Pak News Wire

Video shows truck run over worker in manhole

Video shows truck run over worker in manhole

Surveillance video shows a construction worker near a manhole being run over by a car. Incredibly, he escaped with minor injuries. Affiliate...

Airline uses feng shui to match fliers for blind date

Airline uses feng shui to match fliers for blind date

Thousands of lonely souls have registered to win an overseas blind date, as Jetstar teams with a feng shui master to match passengers.

Africa Group of Death ax swings late

Africa Group of Death ax swings late

Algeria and Ghana are through to the quarterfinals of the 2015 African Cup of Nations at the expense of Senegal and South Africa after a dra...

Libya’s power vacuum

Libya’s power vacuum

The New America Foundation's Barak Barfi speaks to CNN Today about the recent surge of jihad in Libya and how extremists are exploiting ...

Amazon tribe under threat

Amazon tribe under threat

"I wanted to show the daily life in the world's most endangered tribe," says photographer Daniel Rodrigues, who spent time wit...

2015 Economic Freedom Index: Pakistan’s economy rated ‘mostly unfree’

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828764/2015-economic-freedom-index-pakistans-economy-rated-mostly-unfree/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828764-shutterstock_-1422420491-159-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>KARACHI:  Pakistan’s economy is ‘mostly unfree’ as people are not empowered enough to work, produce, consume, own, trade and invest as per their personal choices, according to a recent study conducted by a leading Washington-based think tank. </div> The 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, which is developed by the Heritage Foundation in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, Pakistan ranks 121st among 178 countries of the world when it comes to economic freedom. The index categorises countries in five groups: free, mostly free, moderately free, mostly unfree and repressed. Pakistan ranks in the second last category with the likes of Nigeria (120), Kenya (122), India (128) and Bangladesh (131). “Pakistan has privatised some state-run industries, but the economy is still heavily regulated, and poor security discourages foreign investment,” the Heritage Foundation said in its brief commentary on the state of economic freedom in Pakistan. Reaction in Pakistan to the index and Pakistan’s poor ranking in it was somewhat mixed. Some economic experts were cognisant of the fact that the government’s regulation of the economy has many shortcomings. But many on the left of the political spectrum chose to delight at Pakistan’s absence of economic liberty. Speaking to The Express Tribune, taxation expert Dr Ikramul Haq said a poor regulatory framework is eating away at the economic freedom of the average Pakistani citizen. “Regulatory shortcomings and enforcement issues have curtailed economic liberty in Pakistan,” he said. Taking into account national policies that improve or hurt economic freedom of ordinary citizens, the index assesses an economy via 10 broad indicators, namely property rights, freedom from corruption, fiscal freedom, government spending, business freedom, labour freedom, monetary freedom, trade freedom, investment freedom and financial freedom. In Pakistan’s case, four of the 10 indicators showed improvement over the last year, four showed deterioration while two remained flat. Pakistan’s score went up by 0.4 points over the last year, which is reflective of improvements in the categories of investment freedom and freedom from corruption. However, these improvements are counterbalanced by deteriorations in labour freedom and business freedom. With its overall score below the world and regional averages, Pakistan is ranked 25th among 42 countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The Heritage Foundation says inefficient regulatory agencies inhibit business formation in Pakistan. “Access to bank credit also undermines entrepreneurship, and the financial sector’s seclusion from the outside world has slowed innovation and growth,” it noted. The Index of Economic Freedom is not the only index that paints Pakistan’s economy in a bad light. For example, the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2015 report also ranked Pakistan 128th out of 189 economies of the world in terms of the ease of doing business that it offers to entrepreneurs. However, the collective weight of the Heritage Foundation’s research and observations from the World Bank mean little to an economist like Kaiser Bengali who has strong leftist leanings. It may arguably be one of the most prominent think tanks internationally, but Bengali says its research and findings stand discredited because of a clear right-wing bias. “By economic freedom, Heritage Foundation actually means the liberty of multinational companies to loot and plunder in developing countries. I’m happy that it doesn’t consider Pakistan to be economically free,” Bengali said. Bengali currently serves as the head of the Balochistan Chief Minister’s Policy Reform Unit and has previously served as an economic advisor to the Sindh government. Balochistan, with its abundant mineral resources, would stand to benefit tremendously if its mining laws were liberalised to become more investor friendly, but leftist populism like that of Bengali has so far prevented that from happening. Indeed, it was a populist uproar that forced Chilean mining company Antofagasta and Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold to abandon their planned $ 3 billion joint venture to develop the Reko Diq copper and gold mine.   Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015.

2015 Economic Freedom Index: Pakistan’s economy rated ‘mostly unfree’

KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy is ‘mostly unfree’ as people are not empowered enough to work, produce, consume, own, tra...

EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian president on AirAsia

EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian president on AirAsia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo tells Christiane Amanpour "this is a momentum to fix the administrations related to the airline indust...

Why does ISIS care about Al-Rishawi?

Why does ISIS care about Al-Rishawi?

Who is the woman supposedly named in the latest hostage demand from ISIS?

Did the Philippines hide homeless families during the Pope’s visit?

Did the Philippines hide homeless families during the Pope’s visit?

Lawmakers in the Philippines call for an inquiry into allegations that public funds were used to "hide" homeless families at a res...

