New YouTube Kids feature allows parents to filter for child-appropriate videos

San Francisco: YouTube app is updating its filter setting to give parents more control over what videos their kids can see. Parents have been constantly struggling to shield kids from being exposed to disturbing videos sneaking past its automated filters.

The company announced an option to filter videos by “approved content only,” so parents can whitelist channels and subjects.

The initiative is taken after multiple reports were brought to attention where children have been exposed to videos with inappropriate themes on the video-sharing site’s kid-friendly platform.

Content for YouTube Kids is selected from the main YouTube app and screened using machine learning algorithms. But some videos, such as cartoons disguised as age-appropriate, slip through the cracks.

Once the new setting is turned on, users can pick collections from trusted creators such as PBS and Kidz Bop, or themed collections curated by YouTube Kids itself.

YouTube is planning to launch another tool later this year that will let parents choose every video or channel their kid can see in the app.

“While no system is perfect, we continue to fine-tune, rigorously test and improve our filters for this more open version of our app. And, as always, we encourage parents to block and flag videos for review that they don’t think should be in the YouTube Kids app,” the company said in a blog post announcing the new features. The company continues to change its rules to crack down on the issue, but creators are constantly looking for ways to trick the system.

When a video for children is uploaded to the main YouTube platform, it is not automatically added to the YouTube Kids library. The videos are reviewed by machine learning algorithms to determine whether or not they are appropriate for the app.

The automated process — one YouTube calls very thorough — can take days. A human doesn’t check the videos before they’re added, but parents can flag videos they find alarming later and a content reviewer will check it out.

However, it’s unlikely parents are constantly watching YouTube Kids videos along with their children. It’s possible this safety guard isn’t sufficient for catching every odd video your kid might see.

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Bizarre mistakes in website shows govt-run FDE’s ‘commitment’ with education’

ISLAMABAD: The government institution ‘Federal Directorate of Education (FDE)’, Islamabad – entitled to ensure academic excellence and imparting training to teachers – has outrageous language mistakes in its own website, raising questions on its commitment to “improve standard of education” in public-sector schools in the Capital territory.

The website states its mission as “FDE provides an environment of teaching and learning with focus on academic excellence, surging desire for knowledge, attitudinal change, inculcating tolerance and compassion, developing a sense of purpose and high achievement with the vision for tomorrow.”

Under one of its important sections that mentions the list of 423 schools working under the aegis of FDE, it identifies scope of respective schools in terms of their education levels. And the heading of the section reads: ‘Accademic level’ instead of academic.

Similarly the column identifying genders has a bizarre description itself: For the girls’ school, the website refers the alma mater for ‘girls/women’. Likewise for boys, it says ‘boys/men’.

According to the website, the FDE Islamabad was established as an attached department of Ministry of Education in 1967 for providing educational facilities at various levels in ICT. Upon devolution of the MoE, Federal Directorate of Education started working as attached department of Capital Administration & Development Division (CA&DD) since April 2011. The status of CA&DD was changed to Ministry of  Capital Administration & Development in May 2012. The new government formed after General Election 2013, the MoCA&D was again changed to Capital Administration and Development Division w.e.f June 2013.

FDE endeavors to provide conducive environment of teaching and learning with focus on academic excellence, surging desire for knowledge, attitudinal change including tolerance and compassion, developing a sense of purpose and high achievement with the vision for tomorrow.”

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Sajid Javid to be new home secretary

Sajid Javid is chosen to be new home secretary after Amber Rudd resigns

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Overrated apple cider doesn’t help you lose weight

Syeda Sarah Hasan You’ve been told that taking some apple cider with warm water in the morning will make you slim. Well, doctors aren’t so sure. The internet loved this trick at first. But now there is a debate if it works. “This is nonsense,” says one of Pakistan’s top gastroenterologists, Dr Furqaan Ahmed. The...

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Police Scotland chief tried to 'suppress' conduct report

Secret police documents leaked to the BBC show attempts were made to suppress a critical report.

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Kirsty Maxwell death: Friends in Benidorm to mark anniversary

The friends of a woman who died after falling from a balcony in Benidorm have gone back there to mark the one-year anniversary of her death.

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How to enjoy your work even when you don’t

Do you wake up not wanting to go to work? And even if you go, you are just downhearted despite putting up a happy face. It is important to detect what disrupts your positive presence at your workplace, writes Marcia Reynolds, who holds a Doctor of Psychology degree, for Psychology Today. It is easy to...

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‘Substandard polio drops’ kill three children in Peshawar

Three children died in Peshawar after being administered ‘substandard polio drops’. The incident took place at Shaheen Muslim Town area on Monday. The condition of 12 other minors, who were administered the medicine in the area, is critical. The people in the area protested against the deaths and demanded strict action against those involved. The...

