Criticism doesn’t weaken institutions: Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif has said that criticism doesn’t weaken institutions but latter can be strengthen through reforms.
He expressed these views in a meeting with Pakistan Ex-Serviceman Association (PESA) delegation here at Punjab House.
Mian Nawaz Sharif and PESA agreed that Pakistan is under attack from within and outside and we need to find solutions quickly.
PESA delegation was led by Admiral (R) Fasih Bukhari which met with Mian Nawaz Sharif along with selected PML-N parliamentarians to discuss the critical situation faced by Pakistan arising in the back drop of the Abbottabad and PNS Mehran raids scenario and crises which has resulted there off.
Participants emphasized and dilated on various subjects in the discussion. It was mutually agreed that if we all continue to identify ourselves with different ideals, our adversaries and enemies shall continue to manipulate us on all issues.
Air Marshal (r) Masood Akhtar presented a Suggested National Security Policy for Pakistan. PML-N panel showed keen interest in the proposed definition of Common Identity, National Purpose and Vital National Interests for the nation.
It was agreed that no war can be won and no peace can be made without a clear national consensus on these values. The presentation also derived a Suggested Counter-Insurgency and a Counter-Terrorism Policy for the current complex crises that Pakistan faces.
Mian Nawaz Sharif took keen interest in the consequent debate and it was decided that a group of two to three members from both sides would be formed to brainstorm and crystallise these crucial ideas for securing the nation. It was hoped that other like-minded parties and stake holders from the government, opposition, media, bench and civil society will join PML-N and PESA to strengthen this initiative.

Serena makes comeback with victory in Eastbourne

EASTBOURNE, United Kingdom: Serena Williams came back from a slow start Tuesday to reach the second round at the Eastbourne grasscourt event after not playing for nearly year, posting a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Tsvetana Pironkova.
The 13-time grand slam champion American, who last played in a winning Wimbledon final in July, returned to the court at the grass warm-up tournament after battling a foot injury and blood clots in her lungs.
Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, the Italian fourth seed, took an opening win on a sunny day on the south coast over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 while Serb Ana Ivanovic, another former holder at Roland Garros, beat German Julia Goerges 6-4, 6-3.
Despite her 0-5 start against her Bulgarian opponent, Williams won in just over two hours of battle with seven aces as she tries to whip a rusty game into shape. After one particularly long exchange, the former number one was warned for time-wasting as she tried to catch her breath.
Williams will get another test in the second round when she faces the winner from top seed Vera Zvonareva and British wild card Heather Watson.
The Williams win was the second success for the family this week after sister Venus advanced on Monday after not playing for almost five months due to an abdominal injury. Unseeded Ivanovic took a small step in the rehabilitation of her inconsistent recent game, with her victory over Goerges.
Ivanovic has been through several coaches and consultants in recent seasons as the number 18 fights to settle and finally start improving her ranking.
Currently without a coach, she is sharing the time of adidas' Darren Cahill along with the rest of the marque's top players including coach-less Andy Murray.
Brit Elena Baltacha did the home crowd proud as she beat slumping Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-1 to next face third seed Victoria Azarenka Number 61 Baltacha's victory was her first on grass this season after a loss last week to start in Birmingham.
Holder Ekaterina Makarova took the first step in her title defence, beating Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
On the men's side of the dual event, South African sixth seed Kevin Anderson started with a victory over a Brit qualifier as he defeated Alexander Slabinsky 7-5, 6-3.
German veteran Rainer Schuettler, a Wimbledon semi-finalist three years ago, upset fifth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3, 6-2 after qualifying into the field at Devonshire park.
American Donald Young beat Britain's Daniel Cox 6-1, 7-5 while Illya Marchenko of the Ukraine, stopped Portugal's Frederico Gil 6-1, 6-3.

Pakistan ready to host Bangladesh

KARACHI: Pakistani football said Tuesday it was confident next month's home World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh will go ahead, promising tight security for the match.
After the first leg of their Asian zone qualifier for the 2014 World Cup in Dhaka on June 29, the two sides were scheduled to meet in Lahore on July 3.
But arrangements ran into trouble after Bangladesh asked FIFA, the game's ruling body, to relocate the match due to security fears.
FIFA has apparently rejected the request in a move welcomed by Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi.
"We hosted Palestine and Malaysia earlier this year and both the teams returned happy, so we have proper security arrangements in place and we are confident that the match will go ahead," Lodhi told AFP.
Pakistan has not hosted any major sporting event since militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and wounding seven visiting players and their assistant coach.
"FIFA knows of our security arrangements made for the Palestine and Malaysian teams so they have no problems and we assure Bangladesh that they will be well looked after," said Lodhi.
Bangladesh Football Federation chief Kazi Salahuddin told AFP Tuesday that FIFA turned down its request to host both games against Pakistan.
"FIFA rejected our request. So our national team will go to Pakistan play the match on July 3," he said, adding that he had not been told where the game will be played.
Team coach Robert Rubcic did not want to travel to the troubled country, Salahuddin said, but the team's appeal to FIFA fell on deaf ears.
The 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's cricketers forced Pakistan to play their home cricket ties on neutral grounds in England, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. Only the Afghanistan cricket team has since toured Pakistan.
Efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board to host Sri Lanka later this year were also dashed after militants attacked a naval base last month and carried out other high-profile strikes following the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Sri Lanka Cricket refused to send its team, instead offering their grounds to play the three Tests, five one-day and a Twenty20 match series.
Pakistan have never qualified for the football World Cup and are placed 168th in the FIFA world rankings.
Five-time champions Brazil will host the next World Cup in 2014.

Pakistan Hockey team to play two tournaments in Australia

LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team would play two three-nation tournaments in Australia in October. Third team of the competition is India, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Asif Bajwa told Geo News.
Bajwa said that the national hockey team would be provided enough opportunities to prepare before Champions Trophy and Olympics and tour of Australia and Europe are part of that effort.

Afridi, Butt resolve differences

ISLAMABAD: Former cricket captain Shahid Afridi met Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt in Islamabad and reached an out of court settlement, Geo News reported.
According to the sources, important government officials were also present in the meeting. Former skipper agreed to withdraw the case against the PCB and also to appear before the disciplinary committee of the board.
The PCB will issue the NOC for Afridi after he appears before the committee. After getting the required permission Afridi will be able to play for Hampshire County in a T20 tournament in England and Sri Lanka Premier League.