Born without eyes, baby thrives

Born without eyes, baby thrives

3-month-old Richie Lopez was born without eyes, but despite challenges, his family is optimistic that he'll lead a normal life. CNN affi...

Obama leads heavyweight mission to key ally Saudi

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828378/obama-leads-heavyweight-mission-to-key-ally-saudi/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828378-obzz-1422354894-634-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			RIYADH: US President Barack Obama led a heavyweight delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to offer condolences on the death of King Abdullah and shore up ties that analysts say have suffered in recent years. Obama cut short a state visit to India to pay his respects to new King Salman, 79, after Abdullah died on Friday aged about 90. The United States established full diplomatic relations with the conservative Muslim kingdom in 1940 and the unlikely allies remain bound by shared interests in regional stability and oil. Despite the longstanding partnership, analysts say Riyadh has grown dissatisfied with what it sees as a lack of US engagement with key regional issues as Washington looks to Asia. Anwar Eshki, chairman of the Jeddah-based Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies, said “divergences persist” between the two countries. The differences include the battle against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, the nearly four-year-old rebellion against the Damascus regime and the post-Arab Spring chaos in Libya and Yemen. Riyadh would like Washington to exercise more pressure to get the rival sides in both Yemen and Libya back to the negotiating table, Eshki said. Libya has two rival governments and powerful militias are battling for territory. In Yemen, on Saudi Arabia’s southern border, President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, a key US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda, tendered his resignation last week after Shiite militiamen kidnapped his chief of staff and seized the presidential palace. Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said “the relationship is not what it was”. Ties were better under both George Bush and his son George W Bush, who had a “relationship that was very much built on personal foundations,” Shaikh contended. The late king had a strained personal relationship with Obama, said Frederic Wehrey, of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Middle East Programme. Among the 29 members of Obama’s delegation are former Bush-era officials including James Baker, secretary of state during the first Gulf War against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, and Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state under George W. Bush. Obama’s wife Michelle is to join him on the Saudi trip, as is Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator John McCain, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan and General Lloyd J. Austin III, head of US Central Command. The four-hour stopover is to include bilateral talks between Obama and Salman, followed by a dinner. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes confirmed in New Delhi that the turmoil in Yemen and the battle against IS would figure on the agenda. “I’m sure that while we are there, they will touch on some of the leading issues where we cooperate very closely with Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Clearly that would include the continued counter-ISIS campaign where the Saudis have been a partner and have joined us in military operations,” he said, using an alternative acronym for IS. “That of course also includes the situation in Yemen where we have coordinated very closely with Saudi Arabia and the other countries.” The Saudi royal court said Salman would hold talks with Obama on “regional and international issues of common interest, in addition to means of enhancing bilateral relations.”

Obama leads heavyweight mission to key ally Saudi

RIYADH: US President Barack Obama led a heavyweight delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to offer condolences on the...

Gunmen attack Corinthia Hotel in Libya

Gunmen attack Corinthia Hotel in Libya

Kurds take strategic city from ISIS

Kurds take strategic city from ISIS

Kurdish fighters have taken the Syrian city of Kobani from ISIS' grip after 112 days of fighting with the Sunni extremist group, multipl...

Cash reward debacle: PBSA sends revised request to IPC

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828524/cash-reward-debacle-pbsa-sends-revised-request-to-ipc/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828524-snookerbilliardsnbpchampionshipphotoppi-1422393213-516-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) has sent a revised request for the release of cash awards for Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Sajjad, while an additional proposal of revising cash awards for different medals has also been pitched. Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif had earlier approved only Rs500,000 for Asif, despite a due payment of Rs22.5 million as per the National Sports Policy, which an infuriated PBSA refused to accept. Later, a PBSA official, along with the two players, met President Mamnoon Hussain and Inter-Provincial Secretary (IPC) Ijaz Chaudry to submit a revised summary of the details as the initial prize money was deemed too much by the state’s quarters. The PBSA has now sent a request of Rs30 million – Rs17.5 million for Asif and Rs12.5 million for Sajjad — as the association withdrew Asif’s Asian 6-Red title from the revised demand. “We’ve sent a revised proposal to the IPC and hopefully we’ll get a positive response from the PM this time around,” PBSA President Alamgir Sheikh told The Express Tribune during a press briefing of the Jubilee Insurance 40th National Snooker Championship. “Additionally, we’ve submitted the new policy on cash awards to be given to athletes on winning different medals. The Pakistan Sports Board is looking into our proposal and will hand out new cash awards after formal vetting and additions.” Meanwhile, the national championship will start from January 31 with 45 players divided into eight groups. Muhammad Asif Toba will go in as the defending champion, while the winner and runner-up of the event will qualify for the 31st Asian Snooker Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Malaysia from April 21-30, subject to the availability of funds. Jubilee Insurance also gave Rs10,000 to each player who participated in the Asian 6-Red and Team Championship hosted by Pakistan last year. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th,  2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Cash reward debacle: PBSA sends revised request to IPC

KARACHI: The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) has sent a revised request for the release of cash awa...

Bergdahl decision expected in days

Bergdahl decision expected in days

The Army is expected to decide in the coming days how to proceed with disciplinary action against Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who left h...