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Lessons from a village in Kuala Lumpur for Karachi city decay

Every year the NED University’s architecture department in Karachi invites an international guest to speak about urban planning in their city so we can learn from their mistakes. This year it asked Dr Abd Mulk Bin Abd Manan of the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia to talk about a rare urban village in Kuala...

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Syrian army says ‘enemy’ rockets hit military bases

The Syrian army said on Sunday that rockets had struck several military bases in the Hama and Aleppo countryside in what it said was new “aggression” by its enemies, state television said. In a news flash, state television said the missile attacks took place at 10:30pm. “Syria is being exposed to a new aggression with...

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Australia scientist, 104, heads to Switzerland for assisted dying

Australia’s oldest scientist, who caused a stir when his university tried to vacate his office aged 102, will fly to Switzerland in early May to end his life, reigniting a national euthanasia debate. David Goodall, who is now 104, does not have a terminal illness but his quality of life has deteriorated and he has...

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Rent costs full-time workers every penny earned until May

A year's rent takes every penny earned by full-time workers until the first week of May, study shows.

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Fearing Death, and Photographing the Rituals That Surround It

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Islamabad-bound PIA flight made to land at Lahore

An Islamabad-bound Pakistan International Airlines flight was made to land in Lahore. PIA flight PK-300 departed from Karachi’s Jinnah Airport at 7:30 am after a delay of 30 minutes. Many politicians including Pakistan People’s Party Senator Krishna Kumari were in the flight. PIA administration stated that the flight was made to land at Lahore due...

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Tesla driver banned for M1 autopilot seat-switch

He said he was the "unlucky one who got caught" after being seen in the passenger seat on the M1.

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Regain control

The new rules which might help stop private information being shared without our knowledge.

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First flight to operate in new Islamabad airport tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The new international airport of the city will start working on Tuesday and is expected to formally inaugurate this week.

The first two flights at the airport, one landing and the other taking off, will both be of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines.

“New Islamabad International Airport to be made operational from May 1, 2018,” wrote senior Information Ministry official Danyal Gilani on his verified Twitter account on Sunday afternoon.

New Islamabad International Airport to be made operational from 1st May 2018. First incoming flight is to be PK-300 while first departing flight would be PK-301. pic.twitter.com/VqpBBh5biJ

— Danyal Gilani (@DanyalGilani) April 29, 2018

In an attacked image from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the first flight, from Karachi will land at the airport at 11 am. Thereafter, a flight will depart for Karachi at 12:30 pm.

“First incoming flight is to be PK-300 while first departing flight would be PK-301,” Gilani added.

Complete operations at the new airport are thereafter expected to commence from Thursday, May 3.

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Tree planted by Trump, Macron at the White House goes missing?

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the special relationship between the United States and France during his state visit to Washington last week by planting a tree with President Donald Trump on the grounds of the White House. White House photographers noticed the tree was gone days after it had been planted. Mystery ensued.

In fact, the tree, from Belleau Wood in France where almost 2,000 American soldiers died in a World War One battle, had been dug up not long after it was planted. It was put in quarantine, according to U.S. and French officials. The problem: Parasites on the tree could spread to others on the White House property.

“It was actually a special favor from Trump to France to be able to plant the tree the day of the president’s visit,” an official from Macron’s office said.

“Since then, it has returned to quarantine and will soon be replanted in the White House gardens,” the official said, adding: “Don’t worry, the tree is doing very well.”

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Would’ve made ‘new Pakistan’ if allowed to work: Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: In reaction to arch-rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s 11-point manifesto which he announced at Sunday’s rally in Lahore, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said his government would have made ‘Naya Pakistan’ during its tenure, but it was not allowed to function.

Speaking to the media outside the accountability court in the capital, Sharif said whenever his party’s government came into power, it carried out record development work in the country.

Slamming the PTI, he said they have been hearing what the party says new slogans for several years.

“We would have made Naya Pakistan, but who allows to work here?” the PML-N supremo asked and added that the government can work freely only after leg-pulling is stopped in Pakistan.

In reference to the Indian prime minister’s latest visit to China, he said both the countries are coming closer to each other and lamented that “we have learnt nothing from the past.”

Addressing the mammoth gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday evening, the PTI chief unveiled an 11-point agenda to turn the country into Naya Pakistan.

He announced that eradication of corruption, self-reliance, and provision of healthcare and education are top priorities of his party.

