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Four pilots dead as two PAF aircraft crash near Mardan

Thursday, May 17, 2012 11:13:00 AM

Staff Report

NOWSHERA: Four pilots were killed and three civilians injured when two training aircrafts of the Pakistan Air Force crashed near Nowshera city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, SAMAA reports Thursday.

Police and eyewitnesses said the two-seat fighter trainer aircrafts collided in the air Rashakai, a small town located along the Nowshera-Mardan road in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“One of them crashed on grass fields whereas the other on populated area,” an official told SAMAA.

Two trainers and two trainee pilots are feared dead while three civilians, including two children, were injured after a plane hit a house in the town.

Police and area people rushed to the site, searching debris of the crashed plan and retrieving people from the damaged houses.

Officials said dead body of one of the pilots had been found and three other pilots are also feared dead. -- SAMAA

Worldwide maternal deaths cut by half: UN

Thursday, May 17, 2012 11:09:43 AM

UNITED NATIONS: Better care has cut the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth by nearly half in the past two decades, but there is still a death every two minutes, according to UN figures released Wednesday.

India and Nigeria between them accounted for one third of the 287,000 deaths of pregnant women in 2010 and Africa accounts for 36 of the 40 countries with the highest maternal deaths.

But health experts hailed the 47% fall in fatalities from 543,000 in 1990, and said the strategy for saving more lives was clear.

"We know exactly what to do to prevent maternal deaths: improve access to voluntary family planning, invest in health workers with midwifery skills, and ensure access to emergency obstetric care when complications arise," said Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

"These interventions have proven to save lives," he added at the launch of the "Trends in Maternal Mortality" report by the UNFPA, World Health Organization, UN Children's Fund and the World Bank.

Countries in Eastern Asia have made most progress on improving the health of expectant and new mothers, said the report.

Many countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, will fail to reach the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal death by 75% from 1990 to 2015.

"Every two minutes, a woman dies of pregnancy-related complications," said the report.

The four most common causes are: severe bleeding after childbirth, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and unsafe abortion.

Almost 20% of deaths (56,000) were in India and 14% (40,000) in Nigeria in 2010.

Another eight countries -- Democratic Republic of the Congo (15,000), Pakistan (12,000), Sudan (10,000), Indonesia (9,600), Ethiopia (9,000), Tanzania (8,500), Bangladesh (7,200) and Afghanistan (6,400) -- account for the next 40%.

"More than 215 million women lack access to modern contraceptives," said Osotimehin, a former health minister in Nigeria.

"Meeting the need for voluntary family planning for these women would not only fulfill a human right, it would also reduce the number of maternal deaths by a third. This is a highly cost-effective public health strategy," he added.

In 2010, the global maternal mortality ratio was 210 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest maternal mortality ratio at 500 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, said the report.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman faces a 1 in 39 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. In South-eastern Asia the risk is 1 in 290 and in developed countries, it is 1 in 3,800. AGENCIES

Karachi: 24-hour death tally rises to 10

Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:46:43 AM

Staff Report
KARACHI: Body of a youth was recovered from Lines Area of the city this morning, pushing the overall death toll in the unrelenting violence during the last 24 hours to 10, SAMAA reports Thursday.

According to details, body of a youth bundled into a sack, was found near a technical school located in Lines Area this morning.

Meantime during the past 24 hours, former UC Nazim was gunned down in Malir, two brothers Saeed and Mujeeb in Baldia Town and Malik Hasnain was killed in Orangi Town firing incident.

Also, bodies of three people were recovered from Lyari’s Khadda Market, Malir and Baldia Town. SAMAA

Deaths feared as PAF aircraft crashes in Nowshera

Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:26:15 AM

Staff Report

NOWSHERA: Two training aircrafts of Pakistan Air Force crashed in a small town near Nowshera city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday, SAMAA reports.

Police and eyewitnesses said the two fighter planes collided in the air. One of them fell on in residential area and other in fields.

Rashakai is a small town located along the Nowshera-Mardan road, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Searching the debris at the site, police said body of one of the pilots was found while the other is also feared dead.

Officials said the aircrafts were on their training flight when met the incident.

Two houses were completely damaged, and some partially, after a plane came down and hit the houses in the small town wherein women and children are also feared dead and injured. -- SAMAA

White House signals to veto bill limiting Pakistan aid

Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:22:26 AM

WASHINGTON: White House threatened to vieto a key defence bill with a number of provisions including conditions imposed on US aid to Pakistan, if it impedes the ability of the government to execute the new American defence strategy.

In a statement issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the administration said any conditions imposed on Pakistan for receiving US aid would be counter-productive at this sensitive time and strongly opposed the conditions put on aid to Pakistan by the powerful House Armed Services Committee in the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2013.

Objecting too many provisions of the NDAA-2013, the administration threatened to veto it if the cumulative effects of the bill impede the ability of the Administration to execute the new defence strategy and to properly direct scarce resources.

"If the cumulative effects of the bill impede the ability of the administration to execute the new defence strategy and to properly direct scarce resources, the President's senior advisors would recommend to the President that he veto the bill," the detailed eight-page statement warned.

It said the Obama administration strongly objects to the restriction in reimbursement for Pakistan from Coalition Support Funds and the associated certification requirements in section 1211 of the Act.

"Taken together, the reimbursement restriction and the certification restrictions - some of which require the Secretary of Defence to certify Pakistani cooperation on issues outside of his purview - are proposed at a particularly sensitive time and would severely constrict DOD's (Department of Defence) ability to respond to emergent war-time coalition support requirements.

"This can put at risk the success of our campaign in Afghanistan, increasing the risk that al-Qaeda and its associates would be able to again enjoy a safe haven in Pakistan," the statement said.

Last week, the House Armed Services Committee "overwhelmingly" passed the Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2013 imposing conditions on Pakistan for receiving economic and military aid from the US based on Islamabad's action against terrorists and IEDs.

Among other things, NDAA 2013 prohibits the preferential procurement of goods or services from Pakistan till Islamabad re-opens the crucial NATO supply routes to Afghanistan, which were closed in the aftermath of the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26 in a NATO cross-border fire.

The bill notes that the Taliban, Haqqanis and associated insurgents continue to enjoy safe havens in Pakistan, but are unlikely to be capable of overthrowing the Afghan Government unless the United States withdraws forces precipitously from Afghanistan. AGENCIES

Kashmir: 8 dead as jeep falls into river

Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:15:34 AM

Staff Report

MUZAFFARABAD: Eight people were killed when a passenger jeep veered off the road and fell into the River Neelum near here on Thursday, SAMAA reports.

The vehicle was coming here from Neelum valley when the accident took place at about 9:30am, a police officer told SAMAA.

All the ten people on board the vehicle are feared dead in the tragedy as police and rescue teams recovered eight bodies from the river.

"It was not known how the driver lost control over the vehicle which veered off the road and hit the rocky riverbank over 300 feet down," he said, adding the police were investigating the cause of the accident.

Obama administration denies role in arming Syrian rebels

Thursday, May 17, 2012 10:00:41 AM

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's administration has repeatedly said over the past few months that it won't ship arms to Syria's outgunned opposition, warning that doing so will only escalate the bloody conflict there. But the Washington Post reported Wednesday that the U.S. has been helping to coordinate shipments of "more and better weapons" to the rebels, with Persian Gulf nations picking up the tab.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland denied that Washington was playing any role in arming the rebels.

"With regard to any assertions with regard to lethal (aid), we are not involved in that," she said at her daily briefing.

"The United States has made a decision to provide nonlethal support to civilian members of the opposition. This is things like medical equipment. This is communications, things to help them, first of all, deal with the humanitarian aspects but also to help them to communicate better so that they can plan and be ready for the period of transition that we expect and want to see in Syria," she said.

So is Washington helping to coordinate arms shipments?

"We are obviously consulting with various states about the decisions that we've made, that they've made," Nuland said, declining repeated opportunities to explicitly criticize countries that have opted to help arm the opposition. "This is a loose coordination mechanism."

The Washington Post said that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other gulf states were providing "millions of dollars in funding each month" to arm the opposition.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney also seemed to tip-toe right up to the line of confirming that other countries are arming fighters opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

"We continue to provide nonlethal support to the opposition. And while I can only speak for the United States, we know that others are pursuing different types of support, and I'd refer you to them to characterize the nature of their actions," he told reporters.

Carney reiterated Obama's support for a ceasefire plan crafted by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan — even while acknowledging that the Assad regime has essentially ignored it.

"We continue to be very concerned about the violence in Syria by the failure of the Assad regime to fulfill any of its obligations under the Kofi Annan plan," the spokesman said.

"We've been extremely blunt about the fact that we remain very skeptical of Assad's intentions," Carney said. "We will, when appropriate and as necessary, discuss next steps."

Asian art comes into spotlight at Hong Kong fair

Thursday, May 17, 2012 9:21:09 AM

HONG KONG: The glittering Hong Kong International Art Fair opens on Thursday, featuring works by artists from Picasso to Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei and cementing the city's status as a global art hub.

More than 260 galleries from 38 countries, representing an even split from the West and the East, have booked space at the four-day event known as Art HK, now in its fifth edition.

"The transformation here culturally has been pretty significant," art collector and fair board member Richard Chang told reporters ahead of the opening, referring to Hong Kong's emergence as a centre of the Asian art world.

"It's testament to what is happening in this region and it's very exciting."

A record 63,511 visitors attended Art HK last year, and organisers expect a bigger crowd in 2012. By comparison, the prestigious Frieze New York fair earlier this month attracted a reported 45,000 visitors.

A Wednesday night preview drew thousands of VIPs who had first pick of works including Ai's "Cong", a chilling installation about child deaths in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a Sherrie Levine cast bronze called "Dada", and a fresh-off-the-easel 2012 portrait in oil of Lady Gaga by Yan Pei-Ming.

Director Magnus Renfrew said there had been a marked increase in interest from Western dealers compared to 2011.

"The art market tends to follow the money and the greatest source of wealth at the moment is in Asia," he said.

Traditionally known as a centre of banking and finance, Hong Kong has become a hub of all things luxury -- from fine wine to fashion and, increasingly, art -- thanks to the explosion of personal wealth among mainland Chinese.

Western gallery owners are now rushing to open franchises in the former British colony, despite some of the most expensive rents in the world.

Gagosian, White Cube, Acquavella, Simon Lee and Pearl Lam are just some of the recent arrivals. The government is weighing in as well, with a massive art and culture district being developed on the harbour in Kowloon.

"If you look at the calibre of some of the exhibitions this year, it's a top-tier fair now," London-based Australian gallery owner and Art HK exhibitor Simon Lee told AFP.

He said his "boutique-type offering" at the fair was more about making contacts and introducing his gallery to the Asian market than selling art to collectors.

"I can't hope to just come over here, plonk a few things on a booth and think it's all going to happen. It's sort of condescending to think it will all happen without doing the ground work," he said.

Asia's art boom has also caught the eye of the world's biggest art fair franchise, Art Basel, which bought a controlling stake in Art HK a year ago. The Hong Kong fair's 2013 edition will be held under the Art Basel banner.

Meanwhile a new art fair devoted to "affordable" contemporary art will be held in Hong Kong next year, organisers said Wednesday, confirming the city's new status as a hot ticket on the art scene.

The fair is being put together by Affordable Art China, a company which has organised a similar event in Beijing since 2006 and is opening a new franchise in Shanghai later this year.

Chief executive Tom Pattinson said the new fair offered a chance for smaller galleries and emerging artists to showcase their work in the booming art market of Hong Kong, now third only to New York and London in terms of art auctions.

"The success of the events in mainland China has demonstrated the demand for accessible contemporary fine art in the region and Hong Kong is now a major focus for us as we launch our first event in this territory," he said.

He said the value of the "affordable art" market -- pieces priced at less than $5,000 -- in China was estimated at $1.1 billion a year, and was doubling annually.

Renfrew said the new fair was not a threat to Art HK, which is held at the city's vast harbourside convention centre, as the two events catered to "very different audiences".

He urged Western artists and dealers to take a long-term view of the Asian art market.

"There are now more billionaires in Asia than there are in Europe, so it's a very exciting time for the art market here," he told AFP.

"It takes time to build an audience in Asia but the galleries are increasingly seeing that they have to diversify their audience and put in that investment and time."

Art fairs and auctions around the world have seen giddy bidding despite, or perhaps because of, the turmoil in the eurozone and on the world's stock markets, as investors look for other places to park their money.

At Sotheby's impressionist and modern sale in New York earlier this month, the only privately owned version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" went for $119.9 million, the most ever paid for any art work at public auction. AGENCIES

Sri Lanka series will be sensational: Whatmore

Thursday, May 17, 2012 9:05:11 AM

Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team Coach Dav Whatmore said on Wednesday that series against Sri Lanka will be full of sensation and competition.

He said that more focus was being given on players’ physical fitness.

While talking with media on the first day of the training camp at Qaddafi Stadium, he said that new and young players can be more effective in the series.

Whatmore also said that bowlers will also be trained for improving their batting in the practice.

While commenting on match fixing issue in IPL, he said that such incidents must not be tolerated in the game. SAMAA

Dr. Khalil Chishti finally returns home

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:57:34 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani microbiologist Dr. Khalil Chishti finally returned home after spending 20 years in India over a murder charge.

Speaking to reporters after reaching his home in Karachi, Dr Chishti said he was in an Indian jail for about one and a half year.

He said that it took 20 years to do the work, which could have been done in just one month.

To a question, he said that the treatment meted out to him by the Indian government was good.

“I spent most of the time at a farm house in India.

“I am very happy to see the decoration in my neighborhood,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Chishti’s daughter Khalil Chishti thanked Interior Minister Rehman Malik for his father’s homecoming. SAMAA

Syria's Assad warns France against "inciting chaos"

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:23:46 PM

MOSCOW: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in remarks broadcast on Wednesday he hoped France would change its policies in the Middle East and Arab world under President Francois Hollande, warning against "inciting chaos and crisis".

"I hope the new president will think about the interests of France," Assad told Russia's Rossiya-24 television.

"I am certain that they do not lie in further inciting chaos and crisis in the Middle East and the whole Arab world." AGENCIES

Faryal Talpur, others fall off stage in Nawabshah

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:11:49 PM

Staff Report

NAWABSHAH: PPP leader Faryal Talpur was injured when stage set up for a public gathering collapsed due to overcrowding in Nawabshah on Wednesday.

Talpur and several other people received minor injuries.

The gathering was held by former MNA Syed Shaukat Shah to announce his decision to join the PPP.

As MNA Faryal Talpur reached the stage, it fell off due to overload.

Further proceedings were immediately halted. SAMAA

Threats sent to embassies in Pakistan: police

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:52:20 PM

ISLAMABAD: Several Western embassies in Islamabad on Wednesday received letters containing suspicious powder and threats to poison NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, Pakistan officials said.

Islamabad police chief Bani Amin told AFP that embassies had received small packets containing black powder, which had been sent for laboratory analysis.

The letters said "poison" would be hidden in NATO supplies should Pakistan decide to lift a nearly six-month blockade on supplies for American and NATO troops fighting the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Senior Pakistani security officials told AFP that the French embassy, and the Australian and British High Commissions had received suspicious packages.

"Embassies have received one sachet each. The problem is that it is in a meagre quantity and difficult even to test. It seems somebody has committed some mischief. We are sending it to a laboratory," Amin told AFP. AGENCIES

Ex Haq Parast Nazim among 11 killed in Karachi

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:07:58 PM

Staff Report

KARACHI: Violence in the city continued on Wednesday as 11 more people, including an ex-Haq Parast Nazim and a woman were killed in different areas.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist and ex Haq Parast Nazim Khursheed Iqbal was laid to rest in Malir Kala Board area amid tears and sobs.

Hundreds of the party workers, friends, neighbors and family members participated in his funeral. Saeed and Mujeeb were gunned down by unidentified people in Baldia Town.

25 year old Rizwana’s tortured dead body was found from New Karachi’s sector C-5. Hasnain Malik was killed in a firing incident occurred in Orangi Town sector 15.

A cracker attack at Quaidabad area of the city left one dead and seven injured.

Three passengers received injuries as gunmen opened fire on a bus in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. SAMAA

Opposition has accepted my government, says PM Gilani

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:59:14 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The opposition has accepted my government by taking part in polls of the parliamentary committee, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today, SAMAA reported on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said while talking to media in Islamabad this day that he has once again defeated the opposition; the opposition claims orally that it does not approve my government but it has accepted my regime by taking part in the parliamentary committee’s polls.