Post demands ISIS prisoner release

Post demands ISIS prisoner release

An image and audio posted online purports to relay a new message from ISIS that threatens to kill a Japanese hostage and Jordanian pilot wit...

Gunmen killl 3 in Libyan hotel

Gunmen killl 3 in Libyan hotel

At least three people were killed and six more injured Tuesday in a car bomb explosion and gun attack against the luxurious Corinthia Hotel ...

Post threatens Japanese ISIS hostage, Jordanian pilot

Post threatens Japanese ISIS hostage, Jordanian pilot

Algeria escape “Group of Death”

Algeria escape “Group of Death”

Algeria and Ghana are through to the quarterfinals of the 2015 African Cup of Nations at the expense of Senegal and South Africa after a dra...

President Jokowi: ‘Islam and democracy can go together’

President Jokowi: ‘Islam and democracy can go together’

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo cycles through the crowds with CNN's Christiane Amanpour and discusses extremism, death penalty an...

5 suspected jihadi cell members arrested in France

5 suspected jihadi cell members arrested in France

Five men were arrested in southern France Tuesday on suspicion of belonging to a jihadist cell which was recruiting young French people, aut...

After Pakistan raises concerns, UN defers special status for 3 Indian NGOs

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828465/after-pakistan-raises-concerns-un-defers-special-status-for-three-indian-ngos/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828465-UNunitednations-1422375348-789-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			A UN committee has deferred action on recommending three Indian NGOs a special consultative status after Pakistan sought more information on the operation activities and funding of the bodies, according to the <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/action-on-status-of-indian-ngos-deferred-after-pakistan-seeks-information/articleshow/46031562.cms">Economic Times</a>. Pakistan had asked for more information on India’s Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrutik Sangh, but the committee postponed its consideration due to Pakistan’s request for further details regarding the group’s monitoring, impact and evaluation. Additionally, Pakistan had requested details as to why the body was registered as a national organisation. Sixteen organisations were recommended for the special consultative status by the committee on NGO’s with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. However, it deferred action on the status of 17 other organisations following a request from the members of the committee of more information from the candidates about details of their expenditures, their projects, and their sources of funding as well as their relationship with UN system actors. Moreover, Pakistan had requested information based on how the Disease Management Association of India was funding the listed activities on its application. Action on this status was also deferred. Another Indian NGO, Eurasia Reiyuki, was one which Pakistan had also asked for details regarding its activities and funding. Questions were also raised about its income statement. The committee, which consists of 19 members, examines the NGOs’ applications, and recommends statuses based on the criteria of the applications financial regime, governance and mandate. The recommended statuses range from general, special or roster statuses.

After Pakistan raises concerns, UN defers special status for 3 Indian NGOs

A UN committee has deferred action on recommending three Indian NGOs a special consultative status after Pakistan soug...

#Snowperbole or better safe than sorry?

#Snowperbole or better safe than sorry?

A CNN meteorologist explains what the forecasts left out.

A message for Pakistan

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828539/a-message-for-pakistan/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828539-ImtiazGulNew-1422377758-917-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			President Barack Obama took many by surprise when he, disregarding protocol, warmly hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 25. The act apparently overwhelmed as much as it excited those present around the two leaders and the hundreds of millions of TV viewers in and outside India. The embrace at the airport, as well as the ensuing engagements of Obama, underscored a new chapter in India-US relations. Obama’s second visit to India incensed and annoyed many in Pakistan. Several analysts, officials and the right wing in particular were huffing and puffing over it. Obama snubbed us by not visiting Pakistan but our government continues to remain in a subservient mood, or at least this was how a number of observers and politicians interpreted the event. These emotive responses in Pakistan notwithstanding and regardless of the tangibles achieved, Obama’s New Delhi yatra <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828542/a-lesson-and-some-hope/">carries several messages for Pakistan</a>. Firstly, result-oriented nations go by rationales and are not moved by emotions. They refuse to be stymied by the past and move on in the national interest; until his rise to the Indian premiership, Modi was counted among those responsible for the 2002 riots in Gujarat and was, therefore, denied a US visa for years. But the Obama Administration swept the human rights issues under the carpet and instead rolled out the red carpet for Modi back in September 2014. America’s national interest dictated that this should happen. Secondly, by taking time out to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations, Obama signalled that he cannot afford to decline an Indian prime minister’s invitation, even if it may be devoid of any substance. Thirdly, Obama’s visit soured the moods, particularly of those who had hailed him as the first American with a Muslim lineage. Little did they realise that he represented the interests of the US and probably did not want to be reminded his Muslim identity. Looking at an American president through a religious prism was disgustingly misplaced. Fourth, the US has <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/827570/obamas-visit-pakistan-hopes-us-will-raise-issue-of-loc-violations/">drawn lines for its relations with India and Pakistan</a>; the former offers boundless economic opportunities. It serves as a magnet for corporate America, and thus the obvious unavoidable choice for it as much as is China for the majority of nations. India also holds immense value as a geostrategic US partner in a region dominated by the economic rise of China, which is seen by others as flexing its political muscle too. India and Japan, in the US geopolitical calculus, offer a counter-balance of power in the region. Pakistan remains conflict-driven, its security crisis precipitating the consequences of an elitist-driven governance system. Various conflicts inside the country and the one in Afghanistan keep Pakistan relevant for the US, though largely in the security context. Whatever potential this country has — and it indeed can theoretically offer a lot — as of now remains untapped because of its volatility and its image as an ‘untrustworthy ally’. That is why, as of now, the responsibility of dealing with Pakistan rests <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/821023/common-challenges-kerry-assures-pakistan-of-continued-assistance/">largely with John Kerry</a>. Ironically, in a situation that warranted a full-time energetic foreign minister to lobby with friendly countries for Pakistan, the government apparently has left this to the Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, to see counterparts and even political leaders in London and Beijing. The out-of-protocol hug Obama gave to Modi was, therefore, an embrace of geopolitical and commercial interests at best — shorn of any streaks of the bitter past. Pakistan’s domestic situation hardly holds any promise for its relations with China to take the same path; what can we expect of a political leadership that has <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/827430/insecure-democracy/">surrendered</a> foreign diplomacy, parts of the judiciary and the entire gambit of security to the military establishment? The PML-N stalwarts are strategically hamstrung by parochialism and are mostly given to self-promotion rather than working for the interests of the federation. The less important but fast-paced metro bus project, and the critically crucial but snail-paced development of the new Islamabad airport, are the embodiments of this mindset. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th,  2015. Like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped">Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd">@ETOpEd</a> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

