Bald New Zealand murderer wins toupee court battle

A bald New Zealand convicted murderer has won a court battle to wear a toupee in prison, by arguing that it was within his human rights.

Philip John Smith's hairpiece was taken away when authorities recaptured him after he fled the country, using the toupee as part of a disguise.

But he argued that his toupee was an "artwork" essential to his self-esteem.

A High Court judge in Auckland ruled that his "fundamental right to freedom of expression was ignored".

Smith is serving a life sentence in prison.

He was convicted and imprisoned in 1996 for murdering the father of a boy he had previously sexually abused.

He also has a string of other convictions, including extortion, aggravated robbery and sexual offences.

'Belittled, degraded'

In November 2014, while on temporary release for work, Smith fled to South America with an illegally obtained passport. He was soon caught in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian authorities and deported home.

He quickly became an object of public ridicule in New Zealand when it was revealed that he was bald and had worn a wig while escaping.

Smith pointed to the media attention as part of his legal case to win back his toupee, saying he felt "belittled, degraded and humiliated".

He argued that the custom-made hairpiece was an "artwork" that was important for his self-esteem and self-confidence.

The convict, who represented himself in court, also accused prison officials of acting in an "arbitrary and discriminatory" way by confiscating his hairpiece as "payback".

High Court judge Edwin Wylie released his decision on Thursday siding with Smith, but declined his request for damages.

The court battle was the latest twist in a case that has gripped New Zealand and sparked calls for an overhaul of prison regulations.

Questions have been raised on how Smith was able to obtain a passport - which he applied for under a different name - and flee the country, as well as on the corrections department's temporary release programme.

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13-year-old rape victim gives birth to child in Rajanpur

RAJANPUR: A 13-year-old rape victim gave birth to a child, which will be the sole evidence that will lead the court to the alleged rapist.

A* was raped last year at her Quran teacher’s house. Her father said that his daughter had dropped out of school after class five, but wanted to continue studying. She began working at a house in the neighbourhood where she was also taught how to read the holy Quran.

It was here that 40-year-old Kashif allegedly raped the girl last year.

Not bowing down to the backward traditions of the area, where often such incidents are hushed the victim’s father, a labourer, spoke out.

After finding out that his daughter was pregnant he filed a case in the court. But the accused knew how rape cases work in courts. In the absence of any witnesses there is only circumstantial evidence- the victim’s word against the rapist—which is insufficient for conviction by a court.

It is here that the family made some tough decisions. They decided to bring the unborn child in this world.

The minor girl gave birth on November 17, 2016 following which the local court had ordered a DNA test to determine parenthood.

However, the key accused in the case failed to appear in the court during the last two proceedings.

On Thursday (today) during the hearing the victim failed to present a lawyer in the court. They said they didn’t have the resources to hire one. The judge has given orders for a public prosecutor in the case. The hearing has been adjourned till April 13.

 Speaking to Geo News, the girl’s father vowed to get his daughter justice. “I will kill myself if I fail,” said an emotional father.

“We are poor people. We expect the court to give us justice,” said the victim, cradling her baby in her arm.

Child to prove crucial evidence: HRCP

Amendments in the rape law last year make DNA test for victims mandatory, penalise the police for delaying investigation, and allow victims to testify in court through an in-camera session.

Chairperson Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) Zohra Yousuf said that in this particular case the child will serve as crucial evidence. “After October 2016 the law makes DNA test compulsory in all rape cases. In this case it should not be difficult to establish a link,” she said.

She adds that since the girl is a minor the alleged rapist cannot establish that they were in a “consensual relationship”.

Rajanpur, a city in south west Punjab is marred by social inequalities where large landowning families live alongside an extremely poor landless population.

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52 countries want to be part of CPEC: PM

GWADAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that 52 countries want to be part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding that Rs25 billion have been approved for the megaplan.

The prime minister spoke informally to media in Gwadar, where he arrived today. He said that speculation over a reserved judgment can be detrimental to judicial decorum, in an apparent reference to the Panama Papers case in the Supreme Court.

He said currently, his entire focus is on economic progress and development of the country.

The PM arrived on a two-day visit here from Pasni, where he inspected the road network up to Gwadar. He was briefed by Director General Gwadar Development Authority regarding the developmental projects' progress.

The premier is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting on development projects initiated by CPEC in the port city and will address the public in Gwadar on Thursday. He is also set to visit roads and development projects falling under the CPEC in the city.

Sharif was accompanied by Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique and Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Ahsan Iqbal as he left Karachi early Wednesday morning.

