Monday, 16 May 2011
Pictures: Veena Malik’s crashed car on motorway
Pakistani Actress Veena Malik , who recently came back to Pakistan after her Indian Tour, has faced a car crash accident on Motorway, while she was travelling from Islamabad to Lahore.According to the latest news reports , Veena Malik remained save in the incident but suffered injuries in the accident. The nature of her injuries and reason for crash couldn’t be confirmed.
Bin Laden was a US prisoner before being killed: Iran
TEHRAN: Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was a prisoner in US custody for "sometime" before he was killed by the American military, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday.
"I have exact information that bin Laden was held by the American military for sometime... until the day they killed him he was a prisoner held by them," the president said in a live interview on Iranian state television.
"Please pay attention. This is important. He was held by them for sometime. They made him sick and while he was sick they killed him," Ahmadinejad added.
He accused US President Barack Obama for announcing the Al-Qaeda leader's death for "political gain."
"What the US president has done is for domestic political gain. In other words, they killed him for Mr Obama's election and now they are seeking to replace him with someone else," Ahmadinejad said without elaborating.
Bin Laden was shot dead on May 2 in a US commando raid on a heavily fortified compound near Islamabad, Pakistan.
On May 4, Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi too had cast doubt on bin Laden's death, saying there were "ambiguities" over the way he was killed.
The Americans "said they threw his body in the sea. Why did they not allowed an independent expert to examine the body to say if it was bin Laden or not?" Vahidi said.
"I have exact information that bin Laden was held by the American military for sometime... until the day they killed him he was a prisoner held by them," the president said in a live interview on Iranian state television.
"Please pay attention. This is important. He was held by them for sometime. They made him sick and while he was sick they killed him," Ahmadinejad added.
He accused US President Barack Obama for announcing the Al-Qaeda leader's death for "political gain."
"What the US president has done is for domestic political gain. In other words, they killed him for Mr Obama's election and now they are seeking to replace him with someone else," Ahmadinejad said without elaborating.
Bin Laden was shot dead on May 2 in a US commando raid on a heavily fortified compound near Islamabad, Pakistan.
On May 4, Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi too had cast doubt on bin Laden's death, saying there were "ambiguities" over the way he was killed.
The Americans "said they threw his body in the sea. Why did they not allowed an independent expert to examine the body to say if it was bin Laden or not?" Vahidi said.
'ISI mulling action against Mullah Omar'
LONDON: A British paper, The Sun has claimed that both US and Pakistani special forces were hunting the Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Omar's hideout after new tip-offs.
In its 10th May 2011 report tabloid said: "Intelligence suggests the one-eyed warlord is being sheltered in the western Pakistani city of Quetta, near the Afghan border".
"Pakistan's ISI spy network was said to be desperate to find him first after being humiliated by the American operation which killed al-Qaeda chief Bin Laden. And US strike teams were fine-tuning plans for an assault on Omar's lair after collecting a treasure trove of data from Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad."
The newspaper report also added: "A senior ISI official confirmed they were going after Omar, adding: "There will be a huge military action in Quetta very soon. "The decision has been taken to act before the Americans have a chance to repeat their mission against Bin Laden. We will try to take him alive but if he resists he will be killed."
In its 10th May 2011 report tabloid said: "Intelligence suggests the one-eyed warlord is being sheltered in the western Pakistani city of Quetta, near the Afghan border".
"Pakistan's ISI spy network was said to be desperate to find him first after being humiliated by the American operation which killed al-Qaeda chief Bin Laden. And US strike teams were fine-tuning plans for an assault on Omar's lair after collecting a treasure trove of data from Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad."
The newspaper report also added: "A senior ISI official confirmed they were going after Omar, adding: "There will be a huge military action in Quetta very soon. "The decision has been taken to act before the Americans have a chance to repeat their mission against Bin Laden. We will try to take him alive but if he resists he will be killed."
Review: 'Priest'
LONDON: "Priest," directed by Scott Stewart, is a short, dour and stodgy creature feature with average 3D effects that draws on so many film influences from westerns, action adventures and sci-fi tales that what fun there is comes from spotting the many sources.
Set in some nameless apocalyptic past or future it's a vicars-versus-vampires yarn that aside from a short animated scene setter at the start and the long credits crawl at the end lasts for about 80 minutes. Lacking marquee names and much in the way of thrills, it's unlikely to linger very long at the local multiplex and the blatant set up for a sequel after the climactic battle appears almost pitiable.
The animated sequence establishes that mankind has retreated within the giant walls of vile, polluted cities after innumerable battles with their vampire enemies, who are now confined to hideous underground camps a long way away.
All that corporal mortification in "The Da Vinci Code" was apparently not enough for Paul Bettany. He has the title role of another venomous cleric known only as Priest, who this time has been put out to pasture by the church that rules with an iron fist over what's left of humankind.
Two sequences set up what will follow in a rag-tag script by Cory Goodman. One has elements of "Indiana Jones" as a band of soldier-preachers run into a trap set by vampires in an underground maze and Priest fails to save his best mate (Karl Urban), who falls into the clutches of thirsty beasts.
The other has a Western touch as crazed attackers invade a solitary home far out in the wasteland, leave the Priest's brother and his wife for dead and kidnap their daughter Lucy (Lily Collins). Back in the "Blade Runner" city on a very bad day, Priest tells the church elders that he wants his badge back to he can go rescue Lucy. As a droll but insistent Monsignor, Christopher Plummer orders him not go anywhere as Christopher Young's choral score starts to soar.
The Priest promptly leaves on a souped up motorcycle and teams with a local lawman, Hicks (Cam Gigandet) to seek the girl. Now it's "The Searchers" as the embittered older man learns that Hicks is in love with Lucy but has to make it clear that if she has been bitten by the vampires then he will have to kill her.
Monsignor sends a team of priests led by Priestess (Maggie Q) to hunt down Priest, but she's really on the renegade's side, so now the three of them track the vampires to some kind of mountain that's shaped like a bee-hive and is in fact called a hive. Inside there's a large bouncy creature with nasty habits and no face but teeth like the creature from "Aliens 2."
Inevitably, Priest's lost friend shows up, the world's first human vampire known as Black Hat and looking for all the world like a man with no name except that his eye teeth come to exceptional points. Turns out he likes railway trains and he plans to transport a new army of vampires on a vast train to attack the city and he kidnapped Lucy just to lure Priest out so he could kill him.
Priest, Priestess and Hick must stop the train before the villains can do any harm and now the references come thick and fast. Once Upon a Time In the West competes with "Mad Max's" "Roadrunner" as Priest and Black Hat fight it out on top of the train while Hicks stumbles along in carriages filled with pods like the ones in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
If that sounds like fun, it's really not. (Reuters)
Set in some nameless apocalyptic past or future it's a vicars-versus-vampires yarn that aside from a short animated scene setter at the start and the long credits crawl at the end lasts for about 80 minutes. Lacking marquee names and much in the way of thrills, it's unlikely to linger very long at the local multiplex and the blatant set up for a sequel after the climactic battle appears almost pitiable.
The animated sequence establishes that mankind has retreated within the giant walls of vile, polluted cities after innumerable battles with their vampire enemies, who are now confined to hideous underground camps a long way away.
All that corporal mortification in "The Da Vinci Code" was apparently not enough for Paul Bettany. He has the title role of another venomous cleric known only as Priest, who this time has been put out to pasture by the church that rules with an iron fist over what's left of humankind.
