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THERE is an unusual stakeholder in the ongoing Indian elections — the electronic voting machine . The last batch of Indian voters will press buttons of their choice on this machine this evening, concluding the seventh and last phase of voting . This will be the fifth general election in India held solely through EVMs. But never before has the potential for its manipulation been so vehemently debated and feared. It can be partly attributed to the Modi government’s ruthless use of state institutions to further its political games. The Election Commission of India (ECI), which otherwise has an enviable reputation, was no exception this time. Controversies regarding ECI appointments began a year before the elections. The Indian constitution empowers the government to appoint a chief and as many election commissioners as it wants. A law later fixed the number of commissioners at two and the practice continued for decades without being challenged. But in recent times, parties have found it ...

PESHAWAR: Two terrorists were killed and two others wounded in an intelligence-based operation in Hassan Khel, on the outskirts of Peshawar, days after two personnel were martyred during a similar operation in the same area. Meanwhile, four security personnel were martyred in a bomb attack on a security forces vehicle in Bannu. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, security forces had engaged the terrorists during the IBO conducted on late Thursday evening and killed ringleader Ayaz alias Muhammad and Ahmedey alias Koochi, and wounded their two accomplices. Weapons, am­­munition, and explosives were recovered from their possession, it added. The statement said that locals appreciated the operation, as sanitisation was being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. Security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country, ISPR stated. Last Sunday, two military personnel had laid down their lives during a similar operation...

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan in two cases registered against him in connection with violent protests that broke out following his arrest on May 9 last year. Recently, Mr Khan was also acquitted in two cases related to Azadi March held on May 25, 2022. The founding chairman of PTI is facing a string of cases, including those related to May 9 violence across Pakistan, and is incarcerated in Adiala jail. On Thursday, he was acquitted in the two FIRs registered at the Shahzad Town Police Station. Mr Khan was accused of inciting the general public to violent protests. Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir acquitted him in both the cases for want of evidence. During the hearing, Mr Khan’s lawyer stated that the FIRs against the former PM had been lod­ged by some unauthorised person. He contended that Section 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code had been wro­ngly invoked against Mr Khan since there was no evidence that he had abetted in the alle­...

At least 50 people, mostly children, received burn injuries in a major blast at a liquid petroleum gas cylinder filling shop in Hyderabad’s Preetabad area on Thursday, health officials said. According to Liaquat University Hospital’s (LUH) burn ward registrar, Dr Shahzad Memon, the blast occurred in a densely populated area within the jurisdiction of the Pinyari police station, injuring at least 50 people. The blast took place in a ground-floor shop located in Zacha Bacha hospital area on Mir Nabi Bux Town road in UC-8 of Neerunkot town. Rescue 1122 teams and firefighters arrived in the area along with ambulances and began moving patients. Firefighters brought the fire under control in the shop that had begun to spread to the building’s upper floors where the property owner’s family resided. Residents on the upper floor of a building owned by one Babuddin Qureshi were moved to other areas. “The shop is owned by Akram Arain and he himself is injured. Arain is a tenant of Babuddin Q...

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Three members of the Umrani tribe were killed and two others injured in an armed clash in Nasirabad district on Wednesday. According to officials, two armed groups of the Umrani tribe clashed in the Khan Kot area of Nasirabad in the morning. The groups exchanged fire for two hours, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuring two others. Police rushed to the area after receiving information about the clash and shifted the bodies and the injured to district hospital in Dera Murad Jamali. Police attributed the violence to an ongoing feud. The deceased were identified as Ali Shahar, Imam Bakhsh and Bhutto Khan. In order to prevent further clashes between the two groups, the local administration has deployed a large police contingent in the area. A case has been registered against both armed groups, and further investigation is underway. Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2024 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/nLHUYBF

RAFAH: Another str­ike on a camp for displa­ced Palestinians claimed 21 lives on Tuesday, tanks rolled through the centre of the southern Gaza city, which has been a refuge for those fleeing Israeli bombardment. The tank strike in Al Mawasi came a day after a similar deadly attack on a separate tent city in Rafah set off a fire that killed 45 people, incinerating many. Sunday’s strike had prom­pted global outrage and even let to Israeli leaders expressing some remorse about their actions. However, Tuesday’s attack indicated that Israel has no intention of changing course or abiding by an International Court of Justice ruling to stop the offensive in Rafah. In the latest bloodshed, a Gaza civil defence agency official said 21 people were killed in an “occupation strike targeting the tents of displaced people” in west Rafah. In Rafah, residents and a Palestinian security source said Israeli tanks had now penetrated the heart of the southern city. At least 12 of the dead were women,...