During his two-day visit to Karachi, the prime minister said his government stands for the complete religious freedom of all communities and will ensure the provision of equal rights to all citizens as enshrined in the Constitution.

He spoke about various projects implemented by the federal government for the development of Karachi including a K-4 Water Supply Scheme, Green Line Bus Rapid Transit Service, and a six-lane Hyderabad Motorway that is being completed with assistance from the federal government.

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In-laws send body of newly wed bride back home to Lahore

LAHORE: A newly-wedded bride was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Lahore’s Samanabad area.

The bride, identified as Hira, was married three days ago to her paternal cousin, Tanveer.

According to her in-laws, in the morning, her body was found in the room. The in-laws sent the bride’s body in a car back home and informed the police.

Police and forensic department personnel reached the groom’s house and started an investigation into the matter.

The forensic department started gathering evidence from the bride’s room.

According to police, there were marks found on the bride’s neck.

The groom while speaking to Geo News said that he didn’t kill Hira.

“Hira used to wear dupatta while sleeping, she might have been strangled by it during night,” he said.

The bride’s father has filed an FIR under the murder charge.

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Geo News becomes first Pakistani network to broadcast Live 360 video on Facebook

KARACHI: With the ever-evolving digital landscape, the way content is served and consumed is fast changing; besides being the most trusted and watched news network out of Pakistan, Geo News continues to add to the existing variety of options on how the audience can consume its content. 

As Facebook users continued to grow in Pakistan; Geo News began experimenting by broadcasting news headlines and important events via Facebook Live in September last year, making the most trusted news source available to the audience in the palm of their hands. 

Since then, on average, over 5 million followers log more than 40 million video views each month on Geo News’ official Facebook page GeoUrduDotTv. 

From news reports to exclusive live coverage on Facebook from across the country, Geo News has raised the bar on how news is consumed in Pakistan. 

Keeping with the tradition of being first in every aspect, Geo News broadcast Live 360 video on Facebook during our coverage of the protest sit-in in Karachi last Friday, making it the first in Pakistan and among few across the globe to have done so. 

Viewed using your handheld device or on the desktop computer, a 360 video or immersive video as it is also known, allows the user to pan, tilt and look around as if they were actually there, getting them close to the action on-ground. 

In the coming days, stay tuned for more Live 360 news from across the country on our official Facebook page, because we deliver news first, like no one else.

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CNN presenter Reza Aslan criticised for eating human brain on live camera

Scholar and CNN presenter Reza Aslan is in hot waters for eating a human brain and drinking alcohol from a skull while filming a documentary on a lesser known Hindu sect.

The documentary was based on the Aghori sect which reside outside the city of Varanasi and practice cannibalism, for Aslan’s series Believer.

Aslan could be seen his face being smeared in cremated human ashes and being asked to drink alcohol from a skull.

After the shoot, he posted on Facebook: "Want to know what a dead guy's brain tastes like? Charcoal. It was burnt to a crisp!"

The episode was met with criticism from Hindu-Americans and Indian-Americans, who blamed CNN for creating misunderstandings about Hinduism, especially after recent killings of Indians in hate crimes.

"I am very disturbed that CNN is using its power and influence to increase people’s misunderstanding and fear of Hinduism," tweeted Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to the US congress.

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Geo News impact: Pak kids wrongly accused for Uri attack reunite with families

WAGAH BORDER: Two Pakistani teenagers accused of ‘facilitating the Uri attack’ in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) returned home after investigations concluded that they were innocent, Geo News had raised the issue last year in December.

Faisal Husain Awan, a resident of Potha Jandgran in Azad Kashmir, and his school-friend Ahsan Khursheed, from Khilayana Khurd in Muzaffarabad’s Hattian Bala tehsil, were handed over to the Indian Army for repatriation after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India informed a local court that it had no evidence to prosecute them and that they are being released. 

They were arrested by the Indian Army on September 21, three days after the attack in which 19 soldiers were killed, and were labeled as Jaish-e-Muhammad activists.

The personnel of Punjab Rangers received them at the Wagah Border.

Geo News in its programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ has persistently followed the issue. Shahzeb Khanzada had disclosed that Faisal and Ahsan were Class X students at the Shaheen Model School in Muzaffarabad and had accidentally crossed the LoC.

During a hotline contact between the DGMOs, Pakistani official was informed by his Indian counterpart that the kids would be handed over at the Wagah Border on Friday.

Sharing the grief with a newspaper, Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, Awan’s brother, said both teenagers’ families were desperately waiting to receive their boys.

“How can I tell you what it has been like to see our mother start to weep and scream every night around 2 am or 3 am when her medication wears off,” he said. “People gather around her to comfort her, but they can do nothing but cry, either.”