Two sequences set up what will follow in a rag-tag script by Cory Goodman. One has elements of "Indiana Jones" as a band of soldier-preachers run into a trap set by vampires in an underground maze and Priest fails to save his best mate (Karl Urban), who falls into the clutches of thirsty beasts.
The other has a Western touch as crazed attackers invade a solitary home far out in the wasteland, leave the Priest's brother and his wife for dead and kidnap their daughter Lucy (Lily Collins). Back in the "Blade Runner" city on a very bad day, Priest tells the church elders that he wants his badge back to he can go rescue Lucy. As a droll but insistent Monsignor, Christopher Plummer orders him not go anywhere as Christopher Young's choral score starts to soar.
The Priest promptly leaves on a souped up motorcycle and teams with a local lawman, Hicks (Cam Gigandet) to seek the girl. Now it's "The Searchers" as the embittered older man learns that Hicks is in love with Lucy but has to make it clear that if she has been bitten by the vampires then he will have to kill her.
Monsignor sends a team of priests led by Priestess (Maggie Q) to hunt down Priest, but she's really on the renegade's side, so now the three of them track the vampires to some kind of mountain that's shaped like a bee-hive and is in fact called a hive. Inside there's a large bouncy creature with nasty habits and no face but teeth like the creature from "Aliens 2."
Inevitably, Priest's lost friend shows up, the world's first human vampire known as Black Hat and looking for all the world like a man with no name except that his eye teeth come to exceptional points. Turns out he likes railway trains and he plans to transport a new army of vampires on a vast train to attack the city and he kidnapped Lucy just to lure Priest out so he could kill him.
Priest, Priestess and Hick must stop the train before the villains can do any harm and now the references come thick and fast. Once Upon a Time In the West competes with "Mad Max's" "Roadrunner" as Priest and Black Hat fight it out on top of the train while Hicks stumbles along in carriages filled with pods like the ones in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
If that sounds like fun, it's really not. (Reuters)
Pirates of Caribbean sail to Cannes with star crew
CANNES: The latest installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise laid anchor at the Cannes film festival on Saturday, bringing with it a crew of big stars including Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is the fourth film in a series which has made a fortune for Disney with a combined global box office tally so far of $2.7 billion.
Reviews of the new chapter, which hits theatres in the United States on May 20, have been mixed, though, and some analysts predict it may struggle to match the impressive tallies of previous outings even in the 3D format.
Depp said in Cannes that there would be more ahead if the films remained popular: "If the people get tired of it or something, that's when it stops, I think," he told a news conference. "If people want it, I'm there."
In On Stranger Tides, the actor returns to his role as the indomitable Captain Jack Sparrow after a gap of four years, Australian Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa and Rolling Stone Keith Richards puts in another cameo as Sparrow's father.
There are new faces, with Britain's Ian McShane portraying the fearsome Blackbeard and Spaniard Cruz his daughter Angelica.
Once the hero escapes the clutches of the English king, he embarks on a race to reach the Fountain of Youth.
The English and Spanish navies take on Blackbeard's magical ship, run by giant zombie pirates and spewing flames that burn mutineers to a cinder.
They take on vicious mermaids, who lure their victims before bearing fangs and dragging them to the bottom of the sea.
CAREER BUILT ON FLOPS
Cruz, 37, who was pregnant while shooting the movie, said staying young was not a personal aim, despite pressure within the movie industry to hold back the years.
"I think birthdays are always something to celebrate," she said. "I'm looking forward to every step of the way. Maybe because I'm from Spain that's looked at in a different way there than for example in a place like Los Angeles."
For Depp, the Pirates franchise has turned him into one of Hollywood's highest earners, but he has not forgotten his roots in commercially unsuccessful features.
"It just so happens that for 20 years or so I made these films that were considered for the most part failures, flops," said the 47-year-old. "I built a career on flops so I was quite comfortable in that arena."
Reviewers of On Stranger Tides were divided.
Trade publication Variety's Andrew Barker said it served "as a welcome corrective, reviving the fun, feather-light frivolity that any film based on a Disneyland ride ought to exhibit."
But Steve Rose of Britain's Guardian did not agree.
"It's a succession of ever-escalating action sequences and grand settings. At first they're stunning, then they're routine, then they're wearying," he said. (Reuters)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is the fourth film in a series which has made a fortune for Disney with a combined global box office tally so far of $2.7 billion.
Reviews of the new chapter, which hits theatres in the United States on May 20, have been mixed, though, and some analysts predict it may struggle to match the impressive tallies of previous outings even in the 3D format.
Depp said in Cannes that there would be more ahead if the films remained popular: "If the people get tired of it or something, that's when it stops, I think," he told a news conference. "If people want it, I'm there."
In On Stranger Tides, the actor returns to his role as the indomitable Captain Jack Sparrow after a gap of four years, Australian Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa and Rolling Stone Keith Richards puts in another cameo as Sparrow's father.
There are new faces, with Britain's Ian McShane portraying the fearsome Blackbeard and Spaniard Cruz his daughter Angelica.
Once the hero escapes the clutches of the English king, he embarks on a race to reach the Fountain of Youth.
The English and Spanish navies take on Blackbeard's magical ship, run by giant zombie pirates and spewing flames that burn mutineers to a cinder.
They take on vicious mermaids, who lure their victims before bearing fangs and dragging them to the bottom of the sea.
CAREER BUILT ON FLOPS
Cruz, 37, who was pregnant while shooting the movie, said staying young was not a personal aim, despite pressure within the movie industry to hold back the years.
"I think birthdays are always something to celebrate," she said. "I'm looking forward to every step of the way. Maybe because I'm from Spain that's looked at in a different way there than for example in a place like Los Angeles."
For Depp, the Pirates franchise has turned him into one of Hollywood's highest earners, but he has not forgotten his roots in commercially unsuccessful features.
"It just so happens that for 20 years or so I made these films that were considered for the most part failures, flops," said the 47-year-old. "I built a career on flops so I was quite comfortable in that arena."
Reviewers of On Stranger Tides were divided.
Trade publication Variety's Andrew Barker said it served "as a welcome corrective, reviving the fun, feather-light frivolity that any film based on a Disneyland ride ought to exhibit."
But Steve Rose of Britain's Guardian did not agree.
"It's a succession of ever-escalating action sequences and grand settings. At first they're stunning, then they're routine, then they're wearying," he said. (Reuters)
Aamir Khan to host an Oprah-type talk show
Yesteryear's quiz master Siddharth Basu's company Big Synergy is touted to produce it.
The daily says, Basu approached Khan a while ago with a show on the lines of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
The show aims to address common man's problems. The daily says, Khan warmed to 'this concept, as it deals with issues pertaining to the ordinary citizens of the country'.
One person will be picked per episode and the show host will pick and talk about any issue that the person is dealing with. The show will also include a documentary on the person's life and it will be shot in a packed studio, the paper said.
Khan is not tagged as Bollywood's Mr. Perfectionist for nothing. He not only plans to be involved in the making of each documentary but would like to meet and know his main guest before the shoot commences, the paper revealed.
Jolie Bosnia movie gets Dec. release
LOS ANGELES: Angelina Jolie's directorial debut -- a controversial movie set in wartime Bosnia -- has a name and a release date.
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" will be released in the United States on December 23, producers said in a statement on Monday, just in time for Oscar consideration.
"The film is specific to the Bosnian War, but it's also universal," Jolie said in a statement. "I wanted to tell a story of how human relationships and behavior are deeply affected by living inside a war."
