BLAST NEAR PAK-AFGH BOADER
پی سی بی کی کرکٹر دانش کنیریا پر تاحیات پابندی لگا دی
کوئلے سے بجلی :حکومت پنجاب اور چینی کمپنی میں ایم او یو پر دستخط
کراچی : منگھو پیر میں رینجرز کا آپریشن ،خودکش حملہ آور سمیت گیارہ افراد گرفتار
وزیر اعظم نواز شریف کی چینی ہم منصب لی کی چیانگ سے ملاقات
بیجنگ …وزیر اعظم نواز شریف نے بیجنگ میں چینی ہم منصب لی کی چیانگ سے ملاقات کی ہے، جس میں دونوں ملکوں کے درمیان اقتصادی تعاون بڑھانے پراتفاق ہوا۔ بیجنگ میں گریٹ ہال آف پیپل پہنچنے پر چینی وزیراعظم لی کی چیانگ نے وزیراعظم نواز شریف کا استقبال کیا، وزیراعظم کو چینی فوج کے دستے نے سلامی دی، جس کے بعد دونوں رہنماوٴں کی ون آن ون ملاقات میں دو طرفہ تعلقات اور اقتصادی تعاون کو فروغ دینے پر تبادلہ خیال ہوا، پاکستان میں سرمایہ کاری اور مواصلات کا نیٹ ورک بچھانے پربھی گفتگو ہوئی۔ اس موقع پر لی کی چیانگ نے کہا کہ پاکستان اور چین کے مضبوط تعلقات کے خطے پر مثبت اثرات پڑیں گے ، پاک چین دوستی کے رشتے مزید مضبوط بنائیں گے۔ وزیر اعظم نواز شریف کا کہنا تھا کہ گزشتہ روز چین کے صدر شی جن پنگ سے ملاقات مثبت رہی، پاک چین دوستی سمندروں سے گہری، ہمالیہ سے اونچی اور شہد سے میٹھی ہے۔ وزیر اعظم نواز شریف نے پاکستان اور چین کے تعلقات کو نئے دور میں لے جانے کے عزم کا اظہار بھی کیا۔
BEIJING: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday told his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang their countries' relationship was "sweeter than honey", during a visit to Beijing with economic ties at the top of the agenda.
Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and military allies and Nawaz Sharif, who is on his first foreign trip since his May election, is looking to secure infrastructure projects to tackle a chronic energy crisis and economic malaise in his country.
At the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital, Nawaz Sharif said his welcome "reminds me of the saying, our friendship is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the deepest sea in the world, and sweeter than honey".
Li told him: "I greatly appreciate your great warmth and deep affection for the people of China."
The Chinese premier was the first foreign leader to visit Pakistan after Nawaz Sharif's victory at the polls.
Beijing has been involved with the upgrade of the Karakoram Highway as part of a proposed economic corridor between the two countries.
Earlier this year, China took control of Pakistan's Gwadar port, giving it access to the Arabian Sea and Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for a third of the world's traded oil.
China-Pakistan trade last year reached $12 billion and is targeted to rise to $15 billion in the next two to three years.
On Thursday, PM Nawaz held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, amid concerns in his country over weak growth, inflation and power cuts of up to 20 hours a day.
Xi, who referred to Nawaz Sharif as an old friend and a good brother, said strengthening strategic cooperation with Islamabad was a priority for China's diplomacy, the state-run broadcaster China Central Television reported.
Sharif said his country welcomed Chinese investment and would work to create a friendly environment for it.
The threat of terrorism is also expected to figure during discussions.
Crude lower in Asia
SINGAPORE: Crude prices turned lower in Asia on Tuesday as markets focused on Italy's record bond yields as a sign that the eurozone debt troubles were far from over, analysts said.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, dipped 13 cents to $95.39 per barrel. Brent North Sea crude for December fell 21 cents to $114.35.
Concerns over Italy's all-time high bond yields sabotaging eurozone debt rescue efforts outweighed Greek progress in forming their government, said Ker Chung Yang, commodity analyst for Phillip Futures in Singapore.
"Italy has overtaken Greece as the prime threat to the stability of the eurozone after the bond surge," he told. "The borrowing cost for Italy has rose to its highest level... the level is unsustainable for its debt," Ker added.
