'Not appropriate,' envoy tells Britain's Boris over Kipling poem in Myanmar

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visits Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar January 21, 2017. REUTERS LONDON: Britain?s ambassador to Myanmar was forced to interrupt Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson earlier this year as he tried to recite a nostalgic colonial poem by Rudyard Kipling in public during a visit to the country?s most famous Buddhist site. Johnson, who helped lead the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, is caught on camera starting to recite Kipling?s poem, Mandalay, after striking a bell at the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. ?The temple bells they say,? Johnson says in television footage by Channel 4. ?Come you back, you British soldier.? As Johnson continues with his recitation of the poem which celebrates a soldier?s love affair with a local woman during Britain?s colonial rule of what was then known as Burma, the ambassador tenses. ?You?re on mic. Probably not a good idea,? British ambassador Andrew Patrick said. ?What, The Road to Mandalay?? Johnson asked. ?No. Not appropriate,? the ambassador said. Johnson replied ?good stuff? and then started to take photographs of the scene with his telephone camera. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office declined to comment. Prime Minister Theresa May?s appointment of Johnson, who in the run-up to Britain?s referendum on EU membership compared the goals of the European Union to those of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon, caused consternation in European capitals. In recent weeks, Johnson has attempted to set out his vision of Britain outside the European Union.

Movie Review: Judwaa 2

Actor Naseeruddin Shah once said Bollywood "films that should never have been made are being re-made". David Dhawan, who directed a series of crass comedies in the 90's probably doesn't agree, because he's made the same film twice. Once in 1997 with Salman Khan and 20 years later - in the Bollywood tradition of nepotism - with his own son in the lead. To Varun Dhawan's credit, he is the best thing about a film that simply doesn?t hold up. Twenty years ago, "Judwaa" barely passed the test of any comedy. Watch it again today and it grates on your nerves. The director makes cosmetic attempts at keeping up with the times. The film?s location changes to London, which explains the deletion of the song ?East or West, India is the best.? In ?Judwaa 2?, India is shown only in flashbacks when a smuggler kidnaps one of newborn twins to extract revenge on the father. The family moves to London, unaware that Raja (Varun Dhawan) is alive and is being raised in a fisherman?s colony in Mumbai. He runs away to London after an altercation with a criminal, leading to a comedy of errors. While Raja is boisterous and always ready for a fight, his twin brother Prem is meek and avoids confrontation. They both fall in love with women whose only role in the film is be arm candy. The director milks the same joke over and over again. Prem and Raja mirror each other?s actions - so when one is kissing, so is the other; when one lands a blow, so does the other. This leads to many slapstick moments and is funny just once, after which it gets repetitive. There is a host of ensemble actors who add nothing to the film?s humour quotient, and saunter in and out of the screen with no purpose. "Judwaa 2" is already treading on thin ice, given it never had strong material to begin with. Thankfully, as in the original, it has a leading man with enough screen presence to manage scenes that would be too outlandish otherwise.

Uber's Kalanick rekindles power struggle, names two to board

SAN FRANCISCO: Uber Technologies Inc co-founder Travis Kalanick said he had appointed two new directors, a surprise move that publicly reignited a board battle over the role of the ousted former chief executive. Kalanick?s move on Friday sought to pre-empt a move by new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi to restructure the board and gain greater control, a person familiar with the co-founder?s decision said. Uber said in a statement on Friday the company was surprised by Kalanick?s action. Company investors are divided over whether Kalanick should remain on the board and whether he should be allowed to name two other directors. Benchmark Capital, which had pressured Kalanick to resign as CEO in the wake of several governance scandals, did not respond to a request for comment. Khosrowshahi is scrambling to portray Uber as a reformed company that is turning a page on concerns including sexual harassment claims and a U.S. bribery probe. Investors have described diluting Kalanick?s power as a necessary step on the path to making amends. Kalanick, still one of the largest shareholders, said in a statement he had appointed former Xerox Chief Executive Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch Chief Executive John Thain as directors. ?I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent board proposal to dramatically restructure the board and significantly alter the company?s voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John,? he said. He did not specify the proposals he opposed. Uber had nine directors before Kalanick?s Friday appointments. The person familiar with the matter said that Kalanick acted after Khosrowshahi had outlined a plan to directors, which is scheduled to be voted on October 3, that would give him control of four board seats in addition to his own on a panel that now has 11 directors. Khosrowshahi?s plan calls for transferring one of the two Kalanick-controlled positions to SoftBank Group Corp, which is considering an investment in Uber, the source said. Khosrowshahi effectively could put a person of his choosing in the other seat, as well as three other existing ones, according to the source. A third of directors also would be elected each year under the plan. Uber did not respond on Saturday to a request to comment about the Khosrowshahi plan. But the company said earlier in a statement that Kalanick?s appointments were a ?complete surprise? to Uber and its board. ?That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of,? the statement said. Yucaipa Companies managing partner Ron Burkle, an investor who has supported Kalanick, praised Burns and Thain as ?smart, high-quality people.? Division among Uber investors exploded in public in August, when Benchmark Capital filed a lawsuit to force Kalanick off the board and rescind his ability to fill two other seats on the panel, accusing him of concealing a range of misdeeds. Yucaipa and other Uber investors defended Kalanick and asked Benchmark to divest its own shares and step down from the board. A Delaware judge later that month stayed the Benchmark lawsuit and sent it to arbitration, pushing the dispute out of public view and delivering Kalanick a victory. Kalanick?s action on Friday could be subject to a new legal challenge. Benchmark or other Uber investors could attempt to block the appointments by asking the Delaware judge to issue a so-called ?status-quo order.? The judge last month did not grant such a request. Kalanick?s lawyer at the time told the court that Kalanick had not rushed to fill the seats. The New York Times also quoted Kalanick?s lawyer as telling the court Kalanick had the power to fill the seats under the pre-arbitration ?status quo.?

Replicant or human? 'Blade Runner 2049' reignites existential debate

LOS ANGELES: Was Harrison Ford?s Officer Rick Deckard a human or a Replicant robot in 1982?s ?Blade Runner?? That is the question that fans of Ridley Scott?s sci-fi thriller have been pondering for 35 years and now in a long-awaited sequel, that question is explored further. Out in theaters Oct. 6, ?Blade Runner 2049? takes place 30 years after the original film, when human-like robots called Replicants were hunted by police officers called ?blade runners? in a dystopian Los Angeles. In the new film from Time Warner Inc?s Warner Bros, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling) hunts illegal Replicants hiding on a decaying Earth and he stumbles across something that can disrupt the current strained co-existence between humans and Replicants. He is tasked with finding Deckard (Ford) for answers. ?It?s an existential story,? director Denis Villeneuve told Reuters. ?It says a lot about reality. It says a lot about our relationship with broken dreams. It says things about as human beings we are programmed by our genetic background and our education, and that we are like trapped by that background and it?s very difficult for us to get free out of it,? he added. Before journalists including Reuters saw ?Blade Runner 2049? at advance press screenings, they were read a note from Villeneuve urging not give away any key plot points. What is known is that an older, rugged Ford reprises his role as Officer Deckard. The veteran actor called the film an ?experiential opportunity? for audiences to engage in the philosophical rhetoric. ?There?s a wonderful emotional context in the film, which is one of the things I most admire about it,? Ford said. ?So much of what I had an ambition for seems to have been achieved.? Scott?s ?Blade Runner? envisioned Los Angeles in 2019 as a sprawling urban metropolis infused with Eastern and Western cultures. In ?Blade Runner 2049,? Los Angeles has sprawled across much of California, and is built on top of Scott?s world, the gritty city a melting pot of English, Japanese and Russian influences. Villeneuve said he made ?Blade Runner 2049? as a standalone movie but given the new film?s higher stakes and bigger scope, a continuing franchise is not out of the question. ?The idea was to make a movie inspired by the universe of ?Blade Runner? with a very specific story and yes, I?m positive that if (it) ever is welcomed, Ridley will come up with another idea,? the director said.

OJ Simpson set for imminent release from Nevada prison

LOS ANGELES: Onetime ?Trial of the Century? defendant OJ Simpson could be freed as early as Sunday from prison in Nevada, where he has been held since 2008 for a botched robbery, but the time and place of his release remain secret, his plans largely unknown. Simpson, 70, won his freedom from a Nevada parole board in July after nine years behind bars, at a hearing that did not take into account his 1990s trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ron Goldman. The onetime football star turned actor and TV pitchman nicknamed ?The Juice? during his playing career was found not guilty in 1995 following that sensational, 13-month trial in Los Angeles, which was televised live daily, transfixing much of the nation. A civil court jury subsequently found him liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the victims? families, a judgment that remains largely unpaid. The Nevada Department of Corrections, seeking to avoid the kind of media frenzy that often accompanies Simpson, has declined to say exactly when and where he would be released. A department spokeswoman warned media not to try to chase his vehicle from the prison gates, saying officials could postpone the release for weeks if necessary to avoid ?risk to the community? from such a frenzy. Also unclear is the former star athlete?s ultimate destination. He told parole board members he hopes to move to Florida, where he has friends and family, a plan that must be approved by probation authorities there. During the parole hearing, Simpson joked that he was willing to stay in Nevada, but ?I?m sure you don?t want me here.? His Las Vegas-based attorney, Malcom LaVergne, reiterated the Florida plans during an interview on ABC?s ?Good Morning America? program on Friday, adding that his client was looking forward to spending time with family members, eating steak and seafood and buying an iPhone. LaVergne could not be reached for comment by Reuters. Florida corrections officials say they had not received a parole transfer request for Simpson and had not been contacted by their counterparts in Nevada. Simpson is a native of California, born in San Francisco, and played his final years as a pro football player for that city?s team, the 49ers. He lived in Los Angeles at the time of the murders. But California corrections officials say he has not filed papers to live in that state either.