Canada recognizes Libyan rebels

OTTAWA: Canada recognizes Libyan rebels as the "legitimate representative" of the people of Libya, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Tuesday.
The diplomatic shift came as parliamentarians debated an extension of Canada's participation in NATO's efforts to protect Libyan civilians from forces loyal to strongman Moamer Kadhafi.
Ottawa previously referred to Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) only as a "valid interlocutor."
"Canada will ... recognize the NTC as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people going forward," as part of a new "enhanced engagement strategy," Baird said in the House of Commons.
"Our government will engage with the institutions and representatives of the NTC," he said, adding he would meet with the rebel group's vice-chair and UN envoy and "identify members of the NTC responsible for domestic issues and propose meetings with their Canadian counterparts."
Baird's predecessor Lawrence Cannon had met with a senior representative of the rebel group in Paris and Canadian officials have been in regular contact with NTC representatives over the past few months.
The NTC also appointed a representative to Canada.
Baird also announced an additional CAN$2 million in humanitarian aid for Libya.
A popular uprising against Kadhafi that began in mid-February has left the oil-rich north African state split between the largely Kadhafi-controlled west and the rebel east.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said the NATO mission, led by a three-star Canadian general, had "gone well so far" and called its continuation "essential."
Ottawa said it would extend its own participation in the operation to September.

Berlusconi trounced in Italy referendums

ROME: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a trouncing in referendums Monday that wiped out his plans to return Italy to nuclear power and dismissed a law designed to keep him out of court.
The results, following hard on disastrous local election results, have already provoked a growing unease from his supporters.
Final results showed crushing votes of more than 90 percent against the government in the four referendum questions: on nuclear power; on a law to give Berlusconi legal immunity; and two on water privatisation.
Official figures released early Tuesday by the interior ministry do not yet include votes cast by Italians living abroad.
But more than 94 percent of voters slammed the government's plans for brand new atomic power stations, which had been one of Berlusconi's flagship policies.
And nearly 95 percent voted to strip Berlusconi of special privileges accorded him as prime minister that exempted him from court appearances.
Berlusconi himself did not vote and the government had encouraged its supporters to stay away. But official data showed that nearly 56 percent of voters had turned out to have their say.
Acknowledging this late Monday, Berlusconi said: "The high turnout in the referendums shows a will on the part of citizens to participate in decisions about our future that cannot be ignored."
The level of turnout was crucial because without the participation of more than 50 percent of voters the referendums would have had no legal force.
The vote against Berlusconi's plans to resume a nuclear programme reflects popular unease about atomic energy in Europe after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
And the rejection of the partial immunity law suggested voter's growing disenchantment with the 74-year-old prime minister's legal woes.
Berlusconi is a defendant in ongoing three trials involving allegations of bribery, fraud, abuse of power and paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl.

US for peace talks with Afghan Taliban

UNITED NATIONS: The United States is seeking to split the UN sanctions list for Taliban and al Qaeda figures into two as part of a bid to induce the Taliban into talks on a peace settlement in Afghanistan, diplomats said on Monday.
The move comes as Washington prepares to start pulling out its 97,000 troops in Afghanistan next month as part of a process to hand over all combat operations against Taliban insurgents to Afghan security forces by 2014.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said earlier this month there could be political talks with the Taliban by the end of this year, if the NATO alliance continued to make military advances on the ground, putting pressure on the insurgents.
Diplomats said the United States had put forward two resolutions about the sanctions list to other members of the 15-nation Security Council -- one on splitting the joint list and the other on removing some Taliban names. The sanctions subject those named on the list to travel restrictions and asset freezes.
The council is scheduled to vote on Friday to renew the mandate of an eight-person team of experts that helps a council sanctions committee to maintain the list. Western officials said they hoped the resolutions could be ready by then.
The aim of making separate lists for the Taliban and for al Qaeda is "to send a clear message to the Taliban that it's time to break with al Qaeda and participate in an Afghan political process," one Western diplomat said.
Afghanistan's U.N. Ambassador Zahir Tanin told Reuters in a telephone interview that the move, if it passes the council, "gives us more flexibility. It will help to create a regime of engagement for people to join the peace process."
Tanin said that although it would not mean the end of sanctions against the Taliban, no longer lumping them with al Qaeda would be a "psychological factor" that could weigh with those Taliban considering giving up armed struggle.

Heads of agencies will be responsible for target killing in uniform

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights has condemned the killing of innocent civilians at the hands of security agencies, Geo News reported.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Riaz Fatyana who said that the heads of the agencies would be held responsible if their officials committed target killings while in uniform.
The committee has also directed IGP Balochistan to provide security to police surgeon Dr. Baqir Shah, Journalist Jamal Tarakai and the driver of the foreigners.
The fact finding report on the Kharotabad incident was presented by Faranaz Ispahani. Faranaz said that officials could not submit substantial proof and the foreigners killed were innocent. She added that the foreigners were not wearing suicide vests and were on their way to Mashad from Ziarat.

Armed men storm hospital in Karachi

KARACHI: It took police over an hour to control the firing at a private hospital located on Stadium road, Geo News reported.
According to the police firing at Liaquat National hospital started when people injured during armed clashes between student groups at Urdu university were admitted to the hospital. Those who brought the injured to the hospital started firing creating chaos.
Patients, doctors and the medical staff were severally distressed. The culprits opened heavy fire outside the emergency ward and OPT which created panic amongst the people.
According to the eye witnesses the culprits had also changed the direction of CCTV cameras. When the police managed to enter the hospital, the culprits had already fled from the scene and no arrests were made.

Balochistan doctors threaten to shut hospitals

QUETTA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) and PMA Balochistan have declared that government and private hospitals in the province will be closed for indefinite period following the manhandling and arrests of doctors by the police on Tuesday, Geo News reported. The YDA said if the arrested doctors were not released and the concerned policemen were not held, then they would also close the emergency wards of hospitals from Wednesday. The call came after police used aerial firing and tear gas to prevent members of the YDA from staging a sit-in protest outside the Chief Minister’s House. According to the YDA, 20 doctors were injured, while 100 others were arrested.

19 killed in Karachi violence

KARACHI: The death toll from Karachi violence has reached 19 during the last 24 hours, Geo News reported,
Today, unidentified armed men shot dead three, including two children in Qasba colony, while six others were injured in different areas because of firing and violence.
The situation is improving following armed clashes between groups in Orangi, Banaras, Qasba, Ali Garh and nearby places.
Situation in Orangi Town is improving following the clashes with public transport seen on roads, shops and petrol pumps are open whereas extra police contingent has been deployed to control law and order situation.
Meanwhile, clash between two student groups in Urdu University Gulshan-e-Iqbal left a policeman and two students injured.

