News Headline

Taiwan may not have a huge tradition of alcohol consumption, but there is no denying that it has begun to embrace a much wider variety of beers and spirits in a big way in recent years. For a long time, alcohol production in Taiwan was a state monopoly, with the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation holding the country’s sole license to brew and distill booze. It was not until as recently as twenty years ago that this monopoly was finally lifted and independent brewing was permitted in Taiwan. After a slow and steady start, it is fair to say the craft brewing scene has exploded in Taiwan in the past ten years. Whereas once most people would find themselves drinking either in a restaurant, an ex-pat pub or at the tables outside a convenience store, today you have to look far in any of Taiwan’s big cities to find a bar or a tap-house. There are no shortage of craft beer shops and off-licenses stocking locally produced drinks either. And tapping into the recent craze for factory...

VATICAN CITY/TAIPEI (REUTERS) - Five blocks from the Vatican, on the bustling, tourist-packed street leading to St. Peter's Basilica, a Taiwanese flag flutters from the window of a third story suite of offices that house Taipei's embassy to the Holy See. These days, the staff inside are anxious. They know that one night they may have to lower that flag - red and blue with a white sun - for the last time. As the Vatican and China move closer to a historic deal on the appointment of bishops, which would signal a warming of once-frigid relations, diplomats and scholars say Taiwan could lose the most from the deal. Under the deal, the Vatican will have a say in negotiations for the appointment of future bishops in China, whose Catholics are divided between an "underground" Church loyal to the pope and a government-backed Church. Even a partial resolution of the issue could open the way for eventual diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Vatican. That wou...

The gates are open, security arrangements are in place and hundreds of spectators have started lining up to experience the first major cricketing event in Karachi in the last nine years. Nearly 32,000 inhabitants of the cricket-starved city will witness the showdown between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United as they compete for the Pakistan Super League 2018 title at National Stadium Karachi. The gates to the venue were opened at 12 noon, and some spectators had shown up as early as 12:30pm on a sunny Sunday. The gates will close at 5pm. The closing ceremony of the tournament will start 6pm, the toss will take place at 7:30pm and the match will commence at 8. Hundreds of shuttles had been arranged to transport fans from five designated parking points to the stadium. Spectators — many of whom are donning Zalmi and United merchandise, but also the national colours — are being allowed to enter the venue after multiple security checks. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Sha...

“Following discussions with Steve Smith and David Warner they have agreed to stand down as captain and vice-captain respectively for the remainder of this Test match,” CA chief James Sutherland said in a statement. Sutherland said Tim Paine would step in as acting captain for the remainder of the Test. “This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim, we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands,” he added. “Both Steve and David will take to the field today under Tim's captaincy.” Sutherland earlier on Sunday announced an investigation into the scandal, which has plunged Australian cricket into crisis and resulted in widespread condemnation at home, including from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. CA's head of integrity Iain Roy and head of team performance Pat Howard were flying to South Africa to conduct the investigation. “All Australians, like us, want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings, as a matter of priorit...

Steve Smith was fighting to save his job and reputation on Sunday after admitting he was the chief plotter in a ball-tampering scandal. It is not the first time that the Australia cricket captain has been involved in controversy. Here are five incidents where Smith made headlines for reasons other than his batting since taking over the captaincy in 2015. DRS 'brain fade' Steve Smith set off a storm of controversy in the second Test of the four-match series in India a year ago when he looked to his dressing room for help while deciding whether to call for a review into his lbw dismissal in Bangalore — describing the moment a “brain fade”. Indian captain Virat Kohli accused the visitors of routinely abusing the decision review system, stopping just short of calling Smith a cheat. Bully retort England bowler James Anderson claimed the Australians were bullies who overstepped the line in the recent Ashes series and Smith returned fire, calling the England paceman one of ...

