Bomb kills 49 at Pakistani market

Officials believe the attack is the Taliban's latest response to plans for a military offensive in mountain enclaves. People rush to the site of a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan.link....

Attacks demonstrate Taliban resurgence in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - A week of terror strikes across Pakistan, capped by a stunning assault on army headquarters, show the Taliban have rebounded and appear determined to shake the nation's resolve as the military plans for an offensive against the group's ...link....

New judges of Pakistan's SC, high courts sworn in

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two judges of Pakistan's Supreme Court (SC), eleven judges of two provincial high courts were sworn in on Monday, local TV channel reported.link...

Broccoli reduces risk of heart attack

London - It has long been thought that broccoli is good for your heart, and now British scientists think they know why. Researchers at Imperial College London have found evidence a chemical in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables could boost a ...link...

England captain John Terry accused of hypocrisy by Slaven Bilic

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has accused John Terry of hypocrisy after the England captain described foreign players as dishonest. By Telegraph staff Terry raised eyebrows when he claimed “Diving is something the England lads don't do” after a week of ... link....

Sensex near day's high; Tata Motors, RCom surge

MUMBAI: Equities were witnessing sustained buying activity as sentiments turned positive with positive global markets. Metals, realty and banks led the upmove while FMCG stocks slipped lower. link...

Israel backs settlement expansion

srael has officially approved the construction of more than 450 new homes in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli defence ministry has announced. link....

Hospitals lack equipment to treat dengue

LAHORE: City hospitals are not prepared for a possible dengue fever outbreak as they lack the equipment needed to properly treat dengue patients, sources at the hospitals told Daily Times on Friday.

Dengue fever usually spreads during the month of September, however, the recent rains have caused pools of stagnant water to accumulate, increasing the chances of dengue mosquitoes. Last year, more than a 100 people tested positive for dengue in the city, while there were reports of more than 400 unconfirmed patients.
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'Aiming high' in influenza fight

The public health department is hoping to convince 900000 Ottawa residents to roll up their sleeves not once but three times this fall for flu shots -- including what's expected to be a double dose of H1N1 vaccine.link...

Police raid Meera residences to arrest her

LAHORE: Police have raided two houses and workplaces of actress Meera with a view to arrest her following a Lahore resident Ateeq-ur-Rehman lodged a theft case against her and four family members meanwhile, Meera, along her family members, has gone in hiding to escape arrest, Geo news reported. According to police sources, police raided many times her two house located in Defence Lahore and workplaces to arrest her but could not succeed as Meera has gone in hiding but police arrested her four servants from residence but shortly released them after preliminary investigation.

Court grants Meera interim bail in property case

Meera denied all the allegations levelled against her, adding that she would soon hold a press conference to further clarify her position. link...

PM reshuffles bureaucracy neglecting senior officers

ISLAMABAD: A massive reshuffle has been made in almost entire top structure of the bureaucracy, after the Prime Minister granted permission. link....

OIL FUTURES: Crude Settles Up; -6.5% In Week On Weak Demand

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Crude oil futures prices ended slightly higher Friday, but shed 6.5% in the week on continued worries over high inventory and low oil demand caused by the lingering weak economy. link....

China Ousts Regional Leader in Wake of Unrest

HONG KONG - The top Communist official in Urumqi in western China was dismissed on Saturday as a large deployment of military police appeared to have brought a measure of peace to the city after two days of large street ... link....

43 militants reported killed in northwest Pakistan

Pakistan troops, backed by helicopter gunships, have killed 43 militants in hideouts in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pass region, military officials said Saturday.

The paramilitary Frontier Corps said its troops also destroyed a base belonging to Taliban-affiliated group Lashkar-e-Islam in an operation launched late last month after a suicide bombing at a border checkpoint killed 19 police.

The remote region is largely off limits to journalists, making it difficult to verify the information independently.

The Khyber Pass is the main route for supplies being trucked to Western forces fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and has been repeatedly targeted for attack.

Pakistan is under U.S. pressure to crack down on militants close to the Afghan border, especially the lawless tribal belt where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is suspected to be hiding. link...

Pakistani stocks end higher; rupee firms

KARACHI, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Pakistani stocks led by the energy and banking sectors closed on Wednesday at their highest level of the year, dealers said, with interest from foreigners also an influence.link....

TCP awards 75000 metric tonnes sugar supply contract

ISLAMABAD: Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has awarded contract for the supply of 75000 metric tonnes of white sugar to M/s Al-Khaleej Sugar Mills of Dubai at $ 638 per tonne. link....

NYC to offer kids free swine flu vaccination

NEW YORK - Any school-age child in New York City can get a free swine flu vaccination under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to contain the deadly virus this fall and winter. link...

