratulating the Punjab chief minister on the project, PM Imran said, "This reminds me of the time when I used to lead the cricket team and used to select players who went on to become Wasim Akram and Inzamamul Haq. This will be just like that."

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Fona0O

China tells US to stop sending warships near Beijing-claimed islands in South China Sea

The US does not want a "Cold War" policy towards China, US top diplomat Mike Pompeo said at a high-level summit with Chinese officials in Washington. The two sides traded blows over militarization in the South China Sea.

Beijing asked the US to end American freedom on navigation exercises in the South China Sea as top defense officials and diplomats from both countries met in Washington on Friday.

The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, also discussed a string of other disputes between Washington and Beijing with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

Jiechi criticized the US over "militarization" of the South China Sea region, where US warships are regularly deployed near several Beijing-claimed islands. Using "freedom of navigation" as an excuse to send Navy vessels was "unjustifiable" as no shipping lanes or flights are being obstructed, Jiechi added.

Read more: Mattis rebukes Chinese 'intimidation' in South China Sea

"The Chinese side made it clear to the United States that it should stop sending its vessels and military aircraft close to Chinese islands and stop actions that undermine China's sovereignty and security interests," the Chinese official said.

In turn, US defense chief Jim Mattis said that the two militaries were looking to avoid "miscalculation" at sea. "And we made clear that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," he said.

No Cold War

The American side also raised issues on China's human rights record, with Mike Pompeo denouncing China's "repression" of minorities and citing a UN report that one million Muslim Uighurs have been rounded up in detention camps. He also criticized Beijing's actions in the self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers to be one of its provinces.

However, Pompeo also said that "cooperation" between the two countries remained crucial, citing issues such as North Korea's nuclear program.

"The United States is not pursuing a Cold War or containment policy with China," Pompeo told a joint news conference.

"Rather, we want to ensure that China act responsibly and fairly in support of security and prosperity in each of our two countries."

Trump to meet Xi

The Washington summit was held amid high tensions between the US and China, after US President Donald Trump ordered $250 billion (€220.5 billion) worth of tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing responded in kind. Last month, Beijing also rejected "ridiculous" US claims that Beijing was interfering with the midterm elections.

The two sides chose to postpone the annual summit, which was originally set to be held in Beijing last month. While Beijing and Washington traded blunt messages on Friday, the talks are seen as an attempt to pave the way for the upcoming meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Argentina in late November.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2QF7VBO

US to Restrict E-Cigarette Flavors to Fight Teenage Vaping 'Epidemic'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration next week will issue a ban on the sale of fruit and candy flavored electronic cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations, an agency official said, in a move to counter a surge in teenage use of e-cigarettes.

The ban means only tobacco, mint and menthol flavors can be sold at these outlets, the agency official said, potentially dealing a major blow to Juul Labs Inc, the San Francisco-based market leader in vape devices.

The FDA also will introduce stricter age-verification requirements for online sales of e-cigarettes. The FDA's planned restrictions, first reported by The Washington Post and confirmed to Reuters by the official, do not apply to vape shops or other specialty retail stores.

There has been mounting pressure for action after preliminary federal data showed teenage use had surged by more than 75 percent since last year, and the FDA has described it as an "epidemic."

"E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous — and dangerous — trend among teens," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in September. "The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we're seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end. It's simply not tolerable."

That growth has coincided with the rise of Juul, whose sales of vaping devices grew from 2.2 million in 2016 to 16.2 million devices last year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency threatened in September to ban Juul and four other leading e-cigarette products unless their makers took steps to prevent use by minors. The FDA gave Juul and four big tobacco companies 60 days to submit plans to curb underage use, a compliance period that is now ending.

The planned restrictions on flavors in convenience stores are likely to have the biggest impact on Juul, which sells nicotine liquid pods in flavors such as mango, mint, fruit and creme, previously called creme brulee.

Juul competitors

The only other e-cigarette competitors sold at convenience stores are those marketed primarily by tobacco companies such as Altria Group Inc, British American Tobacco Plc, Imperial Brands Plc and Japan Tobacco Inc.

Those products, sold under the MarkTen, blu, Vuse and Logic brands, have lost market share as Juul has risen to prominence over the last year, growing from 13.6 percent of the U.S. e-cigarette market in early 2017 to nearly 75 percent now, according to a Wells Fargo analysis of Nielsen retail data.

E-cigarette products represent a small share of revenue for major tobacco companies, whereas Juul's business is built entirely on the vaping devices. Revenue from e-cigarette devices made up less than 1 percent of British American Tobacco's global revenue for the first six months of 2018, according to a company filing from July.

