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Shawal 17, 1438 AH.
ETC extends date for online registration
The Education Testing Council (ETC) of Higher Education Com m ission ( H EC) ha s extended the date from July 12, 2017 to July 17, 2017 for online registration for its Undergraduate Entry Test 2017. ETC is the country’s Gover nment testing body established by HEC to hold standardized tests for admission to universities. It aims at instituting a uniform, accessible, and competitive assessment base for admission to higher education institutions in the country. The tests conducted by ETC will be free of cost for all students interested in taking admission in public and private sector universities. Every test will be valid for two years.
Malaysia acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts for elimination of terrorism
Qateel Shifai remembered
The 16th death anniversary of renowned Urdu poet and lyricist Qateel Shifai was observed on Tuesday across the cou nt r y. Mu ham mad Aurangzeb, known as Qateel Shifai through his pen name, was born in Haripur in 1919 and passed away on July 11, 2001. Besides ghazals and geet, Qateel also penned film songs. He was given awards in recognition of his contributions to literature. His poetry collection “Mutriba” is considered literary masterpiece. He was awarded Pride of Performance in 1994 by the Government of Pakistan in recognition of his literary works.
2nd phase of return of TDPs of NWA from Afghanistan resumes
The second phase of return of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) of North Waziristan A g e n c y ( N WA ) f r o m Afghanistan has resumed. In-charge TDP Camp at Baka Khel near Bannu, Shah Daraz said, “More than 80 families comprising over 500 people have returned to the camp and about 100 families reach the camp on Tuesday.” “They had gone to Afghanistan after the launch of operation Zarb-eAzb against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency in 2014,” he said. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has facilitated the return of 4.1 million registered Afghan Refugees from Pakistan since 2002. Pakistan has been hosting almost 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees – the largest refugee population globally, a report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said. The UN agency report also revealed that approximately, 60,000 children are born to Afghan refugees every year in Pakistan.
Pak istani student receives Queen’s Young Leaders Award in UK
Pakistani student Syed Faizan Hussain won the Queen’s Young Leader Award 2017 in recognition of his use of technology to create solutions to the problems in his community. The award winners this year led projects tackling global issues including education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.
Our staff reporter M a l ay si a o n Tu e s d ay acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for elimination of terrorism. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Chief of Malaysian Army, General Dato’ Sri Zulkiple Bin Haji Kassim called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. During the meeting, views were exchanged on issues of mutual interest includi ng d efe nc e, t r a i n i ng
and security cooperation between both the countries and overall regional security situation. Later, the delegation was given detailed brief ing on operational and training activities of Pakistan Army. Earlier, on arrival at GHQ, the Chief of Malaysian Army laid floral wreath at Yadgar-eShuhada. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army presented the guard of honour to the visiting dignitary. General Dato’ Sri Zulkiple Bin Hj Kassim, Chief of Malaysian Army
visited Air Headquarters also. On his arrival, the distinguished guest was received by Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force. The visiting dignitary was introduced to the Principal Staff Officers of Pakistan Air Force. He was also given a detailed briefing on the PAF. Later on, he called on Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman in his office. Both the dignitaries remained together for some time and discussed matters of professional
and mutual interest. The Chief of Malaysian Army lauded PAF’s leading role in the operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorism. He also appreciated the high morale and sound professionalism of the PAF personnel. General Dato Sri Zulkiple Bin Hj Kassim, Chief of Malaysian Army visited the Naval Headquarters Islamabad also. The Malaysian Army Chief called on Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah and discussed professional matters of mutual interest.
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PML-N to confront JIT report
Our Staff Reporter Rebuff i ng the Joi nt Investigation Team report, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to challenge it in the Supreme Court. According to sources, the decision was taken in a meeting held with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair. The team briefed the meeting about legal aspects of the JIT report presented to the Supreme Court. The source said that the party leaders were also directed to take the matter to political arena to
save the party face. During the meeting, the prime minister reaffirmed that neither he nor his family members had ever indulged in corrupt practices and claimed that they were wrongly implicated in a frivolous and baseless case. He said that they have extended complete support to the investigation into the Panama Papers revelations first in the apex court and then to the JIT and all the documents the probe body had demanded were duly submitted to it. The sources
quoted the prime minister as saying: “My family and I have never done any corruption and our hands are clean. Even we have not asked for immunity and my sons who are foreign nationals joined the investigation.” The party leaders were unanimous that the JIT report would be challenged in the Supreme Court, they said, adding that the legal team of the government was asked to prepare a case and file it with the Supreme Court at the earliest. The sources said that the legal team could even ask for constitution of a larger bench on the matter and even pray for halting the proceedings of the three-member bench which would be taking up the arguments on the JIT report from next week. These sources further said that it was further decided in the meeting that the matter would also be taken up forcefully in the political arena so that the opposition’s propaganda could effectively be countered. This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 11-Jul-2017 here.
