US State Dept official tipped to replace Nikki Haley as UN envoy

 

NEW YORK: US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert is said to be one of the candidates US President Donald Trump is considering to replace his outgoing ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, Politico a daily news magazine reported on Wednesday.
Ambassador Haley made her mark on television by her strong support to the Trump administration and Israel.
The White House is looking for someone telegenic to replace her, according to the Politico news report.
Nauert, former Fox News host, is currently serving at the State Department’s spokesperson and acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She is said to have grown closer to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo which makes her a front runner for the post.
“White House aides view her as a capable advocate for the Trump administration’s foreign policy. She is also a leading candidate to replace White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders when she leaves the White House,” the report said.
Haley will relinquish her charge by the end of the year, but it was the timing of her decision, which caught the media by surprise, coming just weeks before the crucial mid-term elections in November. The elections will decide as to which party will control the Congress.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

Israel strikes Gaza after first rocket fire in weeks

 

GAZA CITY: Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after the first rocket fire from the Palestinian territory in weeks hit an Israeli city, in a blow to efforts to avert a new war.

Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas disavowed the rocket fire, saying they rejected “all irresponsible attempts” to undermine Egyptian efforts to broker a new long-term truce.

But Israel, which holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory regardless of who launches it, struck 20 targets in Gaza, killing one Palestinian, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israel also closed both its border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, further isolating the blockaded enclave where deteriorating living conditions have stoked violent protests along the border.

Gaza militants fired two rockets before dawn, one of which caused major damage to a family home in the southern city of Beersheba, 40 kilometres away, the Israeli army said.

“At 4 am (0100 GMT), Israelis in the city of Beersheba were running to bomb shelters after a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel,” the army tweeted.

The other rocket came down in the sea off Tel Aviv, 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Gaza, the army said.

Hamas and allied militant group Islamic Jihad condemned the latest rocket fire as “irresponsible”.

But Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus rejected the disavowal, saying Hamas bore “full responsibility” as Gaza’s de facto ruler.

Retaliatory strikes had hit 20 targets, including a Hamas attack tunnel and an “advanced weapons manufacturing site”, he said.

The military released a video showing a man near the border preparing a rocket for launch before being hit by a missile strike.

At least three other Palestinians were wounded in the strikes, the Gaza health ministry said.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the closure of both of Israel’s border crossings with Gaza in reprisal, making the heavily restricted Rafah crossing with Egypt the enclave’s sole gateway to the outside world.

Lieberman also ordered the reduction of the permitted fishing zone off the Gaza coast to three nautical miles from six, his ministry said. Lieberman already suspended deliveries of fuel that had been trucked daily into Gaza under a deal brokered by the United Nations.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

PIA’s operational losses stand at Rs2bn a month, Senate body told

 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines is suffering operational losses to the tune of Rs2 billion per month due to the rupee’s depreciation and a jump in fuel prices, according to Aviation Secretary Mohammad Saqib Aziz.
These operational losses were in addition to liabilities of Rs400bn, including bank loans, he told the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation on Wednesday.
The secretary said the increase in fuel prices and depreciation of rupee against the dollar were the two major reasons for the airline’s losses. Another major factor for the financial crunch was overstaffing, Saqib Aziz added. Financial constraints caused by overstaffing had in turn led to non-payment of salaries this month, he said.
“The matter has been taken up with the finance division and we hope that it will be settled soon.”

Rupee depreciation against dollar and increase in fuel prices are main reasons for losses, says aviation secretary

The Senate committee met for a briefing on various issues concerning aviation, particularly PIA, complications in its new software which was causing errors during bookings, problems faced by parliamentarians and allegations of money laundering by PIA officers.
Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo inquired how long PIA would continue to suffer losses. The secretary explained that a business plan to turn around the national flag carrier had been shared with the previous government and it was still under process.
However, PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan, who chaired the Senate standing committee, intervened and attributed PIA’s massive losses to malpractices in purchase of spare parts for its fleet. “A lot of losses can be cut down if spares are purchased in a transparent manner,” he added.
PIA has 17,000 workers
The meeting was informed that the airline was overstaffed — it had 13,500 regular employees and some 3,500 daily wagers. The ratio of workers per aircraft works out to 450.
The aviation secretary said if non-core staff such as catering, engineering and ground handling crew were separated from the core employees, the ratio of workers against one aircraft would come down to 135 — the same as in India.
In the engineering section alone, PIA has more than 4,000 employees. Members were informed that the PIA employees had gone without salaries this month due to financial constraints.
The meeting was also informed that PIA spent roughly 18 per cent of the revenue on each staff member.
About the financial constraints, the secretary explained that all earnings went straight into banks, which deduct the loans taken by PIA before releasing the remaining amount.
The committee chairman drew the secretary’s attention to recent reports alleging that the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE) had declared PIA a defaulter. Mr Aziz said the PSE had issued a warning after PIA management failed to present details of audited accounts and failed to hold its annual general meeting. However, he added: “The trading of PIA shares has not been suspended.”
The meeting was told that five out of the 33 aircraft in PIA fleet had been grounded for maintenance.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

