Tuesday 21 March 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

India grants 'legal persons' status to sacred rivers

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DEHRADUN, India, March 21, 2017 (AFP) - Two of Indias holiest but most polluted rivers have been recognised as a legal person in a landmark court ruling that could see the sacred waterways restored to health.The decision to bestow legal standing to the Ganges and the Yamuna, one of its major tributaries, comes just days after New Zealand awarded similar rights to its own spiritual river in a move described as a world first.The highest court in Uttarakhand, the Himalayan state where the Ganges originates, late Monday declared the rivers as living entities having the status of a legal person and all corresponding rights.The states High Court in the resort town of Nainital said it took the unusual step because the hallowed rivers upon which Hindu rites are conducted were losing their very existence.This situation requires extraordinary measures to preserve and conserve these rivers, the court said in its ruling.The Ganges is Indias longest and holiest river, but the waters in which pilgrims ritualistically bathe and scatter the ashes of their dead is heavily polluted with untreated sewage and industrial waste.Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned in 2014 on a promise to revitalise the Ganges, even tasking a dedicated minister to the job, but results have been mixed three years on.MC Pant, the lawyer who argued the case in Uttarakhand, said past court efforts to protect the river were done in the name of individual petitioners.Now, they can be filed in the name of the river itself, he told AFP.Activists celebrated the groundbreaking ruling but cautioned against over-optimism given the scale of the task at hand.At the end of the day, one can only hope the symbolism attached to this order translates into real action on the ground, Sanjay Upadhyay, a New Delhi-based environment lawyer, told AFP.New Zealand last week recognised its third-largest river, ancestral and spiritual waters for its Maori people, as a living entity.Successive governments in India have attempted with limited success to clean up the Ganges, which snakes 2,500 kilometres (1,553-mile) across northern India from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

And here are the top 10 cities with most billionaires ....

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WEB DESK (Dunya News) – Forbes released its annual list of the billionaires around the globe on Monday as Bill Gates has been listed as the richest man in the world with a net worth of $86 billion.However the question arises as to which are the cities that are homes to the most billionaires.Let’s have a look at the top 10 cities where most of the billionaires reside.1. New YorkBillionaire population: 82Combined net worth: $397.9 billionRichest individual: David Koch ($48.3 billion)2. Hong KongBillionaire population: 75Combined net worth: $297.8 billionRichest individual: Li Ka-shing ($31.2 billion)3. MoscowBillionaire population: 73Combined net worth: $297 billionRichest individual: Leonid Mikhelson ($18.4 billion)4. BeijingBillionaire population: 54Combined net worth: $161.3 billionRichest individual: Wang Jianlin ($31.3 billion)5. LondonBillionaire population: 50Combined net worth: $217.3 billionRichest individual: Len Blavatnik ($20 billion)6. MumbaiBillionaire population: 41Combined net worth: $149.1 billionRichest individual: Mukesh Ambani ($23.2 billion)7. ShanghaiBillionaire population: 40Combined net worth: $91.9 billionRichest individual: Liu Yongxing ($6.6 billion)8. SeoulBillionaire population: 37Combined net worth: $91.4 billionRichest individual: Kun-Hee Lee ($15.1 billion)9. ShenzhenBillionaire population: 35Combined net worth: $129.4 billionRichest individual: Ma Huateng ($24.9 billion)10. San FranciscoBillionaire population: 32Combined net worth: $86.6 billionRichest individual: Dustin Moskovitz ($10.7 billion)

