The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 28, 2012

Today's Headlines Federal constitutional court: PPP mulls clipping apex court's talons Sumera Khan / Zia Khan The apex court's been aggressive, and the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is considering clipping its talons. Gen Allen-Gen Kayani meeting: Washington offers joint offensive against TTP Kamran Yousaf The US made an offer to Pakistan to conduct a joint military offensive against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Pak-Afghan border region, in a move indicating that the two estranged allies have sought to cooperate in specific areas despite worsening ties. NRO implementation case: SC expects Ashraf to write Swiss letter Azam Khan It's back to square one for the government. Having spent less than a week in the prime minister's office, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been presented a conundrum that led to the ousting of his predecessor: How does one not write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari without committing contempt of court? Terrorism: Blast rips through Sibi railway station Our Correspondents  A bomb ripped through the crowded Sibi railway station before midnight on Wednesday, killing at least eight commuters and injuring nearly three dozen more. Business Desperate measures: FBR blocks refunds, forces banks to pay advance tax Shahbaz Rana Tax authorities are apparently set to play with figures for the second consecutive year in a bid to achieve the revenue target, as they have blocked release of Rs78 billion in refunds and forced banks to pay next fiscal year's tax liabilities before the end of June. Breakthrough: Pakistan to award gas pipeline contracts to Russia Zafar Bhutta Pakistan has agreed to award contracts without bidding for multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects to Russia, which will also extend financial assistance. _______________________________________________ Sports Euro 2012: Spain beat Portugal on penalties to reach final Our Correspondents  Cesc Fabregas struck the winning spot kick as holders Spain beat Portugal 4-2 on penalties after their Euro 2012 semi-final ended goalless after extra time on Wednesday. No one is interested in coming to Pakistan: Zaka Ashraf Fawad Hussain From day one Zaka Ashraf has been on a mission to revive international cricket in Pakistan despite the prevailing sensitive security situation of the country. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Kaptaan: Was Pakistan easy for Jemima Goldsmith? Sher Khan Actor and model Saeeda Imtiaz gained popularity when she was casted in Kaptaan, a film based on cricketer-turned-politican Imran Khan's life as a sportsman that is scheduled for release this fall. Ice Age 4 comes to Pakistan early Rafay Mahmood  We bring glad tidings to the fans of animated films, especially those eagerly waiting for the release of Ice Age: Continental Drift. While the film is scheduled for global release on July 13, Pakistan and a few other countries will release it on June 29. _______________________________________________

Opinion Beyond the memo affair Raza Rumi The middle class debate Shahid Javed Burki Academic responsibility Tanvir Ahmad Khan Coming to terms with autism Annum Sadiq Another top-heavy irrigation scheme Syed Mohammad Ali   Blogs Why America won't help with Kashmir Jehangir Ali Why The Hunger Games is the anti-Twilight Hala Syed Lusting for heroin, living in excess Fyez Ahmed An open letter to Nawaz Sharif Nadeem Akram Poll Do you think the government is doing enough to preserve cultural heritage sites? No (95%, 452 Votes) Yes (5%, 24 Votes) Total Voters: 476 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 27, 2012

Today's Headlines   Maiden cabinet session: Action, not words, to tackle power crisis, says PM Sumera Khan Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf's journey from minister for water and power to prime minister has, it seems, seen him realise at least one thing: keep promises realistic. Mistaken identity: Sarjeet, not Sarabjeet, to be sent back to India Irfan Ghauri  A case of mistaken identity turned what should have been a moving  occasion into international embarrassment on Tuesday. Termination: 'Controversial' officials shuffled Shahbaz Rana In a bid to shake up the team dealing with the energy crisis, the government on Tuesday terminated the contract of Rasul Mehsud, the controversial managing director of the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), and transferred Water and Power Secretary Imtiaz Kazi. From ball-boy to tennis champion Natasha Raheel Asheesh, who at first glance would seem like any other less-fortunate 9-year-old boy from Karachi, is far from it. He is not just a breadwinner for his family by being a handy-man to the gardener at the Defence Authority (DA) Club, he is also a young tennis prodigy, who recently became the under-9 Sindh tennis champion.   Business Joint venture: Russia eager to assist in gas, power import projects Zafar Bhutta In a major development, Russia has offered financial and technical assistance for multi-billion-dollar gas and power import projects to help Pakistan overcome the energy crisis. Investment frontiers: Corporate Pakistan bets on growth in Africa Farooq Tirmizi Corporate Pakistan is increasingly willing to bet on Africa, with a majority of companies saying they believe there are significant opportunities for investment in the continent. _______________________________________________ Sports Aisam's Olympics dream shattered Our Correspondents Major heartbreak was in store for Aisamul Haq Qureshi a day before he launched his Wimbledon campaign as he missed out on a wild-card for the London Olympics – his aim since the turn of the year. Euro 2012: Neighbours face off in 1st semi-final Our Correspondents Having swept past France to reach the semi-finals, Spain can expect a more exacting ordeal today when they face a Portugal team who beat them 4-0 in their last meeting. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Bushra, the face of Bijlee Saadia Qamar Do the lines "Abb tou hum dono mil ker bijlee ko taar taar kerain gay" and "Meray khandan kay taar ab tak modern hain, sarak per nangay paray hain" ring a bell? Loadshedding: Sweat, write and sing Sher Khan Who knew that elongated power cuts could have a bright side? Songwriter Akash, who gained popularity after his single "WAPDA", claims he recorded the track on a whim. He was sitting with his friends and the electricity kept fluctuating when one person screamed out "WAPDA!" in frustration. _______________________________________________

