Siasat Wala Blog

COLOMBO:  Sri Lanka’s surprise whitewash of Pakistan in the two-Test series this month was down to witchcraft, captain Dinesh Chandimal said on Tuesday, drawing mockery on social media. Chandimal told reporters he had received a special blessing from a meyni, or sorcerer, ahead of the two-match series in the United Arab Emirates. “I am always ready to accept the blessings of anyone — whether it is a meyni or any clergy,” Chandimal told reporters after returning to Colombo. “You can have talent, but without this blessing you can’t move forward.” T20 final attracts large crowd at Gaddafi Stadium His comments came a week after Sri Lanka’s sports minister denied ordering the struggling national team to use witchcraft ahead of the Test series. Dayasiri Jayasekara threatened to sue a sorcerer for claiming that at his request she cast a spell over Pakistan to ensure Sri Lanka’s victory. Several Sri Lankan politicians, business leaders and sports stars put their faith in witchcraft o...

OSLO:  The world’s 250 biggest listed companies account for a third of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions yet few have strong goals to limit rising temperatures, a study showed on Tuesday. Coal India, Gazprom and Exxon Mobil topped the list when measuring carbon dioxide emitted by companies and by consumers using their products, it said. “Without continual reduction in emissions from this group of companies, effectively mitigating the long-term risks of climate change is not possible,” according to the study, a Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk white paper. Not a dime spent on environmental protection In the past three years, emissions from the group of 250 had been flat “when they should have been going down by roughly three per cent per year” to limit temperatures in line with goals set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, it said. The report, written in collaboration with Constellation Research & Technology, emissions tracking group CDP and BSD Consulting, found th...

In another case of mishap by the Pakistan International Airlines, two coffins meant to be flown to Karachi were ‘forgotten’ in New York City, the Express News reported. Expressing regret, the PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar pointed out that the mistake was committed by the agency providing luggage handling service to the airline. The national carrier expressed solidarity with the mourning families. UK hotel refuses to give rooms to PIA crew for ‘pestering’ female guests Tajwar said the Chief Executive Officer of PIA, Dr Musharraf Rasool had taken notice of the incident, adding that legal action will be taken against those responsible. Rasool has also ordered the airline to undertake all funeral proceedings. On the instructions of the family, one body will now be flown in by the Etihad Airline and arrive on November 1 while the other will be laid to rest in a graveyard in Maryland in the United States.   The post PIA ‘forgets’ coffins in New York appeared first on...

OSLO:  The world’s 250 biggest listed companies account for a third of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions yet few have strong goals to limit rising temperatures, a study showed on Tuesday. Coal India, Gazprom and Exxon Mobil topped the list when measuring carbon dioxide emitted by companies and by consumers using their products, it said. “Without continual reduction in emissions from this group of companies, effectively mitigating the long-term risks of climate change is not possible,” according to the study, a Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk white paper. Not a dime spent on environmental protection In the past three years, emissions from the group of 250 had been flat “when they should have been going down by roughly three per cent per year” to limit temperatures in line with goals set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, it said. The report, written in collaboration with Constellation Research & Technology, emissions tracking group CDP and BSD Consulting, found th...

In another case of mishap by the Pakistan International Airlines, two coffins meant to be flown to Karachi were ‘forgotten’ in New York City, the Express News reported. Expressing regret, the PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar pointed out that the mistake was committed by the agency providing luggage handling service to the airline. The national carrier expressed solidarity with the mourning families. UK hotel refuses to give rooms to PIA crew for ‘pestering’ female guests Tajwar said the Chief Executive Officer of PIA, Dr Musharraf Rasool had taken notice of the incident, adding that legal action will be taken against those responsible. Rasool has also ordered the airline to undertake all funeral proceedings. On the instructions of the family, one body will now be flown in by the Etihad Airline and arrive on November 1 while the other will be laid to rest in a graveyard in Maryland in the United States.   The post PIA ‘forgets’ coffins in New York appeared first on...

