Expo Pakistan 2010” Begins At Expo Center Karachi

A three day trade fair “Expo Pakistan 2010” begins at Expo Center Karachi. Over 900 investors from 55 countries would be participating in the event. The event is being organized by Trade Development Authority. More than 400 stalls featuring Textile, Engineering, Agro food, Surgical and Pharmaceutical goods, I.T, Home and Décor, Handicrafts and Jewelry have been setup in the trade fair.
International investors have shown great interest in different products. Several foreign Consulate Generals and senior Pakistani management paid visit to the trade fair.

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Expo Pakistan 2010” Begins At Expo Center Karachi was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:51 am.

OGRA Has Announced Slight deCrease Of 1 To 4 Percent In Petroleum Products

OGRA has announced slight decrease of 1 to 4 percent in petroleum products on Sunday. Petrol declined to Rs 70.67 with a decrease of 64 paisas. In a press conference, ORGA’s senior executive director finance Syed Jawwad Naseem announced slight decrease in petroleum products. According to which, light speed diesel reached at Rs 69.47 with a decrease of 60 paisas, high speed diesel slashed to Rs 69.89 with a decrease of Rs 1.97, kerosene oil decreased to Rs 61.50 with a decline of Rs2.56 and HOBC reached to Rs68.06 with a decrease of 78 paisas. Petrol and HOBC rates have been decreased by one percent each while light and high speed diesel prices have been decreased by three percent each. Kerosene oil has been decreased by 4 percent. New prices have been applied from today.

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OGRA Has Announced Slight deCrease Of 1 To 4 Percent In Petroleum Products was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 2:04 am.

Top UK General Says Afghanistan Army In Morale Crisis

The head of the army has warned that British troops are facing a crisis of deteriorating morale on the home front that risks undermining the war in Afghanistan.
In a confidential draft memo prepared for ministers, General Sir David Richards, chief of the general staff (CGS), said that recent cuts to the defence budget are having a “cumulative and corrosive effect on our soldiers and their families”.
Cuts to housing, shortages of training equipment and even the cancellation of sports events between soldiers’ tours of duty were making them and their families feel “undervalued”, the army chief wrote.
The leaked memo will be seized on by the Tories as opening a new front in the tussle between army chiefs and ministers over the politically sensitive issue of defence cuts.
It echoes the row last year when Richards’s predecessor, General Sir Richard Dannatt, stepped down after speaking out about equipment shortages as well as poor pay and conditions. It later emerged that government figures had tried to smear him over his expenses.
A senior military commander emphasised yesterday that it was not Richards’s intention to criticise ministers: “He’s not whingeing. He’s simply trying to flag up what he believes is a vital issue that needs their urgent attention.”
In the memo to the defence board, which comprises ministers and service chiefs, Richards shifts the focus of criticism from the war effort in Afghanistan to the treatment of troops on their return home.
While there had been “significant progress” on the front line, Richards said, the treatment of soldiers when they returned for 24 months between tours is so poor that it is threatening to undermine the war effort.
Marked “restricted”, the memo reports a summary of an internal “poll” of 5,000 soldiers and their families at units in Britain, Germany and Cyprus over the past four months.
The survey was discussed at the executive committee of the army board this month. Its results appear to be so alarming that Richards decided to alert ministers to its key findings. “My greatest concern … is the deteriorating experience of soldiers and their families … between tours which, the [survey] team reports, is disaffecting attitudes, damaging morale and risks undermining our ability to sustain the campaign . . .” he wrote.
“We need our soldiers to be ready, mentally and physically, to endure repeated tours in Afghanistan, in a harsh environment, with the real prospect of significant casualties each time. “To maintain the necessary morale and cohesion, they must see tangible signs between tours that they and their families are valued.”

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Top UK General Says Afghanistan Army In Morale Crisis was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 12:54 am.

President Barack Obama Signs One-Year Extension Of Patriot Act

President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the nation’s main counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act.
The Act, which was adopted in the weeks after the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks, expands the government’s ability to monitor Americans in the name of national security. Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will: _Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones. _Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.
_Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group. Obama’s signature comes after the House voted 315 to 97 Thursday to extend the measure. The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote super majority to pass them.
Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government’s authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

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President Barack Obama Signs One-Year Extension Of Patriot Act was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:00 am.

Novak Djokovic Meets Youzhny In Dubai Final

Novak Djokovic would face Mikhail Youzhny in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Serbian star Djokovic secured a victory 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win and a place in the final against Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny. Youzhny beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria in two tough sets to book his final place. 7-5 7-6 (7/4) win.

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Novak Djokovic Meets Youzhny In Dubai Final was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:13 am.

Akmal, Rana Are Blamed To Involve In Match-Fixing

The International Cricket Council has provided match fixing proves to Pakistan Cricket Board  against alleged involvement of wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and medium pacer Rana Naveed-ul Hasan.
PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Friday made the startling revelation that ICC had provided PCB with the concrete proves of their alleged involvement in match fixing. Despite repeated questions, Ijaz Butt had refused to name the players.
On investigation, a highly placed official in PCB exclusively told Voice of America on the condition of anonymity that “the two players were wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and medium pacer Rana Naveed-ul Hasan.”
Wicket keeper Akmal had come under heavy fire for his repeated fumbles on the Australian tour. Its worth mentioning that both players were dropped from the T-20 series against England recently played in Dubai.
When asked if the proves were so concrete, why PCB included Akmal and Rana in the initial list of 30 players for the T-20 world cup, the source said that “both will be missing from the final list for the T-20 WC.
The source further insisted that “PCB has announced an additional wicket keeper Zulqarnain Haider along side Kamran Akmal and Sarfaraz Ahmed in 30 initial players which indicates that Akmal would not feature in the final squad for T-20 WC to be played in West Indies in April.

