Tag: Holds

KARACHI - The technical and financial evaluation committee formed by the Sindh government to select a private partner for the execution of the modern grain storage facility project in the public-private partnership mode held its first meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting, presided over by Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Planning and Development Dr Kaiser Bengali, discussed the modalities and framework of the grain storage project. The committee includes adviser to the chief

LAHORE - The USAID funded Pre-STEP program sponsored a Strategic Planning workshop, which concluded at Pearl Continental Hotel on Wednesday. The workshop was the first in a series of other related activities planned for the year. It intends to introduce Strategic Planning as a tool to improve quality of teacher education in 15 Pre-STEP partner public universities under its Pre-Service Teacher Education Program.
A group of 50 professionals comprising Deans of Faculty of

LAHORE - Punjab chief minister (CM) has been taking interest in working for child rights and will receive regular notifications regarding any issues concerning child rights, said advisor to CM Zakia Shahnawaz at a workshop held by Sahil, a child rights organisation.
The workshop attempted to gather professionals from fields related to child rights and issues, including officials from government departments, such as Social Welfare, Child Protection and Welfare Department, Labour

BEIRUT - Lebanon's former powerbroker Syria has edged its way back into the heart of local politics, analysts say, after the militant Hezbollah and its allies toppled the Western-backed government of Saad Hariri.
"Over the past six years, Syria has sought to regain its influence, step by step, until the time came when it could announce to the world that Lebanon was once again squarely in its hands," said Marwan Rowayheb, political science professor at the Lebanese American

GREENSBORO - Ryan Bradley botched the landings on a pair of quad jumps to finish fourth in the free skate on Sunday but still captured the men's title at the US Figure Skating Championships. Bradley, who won the short programme Friday, stumbled on the finish of his first two jumps but was flawless the rest of the way to claim the crown with 231.90 points, 6.34 ahead of surprise runner-up Richard Dornbush.
"The quad is my money jump and I missed two at the start," Bradley said. "I

COMMENT - It was indeed a deplorable batting performance from Pakistan in the first ODI against New Zealand. On a pitch with bounce and offering movement, Pakistani batsmen looked perplexed and were bundled out for just 124 in just 37.3 overs a target which the hosts raced to in the 18th over.
After a more than reasonable batting effort in Tests, this poor show in the first game was pretty bad from Pakistan side.
Now for today's game in Queenstown Pakistan batsmen need to

LAHORE - The second annual conference of Four Brothers Group Pakistan, a leading agricultural sector company, is being inaugurated at a local hotel. The three-day conference will be attended by a large number of foreign and national agriculture experts, technocrats, government officials, foreign diplomats and franchisees of Tarzan Sale Centers from all over the country. The inaugural and closing sessions of the conference will be presided over by the Four Brothers Group Pakistan

TUNIS - Tunisia's main parties held talks on Sunday to form a national unity government as soldiers patrolled the streets amid fears of a backlash by supporters of ousted strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Officials said the government would now investigate killings of civilians during the wave of protests that led to Ben Ali's abrupt departure after 23 years in power and look into allegations of corruption of his inner circle. Around 1,500 protesters held a peaceful rally in the

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's size, geographical importance and abundant natural resources provide an ample opportunity for it to play a greater role in the global economy, USAID Mission Director Dr Andrew Sisson has pointed out.
He was speaking at the Public-Private Sector Consultative Roundtable Meeting on Trade, organised by US Agency for International Development's Pakistan Trade Project with support of Ministry of Commerce.
The roundtable has been organised with an aim to

LAHORE - Only one judge out of five performed his duty at the accountability courts yesterday and heard four cases as all the remaining judges were on leave. Accountability Court No 1 Judge Falak Sher heard the cases against Mian Muhammad Rasheed former MPA (PML-N), Khurram Shahzad (Forex Fraud), Muhammad Amjad Minhas and Muhammad Ibrahim (HBL Fraud).
He extended the physical remand of Muhammad Amjad Minhas and Muhammad Ibrahim nominated in Habib Bank Wasanpura Branch fraud case

LONDON
AFP
Manchester United remained top of the Premier League but on goal difference alone after Lee Bowyer's late equaliser gave Birmingham a 1-1 draw at St Andrews on Tuesday. It seemed as if Dimitar Berbatov's sublime goal in the 58th minute had wrapped up all three points for United but Bowyer salvaged a share of the spoils in controversial fashion a minute from time.
There was a suspicion of handball when Birmingham striker Nikola Zigic got to Roger Johnson's

SYDNEY: Sidelined Australian opener Simon Katich says his Achilles injury is recovering quicker than expected, putting him on track for a possible surprise comeback in the final Ashes Test. Katich, 35, said he was "really happy" at how the partial tear was reacting to rehab and physio after he hobbled through the second Test in Adelaide and was ruled out for the rest of the series. "It's hard to say when I will come back but it's tracking quicker than we thought it would at this

ISLAMABAD: The government has put on hold the increase due in power tariff and petroleum prices as it has received intelligence reports suggesting that the increase might spark countrywide protests.
A source told Pakistan Today that the intelligence agencies had told the government that further increase in power and petroleum prices would lead to protests, which could worsen the law and order situation across the country.
"The increase in tariff has been put on hold for the

TOKYO: Japan's central bank on Tuesday kept its key rate unchanged and said it would assess the impact of earlier measures to boost the faltering economy amid fears of a looming slowdown. The bank's board made the unanimous decision to keep the key rate between zero and 0.1 percent after a two-day meeting, warning that a fragile recovery from deep recession was "pausing".
"The bank will continue to carefully examine the outlook for economic activity and prices, and take policy

LAHORE - The Sunni Tehreek held protests against unemployment, inflation and vulgarity across Punjab on Sunday. Addressing the protests, Sunni Tehreek Lahore convener Mujahid Abdur Rasool said that the federal government should abstain from amending Section 295-C of blasphemy laws and the Punjab governor had surpassed Abu Jehal by saying that blasphemy laws were black laws.
He said that inflation, unemployment and vulgarity had played havoc with law and order in the country.

LAHORE: Love for material success is making doctors forget courtesy, politeness, sympathy and encouragement, the sentiments which were once the trademark of the medical profession, former principal King Edward Medical College Professor Khwaja Sadiq Hussain said while addressing new medical students on the white coat and fraternity day in Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical & Dental College on Saturday.
Pakistan has progressed in corruption only, he said, adding that the

LAHORE: Higher Education Chairman (HEC) Chairman Dr Javed Leghari stressed the need of PhDs in Pakistani universities, at the 5th convocation of Beaconhouse National University (BNU) on Wednesday.
BNU Vice Chancellor Sartaj Aziz, at the convocation held at BNU's Raiwind Road campus, briefed the audience about BNU's progress. He said BNU was the Pakistan's only liberal arts' university and was awarded a 'W' category by HEC in 2008, which is the top most ranking in the private