NYC to offer kids free swine flu vaccination

NEW YORK - Any school-age child in New York City can get a free swine flu vaccination under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to contain the deadly virus this fall and winter. link...

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbasset al Megrahi in intensive care in ...

The health of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbasset al Megrahi deteriorated sharply on Wednesday night, prompting family members to express concern over his condition as he received treatment in the VIP wing of a Tripoli hospital. link...

Calls for Afghan election run-off as fraud concerns grow

Britain is coming under pressure to back a risky and potentially violent run-off in the Afghan elections because of evidence of vote-rigging and fraud that has led critics to claim the results are unreliable. link....

Kazmi hurt, driver killed in attack

SLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi on Wednesday was injured along with two Security guards while his driver was killed in firing near Melody Market in Islamabad. link...

Force India podium, giant leap for Indian motor sport?

It comes after local media revealed this week that the sports ministry had refused a request to remit $36.5 million by JPSK Sports, the private company ...link...

US-SPORTS Summary

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Serena Williams will begin the defense of their US Open titles at Flushing Meadows on Monday, while Kim Clijsters ...link.....

Pakistan's sugar crisis dampens festive spirits

KARACHI - A sugar crisis in Pakistan has wrong-footed the political leadership as mills owned by lawmakers are blamed for compounding the miseries of Pakistanis and housewives struggle to sweeten the Eid festival. link...

Gush of oil is music to Indian ears

As Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, was invited to turn “the wheel of fortune” that would allow pumping to start at the Mangala oilfield in Rajasthan on Saturday, the academy award-winning song Jai Ho - which in Hindi means “may you be ...
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Suicide Bomber Kills 15 Pakistani Police Recruits

By JANE PERLEZ and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH

Published: August 30, 2009

Peshawar, Pakistan — A suicide bomber blew him himself up on Sunday at a central police station in the largest town in the Swat valley, killing 15 police recruits and shattering the semblance of normality that the army has tried to enforce in the troubled area.

A group of new police officers, recently hired to patrol local communities, were performing training exercises when the suicide bomber struck at the police station in Mingora, the information minister for the North West Frontier Province, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, said.

The attack came as the Pakistani Army has asserted that it now controls most of the Swat valley and that the Taliban militants who held sway there for nearly two years had been beaten back to only a few enclaves.

The bomber disguised himself as a police recruit and walked into the compound, which is surrounded by high walls, officials said.

The police station had been hit so many times by the Taliban in the previous two years that the regular police of Mingora had abandoned the compound and handed it over for training exercises, local officials said.

The medical superintendant of the main hospital in Mingora, Lal Noor Afridi, said 13 policemen had died at the police and two more had died at the hospital.. There were reports of injuries to about 20 other recruits.

Muhammed Qasim, 28, a university student, said he had been preparing to drive to Peshawar when the bomb went off. “I was standing outside and heard a huge blast, followed by firing,” Mr. Qasim said. Soldiers fired their weapons to signal that the military was imposing an immediate curfew on the town, he said.

The brazen nature of the attack right in the center of Mingora showed the high cost of the failure of the army to capture or kill top Taliban commanders and strategists. The attack, the fourth by militants against security forces in the last month, was by far the most devastating.

Making community police recruits the target of the attack appeared to be a carefully considered strategic choice, striking at one of the main elements of the government’s plan to provide improved security against the militants.

The new police officers were vetted and hired last month under a program introduced by the provincial government to provide local law enforcement officers who could identify militants and protect the public.

The new community officers are paid the equivalent of $120 a month, a larger salary than regular police officers receive. But the new positions do not include a pension or other benefits.

The killing of so many recruits at the beginning of the program will discourage good candidates in the future, said Sher Mohammed, a lawyer from Mingora.

The attack may also have been retaliation against the military for what local residents and human rights advocates say have been extrajudicial killings of suspected militants by the military.

The Pakistani Army has denied that soldiers have arrested suspected militants, killed them and left their bodies in the streets.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan earlier this month called the accusations credible and said that it had gathered “complaints of reprisal attacks by the security forces during the operation in Swat.”link....

Barack Obama pays tribute to mentor Edward Kennedy

President Barack Obama paid tribute to his friend and mentor Edward Kennedy at a funeral mass for the senator today.

Obama's eulogy to Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy hailed him as the ‘greatest legislator of our time’ who became a hero to America's underclasses despite his privileged background.

Speaking before 1,500 mourners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston, Obama said: “We do not weep for him today because of the prestige attached to his name or his office.

“We weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through pain and tragedy - not for the sake of ambition or vanity; not for wealth or power; but only for the people and the country he loved.”

Drawing parallels with his own struggles the president said Kennedy represented a different time in history, when political adversaries could have differences without their patriotism being called into question.

Obama said Kennedy had ‘surpassed the expectations’ placed on him as part of America’s foremost political dynasty and he praised him for raising the children of his brothers President John F Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, who were both assassinated.