SHC suspends exemption notification for Sindh Bank

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) has suspended notification that grants special exemption to the Sindh Bank from the Sindh Public Procurement Act and issued notices to Chief Secretary Sindh and the bank for June 28, Geo News reported.
The two-member bench comprises Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing the constitutional petition filed by Transparency International (TI).
TI has challenged the notification issued on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. The notification grants special exemption to the Sindh Bank from the Sindh Public Procurement Act.

China launches high-speed train

SHANGHAI: China has launched its new high-speed train which covers the distance between Shanghai and Beijing in five hours.
One-way ticket prices will range between $63 and $210, and the train runs between 250 and 300 kilometres per hour on the $33 billion new link, although the line is designed for a maximum speed of 380 kph.
China has invested heavily in its high-speed rail network, which reached 8,358 kilometres at the end of 2010 and is expected to exceed 13,000 kilometres by 2012 and 16,000 kilometres by 2020.

Pollard and Simmons set India toughest target of series

NORTH SOUND, Antigua and Barbuda: Half-centuries from Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons helped West Indies reach 249 for eight in the fourth One-day International on Monday and set world champions India their highest target of the five match series.
Praveen Kumar was the most successful Indian bowler with three for 37 from 10 overs, and leg-spinner Amit Mishra captured two for 56 from 10 overs, as the visitors again kept the West Indies batting in check on another hard, true Vivian Richards Cricket Ground pitch.
Pollard smashed six fours and two sixes in the top score of 70 from 72 balls to spark a West Indies revival, after they stumbled to 103 for five in the 27th over.
Simmons supported with 67 from 78 balls, Carlton Baugh Jr made 39, and Andre Russell, the West Indies batting hero from the previous match, added 25.
The new ball pair of Kumar and Ishant Sharma, one of the three changes to India's line-up for the match, struck early on, leaving the hosts on 12 for two.
Sharma had opener Danza Hyatt caught at backward point for one in the second over, and Kumar had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught in the same position for the same score in the fifth over.
The Indians met resistance in the form of a 53-run stand between left-hander Darren Bravo and Simmons before Mishra triggered another mini-crisis, West Indies losing the pair, as well as Marlon Samuels for 38 in the space of 65 deliveries.
The visitors were again put on the back-foot, when Pollard and Baugh added 96 - largely untroubled - for the sixth wicket to move West Indies in the right direction.
But off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had Pollard caught at long-on in the 45th over - the second over of the Batting Power Play - before Baugh and Russell continued West Indies attacking intent, briskly putting on 41 for the seventh wicket.
Kumar returned for his final spell, and removed Baugh and Russell off successive balls in his final over - the penultimate of the innings - but West Indies would have felt reasonably content with their final total.
India made three changes, bringing Sharma, Ashwin, and left-handed batsman Manoj Tiwary, in to replace Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, and Shikhar Dhawan.
West Indies made two changes, swapping Bravo and leg-spinner Anthony Martin for Kirk Edwards and Devendra Bishoo respectively.
The Indians hold an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
The world champions are looking to close in on a clean sweep in an ODI series for the first time on Caribbean soil, and can take comfort in the knowledge that West Indies have never won any of the five ODIs they have played at the VRCG.

Govt, opposition pursuing US agenda: Rashid

LAHORE: Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid Monday alleged that both the government and opposition were engaged in furthering a US agenda, Geo News reported.
“The Government is advancing the US agenda through its policies while the opposition is pursuing it by maligning the intelligence agencies,” Sheikh Rashid said in his address on the occasion of the inauguration of his party’s office in Allama Iqbal Town.
He said the government and opposition were engaged in politics of personal interests and not of reconciliation as being projected.
The AML Chief said both the major parties of the country came up with their respective ‘election budgets’, because both have no interest whatsoever in people’s welfare.
“If N-League is really serious in playing the role of opposition, it should resign from the assemblies by June 30 and seek people’s mandate,” he remarked.
He said Pakistan today faced greater internal threat rather than external.

Firing was cause of foreigners death: Police Surgeon

QUETTA: The police surgeon who conducted the post mortem on the foreigners killed during the Kharotabad tragedy told the inquiry tribunal that they were killed due to firing by police and FC officials, Geo News reported.
Dr. Baqir Shah told the tribunal that 21 bullets were extracted from the bodies of the five forefingers. Till date, 26 individuals including Director FIA Shakeel Durrani have had their statements recorded.
The inquiry tribunal is headed by judge of Balochistan High Court (BHC), Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and is investigating the May 17 incident which led to the death of five foreigners.

Turkey's ruling party set for landslide poll win

ANKARA: Turkey's ruling party is set for a record landslide win in Sunday's parliamentary polls and a third straight term in power, according to a projection and partial results.
A survey of results from sample ballot boxes across the country projected the AKP would get 50.3 percent of the vote, its highest electoral score so far, and enough parliamentary seats to once again form the government on its own.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was set to finish second with 27.1 percent, followed by the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) with 12.7 percent, according to the projection, conducted by the A&G polling company.
An estimate of the distribution of seats in the 550-member parliament is hard but the AKP may narrowly clinch the 330-seat majority it is seeking to press ahead with plans to rewrite the constitution, the legacy of a 1980 military coup, A&G chairman Adil Gur said.
With more than 60 percent of the vote counted, the AKP was leading with 51.9 percent of the vote, according to results carried.
Its lead is expected to decrease a bit as counting progresses, since the first results come from the rural east, where the party is stronger compared to the more urban west, analysts said.
The AKP owes its enduring popularity mostly to economic success and improved public services following years of financial instability that haunted Turkey under shaky coalition governments in the past.
Under the AKP, the economy grew by 8.9 percent in 2010, outpacing global recovery, and per capita income has doubled to $10,079.
Voting ended at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) across the country, where more than 50 million people were eligible to vote, out of a population of some 73 million.
Earlier, an ecstatic crowd burst into cheers and applause as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived to vote in a school in Istanbul's Uskudar district, an AKP stronghold. "Turkey is proud of you," the crowd chanted, as the prime minister shook hands with supporters.
His economic credits aside, Erdogan -- once the driving force of EU-sought reforms -- has come under fire for autocratic tendencies and growing intolerance of criticism.
With dozens of journalists in jail, the opposition is alarmed also over creeping restrictions on the Internet and an unprecedented outbreak of compromising wiretaps and videos of opposition figures circulating online.
Erdogan has promised a more liberal constitution but has refused to specify what the overhaul would entail, fanning speculation with his advocacy of a presidential system for Turkey -- presumably with himself at the helm.
The AKP needs at least 330 seats to amend the constitution without support from other parties and put it to a referendum. A two-thirds majority of 367 seats would enable the party to pass the amendments unilaterally.

