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.”

Azhar Ali joins Pakistan´s 5,000 Test club

ABU DHABI: Consistent Pakistan middle-order batsman Azhar Ali completed 5,000 runs in the longer format during the third day's play in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. The 32-year-old became the eighth Pakistan batsman to reach the milestone in his 61st Test when he took a single to reach a personal score of 32. Ali made his Test debut against Australia at Lord's in Pakistan's neutral venue series in England in 2010 and has since been a consistent performer with the bat. He became the first-century maker in a day-night Test during his epic triple hundred against the West Indies in Dubai last year. He scored 1198 runs in 11 Tests in 2016, also including a fighting double hundred against Australia at Melbourne. Younis Khan is the leading Test run-getter for Pakistan, with 10,099 runs in 118 Tests. Here is the list of Pakistan batsmen who scored 5,000 or more runs in Test cricket (under Test and runs) Younis Khan - 118 Tests - 10,099 runs Javed Miandad - 124 Tests - 8832 runs Inzamam-ul-Haq - 119 Tests - 8829 runs Mohammad Yousuf - 90 Tests - 7530 runs Salim Malik - 103 Tests - 5768 runs Misbah-ul-Haq - 75 Tests - 5222 runs Zaheer Abbas - 78 Tests - 5062 runs Azhar Ali - 61 Tests - 5,000 runs

Scientists make first video call using ?unhackable? quantum network

A man poses inside a server room at an IT company in this June 19, 2017 illustration photo. Reuters Scientists in Austria and China made the first video call using quantum encryption, which is dubbed as ? impregnable? by experts. A statement issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that its president, Chunli Bai, made a video call to his counterpart at the Austria Academy of Sciences in Vienna, Anton Zeilinger, in the ?first real-world demonstration of intercontinental quantum communication?. As opposed to the conventional encryption methods, encryption through quantum networks uses quantum particles to transfer information from one point to another. Quantum channels send messages embedded in light, and experts say that attempts to disrupt or eavesdrop on them would create detectable disturbances in the system. The video call was done using a ?sophisticated satellite, named Micius?, which is equipped with ?a decoy-state QKD transmitter, an entangled-photon source, and a quantum teleportation receiver and analyser,? The Independent reported. China in early September set up its first ?commercial? quantum network in its northern province of Shandong, state media said, the country?s latest step in advancing a technology expected to enable ?hack proof? communications. China touted that it is at the forefront of developing quantum technology. In August it said it sent its first ?unbreakable? quantum code from an experimental satellite to the Earth. The Pentagon had called the launch of that satellite a year earlier a ?notable advance?. The country?s ?first commercial quantum private communication network? was set up for exclusive use by more than 200 government and official users in Shandong?s provincial capital Jinan, the official Xinhua news agency said. ?Hundreds of pieces of equipment connected by hundreds of kilometers of fiber optics were installed within five months,? Xinhua said. The network provides secure telephone and data communication services and is expected to be connected to a Beijing-Shanghai quantum network, the news agency said. Other countries, including the United States, have been working on their own quantum networks for years.

Security forces foil terror bid in Balochistan: ISPR

[embed_video1 url=http://ift.tt/2hBXTov style=center] RAWALPINDI: Security forces in Balochistan on Saturday averted a possible attack on a Muharram procession in Quetta, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). FC Balochistan recovered a car prepared as an improvised explosive device (IED) from the Pishin district of the Balochistan. ISPR added that the "mastermind and his two accomplices were arrested". In Punjab, Rangers along with police carried out patrolling and flag marches in important areas of major cities, while the quick reaction forces have been deployed near sensitive areas. Extensive intelligence-based operations (IBOs) are being carried out in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan, DG Khan, Lahore, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, said ISPR. During these operations, 27 suspects were apprehended and a cache of illegal weapons recovered.

Indian troops prevent Muharram processions in Occupied Kashmir

A Kashmiri Muslim mourner shouts slogans from a police van after his detention during a Muharram procession in Srinagar. File photo:AFP Indian troops continued to impose strict restrictions in Occupied Kashmir to prevent people from taking out Muharram processions on Saturday, Kashmir Media Service reported. Authorities deployed Indian troops, police and paramilitary personnel in full riot gear across Srinagar to stop the Muharram processions. Pedestrian movement has been suspended, while the forces have placed coils of razor-fitted wire on the main roads to prevent movement of traffic. Officials told media that the restrictions will remain in force until Ashura on Sunday (10th Muharram). Main Muharram processions are banned in the occupied territory since 1990, and only small mourning rallies are allowed in selected areas. Meanwhile, Indian police arrested dozens of mourners including a minor boy, during a Muharram procession near Jehangir Chowk on Friday. Scores of people were injured due to the use of brute force on mourners by Indian troops and police personnel in Srinagar.

Kim Kardashian confirms third baby on the way

LOS ANGELES: Kim Kardashian has confirmed reports that she and husband Kanye West are having a third baby, with the couple expected to use a surrogate for the birth. Kardashian?s confirmation, in a trailer released on Thursday for the new series of reality show ?Keeping Up With the Kardashians,? means that three of the Kardashian siblings are expecting children around the same time. Multiple media reports in the past week have said that Khloe Kardashian, 33, and Kylie Jenner, at 20 the youngest member of the celebrity family, are pregnant for the first time. The women and their representatives have neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Kim Kardashian and West were rumored in June to have hired a surrogate because of serious health complications with Kardashian?s first two pregnancies and the birth of children North, 4, and one-year-old Saint. In Thursday?s trailer, Kim is seen telling her sister Khloe her good news on the phone. ?What happens every time I say, ?Guess what?'? ?The person?s pregnant?? Khloe responds. ?We?re having a baby!,? Kim announces. The reality star has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labors, and has spoken about considering surrogacy for future children with West. ?Keeping Up With the Kardashians? returns for a 14th season on Sunday on the E! television network. Thursday?s trailer did not address the reported pregnancies of Khloe and Kylie.

