Karachi: Youth killed in crossfire

Staff Report

KARACHI: Two armed groups exchanged fire in Orangi Town on Wednesday, killing one young man and injuring two others, including a woman.

According to reports, 18-year-old Latif was killed in a crossfire between two rival groups in Faqir Colony. 50-year-old Zarina and Dost Muhammad, 30, also sustained injuries.

Fear gripped the locality after the shootout.

Heavy contingents of police and rangers have been deployed to restore calm in the troubled area.

On the other hand, police claims to have arrested two persons allegedly involved in the murder of three MQM activists – Shahbaz, Khalid Siddiqi and Sabir Ali.

One Kalashnikov, two TT pistols and a repeater were also recovered from the accused. Trend Pk

Afghan governor says district captured from Taliban

KABUL: An Afghan governor said Monday that security forces had recaptured a remote southern district that had been overrun by Taliban guerrillas.

Rebels stormed Khogyani district in the troubled province of Ghazni late Sunday, seizing the local administration, provincial governor Musa Khan Akbarzada told reporters.

“This morning our national security forces — police, army and intelligence — mobilised and took back the control of the district,” he said in Ghazni, the provincial capital.

“Our security forces are stationed in the district. They are in control now,” he said, declining to give further details.

He said Afghan officials were investigating possible casualties among the local administrators and a small police contingent based in the district.

The Taliban are waging a war against President Hamid Karzai’s Western-backed administration

Pakistan urges more intelligence sharing with Britain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday called for greater intelligence sharing to pre-empt terrorist attacks in Britain and other western countries emanating from its soil, just weeks after a Europe-wide security alert linked to the troubled country.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani proposed cooperation between Pakistani and British intelligence agencies during talks with visiting British home secretary Theresa May, his office said in a statement.

“The Prime Minister proposed that Pakistan and Britain should consider a mechanism as well as parameters for cooperation between their security agencies,” it said.

“He further stressed upon sharing of information and real time intelligence to enable the Pakistan authorities for taking the preemptive measures against any possible threat to UK and other western countries from terrorists,”

Gilani said that “despite

Pakistan welcomes Obama visit

WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Wednesday praised US President Barack Obama for saying he would visit the country next year, calling it a sign of commitment between the troubled war partners.

Obama, meeting with a senior Pakistani delegation, said he would not visit when he travels to neighboring India next month. But he committed to visiting Pakistan in 2011 and invited Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to Washington.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, speaking afterward at the Brookings Institution think-tank, called his meeting with Obama “very satisfying.”

“The fact that he has agreed to visit Pakistan next year, the fact that he has decided to invite the president of Pakistan to the United States of America, that is the level of engagement that is taking place,” Qureshi said.

The United States has played a delicate balancing act, seeking to show

CWG: Australia threatens closing ceremony boycott

Australia have threatened to lead a boycott of the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony unless organisers improve conditions seen at the troubled event’s opening bash, a report said Wednesday.
Chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said the team was taking a tough line after athletes were made to wait in a 40 degrees C (104 F) Tunnel of Hell for an hour before parading through the New Delhi stadium on October 3.
Moneghetti told the newsmen that country’s Games association chief, Perry Crosswhite , made the boycott threat during talks with Indian officials. It was Perry that was threatening. He’s taller than me so he’s a good threatener, Moneghetti said. We were representing Australia’s view but it was a group decision. We were at the forefront of that process but every country was aware of the issues and supported us. Moneghetti, who had avoided criticising chaotic preparations for the Games, was incensed at athletes being treated like cattle at the opening ceremony, forcing an apology from head organiser Suresh Kalmadi. It was over 40 degrees without a doubt. We were treated like cattle. It was disgraceful, Moneghetti said at the time. Australia have a large team of about 380 athletes in Delhi and are the runaway medals table leaders with 68 golds heading into the final two days before Thursday’s closing ceremony.

