200 injured at rally against Italian high-speed rail link

CHIOMONTE, Italy: Around two hundred people, mainly police officers, were injured as officers clashed with masked protesters at a rally against a high-speed rail link in northern Italy Sunday, police said.
Clashes between protesters and police left at least 188 officers and about a dozen demonstrators’ hurt, said officials, after a small group stormed a tunnel which was part of the work site at Chiomonte, west of Turin.
Scuffles between protesters and a heavy police presence continued throughout the day, with a steady exchange of tear gas, stones and molotov cocktails.
Police arrested at least five people and Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano condemned the violence.
Police blamed the trouble on hundreds of masked leftist “black block” extremists from Italy and neighbouring countries.
Protest organisers said tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered peacefully from surrounding regions to stop the construction of the planned tunnel in the Susa valley.
But a small band broke away from the main group of protestors to enter the gated work site guarded by hundreds of police, who put the number of demonstrators at about 6,000.
The project, agreed by Italy and France in 2001, would slice three hours off the current seven-hour train journey between Paris and Milan. But the development has provoked fierce opposition, not least among 23 local mayors.
In a statement, President Napolitano condemned what he said was the work of groups “trained in illegal violence.” He was joined by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and figures across the political spectrum.
Police were out in force on Sunday as authorities had expected more trouble from radical groups within the protest movement after similar clashes last week.
Twenty-five policemen and four protestors were slightly injured on June 27 when a demonstration at the same spot turned violent and police responded with tear gas.
Before Sunday’s events, the leader of the “No Tav” (No to the high-speed train) movement, Alberto Perino, said demonstrators would have “bare hands and clean hands, against those whose hands are neither bare nor clean”.
Work on the main 58-kilometre (36-mile) tunnel, of which 12 kilometres are in Italy, is scheduled to begin in 2013 and due to go into service around 2023.

Operation launched in central Kurram

PARACHINAR, July 3: A military offensive has been launched against militants in central tehsil of Kurram Agency and families have started fleeing the conflict zone, sources said.
A senior official in Peshawar confirmed that a ‘full-fledged operation’ had been launched in the valley on Sunday.
Two weeks ago, the government had notified 80 square kilometres of the area in central Kurram as conflict zone.
“I have no specific details, but operation has started in the mountainous area,” the official said.
Central Kurram is adjacent to Tora Bora, reportedly the stronghold of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Militants having lost their positions in Waziristan and other parts of Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have set up their sanctuaries in Central Kurram.
The sources said that troops had been dropped from helicopters in Manato and Zaimukhet and army and paramilitary forces, backed by air force, were conducting a joint operation in the area.
They said that thousands of troops were taking part in the operation.
The military offensive has triggered displacement as large numbers of families have started moving to lower part of the tehsil where a relief camp has been set up at Durrani area.
The Fata Disaster Management Authority has set up two registration centres where 500 displaced families have enrolled
themselves so far.
According to official estimates, over 4,000 families are likely to flee their homes because of the military operation.

Bomb kills 20 in northern Nigeria: military source

KANO: A bomb blast at a police beer garden killed at least 20 people Sunday in the troubled northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, a military source and a witness said.

"The bomb was planted at the middle of the 'mammy market' and at least 20 people have been killed and several others seriously injured from the explosion," said an army officer who prefered not to be named.

The so-called mammy market beer gardens are open air pubs and eateries found around police or military barracks and are open to both security personnel and civilians.

Commander of a special military crack unit deployed a week ago to curb the unrest in the area, Brigadier-General Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo confirmed the attack, but was unable to immediately give details of casualties.

"There has been a bomb explosion at a market belonging to the police in Wulari area of the city. I'm right now at the scene," Nwaogbo told AFP on the phone from Maiduguri.

It was just the latest in a series of attacks in the troubled region.

An attack on a civilian beer garden in the same city last Sunday, left at least 25 dead

Ali Zafar hottest new face in India

LAHORE: Hero of Bollywood film "Tere Bin Laden", Ali Zafar has become the hottest new face in India for the year 2010.

