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Dr. Aafia, Pervez Musharraf cases’ decision reserved

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved the decisions on the cases filed for the recovery of Dr. Aafia and the petition for including the name of Pervez Musharraf in the ECL list. IHC Chief Justice, Sardar Aslam completed the hearings of both the cases filed by Barrister Javed Jaffery, who in his two separate petitions had prayed for bringing back Dr. Aafia from US custody and putting General ® Pervez Musharraf’s name in the ECL list besides Governor, State Bank, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar’s eligibility has also been challenged.The court is expected to announce the reserved decisions on both the cases any time today. IHC CJ also dismissed the filed petition challenging the detention of Dr. Abdul Qadeer by one citizen, Pir Ali Imran, who had challenged the detention of Dr. Abdul Qadeer.

IMF agrees 518 mln dlr loan with crisis-hit Serbia:

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund has agreed to provide a 518 million dollar loan to Serbia to help the country weather the global financial crisis, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Monday. Strauss-Kahn said in a statement the 15-month standby arrangement would be available for Serbia to draw on if needed amid the financial turbulence. He noted the loan agreement was made under regular procedures and not the streamlined emergency process available to countries struggling with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. "The global financial turmoil has begun to spill over to Serbia, and this abrupt shift in the international environment is likely to slow down credit flows and economic activity across the region," Strauss-Kahn said.

Bahrain prince sues Michael Jackson in high court:

LONDON: A son of the king of Bahrain took U.S. pop star Michael Jackson to court on Monday for reneging on an agreement to record a new album and write an autobiography.Bankim Thanki, the lawyer representing Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, told London's High Court that his client had made several payments to Jackson from 2005 onwards, including $35,000 (23,400 pounds) to pay utility bills at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.The court heard that the following month, in April 2005, Jackson asked for one million dollars through an assistant, media reported."Sheikh Abdullah made many more payments on his behalf or to others," Thanki said."Sheikh Abdullah began to support Jackson financially after 2005 when it became clear that ackson was in very serious financial difficulties, much to Sheikh Abdullah's surprise," Thanki added.The early financial support coincided with Jackson's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Despite his acquittal, the case left the 50-year-old performer's reputation and financial status in tatters.Jackson spent time in Bahrain as a guest of the royal family following the trial, and in April 2006 a statement was released on behalf of Bahrain music label Two Seas Records announcing he would record a new album for release in 2007.The sheikh is suing the pop legend for allegedly reneging on a $7 million "pay-back" agreement designed to repay money he advanced to Jackson during his financial troubles.He said he and Jackson entered into a "combined rights agreement" under which the star was committed to a recording contract, an autobiography and a musical stage play.

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