Showing posts with label World News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World News. Show all posts
Saturday, October 24, 2009
little child at WAGHA border
"NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD, . SO, GET BACK TO WORK AND DON'T WASTE TIME !!"Bye......... Bye......
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Monday, October 19, 2009
ISLAMABAD (Rehman): Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday underlined the need that Islamabad and Washington should bolster steps to bridge the mutual trust deficit.Gilani expressed these views while talking to General Davis Patraeus, the US Central Command Chief and Isaf commander in Afghanistan General McCrystal at the PM House.
Gilani told the international community should come forward with adequate financial assistance to help Pakistan for relief and reconstruction in the areas affected due to military operation against terrorism.
He also noted Pakistan Army’s sacrifices in the war on terror, adding it had the support of national political leadership in its military action.
General Petraeus said the United States acknowledges the sacrifices of Pakistan in the war on terror.Gilani meets Gen Petraeus, Isaf Commander
Gilani also on Monday met the US Central Command Chief General David Petraeus and Isaf commander in Afghanistan General McCrystal.
General David Petraeus and General McCrystal arrived here on Monday are also due to meet the Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani during their visit.
According to the sources, both general they would hold talks to provide weapons for monitoring the conversation of militants besides the glasses which are used to see at night.
They would also discuss provision of more gunship helicopters besides Kerry-Lugar bill. Both are set to exchange detailed views on the ongoing war on terrorism and military operation to flush out militants from the rugged South Waziristan tribal region
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
Air strikes kill six militants: army
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan's army said air strike killed six confrontational would-be suicide bombers and shattered the training base they were holed up in after an overnight operation in the anxious northwest.
Air support was called in after aptitude and local people said a suicide attack brains was present in the town in Swat valley, where the army previously said an operation had empty the area of militants.
"At least six would-be suicide bombers were kill in the shelling by gunship helicopters, the same place was being used as initiation pad for training the suicide attackers," an army statement late Friday said.
A military official in Mingora, the main town in Swat and 20 kilometres (12 miles) from where the air raid was carried out, long-established the strike in Mangaltan area and the death toll, adding more than a few militants were also wounded.
Pakistan's military previously said it had vacant Swat of Islamist extremists in an offensive launched previous this year after militants extended their grip into the vale.
Separately, the bullet-riddled bodies of six suspected Taliban rebels were Saturday found in a village in Swat valley eight kilometres from Mingora, police said.
"Six badly mutilated bodies were found from two dissimilar places at Odigram," Ghulam Farooq, a senior police bureaucrat told AFP by telephone, adding that the bodies had bullet wounds.
It was not clear who had kill them.
Earlier this month, 18 suspected militants turned up dead in Swat under similar circumstances. A military official said that since July almost 200 bodies of militants and some civilians had been establish in the region.
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Air support was called in after aptitude and local people said a suicide attack brains was present in the town in Swat valley, where the army previously said an operation had empty the area of militants.
"At least six would-be suicide bombers were kill in the shelling by gunship helicopters, the same place was being used as initiation pad for training the suicide attackers," an army statement late Friday said.
A military official in Mingora, the main town in Swat and 20 kilometres (12 miles) from where the air raid was carried out, long-established the strike in Mangaltan area and the death toll, adding more than a few militants were also wounded.
Pakistan's military previously said it had vacant Swat of Islamist extremists in an offensive launched previous this year after militants extended their grip into the vale.
Separately, the bullet-riddled bodies of six suspected Taliban rebels were Saturday found in a village in Swat valley eight kilometres from Mingora, police said.
"Six badly mutilated bodies were found from two dissimilar places at Odigram," Ghulam Farooq, a senior police bureaucrat told AFP by telephone, adding that the bodies had bullet wounds.
It was not clear who had kill them.
Earlier this month, 18 suspected militants turned up dead in Swat under similar circumstances. A military official said that since July almost 200 bodies of militants and some civilians had been establish in the region.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Obama reaches out to Islamist parties in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama has started reaching out to some of Pakistan's most fervent Islamist and anti-American parties, including one that helped give rise to the Taliban, trying to improve Washington's image in the nuclear-armed state.Obama's special envoy, Richard Holbrooke, is initiating dialogue between the United States and religious parties previous administrations had largely shunned, both sides said."The purpose is to broaden the base of American relations in Pakistan beyond the relatively narrow circle of leaders Washington has previously dealt with," explained Vali Nasr, senior adviser to Holbrooke.John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Bush presidency, questioned Holbrooke's timing for trying to engage Taliban sympathisers on the eve of elections in neighbouring Afghanistan, where U.S. forces are battling the hardline Islamic group."As a general proposition, democracy in Pakistan is fragile enough now that negotiating with people that some on the democratic side of the Pakistani spectrum would think themselves are terrorists strikes me as fairly risky," Bolton said."What we ought to be doing is making sure that our ties with the military are strong because the gravest risk is radical penetration of the military."At one of this week's sessions, Liaqat Baloch, a top member of the religious, right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party, told Holbrooke he welcomed the new administration's public change in tone towards Muslims around the world.But Baloch said he was disturbed to see "no change in practice" in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Obama has stepped up military operations against the Taliban on both sides of the border.Holbrooke invited Jamaat-e-Islami, whom some U.S. officials compare to the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, to visit the heavily guarded American embassy compound in Islamabad, seeking to dispel long-running rumours that thousands of U.S. Marines would be based there."NEW ERA"Holbrooke rejected the party's complaints about a Western "assault" on Islam, saying "that could not be further from the truth" with Obama, who has roots in the religion, now in the White House.Fazl-ur-Rehman, whose Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Islam party was active in rousing support for the Taliban in 1990s, also got an audience with Holbrooke and his team.Rehman denies al Qaeda's responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and once warned that if U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan, no American in Pakistan would be safe.In more recent years, however, Rehman's relationship with the Taliban has grown uneasy, and he has publicly supported negotiations between the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and the Islamist group."His hands aren't exactly clean," Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation said of Rehman. "He is associated with the Taliban."But she described his party as a legitimate political force that has met with U.S. officials in the past.Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari praised Holbrooke's meetings with Islamist parties as "a new era" aimed at promoting reconciliation and dialogue instead of "the violent mindset"."We need to help Obama. He's a breath of fresh air to the world," Zardari told reporters travelling with Holbrooke.Dressed in colourful turbans and traditional robes, most of the parliamentarians and clerics representing religious parties as well as tribes appeared to relish access to Obama's point-man for Pakistan and Afghanistan."It's good he's listening," said parliamentarian Munir Khan Orakzai of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas -- ethnic Pashtun lands on the Afghan border -- after pressing Holbrooke for a bigger share of development aid dollars.Holbrooke, who has been meeting mainly Pakistan's political and military establishment, called his nearly hour-long session with Baloch's Jamaat-e-Islami "the most intellectually sustained debate I've ever had in this country".But immediately after their meeting, Baloch and his delegation took to the streets, leading a protest against U.S. policy in Pakistan and the region.
