Pakistan's anti-graft body is reopening at least four corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he is scheduled to return to the country next month, ending four years of self-exile in the United Kingdom, an official said Thursday. The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo is scheduled to return to Pakistan from London on October 21 to lead the party's election campaign. Nawaz left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds after the Lahore High Court granted him bail for four weeks. He was serving a seven-year imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case at Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore. On arrival in Lahore, his party says he will address a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan where he will give a road map to steer the country out of the economic crisis, governance problems and other issues the country is facing today. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the light of a Supreme Court ruling which struck down amendments made to the accountability laws by the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government led by Nawaz's younger brother Shehbaz Sharif, is reopening the four pending probes against Nawaz. The cases are related to illegal plots and land allotment, dubious transfer of shares of his sugar mills and Toshakhana (national treasury gifts). "Nawaz Sharif being chief minister of Punjab province in 1986 had allotted plots in Lahore to several people by misusing his authority. He is accused of illegal construction of several kilometres of road to his house in Jati Umra Raiwind, Lahore, in 1998 when he was prime minister in violation of rules. "The third case is related to the transfer of shares in 'illegal' manners in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case which is owned by Nawaz Sharif and his family members. In this case, his daughter Maryam Nawaz is also accused of being a major beneficiary," an official privy to the development told PTI on Thursday. Also read: Delhi HC grants parole to foreigner murder convict to appeal in Supreme Court The fourth is related to the Toshakhana case in which he is accused of taking luxurious vehicles from the national treasury in violation of rules, he said. Besides these cases, Nawaz will have to face the case related to his conviction. Meanwhile, Nawaz's close aide and senior PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif said the party has stopped ¿demanding accountability of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI head Gen Faiz Hameed" for conspiring against Nawaz to topple his government in 2017. "The PML-N doesn't want accountability of Gen Bajwa and Gen Hameed but only those characters and facilitators involved in May 9 events and mutiny against the head (Army Chief Gen Asim Munir) of the institution," he said. Latif was referring to attacks on military installations following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in May. On September 18, Nawaz demanded "strict accountability" of Gen Bajwa, Gen Hameed and chief justices "Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar" while addressing the party's ticket holders in Lahore via video link from London. He had hinted at trying them under treason charges if his party returned to power in the upcoming elections, scheduled early next year. Nawaz's demand for strict accountability left many in the party in a precarious position as the leaders became wary of a possible backlash from the military establishment if he continued with such statements. Sources told PTI that Nawaz backtracked from demanding accountability of army generals after a "strong message" was conveyed to him through his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
28 September,2023 05:13 PM IST | Islamabad | PTIIn the second Republican presidential debate for the 2024 election cycle, Indian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has voiced support for ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants. The debate, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, featured Ramaswamy alongside six other candidates, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. When questioned about the legal basis for expelling undocumented immigrants and their American-born children, Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, resurrected a 2015 proposal from then-candidate Donald Trump to end birthright citizenship, according to a report by the Washington Post. The first section of the citizenship clause in the US Constitution's 14th Amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." While the longstanding tradition is that this clause grants citizenship to those born on US soil, some legal scholars argue that the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" may provide leeway for the government to restrict this right, much like other constitutional principles can be limited. Ramaswamy argued that children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants should not be granted citizenship because their parents "broke the law" to be in the country. Also read: Maha: 20-year-old goes missing after entering river during Ganesh idol immersion The 38-year-old, a second-generation Indian-American, had previously criticized the H-1B visa program, calling for a shift from the current "lottery" system to a meritocratic, skill-based immigration scheme that aligns with US needs. The H-1B visa, highly sought after by Indian IT professionals, permits US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise. Ramaswamy's stance on H-1B visas bears resemblance to the 2016 Trump campaign, during which then-candidate Donald Trump, despite employing foreign workers under H-1B visas for his businesses, initially adopted a tough stance on these foreign workers before later softening his rhetoric. It's noteworthy that Ramaswamy himself has utilized the H-1B visa program on 29 occasions. According to Politico, from 2018 through 2023, US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 29 applications for Ramaswamy's former company, Roivant Sciences, to hire employees under H-1B visas. Ramaswamy, whom Time Magazine referred to as "Trump's heir apparent," has garnered significant attention following his debut in the Republican presidential primary debate on August 23. The first post-debate poll indicated that 28 per cent of 504 respondents believed Ramaswamy performed the best.