LAHORE: The families of PTI activists facing military court proceedings in cases regarding the May 9 violence demanded a fair trial for their dear ones. Over a dozen family me­­mbers of PTI activists who are currently facing trial before military cou­rts, and their lawyers Rab­biya Bajwa and Abuzar Salman Niazi, addressed a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday. Ms Bajwa said that there was a criminal silence over the violation of the basic human rights in Pakistan, adding that they would launch a campaign to wake the people to stand against the violation of human rights and Constitution of Pakistan. She claimed that the fa­­m­­ily members of those fa­­cing trials in military cou­rts were not allowed to meet the incarcerated persons. Despite the passage of one month, the Supreme Court has also not constituted a bench to hear petitions regarding civilian trials in military courts. She said the government had submitted a report to the court, saying that 20 citizens w...

A major fire that broke out early on Monday near the Saidpur village range on Margalla Hills was extinguished by Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other departments after hours-long efforts. Spread over 12,605 hectares, the Margalla Hills National Park witnesses many fire incidents during summer every year. The hills also caught fire earlier this month after a blaze near Loi Dandi erupted . CDA spokesperson Kamran Aslam told Dawn.com that three helicopters were used to bring the fire under control which was raging at four different sites. Earlier today, the CDA said the exact cause of the wildfire could not be ascertained, adding that “sizzling heat” with strong winds spread the fire to an area of three square kilometres. Aslam said over 75 firefighters reached the spot to extinguish the blaze, adding that there was difficulty in controlling the fire due to the strong winds. Later on, around 200 more firefighters arrived, he said. Coordinator to the Pr...

LAHORE/KARACHI: With parts of Sindh and Punjab firmly in the grip of a heatwave, Mohenjo Daro and Larkana became the hottest places in Pakistan, with the mercury climbing to around 53 degrees Celsius at the seat of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Jacobabad recorded 52 degrees, the Met Office said, adding that the weather conditions would prevail in the area for another five to six days. Over the weekend, Thatta was the only area in Sindh to register a temperature below 40 degrees. On Sunday, the Met Office predicted that heatwave conditions would likely to prevail in the plains over the next 24 hours. However, hot and humid weather is forecast for coastal areas. Meanwhile, Karachi is also set to witness a sweltering week ahead, with the temperature expe­c­ted to surpass the 40-degree mark. Temperatures remain above 50 degree-mark in Sindh; Karachi to experience over 40 degrees this week “The mercury is likely to increase to 40°C or above in Kar­achi due to a change in wind dir...

More than 670 people are assumed to have died in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) massive landslide, the United Nations’ migration agency estimated on Sunday as rescue efforts continued. Media in the South Pacific nation had previously estimated Friday’s landslide had buried more than 300 people. But more than 48 hours later, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the death toll may be more than double that, as the full extent of the destruction is still unclear and continuing dangerous conditions on the ground are hampering aid and rescue efforts. Only five bodies have been retrieved from the rubble so far. The agency based its death toll estimates on information provided by officials at Yambali Village in the Enga province, who say more than 150 houses were buried in Friday’s landslide, Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of the agency’s mission in PNG said in an email statement. “Land is still sliding, rocks are falling, ground soil is cracking due to constant increased pressu...

ISLAMABAD: While hea­lth authorities are participating in the Technical Advisory Group’s (TAG) deli­berations at Doha aimed at eradicating the crippling disease, Pakis­tan on Saturday reported the third polio case of the current year. Besides, three more env­ironmental samples have been found positive for polio, taking the tally to 140. A 12-year-old girl from the Kili Malak Haqdad area of Darozai union council in Balochistan’s Killa Abdul­lah district became the latest victim. According to a document, available with Dawn , the child got fever one week before the onset of paralysis. During the fever, she developed pain on the right side of her body as well as had vomiting one day before the paralysis attack. The child developed weakness of right upper limb and both lower limbs. There is no history of trauma or intramuscular injection. Samples from three contacts were collected as the case was inadequate. Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected from the stool sample of a 60-m...

PESHAWAR: The Pesh­a­war Electric Supply Com­pany (Pesco) on Saturday filed a police complaint against PTI lawmaker Fazl Elahi for allegedly interfering in its work and forcefully resuming the electricity supply. The complaint, a copy of which is available with Dawn , was signed by Pesco’s Peshawar executive engineer. The request was made against Mr Elahi after he allegedly led a mob into the 132-KV Rehman Baba grid station and forcefully restored power supply to his constituency. Announcements about the protest were made through mosque loudspeakers, and locals were asked to gather outside the grid station. Dozens of area residents reached the grid station and chanted slogans agai­nst the federal government. While talking to the media during the demonstration, Mr Elahi claimed that despite repeated requests, the power supply remained suspended during hot weather. He vowed not to tolerate “power outages for 18 hours a day”. Mr Elahi even reques­ted public representatives of ot...

