Ruthless India demolish Australia Posted by naila , Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 2:54 PM, in Labels: Sports »

Sachin Tendulkar hit his 49th test century to help India reach 224 for two at lunch on the third day of the second and final test against Australia on Monday.

Resuming on 128 for two, Tendulkar hit a six off Nathan Hauritz to reach the century mark and was unbeaten on 106.

The other overnight batsman, Murali Vijay, was 73 not out having added 186 runs for the third wicket.

Tendulkar, who became the first man to score 14,000 test runs on Sunday, was in sublime form with boundaries flowing from his blade. he hit two fours off the day's first over from Hauritz.

PCB cautions Afridi for criticising selection Posted by naila , at 2:53 PM, in Labels: Sports »

Pakistan cricket authorities handed limited overs captain Shahid Afridi a warning over his criticism of team selection after he showed displeasure at not being consulted.

A Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman confirmed Afridi had been officially warned over his comments.

"It is not a show-cause notice but a written warning, asking Afridi to avoid giving statements on selection issues," the spokesman said.

Under the PCB code of conduct, players are forbidden to speak on selection matters and are not allowed to criticise the board's policies.

Afridi has been named Pakistan captain for two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against South Africa starting in United Arab Emirates later this month,

"I make it a point to give the selectors my input because I'm the one who has to get the desired results from my team on the field," Afridi said in a television interview.

"I will meet Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt to discuss this;

Pakistan, donors in row over utilisation of loans Posted by naila , at 2:49 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

  International lenders estimate this summer's floods in Pakistan caused damage totalling $9.6 billion Cdn to the country's infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors, a government official in Islamabad said Wednesday.

The estimate, drafted by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in consultation with Pakistani leaders, underscores the financial challenges facing Pakistan, a U.S.-allied nation that is battling an Islamist insurgency and was relying on international loans before the deluge.

Although other countries, including the U.S., have contributed millions to the flood relief effort, they have warned Pakistan they cannot foot the entire recovery and reconstruction bill, which some have estimated could surpass $40.44 billion Cdn.

U.S. officials, in particular, have urged Pakistan to improve its anemic tax collection to aid its long-term rebuilding.

The figure of $9.6 billion refers only to existing values of roads, buildings, irrigation systems and other devastated sectors that were evaluated nationwide, not to what it will cost to replace them, said the government official familiar with the report.

Replacement costs will depend on which projects the government chooses to pursue and whether it wants to rebuild certain structures in the same fashion or better, he said. The official requested anonymity because the draft findings have yet to be officially released.

The floods began in late July during unusually heavy monsoon rains, eventually covering one-fifth of the country and affecting some 20 million of Pakistan's 175 million people. Nearly 2,000 people died, and millions were left homeless, according to the United Nations.

Dozens of bridges were washed away, while more than 1.9 million homes were damaged or destroyed. Damage extended to about 2.4 million hectares of farmland, a severe blow to agriculture, the most important pillar of Pakistan's economy.

Even as most people displaced in the northwest have returned to their homes — or what's left of them — parts of southern Sindh province are still under water.

Aid groups have struggled all along to raise money to help Pakistan. With the disaster unfolding relatively slowly, and the number killed low compared with other major disasters such as the Haiti earthquake, experts said many countries and donors did not immediately realize the magnitude of the disaster. There also are concerns that corruption and inefficiency in Pakistan's government may lead to squandered aid.

The UN has appealed for a little more than $2 billion US to help Pakistan's emergency relief and early recovery but has received only about a third of that.

