How do the majority of profitable Forex traders truly profit in the FX market? One way… they trade the news!
Forex News Trader was developed to give traders the edge they need to learn how to trade based on economic news events from around the world. The same edge the institutions use to make hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars in profit each year.
Forex News Trading will provide you with the information you need to give you a true insider’s understanding of the Forex markets. You will feel confident in your trading, and never doubt your trades again.
Does this mean you will win every trade? No, of course not, but armed with the knowledge Forex News Trader will provide you, you will never be afraid to take that next trade – as the odds will now be tipped in your favor.
Each and every month there are a tremendous number of news releases for the Off Exchange Retail Foreign Currency Market (FOREX). Many of these events and announcements move the markets considerably. But how do you properly capitalize on these moves? Get it wrong and you could be wiped out. Get it right and you can be in a small group of trading elite, consistently pulling pips out of the market each and every week.
by shoaib ahmed
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
U.S., Pakistan clash over crackdown on militants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With Islamabad resisting U.S. pressure to crack down on militants, Washington is in a quandary as it seeks to balance military goals in the region without causing trouble for Pakistan's pro-American president.
Pakistan's efforts to oust the Afghan Taliban in its northwestern border areas are critical to U.S. attempts to roll back the Taliban campaign in neighboring Afghanistan where Washington is sending in 30,000 additional troops.
But in recent meetings with U.S. officials, diplomats say Pakistan's military and political leaders have pushed back against U.S. pressure, saying they cannot move too fast without provoking a backlash against President Asif Ali Zardari.
"Pakistan is willing to work with the United States but there is a need to understand and to not press Pakistan to a level where it could destabilize the region further due to lack of popular support," said Imran Gardezi, the press minister at Pakistan's embassy in Washington.
"This can't be done in a hurry. There is no quick fix or short-term solution," Gardezi added.
Underlining tensions with Islamabad over the pace of its military actions, Vice President Joe Biden said this week Pakistan had a "long way to go," particularly when it came to dismantling a militant network led by veteran militant commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.
"Are they doing enough? No," Biden told MSNBC in an interview on Tuesday, adding that Washington wanted Pakistan to "move on our mutual interest, which includes the Haqqani network and includes the Taliban in Pakistan. But this is a hell of a process."
In a letter delivered by his national security adviser last month to Zardari, President Barack Obama made clear Washington had other options if Pakistan did not cooperate in fighting Afghan Taliban factions seeking refuge in the border areas.
These options include increased pilotless drone attacks, which are very unpopular with the Pakistani public, as well as so-called hot pursuit exercises in which U.S. forces could track extremists who crossed over into Pakistan.
Zardari responded to Obama's letter, promising Pakistan's help but also making clear his country's own security concerns must be met and Washington must offer more military assistance and equipment, said one source with knowledge of the response.
"There is a disconnect on where American and Pakistani authorities are right now," said former CIA analyst Bruce Riedel, now with the Brookings Institution, a Washington thinktank.
Riedel said the administration was aware its options could affect Zardari and was also weighing Pakistan's logistical importance as Washington increases its troops in Afghanistan.
"I think what (military officials) Petraeus and Mullen are trying to do is just keep pushing the Pakistanis in the right direction without overplaying their hand. But it is tricky," added Riedel, who led a review in March of the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Pakistan on Wednesday, following a trip earlier in the week by General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. forces in the region, who reiterated Obama's call for more action.
In public, most U.S. officials are cautious about criticizing Pakistan, and Special Representative Richard Holbrooke tiptoed around the issue when asked whether Islamabad was doing enough to tackle Afghan Taliban factions.
"Is it enough? Well, obviously we want them to do as much as they will do, but I am not going to sit here and demand of a sovereign country what they have to do," said Holbrooke. "They know what they should do in terms of their own interest and ours," he told the Council on Foreign Relations.
Holbrooke said he understood Pakistan's concerns that additional U.S. troops being sent to Afghanistan would likely push over more militants into the southwestern region of Pakistan, as it did in the U.S. campaign in 2001 and 2002.
"While it is far from perfect -- it's very complicated because there's so many moving parts -- we have really moved the ball forward here in terms of close coordination (with Pakistan)," said Holbrooke.
by shoaib ahmed
Pakistan's efforts to oust the Afghan Taliban in its northwestern border areas are critical to U.S. attempts to roll back the Taliban campaign in neighboring Afghanistan where Washington is sending in 30,000 additional troops.
But in recent meetings with U.S. officials, diplomats say Pakistan's military and political leaders have pushed back against U.S. pressure, saying they cannot move too fast without provoking a backlash against President Asif Ali Zardari.
"Pakistan is willing to work with the United States but there is a need to understand and to not press Pakistan to a level where it could destabilize the region further due to lack of popular support," said Imran Gardezi, the press minister at Pakistan's embassy in Washington.
"This can't be done in a hurry. There is no quick fix or short-term solution," Gardezi added.
Underlining tensions with Islamabad over the pace of its military actions, Vice President Joe Biden said this week Pakistan had a "long way to go," particularly when it came to dismantling a militant network led by veteran militant commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.
"Are they doing enough? No," Biden told MSNBC in an interview on Tuesday, adding that Washington wanted Pakistan to "move on our mutual interest, which includes the Haqqani network and includes the Taliban in Pakistan. But this is a hell of a process."
In a letter delivered by his national security adviser last month to Zardari, President Barack Obama made clear Washington had other options if Pakistan did not cooperate in fighting Afghan Taliban factions seeking refuge in the border areas.
These options include increased pilotless drone attacks, which are very unpopular with the Pakistani public, as well as so-called hot pursuit exercises in which U.S. forces could track extremists who crossed over into Pakistan.
Zardari responded to Obama's letter, promising Pakistan's help but also making clear his country's own security concerns must be met and Washington must offer more military assistance and equipment, said one source with knowledge of the response.
"There is a disconnect on where American and Pakistani authorities are right now," said former CIA analyst Bruce Riedel, now with the Brookings Institution, a Washington thinktank.
Riedel said the administration was aware its options could affect Zardari and was also weighing Pakistan's logistical importance as Washington increases its troops in Afghanistan.
"I think what (military officials) Petraeus and Mullen are trying to do is just keep pushing the Pakistanis in the right direction without overplaying their hand. But it is tricky," added Riedel, who led a review in March of the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Pakistan on Wednesday, following a trip earlier in the week by General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. forces in the region, who reiterated Obama's call for more action.
In public, most U.S. officials are cautious about criticizing Pakistan, and Special Representative Richard Holbrooke tiptoed around the issue when asked whether Islamabad was doing enough to tackle Afghan Taliban factions.
"Is it enough? Well, obviously we want them to do as much as they will do, but I am not going to sit here and demand of a sovereign country what they have to do," said Holbrooke. "They know what they should do in terms of their own interest and ours," he told the Council on Foreign Relations.
Holbrooke said he understood Pakistan's concerns that additional U.S. troops being sent to Afghanistan would likely push over more militants into the southwestern region of Pakistan, as it did in the U.S. campaign in 2001 and 2002.
"While it is far from perfect -- it's very complicated because there's so many moving parts -- we have really moved the ball forward here in terms of close coordination (with Pakistan)," said Holbrooke.
by shoaib ahmed
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Clean-thinking America prepares to fire the starting gun in its dash for gas
Carbon dioxide is dangerous, says Lisa Jackson, administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is dangerous, like the growling exhaust pipe of a 25-year-old Chevy Corvette or the sulphurous plume from a coal-fired power station. Overnight, America has decided: carbon-dioxide pollution is a public health hazard and emitters will be shunned like cigarette smokers.
The EPA’s decision on Monday to treat CO2 as if it were a noxious poison was craved and dreaded in equal measure by climate activists and industrialists. It is a bombshell, more than just a public relations ploy to make President Obama look cool at the Copenhagen summit. It unleashes one of the toughest US regulators and gives it a mandate to go after heavy industry with compliance orders and fines. Power generators, oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and cement makers have been warned: the bloodhounds of the EPA will hunt you down and curb your emissions.
This is politics, of course. A lot must happen before the EPA begins to slap fines on recalcitrant power companies. The agency needs to draw up regulations that work — a monumental task. It needs to decide which CO2 abatement technologies are effective and affordable — at present, there are no commercial carbon-capture technologies, only government-subsidised pilot projects.
But make no mistake: this is the beginning of America’s puritanical crackdown on carbon. If you are surprised that the atmospheric gas that feeds the roses in your garden is being labelled a dangerous poison, remember that America doesn’t regulate its citizens with the gentle persuading hand of the Queen; it does so with the passion of the religious convert. If the EPA is unchallenged, carbon will be hunted down, in the tailpipes of cars in Los Angeles and in the stacks of power plants in Virginia
America’s electricity industry has reacted with alarm to Ms Jackson’s decision. The US is mostly powered by coal, a fossil fuel that accounts for 80 per cent of America’s abundant greenhouse gas emissions. America has enormous coal reserves — indeed Warren Buffett has just made a big bet on the coal industry, buying a controlling interest in Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a railroad group that trucks coal from mines in Wyoming to Texas and southern California.
There is an alternative to the EPA’s bloodhounds: two climate change Bills making their way through the US Congress would create cap-and-trade systems to offer incentives to industry to curb emissions. The two Bills are similar and both give huge exemptions to power companies in the form of free emission allowances. The American legislation is, in microcosm, what a new Copenhagen climate treaty might look like: a hotchpotch of complex regulation, extravagant concessions, get-out clauses and bribes to politically sensitive groups.
On the one hand, America has the hydroelectric-powered Washington State, where Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell waves the climate-change hockey stick. At the other end of the country, you have coal-fuelled states, such as Georgia, where a federal tax on top of the monthly utility bill spells political death. So, inequality in the carbon burden means taxing Pacific Coast liberals in order to subsidise coalmining rednecks.
