Have we really forgotten Mirza Ghalib, the greatest Urdu poet of all time?

Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, who was born on Dec 27, 1797 in Agra, is widely regarded as the greatest Urdu language poet. Urdu is Pakistan’s national language and there are at least half a dozen cultural organisations in Karachi, a couple of them named after Ghalib, that harp on the importance of the Urdu language.

But for some strange reason Ghalib’s birth and death anniversaries are never observed or special events are held, leave alone observed the way they merit, by these organisations. The same negligent attitude was witnessed on the poet’s 219th birthday on Tuesday, which went by completely unnoticed.

Talking to Dawn, Ghalib Library’s secretary Rauf Parekh thinks that’s not the case; “We do hold special events and we intend to do one on Feb 15, 2017. Since we are a trust, lack of funds caused us to halt our activities in the past, but rest assured we have been doing our bit. We publish 30 to 35 books on Ghalib and he is very much alive with us. This year our grant has been increased, so you will see more programmes. That being said, I concede that we have not done enough.”

President of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Ahmed Shah says: “Every year at our international Urdu conference we have a session on Ghalib. Even this year we had a lecture by Dr Nomanul Haq on ‘Ghalib Se Iqbal’. Yes, I agree that his birth and death anniversaries should be commemorated. To be honest, we were busy with our post-election stuff, so [we] could not think about it. Also, cultural organisations are not that connected to Urdu literature the way they should be. On Feb 15, which is Ghalib’s death anniversary, we will arrange a conference on his life and work...

Shah Rukh Khan has a special New Year's message for Raees fans.

Drunk driving claims more than 100,000 lives a year, and Shah Rukh Khan hopes to lower that statistic.

In a short video on Twitter hashtagged #RaeesKiSuno, the actor (threateningly) asks his fans to party but not drink and drive. Yikes!


Raees stars SRK and Mahira Khan and will release Jan 25 next year. The film's trailer was a hit and garnered positive response from both sides of the border.

Russia, Turkey agree ceasefire plan for all of Syria: Turkish state media.

Turkey and Russia have agreed a ceasefire plan for all of Syria that should come into force this evening at midnight, the Turkish state run Anadolu news agency said Wednesday.

The plan aims to expand a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo, brokered by Turkey and Russia earlier this month to allow the evacuation of civilians, to all of the country, it said.

But, like previous ceasefire plans that had been brokered by the United States and Russia, it excludes "terror" groups, the agency said...

If successful, the plan will form the basis of upcoming political negotiations between the regime and opposition overseen by Russia and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana, it added.

Turkey and Russia will work for the plan to come into force at midnight, the agency said, without giving further details...

It was not immediately clear how and where the plan had been agreed but there have been talks in the last weeks between Turkey, Russia and Syrian opposition representatives in Ankara.

Ankara and Moscow have been on opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, with Turkey seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, along with Iran, his key international ally..

But the two countries have started in the last months to cooperate more tightly on Syria, especially after a deal in summer to normalise ties battered by Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane last year.

Ankara remained conspicuously quiet as Assad's forces, backed by Russia, took control last week of all of Aleppo in the biggest defeat for the rebels in the civil war so far.

Trump should develop clearer policies to ease tension between Pakistan, India: Experts

US President-elect Donald Trump should develop clearer US policies to ease strains between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India, senior analysts said at a discussion at the US Institute of Peace (USIP).

The discussion followed an escalation across the Line of Control that has further strained ties between the two countries.

Two analysts taking part in the discussion said that relations between India and Pakistan were becoming less predictable as nationalist sentiment in India heightens political pressure to escalate its response to clashes in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

“The fear of direct military conflict is real,” Shamila Chaudhary, a former Pakistan director at the U.S. National Security Council said, referring to recent attacks in India-held Kashmir, which India has blamed on Pakistan.

Chaudhary said that every new administration wants to solve the India-Pakistan standoff, a possibility that Trump and his vice president-elect, Mike Pence, have indicated in recent months.

She was, however, of the opinion that it was not going to work, and added that more modest goals for the upcoming administration could be to consolidate or better coordinate US policy making on India and Pakistan...


Chaudhary suggested strengthening private diplomacy to build communication between the countries and limiting public statements, which “don’t work well in the region”.

Speaking on the ties between the US and Pakistan, Sameer Lalwani, deputy director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center, said that although the US has slashed aid to Pakistan, Washington still needs a working relationship with Pakistani authorities.

The US needs Pakistani cooperation on intelligence, homeland security and counter-terrorism, the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) extremists, and stabilizing Afghanistan, he said.

The new administration needs to consider what problems the next India-Pakistan crisis could present to US policymakers, Toby Dalton, the co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.

He said it was critical that the United States maintain intelligence ties with each country, apart from any other issues in its relations with them.

Sadanand Dhume, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that US efforts to forge tighter bonds with India while ignoring India’s concerns about Pakistan is “a circle that can no longer be squared”.

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi won election in 2014 in part by running as a nationalist who would not be pushed around by Pakistan, Dhume said.

Anything that erodes Modi’s image as a strong leader will become a political liability as India moves toward its next parliamentary elections in 2019, and so “India is becoming much more hawkish in its public opinion and its politics,” he said.

The India-Pakistan conflict has never been a priority in US foreign policy and it is unlikely to become one for the Trump administration, the analysts agreed.

Despite the United States' “vital interest in averting any escalation of nuclear threats between the two countries, it has done little long-term planning to prevent it and generally engages the issue only when crises arise”, Chaudary said.

The India-Pakistan experts suggested that the next administration would do well to bring new focus and coherence to US policy.

Solutions for conflicts dividing India and Pakistan are well known, Moeed Yusuf, USIP’s associate vice president for Asia programs, said.

Acknowledging the difficulties of bringing India and Pakistan to any agreement, he asked, “Is it really impossible? At the end of the day, normalisation solves everyone’s problems,” he added.

Pakistani-American doctor wins Nato Scientific Achievement Award 2016.

A Pakistani-American doctor has won the “Scientific Achievement Award 2016” from the Nato Science and Technology Organization (STO) for his extra-ordinary performance in research on medical countermeasures against biological agents.

STO, the largest Nato organisation for defence science and technology, honoured Dr Rashid A. Chotani, who was part of a task group researching medical countermeasures against biological agents.

Dr Chotani has worked in the healthcare industry, government and academia in areas such as advanced development of vaccines, therapeutic and diagnostic countermeasures, bio-surveillance etc. As a senior scientist, Dr Chotani has spent more than 20 years in providing bio-security and public health expertise to both public agencies and private industry.

He is an expert in the identification, surveillance and diagnosis of human and zoonotic infectious diseases. His success in the academic field includes establishing and directing the Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Alert System (GIDSAS) at Johns Hopkins University..