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Paid Survey
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ONLINE AD POSTING JOBS
It is one of the popular ways of earning online. But this program requires some investment. In this program companies pay you for posting their ads on classified websites. In this job registration to those companies is not free. There are many packages of these companies. However these companies facilitate you with online training, software and list of cgi and non cgi websites. You can earn this way 10 cents to 30 cents per ad post.Requirement for these jobs is computer with internet access with better browsing speed.You can search these sites by any search engine with key words ‘ad posting jobs’ ‘work at home’ online jobs’ etc.
Email List Compiling Job
Email list compiling is another way of earning money online. In this way you have to provide email addresses and names of the people.Registration to these sites also demand registration fee. You can search these sites by any search engine using key words ‘ad posting jobs’ ‘work at home’ online jobs’ etc.So these are the simple ways to earn money online. Try these programs. I hope you will earn money through these programs.I wish best of luck for you. Thanks
A.REHMAN KHAN
923009651192
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Google AdSense
One of the most popular ways to earn money online is through advertising programs Google AdSense. It is very simple and easy way. In Google AdSense you need computer with internet connection .you need valid gmail address. The main thing in Google AdSense you need is your own website. You may create it at free domain without paying single penny or you can also create by paying domain fee. You can also create your own blogspot without payment it is totally free. The data in your web site or blogspot should not be sexual and should not be stolen from other websites.Now next step to earn money through Google AdSense is to register your website or blogspot to advertising programs Google AdSense. Registration to Google AdSense is totally free. Once you registered at Google AdSense Google team will paste Ads on your website or blogspot. Now you will have to advertise your website or blogspot. The money you will earn depends upon the traffic or visitors that visit your website or blogspot more the visitors more the money you will earn. As the visitor visit your site and click on Ads by Google the Google will pay you for per click or also pay you for only visiting your site. So try this online earning program and make dollars online. I hope you will try this program.
Earning Money by Web Browsing
Web browsing is another way to earn money online. It is very simple and easiest way to earn money online. In this way you will paid to browse websites and viewing Ads on those websites. You will have to click on ad and view that ad for at least 30 seconds. The time will show on top of the website. In this online earning program you will have not need any own website. The requirement for this online earning program is computer with internet access. If you have a computer with internet connection then registered to the sites that pay for browsing their sites and viewing Ads. Some of those sites demand registration fee but most of them are free to register.You can search these sites by any search engine with key words ‘paid to click’ or ‘paid to browse’ etc.
Paid Survey
Paid survey is another way to earn extra income online. In this program many companies pay the people for their opinion. In this way of earning you have to share your opinion and companies pay you for spending your time with them. It is very simple way of earning online. There are many websites that provide you online surveys. Some of those require registration fee but most of them are free to register. Requirement for this way of earning is computer with internet access. You can search these web sites by any search engine using key words ‘online paid survey’ ‘paid for your opinion’ etc.Note that people from United States, Canada and United Kingdom have more chances to earn from paid surveys earning program than other world because most of surveys are only for people from United States, Canada and United Kingdom.
ONLINE AD POSTING JOBS
It is one of the popular ways of earning online. But this program requires some investment. In this program companies pay you for posting their ads on classified websites. In this job registration to those companies is not free. There are many packages of these companies. However these companies facilitate you with online training, software and list of cgi and non cgi websites. You can earn this way 10 cents to 30 cents per ad post.Requirement for these jobs is computer with internet access with better browsing speed.You can search these sites by any search engine with key words ‘ad posting jobs’ ‘work at home’ online jobs’ etc.
Email List Compiling Job
Email list compiling is another way of earning money online. In this way you have to provide email addresses and names of the people.Registration to these sites also demand registration fee. You can search these sites by any search engine using key words ‘ad posting jobs’ ‘work at home’ online jobs’ etc.So these are the simple ways to earn money online. Try these programs. I hope you will earn money through these programs.I wish best of luck for you. Thanks
A.REHMAN KHAN
923009651192
Read more...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Michael Jackson's mom gets custody
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's 79-year-old mother was awarded custody of the singer's three children on Monday and given more time to spell out objections to having two music executives administer his multi-million dollar estate. Judge Mitchell Beckloff officially admitted the pop singer's 2002 will into probate court and extended until October 2 the temporary control of the "Thriller" singer's estate granted to executors John Branca and John McClain.
Michael Douglas' son arrested for drugs: reports
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cameron Douglas, the son of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas, has been arrested on drug charges, media reports and authorities said on Monday. Douglas, 30, was arrested in New York for possession of what The New York Post reported was a "massive amount" of crystal methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.
Reality stars Jon & Kate back on air after split
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. reality television show about a family with eight children was back on air on Monday -- despite the parents splitting up. The show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," aired by cable channel TLC, resumed after a six-week hiatus spawned by the break-up of parents Jon and Kate Gosselin which sent ratings soaring.
CBS hopes wardrobe fix will restore "CSI" ratings
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - New "CSI" star Laurence Fishburne is getting a makeover after ratings for the veteran crime drama fell sharply upon his arrival last season. Fishburne wore glasses and suits during his introductory season, when he took over for departing lead William Petersen.
CBS says no plans to change focus on scripted shows
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CBS television, the most-watched U.S. network, has no plans to change its primetime schedule of mostly scripted programing to include more reality shows, Entertainment President Nina Tassler said on Monday. Tassler also told TV critics at a meeting previewing the upcoming 2009 fall season that CBS was confident about meeting the challenge of Jay Leno moving his NBC chat show to primetime in September in a major shake-up of network TV.
Roger Daltrey plots rare North American solo tour
DETROIT (Billboard) - With the Who inactive for the moment, Roger Daltrey is gearing up to launch his first solo tour of North America since 1985. The Use It Or Lose It theater trek -- a nod to the 65-year-old singer's vocal cords -- kicks off October 10 in Vancouver, B.C., and runs through November 30 in Clearwater, Fla.
Kara DioGuardi returns to "Idol," no word on Paula
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kara DioGuardi, who made her debut this year as the fourth judge on No. 1-rated TV singing show "American Idol," will return to the panel for the upcoming ninth season, producers said on Monday. But the fate of Paula Abdul, who has been on the show's judging panel since its inception in 2002, is still up in the air with only a few days to go before auditions begin for the new season.
Rather sues to return CBS execs to $70 million suit
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former TV news anchor Dan Rather sued CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward on Monday in a bid to have them reinstated as defendants in his $70 million lawsuit against the network. In a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Rather accused the two men of fraud relating to his claim that CBS made him a scapegoat in a scandal over a 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's military record.
Carla Gugino lands "Sucker Punch"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Carla Gugino has been cast in "Sucker Punch," an action fantasy from "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder. The 1950s-set tale follows a girl (Emily Browning) confined to a mental institution by her evil stepfather, who intends to have her lobotomized in five days. She and her friends enter an alternate reality where they begin planning an escape. Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish co-star.
"Tourist" traps Theron, Worthington
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Charlize Theron and Sam Worthington finally got their passports. The Oscar-winning actress and the much-in-demand Aussie star, who is taking over for Tom Cruise, have signed on to a remake of the 2005 French spy thriller "The Tourist."