PM Gilani also starts seeing political actors, jokers Posted by naila , at 2:47 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Tuesday that renewed Afghan efforts to make peace with the Taliban and end the nine-year war would fail without Pakistan’s help.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said this week he had renewed overtures to the insurgents, confirming in a US television interview that his government had been holding talks with the Taliban “for quite some time”.
But Gilani told reporters after a ceremony held to disburse Watan Cards to the flood affectees in Charsadda that Pakistan had an essential role to play if there was to be any prospect of peace.
“Nothing will happen without us, because we are a part of the solution, we are not a part of the problem,” Gilani said. Gilani refused to be drawn on whether Pakistan backed the plan.
Asked whether Pakistan had been consulted on contacts between Karzai’s government and the Taliban, Gilani said: “When Mr Karzai will share his roadmap with America, and Americans, and he share this with us, then we can comment.”
Prime Minister made it clear that he would not be appearing before the Supreme Court, adding that the appointment of NAB chief was an administrative and not a constitutional issue. He elaborated that the appointment of NAB chairman was made as transfers and appointments were made of chief ministers in the provinces.
Ruling out both mid-term and local bodies elections, Gilani said he had also been hearing for the last two years that the government was wrapping up but no such thing happened. 
“We are running the government under immense pressure. Had it been anyone else, they would not have been able to run the country more than six months,” Gilani said. 

Floods will not distract country from war on terror: Gilani Posted by naila , Monday, October 11, 2010 at 2:33 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

The prime minister said the nation is determined to overcome the affects of floods in the shortest possible time. -File Photo ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani emphatically stated that the flood tragedy would not distract Pakistan from ...link

PML-N issues 14 points charge sheet against Musharraf Posted by naila , at 2:30 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

The PML-N has prepared a 14-point charge sheet against former President Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf. The charge sheet also made seven demands from the government asking it to take action against the former president...link

Bigg Boss: Tears, tears and more tears! Posted by naila , Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 4:25 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

October 7, 2010: The great ‘tamasha’ of Bigg Boss 4 has just started and Pakistaniactress Veena Malik, too, voiced out her side of the story to add more spice to it. In Tuesday’s episode, she was seen clearly alleging her ex boyfriend Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif for the match fixing scandal.

Veena revealed about her bitter relation with Asif to some of the housemates like Shweta Tiwari, Hrishant Bhatt and Begum Nawazish Ali. She blamed him on Nationalchannel for physically torturing her, abusing her and lending a huge amount of money from her.

She told that Asif insulted her in front of his friends. He has allegedly kicked her, slapped her and locked her in a room for a week. Veena said that she tried to run away from him but he got hold of her and beat her again. This disclosure with her Bigg Boss house inmates has definitely increased the TRPs of the reality show but Asif will surely face some tough time after this.

According to Veena, Asif is a characterless man having lots of affairs with girls from different countries at the same time. The Pakistani actress said that she would have forgotten about the money if she was not tortured in such a cruel way. All these revelation started when Shweta was just joking with her about one of the inmates of the Bigg Boss house.

Veena said that she cannot think of getting into a relationship with anyone now. She wants to give herself time to recover from that bitter experience with Asif. Well, the truth is known only by Veena and Asif so we can’t come to any conclusion by just listening to her side of the story. ! However, the channel has surely gained much TRPs from the Tuesday’s episode !

Keep watching Bigg Boss 4 on Colors for many more melodrama and revelation!

Dollar under pressure amid QE2 speculation Posted by naila , at 4:23 PM, in Labels: business

Selling the dollar has been a one-way trade recently, as the Federal Reserve looks poised to pump more cash into the economy next month, but the bulk of the impact of extra easing may now be priced in.

The dollar lost 8.5 per cent against a basket of six major rivals last quarter, the most in eight years, on fears money-printing by the central bank will debase the currency.

Speculators pushed bets against the greenback to $22 billion in the week ended September 28, the highest since at least mid-2008. The dollar’s downtrend comes at a time when many other countries are trying to weaken their currencies or at least slow their appreciation. That has fuelled fears a global currency war could derail economic recovery.

The fall in the dollar has been so dramatic that some now believe the market may be getting ahead of itself, setting up investors for disappointment should policymakers fail to deliver. “The risk is that once it becomes reality, it will be a smaller program than the market thought and that will be a catalyst for a dollar bounce,” said Richard Franulovich, senior currency strategist at Westpac in New York.

“There’s too much division (within the Fed). There’s no way you can get a big program in place, like $1 trillion, with that much division,” he added.