A message for Pakistan

President Barack Obama took many by surprise when he, disregarding protocol, warmly hugged Prime Minister Narendra Mod...

A lesson and some hope

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828542/a-lesson-and-some-hope/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828542-MZiauddinnew-1422377772-800-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			There is a lesson for Pakistan in the recent visit of President Barack Obama to India and the <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/827719/rain-on-indias-parade-but-obama-visit-keeps-spirits-high/">back-slapping warmth</a> with which he was received by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And there is hope, too, for us in the perceived increase in the understanding between Washington and New Delhi as a result of the visit. The lesson is too simple to miss. In foreign relations, national self-interests rather than hollow honour and empty pride dictate the decision-making process. Also, in world affairs, like in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. That is perhaps, why a man who was refused the US visa in 2005 for his alleged involvement in the massacre in Gujarat state was not only allowed to pay a state visit to the US when he became his country’s prime minister, but his invitation to the US president to attend India’s 66th Republic Day ceremonies was also accepted readily. On the other hand, India played host to the president of a country whose law-enforcement agencies only months before had <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/809782/indian-diplomat-in-us-row-stripped-of-duty/">insultingly strip-searched one of its female diplomats</a> for committing what in India’s view was not such a serious transgression of the law. So much so that India, out of pique, had started investigations into several American institutions in New Delhi, forcing the US ambassador to India, an exasperated Nancy Powell, to resign before the completion of her tenure. Both the US and India, in their national self-interests, seemingly swept their respective complaints against each other under the carpet and let pragmatism rather than futile emotions dictate their foreign policy decisions. And the hope? This is again not a very complicated proposition to understand if we temper Pakistan-US relations with our national self-interest rather than see Washington’s moves that it makes for promoting its own global self-interest as a conspiracy to force us to accept Indian hegemony in the region. The US is an imperialist country. Such countries make friends and enemies on their own terms and in their own self-interest and are not dictated by noble or altruistic sentiments in dealing with countries, most of whom they regard as their chattels. The best way to deal with such countries is to keep mutual conflicts reduced to the minimum and maintain focus on issues on which the two can cooperate. Once, when in the early days of Pervez Musharraf’s rule, the media was lamenting almost on a daily basis that Pakistan was suffering from global isolation because of military rule, the dictator invited a group of senior journalists for a briefing on the issue and claimed that because of four reasons, Pakistan can never be consigned to isolation. His four reasons: 1) Hub of fundamentalism; 2) Hub of drug-trafficking; 3) Borders with China and; 4) Nuclear arms. This was clearly a disingenuous argument. All these four reasons are negative and because of three of these, Pakistan is being treated as a pariah by many countries. And even on the matter of sharing borders with China, it is interesting to see what <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.xinhuanet.com%2Fenglish%2Fchina%2F2015-01%2F26%2Fc_133946838.htm&ei=wN_HVKaWI4vzUOeqgIgC&usg=AFQjCNG1Qbj4j4if3N1tYdd5rVQ_sAzXIw&sig2=UfX42kPxQLPMa9v3YS5m9Q&bvm=bv.84349003,d.d24">Beijing is offering to India</a> on the occasion. In a message to the Indian president on India’s Republic Day, his Chinese counterpart expressed China’s willingness “to make concerted efforts with India to lift their strategic cooperative partnership oriented to peace and prosperity to a higher level”. An <a href="https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fworld%2Fin-rday-message-china-tells-india-dont-fall-into-trap-laid-by-us%2Farticle6823793.ece&ei=gODHVMHVGMSyUcLGg_gI&usg=AFQjCNF7ECiLsWzXQwE6lrUXKHB4I5XL6A&sig2=G3vfqcP3v1heHVWDkW9GHA&bvm=bv.84349003,d.d24">article</a> on January 26 that appeared in the Global Times and People’s Daily, pointed out: “As both are emerging powers, which have the huge potential of being important forces in the international community, China and India should see more space for cooperation instead of contention.” So it is by exploiting the common grounds, like eliminating terrorist safe havens from our soil and helping Kabul establish peace and stability in Afghanistan, that we could be in a position to encourage the US to leverage its increased understanding with the Indian leadership to help diffuse the nuclear flashpoint that the region has become because of the unresolved Kashmir dispute. Even for India to play ‘a central role beyond its borders’ with almost half of its population still writhing below the poverty line, it will first have to come to some kind of peaceful settlement with Pakistan on all the contentious issues plaguing their bilateral relations. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th,  2015. Like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EToped">Opinion & Editorial on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETOpEd">@ETOpEd</a> on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

A lesson and some hope

There is a lesson for Pakistan in the recent visit of President Barack Obama to India and the back-slapping warmth wi...

