Muslims, Jews, Christians to pray together at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis hopes an unprecedented meeting of the Israeli and Palestinian presidents at the Vatican on Sunday can help end “eternal negotiations” and lead to peace but he has no wish to meddle in Middle East politics, the Vatican said on Friday. Israel’s Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will spend about two hours in the Vatican gardens at an intricately planned service that will include prayers and meditations by Jews, Christians and Muslims in each other’s presence. The two presidents will pray for peace together following a surprise invitation made by Francis during his visit to the Holy Land last month. “This is a moment to invoke God for the gift of peace. This is a pause in politics,” said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a Church official in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organizer of Sunday’s encounter. “This is also an invitation to politicians to pause and look heavenward,” Pizzaballa told a Vatican briefing. “Everyone wants something to happen, something to change. Everyone is tried of these eternal negotiations that never end …” The pope, Peres and Abbas will read individual invocations for peace, shake hands and plant an olive tree in the gardens. Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the Orthodox Church, will also attend. “Making people dream” Francis’ invitation is one of his boldest political gestures since his election March, 2013, but the Vatican has played down suggestions that the move is a bid by the pontiff to directly enter the Middle East peace process. “The pope does not want to get into the political questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that we all know about in the smallest of details from A to Z,” Pizzaballa said. The meeting is taking place more than a month after US-led peace talks collapsed amid bitter mutual recrimination and Pizzaballa said the pope hoped the Sunday encounter could inject the leaders with a new will for peace. “Pope Francis will never get involved in discussions about borders or settlements but his intention is to help create the social and religious atmosphere where it (peace) can come about,” he said. “No one thinks peace will break out on Monday. The intention of this initiative is to re-open a road that has been closed for some time, to re-create a desire, a possibility, to make people dream,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the key Israeli decision-maker, will not be at the prayer meeting. President Peres, who is aged 90, is due to leave office in July, taking him out of the political picture. The Vatican stressed that each president will be present not just as a Jew or as a Muslim but as a leader who counts Jews, Christians and Muslims among the citizens of his country. “There will be no political speeches but each will pray for peace as individual believers,” Pizzaballa said, adding that the structure of the prayer for each group would be identical to show that they are “children of the same God”.

Diabetes alert! 5 healthier alternatives to sugar

White sugar is widely infamous yet unavoidable. With its high caloric content, white sugar spikes blood sugar levels and leads to weight gain and diabetes. It has no nutritional value and only causes harm. While artificial sweeteners are touted to be worthy replacements, let us tell you they too have a sleuth of harmful ingredients. Why take the risk with artificial sweeteners when you can lay your head safely into mother-nature’s lap and make use of natural sweeteners. Here are 5 healthier replacements of sugar in your kitchen. Stevia: Extracted from stevia leaves, it is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is the best alternative to sugar. It has zero-glycemic index and contains no carbs or calories. Honey: Raw honey has a sleuth of health benefits and is the second best sweetener after stevia. Maple syrup: Loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, it is a great natural sweetener. Dates: They have a caramel like taste and are rich in calcium, sulphur, iron and magnesium. Coconut Palm sugar: Extracted from the buds of coconut trees, it has a deeper flavour than white sugar. It contains iron, potassium, zinc and magnesium.

5 steps to get a parlor like manicure at home

Tired of keeping your hands down to hide those stubby nails? Want long and strong nails that you can play with? Follow these simple tricks to get healthy nails: 1. Moisturize Keep your hands and nails regular moisturized. It keeps the cuticles from drying out. Rub moisturizer into your nails after a bath. For best results, rub moisturizer on your nails at night, then slip on a pair of cotton gloves and leave them on while you sleep. 2. Massage Nails need a massage to stay healthy. Massage stimulates the blood flow in your nails and keeps them growing and healthy. 3. Polish A light coat of nail polish will protect your nails, keep them from drying out. Nail hardeners can also help strengthen your nails. Leave your nails free of any nail paint at least twice in a month. Nail polish remover should not be used more than once a week. Polish removers containing acetone, dry the nails. Look for acetone free nail polish removers. 4. Eating Nails require Calcium and vitamin D. A regular serving of yogurt and non fat milk will give you the calcium necessary to keep your hair, teeth, and nails growing healthily. Take a multi-vitamin daily. 5. Home Manicure Dip your nails in a bowl of milk to improve their look. Take some baking powder and brush your nails. This will turn your nails white and remove all odd colours. Do it once a week. Dip your nails in oil or apply oil to them. It works wonders for brittle nails.

Delhi court summons Smriti Irani as accused in defamation case

New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani was on Friday summoned as an accused by a Delhi court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam. Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Dheeraj Mittal issued the summons against Irani asking her to appear before it on September 27. Nirupam, a former Congress MP, had filed the complaint against Irani alleging that on December 20, 2012, when assembly election results of Gujarat were announced, the BJP leader had made “defamatory and scurrilous comments” against him during a TV debate. “That the accused (Irani), a Member of Parliament of the BJP defamed the complainant by making direct aspersions on the character of the complainant (Nirupam),” the complaint, filed through advocate R K Handoo, said. “The complainant’s (Nirupam) reputation of excellence and integrity has been dented due to the scurrilous, defamatory and derogatory comments made by accused during the said debate,” it alleged. Earlier, Irani had also filed the defamation complaint against Nirupam for allegedly defaming her during the same debate on the news channel and the court had framed charges against him for allegedly using derogatory and indecent language against her. Nirupam, in his complaint, alleged that Irani had also made derogatory comments against him intentionally and knowing fully well that these “utterances are defamatory against the complainant.” “The complainant is paying heavily in terms of loss to his reputation and political career apart from the mental agony and torture caused to the complainant for the scurrilous and defamatory comments and allegations made by the accused (Irani),” it claimed. Nirupam said that he had sent a legal notice to Irani through his counsel on July 25 last year asking her to tender an “unconditional public apology” for allegedly making defamatory comments against him but she did not reply to it.

Local rapes Malaysian woman in Jaipur after giving her drink laced with drugs

Jaipur: A Malaysian woman, on a business trip to Jaipur, was reportedly raped on Friday by a man she met there. According to reports, the accused has been arrested, on charges of raping a Malaysian woman on Friday. It is leant that he is a resident of Bhilwara. The Malaysian woman was on a business trip to Jaipur and she met the accused in Jaipur three days ago, they both had food at a five star hotel on Thursday night. The accused is learnt to have drove her to a desolate place where he raped her. She was forced to drink a beverage laced with drugs, say reports. She was dumped outside the hotel where she was staying. She lodged a complaint with police in Jawahar Circle area after which cops arrested him within three hours. Earlier this year, a 51-year old Danish woman was allegedly gang-raped in Delhi. She was robbed and raped at knife point. During the same timeframe, an 18-year-old German was also reportedly raped by a man sharing her compartment on a train travelling from Mangalore to Chennai in southern India

What’s happening in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Akhilesh Yadav? Over 7 rapes reported after horrific Badaun incident

Muzaffarnagar: It’s been eight days since the horrific Badaun gang-rape and murder case but nothing has changed. Over seven gang-rape incidents have been reported since. Is the Akhilesh Yadav doing something to curb the rising cases of rapes reported from the state? In the most recent case reported in media, a woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men at Dulhera village in Muzaffarnagar. She was allegedly abducted by five persons who took her to a nearby graveyard and gang-raped her. The woman was found at the site and taken to a hospital, police said. Also read: Bareilly: Woman forced to drink acid after being gang raped & strangled to death later Disturbing pics: Badaun gang-rape case: 4 accused arrested for raping two Dalit sisters, hanging dead bodies from tree The incident happened on May 4 which led to protests in the area after it came to light. A case has been registered against the five unidentified accused. Meanwhile, body of a 15-year-old girl, who was missing for three days, was found in a well on Saturday in Kurthal village. The victim had gone to give lunch to her father in the fields but did not return home. Police are investigating the case and it is suspected that the girl was raped and murdered. Also read: LAWLESS UP: 25-yr-old woman gangraped and brutally beaten in Gandhi scion's constituency, Amethi Aligarh: Relatives try to rape female civil judge over family dispute, makes her drink insecticide The chief minister is under fire for the increasing rape cases being reported from the state. Even though the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh has been facing severe criticism over the Badaun gang-rape and murder case, it is still on the defensive. Yadav on Tuesday accused the media of highlighting rape cases only in Uttar Pradesh and ignoring those happening in other states.

