Illegal SIMs have become a weapon: Rehman Malik

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Sunday that illegal mobile SIMs had become a dangerous weapon.
Speaking to reporters, Malik said that an illegal SIM was used in the attack on a shrine in Nowshera.
The Interior Minister added that terrorists were unable to act in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa yesterday (Saturday) because mobile phone service had been suspended.

Microsoft marks shift with Windows 8, new tablet

NEW YORK: Microsoft unveiled a revamped version of its flagship Windows system Thursday designed for increasingly mobile consumers and previewed Surface, its entry into the hot tablet market.
The new Windows 8 operating system and the new tablet to go on sale Friday mark a new offensive for the US tech giant seeking a new strategy to keep pace with Apple and Google and a dramatic shift away from PCs to mobile devices.
"Windows 8 brings together the best of the PC and the tablet," said Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer.
"What you have seen and heard should leave no doubt that Windows 8 shatters the perception of what a PC really is... It works perfect for work and play and it is alive with your world."
At a New York news event, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will launch Friday in 37 languages and 140 worldwide markets. It can be downloaded beginning at 12:01 am local time worldwide and will be sold at retail stores.
Microsoft is also launching a version called Windows RT, designed for tablets and available pre-installed on new devices including its own Surface tablet.
Some analysts point out the Windows RT offers Microsoft a chance for a fresh start in controlling both hardware and software in a single device.
The new tablet system "represents the best shot Microsoft has against Apple and Google," said Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates. "WinRT is where things are going."
The software giant gambled by changing long familiar user interface features to make Windows 8 compatible with trends toward keeping programs and data in the Internet "cloud" and relying on mobile gadgets at work and at home.
Surface, which seeks to challenge Apple's market-ruling iPads and rivals built on Google's Android software, will be among Windows-powered devices sold in real-world Microsoft stores that will "pop up" on Friday in the United States and Canada.
Microsoft promised that the temporary, holiday-season shops will feature a "curated collection of Microsoft's coolest products."
The news comes two days after Apple introduced its "iPad mini" in a bid to crowd out lower-priced offerings by rivals Amazon, Google and Samsung.
Surface -- a late entry in the market -- has a 10.6-inch (26.9 centimeter) screen and starts at $499, challenging the larger-format iPads.
But Surface appears to be a cross between a tablet and a PC, equipped with a flip-out rear "kickstand" to prop it up like a picture frame and a cover that, when opened, acts as a keypad so tablets could be switched into "desktop" mode for work tasks.
It launches in a crowded market for tablets from Apple, Google, Amazon and others, amid forecasts that global tablet sales will surpass those of PCs within a few years.
Windows 8 and an accompanying version of Microsoft's free Internet Explorer web browsing program were designed to optimize touch-screen capabilities in tablets and various "convertible" PCs.
Windows, the first version of which was launched in the 1990s, remains the dominant PC platform with some 90 percent of the world market. But in the mobile world, it is struggling against Apple's iOS and Google's Android system.
Microsoft reported that pre-sales of Windows 8 have outstripped those of its predecessor by 40 percent.
The Redmond, Washington, company next week will provide details on its new Windows Phone 8 operating system designed for its push into the smartphone market.

Exodus of thousands after Myanmar unrest

SITTWE: Thousands of displaced people have surged towards already overcrowded camps in western Myanmar, the UN said Saturday, after vicious new communal violence that has left dozens dead.
Seething resentment between Buddhists and Muslims erupted this week in a wave of fresh unrest in Rakhine state, prompting international warnings the unrest imperils the nation's nascent reform process.
The official death toll stood at 67. Roughly half the dead were women, according to a state spokesman, who was unable to provide a casualty breakdown by community. Tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingya are already crammed into squalid camps around the state capital Sittwe after deadly violence sparked in June and the United Nations on Saturday said the latest fighting had caused a further 3,200 to make their way towards the shelters. "An additional 2,500 are reportedly on their way," said Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the UN's refugee agency.
Rakhine government spokesman Win Myaing on Friday conceded authorities were struggling to provide relief to an estimated 3,000 Rohingya who had escaped in boats as violence engulfed their townships and had docked on an island near Sittwe. "The displaced are still on the island," he told AFP on Saturday. He said troops were "taking control" of potential hotspots, adding the situation was now "calm" after security forces were deployed to the affected areas where violence erupted on October 21. More than 150 people have been killed in the state since June, according to the authorities, who have imposed emergency rule in the face of continued tension in the region.
President Thein Sein has been widely-praised for overseeing sweeping reforms in the former junta-ruled nation, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the election of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament. But the fighting has posed a threat to the reforms.
"The vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped," a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement released in Yangon Friday. "If this is not done... the reform and opening-up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardised."
A spokesman for the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was "deeply troubled" by the unrest in a statement on Friday and urged "all parties to bring this senseless violence to an immediate end".
Myanmar's 800,000 Rohingya are seen as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh by the government and many Burmese -- who call them "Bengalis". The stateless Rohingya, speaking a Bengali dialect similar to one in neighbouring Bangladesh, have long been considered by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities on the planet.

Iraq Eid attacks kill 10

BAGHDAD: Attacks targeting Shiite pilgrims near Baghdad and a tiny Kurdish sect in Iraq's main northern city killed at least 10 people on Saturday as Muslims marked the Eidul Azha holiday, officials said.
The attacks, which also left at least 20 people wounded, were the latest in a series of bombings and shootings in the past week that have broken a relative calm in Iraq. A magnetic "sticky bomb" attached to a minibus ferrying Shiite pilgrims in the town of Taji, 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of the capital, killed at least five people and wounded 12 others, a security official and medics said. Several officials said some Iranian pilgrims were among the dead and wounded, but it was unclear how many. Differing tolls and details of casualties are common in the chaotic aftermath of attacks in Iraq.
The doctors warned that the toll could rise, and a police captain in Taji said as many as eight people had died in the attack, which struck at 9:30 am (0630 GMT). Shiite pilgrims in Iraq typically use the four-day Eidul Azha holiday, which began on Friday, to either visit relatives, the graves of dead family members, or shrines of key figures located across the country.
In Mosul, 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Baghdad, three attacks targeting the Shabak community killed five people and wounded 10 others, security and medical officials said. In separate shootings, gunmen burst into the homes of Shabak families and killed a total of five people, and wounded four others, including young children, while a bombing in the compound of a family home wounded six.
"The security forces are supposed to be responsible for protecting all the citizens of Mosul," said Qusay Abbas, a Shabak member of the provincial council of Nineveh, of which Mosul is the capital. "This is a very troubling attack." The Shabak community numbers about 30,000 people living in 35 villages in Nineveh, and many want to become part of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. They speak a distinct language and largely follow a faith that is a blend of Shiite Islam and local beliefs. The community was persecuted under ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq they were targeted several times by Al-Qaeda.

India bids farewell to Yash Chopra

MUMBAI: Tributes poured in on Monday for the renowned Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra, dubbed Bollywood's "king of romance", who died in Mumbai aged 80 after suffering from dengue fever.
Newspapers and TV channels dedicated coverage to the Hindi cinema legend who made his name over several decades of directing, producing and screen-writing.
The Mumbai Mirror and Mid Day tabloids published full front-page tributes to Chopra, who died on Sunday, while the Indian Express remembered "The Maker of Dreams", describing him as "one of Bollywood's most successful enterprises".
Some of the industry's biggest names took to Twitter to remember Chopra, including superstar actor Amitabh Bachchan, who recently turned 70.
"Yash Chopra - 44 years of association .. of creativity, friendship, fun and family ties," wrote Bachchan, who starred in some of Chopra's biggest hits including "Deewar" (The Wall), "Kabhi Kabhie" (Sometimes) and "Silsila".
Famous playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose daughter committed suicide earlier this month, described Chopra as a family member.
"Just as I was getting over the grief of my daughter, my brother Yash Chopra... has left me," she wrote.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was quick to honour the late director on Sunday night, describing him as "an icon of Indian cinema" who would be remembered by millions.
"He entertained many generations with his rare creativity," Singh said. "He had an aesthetic talent to make his films look larger than life. His flourish to essay romance and social drama was unmatched."
Chopra worked until the final months of his life and his last film "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" (As Long As I Am Alive), featuring A-listers Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, will be released on November 13.
Chopra told Khan in a televised interview to mark his 80th birthday in September that he was retiring.
He was admitted to Lilavati hospital in Mumbai on October 13 after being diagnosed with dengue -- a common mosquito-borne viral infection for which there is no cure, and which is fatal in a small number of cases.