Initiative can open a new era for Pakistan Railways: Saad
PR, ECO and IDB discuss possibility of financing infrastructure projects
Qatar ambassador says crisis to end soon ISLA M A BA D —T he Ambassador of Qatar to Pakistan, Saqr Bin Mubarak Al-Mansouri, has expressed the hope that the present crisis facing the Gulf countries would soon end, clouds of disunity will disappear. A m b a s s a d o r, S a q r Bi n Muba ra k Al-Mansou r i expressed these view in a media interview. He said diplomatic relations between the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan started 45 years ago. It can be said that bilateral relations have been moving steadily between the two countries for several years and have succeeded diplomatically, politically, commercially and socially. Last year, bilateral ties entered the economic field, with the signature of two long-term agreements to supply Qatari LNG to Pakistan. Also late last year a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee was held, which was able to develop new schemes for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. There is a sincere approach between the two countries to push forward cooperation between them to reach new horizons, especially in the fields of energy and agriculture. He further said, “First, I would like to make it clear that we, as Gulf peoples, have strong and brotherly ties, and that our history and destiny are one and we wished that we will not find crises between brothers, because what brings us together is more than what divides us and we hope that the
unity will return to the people of the Gulf and this clouds will disappear, the people should not have been involved in this fabricated political crisis”. All this started with the exposure of the Qatar News Agency website for electronic piracy, through which the publication of false statements attributed to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar that was then circulated by the media of the blockade countries. The site was then closed and orders were issued to investigate what happened. Then an official statement was issued stating the facts and confirming that the statements attributed to the Amir were incorrect. However, this statement was ignored by the media of the blockade states. Hence the tension started that led to the announcement of the four countries to sever diplomatic and economic relations with the State of Qatar. They also announced the closure of land crossings, air space and water corridors with Qatar, this is contrary to international laws and conventions, it is clear that this was taken as an excuse to impose on the State of Qatar of unreasonable and unjustified accusations, and was understood later on. Talking about blockage and its impact on citizens he said, the blockade states violated all international and human rights laws by expelling Qatari citizens from their countries without taking into consideration the problems faced by the mixed families whether
children or parents. Students also faced many problems, some of them were unable to attend their final exams while others were unable to get their degrees despite completing their studies. This is in addition to citizens of other nationalities who were employed by Qataris in the blockade countries, they were left without a source of income or food and their future became unknown, among others majority are Pakistanis. On Wednesday, 14 June 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed his concern regarding the humanitarian problems many faced because of these decisions. Some of these countries have also imposed prison sentences and fines on their nationals or any foreigner residing in their countries (if they shows sympathy with the State of Qatar) through social media sites or otherwise. Citizens of those countries with relatives in Qatar sometimes have to use foreign telephone lines to be able to communicate with their relatives in Qatar. But Qatar did not reciprocate and did not ask any citizen of those countries to leave, students are still studying and workers are still working without any harassment, especially the Egyptian brothers, who number more than 170 thousand, who are treated just like Qatari nationals, he added. To a question that as to how and when do Qatar will emerge from this crisis, the ambassador said the State of
Qatar is still committed to remain calm following the policy of non-escalation so as not to strain the situation and give the Kuwaiti mediation the opportunity to resolve the crisis. Qatar has been and continues to emphasize that dialogue is the only way to end this current crisis with the need to preserve and respect Qatari sovereignty. The State of Qatar responded to the demands of those countries and the response was delivered to the Kuwaiti mediator on 3/7/2017. When asked to comment on Pakistan role in this crisis the ambassador said, “First I would like to express our appreciation for the role played by Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the brotherly Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the beginning of the crisis by calling for the importance of dialogue among all parties and his initiative to present the possibility of Pakistan to play a role to bring views together and work to solve the crisis by dialogue for the unity of the Islamic Ummahand his support for the mediation initiative led by Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the brotherly State of Kuwait”. “We must be clear, Qatar does not support terrorism, but works with many other countries, including the United States, to fight terrorism. It hosts the US military base, through which, in coordination with the State of Qatar, we fight international terrorism”.
Pakistan Railways, Economic Cooperation Organisation and Islamic Development Bank, at a meeting in Islamabad today, discussed possibility of financing infrastructure projects along the Pakistani section of Islamabad-TehranIstanbul railway route. One of the proposed projects is the restoration and upgradation of 612 kilometer Quetta-Taftan Railway Track. Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq
said the initiative can open a new era for Pakistan Railways as Quetta Taftan is an important section. Meanwhile, a meeting between off icials of Ministries of Railways of Pakistan and China was held in Islamabad today to review the plan for upgradation of ML-I. Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique and Railways Minister of China Li Xuedoung led their sides in the discussions. On
the occasion Saad Rafique said ML-I project will generate employment and speed up development in the Country. Li Xuedoung said ML-I up-gradation plan joining Peshawar to Karachi formed a significant part of CPEC’s improvement . He said it will benefit people especially along the route and contribute to economic and social development of Pakistan.
Development of economic zones most important phase of CPEC: Ahsan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says development of economic zones is the most important phase of CPEC. He said during a meeting with a high level Chinese delegation in Islamabad on Tuesday, as reported by Radio Pakistan. The meeting reviewed the progress of China-Pakistan E conom ic Cor r idor a nd preparations for 7th Joint Cooperation Com mit tee. Ahsan Iqbal said the CPEC is helping to improve infrastructure, and overcome power outages in the country. The
Minister for Planning said that one belt one road initiative will bring closer the Asian, European and African countries. He said the development of Gwadar is priority of the government and its master plan will be completed soon. The Chinese delegates said that every possible effort will be made to ensure the timely completion of CPEC projects. They appreciated Pakistan`s efforts in this regard. During their four day visit, the Chinese delegation will hold meetings with Pakistani leaders,
business communit y and review the economic zones. The provincial governments will also brief the delegates about their SEZs and their investment plans. Meanwhile, addressing a ceremony in Islamabad this afternoon, Ahsan Iqbal said political stability is vital for attaining sustainable development and prosperity in the country. He regretted whenever the country embarks upon a path of progress, anti-developmental elements become active to create political instability.—DNA
2 Wednesday- July 12, 2017
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NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL PHOTO OF THE DAY
Hungary calls for urgent integration of Western Balkans in EU
BU DA PEST— Ever y th i ng must be done for the European integration of the Western Balkans for the safety of Europe, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said. He made the statement after a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Visegrad Four (Poland,
The Pakistan Monument is a national monument and heritage museum located on the Shakarparian Hills in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed to symbolise national unity. The complex covers an area of 2.8 hectares and is a popular picnic destination.
