Thursday 9 November 2017

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Dunya TV

Football: Switzerland on top after narrow win over Northern Ireland

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BELFAST (AFP) - Switzerland took a giant step towards qualifying for Russia 2018 on Thursday but needed a controversial penalty to earn a 1-0 win against Northern Ireland in the first leg of their World Cup play-off.Vladimir Petkovics team dominated the match at Windsor Park in Belfast but squandered a succession of chances as Michael ONeills team held them at bay.The key moment came with just over half an hour to go, when Xherdan Shaqiris volley was blocked by Corry Evans in the box and the referee pointed to the spot, even though he appeared to have been hit on the shoulder as he took evasive action.Ricardo Rodriguez made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Michael McGovern the wrong way as the visitors finally made their superiority count to put them in the driving seat in the two-legged tie.Shaqiri said he did not know whether it was a penalty or not.I tried to get a shot on target and I dont know if he touched it with his hand or not. In the end the referee gave the penalty, he said. That is football.We controlled the game over 90 minutes, had a lot of possession and created chances. We played much better than Northern Ireland and deserved to win.But ONeill raged at the decision, saying he did not understand how the referee could award the spot kick.The referee has no-one in his line of sight, he said. Corrys arm isnt in an unnatural position, its by his side. The ball hits him on the back more than anything. I thought the referee had blown for a foul or an offside. Nobody had claimed for it.Im staggered by the decision, staggered by the yellow card but theres nothing we can do about it now, he added. Theres anger in the dressing room in there. They feel very aggrieved about whats happened.ONeill also said Fabian Schaer deserved a red card for a reckless tackle on Stuart Dallas in the opening minutes, adding: The referee hasnt done us any favours.The Swiss are unlucky to find themselves in the play-offs after winning nine of their 10 games in Group B but were pipped to top spot by Portugal.Emerging to a sea of green and white flags, Northern Ireland started brightly in a raucous atmosphere at Windsor Park and Switzerlands Fabian Schaer was lucky to escape with just a yellow card after he flew into a reckless tackle on Stuart Dallas.But the visitors quickly found their rhythm. Granit Xhaka had a couple of chances before Haris Seferovic latched onto the end of a fine cross from the impressive Shaqiri but McGovern saved smartly.Despite dominating possession, Switzerland could not find a breakthrough as Northern Ireland, who conceded just six goals in their qualifying campaign, survived until the break.Within seconds of the restart Shaqiri came close to breaking the deadlock with a curling left-footed effort that whistled just over and Seferovic was inches away from getting his boot to a cross.But the away side needed a lucky break to finally edge ahead and it came courtesy of the soft penalty, which also saw Evans booked, meaning he will miss Sundays second leg in Basel.Northern Ireland, who posed a threat from set-pieces, had a good chance to equalise when Josh Magennis connected with a free-kick from Chris Brunt but he steered his header wide.Northern Ireland, who finished a distant second in Group C behind world champions Germany, are aiming to reach their first World Cup finals since 1986 and just the fourth in their history, while Switzerland have reached the past three tournaments.

Football: Croatia see off Greece to close in on World Cup

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ZAGREB (AFP) - Croatia cruised to a 4-1 victory over Greece in their World Cup play-off first leg on Thursday to move to the brink of a spot at next years finals in Russia.Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric opened the scoring in Zagreb from the penalty spot in the 13th minute, after Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis brought down striker Nikola Kalinic.Croatia doubled their lead six minutes later when an unmarked Kalinic flicked in a low cross from Ivan Strinic.The visitors pulled one back on the half-hour mark when captain Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored a header from a corner.But just three minutes later, a quick Croatian attack down the right flank ended with Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic powering home a close-range header at the back post.Andrej Kramaric tapped in to increase Croatias lead four minutes after half-time and leave Greece with it all to do in the return fixture on Sunday in Piraeus.It was a great match ... But this is only the first half, we should not relax. Nothing is over, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic told television channel HRT. These are excellent players who dont need much ... A bit of support, trust.Dalic was named as head coach in October after Ante Cacic was sacked following a damaging 1-1 home draw with Finland, as the team ultimately finished a disappointing second to Iceland in Group I.We played a great match ... But we have only done half of the job, we should have a good rest and play a good match there (Greece) on Sunday, Modric added. We could have scored more goals, but 4-1 is a great result.The two countries football federations have agreed that both matches will be played without visiting fans for security reasons.Croatia are looking to qualify for their fifth World Cup since 1998.

