Today News From Pakistan

President Asif Ali Zardari today invited Italian businessmen and entrepreneurs to invest in Pakistan offering them host of incentives including Special Economic Zones where in return for bringing investment capital any investor could avail long tax holidays, low cost labor force and a very competitive environment together with easy access to a market of nearly two billion people.

He made this offer during his address to a select gathering of Italian businessmen and industrialists gathered in the auditorium of Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome that was also addressed by the Italian Foreign Minister and a number of business tycoons besides the Chairman of Pakistan’s Board of Investment Salim Mandviwallah who made a graphic presentation under the title “Pakistan-The Preferred Investment Destination” outlining what was on offer in Pakistan for those willing to bring in equity and business skills.

Talking to the media Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President also identified the areas in which the Italian investors were welcomed to invest to the mutual benefit of the two countries and their peoples, says a press release received here from Rome today.

These areas, the President said, were food and agriculture, gemstone technology, marble quarrying and cutting, oil exploration, energy, textiles and leather value addition.

With the help of a large geo strategic map displayed on the screen the President demonstrated to the entrepreneurs how Pakistan was strategically located in the region that made it closer to half of mainland China, large parts of India and the whole of Central Asia than from any port anywhere in the world. This strategic location, the President said, “gives access to a huge market of nearly two billion people that was unique in the business world”.

He said that the coming together of the world on the platform of Friends of Democratic Pakistan to assist Pakistan in economic development, the country’s strategic location in a huge market and a specially designed business friendly environment of public private partnership devised by the government all “created a dream world of opportunities in business, trade, commerce and industry”.

From the Special Economic Zones the Italian investor can export goods and manufactures to part of the world the President said adding that it was an unprecedented opportunity that no investor could ignore.

President Zardari said that Pakistan had vast reserves of untapped and unutilized coal adding, “Gasification of coal is another area where the Italian investor can come to mutual benefit”.

President Zardari said that the democratic government had introduced major economic reforms to create a favorable environment for investment in the country. These reforms he said included tax reforms, devolution, Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Act, governance transparency, capital market reforms, agriculture sector reforms and access to justice, judicial reforms and civil reforms. For these reasons he said that Pakistan had recently been ranked number two, second only to Singapore, as the country in South Asia that was the easiest for doing business in.

Salim Mandviwallh explained the incentives offered which he said included full repatriation of capital and dividends, permission to raise local and foreign finance, avoidance of double taxation agreements with 52 countries and bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements with 47 countries. He said that under new policy Pakistan offered level playing field to both local and foreign investors and also opened all economic sectors to direct foreign investment.

The President said that Italian investors could avail five year tax holiday in the special zones. They will also be allowed duty free imports of plants and machinery and the facility of one window operation under the auspices of Board of Investment.

Speaking on the occasion the Italian Foreign Minister said that Italy will continue to work on the platforms of FoDP and EU to support the case of free trade for Pakistan. He said that the New York meeting had demonstrated that Pakistan was not alone and that the world community was more than willing to support it. He said that Italy would play its role to make Pakistan economically strong and stable as “prosperous Pakistan was essential for regional peace and stability”.

• Twelve suspected terrorists surrender in Swat
  Twelve suspected terrorists have surrendered to security forces at Bar Shaur, Runial Chuprial and Mingora.
• Gunmen kill three, wound eight in Gilgit
  The firing incident is believed to be in retaliation for a bomb blast that occurred in the area on Saturday.
• Airports may get thermal sensors to detect swine flu
  Airports across the country may acquire thermal sensors fitted with a camera system to check incoming passengers.
• Seventy-five booked for humiliating women
  The booked included a former TMA chairman and union council nazim accused of torturing and humiliating three women.
• No land deal with any country, food ministry tells LHC
  S. Arabia and Qatar are interested in investment in the agriculture sector, but no land had been leased or sold.

SOUTHAMPTON: Cameron White accepts he'll have to cede the No 3 berth back to Australia captain Ricky Ponting despite scoring his maiden one-day international (ODI) century in the position.

White's 105 saw Australia to a six-wicket win over England in the third ODI at the Rose Bowl here on Wednesday as the world champions went 3-0 up in the seven-match series.

Ponting looked on from the pavilion, having only recently arrived back in England after taking a break following Australia's 2-1 Ashes Test series loss.

One of the world's leading batsmen, Ponting is set to return in his favoured position for the fourth one-dayer at Lord's on Saturday where another Australia win would secure a series victory.

White, who only made his maiden fifty at this level in Friday's series opening four-run success at the Oval, even suggested he would understand if, in the unlikely event, he was dropped rather than demoted this weekend.

‘I understand Ricky will come back and bat three,’ White told reporters at the Rose Bowl after stumps.

‘It was just until Ricky got back no matter if I got three ducks or scored some runs,’ White, who first came to prominence as a leg-spinner and then a middle-order batsman, said of his latest role.

‘He's the best player in the world.’

Asked if there was a case for not changing a winning side and so keeping Ponting on the sidelines, White immediately replied: ‘No.’

Reflecting on his stint so far at No 3, White said: ‘I've really enjoyed the opportunity, so we'll see what happens on Saturday when we get to Lord's.

