Siasat Wala Blog

HOUSTON: US presidential contender from Democratic Party Bernie Sanders has said he was deeply concerned about the situation in Kashmir and called for immediate removal of the communication blockade in occupied Kashmir. Speaking at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference in Houston, Sanders said, “India’s action [in Kashmir] is unacceptable,” criticizing its crackdown in Kashmir, revoking its special status.” He said he is deeply concerned about this situation in Kashmir where the Indian government has revoked Kashmiri autonomy, cracked on dissent and instituted a communications blackout. Bernie Sanders added, “Even many respected doctors in Indian have acknowledged that the Indian government-imposed restrictions on travel are threatening the life-saving care that patients need.” “The United States government must speak out boldly in support on international humanitarian law and in support of a UN back a peaceful resolution that respects the will of the Kashmiri peo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said Islam is a religion of peace and it has nothing to do with terrorism. Addressing the Muslim community of North America in Houston via video call, the premier said Islam is a religion of peace and teaches to live with peace. The act of one person cannot be attributed to that of whole community. “Islamophobia is increasing across the world”, he continued. The prime minister said Muslim places of worship were also attacked in Europe. Referring to the situation in Occupied Kashmir, he said Kashmiris are under siege for the last 28 days. “The current Indian regime is a follower of RSS, a hatred and supremacist ideology”, he said and added that  West will have to understand the philosophy of RSS in order to think clearly of this problem. The same philosophy led to the carnage of Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat earlier. Prime Minister reiterated we are talking of a country of one billion people, with nuclear weapons and extreme

PESHAWAR: The rescue teams have retrieved more four bodies, who lost their lives in an appalling road incident in Upper Kohistan on Friday night. According to local police, so far bodies of 12 people have been recovered; search to retrieve more bodies is still underway. At least 24 passengers were killed and two got wounded after a bus carrying 31 people fell into a ravine in a horrible incident of a bridge collapse in Upper Kohistan on Friday night. The incident took place in Kandia subdivision of the Upper Kohistan. The bus had women and children on board. All passengers belonged to the same family, who were traveling to attend a function. DPO Kohistan Raja Abdul Saboor while speaking to the media had said the final police report will be issued after investigators probe into the accident. Earlier on August 12, at least five people had lost their lives and eight others got wounded after their passenger van fell into a ravine in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Acc

TEXAS: A white male in his 30s who was known to police killed four people and wounded 21 others on Saturday in a gun rampage between the West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa that started with a traffic stop and ended when he was killed by officers, authorities said. The suspect hijacked a postal van and opened fire on police officers, motorists and shoppers on a busy Labor Day holiday weekend before being shot dead outside a multiplex cinema complex in Odessa, police said. Authorities originally thought there were two shooters driving two vehicles, but Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke told a news conference on Saturday evening that he believed there was only one. The gunman was heading from Midland to Odessa on Interstate 20 when he was stopped at 3:17 p.m. local time, Gerke said. He shot the police officer, took off west on I-20 and then exited at Odessa. There he drove to a Home Depot and opened fire on passersby. “At some point the suspect stole a mail truck and ditched his

Americans who use e-cigarettes should avoid adding substances like cannabis and buying products off the street — or consider refraining altogether — while authorities investigate hundreds of cases of severe lung disease among vapers, health officials said Friday. A total of 215 possible cases of pulmonary illness associated with vaping from 25 states are currently being probed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update. The first death was reported last week, but most patients have recovered fully. “CDC recommends that, while the investigation is ongoing, Americans who use e-cigarettes and are concerned about these specific, potential risks of illness should consider refraining from their use, and should not buy them off the street or modify them or add substances in ways not intended by the manufacturer,” the agency said. It singled out “e-cigarette products with THC or other cannabinoids” as a common modification. Starting from late June, patients ha

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said Prime Minister Imran Khan will never go for an NRO, however, he claimed that accomplices of Asif Ali Zardari are ready for a deal. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the minister hinted “a deal in the last five overs of a match may yield something for them [PPP & PML-N]”. He announced to reduce the fare of Jinnah Express by Rs500, and the inauguration of new stations in Bhawalpur, and DG Khan and Rajanpur on September 6 and 7, respectively. “Owing to rain, our freight trains were affected badly,” Rasheed said adding that the ministry is going to increase the number of freight trains. Talking about the Kashmir crisis, the minister said Pakistan is ahead of India in terms of defense capabilities. “If India dares, it can make the mistake of experiencing [the fact] itself,” Rasheed asserted. He reiterated that 22 Pakistan will be created inside India. “Muslims in India are being degraded due to the decisions