American woman deported from airport

RAWALPINDI: An American woman, who had allegedly been ‘blacklisted’ by Pakistani authorities, was deported to Kuwait soon after arriving at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Friday morning, the airport sources said. The woman was spotted by the Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration staff when the check-out of passengers arriving on Kuwait Airways was in progress. After the immigration staff found out that her name was blacklisted, she was disallowed from leaving the airport, the sources said. Later, she was deported to Kuwait on the same flight. She was escorted to the plane by the immigration officers and handed over to the airline crew. It is not known why she had been blacklisted by the Pakistani authorities. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Action will be taken against TTP factions averse to talks, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that the government would use force against those factions of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which had adopted the path of violence instead of coming to the negotiating table. “The government’s policy is very clear. Those interested in holding dialogue will be welcomed but those resorting to violence will be taken to task,” leader of the house Raja Zafarul Haq said. Responding to points of order raised by PPP’s Mian Raza Rabbani and ANP’s Afrasiab Khatak during the brief proceedings, he said there were three to four dozen groups within the Taliban and they took their own decisions. He said there had been no drone attacks since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s last visit to the United States and after that there should have been some headway in talks. He said dialogue would be held with those who wanted it, but no-one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state and play with the lives of innocent people. Earlier, Raza Rabbani said the TTP had claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attack near Fateh Jang in which two colonels and three civilians had been killed. He regretted that while the Taliban continued to carry out attacks and openly claimed responsibility, the government was yet to come up with a clear policy. He said it was not clear if the government wanted to take the dialogue process forward or decided to go ahead with the operation. He said it was a matter of national security and there should be no dilly-dallying on part of the government. Stressing that the current situation was not in the national interest, he asked the government to come up with a clear policy. Mr Rabbani was of the opinion that terrorist attacks were taking place because of lack of a mechanism for intelligence sharing. He said the government had announced a national security policy with fanfare, but the National Counter-Terrorism Authority which was to serve as a focal point for coordinating efforts against terrorism was still dysfunctional. Afrasiab Khatak expressed concern over the situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and regretted that there was no word of condolence from the government side over the killing of patriotic tribal leader Malik Qadir Khan. He said there were half a million internally displaced persons in Fata and about 200 schools in Bara alone had been closed for years. He said even a person like commander Gul Bahadur had talked of rescinding agreement with the government. “The government talks about external conspiracy but is itself paving way for it.” He called for a time-bound plan to rid Fata of terrorism. Shahi Syed of the ANP asked the government to take steps to control the situation in Karachi arising out of the arrest of MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London over money-laundering charges. The situation might worsen if timely steps were not taken, he warned. At the outset of the proceedings, Raja Zafarul Haq laid before the house annual report of the Council of Common Interests for 2012-13 as required under Article 153 (4) of the Constitution. The house will meet at 5pm on Monday. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Govt traced 122 ‘missing persons’ in three years: Balochistan govt

QUETTA: A total of 122 ‘missing persons’ were traced and recovered in Balochistan during the last three years, an official of Home and Tribal Affairs Department said Saturday. Requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media, the official said that the ‘missing persons’ belonged to Baloch nationalist groups. He, however, informed that according to official records, 143 cases of missing persons were still pending before the ‘missing persons’ commission and the Supreme Court. The commission, constituted on the directives of the apex court four years ago, has so far disposed of more than 600 cases, according to an announcement made in May. According to the official, 52 cases of missing persons were disposed off by the commission and the apex court owing to lack of evidence and necessary documents. The official claimed that nine bodies of missing persons were found in different parts of Balochistan during the last three years. Meanwhile, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) contradicted the statement of the home department, saying the number was higher than what was being claimed. “Thousands of Baloch political workers have been missing in Balochistan,” said Nasrullah Baloch, chairman VBMP. “Some were traced on the directives of the Supreme Court,” he said. On the other hand, the provincial government led by Chief Minister Malik Baloch has repeatedly assured the Baloch nationalists that it will bring an end to bring an end to the dumping of mutilated bodies and the issue of enforced disappearances. The ‘missing persons’ issue has been the most talked-about since the courts had taken the matter up and had asked the law enforcers to ensure their safe recovery.

Indians riot as heat wave prompts power cuts

LUCKNOW: Thousands of people enraged by power cuts during an extreme heat wave have been rioting across northern India, setting electricity substations on fire and taking power company officials hostage, officials said Saturday. The impoverished state of Uttar Pradesh has never had enough power for its 200 million people – about the population of Brazil – and many receive only a few hours a day under normal conditions, while 63 per cent of homes have no electricity access at all. Recent temperatures that soared to 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius) have caused power demand to spike at 11,000 megawatts – far higher than the state's 8,000 MW capacity – triggering blackouts that shut down fans, city water pumps and air conditioners. Thousands of people stormed an electricity substation Friday near the state capital of Lucknow, ransacking offices and taking several workers hostage for 18 hours until police intervened Saturday morning, state utility official Narendra Nath Mullick said. Elsewhere, an angry crowd set fire to an electricity substation in Gonda, 180 kilometers (112 miles) southeast of Lucknow. It took three hours for firefighters to put out the flames on Friday. Another substation was also set on fire in Gorakhpur, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow. Chief Minister Akilesh Yadav said: “Officials were trying to purchase power from other states, though they were also facing shortages amid the extreme heat.” Residents are particularly angry about the power cuts after receiving reliable supplies through the Indian elections that ended May 16. Since then, only some regions have been guaranteed unbroken power supplies, while others have received little to none. The High Court in the city of Allahabad is now hearing a petition alleging discrimination in power distribution, and has asked the government to explain why some regions allegedly were receiving preferential treatment. Those regions include the city of Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as constituencies held by Yadav and other top officials in the state's ruling party. Meteorological officials said temperatures were likely remain high through at least Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and other north Indian areas. “People are advised not to venture out of their homes,” said Lucknow-based weather official J.P. Gupta.

Govt breaks legislative block, gets mild budget rap

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday found the National Assembly a much better place than in recent past as, in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it broke through a legislative blockage and received only a mild rap over the new budget from Leader of Opposition Khursheed Ahmed Shah. But Mr Shah, who opened the general debate on the budget for fiscal year 2014-15, could have reserved a harder lashing in the second part of his speech on Monday if he goes ahead with his threat to begin a hunger strike outside the Parliament House to protect thousands of employees of state organisations reinstated by the previous PPP-led government from feared retrenchment by the present government. The debate on the budget, which was unveiled by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday, opened after the house adopted three bills, as amended by the Senate, without any fuss to give the one-year-old government its first legislations approved by both houses of parliament. House adopts three bills without fuss The bills, including one amending the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, to empower grade-17 equivalent officials or a duty magistrate to order the opening of fire on terrorism suspects, were among five cleared by the opposition-controlled Senate on Wednesday after being stuck up there for a long time following their passage by the government-controlled 342-seat National Assembly. Now they need only a formal presidential assent to become laws. The other two bills passed on Friday amend the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 – to provide for a separate bar council for Islamabad, as necessitated by the establishment of the Islamabad High Court – and the Service Tribunals Act, 1973 – to prescribe a procedure for appointing the chairman and members of a federal service tribunal as for the judiciary. The opposition’s majority in the 104-seat Senate has been responsible for the government’s failure to get any of its bills though the upper house until Wednesday’s breakthrough credited to behind-the-scene contacts between the two sides. Mainly as a result of a recent understanding between the prime minister and former president Asif Ali Zardari (on behalf of the opposition PPP), the two sides are also negotiating on further opposition amendments to the most controversial anti-terrorism law, the Protection of Pakistan Bill, which remains blocked in the Senate after the government bulldozed it though the National Assembly last month. BIGGER BEGGING BOWL? Khursheed Shah, whose mild speech contrasted with a hard line taken over the budget by the PPP-led opposition in the Senate, accused the government of enlarging the so-called “begging bowl” for foreign aid contrary to vows by the ruling PML-N in the past of breaking it. He also questioned the government’s claim that the budget reflected people’s aspirations. “The begging bowl has not broken, it has become bigger,” the opposition leader said in reference to aid received or sought from international donors like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But in a lighter vein, he praised Finance Minister Dar’s expertise of arguments that he said could even “prove the present budget as zero” if he were to speak from opposition benches. Mr Shah questioned the much-touted government issue of $2 billion Eurobond in April at more than seven per cent mark-up while, he said, some other countries had got better deals. Referring to Mr Dar’s claim that the government could have increased the Eurobond issue to $7bn, the opposition leader said he would see nothing big in this because “you can get even $20bn at this (mark-up) rate”. Mr Shah said he would speak for about one and a half hours more before the house was adjourned until 4pm on Monday. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

