Taliban ‘proudly claim’ attack on U.N. aid office Posted by wasif shah , Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 5:55 AM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

ISLAMABAD - Taliban militants claimed responsibility Tuesday for the deadly suicide bombing at the U.N. food agency's heavily fortified compound in Islamabad, saying international relief work in Pakistan was not in "the interest of Muslims."

The attack, which killed five workers for the World Food Program on Monday, pushed the U.N. to temporarily close its offices in the country and exposed the vulnerability of international relief agencies helping millions of Pakistanis, among them those affected by fighting between the government and Islamist militants.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the Taliban carried out the attack to avenge the Aug. 5 slaying of their leader, Baitullah Mehsud, in a U.S. drone attack

Watson, Elliott catch the eye Posted by wasif shah , at 5:53 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

JOHANNESBURG — Australian Shane Watson and New Zealand's Grant Elliott may not be among the Champions Trophy's superstar elite, but were second-to-none when it came to producing match-winning performances.

Watson, who failed to score in his first two matches, came back strongly with successive centuries which helped his team retain the trophy, while Elliott also delivered in crunch situations.

The Australian was named man-of-the-match for his explosive career-best 136 not out in his team's crushing nine-wicket win over England in the semi-final at Centurion.

Watson again played a key role in his team's six-wicket win over injury-hit New Zealand in the final on Monday, hammering an unbeaten 105 to win a second successive man-of-the-match award.

He was the tournament's second-highest scorer after his skipper and man-of-the-series Ricky Ponting (288) with 265 runs.

"I think people have now started to see the real Watson. He is showing everybody how good he can be," Ponting said after the final.

The South Africa-born Elliott proved that he had it in him to upstage big names with his remarkable performances with both bat and ball.

New Zealand required a win against England in their last league game on a lively Wanderers track in Johannesburg to make it to the semi-finals and were fortunate to find a match-winner in Elliott.

Elliott grabbed a career-best 4-31 off eight overs to restrict England to 146 before New Zealand completed a four-wicket victory.

He was also to excel with the bat, in the semi-final against Pakistan at the Wanderers where he braved a thumb injury to crack an unbeaten 75 in his team's five-wicket win.

"He (Elliott) was in doubt for the match, but managed to battle through with a broken thumb and played such an impressive innings," said New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

"It was an innings of character. I think he'll be very proud of it and I know the team is proud of him."

Elliott was not the only player to defy odds as his captain also led from the front to guide his team in the final for only the second time in the history of the tournament despite losing key players.

New Zealand lost batsman Jesse Ryder, all-rounder Jacob Oram and paceman Daryl Tuffey during the competition but Vettori did not lose heart, giving a good account of himself as captain, bowler and batsman.

New Zealand won three of their five games in the tournament, with Vettori being the man of the match in two -- against Sri Lanka and then Pakistan in the semi-final.

They suffered a big blow when in-form Vettori was ruled out of the final due to a hamstring injury.

Pakistan's Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal were the others to impress in a tournament starring plenty of big players.

Pakistan's hopes of qualifying for the final were shattered when they lost to New Zealand in the semi-final, but had reason to be pleased with the performances of Akmal and Aamer.

Akmal, 19, was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 41 in his team's five-wicket win over the West Indies on a difficult Wanderers pitch in the opening match.

The middle-order batsman also scored 55 under pressure against New Zealand in the semi-final.

Aamer, 17, impressed in all the three matches he played in the tournament as he bagged six wickets, including that of ace Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar

Pakistan's cricket team accused of throwing games Posted by wasif shah , at 5:51 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani parliamentarian has accused the national cricket team of deliberately losing matches in this month's Champions Trophy tournament and has demanded an explanation from its coach, captain and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"We will be meeting with them on Oct. 13 as we feel the team deliberately lost the games against Australia and New Zealand," Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the Standing Committee on Sports in the Pakistan Lower House, told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

Pakistan was defeated by Australia in the last group match last week before losing to New Zealand in the semifinals.

"They lost to Australia just to keep India out of the tournament," Dasti said.

Australia might not have qualified for the semifinal had Pakistan won against the defending champion, and India could have advanced had they defeated West Indies by a big margin.

"There are lots of doubts on the performance of the team and we feel it has to be cleared by the PCB officials and the team management," Dasti said. "The way we lost in the semifinal, it has left the whole nation disappointed and the PCB has to give answers."

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam and captain Younis Khan returned home Monday, while PCB chairman Ijaz Butt remained in South Africa to attend International Cricket Council meetings.

It is not the first time that the parliamentary committee has summoned PCB officials, however the committee has only the power to give recommendations to the prime minister and the president.

"This time I can assure you that we will make sure our recommendations be given due considerations," Dasti said.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is the patron-in-chief of the PCB

Young duo brings ‘Miniature Revolution’ at Rohtas Posted by wasif shah , at 5:48 AM, in Labels: entertainment

By Mahtab Bashir

ISLAMABAD: Rohtas Gallery on Monday opened its doors for an exquisite display of a series of contemporary miniature paintings titled ‘Miniature Revolution’ by two young graduates of Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts (HCVPA).