‘If the selectors want to keep the middle order the same I guess there's not much I can really do about that,’ he added.

‘I guess I've put a good case forward to say I can bat anywhere in the order for Australia,’ said the 26-year-old Victorian, who didn't feature in the Ashes, after his 32nd ODI.

‘If it means I'm sent back down to No 7 I don't really mind. I'm just happy to be batting for Australia.’

White, who has batted higher up for his state and English county Somerset, said: ‘I didn't really know where I was batting when I got here, I didn't even know Rick was coming home to be honest.

‘Tim Nielsen (the Australia coach) said there was a good chance I'd be batting somewhere high up the order, he said to prepare for that and I did.

‘It was probably a day or two before the first game I found out I was batting at No.3. I knew it was going to be a good challenge and I'm glad I took it on.

‘It was nice to play that role, give myself a bit of time to assess the conditions and just play, rather than coming in and having to score straight away,’ White, dropped on 92 on Wednesday and also the beneficiary of two missed run-out chances, explained.

White's century took 116 balls with a six and nine fours and the only downside was that he was out before Australia passed the winning post.

Together with stand-in skipper Michael Clarke (52), White shared a decisive stand of 143 after Australia had been 52 for two.

Australia, chasing 229 to win, won with nine balls to spare. They finished on 230 for four under the floodlights after holding England, who won the toss, to 228 for nine.

For England's Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss, who top-scored for the hosts with 63, it was a familiar experience as his leading batsmen failed to fire as a unit for the third time in as many matches.

‘It's feeling a bit like Groundhog Day with the batting, to be honest,’said Strauss. ‘I am as culpable as anyone. I'm batting really well and when you're batting really well you need to make hay.’

But Strauss insisted England hadn't relaxed after regaining the Ashes.

‘I would argue that's not the case. We have five or six guys that played in the Ashes but that means we have five or six that didn't play in it.

‘We haven't played well enough, clearly, but I don't think it's for lack of trying,’ the left-handed opener added....LINK...

SOUTHAMPTON: Cameron White accepts he'll have to cede the No 3 berth back to Australia captain Ricky Ponting despite scoring his maiden one-day international (ODI) century in the position.

White's 105 saw Australia to a six-wicket win over England in the third ODI at the Rose Bowl here on Wednesday as the world champions went 3-0 up in the seven-match series.

Ponting looked on from the pavilion, having only recently arrived back in England after taking a break following Australia's 2-1 Ashes Test series loss.

One of the world's leading batsmen, Ponting is set to return in his favoured position for the fourth one-dayer at Lord's on Saturday where another Australia win would secure a series victory.

White, who only made his maiden fifty at this level in Friday's series opening four-run success at the Oval, even suggested he would understand if, in the unlikely event, he was dropped rather than demoted this weekend.

‘I understand Ricky will come back and bat three,’ White told reporters at the Rose Bowl after stumps.

‘It was just until Ricky got back no matter if I got three ducks or scored some runs,’ White, who first came to prominence as a leg-spinner and then a middle-order batsman, said of his latest role.

‘He's the best player in the world.’

Asked if there was a case for not changing a winning side and so keeping Ponting on the sidelines, White immediately replied: ‘No.’

Reflecting on his stint so far at No 3, White said: ‘I've really enjoyed the opportunity, so we'll see what happens on Saturday when we get to Lord's.

‘If the selectors want to keep the middle order the same I guess there's not much I can really do about that,’ he added.

‘I guess I've put a good case forward to say I can bat anywhere in the order for Australia,’ said the 26-year-old Victorian, who didn't feature in the Ashes, after his 32nd ODI.

‘If it means I'm sent back down to No 7 I don't really mind. I'm just happy to be batting for Australia.’

White, who has batted higher up for his state and English county Somerset, said: ‘I didn't really know where I was batting when I got here, I didn't even know Rick was coming home to be honest.

‘Tim Nielsen (the Australia coach) said there was a good chance I'd be batting somewhere high up the order, he said to prepare for that and I did.

‘It was probably a day or two before the first game I found out I was batting at No.3. I knew it was going to be a good challenge and I'm glad I took it on.

‘It was nice to play that role, give myself a bit of time to assess the conditions and just play, rather than coming in and having to score straight away,’ White, dropped on 92 on Wednesday and also the beneficiary of two missed run-out chances, explained.

White's century took 116 balls with a six and nine fours and the only downside was that he was out before Australia passed the winning post.

Together with stand-in skipper Michael Clarke (52), White shared a decisive stand of 143 after Australia had been 52 for two.

Australia, chasing 229 to win, won with nine balls to spare. They finished on 230 for four under the floodlights after holding England, who won the toss, to 228 for nine.

For England's Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss, who top-scored for the hosts with 63, it was a familiar experience as his leading batsmen failed to fire as a unit for the third time in as many matches.

‘It's feeling a bit like Groundhog Day with the batting, to be honest,’said Strauss. ‘I am as culpable as anyone. I'm batting really well and when you're batting really well you need to make hay.’

But Strauss insisted England hadn't relaxed after regaining the Ashes.