Saudi authorities pursue Twitter user over women's driving threat

Many Saudis welcomed Tuesday?s announcement by King Salman lifting the ban by next year, but others expressed opposition online or in quiet conversations after decades of support for the policy by prominent clerics RIYADH: Saudi Arabia?s public prosecutor issued an arrest warrant on Saturday for a Twitter user who called for anyone who supports women driving to be killed, days after a royal decree ended a long-time ban on women taking the wheel. The Twitter user, who was not named, was alleged to have referred to men who support women driving as ?cuckolds who should be killed,? according to state-linked Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The prosecutor?s announcement comes two days after a separate arrest warrant was issued for a man who threatened in a video clip posted online to attack women drivers. Many Saudis welcomed Tuesday?s announcement by King Salman lifting the ban by next year, but others expressed opposition online or in quiet conversations after decades of support for the policy by prominent clerics. Leading Saudi women's activist vows to return and drive Manal al-Sharif was imprisoned for nine days after posting a video of herself on YouTube and Facebook driving her car in Saudi Arabia In the statement, the prosecutor vowed to monitor for threats of abuse and pursue cases against those who ?incite attacks against society and violations of the rights of others?.

New petroleum prices implemented from Sunday

ISLAMABAD: The new petroleum prices announced by the government have been implemented, following which petrol and diesel prices were raised by Rs2 per litre from Sunday. After the raise, new petrol price stood at Rs73.50 and new high-speed diesel prices became Rs79.40. New light-diesel price stood at Rs46, whereas, the price of kerosene oil was raised by Rs4 and stood at Rs48. According to the finance ministry, the raise in the prices of petroleum products came into effect after the approval from the prime minister, upon Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority?s (OGRA) recommendation.

Trump lays blame on Puerto Ricans for slow hurricane response

US President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement on immigration reform in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Washington, US, August 2, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files SAN JUAN: U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday placed blame squarely on Puerto Ricans for the slow recovery from Hurricane Maria after critics and the mayor of San Juan complained his administration?s response to the U.S. territory?s plight was insufficient. Eleven days after the devastating storm wiped out power, water and communications systems, about half of the 3.4 million people on the island do not have access to drinking water, and 95 percent remain without power, according to the U.S. Defense Department. ?I?m a ticking time bomb on the verge of exploding,? said Adeline Vazquez, 53, who needs a ventilator for respiratory problems and whose building in the western city of Mayaguez does not have enough fuel to run a generator 24 hours a day. Maria, the most powerful storm to strike Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, has destroyed roads, making it difficult to deliver aid and move the heavy equipment needed to fix damaged infrastructure across the island. The hurricane has killed at least 16 people, according to the official death toll. Trump, who plans to visit the island on Tuesday, fired off a series of angry tweets from his private golf club in New Jersey, taking aim at the mayor of San Juan, the island?s capital and largest city. On Friday, Carmen Yulin Cruz criticized Trump?s administration and begged for more help, a plea that received widespread television coverage in the mainland United States. ?Such poor leadership by the Mayor of San Juan and others in Puerto Rico who are not able to get their workers to help,? said Trump, a Republican. ?They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.? Trump - who often turns to Twitter to strike out when his government is under pressure - accused Cruz of being ?told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump? and blamed the media for not showing the ?amazing job? of responders. Cruz, who has been living in a shelter after her home was destroyed in the hurricane, said municipal employees were working as hard as they could. She also said her complaints had resulted in more food and water being provided. Cruz responded to Trump?s attack by saying she had no time for petty politics when lives were at stake. ?Sometimes you have to shake the tree in order to make things happen,? she told the New York Times. ?And if that has a political cost, I will take it, as long as it saves lives.? The heated rhetoric took the political tensions around the disaster to new heights, but Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello tried to distance himself from the battle ahead of Trump?s visit. In an interview with Reuters on Saturday, Rossello said: ?I?m not paying attention to social media,? adding ?my only focus right now is to make sure the people of Puerto Rico are well.? When pressed, Rossello said he did not interpret Trump?s tweets as a slight to Puerto Rico?s people. ?When I read that tweet, it was in reference to the mayor of San Juan, not to the people of Puerto Rico,? said Rossello, who has made a point of working cooperatively with Trump?s administration on aid for the island. ?I saw it as a personal difference with the mayor of San Juan,? he said. Rossello and Cruz are members of rival political parties. But Trump?s comments drew swift condemnation elsewhere, particularly from U.S. Democrats. ?The definition of ?poor leadership? is sitting at your golf club while millions of U.S. citizens beg for your help,? U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said on Twitter. Later in the day, Trump tempered his tweeted barbs. ?We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster,? he said. Long lines, waning patience The U.S. military is moving in more equipment and personnel to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state officials respond to the destruction from the storm, which landed just as the island was recovering from Hurricane Irma. While FEMA has said it has delivered millions of meals and liters of water, many Puerto Ricans have said the aid has been too little and has not made it way to large parts of the island. Many said they are losing patience and wondering why, as American citizens, they are not getting the same relief as residents of Florida and Texas after storms Irma and Harvey. San Juan resident Judith Berkan said power shortages and long lines for cash, food, gasoline and medical attention were wearing people down. ?Things don?t seem to be getting better,? Berkan, a lawyer, said in a text message. Outside of San Juan, there were few signs of federal workers in their localities and mayors outside San Juan have told local media aid was not making its way to them. Mayita Meléndez, mayor of Ponce, home to about 160,000 people on Puerto Rico?s southern coast and about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from San Juan by road, told the El Nuevo Dia newspaper on Saturday that much-needed medicine was not making its way to hospitals in the south. Asked why there were not more workers spread around the island, FEMA Administrator Brock Long grew defensive, saying media needed to ?start focusing on the progress that has been made.? ?Hang on, my mission is way more difficult than trying to get to one area,? Long said on CNN, saying the agency had set up hubs around the island, and that Mayor Cruz needed to ?get plugged in to what?s going on? in the response. Asking Congress for aid Puerto Rico?s creaky power grid was wiped out in the storm, a loss expected to further cripple the island?s economy, which has long been mired in recession. Puerto Rico, which earlier this year filed the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. municipal history, is struggling to regain economic stability in the face of a $72 billion debt load and near-insolvent public health and pension systems. Members of the board in charge of resolving its debt crisis met Trump administration officials and members of the U.S. Congress this week to ask for more financial assistance for the hurricane-struck island, the panel said on Saturday. The insurance industry has begun to tally the damage from Maria, with one modelling company estimating that claims could reach $85 billion. Amid the economic woes, the island has also seen the largest percentage drop in population of any U.S. state or territory since 2010, which will likely hamper any recovery. The migrants are mostly younger workers, economists have said. The devastation is likely to lead more people to leave, and as the population decreases, so does the tax base, economists said.

Trump policies at stake in US Supreme Court session

The US Supreme Court building in Washington, May 20, 2009. REUTERS/Molly Riley/Files WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday opens its 2017-2018 session, facing thorny issues that include gay and labour rights, voter restrictions and limits on gathering private information. On many of these issues, the Republican administration of President Donald Trump has taken the exact opposite position from that of the previous Democratic administration under Barack Obama. Unlike in its last session, when the nine-justice court operated with a four-four ideological split with one seat vacant, Trump can now count on Justice Neil Gorsuch, a firm conservative vote who in April took over the position created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. From Trump´s perspective, the most significant case would result in a validation of his decrees limiting immigration, which have faced repeated setbacks in lower courts. But after his administration reworked its decrees, the Supreme Court cancelled an October 10 hearing on the matter, though it may return to it later. Trump slaps travel restrictions on North Korea, Chad in sweeping new ban The measures help fulfill a campaign promise Trump made to tighten US immigration procedures and align with his ?America First? foreign policy vision "There is only one prediction that is entirely safe about the upcoming term, and that is it will be momentous," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said recently. At the age of 84, "RBG," as she is known, is the doyenne of the court and a reliable liberal vote. Democrats fear that if she retires, the billionaire president will replace her with another conservative, tilting the ultimate US legal body rightward for years. ACLU vs Trump "For us, this is a ´we´ll see you in the Supreme Court´ term," said David Cole, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leading rights group. "In all five of our cases this term, Donald Trump is on the opposite side. And in three of them, his administration has broken from decades of precedent," Cole said. Cole cited a case in the state of Colorado involving a conservative Christian baker who opposes homosexuality and refused to prepare a wedding cake for a gay couple -- the most important case on gay rights to reach the top court since gay marriage was legalized in the United States in June 2015. The ACLU is representing the bride and groom, while the Trump administration supports the baker, who argues that his refusal is based in part on his right to creative freedom. US visas to six Muslim nations drop after Supreme Court backs travel ban The 3,268 visas issued in July and 3,884 visas issued in August to citizens of the six majority-Muslim countries were down from 4,351 issued in June Another case in which the Trump administration takes the opposite stance from that of Obama concerns a voting case in Ohio, a Midwestern state where the governing Republican Party wants to purge the voter rolls of people who do not regularly vote. This would mainly affect poor and minority citizens, groups that historically vote for Democrats. In another voting case, justices will hear arguments for the first time in 12 years on the way states draw complicated and creative electoral districts to favour the party in power, a process known as "gerrymandering." Smartphone tracking A separate case aims to set the parameters on authorities´ access to geolocation data for mobile operators. The case concerns a man sentenced to prison for theft in the Detroit area. Police were able to link him to a series of robberies by following his movements for 127 days through the geolocator data from his smartphone. In a case concerning organized labour, the court will look at the compulsory union dues that civil servants are sometimes forced to pay. The matter reached the court last year, but the justices split four-to-four. With Gorsuch now on the bench, conservatives could win a historic victory in their decades-long war against unions. Rulings in these cases are expected by the end of June 2018.

