NEWSFLASH! The World Last Week

Govt swings into action over gas crisis in country. Chairing a high-level meeting about the arising crisis in natural gas supply to the people, the prime minister instructed the officials concerned to further coordinate planning regarding demand and supply of gas so that the consumers could not face any hardship in this regard.

Shahrukh Khan, Clinton & John Kerry dance at Ambani wedding Clinton, who arrived in Udaipur on Saturday, was seen quite excited for the celebrations as she danced to bhangra beats and Bollywood numbers with John Kerry, former US Sec Of State, the entire Ambani clan and B-Town stars including Shah Rukh Khan.

Modi suffers biggest state election loss The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was set to lose power in three key of states Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, dealing Prime Minister Narendra Modi his biggest defeat since he took office in 2014

Democrat Lawmakers: Trump Could be Impeached Top Democratic lawmakers have raised the prospect that Donald Trump may be guilty of criminal offences that could result in his impeachment.

China summons US ambassador over Huawei arrest The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, who faces US fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, has infuriated Beijing, threatening to disrupt a trade war truce between China and the United States.

Lawyers' body announces countrywide strike. The All Pakistan Bar Councils Inter-Provincial Committee has announced the holding of a countrywide strike on Dec 17 to support the demand of the Punjab Bar Council for the establishment of the Lahore High Court benches in five more cities of the province.

Chinese Troops Land in Pakistan. A special forces contingent of the People Liberation Army of China Saturday arrived in Pakistan to participate in the joint military exercise 'Warrior-VI 2018'

CPEC size to stay at $50 billion for now. Size of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will remain unchanged at $50 billion, for now, as both the countries have decided to consolidate the already approved projects amid a hope to also achieve the financial close of $1.7 billion transmission line project.

US envoy on Afghanistan meets Pakistan PM. The meeting comes days after President Donald Trump reached out to Khan, seeking his cooperation in ending the 17-year-old conflict.

Trump asks Pakistan PM for help with Afghan peace talks. Trump asked for Pakistan’s “support and facilitation” in negotiating an end to the war and offered to renew the strained relationship, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

Cane growers start three-day protest. Cane growers, supported by activists of two major organisations, started a three-day protest on Friday for their demands of fixing the current sugar cane crop's price at Rs250/40kg, immediate start of cane crushing by all mills and payment of outstanding dues by millers.

Pakistan lawmakers barred from leaving the country, briefly detained. Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, two parliamentarians from the violence-ravaged North Waziristan region bordering Afghanistan, were due to leave for United Arab Emirates on Friday, when authorities at the airport in the northwestern city of Peshawar

Pakistan batsman Babar Azam slams anchor Zainab Abbas. But the 24-year-old Pakistan batsman apparently didn't like word 'sons' in Zainab's tweet as it suggested he gets special treatment from the Australian coach in the Pakistan dressing room.

India blamed for attack in Karachi. Counter-terrorism officer Umar Khitab said that authorities are investigating whether Baluch separatist commander Aslam Achhu, who they believe masterminded the attack, is in India.

Operation against Criminals intensified in Karachi. CIA police on Friday claimed to have smashed 9 gangs of criminals by arresting their 34 members involved in armed robberies and auto-theft. The police also seized looted cash and valuables worth Rs 17.5million from their possession.

Defamation suit against PM put off A Rs10 billion defamation suit filed by Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif against Prime Minister Imran Khan was adjourned till December 7 as the additional sessions judge was on leave.

Pakistan helped US track down bin Laden: Official For the first time, Pakistan acknowledged its role in hunting down al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, debunking the oft repeated assertions that the country had provided shelter to the world’s most wanted man.

Ali and Shah place Pakistan on the brink Hasan Ali and Yasir Shah claimed five wickets each against New Zealand to put Pakistan on the brink of victory on day three of the first Test in Abu Dhabi

Pakistan can only store 10% of annual river flows The per capita water availability in Pakistan has dropped from 5,650 cubic metres in 1951 to an alarmingly low level of 908 cubic metres at present, pushing the country into the ranks of nations facing water scarcity.

Moscow Talks on Afghanistan Failed. The Moscow meetings ended without the sides agreeing on a path to direct dialogue, the delegations from the Taliban and Kabul's High Peace Council said.