According to the details, a poll seeking hottest new face in India was conducted by daily newspaper Times of India. Almost 3 lakhs and 43 thousand people participated in the poll.

Ali Zafar gained popularity in India after the success of his debut movie Tere Bin Laden.

According to the poll results, another debutant Ranveer Singh who played as a leading character in the film "Band Baja Baraat" stood second.

Shahbaz invites MQM, others to form grand alliance

LONDON: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Sunday said all political parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were invited to be a part of a grand opposition alliance, Geo News reported.

In his interaction with media men at Heathrow airport in London, Shahbaz Sharif said that N-League was ready to engage in dialogue with other parties without any condition.

“Pakistan is going through its worst phase and there is need for all the parties including MQM to put their heads together,” he argued.

He said all the parties including MQM were invited to form a grand opposition and that there was no condition for the parties to come to the negotiation table. It is time to protect the existence of Pakistan which requires practical steps, he added.

Shahbaz Sharif said the purpose of his London tour was to enhance the trade cooperation.

On the occasion, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah welcomed MQM's joining the opposition.

He said the importance of joint opposition cannot be denied.

Rana said there had been massive rigging in the elections of Azad Kashmir and demanded reelection for the region.

'Disengaging Pak post 26/11 an error'

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has admitted that its policy of not engaging with Pakistan - post 26/11 - may have been wrong. Outgoing Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said this in a TV programme.

Nirupama Rao said: "I think you have to look at policy making in a dynamic way. I don't think you are making a policy in a laboratory. You take into account the surrounding environment, you take into account a success approach or not. Did that approach yield too many dividence? Well you have to make assessment of that. I think the decision to re-engage with Pakistan and to talk about the issues that divide us, that created a gulf between us, that reduce the trust deficit as the two Prime Ministers said. I think it is a very realistic approach in dealing problems with Pakistan".

 

Anil Kapoor's missing from Mission Impossible 4 trailers

MUMBAI: Anil Kapoor's much-discussed role in Mission: Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol has turned out to be a damp squib for the actor's fans when the first trailers of the Tom Cruise-starrer were leaked online. 

Anil is missing from the video which has Cruise and other characters. The buzz is that none of the frames in the trailer have even a glimpse of the actor and the actor has a two-minute scene in the film itself. If that is the truth then it would be very sad for this to happen to an actor of Anil's calibre after making a Hollywood debut in Slumdog Millionaire.

Expensive CNG to put thousands’ jobs at risk

KARACHI: Chairman All Pakistan CNG Association, Ghayas Abudullah Paracha Sunday expressed fear that thousands of people associated with CNG industry would be rendered jobless if CNG was made expensive, Geo News reported.

Talking to Geo News, Paracha said deliberate attempts were being made to destroy CNG industry.

“There are 3300 CNG stations across the country and if CNG was made expensive it would render thousands of people jobless,” he expressed his concern and asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motto notice of the matter.

He warned that if the government went ahead with its intended plans a country-wide wheel-jam strike would have to be undertaken

Time for mid-term polls over: Gilani

MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday rejected Opposition's call for mid-term polls and said it was time for local government elections in the country.

Talking to newsmen here, he said, "the government has got passed its fourth budget and will request the PML-N leadership to prepare for the next elections as the time for mid-term polls is over."

He said the Opposition was not giving a tough time to the government as the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had the support of people.

The prime minister said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had given the vision of politics of reconciliation, foreseeing that in future only coalition governments would be formed and that no single party would be in a position to take majority of seats in the Parliament.

He said from day one, he believed in the politics of reconciliation, which brought about benefits as the government succeeded in unanimous passing of 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments and approval of 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Prime Minister Gilani said he was pleased that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accepted their viewpoint regarding reconciliation politics by stating that it was ready to talk to the MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement).

"Without reconciliation, politics can not succeed in the country. We will continue our politics of reconciliation," he added.

To a question, the PM clarified that the government did not allow use of Pakistan's airbases to the United States for drone attacks.