In Pictures: Thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar communal violence

More than 2,000 Rohingya have massed along Myanmar's coast this week after trekking from inland villages in Rakhine state to join the refugee exodus to Bangladesh. They follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month, fleeing an army crackdown and communal violence the UN says amounts to "ethnic cleansing". The journey to Bangladesh is fraught with danger for the stateless Muslim minority, who have faced decades of systematic oppression in mainly Buddhist Myanmar. After fleeing burning villages they say were set alight by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, more than 100 Rohingya have drowned in the scramble to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries. Scores have drowned while trying to cross the waters, while those who survive face new dangers as they cram into squalid refugee settlements where food and clean water are in short supply. A Rohingya Muslim refugee walks by night after crossing the border from Myanmar. A Rohingya Muslim refugee carries his belongings as he walks with other people by night after crossing the border from Myanmar. Rohingya refugees who just arrived under the cover of darkness by a wooden boat from Myanmar. A Rohingya refugee woman holds children as they are arriving under the cover of darkness by a wooden boat from Myanmar at Shah Porir Dwip, in Teknaf. Bangladeshi officials give money for daily food ration to Rohingya Muslim refugees after they cross the border from Myanmar. A Bangladeshi official gives money for daily food ration to Rohingya Muslim refugees after they cross the border from Myanmar. Rohingya Muslim refugee walks after crossing the border from Myanmar. Rohingya Muslim refugees walk by night after crossing the border from Myanmar. Rohingya Muslim refugees walk by night after crossing the border from Myanmar. Rohingya refugee sisters, who just arrived under the cover of darkness by wooden boats from Myanmar, hug each other as they try to find their parents at Shah Porir Dwip. Rohingya Muslim refugees walk to a camp for refugees after crossing the border from Myanmar, in Teknaf on September 29, 2017

Tim Cook Just Announced That iPhone 8 And iPhone 8 Plus Will Also Support Hindi Diction

If you were on the fence about buying any of the new iPhones, Apple might have another added incentive for you. Apple's Chief Executive Tim Cook just announced that the newly launched iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus will support Hindi diction. “We got a new keyboard for India and we now support 11 local languages. The iPhone now takes dictation in Hindi,” he said in a video message. © Apple During an event at Reliance Jio's corporate headquarters, the company announced a ton of offers for the latest series of iPhones. The message by Cook regarding the introduction of this new Hindi diction was also played at the same event. Jio has also launched a buyback scheme, with which they're basically offering a 70% discount for customers to upgrade handsets after a year. “We promise a 70 per cent buyback for iPhone 8, 8+ and 10, after one year,” Jio's director, and Ambani's son, Akash Ambani, said at the launch. © Apple Reportedly, customers opting for a plan of â¹799 per month or above will be eligible to avail this offer. A statement released by the company said: “This offer not only makes the device much more affordable but also enables customers to upgrade to newer models after utilising the buyback schemes.” © Apple In another video message, Mukesh Ambani said that Jio's new partnership with Apple is set on delivering “best value” and a better experience for customers. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus will be available for â¹64,000 onwards.

Short Wives & Tall Husbands Are Scientifically The Best Couple Combo

You know how you see couples with huge height differences? Like, if the woman is a 4 ft 11 inches and the man is a good 6 feet tall, towering over her? Turns out, they're more likely to have a successful and happy relationship than most. Borlem You see, the key lies in the difference of heights. And now, there's even science to back that up. According to a recent study, the couples with biggest height differences have the best relationships and make perfect marriages. And that's not all. The study further divulges specific details that prove that shorter wives and taller husbands actually make for the most ideal of relationships and are stronger as a couple than most others. Also, taller men as it would turn out, seem to have a more sexually satisfied appetite than most other men. And when you really do put two and two together, you'd come to realize that in a lot of ways, these dynamics and facts have been right about romantic relationships, with or without the quantification of a scientific study. Huffington Post “Although it has been known that women prefer tall men in mating for evolutionary reasons, no study has investigated whether a taller husband makes his wife happier. A greater height difference in a couple was positively related to the wife's happiness,” explains Dr Sohn in the Journal Of Personality and Individual Differences. The study further goes on to reveal that husbands play a rather significant role in building and making a relationship last and stand the test of time. Women with taller husbands generally tend to be happier in their relationships than most others. Pinterest This isn't to say that most other relationships aren't built to last. A scientific study and a general obvious dynamic do not determine the elasticity of a relationship. It has a lot more to do with two people and the kind of connection they share with each other. And if the love and the connection are deeply intertwined, I highly doubt a difference in height can really influence one's relationships much. So, couples who don't have much of a height difference between the two spouses, don't feel disheartened. Your relationship is based on a lot more than just height differences and scientific studies. Take it with a pinch of salt.

These Pictures Of The Slick ‘Bigg Boss' House Will Make You Wish It Was Airing Today

Everyone's favourite show ‘Bigg Boss' is gearing up to make a comeback and fans are already frothing at the mouth. The 11th season of the show premieres on October 1st, and we bet many of you are already clearing your schedules to be able to catch the show, religiously. From saucy gossip, flights, love stories, flirting, intimacy, conspiracies and so much more, ‘Bigg Boss' is all about entertainment, entertainment, and a little more entertainment for good measure! Love it or hate it, the show has a huge fan following and consistently earns insane ratings. And since Salman Khan started hosting it, the numbers have pretty much tripled! Scripted or not, BB is one of those shows that you'll be talking about with your colleagues as if the contestants are your family mates. The more you watch the show, the more you start falling for the on-screen drama. Soon, you'll have the contestant you hate, a contestant you sympathise with and the one you truly want to bag the BB title. Just yesterday, we gave you all the details on what is going to be happening inside the most watched house in the country and today we are back with the first look of the house. Right from the time we first saw the promos for the show, all we can talk about is the house. Finally, the channel has shared a scintillating first look of the house, making us wish we could take a walk around the pad ourselves! #BREAKING !!!! First look ð #BiggBoss11 @beingsalmankhan A post shared by Colors TV (@colorstv) on Sep 29, 2017 at 8:25am PDT Doesn't that look grand? But then we don't expect anything less from the producers of the show. Like every season, here's the celestial, destiny-changing Jacuzzi! Because in the BB house, a lot can happen in the jacuzzi (geddit?). Jacuzzi #BiggBoss11 house http://pic.twitter.com/CN9Z5KIWWv — The Khabri (@BiggBossNewz) September 29, 2017 The Channel's handle Twitter ‘The Khabari' also released another picture of the living room, which looks peppy and vibrant. Living room #BiggBoss11 house http://pic.twitter.com/kbYuS1sC9y — The Khabri (@BiggBossNewz) September 29, 2017 For the first time, we will have an underground jail with literally no amenities except a string cot in the house, which we can't wait to check out. It's almost time to let the familiar chants ring again, “Bigg Boss chahte hai......”

