Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Happy New Year 1427

Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is the first day of the month of Muharram. It marks the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 CE when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) moved from Mecca to Medina, and set up the first Islamic state.
The Muslim calendar counts dates from the Hijra, which is why Muslim dates have the suffix A.H. (After Hijra).

Outrage at insult to Islam



BAHRAIN'S parliament lashed out in outrage last night over newspaper cartoons insulting Prophet Mohammed and Islam. They demanded official apologies from Denmark, where the cartoons were first published and Norway, where they were republished by a magazine earlier this month. MPs also demanded action by Bahrain's government against Denmark and called for mass protests all over the country, after Friday prayers.
They broke off from holiday to meet in an emergency session, during which they also passed a resolution urging Bahrain's business community to boycott all products from Denmark and Norway. An apology from the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published the 12 cartoons last September, was not enough, said MPs.They said the apology should come from head of state Queen Margrethe and from the Danish government. Bahrain should also demand an official apology, instigate an official boycott of goods and take legal action against the publishers in the Danish courts, said the MPs' resolution.

Virus alert: Nyxem set to spring on 3 February

Businesses have been warned to brace themselves for a possible traffic spike next week caused by the Nyxem virus.
Nyxem was first reported on 16 January. It is thought to have infected more than half a million PCs and security vendor Ironport warned on Thursday that these machines are now hard-coded to propagate the virus on 3 February.
Companies are unlikely to be directly affected if they are running up-to-date antivirus software because the major antivirus vendors have now released patches. But Ironport warned companies could experience secondary effects as the virus tries to propagate itself by harvesting email addresses on an infected machine.
Jason Steer, technical consultant at Ironport, said: "The knock-on effects will come as compromised PCs try to communicate with businesses. This will cause additional email and network traffic, and possible slow down email response time."
Security company F-Secure has reported that Nyxem.E reached the top position in its virus statistics with 21.7 per cent of all reported infections. On Saturday the web counter used by the Nyxem worm itself showed more than 510,000 infections and continued to rise, according to F-Secure.

پی سی کیلیے 3 فروری تک خطرہ



پی سی استعمال کرنے والوں کو ہدایت کی گئی ہے کہ وہ تین فروری سے پہلے اپنے کمپیوٹر سکین کرلیں تاکہ ایک خطرناک وائرس کی تخریب کاری سے بچ سکیں۔
کمپیوٹر ماہرین کے مطابق اس تاریخ کو نکسم نامی وائرس متاثرہ کمپیوٹروں کی ورڈ، پاور پوائنٹ، ایکسل اور ایکروبیٹ فائیلز ڈیلیٹ یا ضائع کردے گا۔

اس وائرس نے پہلے ہی کئی کمپیوٹرز کو متاثر کردیا ہے۔ اس وائرس کی فائل ای میل کے ذریعے آتی ہے۔ اس ای میل میں بظاہر پورن وڈیو یا تصاویر دکھانے کی اٹیچمنٹ ہوتی ہے جسے کھولنے پر یہ وائرس کمپیوٹر کو متاثر کردیتا ہے۔

وائرس کے خلاف مہم میں سرگرم اداروں نے اس ای میل کی کئی کاپیاں روکی بھی ہیں تاہم ان کا کہنا ہے کہ اب تک یہ کئی مشینوں کو نقصان پہنچا چکا ہے۔

نکسم ای نامی یہ وائرس سولہ جنوری کو پہلی بار سامنے آیا تھا۔ کمپیوٹر سکیورٹی کے ایک ادارے کے مطابق اب تک تین لاکھ کمپیوٹر اس سے متاثر ہوچکے ہیں۔

جرنیلوں کوسبق سکھائینگے: نواز


پاکستان کے جلاوطن سابق وزیرِاعظم محمد نواز شریف نے کہا ہے کہ آئین توڑنے والوں کو سزا دی جائے گی۔ وہ اتوار کی رات سعودی عرب سے لندن پہنچنے پر اپنے استقبال کے لیے جمع ہونے والوں سے خطاب کر رہے تھے۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ پاکستان میں آئین کو اس حالت میں بحال کیا جائے گا جس طرح وہ 12 اکتوبر 1999 کو تھا۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ ایل ایف او اور سترہویں ترمیم ناجائز ہیں اور فوجی حکومت کی وجہ سے پاکستان دنیا میں ایک بےتوقیر ملک بن کر رہ گیا ہے۔

سابق وزیراعظم نے جنرل مشرف کو تنقید کا نشانہ بناتے ہوئے کہا کہ ’جنرل مشرف اپنے اقتدار کو طول دینے کے لیے امریکہ کی ہر بات کو مانتے جا رہے ہیں‘۔

’حادثہ نہیں تخریب کاری تھی‘


پاکستان کے وفاقی وزیر مملکت برائے ریلوے اسحاق خاکوانی نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ جائے حادثہ پر ایسے اوزار ملے ہیں جن سے ریلوے ٹریک کی ایک لائن کو کھولا گیا تھا تاکہ ٹرین حادثے کا شکار ہو جائے۔

ان کے مطابق یہ مبینہ تخریب کاری اس طرح کی گئی تھی تاکہ ٹرین دریا میں گر جائے۔ تاہم انہوں نے کہا کہ خوش قسمتی سے ٹرین دریا میں نہیں گری بلکہ گھسٹتی ہوئی نیچے گئی اور بڑے پیمانے پر ہلاکتیں نہیں ہوئیں۔