Chinese tourists seek new sites

Chinese tourists seek new sites

Chinese tourists are using social media to select exotic, new vacation destinations. CNN's Andrew Stevens reports.

Raveena’s ‘mast’ return to Bollywood

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828489/raveenas-mast-return-to-bollywood/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828489-Raveenas-1422373278-842-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, Raveena Tandon is gearing up for a golden comeback on the silver screen with the upcoming love story Shab. The actor, who recently completed filming for the Onir-directorial movie, said she had no qualms about portraying a negative role as she veers towards relaunching herself in B-town, reported bollywood.com. “I really wanted to do something challenging and fun. I opted for Shab because Onir is a dear friend and the character that I’m playing in the film is something I haven’t done earlier,” she said. Commenting on her role in the film, she stated, “It’s that of a diva but has shades of grey in it. I walk through a thin line between positive and negative in the film.” She shared that she had initially been approached for the protagonist role, but wilfully opted for this as she hadn’t played such a character before. “I was more excited to play the negative part.” Raveena, who plays Sonal in the film, said she was always the first choice for Shab, which Onir wrote almost 14 years ago when he was assisting filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi for Daman. Raveena won a National Award for playing a tortured wife in the film. “Onir directed us in Daman because Kalpana fell ill for a long time during the shooting of the film. He discussed the idea during that time with me and wanted to start up the project in a year or two. I got pregnant in 2004 and film went on the back burner,” she said. The actor has two children with husband Anil Thadani and two adopted kids, and has done only a few films since her marriage. Her last film Shobhana 7 Nights, which was thought to be her comeback to Bollywood post-pregnancy, is yet to have a box-office release. “Shobhana 7 Nights was a festival film. It was a great learning experience for me. I don’t think the film is meant for box-office,” she commented. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/330.jpg" /> Recently, Raveena announced that she was no longer a part of Anurag Kashyap’s film Bombay Velvet. “I am no longer a part of Bombay Velvet. The whole scenario of movie has changed now,” said Raveena who was to play a jazz singer in the film. “I had finished shooting my part too, but there were a lot of changes in the sequence. So, I told Anurag that I will not do this film. I will work with him in his next project.” Shab, a drama set it Delhi, is the story of a love triangle and stars Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee’s wife, Arpita, and actor Ashish Bisht, both of whom will make their Bollywood debut in the film. Sanjay Suri and designer Wendell Rodricks will make guest appearances in the film. Onir said the four characters in the film embodied the four seasons and that, through them, he sought to capture the contrasting colours of the city, reported Times of India. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Raveena’s ‘mast’ return to Bollywood

After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, Raveena Tandon is gearing up for a golden comeback on the silver screen with th...

Irrfan turns down Hollywood film for Piku

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828485/irrfan-turns-down-hollywood-film-for-piku/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828485-Irrfan-1422373181-301-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Irrfan Khan is among those actors who boast a diverse body of work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. But unlike many Bollywood artistes, who are often slammed for giving precedence to subpar roles in Hollywood projects over full-fledged characters in their home film industry, Irrfan has been selective in his film choices. And as he turns down a part in Ridley Scott’s Matt Damon-starrer The Martian for Shoojit Sircar’s Piku, according to filmibeat.com, he seems to value work ethic more than Tinseltown lustre. The critically-acclaimed actor politely declined the science-fiction film as he had already committed to featuring in the comedy-drama Piku. He had already locked the dates for Piku’s shoot when he was approached with an offer to star in The Martian, and acting in the latter would have required him to cancel his dates for the former. “It was a lengthy, pivotal role (in The Martian), but I had already committed the dates to Shoojit Sircar for Piku,” said Irrfan, who will be seen playing an integral role in the film that centralises the father-daughter relationship between Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. Speaking about his on-screen pairing with Deepika, he said it is one of the most anticipated and unconventional pairings in recent times. “It’s about two people who never imagine that they would fall in love but are drawn to each other. Sometimes they feel the pull, sometimes they don’t. The emotions are delicate and natural.” Piku, which sees the coming together of the team behind the sleeper-hit Vicky Donor, is set for an April 30 worldwide release. Despite him refusing the role in The Martian, there seems to be no shortage of international roles for Irrfan on the international front. He is reportedly in talks to share screen space with Tom Hanks in the film adaptation of Dan Brown’s Inferno, reported indiatvnews.com. “I said ‘no’ but now we’re working on the dates. They want three chunks and if we can adjust the first schedule, I should be able to do the film,” he stated. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Irrfan turns down Hollywood film for Piku

Irrfan Khan is among those actors who boast a diverse body of work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. But unlike many Bo...