PCB appoints Intikhab Alam as manager

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has brought back former test captain, Intikhab Alam as the manager of the national team after the troubled tour to England.

“Intikhab Alam has been appointed manager only for the South Africa series,” PCB media manager Nadeem Sarwar told Reuters.

“The board will take decisions on future series later on.”

Alam, who was coach of the national team until early this year, replaces Yawar Saeed who stepped down as manager after the controversial England tour.

Alam was coach between October 2008 to the shambolic tour to Australia early this year after which he was replaced as coach by Waqar Younis. AGENCIES

CWG-2010 organisers investigate pool water quality

NEWDEHLI: Commonwealth Games organisers launched an investigation into the water quality at the troubled event’s pool on Thursday after reports that over 50 swimmers had fallen ill.

Around 40 English competitors and 12 Australians had complained of feeling unwell after competing at the S.P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex, with team officials insisting that the problem area was the warm-up pool.

“We must investigate this immediately. If the water is unsafe then clearly you can’t swim in it,” said Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell.

“Water and food quality is tested. We are concerned if athletes can’t perform to their best.”

Stomach problems being experienced by swimmers have already forced two Australian medal prospects to pull out.

Olympic bronze medallists Andrew Lauterstein and Hayden Stoeckel failed to start in the 100m

Dengue fever case hits C’Wealth Games village

NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games in New Delhi was hit by its first case of dengue fever on Sunday, health officials said, just hours before the troubled event’s opening ceremony.

Indian lawn bowls manager Ruptu Gogoi fell ill at the athletes village and was taken to the G.B. Pant hospital on Friday, senior hospital doctor Rajiv Sagar told AFP.

“He is stable and will be released shortly,” Sagar said. “He probably caught dengue before entering the village as he was already feeling some symptoms when he arrived there.”

The risk of athletes catching dengue fever was one of many concerns ahead of the Games, which endured a shambolic run-up involving the unfinished athletes’ village, dangerous facilities and the threat of militant attack.

Seven Delhi residents have died of dengue fever this year in the worst outbreak for four years. More than 3,450 cases

First dengue fever case hits Delhi Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games in New Delhi has been hit by its first case of dengue fever just hours before the troubled event’s opening ceremony, health officials said. Indian lawn bowls manager Ruptu Gogoi fell ill at the athletes village and was taken to the G.B. Pant hospital on Friday.
The risk of athletes catching dengue fever was one of many concerns ahead of the Games, which endured a shambolic run-up involving the unfinished athletes’ village, dangerous facilities and the threat of militant attack.
Seven Delhi residents have died of dengue fever this year in the worst outbreak for four years. More than 3,450 cases have been confirmed in the city, though many experts believe the real figure is far higher.
Health officials have blamed stagnant water at Games’ venues and a heavy monsoon for the number of cases. The mosquito-borne disease causes a flu-like illness for most victims. One strain of it can cause internal bleeding.
More than 420 people were killed and 10,250 hospitalised in the city’s biggest dengue outbreak in 1996, according to government data.
Municipal workers have been spraying anti-mosquito repellent through Delhi in recent weeks to control the outbreak, while larvae-eating fish were also released in a pond at the athletes’ village.
India has issued a health advisory for participants and visitors at the Games asking them wear full-sleeve clothes when possible and to use mosquito repellent creams and coils.

Pakistan ready to play 2nd ODI in Headingly

Staff Report

LONDON: Pakistan will play its second ODI match out of a five matches series in Headingley on Sunday. Both teams have reached Leeds.

Pakistan team’s Captain Shahid Afridi has termed the defeat of the first match as sorrowful.

He has said that Pakistan lost by 24 runs owing to the irresponsible batting of the team.

Afridi added that after the spot fixing scam, Pakistan’s bowling has been weakened; taking advantage, England succeeded to make a big score.

“Pakistan team will show a better performance in the upcoming matches,” he added. SAMAA

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