Military expenditure of Pakistan purely for defense purpose: Pak envoy
BEI J I NG — Pa k ist a n’s A mbassador to Ch i na , Masood Khalid has said that the military or defense expenditure of Pakistan is purely for defense purpose as we do not want any conflict in our region. “While, we have a right as a sovereign country to maintain a certain level of military preparedness, we are against the arms race in South Asia,” he said while speaking at a talk show of China Global Television Network (CGTN). He said, “India’s weapons deal with the US, Russia and Israel is negatively affecting strategic stability in the region. This increasing militarization of the region is not at all conducive for peace and stability. I do not understand that while there are millions of people who deserve better way of life, yet there has been a ten percent increase in defense budget by our eastern neighbor.” Ambassador Khalid said, “We need to focus on development of our region to bring prosperity and progress of the people and we should
not be engaged in an arms race in the region and in the long term, it will be good for India and Pakistan and for the region.” Regarding a possibility of both countries slipping into a war, he said, “There was no such possibility. We have been exercising utmost restraint in the wake of these ongoing provocations on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary.” He said, “There is no comparison between the defense budget of India and Pakistan. South Asia was nuclearized by India in the 1970s. We did not react and exercised restraint even then. In 1998, India again went for nuclear explosion and then as defensive strategy to ensure our sovereignty, Pakistan also did nuclear explosion for deterrence purpose to safeguard our security and interest.” He said, “Pakistan wants to focus on development of the region and seeks peace with its neighbor. This is our consistent position and policy.” He urged India to fulfill its promise on Kashmir and
give an access to the military observers group created under a United Nations mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC). “On Kashmir, India promised a plebiscite under United Nations Security Council ( U NSC) resolutions to Kashmiri people and it was India which took Kashmir issue to the Security Council and under those resolutions, a U N mechanism was created which is called United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP),” the Ambassador said. “While Pakistan has given full access to the UNMOGIP to monitor ceasefire violations, such access is not granted by India to the group which is again a violation of Security Council resolutions and yet our eastern neighbor wants to become a permanent member of UNSC,” he said. Ambassador Khalid opined that, “Just resolution of Kashmir is in the interest of people of South Asia and for the greater good and
prosperity of this region. Pakistan has a principled position on such issues. We believe that sovereign countries enter into international agreements and understandings and those understandings and agreements should be respected.” Responding to Indian Army Chief’s remark about two and a half wars referring to Pakistan, China and India’s internal conf lict, he said, “Such hawkish and belligerent statements are not at all conducive to peace and stability in our region. We believe in peaceful neighborhood and seek resolution of disputes through peaceful means.” Terming the dialogue a way to move forward, he said, “Such statements are irresponsible, adding, as for as Pakistan is concerned, I assure that our armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality. Pakistan would do everything to defend it sovereignty and it is right of every country to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, let there be no doubt about it.” On Indian bids to join Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), he said, “The strategic balance will be changed in the region. I do not understand the mindset and military spending on part of India and their quest for NSG membership.” Ambassador Khalid said, “In 2008, India was given a waiver for nuclear trade and since then we have seen there has been increased belligerence on the part of India.” He said, “If India is granted yet again this waiver to have the membership of NSG, it will not only alter strategic balance in South Asia but it will ignite an arms race which will not be good for global non proliferation regime.” He asked the world community to take on account the reality of all these factors.
Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia) countries, joined by the representatives of Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. “There are critical tensions within the Western Balkans, and if we cannot show a credible integration scenario for the countries of this region, these tensions might become uncontainable,”
he said. He also explained that if the migration road through the Western Balkans were to reopen again, then “extraordinary” migration pressure would appear at the southern borders of Hungary and on the Schengen area. “The resolution of the migration crisis must start with the defense
of the external borders, and it must be made very clear that only those can come to Europe, who is eligible to do so according to the applicable laws,” he said. Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia Marija Pejcinovic Buric said the situation in Ukraine was “very complex”, as the country has to deal with integrating the European frames and maintain its territorial integrity at the same time. She added that Croatia had useful experiences in the same subject and her country would be happy to share them with Ukraine. Regarding the Western Balkans, she argued it was very important countries do not stop their support halfway. “Peace must be kept in the region and the countries have to prepare themselves for the EU membership,” she explained.
KP E&SE Prioritizes Teaching Quality and Conceptual Learning Our staff reporter Pe s h a w a r — I n a h i g h level meeting chaired by the Minister Elementar y and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan, representatives of all boards were advised to continue focusing on the quality of education and improvements in the learning outcomes of students. The minister received a briefing on the overall results of matric exams conducted by all boards and appreciated all boards for making arrangements for discouraging cheating in exams and introducing machine based paper checking, called OMR – Optical Mark Recognition. OMR has significantly improved transparency
in paper checking by eliminating human involvement. These arrangements have helped in improving the conduct of exams. “Our government is committed to developing 21st century skills in our youth. To do this we must move away from testing rote memory. We must modernize our system of assessment so that we are able to succeed in developing a knowledge economy. To accomplish that we must teach and assess conceptual learning and application of knowledge and skills” Atif Khan, minister E&SE stated “Conduct of the tests have also improved to discourage cheating. Ratio of invigilation has been changed
from 1/40 to 1/25 (one invigilator for 25 students). Duties were assigned through EMIS data base and more transparently. CCTV cameras were installed in most of the examination halls which discouraged/checked cheating and unfair means. As a result of strict measurements, the number of unfair means cases has increased more than 10 times this year”. The Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are substantially improved to test conceptual understanding. They are also shuffled in different papers to prevent cheating. These MCQ papers are checked through Optical Marks Recognition (OMR) system to eliminate
human error or manipulation and malpractices. The descriptive questions have also been improved in several science subjects to improve conceptual understanding. The number of students have increased during the past four years. The A+ graders in government schools have increased and number of E graders have substantially improved. The minister instructed directorate of education for quick action against the schools with poor performance in exams. Out of 2838 schools, 174 schools (6.1%) had dismal results. The ESED will serve show causes notices to these schools.