Americans go shopping amid storms, war threats, Trump's eccentricities

Customers shop at Macy?s department store in New York, US, November 25, 2011. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/Files WASHINGTON: Consumer sentiment in the United States is riding high on a tide of good economic news, despite political turmoil at home and inflamed geopolitical tensions abroad. Analysts say consumers remain confident despite catastrophic storms, deepening political alienation, violent marches and talk of war -- things that might otherwise make households cut spending and hunker down for safety -- because such events are far from their day-to-day economic lives. "In the past year, there has been a long list of issues that could have derailed consumer confidence, including the unprecedented partisan divide, North Korea, Charlottesville, as well as the hurricanes," Richard Curtin, chief economist at the University of Michigan´s Surveys of Consumers, said Friday in a statement. Curtin released the university´s twice-monthly index of consumer sentiment, which slipped 1.6 points between August and September but remained elevated even though three hurricanes had struck US territory in the space of a month. "Confidence has nonetheless remained very favorable," he said. In the first nine months of the year, the index even hit its highest level in 17 years. "One of the reasons Americans can be optimistic is the extent to which many of these events have not affected what they are able to do and what they are not," Frederick Wherry, a professor of sociology at Princeton University, told AFP. According to Edward Berkowitz, professor of history and public policy at George Washington University, the deadly violence at a far-right march in Charlottesville, Virginia in August was "not a major enough event to influence the national psyche or interrupt economic trends." Consumers do have reasons to be optimistic. The economy grew by 3.1 percent in the second quarter, its fastest pace in nearly two years, and unemployment, currently estimated at 4.4 percent, is at historically low levels. A place to ´practice freedom´ The economic devastation of Hurricanes Harvey, which slammed into Florida and Southeast Texas in a two-week period, "was quite small and has already begun to fade," according to Curtin. For the fourth straight month, consumers also reported improving personal finances, he added. Two thirds of homeowners surveyed, the highest level in ten years, also reported rising property values. "Historically people enter the marketplace as a place for practicing our freedom," said Wherry. "The marketplace becomes a refuge for us here in the US." Confident consumers with rising incomes spend more. Consumer spending is a prime driver of growth in the world´s largest economy and Curtin estimates it will grow by 2.6 percent this year and in the first half of 2018. But according to Berkowitz, a few weeks of rising gasoline or grocery prices could reverse the trend and "contribute to an overall sense that the economy, and the nation itself, are sputtering." Berkowitz said it would be wise to wait before concluding that current confidence levels are sustainable. "I would say stick around and see what happens," he added. Tom Smith of the University of Chicago´s National Opinion Research Center said consumer sentiment surveys were narrowly focused and should not obscure broader public opinion. "Given the objective economic situation and the narrow focus of the measures you mention, I am not surprised that they had generally been positive," he told AFP. "But the other measures tell us that these consumer confidence measures are only part of the larger picture." President Donald Trump´s current public approval is among the lowest of any modern US president. "Even with a small recent uptick it is and has been low by historical standards," Smith said. Most American voters, or 56 percent, say Donald Trump is not fit to be president, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday. Meanwhile, American society is becoming increasingly unequal. According to a Federal Reserve survey published Wednesday, income and wealth concentrations are now at "historically high" levels. The top one percent of households now own nearly 40 percent of all American wealth while the bottom 90 percent have seen their share decline steadily for 25 years.

Ashura processions under way around Pakistan; cellular services begin to shut down

A policeman stands guard at a majlis site in Faisalabad Oct 1. Photo: Geo News Ashura processions have begun all around the country to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions at Karbala, Iraq on Muharram 10. Cellular and internet services have begun to be suspended in Karachi, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Khairpur, Haripur, DI Khan and Lakki Marwat, among other areas. Meanwhile, the motorcycle pillion riding ban is still in place in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta whereas the metro bus in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will also remain non-operational today. Route plan for Ashura procession in Karachi In Karachi, the main jaloos (procession) began in Nishtar Park with a majlis (address) recited by Allama Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi. The procession will then proceed to Numaish Chowrangi, from where it will follow MA Jinnah Road towards Regal Chowk, and pause at Tibet Centre from Zuhr prayers. Following this, the procession will head towards Radio Pakistan, and conclude at Irania Hussainia Imambargah. Muharram 9 processions culminate peacefully across Pakistan In Karachi, the main procession ended at Hussainiya Irania Imambargah Tight security has been planned throughout the metropolis with over 6,000 personnel deployed along with a heavy contingent of Rangers. Snipers have been stationed in balconies of the buildings lining the procession's traditional route as well as on rooftops of skyscrapers, from where security officers will have an eagle's eye point-of-view of the procession. With regard to further security and safety inside of the procession, followers and mourners will be required to enter via walk-through gates, installed with metal detectors. In Rawalpindi, the main Ashura procession will start at 11am from Imambargah Ashiq Hussain. According to the police, 7,000 police personnel, as well as paramilitary forces, have been deployed for the event. In Lahore, the Ashura procession began with the traditional majlis at Nisar Havel. It will then proceed through narrow alleyways of the 'old city' and conclude in the evening at Imambargah Karbala Gamay Shah.

A380 superjumbo makes emergency landing in Canada: Air France

This handout picture ? released on September 30, 2017, on the Twitter account of @Bdaddy1391 ? shows the damaged engine of an Air France A380 superjumbo before it made an emergency landing in Canada. AFP/Twitter/Sarah Eamigh PARIS: An Air France A380 superjumbo jetliner taking more than 500 people from Paris to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Canada on Saturday following "serious damage" to one of its four engines, the airline said. "Flight 066 landed without further damage at the Goose Bay military airport in Canada and all of the 520 people on board were evacuated with no injuries," an Air France spokesman in Paris told AFP. The Airbus double-decker, wide-body aircraft was re-routed as it passed over Greenland, landing in Goose Bay in eastern Canada at 1542 GMT, the spokesman said. The landing went off with no problems for the jetliner carrying 496 passengers and 24 crew members, the spokesman said. The airline was exploring options to get the passengers to the United States. Video and photo images posted on social media, apparently by passengers or their relatives, showed extensive damage to the front of the outer starboard engine, with part of its external cowling stripped away. The cause of the problem was unknown, with one of the plane´s passengers suggesting that a bird might have collided with the engine which was damaged. The passenger, Miguel Amador, posted online brief video footage apparently filmed from a window of the plane showing the damaged engine. "Engine failure halfway over the Atlantic ocean... birdstrike possibility," he wrote. A fellow passenger, Iskandar, tweeted that the AF66 passengers "have a memory of their flight which will last a long time". Air France operates 10 Airbus A380s, which are the largest passenger planes in the world. Their version of the craft uses GP7200 engines, a giant turbofan built by General Electric and Pratt and Whitney of the US. Goose Bay is a base operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force but is also a designated standby airport for diverted transatlantic flights. Sales of the mammoth A380 have been sluggish and Airbus has said it will reduce production in 2019 to just eight of the superjumbos. In 2015, the company produced 27 of them. Nonetheless, Airbus CEO Tom Enders recently voiced confidence in the future of the plane.

29 hurt as French stadium barrier collapses

LOSC's supporters react as their tribune falls down following the goal by LOSC's Cameroonian midfielder Ibrahim Amadou during the French L1 football match between Amiens and Lille LOSC at the Licorne stadium, Amiens, September 30, 2017. AFP/Francois Lo Presti AMIENS: Twenty-nine fans were hurt, five of them seriously, when a barrier collapsed Saturday at a stadium in the northern French city of Amiens as away supporters celebrated their opening goal. A fence separating Lille fans from the pitch gave way as they surged forward to celebrate the goal against Amiens, a regional rival that has just been promoted to the top flight in French football. Several tumbled about one and a half metres (five feet) and were crushed by other fans who fell on top of them. Injuries included head, chest and abdominal trauma, medical authorities said. Referee Thomas Leonard suspended the match in the 16th minute as Red Cross and emergency workers rushed to help the injured. The fixture was later abandoned. "It happened all of a sudden. I don´t even know who scored. It just suddenly fell on me. I couldn´t hear anything, I couldn´t see anything and then the emergency workers took me away," said Georges Penel, a 21-year-old Lille fan who suffered injuries to his leg and back. The prefecture of the Somme department gave a provisional toll of 29 hurt, five of them seriously. Among the injured were three minors, all in their teens, medical authorities said. The incident happened when Lille´s Fode Ballo-Toure ran towards the section of visiting fans after scoring the opening goal, prompting a surge that caused the barrier to give way. Built in 1999, the Stade de la Licorne ("Stadium of the Unicorn") is the smallest of the 20 French Ligue 1 clubs, with a capacity of only 12,000. Renovation work is taking place throughout the 2017-18 season, as newly promoted Amiens brings the ground up to a higher standard. ´Hardcore fans´ The venue boasts an eye-catching, futuristic design with a transparent roof, which is being renovated. The seats are also being progressively replaced under the 7.5-million-euro ($8.9-million) scheme. "The work is going to start in June and will be done stand by stand," local politician Alain Gest said last May. "The consequence is that we´re going to lose seats in the ground but we´ll make up for it by adding additional temporary stands." The Amiens public prosecutor, Alexandre de Bosschere, said an investigation had been opened into "accidental injury", focusing on why the barrier gave way. "We have put legal seals on the site (to bar access to it), and an assessment will be carried out in the next few days." Amiens´ president, Bernard Joannin, dismissed any idea that there were problems with the barrier. "The police had warned us that there were 200 hardcore fans, really wound up, who were in the section set aside for Lille fans. They surged forward, chaotically, more than 500 people, against this barrier, which was in perfect condition." Gest, in his comments in May, had suggested that upkeep of the stadium had been neglected by previous local administrations but was now "perfectly in line with regulations" and "up to standards for playing in Ligue 1". A safety audit in 2016 had noted that the stadium roof presented "serious dangers", he said. "This forced us to dismantle at the beginning of the year all the (roof) glass -- almost 2,000 glass plates per stand." The official said the plates had to be replaced by "a rigid and transparent plastic material like those used at the stadiums of Le Havre and Nice".