Jolie, who also wrote the screenplay, last year described the then untitled movie as a love story between a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman on the eve of the 1992-95 Balkans conflict, in which 100,000 people died.
But it caused controversy in Bosnia with some female victims of sexual violence objecting to details in the plot and Bosnian authorities canceling a filming permit. As a result, some scenes scheduled to be shot in Sarajevo were moved to Budapest, Hungary.
Jolie, who won a supporting actress Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted", and who is a United Nations goodwill ambassador, has asked the people of Bosnia to withhold judgment until they see the completed film.
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" features a local cast, and was shot in both the English and Serbo-Croat languages.
Producers Graham King and Tim Headington on Monday called it a "bold new film (which) illustrates the consequences of the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict." (Reuters)
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" will be released in the United States on December 23, producers said in a statement on Monday, just in time for Oscar consideration.
"The film is specific to the Bosnian War, but it's also universal," Jolie said in a statement. "I wanted to tell a story of how human relationships and behavior are deeply affected by living inside a war."
Jolie, who also wrote the screenplay, last year described the then untitled movie as a love story between a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman on the eve of the 1992-95 Balkans conflict, in which 100,000 people died.
But it caused controversy in Bosnia with some female victims of sexual violence objecting to details in the plot and Bosnian authorities canceling a filming permit. As a result, some scenes scheduled to be shot in Sarajevo were moved to Budapest, Hungary.
Jolie, who won a supporting actress Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted", and who is a United Nations goodwill ambassador, has asked the people of Bosnia to withhold judgment until they see the completed film.
"In the Land of Blood and Honey" features a local cast, and was shot in both the English and Serbo-Croat languages.
Producers Graham King and Tim Headington on Monday called it a "bold new film (which) illustrates the consequences of the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict." (Reuters)
Pak, US to cooperate on future high-value targets
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Monday it would work together with the United States on any future operations against high-value targets in the country, in the wake of the row over Osama bin Laden's killing.
"It was agreed that all tracks of US-Pakistan engagement need to be revisited, with a view to creating a clear understanding on ways and means to carry forward their cooperation," said the foreign ministry.
"It was also agreed that the two countries will work together in any future actions against high-value targets in Pakistan."
Meanwhile, visiting Chairman of United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry accompanied by US Ambassador Cameron Munter Monday had two hours meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidency. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani were also present.
A joint statement issued later simultaneously by US Embassy and the Presidency said it was agreed that all tracks of US-Pakistan engagement "need to be revisited with a view to creating a clear understanding on ways and means to carry forward their cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner.
It was also agreed that two countries will work together in any future actions against high value targets in Pakistan." Pak–US bilateral relations with focus on the situation arising out of May 2 Abbottabad operation was discussed in meeting.
According to joint statement issued here, "The President, Prime Minister and the Chief of the Army Staff have had a constructive exchange of views with Senator John Kerry. The situation arising from the Abbottabad Operation and the death of Osama Bin Laden was discussed at length.
Senator Kerry conveyed that the secrecy surrounding the operation was strictly for reasons of operational security and not of mistrust of Pakistani Leadership. He said even in the US Government very few persons knew about it. Senator John Kerry said that it was important to press the reset button in US-Pakistan relations and use this opportunity to put the relations back on track and work jointly to bring about the most effective cooperation to combat terrorism, which is in both countries interest.
"Pakistani leadership conveyed to Senator Kerry that Pakistan was a victim of terrorism and that the whole nation was united in eliminating this curse from its soil. Osama Bin Laden was an enemy of Pakistan and the Al-Qaida had declared war against Pakistan and launched wave after wave of suicide attacks against its people. Pakistan was now being hit by a spate of terrorist attacks which were blowback from the elimination of Osama Bin Laden.
Pakistan-US relations should go forward on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual interest. Pakistani leadership made clear that Pakistan’s sovereignty and national interests must be respected and accommodated by the US.
"It was agreed that the two sides would intensify their engagement through official channels and that negative media messages were misplaced and detrimental to the core national interests of both US and Pakistan," joint statement stated. (Agencies)
"It was agreed that all tracks of US-Pakistan engagement need to be revisited, with a view to creating a clear understanding on ways and means to carry forward their cooperation," said the foreign ministry.
"It was also agreed that the two countries will work together in any future actions against high-value targets in Pakistan."
Meanwhile, visiting Chairman of United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry accompanied by US Ambassador Cameron Munter Monday had two hours meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidency. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani were also present.
A joint statement issued later simultaneously by US Embassy and the Presidency said it was agreed that all tracks of US-Pakistan engagement "need to be revisited with a view to creating a clear understanding on ways and means to carry forward their cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner.
It was also agreed that two countries will work together in any future actions against high value targets in Pakistan." Pak–US bilateral relations with focus on the situation arising out of May 2 Abbottabad operation was discussed in meeting.
According to joint statement issued here, "The President, Prime Minister and the Chief of the Army Staff have had a constructive exchange of views with Senator John Kerry. The situation arising from the Abbottabad Operation and the death of Osama Bin Laden was discussed at length.
Senator Kerry conveyed that the secrecy surrounding the operation was strictly for reasons of operational security and not of mistrust of Pakistani Leadership. He said even in the US Government very few persons knew about it. Senator John Kerry said that it was important to press the reset button in US-Pakistan relations and use this opportunity to put the relations back on track and work jointly to bring about the most effective cooperation to combat terrorism, which is in both countries interest.
"Pakistani leadership conveyed to Senator Kerry that Pakistan was a victim of terrorism and that the whole nation was united in eliminating this curse from its soil. Osama Bin Laden was an enemy of Pakistan and the Al-Qaida had declared war against Pakistan and launched wave after wave of suicide attacks against its people. Pakistan was now being hit by a spate of terrorist attacks which were blowback from the elimination of Osama Bin Laden.
Pakistan-US relations should go forward on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual interest. Pakistani leadership made clear that Pakistan’s sovereignty and national interests must be respected and accommodated by the US.
"It was agreed that the two sides would intensify their engagement through official channels and that negative media messages were misplaced and detrimental to the core national interests of both US and Pakistan," joint statement stated. (Agencies)
'Osama hideout was not under vigilance'
WASHINGTON: The hideout of Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been put under strict vigilance so that the al-Qaeda chief might not feel any suspicion, Geo News quoted US TV.
According to the US officials, the number of people visiting the compound before the raid was very few and they came rarely.
The officials also said that the data recovered from the site will help in acquiring information about the people visiting Osama and determining his activities during his stay at the compound.
Meanwhile, CIA Director Leon Panetta told US Senator John McCain that CIA got the information about Osama's presence in Abbottabad through intelligence.
According to the US officials, the number of people visiting the compound before the raid was very few and they came rarely.
The officials also said that the data recovered from the site will help in acquiring information about the people visiting Osama and determining his activities during his stay at the compound.
Meanwhile, CIA Director Leon Panetta told US Senator John McCain that CIA got the information about Osama's presence in Abbottabad through intelligence.
US formally apologizes Pak over drone attacks
ISLAMABAD: The United States has formally apologized Pakistan over drone attacks, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
According to sources, the US apologized civil and military leadership of Pakistan over the drone strikes that killed nine people in North Waziristan on Monday.
The sources added that these strikes were scheduled before the visit of US Senator John Kerry.
The US has stated that it would work together with Pakistan on any future operations in the country.
According to sources, the US apologized civil and military leadership of Pakistan over the drone strikes that killed nine people in North Waziristan on Monday.
The sources added that these strikes were scheduled before the visit of US Senator John Kerry.