Int’l community spending more on Syrian refugees than Afghan refugees: Abdul Qadir ISLAMABAD—A delegation of Sri Lanka has arrived here to negotiate with the Pakistani team to finalize the issue of exporting 300,000 tons rice to Sri Lanka. A high level Sri Lankan delegation has started bilateral negotiations for reaching the final agreements to export non-basmati rice to Sri Lanka, Senior official of ministry of commerce told media here on Monday. A meeting in this regard would be held here Monday headed by Secretary Commerce
Younas Dhaga in which the two side would discuss the modus operandi and procedure for exporting nonBasmati rice to Sri Lanka, he said. Pakistan produces roughly 700,000 tons of rice annually, and is leading the regional countries in production of Basmati and non Basmati rice, official said. He said the government would support the Sri Lankan delegation for talks at government to government, and government to business level.
The official said that Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and representative of local rice association were also participating in negotiation. He said that domestic production of rice in Sri Lanka was low and they are willing to import non Basmati rice from Pakistan. It may be mentioned here that Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was operational from 2005. He said under the FTA, both of the country has already agreed to offer
preferential market access to each others’ exports by way of granting tariff concessions. Additionally, he said according to FTA, Sri Lanka would be able to enjoy duty free market access on 206 products in the Pakistani market including tea, rubber and coconut. Pakistan, in return, would gain duty free access on 102 products in the Sri Lankan market, including oranges, basmati/non basmati rice and engineering goods.—DNA
47pc Pakistanis perceive Pakistan’s influence on world as mainly positive: survey ISLAMABAD—At least 47 percent Pakistanis perceive Pakistan’s influence on the world as mainly positive whereas globally, 58 percent say Pakistan’s influence on the world is mainly negative. According to a GlobeScan Survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan in Pakistan, nearly half (47 percent) Pakistanis perceive Pakistan’s influence on the world as mainly positive. Globally, when the question was asked by GlobeScan
in 18 other countries, 58 percent respondents say Pakistan’s influence on the world is mainly negative. In terms of global comparison, Pakistan ranks as the third most negatively viewed country. T h e s e f i n d i n g s h ave emerged out of a 19 country research conducted by GlobeScan. The study comprised internationally of 17,910 respondents surveyed between December 26, 2016 and April 27, 2017.
Respondents were asked the question, “Please tell me if you think each of the following countries is having a mainly positive or mainly negative influence in the world?” In response to this question, 47 percent said that Pakistan has a mainly positive influence, where as 18 percent said negative influence. The global result shows that 58 percent of total respondents classified Pakistan’s
influence on the world as mainly negative; while 18 percent classified it as “mainly positive”. Positive views on Pakistan remain low but have improved by 2 percent, and negative views of its influence have decreased by 2 points since 2014. Despite being the third most negatively viewed country, it is no longer tying with Iran, which ranked last both in 2014 and 2017.
US test-fires THAAD missile defence system in Pacific Ocean
Sudan urges to permanently lift economic sanctions
Britain’s May hopes to regain authority
Paris, LA both poised to win race to host Olympics
The United States test fired its THAAD missile defense system against an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and Alaska on Tuesday. In a statement, the US Missile Defense Agency said the successful demonstration of THAAD missile bolsters the country’s defensive capability against emerging missile threats for North Korea and other countries around the globe.
Sudan has urged the United States to permanently lift the economic sanctions. In a statement, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said Sudan has met all commitments towards Washington and any decision other than the permanent lifting the sanctions is illogical and unacceptable. The UN had said that there has been a significant improvement in Sudan’s humanitarian access.
PM Theresa May will try to wrest back control of Britain’s political agenda today by unveiling proposals to protect workers in the “gig economy” in a direct challenge to opposition parties. May wants to signal that it is business as usual for her govt after an ill-judged election gamble damaged her authority and threw away her governing Conservatives’ majority in parliament, emboldening the main opposition.
The International Olympic Committee was poised to hand the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games to Paris and Los Angeles on Tuesday in a landmark double hosting deal. The IOC meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland had initially been forecast as a key stage in the battle for 2024, with teams from the French capital and California mega-city making fresh pitches to voters.
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Wednesday- July 12, 2017
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Pakistan to continue to work for peace, prosperity of Muslim Ummah Kashmir. The Advisor said peace and stability in South Asia is not possible without just resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to support efforts for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. Me a nwh i le, t he OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met on the sidelines of 44th session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan with OIC Secretary General Yousaf A. Al-Othaimeen
in the chair. The Group reiterated its unequivocal support to the Kashmir freedom struggle and condemned Indian barbarism in Occupied Kashmir. It reaffirmed OIC’s continued support to the people of Occupied Kashmir in their just struggle for realization of their right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions.