In Pakistan, Dr Chotani helped in upgrading the Early Warning System at the National Institute of Health (NIH), re-developed and furbished the Epidemic Investigation Cell (EIC) with basic infrastructural needs, as well as housed six qualified epidemiologists to assist in disease surveillance..

He has also played an important role as the adviser to the Ministry of Health in developing Pakistan's influenza preparedness plan...

The Nato Achievement Award recognises the outstanding contributions made to STO's sponsored activities that continue to widen STO's technological mandate.

Pakistan’s fourth nuclear power plant goes online.

Pakistan´s fourth nuclear power plant went online Wednesday, a joint collaboration with China that adds 340 megawatts to the national grid as part of the government´s efforts to end a growth-sapping energy deficit.

Pakistan is one of the few developing countries pursuing atomic energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, as it seeks to close an electricity shortfall that can stretch up to 7,000 MW in peak summer months, or around 32 percent of total demand.

The Chashma-III reactor, located some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of capital Islamabad, is the third built as part of  a collaboration between the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

The country´s first nuclear plant was supplied by Canada in 1972, with an installed capacity of 137 MW.

"Today we have crossed an important milestone in the journey to free the nation from scheduled power cuts. I am thankful to Allah and congratulate the entire nation," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told an inaugural ceremony attended by Chinese and Pakistani officials...

He said that a fourth Chashma plant was expected to be commissioned by April 2017. Two more reactors would follow at an unspecified date in central Pakistan, as well as two giant 2,200 MW power stations in southern Karachi. Islamabad is aiming to produce 8,800 MW from atomic energy by 2030.

Pakistan has been struggling to provide enough power to its nearly 200 million citizens for years, and Sharif has vowed to solve the crisis by 2018.

The energy sector has traditionally struggled to cover the cost of producing electricity, leading the government to divert $2 billion annually as a subsidy, according to a recent report commissioned by the British government.

China meanwhile is ramping up investment in its South Asian neighbour as part of a $46 billion project unveiled last year that will link its far-western Xinjiang region to Pakistan´s Gwadar port with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.

Last week Pakistan´s main bourse announced that a Chinese consortium was set to acquire a 40 percent stake in the stock exchange in a deal estimated at $84 million.

Shanghai Electric announced in August it would buy a majority stake in the utility that supplies energy to Karachi for $1.7 billion, in the country´s biggest ever private-sector acquisition.

Deepika's Hollywood debut to release in India before anywhere else.

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone disclosed that her upcoming Hollywood debut film xXx: The Return of Xander Cage will release in India first before anywhere else in the world.

The actress made the announcement via a tweet and claimed that she was proud of the fact that the movie will be released in her home country before anywhere else in the world.

The action-packed trailer paints a clear picture of what the movie would be like. Plenty of action in there Xander Cage style, with Diesel jumping off of planes, firing shots left, right and center as well as indulging in fierce hand-to-hand combats.

In the movie, Xander Cage is tasked to retrieve a device which controls every military satellite in the world from a group of four dangerous terrorists. In doing so, the lethal agent needs a team of his own composed of eccentric individuals. Padukone, who plays a huntress in the movie, also joins Cage's team.

This will be Deepika's first ever Hollywood venture. Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has already made it big in Hollywood thanks mainly to her hit TV series Quantico.

As 2016 ends, Bollywood at the edge of a cliff.

For the third straight year, the Indian film industry did not grow. As some studios shut up shop, Hollywood films such as “The Jungle Book” trumped most Hindi films at the box office. Big-ticket movies didn’t strike a chord with audiences and the industry finds itself scrambling for a long-term solution.

Apart from Salman Khan’s wrestling drama “Sultan”, the year’s top grosser with more than 3 billion rupees ($44 million) in revenue, most Bollywood films couldn’t woo audiences or recover their money.

The Bollywood industry made around 23 billion rupees ($338 million) in domestic box-office revenue in 2016, a significant drop from the 27 billion rupees ($397 million) in 2015, according to Shailesh Kapoor, who runs media consulting firm Ormax Media. The 2016 figures are till Dec. 22 and do not include box-office returns for Aamir Khan’s “Dangal”, which released last Friday.

Bollywood is hugely dependent on its male stars to deliver blockbusters, specifically the trio of Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, who have delivered some of the industry’s biggest hits. But this year, even Shah Rukh Khan’s “Fan”, a thriller about a man obsessed with a movie star floundered at the box office.

“There are two kinds of films that work at the box office, the big star vehicles like ‘Sultan’ and the niche content films like ‘Piku’ last year. There weren’t too many of either this year. ‘Fan’ not making it past the 100 crore ($14 million) mark was a huge setback,” Kapoor said..

More than 200 Hindi films opened in cinemas this year. Of these, some 60-odd films got a proper release and had a marketing budget. Only 12-14 films made a profit, Kapoor said.

What must strike fear in Bollywood’s heart though is that the number two position in terms of box-office revenue was taken by a Hollywood film. “The Jungle Book”, Disney’s live-action film based on Rudyard Kipling’s book made around 1.8 billion rupees ($26 million) in India, surpassing every other Hindi film except “Sultan”. Marathi film “Sairat” (Wild) also enamoured audiences, crossing the 100 crore rupee ($14 million) mark, more than what most Bollywood films managed.

Biopics might have been the saving grace in 2016 with films such as Ram Madhvani’s “Neerja”, based on the last hours of flight purser Neerja Bhanot, and “M S Dhoni: The Untold Story”, finding audiences. Raja Krishna Menon’s “Airlift”, based on true events surrounding the evacuation of Indians during the Gulf War was one of the first big hits of 2016, making more than a billion rupees at the box office.

“Films like ‘Neerja’ and ‘Pink’ prove that ultimately, content is what matters. Star vehicles are few and far between and even those work when the story clicks,” said trade analyst Amod Mehra.

The problem with star vehicles is that Bollywood doesn’t have too many of them. Other than the Khans, and Akshay Kumar, who had two big films this year (“Rustom” and “Airlift”), no other actor delivered a big weekend opening.

The lack of consistent success took its toll on the industry. In September, media reports said Disney India had decided to shut down its Hindi production department, and would not greenlight any films in 2017.

Balaji Motion Pictures, owned by Ekta Kapoor, which burned its fingers with films like “Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3”, “Azhar” and “Great Grand Masti” also reportedly shut down its film production wing, with the film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s “Half Girlfriend” likely to be its only film in 2017.

“No individual producer has the money to make a film - they have to go to the studios for funding. The biggest problem is the stars - they need to scale down on fees and bring down the cost of making films, but none of them will do that,” Mehra said.

Kapoor said his firm tested more scripts on a test audience this year than in the last three years combined, as studios and production houses looked to cut losses and guard against failure.

Narendra Modi and his government’s demonetisation drive only added to the industry’s woes, with single screens in smaller towns facing the brunt of the decision and several films have seen depleted collections since November.