‘I would argue that's not the case. We have five or six guys that played in the Ashes but that means we have five or six that didn't play in it.

‘We haven't played well enough, clearly, but I don't think it's for lack of trying,’ the left-handed opener added.

Cricket and Khans have something in common in Pakistan cricket. Apart from being skilful players, they have built many a dream around them. Whether it is winning the World Cup or forming associations, a Khan has always held the centre-stage.

The brightest and the most accomplished of Khans is arguably, Imran. Apart from leading Pakistan to a memorable victory in the 1992 World Cup, Imran knows what it takes to form and hold an association together.

In spite of his amazing charisma and command over Pakistan cricket, Imran has probably never tried to put together a players’ association. May be, the life of a cricketer, politics aside, was relatively uncomplicated when he plied his trade. Or, may be, he knew it would never work. Imran was a tactician in reading a player’s mind.

Cricket in 1970s and 80s still retained its romantic aura. Amidst this, another Khan – Majid – a relative of shrewd Imran, made bold attempt to form Pakistan’s first cricket players’ body in the 1980s. It did not work.

Almost three decades down the line, yet another Khan – Younis – is re-igniting a dormant scheme at a time when Pakistan is staging a brave turnaround in world cricket.

Younis looks determined and he will not be short on support for sure, but according to former Test captain Wasim Akram: ‘Our culture will be the biggest barrier, if a players’ association has to see light of the day and then deliver.’

Players’ associations in India have never been a success. Kapil Dev and party made the first definitive move in the 1980s to launch one. It saw light of day with Arun Lal at its helm. Due to the lack of cohesion, it died a slow death.

In the 1990s, the Indian Cricket Players Association was launched with stunning fanfare in a multi-star hotel in Kolkata.

‘A geographical divide hasn’t partitioned our way of thinking. We have a strange culture in India and Pakistan.

Players just can’t trust each other. I think it is the only reason why players’ associations have not worked,’ Wasim thought.—Agencies .



LONDON: Cameron White's form with the bat has helped leave returning Australia captain Ricky Ponting in good spirits ahead of Saturday's fourth one-day international against England here at Lord's.

Victory at the 'home of cricket' would give Australia an unbeatable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.

While regular number three Ponting has been taking a break after the Ashes defeat, White, his stand-in at first wicket down, has helped Australia go 3-0 up with 200 runs in three innings, including a maiden ODI century at the Rose Bowl during Wednesday's six-wicket success.

‘I might have to take someone down at training to get myself back into the side,’ joked Ponting at Lord's here on Friday.

‘Cameron's played really well. I've been impressed with how he's played in all three innings.

‘He's been in and around the side for a few years and been waiting for an opportunity to bat a little bit higher up the order.

‘I think he showed us all over the last couple of weeks he's more than capable of batting anywhere in the order - and that's a real 'positive' for us and makes selections for tomorrow's (Saturday's) game a little more difficult.’

But whatever happens in the remainder of the one-day series, Ponting said it would not make-up for last month's Ashes defeat.

‘I don't think it's any compensation. There are some guys in this squad who aren't in the Test team so it probably doesn't mean a lot to them.

‘There are some guys who were in the Test side who aren't here at the moment so they're not going to get much compensation back if we do win this one-day series,’ he added.

A refreshed Ponting added: ‘I feel terrific; I've had a few good sleeps over the last couple of nights, so I'll be up early and ready to go in the game.’

England's struggles in the one-day format are nothing new, with the team having faltered in limited overs cricket since reaching the last of their three World Cup finals in 1992.

‘We haven't had a good one-day side since 1992,’ said England coach Andy Flower.

‘So we have got to do something about it and that is part of my job.

‘Yes, we have plans and theories on how to play one-day cricket - they aren't working at the moment, certainly on the batting side of things.’

England's top order have collectively failed to put enough runs on the board in the first three matches of a series where Kent opener Joe Denly could feature for the first time on Saturday after injuring his knee during a football warm-up clash with Owais Shah last week.

‘It would be fair to say we haven't got the balance between attack and defence right,’ said Flower. ‘That is one of the basics of batting.

‘I don't think the guys have shown the necessary composure and that balance to structure an innings.’..LINK..

The Spaniard was returning to his chair having removed his shirt when the male fan put his arms around the former world number one and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Security staff bundled the fan away quickly while a smiling Nadal appeared unruffled by the incident.

'The man has been arrested and it is now in the hands of the NYPD and we will be reviewing the footage to see whether security needs to be strengthened,' USTA official Tim Curry said.

Asked about his close shave with the fan, Nadal told reporters: 'For me it wasn't a problem. The guy was really nice. He was a great fan, he said I love you.'

It is the second time this year at a grand slam that a fan has made contact with a player on court following an incident in the French Open final where a spectator rushed on and tried to put a hat on world number one Roger Federer...LINK...

A PBF official said that the coach would visit different tournaments at district level and would select talented boxers for further grooming adding that Francisco would be joining the Pakistan camp before or soon after Eid.

He further said that PBF has chalked out a long and as well as a short term policy for future assignments. According to the short-term policy boxers of the current national camp will be selected for South Asian Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

And according to the long-term plan, new boxers will be inducted in the squad and would be coached by the Cuban coach to make a strong presence in the important 2012 London Olympics Qualifiers...LINK...