Altria last month announced it would stop selling its pod-based electronic cigarettes, generally smaller devices that use pre-filled nicotine liquid cartridges, in response to the FDA's concerns about teen usage. The company also said it would restrict flavors for its other e-cigarette products to tobacco, menthol and mint.

Representatives from Altria, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands and Japan Tobacco did not respond to requests for comment Thursday evening. A Juul spokeswoman declined to comment.

The companies have previously said their products are intended for adult use and that they work to ensure retailers comply with the law.

Divisive products

Juul has previously said the company wants to be "part of the solution in keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of young people" but that "appropriate flavors play an important role in helping adult smokers switch."

Meredith Berkman, a founder of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes, which seeks to curb underage use, said the agency's move was a "good first step," but added that "the final step should have happened yesterday."

"Why not do away with flavors altogether, why not do away with online sales altogether?" she said.

E-cigarettes have been a divisive topic in the public health community. Some focus on the potential for the products to shift lifelong smokers onto less harmful nicotine products, while others fear they risk drawing a new generation into nicotine addiction.

Last year the FDA, under Gottlieb, extended until 2022 a deadline for e-cigarette companies to comply with new federal rules on marketing and public health.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Deh7cA

IMF bailout amount not yet determined: Asad Umar

Finance Minister Asad Umar on Saturday said the amount of aid being sought from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not been determined as yet.

Speaking to industrialists at the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Karachi, Umar said, “Independent power producers (IPPs) benefit the most from circular debt and subsidies are not a solution to the problem.”

The finance minister while speaking about relief packages said, “We will receive $1 billion from Saudi Arabia within the next one to two days.”

“The amount of aid sought from IMF has not yet been determined and is being worked on,” he added.

Umar regretted that hawali and hundi “caused destruction in the country”.

“We have learnt that 4,000 Pakistanis own assets in Dubai and 97,000 Pakistanis own properties in other foreign countries,” he added.

Regarding the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the finance minister said, “FATF is a serious issue and we are expecting positive progress on it in January.”

Umar further said, “We will have to fix tax machinery and not the budget target. Tax cases worth Rs1,300 billion are pending in courts.”

“Special courts are being formed to resolve tax issues,” the finance minister added.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2QytxQz

Newspaper suspended for saying country on 'autopilot'

Gabon’s official media watchdog on Friday said it had suspended a newspaper for three months for an article saying the country was on “autopilot” after the hospitalisation of President Ali Bongo in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.

Lack of official news — along with memories of the secrecy-shrouded demise of Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo, who died in office in 2009 after decades at the helm — has set the rumour mill churning at full tilt with suggestions that he is incapacitated or even dead.

L’Aube (Dawn) newspaper on Monday ran a story headlined “Gabon on (very dangerous) autopilot” and suggested that Prime Minister Lucie Mboussou be appointed interim president.

The spokesperson of the High Authority of Communications (HAC) watchdog said it was not up to the media or anybody else to provide “dangerous” interpretations of the law.

“Law is a science and the technical interpretation of legal texts” was a specialised task, Lucie Akalane said.

The paper’s editor, Orca Boudiandza Mouelle, was also banned for six months.

At the end of October, the HAC took Cameroonian television channel Vision 4 off the air for announcing that 59-year-old Bongo was dead.

Bongo’s spokesperson Ike Ngouoni said doctors had diagnosed him with “severe fatigue” and ordered bed rest.

A foreign source close to the couple told AFP on Wednesday that Bongo had had a stroke.

Bongo is however still officially expected in Paris on Sunday for a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2PkfZM2

Bullied Online? Speak Out, Says Britain's Princess Beatrice

Bullied herself online, Britain's Princess Beatrice is determined to ensure other girls are equipped to deal with internet abuse and get the best from the digital world.

Beatrice — who as the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and his former wife, the Duchess of York, is eighth in line to the British throne — said her bullying, about her weight and her appearance, were very public and could not be ignored.

But she said other girls faced this in private and needed to be encouraged to speak out and to know where to get support, which prompted her to get involved in campaigns against cyber bullying.

A recent study by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center found about 60 percent of U.S. teens had been bullied or harassed online, with girls more likely to be the targets of online rumor-spreading or nonconsensual explicit messages.

"You'd like to say don't pay attention to it ... but the best advice is to talk about it," Beatrice, 30, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation during an interview on Wednesday at the Web Summit, Europe's largest annual technology conference.