OSLO:  The world’s 250 biggest listed companies account for a third of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions yet few have strong goals to limit rising temperatures, a study showed on Tuesday. Coal India, Gazprom and Exxon Mobil topped the list when measuring carbon dioxide emitted by companies and by consumers using their products, it said. “Without continual reduction in emissions from this group of companies, effectively mitigating the long-term risks of climate change is not possible,” according to the study, a Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk white paper. Not a dime spent on environmental protection In the past three years, emissions from the group of 250 had been flat “when they should have been going down by roughly three per cent per year” to limit temperatures in line with goals set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, it said. The report, written in collaboration with Constellation Research & Technology, emissions tracking group CDP and BSD Consulting, found th...

In another case of mishap by the Pakistan International Airlines, two coffins meant to be flown to Karachi were ‘forgotten’ in New York City, the Express News reported. Expressing regret, the PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar pointed out that the mistake was committed by the agency providing luggage handling service to the airline. The national carrier expressed solidarity with the mourning families. UK hotel refuses to give rooms to PIA crew for ‘pestering’ female guests Tajwar said the Chief Executive Officer of PIA, Dr Musharraf Rasool had taken notice of the incident, adding that legal action will be taken against those responsible. Rasool has also ordered the airline to undertake all funeral proceedings. On the instructions of the family, one body will now be flown in by the Etihad Airline and arrive on November 1 while the other will be laid to rest in a graveyard in Maryland in the United States.   The post PIA ‘forgets’ coffins in New York appeared first on...

The incumbent government will complete its tenure on June 5 next year and general election will take place in the following month of July. Election Act 2017, according to election commission officials, has made the electoral body economically and politically independent. In a workshop held by the ECP, officials revealed that to ensure transparency watermark papers will be used. Moreover, independent Returning Officers will also be hired for the polling. ECP decides against de-seating Ayesha Gulalai Fee structure for nomination papers has also been revised. National Assembly candidates will now have to pay Rs30,000 whereas legislators contesting for Senate and provincial assemblies will have to pay RS20,000. There has also been a limit set for candidate to spend on their election campaign. Upper house candidates will be allowed to spend Rs4 million, candidates contesting for provincial assemblies will be allowed to spend Rs2 million and candidates for Senate will be allowed to spen...

The incumbent government will complete its tenure on June 5 next year and general election will take place in the following month of July. Election Act 2017, according to election commission officials, has made the electoral body economically and politically independent. In a workshop held by the ECP, officials revealed that to ensure transparency watermark papers will be used. Moreover, independent Returning Officers will also be hired for the polling. ECP decides against de-seating Ayesha Gulalai Fee structure for nomination papers has also been revised. National Assembly candidates will now have to pay Rs30,000 whereas legislators contesting for Senate and provincial assemblies will have to pay RS20,000. There has also been a limit set for candidate to spend on their election campaign. Upper house candidates will be allowed to spend Rs4 million, candidates contesting for provincial assemblies will be allowed to spend Rs2 million and candidates for Senate will be allowed to spen...

The incumbent government will complete its tenure on June 5 next year and general election will take place in the following month of July. Election Act 2017, according to election commission officials, has made the electoral body economically and politically independent. In a workshop held by the ECP, officials revealed that to ensure transparency watermark papers will be used. Moreover, independent Returning Officers will also be hired for the polling. ECP decides against de-seating Ayesha Gulalai Fee structure for nomination papers has also been revised. National Assembly candidates will now have to pay Rs30,000 whereas legislators contesting for Senate and provincial assemblies will have to pay RS20,000. There has also been a limit set for candidate to spend on their election campaign. Upper house candidates will be allowed to spend Rs4 million, candidates contesting for provincial assemblies will be allowed to spend Rs2 million and candidates for Senate will be allowed to spen...