‘Honour’ attack survivor fears for life

LAHORE: A woman who survived an attack by relatives who tried to kill her for marrying for love said on Friday that she feared for her life and appealed for protection. Saba Maqsood, 18, survived being shot and thrown into a canal by her family on Thursday, weeks after the “honour killing” of another woman in the country drew worldwide condemnation. Ms Maqsood angered her family by marrying the man of her choice a few days ago in Gujranwala. “Even though police provided me with security, I fear that my family will try to kill me and my husband,” Ms Maqsood, still weak after being shot twice in the cheek and right hand, told Reuters by telephone from her hospital bed. “I appeal to the chief minister and authorities to take serious notice of this attack on me and take necessary action for our security.” Police said Ms Maqsood was attacked and shot by her father, uncle, brother and aunt, and thrown into the waterway in Hafizabad on Thursday. Her relatives quickly fled the scene, but after minutes in the water she regained consciousness and managed to struggle to the bank, where two passers-by helped her. Police have pledged to protect her. “We have moved Saba to a private room in the hospital and deployed female and male police officers for her security,” said regional police officer Ali Akbar. “I have contacted her husband Qaiser but he is reluctant to come to the hospital because he is afraid of being attacked.” Ms Maqsood’s home was raided but all the suspects appear to have vanished, police said. Shiraz Farooqi, a doctor in the Hafizabad hospital where Ms Maqsood is under treatment, told AFP that she was in a stable condition and recovering from her ordeal. Last year 869 women died in honour killings, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Smartphone makers to be encouraged

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said the government would provide incentives to local manufactures of smartphones and IT-related solutions during the next three years. Chairing a meeting with a group of Chinese investors in information technology sector, the finance minister said foreign direct investment (FDI) in IT sector would enjoy special corporate tax rate for the next five years if they complete their projects in three years time period, till June 30, 2017. He also informed that Pakistan has educated and skilled young labour force which can be used as export base to the whole region. Mr Dar also discussed the proposed budget which “provides special incentives for foreigners investing here”. Lou Peide, Secretary General of Chinese Mobile Companies Association and head of the delegation, said they are here to explore Pakistan’s domestic market which “presents a huge opportunity for manufacturing of smartphones capable of 3G/4G technology”. He mentioned that with nearly 200 million population and high growth rate in mobile industry, there is a huge requirement for local manufacturing units in the country. Chinese companies owned almost 80 per cent of the global market and produced smartphones whose costs ranged from $22 to $600, he said. The group expressed its commitment to set up smartphone manufacturing industry in Pakistan. Mr Dar assured the investors that their concrete proposal prepared in consultation with the Ministry of IT and the Board of Investment (BoI) would be considered seriously to develop local mobile manufacturing units here. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

SECP registers 482 firms

ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 482 new limited liability companies in May, a rise of 29 per cent compared to the same month last year, raising the total corporate portfolio to 64,159 firms. The SECP also granted three licences to non-profit associations, said a statement issued on Friday. Around 92pc firms were registered as private limited companies, 4pc as single-member companies, 2pc as public-limited companies and 1.5pc as associations under Section 42 of the 1984 Companies Ordinance. The trading sector took the lead with 55 new registrations, followed by services 53, information and technology 47, tourism 32, construction 26, corporate agricultural farming 25, food and beverages and textile 17 each, communications, education and power generation with 16 each, pharmaceutical 15 and engineering 13. Foreign investment was witnessed in 23 new companies. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

$2bn rice export sector ignored in budget

KARACHI: Badly hit by rupee appreciation, the rice sector, which fetches over $2 billion in foreign exchange, has completely been ignored in the budget. Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) Senior Vice-Chairman Chela Ram addressing the media at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Friday deplored that the sector was overlooked and this was evident from the finance minister’s budget speech wherein he failed to mention the word ‘rice’ at all. If the government fails to provide relief in the form of subsidy or cut in power rates a large number of rice units will close down, he warned. “The rice exporters were expecting some relief package in the budget 2014-15 as they had suffered huge losses owing to rapid appreciation in the rupee value resulting in losing of its traditional markets to Indian and Thai rivals, but the finance minister didn’t come with any relief for this vital sector,” he lamented. Normally rice exporters purchase paddy from growers three months in advance and the price is also set at that time. However, the rupee appreciation was so rapid that it rose to Rs98 to a dollar from Rs108 in a short period of 15 days inflicting millions of rupees loss to rice exporters. Speaking on the occasion, former chairman Reap Javed Ali Ghouri said that Pakistan is an agriculture country with 50 per cent workforce engaged in this sector. He stressed that the government should provide rice seed on subsidised rates. “The sector is badly damaged by poor law and order situation and power crisis and rice processing units are unable to operate normally which increases their cost and renders them uncompetitive in the world market,” he said. Ghouri alleged that shipping companies have formed cartels and when rice season starts they increase their freight charges manifold which are badly damaging rice export trade. The rice export sector, he said, never asked any sort of favour from the government but now the situation has totally changed. “If there is no support, the rice industry will shut down,” he added. He said there had been long demand of the Reap to provide ‘one window’ facility for rice export sector as exporters are not ready to come in direct contact with government departments who harass them. The Reap has been asking the government to deduct all taxes and levies including of EOBI, WWF and social security through banking channels as this will eliminated corruption and also help exporters to concentrate on their exports. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Police, strikers clash in Sao Paulo as clock ticks away for Brazil

SAO PAULO: Police clashed with striking subway workers in Sao Paulo on Friday as traffic chaos gripped the Brazilian mega-city less than a week before it hosts the World Cup’s opening game. Police fired tear gas and swung batons to beat back the picketing strikers after commuters tried to enter a major metro station amid torrential rain that has added to the traffic misery. The indefinite work stoppage, now in its second day, has raised fears of unrest when the country’s business hub hosts next Thursday’s game between Brazil and Croatia. The clashes came as Brazil’s national team prepared to play their last friendly on Friday night against Serbia in Sao Paulo’s Morumbi stadium, not the new Corinthians Arena, which has yet to be finished six days from the inaugural match. The Sao Paulo metro is the main link to the Corinthians Arena, and the strike could force organisers to come up with last-minute alternative transportation for tens of thousands of fans. The traffic mayhem has stranded the 4.5 million passengers who use the subway system daily in the sprawling city, while bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched for up to 250 kilometres. “I’m going to have to return home. I can’t get to work like this. The metro is not going there and with this traffic, it’s impossible to go by bus,” said Pedro Henrique Rodrigues, who stood in a massive line of people waiting for buses. Another strike by 75 per cent of Sao Paulo’s traffic police exacerbated transport problems. The chaos in Sao Paulo is the sort of incident that Brazilian and FIFA want to avoid following the violent protests that marred last year’s Confederations Cup, a World Cup dress rehearsal. It was in this city of 20 million people that mass protests erupted a year ago as citizens took to the streets to voice anger at rising public transport fares. The unrest ballooned into nationwide demonstrations against the more than $11 billion being spent on the World Cup, with more than one million people taking to the streets to demand that money instead be spent on hospitals and schools. Amnesty International said the police response to the protests had been characterised by violence and abuses, and warned Brazil against cracking down on demonstrations during the World Cup. “Brazil’s deficient policing record, reliance on the military to police demonstrations, lack of training and an atmosphere of impunity creates a dangerous cocktail,” said Atila Roque, Amnesty’s country director for Brazil. On Thursday, frustrated commuters broke entrance gates at the station that serves Corinthians Arena. After some of them jumped onto the tracks, system operators CPTM decided to open the station in a bid to calm the situation. Despite Sao Paulo’s latest troubles. FIFA president Sepp Blatter predicted on Thursday that tensions would subside once the football began. “We at FIFA, we are confident, it will be a celebration,” Blatter said. “I’m an optimist. After the tournament kicks off I think there will be a better mood.” FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke insisted preparations were on track but acknowledged the opening weeks of the tournament would be the “most challenging”. “We are in control, we have nothing to fear in the coming days,” Valcke said. The protest movement has lost momentum since last June, but the transportation chaos risks rekindling anger in the countdown to the opening ceremony. Workers went on strike early on Thursday after negotiations on a salary increase fell through. They rejected an offer of 8.7 per cent, insisting on at least 10 per cent. Talks between union leaders and subway management ended on Thursday with no deal. President Dilma Rousseff has defended her government’s preparations, insisting the money spent will leave a legacy of airports and transport infrastructure that will benefit Brazil for years to come. But the government has also faced criticism for chronic delays and disorganisation. The workers are still scrambling to finish several of the 12 host stadiums, while the Corinthians Arena has not received safety clearance from firefighters to operate at full capacity. Eight workers died in construction accidents at the stadiums, including three in Sao Paulo. Much of the other promised infrastructure has been shelved, from roadworks and a high-speed train to subway and monorail lines. Meanwhile, teams continue trickling into Brazil. Chile’s arrival on Thursday followed that of Australia, Croatia and Iran. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Phones on global networks are tapped, reveals Vodafone