Massive cyber attack on Pakistani banks. The compromised cards were sold for $100-$160, PakCERT claims, adding that there was a second dump on Oct. 31 from more than 12,000 cards, 11,000 of them from Pakistani banks. A total of 19,864 cards were compromised from 22 Pakistani banks, it said.

Turkish President demands Saudis disclose the location of Khashoggi remains Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Saudi Arabia to disclose the location of the remains of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as it's been claimed his body was cut up and thrown down a well at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Pakistan Army Chief confirms death sentence for miscreants. Pakistan's army chief has approved death sentences for 14 "hardcore terrorists" convicted by military courts for attacks in recent years that killed 19 security forces and three civilians.

Afghanistan Elections. The poll is seen as a crucial test for next year's presidential election and an important milestone ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva in November where Afghanistan is under pressure to show progress on "democratic processes".

Inflation in Pakistan Inflation would likely reach double digits, while gas and oil prices would increase by 15%

Malaysia Set To Abolish Death Penalty. The decision, welcomed by human rights groups, will affect more than 1,200 people who are on death row for crimes including murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.

Imran taps overseas housing expertise Prime Minister Imran Khan’s friend, British Pakistani businessman Aneel Musarrat, has revealed that the premier will announce the 5mn houses project

Blasphemy Case hearing in SC Asia Bibi case is being closely watched internationally and nationally as a test of Pakistan's tolerance for its minorities.

Why India is furious about a set of stamps. The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan were supposed to meet this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Why Gen Bajwa is in China. Dawood, in an interview with the Financial Times, also suggested the CPEC contracts had been unfairly negotiated by the previous government and were too favorable to the Chinese. Later he said the comments were taken out of context, but did not dispute their veracity.

Unions reject US 95 $ as minimum wage in Bangladesh Bangladesh unions staged street protests to reject what they called an "inhuman" $95 a month minimum wage fixed by the government for the country's four million garment workers.

Bangladeshi Workers in Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of Bangladeshi women working as domestic helps in Saudi households have accused their employers of committing severe physical, mental and sexual abuses.

Asia Cup 2018. ICC grants ODI status to Hong Kong's group fixtures against India and Pakistan

Musharraf Criminal Cases . The former military chief was indicted in murder case in January 2015, but was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in 2016. He had ordered a military operation in which Baloch Leader Akbar Bugti was killed.

Pakistan Cricket Coach. Grant Bradburn will step down as national coach of Scotland to take up the role of Pakistan assistant coach.

'No helmet, no fuel' for Bangladesh bikers The move is part of efforts to quell tensions after the city of nearly 20 million people was rocked by angry protests about poor road safety

Mike Pompeo in Pakistan US believes that a Pakistani crackdown on the militants could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of the long-running war in Afghanistan.

Kabul Attacked. Twin bombings at a sports club in Kabul on Wednesday killed at least 20 people and wounded 70 others, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks in the Afghan capital.

Afghan Migrants in Iran. Half the Afghans in Iran are undocumented and most are employed in the informal economy

England Vs India, 2018. As fourth Test Match gets underway problems of English top order continue to persist.

India says to help Nepal build rail link to Kathmandu. India will help Nepal construct a rail link between capital Kathmandu and an Indian border town for smoother movement of passengers and cargo to the landlocked Himalayan nation, which neighbouring China is also trying to woo with a similar plan.

Two Sentenced to death in Karachi. Ruling came five years after gunmen killed 60-year-old Zahra Shahid, who was a provincial vice president of Khan's party at the time.

US Bases in Qatar Qatar will expand two air bases including Udeid, which hosts the largest US military facility in the Middle East

Imran Khan claim to lift censor from PTV This announcement comes just a week after Pakistan had sought to ban Twitter following the refusal to block a few offensive tweets aimed at Pakistani government.

PPP, PML-N likely to field joint presidential candidate. The two main opposition parties in Pakistan, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), have, reportedly, reached an understanding to field a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election in the country next month.

Pakistan visit not political: Navjot Sidhu Under fire for the Pakistan visit, Navjot Singh Sidhu asserted it was a personal invite from Imran Khan. Sidhu explained that he was unable to attend Vajpayee’s funeral as the news reached him late.

India Pakistan Dialogue Stressed. Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated his desire for dialogue with India to resolve outstanding differences between the two countries including the disputed Kashmir.