'I say sorry to Pakistan': Danish Kaneria admits to involvement in spot-fixing scandal

 

Danish Kaneria has finally admitted his role in a fixing scandal that led to the imprisonment of former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield after six years of denials, Britain's Daily Mail reported late on Wednesday.
Kaneria, who was given a life ban by English cricket chiefs that effectively applied worldwide, said in an interview for an Al Jazeera television documentary quoted by the Mail: "My name is Danish Kaneria and I admit that I was guilty of the two charges brought against me by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2012."
Leg-spinner Kaneria, who insisted he was repentant as he called for his life ban to be overturned, added: "I want to apologise to Mervyn Westfield, my Essex team-mates, my Essex cricket club, my Essex cricket fans. I say sorry to Pakistan."
Westfield spent two months at Belmarsh prison in south-east London after pleading guilty to accepting 6,000 pounds ($7,862) from an illegal bookmaker, Anu Bhatt, to concede 12 runs in his first over of an English county 40-over game against Durham in 2009. He conceded only 10, but still took the money.
Kaneria was the "middle-man" in the scam, having introduced Westfield to Bhatt, but avoided criminal charges when English legal authorities decided they lacked the evidence for a conviction.
Now 37, Kaneria remains Pakistan's leading spinner with 261 Test wickets.

'Forgiveness'

He last played for Pakistan in the Trent Bridge Test of 2010, and has not appeared in any first-class game since March 2012, with all major boards upholding the ECB ban under International Cricket Council guidance.
"I want to ask people's forgiveness," said Kaneria. "Cricket has given me so much in my life and I want to give something back."
"If the ECB and ICC and other bodies would give me a second chance I can help to educate young people in cricket, teach them that if you do wrong you are finished like me."
Kaneria said the fear of embarrassing his father, who died in 2013 and had been suffering from cancer, explained part of the reason behind his repeated denials of wrongdoing.
"His health was getting worse and worse," he recalled. "I didn't have the courage to face him and tell him that I was wrong. He was a very, very proud guy. Very, very proud of me and what I did, representing Pakistan, representing my country."
"I want to apologise to my father, who has always been a role model for me."
Meanwhile Westfield told the Mail he accepted Kaneria's apology, saying: "This whole chapter of spot-fixing changed my life, but I have never blamed anyone for the terrible mistake I made.
"However, opening up about my wrongdoing and telling the truth allowed me to move on," added Westfield, now 30, who was banned from professional cricket for five years after being released from jail but has since played club and minor county matches.
"I hope that Danish finds peace and closure by doing this, and I wish him all the best for the future."

Hindu hardliners step up campaign to block Indian temple to women

 

Hindu hardliners blocked intersections, threatened drivers and ordered a 12-hour strike on Thursday as they stepped up their campaign to bar women from one of India's holiest temples.

The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in the southern state of Kerala was meant to allow women from Wednesday following an order last month by India's highest court.

But hundreds of traditionalists, throwing stones at baton-wielding police, defied the order — surrounding and shouting at any woman attempting to make it to the hilltop site.

Angry young men also surrounded and smashed the car windows of female television reporters and threatened others, including an AFP reporter. Another female correspondent was kicked.

Overnight local Hindu groups declared a 12-hour shutdown of local businesses, telling drivers that their vehicles would be attacked if they took anyone towards the temple.

"Some men came to the parking lot early Thursday and warned taxi drivers against defying the shutdown call," taxi driver Praveen, in the town of Pathanamthitta, told AFP.

"They warned drivers at several nearby parking lots and hotels. Anyone who defies it will be risking damage to his vehicle," he added in an account corroborated by other drivers.