28 September,2023 02:57 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here on Thursday, amid the diplomatic rumpus between India and Canada stirred over the killing of a Khalistani separatist. Although officials from both sides are tightlipped about the agenda of the meeting, the latest diplomatic crisis between two of America's friends, its traditional ally Canada and India, is expected to come up prominently during the talks. 'I don't want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting (with Jaishankar) , but as we've made clear, we've raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate,' State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. He was responding to questions about the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on Thursday afternoon (which is about mid-night local India time). The two leaders are expected to pose for pictures ahead of the meeting and are not expected to take any questions from the media. While the meeting between the two top diplomats was scheduled much before the Canadian crisis broke out, the US has been urging India to cooperate in the Canadian investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia early this year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that the Indian government was behind the killing of Nijjar, 45, outside a gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official. India has also asked Canada to crack down on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians. Miller said that the issue did not come up for discussion in New York during the Quad ministerial that involved foreign ministers of the US, India, Japan and Australia. 'It was a meeting of a number of countries and it did not come up in that meeting. But we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this issue and urged them to fully cooperate with the Canadian investigation,' the State Department spokesperson said. Jaishankar arrived in the American capital from New York after attending the annual General Assembly meetings of the United Nations on Tuesday. In addition to his meeting with Blinken, the external affairs minister is expected to have a series of meetings with senior officials of the Biden administration, review the progress made between the two countries after the historic State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June and talk about other regional and global issues. The minister is also expected to engage with the diaspora, think-tank community and interact with leaders from the corporate sector. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 10:59 AM IST | Washington | PTICanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologised on Wednesday for Parliament's recognition of a man who fought alongside the Nazis during last week's address by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trudeau said the speaker of the House of Commons, who resigned Tuesday, was 'solely responsible' for the invitation and recognition of the man but said it was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada. 'All of us who were in the House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped, even though we did so unaware of the context,' Trudeau said before he entering the House of Commons. 'It was a horrendous violation of the memory of the millions of people who died in the Holocaust, and was deeply, deeply painful for Jewish people.' Trudeau repeated the apology in Parliament. Just after Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Observers over the weekend began to publicize the fact that the First Ukrainian Division also was known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. 'It is extremely troubling to think that this egregious error is being politicised by Russia, and its supporters, to provide false propaganda about what Ukraine is fighting for," Trudeau said. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the standing ovation for Hunka was 'outrageous," and he called it the result of a 'sloppy attitude" toward remembering the Nazi regime. Russian President Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as 'neo-Nazis,' although Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust. Speaker of the House Anthony Rota stepped down on Tuesday after meeting with the House of Commons' party leaders, and after all of the main opposition parties called on him to resign. House government leader Karina Gould said that Rota invited and recognized Hunka without informing the government or the delegation from Ukraine, and that his lack of due diligence had broken the trust of lawmakers. In an earlier apology on Sunday, Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognising Hunka, who is from the district that Rota represents. The speaker's office said it was Hunka's son who contacted Rota's local office to see if it was possible if he could attend Zelenskyy's speech. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies has called the incident "a stain on our country's venerable legislature with profound implications both in Canada and globally.' This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 10:55 AM IST | Toronto | PTINorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an exponential increase in production of nuclear weapons and for his country to play a larger role in a coalition of nations confronting the United States in a 'new Cold War,' state media said Thursday. The Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the comments during a two-day session of the country's rubber-stamp parliament which amended the constitution to include his policy of expanding the country's nuclear weapons programme. The Supreme People's Assembly's session on Tuesday and Wednesday came after Kim traveled to Russia's Far East this month to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and visit military and technology sites. The trip sparked Western concerns about a possible arms alliance in which North Korea would supply Putin with badly needed munitions to fuel his war on Ukraine in exchange for economic aid and advanced Russian technologies to enhance North Korea's nuclear and missile systems. As North Korea slowly ends its pandemic lockdown, Kim has been actively boosting his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of diplomatic isolation and join a united front against Washington. He has described the world as entering a 'new Cold War' and that North Korea should advance its nuclear capabilities