“Especially in the smaller centres and for the regional industry, demonetisation has largely impacted revenues because there is a huge cash component. In the long run, it would have a positive impact, because even smaller theatres would be forced to go digital, which leads to more transparency,” said Rajkumar Akella, Managing Director, Comscore Theatrical India, which tracks box-office figures for many industry bodies..

Whether it was demonetisation, or just the lack of good films on screen, audiences this year were harsher than before, with films such as “Rock On 2” and “Mirzya”, failing to cover their marketing costs, let alone production costs.

“From our qualitative understanding, people are really beginning to question whether they really need to go to theatres to watch average content. They are happy to watch it on TV or by downloading pirated content,” said Kapoor. “Eventually they will feel that it's not their money's worth, they will stop going to theatres, and the habit will break.”

As companies such as Netflix and Amazon try harder to draw Indians away from TV and theatre screens, offering the same content at half the cost, Bollywood will have to use every trick in the book to make sure it retains its audiences in the coming year.

Trump says UN just a club for people to 'have a good time'.

The statement came days after the UN Security Council voted to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The president-elect wrote Monday on Twitter that the UN has “such great potential,” but it has become “just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad...!”

On Friday, Trump warned, “As to the UN, things will be different after Jan 20th,” referring to the day he takes office.

The decision by the Obama administration to abstain from Friday's UN vote brushed aside Trump's demands that the US exercise its veto and provided a climax to years of icy relations with Israel's leadership.

Trump told The Associated Press last December that he wanted to be “very neutral” on Israel-Palestinian issues. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the presidential campaign progressed. He has spoken disparagingly of Palestinians, saying they have been “taken over” by or are condoning militant groups...

Trump's tweet Monday about the UN ignores much of the work that goes on in the 193-member global organisation.

This year the UN Security Council has approved over 70 legally binding resolutions, including new sanctions on North Korea and measures tackling conflicts and authorising the UN's far-flung peacekeeping operations around the world.

The General Assembly has also approved dozens of resolutions on issues, like the role of diamonds in fuelling conflicts; condemned human rights abuses in Iran and North Korea; and authorised an investigation of alleged war crimes in Syria.

Scarlett Johansson is 2016 top-grossing movie star.

Scarlett Johansson was named the top-grossing actor of 2016 on Tuesday thanks to her roles in superhero movie "Captain America: Civil War" and Hollywood satire "Hail Caesar."

Forbes said Johansson just edged out her "Captain America" co-stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey with box-office earnings of her second 2016 movie, "Hail Caesar."Johansson's movies grossed a leading $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office this year, compared with $1.15 billion for "Captain America: Civil War."

Released in May and featuring a conflict between Marvel comic book heroes like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow and Ant Man, Walt Disney Co's "Captain America" was the biggest earner worldwide in 2016, according to data from Boxofficemojo.com.

Australian actress Margot Robbie, who enjoyed a break-out year, placed fourth with $1.1 billion thanks to roles in two Warner Bros movies "Suicide Squad" and "The Legend of Tarzan."

The Forbes list was dominated by superhero and comic book movies, including "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Deadpool..."

Britain's Felicity Jones entered the Forbes list for the first time, with roles in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," thriller "Inferno" and magical children's story "A Monster Calls." Jones came in ninth place with $805 million.Forbes made its calculations based on global ticket sales from the films of top Hollywood actors, but it did not count animated movies such as Disney's "Finding Dory," the second biggest release of 2016 with $1.02 billion.

Obama, Abe show solidarity in Pearl Harbor visit.

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a symbolic joint visit to Pearl Harbor to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance on Tuesday, weeks before Republican Donald Trump takes over at the White House.

Abe and Obama commemorated the dead at the USS Arizona Memorial, built over the remains of the sunken battleship USS Arizona. Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to visit the memorial, a centrepiece of the historic site.

The two leaders stood solemnly in front of a wall inscribed with the names of those who died in the 1941 attack and took part in a brief wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a moment of silence.

"In Remembrance, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan" was written on one wreath and "In Remembrance, Barack Obama, President of the United States" on the other.

They then threw flower petals into the water. Later they both will make remarks. Officials said Abe would not apologise for the attack.

Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor with torpedo planes, bombers and fighter planes on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, pounding the U.S. fleet moored there in the hope of destroying U.S. power in the Pacific.

Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, and Abe met ahead of the visit to discuss ties between the two former World War Two foes before heading to the site.

Japan hopes to present a strong alliance with the United States amid concerns about China's expanding military capability.

The leaders' meeting was also meant to reinforce the U.S.-Japan partnership ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Trump, whose opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and campaign threat to force allied countries to pay more to host U.S. forces raised concerns among allies such as Japan.

Abe met with Trump in New York in November and called him a "trustworthy leader..."

The Japanese leader's visit to Pearl Harbor comes months after Obama became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where the United States dropped an atomic bomb in 1945.

Obama called for a world without nuclear arms during his visit there. Trump last week called for the United States to "greatly strengthen and expand" its nuclear capability and reportedly welcomed an international arms race.

German lawmakers urge security measures after market attack.

http://www.aajnewz.com/2016/12/28/german-lawmakers-urge-security-measures-after-market-attack/

Who planted so-called fake news about Israeli threat to destroy Pakistan?

Social media is abuzz with news accusing Pakistan of threatening to nuke Israel in response to a news published by a German-own website (www.awdnews.com) quoting the former Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon as saying that Israel will nuke Pakistan if it sends ground troops to Syria.

The reaction from Pakistan came from Defence Minister Kh Asif, who tweeted Friday: “Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming Pak role in Syria against Daesh. Israel forgets Pakistan is a nuclear state too”

Israel’s defence ministry tweeted back Saturday, saying the original story on the site AWD News was “never said” and is “entirely false”.

The social media and news media is blaming Pakistan for reacting to the www.wednews.com report which was false or fake.

Interestingly, the news media did not question who planted such a report? Who was behind this serious story? It is simply saying that the report was fake and it was foolish on part of Pakistan to respond to this news.

It is a common knowledge that the so-called “fake” news is an important material which cannot be swept away as it plays an important role in forming public opinion which we witnessed during the last November presidential election.

The Washington Post reported on November 24 that “fake” news played an important role in the last presidential election: “The flood of “fake news” this election season got support from a sophisticated Russian propaganda campaign that created and spread misleading articles online with the goal of punishing Democrat Hillary Clinton, helping Republican Donald Trump and undermining faith in American democracy, say independent researchers who tracked the operation”.

Hence, the basic question remains who was behind planting this serious news on this German website. Pakistan cannot be blamed for responding to this “fake” news.

Trump adopting same behaviour he criticised Clinton for...

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump spent the past two years attacking rival Hillary Clinton as crooked, corrupt, and weak.