Podolski captains Germany on farewell against England

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DORTMUND (AFP) - Lukas Podolski will captain injury-hit Germany on his farewell international appearance in Wednesdays friendly against England, head coach Joachim Loew has confirmed.Podolski, 31, will make his 130th and final appearance by wearing the captains armband against Gareth Southgates Three Lions in Dortmund.Its sensational, you cant ask for more, said Podolski, who will join Japans Vissel Kobe next season, upon hearing he will captain his country on his farewell.My final appearance will be a lovely, but also a sad moment for me.Im pleased I will get a chance to say goodbye to the fans, added the Galatasaray striker, who made his international debut in 2004.However, world champions Germany are missing a host of first-choice players against Gareth Southgates England.As well as our captain Manuel Neuer, Mario Gomez, Mesut Ozil and Julian Draxler are also injured, Loew told a press conference in Dortmund.Germany versus England is usually a classic, but this one is different as I am missing a lot of good players.I see this England team as one in transition. Their coach wants more modern football, more ball possession.Ive watched their game (a 2-2 draw last November) against Spain and they put in a very strong performance.They have a lot of very good, very quick players, who can counter attack very well. They are bold and take risks.With both attacking midfielders Draxler of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenals Ozil out with thigh injuries, Real Madrids Toni Kroos is most likely to fill the role.Gomez, 31, is missing with a groin strain, so RB Leipzigs Timo Werner, 21, is set to make his debut having hit 14 goals in the Bundesliga so far this season.In the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Neuer, who has a calf injury, PSGs Kevin Trapp is tipped to make his Germany debut between the posts.Loew is already without injured defender Jerome Boateng and winger Marco Reus while World Cup winner Mario Goetze is sidelined until next season with a metabolism disorder.Germanys head coach will be hoping to have some of his stars back for Sundays 2018 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Baku with his side five points clear in their group.

FIA was only told to verify mobile data, cricket has own rules: Sethi

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Pakistan Super League (PSL) chairman Najam Sethi has on Tuesday said that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had only been asked to verify mobile data and that cricket boards had their own rules of punishing offenders, reported Dunya News.Talking on Dunya News program ‘Nuqta-e-Nazar’, Najam Sethi rejected the rumours of collision between PCB and FIA. However, he reiterated his stance on the occasion, saying that the investigation agency had been asked to verify mobile data while rest would happen according to the rules of PCB. He said that all boards, including International Cricket Council (ICC), had their own processes to punish offenders.Najam Sethi said that all boards had their own rules and PCB must also be allowed to take its course. The idea to limit the investigations seems to be in contradiction with the slogans of zero tolerance for corruption and ridding cricket of the menace.

PAF develops new command system, modern simulators for pilots' training

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has developed its own new command system and modern simulators for pilots’ training. PAF has manufactured this new command system relying solely on the local resources, reported Dunya News.Several other milestones have also been achieved in the defence sector under Project Vision. Acting upon the policy of self-reliance in defence, PAF is achieving milestones after milestones. Modern effective command system and simulators for pilots’ training have been developed under Project Vision.Pakistan had begun its road to self-reliance after sanctions were imposed on it in result of the nuclear capability testing. Professional engineers and IT professionals were picked to make a unit and they were told to develop their own command system.Navy and military are also benefiting from PAF’s expertise. The use of modern simulators has helped bringing down the number of air accidents considerably.PAF officials told Dunya News that Vision Project has achieved several milestones. They said that the day is not far when Pakistan army will be relying completely on weapons made in Pakistan.

UAE arrests award-winning rights activist

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested an award-winning human rights activist pending an investigation for allegedly publishing false information and sowing sedition and sectarianism online, state media said.Cybercrime prosecutors ordered the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor on Sunday over documented electronic proof, the official WAM news agency reported late Monday.Mansoor was accused of using social media platforms to publish false information and rumours, and spread tendentious ideas that would sow sedition, sectarianism and hatred and harm national unity and social peace, as well as harming the states reputation and inciting disobedience, said WAM.The Gulf Center for Human Rights said his arrest may be linked to posts on his Twitter account calling for the release of Emirati human rights activist Osama al-Najjar.Mansoor won in 2015 the Martin Ennals award, named after the former secretary general of Amnesty International.The award that is often dubbed the Nobel Prize for human rights is given to human rights defenders who show deep commitment to their cause despite huge personal risk.Amnesty International slammed Mansoors arrest.Amnesty International is appalled and dismayed at this surprise overnight raid resulting in the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, a courageous and prominent human rights defender, said Lynn Maalouf, head of research at the organisations regional office in Beirut.We believe Ahmed Mansoor was detained for the peaceful expression of his conscientiously held beliefs, and we call for his immediate and unconditional release, she said in a statement.The London-based rights watchdog said a squad of 10 male and two female security officers stormed Mansoors apartment around midnight Sunday and carried out a room-by-room search, including the childrens bedroom.They led Mansoor away at about 3:15 am Monday (2315 GMT Sunday) without informing his wife where he was taken, it added.Human Rights Watch accused United Arab Emirates authorities of denying Mansoor access to a lawyer.The charges against Mansoor clearly violate his right to free expression, and if the UAE has any concern about its reputation it will release him immediately, said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director of the New York-based group.Mansoor was sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 in a trial criticised by rights groups as grossly unfair.At the time, he stood accused, along with four others, of using the internet to insult the UAEs leaders, of calling for a boycott of elections and of being linked to anti-government demonstrations.He was pardoned by the UAEs president later the same year, but was stripped of his passport and barred from overseas travel.

