ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan is planning to ease visa restrictions for visitors from 55 countries, including most European nations, in a bid to revive tourism that was devastated by Islamist violence in the fallout from the 9/11 attacks in the United States. FILE PHOTO: A tourist is seen visiting the national heritage museum in Islamabad, Pakistan August 2, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood/File Photo “We are reviewing our visa policies. We are trying to bring 55 countries into a visa-free region, which includes most of the European countries,” Pakistan’s information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, told Reuters. That comes after Portugal this month declared Pakistan safe for travel, while France has also relaxed its advisory on travel to the South Asian nation “I’m happy our (travel) advisories are changing,” said Chaudhry. Potentially restarting tourism has been one of the most talked about parts of new Prime Minister Imran Khan’s push to … [Read more...] about Pakistan plans to relax visa policy in bid to revive tourism
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Man facing prison sentence for ‘brazen’ plane assault
Associated Press Published 9:10 AM EST Dec 13, 2018 Detroit – Federal prosecutors are seeking nearly 11 years in prison for a man convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman while they sat next to each other on a flight to Detroit. Prabhu Ramamoorthy is returning to Detroit federal court Thursday. He’s been in the United States on a work visa and eventually will be deported to India because of the conviction. He was accused of molesting a woman with his hands while she slept on an overnight Las Vegas-to-Detroit flight last January. Ramamoorthy was in a middle seat while his wife was sitting next to the aisle. Prosecutor Amanda Jawad calls it a “brazen” assault. Defense attorney James Amberg says Ramamoorthy’s “life as he knew it is over.” He’s seeking a prison sentence of less than 10 years. … [Read more...] about Man facing prison sentence for ‘brazen’ plane assault
Teenage tennis prodigy Harriet Dart is all set for Wimbledon qualifiers
Exclusive PUBLISHED: 09:17 24 June 2015 | UPDATED: 12:05 24 June 2015 By Ben Pearce Harriet Dart practises on the grass courts at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton. Pic: Paolo Minoli Archant Most 18-year-olds are currently finishing school, looking forward to a summer break and possibly university – but West Hampstead’s Harriet Dart is no ordinary 18-year-old. Harriet Dart talks to Ham&High Sport about life on tour. Pic: Paolo Minoli Having started playing tennis aged seven, she won the Under-18 title at the Cumberland club on Alvanley Gardens at the age of 10 and, the following year, became the youngest ever winner of the senior women’s title. She went full-time when she was 13. Dart, who attended Sarum Hall primary school in Swiss Cottage and then the Royal School in Hampstead, has continued her meteoric progress. Having been ranked 1,200 in the world last year, she has now shot up to 358. On Monday she was facing a former top-10 player and … [Read more...] about Teenage tennis prodigy Harriet Dart is all set for Wimbledon qualifiers
Preview: 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series – Road America
This weekend, the Verizon IndyCar Series heads Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the tenth round of the 2018 season, the KOHLER Grand Prix at Road America. With the championship now past its halfway point, things are starting to hot up at the top of the table. Here is a look at everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s race. What happened in 2017 at Road America? In the build-up to last year’s KOHLER Grand Prix, the pace of Team Penske looked more than impressive. The team locked out the first four positions in two of the three practice sessions and then went on to do so again in qualifying. Helio Castroneves led the charge in qualifying, taking pole position by just over half a tenth of a second ahead of Will Power. The third car of Josef Newgarden was another three tenths off, with Simon Pagenaud completing the quartet. Unbelievably, nine-tenths separated Pagenaud in fourth on the grid from Scott Dixon in fifth place, with … [Read more...] about Preview: 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series – Road America
China’s re-education camps evoke Mao
Gerry Shih Associated Press Published 2:22 p.m. UTC May 28, 2018 Almaty, Kazakhstan — Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China’s new indoctrination camps had to disavow their Islamic beliefs, criticize themselves and their loved ones and give thanks to the ruling Communist Party. When Bekali, a Kazakh Muslim, refused to follow orders each day, he was forced to stand at a wall for five hours at a time. A week later, he was sent to solitary confinement, where he was deprived of food for 24 hours. After 20 days in the heavily guarded camp, he wanted to kill himself. “The psychological pressure is enormous, when you have to criticize yourself, denounce your thinking — your own ethnic group,” said Bekali, who broke down in tears as he described the camp. “I still think about it every night, until the sun rises. I can’t sleep. The thoughts are with me all the time.” Since last spring, Chinese … [Read more...] about China’s re-education camps evoke Mao