Saturday, December 6, 2008
Hajj pilgrims leave Makkah for Mina
Hajj pilgrims in their first phase of Manasik-e-Hajj have started arriving Mina after ‘Fajar’ (morning) prayers today. Millions of Hajj pilgrims, who had arrived in this holy city here, after their stay and offering Namaz-e-Fajar, now moving towards the city of tents Mina, where they are being placed by their Muallameen for stay in their allotted fireproof tents.This process of Hajj pilgrims’ arrival from Makkah and getting accommodation in tents at Mina would continue until late evening.
The pilgrims would offer Zuhar, Asar, Maghrib and Esha prayers in the historical mosque, Masjid-e-Khaif here and would pass night in repentance and remorse with ‘Takbir o Tahleel’.
The Hajj pilgrims would gather at Maidan-e-Arafat for performing the topmost and key-ritual Waqoof-e-Arafat tomorrow, the 9th of Zil Hajj.
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Friday, December 5, 2008
Peshawar Blast Kills Ten: Police
PESHAWAR: At least five people were killed and several others injured, when a powerful blast blew up in Namak Mandi Chawk of Saddar area here, ARY OneWorld reported on Friday.
According to eye-witnesses, as many as ten people were killed in the blast. Also, police sources confirmed at least ten deaths in the blast.
According to a local in the city, the blast was so powerful that it was heard in the whole city.
The blast occurred outside an imam bargah in Koocha Risaldar, causing the windowpanes of nearby building to break down. Also, a nearby building caught fire.
It should be mentioned that several people lost their lives in a blast in past also in the sacred month of Moharramul Haram.
The blast ripped through the area when it is usually very crowded, as it is one of the busiest area of the city. The area is said to be one of the business hub of the city.
Soon after the blast, the power went off and the whole area of Kissa Khawni bazaar plunged into darkness.
Bomb Disposal Squad said that the explosive material was placed in a vehicle.
The contingents of police arrived on the spot and put a security cordon around the blast site. Also, all the injured have been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital.
DCO Peshawar said the emergency has been declared in all the hospitals.
According to Edhi sources, at least five people were killed and they have transported 80 injured people.
this news published by www.thearynews.com
Sindh Govt To Assess Losses Over Karachi Violence
KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to undertake a survey to assess the actual loss of lives and properties due to Karachi violence. The provincial government is also considering of paying the compensation to the families of dead and injured. Sindh Home department has issued directives to DCO Karachi in this connection.
The DCO will collect the relevant data from the affected areas and submit it to the provincial government.
Indian High Commissioner Meets Farooq Sattar
ISLAMABAD: India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal met with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr. Farooq Sattar on Friday. The situation after Mumbai blasts came under discussion during the meeting. Dr. Farooq Sattar said that both India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism and terrorism would be eliminated by joint efforts.
MQM Senator Babar Ghori was also present at this occasion.
Explosion in Private School
PESHAWAR: An explosion occurred in a private school on Friday, causing minor damage to the school’s wall in the provincial capital. According to the sources, unknown miscreants had placed explosives in the bathroom of Police Public School situated on the Peshawar University Road which went off at 8:00am in the morning.
The explosion caused minor damages to the wall of the school. However, no loss of life was reported as school was not open yet.
Meanwhile, police registered the case and initiated the investigation into the explosion.
New Dams To Resolve Power Crises
PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Arbab Muhammad Ayub Jan has said that three new small dams would be completed in NWFP by the end of 2009 and power generated from it would be provided at cheaper rates to the people of the Province. He said that construction of new dams would help in overcoming the current power crises besides bolstering the industrial and agricultural sectors.
He expressed these views while talking to various delegations of Gujar, Muhammad Zai, Gulozai, Wadpaga, Nasirpur, Tarnab Farm and Jagra areas, said a press release here on Friday.
The Provincial Minister turned down the recent increase of Rs.2.13 per unit in the power tarrif.
He maintained that electricity should be provided at Rs.4 per unit to NWFP so as to provide relief to the masses.
Afghan, Pak, Turk Leaders Moot Begins
ISTANBUL: The leaders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey on Friday began an informal round of talks over lunch in a bid to find ways to ensure a secure future of their region. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted an open?air luncheon in honour of President Asif Ali Zardari and President Hamid Karzai, at a local hotel, overlooking the Bosphorous Straits.
Members of the three delegations mingled at the event that provided an opportunity to debate the serious challenges confronting the region, which will set the stage for deliberations later in the day.
The lunch will be followed by bilateral talks between Turkish President and Prime Minister separately with the Presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The three heads of states will meet after their separate meetings for formal talks and culminate at a press conference.
The talks are being preceded by a round of foreign secretary level talks on Thursday. The chambers of commerce of the three countries also met on the sidelines, under the Istanbul Forum and focused on trade facilitation, border management, logistics, construction and capacity building. It also deliberated on a regional development agenda for the private sectors of the three countries.
HBL, NBP clash in hockey final today
KARACHI: Habib Bank Ltd (HBL) will take on National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the final of the 5th NBP National Junior Cup Hockey Championship final, here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium today.Earlier in the second semifinal on Wednesday evening, HBL faced a strong challenge from PIA before overpowering them 4-3. Shahbaz Ahmed turned out to be the hero for HBL as he scored the decider to put HBL into the final. Earlier, HBL got off to a sterling start when they gained a 3-0 lead by the 45th minute.