US military plane crash in Mississippi
A US military aircraft has crashed in the southern state of Mississippi, killing 16 people, US media reported. The US Marine Corps confirmed that a “mishap” involving a KC-130 occurred in the evening, without providing additional details. The Clar ion-Ledger newspaper and CNN cited Leflore County emergency management director Fred Randle
as confirming the death toll of 16. All 16 victims were on the Marine Corps aircraft and there were no survivors, Randle told CNN. The incident took place around 4pm (2100 GMT), the ClarionLedger said, noting that firefighters sprayed the aircraft with huge layers of foam to quell the fire. The plane crashed in a soybean field on the Sunflower-Leflore county
line, the paper said. Photos posted on its website showed plumes of black smoke billowing from a green agricultural field. “Please join Deborah and me in praying for those hurting after this tragedy. Our men and women in uniform risk themselves every day to secure our freedom,” Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant said in a statement on Facebook.
UN concerned about situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
The United Nations has warned of the poor conditions of Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was talking to media after visiting two refugee camps in the Bangladeshi city of Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh hosts more than four hundred thousand Rohingya Muslims who have fled persecution and violence in Myanmar.
India’s top court suspends ban on trade in cattle for slaughter India’s Supreme Court has suspended a government order, which banned the trade of cattle for slaughter. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar said the livelihoods of people cannot be subjected to uncertainties. The court order gave relief to the multi-billion dollar beef and leather industries that employ millions of poor workers.
11 militants of Kurdistan Workers Party killed in air strikes in Turkey In Turkey, eleven militants of Kurdistan Workers Party killed in air strikes in Dargecit district of Mardin province. In its statement, Army said Turkish warplanes destroyed two gun positions and a cave during air operation near Syrian border.
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Add re ssi ng t he 4 4t h Session of OIC Foreign Ministers at Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Muslim Ummah must redouble its efforts to strengthen fraternal ties and mutual cooperation to ensure peace, solidarity and progress. He said peace and development would remain elusive if the international community fails to address longstanding unresolved political issues, like Palestine and
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UN mission confirms improvement of security situation in Sudan’s Darfur KHARTOUM (Xinhua)—The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Monday acknowledged improvement of the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, but warned that the situation remains fragile. UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Jeremiah Mamabolo said at a press conference that the armed conflict in Darfur has become localized to the presence of the holdout movement, Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid in western Jebel Marra. However, there are still some 2.7 million displaced people living in camps. Militia groups are still active and inter-communal violence still occurs across the region, he added. Mamabolo confirmed the “relative stability” in Darfur, while stressed the need to be cautious and make sure to put measures that will ensure sustainability. The mission, he said, is “reconfiguring,” according to the recently adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2363 on 29 June on reduction of the mission component. The reconfiguration process will be conducted in two
phases, and will reduce military personnel to 8,735 from the current 13,627 and police personnel to 2,500 from 2,994 by 30 June, 2018. The UNAMID is also composed of 748 international civilian personnel, 2,151 local civilian personnel and 120 volunteers. The UNAMID chief further reiterated that the mission would continue its task to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian access, while ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, and to mediate between the government and armed movements. He urged all the conflicting parties in Darfur to reach a peaceful settlement through negotiation and to reach an agreement on cessation of hostilities. The UNAMID was deployed early 2008 in Darfur region, witnessing military clashes between the Sudanese army and the rebels since 2003, which left 300,000 people dead and displaced around 2.5 million others according to UN statistics.
Lack of political solution to factional conflicts cause of Afghan division, instability Agencies WASHI NGTON—Lack of political solution to factional conf licts lies at the heart of Afghan problem as with no effective systems for sharing authority, power-brokers lack mutual trust needed to build peace in the war-torn country, analysts said. In spite of international intervention for nearly sixteen years, the country is still facing insurgency with a gradual but steady deterioration in security. President Trump is expected to announce a troops surge with an addition of up to 5,000 US soldiers to the 8,500 already there. While the addition of troops may be critical to strengthen the government’s position against Taliban and ISIS, it will not “win” the war, according to an article by Alex Their, an analyst and a former senior US official working in Afghanistan, and Scott Worden, director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs for the US Institute of Peace. P ubl ishe d i n t he on l i ne
magazine, The Hill, the two analysts argued that lack of a political solution to the factional conflicts have divided Afghanistan for the last 40 years and continues to drive its conflict today. “A lasting, inclusive and legitimate political settlement remains elusive because longstanding grievances about the distribution of political power within Afghanistan,” that have been exploited to create a toxic brew of insurgency and extremism. Deeply divisive and contested results of 2014 elections and the National Unity Government created thereafter failed to end the factional fight for power, raising a question of legitimacy and affecting the effectiveness of the current government, the article said. “At a basic level, Afghanistan needs effective systems for sharing power and better mechanisms to build confidence between power-brokers who fear they’ll be cut-out, or cutup, once they turn their backs”.
Rapporteur asks Brazilian committee to accept charges against president RIO DE JANEIRO (Xinhua)— The rapporteur for a Brazilian lower house committee, Sergio Sveiter, on Monda recommended that the committee accept the corruption charges against President Michel Temer. “For now, we have evidence that are serious or sufficient to accept the reception of the accusation,” said Sveiter in his report. “We cannot be silenced. It is necessary to investigate the facts.” While he is a member of Temer’s Brazilian Democracy Movement Party (PMDB), Sveiter said he would vote to accept the charges. In order for the charges to stand, they must be accepted in two separate stages, first by the Chamber of Deputies’ Commission on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship (CCJ) and then by the full Chamber. After the reading of Sveiter’s report, Temer’s defense team was set to present its arguments to the CCJ. From Wednesday, the members of the commission will begin
debating the report before its 66 members vote. Until now, no date has been set for the Commission’s vote. However, according to a poll by O Globo, a leading Brazilian newspaper, 21 members of the CCJ are in favor of the charges, 13 want to reject them, 15 are uncertain and 17 did not respond. Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot filed charges against Temer at the Supreme Court on June 26, accusing the president of accepting bribes from
meatpacking group JBS since 2010. Under Brazilian law, twothirds of the lower house’s 513 members must approve the charge against Temer before it moves to the Supreme Court. The top court then must vote on whether it accepts the charge. If the Chamber of Deputies and the Supreme Court both accept the charges, Temer will step down from office for 180 days and face trial.