ALTAMIRA: Federal agents in Brazil exchanged gunfire with illegal miners in the Amazon state of Para on Friday, according to Reuters witnesses, in a dramatic example of how Brazil has stepped up environmental enforcement in the wake of rainforest fires. Federal police and agents with environmental enforcement agency Ibama were carrying out a raid on illegal wildcat miners near the Ituna/Itatá indigenous reserve, which crosses into several municipalities including the city of Altamira, according to two Reuters witnesses. “They (the miners) hid in the forest and shot at the team,” said Hugo Loss, Ibama’s national coordinator of enforcement operations, who accompanied the mission. The agents returned fire, but all of the miners escaped into the woods and no suspects were apprehended. No-one was injured, according to the official. Ibama and the federal police destroyed two backhoes and three other pieces of mining equipment. Ibama had largely rolled back its field operations in Para s

BEIJING: China will exempt Tesla’s electric vehicles from its purchase tax, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Friday, a concession made amidst trade tensions with the United States. Tesla sees China as one of its most important, growing markets, and the exemption from a 10% purchase tax could reduce the cost of buying a Tesla by up to 99,000 yuan ($13,957.82), according to a post on Tesla’s social media WeChat account. Sixteen variants – all the Tesla models sold in the country – are listed on a document issued by MIIT on its website, including Model S, X and 3. No reason was given for the decision to exclude the cars from the tax, but it comes as Tesla is expanding in China, with a new factory and visits by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. Tesla’s plant in Shanghai will be its first overseas factory, and the company is gearing up for a major Chinese sales push by promoting racing events, showroom parties with DJs and a line of Chinese Tesla stic

Hurricane Dorian strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” storm on Friday as it bore down on the Bahamas and the east coast of the US state of Florida. Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis urged residents of the Atlantic Ocean archipelago in the path of the “very powerful and potentially life-threatening hurricane” to seek safety. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the Bahamas on Sunday and in Florida late Monday or Tuesday, “has strengthened to an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane” on a five-level scale. The storm has winds near 140 miles per hour (220 kilometers per hour), according to the NHC. “A prolonged period of life-threatening storm surge and devastating hurricane-force winds are likely in portions of the northwestern Bahamas, where a hurricane warning is in effect,” the NHC said. ‘Very great danger’ Minnis, the Bahamas prime minister, told a press conference that the storm was life-threatening. “

SAN FRANCISCO: The account of Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey was hacked on Friday afternoon, sending public tweets and retweets including racial slurs and curse words to 4 million followers before Twitter secured the account. The social media company, co-founded by Dorsey, said the phone number associated with his account was compromised due to a security oversight by the mobile provider. “This allowed an unauthorized person to compose and send tweets via text message from the phone number. That issue is now resolved,” the company said, adding separately that there was no indication that Twitter’s systems had been compromised. One of the tweets from the hacked account said Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was innocent, while others contained derogatory comments about black people and Jews. There was also a tweet suggesting there was a bomb at Twitter’s headquarters. The account posted a hashtag that was used during the apparent hacks of several YouTube stars last week. The hack unde

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, over 4,500 persons among total over 10,000 arrested have been booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA), since the repeal of the special status of the territory by the Indian government on August 5. Those detained under PSA include Hurriyat leaders, political workers, traders, lawyers, social activists and youth. Principal Secretary of occupied Kashmir, Rohit Kansal, confirmed to media that over 4,500 people have been arrested under the PSA. The law allows the authorities to keep anyone under detention for up to two years without trial. Meanwhile, the curfew and communication blackout continue in the Kashmir valley on the 27th consecutive day, today, where people are facing acute shortage of essential commodities including baby food and life-saving medicines. The valley remains cut off from the rest of the world since August 5 due to continued blockade and suspension of internet, mobile and landline services and closing of TV channels. The

VENICE: Forty years after actress Jean Seberg died, Kristin Stewart says she wants to show the world that the star of the French New Wave should be known for more than just her short haircut. The 29-year-old plays the actress in a political thriller detailing how the FBI targeted Seberg in the late 1960s because of her personal and political links to African American civil rights activist Hakim Jamal. Seberg began her career as a teenager, portraying Joan of Arc in Otto Preminger’s “Saint. Joan”. But it was her role in Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” in 1960 that turned her in a French New Wave star. The film titled “Seberg” starts with her meeting Jamal, played by Anthony Mackie, on a plane. FBI agents, played by Jack O’Connell and Vince Vaughn, tap her home as they seek to expose the affair and discredit the actress. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Friday in an out-of-competition screening, follows Seberg’s realization that she is being watched and the i

