PAK DESI NEWS

  ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser Dr. Moeed Yusuf Friday met Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman and told her that the international community should engage with the interim Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.  NSA Moeed Yusuf held a meeting with the State Department's number two, who arrived Thursday in Pakistan on a two-day official visit. After the visit of the CIA Director William J Burns, Sherman is the senior-most US official to visit Pakistan. During the meeting, bilateral issues and the evolving situation in the region after the Taliban takeover were discussed. The two also exchanged views on economic cooperation, trade, and the security situation in Afghanistan. "The international community needs to engage with Afghanistan's new interim government," Moeed Yousaf said. Yusuf told Sherman that Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir were leading the region towards further instability.  Earlier on Thursday, during a weekly press briefing, Foreign Off...

  ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been asked by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to take additional taxation measures in the shape of income and sales taxes and regulatory duty (RD) to pull up the annual tax collection target from Rs5.8 trillion to Rs6.3 trillion. This new demand by the IMF comes during the ongoing virtual talks in the context of losses incurring on the account of non-collection of petroleum levy of over Rs600 billion during the current fiscal year,  The News  reported. The government will have to take additional revenue measures on the FBR front to bridge the gap that surfaced on account of non-collection of petroleum levy, an official was quoted as saying by the publication. What else has the IMF suggested Pakistan do? Another recommendation by the IMF is to increase the base price of the electricity tariff to the tune of Rs1.40 per unit to curtail the surge in circular debt. Pakistani authorities have made quarterly adjustments to the power tariff, but if...

  Prince Charles' marriage to Princess Diana was doomed to fail from the start, as it was nothing less than a 'business transaction.'  The fairytale-like wedding was nowhere near romantic in reality, expert Elizabeth Holmes said. It was “almost like a business transaction,” the author of  HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style  told Us Weekly, ahead of the premiere of  Diana , CNN’s new docuseries. “Diana just checked so many boxes and sort of slotted right in, and was clearly very eager and willing and wanting to please," she added.  Talking about how Diana struggled after marriage, Holmes revealed, “She’s making this huge life decision without stable family behind her [and] much guidance.  “Looking back in hindsight, it’s very easy to find all the red flags. … It was like, ‘We’re marching forth. We’re doing our duty,'" she concluded. Diana and Charles' unhappy marriage ended in divorce, with the couple officially parting ways in 1992. 

 Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Tuesday mounted a fierce defense of pulling troops from Afghanistan as the "best decision for America," a day after the Taliban celebrated when the last US soldier left the war-ravaged country.

 A woman working in a safari park was killed in a leopard attack A woman working in a safari park in the South American country of Chile lost her life in a leopard attack. According to foreign media reports, the police said that the incident took place due to negligence. The woman did not realize that the leopard's cage was open during the cleaning, during which the leopard suddenly attacked the woman. According to authorities, the leopard attacked the woman's neck, killing her on the spot. Authorities say the woman was part of a safari park staff that took care of cleaning leopards, lions and more.

Dalit Girl raped by Hindu priest  Three people, including a Hindu priest, raped and killed a 9-year-old Dalit girl New Delhi: A nine-year-old Dalit girl from a backward community in India was gang-raped, murdered and then forcibly buried in New Delhi. Police have arrested a Hindu priest and three accomplices on a family complaint and a case has been registered against them. The accused have been identified as Priest Radhe Shyam, Lakshmi Narain, Kuldeep and Saleem, all are the residents of the area. The minor girl had gone to the cemetery to fetch cold drinking water when the accused raped her. The victim's mother said she was upset when she did not return after an hour, adding that she hurried to the cemetery where the priest informed her: "Your daughter is dead." He added that the 9-year-old girl was forcibly buried by the priest at his own expense. The forensic team found only the legs and ashes of the minor girl at the cemetery. The horrific incident has sparked prote...

JAKARTA: An AirAsia flight carrying 155 passengers and 7 crew members from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday, officials in the region and the budget carrier said. Flight QZ 8501, an Airbus 320-200, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 6:17am (2317 GMT), Indonesian Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa told media. It had 155 passengers and 7 crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said. Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia confirmed its flight had lost contact with air traffic control and said a search-and-rescue operation had been launched. Mustofa said the plane had asked for an unusual route before it lost contact. Indonesian media said 149 Indonesians, three people from Korea, and one each from Singapore, Britain and Malaysia were on board. The flight had been due in Singapore at 8:30am Singapore time (0030 GMT). The Singapore airport said on its website the status of the flight wa...

Ten 3D-printed buildings have been put on display in Shanghai, built by using a mixture of sand, concrete, and glass fiber as ink. At a cost of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan each and intended as offices, the structures have been erected in suburban Qingpu District without using any brick, tile, or sheet metal. The structures can either be printed on site or assembled from pre-printed walls, with the material being produced in a fully-digital way through a central computer system. The walls are hollow inside, and can be filled with anything the owner wants. The idea was pioneered by Ma Yihe, CEO of Shanghai Yingchuang Design and Engineering Co., Ltd. He said, “The material has been transformed from industrial construction waste. It is lighter, but five times as hard as common construction material. All the layers are firmly connected with each other. They won’t separate or deform or collapse.” “The walls are hollow inside. The walls with beam columns are printed with steel bars inside. Workers ...

If your grip is strong and you’re able to raise from a chair quickly, walk fast, and balance on one leg, chances are you’ll live longer than people who have difficulty doing such things, says a study published in  BMJ , formerly the  British Medical Journal. Researchers in the United Kingdom say they’ve found that such signs of physical strength can be used to predict mortality in older people. Scientists at University College London’s Medical Research Council say people who can perform such acts with relative ease are likely to live longer than their peers who are weaker and slower. The study, performed by Rachel Cooper, PhD, and colleagues of University College London, examined data from 33 studies that measured physical capabilities. Fourteen studies, including data on 53,476 people, dealt with grip strength, and researchers say the death rate among the weakest people was 1.67 times greater than among strongest participants, taking age, sex, and body size into account....

Hockey fans are known for their intensity (especially with the Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing), but this little guy takes the cake. Pint-sized Pittsburgh Penguins fan Ty Avolia, 2, is raising the bar, going viral for his priceless reaction when Sidney Crosby scored a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets. His screaming face, clenched fists and waving arms certainly caught the attention of social media as his immense fandom was caught on camera. He’s only been to four hockey games but he’s obsessed with the sport and can name all the players. The family’s entire living room has been transformed into a hockey-themed baby cave, of sorts. “He’s always liked it,” said Ty’s mom, Hilary Avolia. “Then, for Christmas, he decided he’d ask Santa for skates and a stick and nets, and we got them. Santa brought them for him, and he’s played every day ever since.” Tiny Ty had no problem recreating the hysterically enthusiastic face he makes when the Penguins make a goal, as it was clearly someth...