After gaining fame for her toned physique in Jazbaa and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all geared to impress fans with her upcoming film, Fanney Khan . The latest buzz is that the Bollywood diva is using slimming oils to keep herself fit, reports Pinkvilla. Aishwarya Rai’s upcoming ‘Fanney Khan’ to talk about body shaming in big way The actor reportedly orders Ayurvedic slimming and toning oils from Kerala for every film post her pregnancy. A huge package containing the oils from one of the farms in South was headed to the Bachchan household. In an interview, the co-producer of Fanney Khan , Prernaa Arora had spoken about the movie’s shoot schedule and Aishwarya’s role.  “The team starts building the set in Mumbai next month and Anil will kick off shooting in the first week of August. Aishwarya joins him by the month-end and the film will wrap up in a start-to-finish schedule by October,” she said. When quizzed about Aishwarya’s role...

After gaining fame for her toned physique in Jazbaa and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all geared to impress fans with her upcoming film, Fanney Khan . The latest buzz is that the Bollywood diva is using slimming oils to keep herself fit, reports Pinkvilla. Aishwarya Rai’s upcoming ‘Fanney Khan’ to talk about body shaming in big way The actor reportedly orders Ayurvedic slimming and toning oils from Kerala for every film post her pregnancy. A huge package containing the oils from one of the farms in South was headed to the Bachchan household. In an interview, the co-producer of Fanney Khan , Prernaa Arora had spoken about the movie’s shoot schedule and Aishwarya’s role.  “The team starts building the set in Mumbai next month and Anil will kick off shooting in the first week of August. Aishwarya joins him by the month-end and the film will wrap up in a start-to-finish schedule by October,” she said. When quizzed about Aishwarya’s role...

After gaining fame for her toned physique in Jazbaa and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all geared to impress fans with her upcoming film, Fanney Khan . The latest buzz is that the Bollywood diva is using slimming oils to keep herself fit, reports Pinkvilla. Aishwarya Rai’s upcoming ‘Fanney Khan’ to talk about body shaming in big way The actor reportedly orders Ayurvedic slimming and toning oils from Kerala for every film post her pregnancy. A huge package containing the oils from one of the farms in South was headed to the Bachchan household. In an interview, the co-producer of Fanney Khan , Prernaa Arora had spoken about the movie’s shoot schedule and Aishwarya’s role.  “The team starts building the set in Mumbai next month and Anil will kick off shooting in the first week of August. Aishwarya joins him by the month-end and the film will wrap up in a start-to-finish schedule by October,” she said. When quizzed about Aishwarya’s role...

Alphabet’s self-driving car unit stopped developing features that required drivers to take control in dangerous situations, its chief executive said Monday, as autopilot reliance left users prone to distractions and ill-prepared to maneuver. The decision followed experiments of the technology in Silicon Valley that showed test users napping, putting on makeup and fiddling with their phones as the vehicles traveled up to 56 mph. John Krafcik, the head of Waymo, which was formed in 2009 as a project within Alphabet’s Google unit, told reporters that about five years ago the company envisioned technology that could autonomously drive cars on highways as a quick way to get on the market. Other self-driving automakers include similar autopilot features for highway-driving in vehicles, but they require drivers to take over the steering wheel in tricky situations. Waymo planned to do the same. Continental joins BMW, Intel, Mobileye platform for self-driving cars “What we found was pretty...

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, after whitewashing the three-match T20I series 3-0 against Sri Lanka, revealed that he feels embarrassed after watching himself being angry on players during matches. Sarfraz, in a candid conversation with commentator Ramiz Raja, said he only gets angry at his teammates because he loves them. When asked if managing young players becomes easy when they are of nearly the same age, Sarfraz replied: “I am enjoying a lot with all of these players. As I told you before, they listen. I know I get angry a lot. Sometimes when I watch TV and they show a slow-motion replay of me, I ask myself ‘what was I doing there’.” Sarfraz, Yasir make interesting confessions Ramiz then praised him for not abusing in anger, and Sarfraz said with a laugh: “Yes, that is the case. I know when the camera cuts to a close-up shot, all of you can understand what I am saying, so I avoid abusing.” First message, as captain, to players? During Sarfraz’s stay at the helm, Pakistan ha...