Rana Zubair put HBL ahead in the 16th minute with a penalty corner goal and Shahbaz Ahmed scored the second in the 40th minute as Azlan Khan netted the third. However, PIA bounced back in the match as Kashif Ali scored off two penalty corners and Inayatullah levelled terms in the 59th minute.
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India hurt and angry over Mumbai attacks: Manmohan
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that his country was hurt and angry as "never before" over last week's attacks by militants in Mumbai. "We have told the world that the people of India have felt a sense of hurt and anger as never before due to the Mumbai terror strikes," Singh said. Singh said that he had conveyed his feelings to visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the first head of state to arrive in India since the assault on Mumbai."I conveyed to President Medvedev the sense of anger and outrage in India over the terrorist attacks in Mumbai," Singh told reporters after talks with Medvedev.
"We deeply appreciate Russia's expression of solidarity with India at this moment. We both agreed that these attacks represent a threat to all open and pluralistic societies," the premier said. The attacks "require a major intensification of efforts against supporters and perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world", the prime minister said.
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Scare at Delhi International Airport After Gunshots Heard
A scare was triggered at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the wee hours on Friday after a sound similar to gunshots were reportedly heard from the facility. The control room of the CISF received a call at around 1.10 am from passengers that they heard sound of gunshots from one of the gates of international departure lounge of the airport, official said.
“We received a call that some passengers heard a sound similar to two gunshots, but there were no eyewitnesses. No evidence has so far come up to suggest that it was a firing and we cannot confirm it as a gunshot,” Udayan Banerjee, DIG, CISF and incharge of security at Delhi airport told PTI.
“After the sound, the CISF and Delhi Police deployment swung into action and intensified the checking at the airport,” he said adding the passenger movement is normal and arrival and departure is also functioning smoothly.
Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said, “a call was received that three to four rounds of firing has taken place at the airport but no one was injured.” “We are not yet sure whether any firing actually took place. We are verifying the facts,” Bhagat added.
CISF officials said all preventive measures have been taken and a security drill has been put in place. Banerjee later told that vehicle movement to and from the airport was restricted following a sound similar to gunshots were heard by the security personnel.
He said, while the checking was going on, a white colour Qualis car jumped the queue and sped away. When asked whether the number plate was noticed, he said, “We are not really sure about the number plate but I was told it was an HR (Haryana) registration vehicle.”
Senior CISF personnel have also arrived at the scene, he said. Reports suggested that it could also have been a mock drill, but senior officials of the CISF, however, denied so.
6 Kill in Security Forces Firing in India
NEW DEHLI: At least six people were killed in security force firing at the New Delhi airport here on late Thursday night. According to details UK based television channel claimed that six armed persons were killed at New Delhi Indra Gandhi International airport in security forces firing. Air ports security in India has been beefed up amid threats, whereas New Delhi Police has rejected happening of all such incident at the air port.
Airports in India went on high alert Thursday following fresh attack warnings as the new alert that warned of possible airborne attacks focused on three major airports New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai — but security was stepped up across the country. No details about the threat were released.
“This is a warning which we have received. We are prepared as usual,” India’s air force chief, Fali Homi Major, told reporters Thursday.
Heavily armed guards from India’s Rapid Deployment Force manned roadblocks outside airports, while others patrolled inside airport buildings among passengers.
Several extra layers of security were set up and some passengers had bags scanned with devices to check for explosives before entering terminals.
European Union Calls Special Meeting To Discuss Indo-Pak Situation
BRUSSELS: The European Union has called an important meeting of its Foreign Ministers on December 8. The EU foreign ministers will discuss developments in South Asia particularly Indo-Pak relations after Mumbai terror attacks.
PCB Puts Premier League Plan in Cold Storage
Karachi: Pakistan’’s cricket officials have dumped plans to launch a new look Twenty20 domestic tournament next year on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to The News, the new cricket regime in Pakistan has so far shown no interest in the so-called Pakistan Premier League which the former Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf had planned to launch with a bang in September or October next year.
However, following Ashraf’’s resignation in August, the plans have been shelved as the new PCB chief Ijaz Butt and his close associates are not really impressed by the idea at a time when the Board is struggling to make ends meet.
Sources said that the biggest hurdles blocking the launch of PPL are the lack of any suitable window for what would at least be an event spanning over 10-14 days and the fact that the security situation in the country will keep the foreign stars away from the contest.
The PCB is currently facing major financial problems because of the refusal of foreign teams to visit Pakistan because of security worries.
Sources said that in the current circumstances, the PCB top brass is not sure whether to spend money on a brand new premier league would be a wise move. (ANI)
Hema Malini biography selling like hot cakes
MUMBAI: When it comes to the dream girl, Hema Malini, her popularity as an actress holds no bar as far as age and communities are concerned. So, it isn't a wonder that when the graceful actress' biography 'Hema Malini', authored by Bhawna Somaya was translated in Marathi, it was lapped up most enthusiastically. And if you want a hint of how well the book is doing, then here it is. The Marathi version had to be given for reprinting almost as soon as the first print released because it was a sell out. And it's going off counter so quickly that it has already been acknowledged as the no. 1 best seller all over India and especially Mumbai. Guess has to also do about the fact that instead of her immense popularity, Hema is maintaining a low profile, so obviously her fans are dying to read about the unknown side of her!news via
Canadian Foreign Minister Phones FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi
ISLAMABAD: Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon had a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi during which the situation in the region following the Mumbai attacks and bilateral relations were discussed. Foreign Minister Qureshi condemned the heinous attacks in Mumbai and reiterated Pakistan’s offer of full cooperation to the Indian government in investigation of the deplorable crime. He also appreciated Canadian Assistance Programme for better border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Canadian Foreign Minister assured the Foreign Minister of his government’s support to seek the government’s efforts for financial support from IMF & ADB. He also reaffirmed Canadian support to the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum.