War in Syria

Almost 150 killed on first day of Syria truce: watchdog *BEIRUT: Almost 150 people died on the first day of a barely-observed truce between the warring parties in Syria, a watchdog said, adding that a fresh clashes on Saturday claimed more lives.* The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said of the 146 people killed in bombings, artillery fire and fighting on Friday, 53 were civilians, 50 were rebels and 43 were members of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Women smokers who quit before 40 gain nine years in lifespan

PARIS: Women can add nine years to their lives by quitting smoking before the age of 40 but still face a 20-percent higher death rate than those who never smoked, a study said Saturday.
Published in The Lancet, a survey of nearly 1.2 million women in Britain showed that smoking throughout adulthood chopped on average 11 years off lifespan.
These results echoed the findings of earlier research conducted on men.
Among women who kicked the habit before the age of 40, the researchers measured an average lifespan gain of more than nine years compared with those who never stopped.
For those who quit before 30 the gains were even bigger -- about 10 years.
"Whether they are men or women, smokers who stop before reaching middle age will on average gain about an extra 10 years of life," study co-author Richard Peto of the University of Oxford said.
But the paper warned this did not mean that it was safe to continue smoking until 40 before quitting.
"Women who do so have throughout the next few decades [of their lives] a mortality rate 1.2 times that of never-smokers. This is a substantial excess risk, causing one in six of the deaths among these ex-smokers."
In Europe and the United States, the popularity of smoking reached its peak among women in the 1960s, decades later than for men.
The Lancet study is one of the most extensive probes into the impacts of smoking on this generation of women, the first likely to have smoked substantially throughout their adult lives.
The research is part of a vast survey that enrolled 1.2 million women in the UK between 1996 and 2001. The volunteers were asked to detail their smoking history, and were followed for an average of 12 years.
The women were on average 55 years old when they signed up. Twenty percent of them were smokers, 28 percent ex-smokers, while 52 percent had never smoked.
The researchers found that the group of women who continued smoking had three times the overall mortality rate of never-smokers.
While the risks increased with the amount smoked, "Even those smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day... had double the overall mortality rate than never-smokers," warned the study.
It also cautioned against so-called "light" cigarettes, smoked by most of the women in the study.
"Low-tar cigarettes are not low-risk cigarettes and... more than half of those who smoke them will eventually be killed by them," the authors warned.
The key causes of death among smokers were chronic lung disease, lung cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Sangla Hill: Five children die in train accident

SANGLA HILL: Five children riding a motorcycle died, as the Shalimar Express came crashing on them on the eve of Eidul Azha that left a family at Nankana Saheb mourning, Geo News reported.
Police said that Shalimar Express crushed the children riding motorcycle to death on the spot due to non-existence of crossing barrier near here.
Three male children and two female are included among the dead. The house burst into crying and sobbing, as the bodies of the children arrived, while the residents in the area demanded action against the railway management.

Flood victims to get Rs40,000 plus seeds: Shahbaz

ROJHAN: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif offered Eidul Azha prayer with the flood victims Friday here, Geo News reported.
The chief minister announced a grant of Rs40,000 per family besides the seeds free of cost to those affected by floods.
Shahbaz Sharif after the Eid prayer took a round of the flood affected areas and distributed gifts among the children on the eve of Eidul Azh. On this occasion, he announced that those affected by floods would be given seeds free of cost besides a sum of Rs40,000 for the reconstruction of their washed away houses through Khadim-e-Ala card. He said that his government has allocated Rs3 billion for the rehabilitation of the flood affected in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

Cellular services restored

ISLAMABAD: After four-hour long suspension on security fears, cellular services in several cities/towns of the country including the federal capital here were restored on Saturday, Geo News reported.
Earlier, cellular services remained suspended for four hours on Friday from 6.00 A.M. in the morning to 10.00 A.M on security fears at some cities/towns across the country, while the citizens had to face the inconveniences.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had announced on Friday that cellular services will be suspended in select parts of the country on the first day of Eidul Azha between 6am to 10am.
Interior ministry sources, however, revealed that cellular services will be suspended in three major cities in Punjab and Sindh, three areas in the Islamabad Capital Territory and several parts of Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Gilgit-Baltistan. They named Karachi, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sargodha, Quetta and Peshawar among the major cities where the services will be suspended.
Cellular services were earlier suspended for security reasons during Eidul Fitr and Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh). Detractors say the suspension of services create a nuisance for the public and overseas Pakistanis, apart from inflicting massive losses on cellular companies and by extension, the national exchequer.

Hong Kong Super sixes: Pakistan beat Holland

HONG KONG: Pakistan in its first match defeated Holland in the Hong Kong Super sixes event underway here, Geo News reported.
Holland batting first made 73 for 4. Yasir Shah took wickets.
Pakistan in reply achieved the target in the fourth over without any loss. Ovais Zia scoring 34 emerged prominent, followed by Umar Akmal 28 not out.
Among other matches the winners were: Hong Kong against Australia, Sri Lanka against Holland, South Africa against Hong Kong, India against Holland, England against Australia and Australia against South Africa.

Eid-ul-Azha being celebrated in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Eidul Azha is being celebrated today (Saturday) across the country with religious fervour and renewed pledge to work for national solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country.
Eidul Azha is celebrated in the commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) readiness to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail (AS) for Allah.
Earlier Eidul Azha prayer large congregations were held in hundreds of small and big towns/cities, while Eid prayers were offered at Eidgahs, principal mosques and open places everywhere in the country besides special prayer were offered for the prosperity and integrity of the country and unity among the Muslim Ummah.
This followed offering sacrifices of animals by the faithfull in accordance with the Sunnat-e-Ibrahim (AS).
President Asif Ali Zardari offered Eidul Azha prayer in federal capital at the President House. The main Eid prayer congregation in the federal capital was held at Faisal masjid, where the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry also offered Eid prayer.
Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad, diplomats of the Muslim countries and other government high officials besides a large number of people offered Eidul Azha prayer at Bagh-e-Jinnah Polo Ground in Karachi.Following the Eid prayer, talking to media, Sindh Governor wished a happy Eid to the entire nation.
In Lahore, hundreds of Eid congregations were held in Eidgahs, mosques and open places, while the main congregation was held at the Badshahi Masjid, where thousands offered prayer including political, social and religious leaders. Muslim League-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Shahbaz, Hamza Shahbaz, and other party leaders offered Eidul Azha prayer at Raiwind Jati Umra.
In Peshawar, Khayber Pukhtunkhaw Governor and Chief Minister, Amir Haider Khan Hoti offer prayer at the Governor House besides large and small congregations were held at hundreds of mosques, Eidgahs and open places all across the province. The main congregation in Peshawar was held at Eidgah, where Federal Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilor besides thousands of people offered prayer.
Stringent security arrangements were made all across the country, especially at places where security threats were earlier reported by the sensitive organizations.
Following the Eidul Azha prayer, the faithful are busy in offering sacrifices of animals in accordance with the Sunnat-e-Ibrahim