"No one will get to the temple today because all the drivers are scared for the safety of their cars," one hotel receptionist told AFP.

State authorities have insisted that they will ensure access to the temple, imposing restrictions on public gatherings that came into force from midnight.

Kerala police, who have drafted in hundreds of extra officers, many with helmets and body armour over their khaki uniforms, provided escorts to some buses.

Police also patrolled through the night and reinforced their presence at Nilackal, the base camp below the temple.

But groups of between 50 and 100 young men gathered at intersections on Thursday, preventing any vehicles from continuing towards the temple.

"Traditions that have existed since before courts cannot be tampered with," said Krishna Kumar, a tall muscular man in his twenties at one crossroads in the town of Kozhencherry.

##'Impure'

Last month India's Supreme Court overturned a ban on females of menstruating age — judged between 10 and 50 years — entering and praying at the hilltop temple, reached by a tough uphill trek.

Women are permitted to enter most Hindu temples but female devotees are still barred from some.

The entry of women at Sabarimala was long taboo but a ban was formalised by the Kerala High Court in 1991, a ruling overturned by India's Supreme Court last month.

The restriction reflected an old but still prevalent belief among many that menstruating women are impure and the fact that the deity Ayyappa was reputed to have been celibate.

The Supreme Court ruling enraged traditionalists, including supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Biju S. Pillai, a local man in his thirties, was one of those opposed to the court ruling, telling AFP that he returned from working in Dubai to "protect the sanctity of the temple".

"No one should be able to change the way this temple has functioned for centuries," he said. "If any change is made they will have to kill us and go over our bodies".

EP Jayarajan, a minister in the Kerala government, blamed the violence on "goons" from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a hardline Hindu group seen as close to Modi's BJP.

The head of the BJP in Kerala, P.S Sreedharan Pillai, told AFP on Wednesday that their party advocated "peaceful protest against the court verdict".

"The overwhelming majority of women oppose the Supreme Court ruling,” he added.

PTA extends deadline for blocking mobile phones by 2 months

 

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday agreed to extend its deadline for blocking unregistered mobile phones by two months after the Senate Standing Committee on information technology expressed reservations over the plan.

Earlier this week, PTA had announced that all unregistered mobile phones will become unusable after Oct 20 after its long-anticipated Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) becomes functional. The DIRBS is an indigenous solution aimed to combat the use of smuggled or counterfeit sets which either serve to reduce tax revenues for the state or pose health problems to unsuspecting consumers.

The committee, during a meeting today, asked PTA Chairman Mohammad Naveed and Director Talib Dogar — who had appeared before the members — if they had the forensic data of stolen mobile phones. PTA chairman told members that stolen mobile devices could be traced through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. They assured the committee that PTA will only shut down non-compliant devices.

The committee responded that there were multiple devices that were registered on the same IMEI number and blocking all of them would affect many people. The PTA officials argued that unregistered mobile phones, including the ones with duplicate IMEIs, create problems for security agencies as it becomes harder for them to trace stolen devices.

They further said that initiating DIRBS will also increase import revenue till $200 billion.

The standing committee, however, expressed its reservations and pointed out that there was a lack of awareness among people that was creating panic. The members said that an awareness campaign should be held to educate the public about the move.

'A league of our own': T20 tournament adds glamour to Afghan cricket

 

Afghanistan defied decades of conflict to join cricket's elite club of Test nations, but now they have added a dash of glamour with their inaugural Twenty20 league in the United Arab Emirates.

Ten years after India's IPL changed the face of cricket with music, fireworks and cheerleaders, the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) has joined the growing list of T20 tournaments worldwide.

The pyrotechnics weren't long coming, as 20-year-old Hazratullah Zazai's extraordinary six sixes in one over, part of a record-equalling 12-ball half-century, immediately drew attention from around the globe.

"It's a very proud moment for the entire nation to have a league of our own which gives our players chance to showcase their talent and rub the shoulders with some foreign stars," Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai told AFP.

Despite its turbulent history, with most players learning cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan rose to become one of only 12 Test nations earlier this year.

Stanikzai knows the dangers of Afghan cricket more than most: his playing career was flourishing until it was cut short by a Taliban bullet in his right shoulder.

In September last year, a suicide attack outside Kabul's main cricket stadium left three people dead, while eight were killed and several injured in an attack at a cricket match in Jalalabad.