ISLAMABAD: Supporters of the Palestinian cause on Friday hailed the ICJ verdict ordering Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah, as Pakistan called on the international community to immediately implement the world court’s decision to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza. In a statement issued after the ruling, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the courage of the 13 judges who made the decision and thanked South Africa for filing the petition against Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians. He also urged the international community to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid and relief to the people of Palestine besides providing immediate access to the UN investigation commission to Gaza and Rafah. Pakistan will continue to play its role in protecting the basic human and legal rights of the Palestinian people, he assured. Later, PM Shehbaz telephoned his Irish counterpart Simon Harris and felicitated him on assuming office . On the issue of Palestine, the...

The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved undertaking legal action against incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and other party leaders for building a “hateful narrative against the state institutions”. A statement from the Punjab government said the decision was taken in a provincial cabinet meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Elaborating on the development during a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the home department had submitted an inquiry report which allegedly revealed that PTI members were “spreading mischief inside and outside the [Adiala] jail”. She alleged that the PTI spread propaganda that Imran was not allowed to meet anyone, adding that the party was “spreading hate as part of organised propaganda”. Bokhari said it was decided to file a complaint according to the report submitted by the home ministry. “To spread incitement in the country, to destabilise the country, to spread hatred against the instit...

WASHINGTON: A proposal to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of the US Congress has raised hackles among Democrats, with some key Democratic leaders urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to abstain from endorsing the invitation. Democrats hold the Senate majority while Republicans dominate the House of Representatives. Most liberal Democrats and progressives have already announced they will boycott the session if it’s held. This further complicates the situation for the Biden administration and other Democratic leaders who are trying to balance their support for Israel with criticism of Netanyahu’s military tactics, which have led to over 35,000 civilian deaths in Gaza. House Intelligence Committee member Jim Himes stated, “Netanyahu should be focused on freeing hostages, not on charming legislators.” Rep. Dan Kildee, a member of Democratic leadership, told Axios , “I don’t think it’s a good time … let’s not complicate an already compl...

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider on Thursday raised the possibility of sending the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, back to the assembly for further consultation and review amid uproar over its passing. The Punjab Assembly had passed the defamation bill on Monday, rejecting all amendments proposed by the opposition amid protests by the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and journalists covering parliamentary proceedings. The SIC members tore apart copies of the bill after the House passed it through a voice vote. Subsequently, more than 80 civil society organisations registered their protest on Tuesday, outrightly rejecting the bill which was a “gross infringement on the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and press freedom”. The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) — a self-styled public interest forum based in Lahore — had also urged the Punjab government to reconsider the bill, calling it “draconian”, “illogical” and a “violation of the judgments of the superior courts.”...

TORONTO: A university in Ontario has become the first major Canadian educational institution to reach an agreement with on-campus pro-Palestine protesters, pledging not to invest in companies benefitting from the war in Gaza. Administrators and protest organisers at the Ontario Tech University in Oshawa say they have reached an agreement, bringing campus encampments and demonstrations against investments connected to Israel’s military to an end. A copy of the agreement circulated to students shows it was signed on Monday and includes a number of commitments from the university if the encampment was taken down within 24 hours. Among the commitments listed in the agreement is the university’s affirmation that it is engaged in “responsible investment practices”, adding that it is not “aware of investments in any companies that are benefitting from the current Palestinian Humanitarian Crisis”. Under the agreement, the university will establish ‘a responsible investment working group ...

A member of Bangladesh’s ruling party was found murdered in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday morning, more than a week after he went missing, Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said. Anwarul Azim Anar, 56, who won his third consecutive term in a constituency in the border district of Jhenaidah from the Awami League party, went missing on May 13, a day after going to India for medical treatment, according to his relatives. Khan told reporters that three Bangladeshis were arrested over the lawmaker’s death. Bangladesh police and Kolkata police were conducting a joint probe and could not “disclose all information at the moment for the sake of the investigation”, he said. Indian police told Reuters on Wednesday that a murder case had been registered in the matter and the lawmaker’s body was yet to be recovered. “We have secured video footage from the housing complex where he was staying during the visit … some blood stains were also seen during the investigation,” said...

