Bibi claims Gen. Bajwa received calls following Imran Khan's visit to Madina, suggesting significant political developments.

Bibi: Bajwa Received Calls After Imran's Visit To Madina

Zoom fatigue, the mental exhaustion from frequent virtual meetings, may have more serious effects on your brain and heart than previously thought. Prolonged screen time, constant focus on video calls, and lack of physical movement can lead to cognitive overload, stress, and increased anxiety. These factors not only affect mental well-being but can also elevate heart rates and blood pressure, contributing to long-term cardiovascular issues. Experts recommend regular breaks, reducing screen time, and incorporating movement into daily routines to mitigate the negative impact of virtual meeting fatigue on overall health.

Zoom Fatigue May Affect Your Brain and Heart: Study

Pakistan's Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has authorised the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to intercept and trace calls in the interest of national security. Although not surprised, Pakistanis are expressing anger over the violation of digital rights in the country.

Gravitas | Pakistan Allows Pak Spy Agency, ISI, to Tap Phones, Cites National Security

Pakistan has allowed its Intelligence agency ISI to intercept phone calls and messages for national security and prevention of crime. The government has authorised the inter-services intelligence under Section 54 of telecommunication act of Pakistan's Minister of International Technology.

Pakistan government allows ISI to intercept calls and messages

Pakistan government allows ISI to intercept calls & messages

A landmark law that might be the cause of envy for workers across the globe, Australia is planning to introduce legislation that gives employees the right to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours.&nbsp;

The "right to disconnect" is part of a multitude of changes being brought to the industrial relations laws proposed by the federal government under a parliamentary bill. The Labor party said the bill had won the support of the majority of senators.&nbsp;

According to the proposed bill&nbsp;set to be tabled in the parliament next week, employees who feel they are being unnecessarily contacted or hassled should first raise the issue with the employer. If the issue remains unresolved, they can escalate it by taking the case to the Fair Work Commission for a stop order, which could result in fines if the employer fails to comply.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese&nbsp;is of the view that these changes would safeguard workers's rights and restore a healthy work-life balance.&nbsp;

"What we are simply saying is that someone who isn’t being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t be penalised if they’re not online and available 24 hours a day,” Albanese told reporters.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-bosses-should-tell-employees-to-slow-down-sometimes-683665">Watch | Gravitas: Why bosses should tell employees to slow down sometimes&nbsp;</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-bosses-should-tell-employees-to-slow-down-sometimes-683665/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2>Opposition supports the bill</h2>

Notably, the left-wing Greens, first&nbsp;proposed the law last year.&nbsp;Barbara Pocock, the Greens’ spokesperson on workplace relations said the intention was not to up-end existing arrangements but rather help fearful workers find their voice.&nbsp;

“The intention here is to give some backup to that casual worker, that insecure worker so they can have a conversation without fear that they’ll never get another shift.”

"Australians work an average of six weeks unpaid overtime each year.&nbsp;That equated to more than A$92 billion ($60.13 billion) in unpaid wages across the economy. That time is yours. Not your boss," Greens leader Adam Bandt posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-pm-albanese-says-government-probing-claims-un-agency-aided-hamas-686779">Also read | Australia PM Albanese says government probing claims UN agency aided Hamas</a>

Currently, similar laws give employees the right to switch off their official devices after work exits in France, Spain and other countries in the European Union.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A landmark law that might be the cause of envy for workers across the globe, Australia is planning to introduce legislation that gives employees the right to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours.

A landmark law that might be the cause of envy for workers across the globe, Australia is planning to introduce legislation that gives employees the right to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours. The "right to disconnect" is part of a multitude of changes being brought to the industrial relations laws proposed by the federal government under a parliamentary bill. The Labor party said the bill had won the support of the majority of senators. According to the proposed bill set to be tabled in the parliament next week, employees who feel they are being unnecessarily contacted or hassled should first raise the issue with the employer. If the issue remains unresolved, they can escalate it by taking the case to the Fair Work Commission for a stop order, which could result in fines if the employer fails to comply. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is of the view that these changes would safeguard workers's rights and restore a healthy work-life balance. "What we are simply saying is that someone who isn’t being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t be penalised if they’re not online and available 24 hours a day,” Albanese told reporters. Watch | Gravitas: Why bosses should tell employees to slow down sometimes × Opposition supports the bill Notably, the left-wing Greens, first proposed the law last year. Barbara Pocock, the Greens’ spokesperson on workplace relations said the intention was not to up-end existing arrangements but rather help fearful workers find their voice. “The intention here is to give some backup to that casual worker, that insecure worker so they can have a conversation without fear that they’ll never get another shift.” "Australians work an average of six weeks unpaid overtime each year. That equated to more than A$92 billion ($60.13 billion) in unpaid wages across the economy. That time is yours. Not your boss," Greens leader Adam Bandt posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Also read | Australia PM Albanese says government probing claims UN agency aided Hamas Currently, similar laws give employees the right to switch off their official devices after work exits in France, Spain and other countries in the European Union. (With inputs from agencies)

'Right to ignore': Australia to allow workers to shun calls, texts from bosses after work hours

WhatsApp will soon be rolling out a new option on Android and iOS called Protect IP addresses and calls. According to Media reports, the new feature will make it harder for hackers to infer a WhatsApp user's location by protecting their IP address in calls. In other words, the protect IP address in calls feature will prevent malicious threat actors from obtaining users' locations and listening in to their calls.