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Michael Douglas' son arrested for drugs: reports
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cameron Douglas, the son of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas, has been arrested on drug charges, media reports and authorities said on Monday. Douglas, 30, was arrested in New York for possession of what The New York Post reported was a "massive amount" of crystal methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.
Reality stars Jon & Kate back on air after split
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. reality television show about a family with eight children was back on air on Monday -- despite the parents splitting up. The show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," aired by cable channel TLC, resumed after a six-week hiatus spawned by the break-up of parents Jon and Kate Gosselin which sent ratings soaring.
CBS hopes wardrobe fix will restore "CSI" ratings
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - New "CSI" star Laurence Fishburne is getting a makeover after ratings for the veteran crime drama fell sharply upon his arrival last season. Fishburne wore glasses and suits during his introductory season, when he took over for departing lead William Petersen.
CBS says no plans to change focus on scripted shows
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CBS television, the most-watched U.S. network, has no plans to change its primetime schedule of mostly scripted programing to include more reality shows, Entertainment President Nina Tassler said on Monday. Tassler also told TV critics at a meeting previewing the upcoming 2009 fall season that CBS was confident about meeting the challenge of Jay Leno moving his NBC chat show to primetime in September in a major shake-up of network TV.
Roger Daltrey plots rare North American solo tour
DETROIT (Billboard) - With the Who inactive for the moment, Roger Daltrey is gearing up to launch his first solo tour of North America since 1985. The Use It Or Lose It theater trek -- a nod to the 65-year-old singer's vocal cords -- kicks off October 10 in Vancouver, B.C., and runs through November 30 in Clearwater, Fla.
Kara DioGuardi returns to "Idol," no word on Paula
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kara DioGuardi, who made her debut this year as the fourth judge on No. 1-rated TV singing show "American Idol," will return to the panel for the upcoming ninth season, producers said on Monday. But the fate of Paula Abdul, who has been on the show's judging panel since its inception in 2002, is still up in the air with only a few days to go before auditions begin for the new season.
Rather sues to return CBS execs to $70 million suit
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former TV news anchor Dan Rather sued CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward on Monday in a bid to have them reinstated as defendants in his $70 million lawsuit against the network. In a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Rather accused the two men of fraud relating to his claim that CBS made him a scapegoat in a scandal over a 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's military record.
Carla Gugino lands "Sucker Punch"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Carla Gugino has been cast in "Sucker Punch," an action fantasy from "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder. The 1950s-set tale follows a girl (Emily Browning) confined to a mental institution by her evil stepfather, who intends to have her lobotomized in five days. She and her friends enter an alternate reality where they begin planning an escape. Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish co-star.
"Tourist" traps Theron, Worthington
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Charlize Theron and Sam Worthington finally got their passports. The Oscar-winning actress and the much-in-demand Aussie star, who is taking over for Tom Cruise, have signed on to a remake of the 2005 French spy thriller "The Tourist."
Read more...
Oil Prices Retreat After Rally
NEW YORK – Crude-oil futures fell Tuesday as traders took profits after oil prices advanced more than 13% in the past three trading sessions.
Light, sweet crude for September delivery recently traded down $1.05, or 1.5%, at $70.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange traded 53 cents, or 0.7%, lower at $73.02 a barrel.
Oil prices rapidly rose from around $63 a barrel last Wednesday to more than $71 a barrel Monday, as promising economic data from China, Europe and the U.S. raised hopes that the world economy is in the early stages of recovery from the worst downturn in decades.
Tuesday's retreat signifies little more than the market taking a breather, analysts said. U.S. equities are also down slightly after hitting a 2009 high Monday, while the dollar is slightly stronger against the euro, bouncing back from its weakest point since December.
"We rallied really strong and now we see some money taken off the table after the $10 runup," said Gene McGillian at Tradition Energy.
Oil futures are close to the 2009 intraday high of $73.38 a barrel, set June 30, but may have trouble rising further. U.S. unemployment data for July are due out Friday and expected to show the jobless rate continuing to climb. Oil and product inventory data are scheduled for release Wednesday by the Department of Energy, with increases in crude and some fuel stockpiles expected.
Analysts forecast U.S. oil inventories to rise by 500,000 barrels, while gasoline inventories are seen dropping 1.3 million barrels and distillate stocks, including heating oil and diesel, rising by 800,000 barrels, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey. Refinery utilization is expected to drop 0.7 percentage point to 83.9% of capacity.
"We are having (inventory) build after build and refineries running at lower capacity," said Tim Jennings, a broker at Vantage Trading. "I don't know why prices are higher. There is no factual confirmation that demand is picking up."
Front-month September reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, recently traded down 1.44 cents, or 0.7%, at $2.0549 a gallon. September heating oil traded 93 points, or 0.5%, lower at $1.8620 a gallon.
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Light, sweet crude for September delivery recently traded down $1.05, or 1.5%, at $70.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange traded 53 cents, or 0.7%, lower at $73.02 a barrel.
Oil prices rapidly rose from around $63 a barrel last Wednesday to more than $71 a barrel Monday, as promising economic data from China, Europe and the U.S. raised hopes that the world economy is in the early stages of recovery from the worst downturn in decades.
Tuesday's retreat signifies little more than the market taking a breather, analysts said. U.S. equities are also down slightly after hitting a 2009 high Monday, while the dollar is slightly stronger against the euro, bouncing back from its weakest point since December.
"We rallied really strong and now we see some money taken off the table after the $10 runup," said Gene McGillian at Tradition Energy.
Oil futures are close to the 2009 intraday high of $73.38 a barrel, set June 30, but may have trouble rising further. U.S. unemployment data for July are due out Friday and expected to show the jobless rate continuing to climb. Oil and product inventory data are scheduled for release Wednesday by the Department of Energy, with increases in crude and some fuel stockpiles expected.
Analysts forecast U.S. oil inventories to rise by 500,000 barrels, while gasoline inventories are seen dropping 1.3 million barrels and distillate stocks, including heating oil and diesel, rising by 800,000 barrels, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey. Refinery utilization is expected to drop 0.7 percentage point to 83.9% of capacity.
"We are having (inventory) build after build and refineries running at lower capacity," said Tim Jennings, a broker at Vantage Trading. "I don't know why prices are higher. There is no factual confirmation that demand is picking up."
Front-month September reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, recently traded down 1.44 cents, or 0.7%, at $2.0549 a gallon. September heating oil traded 93 points, or 0.5%, lower at $1.8620 a gallon.
Read more...
'Musharraf has conceded to his exile in London'
Islamabad (PTI): Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has "conceded to his exile in London" and made up his mind not to return to Pakistan in the wake of the Supreme Court's verdict that the emergency imposed by him in 2007 was unconstitutional, according to a former federal minister.
Gen. Musharraf has also given up his plans to enter the political arena as the odds are against him, senior PML(Q) leader Faisal Saleh Hayat, who served as a federal minister in the former President's regime, said.
Mr. Hayat recently met Gen. Musharraf in London for consultations in connection with the Supreme Court's verdict. The ruling has raised the possibility of Musharraf being tried for treason.
However, such a trial can only be initiated by the government.
