Clinton or Trump? America decides on 45th Potus.

               

                                                                                                    A Reuters/Ipsos poll gives Clinton a 90pc chance of defeating Trump.

Americans on Nov 8 began voting for the 45th president of the United States. Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump face voters on Tuesday as millions of Americans turn out on Election Day to pick the next US president and end a bruising campaign that polls said favored Clinton.

In a battle centered largely on the character of the candidates, Clinton, 69, a former secretary of state and first lady, and Trump, 70, a New York businessman, made their final, fervent appeals to supporters late on Monday to turn out the vote.

If she wins, Hillary Clinton could become America's first female commander in chief. A Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll gave Clinton a 90 per cent chance of defeating Trump and said she was on track to win 303 electoral college votes out of 270 needed, to Trump's 235.

World markets braced for the outcome of one of the most contentious US presidential elections in history, with stocks up slightly on cautious expectations of a Clinton win. The dollar and bond yields slipped, while gold inched up.

PSP SOON HOLD A LARGE PUBLIC MEETING IN HYDERABAD: MUSTafa kamal.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        HYDERABAD: Pak Sarzameen Party leader and former Mayor Karachi Mustafa Kamal Friday said his party would soon hold a large public meeting in Hyderabad.

He said this while addressing a large number of people gathered to receive them on their first visit to Hyderabad after release of PSP leader Anis Qaimkhani from the prison in Karachi.

He said the Anis Qaimkhani was arrested in a fake case. Kamal said they would take the message of their party for a peaceful, prosperous and strong Pakistan door to door.

The rally after passing through many parts of city and Latifabad talukas concluded at the PSP office.

(LINK OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW)

SARAH BEL

How Social Enterprises and Impact Investors Can Move the Needle to Achieve the SDGs

Last month the UNDP and Impact Hub organized the first Social Good Summit in Geneva, bringing together impact investors, international organizations and entrepreneurs to discuss how to scale up and finance impact-driven ventures to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

There was a great appetite at the summit to exchange ideas. Investors were looking to meet with innovative ventures and discuss how to create a reliable pipeline of investable entrepreneurs. Bilateral and international agencies were eager to learn how to increase funding sources and leverage their resources to implement the SDGs. Not to mention the presence of five entrepreneurs, selected through the rigorous #Accelerate2030 programme, who hoped to identify partners and supporters to scale up their respective ventures.

SDGS ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS, HOW DO WE PUT THAT IN MOTION?

Betting on social entrepreneurship to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs makes sense from an impact and a financial return perspective, but the sector requires both financial and non-financial support. To put it simply, entrepreneurs need to unlock three doors: finance, market and talent.

When asked about key impediments to growth, Verena Liedgens, CFO of Agruppa, sees the key challenge as professionalization. “Everything related to back office – accounting, HR and IT – is a barrier to scale,” she said. “Social entrepreneurs in Europe and the U.S. can at times access pro bono services. This is not the case in emerging markets where companies often don’t have the resources to buy them but need them to grow.”

A 2014 report from the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs shows the value of incubators and accelerators providing early- and growth-stage companies with leadership skills, operational support and access to technology, and facilitating peer mentoring. The need to strengthen that part of the picture was certainly one of the main conclusions of the summit discussion on scale, as the demand for support exceeds largely what is freely available.

 Chinese Consortium to launch new airline in Pakistan

| Says it will bring in $3 billion investment

ISLAMABAD - Praising the country’s economy as capable of absorbing and capitalising the direct foreign investment, the Chinese investors have expressed their interest in launching a new airline in Pakistan for which they would be discussing modalities with the Government of Pakistan.

The representatives of a consortium of Chinese investment companies comprising China Huarong International Holdings Limited, China Innovative Finance Group Limited, Hong Kong Tian Group, Chandong Hi-Speed Group and China Road & Bridge Group yesterday met Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at the PM House.

Warmly welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister appreciated the Chinese delegation’s fruitful interaction with Ministries of Finance, Petroleum & Natural Resources, Water & Power and Capital Development Authority.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that members of the Chinese delegation will have a productive visit in the backdrop of briefing by various ministries about immense potential for investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure development, energy and communication sectors.

Appreciating the prudent and practical measures taken by the government for the revival of the national economy, the members of the delegation said that Pakistan is fully ready as well as capable of absorbing and capitalising the Foreign Direct Investment.

