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Showing posts from March 17, 2009

Protest rally in Canada against ban on Geo News

OTTAWA: Pakistani community, various political parties, human rights organizations and media held a rally in Canadian city of Toronto to protest against the ban on showing Geo News. The rally was organized by the Pak-Canadian Media Association. The protesters were wearing black bands on their arms and they were raising slogans in favour of Geo. Earlier, a protest meeting was held at Haveli Restaurant in which representatives of the Paksitan Muslim League (N), Tehreek-e-Insaf, Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran, Kasmir Action Committee, Active Care Foundation, Gerard Businessmen Association and various human rights activists were present. A representative of the Paksitan Peoples Party Canada was also present in the meeting. The speakers said that Geo News has been punished for telling facts and showing realities and this was not expected in the regime of the PPP. The participants demanded immediate restoration of Geo News.

Journalists protest ban on Geo news in Abbotabad

ABBOTABAD: Journalists took out a protest rally again ban on Geo news here on Sunday. Despite the enforcement of section 144 in the city, a large number of journalists turned up at Jinnah chowk from where a rally was taken out which ended at Cantt police station chowk. Journalists raised slogan against the government and ban on Geo news (Pakistan). They asked the government to refrain from curbing the freedom of media and expression.

‘Mrs. India’ contest held in India

MUMBAI: Sofia Handa was crowned Gladrags ‘Mrs India’ during a beauty pageant solely for housewives held in Mumbai. Sofia, 26, emerged victorious, beating 22 participants in the ninth edition of the Gladrags ‘Mrs India’ contest on Saturday. Shreema Roy was declared the first runner-up while Shivalaika Sharma was adjudged second runners-up. Bollywood actor Mahima Chowdhary who was present on the occasion said the contest was unique in the sense that it did not have age limit like other beauty pageants. “Miss India is limited to a certain age group. This is like endless. You could belong to any age group and take part. So you get to see a lot more variety here,” said Mahima. Apart from stints in modelling, the winner had also featured in music videos in the past. “I am really feeling great. I am sure it is my hard work that has been seen and nothing else. I mean I was standing up there and my name was called out, number 14,” said Handa. Interestingly, some of the contestants were in the a...

Space shuttle Discovery lifts off

CAPE CANAVERAL: The US space shuttle Discovery lifted off Sunday on a mission to install solar panels at the International Space Station. The shuttle, carrying seven crew including six Americans and one Japanese, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 7:43 pm (2343 GMT).

India welcomes end to political crisis in Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India has welcomed the end to political crisis in Pakistan and hoped that government in Islamabad would be stable so that it can devote attention to fighting terrorism. "What is happening in Pakistan is essentially its internal matter. Normally we do not comment on internal affairs of any country," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here as the crisis in the neighbouring country blew over. "At the same time, it is in our interest if democratic government is in place in Pakistan, which acts as a bulwark against terrorism and extremism," he added. His comments came hours after the Asif Ali Zardari government succumbed to intense pressure and decided to reinstate Justice Iftikhar Choudhry as Pakistan's Justice. Mukherjee said India hopes that "internal confrontation of Pakistan will come to an end so that it could devote attention to fight against terrorism." He maintained that fight against terrorism is in Pakistan's...

US lauds restoration of CJ

WASHINGTON: The United States is praising Pakistan's plan to reinstate a fired Supreme Court chief justice whose supporters had threatened to march on the capital. State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Monday that the decision by Pakistan's leaders had "brought Pakistan back from the brink." Wood says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's calls over the weekend to U.S.-allied President Asif Ali Zardari, who had refused to restore the independent-minded justice, and to opposition leader Nawaz Sharif were meant to signal a concern over the situation and a desire for a nonviolent outcome. Wood was careful to note that there were no U.S. demands and "no threats at all" in Clinton's calls.

