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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The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 25, 2012

Today's Headlines Averting legal challenges: Gilani granted indemnity for post April 26 actions Zia Khan President Asif Ali Zardari has issued an ordinance providing legal cover to all the actions taken by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani between his conviction by the Supreme Court (SC) on April 26 and his actual removal on June 19. Altaf pleads for ethnic unity in Karachi Sameer Mandhro In a first-of-its-kind gathering, the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) addressed Pashtuns and people from the Hazara community residing in Karachi and appealed for ethnic unity to bring lasting peace to Karachi. Egypt transition: Brotherhood's Mursi wins divisive election Our Correspondents Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Mursi was declared on Sunday as the first president of Egypt since a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak, capping a tumultuous and divisive election. Liver transplants: Pioneering surgeons may leave Sheikh Zayed Hospital Ali Usman Two of Pakistan's pioneering liver transplant surgeons, responsible for leading the first transplant without the help of a foreign doctor, are likely to discontinue their services at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) due to a lack of operating facilities.   Business Facing Goliath: India presents challenges and opportunities Ibrahim Mahmood Pakistan's print and electronic media is abuzz with reports about the grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. Similarly, the local textile and garment industry is all gung-ho about exporting to India. Popular opinion is that textiles will get an overwhelming response because of superior quality of Pakistani products. But is that really the case? Smartphone wars: The battle lines have been drawn Khurram Baig The numbers are not good. And I am not just talking about sales or market share right now. That will come later. I am just talking about the fact that Nokia has announced over 10,000 job cuts over the next 18 months. This will bring the total number of planned layoffs to 40,000 since Stephen Elop took over as CEO in September 2010. _______________________________________________ Sports U19 Asia Cup: Pakistan down India in thriller Our Correspondents Pakistan edged out archrivals India by one run in their U19 Asia Cup match to record their second successive win in the tournament. 1st Test: Humiliated Pakistan stare at heavy defeat Our Correspondents Sri Lanka turned the screws on Pakistan in the first Test in Galle after battering the tourists with both bat and ball on the third day. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Transgenders in plays: Do you enjoy theatre with a little bit of Sheila? Sher Khan / Saadia Qamar Over the last few years, including a eunuch has become a common practice in Pakistani theatre. The reasons behind this trend vary; while some say the person who plays the character of a eunuch always adds comic relief, Sharabeel says it may be linked to Bollywood. Fitness: How far does one go to be thin? Momina Sibtain In Pakistan, women pressurise their daughters and sons into being thin and even a little underweight. Statements like "How will you get rishtas (marriage proposals)?" and "No one wants to marry an unfit boy" are common in households where mothers worry about their children's marriage prospects. _______________________________________________

Opinion The non-partisan discomfort Ejaz Haider Why is democracy not delivering for Pakistan? Shahid Javed Burki Obaidullah Baig Salman Rashid The challenges ahead Dr Akmal Hussain Rio+20 and what it means for us Syed Mohammad Ali   Blogs The story of self-made sustenance Leenah Nasir Documentaries about Pakistan: A step in the right direction? Jibran Khan Raja Pervaiz is Pakistan's Raja Ali Tahir Its not time to 'move on', Mr Panetta. Not yet Mariam Kizilbash   Poll Do you think PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf can help resolve the energy crisis? No (88%, 952 Votes)  Yes (12%, 134 Votes)  Total Voters: 1086 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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