Borrowing rates on Italy's 10-year bonds hit a record 6.676 percent on Monday, although it had eased slightly to 6.583 percent in Asia later Tuesday. After seeing borrowing costs hit the levels that triggered bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the eurozone's third largest economy decided to submit to international oversight, a move intended to buy confidence and time.
Traders were also nervously watching a critical parliament vote on the 2010 Italian budget scheduled for 1500 GMT as Europe pressured Rome to implement long-promised economic reforms to avert a debt blow-up. (AFP)
Pak-China has strong strategic ties: Zardari
KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan and China have strong strategic ties and appreciated China’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and underscored the importance of time-tested strategic partnership between the two countries.
A Chinese delegation, led by Member of Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), Lu Hao called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House on Tuesday and discussed Pak-China bilateral relations and also ties between PPP and CPC.
The discussion involved wide ranging matters including mutual cooperation in economic and finance sectors besides the regional situation. He was accompanied by JIA Tingquan Deputy Secretary General CPC Committee of Gansu Province, WANG Yongqian Director General Foreign Affairs, JI Ping, Wang Huanxiang, Du Dingding and Zhao Xu.
President Zardari said it was encouraging to note that the traditional Pak-China friendship was being translated into economic cooperation for mutual benefit of the two countries. The President said Pakistan attaches great importance to enhancing economic and trade links with China. He said that numerous areas such as energy, mining, infrastructure, information technology, telecom, agriculture, irrigation, railway, communication, finance and banking provided excellent opportunities for the peoples of two countries to take advantage and further promote mutual collaboration.
The President called for the need of currency swap agreement between the two countries as it would provide impetus to the existing level of mutual trade by facilitating business community. He also mentioned recently signed Currency Swap agreement with Turkey.
The President said that Chinese investors, businessmen were most welcome to undertake business ventures in Pakistan and take benefit of business-friendly policies and incentives offered by Pakistan Government.
Seeking more investments by Chinese companies in Pakistan, the President stressed upon the need for making efforts to realize full potential of bilateral trade. He said China was like a second home to him and he was keen to learn from Chinese experience of development and progress.
Discussing recent developments and war against militants, Mr. Hao appreciated Pakistan’s countless sacrifices in making this world a safer place to live. He said China greatly values scarifies made by Pakistani people in the war against terror.
He also invited President Zardari to visit Gansu province, which the president agreed to consider. Hao was of the opinion that both political parties should play their role in promoting harmony.
Iran 'will never compromise rights' in nuclear programme
TEHRAN: Iran's envoy to the IAEA said Wednesday his country 'will never compromise its legitimate rights' in pursuing its atomic programme."As a responsible state, the Islamic republic of Iran will never compromise its legitimate rights and will continue to comply with its commitments under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Ali Asghar Soltanieh said, as cited by the official IRNA news agency.
"Iran will continue its peaceful nuclear activities. And, just as many other previous claims were proven baseless, this time also they will not bear any results," he said.
Soltanieh stressed that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely peaceful and that Iran would continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog.
His comments came a day after the IAEA released its report saying "credible" evidence existed to suggest Iran had done work towards building nuclear warheads.
Soltanieh, who late Tuesday dismissed the report as 'politically motivated', on Wednesday accused IAEA chief Yukiya Amano of making a 'historic mistake' in releasing the document.
Amano had displayed 'unbalanced, unprofessional and political' behaviour in publishing the report, which contained 'false claims' based on information from Iran's arch-foe the United States and other countries, Soltanieh said.