The duo of Hadia Moiz and Babar Gull put on display their collective cache of 15 miniature paintings, revealing vast medium of experimentation in this particular art form.

The exhibition is an unusual application of contemporary miniature style.

Hadia’s work is a rendition of contemporary themes. She said, “My work is interpretation of my imaginations.” She said she was an artist who kept on thinking and exploring her inner self as catharsis meant a lot to her.

“It is all about what I think and imagine and ultimately I transform my thoughts onto paper,” said, Hadia, who got distinction in miniature paintings in 2005.

Explaining one of her untitled painting, she said her paintings did not have any theme yet had a lot of variations and multiple meanings. “It has mysticism wrapped in it as I have tried to paint freely when spirituality haunts me and I paint myself through it,” she said.

In one of her pieces, Hadia highlights a rare manifestation, referring to co-existence of traditional and modern art. “In this painting, water is spilling over everywhere as to me water is life,” she said.

She highlighted the idea of inter-relation of things and the concept of a collective human consciousness. Though the idea is both traditional and modern, Hadia uses traditional miniature subjects and Hindu mythic characters featuring the relationship of Radha and Krishna as an embodiment of love, passion and devotion.

Hadia’s work is also representing the serene world of flora and fauna as she used leaf, flower, water, greenery, love and beauty that made her a ‘romantic miniaturist’.

Babar in his collection of seven experimental paintings tried to transform miniature work on canvas, breaking with traditional method of miniature working on Vasli.

Babar said this was an age of rapid changes as variations were coming in every field. “Miniature art is mostly done on Vasli but I have converted it on canvas keeping the larger scale in mind,” he said.

“This series of my artwork presents miniature paintings in a totally different fashion as I have experimented to create a charismatic awareness about miniature paintings and made an effort to explain to what extent it can be manipulated,” Babar said.

He said the art of transferring from Vasli to bigger canvas was quite emphatic as well as experimental.

The exhibition will continue till October 15.

Malik, Steyn and Anderson vault into top 20 Posted by wasif shah , Friday, October 2, 2009 at 12:32 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

LAHORE: In the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Player Rankings, it is still India first and second with Dhoni leading Yuvraj Singh in the batting table and Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka just ahead of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in the bowling chart. But good performances in the group stage of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy have helped several star players improve upon their rankings and move up the ladder. In the Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, South Africa captain Graeme Smith has rocketed five places to third position after scoring 206 runs while Australia’s Mike Hussey is just behind in fourth position after jumping two places to trail second-placed Yuvraj by four points. Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is the third leading run-getter to date with 176 runs, has also improved his ranking by four places and he now sits in ninth spot with eighth-placed Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar firmly within his sights. Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, who put on 206 runs for the fourth wicket against India, have also made movements in the right direction with Yousuf climbing one place to 13th and Shoaib, who is the second lead run-getter to date with 178 runs, vaulting eight places to 15th.In the Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, South Africa’s Dale Steyn has achieved his career-best ranking to date to assume eighth position. His six wickets in the tournament have helped him rise 14 places to share the position with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan who has dropped three places. Also on the charge is England fast bowler Stuart Broad whose 10 wickets to date have helped him jump four places to 14th spot while his team-mate James Anderson has returned to the top 20 in 19th place after his seven wickets have helped him climb 16 places.In the top 10, New Zealand pair of Kyle Mills and Shane Bond have improved their positions by two places. Mills shares second place with his captain Vettori while Bond is in fifth spot. Also achieving his career-best ranking is Sri Lanka’s magician spinner Ajantha Mendis who is now in seventh position after rising four places. The only change in the top five of the ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders is Shahid Afridi who has climbed one place to share fourth spot with Jacob Oram of New Zealand.

Wenger becomes Arsenal's longest serving manager Posted by wasif shah , at 12:30 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