WhatsApp's latest feature protects IP addresses in calls

Two Hong Kongers accused of being part of a group that campaigned for international sanctions against China pleaded guilty under the city's national security law on Thursday in a case that is linked to jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

China imposed the sweeping security law on Hong Kong last year to wipe out dissent after the financial hub was rocked by huge and often violent democracy protests.

More than 130 people, including many of the city's best-known democracy advocates, have since been arrested under the law.

Democracy activist Andy Li, 31, and paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, 30, admitted to a charge of "colluding with foreign forces to endanger China's national security" on Thursday.

Prosecutors said they were part of a group that organised the publishing of adverts and articles in overseas newspapers calling for sanctions against China.

Both were in custody ahead of their plea.

Little has been heard in open court about the case against the duo but they are part of a group of people linked to jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Lai who faces the same national security charge.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-taliban-members-break-into-laughter-when-asked-about-democracy-and-female-politicians-406700">Also read |&nbsp;Watch: Taliban members break into laughter when asked about democracy and female politicians</a>

Authorities have accused Lai, 73, of running a "criminal syndicate" that lobbied for international sanctions against China over its crackdown in Hong Kong.

At Thursday's hearing, prosecutors read out a summary of the allegations against the two defendants.&nbsp;

In it they accused Lai, and his American aide Mark Simon, of being "masterminds and financial support behind the scene and at the highest level of the syndicate".

Chan allegedly delivered Lai and Simon's instructions to Li.

Simon left Hong Kong last year and has previously described the prosecution against Lai and others as a political witch hunt against Beijing's critics.&nbsp;

Lai's popular newspaper Apple Daily closed down in June after authorities used the security law to freeze its assets over the content of the tabloid's reporting.

Li was one of 12 Hong Kongers who made a failed attempt to flee the city by speedboat for Taiwan last summer.

They were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard and held in detention until their conviction at a closed hearing for illegal border crossing.

The group were eventually returned to Hong Kong custody.

Charges of Li and Chan assisting offenders over the fugitives case have been shelved by the prosecution as the pair pleaded guilty to the collusion offences.&nbsp;

The pair were remanded back into custody following their plea with the next hearing scheduled for January next year.&nbsp;

The case against Lai and his co-accused has yet to come to court.

Two Hong Kongers accused of being part of a group that campaigned for international sanctions against China pleaded guilty under the city's national security law on Thursday in a case that is linked to jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Two Hong Kongers accused of being part of a group that campaigned for international sanctions against China pleaded guilty under the city's national security law on Thursday in a case that is linked to jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. China imposed the sweeping security law on Hong Kong last year to wipe out dissent after the financial hub was rocked by huge and often violent democracy protests. More than 130 people, including many of the city's best-known democracy advocates, have since been arrested under the law. Democracy activist Andy Li, 31, and paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, 30, admitted to a charge of "colluding with foreign forces to endanger China's national security" on Thursday. Prosecutors said they were part of a group that organised the publishing of adverts and articles in overseas newspapers calling for sanctions against China. Both were in custody ahead of their plea. Little has been heard in open court about the case against the duo but they are part of a group of people linked to jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Lai who faces the same national security charge. Also read | Watch: Taliban members break into laughter when asked about democracy and female politicians Authorities have accused Lai, 73, of running a "criminal syndicate" that lobbied for international sanctions against China over its crackdown in Hong Kong. At Thursday's hearing, prosecutors read out a summary of the allegations against the two defendants. In it they accused Lai, and his American aide Mark Simon, of being "masterminds and financial support behind the scene and at the highest level of the syndicate". Chan allegedly delivered Lai and Simon's instructions to Li. Simon left Hong Kong last year and has previously described the prosecution against Lai and others as a political witch hunt against Beijing's critics. Lai's popular newspaper Apple Daily closed down in June after authorities used the security law to freeze its assets over the content of the tabloid's reporting. Li was one of 12 Hong Kongers who made a failed attempt to flee the city by speedboat for Taiwan last summer. They were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard and held in detention until their conviction at a closed hearing for illegal border crossing. The group were eventually returned to Hong Kong custody. Charges of Li and Chan assisting offenders over the fugitives case have been shelved by the prosecution as the pair pleaded guilty to the collusion offences. The pair were remanded back into custody following their plea with the next hearing scheduled for January next year. The case against Lai and his co-accused has yet to come to court.

Hong Kongers plead guilty to 'national security' charge over sanction calls

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will talk to citizens by the way of taking live telephone calls at 3 pm on Sunday.&nbsp;

While announcing on social microblogging site Twitter, Prime Minister's Office said the premier would answer questions of the public on telephone and social media under the session 'Apka Wazir-e-Azam aapke saath’.&nbsp;

With the help of the initiative, people would get a chance to discuss their issues with the PM by calling on the phone number provided by the government. The number provided by the government is 051-9224900. All the calls will be broadcasted live on TV.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
وزیراعظم عمران خان ۱ اگست ۲۰۲۱ کو 
تقریباً سہ پہر ۳ بجے <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A2%D9%BE%DA%A9%D8%A7_%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B8%D9%85_%D8%A2%D9%BE%DA%A9%DB%92_%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AA%DA%BE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#آپکا_وزیراعظم_آپکے_ساتھ</a> کے نئے سیشن میں ایک مرتبہ پھر بذریعہ ٹیلی فون آپ کے سوالات کے جوابات دیں گے۔ 
 