PM Gilani Condemns Orakzai Agency Blast
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday strongly condemned the suicide bomb blast in Orakzai Agency, resulting in the killing of many people. In his message, the Prime Minister deplored the tragic incident and said the perpetrators of such heinous crime would not be spared.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities for the proper treatment of injured persons.
Rehman Malik Meets Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah
KARACHI: The Interior Advisor Rehman Malik, Friday met Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at Chief Minister House. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza was also present on the occasion.
The talks focussed on law and order situation in Sindh, specially in Karachi and the steps taken by the provincial government in this regard were reviewed.
Australia To Grant $30.5m in Development Assistance
ISLAMABAD: Australia will provide approximately 30.5 million Dollar in development assistance to Pakistan in 2008-09. Bilateral programmes focus on improving health and education, building agricultural linkages between Australia and Pakistan, and providing scholarships at Australian institutions, said a news release issued here.
The Australian government is enhancing its engagement with Pakistan and will substantially scale up its aid program in future years.
As many as eighty-three Australian Scholarships recipients were hosted a farewell party here Friday prior to their departure for Australia to undertake Masters and Doctorate-level studies in Australia during the 2009 academic year.
The scholarships have been awarded under a number of programmes offered by the Australian government, including Australian Development Scholarships, Australia Pakistan Scholarships Program, AusAID-Carnegie Mellon University Scholarships Program and the Agriculture Sector Linkages Program Awards.
Students will study in the areas of health, education, environment, agriculture, governance, information technology, business, administration and economics.
The Australian High Commissioner, Zorica McCarthy, said on the occasion the scholarships were intended for emerging leaders in Pakistan and the region.
“The Australian Scholarships programmes aim at contributing to the long-term development needs of Pakistan, promoting good governance, economic growth and human development,” McCarthy said.
“These scholarships will provide Pakistani professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive change and influence development outcomes in Pakistan by obtaining relevant tertiary qualifications at high quality Australian institutions,” she added.
On completion of their studies, the scholars will return to Pakistan to contribute to the country’s development. Many previous scholarship holders have become leaders in government, the private sector and non-government organisations.
The Australian government believes that scholarships would play a vital role in building lasting relationships with countries in the region. Upto 1000 Australian Development Scholarships are awarded each year across 31 countries with scholarships awarded equally between men and women.
Bomb Blast in Southern Philippines Wounds 6 Civilians
Manila: A crude bomb exploded outside a drugstore in the southern Philippines, wounding six civilians, just days after police arrested an alleged foreign bomb maker suspected of helping Muslim rebels. The blast late yesterday was followed by another explosion near the national highway that passes through Isulan township in Sultan Kudarat province, said military spokesman Maj Randolph Cabangbang.
There were no casualties in the second blast.
“We are investigating the attacks and we are looking into possible involvement of some terror groups active in the region,” said police commander Suharto Teng Tucao.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Muslim rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought for self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation’s south for decades, and extortion gangs linked to militants have been blamed for past bomb attacks in the volatile area.
Earlier this week, police announced the arrest of a Bangladeshi man they suspect of helping the rebels make bombs. Mohammad Alfariz, 48, appeared before the state prosecutor in Manila on yesterday during a preliminary investigation into charges of illegal possession of explosives.
Police say they found mortar shells, wires, a cell phone and other bomb-making material when they raided his watch repair shop in the southern Philippines.
Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said in a statement that Alfariz was linked to the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which is based in Indonesia. Alfariz’s Filipino wife has denied the charges and said her husband was framed.
People of Pakistan And India Want Peace
KARACHI: Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has said that the people of Pakistan and India want peace, not war. Talking to media at Karachi airport on Friday Malik said Pakistan has offered unconditional cooperation to India after the Mumbai incidents.
“Terrorism incident is condemnable wherever it happens,” he said.
The leaders of the both countries are tackling the issue wisely he said adding that the elements interested in Indo-Pak war would not succeed in their designs.
India Has Sought Only 3 Suspects, Not 20, Says Gilani Interior Adviser
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s Adviser on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik, has that India has only sought three terrorist suspects and not twenty as has been reported by the media. He also said that the list submitted by the Indian Government does not include the name of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is being accused of masterminding last week’s terror strikes in Mumbai that claimed nearly 200 lives and caused injuries to nearly 300.
“They gave us three names, two of them are Indian nationals – Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon – and the third is Masood Azhar,” Malik told reporters here on Thursday.
He said the two Indian nationals were not on Pakistani soil, and India should provide evidence against Azhar so that the “law can take its own course”.
He also denied India had asked Pakistan in writing for a visit of the Inter-Services Intelligence chief.
“Pakistan will extend unconditional co-operation to India to bring culprits to justice. A criminal is a criminal whether he is from Pakistan, India or from anywhere else in the world. But we need concrete evidence against those mentioned by India and the law of the land will take its course,” The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.