The previous government had allowed use of airbases for surveillance purposes only, he added.

He said the government had taken up the issue of incursions from Afghans inside Pakistan's territory and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the Foreign Secretary visited Kabul to discuss the issue.

The Pakistan government protested over border violations and took up the matter with the Afghan government at diplomatic level, he said and added, "Our understanding with the Afghan government has improved and we are making them realize the sensitivity of the situation."

To another question, Gilani said the MQM remained an important ally of the PPP and it supported the government on all important national issues, including 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments and NFC Award.

As member of the Implementation Commission on Constitutional Reforms, Dr Farooq Sattar worked with Senator Raza Rabbani and was present at the meeting in which the Commission gave a report to the Federal Cabinet, he added.

The Prime Minister said Multan would get all facilities being accorded to a big city.

He said all the political parties were united on the national issues.

He said the government had to face the most difficult challenges and the restoration of Constitution was not an easy task. "The credit goes to PPP government that it restored the Constitution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to its original form", he added.

He said in the past, the PPP never talked of Seraiki province but as more people were raising demand for the new province, therefore President Asif Ali Zardari formed a committee of the party to look into the issue.

He said the PPP never beleived in hollow slogans and would implement this demand of the people.

The prime minister said billions of rupees were spent on electrification of villages which resulted in more demand, and thus power shortage in the country.

The government is working on short, medium and long term projects of three to ten years to meet energy demand, he said and added 2000 megawatts had been added to the national grid and 2000 megawatts more would be added to the system.

He said Thar Coal Project, Diamer Bhasha Dam, TAPI and joint gas and electricity projects with Iran were in pipeline to overcome energy shortage.

The people understand these are not mere promises as the government will have to go for elections, he added

Thaksin party wins Thai election by a landslide

BANGKOK: Thailand's opposition won a landslide election victory on Sunday, led by the sister of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a triumph for red-shirt protesters who clashed with the army last year.

Exit polls showed Yingluck Shinawatra's Puea Thai (For Thais) party winning a clear majority of parliament's 500 seats, paving the way for the 44-year-old business executive to become Thailand's first woman prime minister.

"I'll do my best and will not disappoint you," she told supporters after receiving a call of congratulations from her billionaire brother, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in Dubai to avoid jail for graft charges that he says were politically motivated.

"He told me that there is still much hard work ahead of us," she told reporters.

With nearly all votes counted, Yingluck's party won a projected 261 seats with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party taking 162, according to the Election Commission.

Abhisit conceded defeat. "I would like to congratulate the Puea Thai Party for the right to form a government," he said.

Exit polls by Bangkok's Suan Dusit University showed Puea Thai doing even better, winning 313 seats compared to just 152 for the Democrats, dismal enough to threaten Abhisit's job as party leader.

Yingluck's supporters were jubilant, erupting in roars and cheers as television broadcast the exit polls.

"Number one Yingluck," some shouted. "Prime Minister Yingluck" screamed others, as party members slapped each other on the back.

"Yingluck has helped us and now Puea Thai can solve our problems and they'll solve the country's problems," said Saiksa Chankerd, a 40-year-old government worker.

The results were a rebuke of the traditional establishment of generals, old-money families and royal advisers in Bangkok who loathed Thaksin and backed Abhisit, an Oxford-trained economist who struggled to find a common touch.

"People wanted change and they got it," said Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus Securities in Bangkok. "It tells you that a majority of people still want most of the things that the ex-prime minister had done for the country in the past."

The size of Puea Thai's victory could usher in much-needed political stability after six years of sporadic unrest that featured the occupation of Bangkok's two airports, a blockade of parliament, an assassination attempt and protests last year that descended into chaotic clashes with the army.

"Chances of blocking Puea Thai in the near term are severely limited," said Roberto Herrera-Lim, Southeast Asian analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. "The instability everyone has been worried about now looks less likely. The military will have to be pragmatic now."