Such conditions made it impossible to hold the APL in Afghanistan, but Stanikzai said: "I am sure this league, like in other countries, will further lift standards of our players and our overall cricket".

He added: "There were challenges aplenty, they still exist but we have overcome those, received tremendous support from our government, the people of Afghanistan and from the International Cricket Council".

'Unity and love'

West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle and India's Yuvraj Singh are among the headliners, along with New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Shahid Afridi of Pakistan.

But the APL also provides a stage for Afghanistan's own stars including Rashid Khan, teenage spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who all featured in this year's IPL.

Rashid, 20, is the world's top-ranked bowler for T20 internationals, and this year he became the fastest player to reach 100 ODI wickets, in 44 games.

"Now is the time for the youngsters from Afghanistan to come forward and show their ability, like players have done in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia," said Rashid.

Rashid took 10 wickets at last month's Asia Cup in UAE, making him the joint most successful bowler as Afghanistan upset Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and tied a match with India, the tournament's eventual winners.

The performances suggest that Afghanistan could prove a handful at next year's One-day World Cup in England and Wales, after they made their debut in the competition in 2015.

"We don't believe in fragmentation," said Stanikzai.

"We want to send a message of unity and love and cricket has been a tool through which we send this message."

IHC orders ministries to submit reports on former spy chief Durrani

 

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the Defence Ministry to submit a report on an inquiry conducted into former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief retired Lt Gen Asad Durrani by General Headquarters (GHQ) after the former spy chief sought removal of his name from the no-fly list.

Durrani's name was placed on the Exit Control List on May 29 upon the Pakistan Army's request after he visited GHQ on May 28 to clarify his stance in The Spy Chronicles, a book co-authored by him and Amarjit Singh Dulat, former chief of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The former director general (DG) ISI had petitioned the IHC on Oct 2 seeking removal of his name from the ECL.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, who is hearing Durrani's petition, today also ordered the Interior Ministry to submit a reply explaining why Durrani's name had been placed on the ECL.

Defence Ministry Director Law Branch Falak Naz, who was representing the Defence Ministry in court today, said that Durrani had written a book along with the former chief of the Indian spy agency.

He said that Durrani had remained the DG Military Intelligence and the DG ISI and there was a pending inquiry against him in GHQ.

Naz said that he couldn't speculate about when the inquiry would be completed, and added that Durrani had also been a part of the 2012 Asghar Khan case regarding the distribution of money to politicians.

Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan had accused former army chief retired Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and Durrani of corrupting the democratic process with money. Nearly 16 years after the petition was filed, the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the 1990 general elections had been polluted by dishing out Rs140 million to a particular group of politicians only to deprive the people of being represented by their chosen representatives.

The apex court on June 2 this year sent notices to 21 army officials and politicians.

The former DG ISI's lawyer Omar Fakhar Adam said they were not sent any notice regarding an inquiry into Durrani after his book was released, adding that the former DG ISI was once called to the GHQ headquarters for tea, during which only chit chat took place.

Adam pointed out that in the Asghar Khan case, General Beg's name had not been placed on the ECL. He argued that his client had to go overseas for a conference on November 26 and 27, and and his name should be removed from the ECL.

Justice Kiyani said that until the GHQ inquiry report and Interior Ministry's reply were submitted, nothing could be done. The case was postponed until December 3.

Kajol believes viewers' interest have made female fronted films possible

 

Female-fronted films are finally doing well and Kajol wants to thank the audience for making it possible.
The actor, whose film Helicopter Eela is out in cinemas, spoke about the dynamic shift in cinema where more genres have entered Bollywood and it's no longer all about star power.
Speaking to PTI, Kajol said that producers initially wouldn't be keen on films with female protagonists as they worried about box office ratings.
"I think the talk about it right now is because it’s finally become financially viable and the numbers are coming in. I think that’s the main difference. Such films were always being made but they were not doing well as other films were or maybe the ratio was much less. The ratio and the numbers are adding up now," said the actor.
Kajol credits the viewers for this change.
"I thank our audiences for changing the mindset and deciding they want to watch every kind of film. Finally, it has become financially viable to even think of projects that don’t have big superstars in them."
Kajol believes that a good film can have a strong character irrespective of gender and that is where cinema is headed off to.
"If you look at the best directors, I’m not talking about movies but directors, all of them have had very strong characters, very strong female characters in their films. I think every character of theirs has been well rounded and so I think that’s the most important point that we need to take home with us."