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Akmal, Rana Are Blamed To Involve In Match-Fixing was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:23 am.

New Zealand Have Won A Thrilling T20 Against Australia

New Zealand have won a thrilling T20 against Australia in Christchurch after the Super Over was required to split the two sides.
With both tied on 214 runs at the end of 40 fascinating overs the match headed for the sudden-death tie-break and Tim Southee, who bowled superbly at the death for the hosts, stepped up and delivered.
He restricted Australia, who used Cameron White, David Warner and Brad Haddin, to six for one off his six deliveries and then watched as the pressure got to visiting fast bowler Shaun Tait who fired down two wides as man-of-the-match Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill made nine for no loss in New Zealand’s over to give them the win to level the series 1-1.
McCullum was simply outstanding from start to finish at AMI Stadium. His unbeaten 116 spearheaded New Zealand’s innings as they looked to rebound from the disappointing display in Wellington two days ago.

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New Zealand Have Won A Thrilling T20 Against Australia was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:32 am.

India beat Pakistan 4-1

Great teamwork and high penalty conversion rate script Indian win in their World Cup opener against arch-rivals Pakistan.
India dismissed Pakistan 4-1 and the scoreline could actually have been healthier. A double strike by Sandeep Singh after Shivendra Singh drew first blood gave India a rousing start on Day 1 of the world championship. Prabhjot Singh underlined his class, scoring India’s third goal after the hosts took the breather leading 2-0.
India put the Pakistani deep defence under tremendous pressure right from the start. Tushar Khandekar almost got the first goal in the eighth minute. An attack fashioned by Rajpal Singh and Vikram Pillai opened the face of the Pakistan goal, but Khandekar’s fierce finish met goalkeeper Salman Akbar’s chest. India won their third corner with seconds left for half-time, via the TV referral system. The result was goal No. 2, a classical drag flicker’s finish by the specialist, Sandeep. India could not have asked for a better opening session. Prabhjot carried on from where India left at half-time. Two minutes into the second session, the veteran capped yet another great teamwork in the scoring area. The fruit of Gurwinder Chandi’s alacrity was eaten by Prabhjot with a cool finish (3-1).
India put the game beyond Pakistan when Sandeep scored his second goal in the 55th minute.
Veteran defender and former skipper Sohail Abbas twice hit the crosspiece from penalty corners. In the 58th minute, he finally found the mark with a trademark finish that left goalie Sreejesh with no answer. Abbas’ goal was a much-needed consolation for a Pakistani team that lacked spark in such a needle game.

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India beat Pakistan 4-1 was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:38 am.

Power Units Are Halted Suplly To By All Refineries

Oil refineries have halted the delivery of furnace oil to Power units due to nonpayment. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is providing imported furnace oil on emergency basis to thermal power units.
According to Ministry of Petroleum, PSO is confronted by a circular debt above Rs 100.4 billion. Power sector is the major defaulter of which Rs 91 billion is due against the power sector. PSO supplies furnace oil worth Rs 1 billion to Power sector on daily basis.
PSO is unable to pay Rs 68 billion to the refiners due to non payment by the Government, consequently Oil refineries have halted furnace supply. PSO is only supplying 19,000 metric tons of furnace oil to Power Production units. The Power units consume 35,000 metric tons of furnace oil everyday.

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Power Units Are Halted Suplly To By All Refineries was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 1:45 am.

Saudi Arabia Urges To Fight Militancy Of Pak`s Political Leadership

Foreign Minister of  Saudi Arabia Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Sunday he was heavily concerned with growing insecurity in Pakistan and urged Islamabad to collectively fight militancy. Al-Faisal’s remarks came after he held talks with an Indian leaders in Riyadh.
“Pakistan is a friendly country to us and therefore any time that one sees a dangerous thing in our friendly country, one is not only sorry but worried. We believe it is the duty of all political leaders in Pakistan to unite together, to see that extremism should not find its way to achieve aims in the country. And this can only happen by a united political leadership in Pakistan and we hope that this will be achieved,” al-Faisal told a news conference attended the Indian delegation.
Al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani militants have carried out numerous attacks on members of the security forces over the past couple of years. They stepped up strikes after the army launched an offensive on their main bastion in South Waziristan in October last year.
The Pakistani Taliban, allies of the Afghan Taliban, have lost much ground in the army offensives over the past year. Pakistani action against militants on the border is seen as crucial for efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan, where the US forces are spearheading one of NATO’s biggest offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Security forces have also carried out several other operations aimed at pushing back militants threatening towns and cities such as Peshawar, the main city in the northwest.
Al-Faisal distanced his government from the Taliban insurgents. “There is no relation between Saudi Arabia and Taliban. Relations were abrogated when Taliban gave sanctuary to Al-Qaeda and since that time till today there has been no relationship between Taliban and Saudi Arabia and that indicates the seriousness we give to that issue,” he said. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were among the few states, which recognised Taliban government in Afghanistan, but severed ties after 9/11 when Taliban provided safe havens to Al-Qaeda. Saudi Arabia is also worried about growing penetration and increased leverage of Al-Qaeda in adjoining Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.

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Saudi Arabia Urges To Fight Militancy Of Pak`s Political Leadership was first posted on March 1, 2010 at 12:15 am.

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