Gilani added that he wrote a letter to the opposition leader over Chief Election Commission’s issue.

While replying a question over President Zardari’s participation in Chicago Conference, PM Gilani said that the invitation has arrived for the conference and no condition has been imposed over it.

China is the biggest financial supporter in power field and work is under way on many hydropower projects with its collaboration, he added. SAMAA

Rival groups exchange fire in Kohat; 2 dead

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:57:13 PM

Staff Report

KOHAT: Two people were killed and three more, including a local ANP office bearer, were injured when two rival groups exchanged fire during a road opening ceremony in Kohat on Wednesday, police said.

The police said that ANP District President Saeed Shah and his wife Khurshid Begum were busy in a ceremony regarding opening of a newly-built road when an armed clash took place between two groups.

As a result, two persons, Fida Muhammad and Abdul Matin, died on the spot while Saeed Shah and two others were wounded.

Those wounded were shifted to a local KDA Hospital. Saeed Shah, whose condition was said to be critical, was referred to Peshawar.

Police say they have started a probe in the firing incident. SAMAA

PTI to launch strong protest if NATO supply reopened: Imran Khan

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:35:04 PM

Staff Report

LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday warned that his party would resort to a strong protest if NATO supply routes were reopened by the government.

Speaking to newsmen in Lahore, Khan took the federal government to task on the issue of reopening of NATO supply lines.

“We will stage a strong protest if the NATO supply lines are reopened,” he said.

The PTI leader said the current government has failed to contain power cuts and it is also responsible for the price hike.

He said the Government of Punjab doesn’t have money to procure wheat but it is distributing free laptops from tax-payers’ money.

Meanwhile, former MPA Malik Nazir Khokhar announced his decision to join Khan’s Tehrik-e-Insaf Party. SAMAA

Series against SL will be sensational: Whatmore

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:04:09 PM

Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team Coach Dav Whatmore said on Wednesday that series against Sri Lanka will be full of sensation and competition.

He said that more focus was being given on players’ physical fitness.

While talking with media on the first day of the training camp at Qaddafi Stadium, he said that new and young players can be more effective in the series.

Whatmore also said that bowlers will also be trained for improving their batting in the practice.

While commenting on match fixing issue in IPL, he said that such incidents must not be tolerated in the game. SAMAA

Military College of Signals organizes ‘Open House’ event

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:48:59 PM

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Reviving the tradition in celebration, a mega event of open house was organized by Military College of Signals (MCS) today in the college campus.

According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the graduating students grabbed the opportunity to display their final year’s projects in the field of telecom and software engineering. More than 200 attendees from industry, business and academia were present on the occasion.

The event established a liaison between institution and industry to find opportunities for future graduates in competitive market.

At this occasion the chief guest, Rector NUST, Lieutenant General Muhammad Asghar (Retired) said that engineering plays a pivotal role in the progress of a nation. Such events reveal that there is no dearth of talent in our country. Our youth is translating their inquisitive vision into useful innovation and contributing in provision of solution to society at large.

He also appreciated the efforts of MCS faculty in organizing the event to induct their students in their professional careers.

Commandant Military College of Signals Major General Shahid Maqbool opened the day with a welcome message and said that it is an opportunity to win success for talent. An open house is a platform for potential employers and our graduating students to come closer and share their mutual interests.

He applauded the efforts of the faculty in guiding the students to present the current trends in research and technology in exciting and accessible “science-fair” atmosphere.

Graduating students displayed more than 55 project stalls to exhibit a broad spectrum of practically and commercially viable telecom and software projects.

Leading business practitioners and professionals from corporate industry had set up their Recruitment Booths. They shared their organizational requirements with the graduating students and conducted follow up interviews. SAMAA

Bahrain protests Iran criticism of GCC union plans

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:38:52 PM

DUBAI: Bahrain has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires to protest against what it called a "gross violation of its sovereignty" in a row after Tehran criticised efforts by Gulf Arab states to forge closer political and military union.

Sunni Muslim Arab heads of state met in Riyadh on Monday to discuss a call by Saudi King Abdullah to unite the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to counter Shi'ite Muslim Iran's
growing influence in the Middle East and neutralise any threat of revolts by Shi'ite communities in their countries.

They failed to agree on further integration but talks on the matter are to resume later this year.

In the run-up to the Riyadh meeting, speculation was rife that an initial union would be announced between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where anti-government protests led by majority
Shi'ites have gripped the island state since last year.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Bahrain would be better off heeding the calls of its people instead of seeking a union with other Gulf Arab monarchies, all of which
are allied with Iran's arch-adversary the United States.

Responding to an Iranian MP's comments reiterating Iranian territorial claims to Bahrain, the official IRNA news agency on Monday quoted Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani as saying: "If
Bahrain is supposed to be integrated into another country, it must be Iran and not Saudi Arabia."

Bahrain's Foreign Ministry condemned both comments, saying diplomats presented a protest memorandum to the Iranian charge d'affaires in Manama.

"These statements represent a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the kingdom, and gross violation of its sovereignty and independence, (and they) constitute completely
unacceptable conduct," the ministry said in a statement carried by Bahrain's official BNA news agency late on Tuesday.

Disregarding Bahrain's remonstrations, Iran's state Islamic Propagation Coordination Council urged Iranians to hold rallies after prayers on Friday to protest at the union plan.

Fars news agency quoted the council as condemning what it called a "dangerous plot" backed by the United States to prevent uprisings from spreading to other Gulf countries and snuff out the Shi'ite revolt in Bahrain.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the solution to Bahrain's crisis was to fulfil the legitimate demands of its people, according to IRNA.

He warned that any "foreign intervention or non-normative plans will only deepen the wounds in Bahrain".

Iran, the main Shi'ite Muslim power, earlier riled Bahrain by saying that the Gulf island, ruled by the Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa family, had historically been part of its territory. AGENCIES

In breakthrough, President Zardari to attend NATO summit

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:35:30 PM

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will attend a summit of NATO leaders in Chicago this weekend, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington said on Tuesday, ending speculation Islamabad might be excluded from the high-level talks on Afghanistan's future.

Nadeem Hotiana, an embassy spokesman, confirmed Zardari's attendance at the May 20-21 summit, a sign Washington and Islamabad may finally be able to significantly improve ties following the NATO air strike in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and prompted Pakistan to shut NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is also expected to attend the meeting, where NATO nations will hone their plans to withdraw most of their troops by the end of 2014. As the Western presence ebbs, Pakistan, whose tribal areas are home to Taliban and other militants, will be key in shaping Afghanistan's future.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested on Friday that Pakistan could be excluded from the summit if it failed to reopen the supply routes to Afghanistan.

Rasmussen noted that other countries providing supply routes to NATO had been invited to the summit. Pakistan boycotted an international conference on Afghanistan in Bonn in December in protest against the NATO air strikes the previous month.

Pakistan had demanded a formal apology from the United States for the border attack before it reopens the supply routes and called for an end to U.S. drone strikes on its tribal areas.

U.S. and Pakistani officials are continuing talks in Islamabad aimed at reopening those ground supply routes. Pakistan now says it expects the routes to reopen; Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. military hoped that would occur in the "very near future."

In a statement, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's office said ministers had backed a proposal to allow NATO to send only non-lethal equipment into Afghanistan on Pakistani roads.

"It was also decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules with NATO ... to ensure that (such border) incidents do not reoccur," the statement said. AGENCIES

Pakistan's price: US to pay $365 million more a year to reopen supply lines

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:29:30 PM

ISLAMABAD: The cost of the US-led war effort in Afghanistan is about to rise by $365 million annually under an agreement that would reopen a key NATO supply route through Pakistan that’s been closed for nearly six months, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

The accord, which the Pakistani government announced late Tuesday, would revive the transport of vital supplies of food and equipment from Pakistani ports overland to land-locked Afghanistan.

In return, the US-led coalition will pay Pakistan a still-to-be-fixed fee of $1,500 to $1,800 for each truck carrying supplies, a tab that officials familiar with negotiations estimated would run nearly $1 million a day. The officials requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

Pakistan closed the land route to supplies headed to the coalition after American aircraft mistakenly attacked two Pakistani border outposts Nov. 26, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. Since then, supplies for coalition forces in Afghanistan have passed through one of two routes that stretch from Afghanistan through central Asia and Siberia to Georgia on the Black Sea. One of the routes is nearly 6,000 miles long. The Pakistan route is less than 500 miles.

Officials in Washington said they didn’t know how much of the new cost the United States would bear. As the United States contributes more than two-thirds of the 130,000-strong international force, which operates under the command of NATO, it’s expected that Washington will pay most of the new fee.

What Pakistan supplies in return

In return, the US is asking Pakistan to provide security for the supplies, which are trucked through the country by private local transport companies, and much speedier clearance of customs and checkpoints. Militants and robbers frequently attack trucks carrying NATO goods. No effective security had been provided in the past.

“Security is the most important thing we require for swift transportation to be sustained,” said Nadeem Khan, the chief executive of Raaziq International, one of the major Pakistani companies involved in carrying NATO supplies. “That is the least that the (Pakistani) government can provide us as taxpayers.”

Before the Pakistan route was suspended, 30 percent of coalition supplies passed through the country, according to the Pentagon.

Reopening the route could be key to plans by NATO forces to end their combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, a goal that would require the US and other countries to move equipment out of Afghanistan to Pakistani ports.

American and Pakistani negotiators are still haggling over details of the new supply agreement. A definitive deal is likely by early next week.

600 trucks a day

The NATO traffic in and out of Afghanistan through Pakistan is anticipated to be as many as 600 trucks a day between now and the end of next year.

Until now, Pakistan, which joined the United States as an ally in invading Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has charged only nominal fees for shipments to US-led forces. But the new charge is considered a Pakistani effort to assert itself in its relationship with Washington, which suffered a series of serious setbacks last year, beginning with a CIA contractor’s shooting of two Pakistani civilians in January, continuing with the May raid that found and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and ending with the border outpost attack.

Late Tuesday, after a meeting of Pakistan’s top civilian and military officials in Islamabad, the prime minister’s office confirmed that the NATO supply route, known as GLOC or Ground Lines of Communications, would be reopened, subject to final negotiations.

The meeting “authorized officers of relevant ministries/departments to conclude the ongoing negotiation on the new terms and conditions for resumption of GLOCs,” a statement from the prime minister’s office said.

No apology necessary?

In a major climb-down, Pakistan dropped its demand that Washington apologize for the deaths due to the November raids. There was also no agreement to end controversial strikes by American drone aircraft against suspected militants in Pakistan’s tribal area, as demanded by a cross-party resolution of Pakistan’s Parliament.

The statement added that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue to remain engaged with the government of the United States on other parliamentary recommendations, including the question of apology and cessation of drone attacks.”

The other major point of contention, on which no accord was announced, is the money that the United States owes Pakistan under the Coalition Support Funds program that reimburses Islamabad for the cost of guarding its western frontier with Afghanistan. According to Pakistani security officials, Pakistan is owed more than $2 billion and hasn’t received a payment for two years.

Earlier Tuesday, NATO formally invited Pakistan to attend a meeting of the military alliance that begins Saturday in Chicago. The invitation had been held up because of the closure of the supply line.

Pakistani stocks end down; rupee, o/n rates flat

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:28:24 PM

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stocks dropped on Wednesday, with the market wary of selling by foreign investors given the bearish trend in the region, dealers said.

The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) benchmark 100-share index ended 1.63 percent, or 232.6 points, lower at 14,081.07, with a volume of 110.6 million shares, compared to Tuesday's close of 14,313.67 points.

"Investors trimmed their position as they fear more foreign selling if regional markets' bearish trend continues," said Samar Iqbal, a dealer at Topline Securities.

In the currency market, the Pakistani rupee ended almost flat at 90.86/91 to the dollar, compared with Tuesday's close of 90.83/88.

The rupee has been supported by remittances, which rose 20.2 percent to $10.88 billion in the first 10 months of the 2011/12 fiscal year, compared with $9.05 billion in the same period last year.

In April, remittances totalled $1.14 billion.

Overnight rates in the money market ended at 11.90 percent, the same level as on Tuesday. AGENCIES

Nasir Jamshed out of Sri Lanka tour

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:26:50 PM

LAHORE: Fast-rising opener Nasir Jamshed was Wednesday ruled out of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka after fracturing a finger on his left hand.

The 22-year-old, who hit a brilliant one-day hundred against arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup in Dhaka two months ago, injured his finger during a club match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

Jamshed, only named in the one-day squad for Sri Lanka, has been advised to take four to six weeks' rest by the medical team and the PCB said a decision on a replacement will be announced in due course.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five one-day internationals and three Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka starting early next month.

Pakistan announced separate squads for all three formats last week, with Mohammad Hafeez taking over as Twenty20 captain for the first time.

Misbah-ul Haq, who also lost his Twenty20 place, will lead the team in one-dayers and Tests. AGENCIES

Opposition leader Nisar slams pro-govt JUI-F

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:21:23 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan today lashed out at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) for supporting the government while sitting in opposition.

Khan’s remarks came a day after JUI-F’s Ghafoor Hyderi opted to vote for Syed Khursheed Shah of PPP against PML-N’s Tehmina Doltana during the election of chairman of a parliamentary committee.

Nisar said JUI-F’s representation in the committee is from the opposition’s quota.

“Democratic values and ethics require that members of the parliament sitting on opposition benches should not weaken the voice and unity of the Opposition,” he opined.

“It is not the first time that JUI-F leadership has demonstrated its double-standards,” he remarked.

Khan said a party which was formed on the basis of great ideology is engaged in a game, which is not increasing its respect.

Those who always remain ready for dealing can never play the role of Opposition, he said.

U.S.-Pakistan near deal on reopening supply lines

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:19:46 PM

WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States appeared on the verge of clinching an agreement to reopen ground supply lines into Afghanistan, a U.S. official said, as Islamabad confirmed its president will attend a summit of NATO leaders this weekend in Chicago.

Reopening the supply route would be a major breakthrough in ties between Washington and Islamabad. Strained relations have fuelled speculation Pakistan might be excluded from NATO talks on Afghanistan's future.

Pakistan closed down the supply lines for the Afghan war effort following the NATO air strike in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. That strike fanned national anger over everything from covert CIA drone strikes to the U.S. incursion into Pakistani territory last year to kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Nadeem Hotiana, an embassy spokesman, confirmed that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will attend the May 20-21 summit.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement on Tuesday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is also expected to attend the meeting, where NATO nations will hone their plans to withdraw most of their troops by the end of 2014. As the Western presence ebbs, Pakistan, whose tribal areas are home to Taliban and other militants, will be key in shaping Afghanistan's future.

But the supply routes have been a major sticking point.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal now appeared almost certain, even while stressing that nothing had been finalized and surprises were always possible.

The official added that the U.S. military might see some higher costs to receive goods in Afghanistan than it did before Pakistan cut off the supply lines, but did not elaborate.

The United States and Pakistan, which now says it expects the routes to reopen, have long been expected to strike a deal that would include tariffs on NATO supplies going into Afghanistan.

After weeks of talks between U.S. and Pakistani officials in Islamabad, a Pentagon spokesman on Tuesday said he hoped that would occur in the "very near future."

In a statement, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's office said ministers had backed a proposal to allow NATO to send only non-lethal equipment into Afghanistan on Pakistani roads.

"It was also decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules with NATO ... to ensure that (such border) incidents do not reoccur," the statement said. AGENCIES

A Minute With: Lopez, Banks on expectations when 'Expecting'

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:11:52 PM

LOS ANGELES: Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Banks - stars of this Friday's baby comedy movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting" are two Hollywood moms who could not be more different.

Lopez is a newly divorced, singer and actress with twin toddlers, Max and Emme, whose busy schedule includes being a judge on TV's "American Idol" and releasing top 40 pop singles.

Banks, on the other hand, has had steady career on TV and in films such as recent blockbuster "The Hunger Games." Fourteen months ago, she and her husband Max Handelman welcomed their first child, Felix.

While Banks and Lopez did not share any scenes in the film, they came together to talk with Reuters about the fictional tale based on the bestselling pregnancy book of the same name. It follows several different couples as they navigate the bumpy road to parenthood. Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Anna Kendrick, Chace Crawford and Matthew Morrison are among the all star cast.

Over cappuccinos and sparkling water, Lopez and Banks traded stories about motherhood and how much they've changed since having little ones come in to their lives.