It begs the question whether a climate change Bill is possible. That is where the threat of the EPA looms. In a landmark case in 2007, the Supreme Court found that CO2 was an air pollutant within the meaning of the America’s Clean Air act, opening the door for Monday’s statement by Ms Jackson. Climate activists have been waiting for this moment, when the EPA would aim its guns at Big Oil and Big Coal.
Mr Obama is probably not keen to let the EPA do its job. It would be a blunt instrument and politically dangerous, for the important reason that the EPA would be “fair”. Unlike a congressional Bill, with its tweaks, trade-offs and bungs, the EPA would regulate carbon, everywhere. There would be no concessions: every tonne, whether emitted by car, cow or chemical plant, would have to be measured and fined.
The impact on US industry would be harsh and investment would flee from energy-intensive industries. Carbon leakage to Asia would become a flood and, quickly, a hue and cry would build for stringent US tariffs on Chinese goods.
There would be another important consequence of an EPA audit of US industry and that would be a huge rush to natural gas. Coal has secured a get-out for the time being in the congressional Bills. Without special treatment, however, the only quick lower-carbon solution available to US power utilities is huge investment in efficient gas-fired generation plant. Gas produces a third of the CO2 emissions of coal and, after new discoveries, gas in the US is extremely cheap. If Ms Jackson has her way, this could be America’s big dash for gas.
by shoaib ahmed
The EPA’s decision on Monday to treat CO2 as if it were a noxious poison was craved and dreaded in equal measure by climate activists and industrialists. It is a bombshell, more than just a public relations ploy to make President Obama look cool at the Copenhagen summit. It unleashes one of the toughest US regulators and gives it a mandate to go after heavy industry with compliance orders and fines. Power generators, oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and cement makers have been warned: the bloodhounds of the EPA will hunt you down and curb your emissions.
This is politics, of course. A lot must happen before the EPA begins to slap fines on recalcitrant power companies. The agency needs to draw up regulations that work — a monumental task. It needs to decide which CO2 abatement technologies are effective and affordable — at present, there are no commercial carbon-capture technologies, only government-subsidised pilot projects.
But make no mistake: this is the beginning of America’s puritanical crackdown on carbon. If you are surprised that the atmospheric gas that feeds the roses in your garden is being labelled a dangerous poison, remember that America doesn’t regulate its citizens with the gentle persuading hand of the Queen; it does so with the passion of the religious convert. If the EPA is unchallenged, carbon will be hunted down, in the tailpipes of cars in Los Angeles and in the stacks of power plants in Virginia
America’s electricity industry has reacted with alarm to Ms Jackson’s decision. The US is mostly powered by coal, a fossil fuel that accounts for 80 per cent of America’s abundant greenhouse gas emissions. America has enormous coal reserves — indeed Warren Buffett has just made a big bet on the coal industry, buying a controlling interest in Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a railroad group that trucks coal from mines in Wyoming to Texas and southern California.
There is an alternative to the EPA’s bloodhounds: two climate change Bills making their way through the US Congress would create cap-and-trade systems to offer incentives to industry to curb emissions. The two Bills are similar and both give huge exemptions to power companies in the form of free emission allowances. The American legislation is, in microcosm, what a new Copenhagen climate treaty might look like: a hotchpotch of complex regulation, extravagant concessions, get-out clauses and bribes to politically sensitive groups.
On the one hand, America has the hydroelectric-powered Washington State, where Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell waves the climate-change hockey stick. At the other end of the country, you have coal-fuelled states, such as Georgia, where a federal tax on top of the monthly utility bill spells political death. So, inequality in the carbon burden means taxing Pacific Coast liberals in order to subsidise coalmining rednecks.
It begs the question whether a climate change Bill is possible. That is where the threat of the EPA looms. In a landmark case in 2007, the Supreme Court found that CO2 was an air pollutant within the meaning of the America’s Clean Air act, opening the door for Monday’s statement by Ms Jackson. Climate activists have been waiting for this moment, when the EPA would aim its guns at Big Oil and Big Coal.
Mr Obama is probably not keen to let the EPA do its job. It would be a blunt instrument and politically dangerous, for the important reason that the EPA would be “fair”. Unlike a congressional Bill, with its tweaks, trade-offs and bungs, the EPA would regulate carbon, everywhere. There would be no concessions: every tonne, whether emitted by car, cow or chemical plant, would have to be measured and fined.
The impact on US industry would be harsh and investment would flee from energy-intensive industries. Carbon leakage to Asia would become a flood and, quickly, a hue and cry would build for stringent US tariffs on Chinese goods.
There would be another important consequence of an EPA audit of US industry and that would be a huge rush to natural gas. Coal has secured a get-out for the time being in the congressional Bills. Without special treatment, however, the only quick lower-carbon solution available to US power utilities is huge investment in efficient gas-fired generation plant. Gas produces a third of the CO2 emissions of coal and, after new discoveries, gas in the US is extremely cheap. If Ms Jackson has her way, this could be America’s big dash for gas.
by shoaib ahmed
COMMENT: The real threat is America —Mohammad Jamil
The most significant part of Obama’s speech was his acknowledgement that “success in Afghanistan was inextricably linked to Washington’s partnership with Pakistan”. Secondly, he has satisfied his Generals by ordering deployment of 30,000 additional troops and also appeased the American public by announcing the pullout to start from 2011
Contradictory and conflicting statements from members of the Obama administration and US Generals smack of their bewilderment due to their failure in achieving their objectives in Afghanistan. The fact remains that the US-led invaders had descended on Afghanistan vowing to take Osama bin Laden dead or alive, finish off his al Qaeda network, topple the Taliban and get their leaders Mullah Omar and his senior companions, but except toppling the Taliban they failed on every count. They seem to be utterly confused and tend to confuse others with a view to keep them guessing about their real intent. Some observers are of the opinion that there is lack of coordination between the various organs of the state and they are not on the same page. Talking to CBS News in ‘Face the Nation’, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said: “The US would not pursue Taliban leaders in Pakistan and it is up to Islamabad to address the threat posed by militants on its territory.”
His comments followed a report that the White House had granted authority to the CIA to expand a bombing campaign in Pakistan by unmanned aircraft to strike Taliban and al Qaeda figures. On the other hand, US National Security advisor James Jones referring to intelligence reports said that the al Qaeda chief is somewhere inside North Waziristan and would take him on whenever intelligence became available about his exact location. And nobody should have any confusion that in case the US knew about them, the US would have bombed, what they call, al Qaeda leaders’ ‘sanctuaries’ in Quetta. For some time rumours abound that indirect talks are being held between the US and the Taliban, courtesy Saudi Arabia. On November 5, 2009, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke had said that the Taliban could rejoin the social and political fabric of Afghanistan if they renounce al Qaeda.
A spokesman of the Taliban has more than once contradicted those reports, stating that there is no question of entering into negotiations with the occupiers. Despite denials from both sides, there are indications of indirect contacts between the US and Taliban leadership. If it is so, the move can be described as sensible, as whatever semblance of normality in Iraq one sees today is because the Shia majority has the chance to rule the country, and at the same time efforts were made to address the grievances of the Sunni minority. In Afghanistan, right from the beginning the ‘basics’ were wrong. Though President Hamid Karzai is Pashtun, most members of his cabinet and many governors are non-Pashtuns. In other words, the Pashtuns have been pushed against the wall and the minority from the Northern Alliance is ruling. That needs to be corrected; otherwise peace will remain an illusion. The Pashtuns have not been given the chance to join the police or the Afghan Army.
President Obama’s new policy has apparently been designed to bring this war to a successful conclusion, as he was under tremendous pressure from US Generals to send at least 40,000 troops to Afghanistan if the war was to be won. On the other hand, there was a lobby under Vice President Joe Biden opposing the surge, who wanted shifting of ‘base’ from Afghanistan to Pakistan to control the region from Afghanistan to the Central Asian Republics by placing more reliance on drones and missile attacks. Obama ordered deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and defied predictions that in his new strategy, India would be given a pivotal role in Afghanistan. One did not hear a single word about India during his speech; however, it could be a deliberate attempt to keep certain things under wraps on the pretext of addressing Pakistan’s concerns.
The most significant part of Obama’s speech was his acknowledgement that “success in Afghanistan was inextricably linked to Washington’s partnership with Pakistan”. Secondly, he has satisfied his Generals by ordering deployment of 30,000 additional troops and also appeased the American public by announcing the pullout to start from 2011.
Obama’s resolve to build a partnership with Pakistan on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect and mutual trust is appreciable, but in view of Pakistan’s past experience it is doubtful that his ideas would go beyond noble sentiments in the presence of conservatives and remnants of the Bush administration around him. At a time when Pakistan’s armed forces have successfully dismantled the terrorists’ infrastructure in Swat and Malakand Division, and in South Waziristan the military operation has entered the final phase, there are odious calls from Britain, India and the US.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had lashed out at Pakistan two days before Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to the UK, stating that British lives were at risk by harbouring Osama bin Laden. Speaking at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad, he said the al Qaeda leader and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri are living in Pakistan and its security services must hunt them down. By giving this statement, he had tried to put Pakistan under pressure, especially when President Obama was preparing to announce the deployment of 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan. In a recently released US Senate report it has been admitted that Osama bin Laden escaped to Pakistan though he was within the grasp of US troops in 2001 at Tora Bora. But the problem was that the US did not have enough boots on ground at that time and there was fear of heavy casualties. It will not be an exaggeration to say that it was because of their cowardice that they let the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership slip over to Pakistan.