High Court rules UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia are lawful
London’s High Court has ruled that British arms sales worth billions of dollars to its ally Saudi Arabia are lawful. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade appealed to court to block the export licences for British-made bombs, fighter jets and other munitions to the Saudi Arabia. The campaigners argued they were being used by the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen in violation of international humanitarian law.
Iraqi PM formally declared victory over IS militants in Mosul
In a speech on state television, he said the terrorist state of falsehood has collapsed and our mission is now to create stability and clear remaining Daesh cells. Iraq has declared a week-long holiday to mark the victory.
Qatar, its neighbours urged to resolve dispute through dialogue The United States, United Kingdom and Kuwait have urged Qatar and its neighbours to resolve their dispute through dialogue. The statement came as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and British National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill visited Kuwait which is acting as a mediator. The State Department said Tillerson would hold talks with leaders in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
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THE DESTINATION
4 Wednesday- July 12, 2017
Pakistan Mango Festival held in Paris
PARIS—A large variety of Mango dishes creatively prepared and artistically presented by the renowned French two Michelin star Chef Sylvester Wahid enthralled the French dignitaries and notables at the first of its kind Pakistan Mango Festival held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Paris. Chef Wahid, with his team of cooks and other staff, prepared a special and a fine dine class
mango based menu of starters, main course dishes and desserts. Guests comprising local politicians, diplomats, businessmen, fruit exporters and media representatives enjoyed famous varieties of Pakistani mangoes especially flown in from Pakistan for the event. The Ambassador of Pakistan to France Moin ul Haque while talking to the guests said that Pakistan produces over 200
varieties of high quality mangoes which are known for their sweet taste, aroma and texture. He said that although the Pakistani Mango affectionately called as the King of Fruit is exported to many countries of the world, yet it is relatively little known in France. He said with this festival and other such promotional events planned by the Embassy of Pakistan, we aim to introduce Pa k ist ani mangoes to the French public. Chef Sylvester Wahid, who originally hails from the city of Kohat in Pakistan, also gave a live demonstration of cooking mango based dishes and shared his excusive recipes with the guests. The mango festival was jointly organized by the Embassy of Pakistan to France and Trade Development A u t h o r i t y of P a k i s t a n (TDAP).—DNA
AI to create over 100,000 jobs in one Chinese province alone Our staff reporter H ANGZHOU—In one Chinese province, artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be creating abundant jobs for humans, instead of stealing them, but only for those in the know. A senior official in Zhejiang Province, home to Alibaba, said Monday that the province aims to hire more than 110,000 AI professionals in the next five years. Among them will be 50 worldleading AI experts, 500 scientific entrepreneurs, and 1,000 development and research talent, said Yao Zhiwen, deputy head of the organization department of the Communist Party of China, Zhejiang provincial committee. He said the provincial government would provide financial support to entrepreneurs in AI and encourage universities to enroll more graduate students
on the subjects. Zhejiang will set up a 1-billion-yuan (147 million U.S. dollars) development fund and a 50-million-yuan investment fund to support AI professionals and startups, Yao said. China is in the midst of an AI boom with governments, research institutes, tech firms, and entrepreneurs racing to be involved, betting on the discipline to take the lead in economic growth and social development. Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu -- the top three Chinese tech firms -- are all investing heavily in AI research. AI professionals are sought after across the country, but no other local government has set such ambitious goals and offered such lucrative incentives. The province plans to build an AI industry worth 50 billion yuan in three years. The industry clusters will be
based in the provincial capital of Hangzhou and economic powerhouse of Ningbo. The official was speaking at a global AI forum, themed “the future is now,” in Hangzhou. The conference was attended by both Chinese and foreign participants including Turing Award Winner Cornell University Computer Science Professor John Hopcroft and Yuval Noah Harari, author of the 2015 book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Harari told the forum audience that robots would outperform humans in many jobs and that we might no longer need taxis drivers or truck drivers, among others, in the future. Many jobs will be lost that we have to keep learning new things to adapt to a changing world, he said. After 2040, the thing that remains unchanged is change itself.
Star Alliance Los Angeles Lounge voted best Alliance Lounge at Skytrax World Airline awards LOS ANGELES, USA —The Star Alliance Lounge located at Tom Bradley International Ter minal (TBIT) at Los Angeles Airport was voted best Alliance Lounge at the Skytrax World Airline Awards for the third year in a row. Presenting the award to the lounge team Christian D raeger, Vice President Customer Experience Star Alliance, said: “We could have not received a better present for our Alliance’s 20th Anniversary. Getting this accolade three years in a row is testament to the fact that we have a fantastic team operating and managing our LA Lounge. The lounge opened nearly four years ago and customer feedback continues to be positive, underlining the fact that we are offering a very high quality experience on a consistent basis.” Member carrier Air New Zealand developed the Alliance’s LAX lounge and manages the facility on behalf of Star Alliance. Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Anita Hawthorne commented:
“It’s fantastic to have the Star Alliance Los Angeles Lounge recognized once again at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. Our team works hard to deliver a world-class experience to Star Alliance customers using the lounge each and every day and it’s great to have their efforts recognized.” The premium customer facility at LAX can accommodate up to 400 Business Class and Star Alliance Gold passengers and has an additional exclusive area for First Class passengers. Designed by global architectural firm Gensler, the 1,675 square meter lounge features different experience zones to accommodate the various passenger needs, ranging from social gatherings to quiet time away from home. The lounge offers a bar area for socializing, a library space, a den, a study and a media room. Guests wishing to work can do so from the location of their choice, making use of the highspeed wi-fi, along with the printing, fax and copy services which are available on request. In addition to traditional
power outlets, customers can also make use of USB power ports to recharge their mobile devices. For those “traveling light”, tablet computers are available on request for use in the lounge. Passengers wishing to freshen up before their flight can do so in one of eight shower suites. The highlight is without doubt the unique open air terrace which offers panoramic views of the northern runway towards Hollywood Hills. This space provides passengers with an unparalleled sensory experience, complete with fire pits and a water wall. I n a dd it ion to t he St a r Alliance branded lounge at LAX, member carriers Air Canada and United have also recently opened new lounges in Terminals 6 and 7 respectively. Lounge access continues to be rated as one of the top Alliance customer benefits. Star Alliance First and Business Class passengers as well as Star Alliance Gold Card holders currently have access to more than 1,000 lounges across the Alliance’s global airline network.