The Canadian makeup artist who converted to Islam is marketing cosmetics called OnePure, which she says have the luxury feel of international brands minus the elements banned under Islamic law.

‘There are pork derivatives and alcohol in most cosmetics products, so Muslims should really use something else,’ Mandi said.

From Islamic banking to alcohol-free hotels, products tagged as halal have become popular among devout Muslims — who pray five times a day and perform other rituals.

Under the concept of halal — which means ‘lawful’ in Arabic — pork and its by-products, alcohol and animals not slaughtered according to Quranic procedures are all forbidden.

Strict Muslims the world over only buy halal food but the market for halal cosmetics is still in its infancy in Asia and a mere novelty for Muslims in the Arab world.

Such products are not usually sold across the counter but can be bought on the Internet from online stores in Malaysia, Jordan and Britain.

‘Muslims don't want to go around and pray five times a day having pork residues on their body,’ said Mandi, in her early thirties and swathed in a slim black abaya, or cloak, with wisps of blond hair sticking from under her head scarf.

‘I came to the Middle East to learn more about people's needs. Most were pretty shocked when I told them there were pork products in their skin care items so they were very interested.’

According to Mandi, fatty acids and gelatin used in moisturisers, shampoos, face masks and lipsticks as well as other items are often extracted from pigs.

Determined to create a halal product, Mandi brought together a dermatologist and a chemist and told them the deal: cosmetics and skin-care products free of pork and alcohol.

OnePure is guaranteed to be just that, she said. And to get a foothold in the highly competitive business, Mandi is offering products that come in glitzy wrappings.

‘I wanted the packaging to be really luxurious, to speak to young people and old people, to everyone. I didn't want people to say I'd really like to buy a halal product but the packaging doesn't look cool,’ she said.
Touted as the first halal cosmetics brand in the Middle East, OnePure products are certified in Malaysia by an Islamic body that also certifies meats and other consumer goods for Muslims.

So far Mandi has been selling them online, on Saudi Airlines — her first customer since July — and a small boutique in the upscale Souk al-Bahar in the Burj Dubai complex that houses the world's tallest tower.

‘It's most specifically designed for women in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). I plan to launch a line for men but for now, it's just women,’ Mandi said.

‘There is appetite for it in this region.’

But some in the make-up industry have expressed skepticism about halal cosmetics, dismissing ideas such as Mandi's as marketing ploys that feed on the need of some for religiously-correct products.

‘I feel it's more about marketing,’ said Noura Hamdi, marketing manager at a Body Shop boutique in Dubai.

‘We are not using any animal products in our products anyway,’ said Hamdi, adding that the alcohol contained in the cosmetics and skin-care products sold in her shop ‘is not pure alcohol.’

‘The customer is not going to drink it. It's something to apply on your body or clothes so it's not related to halal or haram or religion,’ Hamdi said.

‘The issue is not whether it's halal or haram, it's more about the benefits of the product.’

But a senior cleric at the United Arab Emirates' Dar al-Iftaa, which issues fatwas, or religious edicts, disagreed.

‘If any of the cosmetic products contained pig derivatives or alcohol they should not be used because this is contaminated and one does not want to apply contaminated (products) on one's body,’ said the cleric, who is not authorised to identify himself in his task in answering Muslims' queries by telephone.

Extraordinary measures have been taken to keep the sequel to 2003 mega hit ‘The Da Vinci Code’ under wraps, right down to posting guards in book warehouses.

But much as in Brown's tangled — some say nonsensical — plots about secret societies, the Catholic Church, and symbologist Robert Langdon, not everything is as it seems.

The secretive treatment is all part of a huge publicity campaign reaching fever pitch September 15, as Doubleday publishers try to repeat the success of the ‘Code's’ record-setting 80 million sales.

Five million copies have been printed and, in a bold step, an e-version of the novel will be released on the same day. Pre-sales have already rocketed ‘The Lost Symbol’ to the top of Amazon's best-seller list.

Expect a PR blitz from Tuesday, including a rare appearance by the reclusive American writer on NBC television.

But for now, silence — or at least talking loudly about being silent — is golden.

NBC's Today Show reported that anyone coming into contact with the book at Doubleday has had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, while copies of the finished product are literally under lock and key.

‘We have closed circuit TVs that are monitoring the books at all times in a secure area that is also guarded,’ said Jacqueline Updike, at Random House, a parent company of Doubleday.

The cover of the book, third in a series featuring Langdon, shows the Capitol in Washington and a wax seal containing a double-headed phoenix, the numeral 33, and the words ‘ordo ae chao,’ Latin for ‘order to chaos.’

The design supports rumours that Freemasons are at the heart of the story.

But beyond these titbits, and the revelation by Brown's editor Jason Kaufman that the narrative takes place in a 12-hour period, almost nothing is known.

Speculation, fuelled by specially seeded clues, is raging on Facebook, Twitter and Widget accounts linked to the book and author.

However, the clues are reportedly concocted by employees who have not actually read the book and are therefore of limited value.