However, the American surge in troops is rattling many minds as to what indeed are America’s real intentions about Afghanistan. President Obama may not want the American forces to stay on in Afghanistan for long, but the situation on the ground will determine whether American forces stay there, have a graceful exit, or are forced to leave, as happened in Vietnam when American officers and soldiers were scampering to catch C-130 flights and helicopters. With the ignominious defeat in Vietnam in the 1970s and then the 9/11 events, the invincibility of present-day America was shredded. Instead of identifying the reasons why many people in the world hate America and addressing the grievances of other countries, former president George Bush had invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, inviting retaliation and hostilities.
The US has spent more than one trillion dollars on these two misadventures. The financial meltdown and recession has brought America to the brink. The mess owed its origins to the time when the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, and the US left it to the CIA to run affairs, which operated with the help of the Northern Alliance. Of course, there were civil war-like conditions, with various groups fighting to have control of the country. As the people of Afghanistan wanted peace, the Taliban used their contradictions and were able to take control of at least 90 percent of the country. Even now after eight years of the US and its allies’ presence, the Taliban control at least 60 percent of Afghanistan. If history is any guide, nobody should make long term plans to stay in Afghanistan. If the US is looking for an honourable exit, it should facilitate the Northern Alliance and Pashtuns to agree on a working relationship to avoid civil war.
Syndicated columnist George Will in his recent column quoted military historian Max Hastings: “Kabul controls only about a third of the country — control is an elastic concept — and Afghans may prove no more viable than were the Vietnamese, the Saigon regime.” It is well known that Afghanistan never had a strong central government; it does not have industry to provide jobs to the unemployed. Secondly, its entire economy is based on illegal production of poppy, which the US and NATO forces have failed to stop. To make things worse, corruption has eaten into the vitals of the state organs. There is a general perception in the US and elsewhere that President Karzai has failed to rein in the warlords, drug producers and drug-traffickers. So far as Pakistan is concerned, it does not have a palpable threat from extremists and terrorists, as the Pakistan army has successfully taken them on. However, the real threat is from the US, because the Jewish lobby and the Indian lobby have not been able to stomach Pakistan’s nuclear capability.
by shoaib ahmed
Contradictory and conflicting statements from members of the Obama administration and US Generals smack of their bewilderment due to their failure in achieving their objectives in Afghanistan. The fact remains that the US-led invaders had descended on Afghanistan vowing to take Osama bin Laden dead or alive, finish off his al Qaeda network, topple the Taliban and get their leaders Mullah Omar and his senior companions, but except toppling the Taliban they failed on every count. They seem to be utterly confused and tend to confuse others with a view to keep them guessing about their real intent. Some observers are of the opinion that there is lack of coordination between the various organs of the state and they are not on the same page. Talking to CBS News in ‘Face the Nation’, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said: “The US would not pursue Taliban leaders in Pakistan and it is up to Islamabad to address the threat posed by militants on its territory.”
His comments followed a report that the White House had granted authority to the CIA to expand a bombing campaign in Pakistan by unmanned aircraft to strike Taliban and al Qaeda figures. On the other hand, US National Security advisor James Jones referring to intelligence reports said that the al Qaeda chief is somewhere inside North Waziristan and would take him on whenever intelligence became available about his exact location. And nobody should have any confusion that in case the US knew about them, the US would have bombed, what they call, al Qaeda leaders’ ‘sanctuaries’ in Quetta. For some time rumours abound that indirect talks are being held between the US and the Taliban, courtesy Saudi Arabia. On November 5, 2009, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke had said that the Taliban could rejoin the social and political fabric of Afghanistan if they renounce al Qaeda.
A spokesman of the Taliban has more than once contradicted those reports, stating that there is no question of entering into negotiations with the occupiers. Despite denials from both sides, there are indications of indirect contacts between the US and Taliban leadership. If it is so, the move can be described as sensible, as whatever semblance of normality in Iraq one sees today is because the Shia majority has the chance to rule the country, and at the same time efforts were made to address the grievances of the Sunni minority. In Afghanistan, right from the beginning the ‘basics’ were wrong. Though President Hamid Karzai is Pashtun, most members of his cabinet and many governors are non-Pashtuns. In other words, the Pashtuns have been pushed against the wall and the minority from the Northern Alliance is ruling. That needs to be corrected; otherwise peace will remain an illusion. The Pashtuns have not been given the chance to join the police or the Afghan Army.
President Obama’s new policy has apparently been designed to bring this war to a successful conclusion, as he was under tremendous pressure from US Generals to send at least 40,000 troops to Afghanistan if the war was to be won. On the other hand, there was a lobby under Vice President Joe Biden opposing the surge, who wanted shifting of ‘base’ from Afghanistan to Pakistan to control the region from Afghanistan to the Central Asian Republics by placing more reliance on drones and missile attacks. Obama ordered deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and defied predictions that in his new strategy, India would be given a pivotal role in Afghanistan. One did not hear a single word about India during his speech; however, it could be a deliberate attempt to keep certain things under wraps on the pretext of addressing Pakistan’s concerns.
The most significant part of Obama’s speech was his acknowledgement that “success in Afghanistan was inextricably linked to Washington’s partnership with Pakistan”. Secondly, he has satisfied his Generals by ordering deployment of 30,000 additional troops and also appeased the American public by announcing the pullout to start from 2011.
Obama’s resolve to build a partnership with Pakistan on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect and mutual trust is appreciable, but in view of Pakistan’s past experience it is doubtful that his ideas would go beyond noble sentiments in the presence of conservatives and remnants of the Bush administration around him. At a time when Pakistan’s armed forces have successfully dismantled the terrorists’ infrastructure in Swat and Malakand Division, and in South Waziristan the military operation has entered the final phase, there are odious calls from Britain, India and the US.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had lashed out at Pakistan two days before Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to the UK, stating that British lives were at risk by harbouring Osama bin Laden. Speaking at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad, he said the al Qaeda leader and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri are living in Pakistan and its security services must hunt them down. By giving this statement, he had tried to put Pakistan under pressure, especially when President Obama was preparing to announce the deployment of 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan. In a recently released US Senate report it has been admitted that Osama bin Laden escaped to Pakistan though he was within the grasp of US troops in 2001 at Tora Bora. But the problem was that the US did not have enough boots on ground at that time and there was fear of heavy casualties. It will not be an exaggeration to say that it was because of their cowardice that they let the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership slip over to Pakistan.
However, the American surge in troops is rattling many minds as to what indeed are America’s real intentions about Afghanistan. President Obama may not want the American forces to stay on in Afghanistan for long, but the situation on the ground will determine whether American forces stay there, have a graceful exit, or are forced to leave, as happened in Vietnam when American officers and soldiers were scampering to catch C-130 flights and helicopters. With the ignominious defeat in Vietnam in the 1970s and then the 9/11 events, the invincibility of present-day America was shredded. Instead of identifying the reasons why many people in the world hate America and addressing the grievances of other countries, former president George Bush had invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, inviting retaliation and hostilities.
The US has spent more than one trillion dollars on these two misadventures. The financial meltdown and recession has brought America to the brink. The mess owed its origins to the time when the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, and the US left it to the CIA to run affairs, which operated with the help of the Northern Alliance. Of course, there were civil war-like conditions, with various groups fighting to have control of the country. As the people of Afghanistan wanted peace, the Taliban used their contradictions and were able to take control of at least 90 percent of the country. Even now after eight years of the US and its allies’ presence, the Taliban control at least 60 percent of Afghanistan. If history is any guide, nobody should make long term plans to stay in Afghanistan. If the US is looking for an honourable exit, it should facilitate the Northern Alliance and Pashtuns to agree on a working relationship to avoid civil war.
Syndicated columnist George Will in his recent column quoted military historian Max Hastings: “Kabul controls only about a third of the country — control is an elastic concept — and Afghans may prove no more viable than were the Vietnamese, the Saigon regime.” It is well known that Afghanistan never had a strong central government; it does not have industry to provide jobs to the unemployed. Secondly, its entire economy is based on illegal production of poppy, which the US and NATO forces have failed to stop. To make things worse, corruption has eaten into the vitals of the state organs. There is a general perception in the US and elsewhere that President Karzai has failed to rein in the warlords, drug producers and drug-traffickers. So far as Pakistan is concerned, it does not have a palpable threat from extremists and terrorists, as the Pakistan army has successfully taken them on. However, the real threat is from the US, because the Jewish lobby and the Indian lobby have not been able to stomach Pakistan’s nuclear capability.
by shoaib ahmed
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
The Pantropical Spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata, is a small, toothed whale that has a long, beaklike snout, a sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and sharp teeth. It is also known as the Spotted Dolphin, the White-Spotted Dolphin, the Brindled Dolphin, the Spotter, the Spotted Porpoise, and the Slender-beaked Dolphin. This cetacean is found worldwide in tropical seas, especially around islands.
by shoaib ahmed
Dolphins breathe air through a single blowhole. They grow to be at most 8 feet (2.4 m) long and weigh from 200 to 255 pounds (90-115 kg). Spotted Dolphins live in groups called pods.
Swimming: Like other whales, dolphins swim by moving their tail (the flukes) up and down. Fish swim by moving their tail left and right.
Diet: Spotted dolphins are hunters who find their prey at the surface of the water, eating mostly fish and squi . They sometimes eat crustaceans
Echolocation: Like other toothed whale , dolphins use echolocation, a way of sensing in which they emit high-pitched clicks and sense them as they bounce back off objects (like prey).
Predators of Dolphins: Some sharks (including tiger sharks dusky sharks, and bull sharks and orcas will prey upon dolphins. Dolphins are also often trapped in people's fishing nets. The Spotted Dolphin is an endangered species
Gray Wolf
The Gray Wolf (also known as the Timber Wolf) is a wild dog that lives in packs (groups). Gray wolves that live in the treeless plains of the far north are called Tundra Wolves or Arctic Wolves. The gray wolf is a fast-running carnivore (meat-eater). After almost going extinct, it is now only found in Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
by shoaib ahmed
Howling: Wolves howl as a signal to other wolves, telling of the beginning and ending of a hunt, of a wolf separated from its pack, as a warning to other wolf packs, and simply for the fun of it.