The relatives of freed kids thanked government of Pakistan and media for helping them.

The two boys were brought to the border by the Indian authorities blindfolded as if they were militants.

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Pakistan defence minister vows to respond to militant attacks from Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday said Kabul has admitted that areas that terrorists use to launch attacks in Pakistan were not under its control.

He said it was Pakistan’s duty to respond after its soldiers are killed in the militant attacks from across the border, adding that after Kabul’s admission Pakistan has the right to act. He said Pakistan has responded to the militant assaults by attacking militants on Afghan border and would do so in the future.

The defence minister said Afghanistan and India were in cahoots and Kabul has become a puppet  in the hands of India.

“It is our duty to respond in the face of cross border attacks regardless of our desire for good relations with Afghanistan”.

The ministers said Pakistan reopened the border crossings with Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds so that standard people could go back to their country.            

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Channels air wrong news of Justice Sajjad’s death

RAWALPINDI: Some private news channels, including ARY News, aired wrong news of death of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice (R) Sajjad Ali Shah after which the wrong news also went viral on the social media.  After airing of the news, some political leaders also issued condolence statements. However, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah’s son termed all such news baseless. He said by the grace of Allah Almighty his father is alive and news about his death on some channels is not accurate. 

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In pictures: Darren Sammy's picture perfect moments from PSL 2017

Peshawar Zalmi captain Darren Sammy's signature 'selfie' celebration style was one of the highlights os PSL 2017. It started when he took a stunner of a catch against Karachi Kings. But the fun began when he got back up after his incredible dive.

The skipper gathered his teammates and posed for a super cool selfie.

And since this 'phone-less' selfie, Sammy has had plenty picture perfect moments throughout the entirety of PSL 2017, here are some of the best ones:

Sammy proved to be a good sport when he took a selfie with a fan who ran onto the pitch before the last delivery to Karachi Kings

Sammy shows the ground staff at Gaddafi Stadium, how to take the perfect selfie.

Sammy arriving at Gaddafi Stadium like a boss.

Warming up for the match by dancing to the tunes of the music at the PSL 2017 opening ceremonymony

Sammy grouping his victorious Zalmi team, to take yet another phone-less photo of the 'champions'.

Sammy celebrates by showing traditional dance moves at the closing ceremony of the PSL 2017

It is without a doubt that Sammy, the winning captain, has won the hearts of Pakistanis with these memorable moments when he immersed himself into the PSL 2017.

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Pakistan hosts biggest cricket game in years amid tight security

Pakistan staged its largest cricket game in eight years in Lahore on Sunday, amid an enormous security operation.

Eight people died in a 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, which ended international cricket tours to Pakistan.

But Sunday's test of a major match - the Pakistan Super League Twenty20 final - ended without incident.

Thousands of troops, backed by air support, patrolled the area.

Since the 2009 attacks, Pakistan has played its home games in other venues, such as the United Arab Emirates, as foreign teams refused to tour the country.

A rare exception in 2015, with the Zimbabwean team, was marred by a fatal suicide bombing outside the Lahore stadium.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionStrict security around the stadium led to hours-long lines

Even the Pakistan Super League itself - which drafts foreign players - has been played in UAE, with Sunday's final being its first true home game.

Several international players dropped out of Sunday's final over security fears.

But among those who chose to play was West Indian Darren Sammy, who led Peshawar Zalmi to victory.

Sammy's fellow West Indian, Marlon Samuels, and Englishmen Chris Jordan and Dawid Malan also played.

Image copyrightAP

Image captionDarren Sammy wears a traditional turban at Gaddafi stadium in Lahore

"I felt tonight I brought a lot of smiles in Lahore and Peshawar," Sammy told the Associated Press in the sold-out stadium. "I am glad I came to experience the atmosphere here."

His team easily defeated rivals Quetta Gladiators, but the result is seen as less important than the peaceful conclusion of the event.

Militant attacks in February killed 130 people - the worst spell of violence in years - and sparked fresh concerns over the ability to provide security at a high-profile sporting event.

The venue, Gaddafi stadium, was the same as the scheduled game eight years ago, before the Sri Lanka team was attacked en route.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionFans of the sport were acutely aware of the wider importance of the game

Security clearance for the final was only approved days beforehand.

But the success of Sunday's game may also have lasting effects for Pakistan's cricket fixtures.

Several officials - including from the International Cricket Council - attended the game to see the security measures for themselves.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is rumoured to be in talks with officials from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh about the possibility of touring Pakistan later in 2017.

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North Korea: Four ballistic missiles fired into sea

North Korea has launched four ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan.

