Geo Headlines - Geo TV Network

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• FIA tasked to probe wheat shortage
• PTI's moment of truth as Transparency Intl releases ?Corruption Perceptions Index? today
• China categorically rejects comments against CPEC by US diplomat as 'pack of lies'
• 'Mere Paas Tum Ho': Rehmat Ajmal regrets doing ?problematic? Khalil-ur-Rehman?s drama
• FATF satisfied by Pakistan's compliance on action plan: report
• China locks down city at centre of coronavirus outbreak
• Canberra airport closed for heightened firefighting operations
• Rafael Nadal sets eyes to record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title
• India deploys drones to monitor public movement in occupied Kashmir
• Mexican diva Maria Felix hailed at Paris fashion
• South African army officer wins right to wear hijab on duty
• Tripoli airport suspends flights after coming under fire
• These tips can help you avoid the Coronavirus
• House of Lords conference told about Indian atrocities in Kashmir
• Pakistan U-19 beat Zimbabwe, secure spot in World Cup quarter finals
• Shoaib Akhtar says he has more money than Sehwag 'has hair on his head'
• Unidentified persons rob 15kg wheat from differently-abled man in Faisalabad
• PM Imran meets Ivanka Trump in Davos
• Greece elects its first woman president "who symbolises the transition to a new era"
• 466 PIA employees found guilty of having fake degrees in last 5 years

FIA tasked to probe wheat shortage Posted: 23 Jan 2020 02:42 AM PST Photo: File The federal government on Wednesday constituted a special team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate into the prevailing wheat crisis across the country. The FIA deputy director will head the team to determine the persons responsible for the crisis and the role played by the government officials in the matter. The team will inquire about the amount of wheat bought by the mills and the amount of wheat flour produced by the mills. According to sources, a report will also be prepared on the total production of wheat, the surplus amount of wheat and a list of the individuals who purchased the commodity from the open market. Also read: How the wheat crisis unfolded across Pakistan Crackdown against profiteers The city administration on Wednesday fined at least three flour mills for selling the commodity at Rs 76 per kg against the official rate of Rs 45 in Lahore. The Punjab government has launched a province-wide crackdown on wheat hoarders and profiteers to control wheat flour prices. The provincial government has decided to take strict action against those involved in creating artificial shortage of flour. Flour mills on strike in Punjab To lodge a protest against what chakki owners call the district administration's continued "crackdown", an indefinite strike has been announced across Punjab.  According to the Atta Chakki Owners Association, raids are being carried out by the administration despite full cooperation by the wheat grinders. “Our members are being harassed by filing cases against them,” said ACOA Secretary General Abdul Rahman. He said their members are willing to sell wheat flour in line with instructions of the administration, provided they are supplied with wheat from government warehouses. Also read: Wheat prices skyrocket across the country ‘No flour crisis’ Punjab Auqaf Minister Syed Saeedul Hassan Shah has said the Food Department is conducting an inspection of flour mills across the province following the directions of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. He said this during a meeting with the members and leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here on Wednesday. "There is no flour crisis in Punjab and instructions to stabilise flour price have already been issued by the chief minister," he added. Also read: 'People eat more bread in Nov and Dec': Sheikh Rashid's bizzare logic for wheat price hike He also noted that steps were being taken against hoarders and profiteers. The minister said all possible steps were being taken to ensure stability in flour prices. He said that an inspection of thousands of flour mills had so far been conducted, and action taken against a large number of mills, suspending their wheat quota. Shah maintained that licences of 88 flour mills had been suspended, and a fine of Rs 140 million on them. He said flour was also being sold at official price at the sale points established in different cities in the province. Also read: Unidentified persons rob 15kg wheat from differently-abled man in Faisalabad "The government had directed the relevant authority to strictly monitor the grinding of wheat in flour mills. Action is being taken against the mills selling wheat quota in the open market," he remarked.  "Flour mills in Punjab are being provided some 25,000 tonnes of wheat, whereas, steps related to the price and availability of flour are being reviewed on a daily basis," he said.  With additional input from APP