Gen. Musharraf was "perturbed" by statements made by the main opposition PML(N) chief Nawaz Sharif against him and has been asking his supporters to issue rejoinders against them, Mr. Hayat told The News daily.
Mr. Hayat said he advised Gen. Musharraf to come back to Pakistan to contest all cases against him.
"You must create your credibility first as you ditched the party (PML-Q) that provided the support that was required by you for your survival. But you unfortunately struck an underhand deal with late (former premier) Benazir Bhutto. If you are keen to try your luck in politics, then you must return to Pakistan to fight against the allegations (made against you)," Mr. Hayat told Gen. Musharraf.
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Gen. Musharraf has also given up his plans to enter the political arena as the odds are against him, senior PML(Q) leader Faisal Saleh Hayat, who served as a federal minister in the former President's regime, said.
Mr. Hayat recently met Gen. Musharraf in London for consultations in connection with the Supreme Court's verdict. The ruling has raised the possibility of Musharraf being tried for treason.
However, such a trial can only be initiated by the government.
Gen. Musharraf was "perturbed" by statements made by the main opposition PML(N) chief Nawaz Sharif against him and has been asking his supporters to issue rejoinders against them, Mr. Hayat told The News daily.
Mr. Hayat said he advised Gen. Musharraf to come back to Pakistan to contest all cases against him.
"You must create your credibility first as you ditched the party (PML-Q) that provided the support that was required by you for your survival. But you unfortunately struck an underhand deal with late (former premier) Benazir Bhutto. If you are keen to try your luck in politics, then you must return to Pakistan to fight against the allegations (made against you)," Mr. Hayat told Gen. Musharraf.
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Pakistan questions 200 after 8 Christians killed
ISLAMABAD — Police questioned more than 200 people to determine if rioting that killed eight Christians was spontaneous or planned by a militant group, a Pakistani official said Tuesday.
Another top official suggested militants fleeing an army offensive in the northwest Swat Valley were involved.
Hundreds of Muslims attacked a Christian neighborhood in the eastern Pakistani city of Gojra on Saturday after reports that Christians had desecrated a Quran. The assault, which also torched dozens of homes, underscored the precarious existence of religious minorities in this Muslim-majority nation where extremist Islam is on the rise.
Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told The Associated Press that members of the banned Sunni group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and its al-Qaida-linked offshoot Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were arrested as suspected attackers.
The question is how long — or whether — they had planned the attack. A Pakistani intelligence report some two months earlier suggested militant groups may be switching from suicide attacks to creating sectarian strife in cities, he noted.
"We need to locate and arrest those who were wearing masks during the carnage," Sanaullah said, referring to the attackers who were covering their faces during the rioting to avoid being identified.
The demonstrations began Thursday but reached their violent zenith Saturday, allegedly after hardline clerics began making speeches against the Christians. Authorities say an initial probe had debunked the claims that the Muslim holy book was defiled. Christians in the community attended special church services for the victims Tuesday.
Separately, Punjab province Gov. Salman Taseer, on a visit to Gojra, said "those who were evicted from Swat have a hand in this incident." Taseer offered no evidence to back up this claim.
Pakistan's army is engaged in a three-month-old offensive in Swat, a northwest valley that was once a prominent tourist destination. The military claims to have killed 1,800 suspected militants in the operation.
Christians — including Protestants and Catholics — make up less than 5 percent of Pakistan's 175 million people, according to the CIA World Factbook. They generally live in peace with their Muslim neighbors.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif promised Tuesday that the government would cover the cost of rebuilding the charred houses and pledged to bring the perpetrators of the weekend attack to justice.
"There couldn't be any cruelty more harsh than this," he said in an address to Christians in Lahore.
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Another top official suggested militants fleeing an army offensive in the northwest Swat Valley were involved.
Hundreds of Muslims attacked a Christian neighborhood in the eastern Pakistani city of Gojra on Saturday after reports that Christians had desecrated a Quran. The assault, which also torched dozens of homes, underscored the precarious existence of religious minorities in this Muslim-majority nation where extremist Islam is on the rise.
Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told The Associated Press that members of the banned Sunni group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and its al-Qaida-linked offshoot Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were arrested as suspected attackers.
The question is how long — or whether — they had planned the attack. A Pakistani intelligence report some two months earlier suggested militant groups may be switching from suicide attacks to creating sectarian strife in cities, he noted.
"We need to locate and arrest those who were wearing masks during the carnage," Sanaullah said, referring to the attackers who were covering their faces during the rioting to avoid being identified.
The demonstrations began Thursday but reached their violent zenith Saturday, allegedly after hardline clerics began making speeches against the Christians. Authorities say an initial probe had debunked the claims that the Muslim holy book was defiled. Christians in the community attended special church services for the victims Tuesday.
Separately, Punjab province Gov. Salman Taseer, on a visit to Gojra, said "those who were evicted from Swat have a hand in this incident." Taseer offered no evidence to back up this claim.
Pakistan's army is engaged in a three-month-old offensive in Swat, a northwest valley that was once a prominent tourist destination. The military claims to have killed 1,800 suspected militants in the operation.
Christians — including Protestants and Catholics — make up less than 5 percent of Pakistan's 175 million people, according to the CIA World Factbook. They generally live in peace with their Muslim neighbors.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif promised Tuesday that the government would cover the cost of rebuilding the charred houses and pledged to bring the perpetrators of the weekend attack to justice.
"There couldn't be any cruelty more harsh than this," he said in an address to Christians in Lahore.
Read more...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Taliban threaten Afghan poll, deadly month nears end
KABUL (Reuters) - The deadliest month of the Afghanistan war neared an end on Thursday, with growing violence threatening to overshadow crucial presidential elections next month which the Taliban have vowed to disrupt.
The United States and Britain in July have suffered by far their worst losses of the war, the total of at least 69 foreign soldiers killed in the month exceeding or equaling total losses for each of the first four years of the war.
U.S. losses stood at 39 killed in July, easily passing the previous high of 26 in September 2008. Britain has suffered its worst battlefield casualties since the 1980s Falklands War, the 22 troops killed in the month taking its total losses in Afghanistan to 189, 10 more than were killed in the Iraq war.
Casualties spiked after thousands of U.S. and British troops launched two major operations in southern Helmand province -- Strike of the Sword and Panther's Claw -- long a Taliban stronghold and the center of Afghanistan's opium production.
The operations are the first under U.S. President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to defeat the Taliban and its Islamist militant allies and stabilize Afghanistan.
The August 20 presidential elections are a crucial test of Washington's new strategy and of Kabul's ability to stage a credible, legitimate and secure poll, analysts say.
On Thursday, the Taliban issued its first formal promise to disrupt the poll, calling on Afghans to shun it..
It labeled the poll a U.S. "invention" and a farce, accusing Afghan President Hamid Karzai of not having the courage to stand up to U.S. ambitions in Afghanistan and telling its fighters to attack election-related targets and stop people from voting.
"All Afghans, due to their Islamic and national sentiments, need to totally boycott this seductive U.S. process and ... join the trenches of jihad," the Taliban's leadership council posted on a website it uses (www.alemarah1.net).