Anatomy: Gray Wolves have strong jaws with sharp teeth, including long canine teeth which tear flesh. Adults are about 4 1/2 feet long and weigh about 80 pounds. They have very good eyesight, acute hearing, and a keen sense of smell.
Hunting and Diet: Wolves hunt in packs and often prey upon animals that are much larger that they are. They mostly eat hoofed mammals, like elk, deer, moose, sheep, and bison, but will eat almost anything, including birds, fish, snakes, lizards, and fruit. Wolves almost never attack people. They swallow food in large chunks, barely chewing it. Wolves can eat up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of meat at one meal. When they return from the hunt, wolves regurgitate some of the food for the hungry pups.
Wombat
The Wombat is a rare marsupial from dry and semi-dry areas on the islands of Australia and Tasmania It is the largest burrowing mammal. This solitary animal is nocturnal (most active at night).
Anatomy: This thick-set mammal has very short legs, large paws, sharp claws, and a shuffling walk. Wombats range from 2.5-3.8 ft (0.75-1.2 m) long. It has a backwards-facing pouch (to keep out dirt as it burrows) in which its newborn will stay until it is able to walk. Wombats have four incisor teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives. The wombat has unusual, cube-shaped dung.
Diet: These herbivores (plant-eaters) eat grass, leaves, bark, and roots.
by shoaib ahmed
Yaks
Yaks are large, long-haired, horned mammals that live in mountainous Tibet. These sure-footed cattle were domesticated hundreds of years ago by people in Asia. Yaks can climb up to 20,000 feet (6,100 m) above sea level.
Behavior: Female yaks and their young calves travel in herds of hundreds of animals. The herd protects the young from predators, like wolves.
Anatomy: The yak measures from 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to1.8 m) tall at the shoulder and weighs from 400 to 1,800 pounds (180 to 820 kg). Males are larger than females. Both males and females have horns. Yaks have a massive, low-slung body, a huge hump on their shoulders, and hoofed feet. Yaks have very long fur, and during the winter, they also grow a short, thick fur undercoat which insulates them from the cold. They have a life span of about 20 years in captivity.
Diet: Yaks are herbivores (plant-eaters) that graze on grasses, but also browse on the leaves of low-lying shrubs and herbs. Like cows (which they are related to), they swallow their food without chewing it. Later, they regurgitate the food (called a cud) and chew it. Yaks, like other ruminants, have a four-part stomach.
by shoaib ahmed
Yellow Jackets
Yellow Jackets are a genus of very aggressive social wasps. There are many different species of Yellow Jackets.
Anatomy: These flying insects have a hard exoskeleton, six jointed legs and four wings. Like all insects, they have three body parts; the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. They are from 5/8 to 1 inch (14-25 mm) long. Females have a stinger at the tip of the abdomen.
Diet: Wasps eats insects, arachnids (like spiders), and sweet nectar.
Nests: All wasps build complex nests with many six-sided cells. They make the nests with a type of paper that they make by chewing wood and plant fibers. The nests are used to lay eggs in and to protect the young.
Social Organization: Yellow Jackets live in groups (called colonies) and work together. The Yellow Jackets are divided into three classes: queens (large females who build the nest and lay eggs), workers (small females who build nests and feed the young), and drones (males). Every winter, all the wasps die except new, mated queens, who burrow into leaves or soil to survive.
by shoaib ahmed
Zebra
Zebras are large, fast-running mammals that live on African grassy plains (savannas). They can run up to 40 mph (65 kph) in short bursts in order to escape from predators (like lions and hyenas). The zebra's life span is about 28 years. Zebras are closely related to horses and donkeys.
by shoaib ahmed
Families and Herds: Zebras are very social animals and live in large, stable family groups which are led by females. Stallions (males) watch the rear of the group in order to help protect them from predators. Families will sometimes merge to form large herds.
Anatomy: Zebra fur has distinctive white stripes on a black background. No two zebras have the same pattern. These stripes may help to confuse predators chasing the zebra, making them misjudge distances. Zebras have hoofed feet. They are over 4 feet (1.2 m) tall at the shoulder and weigh over 600 pounds (270 kg). They have a long, upright, bristly, black and white mane. Large eyes and ears help the zebra detect predators early, allowing it to run away.
Diet: Zebras eat grasses; they are nomadic herbivores. They spend most of their time grazing. Zebras need to drink water often and usually stay close to a watering hole.
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is a common, widespread woodpecker. It is found in woodlands, parks, and a variety of biomes throughout North America. Anatomy: The Downy Woodpecker is a small, black and white bird with a short bill. The male has a red spot on the back of its head. It is about 6 to 6.5 inches (15-16.5 cm) long.
Diet: The Downy Woodpecker eats insects, seeds, grains, and suet.
Pecking: Woodpecker peck for many reasons including eating, establishing territory, attracting mates, and nesting. In order to find and eat insects that live in tree bark (including ants and beetles), woodpeckers peck into the bark with their beak, making small holes. Woodpeckers also make drumming sounds on wood, but this is to establish territories and attract mates in the Spring. A third use of pecking is to make a nest within a dead tree.
Eggs and Nests: The Downy Woodpecker's nest is a hole in a tree that has been lined with wood chips. Females lay 3-6 white eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time). The eggs hatch in just under 2 weeks.
by shoaib ahmed
Friday, December 4, 2009
How to Protect Mars Samples on Earth
Astrobiology Magazine
posted: 03 December 2009
08:44 am ET
A returning spacecraft may someday hurtle through Earth's atmosphere bearing evidence of life from Mars. But scientists won't casually crack open the precious payload in any old laboratory. They will need a specially-designed building that not only protects the Martian samples from terrestrial contamination, but also prevents any Martian material or organisms from escaping into Earth's biosphere.
Such a Mars sample return mission could signal a huge scientific coup for understanding the red planet's ability to harbor life, and so NASA launched the initial phases of a sample return mission in the late 1990s. Programmatic considerations, including technical and budgetary concerns, killed the mission planning early on, but the U.S. space agency continued to study what type of sample return facility (SRF) might become necessary for such a mission.
Now NASA's Mars team has released the results of that study. Three architectural firms drew up plans for how humans and robots could handle extraterrestrial samples within special facilities.
"We could build a facility today that would meet relevant standards for biocontainment (to protect the environment) and we could build a facility today that would meet scientific needs for contamination control (to protect the samples)," said Deborah Bass, a scientist with NASA's Mars Exploration Program. "Our technological challenges arise from the need to do both at the same time!"
Bass collaborated on the analysis of the facility designs with Karen Buxbaum, NASA's planetary protection manager for the Mars Program, and other NASA colleagues and planners. Their assessment of the three design submissions was detailed in October's issue of the journal Astrobiology.
Not your father's moon samples
A Mars sample return mission won't mark the first time that spacefarers have brought back extraterrestrial samples. Apollo astronauts who walked on the lunar surface returned with hundreds of pounds of moon rocks, and NASA built the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to quarantine the lot.
But Bass and Buxbaum point out several differences between that case and a future Mars sample return mission. A Mars mission would return just over 1 pound (0.5 kg) of samples, as opposed to the hundreds of pounds of lunar regolith, and so any future facility's tests must use as little of the precious Martian samples as possible.
A Mars SRF would also require much less space than the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, because there won't be any returning astronauts from Mars who require quarantine.
Requirements linked to scientific understanding have similarly changed since the first Moon landing. NASA initially tried plant growth experiments in the lunar regolith samples, but no scientist today would bother with similar Martian soil experiments because of the lack of viability for plants. And that's assuming there would be enough soil in the Martian sample to conduct such tests.
Researchers also first assumed that animal testing would become necessary for biohazard experiments involving Mars samples. But advances in biological analysis have opened up the possibility that scientists could run smaller tests that don't require animals.
Finally, scientists and policymakers want to take more cautionary steps to protect Earth against any possibility that Mars microbes or other contaminants could escape the lab.
"We know more about remarkable abilities of terrestrial microbes to survive (sometimes thrive) in challenging environmental conditions," Bass and Buxbaum noted. "Many more regulations and safeguards are now in place that must be observed to ensure a successful sample return program."
Competing visions for humans and robots
NASA hired three architectural design teams to design a facility with containment equivalent to the Biosafety Level 4 labs, which typically house samples of highly infectious diseases.
One facility design by Industrial Design and Construction (IDC) featured a mostly human workforce. Another design by Lord, Aeck, Sargent (LAS) took the opposite approach by creating a fully robotic facility, based on the idea that robots would help eliminate human error.
A third design by Flad & Associates (FLAD) took a middle approach by having humans assisted by robots.
Robot advocates consider humans the "weak link" in the chain, and argue that human operators also represent a big source of possible contamination for the Mars samples. But other researchers counter that human operators would add a special interactive and adaptive touch that current robots lack.
Several of the facility designs also call for double-walled biosafety cabinets, which use air pressure to keep any contaminant leaks contained within the double-wall design. That future technology may help keep any hazardous Mars materials inside the cabinets, and also keep out unwanted Earth material that could contaminate scientific testing.
Moving closer to Mars sample return
Based on the three design proposals, NASA planners and researchers said that a sample return facility would likely require 20 to 30 permanent staff members and cost $121 million, not including an annual operational cost of $7 million.
NASA has again begun quietly discussing the possibility of a future sample return mission. But such a venture would not represent a stand-alone mission -- the U.S. space agency wants to work up to a sample return in several mission stages.