ISLAMABAD: Despite the issuance of contempt notices to pliable politicians who had criticised the judiciary for its supposed failings, a couple of lawmakers used their privilege as parliamentarians to assail the conduct of judges on Tuesday, with Senator Faisal Vawda moving a motion against a sitting Supreme Court judge. During a hearing last week, Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court had taken exception to Mr Vawda’s remarks against the judiciary, regretting that judges were being threatened through “proxies”. In response, the independently elected senator, who is under contempt notice from the SC, said the judge’s remarks “damaged not only his integrity but that of the house too”. “I am moving a privilege motion seeking action against Judge Athar Minallah. It is up to the house or the chair or the committee to take action against him,” he said, during the session chaired by PPP’s Sherry Rehman. Mr Vawda claimed the judge called him a proxy without any evidence, adding t...

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Noor Alam Khan submitted a bill on Tuesday to repeal the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, calling the ordinance inconsistent with the Constitution according to clause 2 of Article 204. The ordinance had repealed the Contempt of Court Act 1976. Last week, the Supreme Court restrained TV channels and other media outlets from broadcasting, rebroadcasting or publishing the “contemptuous” pressers of lawmakers Faisal Vawda and Syed Mustafa Kamal, warning that failing to do so would attract contempt proceedings against them. A three-page order issued by the SC in a contempt case against Senator Vawda and MNA Kamal for their recent outburst against judges explained that all those who broadcast, rebroadcast or publish material constituting contempt may also be committing contempt of court. Media outlets should desist from doing so, failing which they may also be proceeded against, for contempt of court, the SC order had stated. The MNA’s bill, a co...

The federal cabinet on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by an inquiry commission formed to investigate the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­tan’s (TLP) 2017 Faizabad sit-in , observing that the commission had not adhered to the Terms of Reference (ToR). The commission constituted to probe the 2017 Faizabad sit-in was constituted under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017 to ensure compliance with the February 6, 2019, apex court verdict, authored by then-Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Although the primary objective of setting up the Faizabad commission was to fix responsibility for the failures that led to the TLP sit-in spiralling out of control, the commission’s report had stopped short of placing the blame directly on any individual’s shoulders. The commission noted that since no one from among the then-prime minister, former ministers for law and interior and the former Punjab chief minister had accused intelligence agencies of facilitating the protesters,...

NEW DELHI: The fifth phase of Indian elections on Monday saw the seats of Rahul Gandhi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh locked in, with analysts viewing it as an uphill moment for the BJP. The fifth phase of voting in the seven-phase polls concluded in 49 seats across eight states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Ladakh, and held Jammu and Kashmir. According to political analyst Yogendra Yadav, the buzz in the latest phase is not just because it contains a few of the most prestigious contests, but also that the BJP can suffer serious reverses in a few of the eight states where voting was held. This phase includes politically prestigious and important constituencies such as Rae Bareli, Amethi, and Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh; Saran (formerly Chhapra) and Hajipur in Bihar; and all six seats of India’s financial capital, Mumbai. Just like Phase 3, in this round too, the Modi alliance stands to lose ground due to the sheer number...

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up a special committee to forge political consensus on the bill for the establishment of a Digital Media Authority in the country. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah would be the convener of the forum, while other members include himself, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Information Technology Shazza Fatima Khawaja. The law minister also said that parliamentary party leaders of the PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and other coalition parties would also nominate their representatives. Meanwhile, the information minister assured that the government had no intention of implementing unilateral legislation to establish the Digital Media Authority. “All journalist organisations and press clubs will be taken into confidence on the matter,” Tarar s...

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Food Department has clarified that it has not banned the inter-province or inter-district movement of wheat, blaming a “misinterpretation” of a notification for the confusion regarding grain transportation. Punjab is currently facing a wheat abundance crisis this crop season due to the heavy import of grain by the caretaker setup close to the local harvesting time. Usually, the provincial government procures over four million tonnes of wheat annually. How­ever, this season, it has not bou­ght any wheat despite running a “grow more wheat” drive at the onset of the sowing season last October and November. Growers, reaping a bumper crop, are now at the mercy of free market forces, selling their produce at Rs1,000 per 40kg, way below the official minimum support price of Rs3,900 per 40kg. A notification issued two days ago, circulating on social media, seeking the posting of officers of good repute at check-posts to curb smuggling, gave the impression that...

