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Obama's asteroid goal: tougher, riskier than moon

2010-04-16T19:41:00.002-07:00

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Landing a man on the moon was a towering achievement. Now the president has given NASA an even harder job, one with a certain Hollywood quality: sending astronauts to an asteroid, a giant speeding rock, just 15 years from now.

Space experts say such a voyage could take several months longer than a journey to the moon and entail far greater dangers.

"It is really the hardest thing we can do," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

Going to an asteroid could provide vital training for an eventual mission to Mars. It might help unlock the secrets of how our solar system formed. And it could give mankind the know-how to do something that has been accomplished only in the movies by a few square-jawed, squinty-eyed heroes: saving the Earth from a collision with a killer asteroid.

"You could be saving humankind. That's worthy, isn't it?" said Bill Nye, TV's Science Guy and vice president of the Planetary Society.

President Barack Obama outlined NASA's new path during a visit to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday.

"By 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space," he said. "We'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history."

On the day the president announced the goal, a NASA task force of scientists, engineers and ex-astronauts was meeting in Boston to work on a plan to protect Earth from a cataclysmic collision with an asteroid or a comet.

NASA has tracked nearly 7,000 near-Earth objects that are bigger than several feet across. Of those, 1,111 are "potentially hazardous asteroids." Objects bigger than two-thirds of a mile are major killers and hit Earth every several hundred thousand years. Scientists believe it was a 6-mile-wide asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Landing on an asteroid and giving it a well-timed nudge "would demonstrate once and for all that we're smarter than the dinosaurs and can avoid what they didn't," said White House science adviser John Holdren.

Experts don't have a particular asteroid in mind for the deep-space voyage, but there are a few dozen top candidates, most of which pass within about 5 million miles of Earth. That is 20 times more distant than the moon, which is about 239,000 miles from Earth on average.

Most of the top asteroid candidates are less than a quarter-mile across. The moon is about 2,160 miles in diameter.

Going to an asteroid could provide clues about the solar system's formation, because asteroids are essentially fossils from 4.6 billion years ago, when planets first formed, said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near Earth Object program at the Jet Propulsion Lab.

And an asteroid mission would be a Mars training ground, given the distance and alien locale.

"If humans can't make it to near-Earth objects, they can't make it to Mars," said MIT astronautics professor Ed Crawley.

Also, asteroids contain such substances as hydrogen, carbon, iron and platinum, which could be used by astronauts to make fuel and equipment — skills that would also be necessary on a visit to Mars.

While Apollo 11 took eight days to go to the moon and back in 1969, a typical round-trip mission to a near-Earth asteroid would last about 200 days, Crawley said. That would demand new propulsion and life-support technology. And it would be riskier. Aborting a mission in an emergency would still leave people stuck in space for several weeks.

The space agency may need to develop special living quarters, radiation shields or other new technology to allow astronauts to live in deep space so long, said NASA chief technology officer Bobby Braun.

Even though an asteroid would be farther than the moon, the voyage would use less fuel and be cheaper because an asteroid has no gravity. The rocket that carries the astronauts home would not have to expend fuel to escape the asteroid's pull.

On the other hand, because of the lack of gravity, a spaceship could not safely land on an asteroid; it would bounce off the surface. Instead, it would have to hover next to the asteroid, and the astronauts would have to spacewalk down to the ground, Yeomans said.

Once there, they would need some combination of jet packs, spikes or nets to enable them to walk without skittering off the asteroid and floating away, he said.

"You would need some way to hold yourself down," Yeomans said. "You'd launch yourself into space every time you took a step."

Just being there could be extremely disorienting, said planetary scientist Tom Jones, co-chairman of the NASA task force on protecting Earth from dangerous objects. The rock would be so small that the sun would spin across the sky and the horizon would only be a few yards long. At 5 million miles away, the Earth would look like a mere BB in the sky.

"It's going to be a strange alien environment being on an asteroid," Jones said.

But Jones, a former astronaut, said that wouldn't stop astronauts from angling to be a part of such a mission: "You'll have plenty of people excited about exploring an ancient and alien world."

Karachi stocks slump 18 points on bomb blast in Quetta

2010-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: The Karachi stock market closed the week on Friday in the negative zone, as investors were concerned over limited foreign interest in blue chips and deadly suicide bomb blast in Quetta, which claimed scores of precious lives.

The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) 100-share index shed 18.26 points or 0.17 percent to close at 10,659.21 points as compared to the previous session’s 10,677.47 points. The KSE 30-share index closed at 10,876.61 points with a gain of 10.77 points. The KMI 30 closed at 16,079.33 points with a surge of 10.17 points.

Analysts said that the market opened on a positive note but rising circular debt in the energy sector and limited expectations of early approval of leverage product were the reasons for the negative activity.

The market turnover went down by 49.07 percent and traded 206.49 million shares as compared with the previous session’s 405.45 million shares. The overall market capitalisation was down by 0.13 percent and traded Rs 3.017 trillion as against Rs 3.021 trillion of the previous session. Out of total 385 companies, 166 closed in the positive zone, 194 in negative and 25 remained unchanged.

“Bearish trend in regional markets also resulted in some profit-taking in later hours,” said Topline Sec analyst Farhan Seth. “Second-tier stocks like World Call, NIB Bank, TRG Pakistan etc, despite leading the volumes, closed in the red zone.”

“Despite expectations of early release of the next International Monetary Fund’s tranche and unanimous approval of the 18th Amendment by the Senate, the market witnessed selling activity,” said Shahzad Chamdia Sec senior analyst Ahsan Mehanti.

“Turnover in the second-tier stocks stayed thin as compared to previous sessions, keeping the overall turnover to 50 percent to that recorded a day earlier along with decline in value of traded shares,” said Aziz Fida Husein and Co analyst Husnein Asghar Ali. The KSE 100-share index opened in the green zone with a gain of 25.04 points and at the end of the day closed at 10,659.21 with a loss of 18.26 points.

WorldCall Telecom was the volume leader with 27.59 million shares as it closed at Rs 5.11 after opening at Rs 5.18, losing seven paisas. NIB Bank traded 11.34 million shares as it closed at Rs 4.83 from its opening at Rs 5.10, shedding 27 paisas. TRG Pakistan traded 10.93 million shares as it closed at Rs 5.47 as compared to its opening at Rs 5.69, decreasing 22 paisas. Nimir Ind Chemical traded 9.31 million shares as it closed at Rs 2.55 as against its opening at Rs 2.52, gaining three paisas. staff report

Kate Gosselin talks About Dating, Jon, and Future Children

2010-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

According to her most recent Access Hollywood interview to promote her latest book “I Just Want You to Know: Letters To My Kids on Love, Faith and Family,” Kate Gosselin also spoke about future dating prospects, Jon Gosselin, and future children.

* Of taking partial responsibility for her failed marriage, Kate said she did take partial ownership.

* Of getting back with Jon, Kate said unfortunate she could not foresee that ever happening again.

*

On dating prospects with anyone in the future, Kate said she just too busy with children and her career and believed she had too much baggage for ANYONE to deal with.

*

Of possibly more children in the future, Kate said she would not even consider dating a man who wanted ANY additional children since she was DONE in that department.

Good for Kate Gosselin for doing what she believes is right for her and her children. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that fame ripped her family apart but I believe she has grown to accept what's happened and is now trying her best to be a good mother to her children, all eight of them, and is also trying to teach them to have a strong work ethic. I do hope she finds love one day, we all deserve love.

Salman Khan’s Bodybuilding Tips

2010-04-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan has taken to the Internet like fish to water. After blogging for his latest film, Veer, the Bollywood hunk has now joined the micro-blogging website, Twitter, and has amassed as many as 25,000 followers in just a couple of days. And he’s enjoying the conversation – dishing out bodybuilding tips, warning people against drunken driving and even answering questions about Katrina Kaif.

The actor, who is known to guard his private life zealously, said on April 14, “Katrina Kaif not on Twitter yet,” indicating the possibility that she might join in soon. The actor also advised his fans against the ills of drunken driving, saying, “No daaru. If daaru then no driving, riding, fighting.”

The actor also gave a few body-building tips to his followers. “Eat very little carbs, work out hard with somebody in the gym who’s body you like, follow him or her,” tweeted the actor.

A Bollywood Battle, Waged

2010-04-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

The microblogging service popular in India and the rest of the world, is emerging as a place where Bollywood stars can hold a neverending popularity contest.

Indian media this week has been following the follower counts of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, two actors known for being rivals. Shah Rukh Khan, star of the recent film “My Name Is Khan,” joined Twitter at the beginning of the year and has given the service a workout since then, posting updates about shoots, mourning a loss by his Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team, sharing a shaving photo and tweeting good night to fans nearly every evening. He even admitted, via Twitter, to voting for himself in the latest Time 100 Poll (”cant think of a more cheesy thing i have done lately,” he wrote).

Salman Khan, a Bollywood bad boy who’s crossed the law for his driving and even poaching, joined Twitter on Tuesday. He quickly mastered the art of condensing his thoughts into 140 characters (example: “Twitter is good, y? Bcoz u guys r amazing. Out of 25k followers, just 2 ppl hv a prob with my being. Mustv hrt thm smwhr”) and already has more than 35,000 followers. While he has much ground to cover — Shah Rukh Khan has more than 270,000 followers — his instant popularity drew attention.

: AFP/Getty Images; Aamir Khan, left, and Salman Khan at the December premiere of ‘3 Idiots’ in Mumbai.

India Times weighed in Thursday, saying “the tortoise [Salman] is almost on the verge of catching up with the hare [Shah Rukh]…in coming days one can expect a cold war between the two in cyberspace.” It quoted a trade analyst, Taran Adarsh, who said Twitter can affect celebrities’ “brand value,” as well as fans who are already comparing the difference between the Khans’ tweets (”[Salman's] tweets are interesting and not monotonous like SRK,” S. Pankaj told the Times).

A third Khan celeb, Aamir Khan, has yet to join the race (or has he?), but the speculation has already started.

All three of them, however, have their work cut out for them if they want to overtake Hollywood’s biggest Twitterers. Ashton Kutcher, the most followed user, according to Twitterholic, has more than 4.7 million followers, while other celebs, such as Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, have more than two million each.

Happy Birthday Lara Dutta

2010-04-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Actress Lara Dutta turns 32 today. Her latest flick Housefull is set for release. While she has her fingers crossed, here's mapping her journey so far.

Lara Dutta was born on April 16, 1978. After being crowned Miss Universe in 2000 she was appointed UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. The crown brought fame and also opened doors to Bollywood.

She won the annual Gladsrags modeling competition. She was crowned Femina Miss India Universe and was even crowned Miss Universe in 2000.

Lara signed up for a Tamil film, Arasatchi in 2002, but due to financial problems, it could only release in mid-2004. She made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with the film Andaaz which was a box office success and won her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

She then appeared in a number of films, some of which failed at the box office and some were mildly successful. Her box office hits include Masti (2004), Kaal (2005), No Entry (2005) and Partner (2007). She also starred in the comedy, Bhagam Bhag that also did well at the box office. She seems to have found her niche in the comedy genre.

In the year 2009 Lara had two back-to-back releases – Blue and Do Not Disturb. Both the films did not do well at the box office.

She will be seen next in Sajid Khan's Housefull. We wish her luck.

Sania, Shoaib: Ab finally shaadi pakki

2010-04-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the day, there was a lot of action at the reception venue. The ballroom was done up with colourful flowers and golden lights. The decoration was by Balkrishna, a Hyderabad-based florist and decorater. There was tight security at the entrance to the hotel. The city’s police and traffic police was called in to keep a check on the guests entering the venue, besides the hotel’s security personnel.

In the afternoon, Pakistani cricketer Sohail Tanveer said, “I’m happy for Shoaib and Sania. I’m pleased to be here for this wonderful occasion, and we bring with us tons of wishes from Pakistan. I would say this is Shoaib bhai’s best innings so far, and Sania bhabhi’s best game set and match! May Allah bless them.”

He added, “It is slightly dull here, lag hi nahin raha hai ki koi shaadi ka mahaul hai. Let Shoaib and Sania bhabhi come to Pakistan, we will have a grand reception aur log dekhte rah jayenge.” Baig said, “I will sing a song for the newlywed couple, Aaja Meri Laila, Tujh Ko Main Dikha Doon, Pyaar Ki Jannat Mein Tujhe Leke Jaaon.”

Also present was Pakistan’s federal minister for population welfare, Firdous Ashiq Awan, along with other delegates like Zulfikquar Malik, a leading businessman from Sialkot, Imran Rafique Towne, president of Sialkot cricket association, and Syed Mohammad Fawad Sher, first secretary (political) from the Pakistani high commission in India. Awan presented a golden crown studded with semi precious stones to Sania. Talking about Sania and Shoaib’s wedding, she said, “Pakistan mein log bahut khush hain Sania aur Shoaib ki shaadi ki khabar sun kar. Humein khushi hai ki Sania aur Shoaib ki shaadi mein hum shaamil ho sake. The crown represents the taj gifted to our bahu... Humari dua hai ki woh dono khush rahein.” The Pakistani delegates are expected to fly back to Pakistan on April 21. The buzz is that both Shoaib and Sania are also expected to leave for Pakistan on the same day.

Amongst the other guests who made it to the reception were TDP chief and former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, Subbirami Reddy, leading South actors like Nagarjuna, MS Manchu Vishnu, Laxmi Jagapathy Babu, Venkatesh, Bollywood actor Raza Murad, ghazal maestro Talat Aziz, actresses Neha Dhupia and Rakshanda Khan, fashion designers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra with their wives Rima and Vidushi and kids Ayan, Rishan, Vivhan and Ninya. Those who were expected to attend the reception and gave it a miss finally included AP CM K Rosaiah, governor ESL Narsimhan, city police commissioner AK Khan, Mahesh Bhupathi, Salman Khan, Arbaaz and Malaika Khan and many more.