Fowler makes solid start to season at Mayakoba

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MAYAKOBA (Reuters) - Rickie Fowler made a solid start to his season by carding a bogey-free, six-under-par 65 on Thursday that left him three shots back of leader Patton Kizzire after the first round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.The world number 10, making his first start since the Presidents Cup, flashed midseason form at the El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with a round that was bettered only by Kizzire (62) and Vaughn Taylor (64).It was nice, I got off to a solid start, said Fowler, the highest ranked player in the field. Always nice to go bogey-free. Always nice to start the year that way.Fowler, who arrived at Mayakoba on Saturday but did not touch a club until Tuesday as he enjoyed the resorts beach and other facilities, started on the back nine where he made three consecutive pars before picking up shots on three of the next four holes.After a steady string of pars the 28-year-old, who typically starts his season in Asia, finished strong with three birdies over his final four holes.But the day belonged to Kizzire, who despite a bogey at the last managed to card his career low round by one shot.It also extended what has been a good early-season run for the 31-year-old, who tied for fourth at last weeks Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and finished tied for 10th at the Sanderson Farms Championship.Two-times U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen carded a 66 that left him in a group of six sharing fifth place.The 48-year-old South African looked more like the player that earned seven PGA Tour titles rather than the one that has struggled to put together a string of good results.His last win on the Tour came back in 2009.Defending champion Pat Perez was five shots off the lead in a share of 11th after mixing seven birdies with three bogeys for a four-under-par 67.

Anti-IS forces retake last militant bastion in Syria

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian troops and allied militiamen on Thursday expelled Islamic State group fighters from Albu Kamal, the last significant town the militants still held in their disintegrating caliphate.The militants latest rout left them with only the dregs of a self-styled state that once spanned huge territory in Iraq and Syria, with surviving IS fighters melting away into desert hideouts.Anti-IS forces stormed into the town just across the border from Iraq on Wednesday and while fighting was initially reported as fierce, the outcome of one of ISs last major battles was never in doubt.Our armed forces units, in cooperation with allied and auxiliary forces, have liberated the town of Albu Kamal in Deir Ezzor province, a statement carried by the official SANA news agency said.Albu Kamals liberation is very important because it means the failure of the IS terrorist group in the region, the army statement said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, said much of the fighting had been done by allied militias rather than the regular army.The capture of Albu Kamal was the last in a string of setbacks that saw IS lose its urban bastions of Mosul and Raqa within a few weeks and its embryonic state shrink to a rump.Leading the battle for the town were the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah and advisers from Irans elite Revolutionary Guards, as well as fighters from mostly Shiite Iraqi militias, according to Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.He said that even as IS still controlled half of the town and fighting raged earlier on Thursday, the militants retained one escape route to the north.Abdel Rahman said that IS withdrew to desert areas in eastern Deir Ezzor province, where they are likely to encounter US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.A senior Iraqi army commander told AFP that his forces shot dead four IS members who had tried to cross into Iraq, where the group holds the small town of Rawa, near the border.The militants flight from the town, where IS leaders used to meet and were once considered untouchable, caps a process which has seen the group relinquish any ambition as a land-holding force and return to the desert to fight a clandestine guerrilla war.Many of the groups top leaders have been killed as Syrian and Iraqi forces with backing from Russia, Iran and a US-led coalition rolled back the territorial losses that saw the militants declare a caliphate roughly the size of Britain in 2014.But the whereabouts of the first among them, self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remains unclear. He has been reported killed or wounded many times but IS has never offered any confirmation.The capture of the groups last urban stronghold had always looked to be a matter of days after Syrian forces last week retook provincial capital Deir Ezzor and Iraqi forces reconquered Albu Kamals twin town of Al-Qaim just over the border.There was little to slow the advance of the Syrian army and its allies after their victories further up the Euphrates valley, but while the military phase of the fight against IS was nearing its end, the humanitarian crisis it sparked was still in full swing.In the last few weeks, an estimated 120,000 people were displaced from Albu Kamal, the United Nations humanitarian affairs office in Damascus said.The head of the UNs humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, questioned whether all was being done to protect civilians as mass displacement continued.You wonder is this really warfare where one is sparing all civilians among designated terrorists as much as one can, he asked, speaking to reporters in Geneva.IS still has a small presence in the east of Homs province, in the southern outskirts of Damascus and in the southern province of Daraa.It also holds the small Iraqi town of Rawa down the Euphrates valley from Al-Qaim.A rival militant alliance led by Al-Qaedas former Syria affiliate controls much of the northwestern province of Idlib and adjacent areas as well as pockets of territory elsewhere.It has come under attack by Russian-backed government forces and by Turkish-backed rebels.More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011, which spiralled into a complex, multi-front war that drew in militants and armed forces from around the region and beyond.