عوام سے وزیراعظم کی یہ گفتگو ٹیلی فون، ریڈیو اور ڈیجیٹل میڈیا پر براہِ راست نشر کی جائے گی۔ 
 
رابطہ نمبر: 
051-9224900 <a href="https://t.co/eH8xY2fpfp">pic.twitter.com/eH8xY2fpfp</a>
— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1421521235175874565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier, Khan had said the Taliban were not some military outfit but 'normal civilians'. He remarked that Pakistan, Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, shelters three million Afghan refugees during a TV interview with American network PBS.&nbsp;

Questioning the United States motive for the Afghan invasion he also said that the US has 'really messed it up in Afghanistan'.&nbsp;

Due to his continuous support for the Taliban, Imran Khan has earned the moniker 'Taliban Khan' in Pakistan's politics.&nbsp;

Pakistan has long been accused of assisting Taliban rebels against the Afghan National Security Forces with the military, logistical, financial, and intelligence support (ANSF).&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will talk to citizens by the way of taking live telephone calls at 3 pm on Sunday. While announcing on social microblogging site Twitter, Prime Minister's Office said the premier would answer questions of the public on telephone and social media under the session 'Apka Wazir-e-Azam aapke saath’.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will talk to citizens by the way of taking live telephone calls at 3 pm on Sunday. While announcing on social microblogging site Twitter, Prime Minister's Office said the premier would answer questions of the public on telephone and social media under the session 'Apka Wazir-e-Azam aapke saath’. With the help of the initiative, people would get a chance to discuss their issues with the PM by calling on the phone number provided by the government. The number provided by the government is 051-9224900. All the calls will be broadcasted live on TV. وزیراعظم عمران خان ۱ اگست ۲۰۲۱ کو تقریباً سہ پہر ۳ بجے #آپکا_وزیراعظم_آپکے_ساتھ کے نئے سیشن میں ایک مرتبہ پھر بذریعہ ٹیلی فون آپ کے سوالات کے جوابات دیں گے۔ عوام سے وزیراعظم کی یہ گفتگو ٹیلی فون، ریڈیو اور ڈیجیٹل میڈیا پر براہِ راست نشر کی جائے گی۔ رابطہ نمبر: 051-9224900 pic.twitter.com/eH8xY2fpfp — Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) July 31, 2021 × Earlier, Khan had said the Taliban were not some military outfit but 'normal civilians'. He remarked that Pakistan, Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, shelters three million Afghan refugees during a TV interview with American network PBS. Questioning the United States motive for the Afghan invasion he also said that the US has 'really messed it up in Afghanistan'. Due to his continuous support for the Taliban, Imran Khan has earned the moniker 'Taliban Khan' in Pakistan's politics. Pakistan has long been accused of assisting Taliban rebels against the Afghan National Security Forces with the military, logistical, financial, and intelligence support (ANSF). (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan PM to talk to citizens on live calls at 3 pm today 

Australia was the latest country on Tuesday to announce support for India even as it battles the Covid pandemic, reporting over 3,00,000 cases in the last days. The initial package announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison includes rapid deployment of 500 non-invasive ventilators, with the capacity to deploy up to a total of 3,000 ventilators. &nbsp;

Addressing a presser after the National Security Committee meeting, PM Scott said, "we recognise that this has been a very significant outbreak in India....scenes we are seeing from India, they are truly heartbreaking. We share so much in common as peoples, as democratic nations, and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences and our support to the nation of India and the people of India and the Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister Modi." &nbsp;

Other than ventilators, Australia will supply personal protective equipment (PPE), including one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2/N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves, and 20,000 face shields. The Australian Government has also agreed to commence procurement of 100 oxygen concentrators, along with tanks and consumables. The supplies are expected to start from next week. &nbsp;

In another significant development, Australia has also announced to pause direct passenger flights between both countries till May 15. The third-country entry points into Australia from India via Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) have also been blocked. Whenever the flights resume in the future, the passenger will have to carry a negative PCR test and a negative rapid antigen prior to boarding. &nbsp;

The Australian PM said, "We are standing with those Australians in India and recognise the very serious difficulties that they face", lauding Australian High commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell for the "great work he and all his consular team are doing in India right now". &nbsp;

19,400 Australians have returned from India since March of last year and as of now 9,000 Australians are registered in India, 650 of whom are registered as vulnerable. &nbsp;

Asked about any prioritisation for Australian cricketers, who are currently playing in the IPL in India, PM Scott said, "they’ve travelled there privately under those arrangements. This wasn't part of an Australian tour, and they're there under their own resources and they'll be using those resources to, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements."&nbsp;

Australia was the latest country on Tuesday to announce support for India even as it battles the Covid pandemic, reporting over 3,00,000 cases in the last days. The initial package announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison includes rapid deployment of 500 non-invasive ventilators, with the capacity to deploy up to a total of 3,000 ventilators.

