A powerful earthquake struck in southern Taiwan Saturday, toppling buildings and leaving at least seven people dead and hundreds more injured, officials said.
The 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck about 30 miles east of Tainan, a city of more than 1.8 million, just before 4 a.m. (3 p.m. Friday E.T.), the U.S. Geological Survey said.
At least 403 people were hurt in the quake, which caused nine buildings to topple and five more to tilt, Taiwan's National Fire Agency said.
The 16-story Wei Guan residential building in Tainan collapsed, setting off a frantic search effort that involved more than 200 firefighters, authorities said. Other buildings were left tilted at alarming angles.
Five people were killed inside the collapsed Wei Guan building where at least 11 residents remain missing, according to the National Fire Agency. A 10-day-old baby is among the dead, Reuters reported.
Pakistan to continue ‘rightful support’ to Kashmiris: Fazal
MIRPUR: Chairman Parliamentary Committee in the National Assembly on Kashmir Maulana Fazal ur Rehman has said that Pakistan would continue supporting Kashmiris in their just and principled struggle for right to self-determination in accordance to the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions.
Speaking at a reception meeting hosted in his honor by Azad Jammu and Kashmir, (AJK) Prime Minister, Ch Abdul Majeed here Thursday night, Maulana Fazal ur Rehamn called upon the international community to play its due role for resolution of the lingering Kashmir dispute without further loss of time.
He said Pakistan had always supported dialogue with India to ensure settlement of the long-standing disputes including the core issue of Kashmir.
He underlined that wars were not solution to the problems, adding that Pakistan was a peaceful nation and wanted good relations with all its neighbors.
Maulana Fazal ur Rehman said Pakistan believed that the use of force and violation of basic human rights by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir could never be succeed in suppressing an indigenous struggle of Kashmiri people for a just cause.
Three injured in blast outside KP minister’s residence
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A blast left three people injured near the residence of a provincial minister on Friday, Samaa reported.
Police said the blast took place outside the house of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister of Revenue and Estate Ali Amin Gandapur. The minister belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was not present at his house at the time of the blast.
The Bomb Disposal Squad said four to five kilogram explosive material was planted in a bicycle. The police said they have launched a search operation in the area.
Israrullah Gandapur, a brother of Amin Gandapur and also a minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, was killed in an explosion along with nine others in 2013.
WikiLeaks' Assange Subjected to 'Deprivation of Liberty': U.N. Panel
LONDON — A United Nations panel ruled Friday that Julian Assange was being "arbitrarily detained" and urging an end to what it called the "deprivation of liberty" of the WikiLeaks founder.
Assange welcomed the decision, saying he considered the outcome "a vindication" and "a matter of settled law."
"This is a victory that cannot be denied. It is a vicotry of historical importance," Assange said.
However, Britain — where Assange has been holed up for more than three years— dismissed the ruling, saying it "changes nothing" and that Assange is "voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest."
UNWGAD
said it was responding to an application filed in September 2014, without naming who submitted the request.
The ruling was not unanimous. One of the members of the five-person working group "disagreed with the position" of the panel and said Assange's situation "is not one of detention." Another recused herself on grounds she shared Assange's Australian nationality.
Swedish authorities began investigating Assange in 2010 on allegations of sexual assault and rape against two women. The sexual assault allegation was dropped after time ran out to bring charges last year, but officials said they would pursue the rape investigation.
The panel said that Assange had been "subjected to different forms of deprivation of liberty" since 2010. Before taking refuge in the embassy, he was held for 10 days in isolation in London's Wandsworth Prison and detained under house arrest for 550 days.
PIA flight operations remain suspended on fifth day
KARACHI: Joint Action Committee of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Saturday rejecting Pakistan Airlines Pilot Association demand to resume flight operations, vowed to continue their strike against proposed privatization of the national flag carrier.
According to JAC spokesman, the PALPA representatives are attending the sit-in, adding that the flights operation would not be resumed till demands of the protesting PIA workers would be met.
He said that the joint action committee would announce future course of action after holding final round of talks with the government.
The JAC spokesman further said that the protesting employees are united and that every effort to create division would ultimately fail.
He said all those PIA employees who are proposing resumption of flight operations should remember the killings of their protesting colleagues. –
Dar appreciates efforts of FBR for expanding tax net
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar here on Friday chaired a meeting to review progress of revenue collection in the ongoing January- March quarter.
The meeting also discussed the revenue targets set to be achieved during the period from January to June 2016, said a
statement issued by Ministry of Finance here.
statement issued by Ministry of Finance here.
Dar appreciated the efforts of the FBR for expanding the tax net and facilitating the tax payers.
The meeting had detailed deliberations on the Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme.
The meeting took note of the fact that the scheme had been warmly received by traders and members of the business community.
The meeting was informed, FBR would undertake an awareness campaign to project the benefits of the scheme and encourage the business community to contribute to the national exchequer with greater zeal.
Pakistan wants as many Taliban groups as possible to join talks!
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said as many Taliban groups as possible must be persuaded to join any upcoming peace discussions with the Afghan government, as a third round of four-country talks aimed at reviving negotiations with the insurgent group began Saturday.
Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States convened in the Pakistani capital Islamabad over the weekend.
Pakistan’s advisor for foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said a joint effort would help persuade the Taliban to join the process and lead to a “significant” reduction in violence.
“We believe our collective efforts at this stage, including through supportive CBMs (Confidence Building Measures), have to be aimed at persuading the maximum number of Taliban groups to join the peace talks,” Aziz said during his opening statement at the third-round of talks on Saturday.
“In our view, a clear, well-defined and actionable roadmap for the peace process between the Afghan Government and Taliban groups is important.”
The first round of the roadmap talks was held in Islamabad last month, where delegates began laying the groundwork for direct dialogue between Kabul and the Islamist group.
Obama hails Earth, Wind & Fire founder as inspiration
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Friday mourned Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White for his “quintessentially American sound,” hailing the funk legend for bringing together fans across racial lines.
Obama has long described himself as a fan of Earth, Wind & Fire, who hailed from his adopted home of Chicago.
Obama, the first African-American president, invited the band to play an event at the White House shortly after he took office in 2009.
With his bandmates, “Maurice fused jazz, soul, funk and R&B into a quintessentially American sound that captured millions of fans around the world,” Obama wrote on Facebook.
“Only Maurice could make such sophisticated songs so catchy. Only he could inspire generations of such diverse artists.
Zalmi rout Islamabad United by 24 runs
DUBAI: Wahab Riaz and Muhammed Asghar guided Peshawar Zalmi to a convincing 24-run win by dashing to pieces Islamabad United’s batting lineup at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) is being played in Dubai. Peshawar Zalmi’s skipper Shahid Khan Afridi won the toss and elected to bat first.
Afridi’s batsmen pulled together 146-run target at the loss of seven wickets. The match’s highlight was Tamim Iqbal’s half century. He hit 51 runs with three 4s and a sixer.
Getting off to a confident start with 26 runs off first two overs, Islamabad United’s batsmen soon started struggling vis-à-vis Zalmi’s bowling attack, as Islamabad slumped to 41 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.
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