To a question regarding the alleged role of Lashkar-e-Toiba in terrorism in India, Malik said the organisation and its activities had already been banned in Pakistan. (ANI)
Pak-based Terror Group Opens its Gates To Protest innocence on Mumbai Attacks
Muridke (Pakistan): A Pakistani terrorist group blamed for last week’s attack on Mumbai that killed nearly 200 people and injured nearly 300, opened its gates to outsiders and reporters on Thursday in order to protest its innocence. The Telegraph quoted Abdullah Muntazir, a spokesman of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, as saying that he wanted to ”clear up some misconceptions” about the group’s headquarters and activities, including the Indian Government’s charge that it had masterminded the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
“You can go anywhere you like and see we have nothing to hide,” Muntazir said, adding that the organisation was mulling what to do if the government closes down his group under American pressure.
The 200-acre barbed-wired compound is located off the main road 30 miles north of Lahore, near brick kilns, fields and a shabby village market.
It was the headquarters of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
On Wednesday, guards at the gate had brandished Kalashnikovs, but yesterday no weapons were on view.
Indian officials have claimed that the sole surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai attacks has confessed he was trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba and spent time at the Muridke camp.
Jamaat and military officials have voiced concern that if the sabre-rattling between India and Pakistan gets out of hand the Indian air force may target Muridke.
He said the head of Jamaat, Hafiz Saeed, one of 20 suspects wanted by India, was in Lahore yesterday.
Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, left the group shortly before it was banned in 2002 under American pressure and set up Jamaat as an Islamic charity, which is regarded as its political wing, and converted Muridke to an educational institution.
The Muridke compound was where one of the London bombers spent time and the compound is believed to have been used as a hideout by al-Qaeda operatives, including Ramzi Yousef, one of the planners of the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.
Lashkar was formed in 1990 with help of Pakistani military intelligence, and remains one of best-funded militant groups fighting in Indian Kashmir.
Reporters, who visited the site, were fed on a lavish meal of biryani rice and chicken masala, were shown pupils identifying onion cells in a laboratory and a model of the human anatomy.
Headmaster Rashid Minhas was at pains to point out that his students were not drawn from among Pakistan’’s vulnerable underclass but were from “rich, aristocratic families”.
Former students claimed that pupils are given basic physical training at Muridke and then funnelled to training camps in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
“You will not find even a single pistol range here,” said Mohamed Saleem, a part time agricultural manager at Muridke.
The compound’’s inhabitants varied from jovial but pious, agricultural experts to a small group of young men sporting the intense expressions who withdrew to skulk furtively in the shade of a row of trees when approached. (ANI)
Deposed Deposed Chief Justice Sees Destination Not Far
SARGODHA: Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan has said that the lawyers’ movement is no more a national movement it became an international movement, people all around the world parsing Pakistan lawyers for standing up for free judiciary. He said that in New York, lawyers praised all the lawyers of Pakistan who involved in the movement and the way they carried the movement without any grievance and marching toward their objective step by step.
Deposed CJP said, “You people are learned people, so you should be careful while expressing your emotions so that one should not hurt, look at me since March 9 2007 I did not use any bad word against a dictator cause I believe one should up hold it self even referring to its opponents.”
He hoped that lawyers’ movement is going to achieve its goal, he said, “I think that the destination of lawyers’ movement is not far from achievement.
He said that the whole nation is one and Pakistani nation is an unbreakable wall against any aggression form its enemy, he said that in the wake of current situation the theme of his speech is unity for survival.
Earlier he thanked all the lawyers, civil society members, common pubic and media for their role and support in lawyers’ movement.
Islamabad High Court adjourns Hearing Of Farah Dogar’s Marks Case
The Islamabad High Court adjourned on Friday the hearing of petition filed against the extra marks awarded to the daughter of Chief Justice, Abdul Hamid Dogar till the second week of January. The Chief Justice of the IHC, Sardar Aslam, heard the case filed by Azam Sultan and summoned the Deputy Registrar Judicial for the examinations record.
Federal educational board presented the examination record of Farah Hameed Dogar in the High Court. The IHC took the record in its custody and put off the hearing till second week of January.
India Finds Pakistan Charge on Chenab Water Flow Unsubstantiated
Pakistan’s allegation that flow of water in river Chenab was blocked earlier this year has been found unsubstantiated by a high level Indian team which visited that country last week. The team, led by Indus Water Commissioner G Ranganathan, will submit its report to the government shortly on its findings during the three-day visit to Marala barrage and other areas along the Chenab river in Pakistan.
Ranganathan and other officials visited Pakistan from November 29 to “ascertain facts about system of utilisation of water” released by India under the 1960 Indus Treaty. The visit was warranted after Pakistan alleged that flow of water in river Chenab was blocked by India for filling Baglihar dam in Jammu and Kashmir in August, affecting cultivation in that country.
The team found facts which contradict Islamabad’s claims, sources said. Under the Treaty, the two sides can ask for inspection of sites covered under the Indus river system. India has already rejected the Pakistan charge by furnishing data to support its claim.
Sources said while India had been honest in implementing the Treaty, it wanted to see first hand whether Pakistan was utilising the water released by it.
The Treaty says that whenever India fills up a dam, it would ensure that Pakistan gets 55,000 cu of water in its Marala dam. Acknowledging that water flow was less for a brief period, India says it was because of low availability.