Q: Jennifer, in the film, your character Holly adopts a baby because she and her husband can't have kids. In real life, you were pregnant with twins. How did you relate to her?

Lopez: "Because of how much she wanted a baby. I had wanted a baby when I got married so badly. I already felt like I had waited too long. It took me three years to get pregnant (with ex-husband Marc Anthony) and during those three years, I was like, 'Gosh, maybe this is not going to happen. Maybe this is not meant for me. Maybe my life is about something else...' So I related to that wanting."

Q: Really? You have always projected an image of having everything - success in career, beauty and love.

Lopez: "When you've paved this path of being an actress or a singer, people see you and go, 'Oh your life is great and whole and complete - and you have money. That's all you need!' The truth is, that's all amazing but you really need that core. You need life, you need family, you need love. And even though Holly had a great life and a great relationship, there was still something missing - that want, that need to have a baby, to have a family, to have roots. I know what it feels like to want that so badly and finally get it."

Q: Elizabeth, you had baby via a surrogate. In the film, your character Wendy is pregnant, but it's not a glamorous pregnancy by any means. How did you connect with her issues?

Banks: "I was drawn to the authenticity of Wendy's experience. One of the things I liked about this movie is that it's not all happy, sugar coating. It's about the run-up to parenthood, which is scary and emotional and messy. It's a complicating factor in a relationship, no matter what. I loved that I had the opportunity, as Wendy, to say it like it is. And be messy and out of control."

Lopez: "I think everybody wants to have that perfect pregnancy where you look like Audrey Hepburn in your flats. I certainly tried. I had my leggings and my black turtleneck. Then someone took a picture of me from the back I was like, "IS THAT HOW WIDE I LOOK?!?!?!" On that same topic, I always feel like everybody loses their weight so fast, but that is not true! My ribs - I feel like they're just starting to get back to normal, yet my babies are four."

Q: As mothers working in entertainment, do you find your kids' childhoods vastly different from your own rearing?

Lopez: "The other day, my daughter put on my sparkling Louboutins that I have for shows and a Cartier ring that her dad gave me. I was like, 'What are you doing?!' (laughs) We're so fortunate that we have so much and the kids get some of that. But I don't want them to grow up that fast. I want to them to be like I was in the Bronx, wearing sneakers with holes in them!"

Banks: "I rarely buy my son anything, but he's not deprived. He gets lots of gifts. I'm like, 'We don't need all this stuff.' I'm constantly getting it out. It's too much crap."

Lopez: "I'm the opposite. I'm like, 'Oh that would be cute for a girl.' I buy everything. It's so bad. I still have their cribs in their room. They sleep in their bed but their crib is there and I'm like, 'I can't get rid of that. It's so beautiful!' Then I'm like, 'They're going to be five soon, it's going to be weird!' Even to take the bassinet out of my room --"

Banks: "I still have the bassinet. It's in my guest room, which is really weird when people come over to stay. They're like, 'Well you're clearly having another one.' I'm like, 'I don't know what's gonna happen, but I can't get rid of this beautiful bassinet!'"

Q: How has motherhood changed you?

Lopez: "There's a depth of feeling that you have not felt before. But you also feel guilt and fear deeper. I feel more scared of things now because of my kids. I feel more worried. Everything's more. I went jet skiing and flew off the jet ski. I was like, 'I'm a terrible mom! What if I were to die? What would happen to them?' It's those things."

Banks: "I've lost a full section of my brain power. It's gone. It's now devoted exclusively to him. So even though I'm talking to you, there's a part of my brain that's going, 'Did he eat today? Where is he? What's he doing?'"

Q: Switching topics real quick, Jennifer, you're in your second season on "American Idol." Has this experience been everything you hoped it would be when you first agreed to do it?

Lopez: "It was an unexpected career move. I always felt like people knew who I was but I realized they didn't. When I got on the show people were like, 'Oh, she's nurturing, she's a nice person. She's not the crazy girl (who demands) white sheets and candles.' 'Idol' let people get to know me. It gave people insight in to who I was in a positive way that I didn't expect."

Q: How has it impacted you career-wise?

Lopez: "When it was first offered it to me, I had my reservations. I love doing movies and I was like, 'Is it going to affect how people see me as a movie actress?' Even my singing. Will that part be over now that I'm a judge? But my gut was telling me - just do it. We had been traveling like crazy with Marc and his tour, so I thought, 'You don't have anything for these next six months. It's going to be fun.' It seemed like the right move at the time for my life. Then it turned out to be something fantastic." AGENCIES

Hussey defends team after cricket fixing claims

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:04:17 PM

NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab acting captain David Hussey on Wednesday defended his team's integrity amid allegations of corruption in the Indian Premier League.

Amit Yadav and Shalabh Srivastava, two of the five players suspended by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) following a television sting, are contracted to the Punjab IPL team, but have not played in the ongoing tournament.

Hussey, leading the team in the absence of injured fellow Australian Adam Gilchrist, said he would be disappointed if fingers were pointed at any of his players.

"Everyone in my team, everyone in Kings XI Punjab as a brand, plays with utmost integrity and if any print or TV media tries to write differently or say something differently about my team, then I will be very disappointed," Hussey told reporters.

"I can't really comment on the sting," he added.

Reporters from the Hindi-language India TV, posing as sports agents, recorded the low-profile players as saying that spot-fixing and black money was prevalent in the Twenty20 IPL.

T. P. Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra and Abhinav Bali were the other first-class cricketers suspended from the game on Tuesday by the BCCI until preliminary investigations were completed.

The probe will be carried out by former police officer Ravi Sawani, who has previously served on the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

Sudhindra has played in three IPL matches for the Deccan Chargers this year and Mishra played one game for Pune Warriors. Bali has not featured in the tournament.

India TV showed Sudhindra allegedly agreeing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls in a local amateur match, while Srivastava was reportedly heard boasting he could do the same in the IPL.

Mishra was filmed as saying he was paid a major part of his IPL salary by Pune Warriors in "black" (illegal) money, while Yadav and Bali alleged spot-fixing existed in the tournament.

Srivastava has denied that the voice in the audio was his, and Mishra apologised, saying he made the comment "casually for personal gain."

The Hindu newspaper said corruption rumours had swirled around the IPL for a long time.

"Since millions ride on IPL, this 'domestic' tournament has not escaped the talk of fixed matches," the paper said.

The IPL, a mix of glamour, rich purses for world-class players and the excitement of T20 cricket, has endured a difficult ride over the past four years.

The tournament is already being investigated for alleged fraud and foreign exchange violations.

Its founder Lalit Modi, who was suspended in 2010, is living in London facing Indian government and BCCI charges of misappropriation of funds. AGENCIES

At least 10 more killed in Syria: watchdog

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:58:28 PM

BEIRUT: Regime troops shot dead at least five people in a new assault on the flashpoint town of Khan Sheikhun and opened fire on a refugee camp in southern Syria on Wednesday, monitors said.

A child, another civilian and three armed militants were killed by machinegun fire in Khan Sheikhun, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Four others died of wounds suffered on Tuesday when regime troops "massacred" 20 people during a funeral procession in the town, according to the Britain-based group.

During the funeral, a convoy of UN truce observers came under bomb attack in Khan Sheikhun, damaging three vehicles but causing no casualties, the United Nations said.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, three civilians including a child were killed as troops fired on a refugee camp in southern Daraa province for Palestinians and Syrians displaced from the Israeli-annexed Golan, the Observatory said.

Regime forces also killed a young man in a raid on Mleiha al-Aatsh village of Daraa province, the watchdog said.

And in the central province of Homs, a civilian was killed in the rebel-held town of Rastan, which was under regime bombardment, according to the Syrian Observatory.

The watchdog updated its toll of people killed in Syria on Tuesday to 64, including two rebel fighters and 11 regular army soldiers.

The bloodshed comes despite a truce brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan as part of a six-point plan aimed at ending violence that has swept Syria since March 2011, when the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began.

The United Nations has accused both sides to the conflict of violating an April 12 ceasefire and warned that the country is edging closer to full-blown civil war.

More than 12,000 people, the majority of them civilians, have died since the Syrian uprising began, according to the Observatory, including more than 900 killed since the truce came into effect. AGENCIES

Floods may affect 29 million people this year, warns NDMA

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:52:28 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: About 29 million people could be affected from possible floods in 2012, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official warned on Wednesday.

Warning all provincial governments of the possible flood-related devastation, NDMA Chairman Zafaq Iqbal said there would be more monsoon rains this year.

He said “the NDMA has asked for Rs20 billion from provincial governments to start preparations in order to avert possible flood devastations.”

The NDMA chief said the federal government has also been requested to release Rs5 billion in this regard.

Iqbal said monsoon rains are likely to begin from the mid-June. SAMAA

Project to give Mumbai a Bollywood mural makeover

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:36:50 PM

MUMBAI: The raven-tressed heroine stares adoringly at the handsome Mughal prince, who gazes lovingly back at her - from where they are painted on a Mumbai wall.

The mural of the classic Bollywood film "Anarkali" is the brainchild of a pair of movie buffs, who hope to give Mumbai a distinct Bollywood identity through a series of murals, aiming for the iconic appeal of the "Hollywood" sign in California.

The mural from Anarkali, a 1953 film about a doomed love affair between the prince and a commoner, is just the first of many the pair, and their Bollywood Art Project, hope to create all over the city.

"Mumbai is the home of Bollywood, but it has no Bollywood flavour," said Ranjit Dahiya, who started the project with his friend, Tony Peter. "We wanted to change that."

They zeroed in on a wall in the posh suburb of Bandra, home to several Bollywood stars, and asked for permission to paint the 6 metre (20 foot) Anarkali mural, fully expecting to be rebuffed.

"But they had no problem at all," Dahiya told Reuters. "They happily handed over their wall to us for fourteen days and let us paint."

Over the weekend, the Art Project also screened the film with the wall as a backdrop, hoping to educate youngsters and help them relive Bollywood's golden past.

"We have a lot of indications around Mumbai of what Bollywood is today, in terms of posters of latest releases, but there is no indication of where we came from," Peter said.

The group aims to paint several such murals and put up posters all over Mumbai in the coming year, culminating in celebrations in May 2013 to mark 100 years of Indian cinema.

Their next project is an 18 metre (60 foot) tall depiction of popular 1970s actress and dancer Helen.

Peter says he hopes to recruit more of India's poster painting stars into the project, indirectly helping workers skilled in the once-flourishing art of hand-painted, larger-than-life posters, who have been struggling in recent years.

Both Dahiya and Peter have regular day jobs in design but say their project has become an all-consuming hobby.

But in a city notorious for its lack of civic sense and where most walls are adorned with tobacco and betel leaf stains, aren't they worried about the fate of their masterpieces?

Dahiya says no.

"I can't sit and worry about people spitting on my art," said the 32-year-old. "I've made it for the people, so how they treat it is up to them." AGENCIES

Nawaz trying to play Sindh Card: Bilawal House

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:26:58 PM

Staff Report

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif is trying to play the Sindh Card following his failure in the Punjab, a Bilawal House spokesman said on Wednesday.

The spokesman said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) never played any card of racialism and religious extremism.

He said sloganeers of ‘Jag Punjabi Jag’ and ‘Sindhu Desh’ are the remnants of General Zia.

According to the spokesman, Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to use the Sindh Card by sitting on the shoulders of Mumtaz Bhutto. SAMAA

Australia captain Clarke tests driving ambition

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:26:40 PM

SYDNEY: Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke will get the chance to put his driving skills to the test when he gets behind the wheel at the International Rally of Queensland later this month, organisers said on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old will join the BP Ultimate team and drive in two stages of the rally on the Sunshine Coast from May 25-27.

"It's pretty well known that I have a passion for driving, but a part of me has always wondered what it would be like to go up against the best in the business," Clarke said in a statement.

"There's no doubt that rally driving is one of the most exhilarating sports around and, as someone who puts my heart into everything I do, this is a great opportunity to mix it with some of the world's best drivers!"

The right-handed batsman will drive alongside the experienced Mark Stacey, who has competed at international level for two decades.

The rally, in its 44th year, is the longest-running round in the Australian Rally Championship, and will attract more than 100 cars from Australia and around the world, organisers said. AGENCIES

Facebook boosts number of IPO shares by 25%

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:15:32 PM

NEW YORK: Facebook on Wednesday boosted by 25 percent the number of shares for sale at its stock market debut, amid signs of strong investor demand for its initial public offering this week.

The move by the Internet giant comes one day after it filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission raising its IPO share price from a range of $28 to $35, to between $34 to $38 per share. Facebook's IPO is likely to take place on Friday.

The raised IPO share price, as well as the increase in the number of shares available, reflects confidence in stock for the the Menlo Park, California-based company.

Facebook is already assured of becoming the most valuable US Web company at the time of an IPO, topping Google's $23 billion valuation in 2004.

Trading is expected to begin on Friday under the symbol "FB" on the technology-heavy Nasdaq. AGENCIES

Sindh Card has no credit to use: Nawaz Sharif

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:00:27 PM

Staff Report

SHIKARPUR: PML-N President and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said there is no credit in Sindh Card, which cannot be used now.

Interacting with journalists here on Wednesday, Nawaz Sharif said those talking about Punjab’s partition have no realization what they are doing.

He said people are fed up of government’s corruption and mismanagement. SAMAA

Federal Cabinet ratifies Defense Committee’s decisions

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:55:41 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has said the federal cabinet has ratified the decisions of Defense Committee.

“NATO supply is a very sensitive issue. Talks are under way in this regard and whatever decision is made will be in the national interests,” Kaira told newsmen after attending the cabinet’s meeting today (Wednesday).

Nothing will be concealed from public on the issue of NATO supply, he said, adding the government would move ahead in line with the parliamentary resolution.

The information minister said President Zardari has been invited to Chicago summit, where he would see what decision is made.

He underlined that decisions would be taken in view of the national interests. SAMAA

Iran calls for rallies against Saudi-Bahrain union

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:43:12 PM

TEHRAN: Iran has called on its people to stage rallies after this week's Friday prayers to protest against what it described as a US plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic Propagation Coordination Council, which organises state-backed protests, urged Iranians "to protest against the American plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and express their anger against the lackey regimes of Al-Khalifa and Al-Saud."

Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) discussed on Monday plans to turn the bloc into a union, starting with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

"This dangerous plot is the result of the American-Zionist-Britain evil triangle to prevent popular uprisings spreading into other countries of the region and to control the internal crisis in Bahrain which has been caused by the inability of the Al-Khalifa regime to control the situation," the council said on its website.

"Al-Saud and Al-Khalifa should be aware that with this kind of plot they will not stop the popular movement in Bahrain and the movement of Islamic awakening in the region," it added.

The announcement comes after Tehran warned Riyadh's plans to form a union with Manama would deepen the crisis in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia had earlier told Iran to keep out of its relations with the tiny Gulf state.

"Any kind of foreign intervention or non-normative plans without respecting people's vote will only deepen the already existing wounds," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

Iranian MPs on Monday condemned the planned union between the two Gulf countries.

"Bahraini and Saudi rulers must understand that this unwise decision will only strengthen the Bahraini people's resolve against the forces of occupation," they said in a letter, referring to the Saudi-led forces.

Bahrain on Tuesday hit out at Iran for interfering in its affairs.

"These statements represent a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the kingdom and an attack on its sovereignty," the foreign ministry said in a letter of protest handed to the Islamic republic's charge d'affairs, according to BNA state news agency.

Saudi-led Gulf forces rolled into Sunni-ruled Bahrain in March 2011 to boost the kingdom's security forces which a day later crushed month-old, Shiite-dominated protests.

Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly voiced support for the protests in Bahrain and strongly condemned the deployment of Saudi-led forces.

The GCC was formed in 1981 as the Sunni-dominated monarchies of the Gulf aimed to bolster security after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran that was followed by an eight-year war between Baghdad and Tehran.

The Bahrain issue is sensitive one to Iran, where a nationalist-conservative movement within the Islamic regime still considers the island, controlled by Persia before being colonised by Britain and then to gain independence in 1971, as an Iranian province.

"The right is reserved for the Islamic republic, as patron and heir to the territorial integrity of Iran, to want the return of a separated province to the Islamic homeland," said Hossein Shariatmadari, the director of the hardline Kayhan newspaper.