Google will pay $150-200 million to settle allegations YouTube violated a children’s privacy law while gathering data to better target its adverts, US media reports said Friday. The US Federal Trade Commission agreed on the amount of the settlement against YouTube parent Google, which if approved by the Justice Department would be the largest settlement in a case involving children’s privacy, the New York Times reported. The allegations against YouTube were made by privacy groups who said the platform had violated laws protecting children’s privacy by gathering data on users under the age of 13 without obtaining permission from parents, Politico reported. The FTC is expected to announce its decision on the settlement in September, the New York Times said. US regulators have long argued Google fails to protect children from harmful content and data collection on its YouTube platform. Advocacy group The Center for Digital Democracy said in a statement that the proposed settlement w

A photo has been shared thousands of times on Facebook, alongside a claim that a rat “larger than a cat” was caught in Malaysia. The claim is false; the photo was taken at an angle that made the rodent appear much larger. The photo, which shows a man smiling while holding the enormous creature with a pair of tongs, was published here on August 16, 2019, and has been shared over 5,400 times. Translated to English, the caption says: “Scary! Pest control company Staff shared it with me Rat larger than a cat It’s in Malaysia~Johor Bahru.” Below is a screenshot of the misleading post: A reverse image search reveals that this picture has been circulating on social media for years. The original photo was published on May 23, 2015, on Facebook by a local residents’ committee, along with another photo from a different angle that gives a better idea of the rat’s size. Me and mouse name "Naughty' Posted by Jawatan Kuasa Penduduk – JKP Zone3 MPSJ on  Friday, May 22, 201

The United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye has said that the current situation in occupied Kashmir is deeply disturbing, Radio Pakistan reported. David Kaye in an interview with New Delhi-based monthly magazine The Carvan said that the Indian authorities have repeatedly over the last several years shut down the internet in occupied Kashmir, particularly around times of protests. Read More: 1.9 mn people lose citizenship in India’s Assam; Muslims’ mass deportations feared He said the shutting down of internet and the current situation is really quite draconian. He said shutting down all communication is a disproportionate interference with the freedom of expression of people in Kashmir. To a query, David Kaye said that it was important for the UN Security Council to go beyond closed-door meetings. Read More: 27th day of tyrannical curfew in IoK, civilians dragged back to stone age He said t

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar has said that 80-85 percent work has been completed on Kartarpur corridor to facilitate the visits of the Sikh community to their holy places. He was addressing an international Sikh convention in Lahore on Saturday, Radio Pakistan reported. The Governor said road infrastructure is being improved to ensure easy access of Sikh community to Nankana Sahib. He said that Lahore’s safe city project is also being expanded to Nankana Sahib to ensure foolproof security there. Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar said the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor reflects the love and affection of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Sikhs and minorities. He said no impediment including the tension in relations with India will be allowed to come in the way of opening of Kartarpur corridor on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. The Governor said both Islam and Sikhism preach love, affection, compassion and we need to promote this message for w

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan says fascist Modi is writing a gruesome chapter of tyranny and oppression in occupied Kashmir. In a tweet on Saturday, she said India has made lives miserable for people in the occupied valley. Occupied Kashmir is completely cut off from the rest of the world as twenty six days have passed since the curfew was imposed there. Read More: ‘Day of Solidarity with Kashmiris’ to be observed every Friday, starting tomorrow: Awan Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the Kashmiri people are faced with severe shortages of food items and medicines. Seriously sick and elderly people are also deprived of health facilities. Dr Firdous said that Prime Minister Imran Khan while representing the true aspirations of the nation has expressed his strong commitment to firmly stand by the oppressed Kashmiri people. Referring to the Kashmir hour observed yesterday, the special assistant said the entire nation