ECNEC approves 11 projects of worth over Rs234b ISLA M A BA D —T he Executive Com mit tee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved eleven projects of worth over 234 billion rupees. The approval was granted in ECNEC meeting held in Islamabad today with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair. The projects approved today include 40.8 MW Koto Hydropower Project in Lower Dir at a cost of over 13 billion rupees, enhancing Public Private Partnerships in Sindh of worth over 19 billion, Integration of Health Services Delivery in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at a cost of over 13 billion rupees, and establishment of Children Hospital at Bahawalpur at cost of over five billion rupees. The projects also include Karachi Neig hborhood Improvement Project and
K a r a ch i Tr a n sfor m at ion Project of worth over 10 billion rupees, improvement, upgradation and widening of Jaglot-Skardu Road at a cost of 32 billion rupees, and improvement and widening of additional 2-lanes on either side of Thokar Niaz Baig to Hudyiara Drain Multan Road in Lahore costing over ten billion rupees. Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Project of worth 49 billion rupees, Punjab irrigated-agriculture productivity improvement Project costing over 67 billion rupees, Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Program worth over six billion, and Karachi Neighborhood improvement and Karachi Transformation Project of worth over 10 billion rupees were also approved by the ECNEC.
K A R ACH I — Un it e d Business Group (UBG) Chief S M Muneer on Monday said that business community would remain united for the progress and prosperity and struggle for economic stability of the country. Speaking at a core committee meeting of the group, he expressed the need of providing incentives to industrial sector to attract new investment and increase job opportunities. He said, “The group is here to strengthen Federat ion of Pa k ist a n Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and work for wellbeing of business community.” Chairman UBG, Iftikhar Ali Malik said, “The group is a symbol of
unity among business community. In last three years members of the group elected as representatives of FPCCI have delivers unprecedented results and made all possible efforts to get their issues resolved.” President FPCCI, Zubair Tufail expressed concern over non release of stuckup refunds of exports. He said, “The business community issued increase due to unconcerned attitude of the government.” The meeting was attended by UBS AG spokesman, Gulzar Feroz , Mumtaz Sheikh, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, Naqi farm, Tariq Haleem, Zulfiqar Sheikh, Wasim Vohra, Shakil Sheikh, Zahid
Pakistan High Commission London’s bus wrapping initiative earns wide appreciation
Petroleum congress in Istanbul discusses energy’s future
ISTA N BU L ( X i n hu a) — Representatives from the global pet roleu m sector focused on the future of energy in the face of a growing population on the planet in the decades to come. “Today we have around 7.5 billion people on the planet and by 2100 we can expect about 11.2 billion,” Ben van Beurden, CEO of the Royal Dutch Shell, told the 22nd World Petroleum Congress that kicked off on Sunday evening in Istanbul. Recent projections suggest that the population in Asia alone would increase by 750 million by the middle of the century, with its energy demand increasing by around half, noted Van Beurden. “But more than anything, this is a story about Africa,” he stressed. “We can expect 3.6 billion extra people to be living on this planet by the end of the century and 3.2 billion of them will be in Africa, with the vast majority in subSaharan Africa.” In his view, there is often too much focus on energy-transition policies in Europe and North America instead of the fast-growing developing countries. “What happens in England is important, but what happens in Ethiopia is at least as important,” the chief executive said, adding that “From Denmark to the Democratic Republic of Congo, from the U.S. to
Uganda, to India, to China there is a lot of work to do.” Sector representatives mostly stressed that the demand for conventional and unconventional oil and gas would continue to increase and remain critical to the changing energy mix in the face of the population’s rapid growth. According to Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, unconventional shale oil and alternative energy resources are important factors to help meet future demand. “But it is premature to assume that they can be developed quickly to replace oil and gas,” he added. For Nasser, a sharp decline in investments and a lack of fresh conventional discoveries might lead as well to a shortage of oil supply. “The picture is becoming increasingly worrying,” he remarked. Saudi Aramco plans to invest more than 300 U.S. billion dollars in the next decade to pursue a large exploration to maintain its oil capacity, while the Dutch Shell is set to spend one billion dollars a year on its New Energies division as of 2020. Wang Yilin, chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), said his company would focus on improving business layout and structures, innovation of technologies, business and
management models, green development and win-win cooperation in the foreseeable future. As the largest oil and gas producer and supplier in China as well as one of the world’s major oilfield service providers, CNPC stressed the need to build “large corridors, large markets and large industries” to promote cooperation in the oil and gas sector, Wang said. “It is important to jointly put in place a transportation network of railways, roads, pipelines, ports and other supporting facilities, an integrated market featuring open information, linked submarkets, reserve sharing, connected transactions and joint development of rules, as well as an upgraded version of cooperation, covering the oil and gas full value chain,” he added. Addressing the congress, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prioritized the so-called Southern Gas Corridor, a system of megapipelines meant to bring gas from the Caspian region to Turkey and Europe. T h e Wo r l d P e t r o l e u m Congress is organized every three years by the Londonba se d World Pet roleu m Council and includes 65 member countries from around the world, representing over 96 percent of the global oil and gas production and consumption.