Alphabet’s self-driving car unit stopped developing features that required drivers to take control in dangerous situations, its chief executive said Monday, as autopilot reliance left users prone to distractions and ill-prepared to maneuver. The decision followed experiments of the technology in Silicon Valley that showed test users napping, putting on makeup and fiddling with their phones as the vehicles traveled up to 56 mph. John Krafcik, the head of Waymo, which was formed in 2009 as a project within Alphabet’s Google unit, told reporters that about five years ago the company envisioned technology that could autonomously drive cars on highways as a quick way to get on the market. Other self-driving automakers include similar autopilot features for highway-driving in vehicles, but they require drivers to take over the steering wheel in tricky situations. Waymo planned to do the same. Continental joins BMW, Intel, Mobileye platform for self-driving cars “What we found was pretty...

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, after whitewashing the three-match T20I series 3-0 against Sri Lanka, revealed that he feels embarrassed after watching himself being angry on players during matches. Sarfraz, in a candid conversation with commentator Ramiz Raja, said he only gets angry at his teammates because he loves them. When asked if managing young players becomes easy when they are of nearly the same age, Sarfraz replied: “I am enjoying a lot with all of these players. As I told you before, they listen. I know I get angry a lot. Sometimes when I watch TV and they show a slow-motion replay of me, I ask myself ‘what was I doing there’.” Sarfraz, Yasir make interesting confessions Ramiz then praised him for not abusing in anger, and Sarfraz said with a laugh: “Yes, that is the case. I know when the camera cuts to a close-up shot, all of you can understand what I am saying, so I avoid abusing.” First message, as captain, to players? During Sarfraz’s stay at the helm, Pakistan ha...

Alphabet’s self-driving car unit stopped developing features that required drivers to take control in dangerous situations, its chief executive said Monday, as autopilot reliance left users prone to distractions and ill-prepared to maneuver. The decision followed experiments of the technology in Silicon Valley that showed test users napping, putting on makeup and fiddling with their phones as the vehicles traveled up to 56 mph. John Krafcik, the head of Waymo, which was formed in 2009 as a project within Alphabet’s Google unit, told reporters that about five years ago the company envisioned technology that could autonomously drive cars on highways as a quick way to get on the market. Other self-driving automakers include similar autopilot features for highway-driving in vehicles, but they require drivers to take over the steering wheel in tricky situations. Waymo planned to do the same. Continental joins BMW, Intel, Mobileye platform for self-driving cars “What we found was pretty...

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, after whitewashing the three-match T20I series 3-0 against Sri Lanka, revealed that he feels embarrassed after watching himself being angry on players during matches. Sarfraz, in a candid conversation with commentator Ramiz Raja, said he only gets angry at his teammates because he loves them. When asked if managing young players becomes easy when they are of nearly the same age, Sarfraz replied: “I am enjoying a lot with all of these players. As I told you before, they listen. I know I get angry a lot. Sometimes when I watch TV and they show a slow-motion replay of me, I ask myself ‘what was I doing there’.” Sarfraz, Yasir make interesting confessions Ramiz then praised him for not abusing in anger, and Sarfraz said with a laugh: “Yes, that is the case. I know when the camera cuts to a close-up shot, all of you can understand what I am saying, so I avoid abusing.” First message, as captain, to players? During Sarfraz’s stay at the helm, Pakistan ha...

