Wednesday 10 May 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Markets wary after Trump fires FBI chief

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Wall Street wobbled Wednesday as wary investors mulled the political fallout from US President Donald Trumps firing of FBI director James Comey.European stocks meanwhile posted slight gains, with some analysts detecting an investment flow from across the Atlantic.The latest surfacing of the unpredictable side of Trump adds further weight to renewed investor confidence in European stocks, said Accendo Markets analyst Henry Croft.At the closing bell, stock prices were a touch higher in Paris and Frankfurt, while surging oil prices helped lift London by 0.6 percent.On the other side of the Atlantic Wall Street was lower, also hit by sliding Disney shares, but the dollar staged a timid recovery, having tumbled to a six-month euro low after Trump ousted Comey late on Tuesday.Political uncertainty is resurfacing, said analysts at Charles Schwab after Trump ousted the man who headed a wide-ranging investigation into whether his aides colluded with Russia to sway last years US election.- Trumps Watergate? -=======================The shock move drew comparisons to the Watergate scandal that brought down Richard Nixon but analysts were mostly sanguine about its impact on stock markets.Broadly speaking I do not think this really changes much -- not unless its the start of a Watergate-like scandal, said ETX Capital analyst Neil Wilson.Solid corporate earnings... ought to underpin continued equity strength for time being. I dont think this (sacking) will wake investors from their slumber yet.London Capital Group analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya said investors were taking a pragmatic approach to the Comey news -- which could breathe new life into Trumps pro-business policies, like tax cuts.- No hard feelings -======================The abrupt dismissal has been a shock for many, for whom the news has been perceived as tragic for the US democracy, Ozkardeskaya told AFP.But the markets have no hard feelings and they are way more pragmatic, she added.Elsewhere, South Koreas won currency advanced as Moon Jae-Ins election win helped investors look past fresh warnings of a nuclear test from the North. Moon also declared his willingness to visit Pyongyang.Moon swept to power on Monday after his predecessor Park Geun-Hye was impeached over a corruption scandal.The US dollar, which has surged this week on expectations the Federal Reserve will lift US interest rates next month, struggled to bounce back Wednesday due to North Korea jitters -- and news of Comeys firing.Oil prices meanwhile got a boost from US government figures showing that American oil inventories fell by much more than forecast last week.The Department of Energy said stocks declined by 5.2 million barrels, against analysts predictions of 2 million.Both main international oil futures contracts rose by around three percent in response.- Key figures around 1545 GMT -================================New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,959.73 pointsLondon - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 7,385.24 (close)Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 percent at 12,757.46 (close)Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 5,400.46 (close)EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,645.74Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 19,900.09 (close)Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.5 percent at 25,015.42 (close)Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,052.79 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0867 from $1.0871Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2941 from $1.2948Dollar/yen: UP at 114.09 yen from 113.94 yenOil - Brent North Sea: UP $1.42 at $50.15 per barrelOil - West Texas Intermediate: UP $1.42 at $47.30

Microsoft aims to make artificial intelligence mainstream

Posted:

SEATTLE (AFP) - Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled new tools intended to democratize artificial intelligence by enabling machine smarts to be built into software from smartphone games to factory floors.The US technology titan opened its annual Build Conference by highlighting programs with artificial intelligence that could tap into services in the internet cloud and even take advantage of computing power in nearby machines.We are infusing AI into every product and service we offer, said Microsoft executive vice president of artificial intelligence and research Harry Shum.Weve been creating the building blocks for the current wave of AI breakthroughs for more than two decades.Microsoft research has gone deep into areas such as machine learning, speech recognition, and enabling machines to recognize what they see.Now, were in the unique position of being able to use those decades of research breakthroughs, Shum said.Microsoft rivals including Amazon, Apple, Google and IBM have all been aggressively pursing the promise and potential of artificial intelligence.Artificial intelligence is getting a foothold in peoples homes, with personal assistants answering questions and controlling connected devices such as appliances or light bulbs.Digital assistants already boast features such as reminding people of appointments entered into calendars and chiming in with advice to set out early if traffic is challenging.- Steering away from 1984 -============================Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, who opened the Seattle conference, also highlighted the need to build trust in technology, saying new applications must avoid the dystopian futures feared by some.Nadellas presentation included images from George Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World to underscore the issue of responsibility of those creating new technologies.What Orwell prophesied in 1984, where technology was being used to monitor, control, dictate, or what Huxley imagined we may do just by distracting ourselves without any meaning or purpose, Nadella said.Neither of these futures is something that we want... The future of computing is going to be defined by the choices that you as developers make and the impact of those choices on the world.Microsofts aim on Wednesday was on businesses and software developers, whether they be students building a fun app or professional technology teams.Microsoft is trying to use AI for businesses to solve business problems and app developers to make applications better, said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.Which is different from Amazon, Facebook, and Google whose primary business model is to mine personal information using AI to sell you things or put ads in front of you.Microsoft is taking a unique approach by letting developers customize gesture commands, voice recognition and more instead of making them conform to settings in off-the-shelf AI, according to the analyst.Microsoft executives used demonstrations to provide a glimpse into a near future in which artificial intelligence hosted online works with internet linked devices such as construction site cameras to alert workers of dangers, available tools, or unauthorized activities.Devices like smart surveillance cameras, smartphones, or factory floor machines were referred to as edge computing, with the coordination of cloud power and intelligent edge devices improving productivity and safety on the ground.- Windows numbers rise -========================Nadella also told developers that some 500 million devices now run on Microsofts latest Windows 10 operating system, creating a huge audience for their software creations.Microsofts online Office 365 service has some 100 million commercial users monthly, while Cortana digital assistant is used by 140 million people monthly, according to the Redmond, Washington-based technology firm.The future is a smart cloud, Nadella said, forecasting a future in which mobile devices take back seats to digital assistants hosted in the cloud that follow people from device to device.It is a pretty amazing world you can create using intelligent cloud and intelligent edge.

US-backed force seizes key Syria city, dam from IS

Posted:

BEIRUT (AFP) - A US-backed alliance on Wednesday captured Syrias Tabqa and its nearby dam from the Islamic State group, a day after Washington said it would arm the forces Kurdish fighters.Turkey slammed the US decision to arm the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers terrorists but which Washington sees as an indispensable ally in the fight against IS.The issue risks stoking tensions between the two countries less than week before US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet for the first time as heads of state.The YPG makes up the bulk of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which on Wednesday scored a major victory against IS in the Syrian city of Tabqa.The SDF said it had completely liberated Tabqa and the adjacent dam after weeks of fierce fighting.The combing operations are ongoing to ensure that the city is clear, said spokesman Talal Sello.Tabqa sits on the Euphrates River as well as a strategic supply route about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa, the Syrian heart of ISs so-called caliphate.The UN has warned damage to the Tabqa dam -- Syrias largest -- could lead to massive flooding, and a source who works with the dams technicians said they had fled the structure as fighting drew near in recent days.Tomorrow (Thursday), the teams will assess the dam and the level of damage caused by the clashes, the source told AFP.- Immediately reverse decision -==================================Warplanes from the US-led coalition have pounded Tabqa and nearby IS positions for weeks as part of the SDFs flagship offensive for Raqa.The YPG said the USs historic decision to begin providing it with weapons and other equipment would speed up its assault on IS positions.Spokesman Redur Xelil said the move was somewhat late, but would still provide a strong impetus to forces fighting IS.But this sparked ire from Turkey, which regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which since 1984 has waged an insurgency inside Turkey, leaving tens of thousands dead.I hope very much that this mistake will be reversed immediately, said Erdogan.I will personally express our worries in a detailed way when we talk with President Trump on May 16, he added, saying NATOs Brussels summit on May 25 would also tackle the issue.In a surprise announcement, the Pentagon said Trump had authorised the arming of the SDFs Kurds to ensure a clear victory over ISIS in Raqa.Until Tuesday, official US policy was to supply weapons only to the Arab components of the SDF -- never to its Kurds.A first consignment of weapons is already in place for delivery and could be dispatched to the Kurds very quickly, said US Colonel John Dorrian, a military spokesman for the US-led coalition.The dispute over arming Syrias Kurds poisoned ties between the two NATO allies under the administration of former president Barack Obama but Ankara had hoped for smoother ties under Trump.Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it was out of the question for Turkey to accept any direct or indirect help for the PKK.The United States and Turkey are two major partners in NATO. We dont believe America would choose a terror group over our strategic relations, he said.- Only different names -==========================Pentagon chief Jim Mattis sought to allay Turkish concerns, saying the US would work out any concerns with Turkey over security on its Syrian border.It remains to be seen what shadow the issue will cast over upcoming talks between Trump and Erdogan, touted as chance to forge a new partnership between the two sides.While the government expressed predictable anger, the deputy head of the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) Ozturk Yilmaz said it should go even further by postponing Erdogans visit to the US.A high-level Turkish delegation including Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and spy chief Hakan Fidan had been in the US laying the groundwork for the meeting.According to the New York Times, the delegation was informed of the decision to arm the YPG by Trumps national security adviser H.R. McMaster.Turkish media said the three met McMaster at the White House on Monday but gave no details over the content of the talks.Both Washington and Brussels classify the PKK as a terror group but do not regard the YPG as such.But Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the two were one and the same.YPG and PKK are both terror groups, there is no difference at all between them. They only have different names, he said.Turkey has said it is keen to join the battle for Raqa on condition the offensive excludes the YPG, which Ankara has targeted with air strikes and artillery.Last month, Erdogan said if Turkey and the US joined forces, they could turn Raqa into a graveyard for jihadists.Meanwhile, Trump received Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday and called on Moscow to reign in its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The timeline of Dawn Leaks issue