Turkey's Erdogan says to work with rivals on charter

ANKARA: Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan promised to work with rivals toward a consensus over a new constitution for Turkey after winning Sunday's parliamentary election with a reduced majority.
"The people gave us a message to build the new constitution through consensus and negotiation," he said in a victory speech to supporters from the balcony of the AK Party headquarters in Ankara. "We will discuss the new constitution with opposition parties."
An exultant Erdogan addressed thousands of cheering supporters from the balcony of party headquarters in Ankara, saying: "Today, for yet another time, democracy and the national will have prevailed. "Gaza, Palestine and Jerusalem have also won," said the leader, whose self-professed mission of defending "the oppressed", flavoured with a vision of Islamic fraternity, has crossed borders and made him a hero on Arab streets.
Thousands of ecstatic supporters gathered outside AKP offices in Ankara, dancing and singing, as the refrain of the party's election song "Come on, once more!" blared from loudspeakers. "Turkey is proud of you," they chanted, referring to Erdogan.

New quakes rock New Zealand's Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH: A series of strong quakes, including a 6.0-magnitude tremor, rocked New Zealand's stricken Christchurch Monday, causing one building to collapse and prompting evacuations.
Power company Orion said electricity had been cut to 54,000 homes. The US Geological Survey measured the latest quake at a depth of nine kilometres (5.6 miles) and some 14 kilometres from the country's second largest city.
It followed a string of shocks early Monday, including a 5.2-magnitude jolt which caused building damage in the city, still recovering from a deadly 6.3 magnitude disaster in February.
Police confirmed that a structure had fallen over in central Christchurch, much of which is still blocked off after the February 22 earthquake levelled much of the city, but said nobody was trapped.
The 6.0 magnitude aftershock prompted police to evacuate parts of the damaged central city known as the red zone, while rock falls had closed several bridges and prompted the closure of one police station.
Police urged residents to check on friends and neighbours, and to stay at home and avoid travelling if possible, but residents gridlocked the roads as they attempted to find their way home and reach family.
The series of quakes came just hours after the opening of an inquest examining why an office block collapsed in February's earthquake, killing more than 100 people, including 65 foreign students.
When the first tremors hit around lunchtime, lawyers and relatives of those killed when the Canterbury Television (CTV) building toppled and then burst into flames on February 22 fled the building as windows rattled.
The inquest was briefly suspended before being hit by the later quakes.
Geoscience Australia seismologist David Jepson said people would have been shaken quite strongly after New Zealand's South Island had endured much seismic activity in recent months.

Youth killing: Police get 15-day remand of Rangers

KARACHI: Six Ranger personnel and seven others involved in the extrajudicial killing of a young man in Karachi have been remanded into police custody for 15 days, Geo News reported.
In related developments Attorney General of Pakistan Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq said Monday, that the government would not file an appeal against the Supreme Court’s orders to remove IGP and DG Rangers Sindh from their posts in three days. He said that the orders of the Supreme Court would be upheld.
The young man Sarfaraz Shah was killed by Rangers personnel in Karachi on Wednesday. The accused in the case are being tried in an anti-terrorism court and if convicted could face life in prison or the death penalty.

Rehman says Govt-JUI alliance will continue

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik Monday said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) is a government’s coalition partner in Balochistan and added that this alliance will continue in future too, Geo News reported.
Rehman Malik said this during his meeting with Opposition Leader in the Senate and JUI (F) leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi here.
Both the leaders had an exchange of views law and order situation in some parts of Balochistan besides ways to end loadshedding and issues of local peasants.
The Interior Minister, on the occasion, announced establishment of a passport office in Qalat area of Balochistan.

New Zealand drop sanctions for Zimbabwe tour

WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government has approved a tour by the Zimbabwe cricket team, saying Sunday it would waive travel sanctions on teams from the African nation.
Zimbabwe are scheduled to play in New Zealand next year for the first time in 11 years and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said the government would not block the tour.
Sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe several years ago to express opposition to alleged human rights abuses by the government of Robert Mugabe.
McCully said visas would be granted to the cricketers and management conditional on the situation in Zimbabwe "not deteriorating in a significant way."
A proposed tour of New Zealand by Zimbabwe in 2005 was cancelled when the government refused to grant the players visas.

Safarova in stunning Copenhagen fightback

COPENHAGEN: Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova recovered from 6-1, 4-0 down to defeat Croatia's Petra Martic 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the Copenhagen WTA final on Saturday.
Martic won 10 of the first 11 games but fourth-seeded Safarova, who had bounced back from one-set deficits in all her other matches this week, did it again.
"I'm excited to be in another final, and it brings me even more happiness when I've come through such a tough semi-final," Safarova said.
World number one Caroline Wozniacki followed Safarova into the final in much simpler fashion, dispatching German qualifier Mona Barthel in 62 minutes, 6-1 6-2.
"I felt really good out there today," Wozniacki said. "I'm really pleased to be in the final, my seventh final of the year."
Safarova won her only previous meeting against Wozniacki, a 6-4, 6-4 decision in the early rounds of the clay court event in Stuttgart last year.

British royals celebrate Queen’s birthday

LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine took part in the pomp and pageantry on Saturday as Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday.
William, her grandson, wore his wedding uniform — this time complete with a bearskin hat for the traditional Trooping the Colour military parade in central London. Dressed in the scarlet tunic of the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards, the Duke of Cambridge rode on horseback as Catherine joined other royals watching from a window.
It was the public’s first chance to see the royal family all together since William and Kate’s wedding on April 29, watched by an estimated two billion people around the world. The event, celebrating the queen’s 85th birthday, took place the day after her husband Prince Philip turned 90. He is the longest-serving consort in British history.
For the annual pageant, massed ranks of soldiers in the famous red tunics and bearskin hats of the British army march on Horse Guards Parade. The Olympic beach volleyball competition will be held on the historic parade ground during the 2012 Games. The pomp and ceremony of Trooping the Colour — a hangover from preparations for battle when colours or flags were “trooped” down the rank so soldiers could recognise them — marks the queen’s official birthday.
Her actual birthday is on April 21 but traditionally the monarch has another in the summer months, because the weather is supposed to be better for open-air celebrations. There were huge cheers from the crowd as the royals left Buckingham Palace. The queen and Prince Philip — also wearing a bearskin — rode in an open phaeton carriage.
As regimental colonels, their eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, rode on horseback alongside William, as did the queen’s cousin Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Catherine joined other royals including her brother-in-law Prince Harry in watching from a room that was once military hero the Duke of Wellington’s office. After the ceremony, the royals headed back to Buckingham Palace to gather on the balcony for the first time since William’s wedding.
They watched a fly-past of aircraft ranging from World War II Spitfires and Lancasters to modern Typhoon fighters before the Red Arrows aerobatics display team left trails of red, white and blue smoke in the sky.