"The first definitive step, which would be a rover to collect and cache the samples, is under consideration for launch in 2018," Bass and Buxbaum explained. Whether such a mission will get approved remains uncertain, but people eager for a new glimpse of extraterrestrial soil could see their wishes fulfilled as early as the 2020s.
posted: 03 December 2009
08:44 am ET
A returning spacecraft may someday hurtle through Earth's atmosphere bearing evidence of life from Mars. But scientists won't casually crack open the precious payload in any old laboratory. They will need a specially-designed building that not only protects the Martian samples from terrestrial contamination, but also prevents any Martian material or organisms from escaping into Earth's biosphere.
Such a Mars sample return mission could signal a huge scientific coup for understanding the red planet's ability to harbor life, and so NASA launched the initial phases of a sample return mission in the late 1990s. Programmatic considerations, including technical and budgetary concerns, killed the mission planning early on, but the U.S. space agency continued to study what type of sample return facility (SRF) might become necessary for such a mission.
Now NASA's Mars team has released the results of that study. Three architectural firms drew up plans for how humans and robots could handle extraterrestrial samples within special facilities.
"We could build a facility today that would meet relevant standards for biocontainment (to protect the environment) and we could build a facility today that would meet scientific needs for contamination control (to protect the samples)," said Deborah Bass, a scientist with NASA's Mars Exploration Program. "Our technological challenges arise from the need to do both at the same time!"
Bass collaborated on the analysis of the facility designs with Karen Buxbaum, NASA's planetary protection manager for the Mars Program, and other NASA colleagues and planners. Their assessment of the three design submissions was detailed in October's issue of the journal Astrobiology.
Not your father's moon samples
A Mars sample return mission won't mark the first time that spacefarers have brought back extraterrestrial samples. Apollo astronauts who walked on the lunar surface returned with hundreds of pounds of moon rocks, and NASA built the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to quarantine the lot.
But Bass and Buxbaum point out several differences between that case and a future Mars sample return mission. A Mars mission would return just over 1 pound (0.5 kg) of samples, as opposed to the hundreds of pounds of lunar regolith, and so any future facility's tests must use as little of the precious Martian samples as possible.
A Mars SRF would also require much less space than the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, because there won't be any returning astronauts from Mars who require quarantine.
Requirements linked to scientific understanding have similarly changed since the first Moon landing. NASA initially tried plant growth experiments in the lunar regolith samples, but no scientist today would bother with similar Martian soil experiments because of the lack of viability for plants. And that's assuming there would be enough soil in the Martian sample to conduct such tests.
Researchers also first assumed that animal testing would become necessary for biohazard experiments involving Mars samples. But advances in biological analysis have opened up the possibility that scientists could run smaller tests that don't require animals.
Finally, scientists and policymakers want to take more cautionary steps to protect Earth against any possibility that Mars microbes or other contaminants could escape the lab.
"We know more about remarkable abilities of terrestrial microbes to survive (sometimes thrive) in challenging environmental conditions," Bass and Buxbaum noted. "Many more regulations and safeguards are now in place that must be observed to ensure a successful sample return program."
Competing visions for humans and robots
NASA hired three architectural design teams to design a facility with containment equivalent to the Biosafety Level 4 labs, which typically house samples of highly infectious diseases.
One facility design by Industrial Design and Construction (IDC) featured a mostly human workforce. Another design by Lord, Aeck, Sargent (LAS) took the opposite approach by creating a fully robotic facility, based on the idea that robots would help eliminate human error.
A third design by Flad & Associates (FLAD) took a middle approach by having humans assisted by robots.
Robot advocates consider humans the "weak link" in the chain, and argue that human operators also represent a big source of possible contamination for the Mars samples. But other researchers counter that human operators would add a special interactive and adaptive touch that current robots lack.
Several of the facility designs also call for double-walled biosafety cabinets, which use air pressure to keep any contaminant leaks contained within the double-wall design. That future technology may help keep any hazardous Mars materials inside the cabinets, and also keep out unwanted Earth material that could contaminate scientific testing.
Moving closer to Mars sample return
Based on the three design proposals, NASA planners and researchers said that a sample return facility would likely require 20 to 30 permanent staff members and cost $121 million, not including an annual operational cost of $7 million.
NASA has again begun quietly discussing the possibility of a future sample return mission. But such a venture would not represent a stand-alone mission -- the U.S. space agency wants to work up to a sample return in several mission stages.
"The first definitive step, which would be a rover to collect and cache the samples, is under consideration for launch in 2018," Bass and Buxbaum explained. Whether such a mission will get approved remains uncertain, but people eager for a new glimpse of extraterrestrial soil could see their wishes fulfilled as early as the 2020s.
by shoaib ahmed
First Photo Taken of Object Around Sun-Like Star, Scientists Say
By SPACE.com Staff
posted: 03 December 2009
04:34 pm ET
Astronomers say they have taken the first direct image of a planet-like object orbiting a star much like our own sun.
A similar breakthrough was announced last year, when astronomers unveiled direct images of a single-planet and multiple-planet system. However, the host stars of such systems are stellar giants that are much more massive than the sun.
The images of this newly identified object were taken in May and August during early test runs of a new planet-hunting instrument on the Hawaii-based Subaru Telescope.
The object called GJ 758 B orbits a parent star that is comparable in mass and temperature to our own sun, said study team member Michael McElwain of Princeton University. The star lies 300 trillion miles (480 trillion km), or about 50 light-years, from Earth.
Scientists aren't sure if the object is a large planet or a brown dwarf, a cosmic misfit also known as a failed star. They estimate its mass to be 10 to 40 times that of Jupiter. Objects above 13 Jupiters (and below the mass needed to ignite nuclear reactions in stars) are considered to be brown dwarfs.
Either way, McElwain says the image is exciting.
"Brown dwarf companions to solar-type stars are extremely rare," he told SPACE.com. "It's exciting to find something that is so cool and so low mass with a separation similar to our solar system around a nearby star."
The planet-like object is currently at least 29 times as far from its star as the Earth is from the sun, or about the distance between the sun and Neptune.
The fact that such a large planet-like object might be orbiting at this location defies traditional thinking on how planets form, McElwain said. Astronomers think most large planets form either closer to or farther away from stars, but not in the location where GJ 758 B is now.
"This challenging but beautiful detection of a very low mass companion to a sun-like star reminds us again how little we truly know about the census of gas giant planets and brown dwarfs around nearby stars," said Alan Boss, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., who was not involved in the research. "Observations like this will enable theorists to begin to make sense of how this hitherto unseen population of bodies was able to form and evolve."
The instrument attached to the Subaru Telescope, called the High Contrast Coronagraphic Imager with Adaptive Optics, is part of a new generation of instruments specially made to detect faint objects near a bright star by masking its far more intense light.
The scientists say telescope images have revealed a possible second companion to the star, which they are calling GJ 758 C, though more observations are needed to confirm whether it is actually nearby or just looks that way.
The study team included scientists from Princeton, the University of Hawaii, the University of Toronto, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Tokyo. The results were released online Nov. 18 in an electronic version of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
by shoaib ahmed
39 killed in Pakistan attack
Militants have launched a suicide attack on a mosque near Pakistan's military headquarters in Rawalpindi, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 40 others.
The mosque is frequented by military officials in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. Local police say three attackers opened fire before blowing themselves up. A military spokesman says there was a possibility that some of them may still be hiding in the vicinity. The military has confirmed that a major-general from the army was killed in the attack. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister says the government has "fool-proof evidence" that the terrorists were getting their weapons from Afghanistan.
Rehman Malik, Pakistani Interior Minister, said, "Even today I say that the supply of arms, the supply of ammunition, and of course the rocket launchers and land mines are all coming from across the border. Yes, they are coming from Afghanistan. We have told the Afghan government to act; it is extremely important to put an end to this, because the terrorists have weapons which only the state should possess."
Militants have launched a suicide attack on a mosque near Pakistan's
military headquarters in Rawalpindi, killing at least 39 people and
injuring more than 40 others.
by shoaib ahmed
Taliban cannot occupy Pakistan: Gilani
LONDON: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that there is no possibility of Taliban occupation of Pakistan. He also said that Pakistan will act against Osama if America and Britain provide substantial evidence.
In an interview to Arab TV, the prime minister said that the war against terrorism is in the interest of not only Pakistan but the whole world. Pakistan has sacrificed a lot in the war against terrorism and vowed to pull out the fundamentalism from its very roots. The prime minister said that Pakistan wants more cooperation from America and the whole world in the war against terrorism.
Responding to a question, he said that a stable Afghanistan is critical for Pakistan. Gilani said that Pakistan wants good relations with all neighboring countries, including India. He said that lack of comprehensive talks between India and Pakistan is not good for either country.
The prime minister said that President Asif Ali Zardari will transfer the powers under 58 2(b) to the parliament as promised. The Pakistan Peoples Party is doing constitutional reforms according to its mandate. SAMAA
by shoaib ahmed
Asif and Kaneria make it Pakistan’s day
Saturday, December 05, 2009
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Asif and Kaneria make it Pakistan’s day
WELLINGTON: It’s a venue that Pakistan’s bowlers have enjoyed more than those from any other side over the last two decades, and they celebrated the Basin Reserve’s fiftieth Test in fitting style, destroying New Zealand’s top order with another clinical performance that left them superbly placed to level the series. After extending their first innings to 264, thanks largely to Kamran Akmal’s enterprising 70, the bowlers immediately got down to business, exploiting the conditions and the huge flaws in the techniques of the New Zealand batsmen, bundling them out for 99 and taking their overall lead to 229 by stumps.
Save for a brief four-over period when New Zealand took the last three Pakistan wickets and a spell just before close of play, the day belonged entirely to the visitors. Mohammad Aamer did his now customary trick of taking a wicket in his first over – is he the new first-over specialist after Daryl Tuffey? – and consistently bowled in the mid-140s, Mohammad Asif operated in his usual channel around off and seamed the ball both ways, Umar Gul was the perfect first-change bowler offering New Zealand no respite, while Danish Kaneria befuddled the lower order with his bag of tricks.
