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SC resumes contempt case hearing against Malik Riaz today

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Supreme Court is likely to indict Malik Riaz in contempt of court case during today&rsquo;s proceeding.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, will resume hearing of the contempt of court case against business tycoon Malik Riaz.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>During the previous hearing of the case, Malik Riaz&rsquo;s counsel Abdul Basit completed initial argument after which the court had decided to indict Malik Riaz.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Business Tycoon Malik Riaz&rsquo;s counsel Dr Basit requested the court to adjourn the case for two weeks and to allow Malik Riaz to complete his medical treatment. He also requested the court to exempt his client from appearing before the court in person during the instant proceedings. The court, however, rejected the counsel&rsquo;s plea and asked him that if Malik Riaz seeks exemption from appearing before the court, he should properly file an application after the court farmed charge against him in the contempt proceedings. The court directed Malik Riaz to ensure his presence on July 16 (today).<br />&nbsp;</p>


No solution from outside on Kashmir: Barack Obama

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ruling out any solution from &quot;outside&quot; to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, US President Barack Obama on Sunday underlined that disputes between India and Pakistan can only be resolved by the two countries themselves.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Welcoming the Indo-Pak dialogue process, he said, &quot;It is not the place of any nation, including the United States, to try to impose solutions from the outside.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;That said, nations must meet their responsibilities and all of us have a profound interest in a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The US leader was responding to a question on the current state of Indo-Pak relations and the best way forward for the two countries to resolve their bilateral matters, including Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Obama said that the US welcomed any dialogue and lessening of Indo-Pak tensions which would be good for South Asia and for the world.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Progress in Pak-US talks on NATO supply resumption

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>US embassy spokesman in Islamabad Mark Stroh has said that there are improvements in talks between Pakistan and US on the resumption of NATO supply.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This he said while talking to British media. He said that no MoU in this regard has yet signed. However he did not disclose details of the MoU.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Dipalpur: Police recover teenaged chained girl

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>According to details, 17-year-old Shumaila of Hujra Shah Muqeem married to Muzaffar of Fkhir Shah Colony in Dipalpur a month ago.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Shumaila was not satisfied with her marriage and wanted to leave her husband upon which Muzaffar with the help of his mother and brothers tortured her and chained her.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Dunya News team and police reached the spot and rescued the girl. Shumaila informed that she was kept in chains for 15 days. Police brought the chained girl to police station while the accused managed to escape.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Sanchez wins 14th stage of Tour de France

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Luis Leon Sanchez of Spain used his time trial experience to claim a solo victory in the 14th stage of the Tour de France while Bradley Wiggins retained the yellow jersey as the three-week race entered the Pyrenees on Sunday.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Sanchez was among a group of five riders who broke away on the final ascent of the day, the Mur de Peguere.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He then made his decisive move 11 kilometres (7 miles) from the finish to claim his fourth Tour stage win. Green jersey holder Peter Sagan of Slovakia finished second, 47 seconds behind Sanchez. Frenchman Sandy Casar was third in the same time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;With Philippe Gilbert and Sagan in the breakaway, I knew that my only chance was to try my luck on my own from far away,&quot; said Sanchez, the Spain time trial champion.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wiggins and all other contenders crossed the finish line more than 18 minutes behind Sanchez.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wiggins, however, retained the race lead as the breakaway riders were lagging well behind in the overall standings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wiggins, bidding to become the first British rider to win the Tour, leads Sky teammate Christopher Froome by 2 minutes, 5 seconds overall. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy is third, 2:23 off the pace.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>At least 30 riders suffered punctures during the stage after someone in the crowd of spectators apparently threw tacks on the road near the summit of the final climb of the day, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the finish.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Defending Tour champion Cadel Evans was among the riders who sustained a puncture at the top of the climb. The Australian rider had to wait nearly two minutes before one of his teammates got there and gave Evans his rear wheel as a replacement.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Wiggins didn&nbsp;t attempt to use Evans&nbsp; misfortune to his advantage and asked the peloton to slow down to allow the defending champion to return to the pack.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Sanchez, who was hampered by a wrist injury during the first week of the race, crossed himself and pointed his fingers toward the sky as he went over the finish line.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Sagan and two other riders managed to escape from the peloton after 35 kilometres (22 miles) during the descent after the first climb of the day, the second-category col du Portel. The 5.3-kilometre (3.3-mile) ascent split the bunch in two as RadioShack stars Andreas Kloden and Frank Schleck were dropped along with a group of about 60 riders.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With Orica-GreenEdge cyclists organizing the chase in order to keep their sprinter Matt Goss in contention for the green jersey, Sagan, Sergio Paulinho and Steven Kruiswijk struggled to build their lead.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>But eight riders including Gilbert, Casar and Sanchez broke away in pursuit of Sagan&nbsp;s trio and bridged the gap while the second peloton caught up with the yellow jersey&nbsp;s group.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With none of the 11 escapees posing a threat in the overall standings, they were given the freedom to continue and established a 10-minute lead at the 72-kilometre (45-mile) mark.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The peloton&nbsp;s deficit was more than 14 minutes at the foot of the first-category Port de Lers, a climb with an average gradient of 7 percent.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Isner power past Hewitt at Newport