Tears for Peshawar keep rolling down

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828483/tears-for-peshawar-keep-rolling-down/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828483-PeterFlierl-1422373058-635-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>ISLAMABAD:  Bassist for Australian band PlanB, Peter Flierl, who has collaborated with Pakistani  Indie musicians in the past, is set to perform a live tribute to the victims of the Peshawar school massacre on Wednesday.  He wrote the song Tears for Peshawar, on the request of a Pakistani radio jockey, as a means to commemorate the recent atrocities and to offer hope to the people of Pakistan through these turbulent times. </div> “I was pretty humbled to have even been approached but, at the same time, challenged and eager to try and create something that would convey the myriad of emotions that the nation was going through in the aftermath of this tragic incident,” Flierl told The Express Tribune. He said he enlisted the lyrical skills of PlanB’s keyboard player Adrian Miller to put together words that would adequately convey the anger and grief associated with the harrowing attack. At the same time, they also strove to highlight the solidarity and resolve of the nation to overcome the adversity and work together for a better future for the children. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Peter-Flierl.jpg" /> He said it was both interesting and surprising to experience how the song came together. “I came up with a melody and chord pattern, which have a PlanB signature to it,” he stated. “But what will take this song in a different dimension is the result of the input from the various musicians in Khaas Collaboration, (which was Flierl’s joint initiative with a few local underground musicians, who performed unplugged, local interpretations of PlanB songs),” he added. Flierl shared PlanB would like to take their interpretation of the song Tears for Peshawar on tour to China and Mongolia next July. He has also been in talks with producer-songwriter Sarmad Ghafoor about recording the song in his studio. “Ghafoor has been supportive in agreeing to give his time, enabling the song to be recorded and, hopefully, released in some form and, in some small way, assist in raising funds for the families that were affected by this tragic incident,” he commented. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/243.jpg" /> It was the summer of 2006 when Flierl first came to Pakistan for three months to work at the Australian High Commission. “It was this deployment that gave me my first opportunity to mix with an array of mainly Pakistani, but also Canadian and American musicians who were in Islamabad.” His time in Pakistan has exposed him to music from this part of the world and he said he became a fan of the fusion of local music with western musical influences. “Having the opportunity to mix with contemporary Pakistani artistes such as Natasha Humera Ejaz and Bakshi Brothers has opened my eyes to the talent that is being produced by this country,” he said. “Well-known artistes like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who is probably one of, if not the, most revered exponents of qawwalis, as well as one of Pakistan’s greatest tabla players, Mohammad Ajmal Khan, are certainly musicians who I draw inspiration from,” he shared. Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Tears for Peshawar keep rolling down

ISLAMABAD: Bassist for Australian band PlanB, Peter Flierl, who has collaborated with Pakistani Indie musicians in t...

Moulding ceramic appeal

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828449/moulding-ceramic-appeal/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828449-image-1422372724-379-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>KARACHI:  Given today’s fast-paced world, the significance of hand-crafted products and utilisation of earthy raw materials has diminished. Utensils at home are now mere objects of convenience rather than a symbolic celebration of arts and crafts. Redefining the dexterity of the quaint craft of pottery, Mahbina Waheed has been a woman on a mission. </div> Since the past 15 years, Waheed’s ClayWorks has been manufacturing clay products from scratch. With a degree in Economics and Government from Smiths College in the United States, she may not have mastered the art through education, but by experience. She insists she’s not “saving the dying craft but reviving it with modern technique.” Her passion for the craft has groomed her into a professional and certified ceramist. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/329.jpg" /> Waheed recently showcased her Christmas collection. Describing her latest endeavour, Waheed says, “This season, I focused on creating items with multicultural and religious significance.” Interestingly, her products could be perceived to depict interfaith harmony. “We prepared items with a number of Christian motifs and some Islamic motifs taken from artworks, and combined them strategically,” she adds. Having been abroad for a while, the artist has a strong inclination towards western aesthetics as well. She asserts that her work boasts a fusion, stating, “I don’t solely rely on the East for inspiration. I’m more about amalgamating cultures.” Self-taught, the craftswoman trusts her eye and instincts to aesthetically combine designs. “My work is about East and West combined together. I carry the Pakistani and Islamic heritage plus tribal motifs as the basis for my patterns.” Based in Lahore, she has two running factories situated near Gulberg and Allama Iqbal Airport. With two stores exhibiting and retailing her products in the city, she now has one store in Islamabad as well. Having showcased her works only through art exhibitions in Karachi, she is yet to set up a store in the metropolis. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/1100.jpg" /> Waheed confesses that taking up the craft wasn’t the first thing she was set out to accomplish. “I realised the significance of clay much later in my life,” she says. On what drove her to utilise the raw material, she states, “Ceramics is something that greatly appeals to me. From the medium to the material to the natural matter, I’m enthralled by it.” It’s only when she commenced with the business that she recognised the real potential of the raw material that has riveted the attention of archaeologists for centuries. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/1101.jpg" /> Her expertise lies in tableware and tile manufacturing, which she takes care of from her factory outlets. Initially starting out with designing bowls and mugs with simple patterns, she now delves into all kinds of moulds to create plates, large bowls and tea-sets among a host of other items. She feels that her designs have evolved over the time and so has her technique. She has also attempted to fly the flag on international platforms. Talking about her international clientele, she says, “Jamie Oliver, the food expert, is my client. We sold a range of bowls to his company in various sizes, however, we modernise these a bit.” Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Moulding ceramic appeal

KARACHI: Given today’s fast-paced world, the significance of hand-crafted products and utilisation of earthy raw mate...