Saudi Arabia says 201 people detained in anti-graft swoop

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia said Thursday 201 people are being held for questioning in a massive anti-graft swoop on the elite, with at least US$100 billion estimated to have been lost through corruption and embezzlement over several decades.A total of 208 individuals have been called in for questioning so far. Of those 208 individuals, seven have been released without charge, the information ministry said in a statement.Billionaire tycoon Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, dubbed Saudi Arabias Warren Buffett, was among dozens of high-profile figures arrested or sacked last weekend, in the biggest purge of the kingdoms elite in its modern history.Authorities have frozen the bank accounts of the accused and warned that assets related to the corruption cases would be seized as state property, as the government appears set to widen the crackdown.The potential scale of corrupt practices which have been uncovered is very large, the ministry said.Based on our investigations over the past three years, we estimate that at least USD $100 billion has been misused through systematic corruption and embezzlement over several decades.The purge came just after an anti-graft commission headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established on Saturday.With the purge, which analysts describe as a bold but risky power play, Prince Mohammed has centralised power to a degree that is unprecedented in recent Saudi history.

Trump and Xi to set out competing trade visions at APEC

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DANANG (AFP) - Vietnam: The leaders of the US and China, the worlds two largest economies, are expected to lay out competing visions for the future of global trade on Friday in closely-watched speeches to Asia-Pacific leaders gathered in Vietnam.President Donald Trump is likely to wield his America First doctrine when he address CEOs ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum at the Vietnamese resort of Danang.In a day mixing big hitters of politics and business, Trump will share the venue with world leaders ranging from Russias Vladimir Putin, Japans Shinzo Abe and Chinas Xi Jinping, who is casting his country as the new architect of global free trade.Trump arrives fresh from trips to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing where he sought to build a consensus against North Koreas nuclear ambitions and repeated his disquiet with unfair trade conditions that he says are siphoning off American jobs.Chinese counterpart Xi, who laid on a lavish welcome for Trump, touches down in Danang on Friday afternoon but carrying a very different message.He is likely to double-down on his commitment, delivered at the recent Communist Party Congress, that China is ready and able to step up into the role of global free trade leader vacated by America.As the US retreats behind economic nationalism, China will take a stride forward, said Ian Bremmer, of the political consultancy Eurasia.Its very clear that the comparative vacuum that you experience in the world, especially in Chinas back yard right here with APEC, is something that Xi Jinping sees as an opportunity, he told AFP.Trumps ascent to the White House risks unpicking decades of US-led economic diplomacy that webbed global economies together with free trade and low tariff pacts.He has pledged to wring a better deal from countries the US has large trade deficits with - including China - and bring jobs back to the hollowed out industrial heartland that voted for him.But proponents of free trade, including many allies, have looked on aghast as Trump tears up a rule book.He has already pulled Washingtons support from the sprawling 12 nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact and has vowed to renegotiate NAFTA, a trade deal between the US, Canada and Mexico.The annual APEC summit is one of the largest gatherings on the annual diplomatic calendar, bringing together scores of world leaders and more than 2,000 CEOs.APEC represents 21 Pacific Rim economies, the equivalent of 60 percent of global GDP, and has long pushed for freer trade rules.Any meeting between Trump and Putin will be a box office event with Russia accused of interfering in the US election last year that brought the billionaire one-time reality TV star to power.Facebooks chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg is also among those speaking at APEC.Facebook and its fellow social media giants Google and Twitter are under intense pressure after Russian-paid content spread discord and fake news ahead of last years presidential election in the US.