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North-South Korea taking small steps towards reconciliation

SEOUL: In initial small steps towards reconciliation, South Korea said that it would remove loudspeakers that blared propaganda across the border, while North Korea said it would shift its clocks to align with its southern neighbour.

The moves come after Friday’s historic summit at which South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un agreed to end hostilities and work towards “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula.

South Korea turned off the loudspeakers that broadcast a mixture of news, Korean pop songs and criticism of the North Korean regime as a goodwill gesture ahead of the summit. It will begin removing the speakers on Tuesday.

“We see this as the easiest first step to build military trust,” South Korean defence ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said. “We are expecting the North’s implementation.”

The feel-good summit has boosted South Koreans’ trust in North Korea, a poll Monday showed, even though the meeting’s final declaration leaves many questions unanswered, particularly what “denuclearisation” means or how that will be achieved.

 Much now hinges on Kim’s upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the meeting could happen over the next three to four weeks.

Any deal with the United States will require that North Korea demonstrate “irreversible” steps to shutting down its nuclear weapons programme, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

A flurry of diplomacy is unfolding in the lead-up to that meeting, with China saying it will send the government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, to visit North Korea on Wednesday and Thursday this week. China is the North’s main ally.

 And over the weekend, South Korea’s spy chief visited Tokyo to brief Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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T-Mobile agrees $26bn mega-merger with Sprint

The US telecoms firms could win more customers through the deal, as long as regulators approve it.

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Sentinel tracks ships' dirty emissions from orbit

The EU's new satellite pollution-tracker will be a powerful tool to monitor vessels' emissions.

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Body cameras deter attacks and abuse at Welsh hospitals

Security staff at five of Wales' health boards now wear recording devices to try to deter violence.

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Porn block

Soon you'll have to prove you're 18 years old if you want to watch pornography online. Here is all you need to know.

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Mesut Ozil kisses bread thrown at him by fans

Arsenal player Mesut Ozil kissed bread which was thrown at him during a match in Spain. Fans of Atletico Madrid threw pieces of bread at the German midfielder during the semi-final of Europa League. The midfielder, who is a practicing Muslim, picked up the bread and kissed it. Ozil’s reaction was widely cheered by Arsenal...

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US diplomat released as police find motorcyclists guilty of Islamabad accident

A US diplomat has been released after being taken into police custody. His vehicle slammed into two motorcyclists in Islamabad. On Sunday, two motorcyclists were injured in the accident with Second Secretary Chad Rex Ausburn of the US embassy, said the Secretariat police station. The injured biker and his passenger were taken to PIMS hospital....

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God of War: Games no longer where actors careers 'go to die'

Christopher Judge, who plays Kratos in the new God of War, talks about the jump from the silver screen to games.

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'Hacker's paradise'

How cyber security firm Darktrace was set up by former members of the UK security services and maths professors.

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Indian fishermen chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ after Pak Navy help

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy rescued Indian fishing in the open sea after their boat was stranded boat due to loss of engine propulsion.

Pakistan Navy Ship Alamgir (Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate) while conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSOs) in the Gulf of Aden undertook a successful rescue operation of a stranded Indian fishing dhow “St Marys”. The Indian crew raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans as a Pakistan Navy ship after rescued them in the open sea.

The Indian fishing boat, which sailed from Indian port of Colochel, was reported to have become non-operational due to loss of engine propulsion in open sea near the Salalah (Oman) for last eight days with 12 crew men onboard.

On receipt of information and request for help about the fishing dhow, the Pakistan Navy ship was promptly dispatched which through its technical team rectified the defect in the boat and made it operational and seaworthy.

The stranded boat crew was dehydrated and also required medical care and edibles. The spokesman of Pakistan Navy said that PNS Alamgir rescue team provided edibles and medical care to the crew members of the Indian fishing dhow. Master and crew of the stranded boat thanked for the kind gesture and swift response of the Pakistan Navy Ship. The fishing dhow thereafter shaped course to India port.

The spokesman said that Pakistan Navy ships are active participants of the Multinational Task Force-150 and Task Force-151, which are mandated to conduct Maritime Security Operations (MSOs) and anti-piracy respectively.

Since 2004, the Pakistan Navy has been a major contributor of ships and aircraft in these multinational task forces. Role and contribution of the Pakistan Navy to maintain peace and order at sea has been widely acknowledged in the world. “The rescue operation by Pakistan Navy also manifests the strong commitment and resolve of the government of Pakistan to promote and safeguard peace in the region,” he said.

 

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Young Pakistan’s scientists use natural resources to giving birth crucial inventions

Quetta: A 7th and a 9th grader create chip boards out of pine needles and mosquito repellents out of orange peels.