Having arrived in English soccer a virtual unknown, he is now the longest serving manager of one of the world's most famous clubs. Wenger overtook George Allison to reach the milestone of 4,749 days in charge and is as revered at the club as Herbert Chapman, the manager who led the Gunners to three straight league titles in the 1930s.
Three weeks short of his 60th birthday, Wenger could be forgiven for thinking about retirement after winning three Premier League and four FA Cup titles, leading Arsenal through an entire league campaign without a defeat and also to a Champions League final.
But Wenger refuses to dwell on the past and his previous successes.
He wants to prove to the world that he can win titles with the team of young Arsenal players he has carefully nurtured since they arrived at the club, some of them barely out of school.
While his main rivals think nothing about spending about $48 million on a new player, Wenger is keeping the Arsenal checkbook shut, stoically relying on his methods and the potential of these youngsters.
"When you look at the players who did not play tonight," the Frenchman said Wednesday after his side beat Olympiakos 2-0 to make it two wins in two Champions League group games, "you see why we are not desperate (to buy).
"Now that the club has announced good financial results, people want me to splash it out straight away."
Wenger was rejected by the Gunners a year before he arrived in October 1996, when foreign coaches were rare in English soccer.
"I believe they had already made up their mind when they interviewed me the first time," he said. "They gave the job to Bruce Rioch and maybe he was a better candidate at the time. I went to Japan (to coach Grampus Eight) and I was not disappointed at all because I had a fantastic time there. I decided only to come back to Europe for a big club."
When he returned, Wenger transformed a side that had a reputation for winning games methodically rather than with style.
He inherited a defense of 30-year-olds but got them playing more attractive soccer and, within two years of taking over, had led the Gunners to the league and FA Cup double.
It was the start of an amazing era, as Wenger's Arsenal became one of the most creative and imaginative teams in the game, slicing through even the meanest defenses with mesmerizing passes and scoring memorable goals.
From Ian Wright, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, to Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin, Wenger has had a variety of talented players, although the club's tradition of luring 16-year-olds away from their countries has led to criticism and the threat of punishment.
Alarmed at these trends, both FIFA and UEFA are trying to close loopholes in employment laws to try and stop the transfer of players aged under 18. They also want to bring in quotas, so that clubs are forced to field a minimum of homegrown players.
Wenger's policy has always been to teach his methods to these youngsters as early as possible. He has been rewarded over the years by the likes of Fabregas -- taken from under the noses of Barcelona at age 16, now the Arsenal captain and one of the most sought after midfielders in the game.
Like every successful team, Arsenal plays two games a week because of the demands of domestic and European competitions, and Wenger usually lets his young players of the future compete in the lower-tier competitions. His lineup for last week's League Cup victory over West Bromwich Albion contained eight teenagers.
While Arsenal fans who pack the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium virtually every home game love his style of soccer and relish the potential of his young side, they have also become frustrated that the Gunners have not won a major title for four years.
After Thursday's anniversary, Wenger enters his 14th year at the club and, like his domestic rivals, still has four titles to go for this season. But even if the club doesn't win any for the fifth season in a row, he will remain adamant his methods are correct.

Asif comes clean in ICC's dope test Posted by wasif shah , at 12:30 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

LAHORE - Dope tainted Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif came clear of the dope test conducted by the ICC during the Champions Trophy. The ICC called Asif for the dope test after the bowler served his one-year ban for the use of nandrolone during the IPL-I and his test conducted by the ICC on Monday last was negative. Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said on phone that Asif’s dope test, which was conducted in South Africa on September 25 (a day before the Pakistan and India match) has returned negative. The Pakistan team, after receiving the report of his test, decided to include the bowler in the team in its last league match against Australia. The ICC had conducted a surprise dope test on Asif during the practice session on September 25 when reports were circulating that he would be selected for the match against India but the team management thought otherwise and went into the match with the same winning eleven. Asif has been involved in a number of drug related controversies, the latest of which was the his detention in Dubai where he was found with a banned substance. He had also tested positive for nandroline in the PCB-conducted internal tests ahead ofg ICC Champions Trophy 2006. The PCB, under its chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, had withdrawn Asif and Shoaib Akhtar, from the squad. However, the test report comes as a good news as Pakistan

Former skipper Wasim inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Posted by wasif shah , at 12:29 AM, in Labels: S

LAHORE: Former Pakistan Test captain Wasim Akram has been inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of Fame. “The ICC and the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) have acknowledged the services to cricket of some of the all-time greats of the game with five new inductees to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Wasim Akram, Herbert Sutcliffe, Clarrie Grimmett, Victor Trumper and Steve Waugh have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, bringing the total number of players in that exclusive club to 60,” said a media release of the ICC on Wednesday.Upon hearing the news, Wasim said in a statement that this honour was the perfect icing on the cake of a decent career. “It is a great feeling to know your contribution and achievements in this fascinating sport are being acknowledged in such a way. When I started playing cricket, it was my dream to play with the stalwarts like Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. And now to be put in the same group, which also includes legends who were inspirational and role models for every cricketer, is extremely special,” Wasim added.“Matches against India have always been the most memorable ones for me, especially our victory at Chennai in 1999 where more than 40,000 spectators gave us a standing ovation. Victory at Melbourne in the 1992 World Cup in front of 88,000 spectators and the reception we received upon our return is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I am delighted and honoured to have represented my country for 18 years. I thank all my mentors, family members, fans and team-mates for helping me to join the galaxy of real superstars in this ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.”Wasim is one of only 15 players in the history of the game to have topped 2,000 runs and taken more than 200 wickets in Tests. Of the other 14, all of those eligible to be in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame because they have not played for the past five years or more (Richie Benaud, Garfield Sobers, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee) are already members. Wasim was man of the match in the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup final, scoring 33 from 18 balls and taking 3-49 as Pakistan beat England in Melbourne to lift the trophy for the only time in the tournament’s history. Wasim made the highest score by a number eight batsman in Test cricket — 257 not out against Zimbabwe, which contained a Test-record 12 sixes. He has taken a record four hat-tricks in international cricket – two each in Tests and ODIs. Wasim is the only man to have taken 500 wickets in ODIs and he took a total of 1,042 first-class wickets. He captained Pakistan in 25 Tests and 109 ODIs, leading them to the final of the World Cup in 1999, where they were was beaten by Australia by eight wickets at Lord’s