israeli threat
روس کے وزیر خارجہ نے خبر دار کیا ہے کہ ایران کے خلاف فوجی کارروائی ایک بہت بڑی غلطی ہو گی جس کے انتہائی غیر متوقع نتائج سامنے آ سکتے ہیں۔
سر۔ی لاروف ایران کے جوہری معاملے کو حل کرنے کا واحد راستہ سفارت کاری کا ہے میزائل حملوں کا نہیں۔
روس کے وزیر خارجہ کی طرف سے یہ بیان اسرائیل صدر شمعون پیریز کی طرف سے یہ دھمکی دیے جانے کے بعد سامنے آیا ہے کہ ایران پر حملے کے امکانات بڑھتے جا رہے ہیں۔
اقوام متحدہ کے جوہری توانائی کے ادارے آئی اے ای اے کی طرف سے اس ہفتے یہ اعلان کیے جانے کی توقع ہے کہ ایران خفیہ طور پر جوہری ہتھیار بنانے کی صلاحیت حاصل کر رہا ہے۔
سفارتی ذرائع کا کہنا ہے کہ آئی اے ای اے کی رپورٹ رواں ہفتے منگل یا بدھ کو سامنے آنے والی ہے جس میں ایسے ثبوت پیش کیے جائیں گےجن کو ایران کے لیے جھٹلانہ ممکن نہیں ہو گا۔
ایران نے ہمیشہ اس بات پر زور دیا ہے کہ اس کا جوہری پروگرام پرامن مقاصد اور شہری ضروریات پوری کرنے کے لیے سستی بجلی پیدا کرنا ہے۔
ایرانی وزیر خارجہ علی اکبر ولائتی نے کہا الزام لگایا ہے کہ ایران کے خلاف ثبوت گھڑے جا رہے ہیں اور یہ ایران کو بدنام کرنے کی امریکی مہم کا حصہ ہے۔
روسی وزیر خارجہ نے کہا ہے کہ یہ پہلا موقع نہیں ہے کہ اسرائیل نے ایران پر حملہ کرنے کی دھمکی دی ہے۔
روسی وزیر خارجہ سے اسرائیل کے صدر کی ایران پر حملے کی دھمکی کے بارے میں جب پوچھا گیا تو انہوں نے کہا ’ہمارا موقف اس سلسلے میں بہت واضح ہے کہ یہ بہت بڑی اور خطرناک غلطی ہو گی۔‘
سرگی لاروف نے کہا کہ ایران کے جوہری پروگرام کے بارے میں خدشات کو دور کرنے کا واحد ذریعہ ایسے حالات پیدا کرنا ہے جس میں ایران کے ساتھ چھ بڑی طاقتوں جن میں روس شامل ہے مذاکرات کا سلسلہ دوبارہ شروع کیا جائے۔ چھ ملکی مذاکرات کا سلسلہ گزشتہ سال دسمبر میں منقطع ہو گیا تھا۔
شمون پیریز نے کہاایک اسرائیل اخبار کو انٹرویو دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ ایران پر حملہ کا فیصلہ تو نہیں کیا گیا ہے لیکن عام تاثر یہ ہی ہے کہ ایران جوہری ہتھیار بنانے کے قریب تر ہوتا جا رہا ہے۔
انہوں نے ایرانی ٹیلی ویژن چینل کو انٹرویو دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ تمام ملکوں کی خفیہ ایجنسیوں کی نظریں گھڑی پر ہیں اور وہ اپنے رہنماوں کو خبردار کر رہی ہیں کہ اب زیادہ وقت باقی نہیں رہ گیا۔
سفارت کار خفیہ طور اخبارنویسوں کو آئی اے ای اے کی ایران کے جوہری پروگرام پر سہ ماہی رپورٹ کے مندرجات کے بارے میں آگاہ کر رہے ہیں۔
pak pm conference
پاکستان کے وزیراعظم سید یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا ہے کہ بین الاقوامی برادری کی حمایت اور تمام
افغانیوں سے ان کی نظریاتی، نسلی اور سیاسی وابستگی سے بالا تر ہوکر بات چیت کے ذریعے افغانستان کے مسئلے کو حل کیا جاسکتا ہے۔
یہ بات انہوں نے شنگھائی تعاون تنظیم کے دسویں سربراہی اجلاس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے کہی جو روس کے شہر سینٹ پیٹرسبرگ میں ہورہا ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ سیاسی حقیقت اور شفافیت اس بات کا تقاضا کرتی ہے کہ افغانستان کی سلامتی اور خودمختاری کا سب احترام کریں
سرکاری خبر رساں ادارے اے پی پی کے مطابق، وزیراعظم کے بقول پاکستان، افغانستان میں استحکام اور امن کے لیے کی جانے والی مفاہمتی اور تعمیری کوششوں میں وہاں کی حکومت اور عوام کی حمایت جاری رکھے گا۔
یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا کہ دہشت گردی، شدت پسندی، منشیات اور منظم جرائم کا معاشروں، ریاستوں اور خطے کو سامنا ہے جبکہ عالمی کساد بازاری، بے روزگاری اور معاشی دباؤ کا معاشروں میں سرایت کرجانا صورتحال کو گمبھیر بنارہا ہے۔
انہوں نے اس بات پر زور دیا کہ ان تمام چیلنجوں کا مقابلہ عزم اور مشترکہ ردعمل کے ذریعے بخوبی کیا جاسکتا ہے۔
وزیراعظم گیلانی پاکستان کی جانب سے آبزرور کے طور نمائندگی کررہے تھے جبکہ اس تنظیم کے باقاعدہ ارکان روس، چین، تاجکستان، ازبکستان، کرغستان اور قزاقستان ہیں۔ پاکستان کی طرح بھارت اور منگولیا بھی شامل ہیں جبکہ افغانستان مہمانِ خصوصی کے طور پر شرکت کررہا ہے۔’