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>John Isner fired 16 aces in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 victory over Australian Lleyton Hewitt on Sunday to win the ATP Hall of Fame Championships title for the second straight year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;It&nbsp;s huge for me,&quot; the top-seeded American said. &quot;It&nbsp;s the first time I&nbsp;ve ever defended a title. I&nbsp;m very happy to come through today against a great opponent -- in my opinion one of the greatest ever. It&nbsp;s a big win for me.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hewitt, who received a wild card into the draw, was playing in his first final since June 2010, when he captured his 28th career title on the grass courts at Halle.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one from Australia has battled a string of injuries in recent years and underwent radical foot surgery in February.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Isner&nbsp;s triumph ended Hewitt&nbsp;s unbeaten career run in grass court finals, putting his record at 7-1.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>But with his run to the championship match, Hewitt is projected to rise from his current 233rd in the world to about 151 in the world rankings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>His performance was also a morale-builder as he prepares for the Olympic tennis competition at Wimbledon, where the 31-year-old Aussie will play singles as a wild card entrant.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Isner is also slated for Olympic action and welcomed the chance to tune-up for the Games with tournament competition.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He&nbsp;ll fit in one more ATP tournament before the Games, heading the field at the Atlanta tournament that starts on Monday.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Federer reaches record 287 weeks on top of the world

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Roger Federer, already the holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles, will reach another landmark on Monday when he celebrates an unprecedented 287th week as world number one.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Swiss legend, who turns 31 in August, had pulled level with Pete Sampras&nbsp;s record of 286 weeks when he reclaimed top spot after a two-year absence following his seventh Wimbledon title last week.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>With the Olympics and US Open fast approaching, Federer shows no sign of his passion for the game waning despite being the second oldest man after Andre Agassi to hold the world number one ranking.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;I&nbsp;m so happy I&nbsp;m at the age I am right now, because I had such a great run and I know there&nbsp;s still more possible,&quot; said Federer. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;To enjoy it right now, it&nbsp;s very different than when I was 20 or 25. I&nbsp;m at a much more stable place in my life. I wouldn&nbsp;t want anything to change. So this is very, very special right now.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Federer holds a 75-point lead over world number two Novak Djokovic and is guaranteed to hold the top ranking heading into the London Olympics. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He now has a tour-best five titles in 2012, including his 20th Masters crown in Madrid in the run-up to the French Open. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Federer has compiled a 63-6 match record since last year&nbsp;s US Open, going 17-0 at the end of 2011 and is 46-6 this season. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Despite equalling Sampras&nbsp;s record of seven Wimbledon titles, Federer believes it wasn&nbsp;t just his victory at the All England Club over Andy Murray in the final that enabled him to return to the top.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He believes it was due to a series of highs and lows, notably a heartbreaking loss to Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals last September where he had been two sets to love ahead with match points.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;I think it was a time where I just had to believe that things were going to turn around for me,&quot; said Federer. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;I think when I came back to Basel (last autumn), which was a home tournament, things obviously changed for me to winning ways again. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;Then the confidence rose as I went to Paris and also to London (where he won the World Tour Finals). I think this is when I realised a lot is possible in 2012.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Federer first took the world number one spot in February 2004 and held it until August 2008.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He reclaimed it in July 2009 before being deposed by Rafael Nadal after the 2010 French Open.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Lorenzo wins Italian MotoGP