PTI's moment of truth as Transparency Intl releases ?Corruption Perceptions Index? today Posted: 23 Jan 2020 02:26 AM PST ISLAMABAD: Transparency International will release its global report on the 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) today, according to The News. The report will determine whether corruption in the country under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government has decreased or increased during the last year. Pakistan witnessed a slight improvement in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring a point higher than in 2017 but remaining unchanged in the rankings. Also read: Pakistan sees slight improvement in global corruption index The country scored 33 out of 100 on the index — one point better than its score of 32 in the previous year. Its ranking, however, remained unchanged at 117 out of 180 countries, same as 2017. Transparency International’s annual report on CPI is formulated on the basis of input from 13 international agencies. In the case of Pakistan, however, the assessment of eight agencies is taken into account. These include the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey; the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment; the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index; the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Risk Service; the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings; the IMD World Competitiveness Center World Competitiveness Yearbook Executive Opinion Survey; and the Varieties of Democracy project's findings. “While the government claims that it has taken effective measures to check corruption and the NAB also takes credit for doing wonders in curbing the menace, some experts do fear bad news for Pakistan,” The News said. Read more: Corruption declined under PML-N government: Transparency International These experts referred to reports from some international organisations which in recent months had assessed Pakistan negatively in the area of corruption. Two of the eight international organisations mentioned above have, in their 2019 report, already assessed Pakistan as 'more corrupt' than 2018. These reports had raised many eyebrows in Pakistan amidst fears that they may be a precursor to Pakistan losing its position in the 2019 report. In an earlier Geo News story, published on Oct 13, 2019 and titled “Is Pakistan more corrupt than before?”, an expert on corruption was quoted as saying that the World Economic Forum’s report about the rise in corruption in Pakistan would be considered by Transparency International while assessing Pakistan’s efforts to check corruption in its next CPI report. Likewise, in the World Economic Forum’s recent report, the ranking of Pakistan on its corruption index had slipped from 99 to 101.  Before the World Economic Forum’s assessment, the World Justice Project in its “Rule of Law Index 2019 Insights”, had assessed Pakistan to have lost one position in 2019 as against 2018. The Rule of Law Index is also considered by Transparency International in the formation of its annual report about different countries. Curbing corruption has been the main slogan as well as the commitment of the PTI not only before the 2018 election, but also since it came into power. In case the report reflects an improvement in Pakistan’s ranking, the PTI government will be praised for its efforts; but a drop, on the other hand, would become a cause of serious embarrassment.  According to Transparency International’s past data, Pakistan in the last 10 years (since 2010) has improved its index score from 23 in 2010 to 33 in 2018. In 2016 and 2017 Pakistan maintained the same score, 32, which in 2018 increased to 33. However, never in these last ten years has Pakistan been assessed to have performed negatively as compared to the previous year.

China categorically rejects comments against CPEC by US diplomat as 'pack of lies' Posted: 23 Jan 2020 02:19 AM PST Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The Chinese embassy on Wednesday rejected the statements made by United States (US) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).  Wells had on Tuesday said that Pakistan needed to re-evaluate the agreements it had made with China and consider increasing transparency around CPEC projects. In the statement released in response to Wells, China said the propaganda against CPEC was a "pack of lies".  A press release issued by the Chinese embassy in Pakistan said that the US was ignoring the facts and was obsessed with the story it had made for itself regarding the economic corridor. "We must not let the truth be distorted and the lies run wild," the press released read.  "Although you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, we have to make our position clear and reject the negative propaganda by the US," the statement added. "We would be more than glad to see the US develop its relationship with Pakistan," it noted.  US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells. Photo: File  Also read: Gwadar port starts handling Afghan transit trade: report While addressing a policy think tank during a visit to Islamabad, the US diplomat had claimed that the debt burden of Pakistan was growing due to Chinese financing. She also touched on the cost escalation in CPEC projects, and questioned the integrity of the companies running them. "We strongly oppose US interference in China-Pakistan relations and the CPEC. The US holds a stick of sanctions all over the world, blacklists this and that country, not for the global economy, but just to serve its own political purpose," the Chinese embassy said.  "We also want to advise the US that when you accuse China, you should first look back at what have you done to Pakistan, and think about how much contribution have you made for Pakistan. Did Ms Wells bring any aid, investment or trade for Pakistan during her visit?" it asked.  "If the US truly cares about the development and prosperity of Pakistan and this region, it should bring cash and funds, promote win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect rather than act as a world policeman, spreading rumours," the embassy added. Also read: China ready to pursue 'high-quality development' of CPEC 'CPEC created 75,00 jobs, contributed to GDP' According to the Chinese embassy, Beijing enjoyed a rock-solid relationship with Islamabad and the "unbreakable" ties would continue to steadily advance the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC to promote regional peace and development.  With respect to progress on CPEC projects, the embassy said that major progress was achieved in the past five years, with 32 projects achieving early harvests. "This has significantly improved local transportation infrastructure and power supply," the embassy noted.  "It has also created over 75,000 jobs directly and contributed one to two percent of the GDP growth in Pakistan. It shows that CPEC is playing an important role in boosting Pakistan's socio-economic development and improving people's livelihood," the statement further added.  The Chinese embassy also maintained that CPEC was a project between China and Pakistan, and the Pakistani people were benefiting from it. "Under the CPEC, during its planning or implementation, every project is equally discussed, carefully studied and jointly implemented by both China and Pakistan," it said.   Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yu Jing. Photo: File Also read: GB students protest scholarship cancellation, block CPEC route 'IMF among largest creditors of Pakistan' Responding to the allegations made by Wells that CPEC projects were not transparent, the embassy noted that the Chinese government always requested Chinese companies, who enjoy international reputations, to operate according to local laws and regulations.  "The entire process is open and transparent and is in line with international norms. We keep in touch with the accountability agencies of Pakistan and it is agreed that the CPEC is clean," the statement released by the embassy read.  "All projects strictly follow the market-oriented and internationally accepted business model, adopt state of the art technology and strict environmental protection standards," it further clarified. The embassy also addressed the allegation that CPEC was a debt-trap, noting that the total foreign debt of Pakistan was $110 billion. "International financial institutions, including the Paris Club and International Monetary Fund, are the largest creditors of Pakistan." Also read: UNSC session will increase pressure on India to tone down aggressive rhetoric: Akram 'Will not make unreasonable demands on Pakistan' The statement further claimed that the loan for CPEC projects stood at around $5.8 billion, accounting for 5.3% of Pakistan's total foreign debt, with a repayment period of 20-25 years and an interest rate of approximately 2%.  "Its repayments will start in 2021, with annual repayments of about 300 million US dollars. It will never be a burden to Pakistan. Moreover, China has never forced other countries to pay debts, and will not make unreasonable demands on Pakistan," the embassy said.  "The US keeps fabricating the so-called debt story, their mathematics is bad, and their intention is worse," the embassy added. Regarding the ML-1 project of the CPEC, the Chinese said that the amounts of the project would be adjusted according to needs of Pakistan.  "After finalising the design of the project, we would initiate bidding in accordance with international practice. This is a completely normal business practice," the embassy said. With additional input from APP

