More than a year after last playing for Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar seems all set to make yet another return to international cricket on June 3 when Pakistan will name their 15-man squad for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.The enigmatic fast bowler, according to well-placed sources, has garnered enough support within the Pakistan cricket think-tank to earn a recall for the Asia Cup to be played in the central Sri Lankan city of Dambulla from June...

Japan and China agreed on Monday to set up an emergency hotline and set in place ways to prevent maritime friction sparked by Beijing’s growing naval reach from getting out of hand.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held to Beijing’s cautious stance on the sinking of a South Korean warship, which Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has joined Seoul and Washington in saying was certainly torpedoed by North Korea. Ties between the world’s second- and third-largest economies have improved since 2006, when they set aside years of rancour...

Mass marriages generally organised by social organisations to cut ceremony costs that are common in India with its billion plus population where the custom of dowry and expensive gifts from the bride's family still prevails among certain segments of society. Brides sit during a mass marriage ceremony. Bride grooms clad in white sit during the ceremony. Bride with bangles and henna-decorated hands takes part in the ceremony in Mumbai. A...

Atleast twelve people have been killed and 10 injured as suspected militants launched a brazen attack on Jinnah Hospital in Lahore late Monday night.Initial report suggests that five to seven militants were involved in the attack. One of the militants was injured during the inital police firing.One security guard has been shot dead and the militants said to have entered the emergency ward of the hospital and taken patients hostage.Terrorists...

Jose Mourinho has been unveiled as the new manager of Real Madrid after signing a four-year deal at the club.The 47-year-old replaced Chilean Manuel Pellegrini to become Real's 11th coach in the past seven years."I like to give myself a challenge and this is a big one," said Mourinho. "I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability as a coach."Sporting director Jorge Valdano said: "It's an honour to have one of the most prestigious...

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has forced governments to alter their behaviour in the eight years of its existence, the UN chief has said.Ban Ki-moon told a summit in Uganda discussing the Hague-based court that it had curtailed impunity and had broken new ground on victims' rights.But he called on member countries to step up co-operation.The ICC has five active investigations, all in Africa. So far no-one has been convicted of...

More than 10 people have been killed after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army says.Armed forces boarded the largest vessel overnight, clashing with some of the 500 people on board.It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters.Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with weapons; the activists say Israeli troops came on board shooting. The activists...

PARIS: Defending champion Roger Federer moved into the quarterfinals of French Open by beating Stanislas Wawrinka, while second-seeded Venus Williams and No. 4 Andy Murray lost. Federer beat fellow Swiss Wawrinka 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 on a windy and cold Court Philippe Chatrier. Czech Tomas Berdych knocked Britain’s Murray out of the fourth round, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in a rain delayed match. Venus Williams’ quest for a first French Open title ended in the fourth round against Nadia Petrova of Russia, 6-4, 6-3. Four-time champion Justine...

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain Monday has strongly condemned the Israeli ‘military aggression’ on the relief flotilla that was carrying medicines, food items and other relief goods to Gaza Strip for Palestinians.In a statement issued here on Monday, the MQM Chief expressed his grief over the killings of relief workers including the members of journalist community. He termed the tragic incident an open aggression...

BP engineers scrambled on Sunday to implement another high-risk plan to stem the devastating Gulf oil spill now being described as likely the worst environmental disaster in US history. Hours after the British oil giant acknowledged failure in its “top kill” attempt to plug the underwater well, company officials said it could take a week to implement the next bid — placing a cap over the leak. “Right now we are going to a containment operation,” BP Managing Director Bob Dudley told CNN’s “State of the Union” program of the latest...

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s three main parties held talks on Sunday to try to hammer out a new coalition government after the prime minister agreed to resign to avert a political crisis. Madhav Kumar Nepal said he would step down in a last-minute deal to secure support of Maoist lawmakers for a bill to extend parliament’s term, which was due to expire Friday, leaving the country without a functioning legislature. The opposition Maoists won 2008 elections, but their government fell last year in a disagreement over the integration of their...

