New spyware detected targeting firms in Russia, China

 

FRANKFURT: A previously unknown hacking group variously dubbed "Strider" or "ProjectSauron" has carried out cyber-espionage attacks against select targets in Russia,China, Iran, Sweden, Belgium and Rwanda, security researchers said on Monday.

The group, which has been active since at least 2011 and could have links to a national intelligence agency, uses Remsec, an advanced piece of hidden malware, Symantec researchers said in a blog post.

Remsec spyware lives within an organisation's network rather than being installed on individual computers, giving attackers complete control over infected machines, researchers said.

It enables keystroke logging and the theft of files and other data. Its code also contains references to Sauron, the all-seeing title character in The Lord of the Rings, Symantec said.

Strider is the nickname of the fantasy trilogy´s widely travelled main character Aragorn.

Separately, Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab has labelled the same group using the Remsec spyware as "ProjectSauron".

The newly discovered group's targets include four organizations and individuals located in Russia, an airline in China, an organization in Sweden and an embassy in Belgium, Symantec said.

Kaspersky said it had found 30 organisations hit so far in Russia, Iran and Rwanda, and possibly additional victims in Italian-speaking countries.

Remsec targets included government agencies, scientific research centres, military entities, telecoms providers and financial institutions, Kaspersky said.

"Based on the espionage capabilities of its malware and the nature of its known targets, it is possible that the group is a nation state-level attacker," Symantec said, but it did not speculate about which government might be behind the software.

Despite headlines that suggest an endless stream of new types of cyber-spying attacks, Orla Fox, Symantec´s director of security response said the discovery of a new class of spyware like Remsec is a relatively rare event, with the industry uncovering no more than one or two such campaigns per year.

Remsec shares certain unusual coding similarities with another older piece of nation state-grade malware known as Flamer, or Flame, according to Symantec.

Kaspersky agreed that the same group it calls ProjectSauron appears to have adopted the tools and techniques of other better-known spyware, including Flame, but said it does not believe that ProjectSauron and Flame are directly connected.

Flamer malware has been linked to Stuxnet, a military-grade computer virus alleged by security experts to have been used by the United States and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear programme late in the last decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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27 injured of Quetta Attack transferred to Karachi

QUETTA/KARACHI: Twenty seven injured of the Quetta Attack were brought to a Pakistan Air Force base in Karachi on Tuesday in a C130 aircraft.

They have been admitted at a private hospital at Stadium Road for further medical treatment. According to hospital sources six of the victims are in critical condition.

Funeral prayers for most victims have been offered. Former Quetta Bar President, Baz Muhammad Kakar  was laid to rest in his hometown Muslim Bagh.

Balochistan National Party leader Dr Jahanzaib Jamaludini?s son, Sangat Jamali has been laid to rest at Noshki.

Martyred Aaj News cameraman Shahzad Khan has been laid to rest in Mastung. He leaves behind a widow and three children. Dawn News cameraman Mahmood Khan was also martyred in the attack. Another journalist injured in the line of duty include Faridullah from Dunya News.

Civil society staged a demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club where they remembered martyrs of the attack. The Cameraman Association staged a protest outside the Faisalabad Press Club and demanded that they be provided security.

At least 70 people were killed and as many as 112 people injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Quetta?s Civil Hospital on Monday.

The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today. Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident. The blast occurred near the emergency department of the hospital.

 

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Republican national security experts: Trump would be 'dangerous' president

WASHINGTON: Fifty prominent Republican national security officials, including a former CIA director, on Monday called party nominee Donald Trump unqualified to lead the country and said he would be "the most reckless president in American history."

The statement was the latest repudiation of Trump's candidacy by veteran Republican national security specialists, and was remarkable for the harshness of its language.

"Mr. Trump lacks the character, values, and experience to be president. He weakens U.S. moral authority as the leader of the free world. He appears to lack basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws and U.S. institutions, including religious tolerance, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary," the statement said.

"None of us will vote for Donald Trump," said the statement, which noted that some signatories also have doubts about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

"From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president and commander in chief," said the statement, which was first reported in the New York Times. "Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous president and would put at risk our country's national security and well-being."

The signatories, some of whom worked for more than one Republican president, included former Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael Hayden, who also headed the National Security Agency; former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; former Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte; and two former U.S. trade representatives, Carla Hills and Robert Zoelick.

Other signatories included former senior State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council officials who helped plan and oversee the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Trump has harshly criticized the Iraq operation, although when radio host Howard Stern asked him in 2002 if he favored invading Iraq, Trump said he guessed he did.

The statement was organized by Philip Zelikow, who served as a top adviser to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Trump responded with a statement deriding the signatories as members of "the failed Washington elite" who "deserve the blame for making the world such a dangerous place."