Obesity surgery is good for the heart: research

PARIS: Bariatric surgery to help the obese shed weight also reduces risks of cardiovascular disease, according to a review published on Wednesday in the specialist journal Heart.
Restrictive bands on the stomach or surgery to bypass part of the digestive tract are sometimes used to help morbidly obese patients lose weight when drugs or changes in diet and exercise fail.
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, carried out a database trawl to pick out 73 previous studies, covering nearly 20,000 people, that detailed weight and other health issues before and after bariatric surgery.
Three-quarters of the patients were women, whose average age was 41.
After the operation, participants lost on average 54 percent of the excess weight they were carrying, a tally that ranged from 16 to 87 percent.
High blood pressure improved in 63 percent of patients, diabetes in 73 percent and blood cholesterol in 65 percent of them.
A further 18 studies, covering 713 other people, found that surgery led to improvements in the heart function, such as its ability to pump out and refill with blood.
The review was not without limitations, the authors said.
The studies did not look at the same operative techniques or share the same criteria for measuring improvements. There were also blanks in "followup," or monitoring patients for a long time after their operation.
Even so, the picture is strong enough to say that bariatric surgery has gone "beyond the realms of a cosmetic procedure" and to a potentially life-saving option for the right patient, the review said.
It also cautioned of the risks involved in bariatric surgery. Statistics point to a 0.3 percent risk of death, a five percent risk of intestinal obstruction and eight percent risk of an ulcer.

One million children deprived of polio vaccination

KARACHI: At least one million children were deprived of vaccination during the recent polio eradication drive.
According to the National Health Department, the drive had set a target of administering vaccination to 3.4 million children across the country.
Vaccination could not be administered to 400,00 children in Punjab, 300,000 in Sindh, 212,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30,000 in Balochistan and 33,000 in FATA.
Sources revealed that the law and order situation and difficulties in gaining access to children made the task difficult.

No officer should follow illegal orders: Asghar Khan

ISLAMABAD: Air marshal (Retd) Asghar Khan Friday said that under no circumstances should any military or civilian officer follow the orders that were illegal, Geo News reported.
The petitioner of one of the most important cases in the history of Pakistan said this while talking to media outside Supreme Court here.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its short verdict on Asghar Khan case ordered action against all those who were involved in rigging the 1990 election. SC in its order convicted former chiefs of army and Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) of illegally funding politicians to manipulate the polls.
He said he was a living example of what the preached as he as a young flying officer in Royal Air Force had refused to follow the orders to attack Pir of Pagara’s convoy back in 1942 during the British colonial rule.
“I was just one year into my service. I was just 21. British authorities ordered me to attack the then Pir of Pagara’s caravan passing through Hyderabad as Pir sahib had declared a revolt against the colonial oppression. I understood the orders handed down to me were not right”, said the retired air marshal.
He said he had to put up with a strict disciplinary action later, which he faced valiantly, but he never regretted his disobedience, as it was the right thing to do.

PPP MPA shot and wounded in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party’s Member Sindh Assembly, Kulsoom Chandio, has been shot and wounded here on Friday evening, Geo News reported.
Rescue sources informed Geo News that MPA Kulsoom Akhtar Chandio sustained a bullet injury after unidentified gunmen opened fire at her car near Zamzama Street in Clifton area.
She was shifted to Civil Hospital in the wake of attack. Hospital sources confirmed a single bullet-injury. They further added that she was out of danger and doing well.
She was elected on women's reserve seat (PSW-142)from Dadu, Sindh.
Chandio is currently Member Standing Committee on Board of Revenue, Standing Committee on Health, Standing Committee on Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, and Standing Committee on Public Health Engineering.

President urges ADB to lead Diamer-Bhasha Dam funding

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Friday urged the Asian Development Bank to be a lead financier of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project.
He said that early completion of Diamer-Bhasha Dam was crucial in view of its vitality in diversifying the energy mix, production of cheap electricity for ensuring smooth running of the economic cycle and to enhancing storage capacity of much-needed water for ensuring continued agricultural productivity.
During his meeting with the Board of Directors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said that energy shortage and water scarcity were among the major issues faced the country that hindered smooth economic growth and Government’s efforts towards poverty alleviation.
The delegation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) comprised of Maurin Sitorus, Ashok Lahiri, Kazuhiko Koguchi, Jerome Destombes, Richard Edwards, Khin Khin Lwin, Siraj Shamsuddin and Werner E. Liepach.
The President was assisted in the meeting by Finance Minister Dr. Hafeez Sheikh, Chairperson BISP Farzana Raja, Secretary General M. Salman Faruqui, Petroleum Advisor Dr. Asim Hussain, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haq, and other senior officials of the concerned ministries.
Briefing about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President emphasized that being a water-stressed country, it was important for Pakistan to urgently enhance its water storage capacity so as to ensure food security and continued agricultural productivity which was backbone of the country’s economy.
The President said that the project was also crucial as it would be generating 4500 MW of clean and environmental friendly energy to meet the growing demand of a developing economy.
He said that energy shortage was the major issue, which was hampering economic development and growth of the country and was adversely affecting the government’s efforts to overcome imprints of heavy toll in the war against terror and that of the recurring natural disasters.
He said construction of Diamer Bhasha dam was an integral part of Pakistan’s strategy to control natural disasters like the devastating floods, diversify its energy mix by harnessing the renewable sources of clean, affordable and environmental friendly energy, generation of short and long term employment opportunities, particularly to for the locals, and to focus on building massive infrastructure for overall socio-economic uplift of the area and standard of living of people.
He said that the Government has demonstrated its political will and was tapping all avenues for generation of the resources for this project of vital importance.
The President said that the Government was also cognizant of the safeguard policies and concerns and therefore was adhering to ADB’s principles for resettlement of the displaced persons and environmental protection.
The President also appreciated the engagement of the Bank in TAPI natural gas pipeline project that will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.
While expressing the hope for ADB’s continued engagement the President appreciated its role played so far in coordinating and facilitating negotiation process of the project.

Malala out of coma, stands for first time after attack

BIRMINGHAM: Malala Yousafzai has come out of her coma, according to Dav Rosser the medical head of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
According to the Rosser, Malala is expressing her thoughts by writing notes. She is not speaking currently but there is hope that she would start talking soon.
Malala is not on the ventilator as she had a Tracheotomy and is breathing through the tube in her neck.
Malala who has movement of her arms and legs also stood with support for the first time after being attacked by the Taliban in Mingora, Swat ten days ago.
The medical head of the hospital added that Malala’s infection was still a cause of concern.
Malala needs time to recover and needs to be strong enough to undergo reconstructive surgery and her skull bone will need to be replaced either with her own bone or with a titanium plate. The surgery will be conducted weeks to months down the line.
“This is a fluid situation and that she sustained a very, very grave injury and she’s not out of the woods yet. But we are hopeful we will make a good recovery,” Rosser said.
Malala’s Post Coma Photographs Released
Following the media briefing by Dr Rosser, consent was obtained to take and release photographs of Malala.
Malala would like to thank all the well-wishers for their message of support and the doctors and nurses who are treating her.

Asghar Khan case verdict validates BB's stance: Gilani

MULTAN: Senior Vice Chairman PPP Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Friday that the Supreme Court verdict in Asghar Khan case validated Shaheed Benazir Bhutto stance of 'stealing elections in 1990'.
Talking to reporters at the Multan Airport before departing to Islamabad, he said politicians were bribed form IJI for defeating the Pakistan People's Party in 1990 elections.
He said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had rendered sacrifices for the rights of the masses.
Gilani said the PPP with its coalition partners had restored the 1973 Constitution, judiciary and the media as per demands and wishes of the people.
To a question, he said the PPP would resolve the energy crisis and added that the up-coming general elections would be free, fair and transparent.
On a question, Gilani said the PPP always respected all institutions.
Criticising the Punjab government, he said the Punjab government was demanding early elections in the past but now it needed time because many of its development projects were still incomplete.
To a question, the senior vice chairman PPP said expressing the personnel point of view within the party was a beauty of democracy.
He said Mian Manzoor Wattoo was a seasoned parliamentarian and the PPP would get benefit from his experience in general elections.
Gilani said his roots were in the masses and he would remain in the masses.