"Being a young girl, but now being 30 and a woman working full time in technology, I feel very grateful for those experiences. But at that time it was very challenging."

Beatrice, who works at the U.S.-based software company Afiniti, co-founded the Big Change Charitable Trust with a group of friends, including two of Richard Branson's children, in 2010 to support young people who also grew up in the public eye.

Campaign

She also last year joined the anti-bullying campaign "Be Cool Be Nice" along with other celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne, which included a book.

"There are lots of people who are ready to help and I want to make sure young people feel they have the places to go to talk about it," said Beatrice, adding that teachers and parents also had a role to play.

Beatrice said her bullying was so public that she could not hide from it, but her mother, Sarah Ferguson, was a great source of support.

One of the most public attacks on the princess was at the 2011 wedding of her cousin Prince William when her fascinator sparked a barrage of media attention. A month later she auctioned the hat for charity for 81,000 pounds ($106,500).

Her mother, who divorced Prince Andrew in 1996, had to get used to unrelenting ribbing by Britain's royal-obsessed media.

"She has been through a lot," said Beatrice, whose younger sister, Eugenie, married at Windsor Castle last month.

"When you see role models who are continually put in very challenging situations and can support you ... [then] some of the tools that I have had from her I would like to share."

Beatrice said mobile technology should be a force for good for girls in developed and developing countries, presenting new opportunities in terms of education, careers and health.

"Social media and the pressures that these young people now face is a new phenomenon ... and if I can do more to give young people the tools [to cope], that is my mission," she said.

"I would say to young girls: You are not alone. Keep going."

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2zGCfF2

India's female addicts battle gender bias, social stigma, poverty

The names of patients have been changed to protect their identities. Nandita* doesn't remember when she first used Methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant.

She is now 26 years old and recovering, but was addicted to two substances, not including, she says, alcohol and cigarettes.

"The first few times are a blur, it seems like they were many years ago," she tells Al Jazeera.

She sought medical help two years ago. Her parents run a real estate company in Bangalore and live in an expensive neighbourhood.

Though several young women like Nandita check in to rehabilitation centres, addiction among Indian women is barely researched and analysed.

Defined as a disease by medical associations across the world and the World Health Organization, addiction can be caused by a combination of behavioural, environmental and biological factors.

Indian female addicts struggle specifically because of social and family pressure.

In short, the stigma is much higher, according to Dr Reni Thomas at St Johns Hospital in Bangalore, and so women are less likely to break out of the cycle, compared with men.

The Bangalore-based doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans) report an increasing number of young women seeking treatment.

The rehabilitation centre to treat addicts is more than 25 years old, but in 2015, the doctors felt the need to open a separate centre for women.

Nandita is among the fortunate, her parents can afford expensive care. Moreover, the "shame" associated with addiction is less pervasive among rich communities.

Mayamma*, an addict whose family is poor, is her parent's seventh child.

"No one kept track of my birthday," Mayamma says.

She has been to state-funded rehabilitation centres in Bangalore and Chennai, the two cities she has worked in.

She was married at a young age to a man who introduced her to arrack, or locally made alcohol.

"We began to drink together at night," she said.

According to a UN study on female drug users in India, "substance use among women is associated with early initiation into physical relation, which is often coerced.

"Women are dually affected by substances, both as partners of men using substances and their own use. Since, more often than not, women using substances are also partners of users they have a double disadvantage."

During the day, Mayamma and her husband worked as day labourers at a construction site together.

"We had a fairy-tale relationship, until my husband died [after consuming illegal alcohol]," she says.

His death was a crude reminder for her to sober up and seek medical help so that her children had at least one parent.

Pratima Murthy, a doctor at Nimhans, said women are often introduced to drugs by relatives.

And other family members also take female relatives to hospital when they notice dysfunctional behaviour.

"If they don't perform their duties in the household, family members are alerted," said Murthy.

Although women willingly attend the rehabilitation scheme, they are at risk of relapsing because of the burden of responsibility towards their families.

"It is not enough to ensure the women have steered clear of substances, family and societal support is required to ensure they are kept that way. Sadly, many women lack such support," she added.

Since men are seen as the main breadwinners, they are usually more supported.

Anish Cherian, who works at Nimhans' psychiatric unit, said it is common to see women tend to their male relatives, but unusual for a man to take on the caregiver role to a female addict.