While some Fed officials like New York Fed President William Dudley said more action was warranted, Dallas Fed Bank chief Richard Fisher and others believe a further relaxation of monetary policy might do more harm than good. The Fed has already pumped $1.7 trillion into the economy through purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-related debt.

If the Fed does decide to purchase more bonds, many economists said it would likely opt for a gradual, open-ended approach and a smaller amount than the first round of quantitative easing (QE) implemented in March, 2009. QE is seen as negative for the dollar because it tends to lead to higher inflation expectations and lower real rates.

UBS does not expect any Fed action, though it said there was risk around that view. The bank targets euro/dollar at $1.25 in three months.

Fed officials and investors will be in data-watching mode ahead of the central bank’s next meeting on November 2-3, with the key September jobs report due out this Friday and the first estimate of third-quarter growth on October 29. Surprisingly, strong data could shake expectations for the Fed, forcing a squeeze of dollar shorts.

US condemns deadly bombings at Pakistani shrine Posted by naila , at 4:21 PM, in Labels: Most Popular

 The United States on Thursday condemned twin bomb blasts that killed eight worshippers at a packed Sufi shrine in Pakistan, adding there was no "political justification" for such an attack.

"Our thoughts and deep sympathies are with the affected families and the people of Pakistan," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters.

"There's obviously no political justification for killing innocent people, and we strongly condemn any deliberate targeting of civilians," Toner said.

"While terrorists continue to target innocent Pakistanis, the United States continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan in its struggle against terrorism, as well as its recovery from the floods," he said.

Eight worshippers including two children were killed in the bomb blasts Thursday at the the shrine to Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi as devotees packed it for a weekly gathering in the southern port city of Karachi.

Provincial home minister Zulfikar Mirza said an investigation into the attack was already underway and that the government had decided to seal all shrines in the city immediately over security fears.

"It was a terrorist attack," he said...LINK

Blasts kill at least 7 in Pakistan's Karachi Posted by naila , at 4:18 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

(Reuters) - Two suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a crowded Sufi shrine compound in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi Thursday, killing at least seven people, police said.

Police and ambulances rushed to the scene.

The U.S.-backed Pakistani government is battling Taliban insurgents who remain effective despite military crackdowns on their strongholds in the northwest near the Afghan border.

The Pakistani army has been stretched because of its relief efforts during and after summer floods which made over 10 million people homeless and inflicted billions of dollars in damage. Karachi is Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub.

Mariah Carey takes a tumble onstage (video) – Daily Gossip Posted by naila , Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 1:40 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Mariah Carey and hubby, Nick Cannon     Related Stories   Aceshowbiz :    Mariah Carey's pregnant tummy did not stop her when she hit the stage, literally. Mariah Carey slipped while performing at the last stop on her Angels Advocate tour in Singapore on Saturday. The 40-year old singer, who is rumored to be expecting a child with husband, Nick Cannon, hit the ground hard while rocking out at the Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, and she just kept singing. "I did that on purpose!" she joked after she regained her footing on her high heels. Mariah then continued the set barefoot, immediately launching into a spirited rendition of 'Dreamlover.' "Dancers came immediately to help her but MC continued singing, she just removed her shoes," claims one source. "A true-blue professional. She doesn't want to disappoint the fans. Then immediately proceeded to 'Dreamlover.' Still barefooted." Mariah didn't seem too worried about hurting a baby and just kept the show going. Lets hope lil Cannon is ok.

Read Full Story .... Aceshowbiz >>> :

Violation of Pakistan's sovereignty unacceptable: President Posted by naila , at 1:35 PM, in

SLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said the Government of Pakistan strongly disapproves any incident of violation of its sovereignty...link

Face-off between India, Pak delegates at UNGA Posted by naila , at 1:33 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

NEW YORK: In an unusual face-off, Indian and Pakistani diplomats engaged in heated exchanges in the UN General Assembly ( UNGA) over Jammu and Kashmir...link

Revisiting the Debate: Mammogram Benefit for Women in Their 40s? Posted by naila , at 1:27 PM, in Labels: Health »

Male and female relatives of young women with breast cancer are at greater risk of developing cancer themselves, according to research published today.

