Indo-Pak security officials agree on zero tolerance for smuggling

A joint statement was issued after five-day bi-annual meeting between Pakistan and Indian officials.

LAHORE (Dunya News) - Pakistan and India have reiterated their commitment to continue efforts for ensuring peace and tranquility on the Working Boundary and International Border.
This was stated in a statement issued after a five-day bi-annual meeting between senior officials of Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force at the Headquarters Punjab Rangers in Lahore today (Saturday).
The two sides also reached consensus to make available communication channels more effectively to control violation at the zero level.
They agreed. It was also agreed that inadvertent crossers would be returned immediately to their respective countries.
Consensus was developed on matters like stoppage of illegal construction‚ removal of wild growth and maintenance of boundary pillars.
During the meetings, the officials discussed unprovoked firing incidents at the Line of Control (LoC). They agreed in principle on the return of the prisoners who have completed their sentence in both the countries.
They also agreed on joint patrolling to halt smuggling and illegal movement at the border.
The meeting was held a day after Director General Military Operations of India and Pakistan held face-to face talks for the first time after 14 years.
Earlier on Tuesday, Director General Military Operations of Pakistan and India held a meeting at Wagah border on Tuesday.
The Pakistan delegation was headed by Major General Aamer Riaz, Director General Military Operations, Pakistan Army. The Indian delegation was headed by Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia, Director General Military Operations, Indian Army.
A joint statement was issued after the meeting.
According to Inter-Services of Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting was held in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere.
Both DGMOs showed their commitment to maintain the sanctity and ceasefire on the Line of Control and agreed to re-energize the existing mechanisms.
The statement said that consensus was developed to make Hotline Contact between the two DGMOs more effective and result oriented.
It was also decided to inform each other if any innocent civilian inadvertently crosses Line of Control, in order to ensure his / her early return.
To carry forward the positive spirit of DGMOs meeting, two flag meetings between Brigade Commanders will be held on the Line of Control in the near future, to ensure maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control, ISPR stated.
The statement added that both sides reiterated resolve and commitment to continue efforts for ensuring ceasefire, peace and tranquillity on the Line of Control.
It is worth mentioning here that DGMOs of the two countries met for the first time in 14 years.
On December 17, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan had invited his Indian counterpart for a meeting on December 24 to discuss increased incidents of Line of Control (LoC) violations.
ISRR had stated that the decision has been made to discuss the growing tension on Line of Control besides violation of the line from Indian troops.
Many civilians were injured in the unprovoked firing of Indian troops on the border villages of Pakistan.
The move came after both the countries had agreed to arrange a meeting of their DGMOs after talks between Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in September.
Meanwhile, cabinet’s committee on national security had also decided to deescalate tension on eastern border with India and on LoC.

Football: Brazil fines FIFA over ticketing problems

FIFA and its operational services provider Match had both been fined 500,000 reais ($210,000).

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - World football s governing body FIFA has been fined over ticketing problems which arose at a Confederations Cup match in Brazil last June, media and consumer organizations said Thursday.
Consumer body Procon indicated a civil ruling had been made against FIFA in the northeastern city of Recife, following a case brought on behalf of eight fans who said they were unable to access their seats for the June 16 Confederations Cup match between Spain and Uruguay.
Procon said FIFA and its operational services provider Match had both been fined 500,000 reais ($210,000).
A lawyer for the fans said that some had been forced to sit on the steps, while others simply left the stadium.
One fan received compensation of 2,000 reais ($800), with others receiving smaller sums after a magistrate ruled that their consumer rights had been breached.
The fans said they had tickets to be seated near the action, but that they were reassigned to seats further up in the stands, some with a poor view of the pitch.
FIFA and Match had indicated when the case started earlier this month that if fans were not directed to their nominal seats then it was a matter for the local organizers and main venue constructor Odebrecht.
Sports daily Lance quoted the director of Procon s Recife office, Jose Neves, as saying that "we received various complaints" from fans and that the case augured badly for next June s World Cup, which Brazil will host.
The Confederations tournament, an eight-team dress rehearsal for next year s extravaganza which Brazil won, was marred by mass public protests against political corruption but also the cost of staging major sports events.
Neves told Lance: "Our concern is the future, the 2014 World Cup."
FIFA said it could not immediately comment on the case.
Globo daily meanwhile described the outcome as a "first defeat for FIFA before Brazilian justice."

Veena Malik to host wedding reception in Dubai

Veena Malik got Married with Asad Bashir Khan Khattak in Dubai on Dec 25.