Pakistan US Relations President Donald Trump's administration has quietly started cutting scores of Pakistani officers from coveted training and educational programs

Indonesian Police Kill Dozens ahead of Asian Games. Police in Jakarta have killed dozens of people as part of an escalating crackdown against petty criminals ahead of the Asian Games, in a campaign Amnesty International has described as “unnecessary and excessive”.

Uighurs in Chinese 'internment camps. Members of the Uighur community and others Muslims in China have been treated as "enemies of the state" and held in secret camps, a UN anti-discrimination body has said.

Good News for CSS A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui conducted hearing of the petition and issued notices to the Secretaries Ministry of Defense, Establishment Division and Federal Public Service Commission (FPC).

Renowned Bangladeshi writer Shahzahan Bachchu shot dead Bachchu, the owner of a publishing house 'Bishaka Prokashoni', had received multiple death threats for his outspoken support to secularism. His publishing house is located in Dhaka's Banglabazar area.

A new start or rerun in Korean Peninsula The highly choreographed meeting was performed by the two lead actors almost exactly as scripted.But many impromptu moments of congeniality, which drew laughs from the audience as well as from the actors themselves, highlighted the two sides’ eagerness to make the summit a success. (Jahangir World Time June 2018)

A Worrying New World Order The EU has been slow to act in the Caucasus, and too wary of upsetting Russia, concedes one deeply Atlanticist minister. But the sad reality is that, in Georgia, “the Americans have been struggling to know what to do.” It is a revealing comment

North Korea to publicly close nuclear test site The top Russian diplomat travelled to the North Korean capital last week to discuss the course of intra-Korean negotiations and de-escalation in the region with senior officials. After receiving Putin’s personal letter, Kim reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

US approaches Moscow for truce? The summit would aim at resolving longstanding differences between the U.S. and Russia on issues including Syria, Ukraine, and nuclear arms control.

Pakistan Wrestlers Fail to Perform at Commonwealth Games 2018. Pakistan's wrestlers were tipped to win atleast 3 Gold Medals at Gold Coast but their performance left them much below the standards.

Western Allies Urged Investment in Wahabi Mosques, Saudi Arabia Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told Washington Post that spread of Wahabism in overseas countries was done at request from Western Countries.

Facebook Violated Laws Protecting User Privacy, South Korea. The Korea Communication Commission (KCC) slapped Facebook with a 396 million won ($370,000) fine for violating a law against damaging the interests of users.

'Punish a Muslim Day' Game Spreads Across U.K. Ominous letters are being sent anonymously around the U.K. urging people to participate in a macabre game called “Punish a Muslim,” which awards points for doing things like burning down a mosque or throwing acid on a Muslim person.

Turkey, the most dangerous country. Analysts believe Turkey as the most dangerous in the Middle East region. Because Erdogan is a wild card who shifts his allegiances every five minutes and has so much to prove. Many have equally applied the same argument toward Israel.

US - Turkey military clash feared. A US-backed Kurdish militia has deployed fighters to the front line of Syria's Manbij to battle Turkey's military after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it would be next after launching the cross-border Afrin operation.

Saudi Arabia to Go Nuclear. As tensions between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran escalated, the Gulf monarchy said it would reserve its right to enrich uranium, which can be used in nuclear weapons.

The Olympic Ban on Russia Is a Design Triumph. Russians might consider how their government has let them down. Countries trying to develop an effective format for sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia should look no further than the International Olympic Committee's decision to ban the Russian Olympic Committee from the Pyeongchang Winter Games.

Muslim Woman to Stand Against Putin in Russian Elections. Aina Gamzatova, a successful journalist and the head of Russia's largest Muslim media holding, was nominated as a presidential candidate by a local initiative group in the Russian Republic of Dagestan in late December and is running as an independent.

UAE Turkey Row over Madina Manuscript Deepens Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leapt to the defence of an Ottoman military commander after the United Arab Emirates foreign minister retweeted accusations that Ottoman forces looted the holy city of Medina during World War One.

Who Wants a War in Middle East? Among key players, practically everyone wants to fight, as long as someone else does the fighting.

US Decides to Recognise Jerusalem as Capital of Israel.

German pilots refuse to deport rejected asylum seekers Pilots in Germany are refusing to deport rejected asylum seekers, leading to the cancellation of more than 200 flights.

Catalan politicians struggle with Spanish prison regime Catalan politicians are under investigation for sedition over a protest in September, in which a crowd blocked Civil Guard officers inside a building in Barcelona.