Violent clashes as Syria troops storm flashpoint townViolent clashes in Syria

DAMASCUS: Syrian troops Sunday fought violent battles with "armed gangs" in flashpoint Jisr Al-Shughur town, state television said, as international outrage mounted at Syria's brutal crackdown on protesters.
"Army divisions entered Jisr al-Shughur and purged the state hospital of armed groups," the report said.
"Violent clashes pitched the army divisions against armed groups positioned inside and around the town," it added.
Jisr al-Shughur, in northwestern Syria near the border with Turkey, has been the focus of military operations for days, following what the authorities said was the massacre of 120 policemen by "armed gangs" in the town on Monday.
Human rights activists and residents deny the allegations of a massacre and say a number of policemen were executed by other security force members when they refused to fire on protesters in Jisr al-Shughur.
Harrowing reports of atrocities committed during Syria's crackdown, including deserting soldiers' accounts of massacred civilians, have sparked fresh international outrage.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern at the mounting death toll, while the United States and the EU urged President Bashar al-Assad to let aid workers in to help relieve the humanitarian crisis.
As the death toll mounted, detailed accounts emerged from some of the thousands who fled to Turkey from the bloodshed in Jisr al-Shughur.
Among them were Syrian army deserters who told of atrocities committed by soldiers in suppressing protests, who themselves were under the threat of execution if they disobeyed orders.
Tahal al-Lush described the operation, in Ar-Rastan, a town of 50,000 people in Homs province, that had pushed him to desert.
"We were told that people were armed there. But when we arrived, we saw that they were ordinary civilians. We were ordered to shoot them," said Lush, with a blank stare in his eyes.
"When we entered the houses, we opened fire on everyone, the young, the old... Women were raped in front of their husbands and children," he said.
He showed his military passbook and other papers as proof of identity.
A second conscript, Mohammed Mirwan Khalaf, said he had been in a unit stationed at Idlib, near the border.
"Just in front of me, a professional soldier pulled out his knife and stabbed a civilian in the head, for no reason," he said.
In the Turkish city of Antakya, Nabil, one of the last Syrian aid workers out of Jisr al-Shughur, recalled the roar of helicopters and a "skull split in two" before he collapsed with a bullet in his back.
From his hospital bed, the Red Crescent employee recounted his last sights of the town last weekend, where Damascus said 120 police and troops had been massacred during anti-regime protests.
"The wounded, yes, I've seen hundreds. And dozens of deaths, maybe a hundred," the 29-year-old said. He had also seen victims of torture, he added.
The turmoil has pushed 4,600 Syrians to seek refuge across the border in Turkey, a government official in Ankara told AFP.
"I am deeply concerned and saddened that so many people have been killed," Ban Ki-moon said during a visit to Colombia. He had spoken with Assad several times to express his concern, he said.
On Friday, UN officials said Assad was refusing to take telephone calls from Ban, as the UN Security Council discussed a resolution drawn up to condemn his crackdown.
Washington on Saturday called on Syria to let medics in, after reports that Syrian forces backed by helicopters had the previous day killed at least 25 protesters across the country, including in and around Jisr al-Shughur.
Fridays have become a rallying point in the revolt against Assad's regime, whose backlash on pro-democracy protests that erupted in mid-March has killed more than 1,200 civilians, rights groups say.
"The Syrian government's offensive in northern Syria has created a humanitarian crisis," the White House said in a statement.
"The United States calls upon the Syrian government to stop this violence, and to give the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) immediate, unfettered access to this region," it added.
The European Union also appealed to Assad to let international aid agencies in to help civilians caught up in the violence.
"I deplore the escalating use of brutal force against protestors in Syria in recent days," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement Saturday.
Both the EU and the US are backing a UN Security Council resolution proposed by Britain and France that condemns Syria for its crackdown.
But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the council, oppose any resolution on Syria.

Arabian Sea low pressure intensifies, rains likely by evening

KARACHI: The low pressure in the Arabian Sea has intensified again and the probable sea storm may trigger strong winds by Sunday evening in the coastal areas. According to the Metrological Department (Met) fishermen have been advised to refrain from sailing into the open sea on Sunday and Monday.
On the other hand, the mercury in Punjab and Khyber Pakthunkhwa declined after several cities received showers.
The Met Department said that Thatta, Badin and some coastal areas of Karachi were likely to witness rains with strong winds by Sunday evening, as the low pressure 560 kilometers southeast of Karachi had again intensified.
Most of the cities in Sindh province were still in the grip of a heat wave, while in areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa including Swat, Mansehra and Mardan the intense hot weather had somewhat mellowed down following Saturday’s showers.
In Punjab, Faisalabad and Bhawalpur witnessed strong winds overnight, while the mercury in Islamabad, Lahore, Sargodha and Gujranawala decreased after rains on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the Met office said that different towns and cities of Punjab were likely to receive rains with strong winds
In Balochistan, Naseerabad, Jafferabad, Sibi and other towns were experiencing intense heat, according to the Met Department.

BB had US support, clearance: President Zardari/Wikileaks

KARACHI: According to whistleblower Wikileaks, a cable of the US Ambassador dated January 28, 2008 stated that Asif Ali Zardari described the US as “our safety blanket”. He recounted how Benazir Bhutto had returned despite the threats against her because of support and clearance from the US.
Zardari acknowledged that he had believed that the closer he got to General Kayani, the more Kayani would be weakened.
Wikileaks spilled the beans from one of the statements made by Khyber Pakthunkhwa Chief Minister, Amir Haider Khan Hoti. US Counsel Principal Officer in Peshawar Tracy’s cable dated April 30, 2009 sent to Washington said that Amir Haider Khan Hoti has appreciated the drone attacks, but he (Hoti) also said that he could never support it in public.
Lahore US Counsel Principal Officer Brian Hunt said that former Governor Punjab, Salman Taseer flayed Shahbaz Sharif’s government. In a cable dated December 31, 2008, Brian Hunt wrote that Salman Taseer was of the view that Shahbaz Sharif’s government was highly heart burning. “Shahbaz Sharif is hard working, but just like my gardener. Brian Hunt in a memo dated February 7, 2009 wrote that Salman Taseer had nothing to do with the lawyers’ long march and he was getting ready to celebrate Basant and would see whether the people give importance to the long march or choose to party for Basant.