Scientists studied parents and siblings of 504 women diagnosed with the disease before the age of 35 and found they were at a 1.5 to two-fold increased risk of prostate, lung, brain and urinary cancers.

The risk was little changed among the relatives of women who did not carry known faulty genes that increase the chance of breast cancer. That suggested there may be other undiscovered gene disorders causing cancer in young women and their families, the researchers said, meaning further work could help identify more people who might be susceptible.

Women who inherit one of the abnormal genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a 55% to 85% risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. But most women with the disease do not have the high-risk genes, which only account for between 2% and 5% of all breast cancers.

Professor John Hopper, from the Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne, who led the study published in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC), said: "These results are surprising and novel, and could be pointing to a new cancer genetic syndrome.

"Just as the link between male and female breast cancers in some families led UK researchers to find the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2, the results of this study could help scientists discover new cancer susceptibility genes." Dr Lesley Walker, the director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, which owns the BJC, said: "These early results are interesting in pointing to some increased risks of other cancers in the relatives of very young breast cancer cases. This study is important in suggesting a strategy to help identify other genes which significantly increase a woman's breast cancer risk. More studies with larger numbers will help confirm these risks."

It is already known that relatives of early onset breast cancer patients without mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carry up to a four-fold increased risk of the disease compared with those with no family link, but this study suggests close relatives also face higher chances of other cancers.

It also backed up earlier research by finding that mothers and sisters of women with breast cancer had a substantially increased risk of the disease, even if the women did not have a BRCA mutation. The risk for sisters was greater than for mothers. Previous studies have suggested increased risks of other cancers for relatives of women with breast cancer, but the links have been weak and inconsistent.

Of the 504 women in the study, 41 had a BRCA mutation. A total of 2,200 parents and siblings were involved.

US envoy plans more talks with Abbas, Netanyahu Posted by naila , at 1:25 PM, in Labels: WORLD

Mr Netanyahu, who goes back into peace talks with the Palestinians on Tuesday in Egypt, talked at the weekend about a compromise on the extension of a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction to both Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, and later his cabinet. But this prompted immediate outrage from Jewish settlers, a constituency with considerable leverage over his broad coalition.

Settlers, who celebrated Mr Netanyahu's election last year, accused him of betrayal and of wilting under US pressure. The moratorium on construction in the disputed territories of the West Bank expires in the last week of this month and until now Mr Netanyahu has firmly denied that any extension would be possible. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, has threatened to leave the talks if settlement construction resumes and Barack Obama, US President, last week called for the freeze to be prolonged.Mr Netanyahu, who goes back into peace talks with the Palestinians on Tuesday in Egypt, talked at the weekend about a compromise on the extension of a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction to both Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, and later his cabinet. But this prompted immediate outrage from Jewish settlers, a constituency with considerable leverage over his broad coalition.

Settlers, who celebrated Mr Netanyahu's election last year, accused him of betrayal and of wilting under US pressure. The moratorium on construction in the disputed territories of the West Bank expires in the last week of this month and until now Mr Netanyahu has firmly denied that any extension would be possible. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, has threatened to leave the talks if settlement construction resumes and Barack Obama, US President, last week called for the freeze to be prolonged.

Danny Dayan, the chairman of the Yesha Council which represents the West Bank's 300,000 Jewish settlers, said: "If the freeze continues in any way, we promise to make every effort to fight against the Netanyahu government. It will be the beginning of the end."

Mr Dayan's colleagues were also incensed, with Gershon Mesika, leader of the settlers in the northern West Bank, announcing that a continuation of the freeze would amount to "a declaration of war". He added: "We would do everything possible to topple the prime minister."

Mr Netanyahu said limits could be imposed on the amount of construction that would be allowed, suggesting a smaller number of new homes than the 20,000 for which the settlers already have planning permission.

"Between zero and 20,000, there is also a middle ground," Mr Netanyahu said.