The US has stated that it would work together with Pakistan on any future operations in the country.
KSE dips as souring Pak-US ties worry investors
KARACHI: The Karachi stock market went down by half a percent on Monday because of concerns about Pakistan’s relations with the United States and fears of new taxes in the next budget, traders said.
The benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE)-100 Index was down 58.16 points, or 0.49 percent, to 11,909.19 points following reports that the US government was pressurising Islamabad to do more to curb militancy, they said.
“Statements coming from the US officials regarding possible cut in trade ties are threatening,” said Khurram Schehzad, head of research at Investcap. “Bad things have surrounded us from all sides. The US government does not seem to care about Pakistan’s sacrifices.”
Volumes at the market plunged to just 44.8 million shares, indicating that individuals and institutions are wary of taking risk. The dismal trading has pushed many analysts to believe that relief can come only in the shape of tax cuts.
The KSE-30 Index of blue chip companies slipped 47.87 points to 11,567.16 points. Shares of 355 companies were traded out of which 119 advanced, 206 declined, while 30 remained unchanged.
Schehzad said that worsening perception of Pakistan has hit the foreign investment in stocks as well. “In the first quarter, the market saw net investment of $52 million whereas there was flight of $7 million in April alone.”
With budget preparation coming to its end, investors are worried about new taxes that the cash-strapped government might impose on corporate earnings, analysts said. Hamad Aslam, head of equities at BMA Capital, said that investors do not want to take bets in the current circumstances. “Trading in shares will remain lean until the budget comes out.”
Investors with cash see risk in stocks and prefer to invest in money market funds, he said. “Some companies like Fauji Fertilizer offer very good returns. But the macro-level issues undermine the micro delights.”
Qasim Ali Shah, head of equities at Global Securities, said that trading activity would increase if the government accepted KSE’s budget proposals regarding tax exemption for small investors.
“According to some reports, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has accepted some of these proposals. Now we have to wait and see what sort of agreement is reached.” Some companies including the oil and gas ones are trading at attractive levels and offer good returns, he said.
Trading was marked by selling in Lotte Pakistan PTA. It was the second highest traded share with a volume of 5.7 million. It closed down 2.3 percent as PTA margins fell followed by a decline in price of cotton, analyst said.
With trade of 6.7 million shares, Jehangir Siddiqui was again the volume leader. It gained 0.8 percent to end the day at Rs7.19. Azgard Nine saw trade in 5.3 million shares. It was slightly down at Rs5.77.
LSE eases
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore Stock Exchange benchmark LSE-25 Index eased out of 3,200-level to close at 3,161 points, amid low trading volumes, dealers said on Monday.
Out of 114 active shares, only eight companies advanced, 43 declined and 63 companies remained unchanged. The trading volumes stood at 1.7 million shares. Lotte Pakistan PTA was the volume leader, recording a turnover of 31,639 shares.
Baring JGPL that added nominal value of Rs0.10 all the top 10 volume leaders were among the losers. Flying Cement Company was the top gainer with an increase of Re1 to close at Rs2.34. Oil and Gas Development Company was one of the two blue-chips featuring among the top eight gainers, adding 90 paisas to close at Rs148.54. Engro Chemicals Corporation was the top loser with a decline of Rs3.47 to close at Rs194.03.
The benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE)-100 Index was down 58.16 points, or 0.49 percent, to 11,909.19 points following reports that the US government was pressurising Islamabad to do more to curb militancy, they said.
“Statements coming from the US officials regarding possible cut in trade ties are threatening,” said Khurram Schehzad, head of research at Investcap. “Bad things have surrounded us from all sides. The US government does not seem to care about Pakistan’s sacrifices.”
Volumes at the market plunged to just 44.8 million shares, indicating that individuals and institutions are wary of taking risk. The dismal trading has pushed many analysts to believe that relief can come only in the shape of tax cuts.
The KSE-30 Index of blue chip companies slipped 47.87 points to 11,567.16 points. Shares of 355 companies were traded out of which 119 advanced, 206 declined, while 30 remained unchanged.
Schehzad said that worsening perception of Pakistan has hit the foreign investment in stocks as well. “In the first quarter, the market saw net investment of $52 million whereas there was flight of $7 million in April alone.”
With budget preparation coming to its end, investors are worried about new taxes that the cash-strapped government might impose on corporate earnings, analysts said. Hamad Aslam, head of equities at BMA Capital, said that investors do not want to take bets in the current circumstances. “Trading in shares will remain lean until the budget comes out.”
Investors with cash see risk in stocks and prefer to invest in money market funds, he said. “Some companies like Fauji Fertilizer offer very good returns. But the macro-level issues undermine the micro delights.”
Qasim Ali Shah, head of equities at Global Securities, said that trading activity would increase if the government accepted KSE’s budget proposals regarding tax exemption for small investors.
“According to some reports, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has accepted some of these proposals. Now we have to wait and see what sort of agreement is reached.” Some companies including the oil and gas ones are trading at attractive levels and offer good returns, he said.
Trading was marked by selling in Lotte Pakistan PTA. It was the second highest traded share with a volume of 5.7 million. It closed down 2.3 percent as PTA margins fell followed by a decline in price of cotton, analyst said.
With trade of 6.7 million shares, Jehangir Siddiqui was again the volume leader. It gained 0.8 percent to end the day at Rs7.19. Azgard Nine saw trade in 5.3 million shares. It was slightly down at Rs5.77.
LSE eases
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore Stock Exchange benchmark LSE-25 Index eased out of 3,200-level to close at 3,161 points, amid low trading volumes, dealers said on Monday.
Out of 114 active shares, only eight companies advanced, 43 declined and 63 companies remained unchanged. The trading volumes stood at 1.7 million shares. Lotte Pakistan PTA was the volume leader, recording a turnover of 31,639 shares.
Baring JGPL that added nominal value of Rs0.10 all the top 10 volume leaders were among the losers. Flying Cement Company was the top gainer with an increase of Re1 to close at Rs2.34. Oil and Gas Development Company was one of the two blue-chips featuring among the top eight gainers, adding 90 paisas to close at Rs148.54. Engro Chemicals Corporation was the top loser with a decline of Rs3.47 to close at Rs194.03.
10 more killed in two US drone attacks
MIRAMSHAH: Ten people were killed and several others injured in two separate attacks by the US spy planes at Mir Ali in North Waziristan Agency on Monday.
Security officials and tribal sources told The News that the drone first fired two missiles, hitting a double-cabin pickup truck in Sandasa village on the Mir Ali-Khaisur Road. They said six people died on the spot while others sustained injuries. The villagers said they retrieved six bodies from the wreckage of the destroyed pickup truck, which caught fire after the missile attack.
According to the villagers, most of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. “Besides the six bodies, the villagers also collected some body parts. It shows that more than six people were travelling in the pickup truck,” said a tribesman in Khaiusar village.
Pleading anonymity, he said there was no information about the slain men. A few minutes later, the US spy planes carried out another attack at Aimarki village near Mir Ali bazaar. The tribesmen said the drone fired two missiles at a house, killing four persons and injuring some others.
The villagers said two rooms of the mud house collapsed in the attack. There were also reports that senior Taliban leader of Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Commander Haleem, was among the victims, but Taliban sources and other people in the region denied this report. The Taliban said Commander Haleem was safe and sound and was away from the village where the drones carried out the attacks.