Pakistan, New Zealand gear up for pace battle Posted by wasif shah , at 12:28 AM, in Labels: SPORTS

JOHANNESBURG — Pakistani and New Zealand batsmen are expected to face a stiff pace test in the Champions Trophy semi-final here on Saturday.
Four of the six matches played at the Wanderers here were low-scoring affairs, with fast bowlers calling the shots on lively pitches having both pace and bounce.
Pakistan have performed well in all of their three games, beating arch-rivals India and the West Indies before losing a close match against defending champions Australia.
Their batting clicked against India in the opening match, with middle-order batsmen Shoaib Malik (128) and Mohammad Yousuf (87) helping their team post a challenging 302-9.
Pakistan also have talented fast bowlers in Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Asif. Their spinners, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi, have also impressed.
Pakistan captain Younus Khan has conceded he faces a selection dilemma ahead of the semi-final, especially after paceman Mohammad Asif's impressive performance (2-34) against Australia.
Asif, playing his first one-dayer after serving a one-year ban for a failed dope test, replaced teenager Aamer in the last game.
"It'll be a tough call. We'll try and make the right decision on the day," Younus had said after the last match.
"In the semi-final, it doesn't matter who you play against or where you play because it is a big game. Pressure is not only on us, but also on New Zealand. If we get through two more games we are the champions."
New Zealand have won both of their matches at this venue, beating Sri Lanka and England to make it to the semi-finals with four points from three games in the four-team Group B.
They were well-served by seamer Grant Elliott who was named man of the match for bagging four wickets in his team's victory over England in their last league game on Tuesday.
New Zealand also have excellent pacemen in Kyle Mills and Shane Bond, who are capable of making life difficult for batsmen on helpful tracks.
They will also be keen to better their performance in big matches, having fallen in the semi-finals of the 2006 Champions Trophy in India and the 2007 World Cup in Caribbean.
It will be the first one-day international between the two since October 2006 when New Zealand beat Pakistan in a league match of the tournament's last edition.
New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill said Thursday the team's morale was high going into the match.
"Our confidence level is high at the moment," said Guptill.
"We are extremely confident of putting up a good performance in the semi-final against Pakistan. They are a very good side, but I think we are capable of matching them."
New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (capt), Neil Broom, Brendon Diamanti, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Ross Taylor, Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Iain O'Brien, Aaron Redmond, James Franklin.
Pakistan (from): Younus Khan (capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal.

DIARY-G7, IMF and World Bank meetings in Istanbul Posted by wasif shah , at 12:26 AM, in Labels: BUSINESS

Finance ministers and central bankers from around the globeare gathering in Istanbul for the semiannual meetings of theInternational Monetary Fund and World Bank, which run from Oct.4-7. Finance officials from the Group of Seven will meet onSaturday, Oct. 3. Following is a schedule of the top events. All events are in Istanbul and all times listed are in
Istanbul local time/GMT, unless noted. For related stories, please click on [G7/G8]. Friday, Oct. 2 0930/0630 - World Bank President Robert Zoellick holds a
news briefing. 1100/0800 - IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
holds a news briefing. 1300/1000 - France 24 Debate: "What Now?: The World Beyond
the Crisis" with Robert Zoellick, World Bank Group president;
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, minister of finance, Indonesia; Mahmoud
Mohieldin, minister of investment, Egypt. Saturday, Oct. 3 0900/0600 - IMF European Department Director Marek Belka
holds a news briefing on the economic outlook for Europe. 1000/0700 - IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
and French Economic Minister Christine Lagarde participate in a
discussion on "The Global Crisis and Policy Responses." 1130/0830 - Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer,
Canada Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Mexico Vice Finance
Minister Alejandro Werner discuss "Fiscal Policies for the
Crisis and Recovery." 1315/1015 - Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Josef Ackermann,
chairman of the Institute of International Finance, holds news
conference kicking off IIF annual meeting. 1430/1130 - Policy Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski address
IIF conference. 1530/1230 - G7 finance ministers and central bankers meet.
Delegations hold news conferences following meeting. 1830/1530, approx - G7 ministers are expected to hold news
conferences. Time TBA - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses
IIF dinner. Sunday, Oct. 4 0830/0530 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan speaks at
IIF meeting. 0855/0555 - Brazilian central bank chief Henrique Meirelles
speaks at IIF meeting. 0900/0600 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan and
Urkraine Vice Prime Minister Hryorly Nemyria participate in
discussion on "Crisis, Recovery and Structural Reform in
Emerging Europe and Central Asia." Time TBA - The International Monetary and Financial
Committee, the IMF's steering committee, meets. 1000/0700 - IMF Asia and Pacific Department Director Anoop
Singh holds news briefing. 1045/0745 - Bank of Mexico Governor Guillermo Ortiz,
Hungary Central Bank Governor Andras Simor, Poland National
Bank First Deputy President Piotr Wiesiolek participate in
discussion on "Managing Crisis: Lessons of Global Experience
from Central Banks." 1100/0800 - IMF Western Hemisphere Department Director
Nicolas Eyzaguirre holds news briefing. 1115/0815 - U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman
Sheila Bair speaks at the IIF meeting. 1230/0930 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan addresses
luncheon as part of the IMF/World Bank program of seminars. 1530/1230, approx. - IMFC Chair Minister Youssef
Boutros-Ghali and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
holds news conference. 1700/1400 - Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds
conference call with reporters Monday, Oct. 5 0800/0500 - U.S. Treasury Acting Undersecretary for
International Affairs Mark Sobel, Turkish central bank Deputy
Governor Mehmet Yorukogl, Deutsche Bundesbank Executive Board
Member Hans-Helmut Kotz and Bank of Italy Director General
Frabrizio Saccomanni speak before the Institute of
International Bankers. 0900/0600 - "Future of the Global Financial System" with
European Central Bank Executive Board Member Lorenzo Bini
Smaghi, Brazilian central bank chief Henrique Meirelles and
George Soros participate in a discussion on the future of the
global financial system. Time TBA - Joint IMF, World Bank Development Committee
meets. 1045/0745 - Korea Financial Supervisory Service Senior
Deputy Governor Jang-Yung Lee participates in discussion
moderated by Swedish Central Bank Governor Stefan Ingves on
regulatory reform. 1045/0745 - Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani
Indrawati and ECB Vice President Lucas Papademos participate in
discussion on crisis prevention and resolution. 1200/0900 - Sri Mulyani Indrawati, finance minister of
Indonesia, speaks on the progress of the reform agenda adopted
by the G20 Summit. 1345/1045 - Canadian Finance Minister James Flaherty
delivers speech at luncheon sponsored by Scotiabank 1545/1245, approx. - Mexican Finance Minister Agustin
Carsten, chairman of the IMF/World Bank Development Committee,
World Bank President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director
Dominique Strauss-Kahn holds news conference.

