The Express Tribune Newsletter: May 12, 2012 ~ Mera Pak Watan

The Express Tribune Newsletter: May 12, 2012

Today's Headlines

Storm in a tea-cup: Premier Gilani sugarcoats tenuous Pak-US ties

Gibran Peshimam

The prime minister has rubbished reports that Pakistan would not be invited to Chicago summit, but stressed that negotiations regarding the reopening of Nato supply routes are still under way – and that it was premature to say anything in this regard till the negotiations are over.

Charting the Afghan course: Chicago invite to take NATO supply route

Kamran Yousaf

Even as the Nato secretary general on Friday hinted that Pakistan may not attend the Chicago summit later this month, Islamabad still expects to participate in the historic gathering to discuss the Afghan endgame.

Punjab power politics: Amidst violent protests govt offers 'respite'

Sumera Khan

Amidst violent protests across Punjab over frequent power cuts in the sizzling hot weather, the government promised on Friday that 'unannounced load shedding will end within 24 hours'.

Budget 2012-13: Pakistan includes $1.1b in evasive coalition support

Shahbaz Rana

The coalition's support may not be forthcoming but that has not stopped Pakistan from including $1.1 billion in next year's budget as reimbursements from the United States on account of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF).

Business

Pay for other's inefficiency: Power consumers to bear interest cost of TFCs

Shahbaz Rana

Electricity consumers will now pay the cost of inefficiencies of the government, as the authorities have planned to pass on roughly Rs10.6 billion to the consumers on account of mark-up on the debt instrument that it wants to issue to raise Rs80 billion for unclogging the power system.

Tug of war: Ministries differ over incentive package for IPPs

Zafar Bhutta

As widening power shortfall sparks protests in many cities, the ministries of Finance and Water and Power are locked in a row over an incentive package for the independent power producers (IPPs), which may improve their financial position and encourage them to run plants at maximum capacity.

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Sports

Madrid Open: Aisam falls in battle of friends

Natasha Raheel

In a battle of former partners, Rohan Bopanna, pairing up with Mahesh Bhupathi, prevailed.

Pakistan Champions League: Canadian club's Indian members denied visa

Nabeel Hashmi

Canada's Berry Cricket Club (BCC), comprising national players, has pulled out of the second edition of Pakistan Champions League (PCL) after three of its players, of Indian background, were denied visas by the Pakistan authorities.

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Life & Style

'Taming of the Shrew' with a desi twist

Sher Khan

The much-awaited premiere of the Urdu rendition of the Shakespearean play "Taming of the Shrew" or "Ilaaj-e-Zid Dastayaab Hai", took place on Wednesday night at the Alhamra Arts Complex in Lahore.

The art archive: Sublime feeling

Maha Malik

There is a way in which sublime feeling no longer fits with contemporary visual experience. This may be especially true for big city life. A landscape established by human density (ethnoscapes) — or a great visual vitality borne of multiplicity, juxtaposition, occasional excrement — it has in its bombast simply no time for the solitary refinements of the sublime. Or so it seems.

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Opinion