´Mad Men´ no more: ad industry makes diversity push in Trump era

BACKGROUND: 'Mad Men's Roger Sterling (L, John Slattery) and Don Draper (R, Jon Hamm). LA Times via Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC; SUPERIMPOSED: US President Donald Trump. The Atlantic NEW YORK: Walk into your average ad agency in America and you could be forgiven for thinking you had travelled back in time, with many still resembling the white male bastions immortalized in the series "Mad Men." That may be about to change as the industry redoubles efforts to recruit more minorities, sensing a chance to strengthen ties to populations that feel assaulted in the Trump era -- and better reflect contemporary US society. Outreach efforts towards minority populations have long been complicated by the paltry number of African Americans who work in advertising: they remain in the single digits as a percentage of staff, while Latinos also are underrepresented. For award-winning ad veteran Valerie Graves, who rose from being among the first black copywriters at the firms where she worked, to leading entire creative departments, the sector needs to recognize that non-whites "drive the popular culture of this country and of the world." "It hardly seems likely that we´re not capable of doing advertising at a very high standard," she said, urging industry leaders to "realize that diversity is not just something that (they´re) being forced to do but is something that responds to the demographics of the country." That message seemed to be resonating at last week´s giant Advertising Week conference in New York, where numerous panels spotlighted efforts both to bridge the diversity gap, and connect with minorities alienated by President Donald Trump´s tough stance on immigration and racial issues. "There´s a real opportunity to forge a bond," said Ludwig Ortiz, a senior vice president at Energy BBDO. When Ortiz´ firm surveyed Hispanic shoppers -- long seen as a key sector poised for growth -- 70 percent said they had seen displays of prejudice rise since the 2016 presidential election. Researchers have also found that Hispanics took notice when Apple, Facebook and other technology companies called on Trump to maintain protections for so-called "Dreamer" immigrants, brought to the country as children, said research consultant Marissa Romero-Martin. Hispanics "are looking at what brands are doing and not doing," Romero-Martin said. Lone voices An ad by Budweiser emphasizing the positive role of immigrants drew positive reviews at last year´s Super Bowl. But other campaigns have misfired -- such as when Pepsi was roundly criticized for an ad in which Kendall Jenner made light of the "Black Lives Matter" movement -- in what marketers see as sympomatic of the lack of internal diversity. Nearly half of advertising employees believe the industry is "terrible" or "not great" at hiring diverse professionals, according to a 2016 survey by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A´s). "We are losing an opportunity to bring in diverse views," said Keith Cartwright, executive creative director at BSSP, who often finds himself the lone African American at client meetings. To remedy the situation, the sector has put in place mentoring programs and scholarships to introduce young minority talent to industry leaders. But a key driver has been large clients -- such as Verizon last year -- who are increasingly demanding that their ad agencies step up the pace of change. The telecoms company did not set quotas for minorities, but demanded "meaningful progress" from its ad firms, said Diego Scotti, its chief marketing officer. "We have 130 million customers," Scotti said. "We appeal to everyone, so we have to represent internally the understanding of our audience. If we don´t, we won´t be successful." HP saw a jump in the promotion of women after delivering a similar ultimatum to its ad firms, although it says minorities are still too few. "On the underrepresented minorities, we didn´t move the needle as much as we want," said Antonio Lucio, HP´s global chief marketing and communication officer. The company shifted recruitment to different schools and agencies to address the problem. Majority-minority ´clash´ Her own success story aside, Valerie Graves fears progress will remain slow until there is a change in "mind and hearts." But speakers at the New York fair urged executives to stay the course when they encounter resistance in the diversity push. "When you really start to see organizational tension, don´t get scared and back away," said Keesha Jean-Baptiste, senior vice president of talent engagement and inclusion at the trade association 4A´s. "At that point that´s when real change happens, which is underrepresented groups and majority culture starting to clash and creating real dialogue and a place of discomfort that start to drive outcomes... that change the nature of who´s rising to the top."

Crunch time as Catalonia holds independence vote

A man holds a placard reading "Catalonia, Spain, Europe" during a demonstration in favour of a unified Spain a day before the banned October 1 independence referendum, in Barcelona, Spain, September 30, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman BARCELONA: It´s crunch time for Catalonia and the rest of Spain Sunday as the northeastern region holds an independence referendum banned by Madrid, though how people will be able to vote remains a mystery. This is no ordinary referendum. Spain´s central government is staunchly against a vote ruled unconstitutional by the courts and has used all the legal tools at its disposal to stop it from taking place. On orders of judges and prosecutors, police have seized ballot papers, detained key organisers, and shut down websites promoting the vote. But in an interview with AFP Saturday, Catalan president Carles Puigdemont insisted that his government had "everything in place" so that the referendum could go ahead in the wealthy region which is home to some 7.5 million people. Occupied schools The planned referendum has sown divisions among Catalans and stoked passions further afield in Spain. Opinion polls show the region is deeply divided over independence, but a large majority of Catalans want to be able to settle the matter in a referendum, though most would prefer it to be legal and binding. Whatever happens, Sunday´s referendum result will not be recognised by Madrid, and almost certainly not by the international community. But separatist leaders are banking on a high turnout to give legitimacy to their vote, though it is as yet unclear how people will be able to cast their ballots. Spain´s interior ministry said Saturday police had closed most of the 2,315 polling stations across Catalonia. But at least 160 were occupied by teachers, parents, students and activists determined to let people in anyway. All eyes were on whether police would forcefully evict them early on Sunday morning. Some schools designated as polling stations imagined innovative ways to stay open, organising leisure activities all over the weekend, from kids´ pyjama parties to volleyball games. A regional government source said voting may also take place in other places like health centres and even retirement homes. Farmers and firefighters have also pledged to protect polling stations. Berta Clos, an 18-year-old student, was helping to occupy Barcelona´s Menendez y Pelayo Institute. She said Catalan police had already told those inside that they would come and notify them that they had to shut the school down. "But they have also told us that if there are people inside, they won´t be able to do it so we just need to make sure that this remains open." Unity protests The Mossos d´Esquadra Catalan police have warned about the risk of "disruption of public order" if efforts are made to prevent people from casting ballots. Madrid has sent thousands of extra police officers from other forces to Catalonia to stop the referendum from happening. On Saturday, Puigdemont called on those going to vote to maintain a "peaceful attitude." That same day, thousands took to the streets across the country -- including in Barcelona -- in favour of national unity. As well as being critical of Puigdemont, some protesters also faulted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy´s conservative government for limiting its response to the crisis to repeating that the referendum is unconstitutional. "The state needs to explain the benefits of remaining united, instead of repeating all the time that the referendum is illegal," said Rafael Castillo, a 59-year-old engineer at a Madrid rally, wearing a scarf with the Spanish flag around his neck. Whatever happens on Sunday, analysts fear that the standoff between Catalan leaders and Madrid has left a damaging mark. And it is unlikely to blow over after the vote. Carles Riera, a regional parliament lawmaker for the radical CUP party, part of Catalonia´s separatist coalition, vowed that mobilisation would continue after Sunday´s vote -- if the "yes" camp won but Madrid opposed the result, as is almost certain. "We´re in a process of popular mobilisation that is going to last a while," he told reporters.

US directly communicating with North Korea, seeks dialogue

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) meeting with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, September 30, 2017. REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool BEIJING: The United States said on Saturday it was directly communicating with North Korea on its nuclear and missile programs but Pyongyang had shown no interest in dialogue. The disclosure by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a trip to China represented the first time he has spoken to such an extent about U.S. outreach to North Korea over its pursuit of a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile. ?We are probing so stay tuned,? Tillerson told a group of reporters in Beijing. ?We ask: ?Would you like to talk?? We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. We?re not in a dark situation, a blackout.? He said that communication was happening directly and cited two or three U.S. channels open to Pyongyang. ?We can talk to them. We do talk to them,? he said, without elaborating about which Americans were involved in those contacts or how frequent or substantive they were. The goal of any initial dialogue would be simple: finding out directly from North Korea what it wants to discuss. ?We haven?t even gotten that far yet,? he said. Trying to tamp down expectations, the State Department said later there were no signs Pyongyang was interested in talks. ?North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization,? department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. Tillerson previously had offered little detail about U.S. outreach. On Sept. 20, he acknowledged only ?very, very limited? contact with Pyongyang?s U.N. envoy. When asked about Tillerson?s assertion and what communication there might be between Pyongyang and Washington, a spokesman for the North Korean mission to the United Nations said he ?can?t go further into detail.? Overheated situation Tillerson?s remarks followed a day of meetings in Beijing, which has been alarmed by recent exchanges of war-like threats and personal insults between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. ?I think the whole situation?s a bit overheated right now,? Tillerson said. ?I think everyone would like for it to calm down. ?Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That?d calm things down a lot.? South Korean officials have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on Oct. 18. North Korea is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) at the Great Hall of the People on September 30, 2017 in Beijing, China. REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool U.S. officials including Tillerson say Beijing, after long accounting for some 90 percent of North Korea?s foreign trade, appears increasingly willing to cut ties to its neighbor?s economy by adopting U.N. sanctions. Tillerson said China?s more assertive posture was due to its realization that North Korea?s nuclear and missile capabilities had advanced too far. ?I think they also have a sense that we?re beginning to run out of time and that we really have to change the dynamic,? Tillerson said. The goal of the sanctions would be getting North Korea?s Kim to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength. Still, the U.S. intelligence community does not believe Kim is likely to give up his weapons program willingly, regardless of sanctions. ?(Tillerson?s) working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say there?s no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop,? Senator Bob Corker told a hearing at the chamber on Thursday. Kim sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as ?his ticket to survival,? Corker said. Tillerson agreed that Kim?s nuclear and missile programs were aimed at ensuring his own security, and renewed assurances that the United States did not seek to topple Kim?s government. ?Look, our objective is denuclearization (of North Korea),? he said. ?Our objective is not to get rid of you. Our objective is not to collapse your regime.? Incremental steps It is unclear how and when any actual negotiations with Pyongyang might be possible. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said on Monday there were no set preconditions for talks. He added, however, that Pyongyang?s capabilities were too far advanced to simply freeze its program in return for concessions. He also dismissed the idea of negotiating with Pyongyang even as it continued to develop its nuclear weapons program. Tillerson in March suggested the United States would only engage North Korea in negotiations once it gave up nuclear weapons. But he acknowledged on Saturday that denuclearization would be an ?incremental process.? ?You?d be foolish to think you?re going to sit down and say: OK, done. Nuclear weapons, gone. This is going to be a process of engagement with North Korea,? he said. Trump, who is due to visit China in November, has called for it to do more regarding North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage. Chinese President Xi Jinping did not mention North Korea in his opening remarks while meeting Tillerson on Saturday. He instead offered warm words about Trump, saying he expected the U.S. president?s visit to be ?wonderful.? ?The two of us have also maintained a good working relationship and personal friendship,? Xi said in comments in front of reporters.