Posted:

LAHORE: (Dunya News) – The story about a meeting between the senior civil-military leadership had been published in Dawn newspaper on October 6, 2016, causing a storm in the country. What happened later on is as follows:2016October 14: Publishing of the story was declared a step against the national interest by Corps Commanders’ Conference.October 29: Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif stripped Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid of his post.October 31: Chaudhry Nisar held Pervaiz Rashid responsible for failing to hold the news from the press.November 7: 7-member committee was formed to probe the incident under the headship of Justice (r) Aamir Raza Khan.One member from Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence agencies each was also made the member of the committee.The committee was expected to complete the investigation within 30 days and present the report to Interior Minister on December 7 but it took 5 months and 18 days to compile the report.2017April 25: The report was presented to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.The report held Pervaiz Rashid, PM’s special advisor Tariq Fatemi and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehsin responsible for the leak.April 29: PM’s office recommended removing Rao Tehsin and Tariq Fatemi from their positions but Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department of Pakistan army rejected the ‘notification’ through a tweet.May 10: The tweet was withdrawn by ISPR as the government issued the notification as per the recommendations ‘in Para 18 of the Inquiry Committee Report’.

Rooney says he wants to stay at Man United

Posted:

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney wants to remain at Old Trafford next season despite his lack of playing time under manager Jose Mourinho, he said on Wednesday.Rooney, 31, has made only 22 starts across all competitions this season and has been linked with a move to either the Chinese Super League or former club Everton.When the subject of his future arose during a press conference to preview Thursdays Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo, he said: Ive been at this club 13 years. Of course I want to play football.Pressed as to whether his preference would be to continue playing for United, he replied: Of course.Rooney became Uniteds all-time leading scorer this season, but he is expected to drop to the bench against Celta at Old Trafford, where Mourinhos side will be defending a 1-0 lead from last weeks first leg.He adopted a philosophical stance when asked about his new status as a squad player, but again reiterated that he would like to be playing more regularly.Football changes. You have different periods, different challenges in your career, said the England striker.This season of course Ive not played as much as Id have liked to, but thats the way its panned out. Ive tried to help the team on and off the pitch and tried to help us win.I havent thrown my toys out of the pram. I havent made a big fuss of it. But of course Im a football player and I want to play football.The more I can play, the better for me and the more I feel I can help the team.

Cheating mafia still active despite Sindh govt's claims

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Despite the claims by Sindh government to take strict action against the culprits behind cheating, the mafia is still highly active within the province.It was announced by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that strict action will the cheating mafia active during the ongoing examination.On the contrary, the cheating mafia is still very active as was seen during the intermediate examination in Hyderabad where math paper was easily available at a cost of few thousands.Moreover, the facility of solving papers at home was available at a cost of 16 to 20 thousand within Karachi.The usage of smart phones and other technology devices is also in full swing during the ongoing examination.Amidst all such situation, the provincial government is proving to be a spectator as no substantial action has been taken in this regard.

PML-N leaders allege Imran Khan of spreading chaos with foreign funding

Posted:

ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have on Wednesday alleged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan had been trying to spread chaos in the country with the help of foreign funding, reported Dunya News.Talking to media outside Supreme Court building, Daniyal Aziz said that Imran Khan had ridiculed the national institutions while PML-N respected the institutions and also abided by the law. Hanif Abbasi also accused Imran Khan of spreading chaos on purpose.Talal Choudry sang a song from the movie ‘Lawaris’ to criticise Imran Khan. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that Imran Khan’s house was made on illegal property, without any permission from any authority.Maiz Hameed said that Imran Khan held the sit-in with the help of foreign funding and also ran the Islamabad lockdown movement.The League leaders said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had responded to the allegations on three generations of his family and now Imran will have to do the same too.