Oxford University removes portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi

The portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi was painted by Chen Yanning. Photo: Chen Yanning/St Hugh's college, Oxford University The Oxford University, where Aung San Suu Kyi studied as an undergraduate, has removed her portrait from public display amid criticism of her handling of the Rohingya crisis. The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar has seen more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the country, has been criticised for failing to address UN allegations of ethnic cleansing. The governing body of Oxford?s St Hugh?s college decided to remove the painting of the Nobel laureate from its main entrance, days before the start of the new term. St Hugh's College said her portrait had been replaced with a Japanese painting. The portrait, painted by the artist Chen Yanning in 1997, belonged to Suu Kyi?s husband, the Oxford academic Michael Aris. After his death in 1999, the portrait was bequeathed to St Hugh?s, and hung near the college?s main entrance. The stateless and persecuted Rohingya Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities against the Rohingya, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications. In 2012, Suu Kyi was celebrated with an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, where she studied politics, philosophy and economics between 1964 and 1967. Suu Kyi, who won a Nobel peace prize in 1991, has been Myanmar's de facto civilian leader since winning elections in 2015. She has been facing growing international pressure to act, after evidence emerged that Myanmar?s military forces were driving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya out of the country.

Australian Rules: Tigers maul Crows to end long AFL title drought

Photo: AFL Twitter The Richmond Tigers shrugged off decades of frustration to win their 11th Australian Football League championship and first in 37 years with a 48-point trouncing of the Adelaide Crows in the Grand Final in Melbourne on Saturday. Trailing by 10 points after the opening quarter, the Tigers piled on seven unanswered goals to tear the game open and roared on to a 16.12 (108) to 8.12 (60) victory in front of a festive crowd of 100,021 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Tigers´ talismanic midfielder Dustin Martin capped his brilliant season by winning the Norm Smith medal as the most valuable player on the ground. The 26-year-old, who was awarded the Brownlow medal as the ´best and fairest´ player of the season, finished with 28 possessions and two goals in Australian Rules football´s showpiece match. The Crows, bidding for their first championship since back-to-back titles in 1997-98, were the dominant side of the regular season and entered the match as the bookmakers´ favourites. But after starting brightly with four goals in the first quarter, they promptly crumbled under pressure, their forwards completely shut down by their opponents´ superb defence. "It´s been an incredible year and I´ve just loved working alongside you all," Tigers captain Trent Cotchin told his team at the post-match trophy presentation. "A massive thank you to our fans and members. You deserve this." The Damien Hardwick-coached Tigers won their first championship since Tony Jewell´s side lifted the 1980 trophy with victory over the Collingwood Magpies.

Khursheed Shah criticises PTI for ?dividing opposition?

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah once again on Saturday criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's attempts to remove him from office, saying the party has introduced divisions in the opposition. Addressing media here, Shah said that alliance of PTI and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to replace the incumbent opposition leader has cause irreparable damage to a united opposition. Shah rebutted claims that the Pakistan People Party (PPP) takes ?solo flight? and does not take the PTI onboard on matters, reminding PTI that the last PPP govt had appointed Justice Fakrukhdin G. Ebrahim as the Chief Election Commissioner on its advice. PTI discusses new NA opposition leader prospect with MQM-Pakistan The leaders of the two parties mulled over the possibility of replacing Khursheed Shah with Shah Mehmood Qureshi ?If the PTI wanted an opposition leader of its choice, they could have asked me, I would have fulfilled their desire; it was wrong to divide the opposition,? he said. MQM-P and PTI joined hands to change leader of the oppositionwhen heads of both parties met in Karachi. During the meeting, PTI?s Shah Mehmood Qureshi and MQM-P chief Farooq Sattar expressed dissatisfaction with Shah and agreed on consulting other parties in the opposition over the matter. In a statement on Thursday, Shah demanded that PTI should be open about their reasons for wanting to change the opposition leader. The people that PTI have gone to for votes have also questioned the party?s decision, remarked Shah. Qureshi wants to replace Imran: Khursheed Shah Shah Mehmood Qureshi is not targeting my position rather he wants to sideline Imran Khan, he added PTI leaders talk about democracy but are not willing to accept PPP's majority, Shah added. Shah, while speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Sath, said that PTI leaders are trying to fulfill some other agenda through this move. "The matter pertains to PTI's internal war." Qureshi is trying to think of all the ways he can push Imran Khan back in the party politics, he added. On Tuesday, a delegation of PTI, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Firdous Shamim among others, met with the leaders of Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan. According to sources, the leaders of the two parties mulled over the possibility of replacing Shah, before the caretaker government steps in ahead of 2018 General Elections. Reports suggest that PTI has started making efforts to replace the opposition leader with its own senior member, Qureshi. The caretaker government is set up in consultation between the opposition and the present government. PTI officials said if all the opposition parties unite against the PPP then a new opposition leader can emerge in the Lower House of Parliament.