Putin says US plotted doping scandal to swing Russian vote

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MOSCOW (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the United States of inventing doping allegations against Russian athletes to influence next years presidential election he is widely expected to contest and win.In response to our alleged interference in their election, they want to create problems for the election of the president of Russia, Putin said in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk.Putin has not said whether he will contest the March election but he is widely expected to run and extend his Kremlin term to 2024.Here is what worries me: the Olympics start in February, and when are our presidential elections? In March, Putin told factory workers.There is a strong suspicion that this is all happening in order to create a situation useful to some, one of disappointment for sports followers and sportsmen in which the state allegedly participated in violations, he said.Putin spoke ahead of a trip to Vietnam where he will take part in an APEC summit and is expected to meet US President Donald Trump.Relations between Russia and the United States have plummeted as a Washington probe has accused Trumps former campaign aides of secretly meeting Kremlin-connected officials.Russia has vehemently denied allegations of interfering in the US election last year that brought Trump to power.Putin spoke after the Russian Ski Federation announced on Thursday that four Russian cross-country skiers were found guilty of doping by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).An explosive 2016 report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency alleged state-sponsored doping in Russia from 2011 to 2015.Russia has denied any state-sponsored system of doping.Russia never had and, I hope, will never have a system of state doping of which we are being accused, Putin said on Thursday.

Police question Netanyahu for fifth time in corruption case

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday for the fifth time over suspicions of corruption, Israeli media reported.A Reuters cameraman saw police investigators arrive by car late in the day to Netanyahus official residence, where previous interrogations have taken place.Officials with the police and Netanyahus office declined to comment to Reuters on their visit, but Israel media, without citing sources, widely reported he was being questioned again.No charges have been brought against Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009 and has denied wrongdoing.He is a suspect in two cases, one involving the receipt of gifts from businessmen and the other related to conversations he held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.Police said earlier this week that a top Netanyahu confidant had been questioned as part of a different investigation into a US$2 billion submarine deal with Germany.

Catalan parliament speaker detained over independence bid

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MADRID (AFP) - The speaker of Catalonias sacked parliament was detained on Thursday over her regions controversial drive for independence from Spain.Carme Forcadell was held by Spains Supreme Court in Madrid pending bail of 150,000 euros, a court spokesman said.Forcadell and five other deputies appeared in front of Spains highest tribunal on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds - which carry a maximum jail sentence of 30 years - for aiding the Catalan parliaments secession bid.They are suspected of having followed a concerted strategy to declare independence, before the official declaration on Oct 27, deepening Spains most serious political crisis in decades.That declaration was annulled on Wednesday by Spains Constitutional Court.Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena ordered one Catalan lawmaker freed, but the four others apart from Forcadell must pay €25,000 within a week to avoid jail.The Catalan crisis has prompted hundreds of businesses to re-register outside the wealthy northeastern region and caused disquiet in a European Union still dealing with Britains shock decision to leave the bloc.On Wednesday, a general strike called in Catalonia by a pro-independence union triggered widespread travel chaos, cutting Spains main highway link to France and the rest of Europe and disrupting trains from Barcelona to Paris, Marseille and Lyon.Authorities said around 150,000 people were affected.Encouraged by their figurehead Carles Puigdemont, Catalan leaders voted to declare unilateral independence from Spain after going ahead with a banned referendum on Oct 1.Separatists said 90 per cent of voters opted for independence, but critics counter that pro-unity supporters had boycotted a plebiscite that violated Spains constitution.In response, the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy suspended Catalan autonomy dismissing its parliament and government, and organised new regional elections for Dec 21.A judge in Madrid last week ordered that eight members of Puigdemonts sacked government be detained for their role in the secession drive.Forcadells spokesman told reporters that as Catalan parliamentary speaker she didnt have the freedom to stop a vote in the chamber on independence.Outside the court on Thursday a small group of protesters gathered, holding banners against independence.There were also a handful of separatist supporters, facing opposition cries of Jail for PuigdemontPuigdemont and four former Catalan ministers are in self-imposed exile in Belgium and are due to appear before a judge next week after Madrid issued an EU-wide warrant for their extradition.The 54-year-old deposed leader has ignored a summons to appear before a judge in Madrid, saying he wants guarantees he will receive a fair trial.His presence in the European capital has raised some fears of stoking communal tensions in Belgium after Flemish separatists in the ruling coalition there spoke out in support of Catalan independence.European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who was in Spain on Thursday, said that the bloc was against any form of separatism that weakens Europe.Despite the crisis, the EU on Thursday upgraded its growth forecast for Spain to a robust 3.1 per cent for this year, leading the eurozones major economies.EU economics commissioner Pierre Moscovici said that the Catalan independence drive had so far only had a slight impact on Spains overall economy.Puigdemont in a letter to the Catalan daily El Punt Avui on Thursday called for the liberation of political prisoners held by the Spanish state.However, Amnesty International said on Twitter that the jailed ministers could not be considered political prisoners ... as they are accused of acts that may constitute a criminal offence.Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people that accounts for a fifth of Spains GDP, is deeply divided over independence.