Asghar Khan case convicts should apologize to the nation: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Friday termed the Supreme Court’s verdict in Asghar Khan case as the victory of nation, Geo News reported.
Addressing a press conference here, the Prime Minister said the truth had finally seen the light.
He said late Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had said that establishment “snitched” the elections of 1990 by bankrolling politicians that too using funds form national exchequer.
The Prime Minister said Benazir Bhutto had always said that the establishment stole the elections.
“She used to say the nation has been short-changed of their mandate. Today, she should be smiling down at us from her heavenly abode”, said he.
PPP would have formed the government in 1990 if the elections were not rigged, the PM said retrospecting.
He said, "The history has been made as history has had us stand exonerated whereas those who contrived this hideous design sitting in the confines of their drawing rooms have themselves become history now."

“History stepped forward to speak for us and fought our case successfully as facts cannot be belied forever”, he said.
Prime minister added that there is no doubt that illegal means were used to defeat the PPP in 1990 elections and the bribers, the bribed, and the plotters of this conspiracy owed an explanation to the nation.
“The faces of all the accomplices in the crimes against the nation should be unmasked. They should beg nation’s pardon for their wrongdoings”, PM Ashraf said.
He assured the nation this case would be investigated in the light of SC order and all the money would be recovered.

“Those involved should be sentenced. This was injustice to all the people of Pakistan”.
He said the tactics used to defeat some candidates and ensure victory of some others was tantamount to murder of democracy.
Replying to a question he said no election cell exists during this era.
To a question he said that FIA will investigate according to the constitution and the finds will be presented to the nation and those found responsible would not be spared.
He said ensuring the elections were free and fair was the top priority of the government and all out efforts were being made in this regard.
Earlier, Supreme Court Friday recommended legal proceedings against a former head of intelligence and former army chief over allegations that politicians were bribed to stop the current ruling Pakistan People's Party from winning the 1990 election.
It was a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court 16 years after retired air marshal Asghar Khan filed a case, accusing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of doling out money to a group of politicians.
Pakistan has had three bloodless military coups in its history and been
ruled by four military rulers.
The late former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, retired army chief Aslam Baig and retired ISI chief Asad Durrani "acted in violation of the constitution by facilitating a group of politicians and political parties", chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said.
Khan died in 2006. He became president in 1988 upon the mysterious death in a plane crash of military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. Baig retired as army chief in 1991 and Durrani from the ISI in 1993.
"Their acts have brought a bad name to Pakistan and its armed forces as well as secret agencies in the eyes of the nation," Chaudhry said, ordering the federal government to "take necessary steps under the constitution and law against them".
The top judge also said that legal proceedings should be initiated against the politicians, who allegedly received donations to spend on the 1990 general election campaign.
The identities of the politicians in question were not named in the court order.
Chaudhry ordered Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency to initiate a
"transparent investigation against all of them and that if evidence was
sufficient, then that the men should face trial".
He said neither the ISI, military intelligence nor any other agency had any role to play in political affairs of the country, the formation of any government or interfering in any elections.
"Involvement of the officers/members of secret agencies in unlawful activities, individually or collectively calls for strict action being, violative of oath of their offices," said the court ruling.

Razzaq replies to PCB’s show cause notice

LAHORE: All rounder Abdul Razzaq has replied to the show cause notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued to him for criticizing Captain Mohammad Hafeez.
In his reply, Razzaq states that his intention was not to cause any controversy and he made the statements in anger. The all rounder submitted his reply after consulting with a legal expert.
“I will be careful in the future,” Razzaq said in the reply.
According to PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar, Razad had breached the players code of conduct and thus had been served a show cause notice.
Upon his arrival from Sri Lanka following the World T20, Razzaq had criticized Hafeez for dropping him from the semi-final squad.

In second debate, Obama faces challenges on key issues

WASHINGTON: Losing ground to Republican Mitt Romney on a host of issues, President Barack Obama faces a serious challenge to put his re-election bid back on track when the two men face off on Tuesday in their second debate.
Obama's passive performance in their first debate two weeks ago and Romney's subsequent surge have raised expectations for a more fiery encounter at New York's Hofstra University.
The Democratic president's team has been encouraged by the feisty performance of Vice President Joe Biden last week in his debate against Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.
Now, with Romney having virtually erased Obama's lead in national polls just three weeks before the November 6 election, Obama is hoping to take advantage of the town hall-style format in Tuesday's debate to make a direct pitch to voters.
Obama is likely to pitch his economic vision, which focuses on a tax breaks for the middle class and tax increases for the wealthy. Romney has called for across-the-board tax cuts and sparred with Obama over whether such a plan would add to the nation's debt problems.
On Sunday, Reuters/Ipsos surveys of likely voters indicated Romney had closed the gap or overtaken Obama in the past two weeks on a range of issues - from who would be better at creating jobs to dealing with taxes and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Although the U.S. unemployment rate dipped below 8 percent last month for the first time since Obama took office in January 2009, Romney now leads the incumbent by 42.5 percent to 39.2 percent among likely voters on the question of who would be better at creating jobs. That reverses a lead of almost 6 points for Obama on that issue on September 30, before the first debate.
The pressure is now on Obama, who has acknowledged he was "too polite" in that debate, to be more confrontational without appearing strident or desperate. For Romney, the task is simply to turn in another sure-footed performance that keeps the Republican momentum rolling.
"Obama can't afford another really bad debate performance, he won't have time to recover," said Bruce Buchanan, a political scientist at the University of Texas. "He's up against it now."
Biden showed his boss the way on Thursday with an energetic debate against Ryan. Both sides seemed happy after that debate, but most polls indicated that more voters saw Biden as the winner, despite criticism of his sarcastic asides, dismissive grins and questions over his claim that the administration was not fully aware of the security needs at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, before an assault there last month that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.
To fire up Democrats while retaining the sympathy of independent voters who like him personally but are uncertain about his leadership, Obama will have to show Biden's passion without his histrionics.
Obama often displays that passion on the campaign trail, comfortably hammering Romney with an easy style. Whether he can do so in the town-hall format of the debate, where undecided voters will ask questions of the two candidates, is an open question.
The intimate setting of that format sometimes restrains candidates from being too aggressive as they focus on questions from individuals rather than a moderator.
"You don't want to be too nasty in front of those voters, you need to have to have your empathy antenna up," said Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire.
But the change in atmosphere from a stilted one-on-one standoff could make Obama "feel more at liberty to be expressive, less somber," Buchanan said. "He's very good at using crowds in a jocular way to attack his opponent. He does that every day on the stump."
ROMNEY'S POLL SURGE
A Reuters/Ipsos daily online tracking poll on Sunday showed Obama leading Romney by 1 percentage point, 46 to 45, down from a 3-point Romney lead last Thursday - a possible sign that the Republican's surge after the first debate could be running out of steam.
But underlying trends in Reuters/Ipsos data are worrying for Obama. They show voters are evaluating Romney more favorably on key issues that could influence how they vote.
The Reuters/Ipsos online data showed that Obama is now behind on who has the better plan for the federal deficit. Obama was ahead by 1 point two weeks ago; Romney now has a significant lead on that issue, 43.4 percent to 29.9.
The former Massachusetts governor has overtaken Obama on who has the best plan for the economy, and now leads on that question by 43 percent to 37.6. Answers to the issues questions have a credibility interval - a way of measuring the accuracy of polls - of around 2.5 percent for each number and are based on samples of 1,700 respondents.
Perhaps because of Republicans' questions over how the Obama administration has handled the Benghazi attack, Romney has even crept up on issues long seen as safe territory for Obama, such as the war on terrorism and dealing with Iran.
The president's lead on Iran has shrunk from nine points two weeks ago to less than one and from 11 points to three on the war against terrorism.
On domestic economic issues, the Reuters/Ipsos data showed that Romney - a former private equity executive who has been battered for months by pro-Obama ads casting the Republican as an insensitive job-killer - has carved into Obama's lead on issues such as taxes and Social Security policy. The president now leads on taxes by 41.5 percent to 39.1, and by 40.9 percent to 37 on Social Security.
Polls also show Romney gaining ground in key swing states that could decide the election, although Obama has retained a slight lead in the vital battleground state of Ohio. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio.
Obama was in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Sunday for debate preparations. He promised in a radio interview last Wednesday to confront Romney more directly on their policy differences.
"I think it's fair to say that we will see a little more activity at the next one," Obama told radio host Tom Joyner.
Romney's camp is getting ready for a much more aggressive Obama, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said on Sunday.
"I think President Obama is going to come out swinging. I think he's going to have to compensate for a poor first debate, and I think that will be consistent with what they have been doing this whole campaign," Portman, who is helping Romney with debate preparations by playing Obama, told ABC's "This Week."
The debate on Tuesday will be followed in less than a week by the final debate, on foreign policy, on October 22, giving the candidates their final chance to shift momentum in the election.
Once the last debate concludes, there will be two weeks before the election and both campaigns will be focused on voter-turnout operations designed to identify supporters and get them to the polls.
"That's the pressure that both candidates face," Scala said. "After these debates the opportunities are going to be very scarce to turn things around."
Presidential debates typically draw fewer television viewers as they go on, making it harder to shift perceptions in later debates. The first one between Obama and Romney drew an audience of 67 million viewers.
Biden's showdown with Ryan raised fresh lines of attack for both parties that are likely to come up on Tuesday, including Libya, abortion rights and Romney's comments in a secretly recorded video about the "47 percent" of Americans who he said are government-dependent victims.