Mukarram Fatah was curious as to why orange peels are used to repel off mosquitoes when he took his scientific curiosity into the science lab finding out that orange peels repel mosquitoes with no harmful effects of it on the human body.

Speaking to ARY News, Mukarram said, “I found out that 40% methanol is naturally present in orange peels which doesn’t let it spoil. Second there is citric acid in it which the mosquitoes detest seeing which I made these repellents.”

Similarly, when Yasir Jaan Notezai found out that pine needles are a very big reason for forest fires he decided to use them for something better. According to Yasir, pine needles have properties of wood which lead to successful making of chip board, “Pine needles have a lot of lignin for example 50-60%. Pine needles make chip boards very strong, if we try we won’t be able to break it. The advantage is that when you do deforestation and cut down the trees, it directly affects our environment. This why we have come up with this alternative of not making chip board with wood but with pine needles. One day when I was going to my village for a picnic to a forest. We picked up pine needles from the forest checked its chemical composition and realized it could be used for so much better. I want to better the environment and utilize useless materials for the betterment of the society”

Out of students from 21 countries Mukarram Fatah came 1st and Yasir 2nd in the Golden Climate Project Olympiad, Kenya owing to their critical inventions for the prevention of dengue and the protection of our forests.

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Two blasts hit Afghan capital, killing 21

KABUL: Two blasts hit the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, killing at least 21 people, including a photographer for French news agency AFP, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility, officials said.

The photographer, Shah Marai, was among a group of journalists caught in the second explosion as they were reporting on the initial blast.

The attacks came just a week after a blast at a voter registration center killed 60 people, in the wake of warnings by security officials against the risk of increasing attacks ahead of parliamentary elections planned in October.

Monday’s first explosion in the Shashdarak area close to buildings of the NDS intelligence service was followed by one outside the ministry of urban development and housing, just as people were entering the government office.

Four people were killed and five injured in the first explosion, said Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry, adding that authorities had despatched ambulances to the incident sites.

Soon after, a second explosion took place beside journalists who had gathered to cover the first blast, killing or wounding a number of photographers and cameraman, Reuters witnesses said.

Agence France-Presse’s chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, was killed in the blast, the agency confirmed in a Twitter message.

A Reuters photographer was slightly hurt by flying shrapnel.

A spokesman for the ministry of public health put the total toll at 21 dead and 27 injured.

Taliban militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, announced their usual spring offensive last week and there has been heavy fighting in several areas of the country since.

Hundreds of people have been killed and wounded in a series of high-profile attacks in Kabul since the beginning of the year, despite President Ashraf Ghani’s offer in February for peace talks “without preconditions”.

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‘Avengers’ opens with $630 mn, smashing global record

LOS ANGELES: “Avengers: Infinity War” took in $630 million in its first weekend, the highest global opening of all time, industry estimates showed on Sunday.

“The latest Marvel juggernaut… opened with $630M worldwide, making it the largest global weekend tally in the history of film, and this was done without China,” which has a later opening, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

That topped “The Fate of the Furious,” the eighth installment of the high-octane action series starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez that opened with more than $530 million globally in 2017.

“Infinity War,” which features more than two dozen superheroes fighting to save the universe, also broke the record for highest North American opening weekend, raking in $250 million at US and Canadian box offices.

That beat “The Force Awakens,” the seventh film in the long-running “Star Wars” space saga that made $248 million in its opening weekend in 2015.

– Saving the universe –

“Infinity War” is the 19th film in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), combining a whopping nine franchises and a cast list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s A-list.

Robert Downey Jr dons the red and gold metal suit once again as Iron Man; Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Strange; Scarlett Johansson is back as Black Widow; and Australia’s Chris Hemsworth is Thor.

Also back for more? 

Black Panther — the Marvel breakout of the year after the standalone pic’s massive opening in February, Captain America, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, the Guardians of the Galaxy and their assorted allies.

Their mission is to prevent the powerful purple alien Thanos (Josh Brolin) from destroying the universe.

“We took a picture of every single person whose character has been in the MCU. We hung it up on a wall all around us,” co-director Anthony Russo, who helms the film with his brother Joe, told reporters ahead of its release.

“We basically spent months and months and months talking about where we could go with each character, how we could draw them through the story,” he added.

“Every one of these characters… has been on a very specific journey through the MCU to arrive at this moment.”

This is the third “Avengers” film, before the final, untitled saga set for next year.

– ‘North Star’ –

An important source of inspiration is the Marvel canon — the storylines developed over decades in the original comic books.

“Infinity War” is drawn from the “Infinity Gauntlet” series of the early 1990s.