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of China to cooperate in different fields. According to a spokesman of the provincial government, the MoU has been signed between provincial capital Peshawar and Xuzhou, the Capital city of Chinese Province Jiangsu. Read More: China unveils plan for huge anniversary military parade Both the provincial capitals will cooperate with each other in areas of economy and trade, agriculture, technology, culture, education, and public health. The spokesman said the province will also benefit from Xuzhou city expertise in transport and construction of economic zones. Earlier on August 28, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on energy and power Hamayatullah Khan on Wednesday said that the province was producing 45,000 barrel of crude oil per day. Read More: Former AJK PM thanks China, Turkey and Iran for open support on Kashmir issue Presiding over a meeting in connection

Demonstrations are expected across Britain on Saturday against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament in the final weeks before Brexit. The protests come ahead of an intense political week in which Johnson’s opponents will seek to block the move in court and legislate against a no-deal departure from the European Union. Organisers said they were hoping hundreds of thousands of people would take part in the demonstrations, organised under the slogan #StopTheCoup. “Disruption is the only form of leverage protesters can rely on,” said Michael Chessum, national organiser for the campaign group Another Europe is Possible. “This process needs to force the government to change its course,” he said. The left-wing group Momentum, closely allied with the main opposition Labour Party, is calling on its supporters to “occupy bridges and blockade roads”. Saturday’s main demonstration is expected outside Johnson’s Downing Street office in London from around 1100 GMT and the

LAHORE: Minister for Interfaith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri says Pakistan is committed to open Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019 regardless of the tense situation over Kashmir issue. Addressing International Sikh Convention in connection with 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak on Saturday, he said the initiative of Kartarpur Corridor was taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan to facilitate the Sikh community to visit Gurdawara Darbar Sahib Kartaprur. Read More: Fourth Phase of technical talks on Kartarpur Corridor concluded Noorul Haq Qadri said the government will provide all necessary facilities to the minorities at their sacred and worship places. He said the message of Baba Guru Nanak was the message of humanity, peace and love; which needs to be promoted in the world. Addressing the convention, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of opening Kartarpur Corridor is a great initiative of promoting int

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan  said that the illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir was part of a ‘wider’ strategy of the Indian government ‘to target Muslims.’  In a Twitter post on Saturday, PM Imran said, “Reports in Indian and international media on Modi Govt’s ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing across the world that the illegal annexation of Kashmir is part of a wider policy to target Muslims.” Along with his tweet, the prime minister shared a recent report from the Indian state of Assam where almost two million people were stripped of their citizenship on Saturday, fearing mass deportations of Muslims from the area. Reports in Indian and international media on Modi Govt's ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing across the world that the illegal annexation of Kashmir is part of a wider policy to target Muslims. https://t.co/QmjTDyaGVV — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 31, 2019 Earlier today, AFP reported that almos

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi says the UN Security Council has an obligation to resolve the decades-old Kashmir problem by implementing its own resolutions that pledged the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people to decide their destiny. In an interview with Al-Arabiya television, she said the whole world subscribes to the principle of self-determination and why should it be denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and, what we ask, are they denied because they are Muslims. Read More: US House Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss situation in occupied Kashmir Maleeha Lodhi urged the international community that it should respond to the fast deteriorating situation in occupied Kashmir because it poses a danger to peace and security of the South Asian region. She said that Pakistan believes it also endangered international peace and that the 15-member Council should live up to its responsibility. She called India’s dec

GUWAHATI: Almost two million people in northeast India were left facing statelessness on Saturday after the state of Assam published a citizenship list aimed at weeding out “foreign infiltrators”, in a process the central government wants to replicate nationwide. A total of 31.1 million people were included in a final National Register of Citizens (NRC), but 1.9 million were deemed ineligible, according to a statement from the Assam government. Most of those excluded were expected to be Muslim. Assam, an impoverished isolated state of 33 million, has long seen large influxes from elsewhere, including under British colonial rule and around Bangladesh´s 1971 war of independence when millions fled into India. For decades this has made Assam a hotbed of inter-religious and ethnic tensions. Sporadic violence has included the 1983 massacre of around 2,000 people. This has led to pressure from those who see themselves as genuine Assamese for a lasting solution — which they hope will come

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, over 4,500 persons among total over 10,000 arrested have been booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act, since the illegal repeal of the special status of the territory by India on 5th August. Those detained under PSA include Hurriyat leaders, political workers, traders, lawyers, social activists, and youth. Read More: Will fight for Kashmir at all forums till its freedom: PM Imran Khan Principal Secretary of occupied Kashmir, Rohit Kansal, confirmed to media that over 4,500 people have been arrested under the PSA. The law allows the authorities to keep anyone under detention for up to two years without trial. Meanwhile, the curfew and communication blackout continue in the Kashmir valley on the 27th consecutive day, today, where people are facing acute shortage of essential commodities including baby food and life-saving medicines.The valley remains cut off from the rest of the world since August 05 due to continued blockade and suspension of in