?These insiders ? along with Hillary Clinton ? are the owners of the disastrous decisions to invade Iraq, allow Americans to die in Benghazi, and they are the ones who allowed the rise of ISIS," he continued, using an acronym for the Islamic State militant group.

RESPONSE TO TRUMP'S REMARKS

The statement did not cite specific comments by Trump, but it clearly was a response to a series of remarks he has made questioning the need for NATO, expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for a temporary ban on immigration by Muslims, and inviting Russia to hack Clinton's private email server - which he later said was a joke.

Many of the signatories had declined to sign an open letter disputing Trump's national security qualifications that was published in March.

The statement said many Americans are frustrated with the federal government's failure to solve domestic and international problems.

"But Donald Trump is not the answer to America?s daunting challenges and to this crucial election," the statement said. "We are convinced that in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history.

Some Democratic foreign policy experts called the statement a reminder of the divisions the New York real estate developer's nomination has sown within the Republican Party.

?This letter is signed by those who remain in the internationalist wing of the party ? many were former advisors to candidates who lost the primary fight to Trump," said Brian Katulis, a fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Clinton campaign adviser.

?Calling Trump unqualified to be commander in chief is tough, but also asserting that he?s lacking in character and understanding of our basic values is really pretty amazing," said Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council spokesman in Democratic President Barack Obama's administration. "That said, I think it?s unlikely to influence many voters, but it could give cover to Republican members of Congress and donors who want to cut the cord and move on from Trump.?

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Muslim boy sues Texas school district after arrest over homemade clock

AUSTIN, TEXAS: The family of a Muslim boy, who was arrested last year after taking a homemade digital clock to a Dallas-area high school, sued the Texas school district and the city where he once lived on Monday, saying they violated the teenager's civil rights.

The suit, filed in federal court on behalf of Ahmed Mohamed by his father, claims the Irving Independent School District and the city west of Dallas had discriminated against the teen because of his religion, which it said was a factor in his arrest.

The school district in a statement denied violating the student's rights and said it could provide no further comment because the matter was in litigation.

The family has previously demanded $15 million from the city of Irving and the school district.

The 2015 arrest of Ahmed Mohamed, then a 14-year-old bespectacled ninth-grader who dabbled in robotics and attended high school in Irving, had ignited a social media firestorm.

The 2015 arrest of Ahmed Mohamed had ignited a social media firestorm and the Twitter hashtag #IStandWithAhmed trended globally

Irving police accused him of making a hoax bomb.

"The only way to get justice is through money," Mohamed told a news conference in Texas on Monday.

After Mohamed was seen in a NASA T-shirt in handcuffs, the Twitter hashtag #IStandWithAhmed trended globally, and the teenager was praised by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who said: "Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest.?

A homemade clock made by Ahmed Mohamed, 14, is seen in an undated picture released by the Irving Texas Police Department

A few months after the incident, Ahmed and his family moved to Qatar after the teen has accepted an offer from the Qatar Foundation to study at its Young Innovators Program. The announcement of the move came a few hours after Ahmed visited the White House for an astronomy night hosted by President Barack Obama.

The teen, a U.S. citizen, returned to the United States a few weeks ago for summer vacation and plans to return soon to Qatar to attend a private school after receiving death threats in the United States.

"I lost my home, I lost my creativity. I used to love building things but now I can't," he said at the news conference. "I've lost my security."

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Two suspects killed in Karachi 'encounter'

KARACHI: Two suspects were killed on Monday night in a shootout with police in Karachi, officials claimed.

Officials said that an exchange of fire took place between the law enforcers and the suspects near New Sabzi Mandi area of the metropolis. As a consequence, both the suspects were gunned down.

In another 'encounter' in Mominabad area, police said, a suspect was wounded and subsequently arrested. He was being further interrogated.

Encounters like these have become a common occurring in Karachi, as the city has long been plagued by criminals associated with banned outfits and political parties.

In September 2013, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) launched a crackdown with intent to cleanse the city of all criminals.

Though, the crackdown was followed by a considerable drop in crime in the megapolis, the families of suspects and rights groups accuse the law enforcement of rights violations.

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U.S. urges Russia to halt Syria sieges; Russia slams aid politicization

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council must not allow civilians on both sides of the Syrian city of Aleppo to be cut off from humanitarian aid, the United States said on Monday as Russia accused Washington of politicizing a humanitarian issue.

Insurgents effectively broke a month-long government siege of eastern, opposition-held Aleppo on Saturday, severing the primary government supply corridor and raising the prospect that government-held western Aleppo might become besieged.

The United States, Britain, France, New Zealand and Ukraine organized an informal Security Council meeting on Aleppo on Monday with briefings by a "White Helmet" rescue worker and two U.S.-based doctors from the Syrian American Medical Society who recently returned from Aleppo.