Australia was the latest country on Tuesday to announce support for India even as it battles the Covid pandemic, reporting over 3,00,000 cases in the last days. The initial package announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison includes rapid deployment of 500 non-invasive ventilators, with the capacity to deploy up to a total of 3,000 ventilators. Addressing a presser after the National Security Committee meeting, PM Scott said, "we recognise that this has been a very significant outbreak in India....scenes we are seeing from India, they are truly heartbreaking. We share so much in common as peoples, as democratic nations, and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences and our support to the nation of India and the people of India and the Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister Modi." Other than ventilators, Australia will supply personal protective equipment (PPE), including one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2/N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves, and 20,000 face shields. The Australian Government has also agreed to commence procurement of 100 oxygen concentrators, along with tanks and consumables. The supplies are expected to start from next week. In another significant development, Australia has also announced to pause direct passenger flights between both countries till May 15. The third-country entry points into Australia from India via Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) have also been blocked. Whenever the flights resume in the future, the passenger will have to carry a negative PCR test and a negative rapid antigen prior to boarding. The Australian PM said, "We are standing with those Australians in India and recognise the very serious difficulties that they face", lauding Australian High commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell for the "great work he and all his consular team are doing in India right now". 19,400 Australians have returned from India since March of last year and as of now 9,000 Australians are registered in India, 650 of whom are registered as vulnerable. Asked about any prioritisation for Australian cricketers, who are currently playing in the IPL in India, PM Scott said, "they’ve travelled there privately under those arrangements. This wasn't part of an Australian tour, and they're there under their own resources and they'll be using those resources to, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements."

India's Covid surge: Australia announces support, calls crisis heartbreaking

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis.

At a news conference Friday with the Japanese prime minister, Biden called gun violence across the country “a national embarrassment” and urged Senate Republicans to allow a vote on a gun control bill that has already passed the House.

“This has to end,” he said. “Who in God’s name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds or 40 rounds or 20 rounds? It’s just wrong.”

In an earlier statement, Biden said he had been briefed on the attack in Indianapolis on Thursday, in which “a lone gunman murdered eight people and wounded several more in the dark of night.” He ordered flags lowered to half-staff just two weeks after he had given a similar directive in response to massacres in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado.

“Gun violence is an epidemic in America,” he said. “But we should not accept it. We must act. We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives. God bless the eight fellow Americans we lost in Indianapolis and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery.”

His press secretary, Jen Psaki, rejected suggestions that Biden appoint a gun czar, similar to the position he created to address the climate crisis. The White House argued that the main impediment to addressing the crisis was congressional Republicans, not a lack of will in the West Wing.

“I would say that advocates should pressure Republicans in the Senate, that all of you should pressure Republicans in the Senate and ask them why they are opposing universal background checks,” Psaki said after a reporter suggested that Biden was “passing the buck” by blaming Republicans.

Despite the apparent gridlock, there are signs that things might be changing.

Biden is moving ahead with several narrow executive actions, and there are new negotiations on Capitol Hill for an expansion of background checks — aided by the financial collapse of the National Rifle Association.

Among the most consequential actions so far is a personnel move: Biden has chosen David Chipman, a former federal law enforcement official, to be the new head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a battered agency tasked with enforcing existing federal gun laws and executive actions.

Over the years, NRA-allied lawmakers have handcuffed the ATF with the tightest restrictions imposed on any federal law enforcement agency, even banning the bureau from making gun tracing records searchable by computer.

The agency has been without a full-time director for much of the past 25 years because NRA-allied senators have quashed nominations by both Republican and Democratic administrations, arguing that a strong agency leader threatens the Second Amendment.

Chipman is an unapologetic proponent of expanding background checks, banning assault weapons again and unshackling ATF inspectors.

White House officials are hopeful he can garner as many as 52 votes for confirmation given the disgust over the recent shootings. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat on guns, has expressed tentative support, and two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, are open to the pick, according to Senate Republican aides with knowledge of their thinking.

On a parallel track, a dozen senators in both parties have quietly begun to negotiate a deal to expand background checks for gun purchases — a proposal that enjoys nearly 90% approval nationally in recent polls.

Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., have been reaching out to Republicans in hopes of passing a narrower background check bill than the universal-checks measure passed by House Democrats earlier this year.

Biden, adopting a tone of disgust and frustration, unveiled two relatively modest executive actions last week: a 60-day review of homemade, unregistered “ghost guns” that is likely to lead to a ban, and a measure eliminating arm braces used to turn pistols into short-barreled rifles, a proposal rejected by the Trump administration.

Gun violence in America, he said at the time, was “an international embarrassment.”

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis.

