Tuesday, March 20th, 2018
Blast in Texas, FBI searches for serial bomber
AUSTIN, MAR 20 (DNA) – A package exploded early Tuesday at a FedEx distribution facility in Texas, news reports said, two days after the latest in a series of blasts in Austin attributed to a serial bomber. This time the explosion rocked a facility in the town of Schertz, in the San Antonio area. Reports said one employee was injured. *The Washington Post*, quoting the FBI, reported that the package had been bound for Austin, the state capital. Hundreds of police officers and FBI agents are searching for a mysteriousRead More
ICCI urges FBR to stop harassment of builders and developers
ISLAMABAD, MAR 20 (DNA) – President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICC), Sheikh Amir Waheed has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to stop harassing builders and developers because such tactics would discourage investment in the real-estate sector and hurt the economic growth of the country. He said on the pretext of expanding the tax net, FBR has started issuing notices to builders and developers for providing details of buyers of shops and flats in the construction projects which was not a wise approach as it was creatingRead More
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics admits collecting incomplete, partial data
ISLAMABAD, MAR 20 (DNA) – In a surprising revelation, officials of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) admitted that the bureau was collecting incomplete or partial data for lack of cooperation on the part of provinces and the Ministry of Industries. The officials claimed that the figures related to manufacturing sector were based on estimates as the industries usually avoid sharing data required to provide while answering PBS questionnaires. During a meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Statistics, held here on Tuesday, the PBS officials said that most of theRead More
President, PM greet Putin on re-election as Russian president
ISLAMABAD, MAR 20 (DNA) : President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday extended their heartiest felicitations to President Vladimir Putin of Russia on his re-election in the Presidential Election and conveyed a desire to further strengthen ties in all areas . A Foreign Office statement while highlighting the close, friendly and cooperative relations between Pakistan and Russia said “their relations are characterized by mutual trust and convergence of views on important international and regional issues.” “The leadership of Pakistan looks forward to working closely with the leadershipRead More
Countries weigh diplomatic snub of Russia’s World Cup
MOSCOW, MAR 20 (DNA) – The diplomatic snub of Russia s World Cup gathered steam Tuesday as four countries said they were either not sending officials in support of Britain s partial boycott or considering the move. London last week said British ministers and royals would not attend the showpiece in protest over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England. The Skripals survived the nerve agent attack but remain in critical condition. British Prime Minister Theresa May said her government had found that Russia was “culpable”Read More
After Syria, Turkey vows to send military to Iraq
ANKARA, MAR 20 (DNA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to further expand military operations against Kurdish militants in Syria to the eastern parts of the Arab country, even threatening to send troops to northern Iraq if Baghdad could not clear the region of the militants. Speaking in Ankara a day after Turkish forces and their allies stormed and captured the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin, Erdogan said on Monday that his country’s military would target the Syrian city of Manbij, as well as Ayn al-Arab or Kobani,Read More