CPEC boosts Pakistan in global rankings even before completion

A combination of photos ? merged together ? show a portion of the Gwadar port (L), the Chinese and Pakistani flags flying on a sign along a road towards Gwadar (C), and the port before the inauguration of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) (R), in Balochistan, Pakistan. REUTERS/Kay Johnson (April 12, 2016), Caren Firouz (November 13, 2016), and Syed Raza Hassan (January 26, 2016) The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) ? which is still work-in-progress ? has already started to help Pakistan climb several rungs on the ladder of global competitiveness and economic progress, a major US business publication noted. The update comes on the back of a report recently unveiled by the World Economic Forum (WEFR), wherein Pakistan secured the 115th position out of 137 countries in total. "While this ranking is still low compared to neighbouring countries, it?s a big improvement from the 122nd position the country occupied last year, and the 133rd position back in 2014," Forbes ? a leading American business magazine ? said, referring to the boost in the country's economy. "One reason for this improvement is Pakistan?s progress in the infrastructure 'pillar' of the report, where the country is ranked 110th," the magazine said. The report also said China's score for the infrastructure pillar decreased for the second year in a row, due in part to a decline in the quality of port infrastructure and the reliability of electricity supply.

22 detained in Jamshoro following joint operation by police, Rangers

File Photo JAMSHORO: 22 suspects were taken into custody for questioning following a joint search operation by police and Rangers carried out Saturday night here in the city, as well as in Kotri and Sehwan, Geo News reported citing a police official. Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) conducted a collaborative combing operation, which led to 22 suspected criminals being detained late last night, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur said. Chichawatni pillion-riding arrests Seven people were arrested Saturday night in Chichawatni for violating the ban placed on pillion-riding in light of Ashura processions in various cities of Pakistan, police sources revealed. The security officials added that cases had been registered against the detainees. Firing in Karachi One person was left wounded in a random firing incident late last night in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Johar area, rescue officers stated. The victim of the firing incident ? in Block 15 of Gulistan-e-Johar ? was subsequently moved to a nearby hospital, rescue sources said.

Five terrorists killed, three flee in CTD operation in Lahore

LAHORE: Five terrorists were shot dead Saturday night by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) near the city's Sagian Bridge, while three others managed to escape arrest during a search operation, Geo News reported. CTD officials revealed that the suspects they shot allegedly belonged to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ? a terrorist outfit banned in the nation. Explosive materials, weapons, and a motorcycle were recovered from the possession of the deceased suspects, the department's officers added.

Vexseo 10/01/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to b

Vexseo 10/01/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Please click here and find out your name post at the end of last page of topic. So lets start your 1st post with your introduction. How about that

Batu007 10/01/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to

Batu007 10/01/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Please click here and find out your name post at the end of last page of topic. So lets start your 1st post with your introduction. How about that

Nati 09/30/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to bro

Nati 09/30/2017 Welcome to Funday Urdu Forum. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Please click here and find out your name post at the end of last page of topic. So lets start your 1st post with your introduction. How about that

Musharraf asked us to form a new party after August 22, claims Sattar

[embed_video1 url=http://ift.tt/2x6qMve style=center] KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Farooq Sattar has claimed that Pervez Musharraf asked him to form a new political party following the August 22 incident, which he and Mustafa Kamal could also join. Speaking to the anchorperson on Geo News' programme 'Jirga', Sattar said Musharraf does not have any contacts with Altaf Hussain. Referring to his decision of breaking away from the London-based MQM leadership, he said the former president contacted and backed his September 23 decision. "Musharraf allowed local bodies to work in his tenure; I invited him to join the party," the MQM-P chief revealed during the programme, adding that Khawaja Izhar also conveyed the same to Musharraf on his behalf. But the former president asked him to form a new political party, which he and Mustafa Kamal could also join, he added. "Our workers accepted parting of ways with London-based leadership, but their romance with the name Muttahida Qaumi Movement is still there. They cannot leave this name." He denied that Musharraf was displeased with them. Commenting on the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief, Sattar said Kamal had a soft stance before he went to perform Hajj, but his behaviour changed afterwards. "He also took one of our MPAs away." The MQM-P chief went on to say that it is impossible for his party's activists to accept an "external" leadership, however, such people may have a role in the party's consultation and supreme councils. He said the division of Karachi's leadership was unacceptable to him, adding, "Altaf Hussain shot himself in the foot."

Police release pictures of suspect in Karachi knife attacks

Pictured is the suspect riding a motorbike moments before attacking one of the victims in Karachi. ? Geo News KARACHI: Karachi Police late Saturday released pictures of the suspect involved in knife attacks on women in the city's Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, with officials saying that the lone wolf attacker "appears to be a lean man in his 20s." The attacks, believed to have been carried out by the same suspect, have so far wounded at least nine women near Rabia City and Jauhar Chowrangi areas of the city. Picture, believed to have been taken from a CCTV camera, shows the attacker about to attack a woman. ? Geo News The woman bends down, apparently after being hit by the assailant. ? Geo News The latest attack came in wee hours of Saturday, when a woman was stabbed while descending from a rickshaw near Mosamiat. She then went to a nearby hospital in the same rickshaw for treatment. Police released pictures of the suspect late Saturday, in which the lone wolf attacker is seen riding a motorbike, moments before attacking one of the victims. Knife attacks on women spread fear in Karachi A motorcyclist wearing a black helmet is reportedly attacking women in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi "The suspect appears to be a lean man aged between 20-29 years," said Sultan Khawaja, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Karachi's district East. "He appears to be 5 feet 7-9 inches tall." Khawaja said that anyone helping or providing information leading to the arrest of the suspect would be given Rs0.5 million. He said that any information on the suspect could be given on mobile phone no. 0300-3552256. Earlier on Saturday, Police booked two more cases reported by victims of stabbing attacks in and around the city?s Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality this week, bringing the total at five. The suspect riding a motorbike. ? Geo News A 28-year-old woman, attacked on Thursday afternoon, said that a man on a motorcycle, wearing a helmet, had attacked her with a sharp-edged instrument from behind. One of the victims, who was attacked on Tuesday, said that an unidentified man on a motorcycle wearing a black helmet attacked her from behind. The helmet-wearing suspect is pictured from the front while riding a motorbike. ? Geo News. Another survivor, a student of seventh grade, informed police that she was attacked from behind near Rabia City in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The girl said she was unable to identify the attacker as he had covered his face with a helmet. Fear, panic in Gulistan-e-Jauhar The incidents have sparked fear and panic among the area residents, forcing women to take extra precautions before going outside. Knife attacks on women: Karachi police register two more cases The incidents have sparked fear and panic among the area residents, forcing women to take extra precautions before going outside A female student of Karachi University said that police officers have advised women to be careful while walking on the streets. ?We have been directed to not leave our houses after Maghrib prayers,? remarked another student. Female students also said that they are taking all possible precautions including avoiding walking alone at night and not staying out for too long. A KU student said that the attacker seems to be suffering from a psychological disorder. ?Normal people do not commit such acts,? she added. Another student said that government should take notice of the issue and resolve it immediately.

Tourism in Pakistan thrives amid receding terror attacks

Saiful Maluk lake. Photo: Bloomberg As security improves, annual tourist arrivals to Pakistan have more than tripled since 2013 to 1.75 million last year, while domestic travellers have increased to 38.3 million, according to the state-owned Pakistan Tourism Development Corp (PTDC). Over the same period, foreign tourist arrivals in India jumped from 6.97 million in 2013 to 8.8 million in 2016, government figures show, reported Bloomberg. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) puts the total contribution of tourism to Pakistan?s economy at $19.4 billion last year. In ten years, the WTTC expects that to rise to $36.1 billion. The managing director of Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel Ltd., Jonny Bealby, a London-based operator that has run trips to Pakistan for two decades, said his tours to the South Asian nation are up 60 percent from last year. ?The roads have improved immeasurably reducing journey times,?? Bealby said. Since the 2014 massacre of more than 100 children at a military school, the army has neutered some insurgent groups. Swat Valley has witnessed a surge in tourism. An 80 percent increase in hotel bookings was observed last year, according to a Pakistani accommodation booking website. Many Pakistanis want to travel, but going abroad is difficult, said Jovago Asia?s CEO Nadine Malik.

Dengue death toll reaches 40 in Peshawar as two more die

[embed_video1 url=http://ift.tt/2xIOoYB style=center] PESHAWAR: The death toll from the dengue outbreak in Peshawar reached 40 on Saturday as two more women succumbed to the deadly virus, Geo News learnt. According to Dengue Response Unit, two more women died of dengue fever. Both the deceased patients were residents of the provincial capital's Safaid Dheri area. One of the women was under treatment at Hayatabad Medical Complex and the other at Khyber Teaching Hospital. After Saturday's deaths, the death toll from dengue has reached 40. On Saturday, 1114 people from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had their blood tested. Out of them, 249 were found out to be affected with dengue virus.

Catalan leader urges 'mediation' in referendum crisis

GIRONA: Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont called Saturday for "mediation" to resolve the "serious" conflict pitting his executive against the central government, on the eve of an independence referendum banned by Madrid. "If the yes wins, if the no wins -- in any scenario there must be mediation, because things aren´t working," he told AFP. Vowing that he and his supporters would vote on Sunday, and that the regional government had everything in place so that the referendum "takes place normally," he called on Catalans to maintain a "peaceful attitude." The standoff between the central government and Catalan leaders over their plans to hold an independence referendum has morphed into one of the biggest crises to hit Spain in decades. Madrid argues the vote is illegal as the courts have ruled it unconstitutional. But Puigdemont and his team insist Catalonia has a democratic right to decide on its future. Opinion polls show the wealthy, northeastern region is deeply divided over independence, but a large majority of Catalans want to be able to settle the matter in a legal and binding vote. Puigdemont did not call on any specific person, organisation or country to mediate, but he hinted that the EU may be well placed to do so. "I think that from now it would be logical for the EU to actively monitor (the situation) and actively take an interest," he said. "If it doesn´t take an interest in what is happening in Catalonia when everyone is watching and taking an interest, there´s something wrong." He reiterated his call on the Spanish government to negotiate over holding a legal, binding referendum and promised to call the entire vote off if the state agreed. But this is unlikely to happen. Thousands of police have been deployed to Catalonia to stop the vote, millions of ballot papers seized, key referendum organisers detained, and websites promoting the vote shut down. But still, separatist leaders are determined to hold a vote with a semblance of legitimacy on Sunday.