Pakistan 75/1, rain delays play in series decider

Posted:

ROSEAU (AFP) - Persistent light rain has interrupted play on the opening day of the third and final Test between the West Indies and Pakistan at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.Following a delay of 40 minutes after lunch for the resumption, only two overs were bowled before the players again left the field with Pakistan at 75 for one in their first innings after being put in to bat.Pakistan negotiated a potentially tricky first session, reaching 75 for one on the first day.After they were put in to bat, Shan Masood was the tourists only casualty of the morning, falling to off-spinner Roston Chase after an hour s play.Opening partner Azhar Ali (38 not out) was set to resume after the interval alongside Babar Azam (26 not out), their partnership having already produced 56 runs for the second wicket.West Indies faster bowlers failed to make the inroads that Jason Holder would have hoped for after he won the toss and had no hesitation in putting the opposition in to bat in heavy, overcast conditions.While Shannon Gabriel, the destroyer of the Pakistanis on the final day of the second Test, used the new ball with accuracy and economy, Alzarri Joseph lacked control, forcing the captain to introduce himself and then Chase in the quest for the breakthrough.It came when Masood, playing his first match of the series in place of the unwell Ahmed Shehzad, reached nine off 30 deliveries and prodded indecisively at a delivery from Chase for Holder to take the straightforward catch at second slip.Having failed to score in both innings of the second Test, new batsman Azam found the bowling to be much less challenging than at Kensington Oval and settled into the promising partnership with Ali.Despite an effort dominated so far by caution, Ali latched on to two loose deliveries from Chase, hoisting them for sixes to highlight an otherwise quiet morning.With a 106-run win in Barbados levelling the series, the home side named an unchanged eleven in pursuit of a first Test series win for five years against a team ranked higher than themselves.Apart from the recall of Masood, fast-medium bowler Hasan Ali is making his debut at the expense of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who struggled in his first appearance in the second Test.Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean on seven previous tours and the significance of the fixture has been magnified by the fact that Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq and senior batsman Younis Khan are playing their final international matches.Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test between the West Indies and Pakistan at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.

Karachi: CTD raids inter board office, central gate sealed, 4 arrested

Posted:

KARACHI: (Dunya News) – Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday raided the inter board office and arrested four employees, sealing all the record. Investigations have been started, reported Dunya News.The CTD team interrogated senior board officials and arrested four of them including CCO. During the raid, the entry and exit gates of the board office were sealed. The team remained at the office for about one hour and inquired the issue of paper leak through Whatsapp groups.

FPSC announces CSS result

Posted:

ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has on Wednesday announced the result of CSS exam of 2016 and only 2 percent of the candidates passed the exam, reported Dunya News.According to details, 9643 candidates had appeared in the exam while only 202 of them were able to pass the written test. Out of these 202, 199 passed the interview and 193 have been recommended for postings. 84 of the passing candidates are women.

Nation must know what exactly was 'resolved' in Dawn Leaks issue: Imran

Posted:

ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has on Wednesday said that the nation must know what exactly was ‘resolved’ in the Dawn Leaks issue. He said that it wasn’t just an issue between the government and the army as its effect was on national level, reported Dunya News.Responding to the press release by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department of the army, Imran said that the nation must know what was agreed upon in the deal. He added that the nation was being kept in dark and demanded that the inquiry report must be made public.

Facebook makes design changes to tackle spam, misinformation

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Facebook said Wednesday it was making changes designed to keep its users from linking to low-quality websites, part of an effort to fight spam and misinformation.The worlds biggest social network said it is updating its ranking algorithm with the help of artificial intelligence so users would see fewer posts that link to these low-quality web page experiences.With this update, we reviewed hundreds of thousands of web pages linked to/from Facebook to identify those that contain little substantive content and have a large number of disruptive, shocking or malicious ads, a Facebook blog post said.If we determine a post might link to these types of low-quality web pages, it may show up lower in peoples feeds and may not be eligible to be an ad, the blog post from researchers Jiun-Ren Lin and Shengbo Guo said.This way people can see fewer misleading posts and more informative posts.The move is the latest by Facebook to attack fake news and other forms of misinformation, as well as to crack down on click farms that aim to generate revenue from users linking to websites.Facebook, which came under criticism for its role in the spread of misinformation during the 2016 US presidential campaign, has argued the platform did not play a major role in influencing voters.The social network with nearly two billion users worldwide also recently stepped up its security to counter efforts by governments and others to spread misinformation or manipulate discussions for political reasons.