Security officials and tribal sources told The News that the drone first fired two missiles, hitting a double-cabin pickup truck in Sandasa village on the Mir Ali-Khaisur Road. They said six people died on the spot while others sustained injuries. The villagers said they retrieved six bodies from the wreckage of the destroyed pickup truck, which caught fire after the missile attack.
According to the villagers, most of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. “Besides the six bodies, the villagers also collected some body parts. It shows that more than six people were travelling in the pickup truck,” said a tribesman in Khaiusar village.
Pleading anonymity, he said there was no information about the slain men. A few minutes later, the US spy planes carried out another attack at Aimarki village near Mir Ali bazaar. The tribesmen said the drone fired two missiles at a house, killing four persons and injuring some others.
The villagers said two rooms of the mud house collapsed in the attack. There were also reports that senior Taliban leader of Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Commander Haleem, was among the victims, but Taliban sources and other people in the region denied this report. The Taliban said Commander Haleem was safe and sound and was away from the village where the drones carried out the attacks.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn to fight sex charges
IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn (centre), is led from a New York police station after being charged with attempted rape. Picture: AP Source: AP
DOMINIQUE Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund and leading Socialist Party contender for the French presidency, will "vigorously" defend himself against charges he sexually assaulted a maid in his luxury New York hotel suite.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was to face a New York court early this morning (AEST) for an arraignment hearing on charges of attempted rape, criminal sexual assault and unlawful imprisonment. The appearance was delayed so he could undergo a physical examination to check for scratches and his accuser's DNA.The IMF managing director was removed from a plane in New York bound for Paris two days ago after a housekeeper at the Sofitel Hotel near Times Square complained to police that he had attacked her.
The maid, a 32-year-old African-American who has worked at the hotel for three years, identified Mr Strauss-Kahn in a police line-up yesterday after he spent the night in a Manhattan police lock-up.
The woman told police she entered Mr Strauss-Kahn's $US3000-a-night ($2840) suite to clean it, unaware he was there and he grabbed her from behind after coming out of the bathroom naked. He is alleged to have pulled her into the bedroom, locked the door and assaulted her. After a struggle in which the housekeeper broke free, he is alleged to have dragged her into his bathroom and forced her to perform oral sex on him. She broke free again and escaped, alerting hotel management, who called police.
His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said outside the Manhattan courthouse where Mr Strauss-Kahn was to appear: "He intends to vigorously defend these charges and denies any wrongdoing."
The IMF chief's sudden arrest has caused a sensation in France, where he has led opinion polls as the Socialist Party's likely candidate to challenge the unpopular President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's election. Mr Strauss-Kahn was expected to leave his post soon to formally enter the presidential race.
For him still to run, the charges would have to be dropped quickly, and even that might not be enough to save his credibility.
The IMF wasted little time yesterday in holding a special board meeting in Washington to replace Mr Strauss-Kahn with his deputy, John Lipsky, as acting managing director.
Mr Strauss Kahn has played an important role in helping orchestrate rescue loan packages for countries facing disastrous debt since his appointment as IMF chief since 2007.
He had been due to travel to Europe for a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the debt crises of Greece, Portugal and Ireland, and was due to attend meetings this week with European finance ministers.
The IMF chief's wife, American-born French TV journalist Anne Sinclair, yesterday said she did not believe the accusations and "he will be proved innocent".
In Mr Brafman, the IMF chief has hired as a criminal lawyer someone well versed in representing celebrities in deep trouble.
Mr Brafman briefly represented Michael Jackson in 2004 over child molestation charges.
He also acted for New York Giants football star Plaxico Burress, who faced charges after a gun he was carrying in his pants in a New York nightclub went off accidentally.
The lawyer won the acquittal of rap artist "P. Diddy" Sean Coombs over illegal weapons and bribery charges after a nightclub brawl witnessed by more than 100 people.
Mr Strauss-Kahn left his hotel on Sunday, New York time, apparently in haste after the incident involving the housekeeper. He left behind his mobile phone and other personal items.
It emerged yesterday that police tracked him down to New York's John F. Kennedy airport, where he had boarded an Air France flight bound for Paris, after he contacted his hotel to say he had left behind his mobile phone.
Crisis deepens as Saudi Arabian envoy shot dead in Karachi
PAKISTAN'S tenuous security situation continued to unravel yesterday with the daylight assassination of a Saudi Arabian diplomat in Karachi as US senator John Kerry flew into the capital for talks aimed at salvaging the failing alliance.
The junior Saudi consulate official was shot dead after two gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on his vehicle in the upmarket Karachi suburb of Defence, five days after militants lobbed two grenades at the Saudi consulate in the port city.
Pakistani authorities said they were investigating links between the Saudi attacks and the May 2 raid by US Navy SEALs on a residential compound in Abbottabad, in which Osama bin Laden and four aides were killed.
The country is in the grip of its most grave crisis in years, with Pakistani Taliban on a deadly rampage of reprisals, the military at its lowest ebb in decades and its US alliance on a knife edge.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has staged at least two terror strikes since the bin Laden operation, including a double suicide bombing on a paramilitary cadet training centre last Friday in the northwest that killed 80 people and wounded more than 100.
It has not yet claimed responsibility for either Saudi attack, although a Taliban spokesman yesterday said the group "fully supported" them.
In a scheduled meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani yesterday, Senator Kerry was expected to question the military establishment's failure to detect that the al-Qa'ida chief was living a short walk from the nation's most prestigious military academy.
He had earlier met army chief Ashfaq Parvaz Kayani, who reportedly spoke of "intense feelings" among rank and file soldiers over the US breach of Pakistani sovereignty.
During a closed-door parliamentary briefing at the weekend, ISI intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha offered his resignation for the intelligence failure.
Elements of US congress are pushing to end financial aid to the nuclear-armed nation amid suspicions some within Pakistan's security forces helped harbour the world's most wanted terrorist. Afghanistan's former intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh yesterday reinforced those suspicions, telling CBS's 60 Minutes he knew four years ago that bin Laden was hiding in Mansehra - 20km from Abbottabad - but that Pakistan leaders had rejected his claims.
Ahead of his arrival in Islamabad, late on Sunday local time, Senator Kerry conceded the alliance was in trouble but added: "I think the important thing here is not to get into a recriminatory, finger-pointing, accusatory back-and-forth. We need to find a way to march forward if possible.
"If it is not . . . there are a set of downside consequences that can be profound."
He said there was strong evidence to suggest the Pakistani state was helping send insurgents over the border to fight coalition troops in Afghanistan - part of Islamabad's insurance policy to maintain influence there and prevent encirclement by India's allies.
"Yes, there are insurgents coming across the border; yes, they are operating out of North Waziristan and other areas of sanctuary; and yes, there is some evidence of Pakistan government knowledge of some of these activities in ways that are very disturbing," he said.
"That will be . . . one of the subjects of conversation."
The US is likely to seek Pakistan's co-operation in a probe into Florida-based Pakistani cleric Hafiz Khan, arrested in the US at the weekend along with two sons on charges of financing the Pakistani Taliban.
The junior Saudi consulate official was shot dead after two gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on his vehicle in the upmarket Karachi suburb of Defence, five days after militants lobbed two grenades at the Saudi consulate in the port city.
Pakistani authorities said they were investigating links between the Saudi attacks and the May 2 raid by US Navy SEALs on a residential compound in Abbottabad, in which Osama bin Laden and four aides were killed.
The country is in the grip of its most grave crisis in years, with Pakistani Taliban on a deadly rampage of reprisals, the military at its lowest ebb in decades and its US alliance on a knife edge.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has staged at least two terror strikes since the bin Laden operation, including a double suicide bombing on a paramilitary cadet training centre last Friday in the northwest that killed 80 people and wounded more than 100.