"If the fighting continues it is conceivable that civilians on both sides of Aleppo could be cut off from the basic assistance they need. We cannot allow this to happen," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said.

Citing U.N. figures, Power said Syrian government forces were to blame for nearly 80 percent of the besieged areas throughout Syria. Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the outbreak of the conflict five years ago, has been divided between government forces and rebels since the summer of 2012.

"We once again urge Russia to stop facilitating these sieges and to use its influence to press the regime to end its sieges across Syria once and for all," she said.

The United Nations aid chief has called for weekly 48-hour humanitarian pauses in fighting to deliver aid to Aleppo.

Russian Deputy U.N. Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov accused the United States and its western colleagues of politicizing a humanitarian issue, urging them to "admit that the main cause of all of the humanitarian problems in Syria is not the counter-terrorist actions by the legitimate government of Syria.

"The propaganda and the emotional rhetoric, the unfounded accusations, the information campaign, means that we cannot move toward a political settlement in Syria," Safronkov said.

He said the first step toward ending the five-year conflict should be a pooling of efforts to combat terrorism and then a renewal of Syrian peace talks.

A crackdown by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on pro-democracy protesters five years ago sparked a civil war, and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq.

The United States and allies began bombing Islamic State militants in Syria nearly two years ago, while Russia began air strikes in support of Assad a year ago.

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Quetta bombing: Three different claims of responsibility surface

QUETTA/KARACHI: Three different claims of responsibility have surfaced for the deadly suicide bombing in Quetta that left 70 people dead and wounded as many as 112 others pushing the nation in shock and grief.

The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast.

Panic tore through the hospital after the blast near the emergency department of the hospital. Hospital officials confirmed the death toll.

The blast sent shock waves across the country prompting civil-military leadership to reach the provincial capital to console bereaved relatives of the victims and the wounded.

Meanwhile, global terror outfit Daesh (Islamic State) and Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), both claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Balochistan CM Sanaullah Zehri, shortly after the tragic incident, had claimed that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was involved in the attack. He added that it was a suicide attack.

Zehri said that the terrorists were attacking soft targets. "Even in times of war no one attacks a hospital," he said, while resolving to root out terrorists.

Further investigations into the incident continue.

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Quetta bombing: Three different claims of responsibility surface

QUETTA/KARACHI: Three different claims of responsibility have surfaced for the deadly suicide bombing in Quetta that left 70 people dead and wounded as many as 112 others pushing the nation in shock and grief.

The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast.

Panic tore through the hospital after the blast near the emergency department of the hospital. Hospital officials confirmed the death toll.

The blast sent shock waves across the country prompting civil-military leadership to reach the provincial capital to console bereaved relatives of the victims and the wounded.

Meanwhile, global terror outfit Daesh (Islamic State) and Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), both claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Balochistan CM Sanaullah Zehri, shortly after the tragic incident, had claimed that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was involved in the attack. He added that it was a suicide attack.

Zehri said that the terrorists were attacking soft targets. "Even in times of war no one attacks a hospital," he said, while resolving to root out terrorists.

Further investigations into the incident continue.

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Namal College, IKF being targeted, says Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday said first Shaukat Khanum Hospital was targeted and now Namal College and Imran Khan Foundation (IKF) was also being targeted.

Imran Khan tweeted that targeting charities that provide public service was shameful.

He alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif?s daughter Maryam Nawaz is running a propaganda cell in PM House using public money to target opponents with lies at behest of PMLN's ?Motoo Gang?.

On Friday, PMLN had submitted a reference to the National Assembly against chairman Imran Khan and party leader Jahangir Tareen.

The reference was filed seeking disqualification of the two leaders for concealing details about off-shore companies and providing incorrect data of personal assets.

After the development, Imran Khan termed it ?blackmailing? by PMLN as the ruling party only wanted him to stay silent on the issue of Panama Papers.

On July 25, PTI had submitted a reference against the PM and his family members for alleged corruption and corrupt practices, in light of the Panama Papers? revelations.

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Namal College, IKF being targeted, says Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday said first Shaukat Khanum Hospital was targeted and now Namal College and Imran Khan Foundation (IKF) was also being targeted.

Imran Khan tweeted that targeting charities that provide public service was shameful.

He alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz is running a propaganda cell in PM House using public money to target opponents with lies at behest of PMLN's ‘Motoo Gang’.

On Friday, PMLN had submitted a reference to the National Assembly against chairman Imran Khan and party leader Jahangir Tareen.

The reference was filed seeking disqualification of the two leaders for concealing details about off-shore companies and providing incorrect data of personal assets.

After the development, Imran Khan termed it ‘blackmailing’ by PMLN as the ruling party only wanted him to stay silent on the issue of Panama Papers.