(Web Desk) - Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who got married to businessman Asad Bashir Khan Khattak on December 25, will host a reception on Thursday evening (December 26) in Dubai for close friends and family members.
A source close to the actress said, "Like her wedding, even her reception will be a private affair for her close friends and relatives. It will take place today evening in Dubai."
Veena Malik took to Twitter to share a photograph showing her and her husband s wedding band. They have been family friends.
According to the source, the newly-wed couple is also likely soon to go to perform Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Umar Gul wins Twenty20 international performance of the year award

List of winners of the International Cricket Council awards announced by the world governing body on Friday:
Twenty20 international performance of the year: Umar Gul (PAK) – for bowling figures of 2.2-0-6-5 v South Africa, March 3, 2013. Other nominees: Martin Guptill (NZL ) – 101 not out off 69 balls v South Africa, December 23, 2012; Brendon McCullum (NZL) – 123 off 53 balls v Bangladesh, October 1, 2012; Ajanth Mendis (SRI) – Bowling figures of 4-2-8-6 v Zimbabwe, September 18, 2012.
Women´s Twenty20 cricketer of the year: Sarah Taylor (ENG)Other nominees: Suzie Bates (NZL), Shanel Daley (WIS), Deandra Dottin (WIS), Meg Lanning (AUS), Stafanie Taylor (WIS)
Cricketer of the year: Michael Clarke (AUS)Other nominees: Hashim Amla (RSA), James Anderson (ENG), Alastair Cook (ENG), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI).
Test cricketer of the year: Michael Clarke (AUS)Other nominees: Hashim Amla (RSA), James Anderson (ENG), Ravichandran Ashwin (IND), Cheteshwar Pujara (IND), Dale Steyn (RSA).
One-day cricketer of the year: Kumar Sangakkara (SRI)Other nominees: Saeed Ajmal (PAK), Shikhar Dhawan (IND), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND), Misbah ul-Haq (PAK), Ravindra Jadeja (IND).
Women´s one-day cricketer of the year: Suzie Bates (NZL)Other nominees: Charlotte Edwards (ENG), Meg Lanning (AUS), Dane van Niekerk (RSA), Anya Shrubsole (ENG), Stafanie Taylor (WIS).
Emerging cricketer of the year: Cheteshwar Pujara (IND)Other nominees: Trent Boult (NZL), Joe Root (ENG), Mitchell Starc (AUS).
Associate and Affiliate cricketer of the year: Kevin O´Brien (IRL)Other nominees: Kyle Coetzer (SCO), Ed Joyce (IRL), Nawroz Mangal (AFG).
Umpire of the year: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)Other nominees: Aleem Dar (PAK), Steve Davis (AUS), Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Marais Erasmus (RSA), Ian Gould (ENG), Tony Hill (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG), Nigel Llong (ENG), Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Paul Reiffel (AUS), Rodney Tucker (AUS).
Spirit of cricket award: Mahela Jayawardena (SRI) – for not waiting for umpire´s decision after edging a catch to the wicket-keeper when he was batting on 91 against New Zealand in a Test match in Galle in November 2012. Other nominee: Farhad Reza (BAN) – for confirming he had touched the boundary ropes and signalled a six after catching Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in 2012.
People´s choice award (announced earlier): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND)Other nominees: Alastair Cook (ENG), Michael Clarke (AUS), Virat Kohli (IND), AB de Villiers (RSA).
ICC´s Test team of the year (in batting order – announced earlier):Alastair Cook (ENG, capt), Cheteshwar Pujara (IND), Hashim Amla (RSA), Michael Clarke (AUS), Michael Hussey (AUS), AB de Villiers (RSA), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND, wicket-keeper), Graeme Swann (ENG), Dale Steyn (RSA), James Anderson (ENG), Vernon Philander (RSA). 12th Man: Ravichandran Ashwin (IND).
ICC´s one-day team of the year (in batting order – announced earlier):Tillakaratne Dilshan (SRI), Shikhar Dhawan (IND), Hashim Amla (RSA), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI), AB de Villiers (RSA), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND, capt and wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja (IND), Saeed Ajmal (PAK), Mitchell Starc (AUS), James Anderson (ENG), Lasith Malinga (SRI). 12th Man: Mitchell McClenaghan.

Protests against Quader Molla's execution claims 13 more lives in Bangladesh

Police say they opened fire after Islamist supporters torched houses and fought street battles.

DHAKA (AFP) - Thirteen more people were killed Sunday and overnight Saturday in Bangladesh in continuing protests sparked by the execution of a top Islamist leader, as the prime minister warned of a crackdown.
Police said they opened fire after Islamist supporters torched houses and fought street battles with them during a third day of unrest over the hanging of Abdul Quader Molla for mass murder during the 1971 war of independence.
Six people were killed on Sunday, including four in the northern town of Patgram, and another seven died elsewhere overnight, police said. The deaths occurred as Islamist supporters enforced a nationwide strike over the execution of Molla, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party.
"Police fired rifles after Jamaat protesters torched at least 20 houses belonging to ruling party supporters," government administrator Habibur Rahman told AFP of the violence in Patgram. "We have banned protests and gatherings in the area to prevent further violence."
Molla s execution on Thursday night triggered fresh violence in the impoverished country, already reeling from political unrest in the build-up to a deeply divisive national election scheduled for January 5.
Twenty-five people are now known to have died and dozens more have been injured in the clashes since Thursday between outraged Jamaat activists and police and between the activists and supporters of the ruling Awami League.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned of strong action against the rioters, saying "We have shown enough patience. We will not tolerate any more."
"People of the country know how to reply to these atrocities (the latest violence), we (government) also know how to respond to, control you (the rioters)," she told a rally late on Saturday to commemorate those killed in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Molla, 65, became the first person to be executed for his role in that war. Jamaat called the hanging a "political murder" and said it would avenge it.
Convicted of rape, mass murder
Molla had been found guilty in February by a much-criticised domestic tribunal of having been a leader of a pro-Pakistan militia that fought against the country s independence and killed some of Bangladesh s top professors, doctors, writers and journalists.
He was convicted of rape, murder and mass murder, including the killing of more than 350 unarmed civilians. Prosecutors called him the "Butcher of Mirpur", a Dhaka suburb where he committed most of the atrocities.
Molla was one of five condemned to death by the International Crimes Tribunal, sentences which the opposition says are aimed at eradicating its leaders.
The sentences have triggered riots and plunged the country into its worst violence since independence. Some 255 people have been killed in street protests since January, when the first verdicts were handed down.
During Sunday s violence in Patgram, three Jamaat protesters including the head of its  regional student wing were shot dead while protesters hacked to death a ruling party supporter, Rahman said.
In the northern district of Joypurhat a van driver was killed during clashes between police and Jamaat protesters. A ruling party student activist was hacked to death in the southern coastal town of Laxmipur, police officials told AFP.
Of the seven killed overnight, police said three died in the southern town of Companyganj, two in the northern town of Ramganj and one each in Narayanganj, outside the capital, and in Laxmipur.
At Companyganj, an opposition bastion, police fired rifles to disperse at least 8,000 rampaging Jamaat supporters who torched four government offices and attacked officers with crude bombs and guns, a senior police officer said.
In Ramganj, activists of Jamaat and its principal ally, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, attacked a convoy of ruling party lawmakers, leaving two people dead, sub-inspector Ershadul Alam told AFP.