LONDON: Telecommunications giant Vodafone on Friday admitted the existence of secret wires that allow government agencies to listen in to conversations on its networks. The company said the tapping is widely used in some of the 29 countries in which it operates. Revealing its cooperation with state agencies, Vodafone said in a 20-page report entitled “Law Enforcement Disclosure” that direct wires are connected to its network, allowing live conversations to be listened to and recorded. The wires also allow agencies to verify the location of a user. Vodafone admitted that as a global business it faced “constant tension” while enforcing the laws of different countries and the “expectations” of governments. “Refusal to comply with a country’s laws is not an option,” it said. Vodafone said that in six countries where it operates, phone tapping is required by law, although it did not identify the countries. Vodafone said it was publishing the information as its contribution to the debate on government surveillance systems. “The need for governments to balance their duty to protect the state and its citizens against their duty to protect individual privacy is now the focus of a significant global public debate,” it said. Privacy campaigners said Vodafone’s disclosure confirmed their worst fears. Gus Hosein, Executive Director of Privacy International, said: “These are the nightmare scenarios that we were imagining.” He told the Guardian newspaper: “I never thought the telcos (telecommunication companies) would be so complicit.” “It’s a brave step by Vodafone (to admit it) and hopefully the other telcos will become more brave with disclosure, but what we need is for them to be braver about fighting back against the illegal requests and the laws themselves,” he added. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Students expelled for beating Kashmiri boy

NEW DELHI: Nine students of a reputed private institute in Ghaziabad were expelled on Friday from the institute’s hostel over the beating up of a Kashmiri student recently, Press Trust of India said. It said a 12-member committee of the institute, constituted to probe the matter, took the decision to expel the nine students, including the victim, from the hostel. “The committee has expelled nine students for Tuesday’s incident. Of the expelled students, three are from Kashmir. Besides, the institute has also warned two other Kashmiri students of strict action if they are found involved in such practice in future,” said an official of the institute, requesting anonymity. Asked why the management expelled the victim, the official did not give any reason and said the management has expelled him only from hostel and not the institute, PTI said. Police has beefed up security in and around the institute to avoid any untoward incident. The 22-year-old Kashmiri student, pursuing BCA course in the private institute, was allegedly beaten up on Tuesday night by a group of seniors when he screamed after suffering an electric shock in the hostel’s washroom. Following the incident, around 100 Kashmiri students studying at the institute had staged a protest against the assault and demanded strict action against the seniors. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Former soldier jailed over war crimes in Bosnia

SARAJEVO: A Bosnian court sentenced on Friday a former Muslim soldier to 12 years in jail over the killings of ethnic Croats during the country’s 1990s war. Edin Dzeko, 42, was extradited in December 2011 from the United States, where he had fled after Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war. He went on trial the following year over the killing of 22 ethnic Croats in the village of Trusina, in southern Bosnia. “Edin Dzeko was found guilty of taking part in the execution of prisoners of war and civilians” in April 1993, said judge Saban Maksumic. Dzeko was a member of the special Zulfikar unit, which was under the direct control of the Muslim-led Bosnian army headquarters. In 2012, Rasema Handanovic, also a member of the Zulfikar unit, became the first woman to be convicted of war crimes by a local court after admitting killing of Croats in Trusina. Handanovic, who had also fled to the United States before being extradited in 2011, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail. Another six Muslim former soldiers are facing trial before Bosnia’s war crime court over the Trusina crime. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

At least five killed in Mansehra accident

MANSEHRA: At least five people, including two Pakistan army soldiers and a child, were killed and 30 others were critically injured when a speeding passenger bus fell into a ravine near Mansehra town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province early on Saturday. The bus, travelling from Rawalpindi towards Skardu, met with the accident at Gandhian in KP's Mansehra district. Eyewitnesses said the accident was caused by over-speeding. Residents of the area helped shift the bodies and injured passengers to hospitals in Mansehra and Abbottabad. Members of the Pakistan Army were also among the dead and injured. They were travelling to Skardu to report for duty there. Two of the deceased have been identified as soldiers Jaffar Hussain and Abdul Karim. Six soldiers are reported to be among the injured. — DawnNews

Rumour has it: Rawalpindi Express set to tie the knot?

KARACHI: Rumours began circling on Saturday of Pakistan's former speedster and Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar having decided to tie the knot. omar r quraishi @omar_quraishi Follow Once the fastest bowler in the world, 39 year old Shoaib Akhtar to wed later this month -- bride is 17 year old student 11:53 AM - 7 Jun 2014 Television reports said earlier today that Akhtar had decided to marry the daughter of Mushtaq Khan, a businessman from Haripur. According to reports, Akhtar's family had met Khan while performing Hajj last year and had asked the businessman's wife for help in finding a suitable match for Akhtar. Reports further stated that both families have been visiting each other since then and decided that Khan's daughter would be married to Akhtar. Furthermore, a report published in a local newspaper had stated that Akhtar was due to visit his hometown of Rawalpindi on June 12 and was likely to be married by the third week of this month. The report quoted family sources as saying that the girl has “little interest in cricket”. It added that celebrations in connection with the wedding have been scheduled for June 19, 20 and 22. However, there seems to be no veracity in the news and a Twitter account believed to be maintained by Akhtar himself denied it. Shoaib Akhtar @DaFastestBowler Follow Wishes are always welcome BUT NOT for some crap rumour...My journalist friends,I expect sensible reporting and not rumour spreading.Thanks! Mazher Arshad @cricket_U Follow Whats wrong with Pakistan media? First they reported Shoaib's divorce then reported Shoaib's wedding. Both the Shoaibs then deny on Twitter.

Pemra member challenges chairman’s appointment at IHC

ISLAMABAD: The appointment of acting chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Pervaiz Rathore was challenged on Saturday in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), DawnNews reported. The appointment was challenged by Israr Abbasi, a private member of Pemra. The petition stated that there was no place for an acting chairman in Pemra as per its own rules and regulations. Israr Abbasi in his petition requested the IHC to declare Rathore’s appointment null and void saying it was in violation of Pemra regulations. The petition further demanded to cancel the decisions made by the authority on June 6 (that suspended the license of Geo News for 15 days), terming the session illegal.

LHC honour killing: ATC grants 14 days remand to victim's father

LAHORE: An anti-terrorist court (ATC) on Saturday granted 14-day-long judicial remand to the father of Farzana Perveen, who was killed outside the Lahore High Cout (LHC), DawnNews reported. Mohammad Azeem, father of Parveen, was produced before the court on completion of a seven-day-long physical remand. The victim’s father, brother, cousins and her former husband were among accused for her murder. The ATC also ordered the police to complete and submit the charge sheet against the accused as soon as possible so that justice could be administered swiftly. Twenty-five-year-old Farzana was beaten to death with bricks, after being shot in leg, outside the high court building by her family for tying knot with a person outside from her family. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till June 21.