"The Bahrainis essentially consider themselves to be Iranians and according to some reports they are eager to return to Iran," he added without specifying on which reports. AGENCIES

Karachi: Women demand separate Mohajir province

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:42:49 PM

Staff Report

KARACHI: Calls for a separate province are being raised in the country’s largest city of Karachi after Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Under the Mohajir Province Movement, women held a demonstration at Arts Council Chowrangi on Wednesday.

Hundreds of women carrying placards and banners gathered at Arts Council Chowrangi and chanted slogans in support of the Mohajir Province.

Participants of the demonstration called for a separate province for migrants’ community.

The demonstration led to long traffic jam on I.I. Chundrigar Road after M.R. Kayani Road was closed down. SAMAA

‘NATO supply issue was not in agenda of trilateral meeting’

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:28:20 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has clarified that NATO supply issue was not there in the agenda of Pakistan, Afghanistan and ISAF trilateral meeting, SAMAA reported on Wednesday.

In a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the trilateral meeting discussed the security issues of the countries.

The trilateral meeting between military authorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and ISAF held last week at Rawalpindi.

It was continuation of the series of regular meetings held under the tripartite commission framework. SAMAA

Indian rupee hits record low; Mukherjee seeks austerity

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:27:27 PM

MUMBAI: The rupee slumped to a record low against the dollar on Wednesday as risk aversion in global markets added pressure on a currency already under fire from the country's current account and fiscal deficits.

The currency's slide came just before Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he had directed his ministry to boost efforts towards fiscal consolidation. Government spending has been a concern for financial markets and a factor pushing the rupee lower.

"We are going to issue some austerity measures," he said in parliament.

Earlier on Wednesday, the rupee fell as low as 54.46 per dollar, breaching its previous record low of 54.30 in December. It was last trading around 54.40 compared to a close of 53.79.

(Also read: Experts react after rupee touched an all-time low, click here)

Since March, the rupee has been the worst performing emerging market currency in Asia.

Traders and analysts said broad global risk aversion over concerns that Greece may pull out of the euro had tipped the rupee over the edge on Wednesday.

But the slide in economic growth, rising imports, controversial tax policies and regulatory uncertainty had all combined to drive the currency lower since last year.

Repeated currency intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and a rash of other measures targeting deposits and exporters have failed to stem the slide in the rupee.

"Unfortunately for the rupee, this is not a great environment to run a current account deficit and thus be reliant on capital inflows from foreign lenders," said Sean Callow, a senior currency strategist at Westpac Banking Corp in Sydney.

"I suspect only radical steps by RBI - or sudden action by foreign central banks and/or G20 - will stop a push through 55 and quite possible higher," he said, referring to the dollar/rupee exchange rate.

A Reuters poll on Tuesday showed that analysts expect the rupee to hover near record lows against the dollar for the next month or so and then to start rising against the dollar.

The rupee has fallen nearly 10 percent since its 2012 peak in February.

A poorly received budget for fiscal 2013 unveiled in mid-March eroded confidence in the currency by casting doubt on the government's willingness to implement policy reforms ahead of the general elections due by 2014.

(Also read: BREAKINGVIEWS - India has chance to get a good finance minister, click here)

It has set a target deficit of 5.1 percent of gross domestic product for the year to the end of March 2013.

Still, Mukherjee's promise of austerity measures faces a sceptical financial market where investors are concerned that government policymaking has stalled in the run up to general elections.

"The government has been only talking about fiscal consolidation but there are no steps at all, nothing being done to reduce the fiscal deficit," said Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at Bank of Baroda.

Robert Prior-Wandesforde, an economist for Credit Suisse in Singapore, said financial markets were looking for initiatives from the government.

"It is very hard for the central bank to turn the currency around," he said. "Without doubt, the investors are looking for steps from the government in terms of structural reforms, be it in the form of news on goods and services tax or the direct tax code or some measures that might encourage infrastructure investments." AGENCIES

Fewer South Asian child brides looks positive for health

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:17:02 PM

NEW YORK: Fewer girls under 14 are getting married in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, with sizable declines seen in each nation, according to a study released on Tuesday that suggests positive health gains for young women in South Asia.

In Bangladesh, for example, about 34 percent of women reported being married by age 14 in 1991 and 1994. By 2005 and 2007 that number had fallen to about 19 percent.

At the same time, marriage rates for girls aged 16 to 17 stayed about the same, except for an increase of about 36 percent in Bangladesh - a country where marriage for girls under 18 is generally more common.

"The decrease for the youngest age group is dramatic, but for the oldest, we've got nothing," said Anita Raj, the study's lead author and a professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

Raj and her colleagues reported the findings in a letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For their study, the researchers analyzed surveys taken from 1991 to 2007 in the four countries. For marriage rates, they looked at whether 20- to 24-year-old women reported being married before their 18th birthday.

In India, the marriage rate for girls younger than 14 dropped from about 10 percent in 1991-1994 to about 6 percent in 2005-2007. Pakistan saw the rate for girls under 14 fall from about 6 percent to a little less than 3 percent over the same period.

Raj told Reuters Health that the declines may be explained by more encouragement for girls to complete their education before marriage. Students in those countries typically graduate from high school at the age of 15 or 16.

Bangladesh, India and Nepal all ban marriage before the age of 18, while Pakistan's minimum age is 16. But Raj said those laws are largely ignored, especially in rural areas.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Marrying too young is an issue because it is associated with many health concerns, including complications from pregnancy and physical abuse.

Teen mothers are at a higher risk for pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and delivering babies before 37 weeks and with low birth weights, said Monica Johnson, a women's health nurse practitioner at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital's teen pregnancy center in St. Louis.

Teens are also at risk for postpartum depression, Johnson told Reuters Health. She added that "with adequate prenatal care and emotional support a lot of those teen moms do not experience the risks."

In a previous article, however, Raj reported that the poorest and least-educated girls are at the greatest risk for an early marriage. That may limit access to healthcare.

Raj and her colleagues focused on South Asia mostly because of the amount and quality of data available, but she said that early marriage should not be seen as a problem exclusive to that area.

A 2011 report from UNICEF reported that adolescent marriage is also common in sub-Saharan Africa. It said that the psychosocial effects girls experience are enormous, including not having friends, being powerless and doing an excessive amount of housework.

Raj told Reuters Health that one way to reduce marriage among young girls may be to increase the number of choices they have, such as providing access to schools or jobs. AGENCIES

Iran nuclear concession would test big power unity

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:08:14 PM

LONDON/VIENNA: Facing an imminent toughening of sanctions, Iran is hinting at a readiness to give some ground in its long nuclear stand-off with world powers, but any flexibility could split their ranks and lead to protracted uncertainty about how to respond.

The stakes are high, for the longer the impasse goes on, the closer Iran will get to the technological threshold of capability to develop atomic bombs, raising the odds of last-ditch Israeli military strikes on its arch-foe and the risk of a new Middle East war a troubled global economy cannot afford.

A succession of optimistic statements by Iranian officials and academics has raised speculation that Tehran may offer concessions to its six main negotiating partners in talks scheduled for May 23 in Baghdad, a move that could ease regional tensions and soothe fears of a fresh spike in oil prices.

Such an offer would also be closely studied by Israel, which has threatened to use force to destroy nuclear installations the Islamic Republic says are purely civilian in nature but the West suspects are geared to gaining a weapons capability.

Any talk of a diplomatic breakthrough, though, is almost certainly premature.

Whatever concrete gestures are tabled by Iran would test anew the cohesiveness of joint Western, Russian and Chinese efforts to prevent an Iranian atom bomb capability, and might simply lead to months of inconclusive consultations among its interlocutors about how to answer Tehran's move, analysts say.

Differences in how best to match an Iranian offer - for example by suspending some sanctions in return for Iran shelving enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity, a level that worries U.N. nuclear experts - could snag efforts to turn any such initiative into meaningful movement towards negotiations.

"Don't expect a 'Kumbaya' (celebratory) moment. It's going to be a poker play" between Iran and the major powers, French analyst Bruno Tertrais said. "I would be surprised if what happens in Baghdad was more than an agreement on interim steps."

ISOLATION

There is "no doubt " that Iran's policy would be to split the six, known as the P5+1, says Dennis Ross, until November a chief Middle East strategy adviser at the White House.

"I also have no doubt that they probably will put something on the table that they think will be attractive to some of the members of the P5+1," Ross told an audience at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

He said one such move could be Iranian assurances on a halt to stockpiling of 20 percent enriched uranium.

That level, well beyond the 5 percent of fissile purity suitable for running civilian nuclear power plants, is intended only to replenish the fuel stocks of a medical isotope reactor, Iran says. But it also moves Iran farther down the road towards the highly enriched grade of uranium usable in bombs.

One Western government assessment is that it would take Iran two to three years to manufacture a usable nuclear weapon in the event that authorities in Tehran decided to attempt that task.

Analysts and some diplomats have said Iran and the global powers must compromise for any chance of a long-term settlement, suggesting Tehran could be allowed to continue limited low-level enrichment if it accepts more intrusive U.N. inspections.

But Iran has often managed to limit its diplomatic and economic isolation by sowing rifts among the six states spearheading international efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear programme, leading to a watering-down of U.N. sanctions.

Western analysts are on alert for any new such gambit now.

A united front among Russia, China, the United States, France, Germany and Britain is the most powerful leverage the outside world has in ensuring Iranian compliance with international safeguards intended to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Western analysts say.

And yet that unity has always been fragile.

Russia and China, which both have strong trade ties to Iran, have supported four rounds of U.N. sanctions imposed since 2006 on Iran over its refusal to suspend enrichment-related activity and grant unfettered U.N. inspections to resolve suspicions of military dimensions to its nuclear programme.

But Moscow and Beijing criticised the United States and the European Union last year for meting out extra unilateral sanctions against Iran. Russia as made clear its opposition to any further U.N. Security Council measures against Tehran.

"I think P5+1 will have significant problems whenever it comes to Iran actually moving and how they respond," a European diplomat told Reuters. "At this moment in time it is easy and nothing has been promised by Iran ... but I think it will become very difficult and very tense on the P5+1 side once they have to start reacting to an Iranian step."

"EARLY TEST OF UNITY"

Mark Fitzpatrick of London's International Institute for Strategic Studies said an Iranian demand for an easing of sanctions in return for its concessions "will present an early test of P5+1 unity. For the West, any lifting of sanctions would require significant limitations on the enrichment programme."

There is little debate about what may be encouraging Iran to indicate new flexibility: Iran, analysts say, wishes to stave off the planned July 1 start to a European Union ban on imports of Iranian oil, a significant measure since the EU takes a fifth of the country's petroleum shipments.

But there is plenty of speculation about the extent to which Russia and China are prepared to reward any Iranian shift.

Shashank Joshi of the Royal United Services Institute said divergence between Russia and China and its other partners would likely emerge on the price the world should demand for dropping the insistence, enshrined in the Security Council resolutions, that Iran cease any enrichment whatsoever.

He said the United States would want to see the dismantling of an enrichment plant buried deep under a mountain at Fordow south of Tehran, the Iranian nuclear site best sheltered from any possible air strike.

"The Russians and Chinese may recognise that this is unlikely, and may accept Iranian offers short of this," he said.

"So we should expect to see Iran attempt to split the Russians and Chinese from the others by offering something concrete and significant, but short of dismantlement."

Tehran has ruled out closing the bunkered Fordow site.

SIGNS OF NEW IRANIAN APPROACH

Diplomats and analysts say an agreement is still far off, but the signs are growing that Iran's leaders are changing their approach and preparing public opinion for a potential shift.

Tehran's former chief nuclear negotiator, Hossein Mousavian, now a visiting scholar at Princeton University in the United States, said last month Iran and major nations had a "historic opportunity" to settle their decade-old nuclear dispute.

On May 2, Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mahdi Akhondzadehhe said in a speech in Vienna: "We continue to be optimistic about upcoming negotiations."

In April, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran was "ready to resolve all issues very quickly and simply". AGENCIES

Italy police seize more Gaddafi family assets

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 4:59:11 PM

MILAN: Italy's financial police have seized a further 20 million euros' worth of properties belonging to the family of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, bringing the total value of confiscated Libyan assets in Italy to over 1.3 billion euros ($1.6 billion).

Italy started seizing assets that it says belong to Gaddafi's family in March at the request of the International Criminal Court.

They include stakes in Italy's largest bank by assetsM UniCredit, oil and gas giant Eni, defence group Finmeccanica, carmaker Fiat, truckmaker Fiat Industrial and soccer club Juventus.

On Wednesday, police said they had also seized a hotel and fields in the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria.

Italy has said the assets were held by Libya's sovereign fund, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), on behalf of the Gaddafi family.

LIA says it is the legitimate owner of the assets and has lodged an appeal to recover them. AGENCIES

No one would be allowed to misuse blasphemy law: Zardari

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 4:53:01 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari has said that no one would be allowed to misuse the blasphemy law, SAMAA reported Wednesday.

During a meeting with Vatican City’s Father Robert Mccloch at the presidency, Zardari said that his government believed in the harmony among the religions of the world.

The president termed the Christian community as the spinal cord of the country.

The president awarded the Sitara-e-Quaid-eAzam to the father for his services. SAMAA

Fire erupts; extinguished in Islamabad plaza

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 4:26:13 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Fire erupted in a plaza situated at I-8 region has been extinguished here on Wednesday.

The fire erupted due to electrical short circuit in a transformer.

No causalities were reported in the incident.

Eyewitnesses told media that the fire erupted suddenly which was extinguished by the fire brigade staff. SAMAA

U.N. aims to collect monitors from Syrian town

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 4:04:13 PM

BEIRUT: The United Nations aims to collect a monitoring team from the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun on Wednesday, the head of the monitoring mission said, after they spent the night in the hands of rebels following an attack near their convoy.

The Free Syrian Army said on Tuesday the monitors, whose cars were damaged in an attack which killed at least 21 people in Khan Sheikhoun, were under FSA protection.

"We have spoken to them on the phone. They are telling us that they are happy where they are and they are safe," the head of the monitoring mission, Major-General Robert Mood, told reporters in Damascus.

"We are going to pick them up this morning."

An FSA rebel in Khan Sheikhoun contacted by Reuters said the monitors were attending a funeral on Wednesday for people killed in Tuesday's violence.

"They slept well and now they went with people taking part in the funeral to bury the martyrs," he said. "We provided a phone for them and they spoke to Mood and he promised them cars from Damascus to pick them up."

An internal U.N. document obtained by Reuters at the United Nations said that a total of six monitors were under rebel "protection" in a "friendly environment".

Ahmad Fawzi, international mediator Kofi Annan's spokesman, said the U.N. convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday.

"Three U.N. vehicles were damaged but no U.N. personnel were hurt in this explosion. The mission has sent a patrol team to the area to help to extract those U.N. military observers," he said in a statement.

Around 200 observers are in Syria to monitor implementation of an April 12 ceasefire agreement intended to stem the bloodshed in a 14-month-old uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Rebels and government forces alike have violated the ceasefire deal and activsts say hundreds of people have been killed since the middle of last month. AGENCIES

Power ministry notifies 16 pc hike in electricity

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 3:58:44 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Water and Power on Wednesday notified 16 percent increase in electricity tariff for domestic and commercial consumers, aimed at generating more than Rs 88 billions, SAMAA reports.

Kayani chairs Corp Commander Conference on NATO supply

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 2:44:41 PM

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: The army top brass on Wednesday reviewed reopen ground supply lines for US and NATO troops fighting in Afghanistan, SAMAA reports.

Sources say Pakistan and the United States are on the verge of clinching an agreement to resume the supply line after President Asif Ali Zardari received an invite on Tuesday to attend a summit of NATO leaders this weekend in Chicago.

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani chaired the meeting and brief the commanders about decisions on the issue taken in session of Defence Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday.

The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, also reiterated Pakistan's stance that only non-lethal cargo will be allowed to transit the country.

It decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules with NATO/ISAF to ensure that Salala-like incidents do not reoccur.

Reopening the supply route would be a major breakthrough in ties between Washington and Islamabad. Strained relations have fuelled speculation Pakistan might be excluded from NATO talks on Afghanistan's future. -- SAMAA

Karachi: Cracker blast kills man in Quaidabad, 7 hurt

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 2:21:52 PM

Staff Report
KARACHI: A man was killed and seven other people were injured in a cracker bomb attack on a restaurant near Quaidabad bridge on Wednesday.

According to details, the restaurant located near Quaidabad bridge, was destroyed in the explosion of the cracker flung from a moving car. Blast triggered stampede at the café after the explosion critically injured eight people.