ISI Chief Meets PM Gilani
The Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt.General Ahmed Shuja Pasha met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday.DG ISI briefed Prime Minister on current security situation.
via news
NA Session Summoned On Dec 15
ISLAMABAD: The President has summoned National Assembly to meet on December 15. The Lower House will meet in the Parliament Building here at 3.00 p.m.
Paris Jewellery Thieves Pull off $64 Million Heist
PARIS: Armed robbers burst into a famed Paris jewellery store and snatched valuables including diamonds worth 50 million euros (64 million dollars), a source close to the enquiry said Friday. The three robbers on Thursday stole nearly all the jewellery on display at Harry Winston’s jewellers on the Avenue Montaigne, which attracts wealthy international clients.
The men knew the names of some of the shop’s employees and knew exactly where to look to find jewels that were not on display, the source said.
Harry Winston’s Paris store, which lies near the city’s best-known avenue, the Champs-Elysees, was hit by another heist almost exactly a year ago when armed robbers stole an estimated 10 million euros worth of valuables.
The US jewellery chain has stores across the world and has sold precious stones to royal families and lent them to film stars for events such as the Cannes film festival or the Oscars in Hollywood.
4 Killed in Thailand bombing
BANGKOK: Four people have been killed by a bomb at a drugstore in southern Thailand suspected to have been planted by terrorists. Six police who had been lured to the spot to investigate a robbery report were wounded by the Friday blast in Narathiwat province’s Chanae district.
Police Lt. Col. Tirawut Tissatien said the dead were four villagers killed immediately by the blast.
Police Sgt. Chana Hongthawee said, “This is a new insurgent tactic for killing officials.”
More than 3,300 people, mostly civilians, have died since early 2004 as a result of an insurgency being waged by the local people. Attacks have generally taken the form of drive-by shootings.
this news published by www.apakistannews.com
Nuclear deal signed between Russia and India
NEW DELHI: The visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed nuclear pact here, television reports said.
The two countries would cooperate with each other in nuclear field.
Russia will help to build four new nuclear reactors to produce energy in southern India but defence and space deals were also to be finalised.
Medvedev is the first head of state to visit India following the Mumbai attacks a week ago and has already pledged Moscow’s support to India in the anti-terror fight.
this news published by www.nhatky.in
India-Pakistan Trade Talks Postponed
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan India trade talks scheduled in this month have been postponed in the wake of the situation created after terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week, sources here said.
According to the trade ministry sources, India has put on hold all ongoing official initiatives to perk up bilateral trade.
this news published by www.apakistannews.com
Mirwaiz, Ali Gilani Placed Under House Arrest
OCCUPIED SRINAGAR: The authorities placed the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, senior Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Gilani and other Hurriyet leaders, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Fazl Haq Qureshi and Mian Abdul Qayoom under house arrest on Friday, to prevent them from leading the anti-polls demonstrations in occupied Kashmir. The occupation authorities have imposed undeclared curfew in Srinagar and Badgam towns while the adjacent areas of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar have been sealed, local media reported.
Meanwhile, Indian troopers of 36-Rashtriya Rifles barged into the house of a local Imam, Muhammad Abdullah Khatana, and gang-raped her 13-year-old daughter at Dandipora in Islamabad district.
Thousands of people took to streets against the inhuman incident and raised full-throated anti-India and pro-liberation slogans.
this news published by www.apakistannews.com
Yuvi, Ojha In & RP Out For The Test Series Against England
Following striking performances in the recent ODI series against England, flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh made a comeback to the Indian Test squad on Thursday. The national selection committee in Chennai also included the left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the 15-man squad for the two-Test series.
While Yuvraj replaced the recently-retired Sourav Ganguly, Ojha made it to the squad at the expense of left-arm seamer R P Singh.
Tamil Nadu’s opener Murali Vijay, who made his debut in the fourth and final Test against Australia in Nagpur last month, also retained his place. Another Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath has also been named in the squad.
Yuvraj was India’s top performer in the ODI series against England. The left handed batsman from Punjab scored back to back centuries in the first two ODIs series.
The squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir , Rahul Dravid , Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Subramaniam Badrinath, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha.
The first Test between the two teams will be played in Chennai from December 11 and the second in Mohali from December 19.
this news published by www.apakistannews.com
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Resumes Full operations
Bangkok: Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport resumed full operations Friday after being shut down for a week by protestors as part of their campaign to topple the government.
More than 100 international and domestic flights were expected to use the airport on Friday, said the Bangkok Post online news service.
Acting Transport Minister Santi Promphat together with officials from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) inspected Suvarnabhumi’s readiness Friday morning.
Thai Airways International (THAI) and Cathay Pacific Airways resumed their regular flights from the airport on Friday and a host of international carriers including Emirates, Qantas, Jet Airways and Northwest will resume flights on Saturday. Lufthansa plans to resume its flights to the Bangkok hub on Sunday.
The closure of the airport has caused THAI an estimated 20 billion baht (588 million dollars) loss due to more than 1,000 flight cancellations.
In October, the national airline had already reported a 20-per-cent decline in traffic due to the country’s escalating political showdown between demonstrators and the government.