England can win Ashes without Stokes, says Ali

LONDON: Moeen Ali says England can still win the Ashes on enemy turf even if talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes is not in the party that travels to Australia. Stokes was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and suspended from internationals until further notice following an apparent fight outside a nightclub. The Test vice-captain was included in the Ashes squad despite reportedly injuring his hand in the incident that led to his arrest but there are doubts over whether he will be on the plane to Australia. The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder was released without charge but remains under investigation. Ali, speaking after England wrapped up their summer schedule with a nine-wicket win against a poor West Indies side in Southampton on Friday, acknowledged Stokes´s importance but said they could win without him. "We all know how good a cricketer he is, what he can bring to the table and he's one of the main players that we have, so it would be great to have him out there but let´s see what happens," he said. "If he's not there then we're going to have to play well without him so I definitely feel that we can still win." Ali, named the man of the series against the West Indies, said he was looking forward to the challenge of retaining the Ashes. England won the series when it was last held at home in 2015 but have lost two of the past three series in Australia 5-0. "The wickets are actually really good out there," said the 30-year-old off-spinner, who hit England´s second-fastest ODI hundred off just 53 balls in the third ODI against the West Indies. "I feel when you get in it feels like it´s a good place to bat. The ball doesn't obviously swing as much. Hopefully, I can come in, whatever number I come in I can express myself and change the way I play. I´m going to have to change a couple of things." Batting doubts England may have enjoyed Test series wins over South Africa (3-1) and West Indies (2-1) in the past few months but they ended their home Test campaign pretty much where they started it - with doubts over a number of positions at the top of the batting order. There were Ashes recalls this week for middle-order batsmen James Vince and Gary Ballance despite the pair´s struggles during their previous Test stints. The absence of Stokes could mean a move up the order for the elegant Ali, who usually bats at number eight in Tests but he said he would be comfortable with that. "Number eight is somewhere I´m kind of used to at the moment but if I'm told to bat seven I feel I'm capable of doing well and hopefully can show that I can go out there and play against their bowlers, play well against them," he said. "I can't wait," he added. "Genuinely I can´t wait. I´m very, very excited. It´s something that when you´re a young county player you´re always thinking you´d love to be on that sort of tour. "I never, ever thought I´d be on a tour like this so to be going I´m very, very fortunate and I know that hopefully we´ll go out there and perform and win the Ashes." England is due to travel to Australia on October 28, with the first of five Tests against their arch-rivals set to start in Brisbane on November 23.

Anti-Daesh 'sheikh sniper' killed in battle for Iraq's Hawija

A picture taken on April 26, 2017 shows Iraqi Abu Tahsin al-Salhi (L), a veteran sniper from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation units) who boasted about killing at least 320 Daesh group fighters, during the fight for the Iraqi city of Mosul.1 A veteran fighter known as "the sheikh of snipers" has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Daesh group, his paramilitary force announced Saturday. Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 Daesh jihadists, died on Friday. He was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance fighting alongside government forces against the last terrorist bastions. At his funeral on Saturday near the southern port city of Basra, close friend Ahmad Ali Hussein said the marksman was widely known by comrades as "the sheikh of snipers" or "hawk eye". A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an off-road motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle. In a Hashed video, the 63-year-old warrior gives a rundown of his career as a sniper, starting in 1973 when he was part of an Iraqi brigade fighting on Syria's Golan Heights. He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on Daesh. "Today, I gunned down two of them (Daesh fighters). That's ridiculous -- the minimum for me is four," he says in the video. In anti-Daesh battles in 2015 "I killed 173 of them, and now I'm at 320."

Sharapova digs deep in China Open epic

Maria Sharapova outlasted Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to win the China Open and return to No 2 in the rankings. Photo: AP BEIJING: Maria Sharapova gained revenge over the Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova with a gutsy 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-6 (9/7) victory in the China Open first round on Saturday. It was the five-time Grand Slam winner´s first appearance since she was beaten by Sevastova at the US Open in early September and gets her stop-start return from a doping ban back on track. Sharapova, ranked 104 in the world, is a wildcard in Beijing as she works her way back slowly from a 15-month ban for taking the banned substance meldonium. She was far from her best, but Sharapova dug in during an attritional match lasting more than three hours. Sevastova broke the Russian former number one ? who had the majority of the crowd behind her ? in the seventh game of the first set to seize the early initiative. Sharapova immediately broke back for 4-4, before falling 6-5 down on her own serve when her drop shot went astray, only to strike back immediately to force a tie-break. "Come on!" the former China Open champion Sharapova shouted as she wrapped up the first-set tie-break. The 30-year-old looked set to race through the second set to book her place in round two. But her serve was suspect all match and the Latvian refused to submit. Sevastova broke Sharapova once more as the match clock hit the two-hour mark to level the encounter at one-set each, before Sharapova finally saw off her resilient opponent in an epic decider. Earlier, the second seed Simona Halep battled past the American Alison Riske in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Germany arrests suspected baby food poisoner

CCTV grab of a suspected blackmailer in a supermarket in Friedrichshafen, south-west Germany. FRANKFURT: German police announced Saturday the arrest of a 53-year-old man "strongly suspected" of poisoning baby food and threatening to contaminate other products in stores nationwide and across Europe. The man was detained by officers near Tubingen, south of Stuttgart, following information received from the public, police and prosecutors said in a joint statement. At a press conference, they said that the man had refused to shed light on his motives but that evidence implicating him was discovered at his home. It also appears that he acted alone. Local deputy chief of police Uwe Stuermer described the man as "eccentric" and mentally disturbed. On Thursday police alerted the public to the risk of food being poisoned, saying a blackmailer was demanding millions of euros in cash. Authorities released surveillance footage of the suspect, whom they earlier described as aged 55, wearing glasses and a white cap, which ultimately led to the arrest. To press the demand, the blackmailer had poisoned five baby food products and last week alerted police to the store they were placed in, in the southern city of Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. The food ? which had been laced with ethylene glycol, a chemical found in anti-freeze and brake fluid ? was found and removed. But it prompted the nationwide appeal for information on the suspect and a warning about the potential of other contaminated food, which authorities repeated Saturday. Through the video surveillance of the stores where the baby jars were identified, police were able to obtain images clearly showing the face of the 55-year-old man, who has not been named.

US probes North Korea´s willingness to talk

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 30, 2017. Photograph: Getty Images BEIJING: Washington has opened channels to North Korea to find out if the regime is ready to talk about giving up its nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday. Speaking after a day of talks with China´s President Xi Jinping and top diplomats, Tillerson told reporters that US officials are in touch with Pyongyang. The disclosure follows an escalating war of words between US President Donald Trump and North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un, and Tillerson issued a call for calm. Asked how he could know whether the North would even contemplate responding to new sanctions by coming to the table, the US envoy said: "We are probing, so stay tuned." Washington has no diplomatic ties with Kim´s autocratic regime, and has been leaning on Beijing to rein in its neighbour´s behaviour through tougher sanctions. But Tillerson said US diplomats do not rely on China as a go-between in overtures to North Korea, and have themselves talked directly through "our own channels." "We ask," he said. "We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We´re not in a dark situation, a blackout, we have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang." "We can talk to them, we do talk to them," he said. The US has not ruled out the use of force to compel Pyongyang to halt missile and nuclear tests, and last week Trump threatened to "totally destroy" the country. But privately senior figures admit the military options do not look promising, with ally South Korea´s densely populated capital Seoul in range of the North´s artillery. Rocket man Tillerson, meanwhile, has been a proponent of a campaign of "peaceful pressure", using US and UN sanctions and working with China to turn the screw on the regime. But his efforts have been overshadowed by an extraordinary war of words, with Trump mocking Kim as "little Rocket Man" and Kim branding the US leader a "dotard". Even as Tillerson met Xi and China´s top diplomats State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the North´s propaganda agency fired a new barrage of insults. The statement proclaimed Trump an "old psychopath" bent on the "suicidal act of inviting a nuclear disaster that will reduce America to a sea of flames". North Korea´s rhetoric has been backed by a provocative series of ballistic missile tests and on September 3 it conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. In the decade since the North´s first nuclear explosion, it has made rapid progress in developing the kind of missile technology that would allow it to hit US targets. Washington, backed by most of the international community, has declared North Korea´s programme unacceptable, fearing that its own vast arsenal will not deter Kim from attack. With the world on edge, fears are growing that a miscalculation from either side could trigger a renewed deadly conflict on the divided Korean peninsula. Some recent tests saw North Korean missiles flying over Japan en route to the Pacific, and its latest underground detonation seems to have been of a powerful hydrogen bomb. Observers have expressed concern that if the North carries out an atmospheric nuclear test over the ocean, Washington will feel obliged to take risky military action. Heated rhetoric But Tillerson said that decision would be up to Trump alone and that "as far as I know the commander in chief has issued no red lines." Tillerson instead called for calm, singling out Pyongyang´s missile tests for criticism, but not rushing to defend Trump´s own heated rhetoric and bellicose tweets. "The whole situation is a bit overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down," he said in response to a question about Trump´s threats. "I think if North Korea would stop firing all the missiles, that would calm down things a lot," he said. Tillerson, who was in Beijing to plan for a summit that Xi will host for Trump in November, welcomed recent measures taken by China to crack down on its neighbour. The opening remarks at his three meetings with Xi, Yang and Wang contained no reference to North Korea, but he said afterwards the issue had been discussed. US leaders criticised Beijing for taking too soft a line with Pyongyang, but in recent weeks China has taken more drastic measures to cut off trade and finance. And in public, at least, the Chinese officials were all smiles for their guest. Xi touted what he said was his "good working relationship and personal friendship" with Trump and predicted that the summit "will be a special, wonderful and successful one".