From installing Wall Street executives in his Cabinet to avoiding news conferences, the president-elect is adopting some of the same behavior for which he criticized Clinton during their fiery presidential campaign.

 Trump said...

Then: "I know the guys at Goldman Sachs," Trump said at a South Carolina rally in February, when he was locked in a fierce primary battle with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. "They have total, total control over him. Just like they have total control over Hillary Clinton."

Now: A number of former employees of the Wall Street bank will pay a key role in crafting Trump's economic policy. He's tapped Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn to lead the White House National Economic Council. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary nominee, spent 17 years working at Goldman Sachs and Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist and senior counselor, started his career as an investment banker at the firm.

Trump is following in a long political tradition, though one he derided on the campaign trail: If Cohn accepts the nomination, he'll be the third Goldman executive to run the NEC.

BIG DONORS

Then: "Crooked Hillary. Look, can you imagine another four years of the Clintons? Seriously. It's time to move on. And she's totally controlled by Wall Street and all these people that gave her millions," Trump said at a May rally in Lynden, Washington.

Now: Trump has stocked his Cabinet with six top donors — far more than any recent White House. "I want people that made a fortune. Because now they're negotiating with you, OK?" Trump said, in a December 9 speech in Des Moines.

The biggest giver? Incoming small business administrator Linda McMahon gave $7.5 million to a super PAC backing Trump, more than a third of the money collected by the political action committee.

‘King of Drift’ arrives in Pakistan to teach drifting skills.

Ahmad Daham, who has his name entered in Guinness Book of World Records for an astonishing performance of 28.5 kilometres of non-stop drifting, said that Pakistan – like any other country – has a lot of talent in drifting, the only thing drifter in the country need is proper guidance.

“I am here to promote car park drifting. A lot of people here love drifting, but they don’t know how exactly to drift.” Daham told media in Karachi.

The 29-year-old drifter said that he’ll organise a workshop in Lahore next week to teach local drifters some basic skills of drifting, hoping that his guidance will help Pakistani drifters to put an impact on the global drifting scene.

“I will conduct a workshop here to teach drifting skills, teach whatever I have learnt to take drifting out of the roads to a safe environment on safer tracks,” he said.

“There must be very talented drifters in Pakistan, but there is no one to guide them in the right way. I will tell them how to set up their cars for drifting, in able to participate in the drifting scene,” he added.

Ahmed who has won several drifting competition across the Middle East, insisted that drifting shouldn’t be done on open roads and there is a need to have proper tracks in order to promote drifting as sports in Pakistan.

“Anyone can participate in car park drift, it doesn’t need any high power vehicle, it is all about skills,” he said while explaining the difference between normal drifting and carpark drifting.

Ahmed Daham added that drifting is growing sports and has already become the second biggest game in motorsports after formula one.

Iran says will only pay half price for new Boeing planes.

According to the Sunday report, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan says that despite an initial $16.8 billion deal with Boeing to purchase 80 passenger planes, “regarding the style of our order and its options, the purchase contract for 80 Boeing aircraft is worth about 50 per cent of the amount.”

He did not elaborate.

Boeing has made no immediate comment.

Iran announced earlier this month that it had finalised the deal, which was made possible by last year's landmark nuclear agreement.

It is the largest single contract with an US company since the 1979 revolution and takeover of the US Embassy.

Queen's Christmas message praises nation's 'unsung heroes'.

The Queen has said in her annual Christmas message that she draws strength from unsung heroes, celebrating "ordinary people doing extraordinary things".

The Queen paid tribute to those who win medals, highlighting the success of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, against the backdrop of footage showing a Buckingham Palace reception in honour of the winners.

She also praised the dedication of doctors, paramedics and other medics who save lives.

But, she added, "to be inspirational you don't have to save lives or win medals.

"I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours; unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special," she said.

In her message, broadcast like every year at 3pm on Christmas Day and shown in all Commonwealth countries, the monarch looks back on a momentous year that saw Britain's historic decision to leave the EU.

There was no mention of Brexit, but the Queen appeared to turn her thoughts to the world's problems.

"But even with the inspiration of others, it's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help," she said.

"On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine."

The Queen, who turned 90 in April, also paid tribute to the hard work carried out by the hundreds of charities she supports as patron.

"Many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do.

"From giving friendship and support to our veterans, the elderly or the bereaved; to championing music and dance; providing animal welfare; or protecting our fields and forests, their selfless devotion and generosity of spirit is an example to us all."

And she gave a nod to the achievements of her own family.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award marked its 60th anniversary this year and The Prince's Trust has celebrated 40 years of helping young people.

Mariah Carey Brings Cheery ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ To Disney Xmas Parade.

The singer was invited to belt out her holiday hit at Disney’s Magical Christmas Celebration on Dec. 25! With Christmas Day finally upon us, this was the perfect performance to get us in the holiday spirit.

Never one to do anything small, Mariah Carey performed amid a completely lit up castle in Disney, with Christmas trees and presents scattered throughout the stage as she belted out “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The fabulous singer stunned in a sparkling, beaded silver dress — so perfect for the holidays! She was joined by dancers in Christmas colors, busting moves to the beat of her hit song.

Mariah released “All I Want For Christmas Is You” way back in 1994, but the song is more popular than ever during Christmastime more than 20 years later. And considering MiMi’s career is back and hotter than ever these days, it was the perfect winter season for her to perform it on various TV specials and shows, finishing off, of course, with this big Christmas Day event.

Israel strikes back after UN settlement vote, Pope Francis hopes for peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. —AFP

Israel on Sunday summoned representatives of states that supported a UN resolution demanding it halt settlement activity, while cutting civilian coordination with Palestinians by way of rebuke.

Foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said that the 14 envoys of UN Security Council members will visit the ministry in Jerusalem throughout the day.

The Council passed the measure Friday after the United States abstained, enabling the adoption of the first resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy. The US envoy was not summoned.

The resolution demands “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem.”

It says settlements have “no legal validity” and are “dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had rejected the resolution as a “shameful blow against Israel,” repeated on Sunday the Israeli claim that US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were behind the resolution.

“We have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated the drafts and demanded to pass it,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting.

“This is of course in total contradiction to the traditional American policy of not trying to impose conditions of a final resolution,” Netanyahu said, “and of course the explicit commitment of President Obama himself in 2011 to avoid such measures.”

The resolution contains no sanctions, Israeli officials are concerned it could widen the possibility of prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

They are also worried it could encourage some countries to impose sanctions against Israeli settlers and goods produced in the settlements.

Earlier on Sunday, army radio reported that Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the Israeli security establishment to cease to all cooperation on civilian matters with the Palestinians, while retaining security coordination.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the report.

The measures taken Sunday join Netanyahu's order to review engagements at the United Nations, including funding for UN agencies and the presence of UN representatives in Israel.