Kennedy’s flag-draped casket was carried through the rain to the Basilica at around 10.40am local time.

The church was crowded with the most powerful figures in US politics, including former presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter along with members of the influential Kennedy dynasty.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who is married to Kennedy's niece Maria Shriver, actor Jack Nicholson and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson also attended.

Relatives, including Kennedy’s young grandchildren led the prayers, quoting from the Democrat senator’s speeches on healthcare, equality and immigration.

His widow Victoria sat in the front row and choked back tears throughout the Roman Catholic Service.

Ted Kennedy Junior paid an emotional tribute to his father’s perseverance in the face of adversity and personal tragedy.

He said: “He was not perfect but he believed in redemption. He never surrendered and never stopped trying to right wrongs.

“My father taught me than even the most profound losses are survivable.”

Jokingly he then added: “He even taught me some of life’s harder lessons such as how to like Republicans.”

World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed two pieces during the service, being joined by the tenor Placido Domingo for the second one.

Kennedy’s coffin will now be flown to Washington DC, where he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery next to the graves of his older brothers.

Last night an Irish style wake was held for the friends and family of Kennedy, who died on Tuesday aged 77, following a battle with brain cancer.

The memorial at the John F Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts, was attended by statesmen from both American parties, including vice-president Joe Biden, Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who married into the Kennedy family, and Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Earlier more than 50,000 people attended a funeral procession in the city as his flag-draped coffin was led through the streets.

Edward 'Teddy' Kennedy died on Tuesday evening at his home at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

Once tipped as a future president like his brother, Kennedy's political hopes were dashed in 1969 when he left the scene of a car accident on Chappaquiddick Island in which Mary Jo Kopechne, a young political activist, drowned.

He went on to become the third longest serving senator in America's history, the elder statesman of the Democratic Party and a liberal with an unparalleled influence on social legislation.link....

Pakistan gets equipment to tackle bird flu

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan received on Friday equipment from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to tackle the threats of bird flu.

The personal protective equipment (PPE) kits along with infectious substance insulated shipper worth $18,704 was handed over by Jenet Paz-Castillo, Health Office chief USAID, to Dr Khurshid Ahmed, deputy animal husbandry commissioner, and Dr Akram Munir, project director National Program for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza, Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development.

'This gear will limit the risk of bird-to-human infection during outbreak response activities such as disposing of infected poultry and decontaminating poultry raising areas,' said Ms Castillo.

Pakistan is the 24th country throughout Asia and the Near East that has experienced outbreaks of avian influenza, particularly from the H5N1 strain of the virus which killed many birds.

Last year alone, 535 new outbreaks of avian influenza were reported in 21 countries, while 51 cases were reported in Pakistan.

'These most recent outbreaks of H5NI (swine flu) remind us how critical such efforts are in containing avian influenza. All relevant ministries, offices and units must remain vigilant in their battles to detect and contain this virus,' she said.

The protective suits, respirators, goggles and gloves will be distributed to people who come in direct contact with poultry infected with the avian influenza virus. The gear will limit the risk of animal-to-animal and animal-to-human infection during outbreak response activities such as disposing of infected poultry and decontaminating poultry raising areas.

Since 2002, the US government has provided more than $3.4 billion to Pakistan for improvements in economic growth, education, health, governance, and assistance for earthquake reconstruction.link...

Swine flu spreading at 'unbelievable' rate: WHO

PARIS

— Swine flu spreads four times faster than other viruses and 40 percent of the fatalities are young adults in good health, the world's top health official warned

in an interview appearing Saturday.

"This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed," World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan told France's Le Monde daily in an interview.

"In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover," Chan said.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Chan said. "This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults -- in good health -- who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.

"This is the most worrying fact," she said, adding that "up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected."

Chan's warning came a day after the WHO said the virus had overtaken others to become the most prevalent flu strain.

"Evidence from multiple outbreak sites demonstrates that the A(H1N1) pandemic virus has rapidly established itself and is now the dominant influenza strain in most parts of the world," the UN agency said in a statement.

"The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations," it added.

Chan underlined that emergency and healthcare services in several countries had come under strain and stressed that resources allocated for cancer patients and those suffering from heart disease should not be diverted.

"One must not rob Peter to pay Paul," she said. "All governments must prepare for the worst."

She said the most important thing in the battle against the virus was "political leadership."

More than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged in April, according to the latest WHO figures.

Chan also said that it could be months before sufficient vaccine is available to combat the pandemic.

She put world production capacity at 900 million doses a year, for a global population of 6.8 billion people.

Even if this was an unprecedented effort, and authorities were speeding up procedures for getting vaccines to the market, there should be no question of compromises on their safety and effectiveness, Chan said.