RED SHIRT VILLAGES

Yingluck was feted like a rock-star by the red shirts who designated entire communities in Thailand's rugged, vote-rich northeast plateau as "red shirt villages" to help mobilize supporters, each festooned with red flags and Thaksin posters.

"This win is very important because it will determine Thailand's destiny," said Kwanchai Praipana, a red-shirt leader in Udon Thani province, where the movement had set up hundreds of red villages in recent weeks.

The red shirts accuse the rich, the establishment and top military brass of breaking laws with impunity -- grievances that have simmered since the 2006 coup -- and have clamored for Thaksin's return.

Thaksin said he would "wait for the right moment" to come home. "If my return is going to cause problems, then I will not do it yet. I should be a solution, not a problem," he told reporters in Dubai.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, scored landslide election wins in 2001 and 2005 and remains idolized by the poor as the first politician to address the needs of millions living beyond Bangkok's bright lights.

Yingluck electrified his supporters, ran a disciplined campaign and promised Thaksin-style populist policies, including a big rise in the national minimum wage and free tablet PCs for nearly one million school children.

Abhisit had warned of instability if Yingluck won, blaming the red shirts for unrest last year in which 91 people, mostly civilians, were killed. They cast Thaksin as a crony capitalist, fugitive and terrorist who condones mob rule.

But Abhisit's denial that troops were responsible for a single death or injury last year was mocked even in the Democrat stronghold of Bangkok. A web-savvy generation could, with a few mouse-clicks, watch videos on Youtube showing military snipers firing on civilians, eroding his credibility.

Abhisit's backers want Thaksin to serve a two-year prison term. They dismiss Yingluck as a simple proxy for her brother.

Throughout the six-week campaign, the two sides presented similar populist campaigns of subsidies for the poor, improved healthcare benefits and infrastructure investment including high-speed rail systems across the country -- a style of policymaking known in Thailand as "Thaksinomics."

The clear majority should make it easier for the opposition to execute those promises but could also fan inflation if they pursue a plan to lift the minimum wage to 300 baht ($9.70) per day -- a roughly 40 percent increase.

The election is Thailand's 26th since it became a democracy in 1932, ending seven centuries of absolute monarchy. Since then, it has seen 18 military coups or coup attempts.

Opinion polls had predicted Puea Thai would win about 240 seats, short of a majority. In that scenario, smaller parties would have been crucial, possibly helping the Democrats stay in power if they had managed to form a coalition government.

Yingluck said her party was in talks with Chart Thai Pattana, a smaller party with a projected 20 seats, to join hands in parliament and provide some breathing space.

Swat more peaceful than Karachi: Haji Adeel

PESHAWAR: ANP Central Vice President Senator Haji Adeel on Sunday said that today Swat is more peaceful than Karachi and anyone cane visit the valley without fear.

He said that devolution process adopted by government will strengthen provinces and empower people and termed it success of democratic forces.

Talking to journalists here, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel said that forefathers from day one had struggled for provincial autonomy and devolution of federal ministries to provinces is part of the matchless struggle of ANP.

Khyber Pakthunkhwa had great potential to generate hydel power, which has the capacity of producing 44000 MW electricity to cater the agriculture and industries besides people needs.

He said that magistracy system has already been revived in Punjab, Balochistan and KPK and its revival in Sindh would also help people with great extent.

The ANP leader said that today Swat is more peaceful than Karachi due to ANP government bold polices and sacrifices of security forces, people of Swat.

He said that a visitor can't face fear while going to Swat. He said ANP will continue to work for peace in Karachi and would resist elements trying to disrupt peace of the port city.

He demanded from the election commission to reconstitute constituencies. The ANP leader expressed the hope that bureaucracy would extend full support to provincial government in wake of devolution of ministries.

He said that hurdles in way of government in wake of devolution of federal ministries would not be tolerated.