Friday, January 27, 2006

ٹولنگٹن مارکیٹ کی نئی زندگی


ٹولنگٹن مارکیٹ کی عمارت بحالی کے بعد (2006 )

دنیا بھر کے شہروں میں قدیم عمارتوں کو مسمار کر کے وہاں تجارتی اہمیت کی بلند و بالا بلڈنگیں تعمیر کرنے کا کاروباری جنون موجود ہے لیکن تہذیب یافتہ معاشروں میں اس رجحان کے خلاف احتجاج بھی اُسی زور شور سے ہوتا ہے اوربعض اوقات ثقافتی تحفظ کے حامی لوگوں کا گروہ اتنا مضبوط ثابت ہوتا ہے کہ قبضہ گروپ کی غنڈہ گردی اور ’پلازہ سازوں‘ کا جوشِ تجارت ان کے سامنےماند پڑ جاتا ہے۔

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Jackson goes shopping



MANAMA (Bahrain) : Photographers cut short a shopping trip by Michael Jackson and his entourage to Marina Mall yesterday.The pop star, wearing a traditional woman's veil and abaya over men's clothes, visited Mothercare, Shoe Mart and Al Hawaj with three children, bodyguards and an unidentified woman at around 1pm.
The woman was also wearing an abaya over her jeans with a scarf partially covering her face. The children's faces were also wrapped in black scarves.
When photographers arrived, the party approached the mall's security guards and told them they did not wish to be photographed, according to sources.
Mr Jackson and his group were then allowed to leave through the mall's back entrance as two photographers snapped away at them.
They entered a parked white Lexus Infinity with darkened glass and left.
The superstar first came to Bahrain on June 29 last year as a guest of Southern Governor Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa. He has previously been spotted at Seef Mall and Bahrain Mall, as well as at a wedding he attended as a guest.

Veteran politician Wali Khan dies



PESHAWAR: Veteran politician Khan Abdul Wali Khan passed away here on Thursday after protracted illness at the age of 89. Abdul Wali Khan slipped to comma after brain hemorrhage two days back. Wali Khan, who started his politics from Khudai Khidmatgar Party, later led the Awami National Party. Khan Abdul Wali Khan was one of the most politically active sons of Badshah Khan. Wali Khan is a senior politician in Pakistan. He served as President of the National Awami Party, National Democratic Party and Awami National Party (ANP) for many years and now acts as the ideological mentor (rehbar) of his party (Rehbar).
In 1970 elections, he elected both National Assembly and Provincial assembly from Charsada In 1988 elections, Khan Abdul Wali Khan elected Member of National assembly from NA-5 after defeating Nisar Muhammad Khan. He became the leader of opposition in the National Assembly in which Benazir Bhutto was the leader of the house.
In 1990 general elections Khan Abdul Wali Khan was defeated at the hands of Maulana Hassan Jan of JUI(F).
Wali Khan was born on January 11, 1917 in Utmanzai town of Charsadda District.He received his early education from Azad Islamia High School and later shifted to Irish government's Deradun Public School. He completed his Senior Cambridge in 1933 and started his political career by joining Khudai Khidmatgar Movement in 1942. The movement was launched by his father prominent Pakhtoon freedom fighter Abdul Ghaffar Khan, commonly known as Bacha Khan.
His funeral prayers would be offered on Friday at Jinnah Park, Peshawar. A widow, two sons and three daughters survived Wali Khan.

Quran

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

ایک مسلح بگٹی ہتھیار بند راکٹ لانچر اٹھائے ڈیرہ بگٹی کے قریب پہاڑی پر پہرہ دے رہا ہے۔

ایک قبائلی جنگجو بگٹی ہیڈکواٹر میں چھپائی ہوئی گاڑی پر سے کپڑا اتار رہا ہے۔

سردار اکبر بگٹی مسلح باڈی گارڈز کے ساتھ چہل قدمی کرتے ہوئے۔

King Abdullah



King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia smiles during the ceremonial reception at the presidential palace as India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks on in New Delhi on January 25. King Abdullah is the chief guest for India's 57th Republic Day celebrations.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Webcast network JumpTV to launch Iraqi service



Iraqi emigres everywhere can soon tune into Baghdad's hottest TV hits, including a Mesopotamian version of "American Idol," Saddam Hussein's trial and a talk show hosted by Iraq's equivalent of Oprah Winfrey.
As early as next month, New York-based JumpTV, billed as the world's leading provider of television broadcasts over the Internet, will begin offering the programs of five independent Iraqi television stations for $19.95 per month.
The Iraqi programming bundle is the latest addition to a online distribution network that streams live, high-quality TV signals from about 100 channels in more than 40 countries over the JumpTV Web site (www.jumptv.com).

'Botmaster' pleads guilty to computer crimes



A man looks at an array of computers in an undated photo. A 20-year-old accused of using hundreds of thousands of hijacked computers, or "bot nets," to damage systems and send massive waves of spam across the Internet, pleaded guilty to federal charges on Monday. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

Microsoft says gets more time to reply on fine proposal

Microsoft Corp. said on Monday it had been given extra time by the European Commission to respond to the threat of a $2 million-a-day fine over allegations that it has failed to comply with a landmark EU antitrust ruling

Bahrain Weather

Market Snapshot

سوئی میں پائپ لائن اڑا دی گئی

صوبہ بلوچستان کے شہر سوئی میں پیرکوہ گیس پلانٹ کے قریب پانی کی ترسیل کی پائپ لائن کو دھماکے سے اڑا دیا گیا ہے۔
دوسری طرف نیم فوجی دستے کی ایک گاڑی بارودی سرنگ سے ٹکرا گئی ہے جس سے تین اہلکاروں کے زخمی ہونے کی اطلاع ہے لیکن اس کی سرکاری سطح پر تصدیق نہیں ہو سکی۔