Faisalabad: Patients in misery due to paramedical staff's protest

Posted:

FAISALABAD: (Dunya News) – Patients at three major government hospitals of the city including Allied Hospital, Civil Hospital and General Hospital were in a miserable condition on Wednesday as paramedical staff shut down the OPD in protest for their demands, reported Dunya News.The staff members raised slogans for their demands. They demanded that the decision to privatise the hospitals must be taken back, contract system must be terminated and the daily wages employees be made permanent. They also demanded the implementation of the service structure agreed upon in 2011.Paramedical staff also took out rallies in support of their demands and protested at District Council Chowk.

3rd Test: Pakistan frustrate Windies in opening session

Posted:

ROSEAU, Dominica (AFP) - Pakistan negotiated a potentially tricky first session, reaching 70 for one on the first day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.After they were put in to bat, Shan Masood was the tourists only casualty of the morning, falling to off-spinner Roston Chase after an hours play.Opening partner Azhar Ali (36 not out) was set to resume after the interval alongside Babar Azam (24 not out), their partnership having already produced 51 runs for the second wicket.West Indies faster bowlers failed to make the inroads that Jason Holder would have hoped for after he won the toss and had no hesitation in putting the opposition in to bat in heavy, overcast conditions.While Shannon Gabriel, the destroyer of the Pakistanis on the final day of the second Test, used the new ball with accuracy and economy, Alzarri Joseph lacked control, forcing the captain to introduce himself and then Chase in the quest for the breakthrough.It came when Masood, playing his first match of the series in place of the unwell Ahmed Shehzad, reached nine off 30 deliveries and prodded indecisively at a delivery from Chase for Holder to take the straightforward catch at second slip.Having failed to score in both innings of the second Test, new batsman Azam found the bowling to be much less challenging than at Kensington Oval and settled into the promising partnership with Ali.Despite an effort dominated so far by caution, Ali latched on to two loose deliveries from Chase, hoisting them for sixes to highlight an otherwise quiet morning.With a 106-run win in Barbados levelling the series, the home side named an unchanged eleven in pursuit of a first Test series win for five years against a team ranked higher than themselves.Apart from the recall of Masood, fast-medium bowler Hasan Ali is making his debut at the expense of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who struggled in his first appearance in the second Test.Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean on seven previous tours and the significance of the fixture has been magnified by the fact that Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq and senior batsman Younis Khan are playing their final international matches.Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test between the West Indies and Pakistan at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.Pakistan 1st InningsA. Ali not out 36S. Masood c Holder b Chase 9B. Azam not out 24Extras (w-1) 1Total (1 wkt, 26 overs) 70Fall of wicket: 1-19 (Masood)To bat: Y. Khan, Misbah ul Haq, A. Shafiq, S. Ahmed, M. Amir, Y. Shah, H. Ali, M. AbbasBowling: S. Gabriel 7-3-8-0, A. Joseph 7-0-27-0, R. Chase 6-3-17-1, J. Holder 5-1-11-0 (1w), D. Bishoo 1-0-7-0Toss: West IndiesUmpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Bruce Oxenford (AUS)Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

Power outages likely in Ramadan, tells Abid Sher Ali

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – State Minister for Power and Energy Abid Sher Ali said on Wednesday that power outages would occur in Ramadan, reported Dunya News.The minister of state called a spade a spade keeping in view the huge gap of 5500MW in electricity consumption and production.It was earlier reported that the huge shortfall led to 8-14 hours of power outages in urban areas while up to 14 hours in rural regions.Abid Sher Ali promised that duration of power outages would be decreased in the holy month of Ramadan. He told that they would try not to break power supply during Sehr and Iftar timings.Power outages are becoming a huge problem during one of the hottest months of summer. Despite government claims, sources in Ministry of Water and Power said hydel power plants are generating 3,500MW of electricity, GENCOs 2,500MW and IPPs 8,000MW.The power demand has gone up to a mark of 19,950MW while the supply generation went down to 14,000MW.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)