Followers of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) evacuated the airport on Wednesday, after raiding it on November 25 forcing the facility to immediately cancel all outbound flights out of security concerns. They also occupied Don Mueang, the capital’s old airport, on November 28, effectively cutting off the capital from all commercial air traffic.
The PAD agreed to lift their siege on the airports on Tuesday shortly after Thailand’s constitution court dissolved the ruling People Power Party for committing election fraud in the December 23, 2007 polls, banning its executives from politics and automatically sacking former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and half his cabinet.
The PAD claimed the court decision as a political victory, since their goal was to force the resignation of Somchai, the brother-in-law of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the movement’s political nemesis.
Their evacuation of the airport brought the country back from the brink of a possible escalation in violence and bloodshed if pro-government “red shirt” demonstrators had been unleashed on the PAD, as some observers had feared.
The airport closures have caused Thailand incalculable economic damage.
Industry sources claimed to have lost up to 90 million dollars a day in undelivered cargo and Thailand’s tourist arrivals may be cut in half next year due to long-term repercussions on the sector.
Suvarnabhumi airport cost Thailand 4 billion dollars to build. In 2007, its first full year of operations, it handled about 41 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo, making it one of the busiest airports in Asia. (dpa)
this news published by www.apakistannews.com
Obama Aide Says Mumbai Attack Linked To Pak Intelligence Agencies
Washington: US President-elect Barack Obama’s adviser on South Asian affairs, Bruce Riedel, has alleged that the terrorists who carried out last week’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai were professionals and had links to Pakistani intelligence agencies.
“If there’s anything that is a 64 million dollar question today,” it is finding out the “extent of its (Lashkar-e-Toiba) current ties to the Pakistani intelligence service,” the Dawn quoted Riedel as saying during a discussion hosted by Brookings Institution on “Mumbai Terrorist Attacks: A Challenge for India and the World”.
In an interview to CNN earlier this week, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said the attacks were executed by “non-state actors” and rejected the suggestion that Pakistani intelligence agencies were involved.
But Riedel, a former CIA official and now a member of Obama’s policy working group on national security, said it’s difficult to believe the Pakistan Government’s assertions “given the size of its (LeT) activities in Pakistan”.
Riedel also backed claims by other American officials that global terrorist networks like Al Qaeda were also involved in the attacks.
“The evidence is already pretty clear that this attack had links to the global jihad and that those involved in it were going after the targets of the global jihad,” he said.
Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has said many times “‘the Islamic world is under threat from a Crusader-Zionist-Hindu alliance,” Riedel said.
“We saw it demonstrated in Mumbai, terrorists who were going after exactly those targets — Americans, Israelis and, of course, Indians,” he said.
“This was an extraordinarily sophisticated and complex plot,” Riedel said. (ANI)
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Canadian PM Wins Suspension of Parliament
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper won a rare suspension of Parliament on Thursday, managing to avoid being ousted by opposition parties angry over the minority Conservative government’s economic plans and an attempt to cut off party financing. Governor General Michaelle Jean — the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada’s head of state — agreed to Harper’s request to shut down Parliament until Jan 26.
Parliament was reconvened just weeks ago after the October 14 election. Harper’s request for suspension was unprecedented. No prime minister had asked for Parliament to be suspended to avoid a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Such a vote had been set for Monday and the Conservatives almost certainly would have lost it, and faced the possibility of being replaced by a coalition of opposition parties.
After a two-hour meeting with the governor general, Harper reaffirmed his promise to present a budget on Jan 27 and called on the opposition to work with the government over the next few weeks to tackle the effects of the global financial crisis. “Today’s decision will give us an opportunity — and I’m talking about all the parties — to focus on the economy and to work together,” he told reporters. The opposition Liberals, New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois — all to the left of the Conservatives — had signed a deal to defeat the Conservatives and put forward a Liberal-New Democrat coalition to form a new government. The Bloc, which wants to take French-speaking Quebec out of Canada, pledged to back the coalition’s budgets and general policy direction. The governor general’s role in government, as representative of the Crown, is largely ceremonial, though she has the final word on constitutional matters. Should the government be defeated in a confidence vote, she would decide whether to call a new election or allow the opposition to form a coalition government.
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Suicide Attack in Orakzai Agency
KALAYA: At least six people have been killed while many others are injured in a suicide attack at main bazaar of Kalaya, the chief town of Orakzai agency here Friday.
Security forces have cordoned off the area and were carrying out relief activities, reported ARY OneWorld.
The corpses and injured were brought to Kalaya Headquarter Hospital where emergency has been declared.
Preliminary investigations suggest the blast was suicidal, some sources in security forces sid.
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Thursday, December 4, 2008
Bomb Blast in Quetta
QUETTA: A powerful blast occurred in Quetta city, A Pakistan News on Thursday. The blast occurred in the basement of Universal Complex.
According to an eye-witness, the blast ripped through an internet cafe completely destroying things there including computers and cabinets.
Soon after the blast police personnel arrived on the blast site and put a security cordon around the site. Also, Jinnah Road has been blocked and police are thoroughly scouring the blast site.
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Why Vidya Balan won’t be catty
We’ve just identified the one thing that Vidya Balan is quite petrified of – and that is cats!
Recently, when the actress was busy shooting, a cat made its way onto the sets and, sure enough, the mere presence of this billi was enough to get Vidya all worked up. Terrified of cats, the moment she spotted the creature, Vids rushed to her make-up van and refused to come out till it was shoo-ed away. But, before animal activists become all agitated on reading this, let us clarify that the actress never allows anyone to be cruel or even hurl stones at them.