Most disapprove of pope's handling of abuse scandal, poll फिन्ड्स

2010-04-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Washington -- Most Americans -- and most American Catholics -- think Pope Benedict XVI has done a bad job of dealing with the problem of sexual abuse by Catholics priests, according to a new national poll.

CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey results released Friday also indicate that recent revelations about that matter have hurt the pope's standing with the public.

Fifty-nine percent of American Catholics questioned in the poll have a favorable view of the pope, down 19 points from February. Among all Americans, the slippage is even greater: from 59 percent in February to just 35 percent today.

"Only a quarter of U.S. Catholics have an unfavorable view of the pope, but they don't seem satisfied with his track record on the growing and persistent scandal within the church," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.

According to the survey, 56 percent of U.S. Catholics disapprove of how Pope Benedict XVI has dealt with the problem of sexual abuse committed by priests; only about one in three Catholics has a positive view of how he has dealt with that subject. An even larger number -- 74 percent -- disapproves of how the church overall has handled that matter.

Pope Benedict XVI called for "penitence" Thursday for the church's "sins" amid the sex abuse scandal that has embroiled the Roman Catholic Church, according to Italy's official news agency.

Allegations against the church have piled up this year across Europe, including in Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.

Pope Benedict XVI has found himself tied to the crisis after news broke last month that 30 years ago, when he was an archbishop, he approved accommodations in his diocese for a priest accused of child sex abuse so the priest could undergo therapy.

The priest, who was not identified, was let go from church service in 2008, according to church officials in Germany.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted April 9-11, with 1,008 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points and plus or minus 6.5 percentage points for the 231 American Catholics questioned.

Volcanic ash and air travel chaos

2010-04-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Volcanic ash has grounded thousands of planes across Europe and wrecked havoc on travel plans around the world.

The disruptions that closed European airports on Thursday are even worse on Friday, according to Eurocontrol, the European air traffic agency. Delays are expected to continue well into Saturday as the ash cloud moves slowly south and east.

Steve Lott, head of North American communications for the International Air Transport Association, joined us for an online discussion on the disruptions.

IATA is an international trade body representing some 230 airlines around the world. Mr. Lott is the chief media spokesman for IATA in the region. In addition to media relations, Mr. Lott handles internal communications with IATA member representatives in North America in addition to other important stakeholders in the region, including government agencies and manufacturers.

Before joining IATA, Mr. Lott worked for nearly a decade as a journalist and editor for Aviation Daily and Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, both major trade publications.

BBC to produce Desi Girl

2010-04-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

The BBC is producing the show ''Desi Girl'' in order capitalise on the growing popularity of television soaps set in poor Indian villages, The Telegraph reports.
The show will pit a number of catwalk models and Bollywood stars, including Monica Bedi, against one other to find the most down home, practical woman among them.

Producers said the show will give them an opportunity to prove they are purely glamour girls or if they are true country girls at heart, the paper reports.
If the women want coffee in the morning, they will first have to milk a cow. To cook a meal, they will have to make fire fuel patties from cow dung.

"The idea is to bring the life of rural India to the urban populace. The contestants have to adapt to village life and also they have to outdo each other and win the hearts of the villagers," said Shailja Kejriwal of NDTV Imagine.

"The villagers will ultimately decide which one of these city girls has it in her to be like them and win the title of ''Desi Girl''," Kejriwal added.

Hell hath no fury like a Veena wronged

2010-04-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, the country has been gripped by ‘Shoania’ madness and allegations by Ayesha Siddiqui.

But Veena Malik has forced us all to forget the ongoing celebrations in Hyderabad and focus on the brewing battle between her and cricketer Mohammad Asif.

During a press conference this week, Malik said Asif had threatened her and that she can provide facts to prove Asif’s penchant for womanising and using drugs. She said she had supported Asif by paying his utility bills, financing the renovation of his house and buying him a car. She demanded that Asif’s name be placed on the Exit Control List as the cricketer was planning to move to London.

While actors tend to become laughingstocks when they head to court – the Meera-Attiqur Rehman saga is just one example – Malik has managed to retain her media-savvy and her cool (for the most part) through this saga. She hasn’t backed down, she has a lawyer and she isn’t shying away from the media circus. We count down the number of ways Veena Malik has been a true rock star through the saga.

Good luck, Asif!

Asif announced his engagement to Sana Hilal on the same day that Malik announced that Asif had proposed to her but she said she wanted to wait for at least two years. However, Malik pulled it together and wished Asif and Hilal the best of luck and a very happy marriage.

She knows her mind

Malik did not back down from any statement she made. Despite Asif saying that he did not owe Malik any money and that she was not telling the truth, Malik did not change her stance and kept to her original story.

Time after time

On March 11 Malik said that she did not want to fight with her ‘friend’ and wanted to give him time to settle the issue before moving a court of law. “I haven’t lodged an FIR against him yet and the deadline given to Asif ended on February 28. Still I am giving him some time,” she said.

Shut up and bounce

“I do not have any issues with Mohammad Asif other than financial ones. He signed two cheques totalling Rs11, 300,000 on February 11 to pay back his debts. When both the cheques could not be claimed, I contacted him. He asked for a week to repay the sum. It has now been a month. He is not picking up my calls or replying to my text messages or emails [...] I have finally served him with a legal notice and if he remains silent on this matter, I will pursue the case further,” Malik told Express.

Keep your cool!

On April 14, 2010 Malik held a press conference where despite being visibly upset, she remained defiant. She said a ‘hero’ does not indulge in drug abuse and does not take money and refuse to pay it back. Veena Malik may just be gunning for revenge – after all, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned – but she has emerged as the stronger, savvier person in this sordid story. Perhaps Asif – and all the other actors and cricketers who chose to air their dirty laundry in public – can learn a thing or two from Ms Malik.

Larry King seeks 8th divorce

2010-04-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

Talk show host Larry King and his wife, Shawn King, each filed for divorce Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Both cited "irreconcilable differences" in their filings, but they disagreed over custody of the two children from the 12 years of मर्रिअग
He wants to share legal and physical custody of the boys with her, but she is asking the court to grant physical custody to her alone.
The Kings have two sons, ages 9 and 11.
"His major concern is for the children and beyond that he will have no further comment," Larry King's publicist said in a written statement.

Shawn King's lawyer did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

The documents said the couple separated on Tuesday, the same day Shawn King signed her papers. Larry King's signature was dated Wednesday. Both petitions were filed Wednesday.
Each is asking that they not be ordered to pay spousal support to the other, and they both want the other to pay their attorney fees.

While his filing offers little detail about what marital property he will claim, her petition lists the Beverly Hills, California, home where the couple has resided for the past two years and two Utah houses.
Larry King asked the court to declare any "purported transmutation agreement" to be "null, void and unenforceable." California law provides for marital contracts, known as transmutation agreements, to designate ownership of certain property between spouses.

When Larry King, 76, married Shawn Engemann Southwick, 50, on September 5, 1997, it was his eighth marriage to seven women.

King has hosted a nightly prime time talk show on CNN since June 1985. He hosted a late night national radio talk show before joining CNN.

Newsstand Junkie: Charlie Sheen's good husband guise reveals hairy situation

2010-04-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Who's that man lurking on the cover of In Touch? The one with the sunglasses, the hoodie, and the fake mustache? Why, it's Charlie Sheen, and he's sneaking out of rehab for a liaison with a lingerie model, says the mag. But, unlike Tiger and Jesse, this guy is an actor fi rst, a cheater second, so he can be counted on to do it in disguise. Read the details of his gauche getaway in the 'zines!

Kitty Kelley's unauthorized biography of Oprah came out this week. Star helpfully highlights the parts that point to a romantic relationship between Oprah and Gayle King. For instance, Oprah paid for Gayle's $3.6 million home in Connecticut, her $7 million NYC apartment, and, one Christmas, handed her a check for $1.25 million "so they could both be millionaires," writes Kelley. In other words, Gayle has experienced that lesser-known cousin of Oprah's "aha moment," the "cha-ching moment."

This week's Life & Style cover touts a trend I still don't understand: the "revenge body." Kim Kardashian says she's lost five pounds in five days after her recent split with Reggie Bush and "it gave me a lot more confidence." But if she was a regular human being, wouldn't dieting in a time of emotional turbulence make her feel so distressed, irrational and angry that she would show up at Reggie's house with a hatchet, a shovel, and a jumbo bag of Lay's for when she's done? Oh, now I get why they call it a revenge body.

Christina Aguilera was so determined to get an iPad the day they came out that she sent her assistant to stand in line at the Apple store. "The assistant had to wait for hours and hours, baking in the hot sun," a source complains to Star, as if this was the worst thing a celebrity assistant has ever had to do. The guy should be sent to "Dancing with the Stars," where he'd be forced to blot Kate Gosselin's tears and talk Pam Anderson into wearing panties.

OK! says that Katie Holmes has come around to the idea of having another baby, partly because Tom Cruise stopped pressuring her. "Tom has always said that getting pregnant has to totally be Katie's decision," says a source, "not just because he's a good guy but because it's part of Scientology. The baby's soul must inhabit its pre-birth body with the clear intention that it wants to be born." In that case, you'd think the Scientologists would have found a way to make Tom the vessel. Or maybe John Travolta could carry the baby for him.

Lady Gaga was walking through a hotel in Australia when she came across a wedding reception. The bride and groom called her in, says In Touch, and she took pictures with them and recommended they "have good sex" before fl itting to her next engagement. The photos are priceless: Gaga, in a black outfi t and crazy sunglasses, towers over a terrifi ed fl ower girl. Still, it's nice to have a costumed character at a soiree. It's like when you get Minnie Mouse to come to your kid's birthday party.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart can't stay away from Vancouver

2010-04-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will be returning to Vancouver according to Hollywoodlife.com.
The onscreen and real-life-lovers are headed back to Vancouver to shoot additional scenes for Eclipse.
The big stars have seen quite a lot of each other lately. To celebrate her 20th birthday, Kristen travelled to Budapest to visit her man, where he's been filming the periodic drama Bel Ami with Uma Thurman and Christina Ricci. The couple also were in London this week as well

iPhone OS 4.0 Beta Jailbreak Tool Released

2010-04-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

Once again, the iPhone hacking group - iPhone Dev team, has released an early version of its redsn0w 0.9.5 beta tool to jailbreak the first iPhone OS 4.0 beta. Before you rejoice, do note that this first working jailbreak currently supports just iPhone 3G and that too only on Mac. iPhone Dev team's member MuscleNerd released the public tool through his Twitter account and specifically mentioned that the tool is for jaibroken app developers to fix their apps before final the build of iPhone OS 4.0 is released.

The iPhone Dev team showed jailbreak possibility last week and just after that George Hotz, an independent iPhone hacker, posted an image about jailbreaking iPhone OS 4.0 with blackra1n. The new redsn0w 0.9.5 beta tool works only on Mac and that too with iPhone 3G to jailbreak iPhone OS 4.0 beta. Also, this beta tool just jailbreaks the iPhone OS 4.0 beta and doesn't hactivate (carrier unlock), so resist using this tool.

As many iPhone developers note, the iPhone OS 4.0 beta is very buggy and one MUST have properly-registered developer UDID (Unique Device Identification) code to pass the device activation stream. We strongly recommend avoiding iPhone OS 4.0 beta from torrents or any other sources. You may end up damaging your device. Get detailed explanation about this new redsn0w 0.9.5 beta (Mac) for iPhone 3G here

Musharraf aide calls UN's Bhutto report 'lies'

2010-04-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD — A U.N. report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is a "pack of lies" that wrongly implicates ex-President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan's security forces for not stopping her killing, an aide to Musharraf said Friday.

Bhutto was killed in a Dec. 27, 2007, gun and suicide-bomb attack as she was leaving a rally in Rawalpindi city, where she was campaigning to return her Pakistan People's Party to power in elections after returning from nearly nine years in self-imposed exile.

The three-member U.N. panel said her death could have been avoided if Musharraf's government and various security agencies had taken adequate measures. It also found that the probe into her death was deliberately hampered by intelligence agencies and other officials.

The report, released Thursday, was hailed by the PPP, which now governs Pakistan and is headed by President Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower. Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the report backed up the People's Party's belief that Musharraf or his allies were responsible for Bhutto's death.

But Rashid Qureshi, a Musharraf aide, insisted that the U.N. report was based on rumors and that Musharraf was in no way responsible.

"This chief U.N. investigator was not the relative of Sherlock Homes," Qureshi said, noting that Musharraf himself had been the target of suicide attackers.

The head of the country's most powerful spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, warned Bhutto not to attend the rally because of looming threats of an attack, Qureshi said.

"But Benazir Bhutto and her chief security officer Rehman Malik decided to go ahead with their planned election rally," Qureshi said. "It was Benazir Bhutto who exposed herself to the attacker."

8 dead in hospital attack in Pakistan

2010-04-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

Islamabad, Pakistan -- Eight people were killed Friday morning in an explosion at a western Pakistan hospital, authorities said.

The explosion occurred at a hospital in the city of Quetta, police said. Included in the dead were a journalist and a police officer, hospital officials said. More than 10 people were injured in the blast, the officials said.

In an unrelated incident, militants bombed a school in northwest Pakistan early Friday, officials said.

The attack on the five-room girls' school in the Charsada district of the North-West Frontier Province is the latest in a series of blasts that have destroyed dozens of schools in the area in recent years.

