Tempers cool in Kashmir after summer of violence

SRINAGAR: As the first snows fall in the mountains of Indian Kashmir, tempers are also cooling after a summer of violence that saw more than 100 people die in street protests.

For more than three months, thousands of protesters, many of them teenagers, fought pitched battles with security forces in the highly militarised disputed territory, with scores killed during police shooting.

The deaths, which reached 18 in a 24-hour period in September on the worst day of violence, caused the biggest Kashmir crisis for the Indian government since the start of an insurgency against Indian rule in 1989.

But for two weeks, the region has been mostly calm, attributed partly to a series of measures by the government designed to strangle the protests and defuse anger in the Himalayan region.

For the time being, the cycle of violence has been broken — good news for

Quetta: People’s stern protest against milk price hike

Staff Report

QUETTA: The people of Quetta have protested sternly on Wednesday against the ongoing milk price hike.

The lawlessness of the milk sellers of the city has sky rocketed and they have increased the milk prices by Rs. 4 to 6, without any prior notice or permission from the concerned authorities.

The residents of Quetta have complained that the milk sellers have increased milk prices three times during last three months and the government has no control over the prices of the necessities. Trend Pk

Gold price hikes hit sales in India as Diwali nears

MUMBAI: Soaring prices are making Indians hesitant about buying gold as the Hindu festival of Diwali approaches, despite it being seen as an auspicious time to purchase the precious metal.

Firm international and local prices have made people delay or stagger buying, hoping that prices level off as the annual wedding season starts next month, analysts and consumers said.

Shantilal Makwana is typical of many Indians. He is looking to buy jewellery for his teenage daughter, which he will give to her when she gets married.

But he has been watching and waiting for three months to see if prices fall.

“I’ve saved up money. It is an auspicious time, but gold is just too costly,” said the 46-year-old, who works at an electronics repair shop in India’s financial capital, Mumbai.

“I will wait till prices drop,” he told AFP.

International gold

Gold price hikes hit sales in India as Diwali nears

MUMBAI: Soaring prices are making Indians hesitant about buying gold as the Hindu festival of Diwali approaches, despite it being seen as an auspicious time to purchase the precious metal.

Firm international and local prices have made people delay or stagger buying, hoping that prices level off as the annual wedding season starts next month, analysts and consumers said.

Shantilal Makwana is typical of many Indians. He is looking to buy jewellery for his teenage daughter, which he will give to her when she gets married.

But he has been watching and waiting for three months to see if prices fall.

“I’ve saved up money. It is an auspicious time, but gold is just too costly,” said the 46-year-old, who works at an electronics repair shop in India’s financial capital, Mumbai.

“I will wait till prices drop,” he told AFP.

International gold

India Reliance Industries quarterly profit jumps 28 percent

MUMBAI: India’s largest private sector firm Reliance Industries reported a 28 percent rise in quarterly net profit Saturday, boosted by earnings from refining crude and higher gas output.

The oil and petrochemical giant said net profit for the three months to September climbed to 49.23 billion rupees (1.03 billion dollars) from 38.52 billion rupees in the same period last year.

The figure, which was broadly in line with analysts’ estimates, was the highest ever posted by Reliance during a three-month period.

“Improved refining margins and high operating rates at all our manufacturing facilities led to a record quarter,” said chairman Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man and the world’s fourth wealthiest, according to Forbes magazine.

The conglomerate said sales rose 23 percent to 574.79 billion rupees (13.5 billion dollars)

The company, whose

India Reliance Industries quarterly profit jumps 28 percent

MUMBAI: India’s largest private sector firm Reliance Industries reported a 28 percent rise in quarterly net profit Saturday, boosted by earnings from refining crude and higher gas output.

The oil and petrochemical giant said net profit for the three months to September climbed to 49.23 billion rupees (1.03 billion dollars) from 38.52 billion rupees in the same period last year.

The figure, which was broadly in line with analysts’ estimates, was the highest ever posted by Reliance during a three-month period.

“Improved refining margins and high operating rates at all our manufacturing facilities led to a record quarter,” said chairman Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man and the world’s fourth wealthiest, according to Forbes magazine.

The conglomerate said sales rose 23 percent to 574.79 billion rupees (13.5 billion dollars)

The company, whose

India launches five satellites into orbit

BANGALORE: India successfully launched five satellites into orbit on Monday, three months after the country’s space ambitions suffered a setback when a rocket crashed at lift-off.

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India launches five satellites into orbit

Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-months

BAGHDAD: Teams of veterinarians and police shooters have killed some 58,000 stray dogs in and around the Iraqi capital over the past three months as part of a campaign to curb an increasing number of strays blamed for attacks on residents.

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Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-months

Forces shell militants’ hideouts; 10 killed

PESHAWAR: At least 10 militants have been killed, including a key Taliban commander, whereas scores others sustained injuries, when security forces pounded terrorists’ hideouts located in Orakzai Agency on Friday morning, Geo news reported.

Meanwhile, six sanctuaries were also completely shattered during clashes, official sources claimed.

According to sources, security force launched attack on hideouts of militants, backed by gunship helicopters, pounding a total of 10 sanctuaries and resulting in killing of 10 insurgents and injuring many more.

A key Taliban commander, Wasi-ur-Rehman, was also among those killed during fierce blitz, sources maintained.

It may be mentioned that security forces are in progress of fierce military operation against insurgents in Orakzai Agency for last three months, which has, in turn, killed 1500 terrorists besides, shattering over 170 sanctuaries.

Pakistan to support Afghan peace process, says FM

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that Pakistan would support Afghan-led initiatives to restore peace in Afghanistan and was ready to help, if asked by the Afghan government.

Talking to reporters at the local airport, he said that Afghan President Hamid Karzai had given a road map at the London Conference for reconciliation and re-integration to restore peace in Afghanistan and the international community had supported it.

He recalled that a Peace Jirga was convened on June 3-4 last which had endorsed a set of 16 recommendations and authorized Afghan President to move ahead with the process of reconciliation and re-integration.

Pakistan would support every initiative for peace in Afghanistan that is Afghan-led and would extend help and facilitate them if they sought our help, FM added.

To a question regarding reports of talks between Haqqani group and Afghanistan and the role of Pakistan, the foreign minister said that Pakistan government, DG ISPR and the Afghanistan government have already contradicted the report.

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