ATTACKS ON CANDIDATES
There have been three attacks against candidates or campaign officials in the past week, including Karzai's vice presidential running mate Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the leader of U.S.-backed Afghan forces that ousted the Taliban.
One of Karzai's campaign offices in remote western Herat also was bombed on Tuesday but there were no casualties.
Violence across Afghanistan this year had already reached its worst level since the Taliban's ouster and has escalated further since the launch of the Helmand operations.
Britain this week wrapped up Panther's Claw after five weeks clearing the Taliban out of population centers before the poll, with the U.S. still pushing further south through a province that provides most of the opium funding the insurgency.
While the high death tolls have been within expectations for operations of that size, the first phase of the "clear, hold and build" operations focused attention on strategies, whether troops are adequately equipped or if they should be there at all. Continued...
Read more...
The United States and Britain in July have suffered by far their worst losses of the war, the total of at least 69 foreign soldiers killed in the month exceeding or equaling total losses for each of the first four years of the war.
U.S. losses stood at 39 killed in July, easily passing the previous high of 26 in September 2008. Britain has suffered its worst battlefield casualties since the 1980s Falklands War, the 22 troops killed in the month taking its total losses in Afghanistan to 189, 10 more than were killed in the Iraq war.
Casualties spiked after thousands of U.S. and British troops launched two major operations in southern Helmand province -- Strike of the Sword and Panther's Claw -- long a Taliban stronghold and the center of Afghanistan's opium production.
The operations are the first under U.S. President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to defeat the Taliban and its Islamist militant allies and stabilize Afghanistan.
The August 20 presidential elections are a crucial test of Washington's new strategy and of Kabul's ability to stage a credible, legitimate and secure poll, analysts say.
On Thursday, the Taliban issued its first formal promise to disrupt the poll, calling on Afghans to shun it..
It labeled the poll a U.S. "invention" and a farce, accusing Afghan President Hamid Karzai of not having the courage to stand up to U.S. ambitions in Afghanistan and telling its fighters to attack election-related targets and stop people from voting.
"All Afghans, due to their Islamic and national sentiments, need to totally boycott this seductive U.S. process and ... join the trenches of jihad," the Taliban's leadership council posted on a website it uses (www.alemarah1.net).
ATTACKS ON CANDIDATES
There have been three attacks against candidates or campaign officials in the past week, including Karzai's vice presidential running mate Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the leader of U.S.-backed Afghan forces that ousted the Taliban.
One of Karzai's campaign offices in remote western Herat also was bombed on Tuesday but there were no casualties.
Violence across Afghanistan this year had already reached its worst level since the Taliban's ouster and has escalated further since the launch of the Helmand operations.
Britain this week wrapped up Panther's Claw after five weeks clearing the Taliban out of population centers before the poll, with the U.S. still pushing further south through a province that provides most of the opium funding the insurgency.
While the high death tolls have been within expectations for operations of that size, the first phase of the "clear, hold and build" operations focused attention on strategies, whether troops are adequately equipped or if they should be there at all. Continued...
Read more...
Madonna writes for Israeli newspaper
LOS ANGELES: Queen of pop Madonna has turned reporter for Israel's biggest newspaper.
The 50-year-old pop star's article on her altered copy to the Jewish cult of Kaballah has been displayed importantly on the front page of 'Yediot Ahronot' with a byline.
The article titled 'How My Life Changed' was translated into Hebrew by the paper and an excerpt of it was in print Wednesday while the full article will be published tomorrow.
In her article, the controversial singer describes her religious awakening more than a decade ago.
The singer who was born a Christian had alienated the Church with her antics including her many sexually explicit stage shows where she had appear crucified.
The 'Material Girl' is an astute follower of Kaballah and has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and studies Jewish mysticism.
She had also made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 and will perform two shows in the country in September as part of her 'Sticky & Sweet' international.
The 50-year-old pop star's article on her altered copy to the Jewish cult of Kaballah has been displayed importantly on the front page of 'Yediot Ahronot' with a byline.
The article titled 'How My Life Changed' was translated into Hebrew by the paper and an excerpt of it was in print Wednesday while the full article will be published tomorrow.
In her article, the controversial singer describes her religious awakening more than a decade ago.
The singer who was born a Christian had alienated the Church with her antics including her many sexually explicit stage shows where she had appear crucified.
The 'Material Girl' is an astute follower of Kaballah and has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and studies Jewish mysticism.
She had also made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 and will perform two shows in the country in September as part of her 'Sticky & Sweet' international.
Read more...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Army will not defend Musharraf, says Hashmi
ISLAMABAD:Central Leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Javed Hashmi has supposed a case of disloyalty should be register against former President Pervez Musharraf below Charter of Democracy (COD), saying the Army would not protect its former Chief of Army Staff.
Chatting to media men here on Tuesday, the PML-N leader said that it is the answerability of both PPP and PML-N to register case against the previous dictator.
Javed Hashmi urged PPP to start case alongside Pervez Musharraf under Article-6 of the constitution as it has hold up of opposition in this regard.
He underlined that the government and opposition should punish those who breached the constitution, adding if Musharraf to be punished then it be remembered and others would take lesson from it.
Responding to a question, Javed Hashmi said that a Judicial Commission should be formed on Kargil to tell the truth to the nation.
The veteran politician has dispelled the impression that the politicians had been responsible for martial law in the country, saying now it was impossible for Army to come into power.
Asked about future of democracy in the country, he said that the Anti democracy forces have been weakened and democracy would be strengthened in the country.
Answering a question, the veteran politician said that PML-N does not want to remove Asif Ali Zardari from the tenure of the president but he (Zardari) should fulfill his pledges made by him with the people of the country
Read more...
Chatting to media men here on Tuesday, the PML-N leader said that it is the answerability of both PPP and PML-N to register case against the previous dictator.
Javed Hashmi urged PPP to start case alongside Pervez Musharraf under Article-6 of the constitution as it has hold up of opposition in this regard.
He underlined that the government and opposition should punish those who breached the constitution, adding if Musharraf to be punished then it be remembered and others would take lesson from it.
Responding to a question, Javed Hashmi said that a Judicial Commission should be formed on Kargil to tell the truth to the nation.
The veteran politician has dispelled the impression that the politicians had been responsible for martial law in the country, saying now it was impossible for Army to come into power.
Asked about future of democracy in the country, he said that the Anti democracy forces have been weakened and democracy would be strengthened in the country.
Answering a question, the veteran politician said that PML-N does not want to remove Asif Ali Zardari from the tenure of the president but he (Zardari) should fulfill his pledges made by him with the people of the country
Read more...
Monday, July 27, 2009
Pervez Musharraf Vows to Face all Cases
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court adjourned hearing of the petition for registering FIR against former president Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and Aftab Sherpao till August 17.Coordinator Defence of Human Rights Khalid Khwaja had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court that he was kept in illegal detention during the previous regime on orders of Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz and Aftab Sherpao and police is not registering case against them.He requested to the court to direct police for registering FIR.Giving remarks on the request, justice Ramzan Chaudhry said that if former president Pervez Musharraf appears in the Supreme Court then he can be summoned for appearing also in the high court.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009
Michael Jackson’s nose missing in morgue
NEW YORK: According to a local publication, Michael Jackson wore a prosthetic nose and witnesses at a Los Angeles morgue story that it was missing from the King of Pop’s body. Instead, left behind was a small, dark hole.