Facebook launches 'war room' to combat manipulation

 

In Facebook's “War Room,” a nondescript space adorned with American and Brazilian flags, a team of 20 people monitors computer screens for signs of suspicious activity.
The freshly launched unit at Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters in California is the nerve centre for the fight against misinformation and manipulation of the largest social network by foreign actors trying to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere.
Inside, the walls have clocks showing the time in various regions of the US and Brazil, maps and TV screens showing CNN, Fox News and Twitter, and other monitors showing graphs of Facebook activity in real time.
Facebook, which has been blamed for doing too little to prevent misinformation efforts by Russia and others in the 2016 US election, now wants the world to know it is taking aggressive steps with initiatives like the war room.
“Our job is to detect ... anyone trying to manipulate the public debate,” said Nathaniel Gleicher, a former White House cybersecurity policy director for the National Security Council who is now heading Facebook's cybersecurity policy.
“We work to find and remove these actors.”
Facebook has been racing to get measures in place and began operating this nerve centre — with a hastily taped “WAR ROOM” sign on the glass door — for the first round of the presidential vote in Brazil on October 7.
It didn't take long to find false information and rumours being spread which could have had an impact on voters in Brazil.
“On election day, we saw a spike in voter suppression (messages) saying the election was delayed due to protests. That was not a true story,” said Samidh Chakrabarti, Facebook's head of civic engagement.
Chakrabarti said Facebook was able to remove these posts in a couple of hours before they went viral. “It could have taken days.”

Humans and machines

At the unveiling of the war room for a small group of journalists including AFP this week, a man in a gray pork pie hat kept his eyes glued to his screen where a Brazilian flag was attached.
He said nothing but his mission was obvious — watching for any hints of interference with the second round of voting in Brazil on October 28.
The war room, which will ramp up activity for the November 6 midterm US elections, is the most concrete sign of Facebook's efforts to weed out misinformation.
With experts in computer science, cybersecurity and legal specialists, the center is operating during peak times for the US and Brazil at present, with plans to eventually work 24/7.
The war room adds a human dimension to the artificial intelligence tools Facebook has already deployed to detect inauthentic or manipulative activity.
“Humans can adapt quickly to new threats,” Gleicher said of the latest effort.
Chakrabarti said the new center is an important part of coordinating activity — even for a company that has been built on remote communications among people in various parts of the world.
“There's no substitute to face to face interactions,” he said.
The war room was activated just weeks ahead of the US vote, amid persistent fears of manipulation by Russia and other state entities, or efforts to polarize or inflame tensions.
The war room is part of stepped up security announced by Facebook that will be adding some 20,000 employees.
“With elections we need people to detect and remove (false information) as quickly as possible,” Chakrabarti said.
The human and computerised efforts to weed out bad information complement each other, according to Chakrabarti.
“If an anomaly is detected in an automated way, then a data scientist will investigate, will see if there is really a problem,” he said.
The efforts are also coordinated with Facebook's fact-checking partners around the world including media organizations such as AFP and university experts.
Gleicher said the team will remain on high alert for any effort that could lead to false information going viral and potentially impacting the result of an election.
“We need to stay ahead of bad actors,” he said. “We keep shrinking the doorway. They keep trying to get in.”

PM Khan invites Malaysian counterpart to visit Pakistan

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan emphasised Pakistan's "close and cordial" relations with Malaysia in a phone call on Thursday with Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Matahir Mohammad, Radio Pakistan reported.

PM Khan, highlighting the "need of high-level bilateral exchanges" between the two countries, said that Pakistan and Malaysia should collaborate at an "operational level" so that they could benefit from each other's expertise.

According to Radio Pakistan, Dr Mohammad accepted PM Khan's invitation to visit Pakistan and also invited him to visit Malaysia.

The Pakistani prime minister congratulated his Malaysian counterpart for the Pakatan Harapan coalition's success in Malaysia's general election and "appreciated Prime Minister Mahathir’s vision for Malaysia’s steady economic progress".

PM Khan added that Pakistani government and people have "immense respect" for Matahir as a "statesman and global leader".

Reciprocating PM Khan's sentiment, the Malaysian prime minister congratulated him on PTI's victory in the country's election, Radio Pakistan reported.