President Joe Biden pledged to “do more” to address gun violence and implored Congress to act after a mass shooting in Indianapolis left eight people dead. But his administration, scrambling to respond to a new cycle of violence, rejected calls to appoint a gun czar to more forcefully confront the crisis. At a news conference Friday with the Japanese prime minister, Biden called gun violence across the country “a national embarrassment” and urged Senate Republicans to allow a vote on a gun control bill that has already passed the House. “This has to end,” he said. “Who in God’s name needs a weapon that can hold 100 rounds or 40 rounds or 20 rounds? It’s just wrong.” In an earlier statement, Biden said he had been briefed on the attack in Indianapolis on Thursday, in which “a lone gunman murdered eight people and wounded several more in the dark of night.” He ordered flags lowered to half-staff just two weeks after he had given a similar directive in response to massacres in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado. “Gun violence is an epidemic in America,” he said. “But we should not accept it. We must act. We can, and must, do more to act and to save lives. God bless the eight fellow Americans we lost in Indianapolis and their loved ones, and we pray for the wounded for their recovery.” His press secretary, Jen Psaki, rejected suggestions that Biden appoint a gun czar, similar to the position he created to address the climate crisis. The White House argued that the main impediment to addressing the crisis was congressional Republicans, not a lack of will in the West Wing. “I would say that advocates should pressure Republicans in the Senate, that all of you should pressure Republicans in the Senate and ask them why they are opposing universal background checks,” Psaki said after a reporter suggested that Biden was “passing the buck” by blaming Republicans. Despite the apparent gridlock, there are signs that things might be changing. Biden is moving ahead with several narrow executive actions, and there are new negotiations on Capitol Hill for an expansion of background checks — aided by the financial collapse of the National Rifle Association. Among the most consequential actions so far is a personnel move: Biden has chosen David Chipman, a former federal law enforcement official, to be the new head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a battered agency tasked with enforcing existing federal gun laws and executive actions. Over the years, NRA-allied lawmakers have handcuffed the ATF with the tightest restrictions imposed on any federal law enforcement agency, even banning the bureau from making gun tracing records searchable by computer. The agency has been without a full-time director for much of the past 25 years because NRA-allied senators have quashed nominations by both Republican and Democratic administrations, arguing that a strong agency leader threatens the Second Amendment. Chipman is an unapologetic proponent of expanding background checks, banning assault weapons again and unshackling ATF inspectors. White House officials are hopeful he can garner as many as 52 votes for confirmation given the disgust over the recent shootings. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat on guns, has expressed tentative support, and two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, are open to the pick, according to Senate Republican aides with knowledge of their thinking. On a parallel track, a dozen senators in both parties have quietly begun to negotiate a deal to expand background checks for gun purchases — a proposal that enjoys nearly 90% approval nationally in recent polls. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., have been reaching out to Republicans in hopes of passing a narrower background check bill than the universal-checks measure passed by House Democrats earlier this year. Biden, adopting a tone of disgust and frustration, unveiled two relatively modest executive actions last week: a 60-day review of homemade, unregistered “ghost guns” that is likely to lead to a ban, and a measure eliminating arm braces used to turn pistols into short-barreled rifles, a proposal rejected by the Trump administration. Gun violence in America, he said at the time, was “an international embarrassment.”

Biden vows to ‘do more’ to end gun violence but rejects calls to appoint a czar

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party".

The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll".

"The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said.&nbsp;

The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls.

The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said.

After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015.

Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)."&nbsp;

In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)."&nbsp;

"EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted.

AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls. The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party". The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll". "The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said. The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls. The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said. After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015. Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)." In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)." "EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

Poll panel cautions Delhiites against 'misleading calls' over deletion of names from electoral rolls

Seeing the threat of rising terrorism in the country and making an effort to thwart communication between terrorists and their contacts in tempestuous areas, the government has turned its attention towards the cross-platform messaging application named WhatsApp. The home ministry is now investigating as to how it can block the WhatsApp calling service rendered by the application in order to prevent terrorist getting information from their sources. 
 
Officials in the Home Ministry said that many a time whenever there are cross borders firing, terrorists use the WhatsApp calling feature of the application and get in touch with their associates sitting across the border. 
 
This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday. 
 
"WhatsApp calling and messaging has now become the preferred medium of communication for anti-national forces and we are right now clueless about keeping a tab on it. We need a policy where, when it comes to national security, these apps will be forced to share information with the security agencies," an officer said. 
 
According to the officer, there has been a massive rise in end-to-end cipher using these applications. It means that even if the data traffic is intercepted, they face the challenge of breaking down the cipher to extract information. 
 
Officials in the security apparatus said that it important for the Telecom Ministry and the Home Ministry to formulate a policy under which multinational mediums like Whatsaap, whose headquarters is situated in a different country, come under the eyes of the Indian Laws.&nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
The Home ministry is under pressure as the recent arrest of the terror-related cases showcase that terrorists get information from their sources sitting across the border. This is evident when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists arrested by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) revealed they were directed from across the border handlers with the help of a Whatsapp call. 
 
The attack in the army camp by Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed seven army men. 
 
The NIA has taken the custody of three people arrested by the state police under the allegation of being involved in guiding terrorists which included taking them from the border to the army base camp.

This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday.

Seeing the threat of rising terrorism in the country and making an effort to thwart communication between terrorists and their contacts in tempestuous areas, the government has turned its attention towards the cross-platform messaging application named WhatsApp. The home ministry is now investigating as to how it can block the WhatsApp calling service rendered by the application in order to prevent terrorist getting information from their sources. Officials in the Home Ministry said that many a time whenever there are cross borders firing, terrorists use the WhatsApp calling feature of the application and get in touch with their associates sitting across the border. This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday. "WhatsApp calling and messaging has now become the preferred medium of communication for anti-national forces and we are right now clueless about keeping a tab on it. We need a policy where, when it comes to national security, these apps will be forced to share information with the security agencies," an officer said. According to the officer, there has been a massive rise in end-to-end cipher using these applications. It means that even if the data traffic is intercepted, they face the challenge of breaking down the cipher to extract information. Officials in the security apparatus said that it important for the Telecom Ministry and the Home Ministry to formulate a policy under which multinational mediums like Whatsaap, whose headquarters is situated in a different country, come under the eyes of the Indian Laws. The Home ministry is under pressure as the recent arrest of the terror-related cases showcase that terrorists get information from their sources sitting across the border. This is evident when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists arrested by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) revealed they were directed from across the border handlers with the help of a Whatsapp call. The attack in the army camp by Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed seven army men. The NIA has taken the custody of three people arrested by the state police under the allegation of being involved in guiding terrorists which included taking them from the border to the army base camp.