Firing at Abul Hassan Ispahani road leaves four dead

KARACHI: Four people were killed when unidentified armed men opened fire on them at Abul Hassan Ispahani road in the limits of Mubeena Town police station, Geo News reported.
Spokesman for the Ahl-e-Sunnat claimed that all the four deceased were their party workers.
He said the miscreants opened fire at the shop of an activist as result four men were killed.
Meanwhile, SSP Asim Qaimkhani said it was a targeted-killing incident.

Malala arrives in Birmingham for treatment

BIRMINGHAM: Malala Yousafzai has arrived in UK where she will be treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Malala arrived in Birmingham via an air ambulance provided by the UAE.
The decision to send her abroad for treatment was made by the board of doctors treating her Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC)in Rawalpindi and with the consent of her family members.
Malala an outspoken advocate for girls’ education – was shot in the head as she waited for a school bus last Tuesday in Mingora, Swat.
After her initial treatment in a Peshawar hospital, she had been receiving care at the AFIC in Rawalpindi for the past few days.
The decision to send Malala to the United Kingdom had been taken after consultations with her family members and all expenses for her treatment would be borne by the Government of Pakistan, a statement issued by ISPR said.
Earlier Pakistan Ambassador in United Arab Emirates (UAE) had told Geo News that an air ambulance had arrived from UAE to shift Malala abroad as part of the contingency plans.
The ISPR statement further said that Malala’s condition was out of danger and she was improving slowly and steadily. Her ventilator was removed for a while and Malala was breathing on her own.
ISPR spokesman said that 14-year-old Malala, whose shooting has drawn condemnation abroad and at home, will require prolonged care to fully recover physically and psychologically.
Malala has become a potent symbol of resistance against the Taliban's efforts to deprive girls of an education.
The nation has held prayers for Malala's health and protests and candlelight vigils to show solidarity with the 14 year old activist who advocated for the rights of women's education.

September 11 mastermind back in US military court

GUANTANAMO, Cuba: Hearings for the self-proclaimed September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and his co-defendants got under way on Monday at Guantanamo Bay ahead of their trial.
It was a second appearance for him at the special tribunal known as military commissions on the US naval base.
Mohammad and four alleged co-plotters face the death penalty if convicted for the attacks on the United States 11 years ago that left 2,976 people dead.
With prosecutors refusing to reveal information deemed classified and holding parts of the debates behind closed doors, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) rights group and 14 media groups have urged complete transparency.
At issue are the torture and abuse the five men said they suffered at the hands of US authorities, and the classified status that President Barack Obama's administration says covers details of the suspects' treatment, citing national security concerns.

Kamran Akmal to lead Pakistan in Super Sixes

LAHORE: Pakistan on Monday named wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal to lead the side's defence of the Hong Kong Super Sixes title later this month.
Pakistan face arch-rivals India, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in Pool B of the eight-team tournament, with Australia, England, South Africa and Hong Kong in Pool A.
Pakistan beat England in last year's final to secure their fifth title in the tournament, first staged in 1992.
The event will be held on October 27 and 28. The teams consist of six players with one player as substitute.
Squad: Kamran Akmal (captain), Umar Akmal, Owais Zia, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Tanveer Ahmed.

TTP claim responsibility of attack on police in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The banned outfit Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed the responsibility of the attack on police that took place in Matni area of Peshawar. According to the TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan, the banned group killed SP, ten police and FC men, and abducted several personnel. Ihsanullah Ihsan said that the attack was in return to the raid which was launched by the security forces on Taliban training camps in Peshawar.

Watson beats Chang to win first WTA title

OSAKA, Japan: Heather Watson edged past Taiwan's Chang Kai-chen in a marathon final at the Japan Women's Open tennis tournament on Sunday, to become the first Briton in 24 years to win a WTA title.The 20-year-old, in her first WTA final, squandered one match point while leading one set and hit a double fault on 5-4. She had to save four match points in the final set before winning 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) after a match lasting three hours and 11 minutes.Watson, however, failed to achieve a twin triumph when she and Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm lost the doubles final to top seed Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears of the United States 1-6, 4-6.Watson is the first Briton to win a WTA title since Sara Gomer at Aptos back in 1988.For 22 years no Briton had even reached a WTA final until Laura Robson broke the drought with her run to the final in Guangzhou, China last month.Watson, who received the winner's cheque of 37,000 dollars, has also won three ITF titles, at Wrexham and Toronto in 2010 and at Frinton in 2009.

US court clears Samsung phone, setback for Apple

WASHINGTON: A U.S. appeals court overturned a preliminary injunction on the sale of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Galaxy Nexus smartphone on Thursday, dealing a setback to Apple Inc in its battle against Google Inc's increasingly popular mobile software.
Apple is waging war on several fronts against Google, whose Android software powers many of Samsung's devices.
In one of the more visible developments of that battle, Apple scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung in August when a U.S. jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages.
In this case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was considering an injunction ordered before the trial began but which was quickly stayed. The appeals court reversed the injunction entirely on Thursday, saying that the "district court abused its discretion."
Apple failed to prove, the court said, that consumers purchased the Samsung product because of the infringing technology. The court considered a single patent - one which allows the smartphone to search multiple data storage locations at once. For example, the smartphone could search the device's memory as well as the Internet with a single query.
The appeals court has sent the case back to a lower California court for reconsideration.
The Nexus is an aging product in Samsung's lineup, with a collection of new tablets and smartphones intended for launch before the holidays.
On Wednesday, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt called the intensifying struggle between Apple and his company a "defining fight" for the future of the mobile industry.
"We've not seen ... competitive fights on this scale," he said during an interview with tech blog AllThingsDigital at New York's 92nd Street Y.
Apple declined comment. Samsung did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Attack on Malala: 150 suspects held so far

SWAT: Arrests and investigation continue in the wake of the high profile attack by the Taliban on young Malala Yousafzai for raising the voice against their atrocities and for women's right to education in the militants' infested Swat valley.
The police took into custody three brothers from a house in Bara Ghara area during a search operation in Akbarpura, Nowshehra on suspicion of involvement in the assassination bid on the 14-year old activist.
The three brothers identified as Irfan, Abdul Haji and Inaam belong to Mengora area of Swat.
Police are claiming to have recovered arms and documents from the suspects and that they had links with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
According to their mother, her four sons have been arrested.
Two guards of Malala's school, a driver and an accountant have also been rounded up as part of the investigation.
According to sources, some of the arrested people have a direct involvement in the case of attack on Malala Yousafzai.