Flash floods kill over 50 in north Afghanistan: officials

KUNDUZ: Flash floods have killed more than 50 people in northern Afghanistan, washing away hundreds of houses and forcing thousands to flee, provincial authorities said on Saturday. “Heavy torrential rains followed by flash floods have killed more than 50 people in Guzargah-e-Nur district of Baghlan province,” Mahmood Haqmal, spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP. “We have recovered more than 50 bodies from the rubble, including the bodies of women and children, but many others are still missing,” Haqmal said. It was an initial death toll, he said, warning it could rise. Guzargah-e-Nur district governor Noor Mohammad Guzar told AFP the death toll was 66. “Yesterday's floods have destroyed four villages, and washed away 2,000 residential houses, agricultural fields and also killed thousands of cattle, “Guzar added. Earlier during last month a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village in a remote area of northeast Badakhshan province killing at least 300 people. The May 2 disaster left hundreds of families homeless in Argu district of the mountainous province which borders Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. The floods and landslides follow recent severe flooding in other parts of northern Afghanistan, with 159 people dead and 71,000 people affected by floods in Jowzjan, Faryab and Sar-e-Pul provinces. Flooding and landslides often occur during the spring rainy season in northern Afghanistan, with flimsy mud houses offering little protection against rising water levels and torrents of mud.

Hoisting of national flag upsets militant group

MIRAMSHAH: Irked by hoisting of national flag by tribesmen in Miramshah and Mirali as a proof of their allegiance to the state in order to escape bombings, the banned militant group Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has said that it is responding by hoisting black flags. People in Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, said on Friday that sale of the national flag had increased as more and more people in the town, adjoining villages and Mirali wanted to hoist it to demonstrate their allegiance to the state and escape bombing. “The sale of Pakistani flag has increased and we also have hoisted one on our rooftop,” a resident said. “Big flags on high masts can be seen everywhere,” he said. But the move has irked the militant group which criticised what it called “weak-hearted Muslims” for using flags as a “defence” to ward off bombing and vowed to counter it with black flags with the Kalma inscribed on it, terming it a “battle of the flags”. In a message posted on a militant website, IMU’s Abu Ibrahim said local tribesmen frightened by army attacks and bombings by military planes and helicopters and artillery had begun hoisting the national flag on roofs of their houses. “We still have not understood how effective this ‘defence system’ is against bombs and rockets,” he said. The IMU, comprising militants from Uzbekistan and of Turkic origin, has its main base in the town of Mirali. It has released statements and videos on the aftermath of military action in the town’s main bazaar and nearby areas. The action prompted local tribal people to leave for other places, while others who could not do so started hoisting Pakistani flag to ward off air strikes. He even took a swipe at a “commander of the local people in Taliban clothing” for suggesting to the IMU to remove the black flags from the market. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014

Altaf released on bail, addresses Karachi sit-in participants

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain was released on bail four days after he was arrested on the suspicion of money laundering by the London Metropolitan Police, DawnNews reported. Police sources said Hussain was released on a personal bail without any charges framed against him with the condition that he would appear before authorities whenever required. Soon after he was released, he addressed via telephone his party lawmakers and workers who were participating in a sit-in protest at Karachi's Numaish Chowrangi against their leader’s arrest in London. Hussain commended the participants of the sit-in for their passion and commitment, adding that truth must always be spoken. The MQM chief said he had remained patient throughout his recent ordeal and did not beg for his freedom. He further said that he and his party knew how to stand up to oppression. Hussain also thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari. He also expressed his gratitude for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for condemning his arrest and also thanked Tahirul Qadri, Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Musharraf. Hussain said: “I salute those who participated in the sit-in protest against my arrest. I will continue to fight for the truth until my last breath. I respect the British law and have complete trust in the British judicial system. I am prepared to go to jail for a refresher course.” He admitted that the Pakistani prime minister had played a positive role in the matter and expressed his determination that, if necessary, he would be prepared to sacrifice his life for truth. Hussain also thanked traders, transporters, scholars and artists for supporting the MQM during a difficult time. He also said that all former colleagues who were angry with the MQM have been forgiven. The MQM chief directed his supporters to end their protests and concluded his speech by praying for Pakistan’s deliverance from all internal and external dangers. Hussain was arrested in London four days ago on suspicion of money laundering. Immediately afterwards he was shifted to the Wellington Hospital over concerns to his health and underwent angiography and other tests. Having been discharged from the hospital, Hussain was taken to the Southwark police station where he was questioned for nine hours. His bail application was accepted and he was released on early on Saturday. Police source were quoted as saying that the 60-year-old, who had been detained for interrogation over money laundering suspicions, was released on a personal bail without any charges framed with the condition that he would appear before authorities whenever required. A large number MQM activists along with party leaders Rauf Siddiqui, Babar Ghauri, Farogh Naseem and MPA Khawaja Izharul Hassan were present outside the police station waiting to welcome their party leader upon his release.

Afghan ‘massacre’ village fumes over US-Taliban prisoner swap

DEH SAQI: The release of a Taliban leader accused of orchestrating industrial-scale carnage in Afghanistan's pristine Shomali plains in 1999, torching homes and carrying out summary executions, has horrified villagers for whom memories of the slaughter are still raw. Mullah Mohammad Fazl was released from Guantanamo Bay along with four other senior Taliban insurgents – also accused of a litany of abuses – last Saturday in exchange for US army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the only American prisoner of war who was held hostage for five years. The swap has sparked anger and resentment in Shomali villages such as Deh Saqi, which still bear the scars of that cataclysm – charred, ruined and bombed out houses and an anguished generation with a thirst for vengeance. “Why is the US releasing the enemies of peace, the enemies of Afghanistan?” fumed Mohammad Arif, who fled to the Pakistani city of Peshawar with 18 members of his extended family after the bloody assault, only to return when US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in 2001. “The Taliban only know how to kill, maim and plunder. They only know destruction and devastation,” said the 53-year-old Afghan farmer, who has struggled to shake off painful memories of the devastation wreaked by a cadre of marauding fighters. The Afghanistan Justice Project, an independent research and advocacy organisation, has documented evidence linking Fazl – recognised as the Taliban army chief of staff – to a frightening catalogue of atrocities. Citing detailed testimonies, it alleges that in the 1999 Shomali assault against Northern Alliance forces led by the late Ahmad Shah Massoud, Fazl presided over carnage on an industrial scale – houses were torched, vineyards and orchards deliberately destroyed, and surrendering fighters summarily executed. Residents of Deh Saqi, hemmed between shale-brown hills, recall starving villagers were forced to survive for days on mulberry leaves as the Taliban offensive forced the exodus of tens of thousands of civilians. 'Worst of the worst' Such medieval savagery was unseen even during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, said Arif. “It was a massacre,” he said, twirling prayer beads with his fingers. Michael Kugelman, a South Asia programme associate at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said there was no doubt that the five freed Taliban represented “the worst of the worst”. “They pose a clear and present threat,” Kugelman told AFP. Norullah Noori, another Taliban commander released along with Fazl, is accused of taking part in the 1998 massacre of thousands of Shiites when he was governor of the northern Afghan province of Balkh. Although the released Taliban figures have expressed no desire for atonement or reconciliation, some of them have evinced a willingness to work for peace since being set free. “(Noori) says he wants to join the Taliban again and bring changes (internally). He says Afghanistan needs peace now and he will work for peace with the Taliban,” his cousin Abdullah told AFP. But several residents in the Shomali plains scoff at the assertion that the release of the Taliban militants will help restart stalled peace talks. The common refrain is that the militants are driven by a nihilistic blood thirst and no amount of negotiations will help expunge their violent ideology of jihad. The released Taliban figures must be prevented from returning to the battlefield, said Omar Samad, senior Central Asia fellow at the New America Foundation. “To not repeat some past errors in the case of other detainees who ended up on the battlefield again, the Qatari and US governments have an obligation to track these individuals, be aware of their activities and make sure they do not pose a threat to Afghans or others again,” said Samad. The Taliban militants were released in a deal brokered by Qatar, and are banned from travelling outside the Gulf state for at least one year. But the threat of their return is real. The Taliban will wait out the departure of virtually all US troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2016, said Syed Ahmed, a 40-year-old former Northern Alliance fighter who was blinded by shrapnel during the 1999 Shomali offensive. President Barack Obama recently confirmed that the 32,000-strong US contingent in Afghanistan would be scaled back to about 9,800 troops by the start of next year. The withdrawal plan has stoked anxiety about the future of Afghanistan, which some observers say is stuck in a hopeless quagmire after 13 years of war. “The US invaded Afghanistan to rid the country of the Taliban,” said Ahmed. “But the Taliban remain resilient after more than a decade of war. How can the withdrawal happen when the mission is still incomplete?”