Over 2,000 Rohingya mass on Myanmar coast to join exodus

The refugees follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month. Photo: REUTERS YANGON: More than 2,000 Rohingya have massed along Myanmar´s coast this week after trekking from inland villages in Rakhine state to join the refugee exodus to Bangladesh, state media reported Saturday. The refugees follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month, fleeing an army crackdown and communal violence the UN says amounts to "ethnic cleansing". The journey to Bangladesh is fraught with danger for the stateless Muslim minority, who have faced decades of systematic oppression in mainly Buddhist Myanmar. After fleeing burning villages they say were set alight by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, more than one hundred Rohingya have drowned in the scramble to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries. The latest boat capsize on Thursday has left some 60 feared dead, with 23 bodies -- mainly of children -- brought to shore as dozens more remain missing. The crowds building up along Rakhine´s coast hail from the same inland area -- Buthidaung township, west of the Mayu mountain range -- as many of those who perished in the boat tragedy. "Starting on Tuesday, they left their region, claiming that they felt insecure to remain because they were now living in a sparsely populated area, as most of their relatives had left for Bangladesh," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported. More than half had gathered on a beach near Lay Yin Kwin village, the report said, with photos of women and children clustered together on the sand as security officers looked on. It was not clear if or how they would complete the journey to Bangladesh, where the unprecedented influx of refugees has unfurled a separate humanitarian crisis as aid groups struggle to meet their vast needs. The report said officials tried to assure the Rohingya of their safety in Myanmar but villagers said they "would still like to go to Bangladesh of their own accord." The UN has previously reported that increasingly isolated Muslim communities in Rakhine are receiving regular threats from local Rakhine Buddhists to leave the area. US says countries should suspend providing weapons to Myanmar ?We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be, They have also been cut off from crucial humanitarian aid since August 25, when Rohingya militant raids triggered the military backlash that plunged the region into crisis. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing is under way and instead blames Rohingya militants for the violence, which has also displaced tens of thousands of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus. The unrest has inflamed already blistering religious tensions and fuelled a dizzying array of claims and counterclaims from different ethnic groups. The Muslim Rohingya have been the target of especially acute loathing in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and are instead branded "Bengalis" -- or illegal migrants who do not belong in the Buddhist-majority country.

Sri Lanka fight back after Pakistan's solid start

Shan Masood and Sami Aslam put up a 100+ opening stand for Pakistan/AFP ABU DHABI: Openers Shan Masood and Sami Aslam scored half centuries before Sri Lanka's spinners hit back to put Pakistan under pressure on the third day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Pakistan were 121-2 at lunch after both openers were removed, with Azhar Ali unbeaten on five and Asad Shafiq on one with Pakistan still 298 runs behind Sri Lanka´s first innings total of 419. Masood struck a confident 59 while Aslam made 51 in a solid stand of 114 before the Sri Lankan spinners Dilruwan Perera and Rangana Herath put the brakes on the innings. Aslam, recalled after being dropped from the West Indies tour on disciplinary grounds earlier this year, was trapped leg-before by off-break bowler Perera. He hit four boundaries in his seventh Test half century. Two runs later Masood attempted a sweep shot off the wily Herath but missed the ball and was bowled round his legs. Both Azhar and Shafiq survived confident appeals. Azhar wisely reviewed a leg-before decision off Perera, but the ball hit his bat before the pad. Shafiq was given not out on a review when he was stumped off Herath on one. Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 419, had reached 64-0 at close on the second day of the match on Friday. Earlier, Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal scored a brilliant 155 not out while Niroshan Dickwella made a career best 83, to post a big 419 against Pakistan on the second day. Chandimal remained unbeaten over 546 minutes with 14 boundaries, which left Pakistan's bowlers frustrated on a flat pitch. Diruwan Perera added 33 to the Sri Lankan scoreboard. Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas (3-75) and leg-spinner Yasir Shah (3-120) sported the best figures for Pakistan.

PCB makes domestic participation mandatory for foreign league NOCs

PCB says it is compulsory for centrally contracted players to participate in National T20 Cup in order to be issued NOCs for BPL and Global T20 League LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has made it clear that centrally contracted players would only be issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in foreign T20 leagues if they agree to participate in the National T20 Cup. In a press release issued on Saturday, the PCB said it is compulsory for all the centrally contracted players to participate in the domestic T20 tournament, which is scheduled to be held from November 7 to 23, 2017 in Multan and Faisalabad. ?PCB has decided that all the centrally contracted players, who are not facing any other restrictions, must also participate in PCB?s T20 tournament to strengthen our domestic cricket, as per international best practices,? the release stated. ?In order to facilitate our players and also keeping in view good relationship with Bangladesh and South Africa cricket boards, NOCs would be issued to all centrally contracted players to play BPL and Global T20 leagues, subject to the condition that they must play PCB?s T20 tournament from November 7 to 17, 2017,? the board added. The National T20 Cup was rescheduled due to the recently held World XI tour to Pakistan. BPL and Global T20 League in South Africa have also been scheduled in the same period by the respective cricket boards/organisers. A number of current Pakistan players have been contracted to play in the BPL and Global T20 League. However, retired players like Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan along with players like Mohammad Sami and Sohail Tanvir, who are not centrally contracted, will be issued NOCs from the start, the PCB added.

Knife attacks on women: Karachi police register two more cases

[embed_video1 url=http://ift.tt/2xEOa7k style=center] KARACHI: Police have booked two more cases reported by victims of stabbing attacks in the city?s Gulistan-e-Jauhar locality this week, bringing the total at five. Till Thursday, eight women in areas of Rabia City and Jauhar Chowrangi had reported being stabbed by an assailant on a bike. 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. The incidents have sparked fear and panic among the area residents, forcing women to take extra precautions before going outside. Witnesses record statements One of the victims, who was attacked on September 26, said that an unidentified man on a motorcycle wearing a black helmet attacked her from behind, Geo News reported on Thursday. As a result, her leg was severely injured and she took a rickshaw to reach her house. The victim's mother then took her to a hospital and her father informed the police. However, when the police reached her house, they arrested her father for the incident. Her father, Abdul Rashid, remarked that he was detained overnight and claimed the police had asked him for a bribe. 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 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. "I went outside to buy something when I was attacked by the assailants on a motorcycle," she said, adding that at least one of the attackers was wearing a black shirt. The victim?s mother said her daughter had received eight stitches for her wounds. According to the spokesperson of a private hospital in the area, as many as five girls had been brought to the hospital for treatment of knife injuries in the past few days. He added four women were injured in two attacks on September 25, and one girl was attacked the very next day. Police have started investigations into the case, he said. Fear, panic in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Panic has gripped different localities in Gulistan-e-Jauhar following the attacks. 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.