Musharraf says al-Qaida members likely killed in Bajaur



OSLO: President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday there were indications that al-Qaida members were killed in a U.S. airstrike Bajaur tribal region near the Afghan border on Jan. 13.
He was talking to newsmen in Oslo during his visit of Norway.
Musharraf said that Pakistan has determined to continue the war against terrorism. He said extremism could not be defeated by military power alone. It needs to be addressed through other weapons, as the extremism is a state of mind, which could not be dealt by military action. He said Pakistan has adopted a combination of short and long-term measures, and counted several steps including a ban on extremist organizations and distribution of hate material.
Musharraf earlier called on the prime minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg.

KSE-index tumbles down by 177 points to 10170

KARACHI: Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) today failed to sustain its all time high record of buoyancy in the wake of heavily weighing selling pressures in January contracts due to the month-end settlements nearing, which watered down last few days’ heat of optimism that saw KSE-100 shares index sliding ....

Monday, January 23, 2006

Blasts hit Baghdad on eve of Saddam trial

BAGHDAD - A series of bomb blasts rocked Baghdad on Monday as insurgents targeted a police checkpoint near the government compound, killing at least two people, fired mortar bombs into a park and attacked a U.S. patrol.
The attacks came the day before the trial of Saddam Hussein was due to resume and as political parties prepared for talks on forming a coalition government the United States hopes will undermine support for a Sunni Arab insurgency.
The chief judge in Saddam's trial told Reuters he was standing by his decision to resign and would not preside over Tuesday's session in the fortified Green Zone compound. Judge Rizgar Amin resigned earlier this month complaining of government interference in the trial.
Despite increased security throughout Baghdad, a suicide car bomber struck a checkpoint into the Green Zone, close to the Iranian embassy, which staff said was not damaged in the blast.
Television pictures showed a burnt-out police vehicle still smoldering and the twisted, blackened wreckage of the bomber's car. A foot lay among the blast debris scattered in the street.
Police said two people were killed and six wounded -- three civilians and three policemen.
Minutes later a roadside bomb exploded in the al-Waziriya area, wounding two people. Several mortar bombs fell short of the Green Zone into a park that also houses Baghdad Zoo and an amusement park. Police said no one was injured.
A car bomb blast hit a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol in southern Baghdad, wounding two civilians, police said.
Iraq's Interior Ministry said a security clampdown in the capital was still in force amid fears that Sunni Arab rebels, angered by the results of a December 15 election that confirmed the dominance of Shi'ite Islamists, would launch more attacks.
"We are expecting a rise in attacks by gunmen because of the results of the election," a ministry official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
ANGER OVER RESULTS

D-Link SecureSpot


D-Link SecureSpot is the first all-in-one desktop Internet security device designed for protecting the home and family. The home broadband user now has access to a comprehensive, effective, and easy-to-use desktop security device that eliminates the need for multiple (and frequently incompatible) complex and expensive software solutions.

All-in-one Desktop Internet Security Device

* First solution of its kind in the market place.
* More cost-effective and efficient than buying, installing, and integrating many confusing and expensive stand-alone security products on multiple computers.
* The vast majority of homes and small offices connected to the Internet are still unprotected from hackers, viruses, spam and new, emerging threats.
* Despite the greater awareness computer users have of these threats, tech savvy users have to choose from confusing and expensive stand-alone security products, while the average PC owner seldom has the time and/or technical know-how to research and install the best solution.
* Brought to consumers from trusted and recognized vendors—D-Link and Bsecure.
* Enterprise-grade AntiVirus from Sophos.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Insurgent fire 500 rockets in Dera Bugti



بلوچستان کےشہر ڈیرہ بگٹی میں سنیچر کے روز بھی شدید گولہ باری کی گئی ہے اور مقامی لوگوں کا کہنا ہے کہ دو روز میں انیس افراد ہلاک ہوئے ہیں۔ جمہوری وطن پارٹی کے لیڈر شاہد بگٹی نے دعویٰ کیا ہے کہ اکیس دنوں میں پینسٹھ افراد ہلاک ہوئے ہیں لیکن اس کی تصدیق سرکاری سطح پر نہیں ہوئی ہے۔

DERA BUGTI: Unknown armed persons clashed with troops of Frontier Corps here, injuring two FC Jawans, sources reported. DCO Dera Bugti Abdul Samad Lasi told that clashes between armed persons and the FC troops have occurred in different areas of the district. The clashes have caused losses to the FC fort and government’s assets.
He informed further that insurgents fired at least 500 rockets on the FC fort. around 300 rockets fell down on the fort, causing it a massive loss, he added. In the rockets-firing, two Jawans of the FC were injured and a bus and tractor were completely destroyed. Some of the rockets also hit the civil colony of the district.
An FC dispensary, college and different vehicles were also badly damaged by the rockets. Stern actions against the attackers, warned the DCO.