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Spain&nbsp;s 2010 world champion Jorge Lorenzo won the Italian MotoGP here on Sunday to extend his lead in the overall standings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The 25-year-old Yamaha rider - who ended a two race winless run having last won the British MotoGP on June 17 - came home clear of compatriot Dani Pedrosa on a Honda while Italian Andrea Dovizioso was third on another Yamaha.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It was Lorenzo&nbsp;s 43rd career success and sees him extend his lead to 19 points over Pedrosa, who won last weekend&nbsp;s German race.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>However, Pedrosa&nbsp;s Honda team-mate and defending world champion Casey Stoner saw his chances of bowing out in his final year on the circuit with the title fade further as he trailed in in eighth spot.<br />&nbsp;</p>


FIFA President Blatter says Havelange must go

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>FIFA President Sepp Blatter says world football&nbsp;s governing body should remove the honorary presidency it bestowed on its disgraced former boss Joao Havelange.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Blatter told Swiss weekly Sonntags Blick in an interview published Sunday that Havelange &quot;has to go.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In May at a FIFA congress in Budapest he had led a standing ovation for the ailing 96-year-old Havelange.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Pressure on Blatter has grown after FIFA published a Swiss prosecutor&nbsp;s report Wednesday confirming Havelange accepted kickbacks from marketing agency ISL in the 1990s, while Blatter was a senior FIFA official.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Blatter acknowledges he knew about payments but insisted they were legal in Switzerland at the time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The 76-year-old Swiss took over from Havelange in 1998. He told Sonntags Blick he won&nbsp;t rule out standing for another term in 2015.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Annan, Ban press Russia, China to back Syria action

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon head for Russia and China on Monday to press the two UN Security Council doubters to back tougher action against President Bashar al-Assad to halt the slaughter in Syria.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The visits by the UN-Arab League envoy and the UN leader come at a crucial new stage in the 16-month old conflict. The Security Council has until Friday to renew the UN mission in Syria but is divided over Western calls to add sanctions.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;So divided that maybe Annan and Ban now have the most influence over Russia and China to get anything done,&quot; said one senior UN council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Russia has led the resistance and Annan is to meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during two days of talks in Moscow, said his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Russia&nbsp;s reluctance to act against its Damascus ally has even seen it hold up a UN Security Council statement condemning the massacre of more than 150 people in the village of Treimsa on Thursday.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A draft statement which said the Syria government is in &quot;violation&quot; of its international commitments was circulated among the 15 council nations on Friday, diplomats said. Russia&nbsp;s envoys said they could not agree without approval from Moscow.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>China has supported Russia&nbsp;s rejections and Ban heads for Beijing on Monday, officially for a China-Africa summit. But Syria will top his talks agenda when he meets President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other leaders, said a UN official.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ban has said that international inaction on Syria would be giving &quot;a license for further massacres.&quot; He already urged China to use its &quot;influence&quot; to back Annan&nbsp;s peace plan when he spoke with Yang by telephone on Saturday, said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Diplomats said China has mainly opposed action because of its strong alliance with Russia on the Security Council, where the two normally vote together.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;The problem here is Russia,&quot; said a UN Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;Their credibility on this issue is shot to pieces. Now I am not saying they are not working behind the scenes, but clearly it has not worked. And they have to admit that they have not been pushing Assad hard enough or they have and they failed to persuade him,&quot; the diplomat said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Annan has called on the Security Council to order &quot;consequences&quot; for any failure to carry out his six-point plan which Assad has agreed but failed to carry out. The plan includes the withdrawal of heavy weapons.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Portugal want a resolution passed this week that would threaten sanctions if Assad does not pull back his main weapons.<br />&nbsp;</p>