The injured were rushed to the nearby hospital, where a man Majid succumbed to injuries. The injured including Bashir, Riaz, Saifullah and Fazlullah are being given medical treatment at Jinnah Hospital.

Police and bomb disposal squad garnered clues from the blast site.

Meantime, the people shaken by the blast, took to road to protest against the incident. The protesters also went on rampage, throwing the area into widespread tension.

Police said various aspects of the incident are being looked into. SAMAA

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Pakistan’s ties with US, NATO at crucial point: Gilani

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 1:53:46 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf on Wednesday chaired an important meeting of the Federal Cabinet, reportedly finalizing the reopening of NATO supply line, SAMAA reports.

Gilani also took cabinet into confidence over his recent visit to Britain, terming it ‘successful’.

“Our relations with the United States and NATO are currently at a crucial turning point and we should take steps accordingly, keeping in view our geographical importance and national interests,” Gilani said while addressing the cabinet.

The convicted Gilani criticized the Opposition for trying to ‘sabotage’ his UK visit, saying that “a warm welcome in Britain reflects their faith in our democratic government.”

“Prime Minister David Cameron applauded the PPP government and vowed to build deeper and stronger ties with Pakistan. Both the states have agreed to boost trade volume upto 25 billion by 1215,” Gilani told the cabinet.

About his appeal against the conviction by the Supreme Court, Gilani said “appeal is my right and I hope to get justice. I believe the justice will be served according to Constitution and I will defend the Constitution at all cost.”

He said some elements wanted a biased interpretation of the court verdict in his case.

Gilani told cabinet that one lakh new job opportunities will be created in next budget which he hoped would be ‘people-friendly’. “A common man of this country will be given relief in the coming budget.” -- SAMAA

Private bank looted in Rawalpindi

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:48:18 PM

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Dacoits on Wednesday looted hundreds of thousands of rupees from a private bank in Rawalpindi, SAMAA reports.

Police said five armed robbers barged into the bank in Dheri Hasan Abad area of garrison city of Rawalpindi, and looted the cash worth millions of rupees, holding the bank staff members hostage.

Officials said a security guard who tried to resist during the heist was injured by the dacoits with rifle butt.

Police arrived half hour after the incident. They filed a FIR and started the investigation. SAMAA.

Dog, nappy and football found in Australian crocodile

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:31:20 PM

SYDNEY: Rangers who shot a saltwater crocodile that was terrorising pets in northern Australia found a dog, a pair of shorts, a football and a nappy in its stomach, according to a local report.

Police had recently notified authorities that a crocodile had eaten at least one dog and was lunging at others on a beach near the community of Galiwinku.

The Northern Territory News said rangers who went to the area on Tuesday saw the 3.5 metre (11 feet 6 inches) crocodile grab a dog by the leg, so they shot the reptile.

As well as finding the remains of a dog in its stomach, they discovered a variety of other items.

"While it might make a comical headline, it is disturbing to see the volume of rubbish in a wild animal," said the newspaper, which routinely runs crocodile stories on its front page.

Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia's tropical north and kill an average of two people a year.

Indonesian organisers fight for Lady Gaga concert

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:18:49 PM

JAKARTA: Organisers Wednesday vowed to fight for a Lady Gaga concert to go ahead in Indonesia, despite police refusing a permit and Islamic hardliners threatening "chaos" if she comes to the Muslim-majority nation.

Big Daddy Productions reached out on Twitter to Lady Gaga fans, known as "little monsters", saying it still hoped to find a way to hold the June 3 event after already selling more than 50,000 tickets.

"Little monsters, be patient please. We will keep you updated. We are still fighting," the company tweeted.

But the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) said it would create havoc if Lady Gaga were allowed to perform in Indonesia, calling her the "devil's messenger" who wears only a "bra and panties" on stage.

"If Lady Gaga still wants to perform here, go ahead. But please be prepared for chaos in Jakarta. We are ready to be thrown to jail and be killed -- we will do anything to stop it," FPI Jakarta chairman Habib Salim Alatas told AFP.

Big Daddy Production spokesman Arif Ramadhoni said they were discussing the issue with several parties, but declined to specify which ones.

"We are still in the process of finding a way to do it, and we ask for everyone's patience and forgiveness for the trouble," Ramadhoni told AFP.

The national police, responsible for issuing event permits, showed no signs of budging Wednesday, saying they could not grant the US star permission to perform without a recommendation from Jakarta police.

"We still deny the organisers the permit. The Jakarta police have said they do not recommend the Lady Gaga performance here, and they are the ones responsible for security, so there's no way around it," national police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution told AFP.

The Jakarta police announced this week they would not recommend a permit after hearing opposition from "several community leaders", including the country's top Islamic body, the National Ulema Council.

Ninety percent of Indonesia's 240 million people identify themselves as Muslim, giving it the world's largest Islamic population. The vast majority practise a moderate form of Islam. -- AGENCIES

US, Pakistan on verge of reopening supply lines

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:14:13 PM

WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States appeared on the verge of clinching an agreement to reopen ground supply lines into Afghanistan, a U.S. official said, as Islamabad confirmed President Asif Ali Zardari will attend a summit of NATO leaders this weekend in Chicago.

Reopening the supply route would be a major breakthrough in ties between Washington and Islamabad. Strained relations have fuelled speculation Pakistan might be excluded from NATO talks on Afghanistan's future.

Pakistan closed down the supply lines for the Afghan war effort following the NATO air strike in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. That strike fanned national anger over everything from covert CIA drone strikes to the U.S. incursion into Pakistani territory last year to kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Nadeem Hotiana, an embassy spokesman, confirmed that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will attend the May 20-21 summit.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement on Tuesday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is also expected to attend the meeting, where NATO nations will hone their plans to withdraw most of their troops by the end of 2014. As the Western presence ebbs, Pakistan, whose tribal areas are home to Taliban and other militants, will be key in shaping Afghanistan's future.

But the supply routes have been a major sticking point.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal now appeared almost certain, even while stressing that nothing had been finalized and surprises were always possible.

The official added that the U.S. military might see some higher costs to receive goods in Afghanistan than it did before Pakistan cut off the supply lines, but did not elaborate.

The United States and Pakistan, which now says it expects the routes to reopen, have long been expected to strike a deal that would include tariffs on NATO supplies going into Afghanistan.

After weeks of talks between U.S. and Pakistani officials in Islamabad, a Pentagon spokesman on Tuesday said he hoped that would occur in the "very near future."

In a statement, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's office said ministers had backed a proposal to allow NATO to send only non-lethal equipment into Afghanistan on Pakistani roads.

"It was also decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules with NATO ... to ensure that (such border) incidents do not reoccur," the statement said. -- AGENCIES

NAB arrests OGRA member over corruption charges

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 11:09:39 AM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials on Wednesday arrested a member of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Mansoor Muzafar, over corruption charges, SAMAA reports.

Sources said Muzafar was arrested by the NAB in the light of Supreme Court orders.

The NAB has found him involved in Rs80 billion corruption.

On Tuesday, the apex court gave 24-hour deadline to NAB for implementation of its orders. SAMAA

Karachi: MQM worker gunned down in Orangi Town

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 10:17:04 AM

Staff Report

KARACHI: The ongoing target-killing spree claimed another life on Wednesday as a political party man shot dead in Orangi town area, SAMAA reports.

Sources said, Hasnain Malik, an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was gunned down by unknown attackers riding two motor bikes in Sector 15 of the Orangi Town.

The murder sowed panic in the area as frightened shopkeepers closed all business activities following the incident.

Reports said Hasnain Malik’s son, Altaf Malik was also assassinated in the same area last year.

With enhanced snap checking, extra police contingents were deployed in Orangi Town, a Pashtun-dominated locality of Karachi. SAMAA

SC transfers Steel Mills corruption enquiry from FIA to NAB

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:56:00 AM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan delivered on Wednesday its verdict in suo notice of the Steel Mills corruption case, and transferred the enquiry from Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), SAMAA reports.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Pervez delivered the verdict.

The apex court expressed no confidence over FIA enquiry into the multi-billion rupee corruption and transferring further enquiry to the NAB, mandating it to determine and take action against those responsible in the scam.

The CJP ordered the NAB chairman to complete the investigation within three months and submit a fortnightly progress report on the case.

All the documental record of the Steel Mills case will now be handed over to NAB officials.

In his verdict, the apex court also ordered cancellation of bails for accused in the case, including former Chairman Steel Mills Aftab Moin who was arrested in 2010.

The SC had taken suo moto notice of the alleged corruption in Steel Mills in 2009, directing the FIA to kick off an enquiry. The FIA had later filed 10 cases against different accused, unearthing over Rs6 billion embezzlement.

The court had reserved its verdict on March 15 in the light of FIA reports. SAMAA

Chishti to meet PM Gilani today

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:30:30 AM

Staff Report

ISLAMAABD: Pakistani microbiologist Dr. Khalil Chishti is due to meet Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani today (Wednesday) after returning home from India, SAMAA reports.

Chushti will be submitting his document in Indian High Commission at Islamabad today.

He was flown to Pakistan through a special aircraft after Indian Supreme Court granted him bail in a murder case and allowed to visit to Pakistan.

The Pakistani virologist, who is in his late 80s, was welcomed by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and greeted with rose-petals by hundreds of supporters of Pakistan's ruling People Party upon his arrival at Benazir International airport in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Speaking to newsmen at the airport, Malik credited President Zardari for Dr. Chishti’s release. Asif Ali Zardari had talked to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the release of Dr. Chishti during his visit to India last month.

Chisti was serving a life sentence in connection with a 1992 murder case in an Indian jail. -- SAMAA

Iran says Saudi-Bahrain union plan deepens crisis

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:52:20 AM

TEHRAN: Iran warned on Tuesday that Riyadh's plans to form a union with Manama would deepen the crisis in Bahrain, a day after Saudi Arabia told Tehran to keep out of its relations with the tiny Gulf kingdom.

"Any kind of foreign intervention or non-normative plans without respecting people's vote will only deepen the already existing wounds," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

"The solution to the crisis in Bahrain is in response to the legitimate demands of the people and is fulfilling them," he added, repeating Tehran's stance on the situation in the Gulf Arab state.

Iran "believes that the real power of the regional nations emanates from (governments) enjoying their peoples' backing," the spokesman added.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Monday that "Iran has nothing to do with what happens between the two countries, even if it develops into a unity."

The prince was speaking at the end of a Gulf Cooperation Council summit at which leaders discussed plans to turn the bloc into a union, starting with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Iranian MPs have condemned the planned union between the two Gulf countries.

"Bahraini and Saudi rulers must understand that this unwise decision will only strengthen the Bahraini people's resolve against the forces of occupation," they said in a letter, referring to Saudi military support for Manama.

In response, Prince Saud said that the "Iranian threat is not accepted.

"Iran has nothing to do with what happens between the two countries, even if it develops into a unity," he told reporters at the end of the summit in Riyadh.

In Bahrain, meanwhile, an aide to King Hamad said the GCC leaders would hold an extraordinary summit before the end of the year to sign an accord.

Nabil al-Himr, quoted by the BNA state news agency said the meeting would be held in Riyadh before the annual summit in December.

Himr said union was well on its way and that the mechanisms to carry it out were now being studies.

He said the project had the "total support of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar," while "Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates had expressed reservations on certain points that are now being sorted out."

However, he said Oman "has total reservations" about a union.

Saudi-led Gulf forces rolled into Sunni-ruled Bahrain in March 2011 to boost the kingdom's security forces which a day later crushed month-old, Shiite-dominated protests.

Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly voiced support for the protests in Shiite-majority Bahrain and strongly condemned the deployment of Saudi-led forces.

The GCC was formed in 1981 as the Sunni-dominated monarchies of the Gulf aimed to bolster security after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran that was followed by an eight-year war between Baghdad and Tehran.

Containers start reaching Karachi for expected NATO supply resumption

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:12:13 AM

Staff Report

KARACHI: A large number of containers have started to move towards Karachi from Peshawar for expected resumption of NATO supply any time soon, SAMAA reported on Tuesday.

The Chairman of All Pakistan Tankers Association, Yousaf Shehwani, has said this day that the Interior Ministry has instructed them to complete all arrangements for NATO supply.

He added that the Interior Ministry has given a green signal for resumption of NATO supply but their security concerns have not been removed yet.

Few months back, after deadly attack on Salala check post and killing of troops, Pakistan halted supply of NATO forces which deteriorated ties with the US but it seems now that within next few days all issues will be resolved.

More than six thousand containers, carrying supply for NATO troops, constantly move on highways between Karachi and Afghanistan; they use Torkham- Jalalabad Highway and Quetta-Chaman route for travel.

The containers drivers are very happy over news of NATO supply resumption as they are hoping to get back their jobs after many months’ break. SAMAA

All Pakistan Clerks Association stage protest, sit-in in Quetta

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 11:43:44 PM

Staff Report

QUETTA: A large number of the members of All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) staged sit-in against disapproval of their demands in Quetta today, SAMAA reported on Tuesday.

The APCA Balochistan called a protest rally in Quetta this day against disapproval of its charter of demands, including, salary increments, conveyance allowance and quota in jobs.

The protesting clerks tried to go towards Balochistan Secretariat and Governor House to record their protest but the police stopped them at Hockey Chowk, where they started sit-in.

A large number of clerks, carrying placards, from all over the province attended the protest rally and sit-in and chanted loud slogans against the provincial government of Balochistan.

When protesters tried to cross the police barricade to move towards Governor House and Balochistan Secretariat, the police launched baton charge and teargas shelling to control them.

Many protesters sustained injuries in the police assault while APCA’s provincial chief Dad Muhammad Baloch was taken into custody by the police. SAMAA

Dr. Khalil Chishti returns home after 20 years

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 11:42:10 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMAABD: Pakistan’s microbiologist scientist Dr. Khalil Chishti returned home from India on Tuesday.

He was greeted by Interior Minister Rehman Malik at the Islamabad airport.

Speaking to newsmen at the airport, Malik credited President Zardari for Dr. Chishti’s release.

On May 10, the Indian Supreme Court permitted Chishti, 80, to visit Pakistan during the pendency of his appeal against his conviction in a murder case and life imprisonment.

It should be mentioned here President Asif Ali Zardari talked to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the release of Dr. Chishti during his visit to India.

Dr. Khalil went to India to see his relatives in Ajmer Sharif in 1992; however, he was arrested under murder charge. The court heard his case for 19 years and sent him for life-imprisonment in January 2011. SAMAA

President Zardari to attend NATO summit in Chicago

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 11:22:17 PM

WASHINGTON: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will attend a summit of NATO leaders in Chicago this weekend, the Pakistani embassy in Washington said on Tuesday.

The meeting of heads of state from NATO nations is expected to focus on Western plans to gradually withdraw troops from Afghanistan, where the Taliban continues its insurgency over a decade after its government was toppled.

On Tuesday, NATO said it had invited Pakistan to the summit,ending speculation Pakistan might be excluded due to a long period of testy ties severely strained by a NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Nadeem Hotiana, a spokesman for the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, said Zardari was now planning to attend the summit, which takes place May 20-21 in President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago. AGENCIES

11 hurt in garment factory’s bus crash in Lahore

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:59:57 PM

Staff Report

LAHORE: At least 11 garment factory workers sustained injuries as staff bus crashed into a nullah in Kahna area of Lahore today, SAMAA reported on Tuesday.

According to details, a local garment factory’s staff bus, carrying 25 workers, plunged into a nullah in Kahna area of Lahore this day when its driver tried to reverse it. Eleven workers sustained injuries in the crash.

The police and rescue teams rushed to the crash site and moved the injured to General Hospital for medical assistance.

The remaining minor injured workers were rendered first aid on the spot and cleared to go home. SAMAA

Six rockets fired in Peshawar’s Hayatabad, 3 hurt

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:22:43 PM

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: Three people were wounded on Tuesday when six rockets were thrown at Hayatabad in Peshawar.

According to police, unknown miscreants fired six rockets in Hayatabad Phase VI, injuring three persons, including one woman.

The police said three rockets fell in a vacant plot. SAMAA

PML-N made no proposal to reopen NATO supply: Nawaz

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:10:44 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that his party had made no proposal to reopen NATO supply routes.

Speaking to SAMAA correspondent Arbab Chandio, he said some powers want to divide Sindh, but he would not let happen.