Friday, January 20, 2006

PML leaders should create consensus on five dams: Musharraf

RAWALPINDI: President Pervez Musharraf has asked Pakistan Muslim League Sindh leaders to iron out their differences and work for a consensus in Sindh on construction of five large dams including the Kalabagh dam.
PML leaders from Sindh called on President Pervez Musharraf at the presidential camp office in Rawalpindi on Friday and a strategy was finalized to create a consensus in Sindh on construction of large dams.
Chief Minister of Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Chairman senate Mohammedmian Soomro, National Security Council’s Secretary Tariq Aziz, federal ministers from Sindh Liaquat Jatoi, Abdul Razzaq Thahim, Ghous Bux Mahar, secretary general PML Sindh Nadir Akmal Leghari, Imtiaz Shaikh and other political notables of the province attended the meeting.
Musharraf said that the dams are the need of the country and Kalabagh dam has been in the best interest of Sindh. “I want to save Sindh, for which construction of Kalabagh dam is necessary”, he said and added that he has announced to build Bhasha and Munda dams first in respect of the public opinion.
He said before creating a consensus on dams in the province and addressing peoples’ reservations on the issue mutual differences should be sorted out. Musharraf said that the construction of all five large dams would be completed till 2016.
PML leaders lauded the decision to build Bhasha and Munda dams first saying that the president has respected the public opinion and now the people will esteem the president’s opinion.

Iran says pulling money out of Europe


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prays at a Shi'ite Muslin shrine near Damascus, January 20, 2006 on the last day of the Iranian leader's visit to Syria. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri

ایران: ذرِ مبادلہ یورپ سے باہر منتقل


TEHRAN - Iran is transferring its assets from European accounts to other foreign banks, a senior Iranian official said on Friday, in an attempt to pre-empt possible U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program.

The official confirmed comments from central bank governor Ebrahim Sheibani carried on Iran's ISNA student news agency that Iran had started transferring funds.

"Yes, Iran has started withdrawing money from European banks and transferring it to other banks abroad," he told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

There were no details on where the funds might be heading.

"We transfer foreign reserves to wherever we see as expedient. On this issue, we have started transferring. We are doing that," Sheibani told the ISNA agency.

ISNA asked whether the money was being moved to Asian accounts but Sheibani's answer sidestepped whether the assets would head east.

The news spooked financial markets as they pondered the likely destination of Iran's funds.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Bin Laden warns of US attacks



DUBAI - Osama bin Laden warned that al Qaeda was preparing new attacks inside the United States, but said the group was open to a conditional truce with Americans, according to an audio tape attributed to him on Thursday.

Universal Music opens vaults for digital downloads



LONDON - Universal Music, the world's biggest record label, is digging deep into its vaults to release download-only recordings from its vast back catalog.
The company said on Wednesday it is embarking on a program to digitise 100,000 out of print 1European recordings, beginning with 3,000 British, French and German albums from artists such as Marianne Faithfull, Brian Auger and Brigitte Bardot.
"Over the next three to four years, we aim to reissue perhaps as many as 10,000 albums for downloading, which amounts to more than 100,000 tracks," said Barney Wragg, senior vice president of Universal Music Group International's eLabs division. "This program will offer material that, in some cases, goes back to the early days of recorded music."
The digitised songs, many of which have only been published on vinyl LPs, will then go to Universal's online music partners such as Apple's iTunes Music Store.
The new initiative -- carried out after Universal digitised all of its active catalog -- reflects the new reality of Internet music stores where "shelf space" is effectively infinite, and a large proportion of sales come from the long tail of non-blockbusters.
Dig
itising music, particularly back catalog recordings, can be complicated by the fact that older contracts with musicians and publishers did not include digital rights. That adds a tangle of red tape to the task of converting analog tapes or vinyl into a digital file that can played by a computer or a device like Apple's iPod.
Universal Music is owned by France's Vivendi Universal

Lahore Weather

China urges restraint in Iran nuclear crisis


LONDON - China again called for restraint in the Iran crisis on Thursday, with no sign of international consensus yet on the West's drive for the U.N. Security Council to take charge of efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear program...

Senior al Qaeda figures believed killed in US strike



ISLAMABAD - An al Qaeda bomb expert with a $5 million bounty on his head and a son-in-law of the group's No. 2 were among four militants believed killed by a U.S. airstrike last week, Pakistani intelligence sources said on Thursday.
Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed acknowledged that "a few militants" had been killed in Friday's attack, which also killed 18 civilians, but said their bodies had not been recovered and their identity was under investigation.
However, intelligence sources said they believed they knew the names of three men killed in the attack, which U.S. officials say was aimed at al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri.
Pakistani intelligence sources said al-Zawahri was not at the scene of the attack, but one of the dead was thought to be one of his sons-in-law, Abdul Rehman Al-Misri al Maghribi, who was responsible for al Qaeda's media department.

U.S. stock futures inch up on Advanced Micro profit

NEW YORK, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures were flat to up slightly on Thursday, a day after earnings from microchip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. lifted sentiment about corporate earnings.

KSE Index gains 25 points to close at 10260



KARACHI: Karachi Stock Exchange 100-Index climbed 25 points on Thursday due to buying in the cement sector and closed at 10260 points.
The day was begun in negative zone and the market suffered pressure due to share sale from a large brokerage house losing 74 points. However the buying trend later witnessed and the cement sector buying after announcement of the Bhasha dam construction played role in leading the index in positive zone.
Share price of D.G. Khan Cement gained Rs 0.90 and closed at Rs 120.85, Fauji Cement with Rs. 1.20 increase closed at Rs. 25.30, while the Bank of Punjab shares lost 30 paisa and went down to Rs. 118.25.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Bhasha dam’s construction to begin from Feb: Musharraf



ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday announced building of Bhasha and Munda dams to fulfill the country’s rapidly increasing water and energy requirements.
Declaring that water is the lifeline for Pakistan’s sustained economic growth, the president said the earth-breaking for the construction of Bhasha dam would commence in the first week of February.
He said by 2016 all dams, including Bhasha, Kalabagh, Akori, Munda and Koram Tangi, would be constructed. He also unveiled a new National Finance Commission Award, allocating greater resources for provinces.
In an address to the nation, the president expressed a firm resolve to rebuild quake-shattered areas on modern lines and said the government was fully seized with the challenging task. He dismissed as absolutely wrong the impression being created by vested interests that a military operation was under way in parts of Balochistan and said it was the Frontier Corps, which had acted in self-defence against anti-development elements.

