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| November 15, 2008 | Saturday | Ziqa'ad 16, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Five killed in ongoing Peshawar operation Saturday, 15 Nov, PESHAWAR, Nov 15: At least five persons, including two law-enforcement personnel and two suspected suicide bombers were killed in different areas of Peshawar and Charssada adjacent to the troubled Mohmand tribal region on Saturday. Law-enforcement agencies continued their operation in some villages and some other areas situated in Peshawar and Charssada districts on the borderline with Mohmand Agency. A suspected suicide bomber was arrested in Michini areas, sources said. (Posted @ 21:23 PST)
CII recommends changes in wedding, divorce laws Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has proposed drastic changes in family laws, including a recommendation that a divorce demanded by a woman will take legal affect in case the husband fails to oblige after 90 days. In a meeting chaired by the CII chairman D. Khalid Masood on Saturday, it was also recommended that divorce papers shall also be registered as the Nikahnama is filled under the law. (Posted @ 21:03 PST)
Davydenko to meet Djokovic in Masters Cup final Saturday, 15 Nov, SHANGHAI: Russian Nikolay Davydenko beat an exhausted Andy Murray 7-5 6-2 to set up a Masters Cup final against world number three Novak Djokovic on Saturday. Briton Murray, who would have won $1.34 million if he had gone through the tournament undefeated, was clearly feeling the effects of Friday's three-hour epic victory over Roger Federer — a match he did not need to win to reach the semi-finals. (Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Security forces kill nine militants in Swat Saturday, 15 Nov, MINGORA: At least nine militants, including a militant commander, have been killed in Swat in an exchange of fire with security forces, while 15 others suffered injuries on Saturday. Security forces continued their operation in Kabal area during which seven miscreants were killed while 11 were injured during a gunbattle. (Posted @ 19:33 PST)
Sri Lanka asks Tigers to surrender after major victory Saturday, 15 Nov, COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's president on Saturday asked Tamil Tigers to surrender after troops claimed re-taking a strategically-important town from the separatist guerrillas following months of heavy fighting. President Mahinda Rajapakse said in a televised address to the nation that security forces had wrested control of the town of Pooneryn and the main northwestern coastal A-32 route in the morning. (Posted @ 17:36 PST)
IMF to extend $7.6 billion loan to Pakistan Saturday, 15 Nov, KARACHI: Pakistan has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a stand-by credit facility of at least $7.6 billion to stave off a balance of payments crisis, Advisor the Prime Minister of Finance Shaukat Tarin said on Saturday. Tarin said the IMF had already agreed to lend funds to Pakistan, though the formalities had to be concluded. (Posted @ 15:47 PST)
PCB sticks to hosting India cricket series in Pakistan Saturday, 15 Nov, ABU DHABI: Pakistan cricket officials Saturday termed shifting of their home series against India to neutral venues as ‘mere speculation’, saying preparations are at full swing in their country. India is scheduled to tour Pakistan in January-February to play a side game, three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 but the tour is already in doubt over the security situation in the host country. (Posted @ 15:46 PST)
Girl refuses to let acid attack kill hope Saturday, 15 Nov, KABUL: A victim of an acid attack on schoolgirls in Afghanistan said on Saturday she was determined to stay in school and finish her education even if that meant risking death. The girl, who gave her name as just Shamsia, was the most seriously injured of a group of girls attacked outside their school by unidentified men in the southern city of Kandahar on Wednesday. (Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Accord reached with IMF for $7.6b: Tarin Saturday, 15 Nov, KARACHI: Pakistan has reached an accord ‘in principle’ with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic stabilisation programme, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin announced in a joint press conference held with State Bank Governor Shamshad Akhtar in Karachi. ‘Next week we will officially apply and send them a letter of intent,’ said Tarin, adding that expected the first disbursements from the IMF to be received later this month. (Posted @ 14:47 PST)
Pakistan urges US to provide anti-terrorism equipment Saturday, 15 Nov, NEW YORK: Pakistan has urged US authorities to provide the necessary equipment and means to fight terrorist elements operating along the Pak-Afghan border, a Pakistani embassy spokesman said today. A better-equipped Pakistan would be able to deal with the insurgents on its own, he said, while responding to questions about unilateral US raids from across the border. (Posted @ 14:07 PST)
US targets Haqqani network along border Saturday, 15 Nov, KABUL: The US-led force in Afghanistan said Saturday its troops had killed 10 militants, including foreign fighters, in an operation against the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani militant network, AFP reported. Friday's operation in the province of Paktia, along the border with Pakistan, targeted leaders of the radical network and foreign militants known to have carried out bomb attacks, the coalition said in a statement. (Posted @ 11:17 PST)
Blast rattles office of EU envoy in Kosovo Saturday, 15 Nov, PRISTINA: The office windows of the European Union's Kosovo envoy were shattered by a blast Friday amid tensions over an EU police mission, nine months after the province declared independence from Serbia. The explosive device was thrown into the courtyard of the International Civilian Office (ICO) run by EU special envoy Pieter Feith of the Netherlands at around 1630 GMT, a Kosovo police spokesman said. ‘The explosion broke the windows of the building, but no one was injured,’ said police spokesman Veton Elshani. (Posted @ 10:18 PST)
More than 100 homes gutted in wealthy California enclave Saturday, 15 Nov, MONTECITO: Firefighters were battling a wind-driven wildfire on Friday that ripped through an exclusive California enclave, forcing celebrities, millionaires and thousands of residents to flee. At least 100 homes in the hillside community of Montecito, 160 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, had been gutted by the blaze which was raging in the rugged hills and canyons of the picturesque seaside town. (Posted @ 09:55 PST)