A 2008 study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime surveyed 1,865 women drug users across the country, revealing that 25 percent were heroin users, 18 percent used dextropropoxyphene - an opioid, 11 percent used an opioid found in cough syrup and 87% used alcohol heavily. Twenty-five percent said they had a lifetime history of injecting drugs.

The study showed women substance users were mostly in their twenties or thirties, and nearly one in three was illiterate.

In a transitional society like India, with rising incomes and easier access to substances, women often feel obliged to perform several sometimes contradictory roles. They must be contributing members of the family, workplace and society.

"Many women find these to be unbearable pressures," said Murthy, adding that the stress could spur drug abuse.

Mayamma has now been sober for four years.

As the only member of her large family earning a salary, she is responsible for rent, the children's education, and taking care of her elderly parents.

"At times, when I am forced to walk three kilometres instead of spending Rs5 (7 cents) for the bus, I feel like drowning myself in alcohol," she says, explaining that it takes significant willpower to stay sober.

For Thomas, the doctor at St Johns Hospital, the solution is welfare.

"Provide cheaper housing, state-funded medical care, education and food," she says. "We will automatically see a reduction in mental illness and addiction." SOURCE:

AL JAZEERA NEWS

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2QxZSa6

PM Khan to lay foundation stone of shelter home in Lahore today

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is all set to lay foundation stone of Shelter Home Project in Lahore today (Saturday).

According to details, the premier will visit the provincial capital and also hold meetings with Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) Usman Buzdar and other cabinet members.

Imran Khan will also be briefed over the law and order situation during the recently staged protest of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Earlier, Prime Minister stressed upon the need for greater efforts to sensitize public about the devastating effects of the crippling polio disease especially for children, the future of Pakistan.

He reiterated commitment of the federal and provincial governments towards polio eradication.

He said all the Chief Ministers would continue to spearhead campaign against polio eradication in their provinces and the federal government would continue to provide every possible support them.

Khan also thanked international partners for their support towards this important cause.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2PQcbBz

Imam clears scans, rejoins team after scary blow to the helmet: PCB

Opening batsman Imamul Haq, who was taken to hospital after being hit on the head by a short ball in Pakistan's six-wicket win over New Zealand on Friday, has cleared the tests and rejoined the team.

The 22-year-old was forced to retire after a short delivery from fast bowler Lockie Ferguson hit the grill of his helmet, making him dizzy before he fell to the ground.

His eyes were closed but he did not lose consciousness.

Team management originally said that the 22-year-old would undergo CT scans and be monitored for the next 48 hours.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later said that scans had shown that the player had suffered no damage.

“Imam-ul-Haq all scans clear. He joined the team and will remain under observation of Team Physio,” the PCB tweeted.

 

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Pic8Pr

US Presses China on Religious Rights, South China Sea, Taiwan

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed their Chinese counterparts on religious freedom, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and other issues Friday in a meeting aimed at setting up a summit between their nations’ presidents later this month.

While Pompeo noted the U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in Washington was "productive," he highlighted China's repression of some religious groups.

"The United States and the international communities will continue to express our concerns with respect to China's repression of religious groups — Christians, Buddhists, and 800,000 to possibly millions of Muslims — that have been denied their freedoms," Pompeo said during a joint press briefing following Friday's talks.

When pressed by VOA during the briefing, Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi said those issues are "China's internal affairs" and that "foreign countries have no right to interfere."

Beijing has defended its internment camps in western Xinjiang that human rights groups say now house around 1 million Muslim men and women.

China says the "vocational education centers" are aimed at ensuring security. Activists say there is evidence of torture, widespread surveillance, and signs that those being held are being forced to renounce their faith.

Yang on Friday noted the Chinese government attaches great importance to social and economic development in Xinjiang and Tibet and has taken a host of measures to promote stability, "unity" and people's well-being there. Xinjiang is home to ethnic Uighurs, the region's Turkic-speaking minority, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims.

Taiwan policy

During Friday's dialogue, U.S. officials also reaffirmed "strong ties" with Taiwan, which has been self-ruled since the 1940s but claimed by China.

"I reiterated the U.S. policy has not changed, and that we are concerned about China's increasing efforts to coerce others constraining Taiwan's international space," Pompeo said.

In response to a question by VOA, senior Chinese diplomat Yang noted, "Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory," adding Beijing would continue to remain committed to its "One China principle."

The nuance between Washington's “One China Policy” and China’s “One China Principle” is that the U.S. stance leaves open the possibility that a future resolution could be determined peacefully by both China and Taiwan.