India, Pakistan agree new peace steps



NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan agree to open a second bus route linking their parts of disputed Kashmir, official says.
The officials of both the countries on Wednesday ended their second day of talks that focused on Kashmir and discussed ways to further boost confidence building along the Line of Control (LoC) to resolve the decades-old issue that continues to be a source of friction between them. Also
They also reached consensus on starting a bus service between between Poonch region and Rawalakot in the Pakistani zone of Kashmir before April.
A bus service between Srinagar, and Muzaffarabad, began last April after almost 60 years in what was seen as the first tangible fruits of the peace process.
A truck service on Muzaffarabad-Srinagar route for trade in permitted goods would be in place as soon as the infrastructure damaged during the earthquake is restored, the joint statement said.
India and Pakistan also agreed to implement fresh measures to lower tensions over Kashmir and confirmed their commitment to keep their stuttering peace process on track.
A joint statement issued at the end of the talks, which marked the start of a third round of negotiations since the arch-rivals began talking peace two years ago, said India and Pakistan "reaffirmed their commitments to move forward the peace process in a meaningful way".
The two foreign secretaries -- India's Saran and Pakistan's Riaz Mohammed Khan -- "agreed to mandate two expert groups to continue consultations on security concepts and nuclear doctrines" to enhance mutual trust and avoid conflict, the statement said.
The experts would finalise an agreement "on reducing the risk of nuclear accidents or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons," the statement said.
Both sides would also work towards an agreement "on prevention of incidents" between naval vessels and aircraft of the two countries.

Men enjoy others' misfortune more than women -study

LONDON - Germans have a word for it -- schadenfreude -- and when it comes to getting pleasure from someone else's misfortune, men seem to enjoy it more than women.
Such is the conclusion reached by scientists at University College London in what they say is the first neuroscientific evidence of schadenfreude.
Using brain-imaging techniques, they compared how men and women reacted when watching other people suffer pain.
If the sufferer was someone they liked, areas of the brain linked to empathy and pain were activated in both sexes.
Women had a similar response if they disliked the person experiencing the pain but men showed a surge in the reward areas of the brain.
"The women had a diminished empathic response," said Dr Klaas Enoo Stephan, a co-author of the report. "But it was still there, whereas in the men it was completely absent," he added in an interview.
The scientists, who reported their findings in the journal Nature, said the research shows that empathic responses in men are shaped by the perceived fairness of others.
"Empathic responses to other people are not automatic, as has been assumed in the past, but depend on the emotional link to the person who is observed suffering," Stephan said.
In the two-part study, 32 men and women volunteers played a game in which they exchanged money with four other people who were actors playing a part.
The actors were either fair characters, who returned equal amounts of cash that have been given to them, or unfair people who gave little or no money back to the volunteers.
In the second part of the experiment, the volunteers were placed in magnetic imaging brain scanners as they watched the actors receiving a mild electric shock, similar to a bee sting.

Cingular to sell phone with Microsoft software


NEW YORK - Cingular Wireless, the No. 1 U.S. cellphone service provider, said on Wednesday it would begin selling a mobile phone running the latest Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) software for mobile phones.
The Cingular-branded 2125 Smartphone, made by High Tech Computer Corp. (2498.TW: Quote, Profile, Research) will go on sale for $199 on Wednesday. Cingular, a venture of AT&T Inc (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and BellSouth Corp. (BLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), is aiming the phone at both business and consumer customers, spokesman John Kampfe said.
It will be the U.S. first phone based on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software that has a typical cellphone dial pad instead of a tiny computer-style keyboard.
Palm Inc (PALM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and UTStarcom Inc. (UTSI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) already sell phones in the United States using Windows Mobile 5.0 but these are aimed mostly at business customers and have small computer-like keyboards.
In the first half of the year Microsoft plans to provide a software upgrade that will let the phone automatically deliver e-mails from Microsoft's office e-mail system, potentially helping it compete better with Research In Motion

Market Snapshot

Baghdad ambush kills 10, Africans missing


BAGHDAD - Insurgents mounted a major ambush in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing up to 10 people and kidnapping one and possibly two African engineers in a second coordinated attack in the capital in as many days.
There was no word on the fate of the telephone engineers from Malawi and Madagascar after gunmen swarmed onto a busy street to trap the armed convoy in which they were traveling.
Police said the Malawian had definitely been seized but it was unclear what had happened to his colleague.
The trial of Saddam Hussein was thrown into fresh confusion when the commission charged with rooting out Saddam's Baath party followers from positions of power said the newly named chief judge was being investigated and should be barred.
The U.S.-sponsored trial has already been rocked by the killings of two defense lawyers, accusations of sectarian and ethnic bias and the resignation of the previous chief judge, who complained politicians accused him of being soft on Saddam.
President Jalal Talabani urged the Sunni Arab minority, whose community has fostered the insurgency, to drop complaints about last month's election and start negotiating for places in a coalition government once final results come out this week.
He expressed hope that consensus politics could end the violence that has blighted the country since U.S. forces ousted Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated government in 2003, but there was no sign of a quick end to the bloodshed and kidnappings.
The kidnappers of an American journalist released a video of her and demanded the release of women prisoners. Another high-profile abduction ended with the freeing of a sister of the Interior Minister, two weeks after she was seized.
Diplomatic negotiations continued with Iran over an incident in which Iraqi officials accused Iranian forces of "kidnapping" nine Iraqi coastguards on their tidal waterway frontier in the south. Having previously denied knowledge of it, Iran said Iraqi vessels had encroached on its territorial waters.
Compounding Iraq's many problems, the relatively peaceful northern region of Kurdistan was struck with fear of the deadly human strain of the bird flu virus when officials said they were testing samples after the death of a 14-year-old girl.