Israeli naval forces stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters before dawn on Monday, killing up to 19 pro-Palestinian activists, most of them reportedly Turkish nationals.The bloody ending to the high-profile mission to deliver supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip plunged Israel into a diplomatic crisis on the eve of talks between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.As Israel pointed the...

The US military chief said on Sunday that he could not discuss his plans for combating Fata-based militants with the media but would like to do so with Pakistan’s cooperation.Diplomatic sources in Washington, while talking to Dawn, also confirmed this, saying that Pakistan had agreed in principle to extend its military operation to North Waziristan and other areas identified by the Americans as militant hideouts.“I wouldn’t speak to any...

At 10 am on Monday this week, Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Khalaf says the police department in the Iraqi town of Ramadi issued an order for him to return to the force after eight months out of work. At 1:45 pm the same day, a bomb detonated remotely tore through his kitchen wall, killing his 20-year-old nephew, also a police officer. Fifteen minutes later, a second device rigged to a washing machine timer exploded outside the house. Khalaf needed...

The US House of Representatives approved President Barack Obama’s request for $205 million to spur Israel’s production of a system to counter short-range rockets of the type used by Hamas and Hizbullah. The authorisation for the extra funding was part of a defence spending bill that would provide $726 billion next year for US national defence programmes, including funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House gave the bill final passage on Friday by a vote of 229 to 186. The Senate Armed Services Committee likewise...

Undeclared nuclear power Israel on Saturday denounced the “hypocrisy” of a UN call for a nuclear-free Middle East that singled it out but ignored Iran, which is suspected of seeking the bomb and which welcomed the document. “This accord has the hallmark of hypocrisy. Only Israel is mentioned, while the text is silent about other countries like India, Pakistan and North Korea, which have nuclear arms, or even more seriously, Iran, which is seeking to obtain them,” a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity....

PAKISTAN (GILGIT-BALTISTAN): The schedule of intermediate examinations still stand unchanged despite the imminent danger of massive flood in Gilgit, Hunza and Gojal; all the examinations will take place as per schedule.The water level at the accident-accelerated Lake rose by two more feet; but, no extraordinary outpouring from the spillway was witnessed.Spurred by the no-change water situation at the spillway, the miseries of the Gojal...

US National Security Advisor James Jones meets Pakistan army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. James said “My trip was simply to underscore, at the request of the (US) President, that we take this particular relationship extremely seriously.” WASHINGTON: US National Security Adviser James Jones has denied putting Pakistan on a notice to crack down on the Taliban during a recent trip to Islamabad.“My trip was simply to underscore, at the...

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lifted Shaoib Malk’s 12-month ban for ill-discipline on Saturday, making the former captain available for selection to the national team.Shoaib Malik is among the six players who have appealed against the fines and suspensions.“I have decided to uphold his appeal and remove the ban as the board has extensively monitored his behavior in the last three months,” PCB arbitrator and retired judge Irfan...

LAHORE: Victims of Friday’s deadly attacks on two Pakistani mosques were Saturday buried separately after sect members cancelled a mass funeral for more than 80 people, fearing further attacks."We are not satisfied with the security arrangements. We have cancelled the mass funeral programme,” Salim-u-din, a spokesman for Lahore’s Ahmadi community told AFP by telephone.“We have dug a total of 93 graves and burials are under way. More than...

May 28 was the latest in a series of tragedies that the city of Lahore has been enduring for over a year. And this time the target of the militants was Lahore’s Ahmadis. Gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed two of their worship places, bringing carnage to the families of the victims’ who were gathered in prayer and killing around 80 people. Squads of militants burst into prayer halls firing guns, throwing grenades and taking hostages in...

GOOGLE has released web traffic data indicating that Facebook is king when it comes to online visitors despite criticism about privacy at the social-networking service.Facebook.com is visited monthly by 540 million people, or slightly more than 35 per cent of the internet population, according to Google Ad Planner worldwide data gathered using recently-acquired Double Click.Approximately 570 billion pages are viewed monthly at Facebook.com,...

Signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have agreed to work towards a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.The members, meeting at the UN in New York, called for a conference in 2012 attended by Middle Eastern states - including Iran - to establish the zone.The document also said Israel should sign the NPT.US President Barack Obama backed the deal but said he was "strongly opposed" to Israel being singled out.The...

US President Barack Obama has ordered a tripling of manpower in coastal areas where oil has washed ashore or threatens to within 24 hours.Speaking on a tour of oil-hit areas, Mr Obama said the US would "do whatever it takes" to help those affected.The oil company BP says operations to seal the hole in the damaged well is continuing.BP chief executive Tony Hayward said the outcome would not be clear for another 48 hours.He said the new...

The State Department has issued a travel alert warning U.S. citizens in South Africa to be aware of increased terrorism risks during the World Cup, which starts June 11."Large scale public events like the World Cup may present a wide range of attractive targets for terrorists," the alert said."There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future."However, the State Department...

As the sun rises, cool blues and grays begin their slow transition to glowing golds and ambers. Like a child's pop-up book, dimension is added and a valley is transformed.To look upon this beauty in the western U.S. state of Oregon is to understand what people mean when they say this is God's country, and that's exactly why Brother Gregory lives here.He is part of a wider movement of conservative Christians who are choosing to live their lives on the edge of society, unplugged from civilization as much as they can, living under...

PAKISTAN(KARACHI): Karachi police mercilessly beat up teachers, who were protesting peacefully before the Governor House, here on Thursday to get diverted government attention on their demands. Ruthless police action on peaceful rally of teachers resulted in injuries to some 30 teachers, while dozens of protesters were arrested.Hundreds of teachers belonging to various towns of the province on the joint call of Government Schoolteachers...

PAKISTAN(ISLAMABAD): Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) will launch wind power plant with the assistance of US to generate 50 MW of electricity. Minister of Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf chaired the 20th meeting of AEDB here. The meeting informed that financial issues for the generation of 200 MW have been finalized. Talking to media after the meeting, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said President House and Prime Minister House will...

US President Barack Obama welcomed a nuclear non-proliferation deal reached Friday at a UN conference but "strongly" opposed singling out Israel over talks for a Mideast nuclear weapon-free zone. "The United States welcomes the agreements reached at the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to strengthen the global non-proliferation regime," Obama said in a statement. "This agreement includes balanced and practical steps...

INDIA: Foreign minister S M Krishna on Friday said the visa issue was a "closed chapter" after Canada apologized for the language used by its officials against Indian security and intelligence establishments. The move came after the home ministry threatened retaliatory measures if Canada did not backtrack from its stand. Canada's minister of citizenship and immigration Jason Kenney said in a statement, "The government of Canada... deeply...

LAHORE: At least 70 people were killed when gunmen wearing suicide vests and carrying grenades attacked two worship places in Lahore on Friday, an administration official said.Squads of militants attacked worship places of the minority Ahmadi sect in the neighbourhoods of Garhi Shahu and Model Town, seizing hostages and sparking several hours of gun battles with police, officials said."At least 70 people have been killed in both the attacks,"...

PAKISTAN (LAHORE): Gunmen attacked worshippers from a religious minority in two worship places in Lahore on Friday, taking hostages and killing at least 30 people, officials said.The gunmen opened fire shortly after Friday prayers and threw grenades at two Ahmadi worship places in Lahore’s Model Town and Garhi Shahu neighbourhoods.Rizwan Naseer, director general of an ambulance service, told Reuters 30 bodies had been taken to hospitals...

AUSTRALIA is taking Japan to international court to stop whaling in Antarctic waters, following through on a threat made earlier this year. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said today that Rudd government would lodge an application in the International Court of Justice in The Hague next week.Threats of court action made by Kevin Rudd risked a major diplomatic rift, Japanese officials warned earlier this year.But Mr Smith said today he had...