The United States sees Taiwan as part of a network of Asian democracies, and informal Taiwan-U.S. ties have improved under U.S. President Donald Trump. He signed the Taiwan Travel Act earlier this year, which encourages visits "at all levels" between U.S. and Taiwanese officials.

And a high-profile meeting could occur in the coming days, when U.S. Vice President Mike Pence travels to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea. Diplomatic sources indicate arrangements are being made for Pence to meet with Morris Chang, a retired tech guru who founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), on the sidelines of the APEC summit.

A senior administration official said Pence's meetings with regional leaders were still being planned, but a meeting between Pence and Chang, Taiwan's envoy to APEC, was not being ruled out.

"The United States will meet with whomever the United States wants to meet with," the official said when asked whether China was warning against such a meeting.

South China Sea

On the issue of the South China Sea, Chinese officials said the United States should stop sending ships and planes near islands that China claims as its own.

The disputed sea is a major Asian trade route, where Beijing has landfilled areas for military infrastructure.

"We have continued concern about China's activities and militarization in the South China Sea," Pompeo told reporters Friday. "We pressed China to live up to its past commitments in this area."

U.S. officials said they would not halt so-called freedom-of-navigation patrols that are aimed at ensuring countries do not restrict traffic in international waters.

Both nations have been seeking ways to lessen tension, maintain open lines of communication and reduce the risk of miscalculations in the South China Sea.

Mattis said all military and civilian vessels and aircraft should "operate in a safe and professional manner" in the contested international waters.

"The United States is committed to finalizing a military-to-military crisis deconfliction and communication framework with China," Mattis said following Friday's talks at the State Department.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2DebxqE

Australian surgeons separate conjoined Bhutanese twins

Aust­ra­l­ian surgeons on Friday successfully separated 15-month-old Bhutanese twins, Nima and Dawa, who had been joined at the torso.

The team of more than 20 doctors and nurses spent six hours operating on the pair, who shared a liver but no other major organs, to the relief of the surgeons.

“We didn’t find surprises,” said Joe Crameri, who led the surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

“We are here earlier because there weren’t any things inside the girls’ tummies that we weren’t really prepared for,” he told reporters.

“We saw two young girls who were very ready for their surgery, who were able to cope very well with the surgery and are currently in our recovery doing very well,” he told reporters.

He said the next 24 to 48 hours would be critical to their recovery, but was optimistic about the outcome.

Nima and Dawa, and their mother Bhumchu Zangmo, arrived in Australia a month ago with the help of an Australian charity, but doctors had delayed the surgery until Friday to ensure the twins were well-enough nourished to support the operation.

The girls were known to share a liver, but it was not known before Friday whether they also shared part of the bowel, which would have complicated the surgery.

Crameri said the girls’ bowels were a bit intertwined they were not connected “in any major way”.

A photograph released by the hospital showed four surgeons carefully lifting one of the twins away from the other on the operating table as the pair began their independent lives.

The girls and their mother spent the past month at a retreat outside Melbourne run by the Children First Foundation, which raised money to bring the family to Australia for the surgery.

Elizabeth Lodge of the foundation told national broadcaster ABC before the surgery the twins already had their own personalities.

“Nima’s the robust one. She tends to always be on the top, pulling rank, as we say, and Dawa’s more placid,” she said.

“It will be really interesting to see what will happen once the girls are separated,” Lodge said, adding that the twins were “good mates”.

Bhutan is a poor Himalayan kingdom where doctors did not have the expertise to separate the girls, who were joined from the chest to the waist.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2JS0FQE

And now for something completely different: Chinese robot news readers

Chinese news readers may have some new competition - artificially intelligent robot anchors that can mimic human facial expressions and mannerisms while reading out reports.

The AI anchor, developed by state news agency Xinhua and tech firm Sogou , was on display at the World Internet Conference in the eastern Chinese town of Wuzhen, drawing in curious passers-by.

The anchor, modeled on real-life Chinese news reader Qiu Hao and sporting a black suit and red tie, is part of a major push by China to advance its prowess in AI technology, from surveillance equipment to self-driving cars.

In another video presentation from Xinhua, a different robot presenter said it was his “very first day” at the news agency and promised to “work tirelessly to keep you informed as texts will be typed into my system uninterrupted”.

At the internet summit, Sogou marketing staff said it wasn’t clear when the technology would actually go into use, but crowds gathered nonetheless to take selfies with the digital anchor and Qiu himself who was at the event.

The conference is China’s top tech event of the year, and has in the past attracted names like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet head Sundar Pichai.