Proposal moved to hike diesel price, lower petrol

ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Petroleum seeking a hike in the price of diesel and reduction in that of petrol under the government's weekly mechanism for revising the rates of fuel prices, Geo News reported Saturday.
Sources told the Geo News that in the proposal OGRA has recommended a rise of Rs3.16 per litre in the price of diesel and a reduction of Rs2.09 a litre in the rate of petrol.
The summary further proposes to increase the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel by Rs1.92 and Rs1.23 per litre respectively.
It is believed that with the reduction in price of petrol the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will witness a decline of around Rs2 per kilogram.

 

Anti-IMF activists stage rally in Tokyo

TOKYO: Protesters calling for an end to the International Monetary Fund hit the streets of Tokyo on Saturday as the last-resort lender held meetings in the Japanese capital.
About 200 demonstrators marched through the city's upscale Ginza shopping district near the Tokyo International Forum, which is playing host to the IMF and World Bank's annual meetings which wrap up Sunday.
Some protesters also called on Japan to abandon nuclear power in the wake of last year's Fukushima crisis, the worst atomic accident in a generation.
Inside the hall, finance chiefs from the IMF's 188 member countries and representatives from non-governmental organisations gathered for meetings, with a heavy police presence on the streets outside.
"No more IMFs. Power to the people," demonstrators yelled as they marched with anti-IMF banners.
The demonstration in conservative Japan was tiny compared with earlier anti-globalisation protests at meetings of the IMF, World Bank and organisations such as the World Trade Organization.
"We want to tell the world that there still are a certain number of people joining the global anti-IMF movement," said organiser Goro Fujita.
Brazilian activist Diana Aguiar, who was in town for the protest, described the IMF as a "failed institution" whose policies have not succeeded in lifting many countries out of poverty.
"Things have to change and not go back to business as usual," she said.
Some critics of the IMF -- which provides loans and technical assistance to members -- have called for the speedier implementation of planned reforms that give emerging nations a greater say in its affairs.
They have also decried the Fund's focus on quelling Europe's debt crisis as poorer nations suffer from surging food prices

T20 cricket match in Swat cancelled after Malala attack

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cancelled an exhibition Twenty20 cricket match which was scheduled on October 17th in Swat,  on Friday.
The match was to be played between Veterans Eleven and Swat team.

The PCB sources said that the match cannot be played in Swat after the attack on Malala Yousafzai.

Malala Yousafzai, a children rights activist and National Peace Award winner, was critically injured, along with another girl student, after a gunman fired upon her school van on Tuesday in Mingora town of district Swat.

PML-LM backs nationalists’ call for strike on Oct 15

KARACHI: PML-Like Minded (PML-LM) Sindh chapter on Saturday announced its support for October 15 strike call given by nationalist parties against the dual system.
According to a statement, PML-LM President and former Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim said he fully supports the strike call.

He called upon the people of Sindh to reject a public meeting, being organized by the ruling PPP in Hyderabad on the issue of division of Sindh.

He said that those who made a bargaining on Sindh have now baffled.

Can a few cherries a day keep gout away?

NEW YORK: Cherries may no longer be for just topping off ice cream sundaes; in a new study of people with gout, eating the fruit was linked with a 35 percent to 75 percent lower risk of having an attack.
While adopting a cherry regimen sounds pleasant enough, the study's lead author warns that the new study does not prove cherries prevent gout attacks, and he said patients should stick with their current gout medications.

"They can go out and eat the cherries, but they shouldn't abandon their medical treatment at all," said Yuqing Zhang, a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Gout arises when uric acid crystals build up in the joints. The body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines - substances found naturally in the body, but also in certain foods, like organ meats, anchovies, mushrooms and some seafood.

Anything that boosts the production of uric acid, or slows its clearance, also raises the risk of gout. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease are some examples.

Doctors have reported that some patients recommend cherries to prevent gout attacks, but the connection has only been studied a few times before, according to Zhang.

His group's preliminary investigation, published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, is just the first step in understanding the link between eating cherries and gout risk, he told Reuters Health.

For their study, Zhang and his colleagues recruited gout patients over the Internet to take online surveys about their attacks.

All the participants had had a gout attack in the last 12 months, had been diagnosed with gout by a doctor, lived in the U.S. and were at least 18 years old. They also had to release their medical records to the researchers.

For the next year, the gout patients filled out surveys every time they had an attack.

The survey asked questions about the symptoms, the drugs used to treat the attack and about certain risk factors, including what they had eaten.

The patients also took similar surveys at the beginning of the study, and every three months while it was underway.

Of the 633 gout patients enrolled in the study, 224 said they had eaten fresh cherries during the year, 15 said they had consumed cherry extract and 33 had both.

During the year, the researchers collected information on 1,247 gout attacks, which works out to about two per patient.

Overall, the researchers found that eating cherries over a given two-day period was linked to a 35 percent decrease in the risk of having a gout attack during that period, compared to not eating cherries.

Consuming cherry extract was tied to a 45 percent risk reduction, and eating both fresh cherries and extract was tied to a 37 percent lower risk.

The biggest risk reduction, however, came with eating fresh cherries while taking the anti-gout medication allopurinol (Lopurin, Zyloprim). That combination was linked to a 75 percent reduction in the risk of a gout attack.

There are a few possibilities for why these associations exist, researchers say. One is that vitamin C, which is found in cherries, can influence the amount of uric acid in a person's blood, according to Dr. Allan Gelber, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study.

But Zhang said there are still a lot of questions to answer and more studies to be done, including a randomized controlled trial - considered the most rigorous way of demonstrating that a specific substance is responsible for an effect.

Gelber, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said the study also shows that a patient's activities influence their risk of a gout attack - not just their medication.

"It educates the reader that he or she can do something in his or her daily behavior to diminish gout risk. The patient is in the driver's seat," he said. -AGENCIES

Suicide bombing kills 14 at Pakistan market

A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up at a market in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, officials said.
The target of the attack in the town of Darra Adam Khel appeared to be members of a pro-government militia created to fight Taliban militants, the officials said, adding that the death toll may rise because 25 people were wounded and several were in critical condition.

Pakistan's military, one of the biggest in the world, has launched several offensives against the Taliban and other militant groups seeking to topple the U.S.-backed government.

But the operations, which have focused on Taliban strongholds in the unruly ethnic Pashtun tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan, failed to break the back of militant networks.

That is one reason why the government began encouraging tribesmen to revive traditional militias to take on the Taliban and rally their community behind the state.

But those militias frequently come under attack by the Taliban and the militia drive has had limited success.

The bombing destroyed 15 shops and eight vehicles, said senior regional government official Sahibzada Anees.