Centre mulls blocking WhatsApp calls in insurgency-affected areas

Petrol price today hit a four-year high of Rs 73.73 a litre while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.58 in the national capital, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates.

State-owned oil firms, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices daily, today raised petrol and diesel rates by 18 paise per litre each in Delhi, according to a price notification.

Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs 73.73 a litre, the highest since September 14, 2014 when rates had hit Rs 76.06. Diesel price at Rs 64.58 is the highest ever, with previous high of Rs 64.22 being on February 7, 2018.

The Oil Ministry had earlier this year sought a reduction in excise duty on petrol an diesel to cushion the impact rising international oil rates but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget presented on February 1 ignored those calls.

India has the highest retail prices of petrol and diesel among South Asian nations as taxes account for half of the pump rates.

Jaitley had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre.

Subsequent to that excise duty reduction, the Centre had asked states to also lower VAT but just four of them -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh -- reduced rates while others including BJP-ruled ones ignored the call.

The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs. 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017 come down to Rs

56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre. However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels.

The October 2017 excise duty cut cost the government Rs 26,000 crore in annual revenue and about Rs 13,000 crore during the remaining part of the current fiscal year.

The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel on nine occasions to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. In all, duty on petrol rate was hiked by Rs 11.77 per litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in those 15 months that helped government's excise mop up more than double to Rs 242,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15.

State-owned oil companies -- Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on the 1st and 16th of every month . Instead, they adopted a daily price revision system to instantly reflect changes in cost. Since then, prices are revised on a daily basis.&nbsp

Petrol was selling at Rs 73.73 and diesel at Rs 64.58 a litre in Delhi, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates

Petrol price today hit a four-year high of Rs 73.73 a litre while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.58 in the national capital, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates. State-owned oil firms, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices daily, today raised petrol and diesel rates by 18 paise per litre each in Delhi, according to a price notification. Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs 73.73 a litre, the highest since September 14, 2014 when rates had hit Rs 76.06. Diesel price at Rs 64.58 is the highest ever, with previous high of Rs 64.22 being on February 7, 2018. The Oil Ministry had earlier this year sought a reduction in excise duty on petrol an diesel to cushion the impact rising international oil rates but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget presented on February 1 ignored those calls. India has the highest retail prices of petrol and diesel among South Asian nations as taxes account for half of the pump rates. Jaitley had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. Subsequent to that excise duty reduction, the Centre had asked states to also lower VAT but just four of them -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh -- reduced rates while others including BJP-ruled ones ignored the call. The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs. 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017 come down to Rs 56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre. However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels. The October 2017 excise duty cut cost the government Rs 26,000 crore in annual revenue and about Rs 13,000 crore during the remaining part of the current fiscal year. The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel on nine occasions to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. In all, duty on petrol rate was hiked by Rs 11.77 per litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in those 15 months that helped government's excise mop up more than double to Rs 242,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15. State-owned oil companies -- Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on the 1st and 16th of every month . Instead, they adopted a daily price revision system to instantly reflect changes in cost. Since then, prices are revised on a daily basis.

Petrol prices hit 4-year high, diesel at all-time high

A 32-year-old man has been arrested in West Bengal for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s daughter Sara.&nbsp;

News reports said Sunday that the man got hold of the Tendulkars&#39; landline number and&nbsp;made around 20 calls to it. In the calls, he passed lewd comments about Sara and even threatened to kidnap her.

The reports identified the arrested man as Debkumar Maity, who is allegedly a college dropout.

The reports said Maity allegedly fell in love with Sara, 20, and wanted to marry her after seeing her on TV.&nbsp;

Sara had lodged a complaint against Maity at Mumbai&#39;s Bandra police station.

Maity&#39;s family, the reports said, have claimed he is mentally unstable&nbsp;and has been undergoing treatment for the past eight years. The reports added that Maity will be taken to Mumbai on transit remand after being produced in court.&nbsp;

The reports said the police&nbsp;found a diary in Maity&#39;s home which proclaimed Sara as his wife.&nbsp;

Police are meanwhile looking into how Maity got the landline number and whether he is mentally unstable or not.&nbsp;

News reports said Debkumar Maity fell in love with Sara Tendulkar, 20, after seeing her on TV

A 32-year-old man has been arrested in West Bengal for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar's daughter Sara. News reports said Sunday that the man got hold of the Tendulkars' landline number and made around 20 calls to it. In the calls, he passed lewd comments about Sara and even threatened to kidnap her. The reports identified the arrested man as Debkumar Maity, who is allegedly a college dropout. The reports said Maity allegedly fell in love with Sara, 20, and wanted to marry her after seeing her on TV. Sara had lodged a complaint against Maity at Mumbai's Bandra police station. Maity's family, the reports said, have claimed he is mentally unstable and has been undergoing treatment for the past eight years. The reports added that Maity will be taken to Mumbai on transit remand after being produced in court. The reports said the police found a diary in Maity's home which proclaimed Sara as his wife. Police are meanwhile looking into how Maity got the landline number and whether he is mentally unstable or not.