On July 25, PTI had submitted a reference against the PM and his family members for alleged corruption and corrupt practices, in light of the Panama Papers’ revelations.

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PM Nawaz arrives in Quetta, visits injured at Civil Hospital

QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday reached Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta after a suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in which at least 70 people lost their lives.

Along with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, the prime minister visited the Civil Hospital and inquired about the health of the wounded.

He said that no one would be allowed to disturb the peace of the province, adding that security forces and the people of Balochistan had lost their lives for peace.

As many as 112 people were injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Quetta’s Civil Hospital on Monday.

The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today. Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident. The blast occurred near the emergency department of the hospital.

The Daesh militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

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PM Nawaz arrives in Quetta, visits injured at Civil Hospital

QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday reached Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta after a suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in which at least 70 people lost their lives.

Along with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, the prime minister visited the Civil Hospital and inquired about the health of the wounded.

He said that no one would be allowed to disturb the peace of the province, adding that security forces and the people of Balochistan had lost their lives for peace.

As many as 112 people were injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Quetta?s Civil Hospital on Monday.

The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today. Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident. The blast occurred near the emergency department of the hospital.

The Daesh militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

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COAS orders special combing operations across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Following the deadly attack at Quetta's Civil Hospital, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has ordered special combing operations, authorising intelligence agencies to go anywhere in the country and target those linked with the terror acts.

The Army chief arrived in Quetta hours after the attack on Monday evening to chair a high-level security conference with the civilian and military leadership.

Arrive in the provincial capital, the Army chief visited the Balochistan High Court to offer condolences with the Balochistan Chief Justice and a panel of judges for all those who had lost their lives in the attack.

Gen Raheel Sharif also visited the injured persons at the Civil Hospital and expressed solidarity with them, said a press statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

"Having been defeated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, terrorists are shifting their focus to Balochistan," the Army chief was quoted as saying at the security meeting, which was also attended by the provincial chief minister, chief secretary and the Commander Southern Command.

The Army chief said the attack was an attempt to undermine the improved security in Balochistan, and particularly to target the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Army chief ordered special combing operations, allowing "intelligence agencies to go anywhere in the country to target anyone linked with these terror acts," said the ISPR statement.

He ordered that all resources be employed to control the situation.

At least 64 people were killed and over 40 injured when the powerful explosion ripped through the Civil Hospital in the provincial capital.

The explosion rocked the hospital complex when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department after he was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today.

The Daesh militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Cricketer Hanif Mohammad?s health deteriorates, shifted on ventilator

KARACHI: The health of the legendary cricketer Hanif Mohammad deteriorated on Monday as he was shifted on ventilator in a local hospital in Karachi.

The cricketer commonly referred as the ?Little Master? was already facing health complications and undergoing treatment for cancer.

It was reported that Hanif was going through breathing problems, owing to which he was shifted to a ventilator today.

Earlier, the 81-year old was hospitalised due to complications from a recurring cancer disease.

He had complained that no government official was responding to his calls for financial assistance.

Following which, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced that the federal government would bear all medical expenses of the ailing cricketer.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ai Shah had also visited him at the hospital and presented a cheque worth one million rupees.

The cricket legend, nicknamed "Little Master" played the longest innings in Test history - his 970-minute 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. The knock was followed a year later with the highest first-class innings to that point, 499 run out.

Hanif was known for his defensive batting but could attack when the situation called for it, and many claim he is the originator of the reverse-sweep.

Hanif represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, scoring 3,915 runs at an average of 43.98. He still holds the record for highest score (337) in an innings by a Pakistani batsman followed by Inzamamul Haq (329) and Younus Khan (313). The veteran was also named as Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.

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Cricketer Hanif Mohammad?s health deteriorates, shifted on ventilator

KARACHI: The health of the legendary cricketer Hanif Mohammad deteriorated on Monday as he was shifted on ventilator in a local hospital in Karachi.

The cricketer commonly referred as the ‘Little Master’ was already facing health complications and undergoing treatment for cancer.

It was reported that Hanif was going through breathing problems, owing to which he was shifted to a ventilator today.

Earlier, the 81-year old was hospitalised due to complications from a recurring cancer disease.

He had complained that no government official was responding to his calls for financial assistance.

Following which, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced that the federal government would bear all medical expenses of the ailing cricketer.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ai Shah had also visited him at the hospital and presented a cheque worth one million rupees.

The cricket legend, nicknamed "Little Master" played the longest innings in Test history - his 970-minute 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. The knock was followed a year later with the highest first-class innings to that point, 499 run out.

Hanif was known for his defensive batting but could attack when the situation called for it, and many claim he is the originator of the reverse-sweep.