35 amazing sports photos

35 amazing sports photos

Asian Cup: Aussies move quickly to book place in final

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828463/asian-cup-aussies-move-quickly-to-book-place-in-final/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828463-AsaianCup-1422371758-411-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			NEWCASTLE: Australia struck twice early on and then soaked up the pressure as they downed UAE 2-0 to set up an Asian Cup final against unbeaten South Korea on Tuesday. Quickfire goals from defenders Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson in the first 15 minutes were enough to put the 2011 runners-up in the frame for their first Asian title. “It was a dream start for us,” said Davidson of West Bromwich Albion. “I think as the game went on fatigue kicked in a little bit but we hung on and kept a clean sheet.” The Emirates’ star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman asked constant questions of the Socceroos at Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium, but the visitors were unable to craft a way back. “It wasn’t the best performance, but sometimes in semi-finals you don’t play your best football,” said forward Robbie Kruse, a veteran of 2011′s tight final defeat to Japan. Sainsbury had promised to ‘choke’ UAE ‘until they’re blue’ and they barely had time to draw breath when he headed in the game’s first corner after only three minutes. UAE targetman Ahmed Khalil almost hit back on 10 minutes but his low shot struck the outside of Mathew Ryan’s near post and went out for a goal-kick. And on 14 minutes Australia earned breathing space when left-back Davidson coolly passed the ball into the bottom corner for the 2-0 lead. Australia’s front three of Kruse, Mathew Leckie and Tim Cahill were always dangerous but despite going two goals down, UAE refused to be cowed and they continually probed without being able to crack the home defence. Khalil drilled a powerful long-range effort narrowly wide after the restart as the Gulf side sought to keep the game alive. But that was the closest they came and despite their forays forward, the second half played out scoreless for what finished as a comfortable Australian victory. “In such a big game like a semi-final, it’s not easy to come back after conceding two goals by mistakes in the first 15 minutes,” said UAE coach Mahdi Ali. “We tried our best to come back but it was not easy.” Australia will be wary of South Korea in Saturday’s final, after they lost 1-0 to the Taeguk Warriors at the group stage.   Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Asian Cup: Aussies move quickly to book place in final

NEWCASTLE: Australia struck twice early on and then soaked up the pressure as they downed UAE 2-0 to set up an Asian ...

The unpredictables: Glory, or despair, await Pakistan

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828441/the-unpredictables-glory-or-despair-await-pakistan/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828441-LEDE-1422370865-697-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: If there is one team at the World Cup which could just as easily crash out in the first round as romp to the title, then it is Pakistan. The talented yet unpredictable side are haunted by injuries to their fast bowlers, the suspension of match-winning spinner Saeed Ajmal and a covert struggle for captaincy between Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi. But all seems to have settled down as Misbah’s men embark on a mission to match Imran Khan’s World Cup triumph — Pakistan’s only win — in Australia around 23 years ago. “This team has the spirit of cornered tigers,” said chief selector and former captain Moin Khan, a key member of the 1992 winning team. “If they play to their potential, then this team can surprise the world.” Captain Misbah, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, is also confident. “The format of this World Cup is such that teams have a lot of opportunities,” said Misbah, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup. “It would be the icing on the cake if I end my one-day career with the trophy.” But Misbah knows his side will miss Ajmal, who has single-handedly won matches for Pakistan before being suspended for an illegal bowling action last September. The skipper felt that spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez — suspended in November last year also over an illegal bowling action — needs to clear a reassessment test for the team to have the right balance. “It will be important that Hafeez clears the test because he is two-in-one and his bowling gives us the right combination,” said the captain. Lanky paceman Muhammad Irfan — the tallest man to ever play international cricket at 7 feet, one inch — is expected to be the ‘X-factor’ in an otherwise inexperienced pace attack which will miss Umar Gul, not fit enough for the event after knee and ankle problems. “To me the X-factor in our team is Irfan. With his height I think he can be dangerous,” said coach Waqar Younis, who missed Pakistan’s World Cup win in 1992 with a back problem. In Ajmal’s absence, leg-spinner Yasir Shah, along with all-rounder Afridi, will be in charge of the spin department. Afridi, who will also quit ODIs after the World Cup, will be important too as a batsman in the slog overs as will be Umar Akmal, Misbah and Sohaib Maqsood. Pakistan’s top-order problem persists and will continue to haunt them as Hafeez opening the innings with Ahmed Shehzad doesn’t always guarantee a trouble-free start. They will hope that the experienced duo of Younus Khan and Misbah provide stability to the batting, for which the main problem lies in playing too many dot balls. Pakistan have the worst run-rate among the top ten teams in playing dot balls from over 11 to 40. Pakistan must win one of their first two matches — against arch-rivals India and the West Indies — in order to have easier passage into the last eight. If not, their qualification will rely on their last Group B match against a dangerous Ireland side, the same opponents who ousted them in the first round of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.   Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The unpredictables: Glory, or despair, await Pakistan

KARACHI: If there is one team at the World Cup which could just as easily crash out in the first round as romp to the...