Rightwing Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Saturday night that Israel should “announce a full annexation of settlement blocs” in response to the resolution.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. —AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. —AFP

Israel on Sunday summoned representatives of states that supported a UN resolution demanding it halt settlement activity, while cutting civilian coordination with Palestinians by way of rebuke.

Foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said that the 14 envoys of UN Security Council members will visit the ministry in Jerusalem throughout the day.

The Council passed the measure Friday after the United States abstained, enabling the adoption of the first resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy. The US envoy was not summoned.

The resolution demands “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem.”

It says settlements have “no legal validity” and are “dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had rejected the resolution as a “shameful blow against Israel,” repeated on Sunday the Israeli claim that US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were behind the resolution.

“We have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated the drafts and demanded to pass it,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting.

“This is of course in total contradiction to the traditional American policy of not trying to impose conditions of a final resolution,” Netanyahu said, “and of course the explicit commitment of President Obama himself in 2011 to avoid such measures.”

The resolution contains no sanctions, Israeli officials are concerned it could widen the possibility of prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

They are also worried it could encourage some countries to impose sanctions against Israeli settlers and goods produced in the settlements.

Earlier on Sunday, army radio reported that Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the Israeli security establishment to cease to all cooperation on civilian matters with the Palestinians, while retaining security coordination.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the report.

The measures taken Sunday join Netanyahu's order to review engagements at the United Nations, including funding for UN agencies and the presence of UN representatives in Israel.

Rightwing Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Saturday night that Israel should “announce a full annexation of settlement blocs” in response to the resolution.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home told army radio that his party would “soon propose a bill to annex Maale Adumim,” a settlement city east of Jerusalem.

Pope Francis on Sunday hoped for peace between Israelis and Palestinians as he gave his Christmas address, urging the two sides to “write a new page of history”.

“Peace to women and men of the beloved Holy Land, the land chosen and favoured by God,” the pontiff told crowds at the Vatican in his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and The World) message.

“May Israelis and Palestinians have the courage and the determination to write a new page of history, where hate and revenge give way to the will to build together a future of mutual understanding and harmony.

How JonBenét Ramsey's Murder Changed Pop Culture Forever.

Exactly 20 years ago today, JonBenét Ramsey's parents saw their little girl alive one last time...

Nearly eight hours after Patsy Ramsey claimed she discovered a lengthy, handwritten ransom note that catalyzed the chilling 911 call alerting authorities to the 6-year-old's disappearance, JonBenét's body was found in the basement of the family's Boulder, Colo. home—asphyxiated and her skull fractured.

There was no need for John Ramsey to withdraw $118,000 from his bank account, as the alleged kidnappers requested for the safe return of his daughter. There was no need for her father to rest up for the "exhausting" money delivery, as the note recommended..

JonBenét was dead, and the entire world refused to look away.

Even two decades after the Ramsey family buried their only daughter, the public's insatiable thirst for the case has yet to be quenched.  It's perplexing, when thousands of children lose their lives to these senseless acts ever year, how JonBenét's story still resonates as one of the most notorious murder cases in history.

Dangal box office collection day 3: All the records Aamir Khan’s film has already broken.

 Dangal be a new phenomenon for filmmakers? As a film, Aamir Khan’s Dangal was not entirely a new concept for a Hindi film. We have had enough sports and biopic films in the past 10 years. Its biggest challenge was comparisons with another wrestling drama Sultan released just a few months back. Yet, within two days of release, the film is getting unprecedented love from the audience.


Aamir Khan film has collected Rs 64.60 crore in two days. It has already crossed the lifetime collection of films including Befikre (Rs. 59.30 crore), Force 2 ( Rs 35.72 crore), Kahaani 2 (Rs 30.56 crore) and Wajah Tum Ho (Rs 10.29 crore). All these films have been released in the past two months. With a first day collection of Rs 29.78 crore, Dangal also has the second highest opening day collection of this year after Sultan.

Dangal also became the first Hindi film ever to have got the highest opening in Australia. Trade Analyst Komal Nahata shared, “Dangal opened to packed houses in Australia (USD 181K), making it the highest opening for any Hindi film ever in Australia.” Dangal has so far collected Rs 2.55 crore and Rs 4.41 crore in Australia and UK & Ireland respectively. The film has collected Rs 28.49 crore from overseas market.

FIFA looking at player behaviour - Van Basten

LONDON: FIFA is thinking about introducing new measures to improve player behaviour towards match officials, chief officer for technical development Marco van Basten revealed on Saturday.

The former Netherlands striker and manager says football's world governing body could follow the lead of rugby union, in which only team captains are allowed to speak to referees...

"There are a lot of players now who are complaining during a game," Van Basten told the BBC.

"I am sure the behaviour of the players can be better. We are thinking about putting it back in the right direction."

Asked if football could learn from rugby, Van Basten said: "I think we can learn from every sport and they can learn from us, but we have to confront the problem."

He added: "This is what we have to do to help the referees. We try to make a good product -- dynamic, exciting -- but in the end also honest."

"There's a lot of emotion in the game and that's what's good, but we have to control it also."

Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt dies aged 68.

LONDON: Rick Parfitt, the guitarist of British rock group Status Quo, died in hospital on Saturday in Spain aged 68 after suffering from a severe infection.

"He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fellow band members, management, crew and his dedicated legion of fans from throughout the world, gained through 50 years of monumental success with Status Quo," his family and Status Quo Manager Simon Porter said in a joint statement.

"He died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of a severe infection, having been admitted to hospital on Thursday evening following complications to a shoulder injury incurred by a previous fall," his family said.

Parfitt is survived by his wife Lyndsay, their twins Tommy and Lily and Rick’s adult children Rick Jnr and Harry.

"I cannot describe the sadness I feel right now. To many he was a rockstar, to me he was simply 'Dad', and I loved him hugely. RIP Pappa Parf," Rick Jnr said on Twitter.

Born in Woking, in Surrey, England, on 12 October 1948, Parfitt learned the guitar at 11 and met future Status Quo partner Francis Rossi at Butlins holiday camp when they were teenagers in the 1960s.

The meeting would herald one of the most successful British rock bands of the 20th Century, with hits such as "Rockin' All Over The World" and "Whatever You Want".

Thrashing long blond hair while playing a white Telecaster guitar, Parfitt, in the words of Queen Guitarist Brian May, "joyfully rocked our world".

Beside the fame, wealth and women of a top rock career, Parfitt battled drugs and alcohol which took a toll on his health. He had quadruple heart bypass in 1997 but while recovering he continued to smoke in the hospital.

He was a self-confessed drug addict for many years, though he later kicked the habit.

"I haven't smoked a joint for 27 years and I haven't done any cocaine for 10 years. I just do normal stuff - the kids keep me busy and I go shopping with the missus," he told reporters in 2014.

