Mangal Bagh flees to Afghanistan: Ansarul Islam

Banned organisation Ansarul Islam on Sunday claimed that the leader of their rival group Lashkar-e-Islam, Mangal Bagh, has fled to Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Ansarul Islam spokesperson Qari Mehboob said that Mangal Bagh has fled the country with the aid of Amin Shah Shinwar.

I am not afraid of returning to Pakistan: Musharraf

LAHORE: Former President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday assured his supporters that he was not afraid of returning to Pakistan.

He vowed his return through a video address in Lahore.

Another earthquake jolts Japan

TOKYO:

A powerful aftershock rocked northeast Japan on Thursday and a tsunami warning was issued for the coast devastated by last month’s massive quake and tsunami that crippled a nuclear power plant.

Bomb in Indian-held Kashmir kills prominent Muslim cleric

SRINAGAR: A bomb went off outside a mosque in Kashmir’s main city on Friday, killing a prominent Muslim cleric, police and witnesses said, the first such attack near a religious place in recent years.

Maulana Showkat Shah, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith which is involved in social work, was entering the mosque to lead Friday prayers when the bomb went off. One worshipper was wounded.

No radiation changes at Fukushima after quake: IAEA

VIENNA: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued statement on Friday saying that no radiation changes were detected at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant after Thursday’s earthquake and the injection of water remained uninterrupted into reactor pressure vessels.

Terrorism claims more than 3,000 lives in 2 years

ISLAMABAD: Terrorism incidents claimed more than 3,000 lives and injured 9,000 during the last two fiscal years in Pakistan.

Speaking in Senate on Friday, Interior Minister Rehman Malikrevealed that the figures did not include security personnel and those killed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

'350 suicide bombers being trained in NW'

Fidai said his mission was to attack the shrine half an hour after the first wave of attacks so that people gathered at the site could be targeted. He claimed a man known as Sangeen Khan travels from Waziristan to Afghanistan and picks out targets for the bombers. He also claimed that a man known as Naeem indoctrinates the bombers.

Trade bodies part ways but strike to go ahead

KARACHI:

Traders and shopkeepers have decided to go ahead with the strike call for today (Tuesday) against the wishes of the largest trade association of the city, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

A split emerged between shopkeepers and businessmen in a meeting on Monday when the KCCI leadership announced it would

Students gather in Kabul on fifth day of Afghan protests

KABUL: Around 250 young Afghans gathered at Kabul University on Tuesday shouting “death to America” on the fifth day of protests against the burning of Quran by a fundamentalist U.S. pastor.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in protests around Afghanistan. There has been deadly violence in two cities, although most protests ended with nothing more dramatic than burning of flags and effigies.

Afridi breaks into world’s top ten

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has climbed five places in the International Cricket Council (ICC) player rankings for One-Day International (ODI) bowlers to reach the ninth position.

Miandad tipped for Pakistan batting coach.

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi Tuesday said batting legend Javed Miandad was expected to help the team’s batsmen with their form after being persuaded by the country’s cricket chief.

Pakistan’s faltering batsmen have been blamed for the team’s 29-run defeat against India in the World Cup semi-final at Mohali a week ago, leading to calls for Miandad to help them.

Militants strike again in Lower Dir

PESHAWAR:

At least seven people, including an anti-Taliban leader and his son, were killed in a suicide attack at a market in the Munda area of Lower Dir district on Monday.

Police officials say the attack took place around noon outside a bargain car market, near a busy bus stop, which killed seven and injured 22 other people. The bargain centre was owned by Muhammad Akbar Khan,

Punjab govt hires 465 new doctors as protests continue

The Punjab government on Tuesday suspended 188 doctors and recruited 465 new ones to normalise the situation at hospitals, especially at emergency wards, as protests continued.

Young doctors across Punjab have been protesting demanding an increase in their salaries for the past few weeks.

MQM sets 2 day deadline for action against extortionists..

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday set a two-day deadline for the government to take action against the extortionist mafia in Karachi.

The MQM had staged a walkout during the senate session, demanding that the government take action against the rising cases of extortion.

History-defying India lift World Cup 2011

MUMBAI: Gautam Gambhir made 97 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls as India won the World Cup for the first time since 1983 with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night final, rode on Mahela Jayawardene’s 103 not out off 88 balls to pile up 274-6 in their 50 overs.

Victorious Szabist students bag best institution award

KARACHI:

A group of students of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist) has returned victorious from China, where they bagged several awards.

Agha Siraj Durrani’s guard: Imran was killed by men picking off members from his old gang

KARACHI:

Investigators believe that the chief security officer of minister Agha Siraj Durrani was killed because some people have been slowly picking off members of a group he belonged to in the 1990s.

10 students kidnapped in Hangu

HANGU: Ten students were kidnapped from the Bagan area of District Hangu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.

Sources said the students belonged to Kurram Agency and had taken their Matriculation exams at the center set up in Hangu due to the unrest in Kurram.

‘Pakistan, India to carry forward talks’

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and India have decided to carry forward the dialogue process and all issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, were discussed with the Indian leadership in Mohali.

Five die in Kandahar protest over US Quran burning

KANDAHAR: At least five people have been killed in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, on a second day of violent protests over the burning of a Quran by an obscure US pastor, a health official and government spokesman said on Saturday.

A suicide attack also hit a Nato military base in the capital Kabul, the day after protesters over-ran a UN mission in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and killed seven foreign staff, in the worst ever attack on the UN in Afghanistan.

Fever pitch atmosphere for World Cup final

Frenzied fans, ticket touts and paramilitary police promised a heady mix of carnival and caution for the cricket World Cup final in Mumbai Saturday between hosts India and South Asian rivals Sri Lanka.

Roads have been blocked around the Wankhede Stadium venue, with some 3,500 police personnel out in force to ensure the safety of the two teams and the 32,000 spectator

Sharapova set for Miami final

MIAMI:

Eighth-seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat Russian third-seed Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-3 in a night match to reach the final of the $9 million WTA and ATP Masters tournament .

Azarenka faces former world number one Maria Sharapova today who rallied for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over German Andrea Petkovic in the other semi-final.

The final showdow

MUMBAI:

As two subcontinent teams prepare to battle it out for the World Cup trophy for the first time, India captain MS Dhoni warned rivals Sri Lanka to expect a tough contest in today’s final in Mumbai, saying his team had yet to play their best cricket.

History-defying India lift World Cup

MUMBAI: Gautam Gambhir made 97 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls as India won the World Cup for the first time since 1983 with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night final, rode on Mahela Jayawardene’s 103 not out off 88 balls to pile up 274-6 in their 50 overs.

Gambhir and Dhoni star as India win World Cup

MUMBAI: Gautam Gambhir and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni starred as India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Gambhir, dropped on 30 and nearly run out on 49, made 97 to put India within sight of victory after openers Virender Sehwag (nought) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) both fell cheaply to fast bowler Lasith Malinga.