Mr Netanyahu's apparent willingness to compromise suggests that the prospect of the talks collapsing just weeks after they started could be averted. There have been indications that the Palestinians could accept some building in major settlements that are likely to become part of Israel in any proposed land swap.

Ehud Barak, Mr Netanyahu's doveish defence minister, has also put together a plan to ensure that new settlement construction is blocked by bureaucratic hurdles, according to the Israeli press.

There is no question that forcing through an agreement would carry a heavy political cost for Mr Netanyahu, even while doubts remain over his sincerity towards the peace talks. In an illustration of the difficulties that lie ahead, settlers went on the rampage in a Palestinian village in the West Bank yesterday, burning cars and daubing houses with graffiti.

On the Palestinian side, the hardline Islamists of Hamas are also implacably opposed to the talks and there has been an upsurge in recent days in rockets fired from Gaza, the territory which the group controls..

Disputed land in Ayodhya Ram's birthplace, but split it: High Court Posted by naila , at 1:22 PM, in Labels: Most Popular

The HC gave its stamp of judicial approval to the Hindu belief that Lord Ram was indeed born there. The court also ruled by a majority verdict that the disputed 120 feet by 90 feet plot land be divided into three equal parts among three petitioners ...link

NRO beneficiaries resign voluntarily; no threat to govt: Gilani Posted by naila , Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 10:01 AM, in Labels: Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has cancelled visits starting this month to Europe, the foreign ministry said, a move which could intensify media speculation that pressure is mounting for a change in government.

The government's perceived poor handling of summer floods has raised questions over political stability in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country fighting homegrown Taliban insurgents which the U.S. regards as vital to efforts to stabilise Afghanistan.

"In view of his pre-occupations with the post-flood situation, the Prime Minister has decided not to go ahead with his scheduled visits to Paris and Brussels," said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman in a statement.

"(The) Prime Minister's official visit to France is being re-scheduled."

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will lead Pakistan's delegation to the Asia-Europe summit in Brussels next month, said the statement.

Pakistani leaders have said the government has done its best to help flood victims given its limited resources and have appealed for international aid to help with reconstruction.

The military has taken the lead in relief and rescue efforts, reinforcing the view that it's Pakistan's most decisive and efficient institution in times of crises.

Those dynamics have raised questions in the Pakistani media and elsewhere about the fate of the civilian government.

"No one knows if Gilani decided at the spur of the moment to cancel his visit, or he was advised not to travel abroad in the face of the urgency the government is facing because of the floods and the pressure for a change in government," said an article in Pakistan's The News on Saturday.

The newspaper has been outspoken against several Pakistani governments over the years.

Gilani's press secretary, Shabbir Anwar, said he had been scheduled to leave at the end of this month for Paris with a delegation of 40 other officials to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then travel from there on Oct 1 to Brussels.

Instead Gilani decided to stay behind and the size of the delegation was reduced to save on expenses after the floods.

"This had nothing to do with politics," Anwar told Reuters.

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, has held huge sway over security and foreign policy, even while civilian governments have been in power.

"Recent rumours of a pending military coup are fueled by politicised private media groups, which hope to undermine the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led government of President Asif Ali Zardari," said Eurasia consultancy group.

Even though Pakistan has a history of military coups, analysts say one is unlikely now because the army would inherit the flood disaster, and a takoever could make Western donors hesitant to provide aid for reconstruction after floods.

It may, however, try to manipulate Pakistani politics from behind the scenes, Eurasia said.

PPP spokeswoman Fauzia Wahab said it had asked Gilani to meet other political parties to "counter these rumours" about a possible change in government.

"It's a war of nerves. Whenever our party is in power some factions (parties) gang up together and keep on conspiring against us," she said, adding that the military was not involved in the "campaign" because it could not afford to shift its focus away from the fight against Taliban insurgents.