Parfitt pulled out of the band's tour on medical advice.

In a music career spanning more than 50 years, Parfitt appealed to millions with the Quo's brand of boogie-woogie rock, particularly with hits such as "Whatever You Want" which he co-wrote.

"Turn around, give me a shout, I take it all, You squeeze me dry, And now today, You couldn't even say goodbye," the lyrics read.

Quake of magnitude 7.7 strikes in southern Chile: USGS

LONDON: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 struck 225 km (140 miles) southwest of Puerto Montt in southern Chile on Sunday, the United States Geological Survey said.

It was earlier reported as magnitude 7.6. The quake's depth was about 15 km (nine miles)

The biggest quake to hit Chile in recent years was an 8.8-magnitude tremor that struck the central-southern region in 2010, triggering a tsunami and killing more than 500 people...

Practice drills are frequent in Chile and builders follow strict construction codes, which help to limit death and destruction when tremors hit.

Obama regrets his failure to close Guantanamo prison.

Barack Obama has harshly criticised Congress for wanting to retain the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, despite his multiple efforts to close it.

On Friday, Mr Obama signed into law a US defence policy bill that authorises $611 billion for the military in 2017 and lauded its focus to sustaining momentum in countering the militant Islamic State group. But the bill forbids him from closing the prison.

In his first election campaign in 2008, the outgoing president pledged to close the prison but he completes his second and final term on Jan 20 without fulfilling his desire. In February, he submitted a shutdown plan to Congress, but Republican lawmakers, who dominate both chambers, rejected the proposal.

Instead, they informed the Democratic administration that they want to keep the facility as a permanent feature in the war on terrorism. Since the incoming president is also a Republican there’s little doubt that the lawmakers will achieve their target.

“Spending hundreds of millions of dollars, year after year, to keep fewer than sixty men in an isolated detention facility in Cuba is not consistent with our interests as a nation and undermines our standing in the world,” Mr Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.

He argued that maintain the prison weakens US national security by draining resources, damaging its relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists.

Mr Obama said that during his two terms the administration transferred over 175 detainees from Guantanamo, and the population once held at the facility has now been reduced from 242 to 59. Noting that in the last 2 years, his administration transferred 73 detainees, the president said his efforts to transfer additional detainees will continue “until the last day I am in office.”

‘It is long past time for the Congress to lift the restrictions it has imposed, work to responsibly and safely close the facility, and remove this blot on our national honor. Unless the Congress changes course, it will be judged harshly by history,” he added. The 2017 defence bill renews the bar against using officials funds to construct or modify any facility in the United States, its territories, or possessions to house any Guantanamo detainee in the custody or under the control of the US Department of Defence unless authorised by Congress.

Will not ask PCB for farewell match, Shahid Afridi

The matter of Shahid Afridi's retirement from T20 internationals took another turn on Sunday when the former T20 captain said he would not ask the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give him a farewell match.

The veteran cricketer had earlier requested the PCB for a farewell match so that he could exit international arena in a befitting manner.

At the closing ceremony of a cricketing event organised by the Peshawar Zalmi at Islamia College Peshawar, Afridi said, "I will not request PCB to give me a farewell match. I have earned enough respect on my own."

"I earn love from my fans and cricket-lovers. It matters to me the most," Afridi said.

Chief selector and former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had reportedly tried to convince the PCB to pick Afridi for a T20 series against the West Indies earlier this year so he could play a game and announce his retirement. However, the PCB reportedly scrapped the idea.

According to reports, PCB chief Shaharyar Khan and Inzamam had both given approval for Afridi’s inclusion as the 16th player in the line-up of the final match against the West Indies, but the plan was dismissed after Najam Sethi objected to the method of his selection, claiming if the selectors were confident he was good enough to represent the country, then he should be included in the 15-man squad.

Afridi today also expressed the view that the Pakistan-India ties can be improved through sports and cricket, but India must also show interest in resuming ties.

Pope comforts terror victims in Christmas message.

 Pope Francis urged peace in the Middle East as tens of thousands gathered to hear his Christmas address Sunday, while offering comfort to victims of terrorism after a year of bloody jihadist attacks.

The 80-year-old Argentine called for guns to fall silent in Syria, saying "far too much blood has been spilled" in the nearly six-year conflict.

And he urged Israelis and Palestinians to "have the courage and the determination to write a new page of history" in his message from the balcony of Saint Peter´s Basilica to a crowd of 40,000 gathered in the square below which, despite the sunny weather, was far from full.

As Europe ramped up security for the holiday just days after the truck attack that left 12 dead at a Berlin Christmas market, the leader of the world´s 1.2 billion Catholics said he hoped for "peace to those who have lost a person dear to them as a result of brutal acts of terrorism".

In Milan, where suspected Berlin attacker Anis Amri was killed in a police shootout on Friday, there was a heavy police presence around the cathedral. The entrance has been protected by concrete barriers since the Berlin attack.

In France, where Berlin has raised grim memories of the jihadist truck rampage in June that left 86 people dead, 91,000 members of the security forces have been deployed to guard public spaces including churches and markets over the weekend.

Religious ceremonies in Germany were heavy with the weight of Monday´s attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

"Christmas this year carries a deep wound -- we are celebrating this festival in a different way this year," said Gebhard Fuerst, bishop of Rothenburg in the southeast.

But Baden bishop Jochen Cornelius-Bundschuh offered a note of hope.

"At Christmas, a light shines in the world -- it shines in powerful darknesses like those we have seen in recent years with the horror of war, civil war and terrorist attacks," he said.

No survivors´ as Syria-bound Russian jet crashes.

A Russian military plane crashed on its way to Syria on Sunday, with no sign of survivors among the 92 onboard, who included dozens of Red Army Choir members heading to celebrate the New Year with troops.

The Tu-154 plane went down in the Black Sea shortly after taking off from the southern city of Adler where it had been refuelling, defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies.

It disappeared from radar just two minutes after it took off at 5:25 am (0225 GMT).

The ministry told agencies there was no sign of any survivors at the crash site and that four bodies had been recovered off the coast of the resort city of Sochi, as authorities launched a frantic search operation.

"Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres," the ministry said.

President Vladimir Putin told state television that Russia will observe a national day of mourning on Monday.

The plane had been on a routine flight to Russia´s Hmeimim airbase in western Syria, which has been used to launch air strikes in Moscow´s military campaign supporting its ally President Bashar al-Assad in the country´s devastating civil war.

Among the plane´s 84 passengers were Russian servicemen as well as 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the army´s official musical group also known as the Red Army Choir, and its conductor Valery Khalilov. They were headed to Syria to participate in New Year celebrations at the airbase.

The passengers also included nine journalists, with state-run channels Pervy Kanal, NTV and Zvezda saying they each had three staff onboard the flight.