Hanif represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, scoring 3,915 runs at an average of 43.98. He still holds the record for highest score (337) in an innings by a Pakistani batsman followed by Inzamamul Haq (329) and Younus Khan (313). The veteran was also named as Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.

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South Africa bans four cricketers over match fixing

JOHANNESBERG: Cricket South Africa said Monday they had banned four players for fixing matches during 2015.

The banned players were named as Jean Symes, Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Thami Tsolekile, the former South African Test wicketkeeper.

"The banning of these four players follows a lengthy investigation," said the organisation in a statement.

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South Africa bans four cricketers over match fixing

JOHANNESBERG: Cricket South Africa said Monday they had banned four players for fixing matches during 2015.

The banned players were named as Jean Symes, Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Thami Tsolekile, the former South African Test wicketkeeper.

"The banning of these four players follows a lengthy investigation," said the organisation in a statement.

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Facebook's 'safety check' feature activated following Quetta blast

QUETTA: Facebook on Monday activated the ?safety check? feature following the massive explosion in Quetta that claimed around 53 lives and injured 56.

The social media feature acts as a tool to notify connected contacts that people in a certain calamity-hit or dangerous area are safe.

The feature was launched in October 2014. Mark Zuckerberg had announced the launch of the feature saying that it was launched in wake of an earthquake in Japan.

"Now we're glad to have this ready to serve everyone in the world," he had said in a Facebook post.

 

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Facebook 'safety check' feature activated following Quetta blast

QUETTA: Facebook on Monday activated ?safety check? following the massive explosion in Quetta that claimed around 53 lives and injured 56.

The social media feature acts as a tool to notify connected contacts that people in a certain calamity-hit or dangerous area are safe.

The feature was launched in October 2014. Mark Zuckerberg had announced the launch of the feature saying that it was launched in wake of an earthquake in Japan.

 

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Lawyers always stand by democracy but government oblivious to their security: Supreme Court Bar President

LAHORE: Supreme Court Bar President Ali Zafar condemned the Quetta blast and said lawyers who have always stood up for democracy are targeted.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Bar President Ali Zafar said the tragedy is not just an attack on lawyers but an attack on all citizens.

He said lawyers will not just protest the attack but also prepare a long-term action plan.

Zafar further said security is not just the right of lawyers but a basic right of every citizen.

He added that if the government cannot provide security, it should quit the next elections.

“Our brothers in Balochistan had been receiving threats for some time and had said they needed security, but the government did nothing,” Zafar said.

“We have raised our voice again and again that we need security, and we will see to it that our demand is met,” he added.

He vowed not to let the martyrs’ sacrifices go to waste.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Supreme Court judges strongly condemned the attack as well.

At least 53 people were killed and 56 injured when a loud explosion occurred on Monday in Quetta’s Civil Hospital.

The explosion occurred when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today. Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident. The blast occurred near the emergency department of the hospital.

Most of the injured are lawyers and journalists who had arrived at the hospital when they heard news of the attack on the two senior lawyers, eye witnesses said.

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Hundreds join key battle for Syria´s Aleppo

BEIRUT: Regime and rebel forces have sent in hundreds of fighters and extra military equipment to join the crucial battle for Syria´s second city Aleppo, a monitoring group said Monday.

Fighting is intensifying as both sides prepare for what Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said would be a decisive battle for the northern city.

"An estimated 2,000 Syrian, Iraqi, and Iranian fighters as well as Lebanese fighters from (Shiite movement) Hezbollah have arrived in Aleppo since Sunday night," Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The Monday edition of Al-Watan, a Syrian daily close to the government, said the army and allied forces had received "the necessary military reinforcements to launch the battle to retake the areas from which it withdrew".

Al-Watan said a Palestinian loyalist militia had sent "huge reinforcements" to Syria´s army battling to defend a cement factory south of Aleppo.

Citing a source on the ground, the newspaper said military warplanes "are carrying out a barrage of air strikes targeting the armed groups."

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are on the defensive in Aleppo since an opposition alliance overran key territory south of the city at the weekend.

The coalition of rebels, and jihadists seized territory in a military academy on Aleppo´s edges on Saturday, breaking the government encirclement of eastern districts, home to an estimated 250,000 people.

"Hundreds of fighters, specifically from the Fateh al-Sham Front (formerly Al-Qaeda´s Syrian branch), and others arrived in Aleppo city from other parts of the province and Idlib province," said Abdel Rahman.

Fateh al-Sham Front -- which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with Al-Qaeda -- leads the Army of Conquest, which has played a major role in the fight for Aleppo.

Late Sunday, the Army of Conquest pledged to "double the number of fighters" to recapture all of Aleppo city.

"Both sides are amassing their fighters in preparation for the great battle of Aleppo... which is existential for both the fighters and their backers," said Abdel Rahman.
Once Syria´s commercial hub, Aleppo has been transformed into a bombed-out, divided city since fighting first erupted there in 2012.