25 killed as Syrian troops pound rebel strongholds

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Troops bombarded rebel areas in several parts of Syria as violence killed at least 25 people on Sunday, a monitoring group said, while civilians turned to bomb shelters for protection.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A girl was among four people killed when the army rained shells on the town of Rastan, a rebel stronghold in the central province of Homs held by insurgents since February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The army pounded several areas of the city of Homs killing two other civilians, the Britain-based watchdog said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, residents of Qusayr, which has come under daily bombardment, have been building makeshift shelters under their homes or shops, an AFP correspondent in the rebel-held town said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;This took us about a fortnight. We were 10 people working for more than 12 hours a day,&quot; said Abu Abdo outside his tyre shop, pointing to a shelter for 30 people.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;There will be about 15 shelters dotted around the city,&quot; said Hussein, an activist in Qusayr, which lies in Homs province near the border with Lebanon.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;Before, people had to run to the basement of a school but some were killed before they could reach it. So now we we&nbsp;re digging shelters in houses so people don&nbsp;t risk their lives,&quot; he said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The eastern oil city of Deir Ezzor on Sunday came under heavy shelling that killed three civilians and five rebel fighters, the Observatory said, especially near Albu Omar oilfield.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A male nurse also died in prison in Deir Ezzor after being tortured, it said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Two civilians were killed and others wounded in bombing of Qalet al-Madiq in the central province of Hama. In the city of Daraa, cradle of the anti-regime uprising, a civilian and two rebels died in an assault by government forces.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In the province of Idlib, near the Turkish border, three soldiers were killed in fighting with rebels in areas of Jisr al-Shughur, the Observatory said, adding two civilians were killed at the entrance of Salqine village by machinegun fire.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>On Saturday, at least 115 people were killed in violence across Syria, the Observatory said.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Iraq warns Turkey over separate Kurdish oil deal

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Baghdad warned Turkey on Sunday that its separate oil deal with Iraq&nbsp;s northern self-ruled Kurdish region could damage trade relations, the latest sign of tension between the two neighbors.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This month, Iraq&nbsp;s Kurds announced that they have started exporting crude oil and gas to Turkey. The goal is to barter it for refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The deal is part of a bigger agreement the Kurdish government negotiated and signed with Turkey in May without going through Baghdad. The agreement envisions the Kurdish region exporting not only oil but natural gas through a web of pipelines through Turkish territory to the international market.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;Exporting oil from the Kurdistan region to Turkey is illegal and illegitimate,&quot; Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement. &quot;The oil and gas are the property of all Iraqis and those exports and revenues must be managed by the federal government which represents all Iraqis,&quot; al-Dabbagh added.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He accused Ankara of &quot;participating in the smuggling of Iraqi oil ... and this issue will affect the relations between the two countries, especially the economic ones.&quot;<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Kurds and the Arab-led government in Baghdad have been at loggerheads over the right to develop and export the north&nbsp;s natural resources. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Baghdad maintains that the region has no right to sign deals unilaterally and that exports must go through the state-run pipelines, while Kurds argue that the constitution does in fact give them the right to sign agreements without consulting Baghdad.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Kurds have gone ahead and unilaterally signed scores of oil deals. Baghdad keeps a blacklist of the companies involved.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In early 2011, the two sides reached a tentative agreement by which the Kurds send the oil to Baghdad. But the exports were halted in April by the Kurds, who claimed that Baghdad was withholding revenues. The central government in turn accuses the Kurds of keeping billions of dollars that ought to go into state coffers and also of smuggling oil on the side. It has threatened to cut the Kurdish region&nbsp;s share of federal funds.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Baghdad and Ankara for their part have seen their relations strained after Iraq&nbsp;s fugitive Sunni vice president Tariq al-Hashemi, who faces terror charges, sought refuge in Turkey since early 2012. Al-Hashemi says the charges are politically motivated.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Another point of contention is the uprising against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Ankara wants him to leave, while Baghdad, which has close ties to Assad&nbsp;s ally Iran, has been hesitant to take a stand on the Syrian conflict.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also Sunday, Baghdad signed a preliminary deal with a Pakistani company to explore for natural gas in the country&nbsp;s east, the latest move by the war-torn country to develop its vast natural resources after decades of war, U.N. sanctions and neglect.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In May, Iraq awarded Pakistan Petroleum the right to explore for gas in the 6,000-square-kilometer (2300-square-mile) Block 8 in Diyala province. The company will be paid $5.38 for each barrel of oil equivalent.<br /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The contract was signed at the Oil Ministry in Baghdad and it will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval. The contract is one of four Iraq awarded in the latest bidding round to search for oil and gas. Others will be signed this month.<br /></p>