Op Radd-ul Fasaad: Security forces recover weapons in Balochistan?s Kohlu

KOHLU: Under the ongoing Operation Radd-ul Fasaad, intelligence agencies and Levies forces conducted raids and recovered huge quantity of weapons from Balochistan?s Kohlu district. In a press conference, Deputy Commissioner Kohlu Agha Nabil said that the security forces raided Makhi Nala area of Kahan. During the raid, arms and ammunition were recovered from the hideouts belonging to proscribed organisation members, said Nabil. Three hand grenades, seven anti-tank mines, 477 LMG rounds, one kilogramme of explosive material, rifle, machine gun, detonator, five RPG-7 fuses, 400 yards of detonator cable and other weapons were recovered, he stated. Balochistan - Pakistan's largest province in terms of land area - has been plagued by an insurgency and sectarian killings for several years now. However, security forces have conducted effective operations across the province cracking down on militants. This has led to a considerable drop in militancy in the province but scattered attacks are still reported at times. Following the beginning of Op Raddul Fasaad, security forces have intensified intelligence-based and combing operations in the province in an effort to establish peace in the province.

The Next iPhone Will Come With Massive Edge-To-Edge Displays

Apple's new lineup of iPhones has set a predicament for users on whether they should upgrade to the iPhone 8 or wait to spend 89,000 for the iPhone X. The latter has a beautiful edge-to-edge OLED display which might just set a standard for the next set of iPhones. © YouTube Apple's next set of iPhones may feature a similar edge-to-edge display however the company might have to make a choice between the regular IPS LCD screen or the OLED. According to a report by Wall Street Journal, Apple might make advancements in the LCD department to bring the curved edge-to-edge display to all next-gen iPhones. © YouTube Curved LCDs are not that difficult to manufacture as we can already see it being implemented in Xiaomi's Mi Mix 2 smartphone and the issue was reportedly solved by Japan display as they used plastic instead. Curbed LCD displays are reportedly less expensive to manufacture than OLED panels and Apple may just be one of the few interested buyers. © YouTube Apple has already made the move to feature an OLED panel on the iPhone X and it would not be a smart decision by the company to use LCD displays henceforth. It is rumoured that a trickle-down effect will take place and Apple will feature OLED panels on their phones, next year. OLED panels have caused production delays for Apple and if Apple is interested in upgrading the displays of their phones, the company needs to start working on it as soon as possible. In order to avoid supply chain issues, the curved LCD display seems like a good option and could solve the problem, too.

Here Is Why Even Truly Ambitious People Rarely Taste Success

Even though many of us have aims, we usually don't share them with the world. Sometimes these dreams and ambitions never come true. Why? The reason could be a number of causes but generally, it is due to the reason that we fear we might fail. We fear commitment towards our goal, we fear our potential, we fear peer pressure and so on. But, most of the time that fear is intrinsic and not extrinsic. i.e if it is intrinsic we can control it and if it is extrinsic like being stuck on a deserted island then maybe we can't. Here is a quote from well-known Winston Churchill on fear, courage, success. © ITV "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts," said Winston S. Churchill, former British Prime minister So what counts here is the process and not the product, because when you are at it, you can only control the present and that is the process. You don't have control over the outcome or the final result. Here is the crux of the story. All you need to succeed in life is a commitment towards your goal. Whatever gets in your way in life, you must chase what you really care about. That is one deciding difference between ambitious dreamers and ones who actually succeed. Here are the two steps that can help narrow your vision towards your goal. 1. Try new things and discover your niche ©izquotes.com It could be anything, like being physically fit so you become a fitness coach and more. You could be good in mathematics and look at being a scientist. You could be good in writing, someday you may get a chance to write a script for a movie. The opportunities are endless, only if you try. So try and find what you love doing and by that, I mean something that comes effortlessly to you and also gives you satisfaction and monetary benefits. The point I am trying to make here is to first go on an exploration mission to find your niche and when you find it, focus all your attention towards achieving it. Do not get into multiple business or fields at a time because if you do, you will come out with an average result or worse, may even fail. Listen to your gut feeling and be true to yourself. So, finding your niche is your aim and the ladder of success will start building. Ultimately you will become a master of that subject. 2. Be committed to your niche ©Everyday Power Blog The next and most important thing is being committed to your goal. No matter what the situation may be but if you are breathing then every single cell in your body must be committed to that goal. Other than that, everything else is either an excuse or an extrinsic factor you do not have control upon. You fail, you get up. You fail again, you get up again. And you will do that automatically if you have rightfully earned your true niche. You won't need any motivational pill to get up hundred more times but the inspiration will sprout from within each time you strike the unbreakable wall. It may not break instantly but then eventually it will fall down and you will move on towards your next goal. This is a two-step procedure and is as simple as it could be when you first taste success and as complex as it could be if you never do. The choice is always yours to make. Be the hero of your own life.