The periodical, which hit newsstands Friday, reports that Jackson wore a prosthetic nose to hide the effects of frequent plastic surgeries.
According to the Mirror, Jackson’s former housekeeper, Adrian McManus said, “His nose was a problem. He wore plasters around the side to cover or support it. It was sternly cave in. In his closet he had a jar of fake noses and period glue, which he told me he used of disguise. But some were similar to his real nose, just without the hole.”
Jackson may have had at least six nose jobs, and reports point out it was because he supposed he look too much like his father.
In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson spoke about the emotional and physical abuse he claims to have suffered at the hands of his father, Joe Jackson, who denies any abuse took place.
The superstar friend, Marcus Phillips said, “Michael was elated about the information that with the second nose job he looked less like his father. If he couldn’t erase him from his life at least he might erase him from the reflection in the reflect.”
The periodical, which hit newsstands Friday, reports that Jackson wore a prosthetic nose to hide the effects of frequent plastic surgeries.
According to the Mirror, Jackson’s former housekeeper, Adrian McManus said, “His nose was a problem. He wore plasters around the side to cover or support it. It was sternly cave in. In his closet he had a jar of fake noses and period glue, which he told me he used of disguise. But some were similar to his real nose, just without the hole.”
Jackson may have had at least six nose jobs, and reports point out it was because he supposed he look too much like his father.
In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson spoke about the emotional and physical abuse he claims to have suffered at the hands of his father, Joe Jackson, who denies any abuse took place.
The superstar friend, Marcus Phillips said, “Michael was elated about the information that with the second nose job he looked less like his father. If he couldn’t erase him from his life at least he might erase him from the reflection in the reflect.”
Read more...
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Barack Obama urges Russia not to interfere in neighbouring states
OBAMA Today set out his vision for a new post-cold war world, and urged Russia not to interfere in neighboring states and to move on "from old ways of thinking".
In a keynote speech during his first trip to Russia as US president, Obama called on Moscow to stop viewing America as an adversary. The assumption that Russia and the US were eternal antagonists was "a 20th-century view" rooted in the past, he said.
Obama delivered a tough, though implicit, critique of Kremlin foreign policy, rejecting the claim it has "privileged interests" in post-Soviet countries. He said the 19th-century doctrine of spheres of influence and "great powers forging competing blocs" was finished.
"In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonising other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over," he said, speaking to graduates from Moscow's New Economic School.
He added: "As I said in Cairo, given our interdependence any world order that tries to elevate one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. That is why I have called for a 'reset' in relations between the United States and Russia.
"America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia."
Obama acknowledged that the US needed to play its part in bringing about a fresh start with Russia – "a great power". And he paid tribute to the achievements of Russian writers and scientists, even managing to quote a line from Pushkin when he told the students: "Inspiration is needed in geometry just as much as in poetry."
Crucially, though, Obama indicated that Washington would not tolerate another Russian invasion of Georgia. Russia is winding up full-scale military exercises next to the Georgian border amid ominous predictions that a second conflict in the Caucasus could erupt this summer.
On Monday Obama reaffirmed Georgia's sovereignty – severely undermined by last year's war and Moscow's subsequent unilateral recognition of rebel-held Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Today Obama defended "state sovereignty", describing it as "a cornerstone of international order".
He also said that Georgia and Ukraine had a right to choose their own foreign policy and leaders, and could join Nato if they wanted. Russia is deeply opposed to Ukraine's and Georgia's accession, and wants the White House to rule out their future membership. Today Obama responded by saying that Nato sought collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.
Earlier, Obama had breakfast with Vladimir Putin, the man whom most people regard as Russia's real ruler. Last week Obama described Putin, Russia's prime minister, as having "one foot in the past". Today, however, he talked to him for two and a half hours – longer than planned and an admission of Putin's continuing importance. The meeting, their first, was "excellent", Obama said.
During his speech, however, Obama delivered a withering assessment of Putinism. Without mentioning Russia by name, Obama spelled out the US's commitment to "universal values". These included the rule of law, the equal administration of justice, and competitive elections – all things missing from Putin's vertically managed authoritarian state.
Obama also stressed the importance of "independent media in exposing corruption at all levels of business and government". Russia's state-controlled TV has largely snubbed Obama's first trip to Moscow, apparently on Kremlin orders, either failing to mention him at all or relegating him to the lower regions of the news schedule.
On Monday Obama and Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, agreed a framework document that would see both sides cut their nuclear arsenals by up to a third. Today Obama warned again of the dangers of nuclear proliferation, and urged Moscow to join with the US to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and to end North Korea's nuclear efforts.
He also reaffirmed that the US would only go ahead with its planned missile defence shield in central Europe – opposed by the Kremlin – if there was an Iranian nuclear "threat". He said neither the US or Russia would benefit from a nuclear arms race in east Asia or the Middle East.
"In the short period since the end of the cold war we have already seen India, Pakistan and North Korea conduct nuclear tests. Without a fundamental change, do any of us truly believe that the next two decades will not bring about the further spread of nuclear weapons?" he asked.
"That is why America is committed to stopping nuclear proliferation, and ultimately seeking a world without nuclear weapons … And while I know this goal won't be met soon, pursuing it provides the legal and moral foundation to prevent the proliferation and eventual use of nuclear weapons."
The White House billed Obama's Moscow address as a "major foreign policy speech". It is the third in a series of major speeches that began in April in Prague, where he discussed disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, and continued in Cairo, where he offered a fresh US approach to the Middle East and Muslim communities.
Later, Obama met the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. He is due to meet business leaders and hold talks with civil society activists, including the opposition leader and former world chess champion Gary Kasparov.
In a keynote speech during his first trip to Russia as US president, Obama called on Moscow to stop viewing America as an adversary. The assumption that Russia and the US were eternal antagonists was "a 20th-century view" rooted in the past, he said.
Obama delivered a tough, though implicit, critique of Kremlin foreign policy, rejecting the claim it has "privileged interests" in post-Soviet countries. He said the 19th-century doctrine of spheres of influence and "great powers forging competing blocs" was finished.
"In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonising other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over," he said, speaking to graduates from Moscow's New Economic School.
He added: "As I said in Cairo, given our interdependence any world order that tries to elevate one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. That is why I have called for a 'reset' in relations between the United States and Russia.
"America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia."
Obama acknowledged that the US needed to play its part in bringing about a fresh start with Russia – "a great power". And he paid tribute to the achievements of Russian writers and scientists, even managing to quote a line from Pushkin when he told the students: "Inspiration is needed in geometry just as much as in poetry."
Crucially, though, Obama indicated that Washington would not tolerate another Russian invasion of Georgia. Russia is winding up full-scale military exercises next to the Georgian border amid ominous predictions that a second conflict in the Caucasus could erupt this summer.