Egypt army not to allow one group dominate

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;Egypt will not fall. It is for all Egyptians and not just one group. The armed forces will not allow it,&quot; Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said in statements carried by the official MENA news agency, in apparent reference to the Brotherhood.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tantawi, Egypt&nbsp;s interim ruler after Hosni Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising, made the comments hours after talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during which she urged the military to support a transition to civilian rule.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Egypt is in the midst of a complex power struggle that is being played out between the newly-elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) headed by Tantawi.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Last week, Morsi ordered parliament to convene, defying a military decision to disband the house after the country&nbsp;s top court ruled it invalid.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Morsi&nbsp;s decree was applauded by supporters who believed the court&nbsp;s decision to disband parliament was political, but it set off a storm of criticism from opponents who accused him of overstepping his authority.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The origins of the battle for parliament lay in the constitutional declaration issued by the SCAF before the president was sworn in.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The declaration, which acts as a temporary constitution, granted the military sweeping powers, including legislative control, and rendered the presidential post little more than symbolic.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Morsi&nbsp;s decision was seen as an opening shot in a power struggle between Egypt&nbsp;s first civilian leader and the Mubarak-appointed generals who wanted to retain broad powers even after they transferred control on June 30.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>But on Wednesday, Morsi said he would respect a court ruling overturning his decree, in an apparent bid to mollify an infuriated judiciary and the powerful military.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>During her visit, Clinton called for the military to help smooth the country&nbsp;s full transition to democracy.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Clinton has repeatedly called on the military to respect the outcome of the elections and told a news conference her talks with Tantawi would focus on &quot;working to support the military&nbsp;s return to a purely national security role.&quot;<br />&nbsp;</p>