Pakistani minister resigns after criticizing army Posted by naila , at 9:45 AM, in Labels: Pakistan

 Pakistan's federal minister for defense production resigned after being summoned by the prime minister to explain comments he made criticizing the army and accusing it of killing prominent politicians, officials said Sunday...LINK

NY judge gives 86 years in prison to Pakistani scientist who shot at US troops in Afghanistan Posted by naila , Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 2:15 PM, in Labels: Most Popular

Pakistani scientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. agents and military officers in Afghanistan was sentenced Thursday to 86 years in prison after she delivered a message of world peace and forgave the judge.

"I am a Muslim, but I love Americans too," Aafia Siddiqui said during one of several rambling statements delivered in a lilting voice at the behest of U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

"Forgive everybody in my case, please," she added. "Also forgive Judge Berman."

During a three-hour hearing in federal court in Manhattan, Siddiqui claimed she had evidence Israel was behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and warned more plots were in the works.

"I do not want any bloodshed. I do not want any misunderstanding. I really want to make peace and end the wars," she said.

Siddiqui rolled her eyes, shook her head and threw up her hand in frustration as her lawyers tried to convince the judge she deserved leniency because she was mentally ill.

"I'm not paranoid," she said at one point. "I don't agree with that."

She also tried to dispel rumors she was being tortured while in New York, and urged calm over her plight.

"Tell the Muslims, please don't get emotional," she said, addressing reporters in the audience. "I'm OK. ... I do not want any violence in my name."

News of the harsh sentence still touched off protests in Pakistan.

In the northwestern city of Peshawar, dozens of people took to the streets, burning tires and shouting "Down with America!" and slogans against Pakistani's president and prime minister. Some hit a portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama with their shoes.

"This sentence is a slap in the face of our rulers who have pledged and made promises to bring back Aafia," Siddiqui's sister Fauzia said at her home in the southern city of Karachi.

The Pakistani government, which helped bankroll Siddiqui's defense, was "disappointed at the sentence and sad that our efforts to get her back to Pakistan did not succeed," said foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit. "We are in touch with the U.S. administration to see what possible options are available. We are not giving up."

The sentence imposed on the mother of three capped a strange legal odyssey that began two summers ago, when the 38-year-old Siddiqui turned up in Afghanistan carrying notes referencing a "mass casualty attack" on New York City landmarks and a stash of sodium cyanide.

At trial earlier this year, jurors heard eyewitnesses describe how, after she was detained by Afghan police, Siddiqui grabbed a rifle and tried to shoot U.S. authorities who had gone to interrogate her. They said she yelled, "Death to Americans!" before she was injured in return fire and subdued.

At trial, Siddiqui testified in her own defense. Charges that she purposely shot at soldiers were "crazy," she said. "It's just ridiculous."

Prosecutors argued for a life sentence, saying Siddiqui's crimes were premeditated and intended to harm Americans.

"This was not some random act," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher La Vigne. "On that day, she saw her chance and she took it."

The defense had asked the judge for a sentence closer to 12 years behind bars. Her lawyers argued in court papers that their client's outburst inside a cramped Afghan outpost was a spontaneous "freak out," born of mental illness, not militancy.

"All she wanted to do was get away because she was afraid," said defense attorney Dawn Cardi.

Calling Siddiqui an "enigma," Berman started the sentencing by outlining Siddiqui's history, noting that she was educated in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in the early 1990s.

Berman said she returned to her native Pakistan in 2003 and married a purported al-Qaida operative, a nephew to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the admitted mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Both are held at Guantanamo Bay.

He said it was not clear where she was from 2003 through 2008, though Siddiqui tried to clear that up when she spoke, saying she was held in a secret prison in Afghanistan for many years.

When the judge announced that he planned to sentence Siddiqui to 86 years in prison, someone in the courtroom shouted: "Shame! Shame! Shame on this court!" The judge warned the woman she would be removed if she made another outburst.

Just before she was sentenced, Siddiqui said she was at peace. Afterward, she insisted that her lawyers not appeal.

"It's useless, pointless," she said. "I appeal to God."