(Reporting by Jibran Ahmad; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Ron Popeski and Michael Perry)

Murray repeats Olympic dose to set up Djokovic final

SHANGHAI: Andy Murray heaped the misery on Roger Federer on Saturday, taking advantage of an astonishing service meltdown by the Swiss great at the Shanghai Masters to set up a repeat of the US Open final against Novak Djokovic.
The US Open champion, who has never been beaten at the Chinese tournament, won 6-4, 6-4, repeating his victory in the Olympic final that came after the searing pain of defeat to Federer just weeks earlier at Wimbledon.The pair swapped breaks at the start of the match but the first set hinged on an incredible fifth game when 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer was broken to love after the normally ice-cool Swiss double-faulted three times in a row. After taking the first set Murray, who won the Shanghai Masters in 2010 and 2011, immediately put the world number one under the cosh at the start of the second set but the Swiss dug deep to save seven break points and edge ahead.But Federer, 31, continued to struggle and it was the fifth game of the second set that again proved pivotal, with the 25-year-old Scot sealing a break against the Swiss, who had led 40-0, with a devastating forehand return winner.Murray faced an agonising wait of more than half an hour to serve for the match as the magnolia-shaped roof at the Qi Zhong Stadium was closed after it started raining and an army of people descended on the court to dry the playing surface.The players left the court and had to knock up again but third seed Murray kept his nerve to serve out for victory, sealing the match when Federer netted. Earlier, in-form Djokovic accelerated his push for the year-end number one ranking, dismissing the challenge of fourth seed Tomas Berdych in a one-sided match.The Serbian second seed came into the clash with an impressive 9-1 lead against the Czech player in head-to-head match-ups and immediately took charge, dominating the contest to win 6-3, 6-4.Djokovic, who won last week's China Open, faded towards the end of a stellar 2011 but looks fresh as he hunts down Federer at the top of the rankings.The Serbian leads Murray 8-7 in head-to-heads ahead of Sunday's final. Their last meeting was in the US Open final in New York, which Murray won in five sets to win his first Grand Slam.

Turkey condemns U.N. inertia as Syrian conflict deepens

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rebuked the U.N. Security Council for inaction over Syria on Saturday as war intensified across the country, saying the world body of superpowers was repeating mistakes that led to massacres in Bosnia in the 1990s.
President Bashar al-Assad's forces used air strikes and artillery to bombard insurgents on several fronts in the 19-month-old conflict, which risks dragging in regional powers with no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough.

Turkey - increasingly entangled after having intercepted a Syrian airliner carrying what it said were Russian-made munitions for the Syrian army, infuriating Moscow and Damascus - has led calls for intervention, including no-fly zones enforced by foreign aircraft to stop deadly air raids by Assad's forces.

But there is little chance of U.N. support for robust action. China insists any solution to Syria's crisis must come from within while Russia has said many Syrians still support Assad. Western nations meanwhile are loath to commit to any military action that could touch off a regional sectarian war.

"The U.N. Security Council has not intervened in the human tragedy that has been going on in Syria for 20 months, despite all our efforts," Erdogan told a conference in Istanbul attended by dignitaries including Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby. "There's an attitude that encourages, gives the green light to Assad to kill tens or hundreds of people every day."

The bloodshed has worsened markedly in the past two months although neither side has been able to gain a distinct advantage, with government force relying heavily on air power and artillery to batter the rebels.

Combat has been reported nationwide but the crucial strategic battles are being fought in an arc through western Syria, where most of the population lives.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was expected to meet U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on the sidelines of the Istanbul conference later. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week Brahimi would visit Syria soon to try to persuade Assad to call an immediate ceasefire.

The government dispatched warplanes to attack insurgent forces surrounding the Wadi-al-Dayf military barracks near Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province, wounding 22 rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The rebels captured Maarat al-Numan this week, cutting the main north-south highway linking Damascus, Homs and Aleppo, and government forces will need to retake it in order to reinforce and resupply Aleppo - Syria's largest city and commercial hub.

MEMORIES OF SREBRENICA

The U.N. Security Council, divided between Western powers on one side and Russia and China on the other, has proved helpless in halting a conflict which has spiraled into civil war and killed more than 30,000 people.

Erdogan said a system which allowed one or two nations to block intervention in such a grave humanitarian crisis was inherently unjust, and that Syria would go down in history as a U.N. failure much like Bosnia in the 1990s.

"How sad is that the United Nations is as helpless today as it was 20 years ago when it watched the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in the Balkans, Bosnia and Srebrenica," Erdogan told the Istanbul conference.

The July 1995 massacre in Srebrenica was the worst on European soil since World War Two, in which Dutch U.N. peacekeepers abandoned what had been designated a U.N. safe haven to advancing Bosnian Serb forces, who then killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys and bulldozed their corpses into pits.

Turkish officials had expressed hope they might be able to persuade Moscow, which sold Syria $1 billion of arms last year, to soften its strident opposition at the Security Council and that if it succeeded, China would follow suit.

But relations between Ankara and Moscow sank to a new low this week after Turkey forced down a passenger jet flying from Moscow and publicly accused Russia of ferrying military equipment to Assad's forces.

Russia has said there were no weapons on the plane and that it was carrying a legal shipment of radar equipment.

REBELS CONTROL BORDER TOWN, FOR NOW

Elsewhere on Syria's battlefronts on Saturday, government forces rained mortar fire down on the opposition-held Khalidiya neighborhood of the city of Homs, the Observatory said. Explosions were felt throughout the besieged district.

To the south of Damascus near Deraa - cradle of the uprising which began with peaceful street rallies - Assad's troops and rebels were fighting on the edge of the town of Maarba.

After four days of heavy fighting in the town of Azmarin on the Turkish border, the rebels appeared to have a fragile hold.

"Praise be the town is now in our hands ... We have raised two flags inside the town and the battles are over. Azmarin is completely under our control," one resident, who did not want to be named, told Reuters by telephone from inside the town.

But a few km (miles) along the border clashes continued in the Syrian town of Darkush, where the crack of gunfire and sporadic sound of shelling could be heard from Turkey.

In a preliminary death toll across the country for Friday alone, the Observatory listed about 160 dead. Among them were a 3-year-old child killed in a bombardment of old Aleppo, a district whose ancient buildings have been severely damaged.

Tensions between Ankara and Damascus have also worsened. Turkey scrambled two fighter jets on Friday after a Syrian helicopter bombed Azmarin and has warned of a more forceful response if Syrian shells continue to fly over the border.

Syria's state news agency SANA said Damascus was ready to accept a Russian proposal for a Syrian-Turkish joint security committee to try to contain the border violence. There was no confirmation of this from the Turkish side.

(Reporting by Angus MacSwan in Beirut and Jonathon Burch on the Turkey-Syria border; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Pak invite Iran to invest in gas pipeline

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has offered Iran to invest in the construction of the gas pipeline. The government is expected to issue tenders for laying the gas pipeline in the coming week.
Iranian Ambassador Ali Raza met petroleum advisor Asim Hussain in Islamabad.
According to sources from the petroleum ministry the petroleum advisor asked the Iranian ambassador for Iran to participate in the construction of the gas pipeline in Pakistan.
According to officials of the Inter-state Gas System Company present in the meeting, Iran has been asked to help in the construction of the pipeline from the Iranian border. It is expected that the construction of this pipeline will start by December.
To import 750 million cubic feet gas daily from Iran, Pakistan need to lay a 780 km pipeline, expected cost of which is 1.5 billion dollars where as the supply from this pipeline is expected to commence from December 2014.