Pak won the 4th ODI against Srilanka

Pak won the 4th ODI against Srilanka 

Pak vs Sri 1st ODI-Man of the Match

Pak vs Sri 1st ODI-Man of the Match

Pervaiz Rashid questions PTI’s performance in KPK

The information minister says the Investors will leave the because of sit-ins on roads.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Federal Information Minister Pervez Rashid has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan should play his role according to the mandate of the masses.
Talking to newsmen after a function here on Sunday, Pervaiz Rashid said that Imran Khan should play a serious political role and raise the import issues at Parliament forum instead of staging sit-ins on the roads.
Questioning PTI’s performance in KPK, Pervaiz Rashid asked what relief the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has given to people during the past six months.
The minister while criticizing PTI chief, said that those who are crying on inflation and high prices first they should take steps to provide relief in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Responding to a question about Mehran Bank scandal, Pervaiz Rashid said that Younis Habib was a liar and it would be for the first time in the history of country that a liar would be exposed.
Responding to another question, the minister said that politics of reconciliation in Pakistan was voice of the masses.
Responding a query about law and order situation, Pervaiz Rashid said that the government was in contact with the ulema and Chehlum processions would be peaceful.
 

President Asif Ali Zardari interview in

President Asif Ali Zardari interview in Ek Din... 

One year later, Japanese PM has big 'to do list'

PM Abe focussed on fast-growing economies in Southeast Asia.

TOKYO (AFP) - A year after a landslide national election, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is riding high as his plan to rescue the economy earns praise at home and abroad, but chinks in his armour are beginning to show.
The unprecedented policy blitz, dubbed Abenomics, ushered in growth that led G7 nations in the first half of the year, stoked a sizzling stock market rally and offered a tantalising end to years of deflation.
When Abe formed his cabinet on December 26 he had the backing of a large proportion of the population to follow through with a pledge to reverse two decades of lacklustre growth and debilitating deflation.
Then at the beginning of 2013 he declared that "Japan is back" in a speech to the New York Stock Exchange, saying his prescription of big government spending and monetary easing would reinvigorate the world s number-three economy.
He embarked on a roadshow abroad to sell Brand Japan, including signing a nuclear reactor deal in Turkey and focussing on fast-growing economies in Southeast Asia.
"This has been a very hectic year, travelling a lot overseas," Abe said in speech last week, adding he visited over two dozen countries since election night.
His globetrotting burnished an image of a strong leader committed to getting things done in a country where the pace of policy is often glacial.
And Tokyo s winning bid to host the 2020 Olympics gave national pride another shot in the arm, as well as promises of further economic benefits.
"Abenomics definitely deserves praise," said Ivan Tselichtchev, economics professor at Niigata University of Management. "It has greatly improved sentiment among investors and consumers which is a positive for economy."
Applause for the two-time premier is a far cry from 2006 when his term ended in ignominy and illness after just a year in office.
This time around, Abe s efforts are bearing fruit. His policies and those of his new central bank governor Haruhiko Kuroda helped sharply weaken the yen -- the unit has lost a fifth of its value against the dollar this year, giving a boost to exporters -- while the stock market has surged more than 50 percent to a six-year high.
Economic growth slowed in the third quarter, but business confidence remains at a six-year high, while a key inflation indicator in October rose at the fastest pace since the late Nineties.
But observers say firms must now raise wages so employees have more to spend, driving the economy and giving the corporate sector confidence to expand.
An increase in pay packets is even more crucial ahead of a sales tax rise next year to 8.0 percent from 5.0 percent, a move aimed at shrinking Japan s huge national debt, proportionately the worst among wealthy nations.
The International Monetary Fund, among others, has welcomed Tokyo s efforts to get its fiscal house in order, but the tax rise has stoked fears it will derail a recovery. The last sales tax rise, in 1997, foreshadowed the fall into deflation.