Kharotabad incident: Driver says his statement was coerced

QUETTA: The driver of the foreigners killed in the Kharotabad incident said Sunday that his statement to the inquiry tribunal was not correct and he was forced by the police to make this statement, Geo News reported.
The driver Atta Mohammed said this during proceedings of the fact-finding mission chaired by the Prime Minister's Advisor on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar. In his earlier statement the driver had said that arms and explosives were recovered from the luggage of the foreigners. He added that the police had told him that if he made this statement he would be promoted otherwise he would be at risk.
On May 17, five foreigners were killed by Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and police in the Kharotabad suburb of Quetta. They were alleged to be in possession of explosives and wearing suicide jackets.
Terming the killing of five Chechens in Akhrotabad, Quetta, last month as inhuman, the NA Standing Committee on Human Rights, on June 08, formed a fact-finding committee and directed it to submit its report within two weeks.
The committee set up a five-member fact-finding mission headed by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokar and Kishwar Zehra, Farah Naz Asfahani, Raheela Baloch and Araish Kumar as its members.

Youth’s killing: Rangers men to be tried under ATA

KARACHI: On the orders of the Supreme Court, section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) have been included in the case against Rangers personnel involved in the extrajudicial killing of a young man in Karachi, Geo News reported.
Section 7 of the ATA says whoever commits an act of terrorism whereby the death of any person is caused, shall be punishable, on conviction, with death or with imprisonment for life, and with a fine.
Supreme Court appointed investigation officer, DIG West Sultan Khawaja recorded statements of eyewitnesses on Sunday at the Boat Basin police station. During this time the families of the victim were also present at the police station.
While talking to the reporter the police officer said that accounts of four witnesses have been recorded and the probe team would submit the challan within seven days.
While replying to a question regarding pressure from Rangers the investigation officer replied 'no comments'. He pointed out that some points have been added to the FIR but refused to provide dtails.
The young man Sarfaraz Shah was killed in broad daylight by Rangers in the Clifton locality of Karachi on Wednesday. The entire incident was recorded and shown on news channels. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Friday directed the government to remove IGP and DG Rangers Sindh from their posts.

Murray cruises into Queen's final

LONDON: Britain's Andy Murray swept into the final at Queen's with an imperious 6-3, 6-1 victory over four-time champion Andy Roddick in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Murray, seeded second, was in sublime form as he demolished one of the top grass-court players of the last decade to set up a final clash against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or James Ward.
This was arguably the most complete performance of Murray's career and the victory was especially sweet for the world number four as it went some way to avenging his 2009 Wimbledon semi-final defeat against Roddick.
Murray had won six of his nine meetings with Roddick but the loss at Wimbledon still rankles with the Scot.
The 24-year-old will have taken extra delight from the way he totally overwhelmed third seed Roddick here and he will now be heavy favourite to win this Wimbledon warm-up event for the second time.
Murray, who last won the title here in 2009, had an unexpected chance to rest his troublesome ankle injury on Friday when Marin Cilic was forced to pull out just before the start of their quarter-final with an ankle problem of his own.

3rd ODI: India win toss, put Windies into bat

NORTH SOUND, Antigua and Barbuda: India captain Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to field against the West Indies in the third one-day international at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground here on Saturday.
The Indians are unchanged for the third straight match, but West Indies have brought Danza Hyatt, Andre Russell and Kemar Roach in to replace Dwayne Bravo, Anthony Martin and Ravi Rampaul.
The visitors lead the five-match series 2-0, following a four-wicket victory in the first ODI last Monday at Queen's Park Oval, where they won the second ODI by seven wickets two days later.
India are looking to take an unbeatable lead in the series, and they can take comfort in the knowledge that West Indies have never won any of the four ODIs they have played at the VRCG.
Teams
West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Kirk Edwards, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Danza Hyatt, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh Jr (wk), Andre Russell, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo
India: Suresh Raina (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Norman Malcolm (WI), TV umpire: Gregory Brathwaite (WI), Reserve umpire: Peter Nero (WI)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)

US calls for 'mounting' pressure on Syrian President

WASHINGTON: The United States and its allies are looking to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down or allow for a peaceful transition of power, officials said Friday.
President Barack Obama's administration is making it "abundantly clear that international pressure is beginning to build on him (Assad) and that he needs to stop what he's doing or, as the president and others have said, get out of the way," State Department Mark Toner said.
He spoke of "mounting pressure" on Assad, as Syria expanded its military crackdown on pro-democracy protests, killing at least 22 people.
Assad "has refused to reform, refused even to make any gesture towards reform other than empty rhetoric," Toner added. "We will continue to look at ways we can up the pressure on him. What's important here is that we make it clear to him that there's growing pressure against his actions."
His remarks came as Syria launched a major military assault on the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur and neighboring villages, after hundreds of area residents streamed across the border into Turkey.
Protesters meanwhile poured into the streets of major cities and towns across Syria after Friday prayers, calling on Assad to step down and expressing solidarity with the residents of Jisr al-Shughur.
Syria has mounted a fierce response to weeks of protests modeled on the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia that ousted long-ruling dictators and inspired the so-called Arab Spring that has swept the region.
"There is mounting pressure, mounting recognition that what's going on Syria cannot continue," Toner said.
The spokesman mentioned US "contacts" with the Syrian opposition. "I don't want to get into too much detail, because these people are clearly under tremendous danger in Syria. But at the embassy, we do have contacts with members of the opposition, as well as civil society members," he said, noting Washington was trying to get a better sense of the nature of the opposition.
The US ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, has seen his requests for meetings with Syrian government officials repeatedly denied.

At least 50 killed, 40 missing in China floods

BEIJING: A new round of rain and floods battered central China Thursday night and Friday, killing 50 people and leaving 40 others missing in four drought-plagued provinces.
Torrential rain triggered floods and landslides that toppled homes and destroyed river embankments in central China's Hubei Province, killing 25 people and leaving at least 12 others missing as of Friday evening, said a spokesman with the provincial civil affairs department.
So far, more than 127,500 people were forced to evacuate their homes and the floods have caused direct economic losses of 866 million yuan (133 million U.S. dollars) in the province, said the spokesman.
Most of the deaths were reported in the city of Xianning, which was hit by heavy rainfall from 8 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday.
More than 100 people were injured in the floods in Xianning, said a spokesman with the city's flood and drought control headquarters.
Flood waters measured more than 2 meters deep in Tongcheng's low-lying areas. Traffic in the county seat was paralyzed, as flood waters in the area measured between 60 to 90 cm deep.
Electricity and telephone services in Tongcheng have been cut off by the floods. More than 300 people living downstream from one of the county's reservoirs had to evacuate after the reservoir was overwhelmed by the floods.
In neighboring Hunan Province, 19 people died and another 28 are still missing after rain-triggered landslides occurred during the early hours of Friday in the cities of Linxiang and Yueyang.