Opinion Judicial responsibility and organs of state Markandey Katju Weapons of peace Zahir Kazmi The Taliban have not been defeated Asad Munir Stabilising the state Talat Masood The reset has been upset Tariq Fatemi   Blogs The curse of being a South Asian student Maria Karia PTV learns on the job with Euro 2012 Faseeh Mangi Upholding the law, undermining the ballot Sarah Khan Want more controversy? Use the word 'gate' Muhammad Bilal Iqbal   Poll Have you ever taken part in a street protest? No (73%, 429 Votes) Yes (27%, 155 Votes) Total Voters: 584 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 26, 2012

Today's Headlines   It's official: Pakistan gets a deputy prime minister Irfan Ghauri The culmination of intense negotiations between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its largest ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), resulted in the country getting a deputy prime minister: PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.   Richard Olson likely to succeed Munter as ambassador Huma Imtiaz In approximately a month's time, US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter will step down from the position he has held for nearly two years. Polio vaccination banned in South Waziristan Our Correspondent In yet another setback to the polio eradication campaign in the country, the Mullah Nazir group in Wana subdivision of South Waziristan banned polio vaccination in the agency on Monday till the United States halts all drone strikes in the tribal region. Sindh's budget sails through assembly Hafeez Tunio With no member either from the opposition or the treasury benches presenting a cut motion against expenditures, the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government won unanimous approval for its Rs542 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Business McLeod Road mammoth: State Bank profits down 10% over two years Shahbaz Rana Despite rising government borrowing and high interest rates, profits at the State Bank of Pakistan have been declining for the last two years, largely due to a decline in non-interest income, declining by 10% over two years. Board of Investment: A 1960s bureaucracy serving the 21st century investor Maha Mussadaq It is a government organisation, part of the Prime Minister's Secretariat. Its chairman is a cabinet-level official who reports directly to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. _______________________________________________ Sports 1st Test: Pakistan brought to their knees Our Correspondents Nuwan Kulasekara and Suraj Randiv combined to vanquish Pakistan as Sri Lanka won the first Test by a massive 209 runs, their biggest win over their Asian rivals. Cricket: Dar recommends eye, hearing tests Nabeel Hashmi The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Elite Panel Umpires will need to go through eye and hearing tests after recommendations put forward by the world's top umpire Aleem Dar. _______________________________________________ Life & Style The best from 'Coke Studio' episode 4 Rafay Mahmood In its fourth episode this season, the "Coke Studio" house band treated listeners to one of the most musically challenging compositions of the season.  Music blogs: 'Social media is word of mouth on steroids' Sher Khan "With blogs and social media, each individual has the power to get his voice heard," says Hamad Dar, who launched music site koolmuzone.pk in 2004.  _______________________________________________

Opinion Not in my name Feisal H Naqvi Remembering Ammi Ali Wahab Lessons from the Kohistan episode Dr Farzana Bari Travels through Pakistan Yaqoob Khan Bangash Science for the people Muhammad Hamid Zaman Blogs Want more controversy? Use the word 'gate' Muhammad Bilal Iqbal Exploiting the power crisis: Rioters in protesters' clothing Vaqas Asghar Why is Manmohan Singh's village better than mine? Wajiha Noor Oh summer, thou art fabulous! Usama Humayun Poll In your opinion, is democracy the best system for governing a state? Yes (53%, 330 Votes) No (47%, 291 Votes) Total Voters: 621 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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