DIARY-G7, IMF and World Bank meetings in Istanbul Posted by wasif shah , at 12:26 AM, in Labels: BUSINESS

Finance ministers and central bankers from around the globeare gathering in Istanbul for the semiannual meetings of theInternational Monetary Fund and World Bank, which run from Oct.4-7. Finance officials from the Group of Seven will meet onSaturday, Oct. 3. Following is a schedule of the top events. All events are in Istanbul and all times listed are in
Istanbul local time/GMT, unless noted. For related stories, please click on [G7/G8]. Friday, Oct. 2 0930/0630 - World Bank President Robert Zoellick holds a
news briefing. 1100/0800 - IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
holds a news briefing. 1300/1000 - France 24 Debate: "What Now?: The World Beyond
the Crisis" with Robert Zoellick, World Bank Group president;
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, minister of finance, Indonesia; Mahmoud
Mohieldin, minister of investment, Egypt. Saturday, Oct. 3 0900/0600 - IMF European Department Director Marek Belka
holds a news briefing on the economic outlook for Europe. 1000/0700 - IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
and French Economic Minister Christine Lagarde participate in a
discussion on "The Global Crisis and Policy Responses." 1130/0830 - Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer,
Canada Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Mexico Vice Finance
Minister Alejandro Werner discuss "Fiscal Policies for the
Crisis and Recovery." 1315/1015 - Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Josef Ackermann,
chairman of the Institute of International Finance, holds news
conference kicking off IIF annual meeting. 1430/1130 - Policy Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski address
IIF conference. 1530/1230 - G7 finance ministers and central bankers meet.
Delegations hold news conferences following meeting. 1830/1530, approx - G7 ministers are expected to hold news
conferences. Time TBA - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses
IIF dinner. Sunday, Oct. 4 0830/0530 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan speaks at
IIF meeting. 0855/0555 - Brazilian central bank chief Henrique Meirelles
speaks at IIF meeting. 0900/0600 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan and
Urkraine Vice Prime Minister Hryorly Nemyria participate in
discussion on "Crisis, Recovery and Structural Reform in
Emerging Europe and Central Asia." Time TBA - The International Monetary and Financial
Committee, the IMF's steering committee, meets. 1000/0700 - IMF Asia and Pacific Department Director Anoop
Singh holds news briefing. 1045/0745 - Bank of Mexico Governor Guillermo Ortiz,
Hungary Central Bank Governor Andras Simor, Poland National
Bank First Deputy President Piotr Wiesiolek participate in
discussion on "Managing Crisis: Lessons of Global Experience
from Central Banks." 1100/0800 - IMF Western Hemisphere Department Director
Nicolas Eyzaguirre holds news briefing. 1115/0815 - U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman
Sheila Bair speaks at the IIF meeting. 1230/0930 - Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan addresses
luncheon as part of the IMF/World Bank program of seminars. 1530/1230, approx. - IMFC Chair Minister Youssef
Boutros-Ghali and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
holds news conference. 1700/1400 - Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds
conference call with reporters Monday, Oct. 5 0800/0500 - U.S. Treasury Acting Undersecretary for
International Affairs Mark Sobel, Turkish central bank Deputy
Governor Mehmet Yorukogl, Deutsche Bundesbank Executive Board
Member Hans-Helmut Kotz and Bank of Italy Director General
Frabrizio Saccomanni speak before the Institute of
International Bankers. 0900/0600 - "Future of the Global Financial System" with
European Central Bank Executive Board Member Lorenzo Bini
Smaghi, Brazilian central bank chief Henrique Meirelles and
George Soros participate in a discussion on the future of the
global financial system. Time TBA - Joint IMF, World Bank Development Committee
meets. 1045/0745 - Korea Financial Supervisory Service Senior
Deputy Governor Jang-Yung Lee participates in discussion
moderated by Swedish Central Bank Governor Stefan Ingves on
regulatory reform. 1045/0745 - Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani
Indrawati and ECB Vice President Lucas Papademos participate in
discussion on crisis prevention and resolution. 1200/0900 - Sri Mulyani Indrawati, finance minister of
Indonesia, speaks on the progress of the reform agenda adopted
by the G20 Summit. 1345/1045 - Canadian Finance Minister James Flaherty
delivers speech at luncheon sponsored by Scotiabank 1545/1245, approx. - Mexican Finance Minister Agustin
Carsten, chairman of the IMF/World Bank Development Committee,
World Bank President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director
Dominique Strauss-Kahn holds news conference.