“It starts with those comics and us beginning to rip pages out or rip copies of pages out and put them on the walls and start to be inspired,” explains Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney.

“It’s a North Star for us as we lead these giant productions into reality.”

In the movie’s trailer, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) — Thanos’s daughter, of sorts — explains that the villain believes that if he annihilates half of the universe, he can save the other half.

He needs the so-called Infinity Stones to do it. So, the heroes need to keep him from getting them.

The film cost an eye-watering $300 million to make, according to Hollywood media.

“It was about the most fun creative exercise I think I’ve ever been through in my life,” said Anthony Russo. “We thought about everybody in the MCU.”

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US embassy’s security official booked for manhandling police

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have booked the chief security officer of the US embassy for attempting to help a US diplomat, who injured two motorcyclists in a road mishap in the capital, escape from their clutches.

Two motorcyclists were injured after being hit by a car driven by Rex Ausburn, second secretary at the US embassy, on Sunday night on Constitution Avenue near the Pak Secretariat Complex.

The police official, who were on duty nearby, took him and his car into custody and shifted them to the Secretarial police station for legal action.

A case has been registered against chief security officer Taimoor Pirzada at the police station for allegedly helping the diplomat avoid arrest at the hands of the police.

Pirzada has been alleged to have manhandled police officials, including the station house officer (SHO) of the police station, and trying to help the driver of the SUV that hit motorcyclists escape.

The case has been registered under section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and other relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

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People have rejected the politics of ‘Dance Party’: Talal Chaudhry

FAISALABAD: State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said that the people have rejected the politics of the ‘dance party’.

Addressing corner meetings in connection with his election campaign, he said here Sunday that the people want to materialise the dream of developed and prosperous Pakistan.

Therefore, they would reject the anti-development elements with full force during general elections 2018 and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) would emerge victorious once again due to its development agenda and people-friendly policies, he claimed.

He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was befooling people with hollow slogans of ‘Inqilab and Change’ by gathering turncoats.

He said that the PML-N government has completed record development projects during its tenure which has changed the destiny of the nation.

The minister claimed that the PML-N government has also overcome the inherited problems of terrorism and load-shedding. Now foreign investors are planning to invest in various sectors of economy in Pakistan as the PML-N government has provided safe and secured atmosphere not only for the businessmen but for the entire population also.

Our political rivals are hatching deep-rooted conspiracies to defame and sideline the PML-N, but the party would win the General Election 2018 with heavy public mandate, the minister added.

 

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Nawaz, Maryam appear before accountability court

ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Safdar have arrived at the accountability court in connection with the hearing of corruption references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Judge Muhammad Bashir will take up the Flagship and Avenfield properties references against the  members of Sharif family.

The court will record testimony of the investigation officer of the Avenfield case, after which he will be cross-examined by defence lawyers.

During previous hearing of the case, Maryam’s lawyer completed cross-examination of prosecution witness National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General-Operations Zahir Shah.

The witness submitted new documents about the Avenfield properties’ ownership, bills and tax record which he said were received in response to letters written to the UK authorities for mutual legal assistance (MLA).

Nawaz and his sons – Hussain and Hasan – have been named in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt Safdar have been nominated in the Avenfield reference only.

As per Avenfield Properties reference, Sharif, his brood and his son-in-law had purchased four flats in Park Lane, UK, without legitimate financial means. However, the former premier and his family members have consistently claimed that they were legally purchased.

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Imran’s speech at Minar-i-Pakistan was from ‘2011 script’: minister

ISLAMABAD: Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday termed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s speech at the iconic Minar-i-Pakistan part of “2011 script.”

In a tweet, the minister said: “The speech was from 2011 script. A leader who has run a major province for five years still lectures, lectures, & lectures.”

The speech was from 2011 script. A leader who has run a major province for five years still lectures, lectures, & lectures. Has IK run any public office for a single day in life? Will you go to a dentist who has never practiced dentistry in life? Come on Dr Alvi wake up 2 reality https://t.co/dBzNqkEvEC

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) April 30, 2018

His tweet came in response to PTI leader Dr Arif Alvi’s comment on the party chief’s “historic” speech.

Shortly after the massive rally in Lahore, Dr Arif Alvi took to Twitter, saying: “This was by far the best speech of @ImranKhanPTI I have ever heard in the last 22 years. Came from his heart that bleeds for our beloved country.”

This was by far the best speech of @ImranKhanPTI I have ever heard in the last 22 years. Came from his heart that bleeds for our beloved country

— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) April 29, 2018

Addressing the mammoth gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday evening, the PTI chief unveiled an 11-point agenda to turn the country into Naya Pakistan.