Three of them fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) after flying some 1,000km (620 miles), in what PM Shinzo Abe called a "new stage of threat".

They were fired from the Tongchang-ri region, near the North's border with China, the South Korean military said.

The type of missile in unclear but the North is banned from any missile or nuclear tests by the UN.

A South Korean military official said a launch had taken place at 07:36 local time Monday (22:36 GMT Sunday) and was being investigated to determine the type of projectile used.

The US military said later it had detected and tracked a launch but had determined that it did not pose a threat to North America.

On Friday, Pyongyang threatened to fire missiles in response to the Foal Eagle military exercises under way between South Korea and the US. The North sees the annual drills as preparation for an invasion against it.

Monday's launches were just the latest in a long series of tests of North Korean missile technology, which experts say is likely to be improving with successive tests.

However, most believe the North is still some time away from being able to miniaturise nuclear warheads so they could fit on to a missile.

North Korea has repeatedly said its space programme is peaceful but it is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US.

Last month North Korea said it had successfully test-fired a new kind of ballistic missile in a launch supervised by leader Kim Jong-un.

It was the first test-firing since Donald Trump became the US president and was condemned by the UN, the US, South Korea and Japan.

Recent activity in the Tongchang-ri region, home to the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, has been a cause for concern for Japanese officials.

Screens have been set up in key areas at the site, probably to deter satellite surveillance, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

On Sunday, South Korea said it would quadruple the reward it pays defectors from the North who share information that will help enhance security to $860,000 (£700,000).

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Kim Jong-nam death: North Korean says arrest was 'conspiracy'

The North Korean suspect questioned in connection with the death of Kim Jong-nam has said he was the victim of a conspiracy by the Malaysian authorities.

Ri Jong Chol said his detention was a "plot" to "damage the honour of the republic", Reuters news agency reports.

He made the comments outside the North Korea embassy in Beijing after he was deported from Malaysia on Friday.

Ri Jong Chol was released from police custody due to insufficient evidence.

Speaking to reporters early on Saturday, he accused Malaysian investigators of using coercion in an attempt to extract a confession.

"If I just accept everything, they will make arrangements for a good life in Malaysia," Ri Jong Chol said, adding: "This is when I realised that it was a trap. It was a trap to bring down the reputation of my country."

When questioned about reports of a car discovered near the airport said to be registered in his name, he said: "It was in my car garage. Malaysian police accepted this too."

Ri Jong Chol admitted to investigators that he was an expert in chemistry, but said that he worked in Malaysia "importing ingredients needed for soap".

Malaysian authorities are continuing their investigation into the death of Mr Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was killed at an airport in the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur nearly three weeks ago.

Ri Jong Chol, who said he was not at the airport on the day of the incident, was the only North Korean held in connection with the death.

Malaysia is seeking to question several North Koreans, including an embassy official.

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Two women, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia, were charged on Thursday with killing Mr Kim by smearing his face with VX, a banned chemical weapon.

Both women said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank. They have yet to make a formal plea in their case.

Malaysia, which has condemned the use of the powerful nerve agent in the 13 February attack, is also investigating a firm thought to be used by North Korea to evade sanctions on military exports.

Image copyrightKYODO/AP

Image captionRi Jong Chol was handed over to Malaysian immigration officials and deported on Friday

Ri Jong Chol had lived in Malaysia for three years but, according to Reuters, his work permit expired on 6 February.

Immigration director-general Mustafar Ali said Ri Jong Chol, who was escorted out of Malaysia by two North Korean embassy officials, was blacklisted from re-entering the country.

Meanwhile, the government said it had launched an investigation into a company called Glocom, which has been operating in Malaysia for several years.

According to a confidential United Nations report, Glocom is run by North Korea's top intelligence agency to sell military communications equipment, in violation of UN sanctions.

Police said on Friday that an arrest warrant had been issued for 37-year-old Kim Uk-il, who works for North Korean national airline Air Koryo. He is believed to be still in Malaysia.

Reuters news agency reported that security checks on North Koreans had been stepped up at all border crossings to prevent them from leaving.

On Thursday, Malaysia announced it was cancelling visa-free travel for visiting North Koreans, citing security reasons.

It has not directly blamed North Korea for the attack, but there is widespread suspicion Pyongyang was responsible.

North Korea has strongly rejected the allegations. It also rejected the findings of the post-mortem examination, having objected to it being carried out at all, and has demanded the body be handed over to them.

It has not yet confirmed that the body is that of Kim Jong-nam, acknowledging him only as a North Korean citizen. Mr Kim was travelling using a passport under a different name.

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