HBO Is Shelling Out An Obscene Amount Of Cash For Each New Episode Of Game Of Thrones

When you think of Game of Thrones, the first thing that comes to mind is bloodshed, ***, dragons, betrayals, love, war, and revenge. And who can forget the incestuous drama, white walkers, the three eyed raven, ghost, the list goes on and on. But coming back to the main point, there is no other show that gives you a combination of all these factors merged in one. Hence it doesn't surprise us that it is one of the most watched shows around the globe. (c) HBO So when the demand is that huge, it is obvious that the expenditure can't be small as well. The kind of cash the GOT cast makes per episode already made our eyes pop. And as if that wasn't enough, latest Variety reports state that HBO is all in, shelling out an obscene amount of cash per episode. HBO is set to spend $15 million per episode! Yep you read that right. The article also states that usually the budget for high-end TV shows is $7-$10 million and GOT spent around $10 million per episode in the last season. So $15 million is pretty much the cost for an episode of the upcoming season that will air in 2019. (c) HBO/ Giphy Though this shouldn't surprise anybody because if you have seen Netflix's original ‘The Crown' and ‘The Get Down', they had the same budget per episode. Now, for people who still think the amount is too much to even think of, let us also tell you that every episode of season 8 will almost have a run time of a movie, varying from 80-90 minutes. So that pretty much justifies the expense and what one can expect from the storyline. (c) HBO As long as we have dragons, wolves and the big war, we are fine with everything! We can't wait for winter to get to Westeros.

The iPhone X's High Demand And Production Delays Might Push Its Release To 2018

If you are one of those people who is stashing up their cash to buy the new iPhone X, you can expect to wait for a while before you can actually get your hands on it. The iPhone X has a beautiful display and has a facial recognition system that are the marquee feature of the device. © Apple However, be prepared to struggle to get your hands on one as several analysts are suggesting that Apple is facing production delays. The burgeoning demand for the iPhone X and shortages in supply may leave a lot of customers waiting until 2018. According to USA Today, the high number of orders on October 27th will force a few customers to wait until February or March next year. It might be hard for you to accept that a phone that costs INR 89,000 would have such a high demand, however, pre-order numbers and demand forecasts are suggesting the contrary. © Apple “We believe slow carrier promotions and relatively modest feature upgrades to the 8 are shifting demand to the X, which is a positive for Apple,” said Instinet analyst Jeffrey Kvaal, explaining the phone's popularity. The iPhone X uses OLED panels for their displays and there are only a handful of suppliers, globally, that can produce and meet Apple's demand. Hence, yield issues make bulk orders a difficult task and are the main reason behind the delays. © Apple Apple normally sells at least 75 million iPhones globally in the holiday quarter and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is expected to make most of those sale numbers. Analysts believe that only 10-12 million iPhone X units are expected to be available on launch day and won't be enough to meet the demand. Due to the high demand and constraints in the supply chain, you can expect people to buy the iPhone X early and sell it at a higher price for customers who cannot wait until February 2018.

Rangers recover weapons hidden by ?MQM-London members? in Karachi

KARACHI: Rangers recovered on Saturday a huge cache of weapons during a raid in Karachi?s Orangi area. According to Rangers, the Muttahida Quami Movement-London members hid the weapons in three rooms present at the back of a public park. During the raid, Rangers personnel recovered machine guns, Kalashnikovs, rifles, two pistols and around 1,850 bullets of different kinds. According to Rangers the weapons were to be used in incidents of terrorism and target-killing in Karachi. In June, Pakistan Rangers Sindh had recovered a sizeable cache of arms and ammunition buries inside a well in Karachi?s Nazimabad no. 3. Rangers had said in a statement that the weapons were hidden by miscreants affiliated with MQM-London before the start of the Karachi operation. Rangers find weapons buried in Karachi graveyard One such recovery was made earlier in Karachi's Sakhi Hassan graveyard The recovered weapons included an RPG-7 rocket launcher, four RPG-7 shells, four 7mm rifles and four secondary fuses, the paramilitary force had said in a statement.

North Korea seen moving missiles from development center

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un makes a statement regarding US President Donald Trump's speech at the UN general assembly, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang, September 22, 2017/KCNA via REUTERS SEOUL: Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea?s Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions. The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and US intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea?s Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang. The report did not say when or where they had been moved. The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles. A source from South Korea?s defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned. South Korean official 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. Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and US forces recently held their first joint short range air defense training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the US Pacific Command on Friday. The statement did not give the date of the exercise, but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each other?s capabilities.

Deadline for filing tax returns extended till October 31

ISLAMABAD: The deadline for filing of income tax returns has been extended till October 31. Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar on Friday approved extension in the due date for filing of Income Tax Returns/Statements by Companies, salaried individuals, other individuals and AOPs, till October 31, 2017. The minister approved the extension in view of requests made by tax bars and various trade and other associations due to Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram holidays, both falling in September. It was felt that the taxpayers could not find ample time for filing their tax returns. A recent study of the World Bank has found that Pakistan suffers an annual tax loss of Rs3.2 trillion due to weak enforcement and low compliance by taxpayers.