There were also eight crew members, the ministry said.

A list of passengers published by the defence ministry also included Elizaveta Glinka, a doctor and charity worker who serves on the Kremlin human rights council.

Mikhail Fedotov, who heads the council, said Glinka was travelling to Syria to bring medication to a university hospital in the coastal city of Latakia near the airbase, agencies reported.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and the US Embassy in Moscow have expressed condolences over the crash, among others.

- Probing cause of crash -

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin was being kept updated on the search operation and was in constant contact with defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Konashenkov said that Deputy Defence Minister Pavel Popov had flown to Adler along with a team tasked with clarifying the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Transportation Minister Maxim Sokolov, who is heading a state commission probing the crash, is also on his way to the region, the government said in a statement.

The ministry has not put forward any possible causes of the crash.

Konashenkov said that the aircraft had been in service since 1983 and had flown some 7,000 hours since. The plane last underwent repairs in December 2014 and was serviced in September, he said.

Russia´s Investigative Committee said a criminal probe had been launched to determine whether violations of air transportation safety had led to the crash.

Investigators are currently questioning the technical personnel responsible for preparing the plane for take-off, the committee said.

Tu-154 aircraft have been involved in a number of accidents in the past.

In April 2010 many high-ranking Polish officials, including then president Lech Kaczynski, were killed when a Tu-154 airliner went down in thick fog while approaching Smolensk airport in western Russia.

Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of Assad since September 2015 and has taken steps to boost its presence in the country.

In October, Putin approved a law ratifying Moscow´s deal with Damascus to deploy its forces in the country indefinitely, firming up Russia´s long-term presence in Syria.

Russian warplanes have flown out of the Hmeimim base to conduct air strikes, and the base is also home to an S-400 air defence system.

Pakistani churches illuminated on Christmas. (Watch pictures)

Pakistan frees 220 Indian fishermen as "goodwill gesture"

 Pakistan on Sunday released 220 Indian fishermen held for trespassing into its territorial waters as a "goodwill gesture" to its nuclear-armed rival India, officials said.

"We released 220 Indian fishermen today as a goodwill gesture," Deputy Superintendent of Karachi´s Malir prison Hassan Sehto told AFP, adding that 219 others still remain in Pakistani custody.

The freed fishermen are expected to cross over into India on Monday.

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location.

The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbours mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time.

Relations between the two nations have plummeted since a deadly attack on an Indian army base in the Occupied Kashmir in September, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

There have since been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries.

Russian military plane crashes en route to Syria with 92 on board.

A Russian military plane crashed Sunday in the Black Sea as it made its way to Syria with 92 people onboard, including Red Army Choir members heading to celebrate the New Year with troops.

Local news agencies, citing the defence ministry, said the Tu-154 plane had crashed shortly after take-off from the southern city of Adler at 5:40 am local time (0240 GMT).

Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies that one body had been recovered six kilometres off the coast of the resort city of Sochi, as a frantic search operation continued to hunt for the missing.

"Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres," the ministry said.

The plane had been on a routine flight to Russia´s Hmeimim airbase in western Syria, which has been used to launch air strikes in Moscow´s military campaign supporting its ally President Bashar al-Assad in the country´s devastating civil war.

Among the 84 passengers of the plane were Russian servicemen as well as members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the army´s official musical group internationally known as the Red Army Choir, who were headed to Syria to participate in New Year celebrations at the airbase.

There were also eight crew members onboard, the ministry said.

Nine journalists were among the passengers, with state-run channels Pervy Kanal, NTV and Zvezda saying they each had three staff onboard the flight.

- ´Too early´ -

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies that President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the situation and was being kept updated on the search operation.

"It´s too early to say anything," agencies quoted Peskov as saying, adding that Putin was in constant contact with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"The president is waiting for the picture to be clear."

Konashenkov said that Deputy Defence Minister Pavel Popov had flown to Adler along with a team tasked with clarifying the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Russia´s Investigative Committee said a criminal probe had been launched to determine whether violations of air transportation safety had led to the crash.

Investigators are currently questioning the technical personnel responsible for preparing the plane for take-off, the committee said.

Tu-154 aircraft have been involved in a number of accidents in the past.

In April 2010 many high-ranking Polish officials, including then president Lech Kaczynski, were killed when a Tu-154 airliner went down in thick fog while approaching the Smolensk airport in western Russia.

Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of Assad since September 2015 and has taken steps to boost its presence in the country.

In October, Putin approved a law ratifying Moscow´s deal with Damascus to deploy its forces in the country indefinitely, firming up Russia´s long-term presence in Syria.

Russian warplanes have flown out of the Hmeimim base to conduct air strikes, and the base is also home to an S-400 air defence system.

Narendra Modi wishes birthday to Nawaz Sharif.

Indian Prime Minister Narndra Modi wished his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.

PM Modi in an early morning tweet, prayed for his long and healthy life.

Birthday wishes to Pakistan PM Mr. Nawaz Sharif. I pray for his long and healthy life.

Last year, Narendra Modi's surprise fly-by visit to Lahore to meet Nawaz Sharif on his birthday, attracted criticism on both sides of the border.

Russian military plane headed for Syria ´disappears from radar´.

A Russian military plane headed to Syria has disappeared from radar after taking off from the southern city of Adler, local news agencies reported the defence ministry as saying Sunday.

The ministry said that there are 91 people onboard and that search and rescue groups had been dispatched to locate the missing Tu-154.

The plane had departed at 5:40 am local time (0240 GMT) from Adler, south of the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, and was conducting a routine flight to Russia´s Hmeimim airbase outside the coastal Syrian city of Latakia, the ministry said

The ministry said the plane was carrying Russian servicemen as well as members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the army´s official musical group, who were headed to Syria to participate in New Year celebrations at the base.

There were nine members of the media on board, the ministry said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the situation and was being kept abreast of the search operations.

Moscow has been flying a bombing campaign in Syria since September 2015 in support of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad.

Trump says he intends to dissolve charitable foundation.

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to dissolve his controversial philanthropic foundation to avoid conflicts of interest, but the move was quickly complicated by an ongoing legal probe.

Trump´s sprawling portfolio of US and overseas business interests and holdings, as well as his Donald J. Trump Foundation, have come under increased scrutiny in the weeks since his election, and the shuttering of his charity would be his first big step to avoid a brewing storm of potential conflicts of interest.

His private foundation has been at the center of several controversies, including how much money he has actually given it, and is under investigation by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman..

In a statement to US media on Saturday afternoon, the attorney general´s office said Trump could not yet close the foundation..

"The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete," Schneiderman spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said.

Trump´s transition team said he had directed his counsel to take the necessary steps to close the foundation.

"The foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children," Trump said in a statement.

"However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways."