'Mere Paas Tum Ho': Rehmat Ajmal regrets doing ?problematic? Khalil-ur-Rehman?s drama Posted: 23 Jan 2020 02:16 AM PST 'Mere Paas Tum Ho': Rehmat Ajmal regrets doing ‘problematic’ Khalil-ur-Rehman’s drama Emerging Pakistani actor Rehmat Ajmal, known popularly for her role in the hit drama serial Mere Paas Tum Ho, came forth on Wednesday making some startling revelations about how she feels being part of the show and it’s writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Turning to Instagram, the model-turned-actor, penned an extensive note, detailing her thoughts on being part of the contentious serial penned by a writer who recurrently faces flak over his ‘misogynistic’ views. “I understand that we as artists have a social responsibility in terms of the content we produce and the messages we put forward - & that I take that responsibility with a lot of seriousness and dignity,” she said. “I’ve been receiving a lot of concerned, hateful and confused messages since the past few months and as much as I want to address them individually, I think I’ll just give an overview of my perspective for now,” she continued. “I absolutely do not endorse the concepts and viewpoints of Mr. Khalil Ul Rehman. I watched Khalil ul Rehman’s interview and got to know about his problematic views on very many things WAY after the project was completed. “I am not proud to be a part of something that is so compromising and ill-informed. However, I (like many others) was not aware of the entire story line or Mr. Khalil ul Rehman’s ideology at the time this project was shot - which was a year ago. “My role in this project is limited so, I did not get a chance to see how it’ll come together or how it’ll eventually unroll on television and that is where I think I slipped a little. It was my first ever telecom project and I am learning - I have learnt to be cautious and more conscious with my creative choices.” She concluded the note by saying: “Please extend new, struggling artists some leeway as we are in the process of learning - we are also trying very hard to make our own mark solely based on our merit.” The Nadeem Baig-directorial, despite the success it has racked up, also became target of ample social media backlash over its story line hinting at the misogynistic portrayal of women and dialogues reeking of sexism.

FATF satisfied by Pakistan's compliance on action plan: report Posted: 23 Jan 2020 01:42 AM PST ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s performance on the action plan given by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has reportedly satisfied the global watchdog, it emerged Thursday. The Pakistani team, headed by Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, has “defended country’s compliance report during the joint group of FATF meeting held at Beijing, China,” The News reported. “The watchdog showed satisfaction over Pakistan's report of compliance,” the publication said.  The Indian side had to face embarrassment as the US and European countries did not extend their support to their “tough but mostly irrelevant questions” during the joint group meeting. "The ongoing meeting went very well. This time the attitude of the US and the European Union countries remained supportive and except India no other country raised questions on Pakistan’s compliance," The News claimed. The Pakistani team will remain standby to further defend the report if required to do so today (Thursday). “If the joint group of FATF demanded any further documents or annexures of any point, the Pakistani side would be ready to reply to them,” according to The News. Official sources said that Pakistan would now focus on mustering up more diplomatic support of voting members of FATF’s plenary meeting. In order to avoid the blacklist, Pakistan requires the support of three countries. For coming out of grey and landing into the white list, Islamabad needs 12 votes out of a total of 39. There is a possibility of a third scenario that Pakistan might continue into the grey list for another 3 to 6 month period. After getting the support of the US, the chances have emerged that Pakistan might be excluded from the grey list and placed into the safest white list.