Face recognition flushes out China's toilet paper crooks

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BEIJING (AFP) - A years-long crime spree by Chinese toilet paper thieves may have reached the end of its roll after park officials in southern Beijing installed facial recognition technology to flush out bathroom bandits.Park managers at the Temple of Heaven, an expanse of imperial landmarks in the capital, spent three years testing ways to foil the toilet looters, including fingerprinting and laser sensors, before they settled on the new technology, which was introduced over the weekend.Elderly square dancers taking their bathroom breaks on Tuesday were greeted by a robotic voice: Welcome Please stand in the recognition zone.One by one, they obediently positioned themselves on a yellow square marking and watched their faces pop up on a blinking blue screen mounted to the wall. Then the machine dispensed their individual allotment of 60 cm (23 inches) of toilet paper.If the same individual attempts to collect more bathroom tissue within nine minutes, he or she will be met with a polite rejection: Please try again later.Toilet paper crooks have been known to take home entire rolls, smuggling them out in bulging bags that go undetected at the security gates.The high-tech solution was welcomed by some of the parks regulars.Its pretty good, as long as we have enough to use, said Pu Meilang, 68, who takes frequent strolls around Temple of Heaven.It thwarts the rule-breakers.Desperate measuresThe park has sought to put a stop to toilet paper bandits for years, according to Lei Zhenshan, a marketing manager for Shoulian Zhineng, the Tianjin-based company behind the device.In 2014, they started experimenting with different ways of tracking toilet paper usage and finally settled on facial recognition -- but not without some internal dispute.It seemed a little awkward at first, Lei said, but we saw that the degree of waste was quite severe, and decided to take this technical approach to correcting peoples behaviour.He said they decided against fingerprinting because people might use all ten of their fingers in turn to maximise rations.According to Lei, the technology has already reduced waste by 70 percent since it was brought to Temple of Heaven.The machines, which cost more than 6000 yuan ($869) each, were first introduced in June around the Birds Nest stadium in the citys Olympic Green.Though most Temple of Heaven park-goers by the east gate were able to quickly get their bathroom tissues on Tuesday morning, the system was not without small inconveniences.One woman had a toddler who was too short to reach the camera range.Another, a 55-year-old who was partaking in a sailor-style group dance, came clad in a full black navy uniform. She had to remove her cap and sunglasses to receive her portion.Li Zengxiu, 58, came out of her bathroom stall to discover that she would not be granted additional toilet paper to wipe her hands.But she was happy to make the sacrifice, Li said as she air-dried them instead.Were saving paper for the good of the country.Users on the social network Weibo were more sceptical.One commenter wrote: In two days, the facial recognition machine will be taken too.