People, he said, want to get rid of this government. SAMAA

Child with 4 legs, hands born in Tando Allahyar

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:07:37 PM

Staff Report

TANDO ALLAHYAR: A baby girl got birth with four legs and hands at a local hospital here on Tuesday.

The girl did not survive as she died after 15 minutes she got birth.

Bhutowo, wife of Ghuman Bheel gave birth to the baby girl here that could not survive.

The girl was born abnormal, having four legs and hands and two bodies.

The parents of the girl told media that they had already four children and nothing unusual happened before. SAMAA

Section 144 imposed, pillion riding banned in Balochistan

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:49:06 PM

Staff Report

QUETTA: Pillion riding was banned in Balochistan, where Section 144 was imposed on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued by Home Department, there will be complete ban on carrying and displaying arms. SAMAA

COAS Gen. Ashfaq Kayani attends opening session of CCWG in Kharian

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:54:14 PM

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Kharian, today, to attend the opening session of the Central Command War Games (CCWG).

According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the Central Command War Games are being conducted as part of Azm-e-Nau series exercises.

Azm-e-Nau is a deliberate process, initiated a few years ago, to address the varied threat spectrum faced by Pakistan.

The process is now approaching maturity. Army wide War Games are being held to validate the response options, which will be followed by appropriate changes in operational plans.

On arrival, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Tariq Khan, Commander Mangla Corps. SAMAA

NATO invites Pakistan to Chicago summit

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:39:28 PM

VIENNA: NATO said on Tuesday it had invited Pakistan to a summit in Chicago next week, lifting a veiled threat that it might exclude the country from the talks on the future of Afghanistan.

"Allies decided to invite President (Asif Ali) Zardari of Pakistan to Chicago to the meeting on Afghanistan," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested on Friday that Pakistan could be excluded from the May 20-21 summit if it failed to reopen the supply routes to Afghanistan that it closed after 24 of its soldiers were killed by a NATO cross-border air attack last November.

Rasmussen noted that other countries providing supply routes to NATO had been invited to the summit, which will map out a future for Afghanistan after most foreign combat troops are withdrawn at the end of 2014.

President Zardari's spokesman said he was considering whether to attend the Chicago summit and that the invitation was "unconditional and not linked to the opening of ground lines of communication for NATO or to any other issue."

Pakistan has demanded a formal apology from the United States for the attack before it reopens the supply routes, and has also called for an end to U.S. drone strikes on its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Pakistan boycotted an international conference on Afghanistan in Bonn in December in protest against the NATO air strikes. AGENCIES

People can’t be tricked with sugar-coated talks: Memon

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:36:46 PM

Staff Report

KARACHI: In response to Nawaz Sharif’s public address in Shikapur, PPP leader Sharjil Memon said the PML-N leader is trying to deceive the public.

People, he said, cannot be tricked with sugar-coated talks.

He said people of Sindh are fully aware of Nawaz Sharif’s politics of hypocrisy and lies.

Memon alleged that all thieves and dacoits were standing with Nawaz Sharif. SAMAA

Pakistan stocks rise; rupee, o/n rates flat

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:34:47 PM

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan stocks recovered on Tuesday after cautious trading on Monday, spurred by hopes that ties between strategic allies the United States and Pakistan are improving, analysts said.

The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) benchmark 100-share index ended 0.60 percent, or 84.9 points, higher at 14,313.67 points, with a volume of 123.2 million, compared to Monday's close of 14,228.77 points.

"There have been positive statements from both the United States and Pakistan about progress on issues, which helped lift the market today," said Atif Zafar, a research analyst at the JS Global financial services company.

Pakistan's top civilian and military leaders are expected to meet Tuesday night to discuss the re-opening of important overland NATO supply routes to neighbouring Afghanistan.

Islamabad suspended the routes after a friendly fire incident involving NATO aircraft killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November last year. The episode plunged already troubled ties between Pakistan and the United States to their lowest point since Islamabad joined the U.S.-led war on militancy in 2001.

Pakistan has received billions of dollars in aid in return, described by some analysts as critical to Pakistan's struggling economy. The unstable, nuclear-armed South Asian nation has, however, often been described as an unreliable ally.

In the currency market, the Pakistani rupee ended almost flat at 90.83/88 to the dollar, compared with Monday's close of 90.80/91.00.

The rupee has been supported by remittances, which rose 20.2 percent to $10.88 billion in the first 10 months of the 2011/12 fiscal year, compared with $9.05 billion in the same period last year.

In April, remittances totaled $1.14 billion.

Overnight rates in the money market ended at 11.90 percent, the same level as Monday. AGENCIES

Britney Spears, Demi Lovato are new 'X Factor' judges

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:27:03 PM

LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears and former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato will join talent show "The X Factor" as judges when the U.S. version of the contest returns to television in September, Fox television and the show's creator Simon Cowell said on Monday.

Cowell said in a Twitter message that Spears, 30, the world's biggest pop phenomenon of the 2000s, will join him on "X Factor," which searches for a new pop star from tens of thousands of ordinary Americans.

Spears will be joined by singer and actress Lovato, 19, to fill the judge's seats left by Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, who were both fired by Cowell after a disappointing first season in 2011.

Cowell announced the news on Twitter, sending a photo of himself with record producer Antonio "L.A." Reid, Spears and Lovato and saying "Can't believe it's finally happening. Very exciting!"

His Tweet landed moments before Fox made the official announcement in New York in a presentation to advertisers of its new 2012-13 season programming.

Spears and Lovato both appeared in person at the presentation, ending months of speculation about the replacements for the show.

Spears found fame as a 16 year-old in 1998 with her debut single "Baby One More Time" and went on to score multiple hits with songs like "Crazy", "Oops I Did It Again" and "Womanizer". She had a much-publicized personal and career meltdown in 2007 but made a comeback with her 2008 album "Circus" and a world tour.

Lovato found fame on Disney Channel's TV series "Sonny With a Chance" before launching a career as a pop singer with hit singles like "Skyscraper".

"Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world, she's talented, fascinating - and I believe she knows exactly how to spot 'The X Factor'," Cowell said in a statement.

"Demi's had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She's young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it's really important that she speaks to our younger audience."

Spears said in New York, "I'm so excited by this whole experience. It's so different from anything I've ever done."

Fox gave no details of their contracts but Spears has been widely reported to be getting $15 million a year for "X Factor" gig, which would make her one of the highest-paid TV reality show judges.

Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne were among other names rumored to have been approached or in talks with Cowell about taking part in "X Factor".

Cowell launched the U.S. version of "X Factor" last September with great fanfare and boasts that it would topple ageing "American Idol" as America's most-watched TV show.

But the show mustered only about 13 million viewers - about half the audience for "American Idol" - and many critics disliked its brash, noisy production and felt it added little new to the crowded TV singing contest field.

Fox and Cowell are still yet to announce a new host after firing little-known Briton Steve Jones in January.

"The X Factor" faces further challenges in its second season following news on Sunday that NBC will be airing its hit contest "The Voice" in the fall of 2012, as well as the spring. AGENCIES

Honda launches 'Dream Yuga', its cheapest bike

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 8:17:15 PM

NEW DEHLI: Honda Motor Co launched the lowest-cost motorbike in its line-up on Tuesday for sale in the India market, aiming to double India's share of its motorcycle revenue by the end of the decade while racing to catch up with rivals in fast-growing emerging markets.

Honda, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer and Japan's third-biggest carmaker, has struggled to make major inroads in high-growth, price-sensitive markets such as India, where a former joint venture deal once excluded it from the key commuter motorbike segment.

Commuter bikes account for around 70 percent of India's motorcycle market, which grew 14 percent over the last financial year to 10 million sold and is second only to China.

"It's very positive for Honda that they can finally compete in the mass market here," said Vineet Hetamasaria, automotive analyst at PINC Research in Mumbai.

"The pricing is in the right area ... and given Honda's brand equity, the bike is definitely going to make a dent in the market shares of others."

The motorcycle is Honda's cheapest worldwide, Keita Muramatsu, president of Honda Motorycle & Scooter India, said at the bike's launch in New Delhi.

Honda, the top seller of scooters in the Indian market but lagging in larger commuter bikes, has been steadily raising production and sales across the two-wheeler segment since it ended a 26-year joint venture with Hero MotoCorp (HROM.NS) in March of last year in an $851 million deal.

It has since announced fresh investment worth 20 billion rupees as it looks to chase down Hero, its former partner and the current market leader in commuter motorcycles.

The Japanese company is constructing its third two-wheeler factory in the country and overtook Bajaj Auto as the country's No. 2 in two-wheeler sales in March.

PRICE-SENSITIVE MARKETS

Honda expects India to account for 30 percent of its global motorcycle revenue by 2020, up from 13 percent now, Muramatsu said.

The Japanese automaker, which also builds cars in India, has been less aggressive than global rivals such as General Motors Co (GM.N) and Volkswagen AG in targeting emerging markets such as India and China.

It abandoned a one-size-fits-all global parts sourcing approach in its car business in 2010 to search for local suppliers for its global plants to help it reduce costs.

Dressed in a Honda T-shirt, Bollywood acting heart-throb Akshay Kumar unveiled the 110cc Dream Yuga motorcycle on Tuesday, touting the advantages of a motorbike over a car on the clogged roads of India's cities.

Sales of motorbikes, a family vehicle for millions of Indians, outstripped car sales by five to one in the last financial year, partly helped by high interest rates and fuel costs that pushed up the price of automobile ownership.

"India will be the most important market and will continue to be in focus for the next 10 years," said Yadvinder Singh Guleria, marketing head for Honda India. He added that Honda expected to boost exports from India to 150,000 two-wheelers in the year to March 2013 from 111,000 the year before.

Globally, two-wheelers accounted for about one-sixth of Honda's revenue in the latest financial year to March 2012.

Other Japanese motorcycle makers are also ramping up capacity and targeting volumes in India.

Yamaha Motor Co this week announced a new $280 million factory in India to nearly triple capacity to 2.8 million motorcycles by 2018, while Suzuki Motor Corp, which will likely launch a mass-market offering this month, is building a new factory to take its India capacity to close to 1 million motorcycles by 2014. AGENCIES

Sindh should not be split, says Nawaz

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:55:20 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Mian Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday voiced against the split of Sindh.

Addressing a public gathering at Shikarpur, Nawaz Sharif said Sindh should not be divided even if Punjab is split.

He questioned performance of the government during last four years.

“President Zardari did nothing for Sindh over the last four years,” he said. “If our government comes into power, we will bring Benazir Bhutto’s killers to book.”

Nawaz recalled that he was the first to see the farmers of Sindh after the flood’s devastation. The PML-N chief asked President Zardari why he had forgotten the people of Sindh.

He opined that politics in the country should be based on the elimination of corruption. SAMAA

Bharti Airtel in money laundering probe

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:53:51 PM

MUMBAI: Authorities are investigating top mobile phone carrier Bharti Airtel under its money laundering and foreign exchange rules in what a company source said was a probe related to the grant of airwaves a decade ago.

Bharti shares fell as much as 5.1 percent during trade on Tuesday after Minister of State for Finance S.S. Palanimanickam told parliament that the Directorate of Enforcement was investigating the company. The shares pared most losses to close 1.2 percent down.

Indian mobile market leaders Bharti and Vodafone's local unit are not involved in a massive scandal over alleged below-market-price sale of lucrative telecoms licences in 2008 that has rocked the once-booming sector. They are, however, being investigated over airwave grants during 2001 and 2002.

Bharti, controlled by India's fifth-richest man Sunil Mittal, said in a statement it was cooperating with investigators. It did not give the reason for the investigation, but a company source told Reuters that it was related to the probe over airwave grants.

"Bharti Airtel maintains the highest standards of corporate governance and regulatory compliance ... We have already provided all relevant details asked for by the relevant authorities in this matter and will be happy to cooperate further," Bharti said in the statement.

The minister, who was replying to questions from a lawmaker through a written statement, declined to give further details.

Bharti, nearly one-third owned by Southeast Asia's top phone company, SingTel, operates in 20 countries across Asia and Africa and is the world's fifth-biggest mobile phone carrier by subscribers. India is its biggest market.

Shares in Bharti, valued at more than $21 billion, lost 3.6 rupees to close at 304.15 rupees, after hitting an intra-day low of 292.05 rupees.

SEASON OF SCANDALS

A series of corruption scandals during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term have rocked the government and businesses, sparking street protests by anti-graft activists and spurring a flurry of investigations of companies.

The scandal over the 2008 licence grant has ensnared prominent politicians and high-profile corporate executives. Police have charged a total 19 people and six companies in the scandal, which the CAG has estimated has cost the exchequer as much as $34 billion in lost revenue.

Last November, police conducted searches at offices of Bharti and Vodafone India seeking details of airwaves allocated to them in 2001 and 2002 by a government then led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), now in opposition.

The investigation is continuing and police are yet to file any formal charge against the companies. Both Bharti and Vodafone India have denied any wrongdoing.

The BJP had attacked the Congress-led government over the corruption scandals and forced a near-shutdown of parliament for much of last year. The BJP had alleged that the government was trying to "divert the attention" by probing spectrum grants during its term in power. AGENCIES

S. Korean leader 'wins Myanmar promise over North'

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:47:02 PM

YANGON: South Korea's president won a promise from Myanmar to refrain from military cooperation with nuclear-armed North Korea during a two-day trip that included a meeting with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lee Myung-Bak's visit is the first by a South Korean leader to the country formerly known as Burma since a North Korean attempt to assassinate one of his predecessors in Yangon almost three decades ago.

Lee told reporters on Tuesday that he had urged President Thein Sein in talks a day earlier to refrain from any activities with North Korea that may "be considered as violating various UN Security Council resolutions".

Reports of military cooperation between Myanmar and North Korea have been a cause for concern for Seoul in the past.

Thein Sein denied any nuclear cooperation with Pyongyang, and said his country would abide by UN Security Council resolutions on the North's nuclear and missile programmes, a South Korean presidential spokeswoman told AFP. The resolutions also ban weapons exports by the North.

Myanmar has also agreed to free a North Korean refugee serving a five-year prison term since 2010 for illegally entering the country, the spokeswoman said.

The Myanmar leader, who has won international praise for a series of sweeping political and economic reforms since taking office last year, has previously denied any nuclear cooperation with the North.

In November a US official accompanying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a landmark visit said there were no signs "of a substantial effort" by Myanmar on acquiring nuclear arms.

Earlier Tuesday Lee visited the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon where the then South Korean president Chun Doo-Hwan narrowly escaped an attempt on his life by Pyongyang agents in 1983.

Chun was saved from the bomb blast because he was delayed in traffic on his way to lay a wreath to commemorate Myanmar's independence hero Aung San, the father of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The explosion killed 17 South Koreans, including three cabinet ministers, and four Myanmar nationals.

Lee praised Suu Kyi's long struggle for democracy and said he was optimistic about the future.

"I believe that this country is now entering into a new era of change and I think that thanks to the leadership of Miss Suu Kyi that has become possible," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who won her first seat in parliament in by-elections last month, said the pair agreed that "prosperity is no substitute for democratic rights" and sounded a note of caution about the reform process.

"We are at a point in the history of our country when there is a possibility for transition but I do not think we can take it for granted that this transition will come about," she said, following her meeting with Lee Tuesday. AGENCIES

Greek govt talks collapse, new election to be held

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:41:22 PM

ATHENS: Greece will hold a new election in June after days of talks failed to resolve the country's political deadlock, party leaders said Tuesday.

The Athens Stock Exchange plunged on the news, diving 4.86 percent minutes after the announcement before recovering somewhat.

The May 6 election left no party with enough votes for a majority in parliament and repeated efforts over nine days to cobble together a coalition government proved fruitless.

"The country is unfortunately heading again to elections," Socialist party leader and former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos said. "It is heading back to elections in a few days under very bad circumstances, because certain people coldly put their short-term party interests above the national interest."

The protracted political uncertainty has worried Greece's international creditors, who have extended the country billions of euros in rescue loans over the past two years. The election campaign was dominated by the debate over Greek's dismal financial state and the strict austerity measures taken in return for the bailout — and anti-austerity parties on both the right and the left made huge gains in the vote.

Venizelos said the head of the small Democratic Left party, Fotis Kouvelis, had proposed forming a two-year government, but had insisted that it include the anti-bailout radical left Syriza party.

Syriza came a surprise second in the May 6 vote, campaigning strongly on an anti-bailout platform and calling for austerity measures to be cancelled. The party's leader, Alexis Tsipras, has refused to join any government that will not repeal the measures.