‘Felled in six days at a church of sound,’ a recent Twitter entry says. ‘At the head of the Niagra, Parade of Dark Horses.’

Similarly, the author's site www.danbrown.com provides only the barest biographical information. Instead, you are invited to play ‘the symbol quest,’ a game of guessing which of a collection of esoteric symbols fit in a compass-like circle.

If Brown's financial success seems predictable, so does the reaction his new work is likely to provoke around the world.

Serious literary critics have long been horrified by what they consider Brown's appalling writing. Salman Rushdie famously said ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is ‘a novel so bad that it gives bad novels a bad name.’

The Vatican accused the ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and multitude of spinoffs, including a popular film starring Tom Hanks, of anti-Catholic prejudice.

But fans are salivating in anticipation.

‘Already booked advanced copy since I am in India waiting for three extra more days to read your book,’ a Widget message from Pavan Kumar on the book' site reads.

‘When are you due in London to sign copies?? Cant wait!!’ writes Boe Locks from London.

They'll have to wait.

The ship was welcomed by the PN surface and aviation units conducting exercises.

PNS Zulfiquar also participated in its very first naval exercises, which were witnessed by the Commander of Pakistan Fleet, Rear Admiral Asif Sandila.

After taking part in the exercises, the ship proceeded to Karachi harbour.

PNS Zulfiquar is the first of four ships being built in collaboration with China at Hudong Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.

The second and third ships are also nearing completion and expected to be handed over to Pakistan next year. The fourth ship is under construction at Karachi Shipyard and is to be completed by 2013.

F-22 P frigate is a Sword class ship equipped with long range surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, depth charges, torpedos, latest automatic 76mm guns, close-in-weapon system, sensors, electronic warfare and advanced command and control system.

ISLAMABAD — A bomb blast killed two paramilitary troops Sunday in Pakistan's Khyber region, where security forces are pressing ahead with an offensive to secure a major supply route for foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Also in the northwest, a suicide bomber attempted to attack a security post in the Swat Valley but was killed before he could strike. The incident showed the region was still dangerous despite the recent arrests of five militant commanders there.

The bomb in the Mandiknas area of Khyber was targeting a security convoy and was detonated by remote control, said Sadiq Khan, an official at Khyber agency administrator office. Four people were wounded in the blast, he said.

Pakistan began its latest offensive in the Khyber tribal region on Sept. 1 and says it has killed more than 150 militants. The fighting has caused thousands of residents to flee.

Militants have frequently attacked trucks traveling through the Khyber pass carrying supplies to NATO and US troops in landlocked Afghanistan.

Pakistan is under intense U.S. pressure to crack down on al-Qaida and Taliban militants along the Afghan border.

In April, it launched a major offensive in the Swat Valley that succeeded in retaking much of it from Taliban control. On Friday, the army announced the capture of five top Taliban commanders from the Swat Valley, including spokesman Muslim Khan.

On Sunday, a suicide bomber attempted to attack a checkpoint close to a fuel station in the region, but security forces fired on his vehicle from a distance and it exploded, killing him, said Maj. Mohammad Mushtaq of the Swat media center...link...

LCD has become the default HDTV the way Kleenex is the default tissue, Bose the default table radio and Jonas Brothers the default boy band.

The most popular HDTV, however, is still trying to become the best. At both the budget level and top-of-the-line, the sadly neglected, and possibly doomed, plasma remains the cult favorite.

But this year's LCD flat panels are better than ever, enhanced by new technology that replaces the screen's fluorescent lighting with tiny LED bulbs. Samsung's UN40B7000, a 40-inch LCD set that arrived earlier this year with other HDTVs that use expensive LED backlighting, immediately struck this viewer as plasma-like in its ability to produce deeper black levels, richer colors and looking-through-a-window realism and dimensionality.

Typical of an LED set, the UN40B7000 costs a sobering US$2,400 - yes, stunning technology built into a gorgeous 1.2-inch-thick panel framed in demure red, mounted on a pedestal with a see-through stem that glows red - for a picture that might not even equal the $1,100 Panasonic TC-P42S1 plasma.

Samsung's new series with LED technology helped push its market share of LCD sales in the second quarter to 21.3 percent, up from 17.8 percent, according to iSuppli. Only Vizio sells more LCD sets. In its quarterly summary, iSuppi projected LED-backlight technology will account for 3 percent of worldwide shipments this year but up to 37 percent in 2013.

Previous LCDs never matched plasma's deep blacks because the fluorescent light shining from behind the screen leaked through pixels filled with liquid crystals. What should have been deep black emerged dark gray. Deeper shades of black not only reveal more detail in dark scenes, but also make colors more vivid. It makes a picture pop.

Samsung's 7000 series, which includes the 40-inch UN40B7000, uses a design approach called edge-lit LED - several dozen LED lights aligned around the panel's border. With no lighting behind the screen, these sets are incredibly thin, each only 1.2 inches thick. They're also roughly twice as efficient as comparable plasma sets, contain no mercury and the LEDs last longer than lighting in other HDTVs. The UN40B7000, in my tests, consumed only about 90 watts.