The delegation apprised the Prime Minister that they are bringing $3 billion Investment Fund to Pakistan because of the vision of the Prime Minister that focus on infrastructure development and energy sectors.

The Chinese delegation also expressed its intent to explore possibility of starting a new airline in Pakistan after the permission from the Government of Pakistan.  The Chinese side said that it is actively pursuing its investments in infrastructure, power, aviation and tourism sectors of Pakistan.

“We fully appreciate the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif which enunciates that economic prosperity is an offshoot of infrastructure connectivity and self-sufficiency in the energy sector,” the members of the delegation stated.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the leadership and brotherly people of the People’s Republic of China for their all weather support that is getting stronger with each passing day. The CPEC is a game changer that is going to transform the lives of the billions of people of the region, the PM said.

He said that the economic outlook of Pakistan has altogether changed in the last three years, which is being acknowledged globally. Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has also upgraded Pakistan’s ranking to B from B-; Pakistan is among this year’s global top 10 improvers in Doing Business 2017, the Prime Minister expressed with satisfaction.

Inflation is continuously on downward trend while reduction in petroleum prices also helped in decreasing inflation, he further added. He said the Foreign Exchange Reserves have now increased to over $24 billion. 

“Our Investment Policy has been designed to provide a comprehensive framework for creating a conducive business environment for the attraction of FDI,” the PM said. Pakistan's policy trends have been consistent, with liberalisation, de-regulation, privatisation, and facilitation being its foremost cornerstone, he stated. The Law of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) has been made to meet the global challenges of competitiveness to attract Foreign Director Investment (FDI). 

Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chairman Board of Investment Miftah Ismail, Mayor Islamabad Sh. Ansar Aziz and other senior government officials were also present during the meeting.

CPEC WESTERN ROUTE TO BE

COMPLETED BY 2018: MINISTRY

APP adds: The spokesman of Ministry of Planning and Development and Reforms said on Friday that work on the Western corridor of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is progressing in full swing and reaffirmed that the route would be completed by 2018.

The 650 km long Gwadar-Quetta section of the Western route has already been completed which according to the given time line was to be delivered in December 2016, this shows the work pace is not only smooth rather we are moving on fast track and ahead of time.

He made these remarks while clarifying a news item appeared in a section of the Press regarding CPEC and maintained that the points raised by honourable members in a meeting of Senate Committee on CPEC are inappropriate based on lack of information.

In a statement issued here, the spokesman stated that completion of the Western route would bring a new era of development and prosperity for the people living in the underdeveloped areas.

He said that construction work on the 285 km DI Khan-Hakla Road has also been commenced.

The spokesman said, CPEC is a multi-sectoral cooperation between Pakistan and our all weather friend China.

All decisions regarding CPEC projects and its execution are made with mutual consultation keeping in view the interests and well-being of the people of Pakistan, he said.

Therefore, the apprehensions expressed by the honourable members of the Senate Committee on CPEC are baseless and unfair, he added.

COAS hails team for winning international military exercise.

COAS hails team for winning international military exercise.

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RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif met with Pakistan Army team which won Gold Medal in “Exercise Cambrian Patrol” held in UK from 14-23 October.

A total of 122 teams participated in the event known as one of the toughest patrolling test for military personnel.

COAS appreciated the team for their commendable performance in winning the medal and keeping Pakistan’s flag high.

Cambrian Patrol is physically challenging and arduous exercise which concentrates on teamwork for achieving the mission. The teams of 8 men carrying up to 40 kgs each crosses some of the most unforgiving mountainous terrain of mid-Wales, UK, amid tactical and technical challenges, testing leadership, self-discipline, courage and determination of the participants.

This is the third time Pakistan Army has won Gold in the Cambrian Patrol winning the competition last year as well.

Nat Geo's 'Afghan girl' Sharbat Gula to be deported from Pakistan ALI AKBAR.                                    