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Pakistan on Thursday signed agreements worth $899 million in the areas of health, education, governance, and reconstr Posted by wasif shah , at 12:25 AM, in Labels: BUSINESS

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court seized with the sticky issue of sugar price expressed keenness on Thursday to authorise the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to fix the price of sugar instead of leaving it to market forces.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Ghulam Rabbani hearing identical appeals of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and the Punjab Sugar Association against the Lahore High Court verdict requiring Punjab government to ensure the sale of sugar at Rs40 per kg in the province, said it would frame guidelines to supervise the CCP and safeguard interests of all sections, especially consumers, instead of leaving them at the mercy of the commission.

During the period the commission would be listening to the stakeholders, including sugarcane growers, to determine the price, the government would make arrangements to sell sugar at Rs40 as fixed by the high court, the court ordered.

It also directed Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa to submit Rules of the Business of the Chamber of Commerce.

‘We have to strike equilibrium as the entire nation is standing at one side while the government is on the other,’ the Chief Justice observed, adding that instead of strictly implementing orders of the high court the government had filed the appeal.

The bench made it clear that it was not its job to fix prices but its job was to ensure that the executive machinery started functioning.

In exceptionally lengthy proceedings that continued till late evening, the court dismissed the appeal of the Punjab Sugar Dealers for lacking jurisdiction to file the petition after Advocate Farooq Amjad Mir expressed willingness to withdraw it.

The bench also criticised PSMA chairman Iskander Khan for submitting a fake document showing how a meeting of the association that took place in Lahore empowered its secretary general Ali Qazalbash to institute the appeal before the apex court.

Though the court spared the chairman after his admission of guilt since the one-page document faxed from the association’s zonal office in Lahore bore the seal of Islamabad office, but ordered Mr Khan to produce Vice Chairman Javed Kiani on Friday for questioning who, with his signature, had authorised the secretary general to move the court.

Haphazard functioning of the association stunned many in the court room when it transpired during proceedings that the appeal had been filed in the Supreme Court without any resolution being adopted by members of the association as required under relevant rules.

Advocate Shahid Kareem, representing the PSMA, informed the court that the central executive committee of the association had passed a resolution, the copy of which was available in Lahore though the registered office was in Islamabad.

When asked to produce the same, which later turned out to be fake inviting ire of the court, Iskander Khan conceded that no minutes had been recorded and the document was produced in emergency. Secretary General Qazalbash did not attend the meeting which authorised him to file the appeal.

The court expressed its dismay that the appeal was filed without proper authorisation and the PSMA dared to submit the document which prima facie is forged.

‘An attempt has been made to misguide the court by producing a fake document and thus guilty of criminal offence to undermine the authority of the court only to get relief on a petition which is not maintainable,’ the court observed, adding that no concession could be extended to the litigants because of their attitude.

Advocate Farooq Bajwa, who is a grower, briefed the court how mill-owners earned windfall profits at the cost of sugarcane growers by selling by-products and evading taxes. He was asked to submit detailed formulations to substantiate his claims.

The AG told the court that it was not possible to sell sugar at Rs40 as it would have ‘catastrophic’ affect on the agriculture system that would eventually ‘collapse.’

Meanwhile, the CCP in a preliminary report said that prima facie the PSMA and its members were in a serious and continuous violation of Section four of its ordinance which encouraged competition.

‘It appears, prima facie, that the sugar mills under the flag of PSMA are engaged in setting sugarcane price, territorial division for sugarcane procurement, bid, rigging in the TCP (Trading Corporation of Pakistan) tenders, establishing entry barriers by advocating and resisting the opening of new mills and setting sugar prices by making estimates and indulging in collective price negotiation,’ the report said.