While the four-pronged bowling attack gave little away, New Zealand put in yet another shambolic batting display, as their poor defensive techniques and shot selection were ruthlessly exposed. None of their batsmen came to terms with the ball seaming around in both directions, and they made it worse for themselves with some poor strokeplay. None was more guilty than Brendon McCullum, who chased his first ball – a wide one – and edged to second slip when New Zealand had already lost five wickets with little on the board.
From the moment Aamer started his first over, it was clear New Zealand would have their hands full. His fourth ball to Guptill swung back and rapped him on the pads; the next one left him, clipped the edge, and New Zealand’s opening pair had failed to last the first over for the third time in three innings.
That was one of two overs Pakistan bowled before lunch and the slide continued after the break. Asif flummoxed Tim McIntosh and forced an inside edge to short leg, and should have had Daniel Flynn in similar fashion had Salman Butt not dropped a regulation catch. Ross Taylor was the only batsman to play with confidence - he raced to 30 from 40 balls, showing decisive footwork and driving confidently through the off side off the fast bowlers. His judgement failed him, though, when Gul slipped in an indipper that took the off stump after Taylor left it alone.
Peter Fulton was a walking wicket once again, shuffling indecisively to a straight and full one on the stumps, but New Zealand really crumbled after tea, going from 85 for 4 to 99 all out in the space of six overs. Flynn’s painstaking knock ended when he was trapped in front of off by one that straightened – the review failed to save him – and when McCullum fell next ball, Asif was on a hat-trick. Vettori averted it, but was, for once, unable to lead another rearguard effort as Kaneria snuffed out the tail in a trice.
Apart from Taylor, the one batsman who was comfortable batting on the surface was Kamran Akmal, who showed plenty of skill and aggressive intent in his 70. His 64-run stand with Gul - the largest of the innings - kept New Zealand in the field much longer than they would have liked in the opening session. Both batsmen went after the bowling, with Kamran lacing drives confidently through the covers to bring up his second half-century of the series. When New Zealand did get Rudi Koertzen to raise the finger against Kamran, the lbw decision was overturned on review, with replays suggesting it would have gone over the top of the stumps.
Throughout the day, the bounce on the track kept the bowlers interested: the last 30 minutes was a huge test for Pakistan’s batsmen, with O’Brien peppering the batsmen with plenty of short deliveries, and getting Butt with one such delivery that had him all tangled up and gloving to Taylor in the slips. Imran Farhat was consumed by the pace and movement too but, despite that lion-hearted effort, the story of the day remained New Zealand’s abject collapse. In their last two Tests at this ground, Pakistan have had one bowler winning them the match – it was Wasim Akram in 1994 and Shoaib Akhtar in 2003. The spoils were shared this time around, but the end result could be just as emphatic for Pakistan. agencies
by shoaib ahmed
Share this story!
Asif and Kaneria make it Pakistan’s day
WELLINGTON: It’s a venue that Pakistan’s bowlers have enjoyed more than those from any other side over the last two decades, and they celebrated the Basin Reserve’s fiftieth Test in fitting style, destroying New Zealand’s top order with another clinical performance that left them superbly placed to level the series. After extending their first innings to 264, thanks largely to Kamran Akmal’s enterprising 70, the bowlers immediately got down to business, exploiting the conditions and the huge flaws in the techniques of the New Zealand batsmen, bundling them out for 99 and taking their overall lead to 229 by stumps.
Save for a brief four-over period when New Zealand took the last three Pakistan wickets and a spell just before close of play, the day belonged entirely to the visitors. Mohammad Aamer did his now customary trick of taking a wicket in his first over – is he the new first-over specialist after Daryl Tuffey? – and consistently bowled in the mid-140s, Mohammad Asif operated in his usual channel around off and seamed the ball both ways, Umar Gul was the perfect first-change bowler offering New Zealand no respite, while Danish Kaneria befuddled the lower order with his bag of tricks.
While the four-pronged bowling attack gave little away, New Zealand put in yet another shambolic batting display, as their poor defensive techniques and shot selection were ruthlessly exposed. None of their batsmen came to terms with the ball seaming around in both directions, and they made it worse for themselves with some poor strokeplay. None was more guilty than Brendon McCullum, who chased his first ball – a wide one – and edged to second slip when New Zealand had already lost five wickets with little on the board.
From the moment Aamer started his first over, it was clear New Zealand would have their hands full. His fourth ball to Guptill swung back and rapped him on the pads; the next one left him, clipped the edge, and New Zealand’s opening pair had failed to last the first over for the third time in three innings.
That was one of two overs Pakistan bowled before lunch and the slide continued after the break. Asif flummoxed Tim McIntosh and forced an inside edge to short leg, and should have had Daniel Flynn in similar fashion had Salman Butt not dropped a regulation catch. Ross Taylor was the only batsman to play with confidence - he raced to 30 from 40 balls, showing decisive footwork and driving confidently through the off side off the fast bowlers. His judgement failed him, though, when Gul slipped in an indipper that took the off stump after Taylor left it alone.
Peter Fulton was a walking wicket once again, shuffling indecisively to a straight and full one on the stumps, but New Zealand really crumbled after tea, going from 85 for 4 to 99 all out in the space of six overs. Flynn’s painstaking knock ended when he was trapped in front of off by one that straightened – the review failed to save him – and when McCullum fell next ball, Asif was on a hat-trick. Vettori averted it, but was, for once, unable to lead another rearguard effort as Kaneria snuffed out the tail in a trice.
Apart from Taylor, the one batsman who was comfortable batting on the surface was Kamran Akmal, who showed plenty of skill and aggressive intent in his 70. His 64-run stand with Gul - the largest of the innings - kept New Zealand in the field much longer than they would have liked in the opening session. Both batsmen went after the bowling, with Kamran lacing drives confidently through the covers to bring up his second half-century of the series. When New Zealand did get Rudi Koertzen to raise the finger against Kamran, the lbw decision was overturned on review, with replays suggesting it would have gone over the top of the stumps.
Throughout the day, the bounce on the track kept the bowlers interested: the last 30 minutes was a huge test for Pakistan’s batsmen, with O’Brien peppering the batsmen with plenty of short deliveries, and getting Butt with one such delivery that had him all tangled up and gloving to Taylor in the slips. Imran Farhat was consumed by the pace and movement too but, despite that lion-hearted effort, the story of the day remained New Zealand’s abject collapse. In their last two Tests at this ground, Pakistan have had one bowler winning them the match – it was Wasim Akram in 1994 and Shoaib Akhtar in 2003. The spoils were shared this time around, but the end result could be just as emphatic for Pakistan. agencies
by shoaib ahmed
Kamal Hasan’s Daughter Opposite Aamir Khan
The South Indian star, Kamal Hasan could not have been happier. His daughter, Shruti Hasan, is making her debut in the film industry opposite the ace, Aamir Khan. The film is to be shot in South Africa from start to end and also stars actors like Mithun Chakravorthy and Sanjay Dutt. The daddy’s girl loves the script and didn’t hesitate to admit that she had sought her father’s advice before saying yes.
With a father like that, we wish this new star kid a great career ahead.
With a father like that, we wish this new star kid a great career ahead.
by shoaib ahmed
Dia To Look Different In Acid Factory
The beautiful actress Dia Mirza is surely at cloud #9 after being casted opposite six men in her next flick, Acid Factory. The Lady is said to undergo a total personality change for the film. The stylists are thus trying to give her a different look, especially by changing her hairstyle. Dia insists that her role in this film will be very different from what audience has seen till now
With Priyanka Chopra coloring her hair seems like bollywood is having a Hair Change Trend!!
With Priyanka Chopra coloring her hair seems like bollywood is having a Hair Change Trend!!
by shoaib ahmed
Why Is Diya Mirza Angry?
Diya Mirza who made her debut in Bollywood in 2001 after winning the Miss Asia Pacific Pageant in 2000, is still struggling to find a strong foothold in the industry.In the seven years of her career she has failed to deliver even a single memorable performance. Her repeated failure has led to her disappearance from the circuit for sometime and for that she is really angry with the industry.
“It was important for me to back off from films. I started my career on a good note with big banners, good producers and good actors, but the films didn’t do too well. We live in an industry (Bollywood) that runs on a herd mentality.
It functions only on the number of successful films you have, not your talent,” Diya said
Nevertheless Diya’s kitty is reasonably full with Acid Factory, Johnny Mastana, Alibaug, Kaun Bola and Kisaan.
“I need to find my own foothold. Even if I do a small film, I need to explore myself now. Whatever I’m doing right now is satisfying me both personally and professionally. People will see a tremendous change in my upcoming films. I am working very hard to get it right this time,” she adds.
“It was important for me to back off from films. I started my career on a good note with big banners, good producers and good actors, but the films didn’t do too well. We live in an industry (Bollywood) that runs on a herd mentality.
It functions only on the number of successful films you have, not your talent,” Diya said
Nevertheless Diya’s kitty is reasonably full with Acid Factory, Johnny Mastana, Alibaug, Kaun Bola and Kisaan.
“I need to find my own foothold. Even if I do a small film, I need to explore myself now. Whatever I’m doing right now is satisfying me both personally and professionally. People will see a tremendous change in my upcoming films. I am working very hard to get it right this time,” she adds.
by shoaib ahmed
Kapoor Sisters Rock Nach Baliye 4
Check this picture of Karisma Kapoor with sister Kareena Kapoor at the Nach Baliye 4 show, where Karisma Kapoor is one of the judges. They are dressed in similar dresses, no points for guessing, designed by which fashion designer. They both look pretty, but who looks prettier is for you to decide.
Akshay Kumar’s Italian Suit Worth 5 Lakhs
Aishwarya Rai made news when she picked up shades worth 10 Lakh rupees, Asin picked up shoes worth 2 lakhs and now Akshay Kumar has raised a lot of eyebrows when he decided to wear an Italian designer suit worth Rs. 5 lakh for his forthcoming film Kambakht Ishq.
