PM Gilani , Fazal, Rehman Malik meet Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and Interior Adviser Rehman Manlik have attended a crucial meeting here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. According to sources, national security, regional situation and other important matters came under discussion in the meeting. Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman will support the government in talks with the extremists and also play his... site link

Obama to request Guantanamo courts suspended

GUANTANAMO BAY: Prosecutors are to call on military judges to suspend the proceedings of the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days at the request of President Barack Obama, documents seen late Tuesday said. The government made the request in a motion filed the late Tuesday in the case of five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks. A military judge is expected to rule on the request at a hearing Wednesday at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. The two-page order said t.....site linkhttp://www.thenews.com.pk/

I could not sleep during Mumbai attack: Tendulkar

NEW DELHI: He may have made many bowlers lose their sleep by his explosive batting but Sachin Tendulkar could not close his eyes on the night the terror struck Mumbai, so disturbed was he. " I have been disturbed. I have been tracking the horrific images of mayhem on television. It saddened me to see my countrymen being targeted. I couldn't sleep all this time. I am numb, the images keep playing in my head," Tendulkar said. "This was just not an attack on Mumbai; it is an attack on India," he added. Tendulkar saluted the security persons who risked their lives to save the people of Mumbai. lick site

Mumbai attackers came from Pakistan: India

Updated at: 1949 PST, Wednesday, December 03, 2008 NEW DELHI: India's foreign minister said Wednesday there was "no doubt" that the militants who attacked Mumbai came from Pakistan and were coordinated from Pakistan."I informed Dr. Rice that there is no doubt the terrorists were individuals who came from Pakistan and whose controllers are in Pakistan," foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a joint news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.He said India wanted to see that "the terrorists and organisations who perpetrated these attacks are arrested and brought to justice"."We expect all friendly governments and the international community to ensure that this happens," he said."What action will be taken by the government will depend on the response we have from the Pakistan authorities."I am expecting the response, (and) after obtaining the response, whatever the government considers necessary to protect its territorial integrity, safety and security of its citizens, the government will do that," he added. link site

Four security personnel injured in suicide attack

Updated at: 2112 PST, Wednesday, December 03, 2008 CHARSADDA: Four security men sustained injuries in a suicide attack in Shabqadar area of Charsadda district on Wednesday, a senior police officer said. “Four personnel of paramilitary Mohmand Rifles sustained injuries when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle at Subhan Khawar area Wednesday evening,” DPO Charsadda Waqif Khan told reporters.The suicide bomber, riding a donkey-cart immediately jumped over the van of Mohamand Rifle, he added. The injured were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment. The security forces and police soon after the incident rushed to the site and cordoned off the area. link site

Australian minister sees economic boost after U.S. election

SYDNEY: Confidence in the Australian economy should receive a boost when the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday is over, Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen said on Sunday.

This should occur regardless of whether Democratic candidate and frontrunner Barack Obama or Republican rival John McCain is returned to the White House, Bowen told television.

"The tendency tends to be that once the election is out of the way, regardless of the winner, you see a boost in confidence," Bowen said, noting the boost would be felt globally.

"Now, there's no doubt that around the world there are strong views about who should win this election, but of course American confidence would be affected regardless of the result."

The election comes amid what is regarded as the most severe global economic downturn since the Great Depression of the1930s. The crisis was first sparked by a meltdown in the U.S. sub-prime home loan sector.

The state of the world's largest economy is shaping up as easily the most critical issue in the campaign for U.S. voters.

Pakistan accepts 11 IMF conditions

ISLAMABAD: After minor changes in the 11-point agenda of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Pakistan government has agreed to gradually impose the Central Excise Duty (CED) on services and agriculture sectors at the rate of eight to 18 per cent in place of the General Sales Tax (GST), The News learnt here on Saturday.“In view of the IMF demand, the Pakistani currency will also be devalued after slight changes in the discount rate and exchange rate will be decreased officially by six to seven per cent,” an official in the Ministry of Finance disclosed, wishing to remain anonymous.Moreover, the official said the release of 60 per cent funds for the next three quarters of the current financial year, under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), would be reviewed downward to 45 per cent.According to the official, the foreign assistance flow had already declined by 40 per cent because donors had refused to provide funds for new projects at the federal and provincial levels under the PSDP against the ongoing projects funded by the Japan-IBRD, the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank.ìThe IMF proposal received by the federal government in the last week of October contained 16 conditions having 180 points that were discussed in four meetings between Pakistani and IMF officials in Dubai,î the official disclosed. Eleven of the 16 conditions have been accepted with slight changes,î he added.The official said that major conditions accepted by the Pakistan government included changes in the Islamic Development Bank loans and differentiation between loans and grants, devaluation of rupee, freezing of non-development expenditure under the defence budget for the last three quarters of the current financial year, non-provision of supplementary grants to government departments, ending subsidy on gas and electricity, 20 per cent reduction in non-development expenditure of civil departments and federal ministries, increase in markup rate of banks and on inter-bank transactions, uniformity in the inter-bank and open market dollar exchange rate and stoppage of government financial intervention in stock markets.ìUnder the conditions accepted by the government, the IMF will be informed at the time of the issuance of credit line by any international financial institution, including the World Bank or immediately after it,î the official said. ìThe matters on which the government and its financial managers have differed with the IMF include release of $1.5 billion to$2 billion for the current financial year under the annual assistance package,î he said.The government wants the IMF to provide $3 billion and another $1.5 billion to $2 billion for adjustment of the loan instalments and maintenance of the balance of payments during the current financial year, said the official.ìBut the IMF wants to release $2 billion for repayments in the first six months after reaching the agreement for saving Pakistan from default and another $500 million for the stability of the national economy,î he said. ìFor this too, the IMF wants increase in the markup rate on the already approved 600 million World Bank loan and grant,î he added.The official opined that despite all the tough conditions, objections and differences, Pakistan would be compelled to seek the IMF assistance package because under the IMF pressure on the Friends of Pakistan, no friendly country has so far agreed to extend loan to Islamabad to meet its repayment obligations. ìTherefore, the government has decided to write a letter of intent to the IMF for assistance,î he said