 I m worried about our future
==============================

cAnd while the economy is moving to move in the right direction, there is a growing disillusionment with the leadership.
An unpopular state secrets bill, raw tensions with China and South Korea, and growing doubts about Tokyo s print-and-spend economic policies are beginning to test Abe s popularity.
"My husband s salary has not changed in the past eight years and now rising prices are affecting the family s budget," said 42-year-old Tokyo resident Yasuyo Sakata.
"Abenomics is for other people. I haven t felt any positive impact from it, and I m worried about our future."
Criticism like Sakata s is a worry for Abe, whose place in the history books rests on him convincing ordinary people that his much-lauded policies will help them, rather than just lift company profits and share prices.
For detractors such as Noriko Hama, economics professor at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Abenomics is "a bunch of all the wrong ideas for all the wrong reasons", a money-printing exercise that will saddle Japan with more debt.
Critics and advocates alike have warned that promised economic reforms -- including more flexible labour markets and free trade deals -- are essential for the growth plan to work.
"Progress on structural reforms has been disappointing," Capital Economics said.
While Abe s first year largely focused on the economy, he wobbled on the diplomatic front, and ties with China and South Korea, soured over separate territorial disputes, remain poor. The spectre of an unpredictable North Korea also lurks in the background.
His donations to a controversial war shrine and pledges to spend billions of dollars building up the armed forces has unnerved neighbours wary of Japan s imperialist aggression in the 20th century.
The military is limited to self-defence under Japan s pacifist constitution -- a restriction Abe would like to change.
His government continues to face opposition over plans to re-start nuclear reactors shut down after the 2011 Fukushima crisis, and a broad state secrets law lambasted by critics as "the largest threat to democracy in post-war Japan".
Abe s first year has gone "smoother than we thought," said Shinichi Nishikawa, politics professor at Tokyo s Meiji University.
"But the real tests are still ahead -- next year will be crucial for Abe, and for Japan."

Mexico shatters crime ring that preyed on Asian migrants

Mexico City Authorities said Saturday that they broke up a trafficking ring that brought foreigners, mostly Asians, into Mexico intent on smuggling them into the United States.
Prosecutor said they detained seven Mexicans and three Bangladeshis accused of moving the migrants to Mexico s northern border with the United States at a huge cost and in grim conditions. The migrants came from places like India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, as well as Iran and Somalia, officials said. The ring was based in Mexico City and the Caribbeancoastal satate of Quintana Roo, prosecutor said.
In a raid police found 13 people -- two from India, five from Bangladesh and six from Nepal -- held in unhealthy conditions waiting to be moved by traffickers.
It was not immediately known how many people were trafficked over what time period.
At least 140,000 people enter Mexico every year trying to reach the United States, according to official estimates.

Ben 10 Cartoon 2013 full episode

Ben 10 Cartoon 2013 full episode

Tom und Jerry cartoon Neue Tom und Jerry...

Tom und Jerry cartoon Neue Tom und Jerry... 

Doraemon cartoon in hindi new episode 2013

Doraemon cartoon in hindi new episode 2013 

Nisar for joint sitting of parliament over NADRA chief issue

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has dispatched a letter to the parliamentary leaders, proposing a joint session of the parliament over the issues pertaining to sacking of NADRA Chairman and verification of thumb impressions.
In a letter, the interior minister said that there is a debate going on over thumb impressions on ballot papers, adding that usage of magnetic ink could not be ensured in 2013 general elections.
Nisar said that linking changes in NADRA with the issue of thumb impressions in general elections is not correct. He said provision of magnetic ink was the responsibility of the Election Commission and the interim government.
The minister said that NADRA is not a "One-man authority", adding that there are a number of competent, honest and determined people in the institution.
The government is ready to have verification of votes on all constituencies from any institution, he added.

5 accused arrested from Defence, Kalapul in Karachi

KARACHI: Five accused were arrested from Defence and Kalapul Railway colony areas in the city here, Geo News reported on Sunday.
Police said that two accused were arrested in a raid at the Railway Colony near Kalapul, who are allegedly involved in the murders of a policeman and the owner of a hotel.
On the other hand, police arrested three robbers and recovered arms from them after an encounter in Defence area. They are accused of being involved in street crimes, police said.

Imran has resorted to negative politics: Rana Sana

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Sunday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, seeing mutilated political future, has resorted to negative politicking.
Reacting to Imran Khan’s statement, Rana Sanaullah said Khan had started talking irrationally in a bid to distract people’s attention from humiliation of his defeat in the general elections.
He said it is strange that the results of general elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are acceptable to Imran Khan. “Imran Khan neither has any problem with the outcome of polls in Sindh and Balochistan. He only wants to cover his dreadful defeat in the hue and cry of rigging,” he added.