Bengal man arrested for allegedly stalking Sachin Tendulkar's daughter

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as &quot;extremely dishonest&quot; and even calling a TV journalist &quot;a sleaze&quot;, triggering angry protests from media associations. 
&quot;We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press,&quot; Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. 
&quot;I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much,&quot; the former reality TV star said. 
He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans&#39; charities. 
&quot;The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met,&quot; he said. 
Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, &quot;You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well&quot;. 
The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. 
Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent&#39;s Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. 
&quot;The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press,&quot; WHCA President Carol Lee said. 
&quot;We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year,&quot; Lee said. 
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. 
&quot;He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations,&quot; Clinton told the CNN in an interview. 
In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. 
&quot;I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here,&quot; Clinton added.

The Republican Presidential candidate launched into a fiery attack, slamming the media for questioning the $6 million fund he claims to have raised for military veterans

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as "extremely dishonest" and even calling a TV journalist "a sleaze", triggering angry protests from media associations. "We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press," Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. "I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much," the former reality TV star said. He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans' charities. "The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he said. Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, "You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well". The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent's Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. "The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press," WHCA President Carol Lee said. "We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year," Lee said. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. "He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations," Clinton told the CNN in an interview. In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. "I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here," Clinton added.

Trump attacks U.S media, calls TV journalist 'sleaze'

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called &quot;honour&quot; killings. 
 
Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. 
 
Kazam has branded her death an &quot;honour killing&quot;, a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family &quot;dishonour&quot;. 
 
The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star.&nbsp; 
 
Brother confesses to murder, calls sister&#39;s behaviour &#39;intolerable&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Shahid&#39;s brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been &quot;intolerable&quot;. Kazam sought to keep international attention on &quot;honour&quot; killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. 
 
&quot;I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid&#39;s second marriage. 
? 
Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. 
 
Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents.&nbsp; 
 
In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. 
&nbsp; 
Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.&nbsp; 
 
Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar.&nbsp; 
 
Special committee formed to investigate into murder&nbsp; 
 
The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. 
 
The victims of &quot;honour&quot; killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year.&nbsp; 
 
They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting.&nbsp; 
But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate &quot;honour&quot; killings would soon be voted on by parliament. 
 
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Mukhtar Kazam, Samia's husband, said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck suggesting she had been strangled

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called "honour" killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Brother confesses to murder, calls sister's behaviour 'intolerable' Shahid's brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. ? Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday. Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar. Special committee formed to investigate into murder The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan. (AFP)

Husband of UK woman killed for 'honour' in Pakistan calls for justice

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the &quot;deteriorating situation&quot; in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue. 
&quot;The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office said in a statement. 
The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the &quot;rapidly deteriorating situation&quot; in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue, it said. 
The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the &quot;strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces.&quot; 
It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN &quot;regarding atrocities of the security forces.&quot; 
India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing &quot;shock&quot; at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. 
Sharif today said the &quot;voice and struggle&quot; of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of &quot;brutal force and human rights abuses&quot;. 
He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. 
During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the &quot;human rights violations&quot; by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. 
Rehman said the &quot;Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times&quot;, according to an official statement. 
Sharif said, &quot;The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may.&quot; 
&quot;The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,&quot; Sharif said. 
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. 
In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against &quot;the blatant human rights violations&quot; of Kashmiri Muslims. 
The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

It will discuss the 'oppressive actions of Indian security forces' and the overall situation after the 'brutal assassination of Burhan Wani'

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the "deteriorating situation" in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue. "The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue, it said. The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the "strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces." It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN "regarding atrocities of the security forces." India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing "shock" at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Sharif today said the "voice and struggle" of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of "brutal force and human rights abuses". He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the "human rights violations" by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Rehman said the "Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times", according to an official statement. Sharif said, "The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may." "The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices," Sharif said. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against "the blatant human rights violations" of Kashmiri Muslims. The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings. (PTI)

Pakistan PM calls special Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss Kashmir situation

Dozens of Turkish demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest the arrests of two journalists and an academic on charges of disseminating &quot;terrorist propaganda&quot;. A fourth journalist was released after a brief detention. 
 
Yesterday, protesters chanted &quot;a free press cannot be silenced&quot; and &quot;arrests, oppression cannot intimidate us&quot;. Others held up a banner that read: &quot;Thinking cannot be jailed&quot;. 
 
The demonstration comes a day after a Turkish court ordered the pre-trial arrest of Reporters Without Borders&#39; Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci. 
 
The three had participated in a solidarity campaign in support of Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish publication subject to multiple investigations and lawsuits. 
 
Press freedom advocates warn that freedom of expression has dramatically declined in Turkey. More than a dozen journalists are in prison, although the government insists they have been jailed for criminal activity, not journalistic work. 
 
The state-run Anadolu Agency said Onderoglu, Nesin and Fincanci had acted as chief editors for a day for the pro-Kurdish publication and issues they edited in May and June included alleged terrorist propaganda. The news agency also said the court ordered the suspects&#39; arrest on &quot;strong criminal suspicion&quot;. 
 
Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrests as &quot;an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey&quot;. Human Rights Watch slammed the &quot;spurious allegations&quot; that led to the detention of three out of 44 participants in the solidarity campaign and urged their immediate release. 
 
HRW Europe and Central Asia Director, Hugh Williamson, said the arrests showed that &quot;Turkish authorities have no hesitation about targeting well-known rights defenders and journalists who have played a key role in documenting the sharp deterioration in human rights in the country&quot;. 
 
In a separate development, a New York-based journalist who covers the United Nations for the Turkish Hurriyet daily was released Tuesday morning. Razi Canikligil was detained for almost a full day after flying into Istanbul airport with his family. 
 