Pemra suspends Geo News license for 15 days

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) on Friday suspended the license issued to Geo News for a period of 15 days, DawnNews reported. Apart from the suspension, effective immediately, the channel has also been levied a fine of Rs10 million. A Pemra spokesman said the license was suspended on a complaint filed by the defence ministry. The development came during a meeting of the body convened by its newly-appointed chairman Parvez Rathore under Rule 3(4) of Pemra Rules 2009. The meeting deliberated on a complaint filed by the defence ministry against Geo News in light of the law ministry’s opinion. The body after a discussion unanimously decided to immediately suspend the license of Geo News for a period of 15 days, besides imposing a fine of Rs10 million to be paid before the expiry of the suspension period. In case of non-payment of fine, the suspension of the license will continue. The authority further decided that in case of repeated violations by Geo News, proceedings for revocation of the license will be initiated. All field offices of Pemra have been directed to implement the decision of the authority in letter and spirit with immediate effect. A statement from Geo News said that the regulatory body had “already been punishing the channel”, adding that the broadcast was not available “in 90 per cent of areas” in the country for the last 45 days. The statement further said that the channel had already apologised and had incurred Rs2 billion in losses. The channel added that “Geo News was not provided with any evidence nor was its stance heard by the Pemra”.

Geo News to sue ISI for defamation

ISLAMABAD: Geo News is suing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for defamation over accusations of being anti-state, it said on Friday. Geo News, part of the privately-owned Jang Group, has also given the ISI 14 days to issue a public apology. “Geo and Jang Group (have) served a legal notice on the Ministry of Defence, Inter-Services Intelligence and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority for defaming and maligning the group,” the channel said in a report published in a newspaper owned by the media house. “More than 8,000 journalists, workers and professionals attached to the group and their families are not only being harassed but also attacked and tortured across Pakistan.” The suing by Geo News was followed by a suspension of the channel's license for 15 days along with a fine of Rs10 million. In April, the defence ministry had demanded that the license of Geo News be suspended after it provided air space to journalist Amir Mir who accused the ISI for being behind the shooting of his brother Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan's most famous television anchormen. Since the dispute began, Geo News has been taken off the air in several parts of the country or been moved to obscure slots on the channel lineup by the cable operators, allegedly under pressure from the military, according to the lawsuit. Distribution of the parent group's newspapers has also been disrupted. Last month, the channel apologised for the allegations in an attempt to resolve the issue. But temperatures have failed to cool and in a lawsuit the channel has now asked the ISI to retract what it called its defamatory statements, publicly apologise and pay $500 million in damages. A spokesman for the military was not immediately available for comment. April's shooting of Hamid Mir sent a chill through the journalists’ community weeks after television anchor Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore. Rumi survived but his driver was shot dead. No one has claimed responsibility for the recent assaults, although the Taliban, holed up in mountains on the Afghan border, have made repeated threats against domestic and foreign reporters for portraying the insurgency in a negative light.

PTA denies blocking rock band Laal's Facebook page

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) on Friday denied that it had blocked the popular Facebook page for a liberal Pakistani rock band ‘Laal’, days after the page became inaccessible for users from within the country. “We have not closed the page of Laal, Facebook has its own terms of reference and it closes pages that seem indecent to them,” Khurram Ali Mehran, a spokesman for the regulatory body, told AFP. The denial comes as Facebook claimed the page had been blocked inside Pakistan at Islamabad’s request, under an agreement to limit access to material that violates local laws. Mehran, the PTA spokesman, denied the existence of such an agreement, saying Facebook had acted alone. “We have no agreement with Facebook whatsoever, it's a pack of lies,” he said. The page has been inaccessible to users inside Pakistan since Wednesday, angering activists campaigning against censorship in the country. “Pakistan's agreement with Facebook came to light last year when a senior official from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, an Internet regulatory body, was summoned by the Lahore High Court in a case concerning the YouTube ban, but its terms have not been made public. Rock band “Laal” (Red) formed in 2007 and are known for their progressive politics. Their Facebook page has more than 400,000 likes, with users frequently joining debates on issues ranging from feminism to the role of the country's army in politics. Other pages like “Taalibansarezalimans” (The Taliban are oppressors) and “Pakistani.meem” which describes itself as pro-democracy and secularism, have similarly been blocked in recent days. “Facebook didn't even inform us, I realised when I noticed no activity on our page,” Taimur Rahman, Laal's lead guitarist, told AFP. A Facebook spokeswoman told the news agency: “While we never remove this type of content from the site entirely, like most Internet services, we may restrict people from accessing it in the countries where it is determined to be illegal. “Before we restrict the content, we take significant steps to investigate each unique claim, consult with local counsel and other experts in the country, and will only remove content in the most limited way possible,” she added. According to a page on Facebook that deals with government requests, 162 pieces of content were restricted for viewership inside Pakistan between July to December 2013. “We restricted access in Pakistan to a number of pieces of content primarily reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Ministry of Information Technology under local laws prohibiting blasphemy and criticism of the state,” the page says. Pakistan practises extensive Internet censorship, blocking YouTube in 2012 following the release of a low-budget film disrespectful of Islam. Websites for Baloch separatist movements in the country's southwest are also banned. While attempts to access those sites result in a government message informing the user that the content has been blocked for viewership within Pakistan, clicking Laal's page (www.facebook.com/laalpak) or the other liberal pages instead re-directs a user towards their own home feed. Shahzad Ahmad, director of the Bytes For All organisation that campaigns for free speech said: “The is a mass murder of free speech in Pakistan. “Yasser Latif Hamdani, a lawyer, added: “This is a grave mistake by Facebook. Also for the Pakistani government to make such requests is illegal and unconstitutional. Rahman, the musician, said the blocking of his band’s page was indicative of diminishing space for liberals in the country. “If you have progressive or liberal views you will be gunned down or silenced but if you have extremist views and take up arms Pakistan will give you the status of a stakeholder in power and negotiate with you,” he said.

Sharif sends sari for Modi’s mother

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with US President Barack Obama who has invited him to Washington in September, and Mr Modi will possibly meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during the annual UN gathering, official sources said on Thursday. Mr Modi said in a Tweet on Thursday he was happy to receive a sari for his mother from Mr Sharif, a return gift in a way for the Indian prime minister’s gesture of sending a shawl for Mr Sharif’s mother. “Nawaz Sharif ji has sent a wonderful white Sari for my Mother. I am really grateful to him & will send it to my mother very soon.” On a less private note the two leaders will have plenty of work to finish before they meet at the Saarc summit in Kathmandu in November. Mr Sharif said recently that the summit agenda will be hydrocarbons and energy cooperation. Such cooperation has been discussed and speculated on with big Indian business houses, including those that supported Mr Modi’s election campaign, seen as keen to do business in Pakistan. Given Mr Modi’s style of shunning media scrutiny, the journey from now till they meet in New York, will find the prime minister’s exchanging more than saris and shawls for their mothers. There is a whole gamut of business and political issues to earmark. On the US front, Mr Modi has accepted an invitation from Mr Obama to have bilateral discussions in Washington in September, potentially opening a new chapter in a sometimes edgy relationship between the two countries. Reports quoted government sources in Delhi as saying that the United States has offered September 30 as the date for the meeting, and the Indian side has asked for it to be advanced to September 26, around the time of Mr Modi’s maiden address at the United Nations General Assembly. S Jaishankar, the Indian Ambassador to the United States, is flying to New Delhi on June 8 for consultations with South Block and the Prime Minister’s office, and will brief Mr Modi on the relationship and how to take it forward, The Hindustan Times said. “The meeting between Modi and Obama will mean that the US view on the Indian PM has come full circle from the time it imposed a visa ban on him in 2005 in connection with the Gujarat riots three years earlier,” the paper said. The process of rapprochement started in February, when its recently retired ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, went to Ahmedabad to meet Modi, then a PM candidate. It also comes after an especially difficult period in the relationship, sparked by the arrest and humiliation of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York over allegations of visa fraud, and a particularly sharp retaliation by the Indian side. But there could be a meeting of minds on economic ties, the Hindustan Times said. Mr Modi has spoken often of the need to make India’s diplomacy trade-focused, and wants big ticket investments from mega corporations like GE, IBM and Microsoft. The US companies, while broadly enthusiastic about India, have turned skittish of late due to stalled economic reforms, slow growth, and issues over tax, intellectual property and preferential market access. With Modi becoming the prime minister, the Indian embassy in Washington has started serious diplomatic efforts to lure investment. For their part, some US defence contractors are keen to sell military hardware to the world’s biggest arms importer. Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2014