In Pakistan's coal rush, some women drivers break cultural barriers

Gulaban, a 25-year old mother of three, adjusts a fan before driving a 60-tonne truck, during a training session of the Female Dump Truck Driver Programme, introduced by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), in Islamkot, Tharparkar, Pakistan September 21, 2017. Picture taken September 21, 2017. REUTERS ISLAMKOT: As Pakistan bets on cheap coal in the Thar desert to resolve its energy crisis, a select group of women is eyeing a road out of poverty by snapping up truck-driving jobs that once only went to men. Such work is seen as life-changing in this dusty southern region bordering India, where sand dunes cover estimated coal reserves of 175 billion tonnes and yellow dumper trucks swarm like bees around Pakistan?s largest open-pit mine. The imposing 60-tonne trucks initially daunted Gulaban, 25, a housewife and mother of three from Thar?s Hindu community inside the mainly-Muslim nation of 208 million people. ?At the beginning I was a bit nervous but now it?s normal to drive this dumper,? said Gulaban, clad in a pink saree, a traditional cloth worn by Hindu women across South Asia. Gulaban - who hopes such jobs can help empower other women facing grim employment prospects - is among 30 women being trained to be truck drivers by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), a Pakistani firm digging up low-grade coal under the rolling Thar sand dunes. Gulaban has stolen the march on her fellow trainees because she was the only woman who knew how to drive a car before training to be a truck driver. She is an inspiration to her fellow students. Gulaban, 25, mother of three, climbs into a 60-tonne truck, during a training session of the Female Dump Truck Driver Programme, held by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), in Islamkot, Tharparkar, Pakistan September 21, 2017. Picture taken September 21, 2017. REUTERS ?If Gulaban can drive a dump truck then why not we? All we need to do is learn and drive quickly like her,? said Ramu, 29, a mother of six, standing beside the 40-tonne truck. Until recently, energy experts were uncertain that Pakistan?s abundant but poor-quality coal could be used to fire up power plants. That view began to change with new technology and Chinese investment as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key branch of Beijing?s Belt and Road initiative to connect Asia with Europe and Africa. Now coal, along with hydro and liquefied natural gas, is at the heart of Pakistan?s energy plans. SECMC, which has about 125 dump trucks ferrying earth out of the pit mine, estimates it will need 300-400 trucks once they burrow deep enough to reach the coal. Drivers can earn up to 40,000 rupees ($380) a month. Women aspiring to these jobs are overcoming cultural barriers in a society where women are restricted to mainly working the fields and cooking and cleaning for the family. Only this week in Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Pakistan, women were granted permission to drive for the first time ever, ending a ban that was supported by conservative clerics but seen by rights activists as an emblem of suppression. Gulaban?s husband, Harjilal, recalled how people in Thar would taunt him when his ?illiterate? wife drove their small car. ?When I sit in the passenger seat with my wife driving, people used to laugh at me,? said Harjilal, who like most of the people in the community only has one name. But Gulaban, seeking to throw stereotypes out of the window, is only focused on the opportunities ahead. ?As I can see our other female trainees getting paid and their life is changing,? Gulaban added. ?I hope...for a better future.?

Muharram security: Cellular services partially suspended in major cities

KARACHI: Mobile phone services were again partially suspended in major cities across the country on Saturday due to strict security arrangements to safeguard Muharram processions. Cellular and internet services were partially suspended in parts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and other cities beginning today, as authorities finalised arrangements ahead of the processions. Mobile phone services had also been partially suspended in different parts of the country on Friday. The main procession in Karachi starts from Nishtar Park today and will culminate at Hussainian Iranian imaambargah in Kharadar. Ninth Muharram being observed across country amid tight security In Karachi, the main procession will be taken out from Nishtar Park Meanwhile, the streets and roads linked to MA Jinnah Road have been blocked with shipping containers. A large number of police and paramilitary troops have been deployed on the route of the main procession. The government has already banned pillion riding in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar in wake of Ashura security. Metro bus services have also been suspended in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on 9th and 10th Muharram.

9th Muharram being observed across country amid tight security

KARACHI: Mourners will take out processions across the country on Saturday, the ninth of Muharram, to pay homage to the martyrs of Karbala. In Karachi, the main procession will be taken out from Nishtar Park, while in Lahore it will be taken out from Pando Street. The yearly processions will be taken out today from Quetta, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Strict security measures have been taken in light of the occasion. The mobile and internet services have been suspended in the parts of the country. In Peshawar and Quetta, for three-days a ban has been placed on pillion-riding. The metro service will remain suspended in Islamabad and Rawalpindi today and on the 10th of Muharram. On Friday, the main mourning procession for the eighth of Muharram was taken out in Karachi, which commenced from the Nishter Park after Zuhr prayers and reached peacefully at Husainian Iranian Kharadar after Maghrib prayers. The 10th of Muharraum, Youm-e-Ashur, will be observed with great reverence on Sunday. geo_embedgallery

Tensions over Catalan independence spill onto football pitch

BARCELONA: Tensions around Catalonia?s upcoming independence referendum have spilled onto the soccer pitch in Spain after a warning from the country?s national football league that one of its crown jewels, FC Barcelona, would be expelled if the region seceded. Catalonia is home to the world?s second most-valuable club, with five-times European champions Barca a mainstay of Spain?s La Liga whose boss, Javier Tebas, has said the club would not be allowed to remain in the league in the event of secession. Spain?s football community believes secession is a distant prospect, given that Madrid has declared Sunday?s vote as unconstitutional, but that has not stopped the Catalan political crisis from exposing divisions among fans and some officials. La Liga?s threat to expel Barca in the event of independence would leave the club, estimated by Forbes magazine this year to be worth $3.64 billion, and its players, including five-times world player of the year Lionel Messi, without a league. The region?s other top-flight clubs, Girona and Espanyol, would also face expulsion from Spanish soccer. Barcelona?s Nou Camp stadium is a cauldron of separatist fervour, but the club is careful not to openly support independence. Instead, it says Catalans should decide and has criticised Spain?s attempts to prevent the vote going ahead. After police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials this month, the club issued a statement condemning ?any act that may impede the free exercise? of democracy and freedom of speech. FC Barcelona and La Liga declined to comment to Reuters, though the club?s vice-president, Jordi Cardoner, told reporters this week the vote would be ?an important day in the history of our country, but we have to focus on football?. Soccer?s world governing body, FIFA, also declined to comment on the implications for FC Barcelona and other Catalan clubs if the region were to declare independence after the vote, which Spain regards as unconstitutional. ?As a general rule FIFA does not comment on potential future scenarios,? a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters. Secession, though, would be a tricky political football for FIFA. If La Liga were to exclude Barcelona in the event of Catalan independence -- a move Tebas said would be required by Spanish law -- FIFA could be asked to determine if Spain had breached its rule against government interference in football. FIFA would have the power to suspend Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, from competing in international soccer, less than a year before the 2018 tournament in Russia. A soccer crisis could be avoided if the law were to be amended, but most Spanish lawmakers are opposed to Catalan independence and it is not clear if they would approve that. FANS DIVIDED Many Barcelona fans regard independence as paramount, despite the implications for their storied club. ?I believe the club should have an even stronger position in favour of the right to decide,? said Carles Ordiales, president of supporters group Seguiment. ?Barca and Catalonia have been linked historically and the club should be 100 percent committed to the people of Catalonia.? Barca?s support stretches far beyond Catalonia and Spain, however, and not all supporters back its stance. ?I have contradictory sentiments,? said Barca season ticket holder Dam Calderon, also a member of Seguiment. He said he was not a separatist but believed Spain?s efforts to prevent the referendum going ahead were shameful. ?I understand the club?s position and why they released their statement. On the other hand, I think about the millions of Barcelona fans who are not separatists, and that might see it differently and feel offended by it.? The coach of Barcelona?s arch-rival Real Madrid said he could not imagine La Liga without its 24-times champions. ?I see Barcelona as always being in La Liga and that?s it. I hope that does not happen,? Frenchman Zinedine Zidane said at a pre-game news conference this month. Former Barca president Joan Laporta, who backs independence, shares that sentiment: ?Barca versus Real Madrid is a very attractive product and trying to get rid of it would be an error on the part of the government, the league and the soccer federation,? he said on Friday. Even if Spain prevents the Catalan government from staging a credible vote on Sunday, independence supporters among Barca?s fan base are still likely to have something to cheer about. On referendum day, Barcelona play lowly ranked Las Palmas at the Nou Camp and are likely to extend their six-game winning start in La Liga and remain top of the standings. As ever, fans will chant ?independence? at precisely 17 minutes and 14 seconds into each half of the game, a tradition marking the 1714 Siege of Barcelona by Spain?s King Felipe V who vanquished the Principality of Catalonia as a political entity.