51st session of the joint advisory group of ITC Federal Minister for Commerce, Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan said this while speaking at the 51st annual session of the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) of ITC held in Geneva. Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan said that Pakistan greatly acknowledges the commendable work being delivered by ITC around the world to achieve inclusive growth by building the capacity of small and medium enterprises and enabling them to connect to international markets. Commerce Minister said that from 2004 to 2007, ITC increased awareness and knowledge of the private sector, trade support institutions and policy makers about WTO issues, established WTO reference Centers in the country, conducted sector-specific studies to identify export potentials of the automotive, footwear, furniture, pharmaceutical and sports goods sectors, and provided advisory support for strengthening Pakistan’s capacity in the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations. He further added that since 2011, ITC has been strengthening the institutional capacity of the Pakistan Institute for Trade and Development (PITAD) through mentorship and training of trainers, the production of a training curriculum and certificate on International Trade Law and Commercial Diplomacy. “ITC has also provided advisory support to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and produced evidence-based research papers which have informed Pakistan’s policy reform for export enhancement in key sectors inducing leather, textile and garments, pharmaceutical and surgical instruments industry, horticulture, dairy products and livestock”, added the commerce minister. Khurram Dastgir Khan further said that Pakistan appreciates and values the assistance provided by the ITC in deepening the dialogue and discussions on Trade Facilitation Agreement in Pakistan. “ITC
provided assistance to build capacity of all stakeholders in engaging with TFA related processes nationally and at multilateral level, which includes support for facilitation our national ratification of the protocol of amendments and notifications to the WTO and the evaluation of financial and technical assistance required for Category C provisions”, added Khurram Dastgir Khan. Minister for Commerce said that Pakistan also benefitted from ITC technical assistance for improving national consultation process, including the involvement of private sector, in policy formulation and capacity-building to promote the efficient implementation of the TFA. “We look forward to further assistance from ITC to strengthen the capacity of trade support institutions to undertake trade facilitation efforts”, added the minister. Khurram Dastgir Khan said that ITC is providing advisory support for a benchmarking exercise that will result in a benchmark and a roadmap for reforms in TDO (Trade Development Organization) of Pakistan which will result in enhancing our trade competitiveness. Commerce Minister acknowledged the work done by ITC in preparation of a project proposal for EU
funded GRASP (Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress) project which is a six year program that contributes to the reduction of poverty through development of rural SMEs thereby creating gender inclusive employment and income opportunities in the rural areas of Sindh and Baluchistan provinces in Pakistan through targeted support to both the public and private sector. Khurram Dastgir Khan said that smaller businesses have mostly participated in global trade by plugging into a large multinational corporation’s supply chain. He said that technology and the Internet are creating a parallel model for emerging global trade and business of any size can reach consumers around the world through an Internet connection, intermediary services and logistical providers. “ITC has also recognized this rise of small business trade fueled by technology and is contributing tremendously in helping SMEs to adopt to this changing business environment and we being part of FEDs (Friends of Ecommerce for development) have greatly benefited from their work in this regard”, added minister for commerce Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan.
Apple to put up second renewablespowered data centre in Denmark
Honda verifies 11th US death tied to ruptured Takata air bag inflator
Car sale jumps to 172,911 units in 11 months
Pakistan bought app- 180,000 tns of soybeans
Apple Inc said it will spend 6 billion Danish crowns ($921 million) on a new data centre in Denmark, its 2nd in the Nordic country to run entirely on renewable energy. Facebook in Jan also announced plans to build a data centre in Denmark, only its third outside of the US. Apple has pledged to back the Paris climate accord by switching to renewable energy and has recently issued a $1 bn green bond after the US pulled out of the pact. CE Tim Cook was one of several CEOs who directly appealed to President Donald Trump to keep the United States in the pact before he made his decision.
Honda Motor Co said it had confirmed an 11th US death involving one of its vehicles tied to a faulty Takata Corp air bag inflator. The Japanese automaker said the incident occurred in Florida in June 2016 when an individual was working on repairs on a 2001 Honda Accord and the air bag ruptured. At least 17 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide are now tied to the defect that prompted the largest ever auto safety recall and led Takata to file for bankruptcy protection last month. Takata inflators can explode with excessive force, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks.
The sale of cars in the country rose to 172,911 units in JulyMay (2016-17) as compared to the sale of 167,507 cars during the same period of preceding year. According to breakup figures, the sale of Honda cars (City and Civic) made a record increase during the corresponding period as it went up to 34,896 units from 23,800 units in July-May (2015-16). Similarly, the sale of Suzuki Swift also went up from 3,761 units last year to 3,871 units during first 11 months of current fiscal year. However, Toyota Corrola witnessed negative growth during the period under review.
Pakistani importers have recently purchased about 180,000 tonnes of soybeans expected to be sourced optionally from the United States or Brazil, European traders said. The soybeans are for shipment in April and May 2018. The purchases were made in three 60,000 tonne consignments from exporters in the United States at premiums over Chicago soybean futures, they said. In early June traders said that Pakistani importers had purchased about 600,000 tonnes of soybeans, also expected to be sourced from the United States and Brazil.