It has not yet claimed responsibility for either Saudi attack, although a Taliban spokesman yesterday said the group "fully supported" them.
In a scheduled meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani yesterday, Senator Kerry was expected to question the military establishment's failure to detect that the al-Qa'ida chief was living a short walk from the nation's most prestigious military academy.
He had earlier met army chief Ashfaq Parvaz Kayani, who reportedly spoke of "intense feelings" among rank and file soldiers over the US breach of Pakistani sovereignty.
During a closed-door parliamentary briefing at the weekend, ISI intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha offered his resignation for the intelligence failure.
Elements of US congress are pushing to end financial aid to the nuclear-armed nation amid suspicions some within Pakistan's security forces helped harbour the world's most wanted terrorist. Afghanistan's former intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh yesterday reinforced those suspicions, telling CBS's 60 Minutes he knew four years ago that bin Laden was hiding in Mansehra - 20km from Abbottabad - but that Pakistan leaders had rejected his claims.
Ahead of his arrival in Islamabad, late on Sunday local time, Senator Kerry conceded the alliance was in trouble but added: "I think the important thing here is not to get into a recriminatory, finger-pointing, accusatory back-and-forth. We need to find a way to march forward if possible.
"If it is not . . . there are a set of downside consequences that can be profound."
He said there was strong evidence to suggest the Pakistani state was helping send insurgents over the border to fight coalition troops in Afghanistan - part of Islamabad's insurance policy to maintain influence there and prevent encirclement by India's allies.
"Yes, there are insurgents coming across the border; yes, they are operating out of North Waziristan and other areas of sanctuary; and yes, there is some evidence of Pakistan government knowledge of some of these activities in ways that are very disturbing," he said.
"That will be . . . one of the subjects of conversation."
The US is likely to seek Pakistan's co-operation in a probe into Florida-based Pakistani cleric Hafiz Khan, arrested in the US at the weekend along with two sons on charges of financing the Pakistani Taliban.
500-year-old copy of Holy Quran to be published online
MANCHESTER: A rarely-seen manuscript of one of the world’s most important copies of the Holy Quran is to be published online. Now experts at the University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library are using digital technology to photograph each page and publish the book online to enable scholars and students to study it.
The fragile 470-page book is kept by in the University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library.
Each of the 470 pages measures 35in by 24in, the size of a large plasma screen TV.
The ornate book was written by several scribes and illuminators for Kansuh al-Ghuri, the penultimate Mameluke sultan of Egypt.
Historians disagree on when it was written, with estimates ranging from the second half of the 14th century to 1500.
At least 950 images will be captured – which will be between 80 and 120MB each – allowing their study in intricate detail.
Rare Holy Quran inscribed by Aurangzeb to be auctioned!
Rare Holy Quran inscribed by Aurangzeb to be auctioned!
The 300-year-old manuscript of the Holy Quran was part of the collection of the Mughal emperor.
Abu Dhabi: A 300-year-old manuscript of the Holy Quran, parts of which were inscribed by the son of the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal, will soon be auctioned by its Emirati owner in Germany.
The 14.5x24cm manuscript was part of the collection of the Mughal emperors of India, and was made during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707), son of Emperor Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal.
It will be auctioned at the Auktionshaus Sebök (Seboek aution house) in the German city of Bamberg by its current Emirati owner, who wished to remain anonymous.
The manuscript has lavish golden insets and consists of sheets of paper, handcrafted from rice and natural materials. The script is written in ink made from valuable minerals, and it is inlaid with ruby, lapis lazuli and garnet.
Emperor Aurungzeb is known to have inscribed several passages of the manuscript himself, and he had reserved a special section of his palace for the artists who completed it.
Starting price
Stefan Sebök, an auctioneer at the auction house, told Gulf News that the starting price for the item has been set at 900 euros (Dh 4,221).
"The manuscript is extremely rare and was passed down to the last of the Mughal emperors by Emperor Aurangzeb. So we expect it to receive one of the highest bids at our art and antique auction in October," Sebök said.
Sebök also said that a comparable manuscript was sold to the Sultan of Brunei in 2006 for $10 million (Dh36.7 million), and a similar item went to an anonymous bidder for $4.3 million (Dh 15.781 million).
According to Sebök, the current owner of the manuscript acquired the ancient copy of the Quran from his great-grandfather. The owner's great-grandfather had been governor to Oudh, a northern region in India, and had served the Mughal dynasty.
Before the British Raj had dismissed the last Mughal emperor, the emperor had asked his loyal confidants to select gifts from his collection for themselves.
The great-grandfather of the current owner has personally selected the manuscript, and it has since been passed down through generations of the family.
~News.
Thank you for Reading.
~Salam
Take Care!
~Wassalam
Insert details for respective image.
*Pls click on it~10q.
(The 14.5x24cm manuscript has lavish golden insets and consists of sheets of paper, handcrafted from rice and natural materials, and inlaid with ruby, lapis lazuli and garnet.)
Image Credit: Supplied
The 300-year-old manuscript of the Holy Quran was part of the collection of the Mughal emperor.
Abu Dhabi: A 300-year-old manuscript of the Holy Quran, parts of which were inscribed by the son of the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal, will soon be auctioned by its Emirati owner in Germany.
The 14.5x24cm manuscript was part of the collection of the Mughal emperors of India, and was made during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707), son of Emperor Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal.
It will be auctioned at the Auktionshaus Sebök (Seboek aution house) in the German city of Bamberg by its current Emirati owner, who wished to remain anonymous.
The manuscript has lavish golden insets and consists of sheets of paper, handcrafted from rice and natural materials. The script is written in ink made from valuable minerals, and it is inlaid with ruby, lapis lazuli and garnet.
Emperor Aurungzeb is known to have inscribed several passages of the manuscript himself, and he had reserved a special section of his palace for the artists who completed it.
Starting price
Stefan Sebök, an auctioneer at the auction house, told Gulf News that the starting price for the item has been set at 900 euros (Dh 4,221).
"The manuscript is extremely rare and was passed down to the last of the Mughal emperors by Emperor Aurangzeb. So we expect it to receive one of the highest bids at our art and antique auction in October," Sebök said.
Sebök also said that a comparable manuscript was sold to the Sultan of Brunei in 2006 for $10 million (Dh36.7 million), and a similar item went to an anonymous bidder for $4.3 million (Dh 15.781 million).
According to Sebök, the current owner of the manuscript acquired the ancient copy of the Quran from his great-grandfather. The owner's great-grandfather had been governor to Oudh, a northern region in India, and had served the Mughal dynasty.
Before the British Raj had dismissed the last Mughal emperor, the emperor had asked his loyal confidants to select gifts from his collection for themselves.
The great-grandfather of the current owner has personally selected the manuscript, and it has since been passed down through generations of the family.
~News.
Thank you for Reading.
~Salam
Take Care!
~Wassalam
Insert details for respective image.
*Pls click on it~10q.
(The 14.5x24cm manuscript has lavish golden insets and consists of sheets of paper, handcrafted from rice and natural materials, and inlaid with ruby, lapis lazuli and garnet.)
Image Credit: Supplied
Behind the scenes of Raymond Davis's release
Earlier in the morning, the Lahore Sessions Court had indicted Davis, a CIA contractor, for murder, after he allegedly shot dead Faizan Haider and Mohammad Faheem in Lahore this past January 27.