US cuts staff in Cuba over mysterious injuries, warns travelers

A view of the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba, September 29, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini WASHINGTON/HAVANA: The United States on Friday cut its diplomatic presence in Cuba by more than half and warned US citizens not to visit because of mysterious ?attacks? that have caused hearing loss, dizziness, and fatigue in US embassy personnel. The US embassy in Havana will halt regular visa operations for Cubans seeking to visit the United States and offer only emergency services to US citizens, steps that may further erode the US-Cuban rapprochement begun by former President Barack Obama. The partial evacuation ? while depicted as a safety measure ? sends a message of US displeasure over Cuba?s handling of the matter and delivers another blow to Obama?s policies of engagement with Cold War foe Cuba. The Communist Party-run Cuban government was already dealing with several delicate matters ? the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, a steep decline in aid from important socialist ally Venezuela and political transition as President Raul Castro steps down next year. Cuba?s Foreign Ministry chief for US Affairs Josefina Vidal said, ?We consider the decision announced today by the US government through the State Department is hasty and will affect bilateral relations.? Vidal ? in a briefing on the state-run television ? said Cuba was still keen to cooperate with US authorities to clarify what happened. Officials in President Donald Trump?s administration stressed the United States was maintaining diplomatic ties with Cuba. Twenty-one US embassy employees in Cuba have been injured and reported symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said. ?Until the government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm,? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. The Cuban government has denied any role and is investigating. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been looking into the incidents, a US law enforcement official said, but so far has not determined the cause. A senior State Department official said neither the US nor Cuban governments had been able to identify who was responsible but stressed that ?the government of Cuba is responsible for taking all appropriate steps to prevent attacks on our diplomatic personnel in Cuba?. In a travel warning, the State Department bluntly said, ?because our personnel?s safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe US citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba?. A State Department official said most visa processing had been suspended in Havana. ?Cuban applicants for nonimmigrant visas may apply at another US embassy or consulate overseas.? The State Department said the attacks on US embassy personnel had occurred at ?US diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by US citizens?. No tourists are known to have been injured in the attacks. Canada said it has no plans to change its travel advice for Cuba or to remove any Canadian staff from its embassy there, though some staff have experienced some unusual symptoms, Chrystia Freeland ? a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister ? said on Friday. 52-year-old Diana Rodriguez ? who sells handicrafts in Old Havana ? said she had a visa appointment in October so she could visit family who live in Florida. ?I won?t ever go there now,? she said furiously. ?This is a really strong blow that affects regular Cubans on the street. It?s just unheard of. What is going on with this man?? Pretext? Trump in June vowed to partially roll back the detente with Cuba agreed by Obama ? his Democratic predecessor ? and called the Cuban government ?corrupt and destabilizing? in his address to the United Nations General Assembly this month. Engage Cuba ? a Washingon-based lobbying group ? said the decision was ?puzzling? given that American travellers had not been targeted. It said halting the visa process in Cuba and discouraging Americans from going there ?will divide families and harm Cuba?s burgeoning private sector, civil society groups and efforts to improve human rights on the island?. ?I haven?t felt in danger at all. The people are very friendly, it?s a very safe culture? I don?t feel threatened at all here, I think it's a really safe place to be,? American visitor Joey Branch said. US lawmakers took positions on the issue that appeared to reflect their wider perspective on engagement with Havana. Senator Patrick Leahy ? a Democrat who favours normalization ? suggested the attacks may be an attempt to undermine this. ?Whoever is doing this obviously is trying to disrupt the normalization process between the United States and Cuba. Someone or some government is trying to reverse that process,? Leahy said in a statement. Marco Rubio ? a Florida Republican and frequent critic of the Cuban government ? called for harsher measures. ?Until those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, the US should immediately expel an equal number of Cuban operatives, downgrade the US embassy in Havana to an interests section, and consider re-listing Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism,? Rubio said in a statement. American Tour Operators in Cuba, which counts more than 50 US companies, criticized the travel warning. ?The motivation for the US government to issue today?s Travel Warning for Cuba is difficult to understand given that the facts and circumstances of these mysterious incidents have never posed a tangible threat to American visitors in Cuba.? American Airlines and United Airlines ? both of whom have applied for additional flights to Havana ? said the travel warning would not affect their current operations to Cuba. JetBlue Airways said it would waive change and cancellation fees for Cuba flights booked on or before Sept. 29. Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas said its operations in Cuba would continue. Cuba reported four million arrivals last year, of which 285,000 were Americans.