The attack occurred about 2 a.m. Friday, said Riaz Muhammad, Charsada district police officer.

Militants placed explosives in three parts of the school, Muhammad said

Thailand protest leaders escape arrest

2010-04-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

Attempts by Thai authorities to halt month-long anti-government demonstrations suffered a further blow on Friday when a group of protest leaders evaded arrest, one of them staging a dramatic escape by rope off a hotel room balcony.

“We will arrest and suppress the terrorists,” said Suthep Thaugsuban, the deputy prime minister, on television Friday morning while announcing that special forces had surrounded the hotel. “We have set up special task forces hunting for the terrorists.”

One of the most controversial leaders of the red-shirted protesters, Arisman Pongruangrong, escaped by climbing down a rope from his hotel room on the second floor.
He was lowered into the back of a truck full of baying supporters who had come from the main protest site to thwart the police operation. He and three associates were then driven back in a protective convoy and welcomed as conquering heroes by a cheering crowd.

“It is an unsuccessful operation, but we will continue further operations,” said Panitan Wattanayagorn, the government spokesman, aftereward. “We have to wait for reports from the operation team.”

Meanwhile, the government’s language appears to be hardening after a lull this week during the Thai new year holiday.

Mr Suthep described Mr Arisman as a “terrorist” and warned of new operations against the protesters, who have taken over an intersection in central Bangkok, closing down some of the city’s biggest shopping malls and smartest hotels.

“Innocent people should leave the protests because the authorities have to take decisive measures against terrorists,” Mr Suthep said.

The government has declared the demonstrations illegal under the Emergency Act they invoked last week, and has frequently declared its intention of arresting the leaders.

Mr Arisman is one of the most controversial of the group of about 20 men who are directing the demonstrations. He led the break-ins at both the Association of South East Asian Nations Summit in the resort town of Pattaya last year, and of parliament last week.

The face-off between the demonstrators and the government seems no closer to resolution. The protesters have emerged more confident after the military failed in its attempts to shift them from one of their main protest sites last Saturday, despite clashes which left 23 dead and more than 800 injured.

The protesters are demanding the immediate resignation of Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister, questioning the legitimacy of an administration that came to power 16 months ago in a controversial parliamentary vote.

Mr Abhisit has offered to dissolve parliament and call elections in December, a year before his term expires, but that has failed to satisfy the protesters, who are demanding he go immediately.

Thai stocks were down 2.1 per cent at midday on Friday, continuing a steep fall which has seen values tumble by 8.3 per cent since Mr Arisman’s invasion of parliament provoked the government to declare a state of emergency nine days ago.

Poland May Delay Funeral If Volcano Keeps Obama Away

2010-04-16T02:00:00.001-07:00

April 16 (Bloomberg) -- Poland may delay the funeral of the late President Lech Kaczynski if the cloud of volcanic ash disrupting air travel across Europe prevents world leaders such as U.S. President Barack Obama from attending.

Delaying the April 18 ceremony in the southern Polish city of Krakow is “a very serious possibility,” Jacek Sasin, a minister in the presidential administration, said in an interview on the Web site of RMF FM radio. A delay would be “the absolute last resort” and isn’t being considered at the moment, he said at a later press conference. A decision will probably be made this afternoon, he said.

All Polish airports except Krakow and Rzeszow are closed, and the disruption may extend further, Karina Lisowska, a spokeswoman for Poland’s Civil Aviation Office, said by phone today. Thousands of European flights were grounded yesterday after Iceland’s 5,500-foot, ice-covered Eyjafjöll volcano erupted and winds carried dust across a swath of the continent.

Kaczynski and officials, including central bank Governor Slawomir Skrzypek and the top four commanders of Poland’s armed forces, were among 96 people killed in a plane crash outside Smolensk, Russia on April 10.

Burial Among Kings

Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, are to be buried in Krakow’s Wawel castle, the resting place of Poland’s medieval kings. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are also scheduled to attend.

The main airport in Prague, in the neighboring Czech Republic, may close at 11 a.m. today, said Richard Klima, a spokesman for the country’s Air Traffic Control office.

British airspace will be closed until at least 1 a.m. tomorrow and 10 airports are shuttered in Germany, including Frankfurt, on concern that the plume could damage engines or parts such as speed sensors.

European airlines may cancel half of all flights today, or as many as 15,000 connections, said Brian Flynn, the head of operations at Eurocontrol. That compares with about 8,000 cancellations yesterday, he said in a Bloomberg television interview today.

The Polish closure originally affected airports in Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Poznan and Szczecin and was scheduled to last until at least 4 p.m., Grzegorz Hlebowicz, a spokesman for the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, said by phone earlier today. Other cities affected by the expanded flight-prohibition area include the capital, Warsaw.

Poland May Delay Funeral If Volcano Keeps Obama Away

2010-04-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

Thai protester climbs out hotel to evade capture

2010-04-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK — Thailand's political crisis took a surreal twist Friday when an anti-government protest leader climbed down a hotel facade with a rope to evade arrest and drove off with two police officers taken hostage by his supporters.

Arisman Pongruangrong's escapade was the latest embarrassment for the government, which less than 30 minutes earlier had announced on national television that security forces were surrounding the hotel to arrest Arisman and other leaders holed up inside.

Authorities have tried without success to end a monthlong sit-in by tens of thousands of "Red Shirt" protesters in some of Bangkok's most popular shopping and tourist districts. At least 24 people were killed last week when troops tried to clear one group of protesters.

Friday's failed crackdown signaled the government was willing to risk another confrontation with the Red Shirts, who are campaigning to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, dissolve Parliament and hold new elections.

But it only served to anger the Red Shirts, who immediately declared a "war" on the government.

"From now on our mission is to hunt down Abhisit ... This is a war between the government and the Red Shirts," Arisman, a charismatic pop singer-turned-activist, told supporters after his escape.

Arisman is seen as a radical Red Shirt leader who has incited violence. He is wanted by police for leading an invasion of the Parliament building by hundreds of supporters on April 7 that forced lawmakers to climb a back wall to escape. VIPs were evacuated by helicopter. He had also led the storming of a Southeast Asian summit last year in the beach resort of Pattaya that forced the conference to be canceled.

On Friday, with a rope looped around his waist, a visibly nervous Arisman slid down from a third-story ledge of the hotel into a waiting crowd of cheering Red Shirt supporters who led him to a getaway car.

Arisman then returned and clambered on top of a van to give a short speech, to announce that the Red Shirts had seized two police officers — a colonel and a major general — as hostages to ensure his safety.

"I would like to thank all of the people who saved me — you have helped save democracy," said Arisman, a one-time crooner of love songs and a Thai heartthrob.

A second Red Shirt leader was seen climbing out of a hotel window and down a tree. It was not immediately clear if he escaped.

Thousands of Red Shirts, mostly rural poor, have congregated in Bangkok since March 12. They occupied two areas, one of which troops tried to clear on Saturday, leading to clashes that left 24 people dead and more than 800 injured in the worst political violence in nearly two decades.

The Red Shirts withdrew from that area Thursday and consolidated their forces at their second encampment in Rajprasong, the main shopping and hotel district of Bangkok.

A convoy of Red Shirt protesters escorted Arisman to Rajprasong from the hotel.

Earlier Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban announced on national television that a crackdown was being launched on the Red Shirts. He accused "terrorist elements" of infiltrating the Red Shirt organization to orchestrate Saturday's violence.

"The terrorists within the demonstrators used war weapons," Suthep said in a television message.

"I would like to ask innocent protesters to leave the demonstration area, in order to avoid being used as human shields," Suthep said. "The government from now on would like to carry out decisive legal measures against the Red Shirt leaders."

PMET 2010 Rajasthan University Punjab Medical Entrance Test

2010-04-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

Punjab Medical Entrance Test(PMET) is an Entrance examination conducted each year for admission to various bachelor medical courses which are MBBS,BDS,BAMS and BHMS in all the medical, dental, Ayurvedic/ Homoeopathic Institutes across Punjab. PMET 2010 in Rajasthan is available now. Just visit below links for PMET 2010 Rajasthan .

Updates from University Of Rajasthan, Jaipur regarding the PMET 2010 Admit card for the upcoming entrance exam test. A dedicated site is created for this purpose and you can find the details for the same at http://www.pmet2010.com/

PMET 2010 Admit Card : PMET Admit Card Download : Rajasthan University PMET 2010 Admit Card : PMET 2010 Examination Admit Card : www.pmet2010.com
The University of Rajasthan, Jaipur has published the required information for downloading the PMET Admit Cards. The prospective students can download the admit cards now from the following link.

According to the available information PMET 2010 Admit Card by Rajasthan University, Jaipur has been published

IPL row created to thwart Kerala franchise: Tharoor

2010-04-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

Opposition prevents Tharoor from speaking
Watch VideoNEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor on Friday rejected Opposition demands for his resignation as minister of state for external affairs by asserting that the allegations against him on the IPL issue were "baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated".

"The real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around me is to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign this IPL franchise to elsewhere than Kerala," he said in a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha amid opposition demand for his sacking.

The opposition members stormed the well and were in no mood to listen to the minister. They demanded his immediate removal which prompted Speaker Meira Kumar to order Tharoor to lay the statement he was reading out.

Seeking to mount an attack on IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, with whom he is involved in a spat over the ownership of the Kochi IPL team, Tharoor said "the game and the benefits accruing from it should not be retained only by an influential coterie with interests in a few privileged centres".

He said it was essential in democracy that institutions of interest to the general public are "run openly, rather than restricting their opportunities to a favoured few".

Tharoor rejected allegations that he had misused his official position.

"No misuse of my official position was involved. The issue has nothing to do with my ministry. As a minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome," he said.

"I had no role whatsoever in setting up the consortium led by Rendezvous Sports World itself or in any of the business decisions including its decision to bid for the franchise," he claimed.

The Lok Sabha witnessed two adjournments following opposition uproar on the issue while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after one adjournment in the morning.

"I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team," Tharoor said.

Apparently referring to reports about his friendship with one of the Kochi stakeholders, marketing professional Sunanda Pushkar, he said, "Irrespective of my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I have not benefitted, and do not intend to benefit, in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage."

He said the "unethical efforts" that have been made to thwart the Kerala franchise were "disgraceful".

They were also "dangerous to the health and credibility of a sport that has captured the passions and the loyalty of a majority of Indians. Indeed, such behaviour brings the IPL itself into disrepute", he said.

Referring to suggestions that he had "indirectly received personal benefits from this enterprise", Tharoor asserted that this allegation was "particularly wounding because I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing.

"Those who know me are aware that money has never been a motivating factor for me in any of my actions or decisions."

After Quake in China, Cold and Altitude Hinder Relief

2010-04-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

JIEGU, China — Rescue teams joined shovel-wielding monks in this devastated county seat on Thursday, a day after an earthquake that killed more than 700 people, as frigid temperatures threatened to claim hundreds more who remained missing, trapped beneath debris for more than a day.
Scores of thousands who survived the 7.1-magnitude quake, in rural Qinghai Province, in western China, were left without heat or shelter in weather that included high winds, sleet and below-freezing cold; nighttime temperatures were forecast to drop to the 20s.
Rescuers were hindered not just by the cold, but also by bouts of altitude sickness. The worst damage was in the town of Jiegu, at an elevation of roughly 13,000 feet on the mountainous Tibetan plateau.
Fifteen thousand homes here were reported destroyed, and despite the truckloads of supplies the government sent lumbering into the region, many survivors had little food and water and only makeshift shelter.
Relief workers and People’s Liberation Army soldiers streamed to the scene by bus and aircraft, and the state-run Xinhua news agency said 2,000 soldiers, police officers and firefighters had arrived by midday Thursday.
But hope for additional rescues was diminishing; most of those pulled from the rubble on Thursday were already dead, the police chief of Chengduo, a town about 25 miles from Jiegu, said in a telephone interview.
One rescue worker said the bodies of earthquake victims were “piled up like a hill.”
“You can see bodies with broken arms and legs, and it breaks your heart,” said the worker, Dawa Cairen, a Tibetan with the Christian aid group Amity Foundation, according to The Associated Press. “You can see lots of blood. It’s flowing like a river.”
Xinhua said 760 people were known to be dead from the quake, which hit Yushu County, near Qinghai’s border with Sichuan Province and Tibet, shortly before 8 a.m. local time Wednesday. About 1,000 were pulled alive from the rubble, but 313 more were reported missing, officials said at a Thursday news conference in Beijing. And 9,110 people were injured, more than 900 of them seriously.
With memories still sharp of the public fury after the far stronger and deadlier earthquake two years ago in Sichuan Province, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao canceled a visit to Indonesia to travel to the area to inspect the damage, state news agencies reported. President Hu Jintao was also reported to have changed his plans, cutting short his trip to a Brazil summit meeting of emerging-market nations to return to China, according to Brazilian Foreign Ministry officials quoted by Reuters.
Earlier, the government sent Vice Premier Hui Liangyu to Qinghai to oversee relief efforts, and allotted about $29 million from a state disaster fund for those operations.
The government said it would deliver 10,000 tents to Jiegu, home to most of Yushu County’s 100,000 people, by nightfall to protect survivors from the elements. Speaking at a news conference, Zuo Ming, the disaster relief director at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said the relief efforts would ensure that no one would freeze to death.
But although trucks heaped with relief supplies labored over mountain roads toward Jiegu all day, most of the 1,000 or so frightened residents camping in the city’s main square were sheltering under constructions of wood and plastic. Many men were trying to sleep outside.
Most said they had received rice porridge in the morning but no other food or water.
A group of monks from a monastery stopped by a medical tent and asked for disinfectant. The monks said they had 1,000 bodies in their temple. “Yesterday we had 500 bodies,” said one, “and today they kept coming in.”
Hundreds of others, many badly injured, were camping out at the sports stadium.
Many people were worried about a forecast of rain for Friday.
The police chief of Chengduo, Da Ji, said the situation was extremely difficult.
“As we are still very short of manpower; many dead bodies remain unburied in the street,” he said Thursday evening after returning from a day of rescue work in Yushu. “People could be seen openly weeping and crying in the street, either for the loss of their loved ones or out of personal injuries. There were also people shouting, trying to locate their missing children. So the place is pretty chaotic.”
Until outside help began pouring in Thursday afternoon, he said, most rescue workers were monks from nearby monasteries. Some monasteries were themselves hit hard. The Associated Press said as many as 70 Buddhist monks had been reported dead in the collapse of one monastery, Thrangu, about six miles outside of Jiegu.
Some of the worst casualties occurred at local schools. Xinhua reported at least 66 students and 10 teachers dead, including 32 victims at an elementary school.
The student victims evoked painful memories of the May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, where school collapses — widely blamed on shoddy construction — killed more than 5,000 children. The Chinese government has played down the role of poor construction in the collapses.
It was unclear what role construction quality played in collapses in Yushu, where about 70 percent of the buildings were built not of concrete, but of wood and mud. China has moved to strengthen earthquake resistance in schools and public buildings after the Sichuan quake, but the effort remains a work in progress, Mr. Zuo said.