"Unfortunately arrogance, petty party politics and opportunism prevailed. Unfortunately there are many of those who trade in delusions," Venizelos said after Tuesday's talks collapsed. AGENCIES

Palestinian prisoner deal shows non-violence works

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:30:38 PM

RAMALLAH: Standing up to Israel through non-violent resistance can produce encouraging results, Palestinians said on Tuesday, after a prisoner hunger strike produced some Israeli concessions.

The deal under which some 1,600 Palestinian prisoners agreed on Monday to end a month-long fast against Israel's prison policy was struck on the eve of Nakba (catastrophe) Day that marks Israel's founding in a 1948 war when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven out of their homes.

Youths clashed with Israeli police and soldiers in several parts of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, but there was no repeat of last year's violence, when Israeli soldiers killed up to 13 protesters on the borders with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

To some, the hunger strike proved the value of "popular resistance" as favoured by President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah group. But his rivals in the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza said their own confrontational attitude had paid dividends.

Two of the Palestinian prisoners had not eaten for 77 days, raising fears of a backlash if they had died. Under a deal brokered by Egypt, Israel agreed to end solitary confinement for 19 prisoners and lift a ban on visits by relatives living in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

It also agreed to free those held without trial for six months at a time under so-called "administrative detention" -- unless they are brought to court before their terms end.

"It is our hope that this gesture by Israel will serve to build confidence between the parties and to further peace," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Some Palestinians said Israel was used to meeting violence with violence, but less adept at countering non-violent tactics.

"The prime lesson here is that resistance, unity and solidarity can bear fruit for the political movement," said West Bank political analyst Hani Al-Masri. "Resistance, unity and determination can bring about results."

LESSON FOR POLITICIANS

Gaza Strip political analyst Hani Habib called it "a success for the prisoners and an example that should be copied by the politicians," alluding to continued deep divisions between Hamas and Fatah that have split the Palestinian people.

"We should reshape the relationship with Israel, in the sense that we should benefit from steadfastness and defiance. Steadfastness can win positions and gains, regardless of how unequal in power we are in comparison with the occupation."

Despite the suspension of formal peace negotiations 18 months ago, Abbas cooperates closely with Israel on security.

Top-level contacts "every hour, every moment" helped to resolve the impasse, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"We spared no means and no effort ... and (Abbas) managed to get everyone to intervene including the American administration whom we had contacted," Erekat said.

Anat Litvin of the activist group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel said: "The Palestinian inmates proved that a non-violent and just struggle can bring important achievements and raise international awareness."

The hunger strikers included militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which reject peace with Israel, as well as members of Abbas's Fatah group which recognises Israel and is prepared to negotiate a comprehensive peace settlement.

Israel's Prisons Authority asked prisoners to pledge "not to engage in actions contravening security inside the jails".

But Israel made no undertaking to scrap administrative detention without trial, under which some 320 of 4,800 Palestinian prisoners are held. It also refused to treat Palestinians as "prisoners of war". Many prisoners have been convicted in Israeli courts of serious crimes, including murder.

Hamas claimed credit for the Israeli concessions, suggesting its commitment to violent methods was the decisive factor.

A Hamas statement said Israel's will began to break last year when it agreed to free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was captured in a cross-border raid and held for over five years in Gaza. AGENCIES

Ukraine High Court postpones Tymoshenko appeal

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:28:11 PM

KIEV: Ukraine's High Court on Tuesday postponed the appeal of ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko against her seven year jail sentence until well after the Euro 2012 football tournament gets under way, to the fury of her defence.

The Kiev court, Ukraine's highest judicial instance, delayed the hearing to June 26 following a motion brought by prosecutors but vehemently contested by the defence who angrily accused the authorities of dragging out the process.

The long delay marks a new complication in the legal controversy surrounding Tymoshenko's conviction, which is threatening to overshadow its hosting of the Euro 2012 football that kicks off next month.

There has also been mounting international concern over the health of the 51-year-old, who suffers debilitating back pain and went on hunger strike for 20 days after accusing prison guards of beating her.

"We have decided to satisfy the motion of the defence and delay the hearing to June 26," judge Stanislav Mishchenko told the court, to shouts of "shame" from the defence.

The prosecutors had argued that the hearing could not go ahead in the absence of Tymoshenko, who is currently hospitalised and unable to attend court.

"They have already started working along the prosecution's scenario, which is to delay the process," said Olexander Turchynov, the first deputy of Tymoshenko's party.

The delay means that the appeal by the High Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases -- whose decisions cannot be appealed -- will come deep into the Euro football tournament just before the semi-finals.

Tymoshenko's supporters have accused President Viktor Yanukovych of pursuing the case in an act of revenge against his arch political rival while the European Union has also objected that the case is politically motivated.

She was arrested in August before being convicted in October and at the end of 2011 sent to a penal colony in the eastern city of Kharkiv, one of four Ukrainian cities co-hosting Euro football with Poland.

Earlier this month Ukraine transferred her for treatment to a Kharkiv hospital where she has already received visitors including the Lithuanian president and a US delegation.

Her lawyer Sergiy Vlasenko said the defence would not even bother to wait for the eventual ruling from the court and would proceed straight away with an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

"I would like to tell Yanukovych that if he thinks that today's decision closes off our road to the European Court, he is wrong."

"We view today's session as the final ruling and are going to the European Court of Human Rights," he added.

EU commissioners are to boycott all matches hosted by Ukraine although EU states have not yet agreed if their ministers will in a coordinated action stay away from the games.

The postponing of the appeal hearing comes on the same day as Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was due in Brussels for talks with EU officials including foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Tymoshenko faces other legal woes including a second trial on charges of financial crimes when she headed a gas utility and warnings from prosecutors she could be charged over the murder of a Ukrainian deputy in 1996.

Yevgen Shcherban was gunned down at the airport in Donetsk in a crime in which prosecutors have also implicated former premier and Tymoshenko ally Pavlo Lazarenko who is serving a sentence in the United States for corruption.

Ukraine's deputy prosecutor general Renat Kuzmin told the Euractiv website last week that testimony had already been gathered from individuals pointing to Tymoshenko and Lazarenko as "the people who ordered and financed the murder".

He said charges would be ready in just two weeks but did not say whether the case would be sent to court. Tymoshenko has denied any involvement in the crime.

Rested Thunder rout leg-weary Lakers, 76ers tie series

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:23:55 PM

PHILADELPHIA: The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a blow to rival Metta World Peace's infamous elbow by crushing the Los Angeles Lakers 119-90 on Monday to win the opening game of the second-round playoff series.

In the first matchup between the teams since World Peace struck James Harden with an elbow on April 22 to draw a seven-game suspension, the Thunder hit back to take a 1-0 series lead.

Russell Westbrook had 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in limited playing time, Kevin Durant added 25 as a rested Oklahoma City team ran circles around the visitors.

"I just tried to come out aggressive, we hadn't played in a while and I had some good legs underneath me," Westbrook told reporters.

The Thunder swept their first-round series and had more than a week off while the Lakers just wrapped up a tough seven-game series two days ago.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum both had 20 points, but the Lakers fell behind by 15 at halftime and the deficit ballooned to 30 in the third as the visitors struggled to cope with Oklahoma City's foot speed and athleticism.

A hostile home crowd booed World Peace throughout the night but Harden said he did not let the elbowing incident interfere with his focus.

"(I) put that stuff behind me and (went) out there to make plays for my team," said Harden, who had 17 points to World Peace's 12.

In the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia avoided a repeat of their Game One flop and earned an 82-81 road triumph over Boston, outdueling the Celtics late to tie their second round playoff series.

After blowing a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter to lose the series opener on Saturday, the youthful 76ers again saw a late lead disappear but this time they refused to buckle and tied the best-of-seven series 1-1.

Jrue Holiday scored a team-high 18 points while Evan Turner made a go-ahead scoop shot with 40 seconds left and added two key free throws during a rugged struggle that heated up in the final quarter.

Ray Allen had 17 and Kevin Garnett added 15 and 12 rebounds and made a three-pointer as time expired to shave the final deficit.

Game Three is on Wednesday in Philadelphia. AGENCIES

NATO supply reopening: PCNC meeting begins

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:05:24 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) is set to take a decision on the re-opening of NATO supply routes today (Tuesday).

The meeting will mull over a proposal seeking charges for protection of NATO supplies.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is presiding over the meeting.

Defense, Foreign and Interior ministers, chiefs of three armed forces, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, DG ISI, DG IB and Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington Sherry Rehman are also attending the meeting.

According to sources, the committee is reviewing a proposal to seek charges for security of NATO supply.

Sources further say that a middle path will be adopted on the issue of drone attacks in view of Pakistani and American perspectives. Sources further said it was not necessary that NATO supply will be reopened today.

According to sources, committee may wait for the US response about the decisions. SAMAA

President Zardari invited to attend Chicago summit

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:02:16 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has been invited to attend Chicago summit by NATO, SAMAA reported on Tuesday.

The invitation was made by the secretary general on telephone.

According to President House Spokesman Farhatullah Babar President Zardari was given an unconditional invitation to attend the summit which is under consideration by the government.

The invitation is not linked with the restoration of NATO supply in Pakistan, the spokesman said.

The spokesman also said that the president has not yet accepted or rejected the invitation.

We will decide about it after defence committee’s meeting, he added.

On the other hand, spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the summit on May 20-21 will underline the international community's commitment to the future of Afghanistan, and that Pakistan has an important role to play in that future.

SAMAA

Toll in south Yemen anti-Qaeda offensive rises to 44

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:50:51 PM

ADEN: At least 44 people were killed in south Yemen on Tuesday as the army pounded the Al-Qaeda stronghold of Jaar and clashes between jihadists and troops backed by local militias raged nearby, sources said.

Twenty-five Islamist militants were among the dead, 13 killed in air raids on Jaar and 12 in battles raging around Loder, another town in restive Abyan province, local and tribal sources said.

In the air raids on Jaar, twelve civilians were also mistakenly killed, while two soldiers and five armed residents died in Loder, witnesses and military sources said. AGENCIES

Five IPL players suspended over 'fixing'

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:37:38 PM

NEW DELHI: Five domestic Indian Premier League players were suspended from cricket on Tuesday after a sting operation by a local TV channel highlighted alleged fixing and corruption, sporting authorities said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the players were handed provisional suspensions until its investigations into the allegations were completed.

The five -- T. P. Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra, Abhinav Bali, Amit Yadav and Shalabh Srivastava -- are all first-class cricketers signed to various teams in the IPL.

"The BCCI has decided to suspend these players from all cricket till preliminary investigation into the whole episode is completed," IPL commissioner Rajiv Shukla told reporters.

The inquiry will be carried out by former police officer Ravi Sawani, who has previously served in the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Shukla added.

Hindi-language India TV showed Sudhindra, of the Deccan Chargers, allegedly agreeing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls in a local amateur match, while Kings XI Punjab player Srivastava was reportedly heard boasting he could do the same in the IPL.

The channel claimed it had taped seamer Srivastava telling its reporters he could deliver a no-ball in the IPL for one million rupees (about $18,500).

Srivastava, 30, who has played two seasons of first-class cricket for the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, denied the allegation and threatened to take the TV channel to court.

"The voice which suggests that I am ready to spot-fix is not mine," he told the Indian Express newspaper. "I am ready to clarify this to the BCCI, my team owners and the IPL governing council.

"I will definitely file a case against them."

Another Kings XI Punjab player, Yadav, was taped saying he had reason to believe that last season's IPL match against Delhi Daredevils was fixed, but could not substantiate his claim. AGENCIES

Austrian chancellor to meet with Dalai Lama on Austria visit

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:29:41 PM

VIENNA: Austria's Chancellor Werner Faymann and Vice-Chancellor Michael Spindelegger are expected to meet with the Dalai Lama during his visit to Austria from May 17-27, their offices said Thursday.

Faymann was scheduled to meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader alongside Vienna Archbishop Christoph Schoenborn, the chancellor's office said, specifying however that this would occur "in a religious context."

A meeting between Spindelegger, who is also foreign minister, and the Dalai Lama was meanwhile "in the works," spokesman Alexander Schallenberg said, adding that the Chinese authorities had been informed.

No encounter however was planned with President Heinz Fischer.

In 2007, talks between the Dalai Lama and then-chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer prompted protests from the Chinese authorities and a minor rift in bilateral ties.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking the independence of Tibet, which it claims as its own.

The Tibetan leader's visit also comes after Austria last year celebrated 40 years of diplomatic ties with China, prompting a raft of business deals and a wave of high-level visits in both directions, culminating in a trip to Vienna by Chinese President Hu Jintao in October.

During his upcoming visit to Austria, the Dalai Lama will give a series of talks and seminars around the country.

Over the years, the Tibetan leader has paid regular visits to the alpine country, including to see his late friend the Austrian alpinist Heinrich Harrer, whose autobiography inspired the 1999 film "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt. AGENCIES

Traders, citizens hold protest against power blackouts in Lahore

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:09:57 PM

Staff Report

LAHORE: Traders and citizens on Tuesday held a protest against prolong electricity load-shedding and high inflation in Lahore.

The protest was staged at Akbar Mandi in Lahore.

Frustrated over long power blackouts and price hike, traders and citizens took to the streets and set tires on fire, leading to traffic jam.

Chanting slogans against the government, protesters said unscheduled power outages and soaring prices of essential items have ruined their lives.

The protesters vowed to continue staging protests unless load shedding was halted. SAMAA

PTA protests for demands in Swat

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:08:35 PM

Staff Report

SWAT: Primary Teachers Association (PTA) staged a protest for their demands here on Tuesday.

The PTA gave a deadline to the provincial government till May 25 to solve their problems otherwise it will boycott educational activities.

All Swat Teachers’ Association staged a protest against non increase in salaries, non regularization, and other demands in Mengora.

Hundreds of the teachers gathered at Malababa School where they protested.

The teachers threatened to boycott educational activities by not coming teaching.

They also threatened to stage a sit-in protest in Peshawar outside the Provincial Assembly if their problems are not solved. SAMAA

Iran upbeat on U.N. nuclear talks, diplomats skeptical

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:52:46 PM

VIENNA: Iran gave an upbeat assessment on Tuesday of talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog about its atomic activity but diplomats voiced doubt inspectors would gain access to a military site where they believe tests of use in making atomic bombs were carried out.

The discussions tested Iran's readiness to address U.N. inspectors' concerns over suspected military dimensions to its nuclear work ahead of diplomatic negotiations on the program's future in Baghdad next week between Tehran and six world powers.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at the May 14-15 meeting in Vienna to secure agreement on access to Iranian sites, documents and officials involved in suspected research that could be put to producing nuclear explosives.

"We had good talks. Everything is (on the) right track. The environment is very constructive," Ali Asghar Soltanieh told reporters as he entered an Iranian diplomatic mission to continue the meeting with the Vienna-based IAEA.

Western diplomats will be watching the talks for any sign Iran is ready to make concrete concessions as a positive message ahead of the May 23 encounter in Baghdad.

But Soltanieh's public optimism was not matched by the head of the IAEA delegation, Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts, when senior agency experts arrived at the venue.

"You will understand I cannot make any comments now. The discussions are obviously continuing today," Nackaerts said.

The IAEA, the U.N. agency tasked with preventing the spread of nuclear arms in the world, said its priority is to visit the Parchin military complex where Iran may have conducted high-explosives test relevant for developing atomic arms capability.

Iran, which rejects Western accusations it is seeking nuclear weapons, has resisted previous requests by the IAEA to go to Parchin southeast of Tehran.

The issue was expected to be raised during the talks in the Austrian capital, but a Western diplomat said he would be "very surprised" if Iran suddenly opened up Parchin, suggesting he did not expect serious headway on the issue.

Another diplomatic source also said he did not believe the Vienna discussions were making much progress but that the situation could still change.

Israel, widely believed to hold the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, and the United States have not ruled out military action to prevent Iran from obtaining atomic bombs if diplomacy fails to achieve this goal peacefully.

DIPLOMACY SEEKS TO AVERT WAR THREAT

An IAEA report last November found that Iran had built a large containment vessel in 2000 at Parchin in which to conduct tests that the U.N. agency said were "strong indicators of possible (nuclear) weapon development".

It said a building was constructed "around a large cylindrical object". An earth berm between the building containing the cylinder and a neighboring building indicated the probable use of high explosives in the chamber.