He announced that eradication of corruption, self-reliance, and provision of healthcare and education are top priorities of his party.

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British interior minister Rudd resigns after immigration scandal

LONDON: Britain’s interior minister resigned on Sunday after Prime Minister Theresa May’s government faced an outpouring of indignation over its treatment of some long-term Caribbean residents who were wrongly labeled illegal immigrants.

The resignation of one of May’s closest allies is a blow as she navigates the final year of negotiations ahead of Britain’s exit from the European Union in March 2019. It also deprives the cabinet of one of its most outspoken pro-European members.

In a resignation letter to May, Amber Rudd said she had inadvertently misled a parliamentary committee last Wednesday by denying the government had targets for the deportation of illegal migrants. May accepted her resignation.

For two weeks, British ministers have been struggling to explain why some descendants of the so-called “Windrush generation”, invited to Britain to plug labor shortfalls between 1948 and 1971, had been denied basic rights.

The Windrush scandal overshadowed the Commonwealth summit in London and has raised questions about May’s six-year stint as interior minister before she became prime minister in the wake of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

“The Windrush scandal has rightly shone a light on an important issue for our country,” Rudd said in a resignation letter to May.

Rudd, who was appointed Home Secretary in 2016, said voters wanted those who had the right to reside in Britain to be treated fairly and humanely but also that illegal immigrants be removed.

The opposition Labour Party, which had repeatedly called on Rudd to resign, said May was responsible and should explain her own role in the government’s immigration policies.

“The architect of this crisis, Theresa May, must now step forward to give an immediate, full and honest account of how this inexcusable situation happened on her watch,” said Diane Abbott, Labour’s spokeswoman on interior affairs.

Abbott called on May to give a statement to the House of Commons explaining whether she knew that Rudd was misleading parliament about the deportation targets.

Facing questions over the Windrush scandal, Rudd, 54, told lawmakers on Wednesday that Britain did not have targets for the removal of immigrants, but was forced to clarify her words after leaked documents showed some targets did exist.

The Guardian newspaper on Sunday reported a letter from Rudd to May last year in which she stated an “ambitious but deliverable” aim for an increase in the enforced deportation of immigrants.

After repeated challenges to her testimony on the deportation of immigrants, Rudd telephoned May on Sunday and offered her resignation.

“I feel it is necessary to do so because I inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee over targets for removal of illegal immigrants,” Rudd told May.

A replacement is not likely to be announced overnight.

WINDRUSH CRISIS

The government has apologized for the fiasco, promised citizenship and compensation to those affected, including to people who have lost their jobs, been threatened with deportation and denied benefits because of the errors.

But the controversy over policies which May is closely associated with has raised awkward questions about how the pursuit of lower immigration after Brexit sits alongside the desire to be an outward-looking global economy.

The immigrants are named after the Empire Windrush, one of the first ships to bring Caribbean migrants to Britain in 1948, when Commonwealth citizens were invited to fill labor shortages and help rebuild the economy after World War Two.

Almost half a million people left their homes in the West Indies to live in Britain between 1948 and 1970, according to Britain’s National Archives.

A week before local elections, May apologized to the black community on Thursday in a letter to The Voice, Britain’s national Afro-Caribbean newspaper.

“We have let you down and I am deeply sorry,” she said. “But apologies alone are not good enough. We must urgently right this historic wrong.”

The crisis has focused attention on May, who as interior minister set out to create a “really hostile environment” for illegal immigrants, imposing tough new requirements in 2012 for people to prove their legal status.

Rudd’s resignation comes four months after another close ally and her then most senior minister, Damian Green, was forced out of his job for lying about whether he knew pornography had been found on computers in his parliamentary office.

Anna Soubry, a Conservative lawmaker, predicted Rudd may one day return to a senior job in government.

“She is a woman of great courage & immense ability,” Soubry said. “If there is any justice she will soon return to the highest of office.”

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Afghan farmers stick to growing opium in the face of less lucrative options

KANDAHAR: Afghan farmers are busy in their poppy fields as the annual opium harvest begins, underscoring the government’s failure to stamp out a crop that yields much of the world’s supply of heroin.

Aided by corrupt bureaucrats, smugglers and Taliban fighters, the farmers help maintain an annual supply of about 9,000 metric tons to international markets, producing bumper crops despite government efforts to deter cultivation.

“We don’t get enough money if we grow wheat or other crops,” said Mohammad Nadir, 35, as he gathered the crop he planted last year on two acres of land in the southern province of Kandahar.

It is Afghanistan’s second major center of cultivation of the opium poppy after the neighboring province of Helmand, and a hotbed of activity by Taliban militants.

