Live Chat: Rajat Kapoor on December 2 at 1600 hrs IST

It’s hard to classify Rajat kapoor to any specific genre as he has given a variety of performances in his career till date, whether it was a tough businessman in Corporate, an incestuous relative in Monsoon Wedding, an irritated victim of a bad company in Bheja Fry or a reliable friend in Dasvidaniya.

Rajat is a character actor to the core and his choice of films can vouch for it. It’s no surprise then that his upcoming film Phas Gaya Re Obama too would bring something new and refreshing to the table. If you wanted to share your experiences of watching this actors beautiful array of films or would like to hear him recount his own do log on to Bollywood Hungama’s Celebrity chat on December 2 at 1600 hrs IST.

80th Urs of Saman Sarkar begins in Badin

By Suleman Mandhro

BADIN: The ceremonies of 80th Urs of Sufi saint Saman Sarkar have began in Pingrio near Badin on Friday.

The Urs was begun by the successor of the shrine, Syed Ali Bux, amid presence of great number of devotees of Saman Sarkar who had come from different parts of country.

For the facility of pilgrims various kinds of stalls had been installed whence people purchased articles of their choice.

On the occasion arrangements for sufi music had been made where sufi singers will perform during the annual rituals for next three days. SAMAA

US Military Contracts Bankrolling Taliban

Heavy US reliance on private security in Afghanistan has helped to line the pockets of the Taliban, a US Senate report issued on Thursday.
The investigation by the Senate Armed Services Committee found that the government had failed to vet or manage those hired to provide security under contracts worth billions of dollars, with disastrous results.

Our reliance on private security contractors in Afghanistan has too often empowered local warlords and powerbrokers who operate outside the Afghan governments control and act against coalition interests, Carl Levin, chairman of the committee.

This situation threatens the security of our troops and puts the success of our mission at risk. Under one US Air Force subcontract for an Afghan air base, ArmorGroup a subsidiary of the British-based firm G4S used Afghan warlords to recruit security guards. The warlords included Taliban supporters, the report said. While the contract was in force, one of the warlords was killed in a US-Afghan military raid on a Taliban meeting being held at his house, it alleged. In a review of more than 125 Pentagon security contracts from 2007 to 2009, the committee found systemic failures, including security contractors failures to vet personnel or to ensure that their armed personnel received adequate training, it said. The report endorsed efforts by the US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, who has ordered a reform of security contracting and warned that spending large amounts of money without enough oversight could unintentionally feed corruption and the insurgency. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has acknowledged the problem and in a letter to Levin, said the Pentagon had dramatically expanded oversight of contracts and had created task forces to overhaul contract work. The Senate report is yet another wake-up call for the Pentagon, and I think they will have to address the problem, said Richard Fontaine, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.But he said the military faced a difficult dilemma.In some cases, it appears that the choice is stark allow subcontractors to pay the Taliban protection money and essentially fund the enemy with taxpayer dollars or bar protection payments and absorb a higher degree of risk of attack, he told the foreign news agency in an email. This choice is made even more difficult given that we rely on contractors and not military personnel to carry out a variety of security tasks, including convoy protection.
The Afghan government has condemned the role of private security contractors and this week formally banned eight foreign firms, including the controversial company formerly called Blackwater. Kabul announced in August that it was giving security firms working in Afghanistan four months to cease operations, which could present a major headache for Nato-led troops and international organizations which rely on the contractors employing tens of thousands.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan expected to chair IAEA board

VIENNA: Pakistan is expected to become the next head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s governing body despite being outside a global anti-nuclear arms pact and home to a nuclear smuggler who supplied Iran and North Korea, diplomats say.

One Western diplomat said the choice was “not ideal” because, like India, North Korea and Israel, Pakistan has shunned the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that is at the heart of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work.

But Western powers are not expected to oppose the nominee of a group of Middle East and South Asia member states because Pakistan was a longstanding member of the Vienna-based IAEA Board of Governors and the choice would be within its rules.

“People are talking about it but I don’t think there will be any uproar,” a European diplomat said. “There is no rule saying that an informal nuclear weapons state

Asian stocks mixed following poor US jobs report

TOKYO: Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after a poor U.

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Asian stocks mixed following poor US jobs report

Journalist bodies to protest ARY ban today

KARACHI: Journalist organizations and the civil society will hold protest demonstrations on Monday across the country against the ban on ARY NEWS transmission and other TV channels.

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Journalist bodies to protest ARY ban today

China orders energy-wasting factories to close

BEIJING: China’s government has ordered 2,087 steel and cement mills and other factories with poor energy efficiency to close as it struggles to cut waste and improve the country’s battered environment.

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China orders energy-wasting factories to close

Twilight, Vampire Diaries dominate Teen Choice

UNIVERSAL CITY: Maybe they should switch the name to the Vampire Choice Awards?Bloodsuckers again ruled the Teen Choice Awards.

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Twilight, Vampire Diaries dominate Teen Choice

Iran says 3 Americans should stand trial

TEHRAN: Iran reiterated on Sunday that three Americans jailed a year ago should stand trial on charges of illegally crossing the country’s borders.

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Iran says 3 Americans should stand trial

Asians more likely to buy gold in next 6 months

NEW YORK: Asian investors are more likely to buy gold in the next six months than their North American and European counterparts, a global survey found.

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Asians more likely to buy gold in next 6 months

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