National Party leads in Balochistan local government polls

QUETTA: According to unofficial results pouring in from the far-flung parts of the province, National Party (NP) is leading in the Balochistan local government elections held on Saturday amid tight security, Geo News reported.
On the other hand Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) followed by independent candidates is right behind the NP.
There were 18,000 candidates competing over 4,168 seats in 32 districts of the province.
Six million ballot papers were printed for this purpose.
Local government elections were on party basis Polling stated at 08:00 AM and continued without any break till 05:00 PM in Quetta, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali, Jaffarabad, Mastung, Chagai, Chaman, Pishin, Hub, Sui, Dera Bugti, Khuzdar, Barkhan, Gwadar, Panjgur, Turbat, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Ziarat and other areas.
According to details 2,507 candidates have already been elected unopposed.
All political, nationalist, and religious parties such as PML- N, PML, PPP, National Party, PMAP, BNP, BNP-A, ANP, JUI –F, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Hazara Democratic Party, and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) fielded their candidates, while Jamhoori Watan Party, and Haq Na Tawar boycotted the local bodies (LB) polls.
Five thousand seven hundred and eighteen polling stations were setup for the LB elections.
Keeping in view the security situation, strict measures were adopted for the polls and more than 54,000 personnel from FC, police, Levies, and Balochistan Constabulary were deployed in the province to keep the law and order situation under control.
Except for minor incidents no major clashes was reported form anywhere across the province.
Unofficial results have started pouring in.

PM launches Rs100bn business loan scheme for youth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday criticized Pakistan People's Party founder and former premier Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for his policy of nationalization, which he said damaged Pakistan.
"Had there been no nationalization policy, Pakistan would have prospered," he said and added that he was worried about unemployment amongst thee youth in the country before election as there was nobody to help them.
Addressing participants of Youth Program, the prime minister said that he had initiated youth loan scheme keeping in view their agony. He added that the youngsters could take the country's economy to new heights.
He said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto nationalized the biggest institutions, inflicting losses to national economy. The prime minister said that his government was pondering to privatize PIA and other some institutions running on losses.
The PM further said it was not the job of government to run shops or factories rather it should serve people and ensure their security of life and property.
He said earlier loans were available for the rich it was only his government that initiated the revolutionary scheme to provide loans to the youth.
Nawaz regretted that no previous government had bothered to look after the 110 million youth of the country and it was only the PML N government that took the decision to bring them into national mainstream.
Noting the examples of Korea and Malaysia, he said small and medium enterprises played key role in the countries and hoped he would be able to replicate the same in Pakistan by launching the scheme.

England staring at defeat after day 3 of second Test

ADELAIDE: Mitchell Johnson shattered England´s hopes of a series-levelling win in the second Test with one of the great Ashes bowling spells as Australia took an iron grip on Saturday.
Johnson reprised his man-of-the-match performance in the 381-run first Gabba Test win with a destructive seven for 40 that strong-armed England out of the game and Australia onto the cusp of a two-nil series lead with three Tests to play.
Australia, who declared at 570 for nine, once again skittled the Ashes holders cheaply for 172.
England have yet to score beyond 180 after being dismissed for 136 and 179 in Brisbane.
By third day stumps, the home side had built their overall lead to 530 runs although they lost Chris Rogers (2), Shane Watson (0) and Michael Clarke (22) along the way.
David Warner was in line for his second century of the series on 83 with Steve Smith not out 23 in Australia´s 132 for three. (AFP)

HIV returns in two US men after bone marrow transplants

NEW YORK CITY: Signs of HIV have returned in two American men who appeared to have briefly eradicated the virus after bone marrow transplants for cancer, US doctors say.
Experts said the discovery is a disappointment to efforts to find a cure for the human immunodeficiency virus behind AIDS, but offers important new clues in the hunt for the disease's elusive hiding places.
Only one person is believed to have been cured of HIV. American Timothy Brown, who suffered from leukemia, received a bone marrow transplant from a rare donor resistant to HIV and has shown no sign of the virus for six years.
"The return of detectible levels of HIV in our patients is disappointing, but scientifically significant," said Timothy Heinrich, a physician-researcher in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"Through this research we have discovered the HIV reservoir is deeper and more persistent than previously known," he said in a statement sent to AFP.
Dr Heinrich first shared the news with fellow researchers at an international AIDS conference in Miami, Florida on Thursday.
Both HIV-positive men received bone marrow transplants as treatment for a kind of blood cancer known as Hodgkin's lymphoma, one in 2008 and the other in 2010.
About eight months after their operations, HIV was no longer detectable.
The patients stayed on antiretroviral therapy for while, but decided to cease taking the drugs earlier this year.
In July, doctors announced early, encouraging results: one patient appeared HIV-free after being off the drugs for seven weeks and the other for 15 weeks.
But signs of HIV soon returned. They were found in the first patient 12 weeks after stopping therapy, and in the second patient 32 weeks after stopping therapy.
"Both patients have resumed therapy and are currently doing well," Heinrich said, adding that the patients do not wish to be identified in the media.
He said it was important to share the results with fellow researchers, because they signal "that there may be an important long-lived HIV reservoir outside the blood compartment," and current methods of probing for tiny signs of HIV may not be precise enough.
"We have demonstrated HIV can be reduced to undetectable levels by very sensitive research assays, and the virus persists," he said.
Unlike Mr Brown, these patients' bone marrow transplants did not come from donors that carried a genetic resistance to HIV by lacking a CCR5 receptor, so they were not afforded protection against the virus by that mutation.
The two men received transplants from donors with the CCR5 receptor, which acts as a gateway allowing HIV to penetrate the cells.
Researchers had hoped that by continuing to treat the men with antiretroviral drugs during the transplant process and afterward, the medicine might have prevented the donor cells from becoming infected.
Instead, it appears the virus was undetectable in the blood but lurked elsewhere in the body, allowing it to return once repressive drug therapy was stopped. (AFP)