Stocks fall, led lower by tech and energy shares

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as a burst of disappointing earnings from Intel Corp. and Yahoo Inc. fueled concern that U.S. corporate profit growth may be faltering.
Also pressuring the broad market were energy shares, with Exxon Mobil Corp. shedding 1.7 percent to $60.50 on the New York Stock Exchange amid escalating threats against oil producers in Nigeria.
The Nasdaq fell as much as 1.7 percent earlier, but the decline attracted bargain-hunting institutional investors, who bought tech shares relatively cheaply and helped the Nasdaq regain some ground.
"The sell-off is kind of stock-specific from an earnings standpoint," said Jay Suskind, director of trading at Ryan, Beck & Co.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 54.82 points, or 0.50 percent, at 10,841.50. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 7.91 points, or 0.62 percent, at 1,275.02. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was down 29.03 points, or 1.26 percent, at 2,273.66.
Intel and Yahoo were the two biggest drags on both the Nasdaq and the Standard & Poor's 500, while Intel also was the heaviest weight on the blue-chip Dow average.
"The disappointment from Yahoo and Intel took a lot of technology names down, and institutional people have used the overall market weakness caused by Yahoo and Intel to do some buying into other technology names," said Michael James, senior trader at regional investment bank Wedbush Morgan in Los Angeles.
Dealers said technology stocks benefiting in the down market included Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the world's second-largest chip maker behind Intel. Its
shares rose 3.3 percent to $33.93 on the NYSE.
Also, Applied Materials Inc., the biggest maker of tools to produce microchips, gained 1.01 percent to $19.97 on Nasdaq.
Intel's stock was down 11.9 percent at $22.48, while Yahoo shares were off 11.5 percent at $35.51.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

ASIA MARKETS: South Korea's Kospi Top Asia Performer In 2005

HONG KONG (Dow Jones) - Asian markets closed out a stellar year Friday with benchmark indexes in South Korea, Pakistan and Japan chalking up some of the biggest gains of any markets in the world.

The South Korean Kospi index was the star, adding 54% to close the year at 1, 379.37. The only global index to fare better was Istanbul, which is up 59.5% for the year with several hours of trading still to go.

South Korea's gains were fueled by a range of factors, including the apparent improvement in relations with North Korea and a strengthening economy.

Pakistan's KSE-100 index finished the year up 53.7%, attracting strong interest from foreign funds even after a devastating earthquake.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed the year up 40.2%. The Nikkei has rallied almost uninterrupted for seven consistent months to notch the single best yearly performance since the go-go days of the mid 1980s.

Cabinet approves construction of five dams including KBD

ISLAMABAD: Federal cabinet has approved construction of five big dams including Kalabagh with priority to Bhasha dam. President Musharraf will announce construction of dams in his address to the nation tonight. The cabinet approved building of dams in a meeting in Islamabad with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in chair.

The cabinet denounced recent US air strike in Bajaur Agency.

The cabinet discussed the issue of construction of water reservoirs in detail. According to the top official sources all ministers gave their opinion for priority to construction of Bhasha dam. The federal cabinet decided for construction of five big dams including Kalabagh dam with priority to the Bhasha dam project. .

The decision will be announced by President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation tonight at 8:00 P.M. According to the top official sources Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri gave a briefing to the cabinet on the Bajaur Agency incident. The cabinet condemned US airstrike in Bajaur Agency.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will express Pakistan’s reservations over the incident while talking to US leaders during his visit to America, sources said.

The cabinet also put off approval of SAFTA agreement.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Xerox uses SQL Server 2005


Xerox uses SQL Server 2005 to manage 7 million transactions a day with 99.999 percent availability.

Xerox helps customers manage office equipment, software, and supplies for some of the most demanding companies and applications in the world. Customers look to Xerox to provide highly measurable solutions to ensure optimal efficiency at the lowest cost. One of the key services Xerox provides is Xerox Office Services—asset management and on-going maintenance of large numbers of printers, copiers, multi-function devices and faxes. By optimizing such “print fleets” through highly specialized software and human resources, Xerox dramatically reduces the total cost of printing for its customers. To make it even easier and more cost effective for customers, Xerox developed a worldwide, centrally hosted, Web-based solution. Early adoption of Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 made development faster and easier, and reduced the complexity of the code base. In addition, Microsoft SQL Server™ 2005 Enterprise Edition (64-bit) contributes to the scalability and high performance of the back-end data center, and helps to deliver new levels of customer satisfaction

Karachi stock market’s weekly analysis

KARACHI: Karachi stock market merrily basked in bullish spell although last week, as KSE-100 shares index ascended 330 points to wind up this business week at 9886.