Coalition gathers to hear Trump Islamic State plan

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The 68-nation US-led coalition against the Islamic State group will meet in Washington on Wednesday to accelerate efforts to destroy the remaining terrorist strongholds in Iraq and Syria.US President Donald Trump has ordered his generals to come up with an accelerated strategy to eradicate the groups so-called caliphate, and allied ministers are keen to hear more.And it is also an occasion for Trumps discreet new secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, to emerge from the shadows and stamp his authority on the diplomatic side of the joint effort.But eyebrows have been raised by Trumps plan to slash 28 percent from the State Departments budget for diplomacy and foreign aid, suggesting fewer resources for post-conflict stabilization.European diplomats told AFP that they expect reassurances from Washington that it remains committed to a longer-term plan to secure the region after a battlefield victory.The day-long ministerial-level discussion at the State Department will also help plan for the political aftermath of the battles for the cities of Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria.Killing DaeshIraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was in Washington just ahead of the talks, and said victory against IS was within sight, if only the allies stick together.We are killing Daesh. We are proving that Daesh can be killed, can be eliminated, Abadi told an invited audience at the US Institute for Peace, using the groups Arabic acronym.We can do it not only in Iraq but in the region. I am encouraging our allies and our friends to stay focused. We shouldnt lose focus, we shouldnt give Daesh a second chance.Shortly after taking office in late January, Trump gave the Pentagon 30 days to review progress in the anti-IS fight and develop a comprehensive plan to totally obliterate the group.On the campaign trail, the combative candidate frequently bemoaned how long it was taking then president Barack Obama to get the job done -- and he claimed to have a secret plan to finish IS.But he never offered any details and so far has largely stuck with Obamas strategy.This centers on US-led or guided forces carrying out continual surveillance and strikes on terrorist targets, while training and equipping local forces to conduct ground combat and hold seized terrain.Still, Trump has made some notable tweaks, including granting commanders broader authority to make battlefield decisions.Military officers had complained of micromanagement by the Obama White House, but critics worry the military may now lean toward actions with a greater likelihood of civilian deaths, such as a botched January raid in Yemen that ended up killing a Navy SEAL and multiple women and children.On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that it was investigating allegations that a strike it launched on a suspected Al-Qaeda target near a mosque in northern Syria killed dozens of civilians.Last month, the Pentagon gave Trump an initial draft of its revised anti-IS plan.Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the document would inform Wednesdays diplomatic discussions, and that feedback from coalition partners would go back into the plan.Heavy casualtiesOn October 17 last year, Iraqi troops -- backed by coalition air power, special forces and artillery -- launched an offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State groups so-called caliphate.By February 19 they had cleared the East bank of the Tigris and had begun to push into terrorist strongholds on the West. They have suffered heavy casualties but continue to progress.Meanwhile, the terrorists capital in Syria is increasingly isolated, but planning for its recapture has been complicated by the diplomatic and political situation in the country.The Pentagon is backing an alliance of local Kurdish and Arab militias to take the city, but Turkey has its own rebel force in the region and Russia is backing Bashar al-Assads regime.Turkey regards the YPG -- the Kurdish component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces -- as a front for the terrorist Kurdish separatist PKK and opposes arming it for the offensive.The United States, however, does not want to commit too many of its own troops to the fight -- despite plans to more than double its own 850-strong contingent in the country and add artillery units.How this plays out in the months to come will also be under discussion in Washington, with Tillerson attempting to maintain support for the US vision among the mainly Western and Arab partners.

Pakistan cricket team leaves for West Indies

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan cricket team has left here for West Indies where it will play a series Twenty20, ODIs and Tests.Talking to media at Karachi Airport, skipper Sarfaraz Ahmad and coach Mickey Arthur termed the tour to West Indies as really crucial for direct qualification for 2019 Cricket World Cup.Mickey Arthur revealed at the occasion that he personally feel sad over suspension of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, however he also added that we don’t need to worry now.The coach of Pakistani cricket team expressed that West Indies is not an easy team to defeat and that the pitches in West Indies will suit Pakistani team.Mickey Arthur let it be known that there is a margin of betterment in fielding and fitness level and that the first priority in this regard will be direct qualification for World Cup.Sarfaraz Ahmad revealed at the occasion that Sohail Khan exhibited excellent performance during PSL.The skipper however didn’t comment about the fixing scandal.He professed that we need to maintain discipline and in order to qualify directly for the World Cup, we will have to win this series.Sarfaraz also expressed his satisfaction over the preparations for the West Indies tour.

French interior minister resigns over jobs for daughters

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PARIS (AFP) - French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux resigned on Tuesday after revelations that he hired his two teenage daughters as parliamentary aides, while denying any wrongdoing.Le Roux, 51, said he did not want the investigation into the contracts, for which his daughters earned a total of 55,000 euros ($59,500), to undermine the work of the government.

UK issues laptop, tablets flight ban after US warning

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LONDON (AFP) - Britain tightened airline security on flights from Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday, banning laptops and tablet computers from the plane cabin following a US security warning.Passengers flying directly to Britain from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey will be required to place those devices and large phones into hold luggage, a government spokesman said.The additional security measures may cause some disruption for passengers and flights, and we understand the frustration that will cause, but our top priority will always be to maintain the safety of British nationals, he said in a statement.The move came hours after the US government warned that extremists plan to target passenger jets with bombs hidden in electronic devices, and banned carrying them in cabins on flights from 10 airports in eight countries.The British ban only involves six countries, two of which -- Lebanon and Tunisia -- do not feature on the US list. Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and United Arab Emirates are on the US list, but not the British one.We have been in close touch with the Americans to fully understand their position, the spokesman said.Prime Minister Theresa May has chaired a number of meetings on aviation security over the last few weeks, including on Tuesday morning, where the new measures were agreed, he said.Decisions to make changes to our aviation security regime are never taken lightly, he added.We will not hesitate to act in order to maintain the safety of the travelling public and we will work closely with our international partners to minimise any disruption these new measures may cause.The change affects six British airlines, including British Airways and EasyJet, and eight foreign carriers, including Turkish Airlines.Senior US officials told reporters that nine airlines from eight countries had been given 96 hours to ban devices bigger than a mobile phone from the cabin.The British ban includes phones which are more than 16 centimetres long, 9.3cm wide and 1.5cm deep.