The movie produced by Sajid Nadiadwala has been already declared one of the biggest budget films. It stars Hollywood biggies like Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh Brandon Routh, and Carmen Electra along with apne desi Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor.
A source from the film’s crew reported, “Akshay was shooting for his introductory scene in the film. Shabina had sent nearly a dozen suits, each priced at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. But Akshay didn’t like any suit. There was chaos with everybody wondering how to resolve the problem since Akshay was supposed to shoot for the particular scene in a few hours.”
That’s when Akshay and Sabir decided to go shopping. “The scene also has Kareena Kapoor. Kambakkht Ishq also stars a few prominent Hollywood actors. Akshay obviously wanted to look suave so he chose a suit, which was much more expensive than what Sajid had imagined. But Sajid is a magnanimous producer. He and Akshay are quite close. In fact, they went to the same school (Don Bosco, Matunga) where Akshay was one year junior to Sajid,” said our source.
A source close to Sajid, confirmed the story and said, “Yes. This did happen. Akshay didn’t wear any of the suits sent by Shabina. But that’s okay. Such things do happen during film shoots. Akshay chose a superb black suit with a hint of blue. It’s a unique piece.”
All good things come for a price… and Akshay Kumar is getting pricey as he gets good.
The movie produced by Sajid Nadiadwala has been already declared one of the biggest budget films. It stars Hollywood biggies like Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh Brandon Routh, and Carmen Electra along with apne desi Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor.
A source from the film’s crew reported, “Akshay was shooting for his introductory scene in the film. Shabina had sent nearly a dozen suits, each priced at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. But Akshay didn’t like any suit. There was chaos with everybody wondering how to resolve the problem since Akshay was supposed to shoot for the particular scene in a few hours.”
That’s when Akshay and Sabir decided to go shopping. “The scene also has Kareena Kapoor. Kambakkht Ishq also stars a few prominent Hollywood actors. Akshay obviously wanted to look suave so he chose a suit, which was much more expensive than what Sajid had imagined. But Sajid is a magnanimous producer. He and Akshay are quite close. In fact, they went to the same school (Don Bosco, Matunga) where Akshay was one year junior to Sajid,” said our source.
A source close to Sajid, confirmed the story and said, “Yes. This did happen. Akshay didn’t wear any of the suits sent by Shabina. But that’s okay. Such things do happen during film shoots. Akshay chose a superb black suit with a hint of blue. It’s a unique piece.”
All good things come for a price… and Akshay Kumar is getting pricey as he gets good.
by shoaib ahmed
Chandni Chowk To China Premiers Across The World
Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone are busy walking the red carpets across the world as their forthcoming film Chandni Chowk to China is premiered in all the major cities in the world i.e. London, Toronto and New York. Check out how they looked at the premiere parties -
by shoaib ahmed
Dhoom 2 makes it international, more food for Dhoom 3
Dhoom 2 is always in news and so there is more food for thought for Dhoom 3 which is on cards. We always knew that Dhoom 2 had international standards in terms of action and now we have been proved right. Action sequences in Dhoom 2 have been nominated for the prestigious Taurus Stunt Awards.
Fight Master Alllan Amin who directed the stunt scenes is all excited about the nomination. “I am very proud of the fact that we have won a nomination. It’s a first,” says Amin. Remember Hrithik and Ash’s scene where they jump from the cliff, with actors volunteering for the scene the directed had no qualms about shooting the scene. And it was mind blowing! The makers had also roped in Australian stunt master Vic Armstrong to execute some of the stunts. The Hollywood stunt coordinator is all praise for Hrithik Roshan: “Hrithik is one of the fittest actors I have seen recently and those efforts made the stuff on Dhoom 2 look exceptionally good”. Armstrong has directed Tom Cruise and Pierce Brosnan. Let us hope to win this international award! It sure is going to set new standards for Yash Raj Films and Dhoom 3.
by shoaib ahmed
SRK and family,Aamir at Paa premiere
SRK attended Amitabh Bachchan’s Paa premiere along with his family. Big B gave a special autograph to SRK’s daughter Suhana.
After seeing Paa, SRK said, “What Bachchan Sahab has done in Paa is awesome. One is really looking forward to seeing it. It’s going to be immensely entertaining.”"I think it’s a great learning experience for me as an actor. I have seen R Balki’s work. With Abhishek and Vidya, there are other nice and wonderful actors in the film. So it will be a great experience for me as well.”
Aamir was also spotted with his 3 Idiots team at the premiere.
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by shoaib ahmed
Abhi-Ash at Paa Premiere
Bollywood’s super couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai rocked together at the green carpet for Paa premiere. Aishwarya Rai wore a lacy black Sabyasachi saree and made her look sexy by sporting red lips.
Talking about Paa, Aishwarya said, “I hope people will enjoy the film. Paa is a simple story said beautifully. It’s about human relations and it’s perfect the he touched upon a subject that needs attention.”
by shoaib ahmed
Talking about Paa, Aishwarya said, “I hope people will enjoy the film. Paa is a simple story said beautifully. It’s about human relations and it’s perfect the he touched upon a subject that needs attention.”
by shoaib ahmed
SRK becomes an oldy
SRK will be seen playing the role of a old man in his latest DISH Tv advertisement. SRK will be playing a 75-year-old who dances and romances his wife.
Director Anurag Basu says, The story is very cute. Tanvi Azmi is playing Shah Rukh’s wife. They’re hiding inside their room and are dancing.”
Adman Prasoon Joshi says, “We didn’t know if SRK will agree to the idea. I didn’t want to make him Veer Zaara kinda old. It had to be different. So, pehle Shah Rukh ko buddha banaya humne pictures mein, and then showed it to him. He was very sporting and loved the idea.”
Prasoon adds, “He liked the script a lot. Probably he never got a script like that before. His first reaction was, ‘Well, I love it!’ He probably he trusted my work. He didn’t take time to say yes.“Everybody has been going wow over the ad. He has emoted really well. There is a beautiful chemistry between him and Tanvi Azmi.”
Anurag Basu also revealed a secret, he said, “Shah Rukh called his make-up guy and gave him the brief on how to do his look. After the whole get-up was done, he did something very cute.
He clicked a picture of himself and sent it to Gauri on the phone, asking, ‘Will you still love me when I am old and look like this?’ I am sure he will look much more handsome when he is old!”
Agree with you Anurag, he looks sexy even as a oldy.
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by shoaib ahmed
Bollywood steals a march over century-old theatre
CUTTACK: Bollywood and television have eaten into most art forms, weaning away audiences from a diet of traditional rural entertainment to glossy
showbiz.
Take for instance Orissa's century-old folk theatre form, Pala, which is fading from public memory. This vibrant art form which would thrive in the state's culture city Cuttack and its nearby areas, is losing its popularity.
The uniqueness of the form lies in its classic contribution for a harmonious existence of Hindus and Muslims during the Moghul era. Pala troupes worshipped Satyapir, god Satyanarayan of the Hindus and Pir of the Muslims. The Satyapir cult is believed to have evolved for strengthening Hindu-Muslim unity.
Pala gained popularity in the course of time with a transition from pure musical to a combination of music and literature. The artform had mass appeal. Earlier it was the only mode of entertainment which later became a medium for spreading messages. "But today no one gets to hear about pala shows," rued a singer.
"Earlier we would be booked for 30 days in a month, be it at a child's birth, a foundation stone laying ceremony of a temple or any auspicious occasion. But today we hardly get any programmes, how can we survive in this profession?" asked Prajapita Behera, a pala singer.
"Forget about auspicious occasions people don't even call us at ekosia (21 days after birth of a child) and solaah puja (16th birthday of a teen). It really hurts, film songs have replaced us at traditional functions, too," said Baijayant Sahoo, another pala singer.
A pala troupe comprises the principal performer who is known as the gayak or gahan, a drummer (bayak) and four palias. Though pala continued to rule as the most potent mode of entertainment and education in Orissa for centuries, it was marginalised with the advent of cinema and television, besides changing tastes of people with rapid urbanisation.
"We have brought about some changes in the presentation of Ramayana and Mahabharata to attract the modern crowd. The singing style has also been modernised but then the crowd continues to be a trickle," said Ruby Padhee, a pala singer.
The singers feel the government should draw up a policy for revival and survival of this age-old art form. While a lot of attention and money are given to Odissi dance, dying art forms like the pala are neglected, they complain.
Noted theatre artist Kartik Rath, said, "There is no patronage. So how can pala survive? These traditions are our treasures but since we are not giving them enough attention, they are on the verge of extinction."
by shoaib ahmed
showbiz.
Take for instance Orissa's century-old folk theatre form, Pala, which is fading from public memory. This vibrant art form which would thrive in the state's culture city Cuttack and its nearby areas, is losing its popularity.
The uniqueness of the form lies in its classic contribution for a harmonious existence of Hindus and Muslims during the Moghul era. Pala troupes worshipped Satyapir, god Satyanarayan of the Hindus and Pir of the Muslims. The Satyapir cult is believed to have evolved for strengthening Hindu-Muslim unity.
Pala gained popularity in the course of time with a transition from pure musical to a combination of music and literature. The artform had mass appeal. Earlier it was the only mode of entertainment which later became a medium for spreading messages. "But today no one gets to hear about pala shows," rued a singer.
"Earlier we would be booked for 30 days in a month, be it at a child's birth, a foundation stone laying ceremony of a temple or any auspicious occasion. But today we hardly get any programmes, how can we survive in this profession?" asked Prajapita Behera, a pala singer.
"Forget about auspicious occasions people don't even call us at ekosia (21 days after birth of a child) and solaah puja (16th birthday of a teen). It really hurts, film songs have replaced us at traditional functions, too," said Baijayant Sahoo, another pala singer.