RAWALPINDI:  Iran on Tuesday appreciated Pakistan Army’s contributions to peace and stability in the region. Iran’s ambassador Mehdi Honardoost called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters and discussed regional security matters. During the meeting, the envoy lauded Pakistan’s gains against terrorism and pledged to keep working for better relations between two brotherly countries. Pakistan, Iran ink MoU to improve border security According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Iranian envoy and COAS also deliberated on Pak-Iran border management, visits and exchanges in defence realm during their meeting. Earlier in October this year, Pakistan and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster improved border security management. The MoU was inked during a two-day meeting of Pak-Iran Joint Border Commission in Gwadar. The joint proposals...

RAWALPINDI:  Iran on Tuesday appreciated Pakistan Army’s contributions to peace and stability in the region. Iran’s ambassador Mehdi Honardoost called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters and discussed regional security matters. During the meeting, the envoy lauded Pakistan’s gains against terrorism and pledged to keep working for better relations between two brotherly countries. Pakistan, Iran ink MoU to improve border security According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Iranian envoy and COAS also deliberated on Pak-Iran border management, visits and exchanges in defence realm during their meeting. Earlier in October this year, Pakistan and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster improved border security management. The MoU was inked during a two-day meeting of Pak-Iran Joint Border Commission in Gwadar. The joint proposals...

RAWALPINDI:  Iran on Tuesday appreciated Pakistan Army’s contributions to peace and stability in the region. Iran’s ambassador Mehdi Honardoost called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters and discussed regional security matters. During the meeting, the envoy lauded Pakistan’s gains against terrorism and pledged to keep working for better relations between two brotherly countries. Pakistan, Iran ink MoU to improve border security According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Iranian envoy and COAS also deliberated on Pak-Iran border management, visits and exchanges in defence realm during their meeting. Earlier in October this year, Pakistan and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster improved border security management. The MoU was inked during a two-day meeting of Pak-Iran Joint Border Commission in Gwadar. The joint proposals...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan alleged on Tuesday that ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif wants another National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in his favour so that he can avoid being convicted for money laundering. “He [Nawaz] is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on money laundering and save his Rs300 billion stashed abroad from being frozen,” Imran tweeted while labeling it as a ‘London Plan’ by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PTI chief further said that by leaving Pakistan for London, Nawaz wants to retain control over his party and call the shots from abroad. “[Nawaz will] malign NAB, judiciary and military to pressure them for another NRO,” he said. Nawaz Sharif re-elected PML-N president London Game Plan obvious now: Nawaz will retain control of Party & use it to malign NAB, Judiciary & mly to pressure them for another NRO — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 31, 2017 He is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on ...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan alleged on Tuesday that ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif wants another National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in his favour so that he can avoid being convicted for money laundering. “He [Nawaz] is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on money laundering and save his Rs300 billion stashed abroad from being frozen,” Imran tweeted while labeling it as a ‘London Plan’ by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PTI chief further said that by leaving Pakistan for London, Nawaz wants to retain control over his party and call the shots from abroad. “[Nawaz will] malign NAB, judiciary and military to pressure them for another NRO,” he said. Nawaz Sharif re-elected PML-N president London Game Plan obvious now: Nawaz will retain control of Party & use it to malign NAB, Judiciary & mly to pressure them for another NRO — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 31, 2017 He is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on ...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan alleged on Tuesday that ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif wants another National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in his favour so that he can avoid being convicted for money laundering. “He [Nawaz] is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on money laundering and save his Rs300 billion stashed abroad from being frozen,” Imran tweeted while labeling it as a ‘London Plan’ by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PTI chief further said that by leaving Pakistan for London, Nawaz wants to retain control over his party and call the shots from abroad. “[Nawaz will] malign NAB, judiciary and military to pressure them for another NRO,” he said. Nawaz Sharif re-elected PML-N president London Game Plan obvious now: Nawaz will retain control of Party & use it to malign NAB, Judiciary & mly to pressure them for another NRO — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 31, 2017 He is desperate for NRO to avoid conviction on ...