Britain and France received their first batches of swine flu vaccine this week. Australia on Friday said a massive swine flu vaccination programme would start in October and Turkey hopes the first supplies of the vaccine will come by that time.

While 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people aged above 65 in seasonal flu, most of those who die from swine flu are under the age of 50.

A "very severe form of disease" affecting the lungs and causing severe respiratory failure among young and healthy people was being reported, WHO said Friday, adding that highly specialised care was required.

Large numbers of such patients could therefore "overwhelm" intensive care units and disrupt the provision of care for other diseases, it warned.

In the southern hemisphere where the flu-prone winter season is tailing off, the WHO said cities in several countries had reported that nearly 15 percent of hospitalised cases required intensive care. link....

Asif returns for Champions Trophy

Seam bowler Mohammad Asif has been recalled by Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in South Africa despite serving a one-year ban from the game.

Asif, 26, was suspended after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone while playing in the Indian Premier League last year.

But his ban ends on 22 September, the day the tournament gets under way.

"He has served his time for the mistakes he made," chief selector Iqbal Qasim commented.

"We feel he can be a big asset for the team in such a big tournament."

He added: "Obviously, when you are selecting a team for any tournament you always keep in mind the profile of the tournament, venue, weather, behaviour of the pitches and bounce. All these factors were considered before final selection."

Pakistan are in Group A along with Australia, India and West Indies.

And they are hoping to add the Champions Trophy to the World Twenty20 title they won in England earlier this year.Asif's personal goal will be to make to make some headlines on the field after having his career disrupted by a series of drug-related controversies

In 2006, he was suspended for a year by the Pakistan Cricket Board after testing positive for nandrolone, but insisted he had not taken the drug deliberately and won an appeal against the verdict.

Last year, however, apart from the IPL case, he was fined one million rupees (£7,500) after being found in possession of opium at Dubai Airport.

He claimed he did not realise there was opium in a herbal remedy he was carrying but accepted he had made a mistake when he appeared at a PCB disciplinary hearing.

The Pakistan squad also includes Rana Naved-ul Hasan, who was preferred to Abdul Razzaq, and 19-year-old batsman Umar Akmal.

Umar, the brother of wicketkeeper Kamran recently made a maiden international century in Sri Lanka.

UPDATE 1-Tarantino's "Basterds" leads world box office

(Updates with foreign sales for "Inglourious Basterds" and other films in North America)
LOS ANGELES, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Director Quentin Tarantino scored the best opening of his colorful career with his World War Two thriller "Inglourious Basterds," which topped the worldwide box office after selling $65.1 million worth of tickets, its distributors said on Sunday.
In the United States and Canada, it totaled $37.6 million, surpassing his previous best of $25.1 million for "Kill Bill Vol. 2" in 2004.
The foreign contribution of $27.5 million from 22 territories was led by No. 1 openings in such countries as France ($6.1 million), Britain ($5.8 million) and Germany ($4.3 million). The film will roll out across the rest of the world over the next three months, wrapping up in Japan in November.
Brad Pitt stars as the leader of a group of Jewish-Americans who carry out violent wartime acts of retribution across Europe. Pundits had forecast a North American opening in the $25 million range.
The film, which reportedly cost $70 million to make, marks a much-needed salve for the struggling independent studio Weinstein Co., which co-financed it with international distributor Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co (GE.N).
Bob and Harvey Weinstein released Tarantino's 1992 smash "Pulp Fiction" when they headed up Miramax Films. Since launching their new firm in 2005, the Weinsteins have failed to make much of an impact at the box office or the Academy Awards. "Pulp Fiction" remains his biggest film overall with a domestic haul of $107 million.
Last weekend's top film in North America, TriStar Pictures sci-fi thriller "District 9," slipped to No. 2 with $18.9 million. After 10 days, the Peter Jackson-produced film has earned $73.5 million. TriStar is a unit of Sony Corp 675.T (SNE.N).
Paramount Pictures' "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," was also down one to No. 3, with $12.5 million. The three-week haul for the action movie stands at $120.5 million. Paramount is a unit of Viacom Inc (VIAb.N). link...

England's chances hanging in the balance

Freddie Flintoff turned up for his last stand with the wrong script as England faltered on their Ashes mission.

From 114-1, England subsided to 307-8 in the final npower Test at the Oval, Flintoff contributing just seven before he fell to a horrible shot. And although they were unlucky to lose top scorer Ian Bell (72) and skipper Andrew Strauss (55) to no-balls, England's biggest failing of the series was again laid bare.

Bell admitted: "We've only scored one hundred, which isn't good enough at this stage of the series, and after the start we had, we're disappointed not to be in a slightly better position.

"Of course I'm upset I didn't go on and get a hundred, but it's not a typical Oval wicket. It was tricky early on, I had to graft it out and be prepared to play some ugly cricket at times.