The PSMA can no longer be called just a representative of the sugar mills but an organisation which functions as a business decision-making body. The association by the approval of its members has prima facie exceeded its mandate, the report alleged.

There is ample documentation that showed the existence of a buyers’ cartel in the industry, the report said, adding that instead of competing in the open market the sugar mills preferred a closed and protected market which was easily manageable.

US, Pakistan sign aid agreements worth $899m Posted by wasif shah , at 12:24 AM, in Labels: BUSINESS

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Pakistan on Thursday signed agreements worth $899 million in the areas of health, education, governance, and reconstruction.“The agreements bring the total obligations to Pakistan through USAID this year to $920 million,” a statement by the US embassy said.It said a substantial amount of the funds would be provided to the government and local non-governmental institutions to implement programmes in the sectors. Direct budget support worth $174 million for the Benazir Income Support Programme, the income support programme for internally displaced persons and assistance to technical and vocational education activities under the Higher Education Commission are included in the agreements.“These agreements demonstrate the US commitment to help Pakistan enhance the lives of its citizens through improved delivery of services,” Deputy Chief of Mission Gerald Feierstein said.Under the agreements, the US would increase resources to sectors that foster economic growth, including the energy sector. These agreements are in addition to the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, often referred to as the Kerry-Lugar bill, which is expected to further increase development funding for Pakistan to $1.5 billion per year for five years.Congress gave the final go-ahead to the five-year package on Wednesday. The aid would help build schools, roads and democratic institutions in the frontline nation in the US-led campaign against extremism.The bill also stipulates that US military aid would cease if Pakistan does not help fight “terrorists”, including Taliban and Al Qaeda.Senator John Kerry, the co-author of the bill, said the aid plan marked a turning point by responding to the needs of Pakistan’s people rather than just the government.

The U.S. Accepts Karzai, for Better or Worse Posted by wasif shah , at 12:23 AM, in Labels: WORLD

The acceptance by the U.S. and NATO of a second term of office for Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has raised concerns among many Afghans skeptical of the legitimacy of his re-election. That acceptance was announced in Washington and Brussels on Sept. 29, at least a week before Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission releases its final verdict on a recount of thousands of potentially fraudulent votes that could either confirm Karzai's initial first-round victory or — if his tally falls below 50% — order a runoff vote against his closest challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. But while the Western powers may have jumped the gun with the announcement of support, it seems inevitable that Karzai will eventually emerge victorious even after a runoff.

Google Doodle: Mahatma Gandhi tribute on 140th birthday Posted by wasif shah , at 12:21 AM, in Labels: WORLD

The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969, and the 50th of James Watson and Francis Crick’s discovery of the shape of DNA, are among other events recently marked by Google's doodle designer Dennis Hwang.
Last week Google released a special misspelt version of its own name – as "Googlle" – to mark the company's 11th birthday and it recently sparked fevered speculation with a series of UFO themed doodles to mark the anniversary of the birth of the War of the Worlds author, HG Wells.
The images - which included a of light from a flying saucer beam lifting the second O in an apparent abduction, linking to a search page for “unexplained phenomenon”, crop circles and walkers in the Surrey countryside - initially helped fuel internet conspiracy theories.
As well as being celebrated in India as a national holiday known as "Gandhi Jayanti" – October 2 is marked around the world as International day of Non Violence.
Born on October 2 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is celebrated for his ideas on non violent passive resistance.
He is known around the world as the "Mahatma" from the Sanskrit word meaning "Great Soul".
In a tribute to mark the anniversary, Barack Obama praised Gandhi for his influence on modern America through his influence on figures including Martin Luther King the civil rights leader.

http://nt2.ggpht.com/news/tbn/wqRtU50pRFp2BM/0.jpg Posted by wasif shah , at 12:21 AM, in Labels: WORLD

A Burmese court today turned down Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal against her most recent house arrest sentence, her lawyer said.
The opposition leader was convicted and sentenced in August for briefly sheltering an uninvited American at her home earlier this year.
The verdict – which means she will be uable to participate in elections scheduled to take place next year – drew international condemnation.
In her appeal, Aung San Suu Kyi argued that the conviction was unwarranted, but the Yangon division court ruled against her, Nyan Win said.
He said Suu Kyi's legal team would file a new appeal to the supreme court within 60 days, and that today's proceedings had opened up a new possibility for the defence's arguments.
He said the court accepted the argument that the 1974 constitution under which she had been charged was null and void.
However, it said the provisions of the 1975 security law under which she has been kept under house arrest remained in force.
"I think there is a window open over there. They have opened a window," Nyan Win said.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained for about 14 of the last 20 years, was sentenced to another 18 months for sheltering John Yettaw, who swam to her home uninvited.
Yettaw later said he wanted to warn the Nobel Peace Prize winner that he had a "vision" she would be assassinated.
He was sentenced to seven years, but released on humanitarian grounds and deported less than a week after the verdict.
Today's ruling came after the US last week said it was modifying its tough policy of seeking only to isolate Burma's military regime and would instead try to engage it through high-level talks.
Washington said it would not give up its political and economic sanctions against the regime.
It and other western nations apply sanctions because of Myanmar's poor human rights record and its failure to turn over power to Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy after it won elections in 1990.
The 64-year-old pro-democracy leader suggested last week in a letter to the military junta leader, General Than Shwe, that she was willing to cooperate with it to have the sanctions lifted, according to a statement from her party.
She had previously welcomed sanctions as a way of putting pressure on the junta to achieve political reconciliation with pro-democracy campaigners.
The pro-democracy movement has insisted on concessions from the government if the two are to work together, particularly the freeing of political prisoners and the reopening of party offices.