Shaw's Sun Protective Kapoor Asian vegetarian personality as the most attractive

Shaw's Sun Protective Kapoor Asian vegetarian personality as the most attractive

Harry Porter yz trip coming up to film a new video came to light at

Los Angeles ... Herr A. Potter ride yz the comingde A. film Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 new videos surfaced here. Film in this part of Herr A. Poe trapny friends Hermione Grangerand Ron Weasley with krflm Te ka-You cancomplete the villain Voldemort will appear. thlkh bemaking two films in the world to film the trip up tothe yz pndr minutes will be released on the LAfreeway.

15 and 96 percent gas price increase proposal sent to the Prime Minister

Islamabad. . . . . Prime Minister from 15 to 96percent increase in gas prices has sent theproposal. The oil and gas sources 15 per cent fordomestic users, 18.44 percent for the industrial sector, 36.26 percent for power plants to increasegas prices tjuyzhy . CNG sector, 69 percent of gascost 96 percent increase is proposed for thefertilizer factories.

Moon does not appear to be perika almazm ykm Travel

Karachi. . . . . Lunar month of Sha'ban AH 1432was not almazm ykm month will be Monday 4 July.Meteorological Department Karachi office of MuftiMuneeb-ur-Rehman, chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting chaired by. The hilalcommittee members, Department of Meteorologydirector Ziauddin Khan, Ghulam Murtaza and Navycommander, Chief space manager spark strengthof the partnership. the Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehmanwhile talking to media after the moon visible fromany part of the country did not receive the Visibility.So it was decided unanimously that non ykm AH 4July 1432 will be held Monday.

Monaco's Prince of the South African swimmer love marriage

Monte Carlo. . . . . Catherine mydltn in Britain as a girl and got kushzadh, munuku in Prince Albert took his long-time prymyka kuzndgy kasathy. Prince Albert II of the South African swimmer sarlyn cover stock yesterday took him by marrying Princess. Long after the royal shehnais pleasures of family gatherings and happy people do kaahtmam. dcz the UK and the Duke of Cambridge's official visit to Canada, Canada Day concert in the British royal family would welcome a couple of people and concerts kuhzarun I put out. 

Atta ur Rahman in Larham valley Malakand

Collected thousands of dollars in aid to win the marathon unknown dog.

Maryland men while participating in the marathon... then everyone will see the dog along with thehumans taking part in a marathon, this is probably the first of its kind. Horde County State of Marylandin the last days marathon held in which raceparticipants with a dog also joined. Dozer calledthe dog house from the front as the raceparticipants through the beginning of its ownersface left and joined. many points on the dog's regular marathon route running was seen as the end point at 2 hours, 14 minutes to reach the dog'sregular media coverage was. where nasrf themarathon organizers, the dog races to finish themedals awarded, while the raising of funds was made for an online page. media fame in the story of the dog's marathon in the interest of mostpeople to express support for more than 13hzardalr which will be dedicated to a cancercenter.

Cqndr juices flow and oxygen circulation is improved, research

London ... cqndr vegetable is a useful, modernresearch has found that drinking juice cqndr more energy comes from the players in the game theway they do show much better performance.According to research by Britain's ExeterUniversity cqndrka kucst juice keeps players. ithappens a positive impact on the use of physicalmuscle, to improve oxygen flow and circulationhujatahy better players to improve performanceover several times hujatahy possible. cqndrscientists of the pressure rsbld dytahy helps tonormal.

Karachi, Landhi aurgudra maintain tension in the camp

Karachi: Karachi Landhi area aurgudra religious groups in the camp remains tense since the armed conflict, unknown suspects fired at the buffalo in the colony were killed by father and son. Police nyukracy Godhra camp three days ahead of the fieldbegan. The two-way firing resulted in a young man dead and woman, including 12 afradzkmy were. potential emergency, the police's heavy contingents deployed in the region is, the buffalo colony unidentified shooting the father and sonkilled. According to police, the incident occurred due to personal enmity.