Fans call to #BoycottHershey after import ban

Fans call to #BoycottHershey after import ban

Gruesome football banner shocks

Gruesome football banner shocks

Fans of Belgian football side Standard Liege have been widely condemned after unfurling a banner depicting the decapitation of a former play...

Marvel Comics Muslim superhero fights racist bus ads in San Francisco

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828407/marvel-comics-muslim-superhero-fights-racist-bus-ads-in-san-francisco/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828407-kamala-1422364921-679-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Kamala Khan, Marvel Comics’ first Muslim character, has found a real-life enemy to fight. Images of the comic book character, who first made an appearance in the Captain Marvel comic series in 2013, were plastered over anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish advertisements on buses in San Francisco recently. While the bigoted ads are not new, this novel way of countering the narrative has created a stir in the online community with the writer of the Ms Marvel comic series also tweeting about it. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="500">Some amazing person has been painting over the anti-Muslim bus ads in SF with Ms. Marvel graffiti. Spread love. <a href="https://t.co/U8W2g01O2T">https://t.co/U8W2g01O2T</a> — G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) <a href="https://twitter.com/GWillowWilson/status/559548463373774848">January 26, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Bay Area Art Queers Unleashing Power (BAAQUP), a blog that appears to represent the group behind the initiative, describes the group as “a loose collective of arts activists with a long history of liberating public spaces and creating images to challenge the control of our lives by corporations, government and the assumptions promoted by mass media.” BAAQUP also posted pictures of their campaign in a <a href="https://baqup.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/saying-no-to-hatred-with-superheroes/" target="_blank">blog post</a> titled “Saying No To Hatred – With Superheroes!” on January 26. Meanwhile, another group, Street Cred, posted the same pictures on their Facebook page. “BAAQUP and Street Cred commend Marvel for taking a different road than Charlie Hebdo, using the power of comics for good,” the January 26 blog post said. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/0-kamala-1422365248.jpg" /> PHOTO: BAAQUP “Kamala won’t let racism go unchallenged in our town, and neither will we!” the blog post added, referring to the Ms Marvel character. The post also mentions one Pam Geller, founder of American Freedom Defense Initiative, the organization behind the original racist ads. “The day after the attack at Charlie Hebdo and the murders at the kosher grocery store in Paris, one of us texted another – ‘Get ready, Pam Geller’s going to come to town.’”

Marvel Comics Muslim superhero fights racist bus ads in San Francisco

Kamala Khan, Marvel Comics’ first Muslim character, has found a real-life enemy to fight. Images of the comic book cha...

Military stops search and recovery for remains

Military stops search and recovery for remains

The Indonesian military said that it was stopping its efforts to try to find and recover the remains of Flight QZ8501.

Teachers get gun training after Peshawar massacre

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828388/pakistani-teachers-get-gun-training-after-peshawar-massacre/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/828388-peshawarguntraining-1422362078-100-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			PESHAWAR: Teachers in Pakistan are being given firearms training and will be allowed to take guns into the classroom in a bid to strengthen security following a Taliban massacre at a school last month. Heavily armed militants killed 150 people, 132 of them children, in a bloody December 16 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. “Carrying firearms for every teacher is not obligatory, but all those who want to carry firearms to schools willingly will be provided with permits,” Atif Khan, provincial education minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told AFP on Tuesday. Provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani confirmed the decision, adding that the province was unable to provide police guards for all of its government-run education institutions. “The number of police in the province is not enough to guard 35,000 schools, colleges and universities — that’s why we have allowed teachers to carry firearms,” Ghani told AFP. Authorities began training teachers in how to use guns last week and the latest batch of female trainees started learning the ropes on Tuesday. “It’s a two-day course. We are training them on gun handling and also on (the) procedure of using it,” said Mohammad Latif, a trainer at police headquarters in Peshawar. Security has already been strengthened for schools across the country, including by building elevated boundary walls with steel wire fencing and increasing the number of police. Private schools have been ordered to deploy extra security guards. Malik Khalid Khan, the president of the Private Schools Teachers Association, opposed the move to arm teachers. “How is it possible to teach students in a class… holding a gun in one hand and a pen in another?” Khan told AFP. “It’s not our job, our job is to teach them books. A teacher holding a gun in the class will have very negative affect on his students,” Khan said, adding that the government should hire more police if they are short of numbers. The government and military promised a tough response to the Peshawar massacre, in which heavily armed militants scaled the school walls before going room-to-room mowing down helpless students and staff. A six-year moratorium on the death penalty was ended for terror cases after the attack, and parliament voted to set up military courts to try terror offences.

Teachers get gun training after Peshawar massacre

PESHAWAR: Teachers in Pakistan are being given firearms training and will be allowed to take guns into the classroom ...

Cumberbatch sorry for ‘colored’ remark

Cumberbatch sorry for ‘colored’ remark

Oscar-nominated star Benedict Cumberbatch has apologized for referring to black actors as "colored" on a U.S. talk show.