The existence of the purported doctrine was first mentioned by DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor earlier this year. Now, following a briefing by army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa to a group of journalists and anchorpersons, it has been indirectly revealed to the country as the so-called Bajwa doctrine. Ostensibly a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region, the doctrine also delivers a blueprint for addressing complex and ingrained governance and economic issues in the country. Several points need to be made. First, it is a welcome move by Gen Bajwa to speak to the media. His predecessor, retired Gen Raheel Sharif, was all too visible in public-relations campaigns, but opted not to address the media or answer questions. Given the pre-eminent position the army chief has in the national security, and also political, framework, the holder of the office should face the media and answer questions. Perhaps Gen Bajwa ought to consider making his media interactions more fo...

SPRING scatters dandelions across Islamabad, tiny yellow suns blooming over grassy greens. On a Sunday after a spell of rain, the air warm and scented with blossoms, Shakarparian is an anthill of human activity. Music greets visitors at Lok Virsa where at the entrance, under a covered area, people take turns to compete in open mic sessions with a band of folk musicians. A man finishes an off-key rendition of Teray bina youn gharian beeteen. As his voice cracks at a high note, it is easy to imagine Masood Rana turning in his grave. A woman takes over with a boisterous rendition of Sun way balori aakh walia, that makes people sway in their seats. A young boy who knows no song has a poem from school days: Lab pay aati hai dua. It is strangely affecting, this prayer sung atrociously in thick-accented Urdu. Nostalgia for a defunct Lollywood dominates the people’s repertoire. Or is it the longing for a Pakistan long lost? For others, it is a longing to belong. A little ahead...

"This should serve as [a] wake-up call for the film and TV industry. Be aware. Be warned," he said in his tweet In a startling interview earlier this week, Happy New Year actor Daisy Irani revealed she was raped by an industry member when she was only six years old. The revelation has sent shockwaves through film circles in India, and Farhan Akhtar, who is Daisy's nephew, has said that while he is "heartbroken" to have learned about her ordeal, he is also "proud" of his aunt. In her interview with Mumbai Mirror, Daisy Irani said she was raped in a hotel room by a "guardian" who was appointed by her mother to accompany Irani on an outdoor shoot of her film Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke. The 66-year-old actor said she can only "recall the incident in flashes" but "I do remember the killing pain, and the visual of him belting me." She revealed that the man named Nazar was well-connected in the film industry: "He accom...

THE danger is greater when the goal is bigger, the aim wider. And the goal just became a whole lot bigger. It started with Nawaz, but now it’s out there — the boys want more. A whole lot more. Chicken or egg — did the get-Nawaz plan spawn greater dreams or was get-Nawaz just the first stage of an already greater dream? — doesn’t really matter when both chicken and egg are being hunted. From Panama to the 18th Amendment — you can’t make this stuff up. Then again, maybe it does make a kind of sense. If you’re going to go all this way to oust the biggest player in politics, you may as well pick up a few other gains. Constitutional stuff is hard to decipher and it becomes all the more complicated when both sides lie. Or at least hide why they want what they want. But why the 18th? Constitutional stuff is hard to decipher and it becomes all the more complicated when both sides lie. Or at least hide why they want what they want. The 18th is vast: more than a third of the ...

PESHAWAR: An academician from Bajaur Agency on Saturday moved the Peshawar High Court challenging the judicial powers of Fata’s executive officers under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) as well as the appointment of retired bureaucrats as chairman and member of the FCR Tribunal. Professor Anwar Shah, a teacher of mathematics in the Bajaur Degree College, filed a petition with the court seeking orders to declare illegal and unconstitutional the exercising of judicial powers by political agents, assistant political agents and commissioners under the FCR. He prayed the court to declare that exercise of judicial powers in violation of Article 175(3) of the Constitution, which guaranteed the separation of the judiciary from the executive. The petitioner requested the court to declare illegal and a violation of Article 175(3) of the Constitution the appointment of retired bureaucrats to the FCR Tribunal, the third and last judicial forum under the FCR. Lawyer also seeks orde...