China locks down city at centre of coronavirus outbreak Posted: 23 Jan 2020 01:20 AM PST Chinese paramilitary police wearing masks stand guard at a Shanghai train station as the country faces a virus crisis at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: AFP BEIJING: China banned trains and planes from leaving a major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on Thursday, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed 17 lives, infected hundreds and spread to other countries. Authorities in Wuhan, a major transport hub, also suspended public buses and subways, and said residents should not leave "without a special reason". More than 570 people have been infected with the virus across China, with most cases found in Wuhan, where a seafood market that illegally sold wild animals has been identified as the epicentre of the outbreak. Also read: Pakistan issues health advisory for coronavirus The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Like SARS, it can be passed among people through the respiratory tract. The first case of the new virus was confirmed on December 31, and it has since been detected in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States. The World Health Organization on Wednesday delayed a decision on whether to declare a global health emergency - a rare instrument used only for the worst outbreaks. In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, authorities cancelled large public events, and called on visitors to stay away. Photo: AFP Also read: China reports 17 new cases of mystery virus The emergency committee will meet again on Thursday, after its chair, Didier Houssin, said the experts were split over declaring a public health emergency. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he needed "more information" but he also praised China's "very, very strong measures" to contain the outbreak. "By having a strong action not only will they control the outbreak in their country but they will also minimise the chances of this outbreak spreading internationally," Tedros said when asked about Wuhan´s transport shutdown. 'Sealed off' With hundreds of millions of people travelling across China this week for the Lunar New Year holiday, the National Health Commission announced on Wednesday measures to curb the disease nationwide -- including sterilisation and ventilation at airports and bus stations, as well as inside planes and trains. Wuhan´s special anti-virus command centre said the quarantine measures, which came into effect at 0200 GMT, were meant to "effectively cut off the virus spread, resolutely curb the outbreak and guarantee the people´s health and safety," according to state media. A long line of cars headed out of the city on Thursday, with officials checking the temperatures of some drivers, according to images from Chinese media outlet The Paper. Police wearing masks patrolled Wuhan's Hankou train station before the suspension came into effect. Also read: Asia-Pacific ramps up security measures as China virus kills six, infects nearly 300 While departures were banned, trains and planes were still heading into the city. Wang Biao, 28, who works in the advertising industry, was heading to Wuhan to transfer there to another train to Jingzhou, another city in Hubei province. Regional map including China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and Wuhan Seafood Market, identified as the centre of an outbreak of a SARS-like virus. Photo: AFP "My family did ask if I would consider not coming home for the Lunar New Year, but I had already bought tickets," Wang, who was wearing a mask, gloves and a hat as protection, told AFP on the train. The city´s tourism and culture department cancelled all group tours until February 8, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The city had already warned people to avoid entering or leaving Wuhan. Large public events for the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts Friday, were cancelled. Authorities in Wuhan also made it mandatory to wear a mask in public places, according to state media. Also read: China says virus spreading between humans as WHO set to meet "Those who disregard the warning will be punished according to relevant laws and regulations," the city government warned, according to Xinhua. The hashtag "Wuhan is sealed off" was trending on China´s Twitter-like Weibo, with nearly 460 million views. Unknowns Animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak, with Chinese health officials saying that the virus originated from the market where wild animals were illegally sold. But the WHO has confirmed that the virus can be passed between people, at least those in close contact, and Chinese health officials said it could mutate and spread further. "There are many unknowns to address in this event including clinical severity and the true extent and nature of disease transmission," said Michael Ryan, head of the WHO´s health emergencies programme. Also read: China witnesses first death from pneumonia outbreak Countries have intensified efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen - known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Passengers are facing screening measures at five US airports and a host of transport hubs across Asia. China has classified the outbreak in the same category as the SARS epidemic. Photo: AFP European airports from London to Moscow have also stepped up checks and Nigeria, which has many citizens working in China, said it would start checks at entry points. China 'commendable' Chinese authorities on Thursday reported dozens of new infections, bringing the confirmed total to 571. About 5,000 people remain under medical observation. WHO chief Tedros said there was "stability" for the moment. "We don´t see any significant variation but at the same time we also believe that we have to be cautious," he said. Also read: China's disease-affected pigs pose global threat Tedros also praised China's openness about the outbreak as "commendable". But a senior US State Department official said Washington was "still concerned" about transparency in the Chinese government. During the SARS epidemic, the Chinese government took months to report the disease and initially denied WHO experts access to southern Guangdong province, where it originated.

Canberra airport closed for heightened firefighting operations Posted: 23 Jan 2020 12:02 AM PST SYDNEY: Bushfires near the Australian capital Canberra forced the city´s airport to close on Thursday, as passenger flights were halted to make way for aircraft working to extinguish the blazes, authorities said. High temperatures and strong winds fuelled an outbreak of new blazes across several areas in eastern Australia on Thursday, ending a period of respite following several days of rains and cooler weather. The country has been battling an unprecedented wave of wildfires since September that have devastated communities and wildlife. Flights to and from Australia´s capital were suspended around midday (0100 GMT) Thursday "to allow for aviation firefighting operations", a Canberra Airport spokesperson told AFP. It was unclear how long services would be impacted but the terminal has not been evacuated, she said. The Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency said the airport had been closed "due to current conditions". An out-of-control blaze burning south of the airport was upgraded to an emergency level just before midday, with the agency advising residents it was "too late to leave" three suburbs in the path of the fire. "The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path," the agency said in a warning. "People in these suburbs are in danger and need to seek immediate shelter as the fire approaches." The fire has so far burned through more than 140 hectares (350 acres), while a second out-of-control blaze has flared to the west of the airport. Though the airport has been used in aerial firefighting efforts for several months, it was the first time operations had been suspended.