Data Ganj Bakhshs Urs celebrations continue in Lahore

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The celebrations of the 974th Urs of Hazrat Ali Hajveri (RA), popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, continued for the second day in Lahore on Thursday with scores of devotees paying their respects and participating in rituals.The three-day Urs of Hazrat Ali Hajveri started on Wednesday. Tight security arrangements have been made on the occasion. Millions of devotees from different parts of the country have reached the shrine of Data Sahib to witness the Urs and offer special prayers.Hundreds of sabeels have been set up all around the shrine and stalls have been arranged to distribute Langar as per the tradition among the devotees during the Urs, which will continue for three days.Data Ganj Bakhsh was a Persian sufi and scholar during the 11th century. He was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan (990 AD) during the Ghaznavid Empire and settled and died in Lahore spreading Islam in South Asia.

England pace bowler Ball suffers ankle injury

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MELBOURNE (Reuters) - England pace bowler Jake Ball has sent an injury scare through his team in their Ashes run-up after injuring his ankle during their game against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide on Thursday.Ball bowled just four balls of his fourth over before he limped off Adelaide Oval, where the tourists are playing a pink ball match in preparation for the five-test series, which begins at the Gabba in Brisbane on Nov. 23.The 26-year-old Ball collapsed in his delivery stride after he twisted his right ankle. He received treatment on the field and was able to walk off the field unassisted, but was limping.Jake Ball has a sprained right ankle, the England team said on their Twitter page. He wont play any further part today and will be assessed today and overnight.Englands pace bowling stocks took a hit earlier this week when Steven Finn was ruled out of the tour with a knee injury and replaced by Tom Curran.

MMA restored, formal announcement to be made in Karachi: Siraj

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Talking to media after religious parties meeting in Mansoora on Thursday, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq announced the restoration of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).He said that the decision to restore MMA was taken during a meeting of top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and other religious parties.Sirajul Haq further said that the formal announcement of restoration of MMA would be made next month in Karachi.He further said that the running the country in accordance with the constitution is necessary for Pakistan. He said that elections should be held on time and added that democracy is essential for the survival of Pakistan.Sirajul Haq said that Pakistan is currently facing numerous problems and added that the only option to bring a change in the system lies in transparent elections.Also speaking on the occasion, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that consensus on restoration of the MMA has been achieved. He said that MMA would be restored in accordance with its old manifesto.

Farooq Sattar takes back his decision to quit politics

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Farooq Sattar on late Thursday night took back his decision to quit politics almost an hour after announcing his decision to quit, Dunya News reported.Farooq Sattar said during a press conference that he took his decision back on the order of my mother. “My mother has asked me to take back my decision to quit politics and ordered to serve the people as before,” he said.Earlier on Thuesday, while addressing a news conference outside his residence in PIB Colony, Farooq Sattar announced to quit politics, affirming to part ways with MQM-P.The MQM-P leaders tried to stop Sattar and make him retract from his announcement, however, he returned to his home. MQM-P members chanted slogans outside his residence and demanded the withdrawal.During the press conference, the disgruntled MQM-P chairman rejected the merger with Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) on Thursday saying he apologises to all party members and the Muhajir community who had “shed tears” on yesterday’s developments.Sattar told that he will visit Yadgar-e-Shuhda Jinnah Ground and no one can stop him from going there. He criticised the role of former Rangers DG Major Bilal and ex-Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad at the time of his arrest.He clarified that he had only urged an alliance with PSP for upcoming elections during yesterday meeting. “How can we erase our history and forget the martyrs,” Sattar asked.About the election alliance with PSP, he said they had only stretched for it so that peace in Karachi can be prolonged and the issues of the province can be solved with joint action. “MQM-P wanted working relationship with PSP to prolong peace and voice the concerns of the people,” Sattar told, stressing that Mustafa Kamal had hurt the feelings of Muhajirs.Farooq Sattar claimed that MQM has been the only party to represent the middle-class of Pakistan. He went on to demand of all the leaders of major political parties including PML-N, PTI, PPP and ANP to be accountable of their assets.“I had joined APS in 1979 and became part of MQM when the founder made the party,” he told about his humble beginning.He challenged his political rivals to compare his assets with those of others, describing the purchase of his property and vehicle. “I use a second hand car which is not even mine,” he added.He told that he was the first person to be acquitted by Supreme Court when NAB punished him in a corruption reference. “Engineered politics is unacceptable in Karachi or Pakistan. Only natural politics should be allowed,” Sattar made it clear.Farooq Sattar recalled that the media had declared MQM-P’s November 5 rally as amongst the biggest public gathering in Karachi’s history. He said that their move for electoral alliance with PSP was taken after November 5 rally and the two political rivals had very little contact before the event.Moreover, he invited Mustafa Kamal and his party leaders to join MQM-P and merge PSP with their roots.