Govt revises fuel prices for October, petrol increased by Rs2 per litre

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance on Saturday revised prices of petroleum products, increasing the price of petrol by Rs2 per litre. The new prices will come into effect on October 1. Petrol will now be sold at Rs73.5 per litre. Prices for high-speed diesel (HSD) and light-speed diesel (LSD) were also increased by Rs2. After the revision, HSD will be sold at Rs79.4 per litre and LSD will be sold at Rs46 per litre The ministry also increased the price of kerosene oil by Rs4 per litre. The new price is now Rs48 per litre.

Key accused in Tania Khaskheli?s murder admits to killing

HYDERABAD: Investigation into the murder of Tania Khaskheli has been completed as the key accused has admitted to the killing. As per the police report, accused Khan Noohani, Ali Noohani and Maula Bakhsh have admitted to Tania?s murder. According to Khan Noohani, he was on unpleasant terms with Tania for a month during which they also got into arguments. On the other hand, the accused?s pistol and bullet casings found from the site of murder have matched at the forensic laboratory where the material was sent for test. Accomplice of Tania Khaskheli's murderer arrested Ali Nohani, one of the two accused name in the FIR, was the murderer's accomplice, the police say Ali Noohani, who was the last accused in the case, was nabbed a few days back from Sanghar, while Khan was arrested from Balochistan on September 18. During the investigation, it surfaced that Ali aided Khan in fleeing from crime scene, Jamshoro SSP Irfan Bahadur said. On September 7, Khan Noohani killed Tania over her refusal to marry him. The girl?s father had told the police that Khan along with his accomplices had barged into their house in an area of Sehwan. The deceased?s father said the accused tried to intimidate them with their weapons. However, the girl?s resistance infuriated Khan who then shot her dead.

Video Game Characters Are Getting A Little Too Real And It's Freaking Us Out

Video games are getting a little too freakishly real! Mindlessly blasting away at video game characters when they are looking at you with dead eyes and zombie like facial expression is still alright, but if the same characters appear to be expressing actual emotions and pain, it can get a little unnerving. But, seems like we're getting quite close to that, going by this new demo for the Unreal Engine, and I honestly don't know how I feel about that. However, the character in the demo doesn't quite escape the uncanny valley, the term used to describe computer-generated humans that ironically look fake as a result of being so close to photo-realistic. But, the way the features on his face are able to flex and move, can be a little uncomfortable, but is also a perfect reminder of how far technology has come. Can you imagine games looking like this in the future? You can watch the whole demo here. Get ready to freak out!

Ajay Devgn And Parineet Chopra's Reprised Version Of ‘Neend Churai Meri' Fails To Impress Us

Reprising and recreating of old chartbusters is the latest trend in B-town. From ‘Kala Chashma' to ‘Tamma Tamma', many 90s hit tracks have been rehashed lately but not every experiment is successful. Remember those famous lyrics, “Neend churayi meri kisne o sanam....Tu ne”? Well, every kid born in the 90s has grooved to ‘Neend Churai Meri' from the cult film ‘Ishq'. Anu Malik's music, Kumar Sanu, and Udit Narayan's voice were all that was needed to create a Bollywood hit number during those days. The song not only ruled the music charts for weeks but also become everyone's favourite song. And finally, Rohit Shetty has released the reprised version of 90's hit song in his upcoming flick ‘Golmaal Again'. This is the first time that the same actor is seen in the recreated version of his own song. 20 years ago, this song debuted in the Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla starrer ‘Ishq' and now the same track has been reprised in ‘Golmaal Again' as ‘Maine Tujko Dekha'. Though, after listening to the new track we wish what happened 20 years ago was left untouched. Sadly, Rohit and Ajay had a different plan. What Anu Malik created once, has now been crushed by the same hands. Nor do you get Kajol's and Ajay's peppy chemistry and neither does the song leaves a real impact. This new track is an utter disappointment and makes you wonder why the track was even remade in the first place. The song focuses on Parineeti Chopra as Ajay tries to woo her, and I so wish I could say this song didn't destroy those memories, but I just can't. Growing up listening to this epic song is one thing that will stay with many kids who were born in 90's. Even today, when the song comes on, one can't refrain from grooving to its beats and sing along, exhausting our vocal cords. That was the magic of that cult song! © Ajay Devgn FFilms There is nothing new that this song offers. You are presented with Ajay's trademark steps and a train to sequence from ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya'. It seems like producers these days are hell-bent on ruining every old song. Ajay and Rohit, congratulations on royally messing up yet another 90's song.

Stay Single Till You Meet This Kind Of Girl & Then, Don't Let Her Go

Stay single till you meet the kind of girl whose face lights up at the sight of you. The kind of girl who can't stop smiling around you. The girl who looks forward to seeing you because without seeing your face, somehow, her day isn't the same. Wait till you meet the kind of girl who cannot see anyone but you; even when she's in a crowd. The kind of girl who won't leave your side at a party, or even around friends. Stay single till you meet the kind of girl who understands taking it slow but, won't use that as a way to look for other potential interests. The kind of girl who knows from the very beginning that it's you. The kind of girl who has been waiting for someone like you to come along for the longest time. She knows it's cheesy and silly. But, she also knows it's instinctive and she believes in nothing else. Pexels She's the one who will do absolutely anything to brighten up your day. She's the one who will ask after you and look out for you even when you don't know it. She'll wonder why you're down and do all that she can to pick you up. She'll go the extra mile and do what seems almost too difficult for her just so she can let you know that she's in it for good. Wait till you meet such a girl who is already off the market since she met you; it doesn't matter if the two of you are single, or confused. She'll be the one who will be waiting for the day you are ready. And when you are, she will be right there waiting for you to realize what she knew to be true all along. This kind of girl will be your very own personal cheerleader. She will make you feel things in ways that you have never felt before. She will make you feel in ways that you cannot comprehend. You've never been here before; you may not even understand it all completely. But, let it unfold. Pexels This kind of girl will go to any end—rosy or ugly to let you know what she's feeling; even if it's the hardest thing she may ever have to do. She will fight with you and for you. And she will apologise a hundred different times. She will make mistakes and rectify those mistakes for you. Don't, for a single minute, take this to mean that she is weak-willed, gullible or needy. Take this, instead to believe that she is so certain of your existence in her life that she's willing to bet her very own existence on it. Her spirit is commendable and indomitable all at once; even when she may not show it. And when you're ready for this kind of girl, don't waste another minute. Date her. Date her so she knows you realize she was the one all along. Date her so you can finally experience what real feelings and true connection really are. Date her so she can fall for you and you, for her. Date her so she knows that you appreciate her; so she can show you that nothing else matters. All the uncertainty, the doubt, the shadows of the past and the cloudiness of the future will then be irrelevant. Pexels Date her because she will become your best friend. And you will never have to want anyone ever again. Date her because when you need someone to talk to and be by your side, she will always be there, holding your head, lending you her shoulder and an ear. She will be there to listen to you, watch you be, give in to you, laugh at your jokes, wipe away your tears and embrace you like life depends on it. She will hold you till you no longer feel alone; she will care for you till you forget about the hurt and she will take all the hurt that you feel and feel it along with you, too. Date her because she will make your world seem better, happier. Date her because you will never have to search for anyone ever again. Date her because she will love you for you in any way that you want to be loved. She will be your friend, confidant, your personal clown and lover. This is the kind of girl you were made for. This is the kind of girl who will never leave because she knows what it's like to be left. She is the kind of girl who will meet you halfway; or more if you need. She is the girl who knows hurt and disaster all too well. She understands the burdens of the past and wants only good for your present and future. In fact, she will be sure to work for the betterment of it in ways that you would not even fathom until much later. She'll believe in the bigger picture; not some momentary image. Pexels She will love you like no other and it will be endless and boundless. When you meet this girl, make her your own. Because she will wait for you for however long it takes. She won't tire, even if it makes her restless. She will never give up on you; on both of you. She'll stick it through. Until then, stay single.

Man City Vs Chelsea: An EPL Blockbuster That'll Eventually Be Decided By Battle Of The Belgians