CHICAGO:  A year-long audit of the programme overseeing US labs that handle lethal pathogens such as Ebola and anthrax found overworked safety inspectors, an absence of independent review and weak bio-safety protections that could expose lab workers and the public to harm, a government report will say on Tuesday. The report by the Government Accountability Office to Congress followed a series of mishaps in which dangerous pathogens were inadvertently released. The report, seen by Reuters , concluded that the Federal Select Agent Programme needs an overhaul. The GAO audited laboratory safety oversight following errors that could have exposed dozens of people to live anthrax bacteria and the deadly toxin ricin. Its report will guide questioning of officials before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight subcommittee on Thursday. The Federal Select Agent Programme is jointly run by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and the Animal and Plant Health I...

CHICAGO:  A year-long audit of the programme overseeing US labs that handle lethal pathogens such as Ebola and anthrax found overworked safety inspectors, an absence of independent review and weak bio-safety protections that could expose lab workers and the public to harm, a government report will say on Tuesday. The report by the Government Accountability Office to Congress followed a series of mishaps in which dangerous pathogens were inadvertently released. The report, seen by Reuters , concluded that the Federal Select Agent Programme needs an overhaul. The GAO audited laboratory safety oversight following errors that could have exposed dozens of people to live anthrax bacteria and the deadly toxin ricin. Its report will guide questioning of officials before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight subcommittee on Thursday. The Federal Select Agent Programme is jointly run by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and the Animal and Plant Health I...

COLOMBO:  Sri Lanka are planning to send more teams to Pakistan after playing a Twenty20 match in Lahore for the first time since a gun attack eight years ago, a top official said Tuesday. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the national team were impressed with the extraordinary level of security for the match at the Gaddafi stadium on Sunday. ‘Welcome back Sri Lanka’ “They delivered the security they promised and we were very satisfied with all the arrangements,” de Silva told reporters in Colombo a day after the team returned home. He said the board would send junior sides to Pakistan soon and the senior side would follow as soon as possible. “Our FTP (Future Tours Program) does not include Pakistan, but we will have one as soon as possible,” he said. “We are sending our A team and an Under-19 team to play against Pakistan shortly.” Sunday’s T20 was Sri Lanka’s first in Pakistan since their team bus was attacked near the same venue in March 2009. ‘Thank...

CHICAGO:  A year-long audit of the programme overseeing US labs that handle lethal pathogens such as Ebola and anthrax found overworked safety inspectors, an absence of independent review and weak bio-safety protections that could expose lab workers and the public to harm, a government report will say on Tuesday. The report by the Government Accountability Office to Congress followed a series of mishaps in which dangerous pathogens were inadvertently released. The report, seen by Reuters , concluded that the Federal Select Agent Programme needs an overhaul. The GAO audited laboratory safety oversight following errors that could have exposed dozens of people to live anthrax bacteria and the deadly toxin ricin. Its report will guide questioning of officials before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight subcommittee on Thursday. The Federal Select Agent Programme is jointly run by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and the Animal and Plant Health I...

COLOMBO:  Sri Lanka are planning to send more teams to Pakistan after playing a Twenty20 match in Lahore for the first time since a gun attack eight years ago, a top official said Tuesday. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the national team were impressed with the extraordinary level of security for the match at the Gaddafi stadium on Sunday. ‘Welcome back Sri Lanka’ “They delivered the security they promised and we were very satisfied with all the arrangements,” de Silva told reporters in Colombo a day after the team returned home. He said the board would send junior sides to Pakistan soon and the senior side would follow as soon as possible. “Our FTP (Future Tours Program) does not include Pakistan, but we will have one as soon as possible,” he said. “We are sending our A team and an Under-19 team to play against Pakistan shortly.” Sunday’s T20 was Sri Lanka’s first in Pakistan since their team bus was attacked near the same venue in March 2009. ‘Thank...