&quot;They arrested me in front of my three boys,&quot; Canikligil told the AP. &quot;They were very afraid.&quot; 
 
The journalist said an arrest warrant had been issued against him over a 2014 Twitter post on a troll account, which was mistakenly attributed to him and deemed to be offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
No charges were pressed against Canikligil, and his passport was returned to him after a night in detention at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. 
 
&quot;Everyone was suggesting that this was government pressure to shut me down,&quot; added the journalist. &quot;We didn&#39;t know what the issue 
was.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Reporters Without Borders calls the arrests 'an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey', which has imprisoned over a dozen journalists

Dozens of Turkish demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to protest the arrests of two journalists and an academic on charges of disseminating "terrorist propaganda". A fourth journalist was released after a brief detention. Yesterday, protesters chanted "a free press cannot be silenced" and "arrests, oppression cannot intimidate us". Others held up a banner that read: "Thinking cannot be jailed". The demonstration comes a day after a Turkish court ordered the pre-trial arrest of Reporters Without Borders' Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and academic Sebnem Korur Fincanci. The three had participated in a solidarity campaign in support of Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish publication subject to multiple investigations and lawsuits. Press freedom advocates warn that freedom of expression has dramatically declined in Turkey. More than a dozen journalists are in prison, although the government insists they have been jailed for criminal activity, not journalistic work. The state-run Anadolu Agency said Onderoglu, Nesin and Fincanci had acted as chief editors for a day for the pro-Kurdish publication and issues they edited in May and June included alleged terrorist propaganda. The news agency also said the court ordered the suspects' arrest on "strong criminal suspicion". Reporters Without Borders condemned their arrests as "an unbelievable low for press freedom in Turkey". Human Rights Watch slammed the "spurious allegations" that led to the detention of three out of 44 participants in the solidarity campaign and urged their immediate release. HRW Europe and Central Asia Director, Hugh Williamson, said the arrests showed that "Turkish authorities have no hesitation about targeting well-known rights defenders and journalists who have played a key role in documenting the sharp deterioration in human rights in the country". In a separate development, a New York-based journalist who covers the United Nations for the Turkish Hurriyet daily was released Tuesday morning. Razi Canikligil was detained for almost a full day after flying into Istanbul airport with his family. "They arrested me in front of my three boys," Canikligil told the AP. "They were very afraid." The journalist said an arrest warrant had been issued against him over a 2014 Twitter post on a troll account, which was mistakenly attributed to him and deemed to be offensive to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. No charges were pressed against Canikligil, and his passport was returned to him after a night in detention at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. "Everyone was suggesting that this was government pressure to shut me down," added the journalist. "We didn't know what the issue was." (AFP)

Turkish demonstrators protest arrest of 2 journalists and 1 academic for 'terrorist propaganda'

Voicing concern that a conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear weapons, the US has asked the two countries to engage in a &quot;sustained&quot; bilateral dialogue process and exercise &quot;maximum restraint&quot; to boost peace. 
&quot;We are concerned by nuclear and missile developments in South Asia,&quot; a State Department spokesperson told PTI when asked about the recent statement of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, 80, the father of Pakistan&#39;s nuclear programme, that Islamabad has the ability to target New Delhi in five minutes. 
&quot;We are concerned by the increased security challenges that accompany growing stockpiles and the increased risk that a conventional conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear use. 
&quot;It is important that there be a sustained and resilient dialogue process between the two neighbours, and that all parties in the region continuously act with maximum restraint and work collaboratively toward reducing tensions,&quot; the spokesperson said. 
Improvements in Indo-Pak bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the official said yesterday. 
Meanwhile, the State Department said it is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to the US. 
&quot;We look forward to the prime minister&#39;s visit and we want it to be successful,&quot; State Department John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. 
Modi will embark on a five-nation visit from June 4 which will cover Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico. 
He will travel to the U.S. on June 7 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, with whom he will review the progress made in key areas of defence, security and energy, and will also address a Joint Meeting of the US Congress.

American President Barack Obama has impressed on India and Pakistan the need for a ?sustained and resilient? dialogue aimed at resolving all disputes, including Kashmir, between the two countries through peaceful means

Voicing concern that a conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear weapons, the US has asked the two countries to engage in a "sustained" bilateral dialogue process and exercise "maximum restraint" to boost peace. "We are concerned by nuclear and missile developments in South Asia," a State Department spokesperson told PTI when asked about the recent statement of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, 80, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, that Islamabad has the ability to target New Delhi in five minutes. "We are concerned by the increased security challenges that accompany growing stockpiles and the increased risk that a conventional conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear use. "It is important that there be a sustained and resilient dialogue process between the two neighbours, and that all parties in the region continuously act with maximum restraint and work collaboratively toward reducing tensions," the spokesperson said. Improvements in Indo-Pak bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the official said yesterday. Meanwhile, the State Department said it is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US. "We look forward to the prime minister's visit and we want it to be successful," State Department John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. Modi will embark on a five-nation visit from June 4 which will cover Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico. He will travel to the U.S. on June 7 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, with whom he will review the progress made in key areas of defence, security and energy, and will also address a Joint Meeting of the US Congress.

US calls for 'sustained and resilient' dialogue between India and Pakistan

calls

Calls, News on Calls, stories on Calls, articles on Calls, Calls stories at Wion, Calls news, Calls latest news