•                                                                                                                                                             — UPDATED about 17 hours ago Sharbat Bibi became famously known as the 'Afghan Girl' when National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry captured her photograph at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp situated on the edge of Peshawar in 1984. Sharbat Bibi became famously known as the 'Afghan Girl' when National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry captured her photograph at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp situated on the edge of Peshawar in 1984. Nat Geo's famed 'Afghan Girl' Sharbat Gula is to be deported to Afghanistan after serving a 15-day jail sentence and paying a fine of Rs110,000, a special anti-corruption and immigration court in Peshawar ordered on Friday. Sharbat Gula was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Oct 26 from her house in the Nauthia area for alleged forgery of a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). A day after her arrest, the United Nations High Commissioner distanced itself from Sharbat Gula, claiming that she was not a registered refugee. Sharbat Gula's lawyer, Mubashir, said the accused had pleaded guilty to all charges against her in court today. He said she had served about nine days in jail since her arrest and will remain imprisoned for six more to complete her sentence before she is deported from Pakistan. During a bail hearing before a special court earlier this week, Sharbat Gula's lawyer said she is the sole bread winner of her family and is currently suffering from Hepatitis C. Judge Farah Jamshed Khan, who dismissed Sharbat Gula's bail petition on Nov 2, had directed the suspect be produced in court today and heard the case. An interim challan submitted by the FIA on Nov 1 said the suspect had already admitted her guilt during her interrogation, an official in the know earlier said. The official added that the Afghan woman had claimed that her late husband, Rehmat Gul, had earlier made a manual national identity card for her in 1988. He added that Sharbat Gula admitted during interrogation that she had later visited the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) offices outside which she met an agent, who made her CNIC after receiving some money. The FIA also registered an FIR on Oct 20 against three former Nadra employees for allegedly issuing CNICs to Sharbat Gula and two other Afghans shown as her sons. The FIR says after the completion of inquiry and checking of Nadra records, it had been established that three employees of Nadra Peshawar offices including Palwasha Afridi, Mohsin Ehsan and Emad fraudulently issued Pakistani CNICs to Afghan nationals, including Sharbat Gula, Wali Khan and Rauf Khan. The officials were charged under sections 409, 419, 420, 468, 471 and 109 of the Pakistan Panel Code, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Section 30 of the Nadra Ordinance. Palwasha Afridi and Mohsin Ahsan has secured pre-arrest bail from a court in the case, the third official has been absconding. 'Mona Lisa of Afghan war' Sharbat Bibi became famously known as the 'Afghan Girl' when National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry captured her photograph at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp situated on the edge of Peshawar in 1984 and identified her as Sharbat Gula. She gained worldwide recognition when her image was featured on the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic Magazine at a time when she was approximately 12 years old. That photo has been likened with Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. National Geographic also made a short documentary about her life and dubbed her the ‘Mona Lisa of Afghan war’.

Cyber War Between Pakistan and India Starts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the escalation of the situation on working boundary between India and Pakistan, the cyber warriors on both side of borders have prepped for a possibly long-running and likely to be horrific c
yber war that’s nearing with every passing day now.
Conventionally, cyber warriors from Pakistan and India have fought some major wars in past as the situation between nuclear neighbors has been precarious for past two decades.
It is considered as a norm that cyber warriors get into action as soon as the armed forced — from both sides — advance to borders.
First large scale cyber war between India and Pakistan was fought in 1998, then another round was played in 2004. Cyber war between both the countries during 2008 was somewhat massive but ended peacefully when senior hackers from both sides intervened.
Some small scale incidents occurred in 2014 as well.

What’s a Cyber War

For more advanced markets, a cyber war usually consists of cyber attacks on sensitive government or commercial infrastructure; leaving millions or even billions of dollars at stake. In other incidents, the private records of individuals are leaked online.
For Pakistan and India, however, cyber wars are website hacks that usually don’t pose serious threats, at least on on critical infrastructure.
However, as one may imagine, several hundred thousands or even millions of websites are defaced, hacked, infected or are deleted during the process, causing major nuisance for brands, companies, individuals, government departments and so on.
Cyber war between India and Pakistan is usually contributed by beginners who empty their silos on random websites and defaced them alongside deleting files. Naturally the data on servers is stolen and ultimately used (reused or sold) on black markets.
Not to be mentioned, in some situations, senior hackers also launch targeted attacks on government websites that cause embarrassment for the other side of the border.
Pakistani senior hackers have this track record of targeting websites by issuing advance notice to Indian counterparts.
During the process, in some cases, banks, stock exchanges, government departments, high traffic websites and news outlets are targeted.

Cyber War 2016

Reportedly the defacement of websites is already in play. Indians somehow defaced some Pakistani websites and in response tens of thousands of Indian Websites are already down with Pakistani flags on their home pages.
Major Pakistani website defacement include colgate.com.pk. Indian defaced websites include government, semi government and commercial websites.
We will keep an eye on events that will unfold during days to come and will keep updating our readers accordingly.