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Friday, November 27, 2009 GENEVA: The number of swine flu deaths jumped by over 1,000 in a week, reaching at least 7,826 worldwide since the virus was first uncovered in April, World Health Organisation data showed Friday. The number of deaths reported to the UN health agency showed the biggest rise in the Americas, where 5,360 deaths have now been recorded compared to 4,806 a week ago. But Europe also posted a substantial increase percentage-wise with at least 650 fatalities now reported, representing a surge of 300 deaths or 85 percent from data posted a week ago.

Friday, November 27, 2009 ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul Azha is being celebrated in Britain, Japan, Malaysia, Europe including Turkey and Gulf States including Saudi Arabia with religious fervor. According to media reports, over two million Hajj pilgrims have offered Eid prayers in Saudi Arabia. At Mina the pilgrims performed Ramy al-Jamarat, throwing stones to signify their defiance of the Devil. Pilgrims climbed ramps to the multi-levelled Jamarat Bridge, from which they threw their pebbles at the Jamarat. After the stoning of the Devil, the pilgrims performed animal sacrifices, to symbolize God having mercy on Hazrat Ibrahim Khalilullah (Alaihis Salaam) and replacing his son Hazrat Ismael (Alaihis Salaam) with a ram, which Hazrat Abrahim then sacrificed. Eid is being celebrated in some areas of NWFP, Noshehra, Mohmand Agency and Khyber Agency. In Khyber agency’s Qambar Khel area, people decided to celebrate Eid with Saudi Arabia on the announcement by a banned organization. In Salih Khana area...

Friday, November 27, 2009 HOUSTON: The space shuttle Atlantis landed back on Earth with its crew of seven astronauts Friday to cap an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis commander Charlie Hobaugh and pilot Barry Wilmore touched down as scheduled at 9:44 am (1444 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida amid clear blue skies. During their successful voyage, the Atlantis crew delivered nearly 30,000 pounds (13,608 kilograms) of spare parts to the orbiting space station, including a pair of gyroscopes, thermal control system components and robot arm gear.

Friday, November 27, 2009 NEW DELHI: India on Friday voiced "serious concern" over what it termed a military nexus between its neighbours China and Pakistan, warning that New Delhi would try and match Beijing's growing firepower.Defence Minister A.K. Antony said India hoped to improve fractious relations with regional countries but that it must remain vigilant about ties between Pakistan and China."The increasing nexus between China and Pakistan in the military sphere remains an area of serious concern," Antony told a seminar in New Delhi."We have to carry out continuous appraisals of Chinese military capabilities and shape our responses accordingly."In the latest cross-border spat, China recently conveyed its "strong dissatisfaction" over the Dalai Lama's trip to the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh which is claimed in full by Beijing.Antony repeated Indian criticism of arch-rival Pakistan, accusing it of failing to take re...

Friday, November 27, 2009 GAZA CITY: At least four Palestinians were wounded, one of them seriously, in an Israeli air raid on the Gaza Strip on Friday, emergency services said.The aircraft struck near the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north of the territory, the emergency services said.An Israeli military spokeswoman said the raid "targeted a group of terrorists who were preparing to fire rockets at Israel."On Thursday, at least two mortar rounds were fired into Israel from Gaza, a military spokesman said.

Friday, November 27, 2009 MAKKAH MUKARRAMA: Millions of Muslims in Maidan-e-Arafat after performing the Hajj Rukn-e-Azam, overnight stay in Mazdalfa left for Mina in the morning. Saudi Arabia Mufti-e-Azam, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Sheikh delivering Khutba-e-Hajj at Masjid-e-Nimra in Maidan-e-Arafat said the world and the ummah presently facing the greatest challenge of terrorism, which was being used for dividing the ummah into pieces. He condemned the practice of enforcing the views by force. Drawing the attention of the youths, he said that the western channels were misleading the Muslim youths, but the Muslim media should counter it.Following the Khutba, Zuhar and Asar prayers were together offered and, thereafter, the pilgrims went for Waquf in Maidan-e-Arafat.Khadim Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and members of the Saudi cabinet were present in Mina for looking after the facilities given to the Hujjaj.Hujjaj after reaching Muzdalfa offered Maghrib and Isha praye...

Friday, November 27, 2009 JEDDAH: Eid ul Azha is being celebrated today in Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries and Japan with great reverence and religious dedication, while the faithful are offering sacrifices of animals in pursuance of Sunnat-e-IbrahimiEntire Middle East including Saudi Arabia celebrating Eid ul Azha today with all the religious faith and devotion. Millions of Muslims offered Nimaz-e-Eid in Masjid ul Haram besides a huge Nimaz-e-Eid congregation was held at Masjid-e- Nabvi in Madinatul Munawwara. Special prayers for the unity and welfare of Ummat-e-Muslima followed the Nimaz-e-Eid. Eid is also being celebrated today in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. A large number of people attending the prayers in Masjid-e-Aqsa specially prayed for the liberation of the occupied areas. Stringent security arrangements were made on this occasion. After Nimaz-e-Eid, people offered ‘Qubani’ in pursuance of Sunnat-e-Ibrahimi.The Muslims residing in Japan and ...