US lauds restoration of CJ

WASHINGTON: The United States is praising Pakistan's plan to reinstate a fired Supreme Court chief justice whose supporters had threatened to march on the capital. State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Monday that the decision by Pakistan's leaders had "brought Pakistan back from the brink." Wood says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's calls over the weekend to U.S.-allied President Asif Ali Zardari, who had refused to restore the independent-minded justice, and to opposition leader Nawaz Sharif were meant to signal a concern over the situation and a desire for a nonviolent outcome. Wood was careful to note that there were no U.S. demands and "no threats at all" in Clinton's calls.

US troops kill minor girl in Iraq

BAGHDAD: US soldiers in Iraq killed a 12-year-old girl on Monday when they fired warning shots after a vehicle failed to stop, the US army said. The accidental shooting in Hurriyah in northern Iraq occurred as the girl stood some 100 metres (330 feet) behind the vehicle US and Iraqi forces were seeking to stop, according to the statement. "A vehicle accelerated on approach to the Hurriyah Iraqi Police station, where coalition forces and Iraqi police were conducting security operations," the statement said. "The coalition forces and Iraqi police waved and yelled for the vehicle to stop. "After the vehicle failed to stop, coalition forces fired two warning rounds. The girl, who was standing approximately 100 metres behind the vehicle, was struck by one of the rounds." She died while being transported to hospital, the statement said, without saying whether the vehicle was hit or why it accelerated.

SRK big fan of legendary actor Dileep

MUMBAI: Shahrukh Khan is very much fond of this camera and loves to show it off to his guests. It is more special to him as the actor is a big fan of Dilip Kumar and loves his movies. Having possessed the camera which shot Dilip sir makes him feel ecstatic." Shahrukh has given a genuine respect to the camera by placing it near the entrance of his colossal study at the second floor of his Mannat. He placed it in such a prominent place that no one bypasses it. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi's wife Mrinalini is said to have gifted Shahrukh this antique piece which stand tall during the last IPL. SRK spends most of his time in his study and placing the camera at the entrance of his study looks quite elegant.

Brown slams Iran over nuclear ambitions

LONDON: The threat of Iran developing nuclear weapons has reached a "critical" level and risks undermining stability in the Middle East, Gordon Brown will warn today. He will urge Tehran to take the opportunity of Barack Obama's arrival in the White House to resume talks with the world community over its nuclear ambitions or face new sanctions. Mr Brown will argue that more than 30 nuclear power stations need to be built every year across the world for the next four decades to slash global carbon dioxide emissions. But he will warn that tough controls have to be drawn up to stop new nuclear countries from using the technology to develop atomic weaponry. US President Obama and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, have both said they want to improve US-Iran relations. But the sticking-point remains the country's nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at developing deadly missile systems, while Iran insists it is only for domestic power generation. In...

President restores Justice Iftikhar as Chief Justice of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has endorsed the restoration of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan, the spokesman of Aiwan-e-Sadr said on Tuesday. US have role in Pakistan’s internal politics: Huqqani WASHINGTON: Pakistan Ambassador in US, Hussain Haqqani has said that US as an ally might have concerns over Pakistan’s emanating internal situation, but it has no role in the internal politics of Pakistan. In interview, he said that Pakistan’s internal politics were exclusively a matter of the people of Pakistan. He said that the US support and assistance for the people of Pakistan should continue and it should not be affected by the upcoming changes in internal politics. Hussain Haqqani said that the recent steps for political reconciliation in Pakistan was a Pakistani solution of Pakistani problem, in the wake of the politicians’ interactions and the US role in this should not be blown up out of proportion. He said that Pakistan welcomes US support for...

President reinstates Justice Iftikhar as Chief Justice of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has endorsed the reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan, the spokesman of Aiwan-e-Sadr said on Tuesday. The spokesman said the restored judges include judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and High Courts. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will assume charge on March 22. The formal notification regarding the reinstatement of the deposed judges of the superior judiciary, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, is likely to be issued today (Tuesday).