Rafael Nadal sets eyes to record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title Posted: 22 Jan 2020 07:18 PM PST MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal will step up his bid for a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title when he faces Argentina´s Federico Delbonis at the Australian Open on Thursday. The Spaniard can only count one Melbourne title among his 19 Majors but he will be confident of reaching the third round at least after winning all three previous meetings with Delbonis. Swiss great Roger Federer, winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments, and eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic are already through after straightforward wins. Nadal has dropped only 10 games to 76th-ranked Delbonis in their previous meetings but he´s not immune to Grand Slam shocks, losing four times to players ranked 100 or lower. Victory in Melbourne would make Nadal the first man in the Open era -- and only the third in history -- to win all four Major titles twice, after Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. Later on Thursday, Nick Kyrgios faces Frenchman Gilles Simon as he looks to become the tournament´s first home-grown men´s champion since Mark Edmondson in 1976. Kyrgios is known for his combustible nature but after spearheading fundraising efforts for Australia´s bushfire crisis he has cut a relatively calm figure in Melbourne -- so far. "I´m just playing for a lot more than myself. I´ve said it before... there´s not necessarily added pressure. I feel like I´m playing for a lot of people," he said. The 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka takes on Italy´s Andreas Seppi and world number five Dominic Thiem is up against Australia´s Alex Bolt, ranked 135 places lower. In the women´s draw, Wimbledon champion Simona Halep takes on Britain´s Harriet Dart, and 2016 Melbourne winner Angelique Kerber faces Australia´s Priscilla Hon.

India deploys drones to monitor public movement in occupied Kashmir Posted: 22 Jan 2020 04:56 PM PST A drone flies in Montreal, Canada, November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/Files ISLAMABAD: Indian police have started using drones to keep a close eye on the movement of people and anti-state demonstrations in occupied Kashmir. A routine activity, it was also carried out manually by the police personnel in the past, Kashmir Media Service reported. Local police officers told media that using drones would help the administration conduct surveillance in Kashmir, besides cutting down the manual effort put into the mapping exercise. A senior police official said more than 100 drones were provided to the police force in October and November, 2019, and that they were now being used to conduct mapping exercises for setting up elaborate profiles of localities, which include details such as number of houses, shops, roads, religious places, and other establishments. Informed sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would use this information to execute its plan to implement a demographic change in the occupied Muslim-majority region.

Mexican diva Maria Felix hailed at Paris fashion Posted: 22 Jan 2020 04:52 PM PST PARIS: Mexican star Maria Felix rode again Wednesday in a Paris haute couture fashion show tribute to the flamboyant screen diva. French designer Franck Sorbier brought two horses onto the catwalk in a head-turning show inspired by the late legend that also featured musicians and equestrian tricks. Felix, who starred in 47 films including Luis Bunuel´s "Republic of Sin", was brought up on a ranch in Alamos, northern Mexico, and had a life-long passion for horses. Sorbier, whose dresses were inspired by both her indigenous Yaqui and Spanish roots, said "she always portrayed strong, proud and haughty women. "She created her own fashion with total liberty and a disarming naturalness," he added. The actress -- known as "la Dona" -- died in 2002 aged 88. A born rebel, she turned down offers from Hollywood because they only offered her "Indian" roles. Mexican director Fernando Palacios claimed to have discovered her on the streets of Mexico City. But when he asked her if she wanted to be in one of his movies, she reportedly replied, "When I want to, it will be through the big door." She was married four times but also had a lesbian affair with Suzanne Baule, known as "Frede", who ran a series of Parisian lesbian nightclubs and was also a one-time lover of Marlene Dietrich.

South African army officer wins right to wear hijab on duty Posted: 22 Jan 2020 04:03 PM PST CAPE TOWN: The South African army on Wednesday dropped charges against an officer who had been indicted for wearing a Muslim headscarf under her military beret, lawyers said. Major Fatima Isaacs was criminally charged in June 2018 with wilful defiance and failing to obey a lawful instruction after her superior asked her to remove the hijab when wearing her uniform. But at a military court at the Castle of Good Hope near Cape Town, the army withdrew all charges. It said it would allow her to wear a hijab provided it is "a tight headscarf that does not cover her ears, and must be plain in colour." "The withdrawal of charges is subject to her compliance with certain restrictions relating to the wearing of the headscarf," the officer´s lawyer, Amy-Leigh Payne, of the Legal Resource Centre told AFP. However, Isaacs is planning to mount a challenge in the equality court over regulations restricting religious wear. Isaacs has served in the army for the past 10 years where she works as a clinical forensic pathologist. "While there is some relief that the criminal charges have been withdrawn, this withdrawal does not address the unconstitutional religious dress policy," said Payne. "In fact, the policy remains in force". The army´s spokesman in Western Cape province, Colonel Louis Kirstein, said the armed forces had held talks with the Muslim Judicial Council, a group of Islamic clerics, over the dress code. The group´s deputy president Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie said the council is calling for the "recognition of the wearing of the scarf by Muslim women" in the military.

Tripoli airport suspends flights after coming under fire Posted: 22 Jan 2020 03:53 PM PST TRIPOLI: Rocket fire forced the suspension of all flights into and out of Tripoli's sole functioning airport on Wednesday, only nine days after it reopened following a truce, Libya's embattled UN-recognised government said. Mitiga airport had reopened after the truce in nine months of fighting for control of the capital between the Government of National Accord and forces loyal to a rival administration based in the east. Six military-grade Grad rockets targeted the airport in what GNA forces spokesman Mohammed Gnunu branded a "flagrant threat" to the safety of air traffic and a "new violation" of the ceasefire. He said the rockets were fired by the "militia" of the "war criminal Haftar", referring to the self-proclaimed Libyan Arab Armed Forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar that have been battling to take the capital. Airport management said flights would be suspended indefinitely. A Libyan Airlines flight from Tunis was forced to divert to Libya's third city Misrata, 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the capital. Despite repeated appeals from UN envoy Ghassan Salame, Mitiga has been the target of several air raids and rocket strikes since Haftar´s forces launched their offensive last April. Haftar's forces, which accuse the GNA of using Mitiga for military purposes, say they target "Turkish drones" being launched from the airport to attack their troops in southern Tripoli. The GNA has denied the accusations. Located east of the capital, Mitiga is a former military airbase used by civilian traffic since Tripoli international airport was heavily damaged in fighting in 2014.