Canada seeks release of kidnap victim in Pakistan Saturday, 15 Nov, OTTAWA: Canada and Pakistan are working together to seek the release of a Canadian citizen who was kidnapped in Pakistan this week while working on a documentary, the Canadian government and a friend of the victim said on Friday. ‘The government is aware of the kidnapping of a Canadian citizen and we're engaged with Pakistani authorities to seek her safe and early release,’ said Lisa Monette, a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Posted @ 06:10 PST)
PML-Q dissidents fear ‘unexpected’ steps Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) old guards after failing to convince Chaudhrys to hold early party elections in a bid to keep the party intact now fear that the forces of status quo in the party may bulldoze such elections in favour of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. The sources opponents’ group sources claim that since the Chaudhrys know that the majority of Central Executive Committee and Central Working Committee members support them the party chief may not convene their meeting although their leader Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha has demanded for meetings of the said committees at the earliest. (Posted @ 05:58 PST)
Raza assures protection of victimized PPP workers Saturday, 15 Nov, HYDERABAD: Acting Governor Sindh and deputy speaker of Sindh Assembly, Shehla Raza has said that cases against PPP workers registered following the tragedy of December 27, 2007, were being examined thoroughly and hopefully would be withdrawn that were got registered by the opponents of PPP. She gave this assurance in a meeting with PPP workers and while addressing an open katchehry at Circuit House here Friday night. (Posted @ 05:12 PST)
Ministry releases poverty reduction strategy paper Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday unveiled its first ever draft policy for reducing the menace of poverty over a period of three years (2009 to 2011) in the country through economic liberalization, deregulation and transparent privatization. The draft poverty reduction strategy Paper (PRSP) – II of the new government came at a time, when over one half of the population is unemployed, close to one fourth of the population subsists in poverty and a little less than half of the population remains illiterate. (Posted @ 04:35 PST)
Karachi a Atmospheric Brown Cloud hotspot: UN Saturday, 15 Nov, RAWALPINDI: Karachi and twelve other mega-cities of Asia has been declared as Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) ‘hotspots’ by the UN environment agency as soot levels in these cities comprise ten per cent of the total mass of all man-made particles. A three-kilometer-thick ‘brown cloud’ of man-made pollution, which stretches from the Arabian Peninsula to China to the western Pacific Ocean, is making Asian cities darker, speeding up the melting of Himalayan glaciers and impacting human health, says the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in a regional assessment report with focus on Asia. (Posted @ 03:44 PST)
Mir Asad Baloch’s statements condemned Saturday, 15 Nov, QUETTA: Speaker and members of PPP and PML-Q condemned the words uttered by the provincial minister Mir Asad Baloch who is also secretary general of Balochistan National Party (Awami) that if Pakistan could not provide electricity to Balochistan than Baloch should be given independence. Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani who chaired the session on Friday directed that words of member should be expunged from the proceedings of the house and stated that the member who has taken oath under the constitution could not utter such words. (Posted @ 03:29 PST)
Government revises electricity rates once again Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: The Thursday’s revision in electricity tariff hike has benefited the industrial sector and those domestic consumers using up to 100 units, but the rest of households would get 18 to 23 per cent hike in their monthly bills. Details of the new tariff structure show that households that consume up to 100 units will get 5 per cent increase in their bills against the officially claimed 31 per cent announced by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) earlier and applicable from September. (Posted @ 02:51 PST)
Pakistan’s cost of war on terror reaches new heights Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s estimated cost of war on terror has edged up to Rs678 billion in 2008-09 up 40 per cent from Rs484 billion spent over last year immensely impacting the socio-economic costs of the country. As a result of being a partner in the international counter terrorism campaign, Pakistan is currently facing major challenges including growing fiscal and current account deficits; rising inflation; growth deterioration; and depleting foreign exchange reserves, revealed the draft Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) – II of the finance ministry issued here on Friday. (Posted @ 02:02 PST)
Sale of Qadirpur gas field scrapped: Naveed Qamar Saturday, 15 Nov, ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Privatization Syed Naveed Qamar on Friday said government has stopped the selling of the two state owned entities Qadirpur Gas field and Pakistan Steel Mills apparently bowing to widespread protests against the move. ‘There is no plan to privatize the steel mills. The policy statement given by the prime minister in Senate for not privatising Qadirpur gas field (QGF) would be implemented in letter and spirit,’, the minister said in an official statement. (Posted @ 01:35 PST)
Clinton offers to work for approval of US aid package Saturday, 15 Nov, NEW YORK: Senator Hillary Clinton assured President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday that she will work with the US Congress for early approval of a $15 billion Pakistan aid package. President Zardari, who telephoned the influential US senator, told her that his government was working hard to bring economic stability to the country. (Posted @ 01:10 PST)
Founder: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Editor: Abbas Nasir
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