'Fast and Furious' star died from trauma, thermal injuries

LOS ANGELES: "Fast and Furious" star Paul Walker died of "traumatic and thermal injuries" in a fiery car crash, coroners said Wednesday, as the franchise's makers said they were shutting down production at least temporarily.
Walker, 40, was killed Saturday when he was in the passenger seat of a red Porsche sports car driven by his friend Roger Rodas in the Californian city of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles.
Rodas died of "multiple traumatic injuries," according to preliminary autopsy results, while Walker´s cause of death was listed as the "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries."
The results of toxicology tests are still pending, and could take six to eight weeks, the LA County Coroner´s office said.
Meanwhile makers of the blockbuster film franchise announced they have shut down production of "Fast and Furious 7" following Walker´s death.
"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul´s immediate family and our extended ´Fast & Furious´ family of cast, crew and filmmakers," said a statement cited by industry journal Variety.
"At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise."
Shortly before the crash Walker had been at an event to raise money for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines for Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW), a non-profit disaster relief group the actor founded.
The actor was taking a Thanksgiving break from filming the seventh "Fast and Furious" movie, which had been scheduled for release in July.
The filmmakers added: "We are committed to keeping ´Fast & Furious´ fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it. Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker."

Pakistani stocks hit yet another high of 24,870.55 points

KARACHI: Continued institutional support catapulted Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) to cross the psychological barrier of 25,000 points on Friday.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index closed at yet another high of 24,870.55 points after gaining 69.86 points.
According to dealer banks remained in limelight throughout the session.
Among the star performers, National Bank of Pakistan, rose by 2.68 percent to finish at Rs55.89, while Bank Al-Falah Ltd jumped by 1.78 percent to close at Rs25.76.

14 missing persons produced in Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Fourteen missing persons reached Supreme Court premises amid tight security on Saturday.
Additional Defense Secretary said that all of the fourteen missing persons were located and brought today to court. He said all of them were living a free life, adding that their identities were kept confidential due to security reasons.
An in-camera hearing of Supreme Court will be held shortly where statements of missing persons will be recorded.
The undeclared detainees arrived in two cars with faces being covered to hide their identities.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court ordered Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to produce 14 of the 35 missing persons before the court on Saturday.
The court expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by Khawaja Asif. According to report, Khawaja Asif said that not even a single missing person was under the custody of army, adding that there were different categories. Missing persons were detained in internment centers, he added.
Mr Asif said two persons out of 35 died in custody due to natural causes while two were in internment centre. Eight undeclared detainees were in Afghanistan while three were residing in North Waziristan.
Seven others could be produced before the court but they cannot be categorized as missing persons, he added.

Hangu drone strike has placed KP residents in danger: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan condemned the US drone strike in Hangu and said it had put the lives of residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in danger.
During a news conference here on Thursday, Imran Khan said the PTI would hold a protest against NATO supply lines and drones on Saturday. Khan urged the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to join the protest which will be held on Ring Road in Peshawar.
Imran called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to end his dual policy of telling the US one thing and the Pakistani people another.
The PTI chairman informed the media that an emergency meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet was being called in which the provincial government’s decision would be sought for the stoppage of Nato supplies.
Earlier on Thursday, six people were killed when a drone fired three missiles at a seminary in Hangu. The drone strike was the first in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Foreign Office spokesman, Aizaz Chaudrhy condemned the strike and reiterated that drone attacks were against Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Five killed, dozens injured in Quetta blast

QUETTA: At least five people including a policeman and a child were killed in a blast that occurred in Quetta Thursday morning, Geo News reported.
According to police, a powerful blast occurred near Sarki Road today morning that killed five people including a cop and a child while 25 others were injured. Hospital sources said six of those injured were in critical condition.
Several cars and motorcycles were damaged in the blast while a Frontier Corps vehicle was completely destroyed. Nearby buildings were also damaged due to the impact.
The bomb disposal squad said that an IED time device was attached to a motorcycle that went off with a blast.
Law enforcement agencies reached the site immediately after the blast. SSP Operation Muhammad Jaffar said approximately 7-8 kilograms of explosives having ball bearing and bolts were used in the blast.
According to sources, gun shots were also heard after the blast. The dead bodies were shifted to the hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Security forces cordoned off the area and initiated investigation.
It may be mentioned that two persons lost their lives and nine others sustained injuries in a blast that occurred on Wednesday night in Quetta.