Kadhafi offered exit 'guarantees' amid deadly clashes

TRIPOLI: Turkey has offered Moamer Kadhafi guarantees to leave Libya but has yet to receive a reply, as rebels say loyalist forces killed 20 people in a fierce assault on Misrata.
Fresh NATO-led strikes sent up plumes of smoke Friday in Tripoli, where the strongman has his residence and headquarters.
But in Brussels, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned the Western alliance's air war on forces loyal to Kadhafi could be in peril because of military shortcomings.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government had offered exit "guarantees" to the embattled Libyan leader, whom rebels have been trying to oust since February following a bloody crackdown on pro-reform protests.
Kadhafi "has no other option than to leave Libya -- with a guarantee to be given to him," Erdogan said on NTV television.
"We have given him this guarantee. We have told him we will help him to be sent wherever he wants to go," he added, without elaborating.
"Depending on the reply we will get from him, we will take up the issue with our (NATO) allies, but unfortunately we have received no reply so far."
His comments came after a day of deadly fighting near the port city of Misrata, the rebels' most significant enclave in western Libya, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Tripoli.
Kadhafi's forces had bombarded the Dafnia area on Misrata's outskirts with Grad rockets, heavy artillery and tank shells, a rebel said.
"Twenty people, both civilians and rebels, were killed and more than 80 wounded," in the sector, 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Misrata city centre, he added.
But they had beaten back an attack by loyalist troops, leaving "dead and wounded among the Kadhafi forces," he said.

28 killed during anti-government protests in Syria

DAMASCUS: The death toll from firing by Syrian security forces on anti-government demonstrators went up to at least 28.
Widespread demonstrations were staged in the capital Damascus, Banias, Darra, Homs and other cities, however security forces backed by tanks, mortar and helicopters opened indiscriminate fire on the demonstrators resulting in the death of at least 28 people, while several others were injured.
According to Arab TV, most of the casualties were reported from the outskirts of Damascus, the North Western province of Edlib and the coastal town of Lilzaquia.
Meanwhile in Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told journalists that President Bashar al Assad had refused to undertake reforms and the US was mulling over how to mount pressure on him.

Kharotabad case: Tajik mother breaks down at painful sight

QUETTA: The parents of Tajik national who was killed in Kharotabad incident arrived in Quetta today and witnessed the body their son, Geo News reported.

Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed, as the painful sight of the son’s body was much more than her heart could endure and she could not stop herself from breaking down.

PPP had offered Chattha CMship of Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had offered the slot of chief minister Punjab to Hamid Nasir Chattha with an aim to win his support for getting Asif Ali Zardari elected as President, said a US Embassy cable leaked by WikiLeaks on Saturday.
The cable also discloses that MQM had been promised to get three-four important federal ministries for supporting Zardari’s name for the post of Pakistan President.
The secret US Embassy cable sent to Washington on August 27, 2008 highlights how PPP was involved in political scheming to get Zardari elected on President’s post.
PPP deputy secretary general Sheikh Mansoor in a meeting with US Charge d’Affairs Jerry Feierstein on August 27, 2008 admitted that his party leadership, including those serving in government, would not focus on the extremist threat or other pressing issues until its Co-Chair Asif Zardari was elected Pakistan’s president on September 6.
Party members were busy securing deals with factions of the Pakistan Muslim League, Karachi’s Muttahida Quami Movement, and religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam.
Mansoor revealed that, if Zardari becomes president, as expected, party management will pass to his sister, parliamentarian Faryal Talpur, to serve as “executor” for Bilawal (Zardari and Bhutto’s son).
Mansoor recognized that Zardari would have to make good on his promise to the Army to grant former President Pervez Musharraf immunity, but said such a bill would be presented to the National Assembly only after Zardari became president. Lastly, Mansoor claimed that the PPP’s plan to gradually reinstate the deposed judges, minus former Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, was working, with eight judges returning to the Sindh High Court and possibly a couple of Supreme Court justices also agreeing to the “re-appointment”.

Geo News receives footage of Upper Dir attack

KARACHI: Geo News has received footage of the attack by Afghan militants on a Pakistani security check post in Upper Dir on June 1. The attack on the check post resulted in the death of 28 security forces personnel and 75 Afghan militants. The Afghan militants had gained controlled of the check post and clashes with security forces lasted for over one week.

The militants set fire to eight schools and at least eight civilians were killed during the clashes. Upper Dir is now completely under the control of security forces.

On Saturday during a press conference with Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that if the involvement of Afghan national was proven in the Upper Dir and Bajaur clashes then the government and people of Afghanistan would be responsible for launching an investigation against them.

Petrol shortage continues in Lahore

LAHORE: A week on the petrol shortage continues in Lahore, Geo News reported. Many petrol stations in the city remain closed and those which are open are witnessing long lines.

Petrol station owners complain that they are not receiving petrol from oil companies. Residents of the city are also calling on the government to take notice of those vendors who are selling petrol at inflated prices.

ICC may extend Mohammad Aamir's ban

KARACHI: The 5-year ban on bowler Mohammad Amir may be extended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after he was caught playing league cricket over the weekend, according to a newspaper report.
Aamir, who was found guilty of spot-fixing in a Test match vs England last August, claimed he had been told that the game was a friendly and would not affect his ban which prevents him from playing cricket at any level for 5 years.
"It is understood Amir - who, along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, faces a criminal hearing at Southwark Crown Court in October over charges relating to cheating and conspiracy to obtain corrupt payments - was on friendly terms with three of Addington's players," the paper reported.
The ICC took notice of the violation and Aamir's lawyers have reportedly contacted the cricket governing body over the issue.

Murray gets walkover, Ward stuns champ Querrey

LONDON: Andy Murray reached the Queen's semi-finals on Friday after his last-eight opponent Marin Cilic was forced out by injury, while British wildcard James Ward stunned reigning champion Sam Querrey.
Murray has been struggling with ankle ligament damage since the French Open, but it was Cilic who was unable to recover from his own ankle injury just hours before the start of their match at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.
World number four Murray will now have some extra time to rest his injury ahead of his last four-clash against either Andy Roddick or Fernando Verdasco on Saturday.
Murray could be joined in the semi-finals by compatriot Ward as the unheralded British number two ended Sam Querrey's reign as the king of Queen's.
World number 216 Ward won the final set of their rain-delayed third-round match to clinch a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Ward had just levelled the tie at one set all in the gloom on Thursday when play was suspended due to bad light.
But the 24-year-old held his nerve overnight and piled the pressure on Querrey when play finally resumed after a 90-minute delay on Friday.
A tight deciding set swung Ward's way when he broke the American 13th seed in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead.
Ward, who revealed after his surprise win over Swiss fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round that he is trained by a former cage fighter, just had to hold serve twice to complete his latest giant-killing.
Querrey staved off one match point and then had a break point of his own, but Ward kept cool to earn a second match point, which he converted to the delight of the crowd.
There was little time for Ward to celebrate one of the best results of his career, however, as the son of a London taxi driver was due to return to action for his quarter-final clash with France's Adrian Mannarino later on Friday.