PESHAWAR: Road closures and traffic diversions for the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project have turned commuting across the provincial capital into a nightmare for the local residents. As the work is progressing into the advanced stage, where contractors are grappling with the most challenging aspects of the project, several main roads have been either partially or fully closed to traffic. The road blockades have made the daily commute to and from the city, cantonment, university, Hayatabad and Karkhano areas no less than a herculean task, which the people have to undertake daily. Thousands of commuters using city’s rickety transport are worst hit of this situation. Also, the uncertainty surrounding the project’s early completion, especially when the scorching hot days are just around the corner, is worrying commuters. Currently, work on the most of the BRT corridor in the Reach I running from Chamkani to Firdous has been completed except for a few areas where work has yet...

PESHAWAR: Road closures and traffic diversions for the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project have turned commuting across the provincial capital into a nightmare for the local residents. As the work is progressing into the advanced stage, where contractors are grappling with the most challenging aspects of the project, several main roads have been either partially or fully closed to traffic. The road blockades have made the daily commute to and from the city, cantonment, university, Hayatabad and Karkhano areas no less than a herculean task, which the people have to undertake daily. Thousands of commuters using city’s rickety transport are worst hit of this situation. Also, the uncertainty surrounding the project’s early completion, especially when the scorching hot days are just around the corner, is worrying commuters.

ISLAMABAD: No official of the capital police could meet the new criteria set by the police to fill three main posts in the police stations of the city. A committee was constituted by the inspector general of the police (IGP) to select station house officers, additional station house officers and duty officers from the available inspectors and sub-inspectors. Officials said the capital police had the strength of 150 inspectors and 400 sub-inspectors. For the appointments, the criteria were set with separate categories to put officials in it according to their services record and performance. Inspectors and sub-inspectors of repute with clean record along with best performance and having good reputation and service without any allegation would fall in the category A. Those officials who cannot meet the criteria set for category A, including professional performance, or who faced any allegations but could not be found guilty, were put in the category B. The category C included of...

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested one suspect following an operation carried out Saturday night in Faisalabad, Geo News reported, citing the body. The suspect, allegedly a fake travel agent, was arrested late last night after a raid by the FIA. He has been identified as Umar. According to the agency, the suspect took hundreds of thousands of rupees from unsuspecting citizens under the pretence of sending them abroad but never did so and kept the money.

LONDON: More than 80 diplomats from different countries attended the Pakistan Day reception organised by Pakistan High Commission London to celebrate 78th Pakistan Day. It's for the first time that diplomats from so many countries attended the Pakistan Day event at this level. The attendees included either ambassadors or deputy ambassadors, representing major countries of the world. A diplomat in London commented that attendance of more than 80 diplomats at the London event was a great success and showed that Pakistan was engaged with rest of the world. Mark Field, FCO Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Lord Tariq Ahmed, FCO Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan were the chief guests at the occasion. Dozens of Lords, MPs, MEPs, Mayors, Councillors, members of the British society and Pakistani diaspora were among the attendees. In his speech, Minister Mark Field said March 23 is the perfec...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) parliamentary board is the body which decides on distribution of party tickets for elections. According to a statement from the PM House, the decision to give out party tickets are taken after a process of consultation. Abbasi, in an interview earlier, had also said that the PML-N’s parliamentary board is the relevant forum for issuing party tickets and it is not a one-man decision. The statements come in the wake of the recent statement of senior PML-N leader Senator Pervaiz Rasheed against disgruntled party leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. According to media reports, Rasheed had said the party will not give a ticket to Nisar as his beliefs are not in consonance with the party's present policy. On Thursday, Nisar publicly came out against Nawaz's daughter, Maryam, stating that her 'sharp tongue' is pushing the party towards a dead end. Nisar, who has been...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan questioned on Sunday how others can be expected to respect the Supreme Court’s verdict when the country’s prime minister is not doing the same. In a social media post, Imran wrote: “If the PM of the country is not prepared to accept and respect judgement of the SC, how can others be expected to do so?” In a series of posts, the PTI chief targeted Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and criticised him over his ‘horse-trading’ allegations regarding the Senate elections. Imran remarked that the PM is ‘crying’ over horse-trading during the Senate elections. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could’ve supported PTI’s proposals to change the format of the Senate elections, he added. He wrote: “So now PM Abbasi is crying abt horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn't they support PTI's proposals to change Senate election format to prevent exactly these shenanigans?” While add...