Sanaullah claims 28 culprits of Rawalpindi tragedy identified

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah told the reporters on Thursday that twenty-eight perpetrators involved in the clashes that erupted in Rawalpindi during Ashura and left eleven persons dead have been identified through CCTV footage, Geo News reported.
While talking to the media men here today, Rana Sanaullah said investigation of the Rawalpindi tragedy is in progress and 28 culprits who were involved in the clashes have been identified via video.
He said that the perpetrators who were directly involved in spreading violence will be brought to justice at any cost.
It is pertinent to mention that violent clashes between two groups erupted on Friday (November 15) that left 11 people dead and over 40 injured as the worshipers massed to mourn the seventh century martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA), followed by the imposition of curfew in the area.
The clashes erupted when a mourners’ procession was on its way through Fawara Chowk in the garrison city.
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Million-dollar gold stash found in aircraft toilet

KOLKATA: Cleaners working on a commercial plane in eastern India have found 24 gold bars worth more than $1 million stuffed into a toilet compartment, officials said Wednesday. India, which rivals China as the world’s biggest gold consumer, has witnessed a spike in smuggling after import duties were hiked three times this year to try to dampen demand for the precious metal.
The plane belonging to Jet Airways was being cleaned at Kolkata airport on Tuesday after a trip from the eastern city of Patna. It had previously been flying on international routes.
"The cleaning staff of the airport were going though their routine duties and found two bags in the toilets of the plane," director of the airport B.P. Mishra told.
The one-kilogram gold bars "have not been claimed by anyone. No arrest has been made as yet".
Senior customs official R.S. Meena estimated the value of the haul at about 70 million rupees, or $1.1 million.

Three more dengue fever patients die in Punjab

LAHORE: Three more dengue virus fever patients have died in Punjab, raising the death toll to 18 in the province, Geo News reported.
Punjab Health Department on Wednesday said, three patients hailing from Rawalpindi have died of dengue fever.

'Dead' baby wakes at China funeral parlour

A death certificate was issued before the baby was sent to a funeral parlour in Hefei.

BEIJING (AFP) - A Chinese baby boy who had been declared dead was saved from being cremated alive when he started crying at a funeral parlour, media reported Thursday.
The parents of the critically-ill boy, who was less than one month old, had agreed to end his medical treatment at Anhui Provincial Children s Hospital in eastern China, hospital sources told Xinhua state news agency.
A death certificate was issued before the baby was sent to a funeral parlour in Hefei, the provincial capital -- only for staff there to be alerted by crying on Wednesday.
It was unclear how long he had been at the funeral parlour, or when his cremation had been due.
The baby was immediately sent back to the hospital, several news outlets including the Beijing News reported on Thursday.
"Because the baby still had life signs, we continued to give him transfusion to maintain his life for humanitarian reasons," a hospital staff member told Xinhua.
The baby was born with a "congenital respiratory system malformation", the report added.
The baby was receiving treatment at the hospital late Wednesday, reports said.
A doctor was suspended, a nursing worker laid off and an investigation launched into the incident, the hospital said, according to Xinhua.

Krrish 3 breaks record of Chennai Express

 

The superhero film, which opened on November 1, 2013, has collected Rs 228.23 crores in 15 days.

MUMBAI (Web Desk) - After three years at the top of the biggest moneyspinners list, Aamir Khan s 3 Idiots found itself dislodged by Shah Rukh s Chennai Express which in turn has just been toppled by Hrithik Roshan s Krrish 3.
The superhero film, which opened on November 1, 2013, has collected Rs 228.23 crores in 15 days, making it the top earning Bollywood film in India. Chennai Express made Rs 226.70 cr and 3 Idiots, Rs 202.57 cr.
Krrish 3 director Rakesh Roshan told news agency IANS: "This Friday s collections were Rs 2.44 crore, which brings the total 15-day collection to Rs 228.23 crore. So yes, it looks like Krrish 3 has broken all records."
Krrish 3 s bumper earnings were certainly helped by its unchallenged two week run in cinemas. However, trade analyst Taran Adarsh said: "The large number of screens and the ticket rates have definitely helped Krrish 3 to undertake its record-breaking journey.
But eventually everything boils down to the quality of the content. If the script is solid, there s no stopping a film. Also, it must be kept in mind that if a film is to be a universal hit, it must cater to a universal audience."
Krrish 3 also stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi. However, Aamir may return to reclaim his record at the end of this year with the much-awaited Dhoom: 3.
It seems that 2013 is the year for box office records to be shattered.
 

Five killed in Quetta roadside blast

 

The bomb was planted in a motorbike on Sarki Road.

QUETTA (Web Desk) - At least five people were killed and 20 others injured when a bomb exploded in Pakistan s southwest city of Quetta on Thursday morning.
The incident took place at about 9:20 a.m. local time when a bomb fixed on a motorbike went off at a market on Sirki Road in Satellite Town of Quetta, Dunya News reported.
Two policemen and a child were among those killed and two victims remained in critical condition.
Reports said a vehicle belonging to the paramilitary force and at least eight other vehicles and some buildings near the market were also damaged.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

US drone attack kills six in Hangu

 

It was one of the first drone attacks to occur outside Pakistan's tribal region.