Nadir scraped the gum from poppy bulbs into plastic containers to be used in making opium, heroin and other drugs.

His annual yield will generate more than $3,000 in income. That compares with a take of less than $1,000 if he switches to growing wheat on the same land, as authorities hope.

But Nadir will have to share his profit with the Taliban, in exchange for which they protect poppy fields and find domestic and international smugglers to sell the illegal produce.

The insurgents extract a large share of their revenues from narcotics, a trade the United Nations values at roughly $3 billion a year in Afghanistan.

Despite years of effort to replace it, the banned crop is a vital part of the south Asian nation’s economy. Opium production hit a record in 2017, up 87 percent over 2016, the U.N. says.

Last year, the government distributed more than 10,000 tonnes of seeds to farmers to persuade them to grow wheat along with 20,000 tonnes of urea, widely used as fertilizer for foodgrains.

Many farmers collected seeds to grow wheat but did not plant them, said Akbar Rustami, a spokesman for the agriculture ministry in Kabul, the capital.

“We tried to discourage farmers from sowing poppy seeds but they continue to ignore our orders because they want to earn more money,” he said.

Worsening security and immediate economic benefits for farmers fuel the spurt in poppy cultivation, experts say.

More than 3,000 square kilometers (1,158 square miles) of arable land was under poppy cultivation last year, the counter-narcotics ministry said.

It launched more than 500 criminal cases against farmers and civil servants for allowing illegal cultivation.

American and Afghan forces have begun a campaign of air strikes against drug refining and manufacturing laboratories in southwestern Afghanistan, aiming to choke off Taliban revenue.

Yet security concerns hamper efforts to run nationwide inspections, officials say.

“We need a special task force to stop farmers from sowing poppy,” said Najibullah Ahmadi, who oversees the drive to ban poppy cultivation. “We need helicopters to conduct aerial surveillance.”

The government has failed to provide alternate sources of income, said Nadir, the farmer in Kandahar, who worries about providing for his five children.

“We want the government to find us jobs and pave the ground for alternative farming. If there is a good alternative, there won’t be any need for cultivating poppy anymore.”

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Detroit Was Crumbling. Here’s How It’s Reviving.

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What’s on TV Monday: ‘James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction’ and ‘Elementary’

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Men kill three more people in Quetta

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French museum discovers half of its collection are fakes

An art museum in the south of France has discovered that more than half of its collection consists of fakes, in what the local mayor on Sunday described as a “catastrophe” for the region. The tiny 8,000-strong community of Elne just outside Perpignan re-opened its Etienne Terrus museum, dedicated to the works of the local...

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North Korea offers to shut nuclear test site in May, invite US experts

North Korea has promised to shut its atomic test site within weeks and invite American weapons experts to verify its closure, Seoul reported Sunday, as new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had an “obligation” to pursue peace. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — who may meet US President Donald Trump as...

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UK interior minister Amber Rudd resigns in blow to PM May

Britain’s interior minister Amber Rudd resigned Sunday, admitting she “inadvertently misled” lawmakers about deportation targets, in a body blow to the government as it faces public outrage over the targeting of the so-called Windrush generation of migrants. Rudd, who had faced intensifying pressure over the treatment of elderly Commonwealth citizens primarily from the Caribbean, told...

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Twin blasts in Kabul kill at least 21: officials

Twenty-one people including four photo journalists were killed in twin suicide attack in Kabul on Monday.  The first blast was detonated by an assailant on a motorcycle and left at least four dead and five injured, according to the interior ministry. The second explosion came minutes after the first and targeted reporters who were on...

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Cairo women take to the American football field

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ closes in on all-time domestic weekend record

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Lewis Hamilton wins chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win of 2018 on Sunday and took over as leader of the title race when he triumphed in a dramatic, crash-strewn Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The 33-year-old Briton, who had struggled for outright pace, managed to steer his Mercedes through a chaotic race and capitalize on others’ misfortunes to register...

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Premier League: Fellaini header helps Manchester United beat Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s final match at Old Trafford as Arsenal manager ended in defeat as a stoppage-time header from substitute Marouane Fellaini earned Manchester United a 2-1 Premier League win on Sunday. Paul Pogba had given United a 16th-minute lead before Henrikh Mkhitaryan, signed from United in January, brought Arsenal level, six minutes after the interval....