Drivers get turkeys instead of traffic tickets in Montana

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BILLINGS (AP) — Some Montana drivers got Thanksgiving turkeys instead of tickets when they were pulled over by traffic officers.The Billings Gazette reports that officers with the Billings Police Department checked for outstanding warrants Wednesday after pulling over drivers for traffic violations.If they found none, they issued a written warning and a frozen turkey.Businessman Steve Gountanis bought the 20 turkeys and asked the department to distribute them in time for the holiday.Driver Larry Riddle appreciated the surprise after he was pulled over for not signaling a turn.Riddle’s wife died of cancer and he lives alone on a limited budget. Each year, he tries to make a holiday meal for his daughter and himself.

Facebook urges users to send nude pics to combat revenge porn

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NEW YORK: (Web Desk) - Facebook is trying to combat revenge porn by encouraging users in Australia to submit their nude photos to a pilot project designed to prevent intimate images from being shared without consent.Adults who have shared nude or sexually explicit photos with someone online, and who are worried about unauthorised distribution, can report images to the Australian governments eSafety Commission.They then securely send the photos to themselves via Messenger, a process that allows Facebook to hash them, creating a unique digital fingerprint.The identifier is used to block any further distribution on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger as a pre-emptive strike against revenge porn, a common method of abuse and exploitation online.We’re using image-matching technology to prevent non-consensual intimate images from being shared, said Antigone Davis, Facebooks head of global safety.A Facebook spokesman said Britain, Canada and the United States are also expected to take part in the project.Australias eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant told AFP the initiative empowers people to protect themselves against the unauthorised spread of intimate images.It removes control and power from the perpetrator who is ostensibly trying to amplify the humiliation of the victim amongst friends, family and colleagues, she said.If successful, the Facebook trial should be extended to other online platforms, Inman Grant added.The precedent already exists for the sharing of child exploitation images and countering violent extremism online, and by extending to image-based abuse we are taking the burden off the victims to report to multiple online platforms.Australia is among world leaders in efforts to combat revenge porn.Its eSafety Commission launched an online portal last month, allowing victims to report cases where their photos have been shared on the internet without consent. The government agency then works with websites and search engines to have them removed.Abuse on mass scaleA recent survey by the commission showed one in five Australian women aged 18-45 suffered image-based abuse, with Facebook and its Messenger app accounting for 53 percent of revenge porn, followed by Snapchat at 11 percent then Instagram at four percent.Research by Melbournes Monash University and RMIT University earlier this year found people were falling prey to abusive behaviour on a mass scale, and that men and women were equally likely to be targeted.RMIT legal studies lecturer Anastasia Powell said it was positive to see collaboration between social media companies and government -- a vital part of any strategy to tackle revenge porn.It requires a combination of legal reform, as well as policy, as well as additional services from victims, as well as these sort of responses from social media companies, she told AFP.Theres very little consistency between laws internationally and police cooperation and processes to make sure that countries can work together, to make sure that images can be taken down, or to pursue a criminal response.But with a proliferation of predatory third-party companies operating online, people need reassurance that a mechanism for sending sensitive photos to Facebook was secure, Powell added.It is really important to give that confidence that this is being dealt with appropriately and that images are being handled by reliable sources.
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