The side-lit sets excel on the darkest material but sometimes go too far, darkening even the brighter elements of those same scenes. Another LED design approach, local dimming, seems more promising.

These sets use hundreds of rear-mounted LED bulbs that turn on and off as needed, appropriating precise lighting for every picture element, from darkest to lightest. The enhanced contrast and color saturation add up to a mesmerizing dimensionality more often associated with better plasmas.

It takes a keen eye, though, to notice flaws in dark scenes produced by the UN40B7000. Technologically, Samsung poured almost everything it has into the 7000 series. It attacks another inherent LCD problem, motion blur during fast-moving scenes, with the now-familiar 120-hertz technology that refreshes the picture 120 times a second, or double the usual rate.

Beyond that, it offers user-adjustable blur and judder reduction settings, the latter a process that helps further reduce motion blur on 120-hertz sets. The UN40B7000 also connects to a home network, either via an Ethernet connection or an optional USB adapter (about $70).

For now, an Internet connection yields Yahoo widgets - news, weather, sports, finance - aligned along the screen's bottom, each expandable to about a quarter screen. In my network setup, the widgets were sluggish and only moderately informational.

YouTube, Flickr photos and a few games are also available, but the widgets portend greater things. This fall, Samsung is adding streaming video from Blockbuster OnDemand, and more substantial widgets for watching movies and TV shows and social networking.

The UN40B7000 also can stream music, video and photos from DLNA-certified devices. (Two examples of devices with Digital Living Network Alliance certification: a PlayStation 3 and Denon's ASD-3W iPod/networking client dock.)

For all its beauty and technological marvels, the UN40B7000 couldn't improve on the poor off-angle viewing of all its LCD predecessors. The farther removed from a straight-on view, the more washed-out the picture becomes. LINK....

SLAMABAD: Sale of Eid-related items has picked up in Islamabad and Rawalpindi despite of overcharging by shopkeepers. Stallholders selling henna, cosmetics, earrings, glittering bangles and colourful dresses have popped up all over markets, attracting crowds of women. Shoppers are roaming around in markets, checking out the latest in designs and gift items. Traders, who are gearing up for the year’s biggest shopping time, say sale had peaked at both retail and wholesale points. Girls are found engrossed in buying bangles, garments, gifts, shoes and other accessories. Due to pressing demands of children, majority of parents reluctantly visit markets though otherwise they would not because they know it’s not a good time to shop. “There has been an increase of 30-50 percent in prices of all commodities. Inflation has increased and it’s too much for salaried class,” said Mohsin Ali. Shopkeepers have displayed a variety of things, particularly new designs of clothes and shoes. A small number of people have already completed their Eid shopping at the start of Ramazan, while the majority will come out on Chand Raat. The elder, young or children, all wish to wear new clothes and shoes on this auspicious occasion. “The sale of women and children garments has hit a record increase of about 30 percent this season as compared to last years ,” said a woman. app.. LINK...

KARACHI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Pakistani stocks closed lower on Monday as local institutions booked profits above 9,000 points, pulling the market back from Friday's 2009 closing high, dealers said.

The Karachi Stock Exchange's (KSE) benchmark 100-share index .KSE fell 66.81 points (0.74 per cent) to 8,935.86 on Monday on turnover of 170.4 million shares.

The KSE-index has gained 52.36 percent this year after losing 58.3 percent in 2008.

"There was some resistance above 9,000 points and we witnessed some profit selling," said Sajid Bhanji, a dealer at brokers' Arif Habib Ltd.

Dealers said the sentiment was still positive but the market may consolidate around current levels before crossing 9,000 points.

Dealers said foreign investors have been looking at Pakistan because its macroeconomic fundamentals were improving but there was selling from local institutions.

According to official data, foreign investors bought net shares worth $95.3 million in August and over $62 million in the first four days of September.

Last month, S&P raised Pakistan's sovereign rating to B-minus from CCC .LINK...

The incident could cast a chill over ties that have warmed between the rivals in the past month with North Korea reaching out to the South to restore business and tourism ventures severed for about a year due to political bickering. [ID:nSP449784]

"At this point, we still wouldn't quite call it a water assault," South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told a briefing. "There has to be intention present for us to be able to do that."

The six, including a child, were camping on the bank of the Imjin River bank when they were swept away on Sunday. The river starts in the North and ends in the South to the northwest of Seoul.

Three bodies were recovered on Monday, a provincial rescue official said. The remaining three are presumed to have drowned.

North Korea was suspected of releasing water from a dam, South Korean officials said, noting there have not been heavy rains in the region for the past several days.

South Korea for years has worried about dams the North has built along rivers that flow across the border fearing its communist neighbour could use flood waters as a weapon.

The North has built several dams on the Imjin River, a major waterway, including one a few kilometres north of the heavily armed border between the two states which have yet to sign a formal peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

South Korea has long sought the North's cooperation in flood control and setting up warning systems but Pyongyang has been reluctant to join.

The North has failed to notify the South ahead of releasing water on several previous occasions, resulting in flood damage in the South.

North Korea has claimed its dams on the Imjin are designed to release water automatically when they reach a certain threshold, South Korea's Unification Ministry said. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Nick Macfie)...LINK...