The market this week since the very outset started positively, which was further spurred by the stay order of the court against the nomination of non-member chairman of the bourses. Buoyant investors kept showing keen interests in buying of shares.

Tuesday buying spree in cement sector and the discovery of a new reserves of gas played a key-role in further stabilizing the index. Besides invitation of EoI for the privatization of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) initiated a buying binge in its shares, which persisted even on Wednesday and Thursday, when the index breached 9,900 points after nearly 10 months. However, the market inflicted with a mild shock on the last day of the week could not sustain the index at 9,900 levels.

Volume leaders OGDCL up by Rs2.60 closed at Rs120.60, PTCL gained by Rs0.65 to Rs66.05 and National Bank swelled by Rs17.30 to Rs216.75.

Average turnover last week worked out to 387.4 million shares, while 97.9 million shares transacted on the average in future contracts.

Lahore Test: India 403-0 against Pakistan on day four



LAHORE: India scored 403 in its first innings on the fourth day of first Test match.
The match kicked off with delay due to bad light and hazy weather which was later halted due to the frustrating bad light.
The Pakistani team, which is hosting the series, remained unsuccessful in getting any wicket as rival Indian batsmen appeared firm and established on the pitch.
While sustaining stupendous performance Virender Sehwag hit the second fastest double century in Test history in 182 balls and remained not out at 247 runs. On the other hand, Indian captain Rahul Dravid finished his century.
Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, who closed in on the world record opening partnership in the first Test against Pakistan, were unyielding on the crease with 128 runs at the close of match.
The bad weather and light expedited the match to end.

US action against Pakistan sovereignty: Kasuri




ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri said that US air strike at Bajour Agency was against Pakistan sovereignty and this act was benefiting those elements who were against a strong coordination between Pakistan and US.
Talking to CNN TV he termed US air strike at Bajour Agency as disappointing and said that Pakistan supposed to carry out any action in its territory if required.
He further said that there were similar incidents in Past but the recent US air strike was a major incident which took 18 innocent lives. He said the action has brought strong reaction across the country.
Kasuri said that US image was improved due to its help in earthquake zone but the its image graph has tremendously slipped down due to recent air strike in Bajour Agency. He said that Pakistan would contact US Foreign secretary Condoleezza rice if needed.

Market Snapshot

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Kuwait Emir Sheikh Jaber dies


KUWAIT - The ruler of U.S. ally Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, died on Sunday at the age of 78 after a long illness, and the country's ailing crown prince is set to take over as emir of this major Gulf oil producer.
Crown Prince Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah, 76, is likely to be a figurehead while Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah runs the country -- a role he has played over the past four years, analysts said.
Sheikh Jaber, who had ruled since 1977, presided over the rebuilding of this tiny Gulf Arab state after neighboring Iraq invaded in 1990 and occupied the country for seven months.
He suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2001, limiting his duties in the country which controls about 10 percent of known global oil reserves.
U.S.-led forces drove Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait in 1991 and used the country as its main staging ground for the 2003 invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
The ill health of Sheikh Jaber and Sheikh Saad has caused concern at home and abroad over the future leadership of OPEC's fourth biggest producer.
Calls by parliamentarians and members of the opposition for the Kuwaiti government to replace the crown prince and to share power have also clouded the succession process.
Analysts expect the new emir to keep Kuwait's oil policies and pro-Western outlook. There has been no official word on who will take over, but under the constitution it will be Sheikh Saad, who is largely incapacitated by illness.
Kuwaiti oil officials said on Sunday the country would stick to its policy of keeping global markets well supplied.
"Kuwait's (oil) policy will not change," an official, who declined to be named, told Reuters by telephone. "The oil sector is running as normal, both production and exports."
Kuwait pumps at around 2.68 million barrels per day (bpd)

Zawahri missed dinner that prompted US strike


ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A dinner invitation to al Qaeda's second-in-command triggered a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan but Ayman al-Zawahri failed to show up, Pakistani intelligence officials said on Sunday.

Pakistan condemned Friday's strike, which killed at least 18 people, including women and children, and summoned U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker to protest.

There were anti-American demonstrations in several towns and cities on Sunday, and supporters of Islamist and secular parties mustered close to 10,000 people for a rally in the southern city of Karachi.

The Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that foreigners had been near the village of Damadola in the Bajaur region bordering Afghanistan and were the probable target.

Pakistani intelligence officials said they were checking reports up to seven foreign militants had been killed and their bodies removed by local supporters. But they said there were no indications Osama bin Laden's deputy, Zawahri, was there.

"He was invited for the dinner, but we have no evidence he was present," a senior intelligence official told Reuters.

Al Arabiya television quoted a source it said had contact with al Qaeda saying Zawahri was alive.

The U.S. government has not commented, but U.S. sources familiar with the operation said it was too early to determine his fate and the remains of the dead would have to be examined.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the airstrike was based on "very good" intelligence indicating Zawahri was at the targeted location.

Another Pakistani intelligence official said two local Islamist clerics, known for harboring al Qaeda militants, had attended the dinner but left hours before the airstrike at 3.00 a.m. (2200 GMT).

But there is widespread cynicism in Pakistan regarding what the United States says and what it does.

Market Snapshot

Iran calls for atomic talks

EHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday diplomacy was the only way to resolve the impasse over its nuclear program but that it would not reverse its widely criticized decision to resume atomic research after a break of more than two years.

Iran raised the stakes in the dispute last week by removing UN seals to gain access to equipment that purifies uranium, which can be used for power or, if highly enriched, in bombs.