A Washington Post investigation in June said Trump had given just a fraction of the money he´d promised to charity, and it was only after public pressure that he made good on a pledge to cough up $1 million to a non-profit group for veterans.

His children, too, have come under the spotlight for their charitable enterprises.

Trump´s transition team this week denied a report that his sons were seeking donations of up to $1 million in exchange for possible post-inauguration access.

The Center for Public Integrity, an award-winning group that addresses ethics and other policy issues, said a non-profit foundation was set up making discreet potential pay-for-play possible.

Daughter Ivanka Trump was forced to scrap a charity auction for coffee with her, after ethics experts said it appeared bidders could pay for special access to the Trump family.

Critics say Trump will run into conflicts unless he fully divests himself of all his business and charitable interests.

Trump savaged his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton during the campaign over her and her husband Bill Clinton´s foundation, calling it a "criminal enterprise."

Pakistan confident after pushing Australia close: Misbah

A strong fourth innings fightback that had nearly clinched a remarkable record run chase in the first test loss to Australia in Brisbane had given Pakistan the confidence they needed for the rest of the series, captain Misbah-ul-haq has said.

The visitors, who were dismissed for 142 in their first innings, had Australian cricket fans chewing their fingernails to the quick as they counter-attacked in chasing 490 for victory.

Asad Shafiq scored a superb century and rallied the tail for 230 runs as the visitors reached 449 for eight before Mitchell Starc produced a superb bouncer that ended his 336-minute resistance.

Until that point, the Australians had looked nervous in the field and the visitors increasingly confident of sealing victory, something they needed after losing 2-0 to New Zealand just before the first game.

"The guys are relaxed and confident that they can perform well here," Misbah told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

"You can see that everybody's spending a lot of time in the nets, working on the basics. They won't leave anything behind before we get into the second test match.

"That's a good sign that we are confident but at the same time, we're focused and determined. I'm comfortable with the position we're in at the moment as individuals and as a team."

Misbah was reluctant to name his team's final makeup, despite Steve Smith having earlier confirmed his side would be unchanged, though left-arm opening bowler Mohammad Amir had recovered well from knee and thigh injuries in Brisbane.

Misbah added there was no point in concentrating on under pressure batsman Nic Maddinson, who has scored just five runs in his three innings since debut and was considered at risk with all-rounder Hilton Cartwright brought into the squad.

"He's quite young at international level but they're believing in him," Misbah said...

"You can't just write someone off. That person can really hit you. I think everyone who is in the Australian team is capable enough to perform at international level so we have to give respect to every player.

Santa Claus is coming to Tehran.

Tehran might not seem like the most obvious pitstop for Santa Claus, but Iranians love the chintzy side of Christmas and it is also one of the safest places in the Middle East for Christians.

The past month has seen shoppers flocking to the Armenian district of Somayeh -- the biggest Christian area in the city -- to pick up fake trees, and stock up on baubles, reindeer toys and plastic snowmen.

"It´s really interesting and attractive for us," said Niloufar, a Muslim women in her thirties who was out shopping with her husband on Christmas Eve.

"I love the decorations, the tree. We see it as showing a kind of respect for other beliefs. And of course I like all the chocolates!" Shoppers line up for selfies with one of several Santas stationed outside stores on the main drag.

One Father Christmas, full of the festive spirit, breaks into an impromptu dance to a popular Iranian pop song playing outside a food stall. Hamed Davoodian owns a grocery store on the street, and says the community never faces any trouble from the authorities.

"Why should we? (Armenians) have been here for 400 years. They are great to us," he said, adding proudly that Christians fought alongside their fellow Iranians during the brutal war with Iraq in the 1980s.

"There were 30 to 35 martyrs from our neighbourhood," he said.




Thousands of Christians have emigrated to the United States and elsewhere since the Islamic revolution in 1979, leaving only 120,000 Christians according to the last official count.

Most are Armenian -- who are Orthodox Christian -- along with a few thousand Assyrian Catholics. Despite the exodus, Christians are officially recognised and protected -- along with Jews and Zoroastrians -- under laws introduced by the revolution´s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...

There are limitations. Converting Muslims is illegal, which leads authorities to crack down on Persian-language Bibles. Services must be carried out in the original language of the ethnic group...

Human Rights Watch says Persian-speaking converts face persecution. But there are none of those concerns at St Joseph´s Catholic Church in downtown Tehran on Christmas Eve, where it is standing-room only for the midnight mass, delivered in the Assyrian language.

Archbishop Ramzi Garmou tells AFP that Christianity in the region dates back to the second century when St Thomas passed through on his way to India. Having once numbered in the tens of millions, the Christian community is now tiny, and Garmou says he normally sees only a few dozen for Sunday mass -- not least because it´s a working day in Iran and traffic is horrendous.

"But I´ve always said that the strength of the church is not in the number of its followers but the faith they show in their daily lives," he said. And he is grateful that Iran is such an oasis of peace in a region beset by war, and in which Christians face mounting persecution.

"Thanks to God, we really live in peace and security, but our neighbours live in anguish and violence. We pray for them tonight," he said.

Air hostess who survived 33,000 foot drop from plane found dead.

An air hostess who miraculously survived a fall of more than 10 kilometres 34 years ago after a plane exploded mid-air has died at the age of 66.

Vesna Vulovic, who was a 22-year-old flight attendant with Yugoslav airways JAT, was found dead by friends in her Belgrade apartment, Tanjug news agency reported Saturday.  The cause of death was not known.

Vulovic was the only survivor of the January 26, 1972 bomb blast over the Czech town of Srbska Kamenice which killed 23 passengers and five crew. She was trapped in the cone of the tail and landed on a slope after plunging 10,160 metres (33,300 feet) from the DC-9 aircraft.

Vulovic is in the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the longest fall without a parachute. She was temporarily paralysed from the waist down and in a coma for nearly a month. She spent several more months in hospital.

"My thoughts are always with those who died here," Vulovic said at a ceremony in 2002 when she returned to the spot where she had landed. The bomb had been placed in the baggage hold in the Stockholm to Zagreb flight by a Croatian separatist group.

First female Afghan pilot seeks asylum in US after receiving death threats.

Niloofar Rahmani, the first Afghan female pilot, has sought asylum in the US apparently after receiving death threats from relatives and militants, according to media reports.

Local media reported on Saturday that Captain Rehmani has expressed her intention to stay n the US following a 15-month long training period in Texas.

"Things are not changing for the better in Afghanistan.”Things are getting worse and worse." She was quoted by an American newspaper as saying.

Rahmani is also said to have told her foreign trainers that she still wants to be a military pilot but not under her country's flag.

According to the reports the pilot has filed a petition seeking asylum in the US.

Rahmani is one of the celebrated personalities in war stricken Afghanistan for being the first female pilot and  was presented the International Women of Courage award last year in the United States.