These tips can help you avoid the Coronavirus Posted: 22 Jan 2020 03:51 PM PST A mother and child wearing masks to stay protected from the coronovirus. Photo by: AFP  The outbreak of a mysterious virus emerging from China which has killed nine and affected hundreds so far has raised the need to create awareness of the disease as it can be contracted through human transmission, authorities warned. Read more: Pakistan issues health advisory for coronavirus The new coronavirus strain has caused alarm in China and across the world because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. The UN’s World Health Organisation (WHO) said the outbreak of the disease is a never-before-seen strain. It belongs to a broad family of viruses that range from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as SARS. China’s National Health Commission has confirmed the coronavirus can spread from one human being to another. The commission noted that the virus was being treated as a class A disease, which means authorities can quarantine patients and put affected areas on lockdown. As the disease continues to pose a risk to people not just within China but also in other countries, here are a few preventive measures people can take to avoid contracting the coronavirus. Since there are no vaccines available currently to cure or treat the infection, people can reduce the risk of contraction by implementing the following measures on an individual level: Firstly, health authorities have urged people to regularly wash hands with soap and/or antiseptics. People have also been warned to avoid touching their faces with unwashed hands. Read more: All you need to know about coronavirus Secondly, people are advised to avoid crowded places and close contact with people, especially those who are sick or even seem to have a cold. They should drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated. If a person experiences symptoms of the common cold or fever, they are advised to stay at home, rest, and have pain medications for relief. Health officials advise using tissues to cover the nose and mouth area when sneezing or coughing. Once used, throw the tissue responsibly and wash and disinfect hands. A hot shower is also recommended to help ease a sore throat. Wear face-masks if you have a cough, and visit the hospital in case of other symptoms like fever. Even if one does not experience symptoms of the disease, wearing a mask is still recommended because others could still get germs. Moreover, people are also recommended to carry alcohol-based sanitizers to avoid any possible risk of contraction. To further reduce the risk of catching the virus, health authorities suggest disinfecting and regularly cleaning surfaces and objects in close contact. Some preventive measures that the government can take include screening people on roads, airports and train stations for fever. Similar to the government of China, other high-risk countries can conduct vehicle checks for live poultry or wild animals leaving and entering the city as it is one of the ways that the virus can be transmitted. Major public events in high-risk cities should also be cancelled and the travelling of tourists from an affected city should be temporarily halted.