A pala troupe comprises the principal performer who is known as the gayak or gahan, a drummer (bayak) and four palias. Though pala continued to rule as the most potent mode of entertainment and education in Orissa for centuries, it was marginalised with the advent of cinema and television, besides changing tastes of people with rapid urbanisation.
"We have brought about some changes in the presentation of Ramayana and Mahabharata to attract the modern crowd. The singing style has also been modernised but then the crowd continues to be a trickle," said Ruby Padhee, a pala singer.
The singers feel the government should draw up a policy for revival and survival of this age-old art form. While a lot of attention and money are given to Odissi dance, dying art forms like the pala are neglected, they complain.
Noted theatre artist Kartik Rath, said, "There is no patronage. So how can pala survive? These traditions are our treasures but since we are not giving them enough attention, they are on the verge of extinction."
by shoaib ahmed
Review: 'Paa'
The father-son Bollywood soapFor "Paa," veteran Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan submitted to four hours of makeup to turn him into a 12-year-old boy named Auro, who is afflicted with a rare genetic defect that accelerates the aging process so rapidly that he looks nearly 80. Although the makeup, involving a large prosthetic head, is pretty good, it wasn't worth the effort, for the film is no more than a tedious, over-long Bollywood soap opera.
Handsome Amol (Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh's son) and beautiful Vidya (Vidya Balan) meet at Oxford -- or Cambridge, since settings at both universities are used. Amol pursues Vidya, even though he plans to concentrate solely on becoming a reforming politician back in India. In any event, Vidya becomes pregnant, the couple break up -- but Vidya does not have the abortion Amol thinks she has had. Vidya becomes a gynecologist in Lucknow and raises Auro with the help of her mother (Arundhati Naag.) while Amol, also living in Lucknow, becomes a crusading member of Parliament.
With a loving mother and grandmother and attending a posh private school, where he is treated kindly, Auro, who is precocious and witty, is happy. It is there, at an awards ceremony, that father and son cross paths and the politician takes an interest in Auro, unaware that he is actually his son.
All of this happens early on in the film but writer-director R. Balki stretches out "Paa," which is "Pa" in Hindi, to an unconscionable 145 minutes that seems all the longer since it's clear that father and son will eventually learn of their relationship. Meanwhile, time is running out for Auro, who is approaching 13, an age beyond which few with his condition live. Bachchan's Auro is fairly convincing; his costars are as effective as the genre permits. The film abounds with lush music, scenery and fancy editing flourishes in the elaborate Bollywood tradition.
is lush in music and scenery but over-ripe in length.
by shoaib ahmed
Handsome Amol (Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh's son) and beautiful Vidya (Vidya Balan) meet at Oxford -- or Cambridge, since settings at both universities are used. Amol pursues Vidya, even though he plans to concentrate solely on becoming a reforming politician back in India. In any event, Vidya becomes pregnant, the couple break up -- but Vidya does not have the abortion Amol thinks she has had. Vidya becomes a gynecologist in Lucknow and raises Auro with the help of her mother (Arundhati Naag.) while Amol, also living in Lucknow, becomes a crusading member of Parliament.
With a loving mother and grandmother and attending a posh private school, where he is treated kindly, Auro, who is precocious and witty, is happy. It is there, at an awards ceremony, that father and son cross paths and the politician takes an interest in Auro, unaware that he is actually his son.
All of this happens early on in the film but writer-director R. Balki stretches out "Paa," which is "Pa" in Hindi, to an unconscionable 145 minutes that seems all the longer since it's clear that father and son will eventually learn of their relationship. Meanwhile, time is running out for Auro, who is approaching 13, an age beyond which few with his condition live. Bachchan's Auro is fairly convincing; his costars are as effective as the genre permits. The film abounds with lush music, scenery and fancy editing flourishes in the elaborate Bollywood tradition.
is lush in music and scenery but over-ripe in length.
by shoaib ahmed
Priyanka-Shahid lovers again
Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor, who had broken off a little while ago are back together again.
Both Priyanka and Shahid sorted out their differences in Bangkok, where they are shooting for their respective movies.
Shahid’s friend Tamanna made the two lovers unite again, a source says, “Shahid and Tammana have become good friends now. In fact, she was, in a way, responsible for getting the lovebirds back together. Shahid was already in Bangkok shooting for a film, while PC reached there a week later. They were at different locations but got a chance to sit down and talk things out. They went out on two occasions including dining out.”
Both Shahid and Priyanka are happy to be back again in each others life, the source adds, “She is happy to have Shahid back in her life. They are very happy together.”
Priyanka and Shahid tweeted each other yesterday, this check out their conversation below:
Aishwarya talks about babies
Aishwarya Rai at a recent watch launch event, talked about being a mother and Abhishek’s qualities as a father.
Aishwarya says, “Everybody has been asking me if Abhishek will be a good pa (father) in connection with the release of our forthcoming production Paa. I think it’s silly for me to be even making the statement. It’s given – I married the man. So obviously I have the conviction in the husband he is or the father he will be.”
“He is very real, very rooted and very human – which I absolutely relate to. His values are evident for everybody to see. We have known each other for so many years.
“I’ve seen him with his niece and nephew since the time they were babies. He is so great with kids and I’ve seen that for the longest time with (his sister Shweta’s children) Navya (Naveli) and Agastya. I have no doubts on him whatsoever.”
When she was quizzed about her baby preference, a boy or a girl, she said, “Come on…Aren’t you like moving at a really fast pace…! Whatever god has in store for us in life (will come)… Life itself is a blessing, let alone to have opportunity to be able to bring a life into this world.
“It’s really not in our hands …it’s in god’s hands. I hope I am just blessed with that experience, I am really looking forward to it and we will certainly cherish it.”
With her biological clock ticking, Aishwarya, 36, should desperately look forward to becoming a mother.
by shoaib ahmed
Silkbank board approves right share issue
Silkbank board approves right share issue
Friday, December 04, 2009
By our correspondent
KARACHI: The Silkbank board of directors has approved injection of the fresh capital into the bank through a right share issue at a discount of Rs7 a share to meet the minimum paid-up capital requirement of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The bank announced on Thursday that the capital would increase to Rs7 billion after the issuance of 2.8 billion right shares at Rs2.5 per share. Right issue means sale of shares to existing shareholders. Under the proposal, 3.11 shares will be issued for every one share held.
“This issuance will exceed the SBP’s minimum capital requirement of Rs6 billion. The decision will ensure that the bank is adequately capitalised until the end of 2010,” it said. The bank aims to introduce a number of innovative products and services, it said.
Key sponsors of Silkbank are Nomura Investments, Bank Muscat and IFC (a World Bank arm). As of September 30, 2009, the capital of the bank had dropped to just Rs3.3bn after deducting accumulated losses.
by shoaib ahmed
Friday, December 04, 2009
By our correspondent
KARACHI: The Silkbank board of directors has approved injection of the fresh capital into the bank through a right share issue at a discount of Rs7 a share to meet the minimum paid-up capital requirement of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The bank announced on Thursday that the capital would increase to Rs7 billion after the issuance of 2.8 billion right shares at Rs2.5 per share. Right issue means sale of shares to existing shareholders. Under the proposal, 3.11 shares will be issued for every one share held.
“This issuance will exceed the SBP’s minimum capital requirement of Rs6 billion. The decision will ensure that the bank is adequately capitalised until the end of 2010,” it said. The bank aims to introduce a number of innovative products and services, it said.
Key sponsors of Silkbank are Nomura Investments, Bank Muscat and IFC (a World Bank arm). As of September 30, 2009, the capital of the bank had dropped to just Rs3.3bn after deducting accumulated losses.
by shoaib ahmed
Thursday, December 3, 2009
SC directs to put name of Seth Nisar on ECL
Thursday December 03, 2009 (1205 PST)
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the NAB to put the name of Seth Nisar, the co-accused in financial scam of Rs 9 billion at Bank of Punjab (BoP) on ECL until he pays back Rs 400 million being claimed against him.
The court also directed the NAB to keep his passport till the payment of full amount being claimed against him.
A three-member bench of the apex court was hearing a financial scam of Rs9 billion at Bank of Punjab (BoP).
On Wednesday Seth Nisar, elder brother of Sheikh Afzal, the owner of Haris Steel Industries and the main accused in BoP financial scam, was produced before the court.
Wasim Sajjad, counsel for Seth Nisar, appeared before the court and showed the copy of pay order of Rs 200 million in the name of BoP and submitted that the said amount would be deposited in the bank today (Thursday). He further submitted that the remaining amount of Rs 200 million would be deposited by December 11.
Seth Nisar confessed before the NAB authorities to pay off the Rs 400 million he obtained from Sheikh Afzal, his brother and Chief Executive of the Haris Steel Industries and main accused in the financial scam.
End.
by shoaib ahmed
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the NAB to put the name of Seth Nisar, the co-accused in financial scam of Rs 9 billion at Bank of Punjab (BoP) on ECL until he pays back Rs 400 million being claimed against him.
The court also directed the NAB to keep his passport till the payment of full amount being claimed against him.
A three-member bench of the apex court was hearing a financial scam of Rs9 billion at Bank of Punjab (BoP).
On Wednesday Seth Nisar, elder brother of Sheikh Afzal, the owner of Haris Steel Industries and the main accused in BoP financial scam, was produced before the court.
Wasim Sajjad, counsel for Seth Nisar, appeared before the court and showed the copy of pay order of Rs 200 million in the name of BoP and submitted that the said amount would be deposited in the bank today (Thursday). He further submitted that the remaining amount of Rs 200 million would be deposited by December 11.
Seth Nisar confessed before the NAB authorities to pay off the Rs 400 million he obtained from Sheikh Afzal, his brother and Chief Executive of the Haris Steel Industries and main accused in the financial scam.
End.
by shoaib ahmed
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