وزیراعظم نے خطے کے ممالک کو زمینی راستوں کے جال بچھانے کی ضرورت پر زور دیا جو خطے کی ترقی میں بہت مددگار ثابت ہوسکتا ہے۔
چین کے وزیراعظم وین جیاباؤ نے گیلانی کی تجویز کو سراہتے ہوئے اس تجویز کی حمایت کی۔ انہوں نے شنگھائی تعاون کی تنظیم کا دہشت گردی اور شدت پسندی کے خاتمے کردار کا تذکرہ کیا اور کہا کہ تنظیم کو چاہیے کہ وہ عالمی تبدیلیوں کا مقابلہ کرے۔
America's poor population up at 49mn
WASHINGTON: The number of poor Americans hit a record 49 million in 2010, or 16 percent, according to new data released on Monday that showed poverty rates for the elderly, Asians and Hispanics higher than previously known.
The figures were calculated by the Census Bureau under a broad new measure intended to supplement the official standard with a fuller picture of poverty in the United States. Results contrast with official poverty data, released in September, that put the number of poor Americans at 46.2 million.
The biggest rise occurred among people aged 65 and older who are being driven into poverty by out-of-pocket medical expenses, including premiums and co-pays from the federal government's Medicare program for the elderly.
The poverty rate for the elderly jumped to 15.9 percent, or a roughly 1 in 6 senior citizens, versus 9 percent under the official count.
The findings highlight the challenges facing Republicans and Democrats on a special congressional "super committee" charged with cutting at least $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next 10 years.
Both sides have proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare, which threatens to explode the U.S. debt burden, despite intensive lobbying against reductions by groups that represents beneficiaries and healthcare providers.
"People will say this shows how crucial it is not to cut a penny out of Medicare spending. And that's unfortunate, because it's an argument against solving the deficit," said Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution.
Like the government's Social Security pension system for the elderly, Medicare is also expected to be a hot-button issue in 2012 election politics for both parties as they vie for control of the White House and Congress.
INADEQUATE SAFETY NET
Unlike the Census Bureau's official poverty measure, which focuses on the food budgets and cash wages of the poor, the new calculation includes government benefits such as food stamps as well as household expenses like taxes, medical costs, housing and regional differences in the cost of living, the Census Bureau said in a report.
It will now supplement official poverty estimates, which have been used to determine eligibility for programs that help the poor since the mid-1960s.
The broader formula generates an overall U.S. poverty rate of 16 percent, versus an official 15.1 percent, with an annual poverty income threshold of $24,343 for a family of four, compared with $22,113 under the official measure.
"This shows that the social safety net is helping but not doing as much as we'd like to see," said Dave Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute. "The programs we have right now are, if anything, inadequate."
The new formula also showed poverty rates increasing for whites, Asians and working-age adults but falling for blacks and children.
For the first time, the poverty rate for Hispanics eclipsed the rate among blacks, by 28.2 percent to 25.4 percent, partly as a result of less participation in social programs, like housing subsidies, among immigrant groups.