House of Lords conference told about Indian atrocities in Kashmir Posted: 22 Jan 2020 03:39 PM PST LONDON: Pakistan’s Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice, Barrister Maleeka Bokhari, has said that Modi govt’s decision to revoke Article 275 in Indian occupied Kashmir is part of the Hindutva ideology which believes in extermination of all other ideologies and identities in India. Barrister Maleeka Bokhari was addressing a press conference at Pakistan High Commission with Nafees Zakaria, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Ms. Bokhari was in the UK to attend a seminar on Kashmir human rights situation in the House of Lords. The seminar was organized by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC to condemn Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. She said Pakistan has a commitment to the people of Kashmir and it will continue to highlight the issue before the international community. She said nearly eight million people have been imprisoned for more than 150 days since August 5. The Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice said: “We informed the conference that India has broken international treaties and UN laws have ben broken. The UK govt has a major role to play in this case by intervening in the favour of Kashmiri people for a favorable solution. Modi’s 5 August action is not an independent incident. It’s a strategy the BJP government is pursuing which is reflected also through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This is a policy of genocide. Independent organisations working against genocide have said that Modi’s actions against Muslims and others in India tantamount to genocide and Muslims are about to be exterminated in India.” Nafees Zakaria said that for seven decades, India has denied to Kashmiri Muslims their basic right to self-determination. He said that Modi government has turned India into a vast prison camp of nearly eight million people. Zakaria said that Pakistan, at the House of Lord conference, drew attention towards the fact that documented evidence exists of atrocities of the last seven decades perpetrated by successive Indian governments. He referred to Amnesty International’s report which documented thousands of victims of pellet guns and mass blinding by Indian occupation troops. He said that evidence exists that Indian occupation forces kidnapped Kashmiri youth illegally and then killed them in fake encounters. Barrister Maleeka Bokhari, answering a question, said that PM Imran Khan’s anti-corruption narrative has proven to be right. She said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered nearly 150 billion Rupees which shows that public office holders were involved in corruption. She said that the government believes in freedom of media but irresponsible journalism and fake news were a danger to the society. She said the government is looking at the ways to provide safe online environment to users. British parliamentarians Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Lord Qurban Hussain, Steve Baker MP, Mark Eastwood MP, Imran Hussain MP and Schona Jolly QC spoke at the conference and shared their concerns over the prevailing humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan U-19 beat Zimbabwe, secure spot in World Cup quarter finals Posted: 22 Jan 2020 03:25 PM PST The Pakistan U19 team handed Zimbabwe a 38 runs defeat to qualify for the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup quarter finals. — Photo: Geo.tv/Files The Pakistan U19 team handed Zimbabwe a 38-run defeat on Wednesday to qualify for the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup quarter-finals. In their chase of 295 at the Witrand Oval Potchefstroom, Zimbabwe were skittled out for 255 in 46.3 overs thanks to a consolidated bowling effort from the Pakistan bowlers. Zimbabwe were off to a good start with openers Wesley Madhevere and Emmanuel Bawa adding 64 runs for the first wicket. The partnership was broken by left-arm-spinner Aamir Ali who accounted for the wicket of Bawa (19). Madhevere's wicket, was the second to fall as he was dismissed by Qasim Akram after scoring 53 off 55 balls (six fours, one six). Qasim also took the key wicket of captain Dion Myers, who was spectacularly caught by Mohammad Irfan Khan. Read more: 17-year-old Tahir Hussain aims to become best pacer at U19 World Cup Abbas Afridi turned around the match in the 39th over of Zimbabwe's  innings. The right-arm medium-fast first bowled Milton Shumba, who scored, on a slower one and then sent back Tadiwanashe Marumani two balls later to leave Zimbabwe at 208 for five. Tahir and Abbas took three wickets, while Aamir Ali and Qasim bagged two scalps each. Earlier, Mohammad Haris scored a blistering 81 after Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat. Haris came into bat with Pakistan placed at 140 for four after 33 overs. The boys in green added 154 runs in the last 17 overs mainly due to Haris’ brilliance. The right-hander hit seven fours and three towering sixes in his 51-ball knock. Haris added 43 for the fifth-wicket with Qasim Akram (54 off 50 balls, five fours and two sixes), 41 for the sixth-wicket with Muhammad Irfan (15) and 42 for the seventh wicket with Abbas Afridi (10) before falling with 12 balls left in the innings. Haris took the attack to the bowlers and made the most of the repair job done by Qasim and Fahad Munir (53 off 79 balls, five fours) who added 66 runs for the fourth-wicket to rescue the side from a tentative start which saw them reduced to 74 for three in 21.3 overs. Openers Haider Ali (19), Muhammad Shehzad (27) and captain Rohail Nazir (0) were the first three wickets to fall. Pakistan will now go up against Bangladesh U19 in the last group match on Friday.

Shoaib Akhtar says he has more money than Sehwag 'has hair on his head' Posted: 22 Jan 2020 03:10 PM PST Shoaib Akhtar says Virender Sehwag's comments have been blown out of proportion, sarcastically remarks that he has "more money than hair on Sehwag's head".—File photo Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has dismissed former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag’s claim that the Rawalpindi Express showers praise on India because "it makes business". Akhtar's comments come after an old video resurfaced on social media in which Sehwag says the former Pakistani fast bowler praises rivals India as it "makes a quick buck". In an exclusive interview with Geo TV on Wednesday, Akhtar said the video was blown out of proportion, sarcastically remarking that he has "more money than hair on Sehwag's head". "Sehwag is a great friend of mine. He said these words in a light-heartened way but people were quick to take things out of context," he said. "I mean, I have more money than he has hair on his head." Read more: Shoaib Akhtar makes it to YouTube's top 10 new content creators of 2019 Akhtar said other big names in Pakistan cricket would also share kind words for the neighbours and added that "jealous" people want to divide the two cricketing nations. "I have fans across the world, not just in India. That's why I have the fastest growing YouTube channel. It does not mean that I'm looking to make money if I compliment them. Ramiz Raja and Rashid Latif say good things about India as well. "I do think that there is a factor of jealousy. I have been targeted time and again. We are already politically divided but now people want to divide cricket as well," he said.

Unidentified persons rob 15kg wheat from differently-abled man in Faisalabad Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:41 PM PST FAISALABAD: Two unidentified persons beat up a differently-abled person and robbed him of a 15kg bag of wheat on Wednesday.  Imran Haider filed a complaint at the Ghulam Muhammad Abad Police Station stating that he was on his way home on the University of Agriculture Faisalabad road when two men on a motorcycle intercepted him.  "They [robbers] were riding a motorcycle. I was on one too. They robbed me of a bag of wheat. I tried to stop them but I am disabled and there were two of them hence they were able to get away," he said.  The incident takes place at a time when wheat prices have skyrocketed across the country. In Karachi, a sack of flour was being sold for Rs500 a couple of days ago. Read more: Nanbais of Peshawar go on strike against rising wheat prices In Lahore, the Flour Mill Association Punjab increased the price of flour by Rs6 per kg, after which flour was being sold at Rs70 per kg across the province. The Flour Mill Association had fixed the price of flour at Rs64 on January 4, however, a few days later, wheat was being sold at Rs70per kg. A 20kg bag of flour was being sold for Rs808.