“Just shoo it away,” she tells her unitwalas who are always quite amused by Vidya’s feline fear! Is that the reason the actress keeps away from B-wood’s catfights, we wonder.
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Official Hajj Mission Chairman meets with Hajj contractors, medical teams
Makkah: The Chairman of the UAE official Hajj Mission, Mohammed Obaid Al-Mazrue, Thursday morning held two separate meetings here at the premises of the mission.
In his first meeting with the Hajj contractors, Al-Mazrue reminded them about the need to provide all the required services to UAE pilgrims under their care throughout the religious trip. He urged them to boost the level of their services to the pilgrims, particularly during the epic period of the pilgrimage in Mina and Arafat, by ensuring the welfare and comfort of the pilgrims under their care.
Al- Mazrue stressed the need for the contractors to act fast in crisis and emergency cases by having in hand options for all possibilities and warned that stiff penalty would be slapped on any contractor who failed to fully discharge his responsibilities towards his pilgrims.
A number of contractors lost their licenses in the past years for having violated the rules and regulations laid down by the UAE Hajj authorities.
Deputy Chairman of the UAE Official Hajj Mission, Hamad Yusuf Al-Mualla, urged the contractors to turn to the mission anytime they encounter problems that require the mission's intervention.
He pointed out that his outfit is conducting two separate opinion polls, one for the Hajj contractors and the other for the pilgrims to have detailed views of the pilgrims about the contractors and their services. He said the polls, which aim mainly at improving Hajj operation in the UAE, is being conducted based on a request from the Federal National Council.
Al Mualla urged the contractors, who felt the inspection committee had not been fair to them to report to the Official Hajj Mission. "We are with you and not against you", he told them.
In his second meeting with the medical teams accompanying the mission and all UAE contractors, Al-Mazrue, who expressed satisfaction with the performance of the doctors, thanked them for doing a good job. He urged them to maximize the use of the services introduced this year by the mission, particular, the newly introduced mobile medical team, which will be moving to the residence of all UAE pilgrims for emergency healthcare delivery and the three hotlines set up for medical enquiries by the pilgrims.
The Head of the Mission's medical team, Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Zarouni, announced the launching of a campaign to tackle the spread of high blood pressure and diabetes among UAE pilgrims.
Dubbed "The Early Detection of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure", the campaign aims at providing UAE pilgrims with updated information about their health status and help in the preparation of a database on those suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure in the UAE, in general and among the pilgrims, in particular, to avoid complications during the pilgrimage.
Al-Zarouni said the campaign, which is part of nationwide campaign launched by the UAE Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Official Hajj Mission, will not overshadow the work of the medical teams accompanying the various Hajj contractors, but seeks to boost their efforts.
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6.1-Magnitude Quake Hits Northern Japan, No Casualties
Tokyo: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit the coast of northern Japan on Thursday morning.
According to the local meteorological agency, no immediate reports of damage and casualties were reported. No danger of tsunami has been issued after the quake.
The quake hit off the coast of Miyagi, about 290 kilometers north of Tokyo. It struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers.
The most recent major quake in Japan killed more than 6,400 people in the western port city of Kobe in January 1995. (ANI)
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11 killed, 10 injured in China fire
A fire at the dormitory of a seafood company Thursday killed 11 workers and injured 10 others in eastern China, an official said. More than 80 firefighters and 10 fire engines rushed to put out the fire at the dormitory building of a food company in the coastal city of Qingdao, said Jiang Yonglian, a spokesman for the Qingdao city government office. “We suspect it may involve electric appliances used to keep warm during cold weather. I do not have any more details about this,” Jiang said in a telephone interview. It was unclear how many workers were in the building when the fire occurred. Jiang said the injured were being treated at a local hospital.
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Priyanka’s 12 rashis!
Sanjeev Kumar did it in Naya Din Nayi Raat, Eddie Murphy’s done it in Nutty Professor, and now apni Priyanka Chopra’s all set to do it as
well.
Play multiple roles, that is! While these actors played nine and seven roles in their films respectively, Priyanka is apparently going to play 12 different roles in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s What’s your Rashi? with boyfriend Harman Baweja.
And the buzz is that she will be playing 12 different characters belonging to the 12 rashis (zodiac signs)! Now obviously nobody’s willing to reveal the facts but in an earlier interview to BT, the actress admitted that this film is very special to her. “It’s a romantic comedy and my character is something nobody’s ever played in Indian cinema, no female heroine for sure.”
Hmmm, so do we conclude the buzz is true?
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Anjorie’s best kept secret
The ten-feet portrait of Anjorie Alagh used in 1920 has found a place of pride at her mom’s home.
“Vikram Bhatt gifted the painting to my mother as souvenir,” says Anjorie. The painting that gives an impression of a bygone era, Anjorie says, catches immediate attention of those visiting her mother’s home. “They ask if the woman in portrait is my grandmother. ‘She looks so much like Anjorie’ they say! If only they knew the truth,” Anjorie says. Well, looks like Anjorie’s best kept secret is now out!
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Soha says hu-tu-tu
This cutie is doing some good work.