N Waziristan tribes agree to oust foreign fighters in 15 days

PESHAWAR: A representative jirga (tribal elders) of North Waziristan Agency on Friday agreed to oust foreign fighters from the area in 15 days as they assured Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan that all efforts would be made for restoration of peace in the agency. The North Waziristan Taliban, led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur had given a June 10 deadline to the government to avert a likely military offensive in the area following their Shura meeting last month. They had vowed to take up arms against the government in case a major operation was launched as it accused the authorities of breaking a non-aggression treaty with their tribes. Rumours about military operation have created uncertainty in North Waziristan with several Afghan families have already gone back to Afghanistan. Today’s jirga was led by Ahmadzai Wazir and Dawar tribal elders – the two main tribes that inhabit North Waziristan – and Haji Sher Mohammad Khan, a descendent of the famous anti-colonial rebel Faqir of Ipi. The jirga demanded of the government to stop the likely military operation in North Waziristan as they said it was not a solution and the crisis should be settled through dialogue. Jirga member Maulana Muhammad Din Haqqani said that the tribal elders have assured the KP governor that they will expel foreign jihadists from their soil within 15 days. He said that the jirga would also take up the issue of infighting with the different Taliban groups in North Waziristan and try to pacify the situation. The jirga members also claimed that the governor has assured them that there would be no military operation in the North Waziristan. Pir Muhammad Aqil Shah, another jirga member and also a contestant for the NA-40 seat, said that the meeting was successful as more than 70 members participated. He claimed that the jirga has the backing of Taliban Shura in North Waziristan Agency and it would convey the message of peace to the tribesmen and the Taliban Shura. Earlier, the tribal elders met with Corps Commander Peshawar Lt General Khalid Rabbani and discussed with him the prevailing situation in the wake of the likely military operation in North Waziristan. An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said that Lt Gen Rabbani, during his meeting with the jirga at the corps headquarters, urged the tribal elders to play their role in eradicating the Taliban militancy from North Waziristan. He was quoted as saying, “With the support of tribal brethren, all terrorists from North Waziristan agency will also be cleansed as they have disrupted the law and order in the entire region.” “We will stand by the tribes to restore writ of the state and rehabilitate and rebuild the agency like in Swat and rest of FATA on the model as done in areas cleared earlier.” The jirga pledged full support to Pakistan Army and assured that they will stand shoulder to shoulder with the security forces, said the statement. Meanwhile, according to a handout issued from the Governor House, Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan urged the tribal elders to play their role for restoration of peace in the region. He said that restoration of peace and normalcy in the region is the government’s top priority and all efforts would be made for it. Governor Khan said that the government wished to rehabilitate about 1.6 million FATA affectees and it could only be done if peace was restored and the tribesmen of North Waziristan will have to play their role again as they had done in the past to guard the country’s borders. Sardar Mehtab also heard suggestions given by the jirga with patience and assured them to take all possible steps to address their grievances.

Altaf discharged from hospital, shifted to police station

LONDON/ISLAMABAD: The London Metropolitan Police shifted Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain to the police station on Friday after he was discharged from the hospital, DawnNews reported. Hussain had undergone an angiography in the hospital yesterday, and DawnNews reported today that the MQM chief had been cleared by doctors at the hospital where he was being held before being shifted to the police station. Hussain was arrested by police Tuesday in London on suspicion of money-laundering. Meanwhile, workers and supporters holding a Youm-i-Dua in Karachi prayed for Hussain’s early recovery. Imran Mirza, the acting Pakistani high commissioner to the UK, had said yesterday that the police would question Hussain after he was discharged from the hospital. Police had concluded the search of Hussain’s house on Thursday which had been going on since 5:30am on Tuesday.

Passport, Nicop to be released after necessary procedure: FO Earlier today, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said Hussain’s passport and National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop) would be released after completion of relevant process. Speaking to media representatives during her weekly media briefing, Aslam said the acting High Commissioner Imran Mirza held a 20-minute meeting with Altaf Hussain yesterday, adding that the MQM chief had been presented with flowers sent by the premier. She said Hussain had thanked PM Nawaz. Aslam also said Hussain had not sought legal assistance as yet, adding that action would be implemented on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s directives in case of the latter. The FO spokesperson said she did not know the details of the charges pressed against the MQM chief.

7 shocking facts which will make you quit drinking right now!

Do you love drinking? You are safe if you are a social drinker and enjoy that occasional peg. But let us tell you that you are crossing the danger mark, if you find yourself drunk every night. Alcohol is a magical drink that has the amazing ability to literally turn things around. And while moderate drinking can make you swing around the room happily, over-dosage can make you jump of the rooftop! And though we don’t mean to blow your mood by bad-mouthing your beloved drink but the next time you party, keep these 10 dangers of alcohol in mind. Read on to find out. - People who try quitting alcohol have the worst experience with nausea, vomiting, depression, sweating, headache and insomnia. - Intake of alcohol during pregnancy can seriously harm the baby. - The list of diseases caused by alcohol is gigantic. It includes cancer, liver diseases, ulcers and brain damage for starters. - Binge drinking could lead to dependency on alcohol. A person dependent on alcohol may find it difficult to sleep or function without his usual dosage. - Alcohol related injuries are a common sight at parties. People fall, fight, hurt themselves and have concussions that can turn dangerous in the future. - Bad or locally produced alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning. - Other health related issues caused by drinking are obesity and suicidal behavior.

Diabetes alert! 5 healthier alternatives to sugar

White sugar is widely infamous yet unavoidable. With its high caloric content, white sugar spikes blood sugar levels and leads to weight gain and diabetes. It has no nutritional value and only causes harm. While artificial sweeteners are touted to be worthy replacements, let us tell you they too have a sleuth of harmful ingredients. Why take the risk with artificial sweeteners when you can lay your head safely into mother-nature’s lap and make use of natural sweeteners. Here are 5 healthier replacements of sugar in your kitchen. Stevia: Extracted from stevia leaves, it is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is the best alternative to sugar. It has zero-glycemic index and contains no carbs or calories. Honey: Raw honey has a sleuth of health benefits and is the second best sweetener after stevia. Maple syrup: Loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, it is a great natural sweetener. Dates: They have a caramel like taste and are rich in calcium, sulphur, iron and magnesium. Coconut Palm sugar: Extracted from the buds of coconut trees, it has a deeper flavour than white sugar. It contains iron, potassium, zinc and magnesium.

DELHI SHAMED AGAIN: 8 men sodomise 10-year-old, film the whole act

New Delhi: Delhi has been shamed again because of sexual offences. This time a young boy became a victim. In a gruesome incident, a 10-year- old boy was allegedly sodomised by eight men who also videographed the assault in East Delhi's Geeta Colony area, police said on Monday. "The assault took place on May 27 when the boy had gone to a shop. One of the accused lured him on the pretext of showing pigeon. Eight men then sodomised the boy at the residence of one of them and videographed the crime," said a police official. They then threatened the boy that they would kill his parents if he revealed the incident to anyone. "The boy did not tell anyone about the incident. However, his elder brother saw some of the accused making fun of him. He informed his parents about it, after which the victim revealed his ordeal to his parents," the official said. When the family was on their way to the police station to report the incident, the boy saw one of the accused standing at a shop and pointed toward him. When the boy's father confronted him, the accused along with his relatives attacked the victim's family. A PCR van reached the spot following which the attackers fled the spot. The injured were rushed to hospital and discharged after treatment. The victim's family has identified the accused as Jeevan, Dilip, Manish, Khemu, Monu, Devi, Panchi and Vikram who live close to their house, police said. A medical examination of the boy has confirmed the assault. Police have got him counselled by an NGO and he has also been given medical aid. "We have registered two case, one under IPC Section 377 (unnatural offence) and Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and another for the attack on the victim's family, at Geeta Colony Police station," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ajay Kumar. One of the accused, Vikram, has been arrested, police said.

