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Dual Nationality: NA session begins today The government is expected to table two amendments on dual nationality for the parliamentarians and contempt of court law during the ongoing session. The first day’s proceedings would be adjourned after offering Fateha for the departed soul of deceased PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab. In a statement issued here, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that they would strongly oppose any move restricting the role of the judiciary and making a mockery of court decisions. Nisar said that the government wanted such amendments only to protect its own interests but he maintained that the government would not succeed in its nefarious designs as it did not enjoy two-third majority in the National Assembly. “The government is trying to befool the nation,” Nisar said maintaining that the opposition would not allow the government to make the Parliament serve its interests. He pointed out that during the last ov...

Exit Fuels Sharapova's Bid   Russian star hopes to regroup after stunning 6-4, 6-3 loss in fourth round to Lisicki Sabine Lisicki of Germany celebrates after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia in their singles match at Wimbledon on Monday. [Photo/Agencies] Maria Sharapova will use the painful memories of her shock Wimbledon defeat against Sabine Lisicki to fuel her bid to remain on top of the world. Sharapova, the 2004 champion, bowed out in the fourth round on Monday as Lisicki avenged her 2011 Wimbledon semifinal defeat against the Russian with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the world No 1. The French Open champion's premature exit could cost her the highly-prized top ranking depending on the Wimbledon exploits of world No 2 Victoria Azarenka and No 3 Agnieska Radwanska. But Sharapova, who only ended her four-year wait to retake pole position last month, insists her desire to be top dog is still strong enough to guarantee she will do everything in he...

Tennis: Djokovic sets up Federer showdown in semi-final 05 July, 2012   LONDON: Novak Djokovic booked a Wimbledon semi-final showdown with Roger Federer as the defending champion crushed Germany's Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in the last eight on Wednesday.   Djokovic recovered from a slow start to give a masterclass in the art of brutal baseline hitting and Mayer, the 31st seed, lacked the weapons to respond. World number one Djokovic can now turn his attention to a ninth consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearance, a feat surpassed by only Federer, Rod Laver and Ivan Lendl. Djokovic's solitary defeat in his last 33 Grand Slam matches came against Rafael Nadal in last month's French Open final. And with Nadal back home in Mallorca after his shock exit, Djokovic, who has beaten six-time Wimbledon champion Federer in their last three meetings including the semi-finals of the US and French Opens, must fancy his chances of extending his Grand Slam dominan...

European stocks rise, euro drops before rate decisions LONDON: European stock markets rose but the euro fell against the dollar on Thursday, as traders looked ahead to key monetary policy decisions from the European Central Bank  and Bank of England. The ECB was expected to announce a cut to its main interest rate at 1145 GMT, shortly before policy announcements from the BoE tipped to include a plan for more stimulus aimed at aiding Britain's recession-hit economy. In late morning deals, London's benchmark  FTSE  100 advanced 0.28 percent to 5,700.78 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index rose 0.56 percent to 6,601.00 points and in Paris the CAC 40 edged up 0.10 percent to 3,271.55. In foreign exchange trade, the European single currency slid to $1.2512 from $1.2527 late Thursday in New York. "Eyes will be on Europe once again but this time it will be to see what monetary policy modifications the ECB and  Bank of England  will take to counter a re...

NATO trucks cross border after blockade lifted Updated  July 05, 2012 19:45:07 The first trucks supplying NATO troops in Afghanistan have crossed the border from Pakistan after Islamabad ended a seven-month blockade. Pakistan closed overland routes for NATO convoys into its war-torn neighbour after a botched US air raid in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a border post, plunging ties between the allies to a new low. Following a bitter, seven-month standoff, Islamabad agreed to reopen the routes on Tuesday after US secretary of state Hillary Clinton apologised for the air strike deaths. Three trucks loaded with mineral water were cleared to enter Afghanistan from the Chaman border post in Pakistan's remote province of Baluchistan on Thursday, Chaman district customs official Abdul Razaq Imran said. "Three NATO containers parked in customs house Chaman for the last seven months have crossed into Afghanistan from the Chaman border," he said. ...

Abu Jundal, 26/11 dominate Indo-Pak talks; Pak denies state role in Mumbai attacks NEW DELHI: Armed with evidence gathered from arrested LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, India on Thursday made it clear that taking action against the perpetrators of  Mumbai attacks  will be the "biggest confidence-building measure of all" by Pakistan, which rejected involvement of its state agencies in the  26/11  carnage. Pushing  Pakistan  to take action against the guilty in Mumbai attacks, New Delhi asserted that the ongoing interrogation of Jundal, the LeT handler of the terrorists who carried out Mumbai terror strikes, has added "urgency" to this matter. "I emphasised that terrorism was the biggest threat to peace and security in the region and bringing the guilty to justice in the Mumbai terror attacks would be the biggest CBM of all....The ongoing interrogation of  Abu Jundal  has now added urgency to the matter. "I did take up the matter with (Pakistan) ...

CHAPTER 5 The Adventures of an Understudy With Fritz von Tarlenheim and Colonel Sapt close behind me, I stepped out of the buffet on to the platform.  The last thing I did was to feel if my revolver were handy and my sword loose in the scabbard.  A gay group of officers and high dignitaries stood awaiting me, at their head a tall old man, covered with medals, and of military bearing.  He wore the yellow and red ribbon of the Red Rose of Ruritania-which, by the way, decorated my unworthy breast also. “Marshal Strakencz,” whispered Sapt, and I knew that I was in the presence of the most famous veteran of the Ruritanian army. Just behind the Marshal stood a short spare man, in flowing robes of black and crimson. “The Chancellor of the Kingdom,” whispered Sapt. The Marshal greeted me in a few loyal words, and proceeded to deliver an apology from the Duke of Strelsau.  The duke, it seemed, had been afflicted with a sudden indisposition which made it ...

CHAPTER 4 The King Keeps His Appointment Whether I had slept a minute or a year I knew not.  I awoke with a start and a shiver; my face, hair and clothes dripped water, and opposite me stood old Sapt, a sneering smile on his face and an empty bucket in his hand.  On the table by him sat Fritz von Tarlenheim, pale as a ghost and black as a crow under the eyes. I leapt to my feet in anger. “Your joke goes too far, sir!” I cried. “Tut, man, we’ve no time for quarrelling.  Nothing else would rouse you.  It’s five o’clock.” “I’ll thank you, Colonel Sapt-” I began again, hot in spirit, though I was uncommonly cold in body. “Rassendyll,” interrupted Fritz, getting down from the table and taking my arm, “look here.” The King lay full length on the floor.  His face was red as his hair, and he breathed heavily.  Sapt, the disrespectful old dog, kicked him sharply.  He did not stir, nor was there any break in his breathing.  I saw t...

CHAPTER 3 A Merry Evening with a Distant Relative I was not so unreasonable as to be prejudiced against the duke’s keeper because he disliked my complexion; and if I had been, his most civil and obliging conduct (as it seemed to me to be) next morning would have disarmed me.  Hearing that I was bound for Strelsau, he came to see me while I was breakfasting, and told me that a sister of his who had married a well-to-do tradesman and lived in the capital, had invited him to occupy a room in her house.  He had gladly accepted, but now found that his duties would not permit of his absence.  He begged therefore that, if such humble (though, as he added, clean and comfortable) lodgings would satisfy me, I would take his place.  He pledged his sister’s acquiescence, and urged the inconvenience and crowding to which I should be subject in my journeys to and from Strelsau the next day.  I accepted his offer without a moment’s hesitation, and he went off to ...