Iran to ship out most of uranium Posted by wasif shah , at 12:19 AM, in Labels: WORLD

GENEVA, Switzerland -- Iran agreed in principle Thursday to ship most of its current stockpile of enriched uranium to Russia, where it would be refined for exclusively peaceful uses, in what Western diplomats called a significant, but interim, measure to ease concerns over its nuclear program

The agreement was announced after seven and a half hours of talks in Geneva that included the highest-level official U.S.-Iranian encounter in three decades.
Iran also pledged that within weeks, it would allow the inspection of a previously covert uranium enrichment facility near the city of Qom, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, announced he would head to Tehran to work out the details.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said the talks marked "a constructive beginning" and showed the promise of renewed engagement with Iran, but he added that "going forward, we expect to see swift action. We're not interested in talking for the sake of talking."
Obama pointedly said Iran must allow unfettered access to the Qom facility within two weeks.
Envoys from Iran and the other nations that met in Geneva -- the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany -- agreed to reconvene before the end of October.
Despite the hopeful signs, Iranian nuclear envoy Saeed Jalili gave no ground on demands that Tehran halt the enrichment of uranium, according to U.S. and European officials who were present.

Job woes colour Irish treaty vote Posted by wasif shah , at 12:17 AM, in Labels: WORLD

The Republic of Ireland's referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is not so much a fight between the Yes and No camps, but a battle between fear and anger.
In Ireland, politics is a national pastime. The treaty has divided politicians, workers and even families; in some cases husbands and wives.
Hanging over the whole debate is the fact that the country is in economic turmoil.
The big fear is that the situation will become even worse.
Huge anger is directed at the politicians and bankers who failed to thwart the economic meltdown.

Irish go to polls to decide fate of Lisbon treaty Posted by wasif shah , at 12:16 AM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

The Irish will today decide the future of the EU when they go to the polls to decide whether to ratify the Lisbon treaty.
For the second time in almost 18 months, around three million Irish citizens will be asked to vote on the proposed legislation.
A majority again vote againstwould be a huge setback to long-running plans for EU reform.
Bookmakers yesterday shortened the odds on the Irish voting in favour of the 2006 treaty, a blueprint for reforming how the 27-nation bloc takes decisions and presents itself to the wider world.
Polls opened at 7am and do not close until 10pm, and the result will be declared in Dublin Castle tomorrow afternoon.
Ireland is the only EU member that requires the treaty to win majority approval from voters.
The Irish rejected it in a referendum last June, but are voting again after EU leaders reaffirmed the country would retain its military neutrality, control over tax policies and right to keep abortion outlawed.
The taoiseach, Brian Cowen, has called on the electorate to back the charter.
"The outcome will determine the future direction of our country ... I am urging people to go out and vote and to think clearly before making this vital decision," he said.
"I am appealing to every person in this country who believes that Ireland and Europe are better together to help achieve a yes vote."
Cowen has ruled out a third referendum if the Irish vote against the treaty again.
Pro-treaty groups say Lisbon will streamline EU decision-making, but campaigners for a vote against claim nothing in the treaty has changed and say it remains a bad deal for Europe and Ireland.
Residents of offshore islands in Donegal, Galway and Clare have already cast their votes, with polls there having opened on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Woman freed from rubble of quake-hit Indonesia school Posted by wasif shah , at 12:14 AM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

PADANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - Rescuers pulled a woman alive from the wreckage of a school on Friday more than 40 hours after she was trapped when a powerful earthquake devastated the Indonesian city of Padang.
A tunnel had to be built into the mound of debris to reach Sari, a 21-year-old student at the STBA Prayoga language school.
A crowd near the school applauded after Sari was taken on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Her eyes were closed but one of her rescuers said she was able to talk.
"She said she was Sari," said Sipayang, a troop involved in the rescue mission. She was covered in dust from the shattered building and did not speak to reporters on the scene.
Rescuers have desperately been trying to find more survivors from Wednesday's 7.6 magnitude quake that the United Nations said has killed more than 1,000 people, while thousands more were feared trapped under damaged buildings.
Earlier, Sari's uncle said he was overjoyed that his niece had been found by rescuers.
"She said 'I'm hungry, thirsty' and they gave her some milk."
The family of Suci, another woman trapped in the school, were still waiting anxiously for the rescue team to reach her.