SHOCKER: Irate wife in MP bites husband’s genitals for entering kitchen

Bhopal: A 30-year-old man’s irate wife allegedly bit his genitals after days of scuffle gave way to a heated spat between them last month. The incident was reported from Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. According to reports, the man, Jitendra Patel complained of swelling and pus formation in his genitals and went to a district hospital for treatment. The incident took place on May 4 at Satna’s Pagra village but came to light only after Patel went to the hospital for treatment. It is being said that Patel’s wife – Uma Patel (27) bit her husband’s penis after a heated argument on May 4. Their kids tried to separate them and in the meantime Uma bit his penis. Times of India reports: On May 5, Jitendra asked Uma to get him breakfast. When Uma posed a deaf ear, Jitendra went inside the kitchen and started cooking, said police. Uma got violent after this and began to attack her husband with whatever she got in hand. During the scuffle Jitendra's towel fell off down exposing his vital parts. She allegedly grabbed his testicles and bit off his genitals. He somehow managed to escape and reported the matter to police. Jitendra, however, refused to undergo a medical examination done fearing public humiliation. His wife was booked and released on bail. After a counselling session by police, they agreed to stay together. A senior investigating cop has indicated that Uma will likely be charged with attempt to murder.

PM Modi sends out a strong signal to neighbours; 'Century's Biggest' defence deal on the cards!

Jodhpur: The fighter plane of France 'Rafale' has been flying in the Indian skies for air drill from past 3 days. The Modi government will finalize the Rafale deal with France in next 3 months. This will be the most expensive deal of the century worth Rs. 50000 crore. Under this deal, France will sell 126 medium and multi roll combat aircrafts to India. The air drill between Indian and French Air Force started in Jodhpur for the same on Monday. A meeting between the defence officials of both countries was held in Jodhpur Air Force station. The Defence Ministry in New Delhi is wrapping up the negotiations in the deal. This deal is important for Jodhpur because the Rafale will be deployed here for the first time. According to Air Force sources, as soon as France will sign the deal, company Dassault will provide India with the aircrafts. In the year 2016, 18 aircrafts will be delivered to the country in its first batch and rest of them will be provided in 2018. These aircrafts will be included in Air Force in phases. According to the deal, 18 out of 126 MMRCA will be provided by 2016. The remaining 108 aircrafts will be assembled in India in association with Indian Aeronautics Limited. Initially, 6 aircrafts will be assembled and every next year the number will be 20. The price of each aircraft is at least Rs. 370 crore. As these aircrafts will be included in the Indian Air Force, they will fill in the place of phasing out MIG category of fighter planes.

MH370 may have crashed close to India as woman claims she may have seen the jet on fire

Sydney: Australian researchers on Wednesday said they have detected a low-frequency underwater noise off India's southern tip at about the time MH370 mysteriously disappeared, as a British woman sailing from Kochi to Phuket in March claimed that she may have seen the plane on fire. The researchers detected the mysterious noise, possibly that of an ocean impact, recorded by two undersea receivers in the Indian Ocean about the time the Malaysia Airlines plane ceased satellite transmissions and vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board. The researchers released an audio recording today of the underwater sound that they say could possibly be related to the final moments of the missing Boeing 777. "It's not even really a thump sort of a sound ? it's more of a dull oomph," Alec Duncan, a senior marine science research fellow at Curtin University near Perth, who has led the research, told The New York Times. The general vicinity from which the noise emanated is a large area of the central Indian Ocean off the southern tip of India and about 3,000 miles northwest of Australia. But that is not consistent with calculations of an arc of possible locations in the southeastern Indian Ocean where the plane might have run out of fuel. Those calculations were from Inmarsat, the global satellite communications company. Scientists have struggled to figure out the origin of the noise. "If you ask me what's the probability this is related to the flight, without the satellite data it's 25 or 30 per cent, but that's certainly worth taking a very close look at," Duncan said. Adding to the uncertainty surrounding the plane's possible final location, a British woman sailing with her husband across the Indian Ocean from Kerala's port city of Kochi to Phuket in Thailand has claimed she may have seen the plane on fire. Katherine Tee, 41, reported on Sunday to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) that is leading the MH370 search that she was on night-watch on the couple's 40-feet boat when flight MH370 vanished. The couple have since re-checked their sailing logs and believe they were near one of the projected flight paths for the aircraft, now missing for nearly three months. Tee, who was at sea for 13 months, said she did not report the sighting at the time because of marital issues and because she feared being mistaken. "I saw something that looked like a plane on fire. Then I thought I must be mad. It caught my attention because I had never seen a plane with orange lights before so I wondered what they were...," she told the Phuket Gazette. Media reports said Australian authorities were looking at Tee's claim.

SHOT DEAD FOR RESISTING RAPE: Woman molested, shot in the head multiple times in front of her children by alleged militants in Meghalaya

South Garo Hills: A woman was allegedly molested and her head blown off by Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district, reports said on Wednesday According to media reports, in this shocking incident alleged militants shot a woman through her head at point blank range with an automatic assault rifle for resisting their attempt to molest her outside her home on Tuesday evening. The Meghalaya police said the woman's five children, locked up in the house along with their father by the assailants, first saw them assault their mother and then blow her head off. The men fired six rounds directly at the woman's head, the police said. The attackers allegedly belong to the Garo National Liberation Front, a militant outfit that was declared a terror organisation by the Centre in January 2012. The GNLA is allegedly involved in several cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion in all three Garo Hills districts in Meghalaya. The Meghalaya police said the incident occurred in a remote village of the district. The woman was about 35 years old. There has been outrage in the country and globally after two young girls were gang-raped and found hanging from a tree in Uttar Pradesh last week. In a statement yesterday the US said it is "horrified" at reports of sexual violence and murders in India. "Like so many in India, we were horrified to learn of these violent sexual assaults and murders. Our thoughts are with the victims' families during this difficult time," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said the centre was viewing the incident very seriously. "It is a terrible case and symptomatic of what is happening in the country."

Mr Akhilesh and Mr Mulayam, if you think India media is biased

New Delhi: Violent crimes against women, especially rape and sexual violence, in Uttar Pradesh are dramatically increasing, with several cases coming to light since the horrific gang-rape and murder of two Dalit teenagers in Badaun district last week. With rising anger at the lack of law and order in the state, fingers are being pointed at the ruling Yadav family. Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, is being criticised for his lack of action. And when confronted by the media regarding the lawless UP, his father, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Wednesday, “You do your job, I'll do mine.” The row of insensitive comments started with Akhilesh. On Friday, when asked by a reporter what his view on the law and order situation in UP in the wake of the Badaun gang-rape was, he retorted, "I hope you have not faced any danger!" When the journalist replied a stark, "No", the chief minister said, "Thank you. You should propagate this." As if this statement was not enough to outrage the masses, Akhilesh made another statement on Tuesday, accusing the media highlighting cases of violence against women only occurring in UPwhile ignoring those in other states. "I have said this several times that incidents of the state are publicised more. Such incidents do not happen in UP alone," he said. This is not the first time both father and son have been in the news for making insensitive comments.

As the father-son duo continues to be defiant and blame the media tainting the image of the UP government, India is drawing flak from all across the globe for its inability to provide safety to its women. Mr AKhilesh and Mr Mulayam this is what the international media, United nations and US state department spokesperson had to say: International business times: The horrific crime, that has made international headlines over the week, has prompted strong reactions within the state as well as across the nation. Aljazeera.com: Officials mock journalist But in a country with a long history of tolerance for sexual violence, the firings also came as the state's top official mocked journalists for asking about the attack. When a reporter asked about the lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav retorted: "You haven't been harmed, have you? No, right? Great. Thank you." He later called the attack "unfortunate" and called for fast-track courts "to ensure that the guilty are brought to book without the usual procedural delay," his spokesman said. The victims of the most recent deadly attacks were Dalits, a community once known as "untouchables" in India's caste system. Human rights activists have said that the case underlined how women from lower castes were particularly vulnerable. New York Times: Charges of rape leveled by a low-caste father can have deep resonance here, as for centuries upper-caste Hindus could attack, rape or even murder those in low castes with impunity. Known victims of rape are often ostracized by their families and villages, so for years many rapes were kept quiet and never reported.

Untied Nations: Appalled by the brutal rape and murder of two teenaged girls in India, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has demanded action against sexual violence and appealed to the society to reject the destructive attitude of "boys will be boys". "In just the last two weeks, we have seen despicable attacks against women and girls around the world – from Nigeria to Pakistan and from California to India. I was especially appalled by the brutal rape and gruesome murder of two teenaged women in India who had ventured out because they did not have access to a toilet," Ban said at the United Nations on Tuesday

USA State Department Deputy Spokesperson: The United States has said it is "horrified" at reports of sexual violence and murders in India and it also applauded the role of individuals, government officials and civil society groups working to protect the survivors. "Like so many in India, we were horrified to learn of these violent sexual assaults and murders. Our thoughts are with the victims families during this difficult time," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said on Tuesday.