JERUSALEM — Israel on Monday officially approved the construction of hundreds of new homes in the West Bank, deepening an already unprecedented rift with the U.S. over Israeli settlement expansion.

The construction is the first approved by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under heavy U.S. pressure to freeze all settlement activity on captured lands claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.

Netanyahu, trying to placate the Americans, has said the newly approved homes are a prelude to a freeze, but that's been a tough sell internationally because Israel also plans to complete another 2,500 homes already under way.

Under Monday's order, Defense Minister Ehud Barak authorized construction of 366 new apartments, the Defense Ministry announced. An additional 84 new apartments will be approved in the near future, bringing the total number to 450, the ministry said.

The order includes permission to proceed with construction of a new settler enclave in the Jordan Valley, an area that is considered vital to a future Palestinian state because of its rich farmlands and location deep inside the West Bank.

By rebuffing U.S. pressure, Netanyahu has tried to cement the support of a coalition that is committed to strengthening Israel's control over the West Bank.

Netanyahu has offered to slow construction afterward, in exchange for overtures from the Arab world. This has not mollified the Americans or the Palestinians, who have demanded an immediate and total freeze.

"Given the choice between making peace and making settlements, they have chosen to make settlements," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman didn't immediately return a telephone call. But the U.S. has sharply rebuked Israel over the latest construction plans, first reported on Friday.

George Mitchell, the U.S. Mideast envoy, is due in the region within the coming week to hold yet another round of talks meant to wrest Israeli concessions that would allow the resumption of Israel-Palestinian peace talks.

Netanyahu aides have spoken optimistically of reaching an accommodation. But it is not clear that optimism is warranted, because Netanyahu's so-called building moratorium would not apply to the 450 new apartments, to 2,500 already under construction, or to east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and the Palestinians claim as their future capital...LINK...

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bomber targeted a line of vehicles stopped at a checkpoint in western Iraq on Monday, killing seven people and wounding 14, police and hospital officials said.

The car exploded as vehicles were waiting to be inspected before crossing a bridge near the provincial capital of Ramadi, a police officer said. The dead included three policemen; the others were civilians, he added.

An official at Ramadi General Hospital confirmed the death toll. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to release information to journalists.

Mohammed Hussein Alwan, a 40-year-old farmer, was riding in a pickup truck about 200 yards (meters) from the attacker's car when the blast occurred.

"I ran to the site and saw five burning cars and a child who was thrown by the explosion and landed on the top of a car," he said. "I tried to approach him to see whether he was alive or dead, but the police started to open fire in all directions and we had to run away."

Ramadi is a former insurgent stronghold in Anbar province about 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad. It has been relatively calm since Sunni tribal leaders revolted against al-Qaida in Iraq, but a series of recent attacks in the area have raised concerns about a resurgence of violence before January's national elections.

American troops have pulled back from the city along with other urban areas across the country in line with a security pact with Iraqi government.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has sought to reassure Iraqis that the U.S.-trained security forces are capable of taking over. Recent bombings, especially an Aug. 19 attack on government ministries in Baghdad that killed about 100 people, have shaken people's confidence at a crucial time, just months before the election.

Iraq's rampant corruption has also become a key election issue, and another arrest warrant was issued in the government's crackdown, a judge said Monday. A Finance Ministry official was charged with wasting public funds, judge Arif Shahin said.

The official, Abdul-Basit Turki, is director general of the ministry's auditing department.

The same court also said it was seeking the arrest of Iraq's ambassador to Jordan. He is accused of failing to act on an arrest warrant issued for an Iraqi wanted in the Saddam-era assassination of a dissident.

The dissident was killed in Beirut in 1994 by Iraqi intelligence agents. Iraq's post-Saddam government reopened the case this year and says one of the suspects is in Jordan's capital.

The ambassador, Saad al-Hiyyani, is accused of refusing to forward the warrant to Jordanian authorities to carry out an arrest, said the judge, Shahin.

Al-Hiyyani denied the charge and said he had not been notified of any warrant for his own arrest.

"The charges are false," he said. "They are malicious and bear hidden motives to tarnish my public image."

Associated Press Writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Hamid Ahmed in Baghdad and Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report...LINK....

Talking to a private TV channel, he said the US collaborated with the internal powers in assassinating Zia. “Former Army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg also says that Zia’s plane crash was not an accident, but sabotage,” he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to Brig (retd) Imtiaz’s claim, Zia’s son Ejaz-ul-Haq demanded that a thorough criminal investigation should be conducted into the plane crash. Ejaz said former pilot Akram Awan, who was arrested in connection with another case, told a commission that the Israeli intelligence agency — Mossad — “delivered material to destroy the plane”.

Ejaz also claimed that the US prevented a proper investigation into the plane crash. He said the medical personnel, who performed an autopsy on his father’s body, were sent off to far-off areas.

He said he had met former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger with a request to probe into the incident, but received no response from him. Ejaz said a thorough investigation was needed to uncover the truth behind the plane crash..link..

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two judges of Pakistan's Supreme Court (SC), eleven judges of two provincial high courts were sworn in on Monday, local TV channel reported.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry administered oath to SC judges Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery in Islamabad, the private TV GEO News reported.

Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Qaiz Faiz Essa in a ceremony administered oath to four judges in Quetta, the capital city of southwest Pakistan's province.

Meanwhile, in Peshawar High Court seven judges took oath administered by the Chief Justice Tariq Pervez in the capital city of North West Frontier Province.

Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday approved appointment of the two new judges in the SC and 11 judges in the Peshawar and Balochistan High Courts.

Spokesman to the president Farhatullah Babar said that Zardari approved the appointments on the advice of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and in accordance with the recommendations of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Zardari issued a notification on Aug. 2 to halt 76 judges appointed by former President Pervez Musharraf from functioning.

The order came after Pakistan's Supreme Court declared on July 31 the emergency rule imposed by Musharraf in 2007 as unconstitutional. All the sacked judges had been appointed during the emergency. link...

EOUL, South Korea — South Korea pressed North Korea on Monday to explain a deadly surge in a river flowing across the border from the North that killed three South Koreans and left three others missing.

The level of the Imjin River suddenly doubled Sunday, sweeping away six people camping and fishing near the border dividing the two Koreas. South Korean officials suspect the estimated 40 million tons of water came from a new North Korean dam — one that some in the South had warned the North could use as a weapon.

The South Korean government demanded an explanation in a message sent to North Korea on Monday, Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said.

"We demand that North Korea provide advance notice if it plans to discharge waters in the future," he said.

South Korean and U.S. officials were investigating why the North might funnel such a large amount of water to the South, but there were no immediate signs the move was meant as an attack, Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters.

Later Monday, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo inspected rescue operations at the site and said his government "is strongly urging" North Korea not to repeat similar incidents in the future, according to his office.

There were concerns the flooding incident, if deliberate, might indicate another turn in the recently thawing relations between the two Koreas.

North Korea and South Korea technically remain in a state of war, divided by a heavily militarized border, because their three-year conflict in the 1950s ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Relations blossomed under the "Sunshine Policy" espoused by two liberal South Korean administrations but went cold after the election of conservative President Lee Myung-bak 18 months ago.

Pyongyang recently reached out to Seoul again, and the two Koreas agreed to restart joint economic projects and resume the reunions of families divided during the Korean War.

Despite the overtures, "this is not something that we can overlook," the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Monday. It warned that South Korea would suffer "unimaginable damage" if the North uses the dam for military purposes.

On Sunday morning, the river's water level jumped from 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) to 15.1 feet (4.6 meters), local Gyeonggi Province official Choi Kwon-rak said. He said there was no natural cause for flooding since it had not rained in the area for several days.

Rescuers found three bodies early Monday and were searching for three others, local fire official Hwang Tae-geun said. Some 2,500 rescuers and army soldiers were mobilized Monday, he said. The area is less than 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the Korean border.

There was no mention of the incident in North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. The Unification Ministry said the North also hasn't responded to the South Korean message more than six hours after it was sent.

South Korean officials have raised concerns that the Hwanggang Dam could cause water shortages or flooding in the South, with some concerned the dam could be used as a weapon. Unification Ministry officials said South Korea conveyed such concerns to North Korea during talks in 2006 and 2007, but the North hasn't responded.

As part of anti-flooding efforts, South Korea has been building two dams in the area, scheduled to be completed by 2011 and 2012, respectively. On Monday, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said in a statement it will advance the construction of the first dam by one year in the wake of Sunday's flooding.

The ministry said the North Korean dam is located about 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of the border, and intended to channel water to a hydroelectric plant and for crop irrigation. It is estimated to have a capacity of 400 million tons of water. link....

AMIDST the clamour in Pakistan to put the former president Pervez Musharraf on trial for his many unconstitutional acts, one of his advisers Mushahid Hussain declared that 'just one phone call from Saudi Arabia will stop all the non-sense' about sending the General to the prison house.

Hussain is a former editor who morphed himself into a politico and served many masters including Nawaz Sharif. Hussain has not lost any of his reputation for utter clarity (bordering on the cynical) and the capacity to cut through a complex debate.

The House of Saud has not yet dialled Islamabad. It has done one better. It has summoned all the top figures of Pakistan to discuss the latest political crisis. Among those who serenaded themselves in Riyadh last week were Rehman Malik, a close adviser to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Gen. Musharraf himself. Sharif heads for Saudi Arabia this week. link.....

AMIDST the clamour in Pakistan to put the former president Pervez Musharraf on trial for his many unconstitutional acts, one of his advisers Mushahid Hussain declared that 'just one phone call from Saudi Arabia will stop all the non-sense' about sending the General to the prison house.

Hussain is a former editor who morphed himself into a politico and served many masters including Nawaz Sharif. Hussain has not lost any of his reputation for utter clarity (bordering on the cynical) and the capacity to cut through a complex debate.

The House of Saud has not yet dialled Islamabad. It has done one better. It has summoned all the top figures of Pakistan to discuss the latest political crisis. Among those who serenaded themselves in Riyadh last week were Rehman Malik, a close adviser to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Gen. Musharraf himself. Sharif heads for Saudi Arabia this week. link.....