Will sit in opposition, MQM parliamentary party's decision

Karachi: MQM sit in opposition to the application re-submitted to the secretary of Sindh, MQM minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed has said that the MQM and PPP have no contact. MQM's parliamentary party's parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly Syed Sardar Ahmed in the chamber. The opposition in Sindh Assembly seats, objected to the application submitted for review. and has decided to resubmit the application, Acting Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza MQM petition signed by 51 members did not object. Talking to media after the meeting of MQM parliamentary party leader, Sardar Ahmed said that we do with government, opposition I want to sit, while Dr Sagheer Ahmed has said that there is no legal objection. MQM leader Dr Saghir Ahmed said the MQM and PPP have no contact. MQM opposition I sit back with a request submitted to the Secretary Sindh Assembly. brru Secretary Sindh Assembly Hadi Bux told the media that the assembly procedure of Carroll mentioned the word opposition, opposition leaders, parliamentary leaders or members of the Sindh Assembly seatsDistribution of the law is silent, he said the Speaker is entitled to whatever the Legislature may allocate seats, he said the desire for allotment of seats of members must sign the application.

If the air compressor can start generating power early in Thar, Samar Mubarak

RAWALPINDI: Federal Government ReportedPlanning Commission Member daktrsmrmbarkdilution gas supply outages, the problem of energycrisis is not kahl, the Thar Coal project kakhna bythe government because they have had to crysometimes. Rawalpindi Chamber Commerce and Industry Dr smrmbark mndkakhnathakh domesticindustry in addressing the function of wealth is aproblem faced by the energy crisis. ayyrkmprysrget it from coal gas and electricity from Augustthrmyn pydauarkamnsubh can begin. energy crisis,the best Coal gas station solution, but here the situation of the implementation of policies andprojects is weak.

Denmark's former ambassador to Pakistan died in Norway for

Paris ... Reza Choudhury ... Denmark, Pakistan'sAmbassador Fauzia Abbas' husband, Norway, Pakistan's former Ambassador Shahbaz Denmarkdied. Late age of 63 was. Ministry of Foreignretired after his days in Denmark, lived where his wife Fauzia Abbas said Pakistan's ambassador. abrother of the late commander Lt Gen (retd) has been psaurkur amtyazsahyn. late sunday sketch of the body will arrive in Islamabad from Denmark, where he was buried. late astryamyn also servedas Ambassador of Pakistan.

The prevalence of cheating on politics, to speak clearly, Nawaz Sharif

Talking after the meeting the party mydyasy huyymyan Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan was passing through the deceitful politics of the day, will be welcome to sit on opposition bncz. Mian Nawaz Sharif said during the three years to solve problems Little attention was given. Abbottabad Chaudhry Shujaat's statement to the inquiry on the question Mian Nawaz Sharif said it would not really politics pauٴ mkauٴ and soil. He must be fair to the people of Balochistan, and missing distention of the problem should be solved. The condition of the Azad Kashmir elections is evident to all, getting money for earthquake victims was spent on elections. Mian Nawaz Sharif said at a question about the U.S. government attacks kuduka and does not speak clearly. 

Osama's killing a highlight of my tenure: Panetta

WASHINGTON: Outgoing CIA director Leon Panetta said Thursday it had been "one hell of a ride" leading the spy agency and called the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden a highlight of his tenure.

In a final message to CIA employees titled "arrivederci," the son of Italian immigrants praised "America's silent warriors" at the agency and described what he called the peaks and valleys of his more than two year tenure.

"Emotionally, this job took me to both the depths and heights: from hearing we had lost seven of our own at Khowst (in eastern Afghanistan), to the moment that sealed one of the greatest successes in our agency's history -- ridding the world of Usama Bin Ladin," he wrote.

"We had one hell of a ride together."

Panetta won praise for the May 2 raid that killed the Al-Qaeda mastermind, with the spy agency hauling away a trove of material from bin Laden's Pakistani compound.

Panetta, who is due to be sworn in Friday as the next defense secretary, thanked agency employees and said he had witnessed "personal courage," "technological marvels" and "history in the making.

Two dead in Peshawar blast, 13 injured

PESHAWAR: Two people were killed and 13 others sustained injuries when a vehicle blew up with a loud blast at Shoba Chowk here on Thursday,

The gas cylinder of the vehicle blew up and caused the blast, Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bashir Ahmed Bilour confirmed.