On Monday Obama reaffirmed Georgia's sovereignty – severely undermined by last year's war and Moscow's subsequent unilateral recognition of rebel-held Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Today Obama defended "state sovereignty", describing it as "a cornerstone of international order".
He also said that Georgia and Ukraine had a right to choose their own foreign policy and leaders, and could join Nato if they wanted. Russia is deeply opposed to Ukraine's and Georgia's accession, and wants the White House to rule out their future membership. Today Obama responded by saying that Nato sought collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.
Earlier, Obama had breakfast with Vladimir Putin, the man whom most people regard as Russia's real ruler. Last week Obama described Putin, Russia's prime minister, as having "one foot in the past". Today, however, he talked to him for two and a half hours – longer than planned and an admission of Putin's continuing importance. The meeting, their first, was "excellent", Obama said.
During his speech, however, Obama delivered a withering assessment of Putinism. Without mentioning Russia by name, Obama spelled out the US's commitment to "universal values". These included the rule of law, the equal administration of justice, and competitive elections – all things missing from Putin's vertically managed authoritarian state.
Obama also stressed the importance of "independent media in exposing corruption at all levels of business and government". Russia's state-controlled TV has largely snubbed Obama's first trip to Moscow, apparently on Kremlin orders, either failing to mention him at all or relegating him to the lower regions of the news schedule.
On Monday Obama and Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, agreed a framework document that would see both sides cut their nuclear arsenals by up to a third. Today Obama warned again of the dangers of nuclear proliferation, and urged Moscow to join with the US to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and to end North Korea's nuclear efforts.
He also reaffirmed that the US would only go ahead with its planned missile defence shield in central Europe – opposed by the Kremlin – if there was an Iranian nuclear "threat". He said neither the US or Russia would benefit from a nuclear arms race in east Asia or the Middle East.
"In the short period since the end of the cold war we have already seen India, Pakistan and North Korea conduct nuclear tests. Without a fundamental change, do any of us truly believe that the next two decades will not bring about the further spread of nuclear weapons?" he asked.
"That is why America is committed to stopping nuclear proliferation, and ultimately seeking a world without nuclear weapons … And while I know this goal won't be met soon, pursuing it provides the legal and moral foundation to prevent the proliferation and eventual use of nuclear weapons."
The White House billed Obama's Moscow address as a "major foreign policy speech". It is the third in a series of major speeches that began in April in Prague, where he discussed disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, and continued in Cairo, where he offered a fresh US approach to the Middle East and Muslim communities.
Later, Obama met the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. He is due to meet business leaders and hold talks with civil society activists, including the opposition leader and former world chess champion Gary Kasparov.
Read more...
Karachi fourth in world cheapest cities
SINGAPORE: A universal survey naming Tokyo and Osaka as the world's nearly everyone exclusive cities for expatriates, largely due to the strength of the yen against the U.S. dollar.The survey rated Karachi as the fourth between the cheapest cities of world, as it stands on 140th position in the list of priciest 143 cities.The 2009 Cost of Living survey, by consultancy firm Mercer, covered 143 cities across the world, measuring the relative cost of over 200 items, as well as housing, transport, food, clothing, activity and household goods.Tokyo, last year's second nearly everyone luxurious city, climbed to the top spot, knocking Moscow down to number 3. Geneva and Hong Kong ranked 4th and 5th, with Asian and European cities dominate the top 10 slots.The survey, conduct in March, uses New York as the base city for the directory, with currency moves measured against the dollar. New York itself jumped to 8th from 22nd last year."As a direct impact of the economic slump over the last year, we have observed significant fluctuations in the majority of the world's currencies, which have had a profound impact on this year's rankings," Nathalie Constantin-Metral, a senior canvasser at Mercer, said in a declaration on the firm's website."Now that cost containment and reduction is at the top of most company agendas, keeping track of the change in factors that dictate expatriate cost of living is essential," she added.Tel Aviv ranked as the most expensive conurbation in the Middle East, while Caracas was top in South America, and Sydney was the priciest city for expatriates in the Pacific.And the cheapest city? ... Johannesburg, which replace Asuncion in Paraguay.Following are the top-10 most expensive cities, according to the Mercer survey. Last year's rankings in brackets:1. Tokyo (2)2. Osaka (11)3. Moscow (1)4. Geneva (8)5. Hong Kong (6)6. Zurich (9)7. Copenhagen (7)8. New York City (22)9. Beijing (20)10.Singapore (13)
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Sunday, July 5, 2009
Madonna in Jackson stage tribute
Madonna kicked-off her revamp humid and lovable tour at London's O2 Arena with a tribute to Michael Jackson
Jackson, who dies last week, owed to perform a series of 50 farewell concert at the venue from 13 July.As Madonna sang Holiday she was connected by a dancer dressed in Jackson's obvious style of sequined jacket and sparkling white glove.Madonna told the crowd: "Give it up for one of the record artists the world has ever known - long live the King
Signature moves
Pictures of Jackson as a boy flash up on a massive screen as the dancer moon-walked crosswise the stage to the strain of Billie Jean.He went on to carry out some of Jackson's signature moves to wanna be preliminary something.A predictable crowd of 17,000 watched Madonna carry out at the first of two concerts in London this weekend.She moves on to Manchester on Tuesday, followed by several dates crossways Europe.Madonna closed the show with Give It 2 me, and donned a jewelled glove, along with her dancers, in a final, simple, compliment to JacksonSolo stars
Lyrics from his hit Man in the Mirror scroll crossways the screens. It read: "If you want to create the world an improved place, take a look at yourself and then make the modify."The compliment, albeit brief, frightened fans at the O2. Victoria Mears, of Billericay, Essex, said: "I really liked it. It seemed very fitting for the queen of pop to pay tribute to the king of pop."Nina Lawrence, 32, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, said: "It consideration it was good, but it was a shame she didn't sing one of his songs as a honor."And Helen Levy, 30, of Winchester, Hants, said: "She seemed very passionate when she spoke about Michael Jackson. It's clear that he was a great inspiration to her."Jackson and Madonna in cooperation became huge solo stars in the 1980s.Speaking after the 50-year-old's death on 25 June, Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news."I've forever admired Michael Jackson - the world has misplaced one of its greats, but his music will live on forever."A public memorial service for Jackson will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Over half-a-million fans have practical for just 17,500 tickets obtainable for the event.
Read more...