Many rescuers and even rescue dogs brought in to search for victims have been suffering from altitude sickness, said Miao Chonggang, the deputy director of the China Earthquake Administration’s quake relief operations.
“The rescue teams themselves are facing a shortage of shelter and food, and have to deal with the chilly weather,” Mr. Miao said. “This kind of long-distance rescue operation is an extremely difficult mission.”
Along the rutted 600-mile highway linking Yushu to the provincial capital, Xining, traffic was light on Thursday, with most vehicles bearing provisions, concrete electric poles and, in the case of one slow-moving truck, coal.

Several flatbed trucks carried excavators and other earthmoving equipment. Most of the relief vehicles bore red banners brimming with patriotic enthusiasm, like one that proclaimed: “Fight against the earthquake. Stage a rescue effort and rebuild our home.”

Forex reserves rise to $15.04bn

2010-04-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $15.04 billion in the week ended on April 10 2010 from $14.96 billion the previous week, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday. The overall reserves showed an increase of reserves held by the SBP that rose to $11.15 billion from $11.06 billion a week earlier, while those held by commercial banks declined to $3.89 billion from $3.90 billion, said the SBP. “There was a bilateral inflow of about $40 million to $45 million,” the SBP official said. Pakistan’s foreign reserves hit a record high of $16.5 billion in October 2007 but fell steadily to $6.6 billion by November 2008, largely because of a soaring import bill. An IMF emergency loan package of $7.6 billion in November 2008 helped avert a balance of payments crisis and propped up reserves to a greater extent. The IMF increased the loan to $11.3 billion in July and the central bank received a fourth tranche of $1.2 billion on December 28. The IMF’s executive board would meet before mid-April to review Pakistan’s loan after a meeting last month was postponed to enable a value-added tax law to be submitted to
the provincial assemblies.

Riya Sen Sexy Photoshoot For Maxim India April 2010

2010-04-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Bollywood bombshell Riya Sen appears in killer stuff on the cover page of men’s magazine Maxim India for the month of April 2010. Exploring the exclusive photo shoots of Riya Sen for Maxim, she is seen in micro mini skirts and splendid colorful dresses.

Maxim Magazine issue of April 2010 is now available in the newsstands and its priced at Rs 100. Maxim April 2010 issue uncovers Riya Sen by exploring the sexy side of Riya Sen with an exclusive photoshoots specially for Maxim issue this month. She is seen in micro mini skirts and splendid colorful dresses of which the magazine cover appearance is a rocking one.

Riya Sen poses in her own naughty style for a maxim photoshoot. In the issue , Riya talks about Apocalypse, what turns her on, her secret behind setting the camera on fire, favourite bedtime outfit, platonic love, Bengali Bombshells, sexiest movie scene that she could’ve ever watched etc. Checkout Riya Sen Maxim.

In the issue , Riya talks about Apocalypse, what turns her on, her secret behind setting the camera on fire, favourite bedtime outfit, platonic love, Bengali Bombshells, sexiest movie scene that she could’ve ever watched etc. Checkout Riya Sen Maxim.

Black boxes from Polish crash examined

2010-04-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

The crew of the airliner that crashed killing Poland’s president and dozens of senior officials knew for three to five seconds they would go down, Polish investigators said on Thursday after examining the two black boxes from the plane.
Zbigniew Rzepa, a military prosecutor, told the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, that the final seconds of the cockpit recordings were “dramatic”.
The black boxes in Moscow, and a third Polish-built one taken to Warsaw on Thursday, may shed light on the cause of the crash that killed 96 people when the pilot of the Russian-built aeroplane tried to land in Smolensk in dense fog. Photographs show trees with their tops sheared off, a testament to the plane’s final, too low, approach.

Russian air controllers say they suggested the Polish aeroplane divert to a safer airport, but that their advice was not followed. Russia’s Interfax news agency, quoting a source close to the investigation, blamed pilot error.
Finding the cause of the crash that killed Lech Kaczynski, Poland’s president, his wife Maria and dozens of their country’s elite, has political overtones.
Russia has displayed unprecedented support and solidarity towards Poland with which it shares a centuries’ old history of tortured relations. The president was flying to a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of about 4,000 Polish officers by Soviet secret police at that site.
Warsaw again stopped as coffins returned home from Moscow. Outside the palace, thousands of people continued to queue to pay their respects to the president as his body lay in state. The sense of national unity triggered by the disaster has been broken by a controversy over where the first couple should be buried.
At the request of the family, the Kaczynskis are to be buried on Sunday in royal tombs in Krakow. The decision has forced an assessment of Kaczynski’s presidency, and whether it merited his interment in such august company. He had the support of less than a quarter of the electorate

Afridi vows to overcome odds at World T20 trophy presentation

2010-04-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

KARACHI – ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, who is visiting Pakistan for the first time after attack on Sri Lanka team at Lahore in March 2009, said here Thursday that he wanted the final of the World Twenty20 to be played between reigning champions Pakistan and hosts West Indies.
He was addressing a media briefing held here at local hotel on Thursday during the presentation of the ICC World T20 trophy in the presence of PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.
Before the question-answer session which followed opening statements from the three persons, they posed with the white crystal trophy. The competition will begin in the Caribbean on April 30.
Lorgat said it was fantastic to visit the reigning champions Pakistan who deservedly won the event in England last year after narrowly losing the final of the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007. He was confident that the action in the Caribbean will maintain, if not surpass, the successes of those previous two tournaments.
With just 15 days to go, he said he was looking forward to another fast and furious tournament with 42 men’s and women’s matches over 17 days in true nation-versus-nation action.
This year’s event, Lorgat said, would have a new and exciting Afghanistan team which qualified for the world event first time along side Ireland whom they defeated in the qualifying round.
Until recently Afghanistan was playing in lower grades of the ICC competition, the country had taken huge step forward. Afghanistan was an amazing good news for cricket and their entry at world level was especially relevant to Pakistan as many of those in the squad learnt and played the game in or around Peshawar, he said.
He said he personally would like to see Pakistan playing host West Indies in the final.
Responding to a number of queries on lack of International cricket in Pakistan, Haroon said it was unfortunate that due to reasons beyond the control of cricket administrators, international cricket was not available to Pakistan.
He said he very well understand the feelings in Pakistan and recalled that his own country South Africa also suffered the same situation when international cricket was out of bound there due to political reasons. Lorgat did not mention the reason for lack of international cricket in South Africa but it was due to the apartheid policies of the racist South African government that denied them international cricket.

Signs of Pilot Error in Polish Crash

2010-04-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW — For a few terrifying seconds before a Polish jet crashed in western Russia on Saturday, its crew members knew they were about to die, said Poland’s chief prosecutor on Thursday, as investigators in both countries analyzed the contents of the plane’s black boxes.

“One could say that the crew was aware of the inevitability of the coming catastrophe, if only due to the plane shaking after the wings hit the trees, which we are certain happened,” the prosecutor, Andrzej Seremet, told a Polish radio station.

The plane crashed in thick fog Saturday, killing Poland’s president, Lech Kaczynski, and 95 others, including many top civilian and military officials. Russian officials said the crew was strongly warned about the poor conditions, leading to speculation the pilot was pressed to land so the dignitaries would not be late for a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.

That theory was bolstered by an episode from 2008, when Mr. Kaczynski ordered a pilot to land in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. The pilot defied him, saying the conditions were too dangerous, and diverted to another airport.

Mr. Seremet has said there is no evidence that the pilot flying to the Katyn ceremony was pressed, and an official with Russia’s investigative committee said data from the black box did not reflect that scenario.

“The flight recorder, whose tapes are being deciphered, did not register any pressure on crew members,” said the official, in an interview with the Interfax news service on Thursday.

The official said that the president’s pilots were aware “well in advance” that they were headed to an airfield without a modern aerial navigation system. One possibility, he said, was that the pilot was not aware that the plane, the TU-154, loses altitude faster than usual when it is descending at more than 20 feet per second.

Anatoly Muravyov, an air traffic controller who was on duty that morning, told the newspaper Komsomoskaya Pravda that the crew had begun a landing without permission when air traffic controllers warned them about the weather and recommended that they land at another airport.

When the crew did not change course, he said, “all we could do was to continue to guide the plane and watch.” He said he attributed the crash to “weather conditions, maybe crew error, uncontrolled loss of altitude and the pilot’s desire to land the plane at any costs.”

Tatyana Anodina, the head of the Interstate Aviation Committee, which oversees aviation in the former Soviet Union, denied published reports that the pilot made three or four attempts to land, and said he made only one attempt. She urged the public not to trust unofficial sources on the cause of the crash.

In Poland, meanwhile, some members of the late president’s Law and Justice party remained deeply suspicious of the Russian investigation. Jolanta Szczypinska, one of the party’s senior members, called for a nonpartisan, international commission to investigate.

Ms. Szczypinska, who gave up her seat on the ill-fated flight just hours before it took off, said she had been informed by Polish journalists at the crash site that Russian authorities had demanded that witnesses who had been waiting to greet the dignitaries hand over their cameras, cell phones and memory cards.

“I have flown many times on that plane and I knew the pilots, and I am convinced that it wasn’t a pilot’s mistake that led to this tragedy,” she said in an interview on Thursday. “It is disturbing the way the Russian side has been communicating, issuing statements and how they had their version of events from the beginning. It is very strange, and we expect answers.”

Pakistani minister presents crown to Sania Mirza (Lead)

2010-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hyderabad, April 15 (IANS) Pakistani Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, cricketer Sohail Tanvir and singer Waris Baig attended the wedding reception of Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza Thursday night.

Awan, population welfare minister who represented the Pakistani government at the reception, presented a crown to Sania on behalf of the people of Sialkot, the home town of Shoaib. She also handed over gifts from Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to the newly-wed couple.

The reception, held at Taj Krishna hotel, was attended by leader of opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hindi film actor Raza Murad and Telugu actors like Nagarjuna, Amla and Venkatesh. However, several Bollywood personalities invited for the reception, stayed away.

Sahara Group chairman Subroto Roy, industrialist G.V.K. Reddy, who sponsored Sania ever since she started playing tennis at the age of 10, and eminent personalities from different walks of life attended the reception.

Sania’s family had made elaborate arrangements for the reception, where 1,000 guests were invited.

“It is now the turn of some Indian to go to Pakistan and bring a bride. Pakistanis should be indebted to us for giving them such a good girl in marriage,” said Raza Murad, a friend of Sania’s father Imran Mirza.

Several prominent sportspersons and film personalities from Bollywood stayed away reportedly due to the controversy surrounding the marriage.

Shoaib divorced his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui last week and married Sania on Monday. The serious allegations leveled by Ayesha against the Pakistani cricketer made it a controversial marriage.

However, unfazed by the controversy, the Pakistani minister landed with gifts for Sania. “This crown is a gift of love and affection from the people of Sialkot, which is also my home town,” said Awan.

She hoped the marriage of the two celebrities would help strengthen the ties between India and Pakistan.

Awan, who is on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, reiterated that the newly-wed couple would be brand ambassadors of the Pakistan population welfare ministry.

“We are aware of the legal process in India and the issue of passport will be resolved very soon,” she said when asked about Shoaib’s passport, which is still with a city court.

The Hyderabad Police have said it could take a week for the former Pakistan skipper to get back his passport as he would have to complete legal formalities with regard to the closure of the case filed against him by his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui.

Ayesha withdrew her complaint against Shoaib after the latter divorced her. But the cricketer’s passport, seized by the police after grilling him April 5, is still with the court.

UN due to release Bhutto assassination report Thursday

2010-04-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Pakistanis walk past a carpet bearing the image of Pakistan's slain leader Benazir Bhutto, displayed for sale in the old city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 11, 2010.

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The UN commission that investigated the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto will present its findings to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday, the United Nations said.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Chile's UN Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, who chairs the commission, would present the report to the UN chief late Thursday afternoon and then hold a news conference.

The report was originally scheduled to be presented on March 30 but Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari asked Ban to delay the release of its findings on his wife's killing, and the secretary-general agreed.

Bhutto was killed in a Dec. 27, 2007, gun and suicide-bomb attack as she was leaving a rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, where she was campaigning to return her Pakistan People's Party to power in parliamentary elections.