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Aaj News journalist Shahzad killed in Quetta attack

QUETTA:  An Aaj News journalist lost his life in an attack at the Quetta Civil Hospital on Monday.

Shahzad, a cameraman at the news channel had reached the hospital to report the killing of Quetta Bar President Bilal Kasi who was gunned down at Mano Jan Road. The senior lawyer?s body was brought to the hospital by rescue workers.

An explosion which occurred near the emergency ward of the hospital killed Shahzad. He had been working with Aaj News for the last seven years.

The explosion critically injured another cameraman who was working for Dawn News.

At least 53 people were killed and 56 injured in a bomb explosion followed by firing at the Civil Hospital.

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RAW behind terrorist attacks in Balochistan: CM Zehri

QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri on Monday said that India?s top intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in the terrorist activities in Balochistan.

According to the latest details, the attack seemed to be a suicide attack, Zehri said.

Zehri while speaking to Geo News, did not provide a death toll but said that around 40 were injured in today's blast in Quetta.

Terrorists are aiming for soft targets, said the CM Balochistan. ?We will not bow down before terrorists,? he added.

Zehri vowed that wherever terrorists are, they would be brought to justice.

The CM Balochistan said that he would also summon an emergency meeting concerning the security situation in the province.

On Monday, a blast ripped through the emergency department of Quetta?s Civil Hospital, killing at least 53 and wounding 56. The explosion occurred when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today.

This is not the first time a government official has blamed the neighbouring country's top intelligence agency in wake of terrorist attacks. 

 

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RAW behind terrorist attacks in Balochistan: CM Zehri

QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri on Monday said that India’s top intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in the terrorist activities in Balochistan.

According to the latest details, the attack seemed to be a suicide attack, Zehri said.

Zehri while speaking to Geo News, did not provide a death toll but said that around 40 were injured in today's blast in Quetta.

Terrorists are aiming for soft targets, said the CM Balochistan. “We will not bow down before terrorists,” he added.

Zehri vowed that wherever terrorists are, they would be brought to justice.

The CM Balochistan said that he would also summon an emergency meeting concerning the security situation in the province.

On Monday, a blast ripped through the emergency department of Quetta’s Civil Hospital, killing at least 53 and wounding 56. The explosion occurred when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier today.

This is not the first time a government official has blamed the neighbouring country's top intelligence agency in wake of terrorist attacks. 

 

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American, Australian kidnapped at gunpoint in Kabul

KABUL: Gunmen wearing security force uniforms kidnapped an American and an Australian in the heart of Kabul, officials said Monday, the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners in the conflict-torn country.

The two professors at the American University of Afghanistan were seized from their vehicle on Sunday evening. No group has so far claimed responsibility.

The kidnappings came three days after a group of foreign tourists were ambushed by the Taliban in the western province of Herat, underscoring the growing insecurity in Afghanistan as insurgents intensify nationwide attacks.

"Two foreign professors, one American and the other Australian, were abducted at gunpoint by a kidnapping gang from Dar-ul-Aman road in the centre of Kabul city," a security official told AFP.

"We refrain from further comment in order to not damage police rescue efforts."

The kidnappers were wearing Afghan security uniforms, another official told AFP, adding that the driver of the vehicle who was unharmed had been held for investigation.

Four gunmen were involved in the abduction, according to a Western official in Kabul.

The Afghan capital is infested with organised criminal gangs who stage kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreigners and wealthy Afghans, and sometimes handing them over to insurgent groups.

The US State Department said it was aware of reports of the kidnapping of an American but declined to comment further.

The Australian government confirmed the "apparent kidnapping" of one its citizens, citing its embassy in Kabul, but also refused to elaborate due to security considerations.

"We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Afghanistan because of the extremely dangerous security situation, including the serious threat of kidnapping," the government said in a statement.

Growing insecurity 

This appeared to be the first reported abduction related to a private university in Afghanistan.

The elite American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, was not immediately reachable for comment. It has attracted a number of visiting faculty members from Western countries.

The abductions underscore the growing dangers faced by foreigners in Afghanistan.
Foreign tourists, including British, American and German nationals, came under Taliban fire on Thursday in a volatile district of Herat, leaving some of them wounded.

They were safely evacuated to Kabul and were flown out of the country.
Aid workers in particular have increasingly been casualties of a surge in militant violence in recent years.

Judith D´Souza, a 40-year-old Indian employee of the Aga Khan Foundation, a prominent NGO that has long worked in Afghanistan, was rescued last month after she was abducted near her residence in the heart of Kabul on the night of June 9.

D´Souza´s abduction came after Katherine Jane Wilson, a well-known Australian NGO worker, was kidnapped on April 28 in the city of Jalalabad, close to the border with Pakistan.