The IAEA said it had obtained satellite images that were consistent with this information. The vessel was designed to contain the detonation of up to 70 kg (154 pounds) of high explosives.

Western diplomats say they suspect Iran is now cleaning the Parchin site to remove incriminating evidence.

One envoy told Reuters he had seen satellite imagery showing vehicles near the place the IAEA wants to see, and an apparent stream of water coming from the building. "It is credible ... compelling," the diplomat said about the suspicions.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has dismissed the allegations, saying nuclear activities cannot be washed away.

A Vienna-based expert who declined to be identified said it would be difficult, but not impossible, to clean possible traces of uranium or surrogate materials from a site.

Two previous rounds of talks in Tehran this year with U.N. inspectors failed to make any notable progress, especially on their request to go to Parchin.

Iran and the powers involved in nuclear diplomacy - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - revived negotiations in Istanbul last month after a 15-month hiatus and both sides say they hope for progress in Baghdad.

The resumption of diplomacy offers a chance to defuse tension that has led the United States and the European Union to try to block Iran's oil exports through sanctions, and increased worries about a new Middle East war. AGENCIES

Pindi lawyers to hold pro-judiciary convention on May 19

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:37:22 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi-based lawyers would hold an All Pakistan Lawyers Convention (APLC) on May 19 to show solidarity with the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

This was announced by Rawalpindi High Court Bar President Sheikh Ahsan-ud-Din and District Bar President Sajid Ilyas Bhatti at a joint press conference.

Sajid Bhatti said lawyers are united to implement the judiciary.

Sheikh Ahsan ud Din said foreign and interior polices should be free.

“Pakistan is a sovereign country. Rulers will not be allowed to work under any country slavery,” he said.

To a question he said NATO supply should not be restored at all. He said lawyers would not hesitate to offer any major sacrifice for establishment of rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. SAMAA

ECC approves to fix petroleum products' prices every 15 days

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:18:31 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Tuesday approved to fix petroleum products' prices after every month instead of every 15 days.

The ECC meeting was chaired by Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.

The minister said that the prices are fixed on daily basis in US and UK.

The people will be relieved after fixing the petroleum prices after 15 days, he said.

The ECC also allowed a private company to export sugar in bulk quantity.

In the meeting, a committee of LNG was also formed in which Raja Parvez Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, secretary petroleum and secretary law will take part. SAMAA

France's new leader Hollande has tough to-do list

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:07:39 PM

PARIS: Francois Hollande campaigned for the French presidency with some pretty radical promises. But his carefully worded agenda and his political record suggest that after he takes over Tuesday, he's likely to revert to the moderate consensus-building that has characterized his career.

The first smoke signal will come when he names a prime minister. Not-very-subtle whispers in Hollande's campaign team and the French media predict the job will go to center-left Jean-Marc Ayrault, a Germanophile and longtime legislator with not a whiff of revolutionary spirit about him.

CHARM MERKEL

Hollande has a tough but crucial first appointment: jetting off to Germany to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel — who had endorsed his conservative rival and predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy. Those two were so close that some dubbed them "Merkozy." Many analysts wonder what type of relationship Hollande and Merkel will have, but some say they will find a way to get along because they have to. France and Germany see themselves as the twin pillars of the euro zone. Merkel and Sarkozy took a leading role in drafting a euro-zone fiscal treaty to curb government overspending, and she has staked out a firm position in favor of austerity. Hollande, the first Socialist to lead France since 1995, wants to renegotiate that treaty to inject a call for growth measures.

PRESIDENTIAL PAY CUT

High on Hollande's task list is an easy one: Cutting the president's salary and that of government ministers by 30 percent. It's a symbolic gesture that won't make a dent in France's 1.33-trillion euro debt but it reinforces Hollande's aims of redistributing wealth and being a more "normal" president than his predecessor, who followed his 2007 election with three days on a billionaire friend's yacht.

FREEZE GASOLINE PRICES

Public anger is flaring over gasoline prices nearing 2 euros per liter ($10.40 per gallon). During his campaign, Hollande promised to freeze prices for three months and suggested that oil companies — like Total SA, one of France's biggest taxpayers — and gas distributors will have to eat the losses from such a cap. As a longer-term solution, he wants a floating gas tax, so that as the price of gas rises, the tax rate falls. But some economists worry that could hurt government revenues too much.

HIKE TAXES ON THE RICH

Hollande's most eye-catching campaign pledge was to make people making 1 million euros ($1.3 million) or more a year hand over 75 percent of that in income tax. Despite fears that wealthy people will flee to Britain, Belgium or Switzerland, instead, the returns from this tax are not expected to be huge. And tax lawyers say the real problem is not the top tax rate but France's highly complicated and ever-changing tax laws — and Hollande wants to add new rules to the mix.

LOWERING THE RETIREMENT AGE

Sarkozy fought with unions to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, a reform that may economists say is crucial to lowering France's debts. Hollande had said he wants to revisit that but he has quietly scaled back. Now he says he will only lower the retirement age for people who started work at 18 and paid into the pension system for the next 41 years straight — a modest change not seen as undermining the overall reform.

QUIT AFGHANISTAN

Hollande has pledged to speed up the withdrawal of France's 3,400 troops from Afghanistan, pulling them out by the end of 2012. But he recently acknowledged that a fast-track withdrawal might force the French to leave behind some military gear. Spain's defense minister thinks Hollande won't go through with the plan so as not to leave the allies high and dry. Some defense watchers say Hollande is likely to find himself some wiggle room, such as by pulling out all "combat troops" but then leaving behind "advisers" instead.

LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE

Gay rights advocates celebrate Hollande's steadfast commitment to legalizing gay marriage and adoption, and are encouraged by President Barack Obama's recent embrace of the issue. But gay rights were eclipsed during a French campaign that focused intensely on the economy and immigration, and legalizing gay marriage has dropped near the bottom of the new president's priority list. Some conservative Catholic groups in the resurgent far right are also vocally opposed.

THE CATCH

Because of France's unusual power structure, Hollande's whole five-year term hinges on who wins parliamentary elections next month. He needs the leftists to take control of the National Assembly to be able to push through much of his agenda. But if Sarkozy's conservative UMP party and others on the right retain a majority, then not only does Hollande face a hostile legislature but the prime minister's job goes to a rival on the right. If he is stuck with a conservative-run government, the Socialist Hollande may be hamstrung on domestic affairs. AGENCIES

Syria National Council reelects Ghalioun president

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:59:13 PM

AMMAN: The Syrian National Council opposition group re-elected liberal politician Burhan Ghalioun as president at a meeting in Rome on Tuesday, two sources at the meeting told Reuters.

Ghalioun, a secular academic, has been leader of the opposition in exile since the SNC's creation in August 2011.

Some fellow activists have criticised him for being out of touch with the opposition inside Syria and for failing to unify the SNC.

But the 67-year-old has the backing of the Gulf States and France, and is seen as a consensus figure in the group, where Islamists, who are divided into different factions, hold sway.

Aware that he is an acceptable figure to the international community, the Islamists have supported him.

"Ghalioun was re-elected for another three-month term," one of the sources told Reuters after a meeting of the council's general secretariat, which chooses the president every three
months. "He won 66 percent of the vote."

George Sabra, another liberal who is an ally of Syria's top dissident Riad al-Turk, came second, the sources said.

Turk, an 81-year-old former leftist who spent 25 years as a political prisoner, operates underground inside Syria. The opposition looks to him for moral guidance. AGENCIES

Khrusheed Shah elected chairman of parliamentary body

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:50:02 PM

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Federal Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has been elected Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, tasked with the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner.

Surprisingly, opposition member Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi also supported Shah in the election, held under the supervision of National Assembly Secretary today (Tuesday).

Khursheed Shah of PPP secured seven votes against PML-N’s Tehmina Doltana, who managed to bag five votes.

JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi played the decisive role in the outcome of the election.

Speaking to newsmen following the meeting, Shah said PPP feels holding free and fair election will be another major service to the county following the restoration of the 1973 Constitution.

The chairman said committee has already received three nominees of the Prime Minister for the post of Chief Election Commissioner.

He said the committee would also write to Opposition Leader for his recommendations. SAMAA

Chemical case: SC orders ANF to continue fair probe

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:00:26 PM

Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) directed Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to continue independent and fair investigations into the banned chemical quota case. The court also issued notice to Zafar Abbas Lak, Director General of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to appear in the next hearing to present his viewpoint in black and white.

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Director-General Brigadier Faheem’s counsel Akram Sheikh told the three member-bench hearing of the ephedrine case that no judicial orders except the quashing of transfers were implemented. On this, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry asked him, “Identify which part of the order was not implemented.”

The ANF’s investigation officer Brig. Faheem said some hurdles are being poked even now, as the list of visitors at the Prime Minister is not being made available to him.

Directing the ANF’s official to move the law against such impediments in consultation with his counsel, the Chief Justice Chaudhry remarked the law empowers him (Faheem) to elicit all concerning details.

Chief Justice Chaudhry said the court had already gave a go-ahead to Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Director-General Brigadier Faheem to accomplish the probe; the challan should have been produced by now after the completion of the investigations.

The apex court barred Zafar Abbas, who is currently functioning as Secretary Narcotics, from interfering into the case and warned that his powers will be curtailed if he does not keep himself away from the involvement.

Brig. Faheem told the court that ephedrine import quota for Pakistan is 13,500 kilograms; but, over 22500-kg of chemical was imported, which gave rise to suspicions internationally.

Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja remarked that the FIA has nothing to do with this case; even if it recorded some statements, they enjoy no legal status.

The court made Ali Musa Gilani’s statement part of record. The hearing was adjourned for three weeks. SAMAA

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IPL fixing: BCCI suspends four players

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:53:06 PM

Staff Report

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) on Tuesday suspended four players following allegations of corruption in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), SAMAA reports.

On Monday, a sting operation carried out by India TV showed five domestic-level players, representing various IPL franchises, apparently succumbing to the lure of fixing and engaging in lengthy haggling over the price of bowling a no-ball on demand in the IPL.

The channel said a pattern has emerged where a particular bowler pitches easy deliveries and there are dropped catches. -- SAMAA

Mickey Mouse hosts gay weddings in Japan

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:52:05 PM

TOKYO: Just days after US President Barack Obama came out in favour of gay marriage, another supporter of homosexual unions emerged in Japan: Mickey Mouse.

Despite their having no legal status, same sex couples are able to hold fairytale wedding ceremonies at hotels inside the popular Tokyo Disney Resort, including at the Cinderella Castle, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday.

News of the unions came to light when Koyuki Higashi, 27, enquired about marrying her female partner at the resort.

A member of staff who answered the call said there would be no problem with their marrying, provided they dressed "like a man and a woman", Higashi wrote on her blog.

The staff member explained a same-sex wedding would create "repercussions" among visitors to the park if both brides were wearing wedding dresses or both grooms wore tuxedoes, the blog added.

However, a few days later, the resort operator got back in touch to say their initial response had been wrong and gay couples were free to mix and match their attire.

"We have never refused an application for a same-sex wedding at hotels here," a spokeswoman at Milial Resort Hotels, a subsidiary of Tokyo Disney Resort, told AFP on Tuesday.

"One of our staff members was mistaken when explaining about outfits for a same-sex wedding," she said.

But she added gay and lesbian couples were not allowed to exchange marriage vows at the onsite chapel "because of Christian teaching".

Higashi and her bride-to-be, identified on the blog only as Hiroko, have now visited Tokyo Disneyland, where they met Mickey Mouse to give him the good news.

"Mickey first looked surprised to hear that we are a 'couple of girls'," Higashi wrote. "But we said we were there to thank him because same-sex weddings can be held at the Disney Resort, and he celebrated with us."

It is not known if Higashi and her partner will go ahead with a wedding at the Cinderella Castle, which costs 7.5 million yen ($95,000).

Homosexuality in Japan is widely accepted but not openly discussed.

While gays and lesbians are unlikely to encounter outright hostility, there are few rights built into law for same sex couples and there is little public debate on gay marriage.

Last week Obama became the first sitting US president to openly back gay marriage, an issue that sharply divides America.

Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha joins Indian upper house

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:41:09 PM

NEW DELHI: Bollywood’s veteran film heroine Rekha Tuesday took oath as a member of Indian upper house, the Rajya Sabha.

The actor, who was April 27 nominated by the president to the upper house, also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before taking oath.

A leading actress of the Hindi film industry in the 1970s and 1980s, Rekha took her oath in English. Wearing a golden silk sari, she sat in the upper house till halfway through question hour.

Rekha was nominated to the upper house along with social worker Anu Aga and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. While Aga was sworn in Sunday during a special sitting of parliament, Tendulkar is expected to take oath Wednesday, according to sources. AGENCIES

Pakistan poised to resume NATO supply lines

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:38:21 PM

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday looked poised to end a nearly six-month blockade of NATO ground supply routes into Afghanistan, succumbing to a key demand of the West ahead of a summit in Chicago next week.

Islamabad shut its Afghan border crossings to NATO supplies after US air strikes killed 24 soldiers last November, provoking a new crisis in ties on top of the outcry from the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May that year.

On Tuesday, civilian and military leaders are to discuss reopening the supply route at a meeting of the defence committee of cabinet, which will be followed by a meeting of army chiefs and the regular cabinet on Wednesday.

Sources familiar with the discussions told AFP the government had already effectively taken the decision to reopen the lines, probably by the beginning of next week, and hoped to be invited to the May 20-21 NATO summit in Chicago.

Pakistani and US officials had reached a "broad agreement" on fees and logistics for the fuel and other non-military supplies that would go overland through Pakistan to Afghanistan, one source said.

"The meetings will indicate that the decision has the backing of all the stakeholders," the source told AFP.

"This should minimise the prospect for Islamist groups to exploit the situation in the hope that they'll get the backing of the military establishment."

Pakistan has called in vain for an end to US drone strikes targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants on its soil, and a formal apology for the November air strikes.

Analysts say Pakistan has no choice but to reopen the border.

Its relationship with the United States is key to maintaining ties with multilateral lending agencies needed to help boost its state coffers, at a time when major NATO discussions are under way affecting its own strategic future.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Monday that it was time to "move on", in the strongest public sign yet that Pakistan will end the blockade.

"It was important to make a point, Pakistan has made a point and we now need to move on and go into a positive zone and try to conduct our relations," Khar told a news conference.

"We are trying to put this relationship, you know, in a positive zone and I am quite sure that we will be successful in doing so."

The Pakistani cabinet's defence committee, which includes the prime minister, army chief of staff and intelligence chief, will convene from 1430 GMT.

Pakistan's involvement in the Chicago summit could minimise its international isolation and boost the country's leverage over the future of Afghanistan, as NATO countries pull out their combat forces by 2014.

The US State Department said both countries had made "considerable progress" on ending the blockade, which has held up lengthy convoys of fuel and supply trucks all the way to the port city of Karachi in the south.

"They are not yet finished with the Pakistanis," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

"But we're having a full review with the government of Pakistan on how this transit system works and all of the issues are on the table in that context."

The Pakistan supply routes constitute as little as 25 percent of what NATO needs to sustain itself in Afghanistan as the United States has made increasing use of more expensive routes into northern Afghanistan.

Mir Mohammad Yousuf Shahwani, chairman of the All Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners Association told AFP he had been informed by a senior official in the petroleum ministry that Pakistan would reopen the supply line within days.

"The petroleum official told me that they are finalising the details," he told AFP from Karachi.

Islamabad reiterated Monday that it would still like an apology for the November air strikes, with the foreign minister saying it was "on the table".

The United States has expressed regret for the deaths, which an American and NATO investigation said stemmed from mistakes made on both sides during fighting on the Afghan border with Pakistan.

Malik hopes early release of Pakistani hostages

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:32:24 PM

Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik said the Pakistanis detained in custody of Somali pirates will soon be got released.

This is quite perplexing as to why Pakistanis alone became the target of Somali pirates for the second time now, Malik told reporters adding but for the time being, it is more important to protect the lives of seven Pakistani people confined by the Somali pirates.

The federal minister said he has been directed by President Asif Ali Zardari to expedite the resolution of the issue, adding he called Ansar Burney in the federal capital and discussed the situation.

Expressing joy over the release of Dr. Khalil Chishti from Indian jail after 20 years in captivity, the interior minister noted the Indian government did not reject the request by the President Zardari.

Law Ministry has been approached for opinion regarding the release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, he added. SAMAA

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