The injured and dead were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital.

Fire erupted after the blast and was successfully extinguished by fire fighters.

Police and bomb disposal squad reached the blast site while the law enforcement agencies’ personnel have cordoned off the area.

Altaf, Fazal discuss Senate opposition leader

ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Mulana Fazlur Rehman called MQM chief Altaf Hussain,

According to sources both leaders discussed the issue of the Senate opposition leader and Fazlur Rehman welcomed the MQM’s inclusion in the opposition

OGRA slashes petroleum prices

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on the directives of the Prime Minister on Thursday announced reduction in the prices of petroleum products.

According to an OGRA notification, the price of petrol has been reduced by Rs 3 per litre, diesel by Rs 2.01 and light speed diesel by Rs 1.13.

However, no change has been made in the price of Kerosene oil.

The new prices of petrol after reduction by Rs 3 has come to Rs 83.71 per litre.

High speed diesel will now sell at Rs 92.10 per litre. Similarly, light diesel will be available in the open market at Rs 81.39 per litre.

There is no change in the price of kerosene oil and it will be available at Rs 84.65 per litre. The new prices will be applicable from July 1.

Misunderstanding with MQM to be removed: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior A. Rehman Malik on Thursday said that difference of opinion is ingredient of politics and misunderstanding if any with MQM would be removed.

Talking to media men, he said "difference of opinion is ingredient of politics as well as democracy. MQM is a separate and independent party and every miscommunication between PPP and MQM would be tackled".

He said that he favors the efforts of MQM to approach to the people in other provinces and said that Altaf Hussain is a wise and seasoned politician and he always learned something from him.

Over the issue of seat-adjustment with MQM in AJK elections, he said that political parties talk with each other on various issues and if something has created misunderstanding with MQM, it would be removed.

Rehman Malik said the elections were postponed on various seats as the Chief Election Commissioner expressed some concerns over the security issue there. "I am in touch with my friends and issues will be settled soon," he added.

He said that situation in Karachi is improving due to effective coordination among intelligence agencies. He urged the media to play its role to strengthen Pakistan and regretted over the attitude of those criticizing the institutions of the country

US rejects demand to vacate Shamsi air base

WASHINGTON: The United States is rejecting demands from Pakistani officials that American personnel abandon a military base used by the CIA to stage drone strikes against suspected militants, US officials told Reuters.

US personnel have not left the remote Pakistani military installation known as Shamsi Air Base and there is no plan for them to do so, said a US official familiar with the matter, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive material.

"That base is neither vacated nor being vacated," the official said. The information was confirmed by a second US official.

Earlier this week, Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar told the Financial Times that Pakistan had already stopped US drone operations there.

On Thursday, Mukhtar told Reuters: "When they (US forces) will not operate from there, no drone attacks will be carried out."

He said Islamabad had been pressuring the US to vacate the base even before the May 2 commando raid in which US Navy SEAL commandos killed Osama bin Laden. After the raid, Mukhtar said, "We told them again."

A senior Pakistani military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that when US forces first launched counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan "provided Americans two bases in Jacobabad and Shamsi. Jacobabad base has been vacated for long time ago, but Shamsi is still with them."

"They are vacating it," the official insisted. "Shamsi base was for logistic purpose. They also used it for drones for some time but no drones have been flown from there

Firing incidents claim 12 lives in Karachi

KARACHI: At least twelve people including a woman have been killed while more than sixteen others sustained injuries in various incidents of firing incidents in the metropolis.

According to the police, clash between two groups claimed four lives including woman and injured 12 others, triggering tensions in Godhra area of New Karachi. Injured people have been taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Unidentified men gunned down two more men and injured one other near Sindhi Hotel in New Karachi.

Earlier, a government servant was also shot dead by unidentified men in Nazimabad. In Malir, a body of another man was found.

In another incident of firing, a man was killed in Shah Faisal while in separate incident another man was killed by armed men in Gulistan e Jauhar.