Wilson, said to be aged 60, ran an organisation known as Zardozi, which promotes the work of Afghan artisans, particularly women.

The United States in May warned its citizens in Afghanistan of a "very high" kidnapping risk after an American narrowly escaped abduction in the heart of Kabul.

In April last year the bullet-riddled bodies of five Afghan workers for Save the Children were found after they were abducted by gunmen in the strife-torn southern province of Uruzgan.

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CM Sindh chairs meeting, demands clean Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reached the Sindh Secretariat early Monday morning to chair a meeting regarding cleanliness of the city.

Speaking at the meeting he said that the Sindh government was constantly being criticised for the garbage dumps which ply the streets. ?These are not mere criticisms. I understand these are genuine complaints of the people,? he said.

The CM was briefed that district south had 2400 cleaners employed.

To this, Shah stressed that meeting should aim to find solutions instead to put forth statistics.

?I will not allow garbage to be dumped on any ground,? said Murad.

The CM said during the meeting that city cleaners should be given jackets. He said that he wanted the Red Zone to be dirt-free, while ordering that the cleaning of II Chundrigar road should start from tomorrow.

Murad Ali Shah ordered officials to decide locations of Garbage Transfer Station by the day's end and stated that he had been informed by DM Central that more than 250 dustbins had been ordered.

He also gave orders to start cleanliness work on Korangi Road from Tuesday. 

 

 

 

 

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CM Sindh chairs meeting, demands clean Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reached the Sindh Secretariat early Monday morning to chair a meeting regarding cleanliness of the city.

Speaking at the meeting he said that the Sindh government was constantly being criticised for the garbage dumps which ply the streets. “These are not mere criticisms. I understand these are genuine complaints of the people,” he said.

The CM was briefed that district south had 2400 cleaners employed.

To this, Shah stressed that meeting should aim to find solutions instead to put forth statistics.

“I will not allow garbage to be dumped on any ground,” said Murad.

The CM said during the meeting that city cleaners should be given jackets. He said that he wanted the Red Zone to be dirt-free, while ordering that the cleaning of II Chundrigar road should start from tomorrow.

Murad Ali Shah ordered officials to decide locations of Garbage Transfer Station by the day's end and stated that he had been informed by DM Central that more than 250 dustbins had been ordered.

He also gave orders to start cleanliness work on Korangi Road from Tuesday. 

 

 

 

 

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Pakistan´s bogus bomb-detectors in business despite global scandal

ISLAMABAD: With radio-like antennae meant to swivel and point at vehicles carrying bombs, "magic wand" explosive detectors proliferated throughout conflict zones in the 2000s until they were exposed as a global scam.

But in an astonishing security threat, more than 15,000 of a new variant of the handheld device have been made in Pakistan to guard high-value facilities such as airports and government installations, despite officials conceding they are effectively useless.

Many creators of the original devices are serving long prison sentences for fraud, including British businessman James McCormick. His ADE-651 became a mainstay of security forces in Iraq, where $85 million was spent on them, before they were officially banned last month.

"It serves a deterrence value only -- it´s good for police and security personnel to have something in their hands," said a senior interior ministry official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Pressed on whether Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents -- who have been waging an insurgency that has that claimed more than 60,000 lives in Pakistan since 2004 -- may by now be wise to the deception, he conceded: "Yes, they are savvy and they probably are aware by now."

His comments were backed by two more senior members of government, though neither was prepared to go formally on the record.

Official silence over the matter may be linked to the enormous sums of money involved in the business, observers say, while many bureaucrats fear for their jobs if they speak out.

"Powerful people make money through these scams and you cannot offend powerful people, even if it means endangering lives," said one former official at the interior ministry.

Public security threat 

Pakistan initially imported foreign detector devices such as the ADE-651 and the German made Sniffex, according to a government source, but in 2009 Pakistan´s Airport Security Force (ASF) took over making and selling the wands. 

More than 15,000 units have been sold within the country at a cost of 70,000 rupees ($700), according to an official, amounting to a total revenue of more than $10 million.

The ASF -- which declined multiple requests for comment -- is technically a civilian institution but is staffed by many serving senior officers deputed from the powerful military, which wields considerable influence over the country's defence and foreign policy.

The wands, named "Khoji" (finder), are used by security personnel to protect airports and government installations, and have also been widely sold to the private sector and deployed at malls, hotels and fast-food chains.

J Chacko, a London-based security analyst, said they were endangering lives.

"A false sense of complacency based on devices that do not work does represent a public security threat," he said.

´Snake oil ´ 

The device claims an accuracy level of 90 percent, according to a copy of its user manual obtained by AFP, but uses the principles of radiesthesia, or dowsing, which experts consider junk science.