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the announcement of US House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir is a major development. He said the meeting of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs will prove to be quite useful regarding Kashmir dispute, Radio Pakistan reported. The minister appreciated the role of overseas Pakistanis, particularly the Pak-American community who made a key contribution to internationalize the issue. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said “we are highlighting the Kashmir issue across the globe and it is the reason that issue is being discussed at every forum.” He said Prime Minister Imran Khan will forcefully raise the Kashmir issue during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly session on Septemeber 29. Occupied Kashmir is under strict a lockdown since 5th August when Narendra Modi-led Indian government announced the repeal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated state terrorism subjected thousands of Kashmiris to custodial disappearance during the last twenty-nine years and the families of the victims have no information about their whereabouts. According to the data released by the Research Section of the Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the International Day of Disappeared, on Friday, over 8,000 Kashmiris have vanished in the custody after they were picked up by the Indian troops, police and paramilitary forces. The report maintained that thousands of unnamed graves had been discovered in the territory and the human rights activists feared that these graves could be of the disappeared Kashmiris. The impunity provided to the troops and police personnel through draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act and Public Safety Act gave them the license to kill and harass the people and ransack their possession without being questioned and the tra

PESHAWAR: At least 24 passengers were killed and two got wounded after a bus carrying 31 people fell into a ravine in a horrible incident of a bridge collapse in Upper Kohistan on Friday night.  The incident took place in Kandia subdivision of the Upper Kohistan. The bus had women and children on board. As per police, all passengers belonged to the same family, who were travelling to attend a function. DPO Kohistan Raja Abdul Saboor while speaking to the media said the final police report will be issued after investigators probe into the accident. Earlier on August 12, at least five people had lost their lives and eight others got wounded after their passenger van fell into a ravine in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to police, the van was going to Barawal area from Teemargara area in Lower Dir. The driver lost control of the vehicle, due to which it veered off the course and plunged into the ravine.   The post Kohistan bus incident: 24 passengers dead;

ISLAMABAD: Senate on Friday unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning the illegal annexation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir by Narendra Modi led Indian government. The resolution reads that the annexation is an attempt by India to change the demography of occupied Kashmir as part of their racist and fascist agenda. Participating in the debate on Kashmir situation, Mushahid Hussain Sayed said Modi’s decision has unified the entire Kashmiri leadership. He said Kashmir freedom movement is indigenous in nature and it should remain so, Radio Pakistan reported. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader said, “We have to mobilize the international community on the festering dispute. It is the battle of ideas and we have to engage the media, think tanks and our diaspora to effectively highlight the Indian atrocities in the occupied territory.” PPP’s Raza Rabbani regretted the silence of Muslim Ummah on the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir. He said there are only three count

RAWALPINDI: Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Friday while condemning the Indian brutalities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) said that Indian tyranny and hegemonic endeavors would end up fragmenting it in 22 separate states. Talking to a private news channel he said Modi was unable to foresee that his extremist ideology was dragging the region into a warlike situation, and this war could prove an existential threat to both states. Read More: Int’l community should take note of festering Kashmir dispute: Sheikh Rasheed Rasheed said that a nuclear war was sure to demolish everything in both countries, he warned Modi. Sheikh expressed hope that once the Gawadar seaport was developed the country would become economically viable and unbeatable in the region. In conclusion, the minister said that time would prove that Narendra Modi took the worst step in Indian history by scrapping Article 370. Earlier, On the call of Prime Minister Imran Khan to observe ‘Kashmir Solidarity H

ISLAMABAD: A joint session of the Parliament, as well as National Assembly’s session, were postponed on Thursday owing to inevitable reasons. As per details, President Arif Alvi had to address the joint session of the Parliament today at 5:00 pm, which was canceled a day earlier. Sources inside the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said the new schedule of the session will be issued later. On the other hand, a session of the National Assembly which was convened on September 2 at 4:00 pm was also put off. It is worth noting that the whole nation is observing Kashmir Hour today (Friday) to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Solidarity Hour commenced from 12:00 and lasted until 12:30 pm. The hour started with sirens sound all across the country and national anthem of Pakistan was played followed by the national anthem of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister and chief ministers along with all the parliamentarians lead