in response. KCNA's reports on Kim's comments came a day after North Korea c onfirmed the release of U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King, who is now being flown back to America, two months after he sprinted across the heavily fortified border into the North.Also Read: Will you marry me? How young Indian couples are embracing western culture of marriage proposals King's relatively swift expulsion defied speculation that North Korea might drag out his detention to squeeze concessions from the United States, and possibly reflected the North's disinterest in diplomacy with Washington. KCNA said members of the assembly gave unanimous approval to a new clause in the constitution to 'ensure the country's right to existence and development, deter war and protect regional and global peace by rapidly developing nuclear weapons to a higher level.' North Korea's "nuclear force-building policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state, which no one is allowed to flout with anything,' Kim said in a speech at the assembly. He stressed the need to 'push ahead with the work for exponentially boosting the production of nuclear weapons and diversifying the nuclear strike means,' KCNA said. Kim pointed to what he described as a growing threat posed by a hostile United States and its expanding military cooperation with South Korea and Japan, accusing them of creating the 'Asian version of NATO, the root cause of war and aggression.' 'This is just the worst actual threat, not threatening rhetoric or an imaginary entity,' he said. Kim urged his diplomats to 'further promote solidarity with the nations standing against the U.S. and the West's strategy for hegemony.' Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest level in years as North Korea has test-fired more than 100 missiles since the start of 2022 and the U.S. has expanded its military exercises with its Asian allies, in tit-for-tat responses. Last year, the assembly passed a new nuclear doctrine into law which authorises pre-emptive nuclear strikes if North Korea's leadership is perceived as under threat. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 10:53 AM IST | Seoul | APRussia on Wednesday accused Ukraine’s Western allies of helping plan and conduct last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in annexed Crimea. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, NATO satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon of the advice of American and British security agencies and in close coordination with them,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. Hundreds including Ukrainian soldiers, family and mourners gathered in Shostka, Ukraine, for the funeral of Andrii Grinchenko who fought in the key battle for Andriivka Moscow has repeatedly claimed that the US and its NATO allies have effectively become involved in the conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine and providing it with intelligence information and helping plan attacks on Russian facilities. The accusation came the day after video appeared to show the fleet’s commander, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, was still alive despite Ukraine’s claims—without providing supporting evidence—that he was among 34 officers killed in Friday’s strike on the port city of Sevastopol. Russian attack cuts ferry service to Romania Russia struck the Black Sea region of Odesa in a drone barrage that damaged a warehouse, charred dozens of trucks and injured two drivers in fiery explosions that led to the suspension of the ferry service between Romania and Ukraine, officials said. Video shot from the Romanian side of the Danube River showed rapid bursts of Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire streaking through the night sky followed by two orange fireballs exploding near the port area. Photos showed burned-out frames of trucks. Romanian Border Police said ferries were anchored on the Romanian shores of the Danube in Isaccea due to the attacks on Ukraine. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 08:32 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesA growing sense of urgency hangs over Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate as seven candidates fight for momentum on a stage that will not feature the race’s front-runner. Donald Trump said he’s so far ahead that it would only help his competitors if he participated. The Republican contest has felt much more like a race for second place—or an audition for a Cabinet position or ambassadorship in Trump’s next administration should he win. Almost all of the candidates on stage raised their hands when asked if they’d support Trump’s candidacy even if he were a convicted felon. Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was much more eager to go after Democratic President Joe Biden instead. ‘Trump defrauded banks and insurers’ A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House, and he ordered some of his be dissolved. Judge Arthur Engoron found that Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 08:31 AM IST | Simi Valley | AgenciesA raging fire seemingly caused by fireworks set off to celebrate a Christian wedding consumed a hall packed with guests in northern Iraq, more than 100 people and injuring 150 others as authorities warned on Wednesday the death toll could still rise. Authorities said that flammable building materials also contributed to the latest disaster to hit Iraq’s dwindling Christian minority. In the fire’s chaotic aftermath, officials offered conflicting death tolls and security officials said they had detained staff at the wedding hall as part of their investigation. The fire happened in the Hamdaniya area of Iraq’s Nineveh province, a predominantly Christian area just outside of the city of Mosul, some 335 km northwest of Baghdad. There was no official word on the cause of the blaze, but the Kurdish television news channel Rudaw aired footage showing pyrotechnics shooting flames up from the floor of the event and setting a chandelier aflame. “Flames started falling on us,” wedding attendee, Faten Youssef, said. “Things were falling down and blocked the way to the exit.” It wasn’t immediately clear if the bride and groom were among those hurt in the blaze. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 September,2023 08:30 AM IST | Mosul | AgenciesAt least nine people, including five children, of the same family were killed on Wednesday when a rocket launcher's shell exploded at a house when the kids were playing with the ammunition in Pakistan's Sindh province, police said. Kashmore-Kandhkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohil Khosa said children found a rocket shell while playing on the ground and brought it home where it exploded, killing nine people, including five children, two women, and two men, of the same family. He said besides the casualties five others were injured in the explosion and rushed to hospital. "This is an area on the riverine belt and the rocket shell must have been left there by dacoits who hide out deep into the riverine belt areas," Khoso said. The SSP said the police had reached the site and further investigation was underway and an "emergency" had been declared at the Kandhkot Civil Hospital. Pakistan Peoples Party's Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said in a tweet that the riverine areas of Sindh and Punjab had become a safe haven to many criminal gangs and urged the government to clear the region from such elements. Also read: Mumbai Metro: Finally, Green Line 4 track laying contracts awarded Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar has sought a report from the provincial inspector general on how a rocket launcher reached the Zangi Subzwai Goth village in Kashmore district's Kandhkot tehsil of the province, Dawn News reported. "Was any stock of weapons being smuggled to the Kutcha areas? Are there enablers of the dacoits present in the goth (village)?", he asked. Expressing his grief over the incident, Baqar directed the inspector general to submit a "detailed report" into the incident. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
27 September,2023 04:10 PM IST | Islamabad | PTICalling Canada's allegations on India regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as 'concerning', the US State Department reiterated its stand urging New Delhi to cooperate in the investigation. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated there needs to be a full and fair investigation. During the State Department briefing, Mathew Miller said, '...We have noted the allegations by Prime Minister Trudeau and we are quite concerned by them. They are such concerning allegations that we think there ought to be a full and fair investigation. Canada has said it is committed to doing that' 'We believe the Indian Government should cooperate with it...I'm not going to comment on law enforcement matters,' he added. On being asked about the India-Canada relationship and its impact on the US-India relationship, Miller said that India remains an important partner for the US, but on this matter, Washington is urging New Delhi to cooperate with the Canadian investigation. "...We are obviously, quite concerned about the situation in Canada. We've, cooperated, closely with our Canadian counterparts. We have urged India to cooperate in that investigation, and we'll continue to do so. India remains, an important partner of the United States. We work with them on a number of issues, but of course, we, on this matter, urge them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation,' he further said. Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also said that Washington is "deeply concerned' over the Canadian allegations, adding that the US wants to see accountability and called it "important" that the investigation runs its course and leads to the result. While addressing a press conference in New York, Blinken said that the US has engaged directly with the Indian government. Blinken said that the US is consulting "very closely" with Canada and coordinating on the issue. He called it important that India works with Canadians on the investigation. "And from our perspective, it is critical that the Canadian investigation proceed. And it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability, and it's important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result," Blinken said. This comes after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged India's role behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has out-rightly denied such allegations calling them 'absurd' and 'motivated'. This triggered a diplomatic standoff between the two countries, with both nations expelling a senior diplomat of each other and New Delhi also suspending the visa service in Canada. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 September,2023 10:12 AM IST | Washington | ANIUnderscoring the transformative momentum in the India-US relationship, officials of the two nations held discussions on opportunities to further strengthen interoperability and logistics cooperation. During the India-US 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue held here on Tuesday, the officials also discussed combined maritime engagements in the Indian Ocean Region, as well as expanded cooperation in the space and cyber domains, the Pentagon said. The Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary Vani Rao of the Ministry of External Affairs and Joint Secretary Vishwesh Negi of the Ministry of Defence, it said. The American side was led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu. "The officials also discussed regional security developments and strategic priorities across the Indo-Pacific region," a statement said. The 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue advanced a wide range of ambitious initiatives across the breadth of the US-India partnership, including defence and security, emerging technologies, people-to-people ties, clean energy, and supply chain resilience, the Pentagon said. On the defence side, Ratner and his counterparts reviewed the progress the two countries have made in implementing the Roadmap for US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation. They welcomed the progress on new co-production initiatives and committed to expeditiously conclude negotiations on the Security of Supply Arrangement and Reciprocal Defense Procurement agreements, the statement said. The officials underscored the transformative momentum in the US-India relations and reaffirmed that a strong partnership between the two countries is essential to upholding security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region, it said. Ratner reaffirmed the department's commitment to working with India to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 September,2023 10:09 AM IST | Washington | PTIADVERTISEMENT