Pakistan's presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said the country had asked for a delay in releasing the report so that the commission could attempt to question two heads of state who he said had called Bhutto before her death warning her of "serious threats to her life."

The commission responded saying its probe had been completed.

The government at the time of Bhutto's murder, led by President Pervez Musharraf, blamed Baitullah Mehsud, a Pakistani militant commander with reported links to al Qaeda. Officials at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency also said Mehsud was the chief suspect.

But Bhutto's party repeatedly hinted that Musharraf or his allies were involved and demanded a UN probe, claiming it was the only way the whole truth would be revealed.

The secretary-general agreed to appoint a commission to assist Pakistan by determining the facts and circumstances of Bhutto's death and it began work on July 1, 2009.

Under terms agreed to by the UN and the Pakistani government, Pakistani authorities would determine any criminal responsibility.

The secretary-general set up a special trust fund to pay for the commission's work and asked for voluntary contributions. UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday that the Pakistani government was the major contributor.

Peter Steele, Type O Negative Singer, Has Died

2010-04-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

News has confirmed that Peter Steele, front man for Type O Negative, has died.

In an email, Mike Renault, the band's manager said, "Peter passed away last night. As of now it appears to have been heart failure. That's all the details we have right now."

Type O Negative's Web site left a message to their fans this morning around 5:15 AM. It read, "The forums have been re-opened. Please play nice and expect statements from the band and family later today. Thank you for your understanding and support."

Upset fans have been writing on Type O Negative's MySpace page mourning the death of the singer. Some posts said, "RIP Peter, you will be missed" and "I just heard the news and I can't even function."

Steele, whose real name is Petrus T. Ratajczyk and hailed from Brooklyn, N.Y., was known as a bassist, singer, and as the band's website said, a "control freak." The 6'7'' composer of gothic metal was also known for his dark humor and low heavy voice.

Before joining Type O Negative, he was in the metal group Fallout and the band Carnivore.

Steven Seagal reality show halted over sex abuse claims

2010-04-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Filming for a reality TV show starring actor Steven Seagal has been halted while he faces claims of sexual abuse from a former personal assistant.

Kayden Nguyen, who is taking legal action against the actor, said in court papers she was assaulted three times before fleeing his home in New Orleans.

Seagal's lawyer said the allegations were "ridiculous" and "absurd".

Steven Seagal Lawman follow the action star's other job as a reserve deputy in New Orleans.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said he had told network A&E it would be disruptive to his department to continue filming.

"I did not think it would be in our best interest to continue filming at the present time," he added.

He said that, despite the civil case, no criminal action was planned because the allegations had not been reported to the authorities.

'Vicious assault'

Ms Nguyen responded to a magazine advertisement to be Seagal's executive assistant.

Her $1m (£650,000) legal action accuses the star of sexual harassment, illegal trafficking of females for sex, failure to prevent sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and false representation about employment.

She claims the Flight of Fury star, 58, kept two Russian attendants who were available to him at all times.

The 23-year-old also said in legal documents that he used her as a "sex toy", subjecting her to a "vicious sexual assault".

Mr Seagal's lawyer, Marty Singer, said Ms Nguyen's claims were "a complete fabrication without a scintilla of truth" and that she had been sacked for illegal drug use.

India tax officials raid IPL HQ: reports

2010-04-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Indian income tax officials on Thursday raided the offices of the Indian Premier League as controversy mounted over the ownership of a new cricket team, local media reported.

The Economic Times newspaper and the NDTV network reported on their websites that the raids on the Mumbai headquarters of the multi-billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) were staged to probe the funding sources of the IPL teams.

Income tax and IPL officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Junior Indian foreign minister Shashi Tharoor, has been in the eye of a storm since the weekend when news broke that a friend, said by Indian media to be his girlfriend, had been given a free stake in a new IPL franchise. He has denied allegations of impropriety.

UN inquiry into Benazir Bhutto murder set to report

2010-04-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ms Bhutto once wrote that four suicide squads were after her

An independent commission appointed by the UN is set to release its report into the assassination of ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Ms Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack after addressing an election rally near Islamabad more than two years ago.

The commission was set up in July last year in response to a request from Pakistan.

The commission has delayed the report's release for two weeks.

The delay came after an urgent request from Ms Bhutto's widower, Pakistani President Asif Zardari.

Members of Ms Bhutto's political party did not trust the military-led government running the country when she died.

And her widower, Mr Zardari, continued to call for a UN investigation even after he became president and his party was elected to power.

Strong emotions

The three-member panel was mandated to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms Bhutto's death, not assign criminal responsibility.

But anything related to her assassination stirs up strong emotions, and suspense was heightened when Mr Zardari made a last-minute request to delay the report's release by two weeks.

It is not clear why. The government said it wanted extra time to include input from Afghanistan, the United States and Saudi Arabia, three countries that had apparently warned Ms Bhutto of a death threat.

But while accepting the delay, the commission insisted its report was complete.

Pakistanis are waiting to see what it will add to an issue that has divided the country's political class.

The former military leader, Pervez Musharraf, declared that the late head of the Pakistani Taliban, Beitullah Mehsud, was the assassin. And Ms Bhutto herself wrote that four suicide squads were after her, some linked to al-Qaeda.

But she also accused a group of senior politicians and intelligence officials of plotting to kill her, and many of her followers blame elements of the military establishment and Mr Musharraf's government for her death.

Pakistan’s Reduction of Zardari’s Powers Won’t Sideline Him

2010-04-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

April 15 Bloomberg) -- Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari will retain strong political influence after lawmakers cut his powers, while the army still will dominate policy on the U.S.-backed war against Taliban guerrillas.

Zardari is expected to sign into law a bill passed by the Senate today that will eliminate his ability to dissolve Parliament and transfer to the prime minister the formal authority to appoint the country’s powerful armed services commanders.

Despite losing key powers, which Pakistan’s military regimes had gradually vested in the presidency, Zardari “will remain the leader of the party that leads the government, and will retain a commanding influence” over the administration, said Hasan-Askari Rizvi, an analyst in Lahore who is an adjunct professor of South Asian studies at the School for Advanced International Studies in Washington.

“This is a historic moment,” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the Senate after 90 of 100 members approved the bill, with no dissenting votes. “Now we have returned to a true democratic and parliamentary system” that was set up under Pakistan’s 1973 constitution.

While the bill’s 102 amendments eventually may strengthen civilian rule, provincial government powers and hopes for democracy in a country that has been governed mostly by its army, those changes are not guaranteed and “civil-military relations will remain dicey to say the least,” said Muhammad Waseem, a political science professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Army Power

The army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, will remain the key policymaker for the Obama administration’s main concern -- maintaining Pakistan’s military offensives against Taliban guerrillas and allied Islamic militants who conduct or support attacks on U.S. forces in Afghanistan. U.S. military leaders have praised Kayani for launching a round of offensives against the Taliban last year.

Gilani was obliged to withdraw a July 2008 order putting the military’s main intelligence agency under control of the civilian Interior Ministry. Despite Gilani’s formal authority, “the civilian government will be obliged to say ‘yes’ if the army chief wants to extend his term by another year, and if he is backed up by Washington saying that he is the man they can do business with,” Waseem said. Zardari has won no more than 25-percent approval ratings among Pakistanis in opinion polls conducted by the Washington based International Republican Institute during his 18 months in office. In July’s most recent survey, 40 percent said inflation was the biggest issue facing the country.

Bhutto Widower

Zardari was criticized by the opposition for failing to quickly restore the Parliament’s powers under the 1973 charter.

He inherited control of the government’s leading political group, the Pakistan Peoples Party, when his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in 2007.

Zardari has maintained support in the Obama administration as he has spoken more directly than other Pakistani leaders for U.S.-backed policies such as fighting the Taliban and ending the enmity with India that has ignited three wars and repeated crises between the nuclear-armed states.

The constitutional amendments will ease two years of struggle between Zardari and the top opposition leader, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. That may help the government focus on improving the economy and fighting the Taliban.

Pakistan says battling terrorists has cost the nation’s economy $35 billion in the past nine years. It wants the U.S. to provide civil nuclear technology to meet energy needs. Power shortages in the past two years have caused riots.

Growth Slows

South Asia’s second-biggest economy expanded 2 percent in the year ended on June 30, the slowest rate in eight years. Pakistan avoided defaulting on its overseas debt in 2008 by securing a $11.3 billion International Monetary Fund loan.

Pakistani senators passed the constitutional amendments after they were approved by the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, last week. The bill needs to be signed by the president within 30 days before it becomes a law.

The bill will continue a gradual political ascent by the prime minister, Rizvi said. “Gilani has grown more influential by taking on the role of the moderate who can talk to the disparate political groups and build consensus,” he said in a phone interview. “That political influence will be enhanced by a greater constitutional role.”

Iceland's volcanic ash halts flights in northern Europe

2010-04-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

olcano ash cloud

: The eruption in Iceland on Wednesday sent ash kilometres into the air. Satellite images show the cloud as brownish-black as ice particles mingle with ash.

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Flights have been disrupted across northern Europe by volcanic ash drifting south and east from Iceland.

Airspace was closed or flights cancelled in countries including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and France.

The ash, which can damage aeroplane engines, was produced by a volcanic eruption under a glacier in Iceland.

Flooding was reported as the glacier melted, and up to 800 people were evacuated from the area on Wednesday.

By Thursday afternoon, the UK had shut its airspace and other countries, from Belgium to Scandinavia, were in the process of following suit.

'Wait and see'

UK airspace was shut down to all but emergency flights from midday (1100 GMT) on Thursday to 0700 BST (0600 GMT) on Friday, at the earliest. It was also closed in Ireland.

"Volcanic ash represents a significant safety threat to aircraft," said the UK's Air Traffic Control Service (Nats).

COUNTRIES AFFECTED

Airspace closed:

Republic of Ireland

Norway

Partial or planned closures:

Sweden (total closure by 2000 GMT)

Denmark (total by 1600 GMT)

Finland (northern airspace closed till 1200 GMT Friday)

Belgium (total from 1430 GMT)

Netherlands (being shut progressively)

France (northern airports by 2100 GMT)

Oslo airport, which is Norway's largest, was closed on Thursday morning, meaning Norwegian airspace was completely closed.

Belgium, Sweden and Denmark announced they would be shutting their entire airspace, northern Finland was closed and the Netherlands was being closed progressively.

French aviation officials said on Thursday afternoon that the main airports in Paris and other airports in the north of the country were to be closed.

"Flights will be cancelled probably all day with the current prognosis," said Jo Kobro, information manager at Oslo Airport.

"Then we have to wait and see what the new weather forecasts will say about the wind direction, and if we are lucky the volcano diminishes in strength."

There was severe disruption in Germany and in Spain.

The flooding that followed the volcanic eruption cut off a road in southern Iceland

Britain's Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in or out of UK airspace from middayamid fears of engine damage.

Airports in Scotland had already been shut earlier on Thursday and flights at several English airports had been suspended.

Road cut off

The last volcanic eruption at the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier in south-western Iceland was on 20 March and it forced about 500 people in the sparsely populated area from their homes. Before that, the last eruption started in 1821 - and lasted for two years.

Iceland lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the highly volatile boundary between the Eurasian and North American continental plates.

Ash spewing from the volcano in Iceland on Wednesday

Eyewitnesses and local officials said there were two flows of flood water coming off the glacier, and that a road along the flooded Markarfljot river had been cut in several places.

A group of Norwegians including the ambassador who were camping near the volcano were among those expecting to be evacuated late on Wednesday.

"There are large floods on both sides of the volcano, and the road in (to where they are) is blocked and the whole area is isolated due to the floods," said Per Landroe, a spokesman for the Norwegian embassy.

"There are fears that a large bridge will break," he told AFP.

Have you been affected by the volcanic eruption in Iceland or by disruptions to air traffic caused by volcanic ash? Send us your experiences using the form below

US Senators to Pak: Focus on improving trade ties with India

2010-04-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

A bipartisan US Congressional delegation, comprising of influential lawmakers who recently visited Pakistan and Afghanistan, have asked the leaders in Islamabad to focus on improving trade relationship with India and building people-to-people contact.

"We urged them to make sure that they sought better relations with India, especially along the lines of trade," Congressman Rob Wittman told reporters at a news conference here on their return from the region.

The Congressional delegation included Senators Tom Carper, John Ensign and Scott Brown.

"We see an opportunity there. The trading relationship between Pakistan and India is 140th in the world and we see a great opportunity there for better relations through trade. So we encouraged them to develop those trading relationships there. We think those are the basis of establishing a much higher level of relationships when it comes to other issues," Wittman argued.

"So we encouraged them along those lines, too, to do more with India, to make sure that we reach out through them to engage India as a partner in the long-term," the Congressman said in response to a question.

"When they do that, I think they're better able to address these issues of extremist groups that may have a tendency to be more supportive of India, or in some instances on the Indian side, more support of Pakistan," Wittman said.

The Congressman said the delegation got the sense that the Pakistani leadership realised that in order to make sure the long-term stability in their country is secured and maintained that they have to go after all forms of extremism.

"So we got a good sense that they understand those things," he said.

Senator Ensign said: "India has always something that is in the back of their mind, not in the back of their mind, but in the forefront of their mind. But they have very much of a focus now on the Taliban because they see that as a direct threat to the governing of their country."

Pakistan seeks two waivers from IMF

2010-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

“We request waivers of non-observance for the end-March quantitative performance criteria on the overall budget deficit and net government borrowing from the State Bank,” says a letter of intent signed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and SBP Governor Syed Ali Raza. - Photo by PPI.