This year’s iteration, however, which opened on Wednesday, was more muted and has a less glitzy global line-up, even as battle lines for control of the web have hardened amid a biting trade war between China and the United States.

Foreign websites such as Alphabet’s Google and Facebook are blocked in China, where authorities also tightly control online content and censor or punish those who post material seen as opposed to “core socialist values”.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2DfLTlE

No member will exercise authority as MQM-P founder, clarifies Khawaja Izhar

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) Khawaja Izharul Hasan on Saturday has clarified that no member will get the authority as party founder.

Talking to media, Izhar said that everyone in the party is only a member. Party’s rules and regulations were known to all the workers and someone violating them could not stay, he added.

The statement came after MQM-P decided to revoke the party membership of senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar during a meeting at the secretariat in Bahadurabad. The leadership had also directed the party members not to maintain any contact with him.

It is to be mentioned here that Sattar had stepped back from the party matters after he was not given ticket for the by-elections. He had also resigned from the Rabita Committee due to personal reasons.

MQM-P was divided into two groups, PIB and Bahadurabad wings, following a dispute over the party’s nominations for Senate election.

Afterwards, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sacked Farooq Sattar from the post of party convenership and annulled the intra-party elections of PIB wing.

On August 22, 2016, Sattar had taken over as MQM-Pakistan’s chief and disconnected contacts with the London faction.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2zD4jsW

Young Saudi woman donates laptop to ‘blackboard Microsoft’ Ghanaian teacher

A young Saudi woman donated a laptop to a remote school in Ghana after a photo of a Ghanaian school teacher- called Owura Kwadwo, better known as Richard Appiah Akoto- using only a blackboard and chalk to provide his students with a detailed illustration of Microsoft Word spread on social media.

Amira al-Harthi, who is pursuing her PhD studies at Leeds University in the UK, sent him a laptop “as a small gift to him and his students’ after reading about the teacher’s equipment shortage.”

“I always understand from the teachings of Islam that useful knowledge is crucial for the benefit of the self and humanity,” PhD statistics student Amirah aL-Harthi said.

She said she came across the picture on Twitter and was shocked and inspired by the teacher’s creativity and his student’s determination to learn about the program without the use of a computer.

“I realized that these feelings were not enough and I had to put them into action. I thought about the potential that these students have, and how, given the opportunity, they could be scientists and geniuses who may change the world someday,” al-Harthi said.

The Saudi student said that when she first decided to send the laptop, she could not find the address of the school. With the help of another Saudi student, Naif Harbi, she was able to track down the school’s location.

Harbi was one of the first to start a campaign urging others to donate laptops and school supplies, to this school.

The school teacher whose picture went viral on social media, said “I’ve drawn monitors, system units, keyboards, a mouse, a formatting toolbar, a drawing toolbar, and so on. The students were okay with that. They are used to me doing everything on the board for them.”

Akoto expressed his gratitude through his personal Facebook account which showed pictures of the students holding the donated laptop. He added that the device will be put to good use to teach the children basic computer skills.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2zJHQdG

US War on Terror Kills Nearly 500,000 in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan

A study released Thursday says the U.S.-led war on terrorism has killed about 507,000 people in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan during its 17 years and is showing a 22 percent increase in deaths in the past two years.

The death toll includes U.S. and allied troops, civilians in the war zones, local military and police forces, as well as militants, who have died from war violence, according to the report by Brown University's Costs of War Project.

The report said the number of indirect deaths was several times larger than deaths caused by direct war violence, bringing the total death count to well over 1 million people.

Fatalities in Afghanistan, as of October 2018, stood at about 147,000 people, including Afghan security forces, civilians and opposition fighters. The figure also included the deaths of 6,334 American soldiers and contractors, as well as more than 1,100 allied troops.

The report said that war-related violence had killed 65,000 people in neighboring Pakistan, including 90 American contractors, nearly 9,000 local security personnel and more than 23,000 civilians.

The rest of the deaths, between 268,000 and 295,000, occurred in Iraq, where the U.S.-led military intervention began in 2003.

"Though the war on terror is often overlooked by the American public, press and lawmakers, the increased body count signals that, far from diminishing, this war remains intense," the report said.

It also lamented that the U.S. wars have displaced millions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

"This update just scratches the surface of the human consequences of 17 years of war," the report warned in its concluding lines.

While the casualties in Pakistan have dropped by more than 80 percent in the past few years, intensified hostilities in Afghanistan continue to inflict record levels of casualties on civilians and pro-government forces. The year 2018, observers say, appears to be the deadliest so far since the conflict began 17 years ago.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2T1khG3

PIA plane skids off runway during landing at Panjgur airport

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Karachi veered off the runway during landing at Punjgur aiport on Saturday morning.