Obama touts benefits of auto bailout as debate looms

President Barack Obama sought on Saturday to sustain momentum from Vice President Joe Biden's strong debate showing by touting the benefits of one of his signature actions, the rescue of the U.S. auto industry, as he prepared for his next debate with Republican Mitt Romney.
"We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "We bet on American workers and American ingenuity, and three years later, that bet is paying off in a big way."
The president will drop from view for several days to prepare for his second debate with Romney on Tuesday. By focusing on the health of the auto industry, currently benefiting from strong sales, Obama is reminding voters he came to the industry's rescue. Romney had opposed government help for automakers.
Obama is hoping to build on Biden's confident performance at the vice presidential debate on Thursday after his own listless debate performance last week gave Romney a sharp boost in opinion polls. He meets the Massachusetts governor for the second of three debates on Tuesday evening in a town-hall format.
In his address, Obama highlighted trade agreements that helped promote sales of U.S. autos abroad. Romney has called the Obama administration's record on trade weak and promised to wage much more aggressive campaigns to open markets abroad to U.S. goods and services.
"I want to see more cars on the road in places like South Korea imported from Detroit and Toledo and Chicago," Obama added.
Obama also said that "after 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and light trucks will average almost 55 miles per gallon - nearly double what they get today."

Apple likely to launch iPad mini in Oct 23 event

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc will host an event on October 23, said a source familiar with the plan, in what is expected to be the unveiling of a smaller iPad to venture into a market staked out well in advance by rivals Amazon.com Inc and Google Inc.
Speculation has swirled for months that Apple was planning a smaller, less expensive version of its popular iPad to take on cheaper competing devices, a move that analysts say may hurt its margins but prevent its arch-rivals from dominating an increasingly important computing segment.
The consumer device giant is gearing up to unveil a new product at a major October 23 event, said the source who declined to be named, days before Microsoft Corp unveils Windows 8 and its new Surface tablet on October 26.
The source did not specify what the product would be. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
News of the event was earlier reported by tech blog AllThingsD.
The device, which many expect will sport a screen between 7 and 8 inches, is deemed by analysts to be the iPhone makers' attempt to finally get into the fast-growing market.
A smaller iPad will directly compete with e-commerce giant Amazon's Kindle Fire HD tablet and Google's Nexus 7, both of which have 7-inch screens and are priced at $199. The first Kindle Fire, launched last year, went on to grab about a fifth of the U.S. tablet market.
The Nexus 7, manufactured by Asus, has also seen a successful start with the tablet selling out soon after launch.
One Wall Street analyst said he saw the smaller tablet -- dubbed iPad mini by the media -- while visiting component suppliers in Asia.
"We actually had the opportunity to play with a pilot iPad Mini used by one of the vendors," Topeka Capital analyst Brian White said. "This 7.85-inch iPad Mini fit our hands like a glove and we were easily able to tuck the device in our sport coat, offering consumers a more mobile iPad experience for certain use cases."
Apple events are typically among the most-watched items on the industry calendar, monitored by consumers and tech investors alike. The event in two weeks however comes at a time of volatility for the most-held tech counter.
Apple shares were up 0.75 percent at $632.84 in the afternoon, barely recouping significant losses over the past three weeks as investor cashed out after it touched an all-time high of $705.07 on September 21.
While the stock is up 55 percent this year, it is currently down 10 percent from its record high following concerns about disruptions to iPhone supply after a September riot at one of the plants operated by its main contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology, and harsh criticism from consumers and reviewers about a wealth of errors in its crucial Maps service.
NEW SEGMENT FOR APPLE
Apple's s fiscal fourth quarter financial results are scheduled for October 25, two days after the event, offering analysts a rare opportunity to grill executives about their thinking around a new product just after details are unveiled.
A mini version of the iPad marks a departure for the company that now has just one 9.7-inch iPad, though it does come with various storage options and starts at $499.
Late Apple founder Steve Jobs famously derided the 7-inch screen as unwieldy for tablet applications, saying the devices should come with sandpaper so that users can file down their fingers to use them.
But an internal email -- revealed during a recent patent trial against Samsung -- showed Internet chief Eddy Cue arguing that there was a market for a 7-inch tablet and that Apple should have one. The email, sent in early 2011 to top Apple executives, said Jobs had warmed up to the idea of a smaller tablet.
Struggling Silicon Valley technology icon Hewlett Packard was among the first to show, albeit unwittingly, that there was indeed a healthy market for cheap tablets. Sales of the TouchPad took off after the company slashed the price to $99 from $399 and $499, after deciding to kill the product.

Grammys give Whitney Houston a glittering salute

LOS ANGELES: Whitney Houston was given a final sendoff by the Grammys on Thursday as Halle Berry, Britney Spears, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and other stars shared their memories and performed in homage to the late singer.
Academy-award winner Berry made a tearful introduction at the "We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston" special, and praised the "unforgettable" performer.
"She inspired a generation of little girls and women to believe in their own dream and to know that they had within themselves the greatest gift of all. I was one of those little girls who then became a woman who never ever, ever, stopped loving Whitney Houston," Berry said.
The event was attended by Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who was joined by boyfriend Nick Gordon and sister-in-law Pat Houston.
Noticeably absent was Houston's mother, Cissy, and her brother Gary. Record label executive Clive Davis, who discovered the late singer, sat alongside the family in the front row.
The tribute comes towards the end of a year in which the music world was rocked by Houston's sudden death at age 48 in February. She was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub on the night before the Grammy awards, from what authorities said was accidental drowning brought on by cocaine use and heart disease.
A homage to Houston was quickly put together at the Grammy awards in February with Jennifer Hudson singing a heart-felt rendition of "I Will Always Love You" on a stage lit by a single spotlight. Later in May, R&B star Jordin Sparks, who co-starred with Houston in the late singer's final movie "Sparkle," sang the same song at the Billboard Music Awards in tribute.
There was no mention of Houston's turbulent personal life and history of drug abuse on Thursday as the Grammy organizers decided to focus on the late singer's career achievements and best-known performances, including her rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Superbowl.
Hudson on Thursday channeled Houston's style from the 1980s with big hair and a glittering blazer, performing more uptempo numbers with a medley of "I'm Every Woman," "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody".
R&B star Usher sang "I Believe In You And Me" and gospel singers Cece Winans and Yolanda Adams delivered a rousing performance of "Count On Me," which had Houston's family in tears.
Canadian singer Celine Dion was on the bill to perform on the night but was unable to make it, taping her rendition of "The Greatest Love Of All" in Canada to air during the televised special.
The event organizers decided to leave Houston's best-known song, "I Will Always Love You," to the late singer, showing a tape of her singing at the 1994 Grammy awards.
Presenters at the event shared their memories. Pop star and "X Factor" judge Spears said her version of Houston's "I Have Nothing" scored her a deal with a record label and started her career.
The audience were also treated to exclusive interviews from the early days of Houston's career, showing her talking about fame, philosophy and religion.
The one-hour CBS special will be aired on November 16.

Tom Hanks to make Broadway debut in new Nora Ephron play

NEW YORK: Tom Hanks will make his Broadway debut playing a tabloid journalist in "Lucky Guy", a new drama by the late Nora Ephron, producers said in a statement on Thursday.
The Hollywood star will continue his long collaboration with Ephron that has included "Sleepless in Seattle" in 1993 and "You've Got Mail" in 1998. Ephron died in June at the age of 71 of complications from leukemia.
Based on a true story, "Lucky Guy" opens in April next year, the statement said, and dramatizes the rise and fall of former tabloid columnist Mike McAlary as he covers the police scandals of a polarized, crime-ridden 1980s New York. McAlary died aged 41 in 1998.
Hanks, 56, has won two best actor Oscars for his performances in "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump" and is known for other popular films, but his stage acting has been limited to small Shakespeare productions in the 1970s.
Ephron started as a tabloid reporter before becoming known as a writer of essays, books and screenplays. She penned romantic comedies such as 1989's "When Harry Met Sally", and wrote and directed 2009's "Julie & Julia".
"Lucky Guy" is billed as a drama with touches of her famed acerbic tone.
Her first Broadway play, "Imaginary Friends", was produced in 2002 and starred Cherry Jones and Swoosie Kurtz. The play was largely panned by critics.
She also co-authored "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" with her sister Delia, which was performed Off-Broadway to positive reviews in 2009 and enjoyed a long run followed by a national tour.