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IMF assures Pakistan to get next tranche in May

ISLAMABAD: Pledging to completely eliminate subsidies on electricity by August this year, Pakistan has sought at least two waivers from the International Monetary Fund for slippages in important macroeconomic targets in the first nine months of the current fiscal year and requested modifications in future programme milestones.

“We request waivers of non-observance for the end-March quantitative performance criteria on the overall budget deficit (excluding grants) and net government borrowing from the State Bank,” says a letter of intent (LoI) signed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and SBP Governor Syed Ali Raza.

The LoI and 4th Supplementary Memorandum on Economic and Financial Policies (S-MEFP) for 2009-10, available with Dawn, were finalised after one of the most crucial consultations on $11.3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) with the visiting IMF delegation.

The IMF’s executive board is expected to meet on May 3 to consider Pakistan’s request for waiver and release of SDR766.7 million ($1.2 billion).

The two sides agreed that reaching agreement on the 2010-11 budget and further progress on the July 1 introduction of VAT would be key issues for the 5th review under the IMF programme.

Pakistan has so far received $6.4 billion under the programme.

The LoI said: “We also request (i) a modification of the end-June 2010 performance criteria for the budget deficit to increase the cumulative end-quarter ceilings by Rs22 billion (0.15 per cent of GDP) in order to allow space for urgent security outlays and avoid undue cuts in other priority spending, and (ii) a modification of the end-June 2010 performance criterion (raising the floor) for net foreign assets of the SBP by $300 million, taking into account our strengthened external position.”

The IMF has been informed that final data for the third quarter (Jan-March 2010) are not yet available. “Preliminary information indicates that we have missed the end-March quantitative performance criterion on the fiscal deficit by 0.4 per cent of GDP on account of lower revenue, higher security-related expenditure and shortfalls in grant disbursements for internally-displaced persons and Tokyo-related multilateral assistance,” the letter said.

The government has also conceded that it has missed the end-March target on net government borrowing from the central bank by 0.2 per cent because of a delay in the disbursement of external financing to the budget. However, the government has pledged to strengthen its liquidity management, including through “use of pre-financing”, to reduce recourse to the central bank overdraft and to ensure that it meets end-quarter targets for net borrowing from the SBP.

Pakistani authorities and the IMF mission have agreed that generally the stabilisation programme is on track, but faces challenges because of slower than planned electricity reforms, delays in disbursements of pledged lenders’ support, revenue shortfalls and military operations, complicating the fiscal management. Inflation has also picked up beyond targets.

The two sides agreed that fiscal deficit for the entire fiscal year would be adjusted to 5.1 per cent of GDP (instead of original 4.9 per cent) and would be met through higher than projected privatisation inflows which would more than compensate for foreign inflows. They conceded for the first time that both tax and non-tax revenues might be lower than targeted.

The government has said that review of the VAT law, including zero-rating and exemptions, will be completed by the finance and revenue committees of parliament by the end of April this year. Federal and provincial VAT acts will be completed by May 15. As a preparatory step towards full implementation of VAT by July 1, regulations will be issued two to three weeks after enactment of the federal VAT act.

The government has also given an undertaking to complete the transition to a single treasury account by June 2010. The government said it was collecting information on commercial bank deposits of federal entities and would have all non-own sources, non-security related cash balances transferred to the federal consolidated fund by the end of June and associated accounts closed.

“We will ensure that these transfers do not affect liquidity of the banking system. We will ensure that a minimum interest rate is received on all federal government deposits,” the S-MEFP said.

The government has assured the IMF that electricity tariff will be increased in stages to ensure that it reached cost recovery in August. For this, discussions with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will be completed on framework for dealing with cost pressures and supply shortages in the energy sector before the next programme review in June.

Likewise, the federal adjustor will clear payment arrears (inter-corporate circular debt) of government agencies and departments more efficiently by making at-source deductions from the budget.

Katrina Plays Cricket Wearing Saree

2010-04-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

As you all know Katrina plays the role of a politician in her upcoming film Raajneeti and is seen always in saree only. And guess what Kat played cricket wearing saree for the shoots.

Katrina did not feel any discomfort wearing a saree and playing cricket.

After the shoots the bubbly started playing cricket with her co-star Arjun Rampal on the sets and that too still in saree. Even though she was asked if she needs a dress change, she said she is fine with the saree.

Katrina said that she loves wearing saree and feels it is easy for wearing. Katrina further added that she had bought many Banarasi Sarees whom she will carry in different functions. That means we will see more of Katrina in sarees. Truly, she looks good in sarees..isn’t it?

Shoaib asks for passport in Andhra High Court

2010-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday to get back his passport.

The counsel for Shoaib requested the judge for hearing on the application today itself but the judge said it can be heard on Friday and posted the matter accordingly.

City police had taken away the cricketer's passport on April 5 and asked him not to leave the country after a cheating case was registered against him based on a complaint by a Hyderabadi girl Ayesha Siddiqui whom he subsequently divorced after denying that he had married her.

Shoaib's passport is in the possession of a local court.

After he divorced Ayesha, the Siddiquis submitted an application to the Hyderabad Police to withdraw the case.

The over 10-day drama and controversy surrounding Shoaib ended with his marriage to Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza in Hyderabad on April १२.

UN to release Benazir Bhutto's assassination report: Pakistan

2010-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Thursday the Commission of Inquiry, formed to determine the facts in the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, will release its report later in the day.

The report was earlier scheduled to be released on March 31 but the announcement was postponed until April 15 on the request by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir's widower.

The independent inquiry commission had begun its work in July 2009 after Pakistan formally requested the body for probe.

"Pakistan's Mission in New York will get the UN probe report into the assassination of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto today," Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said at his weekly briefing.

The Commission will present the report to the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to UN sources.

The three-member Commission was headed by Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Mupoz and also comprised Marzuki Darusman, the former attorney general of Indonesia, and Peter Fitzgerald, a veteran of the Irish National Police who has also served the UN in a number of capacities.

During their visits to Pakistan, members of the commission met with Pakistani President Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, army and intelligence chiefs, other senior Government officials and civil society members.

"The Mission will make suitable arrangements to convey it to Pakistan as quickly as possible," Basit said.

Sources said that Pakistan had made a request to the panel, urging it to include input from former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Saudi Arabia, who are believed to have conveyed to Pakistan that Benazir would be assassinated.

However, the panel had not made any changes in its report.

Britain Border Security delegation calls on Rehman Malik

2010-04-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP): Britain Border Security delegation headed by its Chief Executive Ms. Lin Homer called on Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik here on Thursday.Federal Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman and British acting High Commissioner in Pakistan were also present in the meeting.The meeting was held in cordial atmoshphere and both the sides discussed matters relating to mutual interest, especially delay in issuance of visas to Pakistanis.Rehman Malik said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Britain.He was of the view that Pakistan and Britain are enjoying cordial and friendly relations and the ties between the two countries would be strengthened in the coming days.

The Minister raised the issue of delay in issuance of visas to Pakistani business community and students and recalled that the matter was also discussed with British Interior Minister Alson Johnson during his last visit to Pakistan.
The chief executive said the United Kingdom respects its relations with Pakistan.
She said the efforts would be made to process visas especially for Pakistani entrepreneurs and students in the shortest possible time.

Tourists pay to rough it on desert treks in Tunisia

2010-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Douz, Tunisia -- Spending two weeks trekking through a desert without any creature comforts isn't everyone's idea of a vacation, but for some, it's paradise.

Despite the hardship involved, this kind of adventure tourism is becoming increasingly popular in places like Tunisia, with some tourists desert trekking for up to a month on foot and on camel.

Douz, in Central Tunisia, is known as the gateway to the Sahara. From here a group of French tourists is embarking on a 14-day journey through the Sahara desert, accompanied and assisted by fully laden camels.

They are seasoned walkers: At the head of the pack is retired insurance agent Joelle Fuyatier, who lives in the French Alps.
Video: Backstory - trekking the Sahara
Gallery: Camel trekking in Tunisia
RELATED TOPICS

* Tunisia
* Sahara Desert
* Travel and Tourism

"For me, it's a new experience," she told CNN. "I'm used to the high mountains, but I've heard so much about Tunisia, so I thought to go for a change and see what it was like in the desert."

This is the ultimate no-frills holiday. There's plenty of sand and sun, but the sea, and a hot shower, are nowhere in sight.

In the desert there's no housekeeping and no room service. You set up your own tent, and you do your own washing up -- soap and water not included.

Water may be in short supply in the desert, but there's no shortage of sand. So, instead of using soap and water, dirty bowls are cleaned by scraping them with sand, and then wiping with a napkin.

Bread is baked daily by camel driver Abulhassan who mixes the dough. It's nothing fancy -- just flour, water and salt. It's placed in a bed of hot coals in the sand and 20 minutes later the bread is ready.

While some might balk at the lack of modern facilities, for others, it's the whole point. The Sahara is the ideal getaway, according to veteran desert guide Muhammad Bensaad.

"People who have tired of civilization come here to the Sahara, to get away and forget pressures and stress," he told CNN. "Here there is calm, there is nature."

Gym teacher Marie-Paul Lugez agreed. "I adore the desert," she told CNN. "It's a change of pace. There's no hustle and bustle, no cars. It's a rest for the body and the soul."

At the end of each day, tea is brewed over the fire. Dinner is simple, and song and dance by firelight the only entertainment. These people aren't looking for more.

"I love to walk and I love the desert," said truck driver Patrick Bertholio. "I would recommend Tunisia to anyone.

"The scenery is magnificent. Whoever loves the sand will be happy to see the sea of sand, the sea of dunes."

Space Fight: President Obama's Plans for NASA Attacked By Former Astronauts

2010-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

It may be that in space, no one can hear you scream, but there are a lof of raised voices right now when it comes to President Obama's plans for US space exploration.

The day before President Obama heads to Cape Canaveral to announce his plans for NASA, the White House finds itself under attack by a team of former astronauts who object to his proposed changes as laid out in his budget -- though the president, under fire, has since revised some of those plans.

In a letter to President Obama, former Apollo commanders Neil Armstrong, James Lovell and Eugene Cernan called "devastating" the president's cancellation of the "Constellation" program, which they describe as a blueprint to "meet our existing commitments, return to our exploration roots, return to the moon, and prepare to venture further outward to the asteroids and to Mars."

"While the President's plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years," they wrote, as first reported by NBC's Jay Barbree. "Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity."

White House officials that the astronauts were also criticizing decisions that the president had rescinded -- such as the elimination of the space capsule Orion, which the president is now proposing as an escape vessel for the International Space Station, and the creation of a heavy lift rocket to send astronauts farther than ever into space within five years. Officials also noted that last August, a blue ribbon panel, the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, concluded that Constellation "probably isn't executable with the funds that are available today," in the words of panel chair Norm Augustine.

But the Constellation program is clearly headed for the chopping block, and while the president's plan increases NASA’s budget by $6 billion over 5 years, it also relies on private companies -- not NASA -- to fly to the International Space Station.

Former NASA engineer and author Homer Hickam wrote a letter to the astronauts of the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, telling them that the president's "plan means no more of you are going to fly into space except for maybe a few every year (for a little while) as passengers with the Russians. For those few of you who get to play spam in the can, we taxpayers get to pay through the nose to the tune of fifty million dollars for each seat you occupy."

Wrote Hickam: "In my opinion, the only people left who can derail the end of NASA are you, the astronauts. During my entire time at NASA, every engineer, manager, technician, and janitor deferred to you. We treated you like gods. Nothing you said was ever wrong. How about giving a little back now? Stop this thing. Stand up and tell the world the emperor isn't wearing any clothes, that the space program he touts will destroy your hopes and dreams, not to mention all those who have supported you so well. What are you waiting for?"

President Obama's new proposal is backed by Armstrong's crew mate Buzz Aldrin -- the second man to step on the moon -- who has praised the new path as a way to keep down costs while developing new technology to that will allow us to carry the U.S. farther and faster into space than ever before.

"A near-term focus on lowering the cost of access to space and on developing key, cutting-edge technologies to take us further, faster, is just what our Nation needs to maintain its position as the leader in space exploration for the rest of this century," Aldrin wrote earlier this year. "I also believe the steps we will be taking following the President’s direction will best position NASA and other space agencies to send humans to Mars and other exciting destinations as quickly as possible."

Wrote Aldrin: "To do that, we will need to support many types of game-changing technologies NASA and its partners will be developing. Mars is the next frontier for humankind, and NASA will be leading the way there if we aggressively support the President’s plans."

Afridi, Younis appeal against PCB fine, ban

2010-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Lahore: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan and incumbent T20 skipper Shahid Afridi have appealed against their respective fine and ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Buzz up!While Afridi personally filed his appeal against the three million fine slapped on him on ball-tampering charges during the disastrous tour Down Under, Younis challenged the indefinite ban through his lawyer.

“Yes, we have received the appeals from Afridi and Younis and we will be sending all appeals filed by the players to the governing board and then to an appellate tribunal for further action,” a PCB spokesperson said.

Younis’ counsel Abdul Qayyum said his client has a strong case, and demanded that the appeal should be heard in public, so that the truth comes out.

“Younis was never heard during the inquiry committee meetings and his advice was only sought how to improve the performance of the national team,” The Daily Times quoted Qayyum, as saying.

In his appeal, Afridi has argued that he has already served a two T20match ban slapped by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the shocking ball-chomping act during the fifth and final one-day international in Australia, and cannot be punished twice for the same offence.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, who were also slapped with hefty fines and bans by the PCB have already filed their appeals.

China quake kills 589, injures thousands

2010-04-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

A rapid series of strong earthquakes hit a mountainous and impoverished area of China's Qinghai province early Wednesday, killing 589 people, state-run media said, quoting local quake relief headquarters.