As an indication of the benefits of government assistance, Census officials said the poverty rate would have risen to 18 percent if not for earned income tax credit for people with low to moderate incomes.
The broader measure was developed in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Academy of Sciences, Census officials said. (Reuters)
Steep decline in FDI due to non-conducive environment
ISLAMABAD: Lack of conducive environment, law and order situation, political instability, rampant corruption and frail economy have had a worst impact on the foreign investment in the country, Geo News reported Sunday.
According to the sources of Finance Ministry, the foreign investment to Pakistan has witnessed a whopping decline of 83 percent.
During the first quarter of FY 2011-12, US, UK and other developed countries only invested to the tune of 50.1 million dollars in Pakistan compared to over 290 million dollars in the same period last year.
Govt drills 131 exploratory oil/gas wells
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has drilled 131 exploratory wells during the last five years to meet the growing needs of oil and gas in the country.
"It a fact that the production of oil and gas in the country is less than their demand. However, the government has taken numerous steps to enhance their production," official sources told APP on Saturday.
The sources said exploration licences for 30 blocks were granted during the year 2010. In the Petroleum Exploration and Production Policy - 2011, additional incentives have been offered to the investors for exploration of oil & gas in Pakistan, they added.
The sources said the additional incentives would take care of extra risk taken by exploration and production companies for doing business under the prevailing security, law and order situation in the country.
They said presently 133 exploration licences had been granted for exploration of oil & gas in the country while 130 D&P leases were operative for the enhancement of production of oil and gas. Some 127 fields were producing 64,655 barrels of oil and 4215 Million Cubic Feet gas per day.
They said efforts were also being made to put newly made discoveries on production during 2011-2013.
The sources said the completion of pending development projects would enhance daily oil and gas production, adding that enhanced exploration in all areas would add new oil and gas reserves by improving law & order and providing conducive environment to local and foreign companies.
A basin study has already been carried out to co-relate entire data of different basins which will help identify new play types while through state-of-the-art data repository centre, digitized data is also available to existing and new companies to participate in exploration which will help in expediting exploration of oil and gas.
The sources said concentrating on more exploration in deeper prospects and under-explored geological frontiers would add new reserves. A tight gas policy has been notified which will offer 40-50 per cent higher prices than petroleum policy- 2009 gas price to attract exploration companies to invest in tight gas fields, they added.
The sources said the country had estimated recoverable tight gas reserves of 24 TCF and initially 100-150 mmcfd would be added depending on its success rate.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources is also working on "Low Btu Gas Policy and Shale Gas Policy" to encourage the investors to exploit these reservoirs.
Lahore,Pakistan Weather Report
Location: Lahore,Pakistan
Temprature: 25 °C | 77 °F
Weather: Smoke
Humidity: 50%
Wind: N at 0 mph
Forecast Conditions
Tue : 61°F - 82°F Mostly Sunny
Wed : 68°F - 86°F Partly Sunny
Thu : 64°F - 86°F Cloudy
Fri : 59°F - 86°F Partly Sunny
Temprature: 25 °C | 77 °F
Weather: Smoke
Humidity: 50%
Wind: N at 0 mph
Forecast Conditions
Tue : 61°F - 82°F Mostly Sunny Wed : 68°F - 86°F Partly Sunny 
Thu : 64°F - 86°F Cloudy Fri : 59°F - 86°F Partly Sunny Islamabad,Pakistan Weather Report
Location: Islamabad,Pakistan
Temprature: 17 °C | 63 °F
Weather: Rain
Humidity: 55%
Wind: SW at 34 mph
Forecast Conditions
Tue : 59°F - 77°F Mostly Sunny
Wed : 59°F - 73°F Mostly Sunny
Thu : 59°F - 79°F Partly Sunny
Fri : 55°F - 79°F Clear
Temprature: 17 °C | 63 °F
Weather: Rain
Humidity: 55%
Wind: SW at 34 mph
Forecast Conditions
Tue : 59°F - 77°F Mostly Sunny Wed : 59°F - 73°F Mostly Sunny Thu : 59°F - 79°F Partly Sunny 
Fri : 55°F - 79°F Clear 