The flight, PK-517, from Karachi skid off the runway as soon as it touched ground at Panjgur airport. One of the tyres of the aircraft burst.

All passengers remained unhurt during the incident and were disembarked safely from the plane.

Panjgur airport is a domestic and international airport located in Balochistan.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2F9SYqe

Shehbaz reaches accountability court in Lahore

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody, reached an accountability court in Lahore on Saturday.

Shehbaz, who has been in NAB’s custody since October 5 in connection to the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case, was flown from Islamabad to Lahore earlier today today for his court appearance.

A large number of PML-N workers have gathered outside the court premises and security has also been increased.

On October 29, an accountability court had granted the PML-N president a three-day transit remand to attend National Assembly sessions. The leader of the opposition in NA was then flown to Islamabad and his Minister’s Enclave residence had been declared sub-jail.

An accountability court in Islamabad had on October 31 extended Shehbaz’s transit remand till November 6 and then till November 10.

As his transit remand ends today, Shehbaz will be presented before an accountability court in Lahore.

NAB has accused Shehbaz of misusing his powers while being the chief minister of Punjab in an inquiry pertaining to Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC).

Corruption allegations

According to the anti-graft body, Shehbaz cancelled the contract awarded to M/s Ch A Latif & Sons for infrastructure development of Ashiana Iqbal Housing Project and awarded it to CASA Developers.

"The former Punjab chief minister misused his powers and his actions caused a huge loss to the national exchequer," the NAB prosecutor had said.

However, Shehbaz denied the allegations as "false and baseless".

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2JTF1LV

Three Explosions Rock Somali Capital; 27 Dead, Including Gunmen

Three car bomb explosions and gunfire rocked the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Friday, killing at least 23 people in addition to four gunmen, witnesses and health officials said.

The blasts, which occurred within minutes of each other, targeted the Sahafi Hotel and its surroundings. The hotel is near the headquarters of the Somali Police Force's Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The head of a local ambulance service tells VOA his company transported 45 wounded people to the hospital.

Somali security officials who responded to the attack say four militants entered the hotel and went to the roof, firing on people down below. They said the security forces eventually killed the assailants and rescued dozens of people from hotel rooms.

The militant group al-Shabab, which has waged an insurgency for more than 10 years, said it carried out the attack.

A witness who was inside the hotel at the time said on condition of anonymity that the front of the building was destroyed by the force of the explosions, which blew out windows.

Former Somali lawmaker Abdi Barre Jibril said most of the people killed were passersby or passengers in buses or rickshaws.

"Two women and an eight-year-old child were among the dead," he told VOA.

Other witnesses reported seeing dead people in the hotel back alleys and that those people had been wearing government uniforms.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2T1ZjHo

Trump to Attend WWI Centenary in Paris, as France Warns of Threats to Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump departed early Friday for his trip to France where he and dozens of other world leaders will mark the centenary of the Armistice, which brought an end to the fighting in World War I.

His trip comes as relations between the United States and many of its allies remain tense. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the geopolitical climate is reminiscent of the buildup to the world wars.

Touring wartime battlefields in the east and north of France this week ahead of Sunday’s Armistice ceremonies, President Macron warned of ongoing threats to Europe, saying the continent must create its own army.

“We need to protect ourselves from China, from Russia and even the United States. When I see President Trump announcing a pullout from a big disarmament treaty that was taken in the middle of the 1980s in the middle of the missile crisis which had affected Europe, who is going to be the main victim? Europe and its security,” Macron told France’s Europe 1 radio station.

Talks with Macron

French officials said relations with the U.S. would be unaffected by President Trump’s Republican Party losing control of the House of Representatives in the recent midterm elections.

The U.S. president will hold talks with Macron Saturday. It’s not clear whether a rumored meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will go ahead.

Donald Trump will later visit Belleau Wood, scene of one of the most ferocious battles fought by U.S. troops in the war. More than 1,800 American soldiers were killed as they attacked German positions. Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand combat. After more than three weeks of fighting, American troops took Belleau Wood on June 26, 1918. Historian Jean-Michel Steg says the bravery of U.S. Marines is legendary.

“They were confronted as we will see by intense enemy fire, instead of ducking, instead of retreating, which by the time of the war would have been the normal attitude of troops and waiting for the artillery barrage to relieve them, they charged.”