Friday, November 27, 2009 DUBLIN: Ireland's Catholic Church apologised Thursday after a damning new report showed it covered up child sex abuse over more than three decades.The Irish government also said sorry for failing to protect children in the wake of the latest report, published six months after a first landmark study revealed widespread abuse of children in Catholic care."I offer to each and every survivor my apology, my sorrow and my shame for what happened," said Diarmuid Martin, archbishop of Dublin since 2004."I am aware that no words of apology will ever be sufficient," he said, adding, "The fact that many abusers were priests constituted both an offence to God and an affront to the priesthood."The country's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Sean Brady, echoed the comments, saying, "I want to apologise to all those who have been hurt and their families."Following a three-year investigation in the Dublin Archdiocese, the country...

Friday, November 27, 2009 MUZDALIFA: Some two million Muslims have reached Muzdalifa after spending the day at the plain of Arafat to prepare to cast stones at the devil in the most dangerous part of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.Bright weather greeted the pilgrims after heavy rain hit the nearby city of Jeddah, gateway to Mecca, on Wednesday. At Muzdalifa, the pilgrims will collect pebbles to throw at walls at the Jamarat Bridge on three occasions over the next three days in an act that symbolizes the rejection of the devil's temptations.In Mecca, pilgrims flocked to Arafat to pray until sunset. They set up tents on a plain, squatted on the side of the road in shelters or stayed at the nearby Namira mosque.The Mufti-e-Azam Saudi Arab Sheikh Abdul Aziz in his sermon said that Islam stresses respecting and helping each other and being kind to one another as Islam is a religion of compassion and respect.The Arafat sermon was delivered by the chief Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz in Masjid-e-Ni...

Friday, November 27, 2009 TEHRAN: Investigations into Iran's nuclear programme will reach a "dead end" unless Tehran starts to co-operate, the UN nuclear chief has warned. Mohamed El Baradei told governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that there had been no movement on issues that needed to be clarified. He said he was "disappointed" with Iran's rejection of a deal that would see its uranium processed overseas. He spoke ahead of an IAEA vote on a resolution critical of Iran. In September Iran was revealed to have a second uranium enrichment facility, deepening Western fears about the nature of its nuclear ambitions. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes, but the US and other nations say its is seeking nuclear weapons.

Friday, November 27, 2009 WASHINGTON: Michelle Obama monkey picture on Google search shows racist face of the US. People are horrified to see the monkey image of US first lady Michelle Obama. A small blog on Blogspot has a very damaging photograph of Michelle Obama. This is another sign that people in the US are not above racial sentiments.Just a few months ago Obama joker posters appeared in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Similar posters were plastered in other cities also. Meanwhile Google has issued an apology for the search result of the US first lady, however it has refused to remove the pictures from the website.

Friday, November 27, 2009 LONDON: Juan Martin Del Potro beat Roger Federer in a three-set thriller Thursday to scrape into the ATP World Tour Finals semis with Federer by the tightest of margins.The Argentine beat the Swiss world number one 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 in two hours and six minutes at London's O2 Arena, and only just earned himself a spot in the last four at the agonising expense of Britain's Andy Murray.Federer won the group, but with Del Potro and Murray both having won five sets to four in their three Group A matches, it went down to their games record.The Argentine went through to the semi-finals by a margin of one, his 45 games won to 43 lost record bettering the 44-43 of Murray.Throughout the match, ATP statisticians were furiously calculating who was going through to the semi-finals."It's an incredible moment, my first Masters semi-final, I've nothing to lose," said Del Potro.Though Federer went into the match with a 6-1 overall lead on Del Potr...

Friday, November 27, 2009 DUNEDIN: Pakistan have been dismissed for 332 in their first innings early on the fourth day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand at University Oval in Dunedin, giving the home side a 97-run advantage.Pakistan resumed on 8-307 and lost overnight batsmen Mohammad Asif for 10 and Mohammad Aamer for 26, with Saeed Ajmal left not out on one.Playing his first test for two years, fast bowler Shane Bond took the final wicket to fall to end with figures of five for 107, his fifth five-wicket Test haul.Umar Akmal top-scored for Pakistan with 129 on debut, the 11th Pakistani batsman to achieve that feat.Ross Taylor and Tim McIntosh were repairing the early damage to New Zealand's second innings of the cricket tests against Pakistan in Dunedin. At lunch on the fourth day New Zealand were 68-2 with Taylor on 48 and McIntosh on 14.The Black Caps had started the day in good fashion by claiming the last two Pakistan wickets to dismiss the tourists for 332, givi...

Friday, November 27, 2009 KANPUR: India thumped Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs on the fourth day of the second cricket Test here on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.It was the 100th Test victory for India and the biggest against Sri Lanka, bettering the previous win by an innings and 119 runs achieved way back in 1994 at Lucknow.Sri Lanka, tottering at 206-8 by lunch in their follow on, lost their remaining two wickets late into the second session to be bowled out for 269 at the Green Park stadium.Thilan Samaraweera remained unbeaten on a defiant 78 off 213 balls after sharing a 73-run partnership with Ajantha Mendis to frustrate the Indians.But it was India who dominated Sri Lanka right through the match, piling on 642 in their first innings before bowling out the visitors for 229 to take a huge 413-run lead.India were indebted to Gautam Gambhir (167), Rahul Dravid (144) and Virender Sehwag (131) whose big knocks gave the bowlers a huge cushion of runs. Pacem...