COAS visits parents of martyred Capt Junaid

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(Web Desk) – Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday met with the family of Captain Junaid. He visited the martyr’s home and paid condolence with his family.While praising the valor of Pakistan Army soldiers, Gen Bajwa made it clear that the sacrifices made by the officers of security forces would not go astray.COAS visited parents of Shaheed Capt Junaid who embraced shahadat at Swabi.Our martyrs are our heroes,their sacrifices shall not go waste pic.twitter.com/bKpV0BJIOm— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) March 21, 2017 According to ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor, COAS said, Our martyrs are our heroes, their sacrifices shall not go waste.”Captain Junaid embraced Shahadat at Swabi while fighting against the terrorists.Capt Junaidembraced Shahadat in exchange of fire with terrorists in Swabi

Sheikh Rasheed pleaded before me to join Zia's cabinet: Javed Hashmi

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Senior politician Javed Hashmi has on Tuesday said that Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rasheed had pleaded before him to join General Zia’s cabinet. “Sheikh Rasheed was in my feet to convince me to join Zia’s cabinet”, he said, reported Dunya News.In a heated discussion with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Dunya News program ‘On the Front’, Javed Hashmi openly talked in Sharif brothers’ favour when Chaudhry admired former President Pervez Musharraf.Fawad Chaudhry said that Musharraf’s aides never lied while all of Nawaz Sharif’s companions were liars. Javed Hashmi responded by saying that Nawaz Sharif didn’t want to leave the country; Musharraf was the one responsible for the deal.The PTI leader said that Javed Hashmi gives lectures on democracy to others but he was a member of Zia’s first cabinet. “Sheikh Rasheed was in my feet to convince me to join Zia’s cabinet”, Hashmi responded. Hashmi bitterly criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan on the occasion. “Imran Khan must bring his children back to Pakistan”, he said.“When Javed Hashmi was in PTI, situation was quite different”, Fawad Chaudhry said as both politicians took each other to the task.

India admits to violation of Indus Waters Treaty

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – India has admitted on Tuesday that one of the hydel power projects that is to be constructed has a design which is in violation of Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.Indian delegation stated on record that the 120-Mega Watt project would not be constructed with the objectionable design. The resolve was asserted during Indus Water Commissioner-level talks held in the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Lahore.10-member Indian delegation led by Indus Water Commissioner, P K Saxena arrived in Pakistan through Wagah on March 19 and the two-day talks commenced on March 20.Agenda of the dialogue included discussions over Lower Kalnai, Pakal Dul and Miyar projects.Pakistan has raised concerns multiple times over construction of certain projects by India as they violate Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries.From Pakistan’s side the delegation is led by Mirza Asif Baig, Indus Water Commissioner.The treaty bounds both the states to hold a dialogue once a year however, over escalated tensions, the talks were cancelled in 2016 following Uri attack.

NAB to file reference against illegal allotment of land in Sindh

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Executive Board Meeting of National Accountability Bureau was held in Islamabad, reported Dunya News.It was approved in the meeting chaired by Chairman NAB, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, that a reference will be filed against the illegal allotment of land worth 53 billion rupees within Sindh.An approval was also given in respect to filing a reference against the former president National Bank Syed Ali Raza on the charge of embezzling 18 crore dollars.Moreover, a reference will also be filed against the former IG SIndh Ghulam Haidar Jamali on the charge of illegal appointments as was revealed in the meeting.A declaration after the meeting also revealed that inquiries will be started against the administration of Punjab University over illegal appointments and also against MNA Sultan Hinjra over illegal allotment.The Executive Board of NAB also review the complaints filed against Speaker KP Assembly Asad Qaiser as there are allegations of misuse of power against him.
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