At least 10,000 others were injured, the Xinhua news agency reported, and many victims, including school children, were buried under debris. Rescuers were struggling to clear debris with their hands and save those trapped below.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake, as measured by the U.S. Geological Survey, struck at 7:49 a.m. local time (7:49 p.m. ET Tuesday), when many citizens were still at home and schools were beginning the day. The USGS also recorded several strong aftershocks -- one of magnitude 5.8 -- all within hours of the initial quake.

The epicenter was in remote and rugged terrain, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Qamdo, Tibet. Qinghai borders the autonomous regions of Tibet and Xingjiang and the provinces of Gansu and Sichuan.

Karsum Nyima, deputy director of news at local Yushu TV, told Xinhua that most of the houses in the area were made of wood with earthen walls. He said some had come tumbling down, including a Buddhist pagoda in a park.

Video: Powerful quake hits western China

Video: Deadly quake in China

Video: Threat of further aftershocks

Video: Are quakes increasing in frequency? The temblors "have toppled houses, temples, gas stations and electric poles, triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut power supplies and disrupted telecommunications," Xinhua said. "A reservoir was also cracked, where workers are trying to prevent the outflow of water."

Are you there? Send your photos, video, stories

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao ordered local authorities to "go all out to save the disaster-stricken people," Xinhua said. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu was dispatched to the region.

About 700 soldiers were working to clear rubble and rescue buried quake victims, according to Xinhua. More than 5,000 others, including soldiers and medical workers, were sent to the area, the Qinghai provincial government told reporters in a news conference, Xinhua said.

About 1,000 people have been pulled out alive, China's state-run CCTV reported more than 12 hours after the earthquake. They were taken to one of several locations, chosen based on low probability of aftershocks.

The news agency reported panic on the streets as crews launched rescue efforts in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

"We have to mainly rely on our hands to clear away the debris as we have no large excavating machines," police officer Shi Huajie said. "We have no medical equipment, either."

A Chinese military official told Xinhua that the death toll was expected to rise, given the damage to homes.

Can buildings be made earthquake-proof?

He said dispatched soldiers were setting up tents and transporting oxygen for the injured but affected roads leading to the airport could hamper relief efforts.

Many bridges are near collapse, CCTV reported, and nearly all the roads in the area were damaged.

Map: Earthquake in China Qinghai province
Population: 5 million
People: 44 ethnic groups, including Tibetans and Mongols
Average elevation: Over 3,000 meters above sea level
Geography: Qilian Mountains, the Qingnan Plateau and the source of the Yangtze, Mekong and Yellow Rivers
GDP: US$3.2 billion; average GDP per capita US$639
Industries: Agriculture, hydropower, oil and natural gas

Source: China Internet Information Center RELATED TOPICS
China
Earthquakes
Accidents and Disasters
The Ministry of Civil Affairs plans to distribute 5,000 tents, 50,000 coats and 50,000 quilts to the earthquake zone, Xinhua said.

The Hong Kong Red Cross said it had mobilized 200,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $27,700) to support the relief operation through providing tents, quilts, clothes and food to victims.

The headquarters of the Red Cross Society of China was also sending relief supplies and had dispatched a team to the area for assessment, the organization said in a statement.

"Our top priority is to save students," Kang Zifu, an army officer in the town of Gyegu, told Xinhua. "Schools are always places that have many people."

Eight people were trapped in a building that caught fire after the quake in the town of Gyegu, CCTV said. One man was pulled out alive.

Gyegu is the seat of government in the Yushu prefecture, a Tibetan region of Qinghai, the news agency said, and has a population of about 100,000.

More than 85 percent of houses in Gyegu had collapsed, a prefecture official told Xinhua.

"Many are buried in the collapsed houses, and there are still lots of others who are injured and being treated at local hospitals," he said.

The Hong Kong Red Cross said 90 percent of houses throughout Yushu had collapsed. Temperatures in the area are forecast to be around the freezing mark at night, the Red Cross said, so "provision of emergency shelters for the victims remains a high priority."

Many ethnic Tibetans live in Gyegu, CNN's John Vause said. He said one resident told CNN that when his house began to shake, he grabbed his family and ran outside. There was another quake, and his house collapsed, he said. His family was currently housed outside in tents, he said, but he had managed to buy water. He said they had seen no government assistance.
How to help: Impact Your World

People were living in fear, the man said, and some were headed up into the mountains to escape the threat of flooding, should the reservoir break.

The region is relatively poor and located in the foothills of the Himalayas at a relatively high altitude, Vause said. Many buildings are not well-constructed and unlikely to hold up well in a quake.

Given the landscape, rescue efforts are sure to be "challenging," said Francis Markus, of the International Federation of the Red Cross. He spoke with CNN from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, which experienced its own tragedy in May, 2008, when a magnitude-7.9 earthquake killed roughly 70,000 people.

"But China does have a lot of experience and a lot of resources," he said. "The capability is there. It's just a question of getting it to this remote spot."

World's biggest earthquakes since 1900

Forecasters said Yushu would see strong winds and sleet in the coming days, which will hamper rescue efforts, Xinhua said.

Some Twitter users were outraged that Chinese television, CNN affiliate CCTV, did not feature the quake as its top story, instead headlining the U.S. nuclear summit in Washington that Hu is attending. Others blamed officials for failing to predict the quake.

"Of course this earthquake has been the headline for all the Chinese media," CCTV correspondent Fung Jinchao told CNN. He said his network had sent a large group of reporters to the region.

Other nations have offered funding, condolences or both in the aftermath of the quake, Xinhua reported. They included the European Union, Japan, France, Chad and Algeria

For all fans of the Nintendo DS is about yet another game based on a film in which, presumably, you can identify with a bad girl.

2010-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

For all fans of the Nintendo DS is about yet another game based on a film in which, presumably, you can identify with a bad girl.

Mean Girls is a play adapted from the 2004 film directed by Mark Waters, starring Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey and Lindsay Lohan. The game sports a cover picture of the various bills, only that .. something is missing .. missing here is the picture of the main character, that is Lindsay. Well, Lindsay has created a character on that movie and now the Nintendo pulls out of the poster? Mysteries are not cute … Maybe put in front of a girls game was a cocaine addict as a testimonial? What a bad on their part!

Steven Seagal sued for harassment and violence

2010-04-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

He wanted the assistants available for its services. In effect, when he needed to have sex, they had to be there. Steven Seagal, actor, was denounced by his former employee, Kayden Nguyen asked her for sexual favors. The woman, 23 years, former model, was hired after an interview with the actor as an executive assistant. Once at work he found [...]

CIA names new deputy as veteran officer steps down

2010-04-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – A top veteran CIA officer who has spearheaded sensitive talks with Pakistan and Yemen is retiring after a sometimes tumultuous career with the agency.

CIA deputy director Stephen Kappes will step down in May, CIA Director Leon Panetta announced Wednesday. Panetta said he has asked Michael Morell, a 30-year veteran of the agency, to take the No. 2 post.

Morell has been chief of the intelligence directorate and earlier the associate deputy director, working largely as an administrator dealing with policy and personnel matters.

Kappes returned to the CIA in 2006 after resigning abruptly in 2004 after confrontations with the leadership team of then-Director Porter Goss.

Kappes had been serving at the time as the CIA's deputy director for operations. His 2004 departure came in the midst of intense friction within the agency, as it grappled with criticism over intelligence breakdowns in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and questions about the Bush White House's arguments linking Saddam Hussein with al-Qaida terrorists.

President Barack Obama asked Kappes to stay on after he took office.

Kappes was dispatched to Yemen a few months later for talks with Yemen's president on efforts there to battle al-Qaida and the ongoing debate over the fate of the close to 100 Yemeni detainees at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also traveled to Pakistan in 2008 amid concerns that rogue elements in Pakistan's spy agency were providing sensitive information to militants to aid their attacks along the Afghan border.

Before his 2004 departure, Kappes had been with the agency for 23 years and already had extensive experience in the Middle East. He is credited with being principally responsible for a secret operation that resulted in Libya's decision to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction.

Panetta also said Wednesday that Fran Moore, the deputy director for intelligence, would move up to take Morell's post.

US forces leave Afghanistan's Korengal Valley

2010-04-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

KABUL – U.S. troops are pulling out of Afghanistan's perilous Korengal Valley as part of a new focus on protecting population centers, NATO said Wednesday, ending a mission that saw some of the most intense fighting of the nearly nine-year American presence in the country.

The isolated mountainous region of caves and canyons on the eastern border with Pakistan has been the scene of near daily exchanges of fire between NATO and insurgents, who use it as a route for infiltrating weapons and fighters into Afghanistan.

While militants will likely portray the withdrawal as a defeat for foreign forces in Afghanistan, NATO termed the move a "realignment" resulting from changing strategies to deal with a Taliban-led insurgency that has strengthened and gripped once stable parts of the country.

The shift reflects new thinking among commanders that forces are best used to protect the civilian population rather than placed in scattered outposts highly exposed to militant activity and difficult to resupply and reinforce.

"This repositioning, in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces, responds to the requirements of the new population-centric counterinsurgency strategy," Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, joint commander of international forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement e-mailed to media. "The move does not prevent forces from rapidly responding, as necessary, to crises there in Korengal and in other parts of the region, as well."

The strategic shift coincides with the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, most on missions to drive the Taliban from populated areas and provide enough security to allow local governments to consolidate control and bring about economic recovery.

U.S. troops tested the new approach following a major offensive in February in the Marjah region of Helmand province, with mixed results so far because of lingering Taliban influence. The strategy is also expected to be a linchpin of a long-expected drive into the Taliban's spiritual homeland of Kandahar, where tribal elders have so far been largely resistant to arguments as to why they should back the central government.

Click image to see photos of Afghanistan

Korengal, in eastern Kunar province, has a reputation as one of most dangerous areas in the country, with a rugged mountainous terrain that makes it a perfect insurgent hunting ground. Three Navy SEALs were killed in an ambush there in 2005, while a helicopter carrying special forces sent to rescue them was shot down, killing 16 American troops in one of the deadliest single attacks on the U.S. military since the war began in 2001.

Since then, insurgents have used the cover of caves and trees to attack small American units patrolling the valley, a hotbed of Taliban support whose native tribes speak a distinct language — Korengali — and adhere to the austere Wahabi brand of Islam most prevalent in Saudi Arabia, and practiced by Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. The area's 4,500 residents have long been hostile to central authority and outsiders, even those from other parts of Afghanistan.

The pullout, conducted by helicopter and carried out in secret over the past week, frees up about 120 soldiers who had been largely confined to hilltop battlements consisting of plywood, sandbags and stones.

There was no immediate word on where they would be reassigned to. Officers said one base at the northern end of the 6-mile (10 kilometer)-long valley would remain staffed to block insurgent movements into the Afghan interior.

Taliban spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment.

Deaths of U.S. troops in other remote corners of the country have also driven the push to reassign troops to population centers, with eight Americans killed in an Oct. 3 gunbattle that broke out when hundreds of insurgents stormed a base in mountainous Nuristan province just north of Kunar. In 2008, U.S. and Afghan troops abandoned a remote outpost elsewhere in Nuristan after militants killed nine American soldiers in an assault.

Also Wednesday, an elderly tribal leader in volatile Helmand province was killed in what a local government official called an attempt by insurgents to damage traditional social structures. Lal Mohammad Khan was shot while praying in a mosque, said Abdul Ahad Khan, spokesman for the Gereshk district government.

Elsewhere, Afghan officials said a policeman died in a gunbattle and a 12-year-old boy was killed by a roadside bomb in a violent area of eastern Afghanistan.

Sayed Ismail Jahangir, spokesman for the governor of Ghazni province, said militants fired on Afghan police patrolling in Gelan district Tuesday night. Police chased a vehicle filled with insurgents to an area where more militants were lying in wait. The policeman and an insurgent were killed in a one-hour battle that followed.

The governor's spokesman said the boy died last night in Ghazni's Andar district when he stumbled onto the roadside bomb on his way home.

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What Manmohan Singh said at the Nuke Summit

2010-04-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Washington: In his intervention on the final day of the Nuclear Security Summit, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled a plan to set up a Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, underlined key features of India's nuclear policy and its position on leading nuclear issues. Here are some highlights:

Zero tolerance for proliferators: "There should be zero tolerance for individuals and groups which engage in illegal trafficking in nuclear materials."

Perils of nuclear terrorism: "The danger of nuclear explosives or fissile material falling into the hands of non-state actors continues to haunt the world." India is deeply concerned and sees nuclear security as "one of the foremost challenges we face today."

Collective Global Action: "The world community should join hands to eliminate the risk of sensitive and valuable materials and technologies falling into the hands of terrorists and illicit traffickers."

Pakistan's A.Q. Khan network: Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not name Pakistan, he said: "Clandestine proliferation networks have flourished and led to insecurity for all, including and especially for India." The reference was obvious to world leaders attending the summit.

Iran: "National responsibility must be accompanied by responsible behaviour of states. All states should scrupulously abide by their international obligations." This was a reference to the Iranian nuclear programme. Amid a fresh Western drive to impose new sanctions against Tehran, India has said that while Tehran must stick to its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), sanctions are counterproductive. Dialogue is the only way to go.

Failures of NPT: "It is a matter of deep regret that the global non-proliferation regime has failed to prevent nuclear proliferation." Manmohan Singh's remarks come ahead of the review conference of the NPT in May and underlines India's continuing unease with what it sees as a discriminatory treaty.

India a responsible nuclear power: In his intervention, Manmohan Singh underlined India's impeccable non-proliferation record and mentioned a slew of steps taken by New Delhi to prevent proliferation. The steps included effective export control system, harmonisation of India's guidelines and lists with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and placing of all future civilian reactors under international safeguards.

