India’s top telecom firm to sponsor home series

NEW DELHI: India’s top telecoms firm Bharti Airtel has won the rights to sponsor all cricket series played in India until 2013 and will pay $700,000 per match, a cricket board official said on Friday.

“Bharti Airtel has won the series sponsorship rights for the period of 2010-2013 with a bid amount of 33.3 million rupees per test/ODI/T20 International,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, N Srinivasan, said in a terse statement.

Initially, 10 firms had shown an interest in the right but eventually only four — Bharti BRTI.BO, Idea Cellular IDEA.BO, Karbonn Mobile and MicroMax — submitted bids on Thursday.

The marketing committee of the BCCI, the world’s richest cricket board, opened the bids in Mumbai on Friday and awarded the rights to Bharti Airtel.

World Sports Group is the current holder of the rights.

BCCI chief

Teenager killed, thousands defy curfew in Sopore

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people defied curfew in Sopore town, this morning, to protest against the killing of an 18-year-old youth, Mudassir Nazir, who was injured in the firing of Indian troops succumbed to his injuries.

Mudassir and two other people were injured last evening when the troops of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) opened fire on peaceful protesters in Chinkipora area of the town. Clashes between the troops and protesters were on when last reports came in.

The occupation authorities had imposed indefinite curfew in the town following Nazir’s death. More than 6,000 people gathered in the town defying the curfew restrictions.

On the other hand, dozens of people were injured when Indian troops and police resorted to firing and brute force to disperse protesters in Islamabad, Kulgam, Qaimoh, Wanpora, Bijbehara, Shopian, Pulwama,

One killed, four injured in Karachi firing

KARACHI: A man was killed while four others were injured as unknown armed men targeted an office of a political party Friday night, ARY NEWS reported.

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One killed, four injured in Karachi firing

Indefinite curfew continues in H-Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The Indian authorities continue to strictly enforce the indefinite curfew in Srinagar and other major cities and towns, while three Indian troops have been critically injured in Sopore.

Besides Srinagar, the curfew continues in Sopore, Ganderbal, Handwara, Islamabad, Pulwama and Kakpora while restrictions have been imposed in other towns including Baramulla, Qazigund, Bijbehara and Kangan.

Meanwhile, at least three troops of Indian Central Reserve Police Force were injured in two separate grenade attacks in Sopore town.

French judge confirms Agosta deal kickback

PARIS: The French judge, investigating corruption charges, confirmed that illegal commissions were paid for the sale of submarines to Pakistan in 1995.

Fourteen people, including 11 French nationals, were killed and 18 others, including 10 foreigners, were injured when a suicide bomber rammed his car into a Pakistan Navy bus near the Sheraton Hotel, setting off an incendiary device.

Charges emerged in France last year that the attack was carried out after differences over payment of commissions involving top figures in both Pakistan and France. The list included President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was a minister then.

Israel-freed three Pakistanis accorded warm welcome

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistanis including two senior journalists after being freed from Israel’s detention have arrived home back late on Thursday night, Geo news reported.

Released journalists Talat Hussain and Raza Mehmood Agha were accorded warm welcome at Benazir International airport.

Federal Home Minister Rehman Malik, the relatives of journalists, representatives from civil society and journalists from twin cities – Islamabad and Rawalpindi, sprinkled rose petals on them.

Talking to media at airport, released journalist Talat Hussain said Israeli attack on Freedom Aid Flotilla has unveiled the evil designs of international big giants of democracy.

Israel has once again torn apart ethical values by killing innocent people through launching air raids but big powers were criminally silent, he said.

He vowed to revisit Gaza or Israel for feeding journalistic responsibilities.

Landslide kills 8; leaves 10 wounded in Skardu

SKARDU: At least eight people were killed and another ten were injured on occurrence of landslide in Kharming subdivision located in Skardu on Thursday night, Geo news reported.

According to sources, the injured people were rescued and are being admitted to hospital near Kharming.

The landslide also smashed 8 houses as reported by local people.

Rescue teams jointly led by Deputy Commissioner Skardu Mohammed Ali and Assistant Commissioner Mohammedi have arrived on the incident site and have kicked off rescue efforts.

4 hurt in India chopper crash

NEW DELHI: A Chetak helicopter belonging to Indian Navy Wednesday crashed into a river near Anakapally town, about 50 kilometers from Visakhapatnam, injuring the pilot and three others onboard.

According to initial reports, the pilot and three trainee pilots were injured, DIG Visakhapatnam range Swomya Mishra said.

The mishap occurred when the chopper touched a high tension wire while flying low near Sarada river bridge, the DIG said. All the injured have been admitted to a local government hospital, he said.

Pakistan to decide timing of NWA offensive: US

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon expressed confidence on Thursday that Pakistan would mount an offensive in North Waziristan Agency (NWA), but said Islamabad would decide on the timing.

US President Barack Obama dispatched White House National Security Adviser Jim Jones and CIA Director Leon Panetta to Pakistan earlier this week to urge Islamabad to step up pressure on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan following a botched May 1 car-bombing in New York’s Times Square.

But US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking at a Pentagon press conference, said Washington’s focus was on seeing “how can we intensify our cooperation in dealing with this mutual threat” rather than on pushing for any “qualitative change” in Pakistan’s approach.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani had “indicated” to him more than a year ago that he had “plans to execute that mission” in North Waziristan.

But Mullen said the timing was “really up to him (Kiyani)” and the US understood that the Pakistani military was already “stretched” by operations in other tribal areas.

“He’s got two fronts. He’s got a military that’s lost a lot of soldiers, sacrificed a great deal, and so that it makes a lot of sense to me that he does get to pick this timeline,” Mullen said. “When I have dealt with him in the past, what he has said he would do in the future, he’s always done.”

Gates estimated that Pakistan already had seven divisions and 140,000 troops in and around the tribal areas, calling it a “huge effort”.

US investigators believe accused Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, who was born in Pakistan and became a US citizen last year, received assistance from the TTP.

Gates said the TTP’s growing reach – from attacking the government to plotting a car-bombing in Times Square – showed that “we now have a mutual interest in trying to stop this group – stop it from carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, stop it from carrying out attacks outside of Pakistan, and especially in the United States”.

Eight militants killed in Orakzai clash

HANGU: Eight militants were killed and two security men injured during a clash between security forces and militants in Orakzai Agency.

Sources said militants stormed a check post in Dabori area in upper Orakzai early on Friday. Two security personnel were injured in the attack whereas eight militants were killed and 15 injured in retaliatory action of security forces.

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