Tag: Focus

VIENNA - Iran and Syria found themselves in the spotlight on Monday as the UN nuclear watchdog convened for its traditional week-long spring meeting. The International Atomic Energy Agengy's 35-member board of governors was set to discuss two new reports showing little or no progress in the watchdog's long-running investigations into Iran's controversial atomic programme and allegations of illicit nuclear activity on the part of Syria.
In his opening address to the closed-door

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Friday promised to take every step to address the deprivation of the backward and underdeveloped regions of the country. Talking to the vice-chancellor (VC) of the Hazara University, the prime minister described education as a priority sector of his government, saying it was key to solve of all problems faced by the country including extremism and terrorism.
He appreciated Higher Education Commission (HEC)'s efforts for compiling a

ISLAMABAD - The sub committee of the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation will be briefed on issuing equity-linked instruments in Public Sector Entities (PSEs) today. The Minister for Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar chaired a meeting of investment banks and business groups to review the capital market transactions on Thursday, an official statement indicated.
The minister said that they were at a reasonable point to start focusing on domestic and international market transactions

SAHIWAL - Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Ashfaq has expressed his dissatisfaction over cleanliness in the city and directed the Sahiwal TMA to pay special focus on providing clean environment to the citizens. He ordered immediate removal of heaps of garbage from all residential and commercial areas during his visit to check cleanliness and review progress on various projects being carried out in the city.
DCO Waqas Ali Mahmood, Director Development Habib Jillani Vance, Administrator

BERLIN - Revolt in Egypt and the implications for the stalled Middle East peace process are set to be key talking points for top defence officials at the Munich Security Conference in Germany from Friday. The three-day annual get-together of ministers, top military brass, national security advisors and experts will also tackle hot-button issues like Iran, Afghanistan, the rise of China, NATO-Russia relations and disarmament.
Other topics for the 750 participants, who will include

DAVOS (SWITZERLAND) - The annual meeting of world elites at the Swiss ski resort of Davos opened Wednesday with executives highlighting a power shift from the advanced world to emerging market as recovery takes hold.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev confirmed that he would make his opening speech at the forum, despite cancelling most other Davos appointments after a deadly suicide bomb attack on a Moscow airport. Medvedev said in a newspaper interview that he would participate

GUJRANWALA - Former Federal Minister and PML-N leader Ghulam Dastgir Khan has criticised the MQM for supporting martial law in the Punjab and added that the ethnic party should concentrate on the rule of law in Karachi and adopt better attitude to become a mainstream political party instead of promoting target killings.
While talking to PML-N USA chapter office-bearer Nasir Ahmad Butt, Khan expressed deep concern over target killings in Karachi and MQM's alleged involvement in

The ODI series between New Zealand and Pakistan which starts today, offers a final opportunity to both the teams to experiment with their 15-men squads for the World Cup.
Pakistan will aim to continue their winning momentum after a good show in the Test series. In their last two ODI series they took both England and South Africa to the wire before losing out in the final game of the series to lose 3-2.
Shahid Afridi and his charges will be aiming for early damage. Pakistan

BERLIN - A financial crisis thriller starring Kevin Spacey and Demi Moore and a French 3D animated feature will vie for the top prizes at next month's Berlin film festival, organisers said Tuesday.
The 61st edition of the festival, running from February 10-20, will showcase 22 films in its main programme including 16 in the running for the festival's coveted Golden and Silver Bear top prizes, the organisers said in a statement announcing the complete list of competitors. Among

MELBOURNE - Third seed Kim Clijsters admitted it was difficult to keep her focus as former world number one Dinara Safina's game fell apart during the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday. Tournament favourite Clijsters destroyed Safina 6-0, 6-0 in just 44 minutes on the Rod Laver Arena, a loss that the Russian later called "embarrassing".
"When you feel that your opponent is not playing their best tennis, you really just try not to focus on that too much," Clijsters

KARACHI - Pakistan will hold a festival in Argentina next year to introduce Pakistani products particularly textiles in the potentially lucrative market. Islamabad is also sending a high-powered trade delegation to Argentina comprising of leading manufacturers and exporters of textile in order to cultivate contacts in the foreign country and explore avenues for gaining a foothold in the market.
This, according to sources, was decided in a meeting between Trade Development

ISLAMABAD: Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector should be supported through relaxation in taxes and financial assistance, said Mahfooz Elahi, President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), addressing a business community here on Saturday.
Elahi said that the SME development was pivotal to economic growth and had great significance in the development of economy.
He stated that SMEs are considered the engine of economic growth in both developed and

LAHORE: Primary and secondary education of civics must begin at an elementary level to instill in students a sense of good citizenship and primary curriculum and textbooks must instill tolerance, gender equality and human rights, speakers at a seminar on 'Civic Education in Schools' organised by the Human Resource Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said. The seminar was attended by educationists, curriculum experts and human rights observers.
The speakers noticed the fact that civic

SRINAGAR: A top separatist in Indian-held Kashmir on Sunday urged the US to intervene in the disputed region, saying Washington could eliminate its "trust-deficit" in the Muslim world.
Syed Ali Geelani said in a statement directed at President Barack Obama, who is visiting India, "Resolution of the (Kashmir) problem with American assistance will go a long way in eradicating the trust deficit between the US and the Muslim world."
Congratulating Obama on his three-day visit to