Netflix has released the trailer of  a documentary series on Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates which explores his life, reflects on his extreme worth ethic and worst fear.  The three part docuseries is called  Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates. The trailer reveals that Gates his greatest fear is  his brain will someday stop working. According to a press release from Netflix, the documentary series “offers unprecedented access to Gates as he pursues unique solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems with the same level of optimism, curiosity, and fervor that inspired his original vision for Microsoft.” I spent the last few years participating in a @netflix docuseries looking at my work and my life, and it’s coming out September 20th. I hope you enjoy what they’ve put together. pic.twitter.com/Jc4QFju7Fo — Bill Gates (@BillGates) August 29, 2019 This series is a commentary on how his ambition led him to become a titan in the Silicon Valley, the sacrifices he ma

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Friday decided to observe Kashmir Solidarity Hour in a befitting manner, ARY News reported. In this regard, the flight operations across the country will remain suspended from 12:00 pm till 12:30 pm. “No flight will take-off for half an hour across the country from any airport of the country”, the CAA officials said. The nation is observing Kashmir Hour today to express solidarity with the oppressed people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to details, the Kashmir Solidarity Hour will commence from 12:00 to 12:30 hours, in which sirens will sound all across the country and national anthem of Pakistan followed by national anthem of Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be played. During national anthems, all the people and vehicles will come to a standstill. The prime minister and chief ministers along with all the parliamentarians will lead the nation by coming in front of their respective Secretariats and office buildings whereas

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Asad Majeed Khan has urged the US and the international community to “do more” to pressure India to end its militarised curfew over occupied Kashmir. In an interview with  The Washington Times , Khan said the Indian prime minister has turned a vast section of the disputed region into “a concentration camp.” Read More: People defy curfew, hold anti-India demos in occupied Kashmir He added that millions of people inside the occupied territory have been on lockdown without access to medicine or electricity, let alone telephones and internet, for nearly a month since the government of India revoked the area’s special constitutional status. “Thousands are being put in prison,” he was quoted as saying. “The world needs to be aware of this.” Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan who is on a visit to Washington sought to promote the same message. He told  The Washington Times  that he wanted “to give a wa

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, hundreds of people defying curfew and other restrictions continued to hold demonstrations in Srinagar and other areas of the territory, on Friday, against India’s latest onslaught to impose Hindu civilization. People took to the streets in Srinagar and other parts of the territory including Central, South and North Kashmir and staged forceful demonstrations against the repeal of the special status of the territory by the Indian government on August 5, Kashmir Media Service reported. Indian troops and police personnel used brute force against the demonstrators, injuring many of them. More than 600 incidents of protests have occurred in the occupied territory so far since August 5. Hundreds of people have sustained injuries due to the firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells on the protesters by Indian forces’ personnel during this period. A senior government official told media that as many as 36 persons have received pellet injuries in the Kashm

ISLAMABAD: The Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency has affirmed stable outlook of Pakistan’s economy. The rating agency also affirmed ‘B-’ long-term and ‘B’ short-term sovereign rating while maintaining the long-term outlook at stable rating. The government’s securing of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) reform and funding programme, along with considerable additional bilateral and multilateral funding, will help to address near-term funding risks. The rating agency urged for continued reform progress necessary to address Pakistan’s credit vulnerabilities. The S&P said its stable outlook reflected its expectations that funding from the IMF and other partners will be sufficient for Pakistan to meet its considerable external obligations over the next one to two years. The New York-based rating agency said that Pakistan’s rating remained constrained by a narrow tax base and domestic and external risks, which continue to be high. It forecast Pakistan’s economy to slow d

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi says the nukes being controlled by the fascist Indian government is a great threat to the world as their clumsiness could take the world to a dangerous situation. In an interview with a private television channel, he said despite signing Simla Agreement for a bilateral solution to the issues, India has violated all of its clauses and always dealt with Pakistan on the basis of animosity. Read More: Qureshi phones Saudi counterpart, discusses grave situation in occupied Kashmir The president said the minorities including Muslims, Christians and even low-caste Hindus exposed the true face of India secularism. Dr Alvi said Pakistan has decided to seek a peaceful solution to Kashmir dispute but India was neither willing to accept any third party mediation nor talk bilaterally, Radio Pakistan reported. He urged the people to spread their voice in multiple languages using the most effective tool of social media and shake the world’s conscience on the hu