Jackson, who dies last week, owed to perform a series of 50 farewell concert at the venue from 13 July.As Madonna sang Holiday she was connected by a dancer dressed in Jackson's obvious style of sequined jacket and sparkling white glove.Madonna told the crowd: "Give it up for one of the record artists the world has ever known - long live the King
Signature moves
Pictures of Jackson as a boy flash up on a massive screen as the dancer moon-walked crosswise the stage to the strain of Billie Jean.He went on to carry out some of Jackson's signature moves to wanna be preliminary something.A predictable crowd of 17,000 watched Madonna carry out at the first of two concerts in London this weekend.She moves on to Manchester on Tuesday, followed by several dates crossways Europe.Madonna closed the show with Give It 2 me, and donned a jewelled glove, along with her dancers, in a final, simple, compliment to JacksonSolo stars
Lyrics from his hit Man in the Mirror scroll crossways the screens. It read: "If you want to create the world an improved place, take a look at yourself and then make the modify."The compliment, albeit brief, frightened fans at the O2. Victoria Mears, of Billericay, Essex, said: "I really liked it. It seemed very fitting for the queen of pop to pay tribute to the king of pop."Nina Lawrence, 32, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, said: "It consideration it was good, but it was a shame she didn't sing one of his songs as a honor."And Helen Levy, 30, of Winchester, Hants, said: "She seemed very passionate when she spoke about Michael Jackson. It's clear that he was a great inspiration to her."Jackson and Madonna in cooperation became huge solo stars in the 1980s.Speaking after the 50-year-old's death on 25 June, Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news."I've forever admired Michael Jackson - the world has misplaced one of its greats, but his music will live on forever."A public memorial service for Jackson will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Over half-a-million fans have practical for just 17,500 tickets obtainable for the event.
Read more...
Friday, July 3, 2009
Who is He Taliban
July 3 -- U.S. troops pushed deeper into a Taliban stranglehold in southern Afghanistan in a bid to root out insurgent and stabilize the region, after one Marine was kill on the operation’s first day.
Forces superior into three district centers and are chatting with local leaders to find out what they “want and need,” Captain Bill Pelletier said by telephone today from Camp Leatherneck, a Marine base in Helmand province. Again today, troops face only “light skirmishes” with gunmen who then fled, he added.
The Helmand disagreeable began before dawn yesterday when about 4,000 U.S. personnel and 650 Afghan soldiers poured into the Helmand River valley in helicopters and armored vehicles. The process is the first test of President Barack Obama’s new strategy to defeat the insurgency and involves holding Taliban- under enemy control areas to let Afghan forces and official restore the authority of the Afghan government.
U.S. troops and weapons bound for Afghanistan will be allowable to fly over Russian territory, providing a significant new corridor, the New York Times reported today; cite unidentified Russian and U.S. officials. The accord will be announced when Obama visits Moscow next week, the Times said.
Opium Crop
The assault also threatens a financial pillar of the Taliban group. By today, Marines, Afghan and allied British forces held positions along a 120-mile (193-kilometer) stretch of the Helmand River, whose water irrigates farms that last year grew two-thirds of Afghanistan’s opium crop.
Opium, the uncooked form of heroin, has earned the Taliban and other drug smugglers as much as $470 million a year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The Marines advanced as far as Khanishin, a town on the Helmand River from where grime roads used by Taliban and smugglers stretch 80 miles south across the desert to the Pakistani border. Pakistan’s army is “reorganizing” its forces near Helmand to ensure that “Taliban fleeing the U.S. process cannot cross the border,” armed spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said by telephone from the capital, Islamabad, yesterday.
One Marine died and more than a few others were upset yesterday, Pelletier said. Two U.K. troops were killed in a blast during a parallel process by their units near Lashkar Gah on July 1. They were identified late yesterday by the Ministry of Defence as trooper Joshua Hammond and Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe. Thorneloe was commanding official of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the highest ranking Army officer to be killed in action since the 1982 Falklands war.
Man Shot
An Afghan man was shot and injured yesterday when he walk toward a group of Marines at a “rapid pace” and didn’t stop after a caution shot was fired, Pelletier said in an e-mail today. The man was taken to a Lashkar Gar hospital, where he is in stable state, Pelletier said.
The government of President Hamid Karzai controls only eight of Helmand’s 13 districts, provincial government spokesman Daud Ahmedi said by telephone from Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. The U.S. forces are in the main inhabitants centers in the districts of Nawa, Garmsir and Khanishin and will soon be following by civilian officials from non-governmental organizations.
Missing Soldier
In the country’s east, forces are “very tiring all available resources” to recover a U.S. soldier missing since June 30, the armed said in a statement, addition that officials believe he was “captured by militant forces.”
The Helmand unpleasant is the first major operation since the Obama administration shifted emphasis from the war in Iraq to combating Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
Before the operation, international forces in the districts were incomplete to a few British bases. Insurgents have slowly regain control since the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001, forcing out local Afghan government and police official.
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Forces superior into three district centers and are chatting with local leaders to find out what they “want and need,” Captain Bill Pelletier said by telephone today from Camp Leatherneck, a Marine base in Helmand province. Again today, troops face only “light skirmishes” with gunmen who then fled, he added.
The Helmand disagreeable began before dawn yesterday when about 4,000 U.S. personnel and 650 Afghan soldiers poured into the Helmand River valley in helicopters and armored vehicles. The process is the first test of President Barack Obama’s new strategy to defeat the insurgency and involves holding Taliban- under enemy control areas to let Afghan forces and official restore the authority of the Afghan government.
U.S. troops and weapons bound for Afghanistan will be allowable to fly over Russian territory, providing a significant new corridor, the New York Times reported today; cite unidentified Russian and U.S. officials. The accord will be announced when Obama visits Moscow next week, the Times said.
Opium Crop
The assault also threatens a financial pillar of the Taliban group. By today, Marines, Afghan and allied British forces held positions along a 120-mile (193-kilometer) stretch of the Helmand River, whose water irrigates farms that last year grew two-thirds of Afghanistan’s opium crop.
Opium, the uncooked form of heroin, has earned the Taliban and other drug smugglers as much as $470 million a year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The Marines advanced as far as Khanishin, a town on the Helmand River from where grime roads used by Taliban and smugglers stretch 80 miles south across the desert to the Pakistani border. Pakistan’s army is “reorganizing” its forces near Helmand to ensure that “Taliban fleeing the U.S. process cannot cross the border,” armed spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said by telephone from the capital, Islamabad, yesterday.
One Marine died and more than a few others were upset yesterday, Pelletier said. Two U.K. troops were killed in a blast during a parallel process by their units near Lashkar Gah on July 1. They were identified late yesterday by the Ministry of Defence as trooper Joshua Hammond and Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe. Thorneloe was commanding official of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the highest ranking Army officer to be killed in action since the 1982 Falklands war.
Man Shot
An Afghan man was shot and injured yesterday when he walk toward a group of Marines at a “rapid pace” and didn’t stop after a caution shot was fired, Pelletier said in an e-mail today. The man was taken to a Lashkar Gar hospital, where he is in stable state, Pelletier said.
The government of President Hamid Karzai controls only eight of Helmand’s 13 districts, provincial government spokesman Daud Ahmedi said by telephone from Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. The U.S. forces are in the main inhabitants centers in the districts of Nawa, Garmsir and Khanishin and will soon be following by civilian officials from non-governmental organizations.
Missing Soldier
In the country’s east, forces are “very tiring all available resources” to recover a U.S. soldier missing since June 30, the armed said in a statement, addition that officials believe he was “captured by militant forces.”
The Helmand unpleasant is the first major operation since the Obama administration shifted emphasis from the war in Iraq to combating Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
Before the operation, international forces in the districts were incomplete to a few British bases. Insurgents have slowly regain control since the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001, forcing out local Afghan government and police official.
Read more...
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