The move prompted the United States and the European Union's three biggest powers -- Britain, France, and Germany -- to say the time had come to refer Iran's case to the UN Security Council, where Tehran could face sanctions.

"Diplomacy is the only clear answer to the current situation," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.

"There is no legal basis for referring Iran to the Security Council. But if that were to happen Iran is not afraid."

Britain will host talks between Foreign Ministry officials from the United States, Russia, China and the EU3 on Monday to discuss Iran's nuclear case.

Asefi said the meeting should avoid using threatening language against the Islamic Republic.

"Better results will definitely be achieved by resorting to negotiations and using respectful language rather than using the language of threats and intimidation," Asefi said.

Iran says it has no intention of building nuclear arms and has a clear right as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop a full nuclear program for peaceful purposes.

IRREVERSIBLE STEPS

Asefi declined to clarify whether Iran planned to carry out small-scale uranium enrichment -- the most sensitive part of the atomic fuel cycle

پاکستان کی مشہورگلوکارہ ملکہ ترنم نور جہاں کی پوتی سونیا جہاں تقریب میں

Friday, January 13, 2006

إنا لله و إنا له راجعون

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Bahrain King's son Faisal killed in car accident


Manama: Shaikh Faisal Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the sixth son of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa, died yesterday in a car accident near Safriya, 20 km south of Manama.
Faisal, 15, was a prominent figure in the kingdom's equestrian and maritime sports and played a leading role in the World Junior Endurance Championship in Bahrain last month.
At the latest National Day celebrations, he presented the awards to the winners of the Omega J24 Match Racing Sailing Championship.
Shaikh Faisal was killed in a "regretful accident late Thursday," according to a statement by the royal court published by the state news agency BNA.
He will be buried early today, it said.
Bahrain television and radio stations interrupted their regular programmes in late afternoon to broadcast clerics reading verses of the Holy Quran.
King Hamad has seven sons Salman, Abdullah, Khalifa, Nasser, Khalid, Faisal and Sultan and four daughters.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Apple debuts Intel iMac after record sales


SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday introduced new Intel-powered desktop and notebook computers and said its wildly popular iPods helped drive a 63 percent jump in holiday quarter sales, sending shares up more than 4 percent.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs said the company sold 14 million iPods music and video players during the holiday quarter and 42 million to date. Speaking at the company's annual Macworld conference in San Francisco, Jobs also said the company's online iTunes store has so far sold 850 million songs.

The strong demand for iPods helped fuel a 63 percent jump in revenue to a record $5.7 billion during the holiday quarter compared with a year earlier, and was near the high end of Wall Street forecasts.

"Apple blew away revenue and iPod estimates," Soleil-Cross research analyst Shannon Cross said.

Jobs also told the packed convention center that Apple could have sold even more of the portable music players. "And it still wasn't enough," Jobs said. "More iPods are on the way."

FAST CURVE

Apple also introduced new computers based on Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) chips, the first to result from its decision to switch from IBM PowerPC chips it had used for years. Paul Otellini, Intel's CEO, appeared on stage in a bunny suit to help with the introduction.

"We told Paul that we had spent the last decade learning everything there was about PowerPCs and we needed to learn that much about Intel processors in three to four months," Jobs said in an interview.

Said Otellini in the same interview: "The teams had this kind of instant bonding, not just because it was an exciting product, but because both sides love their technology."

Jobs said the company's new line of iMac computers -- two to three times faster than their G5-powered predecessors -- would come in the same shape and sizes as the existing G5 line of iMacs, with starting prices at $1,299.

The new Apple computers are based on Intel Core Duo microchips and are set to begin shipping on Tuesday with the entire Macintosh line moving to Intel chips this year, Jobs said. It also introduced a new high-end laptop called the MacBook Pro that will replace its PowerBook series, starting in February at prices beginning at $1,999. It comes with a remote control and Apple's Front Row technology

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Porn-on-the-go



Jan. 9 - Adult entertainment studios are moving into the mobile market to show their movies anytime, anywhere. Meet porn in your pocket.


The industry at its annual pow-wow in Las Vegas, now enables Europeans to see sex on their cellphones.

Dow crosses 11,000 led by GM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 11,000 for the first time in 4 1/2 years on Monday, with stocks headed for a fifth straight day of gains as shares of General Motors Corp. and financial companies gained after brokerage upgrades

Monday, January 09, 2006

KSE-index rests at 9990 after breaching 10,000 mark

KARACHI: The bulls ruling the roost since last fast few days in the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) went berserk today to breach the barriers of 10,000 points after ten long months, but it failed to sustain the earlier robust bullish sway until closing of the market and thus, KSE-100 index ended gaining by 104 to finally peg at 9990 points.

Since the beginning of the business session today, the market kept buzzing with the expectations of retrieving its earlier hallmark of March 15, when the market had breached 10,000 marks. Banking, Telecom, Oil and Gas and Fertilizer sectors played the pivotal role in translating the hopes into reality.

However, the profit takers at this stage finding the prices of shares attractive sneaked into the melee and started selling shares, which ambushed the investors’ march of sustaining the new record registered.

Volume leaders National Bank up by Rs9.25 closed at Rs226.00, MCB Bank surged by Rs3.75 to Rs189.75, while Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim gained Rs0.45 to end at Rs40.15.

Turnover today swelled by 61.5 million shares reached 321.2 million shares, while transactions in future contracts remained at 86.6 million shares.

Picture of Year 2005

Picture of Year 2005

Picture of Year 2005

Picture of Year 2005

Picture of Year 2005