UAE starts up pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>The 380-kilometer (236-mile) Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline snakes across western desert dunes and over the craggy Hajar mountains to the city of Fujairah on the UAE&nbsp;s Indian Ocean coast, south of the strait.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It gives the OPEC member insurance against Iranian threats to block the strategic waterway.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Until now, all Emirati exports were loaded in the Gulf and then sailed out through Hormuz. Once it is running at full capacity, the pipeline could allow the country, OPEC&nbsp;s third biggest exporter, to ship as much as two-thirds of its peak production through the eastern port city.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It is designed to carry at least 1.5 million barrels a day of crude, though capacity is expected to eventually rise to 1.8 million barrels daily.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Efforts to bring the long-awaited export route online have gained increased urgency in recent months because of repeated threats by Iranian officials to close Hormuz if the country&nbsp;s own exports are blocked.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The narrow strait is patrolled by Iranian warships as well as by the U.S. Navy and its allies. It is the export route for about 17 million barrels of oil a day, or a fifth of the world&nbsp;s oil supply.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The chairman of Iran&nbsp;s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday that Tehran has a contingency plan to close the key route, though any decision to shut it rests with the country&nbsp;s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gen. Hasan Firouzabadi&nbsp;s comments come two weeks after the European Union enforced a total oil embargo against Iran. The move is part of a series of sanctions meant to force Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment program. The West suspects Iran is aiming to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Emirati officials quietly began filling the new pipeline with oil on June 30, according to the UAE embassy in Washington. A statement from the embassy said the project underscores the U.S. ally&nbsp;s &quot;commitment to ensuring the reliable and safe delivery of crude oil ... to global markets.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Officials including the Emirates&nbsp; energy minister gathered in Fujairah for the formal inauguration of the pipeline, said Mohammed Saif al-Afkham, the director general of Fujairah municipality.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The International Petroleum Investment Co., the state-run company behind the project, confirmed that the pipeline became operational with the first commercial shipment being loaded onto a tanker for export.&nbsp;The U.S. ambassador to the UAE attended the inauguration, underscoring the project&nbsp;s strategic significance.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ambassador Michael H. Corbin called the launch &quot;a historic step in establishing multiple routes for the vital flow of oil from the Arabian Peninsula.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Although several Gulf Arab oil and gas producers fear a shutdown of the strait could block exports, only the UAE and Oman have coastlines on the Indian Ocean side of the strait.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Saudi Arabia also can avoid Hormuz by shipping its Gulf fields&nbsp; oil output through ports on the Red Sea, but it would have to significantly improve its transport infrastructure to get its full production out.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Iran MPs call for nuclear merchant ships

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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Iran says it is designing a nuclear submarine. But nuclear-powered ships other than warships are rare and the International Atomic Energy Agency has said in the past that such merchant ships would be uneconomical.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The bill appears to be a symbolic gesture to bolster Tehran&nbsp;s argument that it has a right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. The West says Iran&nbsp;s nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons technology, a charge Tehran denies.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Lawmaker Mohammad Bayatian is quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency as saying Sunday that the bill will be debated in the parliament next week.<br />&nbsp;</p>


Three heavyweights may join PML-N




LAHORE: 

A disgruntled parliamentarian from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and two senior leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are likely to defect to the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), sources told The Pak Sar Zameen.



The PML-N leadership is trying to convince Syeda Abida Hussain and Fakhar Imam to join the Sharifs.


The couple is considered the only force that can defeat Faisal Saleh Hayat, the PML-Q parliamentarian, who is said be a hot candidate in the constituency.


According to sources, Mian Riaz Hussain Prizada of PML-Q, was likely to defect to the PML-N just before the upcoming polls.


Pirzada recently resigned as the party's chief whip in the National Assembly over differences with the party leadership. Pirzada would have to resign his seat in the assembly before joining the PML-N, according to PML-Q General Secretary Kamil Ali Agha.


But, sources said, Pirzada unlikely to step down and would instead join the PML-N just before the elections.


Although former federal minister Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi, who lost to Pirzada in the 2008 general election, has joined the PML-N, the party will prefer to award ticket to Pirzada for being a winning candidate, said sources in the PML-N.


They said Pirzada's nephew, MPA Kazim Ali Pirzada, has joined the PML-N and assured the party leaders of his uncle's support. Sources in the PML-Q said Pirzada had quit the party over not getting a share in Rs7 billion development funds given to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi by the government.


Pirzada confirmed to The Pak Sar Zameen that he would make a decision on joining a party after the completion of the five-year constitutional term by the incumbent parliament.


Published in The Pak Sar Zameen, July 15th, 2012.


 






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Watch Latest Telefilm: Nadaan on Hum Tv – 15th July 2012.. susral ke rang anokhe



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