Zaheer, Sreesanth out of West Indies Tests

NEW DELHI: Injured fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth were Friday ruled out of India's three-Test series against the West Indies starting later this month.
The pace duo also missed out on the ongoing five-match one-day series in the Caribbean which India are leading 2-0.
"Zaheer has a right ankle problem, and Sreesanth has a right elbow problem. Both players will require some time off for rehabilitation," said N. Srinivasan, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Abhimanyu Mithun and Praveen Kumar have been named as their replacements in the Test squad.
India are already without Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh for the Test series beginning in Kingston, Jamaica on June 24.
Tendulkar, the world's leading batsman in both Tests and one-dayers, has opted out of the tour in order to spend time with his family while the other players are injured.
India's revised Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Venkatsai Laxman (vice-capt), Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel.

India successfully test fires Prithvi-II

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface to surface nuclear capable Prithvi II ballistic missile at 9 am from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 230 km east of Bhubaneswar. The launch was carried out as part of the regular training exercise of the Armed Forces.
Prithvi II, the first indigenous surface to surface strategic missile, capable of attacking targets at ranges of 350 km, reached the predefined target in the Bay of Bengal with a very high accuracy of better than 10 metres.

US denies Clinton seeking to be World Bank chief

WASHINGTON: Top US administration officials vehemently denied suggestions Thursday that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in talks to lead the World Bank.
"It's 100 percent untrue," Philippe Reines, a close advisor to Clinton, told.
"To be crystal clear," he added in a second statement, "Secretary Clinton has not had any conversations with the president, the White House or anyone about moving to the World Bank.
"She has expressed absolutely no interest in the job. She would not take it if offered."
White House spokesman Jay Carney also chipped in, saying: "The story is completely untrue."
US officials were referring to a report from the Reuters news agency that said Clinton was in discussions with the White House to leave her job next year and take over as head of the World Bank, replacing Robert Zoellick should he leave at the end of his term in mid-2012.
A source close to the global lender had earlier this week also indicated that the United States was studying her possible candidacy at the World Bank, where an American has traditionally holds the top job.
"It's a strong, serious hypothesis which they are working on," said the source, who was familiar with the matter but asked not to be named.
"There have been lots of signals" for the past months, the source added, saying they were mainly coming from the US Treasury Department.
A Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on the report.
Clinton has publicly said on several occasions that she will step down as secretary of state at the end of the current administration, and speculation has swirled around her future plans.

Prince Philip celebrates 90th birthday

 

LONDON: Prince Philip, the husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, turns 90 on Friday but will keep the celebrations at a minimum in keeping with the no-nonsense style that has defined a life behind the throne.
The gruff patriarch, the longest-serving consort in British history, will spend his birthday at work, hosting a charity reception and chairing a conference for military colonels.
Although still sprightly and remarkably fit, the Duke of Edinburgh is bowing to his age and intends to slow his hectic schedule of engagements.
But he is as quick as ever when making quips -- some of which have famously landed him in trouble -- and after a lifetime of getting on with it, he showed typical impatience when asked to analyse the past 90 years.
He admitted in a BBC interview that he had worked out his role by "trial and error", but when asked if he thought he had been successful, he replied: "I couldn't care less. Who cares what I think about it? I mean it's ridiculous."
However, in a sign of the public affection for him, the palace revealed that almost 2,000 birthday cards had been sent to the duke from across the globe, including New Zealand and Australia, Italy, Poland, France and Germany.

South American ash cloud causes major disruptions

BUENOS AIRES: The vast ash cloud spewing from Chile's Puyehue volcano caused major disruption to South American air travel on Thursday, grounding hundreds of flights and upsetting regional diplomacy.
All flights in and out of the Argentine capital were halted, as well as most arriving or departing the Uruguayan capital Montevideo, forcing President Jose Mujica to postpone a Buenos Aires meeting with his Argentine counterpart.
As the travel misery intensified, organizers were also forced to delay Friday's first annual meeting in Buenos Aires of finance ministers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) regional bloc. No new date was set.
The volcano, which rumbled to life on Saturday for the first time since 1960, is high in the Andes mountains, 870 kilometers (540 miles) south of the Chilean capital Santiago, near the border with Argentina.

Sindh Cabinet approves budget for 2011-12

KARACHI: Sindh Cabinet has granted approval to the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2011-12.
The meeting of Sindh Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah briefed the participants of the meeting about the salient features of Sindh Budget 2011-12
Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Memon talking to media after the above meeting claimed that no new tax was imposed in the next year’s budget.
He said budget allocation for provincial security had been raised while support for flood affected people would continue.
In regard to ANP’s non-participation in the meeting, Sharjeel Memon said members of Awami National Party (ANP) had some reservations but hoped that they would attend the budget session.

Punjab announces Rs 655 bn budget

LAHORE: The Punjab Budget for fiscal year 2011-2012 was announced on Friday by Provincial Finance Minister Kamran Michael, Geo News reported.
A scuffle took place as the budget was being announced between opposition and government MPAs. The total outlay of the budget was Rs. 655 billion out of which Rs. 220 billion have been allocated for development programmes.
The budget also includes Rs 19 billion in foreign aid. The 2011-2012 Punjab Budget compared to last year’s saw an increase of Rs. 90 billion. A 15% increase in the salaries of government employees has been allocated in the budget. Rs. 23.90 billion has been allocated for education and Rs. 26.40 billion for health. Rs. 50 billion have been allocated for the Police and maintenance of law and order in the province.

Rs457 bn surplus budget presented for Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh Government Friday presented Rs457.54 billion surplus budget for the fiscal year 2011-12, Geo News reported.
Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah presented the budget envisaging a total outlay of Rs457 billion 15 with a surplus of Rs882 million.
He announced 15 raise in the salaries of the provincial government employees and 20 percent increase in pensions.
The total revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 458.42 billion while the funds to be received from federation are budgeted around Rs252 billion. Direct transfers are estimated at Rs53 billion.
The estimate of total provincial earnings including the sales tax on services has been made at Rs53 billion.