Yes, we may have spotted her at her ‘Bond’ date with boyfriend Kunal Khemu, but when we got conversing with Soha Ali Khan on her future projects, we learnt that it’s Dil Kabaddi that’s next in line. We were shocked when the actor told us that she actually played a lot of kabaddi while she lived in Delhi! “I used to play Kabaddi when I was young. I was in Delhi at that time. But I haven’t played the sport since I’ve come to Mumbai,” she tells us. Though we don’t put it past her, it’s just a little difficult to imagine this suave, royal chick go hu-tu-tu...
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Eva Longoria caught smoking
Even though she has been trying to hide her bad habit, American actress Eva Longoria Parker was caught smoking while on her trip to
Puerto Rico.
Parker, 33, was spotted smoking several cigarettes this week as she strolled the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she is attending the wedding of “Without a Trace” star Roselyn Sanchez. “She hates to be photographed smoking,” the New York Daily News quoted X-17 owner Frank Navarre as saying.
“But we get her once in a while,” he added.
But Parker is not the only actress, who tries to hide her smoking habit, joining her is “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad, who goes to great lengths to hide her habit. “She avoids it,” Navarre said of Conrad.
Others who try to hide their habit, include Britney Spears, though she has now gone public, Anne Hathaway, who has just given up this summer, and new mom Ashlee Simpson-Wentz.
“It's so taboo,” says Antonia Russo, a Manhattan image consultant who specializes in advising performing artists, when the question of keeping the habit a secret came up.
“There's definitely a concept of ''people who smoke just don''t care about themselves'' or they''re socially irresponsible,” she said.
“As a role model, you wouldn''t want to be a part of that,” she added.
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Hansika Motwani is now a graduate
Hansika Motwani has been in tremendous pain lately, and that’s because she has a broken ligament.
And while on bed-rest, the girl looked forward to one of the most important days in her life – her G-Day! Determined not to let the injury pin her down, this 17-year-old put on her blue graduation gown and hat and celebrated her achievement! “Mom allowed me to become an actor on the condition that I would continue with my studies. So that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m only too happy to be a graduate now!” says a delighted Hansika. But life’s lessons will always be on-going dearie. There’s just no graduating from that, is there?
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Aamir aur Simi ko gussa kyun aata hai?
“...As I had expected, various politicians have tried to use this traumatic and tragic attack to their advantage. I only hope that people see through them this time.
Quite clearly, both the major political parties have failed to tackle terrorism. There have been repeated attacks on us during both their reigns which neither has been able to either anticipate or deal with well... They actually NEGOTIATED with the terrorists and RELEASED 3 dreaded terrorists from Indian jails... I think the first lesson to learn from this is that we MUST NOT NEGOTIATE... What that means is, that in the future if there is a situation where me or my kids are held hostage by a bunch of terrorists then I must be prepared to tell our government – to hell with me and my children just go in there and kill the terrorists...
I personally hold both these political parties, and in fact other regional political parties across the country, responsible in one way or the other, for fueling terrorism in the first place... The other important thing we need to remind ourselves in this time of anger and hurt is to stay calm... and not give in to thoughtless knee jerk reactions. I heard someone say on television that we should all stop paying our taxes as a show of protest. Haven’t heard of a more silly idea than that. If we stop paying our taxes then we won’t have an army and NSG to save us next time around!!! Instead we should all START PAYING OUR TAXES. We demand so much of our leaders but are we fulfilling our basic responsibility? Can we say with honesty that as citizens of our country we are all honestly paying our taxes?... If we are corrupt then how can we expect our politicians to be honest?... These politicians are not from Jupiter or Mars, they are one of us, from our very own society, selected by us through a democratic process...
In my opinion, you really want to change things? Change yourself... If each one of us does that individually then there will be a sea change in our society at large... What I would really like to see emerge from all this is the youth of this country starting a political party. A group that stands for strong, clean, honest and fresh leadership. A group that we can all support.
And finally, if we really want to make sure that terrorists fail in achieving their end, then these terror attacks should not take us towards hate but instead towards love... Allowing love, peace and trust to grow within us is not a sign of weakness but a sign of immense strength.
With appreciation and gratitude to the security forces who acted with courage, and with a prayer in my heart for those departed.
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Ex-army Officer of Pakistan Trained Mumbai Attackers
NEW YORK: Former Pakistani army officials trained the terrorists who went on rampage last week in Mumbai, The New York Times said on Wednesday
quoting unnamed Pentagon officials.
“A former Defense Department official said on Wednesday that American intelligence agencies had determined that former officers from Pakistan’s Army and its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency helped train the Mumbai attackers,” The New York Times said in its news report from Washington.
“But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that no specific links had been uncovered yet between the terrorists and Pakistani government,” it said, without providing any further details.
Pakistan has so far refuted Indian allegations, supported by the US, of having harbored these terrorists, who killed 183 people, several of whom were foreign nationals, and claimed that they are non-state actors.
The revelations by a former Defence Department official comes at a time when India has said that it has strong evidence and intelligence information that indicates the Mumbai attackers and their trainers came from Pakistan. It has also asked Pakistan to arrest and send to it 20 people wanted in India for terrorist activities. Pakistan has said that it would not extradite terror suspects.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was in New Delhi on Wednesday to demonstrate American support to India, urged Pakistan to take on terrorists within its borders.
“We believe Pakistan has a central role to play in this, to make certain that these terrorists cannot continue to operate and operate in this fashion,” Rice said in New Delhi.
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