COLOMBO:  Sri Lanka are planning to send more teams to Pakistan after playing a Twenty20 match in Lahore for the first time since a gun attack eight years ago, a top official said Tuesday. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the national team were impressed with the extraordinary level of security for the match at the Gaddafi stadium on Sunday. ‘Welcome back Sri Lanka’ “They delivered the security they promised and we were very satisfied with all the arrangements,” de Silva told reporters in Colombo a day after the team returned home. He said the board would send junior sides to Pakistan soon and the senior side would follow as soon as possible. “Our FTP (Future Tours Program) does not include Pakistan, but we will have one as soon as possible,” he said. “We are sending our A team and an Under-19 team to play against Pakistan shortly.” Sunday’s T20 was Sri Lanka’s first in Pakistan since their team bus was attacked near the same venue in March 2009. ‘Thank...

Four Muslim organisations in India have expressed concern that the community is missing from the poll narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, said The Indian Express . Representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz and Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat have said that the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems such as their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life. ‘Isn’t this our country?’: Muslims in India feel alienated “The Congress asking Muslims to abandon their religious attire and yet wanting their votes is a dangerous trend if it spreads to other parts of the country,” said Kaleem Siddiqui of Insaf Trust during a press conference. Siddiqui was referring to a report about a Congress meeting reportedly suggesting that Muslims should keep a low profile during voting. Chairman All India Congress Committee’s...

Four Muslim organisations in India have expressed concern that the community is missing from the poll narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, said The Indian Express . Representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz and Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat have said that the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems such as their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life. ‘Isn’t this our country?’: Muslims in India feel alienated “The Congress asking Muslims to abandon their religious attire and yet wanting their votes is a dangerous trend if it spreads to other parts of the country,” said Kaleem Siddiqui of Insaf Trust during a press conference. Siddiqui was referring to a report about a Congress meeting reportedly suggesting that Muslims should keep a low profile during voting. Chairman All India Congress Committee’s...

Four Muslim organisations in India have expressed concern that the community is missing from the poll narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, said The Indian Express . Representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz and Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat have said that the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems such as their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life. ‘Isn’t this our country?’: Muslims in India feel alienated “The Congress asking Muslims to abandon their religious attire and yet wanting their votes is a dangerous trend if it spreads to other parts of the country,” said Kaleem Siddiqui of Insaf Trust during a press conference. Siddiqui was referring to a report about a Congress meeting reportedly suggesting that Muslims should keep a low profile during voting. Chairman All India Congress Committee’s...

BERLIN:  German police arrested a 19-year-old Syrian suspected of planning an  bomb attack in Germany with the aim of killing as many people as possible, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. The man, whose name was given as Yamen A., was arrested in the early hours in the northeastern town of Schwerin. Police searched his home and also those of other people not suspected of being directly involved. UAE man ‘shouting Allahu Akbar’ kills one in Germany supermarket knife attack “According to the findings so far, Yamen A. made the decision no later than July 2017 to detonate an explosive device in Germany in order to kill and injure as many people as possible,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “As a result, he began to procure components and chemicals needed to make an explosive device. Whether the suspect had already envisaged a specific target for his bomb attack is still unclear,” the office added. There were no indications that he was a member of a ...

BERLIN:  German police arrested a 19-year-old Syrian suspected of planning an  bomb attack in Germany with the aim of killing as many people as possible, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. The man, whose name was given as Yamen A., was arrested in the early hours in the northeastern town of Schwerin. Police searched his home and also those of other people not suspected of being directly involved. UAE man ‘shouting Allahu Akbar’ kills one in Germany supermarket knife attack “According to the findings so far, Yamen A. made the decision no later than July 2017 to detonate an explosive device in Germany in order to kill and injure as many people as possible,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “As a result, he began to procure components and chemicals needed to make an explosive device. Whether the suspect had already envisaged a specific target for his bomb attack is still unclear,” the office added. There were no indications that he was a member of a ...