Hours later, the news broke that Davis was a free man, after he paid blood money to the families of Faizan and Faheem. According to Geo News, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah announced that the families had forgiven Davis, and been paid blood money under the Shariah law of Qisas and Diyat. Another report aired on the channel said that 18 members of both families had announced in front of the judge in Kot Lakhpat jail that they had forgiven Raymond Davis, after which cash was handed over to the families. However, the families' lawyer Asad Manzoor Butt told Geo News that they were forcibly made to forgive Davis, after being led to jail by a man without identification.
Munawar Hasan, leader of the right-wing religious party Jamaat-e-Islami, reacted to the news by accusing the government of being slaves of the United States. "They should know that traitor governments do not last for very long," he said. "They have mocked the law, and the families were forcibly made to sign the Diyat document. Davis was involved with terrorist organizations, and yet they have let him go. The ISI claims to love the country, but they sell people to the States in exchange for dollars, they have failed in their love for the nation today." Hasan says protests against the release of Raymond Davis will be held in the major cities of Pakistan.
Conflicting reports have emerged about how much money has been paid to the families. Sources on various TV channels aired figures ranging from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 200 million (approximately $700,000 to $2,350,000). Davis's whereabouts are also unknown - Dunya News said he had flown to the United States, whereas Geo News claimed he had flown to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Another story attributed to "sources" on Geo News also said that Faizan's widow Zehra had allegedly left for the United States.
Ahsan Iqbal, member of the PML-N, a major opposition party in Pakistan headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told me in a telephone interview:
What has happened is between the families of the victims and the court and the law, if they have settled for the blood money under the law, then it is the law of the land. If the court has made a judgment we cannot challenge the judgement. However, it also shows that Davis didn't enjoy diplomatic immunity and his case was settled under Pakistan's law and not under the clauses of the diplomatic immunity.Najam Sethi, a TV anchor and journalist, claimed on TV and Twitter that Punjab's Chief Minister and PML-N leader (and Nawaz Sharif's brother) Shahbaz Sharif had been involved in the negotiations between both parties. However, Iqbal denied the story to me, saying, "It has been very categorically clarified that Punjab government had nothing to do with the settlement, it is between the families and the accused."
Retired General Talat Masood, a defence analyst, told me that that Davis's release is a consequence of the smoothing over of relations between the CIA's and the ISI. "It's a good development, it demonstrates that both have come to an understanding about how they will operate with each other, and co-operate in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The ISI has also determined certain boundaries about how the CIA will operate in the country." Masood says that this was a difficult decision for Pakistan for many reasons, which include changing the Pakistan-U.S. relationship from co-operative to confrontational, and then dealing with the right-wing and religious parties' aggressive stance on Raymond Davis.
A senior security official in Pakistan, speaking under condition of anonymity, told me that, "The Americans had been working on this, they thought that this (the diyat law) was the only way out." And ISI and CIA relations? "The ISI has laid down their terms for reengagement of certain areas where they felt they'd been bypassed, and the other side realized that they needed them. Both agencies need each other."
While rumours and more conspiracy theories continue to swirl in the air, it is evident that Pakistan has emerged as the biggest winner from Davis's strange and sordid case. While the religious parties may cry themselves hoarse over sovereignty of the country and rule of law, the ISI in particular has the upper hand here, and has impressed upon the CIA to make it clear that they cannot run a network under the noses of the powerful spy agency. To use tennis lingo: Advantage: ISI. What happens in the next round is anyone's guess.
WikiLeaks' Assange awarded top Sydney peace prize
Julian Assange
SYDNEY: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was Wednesday awarded the Sydney Peace Foundation's top honour for "exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights", joining the likes of Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.
Assange, an Australian former computer hacker who is fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, was praised and rewarded with the Sydney Peace Prize's Gold Medal.
Although the Peace Prize is awarded annually by the foundation only three other people in its 14-year history have been awarded the gold award for courage in pursuit of human rights -- the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Japanese Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.
The foundation paid tribute to Assange's determination to seek greater transparency and accountability from governments around the world, having challenged "centuries old practices of government secrecy".
"By championing people's right to know, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have created the potential for a new order in journalism and in the free flow of information," said foundation director Stuart Rees.
Assange is the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website that has published thousands of cables in which US diplomats give their often candid views on world leaders, to Washington's acute embarrassment.
It has also leaked countless secret documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Assange, who was arrested in London at Sweden's request in December, remains on bail pending his challenge in July to a British judge's decision to extradite him over allegations of sexual assault.
IMF chief denied bail in sex assault case
NEW YORK: IMF chief Dominique Strauss- Kahn was on Monday denied bail on charges of attempted rape and criminal assault of a hotel maid here in a case that has ravaged his reputation and sent tremors in French politics.
Appearing in the court presided over by Judge Melissa Jackson for the first time after his arrest on Sunday, the 62-year-old IMF chief refuted the charges levelled by the 32-year-old chambermaid of New York Sofitel Hotel.
The IMF chief pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted rape, sexual assault and unlawful imprisonment.
Strauss Kahn's lawyers sought his release on bail for $1 million and also offered to surrender all his travel documents, but the judge was not convinced.
The judge said Strauss-Kahn is a "flight risk" and remanded him in judicial custody till May 20 when the matter will come up for hearing.
If convicted, Strauss-Kahn, father of four children, could face a prison term of 15 to 20 years.
A grim-looking Strauss-Kahn appeared drained out during the court proceedings.
His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said the IMF chief would be exonerated as there was no wrong doing on his part.
Strauss-Kahn, a likely French presidential candidate for 2012, was picked up out of a police lineup last night by the chambermaid, who has accused him of molesting her.
The IMF chief, who was handcuffed and looked shaken, has agreed for a medical examination over charges of serious sexual assault.
Billed as the man who could hand out a poll defeat to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Strauss-Kahn was made to deboard a Paris-bound flight and arrested yesterday by the New York police which said he had no diplomatic immunity.
New York Times reported that his DNA evidence has been taken from his $3000 a day hotel suite.
The French financial wizard's arraignment was put off for a day after he agreed to forensic testing requested by the police as his attorney Brafman vowed that his client proposed to fight charges of sexual assault.
"Our client has willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination," his other lawyer William W Taylor III said.
Wearing a black overcoat over a blue shirt and black trousers, Strauss-Kahn avoided looking at the cameras as he walked to a police car.
The maid, who has not been named by the police, said she had entered the spacious Sofitel hotel suite thinking it was unoccupied when Strauss-Kahn sprang on her naked from the bathroom, ran after her and dragged her into his bedroom before assaulting her.
He then dragged her into the bathroom where he forced himself on her again before she broke free, the maid told the police.
New York Police alleged that following the assault in the Manhattan hotel, Strauss-Kahn quickly headed off to New York airport to board a Paris-bound flight but left his cellphone behind.
The IMF chief called the hotel from the airport, inquiring about the phone, and this helped police track him to the first class section of the Paris-bound flight.
Appearing in the court presided over by Judge Melissa Jackson for the first time after his arrest on Sunday, the 62-year-old IMF chief refuted the charges levelled by the 32-year-old chambermaid of New York Sofitel Hotel.
The IMF chief pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted rape, sexual assault and unlawful imprisonment.
Strauss Kahn's lawyers sought his release on bail for $1 million and also offered to surrender all his travel documents, but the judge was not convinced.
The judge said Strauss-Kahn is a "flight risk" and remanded him in judicial custody till May 20 when the matter will come up for hearing.