Nuclear disarmament: Calling for deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals of advanced nuclear powers, Manmohan Singh made a strong pitch for "universal, comprehensive and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament."

Central role for IAEA: "India has consistently supported the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in facilitating national efforts to strengthen nuclear security and in fostering effective international cooperation."

Concrete action: Stressed on concrete outcomes at the summit to secure the world from nuclear materials Nuclear energy drive: Nearly one and a half year after the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal, Manmohan Singh announced his government's decision to increase the production of nuclear energy seven-fold to 35,000 MW by 2022 and to 60,000 MW by 2023 and underlined developmental applications of nuclear science.

More on: Nuclear security summit

DH! Exclusive: Meet Jeremy Skaller, the Man Behind Jay Sean's American Success Story

2010-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

DH! And how about Jay Sean? You're the man behind his success! What did you think when you first met him?

Jeremy: Someone recently told me I need to explain what I see and feel when I see this star factor thing. I saw him at a concert. One of my artists was opening up for him. There were like 2,000 screaming girls. Why they screamin'? Who they screamin' for? I didn't think much of the guy on stage because I couldn't hear the music because of the girls screaming. I'm backstage and I meet him and I'm struck instantly that this guy is a superstar. Everything about him, what he does, he just carries himself with this aura of 'I wanna know what he thinks, what he'll do next.' Just being around him inspired me to make music for him. I blurted out, after have only met him 25 minutes earlier, 'You should come to NY and work with me!' Then there was no master plan. No record deal. No Lil Wayne. It was just 'I have a studio. Let's play piano, guitar, let's just work.' He shows up in NY some time later, stays in this humble hotel, walks to the studio every day and just made music. And that's kinda how it all started. We were able to take it to the next level because the songs were actually really good. It wasn't about him being Indian or anything, he was just talented and had star power. That's why I wanted to work with him. All those copies being sold of "My Own Way" made me realize this could go someplace.

Earthquake in China leaves hundreds dead and thousands injured

2010-04-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

As many as 300 people are dead and many more trapped in rubble after a magnitude 7.1 quake hit north-west China.

Chinese state television said the quake left up to 8,000 injured and was one of six to hit Yushu county, Qinghai province, this morning.

Army trucks have been sent to the remote area, 480 miles away from the provincial capital, Xining, to aid rescue and relief efforts. Witnesses reported the collapse of many brick and wood buildings, with people scrabbling through the debris to free those trapped inside. Power and water supplies have been cut although some early reports suggested larger buildings had stood firm. The population is relatively scattered, making it hard to assess damage.

The China Earthquake Administration said phone lines were down, hindering rescue efforts, while workers were racing to release water from a cracked reservoir.

In Jiegu, a township near the epicentre, more than 85% of houses collapsed, while large cracks appeared on buildings still standing, the official Xinhua News Agency cited Zhuohuaxia, a local publicity official, as saying.

"The streets in Jiegu are thronged with panic and full of injured people, with many of them bleeding from their injuries," he said. One local official was quoted by the BBC saying: "We have nothing now. The loss is huge."

Red Cross workers are preparing supplies of tents and warm clothing to send to the remote high altitude region amid fears that thousands have been left without shelter in near-freezing temperatures.

The main quake sent residents fleeing as it toppled houses made of mud and wood, said Karsum Nyima, the Yushu county television station's deputy head of news, speaking by phone with broadcaster CCTV.

"In a flash the houses went down. It was a terrible earthquake," he said. "In a small park there is a Buddhist tower and the top of the tower fell off.

"Everybody is out on the streets standing in front of their houses, trying to find their family members," he said, adding that school buildings had not collapsed but students had been evacuated and were assembled in outdoor playgrounds.

Yushu county is a largely Tibetan area of Qinghai. The province and other parts of China's north west have suffered repeated tremors in recent years.

A local government website puts the county's population in 2005 at 89,300 people, mostly herders and farmers. State television showed footage of paramilitary police using shovels to dig around a house with a collapsed wooden roof. A local military official, Shi Huajie, told state broadcaster CCTV that rescuers were working with limited equipment.

"The difficulty we face is that we don't have any excavators. Many of the people have been buried and our soldiers are trying to pull them out with human labor," Shi said. "It is very difficult to save people with our bare hands."

Wu Yong, a local military chief, said medical workers were urgently needed but roads leading to the airport had been badly damaged by the quake, creating difficulties for people and supplies to be flown in.

The epicentre of the first quake was located 235 miles south-south-east of Golmud, a large city in Qinghai, at a depth of six miles, the US Geological Survey said.

Ten minutes later the area was hit by a magnitude 5.3 quake, which was followed after two minutes by another measuring 5.2. Both the subsequent earthquakes were measured at a depth of six miles. Another quake measuring 5.8 was recorded at 9:25am.

sports car

2010-04-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Photos, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik wedding

2010-04-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

इंडिया'स टॉप टेन्निस स्टार सान्या मिर्ज़ा एंड पाकिस्तानी क्रिक्केटर स्टार शोएब मालिक मर्रिअगे वास हेल्द अ पोश होटल ताज कृष्ण इन हेदराबाद इंडिया अरौंद १:०० प.म इंडिया टाइम ओं मोंदय ओं १२ थ अप्रैल २०१० थे वेद्दिंद वास कांदुक्टेद अस पैर मुस्लिम रेलिगिऔस त्रदितिओन्स.

ओनली क्लोसे फॅमिली मेम्बर एंड फ़्रिएन्द्स अरे प्रेसेंट.तेरे अरे वैरी तिघ्त सिक्यूरिटी औत्सिदे थे वेनुए.फरिस्त लुक सान्या मिर्ज़ा मेसेज फोटोस.शोएब मालिक पिक्स फ्रॉम हिस वेद्डिंग विथ इंडियन स्टार सान्या मिर्ज़ा.

Home Decor Fabric

2010-03-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Screen printed on 100% textured poly, this gorgeous "Tommy Bahama" fabric is perfect for porches and sunrooms, indoors and outdoors. Its versatility is only matched by its durability. This fabric is soil and stain resistant, water and oil repellent, making this an exceptional fabric for very busy family lifestyles. Colors include shades of olive green, pale yellow and ivory on a coffee brown background.

Fighting Against Fur

2010-03-24T04:26:00.000-07:00

With so many attractive and sensible alternatives available, fur is simply unnecessary. Even purchasing the tiniest bit of fur trim supports a cruel industry.

Every year, more than 50 million animals are violently killed in the name of "fashion." Some fall victim to barbaric traps. Others spend the entirety of their lives in grim conditions in fur farms across the globe before being slaughtered. Another source of fur is Canada's government-sanctioned seal slaughter, in which hundreds of thousands of seals, many just weeks old, are brutally killed. This is the reality that the fur industry wants so desperately to hide from the buying public.

You Can Help

With the help of compassionate consumers, Born Free USA works to end the senseless suffering caused by the fur industry.

Since no market or product can profit without customers, we focus our efforts in the fight against fur on consumer education — letting people know that the way they spend their money makes a difference in the lives of animals. We provide valuable educational materials about how to see through the fur industry's marketing ploys, how to determine if the fur on store shelves is real or faux, how to most effectively speak out against the fur trade, and how to gently educate others. We're also a major partner in an international coalition, the Fur Free Alliance, which gets the message out to countless consumers around the world that compassion is always in style.

Misleading Consumers

The fur industry works hard to mislead consumers about fur and fur trim. It fights against labeling laws that could help shoppers make informed decisions about what to buy. Its aggressive public relations efforts falsely claim that fur is a "fabric" and that fur trim is a "byproduct." The fur trade will say anything to persuade consumers to dissociate its product from the actual animals who die to create it.

Deceptive fur industry marketing has led to a surge in the popularity of fur trim, now commonly found on inexpensive clothing, accessories, and even toys, and to increased markets overseas.

But just because there is a small bit of "fluffy pink trim" on a jacket cuff or scarf tassel, doesn't mean it isn't the same grisly product of animal suffering and death. Designers who choose to use fur are relying on novel ways to incorporate fur into their clothing lines and designs. Fur is now being dyed bright colors, braided or beaded for a unique texture or exotic look, or clipped down to imitate the feel of velvet fabric.

Compassion Is Always in Fashion

Informed consumers will choose compassion and forego fur. More and more markets are embracing the ideology of ethical consumerism, as can be seen in the popularity of products ranging from hybrid cars to free trade coffee to sweat-shop free clothing and cosmetics and household products not tested on animals — all of which are experiencing measurable success. Fashion will follow suit as consumers refuse to buy apparel containing even the smallest bit of fur or fur trim.

The grim reality remains — fur kills animals. The fur trade may work hard to peddle its wares. But we will work even harder to shine a spotlight on the practices of this cruel industry and to spread the word that there's simply no excuse for wearing fur. We're helping consumers use the unique power that only they have — the power to close down a cruel and unnecessary industry.

Compassion is always in fashion. Choosing to not wear fur or fur trim is simple — and saves animals' lives.

iPhone. Fully activated. Shipped free.

2010-03-24T04:03:00.000-07:00

The Apple Online Store makes it easy to buy a new iPhone. It ships free to your door already activated and ready to set up just the way you want.

Buy your new iPhone in three easy steps.

Sporty

2010-03-24T03:39:00.001-07:00

Designers ride the body-con trend with skintight pieces in high-tech fabrics, neon shades or scuba black

Future trends for 2010 – what’s going to happen?

2010-03-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some more predictions of trends for 2010. These come from Tammy Smulders of marketing and trends agency SCB Partners. She suggests that some of the trends we will see in the UK appearing over the next few months are below – what do you think? I think these are a bit more interesting than some of the more generic ones you see bandied about.

Castle tv show castle spoilers ahead

2010-03-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Castle tv show castle spoilers ahead!!: CASTLE is a great detective drama on ABC with Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. I only became a fan this year, but I speedily have caught up on all season one episodes, and all season two episodes that have aired thus far. I’m kind of gifted, you could say. Or at least I take this TV stuff pretty seriously.

Quebec ERs looking for 'a miracle' ER deaths; College of Physicians head invokes Brother Andr

2010-03-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

Following a string of emergency room fatalities and the current controversy over delayed surgeries, the head of Quebec's College of Physicians said yesterday it would take a miracle to revive the ailing health care system.

In an open letter, Dr. Yves Lamontagne said that listening to politicians and commentators rattle on about the provincial health care system crisis makes him want to resuscitate Montreal saint-to-be Brother André - and then have him named Quebec health minister so he could perform more miracles.

Despite a billion dollars injected into the system every year for the last decade, "plus ça change, plus c'est pareil," Lamontagne said. (The more it changes, the more it stays the same.)

After ducking questions on the crisis earlier in the day, Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said yesterday afternoon that when it comes to the health system, some people expect miracles.

Speaking in Montreal, he said Quebec's busy ERs had 3.4 million visitors last year and most got excellent care.

Lamontagne's comments came within hours of published reports that Quebec's director of emergency services had resigned a month before his contract was to be renewed. Two years ago, the province had asked Dr. Pierre Savard to come up with ways to cut wait times for emergency services.

Savard has been replaced on a temporary basis by ER physician Daniel Lefrançais, of Pierre Boucher Hospital in Longueuil.

Savard's exit comes at a bad time. ER occupation rates have climbed to 200 per cent. Several deaths have been linked to crowding and staff shortages that have crippled ERs since last month.

- Last Friday, Jean-Guy Pitre, 65, died after waiting six months for surgery to fix a blocked aorta. A lack of beds in the intensive care unit delayed his operation.

- Mariette Fournier, 86, died Feb. 23 after spending four days in a corridor of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital's ER.

- Mieczyslaw Figiel, 75, died in the Maisonneuve ER hallway. He was having trouble breathing, but his family couldn't flag down a nurse.

Yesterday, Montreal Island's hospital occupation rate was at 123 per cent - or 629 patients in ERs that have gurneys for 512 patients.

Bolduc would not comment on Figiel's death.

As for Pitre, who died after waiting months for surgery, Bolduc said: "It's not acceptable that someone dies while on a waiting list."

Health officials are working on relieving the bottleneck within the next few weeks, particularly at "problem" hospitals, by opening more beds in nursing homes and rehabilitation centres, he said.

Asked if it's to be expected that patients die in hospital hallways, Bolduc said: "We want as few as possible."

People should keep going to ERs, where they will be evaluated and given priority care according to need, he added.

Who is responsible when patients die for lack of services at overcrowded ERs? he was asked. "It's not a question of responsibility, but of working together to avoid this issue," Bolduc replied.

Bolduc said he wouldn't hesitate to take his parents to Maisonneuve-Rosemont or any other Montreal emergency room because they are equipped with excellent personnel who provide adequate patient care.

But Régine Laurent, head of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, representing 58,000 nurses and health workers, has called on Bolduc to justify the current crisis. "Health- care workers are exhausted, the ERs are overflowing, wait times are growing and tragic deaths occur," Laurent said.

Upset by the lack of manpower, nurses' union consultant Jean Parris said Quebec isn't doing enough to relieve the nursing shortage.

"The government is interested in balancing its budget more than in giving health care," Parris said.

Lamontagne's letter spared Bolduc, but lashed out at politicians of every stripe, civil servants, health agencies, health professionals, unions and journalists for not coming forth with solutions "for this crisis, which resembles every other crisis."

Quebec would have taken a huge step forward if various officials had not failed to implement a recommendation from the now decade-old Clair Commission on health care, which was to create an arm's- length provincial health agency, Lamontagne said.

usa news

2010-03-22T02:14:00.000-07:00