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Japan gets new teen gymnastics king – Kakeru Tanigawa

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Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

T-Mobile and Sprint announce plan to merge, form new company

04/29/18 12:26 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Trump eager to meet with Kim Jong-Un, but won't until North Korea surrenders nuclear program: John Bolton

04/29/18 10:22 AM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

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President Trump says comedian 'bombed' at White House Correspondents' Dinner, touts success of his rival rally in Michigan

04/29/18 8:41 AM

Amber Rudd resigns as home secretary

"I inadvertently misled" MPs over illegal immigrant removals targets, says Ms Rudd in her letter to the PM.

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Sainsbury's confirms tie-up with Asda

The UK's second and third largest supermarkets plan to merge to create a giant.

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Weather: Rain and wind warnings for parts of UK

Some areas could see a month's rainfall and Monday's rush hour is expected to be disrupted.

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Royal wedding: TV licence waived for community parties

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Barnier 'doesn't understand' unionist stance, says DUP

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A Gym Thing: The play with weighty issues

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Kabul bombings: Photographer Shah Marai among 21 dead

At least 21 people die in two blasts in the Afghan capital, including AFP photographer Shah Marai.

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Labour pledges cap on overdraft fees and interest payments

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Red diesel trial collapse shows 'systemic disclosure failings'

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Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa breaks wave world record

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North Korea: Chinese foreign minister to visit Pyongyang after historic talks

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Glasgow Clydeside Expressway bus crash: One critically hurt

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Avengers: Infinity War estimated to break global opening weekend record

The superhero sequel is estimated to have the highest ever global opening weekend take of $630m.

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Rudd explains why she resigned

Ms Rudd admits to the prime minister she "inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee".

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Papers on Rudd's resignation

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From rising star to resigning as home secretary

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Amber Rudd: Why has the home secretary resigned?

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News Daily: Amber Rudd resigns and Labour's pledge on loans

Your morning briefing for 30 April 2018.

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Why does the US still have 'debtors' prisons'?

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Nigeria’s deadly codeine cough syrup epidemic

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Caravans making a comeback

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Iranians launch banknote protest to get round censorship

A group of Twitter users launch a campaign to spread messages of dissent on banknotes.

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Mullaghbawn: Wanted men 'kicked and beaten with iron bars'

SDLP Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty says the incident was "disgraceful".

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Halsey: Shampoo in hotels ignores black people

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Fortnite: 13-year-old is game's youngest professional player

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Madrid labour to win over Leganes without Ronaldo, Ramos

Real Madrid beat Leganes 2-1 in La Liga on Saturday after coach Zinedine Zidane heavily rotated his side in preparation for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, including leaving out top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Wales forward Gareth Bale produced an acrobatic finish from close range on the volley to put Madrid ahead against...

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India says electrified all villages ahead of prime minister’s deadline

India has electrified all its villages 12 days ahead of a deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government said on Sunday, which could give the ruling party a boost ahead of a general election in 2019. Asia’s third-largest economy has been held back for years by a power shortage, with industries having to...

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North Korea, Golden State Killer, Bill Cosby: Your Weekend Briefing

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U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo stresses need for Gulf unity

RIYADH: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a hastily-arranged visit to the Middle East as the United States aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran.

The visit to Riyadh, Jerusalem and Amman just two days after Pompeo was sworn-in comes as President Donald Trump is set to decide whether to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that is still supported by European powers.

“We are urging nations around the world to sanction any individuals and entities associated with Iran’s missile program, and it has also been a big part of discussions with Europeans,” Brian Hook, a senior policy advisor traveling with Pompeo, told reporters.

Hook said a salvo of ballistic missiles fired into Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi movement that killed a man earlier on Saturday had been provided by Tehran.

“Iran’s missiles prolong war and suffering in the Middle East, they threaten our security and economic interests and they especially threaten Saudi Arabia and Israel,” he said.

The 2015 deal that limits Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief does not cover its missile program.

Trump has called it the “worst deal ever” and threatened to re-impose sanctions unless Britain, France and Germany agree to fix it. Resuming sanctions would likely kill the deal.

Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Friday, Pompeo said Trump had not taken a decision on whether to abandon the deal but was not likely to stick to it without substantial changes.

“There’s been no decision, so the team is working and I am sure we will have lots of conversations to deliver what the president has made clear,” Pompeo told a news conference.

Earlier this week French President Emmanuel Macron called on Trump not to abandon the deal, although he later acknowledged he thought he would pull out.

The Trump administration is also currently reviewing the U.S. role in fighting Islamic State in Syria’s seven-year conflict. Trump has called on Gulf countries to provide funding and troops to stabilize areas once controlled by the group in Syria.

Pompeo was one of the first Trump administration officials to visit Saudi Arabia early in his tenure as CIA director.

In Riyadh, Pompeo was greeted on the tarmac by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He is expected to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman during the visit.

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