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark development, a Nadra-owned company, in collaboration with National Radio and Telecommunication Corp­o­ration (NRTC), is set to unveil two cutting-edge indigenous biometric solutions at a conference in South Africa next week. The ID4D (Identification for Development) conference in Cape Town will see Nadra Technologies Limited (NTL) and NRTC showcasing their innovative All-in-One Indigenous Kit and advanced IRIS Scanner at a joint stall. The kit, developed by NTL and NRTC, represents a significant advancement in digital identity management. This portable, rugged device integrates multiple biometric authentication methods, making it an all-encompassing solution for secure identity verification. Key features of the kit include fingerprint recognition for the highest level of accuracy and reliability. It supports real-time contactless iris recognition, enhancing security and authentication. Advanced algorithms provide accurate facial recognition, crucial fo...

BEIJING: Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in the northeastern city of Harbin on Friday, the final day of a visit aiming to promote crucial trade with China and win greater support for his war effort in Ukraine. Putin arrived on Thursday on his first trip abroad since his March re-election , meeting Pres­ident Xi Jinping for talks in which the leaders framed their nations’ ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Russia-China trade expo on Friday, Putin hailed energy ties between the two countries and promised to “strengt­hen” them. “Russia is ready and able to continuously power the Chinese economy, businesses, cities and towns with affordable and environmentally clean energy.” “As the world is on the threshold of the next technological revolution, we are determined to consistently deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of high technologies and innovations,” he said. China and Russia were “important components of contemporary civili...

PTI founder Imran Khan on Friday said he was writing a letter to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for the sake of the country and its current issues. According to a transcript of his talk with the media today in Adiala Jail, posted by the PTI on its X account, Imran said: “I will write a letter to the army chief — not for myself, but for the country. [My] lawyers have been instructed to prepare a letter and inform me.” “In the letter, I will tell [him] what is happening in Azad Kashmir and where the country is going. We have to think about it,” he said, referring to this week’s unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir that saw the killing of a police official and three citizens during clashes. Imran said the army was a very important institution and should never be pitted against the people. Speaking about the political polarisation in the country, he said: “the beneficiaries of [manipulation] of Form 47s start attacking [anyone] who questions them.” He alleged that pressure w...

https://www.dawn.com/news/1833962 Out-of-the-box solutions provide hope amidst the myriad challenges faced by the farm sector from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/XPlfzM9

Displaced Palestinians gather at a water point to fill their jerricans in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday.—AFP THE HAGUE: South Africa on Thursday accused Israel at the top UN court of stepping up what it called a “genocide” in Gaza, urging the court to order a halt to Israel’s assault on Rafah. “South Africa had hoped, when we last appeared before this court, to halt this genocidal process to preserve Palestine and its people,” Vusimuzi Madonsela told the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “Instead, Israel’s genocide has continued apace and has just reached a new and horrific stage,” he added. South Africa was kicking off two days of hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague, home of the ICJ, imploring judges to order a ceasefire throughout Gaza. Israel will respond on Friday. It has previously highlighted its “unwavering” commitment to upholding international law and described South Africa’s case as “wholly unfounded” and “morally repugnant”. In a rul...

PTI MNA Zartaj Gul said that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) lawmaker Tariq Bashir Cheema tendered an “unconditional apology” to her following misconduct in the National Assembly session on Thursday. According to a Dawn.com correspondent, Cheema delivered a speech in the assembly during which he was interrupted by Gul who jibed that he should talk about the Bahawalpur University case instead. Last year, police had arrested officials of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) on drug charges for possessing crystal meth, along with “objectionable” videos and images of IUB students and staff members. Cheema had denied involvement of his son in the scam. After his speech, the PML-Q leader walked up to the PTI leaders and shook hands with Barrister Gohar Khan and Ali Muhammad Khan, behind whom Gul was seated. He then allegedly hurled abuses at her which resulted in an uproar by the PTI leadership that moved to attack the PML-Q leader and caused a commotion in the assembly, ac...

ONE of Pakistan’s most notorious cops, Rao Anwar, reputed to be an ‘encounter specialist’ whom the US and UK placed on their sanctions lists for having committed serious human rights abuses, made 74 trips to Dubai within a span of some six years. As senior superintendent of police, his salary was a modest Rs95,000 per month. And yet the Dubai property leaks , that came to the fore on May 14 in a global investigation led by the Orga­n­ised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Norwegian financial outlet E24, show his family members as listed owners in the Dubai property leaks. His wife’s name shows in the data linked to five properties. Two of these properties are listed as jointly owned with the couple’s son. Dawn can confirm that Ms Ahmed still owns a two-bedroom apar­tment in Executive-Resid­e­nces-2 in Dubai Hills Est­a­­­te, which was bought in late 2021 for nearly half a million dollars and put on rent for one year for $44,923 (calculated at the current exchange rate of...