Akshay's special gift for Aishwarya in MasterChef Posted by naila , at 4:02 AM, in Labels: Entertainment

MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar who will be hosting and judging a cookery show, has reportedly published a cookbook. And guess what ! Who is the first reader of the book? It is the world beauty Aishwarya Bachchan.

Aishwarya is the co-star of Akshay in their upcoming films Action Replayy.

Akshay in association with Star Plus new show MaterChef India, has helped compile a book on almost all the Indian dishes. The book contains all his favourite recipes from the contestants who participated in the cookery show. It also comprises of his famous Khiladi special sizzlers, as reported by a channel on television.

Aishwarya was seen on the show MasterChef India as a celebrity guest. Akshay presented her with the cook book as an exclusive gift. Now probably the Bachchan bahu will be serving delicious Indian dishes to the Bachchan pariwar.

In Action Replayy, both the actors will be seen in a retro look. The film is based on a 1994 play with the same name. The film is slated to hit the screen on November 5.

Pakistan prepare for Asian Games Posted by naila , at 3:20 AM, in Labels: Sports »

By Our Sports Reporter “I had been invited, to attend the camp but I politely turned down the offer.” -File Photo KARACHI: Former Pakistan football team captain Mohammad Essa, while reacting to a news item, has clarified that he has not been “dropped” .LINK

China denies ban on rare earths exports to Japan Posted by naila , at 3:16 AM, in Labels: WORLD

China stepped up its maritime dispute with Japan today as it halted high-level exchanges over the extended detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain.

State broadcaster CCTV said Beijing had suspended ministerial and provincial-level contacts, including talks on increasing flights, and postponed a meeting on coal.

The row began more than a week ago, when a trawler collided with two Japanese coastguard ships near uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by both countries. The two countries have a long history of tensions over territory, resources and other issues.

But after several years of improving relations and increasing trade, they have more to lose if ties are damaged, meaning they will be wary of letting the spat get out of hand.

A foreign ministry statement read out on television said Japan's refusal to release the captain had "already caused serious damage to Sino-Japanese bilateral contacts". Earlier, in a statement on the Chinese foreign ministry website, spokesman Ma Zhaoxu warned: "If Japan insists on making one mistake after another, the Chinese side will take strong countermeasures, and all the consequences should be borne by the Japanese side."

Xinhua news agency added that Chinese vice foreign minister Wang Guangya had expressed "strong indignation" and made "solemn representations" to the Japanese ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, who has been summoned repeatedly since the row began.

"Regarding individual issues, what is needed is to respond calmly without becoming emotional," Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for the Japanese prime minister's office, told Reuters.

Takeshi Matsunaga, assistant press secretary for Japan's foreign ministry, said the unilateral steps China had taken were "regrettable".

The court in Okinawa, Japan, said Zhan Qixiong could be held for another 10 days for further questioning. Authorities have released the other 14 crew members. He was arrested on 8 September and under Japanese law prosecutors can hold him for up to 20 days while deciding whether to charge him.

Japan has accused the captain of deliberately striking a patrol ship as it tried to intercept his vessel, and obstructing officers. But China has said the detention is illegal and has repeatedly demanded the authorities free him.

The dispute led to small-scale anti-Japanese protests in China yesterday, the anniversary of 1931's Mukden incident, which led to occupation by Japan.

But a huge police presence protected the Japanese embassy in Beijing and buildings in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and Japan's new foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, praised China's "considerable efforts to restrain them".

Maehara, who is thought to be more hawkish on China than his predecessor, repeated Tokyo's call for Beijing to handle matters calmly, stressing it was being dealt with according to Japanese law.

But he added that the isles – known as the Diaoyu islands in China and Senkaku islands in Japan – were an "integral part of Japanese territory".

"Territorial issues do not exist in this region," Maehara told broadcaster NHK.

The Nikkei business daily reported earlier today that Japan may start drilling near a gas field in another disputed part of the East China Sea if China does so.

Japanese officials said on Friday that China had moved drilling equipment to the area, having scrapped scheduled talks over joint exploration in the wake of the trawler incident. Although known reserves appear to be relatively modest, it is thought that there may be more to be found..