By the end of the war, more than 116,000 American troops had died defending Europe. More than 14,000 are buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, the largest on the continent.

“Relations between these powers, they’re not always easy. And there are reasons for that. But when you get out here, where the people in these villages remember, there’s a great respect for the American soldier.”

The nearby "Romagne 14-18" museum depicts life for soldiers on the frontline using thousands of items recovered from the battlefields, most of them by founder Jean-Paul de Vries. His grandfather fought for four years on the front lines.

“What I try to show in this museum to the visitors is if you take off these helmets, it’s all the same. It's all human beings,” he told VOA.

Forty million people were killed on all sides during the conflict. They will be remembered Sunday at the Armistice Day ceremony at Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, attended by dozens of world leaders.

President Trump will later take part in a separate Veteran’s Day ceremony at an American cemetery.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Fo57YC

Fake Degree Case: SC sets petition against NAB Lahore DG for hearing

Supreme Court on Friday set petition for hearing into fake degree case against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore chapter Director General Shahzad Saleem.

Sources said that a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has been formed.

The top court will take up the case on November 12 against the NAB Lahore’s DG.

A citizen had filed a fake degree case against Saleem Shahzad.

The court also issued notice to the petitioner.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2DvnXLL

Farooq Sattar expelled from MQM-P for violating 'party discipline'

Disgruntled Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar has been stripped of his basic membership of the party, it was announced on Friday.

The decision to expel Sattar from the party was taken at a meeting of the MQM-P coordination committee, chaired by convener and federal minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, in Karachi.

The committee during the meeting was briefed about the show-cause notice that was issued to Sattar for "frequent violation of party discipline" and the reminder that was sent to him after the senior leader failed to respond to the show-cause.

"Considering all details, the coordination committee has unanimously decided to strip Dr Farooq Sattar of the party's basic membership for his serious violations of party discipline and constitution, grouping within the organisation and other serious party violations," said a statement issued by the committee.

"The coordination committee has directed all workers not to maintain any sort of contact with Dr Farooq Sattar from today onwards. Strict action will be taken against those who violate [this directive]."

Following the announcement, a meeting has been called at the PIB Colony residence of Sattar.

According to Kashif Khan, a member of the ‘organisation restoration committee’ (ORC) formed by Dr Sattar last month, workers have been instructed to gather at Sattar's residence, where the former convener will announce his strategy for the future.

The decision to expel Dr Sattar comes over a week after he was formally removed from the party’s top decision-making forum by his rivals as they accepted the resignation he had tendered as a member of the coordination committee in September.

Dr Sattar was removed from the committee a day after he formed a parallel body — the organisation restoration committee — against the coordination committee and announced launching a struggle to reorganise the MQM-P on ideological grounds.

Rifts in the party

Differences in the party had emerged on February 5 over the distribution of tickets to party candidates for the March 11 Senate elections. Dr Sattar, then convener of the party, insisted on giving a ticket to Kamran Tessori despite strong opposition.

Eventually, the differences caused the party to split into Bahadurabad and PIB factions. Dr Sattar was removed from the post of convener and Dr Siddiqui took his place. Four months later, both the factions reunited to contest the July 25 elections.

On September 13, Dr Sattar — who lost the general elections on two National Assembly seats — resigned from the membership of the coordination committee and on October 12 he held a press conference and demanded intra-party elections and warned that he would work for an MQM-Nazriati [ideological] if his demands were not met.

After his October 12 presser, the MQM-P contested and lost all three by-elections on NA-243, NA-247 and PS-111.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2qEDCQI

NAB recovers Rs 330 million from former govt officer's residence

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has recovered nearly Rs330 million from the Lahore residence of a former government officer, a statement issued by the corruption watchdog said on Friday.

The bureau carried out a raid at the house of the grade-16 former government official, located in Lahore's EME society, after receiving a tip-off about him.

"Approximately Rs330m that had allegedly been hidden were recovered during the raid on the house," the NAB statement said.

The bureau is currently keeping the suspect's identity secret "so as not to impede the acquisition of additional evidence".

According to the NAB statement, the mammoth amount recovered from the official's residence includes Rs100m in Pakistani rupees, Rs170m in the form of prize bonds, and nearly Rs35m in the form of 11 foreign currencies.

The bureau said it is also carrying out an inquiry regarding proofs of extensive properties allegedly owned by the suspect.

The director general of NAB Lahore has directed that an inquiry be immediately started against the suspect for allegedly owning assets beyond known means of income, the statement added.

from Latest News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2QxLEGc