"Khoji is the first device of its kind that can detect explosives from distances of up to 100 metres (330 feet), even when the explosive is hidden behind walls or metal barriers such as buildings or vehicles," the manual boasts.

"It detects the interference by between the magnetic field of the earth, the explosive, the device itself and the human body, which allows the device to penetrate and locate even small amounts of explosive through concrete, soil, and metal barriers."

But Andrea Sella, a professor of chemistry at the University College London, dismissed the claims as "laughable".

"There is no physical basis for the operation of those devices," he told AFP. "It´s pure snake oil, sold to desperate people who use them because something, even if useless, is better than nothing.

"There is no ´magnetic´ signal that you might be able to pick up. The idea that you could do so through metal, especially steel in a car, is laughable."

His comments were backed by Pervez Hoodbhoy, a leading Pakistani physicist who trained at the US´s MIT.

"It´s a fraud. There´s no way that explosives can be detected by electromagnetic means," he said.

Leading scientists are currently developing legitimate explosives-detectors based on sensors that "sniff" out explosive compounds such as triacetone triperoxide, but the work remains in its infancy.

A Western security consultant Afghanistan told AFP: "The only device that can currently detect such explosives is a dog."

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Pakistan´s bogus bomb-detectors in business despite global scandal

ISLAMABAD: With radio-like antennae meant to swivel and point at vehicles carrying bombs, "magic wand" explosive detectors proliferated throughout conflict zones in the 2000s until they were exposed as a global scam.

But in an astonishing security threat, more than 15,000 of a new variant of the handheld device have been made in Pakistan to guard high-value facilities such as airports and government installations, despite officials conceding they are effectively useless.

Many creators of the original devices are serving long prison sentences for fraud, including British businessman James McCormick. His ADE-651 became a mainstay of security forces in Iraq, where $85 million was spent on them, before they were officially banned last month.

"It serves a deterrence value only -- it´s good for police and security personnel to have something in their hands," said a senior interior ministry official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Pressed on whether Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents -- who have been waging an insurgency that has that claimed more than 60,000 lives in Pakistan since 2004 -- may by now be wise to the deception, he conceded: "Yes, they are savvy and they probably are aware by now."

His comments were backed by two more senior members of government, though neither was prepared to go formally on the record.

Official silence over the matter may be linked to the enormous sums of money involved in the business, observers say, while many bureaucrats fear for their jobs if they speak out.

"Powerful people make money through these scams and you cannot offend powerful people, even if it means endangering lives," said one former official at the interior ministry.

Public security threat 

Pakistan initially imported foreign detector devices such as the ADE-651 and the German made Sniffex, according to a government source, but in 2009 Pakistan´s Airport Security Force (ASF) took over making and selling the wands. 

More than 15,000 units have been sold within the country at a cost of 70,000 rupees ($700), according to an official, amounting to a total revenue of more than $10 million.

The ASF -- which declined multiple requests for comment -- is technically a civilian institution but is staffed by many serving senior officers deputed from the powerful military, which wields considerable influence over the country's defence and foreign policy.

The wands, named "Khoji" (finder), are used by security personnel to protect airports and government installations, and have also been widely sold to the private sector and deployed at malls, hotels and fast-food chains.

J Chacko, a London-based security analyst, said they were endangering lives.

"A false sense of complacency based on devices that do not work does represent a public security threat," he said.

´Snake oil ´ 

The device claims an accuracy level of 90 percent, according to a copy of its user manual obtained by AFP, but uses the principles of radiesthesia, or dowsing, which experts consider junk science.

"Khoji is the first device of its kind that can detect explosives from distances of up to 100 metres (330 feet), even when the explosive is hidden behind walls or metal barriers such as buildings or vehicles," the manual boasts.

"It detects the interference by between the magnetic field of the earth, the explosive, the device itself and the human body, which allows the device to penetrate and locate even small amounts of explosive through concrete, soil, and metal barriers."

But Andrea Sella, a professor of chemistry at the University College London, dismissed the claims as "laughable".

"There is no physical basis for the operation of those devices," he told AFP. "It´s pure snake oil, sold to desperate people who use them because something, even if useless, is better than nothing.

"There is no ´magnetic´ signal that you might be able to pick up. The idea that you could do so through metal, especially steel in a car, is laughable."

His comments were backed by Pervez Hoodbhoy, a leading Pakistani physicist who trained at the US´s MIT.

"It´s a fraud. There´s no way that explosives can be detected by electromagnetic means," he said.

Leading scientists are currently developing legitimate explosives-detectors based on sensors that "sniff" out explosive compounds such as triacetone triperoxide, but the work remains in its infancy.

A Western security consultant Afghanistan told AFP: "The only device that can currently detect such explosives is a dog."

Read More