PARACHINAR (AP) - A suspected U.S. drone carried out a rare missile strike in northwest Pakistan outside the country s remote tribal region Thursday, killing at least six people.
The missiles hit an Islamic seminary Muktaba Darul uloom in Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said police officer Fareedullah and intelligence officials. The intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
It was one of the first drone attacks to occur outside Pakistan s tribal region along the Afghan border and could increase tension between Islamabad and Washington.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is considered a "settled area" of Pakistan, meaning it is generally more populated and developed than the tribal region.
It was also the first drone attack since the U.S. killed former Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a Nov. 1 strike in the North Waziristan tribal area. Pakistani officials were outraged by the attack because they said it came a day before they planned to invite Mehsud to hold peace talks.
Police have arrived at the scene of the seminary that was struck Thursday in the Tall area of Hangu, said Fareedullah, who goes by only one name. The six were badly burned, he said.
Another police officer, Zia Khan, said three students and two teachers were killed in the attack. They were all Afghans, he said.
Hangu police chief Iftikhar Ahmad said two of the dead, Mufti Hameedullah and Mufti Ahmad Jan, were members of the Afghan Haqqani network, one of the most feared militant groups battling U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The covert CIA drone program in Pakistan has been a constant source of tension between Islamabad and Washington.
Pakistani officials regularly denounce the strikes in public as a violation of the country s sovereignty. But the government is known to have supported at least some of the attacks in the past.

Ecuador's Correa says will resign if Chevron proves interference

 

Equador's higher court had fined Chevron over Amazon pollution.

QUITO (AFP) - Ecuador s President Rafael Correa has promised to resign if Chevron proves his government interfered in a trial over Amazon pollution that resulted in a record fine against the US oil giant.
"Let Chevron prove that the government interfered in the judgment and I will resign my post," Correa said Tuesday at a news conference in Guayaquil.
Last week, the country s highest court confirmed the 2011 verdict against Chevron by a regional court, which the oil giant challenged. The high court s only concession was to cut the fine by half to $9.5 billion.
"The legal case is closed. The courts have spoken. We have never been mixed up in this case," Correa said.
Faced with Chevron s refusal to pay the fine, the Ecuadoran president has launched a campaign for an international boycott of the company.
The environmental damage to the Amazon forest dates back to when the US oil company Texaco operated in Ecuador between 1964 and 1990, before it was acquired by Chevron.
Sued by a class of 30,000 members of communities in the affected region, Chevron blamed state-owned Petroecuador for the pollution.
It took the case to a court in New York and the permanent court of arbitration in the Hague, accusing the Ecuadoran courts of corruption and the authorities in Quito of interfering.
Even at half the original amount, the fine against Chevron is one of the biggest in environmental law, surpassing the $4.5 billion levied against ExxonMobil for the 1989 Alaska oil spill.

Musharraf decides to challenge special court formation

 

Earlier, PM approved formation of special court to initiate Musharraf's trial in the case.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Former President Pervez Musharraf has decided to file an application in the Supreme Court challenging the formation of the special court to conduct trial against him. According to sources, the petition would be filed soon after a notification over the formation of judge bench is issued.
Earlier, the names of three judges including a female judge were approved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the special court.
The names of the judges, along with their profile, were sent to Law Secretary Barrister Zafarullah Khan by the SC registrar with a suggestion to select any three of them as members of the special court.
About the head of the special court, the government was suggested to select the most senior one in the list.
The apex court sent the names of Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi of the Islamabad High Court, Justice Mohammad Yawar Ali of the Lahore High Court, Justice Yahya Afridi of the Peshawar High Court and Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court.
PM Nawaz approved the names of Justice Faisal Arab (SHC), Justice Tahira Safdar (BHC) and Justice Yawar Ali (LHC). According to the notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Justice Faisal Arab will preside over the special court as he is the most senior of the three judges. The special court will hear the case in Islamabad.
 

Warner rips into Broad, Pietersen ahead of Tests

 

Warner has also taken a pot shot at England batsman Kevin Pietersen and his ego.

BRISBANE, Australia, Nov 20, 2013 (AFP) - Australia batsman David Warner has spiced up the war of words before Thursday's opening Ashes Test by telling England fast bowler Stuart Broad to "stop having a sook".
Warner, who has earned a bad boy reputation for punching England batsman Joe Root in a nightclub and engaging in a Twitter war with journalists, has also taken a pot shot at England batsman Kevin Pietersen and his ego.
Broad has gained notoriety in Australia after he refused to walk after being caught off a thick edge during the last series in England, and has been a constant talking point in the lead-up to the Gabba Test.
He reacted angrily on Twitter on Monday to accusations he took offence to some choice words from members at the Sydney Cricket Ground last week during a tour match.
Broad strongly denied two spectators were ejected at the request of the England team, but Warner said he needed to lighten up.
"He's already complaining and having a sook (sulk)," Warner told reporters Wednesday, using an Australian term for someone who is acting like a cry-baby.
"He can expect a lot. If you have a good laugh and enjoy it, people get behind you.
"That's what happened with me in England."
Warner was given a roasting by England supporters and gave it back to them in Manchester during the July-August series, his first match since being suspended for punching Root in a Birmingham nightclub.
Warner was also forthright when asked for his take on Pietersen ahead of his 100th Test match at the Gabba.
"He's already talking his garbage, but that's how he is," Warner said. "He lets his ego take over and he thrives on that.
"We're here to spoil it (Pietersen's 100th Test) and I reckon we will."
England captain Alastair Cook gave his support to Broad, saying he liked his feisty style.
"He's a very combative character, he's an in-your-face type of cricketer. I like that about him," Cook said Wednesday.
"Anytime you set him a challenge he has stood up and delivered.
"He's done that a number of times for an England team. He's got the ability to change games very quickly. He's had a good preparation, he looks in fine fettle with the ball and he's raring to go."