If convicted, Strauss-Kahn, father of four children, could face a prison term of 15 to 20 years.
A grim-looking Strauss-Kahn appeared drained out during the court proceedings.
His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said the IMF chief would be exonerated as there was no wrong doing on his part.
Strauss-Kahn, a likely French presidential candidate for 2012, was picked up out of a police lineup last night by the chambermaid, who has accused him of molesting her.
The IMF chief, who was handcuffed and looked shaken, has agreed for a medical examination over charges of serious sexual assault.
Billed as the man who could hand out a poll defeat to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Strauss-Kahn was made to deboard a Paris-bound flight and arrested yesterday by the New York police which said he had no diplomatic immunity.
New York Times reported that his DNA evidence has been taken from his $3000 a day hotel suite.
The French financial wizard's arraignment was put off for a day after he agreed to forensic testing requested by the police as his attorney Brafman vowed that his client proposed to fight charges of sexual assault.
"Our client has willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination," his other lawyer William W Taylor III said.
Wearing a black overcoat over a blue shirt and black trousers, Strauss-Kahn avoided looking at the cameras as he walked to a police car.
The maid, who has not been named by the police, said she had entered the spacious Sofitel hotel suite thinking it was unoccupied when Strauss-Kahn sprang on her naked from the bathroom, ran after her and dragged her into his bedroom before assaulting her.
He then dragged her into the bathroom where he forced himself on her again before she broke free, the maid told the police.
New York Police alleged that following the assault in the Manhattan hotel, Strauss-Kahn quickly headed off to New York airport to board a Paris-bound flight but left his cellphone behind.
The IMF chief called the hotel from the airport, inquiring about the phone, and this helped police track him to the first class section of the Paris-bound flight.
Rare pictures of the famous people
Here is an amazing collection of rare pictures of the famous people.
I'm sure you will love it.
Enjoy.
Madonna, Detroit, 1976
Marilyn Monroe in 1946
The Beatles in 1957. George Harrison is 14, John Lennon is 16, and Paul McCartney is 15.
Andy Warhol and Candy Darling (she was born James Lawrence Slattery)
Allen Ginsberg
Jack Kerouac
Hunter S. Thompson (the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)
Bob Dylan, Cher and Sonny
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Bebe Buell And Steven Tyler
Bob Marley
Elvis Presley
Bonnie and Clyde
Jack Nicholson
Clint Eastwood with his first wife Maggie, 1965
Salvador Dali
Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Iggy Pop
Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, David Bowie
MickJagger, 1967
Elton John
John Lennon, George Harrison
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol
Marlon Brando
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow
Kurt Cobain
Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate
Charles Manson
Che Guevara
Alain Delon and Romy Schneider
Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Wolf
Young Charles Manson
Elvis Presley and Sophia Loren
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola shows Akira Kurosawa his new polaroid
Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Lauren Bacall
Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon
Iggy Pop, 1970
Manson Family
Bruce Lee
Brooke Shields and Diana Ross
Salvador Dali
Dennis Hopper
Sean Connery
Jack Nicholson
John Travolta
Jane Fonda
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
David Bowie
David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder
Johnny Depp and Kate Moss
Johnny Depp and his niece Megan
Star Wars Crew
Angelina Jolie with parents
Stanley Kubrick
Liza Minnelli and her mother Judy Garland
Larry Flynt
Jackson's Five visiting Bob Marley
Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Natalie Portman
Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins
Paul McCartney
Sophia Loren in Disneyland
Freddie Mercury and Jane Seymour
Alfred Hitchcock and his kids
Che Guevara
Marilyn Monroe meets Queen Elizabeth II, London, 1956
Marilyn Monroe with her mother
Monroe and JFK
Catherine Deneuve and her sister
Audrey Hepburn
Alice Cooper
Eric Clapton and his grandmother
Elizabeth Taylor
Angelina Jolie and her father, 1986
Jimmy Page
Barbra Streisand
Ernest Hemingway fishing
Gia Carangi
Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger
Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep
George Clooney
Kirk and Michael Douglas
Jodie Foster
Kurt Cobain and his daughter
Marlon Brando
Michael Kane and Nancy Sinatra
Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot
Madonna and her family, 1970
Michael Jackson, 1972
George Harrison and Pattie Boyd (she is the former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton)
Paul McCartney
Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard
Pablo Picasso
Elizabeth Taylor
Twiggy, 1967
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton
Beatles
Bob Marley
Bukowski and Rourke
Bruce Lee
John Travolta
Elvis and his dad
Sean Penn
Christopher Walken
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
Clark Gable
Mick Jagger
Anton LaVey and Marilyn Manson
Tim Roth
Audrey Hepburn
Adolf Hitler
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Madonna, Detroit, 1976
Marilyn Monroe in 1946
The Beatles in 1957. George Harrison is 14, John Lennon is 16, and Paul McCartney is 15.
Andy Warhol and Candy Darling (she was born James Lawrence Slattery)
Allen Ginsberg
Jack Kerouac
Hunter S. Thompson (the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)
Bob Dylan, Cher and Sonny
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Bebe Buell And Steven Tyler
Bob Marley
Elvis Presley
Bonnie and Clyde
Jack Nicholson
Clint Eastwood with his first wife Maggie, 1965
Salvador Dali
Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Iggy Pop
Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, David Bowie
MickJagger, 1967
Elton John
John Lennon, George Harrison
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol
Marlon Brando
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow
Kurt Cobain
Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate
Charles Manson
Che Guevara
Alain Delon and Romy Schneider
Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Wolf
Young Charles Manson
Elvis Presley and Sophia Loren
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola shows Akira Kurosawa his new polaroid
Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Lauren Bacall
Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon
Iggy Pop, 1970
Manson Family
Bruce Lee
Brooke Shields and Diana Ross
Salvador Dali
Dennis Hopper
Sean Connery
Jack Nicholson
John Travolta
Jane Fonda
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
David Bowie
David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder
Johnny Depp and Kate Moss
Johnny Depp and his niece Megan
Star Wars Crew
Angelina Jolie with parents
Stanley Kubrick
Liza Minnelli and her mother Judy Garland
Larry Flynt
Jackson's Five visiting Bob Marley
Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Natalie Portman
Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins
Paul McCartney
Sophia Loren in Disneyland
Freddie Mercury and Jane Seymour
Alfred Hitchcock and his kids
Che Guevara
Marilyn Monroe meets Queen Elizabeth II, London, 1956
Marilyn Monroe with her mother
Monroe and JFK
Catherine Deneuve and her sister
Audrey Hepburn
Alice Cooper
Eric Clapton and his grandmother
Elizabeth Taylor
Angelina Jolie and her father, 1986
Jimmy Page
Barbra Streisand
Ernest Hemingway fishing
Gia Carangi
Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger
Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep
George Clooney
Kirk and Michael Douglas
Jodie Foster
Kurt Cobain and his daughter
Marlon Brando
Michael Kane and Nancy Sinatra
Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot
Madonna and her family, 1970
Michael Jackson, 1972
George Harrison and Pattie Boyd (she is the former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton)
Paul McCartney
Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard
Pablo Picasso
Elizabeth Taylor
Twiggy, 1967
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton
Beatles
Bob Marley
Bukowski and Rourke
Bruce Lee
John Travolta
Elvis and his dad
Sean Penn
Christopher Walken
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith
Clark Gable
Mick Jagger
Anton LaVey and Marilyn Manson
Tim Roth
Audrey Hepburn
Adolf Hitler
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