In what appears to be an absolute cracker of a game, defending champions Chelsea will take on current leaders Manchester City at Stamford Bridge today. While it's surely an early summit meeting between the two powerhouses of Premier League, both sides will be aiming to land a psychological blow in the title race, this season. Antonio Conte's Blues have recovered from their opening-day shock against Burnley to rise to third, while leaders Manchester City have caught the eye with their impressive scoring spree so far. A huge clash at the top of the table, today's encounter pits two in-form teams against each other. Reuters It's an odd one for City, because one game over the course of the season will not define who takes the title. In both of their recent Premier League-winning campaigns, City lost at Stamford Bridge. However, there's an underlying issue with Guardiola's team in that, they've not had a great record against their rivals for some time now. City haven't beaten any team that went on to finish alongside them in the top four since December 2014, which demonstrates how poor they've been against their rivals for a while. In that sense, today's match perhaps carries more weight for the visitors - especially following the 5-0 win over Liverpool earlier in the season. Reuters Chelsea's 3-1 win at the Etihad stadium was perhaps the first time when everyone started to take Conte's side seriously last season. That game was won on the backfoot with clinically incisive counter-attacks that imbued a confidence in the squad that they never relinquished. Another win today, especially coming off the back of a victory in Madrid, would certainly see expectations surge among the players and the fans. Today's result will not dictate the title race, but it will surely deliver a psychological blow to the losing side and provide considerable momentum to the winners. Dirty Blues Reuters Man City and Chelsea are undeniably the top contenders in the Premier League title race, but despite leading the charts, the two EPL giants are also the most ill-disciplined teams this season and among the worst offenders in the top flight. Both the teams are clear at the top of the FA's fair play table this season after an opening two months littered by red and yellow cards. City have collected 16 bookings and two red cards in their opening seven matches (including all first team competitive games), making them the worst-behaved team in the top flight on 84 disciplinary points. If City are leading the charts, Conte's side isn't far behind, in fact, the Blues are just two points adrift from their opponents on the second spot in the infamous list. In the seven games so far, Chelsea was witnessed its players receive 12 yellow cards and three send-offs. Going by the statistics, Saturday's clash should be no different. In a bid to gain an upperhand early in the season, we won't be surprise to see the two giants playing a bit dirty. Battle Of The Belgians Reuters Teammates on the national side, today's clash pits Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne - match-winners for their respective sides - against each other. There are currently 16 Premier League players who've represented Belgium in the last calendar year alone, yet none are close to being labelled as Belgium's star attractions - a compliment reserved for Hazard and De Bruyne. De Bruyne is clearly a midfielder rather than a forward, even more so considering Guardiola has shifted him deeper to become a No. 8 rather than a No. 10. Operating from a deeper position, De Bruyne ability to pick out players is what has made City so lethal this season. He has orchestrated numerous attacks which saw City score 21 goals in just six games - also the league's best attack. If De Bruyne is the string-puller for City, then Hazard, irrespective of the game-time this season, is undoubtedly the obvious source of creativity for Chelsea. Unlike his teammate, Hazard is more of a forward than a midfielder, and the 3-5-1-1 system used by Conte in the midweek victory at Atletico Madrid means he's essentially becoming used more as a support striker. Both Belgians are genuine attacking all-rounders and, in today's clash, the two creative geniuses will once again lead the charge for their respective sides as the two fellow countrymen shed national colours in favour of club loyalties. Defensive Resilience Reuters Both City and Chelsea boast an effective attacking line. Summer signing from Real Madrid, Alvaro Morata has been Chelsea's main source of goals so far. He's bagged four in the last week and his partnership with Hazard against Atletico Madrid showed early signs of promise. On the other hand, the fact that Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane have all scored more than five goals this season, shows what City's front-line is capable of. But, despite their attacking prowess, it's the defensive resilience that could possibly decide the fate of this fixture. With both teams prolific in attack, it is likely to cause problems at either sides of the goals. And, this is where, a team that ends up containing the opposition is likely to have a say on the result. Against Jesus and Sterling, Chelsea's rearguard is likely to be tested in the absence of David Luiz. The Brazilian will complete his three-match suspension for his dismissal against Arsenal, so Antonio Rudiger or Andreas Christensen can be expected to start. In the six EPL games, Conte's backline has been five times this season. As ridiculed as City's defence has been, don't write them off so quickly. The Cityzens might be missing their 52-million-pound defender Benjamin Mendy, but the fact that they have conceded just two goals, has given them a goal difference of plus-19. Contrary to popular belief, City actually boast of a joint-best defence with Manchester United, this season. If Guardiola is considered a shrewd tactician, Conte is capable of pulling off a tactical masterclass. If Chelsea have the know-how, City have the weaponry to steamroll their opponents. While it's hard to call this one - given the star-studded line-ups, the football fanatics should be the ultimate winners, for there will be talent, skill, excitement and unparalleled entertainment.

Loved Rajkummar Rao In ‘Newton'? He Is All Set To Go Nude In His Next Film

Every time Rajkummar Rao appears on-screen, he totally leaves us stunned with his sheer talent. While most actors stick to their genre, Rajkummar is known for donning different characters and roles every single time. He not only portrays every part with perfection but entertains us thoroughly. From a fully toned body to losing weight for his film ‘Trapped' to gaining those extra pounds and going bald for ‘Bose', he does everything possible to get nail the look of the character he is playing. #AnActorsLife #Building a character. From Behen Hogi Teri to Trapped to currently shooting for #Bose. Nothing gives me more high than preparing and living a character. A post shared by Raj Kummar Rao (@rajkummar_rao) on Jul 4, 2017 at 10:42pm PDT Rajkummar is busy creating his own niche and taking the industry by storm. Just recently, he moved everyone with his remarkable performance in ‘Newton'. The film is creating a ton of buzz in tinsel town and garnering a lot of praise from viewers all over India. ‘Netwon' is also India's official entry for the Oscars. And amid all this, his next project has already become the talk of the town. Wondering why? Well, the National Award winning actor is all set to go nude for his next film ‘Omerta', directed by Hansal Mehta. Known for his method acting, the actor is going all in for his next role once again. Produced by Swiss Entertainment & Karma Features, #Omerta has @RajkummarRao playing yet another real life character. http://pic.twitter.com/S9TNvROhyy — Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) November 10, 2016 This is said to be one of the boldest roles that Rajkummar will be playing. He will be seen stepping into the shoes of terrorist, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. “I'm comfortable with my body and if a scene genuinely demands nudity, I don't mind it. As long as it's for the scene and not to titillate the audience, I am okay. Be it LSD, Shahid or now Omerta, these are all very powerful scenes in extremely relevant contexts,” Raj told Deccan Chronicle. © Twitter The movie was recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and has got a positive response. Now we can't wait for this one to release in India soon. You rock, Rajkummar!

Iran's Zarif urges Europe to defy Trump on sanctions

LONDON: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that the only way to stop its nuclear deal from collapsing is for Europe to defy any US reimposition of sanctions. In an interview published Saturday by Britain's Guardian newspaper, Zarif said Iran would develop much more advanced nuclear technology - though not for weapons purposes - if Europe followed the United States in returning to a sanctions regime. "Europe should lead," he said during an interview in New York. The deal agreed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers - the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany - lifts economic sanctions put in place in 2005 in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for verifying that Iran meets the terms of the agreement. US President Donald Trump has attacked the deal on numerous occasions, vowing to tear it up. On October 15, Trump is due to testify to Congress whether Tehran is complying with the deal and whether it remains in the United States' interests to stick by it. If he decides it is not, it could open the way for US lawmakers to reimpose sanctions, leading to the potential collapse of the agreement. "I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now he's turning that into being unreliable as well," Zarif said. "My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision." He said that if the United States scuppers the deal, the decision would prove counter-productive. "The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base," he said. "If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology. It will always be peaceful... but we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain." Zarif said "walking away" was one of the options being considered by Tehran. "If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal," he said. Washington on Thursday pressed for the IAEA to carry out more nuclear inspections in Iran, warning that failure to do so would make the nuclear deal with Tehran "an empty promise".

Up to 30 feared dead as DR Congo army plane crashes

KINHASA: A military transport plane belonging to the Congolese army crashed near Kinshasa on Saturday, killing "several dozen" people, military and airport sources told AFP. The Antonov transport plane had just taken off and had "several dozen people" on board, an airport source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The plane went down in Nsele, about 100 kilometres to the east of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the source said. A local official in the area of the crash told AFP there were "no survivors". The plane, which had a Russian crew, was carrying "two vehicles and weapons" and military personnel, a source at the army's headquarters told AFP, also speaking on condition of anonymity. He said there were "between 20 and 30 people" on board when it took off from Ndolo airport in Kinshasa. A witness at the crash site told AFP he had seen the plane "falling" out the sky shortly before 9:00 am but said there was no sign of any smoke coming from the aircraft.

According To Satya Nadella, You Need To Embrace Empathy To Excel At Your Workplace And In Life

t has been almost three and a half years since Satya Nadella took the reins at Microsoft and during this period, a lot has changed both inside and outside Microsoft. Under his leadership, Microsoft stopped trying to go head-to-head with Apple and Android devices. It narrowed down its focus on areas where it could shine, like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Then there have been clashes between governments and tech giants like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others over users privacy laws. Three days ago, Facebook acquired WhatsApp was completely blocked in China and if you remember, not so long ago, Google had to pay a hefty fine of $2.7 billion posed by the European Union for abusing its search-engine dominance. In short, it is a tough time for all tech giants. Amid all this mayhem, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was recently quoted saying, “We will regret sacrificing privacy for national security” On all shores, Nadella has proved his mettle and Bill Gates' decision of handing him the driving seat at Microsoft was a smart and tactical one. In his recent talk with Bloomberg accompanied with the launch of his new business-book-slash-memoir, Hit Refresh, he recounts how, as a new CEO, he came to realize that the company's recent stumbles weren't due to failures of intellect, but of cultural cohesion. ©books.google.com In a recent blog post on LinkedIn, he emphasized on the power of empathy quoting, "I hope readers see the book's main takeaway as the power of taking everyday action driven by empathy.” According to the Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, there are very beautiful lessons which could be learned from practicing empathy at your workplace and in your life as well. As Nadella writes, "Hitting refresh is required for any person and organization looking to make a sustained impact over a long period of time." He further added, "Ideas excite me. Empathy grounds and centers me" His lessons on empathy ©ThinkstockPhotos 1. Empathy improves teamwork. When he became CEO in 2014 he saw, "Teamwork was being replaced by internal politics. We were falling behind, While I admired every member of our team, I felt that we needed to deepen our understanding of one another—to delve into what really makes each of us tick—and to connect our personal philosophies to our jobs." He emphasized on knowing each other a little bit more, then only can empathy exist. 2. Empathy helps open your mind. Nadella says empathy does far more than just motivating you to volunteer or donate, as it primarily opens your mind up to think more about other people's perspectives. In a recent Wall Street Journal interview he said, "The business we are in is to meet the unmet, unarticulated needs of customers, and there's no way you're going to do that well without having empathy and curiosity." He also acknowledged that he didn't realize just how important empathy was until his son was born with cerebral palsy. It was an experience that led him to better understand why being able to see things from somebody else's perspective is so important. 3. Empathy helps you admit mistakes and move on. If you remember he took over Microsoft right after it bought Nokia's phone business for more than $7 billion. It was an investment plenty of tech analysts have argued was a bad idea. Under Nadella, Microsoft stopped repeating that mistake and shifted its focus in areas like cloud computing and AI. That one of the perfect example of learning to admit your mistakes even after being counted as one of the leading tech giants. With the help of empathy, they carved their own new path to success. Nadella remembering legendary computer scientist Alan Kay ©Famous People During the event, Nadella also cited the comment of legendary computer scientist Alan Kay. Alan kay pioneered many of the key concepts in the world of personal computing Nadella remembered saying, “It's Alan Kay who said ‘if you're serious about your software, you make your own hardware.' I think there's some truth to it. Without that, you can't create new categories of devices, which is why Microsoft built its own HoloLens augmented reality goggles and the processors that run them. Bill Gates Foreword in Hit Refresh ©Instagram/economictimes Gates said, “It was no surprise to me that once Nadella became Microsoft's CEO, he immediately put his mark on the company. As the title of this book implies, he didn't completely break with the past when you hit refresh on your browser, some of what's on the page stays the same.”