PM Imran meets Ivanka Trump in Davos Posted: 22 Jan 2020 01:46 PM PST PM Imran Khan holds informal meeting with Ivanka Trump in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the world Economic Forum on January 22, 2020. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Ivanka Trump had in informal meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2020 summit on Wednesday. Pictures from the meeting between the two surfaced on social media in which PM Imran and Ivanka can be seen exchanging pleasantries.  Adviser to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bokhari can also be seen in the photo with PM Imran. This is the first time that the Pakistani prime minister met President Trump's daughter. The senior White House adviser has previously expressed her desire to work towards empowering Pakistani women to help them become a part of the country's workforce. PM Imran Khan holds informal meeting with Ivanka Trump in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the world Economic Forum on January 22, 2020. Read more: US First Lady Melania shares pictures with PM Imran, President Trump  In a meeting with the PM's special assistant on Overseas Pakistanis in Washington DC last year, Ivanka had shown keen interest in launching various programmes for the welfare of women in Pakistan. Bukhari had thanked Ivanka for her interest and also extended an invitation to the US president's daughter to visit Pakistan. Last year in July, when he met Trump at the White House, PM Imran interacted with the First Lady Melania Trump as well. The prime minister is in Davos to attend the WEF summit. Earlier, he spoke at the conference and said his government's biggest challenge was to improve state institutions so that it brings about enhanced governance at every level.  Read more: Can't have two nuclear-armed countries even thinking about conflict, says PM Imran "We are heading in the right direction, though I have to say, we have to do a lot of hard work," he said in his speech. "This year now, the focus is on increasing investment and providing employment to more people." The prime minister had said that one of the biggest advantages that Pakistan had was its population. "We are a nation of 210 million people and more than 60 percent of our population is below the age of 30," he said. Before concluding his speech, PM Imran stated that Pakistan had been gifted with a young population and a strategic location. He said his government's "biggest challenge" now was to improve state institutions which would, in turn, refine governance.

Greece elects its first woman president "who symbolises the transition to a new era" Posted: 22 Jan 2020 12:46 PM PST Photo: AFP ATHENS: Greece's parliament on Wednesday elected the first woman president in the country's history, a senior judge with no party-political allegiance. A cross-party majority of 261 of the 294 MPs present at the session voted in favour of 63-year-old Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, parliament chief Costas Tassoulas said. "Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou has been elected president of the republic," Tassoulas said. "This is a very important day for the Greek republic," said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who nominated her for the post. "Parliament has elected a remarkable jurist, a consensus figure who symbolises the transition to a new era." The new EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed. Tweeting her congratulations to Sakellaropoulou, she added: "Greece is moving ahead into a new era of equality." Sakellaropoulou herself set out her priorities to assembled journalists shortly after the vote: the economic crisis, climate change and mass migration, all of which required international cooperation. The new president, until now the head of Greece's administrative court, the Council of State, will be sworn in on March 13, taking over from Prokopis Pavlopoulos. The daughter of a Supreme Court judge, Sakellaropoulou completed postgraduate studies at Paris's Sorbonne university. She was the first woman to lead the Council of State, the country's top administrative court. As a jurist, she has particular expertise in environmental and constitutional law. A consensus candidate Although the president is nominally the head of the Greek state and commander-in-chief, the post is largely ceremonial. Greek presidents confirm governments and laws and technically have the power to declare war, but only in conjunction with the government. Backed by the main opposition leftist Syriza and socialist KINAL parties, Sakellaropoulou's candidacy secured one of the highest vote counts in parliament history. Mitsotakis had emphasised that the selection broke with tradition not only because Sakellaropoulou is a woman, but because she is not a member of a political party. Past presidents have often been senior party figures, such as former ministers. Some commentators have welcomed Sakellaropoulou's nomination as a consensus candidate during a difficult time for Greek foreign policy, amid tension with Turkey over energy exploration, Aegean territorial rights and migration. "The time has come for Greece to open up to the future," Mitsotakis said earlier this month, as he submitted Sakellaropoulou's name for the parliamentary vote. When Mitsotakis became prime minister in July, he was criticised for appointing just a handful of women to his cabinet. A 2017 Eurobarometer poll found 63 percent of Greeks thought gender equality had been achieved in politics, 69 percent at work and 61 percent in leadership positions. But Eurostat figures from the same year show a pay gap between men and women in Greece of more than 12 percent in average gross hourly earnings. Unemployment is also higher among women, with one in five jobless, according to the latest official figures.

466 PIA employees found guilty of having fake degrees in last 5 years Posted: 22 Jan 2020 12:40 PM PST The ministry told the Senate that PIA was devising a policy for an early verification of credentials. Photo: File  ISLAMABAD: 466 employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been found guilty of submitting fake and tampered-with degrees and educational certificates to the national carrier in the last five years. The Ministry of Aviation has given a detailed list of employees to the Senate Secretariat along with information about the action taken against the fake degree holders. The ministry told the Senate that PIA was devising a policy for early verification of credentials during the probationary period of employees, and that they would only be confirmed after the verification of their educational documents. Read more: SC rejects PIA CEO Arshad Malik's plea allowing him to continue in office The ministry added that any person found with a fake degree would not be able to escape from their liability as the submission of fake degree was an offence under the law. According to the PIA management, measures in this regard have been carried out strictly in accordance with the law and judgments of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Previously, there was no policy regarding verification of educational documents within 90 days from the date of initial appointment at PIA.

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